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70,501 | c7d9a9837f8641f95cc3f032c9406d178aa3486c | Blackburn could find themselves in hot water with the FA after a fan appeared to throw a flare which landed near a group of Bolton fans during the Boxing Day derby. Bolton released a statement on Saturday, saying: 'Bolton Wanderers and the police are aware of the incident in the South Stand and where a device was thrown at the window of a box. 'We will be reviewing CCTV footage and will be sharing the information with police.' Smoke can be seen billowing out from corporate box after flare was thrown during Boxing Day derby . The flashpoint took place during the second half of Blackburn's 2-1 defeat at the Macron Stadium. A supporter appeared to throw a pyrotechnic which landed in a corporate box situated in the area of the ground which accommodated the visiting Bolton fans. Police and stewards were quickly on the scene and it had looked as if it may boil over. But order was quickly restored with smoke billowing from the corporate box. Emile Heskey (bottom left) scored on his Bolton debut to equalise against Blackburn . Heskey is mobbed by his team-mates after making a dramatic start to life at his new club . Rovers went ahead thanks to Josh King in the Championship derby, only for Emile Heskey’s introduction to spark a home revival. The former Liverpool striker equalised 14 minutes after coming on before Darren Pratley netted the winner soon after. Sportsmail contacted Blackburn but no-one was available for comment. | Bolton have released a statement saying they are working with the police .
Supporter threw a flare which landed near a group of Bolton fans .
Flashpoint happened during second-half of Boxing Day derby .
Blackburn Rovers lost 2-1 to Bolton at the Macron Stadium . |
201,721 | 9129e3c93f271ddc76c52204b565cfa9ca4816af | Sportsmail have teamed up with HTC to give one lucky person the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Arsenal squad moments before their Champions League last 16 clash against Monaco later this month. The north London outfit will be hosting their Ligue 1 opponents in the first leg of the knockout tie at the Emirates Stadium on February 25. And thanks to HTC, Official Smartphone of the UEFA Champions League & UEFA Europa League, an ultimate matchday fan experience is up for grabs. Click here to be in with a chance of winning the ultimate matchday fan experience . HTC are offering a unique opportunity to be a pitchside photographer at Arsenal vs Monaco on February 25 . Winner of HTC's prize will also win a brand new HTC One (M8) as they get close and personal to the players . You could be the lucky winner of two VIP hospitality tickets for the European encounter as well as the owner of a brand new HTC One (M8), the UK’s most awarded smartphone of 2014. In addition to owning the standout mobile device, you will be able to use it straightaway pitchside, as the HTC Fan Photographer while the players strut their stuff out on the pitch. To be in with a chance of winning this prize please fill in the details below. You must be 18 to enter and submit your entry between February 4 and February 18. Prize entry is between February 4 and February 18 and the offer includes two VIP hospitality tickets for match . Exclusive news, special offers, raffles and incentives. HTC Club is an app that delivers all these benefits directly to your phone. With HTC Club you will receive access to selected special offers and exclusive promotions just for you. Plus, it’s full of tips and tricks for how to make the most out of your HTC device. Download the app. | Arsenal face Monaco in Champions League last 16 first leg on February 25 .
HTC are offering the opportunity to win two VIP hospitality tickets for game .
To get up close and personal with players as the HTC Fan Photographer .
The lucky winner also gets to keep the HTC One (M8) phone as well .
Click here to enter the competition . |
188,386 | 7ff30757c4157047eec6f8b1f2c0a7afd6fea36b | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 07:23 EST, 23 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:58 EST, 24 January 2014 . The Stepford wife may be better known as a submissive and docile housewife - but not Agent Provocateur's offering. The lingerie giant has called on renowned celebrity photographer Miles Aldridge to work his magic and distort the world synonymous with the suburban housewife of the 1950s by giving her the ultimate sexy makeover. The SS14 campaign aims to provide the perfect backdrop for the schizophrenic nature of the collection, says the brand. Not so docile anymore! While the typical Stepford Wife is better known for being submissive, Agent Provocateur has given her a sexy makeover . The lingerie comes in colour-popping saturated hues complete with peekaboo lace, girly gingham, intricate embroidery and slinky knee high splits. Speaking about the inspiration behind the campaign, creative director Sarah Shotton said: 'The campaign embodies my inspiration for SS14, the pristine and glossy 1950s housewife. 'I was interested in the irony behind the idea of the "perfect" woman, unfazed by the everyday pressures of life. 'Our campaign girl has it all, she’s a lady in the street and a wildcat in the bedroom and the collection mirrors her pretty perfection. It is a fantasy of silk and lace in the modern day world.' The perfect housewife? The SS14 campaign aims to provide the perfect backdrop for the schizophrenic-like nature of the collection, which is full of colour popping hues . Miles Aldridge added: 'Shooting with Agent Provocateur was like a childhood dream come true where I drop by unannounced on a school friend to find his mother home Hoovering the kitchen in just her lingerie. 'These sensations from early adolescence run through all my work like the pink sugar writing inside a piece of well-sucked Brighton rock, except the endless word in my rock is woman, woman, woman, woman, woman.' The luxury lingerie label, known for . its sexy underwear, saw its profit grow 55 per cent to £6.2m in the past . financial year proving that big pants are officially out. Baking in the buff: The lingerie comes complete with peekaboo lace, girly gingham, intricate embroidery and slinky knee high splits, all expertly shot by Miles Aldridge . Dream come true: Miles Aldridge said working with Agent Provocateur was like a childhood dream come true where he dropped by unannounced on a school friend to find his mother home hovering the kitchen in just her lingerie . The label, which has been . fronted by the likes of Spanish sisters Penelope and Monica Cruz, . expanded hugely in the past two years, opening 12 stores across the . world. Stores opened their . doors in Milan, Hong Kong, Sydney and Montreal and Agent Provocateur . plans to open up in Chengdu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto and . Calgary over next few months, The Telegraph reports. The annual report announced: 'The . directors continue to deliver a strategic growth plan for the expansion . of the business both in the UK and internationally, with opportunities, . to increase significantly the number of stores worldwide. Desperate housewife: The brand say its campaign girl is a lady in the street and a wildcat in the bedroom . 'While . the global economic outlook still remains unsettled, particularly in . Europe, the directors are satisfied that the business is in a very . robust position to move forward.' Agent . Provocateur was founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré, fashion designer . Vivienne Westwood's son, and his now ex-wife Serena Rees. The . debut store opened in Soho and has snapped up the likes of Melissa . George from Home & Away, Kylie Minogue and Kate Moss to star in its . campaigns. | SS14 campaign aims to provide backdrop for 'schizophrenic-like' collection .
Shot by famed photographer Miles Aldridge .
Full of colour-popping hues, lace and sexy garters .
Brand saw profit before taxes double in the past financial year . |
33,560 | 5f740d2ccf8d0f9231dc1ce650448e9410a5a1f6 | By . James Gordon . A couple from Florida who believed they met each other at university found that their paths crossed years earlier when they were both children at pre-school. Jason and Jessica Roth, 35, from Miami thought a nightclub near Florida State University was the place they should note as the place where true love struck, but they actually met each other 17 years earlier at a costume party. Jason, in a Superman outfit, together with his future wife, Jessica, in a pink and burgundy genie costume, were pictured together at their preschool Halloween parade. Familiar face? Jason and Jessica Roth are coming up on their 10 year anniversary, but an old photo revealed that they actually met much, much earlier - in preschool . Save the date: Wedding bells could have been in the air as long as 17 years before they finally got together... They were shocked when they discovered that, though they're from different towns, they had a picture together from 17 years before they 'met' The couple only found out about their previous encounter 18 months into their relationship. They always knew that they had attended the same preschool for a brief period of time when Jason lived in the town of Lakeland with his aunt. However, they did not realize that they ended up participating in the same events as one another. The pair have no memory of each other as kids but after finding an old photo taken at his preschool's Halloween parade, Jason spotted a little girl dressed in pink. 'I vaguely remembered having a photo . from that period of time,' Jason said. He rummaged through old photos, . and came across a single photo from Halloween during his time in . Lakeland. He spotted a little blonde girl that looked a whole lot like . his then-girlfriend. 'I was sitting at work and he called me and . said, ‘Hey, I found this picture. When you were in preschool, what was . your Halloween costume?' The 35-year-olds met at a club near Florida State University, their alma mater, and started dating when Jason was a senior at FSU, but they actually 'met' when they were both much younger . She said she was a genie, which matched the girl in the photo. 'I sat there looking at the wall thinking ‘This is incredible.’' 'Never did I think she’d be the girl standing two feet from me,' Jason added. He’s hesitant to call it 'destiny,' but rather 'pretty phenomenal happenstance.' 'We were always kind of in each other’s orbits, we were just waiting for the stars to align.' Jason said. 'Very rarely in life do you see how all pieces fall into places to make things happen.' 'It was a pretty amazing revelation that despite me spending a majority of my childhood in Miami, we managed to go to preschool together,' Jason told The Huffington Post. The couple also found out that they lived in the same dorm freshman at Florida State University and that he even server her beignets at the cafe he used to work in. About a year after discovering the picture, the couple got engaged. They even used the incredible flashback photo as their 'Save the Date' wedding announcement. The couple have now been together a decade and will celebrate their 10th anniversary in April. Whether it be divine intervention or just plain good luck, Jason believes the picture is proof that they are meant to be together. 'Life is hard and sometimes our orbits get further apart, but then they come back together and I couldn't be more grateful to have such a wonderful partner in life,' he said. "I vaguely remembered having a photo from that period of time," Jason said. He rummaged through old photos, and came across a single photo from Halloween during his time in Lakeland. He spotted a little blonde girl that looked a whole lot like his then-girlfriend . | The Roths are both Florida natives, with Jason originally from Miami and Jessica from Lakeland .
The couple believed they had met for the first time at university .
However, a childhood photo of Jason's revealed that their paths had crossed at pre-school . |
244,837 | c8e5e98a1656e1b7e4b86375182fb80ba83d7561 | A man convicted of beating his wife with a frying pan and strangling her said that he misses her daily before he was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison before parole. Patrick Allen, 47, was sentenced by a Monmouth County judge in the murder of his wife, Kimberly. 'We lost a great woman,' Allen said before he was sentenced as his two sons and other relatives sat in the courtroom, according to the Asbury Park Press. 30 years: Patrick Allen, convicted of beating his wife with a frying pan and strangling her, said that he misses her daily before he was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison . Snapped: Allen, of Middletown, had been concealing the fact that they were about to lose their home to foreclosure, prosecutors said.He also had more than $600,000 in debt, between two mortgages on the family's house and $25,000 in credit card debt . 'Mom will always shine her love on both of you.' The victim's father Frank Torchy and cousin Colleen Wieghorst spoke during the sentencing, reports NJ.com. Her father told the judge his grandsons will go through life knowing their father killed their mother. 'Their mother is deceased and their father is going to be in custody for a very long time,' said Superior Court Judge John Mullaney Jr. Allen, of Middletown, had been concealing the fact that they were about to lose their home to foreclosure, prosecutors said. He also had more than $600,000 in debt, between two mortgages on the family's house and $25,000 in credit card debt, they said. Horrific: Assistant Monmouth County Prosecutor Maria Franceschini swings the frying pan that was used in the murder of Kimberly Allen by her husband Patrick Allen. The couple had two sons . Prosecutors claimed an argument ensued when his wife learned of the situation and Allen killed her while the couple's two children were at school. He was convicted in December. In her closing statement, Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Franceschini picked up the frying pan wrapped in plastic and swung it to show jurors how Allen struck his wife over the head. She then showed jurors autopsy photos showing the result of Kimberly Allen being struck by the frying pan. 'The past three years has been a living hell for our family. What Pat Allen did is incomprehensible, despicable and heinous. He stole the life of a loving, beautiful mother, daughter, sister and aunt,' said her grieving father . 'The loss of Kim is profound and there will always be a hole in our hearts.' Patrick's son Matthew Allen was in court for the sentencing but did not speak. Their other son, Ryan, was not in the courtroom. 'They will never have their incredible mom to turn to, to watch them play sports, to see them graduate, to talk to or to be there when they become parents themselves,' Wieghorst said in court. 'This is their life story now, their father killed their mother.' In her closing statement, Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Maria Franceschini picked up the frying pan wrapped in plastic and swung it to show jurors how Allen struck his wife over the head. She then showed jurors autopsy photos showing the result of Kimberly Allen (pictured) being struck by the frying pan. | Patrick Allen, 47, was sentenced Thursday by a New Jersey judge in the 2011 murder of his wife, Kimberly .
Allen was trying to hide more than $600,000 in debt from his wife, leading to the argument that ended her life .
Allen, of Middletown, had been concealing the fact that the family was about to lose their home to foreclosure, prosecutors said . |
267,139 | e604813d178c4fdef44eee5c2eb2bf16c39cbc6d | By . Amanda Revell Walton . PUBLISHED: . 16:01 EST, 3 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:11 EST, 3 August 2013 . The call came in the early hours of October 27 – and Elaine Hanson remembers being ‘frozen in a place of absolute horror’. Only hours previously, she had been persuaded by nurses to leave the bedside of her son – young author Luke Bitmead – to go home briefly for a change of clothes and a few hours’ rest. She had done so in the knowledge that Luke was on the mend after taking an overdose of painkillers in what his mother describes as ‘a classic plea for help’. Elaine, 59, recalls the tragic night in 2006: ‘All I could think of was that I had left my boy getting better. Physically, he was fit and strong. And now, just hours later I was being told he was dying.’ Tragic loss: Luke Bitmead giving his mother Elaine away at her wedding in 2005 . What happened to Elaine’s ‘vibrant and handsome’ son was undoubtedly heartbreaking – but also, arguably, avoidable. The 34-year-old, who had a history of depression, discharged himself in the middle of the night and walked out of the intensive care ward dressed in a pair of pyjamas. He took a taxi to a nearby multi-storey car park – and plunged 30ft, sustaining injuries that led to his death. Just last week, failures in NHS care of mental-health patients were again in the news after an apparent series of suicides at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit, a secure psychiatric hospital in Leicester. There have been ten such tragic incidents since 2010 at Bradgate, and inquests have highlighted repeated failings by staff. Across the UK, there are on average 160 inpatient suicides a year. Following a BBC News investigation, the Care Quality Commission admitted that it has failed to properly inspect some units including Bradgate. Yet Luke was not even admitted to a secure unit – despite his first attempt at taking his own life. Mother-of-two Elaine, of Southrop, Gloucestershire, believes he should have been. ‘It was obvious he was in a fragile state of mind. It should have been clear to anyone – never mind a health professional – that Luke was far from well mentally. If the doctor who was looking after him had taken the time and read his notes, she would have seen that not only did the mental-health nurse who’d assessed him write that suicide was his ‘‘back-up plan’’, but that she was able to section him. ‘The psychiatrist who was looking after Luke had left instructions that Luke was to be sectioned for 24 hours if he tried to leave.’ Much loved: Luke surrounded by friends at his 23rd birthday . Hospital: Luke was admitted to the Great Western Hospital after taking an overdose of painkillers on October 24, 2006 . Being sectioned means a mentally ill patient being admitted to hospital whether or not they agree to it. The term refers to the use of a section from the 1983 Mental Health Act as the authority for the detention. This ‘section’ of the Act is used about 50,000 times a year in England and Wales.Such drastic action is taken when someone is so severely mentally ill that it is necessary to protect their own health or the safety of others. The process is typically started by a family member and GP, and the decision is usually made by two doctors, one of whom must be an expert in mental health, and a social worker. The detention order can last up to six months. Elaine and her husband, Chris Hanson, who was Luke’s stepfather, had to fight for five years before the NHS Trust in charge of Great Western Hospital in Swindon, where Luke discharged himself on the night of his death, finally admitted that it made mistakes. 'It was obvious he was in a fragile . state of mind. It should have been clear to anyone - never mind a health . professional - that Luke was far from well mentally' - Luke's mother Elaine Hanson . The Trust has issued a formal apology, agreed an out-of-court settlement, and promised to change the way suicidal patients are treated. Elaine says: ‘Going over and over documents and continually reliving what happened really traumatised me and my husband – and all because the NHS couldn’t put their hands up and say “sorry”. It’s despicable.’ Former model Elaine is now campaigning for a change in the law to ensure vulnerable people at risk of self-harm cannot discharge themselves from hospital. ‘In England, prisoners on suicide watch are kept safely under 24-hour-a-day supervision – why should it be different for everyone else?’ she asks. Luke, a former pupil at public school Radley College, had a degree in philosophy from Reading University and his published novels include White Summer and Heading South. He had taken an overdose before, in 1998, but had not been hospitalised. He was admitted to the Great Western Hospital after taking an overdose of painkillers on October 24, 2006. Luke had gone to a hotel in Oxford that evening and taken a large number of tablets. ‘He rang me and said “I’ve been really foolish,” and my heart just sank,’ Elaine recalls. ‘He told me where he was and I told him to stay there and we’d come and get him.’ Family: Luke on holiday in Portugal with his mother and sister in 1975 . After being admitted to hospital, tests showed the overdose had damaged Luke’s liver and he was moved to intensive care. After three days, his condition improved and Elaine, who had kept a bedside vigil next to her son, went home to sleep. Hours later, she received a call from the hospital saying her son had discharged himself, followed by another shortly afterwards saying he had been readmitted – and was on a life-support machine. The fall at the car park had ruptured his aorta and severely damaged his internal organs, as well as causing multiple external injuries. Elaine had to make the heart-wrenching decision to have his life-support machine turned off. All those who knew and loved Luke were shocked at the news of his death. It took four years for an inquest into his death to be held. A verdict of suicide was recorded. Elaine says: ‘During the inquest, the doctor who discharged him said, “I now know I was wrong.” At the time of Luke’s death, I just couldn’t understand why she couldn’t have simply sectioned him for his own safety. I found this so hard to comprehend. I now know she hadn’t even read his notes.’ Elaine has also criticised the fact that her son was given only one hour with a mental-health nurse during his 60-hour hospital stay. Dr Joachim Stanley, a clinical negligence expert at Withy King Solicitors, says: ‘Luke’s untimely end was all the more tragic because it was avoidable. Sadly, cases like his are not uncommon.’ A spokesman for Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust says: ‘Since Luke’s death, as a Trust we have made significant improvements to the way we support and manage patients with mental-health needs in the hospital.’ Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Alison Brabban says: ‘Health professionals can sometimes feel so pressured that they avoid asking patients about suicidal thoughts even if they suspect they’re there, just in case they open up a topic they fear they won’t be able to deal with. Just last week, failures in NHS care of mental-health patients were again in the news after an apparent series of suicides at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit, in Leicester . ‘Not only do staff need training to spot signs of hopelessness, but they also need to feel confident that they have the competences as well as the resources to help.’ Elaine’s call for new legislation has been backed by mental-health charities. Paul Jenkins, CEO of one, Rethink Mental Illness, says: ‘Many health professionals can spot the signs of diabetes or a stroke, but cannot spot the basic signs that someone is suicidal. Training is not the only problem. Often staff are doing their best in a system that is chronically underfunded, so even when they know someone needs specialist help, it isn’t easily available.’ Elaine adds: ‘When I sat with Luke’s body after the life-support had been switched off, I made a promise to my son that I’d fight with every breath I had to try to see that we achieved better treatment for people with mental-health problems. ‘I will grieve for ever, but I don’t want my grief to be energy that just floats out into the ether. I want it to be used to create a possibility of change.’ | Luke Bitmead had history of depression but was able to discharge himself .
He left hospital in his pyjamas and took a taxi to multi-storey car park .
His mother Elaine has said he should have been admitted to a secure unit .
lukebitmead.com . |
246,922 | cb8ad14318fb7eb24bde4be0d0ac8b2ebc843167 | (CNN) -- Singer Rihanna, through her lawyer, asked a judge Thursday not to prohibit her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, from having contact with her while he faces felony charges of assaulting her. Chris Brown attends his arraignment in Los Angeles on Thursday. Attorney Mark Geragos is at right. The judge granted Rihanna's request. Brown, 19, allegedly attacked Rihanna, 21, during an argument in February that began when she found a text message from another woman on his cell phone, according to a sworn police statement. Brown appeared before a judge Thursday on the two felony counts, but his arraignment was delayed until next month at the request of his lawyer. Authorities charged Brown on Thursday with felony counts of assault and making criminal threats, the Los Angeles County, California, District Attorney's Office said. If he is convicted, the sentence could range from probation to four years and eight months in prison, the office said. While Los Angeles County Judge Kristi Lousteau warned Brown "not to annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone," Lousteau did not issue a "no contact" order that would have kept Brown away from the woman he is accused of beating. Watch a discussion of the charges -- and Brown's future » . Rihanna's lawyer, Donald Etra, stood near Brown and his lawyer, Mark Geragos, during the brief hearing. Rihanna was not in the courtroom. Referring to the "no contact" order that could have been imposed, Etra told reporters after the hearing, "Rihanna requested that no such order be issued." Etra said the less stringent protective order against harassment and threats signed by Lousteau was "more than sufficient in this case." Etra did not respond when reporters asked if the singer was cooperating with prosecutors in the case against Brown. Brown, dressed in a suit and tie, said little during the hearing, except to answer "yes" when the judge asked him if he wished to waive his right to a speedy trial in exchange for a delay in arraignment. He then signed a waiver, which also allows Geragos to appear without him in court for hearings on routine issues. Lousteau ordered Brown to return to court on April 6 for formal arraignment. Court documents released Thursday revealed details about the case against Brown, including a police statement that the incident began when Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, found a text message on Brown's cell phone from "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with." Watch panelists discuss whether Rihanna will testify » . A search warrant used by police to obtain cell phone records related to the case included the sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews in which he detailed what allegedly happened in the early morning hours of February 8. Read the affidavit (PDF) "Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown's cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with. "A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion. "Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle. "Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, 'I'm going to beat the s--t out of you when we get home! You wait and see!' " The detective said "Robyn F." then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer. "Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, 'I'm on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.' "After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, 'You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I'm really going to kill you!' "Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown. "Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic) that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand. "Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street. "Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand. "Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it. iReport.com: Chris Brown fans: Share your reaction . "Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.'s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness. "She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown's body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions. "Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order." At the end of his statement, Andrews said Brown sent a text message nine days later apologizing. "In the text message, Brown apologized for what he had done to Robyn F. and advised [Rihanna's assistant] Ford that he was going to get help." Brown issued a public apology for the incident last month. "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," he said in a statement released by his spokesman. "I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person." | NEW: Rihanna's lawyer says she requested there be no "no contact" order .
Chris Brown's arraignment delayed until April 6 .
Brown charged with assault, making criminal threats .
Victim identified as "Robyn F."; "Robyn F." is Rihanna . |
59,054 | a79b3c3c181dec77ecc76d67c3557bcebbe0d18f | It's nearing 'crunch time' for Greece and the eurozone and failure to reach a deal over the country's bailout would be 'very severe for economic and financial stability', according to Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne. However, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras today signalled little intention of backing down from Greece's clash with its euro zone partners, despite a looming financial crisis. Tsipras said his government would not succumb to 'blackmail' and would instead quickly start voting in new laws to reverse bailout reforms. Defiant: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (pictured) signalled little intention of backing down from Greece's clash with its euro zone partners, despite a looming financial crisis . Ignoring calls from across Europe to compromise on a plan to extend Greece's bailout programme, he said he was confident a deal on the country's future would ultimately be found but that Athens would not climb down from its pre-election pledges. 'We are not in a hurry and we will not compromise,' Tsipras told his party's lawmakers in parliament. 'We are working hard for an honest and mutually beneficial deal, a deal without austerity, without the bailout which has destroyed Greece in recent years, a deal without the toxic presence of the (bailout inspecting) troika.' Tsipras said his parliament would start voting in bills this week to implement campaign pledges of protecting primary residences from foreclosures and banning the sale of mortgage loans to distressed funds. A bill reversing labour reform and restoring collective bargaining agreements scrapped by European Union and International Monetary Fund lenders would soon be presented alongside another one to deal with the 'humanitarian crisis' in Greece, he said. The current bailout runs out in two weeks, and the EU had originally said Greece would have to demand an extension to the loan by yesterday. But, following the collapse of a meeting in Brussels, European officials gave the newly elected radical Left government in Athens another three days, with the possibility of another meeting on Friday. Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister who chairs the Eurogroup of 19 countries using the common currency, stuck to his guns, however, saying Athens must seek an extension. 'It's really up to the Greeks,' he said. 'We cannot make them or ask them. We stand ready to work with them, also (over) the next couple of days.' If no deal is reached, Greece will be unable to service its debt and could run out of cash, meaning it would not be able to pay its civil servants or fund pensions. Economists have warned that this could see the country being forced out of the euro, which would spark a crisis in the eurozone and have damaging knock-on effects for the UK economy. Osborne said 'we're reaching crunch time for Greece and the eurozone' and warned failure to reach a deal would be 'very severe for economic and financial stability'. Echoing the alarm EU officials have voiced about the negotiating tactics of the left-wing government Greeks elected last month to end hated austerity programmes, Osborne added: 'What Britain really needs to see is competence, not chaos.' 'Crunch time': Jeroen Dijsselbloem (left), the Dutch finance minister who chairs the Eurogroup, said Greece must seek an extension, while George Osborne (right) warned failure to reach a deal would be 'very severe for economic and financial stability' Greece's Left-wing Syriza government wants the country's bailout to be restructured, with an end to many austerity demands. The International Monetary Fund and European Union say there should be no change to the terms of the current £178billion loan. Despite all the tough talk and ultimatums, Greece and its creditors in the eurozone are still expected to cobble together some sort of deal that will allow the country to remain a member of the euro currency. 'If Greece were to leave the euro, the financial chaos that would follow could also spell the end of the Syriza-led government,' said Jane Foley, analyst at Rabobank International. 'For this reason it remains our central view that an eleventh hour compromise between Greece and its creditors is still likely.' The current bailout expires on February 28. Any new agreement would have to be approved by national governments, so time is running out to reach a compromise. While the stock index in Athens declined only modestly Tuesday, Greece's government borrowing rates are rising steadily - a sign investors are more wary of a potential bankruptcy. Economists at Commerzbank estimate that falling out of the currency union would see Greece's economy shrink another 10 per cent. That is on top of the 25 per cent it has already plunged since the crisis, putting it through a downturn similar to the U.S. Depression of the 1930s. A new currency would fall sharply in value, meaning painfully higher prices for imports like medicine and gas. Companies' debts in euros would swell, forcing many into bankruptcy. In the rest of the eurozone, taxpayers would be handed big losses on bailout loans their governments gave Greece. The eurozone bailout fund - a pot of money backed by taxpayers - is owed €142billion, individual countries are owed €53billion, and the European Central Bank €20billion. The Greek central bank owes another €50billion to eurozone central banks. | Greek PM says deal will be found but he won't renege pre-election pledges .
Greece's government will start voting in laws to reverse bailout reforms .
Bailout runs out February 28 and Greece must ask for extension by Friday .
George Osborne says it's reaching 'crunch time' for eurozone and Greece .
Economists warn failure to reach a deal could spark crisis in the eurozone . |
197,397 | 8b7f207d9fdeafdb05e4f76382e9331339434c04 | Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- U.S. airstrikes targeted militant hideouts and arms caches in separate attacks over three days in Yemen, killing at least 64 suspected al Qaeda insurgents before the strikes ended Sunday, senior Yemeni officials told CNN. Officials at U.S. Central Command and the Defense Department contacted Sunday provided no information on the purported attacks. U.S. officials rarely discuss the drone program, though privately they have said covert strikes using drones are legal and an effective tactic in the fight against extremists. The latest strike involved at least five U.S. drones and took place in the Jabal Khanfar region of Jaar, located in southern Abyan province, two senior Yemeni security officials said. At least six suspected al Qaeda militants were killed, Yemeni officials said. A member of the military committee -- Yemen's highest security authority -- confirmed that strike, and said the Yemeni government was given no advance warning of it. "The United States did not inform us on the attacks. We only knew about this after the U.S. attacked," the committee member told CNN. The strike was the third such attack on suspected al Qaeda targets in less than three days, according to Yemeni officials. The United States was also involved in two other major attacks on Friday and Saturday, which killed at least 58 suspected al Qaeda insurgents, two senior Yemeni defense ministry officials said. The Friday airstrikes occurred in the Yemen province of al-Baitha in areas used as launching pads for militant attacks. The second attack took place in the towns of Jaar and Zinjibar in Abyan province. One of the ministry officials said the attacks happened late in the day, when Yemeni air forces are not capable and trained to conduct such operations. Earlier, separate security officials had said Yemeni air forces were behind the first two airstrikes. At least 34 suspected al-Qaeda militants, among them four senior leaders in the network, were killed in the al-Baitha attack, said Mohammed al-Ameri, governor of the province. Smoke from the air raids covered the skies hours after the strike. Security forces also formed new checkpoints in nearby districts. Residents said military aircraft roam the skies of the province around the clock. Yemeni rights organizations condemned the alleged U.S. airstrikes, calling them illegal. HOOD, a prominent Sanaa-based rights organization, said that no one has the right to kill another person without first bringing that person to trial. "This is illegal and dozens were killed without given a chance to prove their case. We are against any U.S. attack in Yemen," said Mohammed Nagi Allow, HOOD's president. More than 200 Yemeni troops were killed recently in clashes against al Qaeda in Abyan. Militants took over a military camp there, seizing large caches of weapons. They are still holding 72 troops hostage. Yemen has been desperately trying to weaken terror militant groups after they succeeded in taking over large parts of Abyan province last year. The United States has been backing Yemeni efforts against al Qaeda and has periodically struck targets inside Yemen, as occurred in September, when a drone strike killed American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. | Officials at U.S. Central Command and the Defense Dept. provide no details .
The United States gave Yemen no advance warning, a Yemeni official says .
U.S. officials rarely discuss the drone program . |
83,330 | ec5aa7a0ebd15c4a0d3381c5324ce13ee1f4e2d6 | By . Wills Robinson . An airstrike which demolished an apartment block in eastern Ukraine has killed at least 11 civilians. The four-story building in Snizhne, a town in the rebel-dominated Donetsk region, appeared to have been hit by two missiles which wiped out several tiers at once. The attack adds to the hundreds of casualties who have died during the pro-Russian insurgency over the last four months. Debris: Rescue workers remove debris at a collapsed apartment which was wiped out by airstrike in Snizhne, 60 miles east of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine . Rescue workers managed to pull one small child with broken legs alive from the rubble. Government officials denied claims that the attack was carried out by Ukraine's air force, but did not say who was to blame. The Defense Ministry insisted the bombing could not have been carried out by the air force as none of its planes were deployed at the time of the strike. Ukraine's Security Council spokesman Andrei Lysenko called the incident a 'cynical and bloody provocation' aimed at discrediting the armed forces. No official death toll has been produced, but hundreds of civilians are believed to have been killed to date. Authorities believe 258 servicemen have been killed in fighting and 922 injured. The separatist Luhansk People's Republic said that 12 more civilians were killed Monday evening in the eastern city of Luhansk following rocket attacks and airstrikes. It was not immediately possible to verify those claims. On Monday, Ukraine said one of its military transport planes carrying eight personnel was shot down by a missile fired from Russian territory. Security Service chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said there was 'unconditional evidence' that Russia was involved in downing the craft. Defense Ministry representatives initially suggested all those on the plane had survived and been accounted for. The ministry updated its account to specify that while four on the plane were evacuated, another two were taken captive by rebels and that the whereabouts of two more is unknown. In the last two weeks, the government has halved the territory in eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russia separatists, who have been forced back into the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk. Many in the armed insurgency are known to be Russian nationals, but Moscow says they are simply citizens who went to fight in Ukraine on their own. Victim: Igor Chernetsov, whose wife was killed in the strike, raises his arm to clean-up workers near his house . Rubble: People carry out computers buried in the debris from the collapsed building . Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of involvement in attacks on its troops and supplying rebels with weaponry. Lysenko said Ukrainian border guards came under gunfire from inside Russian territory. He did not specify that he believed Russia to be directly responsible for the attack. Moscow has in turn accused Ukraine of shelling a border town inside Russia, killing one person. But Ukraine has denied firing shells onto foreign soil. A delegation of international military attaches and reporters Tuesday visited the site of the shelling, in the Russian border town of Donetsk, in what a senior Russian Defense Ministry official termed an 'act of good will.' Officials showed a residential building damaged by the rocket and a series of craters next to a border crossing . Picture frames: Rescue workers remove debris, including personal effects, which were inside the building at the time of the attack . Stuck: An axe is wedged into a trunk. Three rescue workers in the background discus the clean-up operation . Aftermath: The attack adds to the steadily growing number of civilians killed over four months as a result of a pro-Russian insurgency . Blame: Government official have denied the Tuesday strike was carried out by Ukraine's air force . Loss: A woman, name no given, cries as the debris from her destroyed apartment is cleaned up . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Two missiles hit building in town of Snizhe, 60 miles east of Donetsk .
Government officials denied claims it was carried out by Ukraine's air force .
Defence Ministry said none of their planes had been deployed at the time .
Spokesman called the attack a 'synical and bloody provocation' |
50,890 | 9004f5088e805ba195848324ef077eb934ba5256 | Britain woke up to fog today, as it was revealed the unseasonal warmth will continue into October - with 20C (68F) temperatures expected this week. But by the weekend it is expected to be much cooler and windier for the country, with wetter conditions forecast into most of next week. The Met Office had a severe weather warning for fog in place until 10am today, covering most parts of the South East and South West of England. One of these areas was Norfolk, where a . Greater Anglia train was pictured battling through the fog outside Acle . railway station near Norwich today. Also seen making its way through fog . in the county this morning was traffic on the A47 and a canal boat on . the River Thurne in the Norfolk Broads. Scroll down for video . Misty start: A Greater Anglia train is pictured battling through the fog outside Acle railway station near Norwich in Norfolk today . Difficult conditions: Traffic on the A47 in Norfolk makes its way through the fog this morning. The road links Birmingham to Great Yarmouth . Eerie sight: A canal boat can hardly be seen this morning as it makes its way through the fog on the River Thurne in the Norfolk Broads . Poor visibility: Thurne Windmill on the Norfolk Broads, near Great Yarmouth, is shrouded in fog this morning . Met Office forecaster Laura Young told MailOnline today: ‘Yesterday we had a high of 24.7C (76.5F) at Northolt, which is very warm for this time of year. 'In the South you're looking at 21C (70F) today. It is staying very mild for this time of year. Tomorrow there is a good deal of dry weather. ‘There is a good picture tomorrow, unless you’re in the North West - in which case you have got some showers coming through in the morning. ‘But it does break up very quickly. Tomorrow there will be highs of about 22C (72F) in London. Scotland’s still looking at maybe even 19C (66F).’ She then looked ahead to the weekend, adding: ‘Friday is still going to remain largely dry in the south, but a bit windier. ‘A narrow band of rain comes through Northern Ireland and north-west Scotland – and it moves south-eastwards. West Country: Drivers are seen making their way through fog today on the M4 motorway near Acton Turville, South Gloucestershire . Morning traffic: Another view of fog on the M4 motorway near Acton Turville, which is 17 miles east of Bristol . Looking out: A surfer at Porthtowan beach in Cornwall prepares to take advantage of the dry warm weather as September draws to a close . Making a splash: A surfer at Porthtowan beach in Cornwall today, as temperatures are set to remain around the 20C mark this week . ‘It probably won’t reach the . South East until mid-morning on Saturday and clear by the afternoon. Saturday is more seasonal weather, but it is short lived. ‘On . Sunday it’s becoming unsettled over most parts - with longer spells of . rain, particularly in the north - and it’s going to be quite windy. ‘It will be a marked difference to the weekend just gone, but it’s more seasonal – it’s nothing to be worry about.’ Met . Office forecasts warn of 'periods of wet and windy weather' from . October 3 to 12, then 'generally unsettled conditions' from October 13 . to 27. Once the mist and . fog has cleared it will be a cloudy morning with showery rain in . places, before this gives way to drier and brighter conditions for many. Tonight . will be mostly dry with variable cloud, clear spells and light winds, . with a chance of showers in the South and a low temperature of 10C . (50F). Improvised protection: A woman covers her head as rain falls outside the Guildhall, in the City of London . Taking cover: A woman shelters underneath an umbrella today as rain falls outside the Guildhall, in the City of London . A little rain, but otherwise pleasant: The unseasonal warmth is expected to continue into October - with 20C (68F) temperatures expected this week . Warm weather: A warm day in East Sussex yesterday saw people relaxing and sunbathing on Brighton beach . And tomorrow will be mostly dry with sunny spells, and a chance of showers again - although it will feel warm, with a top temperature of 21C (70F). Wednesday will be cloudy with sunny spells and showers, Thursday will be dry and sunny, while Friday will also be dry but become increasingly breezy. Yesterday, weather experts at MeteoGroup revealed that Britain is on course for one of its driest ever Septembers. They said just 0.55in (14mm) of rain fell in England and Wales from September 1 to 27 - 17 per cent of the normal amount for the time of year. The record low was in 1959 when just 0.31in (8mm) of rain fell in September. The first half of this month was the UK's driest for more than 50 years. But forecasters said that while the start of October may continue to be dry, conditions are likely to become more unsettled with wind and rain. | 20C (68F) temperatures expected this week, but by the weekend it is expected to be cooler, windier and wetter .
Met Office has severe weather warning for fog in place until 10am today, covering South East and South West .
Once mist and fog has cleared it will be cloudy with showery rain in places, before becoming drier and brighter .
Tonight will be mostly dry with variable cloud, clear spells and light winds - while tomorrow will be 21C (70F)
Forecasters say just 0.55in (14mm) of rain fell in England and Wales from Sep. 1 to 27 -- 17% of normal amount . |
252,254 | d27b51b8729268ad8a7bfe43415a8cacefe4ba8c | (CNN) -- Add REO Speedwagon to the list of musical acts canceling SeaWorld shows because of the documentary "Blackfish." "Due to concerns regarding our February 16 appearance at SeaWorld, we have chosen to cancel the performance," the rock band said on its Facebook page on Friday. A promoter could put together a great concert series with the acts who have canceled SeaWorld shows in the past several weeks, including Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, Cheap Trick, Heart and Barenaked Ladies. The acts bailed on the Orlando theme park's "Bands, BBQ and Brew" concert series amid pressure from fans who started online petitions, tweeted and posted on Facebook pages demanding they not play SeaWorld. The fans became upset after watching the CNN documentary "Blackfish," which first aired on CNN in October. The film tells the story of the killing in 2010 of a SeaWorld trainer by an orca. It raises questions about the safety and humaneness of keeping killer whales in captivity. "In light of recent concerns, Trisha has decided to remove the February 22 date from her upcoming tour plans," Yearwood's representative told CNN on Thursday. SeaWorld confirmed the REO Speedwagon withdrawal on Friday and referred CNN to its previous statements about the cancellations. "We expect that other artists will be targeted in this campaign," SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollattscheck told CNN in consecutive statements Wednesday and Thursday, starting with Cheap Trick's cancellation. Joan Jett to SeaWorld: Stop rockin' the whales . The park's six-week concert schedule -- which also previously listed Martina McBride, 38 Special, Justin Moore and Scotty McCreery -- has disappeared from SeaWorld's website. It now simply promises "incredible concerts with top artists in classic rock and country music." SeaWorld is working to book replacement acts, Gollattscheck said. "We'll announce the full lineup of bands when all artists have been confirmed. We'll repost the schedule on our site then." 'Blackfish' sparks debate over taking kids to animal parks . The Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies was the first to cancel, reacting to a petition posted on Change.org. "This is a complicated issue, and we don't claim to understand all of it, but we don't feel comfortable proceeding with the gig at this time," the band said on its Facebook page. "I don't agree with the way they treat their animals," Willie Nelson said on December 6 when he canceled. "It wasn't that hard a deal for me." Sisters Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart did not elaborate last week when they announced their decision to cancel at SeaWorld, although they acknowledged it was "due to the controversial documentary film." "We're disappointed a small group of misinformed individuals was able to deny fans what would have been great concerts at SeaWorld," Gollattscheck said. SeaWorld said it would like the musical artists to learn for themselves about SeaWorld. "The bands and artists have a standing invitation to visit any of our parks to see firsthand or to speak to any of our animal experts to learn for themselves how we care for animals and how little truth there is to the allegations made by animal extremist groups opposed to the zoological display of marine mammals," Gollattscheck said. SeaWorld says the documentary ignores the park's conservation efforts and research. Fimmaker: Why I made 'Blackfish' | REO Speedwagon was booked to play SeaWorld Orlando on February 16 .
The rock band cites "concerns" for decision to cancel .
Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, Cheap Trick, others already canceled .
Online campaign by fans asks acts to ditch SeaWorld in wake of "Blackfish" film . |
194,153 | 87514f3f8c815b0bb0bd5ec6bd4be687168300fd | By . David Wilkes . PUBLISHED: . 18:00 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:03 EST, 21 August 2013 . Ready to be rib-tickled? Then brace yourself for the funniest joke of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival... It comes courtesy of little-known stand-up comedian Rob Auton and goes: ‘I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa.’ His one-liner hit a spot with voters in a public poll and secured him first place ahead of the efforts of more famous funny men including Tim Vine and Marcus Brigstocke. Scroll down to watch . Winner: Rob Auton's joke won the fans' vote at this year's Edinburgh Fringe . Actor and comedian Vine, who is best known from the sitcom Not Going Out and is the brother of broadcaster Jeremy Vine, could only manage fourth place with: ‘My friend told me he was going to a fancy dress party as an Italian island. I said to him ‘Don’t be Sicily’.’ Brigstocke, a regular on TV panel shows like Have I Got News For You and QI, scraped seventh with: ‘You know you are fat when you hug a child and it gets lost.’ Former paintbrush salesman Auton, 30, from York, who has been doing stand-up since 2008, won almost a quarter of the votes (2,570) in the annual Funniest Joke of the Fringe award, run by the television channel Dave. A panel of judges sat through hours of material at 60 shows at the festival before drawing up a short-list of 20 jokes which were then put to the public vote. Auton said: ‘I’m honoured to receive this award and just pleased that a joke that tackles the serious issue of the invention of a new chocolate bar can be laughed at by the people of Britain.’ Comedy gold: Tim Vine, left, made it back into the top 10 having won last year and Nick Helm, right, won for his Snow White and the Seven Dwarves joke . Second place went to Alex Horne with: ‘I used to work in a shoe-recycling shop. It was sole-destroying.’ Alfie Moore came third with: ‘I’m in a same-sex marriage... the sex is always the same’ - proving a touch of ‘Carry On’-style sauciness can still tickle Britons’ fancy. Perhaps the most cerebral, and certainly the shortest, gag came from Liam Williams: ‘The universe implodes. No matter’ - but that only managed eighth place. There was also a list of shame, featuring the worst jokes in the judges’ opinion. These included: ‘I thought ex-pats were people who used to be called Pat’, and: ‘My wife said to me recently, ‘Do you fancy going gay clubbing?’ I said, ‘No, it sounds violent’.’ Tim Vine also featured among the groanworthy gags with: ‘I once did a gig in a zoo. I got babooned off.’ Previous winners of the funniest joke award, now in its sixth year, include Dan Antopolski for: ‘Hedgehogs. Why can’t they just share the hedge?’ and Nick Helm for: ‘I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.’ | Former paintbrush salesman Rob Auton from York told funniest joke .
Previous Edinburgh winners include Tim Vine and Marcus Brigstocke . |
94,337 | 053fad7808f84797bd7289c5a40f4a1958a7332a | Sir Alex Ferguson’s wife Cathy talked the United manager into letting Rio Ferdinand off a club fine for refusing to wear a Kick It Out campaign t-shirt. Ferdinand reveals that Fergie was furious when, with the John Terry race row still raging, he was part of a high profile rebellion against football’s official anti-racist group who he believed had not given his brother Anton proper backing. In an explosive autobiography - #2Sides - serialised in The Sun, Ferdinand reveals: ‘The Group had refused to come to the court so I was not willing to go through the charade of wearing their shirt, my parents would not have accepted it. Rio Ferdinand snubbed Kick It Out's t-shirt campaign due to lack of support for his brother Anton . Sir Alex Ferguson reversed his decision to fine Rio Ferdinand after consulting his wife Cathy . ‘When the manager found it he raged: “Who do you f***ing think you are? I have told everybody you would wear it.” ‘I said: “You didn’t ask me. I was never going to wear it, I didn’t tell you to go on TV and say I would.” ‘He said: “That’s it, you are fined a week’s wages.” ‘The next day I had to go and see him. He was sat down, I was standing. He said: “Look, I know it is your family but I just didn’t agree with you. You have got to support causes like this. I am a union man.” Rio Ferdinand clocked up more than 450 appearances during his 12 years at Old Trafford . Rio Ferdinand greets his brother, Anton, after QPR's clash with Manchester United in 2012 . ‘Then he said: “I talked to my wife, and she said did you ask the boy? When I said I didn’t, she said: there’s your mistake then. I don’t often admit mistakes, but I am not going to fine you. I should have spoken to you, that is my mistake and I accept that. I still believe you should have worn it, but I respect that you didn’t.” ‘I was so impressed. My respect for him went up even more.’ A fresh-faced Rio Ferdinand poses with Sir Alex Ferguson after signing for United in 2002 . | Ferdinand snubbed anti-racist group who he believed had not given his brother Anton proper backing in John Terry race row .
Sir Alex Ferguson fined the centre-back a week's wages over incident .
Manchester United boss reversed decision after consulting his wife . |
71,253 | ca012876b5b6faf014d03f46e0e0537cc4fddfd0 | (CNN) -- Airport stopovers are seldom the highlight of any business traveler's journey. Hours whittled away in generic fast food outlets or tacky themed bars, which in many cases represent the extent of terminal building entertainment, ensure onward journeys can't come quickly enough. For those passing through Changi Airport in Singapore, however, a brief window between connecting flights is a great opportunity to explore one of Asia's most happening destinations. The city-state's condensed landscape -- the entire country is squeezed into a land area smaller than most big cities -- means visitors can quickly tour some of Singapore's most famous attractions and be back at the airport in a matter of hours. Changi itself offers free city tours to passengers with a stopover of five hours or more but visitors can also leave the airport to traverse the city on their own accord. With the help of Shawn Low, travel editor of Lonely Planet's Asia Pacific edition, we highlight some of the must-see Singaporean sights for those with a few spare hours between flights, whatever the time of the day. See also: Asia's budget airlines spread their wings . Early morning . A stroll in Singapore's lush Botanic Gardens at sunrise provides a great opportunity to catch the normally bustling metropolis in one of its more tranquil moments, says Low. Dense green foliage is complemented by a selection of finely manicured greens and picturesque lakes, a genuine oasis amidst the concrete jungle of high rises and skyscrapers. From here, a short trip down the nearby Orchard Road, one of Singapore's main retail thoroughfares, allows for a spot of shopping. It also has good transport links back to the airport. "Gadgets are particularly cheap" in Singapore, says Low, and there are plenty of bargains to catch the eye, especially at Funan IT Mall on North Bridge Road. All those splashing out while in the city should be mindful not to forget they are eligible for a Goods and Services Tax refund (worth 7% of their total purchase value) when they pass through customs at the airport, he adds. Afternoon in the shade . The Singapore sun is at its strongest between lunch time and late afternoon, with temperatures regularly reaching as high as 31Ëš Celsius (88 Fahrenheit). Indoor activities at this time of day can therefore offer a more comfortable pursuit for those dashing around on a tight time scale, says Low. Fortunately, the city's art galleries and cultural centers provide plenty to see and do whilst offering an air-conditioned sanctuary away from the midday sun. The National Museum, Singapore Art Museum, and Peranakan Museum are within walking distance of the city's famous Colonial District, which is easily accessible from the airport by either bus, tour bus or taxi. For those less charmed by artistic endeavors, the area's many stylish restaurants, coffee houses and bars offer an equally quaint cultural experience. Spectacular sunset . A good way to get a sense of Singapore's vibrant skyline is to find a perch on one of the city's many rooftop bars come sundown, says Low. Ku De Tah at the Marina Bay Sands complex and the Lantern Bar at the Fullerton Bay Hotel offer particularly appealing vistas, as well as highly agreeable Singapore Slings, he adds. Those looking for a panorama of the city without the alcoholic beverage can take a ride on the Singapore Flyer, a 165 meter-high observation wheel -- similar in concept to the London Eye -- that enables spectacular 360 degree views. Suitably impressed by the city's vast neon silhouette, visitors can then head down to the neighboring Geylang district for a genuine Singaporean eating experience, says Low. See also: Business Traveller in Singapore . Restaurants such as the Sin Huat Eating House offer local specialties such as crab bee hoon (mud crab cooked with rice noodles) while cramped food stalls and bustling coffee houses crackle with the chatter of locals late into the night. Night Safari . Like all major modern cities, Singapore offers just as much to see and do come night time as it does during the daylight hours. Low highlights the Night Safari at Singapore's world renowned zoo as a particularly fun attraction for families and wildlife lovers alike. Visitors can get up close and personal with a variety of nocturnal animals -- Singapore zoo is famed for its policy of keeping animals in open enclosures rather than in cages -- before hopping in a taxi back to the airport. Low also singles out Little India, home to Singapore's vibrant ex-pat Indian community and a remnant of the city's previous incarnation as a British colonial trading port, as a particularly authentic night time activity. "(Little India) is as close as you'll get to the Singapore of the old days," says Low. He says Friday nights and weekends, when the streets throng with market stalls and "the redolent scent of spices and colorful flowers" are the best time to visit. | Singapore's condensed nature means it is possible to explore the city in just a few hours .
Lonely Planet's Shawn Low says there are scores of activities for those short of time .
He highlights visiting the Botanic Gardens and Little India as two genuine Singapore experiences . |
180,955 | 7646219c06c4af8857541a68174acbf15696a5f5 | By . Danny Penman . PUBLISHED: . 16:00 EST, 26 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:00 EST, 26 October 2013 . Don't bottle it up: release 'pent up tension' In the second part of our series of mindfulness exercises – to help cope with chronic pain – DANNY PENMAN leads you through ‘Mindful Movement’ meditation. It encourages you to ‘tune in’ to your body to release pent-up tension. Being told to ‘smile’ can be annoying, but it might help your health. Psychologists asked students to watch cartoons and rate how funny they were. Some were asked to hold a pencil between their lips, to mimic a scowl. Others held a pencil between their teeth, simulating a smile. Those forced to smile found the cartoons funnier. The process works in reverse too – frowning makes you unhappy. And a tense neck, back or shoulders can trigger anxiety and stress. Not only are emotions driven by such vicious cycles. Pain is too. Pain creates tension in the body. The brain responds by turning up the ‘volume’ on its pain amplifiers, creating even more suffering. Meditation can stop that cycle. Clinical trials show mindfulness can reduce pain by about 90 per cent and, with practice, your pain and suffering can evaporate. The following Mindful Movement meditation helps the body ‘unlearn’ tension. Do it once a day. Follow these instructions or download a free audio track from franticworld.com/mailonsunday. Also continue with last week’s ‘Body Scan’ exercise. It is taken from my book Mindfulness For Health. - Stand with feet hip-width apart. Relax your shoulders and breathe naturally. Gently hold and support your right elbow in your left hand. Rotate your right hand at the wrist in a circle for 30 seconds. Keep your breathing soft and even, and relax your arms. Then turn your wrist in the other direction for another 30 seconds. Mindful moves: The correct exercise can see chronic pain and aches banished forever . Notice the effects of the movement on your right hand and arm. Does this side feel different from the left? More alive? Switch elbows and repeat the movement with the other hand, again thinking of its effects. Then relax your arms so they hang at your sides. Close your eyes. Gently shake your hands and arms. What sensations do you feel? - Tune into your breathing. On the in-breath, extend both arms outwards to shoulder level, palms forwards. As you breathe out, gently draw both arms across your chest, cross your arms and give yourself a light hug . . Feel the back broadening and opening. Imagine the hug is saturated with kindness. On your next in-breath, open your arms until fully extended. Feel a corresponding opening in the chest, with the shoulder blades drawing together. Repeat this movement for a minute. Then let the hands hang at your sides and give them a shake. Feel your breath and the sensation of being alive.. | Psychological tricks can help you improve your mood and ease pain .
Mindful Movement meditation helps the body 'unlearn' tension . |
269,781 | e96b045e01aaffa7998243e8dd11f2fc7530f230 | (CNN) -- A major missing piece threatens to hold up a security deal between Afghanistan and the United States: President Hamid Karzai's signature. The Afghan President told U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice Monday that he isn't ready to approve the Bilateral Security Agreement yet and "outlined new conditions for signing the agreement," according to a statement released by the White House. Rice told Karzai that delaying the deal -- which would allow for the presence of a limited number of U.S. troops beyond next year -- until after Afghanistan's 2014 elections "is not viable," the White House said. "It would not provide the United States and NATO allies the clarity necessary to plan for a potential post-2014 military presence," the statement said. "Nor would it provide Afghans with the certainty they deserve regarding their future, in the critical months preceding elections." So what happens if Karzai doesn't sign it soon? U.S. and NATO troops could pull out of Afghanistan earlier than expected. "The U.S. would have no choice but to initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no U.S. or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan," the White House said. On Sunday a vast majority of 2,500 Afghan elders voted to recommend the joint security agreement with the United States and urged Karzai to sign it before the end of the year. Karzai had said he would follow their recommendation under one condition -- that U.S. forces do not conduct house raids. "If U.S. military forces conduct military operations on Afghan homes even one more time, then there will be no BSA and we won't sign it," Karzai said on Sunday. "They should give assurance about this to us before I sign it." But then he moved the goal posts, refusing to sign until after the presidential election next spring. His last-minute decision to delay signing the pact was both classic Karzai -- a tricky negotiator to the last -- and a breakaway move that provides political cover for any U.S. officials who prefer the so-called zero option of leaving no U.S. troops in Afghanistan. It's a decision that could also have political implications for Karzai in Afghanistan, shoring up his anti-American credentials ahead of next year's presidential election. Karzai himself cannot stand again for president under the current constitution, but he remains highly influential in Afghan politics, whose entire cast he has helped shape since the U.S. invasion in 2001. Abdullah Abdullah, who ran against Karzai in 2009 before dropping out of the race amid allegations of election fraud, told CNN's "Amanpour" on Monday that political motivations are clouding Karzai's approach. "These negotiations between Afghanistan and the United States are being delayed not because of the content of the Bilateral Security Agreement," Abdullah said, "but primarily because of the personal feelings or personal interests of President Karzai." CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, Christiane Amanpour and Masoud Popolzai contributed to this report. | President Hamid Karzai says he won't sign a security deal until after elections .
That's "not viable," U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice says .
The delay could mean U.S. troops pull out of Afghanistan earlier than expected . |
234,270 | bb450123912a8bb8224f497127f87c485ee0ced7 | By . Louise Eccles . PUBLISHED: . 08:18 EST, 8 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:35 EST, 8 January 2013 . Tragic: Singer Amy Winehouse . Amy Winehouse spent her final hours drinking vodka alone in her bedroom and watching YouTube videos of herself, a court was told yesterday. A second inquest confirmed the 27-year-old died of alcohol poisoning at her north London home on July 23, 2011. Miss Winehouse drank so much that she stopped breathing and fell into a coma. The inquest was re-heard because the coroner at the first hearing did not have the correct qualifications. St Pancras Coroners Court was told that the Grammy award-winning singer, who was battling alcoholism and bulimia, spent the night before her death watching clips of herself on her laptop. She was found dead on her bed 12 hours later, with the laptop beside her and two empty vodka bottles on the floor. Her live-in security guard Andrew Morris said Miss Winehouse was her ‘usual, bubbly self’ on the evening of July 22. In a statement read out to the court, he said she was watching television and listening to music in her room. Later, she came to show him YouTube clips of a man she had gone out with. He said she had been drinking but he could tell she ‘wasn’t completely drunk’. She ‘stayed up in her room watching YouTube clips [of herself]’, which he had not seen her do for some time, he added. Mr Morris left Miss Winehouse at around 2.30am, before checking on her at 10am. Seeing her face-down on her bed, fully clothed, he assumed she was sleeping but realised something was wrong when she was in the same position at 3pm. He called emergency services but she was pronounced dead shortly after paramedics arrived at her Camden home. Miss Winehouse’s private GP, Christina Romete, said the singer had started drinking again three days before her death because she was ‘bored’. Fresh inquest: Police officers leave the second inquest into the death of the singer, called after the previous coroner was found not to be qualified . Crush: Journalists wait to enter a new inquest, which also found that Ms Winehouse died from misadventure . Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe upheld the original verdict that Miss Winehouse died from misadventure. Pathology tests showed she had 416mg of alcohol per decilitre in her blood – 350mg is considered enough to be fatal. Dr Romete had been helping her battle drug and alcohol addiction for several years, and saw her the day before she died. ‘In the course of the last consultation, Amy did not appear to be depressed at any stage’, she said. ‘She specifically said she did not want to die.’ Sadness: Winehouse's home in London, where she died, became a shrine after her death in 2011 . Thousands came to Camden to pay their respects, in some cases even leaving alcohol as a tribute . Professor Michael Sheaff said the amount of alcohol drunk was enough to stop her breathing. ‘When levels are extremely high, it can have an effect on the central nervous system’, he said. ‘At that level, it is likely Ms Winehouse had a respiratory arrest.’ The inquest heard Ms Winehouse had a well-documented battle with alcohol, being admitted to hospital several times but struggled to stop boozing. ‘It was apparent Amy was a highly intelligent individual’, said Dr Romete. ‘It was not possible to convince her to take a course of action unless she wanted it.’ Inspiration: Despite problems in her private life Amy Winehouse was considered one of the great singers of recent times . Tributes: Mourners gather outside Amy's flat in Camden to pay their respects after her death in July 2011 . Dr Romete said the singer was sober for ‘12 to 13 days’ prior to her death, but had been back drinking for three days prior to being found unconscious. The original inquest verdict into the death had to be ditched after it emerged deputy coroner Suzanne Greenaway, who oversaw the hearing, was under-qualified. She was appointed in July 2009 by her husband, Andrew Reid, who was the coroner for Inner North London, after working as a solicitor and barrister in Australia. But she resigned in November last year when it became clear she did not have the required five years’ experience in the Law Society. Dr Reid also quit from his post last month as he faced disciplinary proceedings and the possibility of being removed. ‘There is evidence she consumed a very large amount of alcohol at some point before her death’, said Dr Radcliffe. ‘Amy died as a result of alcohol toxicity.’ Tragic: Amy's father Mitch is consoled by friends at her funeral in 2011. He said today the family did not want to attend the second inquest . Amy Winehouse's father said that . coroners had made a 'massive cock up' which led to his daughter's . inquest having to be heard again. But he said he was not surprised that the fresh ruling matched the original findings of the court. Mitch Winehouse said he 'expected' the . ruling but he attacked as 'preposterous' a series of blunders that . meant the inquest into Amy's death had to be rescheduled after it was . revealed the original coroner Suzanne Greenaway was not properly . qualified. 'That is what we expected. It is the . same evidence so it was bound to reach the same conclusion. What other . conclusion could they reach?' he said. Asked whether he felt let down by the coroner's office, which failed to undertake adequate checks to make sure Miss Greenaway was qualified to practice in the UK, he said: 'It was a massive cock up. 'They messed up twice - once when they . sent the original coroner's report to the wrong address and the second . time when a coroner who wasn't qualified oversaw the inquest. 'It is preposterous.' Mitch said he had chosen not to go to . today's inquest because he wanted to spare himself and his family the . ordeal of hearing the circumstances surrounding his daughter's tragic . demise. He said: 'There was no need for us to . go today. If we had been in London we wouldn't have gone, I wasn't going . to put my family through that, it was horrible. That is the end of the . story.' | It was the second inquest into the singer's death after it was found the previous coroner was not qualified .
Ms Winehouse died of misadventure after drinking so much alcohol she stopped breathing, new coroner said .
The star had told her doctor she wanted to live shortly before she died in July 2011 .
Her family did not attend the hearing in London today .
'There was no need for us to .
go today. I wasn't going .
to put my family through that, it was horrible. That is the end of the .
story,' father Mitch said . |
173,408 | 6c6b1a576eb76760f7699418df8d5be432b7fba6 | Michael Bradley led the United States to a 2-0 victory against Panama in Los Angeles on Sunday in spectacular fashion - by scoring the opening goal directly from a corner kick. Bradley's goal came in the 27th minute, as he looped the ball perfectly over Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and perfectly into the far corner of the net. At first, there was some minor confusion as to whether Jozy Altidore had got a touch but replays showed that the ball sailed over his head on its way into the net for Bradley's 13th international goal. VIDEO - Scroll down to see Michael Bradley score from a corner . Michael Bradley curled his corner over Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo for USA's opening goal . Bradley (centre) is congratulated by his team-mates after his corner sailed into the net . Bradley's delivery sailed over all the heads in a crowded penalty area and into the far corner . Scoring from a corner is called an 'Olimpico' goal after Cesareo Onzari scored managed the feat to win Olympic gold for Argentina against Uruguay at the 1924 games in Paris. Jurgen Klinsmann's side doubled their lead ten minutes later through Clint Dempsey with a composed finish after some neat footwork. Panama had little offensive luck against the United States in their first meeting since the Americans scored two stoppage-time goals to knock the Panamanians out of World Cup contention in heartbreaking fashion in October 2013. Panama have beaten the Americans just once in 15 meetings, losing six straight. It was Kilnsmann's first win with the United States since they won 2-1 against Ghana in their opening group game at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. And some United States supporters used the game to let their frustrations out at Klinsmann's achievements since the tournament last year. There were banners in the stadium reading 'JK OUT' and 'Red Card the Coach.' Toronto midfielder Bradley's (left) strike was his 13th international goal for the United States team . Clint Dempsey (centre) doubled the lead for the United States ten minutes after Bradley scored . The victory was Jurgen Klinsmann's (left) first as United States manager since beating Ghana 2-1 . But the result comes at a good time for Klinsmann, with a big year ahead that includes the Gold Cup and World Cup qualifying. Next up for the United States are two friendlies against Denmark and Switzerland in March. | Midfielder Michael Bradley opened the scoring straight from a corner .
The goal came in the 27th minute and Clint Dempsey netted the second .
The result was the first win for the United States since the World Cup . |
163,567 | 5f81c581a21a93fc5eaf8a84e73a6cd4203c2116 | Rome (CNN) -- Missing: One small, round, golden container. Contents: The blood of the late, soon-to-be-canonized Pope John Paul II. If found, please notify Italian police and the church of San Pietro della Ienca. Officers from the Carabinieri, Italy's military police, plan to comb the nearby mountains where John Paul used to vacation before his death in 2005, hoping to find tracks in the snow that will lead them to whoever broke into the church and stole the item over the weekend, Carabinieri Col. Savino Guarino said. But investigators are also searching for the relic -- which holds a square bloodstained piece of cloth about 2 cm (3/4 inch) -- all over Italy, he said. The relic and a golden cross were the only things stolen from San Pietro, located near the city of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region, church members said. Pasquale Corriere, who helped restore the church, said the sanctuary was closed Friday and Saturday because of bad weather. Corriere suggested the thieves were looking specifically for the relic, since nothing else was touched -- not even the boxes that hold money for charity. John Paul's former secretary, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, gave the relic to the church in 2011 "to thank us for all that we did" for the visiting pontiff, said Corriere's daughter Franca. "I think it was stolen by someone very faithful to John Paul II," she said. "Really, I can't imagine who the thieves are. My only wish is that the relic is returned to us as soon as possible." Guarino wouldn't comment on any possible motive for the theft. He said more than 50 carabinieri will be out searching Tuesday if the weather improves. John Paul II led the Roman Catholic Church for more than 26 years. The church plans to recognize him as a saint in April, along with Pope John XXIII, who is revered for his role in the Second Vatican Council. Man tries to sell stolen brains on eBay . CNN's Matt Smith contributed to this report. | A bloody swatch of John Paul II's clothing is missing after a theft at an Italian church .
Police will attempt to track the thieves across fresh mountain snow .
The late pontiff's secretary gave the swatch to the church after John Paul's 2005 death . |
111,500 | 1bc80040fd50656a4934c6056334deb66b0023fe | By . Joel Christie . An anaconda is on the loose in New Jersey's biggest freshwater lake - and a reptile specialist says he was 'sworn to keep his mouth shut by local officials' for one week while he searches for it. The snake - estimated to be about 15 or 16 feet in length - has been known to locals and boats around Lake Hopatcong for the last few weeks, however it was reported to be a boa constrictor. But now Gerald Andrejcak, one of the men tasked with trying to capture the animal - the world's heaviest and one of the world's longest snakes - says he was 'sworn to secrecy' about revealing that it was a green anaconda. 'I've known its species (since last week), but I was sworn to keep my mouth shut by local officials to avoid causing a panic,' he told NJ.com. On the loose: A green anaconda, estimated to be between 15 and 16 feet long, has been sighted numerous times in Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey . On the prowl: Reptile specialist Gerald Andrejcak took it upon himself to search for the snake after seeing the media reports, and later identified it as a green anaconda . Lake Hopatcong is New Jersey's largest body of freshwater/ It is 30 miles from Delaware River, 40 miles from New York City and located within both Sussex and Morris counties . 'Now that there's a panic, I'm going on the record.' Andrejcak said he saw the snake in a boat house attached to a property on South New Avenue on Thursday. However the snake quickly entered the water and evaded its captors. Andrejcak, Jefferson Township animal control officer Naomi Modafferi and Steve Vil, Andrejcak's assistant, searched boat houses, a storm drain and other areas of the shoreline. Andrejcak, who has a degree in zoology and more than 20 years experience handling and breeding large snakes, said he began following the snake sightings via news reports and Facebook last week. After seeing it, he informed Hopatcong animal control officer Dale Sloat that he believed it was a green anaconda, contrary to the reports of a boa constrictor. Sloat then asked him not to disclose the species or to tell anyone, Andrejcak said. Sloat had already been interviewed by local media, warning people not to approach or touch the snake if they see it. 'This big a snake would be aggressive,' he told CBS. The news caused great distress to locals. 'There's kids swimming in the lake, there's going to be people in the water this weekend, and my kids can't go in their backyard,' Tony Colantonio, who rents a property on the lake and says he has seen it, told NJ.com. Lake Hopatcong is a popular swimming, boating and fishing destination, so the news of an anaconda has worried locals . 'It's a green anaconda, a predator, hunting all day every day.' 'It's not a python that lives 80 percent of its life on land and only needs to eat once a month. 'It's one of the most aggressive snakes out there. 'It's been two weeks and (the township and state) have done nothing. 'Everybody I call just blows me off.' Green anacondas are not venomous. Sloat has also expressed scepticism about the snake. 'No officials have seen this snake, and you know how people exaggerate,' he told the site. Andrejcak said he asked Sloat to use trash cans as traps for the snake before he came up to search for the snake on Thursday. But when Andrejak arrived on Thursday, the cans hadn't been purchased. Reptile specialist Gerald Andrejcak says he is surprised at the way local authorities have handled the situation . While Andrejcak's main fear is that harm will come to the snake, the feeling is not mutual among locals. 'If someone can kill it and get out of here that's fine,' Colantonio said. 'I want proof that it's gone.' Green anacondas can grow to be more than 29 feet in length and weigh more than 550 pounds, according to an animal fact sheet on NationalGeographic.com. They typically live in swamps, marshes and slow-moving streams, mainly in South America. Andrejcak believes the snake was a pet that was dumped in or near Lake when it became too big to care for. | Snake first sighted on Lake Hopatcong few weeks but identified as a boa constrictor .
Reptile expert Gerald Andrejcak said he saw it in a boat house Thursday .
Identified the snake as a green anaconda .
Said local authorities asked him not to tell anyone to 'prevent public panic'
They are not venomous . |
125,500 | 2e40a83e8c30f2be29f7c4509c073e2c015343ac | By . Tom Mctague, Mail Online Deputy Political Editor . Mahatma Gandhi, pictured in 1940, was the leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. He used the tactic of nonviolent civil disobedience to win independence . A statue of Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi will be erected outside Parliament, George Osborne has announced today. The Chancellor, in New Delhi with Foreign Secretary William Hague, said it would be a fitting tribute to the 'father of democratic India'. But the decision to honour the 20th Century's most famous pacifist came just 24 hours after the Government announced a £250million arms deal with India. Mr Osborne confirmed a deal to provide air-to-air missiles for the Indian Air Force in a joint venture between BAE Systems, the Franco-German group Airbus and Finmeccanica of Italy. The two Cabinet ministers are also promoting the sale of the Eurofighter Typhoon jet, which is partly built in Britain. India is looking to buy 126 fighter jets and had identified the French Rafale as its preferred choice. Yet repeated delays on signing the deal have left Britain hopeful that India may yet opt to buy the Typhoon. Tushar Gandhi, a social activist and the great-grandson of the independence leader, said it was ironic the ministers had announced plans for the statue during a visit partly taken up with promoting weapons sales. He said: 'It’s a nice way to apply a soothing balm to their consciences, to raise a statute. How can anybody say they approve of this?' But Mr Osborne wrote on Twitter: 'Gandhi was father of democratic India. Can announce we'll honour his memory with statue in front of mother of parliaments in Parliament Sq.' The statue will stand alongside monuments to other statesmen including Nelson Mandela, Sir Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln in the square. The Government hopes the statue will be erected next year, funded by charitable donations and sponsors, with leading sculptor Philip Jackson approached to take on the project. Mr Hague said: 'Gandhi's view of communal peace and resistance to division, his desire to drive India forward and his commitment to non-violence left a legacy that is as relevant today as it was during his life. 'He remains a towering inspiration and a source of strength. We will honour him with a statue alongside those of other great leaders in Parliament Square.' Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, who is leading a special advisory group to support the project, said: 'My parents were born in British India with first-hand experience of partition. The effect it had on millions of people contributed to my decision to take up public service. 'Celebrating Mahatma Gandhi's reverence and greatness, a man who fought equally for everyone, in the form of a statue in Parliament Square is a fitting tribute. No matter what your background, history or religion, this statue will allow people from around the world to look upon him and appreciate his endeavour and successes for humanity.' The Chancellor and Foreign Secretary are in India meeting key players in the administration in New Delhi - including recently elected prime minister Narendra Modi - as well as leading business figures. They are following in the footsteps of a series of foreign visitors - including the French foreign minister and the Russian deputy prime minister - who have arrived to pay court to the new premier since his landslide victory in May. Parliament Square in London is home to a number of statues of politicians, including Sir Winston Churchill (above), US President Abraham Lincoln and former Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George . Foreign Secretary William Hague and the Chancellor George Osborne, pictured in India yesterday, praised Gandhi as a 'towering inspiration' Mr Osborne said India was 'on an exciting journey of reform' under Mr Modi's new government. 'I believe there to be no more reliable companion on that journey than the UK,' he said. Speaking in Mumbai yesterday, he said: 'To adopt a phrase from Prime Minister Modi: good days are coming for the India-Britain relationship. 'Good days are coming for the investment we make in each other's economies. 'Good days are coming for the trade between our two trading nations. 'Good days are coming for the financial partnership we can forge to build, literally, the infrastructure of the future." He set out ambitions for London to play a leading role as a gateway for Indian firms to access global capital markets. | Statue of Gandhi a 'fitting tribute to democratic India' says Osborne .
Announcement made on Government trade mission to Mumbai and Delhi .
Comes after ministers announce air-to-air missile deal with Indian Air Force .
Gandhi statue be placed next to British war leader Sir Winston Churchill .
Former Prime Minister dismissed Gandhi as a 'nauseating' fraud . |
217,334 | a55ce8eee992859f5bf367e22322e6503157eaff | British and Russia refused to release key documents at his inquest . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:36 EST, 5 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:40 EST, 5 October 2013 . Truth: Marina Litvinenko has made a passionate plea for cash to fund a public inquiry into her husband's death . The tearful widow of poisoned Russian Spy Alexander Litvinenko yesterday tearfully appealed for donations to fund a legal challenge to probe his death. Mr Litvinenko died after he drank tea that had been spiked with radioactive polonium-210 with two former KGB colleagues at a hotel in London in 2006. Claims have been made that he was recruited by MI6 after fleeing Russia and the Government has ‘established’ Moscow has a ‘prima facie case’ to answer for his assassination. An inquest had been looking into his death with both the British and Russian governments refusing to release key documents. Coroner Sir Robert Owen asked for a public inquiry, saying that he could not hear evidence in public at a normal inquest linked to the alleged involvement of the Russian state in Mr Litvinenko’s death. Despite his request, Home Secretary Theresa May decided in May the inquest should proceed, and the question whether to hold a public inquiry or other form of further investigation should be decided after a verdict was returned. But Marina Litvinenko has applied for a judicial review to reverse Mrs May’s decision. However, she lost a ‘protected costs’ order at the High Court on Thursday. This means that despite her lawyers working for free, if Mrs Litvinenko loses the legal challenge she will have to pay the Government’s costs of £40,000. Mrs Litvinenko burst into tears while speaking to journalists yesterday where she said without financial help she would lose ‘almost everything’. She said: ‘This is a very important . time for me and I have to make a serious decision. I only want to get to . the truth. I have 48 hours to decide. ‘This is the only chance to get to the truth and justice. I absolutely just cannot give up. This is no ordinary case. ‘Sacha . (Mr Litvinenko) was a British citizen and he was killed in Britain.’ The inquest has been given written arguments by the Met Police to allow . two officers to give evidence anonymously. Poisoned: Alexander Litvinenko lies in his hospital bed three weeks after drinking tea spiked with radioactive polonium-210 with two former KGB colleagues at a hotel in London . Legal arguments made by the Press – including the Daily Mail – argued for full disclosure and open hearings despite not being allowed to see the police’s argument. Counsel for the inquiry, Hugh Davies QC, told the court that the Met Police’s own risk management for the safety of witnesses from attacks by ‘Foreign Intelligence Services’ had been downgraded from ‘possibly’ to ‘unlikely’. Sir Robert Owen said: ‘It remains my . concern that there will be the greatest amount of public disclosure.’ Further arguments on the anonymity of witnesses were held in secret in . which both the Press and public were not allowed to attend. The . death of 43-year-old Mr Litvinenko, a fugitive from the Putin regime, . in 2006 plunged Anglo-Russian relations into a deep freeze. The former KGB agent became violently sick after visiting former colleagues in a hotel in Mayfair, central London. The Millennium Hotel in Mayfair, London, where traces of radioactive poison was found after the death of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko . As he lay dying in hospital, ‘reluctant to tell police that he was an MI6 agent’, he handed detectives the mobile phone number of his MI6 handler ‘Martin’, an earlier hearing heard. Mrs Litvinenko believes MI6 failed to protect her husband from the Russians. Former KGB agents Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun, who met him at the Millennium Hotel, are prime suspects in the murder. Both deny involvement. The Crown Prosecution Service wants to charge Lugovoy, but Russia refuses to extradite him.The inquest continues. | Mr Litvinenko died after drinking tea spiked with radioactive polonium-210 .
He had met with two former KGB .
colleagues at a hotel in London in 2006 .
Claims .
have been made that he was recruited by MI6 after fleeing Russia .
British and Russia refused to release key documents at his inquest . |
111,544 | 1bd6cfc8cfdead5786b319e6b73e02cd88da9188 | Topping hitlist: TV reality star Kim Kardashian was the most searched-for celebrity of 2011 . It's the all-encompassing litmus test that determines what's top and what's a flop in our digital society. Today, Google reveals its annual zeitgeist - the people, places and things that are clicking the most with UK internet users in 2011. Top of the most-searched celebrities is US reality star Kim Kardashian, whose profile was boosted further this year after marrying and then divorcing basketball player Kris Humphries in just three months. She rose to fame after appearing in reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians which launched in 2007 and follows the personal and professional lives of members of her family. Next behind her was Victoria Beckham, who gave birth to her and husband David's first daughter, Harper Seven, in July, followed by Harry Potter actress Emma Watson in third. Singer Amy Winehouse, who died earlier this year in tragic circumstances, comes in fifth. Ricky Gervais, undoubtedly buoyed by his notorious appearance as MC for the Golden Globes, was the only male to make into the top ten. The search giant also revealed the year's fastest-rising searches which was topped by a country mile by the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, who also featured in the top ten fasting-rising people section. The Royal Wedding was followed by the iPhone 5 and popular football computer game Fifa 12, revealing just how technology obsessed the world has become. Another American reality TV star, the late Ryan Dunn of Jackass fame, who died in a car crash, was the fastest-rising person ahead of singer Adele, while Breaking Dawn leads the fastest-rising movies list. Perhaps unsurprisingly, X Factor hit number 1 in the TV shows chart. Top searches in the UK were made up of Facebook, Hotmail, You Tube and eBay. Argos also made the list. There is also a list of the most . popular 'what is...' searches, in which AV - the Alternative Vote - . clearly baffled electors the most. Almost 20 million people took part in . the national referendum on the electoral system this year which saw two . thirds vote to keep the first-past-the-post system to elect MPs. This was followed, bizarrely, by people curious to know about . scampi, piles and truffles. However, searches for Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg declined faster than X-Factor winner Joe Mcelderry who has been dropped by his record label, and singer Alexandra Burke. Joyous occasion: The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was the fastest-rising search term on Google this year . Also revealed are the fastest rising travel destinations, sports terms, news, food and drink, music and top TV searches. Las Vegas topped the list for the most searched travel destination, followed by New York and Disneyland Paris in second place. Meanwhile, Asda was the most Googled food shop followed by 'recipes' in second place. 1. Kim Kardashian . 2. Victoria Beckham . 3. Emma Watson . 4. Scarlett Johansson . 5. Jennifer Aniston . 6. Britney Spears . 7. Megan Fox . 8. Ricky Gervais . 9. Jessica Jane . 10. Angelina Jolie . 1. Royal wedding . 2. iPhone 5 . 3. Fifa 12 . 4. Groupon . 5. iPad 2 . 6. Ryan Dunn . 7. Adele . 8. Minecraft . 9. Rebecca Black . 10. Ed Sheeran . 1. BBC News . 2. Arsenal . 3. Facebook . 4. YouTube . 5. Cheryl Cole . 6. iPhone 5 . 7. Liverpool . 8. Kate Middleton . 9. Manchester United . 10. Justin Bieber . 1. Nick Clegg . 2. Maradona . 3. Alicia Keys . 4. Heidi Montag . 5. Alexandra Burke . 6. Hayley Williams . 7. Joe Mcelderry . 8. Stephenie Meyer . 9. Robert Pattinson . 10. Shakira . Cheap flights was searched the most . among bargain hunters looking for a low-cost get-away, followed . predictably by holidays and hotels. 1. Ryan Dunn, right . 2. Adele . 3. Rebecca Black . 4. Ed Sheeran . 5. Amy Winehouse . 6. Charlie Sheen . 7. Steve Jobs . 8. Kate Middleton . 9. Nicki Minaj . 10. Darren Criss . 1. X Factor 2011, right . 2. Apprentice 2011 . 3. X Factor USA . 4. NCIS season 9 . 5. House season 8 . 6. Glee season 3 . 7. Thundercats 2011 . 8. Big Brother 13 . 9. Supernatural season 7 . 10. Smallville season 10 . 1. Facebook . 2. YouTube . 3. Hotmail . 4. Ebay . 5. Google . 6. BBC . 7. Amazon . 8. Argos . 9. Yahoo . 10. Tesco . 1. Asda . 2. Recipes . 3. Tesco . 4. Sainsburys . 5. Pizza . 6. Chicken . 7. Chocolate . 8. Dominos . 9. Morrisons . 10. Argos . 1. Haye vs Klitschko, above . 2. Olympic tickets 2012 . 3. Arsenal transfer . 4. Six Nations 2011 . 5. Wimbledon 2011 . 6. Grand National 2011 . 7. Wrestlemania 27 . 8. Copa America 2011 . 9. Randy Savage . 10. Dan Wheldon . 1. Las Vegas, above . 2. New York . 3. Disneyland Paris . 4. Jamaica . 5. Orlando . 6. Barbados . 7. Hawaii . 8. Caribbean . 9. Florida . 10. Cuba . Google revealed today WHAT web users are searching for - but where do they go next? The top-ranked news site which British Google users visit next is Mail Online. In fact, Mail Online is ranked in the top three 'destination' sites for news, TV and celebrities - all judged by where people go after Google searches, according to data from search experts Hitwise. Other British national newspapers failed to make the top ten - except for TV, where the Daily Mirror was placed tenth. No other online news outlets or TV channel sites made the top three in any of these categories. In searches for TV shows, Mail Online was second - just after the official X Factor site. Train tickets topped the most as the most searched ticket, with cheap tickets and 2012 tickets in second and third place. The . Google zeitgeist list - meaning spirit of the times - is compiled from . the searches through Google each year. Individual searchers are not . identified. It's become an annual event for the company - and has quickly been mirrored by social sites such as Facebook and Twitter, both of which share their own 'Top Ten' most shared around Christmas every year. Google hosts a year-round Zeitgeist page that lets users monitor search terms' popularity over time. Paul Allen, . editor of Computeractive magazine, told Metro: 'It’s slightly depressing . to see some of the kind of basic searches that are going on there, . particularly 'what is scampi''. ‘It’s . also slightly worrying that young people will go to Google as the first . authority, the first step to any kind of piece of information,’ he . added. A Google . spokesman said: ‘As usual, search is helping people satisfy their . appetite for celebrity pictures and gossip – and this year is . no different, with Kim Kardashian and Rebecca Black coming to the fore. 'But . what we’re also seeing is that people are turning to Google to . understand complex subjects like the alternative vote system and . searching for tips and tricks on how best to revise for exams.’ 1. AV . 2. Scampi . 3. Truffles . 4. Piles . 5. 4d . 6. Cookies . 7. Copyright . 8. Zumba . 9. iCloud . 10. Probate . 1. Revise . 2. Snog . 3. Reference . 4. Wallpaper . 5. Draw . 6. Sleep . 7. Flirt . 8. Geek . 9. Pronounce . 10.Shuffle . 1. Breaking Dawn . 2. Final Destination 5 . 3. Mean Girls 2 . 4. True Grit . 5. Conan the Barbarian . 6. Scream 4 . 7. The Inbetweeners . 8. Little Fockers . 9. Transformers 3 . 10. Unstoppable . 1. Cavapoo (dog) 2. Cavachon (dog) 3. Cockapoo . 4. Tibetan mastiff . 5. Pomeranian . 6. Bearded dragon (lizard) 7. French bulldog . 8. Dog de bordeaux . 9. Savannah cat . 10. Shih tzu . | X Factor, Fifa 12, Royal Wedding and Ryan Dunn among top searches .
Las Vagas and New York most Googled holiday destinations .
Alternative Vote topped list for 'What is...?' searches (scampi came second)
Deputy PM Nick Clegg had the sharpest decline in searches . |
192,368 | 850ea53afa1bce83998c4a4357690c3d559aafc7 | By . Alasdair Glennie . For years she’s been seen as the main barrier to an Abba reunion. Now Agnetha Faltskog has revealed that the Swedish group are considering reforming more than 30 years after their acrimonious split. The 63-year-old said they are thinking about marking the 40th anniversary of their first big hit Waterloo next year with a concert. ‘Of course it’s something we’re thinking about,’ she told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Reunion? Agnetha Faltskog, left, was considered to be the main barrier to Abba getting back together. She formed the band with guitarist and songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus, right, whom she later married . 'Thinking about it': The band fell apart in 1982, but band members including Anni-Frid Lyngstad, left, and Benny Andersson, shown right last year, could be ready to reunite, though he and Mr Ulvaeus previously vowed not to . ‘There seem to be plans to do . something to mark this anniversary in some way. But I can’t say at this . point what will come of them.’ Miss . Faltskog formed Abba in 1972 with guitarist and songwriter Bjorn . Ulvaeus, then her husband, as well as Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid . Lyngstad. They shot to . international fame when they won the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with . Waterloo, before racking up a string of hits, selling more than . 380million records worldwide. But as both marriages soured and ended in divorce, the band fell apart and eventually split in 1982. Miss Faltskog retreated from public life and went to live on a small island near Stockholm, saying she had ‘overdosed on fame’. She was most recently tempted out of retirement this year, releasing a solo album called A. Pop legends: Miss Faltskog formed Abba in 1972 with guitarist and songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus, then her husband, as well as Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad . Smash hit: The band, pictured here in 1979, sold millions of albums worldwide and remain one of Britain's favourite bands . But the group has repeatedly turned down offers to reunite, including a $1billion deal in 2000. And . in 2008 Ulvaeus and Andersson vowed not to reform the group. At the . time, Ulvaeus said: ‘We will never appear on stage again. ‘Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were - young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition.’ Earlier . this year Miss Faltskog indicated she might change her mind, saying: . ‘Maybe a charity concert? I would not say no right away.’ Describing . her Abba years, she said: ‘The more successful we were, the more . pressure there was and our own expectations were rising with every . triumph. There were so many negative things written about us, that we . were not friends any more.’ | Agnetha Faltskog, 63, spoke about a reunion in a recent interview .
She said a concert to mark anniversary of Eurovision triumph was 'something we're thinking about'
Ms Faltskog had been seen as the main barrier to reunion - but other band members have also been sceptical in the past .
Abba racked up string of hits and sold more than 380million records . |
99,932 | 0cc3c891533b0a5b8eef35eebec29a3512801094 | By . Rebecca Seales . A neglected toddler died after his addict parents repeatedly gave him the heroin substitute methadone 'like Calpol', a court heard today. Jayden-Lee Green, 23 months, died after being given a last fatal, adult-sized dose of the drug by his heroin-using father Jamie Green, 33. Green and Jayden-Lee's mother Sonia Britton, 35, did not discover his body until at least five hours later because they were groggy and hungover after binging on vodka and drugs. Tragic: Toddler Jayden-Lee Green, pictured with his mother Sonia Britton, died after his addict parents gave him the heroin substitute methadone . Both had deliberately given little Jayden-Lee the liquid for up to eight months before his death - which was caused either by one fatal dose or a build-up of methadone in his system. Police found a small measuring cup with traces of methadone on it, which the parents used to administer doses to Jayden when he was 'grisly'. Green was jailed for nine years today at Bristol Crown Court, after a jury of six women and six men unanimously found he had administered the fatal and previous doses and was guilty of manslaughter. Crack cocaine and heroin addict Britton was cleared of manslaughter but jailed for four years after the jury convicted her of allowing a child to die and administering methadone to her son. Both parents wept in the dock as the verdicts were returned - with Green telling jurors 'you're wrong' as they left the court. Jailing Green, The Honourable Mr Justice Parker told him: 'There were times when Jayden's needs were simply too much for you. Jayden had to be pacified, quickly and efficiently. 'The answer was to feed him a dribble of methadone to send him peacefully to sleep so that you could have the rest and tranquillity that you wanted. Jailed: Father Jamie Green was handed a nine-month jail term after a jury unanimously found him guilty of manslaughter . Punished: The Honourable Mr Justice Parker told Sonia Britton (left) and Jamie Green (right) they would suffer 'a prolonged anguish' for failing to protect their infant son . 'Jayden was crying and miserable, he simply would not settle down. You reverted to the remedy that had, on other occasions, been the quick solution. 'Only you know whether the methadone was fed in one amount or had been drip fed over a period of time that day to the point where Jayden's small body could no longer give resistance and he died. 'You will suffer a prolonged anguish larger than any prison sentence could impose for what you did to Jayden.' The judge also addressed Britton as he jailed her for four years, saying: 'You were his mother and you knew what was happening. You did nothing. 'You were a loving and devoted mother and you will have a prolonged anguish for failing to protect your small boy.' The three-week trial jury heard that tests on Jayden-Lee found quantities of the drug at a similar level to an adult on a methadone programme - suggesting 'repeated exposure' over a 'long period of time'. The toddler had filthy legs, a soiled nappy and methadone stains on his vest when he was discovered dead on his parents bed in their squalid and cramped one-bedroom flat in Bristol. Both of his parents, from Bristol, told police Jayden-Lee could not have accessed the methadone bottle - fitted with a child lock - himself. Neglected: The judge said Green and Britton had dosed their baby boy with methadone as a quick fix when they were unable to pacify him . Poisoned: Police found a small measuring cup with traces of methadone on it, which the parents used to administer doses to calm their son 'like Calpol' Mr William Mousley, prosecuting, previously told the jury that Jayden-Lee died at the hands of his parents, who had been together for 13 years. He said: 'Jayden-Lee was poisoned by being given methadone, a controlled drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction. 'The drug was prescribed to both Sonia Britton and Jamie Green at the time and was kept on top of a kitchen cupboard - out of any child's reach. 'It must have been given to him by an adult and only Sonia Britton and Jamie Green were in a position to do so. 'This was not the first time that Jayden-Lee had been given methadone. 'Death followed that last dose and may have been caused by it alone - or it contributed significantly to it as a result of the cumulative effect of the previous taking of methadone.' Killed by his own parents: By the time Jayden-Lee was found dead, rigor mortis had already set in . Appalling: Pub-goers said Jayden-Lee was 'totally exhausted' and 'crying' the night before he died - and that his father tried to make him ride a plastic tricycle . Jayden-Lee was taken to the couple's local pub, the Mechanics Arms, the night before his death and was only taken home when the landlord insisted at 8.30pm. Horrified regulars told the court how the toddler was 'totally exhausted' and 'crying' as his father repeatedly tried to make him ride a plastic tricycle. But when they returned back to the cramped and dirty flat, Britton and Green began a drinking session with a friend - downing a bottle of vodka between them. Britton took a 'clingy' and 'miserable' Jayden-Lee to bed at around 2.30am. She awoke at 6.45am but left the youngster to sleep. She did not check on him until 12.30pm on August 21 last year - when she discovered him dead, with rigor mortis having set in. Mr Mousley added: 'While each of them cared about Jayden-Lee, he was not their priority. They were drug addicts whose need for drugs came before Jayden-Lee. 'One of the officers who attended the property noticed that it smelled of cannabis. There was a potty in the living room that was full of urine.' Gone too soon: Prosecutor William Mousley told the court that both addicts cared about their son, but that drugs were their top priority . Post-mortem tests on Jayden-Lee's blood showed he had taken 'a significant amount of methadone' hours before his death, while hair samples showed the drug had been in his system for a 'long period of time'. Forensic tests found Jayden-Lee's DNA on an empty 45ml bottle of methadone prescribed to Green, which had been thrown in the kitchen bin. After their arrests, both Green and Britton confirmed Jayden-Lee would not have been able to access the methadone himself - but said they did not know how it came to be in his body. They denied charges of manslaughter, allowing or causing a child to die and cruelty to a person under the age of 16, by giving Jayden-Lee methadone between January 1 and August 22 last year. The day after finding his son dead, Green left a tribute to him on Facebook which read: . 'Rip jayden-lee with the angles my first born mummy and daddy love u loads rip are little man words cannot say how broken we are love u baby boy your broken hearted mummy and daddy x x xxx.' [Sic]. Sorrow: Facebook messages left by Green the day after his baby son was found dead . | Father Jamie Green jailed for nine years after jury unanimously convict him of manslaughter .
Weeping mother gets four years as judge tells her, 'You were his mother and you knew what was happening. You did nothing.'
Toddler had filthy legs, a soiled .
nappy and methadone stains on his vest when he was found dead in squalid Bristol flat . |
268,627 | e7f41857e949cd7d43a2cefbecfdb79904378b0b | In the Nineties, Sara Cox gained a reputation for being a loudmouth ladette who enjoyed staying out partying and drinking pints. But these days the Radio 2 DJ is more likely to be seen running round the park with her Maltese Terrier, Beano, than falling out of a bar with Zoe Ball. Sara told MailOnline she couldn't be happier with life as a married mother-of-three and now she prefers hitting the gym rather than a night club. Scroll down for video . Sara Cox, pictured with her Maltese Terrier, Beano, said she's fitter and healthier as she turns 40 thanks to taking him for walks and runs, while she also loves hitting the gym . She said: 'I like feeling fit, I don't drink much anymore unless it's a special occasion. I love the gym buzz I get from a workout.' She added that she eats healthily and doesn't diet as she wants to promote eating well to her children - Lola, 10, Isaac, six, and Renee, four. 'Once you have kids you need to have broccoli knocking about. You can't have a rock n' roll fridge full of vodka, that's not real life. I eat well and the kids eat well too,' she said, . 'But I'm not dieting nibbling on a wafer, you have to be careful about that when you have daughters. I want them to see that I go to the gym and then come back and eat healthily rather than dieting.' Sara, who married Ben Cyzer, the father of her two youngest children in 2013, turned 40 last December and admitted she's indifferent to the fuss made over the milestone. The DJ had a reputation for staying out late drinking in her twenties, pictured right with wine in hand in 1998, but she said now she only drinks on special occasions, pictured left this week with Beano . 'Turning 40 is always made a thing of for women, it's quite sexist as it isn't like that for men,' she said. 'I feel like women are made to feel it's a big deal. They should either put on a brave face or rush to Google the nearest Botox clinic.' For Sara, turning 40 was 'the best birthday I ever had' as she had fun at a party and then went away with her family for a few days where she visited a spa and went horse riding. She added that age has brought her more self-confidence as well as domestic bliss. 'My career is going well, I have three healthy kids and a lovely husband so it is easy for me to feel pleased with my lot whether I am 40 or not,' she said. 'I am in happy place, I'm lucky. 'As you get older, you care less about what people think and have more confidence, I'm also fitter and healthy now.' Sara, pictured at an event in London this week, said celebrations for her 40th last December were the 'best birthday I ever had' as she had a party and a weekend away with her husband and three children . Now she loves keeping fit, Sara is passionate about keeping her family active too. She said one of the best ways to do this is for everyone to take Beano for a walk in the park. 'Once you get the kids out the door and to the park they have a brilliant time away from TV and iPad screens,' she said. Dog lover Sara had Basset Hound Snoop till his death in 2013 and then got Beano - who she loves to take everywhere with her (he's even passed his BBC health and safety test so he can join her at work). He gets plenty of exercise on family dog walks and joins Sara on a weekly five mile run - but many pets aren't so lucky. Research has found that almost half (43 per cent) of the UK's dog population is now classed as overweight. Dog lover Sara, pictured with her first dog Snoop who died in 2013, is a brand ambassador for Pedigree . The study by Pedigree found that two thirds of owners with overweight dogs didn't realise their pet's health was at risk because of their size, and more than a third of owners admitted to making excuses for not meeting their dog's recommended levels of exercise. As a brand ambassador for Pedigree, Sara is now helping them launch their Pedigree Tracks App which gives owners an exercise and eating plan based on their dog's breed, age and weight. Sara said: 'Some owners can love their dogs too much and give them too many treats. And in the winter it can be hard to get out and take them for a walk. This is a fun way to keep your dog healthy.' Sara Cox and her dog Beano are working with Pedigree to launch the new Pedigree Tracks App, a personalised simple and effective tool to help owners understand their dog's exercise and nutritional requirements. Download the app now for free on iPhone, Android and Windows mobile devices or visit http://uk.pedigree.com/pedigree-tracks/ . | DJ had a reputation for being a party girl in her twenties .
Now she gets a buzz from going to the gym .
Wants to promote healthy living to her three children .
Encourages them to be active joining her walking dog, Beano .
Star recently turned 40 but doesn't think milestone is a big deal .
She's in a 'happy place' thanks to family life and career .
Said she's got fitter, healthier and more confident with age . |
20,795 | 3b006e74bafc93c8757df70b63a5bc8370619d27 | By . Richard Shears . TV presenter Paula Yates had a mission for a long time to 'get' Michael Hutchence and he could not get out of her web, a former member of the rock band INXS said today. Speaking on Australian television, the band's guitarist and saxaphonist Kirk Pengilly joined with other members of the band in telling how Hutchence changed after being punched to the ground while out with model girlfriend Helena Christensen. He lost his sense of taste and smell, said bassist Garry Gary Beers, but it was Hutchence's relationship with Miss Yates that changed him dramatically. Ensnared: The first meeting between Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence on Channel 4 music show, The Tube . Hutchence with Paula Yates, who cradles their two-month-old baby Heavenly Hiraani in her shawl as they arrive at the opening of Sydney's new IMAX theatre . Mr Pengilly revealed what he said had been a secret he had kept for all the years since Hutchence had died at the age of 37 in 1997. 'Just prior to his death, about a week or so, what he told me he had a plan in place to basically split up with Paula and so, what can I say? 'That's what he told me. I don't know, it's all very personal stuff, I don't want to dwell on it.' Tim Farris, guitarist, told the Channel Seven TV network how Hutchence took a swing at him on one occasion after he and Miss Yates had a daughter, Tiger Lily. Torn apart: Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence pictured in London. The singer's former band mates have claimed he changed after he met her . Members of the band told how Hutchence lost his sense of taste and smell after being punched to the ground while out with model girlfriend Helena Christensen . Michael's women: Hutchence had a series of . high-profile girlfriends including pop idol Kylie Minogue (left) and the . model Helena Christenson (right) As they told of their shock at the . death of Hutchence in a Sydney hotel room after he had had dinner with . his father and stepmother, Pengilly recalled a strange dream he had had. 'I . was in a field, it was moonlight and Michael came to me as an owl and . said "Everything's fine, I'm finally free, don't worry, I'm happy."' | Band member says star's relationship with Miss Yates changed him .
Alsp revealed lost his sense of taste and smell after being punched .
The INXS frontman was found dead aged 37 in a hotel room in 1997 . |
75,843 | d70f80f38a390cf3d230a2df00304d8e57d4ef5c | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 11:13 EST, 26 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:30 EST, 26 July 2013 . The Pope has revealed he sometimes feels like he ‘is in a cage’. Pope Francis, in South America on his first overseas trip, said he felt confined by the security that goes with his position. ‘I feel as if I’m in a cage,’ he told young Roman Catholics in Rio de Janeiro Cathedral. ‘I’d like to be closer to you, but I cannot for reasons of public order. Pray for me, I need your prayers.’ Scroll down for video . Pope Francis lamented not being able to get closer to the people who had come to see him on his trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . The Pope told Brazilians that he could not get close to them because of potential public order problems . The Pontiff’s desire to be close to his followers has often led to impromptu walkabouts, alarming Holy See officials. He leads one of the world's biggest . churches, his words are devoutly heeded and his presence draws in . thousands upon thousands of dedicated followers. But despite his awesome power, Pope . Francis couldn't control his clothes, as a gust of wind caused havoc, . wrapping part of his robe around his face. The . leader of the Catholic Church was leading a mass on Rio de Janeiro's . Copacabana beach - but strong gusts of wind and rain showers caused his . clothes to flutter and wind around his throat. But the Argentinian-born Catholic . refused to let it stop him, and continued with the mass, which was . attended by thousands who did not let the driving rain deter them from . hearing his service. Pope Francis delivers a speech to Catholic faithful at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro . Carrying on: Pope Francis is in Brazil for the celebration of the World Youth Day - and delivered a mass while the wind whipped his clothes . Francis addressed the young pilgrims who braved the wind and rain to gather on the famous beach . Continuing his approach of being a modest Pope, he celebrated Mass with his fellow Jesuits and heard confessions from young pilgrims in a Rio de Janeiro park today, ahead of one of the most solemn events of World Youth Day, a re-enactment of Christ's crucifixion held at one of Rio's most iconic locations, Copacabana Beach. Francis also offered a noontime prayer and meeting with a group of juvenile detainees, a priority of his ever since his days as archbishop of Buenos Aires and an expression of his belief that the Catholic Church must reach out to the most marginalized and forgotten of society. Even now as pope, he calls a group of youths in a Buenos Aires detention center every two weeks just to keep in touch. In the Rio park, a white tent was set up . to receive the faithful for confession, with small makeshift confession . booths off to the side. Five youths, chosen through a raffle, were . selected to go to confession with Francis, the sacrament in which . Catholics confess their sins and are forgiven. This is Pope Francis's first trip overseas since he was elected to lead the Catholic Church . 'It was just five minutes, it followed . the regular ritual of confession, but then Francis stayed and talked . with us,' said one of the five, Estefani Lescano, 21, a student from La . Guaira, Venezuela. 'It was all very personal. He told us that young people have the responsibility of keeping the church alive and spreading the word of Christ.' The sun finally came out today, ending four days of rain that soaked pilgrims and forced the relocation of the festival's culminating Mass on Sunday. Instead, the Mass and the Saturday night vigil that precedes it will take place at Copacabana Beach rather than the mud pit that is the Guaratiba field, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of central Rio. Last night Francis showed off his rebellious side, urging young Catholics to shake up the church and make a 'mess' in their dioceses by going out into the streets to spread the faith. It's a message he put into practice by visiting one of Rio's most violent slums and officially opening World Youth Day on a rain-soaked Copacabana Beach. Francis was elected pope on a mandate to reform the church, and in four short months he has started doing just that. He has broken long-held Vatican rules on everything from where he lays his head at night to how saints are made. Last night, thousands took to the famous beach so they could hear the pope - who has asked for a 'poor church' - to speak . Participants of World Youth Day waited on Copacabana beach for the arrival of Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro last night . He has cast off his security detail to . get close to his flock, and his first international foray as pope has . shown the faithful appreciate the gesture. Dubbed the 'slum pope' for his work with the poor, Francis received a rapturous welcome in the Varginha shantytown on Thursday, part of a slum area of northern Rio so violent it's known as the Gaza Strip. The 76-year-old Argentine seemed entirely at home, wading into cheering crowds, kissing people young and old and telling them the Catholic Church is on their side. The Varginha visit was one of the highlights of Francis' weeklong trip to Brazil, his first as pope. The surprise, though, came during his encounter with Argentine pilgrims, scheduled at the last minute in yet another sign of how this spontaneous pope is shaking up the Vatican's staid and often stuffy protocol. He told the thousands of youngsters, with an estimated 30,000 Argentines registered, to get out into the streets and spread their faith, saying a church that doesn't go out and preach simply becomes a civic or humanitarian group. 'I want to tell you something. What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses!' he said, speaking off the cuff in his native Spanish. 'I want to see the church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures. Because these need to get out!' Apparently realizing the radicalness of his message, he apologized in advance to the bishops at home. | Pope Francis celebrated Mass with his fellow Jesuits and heard confessions from young pilgrims in a Rio de Janeiro park today .
Spoke to thousands in a mass held on Brazil's famous Copacabana beach .
He has visited one of Rio's most violent slums . |
14,431 | 28ee060ee90cc87c03120ebbae45d98c78530bb1 | By . Sara Nathan . UPDATED: . 01:39 EST, 30 April 2013 . Literary giant Sir Salman Rushdie is romancing New York designer and socialite Missy Brody after escorting her to a string of parties. Sir Salman,65, has been seen with Melissa 'Missy' Brody at a series of posh events recently, including Vanity Fair's Tribeca Film Festival bash last week - and the brunette does seem to bear a striking resemblance to his ex-wife Padma Lakshmi. Missy, who at 45 is 20 years Salman's junior, was previously married to businessman Brian Krauss and the pair shared a home in New Jersey's upscale Saddle River. A spokesman for Sir Salman today confirmed to MailOnline that the couple are dating. New love: Famed scribe Salman Rushdie and fashion designer Missy Brody have 'known each for years', according to a friend. Divorced: Missy Brody is believed to be divorced from businessman Brian Krauss. The couple are seen here in New York in 2007. Page Six today reported Salman and Missy met through mutual friends and “have known each other for years.” They posed for pictures at the New York City Opera spring gala on Thursday, where they entered holding hands. They were also spotted at an Art Production Fund gala to honor Yoko Ono. Missy is the daughter of wealthy fashion merchant Sheldon Brody, the chairman of Marcraft Apparel Group. Lookalike: Sir Salman Rushdie's ex-wife Padma Lakshmi at the Sunlight Jr.' World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 20, 2013 in New York City. Dating: Sir Salman Rushdie and Missy Brody at the Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair Party in New York on April 16. Last year, Salman's attempts to wed for the fifth time were wrecked after a marriage . proposal to his last girlfriend was reportedly rejected. Michelle . Barish turned down the Midnight Children's author's request and gave back the seven-carat . emerald-cut diamond ring he had given her, reported the New York Post. The scribe is believed to have proposed to the stunning ex-wife of Chris Barish, the co-owner of nightclub chain Marquee in December 2011. Unlikely lothario: Salman Rushdie dances with Michelle Barish at a previous birthday party. She turned down his marriage request in 2012 and returned a pricey ring. That came just two days after she . split from billionaire boyfriend Steve Tisch, New York Giants NFL . co-owner and producer of Forrest Gump. Ms Barish has a daughter named Bee . with Mr Barish and declined Mr Rushdie’s offer so she can focus on her child, . reported the New York Post. She had been dating Mr Tisch since August 2011 after a friend set them up, but they reportedly ended their . relationship in December that year. Their time together came to an end at a . lavish party in the Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan, New York, at . which Mr Rushdie was also present. Split: Michelle Barish, left, had only been broken up from billionaire Steve Tisch, right, two days when Salman Rushdie proposed marriage in December 2011. The evening was co-hosted by designer . Stacey Bendet, a mutual friend of Ms Barish and Mr Rushdie, and she . invited the author to the party. The author chose to have a drink with . Ms Barish in a separate part of the hotel away from the main party, a . source close to him told MailOnline. This came after Mr Rushdie ended his . relationship with young socialite Devorah Rose. Neither Salman nor . Ms Barish commented at the time. Ms Rose, the busty and beautiful . reality TV wannabe, said in December that Salman is a 'literary genius . with the emotions of a horny child'. Couple? Devorah Rose tweeted this photo of herself with Salman Rushdie at dinner, prompting him to say the pair were never romantically involved . She said she admired the acclaimed . author, but when she wouldn't sleep with him, he dumped her and sullied . her name in the press, she claimed. He is said to have dumped her by text . after she tweeted a photo of them together, though he claimed the pair . were never romantically involved. Three years ago he insisted he . wouldn't rule out relationships completely but had no desire for a fifth . union, saying: 'There is no need to marry'. Salman married his first wife . Clarissa Luard in 1976 and had a son, Zafar. They split up in 1987 and . he married Marianne Wiggins a year later. They divorced in 1993, before he . married his third wife Elizabeth West and then his fourth wife Padma . Lakshmi, whom he split from in 2007. | The Midnight's Children's scribe, 65, has four ex-wives; last divorce in 2007 .
His new love bears a striking resemblance to his fourth wife, Padma Lakshmi .
At 45, Missy Brody is 20 years younger than her new love. |
41,404 | 74c9a2ec745aed002af9c5b04dca37c2f86c74e3 | One of Ireland's last surviving D-Day veterans has been awarded France's highest military honour and dedicated his medal to fellow countrymen who fought in the Second World War. Pat Gillen, who was among the first wave of troops to invade Sword Beach on June 6 1944, was handed the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in recognition of his role in the Normandy landings. The honour was bestowed upon the 89-year-old by French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault at the Mercy Hospital in Cork, where he is being treated for ill health. Brave: Pat Gillen, pictured right during the Second World War, was among the first wave of troops to invade Sword Beach on June 6 1944. The veteran, pictued left today, was recognised for his role in the landings . Celebration: Mr Gillen (seated) was joined by his children, (left to right) Mary, Robin, Gerard and Patrica as he received the honour from French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault (centre, rear) at Mercy Hospital in Cork . Humble: Mr Gillen said he felt 'thrilled and immediately unworthy' on receiving a letter from the French Embassy in recent weeks to notify him of the award. He received the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (right) Mr Gillen said he felt 'thrilled and immediately unworthy' on receiving a letter from the French Embassy in recent weeks to notify him of the award. He said: 'In accepting this award, other brave Irish men, thousands of young men, who lost their lives in pursuit of peace remain in my memory. This award is as much theirs as mine.' During an emotional ceremony within the hospital, Mr Gillen told his family, Mr Thebault and hospital staff that when he landed 70 years ago it was the first time he had put feet on French soil. 'By the grace of God, I survived to be here today while many of my friends sleep in the fields of France,' he added. 'I feel both extremely honoured and humbled in receiving the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur conferred on me by President (Francois) Hollande and the government of France.' Mr Gillen, whose father and two uncles fought in France during the First World War, had planned to return to Normandy this year for the 70th anniversary. But he said he was 'grounded' by ill health. Instead, he penned a poignant message to his fallen comrades on a laurel handmade by his daughter Mary - decorated with poppies and an Irish tricolor ribbon. The tribute read: 'In memory of all commandos from the emerald island who lie in sleep in Normandy fields.' The rifleman, now a father of four and grandfather of 12, was in 6 Commando, a unit tasked with securing the strategically important Pegasus Bridge near Caen. More than half of his brigade were casualties in vicious assaults by German forces. He was never injured despite wearing his green beret in a six mile trek from Sword beach to Pegasus through marshland, sniper positions, a bogus minefield and several weeks in the trenches at Saulnier. Poignant: The honour was bestowed upon the 89-year-old by French Ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault (right) at the hospital where Mr Gillen (flanked by sons Robin, left, and Gerard) is being treated for ill health . Tribute: During an emotional ceremony, Mr Gillen (above) told his family, Mr Thebault and hospital staff that it was only by 'the grace of God' that he survived and remembered his 'friends who sleep in the fields of France' | Pat Gillen, 89, was among the first wave of troops to invade Sword Beach .
He has been awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in recognition .
Ceremony was held at Cork hospital where he is being treated for ill health .
Mr Gillen said he remembered 'friends who sleep in the fields of France' |
192,173 | 84d21c23010ab9783368a15eff44724341750dd6 | (CNN) -- Author Doris Lessing, who won a Nobel Prize for her life of literature, died Sunday at age 94, her publisher, HarperCollins, said. The British author was best known for "The Golden Notebook," which is considered by many critics to be one of the most important feminist novels ever written. Lessing "passed away peacefully" at her London home early Sunday, according to HarperCollins spokeswoman Susanna Frayn. Lessing began writing at 7, which she said was not the result of inspiration, but her innate capacity. "I was born to write, as other people are born to paint ... that's all," she said. "Writers tell stories. This is what we do." Lessing was awarded the Nobel prize in literature in 2007 at the age of 88. The Swedish academy called her "the epicist of the female experience" who had "subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny." "She is survived by her daughter Jean and granddaughters Anna and Susannah," the publisher said. "Her family has asked for privacy at this time." Lessing was born to British parents in Persia (now Iran). Much of her fiction was based on her experiences growing up in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she moved as a young child. Her mother raised her on storytelling, reading stories that Lessing gave her own spin when sharing them with her younger brother. These childhood stories evolved into the powerful fiction that made up her 50 books. Lessing, who dropped out of a school in the Rhodesian capital, Salisbury, when she was just 13, developed her writing skills by reading the works of Dickens, Tolstoy, D.H. Lawrence and Dostoevsky. "I educated myself by reading," she said. In her Nobel Prize acceptance speech, Lessing spoke of the desperate struggle for knowledge of people in some developing countries. "Not long ago a friend who had been in Zimbabwe told me about a village where people had not eaten for three days, but they were still talking about books and how to get them, about education." She left home at 15 to work as a nursemaid but also started writing stories and later sold two of them to magazines in South Africa. Her first novel, "The Grass is Singing," was in her suitcase when she moved to London in 1949, the HarperCollins statement said. Published in 1950, it examines the tension between oppressed black Africans and white colonials. Lessing "broke new ground" in 1962 with "The Golden Notebook," the publisher said. HarperCollins editor Nicholas Pearson called it "a handbook to a whole generation." "But her many books have spoken to us in so many various ways," Pearson said. "Doris has been called a visionary and, to be in her company, which was a privilege I had as her editor towards the end of her writing life, was to experience something of that. Even in very old age she was always intellectually restless, reinventing herself, curious about the changing world around us, always completely inspirational. We'll miss her hugely." "She was a wonderful writer with a fascinating and original mind; it was a privilege to work for her and we shall miss her immensely," longtime friend and agent Jonathan Clowes said Sunday. "Doris Lessing was a one of the great writers of our age," HarperCollins UK CEO Charlie Redmayne said. "She was a compelling storyteller with a fierce intellect and a warm heart who was not afraid to fight for what she believed in. It was an honor for HarperCollins to publish her." People we lost in 2013 . | NEW: HarperCollins UK CEO says Lessing had "a fierce intellect and a warm heart"
Lessing "passed away peacefully" at her London home, publisher says .
"I was born to write," Lessing said .
Lessing won the Nobel prize in literature at the age of 88 . |
233,467 | ba39adc8210584bfc2e6ff5a53d6da08aa372644 | (CNN) -- Artillery shells slammed into a hospital Sunday in the northern Sri Lankan district of Mullaittivu, where civilians -- including a growing number of children -- are being treated as government forces and Tamil rebels continue to clash. A Sri Lankan soldier walks through Mullaittivu, the former military headquarters of the Tamil rebels. More than 200 civilians and at least 30 children have been injured in the last three days of fighting, a relief worker told CNN Sunday. "That is the absolute minimum (number of injured)," the aid worker, who did not want to be identified for fear of jeopardizing the work of relief organizations, said. Government officials are accusing aid organizations and foreign media of sensationalizing civilian casualties. "It looks as if it's convenient for certain agencies to exaggerate the numbers so that this can be converted to a humanitarian crisis in the public eye, " Secretary of Foreign Affairs Dr. Palitha Kohona told CNN. On Sunday, Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised to "continue with the military offensive until we liberate the remaining area under LTTE (the rebel group) control," according to Sri Lanka's state-run news agency. Watch a report on civilians caught in fighting » . A "handful" of United Nations staff are working around the clock to save a growing number of children caught in the crossfire, a U.N. spokesman said Saturday. Children as young as 4 months old were being treated in local hospitals for shrapnel injuries and other "wounds of war," spokesman James Elder told CNN. "There is just intense fighting in a small area where children and other civilians are," Elder said. "The space (where conflict is taking place) is shrinking and the fighting is augmenting." Thursday, U.N. aid workers rescued 50 critically injured children and 105 adults, he said. "We are trying to get as many people out of there as we can," Elder said. Humanitarian groups say as many as 250,000 unprotected civilians are trapped in the area. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has promised to allow safe passage to trapped civilians and urged the Tamil Tigers to promise the same. "We have declared a safe zone for civilians, the coordinates of which were announced by the security forces," Rajapaksa said on his government's Web site. "It is unfortunate that the (Tamil Tiger group) is exploiting this declared safe zone for civilians by placing their heavy artillery within the safe zone and using it as a launching pad to attack security forces and indiscriminately kill civilians." The fighting has created a "nightmarish" situation for civilians in the conflict zone, Elder said. An emerging shortage of humanitarian supplies and diminished access to clean water, sanitation, and food are compounding a crisis, he said. Sunday, Sri Lankan soldiers seized a key rebel stronghold in a surprise attack deep in Tamil held territory. Troops crossed a lagoon and entered the town of Mullaittivu before encountering heavy resistance from Tamil fighters, according to the government-run news agency. The The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- commonly known as the Tamil Tigers -- have fought for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983. The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead. | Sri Lankan hospital hit by artillery shells .
Children young as 4 months treated in local hospitals for shrapnel injuries .
Aid workers rescue 50 critically injured children and 105 adults .
Sri Lankan President has promised to allow safe passage to trapped civilians . |
74,378 | d2e1b9853385c1fe1408209f5adfb00533d1a930 | (CNN) -- When an earthquake hit Haiti in 2010 a quarter of a million people lost their lives, homes were flattened and communities torn apart. The capital Port-au-Prince became a sea of devastation in which shelter was hard to find. Those affected flocked to find safe ground. Amid the chaos, the Sylvio Cator stadium became a makeshift refuge for those hordes rendered homeless by the disaster. Thousands poured through the gates at the national home of soccer, seeking sanctuary on turf that usually only plays the role of host for 90 minutes at a time. A year on from the disaster some 7,000 people still live in and around the stadium, a grim reality replicated on nearly every green space in the rubble-strewn city. But slowly, soccer -- like the community it represents -- is starting to reassert itself. The scene is still far from normal as helicopters laden with medical supplies use the pitch -- once the preserve of players only -- to land and take off from. For the man charged with trying to rebuild the country's decimated football community, it provides yet another challenge to etch onto an exhausting list. Haiti's Football Federation (HFF) president, Yves Jean-Bart, recalls how the earthquake that brought the country to its knees spared nothing for the beautiful game. "Our national headquarters collapsed in just a few seconds," he told CNN. "Of the 50 people present at the time of the earthquake one dozen were injured and 32 found dead. "We also lost inventories of national equipment; the federation's archives were not recovered. Our trophies, the awards we have received throughout the history of the federation, pictures of witnesses of our glorious years were not found in the rubble. It was a complete disaster. "On top of it all, right after the earthquake all fields were occupied by millions of refugees of the earthquake who had lost everything. Currently we no longer have any soccer field that we can use in Port-au-Prince and surrounding towns for a decent game." This represents a big problem for the country, whose passion for football is described by soccer's governing body FIFA as "amongst the most intense on the planet." Yet despite the infinite challenges, the HFF have worked tirelessly to get soccer back on its feet and were still able to launch their domestic league and cup tournaments, if a little later than advertised. Just two months after the tragedy, and despite losing their coach Jean-Yves Labaze to the earthquake, Haiti's under-17 women's team competed in a qualifying tournament for the World Cup. This courage of purpose saw the team given FIFA's Fair Play award at a recent ceremony, where the team captain, Hayana Jean Francois, summed up the country's feeling towards soccer when she told the audience: "If there was no football, we would be nothing." It is this enthusiasm that has been the catalyst for recovery according to many, allied with offers of assistance from the likes of Guyana, the United States, England, Qatar, Spain and Canada. English Premier League star and France international Florent Malouda felt moved to visit the country to support the Yele Haiti charity, founded by his friend, hip hop star Wyclef Jean. The Chelsea midfielder was stunned by what he saw. "We went to Port-au-Prince and it was chaos," he said. "People were trying to rebuild their lives but there was no water, no electricity. Some of the first tent camps on the road from the airport had already been destroyed by the wind. "I wondered how they could live in such difficult conditions. But when you spoke to people you could feel that, no matter what happens, they were still positive and they still believed in life. It was really inspiring." For Malouda, Haiti's love for soccer remains despite the crisis: "I'd say football must be their second religion. They know everything about football. They just love it. That's the power of football. It's all about joy and passion, and it lets them forget their problems." FIFA have been at the forefront of the international aid effort, donating $3.25 million, and its president, Sepp Blatter, told CNN: "One year after the earthquake, we have not forgotten about Haiti and we are still committed to supporting them. "We know that football remains a contributor to the positive spirit of many youngsters in Haiti, and that it can bring some hope for them in these difficult times." The tragedy galvanized the international football community and help flooded in from companies such as Digicel, Adidas, Walt Disney and German television station SAT-EIN. Plans to bring the crumbling Sylvio Cator stadium back up to scratch are in motion and construction of a new headquarters for the HFF has already begun. Once completed it will be a particularly poignant reminder of Dr Jean-Bart's colleagues who were entombed in the previous HFF hub. "We held a memorial service for our colleagues who did not make it in April on the site of our collapsed headquarters, an extremely moving ceremony," he explained. "On our new website as well as our new headquarters we will have a special place dedicated to their memory, but we know it will never be enough to demonstrate our gratitude for all that they have done for soccer." The HFF hasn't replaced any of those who were lost, and now operates with a threadbare staff, but thanks to help from around the world Dr Jean-Bart says the future is dominated by hope. "Overall, we would say that it is thanks to all the 208 associations of FIFA, who showed us their support and affection that we never felt alone throughout this long journey. "Since 2003 we've been going from one catastrophe to the next. Personally, I never imagined that there was so much solidarity in our family, such a passion to get back on track, everyday I see that the courage and the willpower is getting stronger and stronger. "What we are most satisfied with is being able to keep doing of all our activities just like before the quake. We are extremely proud of being able to get back up and handling every situation going on in our country. "Haiti never really had much except for talent and the passion for soccer." | Haitian soccer is slowly rebuilding after the devastating earthquake of January 2010 .
The country's football federation headquarters were flattened and 32 officials killed .
Aid has poured in from soccer's governing body FIFA and nations around the world .
Haiti under-17 women's captain says: 'If there was no football, we would be nothing.' |
4,560 | 0d2337226ba25a8d758a07682b6eea1ff5ef9848 | By . Dan Bloom . Heroic firefighters are usually pictured saving children or kittens, so this Chinese rescuer may have got the wrong end of the stick. The man cradled a flaming propane tank in his arms to save it from destroying a restaurant. In a surreal video, a second firefighter trailed behind with a limp hose but missed completely and doused his already distracted colleague with water. Scroll down for video . Flaming mad: A Chinese firefighter carried this burning propane tank to save it from gutting a restaurant . Oops: A colleague trails behind with a hose - but misses completely at first and douses the man with water . The footage was reportedly shot in China and emerged on a Chinese TV station. It was uploaded to YouTube and LiveLeak and has been viewed more than 25,000 times. It shows the firefighter carrying the propane tank out of a restaurant, most likely to save it from setting the rest of the building on fire. Crews linger inside among the tables as the flames light up the room before one firefighter - brave, stupid or both - takes the drastic action to bring it outside. That is despite the fact the restaurant already appears to be severely damaged by fire. Destroyed: From the video, the building already appeared to be damaged as the tank burned inside . All safe: The firefighters quickly regained control of the situation and two of them gripped the hose . The video provoked a storm of debate about firefighting tactics among online commenters. One said: 'Bravery would be charging into a burning building to save orphans. Stupidity would be hand-carrying a flaming propane tank to save what appears to be a fire-gutted restaurant.' But another pointed out the valves fitted to propane canisters would mean the firefighter was relatively safe. The viewer wrote: 'The tank can't blow, as the gas keeps being pushed out by the pressure, meaning the fire can't get in the tank through the valve.' | Video shows firefighter carrying the tank out of building in his arms .
Flames shoot out of the top as a colleague follows him with a hose .
Footage believed to have been shot during an emergency callout in China . |
72,524 | cd96dbc7daa28cc52eab1bd321debfd1b7e07755 | By . Mark Duell . A five-year-old boy was tonight ‘fighting for his life’ after an accident on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland Paris. The child from Montpellier is in a critical condition at Necker Hospital in Paris after ‘falling under a machine’ at the end of the ride at 4.50pm local time (3.50pm GMT) today, local media said. Emergency services were called when the unidentified boy became ‘trapped between a platform and a boat’. The child had lost his balance and fallen overboard, reported the Europe 1 radio network. Incident: The boy had an accident on the Pirates Of The Caribbean ride (file picture) at Disneyland Paris . Interior: The flume-based ride (file picture) was opened in 1992 at the Paris park and lasts for 10 minutes . He then became stuck under the boat behind the one carrying him, before his father jumped into the water and managed to free him. A Disneyland spokesman has confirmed the accident happened. He told AFP: ‘The incident took place in late afternoon. Our first aid services quickly intervened to provide him first aid. The attraction is temporarily closed and we stand with the family.’ A spokesman for Disneyland has not yet returned a request for comment by MailOnline. The flume-based ride, which inspired . the hit films, was opened in 1992 at the Paris park and lasts for around 10 . minutes. The original ride was built in 1967 at Disneyland in Anaheim, . California. A . description for the ride on the Disneyland Paris website says: 'Climb . aboard the attraction that inspired the swashbuckling series of films. Ride: Emergency services were called when the boy became 'trapped between a platform and a boat' Disneyland Paris: Construction started on the 5,000-acre site in 1988 and it opened to the public in 1992 . 'Cruise . secret caverns and catch the Pirates Of The Caribbean in action as they . loot, plunder and pillage. Will you escape with a souvenir snapshot to . treasure?' Construction started on the 5,000-acre . site in 1988 and it opened to the public in 1992, well over budget. Visitor numbers were lower than hoped for and the hotels fell below . their targets. Two years . after it opened, headlines asked if it was heading for . bankruptcy. But in 1994, banks agreed to restructure the project's . debts. By the end of 1994, the park had turned a corner. New rides such as Space Mountain were opened in 1995 and a second park - the Walt Disney Studios Park - opened to mark its 10th birthday. Now it has celebrated its 20th anniversary. However, it was revealed in April 2012 that the park owed a staggering £1.6billion - and it would take at least 12 years to pay off the debt. Last month a 5,000-strong petition was launched against the park, claiming it was 'falling apart', amid complaints about reheated food, broken rides and cancelled stage shows. Disney did not comment. | Child in critical condition after accident on ride at 4.50pm (3.50pm GMT)
Medics called when boy became 'trapped between a platform and a boat'
Disney spokesman says first aiders 'quickly intervened' to help the boy . |
218,528 | a6e54450aa38460d3d72116fcfe693a411ba87bb | Thieves who stole a precious parrot which loves to belt out Queen songs are 'under pressure' to return her. Eight-year-old Chico likes to squawk famous lines such as 'Gallileo, Gallileo' and ‘Scaramouche’ after she learned the lyrics by listening to a greatest hits CD. The red-tailed African grey, who was stolen from Malcolm Booth's . home in Hattersley, Greater Manchester on Sunday, also loves the rock group's famous tracks ‘We are the Champions' and 'Killer Queen.' Now 44-year-old Mr Booth hopes Chico's renditions will drive her captors round the bend and hand her back. Chico time: The African grey parrot was stolen from his cage during a burglary . Mr Booth who has had the bird since she was a three-week old baby said she would be making quite a flap. He said: 'I’m a great fan of Queen and am used to Chico squawking and whistling their tunes but I’m not sure its everyone’s cup of tea. 'I don’t think the people who have her will appreciate her squawking ‘Scaramouche’, ‘Gallileo’ and ‘I’m just a poor boy’ at them all the time. In fact I think it will drive them up the wall. 'Chico loves her music and whenever I put her in her cage I always put the music channel on for her.' Cage flighter: Owner Malcolm Booth is desperate to get his beloved pet parrot Chico returned safely . The father of two, bought his beloved pet from a breeder when his Timneh Grey parrot passed away. He has spent eight years training her to speak, sing and perform tricks at the home he shares with son, Kieran, 13. The clever polly can recognise colours and put them into the correct boxes as well as playing football, saying please and thank you and squawking out the names of family members. The Sound of silence: The normally noisy cage belonging to Chico the singing parrot sits empty . Mr Booth added: 'Chico’s a bit of a handful but she’s a well loved family pet. She will tell my son off if he’s been naughty and if a girl comes in she’ll do a wolf whistle. 'She wouldn’t bite because she’s hand-reared. Mostly it’s just a little nip but then she’ll lick you. If she wants feeding, it’s ‘Malc please’. 'I only called her Chico because she was cheeky when she first came. At the time I paid £650 for her, but now she’s talking and doing tricks she’s worth up to £900-£1000. Feathery fan: Chico loves to whistle Queen songs performed by the late Freddie Mercury . Mr Booth said he was doing some gardening at his brother-in-law’s when Chico disappeared on Sunday afternoon, and he believes that the thieves broke into the empty house after Kieran and Malcolm’s older son, Christian, 17, accidentally left the kitchen window open while cooking. The offenders escaped with a Playstation 3 and the parrot after breaking open the door of its cage. Malcolm added: 'She is normally in a cage. If I had left her out, they wouldn’t have caught her because she wouldn’t have come to them unless they shouted her name.' He added: ' I don’t need an alarm clock in this house . because she’s shouting Kieran at 5-6am, and it’s not quiet. 'It’s a four-bedroom house and when I’m in the far bedroom I can hear her with the door shut.' Mr Booth is appealing to the public for . any information that can help return his pet to him. Bohemian bird: The members of Queen in the classic pose for Chico's favourite, their 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody . He said: 'All I want is my bird back. The person that stole it can bring it back and I’ll give them the rest of my games that they’ve missed. They can keep the PS3, I’m not bothered, my bird was a family member.' Detective Constable Barbara Offord at Greater Manchester Police said: 'Many people forge strong relationships with their pets and this case is no exception. Chico is a much loved member of the family and they are desperate for his return. | Chico the bird belts out lines from Bohemian Rhapsody .
The parrot also loves ‘We are the Champions' and 'Killer Queen' |
279,942 | f6a709807a79e57bbc1b232bf714438b7d061171 | All 17 of the Nomads bikie gang who had got together at their regular 'church meeting' have been arrested in a pre-emptive raid by NSW Police. Senior members of the gang were among those charged during Friday night's raid on their recently furnished western Sydney clubhouse. Officers executed a search warrant on the property in Wetherill Park as part of an investigation into the outlaw motorcycle gang. As a result, 13 Nomads members have been charged with habitually consorting with convicted offenders and four others charged with various drug, weapons and traffic offences. Police first raided their western Sydney clubhouse and had it shut down. Scroll down for video . Thirteen Nomads OMCG members charged with consorting following clubhouse raid in western Sydney . The men were taken to police stations and were charged with habitually consort with convicted offender . Officers executed a search warrant on the property in Wetherill Park at about 7.45pm on Friday as part of an ongoing investigation into criminal activity by the outlaw motorcycle gang. Following the raid, 13 Nomad members were arrested under anti-consorting legislation after a joint operation by the Gangs Squad's Strike Force Raptor and Fairfield Local Area Command. The men were taken to various police stations and were charged with habitually consort with convicted offender. Gangs Squad Commander Superintendent Deborah Wallace says police wanted to disrupt the group's regular meeting, described as a 'church night' with a party vibe. It's at these get-togethers that criminals usually meet to hatch out their plans, she said. 'We would allege the clubhouses are used to further their criminal activities and associations,' she told reporters on Saturday. Consorting-related offences relate to those who organise to meet on two separate occasions with two separate criminals. 'It's a complex piece of legislation, we have to ensure that each criminal has been warned about their association prior to us arresting them,' Supt Wallace said. During the raid on the Nomads' clubhouse, which was recently created after the shutdown of their previous club two years ago, police say they also found drugs and evidence of illegal alcohol sales. Drugs, believed to be cocaine, were also found hidden under the petrol cap of a motorcycle. All those arrested have been granted conditional bail to appear in court in the coming months. Gangs Squad Commander Superintendent Deborah Wallace says the arrests were made as part of a crackdown under anti-consorting laws. 'These arrests have been made under legislation that makes it an offence for a person habitually to associate with two more convicted offenders,' she said in a statement on Saturday. 'My message is that if further offences are detected under these laws, my detectives will continue to enforce the legislation to the fullest extent by arresting and charging those involved.' Supt Wallace said many more consorting-related arrests were anticipated following the raid. During the search, 13 men were arrested by the Strike Force Raptor under anti-consorting legislation . Four of the 13 men arrested on Friday have been variously charged with traffic, drug and weapon offences . It is anticipated that Strike Force Raptor will be making many more consorting-related arrests. In addition to the consorting arrests and charges, four of the 13 members arrested on Friday have been variously charged with traffic, drug and weapon offences. A 25-year-old member of the gang was arrested after a drug dog detected 29 grams of a white powder, believed to be cocaine, hidden under the petrol cap of the motorcycle he was riding. The man was taken to Green Valley Police Station but has been released pending further inquiries. A 27-year-old associate of the gang was issued with a field court attendance notice for riding while unlicensed. He was also found to be in possessions of an Ice pipe and, as a result, was taken to Fairfield Hospital for blood and urine testing, before being released pending the outcomes of the tests. He is scheduled to appear in Fairfield Local Court on 20 April 2015. It is anticipated that Strike Force Raptor will be making many more consorting-related arrests . The men were taken to police stations and were charged with habitually consort with convicted offender . A 21-year-old member of the gang was found to be in possession of a knife and was issued with a field court attendance notice for custody of a knife. He is scheduled to appear in Fairfield Local Court on 23 February 2015. A 41-year-old member of the gang was caught riding his motorcycle while on a suspended licence. He has been issued with a field court attendance notice for riding whilst suspended and is scheduled to appear in Fairfield Local Court on 23 February 2015. All have been granted conditional bail to appear in court in February. Strike Force Raptor was established by State Crime Command's Gangs Squad in 2009. It is a proactive and high-impact operation targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs and any associated criminal enterprises. Thirteen Nomads OMCG members charged with consorting following clubhouse raid in western Sydney . It is anticipated that Strike Force Raptor will be making many more consorting-related arrests . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Thirteen Nomads members have been charged with consorting .
Following clubhouse raid, police arrested 13 men as part of ongoing investigation into criminal activity by the outlaw motorcycle gang .
Four of the 13 men arrested have been variously charged with traffic, drug and weapon offences .
As a result of the operation, the clubhouse has been closed .
All have been granted conditional bail to appear in court next month . |
83,719 | ed7a17ae590ea907b396384a37f2ae019235bb72 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Ap . Last minute: 57-year-old Michelle Byrom was scheduled to be executed last Thursday but an appeals court has granted her a new trial . A death row inmate who prosecutors say recruited her son in a plot to kill her husband will get a new trial, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled Monday in a rare order for a prisoner awaiting execution. Michelle Byrom, now 57, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 2000 in Tishomingo County in the killing of her husband, Edward 'Eddie' Byrom Sr., and for recruiting her son in the plot. Byrom Sr. was fatally shot on June 4, 1999, at the couple's home in Iuka. Byrom's attorneys say they have new evidence in the case, and Byrom now argues her son committed the slaying. She argues in court briefs that her son confessed in conversations with a forensic psychologist. She argues the statements were discussed with the trial judge but were never revealed to Michelle Byrom or her attorneys before her trial. She also says the psychologist was not allowed to testify about them. In the high court's two-page order, Justice Josiah D. Coleman said the original trial judge, Circuit Judge Thomas J. Gardner, will not preside over Byrom's re-trial. Coleman said the circuit court in Tishomingo County will assign another judge to the case. Scroll down for video . Let out early: Edward Byrom Jr, Michelle's son, was released from prison in 2013 even though he confessed on four different occasions to being the one to shoot his father . In the high court's two-page order, Justice Josiah D. Coleman said the original trial judge, Circuit Judge Thomas J. Gardner, will not preside over Byrom's re-trial. Coleman said the circuit court in Tishomingo County will assign another judge to the case. The high court did not elaborate on how it reached its decision. Coleman said, however, the high court's decision was 'extraordinary and extremely rare in the context of a petition for leave to pursue post-conviction relief.' Mississippi has one other woman on death row, but the state has not executed a woman since 1944. Death Row: Without the court's ruling, Byrom would have been the first woman put to death in Mississippi since 1944 . State Attorney General Jim Hood did not immediately respond to requests for comment. David . Voisin, a Jackson attorney working with Michelle Byrom's legal team, . said in a statement Monday that the decision gives Byrom "a fair . opportunity to have her case heard in court. 'Michelle . suffered extreme sexual and physical abuse from an early age and . throughout her marriage. We are pleased that Ms. Byrom will now have the . opportunity to present the overwhelming evidence that she is innocent . of murder-for-hire,' Voisin said. State . and federal courts have in the past denied Byrom's arguments that she . should not be put to death because she was sexually and physically . abused by her husband. Hood . asked in February for the court to set Byrom's execution for this past . week. The Supreme Court denied that request last Thursday. Abused: Both 'Junior' (pictured left and right) and his mother were physically abused- and his mother was sexually- by their father before Junior shot him in a fit of rage . Prosecutors . said Michelle Byrom killed her husband of 20 years for money, and that . she planned to pay a hit man $15,000 with proceeds from the estate, . estimated at more than $350,000. In . a rare move, she asked Gardner, instead of the jury, to decide whether . she should serve life in prison or be put to death. Gardner sentenced . her to death. Eddie . Byrom Jr. testified against his mother during the trial as part of a . plea bargain. He later pleaded guilty to several charges in the . murder-for-hire scheme, including conspiracy to commit murder. Gardner . sentenced him to 50 years in prison with 20 years suspended. Joseph . Dale Gillis, who was described in court documents as the hit man, . pleaded guilty to lesser charges of conspiracy to commit capital murder . and accessory after the fact. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Byrom . Jr. testified that his mother asked him to talk to some of his friends . about killing his father. He said she would pay $10,000 in the . murder-for-hire scheme with the money to come from an expected insurance . policy. Michelle Byrom . argued her son told the psychologist that he had been physically and . emotionally abused by his father and that he shot his father for his own . reasons. Hood has said . Michelle Byrom has run out of appeals. He said in court briefs that she . was arguing that her attorney didn't do a good job - an issue Hood said . was addressed in past appeals and denied. The attorney general's office . said Byrom cannot argue issues that never came up at trial. | Michelle Byrom, 56, has been convicted of planning a murder-for-hire plot against her abusive husband who was shot dead in 1999 .
On Monday, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that she should be allowed a new trial .
Her son Junior admitted to being the one who killed his father on several occassions .
Prosecutors portrayed her as the 'mastermind' behind the plot but she was being treated for ingesting rat poison at the time of his murder . |
274,064 | eefb0b3c231a725104bebd1bb81d589c80f539c4 | The mother of a terminally ill 11-year-old with alopecia said her daughter was forced to remove a pink wig she wore to school as it might encourage others to dye their hair. Ashanti Elliott-Smith suffers from a rare disease which causes her body to age eight times faster than normal and means she is not expected to live past the age of 15. The pupil at Oakmeeds Community College, West Sussex, was told to take the wig off by a teacher because it was 'not cold in the school' and she felt so humiliated that she has not wanted return. Scroll down for video . Ashanti Elliott Smith, 11, was forced to remove her bright pink wig by a teacher at her school in West Sussex . Her mother, Phoebe Smith, said: 'She was devastated when they told her to take it off. Her little heart was broken. It's disgusting. It is bright but she should have the right to wear whatever colour hair she wants.' 'She was so proud of her hair but this has put her on a downer. 'When I took her into school three teachers by the office said she looked glamorous and beautiful and said how lovely her wig was. 'But as soon as I turned my back they told her to remove it. It was so embarrassing for her. 'It was the first time she wore the wig into school and she has not been back in since last Thursday. 'It's a pink wig, come on, other children would have understood. I have only got a few years left with her so we want her to live it to the full.' Her mother Phoebe (right) said Ashanti was devastated and did not want to go to school the next day . The incident allegedly occurred at Oakmeeds Community College, West Sussex, last Thursday . Ashanti's rare condition, Hutchinson Gilford Progeria, causes symptoms including stunted growth, hair loss, weight loss, wrinkled skin, stiff joints, and heart disease. The pink wig was donated by friends as Ashanti's family struggles to afford human hair wigs. Ms Smith said: 'There is no rule about terminally ill children not being able to wear wigs. 'She looks a lot different to other children. We get a lot of bad comments about Ashanti and this knocked her right back.' A student, Kate Boyd, commenting on Facebook, said: 'She suffers with alopecia and I think she should be allowed to wear a wig to school if it makes her confident and... makes her feel like anyone else at school.' Colin Taylor, Headteacher Oakmeeds Community College, said: 'Ashanti attended school in a large purple wig which was the first time she had appeared in school wearing a wig or any form of head wear. 'Her Learning Mentor, who meets her every morning and supports her throughout the day along with a Learning Support Assistant, spoke to the Head of Year about it. 'It was agreed by the Director of Inclusion and Head of Year that Ashanti would wear the wig home but not in lessons because it was not cold in the school and she had never wanted to wear one before. Ashanti wanted to wear the wig to school to hide her alopecia, a side effect of Hutchinson Gildford Progeria . Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is a genetic condition characterised by the dramatic, rapid appearance of aging beginning in childhood. Affected children typically look normal at birth and in early infancy, but then grow more slowly than other children and do not gain weight at the expected rate. They develop a characteristic facial appearance including prominent eyes, a thin nose with a beaked tip, thin lips, a small chin, and protruding ears. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome also causes hair loss (alopecia), aged-looking skin, joint abnormalities, and a loss of fat under the skin. The condition does not disrupt intellectual development or the development of motor skills such as sitting, standing, and walking. It is commonly referred to simply as Progeria, the Greek word for 'prematurely old'. The disease is caused by a mutation in the gene called LMNA, which produces protein. Sufferers commonly die of heart disease at an average age of 13 years old. Ashanti suffers from rare disease Hutchinson Gilford Progeria which causes accelerated ageing . 'We tried to discuss this with Ashanti's mother on Thursday but we were not able to make contact with her. 'We have worked closely with Ashanti's mother to ensure her wishes that her daughter is treated like all other pupils are met. 'Ashanti is a pleasure to have in the school and we believe we have done everything we can to meet both her needs and her mother's requirements during the first half term. 'Ashanti has settled well at Oakmeeds. 'At no time to our knowledge did she request special consideration about head wear but we would fully understand it if Ashanti was to need a hat or indeed a wig when the weather gets cold - even indoors. 'In the past other children have worn wigs following serious illness, but ones that were of a natural look - not large brightly coloured ones. 'We are more than happy to discuss this with Ashanti and her mum when College starts again next week after the half term break.' Her father Albi Elliott , 44, spent £3,500 charity money intended for Ashanti to go swimming with dolphins . In June this year it emerged that Ashanti's father stole £3,500 of charity money that was intended for her to go swimming with dolphins. She was given the donation by Sussex British Motorcycle Owners Club (SBMOC) in 2010 so she could go for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to America. But her father Albi Elliott, 44, hid the money from the rest of the family and within two months had spent it - on trips to Tesco. Blasting his actions as 'callous and despicably devious', the judge at Chichester Crown Court jailed Elliott for three years. | Ashanti Elliott-Smith, 11, has Progeria disease which accelerates ageing .
She also suffers from alopecia and decided to wear a pink wig to school .
But a teacher forced her to remove it, saying it could encourage other pupils .
Her mother Phoebe said Ashanti was devastated and didn't want to go back .
School said it was agreed she would not wear wig in class as it was not cold . |
182,834 | 78c8306fc5044d75421fd321c43538060a12af64 | (CNN) -- Abu Yahya al-Libi, al Qaeda's No. 2 man, was killed in Pakistan on Monday, according to U.S. officials. Al-Libi's death was "another serious blow to core al Qaeda," White House spokesman Jay Carney said. Al-Libi, 49, was a well-regarded figure in jihadist circles and had emerged as one of the terrorist network's most important clerics and propagandists, appearing in countless videos in recent years. He was killed by a CIA drone strike, according to U.S. officials. Drone strikes remain a highly contentious issue between the United States and Pakistan. Who is Abu Yahya al-Libi? By most accounts, al-Libi was effectively al Qaeda's deputy leader. A Libyan citizen and an Islamic scholar, al-Libi bolstered his credibility within jihad groups after escaping from U.S. custody in Afghanistan in 2005. He became the public face of al Qaeda and used his religious training to justify the organization's actions. As one of the group's chief ideologues and propagandists, al-Libi appeared in numerous recruitment videos in which he cast himself as a sheikh with the legitimacy to issue fatwas. Other than his appearances in propaganda videos, it's unclear which plots against the West al-Libi was involved in. A wanted ad from the U.S. State Department described him as a "key motivator in the global jihadi movement," and said that "his messages convey a clear threat to U.S. persons or property worldwide." What does his death mean for al Qaeda? This is a "very serious blow" to al Qaeda, according to Noman Benotman, a former senior member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group who spent significant time with al-Libi in the 1990s. No one else within the group rivals his legitimacy as a religious scholar nor has the credibility in the Arab world to provide Islamic justifications for al Qaeda's global campaign of terrorism, he said. "There is no one who even comes close in terms of replacing the expertise [al Qaeda] has just lost," said a U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri may be the only leader of consequence left, wrote Peter Bergen, CNN national security analyst. However, he said al Qaeda's regional affiliates remained a threat. For a complete list of terrorists sought by the United States, check out this list on CNN's Security Clearance blog. What are drone strikes? In drone strikes, unmanned aerial vehicles, often equipped with hellfire missiles, are used to target suspected terrorists in remote locations. These attacks have been used in Pakistan, despite opposition from the country. This issue has strained relations between Pakistan and the United States. The strike on Monday that killed al-Libi is believed to be the 21st U.S. drone strike in the country this year. Critics of such attacks say the drone strikes have killed innocent civilians and that the U.S. has not provided evidence that the missiles have reached their intended targets. U.S. officials rarely discuss the CIA's drone program in Pakistan, though privately they have said the covert strikes are legal and an effective tactic in the fight against extremists. What's the reaction in Pakistan? There has neither been widespread reaction in Pakistan nor any uproar or outrage over al-Libi's death. It's likely that many Pakistanis do not know who al-Libi was, according to Reza Sayah, CNN's Pakistan-based correspondent. Are drone strikes legal? Critics say that drone attacks are not a democratic strategy and that the practice violates international laws and national sovereignty. President Barack Obama's administration has justified its use of drones overseas. In a rare public statement recently, John Brennan, the president's top counterterrorism adviser, said the strikes are conducted "in full accordance with the law." Brennan said the United States "respects national sovereignty and international law" and is guided by the laws of war in ordering those attacks. CNN's Paul Cruickshank, Peter Bergen, Reza Sayah and the CNN Wire contributed to this report. | Abu Yahya al-Libi, al Qaeda's deputy leader, was killed by a drone strike, U.S. says .
His death was a "very serious blow" to al Qaeda, White House says .
Drone strikes remain highly controversial because of civilian deaths . |
232,311 | b8cee5ba3af11d8e5ff98f815d0343e2cde88539 | By . Lizzie Smith and Amelia Proud . PUBLISHED: . 10:57 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:54 EST, 1 August 2013 . Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice, the husband of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice, still owes his former business partner $260,000 for his part in a 2007 mortgage scam. Joe Mastropole has never seen a cent of the cash a judge ordered Giudice to pay after he forged Mastropole's signature on a mortgage document. Speaking in the wake of Giuseppe and Teresa Giudice's indictment on 39 counts of fraud and tax evasion, Mastropole said that he had never expected to get any of the money because the couple's income was 'fraudulent, untraceable and untaxed.' Toning . it down: Teresa Giudice, 41, and her 43-year-old husband Joe wore pared . down looks to face fraud charges in New Jersey on Tuesday . Speaking to Radaronline.com, Mastropole said that, 'I think his money is untraceable, so it will be hard for me to collect any debt.' Monica Chacon, the attorney for Mastropole in the 2007 case said that Giuseppe used 'gang' tactics to intimidate her client. Joe Mastropole has never seen a cent of the cash a judge ordered Giudice to pay after he forged Mastropole's signature on a mortgage document. 'Someone blew out seven windows at our office the same day we filed in court,' Chacon revealed to Radaronline.com. 'They were shooting slingshots with marbles. Of course we didn't catch Joe doing it, but my and my husband's office and Joe Mastropole's office were both targeted the same day we filed in court. 'It wasn't a coincidence.' Despite these claims, there is no evidence at all to suggest that Giuseppe Giudice was the culprit for breaking the windows. 'They just don't care!' Chacon added. 'They do what they want, and they say what they want, and figure that someday they'll deal with the implications.' On Tuesday Teresa Giudice and her husband, Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice were released on a combined $1million bail after making initial court appearances on Tuesday on federal fraud charges. The couple were ordered to surrender their passports and to confine their travels to New Jersey and New York. Joe Giudice could be deported to Italy if convicted because he is not a U.S. citizen. Teresa, 41, and her 43-year-old husband had toned down their usual flamboyant look to wear differing shades of slate suit, the reality TV queen even had her famous hair slicked back into a sensible ponytail as she walked into Martin Luther King Jr. courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. Members of the press swarm Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice, 43, center left, and his wife Teresa Giudice, 41, center, of Montville Township, N.J., as they walk out of Martin Luther King, Jr. Courthouse . Teresa, 41, and her 43-year-old husband had toned down their usual flamboyant look to wear differing shades of slate suit . Standing by her man: Joe Giudice's mother Filomena told a reporter is was 'none of her f****** business' when asked about the possibility Joe could be deported . Joe's father flips off photographers as the couple return to their parents' home after being released on $1million bail . As they walked out of court and a reported peppered the couple with questions about Joe's possible deportation, his mother Filomena stepped in and responded: 'None of your f****** business.' Joe then slapped away a camera as he walked - even though his lawyer scolded him, 'Don't do that.' The couple were charged in a 39-count . indictment Monday with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, bank . fraud, making false statements on loan applications and bankruptcy . fraud. They are accused of exaggerating . their income while applying for loans before their TV show debuted in . 2009, then hiding their fortunes in a bankruptcy filing after their . first season aired. Authorities . allege the couple submitted fraudulent mortgage and other loan . applications from 2001 to 2008, a year before their show debuted on . Bravo. Prosecutors said the couple submitted fake W-2s, tax returns and . bank account information to lenders. Not their finest hour: The attention loving couple looked shy and withdrawn as they arrived . Five of the 36 counts of the indictment relate to false tax documents and income statements that the couple allegedly filed . Centre of attention: But this is one shade of limelight that won't flatter a girl's skin . Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . Prosecutors . allege the Giudices received about $4.6 million in mortgages, . withdrawals from home equity lines of credit and construction loans. Joe . Giudice, an entrepreneur, also failed to file tax returns for the years . 2004 through 2008, when he is alleged to have earned nearly $1 million, . prosecutors said. During that time his income allegedly fluctuated . wildly; the indictment states he made $323,481 in 2005 and $26,194 in . 2006. Teresa Giudice's . attorney, Henry Klingeman, said she would plead not guilty. Joe . Giudice's attorney did not immediately return a message seeking comment. In a statement, Teresa said she supports her husband and wants to resolve the charges as soon as possible. Facing the music: The couple's charges are serious and could carry a hefty sentence . Mayhem: The couple were mobbed as they left the hearing after posting $1 million bail . Free for now: The couple arrived back to their mansion after their hearing . 'I . am committed to my family and intend to maintain our lives in the best . way possible, which includes continuing my career,' she said. In . their 2009 bankruptcy filing, the couple said they were $11 million in . debt. They stated their monthly take-home pay was $16,583, but $10,000 . was from 'monthly assistance from family members' and Bravo income. It . also said they owed $2.2 million in mortgages, $13,000 to Neiman Marcus . and Nordstrom and nearly $12,000 to a fertility clinic. The . most serious charges the couple face, bank fraud and loan application . fraud, carry a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 . million fine. If convicted, they could face a maximum sentence of more 50 years in prison. Facing jail: The Giudices found fame on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey . Teresa's attorney says she will plead not guilty and that 'we look forward to vindicating her.' Giudice, . who appeared on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live on Sunday to discuss . her truce with brother Joe Gorga and sister-in-law Melissa, also issued . her own statement on Monday saying 'today is a most difficult day for . our family.' She explained: . 'I support Joe and, as a wonderful husband and father, I know he wants . only the best for our lovely daughters and me I am committed to my . family and intend to maintain our lives in the best way possible, which . includes continuing my career. 'As a result, I am hopeful that we will resolve this matter with the Government as quickly as possible.' The show is in its fifth season on Bravo. A network spokesman had no comment. Fame hungry: Teresa, with Andy Cohen and therapist 'Dr V' yesterday, is expected to appear in court on Tuesday . Large family: Joe and Teresa with their children Audriana, Gia, Gabriella and Milania back in March . | Former business partner of Joe Giudice claims he is still owed $260,000 six years on from mortgage fraud .
Joe and Teresa Giudice face a maximum sentence of up to 50 years behind bars if convicted .
Charged with 39 separate crimes ranging from tax evasion to bank fraud . |
215,465 | a2e5ec02efaff1977faf29a8de43fa644f66cf7d | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 12:35 EST, 29 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:47 EST, 29 January 2013 . 'Stupid behaviour': Anton Rodgers, the son of Liverpool football boss Brendan Rodgers admitted having a photograph taken exposing himself in front of a girl, his trial heard . The son of Liverpool football manager Brendan Rodgers today admitted having a photograph taken exposing himself in front of a girl, but claimed it was just ‘boy banter', a court heard. Anton Rodgers, 19, denied he and three of his team mates sexually assaulted the teenage girl, saying she was awake and giggling throughout the horseplay. He said he joined in the 'boy banter' because he wanted to fit in as he was a new member of the Brighton and Hove team, but he admitted that with hindsight that it was ‘stupid behaviour’. Rodgers, a midfielder with the Championship club, is alleged to be one of four footballers who took snaps of the drunk blonde, whose drink may have been spiked, as they exposed themselves and made vulgar poses around her. The girl only realised what had happened to her when she woke up semi-naked next to Rodgers in the Jury’s Inn hotel in Brighton the next morning, the court heard. Jurors were told she borrowed Rodgers’ mobile phone and came across the pictures of a blonde woman in a pink dress ‘clearly not awake’ with men masturbating around her. But today Rodgers, 19, denied anything sexual was going on. He told the jury he and his team mates had gone out after celebrating their 2-0 pre-season victory over Eastbourne FC on July 16, 2011 and he saw the girl 'being flirtatious' with another player. Rodgers, who had only signed with the club three to four weeks before on £250 a week, said he only spoke briefly to the girl who wanted to know why first team player Leon Redwood was not paying any attention to her. At around 2am, he returned to the hotel with George Barker, 21, to go to bed, but was a woken half an hour later when his teams mates Steve Cook and Lewis Dunk, both 21, came into his room with the girl. He said there was a 'jovial, laughing atmosphere' and the girl 'seemed content.' He said: 'It was still a jokey atmosphere. I remember Steve being quite drunk but he was being quite funny. He was one of the main characters in the team.' He said the girl who was wearing a tight dress then cuddled up between him and George who were in the double bed adding; 'She moved on to me and tried to kiss my neck but I ended up shrugging her off. 'She tried to grab my penis area and I said to her to get off. I had no interest in what she seemed to be intent on. 'It appeared she was doing the same to George, I can’t recall them snogging but I could hear the same thing.' He said Lewis and Steve were giggling too and they started taking photos on his phone but he denied there was any sexual gratification to it. He said: 'No no. This was never the case. It was just a laugh. I understand now how stupid it was now but honest, it was just a bit of boy banter. It was jokey. As I said it was just boy banter, a good laugh. 'She was just giggling. She seemed to be laughing with us.' Allegation: The girl only realised what had happened to her when she woke up semi-naked next to Rodgers in the Jury's Inn hotel (above) in Brighton the next morning, the court heard . But he added the atmospheres changed when Leon walked into the room. He said: 'It seemed she was laughing, being bubbly and then that’s when she shut her eyes and seemed to be trying to go to sleep. I was awkward but Leon broke the awkwardness by laughing as well. From what I remember he sprayed the shaving foam on her leg.' He said a picture was taken of George grinning with his thumbs up after writing his initials in shaving foam on her thigh and then they all left and they went to sleep. The next morning the girl 'politely' asked to borrow his phone to make a call and then ten minutes later woke him because she had discovered the images and said: 'I think she was embarrassed' He agreed to delete the pictures but forwarded the one with George and the shaving phone via BlackBerry messaging. Rodgers and his team-mates Lewis Dunk (left) and George Barker (right) all deny sexual assault and voyeurism . Steve Cook, who now plays for Bournemouth, also denies sexual assault and voyeurism . He and his team mates thought nothing more of the incident until they were arrested as they got off the team coach after returning from Wrexham in January of last year adding 'This was a shock.' Talking about when he exposed his penis he said: 'I was standing directly above her but that was it. I was not kneeling down or crouching. I was standing on the bed while she was laughing. 'It was a laugh, I was new at the time. It was funny at the time. Looking back at it, it was just the case of fitting in and having a laugh.' It is alleged the ‘pretty, outgoing’ woman, now 21, had asked Rodgers to delete the photos but he just laughed. She later confided in a work colleague what had happened, but was too scared to go to police. It was not until another player told her months later that the pictures were being passed around the club and threatened to post them on the internet that she finally reported it. Rodgers, Barker, Dunk and their former team-mate Cook, 21, who now plays for Bournemouth, all deny charges of sexual assault and voyeurism. The Old Bailey heard they went to several bars and she ended up coming back to their hotel room. But she claims the next thing she remembers is waking up in bed with Rodgers in just his underwear with her bra off and her dress pulled up. When interviewed by police, Rodgers refused to answer questions and the other three gave very basic accounts of what had happened that night. Barker said there was only one picture taken of him with the shaving foam, Dunk claimed he had fallen asleep while Cook admitted he may have been in the background but did not get his penis out. The foam picture was discovered on Barker’s phone when he was arrested. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Anton Rodgers tells trial that girl was awake and giggling through horseplay .
Claimed he did it to fit in because he was new to Brighton and Hove team .
But 19-year-old denies he and three team-mates sexually assaulted teenager . |
269,153 | e8a5e94592c1d010c1d02f1d190a6b377e2c221d | (CNN) -- Arizona Cardinals backup running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested in connection with domestic abuse allegations, Phoenix police said Wednesday night. The Cardinals deactivated Dwyer after news of the arrest, according to a news release from the team. CNN's calls to the office of Dwyer's agent, Adisa Bakari, weren't immediately returned. The announcement from the Phoenix Police Department said two incidents allegedly occurred on consecutive days in late July. They were reported last week. Detectives interviewed Dwyer and he "admitted to the incidents, however, denied any physical assaults," the police statement said. Police said he was booked on one count of aggravated assault causing a fracture, one count of aggravated assault involving a minor, two counts of criminal damage, one count of preventing the use of a phone in an emergency, and assault. The two victims were a 27-year-old woman and an 18-month-old child, police said. Dwyer is being held at the Maricopa County Jail. The Cardinals said they became aware of the allegations when contacted by police. Dwyer, 25, is the fourth NFL player to be in the headlines this week. Two other players, Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings and Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers, took paid leave from their teams to focus on their legal cases. Peterson has been charged in Texas with child abuse. Hardy has been convicted of misdemeanor assault charges in North Carolina and has been granted the opportunity to have a new trial, this time in front of a jury. And running back Ray Rice has an appeal with the NFL in connection with his indefinite suspension after a domestic violence incident. Dwyer is listed as the No. 2 running back for the Cardinals behind Andre Ellington. He is in his fifth NFL season and first with the Cardinals. Dwyer has 51 yards on 16 carries in two games this year. CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton and Shane Deitert contributed to this story. | Jonathan Dwyer is arrested in connection with domestic violence allegation .
Dwyer is a backup running back for the Arizona Cardinals .
The team announced after the arrest that Dwer has been deactivated . |
212,128 | 9eb102b5c277f40ccb6f9a4c57aa5124df731aa7 | The running career of Abdi Abdi lies in ruins after he was convicted of firearms and robbery offences . A promising athlete from the same club which trained some of Britain’s top Olympians has been jailed for robbing teenagers at gunpoint. Abdi Abdi, 19, of Aston, Birmingham, represented Birchfield Harriers - where gold medallists Denise Lewis, Mark Lewis-Francis and Kelly Sotherton all started their careers. But his running career now lies in ruins after he was convicted of firearms and robbery offences committed outside the running club’s Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, Birmingham, which also hosts the UK Athletics British Grand Prix. A court heard he robbed ‘vulnerable’ teenagers of expensive bikes and mobile phones at a BMX and skateboarding track just half-a-mile away from the famous stadium. Adbi admitted one firearms charge and was convicted of two more as well as three robbery offences after a trial in December. He was sentenced to four years’ detention at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday. Sentencing, Judge Michael Chambers QC said: ‘During the trial your coach spoke about your considerable ability as an athlete and this is the tragedy of this case. ‘You were a promising athlete who had sponsorship and did not need to rob other people. My conclusion is you enjoyed the thrill and peer group esteem from these offences. ‘You and two other Somali young men targeted vulnerable teenage boys with expensive BMX bicycles and mobile phones who frequented the skate park. ‘I am quite satisfied, having heard the evidence, that you planned to rob them. Firearm: The court heard officers found a gun (above) inside his gym bag but the athlete told them he had found it in bushes and was going to hand it in . Scene: Abdi committed the offences outside Birchfield Harriers running club's Alexander Stadium (pictured) in Perry Barr, Birmingham, which also hosts the UK Athletics British Grand Prix . 'You went there late at night and you were armed with an imitation firearm, a gas-powered BB gun which had the appearance of a real handgun. I am also satisfied you were the ringleader.’ The court heard Abdi and two other men picked on lads as young as 15 and produced a gas-powered handgun to force them to hand over belongings. In the first hold-up, the teenager pushed a realistic-looking BB gun into a 16-year-old’s neck and back before the victim fled on June 5 last year. The athlete went back to the park ten days later and robbed three 15-year-olds of their bikes and phones at gunpoint. But Adbi was caught on June 23 when three teenagers saw him cycling through the track in Perry Park and recognised his BMX as stolen. They alerted police who arrived and were forced to use a Taser before arresting the talented runner. Top athletes: Abdi represented Birchfield Harriers - where gold medallists Denise Lewis (left) and Kelly Sotherton (right) started their careers . Running star: Mark Lewis-Francis (pictured) also began his career with Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham . The court heard officers found the gun inside his gym bag but the athlete told them he had found it in bushes and was going to hand it in. Abdi committed six robberies between April and June last year where almost £3,000 property was stolen. Balvinder Bhatti, defending, said the athlete was still motivated to continue his running training after his release. She added: ‘The tragedy of this case is that everything you have heard about Abdi and read about him is at odds with the seriousness of the offences for which he has been convicted.’ Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Laurence Green, of West Midlands Police, said: ‘A search of Abdi’s back pack revealed the handgun, although he said that he had found it in bushes and was intending to hand it in to police. ‘He further maintained that he had bought the BMX bike from a man in Alum Rock for £50 and had no knowledge that it was stolen. ‘The lads were aware of the number of robberies happening in the area involving a firearm and the warnings being issued by police to visitors in the park, yet they bravely chased after the offender.’ | Abdi Abdi, 19, of Aston, Birmingham, represented Birchfield Harriers .
Denise Lewis and Mark Lewis-Francis started their careers with club .
But he was convicted of firearms and robbery offences after a trial .
Athlete robbed 'vulnerable' teenagers of bikes and mobile phones . |
149,213 | 4cf1a4197c148fa2c5c98c7a60cb958bccf80b20 | (CNN) -- When the two most successful teams in English football meet, the stakes are high. Not only is there the bragging rights fought for between the bitterly opposed tribes of Manchester United and Liverpool, but the result can bear more resonance than just the effect it has on the Premier League title race. "Winning against Liverpool is important. It doesn't matter where you are in the league," United manager Alex Ferguson said after his team's 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday. "Manchester United-Liverpool games are fantastic challenges. They are the two most successful teams in the country. Today, hopefully, those three points will be very important." Sunday's win gave United a 74-62 advantage in the 187 clashes between the two teams, and a season double after winning by the same score at Anfield in September. Just as importantly, it meant that United ended the weekend seven points clear of second-placed defending champions Manchester City, who beat 10-man Arsenal 2-0 in Sunday's other match. It leaves the club in pole position for a record-extending 20th English title -- two more than Liverpool, whose last came in 1990, before the start of the Premier League era. "I would have taken that score before the game," Ferguson told reporters. "The first-half performance, and until we scored the second goal, was absolutely brilliant. "It was as good a performance as we have had for a long time and we should have been three or four up, but when they got their goal they got inspired by it. Their supporters got going and it was hard work after that. I am just glad we won." United took the lead in the 19th minute through Robin van Persie, who netted his 21st goal this season and a leading 17th in the EPL from Patrice Evra's low cross. The second goal came after Evra evaded his marker Glen Johnson and headed Van Persie's 54th-minute free-kick into the net via a deflection off fellow defender Nemanja Vidic, who was credited with the score. Evra was a focal figure last time the teams met at Old Trafford in February 2012, when Liverpool striker Luis Suarez refused to shake his hand before the match in their first encounter following the Uruguayan's eight-match ban for racially abusing the France left-back. The anticipated duel this time was not between these two, but Suarez and Van Persie -- the EPL's leading marksmen. Suarez has almost singlehandedly carried Liverpool's attack this season, scoring 15 league goals, but it was his new forward partner Daniel Sturridge who reduced the deficit on his Premier League debut for the club. The former Chelsea striker scored in the FA Cup win against Mansfield, and again impressed after coming on at halftime to replace Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva. The 23-year-old England international was fastest to react after captain Steven Gerrard forced a parried save from United keeper David de Gea just three minutes after Vidic's goal. However, despite all the late pressure Liverpool could not force an equalizer and ended the match 24 points behind United in eighth place. "We're 24 points behind United -- but we're not 24 points behind in quality," said defiant Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers. "The points difference is due to the squad -- the depth in the squads is the difference for us. "Once we close the gap in the squad over these coming windows, I've got great faith we'll be able to challenge. I've seen enough hope in these opening months to suggest we will do that -- and today was another example of it." Last season Manchester City overhauled an eight-point deficit to win the club's first league title in 44 years on a dramatic final day of the season, and a similar effort will again be required this time. Roberto Mancini's team ensured Arsenal's focus will be a top-four finish, ending any remaining hopes of title contention with a victory that left the sixth-placed London side 21 points adrift of United. The match turned early when Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny was sent off for manhandling City striker Edin Dzeko in the penalty area. The Bosnian's 11th-minute spotkick was saved by a combination of the legs of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and the woodwork, but it was only another 10 minutes before James Milner put City ahead after being set up by Carlos Tevez. The Argentina striker has never scored against Arsenal, but he was also involved in the second goal as Dzeko doubled the lead just after half an hour for his 10th in the league this season. The only blot on City's day came when captain Vincent Kompany was sent off for a sliding two-footed tackle on Jack Wilshere, though the Belgium defender appeared to win the ball. Mancini said he planned to appeal the decision, even though an unsuccessful petition to the Football Association could mean Kompany is banned for four games instead of three. "This is not a red card, absolutely not," the Italian said after City's first win at Arsenal in nearly 38 years. "He has one foot in and takes the ball. I think the referee made a mistake." | Manchester United seven points clear in England after beating Liverpool 2-1 at home .
Victory gives Alex Ferguson's United a season double over eighth-placed archrivals .
Premier League champions Manchester City keep pace with 2-0 victory at Arsenal .
Both teams have a player sent off, with Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny red-carded early . |
76,919 | da29e436e297ec45ff56931691df71f5cb3d8b9c | CAMEMBERT, France (CNN) -- We're up in the north central part of France -- Normandy -- to see what's happening with French cheese. Cheese lovers will be happy to know, just about nothing, at least as far as the traditional cheeses are concerned. Cheese from the Camembert region now carries the same cachet as a chateau label for wine. But for the milk industry in general, it's another story. It has now a larger annual turnover than the steel industry in France (which admittedly is in decline.) Somehow the French have figured a way to export dairy products to people who already have cows and their own dairy industries-- to the tune of nearly €4 billion ($6 billion) per year. CNN spoke to a few of the people who do just that everyday and who are part of the changing face of France. Philippe Meslon, the mayor of Saint-Loup de Fribois and the administrator of the Saint-Loup cheese works says: "A camembert not made out of raw milk is like making love without sex. "A Frenchman is someone who cultivates with modern evolution his past. It's someone who protects moral values, cultural values and artistic values, and when I say cultural values I would include camembert." Meslon and small cheese makers like Francois Durand, who has 40 cows, have struggled and won the right to an Appelation d'Origine Controllee -- the mark AOC for their "Camembert de Normandie" which carries the same cachet as a chateau label for wine. For Durand making cheese is about not cutting corners. "You have to have the passion," he says. "Yes it's difficult because it means a lot of work. We make it all by hand. I do believe it is important because the cheese is an emblem of France. It is a gastronomic emblem." Still some small cheesemakers have been driven out of business and the taste and smell of their particular cheeses are lost to the world forever. For Michel Delorme it was a combination of new, more stringent rules and his age that led him to quit producing his handmade Camemberts. Michel Delorme: "It's more and more complicated for those who stay in the business. They must hold out! Yes I miss the cheese a little. That's true. But I've kept my souvenirs, you see I've kept my old milk cans so I can stay in the spirit of Camembert!" Despite those who've quit, the actual number of the variety of cheeses in France is growing. At the last cheese census more than 1,000 different kinds of cheeses were made here. The milk industry is no small cheese in France, thanks to the efforts of people like Philippe Jachnik who travels the world endlessly promoting milk products, which these days include protein supplements and milk derivatives that can go into all sorts of processed food. Jachnik, who works for the milk marketing consortium, says: "I really would say I am selling the French approach to milk. We EAT a lot of milk. We DRINK a lot of water, wine, beer and coffee. But drinking milk is not a big business here. "France has developed technological and marketing knowledge about adding value to a raw material-- milk. I have been traveling for 40 years all around the world and I feel so welcome. When you are French and you demonstrate that being French you can listen to others, people are interested in knowing about this country, about its people, about the way of life here." Jachnik must be doing a good job as it's not just abroad that the French are selling more milk products-- cheese consumption in France has doubled from 12 to 24 kilos per person per year. It seems there's no curding their enthusiasm ... E-mail to a friend . | Milk industry is booming in France, now has larger turnover than steel industry .
Dairy industry worth $6 billion, French eat 24 kilos of dairy per person a year .
Cheesemaker: Cheese is gastronomic emblem of France .
Last cheese census found around 1,000 different kinds of cheeses in France . |
278,130 | f4505366bfae2b546df6589bc36cf9f7bb5809f8 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 16:07 EST, 10 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:36 EST, 10 February 2013 . A four-year-old girl has died from suspected meningitis after being sent home by a hospital children’s ward. Now an investigation is under way to discover why Morgan Phelan was discharged when she had a high temperature and was suffering from a rash all over her body. Gemma Phelan’s daughter, Morgan, was seen in A&E at Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital in the West Midlands shortly after 7pm on Thursday, January 17 and admitted at 11.30pm. But she was discharged just over an hour later at 12.47am the following day, diagnosed with a viral infection. Four-year-old Morgan Phelan died from suspected meningitis after being sent home from Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital. An investigation is now underway . The four-year-old, from Kingstanding, Birmingham, remained poorly on Friday but went downhill again on Saturday afternoon before being rushed by ambulance to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where she was declared dead around 5pm. Now Good Hope Hospital is conducting an inquiry into her treatment. Her distraught mother said Morgan had been suffering from a high temperature and had a rash all over her body, but she had been reassured that all she had was a minor infection. Mrs Phelan reacted with anger when she discovered that the children’s ward, Harvey Ward, at Good Hope had since been closed due to a 'lack of appropriately qualified staff'. She fears that had it been closed earlier Morgan may still be alive today. 'I believe she was discharged because they didn’t have enough staff to look after her,' Mrs Phelan said. 'The last time I saw my little girl as normal was on Thursday morning when I took her to school. 'When she came home from school I knew she wasn’t very well and at 6.30pm I rang the ambulance. 'At 7.20pm she was seen by the nurses and she was admitted to the ward at 11.38pm but just over an hour later she was examined and discharged as we were told she was “fine to go home”. 'It was snowy and she had nothing on her feet. 'I was told she had an infection and there was nothing more wrong with her breathing but she was covered in a red rash. The four-year-old, from Kingstanding, Birmingham, went downhill after she was discharged and rushed by ambulance to Birmingham Children's Hospital, where she was declared dead around 5pm . 'On Friday she was not eating or drinking but we were told unless her temperature came back there was nothing to worry about. To me it didn’t look right.' Although she briefly appeared to rally on Saturday she then went downhill rapidly. She died later that afternoon. 'I kept checking her temperature and encouraging her to come downstairs,' said Mrs Phelan, who has another child, two-year-old Kian, with husband Ryan. 'On Saturday she seemed a bit better and she had a couple of sips of pop. I bought her sweets from the shop and went to make her stew but when I went back and saw her, her eyes were like glass. 'I called an ambulance and when they came they put her on the floor. I was told to sort out an overnight bag. On the heartbeat machine she was flatlining at first but then it picked up her heartbeat. 'They took her to the Children’s Hospital but she was declared dead at 5.10pm. 'When I read the Harvey Ward has been closed that sent me so angry and I started shaking. The hospital said it would only affect one or two children but how many has it affected? 'Had the Harvey Ward shut before or had they not discharged her at 1am she might still be here. I believe had they given her penicillin she would be alive today. 'When I read the Harvey Ward has been . closed that sent me so angry and I started shaking. 'The hospital said . it would only affect one or two children but how many has it affected?' - Morgan's mother Gemma Phelan . 'I have been told there will be an inquest in six months and we may find out more in three months.' Mrs Phelan also received a letter from the hospital which referred to Morgan as a boy and “he”, which upset her further. Sue Moore, managing director for Good Hope Hospital, said: 'This is a tragic case and we would like to send our sincerest condolences to the family of Morgan Phelan during this very difficult time.' We take the care and safety of all of our patients very seriously and we are currently undertaking an investigation into Morgan’s sad death which will be shared with the family. 'Unfortunately, due to patient confidentiality, we cannot comment on any individual patient’s treatment. 'We have arranged to meet with the family so we can discuss and address their concerns fully. 'Our decision to close Harvey ward has been taken following the advice of clinicians and is in response to ensuring safe staffing levels within specialist paediatric nursing.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Morgan Phelan was sent home from Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital .
She died a day later of suspected meningitis .
A probe into the young girl's death is now underway . |
207,639 | 98d9b67a5e54bdf544fc8af36b39b7c34e2a97b3 | Stanley Chola, 10, from Whitley, Berkshire underwent a circumcision in Zimbabwe during the summer holidays . There were 'missed opportunities' to save a 10-year-old from an infection possibly caused by a circumcision carried out in Africa, an inquest heard today. Stanley Chola, 10, from Whitley, Berkshire underwent the procedure in Zimbabwe during the summer holidays. Nearly two months later on October 13, 2013 he went into septic shock and died in hospital. At the time it was thought the infection might have been caused by an injury to his knee, either from being hit with a hockey stick by another pupil or while playing football. However, a leading doctor said the two theories were 'very unlikely' to be the case. Today, a coroner delivered a narrative verdict of Stanley's death, and said that the fatal infection had not diagnosed because of a combination of 'unfortunate events and circumstances'. Stanley, a pupil at New Christ Church School in Reading, Berkshire, went with his family to Zimbabwe during the summer holidays last year and was circumcised on August 23. However, he was absent during the first week of the new term and his step-father, Malik Issa, told a member of school staff this was because he had developed an infection from the circumcision. On October 7 his mother, Ellen Gomes, took Stanley to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, with her son complaining about a knee problem caused while playing football. The inquest heard the injury may have been caused by another pupil hitting Stanley with a plastic hockey stick. The inquest heard Ms Gomes took Stanley to a GP again the following day, but there appeared to be no reason for major concern. On October 11 his mother spoke to a doctor over the phone and told them Stanley had developed a chesty cough, abdominal pains and was not eating. She also said he was suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea. Stanley was prescribed antibiotics and the doctor said the information his mother had given did not suggest he needed to be seen in person. At around 4.40am on October 12, 2013, paramedics were called to the family's home in Laburnum Gardens in Whitley, after a call to say Stanley was unable to walk because of his knee pain. Discussing the possibility that the circumcision was the cause of Stanley's death, the Coroner said: 'That evidence is, I think, at best confusing. It is certainly not definitive. That is the less likely explanation' The paramedics said he was able to walk but that his breathing and oxygen saturation level were unusual and that Stanley also had a slight temperature. An appointment was arranged for the boy to see a doctor at 8am the next morning, but he did not attend. Dr Lade said: 'This was a pivotal moment in Stanley's case because had he been seen by a doctor that Saturday morning and appropriate treatment and investigations taken place, he might have been saved.' When Stanley did not attend his appointment, the Westcall service would normally have contacted the family, but a systems failure that day and the fact they could not find a number for Ms Gomes, made this impossible. The next day a paramedic was scrambled to the family home at around 7.40pm after Stanley started having breathing difficulties. His right calf was described as very firm and swollen and the paramedic found marks on his thigh, which his mother said were healing boils. On arrival at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, doctors diagnosed Stanley with septic shock and said his chances of survival were slim. His condition rapidly deteriorated and doctors twice performed CPR before Stanley was declared dead at 11.35pm. Dr Lade told the inquest it was not uncommon for children with sepsis to die very quickly. The inquest heard that the boils on Stanley's thigh could have been caused by the circumcision infection and Dr Shabnam Iyer, a microbiologist who helped with the post-mortem examination, said the infection could have spread from the skin and into Stanley's leg. Coroner Peter Bedford said when Stanley's mother told an out-of-hours doctor over the phone that her son had developed vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, he should be been sent for a physical examination. However, Mr Bedford added that the nature of the infection would still have made diagnosis difficult. Pathologist Steven Gould told the inquest that the most likely source of the deadly infection was boils found on his upper thigh. The inquest was also told that there was no evidence of Stanley being attacked, with police investigating the matter after suggestions he was hit with a hockey stick prior to his death. Delivering a narrative verdict, Mr Bedford said that despite Stanley being seen by various healthcare professionals, they had not diagnosed his 'serious and developing' infection because of a combination of 'unfortunate events and circumstances'. Mr Bedford added: 'It is likely that the source of Stanley's fatal infection was boil-type lesions that developed in skin tissue and caused cellulitis in the right leg and then spread through the venous system into the lung. 'There were missed opportunities to admit Stanley to hospital earlier than October 13. 'However, the virulent nature of the fatal infection and the difficulty in diagnosis because of the gradual onset of symptoms makes it uncertain, in my view, that earlier diagnosis would have affected the outcome.' Discussing the possibility that the circumcision was the cause of Stanley's death, which is disputed by his mother, Mr Bedford said: 'That evidence is, I think, at best confusing. It is certainly not definitive. That is the less likely explanation.' Dr Gould said there remained unanswered questions about exactly where the infection came from. 'We believe that this particular organism spread from the boils and settled in this area in the knee,' Dr Gould told the inquest. 'I have never seen that before. It is highly unusual.' Speaking after the inquest, his family said they would wait until they had received the coroner's report and spoken with their lawyer before deciding what further action to take. Ms Gomes said: 'He was a lovely boy, a very happy boy. 'It is one year this month that Stanley has been away from his mother.' Mr Issa added: 'We will forever remember him, there is no way we can forget him.' | Inquest heard there were 'missed opportunities' to save Stanley Chola .
Stanley underwent the procedure in Zimbabwe during the summer holidays .
Two months later back in Britain he went into septic shock and died .
The most likely source of the deadly infection were boils found on his thigh .
Suggestion Stanley's condition was caused by his recent circumcision was disputed by his mother and the coroner said the evidence was 'not definitive'
Coroner delivered a narrative verdict and said the infection wasn't diagnosed because of a combination of 'unfortunate events and circumstances' |
256,936 | d8901981078b5f56f661fa6ab79ea7e84d588ce6 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 07:10 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:35 EST, 22 August 2013 . An eerie song that helped children on a Titanic lifeboat block out the cries of the dying can be heard once again. The song came from a musical toy pig that belonged to Edith Rosenbaum, an American fashion journalist, who was 32 at the time of the tragedy. Rosenbaum and her pig survived the sinking in April 1912, but unfortunately the mechanism that played the music didn’t. Now the National Maritime Museum has fixed the musical toy and made a recording of the song . 101 years after the event. Scroll down for video . The musical pig belonged to Edith Rosenbaum, an American fashion journalist, who was 32 at the time of the tragedy. Rosenbaum and her pig survived the sinking in April 1912 . 'It was one of those goosebump moments,' Rory McEvoy, a curator at the museum, told MailOnline about the tune. 'We never expected it would have been possible. It was tremendously exciting and eerie at the same time.' Researchers only played the song a few times to prevent further damage to the toy, and made the recording in the hope that the public could identify the tune. In a 1970 interview, Ms Rosenbaum described how she refused to evacuate the Titanic at first, and it was her musical pig that saved her. ‘I never would have left the ship,’ she said, ‘but a sailor came along and he said: “say you; you don’t want . to be saved, well I’ll save your baby” and he grabbed this pig from . under my arm and he tossed it in the lifeboat.’ Ms . Rosenbaum followed the pig into the lifeboat and, during the seven . hours before being rescued, comforted children on board with the tune. Teresa Thorne (right) who plays the part of Edith Russell (left), owner of the lucky pig, in the 1958 film 'A Night to Remember' During the seven hours before being rescued from the Titanic (pictured), Miss Rosenbaum and her musical pig comforted children onboard a nearby lifeboat . As the pig could not be opened without causing irreparable damage, the team at the National Maritime Museum used high resolution X-ray equipment to examine the internal components. The toy was scanned twice; the first to pick out the details of the main body and a second to obtain good images of the musical movement. They found that pig’s body was constructed from organic material, wood and papier maché. Mr McEvoy explained that to scan the movement, the lower energy radiation had to be filtered out by placing a small copper sheet in the path of the X-rays before they met the object. The rendered dissection showing the inner surface of the carcass. The pig's body was constructed from organic material, wood and papier maché . The scan revealed the tail was a knotted piece of vellum that was never connected to the music box. Initially, the team thought the music was spring-driven and activated by pulling the tail. But the scans showed it was actually a hand-powered type of movement. ‘By slicing across the width of the model the cause of a rattling noise was identified as a hairpin, probably used in attempt to reconnect to the music box after the crank had broken away,’ said Mr McEvoy, in his blog. ‘The S-shaped object in the centre appears to be the original crank-handle and tail. ‘Detailed examination of this object shows it to be a skin-covered metal tube, which is an unexpected and very exciting find, perhaps a case for key-hole surgery,’ added Mr McEvoy. As the pig could not be opened without causing irreparable damage, the team at the National Maritime Museum used high resolution X-ray equipment to examine the internal components . The second scan showed a toothed wheel attached to the pin barrel, which was driven by a worm gear on the end of the crank shaft. The comb was marked with a distinctive star logo, which the team are now hoping will help them identify the maker. ‘What has been shown here is only the beginning of the study; these 3-D models provide invaluable information that will assist with our curatorial questions as well as the long-term care and conservation of these extraordinary objects,’ said Mr McEvoy. The pig came to the Museum as part of the Lord-MacQuitty collection in 2003. | The toy belonged to Edith Rosenbaum, an American fashion journalist .
National Maritime Museum has .
now used X-ray scans to help fix musical toy .
A recording has been made in the hope that public can identify the tune . |
190,388 | 827ea9bd1e45f4565d9cdd305630c6d2f5c69e91 | By . Emma Glanfield . The Duchess of Cambridge's brother has launched his mobile marshmallow picture-printing business in a top London department store with the help of a reconditioned tricycle. James Middleton was revealed earlier this year as the man behind Boomf on Demand (BOD) – a unique business which allows Instagram pictures to be printed onto square marshmallows. Today, he revealed the business had gone ‘mobile’ when he unveiled an ‘on-the-go printing machine’ in the form of a repurposed tricycle. Scroll down for video . The Duchess of Cambridge's brother, James Middleton, is the man behind Boomf on Demand (BOD) - a unique business which allows Instagram pictures to be printed onto square marshmallows . The business has now gone 'mobile' with an 'on-the-go printing machine' in the form of a re-purposed tricycle. To celebrate the launch of Boomf on Demand, Mr Middleton and his team took the retro bike to Selfridges . The machine allows photos to be printed onto marshmallows instantly, before they are sold as a box for £12 . The machine allows images to be printed onto marshmallows instantly in store, before they are sold as a box of nine for £12. It means members of the public can give the business their favourite images before watching them be transferred onto the tasty treats, ready for eating. The Boomf brand was launched by Mint Digital towards the end of last year, but James Middleton’s involvement was only revealed in January. The entrepreneur, who cycled across the U.S with his sister Pippa last month for Race Across America 2014, teamed up with Mint Digital chief creative officer Andy Bell for the latest venture. Speaking in a tongue-in-cheek manner at the launch of the ‘mobile Boomf’ today, Mr Bell described how the pair successfully transferred the tricycle idea into a reality. He said: ‘For many months, deep in the Berkshire countryside, a man dreamed of a tricycle that could create personalised marshmallows at the touch of a button. Many scoffed at his vision. Some said it couldn’t be done. The Boomf brand was launched by Mint Digital towards the end of last year, but James Middleton¿s (above) involvement was only revealed in January . The retro tricycle used as Boomf's 'on-the-go machine' was assembled using items mostly from eBay . The Boomf bike was created in just four days and taken to Selfridges on Oxford Street, central London today . Customers can give Boomf their favourite images before watching them be transferred onto marshmallows via the 'Willy Wonka-style' printing machine . ‘Luckily this was the 21st century and eBay had been invented. Every obscure part needed to assemble this vision could be tracked down using a technique known as “searching the web”. ‘Dyslexic super-powers allowed combinations of parts to be imagined in multiple dimensions as an entirely novel contraption. Few could understand this vision or why so many parts needed to be bought on eBay. ‘The machine had to be ready in four days. It was in incredible rush but, as luck would have it, the man in the Berkshire countryside was a boyhood fan of Scrapheap Challenge, and liked nothing more than a tinkering challenge against a fast approaching deadline.’ The ‘man in the Berkshire countryside’ is of course reference to Mr Middleton, who grew up in the county with Kate before she went on to marry Prince William. James Middleton, who cycled across the U.S with his sister Pippa last month for Race Across America 2014, teamed up with Mint Digital chief creative officer Andy Bell for the latest venture . Mr Middleton said that the most enjoyable part of creating the product was coming up with its name, Boomf . Now uncle to Prince George, the businessman is hoping to make a profit from his latest venture, which comes after he failed to make a profit with his cake and bread company for a second year. Accounts filed earlier this year revealed how Nice Group London Limited made a total loss of £21,148 for the 12 months to March 2013. It means the company, which was set up in April 2011 by Mr Middleton, is yet to post a profit, having lost £19,928 in its first year of trading. The company also owes creditors £35,951. However, Mr Middleton is hoping his latest quirky business will attract a wealth of custom. He said: 'Boomf is the noise a marshmallow makes when it falls through your letter box' The businessman is hoping to make a profit from his Boomf business, which comes after he failed to make a profit with his cake and bread company for a second year . Described as a ‘Willy-Wonka like machine that’s built out of a refurbished 1950s Pashley’s ice cream tricycle’, the retro bike will feature regularly in Selfridges on Oxford Street, central London. A spokesman for Boomf said: ‘Boomf on Demand takes Boomf out of the factory, and lets you create your marshmallows live, in real time. ‘In short, Boomf on Demand lets you eat your face without delay.’ | Duchess of Cambridge's brother is the man behind new Boomf on Demand .
Business allows Instagram images to be printed onto square marshmallows .
Mr Middleton has turned refurbished bike into 'on-the-go printing machine'
Launch of mobile side of business celebrated with London's Selfridges' visit . |
6,974 | 13c27c104a0ab54c685b26d7ede4477be4ab0dd8 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:12 EST, 14 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:13 EST, 14 January 2013 . An 18-year-old boy discovered his mother bludgeoned to death at their home as his brother was charged with her murder, authorities said. The teenager, whose name has not been released, found Angela Lozano with a bloody head wound at their apartment in North Richland Hills, Texas in the early hours of Saturday. Several hours later, police arrested his 23-year-old brother Justin Cody Collins over Ms Lozano's death. Brutal killing: Angela Lozano was found bludgeoned to death at her home in North Richland Hills, Texas. Her son Justin Cody Collins (right) has been arrested on suspicion of her murder . Collins is being held at the North Richland Hills Jail on $1million bail after being caught by police at his father's home in Tarrant County. Police charged Wright with his mother's murder and said that there were no other suspects. A medical examiner said that 45-year-old Ms Lozano's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Sgt Ed Wright told the Star-Telegram: 'We’re not releasing what weapon was used or if he used his hands.' Police refused to reveal if the suspect was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs at the time of the killing. Authorities also did not say if they had previously visited the home in connection with other disturbances. Ms Lozano had worked for the city's utilities department for 11 years where colleagues described her as having a 'smile and a helpful attitude'. Gruesome discovery: Ms Lozano's 18-year-old son found her body at their Texas home in the early hours of Saturday . | Justin Cody Collins facing murder charges in North Richland Hills, Texas . |
23,640 | 431f7993e824bf2e1494e4af2b5ca3d77a0c31a3 | The biggest ship to sail up the Thames has left the London Gateway port in Essex and is sailing for its next destination Singapore via the Suez Canal at a steady speed of 23 knots. The huge cargo ship docked at London Gateway before sunrise yesterday morning, guided in by three Port of London Authority tugs. Edith Maersk was serviced in number two berth by five of the port's cranes - the largest in the country. Scroll down for video . Edith Maersk, the second largest container ship in the world, leaves the Thames Estuary near Canvey Island, Essex. The ship, the largest ever to enter the River Thames, had previously docked at London Gateway after arriving from the Far East . Edith Maersk dwarfs London's biggest buildings, at almost 200ft longer than the Shard is tall. It is more than 400ft longer than the Titanic, and more than four times the length of the Cutty Sark . Thanks to London Gateway, gargantuan E-class ships can be accommodated at three ports in England - Felixstowe and Southampton being the others. Edith Mærsk is 430yds (397m) long and can carry 13,500 20ft and 40ft containers. It is believed that it was carrying a cargo of clothes and electronic goods when it arrived in England. The vessel, the second largest container ship in the world, was launched in 2007 and can navigate the Thames following the opening of London Gateway port in the Thames Estuary. The Gateway cost £1.5bn to build and was opened last year. It is located on the former 1,500-acre Shell Haven site, which closed in 1999. Edith Mærsk is more than 50 per cent longer than Titanic and four times the length of a football pitch. Spending just a day at Thames Gateway, Edith Maersk is bound for the Suez Canal en route to Singapore, a journey expected to take about a month . Tonnage: 172,960 tons (deadweight tonnage)/188, 268 (gross tons) Length 430 yds/397m (1,302.49 ft) Beam: 56m (183.73 ft) Draught: 30m (98.43 ft) Draft: 17.5 m (57 ft) Speed: 26 knots (30mph) (maximum)/25.2 knots (29mph) (cruising) Capacity:13,500 20ft containers Crew: 13 . Propulsion: Wärtsilä engine 80,000 kW . Edith Maersk was escorted away from London Gateway in Essex by tugs from the Port of London Authority into the open sea . Fully loaded, Edith Maersk weighs almost 200,000 tons and can carry 13,500 containers measuring 20ft and 40ft . Bon voyage: Edith Maersk sets sail tonight from London Gateway. It was the biggest ship to have navigated the waters of the Thames . The graphic demonstrates the sheer length of the Edith Maersk - it is even longer than the Shard, the highest building in the EU . | The ship was built in Denmark and completed in late 2007; it can carry 13,500 20ft and 40ft containers .
Edith Maersk serviced in number two berth at London Gateway by five of the port's cranes - the largest in the country .
The vessel can achieve a top speed of 26 knots (30mph) and fully loaded weighs almost 200,000 tons . |
176,763 | 70d367cd85e2e7f7a2e197486faf90d74b12fece | By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 11:54 EST, 21 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:49 EST, 21 December 2012 . Watching a classic film at Christmas is as much a part of the festive season as eating mince pies and giving presents. And it seems we still love the golden oldies as the 1946 Jimmy Stewart feel-good film 'It's a Wonderful Life' has topped a list of the best-reviewed Christmas movies. Other favourites in the top five on the list - released by the Rotten Tomatoes website - included the 1942 Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire musical 'Holiday Inn' and Tim Burton's 'The Nightmare Before Christmas,' while blockbuster action films Die Hard and Lethal Weapon were also highly rated. Scroll down for video . It's a wonderful film: James Stewart, centre, is reunited with his wife, Donna Reed, left, and children during the last scene of It's A Wonderful Life . Favourites: Tim Burton's 1993 film 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' came third on the list . Classic: The 1947 film 'Miracle on 34th Street,' starring Edmund Gwenn (left) as Kris Kringle and Natalie Wood (right) also made it into the top five reviewed Christmas films . 'It's a Wonderful Life' vaulted to . the top spot from being voted in at number five in 2009, when the list was last compiled, . bumping 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' from its best-reviewed status. World War Two drama 'Stalag 17,' released in 1953, and 1947's 'Miracle on 34th Street' also came in the top five. Films that use the festive season as a backdrop . for the plot such as 'Die Hard,' which was number six on the list, . and 1983's 'Trading Places' at number nine, were also eligible, the website . said. Genres: Action films were also popular with reviewers. Lethal Weapon (1987) starring Danny Glover (left) and Mel Gibson came in 11th place . Loved: The 1983 film Trading Places with Dan Aykroyd (left) and Eddie Murphy also came in the top ten best-reviewed films . Rated: Elf, starring Will Ferrell (left) as 'Buddy' and Ed Asner as Santa Claus was highly rated by reviewers . Rotten Tomatoes, which . analyses film reviews and assigns a score based on total critical . reception, applied that same formula to Christmas films for the list, . Matt Atchity, the website's editor in chief, said. * As voted for by users of the Rotten Tomatoes website . 'You look at the list and it's all the classics ... the cream floats to the top,' he said, adding that the rankings were weighted to reflect the amount of reviews a film received, which could artificially boost or decline a score. Films from the 1960s and 1970s were notably absent from the list. Mr Atchity said studios were more focused at that time on work by big-name directors than on seasonal films. Directed by Frank Capra, 'It's a Wonderful Life' is based on the short story 'The Greatest Gift,' written by Philip Van Doren Stern in 1939. It has since become traditional viewing over Christmas in the US and across the world. The film focuses on the experiences of George Bailey (played by Stewart), who has given up his dreams in order to help others. His imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of a guardian angel, called Clarence Odbody (played by Henry Travers). The guardian angel shows George Bailey how he has made a difference to the lives of others. The film caused some controversy at the time when the FBI issued a memo suggesting it had attempted to discredit bankers by casting Lionel Barrymore as a 'scrooge-type' character. This was a serious issue at a time when life in the US was consumed by anti-Communist paranoia, investigations and court trials. The film was nevertheless embraced by the American public, with Jimmy Stewart declaring it the favourite of his movies during an interview with Michael Parkinson in 1973. All of the films in the Rotten Tomatoes list have made millions in royalties since they were released. Enjoyed: The 1984 film Gremlins was among the top-rated Christmas films on the list compiled by Rotten Tomatoes . | Others in top ten included The Nightmare Before Christmas and Trading Places .
Action blockbusters Die Hard and Lethal Weapon also made it on to the overall list of 25 movies compiled by the Rotten Tomatoes website . |
193,600 | 86a0944ef06cbab6e86d2a5e2cb3d5f020954258 | The First Family continued with their holiday traditions on Friday as they welcomed the White House Christmas Tree. The 20-foot white fir, from a Pennsylvania tree farm, arrived in a horse-drawn wagon, and was met by First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and the family's two dogs, Bo and Sunny. President Obama was not able to join his ladies for the annual tradition, no doubt tied up as the administration decides who to nominate to fill the position of Secretary of Defense following the recent resignation of Chuck Hagel. Scroll down for video . Delivery: The First Family welcomed the official White House Christmas Tree on Friday . Girls day: President Obama was not able to join as the First Lady and Sasha and Malia took their new tree to the Blue Room . The day seemed to be an especially joyous one for Sasha and Malia, who turned those frowns they had on display Wednesday during the President's annual Thanksgiving pardon upside down, smiling as they walked their dogs and led the tree back to its new home in the Blue Room. The tree will stay there this holiday season, where it will be decorated and put on display to the general public. The annual lighting of the tree will take place on December 4. Over it: The girls' smiles on Friday were a big departure from their scowls on Wednesday during their dad's annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon . All smiles: Also joining the ladies on Friday were the First Dogs, Bo and Sunny . As for Wednesday, President Obama's daughters seemed less than thrilled to be on hand for the annual pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey, with Malia looking completely disinterested, and slightly horrified, when her dad asked if she wanted to pet one of the foul fowls. Malia took a few steps back before saying, 'Nah.' Having been granted amnesty from having to stand through another one of their dad's speeches on Friday however, the girls were finally showing a little bit of holiday cheer. | The First Family welcomed this year's White House Christmas Tree on Friday in Washington D.C.
First Lady Michelle Obama was joined by daughters Sasha and Malia and dogs Sunny and Bo .
Sasha and Malia were smiling the entire time, a big departure from the scowls they had during the annual Thanksgiving pardon on Wednesday . |
114,043 | 1f224a90c55a807409226de7803cf6ba44b77116 | She was spotted dancing the night away with a succession of cowboys at a hoedown in the Mid-West. And one of her partners has revealed he found Pippa Middleton to be 'a real pretty woman' who moved well on the dance floor at the bar in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Swing-dance cowboy Chris Koch admitted he was usually 'more impressed with a good horse', but said he found the Duchess of Cambridge's sister to be a worthy partner. 'It was real good because she could move,' he said. Scroll down for video . Pippa Middleton danced the night away at a hoedown in the Mid West. Swing-dance cowboy Chris Koch said he was usually 'more impressed with a good horse', but admitted the Duchess of Cambridge's sister moved well . Wearing a flannel shirt, jeans and cowboy boots, she was filmed throwing some serious shapes at Jackson Hole's Wort Hotel Silver Dollar Bar on Wednesday evening. Pippa performed a routine which involved some twirling and sashaying with an elderly gent in a cowboy hat before going on to have a drink at the bar. Excited locals in Jackson Hole posted pictures of Miss Middleton dancing to local bluegrass group all over social media this week. The freelance columnist is thought to be in the Mid-West on a 'test shoot' for U.S. network NBC, which is considering hiring her as a correspondent on The Today Show. Miss Middleton was spotted in Jackson Hole, Wyoming this week taking part in swing dancing while she was filmed by cameras in what appeared to be a test segment for NBC . Kris Allison, another one of Miss Middleton's dance partners said: 'BJ Reed took this video of Pippa and I dancing just after the Today Show finished filming her first dance with Chris Koch. It was another fun night at The Silver Dollar Bar here in Jackson.' Another local at the bar, David Henneberry, said: 'I happened to be there. She is very attractive and it was a blast to watch her having Fun, Smiling and dancing to her hearts content! Very pleasant too.' Emily hash-tagged one video clip with 'pippamiddleton' before saying that she had told the 31-year-old she was happy she visited, and received a gracious smile as a reply. Another person at the bar, Wyomingsith, remarked that she was 'moving quickly' and had only stayed for around ten minutes. Pippa was spotted mingling with the crowd at the bar but stayed for about ten minutes, according to one local . 'She was moving fast' one local said on social media after Pippa surprised everyone by popping up (with a camera crew) in Jackson Hole . Pippa got stuck in on the dancefloor in Jackson Hole at a local hoedown as she spun round with some locals . Pippa was on mark with the local fashion stakes fitting in with her flannel shirt, denim and boots as she enjoyed a spirited dance . According to the Daily News, the freelance columnist is hoping for a deal 'upward of $500,000' to report on lifestyle and health issues for NBC. Pippa has been in talks with the 'peacock network' for a new job after she was interview by Matt Lauer this summer, People confirmed today. NBC News previously denied that a deal was in the works but the network has reportedly been in serious talks with Pippa for months about becoming a lifestyle and health correspondent. Pippa was spotted leaving Jackson Hole airport in Wyoming today, but it is not yet clear whether she signed a deal with the NBC show. She had been shopping for gifts and a teddy bear, possibly for her nephew Prince George, was peeking out of her bag. Pippa Middleton swing dances with Clair Hillman, 82, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming in front of TV cameras . Pippa was spotted leaving Jackson Hole airport in Wyoming today, but it is not yet clear whether she signed a deal with the NBC show . She had been shopping for gifts and a teddy bear, possibly for her nephew Prince George, was peeking out of her bag . Pippa fit right in at the bar in Jackson Hole, dresse in boots, skinny denim jeans and a checked shirt as she danced with an elderly gent . The Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister was spotted twirling on the dance floor for TV cameras. She has apparently been in talks for months with NBC to come on board as a lifestyle and health correspondent . Pippa first piqued NBC's interest in June when her interview, where she chatted over tea about her sister and Prince George, brought in high ratings for the network. It is expected that Ms Middleton, a former party planner and cookbook author who has been writing occasional columns about sports and lifestyle, will continue to focus on these subjects in her new role. NBC has declined to comment when approached by MailOnline. It is highly unlikely that Prince William's sister-in-law would report on the Royal Family as the subject is deemed off-limits. Test run: Pippa Middleton's interview with Today's Matt Lauer in June brought in big ratings . | The Duchess of Cambridge's sister was spotted at a country hoedown .
Pippa Middleton danced with locals at a bar in Jackson hole, Wyoming .
Swing-dance cowboy Chris Koch found Pippa to be 'a real pretty woman'
Onlookers described the freelance columnist as 'attractive and pleasant'
She is thought to be in the Mid-West on a 'test shoot' for U.S. network NBC . |
245,540 | c9cfd5a93b670a5ff322626741a1979cf4c7e072 | (CNN) -- Antiguan and Barbudan regulators Friday took control of U.S.financier Robert Allen Stanford's financial institutions on the twin-island nation, a day after federal agents served the Texas businessman with papers accusing him of running an investment fraud scheme. Customers queue outside the Stanford Group-owned Bank of Antigua in St. John's. The Financial Services Regulatory Commission of Antigua and Barbuda appointed receivers to manage Stanford International Bank Ltd. and Stanford Trust Company Ltd., the commission said in a statement. The receivers, Nigel Hamilton-Smith and Peter Wastell of Britain-based Vantis Business Recovery Services, are in Antigua with other recovery specialists to take control of the entities, the commission said. On Thursday, the FBI announced federal agents found Stanford in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and served him with papers accusing him and three of his companies of orchestrating a $9.2 billion investment fraud scheme. He has no criminal charges against him, and he was not taken into custody, FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said. The FBI won't talk about a criminal investigation of Stanford's activities, but federal law enforcement officials familiar with the case leave no doubt that federal agents are investigating his financial dealings. But multiple officials indicated criminal charges are not imminent and would not discuss potential charges. Stanford has arranged to give his passport to one of his attorneys, who will offer it to federal authorities. CNN's efforts to reach Stanford or company representatives were unsuccessful. Watch more on the case » . In a complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Dallas, Texas, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused Stanford International Bank of using a network of financial advisers to sell about $8 billion of "certificates of deposit" to investors. The bank boasted it had a unique investment strategy that had allowed it to reap double-digit returns on its investments for the previous 15 years, the SEC said. The civil complaint alleged an additional scheme relating to $1.2 billion in sales. The Antigua-based bank claims its network has $51 billion in deposits and assets under management or advisement, with more than 70,000 clients in 140 countries. The allegations against Stanford and his companies have sparked runs on Stanford banks in Antigua and in Venezuela, where the government took over the local subsidiary after it recorded "extraordinary" withdrawals Tuesday and Wednesday, said Edgar Hernandez Behrens, Venezuela's superintendent of banks. The SEC complaint also named James Davis, SIB's chief financial officer; Laura Pendergest-Holt, chief investment officer of Stanford Financial Group; and investment adviser Stanford Capital Management. Meanwhile, Colombia's stock market and bank watchdog said Friday Colombians who invested in the Bogota stock market through Stanford's Colombian brokerage arm, Stanford Bolsa y Banca SA, run no risk of losing their funds. A Financial Services Superintendency spokeswoman told CNN that Stanford Bolsa y Banca managed three Bogota mutual funds worth a total of about $27 million (70 billion Colombian pesos) at current stock and currency market rates, together with individual client portfolios of around $98 million (250 billion Colombian pesos). She said extraordinary shareholder meetings had been called to decide whether the three mutual funds would be transferred to the management of another brokerage or would be liquidated. Individual clients have begun the process of transferring management of their portfolios to other brokerages, the Financial Services Superintendency spokeswoman said. Colombians were never able to deposit funds directly in Colombia with Stanford's international banking arm. CNN repeatedly tried calling the manager of Stanford Bolsa y Banca, but he declined to answer calls. In London, the England and Wales Cricket Board said it has terminated all contractual links with Stanford. | Antigua and Barbuda regulators seize Stanford Group banks on islands .
Financier Allen Stanford accused of $9.2B investment, sales fraud .
Venezuela has also seized local bank owned by Stanford Group .
No criminal charges are filed against Stanford . |
253,850 | d492f927089b760c55d84b5416557f2df9cdb399 | (CNN)Ridiculously cold weather is gripping much of the country, and it's going to get worse before it gets better. In Chicago, the high temperature Wednesday will be 1 degree Fahrenheit. Yes, that's the high. And the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa will endure wind chills as low as 40 degrees below zero over the next two days. Even much of the South will be in a deep freeze by Wednesday morning. And folks from Ohio to Maryland can expect 3 to 7 inches of snow Tuesday. As of 12:30 p.m., 150 flights -- most heading to the East Coast -- were canceled at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, and passengers at Chicago Midway International Airport were experiencing 20-minute delays and a dozen cancellations, transportation officials said. Affected by winter weather? Share your images with CNN iReport . But not everyone is suffering. In fact, the brutal weather can be a financial boon. Here's a look at some of the businesses whose sales grow hot when the days get cold: . Hardware and grocery stores . Some Iowa residents are stocking up on supplies, boosting the bottom lines of area hardware and grocery stores. "They're preparing and planning ahead, which is really good so they don't have to drive out in the streets," Mark Hayman, owner of Hayman's West Side Ace Hardware, told CNN affiliate KWQC. He said that sales of snow shovels and salt have doubled and that his staff is ready for the week. "We have a lot of shovels and salt that we keep in stock year-round," Hayman told the affiliate. "We store them in the warehouse and make sure we don't run out." North Scott Foods, in Eldridge, is similarly stocked up and ready. A delivery truck that normally arrives Tuesday came earlier this week, ahead of the expected drop in temperature. "They wanted to make sure the roads were good. We told them, 'good, come a day early; we'll need it,' " assistant manager Jim Speirs told KWQC. Food deliveries . For those who don't stock up in time, never fear. Another type of business that sees its phones ring off the hook when the temperature drops is those specializing in deliveries. Who wants to go out on a cold day and brave the roads when there are others willing to deliver what you need? Malisha Spencer, manager at Indy All Night, which offers food delivery in Indianapolis nearly 24 hours a day, says business nearly doubles when a heavy cold front comes through. Daytime food delivery orders increase the most, she said. "Most of our deliveries usually come at night, but when it gets colder, we get them all throughout the day," Spencer said. Salt sellers . Salt: It's not just for your grandma's bland casserole. Salt for highway deicing makes up 41% of total salt sales in the U.S. So you can imagine that salt sellers aren't as bummed out about the cold as regular Joes. During the snowstorms last year, Minnesota-based Cargill Inc. told The Wall Street Journal that the demand for deicing salt was "simply unprecedented in recent memory." Auto repair shops . Icy roads mean a big boost in business for auto repair shops. The cold makes cars more susceptible to damage. For example, a bumper that bends or dents in the summer can shatter in the winter, Brad Hamilton, manager of the Collision Center of Dayton, told CNN affiliate WDTN during last year's cold spell. Plumbers . There are lots of things homeowners can do to help avoid frozen pipes when temperatures drop. Michael Dunn, owner of M.T. Dunn Plumbing -- which services the Portland, Oregon, area -- lists some tips on his website. You can leave water dripping slowly from faucets, for example. Or set your home's thermostat above 55 degrees. But even the best-laid plans can be no match for Mother Nature, which is where plumbers such as Dunn can step in. "It rarely gets that cold here, but when it does, it gets very hectic," he said. During a particularly bitter cold snap last year, Dunn remembers getting 227 calls in one night. "It was a record," he said. "It filled up my mailbox." Winter gear makers . The Original Muck Boot Company in Rhode Island counts on the fall and winter for 70% of its sales. And it's not the only one. Brooklyn-based Pawz, which makes bright-colored rubber boots for dogs, also see sales peak in the winter. "It's seems odd to say this, but the nasty, cold, slushy weather is core to our business. We welcome it," Sean O'Brien, global director of retail footwear, told CNN Money. CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri contributed to this report. | Wind chills in the upper Midwest will drop as low as 40 degrees below zero .
Even much of the South will be frozen by Wednesday morning .
A food delivery service doubles its business when the weather gets this bad . |
14,292 | 289016b693132b4cf82885ac3d8c16b5c27dd7e2 | A man has gone to drastic measures to do away with his headphones - by having small magnets implanted directly into his ears. Rich Lee, from Nevada, U.S., is a ‘bodyhacker’ or ‘grinder’ – a person who experiments with surgical implants. In his latest stunt, he embedded small magnets into his tragus – a small piece of cartilage just outside the ear – and built a coil to be worn around his neck. He claims that this creates a magnetic field that causes the implant to vibrate and make a sound. Scroll down for video . Body-enhancement enthusiast Rich Lee has done away with traditional headphones and implanted a small magnet headphone directly into his own ear. He wears a coil around his neck (pictured) which creates a magnetic field which causes the implant to vibrate and make a sound . To listen to music, Mr Lee has to plug his phone into a tiny amplifier which is connected to the coil around his neck to create a magnetic field. Mr Lee has embedded small magnets into his tragus – a small piece of cartilage just outside the ear – and built a coil to be worn around his neck. He claims that this creates a magnetic field that causes the implant to vibrate and make a sound. To listen to music, Mr Lee has to plug his phone into a tiny amplifier which is connected to the coil around his neck to create a magnetic field. This magnetic field causes the magnets in his ears to create sound which only he can hear. He admits that the sound quality is not nearly as good as it would be using traditional headphones. This magnetic field causes the magnets in his ears to create sound which only he can hear. Mr Lee admits that the sound quality is not nearly as good as it would be using traditional headphones. However, he says there are numerous advantages – he can listen to music anytime, anywhere, and the implants are also invisible to the naked eye. Writing in the magazine Humanity+ Mr Lee said: ‘Having stuff like this done isn’t really the realm of doctors. ‘Most Grinders rely on body modification artists to install their implants. I’ve had work done by the body modification master Steve Haworth in the past and have relied on him for advice on several project ideas. ‘Steve instinctively knew the best way to go about the implantation in a way that would minimise chances for infection and would leave no scarring. The implant procedure itself went very smoothly and the pain was surprisingly minimal.’ He went on to explain that he had numerous plans for the use of the device. He hopes to hook it up to the GPS on his phone so that it can give him directions as he is walking around. He also intends to connect it to a directional microphone in a shirt button so that he can hear conversations across a room. Mr Lee also plans to link the implants up to an ultrasonic rangefinder so that it hums when he gets closer to an object. The implant is placed in his tragus (pictured) - the small piece of cartilage just outside the ear. He can listen to music through the implant but also hopes to connect it to GPS so it can give him directions . He believes that this would give him a sense of echolocation similar to that of a bat and he thinks that this invention could eventually be useful for people who are blind. Mr Lee says that this project is particularly important to him as he fears that he may lose his sight. He wrote: ‘Echolocation is something I want to start practicing with now because I might be legally blind soon. ‘I lost much of vision in my right eye overnight a few years back. I just woke up and couldn’t see well up close or far away. ‘My other eye has compensated for the vision loss but the doc says the good eye can go at any time and when it does it will be very rapid. I’ll lose my driver’s licence, won’t be able to read, and glasses won’t correct the problem. ‘So I figure learning to navigate with echolocation is a good thing to develop now, not that I’ve resigned myself to blindness or anything.’ Finally, Mr Lee says that he is considering connecting the device to a Geiger counter so that he can ‘experience the world of radiation’. For more information on how the device works, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/megalorich?feature=watch . | Rich Lee had small magnets implanted into the cartilage near his ears .
Also built a coil to wear around his neck - he says this creates a magnetic field that causes the implant to vibrate and make a sound .
Can listen to music but also hopes to connect it to GPS so it gives him directions, and to link it to a microphone so he can hear other people's conversations . |
112,477 | 1d19d27e2ee069beb882ad28b5901f475ba7a378 | Fresh from scoring four goals in the Premier League, Sergio Aguero has announced he will be releasing his autobiography in English. 'My Story', released last year in Argentina with a foreword from Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi, goes through his career from the start. From Independiente through to Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, the 26-year-old is slowly but surely becoming the world's top centre forward. Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero posted the picture on his Twitter page on Monday . Aguero struck FOUR goals for City against Tottenham on Saturday as the hosts cruised to a 4-1 victory . Sergio Aguero's four-goal haul against Tottenham makes him Manchester City's all-time top Premier League scorer. Sergio Aguero - 61 goals (95 games) Carlos Tevez - 58 goals (113 games) Edin Dzeko - 48 goals (115 games) Yaya Toure - 42 goals (141 games) Nicolas Anelka - 37 goals (89 games) He has 85 goals in 132 appearances for City in just over three seasons, and has the best minutes per goal ratio in Premier League history. Aguero tweeted on Monday: 'Excited to announce my book will soon be available in English! Here's a sneak peek of the cover! #AgueroMyStory.' Aguero is preparing for Manchester City's behind-closed-doors game at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday, having picked up just one point in their opening two games. Aguero could have scored a first half hat-trick but missed his second penalty and the rebound . | Sergio Aguero's autobiography 'My Story' will be released in English .
The Argentine's book has a foreword from team-mate Lionel Messi .
Aguero scored four goals against Tottenham for Man City on Saturday .
He now has the best minutes per goal ratio in the Premier League (108) |
104,159 | 12634c5fabc4b99117be34f84ec2e45463742629 | By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 14:42 EST, 12 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:43 EST, 12 January 2014 . 'Proud': War veteran Harry Thrush has received a photo from Camp Bastion for his 90th birthday . For the past 10 years, he has travelled around Yorkshire consoling the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Now, World War Two veteran Harry Thrush has been sent a special present for his 90th birthday. He has received a photo from Camp Bastion - featuring dozens of British servicemen smiling at the camera in front of the high-profile military base. It is accompanied by a touching message, wishing pensioner a 'wonderful' birthday and thanking him for his service. Mr Thrush, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, served as a gunner in Italy during the Second World War. After signing up to the army aged 18 in 1942, he trained in Yorkshire as part of the 7th Mountain Regiment, before spending eight months on mission in Salerno in Campania, south Italy. For the past decade, he has taken his legacy seriously by travelling across Yorkshire to attend the funerals of fallen soldiers. He sits through the services, before meeting the soldiers' families and offering his condolences. So, when Mr Thrust's landmark birthday approached, his family rallied round and organised the special gift. They managed to arrange the photo via his son Geoff's partner Joanne Holmes, who worked with trauma surgeon Mansoor Khan - now a surgeon commander with the Royal Navy in Afghanistan. Today, the veteran said he was 'really proud' to be presented with the photo, featuring 37 British soldiers from the Role 3 Hospital Doctors team. Special gift: The photo features dozens of British servicemen smiling at the camera from the Afghanistan base . 'All of them are smiling - it's a really good photo,' said Mr Thrust, who was handed the picture during his birthday celebrations at The Old Colonial pub in Mirfield in Kirklees, West Yorkshire. 'I would shake all their hands.' The photo's accompanying message reads: 'FAO Gunner Thrust, of 7th Mountain Regiment, Salerno war veteran. 'Happy 90th birthday. Have a wonderful birthday night celebration. We and all the trauma team and soldiers out in Afghanistan send our best wishes. 'FAO Gunner Thrust, of 7th Mountain Regiment, Salerno war veteran. 'Happy 90th birthday. 'Have a wonderful birthday night celebration. 'We and all the trauma team and soldiers out in Afghanistan send our best wishes. 'We have the utmost respect for you and many thanks for your service. 'Best wishes, Role 3 Hospital Doctors, Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.' 'We have the utmost respect for you and many thanks for your service. 'Best wishes, Role 3 Hospital Doctors, Camp Bastion, Afghanistan.' Mr Thrust's son Geoff said his father had initially been 'overwhelmed' by the gift - adding: 'But he is as proud as punch now'. Meanwhile, his other son David told how the pensioner is very active for his age and regularly disappears on the bus or train, leaving a note to tell his family where he has gone. Mr Thrust, one of four brothers who served in the war, sailed from Portsmouth on one of a number of Gibraltar-bound ships during his mission to Italy. 'Two of the ships sunk,' he recalled. 'They were full of troops and no-one could pick them up because they couldn't stop the convoy. 'The survivors in the water were just left to drown - hundreds of people. 'That was a horrible experience. It was frightening as well at that age. You thought you were next. You were expecting this shell to come.' Finally, after a gruelling trek with mules carrying his guns, Mr Thrust reached the mountainous region of Salerno. Serviceman: Mr Thrush, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, served as a gunner in Italy during the Second World War. For the past ten years, he has travelled around Yorkshire consoling the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan . Hero: After signing up to the army aged 18, Mr Thrust trained in Yorkshire as part of the 7th Mountain Regiment, before spending eight months on mission in Salerno, south Italy. Above, the veteran shows off his war medals . He said the regiment's screw-guns were like 'pea shooters on wheels' as soldiers had to get extremely close to the Germans to use them. 'You could hear them talking,' he said. 'But the Germans were eventually squeezed out of position. 'I'm hoping being so close to them, we made them move.' The veteran also recalled having to use his jacket as a stretcher when two of his colleagues were fatally injured after a gun blew up. | Harry Thrush, from Leeds, served as gunner in Italy during World War Two .
For the past 10 years, he has consoled families of fallen British soldiers .
Now, he has received special photo from Camp Bastion for 90th birthday .
Accompanied by touching message thanking pensioner for his service . |
167,981 | 654255479ca44e7a19efd716a7f0712291a73e24 | (CNN) -- The mystery surrounding North Korea's erratic young leader, Kim Jong Un, only deepens by the day. He has not been seen publicly in more than a month. Rumors are flying that Kim is ill with gout, diabetes, even possible problems with his ankles. Now, a group of defectors say they believe Kim's younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, may be running the country while he recuperates. The North Korea Intellectuals' Solidarity, a think-tank run by defectors, says Kim Yo Jong may be at least temporarily leading the government. The group has not revealed the source of its information, and CNN cannot independently confirm it. But Kim Yo Jong's star appears to be rising. Why has North Korea decided to talk now? Michael Madden, who runs the blog North Korea Leadership Watch, says Kim Yo Jong has been identified in North Korean media as deputy director of the Workers' Party, a very powerful position. Victor Cha, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies who previously handled the North Korea account with the National Security Council, says Kim Yo Jong began surfacing publicly earlier this year at party functions. "Clearly it's an effort to slow-track her into becoming somebody who is important within the system," Cha says. "I can see how it's possible that she's in some sort of temporary position. It's very difficult for the North Korean system to run without one of the Kim family at least titularly in charge. So, if Kim Jong Un is indisposed, she's really the only available body that's left, in terms of a direct Kim family line." Is Kim Jong Un still in charge of North Korea? Who is Kim Yo Jong? Madden says Kim Yo Jong was born in 1987 or 1988, and attended private school in Switzerland with Kim Jong Un. They both stayed at the North Korean embassy while attending the Swiss school, Madden says, and lived there under assumed names. Madden says Kim Yo Jong is the youngest of seven siblings their father, Kim Jong Il, had with four women. Many of them are half-siblings, but Kim Jong Un and Kim Yo Jong have the same mother. Opinion: Why Kim is probably still in charge . Madden says Kim Yo Jong was always close to her father, and after returning from Switzerland, she was appointed to positions of responsibility in the government. She would act as an advance-team leader, inspecting sites before official visits, and had administrative duties as well. Now, he says, she continues those duties and has taken on more responsibility under her brother's rule: dealing with policy and receiving intelligence briefings. She acts "almost like a White House chief-of-staff would," Madden says. He says he believes she had a large role in planning the recent trip by three top North Korean officials to South Korea while her brother was absent from the scene. Opinion: Why Kim is probably still in charge . Ready for prime time? Given her age and that so little is known about Kim Yo Jong, North Korea-watchers are concerned about her being in the top leadership spot, if only temporarily. The stress and palace intrigue inside the North Korean regime, they say, may be overwhelming. "If in fact she is running the country -- as someone in their early to mid twenties, to me that is quite alarming," Cha says. "It means there is something seriously wrong with Kim Jong Un and there is some sort of void that they're desperately trying to fill." All eyes will be on a significant event this Friday, October 10. That's the 69th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party. Kim Jong Un attended the anniversary event last year. If he doesn't show up at Friday's ceremonies, concern over his public disappearance will only grow. If he does attend, intelligence analysts will be looking at his appearance, his body language -- every detail -- very carefully. Inside North Korea: Water park, sacred birth site and some minders . Watch The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer weekdays at 4pm to 6pm ET and Saturdays at 6pm ET. For the latest from The Situation Room click here. | With North Korea's leader out of public eye, sister's profile increases .
A think-tank run by defectors says she may be temporarily leading the government .
Kim Yo Jong is in her twenties; she attended private school in Switzerland . |
56,984 | a165640e25a6335739ffd74d846597c3c7c937e3 | By . Jill Reilly . A thief broke into the Tower of London and stole keys belonging to guards in an astonishing security blunder. The raider is said to have managed to scale the Front Gate to enter the fortress which holds the Crown Jewels. The bunch of keys which unlock drawbridges, were in a metal box which was meant to have been securely locked, the Sun reported. Break-in: A thief broke into the Tower of London and stole keys belonging to guards in an astonishing security blunder . On guard: A security guard protects the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London. Guards spotted the thief, but after radioing for assistance, they were unable to leave their posts . Although priceless, the crown jewels at the Tower of London have only once attracted the attention of thieves. In 1671, one Colonel Blood gained entry to the Tower, dressed in the robes of a priest. He overpowered the guards with his three accomplices, and ran off with the crown, orb and sceptre in his hands. The plan fell was thwarted at the getaway and he only made it to the East Gate of the Tower. Surprisingly Blood was pardoned by Charles II. Guards spotted the thief, but could only radio for assistance, as strict rules meant they could not give chase as they were unable to leave their posts. But their pleas for back-up were ignored and the raider managed to get away, forcing the management to spend thousands urgently changing the locks. It was claimed that the keys, which were stolen on Guy Fawkes night, could also unlock conference rooms and the restaurant. As a result of the embarrassing security blunder the locks had to be changed, at an estimated cost of thousands of pounds. The Met Police confirmed that they had received a report of theft and it is being investigated by Tower Hamlets CID. The tower is traditionally guarded by Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters, but they are supported by a private security firm. Target: The management insisted the Crown Jewels were not at risk, but the theft raises questions about the level of security at the tourist hot spot . The management insisted the monarch's . most valuable possession were not at risk, but the theft raises . questions about the level of security at the tourist hot spot. In the run up to London 2012 Games,the . prized Olympic and Paralympic medals were under lock and key at the . Tower of London, where the Crown Jewels are kept under armed guard. The IRA planted a bomb in the 11th . century fortress in 1974, killing one woman and injuring 41, several of . them children who lost limbs. Security: The tower is traditionally guarded by Yeoman Warders, or Beefeaters, but they are supported by a private security firm . A . spokesman for Historic Royal Palaces, which runs the Tower, told the MailOnline: . 'It would not have been possible to . gain access to the Tower with any of these keys and at no point was the . security of the Tower at risk. All affected locks were immediately . changed. We have carried out an internal . investigation and have concluded that our well-established security . systems and procedures are robust. However on this occasion, these . procedures were not carried out to the expected standard. A staff . disciplinary procedure is underway to address this issue.' | The raider managed to scale the Front Gate .
The keys were in a metal box which was meant to have been securely locked .
The locks had to be changed, at an estimated cost of thousands of pounds . |
206,073 | 96c46aafc97318e2d6a4f6a0f72c355724b05718 | (CNN) -- Bulgarian police have widened their investigation into last week's bombing attack on Israeli tourists to towns near the border with Romania, asking hotels for surveillance video that might have captured the suspected bomber. Hotels in the Black Sea coastal city of Varna say police have been asking for video showing a particular suspect and are giving a sketch of the suspect to management. Investigators also have questioned workers at a car rental agency near the Black Sea coast where the man attempted to rent a car before Wednesday's attack, the agency's owner told CNN. Five Israeli tourists were killed and more than 30 other Israelis were wounded when a suicide bomber blew apart their bus at Burgas International Airport. Explainer: Bulgaria explosion amid growing Iranian-Israeli tension . Bulgarian authorities still have not been able to identify the bomber, who was seen on airport security videos about an hour before the attack. They have taken fingerprints and DNA samples and given that information to their counterparts in Israel, the United States and Interpol. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry says it is not ruling out the possibility that the suspect had help, though it won't comment on reports that authorities are looking for a second suspect. The owner and an employee of the Afrodita Car Rental Agency told CNN a suspicious man wanted to rent a car the Sunday before the attack and tried to use the Michigan driver's license later found at the scene of the attack. When the owner said he wanted to photocopy the license, the man grew nervous and refused to have it copied. At that point, the owner said he refused to rent the man a car and the man walked out. The car rental owner described the man as having short dark hair and speaking English with an accent. The woman who conducted the forensic reconstruction of the suspected bomber's face and body, told Bulgarian TV the man had a white face, light eyes and thick dark hair. | Police are asking hotels for surveillance video .
The suspect was also seen at a car rental agency .
Five Israelis were killed in a suicide bombing last week .
Authorities don't rule out the possibility of a second suspect . |
50,162 | 8dddd520d571a0663b0f8a759c4eeb96cde5bb95 | (CNN) -- NASA scientists say they have captured the first-ever detailed airborne measurements of a major iceberg about to break off into the sea. "A lot of times when you're in science, you don't get a chance to catch the big stories as they happen because you're not there at the right place at the right time. But this time we were," John Sonntag, a scientist with the NASA survey team that captured the data said in a video posted to NASA's website. The discovery of the approximately 340-square-mile iceberg-to-be came October 14 as scientists were flying over the glacier as part of Project IceBridge, a six-year mission to map a three-dimensional view of Arctic and Antarctic ice, according to NASA. Scientists aboard the flight noticed a large crack in the glacier and asked colleagues in the United States to review satellite data to see when it appeared, according to the NASA video. Those scientists said the 18-mile-long crack, which is now between 260 feet and 820 feet wide and up to 195 feet deep, appeared in early October. The crack is the first step in the iceberg breaking off from the Pine Island Glacier and slipping into the ocean. Such events are fairly common but still major from a scientific perspective, Sonntag said. The NASA crew was able to use laser range-finding tools to create a three-dimensional map of the rift, the first time such an image has been created, said IceBridge project scientist Michael Studinger. "It's part of a natural process but it's pretty exciting to be here and actually observe it while it happens," he said in an article posted to the NASA website. NASA did not indicate when the iceberg might break off from the glacier. When it does, the leading edge of the Pine Island ice shelf will have receded more than at any time since the 1940s, when the ice shelf was first mapped, NASA said. | NASA scientists discover and map an iceberg in the making .
Their observations are the first detailed airborne measurements of such a phenomenon .
The iceberg will be about 340 square miles . |
177,454 | 71b6143705559ed60a8d6c60842c8dbc544f3ab9 | Science fiction fans take note: Next month on 7 November sees the release of Interstellar, a space epic from director Christopher Nolan, who also directed the Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception. But while the prospect of Interstellar travel might seem like something shrouded in science fiction, the film actually delves into science fact - or theory at least - and it might have spawned some important scientific discoveries. When calculating how to model a giant black hole in the film, the team created one of the most accurate depictions of such an object that could explain what they would actually look like. Scroll down for video . A CGI model of a black hole for the upcoming movie Interstellar (shown), based on calculations by Dr Kip Thorne from the California Institute of Technology, has revealed they have warped halos of light and matter around them. The model is thought to be the most accurate depiction of a black hole ever . The science of determining what a black hole would look like was left to astrophysicist Dr Kip Thorne, who is also an Executive Producer for the film. Last month a scientist controversially claimed it is impossible for black holes to exist, based on her mathematical calculations. The research was conducted by Professor Laura Mersini-Houghton from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the College of Arts and Scientists. She claimed that as a star dies, it releases a type of radiation known as Hawking radiation - predicted by Professor Stephen Hawking. However in this process, Professor Mersini-Houghton believes the star also sheds mass, so much so that it no longer has the density to become a black hole. Before the black hole can form, she said, the dying star swells and explodes. The singularity as predicted never forms, and neither does the event horizon - the boundary of the black hole where not even light can escape. ‘I’m still not over the shock,’ said Professor Mersini-Houghton. ‘We’ve been studying this problem for a more than 50 years and this solution gives us a lot to think about.’ He found that the black hole warps space so that it looks sort of like a funnel with a black circle in the middle. It draws in matter from its surroundings into an accretion disk, shining incredibly brightly and brilliantly. This had previously been known - but the visual effects team found when they modelled it, the gravity of the black hole twisted the disk of gas into weird shapes. This created a rainbow of fire across the top of the black hole. When they used a flat accretion disc around the spinning black hole in their model, the warped space also warped the disk. ‘So rather than looking like Saturn’s rings around a black sphere, the light creates this extraordinary halo,’ said Paul Franklin, VFX Supervisor for the film, reports Wired. The resultant black hole is one of the most realistic depictions ever made of such a phenomena - and Dr Thorne says their research will result in two scientific papers, one for the astrophysics community and one for the computer graphics community. Dr Thorne says the effects they’ve discovered of gravitational lensing interacting with rapidly spinning black holes is something that was not known before. Dr Kip Thorne is an astrophysicist from the California Institute of Technology. He has received numerous accolades for his work and, aside from being a close friend of the late Carl Sagan, he is also a good friend of Professor Stephen Hawking (middle), seen here with director Stephen Finnigan of the movie 'Hawking' Interstellar hits cinemas on 7 November. It sees a crew travel in a spaceship beyond the solar system, and possible the galaxy, in a bid to save humanity. It stars Matthew McConaughey (right) and Anne Hathaway (left) In the film Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper - a trailed pilot, engineer and widowed father - who leaves his two children behind on a dying Earth in a bid to save humanity. The film has already been praised for its accurate depiction of Interstellar travel as McConaughey and his crew, including Anne Hathaway, travel across the cosmos. From the ship itself, based on a design by Mexican theoretical physicist Dr Miguel Alcubierre, to the physics of travelling through a wormhole as light bends around the spacecraft, it seems to have got most things spot on. But one of the key moments in the film involves the spacecraft travelling near to a black hole - for purposes that have not been revealed. However, figuring out what a black hole looks like was somewhat of a problem. ‘Neither wormholes nor black holes have been depicted in any Hollywood movie in the way that they actually would appear,’ astrophysicist Dr Kip Thorne, and Executive Producer, for the film, explained in a video for Wired. ‘This is the first time the depiction began with Einstein’s General Relativity equations.’ Director Christopher Nolan added: ‘We had determined when we started down this road that if it didn’t look like something that looked comprehensible to the audience we would have to manipulate it in some way. ‘But what we found was as long as we didn’t change the point of view too much, the camera position, we could get something very understandable.’ Interstellar opens worldwide on 7 November - when moviegoers themselves will be able to see the most scientifically accurate black hole ever modelled. The film has already been praised for its accurate depiction of Interstellar travel as McConaughey and his crew, including Anne Hathaway, travel across the cosmos (shown). The ship is based on a design from Mexican theoretical physicist Dr Miguel Alcubierre . Director Christopher Nolan (shown) said: ‘We had determined when we started down this road that if it [the black hole] didn’t look like something that looked comprehensible to the audience we would have to manipulate it in some way.' Nolan is also famed for directing the Dark Knight Trilogy and Inception . In the film (poster shown) Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper - a trailed pilot, engineer and widowed father - who leaves his two children behind on a dying Earth in a bid to save humanity . | A CGI model of a black hole for the upcoming movie Interstellar has revealed they have warped halos of light and matter around them .
The model is thought to be the most accurate depiction of a black hole ever .
It was created using calculations by astrophysicist Dr Kip Thorne from the California Institute of technology .
Previously black holes were thought to have a flat disk - like Saturn .
Two scientific papers are being written based on the discovery .
Interstellar hits cinemas worldwide on 7 November .
In the film Matthew McConaughey plays Cooper, who leaves a dying Earth to go on a journey across the cosmos in a bid to save humanity . |
211,562 | 9df838114086d1f17d36760a5f34c2aa12d04eba | At a time when the likes of Apple and Samsung are pushing touchscreen smartwatches that look more like wrist-worn phones than classic timepieces, HP is taking a different route. The California-based firm has partnered with fashion designer Michael Bastian to create a device that is a watch 'first and foremost.' Dubbed MB Chronowing, the watch doesn’t have a touchscreen, camera, or microphone. Instead, it primarily tells the time, while showing notifications discreetly from a Bluetooth-connected device. Scroll down for video . HP has partnered with fashion designer Michael Bastian to create a device that is a watch first, and a gadget second. Dubbed MB Chronowing, the watch (pictured) doesn’t have a touchscreen, camera, or microphone. Instead, it primarily tells the time, while showing notifications discreetly from a Bluetooth-connected device . The gadget is expected to launch on Friday, on Gilt.com, with prices starting at $349 (£218) for a basic version, and $649 (£404) for a limited-edition black model. Mr Bastian and the software giant unveiled the gadget last week, and have since released a video revealing more details about the device. HP’s MB Chronowing connects via Bluetooth to an iPhone 4S and higher, or any Android device running 4.3 and above. Made of stainless steel, the basic version has three interchangeable straps made of either brown leather, olive nylon, and black rubber. Notifications are shown in real-time. This includes emails, texts, calendar appointments, stock prices, game scores and more (pictured). Music on the phone can be controlled from the watch, too, using buttons on the side of the dial. The MB Chronowing additionally has a battery life of seven days, and is water resistant . Made of stainless steel, the basic version has three interchangeable straps made of brown leather, olive nylon, and black rubber. The limited-edition model features a sapphire-crystal face with a black alligator strap. Notifications are shown in real-time, including emails, texts, calendar appointments, stock prices, game scores and more. Music on a connected phone can be controlled from the watch, too, using buttons on the side of the dial. The MB Chronowing additionally has a battery life of seven days, and is water resistant. While the limited-edition model features a sapphire-crystal face with a black alligator strap. Notifications are shown in real-time, including emails, texts, calendar appointments, stock prices, game scores and more. Music on a connected phone can be controlled from the watch, too, using buttons on the side of the dial. The MB Chronowing additionally has a battery life of seven days, and is water resistant. ‘As a men's designer, I'm very interested in all of the recent developments in the 'tech wearables' category - particularly smartwatches,’ explained Mr Bastian. ‘With the early devices I've seen, the design and feel of the watch takes a backseat to the technology. ‘I really felt there was a need for a device that looked and felt like a stylish watch first. I wanted to create a wearable device that looked like a cool watch, first and foremost.’ HP’s MB Chronowing connects via Bluetooth to an iPhone 4S and higher, or any Android device running 4.3 and above. Made of stainless steel, the basic $349 (£218) version (pictured left) has three interchangeable-straps made of either brown leather, olive nylon, and black rubber (pictured right) The limited-edition $647 (£404) model (pictured) features a sapphire-crystal face with a black alligator strap . | Hewlett-Packard’s MB Chronowing is expected to launch on Friday .
It was designed by Michael Bastian and will be sold through Gilt.com .
The $349 (£218) watch shows notifications on a traditional-looking face .
These include messages, weather, stock prices and game scores .
It also lets wearers control music playing on a Bluetooth-connected phone .
Unlike other devices, it doesn’t have a touchscreen or microphone . |
25,163 | 4745937d10704b4c7a5eb9c0c86b7418a2ac549b | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 05:48 EST, 29 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:07 EST, 29 October 2012 . It could be the end of the lightswitch - and the start of having to hunt for your mobile every time you want to switch the lights on. A low power LED lightbulb can display any colour and is controlled by an app goes on sale in Apple Stores around the world today. Made by Dutch firm Philips, the hue bulb plugs into a normal screw light socket, while a control box plugs into an owners broadband connection. Scroll down for video . The hue allow lights in any room to be controlled from the app, with a series of preprogrammed 'moods' The lightbulbs can be plugged into any existing socker, and contain a wifi chip to communicate wih a home network . The hue lightbulb contains a wifi control chip powered by the electricity from the light socket. This connects to a wifi control box connected to the owner's home wifi network allowing the bulb to communicate with an app. Each Each bulb contains 11 LEDs in three different colors, which Philips calls royal blue, red/orange and lime. The lights combine to create up to 16 million colors. The bulbs can then be controlled via an iPhone or iPad, with colours and dimming all controlled via an app. They can also be controlled remotely, so users can switch lights on an off when they are on holiday to fool burglars. Jeroen de Waal, Head of Marketing & Strategy at Philips . Lighting said: 'Philips hue is a game-changer in lighting – a completely . new way to experience and interact with light. 'In the way phones, media and entertainment have been revolutionised . by digital technology, now we can also personalise light and enjoy . limitless applications. 'Philips continues to redefine the possibilities of LED technology, . and hue pushes the boundaries even more, not only in offering great . light quality, but in how lighting can be digitised and integrated with . our world to further simplify and enhance our lives.' The firm trialled the gadget in New York, Berlin and Shanghai, and found the remote capabilities were the most used. The app can also be used remotely to switch lights on and off when you are on holiday . The app can also change lighting based on the mood . The app for Philips’ hue also features expert LightRecipes the firm claims can improve people's lives, with four pre-programmed lighting settings based on Philips’ research around the biological effects that lighting has on the body. These scenarios adjust bulbs to the optimum shade and brightness of white light to help you relax, read, concentrate or energise. The firm is also developed advanced software for the system using a phone's GPS sensors to automatically turn on the lights as the owner approaches their home, and turn them off again when you leave. Philips hue is available only from Apple stores and Apple.com for £179 for three bulbs and a control box, with each additional bulb costing £49. | £49 Hue lightbulb can display any colour, and at any brightness .
Controlled from an iPhone or iPad, where timers and moods can be set .
Can also be controlled remotely to fool burglars . |
36,010 | 663705895017d16b387af575480355b4e61c4500 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:10 EST, 30 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:08 EST, 30 September 2013 . Three young blind people from Phoenix, Arizona, have conquered yet another dream that most would deem unrealistic due to their visual impairment. Max Ashton, 17, Tanner Robinson, 24, and Katie Cupp, 19 completed the arduous Alcatraz Invitational Swim through the rough waters between Alcatraz Island and Aquatic Park in San Francisco, California, on Sunday. With the help of sighted swimming guides, Ashton came in first, swimming the 1.25-mile distance in just a little over 50 minutes. Blind and brave: Max Ashton, 17, (right) swam from Alcatraz to the San Francisco mainland as the first blind person. He was guided by Paul Tiffany (left) during the swim . With a little help: Ashton, middle, and his two sighted guides - the Tiffany brothers Mike, left, and Paul, right . Finish line: Swimmers participating in the Alcatraz Invitational Swim were greeted by friends and family at Aquatic Park on Sunday . Record: Ashton, right, completed the swim in a little over 50 minutes, the first blind person to do so . Ice-cold waters: It's a long and tedious swim from Alcatraz Island to the San Francisco mainland . The hardest part of making the swim is staying on a straight line, so Ashton was guided by two brothers, Mike and Paul Tiffany, both of Phoenix, who made sure he did not veer off course. The brothers said the trip was uneventful, although Ashton clocked one of them when he swam too close. ‘I took a couple of shots in the face from Max,’ said Paul, who has made a total of six Alcatraz swims. According to Ashton, it feels ‘good to show people I can do everything, really', he said after making it across the bay. ‘I feel great now. This is huge. Next is college.’ This is not the first time the high school college prep senior has done ‘the impossible’. When he was 13, he climbed Kenya’s Mount Kilimanjaro, and a year later he crossed the Grand Canyon. The two others who also did the swim, Robinson and Cuppy, were both happy they did it. Made it! Visually-impaired Tanner Robinson, 24, (second from right) is greeted by his teammates after completing the swim from Alcatraz . Escape from Alcatraz: The island with its prison was once deemed impossible to escape from . Robinson has also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and made the rim-to-rim trek across the Grand Canyon together with Ashton in fundraising events put on by the Phoenix-based Foundation for Blind Children. However, the bay swim was ‘the hardest one’ of the challenges, he told the San Francisco Chronicle. Between 1933 and 1963, the U.S. government sent some of its most dangerous criminals to Alcatraz Island, including the likes of Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Whitey Bulgar. The current in the San Francisco Bay is often strong and unpredictable, which is why of the 36 prison inmates who tried to escape, only six made it out of the waters alive. Robinson, who works at the secretary of state's office in Arizona, finished in an hour and 16 minutes. Happy: Katie Cuppy, 19, who is also blind, is helped up from the water after finishing the swim in one hour and 24 minutes . Nothing is impossible: Cuppy, who is studying special education, says blind people can do anything that a sighted person can . Robinson said he kept going, despite the . cold water and his novice status as a swimmer, thanks to months of . training at Arizona's Lake Pleasant. ‘The nice thing about being blind is you don't know where the finish line is,’ he said. ‘It was just like another training.’ Cuppy, who is studying special education and hopes to teach blind children, did the swim in one hour and 24 minutes. ‘This shows we can do anything else a sighted person can do, without limits,’ she said. | Max Ashton, 17, from Phoenix, Arizona, did the swim between Alcatraz and San Francisco's Aquatic Park in 50 minutes .
Two other blind swimmers, Tanner Robinson, 24, and Katie Cuppy, 19, also completed the swim on Sunday .
Robinson did it in one hour and 16 minutes and Cuppy in one hour and 24 minutes .
Both Ashton and Robinson have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro .
A year later they traversed the Grand Canyon .
When Alcatraz was still operating as a prison, out of 36 prison inmates who tried to escape, only six made it out of the waters alive . |
242,848 | c650bc798e9b13ee54c063f2e8368cbf67029094 | (CNN) -- Japan's national sport of sumo wrestling was rocked by a match-fixing scandal on Thursday after it was revealed three wrestlers had admitted to rigging bouts. "Three sumo wrestlers have admitted to match-fixing," Yoshiaki Takaki, the country's minister for education and sport, announced to a parliamentary panel. ''Sumo is our national sport. If match-fixing has occurred, it is a very serious betrayal of the people,'' Naoto Kan, the country's Prime Minister, added. Japan's Kyodo news service claimed that Tokyo Police had found suspicious messages on a number of wrestlers' phones that suggested the outcome of several fights had been planned. The messages exchanged between wrestlers discuss how fights would be arranged and also the amount of money that would change hands. "I'll hit my opponent head on," was one message reported in British newspaper The Guardian. "For 20 more I will concede. After the meet, I need to make at least 50 or I'll be in serious trouble," read a further text which discussed the financial rewards for one wrestler. "You fall when I move to tackle," read another message reported by Japanese news wire Jiji Press. Japan Sumo Association chairman Hanaregoma told a news conference that 13 people who had been mentioned in the messages would be investigated. "It's a betrayal of sumo fans. If this is true. It would be something that rocks (sumo) to its foundations. We will investigate thoroughly," Hanaregoma said. It is the latest controversy to hit sumo after a gambling scandal emerged in July last year when 34-year-old wrestler Ozeki Kotomitsuki is said to have illegally bet on baseball games. | Japan's national sport of sumo wrestling facing a match-fixing scandal .
Reports allege wrestlers fixed bouts via text message .
Japan's Prime Minister says if true the scandal is a 'betrayal of the people' |
28,650 | 51507031e7fa7b713ba2e99bedffe60cb4c24883 | (CNN) -- Sentencing testimony begins Wednesday in the case of an Iraqi man who was convicted of running over his 20-year-old daughter because she allegedly had become "too Westernized." A Maricopa County, Arizona, jury convicted Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 50, on Tuesday of second-degree murder in the 2009 death of Noor Faleh Almaleki. It also found him guilty of aggravated assault, for causing serious injuries to Amal Edan Khalaf, the mother of Noor's fiance, and two counts of leaving the scene. Almaleki, an Iraqi immigrant, was acquitted of more serious first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder charges. He could receive up to 22 years in prison on the murder charge alone. Noor Faleh Almaleki died in November 2009 at an Arizona hospital, nearly two weeks after being run over by a Jeep in a parking lot in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria, authorities said. Faleh Hassan Almaleki believed his daughter had become "too Westernized" and had abandoned "traditional" Iraqi values, Peoria police said. The family moved to the Phoenix area in the mid-1990s, and Almaleki was unhappy with his daughter's style of dress and her resistance to his rules, they said. Khalaf testified that Almaleki made no effort to stop before she and Noor Almaleki were struck, according to CNN Phoenix affiliate KTVK. Defense lawyers said Almaleki was trying to spit on Khalaf, but swerved and ended up running down both women, KTVK reported. Almaleki chose not to testify. After the incident, Almaleki drove to Mexico, abandoning his vehicle in Nogales, police said. He then made his way to Mexico City and boarded a plane to Britain, where authorities denied him entry into the country and put him on a plane back to the United States. InSession's trial editor Carol Gantt and CNN's Karan Olson contributed to this report . | An Arizona jury convicts father of running over his daughter, killing her .
He could receive up to 22 years in prison .
He believed she had become "too Westernized," prosecutors say .
The mother of the victim's fiance was seriously injured . |
175,471 | 6f1b5030c8df14e976883a0673aaa76a3e81f0ef | The tomb of a previously unknown queen has been discovered, Egyptian officials have revealed. Unearthed by Czech archaeologists in Abu-Sir, south-west of Cairo, the tomb is thought to belong to the wife or mother of Pharaoh Neferefre who ruled 4,500 years ago. Abu-Sir was an Old Kingdom necropolis used by the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Forgotten queen: The discovery was made in Abu-Sir, south-west of Cairo, and is thought to be 4,500 years old. The location of the grave has made archaeologists believe she was probably the wife of the pharoah . Here pyramids dedicated to Fifth Dynasty pharaohs, including Neferefre, can also be found. The location of the queen's grave, in Pharaoh Neferefre's funeral complex hints that she was probably the wife of the pharoah, however. Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty said that her name, Khentakawess, had been found inscribed on a wall in the necropolis. Mr Damaty added that this would make her Khentakawess III as two previous queens by this name were already known of. Hidden treasures: Czech archaeologists also found about 30 utensils (pictured) - with 24 made from limestone and four of copper, an official statement added . Abu-Sir (marked) was an necropolis where pyramids dedicated to Fifth Dynasty pharaohs can be found . Archaeologists also found 30 utensils - with 24 made of limestone - a statement added. Mr Damaty explained that the discovery would help them shed light on unknown aspects of the Fifth Dynasty, which along with the Fourth Dynasty, saw the construction of the first pyramids. Mysterious history: Abu-Sir (pictured) was an Old Kingdom necropolis where pyramids dedicated to Fifth Dynasty pharaohs, including Neferefre, can be found . Chief archaeologist hopes that the find would help him and colleagues shed light on unknown aspects of the Fifth Dynasty, which along with the Fourth Dynasty, saw the construction of the first pyramids . An official at the antiquities ministry said the tomb dated from the middle of the Fifth Dynasty (2994-2345 BC). In December last year a 2,400-year-old coffin bearing unusual decorations, revealed the decline of Ancient Egypt. 'Goofy'? Experts believe the childlike paintings were made by junior artists . Its strange illustrations were described as ‘goofy’ and 'amateurish'. Experts believe the marks were made by junior artists, after the best Egyptian painters were deported when the Persians controlled the region. From 525 BC for around a century, the Persians ruled Egypt after king Cambyses marched into the Egyptian capital, Memphis, toppling the pharaoh. The occupation meant that the Persian Empire stretched from what is now Turkey to Afghanistan. The coffin could shed light on a tumultuous time in Egyptian history, in which ancient texts by Diodorus Siculus suggest the occupying Empire deported Egypt’s best craftsmen and artists to work on its own grand projects in Persia. | Discovered in Abu-Sir, south-west of Cairo, the tomb is thought to belong to the wife or mother of Pharaoh Neferefre who ruled in the Fifth Dynasty .
The area was an Old Kingdom necropolis where pyramids dedicated to Fifth Dynatsy pharaohs, including Neferefre, can be found .
The location of the queen's grave has made archaeologists believe that she was probably the wife of the pharoah . |
80,213 | e355e50008c4afa951ac267178c128e945d3712f | (CNN) -- The National Weather Service in Chicago is asking residents not to travel unless "absolutely necessary" because a winter storm pushing through the upper Midwest has created a "potentially life threatening situation." "Reports from media and local law enforcement officials indicate that hundreds if not thousands of vehicles have gone off the roads," the weather service said early Wednesday morning. Illinois State Police carried out a rescue operation in Kankakee County after 20 cars were stranded in the snowstorm, where snow drifts were measured around 3 feet, the agency said. The rescued motorists were taken to temporary warming centers in Manteno or Peotone, said state police Sgt. Angie Kinstner. CNN's Ric Ward also contributed to this report . | Weather service: "Hundreds if not thousands of vehicles have gone off the roads"
State police rescue the occupants of 20 cars stranded in Kankakee County .
Snow drifts in the area are measured around 3 feet . |
25,269 | 479306291a7860e094dcb3e40f1ba886ba698823 | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 09:06 EST, 24 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:06 EST, 24 July 2013 . Google has moved a step closer to mass-producing Google Glass after taking a stake in a company that makes the device's screens. It has taken a 6.3 per cent stake in Himax Display (HDI) - a subsidiary of Taiwanese company Himax Technologies that makes the liquid crystal on silicon glass chips used in Google Glass products. Analysts claim this is a clear sign Google is preparing to increase production of its coveted headmounted devices. Google has taken a stake in Himax Display, a subsidiary of the company involved in the production of liquid crystal on silicon chip microdisplays used in its Google Glass products, pictured. The company is said to be preparing to increase production of the headmounted devices by the end of the year . Liquid crystal on silicon ( LCOS) is a technology used in projection televisions and other devices that beam images to a screen. The images are reflected by the liquid crystals, which act in a similar way to mirrors. The crystals are applied directly to the surface of a silicon chip coated which is highly reflective layer. A benefit of LCOS technologies is that the crystals can produce high-resolution and contrast images compared to those used in plasma screens. Google uses these chips in the screen on the right lens of its headmounted Google Glass products. Figures quoted by the Wall Street . Journal suggest the company could be looking to ship up to two million . units a year, while Mark Gomes of PoisedtoTriple Research suggested that . the Taiwan-based manufacturer wants to boost production to seven million a . year. Google is said to have agreed to invest in the company to 'fund production, expand capacity and enhance production capabilities' for the chips, according to a press release from Himax Technologies. Under the agreement, Google will hold a 6.3 per cent interest in HDI with the option to make additional investment of preferred shares at the same price within one year from closing. Himax Technologies holds 81.5 per cent of HDI and will remain the major shareholder after the transaction. Google join other shareholders including KPCB Holdings, Khosla Ventures and Intel Capital Corporation. The acquisition is due to close by the end of the third quarter (September) this year. Liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) is a technology used in projection televisions and other devices that beam images to a screen. Google uses these chips in the screen on the right lens of its headmounted Google Glass product, pictured . Jordan Wu, President and CEO of Himax said in a statement: 'Google is a preeminent global technology leader. 'Beginning the second quarter of this year, we had already begun expanding capacity to meet demand for our LCOS product line.' Google's Glass device has a screen fitted to the right lens that lets wearers search the internet, read maps, text messages and emails, take photos and videos. | Google has taken a 6.3% stake in Himax Display, which makes the technology used in Google Glass screens .
Analysts claim this is a sign Google is increasing production of the devices .
Figures suggest up to 7 million units could be shipped over the next year . |
165,541 | 6211bb2e85f9ab7609e77e516b8a6f0fbb6c15a7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:05 EST, 25 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:13 EST, 25 June 2013 . An artist has created series of wacky images turning everyday items into hilarious and all but impossible to use objects. Giuseppe Colarusso, 49, fashioned the unique work to make people question the functionality of the likes of cutlery, garden tools and office equipment. The set of playful pictures, entitled 'Improbabilita', makes some items impossible to use, others improbable and some given a completely new function altogether. Juice on tap: Squeezing an orange just got a whole lot sillier thanks to this dotty device . Batty bat: A ping pong paddle with a gaping hole in it should make for an interesting game . Beer we go: You'll be seeing double well before you down your drink with this handy device . Crazy cutlery: Another of the bonkers images by Italian photographer Giuseppe Colaruss . From a dice with no spots, a table . tennis bat with a hole in it to the likes of a door handle made of razor . blades the items have all been given a quirky twist. Inventive . Giuseppe took his first picture in 1985 with a hand-made camera created . from a shoe box with a sheet of photographic paper inside and a hole . pierced in the lid. He said: 'This is a collection that I would describe almost as like surreal still-life. 'The series is a collection of imaginary objects which are unlikely but not totally impossible to use. 'My aim with these images is always to try and make people smile but think about what they are seeing at the same time.' On a roll: This pair of dice seems to have shed its spots . Odds on that the house will lose with this version of the shell game in . another of photographer Giuseppe Colarusso's photographs . Rear view: Life's an open road in this silly motoring snap . Saw point: We're not quite sure if this new tool design cuts the mustard, or anything else for that matter . It's a snip: Giuseppe Colarusso created the unique pictures to make people question the functionality of everyday items . Goofy glasses: Now even the mythical cyclops can sport a trendy pair of shades . The set of playful pictures, entitled 'Improbabilita', makes some items impossible to use, others improbable and some given a completely new function altogether . A kitchen drawer opens up to reveal another three drawers inside . A wristwatch that tells speed rather than time and it goes all the way up to 240kmh, perfect for anyone living in the fast lane . Something missing: A perfectly useful washbasin, save for one small detail . You won't need to worry about forgetting this key as you won't even be able to get it out the door or in it for that matter . Coffee in a can? Another of photographer Giuseppe Colarusso's highly unusual pictures . Computer keyboards that type Egyptian hieroglyphics, we sphynx it could catch on . A square meal: Giuseppe Colarusso's unique take on a rolling pin . Inventive Giuseppe took his first picture in 1985 with a hand-made camera created from a shoe box with a sheet of photographic paper inside and a hole pierced in the lid . Life's a drag: Another of photographer Giuseppe's barmy pictures . | Italian photographer creates wacky images to make people question the functionality of objects we take for granted . |
66,591 | bcdfc30ff1f373230c2caf3524076530105dd71f | 'Pernicious effect': MP Maria Miller says youngsters will grow up with a warped idea of relationships thanks to porn . An impassioned attack on the ‘pernicious effect’ of online porn was delivered by the Culture Secretary yesterday. Maria Miller warned that young boys who see explicit images risk growing up with a warped idea of how to treat girls. She demanded that teachers, parents and internet giants do more to prevent children from accidentally viewing such images. And she denounced the culture that has led to an explosion of X-rated net pictures, saying: ‘Too often in the past we have been happy to say “anything goes”. Well – it doesn’t.’ The Culture Secretary’s intervention came as the Prime Minister’s adviser on the sexualisation of children, Claire Perry, said it was never too early to start educating youngsters about the online dangers. ‘People say primary school is too young. No: Babies can swipe iPads. You can’t, in some ways, start young enough,’ Mrs Perry told a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. And Mrs Miller, a mother of three, stressed that ‘responsible parents’ needed to speak to children earlier about the effect internet porn had on their understanding of relationships. Charities say children as young as 11 are becoming addicted to internet porn, giving them ‘unrealistic expectations’ of sex. They also say it is encouraging boys to grow up viewing girls merely as sex objects. Counsellors at ChildLine also report a surge in calls from youngsters traumatised after seeing adult images online. Teaching unions have called for pupils to be taught about porn from the age of ten so they can protect themselves from stumbling across adult images. Mrs Miller did not suggest an age, but said governors should think about whether it should be tackled in their schools. Danger: A third of people who sent 'sexts' said they went to people they had met only online, while 15 per cent had sent images to total strangers (posed by model) She said: ‘There is guidance available to schools in terms of the way they can help young people navigate their responsibilities in this area. I am fearful of the result if we don’t take action particularly in terms of young boys’ attitudes to girls, their relationships, what’s seen as a normal relationship between two young people.’ It is the first time the Culture Secretary, who is in charge of internet policy, has spoken out over school lessons on porn. While groups such as the NSPCC are in favour of such a move, some believe it could have the opposite effect of introducing children to adult material for the first time. But Mrs Miller said many schools would naturally want to ‘ensure the children in their care understand the importance of not accessing material like that when they are underage, and also the pernicious effect of pornography in their lives long-term’. She also said imposing filters on internet porn would not be enough – children had to be taught to use the web responsibly. A spokesman for the NSPCC said: 'Online videos, some of them violent and degrading, are now just a few clicks away for many young people'. File picture . Special adviser Mrs Perry, Tory MP for Devizes, called on Education Secretary Michael Gove to bring in new statutory guidance for secondary schools about how teach children about online porn. ‘Teenage boys send teenage girls naked selfies [self-taken photos] and teenage girls send them,’ she said. ‘There are so many things wrong with that, and part of the problem is that children don’t understand that giving away digital identities is something that can stay with you for ever.’ The Daily Mail has been campaigning for an automatic block on online porn, with over-18s able to access adult material only following a strict age verification check. In the summer David Cameron announced a compromise ‘default on’ solution, under which all families will be asked whether a filter should be applied. Last night a spokesman for the NSPCC said: ‘It’s absolutely essential that young people are educated about the dangers of pornography. Online videos, some of them violent and degrading, are now just a few clicks away for many young people. ‘And children as young as 11 or 12 tell us that they are using porn to learn about sex. We must speak to young people about what healthy, meaningful and respectful relationships are before their views are warped by the prism of online porn.’ | Maria Miller said parents must talk to children about dangers of online porn .
It comes as charity warns that 11-year-olds are 'addicted'
MP added that schools must consider educating youngsters about threat . |
184,371 | 7acf99bcdc3a5be9aa60b895cfde3f0be4f352b7 | (CNN) -- A U.S. citizen has been kidnapped in the West African nation of Benin, a U.S. State Department official said Sunday. The official, who asked not to be named given the sensitivity of the situation, said that U.S. diplomatic officials are providing "consular assistance" in the case. Authorities have not indicated when or under what circumstances the person was kidnapped, nor have they identified the abductee. "Due to privacy considerations, we cannot provide additional information," the official said. The former French colony of Benin is a country of about 9 million people that has a small coastline on the Gulf of Guinea. "The United States and Benin have had an excellent history of relations in the years since Benin embraced democracy" in 1990, according to a U.S. State Department website. | U.S. diplomatic officials are providing "consular assistance," a U.S. official says .
It's not clear when, where or why the person was abducted .
Benin is a country of about 9 million people in West Africa . |
238,532 | c0c04a8e8187ff83ba75b9bd754740586f7e27fb | By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 04:29 EST, 14 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:33 EST, 14 March 2014 . Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls said he would scrap the married tax allowance after the election . Labour will scrap the Conservatives’ ‘perverse and unfair’ new £1,000 transferable tax allowance for married couples, Ed Balls announced last night. The shadow Chancellor said a Labour government would reverse the Government’s proposal to restore recognition for the institution in the tax system, and spend the money to help fund a reintroduction of the 10p tax rate. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, the staunchest champion of marriage in the Cabinet, condemned the announcement. ‘Labour scrapped support for marriage when they were last in government - penalising stable families,’ Mr Duncan Smith told the Daily Mail. ‘And here they go again - same old Labour - with yet another example of making decent people pay more in taxes. ‘Conservatives support marriage because it is a vital institution which underpins stable families. We support strong relationships, which we know offer children the best start in life.’ Married couples where one person earns under the £10,000 income tax threshold will be allowed to transfer £1,000 of their allowance to their spouse – reducing their annual tax bill by £200 from April 2015. Only the 24 million basic rate taxpayers will benefit, though David Cameron has signalled he wants to go further if re-elected with a Conservative majority. Polls show overwhelming support for the new allowance, though it is opposed by both Labour and the Liberal Democrats. A recent YouGov poll found that 62 per cent of people back the idea, with just 20 per cent against. Mr Balls told the BBC last night that the tax break would only benefit a third of married couples, and one in six families with children, and declared he would scrap it if he is chancellor after the 2015 election. Assessing Mr Osborne's tax policies ahead of next week's Budget he said: ‘Personally, I think that first of all, George Osborne should first of all admit the 50p tax cut at the top was a big mistake. ‘But I also think, any tax cut for families on middle and low incomes is better than none. 'What did he actually announce last year, he said that he would introduce a married couples allowance which, when you look at the detail, only goes to a third of married couples, and one in six families with children, it goes mainly to men.' Mr Balls, pictured dancing with wife Yvette Cooper, said the tax break would only benefit a third of married couples . Downing Street was under mounting pressure last night to ease the 40p tax burden on the middle classes. The . Chancellor is expected to reject calls for a significant increase to . the threshold in next week’s Budget, after figures showed millions more . are being sucked into the higher rate tax. But they are facing growing demands . to help the 1.4million workers who have been sucked into the 40p band . since 2010, with MPs arguing many of these people are on middling . incomes. Official figures show that the top 25 . per cent of earners – anyone on £33,717 or more – will pay 75 per cent . of the country’s total £167billion of income tax this year. By contrast, the bottom half will pay less than 10 per cent. When the Coalition came to power in May 2010 the starting salary for higher rate tax stood at just £43,875. If . George Osborne had allowed the 40p tax band to rise in line with . inflation it would now not kick in until a worker reached a salary of . £50,000, according to calculations by accountants Grant Thornton. Mr Balls went on: ‘We think what we should actually do is scrap the married couples allowance which is perverse and unfair, and use that money to give a tax cut for all middle and lower income families. ‘We propose a new 10p starting rate of income tax. It's better than the personal allowance, because it's better for work incentives, it would help two-thirds of married couples, it would help women as well as men, families with children. ‘Let's cut taxes for working families, and let's ease this cost-of-living crisis rather than carrying on pandering to Tory backbenchers with tax cuts that are unfair and don't make sense.’ The shadow chancellor also admitted being ‘daunted’ by the prospect of being in Number 11 after the election with further efforts to cut the deficit necessary. Asked how he would respond to the Tory charge that voters should not ‘give the keys back to the guy who crashed the car’, Mr Balls added: ‘All of us in our lives get things right, but all of us make some mistakes, and the last Labour government didn't regulate the financial services in a tough enough way. ‘But we've learnt from that and we'll come in not just with experience, not just some wisdom which comes from that experience, but with utter determination to make this country fairer and stronger for the future.’ A Government source said scrapping the marriage tax allowance would save under £500 million a year, a fraction of the £2 billion a year cost of introducing a new 10p tax band covering the first £1,000 of earnings. ‘Once again Ed Balls’ sums simply don’t add up. His latest gimmick would mean £1.5 billion more spending, more borrowing and more taxes to pay for it,’ the source said. ‘Nothing changes – it’s the same old Labour with no long-term economic plan to secure a better future for Britain.’ Labour has previously suggested it would also use the proceeds of a new mansion tax on properties worth £2 million or more to fund a 10p rate. Gordon Brown scrapped the 10p rate in his last Budget, and all those who used to pay it now pay no tax at all because of the coalition’s new £10,000 tax threshold. | Shadow chancellor vows to tear up recognition of marriage in tax system .
Says he would use the money to fund reintroduction of 10p tax band .
Iain Duncan Smith accuses Labour of 'penalising stable families' |
140,581 | 41c85823949666d77e16e75f5bb51cfa7ce4159b | By . Amy Oliver . PUBLISHED: . 09:57 EST, 21 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:08 EST, 21 November 2012 . Defence: Ashley Gill-Webb, 34, from South Millford, Leeds, was 'mentally unwell' at the time of the bottle-throwing incident, his legal team have claimed . A father of two who hurled a bottle onto the track moments before Usain Bolt’s iconic 100m Olympic victory was 'mentally unwell' at the time, his legal team have claimed. Ashley Gill-Webb, 34, is accused of barging to the front of the stadium and hurling a barrage of abuse before throwing the green, plastic bottle at the sprinters. Gill-Webb, from South Millford, Leeds, was due to stand trial over the incident in September after pleading not guilty to using threatening words or behaviour with intent. However, this was later abandoned after he was sectioned under the mental health act. An alternative charge was added during the hearing at Thames Magistrates' Court today which alleges that Gill-Webb did cause the . distress but without the intent. He indicated a not . guilty plea. District Judge Jacqueline Comyns agreed to put Gill-Webb's trial off until January to give the defence time to gather psychiatric report. She said: 'He (Gill-Webb) is admitting that he did the act but . it is a question of whether he was aware of what is in the charge or . whether he intended it in the other charge.' 'All it comes down to in effect is whether he knew what he was doing.' The judge also warned: 'I am not having this trial vacated, if he is not ready then that is unfortunate.' Gill-Webb, who was banned from all Olympic . venues after the incident, is still receiving mental health treatment at the Bootham Park Hospital, in York, the court heard. Today, wearing a black suit with white shirt and blue tie, he sat blinking and looking nervously around the courtroom during the short hearing. Defending, Thomas Barley said: 'The trial issue is essentially at the time of the offence Mr Gill-Webb’s mental state.' 'It seems now that this is plainly to be a case where the actual physical behaviour of Mr Gill-Webb isn’t going to be in dispute, the defence are not going to be asking for any prosecution witnesses to be called.' As it happened: The green bottle can be seen bouncing next to Jamaica's Yohan Blake (third left) in this picture of the 100m Olympic sprint from August 5 . Intervention: Dutch World Judo champion Edith Bosch, who intervened during the stadium incident, will no longer have to travel from Amsterdam to give evidence against Gill-Webb . This means that Dutch World Judo . champion Edith Bosch, who intervened during the stadium incident, will . no longer have to travel from Amsterdam to give evidence against him. Bosch . has described how she was standing close by when a green plastic drink . bottle was thrown from the stands behind the start line. The 32-year-old judoka tweeted at the time: 'A drunken spectator threw a bottle onto the track! I HAVE BEATEN HIM... unbelievable.' Explaining the message, she later described how she saw a man who was having 'behaviour problems' and 'pushed him away hard'. 'I did like any other person would have done, I corrected it. I just said, "Man, you’re crazy, what are you doing?",' she said. 'We are here for Olympic heroes, people who are performing on the highest level, and we have to honour them, not disrespect them.' She added: 'The one thing I’m most sad about is, due to all the commotion, due to this guy, I missed out on the 100m.' Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won the race in 9.63 seconds, said he had been unaware of the incident. U.S. sprinter Justin Gatlin, who took bronze, said: 'It was a little distraction and I didn’t know what it was. But when you’re in those blocks and the whole stadium’s quiet, you can hear a pin drop.' He said the incident had not affected the race: 'You just have to block it out and go out there and do what you got to do.' And Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake said: 'I was so focused I didn’t see anything. I was so focused on just running to the line.' Gill-Webb was bailed to live at his home address or the hospital, and a condition not to enter any Olympic venues was removed. Unfazed: Usain Bolt, left, who won the 100m race, said he had not noticed the bottle, while his countryman Yohan Blake, right, said he was 'so focused' on the finish line he hadn't seen the bottle either . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Ashley Gill-Webb was due to stand trial in September after pleading not guilty to using threatening words or behaviour with intent .
This was abandoned after he was sectioned under mental health act .
Alternative charge added at hearing today which alleges Gill-Webb did cause distress but without intent .
He indicated a not .
guilty plea to second charge .
Gill-Webb still receiving mental health treatment at Bootham Park Hospital, York . |
260,762 | ddb0897adcb935211365b94289cdd56bec8df107 | By . Emma Glanfield for MailOnline . A 'hyper-sexualised' security guard who groped women as he carried out searches at an airport has been jailed after telling one he 'knew she wanted it'. Married Mark Benson, 51, tried to kiss and grope his victims as he carried out searches at Leeds Bradford Airport and even put his hands inside their clothing. Leeds Crown Court heard he also made unwanted sexual advances to female members of staff in locker rooms or other staff areas while they were alone. Security guard Mark Benson, 51, tried to kiss and grope his victims as he searched them at Leeds Bradford Airport (above) and even put his hands inside their clothing. He admitted seven offences of sexual assault . Benson, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, was jailed for 70 weeks yesterday after pleading guilty to seven offences of sexual assault. Jon Gregg, prosecuting, said Benson tricked two of his victims into giving him their mobile phone numbers before sending them sexually explicit messages. He then told one of his victims he 'knew she wanted it' and said he knew of somewhere they could go where there were no CCTV cameras. The woman told Benson he was old enough to be her father and was married but he still persisted, the court heard. Mr Gregg said: 'Undaunted by that, he unzipped her coat and tried to undo her blouse buttons. 'All the while she was trying to pull his arm away and mentioning his wife. He said she would never find out.' The court was told one of Benson's victims had to undergo counselling as a result of her ordeal. After being arrested, he initially denied the offences and claimed the allegations against him were made up. Leeds Crown Court heard how Benson also made unwanted sexual advances to female members of staff in while they were alone. He was jailed for 70 weeks and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for two years . Tony Kellbrick, defending, said: 'For reasons he can't explain he has become hyper-sexualised and he is not willing or able to admit it. 'What I am seeking to do on this defendant's behalf is suggest that, for some obscure reason that he cannot fully understand or accept is that he suddenly thinks he is God's gift to the female half of the race and here he is seeking emotional and sexual attention from them. 'He has lost his job, he has lost his wife and he has lost his home. He is on job seekers allowance. In some ways he is the author of his own downfall.' Judge Penelope Belcher said the offences could only be met with an immediate custody as they were too serious to be dealt with by a community-punishment. Benson was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for two years. | Mark Benson, 51, tried to kiss and grope victims during searches at airport .
He made unwanted sexual advances and put his hands inside their clothing .
Told one victim he 'knew she wanted it' and said they could go to quiet area .
Jailed for 70 weeks after pleading guilty to seven offences of sexual assault . |
168,994 | 66a18c401f207da512fbefa84739aecb1b40c811 | Monday's Europa League might not have been the main event in Nyon but it still managed to throw-up some intriguing knockout ties for Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Celtic. All four British clubs face tough last 32 matches as they battle to make it all the way to next May's final in Warsaw - a match which now has the added prize of a Champions League spot for the winners. With the Reds coming up against Turkish giants Besiktas, Spurs facing Italian outfit Fiorentina, Everton travelling to Switzerland to take on Young Boys and Celtic and Inter Milan playing out a repeat of the 1976 European Cup final, Sportsmail takes a closer look at the next stage of the Europa League. The winners of the Europa League will win this trophy and a spot in next season's Champions League . LIVERPOOL vs BESIKTAS . Will Liverpool be happy with the draw? Sort of. Brendan Rodgers will be pleased to avoid former Reds boss Rafa Benitez and his Napoli side, while Inter Milan, Fiorentina, Sporting Lisbon and Zenit St Petersburg would all have provided stern tests. But Besiktas, who won their group ahead of Tottenham, will not be a pushover and could cause the out-of-form Merseysiders problems, particularly in Turkey. Steven Gerrard and his Liverpool team-mates were dumped out of the Champions League early on . Star man - Demba Ba . Former Chelsea and Newcastle striker Ba has been in excellent form for Besiktas since swapping London for Istanbul last summer. The 29-year-old netted five goals in four group stage appearances and will be keen to impress against Premier League opposition in February next year. Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba (second from left) will be a threat against Liverpool in February . Have they met before? Yes. The two teams came up against each other in the group stage of the Champions in 2007-08, with the Reds losing 2-1 in Turkey before thrashing Besiktas 8-0 at Anfield. Peter Crouch scores Liverpool's opening goal in their 8-0 demolition of Besiktas in 2007 . EVERTON vs YOUNG BOYS . Will Everton be happy with the draw? Yes. Considering the Toffees could have drawn Roma, Ajax and Sevilla, facing the Swiss side gives Roberto Martinez's men a fantastic chance of reaching the last 16. Everton boss Roberto Martinez will be pleased with his side's draw against Young Boys of Switzerland . Star man - Guillaume Hoarau . With five goals in six Europa League group games, Hoarau will pose the biggest threat to Everton's chances of advancing further in the competition. The former Paris Saint-Germain striker, who has five caps for France, is will be looking to make an impression when Young Boys host their Premier League counterparts on February 19. Have they met before? No. February's two-legged tie will be the first time the two sides have clashed. Young Boys striker Guillaume Hoarau (right) will be keen to continue his form in the Europa League . TOTTENHAM vs FIORENTINA . Will Tottenham be happy with the draw? Not really. The trip to Florence will be tough, particularly given the hostile atmosphere created at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Spurs could have faced Club Brugges, Red Bull Salzburg and Legia Warsaw, all of which would've been easier ties on paper. Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen (L-R) can expect a trip to Italy in February . Star man - Juan Cuadrado . Heavily linked with the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United last summer, Cuadrado has continued to impress for the Italian outfit this season. The Colombian international has struck four goals in Serie A and the Europa League this term and also has three assists to his name. Juan Cuadrado (right), pictured in action against Juventus, is Fiorentina's most wanted player . Have they met before? Never. The first-leg at White Hart Lane on February 19 will be their first ever meeting. CELTIC vs INTER MILAN . Will Celtic be happy with the draw? It could’ve been a lot worse for Celtic, but they won’t be overly confident of upsetting the odds against one of Europe’s biggest names, even if Inter have fallen on tough times recently. Celtic are drawn to play Inter Milan during the Europa League last 32 draw in Nyon, Switzerland, on Monday . Star man - Samir Handanovic . It’s coming to something when your goalkeeper is a definite star man, but Handanovic is the only player to consistently put in decent performances and who genuinely could earn a move elsewhere. Have they met before? Celtic’s greatest night in their history came against Inter back in 1967. The Lisbon Lions defeat the Italian giants 2-1 in the European Cup final on an evening to have gone down in folklaw. Inter have never beaten the Bhoys, with the pair drawing both games in 1972. Celtic players celebrate Steve Chalmers' winning goal in the 1967 European Cup final against Inter Milan . | Liverpool will face Besiktas in the last 16 of the Europa League .
Everton take on Young Boys and Tottenham go up against Fiorentina .
Celtic play Inter Milan in a repeat of the 1967 European Cup final . |
119,997 | 271812ff4e8558903e3e111320ec1febf33bed5b | Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons on Saturday when he was given a straight red card for kicking out at Edimar Fraga during Real Madrid's 2-1 win over Cordoba. Ronaldo, who also appeared to slap fullback Jose Crespo during the match, has clearly had better days at the office and looks set for a minimum two game ban for his antics. But it's not the first time the explosive attacker has seen red, as Sportsmail takes a look a look back the Portuguese winger's fiery side. Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is shown red following an altercation during the games against Cordoba . Ronaldo kicks out at Cordoba's Edima Fraga before being sent off at the Nuevo Arcangel Stadium . A frustrated Ronaldo appears to lash out at Cordoba defender Jose Angel Crespo during the 2-1 win . Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester United . After scoring twice on the final day of the 2004 season, Ronaldo was sent off after receiving two yellow cards for simulation. However, his first booking was retrospectively rescinded meaning he did not serve a suspension. Ronaldo opened the scoring Against Aston Villa in 2004 but was later sent off during the game at Villa Park . Ronaldo was sent off for two cases of simulation against Aston Villa but later saw them rescinded . Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United . Cristiano was shown a straight red card in the derby with Manchester City following a late challenge on ex United player Andy Cole. It was to prove costly as United went on to lose the derby 3-1 with Darius Vassell and Trevor Sinclair among the goals. A fresh faced Ronaldo is given his marching orders by referee Steve Bennett during the Manchester derby . Portsmouth 1-1 Manchester United . Ronaldo received a red card and a three match ban after appearing to headbutt Portsmouth midfielder Richard Hughes during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at Fratton Park. Ronaldo fails to enjoy his day by the seaside as he is shown a red card against Portsmouth . Ronaldo grapples with Matt Taylor before being given his marching orders during United's draw at Fratton Park . Manchester City 0-1 Manchester United . Yet another Manchester derby provided yet another red card for Ronaldo. The Portuguese ace was sent for an early bath having received a yellow card for handball and another for a trip on Shaun Wright-Phillips. However, this time the decision didn't prove costly as United held on for the win. Ronaldo is yet again given his marching orders in the Manchester derby, this time by Howard Webb . Real Madrid 4-2 Almeria . Ronaldo’s first red card in La Liga came on a day of mixed fortunes for the former United man. His red was the result of two late bookings at home to Almeria. He also missed a penalty and scored as Real Madrid won 4-2. The referee shows Ronaldo the red card during the 4-2 win against Almeria . Ronaldo vies with Almeria's Brazilian goalkeeper Diego Alves before being shown a red card . An angry Ronaldo squares up to opposition player Ander Iturraspe at the San Mames stadium . Real Madrid 2-0 Malaga . What should have been a happy occasion for Ronaldo turned sour, as despite scoring both goals in the game, Ronaldo was shown red against Malaga as he elbowed midfielder Patrick Mtiliga in the face. Ronaldo his given his marching orders in 2010 during the game against Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu . An early bath is on the cards for Ronaldo as referee Perez Laza shows him red in the games against Malaga . Real Madrid 1-2 Atletico Madrid . Tempers flared as Real were beaten by rivals Atletico for the first time in 14 years. Ronaldo was shown a straight red after kicking out at Atletico captain Gabi. The former United ace receives yet another derby red card as he is sent off against Atletico Madrid . Athletic Club 1-1 Real Madrid . Cristiano received a three game ban in February 2014 when he collided with Bilbao defender Carlos Gurpegi. He was visibly angry with the referee and shown a straight red card. Straight down the tunnel: Ronaldo heads for an early exit following his dismissal against Athletic Club . | Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off for kicking Cordoba's Edimar Fraga .
Portuguese ace also appeared to lash out at Jose Crespo during the game .
Ronaldo faces a minimum two game ban following his dismissal .
Real Madrid went on to win the game 2-1 thanks to a Gareth Bale penalty . |
155,515 | 5501c3093668706d3ebd233a6a412e8660b9fe5b | The number of guns and amount of alcohol being smuggled into the country through UK airports has risen sharply, new research reveals. The figures show that in 2013/14, 605 firearms were seized by UK border staff, a rise from the 412 of the previous year and 316 in 2011/12. And there has been an overall rise in confiscated alcohol in comparison to previous years. Sharp rise: The graph shows that more guns have been seized in the past year than in previous years . 2013/14 has seen 56.5m litres of beer, wines and spirits confiscated - a dramatic leap from the 46m litres and just over 35m seized in 2011/12 and 2010/11 respectively. Cigarette figures have drastically reduced, compared to 2010/11's 650m to last year's 318m. The figures also showed some rather unusual seizures including nine grey francolin birds, 13 San Salvador rock iguanas. 15 kilos of ivory and 400 fake England football shirts. The figures were revealed by Essex-based freight company Barrington Freight who filed a Freedom of Information request . The number of illegal substances being brought into the country has doubled, the research revealed . The figures were revealed by Essex-based freight company Barrington Freight who filed a Freedom of Information request. Their research also found that desperate smugglers went to the extent of weaving heroin into baskets and stuffing 1.1kg of cannabis into a box of cookies. 'Border Force plays a key role in the fight to stop the importation and exportation of illegal and restricted goods entering the UK,' said a spokesman told The Telegraph. 'Our measures are working – we are hitting our targets on seizures of high priority goods including firearms and alcohol. These seizures in turn help to combat the organised crime and corruption that often accompanies the trade in illegal goods.' | Research highlights the number of illegal imports flooding into Britain .
Unusual items confiscated include 13 rock iguanas and nine francolin birds .
Desperate smugglers weave heroin into carpets and hide birds in suitcases . |
255,895 | d73440cd6313548485b80311779983ad4a1842ee | Jerusalem (CNN) -- The body shrouded in white with blue trim passed through the crowd of mourners who wept openly. Hearts broke as a small child was held up to kiss his deceased father goodbye for the last time. The boy was one of five children suddenly left fatherless. Eviatar Borovsky, 31, had no idea his life would end Tuesday at the beginning of his day. Israeli police say he was attacked at 8:30 in the morning doing the most mundane of tasks, waiting at his local bus stop. He died a violent death. Borovsky was a Jewish settler living on land in the West Bank that Palestinians say was stolen from them. He lived in the Itzar settlement, a community known to foster hard-core Jewish believers who have often clashed with their Palestinian neighbors. Borovsky thought where he lived was dangerous enough to carry a gun. Police say he had it on him when he was attacked but it ended up being used against him. Police say a Palestinian who had just been released from an Israeli prison for stone throwing attacked Borovsky by stabbing him three times, then snatched Borovsky's gun and shot him with it. It happened feet away from a checkpoint, under the watching eye of a watchtower. Other settlers who live in the area said they had been warning the government for a while that they needed more protection against Palestinian attacks. "We are in an area where there are security threats. This is not the first time that a Jewish resident has been targeted by terrorism. Just a few months back there was a similar attack a teenage boy was also stabbed," said settler David Ha'ivri. In March 2011, Udi and Ruth Fogel and three of their children were killed in the West Bank. The tension between Palestinians and settlers in the West Bank are suddenly on high again. Retaliation for harm done by one community to another is a fixture of life. It is almost as certain as Newton's law: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The reaction came when young Jewish settlers began setting fires around the closest Palestinian village, Asira al-Qibliya. The settlers also lashed out by throwing rocks, by hand and slingshot, at the Palestinian villagers living below. Authorities said the Palestinian suspected in the killing wasn't from the village being targeted. But that didn't seem to matter. The Israeli army showed up and for a time played a cat and mouse game with settlers who were setting fires, throwing stones and running away. It was just a year ago Asira al-Qibliya was the scene of a shooting in plain sight of Israeli soldiers. A settler injured a Palestintian man in that incident. A Palestinian mother whose home happens to be on the front line of the war over land in that area took video of the May 2012 incident. She was out on her roof again this year watching as tear gas, stones and fires erupted below her. Her outer walls show scars of past battles. She begins to cry because she says she doesn't want her children to have to live in fear. "It is a very difficult life, it's a life of suffering and always living in fear. I get agitated," said Khader Maklouf. "I can't speak when I see my children, my daughters, afraid. It is something very difficult." Residents say the difficulties had subsided for a time after the Israeli army moved into a small outpost over looking the area. Now both communities fear a return to a life where violence is the norm -- not the exception. A second stabbing incident . Another stabbing took place Tuesday in the Jersualem neighborhood of Mea Shearim, Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. The assailants who stabbed a Palestinian man fled the scene, Rosenfeld said. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment. Gaza airstrike . An Israeli airstrike in Gaza targeted a man suspected of taking part in the Eilat attack earlier this month, the Israeli military said. Israel Defense Forces said it targeted 24-year-old Hithem Ziad Ibrahim Masshal in the strike, and that "a direct hit was confirmed." But Ashraf Al Qudra, spokesman for the Palestinian health minister in Gaza, said the strike killed a 29-year-old hospital security officer riding on a motorbike. Another person riding on the bike was seriously wounded, medics said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said militant rocket attacks, like the one that prompted the Israeli airstrike, aren't acceptable and won't be tolerated. "We will act, and are acting, in order to defend Israeli citizens," he said Tuesday. CNN's Kareem Khadder, Michael Schwartz and Saad Abedine contributed to this report. | Police: Palestinian man kills an Israeli settler in the West Bank .
Assailants stab a Palestinian man in a Jerusalem neighborhood .
Israeli says it makes a "direct hit" on a suspected terrorist in Gaza .
A Palestinian says the airstrike killed a hospital security officer . |
38,904 | 6df0f00eeb0ecce2ce31dc3a90213b04671319b9 | By . James Rush . This public toilet is clearly not for everybody desperate to spend a penny. The local council has been flooded with complaints from larger locals who say they are unable to get through the 20-inch doors to access the facility. Authorities in the city of Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province, said they decided to install the toilet there more than 20 years ago because of an urgent need for more public facilities. A city council in China has been flooded with complaints from larger locals who have said they are unable to get through the thin doors of these toilets . But they claim it has only become more of a problem because people are now more overweight. There is only enough space in the corridor for a single person to go in and out of the toilet at any one time, while queues can form during winter as people try to force themselves in while wearing thick jumpers and woolly coats. Local council official Guang Yao, whose department operates the toilet, said they had decided to put the toilet there two decades ago because there was an urgent need for more public facilities but there was very little space. He said: 'It was less of a problem then because people were not so overweight as they are now, and there was not so many people using it so they had time to come in and go out. There is only enough space in the corridor for a single person to go in and out of the toilet at any one time, while queues can form during winter as people try to force themselves in while wearing thick jumpers and woolly coats . 'We have tried several times to modify the toilet to make it more convenient but there really is not space to do very much, and we decided to leave it because it's better to have a facility that some people can use occasionally rather than nothing at all. 'The bottom line is that land is very scarce here in the district and our options are very limited. 'Because there are a lot of residential properties here in the area a lot of people walk past, and the toilet is in great demand even if it's not available to everyone.' | Authorities in Chengdu, China, decided to install toilet there 20 years ago .
They say it was less of a problem then as 'people were not so overweight'
'It's better to have a facility that some people can use occasionally rather than nothing at all', they claim . |
239,188 | c1a9f46fd552d9b53f38315c8843377428e3a238 | By . Brendan Carlin . PUBLISHED: . 06:18 EST, 30 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:00 EST, 2 December 2013 . Tory MP Tim Yeo is fighting to save his political career after being dropped from his local party's next general election campaign . A Tory MP under fire over his outside interests is fighting for his political career after local party activists refused to re-adopt him as their General Election candidate. Former Environment Minister Tim Yeo, who earlier this year fought off allegations of improper lobbying for a solar energy firm, has been deselected by the Tory association in his Suffolk South constituency. Mr Yeo, 68, who has been an MP for 30 years, is said to be ‘considering his position’ after the decision by his local party’s executive committee. The MP, who served as Environment Minister in John Major’s government, had a 8,600 majority in 2010. But reports yesterday suggested some local Tory activists felt he had not done enough in the constituency since the last Election. Mr Yeo has only recently been reinstated as chairman of the influential Commons’ Energy and Climate Committee after being involved in a newspaper sting last June by reporters posing as solar energy firm representatives looking to hire him at £7,000 a day. He denied any wrong-doing, and was cleared by the cross-party Standards Committee of any breach of lobbying rules. Mr Yeo had been forced to stand down as chairman of the Energy and Climate Change Committee amid allegations of lobbying but was reinstated after an inquiry ruled he did nothing wrong . Mr . Yeo faced calls to give up his energy committee role last year after . it emerged he reaped nearly £140,000 a year from work linked to green . companies. Mr Yeo was not . available for comment last night. But his local party confirmed that it . had ‘voted not to re-adopt Tim Yeo for the 2015 Election’. It added: ‘Mr Yeo is now considering his position.’ | Tim Yeo 'considering options' after decision by South Suffolk Conservatives .
They voted not to re-adopt the MP for the 2015 general election .
In June he was caught in a newspaper sting and accused of lobbying .
But he was cleared last week and reinstated as head of energy committee .
Mr Yeo has been an MP for three decades and won a huge majority in 2010 . |
265,501 | e3dc25f1d3b2ddfb7f8e67b205f3bf1c646232ae | Dreams of airships that float through the skies have been largely confined to the scrap heap in recent times. But now a Chinese engineer obsessed with the idea of reinventing the airship has unveiled an 'indestructible' inflatable plane that can be folded up and put in a suitcase when not needed. He says his plane could be used for a variety of missions and, what's more, it won't break if it falls out of the sky. Scroll down for video . Chinese engineer obsessed with the idea of reinventing the airship has unveiled an 'indestructible' inflatable plane that can be folded up and put in a suitcase when not needed. Pictured is the Chinese engineer Zhang Bingyan showing his design at the Tianjin International UAV Exhibition . Zhang Bingyan, 69, started working on his designs as an engineer with the Henan Normal University in Xinxiang, China in 1993. He has now unveiled the results of more than 20 years of research in creating a 'soft body aeroplane' at the Tianjin International UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Exhibition. His designs, looking a bit like an inflatable lilo, have nothing inside them but air. A human-like ‘skin’ for aircraft - allowing them to detect any damage and ‘feel’ the world around them - is being developed by British experts. Engineers at BAE Systems’ Advanced Technology Centre are investigating a ‘smart skin’ concept which could be embedded with tens of thousands of micro-sensors. When applied to an aircraft, it will enable it to sense wind speed, temperature, physical strain and movement, far more accurately than current sensor technology allows. The revolutionary ‘smart skin’ concept will enable aircraft to continually monitor their health, reporting back on potential problems before they become significant. The plane, called the Sf-1, has an average speed of 120 miles (120km) per hour and can fly up to 3,000 metres (10,000ft) with a maximum load of 25 kg (55lbs). Aside from the engine that powers a rear-mounted propeller and wheels at the bottom the entire vehicle is made of a rubber composite and a high-strength fibre material. The flexibility of the plane also means that, even if it falls from the sky, it will likely survive an impact with the ground. It costs between £20,000 and £30,000 ($32,400 and $48,600) to make. One of the designs was able to reach spectacular speeds of up to 120 miles (190km) per hour, weighing 90kg (200lbs) with a six-metre (20ft) wingspan. 'I developed a special high-strength fibre material which has a tensile strength of 10 to 15 times that of steel,' he said. 'No matter what happens, the aircraft will not be damaged in a collision under any circumstances and that's the best way to protect human life.' The plane can reach spectacular speeds of up to 120 miles (190 km) per hour, with one of his designs weighing just 90 kg (200 lbs) and with a six-metre (20 ft) wingspan. 'I developed a special high-strength fibre material which has a tensile strength of 10 to 15 times that of steel,' Bingyan said. Pictured here is the engine of the inflatable plane created by Chinese engineer Zhang Bingyan . Zhang Bingyan graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology in the 1960s and was later assigned to the Chinese Commission of Science and Technology and Industry for National Defence to be engaged in engine research. His latest design, which is the culmination of all of his work so far, is effectively an inflatable aircraft that because of its lightweight design, compared with a normal aircraft, has a big load capacity. It also has good flexibility and, as with his earlier designs, high impact resistance. He said it can be used for low speed and low altitude navigation, aerial surveys and remote sensing. The plane, called the Sf-1, has an average speed of 12 miles (20 km) per hour and can fly up to 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) with a maximum load of 25 kg (55 lbs) The flexibility of the plane also means that if it falls from the sky it will likely survive the impact with the ground . | Chinese engineer Zhang Bingyan has unveiled his novel plane design .
Called the Sf-1 the aircraft is made of a rubber composite material .
It has a maximum speed of 120 miles (190km) per hour and can fly up to 3,000 metres (10,000ft) with a load of 25 kg (55lbs)
Bingyan says it could be used for air photography and remote monitoring .
The flexibility of the plane also means it will survive falls from a great height . |
278,291 | f4816852809cca56f703b970994896b0a4beade5 | Holidaymakers will spend nearly £1,220 on their main break next year and are planning to throw in an additional trip away from home, new research has revealed. With the average Briton planning three trips instead of two in 2015, travellers are expected to spend nine per cent more on their main holiday compared to 2014, according to the study. And it should come as no surprise that a typical British holiday next year will be a ten-day trip to a Spanish beach resort. A typical British overseas holiday in 2015 will be a ten-day trip to a Spanish beach resort, a study says . The study by Travel Supermarket found that the average overseas break will involve a couple flying to Spain in June and spending a total of £1,218.52. That includes £707.24 from their savings account to pay for flights, transport and accommodation, leaving them with £511.28 spending money. But staycations will be most common with 32 per cent of respondents saying their main holiday will be in the UK. For those who are heading abroad, Spain remains the most popular spot outside the UK - with 12 per cent of adults saying they plan to go there next year, down from 13 per cent in 2014. A third more holidaymakers (16 per cent) are looking for adventure trips compared to last year . Source: Travel Supermarket . Beach breaks remain the top holiday choice for 2015 (29 per cent), but more tourists (12 per cent) will be embarking on cultural city breaks than in recent years. Adventure, luxury and city breaks as well as all-inclusive trips are also becoming more popular. A third more holidaymakers (16 per cent) are looking for adventure trips compared to last year, a 12 per cent increase, with only 10 per cent planning to pay for a cottage or villa rental. In search of comfort, 15 per cent of Brits will be treating themselves to a luxury trip (a 36 per cent increase on last year), while 17 per cent will opt for all-inclusive breaks - up 31 per cent on last year. Holiday destinations have remained largely unchanged for the past four years with Turkey and Portugal still making the top ten despite decreasing in popularity by one per cent. The Caribbean is the only new location to enter Travel Supermarket's list of the top destinations for 2015 . The US (eight per cent), France (five per cent) and Italy (three per cent) are also on travellers' check lists as places to visit next year. The Caribbean is the only new location to enter the top ten destinations for 2015 with two per cent planning to spend their main holiday there. One in ten (nine per cent) are planning to holiday alone and nine per cent of adults have said they will be holidaying with parents. Travel Supermarket's annual Travel Trends Tracker found consumer confidence is rising, with those looking to go away having three breaks instead of two - the average number of holidays since the tracker started four years ago. More tourists (12 per cent) will be embarking on cultural city breaks than in recent years, says the study . Bob Atkinson, travel expert from Travel Supermarket, said: ‘Holiday habits are often a reflection of consumer confidence and the results of our Travel Trends Tracker indicate that the mood of the nation is becoming more positive. ‘We're seeing people starting to spend more on their main break, go away more often on holidays and even book more luxurious and costly trips. ‘While Spain continues to be a firm favourite, holidaymakers are now seeking more than just a “fly and flop” in a sunny clime, whether it's trekking in the Himalayas, bungee jumping in New Zealand, or soaking up the culture in a city like Berlin. ‘As the festive period comes to an end, now is the time for Brits to get in early to get the best deals for their 2015 holidays. ‘Looking around both on and offline and comparing your options will help you get the best value for money on a huge variety of trips, whether it's a short city break, your annual family break or something more luxurious or unusual as a treat.’ | Travel Supermarket study says average Briton is planning three breaks .
More than 30% of those polled say they are planning a staycation .
Spain remains the most popular destination outside of the UK .
It is followed by the US, France and Italy, according to the study . |
51,662 | 9243259c7c77d25bc6a7bb803a299eea2ded7c9a | By . Simon Tomlinson . and Lucy Crossley . Banned: Gosport mayor Wayne Ronayne and his partner Paula Carter have been banned from the town's pubs following alcohol-fuelled celebrations just hours after they were sworn in to their new roles . A new mayor and mayoress have been barred from all the pubs in their town following alcohol-fuelled celebrations just hours after they were sworn in to their new roles. Tory councillor Wayne Ronayne and partner Paula Carter were ordered out of one pub and barred entry to a second in Gosport, Hampshire. Ms Carter, 54, is alleged to have shouted ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ and threatened to use her new powers to shut down the first pub as she was escorted out. Both pubs complained and Mayor Ronayne, 54, has now been given a six-month ban by the town's Pub Watch from 36 establishments in Gosport. Ms Carter has been barred for 12 months. Police were called to the Wetherspoons Star pub in Gosport just hours after the couple had been sworn in to their new prestigious public roles. It is thought an argument broke out when staff asked the boozy party to leave. As they were being removed Ms Carter allegedly threatened to get the pub closed down. The group left and tried to enter the nearby Nelson's Bar but were refused and the mayoress reportedly made a similar threat to bouncers - and even asked 'do you know who I am?' Stephen Brown, duty manager at Nelson's, said: 'She said to me "do you know who I am?". 'I said "no, I don't" and she said "I'm the mayoress of Gosport I can have you closed down". 'I politely said she still wouldn’t be coming in, she was clearly drunk and then continued to be rude and had to be dragged away by one of the other members.' Nelson's owner, Arthur Caraccio, has released CCTV footage of Ms Carter arguing with staff and doormen. He . said: 'We’ve just spent a lot of money making this place nice, and I’m . not having anyone come and threaten my business, especially not some . jumped-up Mayor’s wife. 'It’s the sort of behaviour we wouldn’t tolerate from anybody, let alone public servants. 'They’re meant to hold themselves up as a standard for the type of behaviour they want to see. 'If the Mayor of Gosport is a drunk, that says a lot about the town.' Drinker Richard Horn, 34, saw police arrive and ask the group to leave. He said: 'Gosport’s got a bad enough reputation through historical things without this making it even worse.' Gosport Pub Watch are now going to speak to the borough council about the shocking incident. Chairman Phil Cox said: 'Everybody is treated the same. 'People need to be treating licensees and staff with respect. Scene: The group were refused entry to the nearby Nelson's Bar, when the mayoress reportedly asked 'do you know who I am?' 'But we don’t expect the mayor of Gosport, who represents our town, to be involved in incidents like this.' Mayor Ronayne has branded the claims 'absolute nonsense', and said he was not aware that any ban had been put in place. He did not respond to MailOnline's request for comment today, but said at the weekend: 'I’m not aware of that at this point of time. 'I’m unaware of anything that happened.' Gosport's Lib-Dem leader Cllr Peter Chegwyn said: 'It’s unbelievable. He should resign as mayor and from the council.' Tory leader Cllr Mark Hook said Pub Watch had acted as 'judge and jury' but believes the mayor and mayoress need 'to do a lot of soul searching' over their future. Gosport Borough Council has declined to comment on the allegations. Former serviceman Mayor Ronayne worked in the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy for 34 years before being elected to local council in May 2010 and becoming deputy mayor last year. In the May 22 election, he narrowly retained his seat in the Christchurch Ward, by just 16 votes. 'We’ve just spent a lot of money making this place nice, and I’m . not having anyone come and threaten my business, especially not some . jumped-up Mayor’s wife' Pub owner Arthur Caraccio . Mayor Ronayne bills himself as a 'family man' with three sons on the Gosport Conservatives website, and reveals he has a Masters in Leadership and Management. He adds: 'My main field of expertise is the development, leadership and management of "people". 'This being gained from my long experience of maintaining and improving the morale and effectiveness of naval personnel. 'My current mission is to fully utilise the superb training and experience I gained as a servicemen to improve and maintain the quality of life for the people of Gosport in all areas of the community.' The Mayor of Gosport website, Mayor Ronayne’s personal Facebook page and his partner’s Facebook accounts have been taken down following the incident. Locals took to social media to blast the Mayor and his partner for 'dragging down' Gosport, after last Wednesday’s behaviour. In a post on the Star's Facebook page Mr Horn said: 'It’s so disappointing to see people who represent Gosport, who should be setting an example, drag it down.' He added: 'Everyone desires to let they hair down and relax - I agree, but people should not be abusive to staff who are just doing a job. 'People in public office, or in the public eye, need to have a private life too - I agree, but when you mention who you are and your title then you are back “on duty” and in this case representing the Mayor of Gosport’s office. 'I sincerely hope that the actions of these representatives of Gosport Borough Council do not take away from the hard work that a lot of local civil servants do. 'I’m sure JD Wetherspoons will back they staff 100 per cent and congratulate them for having to deal with this incident in the professional way they did.' Jason Searle wrote: 'Need him gone for sure!' Brian Grimmet added: 'After the disgraceful behaviour of the Mayor and Mayoress. 'These people are not fit to hold office.' | Wayne Ronayne given six-month ban by Pub Watch from 36 pubs in Gosport .
His partner Paula Carter, 54, barred for 12 months after alleged outburst .
Ms Carter accused of shouting 'Don't you know who I am?'
It is also alleged she threatened to shut down pub with her new powers .
Police called to Wetherspoons pub hours after couple sworn in to new roles .
Mayor, 54, has branded claims 'nonsense' and denies knowledge of ban . |
104,796 | 133152df26d764babe8619ab05cfcd11c9dac069 | (CNN)The Grateful Dead is planning on making one final splash -- or should that be "Ripple"? The venerable San Francisco band is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its formation with a three-day stand at Chicago's Soldier Field on July 3, 4 and 5, it said in a news release. The band's last concert took place there 20 years ago. The four original surviving members -- Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir -- will take part, along with Phish's Trey Anastasio and longtime Dead pal Bruce Hornsby. Keyboardist Jeff Chimenti is also participating. Guitarist Jerry Garcia died in 1995. The band has also lost other members, including Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, a singer, organist and harmonica player who died in 1973, and keyboardist Keith Godchaux, who died in 1980. The band, commonly known as "the Dead," formed in San Francisco in 1965, part of that city's growing rock 'n' roll counterculture scene along with Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company and the Charlatans. It developed a hardcore fanbase of Deadheads thanks to tireless touring and a close-knit, open-minded culture. Its songs include "Ripple," "Uncle John's Band," "Truckin'," "Box of Rain" and "Touch of Grey." The latter is the Dead's only Top 10 hit. "It is with respect and gratitude that we reconvene the Dead one last time to celebrate -- not merely the band's legacy, but also the community that we've been playing to, and with, for 50 years," Lesh said in the news release. "Wave that flag, wave it wide and high." More information can be found at dead50.net. The Grateful Dead and Bob Weir's long strange trip . | The Grateful Dead is reuniting for three concerts .
The legendary rock group formed 50 years ago in San Francisco . |
165,252 | 61af3a05370c6d7727cbe5f5fef174904c01c896 | This week the Mail serialised intensive care nurse Penny Sartori's new book on Near Death Experiences. The response from readers has been unprecedented, with thousands of you writing in with your own remarkable stories, some of which we published yesterday. Here we share more readers' gripping tales of premonitions and visions. Ghostly visions: Readers say they have seen relatives appear before them at the moment they passed away . Carol Kingston . Carol Kingston, 67, a retired store manager, lives in Milton Keynes with her husband John and has two grown-up children. She says: . It was one o'clock in the morning in May 1982 when the ring of the doorbell woke us up. My husband John went downstairs to answer the door then returned to the bedroom looking miffed, saying nobody was there. For some unknown reason I had a strong sense it was my 25-year-old younger brother Steve. He was in the SAS and based nearby. A few seconds later it rang again and John traipsed back down the stairs. Again, there was nobody there. It buzzed a few more times after that, but we decided to ignore it. At 10am the next morning my father phoned with devastating news. Some officers had arrived to inform him that Steve had been killed in a helicopter crash in the Falklands. At that stage we knew very few details of how he had died but that night my oldest son, Robin, who was then eight, had a dream that his Uncle Steve had risen up out of the water with his arms up and said: 'Don’t worry about me. I'm OK now.' Incredibly, I too had experienced the exact same dream. We later learnt that the helicopter had crashed into the South Atlantic Ocean and Steve had drowned. Juliet Rudkin . Juliet Rudkin, 43, a divorced police officer, lives in Buckinghamshire with her five children: Daniel, 23, Georgina, 19, Andrew, 17, Alex, 13 and David, ten. She says: . In April 2003 I gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby boy who I called David. My then husband Bill and I were over the moon. But when David was just a few months old a horrible, dark feeling crept over me, day and night. I can't explain why but I felt a hideous dread that my son was going to die. I didn't tell anyone because I worried they would think it was postnatal depression, but the feeling persisted. A few months later when my mother, Geraldine, a super-fit 60-year-old, came to my house to take my eldest children to school, I had the strangest experience. As she stood in the hallway waiting to leave I found myself staring at her, unable to look away. She met my gaze and it's hard to explain but it was as though I was looking straight through her eyes and into her soul. She asked me why I was staring at her so strangely and I had to mumble an excuse and look away. After she left, just a few hours later, I received a phone call from Ian, her husband, telling me she had collapsed at home and had been taken to hospital. She died a couple of hours later of a dissecting thoracic aneurysm. I heard myself telling doctors: 'Thank God, I thought it was my baby that was going to die.' Ruth Sheard . Ruth Sheard, 67, a retired mathematics lecturer, lives in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. She says: . I was lying in bed in my home in Wakefield one night in 1991 when I felt a presence in the room. I woke and 'saw' my long dead grandmother Adelaide standing at the foot of my bed. She said: 'The gun fired at this time' and I looked at the bedside clock and noticed it was exactly three o'clock. Then she added: 'It was in the afternoon, not morning. Tell your father.' When I woke the next morning I discovered three small blisters on the outer surface of the bathroom radiator out of which water was seeping. I called a plumber and thought little of it. I visited my 78-year-old father and told him what had happened the night before and his face turned pale. I had always known my grandfather Arthur, his father, had died in the famous naval Battle of Jutland in 1916 but I had failed to recall the date. 'Today is May 31st, 1991,' said my father, his face losing all its colour, 'The 75th anniversary of his death.' Intrigued by my grandmother’s reference to the time, I started to do some research. My grandfather's ship, the Indefatigable, had come under fire from the Germans and after a first volley of three shots hit the deck the ship blew up. The time it happened? Three in the afternoon. When I think of the vision and the number of holes in the radiator, a shiver goes down my spine. Judy Smith . Judy Smith, 66, lives with her husband Alan, in Maldon, Essex. The retired fishmongers have two grown-up children and four grandchildren. She says: . In 1969, when I was 22, I worked in a local branch of a bank in Chelmsford. It was an old building and had a fireplace opposite the tills. It was early afternoon when I looked up and to my great surprise saw my great auntie Lil sitting in a chair 'in' the fireplace. She was looking as she always did, wearing a green dress that I often saw her in and looking content and comfortable. I don’t remember feeling any other emotion other than faint surprise. I wasn't scared but I just thought, 'Oh there's auntie Lil'. She wasn't in solid, human form and I knew somehow I wouldn't be able to touch her. I had worked at the bank for a couple of years already and knew better than to get up from my cashier's desk when I had a queue of people standing in front of me, so I didn't get up. Auntie Lil lived above our family's fishmongers and was still fit and well, despite being in her 80s. I remember she used to pinch our cheeks when she saw us; I was dearly fond of her. I watched my great aunt sitting completely still in the fireplace for a few minutes before she disappeared. She never waved, nor even smiled at me. I just remember her looking in my direction quite serenely. I didn't tell anyone because I was worried they would laugh but minutes later I received a phone call from my mother to tell me Lil had just passed away from old age. I said, 'I know, I have just seen her.' Susan Radwell . Susan Radwell, 60, a psychotherapist, lives with her husband in Oxford. She says: . Because of my job I am used to trying to analyse rationally what goes on in people’s minds. In 1999, however, I had an experience which challenged my view of how the mind works and its capabilities. One night that summer I was lying next to my husband fast asleep at home when at about 2am I was woken by a hand that wasn't my husband’s gently tapping my right shoulder. Sleepily, I opened my eyes and saw Jack, a friend from work, standing in front of me. Days earlier Jack had gone on holiday to Cairo, so I knew it couldn't be him, really. But there he was nonetheless, shimmering, surrounded by a hazy light and wearing a white gown from the neck to the floor. He was smiling at me and looked relaxed and well. By now I was wide awake, my eyes straining to take it all in. I wasn't scared, I just felt reassured and strangely comforted. It's hard to explain, but it was an entirely good, peaceful sensation. He leant forward, gave me a bunch of lilies and left. I calmly fell asleep, not wanting to wake up my husband or share it with him as it had felt like a very personal experience. The next day at lunchtime I got a call from another mutual work friend. She told me Jack had died following a sudden heart attack while on holiday in Cairo. It had happened just hours before he appeared to me. It's hard to explain why he visited me as we had only known each other for three years, and only ever in a work context, but it made me feel more at peace with death. Alan Greaves . Alan Greaves, 62, is a retired senior sales manager who lives in Manchester with his partner Jean, a retired business owner. He has two grown-up sons. He says: . One night in 1983 I woke up having had a nightmare that my neighbour had fallen off my roof and died. I woke up with my heart pounding and my skin covered in sweat, then moments later heard a man's voice that I didn't recognise telling me to lie back down and he would explain the dream. Confused, but keen to find out the meaning, I lay back down and heard the same voice explain slowly and deliberately that it was actually my mother Rachel who was going to die, and that she wasn't going to fall off a roof but give in to illness while surrounded by her family. I asked the voice when, and it said, quite precisely, in three months at 1.30pm. It then told me to go to sleep. I wasn’t scared at all and drifted off straight after. The next day I told my wife Elaine and rang up both my sisters to tell them what I'd heard. Our mother had been ill with Parkinson's disease for four years already but was coping relatively well on her own still. Over the next three months, though, her condition spiralled downhill. The night before the day the dream had told me she would die, I was at her bedside with my three sisters and their husbands and my elder brother. I was crying in the corridor when my brother-in-law put his arm around me. I said it was no good and that I knew she was going to die tomorrow. The next day at 1.15pm her breathing suddenly worsened and she passed away at 1.30pm - the exact time and date that I had predicted three months earlier. Interviews: India Sturgis and Lauren Libbert . | Carole from Milton Keynes dreamt of her brother night he died .
Judy from Essex saw vision of her aunt when she passed away .
Alan from Manchester was told how and when mother would die in a dream . |
99,130 | 0bb06db0965ddb5fa8914a468a00211533957982 | Torrevecchia Teatina, Italy (CNN) -- Six months ago, an Italian bricklayer behind on his taxes wrote a note to his wife of 27 years, then doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire outside a Bologna tax office. Giuseppe Campaniello died nine days later. "He was a good person," said his widow, Tiziana. "He wasn't given a chance to redeem himself because that's what he wanted to do. If Giuseppe had had the chance, he would have paid his debt, not what they wanted him to pay because he wasn't earning 20,000 euros a month." She has joined with other women whose husbands took their lives to form a group called the "Vedove Bianche" - the white widows - to show that in this long drawn out economic crisis, the cost cannot be calculated on a tax form. Italy's "white widows" are the most recent example of the emotional toll the debt crisis and austerity measures are taking on Europe. In the first half of last year, suicide rates in Greece skyrocketed more than 40% year on year, according to Greek health ministry data. In the UK -- not a part of the eurozone, but whose economy is also struggling as it enters a double-dip recession -- researchers wrote last month in the British Journal of Medicine that the 2008-2010 recession may have led more than 1,000 people to commit suicide. Austerity drives up suicide rate in debt-ridden Greece . Now as Italy, the eurozone's third largest economy, faces market pressure to make cuts after its borrowing costs rose dangerously high, "austerity suicides" that spiked in Greece are now being seen here. For decades, it was common for Italians to avoid paying their full taxes, but with the financial crisis, tax collection has become more aggressive. Mounting tax troubles, and financial hardship, have driven some to take their lives. Although statistics are hard to come by, one Italian small business association claims suicides related to economic hardship are twice what they were 10 years ago. Rome businessman Mario Frasacco, 59, shot himself in the chest last April. The factory he ran, which produced aluminum fittings, is now padlocked and its 10 workers unemployed. Family tragedy tells the story of Greece . Frasacco's daughter, Giorgia, worked with him and knew he was having financial difficulties, but hadn't the slightest hint he was contemplating suicide. "The day before he killed himself, I said goodbye to him as I always did before going home," she recalled. "I never read in his eyes any discomfort that would lead to this. After five months, I can't find a justification for what he did." For the survivors of these economic suicides, there is anger that the government tried to maximize revenues and spending cuts, no matter the human cost. For Tiziana, she is left with questions of how to cope -- emotionally and financially -- in the aftermath of her husband's death. "Who will hire me at 48-years-old, nearly 49? Who?" she asks. "Where can I go? Should I become a prostitute? Because that's where they're taking us. Or should I commit suicide and just get out of the way and be one less problem for the government?" CNN's Kevin Voigt contributed to this report . | Giuseppe Campaniello set himself ablaze after not being able to pay a tax bill .
Wives of these "economic suicides" have formed a group, the "white widows"
Suicide rates in European nations hard hit by the debt crisis are on the rise . |
67,418 | bf4afce5f93d9ad9c6921192d4bbb6bfc70a38e6 | By . Lizzie Parry . A couple whose daughter died six hours after she was born at a midwife-led birthing unit have today warned of the dangers of giving birth away from a major hospital. Rhiannon Davies and Richard Stanton appeared on ITV's This Morning to urge prospective parents to be cautious in the face of the new draft NICE guidelines. The radical shift in NHS policy is set to encourage hundreds of thousands of mothers to give birth in their homes or at stand-alone midwife-led units, away from consultant run labour wards. Their daughter Kate Stanton-Davies died . on March 1, 2009, after suffering a rare condition where blood leaks . from the foetus into the mother during pregnancy. Scroll down for video . Richard Stanton and his wife Rhiannon Davies today urged expectant parents to make informed decisions about where to give birth after their newborn daughter died at six hours old after she was delivered at a midwife-led birth unit 31 miles from the nearest major hospital in March 2009 . Mrs Davies suffered complications in the last month of her pregnancy, which led to a series of hospital trips and various tests. But medics responsible for her care, determined she was suitable to give birth at Ludlow Community Hospital - a rural midwife-led unit - around 40 minutes from the nearest district hospital in Shrewsbury. Just two hours after she was born, Kate's tiny body collapsed and she was flown by air ambulance to Birmingham Heartlands Hospital where she died at 4.05pm the same day. An inquest jury at South Shropshire Coroners' Court unanimously concluded in November 2012 that Kate would have survived had she been delivered elsewhere, and the decision by clinicians to treat Mrs Davies' pregnancy as low risk contributed to Kate's death. Mrs Davies pictured with her daughter Kate moments after she was born in March 2009 . Mrs Davies and her husband Mr Stanton, who married in 2011, said they would urge new parents to ensure they have all the information they need to make the decision about their child's 'most important moment', their birth. Mrs Davies told the show, her pregnancy had been classed as low-risk, leading medics to tell the couple she would give birth at the rural community hospital in Ludlow. She said she was given no choice, adding: 'When you are pregnant you are terrified of giving birth, you are in the hands of clinicians and you listen to absolutely everything they say.' The couple said while they do not want to put people off midwife-led units, which are recommended by the NHS for women who have experienced no complications during pregnancy. But they stressed it is important women have the right to choose. The couple appeared on ITV's This Morning to discuss the new NHS draft guidelines revealed this week, which say new mothers should be encouraged to give birth in midwife-led units and second mothers should be urged to have a homebirth . A radical shift in NHS policy will see hundreds of thousands more women encouraged to give birth at home. Mothers-to-be will be told that unless there is a high risk of complications they do not need a hospital delivery. First-time mothers are to be advised they are just as safe having their baby in a small midwife-led unit as on the labour ward. For most of those having their second child, giving birth at home is as safe as hospital – and far more pleasant – say new draft NHS guidelines revealed this week. Currently, 94 per cent of the 730,000 women who go into labour in England and Wales each year give birth in hospital. Only 2.5 per cent give birth at home with the remainder going to midwife-run centres. Having a baby at home or in a midwife-led centre is far cheaper than having a hospital birth as women do not need a hospital bed. Staffing costs in midwifery units are also lower and they tend to rely less on pain relief or other interventions. Studies have shown a birth at home costs the NHS an average of £1,066, compared with £1,450 at midwife-led centres and £1,631 in hospital. Previously, NHS guidelines said mothers should be free to choose where they gave birth but urged caution over home births for women having their first child. Women will now be advised to give birth outside hospital as long as their pregnancy is considered low risk and they do not suffer from asthma, diabetes, epilepsy or other chronic health conditions. Midwife-led units aim to create a more homely environment and there are typically between four and ten beds and water-birth facilities. They are either stand-alone centres in the community or attached to hospitals. Doctors are summoned only in an emergency. 'I support a woman's right to choose, when you are given the information to make an informed choice,' said Mrs Davies. 'In our case we had no idea what could go wrong, how long it could possibly take to get me or my baby to a centre of care.' The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital was the nearest major hospital to Ludlow, 31 miles away. Mrs Davies said: 'When Kate was born it was noted she was pale and floppy and her temperature reading was hyperthermic. 'She was in respiratory distress, unfortunately it went unrecognised. 'For a prolonged period of time she was suffering oxygen starvation and was brain dead.' Mr Stanton said: 'There was only one qualified clinician, one midwife who was alone. 'The inquest showed she placed Kate, who was in a hyperthermic state, into a cold cot and left her alone.' His wife added: 'She was on her own, I was in another room and Richard had been sent home. 'When the ambulance came they grabbed her and ran, there were no notes, nothing. 'They took her to an air ambulance they had called. The doctor on board had no notes and tried to stabilise her on the ground for some time before they had to leave.' Mr Stanton said he rushed back to the hospital in Ludlow, and got in the car with his wife and parents with no idea which hospital the air ambulance was heading to. He said they knew it was a Birmingham hospital and so headed for the city. But en route his wife collapsed due . to the shock and he had to dial 999. Mrs Davies was taken to a hospital . in Worcester, while he carried on with his parents, desperately calling . hospitals in Birmingham to try and locate Kate. Minutes . later a doctor called him to say he believed he had his daughter, but . said all the information he had was her time of birth and her name . recorded as Rhiannon - that of her mother. The couple said it is vital that parents expecting a child consider how far the nearest hospital and consultant-led team is, before agreeing to give birth at a midwife-led centre . Mr Stanton said: 'We came to this from the perspective of losing Kate. 'It is really important that mothers have . the choice, but we would urge them to be on the side of caution for . what's possibly the most important moment in your child's life - the . birth. 'We go out and we buy the best car seats to cradle them, and the softest linen to wrap them in, to bring them home. 'But mothers should have the opportunity to make choices that should be informed choices. 'With that information should come the times it takes to get to a centre of excellence, a consultant-led unit, a surgery theatre if needed and a paediatric ward. His wife added: 'Ask for it (the information), research it. 'Think long and hard about giving birth in an environment where you are likely to be transferred in (to hospital). 'Forty-five per cent of home births are transferred in to a consultant-led unit. 'Your fall back is the ambulance service and we know that is under-funded. If you need an ambulance and it doesn't come you and your baby could die.' After the inquest, Cathy Smith, head of . midwifery and deputy centre chief for the women and children's centre at . The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said: 'We will now be . taking the time to reflect on the jury's findings.' | Rhiannon Davies gave birth to Kate at a midwife-led unit at Ludlow Community Hospital in March 2009 .
Baby Kate died six hours later after being rushed by air ambulance to a specialist neonatal unit at Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham .
An inquest in 2012 found Kate would have survived had she been born elsewhere and that classing Mrs Davies' pregnancy as low risk contributed .
Mrs Davies and husband Richard Stanton today urged expectant couples to make informed choices about where to give birth .
It comes after NHS guidance this week recommended first-time mothers with low risk pregnancy should give birth at midwife-led units .
Draft NICE guidelines encourage more home births for second births . |
119,675 | 269c029b75dde8d4542879c53b76f0d102e833fc | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 10:47 EST, 5 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:52 EST, 5 June 2013 . Latvia has won approval today to become the 18th state to join the Euro after approval by the European Commission. European Union officials granted approval despite concerns about its banking system and Latvia is expected to replace its national currency, the lat, on January 1, 2014. EU leaders said the Baltic state's willingness to join next year is a vote of confidence for the shared currency. Latvia is expected to replace its currency, the Lat, with the Euro by January 1, 2014 . A final decision will be made by eurozone . finance ministers July 9 - following further consultation among EU . leaders and Parliament. The 17 countries that use the Euro are struggling with a crisis over too much government debt, a recession, and 12.2 per cent unemployment. Olli Rehn, the EU's top economic and monetary official, said today that Latvia's membership bid was 'further evidence that those who predicted the disintegration of the euro area were wrong.' Latvia's Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted that the decision was 'the next step for growth.' However, many of Latvia's 2million population are skeptical of the need to join in the midst of the eurozone's debt troubles. Anti-Euro parties won more than half the vote in local elections in the capital, Riga, last weekend. Euro opponent Andris Orols, head of 'Latvia for the Lat,' vowed to ask the constitutional court to review the government's decision. 'We are against the euro because we believe that an independent and sovereign country cannot exist without its own money which it controls,' he said. Latvia committed to join the euro in 2004 when it joined the European Union. Latvia's Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (second row, third from left, pictured with European leaders) announced the single currency news over Twitter . Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted that the decision was 'the next step for growth' Under the EU's treaty, all EU members must adopt the euro eventually although it can take years to meet the tough requirements. The only exceptions are Britain and Denmark, which were given opt-outs. Latvia and its Baltic neighbours Lithuania and Estonia are keen to strengthen ties with Western Europe and reduce their dependency on Russia. To join the single currency, Latvia had to show the EU that it could control inflation, deficits and government debt, and keep its currency in a narrow exchange rate range with the euro. Compared with heavily indebted Euro countries such as Greece, Portugal and Italy, its government finances are in good shape. Its budget deficit at the end of 2012 was 1.2 per cent of annual economic output, well below the EU's 3 per cent limit. Its debt burden was 41 per cent of output, less than the 60 per cent requirement and far less than the Eurozone average of 91 per cent. Its economy would be the third-smallest, larger only than those of Cyprus and Malta. With annual output of about 22.3 billion euros ($29 billion) it would account for just 0.2 per cent of the overall eurozone economy. Economic benefits of joining the euro include not having the costs and inconvenience of exchanging one currency for another while travelling or doing business across borders. However, Latvia will not be able to independently raise of lower its interest rates to deal with an economic slowdown or excessive inflation. here is just one benchmark interest rate set for all euro members by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany, based on the needs of the entire Eurozone economy. European Central Bank said Latvia would need to exercise continued vigilance to make sure inflation stayed under control and that its banks were strong enough . Euro members also cannot devalue their currency to boost exports, as a way of adjusting to an economic downturn or crisis. Latvia has won praise from the EU and international finance officials for pushing through required reforms - mainly cuts to wages and government spending - to make its economy more competitive. That put Latvians through several years of austerity. It also came soon after a profound recession in 2008-2010, when the economy shrank about 25 per cent as a credit-fuelled real estate boom collapsed. The economy has since returned to strong growth, expanding 5.6 per cent in 2012. In a separate assessment, the European Central Bank said that Latvia would need to exercise continued vigilance to make sure inflation stayed under control and that its banks were strong enough. It called non-resident deposits 'an important risk to financial stability.' | European Commission granted approval for Latvia to join the Euro .
Is expected to replace its currency, the Lat, on January 1, 2014 .
Will become third smallest economy in the Eurozone .
Latvia's Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis tweeted that the decision was 'the next step for growth' |
175,606 | 6f4f854290e6ac29fafaebf3d33ade829c6b6fe3 | She was a contender, at least in hearts and headlines. At 16, Malala Yousafzai would have become the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, if she had been awarded it Friday. In addition, she would have been the youngest winner ever of a Nobel Prize in any category. Instead, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded it to the international chemical weapons watchdog that is destroying poison gas stockpiles in Syria -- the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Malala apparently feels like the OPCW deserves it. A message went out on a Twitter account representing her to congratulate the OPCW and thank it for its "wonderful work for humanity." The activist from Pakistan, who has stood defiant against the Taliban in the face of death since age 11, has become a global figurehead for a girl's right to an education. A year ago, an Islamist militant shot her in the head. It looked like she would die. This week, headlines cheered for her to win the peace prize. She was modest about her own prospects of winning and felt receiving the prize at this point in her life would be premature, she told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an interview that airs Sunday at 7 p.m. "I think that it's really an early age," Malala said. But there's always later. She wants to do more to earn it first. "I would feel proud, when I would work for education, when I would have done something, when I would be feeling confident to tell people, 'Yes! I have built that school; I have done that teachers' training, I have sent that (many) children to school,' " she said. "Then if I get the Nobel Peace Prize, I will be saying, Yeah, I deserve it, somehow." The comment drew warm laughter from the audience. Malala for Prime Minister . Despite her diffidence with regards to the peace prize, Malala is very ambitious. "I want to become a Prime Minister of Pakistan, and I think it's really good. Because through politics I can serve my whole county. I can be the doctor of the whole country," she said. But greedier politicians be forewarned. If Malala held the highest office in the land, the money would probably not flow into the pockets of cronies or pork barrel projects. Her political ambitions seem to stop short of personal gain. "I can spend much of the money from the budget on education," she told Amanpour. It appears that becoming prime minister is a means to the end she has dedicated her life to. Malala has accomplished much for education in her short life, which she has imperiled to do so. The Taliban didn't want girls to go to school. They banned it in 2009 in her native Swat Valley, which is when Malala's plight and her activism began. Her father, a teacher who ran schools for girls, taught her that she was stronger than what or whom she feared. She kept going to school and speaking out for education, and she wrote an anonymous blog for the BBC about her harrowing experiences. The Taliban came by on house raids, and she had to hide her books. Her country honored her with the National Peace Prize in 2011 for standing up to them. Her defiance enraged the militants. The assassin . A year ago, on October 9, 2012, they sent a gunman after her, while she was riding home from school. He stopped the improvised school bus and stepped inside. Malala recalled the moment of terror to Amanpour. "He asked, 'Who is Malala?' He did not give me time to answer his question." What happened next may have been a bit blurry for her, but her best friend Moniba later told her. Malala grasped Moniba's hand tightly and pushed hard against it. She was silent, Moniba told her, as the gunman opened fire at near point-blank range. "He fired three bullets," Malala recalled. "One bullet hit me in the left side of my forehead, just above here, and it went down through my neck and into my shoulder." It left behind lasting damage to her ear drum and facial nerve. "But still if I look at (it), it's a miracle," Malala said. She is alive and smiling with no major brain or spinal damage. Emergency surgery in Pakistan saved her life. She was flown to the UK for further treatment. World cause . While she recovered, the world rallied around her and powerful leaders, from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, rallied to her cause. She has already partnered with the United Nations on a program to promote global education with the motto, "I am Malala." This week, marking the anniversary of her shooting, she published her memoir under the same title. On Wednesday, the Pakistani Taliban threatened to attack any bookstore that sells it. On Monday, they threatened to kill her again. She may not have won the Nobel Prize on Friday, but the European Parliament awarded her the Andrei Sakharov Prize on Thursday for standing up to an oppressive power. And a Nobel could still be in her future. Committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland in Oslo told CNN that she could be in the running in years to come. She already knows what she would do with the prize money. "A Nobel Peace Prize would help me to begin this campaign for girls' education," she told Amanpour. In the long run, Malala plans to hold out for an even bigger award. "But the real call, the most precious call, that I want to get and for which I'm thirsting and for which I want to struggle hard, that is the award to see every child to go to school, that is the award of peace and education for every child. And for that, I will struggle and I will work hard." | Malala Yousafzai would have been the youngest recipient of any Nobel Prize .
She is modest, saying getting it now would have been early, as she wants to work for it first .
She would like to be Pakistan's Prime Minister, so she can spend more on education for all .
After the Taliban shot her, the world and powerful leaders rallied around her cause . |
172,761 | 6b9742e67a71115a3ff6113fd925cdaca43606b6 | By . Hannah Roberts . A wardrobe that held the body of Benito Mussolini for 11 years in an Italian monastery has gone on sale on eBay with a starting price of £3,000. The wardrobe itself is worthless but, having been the hiding place for the dictator’s corpse between 1946 and 1957, it has ghoulish value for collectors of fascist memorabilia. eBay specialists Lovendoperte, who bought the relic from a family in Lombardy, advertised the piece as a ‘unique fascist collectors' item’. Up for grabs: The wardrobe, right, which was the secret resting place of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, left, for 11 years has gone up for sale on auction site eBay with a reserve price of £3,000 . Under the notes from the owner it says . it is an 'original and authenticated wardrobe that was the secret . hiding place of the remains of Benito Mussolini at the monastery of the . Cappuchin Brothers of Cerro Maggiore between 1946 and 1957.' They have yet to receive an offer. During . the last days of the war in Italy, Il Duce (the leader) - as Mussolini . was known - was captured by partisans who executed him by firing squad. His corpse was mutilated and strung up by the feet alongside that of his mistress, Clara Petacci, at an Esso station in Milan. The . Allies ordered the bodies to be placed in an unmarked grave north of . the city, to avoid the burial place becoming a place of pilgrimage. But . on Easter Sunday 1946, his body was exhumed by a group of fascists led . by Domenico Leccisi, who left a message on the grave: 'Finally, O Duce, . you are with us. We will cover you with roses, but the smell of your . virtue will overpower the smell of those roses.' Somehow during the venture, they lost one of the dictator’s legs. Executed: The bodies of Mussolini, centre, his mistress, Clara Petacci, right, and Achille Starace, secretary of the Fascist Party, hang by their heels in Milan after they were shot dead near the city by Italian partisans . Four months later the body was traced by the police, hidden in a small trunk at Franciscan monastery near Milan. To keep the whereabouts of the body secret from the public it was then taken to a Capuchin monastery, 15 miles northwest of Milan, and kept there in a cupboard. The monks held the remains for eleven years, before the authorities allowed the family to reinter the dictator’s body at Predappio, Mussolini's birthplace. Today, the town draws 100,000 pilgrims a year to the tomb. | Ghoulish relic is being advertised online as a 'unique fascist collectors' item'
Mussolini was captured and executed by Italian partisans in 1945 .
It ended up in the wardrobe in a monastery to hide it from fascist pilgrims . |
175,456 | 6f150afc36f74217f147e8b9afb113c73f905be0 | Easy as one, two, three. Mark Hughes didn’t need to over-complicate this victory — the message was simple. Get the ball wide, put Arsenal’s fragile defence under pressure and reap the rewards. This was nothing to do about intensity or the Britannia Stadium resembling a cauldron — the Gunners simply weren’t good enough and couldn’t deal with what was thrown at them. They were outplayed — both in and out of possession. Hughes sounded as if the Potters had just routinely beaten a Burnley or Leicester, not a team boasting Alexis Sanchez and who have spent more than £100million on a revamped squad over the past year. VIDEO Scroll down to see Wenger heckled at Stoke-on-Trent train station . Bojan Krkic looked as though he wouldn't be out of place at Arsenal's London Colney training ground . Arsene Wenger has come under heavy criticism from some sections of Arsenal fans after a bad run of form . ‘We wanted a fast start, we talked about it beforehand and we felt that if we put the ball into good areas we’d have a chance against the back four we were facing,’ Hughes said. Saturday was the first time Arsenal have conceded three goals in the first half against a team other than Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United . He certainly got it. Nineteen seconds was all it took for Arsenal’s back four to part ways. ‘They’ll always try to be creative in the final third and rotate and circulate the ball so we talked about how when we did win it, we had to be progressive with our first pass and then drive the game the other way.’ Almost as predictable were the seven words in two telling sentences that will fill a large section of the Arsenal support with serious justification for demanding change at the top. On trying to front up after their season plunged to new depths, Arsene Wenger uttered the sort of reasons for defeat which may come back to haunt him. Peter Crouch scored after 19 seconds as Stoke raced to a 3-0 lead over Arsenal on Saturday afternoon . Firstly, that ‘anger doesn’t help’, even when three goals down at half-time. Then that ‘we have to learn’ from the mistakes leading up to each goal. The fans, unfortunately, are tired of hearing it. They want Wenger to lose his cool and address a flimsy backbone; instead he is trotting out the same excuses which now won’t wash with the majority. ‘Of course you’re angry when you’re 3-0 down at Stoke. But anger doesn’t help, you need to see what you can do to come back,’ Wenger said. ‘Honestly, I feel the spirit of the team is great and they want to do well. ‘Stoke were out of the blocks sharper than us and we have to learn from that. I think we were just too tender in the challenges, not decisive on corners and crosses.’ Wenger (left) reacts to a disappointing Arsenal performance on the Britannia Stadium bench . Arsenal struggled to deal with Bojan (right) for large periods - Chambers was sent off for this challenge . This is from a man who only last week said he expects the Gunners to win a Premier League title before his contract expires in three years. They are a long, long way off and he knows it. Arsenal were unlocked not by a player of Stoke’s ilk, but one who would look at home at London Colney. Mathieu Flamini was incapable of dealing with Bojan Krkic, signed from Barcelona in the summer, and the visitors never recovered from the early flurry. Wenger has seen his side fail at the Britannia for the last four years but never before have they been so obviously outplayed. But while it seemed clear where the problems lay, Arsenal, and their ailing manager, failed to address them. ‘You come out of the game and think...’ Wenger said, puffing out his cheeks. ‘It’s unbelievable you didn’t get anything out of this game just because we didn’t start well.’ Frankly, not even Arsene is believing that rationale any longer. | Arsenal were beaten 3-2 at Stoke, after being 3-0 down at half-time .
Gunners' fans have begun to demand a change in management .
Arsenal were outplayed both in and out of possession against Stoke .
Wenger admitted that Stoke were out of the blocks quicker than Arsenal . |
59,504 | a8f19c123a0b910fb52d6844f6006bde0ccb2f24 | Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Rights groups and others have called on Thai authorities and anti-government protesters to respect human rights and avoid violence during mass demonstrations in Thailand's capital, Bangkok. The People's Democratic Reform Committee protest group -- which hopes to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office -- launched its "Bangkok shutdown," intended to last a month, Monday. The protesters plan to achieve their aim by closing seven main intersections in the large and hectic city. They will also surround the houses of Yingluck and some ministers, and they intend to cut off electricity and water supplies at these locations and some government offices. Authorities say eight people have died and 470 have been injured since the protests began in November. Amnesty International warned in a news release Friday that violence could erupt again. "The situation in Thailand is tense, volatile and unpredictable. There is a real risk of loss of life and injury unless human rights are fully respected," said Isabelle Arradon, the rights group's Asia-Pacific deputy director. "Security forces should ensure that the right to peaceful protest is upheld -- however, they also have a duty to protect the safety of the public. When carrying out their work, law enforcement officials should apply nonviolent means before resorting to the use of force, and always exercise restraint in its use." Amnesty International also urged protest leaders to "call on their followers not to commit human rights abuses." The Thai government has deployed some 15,000 military and police to the capital ahead of the planned shutdown, the rights group said. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Friday in New York that he had spoken by telephone with Shinawatra and opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiv over the past three days "in an effort to help them bridge their differences." Ban said he was "very concerned that the situation could escalate in the days ahead," and particularly on Monday. "I urge all involved to show restraint, avoid provocative acts and settle their differences peacefully, through dialogue," he said. Vejjajiv has denied being a member of the PDRC protest group, but has appeared on stage and among the crowds at some of their demonstrations. Travel warnings . In a bid to cool tensions, Yingluck dissolved the nation's parliament in December and called for new elections to be held February 2. Updated info for tourists . But the move has done little to appease protesters. They have called on the Prime Minister to step down from her caretaker position and be replaced by an unelected "people's council," which would see through electoral and political reforms. The national Election Commission has urged the government to postpone elections amid the continuing unrest. Dozens of countries have issued travel advisories amid fears the tensions could erupt into violence. The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok has urged U.S. citizens to avoid large gatherings in the city and to ensure they have a stock of cash and essential items in case the situation deteriorates. "While protests have been generally peaceful over the last two months, some have resulted in injury and death," its online warning said. "Even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can turn confrontational, and can escalate into violence without warning." The protest group said that on Monday it would still allow ambulances to pass along the roads it intends to block, and that it would not block access to airports and public transportation. Ambitious goal . Protest leaders have said they want to rid Thailand of the influence of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the older brother of Yingluck Shinawatra. That's an ambitious goal in a country where every election since 2001 has been won by parties affiliated with Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire who built his political success on populist policies that appealed to Thailand's rural heartland. Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and has spent most of the time since then in exile overseas. If he returns, he risks a two-year prison sentence on a corruption conviction, which he says was politically motivated. The recent protests in Bangkok were prompted by a botched attempt by Yingluck Shinawatra's government to pass an amnesty bill that would have opened the door for her brother's return. That move added fuel for critics who accuse her of being nothing more than her brother's puppet, an allegation she has repeatedly denied. Opposition to Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra is strongest among the urban elites and middle class, particularly in Bangkok. Thaksin Shinawatra's traditional support comes from the populous rural areas of north and northeast Thailand. His supporters, known as "red shirts," plan to hold demonstrations in various places in Thailand, but not the capital or south of the country, on Sunday. They support the holding of elections on February 2. CNN's Kocha Alarn reported from Bangkok and Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported in London. CNN's Anna-Maja Rappard contributed to this report. | Amnesty International urges Thai authorities to respect human rights during protest .
Anti-government protesters have said they will shut down Bangkok, starting Monday .
U.N. Secretary General urges all sides to "show restraint, avoid provocative acts"
Authorities say eight people have died and 470 have been injured since protests began . |
44,710 | 7e09feacdd6e0c3141eb953d64dbdc9cd74feb6f | Harry Allen's eyes dim when he digs into the memory bank and talks about the look on his parents’ faces. Their immediate reaction to the news, he says, was one of the most painful moments of his 12-month ban for cocaine abuse. ‘It’s quite weird to relive it because I’ve tried to bury it,’ said Allen, 23, speaking publicly for the first time since his suspension ended with him playing his first game for his new club London Irish last weekend. ‘My dad is my biggest fan. I drove home and told my mum, then waited for my dad to get in from work. ‘I broke down a bit. When it all falls on top of you, you think, “I’ve potentially ruined my life here”. It reduces you to such a low level, you think, “Wow”. I won’t forget the look on my dad’s face when I told him. That’s enough for me to not ever do anything that stupid again.’ Harry Allen is determined to make the most of his second chance at London Irish after a year-long drug ban . Allen made his Premiership return for the Exiles last weekend against Saracens . The England age-group hooker received the results of his positive test on December 19, 2013, his 22nd birthday. Then at Harlequins, Allen was called into a meeting after training with club coaching staff and an anti-doping officer, who revealed that benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, was present in his results. The one-year ban began immediately and Quins had no option but to release him. ‘It was a test after an A League semi-final,’ said Allen. ‘It was quite a bad time. I had my contract terminated on my birthday, then Christmas was really weird and I was in a bit of a void. After Christmas it dies down a bit and you think, “I’ve made a really, really bad mistake”. 'You talk about embarrassment but it was more a feeling that I let people down. I definitely let my mum and dad down, and my family. Quins as well; I let Conor [O’Shea] and all them guys down.’ Between the initial drugs test and the start of the suspension, Allen had made his first-team debut for the west London club. Having played previously for Saracens and England Under-18s, his career seemed to be set on an upward trajectory. He does not come across as the ‘party animal’ type but says he turned to the drug because of ‘personal issues outside the game’, despite being fully aware of the repercussions. He will not explain further. Now 23, Allen took to mixed martial arts during his time away from rugby and says is provided him with focus . Allen was a fast mover in his 10 months as an MMA fighter, reaching a semi-professional level . ‘When I got tested, I knew,’ said Allen. ‘It was out of character for me [to take drugs]. It wasn’t something that appealed to me in any way; it was just something that happened. Straight after I knew exactly what I’d done. I beat myself up quite badly. it wasn’t a habit.’ Allen headlined a fight night in London during his exile from professional rugby due to a drugs ban . It was the buzz of competition that provided Allen with his real highs. Torn away from his love for rugby with a suspension that did not even permit training, the youngster from Kent took up mixed martial arts. Former England prop Matt Stevens, who previously served a two-year ban for cocaine use, started Brazilian jiu-jitsu during his time out but Allen found comfort in cage fighting. He said: ‘The MMA gave me something to focus on. Some people may go missing and take loads of time off but I knew from the start that I made a mistake and needed to keep my head right. It was hard, a dark place. ‘There’s a lot more to MMA than just being a man, hitting people hard and having a fight. I wasn’t too bad, considering 10 months in I got to the semi-pro level. 'I fought for a light-heavyweight title. I lost by a split decision but it was important to me, just to really bring home that I really went for something that year. I never sat there and felt sorry for myself.’ While Allen was banned for the recreational drug use, he questions claims that rugby’s culture encourages the use of performance enhancing substances. There is increasing pressure on young players to bulk up to meet the physical demands of the game but Allen’s perception is that sufficient levels of education are in place. ‘Everyone is getting bigger and stronger but there are teams in place to help you achieve that naturally,’ he said. ‘The people who do that [take drugs] are the people who don’t want to work hard and want to take short cuts.’ Allen poses for his Harlequins portrait in August 2013 - three months later his career was in turmoil . A talented teenagers, Allen is tackled during an England Under-18s match against Italy in 2009 . Cage fighting kept Allen in shape and he was given a lucky break by London Irish. The Exiles asked him to play for the club’s reserves before, in a series of ‘honest’ conversations, he convinced director of rugby Brian Smith that he had overcome his problems. ‘I got a phone call from [former lock] Nick Kennedy,’ said Allen. ‘He said, “We’re short on hookers, do you fancy coming and playing an A League game for us?”. I jumped at the chance. My ban was up on the Saturday and I was back playing at a very good standard on the Monday. ‘Before that I was looking at playing National One for Blackheath or something along those lines. I was prepared to start at the bottom and work my way up.’ Irish found themselves with extensive injury problems and signed Allen on a week-by-week contract. He says he was treated like any other member of the squad on his return, with his new team-mates recognising the willingness to own up to his mistakes. Now he feels he is back on the right path. ‘I want to be a Premiership hooker and all the dreams I had as a kid are very much on my mind,’ he said. ‘Perhaps before I lost that hunger, but now I’ve got that hunger to do what I need to do.’ | Harry Allen served a one-year drug ban and was released by Harlequins .
The hooker tested positive to benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine .
Not permitted to train either, Allen took up mixed martial arts for focus .
London Irish's injury woes offered the forward a chance at redemption . |
119,063 | 25c2eb2143ce861db6587aeb68fbdae093254dd9 | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 05:23 EST, 24 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:56 EST, 24 October 2013 . An American biologist has spoken of his horror of finding a parasitic worm living in his mouth. Dr Jonathan Allen, 36, played host to a Gongylonema pulchruma parasite which spent three months moving around the fleshy part of his cheeks and lips. The parasite is usually only found in livestock and Dr Allen’s was just the 13th reported case in the U.S., and the 60th worldwide. Dr Jonathan Allen Allen saw a surgeon about the lump in his bottom lip (left) but was told it was 'normal' so he decided to take matters into his own hands and removed the parasite (right) himself using forceps . Dr Allen, an invertebrate specialist at the College of William and Mary, in Virginia, was teaching a class when he first noticed a raised lump in his mouth, HuffPost Live reported. ‘It was in the mucosa [the fleshy part of the cheek]. The first three months, it was in the back of the throat in places I could touch with my tongue,’ he told the website. ‘I could feel it with my tongue but not my finger. It wasn't until it moved to my lip that I could see it and was willing to talk to someone other than my wife and confess this was in my body.’ When Dr Allen noticed the parasite in his mouth he visited his dentist who referred him to a surgeon. However, when he saw the oral surgeon and explained that he had investigated his condition and believed himself to be the host of a parasite, the medic failed to believe him. Dr Allen said: ‘He said it was a normal discolouration in my mouth and he sees it all the time.’ After the encounter, Dr Allen decided to deal with the problem himself. Dr Allen, 36, played host to a Gongylonema pulchruma parasite which spent three months moving around the fleshy part of his cheeks and lips. He now keeps it in a jar . He used forceps to remove the parasite from his cheek with the help of his wife. He then discovered that his neighbour is an expert on the Gongylonema pulchruma so the pair set about studying it. Dr Allen now keeps the worm in a jar. He has written a paper in the Journal of Tropical Medicine about his experience as a host for the parasite. It is a worm that has no circulatory or respiratory system. It is usually found in animals - especially cattle, dogs, cats and rabbits - but can be transmitted to humans through unsanitary conditions and the ingestion of infected insects. It can also be picked up from foods that are contaminated during preparation in unsanitary conditions, or from contaminated water. The average length of a male worm is 29mm and the average length of a female is 59mm. The most common symptom in an infected human is the sensation of the worm moving around the mouth. Symptoms do not tend to develop until about six weeks after infection. The worm usually starts off in the oesophagus and then burrows its way into the mouth where it remains until it is removed. In most cases the parasite is removed, either by surgeons, or by the patient. If the worm is not extracted, symptoms can continue for up to a year. | Jonathan Allen played host to a Gongylonema pulchruma parasite .
It spent three months moving around the fleshy part of his cheeks and lips .
The parasite is usually only found in livestock and Dr Allen's was only the 13th reported case in the U.S. and the 60th worldwide .
He saw an oral surgeon about the lump in his mouth but was told it was 'normal' so decided to remove the worm himself - he now has it in a jar . |
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