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144,635 | 470bf1cee447b6b18428fcfcdcf86e2182d49ba4 | By . Mark Prigg . Pancreatic cancer is expected to become the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States in 2020, overtaking deaths from breast and colon cancers, according to new research. The disease, which claimed the lives of both Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze, is set for a 'startling' rise. Currently, the top three causes of cancer-related death in the United States are lung, colorectal and breast cancers. The disease, which caused the deaths of both Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze, is set for a 'startling' rise. Currently, the top three causes of cancer-related death in the United States are lung, colorectal and breast cancers. Pancreatic cancer begins in the tissues of the pancreas — an organ in your abdomen that lies horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. The pancreas secretes enzymes that aid digestion and hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars. Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis, even when diagnosed early, and spreads rapidly. It is seldom detected in its early stages, which is a major reason why it's a leading cause of cancer death. Pancreatic cancer is fourth, followed by prostate and liver cancers. In 2030, lung cancer will remain the top killer, but pancreatic cancer will move to second, followed by liver cancer and colorectal cancer, according to the report from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PCAN). In addition, the study reports that the number of thyroid cancer diagnoses is predicted to increase dramatically. By combining predicted demographic changes and changes to the incidence and death rates of specific cancers, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network was able to project numbers of diagnoses and deaths for major cancers in the US in the coming years. Overall, it is encouraging that the cancer death rate in the US is declining each year, and the numbers of deaths caused by several major cancers such as lung, colorectal, and breast are following that trend and dropping, the researchers said. However, they admit the increase in pancreatic cancer numbers was shocking. 'The projections for deaths from pancreatic and liver cancers are startling,' said Lynn Matrisian of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and senior author of the paper. 'This study is a call to action to the scientific and clinical communities, as well as the population at large, to increase attention, awareness, and ultimately progress in the fight against pancreatic cancer.' There are many factors that have contributed to the lack of sufficient progress in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, researchers say. Historically, the disease was understudied and underfunded. In an effort to double pancreatic cancer survival by 2020, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is intensifying efforts to heighten awareness, raise funds for comprehensive private research, and advocate for dedicated federal research to advance early diagnostics, better treatments, and increase chances of survival. The disease also took the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Researchers say the prediction should be a call to action. Due to these efforts, The Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act was signed into law by President Obama in January 2013, which requires the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop a scientific framework to conduct and support research for recalcitrant cancers, including pancreatic and lung. As a result of the law, the NCI issued a Scientific Framework for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma in February 2014. This report includes plans for implementation of the recommended initiatives toward making significant advances in pancreatic cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment. The societal burden of these particularly deadly cancer types will become greater in the coming years, and now is the time to allocate the resources and effort necessary to alleviate the suffering caused by these diseases. A recent report released by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), State of Cancer Care in America: 2014, predicts that cancer will become the number one killer in the US by the year 2030. 'This further emphasizes the urgency of making progress against pancreatic cancer, and other leading cancer killers,' added Matrisian. | Expected to overtake deaths from breast and colon cancers .
Responsible for the deaths of Steve Jobs and Patrick Swayze .
Lung cancer expected to remain most common cause of cancer-related death . |
73,550 | d0881e36a9c24060b41a567f90a1c5dce7bd8d51 | By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 13:31 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:36 EST, 14 October 2013 . Awareness: The United Nations' AIDS agency (UNAIDS) predicts there are about 780,000 people living with HIV in China . China plans to ban people with HIV from accessing spas, hot springs and public bathhouses, it has been revealed today. The Chinese government has posted a draft regulation online, ordering spas and similar premises to display signs prohibiting 'people with sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS and infectious skin diseases'. The proposal, which has been condemned by the United Nations' AIDS agency (UNAIDS), has sparked outrage among campaign groups. It is the latest instance of ongoing discrimination against HIV carriers in the world's most populous country. China already bans those with the virus from becoming civil servants - with HIV-positive people facing the possibility of losing their jobs if their employers discover their status. Others HIV carriers have sought hospital treatment, only to be turned away. Hedia Belhadj, China's coordinator for UNAIDS, said she was concerned by the proposed Ministry of Commerce rule, which was posted online by China's State Council today. She called for it to be removed - pointing out there is no risk of transmission of HIV in a spa or bathhouse setting. 'UNAIDS recommends that restrictions preventing people living with HIV from accessing bath houses, spas and other similar facilities be removed from the final draft of this policy,' she said. She also urged that 'any other policies preventing people living with HIV from accessing public or private services be revised'. Campaign groups have also spoken out against the proposal, which could affect as many as 780,000 people living with HIV in China. Debate: The proposal, which has been condemned by UNAIDS, has sparked outrage among campaign groups. Above, the United Nations' headquarters in Vienna . 'The only value of this draft law is in discriminating against those with AIDS,' said, Yu Fangqiang, director of the Nanjing-based anti-discrimination NGO Justice for All. 'This law must be changed. All the HIV NGOs know this new rule, and they want to fight it.' He added that his organisation and five other domestic NGOs are seeking to collaborate on a response. In 2010, China lifted a long-standing ban on HIV-positive foreigners entering the country - although, in recent years, top officials have spoken more openly about HIV prevention and control. The country has also extended access to free antiretroviral drugs for HIV-positive people. However, discrimination against those with HIV and AIDS remains an issue at hospitals, workplaces and other establishments across China. In January, a draft regulation in south China's Guangdong province proposed to ban people with HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases from becoming teachers. But officials dropped the provision in April after an outcry from rights groups. Most attempts by HIV-positive people to sue over discrimination have failed. However, earlier this year, a plaintiff who was denied a teaching job after it was revealed he was HIV-positive was awarded 45,000 yuan (£4,605) from an east China county education bureau, state media reported. The case marked a milestone that activists have cited as a cause for hope in future legal battles. Ms Belhadj said that widespread stigmatisation of those with HIV in China has complicated efforts to curb its spread. Addressing the 'stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with HIV essential in the national response,' she added. | The Chinese government plans to ban people with HIV from accessing spas, hot springs and public bathhouses, it was revealed today .
The proposal has been condemned by the United Nations' AIDS agency .
It has also sparked outrage among campaign groups . |
223,235 | acfe8bac15ebe27a9a8861b0876265bc5c9e6c97 | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 13:02 EST, 19 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:02 EST, 19 December 2012 . An 88-year-old war veteran is distraught after eight medals he earned during some of the toughest combat of World War II were stolen from his home. Clyde Kellogg, a retired 1st Sgt., is appealing to the culprit to return his most prized possessions, which include a prestigious Purple Heart. The medals, which Kellogg says only hold sentimental value, were stolen from his Vista, California, home on Friday. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Upset: Clyde Kellogg, a retired 1st Sgt., pictured, is appealing to the person who stole his medals to return them . 'They don't have any financial value . what so ever,' he told Fox5. 'It's devastating to have lost something . I've treasured for over 65 years.' Kellogg joined the military when he was just 18 years old and served 21 years in the Marine Corps. He fought as a machine-gunner in some of the most dangerous battles of World War II, including storming the beaches of Guadalcanal. During combat, the soldier was shot in the throat, causing him to lose half his voice box, and also spent a year in the hospital battling malaria. Stolen: A Purple Heart and bronze Star were among the eight medals, pictured, taken from Kellogg's home . The famous battle of 1943 earned him a . Purple Heart and he was awarded a Bronze Star after killing three . Japanese soldiers who emerged from a tank after running over his machine . gun emplacement, he told the North County Times. Kellogg was also awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, World War II victory medal, three riflery medals and a good-conduct medal for his military service. For years, the symbols of the sacrifice he made for his country hung on a wall at his Vista home, where he and others could admire them. But now they're gone, he says he feels like part of his life has been stripped from him. Hero: Clyde Kellogg, pictured, fought in some of the toughest battles of World War II . 'I spent 11 months in the hospital . for my wounds, goddamn it, and someone just took it from me. It was part . of my life, and it was no picnic,' he told the NC Times. Kellogg believes the perpetrator broke into his house and snatched the medals while he was at home. There were signs of a forced entry and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident. 'I never dreamed anybody would ever think about (stealing) it,' Kellogg told the NC Times. 'It just never dawned on me. What the hell? Somebody can't wear them on their clothes. I don't understand what the hell anybody would do with them. I just want my medals back.' | Retired 1st Sgt. Clyde Kellogg's war medals were stolen from his Vista, California, home on Friday .
Kellogg joined the military at 18 and fought in toughest combat of World War II including Battle of Guadalcanal .
Was shot in the throat and spent a year in hospital with malaria .
'I feel part of my life was taken from me,' he said . |
158,660 | 591de2c920ef56dad6b8de98ed4dd0d85bc925b9 | (CNN) -- A "flash mob" believed to have been organized on the Internet robbed a Maryland convenience store in less than a minute, police said Tuesday, and now authorities are using the same tool to identify participants in the crime. Surveillance video shows a couple of teens walking into the Germantown 7-Eleven store Saturday at 1:47 a.m. Then, in a matter of seconds, dozens more young people entered and grabbed items from store shelves and coolers. Police said the teens left the store together, without paying for anything. "At least 28 different individuals" have been confirmed on the video, Capt. Paul Starks told CNN Tuesday. Montgomery County Police posted the video on YouTube.com and asked for help from the public in identifying the perpetrators. "We're getting a lot of response from sources in the community who have seen the video, who are concerned, and are calling police with tips," Starks said. Several suspects have already been identified, but police have made no arrests and hope the public can help them locate the individuals on the tape. Although investigators have said they '"can't confirm how this (robbery) was organized," Starks does believe the Internet was involved. While working to identify and find the group of teens, Starks said Montgomery County has been "coordinating with the state Attorney General's office and discussing what charges will be appropriate" when arrests are made. Flash mobs -- usually announced online in social networking sites, or by e-mails or text messages -- were once benign and entertaining, but recent gatherings by groups of teenagers have evolved into more sinister actions. Earlier this month, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed an order moving curfews to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for people younger than 18 in Center City, the heart of Philadelphia's downtown, and in University City, home to the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Nutter announced the earlier curfew following a string of mob attacks by young people alerted to gatherings via e-mail and social media. Parents and minors face hefty fines if caught violating the new rules. Violent "flash mob" attacks have also been reported recently in other cities across the country, leading to crackdowns on curfew enforcement and stepped-up police patrols. Extra state troopers were ordered in after what was described as a "mob beating" took place at the Wisconsin State Fair. Attacks in Cleveland, Chicago and Washington, D.C. have all led to the arrests of dozens of teens and resulted in extra police patrols in and around these cities. Montgomery County Police said Saturday's "flash mob" theft was the first such incident in their jurisdiction, but Starks admits he is concerned about the growing trend. "I assure you we're taking this crime very seriously," Starks said. In England, where riots erupted earlier this month, authorities say social networking sites and mobile messaging services were used as tools to organize looting and violence. In the aftermath of the riots, Cheshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Phil Thompson cited "the way in which technology was used to spread incitement and bring people together to commit acts of criminality" as a factor. And last week, Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament that "when people are using social media for violence, we need to stop them." The government was working with the police and intelligence services, he said, "to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these websites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality." Meanwhile, police in northwest England said Tuesday that two men have been jailed for four years each for inciting disorder via social networking sites. The two had urged activists to cause trouble in the towns of Warrington and Northwich, but neither posting resulted in riots, police said. | Maryland police post video of the 'flash mob' robbery online .
Police: "At least 28 different individuals" confirmed in surveillance tape .
Several suspects have been identified, but no arrests have been made, authorities say .
Violent "flash mob" attacks have occurred in other U.S. cities and in Britain . |
28,814 | 51d0b345bb5a7fb8f08847f4b9b037ffe9f63374 | Former Everton forward Tim Cahill thinks he could continue playing for another four seasons into his 40th year - and admits a return to England may be on the cards. With his weight and body fat ratio unchanged since he was 17, Cahill said he would be looking for a two or three year contract when his deal with Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls expires next year. The 35-year-old, in Australia to prepare for next month's Asian Cup, said he could yet return to the English Premier League, where he spent nine years with Everton before making the switch stateside. Tim Cahill (centre) interacts with fans during the launch of the Football Fan Park in Sydney on Saturday . Cahill poses with the Asian cup mascot Nutmeg at Sydney's Customs House during the weekend . 'The future's bright,' Cahill told the Australian Associated Press. 'I've got another year left on my New York Red Bulls contract. The main feeling for me is every time I'm at a club, I like to be there for a long time. 'To be totally honest, I could have gone back to the Premier League on loan after the World Cup and I decided to stay with Red Bulls for the remainder of the season and still (have) options to go back to the Premier League if it's the right one for me. 'So when you put everything into one, the decision I make will be a methodical one, like I've always made it. It will take a month or so but I think people will be quietly impressed with what I'm trying to do.' Veteran Socceroo Cahill interacts with fans during the launch of the Football Fan Park . Cahill signs an Australia shirt for a young fan in Sydney ahead of next month's Asian Cup . Playing for his country, for whom he has scored at the last three World Cup and 36 goals in total, remains a key factor in his considerations over where to play. 'I've gone to the MLS because that allows me to play internationally,' he added. 'The next decision that I make will still allow me to play internationally. I average 30 or 40 games every season since I was 17 years old and nothing's changed.' Cahill's importance to the Socceroos is borne out by the fact that he has been responsible for eight of the 12 goals Australia have scored since coach Ange Postecoglou took over in 2013. The host nation will be looking to Cahill for a good few more from January 9-31 as the Socceroos look to win Asia's biggest tournament for the first time at the third attempt. 'Physically, I feel great,' he said. 'Mentally, I'm always switched on. I'm ready to go.' Cahill celebrates a goal for Everton in an FA Cup sixth round match against Sunderland in 2012 . | Tim Cahill's deal with New York Red Bulls expires next year .
The 35-year-old forward spent nine years with Everton .
Cahill is in Australia to prepare for next month's Asian Cup . |
128,388 | 31ead36ccf4f9c5e17c3c5e0054ff3622c257491 | BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- While violence decreases across Iraq, women in the war-ravaged country face worsening hardships as warfare has thrust them into the role of family breadwinners, an aid group's survey said. An Iraqi woman who sells incense and candles to support her children says, "to work is to preserve your honor." In a release dated Sunday coinciding with International Women's Day, Oxfam International issued, "In Her Own Words: Iraqi Women Talk About Their Greatest Concerns and Challenges." Many women have been widowed and have had to run their families because their husbands "had been killed, disappeared, abducted or suffered from mental or physical abuse," the survey says. As a result, many have been unable to earn a decent living. While there are no precise numbers, there are now an estimated 740,000 widows in Iraq, Oxfam says. "Women are the forgotten victims of Iraq," said Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs, in quotes included in the survey. See pictures of women working in Iraq » . The survey found that largely because of the conflict in Iraq, 35.5 percent of participants were acting as head of the household and that "nearly 25 percent had not been married." "If this reflects Iraq as a whole, it is the highest rate in the larger region, a result of the loss of men of marrying age as a result of the conflict," the survey said. Oxfam and its Iraqi partner group Al-Amal Association, conducted the survey in five provinces -- Baghdad, Basra, Tameem, Najaf and Nineveh. Questioners interviewed 1,700 respondents starting last summer. While the survey doesn't represent the situation facing all Iraqis, it provides "a disturbing snapshot of many women's lives and those of their children and other family members." "A quarter of the women interviewed still do not have daily access to water, a third cannot send their children to school and, since the war started, over half have been the victim of violence," Hobbs said. "And to add further insult more than three-quarters of widows, many of whom lost their husbands to the conflict, get no government pension which they are entitled to." The report urges Iraq to invest in social welfare essential services. "A whole generation of Iraqis are at risk. Mothers are being forced to make tough choices, such as whether to pay for their children to go to school and receive health care, or to pay for private power and water services. These are choices no mother should have to make. And they are not only threatening individual families, they are also threatening the future of Iraq itself," Hobbs said. Here are some of the survey results. • Security and safety are the top concerns of nearly 60 percent of women. • More than 40 percent of respondents said their security situation worsened last year. • 55 percent had been victims of violence since 2003. • Some 45 percent of women said their income was worse in 2008 than in 2007 and 2006. • 69 percent said access to water was worse or the same as in in 2006 and 2007. • 80 percent said access to electricity was more difficult than or the same as in 2007. • Nearly half of the women said access to quality health care was more difficult in 2008 compared with 2006 and 2007. • 40 percent of women with children reported that their sons and daughters were not attending school. | An estimated 740,000 widows struggle in new roles as heads of house, survey says .
Many women don't have daily access to water and cannot send children to school .
More than 40 percent of respondents said security situation worsened last year .
Report urges Iraq to invest in essential social welfare services . |
194,200 | 8761b708fc5bad3e499b667c631e2ec6c669e3f5 | A teenage girl who was the victim of a real-life ‘Mean Girls’ hate campaign at school has had the last laugh - after reaching the final of a national beauty contest. Rosie Thompson, 17, was targeted at the age of 11 because she joined a new school and didn’t have any friends. However, the student has now put the taunting behind her and reached the finals of Miss Birmingham, beating thousands of other young hopefuls. Rosie has overcome bullies at school (left) and beat thousands of girls to reach the final of Miss Birmingham . Rosie (L) pictured in 2011 at Bromsgrove School, with her friends Emily Taylor, Clara Hunt and Alice Shinner (L-R) Rosie will take on 19 other girls later this month with the winner getting the chance to compete in Miss United Kingdom on November 15. Rosie, from Redditch, Worcs, said: 'I have wanted to do modelling since a young age but I just didn’t have the confidence. 'I have also had a passion for fundraising and by modelling I can also fund raise which is great, the two things just merged together. Rosie will now compete in the final of the beauty pageant for Miss Birmingham, with the winner going on to compete for Miss United Kingdom . Rosie, pictured in 2007, describes the bullying as similar to the type seen in the movie Mean Girls . 'When I was around 11-years-old I was bullied, it wasn’t physical abuse, it was mainly verbal. 'I joined the school late and by the time I got there everyone had their friendship groups, but I was on my own. As part of the competition, Rosie is raising money for The Variety Club, a disabled children's charity . 'It was a bit like the Mean Girls film when Lindsay Lohan is ostracised at the new school by the popular kids. 'It wasn’t very nice, I had a fall out with one of the most popular girls in the school and people started to turn against me. 'They would call me names and throw things at me which was horrible and I left the school a few years later because it go so bad. Rosie's mother Callie, pictured with her at home, says she is very proud of her daughter, who wants to pursue a career in modelling . 'When I left the school my confidence was at an all-time low, it was horrible. 'But then at my new school I fitted in perfectly and my confidence just grew, I guess that helped with my modelling and helped me to do it. 'I have tried to block out the past, I put up a barrier and just got over it, it was hard to do but I needed to to move on with my life.' Rosie, pictured centre, with her family on holiday in 2008 said the bullying destroyed her self confidence . As part of the competition, Rosie is raising money for The Variety Club, a disabled children’s charity. Proud mother Callie, 50, who runs her own dog grooming salon, said: 'I am so very proud of her. 'She is a good girl, she makes effort in everything she has ever done and it is great that she is raising money for the charity. 'She is keen to pursue a modelling career and has applied to lots of different agencies on her own, she is like that, very independent, which is great. 'We have thought about her winning the competition, but we don’t want to jinx it, we are just taking things one day at a time.' Rosie will compete for the crown of Miss Birmingham on April 27. | Rosie Thompson bullied after starting a new school aged 11 .
Students would call her names and throw things at her .
Eventually forced to move schools, which saw her confidence grow .
Has now beat thousands of girls to reach the final of Miss Birmingham . |
98,516 | 0adb402ed7c16ccd780390ae617448a935b9102c | (CNN) -- "Number nine. Number nine. Number nine." "The Beatles: Rock Band," to be released Wednesday, lets players strum along with classics. The repetitive refrain from one of The Beatles' most mind-bending journeys into psychedelia -- "Revolution 9," the audio pastiche from "The White Album" -- is now serving as the backbeat of a big day for the biggest band in rock 'n' roll history. On Wednesday -- 9/9/09 -- remastered versions of the Beatles catalogue will be released, giving listeners what the remaining members of "The Fab Four" say is the closest reproduction ever of how their music sounded in the studio. The same day, the video game "The Beatles: Rock Band" is set to be released by Harmonix. Modeled after the already popular "Rock Band" game, and closely supervised by The Beatles and their estates, the game lets players sing and strum along on a huge list of Beatles classics over scenes ranging from Liverpool's Cavern Club to their final performance on a London rooftop. And on top of that, there's rampant speculation that a planned "music-themed" announcement by Apple Inc., also scheduled on 9/9/09, could involve the supergroup. The Beatles are one of a handful of groups whose music has never been approved for sale by Apple's iTunes, and the timing of the announcement has fueled speculation that could finally change -- or even that specialized Beatles iPods, like the ones sold in 2004 loaded with U2's music, could be in the works. It's a remarkable amount of buzz for a band whose roots stretch back nearly five decades. And it's a clear sign, observers say, that through time and a multitude of cultural shifts, the group's hold on the public's imagination has endured. "People are still looking at Picasso. People are still looking at artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original," said Robert Greenfield, a former associate editor at Rolling Stone magazine who has written about the band. "In the form that they worked in, in the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive than The Beatles were." Research shows that more than 40 years after their last public performance, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr's music remains as interesting to young people now as it ever was. A Pew Research survey released last month showed that 81 percent of respondents between ages 16-29 said they liked The Beatles. Eleven percent said they dislike the band and only 4 percent said they have never heard of them. By comparison, current rockers Coldplay received 39 percent positive responses, with 45 percent saying they'd never heard of them. Forty-two percent said they like hip-hop star Kanye West. "To put this in perspective: Try imagining young adults back in the 1960s putting the big jazz bands of the roaring '20s at the top of their list of favorites," the survey reads. "Not very likely." Walter Everett, professor and chairman of music theory at the University of Michigan, said his students know The Beatles catalogue as well today as they would have 30 years ago. He said the cultural phenomenon that was The Beatles -- the frenzy-inducing early concerts, the furor when John Lennon said the group was "more popular than Jesus," the pre-Internet obsession over "Paul is dead" rumors -- made them something more than just another rock group. "They were just idolized," said Everett, who has written several books on the band. "It was a musical revolution, but [also] the hair, the clothing, their attitude about the establishment, their support of everybody, young and old alike, to try to understand each other at a very difficult time. "Some of that message endures." But at the heart of the phenomenon, experts agree, is the music. From the charming, school-boy bop of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" to the blistering assault of "Helter Skelter," the songs, they say, were just that good. "The point is how great the music is," Greenfield said. "It isn't about the fact that The Beatles were willing to practice and get better at what they did -- it was the fact that that band contained at least two-and-a-half geniuses [Lennon, McCartney and, at times, Harrison]." Wednesday's announcements -- and, in Apple's case, possible announcement -- show that the minders of The Beatles legacy are keeping up with how today's music consumers behave, said Bruce Burch, director of the University of Georgia's music business program. "A lot of bands and artists have been slow to embrace the fact that technology is driving the industry," Burch said. "Their music is not going away and this is a step for them for their music to come into the 21st century." EMI, which will be releasing the remastered recordings, has been famously protective of The Beatles brand and music. Digital reproductions like MP3s have lower sound quality than albums or compact discs -- one of the reasons they've been slow to embrace iTunes. But if an announcement on that front is coming, Burch said, it would signal an acknowledgement that such quality-control concerns may be obsolete for the majority of the music-buying public. "It's just a different audience out there," he said. "They're used to listening on ear buds. The sound quality, in some cases, maybe isn't' as important to them." Everett said that, even with all of the news expected Wednesday, the Beatles music will no doubt remain popular for decades to come -- meaning more new wrinkles are almost certain. "There's still more that can be done," he said. "Who knows where technology may be in another 10 years? We may have holographic images." And regardless of how it's delivered, no one's expecting another band to ever eclipse the four lads from Liverpool who would go on to shape popular culture the world over. "There will probably be another artist that comes along and captures the imagination," Burch said. "But it will never be like The Beatles." | 9/9/09 a big day for The Beatles .
"Rock Band" video game and remastered albums both to be released .
Apple Inc. expected to make "music-related" announcement the same day .
Expert compares The Beatles to Picasso, says their music will endure . |
121,542 | 291749f297559c03c9a9cef03698133b0b5343b5 | (Health.com) -- Donna Landrigan had been acting strangely for almost a month. Weeks of pounding, wall-to-wall headaches had left the normally calm and confident 35-year-old mother of three feeling confused, anxious, and doubting. "She couldn't function," recalls Dan Landrigan, Donna's husband. "She couldn't do anything, and she had these really intense levels of paranoia." Over-the-counter medications did nothing to relieve her headaches, and visits to the doctor and a local emergency room were similarly fruitless. Donna's state of mind continued to deteriorate. The breaking point finally came on a December night in 2008, when she stood in the middle of the kitchen floor and screeched at the top of her lungs. "It was a bloodcurdling scream," Dan recalls. Later that night, Dan found his wife slumped on the concrete floor of the garage, moaning. That chilling evening marked the beginning of a medical odyssey that would ultimately involve four hospitals, experts in three states, and 10 months of guessing, testing, doubting, and hoping. Something was attacking Donna's brain. She'd spend five months in a drug-induced coma before doctors knew what it was. Health.com: Your life-saving guide to bad headaches . Buying time . An ambulance rushed Donna to the ER after she collapsed, but she was quickly transferred to the intensive-care unit (ICU) at nearby Highland Hospital, in Rochester, New York. Neurologist Nick Johnson, M.D., was there when she arrived. "She was psychotic and required restraints, both physical and emotional," Johnson says, referring to tranquilizers. "She was trying to hurt herself and the people around her." Johnson was perplexed. After hearing her symptoms, he at first suspected encephalitis, a swelling of the brain usually related to an infection. He tested Donna for more than a hundred viruses and bacteria that can cause the condition, but everything came back negative. In no state to return home, Donna was admitted to the hospital for tests and observation. Two weeks later, Johnson and his team had a breakthrough when an electroencephalogram, or EEG, revealed recurring seizures in Donna's brain that were unaccompanied by physical symptoms -- a serious condition, known as nonconvulsive status epilepticus, that kills 56 percent of the people it affects. But their relief at having finally arrived at a diagnosis was short-lived; the seizures failed to respond as expected to a slew of drugs. Health.com: 20 medical mysteries and miracles . Shortly thereafter, Dan walked into the hospital to visit his wife and found her bed empty. Unbeknownst to him, doctors had used a powerful anesthetic to put Donna in a coma and had transferred her to an ICU on another floor. "The doctors explained to me that if they continued to let her brain seize like that, it would eventually wear out and start shutting down," Dan says. "They induced the coma. That was the only way they could buy more time to seek and find out what was wrong." As Dan remembers it, the scene that greeted him when he saw Donna in a coma for the first time was like something out of "ER" or "Grey's Anatomy, "not real life. "It was kind of freaky," he says. "You don't expect to see that with a loved one. Everything just comes slamming right at you. It's very overwhelming to walk in and witness it alone." Health.com: TV doctors bring unethical behavior to prime time . An elusive tumor . By mid-January, Donna's condition hadn't improved, and she was transferred to a larger facility in Rochester. The doctors at Strong Memorial Hospital decided to take a more aggressive approach, deepening her coma with the drug pentobarbital. But after six weeks Donna was even worse. Her blood pressure had plummeted and she had developed hypothermia -- common complications of lying in the ICU for so long. "I still have the image of walking into the room and seeing despair on the nurses' faces," says Dan, who visited Donna on all but four days during the ordeal. "I got terrified that maybe we were taking a turn for the worse." In reality, the doctors were getting warmer. They began to speculate that an antibody produced by Donna's own immune system -- a protein that usually fights disease -- was damaging her brain. To confirm their hunch, they sent samples of Donna's cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota. The test results provided a glimmer of hope: Pathologists had found an antibody -- they just didn't know what it was. Health.com: 'Indescribable, crazy pain': I survived dengue fever . Experts at the University of Pennsylvania eventually identified the mysterious antibody as a type that targets receptors in the central nervous system that are involved in memory and neuron function. (The antibody can also attack nerve cells in the brain, which would explain Donna's seizures.) These so-called anti-NMDA receptor antibodies usually arise in response to a type of tumor called a teratoma. Teratomas tend to appear in ovaries and testes and can contain cells and tissues of all kinds, even embryonic body parts such as hair and teeth. Once again, the doctors' optimism waned quickly as they struggled to locate the tumor. Meanwhile, chemotherapy had no apparent effect. Even though they couldn't find a tumor, the doctors decided that the only remaining option to save Donna's life was to remove her ovaries and hope for the best. A few days after Donna underwent surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes, Dan got a call on his cell phone from one of Donna's doctors. "We found a tumor," she told him, sounding choked up. It was indeed a teratoma, a benign but messy jumble of hair cells, nerve tissue, and teeth. The antibodies created by Donna's body to fight the nerve tissue in the teratoma were inadvertently attacking healthy tissue in her brain. With that, Donna became one of about 100 people in the world to be diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. In many ways her case is typical. The vast majority of patients who develop this rare condition are women, and most experience psychiatric symptoms, memory problems, and seizures. Ovarian teratomas are the culprit in most cases, but not all. But no one has experienced seizures for as long as Donna did and survived, according to Johnson. A slow recovery . Once the tumor was removed, Donna's doctors started the slow, painstaking process of tapering off the drugs and bringing her out of her five-month coma. On Memorial Day 2009, Donna awoke briefly and smiled when she heard the nurses in her room mention French fries. "Donna, do you like French fries?" they asked her. She mouthed the word "yes." Donna took about four weeks to become fully alert and conversant. Her first memory upon waking, she says, was hearing that Michael Jackson was dead. (Ironically, Jackson suffered cardiac arrest after overdosing on propofol, the drug that Donna's doctors used to induce her coma.) It was June 2009, and she remembered nothing since October of the previous year. Health.com: Michael Jackson's death: why cardiac arrest is deadlier than heart attack . The seizures have stopped, but Donna, now 36, is still struggling with the aftereffects of the coma. Now, more than a year after waking up, she is at home but in a wheelchair, suffering from nerve damage and muscle spasms. She had hoped that she would be walking by now. "I like to believe it's temporary," she says. Three-quarters of the people who have contracted anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis have recovered fully or with minor neurological problems. Johnson, who took care of Donna for the duration of her illness, is grateful that she seems well on her way to joining that group. "This was a very unusual outcome, especially for someone with seizures that long," he says. Copyright Health Magazine 2010 . | Donna Landrigan spent five months in a drug-induced coma .
Doctors found a teratoma tumor, a benign jumble of hair cells, nerve tissue, and teeth .
Most patients who develop this rare condition experience psychiatric symptoms . |
67,112 | be631c842160ab11b253716961af0acb71f66f29 | Celebrities have been watching millions of their Instagram followers vanish after the social media site announced that it was going to crack down hard on spammers and fake accounts. Justin Bieber, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Ariana Grande and Harry Styles were among those hardest hit by the process - dubbed 'Instagram Rapture' - that kicked off this week. The photo-sharing site said it was removing deactivated spam accounts and accounts that violate their community guidelines. The Instagram crackdown has caused a major shake-up in the Instagram stakes, with Kim Kardashian (right) taking the crown from Justin Bieber (left) as the most followed person on the site, with 22.2 million followers . Bieber lost a massive 3.5 million fans in 24 hours (15 per cent of his total), while Kim Kardashian watched 1.3 million disappear and Harry Styles saw his followers tumble by more than 800,000. This has caused a major shake-up in the Instagram stakes, with Kim Kardashian taking the crown from Bieber as the most followed person on the site, with 22.2 million followers. Bieber is now in third place behind Beyonce Knowles, who lost around 866,000 followers after the purge, but is still sitting pretty with a total of 21.4 million followers. According to an infographic produced by web developer Zach Allia, other casualties in the spam crackdown included Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Niall Horan and Bruno Mars, who all lost more than 700,000 followers each. Rapper Ma$e is reported to have gone so far as to delete his Instagram account, after losing 1.5 million followers out of 1.6 million, taking his new follower total to just 272,000. 'We want to maintain the best possible experience on Instagram, so we do our best to remove spam, fake accounts and other people and posts that don't follow our Community Guidelines,' the company wrote in a blog post last Wednesday. Harry Styles (left) and Ariana Grande (right) were among those hardest his by the process - dubbed 'Instagram Rapture' - that kicked off this week . Instagram uses took to Twitter to express their shock - and even outrage - over the clampdown this week . 'As we remove these accounts, some people may notice a decrease in their follower/following counts.' 'When we remove accounts from Instagram that don't follow our Community Guidelines, you may see a decrease in your follower count. 'This shouldn't affect engagement from authentic accounts that like and comment on your posts.' Celebrities have long been suspected of buying followers to improve their standing on social media sites - and for some commentators this 'Instagram rapture' appeared to confirm these suspicions. 'This Instagram bloodbath is hilarious,' Josh 'The Fat Jew' Ostrovsky, a popular Instagrammer with 2.2 million followers, told Business Insider. For some commentators, this 'Instagram rapture' appeared to confirm suspicions that celebrities had been buying followers to improve their status on Instagram . Sisters Kendall (left) and Kylie Jenner (right) also saw their Instagram followers tumble in the purge . 'This should be a national Holiday. We all know who bought followers, so today just corroborated everyone's suspicions. So many people losing their followers, watching their digital worlds crumble. Today is so fun.' But it wasn't only celebrities who lost followers, as users across the site saw their follower numbers drop, causing many to lash out at Instagram's new policy. 'Why the hell would u do this?!?!? I lost like 30 followers! We earned them!!! We don't care if they're spams or fake!! We just like the fact that they follow us!!! Please give them back!!!!!' one user wrote. But other users welcomed the Instagram crackdown and have called for other social media sites to follow suit and clean-up their acts. Talk show host Andy Cohen tweeted: 'I lost 20k followers in the #InstagramPurge and I'm feeling cleaner than ever! Only real people, please! Twitter, next?' Miley Cyrus (left) and Taylor Swift (right) both saw their Instagram followers diminish by more than 700,000 . Other users - including talk show host Andy Cohen - welcomed the Instagram crackdown and have called for other social media sites to follow suit and clean-up their acts . | Site removed spam accounts and those that violate community guidelines .
Justin Bieber lost 3.5 million followers in 24 hours in the crackdown .
Reality star Kim Kardashian is now most followed person on Instagram .
Kendall Jenner, Ariana Grande and Harry Styles were among hardest hit . |
94,335 | 053f3ffc27d7dea9c2cefd0cc1208392d8c13406 | (CNN) -- As Islamists in northern Mali threatened to "open the gates of hell," the United States is navigating one tricky quandary: how does it help in the battle against the militants without violating its own policy? U.S. policy prohibits direct military aid to Mali because the fledgling government is a result of a coup. Read more: Panetta: U.S. could provide logistical, intel support in Mali . No support can go to the Malian military directly until leaders are elected through an election, said Victoria Nuland, the State Department spokeswoman. "We are not in a position to train the Malian military until we have democracy restored," she said this week. The international community is concerned that the militants will create a terrorist haven in the desert region, which analysts say has the potential to become the next Afghanistan. Read more: France vows to halt jihadist charge in Mali . Though Islamist militant groups affiliated with al Qaeda, such as Ansar Dine, are rampant in the north, they co-exist with other anti-government opportunists, complicating U.S. involvement in an offensive touted as anti-terror. As the defiant militants hunker down, administration officials are reviewing their options to support France, which is spearheading the international effort to oust the rebels in its former colony. Others in the international community have joined forces to help the weak Malian forces ward off instability that could reverberate worldwide. Read more: Rebels still hold key town in Mali, French defense minister says . So far, however, the United States has only shared intelligence from satellites and intercepted signals with the French, defense officials said. The Pentagon is also considering sending refueling tankers so that French jets can fly longer, more sustained combat missions, according to the officials. Read more: Islamist rebels gaining ground in Mali, French defense minister says . "We've had a number of requests for support from the French in support of their operation," Nuland said in a state briefing Tuesday. "They've asked for information sharing, they've asked for support with airlift, they've asked for support with aerial refueling. We are already providing information and we are looking hard today at the airlift question, helping them transport forces from France and from the area into the theater." Ansar Dine would welcome U.S. troops on the ground, its commander, Omar Hamaha, told CNN's Erin Burnett. By fighting alongside Malian forces, "France is signing a death warrant for French people around the world, opening the gates of hell," Hamaha said. "This will be a long war ... more dangerous than Afghanistan and Iraq." Other ways to help . Though the U.S. is wary of any troop involvement, it has found other ways to help. It is accelerating efforts to deploy West African troops to Mali. The Economic Community of West African States meets Friday to finalize plans that will be presented to the heads of state a day later in Ivory Coast. Nuland said the United States has offered pre-deployment training to West African troops, equipment and help in lifting them to Mali. Funding the troops so they can fight alongside their Malian counterparts does not violate U.S. law, she said. "We are precluded under the counter-coup restrictions from funding a military that has been involved in a coup until democracy has been restored," she said. "But we're not precluded from assisting allies and partners in trying to restore security to that country." Several countries offer troops . Last week, French troops and warplanes joined Malian government forces to battle Islamist militants, who have seized most of the African nation's northern region. France said it has committed about 1,700 troops to the effort, including about 800 on the ground in Mali. France: We're not the pacifists you think we are . French President Francois Hollande said his nation has no intention of staying in Mali permanently, but it will do what is necessary to prepare for African forces. The United Nations said preparations are under way for a multidisciplinary team to go to Bamako. Leaders from a number of countries have offered troops or logistical support for the offensive. A Canadian military transport plane departed for Mali on Tuesday, where it will transport equipment and personnel. Two British military transport aircraft have been assigned to help with the French troop deployment, but no British forces will be in a combat role. The Nigerian army said it plans to deploy 900 soldiers within 10 days as part of a U.N.-mandated African force to fight the insurgents. A cycle of unrest . Mali had military rulers for decades until its first democratic elections in 1992. It remained stable politically until March, when soldiers toppled the government, saying it had not provided adequate support for them to fight ethnic Tuareg rebels in the largely desert north. Tuareg rebels, who'd sought independence for decades, took advantage of the power vacuum and seized swaths of land. A power struggle then erupted in the north between the Tuaregs and local al Qaeda-linked radicals, who wound up in control of the area the size of France. In addition to the al Qaeda threat, amputations, floggings and public executions have become common in areas controlled by radical Islamists. They applied a strict interpretation of Sharia law that included banning music, smoking, drinking and watching sports. What's behind the instability in Mali . CNN's Vlad Duthiers and Chris Lawrence contributed to this report . | NEW: By fighting in Mali, "France is ... opening the gates of hell," Islamist leader says .
NEW: Islamist group says it's "excited," would welcome U.S. troops on the ground .
U.S. law forbids direct military aid because Mali's government seized power in a coup .
French troops are spearheading an effort to flush out the militants . |
132,106 | 36d8dea84aba13f9d1548dbeb27cf9eb0546eeff | Sentiment is a limited currency in horse racing as Lady Cecil has found out this summer. The goodwill which carried her Newmarket stable through the second half of last season after the death of her much-loved husband Sir Henry Cecil has largely been replaced by a more pragmatic mood. Winners are the only commodity which count in a sport where you can go out of fashion faster than last summer’s Royal Ascot frock. Noble Mission, here in May's Huxley Stakes in Chester, is third favourite in the Qipco Champions Stakes . But an ally entwined in the final magnificent chapter of Sir Henry’s career has quite literally kept the Warren Place flag flying. Lady Cecil ensured tradition was maintained after Frankel’s not-so-little brother Noble Mission won the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh in May by flying the Cecil family standard above her Warren Place stable. The colt subsequently secured a second success at the highest level in the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud. But on Saturday at Ascot, Noble Mission could secure a win of infinitely more significance in the Group One Qipco Champion Stakes - the race Frankel won in 2012, 12 months after he had landed the two-furlong shorter Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on the same stage of British Champions day. The five-year-old, owned by Prince Khaled Abdullah, is 9-2 third favourite behind French-trained 11-8 favourite Cirrus Des Aigles, the French gelding beaten under two lengths by the slow-starting Frankel on an emotionally-charged afternoon when Cecil admits her heart nearly stopped from nervous excitement. Lady Jane Cecil, carrying on the work of her late and great husband Sir Henry Cecil, with Noble Mission . Lady Cecil, who runs Frankel’s half sister Joyueuse in the Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on Friday, said: ‘I hardly dare dream. Noble Mission is in great form and has done well for his break. The race can’t come quick enough. ‘We know he likes soft ground – it is just a shame Cirrus does too but it is going to make it hard for some of the others. ‘To even think we are having a runner in with a chance on such a huge day is a huge privilege. ‘He has been a real flag bearer since we have decided to use more forcing tactics. ‘I can’t tell you what it was like that day in Ireland, it was very special, especially him being Frankel’s brother. That was one of things I really wanted to achieve and how likely did it seem last year?’ Lady Cecil, with Noble Mission after the Irish 1000 Guineas in May, says the horse is in 'great form' Eighteen wins this season, but only six since the start of June, have been landed by Lady Cecil from a much-reduced string of around 50 horses. But she insists she has had no reason to regret the decision to keep her late husband’s stable going. ‘At the beginning, I know it is not a reason to do it, but it was a way of staying close to Henry,’ Lady Cecil said. ‘If it had all had to finish, that would have been more difficult. ‘I haven’t got the numbers of some Newmarket trainers but I think we have done well with what we have got – two Group One wins, two Group Three and a Listed race. ‘I am quite a determined person. I think it has gone well. You always want more and we all want winners but you can’t expect to have them continually. I have a lot to look forward to next year.’ Trainer Sir Michael Stoute has confirmed that a Champions meeting at Ascot on Saturday stripped of many of its biggest names will at least have the Queen’s Estimate lining up in the Long Distance Cup. It had been feared soft ground might prevent the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup winner running but Stoute said: ‘We’ll give it a shot.’ Ascot Gold Cup winner Estimate, pictured being ridden by Ryan Moore, will race in the Long Distance Cup . Encke, the Godolphin-trained 2012 St Leger winner who became embroiled in the Anabolic Steroid scandal involving trainer Mahmood Al Zarooni, sustained a fatal hind limb injury while working on Tuesday. Australian jockey Carly-Mae Pye has died from injuries sustained when the horse she was riding broke its front legs during a training run, throwing her head-first into the track. | Noble Mission is third favourite for Saturday's Qipco Champion Stakes .
The Lady Cecil-trained five-year-old's big brother Frankel won it in 2012 .
Lady Cecil has no regrets after keeping her late husband Sir Henry Cecil's stables open after his passing with 18 wins this season but six since June . |
122,966 | 2af0c95bd6b5486e87980317bfd12e07ff2c298e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A pregnant Florida woman has lost her baby after she was shot in the stomach earlier this week, allegedly by a woman with whom she'd been feuding on Facebook. Police were called the scene - in the 9100 block of Castle Boulevard in Jacksonville - about noon Wednesday after there was a report of an argument and a shooting. Video after the shooting by neighbor Christopher Cash shows the victim slumped in a chair as neighbors rush to help her. It also shows the suspect, 35-year-old Virginia Wyche, being taken into custody. Scroll down for video . Victim: The unidentified pregnant victim slumped into a chair after she was shot in the stomach. Her baby didn't survive . Suspect: Virginia Wyche and the victim had a disagreement over Facebook, which led to a fight during which Wyche allegedly shot the victim in the stomach . The unidentified victim was taken to a local hospital and survived. Her unborn baby was pronounced dead . 'They were arguing out front, something about Facebook. I walked out and just heard a pop,' Cash told WTEV. Witnesses say the two women got into an argument on Facebook Tuesday night. On Wednesday, the victim went to Wyche's house to confront her about the disagreement. Tragic: It's unclear what prompted the disagreement between Wyche (pictured) and the pregnant victim . Crime scene: The pregnant victim went to Wythe's home (pictured) to confront her about the Facebook argument . The argument turned physical, and that's when Wyche allegedly shot the pregnant victim. 'I know the victim was definitely shot in the abdomen. That's the one . gun shot that I know of. That's why the consideration and concern for . the unborn child's health,' Jacksonville Sgt. Michael Paul told News4Jax.com before it was learned that the baby had died. The suspect's mother, Lillian Jordan, told the station she is as confused as everyone else about what led up to the shooting at her home. 'My son called me and I was very disturbed about this because this is . not the way I was raised, and they (were) not raised like this,' Jordan told reporters. 'Somebody had to provoke my child ... to do what she (did). I . don't know if she was trying to defend herself, or if they (were) trying . to jump on my child, I can't say.' Wyche was booked into jail on one count of murder and one count of attempted murder. Investigators say they will continue to look into whether the suspect shot the victim in self-defense. | The unidentified pregnant victim went to suspect Virginia Wyche's home to confront her about an argument they had over Facebook .
The argument became physical, at which point Wyche allegedly shot the victim in the stomach .
Sadly, the victim's baby did not survive . |
178,285 | 72d2476d92faaf34d290f07acc7591c13ad3badb | An Indian father has been charged with murder after he invited his 14-year-old daughter's alleged rapist to dinner before torturing him to death. Jamil Gupta, 36, told police that he strangled Omkar Singh until he passed out before tying him up and burning his genitals with hot tongs. Singh, 45, had allegedly raped and impregnated Gupta's daughter before boasting that he was too well-connected to local police to ever be prosecuted. Jamil Gupta told police that he killed Omkar Singh, his daughter's alleged rapist, in the Khajuri Khas district of north-eastern Delhi (file picture) by strangling him, tying him up and burning his genitals with hot tongs . The father invited Singh, his neighbour, round to his house on Saturday and cooked him dinner before launching the attack. After killing the man, he walked to a police station in the Khajuri Khas district of north-eastern Delhi and handed himself in, giving officers a detailed account of what he had done. According to the Indian Express, the father told police: 'I burned his genitals once, he screamed. I did it again, he shuddered. 'When I did it the third time he did not move - he was dead. I did not want to kill him.' Police confirmed they found the dead man lying in the courtyard outside the Gupta's house with bruising marks to his neck. Officers added that his genitals were completely burned away. In Gupta's statement, he told officers that two months earlier, when he had been working in his shop, Singh, a medicine supplier, had called round his house. Singh found the 14-year-old girl home alone and allegedly raped her. She told her father, who did not inform the police for fear that family and neighbours would blame her. The girl has been examined by doctors who confirmed she was pregnant from a sexual assault. | Jamil Gupta charged with murder after killing his daughter's alleged rapist .
Gupta, 36, invited Omkar Singh round to dinner before strangling him .
Father then tied up Singh, 45, and burned his genitals using hot tongs .
Gupta handed himself into police but says he did not mean to kill Singh .
Police say they found Singh's body with his genitals completely burned away . |
19,572 | 379b7b8c2a471697f54a36136814d6544a57c4a4 | (CNN) -- Investigators probing the June crash of an Air France flight in the Atlantic Ocean still do not know what brought the plane down, who was at the controls when it crashed, or what the pilots did in the moments leading up to the disaster, according to a new report released Thursday. "At this stage ... it is still not possible to understand the causes and circumstances of the accident," investigators said in the report. Flight 447 -- an Airbus A330 -- went down in stormy weather in the Atlantic Ocean June 1 while flying from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. All 228 people on board were killed. Most of the bodies were never recovered. France's air accident investigation agency, the BEA, released its second interim report into the crash Thursday. It had been planning a news conference at the same time, but canceled it because of snow in Paris. The plane hit the water belly first, essentially intact, studies of the debris and the bodies that have been recovered show. Oxygen masks were not deployed, indicating that the cabin did not depressurize, the report said. Automated messages sent from the plane in the minutes before the crash showed there were problems measuring airspeed, the investigators said. But that alone was not enough to cause the disaster, they added. "Inconsistency in the measurements of airspeeds was one of the elements in a chain of events that led to the accident, though this alone cannot explain it," the report says. Large parts of the plane -- including the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder -- have never been found, leaving investigators without key pieces of the puzzle. Investigators are preparing to begin a new search for the recorders in February, the report said. But the area where the plane went down is far out in the Atlantic -- two to four days for ships from the nearest ports in Brazil or Senegal in west Africa. The underwater terrain is rough, with great variations in depth -- that is, underwater mountains and valleys -- over short distances, the report says. The new search will involve air accident investigators from the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Russia, the United States and France, as well as the U.S. Navy. The search is planned to last 60 days, the report said. Jean-Paul Troadec, director of the French investigation bureau, told reporters earlier this week that the new search, about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Brazil's northeast coast, will involve sonar and robot submarines. Troadec was in Rio de Janeiro to speak to the relatives of the 58 Brazilians who were on board, the French news agency AFP reported Sunday. "We tried to convince the families that we are conducting the investigation with the full intention of getting to the truth," he said. Tests have already brought into question the performance of pitot tubes, which measure the pressure exerted on the plane as it flies through the air, and are part of a system used to determine air speed. Before it crashed, Flight 447 sent out 24 automated error messages that suggested the plane may have been flying too fast or too slow through the thunderstorms, officials have said. The European Aviation Safety Agency issued a directive in late August requiring airlines to replace pitot tubes manufactured by Thales Avionics on Airbus A330s and A340s. It said airlines should replace them with other Thales tubes and those manufactured by Goodrich. | Investigators still don't know what caused an Air France jet to crash .
The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have never been found .
Investigators are preparing to begin a new search for the recorders in February .
Flight 447 went down in stormy weather in the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009 . |
234,639 | bbc3c3deb07510eca9df01c22665565a7c20a723 | (CNN) -- DC Comics' Wonder Woman has gotten a makeover. For the character's big-screen debut in Zack Snyder's "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," the familiar red, blue and gold costume has been traded in for a bronzed ensemble with matching thigh-high boots. The new look was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, with director Snyder sharing the first photo of actress Gal Gadot as the Amazon princess. Some fans have been thrilled, saying Wonder Woman's costume was due for an update. "Not the classic costume, but interesting," one observer noted on Facebook. "That looks like Wonder Woman to me!" tweeted another. "Gal looks phenomenal." Other fans have been vocally disappointed, dismissing the costume as too "Xena: Warrior Princess" and the actress as too petite to portray the fierce fighter Diana Prince. "Not impressed," said one commenter on DC Comics' Facebook page. "Colors are too muted. Nothing about this says Wonder Woman." "Where is the powerful, strong Wonder Woman we all love?" asked another fan on Facebook. "She looks way too small." Lynda Carter, who played Wonder Woman on TV in the '70s, hasn't voiced her opinion on the new costume -- but she did ask her fans to weigh in. (The verdict? "She's no Lynda!") Gadot hasn't been the only "Batman v Superman" star to suffer critics. Her co-star Ben Affleck had the lion's share when he was brought on to play Batman. That criticism didn't stem the excitement at Comic-Con on Saturday when Affleck arrived at the "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" panel along with Gadot and Henry Cavill, who plays Superman. Although "Batman v Superman" is still in production, those present did get a taste of what's to come. Also starring Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor and Jeremy Irons as Alfred, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" will open May 6, 2016. | Wonder Woman's new look was seen at Comic-Con on Saturday .
The color scheme is darker than the classic costume .
Fan reaction has been mixed . |
152,852 | 518f79038b869a093b27ab22daaf255ebf9b5314 | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 3:32 PM on 24th February 2012 . All of the best sportsmen can expect to have the odd bad day at the office even at the height of their fame, and this was Jeremy Lin’s first as his rise from unknown to stardom hit its first major snag. The league-leading Miami Heat and LeBron James beat point guard Lin and the New York Knicks by 102-88 last night as they raced to their eighth straight win, with all coming by at least 12 points. Lin was outmuscled and outfought by James as the Heat star put up 20 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, five steals and two blocks, while Chris Bosh scored 25 points and Dwyane Wade added 22. Disappointing: New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin had a game to forget as his side went down 102-88 to the Miami Heat in Florida on Thursday night at the American Airlines Arena . Lin's final line meanwhile was 1 for 11 from the field, eight points, three assists and eight turnovers - far from the 23.9 points and 9.2 assists he averaged over his first 11 games in the Knicks' rotation. ‘I'm sure they were all geeked up for him,’ Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said of the Heat defence on Lin. ‘And they took the challenge and they did a great job. It's hard to be Peter Pan every day.’ Point guard Lin described the game as a ‘learning experience’ and a ‘tough one’, in what was by far his worst performance since he came from obscurity to rescue a dire Knicks season with ‘Linsanity’. The scene was electric and the game matched the hype for much of the night. Director Spike Lee, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr and New England Patriots NFL player Chad Ochocinco were all present. Bad day: Point guard Lin described the game as a 'learning experience' and a 'tough one', in what was by far his worst performance since he came from obscurity to rescue a dire Knicks season with 'Linsanity' Chat: New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) and teammate Carmelo Anthony (7) talk during the first half . ‘He deserves all of the credit he's been given,’ Wade said of Lin. ‘We knew it was going to be a tough task guarding him. He's a good player, but we put a lot of pressure on him and it was a success.’ 'I'm not going to hang my head or anything like that. I know I went out there and I played hard. Can't win 'em all. Can't have a great game every game' Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks . Mike Stanton and Logan Morrison of baseball team Miami Marlins were on a sideline together, and members of the New York Mets' front office reportedly arrived by helicopter from Port St. Lucie. ‘In another life, I would be staying for the Knicks-Heat game tonight, then going up to Orlando for NBA All-Star weekend,’ President Barack Obama said earlier in the day. ‘But these days, I've got a few other things on my plate. Just a few.’ When Air Force One was headed to Orlando for a Thursday night fundraiser, there were televisions tuned to Heat-Knicks on board. Outfought: Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) shoots against New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler, left, while Heat's Chris Bosh (1) goes to the basket against the Knicks' Amare Stoudemire on Thursday night . Victorious: Miami Heat's LeBron James dribbles the ball in the first half of their NBA basketball game . ‘This has been about a three-week push for us and it's a good way to end before the break,’ Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ‘I think everyone in that locker room needs a handful of days. 'He's a good player, a really good player. And they're going to do some great things. But for us, we come in and take care of business' LeBron James, Miami Heat . The Heat defence wasn't geared just toward Lin, but rather slowing the entire Knicks' offensive. New York shot 39 per cent, turned the ball over 19 times and had 10 shots blocked. ‘He's a good player, a really good player,’ James said of Lin, whom he has talked up in the past. ‘And they're going to do some great things. But for us, we come in and take care of business.’ Early on, back and forth they went, just as everyone wanted. ‘It's always big when the Knicks come in,’ Bosh said. ‘They have that New York-Miami thing. The crowd enjoyed it. And we enjoyed it.’ Slam: Miami Heat's LeBron James hangs on the rim after his dunk near New York Knicks Tyson Chandler . On the sidelines: Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr, left, and director Spike Lee, right, were both in attendance . It was a classic Knicks-Heat game, just like the famous playoff battles in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The average price for the game on the resale markets was over $700, by one estimate. 'I'm sure they were all geeked up for him. And they took the challenge and they did a great job. It's hard to be Peter Pan every day. It's one game. We're not there yet' Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks coach . ‘It's one game,’ D'Antoni said. ‘We're not there yet. They're there. They're the team right now to beat for everybody. They're playing better than everybody. We're trying to get our team together.’ Lin said he was already eager for the second half to start. ‘I'm not going to hang my head or anything like that,’ he said. ‘I know I went out there and I played hard. Can't win 'em all. ‘Can't have a great game every game. But at the same time, I need to understand, “OK, what'd I do wrong? How can I improve?” I think that's going to be exciting.’ While ‘Linsanity’ has resulted in a media frenzy around the New York Knicks star, some reporting has been so racially-insensitive that one worker at ESPN was fired while another got suspended. In response to the outrage that the racist phrase 'chink in the armour' caused this week, the Asian American Journalists Association has published guidance on how to cover the breakout sensation. The group advises other journalists that Lin is ‘Asian American, not Asian (more specifically, Taiwanese American)’ and ‘to characterise him as a foreigner is both inaccurate and insulting’. Here is a list of phrases and comparisons to avoid when describing Lin, according to the group: . See video here . | Knicks went down 102-88 at American Airlines Arena in Florida last night .
Jeremy Lin had shocker after setting high standard in previous 11 games .
Coach defends Lin, who insists he's keeping his head up and will improve .
Asian American Journalists Association publishes Lin reporting guidelines . |
108,757 | 183df271947efbe44b356c3cd76074b4e9cad0f6 | Jose Enrique shared images on social media of his bike ride and dinner with girlfriend Amy Jaine. The 28-year-old took time out from pre-season training to spend some quality time with his partner after returning from the US. The Liverpool defender is working his way back to full fitness ahead of the new season after a knee injury ruined his 2013-14 campaign. Enrique joined Brendan Rodgers' team on their pre-season tour of the United States and will be looking to win his place in the starting XI back. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Rodgers and Jose Enrique discussing the new season . Day out: Jose Enrique shared this image of him and girlfriend Amy Jaine on a bike ride . Smile: Enrique is working his way back to full fitness ahead of the new season . Return: The Spaniard enjoyed a lot of playing time during Liverpool's tour of the US . In Enrique's absence last season, Liverpool used loanee Aly Cissokho and Jon Flanagan at left back. But the Spanish defender is likely to face even further competition for his spot this season, should he stay. Liverpool are in advanced negotiations with Sevilla over a £16million deal for Alberto Moreno, while Jack Robinson is also developing and has enjoyed a large chunk of playing time in pre-season. Rodgers' side play their final friendly against Borussia Dortmund at Anfield on Sunday before they begin their Premier League campaign at home to Southampton a week later on August 17. VIDEO Positives heading into new season - Rodgers . | Defender shared images on Instagram of his bike ride with his girlfriend .
Enrique returning to full fitness after long-term knee injury .
Spaniard joined Liverpool on their pre-season tour of the US .
28-year-old faces competition for left-back position with Liverpool still pursuing £16million Alberto Moreno transfer from Sevilla . |
114,448 | 1fb042749da3b9bc4891f61fb3ff45a382be87ef | (CNN) -- They're big, strong, and fierce -- and they wear little blue booties. The police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now patrolling the pavement in protective shoes that their police-officer handlers strap onto their paws. The reason? Too many glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center, said Andre Hartwich, a spokesman for police in Duesseldorf. "We wondered how can we protect our dogs' feet against glass," said Hartwich. "We looked on the Internet and found these shoes." Beer drinkers along the Rhine River and in the city's Altstadt, or Old Town, often discard beer bottles on pebbled walkways. Broken glass poses a problem for the police force's 20 German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds, Hartwich said. In addition, hooligans and vandals leave behind glass shards around New Year's Eve and during the city's famous Carnival celebrations. So what's a dog to do? Their handlers shelled out 60 euros -- $89 -- for shoes that are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska. Dogs need a month of training to get used to wearing the shoes, Hartwich said. "We have to condition the dogs to the shoes," he said. E-mail to a friend . | Police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now wearing protective shoes .
Glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center are the reason .
Duesseldorf police force has 20 German and Belgian Shepherds .
Dogs shoes cost €60 ($89) and are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska . |
38,204 | 6c07dd8dfbfc6c9904735903c3cb7d934473c7b8 | By . Emma Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 04:54 EST, 9 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:23 EST, 9 November 2013 . A cat was nearly killed after it was bitten by a false widow spider. The fluffy tabby cat, called Hades, was attacked by the venomous spider in the bathroom of his home in Dover, Kent. Owner Dawn Stephenson rushed her beloved pet to the vets where he spent two days fighting for his life on a drip while he recovered from the poison. Bitten: Hades the cat was attacked by the venomous spider after chasing it around the bathroom of his home in Dover, Kent. Owner Dawn Stephenson (pictured with twin daughters Kathryn and Rebecca) said he is now making a good recovery . The 42-year-old said Hades, named after the Greek god of the underworld, usually lives up to his name and is 'a bit of a devil' but she became concerned when he started acting strangely. She saw the feline chasing the spider in the bathroom then he leapt at it but quickly retreated and skulked back to his basket. She said: 'He’s usually very active and is always out in the garden, but he wasn’t interested in interacting with anybody after the bite. 'He had a very high temperature and a very tender stomach.' Hades, who had been bitten on the face, was taken to Maison Dieu Veterinary Centre. Puzzled vets couldn't work out what had happened as they couldn't see the bite through his fur but after x-rays and tests they concluded he had been poisoned by the false widow spider bite. The lucky tabby pulled through and is . now recovering at home with Mrs Stephenson and twin daughters Rebecca . and Kathryn, 13. She has been left with a bill of nearly £700 for his . treatment, the Dover Express reports. Hades: The cat spent two days on a drip after he was bitten by a false widow spider. He is now recovering at home but experts have warned to be vigilant and take pets to the vet immediately if you suspect they have been bitten . British Veterinary Association says although cases are rare, pet owners should be aware of the signs their animal may have been bitten, a spokesman said. 'Lookout for signs such as changes in behaviour, unwillingness to exercise, lethargy, lameness, swelling, loss of appetite and if your pet is showing any of these symptoms - seek veterinary attention as quickly as possible.' she added. She said: 'Speed is of the essence and the sooner treatment can be given, the better. The important message is to seek veterinary attention quickly.' The . false widow is the most dangerous of the 12 species of biting spider . known to be in Britain and cases of people being bitten by the venomous . creature have been on the rise. Earlier this month, a rabbit in south Wales was killed by a false widow spider bite. One-year-old Molly was found dead in her hutch which was infested with the poisonous creatures. Humans have also suffered after being bitten by the arachnid. John Catlin, 66, from Bromley, Kent, is still recovering a year after a bite that caused his organs to start shutting down. Bodybuilder Gary Meadows from Teesville, Middlesbrough, required a skin graft when he was bitten in 2011 and has suffered severe reactions to any insect bite since. Layla Benton, 14, was off school for three weeks after her knee swelled up when she was bitten in her bathroom in Basildon, Essex. And last month Dean Academy in Lydney, Gloucestershire, had to close its doors to pupils after the dangerous spiders were found there. Poisonous: The false widow spider has been spotted across Britain and has caused lots of allergic reactions among humans . Killer: A false widow spider killed pet rabbit, Molly, after a nest of them infested its hutch . The spiders are shiny and black with distinctive cream markings on the abdomen that resemble a horseshoe – or, to some eyes, a skull. They have long, spindly legs and are easily confused with the black widow, a far more venomous cousin not found in Britain. As with most species of spider, it is the female false widow which is the force to be reckoned with. Males tend not to grow much bigger than two centimetres, while females reach up to three centimetres. The first false widow is thought to have come to Britain from the Canary Islands or Madeira in the 1870s in a bunch of bananas. The first recorded sighting was in Torquay, Devon, in 1879. According to experts at the National History Museum, the false widow is not an aggressive creature, but prod it or intrude accidentally on its territory and it will give a defensive bite. How dangerous that bite is, seems to depend on the victim. Most will experience nothing worse than a short stinging pain, much like a wasp or bee sting. Bodybuilder Gary Meadows from Teesville, Middlesbrough, required a skin graft when he was bitten in 2011 and has suffered severe reactions to any insect bite since . But other symptoms can include numbness, severe swelling and discomfort or burning sensations. Some victims have reported chest pains. Others report swelling, tingling fingers and occasionally a general sense of feeling unwell and fever with symptoms lasting for a couple of days. Advice from spider experts is to see a doctor immediately if you have an allergic reaction from a bite. Pip Collyer, secretary of the British Arachnological Society said: ‘Try to take the spider with you so someone can identify it. 'But don’t, of course, touch the creature again.' | Tabby cat bitten on the face as it chased spider .
Owner Dawn Stephenson left with nearly £700 bill for treatment .
Hades the cat spent two day on a drip at vets . |
259,975 | dca01b32caae6fa5ecc4a575334f07b987b7b5f9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A teacher has been arrested and suspended following allegations from pupils that he tickled and sniffed primary school children's feet. The staff member was held on suspicion of 'assault by touching', and four young boys have been quizzed over the allegations by officers. Parents said they were stunned when they heard police had been called to the school, in Blackburn, Lancashire, on Tuesday. Investigation: Darwen Council (pictured) is investigating claims a primary school teacher tickled and sniffed pupils' feet. Four boys have been quizzed about the alleged incidents . They were then contacted and told to come into school for a meeting, in which they were told their children had been ordered by the suspect to remove their shoes and socks in lessons. One parent said her son told her had been made to remove his footwear and sit on a desk. Children then had to play 'a game' in which they were told to go barefoot and chose a card. Children's feet were then either 'tickled or sniffed by the staff member' depending on which card they chose. The suspect has suspended and an investigation has been launched by Blackburn with Darwen Council. One mother said: 'I didn't know anything about this and was called into school to be told my son had been questioned by police. 'I am deeply concerned and I feel everyone should know what has been happening so it can be properly looked into. This is so confusing for children. 'My son said he was picked up and put on a table, his shoes and socks taken off. Then he had to pick a card saying tickle or sniff. How can under-tens make any sense of that?' Suspended: The teacher has been suspended while the alleged offences are investigated . Another parent said: 'It's just really worrying to me. My daughter wasn't one of the kids questioned, but I am just as concerned as those parents are. The kids think it is all a game but I think it needs looking into.' Because of the 2011 Education Act . which came into force last year, the staff member or the school where . the incidents allegedly took place cannot be identified. The . authority's education councillor Dave Harling said: 'The school has . responded swiftly and robustly to the concerns and will be conducting an . internal investigation. 'In addition, the matter has been reported to police and is currently being investigated. 'I . understand that the community will naturally be concerned about this . matter, but I'd like to appeal to people not to speculate while we await . the outcome of the investigations.' A . spokesman for Lancashire Police said: 'We have been contacted by the . local authority in relation to a complaint about a member of staff at . the school. 'While we are in . the very early stages of an investigation, we have spoken to a number . of people and we are determining whether any criminal offences have been . committed. 'A man has been arrested and has been bailed pending further enquiries.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Four boys quizzed over alleged incidents at a school in Blackburn .
Children were 'ordered to remove shoes and socks in lessons'
They were then told to pick a card to be either 'sniffed' or 'tickled'
Teacher suspended and held on suspicion of 'assault by touching' |
97,126 | 08fd9bf7ceee34a7a5d955b7df879689f05ddf29 | (CNN) -- From Morocco to the foothills of the Himalayas, the call for revenge echoes across the internet. Online forums associated with al Qaeda overflow with eulogies for Osama bin Laden, and with declarations that global jihad will continue. Even Facebook groups have emerged to mourn the demise of the world's most wanted man. Al Qaeda's affiliates across the Muslim world have published effusive tributes to bin Laden and pledged support for al Qaeda "central." The Islamic State of Iraq made a point of pledging loyalty to bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri: "May Allah increase your reward and may Allah grant you the best consolation in this calamity," the group declared. Along with the condolences have come threats, both vague and specific. In a message posted on the Shumukh al-Islam forum and translated by the SITE Institute (a U.S.-based group which monitors jihadist sites), one contributor wrote: "We declare that all American interests, wherever they may be, are legitimate targets for the mujahideen, and the interests of the NATO countries as well, because they are one alliance." The leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- the most active of the group's franchises, warned Americans: "You have to fight another generation in the wake of another, until your life is ruined, your days are disturbed and you face disgrace." There have also been calls in jihadist forums for al Qaeda to revive its experiments with weapons of mass destruction. The SITE Institute translated one such appeal on the Shumukh al-Islam forum: "We want to manufacture soman, ricin, mustard gas and VX nerve gas," it declared. But there have also been calls for more basic attacks. "Go out at night in a targeted infidel compound with thirty canisters and a phone," read one. Some want immediate retribution. A contributor calling himself Abu Suleiman al Nasser wrote: "We direct the supporters of jihad to the necessity of taking immediate action," he wrote, according to SITE. "We will not be content but with tens of casualties, if not hundreds, if not thousands," wrote another. But there are also appeals for careful planning. Hussein bin Mahmoud, a frequent contributor to jihadist websites, wrote on May 2: "We do not want operations here and there for vengeance; we want specific operations that are planned with wisdom and patience." So much for aspirations. In its only statement since bin Laden's death, al Qaeda issued familiar threats -- to the leadership of Pakistan and the people and interests of the United States. The Pakistani Taliban, in a show of solidarity, also declared President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan its No.1 target. Perhaps no idle warning: Pakistan blamed a senior al Qaeda figure for planning a bomb attack that nearly killed then-President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, at the end of 2003. And the Pakistani Taliban has assassinated many senior Pakistani officials. Most analysts concur that al Qaeda wants to launch a large-scale attack to prove its resilience and rally supporters. But that's easier said than done. Al Qaeda "central" has spent much of the past decade on the defensive -- deflated by the loss of senior leaders, the drone campaign in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area and a withering bank balance. Some Europeans who went to wage jihad in recent years told of being asked for money by their hosts, having to purchase their weapons and being on the run from one mountain refuge to another. CNN Terrorism Analyst Paul Cruickshank, who studied their experiences for the New America Foundation, wrote that one Belgian-French group "was trained inside small mountain shacks, away from the all-seeing eyes of the drones. The loss of an increasing number of operatives prompted an order from al-Qaeda's top command that fighters remain inside as much as possible," according to Walid Othmani, a French recruit. Better intelligence has made it more difficult to launch coordinated attacks in the United States and Europe. In the last decade, U.S. surveillance of would-be jihadists, and their movements in and out of the country, has improved dramatically - as shown by the arrest and conviction of conspirators such as Najibullah Zazi, Bryant Neal Vinas and others. Similarly, cells in Europe have been broken up -- especially in Belgium, Germany, Spain and Denmark. The last major attack attributed to al Qaeda sympathizers was the London subway bombings in 2005. So al Qaeda may look for other targets. Mario Mancuso was deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and counterterrorism during the Bush administration. "The U.S. homeland is relatively harder now, logistically," he said. "My chief worry at the moment is the Saudi and Gulf oilfields. Energy security has been a principal rationale for U.S. involvement in the region. "Such an attack would be highly symbolic, practically significant, and logistically easier" than trying to mount an attack in the United States, said Mancuso. An attack on oil sources would fit with al Qaeda's long-held belief that the U.S. economy is vulnerable. "Just as it claimed credit for bringing down the Soviet Union because of the cost it imposed on the Soviets for invading Afghanistan, it has the aim of bringing us to our knees economically," Mancuso said. Sabotaging Gulf oil exports would also fit with al Qaeda's core goals. In 2004, bin Laden urged supporters: "Be active and prevent them from reaching the oil, and mount your operations accordingly, particularly in Iraq and the Gulf." It became known as al Qaeda's "bleed until bankruptcy" strategy. Since bin Laden's death, jihadist forums have talked of attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz at the tip of the Gulf, and in the Suez Canal. There are precedents. In the last year, al Qaeda has launched several attacks on oil installations and pipelines in Yemen. In October 2002, a suicide attack by a small boat on the French tanker Limburg, off the coast of Yemen, left one crew member dead and 90,000 barrels of oil in the Gulf of Aden. And in February 2006, militants in vehicles loaded with explosives tried to break through the gates of the Abqaiq oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi intelligence has been successful in subduing al Qaeda cells in the kingdom in recent years, while security at oil refineries and pumping stations has been reinforced. For the United States, there remains the threat from "lone wolf" radicals, enraged by bin Laden's assassination but with little in the way of training and infrastructure to carry out an attack on the scale of 9/11. Faisal Shahzad's attempt to explode a car bomb in New York's Times Square a year ago is the most obvious recent example of such an attack. That's the foremost concern of the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, which issued a bulletin to law enforcement saying bin Laden's death "is likely to provide motivation for Homeland attacks, particularly from like-minded, ideologically focused lone offenders ... unburdened by organizational constraints." So far, as information from the Abbottabad compound is analyzed, no concrete plots to the United States have emerged. But according to one document recovered in February 2010, al Qaeda had discussed derailing trains in the U.S. Such a modest objective compared to the 9/11 attacks may be an acknowledgment of the group's tougher surroundings -- and a sign that al Qaeda is moving toward attacks focused on causing maximum disruption and economic cost. The Yemeni cleric Anwar al Awlaki has championed this approach. Last year, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- in its online magazine 'Inspire' -- boasted of spending just $4,000 in an effort to bring down U.S.-bound cargo planes by hiding PETN explosive in printers. Assassinations may also play a greater role. In 2009, an attempt to kill the Saudi security chief, Prince Muhammed bin Nayef, using a suicide bomber with PETN in his underwear, came within feet of achieving its aim. A few months later, a suicide bomber killed seven CIA employees at a base in Khost. Whatever the future brings, it is likely al Qaeda's plans will be more difficult to track. In the past 10 years it has spawned cells active from Casablanca to Java -- thriving wherever the authority of the state is absent and the territory remote. Al Qaeda ideologue Abu Musab al-Suri once said: "Al Qaeda is not an organization, nor do we want it to be. It is a call, a reference." Counter-terrorism analysts say that operationally, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, strengthened by some veteran Saudi jihadists, may now pose a greater threat than al Qaeda central. In Somalia, al Qaeda affiliate Shabaab has taken advantage of anarchy; in the Sahel, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has made money from smuggling and possibly drug-trafficking. Some analysts say it may have used the proceeds to acquire sophisticated weapons such as shoulder-launched ground-to-air missiles. There is also growing evidence that Salafist cells have established themselves in the Gaza Strip. Add to this the risk that al Qaeda and other Salafist groups, after being bypassed by the largely secular nature of the Arab Spring, will try to take advantage of new instability in Arab states. The likely heir to bin Laden, Ayman al Zawahiri, has already spoken at length about such opportunities, focusing on his native Egypt. In Iraq, al Qaeda (whose animosity toward Shiite Muslims almost matches its hatred of the West) has already shown it will take drastic steps to inflame Sunni-Shiite tensions by attacking shrines and religious festivals. Growing tensions in Bahrain and the Shia-populated provinces of eastern Saudi Arabia could provide openings. Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has already warned of the struggle to come against "Shi'ites and the apostates and their men so that Allah will judge between us and them." For now, al Qaeda's core leadership is probably focused on survival, anxious that the "treasure trove" of Abbottabad might give away its refuges and tactics. But, says Mancuso, "the succession dynamic itself may fuel the urgency of a spectacular attack. There may even be regional competition to do this, so bin Laden's demise might make al Qaeda more dangerous structurally." | Better intelligence has made an attack on U.S. or Europe more difficult .
Sabotaging Saudi and Gulf oilfields would fit with al Qaeda's core goals .
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula may be a greater threat now, some say .
Salafist groups may want to take advantage of instability from recent uprisings . |
71,823 | cb8ec877233aefae9ff3d1b081d33ad99d2a7b47 | By . Simon Tomlinson . A 46-year-old woman has reportedly become the oldest mother to give birth through IVF using her own fresh eggs. Belinda Slaughter delivered her first child - a healthy boy called Jackson - despite doctors giving her only a one per cent chance of conceiving. Speaking of her relief and joy, the dental hygienist, from Orlando, Florida, in the United States, said: 'I was willing to take the chance of it not working, but believe in God that it would.' 'I believed in God that it would work': Belinda Slaughter (left) is . thought to have made medical history after giving birth to baby Jackson (right) at the age of 46 using her . own fresh eggs . She is thought to have made medical history because although mothers older than her have given birth through IVF, they have been with donor eggs or frozen embryos. Mrs Slaughter's, however, were her own and fresh. Dr Richard Paulson, a medical director of the fertility program at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, told the Orlando Sentinel: 'What's remarkable about this case is not the age of the mother so much as the age of the egg, which was 46 years old.' Mrs Slaughter, whose case was published in Fertility and Sterility, a journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, said she had no idea of the record. Baby joy: Mrs Slaughter (pictured with Jackson and husband Torrance) is thought to have made medical history because although mothers older than her have given birth via IVF, they have been with donor or frozen eggs . A woman is born with a set number of eggs to last her lifetime. This is thought to be around one million, but reduces to some 400,00 by the time they start puberty - and only a fraction of these will fully mature. But the quality of the eggs also declines with age which makes it far harder to conceive later in life. Around 7million American women are believed to suffer from infertility, with poor-quality eggs a factor in around 70,000 of those. 'I didn't think this was so special,' said Mrs Slaughter, now 47. 'I thought "there are women older than I am having babies".' Rajo Devi Lohan, from India, is currently the world's oldest mother after giving birth to a daughter at the age of 69 in 2008 through IVF not using her own fresh eggs. According to Guinness World Records, the oldest person to have a baby naturally, without infertility treatment, was a 59-year-old British woman who gave birth in 1997. Mrs Slaughter turned to IVF after having an operation to remove 18 fibroids - non-cancerous tumours - from her uterus. Dr . Mark Trolice, founder and medical director of Vivere-Winter Park . Fertility Laboratory, harvested the eggs from her ovary in March last . year. He then fertilised them with her husband . Torrance's sperm and transferred the embryos into her ovaries, one of . which successfully implanted. Actress Halle Berry (left) spoke of her surprise when she discovered she was pregnant with her son Maceo at the age of 47, while fellow actress Laura Linney (right) gave birth earlier this year at the age of 49 . Mrs Slaughter gave birth in September but not before needing a caesarean section nine weeks early after her cervix weakened. She said: 'I always knew it was going to work.' Although Mrs Slaughter required IVF, it is not uncommon for women her age or older to give birth naturally. Actress Halle Berry recently admitted she was dumbfounded when she found out . she was expecting son Maceo at 47 because she had been feeling . 'premenopausal' and didn't think she could conceive. Meanwhile, Oscar-nominated actress Laura Linney gave birth to her first child, a baby boy, in January at the age of 49. | Florida woman Belinda Slaughter gave birth to healthy boy called Jackson .
She used her own fresh eggs rather than donated ones or frozen embryos .
Dental hygienist is thought to have made medical history, say doctors .
Expert: 'What's remarkable is not age of mother but the age of the egg'
Mrs Slaughter defied 1% odds, saying: 'I believed in God that it would work' |
69,671 | c57e50e64d3af117794ea894dc02184b794e225e | By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 13:42 EST, 24 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:49 EST, 24 November 2013 . A would-be multi-millionaire might lose their £12 million lottery prize if they do not claim the cash by Wednesday. Ironically, the winning ticket was bought in Ladywood, Birmingham, one of the poorest areas in Britain. The prize is set to become the second highest unclaimed lottery win after no one claimed a £64 million EuroMillions prize in December last year. Would-be multi-millionaire: A £12 million lottery prize is yet to be claimed and if the winner does not come forward by Wednesday the money will be donated to charity . The ticket was bought on May 31 but now, six months on, the Wednesday 11pm deadline is looming for the winner. A Camelot spokesman said they will be walking the Birmingham streets on Monday in a last chance bid to find the winner. A spokesman said: ‘We have not had a valid claim for this prize. ‘But we have had big prizes claimed at the last minute.’ The winning raffle number is JRG437445. If it is not claimed by November 27 the money will go to charitable causes. But perhaps it is a blessing in disguise. Recently couple Dave and Angela Dawes from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire decided to split up after their £101 million lottery win because they argued over how to spread the EuroMillions cash between their family and friends. Blessing in disguise? The unclaimed prize comes as couple Dave and Angela Dawes decided to split because they argued about how best to spend their £101 million lottery win . The couple, who bought their winning . ticket from a WHSmith store and got married in Gretna Green following . the windfall in December 2011, went from living in a one bedroom flat to . a £9 million mansion in Surrey, as well as a flat in West London's . Chelsea Harbour, so Mr Dawes, 49, can walk to the ground of his beloved . Chelsea FC. Last year’s unclaimed £64 million prize was donated to health, education and other charitable causes after National Lottery launched a desperate search for the winning ticket holder. Michael Thompson, a spokesman for The National Lottery Good Causes, said at the time: 'Countless good causes will benefit from this unclaimed prize. 'In theory, the £64 million unclaimed prize would fund over 6,000 minibuses to help kids with disabilities. Deadline looming: The winning ticket was bought in Ladywood, Birmingham (pictured), one of the poorest areas in Britain . Other lottery wins that were never . claimed include £9.4 million on a ticket bought in Doncaster in July . 2005, £7million in Belfast in 2004 and £6.9 million jackpot in Devon in . 2007. In 2001 Martyn Tott, a purchasing manager from Watford, missed out on a jackpot of £3,011,065 after losing his ticket. Using computer records, he was able to prove the winning ticket was his but Camelot refused to pay out - since the rules state that the winner must have their ticket to claim their fortune. The decision sparked a national furore, with even the then Prime Minister Tony Blair championing Mr Tott’s cause - but all in vain. | The winning ticket was bought in one of the poorest areas of Britain .
If unclaimed it will be the second highest lottery win to be lost .
An unclaimed £64 million prize was donated to charitable causes last year . |
34,662 | 6280c1448ec6b70b269ba327025b8080bfd96d1f | By . James Slack . PUBLISHED: . 19:40 EST, 29 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:12 EST, 21 December 2012 . A draconian crackdown on the public’s right to know what the police are doing was demanded by Lord Justice Leveson. He called for a ban on the press or public being told by the police if a crime suspect has been arrested. Also, the ‘off-the-record’ briefing of journalists would be barred, and senior police officers would be expected to log details of any contact they have with reporters and make the details widely available. A string of major scandals have been uncovered over the years by unauthorised police sources who could in future be frightened to speak out. Lord Justice Leveson said he had not found any extensive evidence of police corruption, and the scale of the problem of ‘leaks’ to reporters should be kept in proportion. He also downplayed the scale of so-called cosy relations between the police and journalists. Just some of the stories that might never have come to light: A series of disclosures to Daily Mail reporters propelled the Stephen Lawrence inquiry forward; right, Scotland Yard embroiled in a race war . The inquiry chairman said: ‘No one could reasonably conclude that inappropriately lavish entertainment is or has been rife in the Metropolitan Police Service or that the officers involved in what may be described as the most damaging evidence were corrupt. 'The issue is about perception, more than integrity.’ But the report then went on to highlight a string of scenarios where contact between police and the Press should be curtailed. He said it should be ‘mandatory’ for all officers of Acpo rank – the most senior police – to record all of their contact with the media on a ‘brief note’, explaining what the conversation was about. Where the discussion involves a more ‘significant’ matter, the note must be more detailed. He also says senior staff must consider whether they need a press officer present. It also said that Acpo guidance should ‘more specifically spell out the dangers of consuming alcohol in a setting of casual hospitality (without necessarily specifying a blanket ban)’. Lord Leveson (left) said it should be 'mandatory' for all officers of Acpo rank – the most senior police – to record all of their contact with the media on a 'brief note'. Right, Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe . The judge also wants far tighter controls on police taking journalists on operations such as raids – which provide a valuable insight to the public on how the police work – for fear of ‘violating the private rights of individuals’. The report goes on: ‘I think that it should be made clear that save in exceptional and clearly identified circumstances (for example, where there may be an immediate risk to the public) the names or identifying details or those who are arrested or suspected of a crime should not be released to the press or public.’ The report suggested putting a 12-month ‘cooling off’ period into contracts that would stop former senior police officers being employed by the press. Last night, Andy Trotter of the Association of Chief Police Officers said it would need to consider the report ‘carefully’. He added: ‘Police should have a professional, open and transparent relationship with the public and the media. 'The media can provide a vital role in communicating with the public, helping society to solve crime, and holding public institutions to account.’ Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who is responsible for the Metropolitan Police, rejected Leveson’s proposal for off-the-record briefings from the police to cease. ‘Clearly briefings are going to remain an important part of public life,’ he said. Lord Justice Leveson doubtless thought he was helping to protect the innocent by calling for a ban on the identification of crime suspects who have been arrested but not charged. But, if the public do not know a person is being held in custody, how are they supposed to come forward with any information they hold which could clear them, such as a cast-iron alibi? Sweeping people off the streets and locking them up in secret is the hallmark of brutal totalitarian regimes, not mature democracies. Equally chilling is the judge’s demand that senior police must keep a log – freely available to their superiors – of any contact they have with journalists. Lord Justice Leveson says he is acting in the interests of ‘transparency’. But, in reality, he risks creating a ‘closed shop’ in which police feel frightened of passing on information, even where it is of huge public interest, in case they are subject to a witch-hunt by officials who it suits to conceal inconvenient truths and restrict all communication to official channels. Journalists will be treated, wrongly, as a potential enemy best avoided, despite the overwhelming majority of reporters being interested only in exposing wrongdoing, helping the police to bring criminals to justice and defending the public’s right to know. Scandal upon scandal has been exposed by unauthorised briefings to the Press from police – not least the uncovering of the shocking failings in the original Stephen Lawrence investigation. Leveson’s report also suggested that journalists could in future be forced to identify whistleblowers to the police. Currently, journalists have protection under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act from disclosing material to the police, even if it is obtained by a source acting in an unlawful way. But the judge says there should be a consultation on changing this rule. The danger is that good citizens desperate to expose wrongdoing will not come forward if they risk being named to the police and arrested. The computer disc which contained the details of how MPs had been rampantly fiddling their expenses was technically stolen by a Westminster employee. How many guilty men will escape justice and how much corruption go undetected if the Leveson Inquiry plan is implemented in full? Six major stories that would never have been told . By CHRIS GREENWOOD . Unofficial police sources are behind some of the most important revelations of corruption and wrongdoing in modern times. Some of the stories that might never have come to light without unauthorised briefing include: . The Stephen Lawrence inquiryWhen the inquiry into the racist murder of the black 18-year-old lost its way it was off-the-record briefings that focused the minds of the country’s top police officers. A series of disclosures to Daily Mail reporters propelled the story into the public eye and led to a series of reviews and questions from the highest level of Government. Almost 30 years later, perpetrators were finally convicted and Stephen’s family finally found justice. Lord BlairWhen the then Sir Ian, now Lord, Blair occupied the office at the top of New Scotland Yard, unauthorised disclosures raised serious questions about his stewardship. One exposed his dubious decision to secretly record telephone conversations with Attorney General Lord Goldsmith. Another raised questions about a £3million IT contract with Impact Plus, a company owned by his long-term friend and skiing partner Andy Miller. When the then Sir Ian, now Lord, Blair (left) occupied the office at the top of New Scotland Yard, unauthorised disclosures raised serious questions about his stewardship. A foul-mouthed rant by then Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell (right) in September might never have become public had a police note of the encounter not been passed to the Press, as there were no other witnesses . PlebgateA foul-mouthed rant by then Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell in September might never have become public had a police note of the encounter not been passed to the Press, as there were no other witnesses. The ensuing scandal ultimately led to Mr Mitchell’s resignation. The Stalker AffairWhen senior Manchester police officer John Stalker was sent to Northern Ireland to head an inquiry into the shooting of Republican suspects by the RUC, he was subjected to an extraordinary smear campaign. He was suspended from duty, but junior officers privately briefed newspapers and the BBC about his treatment. All charges against him were dropped. Ali DizaeiThe actions of the corrupt Scotland Yard commander were laid bare thanks to unauthorised leaks to the Daily Mail. Information from unnamed colleagues led to intense scrutiny of his activities and eventually his conviction for perverting the course of justice. Operation CountrymanThe four-year inquiry into corruption at the City of London and Met forces might well have collapsed were it not for key off-the-record briefings. Dorset and Hampshire officers were obstructed from the start and turned to the Press to publicise their problems. The Government responded by ordering the Yard to co-operate. Legal Update: In 2009 Mr Andrew Miller complained about an article dealing with the award by the MPS of contracts to his former company, Impact Plus. He brought proceedings for libel and was successful. The Court found, in December 2012, that there were no reasonable grounds to suspect that Mr Miller was a willing beneficiary of improper conduct and cronyism because of his friendship with Sir Ian Blair in respect of the award of a number of MPS contracts to Impact Plus worth millions of pounds of public money. Mr Miller was awarded £65,000 damages. | Lord Leveson calls for ban on the press or public being told by police if a crime suspect has been arrested .
‘Off-the-record’ briefing of journalists would also be barred .
He also said senior police should record all contact with media . |
29,367 | 5373c809966512e169014dd375ca344cfe6a57c5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 4:24 PM on 22nd November 2011 . An unholy row has erupted after the Church of England was accused of 'ruthlessly' putting 'profit before communities' by snapping up green belt land which had already been earmarked for development. The church purchased 180 hectares of green belt land around the area of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in August, and could rake in a whopping £116m if housing and business developments go ahead. The Church Commissioners confirmed they had bought the land - known as Windsor Park - from UK Coal along with four other sites for a combined total of £12.5m. Not happy: Rod Lilley is leading a protest group against housing and business developments on land owned by the Church of England . A property expert said the agricultural value of the land would have been around £2m. But the church could now net a windfall as the 86 acres put forward as a possible business site are worth around £100,000 per acre. The remaining 358 acres could be worth £300,000 per acre if used for residential purposes. Simon Reevell, MP for Dewsbury, urged the church to 'practice what it preaches'. He said: 'They want to "maximise the income from their investment portfolio". They say that they have to do this because it is their "legal duty". Protesting: Action group leader Rod Lilley has accused the church of seeking to profit at the expense of locals . 'That would be the same "legal duty" that obliges FT100 companies to maximise profits for their shareholders but whose behaviour prompted the Archbishop of York to warn that such behaviour can "weaken community life". 'Our Church leaders are perfectly entitled to argue that the worst excesses of capitalism should be curbed. 'Pursuing profit before anything else takes us back to the worst excess of a by-gone age and senior members of the clergy may well want to speak out against it. 'But shouldn't they start a little closer to home? As far as the land at Chidswell is concerned, the Church Commissioners that I have referred to are in a remarkably strong position should they wish to practice what they preach. 'I suspect my constituents in Chidswell will struggle to reconcile an attitude of profit before communities with the Archbishop of York's invitation to strive for a "change of ethics to the accumulation of wealth".' Rod Lilley, 51, is spearheading the Chidswell Action Group, who oppose the plans - which will be implemented if a Local Development Framework put forward by council officers is accepted by members. Now, he has accused the church of seeking to profit at the expense of locals and has revealed he is so 'disillusioned' that he has turned his back on the church he loves. Mr Lilley, managing director of a haulage company, said: 'I've been going to church for years but not now. 'It's a sad moment for me. But I have to stand up for what I believe in. 'Here I am year in, year out looking for money for Christian Aid, but by buying the land they are getting rid of farmers who produce barley, corn and other products, and turning it into a concrete city. 'This is the last bit of green belt land to separate Leeds, Kirklees and Dewsbury. 'They are just making money for themselves. Why should I dig deep to help the third world when the church is just profiting for itself? Similar: Vicar Amanda Barraclough said the situations in Dewsbury and outside St Paul's Cathedral resonate because society is asking questions about how we measure success . 'What the church really should be doing is giving money to run-down churches instead of sending us out begging for money. 'I've cancelled my direct debit to the church and have no plans to return. 'We have to stop the plan before it gets the go-ahead. If the council gets what it wants, the land will be brown belt and they can develop on it.' Even Amanda Barraclough, the vicar of St Mary's Church in Woodkirk, attended a protest meeting along with over 600 other locals, insisting that there is a difference between local parishes and the church 'head office'. Reverend Barraclough, 50, said: 'I have strong sympathies with where the action group are coming from. 'I hope people can see the difference between local church communities and the "head office" which is rather detached from life on the ground. 'The situations in Dewsbury and outside St Paul's Cathedral resonate because our society is clearly asking big questions about how we measure success - is it an accumulation of wealth and status?' A spokesman for the Church Commissioners said: 'It is for the democratically-elected local planning authority to assess the best balance for its area of employment, housing, and other amenities. 'We have been liaising with various representatives of the local community since buying this land in August. Should those responsible decide to allocate the land in the long-term for use as a business park and for housing, we would support that.' The local authority's plans, to go before the council tomorrow, state that they need 25,400 homes in Kirklees by 2028 including the Chidswell site. Jacqui Gedman, Kirklees Council's acting director of place, said: 'The use of green belt land is, as we would expect, a contentious issue. 'But, surprisingly, many people are unaware that 70 per cent of land in Kirklees falls within the green belt. 'This means that virtually all homes, offices, factories, shops, schools and parks are concentrated in the remaining 30 per cent. 'This proposal requires no more than one per cent of the green belt to be released for potential future development.' John Denham, from Campaign for Rural England West Yorkshire said: 'We were very shocked by these proposals. 'We think there is sufficient brown belt land in the area so the council should not have to build on green belt land. 'We will continue the fight against this development. Green belt land is precious.' | Church could rake in £116m if plans go ahead .
MP urges the church to 'practice what it preaches' |
120,009 | 2719f01a5178be3cb20dfb60c04dee22d84846f6 | Prosecutors are to re-examine 25 criminal convictions where evidence was given by 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood. The Crown Prosecution Service said it was also no longer offering evidence on three live cases involving the undercover reporter, as there was 'no longer a realistic prospect of a conviction'. The CPS announced the probe after reviewing the prosecutions in the wake of the collapse of the trial of former X-Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos in July, and the conviction of rapper Mike GLC, real name Michael Coombs. Prosecutors are to re-examine 25 criminal convictions where evidence was given by 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood . The reporter's elaborate set-ups led to the exposure of dozens of people, from hapless royals to hardened criminals while he worked for the now defunct News of the World. He is pictured while posing as a Sheikh in the 1990s . A CPS spokesman said: 'Following the halting of the trial of Ms Contostavlos and Mr Coombs we took steps to identify current and past cases involving Mr Mahmood as a prosecution witness. 'We made it our immediate priority to carefully look into live prosecutions in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and any past cases which involved a defendant still in custody. 'There were no concluded cases where a defendant was still in custody, but we identified three live cases; each case was looked at individually and no evidence was offered as we concluded that there was no longer a realistic prospect of a conviction. 'We are now considering past cases which resulted in a conviction in criminal courts in England and Wales based on evidence provided by Mr Mahmood, and have identified 25 cases. As part of this process, over the coming weeks, CPS Areas will be contacting representatives of the defendants – or defendants themselves as necessary - convicted in these cases in order to provide them with a disclosure pack – details of material which they may consider undermines the conviction in a specific case.' The CPS announced the probe after reviewing the prosecutions in the wake of the collapse of the trial of former X-Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos in July, and the conviction of rapper Mike GLC . Mr Mahmood, a former reporter for the News of the World, was suspended by the Sun on Sunday after the collapse of Contostavlos's trial. The former N-Dubz star went on trial after allegedly boasting that she could 'sort out' cocaine for Mr Mahmood and put the reporter in touch with her rapper friend Mr Coombs. But both were cleared after Judge Alistair McCreath said there were 'strong grounds' to believe Mahmood lied in the witness box and 'had been manipulating the evidence'. In September, several trials at Southwark Crown Court in London were halted because they relied on evidence from the undercover reporter. The CPS offered no evidence against Dr Majeed Ridha and pharmacist Murtaza Gulamhusein, who were accused of illegally supplying an abortion drug. And fixer to the stars Leon 'Starino' Anderson and co-defendant Ashley Gordon, 21, had drugs charges dismissed after prosecutors said Mr Mahmood was not reliable. In terms of cases that resulted in convictions, the CPS said it was providing information to defence teams to 'allow them to consider whether there is any basis for their client's case to be referred to the Court of Appeal or to the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC)'. Disclosure packs are also being sent to the Law Society, CCRC 'and relevant regulatory bodies that we are aware of and who have had cases involving Mr Mahmood', it said. In November, the undercover journalist was unmasked in a BBC documentary, despite an 11th hour attempt by him to block the broadcaster from showing his image. The Panorama programme, featuring up-to-date pictures of the 'Fake Sheikh', heard from former celebrity stings and associates of Mr Mahmood, who claimed that he set them up and targeted them unfairly. Among them was former London's Burning actor and child star John Alford, who spent nine months in prison after he claims Mr Mahmood entrapped him into supplying cocaine. | Reporter's elaborate set-ups led to the exposure of dozens of celebrities .
He also claimed to be responsible for 'hundreds of convictions'
But now prosecutors are to re-examine 25 where he provided evidence .
Comes after trial of former X-Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos collapsed . |
23,552 | 42dfc126e10cc63945b8ef8ead6aab78a8d78975 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 05:46 EST, 10 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:15 EST, 10 February 2014 . Thousands of police have carried out a major crackdown on the sex trade in China's 'sin city' of Dongguan as the country tries to get to grips with its HIV problem. The rare operation took place yesterday following a candid report by the state broadcaster on the underground industry. China outlawed prostitution after the Communist revolution in 1949, but after economic reforms to create a free market which began three decades ago it returned with a vengeance. Since then the trade has been blamed for helping fuel a rise in HIV/AIDS and sexually-transmitted diseases that is believed to have reached epidemic proportions in the 1990s. Chinese police taking away alleged sex workers and clients at an entertainment center in Dongguan, in southern China's Guangdong province . A total of 67 people were arrested and 12 entertainment venues involved in the illegal sex trade were shut down after China Central Television (CCTV) revealed a dozen hotels in Dongguan offered sex services . While the government carries out periodic crackdowns, it is unusual for state media to cover them in such a high-profile way or for top officials to comment on the problem, underscoring worry about the explosion of the sex trade. Media said 67 people were arrested and 12 venues were shut down in a sting operation in the Dongguan region at the heart of China's Pearl River Delta industrial hub in the southern province of Guangdong. Provincial Communist party boss Hu Chunhua, stressed the need 'to conduct an extensive trawling-style crackdown on the entire city', according to a report in the Nanfang Daily. Two city police chiefs had been suspended, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported. Video Source YouKu CCTV . It is unusual for state media to cover them in such a high-profile way or for top officials to comment on the problem . The operation took place yesterday following a candid report by the state broadcaster on the underground industry . The Dongguan region has long been known as a hub for the sex industry, it was reported . China's main state broadcaster, China Central Television (CCTV), aired a half-hour report on Sunday chronicling what appeared to be extensive and open prostitution in five towns across Dongguan. Secretly shot footage showed scantily clad women parading on a stage and managers of venues speaking openly about prostitution services. The CCTV report was widely watched across China and followed with interest and widely commented on on social media. Crackdown: Thousands of police were involved in the operation yesterday morning . Reports of the crackdown were widely watched across China and followed with interest and widely commented on on social media . Authorities there said last month the city had seen a high incidence of HIV/AIDS amid rumours that more than 2,700 sex workers had been infected . While periodic sweeps against vice have been carried out, including during sensitive periods such as the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, the industry has thrived. Law enforcement often appears to be lax. The Dongguan region has long been known as a hub for the sex industry. Authorities there said last month the city had seen a high incidence of HIV/AIDS amid rumours that more than 2,700 sex workers had been infected, according to the Global Times, a Chinese tabloid owned by the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily. The CCTV report was widely watched across China and followed with interest and widely commented on on social media . | 67 people arrested and 12 venues shut down in a sting operation in Dongguan, an industrial boom city .
China outlawed prostitution after Communist revolution in 1949 .
But after reforms three decades ago it returned with a vengeance .
Now it is blamed for explosion in cases of HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections . |
72,337 | cd10cc35249ed20cc22dfe2bbe4c5b5503b02db6 | Bulletproof vests have offered protection for people's bodies for years, but they're of little use if an assailant aims at the wearer's head. While bulletproof helmets are typically heavy, conspicuous and expensive. Now, one designer claims to have found a solution. He has created a lightweight, 'stylish' baseball cap that can repel a range of ammunition. Scroll down for video demonstration . A Michigan-based company has designed a bulletproof baseball cap (shown). Called BulletSafe its hard panel makes the cap bulletproof against all handguns up to a .45ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). However, the protective panel is only located in the front of the cap, meaning the sides and the back are not protected . However, the protective panel is only located in the front of the cap, meaning the sides and the back of the head are not protected. The hard panel makes the cap bulletproof against all handguns up to a .45ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). It is inserted behind the front third of the baseball cap, fits close to the wearer's forehead and is made of high-strength material usually used in ballistic plates to stop rifle fire. The cap's inventor, Tom Nardone from Birmingham, Michigan described it as 'a much friendlier form of protection than a helmet'. The 44-year-old said: 'In this case, the panel will be thinner than rifle plates and will be used to stop handgun rounds, which typically have about a quarter of the ballistic energy of a rifle round. 'When it is shot with a handgun it will stop the bullet with very little deformation. This will spread the energy of the bullet over the area of your forehead. 'A powerful handgun like a .45ACP has about twice the energy as a hockey shot, so being shot in the head wearing this hat will hurt as much as being hit in your hockey helmet by two hockey snapshots at once. 'It will hurt, but the difference between that and being shot in the head is immense.' The cap's inventor described it as 'a much friendlier form of protection than a helmet'. A test of a prototype product is shown. The idea to create the bulletproof cap came about when Tom Nardone's company, BulletSafe Bulletproof Vests, was asked if it was going to introduce a line of ballistic helmets . While the cap protects wearers at the front, the sides and back don't contain bulletproof panels so provide no protection. However, the inventor said the cap is 'a much friendlier form of protection than a helmet'. The exact distance at which the cap can repel a bullet has not been revealed . The idea to create the bulletproof cap came about when Mr Nardone's company, BulletSafe Bulletproof Vests, was asked if it was going to introduce a line of ballistic helmets. 'The plate material is not new, it is being used in rifle plates today, but that side of the project required some calculation,' continued Mr Nardone. The hard panel makes the cap bulletproof against all handguns up to a .45ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). It is inserted behind the front third of the baseball cap, fits close to the wearer's forehead and is made of high-strength material usually used in ballistic plates to stop rifle fire. 'The amount of energy in a handgun round is high, but not as high as some people seem to believe,' the company wrote on its Kickstarter page. 'A .45ACP has about 450 Joules of energy. A hockey snapshot has about 240. 'So the amount of impact you would feel is on the order of twice the impact of being hit in the helmet with a hockey puck. 'Is that enough to give you a concussion? 'It is certainly in that range, but a concussion would be a welcome outcome when compared to the damage a bullet would do to the same area without protection.' 'We built a firing prototype from some existing materials and tested it to make sure the concept worked and that a panel of our size wouldn't fold or buckle. 'Then we started working on making such a panel fit in the baseball cap. We have been working on it for about 11 months.' He continued that the firm will spend the next months building moulds and pressing the panels. They will then be tested to the current bulletproof standards before being put into production. The exact distance at which the cap can repel a bullet has not been revealed, and will depend on further development and testing. He said: 'Our vests sell mainly to security guards and I couldn't imagine walking into a bank and seeing a security guard wearing a ballistic helmet. 'It just seemed ridiculous. I could see the need for some bulletproof protection for the head, but not a helmet. 'In the US, some officers and guards wear baseball caps on duty. It is actually fairly common when they patrol outside as it keeps the sun out of their eyes. 'Most police departments try to dissuade officers from wearing sunglasses because they want them to be able to make eye contact with the public. 'Officers and guards usually wear neat looking, dark coloured hats. I decided to see what we could fit for ballistic protection inside one of those. 'The cap is meant for police officers, security guards, and anyone who wants protection without intimidation.' From left to right is a polymer mock-up of the panel, a paper pattern, and a shooting sample made from a helmet section. Mr Nardone's Kickstarter campaign for the headgear has already raised more than £4,800 ($7,500) of its initial £2,250 ($3,500) target . When bullets strike the cap (shown) they do not penetrate as far as the wearer's head, keeping them protected from shots that hit them straight on. The cap will be made publicly available near the end of 2015. A black version costs £83 ($129), but those backing the Kickstarter project can buy one for £64 ($99) Mr Nardone's Kickstarter campaign for the headgear has already raised more than £4,800 ($7,500) of its inital £2,250 ($3,500) target. A black version of the cap costs £83 ($129), but those backing the Kickstarter project are offered the hats at a discounted price of £64 ($99). Alternatively, Kickstarter backers can pay £96 ($149) for a custom hat in various colours and styles. The cap, which comes small, medium/large and extra large, is expected to be available in November this year. Mr Nardone said: 'When the caps are ready in late 2015 they will have been tested to stop most of the handguns people will see on the streets of the US. 'It will provide that level of protection over the front third of the baseball cap. The cap will save your life if you are shot in that area. 'It will be bulletproof for all handguns up to a .45 ACP. It is tested at a very short distance, but will work against further ones as well.; . However, he added that the cap won't stop a bullet from most rifles. 'The cap will be tested in an independent ballistics lab to a standard set forth by the US National Institute of Justice, who sets the standards for bulletproof vests and helmets, so everyone will be guaranteed that it works as promised.' | Michigan-based company has designed a bulletproof baseball cap .
Called BulletSafe, the hat has a built-in panel designed to stop bullets .
Impact is like being hit with 'two hockey pucks while wearing a helmet'
Inventor claims the cap is 'friendlier' than a regular ballistic helmet .
However, there are no panels fitted to the back or sides for protection .
The exact distance at which the cap can repel a bullet has not been revealed, and will depend on further development and testing .
Black version of bulletproof cap is available on Kickstarter for £64 ($99) |
269,108 | e89a80c48374d10e4ff745a25d71a03cee2ce6cd | Sharon Sutton died in February of the little known but deadly condition known as sepsis . Electrical supervisor Michael Sutton had never heard of sepsis when he lost his wife Sharon after a month-long battle with the condition in hospital. The medical receptionist was taken to hospital with an unknown condition in February this year. After being wrongly diagnosed with gastroenteritis and treated with a broad range of antibiotics, Sharon was found to have Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The chemotherapy was so effective that it not only eradicated Sharon's cancer but killed off all her white blood cells, leaving her with no immune system. After contracting an infection in hospital, the sepsis set in, shutting down the organs in her body. Four days after finishing chemotherapy, Sharon passed away. 'I thought she had died of the cancer, but it was only when I looked at the cause of death on her death certificate that it said sepsis,' said Mr. Sutton. 'The doctors mentioned it but I'd never heard of it, and they didn't tell me anything about it,' Mr. Sutton told Daily Mail Australia. Often referred to as septisaemia, sepsis can lead to shock, failure of multiple organs, and death if not recognised and treated properly. The little known but life-threatening condition occurs when a patient's response to infection damages their organs and tissues. Over 30,000 Australians contract sepsis every year, with a quarter of those dying in hospital. Critical care researcher Professor Simon Finfer, of The George Institute for Global Health and The University of Sydney said that the numbers are probably higher, but are misdiagnosed or unreported. Medical receptionist Sharon Sutton with her son Malcolm, now 35, and granddaughter Ava, now 7 . Sharon in her family home with beloved pets Bindi and Digger . Sharon Sutton, then 17, and Michael Sutton, then 18, on their wedding day in 1969 . These statistics come less than a week after the death of an Iranian asylum seeker in detention from the condition, raising alarm bells for many in the medical community. 'Sepsis is the leading cause of death from infection around the world and contributes to or causes between a third and a half of all deaths occurring in hospitals in the USA,' said Professor Finfer. 'Despite advances in modern medicine like vaccines, antibiotics, and acute care, millions of people around the world die of sepsis every year'. This warning has been echoed by healthcare professionals for years, with little community awareness. 'Sepsis kills more people than HIV, prostate cancer, and breast cancer combined,' said Mr. Sutton. 'I got on the internet and did some research and found that there were no support groups in Australia for those suffering from sepsis, or those who had friends or family suffering from the condition,' 'There was no support here for people like myself to understand what sepsis is,' 'There was a leukemia foundation and and I was able to talk to people about leukaemia, and most importantly, get support, but there was no one for me to talk to about sepsis,' There were groups in the UK and the US, so I thought I would do something about it to raise awareness of sepsis in the community,' 'Sharon probably contracted the infection whilst in hospital,' said Mr Sutton. 'That's how most cases of sepsis are caused,' 'I'd love to see better hygiene standards within our hospitals, and to educate doctors and nurses about how to recognise it. If it can be picked up within an hour, it increases survival rate by 8%.' Sharon and Michael with their children and grandchildren in front of the Harbour Bridge last year . Sharon with family members at a birthday celebration with her parents, son Graham (now 42), and cat Tangles . Professor Simon Finfer of the George Institute for Global Health and the University of Sydne . The Australian Sepsis Network is the answer to Mr. Sutton's call. The Network, which launches its website today, is a new alliance of health care professionals who are pushing for greater education and earlier intervention to combat the increasing threat of sepsis in Australia. 'Common symptoms of sepsis are fever, chills, rapid breathing and heart rate, rash, confusion and disorientation,' said Professor Finfer. 'Many of these symptoms, such as fever and difficulty breathing, mimic other conditions, making sepsis hard to diagnose in its early stages,' 'People are often told they have pneumonia or an infected gall bladder where the real issue is that they have sepsis, which is often contracted during or after surgery.' Professor Finfer and the Australian Sepsis Network are passionate about increasing healthcare standards to avoid further cases such as Sharon's. 'Because sepsis occurs both in the community and in patients who are already in hospital our campaign will target increasing awareness in the community and also further increasing awareness amongst healthcare workers,' said Professor Finfer. 'In particular we must ensure that sepsis is treated as a medical emergency in the same way that a heart attack or stroke is.' The Clinical Excellence Commission launched an initiative called SEPSIS KILLS in 2011, which has already had a positive impact on over 180 hospitals across Australia. September 13 is World Sepsis Day and is an initiative of the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA) to promote sepsis awareness internationally. Information on global World Sepsis Day initiatives is available on their website. Sharon with her daughter Michelle at her son Malcolm's wedding . Sharon and her husband Michael, taken on her last birthday in March 2013, when she turned 50 . | Wife died in hospital after being misdiagnosed and a month long ordeal .
There were no support groups for information or welfare advice .
The condition causes shock and organ shut down .
Over 30,000 Australian contract sepsis each year . |
7,338 | 14c8787f2608c8777c79b4f3b8367a97780746ac | (CNN) -- With more than 2,400 Ebola deaths in Liberia alone, the killer virus may not sound like the most obvious subject to write a song about. But health officials are using all means at their disposal to educate Liberians on how to contain the spread of the disease. The United Nations Children's Fund -- UNICEF -- has worked with local musicians to produce a song "Ebola is Real," which urges Liberians to take measures against the disease, such as washing their hands. The chorus runs: "Ebola is real, it's time to protect yourself, Ebola is real, protect your family, Ebola is real, protect your community." Near the song's end, the musicians say Ebola is a severe disease that spreads fast. While it can't be cured, they explain, the symptoms of the virus can be treated and explain that the only way of catching Ebola is through direct contact with bodily fluids such as blood, saliva and sweat. "For our traditional people, when somebody die, don't touch the body with your bare hand -- you can call a health worker closer to you to help you to bury the body but wearing protective clothes and gloves," the song continues, saying the message is from Liberia's Ministry of Health and partners. UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac said music is "an integral part of life" in Liberia and across Africa. "Everything from elections to polio campaigns have used songs," he said. "We used songs as a medium of getting out the information to a wide segment of the population, through the best medium available in Liberia -- radio." UNICEF chose to work with Liberia's cultural ambassador Julie Endee and some well known musicians. The style of music is a popular form in Liberia known as Hipco and the song has been very successful, playing on radios across the country, Boulierac said. "Some people even use it as a ring tone," he said. "My colleague in Sierra Leone has heard it play in street side stalls." CNN's Nima Elbagir is in Liberia covering the outbreak. Elbagir recalled hearing "Ebola is Real" being played during an earlier visit and said it was very popular and instrumental in getting the public healthcare message across. Susan Krenn, director at the John Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP), spoke to CNN from Nigeria, where she was working on the launch of a weekly television series "Newman Street." Newman Street is aimed at addressing the topics of family planning and malaria. "There is a whole communication science behind this," Krenn said. "One of the things we really emphasize is that the entertainment has to be of very high quality. You really want to attract people to whatever the piece is because it's something they really want to listen to, or want to watch, because it's entertainment," she said. "This type of programing really allows you to use creativity and pull people in for the value of the entertainment, while a communication plan allows us to weave messaging in." The entertainment vehicle itself could get people talking about an issue and get them to adopt certain behaviors, she said. "One of the beauties of entertainment education is that your reach is phenomenal ... you're impacting a huge number of people." The CCP has been involved in entertainment education for nearly three decades. In 1988 it released two family planning songs and music videos -- "Choices" and "Wait for Me" -- in Nigeria. "Someone actually made a remake of ('Wait for Me')," Krenn said. "It's incredible to see the long life these things have." The center has gone on to release many more songs but Krenn said it used entertainment within a wider communications strategy. In the case of "Newman Street," the series was being used as a "national overlay," she said. Krenn said there were a number of family planning and malaria programs in different states and cities in Nigeria's four main languages. At a more local level, CCP's strategy included radio and working with service providers. CCP was also involved in Liberia, Krenn said, trying to monitor and help coordinate the communication interventions there. "With so many different entities, one of biggest needs is communication. We really need to find out where the gaps are," she said. | The Ebola virus has killed more than 2,400 people in Liberia .
UNICEF and local musicians created a popular song with a health message .
Lyrics include "Ebola is real, it's time to protect yourself"
A John Hopkins group is also using entertainment for health education . |
253,241 | d3ca5a8bd10ad298db7ce43102268e94c55300ad | Washington now believes terror network is on brink of defeat . By . Christopher Leake . Updated: . 03:20 EST, 29 August 2011 . Al Qaeda’s second-in-command has been . killed in Pakistan amid speculation that he was targeted by an unmanned . U.S. CIA drone aircraft. The death of Libyan-born Atiyah Abd . Al-Rahman – who had been considered as a possible successor to the . group’s leader Osama Bin Laden after his death earlier this year – is . such a major blow to the terror network that American intelligence . officials claimed last night it was on the verge of defeat. Al-Rahman, Al Qaeda’s former . operational leader, rose to be its No 2 after U.S. Navy Seals killed Bin . Laden in a dramatic raid on his Pakistan compound in May. Dead: Atiyah Abd Al-Rahman is believed to have been killed in a U.S. drone attack . Last night, sources within US . President Barack Obama’s administration said Al-Rahman, an explosives . expert, was killed on August 22 in the lawless Pakistani tribal region . of Waziristan. U.S. officials would not say how . Al-Rahman was killed. But his death came on the same day that tribal . leaders in the area said CIA drones had struck a vehicle and a guest . house. Such attacks by unmanned aircraft are . Washington’s weapon of choice for killing terrorists in the . mountainous, hard-to-reach area along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Al-Rahman, second-in-command to the . new Al Qaeda leader, Egyptian-born Ayman Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri, was . a close confidant of Bin Laden and once served as his emissary to Iran. He was allowed to move freely in and out of Iran as part of that . arrangement and has been operating out of Waziristan for some time. Last autumn, the U.S. government posted a $1 million reward for information on Al-Rahman’s whereabouts. Lethal weapon: Unmanned drones are the weapon of choice for the U.S. as they hunt down Al Qaeda operatives hiding in Pakistan's mountainous terrain . Al-Rahman, 38, a fanatical Islamic fundamentalist, linked up with Bin Laden as a teenager in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union. He joined Al Qaeda in the early Nineties then fought in Afghanistan. In 1993 he moved to Algeria to serve as a liaison between Al Qaeda and Algerian radicals fighting a civil war against the military government in the North African nation.Intelligence analysts learned only in June 2006 that Al-Rahman was a leading player in Al Qaeda when the U.S. military recovered a long letter he had written to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian fighter who ran Al Qaeda’s operations in Iraq. After Navy Seals killed Bin Laden, they found evidence of Al-Rahman’s role as Al Qaeda’s operational chief. U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said last month that Al Qaeda’s defeat was within reach if the U.S. could mount a string of successful attacks on the group’s weakened leadership. ‘Now is the moment, following what happened with Bin Laden, to put maximum pressure on them,’ he said. ‘If we continue this effort we can really cripple Al Qaeda as a major threat.’ | Washington now believes terror network is on brink of defeat . |
120,078 | 272faf081b33aa942888a60d910d0593b231a05b | (CNN) -- A rash of sexual assaults in the armed forces undermines Americans' confidence in the military, President Barack Obama told newly commissioned officers at the U.S. Naval Academy Friday. "Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that makes our military strong," Obama told the graduates, who were commissioned as Naval ensigns and Marine Corps second lieutenants. "That's why we have to be determined to stop these crimes. Because they have no place in the greatest military on Earth," Obama continued. The president's remarks came amid mounting outrage over sexual abuse cases in the armed forces. Figures show the rate of assaults in the armed forced increasing, and some top officers are under fire for condoning such acts. At least two officers responsible for preventing sexual assault are under investigation for allegedly committing the types of act they were tasked with stopping. Those factors have led to calls for major changes in how the armed forces handle sexual assaults. Obama has demanded his top military brass "leave no stone overturned" in their quest to prevent abuse, and members of Congress have introduced legislation that would make it easier for victims to get justice. In his commencement address Friday, Obama characterized the U.S. military as one of the few institutions Americans still trust, but said incidents like sexual assaults, as well as other delinquency by servicemen in the field, could erode that faith. "Even in our military, we've seen how the misconduct of some can have effects that ripple far and wide. In our digital age, a single image from the battlefield of troops falling short of their standards can go viral and endanger our forces and undermine our efforts to achieve security and peace," Obama told the Naval Academy graduates, 206 of whom were women. Earlier this month, the Department of Defense released figures estimating 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact occurred in 2012, a 35% jump from 2010. Those cases ranged from groping to rape. The vast majority of those incidents went unreported as crimes, the study showed. Meanwhile, officers at bases across the country are under investigation for allegedly committing sexual assaults. An Army sergeant first class assigned to the sexual assault prevention unit at Fort Hood, Texas, came under investigation in early May for alleged sexual assault, pandering, abusive sexual contact and maltreatment of subordinates. The military said he's been relieved of duty while investigators look in to the allegations. Also in May, an Air Force officer who managed an assault prevention unit was charged with sexual battery and removed from duty. He is accused of grabbing a woman and groping her buttocks and breasts in an Arlington County parking lot not far from his Washington office. And this week, the Army said it had suspended Brig. Gen. Bryan Roberts, the top general at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, due to allegations of adultery and assault. Fort Jackson is where most new Army recruits go through basic training, which includes training about sexual assault prevention. The president traditionally delivers the commencement address at one of the military service academies every year. In 2012 he spoke at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The last time he delivered the commencement in Annapolis was 2009. Vice President Joe Biden spoke last weekend at the Coast Guard Academy in Connecticut. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will speak Saturday at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and also will address sexual assaults, according to a U.S. official. Obama's remarks came the day after a much-anticipated speech in which the president spelled out a new phase of America's war on terror. He told the new officers Friday they are entering a military vastly changed from four years ago. "Just as you have changed in the past four years, so too have the challenges facing our military," he said, noting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were still being engaged when Friday's graduates entered the academy. "Even as we move beyond deploying our large ground armies abroad, we need to conduct precise targeted strikes against terrorists before they kill our citizens," Obama said. "Even as we stay vigilant in the face of terrorism, and stay true to our Constitution and values, we need to stay ready for the full range of threats." CNN's Jim Acosta contributed to this report. | Obama says military assaults threaten what "makes our military strong,"
Assaults have "no place" in the military, Obama says .
Figures show the rate of assaults in the armed forces is increasing .
A number of officers at bases across the country are under investigation . |
263,137 | e0d40c0ee40ab139f083d4be90ba36b8997aa0ad | The 90s were a breakthrough period for the modern man - a time when it finally became acceptable for the male sex to admit they use moisturiser. The new breed of men became so common that a new phrase was coined to describe them - the metrosexual, with stars like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo leading the trend. But since then, young men have been become even better acquainted with bathroom products - many now think nothing of spending hours in front of the mirror or at tanning shops. Stars like David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo led the trend for metrosexual men, but there are now four different breeds of super-groomed males. They are Mr Mandrogynous, Mr Mainstream Moustache, Metro-Dude and Mr Remantic . The rise of this behaviour means that the word metrosexual is almost defunct as there are now several different typologies of super-groomed men. A new study by Braun has identified the four different new breeds using an expert panel that comprised of grooming writer, Lee Kynaston, the author of Branded Male, Mark Tungate, owner of Murdock's barbers, Brendan Murdock, and founder of Privet grooming center, Andy Penniceard. They identified them as Mr Mandrogynous, Mr Mainstream Moustache, Metro-Dude and The Remantic. Read on to find out if your man fits one of the descriptions: . Mr Mandrogynous is a slap in the face to old-school stereotypes of red-blooded heterosexual males . Mr Mandrogynous: . Who: A slap in the face to old-school stereotypes of red-blooded heterosexual males, daily gym sessions keep him looking good as his idols Cristiano Ronaldo and Dan Osborne · . Grooming Ritual: Buffed and supremely preened, he unselfconsciously practices Manscaping, indulges in regular spray tans and aspires to a hairless aesthetic. Expert Opinion: 'He's a narcissist...These guys are working out for themselves. They want to look in the mirror at the gym and feel good because they are so buff' says Lee Kynaston . Mr Mainstream Moustache was inspired by Movember to take on the reinvention of the moustache as a personal project . Mr Mainstream Moustache: . Who: Not quite a hipster - he reached peak beard months ago. Inspired by Movember he's taken on the reinvention of the moustache as a personal project · . Grooming Ritual: Whatever it is, it isn't what everyone else is doing. Expert Opinion: 'We're starting to see regular guys who want to use a moustache to redefine their appearance. It used to be just the hipster in tweeds. But once David Beckham was spotted with one – well, all of that changed,' says Brendan Murdock . Metro-Dude is reinventing geek-chic . Metro-Dude: . Who: Re-inventing geek-chic, he's the technophile driving the UK's digital revolution - most likely to be found talking algorithms and app building · . Grooming Ritual: Up on the latest gadgetry but with the nous to get value for money, Mark Zuckerberg's hoodie and jeans are just the memory of a nightmare. Expert Opinion: 'They are the ones who've been so busy staying on top of life, reinventing what it means to be a tech-superstar that it's taken a moment of inspiration from a partner or wife to up their grooming game' according to Mark Tungate . There's no work-out too tough, and no regime too expensive for The Remantic . The Remantic: . Who: The re-born romantic, he's suave, sophisticated and high-powered. This guy sets trends in the city on a wage that is finally enough to live the lifestyle he's always aspired to. Fancy cars? Bespoke suits? You name it, of course he has it · . Grooming Ritual: There's no work-out too tough, and no regime too expensive. This guy will go to any lengths to prove he's the best. Expert Opinion: 'These men are the last word in class and they demand the best from every element of their life,' says Lee Kynaston. | As men get super-groomed, the metrosexual is replaced by FOUR breeds .
They are Mandrogynous, Mainstream Moustache, Metro-Dude and Remantic . |
122,228 | 2a011d42d82de82dda88bb61c19733dcfbb744db | (CNN) -- Sonic booms and at least one fireball in the sky were reported in Texas on Sunday, less than a week after two satellites collided in space and a day after the Federal Aviation Administration asked U.S. pilots to watch for "falling space debris," authorities said. Video captured in Austin, Texas, shows a meteor-like object in the sky Sunday morning. There were no reports of ground strikes or interference with aircraft in flight, FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said. Herwig told CNN the FAA received no reports from pilots in the air of any sightings but the agency recieved "numerous" calls from people on the ground from Dallas, Texas, south to Austin, Texas. Video shot by a photographer from News 8 TV in Austin showed what appeared to be a meteor-like white fireball blazing across a clear blue sky Sunday morning. The photographer caught the incident while covering a marathon in Austin. On Saturday, the FAA told pilots through its routine notification system that "a potential hazard may occur due to re-entry of satellite debris into the earth's atmosphere." The notice did not specify a time or location. Watch video of meteor-like fireball » . Herwig said most of the reports the FAA received came in about midday Sunday in an area of Texas from Dallas south to Austin. iReport.com: Did you see the fireball? Send photos, video . He said he was not certain where the information that sparked the FAA notification came from, but it was "probably from NORAD," or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which tracks man-made objects in space. Calls to NORAD headquarters in Colorado were not immediately returned. Lisa Block, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said her agency had received calls from residents surprised by sonic booms about 11 a.m. She said calls came from an area from Dallas to Houston. Last week, the Russian and U.S. space agencies said two satellites, one Russian and one American, collided about 496 miles (800 kilometers) above Siberia, Russia. The collision on Tuesday produced two large debris clouds, NASA said. The satellites collided at 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) per second, producing 500 to 600 pieces of space debris, the U.S. Strategic Command said. CNN's Monte Plott contributed to this report. | Video shot in Austin, Texas, shows meteor-like object in sky Sunday morning .
Fireball sightings, reports of sonic booms come days after satellite collision in space .
FAA told U.S. pilots to watch for "falling space debris"
No reports of ground strikes or interference with aircraft, FAA spokesman says . |
89,331 | fd8be9f45091233f43922786942a8551b30f84bd | (CNN) -- Ted Cruz's excellent birther adventure has been a moment of absurdity, irony and comeuppance, for him and for many in his party. Cruz, the freshman GOP senator from Texas and a tea party darling, has made a name for himself as an incendiary obstructionist in the usually genteel Senate. He may run for president in 2016. Which means, under the Constitution, that he has to be a "natural-born citizen." He is indeed a natural-born citizen -- of Canada. Born in Calgary to an American mother, Cruz learned that he has unwittingly held Canadian citizenship all his life. What was in doubt, thanks to a few birthers from the right and some mischievous eggers-on from the other side, was whether he could also claim American citizenship by birth. It turns out he can, given his mother's status. Initially, Cruz issued affronted denials that he was anything but American. Then, upon discovering that he was "technically" also Canadian, he scrambled to disavow and formally renounce any tie to his native land -- even though dual citizens can technically become president. Cruz's comical predicament illuminates three things about the politics of American identity in this era of demographic flux. First, it is a reminder that people of color, whatever their party, are still more likely than whites to be presumed foreign. John McCain, born in the Panama Canal, and Mitt Romney, born to a father born in Mexico, never faced conspiracy theories about whether they were ersatz Americans or Americans with divided loyalties. Barack Obama, of course, did. And for a moment, at least, so did Cruz. They're the lucky ones. Millions of regular Americans who don't care about their qualifications for the presidency are nonetheless subjected daily to suspicion based on their non-whiteness. Second, those who live by race-tinged insinuations can die by them, too. Cruz felt that he had to act swiftly to nip rumors of his outsiderness in the bud because he realized just how viciously they could spread out of control. He realized this because it was members of his own party who had incubated and propagated such insinuations about whether our son-of-a-Kenyan president was insufficiently committed to the American way. What goes around comes around, and when Donald Trump (who declined to rule on Cruz's status because he hadn't "studied it enough") is an arbiter of national authenticity, nobody is safe. Perhaps the most delicious aspect of the Cruz citizenship flap is that his form of alleged alienness was Canadian. What could be worse, for an anti-government rugged individualist, than a blood association with the land of free health care and the home of brave bureaucrats? What could be worse, for a party struggling to diversify, than to have this Latin-Texan hopeful smothered in the blandness of a Canadian Eh? Perhaps Ted Cruz, chastened by his brush with un-American identity, will proceed with greater empathy for those on the margins of American life. Perhaps leaders in his party will learn to forego the short-term electoral benefits of whipping up white fear of decline and white mistrust of people who may seem foreign. And perhaps activists from the other party will resist the temptation to brand any nonwhite conservative as a traitor or a fraud. Or perhaps not. What is certain is that the rest of this century will bring only more and more visible instances of political leaders who embody the ethnic complexity and impurity of citizenship in the United States. The party that figures out best how to embrace that complexity and convert it into an asset will be not just the majority party. It will be the most American party. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Eric Liu. | Eric Liu: Ted Cruz's excellent birther adventure has been a moment of absurdity, irony .
Liu: It is a reminder that people of color are still more likely to be presumed foreign .
He says John McCain and Mitt Romney never faced conspiracy theories on their origin .
Liu: Maybe Cruz now will have greater empathy for those on the margins of American life . |
203,009 | 92d60d085022600f3e78865367f1c0098bb8509d | It sounds like the stuff of nightmares - but Guy Whittall will certainly be checking for 'monsters' underneath his bed, after waking up to find an eight foot crocodile hiding just inches from where he slept. The 330lbs giant had sneaked into the Humani lodge, Zimbabwe and spent the entire night lying quietly, just fractions beneath an oblivious Mr Whittall. The beast - a Nile crocodile - had managed to stay hidden for more than eight hours overnight. It sounds like the stuff of nightmares - but Guy Whittall will certainly be checking for 'monsters' underneath his bed, after waking up to find an eight foot crocodile hiding just inches from where he slept . Astonishingly the giant beast managed to stay hidden for more than eight hours . Mr Whittall (pictured) even perched on the edge of his bed organising his day - unaware of the fact that a 330lbs creature lay just fractions away from his dangling feet . The following morning Mr Whittall - a former Zimbabwean cricketer - had even perched on the edge of his bed, with his feet dangling over the edge, just inches from the crocodile's face, as he organised his day. But the 40-year-old remained oblivious to his uninvited guest and was only alerted when he was enjoying some breakfast in the kitchen and heard the petrified screams of a housemaid. Mr Whittall, who is a director at Humani, ran back to his room and was horrified to discover the enormous crocodile nestled under his bed. He said: 'The really disconcerting thing about the whole episode is the fact that I was sitting on the edge of the bed that morning, bare foot and just centimetres away from the croc. 'Crocodiles are experts at hiding, that's why they have survived on Earth for so long and why they are the ultimate killers in water. But the 40-year-old remained oblivious to his uninvited guest and was only alerted when he was enjoying some breakfast in the kitchen and heard the petrified screams of a housemaid . Staff from the centre managed to get a rope around its head, and then dragged it out by its tail as it fought furiously . Mr Whittall said he resisted being roped and hauled out from under the bed . 'They know how to keep quiet and go unnoticed, it's in their nature. 'The crocodile came from the Turgwe River which is a couple of kilometres from the house. 'They often wander about the bush especially when it's cold and raining. I think he liked it under the bed because it was warm.' He was forced to call in some of his co-workers who helped remove the crocodile from its new lair and release him back into Humani's Chigwidi dam. Mr Whittall said: 'Of course he resisted being roped and hauled out from under the bed, that's only natural. 'Catching and securing a croc of any size on land though is a fairly straight forward affair and we are experienced in that. When roped the large creatures thrash around frantically and are extremely powerful . Mr Whittall called in his co-workers who helped remove the crocodile from its new lair and release him back into Humani's Chigwidi dam . After dragging the croc outside, they were able to safely restrain it by tying up its mouth to avoid any bites . But soon the creature was released back into his natural habitat, where he happily swam away . 'The only real danger is getting bitten because it can't drown you. 'The most important thing is to get its snout roped and secured and then it's just a matter of restraining it and covering its eyes, to calm it down. 'Bigger crocs require more manpower obviously though. When roped they thrash around frantically and are extremely powerful. 'I just remember thinking "goodness gracious, that's one for the books". 'I'm pretty sure everyone in Humani checks under their bed before going to sleep now anyway.' | 300lbs giant had sneaked into the Humani lodge, Zimbabwe .
Spent the entire night lying quietly beneath oblivious Guy Whitall .
Beast had managed to stay hidden for more than eight hours overnight .
The crocodile has now been released back into the wild . |
124,069 | 2c6141ba9724bbe123c142701554e9ca3b86fdfb | By . Associated Press . and Meghan Keneally . An architecture critic has set the spark to Donald Trump’s latest feud after criticizing a large sign with the real estate developer’s name that has been installed on his building in Chicago. Trump has gotten into a war of words with Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel over the issue, and Emanuel has since announced that he's looking for a way to undo the 'architecturally tasteless' sign. The billionaire reality star shows no signs of backing down, however, saying that the sign was ‘done by one of the great sign designers’ and the ‘third-rate architectural critic’ is on the wrong side of public opinion. Sign of the times: Newly installed 20-foot-tall letters spelling out T-R-U-M-P are seen on the side real estate billionaire Donald trump's skyscraper in Chicago, pictured Thursday . Clear sign: Trump stressed that he got city permission to put up exactly the sign that ultimately has been emblazoned on the building . ‘This was fully approved, everybody . knew about it, (Emanuel's) administration knew about it, the previous . administration approved it and this has been approved for a long period . of time,’ Trump said in a phone interview with The Today Show this . morning. ‘The brand is very hot, we're probably the hottest brand there is. We're building all over the world and cities love the brand.’ The . sign in question spells out his last name with 20-foot-tall letters on . the side of his gleaming Chicago skyscraper and the controversy began . when Blair Kamin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic for the . Chicago Tribune, wrote an article blasting the addition. 'If . this sign was in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, nobody would care — but it . is in Chicago, and in a part of Chicago full of great buildings from . the 1920s to the 1960s and onward,’ he wrote. Trump . wasted no time disparaging the columnist, telling Today’s Matt Lauer . that Mr Kamin was someone ‘who I thought got fired, he was gone for a . long period of time’. ‘All of the sudden he reemerges and to get a little publicity he started this campaign,’ Trump said Friday. ‘The fact is... that people love it.’ Branding: Trump regularly has his name emblazoned on his buildings across the country (pictured last week) Standing tall: Trump has been vocal in his support of the sign and claims to have received 'thousands' of emails and letters from fans telling him to keep the sign . Many . of the city's tallest buildings have large signs near or at ground . level, but not even landmarks like the John Hancock Center and the . Willis Tower have the kind of banner — high above street level — that . the Trump International Hotel & Tower does. Trump . also stressed that he got city permission to put up exactly the sign . that ultimately was emblazoned on the building. Not only did the city . zoning administrator sign off on it, he said, but the City Council did . as well. Trump pointed out . that the city had actually approved an even-larger sign when Mayor . Richard Daley was still in office, then last year the City Council . endorsed a smaller version of it. A spokesman for Emanuel, Bill . McCaffrey, said the council approved it, as it routinely approves signs . at its meetings, and the mayor was not aware of it. But . perhaps more important than any legal argument he might make, Trump . said he's baffled that anyone would object to the sight of his name on . the side of the building, going so far as to suggest that they should be . thanking him. For starters, he said, his skyscraper replaced an 'ugly' Chicago Sun-Times building and its equally unattractive sign. Hold up: The signage was approve by Chicago's previous mayor and now Rahm Emanuel (pictured in October) is trying to have the decision reversed . Not . only that, he said, but he expects the insignia to someday be as . revered in Chicago as the iconic Hollywood sign is in Los Angeles. 'I have the hottest brand in the world right now and there are those who are saying I'm doing Chicago a favor,' he said. 'I've got thousands of people saying, “Don't do anything with the sign.”’ Emanuel, clearly, disagrees. 'Mayor . Emanuel believes this is an architecturally tasteful building scarred . by an architecturally tasteless sign,' his spokeswoman Kelley Quinn said . in a statement, a day after Kamin reported that McCaffrey used the word . 'awful' to describe Emanuel's opinion of the sign. What . the mayor may not disagree with is Trump's contention that the city may . not have much choice but to get used to his name in big bold letters. 'The . sign — which was already reduced in size and scope — does comply with . the provisions of the planned development ordinance and the City Council . sign order, but he has asked his staff to determine if there are any . options available for further changes,' Quinn said. | Billionaire real estate developer had plans approved to put up 20-foot-tall letters spelling out his name on his Chicago building .
Now a 'third-rate' architecture critic has blasted the move and is gaining a supportive following which includes mayor Rahm Emanuel . |
251,766 | d1dd94207ea2684a0e018e152061be19ddc1967d | By . Emma Thomas . A cunning farmer managed to catch a runaway bull by getting it drunk on vodka mixed in with his feed. The animal escaped from the farm in Kallmünz near Regensburg, Germany, in the summer and the farmer had been trying to catch it ever since. It had been evading capture by hiding in the Bavarian woods and the owner was getting desperate. Caught: The animal escaped from the farm in Kallmünz near Regensburg, Germany, in the summer (file photo) He applied to the vets for permission to shoot and kill the beast as it was causing concern in the local area. The Local reports the permission was denied and he was still unable to snare it. He tried tracking it for six months and shooting it with a tranquiliser but it failed and the bull was still running free. Vodka: One bottle didn't do the trick but two made the bull woozy enough to be caught by the farmer . But then one neighbouring farmer, Werner Dechant, came up with a plan after the bull wandered on to his farm. He tried to catch the animal with a rope while it was eating grain from a bucket first of all but the bull ran off whenever he got close to it. It was then he thought a bottle of vodka may slow the animal down enough to catch it. As he was happily eating grain from the farm, the farmer decided to spike it with vodka. He was too worried about the bull's health to try a tranquiliser but thought by pouring a bottle of vodka in with the food it would knock it out. When one bottle didn't have enough of an effect, Mr Dechant tried again a few nights later but this time poured two whole bottles in with the grain. After the bull became woozy, he looped a rope around its neck and managed to get him into a barn. The bull has now been reunited with its owner. | The animal escaped from the farm in Kallmünz near Regensburg, Germany .
It had been evading capture by hiding in the Bavarian woods .
Finally caught after downing two bottles of vodka mixed with its feed . |
175,120 | 6eab574e990ab4a8193e2109c56a8f0b8ad5fbd6 | Google donated more money to political campaigns this year than global investment bank Goldman Sachs, it has been revealed. The technology giant's political spending wing, NetPAC, spent $1.43 million attempting to guide policymakers' hands in Washington - $30,000 more than that shelled out by Goldman in the same period. The figures, reveled by the Financial Times today, signal a dramatic surge in Google's political ambitions in recent years as it seeks to branch out from online search into other fields, from driverless cars to 'curing death'. Political ambitions: The technology giant's political spending wing, NetPAC, spent $1.43 million attempting to guide policymakers' hands in Washington - $30,000 more than that shelled out by Goldman in the same period . This rise is reflected in the fact that, in the build up to the midterms in 2010, Google spent just a third as much as Goldman. Silicon Valley tech companies are investing heavily in political lobbying in a bid to gain greater influence over debates on issues such as tax, the greater allocation of visas to skilled migrant workers and greater control over U.S. intelligence agencies data-collection activities. Big ambitions: The figures, reveled by the Financial Times today, signal a dramatic surge in Google's political ambitions in recent years as it seeks to branch out from online search into other fields, from driverless cars (pictured) to 'curing death' Microsoft was the biggest spender, donating $1.78 million, while Facebook spent £375,000 and Amazon paid $177,000. The Center for Responsive Politics found that, in 2010, Democratic federal candidates received 55 per cent of PAC contributions from tech firms, while Republicans received 45 per cent. Microsoft: $1.78m . Google: $1.43m . Facebook: $375,000 . Amazon: $177,000 . Meanwhile, in 2014, the balance shifted as Democrats received 48 per cent of Silicon Valley donations to the Republicans' 52 per cent. 'The executives of those companies may not always agree with Republicans on social issues, but for a lot of them, at the end of the day, business is business,' said Reed Galen, a Republican consultant based in California. Tech and internet donors have given almost $22.5 million so far in the 2014 election drive, according to the CRP. It is still less than the $121 million donated by the securities and investment industry, but nevertheless shows a significant uplift in the tech industry's appetite for political sway. Twitter and Yelp have both set up PACs in recent years, while Apple and Uber, who have not, have increased spending on political lobbyists. In the ten years since its IPO, Google has spent at least $23 billion buying more than 140 companies. They not only include YouTube and Android, but also firms specializing in robots, artificial intelligence, product-delivery drones, driverless cars and smart homes. Last year, Google acquired Calico, a biotech life-extension company with a mission, as Time Magazine wrote, to 'cure death'. | Google spent $1.43m last year through its political spending wing NetPAC .
That is more than Goldman Sachs, which spent $1.4m in same period .
During 2010 midterms, Google donated just a third of Goldman Sachs .
Marks rise in political spending by tech firms bidding to influence lawmakers .
Growing interest due to issues from tax to skilled migrant visa allocation . |
120,215 | 275f0b15ab16de237b4c0c8d0e177e3f7c638ae6 | Hong Kong (CNN) -- As "Black Friday" follows Thanksgiving in the United States, "White Day" follows Valentines Day in Japan. Card makers, retailers and advertisers have young people planning weeks ahead to make their "Friendship Day" buys in India, clicking their favorite online purchases on "Singles Day" in China, and even eating their hearts out at fast-food giant KFC in Japan for Christmas. Much as Thanksgiving has spurred businesses to create Black Friday (and now Gray Thursday and Cyber Monday) to get shoppers into stores, countries around the world have turned average dates on the calendar into must-buy events. We take a look at a few such engineered days that promise love and happiness through retail therapy -- and, of course, profits for the companies behind it. White Day, March 14: Japan, South Korea and Taiwan . Cupid aims his bow and arrows a bit differently in Japan and reverses the western ways of lovers. On Valentine's Day, or Barentain Dei in Japan, women indulge their significant others with gifts and chocolates. And so, on White Day, celebrated exactly a month after Valentine's Day in February, men are supposed to return the favor of love and the giri choco, or obligation chocolates. White Day was first observed over 30 years ago by Japanese confectionary companies, according to Japanese media. In a ploy to boost marshmallow sales in the country, they started encouraging men to gift them to their female lovers, as a symbol of gratitude. Today, the Valentine's return-gift can be anything white -- white chocolate, jewelry, lingerie, flowers -- not just gooey and tender marshmallows. This holiday for the heart has now spread to South Korea and Taiwan. Friendship Day, first Sunday of August: India . While July 30 is the official, recently-declared United Nation's "International Day of Friendship," India celebrates it a few weeks later. The origins of Friendship Day in India though, are fuzzy at best. Some say the choice of day was cooked-up by Hallmark-founder Joyce Hall. Wherever the holiday came from, India's burgeoning youth and aspiring middle-class have welcomed it with open arms. It is frequently featured in Bollywood movies too. Typically, friends -- platonic or romantic -- exchange the popular friendship bands, woven hemp or jute bands meant to be tied on your friends' wrists. Retailers start their Friendship Day campaigns and deals weeks in advance. Flower vendors, restaurants, stores and e-commerce portals willingly add to the pomp and show, according to local media. On the day, the streets of urban India are teeming with young men and women on motorcycles, huddled in the popular markets, cafes and malls, celebrating this annual fête. Archies (Hallmark's India partner), a leader in India's "Social Expressions Industry" with over 50% of the market share, has seen a continuous increase in its gift sales segment but a weakening greeting cards segment. Click Frenzy, November 20-21: Australia . In Australia, online retail trade site Power Retail launched a 24-hour sale website called "Click Frenzy" as the country's version of "Cyber Monday." The newcomer to this slew of commercial holidays was launched on November 20 at 7 p.m. local time and it was the first online shopping event in Australia. Clickfrenzy.com.au aimed at aggregating and posting deals from over 200 retailers and redirecting shoppers to company websites of participants such as Dan Murphy's, Camera House, Lenovo, Fila, Expedia, Dick Smith, Clinique, Roxy and Dell. On the big day, the website experienced technical glitches and crashed under volumes of traffic. Organizer Grant Arnott apologized to shoppers for the inconvenience on its Facebook page . The Australian National Retail Association told the Australian Financial Review that technical difficulties like this were common to many big sales overseas. Click Frenzy generated a 200% increase in revenue for some retailers that participated, according to Arnnet, an Australian IT industry news website. The eWay payment gateway reported a 240% increase in the worth of goods purchased in those 24 hours when compared to the same time the previous week. Retail names Target, Chemist Warehouse and Dick Smith Electronics saw a surge in online traffic during the limited period, with boosts of 160,000, 120,000 and over 90,000 visits to their sites compared to the Monday before the sale, according to a local marketing and advertising industry publication. The debacle still spawned a fury online from the public, with the #clickfail hashtag trending heavily on Twitter. Singles Day, November 11: China . China, too, has its own shopping holiday called "Singles Day" which also takes place on the November 11. Local reports say the day is dubbed as China's busiest online shopping day. It originated in the 1990s with college students who were inspired by the date as when written numerically (11/11), represent four single people. "Singles Day" is China's version of Valentine's Day for people without romantic partners who treat each other to dinners and gifts bought online. Companies that cash in on "Singles Day" include Alibaba Group. Over 10 million people shopped on Toabao, a subsidiary company of Alibaba. Another online retailer, Tencent's 51buy saw a seven-fold increase in trade since last year, according to the Financial Times. T-mall, an online sales platform said its sales reached 13.2 billion yuan (US$2.1 billion). It's also a testament to China's growing online market. China's online shopping population outranks the U.S. with 193 million versus 170 million, according to the Boston Consulting Group. KFC Christmas, December 20: Japan . An unusual custom of eating KFC for Christmas has made its roots in Japan. The American fast-food chain has become synonymous with Christmas dinners in the country and orders are placed as early as December. It all started when a western man in Japan substituted KFC chicken for turkey in his Christmas meal in the early 1970s, according to the company. In 1974, the company launched the "Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakki" (Kentucky for Christmas) campaign and the finger licking tradition has stuck ever since. The marketing tactic has proved so successful for the fast-food chain that KFC's Christmas meals can be ordered up to two months in advance, according to the Financial Times. KFC has a special Christmas menu, offering roast chicken, smoked chicken and barbeque chicken for the limited period. Buy Nothing Day, last Saturday in November: International . A day to trump them all has also taken shape -- "Buy Nothing Day" -- to counter the global and manic consumer. Created for people to oppose retailer-driven consumerism, the day was first observed in Mexico in 1992, and later in the U.S. in 1997, according to its organizers. In the U.S., it is the day after Thanksgiving and is meant to offset Black Friday. Internationally, it is celebrated on the last Saturday in November. Proponents of Buy Nothing Day cite various ethical, environmental, personal, and moral reasons to dissuade shoppers. "Everything we buy has an impact on the environment," according to the UK-based Buy Nothing Day website. "Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism." The Canadian not-for-profit, Adbusters Media Foundation is one of the main campaigners for what they call "A 24-hour moratorium on consumer spending." People are encouraged to cut up their credit cards, participate in zombie walks (wandering around shopping malls with blank stares), go on Buy Nothing Day hikes, Buy Nothing Day paddles, and basically, buy nothing. | Thanksgiving has spurred businesses to create versions of Black Friday's globally .
Artificially-engineered days that promise love, happiness and profits through retail therapy .
A day to trump them all has also taken shape to counter the global consumer . |
243,351 | c6f2233c003ef0840a7829481278c1ae8fcef01f | West Brom head coach Alan Irvine believes Georgios Samaras' Greece snub can benefit the Baggies. The striker has been axed by Greece for their Euro 2016 qualifier with the Faroe Islands and friendly with Serbia next month. He has struggled to make an impact at The Hawthorns since a free transfer from Celtic in the summer and has paid the price with Greece. Georgios Samaras is yet to make an impression at West Brom after signing on a free from Celtic . But, ahead of Saturday's trip to Leicester, Irvine believes it will give the hitman the chance to regain his fitness. 'It will give us an opportunity to work with him. It'll give us an opportunity that we had with the likes of Sebastian Blanco,' he said. 'From our point of view it is a good thing. Hopefully from Sammy's point of view, ultimately, it's a good thing. I'm sure he'll be bitterly disappointed not to be in the squad because he's the captain.' Samaras has been snubbed from Greece's next two games in November . The 29-year-old is yet to start this term after playing in the summer's World Cup meant he was behind on his fitness. Irvine said: 'He's not been ready, he's not been fit enough. I have said all along if you miss pre-season life is very difficult. It's difficult to get fit when other players are doing sessions as you are making sure they are doing the right levels. 'Sammy didn't do a pre-season, he had the World Cup which meant he was having his rest when everyone else was working. The West Brom forward has been a mainstay in the Greece set-up before his move to The Hawthorns . 'Other players who missed pre-season were able to top up but he would have spent previous international breaks preparing for games rather than getting ready. 'He needs to get to the right level physically. He has to get the most out of every training session he can.' Jonas Olsson is still sidelined with an Achilles problem while Silvestre Varela is out for the weekend after groin surgery but did return to training on Thursday. 'Only Jonas Olsson did not train, everyone else did including Silvestre. It was his first full session since coming back from injury,' Irvine added. 'We are very pleased with that but he is still a long way away from being able to play in the Premier League.' | The striker has been axed from Greece's next Euro 2016 qualifier .
Greece face the Faroe Islands and Serbia next month .
Georgios Samaras has struggled to make an impact at West Brom .
He moved from Celtic on a free transfer this summer . |
152,558 | 512369bceb57f84c78e03da64dd27a5f9a5c8ee0 | Madison, Wisconsin (CNN) -- Tea Party activists supporting a bill that would slash collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin public employees flocked to Madison on Saturday, bringing a new dimension to a budget battle that shows few signs of compromise. As tens of thousands of people marched in favor or against the bill, Republican Gov. Scott Walker indicated he has the votes to pass it. "We're going to stay firm on it," he said on the fifth day of large protests and political wrangling in the capital, which saw the arrival of conservative groups. "Wisconsin is ground zero," said Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity. "I think it is going to determine largely whether the pampered nature of these public employees is finally reined in." Walker has called on 14 Democratic state senators, who fled the state rather than allow a quorum permitting a vote on the bill, to return to Madison. Bill opponents say they won't allow a vote unless Walker negotiates on the plan to eliminate collective bargaining rights for everything but wages. The legislation also would require most employees to pay more for their pensions and health insurance benefits. "I have been informed that all state and local public employees -- including teachers -- have agreed to the financial aspects of Gov. Walker's request," said Sen. Jon Erpenbach, a Democrat. "This includes Walker's requested concessions on public employee health care and pension. In return they ask only that the provisions that deny their right to collectively bargain are removed. This will solve the budget challenge." Walker, who says the state is "broke," is asking legislators to pass his Budget Repair Bill to combat a $137 million shortfall through June 30. An upcoming two-year budget for 2011-13 must address a pending $3.6 billion deficit, he said. Opponents say the proposed legislation is an attack on workers' rights. Until Saturday's counter-demonstrators appeared, the growing protests since Monday were largely made up of those against Walker's plan. They remained the clear majority of those marching; many were drawn Saturday by the arrival of Walker's supporters. There were no reports of major incidents or arrests by late Saturday afternoon, and authorities expressed their gratitude. "On behalf of all the law enforcement agencies that helped keep the peace on the Capitol Square Saturday, a very sincere thank you to all of those who showed up to exercise their First Amendment rights," Madison police said in a statement. "You conducted yourselves with great decorum and civility, and if the eyes of the nation were upon Wisconsin, then you have shown how democracy can flourish even amongst those who passionately disagree." Teachers and other public employees kept the pressure on the governor to go to the bargaining table. Madison teacher Karen Kaminsky said she wouldn't have gone to college if her father had not been in a union. "This will break the backs of middle-class families," she told CNN affiliate WTMJ, adding Walker should be willing to negotiate. The governor's press secretary, Cullen Werwie, released a statement Saturday calling on Erpenbach, Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller and other Democrats to return from Illinois. "These are many of the same senators who, two years ago, rammed through a billion dollar tax hike in 24 hours with no public input," the statement said. "The quickest way to resolve the current situation is for the Democratic senators to stop shirking their responsibilities and debate the bill in Madison." Saturday's protests inside and outside the Capitol were the largest of the week, numbering about 55,000, said Carla Vigue, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Administration. Some estimates were higher. Friday saw about 40,000 demonstrators, Vigue said. The conservative group American Majority helped organize the "I Stand With Walker" campaign evident this weekend in Madison. "Buses will be coming from across the state, bringing citizens fed up with big union contracts and bloated government," the group said on its website. "We win here, we win everywhere." The defecting Democratic lawmakers say they won't return until Walker agrees to negotiate with the teacher's union on the governor's proposals to reduce the state's budget deficit by cutting benefits for its members. They also want language removed from the bill that critics say threatens the existence of all public employee unions in the state. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney addressed the continued protests Friday, saying President Barack Obama "is very understanding of the need for state governments, governors, state legislatures to reduce spending to make tough choices to be fiscally responsible." But he added, "He also feels very strongly that we need not to make this an assault on the collective bargaining rights of workers in any given state. "He understands public employees need to make sacrifices just like everyone else." Walker's proposed legislation requires workers to cover more of their health care premiums and pension contributions, although supporters say local governments will decide on health care contributions for their employees . Walker contends the increases are "modest" compared to what workers in private industry pay. It also requires collective bargaining units to conduct annual votes to maintain certification, a costly procedure, and eliminates the right of unions to have dues deducted from worker paychecks. CNN's Casey Wian and Chris Welch contributed to this report. | Protesters showed "decorum and civility," Madison police say .
Governor reiterates calls for AWOL Democrats to come back .
Tea Party activists are brought in by the busload to support the budget bill .
Governor says he will stand firm on cost-cutting measures . |
260,241 | dcfd4fbd7c809c9e19237bd7931776f8b52fea7e | Two young boys who fell from an inflatable bounce house as it was swept skyward by gusty winds remained hospitalized in stable condition Wednesday, one in a medically induced coma with a head injury, according to police. A girl, age 10, and the boys, ages 5 and 6, were playing in the 10-by-10-foot roofless nylon playhouse at a South Glens Falls, New York, townhouse community Monday afternoon when the 38-pound Little Tikes toy product broke loose from plastic anchoring stakes, local police said. Commercial bounce houses rented for parties and other events are made of heavy vinyl, weigh 200 to 250 pounds and are secured by 18-inch steel stakes. Scroll down for video . Dangerous: This May 13, 2014 photo provided by the South Glens Fall Police Department, shows a deflated bounce house that three children were playing in on Monday when it broke loose from plastic anchoring stakes and was swept skyward by gusty winds . The girl fell out immediately and suffered minor scrapes, but the boys didn't tumble out until the toy was 15 feet in the air. Police Chief Kevin Judd told the Glens Falls Post Star that one boy hit a parked car and then the pavement as he fell and suffered a serious head injury. The other suffered two broken arms, a broken jaw, broken facial orbital bone and possible ruptured spleen. The boys, who live in neighboring apartments nearby wher ethe incident happened, were airlifted to Albany Medical Center. The chief said an investigation was continuing but no charges were likely to be filed. He called what happened a 'tragic accident.' There have been other accidents involving windblown bounce houses. In Scottsdale, Arizona, a bounce house outside a McDonald's restaurant was pushed into traffic by a gust of wind in March 2012. No injuries were reported. Nightmarish: This dramatic photo shows an inflatable bounce house that blew to 50 feet in the air before dumping out two boys from around 15 feet and leaving them seriously injured . Way up: The children had long since fallen out when they shocking photos were taken. The bouncy house flew an estimated 50 high and made it past a stretch of woods before finally drifting back to earth and landing behind a local school . In June 2011, strong winds tumbled . three bounce houses with children inside them at a youth soccer . tournament in Oceanside. Minor injuries were reported. Witnesses . watched in horror as the inflatable bounce house was swept into the air . before dumping the boys back on the ground from 15 feet up. In . the nightmarish scene, the children were playing in the carnival staple . when winds spun the bounce house around as if in a tornado before . lifting it up. The boys were hospitalized Monday afternoon with serious injuries. 'It was like a horror movie,' complex resident Taylor Seymour told the Post-Star. 'It just kept going up and up. It cleared our building and the trees.' It was on Seymour's car that one of the children landed. The structure went on to blow a full 50 feet into the air and one witness snapped a shocking picture of it hovering above. Dangerous: The structure was similar to the one pictured and was owned by a resident of the apartment complex in South Glens Falls, New York where the incident occurred. A third child, a 10-year-old little girl, manged to escape just as the structure took off and received only minor injuries . The mother of the little girl agreed. 'My older daughters witnessed it and said it was just horrible,' she said, without giving her name. 'A big gust of wind just blew it right off the ground with the kids in it. It's just sickening.' 'The witnesses said it was a sudden burst of wind and it just lifted off the ground,' Patrolman David Gifford told the Post-Star. 'It was just a freak accident.' Gifford and the little girl's mother said the bounce house was tethered to the ground with stakes but that it was blown loose. The structure was owned by a resident of the complex. It landed behind a nearby school after clearing a stretch of woods. The owner told the Post-Star that she'd set up the Little Tikes brand toy several times in the two years she'd owned it. The mother of the lucky little girl, at least, wasn't not pointing fingers anyway. 'I don't think people know that this can happen when it's windy,' she said. | Two boys aged 5 and 6 were tossed out of the carnival staple and seriously injured, with one incurring a traumatic head injury .
One of the boys hit a parked car while the other landed in a South Glens Falls, New York street on Monday afternoon .
A third child in the bounce house, a little girl, suffered only minor scrapes .
The bounce house continued to blow an estimated 50 feet up until landing at a nearby school . |
168,275 | 65a47d9529a2a5a94d4d5787a73c4f4e6dce4d7b | By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 10:23 EST, 2 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:23 EST, 2 July 2012 . As she finally leaves hospital after two months of painful recovery to begin her rehabilitation treatment, flesh-eating victim Aimee Copeland puts on a brave face and smiles for the camera as she is wheeled out by a medic. The 24-year-old was released from Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, today two months after contracting the deadly disease when she fell from a broken zip-line. She'll spend the next several weeks in a rehabilitation clinic learning to move with the aid of a wheelchair after having her left leg, right foot and both hands amputated. Holding a doll with one of her amputated limbs and with what looked like a thermometer in her mouth, Aimee seemed happy and comfortable to pose with one of the medics who were there to transport her from hospital to the clinic. Scroll down for video . Brave face: Aimee Copeland smiles with medic Kori Mills as she leaves a hospital headed for an inpatient rehabilitation clinic in Augusta Georgia, for the first time since her accident . Two months later: Aimee Copeland, left, with her parents, Andy and Donna Copeland, outside Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. She was finally released today . New life: Aimee (right, with her sister) left hospital today for a rehabilitation centre . Copeland's speedy recovery has defied . doctors' initial prognosis. Her father says they at first gave her just a . slim chance of surviving. She spent weeks sedated and using a . respirator while undergoing amputations and skin grafts to replace . infected skin . Her father Andy spoke to msnbc about how momentous an occasion it was for Aimee to leave hospital. 'I think you could say that she's looking forward to it to the same degree that a child would look forward to leaving high school and going off to college, for her this is a major milestone. 'I would consider it a rite of passage for her as it is the opportunity that she has to actually venture out and relearn her life skills and be able to resume as normal a life as she can have. 'I believe her life can be extremely normal, whatever that word actually means. I think physically she's actually progressed rapidly, certainly far ahead of the doctor's schedule, what they thought she would do. 'I would say spiritually, mentally, psychologically she is so strong right now and for her, to actually be able to grasp the concept that she's lost her hands and feels blessed over that is an amazing thing.' He also revealed they are in the process of making the house 'Aimee friendly' and building an extension onto it to be able to meet her needs. The 24-year-old developed necrotizing fasciitis in a small cut she suffered after falling from a homemade zip line over a west Georgia river. Proud: Her father, Andy Copeland, holds up the photo during an interview with Good Morning America . Mr Copeland wrote on his blog last week that when aimee and her family ventured outside for the first time since the accident, they reflected on the life-changing events - and Aimee showed breathtaking courage. 'I don’t have any regrets about what has happened,' Aimee told her father. 'I don’t focus on what I’ve lost, I would rather focus on what I’ve gained. I feel like I’ve been blessed.' She went on: 'I am blessed to have the opportunity to experience something that not many other people have the chance to experience. Upbeat: On a blog, Aimee's father has said he is amazed by her courage and determination to walk . 'I am blessed to have the capacity to . share my experience with others and have a chance to improve the quality . of someone else's life. I’m blessed to be different.' Speaking to GMA, her father spoke of her determination to walk at her Master's graduation ceremony this December. 'You heard the word right,' he said. 'Walk. That's what she intends to do.' Earlier this month, Mr Copeland said his daughter had been enduring the worst pain of the ordeal. Her agony was so overwhelming that she began taking morphine after initially refusing medication. The . student had originally indicated that she felt a 'traitor to her . convictions' by using drugs to manage her pain, because she believed in . holistic medicine. Injuries: Aimee had her left leg, right foot and both hands amputated. She also lost part of her torso . Much-loved: Aimee's friends and family are praying for her survival and eventual recovery (from left - Aimee, mother Donna, father Andy and sister Paige) She also suffered phantom pains. Mr Copeland wrote: 'Although she has no hands, her brain . is apparently still telling her body that the hands are there. 'I asked . her if she could describe the pain and she told me, "It feels like I . have been carrying bags of rocks".' The . University of West Georgia student had to have multiple amputations to save her life . after the small cut to her leg became infected. The bacteria that attacked her wound released a toxin that destroys skin, muscle and a layer . of tissue below the skin known as fascia, her father said. Distraught: Paige Copeland, centre, cried as her parents Donna and Andy spoke about Aimee after she had her leg amputated . Aimee has . improved incredibly rapidly with the support of her family and . well-wishers who have made donations on the website Mr Copeland set up . for his brave daughter. Mr . Copeland wrote that support Aimee has come from all over the US, including from celebrities like Sophia Vergara, Katie Couric and . Ann Curry. Less than a month ago, doctors gave her . little chance of survival, but she became increasingly alert, despite . several major operations, but she is likely to remain hospitalised for several more months. 'This . doctor can't fathom a reason for why she's improved the way she has,' Mr Copeland said. 'Her spirits are extraordinarily high. I am absolutely . amazed.' Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . Necrotizing . fasciitis, more commonly known as 'flesh-eating disease', is a rare but . extremely vicious bacterial infection. 'Necrotizing' refers to . something that causes body tissue to die, and the infection can destroy . skin, muscles and fat. The . disease develops when the bacteria enters the body, often through a . minor cut or scrape. As the bacteria multiply, they release toxins that . kill tissue and cut off blood flow to the area. Because it is so virulent, the bacteria spreads rapidly throughout the body. Symptoms . include small, red lumps or bumps on the skin, rapidly-spreading . bruising, sweating, chills, fever and nausea. Organ failure and shock . are also common complications. Sufferers . must be treated immediately to prevent death, and are usually given . powerful antibiotics and surgery to remove dead tissue. Amputation can . become necessary if the disease spreads through an arm or leg. Patients may undergo skin grafts after the infection has cleared up, to help the healing process or for aesthetic reasons. There are 500 to 1,500 cases reported a year, but 20 to 25 percent of victims die. | Aimee Copeland, 24, was pictured for first time since on Saturday having her left leg, right foot and both hands amputated .
Parents took her outdoors for the first time in 49 days .
Aimee told her father she feels blessed despite everything . |
278,682 | f506bb8ace8b9df0befbcec6e1d678564309d6f9 | By . Reuters . Thousands of bicyclists, many of them stark naked, poured into the streets of Portland, Oregon on Saturday night for the 11th annual World Naked Bike Ride, a protest that promotes bike riding as an alternative to driving cars. Nude cyclists with lights flashing in their tire spokes rang bells as they barreled down avenues lined with cheering spectators, while a naked, apparently pregnant woman rode in a bike trailer. 'This is a party, but it's also a protest,' said Carl Larson, a ride spokesman. 'It is about oil dependence, cycling vulnerability and body image.' Cruising: Thousands of cyclists, most of them fully of partially nude, poured into the streets of Portland, Oregon on Saturday night for World Naked Bike Ride . Cyclists showed up in Normandale Park an hour before the ride, shedding garments according to the ride theme 'as bare as you dare'. The rides are held in more than 75 U.S. cities and in more than 20 other countries, but Portland's is believed to be the largest, with more than 8,000 participants last year. But unlike events in other cities, the Portland ride works with local police, being considered as a protest. Officers direct traffic during what is generally a trouble-free event. 'We've had a few complaints from neighbors but overall not many issues of concern,' said police spokesman Sgt. Peter Simpson before the ride, adding 'for residents who don't want to see it, the best advice is to just not go outside.' Warm up: A silver-clad brass band warms up the group of no-doubt chilly nude cyclists as they prepare for their brisk foray into the streets of Portland . Legal: Cyclists prepare to pour into the streets of Portland for the 11th annual World Naked Bike Ride June 7. While the event could be considered criminal in many places, the city of Portland works with the celebrants to keep things legit . 'This is a party, but it's also a protest': The event, a protest that promotes bike riding as an alternative to driving cars . Jennifer Young, 40, who was at the ride with her 16-year-old son and was painted blue head to toe with fairy wings on her back, saw the goal as showing cyclists' vulnerability, saying 'I think it's a little more evident when we're naked.' Neighbors looked on as a marching band played and dancers kicked off the start. Later a naked punk band jammed from the sidelines as bikers rolled past. Fred Tebo, 90, wasn't sure want to think of the hoards of naked people in the park across the street from the house he has lived in since 1971. 'It's entertaining and it's stupid at the same time,' he said, sitting on his steps. But a few minutes later he let a young woman and man clad in their underwear use his bathroom. Hanging out: The thousands of cyclists stirred up surprisingly little controversy as Rose City residents lined up to take in the spectacle . All smiles: 'It's entertaining and it's stupid at the same time,' 90-year-old Fred Tebo said sitting on his steps. But a few minutes later he let a young woman and man clad in their underwear use his bathroom . Riding high: 'We've had a few complaints from neighbors but overall not many issues of concern,' said police spokesman Sgt. Peter Simpson before the ride, adding 'for residents who don't want to see it, the best advice is to just not go outside.' | The Oregon city played host to the 11th annual World Naked Bike Ride on Saturday night .
The event is a celebration as well as a protest calling for increased cycling and decreased use of cars and fossil fuels . |
245,929 | ca4fe0f84e7d735d4091c5a76fb2efc270808f8a | (CNN) -- The body of the driver of one of two commuter trains that collided head-on in western Switzerland has been found in his crushed cab, Swiss police said Tuesday. Twenty-five of the passengers needed hospital treatment after the crash Monday evening, police in the Vaud canton said in a news release, one fewer than had previously been stated. Nine others were treated on the spot for minor injuries and 11 others were unharmed, police said. The train driver who survived, age 54, was injured and is in hospital, Swiss Federal Railways spokesman Reto Schaerli told CNN. The collision happened just outside the village of Granges-pres-Marnand, about 8 kilometers (5 miles) south of Payerne. Authorities are trying to determine what caused the crash. The latest details were given in a news conference Tuesday by the Vaud police and senior Swiss railways officials. At this early stage, police believe that the train driver who survived was supposed to have waited at the train station in Granges-pres-Marnand until the other train had passed, but did not, Schaerli said. It is not yet clear whether there were any technical or safety failures, he said. Police said the surviving driver had stopped his train at the station to allow passengers to board and disembark. Moments after he set off again, the two trains slammed into each other. The driver had time to apply the emergency brake before the impact, police said. The trains were traveling between Payerne and Lausanne, a city on the shores of Lake Geneva, when they collided. No foreigners were on the trains, according to police. Firefighters used heavy machinery to separate the crumpled trains and access the cab where the 24-year-old driver's body was found early Tuesday, police said. The local government sent its condolences to the driver's family. A Swiss Federal Railways statement said "this is a very sad day and we regret the loss of one of our colleagues as well as those who were injured." The line between Lausanne and Payerne will remain closed Tuesday, police said. CNN's Susannah Palk and Stefan Simons contributed to this report. | The body of one of the train drivers has been removed from his crushed cab, police say .
The head-on collision of two commuter trains in western Switzerland happened Monday .
Authorities say the train driver who survived may have left the station too soon .
The trains were on a route between Payerne and Lausanne, an official says . |
269,247 | e8c6bde784e8ea185354e8f26bb7538b85ba54d8 | Joachim Low, the coach of Germany, took a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book of football management when he appealed for Marco Rodriguez to referee strongly and 'clamp down on things' in the World Cup semi-final with Brazil. Low claimed that the refereeing standards in European football are better in a clear attempt to influence the Mexican referee. Rodriguez is another referee who was known as a strict disciplinarian before this competition, but he has opted for a liberal approach at the finals. VIDEO Scroll down for Brazil will raise their game - Loew . Poor: Germany coach Joachim Low believes the level of officiating at the World Cup has been sub-standard . Critical: Low has not been impressed with the brutality of some of the tackles at the World Cup . Attack: Low believes some of the tackles at the World Cup would not have been tolerated in Europe . VIDEO Brazil will raise their game - Loew . Low, whilst understandably concerned for the welfare of his technical German side, should make his appeal to the FIFA referees committee rather than make swinging statements intended to pressurise a match official already under pressure preparing to referee the biggest game of his career. However, Low, like the majority of observers, will have thought that appeal fruitless to a committee who deny having instructed the officials to take a low-key approach and to let the players take centre stage. Perhaps the wording is inaccurate as FIFA cannot 'instruct' on application of law but they can suggest and guide – and inference plays a huge part in such finals competitions. It is impossible to conclude otherwise when the strictest of referees currently on the world circuit, Carlos Velasco Carballo, waits for 40 free-kicks before he issues a single yellow card. Appointment: Marco Rodriguez missed Luis Suarez's bite on Giorgio Chiellini but will take charge of semi-final . Seeing red: Rodriguez sent off Italy's Claudio Marchisio in the same match . Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was quoted as saying that he wanted Brazil to 'toughen up' and rough-up opponents, and their performances against both Chile and Colombia have delivered on his wishes. These two powerhouses in world football have only faced each other once before in this tournament, the 2002 final which was refereed by the peerless Italian Pierluigi Collina. Rodriguez really doesn’t bear comparison to the superb Collina and will be well aware of the issues of handling such a huge game. However, Rodriguez does not lack confidence and was understandably absolved of any blame when missing Luis Suarez’ bite on in Italy’s Chiellini. The big question before the match is: will FIFA continue with their desire to allow players to commit almost countless fouls before being cautioned or will they expect the referees to afford the skilful players the protection they deserve? Rodriguez will know he cannot win as Low’s statement makes it clear that Germany want a change in approach whilst Brazil are benefiting from the leniency afforded them through the tournament so far. FIFA, in attempting to make this a tournament in which the match officials are unnoticed, have failed and run the risk of allowing the dark arts to win out. In the last final they were fortunate that Spain had enough skill to defeat the Netherlands despite their over-physical approach. This time they might not be so lucky and more of the World’s top players could just get hurt. VIDEO Willian to shine in Neymar's adsence - Silva . | Mexican Marco Rodriguez will take charge of Tuesday's semi-final .
German boss Low has called on him to 'clamp down' on any over-zealous challenges .
Rodriguez is the referee who missed Luis Suarez's bite on Giorgio Chiellini . |
253,980 | d4b42cce8639a8b4aee08f956bcb86381fc7d3da | Washington (CNN) -- President Obama paid tribute Wednesday to those who have lost their lives in the nation's wars as well as to the men and women who currently serve. "There's no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice," he said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery on a rainy, overcast Veterans Day. "We call this a holiday, but for many veterans, it's another day of memories that drive them to live their lives each day as best as they possibly can," he said. "For our troops, it is another day in harm's way. For their families, it is another day to feel the absence of a loved one and the concern for their safety. For our wounded warriors, it is another day of slow recovery. And in this national cemetery, it is another day when grief remains fresh." He vowed that "America will do right" by its troops. "To all who served in every battle in every war, we say that it's never too late to say thank you." Earlier Wednesday, the president and first lady Michelle Obama also walked through Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, CNN's Jill Dougherty reported. The section is where service members from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. There, the Obamas stopped to talked to relatives and friends of those who have died. Skip and Rhonda Rollins of New Hampshire were visiting the gravesite of their son, Justin, who was killed in Iraq in 2007. He would have turned 25 on Tuesday. The couple said they were "extremely surprised" to see Obama "take the time to speak with the families" in Section 60. Although he said he generally holds different political views from those of the president, Skip Rollins said that supporting American soldiers, both living and dead, "should always be a nonpartisan issue." He added, "It was extremely nice of him to take this time out to come down here and do this." The couple said they make the trip to their son's grave each year around this time for their son's birthday and for Veterans Day. "It's not just my son that I mourn for; when I see all the others' stones, the ages of the soldiers, and you know they've given the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. And you know it's hard for me to leave, to leave my son," Rhonda Rollins said. Earlier Wednesday, the president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the cemetery. He then stood solemnly as a bugle played taps. Some onlookers watched from under umbrellas. Veterans Day comes a day after Obama addressed 15,000 people at a memorial service at Fort Hood Army Post, where 13 people were killed and dozens more were wounded in a shooting last week. The president told the families of those killed that "no words can fill the void that has been left," adding, "your loved ones endure through the life of our nation." The suspected gunman in the attack is a 39-year-old Army psychiatrist, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who remains in intensive care at an Army hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Later Wednesday, Obama discussed with his war council scenarios to move forward in Afghanistan. One scenario, a senior administration official and U.S. military official independently confirmed, calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Other nations honored those who sacrificed their lives in wars on Wednesday, in many cases for the first time without any surviving veterans of World War I. Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11, 1918. Depending on where it is celebrated, the day is known as Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day or Veterans Day. In Britain, Queen Elizabeth led Remembrance Day ceremonies in Westminster Abbey, a service also attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior politicians and military leaders. In Paris, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a ceremony under the Arc de Triomphe. Australians observed one minute silence at 11 a.m. in memory of those who died or suffered in all of the nation's wars and armed conflicts. "Their loss is a reminder that there is nothing glorious about war. Those called upon to fight know that better than anyone," said Gen. Peter Cosgrove, chairman of the Council of the Australian War Memorial. CNN's Leslie Bentz contributed to this report. | "No praise ... can truly match the magnitude of your service," he tells veterans .
America will do right by its troops, Obama promises .
Nations around the world take day to honor fighting men and women . |
11,134 | 1fa2d4649775b8130e4845a77b1c3e342937eb24 | By . Claire Bates . PUBLISHED: . 10:18 EST, 3 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:18 EST, 3 October 2012 . Natasha Keeling was told to give her daughter Georgia Tamiflu . A two-year-old girl who died after she was wrongly diagnosed with swine flu was failed by emergency services, a coroner has said. Georgia Keeling, from Norwich, died from a meningitis-like infection following the incorrect diagnosis at the height of the 2009 national pandemic. The inquest in Norwich heard that paramedic Patricia Perfect had examined her at home but sent an ambulance away because it was 'another case of swine flu'. Four hours later, following a second 999 call, the toddler was rushed to hospital where she died. Returning a narrative verdict today, Norfolk coroner William Armstrong ruled Georgia died following an 'erroneous diagnosis' and the fact she was not immediately admitted to hospital reduced her chances of survival and contributed to her death. He said: 'She died from a condition that was previously undiagnosed and the examination by Miss Perfect was inadequate and deficient and there was a failure to recognise the severity of her condition. 'Is is possible Miss Perfect was over-influenced by the fact there was at the time a prevalence of swine flu? 'There is no doubt at all that Georgia should have been sent to hospital immediately and she would have had a better chance of survival.' A fantastic girl: Georgia was misdiagnosed with swine flu when she was suffering from meningitis . Georgia's parents (pictured left) Paul Sewell and Natasha Keeling have spoken out to highlight a catalogue of failings that led to the death of their daughter Georgia (pictured right) He added that the East of England Ambulance Trust had already taken action to reduce the likelihood of future tragedies. Earlier in the hearing it was suggested Georgia’s death on August 4, 2009 was the result of meningitis. Today, pathologist Xenia Tyler said a . post-mortem showed she died from a group A streptococcal infection, a . rare form of blood poisoning which can develop into meningitis. Georgia was first seen by Miss Perfect at about midday on August 4, 2009 following a 999 call. Her mother, Natasha Keeling, said she . had initially felt relieved that she had been diagnosed and given the . swine flu medication Tamiflu. Georgia’s father, Paul Sewell, said he had been reassured it was not life-threatening. But her condition continued to . deteriorate and Ms Keeling again dialled 999 shortly before 4pm. Georgia . was pronounced dead at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital at . 4.24pm. Georgia was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, but she was pronounced dead on arrival . Meningitis symptoms to look out for . Professor John Kroll told the inquest . that, on the balance of probabilities, it was likely Georgia would have . survived if she had been taken to hospital sooner. He added: 'The diagnosis of swine flu was clearly inappropriate. The circumstances here go far outside . what any clinician would diagnose as swine flu. If it was swine flu, it . was swine flu with complications.' Dr Jeffrey Perrin, a paediatric and . intensive care consultant who examined the circumstances around her . death, said “red flag” warning signs were missed. Paramedic Patricia Perfect said she visited the family's home and made the swine flu diagnosis after a 45-minute examination . He added: 'I would not necessarily . have expected an emergency care practitioner to have diagnosed the . illness but it is more important to recognise the severity of the . condition. 'The failure of an emergency care . practitioner to recognise the severity of Georgia’s illness resulted in . her having a reduced chance of surviving the illness.' Miss Perfect yesterday told the . hearing she regretted the incorrect diagnosis but said “most clinicians” would have made the same mistake given the unprecedented circumstances. She described how medics had been 'distracted' by the pandemic. 'Swine flu was at the forefront of . everybody’s mind. Had that not been a factor I would have been looking . at other reasons,' she said. Speaking outside the inquest, Mr Sewell said the last three years had been like "going through hell". But he said the family accepted that the ambulance service had learnt from the mistake. He added: 'We were failed by one person and we can't blame the whole NHS for that.' He and Ms Keeling issued a statement saying: 'Nobody knows a child like their parents and we are saddened that despite our best instincts the ambulance service failed to provide adequate care to Georgia. 'We are pleased the ambulance service has apologised for the failings of its emergency care practitioner - we are only sorry that it has taken three years.' Speaking after the inquest, Dr Pamela Chrispin, medical director and deputy chief executive at the East of England Ambulance Service, offered her "deepest condolences" to Georgia's family. She added many children with fever and a rash are safely seen, treated and left at home. Dr Chrispin said the ambulance service had apologised for the shortcomings and was pleased the coroner had acknowledged the progress that had been made. 'In Georgia's case we accept that, although the paramedic carried out an assessment and followed national guidance, she could have identified the potential for Georgia to become more seriously ill and arranged urgent admission to hospital,' Dr Chrispin said. 'She has since undergone a period of retraining and evaluation and has returned to frontline duties. 'This is a difficult area for all healthcare professionals involved in the assessment of children in the community and, as in this case, sadly there is occasionally a tragic outcome. 'Since Georgia's death the East of England Ambulance Service have taken additional steps to help our staff recognise and manage seriously ill children. 'We are the leading ambulance service in the UK to work with the international Surviving Sepsis campaign, which promotes the early identification and treatment of sepsis.' | Coroner returned a narrative verdict and ruled Georgia died following an 'erroneous diagnosis'
Georgia's mother called for an ambulance after she was told by swine flu hotline it was unlikely to be swine flu. But paramedic sent ambulance away and gave her Tamiflu .
Second ambulance called out four hours later after Georgia stopped breathing. She was pronounced dead when she got to hospital . |
59,955 | aa5a909d7044deb009dcb5161b3af0429eb50a7d | Hong Kong (CNN) -- Four men convicted of murdering 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong River in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai in 2011 were executed in China Friday, state media reported. Chinese authorities identified one of the men as a Myanmar drug lord named Naw Kham, with the other three -- believed to be members of his gang -- named as Hsang Kham from Thailand, Yi Lai, referred to as "stateless," and Zha Xika, a Laotian, the state-run Xinhua new agency reported. Xinhua referred to Kham's nickname as "the Godfather," saying that his was "the largest armed drug trafficking gang on the Mekong River." The four men were executed by lethal injection in the city of Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Kunming Intermediate People's Court said, Xinhua said. Their appeal was rejected last month. Chinese prosecutors defended the decision, saying the case had built up sufficient evidence, and that the actions of the four men were held to be extremely cruel. Prosecutor Zhang Weiting from the People's Procuratorate of Yunnan Province told Xinhua that "intentional murder is the heaviest crime in China and the murderers deserve their sentence." Thai authorities discovered the gruesome murder scene in October 2011 after boarding two cargo ships that had come under gunfire. They found nearly 1 million amphetamines and 12 dead bodies, some with their hands bound. One sailor was missing. The gang was arrested in a joint operation by police from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, according to Xinhua. The agency added that the gang colluded with Thai soldiers in the attack on the cargo ships, the Hua Ping and Yu Xing 8. Kham was also accused of directing several of his subordinates in the kidnapping of Chinese sailors and hijacking of cargo ships in exchange for a ransom in early April 2011, the court said, according to Chinese state media. In an interview from his prison cell with state broadcaster CCTV Friday, Kham appeared to express regret about his past. "The Golden Triangle area is a place of evil," he said, referring to one of Southeast Asia's main drug-producing areas that overlaps several countries in the region. "It turns good people bad. "People come here doing business, but they couldn't resist the temptation of drugs, then they become drug dealers too." After the execution, the court was to hand over their remains, wills and personal belongings to relatives or relevant consulates, Xinhua said. Two additional gang members received death sentences with reprieves and will serve eight years in jail. The death penalty remains an iconic form of punishment in China, where executions are used as a public warning. Sentencing is broadcast on state television. China carries out the most executions by far in the world each year, according to Amnesty International -- thought to number in the thousands -- though it does not provide an exact figure. The official number of executions is a state secret. However, the group admits Beijing has taken steps in recent years to reduce the number of capital crimes. In 2011, Amnesty said China abolished the death sentences for 13 non-violent offenses and in cases where the accused was over the age of 75 -- though it warned people were rarely executed in these cases, with the implementation of the death penalty often extended for other capital offenses. CNN's CY Xu in Beijing contributed to this report. | One of the four was a Burmese drug smuggler .
The men were convicted in the murder of at least 12 Chinese sailors in Thailand .
Thai authorities found the corpses and about 1 million amphetamines in 2011 . |
214,807 | a21934eb11421921dbeb18febc57fe92138d1174 | Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for Saturday's blast in that Asian nation's tribal region, an explosion at a food distribution point that killed at least 43 people and injured 90 others. Azam Tariq, the central spokesperson for Pakistani Taliban, told CNN in a phone call that it targeted people who had formed what he called a pro-government and anti-Taliban group. The blast took place about 600 meters from a U.N. World Food Programme distribution point at a security check post in Khar, according to Amjad Jamal, a spokesman for the agency. He said that more than 300 people were going through a security screening to get food and other items at the time of the explosion. Khar is the headquarters of Bajaur Agency, one of the seven districts of Pakistan's tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Jamal said that those who had been internally displaced during military efforts in Bajaur Agency get a month's supply of food and other goods. Dr. Muhammad Hanif, a senior medical officer of Bajaur Agency's headquarters hospital in Khar, told CNN that 43 dead bodies and 90 injured people had been brought to the hospital. Jamal said all staff members of the World Food Programme and its partner organizations are safe, but added that all four of the program's food distribution points in Bajaur Agency have been temporarily closed for security reasons. Still, the U.N. agency will continue to provide services elsewhere in the country, Jamal said. Responding the question that whether the suicide bomber was a woman, the Pakistani Taliban's Azam Tariq said, "We have thousands of male suicide bombers ready who are keenly waiting for their turns. Then why would we use a woman, which is against the traditions of Islam?" U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement condemning Saturday's "outrageous terrorist attack," which he called "an affront to the people of Pakistan and to all humanity." "The United States stands with the people of Pakistan in this difficult time, and will strongly support Pakistan's efforts to ensure greater peace, security and justice for its people," Obama said. The blast took place a day after about 150 militants fired at five security checkpoints in Mohmand Agency -- another of the seven districts in Pakistan's volatile tribal region along the Afghan border -- killing 11 soldiers. Security forces later killed 40 militants who were among the group, authorities said Saturday. The security forces pounded militant hideouts in Mohmand Agency with helicopter gunships, said Maqsood Amin, a senior government official in the area. Twenty-four militants were killed during retaliation Friday while 16 were targeted Saturday. CNN's Chris Lawrence contributed to this report. | NEW: President Obama says the "outrageous terrorist attack" is "an affront ... to all humanity"
The Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for the blast, which killed at least 43 people .
A U.N. spokesman says over 300 people were going through security to get food . |
19,577 | 379d9897740eacdf615d515dee8c06e76092185d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:51 EST, 1 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:51 EST, 1 April 2012 . Voices: Joseph L Nerone, 54, allegedly stabbed his elderly mother to death at their Chicago home . A man accused of stabbing his mother to death has blamed Satan for killing her, authorities said. Joseph L Nerone, 54, was ordered to under go psychological testing after he was arrested at his home on Friday 'covered in blood'. A neighbour discovered Nerone and the body of his elderly mother Elaine Nerone, 84, at the home they shared in Chicago. The victim had multiple stab wounds and several knives were found at the scene. The alleged killer had minor injuries to his arms. Nerone, who has a history of mental health issues, told officers that 'Satan did it and was inside of him', according to the Chicago Tribune. The 54-year-old was being held at Cermak hospital after being refused bail by Judge James Brown today. He appeared in court wearing a hospital gown. A medical examiner ruled that Elaine Nerone had died as a result of stab wounds and blunt force trauma. According to the Tribune, in 2010 Nerone was given 18 months of conditional discharge for attacking a neighbour while telling his victim: 'I'm god and it's your time.' Lockdown: Nerone was being held at Cermak Hospital to under go psychiatric testing . | Joseph Nerone being held at psychiatric unit in Chicago . |
63,329 | b3dcb96f60b59e3ae3ba33f16471d27bc8686ea8 | By . Jack Doyle and Peter Campbell . PUBLISHED: . 06:52 EST, 11 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:19 EST, 12 July 2013 . Taxpayers were charged tens of millions of pounds for ‘phantom’ electronic tags on criminals who were either dead, in jail or had left the country. Two private firms, G4S and Serco, are accused of wrongly billing for tens of thousands of tags which had either been removed or simply never fitted. Estimates suggest up to one in six of the 18,000 tags the Ministry of Justice was billed for every day were not real. Taxpayers could have overpaid two private companies for their work tagging criminals . Last night ministers asked fraud . investigators to look at G4S, after the company refused to allow . forensic auditors access to its books and emails between senior . executives. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling took the dramatic step after pledging to recover ‘every last penny’ owed to the public purse. He told MPs the scandal could date . back as far as 1999, when tagging of criminals began in England and . Wales. Since then the taxpayer has spent £1billion on tagging and . monitoring offenders. The current contracts began in 2005. Mr Grayling condemned the . overcharging as ‘wholly indefensible and unacceptable’. In some cases, . bills were paid for months or years after tags were taken off, he said. OLYMPIC SECURITY . Just two weeks before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games, G4S admitted it was unable to supply more than 10,000 security guards it had promised.Army and police personnel were drafted in to fill the gap (pictured above), with the company eventually picking up the £88million bill. PROSTHETIC TAGIn 2011, two G4S workers placed an electronic tag on an offender’s false leg, meaning he could simply take it off.Christopher Lowcock wrapped his prosthetic limb in a bandage to fool staff who set up the device in his home. PRISONER DIES Angolan prisoner Jimmy Mubenga died in 2010 after being restrained by G4S guards on his deportation flight. Three G4S staff were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but charges were not brought because of a lack of evidence. BIRMINGHAM KEYSIn 2011, a set of keys went missing at Birmingham Prison, a jail managed by G4S. Inmates were locked in their cells for an entire day, and new locks had to be fitted at a cost of £250,000. He also launched a disciplinary . investigation into former officials in the department after discovering . contract managers were aware of billing issues in 2008, but ‘nothing . substantive was done’. Details of a ‘significant anomaly in . billing practices’ within the deals emerged during a routine review as . ministers prepared to negotiate contracts for satellite tags. It found ‘charges for people who were . back in prison and had their tags removed, people who had left the . country and those who had never been tagged in the first place’, Mr . Grayling said. Charges were also made in a ‘small number of cases when the subject was known to have died’. He added: ‘In some instances, . charging continued for a period of many months and indeed years after . active monitoring had ceased.’ The bill to taxpayers is put in the ‘low tens of millions’. Tags are put on criminals after their early release from prison or as part of their community service. Most involve a 12-hour curfew from . 7pm to 7am, allowing the criminal, in theory, to work. A box in the . offender’s home sounds an alert if the tag goes out of range or stops . working. Audits have also been launched into . all other contracts between the Government and the two firms, both major . suppliers to Whitehall. G4S received £1billion in revenue from UK . Government contracts last year, while Serco made £2billion. Serco has withdrawn its bid from the . current tendering process for new satellite tags, while G4S is expected . to be excluded after refusing to pull out. Serco agreed to co-operate with a new audit but has said it does not believe ‘anything dishonest has taken place’. G4S rejected the new audit and last night a spokesman insisted it has ‘always complied totally with the terms of the contract’. The Serious Fraud Office will consider whether an investigation is appropriate into what happened at G4S, Mr Grayling said. Indefensible: Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said G4S had rejected a demand for a new forensic audit . The firm’s reputation was shredded . last year by its failure to fulfil the security contract for the . Olympics. Thousands of armed forces and police personnel were called in . to fill the gap and the company was forced to pick up the tab. In May, G4S chief executive Nick . Buckles quit with a £1.2million payoff. Several senior managers were . sacked in the wake of the Olympic fiasco. The price of shares in both firms . plunged yesterday following the announcement, wiping £176.4million from . G4S’s value and £269.6million from Serco. G4S group chief executive Ashley . Almanza said: ‘We place the highest premium on customer service and . integrity and therefore take very seriously the concerns expressed by . the Ministry of Justice.’ Serco group chief executive . Christopher Hyman said: ‘Serco is a business led by our values and built . on the strength of our reputation for integrity. We are deeply . concerned if we fall short of the standards expected.’ | G4S and Serco accused of wrongly billing for non-existent tags .
Estimates suggest one in six of 18,000 tags billed for were not real .
Ministers have asked fraud investigators to look into G4S .
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling describes scandal as 'wholly indefensible' |
176,432 | 7063bc21e9999bb254a602760579987dbc6c39b8 | By . Pa Reporter . Australian Mark Renshaw beat Team Sky's Ben Swift in a sprint finish to stage two of the Tour of Britain in Llandudno. Renshaw, more used to working as Mark Cavendish's lead-out man within the Omega Pharma-Quick Step squad, jumped clear before the line to win comfortably as Swift paid the price for going too soon. After the climb of the Great Orme created significant splits in the peloton, Movistar's Alex Dowsett tried to break away to victory - challenged by Sylvain Chavanel (IAM Cycling) - but Sir Bradley Wiggins, working for Swift, led a group of chasers back on to their wheel on the approach to the line. Look, no hands! Mark Renshaw celebrates his win during stage two of the 2014 Tour of Britain . Dash to the line: Renshaw was handed the yellow journey after coming out on top in a sprint finish . Swift then sprang forward but, with Cavendish not in contention, Renshaw covered the move and claimed the win. 'It was a great stage, a great victory, my first for the year with Omega Pharm-Quick Step,' Renshaw said on British Eurosport. 'It's always good to win, I've had victories here before on the Tour of Britain and it's good to do it again.' The 31-year-old, winner of stage five of the Tour of Britain in 2011, will now take yellow from Marcel Kittel, who lost touch with the peloton on the Great Orme. 'It's great to be in yellow, it's a bonus,' he added. 'We came here to work for Cav but he had a really bad crash yesterday and is just trying to recover at the moment so he gave me a chance today and it's a really good victory.' The 200.8km run from Knowsley Safari Park began with an early break of some 40 riders failing to gain any separation before a more select group - made up of Ian Bibby (Madison Genesis), Christopher Lawless (GBR), Lasse Hansen (Garmin-Sharp), Rob Partridge (Giordana) and Pablo Lastras (Movistar), soon joined by King of the Mountains leader Mark McNally (An Post Chain Reaction) - edged clear. Second best: Team Sky's Ben swift was beaten into a podium finish at stage two . Vicious cycle: Stage one winner Marcel Kittel lost the yellow journey after separating from the peloton . Their lead reached four minutes before the peloton began to reel them back in, and the last remnants were picked up on the Great Orme. Dowsett tried to break off the front with two kilometres to go and led the way onto the final straight with Chavanel on his wheel, but the pack were closing in to set up the sprint finish. Before the day's racing began, Sky lost Ian Stannard who withdrew with a fractured scaphoid suffered in a crash close to Sunday's finish in Liverpool. | Mark Renshaw claimed the second stage in the Tour of Britain .
Australian beat Team Sky's Ben swift in a sprint finish .
He took yellow jersey after stage one winner Marcel Kittel lost the peloton . |
67,658 | bfec6eb9205476d62d915ea747e3d2049c955cb5 | By . Helen Pow and Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 00:51 EST, 17 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:19 EST, 17 August 2013 . A neighbor who has tried to stop the son of Boston Red Sox announcer Jerry Remy from allegedly stabbing his girlfriend to death spoke out Friday about the tragedy, expressing regret that he could not save her. Middlesex prosecutors said Benjamin Ray attempted to came to the rescue of Jennifer Martel as she was being attacked by her boyfriend of seven years, Jared Remy, at her Waltham, Massachusetts home, but his efforts were thwarted when the burly suspect slashed at him with a kitchen knife. 'I was there. I did what I could to stop it, and it wasn’t enough,' a somber Ray sporting sunglasses told reporters outside his home just steps away from the scene of the grisly murder. Rescue attempt: Neighbor Benjamin Ray talked about how he tried to pull Jared Remy off Jennifer Martel, but had to retreat when the burly boyfriend allegedly slashed at him . Ray described Martel as a 'great girl' and 'a good mom' who was 'full of life,' adding that the brutal attack in which the young woman was stabbed over and over again never should have happened, Boston.com reported. ‘It’s not an easy thing to watch,’ Ray said of the stabbing. ‘It’s not an easy thing to try to stop and not be able to.’ Although the neighbor was reluctant to further discuss on Friday the deadly confrontation - or his brief involvement in it - when interviewed by police after the murder, Ray recounted that he saw 'Remy on top of Ms Martel, slashing her,' the report stated. 'Mr Ray attempted to pull Remy off and was unable to do so. 'Remy turned and tried to stab Mr. Ray with the knife. Mr. Ray jumped back out of the way,’ investigators wrote. Jared Remy, 34, was arraigned today on murder and domestic assault charges in the gruesome slaying of his partner of seven years, Martel, which took place at their Waltham home in the presence of their four-year-old daughter just a day after the hulking former security guard was released without bail for assaulting her. Police arrived at the residence in the Windsor Village apartment complex at around 9.30pm Thursday following multiple 911 calls. They found Martel, 27, bleeding in the fenced-in patio covered in stab wounds. Hulk: Jared Remy, pictured, appears at Waltham District Court for his arraignment, Friday, August 16, 2013 . Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Lisa McGovern said Remy attacked Martel in the kitchen, in the living room and on a stairway, leaving behind a trail of blood, before pinning her to the ground of the patio where he stabbed her repeatedly. 'Great force and great effort was made by this defendant in stabbing Miss Martel over and over and over again' McGovern said, labeling the attack a 'protracted struggle.' Remy, a hulking muscle-man, was arrested at the scene after he held his hands over his head and surrendered to officers. His clothing was soaked with Martel's blood and, according to WBZ-TV, he had an engagement ring in a sunglasses case in his pocket. Just feet away lay Martel's body, shirtless and covered in blood with stab wounds to her front left shoulder area as well as wounds to her neck. A blue cloth covered her face. 'There was a substantial amount of blood on the ground surrounding the victim's head and upper torso area,' police said. 'Martel was motionless, not breathing.' Tragic: Martel, pictured, was found bleeding from multiple stab wounds on Thursday night . Horror: The stabbing took place while the couple's daughter, pictured, was home . On Wednesday, Remy, who in 2005 . admitted beating up a former girlfriend, appeared in Waltham District . Court to face allegations that he assaulted Martel in a domestic . violence incident on Tuesday night. He allegedly threw her against a mirror. He was released on personal . recognizance, and Ryan said that . the bail recommendation made by her office was based, in part, on a . conversation with Martel. 'The bail recommendation was based on a totality of circumstances,' Ryan said. She . added: 'On Wednesday, a (bail) request was made based on the . information that we had on Wednesday. Obviously and tragically, there is . different information today, Friday morning.' Martel's mother told The Boston Herald that her daughter had been 'planning her escape' when she was allegedly murdered by her long-time boyfriend. 'She said, "I was planning my escape,"' Patty Martel, 53, said. 'This was on Wednesday. She said, "Don’t worry, I’m planning my escape."' Her mother is furious Remy was released after the assault on Tuesday night and blames the blunder for her daughter's death. Attorney: Jared Remy, right, speaks to his attorney Peter Bella in Waltham District Court during his arraignment . Witnesses: Neighbors saw Remy, left, repeatedly stabbing Martel, right with the couple's daughter . Famous father: Remy is the son of Red Sox commentator Jerry Remy, pictured center . '(Prosecutors) did not do their job,' Patty Martel said. 'They failed. She would be alive today if they had put him away.' Patty Martel said her daughter had returned to her apartment yesterday to get her belongings before fleeing. 'She went back to the house to go get stuff and that's when he killed her,' she said. 'And that's why he killed her, because she called the cops on him.' At least one neighbor, Benjamin Ray, in the apartment complex rushed to Martel's aid and tried to pull Remy off her. But he was driven back when Remy waved his knife in Ray's direction, McGovern said. 'It's not an easy thing to watch. It's not an easy thing to try and stop,' Ray told Boston.com. 'I did what I could to stop it. And it wasn't enough.' Witnesses told police they saw Remy 'on top of Miss Martel stabbing her repeatedly with the knife' on the patio. A large bloodstain was visible on the patio on Friday next to a small pink tricycle. An evidence marker with the number 1 on it was placed next to the stain. History: On Wednesday, Remy appeared in Waltham District Court to face allegations that he assaulted Martel, pictured, in a domestic violence incident on Tuesday night . Scene: Police were called to their home in the Windsor Village apartment complex, pictured, on Thursday night and found Martel, 27, bleeding in their fenced in patio after suffering multiple stab wounds . Remy pleaded not guilty on Friday and . has been ordered held without bail. Remy's defense attorney, Peter . Bella, did not contest the bail order. 'I've been in contact with the Remys. They are devastated, he said. 'This is a very sad and tragic day for two families.' Patty Martel described her daughter as 'an excellent, loving mother' to her daughter Arianna. 'She . had so much to look forward to in her life,' she said. 'She planned on . getting married, but she broke it off and told me she was never going to . marry him. ... In the last few years my daughter wasn't happy. He would . do anything and everything to keep them away from us. It got worse in . the last few months but she never told me it was to the point where it . was this.' She said she was determined to take custody of her granddaughter. 'I don't want him to get his hands on her. If he gets out that's the first thing he's going to do is try to get her. He just traumatized his daughter for the rest of her life.' A neighbor told Boston.com . last night: 'It's creepy, it's a couple hundred yards from my window,' as Waltham police and State Police investigated the bloody . crime scene. 'The little girl was literally selling lemonade the other . day.' Murder charge: Jared Remy, 34, pictured, will be arraigned today on murder and domestic assault charges in the gruesome slaying of Jennifer Martel . Remy suffered an unspecified injury . that wasn't self-inflicted, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital . and released before the arraignment. Another neighbor described Remy as a very nice guy, though he had 15 prior cases out of Waltham District Court between 1998-2010, according to the Boston Herald. In 2009, Remy, then a security guard . for the Red Sox, and a colleague were accused of using steroids. He was . fired after he admitted using the performance-enhancing drug, but he . denied supplying steroids to his coworker. The couple's daughter was unhurt is now in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. They also had two pitbulls. Jerry Remy is a former Red Sox second baseman who has been a color analyst on team broadcasts on the New England Sports Network since 1988. He has struggled with health problems in recent years. New England Sports Network, which broadcasts Red Sox games, issued a statement on Friday afternoon. 'This morning, we learned of a terrible tragedy,' the statement read. 'All of us at NESN and the Red Sox, along with Jerry Remy, are filled with grief for everyone involved, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the family of Jennifer Martel.' | Benjamin Ray said he tried to pull Jared Remy, 34, off Jennifer Martel, but had to retreat when threatened with a knife .
Remy is charged with murder and domestic assault in the gruesome stabbing death of Martel .
The slaying took place just a day after he was released on no bail for assaulting the 27-year-old .
Witnesses saw him repeatedly stab the woman on the patio and his clothes were soaked in blood .
He also had an engagement ring in his pocket when cops arrested him .
His father, Jerry Remy, has been a New England Sports Network Red Sox broadcaster since 1988 and used to play for the team .
The couple have a young daughter who witnessed the horror attack and is now in the care of authorities . |
12,214 | 22a13f70d6bda12feae42e024c24a80ed74b5563 | In a $40 million federal lawsuit, five people arrested recently in Ferguson, Missouri, accuse police of using "wanton and excessive force" and treating U.S. citizens "as if they were war combatants." A complaint filed Thursday alleges that police officers from Ferguson and St. Louis County used unnecessary force and made unjustified arrests as they cracked down on protests after the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown earlier this month. The lawsuit lists Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar, Ferguson officer Justin Cosma, several unnamed officers and the city and county governments as defendants. A St. Louis County police spokesman declined to comment Friday, referring inquiries to the county prosecuting attorney's office. The St. Louis County prosecuting attorney's office told CNN it has no comment on the lawsuit. The suit -- which includes accusations of intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent supervision, and assault and battery -- details circumstances allegedly surrounding several arrests between August 11-13: . -- Tracey White was about to buy an ice cream sundae at McDonald's when officers "in what appeared to be army uniforms, carrying rifles and sticks and wearing helmets" entered and ordered her to leave, according to the lawsuit. She was told to shut up, thrown to the ground and handcuffed after criticizing officers for the way they were treating her son, the lawsuit claims. -- Dewayne Matthews was walking to his mother's house when a group of officers in military uniforms shot rubber bullets at him, the lawsuit alleges. He fell into a creek or sewer, the suit says, where officers "pounced on him, slammed his face into the concrete, and pushed his head into the water to the point that he felt he was going to be drowned." -- Kerry White was shooting footage and holding his camera out his car window when an officer snatched his camera, "took out his memory card and threw it to the ground," the lawsuit says. -- Damon Coleman and Theophilus Green were peacefully protesting, the lawsuit says, when police in riot gear fired tear gas and what appeared to be stun grenades in their direction, then "hurled racial epithets at them, while punching and kicking them the entire time." CNN has not independently confirmed details of the arrests. Police tactics to calm the crowds drew sharp criticism, including a rebuke from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. "At a time when we must seek to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the local community, I am deeply concerned that the deployment of military equipment and vehicles sends a conflicting message," Holder said as the protests unfolded. As criticism of police tactics mounted, Gov. Jay Nixon Missouri tapped State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson to head up security in Ferguson on August 14. This week, Johnson said police were scaling back their efforts in Ferguson now that the situation has cooled. Belmar, the St. Louis County Police Chief, told reporters on Wednesday that he doesn't regret his agency's decisions to fire tear gas at protesters. That approach, he said, was much better than using nightsticks or dogs. Even though President Barack Obama has called for a review of military equipment sales to local police departments in light of the clashes between police and protesters in Ferguson, Belmar said that such equipment is often necessary. "I never envisioned a day that we would ever see that kind of equipment used against protesters," he said. "But I also never imagined a day in 28 years when we would see that kind of criminal activity spin out of peaceful demonstrations." Complete coverage . | The office of the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney declined comment .
A lawsuit accuses police of violating rights and making unjustified arrests .
Five people arrested in Ferguson, Missouri, are seeking $40 million in damages .
Police in Ferguson and St. Louis County are defendants in the federal lawsuit . |
83,507 | ece278ac1a91c84250d03b26c8ebf8117c3b36e5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:31 EST, 10 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:43 EST, 10 March 2013 . Gender divide: TV presenter Prof Alice Roberts argues pink Lego reinforces sexists attitudes which see boys perform better at science . Pink Lego for girls helps reinforce gender attitudes that see boys performing better in science, a BBC television presenter and scientist has claimed. Professor Alice Roberts, the popular presenter on the 'Coast' series and 'Prehistoric Autopsy', hit out at the sexism that deters women from pursuing the subject. Since girls are better represented in maths and science in most other countries around the world, the reason why they lag behind in Britain must be 'something cultural' rather than 'an innate biological thing', she told an education conference. She said: 'The gender divide seems to be getting worse to me. 'Lego has always been a good toy which teaches children about engineering. But Lego is now producing a range which it is says is for girls, which is completely pink and is about creating cakes. 'I think the problem is happening at a very young age, when the idea is instilled that there is a big difference between girls and boys, rather than at age 15.' She added: 'What I found outrageous was the suggestion that using shopping and pink to get girls interested in science would work. It goes back to a 1950s idea of what women should be like. 'The key is to make these subjects less gender specific than more so.' She was speaking in front of teachers and school leaders at the Education Innovation event in Manchester. Criticism: Professor Roberts has attacked Lego for making product ranges which are targeted at girls . She pointed to a study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development which showed Britain was one of only three countries where teenage girls did worse than boys in maths and science. The married TV scientist, who is a Professor at Birmingham University and has a young daughter, said: 'It is definitely difficult for women to progress in scientific careers. ''One of the problems is childcare. If you have a career break, it has an amazingly bad effect on people's career. 'If you look at the men and women starting science degrees at university the numbers are about equal, but when you get to professor level, only 15 per cent are women.'' Popular: The television scientist is best known as a presenter on Coast and Prehistoric Autopsy . Prof Roberts, 39, added: 'The fact that girls are doing better in other parts of the world, suggest it is not an innate biological thing. There must be something cultural going on.' Prof Roberts is set to appear on screens later this year in the BBC documentary Ice Age. Lego said its 'Friends' range was developed following requests from parents and girls for more realistic and detailed sets with brighter colours and role-playing opportunities. A spokesman said: 'We've always had Lego bricks that are pink and we've got a wide variety of different sets. 'We don't say “this is for girls”. It's up to the child or the parent to make the choice.' 'Prehistoric': Britain is behind many countries when it comes to girls being better represented in science . | The BBC presenter attacked Lego for producing ranges aimed at girls .
She is concerned with the under representation of girls in science .
'The key is to make these subjects less gender specific than more so' |
144,043 | 4643324cb9ac68ce0a2e00e16e695bfd5981d780 | A Texas state senator tried Tuesday to block an abortion bill by attempting a 13-hour filibuster, but appeared to fall short after 10 hours when the chairman ruled she had gone off topic. But a member of the Senate then moved that the ruling be appealed, and the status of the ruling was in doubt. Fort Worth Democrat Wendy Davis, 50, took to the floor of the chamber late Tuesday morning to criticize the bill, which would be among the nation's most restrictive. Rules called for her to stand, unaided, until midnight (1 a.m. Wednesday ET), for the filibuster to succeed. At the outset, Davis said she was speaking for families whose "personal relationships with their doctor and their creator" would be violated by the bill. "These voices have been silenced by a governor who made blind partisanship and personal political ambition the official business of our great state," she said. "And sadly, he's being abetted by legislative leaders who either share this blind partisanship or simply do not have the strength to oppose it." Davis had a snack and a small amount of water before beginning, her office said. She was not allowed to lean or take a bathroom break. At about 10 p.m. (11 p.m. ET), Davis talked about the abortion pill, RU-486, and the chairman ruled that her comments were off topic. Earlier in the evening, a fellow senator helped Davis put on a back brace, which angered some lawmakers who said it violated filibuster rules. That view was upheld in a vote, and she was given a warning. Before that, she had been ruled off topic. Davis was allowed three warnings before the Senate was to be allowed to vote on whether she must stop her filibuster. The sneaker-wearing senator spent much of the time reading testimony and messages from women decrying the bill and recounting stories of the struggles they, their friends or relatives faced in the days before birth control and abortion were legalized. "Women realize that these bills will not protect their heath," she said. "They will only reduce their access to abortion providers and limit their ability to make their own family-planning decisions." The bill would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and tighten standards on abortion clinics and the doctors who work at them. Critics say it would shut most of the abortion clinics in Texas. It has passed the state House of Representatives, and Gov. Rick Perry, a former Republican presidential candidate, has said he'll sign it. "In Texas, we value all life, and we've worked to cultivate a culture that supports the birth of every child," Perry said. "We have an obligation to protect unborn children, and to hold those who peddle these abortions to standards that would minimize the death, disease and pain they cause." While Republicans hold a majority in the Senate, they don't appear to have the votes to thwart a filibuster. Abortion rights advocates were rallying behind Davis online, pushing the hashtag #standwithwendy on Twitter. "Like never before, people in Texas are standing up to demand that politicians respect women's ability to make our own personal medical decisions, and the whole country is watching," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said in a statement on the filibuster. Richards -- the daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards -- said, "This bill is dangerous and deeply unpopular, and it will hurt a lot of women. We won't go back, we won't back down, and we won't forget when these politicians are on the ballot." "Partisanship and ambition are not unusual in a state capitol, but here, in Texas, right now, it has risen to a level of profound irresponsibility and the raw abuse of power," she said in a statement on her website. Davis was elected to the Texas Senate in 2008, defeating a longtime Republican incumbent. Last year, she staged a filibuster to force a special session in an attempt to stop $5 billion in cuts to Texas public schools, according to her website. Davis, who became a single mother at age 19, went on to graduate with honors from Harvard Law School, it says. | Sen. Wendy Davis said to have digressed .
Davis would have had to hold the floor until midnight .
"Blind partisanship and personal political ambition" drive the bill, she says .
Critics say the law would shut most of the state's abortion clinics . |
98,134 | 0a583d4d33c1dafca98d5a5a010f540d134fa09b | Harlequins will play Chris Robshaw and the rest of their weary England contingent in Sunday’s showdown with Leinster - on the basis that they will soon have precious time off. Test captain Robshaw and his clubmate Mike Brown played every minute of England’s four-match autumn campaign, and Quins captain Joe Marler started every game. Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea insists they are ready to commit body and soul to the key European Champions Cup tie. England captain Chris Robshaw will line up for Harlequins after playing every minute of the Autumn Tests . Prop Joe Marler (left) started all of England's Tests while Mike Brown (right) also played all 320 minutes . Quins director of rugby Conor O’Shea will use all of his England stars in the European Champions Cup . ‘There’s not one of them (England players) who’s even remotely intimated that they want to miss this weekend,’ said O’Shea, while admitting that the strain on Robshaw and Brown is extreme. ‘It’s the two boys who have played four lots of 80 minutes. Robbo knows when he’s booking his week’s holiday and Mike knows he’ll get the same. ‘I think Robbo had a spa treatment yesterday and he’ll get a week off somewhere sunny, probably in the new year. It is still early in the season. I will give the players a week off after the Six Nations.’ Robshaw already knows when he'll get a week off 'somewhere sunny' after the Six Nations, says O'Shea . Quins captain Marler was at the spearhead of England's scrum dominance of Australia at Twickenham . 'Robbo knows when he’s booking his week’s holiday and Mike (above) knows he’ll get the same,' says O'Shea . O’Shea, who is known as a strong supporter of player welfare, added: ‘Is it something I think should be looked at? Yes, because it’s a ferocious schedule, but we have massive ambitions as a club. ‘These are big games to be involved in and the players want to be part of that.’ In contrast, Wales captain Sam Warburton will miss Cardiff Blues’ European Challenge Cup match with London Irish on Saturday because of a slight shoulder injury suffered in the 12-6 win over South Africa last weekend. | Harlequins face Leinster in the European Champions Cup on Sunday .
Conor O'Shea will include Chris Robshaw and his England team-mates .
Mike Brown, Joe Marler and Robshaw started all four Autumn Tests . |
276,177 | f1d304904bd909073cf75ab0c62b203cebb40d1d | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Charges relating to Michael Jackson's death will be filed Monday, prosecutors said. Friday's announcement by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office did not say what the charges would be or who would be charged . Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal physician when he died last summer, had planned to surrender to authorities Friday afternoon at the Los Angeles courthouse branch near Los Angeles International Airport, but that changed when prosecutors delayed filing charges. Murray's lawyer, Ed Chernoff, then told reporters he and Murray would instead be in a public park near the courthouse Friday afternoon to talk about the case. That event was soon canceled. "In light of the district attorney's office announcement that Dr. Murray will be charged on Monday, we have canceled media access until after arraignment," Chernoff said in a written statement. Murray's lawyers and prosecutors had been negotiating Thursday to have Murray turn himself in, but those negotiations broke down, a law enforcement source with detailed knowledge of the talks told Beth Karas of "In Session," on CNN sister network truTV. "I don't know what part of negotiations could have broken down, in light of the fact that we've placed ourselves in the hands of law enforcement to surrender at any time," said Ed Chernoff, Murray's lawyer. Los Angeles prosecutors could file charges at any time, however, setting up a scenario for Los Angeles police to find Murray on their own, arrest him and take him to jail. A surrender -- in which a defendant turns himself in at a police station for booking -- would allow the doctor to avoid being seen in public handcuffed and escorted by police. Chernoff said earlier Thursday that he and Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren "share the goal of the efficient administration of this process." "An arrest of Dr. Murray would be a waste of money, time and resources," Chernoff said. "We've always made it clear: You tell us where; we'll be there. I'm sure something can be arranged." The doctor traveled to Los Angeles last week from his home in Houston, Texas, in expectation of possible charges. Murray was hired last spring as Jackson prepared for his comeback concerts in London, England. The doctor told Los Angeles police that he was with Jackson through the early morning hours of June 25 in an effort to help the pop star fall asleep, according to a police affidavit. He administered sleep aids, and after Jackson finally began sleeping in the late morning hours, Murray said, he left the bedroom for "about two minutes maximum," the affidavit said. "Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing," it said. The doctor stayed with Jackson as an ambulance rushed him from his $100,000-a-month rented mansion in Holmby Hills to UCLA Medical Center. Efforts at CPR proved fruitless, and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam. The coroner's statement said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but there were "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect." Lorazepam and two other drugs Murray said he used are benzodiazepines. The doctor told investigators he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, a police affidavit said. Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. The doctor told investigators he gave Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip. The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it. During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep. CNN's Ted Rowlands contributed to this report. | NEW: Dr. Conrad Murray, lawyer cancel press conference about case in Los Angeles park .
Murray's lawyers say they don't want to see client arrested publicly .
Murray says he gave Jackson anti-anxiety drugs, anesthetic to help him sleep . |
132,767 | 37add20fad56d4a37b43db414bd5d3801fe58f7d | By . Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 08:43 EST, 24 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:52 EST, 24 January 2013 . Its decadent surroundings hosted numerous Hollywood legends as they laid eyes on the big screen for the very first time. But having sat desolate for more than 30 years - the crumbling Loew's Kings Theatre in New York is finally being brought back to life. The 3,200-seater turned its lights out in 1977, having first opened to the public in 1929. Regeneration: Loew's Kings Theatre in Brooklyn is to be redeveloped in a $93 million project after lying dormant for 35 years . Decadent: The original interior of the French Renaissance-style theatre that was closed in 1977 . Since its closure, the once-bustling theatre slipped into a state of dilapidation and decay, but a $93 million regeneration project was announced on Wednesday. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the regeneration would create 50 permanent jobs and 500 construction jobs. Mr Bloomberg said that the theatre will be 'the Radio City Music Hall of Brooklyn'. Hollywood legend Barbara Streisand once worked as an usherette at the French Renaissance-style theatre, vowing that her name would appear in lights above its door. Sylvester Stallone held a similar position, while Bob Hope appeared before the Loews Kings's adoring crowd. Streisand told an audience in 1995: 'I went to the movies long before I ever went to the theatre. I’d go to the Loew’s Kings in Flatbush every Saturday. Dilapidated: The theatre has become seriously dilapidated since its closure but work will begin next week with the removal of asbestos and repairs to the roof . Announcement: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg broke the ground of the redevelopment, which will be carried out by Texas-based Ace Theatrical Group, on Wednesday . Jobs: Mayor Bloomberg said the project, due to finish in 2015, will secure 50 permanent jobs when completed and also entail 500 construction jobs . She said that she went 'to escape into a world of fantasy - and also because they had the greatest Mellowrolls'. Construction work will begin within the next week, starting with repairs to the roof and the removal of asbestos. Texas-based Ace Theatrical Group is taking on the project, which has been backed by the city's Economic Development Corp. The redevelopment will include a huge staircase, rose-coloured marble and wood-panelled walls. Seven chandeliers will dazzle visitors as they enter the lobby, while paintings on the original domed 70-foot roof will be restored. Restoration: The theatre will undergo an extensive refurbishment, including a restoration of its painted 70-ft roof . A four-story stagehouse will also be built at the back of the theater, facilitating the staging of more expansive theatre productions. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz was also a key player in the redevelopment. Mr Markowitz said that Brooklyn was getting back an 'historic jewel'. He described the project as a 'dream come true', perhaps swayed by sentimentality, given that he went on his first date there. 'It’s gonna be a movie place on steroids, theater, music, dance, cultural activities,' said Ace’s David Anderson. It is hoped the theatre will open in early 2015, hosting more than 200 concerts, performances, and musicals every year. The movie palace was sold in 1979 and later taken over by the City of New York. | Loew's Kings Theatre in Brooklyn to reopen after $93 redevelopment .
3,200-seater theatre closed in 1977 after first opening in 1929 .
Planned to reopen in 2015 hosting 200 performances very year .
Streisand once said she went there to 'escape into a world of fantasy' |
185,944 | 7ccb65483cf164faddf11d752a7e8c8cc59348be | (CNN) -- Amazon, Apple and Google: All of these big tech companies have announced major robotics initiatives or investments in recent months. Amazon, in particular, managed to capture the public imagination when founder Jeff Bezos outlined a plan to deliver packages by drones. As drones become more mainstream, the prospect of excessive surveillance and other dangers loom. Drones drive down the costs of surveillance to a worrisomely low level. For example, it wouldn't be surprising if Amazon delivery drones were equipped with cameras for loss prevention. So what would stop law enforcement from asking Amazon for all of its drones' footage in a given neighborhood where there had been a crime? Simultaneously, drone technology has the potential to revolutionize delivery, agriculture, photography and possibly disrupt major industries. Imagine that you're shopping at Barnes & Noble. You ask for a book that the store does not carry. Rather than send you online, Barnes & Noble flies the book over from another store while you shop or take a coffee break. Or imagine that you're a farmer whose livelihood depends on catching crop disease early. You could use drones to fly over thousands of acres in an afternoon to spot problem areas. These are exciting uses for drones. But the real innovation will come when companies such as Amazon mix their robotics strategy with their love for open platforms. What does that mean? Recall that the first personal computers did not come to the market until the mid-1970s. Before that, government and industry purchased or leased computer equipment dedicated to a particular purpose such as database management. That's analogous to what Amazon and other companies are doing today. Amazon paid nearly $800 million for the robotics firm Kiva Systems for the specific purpose of helping to organize its warehouses. The company is now experimenting with drones for the second task of delivery. The real explosion of innovation in computing occurred when devices got into the hands of regular people. Suddenly consumers did not have to wait for IBM or Apple to write every software program they might want to use. Other companies and individuals could also write a "killer app." Much of the software that makes personal computers, tablets and smartphones such an essential part of daily life now have been written by third-party developers. As author Jonathan Zittrain points out, it would be hard to name a category of important software -- from word-processing to e-mail -- that some computer hobbyist did not create first at home. Today, popular apps such as Snapchat or Instagram are used by millions of people. Yet, both were created by just two or three people in their 20s. There are, of course, problems with apps for robots. You do not necessarily want a live-action version of Angry Birds using drones. And who is responsible should someone get hurt by interacting with robots? Once companies such as Google, Amazon or Apple create a personal drone that is app-enabled, we will begin to see the true promise of this technology. This is still a ways off. There are certainly many technical, regulatory and social hurdles to overcome. But I would think that within 10 to 15 years, we will see robust, multipurpose robots in the hands of consumers. Worried about your kid getting to and from the bus? A drone app lets you follow her there by trailing her phone and returning when she waves. Selling your house? An app on a drone will command it to fly around your property and stitch together a panorama of photos for a virtual tour. Same drone, thousands of possibilities. Put another way, the day when Amazon or Apple opens a drone app store is the day when drone innovation takes off. On an open model, the sky is quite literally the limit. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ryan Calo. | Tech companies such as Amazon or Google are planning major robotics initiatives .
Ryan Calo: Drone technology can revolutionize delivery, agriculture, photography .
He says of course there are many technical, legal and social hurdles to overcome .
Calo: When drone app store opens, that's when innovation will take really off . |
203,795 | 93d8d9580edabbb95436192f452d143f30ccd433 | (CNN) -- Elvis was singing in the men's room. But I'd gotten used to that. This time, though, there was something new. And it led me, after all these years, to the legendary Barbara Hearn. A little explanation -- all right, a lot of explanation -- is in order: . There's a restaurant in Naples, Florida, called BrickTop's. I stop in there occasionally when I'm in town. In the men's restroom, every time I've gone in, Elvis Presley's voice is singing. Oddly, his voice is not heard out in the restaurant itself. But in the restroom, the voice is there nonstop. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame". . .the Elvis-in-the-men's-room playlist is rather eclectic. The other night I was eating at the restaurant and, of course, Elvis was singing in the men's room. But there had been an addition to the restroom décor since my last visit six months or so ago. There was a framed, autographed photo on the wall, of a young Elvis smiling next to a dark-haired woman. The autograph was hers. The signature: Barbara Hearn Smith. For Presley aficionados, the name Barbara Hearn is as historic as that of Martha Washington or Betsy Ross or Mary Todd Lincoln. She was Elvis's hometown girlfriend in Memphis at the beginning of 1956, just before his career hit the stratosphere. That was the year everything changed; by the time it was over, Presley's old life was in the rear-view mirror. And part of that old life, presumably, was Barbara Hearn. But now, in the dwindling weeks of 2011, in the BrickTop's men's room, here was Elvis singing, and here was Barbara Hearn's autograph. A closer inspection of the handwriting revealed that she was saying she had dined at another BrickTop's, in Nashville, Tennessee. So she still strides the American continent? I had to find her. I did -- at the Holly Tree Manor Bed and Breakfast in Trenton, Tennessee, which she and her husband of 50 years, Jim Smith, own and run. She's 74, and she laughed out loud when I told her where I had found her photo. "Well, I suppose it's all right if my name is on a restroom wall," she said. "It's better than if my phone number was up there." She said that she and her husband had been having lunch at the BrickTop's in Nashville when a waiter had overheard them talking about Elvis. When he realized that she had actually known Elvis, he said that the boss of the place -- Joe Ledbetter -- was a huge Presley fan. Jim Smith went out to their car, where he knew there was a photo of Elvis and Barbara; he brought it into the restaurant, and she signed it so the waiter could give it to the boss when he came in. (I got in touch with Ledbetter, who runs all six BrickTop's locations, most of which are in the South. He told me he'd had copies made of the photo, and ordered that they be put in nice frames and hung in the men's and women's restrooms of all his restaurants. He said that the nonstop Elvis songs do not discriminate by gender: They are in the women's rooms as well as in the men's rooms. Why? He loves Elvis. Why not play Elvis's music in the restaurants themselves -- why just in the bathrooms? "It would drive some customers nuts to hear it for so long. In the restrooms, you're just there for a few minutes.") But back to Barbara Hearn: She said she first met Elvis when she was working at Goldsmith's Department Store in Memphis with a friend named Dixie Locke, who was dating Presley. When Dixie and Elvis went their separate ways, he asked Barbara if he could take her out. "People sometimes say that Elvis and I went steady for a year," she told me. "I always correct them. I went steady with Elvis for a year. Elvis? Well, he didn't go steady with anyone." But she was his girlfriend during his remarkable ascent in 1956. There is a famous photograph, taken by Alfred Wertheimer inside the home on Audubon Drive in Memphis that Presley shared with his parents (this was pre-Graceland). In the photo, Barbara is prim in a white dress with dark polka-dots; Elvis is slouched and shirtless. "People don't understand what's in that picture," she told me. "He had just been outside standing in his new swimming pool. It was just being filled up, with a garden hose. I was dressed to go out with him for the evening, all gussied up. And what we're doing is, he had just taken the train back from New York, where he had recorded some new songs for RCA Victor. He had brought back the recordings -- they had not been released yet. We were listening to one of them. He wanted to know if I thought it was any good. I said yes, I thought it was. It was 'Don't Be Cruel.'" Soon enough he went to Hollywood; by the end of that year, he would be bringing Natalie Wood to Memphis to meet his parents. ("I didn't hold it against him at all," Barbara told me. "If the roles had been reversed, and I had been the one to go to Hollywood and I'd met Gregory Peck, I would have brought Gregory Peck back to Memphis with me.") She eventually went to work in Washington for one of Tennessee's U.S. senators, Estes Kefauver. It was there that she met her future husband. She saw Elvis only infrequently over the years, and never lost her affection toward him. "That year of 1956, I saw him go from being barely famous to a super-duper star," she said. "From a boy to a man." And now, more than half a century later, there they are, in the restaurant restrooms, accompanied by the sound of his voice. She said she'd had no idea, until I told her. "What a hoot," she said, and laughed again. "He's a friend who never stops giving." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Bob Greene says he saw a framed photo of a woman with Elvis Presley .
The woman, he learned, was Elvis's hometown sweetheart just before he made it big .
Barbara Hearn Smith now lives in Tennessee and has fond memories of Elvis .
Greene: She said when his career took off that year, 1956, he went from boy to man . |
131,313 | 35cdfe32140c27d867cdfd8b4d2daaecfe1a5ab2 | By . Arthur Martin . PUBLISHED: . 08:59 EST, 5 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:57 EST, 5 December 2013 . An Islamic extremist admitted trying to behead Fusilier Lee Rigby because ‘the most humane way to kill any creature is to cut the jugular’, a court heard yesterday. Michael Adebolajo, 28, said he drove his car into Mr Rigby before he sawed his neck and then ‘attempted to remove his head’, the jury was told. During a series of police interviews which were played to the Old Bailey yesterday, Adebolajo said he and his accomplice Michael Adebowale, 22, waited near Woolwich Barracks for a soldier to appear. Interview: Footage of Michael Adebolajo talking to police has been shown to an Old Bailey jury . Victim: The alleged killers of Lee Rigby cut his throat because it was 'humane', a court has heard . He said that they attacked the soldier as he was a ‘fair target’ and because they ‘wished to fulfil our promise to Allah’. The . defendant said they selected Mr Rigby simply because he was the first . soldier to appear on the South London street where they were waiting on . May 22. ‘It was almost as if Allah had chosen him,’ he said. When I . thought about obeying Allah in the past I thought maybe it is possible . to kill a man by driving into him. ‘When . he crossed the road in front of me so casually it was almost as if I . was not in control of myself. I accelerated, I hit him and I think I . also crashed into a sign post. ‘We . did not wish to give him much pain...I could see he was still alive. We . exited the vehicle and I am not sure how I struck the first blow. Family: Fusilier Rigby's relatives arriving at the Old Bailey for yesterday's hearing in the murder trial . ‘The . most humane way to kill any creature is to cut the jugular. This is . what I believe. This is how we kill our animals in Islam. He may be my . enemy but he is a man...so I struck at the neck and attempted to remove . his head.’ Adebolajo was . then asked if he had expected to die on the day of the attack. He . replied: ‘To be killed on the battlefield is not something we shy away . from and, in fact, this is something that Allah loves.’ The . footage of the interviews at Southwark Police Station shows Adebolajo . wearing a blue blanket, which at some points almost completely covered . his face. At times the . suspect stooped down and appeared to read passages from a gold and black . copy of the Koran which was lying open on the table in front of him. He . repeatedly asked to be called Mujahid Abu Hamza and stormed out of two . of the four interviews after becoming angry. Damage: The Vauxhall Tigra allegedly driven into the soldier by Adebolajo and Adebowale . 'No vendetta': Adebolajo, pictured on May 22, insisted he had nothing against Lee Rigby personally . During . the first interview he ranted for 40 minutes, often wagging a finger in . the air, about British troops ‘committing mass murder’ in Muslim lands. He said there was a ‘war between Muslims and the British people’ and he . was a ‘soldier of Allah’. When . asked about the soldier’s killing, he said: ‘He was struck on the neck . with a sharp implement and it was sawn until his head, you know, became . almost unattached. 'And may Allah forgive me if I acted in a way that’s . displeasing to him.’ Giving . evidence at the Old Bailey yesterday, Detective Constable Dhuval Bhatt . said he conducted an urgent interview with Adebolajo while he was still . being treated in hospital to establish if there were going to be further . attacks. Adebolajo and . Adebowale deny murdering Mr Rigby, conspiring to murder a police officer . and attempted murder. They admit possessing a firearm. The trial . continues. Courtroom: The two defendants watching the video of Adebolajo's interview with police . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Michael Adebolajo told police in interview that he and Michael Adebowale waited at Woolwich Barracks to target a soldier .
Fusilier Rigby 'just so happened to be spotted first', he added .
Defendant said he cut soldier's throat because that is 'most humane'
He added that he wanted to meet Rigby's family and had no 'vendetta' |
181,128 | 7676f91a0fb5c688c4f90cf64ae39a421757103e | Scientists in Alaska are investigating whether seals are being killed by radiation from Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant. Scores of ring seals have washed up on Alaska's arctic coastline since July either injured or killed by a mysterious disease which biologists first thought was a virus. But the bleeding lesions on the hind flippers, irritated skin around the nose and eyes and patchy hair loss on the seals' fur coats may have been caused by radiation from the stricken nuclear plant. Harmed: Seals like this one in Barrow, Alaska, have been found with bleeding lesions, damaged fur and flippers thought to have been caused by radiation from Fukushima, Japan. Three reactors at the nuclear plant went into meltdown following the catastrophic tsunami caused by an 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Japan's north-east coast in March. Now animals several thousands miles away in Barrow, Alaska, are washing up with injuries thought to have been caused by the fallout from the nuclear meltdown. John Kelley, Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Marine Science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said: 'We recently received samples of seal tissue from diseased animals captured near St. Lawrence Island with a request to examine the material for radioactivity. Chaos: Three reactors at the Fukushima plant went into meltdown after the tsunami in March which battered Japan's north-east coast . 'There is concern expressed by some members of the local communities that there may be some relationship to the Fukushima nuclear reactor's damage.' The results of the tests would not be available for 'several weeks,' Kelley said. Water tests have not picked up any evidence of elevated radiation in U.S. Pacific waters since the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which caused multiple fuel meltdowns at the Fukushima plant and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate the surrounding area. Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been seeking the cause of the diseased seals for weeks, but have so far found no answers. | Seals washed up with hair loss and bleeding lesions .
9.0-magnitude quake caused meltdown at Japanese plant in March . |
68,938 | c37eb2dbc650f401db4a8ab2325248ac3d71648c | (CNN) -- Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev apologized Saturday for referring to Serena and Venus Williams as the "Williams brothers" during a TV chat show. Tarpischev, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has already been carpeted by the WTA for "insulting and demeaning" remarks about the American siblings, being hit with a $25,000 fine and a one-year ban from tennis activities. Tarpischev is the chairman of the Kremlin Cup tournament in Moscow which is finishing this weekend and has held a string of leading positions in sports administration. He made the faux pas on a light night talk show in Russia -- Evening Urgant -- sitting next to former WTA star Elena Dementieva. When the subject of how difficult it was to beat the Williams sisters -- Serena has 18 grand slam titles and Venus seven -- Tarpischev made his controversial comments. After a translation of his remarks became public, the WTA responded immediately and its chief Stacey Allaster pulled no punches. "The statements made by Shamil Tarpischev on Russian television with respect to two of the greatest athletes in the history of women's tennis are insulting, demeaning and have absolutely no place in our sport," she said. "I have ordered Mr. Tarpischev to be fined $25,000, the maximum allowed under WTA rules. In addition, he will be suspended from any involvement with the WTA for one year and we are seeking his removal from his position as Chairman of the Board of the Kremlin Cup for one year." Tarpischev claimed he had not intended to insult the sisters and that his remarks were light hearted. "Serena and Venus (Williams) are without doubts outstanding athletes," he said in a statement released by Russia's tennis federation. "The situation that has spontaneously emerged during the late night chat show had a bad influence on the perception of tennis in general and splits our friendly and cohesive team. "I'm sorry that the joke which was taken out of context and attracted so much attention," he added. Tarpischev's U.S. counterpart David Haggerty, the president of the USTA, was angered by the remarks and issued a strongly worded condemnation. "As the President of the Russian Tennis Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee, Mr. Tarpischev is expected to conduct himself with the highest degree of integrity and sportsmanship. Unfortunately, his comments do not embody either of these traits and in fact were reprehensible," he said. Meanwhile, Serena Williams was handed a tough task when the draw was made Saturday for the WTA Tour Finals in Singapore. She heads the Red Group, which also contains Simona Halep and Eugenie Bouchard, two of the most promising young players in world tennis, and former world number one Ana Ivanovic. The White Group is topped by second seed Maria Sharapova and she is joined by Caroline Wozniacki, Agnieszka Radwanska and the in-form Petra Kvitova. Williams, who has capped her season by winning the U.S. Open title, beating Wozniacki in the final, is desperate to finish her year by claiming the prestigious title for a third straight year. "I think everyone here is here to win. Everyone here is tough. Every match is going to be tough, so you have to be ready for that," Williams told the official WTA website ahead of the start of the tournament Monday. The race to claim the final places in the men's ATP Tour Finals in London next month is also hotting up with Britain's Andy Murray doing his chances no harm by reaching the final of the Austrian Open in Vienna. He beat Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-4 6-3 and will play rival and top seed David Ferrer in the final. Both men are battling for a spot but Ferrer had to dig deep to beat German fourth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber in a third set tiebreaker. Only three spots are still on offer for the finals after U.S. Open winner Marin Cilic booked his place by reaching the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup. | Russian federation chief apologizes to Serena and Venus Williams .
Shamil Tarpischev had referred to the pair as 'brothers' in a TV show .
Serena has tough draw in WTA finals in Singapore .
Andy Murray and David Ferrer into final of ATP tournament in Vienna . |
21,453 | 3cf0d33740befd350addbc16e8afc92088c6e505 | (CNN) -- Actor Zachary Quinto, known for playing Spock in the 2009 "Star Trek" remake and his role as Sylar on the television show "Heroes," acknowledged his homosexuality in a post on his website Sunday, saying the action comes after the suicide of a 14-year-old who killed himself after apparently being harassed over his sexuality. "When I found out that Jamey Rodemeyer killed himself -- I felt deeply troubled," Quinto posted. "But when I found out that Jamey Rodemeyer had made an 'It Gets Better' video only months before taking his own life -- I felt indescribable despair. "I also made an 'It Gets Better' video last year in the wake of the senseless and tragic gay teen suicides that were sweeping the nation at the time," Quinto wrote. "But in light of Jamey's death, it became clear to me in an instant that living a gay life without publicly acknowledging it is simply not enough to make any significant contribution to the immense work that lies ahead on the road to complete equality." Rodemeyer was found dead September 18 outside his parents' home in Buffalo, New York. His parents said he had experienced years of bullying over his sexual orientation. His suicide has attracted the attention of such stars as Lady Gaga, who dedicated a song to him at a recent concert. The "It Gets Better" campaign is aimed at gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered youth who may experience bullying. "Our society needs to recognize the unstoppable momentum toward unequivocal civil equality for every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered citizen of this country," Quinto said. "Gay kids need to stop killing themselves because they are made to feel worthless by cruel and relentless bullying. Parents need to teach their children principles of respect and acceptance. We are witnessing an enormous shift of collective consciousness throughout the world. I believe in the power of intention to change the landscape of our society -- and it is my intention to live an authentic life of compassion and integrity and action." Rodemeyer's life has changed his, the 34-year-old Quinto wrote. "While his death only makes me wish that I had done this sooner, I am eternally grateful to him for being the catalyst for change within me. Now I can only hope to serve as the same catalyst for even one person in this world. That -- I believe -- is all that we can ask of ourselves and of each other." | Jamey Rodemeyer's suicide served as his "catalyst," Spock actor writes on blog .
Rodemeyer killed himself last month after apparent bullying .
Parents must teach respect and acceptance, Quinto writes . |
214,983 | a24fff84f2e738d8b3e4baf9b8ecfa975430f4f4 | By . Mail Foreign Service . UPDATED: . 15:24 EST, 23 December 2011 . World leaders including Prime Minister David Cameron gathered in Prague yesterday for the state funeral of former Czech president Vaclav Havel. Mr Cameron was joined by former premier Sir John Major, as well as French and German presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Christian Wulff. The hundreds of mourners at the service in St Vitus Cathedral also included U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton. Respects: Prime Minister David Camerson and Sir John Major at the funeral . Service: The coffin of former Czech President Vaclav Havel lies draped under a Czech flag during his state funeral at Prague's St. Vitus Cathedral . Sacrifice: Havel, who died on Sunday aged 75 after a long respiratory illness, served five years in jail for his criticism of oppressive communist rule . Mass: Catholic priests approach the altar during the ceremony inside the stunning Gothic cathedral . (L-R) Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Former U.S. president Bill Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Irish President Mary Robinson . Mr Havel died aged 75 on Sunday, 22 . years after leading the peaceful Velvet Revolution that ended Communist . rule over Czecho- slovakia in 1989. As well as steering the country to . democracy, the dissident playwright also oversaw its peaceful division . into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993. Before leaving for Prague, Mr Cameron . said: ‘Europe owes Vaclav Havel a profound debt. Havel led the Czech . people out of tyranny…and he helped bring freedom and democracy to our . entire continent.’ National hero: Vaclav Havel died on Sunday, 22 years after leading the Velvet Revolution that ended Communist rule in Czechoslovakia . During the service, the Archbishop of . Prague read out a tribute to Mr Havel from Pope Benedict XVI, praising . his bravery and vision. ‘Remembering how courageously Mr . Havel defended human rights at a time when these were systematically . denied to the people of your country, and paying tribute to his . visionary leadership… . ‘I give thanks to God for the freedom that the people of the Czech Republic now enjoy,’ the Pope’s statement said. Former U.S. secretary of state . Madeleine Albright – who was born in Prague – spoke, as did Czech . foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg and current president Vaclav Klaus. Miss Albright said Mr . Havel ‘brought light to the places of deepest darkness’. One mourner 14-year-old Anezka Chroustova, said: 'He fought against the communists, stuck to his opinion, made big sacrifices.' Sirens and church bells rang around the central European country at noon in Havel's memory. Havel's dissident friend Lech Walesa, the first post-communist democratic president of Poland, was among the guests. Russia, which Havel criticised for . human rights abuses and democratic shortfalls as recently as this month, . was represented by rights ombudsman Vladimir Lukin. He stepped down as Czech president in . 2003 but remained a symbol of the struggle for freedom and human rights, . although his proclamation that 'truth and love must win over lies and . hatred' turned bitter to some Czechs amid economic hardship and . corruption in the years after the end of totalitarian rule. Around . a thousand guests filled the monumental cathedral for the mass, while . thousands more followed the service on large screens outside. Grief: Dagmar, the widow of the former President, and their daughter Nina arrive at the service . Mourning: Dagmar Havlova, widow of late former Czech Repubic President Vaclav Havel . Before departing from London this morning David Cameron said: 'Europe owes Vaclav Havel a profound . debt. 'Havel led the Czech . people out of tyranny ... and he helped bring freedom and democracy to . our entire continent.' Bill Clinton's presence was testimony . to his close relationship with Havel, who took him to drink beer in a . Prague pub and play saxophone in a club when he visited in . 1994. Procession: Police stand guard as a line of Catholic priests walk arrive at the funeral ceremony . Holy men: Bishops from the Czech Catholic Church arrive at the cathedral . Sadness: Mourners grieve as they watch the funeral service on a giant screen set up outside the cathedral . At the end of the ceremony, 21 cannon salvos were fired when the Czech national anthem was played. The urn with Havel's ashes will be . buried at his family's plot at the city's Vinohrady cemetery alongside . his first wife, Olga, who died in 1996. Since his death, Czechs have gathered . spontaneously to lay flowers and light candles at key historic sites . such as the monument to the 1989 Velvet Revolution in downtown Prague, . and at Wenceslas Square, where Havel once spoke before hundreds of . thousands of people to express outrage at the repressive communist . regime. Locals applaud as the hearse, carrying the body of the former President, passes by on its way up to the cathedral . Loved: Havel stepped down as Czech president in 2003 but remained a symbol of the struggle for freedom . Clergy leave Prague Castle at the end of the funeral service . Archbishop Dominik Duka conducts proceedings at the the funeral service . Similar scenes of remembrance played . out across the country - in a show of emotion not seen since the 1937 . funeral of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, Czechoslovakia's first president . after the nation was founded in 1918. 'He was our star, he gave us . democracy,' said Iva Buckova, 51, who had traveled from the western city . of Plzen. 'He led us through revolution. We came to see him for the . last time.' Prague Archbishop Dominik Duka, who spent time in jail with Havel under Communism, was leading the funeral mass. He was joined by Vatican envoy . Giovanni Coppa and bishop Vaclav Maly, Havel's friend and fellow . dissident. Poland's former President Lech Walesa - who led the . anti-communist Solidarity movement - also attended. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra performed parts of Requiem by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak throughout the ceremony. Leaders: Britain's David Cameron and former prime minister John Major were among dozens of foreign dignitaries to pay their respects . French President Nicolas Sarkozy (left) and German President Christian Wulff were among the many world leaders to attend . Former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and current Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas arrive for the mass . Braving the freezing cold, thousands of mourners have waited in long lines every day since Monday to file past Havel's coffin. On . Wednesday, over 10,000 mourners had marched through Prague's . cobblestoned medieval streets, led by Havel's actress wife Dagmar, to . pay their respects. Havel, whose dramas of the absurd . were popular in the 1960s before he was banned from public life after . the Soviet invasion in 1968, had felt most at home among artists, . including the Rolling Stones who played in Prague in 1990 just a few . months after the revolution. Respect: A little girl and her dad observe a minute's silence . A rock concert and a festival of his . plays was due to take place later on Friday at the Lucerna Palace that . the Havel family built in the early 20th century. Four thousand tickets . to the event were snapped up in minutes. He was repeatedly jailed by the . Soviet-allied Communist authorities in the 1970s and 80s for his . activism in the Charter 77 civil rights movement and then led the nation . as president from 1989 to 2003. Many of his plays satirised the evils of the communist regime and were subsequently banned. Havel, . a former chain smoker, who survived several operations for lung cancer . and a burst intestine that nearly killed him, died at his country home . north-east of the Czech capital Prague. He . had a history of chronic respiratory problems dating back to his years . locked in dank communist prisons. In recent public appearances recently . he appeared thin and drawn. Born . in 1936 to a wealthy family in Czechoslovakia, he began co-writing . plays during his military service in the 1950s. His first solo play, . The Garden Party, was staged in 1963. A lover of jazz and theatre he . famously ridiculed the communist state as ‘Absurdistan’. His . revolutionary motto was: ‘Truth and love must prevail over lies and . hatred.’ But his works were banned after the 1968 uprising was crushed by a Soviet invasion when tanks rolled into Wenceslas Square. National hero: President Havel and his wife Dagmar wave from the balcony of Prague Castle after Havel was sworn in for a second term as president in 1998 . He had a . history of chronic respiratory problems dating back to his years locked . in dank communist prisons. In recent public appearances recently he . appeared thin and drawn. In his final years, Havel made only occasional public appearances, and would often say that he had insufficient time to resume his literary work. The director of the theater where he began as a stagehand in 1958 before becoming a playwright - and where he said he spent the best 8 years of his life - told AP he'd started work on one last play this year. It was to be called 'Sanatorium.' 'He may be able to finish it in heaven,' said the director of Na Zabradli, Doubravka Svobodova. Born . in 1936 to a wealthy family in Czechoslovakia, he began co-writing . plays during his military service in the 1950s. His first solo play, . The Garden Party, was staged in 1963. Rise to power: Pictured in his days as a dissident playwright, Havel, right, jokes with a member of the Polish dissident union 'Solidarity' in June 1989 . A lover of jazz and theatre he . famously ridiculed the communist state as ‘Absurdistan’. His . revolutionary motto was: ‘Truth and love must prevail over lies and . hatred.’ But his works were banned after the 1968 uprising was crushed by a Soviet invasion when tanks rolled into Wenceslas Square. Thousands of candles are laid out in tribute in Prague's Wenceslas Square . Mourners watch on as the coffin of the former president, who died on Sunday aged 75, sits draped in a Czech flag in Prague's Gothic Saint Vitus Cathedral . | Bill and Hillary Clinton also among thousands in Prague paying respects to former president who lead Velvet Revolution . |
129,629 | 3391bc8bdb9a786574d207d2b80caaa7e8d68840 | CBS president and CEO Les Moonves wants to move the chains on brands' Super Bowl spending by upping the network's goal to over $5million for each 30-second spot. Speaking on a conference call with analysts Thursday, Moonves first threw up a $6million price tag he expected for the 50th anniversary championship game taking place in 2016. 'Five to six million dollars for a 30-second spot sounds pretty good to me,' the New York Post reported Moonves as saying, though he later revised the number downwards. Scroll down for video . Chief: CBS president and CEO Les Moonves wants to move the chains Super Bowl ads to between $5million and $6million per commercial slot . 'We’re going to get north of $5 million for each Super Bowl ad,' he later said on the call. Even a bump to $5million per ad would represent an increase of just over a 10 percent on the price of an ad, as airtime for this year's Super Bowl went for $4.5million. Media research firm Kantar Media reports that the price of Super Bowl commercials has increased 75 percent over the past decade. Not everyone agrees that stock in the NFL's marquee game is still ready to rise. 'The NFL marketplace was softer this year than in previous years,' one advertising agency executive told the Post. 'They’ve been struggling in the regular season, the playoffs and filling the Super Bowl.' While the championship game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots had a record audience of 114.5million, some ad buyers had to be compensated for lower regular season numbers. With Dad: YouTube voters named the Nissan spot as their favorite ad of the 2015 Super Bowl as CBS hopes to collect on next year's spots . 'So Les wants a 30 percent increase? It’s not happening,' says another ad executive of Moonves's upper estimates. 'They had to go to the second-tier guys to fill the Super Bowl.' 'I’d be very, very surprised if they get anywhere near $6 million,' the exec said. 'But there’s always one sucker.' | Les Moonves told analysts Thursday on a conference call his range for ad buys in 2016 was 'five to six million'
Ad agency executives told the Post that the market would not support a bump, considering the NFL's viewer numbers in the regular season .
Others said the league reached out to 'second-tier' brands to fill the championship game's commercial airtime . |
136,992 | 3d3534761b8cb937d6238cf523831bf173887914 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A photo of a 'college hunk' is making the rounds on social media websites this week, but not necessarily because of the man's supposed hunky-ness, but for his kindness towards an elderly woman who has a hard time standing up for long periods of time. When a mover who works for the College Hunks Hauling Junk moving company in Tampa, Florida, became stuck in an elevator with the older woman, she explained the trouble she has with standing. Rather than respond with an 'oh -- that's unfortunate,' College Hunk Cesar Larios - who is studying at the Art Institute of Florida in addition to being a junk-hunk - got down on his hands and knees and acted as a bench for the older woman. Have a seat: Junk-hunk Cesar Larios acted as a human bench when he became trapped in an elevator with an elderly woman who has a hard time standing . Hunk: Larios works for College Hunks Hauling Junk moving company, which hires college-age kids to work as movers . Larios and the woman waited in the stuck elevator for help to arrive - with Larios, of course, acting like a human chair so the woman didn't have to stand. 'The response to the picture is mind blowing. Thousands of people are . sharing it and posting it on social media,' co-founder and president of College Hunks moving company Nick Friedman told HuffPost. 'I . think what's great about it is that it's a genuine moment caught on . camera. A lot of people say the younger generation has lost certain . values. But one small picture shows that chivalry and hard work are . still very much alive in our youth,' he continues. College Hunks hires college-aged kids to work as movers. The company began operations in 2004 after co-founder Omar Solimman won $10,000 in a business plan contest. Designer: In addition to working as a junk-hunk, Larios also is a student at the Art Institute of Florida . By 2008, the company moved its headquarters to Tampa and began franchising the businesses. Today, . there are 43 franchises of College Hunks Hauling Junk across the . country, which haul more than 10,000 tons of 'junk' each year. In . 2008, Friedman and Soliman appeared on the ABC investment show Shark . Tank with the hopes of finding some funding for the next business they . want to open: College Foxes Packing Boxes. Presumably, the company hires attractive, college-age females to pack boxes as the 'hunks' lug them out to a truck. Sadly, the business partners were unable to get the proper investment to turn College Foxes Packing Boxes into a reality, so - for now - it's a hunk-only business. | Cesar Larios works for a company called College Hunks Hauling Junk .
When Larios became trapped in an elevator with a woman who had a hard time standing he dropped to all fours and acted as a human bench for her .
In addition to being a junk-hunk, Larios is a student at the Art Institute of Florida . |
9,809 | 1bcb1cdd0dfad73c349cf72b5e5ea7c448289933 | By . David Wilkes and Luke Salkeld . PUBLISHED: . 06:19 EST, 4 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:09 EST, 5 December 2012 . He can trace his ancestry back to the Duke of Wellington, has a handsome trust fund and owns a portfolio of properties. She has far humbler origins, eight children from a disastrous marriage, and is ten years his senior. But Richard Wellesley, a great-great-great-great nephew of the famous Iron Duke, and Paula Carton became unlikely lovers, had two children – the first when he was 17 – and set up home together. Paula Carton cheated the taxpayer of more than £100,000 in housing benefits while living with Richard Wellesley, a descendant of the Duke of Wellington . The home in Pontypool, South Wales, where Carton lived with Mr Wellesley throughout the 10 years she committed the fraud . Luxury: Paula Carton claimed she lived alone at their home in Pontypool, South Wales, pictured centre . Carton's fraud and their surprising relationship were laid bare in court when Carton, 49, pictured was spared jail as Mr Wellesley, 39, promised a judge he would pay back every penny she had cheated from the taxpayer . Despite all that aristocratic Mr Wellesley had to offer, however, troubled Carton still fiddled more than £100,000 in benefits. Posing as a single mother, she claimed £107,705 in housing benefits and . income support over ten years while they shared a £250,000 detached . Victorian house bought for them by his mother. Her fraud and their surprising relationship were laid bare in court when . Carton, 49, was spared jail as Mr Wellesley, 39, promised a judge he . would pay back every penny she had cheated from the taxpayer. Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, set up a trust fund for his descendants including Richard Wellesley, his brother's great-great-great grandson . He receives £38,400 a year from trust funds set up for descendants of . Arthur Wellesley, the original Duke of Wellington, who became a hero . after defeating Napoleon in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Mr . Wellesley’s great-great-great grandfather was a brother of the duke. The court heard Mr Wellesley plans to use an advance on the funds held . by Coutts, the Queen’s bankers, to make the repayment. Carton, who . appeared at Cardiff Crown Court walking with the aid of a crutch, had . pretended Mr Wellesley was her landlord and she paid rent to him. Council investigators became suspicious because utility and Sky TV . subscription bills were in his name at their address in the village of . Abersychan, near Pontypool, South Wales. Gareth James, prosecuting, said: ‘After she was investigated by fraud . officers she admitted, “He is a little more than a landlord”.’ He added that she would not have been entitled to any of the money . because of Mr Wellesley’s lineage and wealth. The court heard Carton had . a difficult life after being abandoned by her mother to be brought up . in an Irish convent. At 16 she married a man of 49 with whom she had an . abusive relationship, eight children and two miscarriages. She formed a relationship with Mr Wellesley when she was living on a . farm in Ireland owned by his mother. In 1995, Mr Wellesley began to . study at Aberystwyth University and she and her children followed him to . Wales. She went on to receive income support of £54,817 and housing . benefit of £52,888 by claiming she was a ‘lone parent living with ten . children’. Carton had pretended Mr Wellesley was her landlord of the big property, pictured, and she paid rent to him . Lavish: An aerial view of the large house where Carton lived with her partner Richard Wellesley . Richard Wellesley is the great-great-great grandson of Baron Cowley, Henry Wellesley, pictured here with Lord Clarendon . Andrew Gregg, defending, said: ‘She found it difficult to define her . relationship with Mr Wellesley and that is why she began claiming these . benefits.’ Carton has ‘physical conditions and depression’ and is awaiting an operation on her back, he added. After leaving university Mr Wellesley earned meagre wages working at a . builders’ merchant and did not receive money from the trust funds until . the death of his mother three years ago, Mr Gregg said. Carton, whose . children are aged between 32 and 19, admitted four charges of benefit . fraud. The court heard Mr Wellesley owns at least three houses, taking . £1,800-a-month rent from one property in Bristol. He is paid £700 a . month from one trust fund and £7,500 a quarter from another. He gave an undertaking under oath from the witness box that the cash . advance on his trust fund would be used to repay taxpayers. He and . Carton will appear at the same court on Friday when the judge could jail . her if the money has not been repaid. | Paula Carlton claimed £107,705 over a 10 year period .
She was living with Wellington's great-great-great-great grand nephew .
Mother claimed Richard Wellesley was her landlord but he is her lover . |
186,112 | 7d046b57e265159ca7a997ba08d94e4f7682843e | By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 14:00 EST, 10 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:23 EST, 10 January 2014 . A science teacher who took a pupil to concerts and had sex with her on the way home has been jailed for three-and-a-half years. Married father-of-one Paul Burford, 38, parked up in lay-bys and service areas after driving the 15-year-old to gigs including White Snake and Thin Lizzie guitarist Gary Moore. Over two years, he had sex with her on the street in her uniform, gave her sex toys, and bought them matching rings. Burford was a science teacher at Darlington Branksome School when he kissed first his 14-year-old student in 2010. The liaison continued for two years until the girl went to the police . The science teacher even continued the liaison for a year after being interrogated by Child Protection officers - who desisted when he claimed to be teaching the girl guitar. The girl was 14 when Burford, then a science teacher at Branksome School in Darlington, kissed her in a classroom when they were alone, Teesside Crown Court heard. From 2010, they had sex at his homes in Darlington and Sadberge, both in County Durham, while his wife was with her parents in Carlisle, said prosecutor David Lamb. Once they had sex in the street in West Auckland Road, Darlington, when she was in her school uniform. The girl finally went to police in May 2012 and they arrested Burford who was then assistant head at a school in Devon. He is now separated from his wife and eight-year-old daughter. Teesside Crown Court heard he had sex with the girl on the street in her uniform and gave her sex toys . He confessed the affair to his father on his deathbed, said Amrit Jandoo, defending. Mr Jandoo added: 'He apologises to the complainant, the school and his family. 'He accepts that his behaviour has had a devastating effect on her life and his own life.' Judge Tony Briggs told Burford: 'It is perfectly obvious that custody is inevitable and it has to be for a man of your age and background a significant sentence.' Burford, from Plymouth, was jailed for three and a half years after pleading guilty to 14 charges of engaging in sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust. He was also put on the sex offenders' register, and given an indefinite Sexual Offence’s Prevention Order banning contact with under-age girls. | Married father-of-one Paul Burford, 38, had 2-year liaison with student, 14 .
Had sex in car, in street wearing her uniform, and at home while wife away .
Interrogated by Child Protection 1 year in but claimed 'teaching her guitar'
Sentenced to 3-and-a-half years in prison and put on sex offenders register . |
67,043 | be2e2c111510d5c1d22175cb6ca6e75333a9c4cd | 2015 has arrived with a bang, bringing with it new opportunities to explore the hidden gems and beautiful landscapes Australia has to offer. Daily Mail Australia spoke to the top travel bloggers around the country, using their inside knowledge of the nation's sunburnt backyard to find the ten best holiday hideaways to visit this year. From tropical rainforests and quaint fishing ports, to tiny towns and hiking trails, the only tough decision to make will be where to travel to first. Scroll down for video . Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory: spectacular waterfalls, gorges, Aboriginal rock art, and an abundance of wildlife and natural beauty . The Gunlum Falls waterhole is just one of many treasured spots to visit in Kakadu National Park . Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory . Mudgee, NSW . Bright, Victoria . Town of 1770, Queensland . Broome, Western Australia . Kuranda, Queensland . The Pinnacles, Western Australia . Robe, South Australia . The Grampians, Victoria . Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland . Caz and Craig Makepeace, the professional adventurers behind YTravel Blog, describe themselves as 'serial travel addicts'. The couple, who originally hail from the Central Coast in NSW, said that they like to 'call the world their home', having lived in five countries and visited a staggering 52. Caz Makepeace listed Kakadu National Park, in the Northern Territory as one of their absolute favourite spots in the country. 'A national park that offers spectacular waterfalls, gorges, Aboriginal rock art, and an abundance of wildlife and natural beauty,' said Caz. 'Stay a while and soak up its spiritual essence,' she advised. The pair are also a fan of Mudgee, a town in the central west of NSW, about 250 kilometres away from Sydney. 'What's not to like about the country charm of a town that has wide streets, heritage buildings, amazing food, craft breweries and wineries you can easily cycle between?' asked Caz. The town is well-loved for it's plethora of bed and breakfast establishments, and has an ever-growing winery selection to sweeten the deal. Mudgee, New South Wales: Fields of purple lavender are reminiscent of the provincial countryside in France . 'What's not to like about the country charm of a town that has wide streets, heritage buildings, amazing food, craft breweries and wineries you can easily cycle between?' asked Caz, from YTravel Blog says of Mudgee . Bright, northeast Victoria: The stunning parkland beside the Ovens River during Autumn . Springtime is just as beautiful in Mudgee which boasts festivals all year round, and is a hotspot for paragliding and hang gliding . The unusually named Bright, in northeast Victoria makes the cut for as well. A beacon for activity despite a small population, Bright boasts the annual Autumn Festival and frequent paragliding and hang gliding festivals. 'You can't beat a summer in the high country of Victoria,' said Caz. 'Spend your days cycling through the valleys and then cooling off in the rivers that run through it after. This region has some of Australia's best craft brews!' The list gets historical with the Town of 1770, in Queensland. Built on the site of Captain James Cook's second landing, the town holds a re-enactment of the momentous event each year. Caz describes 1770 as a 'sleepy and quiet town that brims over with stunning landscapes, amazing beaches, nearby reefs and plenty of adventure.' Town of 1770, Queensland: Built on the site of Captain James Cook's second landing, the twon holds a re-enactment of the momentous event each year . The town of 1170 is described as a 'sleepy and quiet town that brims over with stunning landscapes, amazing beaches, nearby reefs and plenty of adventure.' Broome, Western Australia: The popular tourist destination triples in population during the peak period . 'It offers the best mix of everything that is special about Australia: a rich indigenous culture with wonderful Aboriginal art at galleries dotted around town; the world's finest stretch of sand at Cable Beach,' Lara says . Lastly, the travel enthusiasts list Broome as a must-see. In the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the town is a popular tourist destination, growing from a population of 15,000 to 45,000 in peak season. 'It’s the exotic flavour of Asia, mixed with the rugged Australian outback, and the chilled out Aussie beach living,' said Caz. 'It's also a great base to explore one of Australia's most incredible regions: The Kimberley.' Lara Dunston, one half of the well-loved Grantourismo Travel blog, also lists Broome as a 'must-see'. 'While it's no secret, of course, it always surprises us how few Australians get here; more Aussies have probably been to Bali than to Broome,' said Lara. 'Broome offers the best mix of everything that is special about Australia: a rich indigenous culture with wonderful Aboriginal art at galleries dotted around town; the world's finest stretch of sand at Cable Beach,' 'Fantastic seafood to be feasted at good local restaurants, washed down with local brews; an Asian flavour thanks to Broome's fascinating history; and ruggedly beautiful landscapes and natural attractions on the doorstep.' Kuranda, Queensland: The butterfly farm (left) and Barron Falls (right) are two gems to visit in the tropical rainforest of Atherton Tablelands . Kuranda is only 25km from Cairns and can be reached by a scenic railway . James Clark, the mastermind behind Nomadic Notes, calls himself a 'digital nomad', fueling his love for travelling into several travel businesses, as well as his blog. A location independent entrepreneur originally from Melbourne, James has been living as a digital nomad since 2003. The 'perpetual traveller' said that while a lot of visitors to Northern Queensland are drawn to explore the Great Barrier Reef, he would recommend making a side trip to Kuranda. 'While it is only 25km from Cairns it feels like another world away,' he said. 'Kuranda in the tropical rainforest of the Atherton Tableland and it feels cooler and less humid than sea-level Cairns.' 'The most memorable way to arrive is by the Kuranda Scenic Railway.' The Aussie Nomad, aka Chris Richardson, recommends the Grampians, in Victoria. The Grampians in Victoria: 'With varying degrees of hiking trails and waterfalls to see it can be a great escape for a family to get away, see a kangaroo or emu and just enjoy the views,' said Chris Richardson (Mckenzie Falls pictured) Mckenzie Falls look as idyllic as a postcard and is certainly well worth swimming under . Robe, South Australia: Stunning turquoise water, beaches for miles and a really relaxed vibe to the town. What more can you ask for when looking at a summer getaway?' Chris asks . On Chris's expansive list is Robe - a spot where he and his loves ones have holidayed 'for as long as I can remember' The ex-pat has been exploring the world since 2010, but said he thinks the enormous national park is a must for those looking to explore 'what mother nature gave us'. 'With varying degrees of hiking trails and waterfalls to see it can be a great escape for a family to get away, see a kangaroo or emu and just enjoy the views,' said Chris. 'I can highly recommend McKenzie Falls if you are looking for a swim under a waterfall. There's even a small shop at the top to grab a drink or ice cream on a hot day.' Chris said he started off a budget traveller, but said he views travel as the 'ultimate investment,' something that he encourages people to 'invest in often and in large amounts'. On Chris's expansive list is Robe, in South Australia, a spot where he and his loves ones have holidayed 'for as long as I can remember.' 'It was only after I visited for myself did I understand the appeal of it. Stunning turquoise water, beaches for miles and a really relaxed vibe to the town. What more can you ask for when looking at a summer getaway?' The Pinnacles, Western Australia: 'A strange sight are these limestone formations just poking out of the sand,' Chris says . Visiting The Pinnacles is best done early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun's golden hours emphasise the colour and shape of the mystical formations . Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Queensland: Bangalow Palms is one of the many amazing places to explore . The Aussie Nomad said that the Sunshine Coast has more to offer than just well-known Noosa, including bush walking the Kondalilla National Park and wandering through the hinterland . Robe is a distinctively historical town, with a tiny population of just over 1000, in stark contrast to his next recommendation- Queensland's Sunshine Coast. 'When talking of the Sunshine Coast many immediately think Noosa and well you can't fault them for that, it's a beautiful place to relax,' said Chris. 'The greater Sunshine Coast area however has a lot to offer. Be it a romantic getaway near the Glass Mountains, bush walking through the Kondalilla National Park and hinterland of the Sunshine Coast or just taking in a market or two like the Eumundi Markets,' he said. 'It's a great area to take the car on a road trip and explore.' Exploring seems to be the key to the Aussie Nomad's heart, listing The Pinnacles, about two hours north of Perth, in Western Australia, as his next pick. 'A strange sight are these limestone formations just poking out of the sand,' said Chris. 'Visiting them is best done early in the morning or late in the afternoon as the sun's golden hours emphasise the colour and shape of these mystical formations.' | The top travel bloggers in the country reveal the ten best spots to visit in 2015 .
Iconic destinations Kakadu National Park and Victoria's The Grampians make the list .
Hidden gems Bright, in Victoria, and the Town of 1770 also make the cut .
New places to visit in well-loved tourist destinations, such as the Sunshine Coast, are also revealed . |
51,307 | 914066d2b23a918d96210f29ce9a8cef9d6f7831 | By . Tamara Abraham . The Price is NOT Right: Brandi Cochran could lose the $7.7million that she won last year after claiming she was discriminated over her pregnancy . A former model for The Price Is Right could lose the $7.7million that she won last year after claiming she was discriminated over her 2008 pregnancy, and wrongfully terminated. Brandi Cochran, 42, who appeared on the show for seven years, was awarded the multi-million-dollar sum in punitive . damages last November following a high-profile legal battle with The Price Is Right Productions and producers FremantleMedia North America. But now the case is going back to trial after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge decreed yesterday that there were 'bad jury instructions'. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the judge in last year's trial failed to tell the jury that the discrimination in question had to be a "substantial" motivation factor, despite a request to do so from the defendants. The news comes just a week after the California Supreme Court issued a new ruling that discrimination must be a substantial motivating factor in mixed motive cases. Judge Kevin Brazile wrote in yesterday's ruling: 'The instruction error cannot be considered harmless. Of central importance to the case was the weight . given to discriminatory intent and whether that intent need only be of a . mere motivating factor or a substantial factor. 'Given this central . dispute, the failure to give the proper instruction regarding . substantial factor cannot be considered harmless, and a new trial must . be granted.' Ms Cochran appeared on The Price Is Right for seven years using her maiden name, Brandi Sherwood, alongside former host Bob Barker and current host Drew Carey. In the trial last year, Ms Cochran claimed she got pregnant in . 2007 but couldn’t tell anyone at work as she was so scared of losing her . job and, due to the severe stress, ‘that pregnancy ended in a . miscarriage’. According to Us Magazine, one producer even told Ms Cochran that losing this pregnancy was ‘nature's way of getting rid of a bad baby.’ Professional posing: Ms Cochran, pictured with fellow models Lanisha Cole (center) and Rachel Reynolds (right) in 2008, appeared on The Price Is Right for seven years . When . she got pregnant again, with twins, in late 2008, it is claimed that producers . subjected her to cruel insults. When she walked past the one . producer he allegedly scoffed: 'Wide load coming through.' Ms Cochran claims that she was rejected by producers when she sought to return to the show in early 2010. 'They ignored me, for probably about four months, trying to get a direct response about working,' she told KABC. Since the verdict was announced last November, FremantleMedia has launched an appeal. It said in a statement to KABC: 'We . believe the verdict in this case was the result of a flawed process in . which the court, among other things, refused to allow the jury to hear . and consider that 40per cent of our models have been pregnant and other . important evidence to our defense. 'We expect to be fully vindicated after the matter has been reviewed.' All smiles: Ms Cochran (far right), who is professionally known by her maiden name, Brandi Sherwood, pictured with former Price Is Right host Bob Barker in 2003 . Last month, a Price is Right model appeared . on air with a huge baby bump in a . pre-recorded celebrity special featuring Real Housewife Nene Leakes. Rachel Reynolds, 30, who is married to Cleveland Indians player David Dellucci, was seen assisting on a game with a heavily-pregnant . stomach. She was . likely very close to her due date, because she welcomed a baby girl . named Ruby on February 13. Perhaps anticipating a verdict in last . year's legal proceedings, The Price Is Right also made a show of . announcing Ms Reynolds' pregnancy last September. In the first episode of season 41, she presents a prize of an iPad bearing images of her sonogram on the screen. Host . Drew Carey is the first to congratulate her as co-workers, another of . whom is visibly pregnant, gather round to offer their warm wishes. | Brandi Cochran, 42, who appeared on the show for seven years, claimed she was discriminated over her 2008 pregnancy, and wrongfully terminated .
Now a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has decreed that there were 'bad jury instructions' and that the case must return to trial . |
242,881 | c65c94def59ce581f176ae7c9d0a06849b86ca32 | By . Francesca Chambers . Federal lawmakers are lining up to tell President Barack Obama to fire Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki now that an inspector general report has confirmed that a Phoenix, Arizona,VA hospital lied about how long veterans were waiting for care. 'If Secretary Shinseki does not step down voluntarily, then I call . on the president of the United States to relieve him of his duties, to . fire him,' Arizona Senator John McCain, a Republican, said during at a press conference this afternoon at his Phoenix office. 'If Secretary Shinseki does not step down voluntarily, then I call on the president of the United States to relieve him of his duties, to fire him,' Arizona Senator John McCain said on Wednesday . Arizona Senators John McCain, left, and Jeff Flake, right, sharply criticized President Obama's slow response to the VA crisis Wednesday afternoon . Today's report 'makes it clear that . the systemic problems' at the VA 'are so entrenched that they require . new leadership to be fixed,' Colorado Senator Mark Udall, a Democrat, said in a . statement. 'Secretary Shinseki must step down.' 'Sec. Shinseki has proven time and again he is not that leader. That’s why . it’s time for him to go,' House Veteran's Affairs committee chairman Jeff Miller, a Republican from Florida, chimed in. An Inspector General report released today found that at least 1,700 veterans . were put on secret waiting lists at the VA health care system in Phoenix, Arizona. This is the same facility that is linked to the deaths of 40 veterans who perished while waiting for care. Managers of the Phoenix VA Health Care System claimed veterans were only waiting two weeks to a month for appointments, when in reality they were often waiting an average of 115 days to be seen by VA doctors for the first time, the IG's review found. And that's just the results from the initial report. A total of 26 VA hospitals are now under investigation. 'With the launch of inspections of VA . facilities nationwide, it’s time to put the partisanship aside and focus . on what’s right for our veterans,' Montana Senator John Walsh said. 'It is time for President Obama to remove Secretary Shinseki from office,' the Democratic congressman said in a statement. 'The IG report tells us info we already knew from a 2013 report,' Republican Senator Jerry Moran, a longtime member of Congress' Veterans Affairs committees, tweeted. 'How many . more studies is it going to take for this Admin to take action?' Shinseki said in a statement that the initial findings of the IG report were 'reprehensible.' He noted that the VA has been conducting an internal review of the Phoenix hospital since April and officials there are already on leave. But no one from the facility will be fired at this time, he said. 'It is important to allow OIG’s independent and objective review to proceed until completion,' Shinseki said. 'OIG has requested that VA take no additional personnel actions in Phoenix until their review is complete.' Since the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General's interim report was released yesterday, a slew of lawmakers have called on Shinseki, right, to resign. Shinseki is pictured here on Memorial Day during a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia . Since the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General's interim report was released today, a slew of other lawmakers have called on Shinseki to resign and many have also called for the Department of Justice to launch a criminal investigation. 'Leadership starts at the top,' Montana Rep. Steve Daines, a Democrat, tweeted. 'The horrific misconduct that occurred under the watch of Secretary . Shinseki is unacceptable and leaves our Veterans untrusting of the . department,' Rep. Dennis Ross, a Democrat from Florida, said. Arizona Democratic Rep. Krysten Sinema called the report 'unconscionable' and Republican Rep. Paul Gosar said the VA's behavior was 'disgraceful, . despicable . and . dangerous.' 'This is a sad day for our nation and the only . fitting response in the short-term is for the President to direct the . FBI to investigate these reports immediately,' Texas Senator John Cornyn said in a statement. Department of Justice chief Eric Holder had said previously his agency had no plans to look into the VA scandal. Today's report could change his calculus, however. 'These allegations are . not just administrative problems. These are criminal problems,' McCain said during today's presser. 'We need . the FBI and the Department of Justice to be involved in this . investigation.' Leading Veterans group the American Legion had already called for Shinseki to step down over the initial allegations. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff said today that the IG report was 'damning and outrageous.' 'It also reveals the need for a criminal investigation,' he said. 'The VA’s problems are broad and deep - and President Obama and his team haven’t demonstrated they can fix it.' He said he was withholding issuing a statement on Shinseki specifically until he took the temperature of other members of his group, though. President Obama said at a press conference last week that he would wait to see the results of the VA's investigation before making any decisions about Secretary Shinseki. 'At this stage, Rick is committed to solving the problem, and working with us to do it,' Obama said, fondly referring to Shinseki by his nickname. 'And . I know that Rick, his attitude is, if he does not think he can do a . good job on this, and if he thinks he's let our veterans down, then I am . sure that he is not gonna be interested in committing to serve,' Obama continued. The President peppered the VA secretary with with praise even as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were urging him to take bold act. The president has not yet commented on the release of the Inspector General report today, however, Deputy . National Security Adviser Tony Blinken told CNN this afternoon that . President Obama finds today's report 'deeply troubling.' The senior administration official would not say where the president stands on Shinseki's job status, saying only, 'We're focused on making . sure these veterans who've delivered for this country get the care they . need.' | 'I call on the president of the United States to relieve him of his duties, to fire him,' McCain said, presuming Eric Shinseki won't leave his VA job .
'It's time for him to go,' insisted Mark Udall, a Democratic senator .
Montana Sen. John Walsh, another Democrat, said 'it is time for President Obama to remove Secretary Shinseki from office'
Sen. John Cornyn demanded an FBI investigation, and Rep. Paul Gosar said the VA's behavior was 'disgraceful, despicable and dangerous' |
163,292 | 5f270d12839ca6f6703b7b89aa0d9e56594dc120 | (CNN) -- Large swaths of southern New South Wales in Australia were threatened Wednesday by raging flames, the severity of which has surprised even veteran firefighters. "It's about the worst I've ever experienced in just-on 60 years of firefighting," said Capt. Jim Simpson with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service. Outside the town of Yass, flames swept rapidly across more than 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) of farmland and up to the fence around Catherine Frith's house, where its march was halted. "The firefighters were amazing," she said. "There must have been about 60 trucks come in." Her sheep did not fare as well. "We know about 500 sheep have died -- or are being shot at the moment," she said. Thanks to firefighters like Simpson, the town of Tarcutta in southwestern New South Wales escaped by a whisker the fate suffered by Frith's sheep. A blackened line stops just outside the town of 200 residents. "The wind change is probably what saved us as well as some pretty hard work from a lot of crews," said one firefighter. Despite such victories, New South Wales's premier, Barry O'Farrell, told reporters on Wednesday that danger remains. "There are in the order of 130, 140 fires across the state and 30 uncontained," he said. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service said more than 1,200 firefighters with more than 360 trucks and more than 80 aircraft were working to stop the flames. There were no reports of deaths or serious injuries related to the fires, which have blackened 350,000 hectares (more than 1,350 square miles) of the state. One firefighter received slight injuries to his hands and face, firefighter Matt Inwood told CNN Wednesday. "The next step in all this is for us to take stock of the devastation and destruction," Inwood said. Photos: Catastrophic fires threaten Australia . The weather has been brutal across Australia in recent days. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said a recent heat wave had set temperature records. The average maximum daily temperature of 40.33 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded on Monday was the highest since December 1972. And during the last four months of 2012, average maximum daily temperatures were the highest on record since records began in 1910, the bureau said. Temperatures reached a peak of 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sydney on Tuesday. The intense heat, combined with strong winds, raised fears that even the smallest spark could be fanned into a blaze. Lower temperatures on Wednesday prompted authorities to rescind a "catastrophic warning," but the risk was still deemed "severe" in the northeast section of New South Wales. Higher temperatures are forecast for the weekend. Read more: Scores cope with heartbreak after bushfires rip through Tasmania . Watch: Hot weather fuels Australian fires . The extreme heat combined with the late onset of the Australian monsoon have turned large areas of bush and scrub land across the state into a tinderbox. In the first days of the year, the heat contributed to the spread of fires across Tasmania, where police have charged a 31-year-old man with causing one of the worst of the fires by not extinguishing a campfire before leaving the site. Fires erupted this week in Victoria as well. Watch: Residents, vacationers flee fire zone . Prime Minister Julia Gillard went on television to warn of the dangers and urged people to watch news reports and judge whether they should get out of the path of any flames. "Thankfully there has been no loss of life or large scale loss of houses; however the bushfires have had a devastating effect on livestock and farmland," she said. She said assistance would be available to help residents recover in 37 areas of New South Wales. The fires were reminiscent of what happened on February 7, 2009, also known as "Black Saturday." That's when bushfires across the state of Victoria left 173 people dead and 500 injured and destroyed thousands of homes. CNN's Tom Watkins and Aliza Kassim contributed to this report. | NEW: "It's about the worst I've ever experienced in just-on 60 years," firefighter says .
NEW: Hundreds of New South Wales farmer's sheep die in fires .
The weather has been unforgiving across Australia in recent days .
Fires have scorched 350,000 hectares (more than 1,350 square miles) of the state . |
118,364 | 24d37abd0ac768b633dbcc6a9759458b25ed3e1d | By . Suzannah Hills . A trainee teacher hanged himself on New Year’s Eve after a split from his girlfriend, an inquest heard today. Keiran Walsh, 22, split from his partner of four years, Louise Doyle, so she could concentrate on her law degree. But when the pair met at a party on December 31st, Keiran told his ex: 'I can't live without you'. Miss Doyle then left the party but a few hours later Keiran sent her a final text saying 'I'm sorry' before he was found hanging in the bathroom at his university hall of residence on New Year's day. Childhood sweethearts: Trainee teacher Keiran Walsh, 22, dated Louise Doyle, 20, for four years before they broke up so she could concentrate on her law degree . The couple went to the same New Year's Eve party where Keiran hoped to get back together with his ex. When this didn't happen, he told her: 'I can't live without you' An inquest in Cardiff heard how the former couple both went to a party being held at Keiran’s student flat. Miss Doyle, 20, said Keiran appeared to think they were going to get back together that night, but when she told him that wasn't going to happen, they got into an argument. Miss Doyle said: 'Keiran thought we were getting back together on New Year’s Eve and after a few drinks we would be normal. 'When that didn’t happened he didn’t know what to do. 'When we were arguing he said "I can’t live without you" - but he quickly backtracked and said he didn’t mean it like that.' A few hours later, Keiran sent a text to his ex, saying: 'I'm sorry'. He was found dead in his bathroom the next day by friends . Miss Doyle then left the party, telling Kieran: 'I love you, goodnight.' He was found dead the next day. Miss Doyle told the inquest she always thought she would get back together with her boyfriend of four years. The pair 'grew up together' in Devon - Keiran was from Torquay and Miss Doyle was from nearby Newton Abbot. They travelled the world together and after returning from 'an amazing adventure, they both went to university in Cardiff. Keiran loved his course in 'early years teaching' but Miss Doyle struggled with the work load on her law and sociology course. In a statement read to the court, she said: 'Keiran was not happy that I didn’t have as much time to see him and I was really, really stressed so I started to take it out on him. 'We both wanted to make it work but it was really hard, I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions because of my course work. 'I said I couldn’t give him the 110 per cent he deserved and we needed to split up so I could have the space I needed to get my life together. 'I never thought we would not get back together.' The couple travelled to Cardiff to spend New Year’s Eve with friends at the university campus. But the inquest heard after a few drinks the pair started to row shortly before they were due to go to a nightclub. Keiran, who had worked as a fitter and a roofer, then tore down the pictures he had of Louise before telling her to get out of his flat. Keiran was found by friends the next day hanging in the en-suite bathroom at his student halls. The student, who has been described as popular and 'loving life', had no history of depression or self-harm. An inquest in Cardiff heard Keiran, pictured with Miss Doyle, had no history of self-harm or depression . Cardiff Coroner’s Court heard how at the time of his death he had been drinking and was just under twice the legal drink drive limit. Coroner Thomas Atherton recorded a narrative verdict and said it was unclear what Keiran’s intentions were. He said: 'This has all the hallmarks of an impulsive act. 'Keiran had had an argument with Louise but he was also intoxicated and it’s very difficult to get into his mindset at that point. 'He appears to be a young man who had a real strength of character, he was not the sort of selfish person who would want to leave other people to grieve.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Keiran Walsh, 22, had split from his girlfriend of four years, Louise Doyle, 20 .
Pair then went to same New Year's Eve party where Keiran hoped to get back together .
When this didn't happen, Keiran told Miss Doyle: 'I can't live without you'
Miss Doyle then left the party being held at Keiran's student flat in Cardiff .
He was found dead in his bathroom by friends the next day .
For confidential .
support call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local .
Samaritans branch or click here for details . |
119,971 | 270e47063b69de09131f473e7c0e69015e674453 | The mysterious 'Shirtless FBI Agent' who began the investigation that led to the resignation of David Petraeus has been revealed. Frederick W. Humphries, has been accused of sending Tampa socialite Jill Kelley sexual photos of himself after she contacted him for help about threatening emails she had received from David Petraeus' biographer-turned-mistress Paula Broadwell. But today the 47-year-old insisted the photograph was sent as a 'joke' and described it as him 'posing with a couple of dummies.' Scroll Down For Video . FBI Special Agent Fred Humphries has been identified as the 'Shirtless FBI Agent' who helped begin the investigation that brought down David Petraeus . Veteran FBI agent Frederick Humphries is recognised as a dilligent and passionate officer who helped to thwart numerous terror threats to the United States . Refuting media suggestions that the . picture was sent because he had become enamoured with the attractive . Florida socialite, the decorated FBI agent said that the photo was sent . years ago. According to . the general counsel for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers . Association who have spoken to Humphries, the FBI counter terrorism . agent only passed on the information Kelley provided him with and played . no part in the subsequent investigation. Lawrence Berger told the New York Times that Humphries, who played a key role in stopping a terrorist attack aimed at blowing up Los . Angeles International Airport in 1999 and his wife had been 'social friends with Ms. Kelley and her husband prior to the day she referred the matter to him.' 'They always socialized and corresponded.' Berger . denied any suggestion that Humphries sent inappropriate shirtless . pictures to Kelley during the course of the investigation which has now . engulfed the intelligence community in Washington. Emails to a friend: Socialite Jill Kelly arrives home in Tampa on Tuesday night . 'That picture was sent years before . Kelley contacted him about this, and it was sent as part of a larger . context of what I would call social relations in which the families . would exchange numerous photos of each other,' said Berger. Claiming that the picture was sent as . a 'joke', Berger said that Humphries was 'posing with a couple of . dummies' at the time of the photograph and that it was not sexual in . nature. However, those with knowledge of the . investigation that Humphries sparked said that he was given a . dressing down by his superiors for trying to push the complaint forward. In fact, according to the New York . Times, Humphries believed that the case was purposefully being . stalled for political reasons. So much so, that in October, Humphries contacted Representative Dave Recihert, a Republican from . Washington State, where Humphries had worked before to ask for his help - purposefully going over his bosses heads. Serious: Humphries is pictured at a news conference in July 2005 at the Federal Courthouse in Seattle . 'Sense of humour': Humphries claims that the topless picture he sent to Kelley was 'a joke' Mr. Reichert directed him to House . majority leader, Eric Cantor who eventually passed the message onto the . FBI director, Robert S. Mueller. According to Wired Magazine, . Cantor and his staff personally met with Humphries in October but were . unable to act on the information he was giving them because they doubted . his credibility. They . also had no idea that FBI were investigating David Petraeus in the first . place and after conferring they decided to contact FBI Director Robert . Mueller on October 31st. One . week later, on November 6th, Election Day, Mueller went to James . Clapper the director of national intelligence and Petraeus' immediate . superior - who urged him to resign his position as head of the CIA. In . fact, the House Judiciary Committee has written to Mueller to ask why . it took him a week to come forward with the information that Humphries . had given him. In the field: In this April 12, 2007, photo, Frederick Humphries, right, works a scene in Tampa, Florida . This photo taken Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012 shows the home owned by FBI agent Frederick Humphries in Dover, Florida . This information puts severe doubt . over Humphries assertion that he took no active interest in the case . that has caused the resignation of the CIA chief David Petraeus and . could cause the downfall of General John Allen, who commands U.S. troops . in Afghanistan. 'Fred is a passionate kind of guy,' said one former colleague. 'He’s kind of an obsessive type. If he locked . his teeth onto something, he’d be a bulldog.' Humphries has since been reassigned and his status is being reviewed by the FBI. Jon Adler, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, . defended Humphries as a experienced professional. 'From my view issues . of national security have unfortunately been reduced to a bad episode of . 'Real Housewives,' he said to the Wall Street Journal. 'The photos should not undermine the fact . that the agent responded in a timely way and appropriately, nor do they . reflect any amorous relationship,' he said. Friends in high places: Natalie Khawam, Gen. David Petraeus; Scott and Jill Kelley and Holly Petraeus watch the . Gasparilla parade in Tampa, Florida in 2010 . All alone: Paula Broadwell sips a glass of wine after fleeing to her brother Steven's house in Washington DC . Embroiled: General John Allen - seen here with . wife Kathy and daughter Bobbie behind him - is now caught up in the . scandal after being linked with Jill Kelley . It was Humphries who passed on . Jill Kelley's complaint about disturbing emails she had received to his . superiors in the FBI Tampa field office. The investigation tracked down the . emails to Paula Broadwell and subsequently discovered the extramarital . affair between 60-year-old Petraeus and the married mother-of-two. The inquiry also brought in General . John Allen after the FBI uncovered evidence that he had sent . 'inappropriate communication' to Kelley. Humphries . grew up in Steilacoom, Washington, attended high school in Canada and . rose to become a captain in military intelligence in the U.S. Army. Studying . criminology at the University of Tampa, Humphries joined the FBI and in . 1999 he was involved in the investigation which foiled Ahmed Rassam the . 'Millennium Bomber' who planned to attack Los Angeles International . Airport. General Allen (left) and David Petraeus (right) are both caught up to their necks in the burgeoning sex scanda . Who's who? A flow chart explains the connections between the major players in the Petraeus scandal . Heading out: Kelley has hired the crisis management team who represented Monica Lewinsky and an attorney . Two years ago the passionate officer was . attacked outside of MAcDill Air Force Base in Tampa by a knife wielding . man, who Humphries fatally shot. In the subsequent inquiry into the . shooting, Humphries was determined to have used appropriate force in . taking down the man who was reported to be unhinged. The special agent was also involved in the investigation of former University of South Florida student Youssef Megahed. Megahed . was arrested in August 2007 along with USF student Ahmed Mohamed in . South Carolina while the pair were transported explosive PVC pipes . filled with potassium nitrate. Popular: Jill Kelley is pictured left in her yearbook photo and with her husband Dr. Scott Kelley, right . Megahed was charged with illegal transportation of explosive materials and possession of a destructive device. Neither man was convicted on those charges, but Mohamed received a 15-year sentence after an FBI investigation found he posted an Internet video showing how to make a toy car's remote control into a detonator. However, after his April 2009 acquital, Megahed was arrested again for a deportation hearing - after authorities deemed his continuation in the United States too dangerous to continue. 'We felt that Mr. Megahed was willingly providing assistance to Mr. Mohamed, who is a self-professed terrorist,' Humphries said at the time to The Tampa Bay Times. However, the attempt to deport the former student failed and Megahed remains in the country. Search: FBI agents left Broadwell's Charlotte, NC home on Monday evening with documents and computers . Revealed: It came after she admitted to investigators that she had classified documents at the home . Vigilant: Charlotte-Mecklenburg police stand guard outside Broadwell's house during the FBI search . Lawrence Berger, a lawyer for the Federal Law Enforcement Officers . Association, told New York Magazine that Humphries passed the . information on to supervisors but was not assigned to the case. 'No one tries to become a whistle-blower,' said Lawrence Berger. 'Consistent with FBI policy, he referred it to the proper component.' This comes as it was revealed that the harassing emails sent by Paula Broadwell, the biographer-turned-mistress of David Petraeus, to her perceived love rival, Florida socialite Jill Kelley, contained confidential information about the CIA boss's movements . After Kelley contacted the FBI, agents launched a massive in-depth investigation into who was sending the emails because they shared this detailed information that was not publicly available. The catty emails, which told Kelley to 'back off' from Petraeus, were sent to Kelley from several fake email addresses. In order to find who had confidential information about Petraeus' whereabouts, the FBI obtained an administrative subpoena, and traced them back to Broadwell. Affair: David Petraeus is pictured with Paula Broadwell, his biographer and alleged mistress . Life goes on: Broadwell looked like she was preparing a salad at the home of her brother . In the course of the investigation, they also unearthed emails indicating the affair between Broadwell and Petraeus, leading to his resignation on Friday. The new details of what uncovered Petraeus' months-long relationship with his biographer come as the FBI continue to search military documents Broadwell admitted to stashing in her home. Security officials have revealed she had 'substantial' classified information on her computer which should have been stored more securely. The computer was taken from Broadwell's Charlotte, North Carolina home on Monday night after she admitted to FBI investigators that she had taken classified military documents, a source told ABC. President Obama said on Wednesday there was no indication so far that any classified documents had been found but said he will not prejudge the investigation results. Officials continue to investigate exactly how Broadwell acquired the files, but as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Military Reserve, she had security clearance to review the documents. The government had demanded she return the documents and organised the visit to her home. Prosecutors are now deciding whether to charge her with a crime. Watch Video: Jill Kelley leaves her house in Tampa, Florida . Watch Video: The home of Petraeus' mistress Paula Broadwell is searched by FBI . Watch Video: Calls for an investigation into the timeline of the Petraeus affair . | Frederick W. Humphries, 47, has confirmed that he is the FBI agent who initiated the investigation that brought down ex-CIA boss David Petraeus .
He denies sending any photographs of a sexual nature to Florida socialite Jill Kelley - but has confirmed a topless picture was sent years ago .
He is a decorated FBI agent and assisted the investigation which halted the 'Millennium Bomber' who attempted to blow-up LAX in 1999 .
It has been revealed that he personally took concerns over the investigation to Republican Eric Cantor the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives . |
83,590 | ed224a145f3619e0c1cc57b339a0315da5dbc632 | By . Erin Clements . A man was left with a breast implant in the back of his head while undergoing surgery to repair a giant scar caused by a botched hair transplant. Mike, a personal trainer from Michigan, was self-conscious about his receding hairline at the age of 23 and visited a Beverly Hills surgeon, but the procedure left an 11-inch scar, he revealed on Sunday's episode of E!'s Botched. To correct the scar, Mike visited Dr Paul Nassif and Dr Terry Dubrow for a consultation. Scroll down for video . Botched: Mike was left with an 11-inch scar on the back of his head after a hair transplant gone wrong . The doctors said that the skin was tight around the scar area, but they could put a breast implant in the back of his head and fill it with saline over the course of a week to help stretch the skin, giving them more tissue to work with. Fortunately, Mike was able to see the humor in the situation. 'There’s always a small chance that something could go wrong and you could die. That’s part of any surgery,' he said. Smooth operation: Doctors placed an implant on Mike's head and filled it with saline over the course of a week to help stretch the skin . Risky business: 'There's always a small chance that something could go wrong and you could die. That's part of any surgery,' Mike said . 'But if I did, it would be such a way to go. I mean, with a boob in the back of my head, in a plastic surgery office, face down on an operating table on Rodeo Drive!' Dr Dubrow explained that they filled the tissue expander to 170 cubic centimeters, which is about the size of B cup. 'Over the next week, we plan to expand it further to about a small D,' he added. Botched airing soon in the UK on E! Success: Dr Nassif said the skin 'closed beautifully, without any tension' Eventually, the saline bag was removed and the area was stitched up, though the doctors warned it would take more time for the swelling to disappear completely. Dr Nassif revealed: 'It closed beautifully, without any tension.' | The surgery was featured on the latest episode of Botched .
The man had been left with an 11-inch scar on the back of his head .
The aim of the implant was to stretch the skin, giving them more tissue to work with . |
202,465 | 921d883f6bb7ad479d54c42b27b1e2de01e6c9f3 | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 05:36 EST, 21 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:00 EST, 21 November 2013 . Residents on an unfortunately shaped street fear house prices could drop after Google Earth images revealed their estate resembles male genitalia. Locals on George Road, Edward Road and Yeoman Cottages in Hoylake on the Wirral, Merseyside, fear potential house-hunters will now not want to buy a property in the area. When viewed from above the red roofs on the homes - which have an average price of £200,000 - turn the unassuming cul-de-sac into an unmistakable phallic shape. Embarrassing: Locals on George Road, Edward Road and Yeoman Cottages in Hoylake on the Wirral, Merseyside, fear potential house-hunters now will not want to buy a property in the area . Aerial: When viewed from above the red roofs on the homes (circled) - which have an average price of £200,000 - turn the otherwise unassuming cul-de-sac into an unmistakable phallic shape . Resident Carl Hodge said the street had ‘become a laughing stock’ since the image was spotted by someone on Google Earth - and urged bosses at the US-based company to take down the photo. The 45-year-old added: ‘I haven't heard of anyone moving out because of it but we are definitely worried it would put of potential buyers if we ever wanted to sell. ‘Who would want to live in the cul-de-sac that everyone is taking the mick out of? They say Google Earth is fascinating and people spend hours on it but it has been a nightmare for us. ‘I think Google should remove the street from the internet. It might be funny but it's no laughing matter if you're trying to sell your house.’ Ground level: The houses were built in the 1950s and 60s but their shape was only revealed when locals checked the latest Google satellite images . Elsewhere: The row over the street comes days after FIFA bosses were left blushing when it emerged the quirky design for Qatar's first 2022 World Cup stadium could be seen as an erotic shape . Another Hoylake resident who lives nearby added: ‘It is so funny. I live close but thankfully I'm not on the road itself. I'd definitely move out if I lived there and everyone was laughing at me.’ 'I think Google should remove the street from the internet. It might be funny but it's no laughing matter if you're trying to sell your house' - Carl Hodge, resident . George Road is made up of a mixture of privately-owned semi-detached houses and ex-council owned terraced properties. The houses were built in the 1950s and 60s but their shape was only revealed when locals checked the latest Google satellite images. The row over the street comes days after FIFA bosses were left blushing when it emerged the quirky design for Qatar's first 2022 World Cup stadium could be seen as an erotic shape. The proposed 40,000-seater Al-Wakrah stadium is meant to resemble the sails of a dhow boat, which is traditionally used for pearl fishing. But many people took to Twitter to point out that it also looked anatomically female. | Locals in Hoylake on the Wirral, Merseyside, are concerned for the area .
Fear people won't want to move to street with average price of £200,000 .
One resident even urges Google to remove the street from the internet . |
127,841 | 3140e8cd705db9d2b9cb4808762e46fe6b23c60b | (CNN) -- Activists in Saudi Arabia utilizing new media tools to call for change "face a repressive and intolerant government," and risk harassment as well as imprisonment, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). A report by the rights group, "Challenging the Red Lines: Stories of Rights Activists in Saudi Arabia," released Wednesday, accuses Saudi authorities of "arresting, prosecuting, and attempting to silence rights defenders and to quash their calls for change." "Independent activists in Saudi Arabia have little to protect them from the repressive practices of their government," said Adam Coogle, Saudi researcher for Human Rights Watch. "It's time for other countries to break their silence and tell Saudi Arabia to allow independent activism," Coogle told CNN. Activists in Saudi Arabia -- an absolute monarchy where dissent is little tolerated -- have increasingly turned to social media sites to express growing frustration with the government. Online participation by Saudis has increased so much that the country now has one of the highest usage rates of Twitter in the world. As the government will not allow for the formation and licensing of independent human rights bodies inside the country, many internet-based nongovernmental rights organizations have been established, and frequently report on human rights abuses within the ultraconservative kingdom. According to HRW, "despite the authorities' efforts to block online content, Saudis -- at least 49% of whom have Internet access -- use Internet forums to bypass heavily censored state media." The report also highlights the stories of 11 prominent Saudi political and civil activists and "their struggles to resist government efforts to suppress them," according to HRW. One of those activists, Waleed Abulkhair, was recently sentenced to three months in jail by a court in Jeddah for signing a petition critical of Saudi authorities two years ago. "Human rights activists are having a very bad time right now in Saudi Arabia," Abulkhair told CNN. "Authorities don't want anyone to speak out loudly and when we do, the government feels they lose control." Abulkhair, a prominent human rights lawyer, said he is appealing his sentence, but that he's now also being tried by the Specialized Criminal Court (which prosecutes terrorists) in the country's capital city, Riyadh. According to Abulkhair, he's been charged with "setting up an unlicensed organization" and "breaking allegiance with the Saudi King," among other things. Abulkhair believes he is being prosecuted solely for his activism and holds out little hope he'll remain free much longer. "I'm sure that I will be convicted," he told CNN. Another Saudi activist highlighted in the report is Abulkhair's brother-in-law and client, Raif Badawi. Badawi was recently sentenced by a Jeddah Criminal Court to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for violating the nation's anti-cybercrime law. In jail since June 2012, Badawi was found guilty of insulting Islam through his website and in television comments. Badawi's legal troubles started shortly after he started the Free Saudi Liberals website in 2008, as a way to encourage discussion about religion; it didn't take long for some clerics to brand him an unbeliever and apostate. Badawi's sentence is being appealed. The case of Adel Ali al-Labbad is also included in the report. It calls him "a political activist and poet from the Eastern Province city of Awammiyah." HRW says Saudi security forces have arrested al-Labbad, a Shiite, four times over the past ten years and tortured him. "Saudi Arabia's conviction of eight prominent activists in 2013 alone for their peaceful activities has been largely met with silence by Saudi Arabia's friends in the US and Europe," said HRW's Coogle. "It's time for other countries speak up and tell Saudi Arabia to end its repression campaign." Despite repeated attempts, CNN was unable to reach Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry or Justice Ministry for comment. Rights groups have frequently accused Saudi authorities of targeting activists through the courts and travel bans. Many were outraged in March this year, when two of the country's most prominent reform advocates, Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid were sentenced to 10 and 11 years in prison respectively. At the time, Amnesty International called their trial "just one of a troubling string of court cases aimed at silencing the kingdom's human-rights activists." Asked in January about accusations that Saudi Arabia is cracking down on dissent, Major General Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry, told CNN, "At the Interior Ministry, our area of responsibility is security." He added, "My understanding is that these cases are being looked at by the courts now. Nobody will comment on cases being looked at by the courts." According to HRW, "Saudi Arabia does not have a written penal code, leaving judges free to issue sentences based on their own interpretations of the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, the two agreed-upon sources of Islamic Sharia law." "Defendants accused of political offenses -- including human rights activists -- are often sentenced by the Specialized Criminal Court, set up to try terrorism-related cases. This court sometimes denies defendants the most basic fair trial guarantees, including the right to a lawyer, and passes sentences in closed proceedings." Despite repeated criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record by numerous rights groups, in November the kingdom was elected to a three year term on the United Nations' Human Rights Council. | Activists in Saudi Arabia have turned to social media to speak out against the government .
The establishment of independent human rights bodies inside the country is forbidden .
Activists risk harassment and imprisonment says Human Rights Watch (HRW)
HRW: "It's time for other countries speak up and tell Saudi Arabia to end its repression campaign." |
233,202 | b9e80d5fed2767b852ecd1f5f248697653400ee8 | (CNN) -- Just as there are many choices of drivers, putters, balls, and other equipment, there are just as many choices of golf instructors. The process of how you choose your golf instructor is as unique as your finger prints. However, just like there are certain things you want to know before choosing your doctor, there are certain items you should inquire of your instructor. Compatibility - It is your responsibility to insure that there is a fit between you and your instructor on all levels, personality type, mutual goals, similar outlooks on the game, and your instructor's ability to relate to your individual needs. Before throwing a dart in the phone book under "golf instruction", research the professionals in your area. One way is to ask friends and playing partners for referrals of good instructors in your area. Ask them about pricing, reputation, location, and their improvement under the instructor's tutelage. If you get along with your playing partners and the instructor does too, odds are you have found a fit. Then, call the instructor and ask if they have time to talk to you about your game and improvement goals. A good instructor will be happy to talk to you about your game, and get to know you as an individual, prior to helping you with your golf game. Accreditation and Experience - Does your golf instructor have the education and experience to take your game to any level you desire? Many individuals claim to be golf instructors. Many of these individuals are self-proclaimed "experts," or had enough money to take a one to two week course on how to teach golf and make more money. In seeking a golf professional to help you with your game, insure that the individual has an active accreditation with the PGA or LPGA, or, has demonstrated an inarguable ability to help players of many levels improve through many years of practice. Other associations claim they produce golf instructors. However, these organizations have one focus, to make money, not to produce solid golf instructors. Inquire of your instructor their accreditation, as well as their education both on and off the golf course. Check with the LPGA or PGA websites to confirm your potential golf instructor's accreditation with that organization, and, how much experience the instructor possesses. Inquire of the instructor's philosophy and past success stories. If needed, ask for references of students from all skill levels that you can contact. Video - Video swing analysis has become a staple for all golf instruction. It is no longer an option. If you are paying for instruction that does not include video review of your game, you should reconsider why you are paying for golf instruction. Video, when used correctly, is a third pair of eyes (you and your instructor are first and second). This is similar to a doctor using an X-Ray or M.R.I, to diagnosis a health issue. Your golf instructor should be using video in the same manner. Video should confirm the diagnosis to you, not the instructor. A good golf instructor has the ability to see the flaw first, and use his or her knowledge of that flaw to diagnose a cure or drill for you to practice to realize improvement. If your golf instructor is relying solely on video to tell what is happening in your swing, you will eventually lose trust in the instructor's ability to help you. You would second guess a doctor's ability to help you if he or she did not use their ability first and confirm their thoughts with tests. Then why would you rely on an instructor who is not "practicing" golf instruction in the same manner? Follow-up Communication - Your golf instructor should have a program available for you to utilize to ask questions, give feedback, receive follow-up instructions, schedule lessons, or make other inquiries after your lesson. Some instructors offer their phone numbers after hours. Others utilize the internet for follow-up and communication purposes. Regardless of what form of communication is available to you after the lesson, your instructor should be available, at no extra charge, within a reasonable amount of time, to answer your questions and take interest in your concerns. | Handy hints from the PGA to help secure the right golf coach for your game .
Personality type and mutual goals are crucial to get the best from a coach .
Check your instructor has the education and experience to improve your game .
Your instructor should be available, at no extra charge, to answer concerns . |
220,087 | a8db1291746f693e14be7bc8b8f89861071969e0 | By . Lillian Radulova . They might look very different but Blue and Trooper clearly believe they are from the same pack. The Rottweiler puppy and kangaroo were filmed having a tumble at their home in Perth on Thursday. Their owner, Ed Trindall, who filmed the encounter, said that the two creatures have a developing 'relationship'.Scroll down for video . Unusual playmates: Perth man Ed Trindall filmed his Rottweiler Trooper and his companion Blue the Kangaroo having a bit of fun on Thursday . 'Blue the roo and Trooper my rotty pup, best of friends. This video I would like to share with you as it shows an amazing relationship between two species. I hope you enjoy it,' he wrote in the video’s description. The video certainly does exhibit a blossoming friendship between the two companions, as they bounce around together. At first, Blue is seen teasing the young pup by mussing up his black fur. Blue had the upper hand at first, mussing Trooper's fur up as the puppy playfully nipped at his arms . Trooper got his own back eventually, chasing and stomping on the kangaroo's tail . Trying to get his own back, Trooper nips at the kangaroo’s arms while his tail is clearly seen wagging playfully. It's not long before the two of them are hopping in circles after one another, with the pup cheekily trampling on the kangaroo’s tail. But little Trooper soon gets tired, lying at Blue’s feet briefly while he receives some grooming form the brown roo. However, it's not the first time that a dog and a kangaroo have developed a strong bond. The antics of Dozer the dog and Love Bug the kangaroo, are also well documented by their owner, with the duo often seen sharing a kiss and a cuddle on Youtube. The owner of the two animals said the duo's relationship is amazing . Dozer the dog and Love Bug the kangaroo's close relationship is also well documented on Youtube . | Ed Trindall shared a video of his dog and a kangaroo playing a game of tag .
Trooper the Rottweiler puppy and Blue the kangaroo have an amazing relationship according to Trindall .
The duo could be seen teasing each other and happily bouncing about . |
118,850 | 257840901d612e621f8dfe541fd269e1fbe82d3f | (CNN) -- It's a Jonah-and-the-whale kind of moment. You wake up, and your guest room appears normal. But as you get your bearings, you realize that you're in the belly of a reptile -- otherwise known as Australia's Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn. The curious trend of zoomorphic architecture -- that is, buildings that look like animals -- has been around for millennia (ever heard of the Sphinx?). And new species of animal-like buildings continue to turn up in concrete jungles like Bangkok, along roadsides or in national parks. Even serious tastemakers like Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry have been inspired to inject a playful animalistic motif into their building plans. For the Vila Olímpica in the seaside city of Barcelona, Gehry managed to capture the sleek, muscular movement of a fish in motion in a way that is utterly sublime. Read on for more strange buildings that -- beastly or beautiful, by design or by accident -- pay tribute to the animal kingdom. Long may these crazy critters stand. See more buildings shaped like animals . Church by the Sea, Madeira Beach, Florida . Times were hard at the end of WWII, but this small community managed to cobble together a collection plate large enough to buy land. Volunteers flooded to help, including an architect who unwittingly constructed two eyes and a beak from the bell tower, eventually inspiring the nickname Chicken Church. When the bell rings it makes a clucking sound—well, not really, but it looks like it should. Travel + Leisure: World's coolest futuristic buildings . Vila Olímpica, Barcelona . In the late 1980s, many architects were obsessed with Grecian columns. Frank Gehry felt that postmodernists weren't looking back far enough. He surmised that we are all descended from fish and, for the 1992 Olympics, set about creating a structure near the Hotel Arts that would reflect our 300-million-year-old ancestor. The metal canopy, measuring roughly 114 by 177 feet, is supported by a wood and steel space frame and was the first of several fish-inspired buildings Gehry created. Cat Kindergarten, Wolfartsweier, Germany . This ingenious preschool is so adorable that it makes any work seem like play. Artist Tomi Ungerer and architect Ayla Suzan Yöndel designed it so that children enter through the cat's mouth, where the classrooms and cafeteria are located, and exit into the backyard via a slippery dip for a tail. Travel + Leisure: Cutest baby animals at U.S. zoos . Observation Tower, St. Georges de Windsor, Quebec . About two hours east of Montreal, on the drive toward the Maine border, is a roadside attraction worth a detour. Local artist Josée Perreault designed an observation tower from boulders painted to look like a cow reclining in a field. Upon climbing the squat tower, travelers are rewarded with a view of real-life cows reclining similarly in green pastures. Ladprao Tuk Chang, Bangkok . You'd have to have a thick hide to work in the 335-foot-tall Elephant Tower, easily a contender for one of the world's ugliest buildings. Architect Ong-ard Satrabhandhu's creation is certainly one of the most famous in Bangkok, thanks to three towers -- the pachyderm's thick legs and trunk. Travel + Leisure: World's most mysterious buildings . Universum Science Center, Bremen, Germany . A giant silver clam shell and a giant chrome sperm whale rising from the reflecting pool are two popular interpretations of Thomas Klumpp's design. Inside the Universum Science Center, opened in 2000, are interactive exhibits also meant to provoke and engage the visitor: you can, for example, feel sound waves vibrate throughout your entire body. Lucy the Elephant, Margate, New Jersey . Lucy was the first example of zoomorphic architecture in America, with the patent to prove it. Built in 1882 to sell New Jersey real estate, Lucy then found use as an office, a bar and a summer home. The patented 65-foot-tall tin and wood construction was meant to be one of a pack, but giant elephants didn't take off the way the architect intended. To this day, Lucy stands proudly alone. Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn, Kakadu National Park, Australia . Upon arrival, you don't immediately appreciate how true this hotel is to its name: the low-lying, curved corridors could simply be a way to give each room a unique view of the landscape, rich with kangaroos and other wildlife. A bird's-eye view, however, reveals that the entire hotel is shaped like one of the region's most feared residents, the crocodile, and that every guest has been swallowed whole. See more buildings shaped like animals . Planning a getaway? Don't miss Travel + Leisure's guide to the World's Best Hotels . Copyright 2012 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. | The curious trend of zoomorphic architecture has been around for millennia .
Modern interpretations include Frank Gehry's sleek fish structure in Barcelona .
A cat-shaped kindergarten and a church resembling a chicken are whimsical examples . |
160,122 | 5af3f2bb3de496f49b99a2c6d08e28128497de90 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Justin Bieber's focusing on making new music in the hip-hop capital of Atlanta, while lawyers in three other cities prepare to defend him in court. Bieber, who graduates from being a teen pop star when he celebrates his 20th birthday Saturday, has several court dates on his calendar next month. Miami DUI case . There are good reasons that Bieber's lawyers could reject a plea deal and demand a jury trial for the drunken driving charge in Miami, according to a Florida lawyer familiar with the case. Lawyers sometimes beat the charge in court. A lawyer can defend a DUI charge by focusing on the technical aspects of the arrest and testing, questioning whether police did everything right, attorney Michael Salnick told CNN. If problems or deficiencies are found in what law enforcement did, those issues could be challenged. Was there probable cause for police to stop the singer's Lamborghini? GPS tracking data suggests the sports car was not speeding in the minutes before the arrest. If the judge lets a jury hear that, it might create reasonable doubt about the police officer's claim he stopped Bieber and friend Khalil Sharieff after seeing them drag racing on a residential street. Was there probable cause for the officer to test Bieber's sobriety? The arresting officer said he became suspicious because he smelled alcohol on the singer's breath, but lab tests later showed the alcohol level in his system was well below Florida's legal limit for drivers under the drinking age of 21. Bieber's lawyer could argue that the officer made it up to justify the arrest. His defense might be bolstered if the judge allows the officer's disciplinary record to be used to challenge his credibility. While the alcohol level was below the legal limit, a preliminary toxicology report on Bieber's urine sample said he tested positive for "metabolite of THC," which indicates marijuana use, and alprazolam, the generic name for the prescription sedative Xanax. "Yeah, we were smoking all night at the studio," the singer told a police officer who told him he "reeked of marijuana," according to police documents. No-risk trial in Florida . Defendants sometimes accept plea deals because they fear a judge would impose a tougher sentence if they were convicted in a trial. That's not a risk with Florida's DUI law, Salnick said. A judge would not give a sentence any different than what a prosecutor might offer in a plea deal, but a plea deal might allow the DUI charge to be kept off the defendant's criminal record, replaced by reckless driving, he said. Probation rules -- including a drug-testing requirement -- would be the same. So, why go to trial? An acquittal would be Bieber's only way to avoid probation and drug testing, short of persuading the Miami prosecutor to drop the case, Salnick said. The prosecutor in Miami has not discussed a plea agreement with Bieber's lawyer, Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade state attorney's office told CNN Tuesday. "It's way too early to offer a plea deal, if one was to be offered." Bieber could choose the DUI diversion program that is available to all first-time offenders, Griffith said. It would last between six and nine months with random drug testing, about $1,000 in fines and fees, 40 hours of community service, an alcohol education class. In addition, Bieber would have to attend a session in which victims of DUI wrecks tell their stories. "There are 11 stories presented by real victims and sometimes defendants who relay their experiences," a description of the three-hour session said. "There is a quiz at the end, and the defendant has to score 100 percent prior to completion." Deal or no deal, first-time offenders rarely go to jail if convicted of drunken driving in Florida, Salnick said. Bieber is likely not facing jail, unless he violates probation -- such as by failing a drug test. A trial had been scheduled to start next Tuesday, but instead a "sounding" hearing will be held with lawyers talking to the judge about preparations for a trial. Toronto assault charge . Bieber's best resolution of an assault charge in Toronto may be a plea deal that includes a "diversion" plan, according to a Canadian lawyer interviewed by CNN. "If he goes to trial, he probably would be convicted," said attorney James Morton, a past president of the Ontario Bar Association. "The Canadian system's conviction rate is extraordinarily high." Just 3.5% of all defendants who plead not guilty and go to trial are acquitted, he said. Bieber allegedly struck his limousine driver on the back of his head several times while driving to a Toronto nightclub in December. Toronto prosecutors are likely already talking to Bieber's lawyer about a plea deal with a "conditional discharge," in which the case would not be prosecuted if he takes part in anger management and community service, Morton said. It's the likely result for a young person without a criminal record who is not a celebrity, he said. Prosecutors will be under "intense scrutiny" and will want to avoid a deal that "looks like they're favoring a famous Canadian star," he said. The first court hearing is set for March 10, but Bieber does not have to be there. A magistrate will hold several hearings over the next few months to make sure the prosecution has handed over all of its evidence, including statements and any video, to the defense before the case is assigned to a judge for trial, Morton said. California egg probe . Bieber faces a possible vandalism charge in connection with eggs tossed at his neighbor's home last month, which caused an estimated $20,000 damage to a Calabasas, California, mansion. The egging case is what lawyers call a "wobbler." The Los Angeles County district attorney's office could prosecute it as a misdemeanor or a felony under California law. It is up to the prosecutor to decide how serious the case is, based on a defendant's criminal history and other circumstances. A prosecutor has had the results of the sheriff's investigation for almost three weeks, and a decision could come soon. A felony vandalism conviction could bring up to three years in prison and a $50,000 fine. The maximum penalty for a misdemeanor conviction is a year in the county jail and a $50,000 fine. A felony conviction could also limit Bieber's ability to work in the United States, because he is a Canadian citizen with a work visa. Investigators searched his $6.5 million home last month, seizing the security video. Detectives gave the district attorney video clips identified from the night of the egg attack to use in the prosecution of Bieber. Another video recorded by the neighbor was also provided to investigators. Flying high? The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into allegations that Bieber and other passengers onboard a charter flight from Canada to New Jersey's Teterboro Airport on January 31 interfered with the flight crew, the agency said. Bieber and his father were "extremely abusive verbally" to the flight attendant on the Gulfstream IV aircraft as he traveled to attend the Super Bowl, according to a law enforcement sources. Both Biebers refused a pilot's repeated warnings to stop smoking pot on the flight, according to a report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which was read to CNN. The FAA has not said when its investigation will conclude. CNN's John Couwels contributed to this report. | Bieber's Miami DUI case could be headed to a trial, lawyer says .
No plea offer, but Bieber could choose a "diversion" program, Miami prosecutor says .
Taking the Toronto assault charge to trial is not Bieber's best option, a lawyer says .
Los Angeles prosecutor nears decision on whether egging case is a felony . |
38,898 | 6dee9cac9b90a8a747b1da7c4d24a0a4119c2260 | A building society illegally ramped up interest rates for thousands of its buy-to-let customers on a ‘whim’ to boost its coffers, a court heard yesterday. West Bromwich Building Society is accused of ripping off landlords with tracker mortgages by increasing their rates by two percentage points without warning. Tracker mortgages are supposed to follow the Bank of England’s base rate, which has remained at an historic low of 0.5 per cent for almost six years. West Bromwich Building Societyhave been taken to High Court (pictured) accused of illegally ramping up interest rates for thousands of its buy-to-let customers . But the building society shocked customers when they ramped up their rates in December 2013, pushing some from 1.99 per cent above the base rate to 3.99 per cent. Customers were told their rate had been hiked because of ‘market conditions’ and to ensure it was running its business ‘prudently efficiently and competitively’. But property investor Mark Robert Alexander, who took out a mortgage with West Bromwich in 2008, objected and has now taken the case to the High Court on behalf of 350 other disgruntled landlords. The changes are believed to have affected 6,200 customers, but the outcome of the court case could have implications for tens of thousands of buy-to-let landlords on similar contracts with other lenders. Mr Alexander said their tracker rates should be protected under the terms of their mortgage agreement. But the building society said they were able to override these ‘personalised’ terms and activate their standard mortgage offer conditions which, they claim, granted them the right to vary a tracker rate if they felt it was necessary. West Bromwich Building Society is accused of ripping off landlords with tracker mortgages by increasing their rates by two percentage points without warning . An avalanche of complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service followed and 356 of the building society’s customers, including Mr Alexander, formed the Property 118 action group and commenced legal proceedings. Yesterday, Mark Smith, representing the claimants, told Mr Justice Teare that the building society’s actions were unfair and that the clauses in the mortgage contracts used to justify the rate hikes are ‘inconsistent’. The court heard that when Mr Alexander, an investor with a string of buy-to-let properties, entered into the mortgage, he believed it was a fixed rate of 6.29 per cent for four years, followed by a tracker at base rate plus 1.99 per cent until the end of the mortgage term. He was shocked when he received the letter telling him the 1.99 per cent rate would go up to 3.99 per cent and outraged when they referred him to a clause in their standard mortgage conditions, stating any unfixed mortgage rate ‘may be varied by (us) at any time’, in a similar way to a standard variable rate. Mr Smith said the so-called standard terms now relied upon by the building society had been merely ‘grafted on’ to the personal terms of the offers, and should not now be allowed to carry more legal weight. Outside court, Mr Smith warned that if the building society won the case, it could give them the green flag to do the same to residential mortgages. Mark Smith, representing the claimants, warned: ‘They are saying they can just move the rate to make themselves solvent, and residential mortgages will be next.’ But the building society said consumers were not subject to the same terms and conditions and insisted this would not happen. The West Bromwich claimed it had only used its discretion to vary the tracker rate for customers who own a portfolio of three or more buy-to-let properties. Raymond Cox QC, for the building society, defended the decision to up the rate for Mr Alexander, 47, and his wife Svetlana, 41, plus thousands of others. He said the building society’s right to vary the interest rate ‘was repeatedly made clear in the documents sent to Mr Alexander’. The barrister also said the move had been reviewed by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) which had so far backed the building society in every complaint from the action group. He insisted that the claimants are not trapped in their mortgages, as they have the option to pay their loans off early at any time, with one month’s notice . ‘The mortgage could be terminated early either by the claimant or the defendant... if the claimant did not like the margin as varied,’ he said. But he confirmed outside court that millions of others could potentially endure similar ‘whimsical’ rate increases from their own providers should the West Bromwich win the case. Mr Cox said after the hearing: ‘If we win our case then, going forward, if people have tracker mortgages under the same terms, then other mortgage providers could do the same as us.’ The court heard that the interest rate hike has now been reduced from 2 per cent to 1.5 per cent. The hearing continues. | Building society illegally ramped up rates for buy-to-let customers .
West Bromwich Building Society is accused of ripping off landlords .
The changes are believed to have affected 6,200 customers . |
6,370 | 1211385dcffb7b1ed3893df3ee3052db523f8c27 | Death rates in NHS hospitals are among the highest in the western world, shock figures revealed yesterday. British patients were found to be almost 50 per cent more likely to die from poor care than those in America. They have five times the chance of dying from pneumonia and twice the chance of being killed by blood poisoning. Experts say that, despite recent improvements, NHS death rates still outstrip those in many other European countries. British patients were found to be almost 50 per cent more likely to die from poor care than those in America. Pictured is a tribute wall in memory of patients who have died at Stafford Hospital . Figures obtained by Professor Brian Jarman, in an exclusive report for Channel 4 News, show that the death rates in English hospitals last year were 45 per cent higher than in America. Sir Brian, a globally-recognised expert on hospital performance, also calculated that in 2004 death rates for hospitals in England were 22.5 per cent higher than in six others in the western world including Canada and France. The latest figures are not yet available although Professor Jarman suspects death rates in England have fallen because care has substantially improved. ‘What I found was that the adjusted death rate in England was about 22 per cent higher than for the average of all the seven countries that I looked at and it was about 58 per cent higher than the best of the countries,’ he said. An investigation was launched following concerns about high death rates and poor care at the hospital run by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust . ‘I expected us to do well and was very surprised we didn’t do well – but there is no means of denying the results as they are absolutely clear.’ ‘We should take notice of it and say there is a problem in the provision of health care in England.’ Earlier this year a report warned that hundreds of patients had died needlessly due to poor care at Mid Staffordshire NHS trust. But this was not an isolated case and a subsequent review led by the Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the NHS, found that thousands of patients had died unnecessarily at 14 other trusts through neglect. Ministers have since put 11 of these trusts into special measures including North Cumbria, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole, Tameside and Basildon and Thurrock. Hit squads have been sent in to make urgent improvements. Yesterday Sir Bruce said he would be holding urgent discussions with other officials about the data.‘I want our NHS to be based on evidence. I don’t want to disregard stuff that might be inconvenient or embarrassing,’ he said. ‘I want to use this kind of data to help inform how we can improve our NHS. ‘So what we need to do as clinical professionals in our NHS is concentrate on how we can improve that and I will be the first to bring this data to the attention of clinical leaders in this country to see how we can tackle this problem. ‘The fact is we have a health service that is admired around the world, founded on the cradle to grave principle. But the other fact is we still have too many patients dying in our hospitals when their relatives were expecting them to come home.’ Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: ‘This Government has shone an unprecedented spotlight on poor care through the Keogh review of 14 hospitals with persistently high rates, and taken tough action to tackle these problems by placing 11 hospitals in special measures. ‘Sadly, warnings about high death rates were ignored too frequently in the past. ‘Following the horrors of Mid Staffordshire, we have established a new rigorous inspection regime led by the Chief Inspector of Hospitals. ‘He will look at mortality data as well as issues of leadership and culture, and we will act quickly where problems are uncovered.’ Figures show that the death rates in English hospitals last year were 45 per cent higher than in America. File picture . Sir Brian pioneered the use of hospital standardised mortality ratios (HSMRs) as a way of measuring whether death rates are higher or lower than expected. They are adjusted for factors such as age and the severity of the patient’s illness. It was by using HSMRs that Professor Jarman was able to identify the high mortality rates at the Mid Staffs trust. He said one of the reasons that American hospitals do much better is because staff are actively encouraged to report mistakes – and whistleblowers are not persecuted as they sometimes are in the NHS. He said: ‘If you go to the States doctors can talk about problems, nurses can raise problems and listen to patient complaints. Hospitals were urged yesterday to ensure consultants work seven days a week. The Royal College of Physicians, which issued the call, also wants specialist doctors to travel to see elderly patients on wards. A patient with several illnesses such as angina, diabetes and dementia often has to travel to clinics dotted around their hospital. The Royal College also wants a chief of medicine to be appointed in every hospital to oversee the care of the elderly. | Clinical care trails the rest of the Western World, it has emerged .
Britons have five times the chance of dying from pneumonia than U.S.
NHS death rates are much higher than many western European countries . |
185,086 | 7bc1d44790a74fdeb9177b7aca6808d6a4ca3d00 | A U.S. Marine officer has told the incredible story of how he survived a street robbery by plugging bullet holes in his body with his fingers. Lieutenant Colonel Karl Trenker, 29, of Miramar, Florida, was shot three times as he confronted two men who had stolen a gold chain from him. He said he used his battlefield training from Afghanistan and Iraq to stem blood from chest wounds by shoving his finger into the gaping wound. In hospital: Lieutenant Colonel Karl Trenker, 29, of Miramar, Florida, was shot three times as he confronted two men who had stolen a gold chain from him . Suspects: Officers responding to the shooting found 20-year-olds James Flournoy, left, and Jeff Steele, right, close to the scene . ’I knew I was shot,’ he said. ‘I just didn't know I was shot that many times.’ ‘I put my fingers in the holes to stop the bleeding and ran back to the truck and told my kids I had been shot, but not to worry.’ Lt Colonel Trenker added: ‘I go to Iraq and Afghanistan multiple times, and I haven't been shot or blown up, and I'm here at home in Florida. ‘Here I am riding in an ambulance with a bunch of gunshot wounds.’ Lt Colonel Trenker is in a serious but stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery following the shooting in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He said the confrontation with the robbers took place after his girlfriend Tanta Siaz advertised a gold chain for sale on Craigslist. Well-built: Lt Colonel Trenker said he used his battlefield training to stem blood from chest wounds by shoving his finger into the gaping wound . The U.S. Marine said he volunteered to carry out the sale and drove to an apartment complex to meet the potential buyers. 'I knew I was shot. I just didn't know I was shot that many times. I put my fingers in the holes to stop the bleeding and ran back to the truck and told my kids I had been shot, but not to worry' Karl Trenker . As he showed off the necklace one of the men shoved him and grabbed the jewellery. Lt Colonel Trenker said he chased after the two men when one of them turned round and opened fire, hitting him multiple times. He said he plugged the bullet holes while calling his girlfriend on his cell phone and calmly telling her: ‘I've been shot.’ Lt Colonel Trenker said: ‘I dialled my phone and called my fiancée and said, 'Listen I've been shot I think three times. Ms Saiz said she couldn't believe he had been shot and that he called her. Shocked: He said the confrontation with the robbers took place after his girlfriend Tanta Siaz, pictured, advertised a gold chain for sale on Craigslist . ‘I mean, it's amazing to me how this guy had been shot this many times. I mean, he's Superman, you know,’ she told WSVN News. 'I mean, it's amazing to me how this guy had been shot this many times. I mean, he's Superman, you know. He's talking to me just as calmly as I'm sitting here talking' Karl Trenker . ‘He's talking to me just as calmly as I'm sitting here talking. ‘He told me: “I've been shot three times, my fingers are in the bullet holes, the police are going to take care of the kids".' Officers responding to the shooting found 20-year-olds James Flournoy and Jeff Steele close to the scene. Both men remain in custody without bond and face attempted murder charges. Doctors have told Lt Colonel Trenker he will make a full recovery from his wounds and can return to work at the Southern Command Headquarters. | Karl Trenker confronted two men; was shot three times .
Used battlefield training to stem blood from his wounds .
He was never hurt while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq . |
6,945 | 13af8a3b8f4518d92cf1ef12c89dcdfa7f6c752f | A 19-year-old Maryland woman who survived being shot by an ex-boyfriend has broken her silence with an emotional Facebook post just two weeks after the attack. Kristen Loetz first thanks both those who've helped her in her speedy recovery and CJ Abbott, the 19-year-old who died while protecting her from her attacker. Loetz then compassionately addresses Ryan Shallue, the angry high school flame who took his own life after forcing his way into her home near Salisbury University, shot her in the face, and murdered her heroic friend. Speaking out: Kristen Loetz (right) took to Facebook to speak for the first time since her jilted ex-boyfriend shot her in the face and murdered her friend who tried to protect her . 'Everyone needs to know how you saved my life that day,' writes the honors nursing student in her loving ode to CJ Abbott. Loetz had spent the 12 days previous recovering from wounds she incurred the night Shallue shot her and Abbott with a semi-automatic rifle before before going into a bathroom and shooting himself in the head. 'My fast recovery is greatly because of all of the love and support I have received from everyone,' Loetz writes. That support came first and foremost from Abbott, whose sister said he died a hero trying to stop Shallue from assaulting Loetz. 'I love ya ceej': Loetz thanks all her friends and family, but she gives extra thanks to the man who helped her keep her life but lost her own--CJ Abbott . 'Thanks for being my hero': Loetz wrote an emotional thanks to CJ Abbott, the 20-year-old who sacrificed himself to help save her life when ex Ryan Shallue pulled out a gun to exact his revenge . Haunting: As Shallue (left) lay dead, this photo of him with the woman he tried to kill remains on his Twitter account . 'It is so unfair that it was you and not me,' she writes. 'CJ, the most kind gentle hearted person who would jump at the chance to lend a hand to anyone.' Loetz writes of Abbott's 'fantastic family' and says 'one day I hope to meet them and tell them how amazing of a person I knew you to be.' 'I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me,' she writes in a post dated September 15. Loetz goes on to thank the friend named Michelle 'for being so strong during this tragedy' and calling 911 after the shooting. Then Loetz writes something unexpected, a largely friendly acknowledgement of the ex-boyfriend who tried to kill her. 'You were never a bad person,' she writes of Shallue. 'I hope you have found a better place where you can find peace.' The 450 word letter closes: 'I love ya ceej, thanks for being my hero.' Police . say Ryan Shallue became increasingly disturbed after his high school . girlfriend Kristen Loetz, 19, dumped him four months ago. Shallue began stalking her and . bought a gun two weeks before the shooting. On the night of September 4, he showed up at Loetz's off-campus house, where she . discovered her with 20-year-old Charles 'CJ' Abbott. When Shallue began . fighting with Loetz, Abbott tried to intervene, police said. Shallue pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and pulled the trigger. Friends: Loetz, left, took to Facebook to thank all her friends. She especially thankful to CJ Abbott, who tried to stop the enraged Shallue when he entered Abbott's home September 4 . The Salisbury Daily Times . reports that Loetz and Shallue graduated high school together in . Stevensville, Maryland, in 2010. The Facebook profiles for both Loetz . and Shallue show dozens of photos of them embracing - appearing a happy . couple at the beach and at prom. After . high school, Loetz left and attended Salisbury University, an hour and a . half away. She became a promising nursing student whom teachers called . bright and attentive. She joined a sorority on campus and worked at a . community center for special needs children and teens. Shallue stayed behind and appears to . have done little with his life. His Twitter page shows a man becoming . increasingly bitter and obsessed with alcohol. High school sweethearts: Police say Ryan Shallue, 21, left, attacked his ex-girlfriend Kristen Loetz, 19, four months after she dumped him. Loetz was critically wounded. Shallue killed himself . Police say Shallue forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's house, just off the campus of Salisbury University on Tuesday night . Police say Loetz dumped Shallue months ago and that he spiraled into obsession and anger. Shallue's . Twitter page includes tweets like 'I just drank a fifth of vodka, dare . me to drive!' and 'I found the cure and its name is vodka!' Abbott was a skilled car mechanic in Salisbury. His bosses described him as hard-working and dedicated. His sister told the Daily Times that Abbott and Loetz had been seeing a lot of each other recently. She . said her entire family - including his twin brother - are devastated by . the shocking murder, but said no one was surprised he died trying to . protect a friend. 'It’s just like CJ to be a hero,' April Abbott told the newspaper. Police say Shallue became increasingly unstable after Loetz dumped him four months ago. She had moved away from their hometown and was a promising nursing student . | 'Thanks for being my hero': Kristen Loetz, 19, wrote her thanks to the friend who helped save her .
Ryan Shallue entered her home near Salisbury University in Maryland and shot and killed her new friend Charles 'CJ' Abbott then himself . |
196,539 | 8a5bc2ab3565b944b3ac797cc9a4ddf1465da16e | By . Chris Greenwood . PUBLISHED: . 12:05 EST, 10 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:41 EST, 10 July 2013 . The mother of Stephen Lawrence has said 20 years of scandals since the teenager's racist murder has left her with ‘no confidence’ in police. Doreen Lawrence said she does not ‘know what to believe any more’ after allegations emerged that senior officers tried to smear her family. She said only a full public inquiry can get to the bottom of the activities of undercover officers in the months after her son’s killing. No confidence in officers: Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, appearing before the Home Affairs Select Committee in the wake of claims police tried to smear her family . One former Met undercover officer provoked outrage last month when he claimed commanders wanted ‘dirt’ on the Lawrence family. Speaking to MPs: Mrs Lawrence arrives at the select committee hearing at Portcullis House in central London . Speaking to the Home Affairs Committee, Mrs Lawrence said she remains deeply shocked at the latest damaging allegations. Asked if she has confidence in . police, she replied: ‘I have no confidence whatsoever. Over the years I . was beginning to develop a level of trust. ‘Because of the investigation, the . court case and then we had the convictions of two suspects. I was . beginning to develop some confidence. ‘Now I just don’t know what to believe anymore.’ Two investigations are now examining . claims undercover officers infiltrated protest groups that gathered . around the Lawrence family. Former officer Peter Francis claimed . attempts were made to discover information that could smear Stephen’s . family after his racist murder in April 1993. One inquiry is being led by top QC . Mark Ellison, who led the successful prosecution of Gary Dobson and . David Norris in January last year. The Home Secretary instructed the barrister to examine whether police corruption undermined the original inquiry. A second investigation, Operation . Herne, is probing the conduct of police spies generally, with an urgent . emphasis on the Lawrence family claims. Mrs Lawrence told MPs that she felt let down by police and the independent police watchdog and wanted a public inquiry. Hearing: Mrs Lawrence said yesterday that it was not right for 'police officers to investigate each other' She said Met Commissioner Sir Bernard . Hogan-Howe has said ‘all the right words’ to her but said she is . waiting to see it ‘come to fruition’. Death: Stephen was 18 when he was attacked by five white youths as he waited for a bus in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22, 1993 . Speaking about the inquiries, she . said an ‘open and transparent’ public inquiry must take place instead of . reviews ‘behind closed doors’. She said: ‘You can’t have police officers investigating each other. It’s proven that’s not the right way to do things.’ Mrs Lawrence said she believed her . family was targeted by police because many officers had not met a black . family which was not made up of criminals before. She said: ‘At the time it was probably because we were too outspoken and we were questioning how the investigation was run. ‘We were told on a couple of occasions that they had never met any family like us before.’ Mr Ellison defended the apparently slow progress of his review which has already cost taxpayers £190,000 in just seven months. His team has more than 100 crates of material to examine, and he said they are about half-way through the task. The QC said he will refer his . findings to police if he uncovers evidence of criminal conduct and he . hopes to release an ‘interim’ report by Christmas. Repeatedly asked whether a public . inquiry should take place, Mr Ellison said there is ‘strong validity’ for one but also several drawbacks. He said a public inquiry would be . slow and cumbersome and witnesses may have to be offered immunity from . prosecution if they give evidence. | Doreen Lawrence says police officers should not 'investigate each other'
Hearing before MPs comes amid claims officers tried to smear her family .
Stephen was 18 when attacked by five white youths in SE London in 1993 . |
110,499 | 1a71cd10169ab4099612b2486370a78297cb1f59 | CBS boss Len Moonves has spoken out about the extraordinary rant unleashed by by Angus T Jones on the set of Two and a Half Men and admitted that they now have 'other plans' for the show. Jones, who branded the show 'filth' in a now viral religious video, is thought to want to show up for the rest of his schedule after January there have been murmurs show bosses are not keen to have him back for a new season as a main character. And now Moonves has confirmed that they're resolving the issue of the 19-year-old's status. In the video the young star laughs as he admits his worried family have described his recent 'awakening' to the Seventh-day Adventist movement as a 'cult'... but whatever it is, it appears to have lost him his job . 'I don't know what our status is with him,' Moonves told the Wall Street Journal. 'We took this boy who started with us . when he was eight years old, and it seemed to be what happens with . child stars over the course of time. 'He's now making $300,000 per week, . which is not a bad salary for a 19-year-old kid, and he went on a . religious channel and urged people not to watch the show because it was . filth. By the way, he's still collecting his $300,000 a week,' Moonves . laughed. And when asked if they were looking . for another 'half man,' Moonves replied, 'We have other plans. I don't . think it's quite been resolved, but after going through what we went . through with Charlie Sheen, this is a piece of cake.' Candid: CBS president Moonves said dealing with Jones was 'a piece of cake' compared to Sheen and confirmed they are resolving the situation . And it might not be too hard for the show to 'resolve' Jones the way of Sheen as EW are reporting that if he had the typical non-disparagement clause in his contract, he's obviously in violation. A source close to the star told People: 'Angus expects to report to work after the holiday break in January. 'He intends to honor his contract through the end of the season.' Jones' character Jake joined the army at the end of season 9 and has only appeared in a few episodes of the current season. 'He won't be in every episode,' the source added says of the remaining season 10 episodes. How he was: Angus, seen here with ex-show star Charlie Sheen, has been on Two and a Half Men since he was a child . 'How much they use him will be up to [creator] Chuck Lorre. The intention wasn't ever for him to be in every ep this year anyway. Now it might be less.' Network CBS has yet to pick up the show for season 11. But sources told E!: 'Should Two and a Half Men be renewed, it's 'unlikely" that Jones will return as a series regular. You might see him for a few guest spots.' Those closest to Angus, who is a Seventh Day Adventist, say the teenager doesn't want to risk turning into troubled Charlie Sheen so became involved in the church. Friends: Angus T Jones and his spiritual advisor Christopher Hudson share a joke . 'Part of the reason Angus is so wary of the [TV] industry and so involved with the church is that he's seen what's happened to Charlie [Sheen] front and center. 'He doesn't want to end up like that. Who would?', the family friend told E! Angus issued a statement apologising, in the most tenuous sense, for making a video branding Two and a Half Men 'filth' then entreating viewers to switch off from the show that made him both rich and famous. In his statement, Jones, 19, speaks up for his bosses on the CBS show, by saying: 'Chuck Lorre, Peter Roth and many others at Warner Bros. and CBS are responsible for what has been one of the most significant experiences in my life to date. Rant: Angus T Jones rages against his hit sitcom, calling it 'filth' The document obtained by TMZ continues: 'I thank them for the opportunity they have given and continue to give me and the help and guidance I have and expect to continue to receive from them.' Without actually taking back anything . he said, the teenager attempted to appease his cast: 'I apologise if my . remarks reflect me showing indifference to and disrespect of my . colleagues and a lack of appreciation of the extraordinary opportunity . of which I have been blessed. I never intended that.' Meanwhile, Christopher Hudson - the Seventh Day Adventist guiding Jones - denied that he was exploiting the actor, as the young star's mother Carey fears. Solace: Angus T Jones told how he found happiness at the Valley Crossroads Seventh-day Adventist Church in California . Hudson, who is believed to be in his 40s, confirmed that he recorded the video in the actor's trailer on the set of Two and A Half Men last week. Jones - who makes $350,000 per episode playing Jake Harper - was seen . urging fans to 'turn off' the show, saying it would damage their brains. And speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Hudson - who runs what he describes as a . christian-based ministry called the Forerunner Chronicles - said Jones believes that Jesus Christ is returning to earth soon - and that he feels a strong urge to prepare others for the Second Coming. He said he had spoken to Jones since the video was made public, adding: 'I respect his . mother and the love she has for her child and her need to protect him. She is concerned about his well being as are many other people. 'But Angus has not had a breakdown and I am not manipulating him. He said let's do an interview - and I turned on the camera. 'Angus is a very educated, thoughtful young man. What was expressed in the video was from the sincere heart of a young man. 'I didn't encourage him to do anything. I turned the cameras on with a young man who had a story to tell. | Star hit the headlines after he branded his hit show 'filth' in a religious rant alongside his spiritual guide Christopher Hudson - filmed on the set of the sitcom .
His character has already joined the army and it's though he will be written out .
CBS boss Len Moonves confirms: 'We have other plans' and insists this problem is a 'piece of cake' to solve compared to Charlie Sheen's exit . |
231,043 | b72805374c9a14b9fa014e7524ccac5e470bf97e | A Rolling Stones fan who was man handled and ejected from the bands concert in Adelaide after invading the stage has requested the band return his glasses. Erin John Vallace, a backstage crew worker, ran onto the stage in a bid to rub shoulders with the band during a performance in Adelaide oval. But security made quick work of the 31-year-old, barging him over and hauling him off the stage before evicting him from the premises. Mr Vallace, who was working as a general backstage general site crew, was later fined $560 for disorderly conduct, which is a fraction of the $5000 fine dished out for pitch invaders of AFL games. Scroll down for video . Erin John Vallance, the 31-year-old backstage worker who invaded the stage at the Rolling Stones concert in Adelaide Oval . Jagger doesn't bat an eyelid as Mr Vallance charged at him from back stage, later telling the crowd it was ‘all part of the act, some Aussie rules tackling!’ Guitarist Keith Richards later stumbled over the glasses Mr Vallance left on the stage, prompting him to move them out of harms way . Mr Vallance posted on Facebook that he suffered blood clots from the securities rough response . A YouTube clip of the tackle shows Mr Vallance, sporting a high-vis vest and hoodie, charging towards leader singer Mick Jagger, before a burly security guard floors him by the scruff of his shirt, dragging him off the stage with so much force he loses his glasses. Mr Valance later posted an apology on the bands Facebook page, writing: ‘Sorry about the intrusion...Couldnt [sic] help myself...Just wanted to show my moves like Jagger...Instead i was moved away from Jagger at a swift pace..Best show ive ever been to!Thankyou for saving my glasses!Can i have them back now please sir.’ He also wrote on his personal Facebook page that he has blood clots from the security 'slamming his kidneys,' but that it was ‘worth it.’ There are reports that Jagger told fans it was ‘all part of the act, some Aussie rules tackling.’ But while the singer was unfazed, guitarist Keith Richards later stumbled Mr Vallance's glasses, prompting him to move them off the stage. 'The intruder was dealt with by the band's security and was subsequently handed over to SAPOL,' Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority general manager Darren Chandler told Daily Mail Australia. 'We believe the man came from back-stage and was not a concert goer.' Adelaide Now has reported that his chances of future employment are hindered by the incident. Security made quick work of the 31-year-old, barging him over and hauling him off the stage before evicting him from the premises . It is believed his chances of future employment in the industry are hindered by the incident . | Erin John Vallance invaded the stage at the Rolling Stones gig .
He was working in the backstage crew .
He was fined $560 and suffered blood clots from being handled by security .
There are reports his career will be hindered by the incident .
Guitarist Keith Richards stumbled over the glasses he left on the stage .
But the 31-year-old says it was 'worth it' |
268,351 | e79615b29fb575378dbd714cdea6811ad874eae3 | Armed drones. Mass graves. Kirkuk's effective annexation. The Iraq crisis escalated Friday. A U.S. official confirmed to CNN that armed American drones started flying over Baghdad in the previous 24 hours to provide additional protection for 180 U.S. military advisers in the area. Until now, U.S. officials had said all drone reconnaissance flights over Iraq were unarmed. Using the drones for any offensive strikes against insurgent Islamic State in Iraq and Syria fighters would continue to require approval from U.S. President Barack Obama. Also on Friday, Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani said disputed areas in northern Iraq, including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, are part of the Kurdish autonomous region from now on after the Iraqi central government failed to hold a long-awaited referendum. Earlier this month, the Iraqi army withdrew from Kirkuk and Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of the city and small villages in the areas as ISIS carried out a lightning offensive and took several cities in northern Iraq. Barzani: 'We have waited for more than 10 years' The move could complicate efforts by the United States and its allies to get Iraqi leaders to form a new government representing all three major population groups -- Sunnis, Shias and Kurds. Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan region, cited the failure by the Iraqi government to hold a constitutionally mandated referendum on the status of Kirkuk and nearby villages. "We have waited for more than 10 years for the Iraqi federal government to address and solve the issue of these areas covered by Article 140, but it was of no avail," Barzani said at a joint appearance with British Foreign Secretary William Hague. According to Article 140 of the 2005 Iraqi Constitution, which was drawn up two years after the ouster of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, a referendum would determine the final status of several disputed areas such as Kirkuk and small villages in Nineveh, Diyala and Salaheddin claimed by the central government and the Kurdistan regional government. However, the vote never took place because of instability in most of the disputed areas. MAPS: How to understand the Iraq crisis . The news came on the same day that Human Rights Watch said two mass graves believed to contain the bodies of Iraqi soldiers, police and civilians killed by the Sunni ISIS fighters and their militant allies have been discovered in Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. Claims of atrocities by both sides have increased as the conflict widens in Iraq. Reports of killings 'deeply alarming' Earlier Friday, Amnesty International released a report saying it has evidence pointing to a pattern of "extrajudicial executions" of Sunni detainees by government forces and Shiite militias in the northern Iraqi cities of Tal Afar, Mosul and Baquba. "Reports of multiple incidents where Sunni detainees have been killed in cold blood while in the custody of Iraqi forces are deeply alarming," said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International's senior crisis response adviser, who is currently in northern Iraq. "The killings suggest a worrying pattern of reprisal attacks against Sunnis in retaliation for ISIS gains." Meanwhile, witnesses said gunmen shot down an Iraqi military helicopter with an anti-aircraft weapon placed on a truck near Salaheddin University in Tikrit, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Baghdad. The Iraqi Defense Ministry denied the helicopter was shot down. Prime Minister: We needed U.S. jets . The developments follow news that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told British broadcaster BBC that ISIS advances may have been avoided if Iraq had proper air cover in the form of fighter jets the country has been trying to secure from the United States for some time. "I'll be frank and say that we were deluded when we signed the contract" with the United States, al-Maliki told the BBC in an interview this week that was released early Friday. Iraq has now turned to Russia and Belarus to buy fighter jets, he said. "God willing, within one week, this force will be effective and will destroy the terrorists' dens," he said. Iraqi Ambassador Lukman Faily told CNN's "New Day" that his nation appreciated the help it has received from Washington but now faces "an immediate threat." "We don't have the luxury of waiting; we need the support now," Faily said. American and Arab diplomats tell CNN that the United States is unlikely to undertake any military strikes against ISIS and its allied fighters before a new government is formed in Iraq. But that is unlikely to happen quickly. Parliament resumes Tuesday, and al-Maliki's political party controls 90 seats, the largest block of seats in parliament after April's elections. To form a government requires a majority of at least 165 seats. Obama has promised Iraq the aid of 300 U.S. military personnel to advise and train Iraq's security forces after a near collapse in the face of the lightning ISIS advance in northern and western Iraq. But there have been no U.S. airstrikes, something that Iraq's military commanders have said is desperately needed. Claims of prisoner executions . At the same time, disturbing claims have surfaced, with detainees and relatives of those killed providing graphic accounts that suggest Iraqi forces killed Sunni detainees before withdrawing from Tal Afar and Mosul. Both cities are under the control of ISIS, and Iraqi security forces and Shiite militias have been battling ISIS and militant allies in Baquba. "Even in the midst of war there are rules that must never be transgressed." Rovera said. "Killing prisoners is a war crime. The government must immediately order an impartial and independent investigation into the killings, and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice." Abdul-Sittar al-Birqdar, spokesman for Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council that oversees the country's judicial system, said the government knew of the Amnesty International allegations but had yet to see any evidence. "At this stage, this is all just media reporting," he told CNN on Friday. "No witnesses have come forward, and no families have come forward with such claims. No one has officially asked for an investigation." He called for the rights group to provide evidence, saying that "we are still monitoring and checking, and we will keep checking," adding that "under Iraqi law, we cannot move on it without claims and evidence." Using satellite imagery and publicly available photographs purportedly released by ISIS, Human Rights Watch says it appeared that ISIS fighters in Tikrit executed three groups of men a short distance from former Iraqi leader Hussein's Water Palace on the banks of the Tigris River. "The analysis suggests that ISIS killed between 160 and 190 men in at least two locations between June 11 and 14," the rights group said in its report. "The number of victims may well be much higher, but the difficulty of locating bodies and accessing the area has prevented a full investigation." From the photographs posted online by ISIS, it appeared the fighters killed the men at the site in at least three groups. "The photographs show one group of men lying in one trench and a second group of men lying on top of the first. A third group of men is seen lying in a second trench," the group said. Human Rights Watch says the photographs show a third mass grave, but investigators have been unable to find it. MAPS: How to understand the Iraq crisis . | Kurdish leader Barzani effectively annexes Kirkuk .
Armed U.S. drones are protecting 180 American military advisers, source says .
Iraqi Prime Minister: We're buying fighter jets from Russia and Belarus .
Human Rights Watch says graves are thought to hold slain Iraqi soldiers, police and civilians . |
242,226 | c5819fa8263436252c5e04d8ca361c4748156c33 | A father-of-three died months after being given the all-clear from the cancer a doctor misdiagnosed when he first fell ill. Mark Browne from Lincoln was told by his GP that he was 'too young' to be suffering from bowel cancer, and was diagnosed with piles. Mr Browne's widow and three children this week agreed an undisclosed settlement at the High Court in Nottingham, two years after his death, following an admission of liability by Mr Browne's GP. Father-of-three, Mark Browne (pictured) died months after being given the all-clear from the cancer doctors misdiagnosed when he first fell ill. He was told by a doctor that he was 'too young' to be suffering from bowel cancer and his symptoms were misdiagnosed as piles . The Lincolnshire Echo reported Dr Smith admitted care failures after he wrongly diagnosed Mr Browne as suffering from piles rather than cancer. When Dr Nicholas Smith of Birchwood Medical Practice in Lincoln carried out an internal examination on Mr Browne, he failed to detect the then 3cm tumour. Mr Browne, who was over the age of 40, had been complaining of stomach pains and passing blood, but was not referred to the hospital. A year later, doctors discovered a 6cm cancerous tumour, starting Mr Browne on a . course of treatment. The Browne family 's lawyer said if Mark’s cancer had not been missed the first time he may still be alive today. Neil Clayton, from law firm Lime, who . represented Mark Browne, said: 'Had Dr Smith correctly referred Mark in . December of 2008 he would have been operated on in February 2009 and . thus likely avoided the return of the tumour which was at the root of . his painful and distressing symptoms and the immediate cause of his . death. 'He also would not have developed cancer in his lungs and he would have likely survived.' His wife Teresa, 38, said: 'As far as Mark was concerned there was nothing to worry about. A year after misdiagnosing Mr Browne's condition, doctors discovered a 6cm cancerous tumour, starting him on a course of treatment. He was later given the all-clear after a course of chemotherapy and an operation - but afterwards was told that the cancer had spread to his lungs. He is pictured here with his children . Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer in England. It is a general term for caner that begins in the large bowel. Symptoms include passing blood and unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as prolonged diarrhoea or constipation, as well as weight loss. Approximately 72 per cent of bowel cancer cases develop in people aged 65 or older. Bowel cancer can be treated using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy. If bowel cancer is diagnosed in its earliest stages, the chance of surviving a further five years is 90 per cent, and a complete cure is usually possible. However, bowel cancer diagnosed in its most advanced stage only has a five-year survival rate of 6 per cent and a complete cure is unlikely. 'He was very black and white and if the doctors told him he was fine, then he was fine - he took it as gospel. 'Mark was given some suppositories to treat the piles and that was it. 'Mark was a man’s man and very proud. I really had to push him to go to the doctors in the first place. 'It wasn’t really a normal thing we would talk about.' But 12 months later Mr Browne was still passing blood, prompting his wife to insist he returned to the doctors. In September 2009 he visited a different doctor, who performed a rectal examination immediately making an urgent two-week referral. MRI scans revealed Mr Browne had a 6cm cancerous tumour. Mrs Browne said: 'We were angry it hadn’t been spotted before but Mark took everything in his stride and was very matter-of-fact about it.' Her husband underwent a colostomy, before starting a long course of radiation chemotherapy - the aim to shrink Mr Browne’s tumour before performing keyhole surgery to remove it. Mr Browne's wife, Teresa, who is pictured here with their children, said: 'In hindsight he and I wished he'd got a second opinion or questioned the doctor again when things didn't clear up. My advice to anyone is to insist on a second opinion or second examination' Mrs Browne said: 'Mark was very strong and brave. He continued to provide for his family throughout his illness. 'In hindsight he and I wished he’d got a second opinion or questioned the doctor again when things didn’t clear up. 'My advice to anyone is to insist on a second opinion or second examination - even if you think you are being a nuisance - rather than risk what happened to Mark. 'Doctors are only human - they’re not 100 per cent infallible - and sometimes get things wrong. 'I still grieve for my husband and it’s very painful for me to talk about what happened. 'However, I made a promise to Mark before he died that I would speak out because awareness of his case might help save the life of just one person by getting them to have a check up or ask for a second opinion.' After treatment and further surgery to remove the tumour and part of Mr Browne’s rectum in February 2010, the father-of-three endured more chemotherapy. The Browne’s then attended an appointment at Lincoln County Hospital in October 2010, where they were told by a nurse that Mr Browne's results were back and were all clear. Mrs Browne said: 'The nurse told us Mark’s results were all clear and we were overjoyed. 'We thought Mark had beaten the disease and we began to piece our lives back together. 'We thought he’d been cured.' The family enjoyed Christmas together as Mr Browne concentrated on building his strength. After five happy months, he attended another follow up appointment with his oncologist in March 2011. Mrs Browne said: 'Our illusion was shattered when Mark’s oncologist told us in that the cancer wasn’t gone had spread to his lungs. We were told it was not treatable. 'It was a tragic blow, which we hoped we would never have to experience. Mr Browne's tragic situation is reminiscent of the recent death of Midlands teen Stephen Sutton (pictured), who recently passed away after a four-year battle against the disease . 'It was devastating to find out the . cancer wasn’t gone and had spread, after spending the previous months . getting our lives back and looking to the future.' Mr Browne continued to work as a road planner but as his condition deteriorated his wife gave up her job as a sales assistant, to care for her husband of 18 years. In August, Mr Browne's condition worsened and after five weeks in hospital he was allowed home for his final days. He slipped into a coma on August 7, 2012 and died in his sleep in Mrs Browne's arms two days later, aged 46. Mr . Browne's tragic situation is reminiscent of the recent death of . Midland’s teen Stephen Sutton, who recently passed away after a . four-year battle against the disease. Manjit Darby, Director of Nursing and Quality at NHS England, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire said: 'NHS England, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire is committed to ensuring that patients receive the best possible primary care services. 'We take extremely seriously incidents where a patient suffers distress or harm whilst in the receipt of NHS care and we will be reviewing the details of this case further to determine any appropriate action that needs to be taken. Birchwood Medical Practice declined to comment. The Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland, who represented Dr Smith, were unavailable for comment. | Mark Browne from Lincoln was told by a doctor he was 'too young' to be suffering from bowel cancer and his GP .
dismissed his symptoms as piles .
A year later medics discovered a 6cm cancerous tumour, starting Mr Browne on a .
course of treatment .
The Browne family believe if Mark’s cancer had not been missed the first time he may still be alive today .
He underwent a colostomy before starting a long course of chemotherapy .
In October 2010 he was given the all-clear, but five months later, his oncologist said the cancer had spread to his lungs and was untreatable .
Mr Browne died in his wife's arms aged 46 in August 2012 . |
92,329 | 02c0a9b5791150eee07e2cd866e328dd7c080a8f | By . Will Stewart . A puppy managed to crash its owner's Lada into into a gleaming Mercedes in a crowded car park in Russia. The Siberian husky has been left alone in the parked car while its owner went to a nearby repair shop in Barnaul in southern Siberia. A bystander said the puppy ‘went mad’ and while rampaging around the car connected the wiring in a way that started the ignition. Doggy driver: The husky puppy 'went mad' after being locked in the car when the owner went shopping and accidentally started the engine . ‘The car was parked on a small hill which helped it get going,’ the eyewitness told Siberian Times. ‘The puppy was even steering the wheel, so that the car made a small semicircle and crashed into a parked Mercedes and then a SsangYong car.’ Police were ’in stitches of laughter when they realised what had happened’, she said. The police had no idea who to make responsible for the crash and the Lada owner blamed the puppy for damage to the other vehicles. Ruski huski: The dog crashed into two cars, one of them a Mercedes, in this car park while its owner visited a car repair shop nearby . Bad ride: The car in question was a Lada, a trademark car made by Russian manufacturer AutoVAZ . Dog dash: The incident took place in the south-Siberian city of Barnaul . The owners of the other cars were told to resolve the matter with their insurance companies. ‘The puppy got very nervous after a long wait and started crashing around inside the car, and somehow managed to start the engine,’ said a police spokesman. ‘The car moved and crashed into two parked vehicles, a SsangYong and Mercedes. ‘Barnaul traffic police has registered the crash. The rest should be sorted by the insurance company.’ | Siberian husky puppy accidentally started owner's vehicle .
Owner had locked it in the car while shopping in Siberia .
The dog 'crashed' the Lada into a Mercedes and a second car . |
76,282 | d855478219f57c47af8e49280e7165449f602cae | By . Matt Blake . Failed Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney broke out a Hawaiian shirt and beaded necklace this weekend for the wedding of Sen. John McCain's son. Romney wore the garish getup to a rehearsal dinner at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel on Friday, the night before the wedding of Navy Lieutenant Jack McCain, 27, to Air Force reservist Renee Swift, 29. McCain's daughter, Meghan, tweeted a picture of herself and Romney in his themed button-up and the photo quickly went viral online, overshadowing just about everything else about the lavish weekend celebration. Wedding crasher: Romney, pictured with John McCain's daughter Meghan, wore the gaudy Hawaiian shirt - embellished with patterned Americana and a shiny beaded necklace to Jack McCain's rehearsal dinner . 'Wonderful day': McCain tweeted this picture from the Grace Cathedral in San Francisco . Lavish: Senator John McCain tweeted a picture of himself toasting the happy couple . The fashion decision by Romney appeared . to be in line with a few other guests at the dinner, so we're assuming . it was a themed party. The tweeted photo was just one of several that Meghan McCain posted throughout the weekend. 'Can't believe my baby brothers . getting married tomorrow,' tweeted Meghan, moments after tweeting a . picture of herself with Romney at the rehearsal dinner. Alongside . another picture of her and a friend, she later tweeted: 'My brothers . getting married! Going to the chapel with my hot bitch date . @Barret_Swatek! We clean up okay.' Much later, Meghan - who certainly . appeared to have enjoyed herself at the wedding - tweeted another . picture of her either dancing or falling over with a glass of wine in . her hand, with the words: 'My brother got married last night, I didn't.' Hotel: The weekend began with a rehearsal party and dinner for the happy couple at the Fairmont Hotel Friday night . Lavish setting: The San Francisco hotel has stunning views of the bay . Web savvy: Not wanting to be outdone by his eldest daughter, web-savvy McCain also tweeted during the day . Not wanting to be outdone by his eldest daughter, web-savvy John McCain also tweeted during the day. 'Wonderful . day at my son Jack's wedding!' the Arizona senator tweeted with an . Instagram photo of his family in the courtyard of the venue. He later tweeted a picture of himself toasting the happy couple. Jack is a helicopter pilot for the US Navy and is stationed in Guam, where he met Renee, an air force reservist. Sen. McCain, 76, who lost to Barack Obama in a race for the Oval Office in . 2008 and to George W Bush in 2000, has been married to his wife, Cindy . Lou Hensley McCain, since 1980. Lt. Jack McCain, his bride Capt. Renee Swift, and Cindy and John McCain: Jack McCain is a helicopter pilot and Navy Lieutenant stationed in Guam, where he met Renee, an air force reservist . Big family: Jack (not pictured) is one of five children, including older sister, Meghan (right), who tweeted throughout the day alongside her father John (right), and James (centre) The senator met Cindy in April 1979, while he was still married to his first wife, Carol. He and Cindy began dating and eventually married in May 1980, only a month after his divorce to Carol was finalized. Mrs McCain is the heiress to her father's stake in Hensley & Co, an Anheuser-Busch beer wholesaler. Her estimated net worth exceeds $100 million. The couple signed a prenuptial agreement . to separate their finances, but over the years, Mrs McCain has poured a significant amount of her wealth into her husband's political campaigns. Alongside another picture of her and a friend, Meghan, right, later tweeted: 'My brothers getting married! Going to the chapel with my hot bitch date @Barret_Swatek! We clean up okay' 'My brother got married last night but I didn't': Meghan appeared to have a good time at her brother's wedding . Four years after they were married, . McCain and his wife had their first child together, Meghan, which . was followed two years later by John (Jack) Sidney IV. In 1988, their . third child, James, was born. Then three years later, in 1991, the McCain family added another daughter through adoption. Mrs McCain brought the child to the U.S. from a Bangladesh orphanage when she was just three months old because she needed medical treatment. The McCains later decided to adopt her and named her Bridget. Left: Meghan McCain is pictured with her adopted sister, Bridget. Right: Meghan is pictured with her brother, the groom . Bridget's skin color was targeted during McCain's 2000 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. 'A lot of phone calls were made by people who said we should be very ashamed about her, about the color of her skin,' McCain said in a 2000 interview with DadMag.com. 'Thousands and thousands of calls from people to voters saying "You know the McCains have a black baby." I believe that there is a special place in hell for people like those.' | Lt. Jack McCain married Renee Swift at lavish ceremony in San Francisco .
Romney was pictured at rehearsal dinner with McCain's daughter Meghan .
He wore a gaudy Hawaiian shirt with Americana pattern and beaded necklace .
Sen. McCain and daughter Meghan tweeted throughout weekend's events . |
186,140 | 7d1180330171b34e57ce252b1637b491e357b523 | The United Kingdom took a step Friday toward being the first country in the world to allow a pioneering in vitro fertilization technique using DNA from three people that could prevent mitochondrial diseases but that also raises significant ethical issues. One in 6,500 babies in the United Kingdom is born with mitochondrial disorder, which can lead to serious health issues such as heart and liver disease, respiratory problems and muscular dystrophy. Problems with mitochondria, the "powerhouse" cells of the body, are inherited from the mother, so the proposed IVF treatment would mean an affected woman could have a baby without passing on mitochondrial disease. But the cutting-edge IVF technique, which involves transferring nuclear genetic material from a mother's egg or embryo into a donor egg or embryo that's had its nuclear DNA removed, raises ethical questions. The new embryo will contain nuclear DNA from the intended father and mother, as well as healthy mitochondrial DNA from the donor embryo -- effectively creating a "three-parent" baby. The amount of donor DNA in the mitochondria will, however, be much less than the parental DNA in the nucleus, which determines the baby's characteristics. IVF-related birth defects may originate with moms, not treatment . The UK government plans to consult on draft regulations on the fertility treatment later this year, with the intention of putting the measure before parliament next year. At the moment, only unaltered eggs and embryos can be used for in vitro fertilization. "Mitochondrial disease, including heart disease, liver disease, loss of muscle coordination and other serious conditions like muscular dystrophy, can have a devastating impact on the people who inherit it," said the UK's chief medical officer, professor Dame Sally Davies. Since scientists have developed "ground-breaking new procedures" that could prevent these diseases being passed on, Davies said, "it's only right that we look to introduce this life-saving treatment as soon as we can." The government says public consultation shows there is "overall support" for the treatment. But Dr. David King, director of Human Genetic Alert, a London-based watchdog group, opposed use of the technique Friday -- saying it opened the door to the creation of "designer babies" -- and disputed the results of the public consultation, saying not enough weight has been given to online polling. "These techniques are unnecessary and unsafe and were in fact rejected by the majority of consultation responses," he said in a statement. "It is a disaster that the decision to cross the line that will eventually lead to a eugenic designer baby market should be taken on the basis of an utterly biased and inadequate consultation." King told CNN that conventional egg donation already allows a mother to bear a child without passing on a mitochondrial disorder, so the benefit of the new technique would only be to allow the baby to be genetically related to her. "While I can understand that, that's not a medical benefit to anybody -- and you have to weigh it against the risks of invasive techniques that will clearly carry a risk to the child," he said. Could 'personhood' bills outlaw IVF? There's also a "risk to society at large," he said, because once the ethical line over modification of human DNA has been crossed, the door will be opened to "the next step and the next step after that." "That's why governments around the world over the last 20 years have said 'we won't allow you to genetically engineer human beings,' " he said. Even if approved by lawmakers, more research is needed to ensure that the procedure actually works in humans and can be carried out safely, King said. The government's announcement Friday prompted a slew of UK media headlines -- and will probably continue to divide the scientific community. The UK-based Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which carried out a six-month inquiry into the ethical issues around the technique, concluded that the health and social benefits of living free from mitochondrial disorders meant that "on balance ... if these novel techniques are adequately proven to be acceptably safe and effective as treatments, it would be ethical for families to use them." Its working group also concluded that "mitochondrial donation does not indicate, either biologically or legally, any notion of the child having either a 'third parent,' or 'second mother.' " But University of Notre Dame law professor O. Carter Snead, a bioethicist who specializes in the governance of science, medicine and biotechnology, urged the United Kingdom to "proceed slowly and cautiously" given the "unresolved safety and ethical questions" around the new technique. "Little is known about the short- and long-term genetic effects of this procedure on children born with its aid," he said. "It would be an ironic tragedy if this procedure were rushed from bench to bedside, only to harm the very children it was meant to help. "Moreover, there remain serious questions about the ethics of conceiving children with three genetic progenitors or 'parents.' " IVF 'co-pioneer' Robert Edwards dead at 87 . | "Little is known about the short- and long-term genetic effects," says a U.S. bioethicist .
Government takes a step toward allowing an IVF technique involving DNA from 3 people .
It is intended to prevent mitochondrial disorders being passed on from mother to child .
Mitochondria are "powerhouse" cells of the body; defects can cause serious health issues . |
83,066 | eb84c9b39f81cbeada53eee77521ea398fc0b765 | (CNN) -- Australian police have seized as much as $246 million worth of drugs stashed inside a steamroller sent from China after busting an international smuggling ring in Sydney. A U.S. citizen, 33, and a Canadian, 34, have been charged with drug-importing offenses in relation to the confiscated methamphetamine and cocaine, Australian Federal Police said Wednesday. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The operation to seize the drugs resulted from a "complex and protracted" investigation over the past two and half years, police said. The steamroller was shipped in from China, police said, and was tracked down at a storage unit in northern Sydney amid a series of searches. When officers searched the unit, they found the vehicle, dismantling equipment and 13 sports bags containing "blocks of compressed powder and a crystalline substance." The blocks consisted of 235 kilograms (520 pounds) of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of up to 174 million Australian dollars ($180.2 million), and 115 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated street value of up to 63 million Australian dollars ($65.3 million), police said. The Australian Federal Police cited experts as saying that data shows rising use of both drugs in the country. The seizure comes less than a week after authorities in the Pacific island nation of Tonga found cocaine with a potential street value of as much as 116 Australian dollars ($120 million) in a yacht that had run aground off one of the country's northern islands. That discovery was the result of cooperation between Australian, U.S. and Tongan authorities, Australian police said. | The drugs are blocks of methamphetamine and cocaine, police say .
A U.S. citizen and a Canadian have been charged with drug-importing offenses .
The steamroller was tracked down to a storage unit in northern Sydney . |
81,436 | e6bdbe0352bdaa7244e41ac5a3d3ecacf80aa41a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:31 EST, 11 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:31 EST, 11 April 2013 . Fifty years after she was saved from drowning, a Long Island woman is keen to again meet her savior face-to-face. Eady Rothstein, now in her 50s, was only five years old when she slipped into a pool in Lido Beach, Long Island when 21-year-old lifeguard Larry Brickman jumped in to save her. Mr Brickman, who now lives in Florida, administered CPR to Ms Rothstein for several minutes until she regained consciousness. Scroll down for video . Saying thank you: Eady Rothstein, now in her 50s, left, was saved by then 21 year-old lifeguard Larry Brickman, right, who administered CPR to her; they spoke on the phone and now have plans to meet in person . Daring rescue: Eady Rothstein, now in her 50s, was only five years old when she slipped into a pool in Lido Beach, Long Island . Ms Rothstein, who now lives in Ramsey, New Jersey, told NBC New York that she would like to give Mr Brickman a proper thank you for saving her life all those years ago. In 1964, Mr Brickman was studying medicine and living in Long Beach for the summer so he could earn money to pay for his schooling. He told the station that many life guards weren’t trained in resuscitation in the 1960s, so it was fateful that he had studied it in school. ‘If no one was there to do this, I’m afraid she would have succumbed,’ he told NBC New York from his office in Boca Raton. In the news: The Long Island woman decided to get back in touch after coming across a news clipping from the time . Ms Brickman was inspired to re-connect with her rescuer after perusing through family albums and seeing a news clipping with the story of the rescue. She searched for the doctor’s name in Google and found a listing for his practice. When she called, she got the answering machine, so she left a message. Dr Brickman called her back and the two chatted on the phone. He told her that they got very lucky. The station reports that the unlikely duo is planning an in-person reunion down the road. Ms Brickman is grateful for the opportunity to have reconnected and said: ‘I owe him my life, and it’s a very nice feeling to finally be able to say “thank you.”’ | Eady Rothstein was five in 1964 when she nearly drowned .
Medical student and lifeguard Larry Brickman, then 21, rescued her and administered CPR until she was revived .
Ms Rothstein tracked him down spoke on the phone .
Two have plans to meet in person . |
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