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29,637 | 544b165ad1d22a5dcbbab469a2aa7666c2868361 | Savings have fallen to a record low as thousands of families fail to put away any money at the end of each month, figures show . Savings have fallen to a record low as thousands of families fail to put away any money at the end of each month, figures show. High house prices and poor wage growth has led to a dramatic fall in the amount that families are saving into pensions, bank accounts and investments. Growing confidence in the economy has also deterred people from savings because they believe their job is secure and their home will grow in value. But experts warned that Britain faced a 'savings crisis' and said many would be left in pension poverty. This year, total households will save just 5.4 per cent of their take-home pay – the lowest percentage since records began 18 years ago. This is just half of the proportion saved in 2010 when households put away 11 per cent of their salary after tax, official figures show. By 2019, this will have plunged further to 4.8 per cent, according to forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The International Longevity Centre (ILC), which analysed the data, said Britain was in the middle of 'a lost decade' of savings, which would not end until at least 2020. In 2010, mass redundancies saw savings hit a 12-year high as people squirrelled away their money amid fears they could lose their job. But since then, savings have fallen sharply as people increased their level of credit card debt and taken on larger mortgages. House prices have soared by double digits in many parts of the country, meaning many have large home loans, while below-inflation pay rises have compounded the problem. Experts said last night that such poor savings risked leaving many with an inadequate income in retirement. Ben Franklin, at the ILC, told the Mail: 'People are spending more, rent and house prices have risen, but wages have stagnated. 'We have had a consumption-driven recovery, with people buying more, but without the pay rises accompanying that. 'This means many are struggling to put something away at the end of the month, so they are saving less money into their pension or bank accounts.' Figures show that, on average, employees contributed just 2.9 per cent of their salary into a money purchase pension every month, while those in a gold-plated final salary pensions pay 5.9 per cent. Experts warned that Britain faced a 'savings crisis' and said many would be left in pension poverty . 'For many, this is not enough for an adequate retirement income', Mr Franklin added. 'We have a lost decade of savings which could turn into two or three decades. 'If people do not start saving more, there will be a generation of people in their 20s, 30s and 40s who are significantly worse off in retirement than their parents.' Anna Bowes, of rate tracker website Savings Champion, said workers were deterred from saving by record low interest rates. She said: 'People are looking at the rock-bottom rates and thinking it is not worthwhile to save.' She said there had been a shift away from saving in recent decades, adding: 'For many older generations, there was a savings culture and they were not as keen to get into debt. 'Now, people are in a lot of debt from a young age if they go to university, so they do not get into a habit of saving until much later. 'The fall in savings is a ticking time bomb. 'If people do not save now then what will they do when they reach retirement?'. Auto-enrolment has seen millions of workers automatically entered into a workplace pension in the last three years. In 2012, the Government introduced new rules which forced bosses to pay into a pension for their employees. Steve Webb said that auto-enrolment had helped to reverse a long-term decline in the number of people saving into a pension. He said: 'If you leave it to people [to save themselves] then it isn't go to happen, and that is the point of auto-enrolment.' But he said the drop in savings also symbolised increased confidence in the economy, saying: 'After the 2008 financial crash, people became quite risk adverse and savings went up quite dramatically. 'Now people feel more comfortable and, while they may be saving less, they might be looking at the rising value of their house as an asset.' | Thousands of families fail to put away any money at the end of each month .
Britain is facing 'savings crisis' and many could be left in 'pension poverty'
Total saved by families is at lowest level since records began 18 years ago .
Growing confidence in the economy has deterred people from saving . |
207,181 | 983ec4c0ccdef9167ae94d1c4dc8fb0fc162b114 | By . Lara Gould . PUBLISHED: . 18:56 EST, 23 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:54 EST, 25 February 2013 . Prince Harry’s close friend Natalie Pinkham is at the centre of an intriguing mystery after landing a top TV sports job – and replacing one of her closest friends. Miss Pinkham, 34, who has been friends with the Prince for a decade, has been picked to host Sky Sports’ The F1 Show. However, she is taking the position from her own close friend Georgie Thompson, who presented the magazine programme during 2012. Best of friends: Natalie Pinkham (left) has been picked to host Sky Sports' The F1 Show - replacing friend Georgie Thompson who presented the programme in 2012 . Pole position: Miss Pinkham on the track with Force India driver Paul di Resta at the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix . Miss Thompson, who left Sky Sports news for her F1 role at the end of 2011, had been expected to continue hosting the weekly pre-race show, but has not been seen on screen for several weeks, prompting speculation that she had been axed. Last night, a Sky Sports spokesman declined to comment and Miss Thompson’s representative would not be drawn on her departure. But sources insisted she had not been dropped and Sky insiders said she remained with Sky Sports. Yesterday, there was no mention of Miss Thompson – a former girlfriend of Ant & Dec star Declan Donnelly – among the Sky Sports F1 team of presenters. Instead, the Sky website names Miss Pinkham, a former pit lane reporter, as co-host. Teamwork: Both Miss Pinkam, third from left, and Miss Thompson, second right, have been part of the Sky Sports Formula 1 team, along with Anthony Davidson, David Croft, Martin Brundle, Simon Lazenby and Ted Kravitz . Absent: Miss Thompson had been expected to continue hosting the weekly pre-race show, but has not been seen on screen for several weeks, prompting speculation that she had been axed . Miss Pinkham’s appointment is all the more interesting given her long-standing friendship with Miss Thompson, 35. Last night, a spokesman for BT Sport denied reports that Miss Thompson had defected to the new digital channel which launches this summer. On Friday both women used Twitter to update followers. Miss Pinkham said she was heading out to Moscow with her F1 team. Miss Thompson said she was spending time with ‘an old flatmate’. Friends in high places: Miss Pinkham was spotted chatting to her friend Prince Harry at a charity event in 2011 . Right Royal mess: Miss Pinkham was controversially photographed with Prince Harry in a London club in 2006 and the pair remain friends . Wedding guest: As well as being friends with Prince Harry, Miss Pinkham was a guest at the wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall . | Natalie Pinkham to replace friend Georgie Thompson as host of The F1 Show .
Pair met at £29,000-a-year boarding school .
Miss Thompson vanishes from screens, prompting speculation she was axed .
Miss Pinkham, 34, has known Prince Harry for a decade . |
40,112 | 71337e3f1f0bf5db9e8c35538a967b7260eb8808 | (CNN) -- Rory McIlroy was confirmed as winner of the Race to Dubai Sunday despite not lifting a club in anger for six weeks. Victory for American Brooks Koepka in the Turkish Airlines Open -- at the expense of McIlroy's nearest challengers Marcel Siem, Jamie Donaldson and Sergio Garcia -- left the Northern Irishman with an unassailable lead ahead of the DP World Tour Championships in Dubai later this week. It is the second time in three years that McIlroy has ended the season as European number one, having claimed two major titles and a lucrative World Golf Championship event. But eyebrows were raised when the 25-year-old McIlroy said he would sit out the WGC-HSBC Champions and BMW Masters tournaments in China to prepare for a court battle against his former management company. With such a big lead after his earlier triumphs, the world number one judged he afford to miss out on more big pay days, his last appearance on the European Tour coming with a second place at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in the first week of October. Germany's Siem, who won the BMW Masters event, made a brave attempt to win in Turkey to keep the race alive. He started the final round Sunday just a shot off the lead, but could only card a closing 71 to finish tied eighth, with Donaldson 19th and Garcia 25th. Koepka, who lives in Florida, clinched his first European Tour victory with a superb closing 65 on the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course at Antalya to finish 17 under par. It left him a shot clear of England's Ian Poulter, who was left to rue a missed six-foot birdie putt on the 18th to force a playoff. Henrik Stenson of Sweden finished third to move into second in the Race to Dubai standings, but 2,726,514 points behind McIlroy, with 1,666,600 on offer to the winner in Dubai next Sunday. McIlroy will go in search of a search of a second win in three years at Jumeirah Golf Estates, delighted to have wrapped up the Harry Vardon Trophy, awarded to the player who finishes the season as Europe's top player. "This has obviously been the best season of my career by a long way, and to win the Race to Dubai for the second time really is something truly special," he told the official European Tour website. "That four-week spell over the summer, from the British Open to the US PGA Championship, would have to be the best golf of my life, so I feel like I've really earned the Race to Dubai." The top 60 players in the Race to Dubai after this week's tournament, with Koepka up to sixth, will play in the $8 million end of season finale. | Brooks Koepka wins Turkish Open title .
Holds off Ian Poulter by a shot at Antalya .
Rory McIlroy confirmed as winner of Race to Dubai .
McIlroy's main challengers needed to win in Turkey to prolong race . |
241,390 | c47552f137713020a64c2c873daa2fbe190b1ed7 | Bartilla, Iraq (CNN) -- On a dusty street corner in the Christian enclave of Bartilla, Iraq, Yousuf and his friends try to pretend that things are normal. They smoke, play dominoes and act like ISIS fighters aren't potentially just moments away from killing them. Bartilla is near Mosul, the first city to fall to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, an al Qaeda splinter group also known by its acronym ISIS. "We have all our bags ready. If anything happens, we will leave," said Yousuf. Others are determined to stay. "I might be the only girl left here. Everyone will go, but I will stay," said Mariana, 22, who spoke to CNN as she sat outside a church. "I won't leave my country." 'There won't be an Iraqi left' Religious minorities, such as Christians and Yazidis, make up less than 5% of Iraq's population. Since 2003, attacks against these minorities by insurgents and religious extremists have driven more than half of the minorities out of the country, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. Those that remained sometimes took security into their own hands. After a series of attacks against churches in Baghdad in 2005, young men in Bartilla formed civilian defense units. Their efforts have intensified in recent weeks as militants have drawn near. The men won't let CNN film their checkpoints, or other defenses -- not with ISIS just a 10-minute drive away. Umm Shakir's brother and sister were killed in an explosion in Baghdad in 2008. She points at her son. "Everyday he pulls a 12-hour guard duty," she says. "It's very hard. If it stays like this, there won't be an Iraqi left in the country." 'This evil can't continue' Comprising mostly Sunni Muslims, ISIS wants to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, that would stretch from Iraq into northern Syria. Since launching their offensive in Iraq, the group claims to have killed at least 1,700 Shiites. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have fled, prompting fears of a brewing humanitarian crisis. Most shops in Bartilla are closed. Their owners have either left or don't bother opening. Business is down; power is out. But Father Binham Lallou proudly points to the new renovations at his church -- the granite archways, the floor he always wanted to build. He remembers coming to the church as a boy. "What are we supposed to do?" he wonders out loud. "This is our land, our church that our ancestors built. This evil can't continue. A day will come when people will come to their senses." Source: Chorus grows that al-Maliki has to go for Iraq's sake . Opinion: How struggle in the heartland of Islam may redraw borders . CNN's Dana Ford contributed to this report. | Religious minorities make up less than 5% of Iraq's population .
Attacks have reportedly driven more than half of the minorities out since 2003 .
"A day will come when people will come to their senses," says one man . |
58,080 | a4a0d6a36e32c971e4b47f53e333a9f24d77dab5 | Tokyo, Japan (CNN) -- Japan's main opposition party has filed a protest with search-engine giant Google, urging it to delete from its mapping service the Chinese name for a cluster of disputed islands. The islands in the East China Sea are known as the Senkaku in Japan and as the Diaoyu in China. "It is clear that the Senkaku Islands are under the effective control of Japan in both history and the international law. Therefore, there is no territorial dispute to be resolved over the islands," the Liberal Democratic Party said Wednesday. "It is clearly wrong to list the names as if a territorial dispute exists with China in this area. We strongly call you to delete it as soon as possible," the party said to Google. Asked about the LDP's move, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said, "The LDP's action was totally upright. If necessary, the Japanese government will also take action together." His ministry "will lodge a protest within a few days," he said. Google, based in the United States, was not immediately available for comment. Beijing says the Diaoyu Islands and most of the South China Sea belong to China, disputing neighboring countries' claims. The clash over territorial waters and islands -- and the natural resources that go with them -- is a flash point in the Asia-Pacific region. Last month, China and Japan clashed over Japan's arrest of a Chinese fishing captain. The battle escalated into diplomatic threats by Beijing, the suspension of diplomatic talks and canceled trips between the nations. "If you read history documents, Chinese first discovered the island and put it in effective administration," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at the time. Chinese state-run media also has repeatedly run articles claiming China's "indisputable sovereign rights" to the islands. Japan late last month freed the fishing captain, who returned to a hero's welcome in China. Critics blasted Japan's government for backtracking, with some saying it had put business interests first. | The islands belong to Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party says .
They are known as the Senkaku in Japan and as the Diaoyu in China .
Japan's foreign minister says he supports the LDP's request .
The islands were part of a recent diplomatic battle between Tokyo and Beijing . |
163,972 | 600bbf116e01ad1ba43e370508475cf92f419672 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:15 EST, 27 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:36 EST, 27 December 2012 . Bulgaria has invited French tax exiles Gerard Depardieu and Bernard Arnault to become Bulgarian citizens with the promise of 'cheap alcohol, concrete beach resorts and experienced prostitutes'. The cheeky letter from Bulgaria's Demographic Policy Centre was sent to the famous film star and France's richest man as a protest against the mass emigration from the cash-strapped eastern European state. Depardieu, 64, and Arnault, 63, both recently announced they were fleeing to Belgium to dodge France's new massive tax hike on the rich of 75 per cent on all earnings over one million euros. Scroll down for video . Shocked: French actor Gerard Depardieu received a surprising letter from a Bulgarian policy centre encouraging him to relocate to the country for tax reasons, among others . The invitation from policy centre chief Iskren Veselinov reads: 'Bulgaria is an exceptionally beautiful country inhabited by smart, industrious, and good-natured people. 'The environment and the air are clean because we have no industry at all. 'The advantages of Bulgaria as a destination for elite immigrants including chalga music, highways, subway, gypsies and romantic, concrete-filled resorts with first-class alcoholic beverages of the Tsar Kiro brand. 'We also have experienced prostitutes, and the optional payment of taxes with the possibility to drain as much as you wish from the tax system. 'Our population is shrinking from happiness, which is why we need reinforcement.' The letter then states that two million Bulgarians will have emigrated by early next year, and the country's population is expected to drop to a 'critical minimum' of five million by 2050. Copies of the sarcastic invitation . were also sent to Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, Prime Minister . Boyko Borisov and parliament chairwoman Tsetska Tsacheva, it states. Depardieu . and Arnault are the latest in a flood of super-rich French who are . fleeing President Francois Hollande's socialist tax rises. French . optician chain tycoon Alain Afflelou - who has an estimated 190 million . pounds fortune - has announced this month he was moving to London for . 'business reasons'. Stunning: Aside from some of the more unusual enticing comments in the letter, it also highlights the country's stunning scenery, such as this view from Gela Village . The exodus comes after Prime minister David Cameron angered the French in June when he said Britain would 'roll out the red carpet' to welcome more French businesses to the UK. He told a business summit in Mexico: 'And they can pay tax in Britain and pay for our health service and schools and everything else.' Paris estate agents have also warned that France's luxury property market had hit a 'selling panic' as the super-rich rushed to move away. Luxury property agent Daniel Feau said: 'It's nearly a general panic out there with some 400 to 500 residences worth more than one million euros coming onto the Paris market since May.' And British estate agent Sotherby's said this summer that its French offices sold more than 100 properties over 1.7 million euros between April and June this year - a marked increase on the same period in 2011. Sotheby's French boss Alexander Kraft said: 'The result of the presidential election has had a real impact on our sales. 'Now a large number of wealthy French families are leaving the country as a direct result of the proposals of the new government.' | Letter sent to French stars from Bulgarian policy centre .
Claims payment of taxes is 'optional' and there is 'possibility to drain as much as you wish from the tax system'
Depardieu and Bernard Arnault are the latest in a .
flood of super-rich French fleeing President Francois .
Hollande's socialist tax rises . |
2,708 | 07ecb59767f10217e2d684e697195fb5021781f8 | By . Michael Zennie . and Associated Press Reporter . The father of a teenager who was allegedly shot dead at a Florida gas station over his loud rap music has testified about his shock and horror after learning of the fatal shooting. Ronald Davis took the witness stand today against Michael Dunn, 47, who is claiming self defense in the shooting of 17-year-old Jordan Davis. Jurors also learned that Jordan died from a single bullet wound to his chest that severed his aorta. Dunn fired nine times after getting into an argument with Jordan and his friends over the rap music the teen was blasting from his SUV at a Jacksonville, Florida, gas station in November 2012. The racially-charged case has sparked comparisons to the killing of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Jordan was black; Dunn is white. Dunn is charged with first degree murder. Shocked: Ronald Davis, the father of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, testified Monday that he was horrified to learn his son had been gunned down . Too loud: Michael Dunn (left) is facing a . first-degree murder charge for fatally shooting 17-year-old Jordan Davis . (right) in an argument about speaker volume in November 2012 . Mr Davis, Jordan's father, said he told detectives days after his son's death that he was horrified to learn of how the boy had died. 'I think I said at the time that I was shocked that my son was killed,' Mr Davis said. Prosecutors had hoped Mr Davis could testify about a conversation he had with the three other teens who were in his son's SUV at the time of the shooting. However, legal wrangling by Dunn's defense meant Mr Davis was able to make only that statement. Prosecutors rested their case on Monday. Their last witness was an associate medical examiner as their last witness in direct testimony in the first-degree murder trial of Michael Dunn, who is pleading not guilty. He said he acted in self-defense when he fatally shot Jordan Davis, 17, of Marietta, Ga., outside the store in Jacksonville in November 2012. According to authorities, an argument began after the 47-year-old Dunn told Davis and his friends to turn the music down they were listening to in an SUV outside the store. One of Davis' friends lowered the volume, but Davis then told him to turn it back up. Officials say Dunn became enraged and he and Davis began arguing. Dunn, who had a concealed weapons permit, pulled a 9 mm handgun from the glove compartment of his car, according to an affidavit, and fired shots into the SUV. Nine bullet holes were found in the car. Dunn grinned slightly in court on Monday as his legal team began its case by calling character witnesses . Riddled with bullets: Evidence markers on the shot up SUV show where nine bullets entered the vehicle . Associate medical examiner Stacey Simons testified Monday that the first bullet that hit Davis in the abdomen likely killed him. The bullet went from his lower right abdomen, into his diaphragm, through his liver and hit his aorta, she said. 'I believe it would have been fatal within a matter of minutes,' Simons said. Under cross-examination, Simons said it was unlikely Davis was standing up when he was shot. Dunn's defense attorney, Cory Strolla, had argued in opening statements that Davis had threatened Dunn with a 4-inch knife. Simons said the bullet appeared to have struck something hard, like a car door, before hitting Davis. Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyst Sukhan Warf said toxicology tests on Davis showed no signs of drugs or alcohol in his body. No gun was found in the SUV. Another law enforcement department analyst, Maria Pagan, testified earlier in the day about the steps Dunn took before shooting the teen, bolstering prosecutors' contention that he acted with premeditations. Florida Department of Law Enforcement firearms analyst Marie Pagan shows the 9mm pistol Dunn used to kill Jordan Davis. He fired nine shots . Dunn would have had to remove the gun from its holster, load the chamber with a bullet and then apply six pounds of pressure to fire it, Pagan said. Dunn fired the gun 10 times, hitting the SUV nine times, and he would have had to pull the trigger every time using more than six pounds of pressure each time, Pagan said. Pagan answered affirmatively when prosecutor Angela Corey asked, 'Does that take a conscious effort of the shooter to have a second-round come out?' The first witness to testify for the defense was Randy Berry, a friend of Dunn. He said he never knew Dunn to be violent. Berry's wife, Beverly Berry, also testified that she had never seen Dunn with anything but a calm demeanor. Dunn had been at his son's wedding before the shooting. Dunn's ex-wife, Phyllis Molinaro, and son, Chris Dunn, told jurors that Dunn didn't appear drunk and was in good spirits at the wedding. The defense attorney also called Davis' father to ask him what he recalled in the days after the shooting. 'I think I said at the time that I was shocked that my son was killed,' Ronald Davis said. At the end of the day, Strolla told the judge he expected to call only one or two more witnesses on Tuesday before wrapping up the defense presentation. | Ronald Davis says he was 'shocked' to learn his son Jordan Davis has been killed .
The unarmed teen was killed by a single bullet that severed his aorta, a medical examiner testified .
Prosecutors rested their case against Michael Dunn on Monday . |
105,342 | 13d7a896a7a2a3cbe29eef189ab0ddf9b4f3864f | Karl Fellows, 29, was rushed to hospital after being punched unconscious by a thug during a football game on New Year's Day . A football player has been left with horrific injuries after a single punch broke his jaw and teeth following a brutal attack on the pitch. Karl Fellows, 29, was rushed to hospital after being punched unconscious by another player during a semi-professional game on New Year's Day. The Aston Villa coach - who also plays for Stourport Swifts - spent three hours under the knife as surgeons battled to save his shattered jaw. Medics inserted a plate and four screws to repair the battered bone, after the Midland Football League Premier Division match away at Walsall Wood FC. Mr Fellows said he was attacked in the 30th minute by a 21-year-old opposition player - who has not yet been named. Fortunately an off duty nurse who happened to be watching the game rushed to help the father-of-one. But he now needs surgery to repair his teeth and jaw. He said: 'I can't really remember much of it, because I was completely knocked out by the blow. 'But I know the punch came from behind. I was running back towards my goal to get the ball, and the next minute I was waking up in hospital. 'I'm still in excruciating pain, I can't believe what has happened to me, I was just playing football. 'When I went under the knife I was just supposed to be there for an hour, but they found my jaw was so badly broken they needed to do more work to save it. 'The x-rays show the damage was so bad they have had to cut in from the outside rather than just through my open mouth. 'That means I will have scars on the inside and outside of my mouth for the rest of my life. 'My face has been swollen, and my teeth are now completely rearranged. 'They said they managed to get the back teeth back in place, but it would take years and years for the front ones to come back, and they may well never do. 'I don't think I will play again, not how I feel at the moment, it's scary to think that could happen when you're just there to play. Karl Fellows is helped by a team mate on the ground being treated for his injury. Chris Reynolds, chairman of Stourport Swifts, said he had written to football league officials to complain about the incident . Mr Fellows was rushed to hospital after being punched unconscious by another player during a semi-professional game on New Year's Day . Fortunately an off duty nurse who happened to be watching the game rushed to help the father-of-one. But he now needs surgery to repair his teeth and jaw . Mr Fellows, 29, from Solihull, West Midlands. Karl was assaulted and left unconscious with a broken jaw while playing for the Stourport Swifts in an away game at Walsall Wood FC on New Year's Day . 'I coach football to young people and it is all about teaching respect. Players will always be injured, but being attacked, like I was, was disgusting.' His father Paul, 55, also from Solihull, said he was left 'horrified' by the incident. He added: 'I wasn't at the game but I got a call from Karl who could barely speak. I couldn't believe it when he told me what had happened. 'I've been refereeing football games for more than 20 years and I've never heard of an incident like it. 'Karl lives and breathes football. To think that this will put him off playing again breaks my heart.' Pictured at hospital after the injury. Mr Fellows now says he is reluctant to return to the football pitch . Chris Reynolds, chairman of Stourport Swifts, said he had written to football league officials to complain about the incident. He added: 'I'm appalled. Behaviour like that should not be tolerated, on or off the pitch.' A spokesman for Walsall Wood FC said that the incident had begun with a Walsall Wood player being fouled from behind by a Stourport Swifts player, who then spat on their team member. Whilst the club stressed that it in in no way condones violence, it added that the incident would never have occurred but for the initial spitting offence. A West Midlands Police spokesperson added: 'A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault at Walsall Wood FC's ground near Aldridge at around 4pm on New Year's Day. 'He has since been bailed for further questioning later this month.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Karl Fellows, 29, was rushed to hospital after being punched unconscious .
Surgeons battled for three hours as they tried to save his shattered jaw .
Medics inserted a plate and four screws to repair the battered bone .
His face and jaw is swollen, and his teeth are now completely rearranged . |
279,068 | f58dd63aae31e9b61be08e33e71825b51a6c3cfa | England head coach Stuart Lancaster insists he will speak to Dylan Hartley about the 'importance of on-field discipline' after the hooker's latest indiscretion. Northampton Saints forward Hartley was handed a three-week suspension by the RFU after being sent off for elbowing Leicester Tigers' Matt Smith in a Premiership match in December. Hartley escaped a lengthy ban after RFU judicial officer Jeremy Summers accepted his guilty plea and mitigating circumstances - including provocation by Smith - but he was still punished due to his previous poor disciplinary record. Northampton Saints hooker Dylan Hartley trudges off despondently after being sent off for his vicious elbow . During the melee, Hartley was caught planting a elbow into the face of Leicester Tigers' centre Matt Smith . Referee JP Doyle (left) had no choice but to show Hartley a straight red card for his antics . Smith (left) and Hartley (right) have words after the incident, as the Leicester man is seen to by a physio . April 2007 - banned for 26 weeks after being cited for eye-gouging Wasps forwards James Haskell and Jonny O'Connor. March 2012 - received an eight-week suspension after being cited for biting Ireland forward Stephen Ferris' finger while playing for England in a Six Nations game. December 2012 - banned for two weeks after being cited for punching Ulster hooker Rory Best during a Heineken Cup match. May 2013 - sent off for verbally abusing referee Wayne Barnes during the Aviva Premiership final against Leicester at Twickenham. Received an 11-week suspension that sidelined him for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia that he had been selected for. December 2014 - sent off for elbowing Leicester centre Matt Smith in the face. Banned for three weeks. * Hartley, has now been banned for a total of 50 weeks during his playing career. And that means Hartley will be available for national selection during the 2015 Six Nations if Lancaster decides to choose him, with the tournament kicking off when England travel to Cardiff to face Wales at the Millennium Stadium on February 6. But Lancaster insists he will speak to the 61-cap hooker before allowing him to take to the field in a Red Rose shirt this year. Speaking at the unveiling of the 2015 World Cup sign on the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne, Lancaster said: 'I have not spoken to Dylan. I did not want to do anything until the disciplinary process was followed through, and obviously he has a ban to serve. 'He knows as much as anyone the importance of on-field discipline. He will have been disappointed in himself to put himself in that position. 'I will have a conversation with him.' In total, Hartley has now received bans totalling 50 weeks. Before his latest indiscretion, Hartley had already been given a 26-week suspension in April 2007 for eye-gouging, an eight-week ban in March 2012 for biting, a two-week punishment for punching in December 2012 and an 11-week expulsion for verbally abusing referee Wayne Barnes in the 2013 Aviva Premiership final. Hartley will miss three Aviva Premiership games before being available to return for Northampton’s European Cup clash with the Ospreys on January 18. Hartley trudges off after being shown a yellow card during England's loss to South Africa in November . England head coach Stuart Lancaster at the unveiling of the 2015 World Cup sign on Newcastle's Tyne Bridge . | Dylan Hartley was handed a three-week ban by the RFU for elbowing Leicester Tigers' Matt Smith in a Premiership match in December .
Northampton hooker has now received suspensions totalling 50 weeks .
England head coach Stuart Lancaster will speak to Hartley .
Lancaster will remind Hartley of the 'importance of on-field discipline' |
67,536 | bf9fc87816b200bb8013346b41df032610b87d44 | By . David Williams and Chris Greenwood . PUBLISHED: . 19:52 EST, 16 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:21 EST, 17 April 2013 . The Boston Marathon bombs were built inside pressure cookers and packed with shards of metal, nails and ball bearings, it emerged last night. The aim was to cause maximum carnage as red-hot shrapnel tore through spectators and runners. Investigators believe the explosives – which killed three and injured more than 170 – were in six-litre pressure cookers with gunpowder and set off by an electronic timer. Bloodied: Injured runners and spectators lie on the pavement after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday . Investigators continue to comb the scene after the horrific attack in Boston . It is believed the six-litre pressure cooker bombs were set off by an electronic timer . The devices are used by terrorists in Afghanistan, are a preferred weapon of al-Qaeda and listed as the ‘most effective’ weapon of jihad. Details of the crude but effective devices emerged as President Barack Obama told the United States to be on the alert for anything suspicious and admitted it was still not known who was responsible. He said the Patriots’ Day blasts were ‘a heinous and cowardly act’ of terror used to target innocent people and promised those responsible would feel the ‘full weight of justice’. But Mr Obama also said it was unclear if the attacks were carried out by an international or domestic organisation, or perhaps by a ‘malevolent individual.’ One of the bombs was placed in a black back-pack before being put on the ground among spectators, the other was left in a dustbin. One may have been triggered by a mobile telephone. The pressure cooker devices have been used in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. At least one was employed in the attempted May 2010 bombing of Times Square in New York by Faisal Shahzad, who admitted he had undergone bomb-making training at a militant Islamist faction camp in Pakistan. However, the Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the 2010 attempt in Times Square, has denied any role in the Boston attack. A man kneels praying in front of a makeshift memorial on Boylston Street, Boston . Marathon runners embrace at the gates where three people died and more than 170 were injured in the bombing . Three people, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed and 176 injured, 17 critically, in the blasts near the finishing line of the showpiece event watched on TV by millions across the United States on Monday. Yesterday Richard DesLauriers, of the FBI, said: ‘We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime.’ Officers, who checked the course before the marathon started, now think the bomber had a ‘three-hour window’ to plant the devices before the blasts and are looking into a number of suspect groups and theories. The include the possibility of a fanatical right-winger or ‘Lone Wolf’. The crude, basic nature of the bombs are said to point towards this and the attack was launched on April 15, tax day in the United States, when the whole nation is expected to file tax returns. Experts speculated right-wingers could have seen the marathon as a liberal, multicultural bonanza worthy of targeting. Significantly, there has been a large rise in the number of anti-government or so-called ‘Patriot’ groups during Mr Obama’s presidency. Monday was Patriots’ Day in the US, a public holiday commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the first battles of the War of Independence, which would be cause for celebration for such groups. The obvious alternative theory is a foreign terrorist group. Al Qaeda, the Taliban and terrorists linked to the groups have been desperate to carry out a bombing on the US mainland, especially since Special Forces shot Osama Bin Laden dead in his Pakistan hideout. The devices have been used in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan but no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack . The FBI has applied for a warrant to extract the identity of every mobile telephone in the area where the bombings took place . But their efforts have been repeatedly foiled and Monday’s attacks are not thought to be the work of suicide bombers. Al Qaeda and their associates are usually swift to claim responsibility for their attacks but last night no group had come forward. Yesterday the full extent of the horrific injuries suffered by the victims became clear as Dr George Velmahos, of Massachusetts General Hospital, said his doctors removed ‘a variety of sharp objects,’ including pellets and nails, from the wounds of victims – one had 40 pellets in a leg. His colleague, Dr Stephen Epstein, disclosed an X-ray of one victim’s leg that had ‘what appears to be small, uniform, round objects throughout it – similar in the appearance to ball bearings’. The FBI has applied for a warrant to extract the identity of every mobile telephone in the area where the bombings took place and has requested that all spectators hand over any phone or camera footage to help try to identify any suspects. Last night police said that no one was under arrest but refused to provide any insight into a raid on a residential building in Revere, eight miles north-east of Boston, late on Monday – said to be the home of a Saudi Arabian man. President Obama told the United States to be alert for anything suspicious and admitted it is still not known who was responsible for the Boston bombing . Several large bags were taken from a fifth-floor apartment early yesterday. Police, who confirmed explosives experts had accompanied them in the search, which was done ‘under warrant’, were earlier said to have questioned two men from Saudi Arabia. The leader of the 9/11 attacks and several members of the cells that hijacked four planes were from Saudi Arabia, but officials ‘cautioned’ against putting ‘great significance’ on the raids ‘at this stage’. A 20 year-old student linked to the address is said to be under police guard in hospital, where he is being treated for burns and shrapnel wounds to his legs, after he was tackled to the ground by a civilian who believed he was acting suspiciously. At Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, investigators seized the man’s clothes to examine whether they held any evidence that he was linked to the attack. Law sources told the New York Post that after the man was grabbed by police, he smelled of gunpowder and said, ‘I thought there would be a second bomb’, before asking, ‘Did anyone die?’ By CHRIS GREENWOOD . The Boston Marathon attacks will go down in history as yet another atrocity associated with Patriots’ Day. Investigators fear the timing of the bomb blasts on a day full of significance for many Americans is no coincidence. The celebration of freedom marks the anniversary of the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775 – the ‘shot heard around the world’. But its meaning has been warped by a growing number of white supremacists and other far-Right groups who have turned it into a rallying point. The Boston bombings join a litany of other terrible events connected to the day, including: . Patriots’ Day is April 19, but in Massachusetts and Maine it is commemorated with a public holiday on the third Monday in April. On Monday night, President Barack Obama noted the date, saying: ‘Today is Patriots’ Day – a day that reflects the freedom Boston has celebrated throughout its history.’ Counter-terrorism expert Richard Barrett said the incident had hints of a right-wing attack rather than Al Qaeda-inspired extremism. Mr Barrett said the timing on Patriots’ Day and the relatively small size of the devices suggested the work of a domestic extremist. | Red-hot shrapnel tore through spectators and runners causing carnage .
Explosives were in six-litre pressure cookers with gunpowder and set by electronic timer .
Used by terrorists in Afghanistan and favourite weapon of al-Qaeda .
The Waco siege which left 76 dead at self-declared messiah David Koresh’s compound on Patriots’ Day in 1993.
White supremacists blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, killing 168. Bomber Timothy McVeigh, who was executed in 2001, planned the blast to coincide with the second anniversary of Waco.
The 1999 Columbine school massacre, which left 15 dead and 21 injured, took place on the day after Patriots’ Day. Gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher before killing themselves.
The Virginia Tech massacre, the deadliest school shooting in US history, took place on April 16, 2007. Seung-Hui Cho, a senior student, shot and killed 32 people and wounded 17 others in two separate attacks before committing suicide. |
269,619 | e939c1253b14ce28b9fe08e8d31bdb022107ff51 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 06:14 EST, 25 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:07 EST, 25 February 2014 . A new global monitoring system has been set up to offer ‘near real time’ information about the destruction of forests around the world. Global Forest Watch (GFW) uses satellites, open data and crowdsourcing to give companies buying commodities and resources a better idea about whether they are unwittingly contributing to deforestation. The system is backed by 40 businesses including Google and lets people view an interactive map that shows where forests are being destroyed around the world and how fast they are being cut down. Scroll down for videos . Global Forest Watch - a new global monitoring system - has been set up to offer 'near real time' information about the destruction of forests around the world. A map showing the last 12 years of destruction is shown . Users can access annual tree cover loss and gain data for the entire globe on a map at a resolution of 30 metres. Deforestation data is updated in near realtime.Cloud computing, provided by Google lets people accelerate the speed at which the data can be analysed. GFW unites high resolution information from satellites with the power of crowdsourcing.The service is free and no technical expertise is needed. When forest loss alerts are detected, a network of partners and citizens around the world can mobilise to take action. ‘Businesses, governments and communities desperately want better information about forests. Now, they have it,’ said Dr Andrew Steer, President and CEO of WRI. ‘Global Forest Watch is a near-real time monitoring platform that will fundamentally change the way people and businesses manage forests. From now on, the bad guys cannot hide and the good guys will be recognised for their stewardship,’ he said. The world lost 2.3 million sq km (230 million hectares) of tree cover from 2000 to 2012, according to data from the University of Maryland and Google. That translates to 50 football pitches of forest being cut down every minute for 12 years. Russia, Brazil, Canada, United States, and Indonesia are the countries that have lost the most tree cover. The map shows forests of the world in high resolution of 30 metres and monthly tree cover loss data for the tropics at a resolution of 500 metres. The world lost 2.3 million square kilometres (230 million hectares) of tree cover from 2000 to 2012, according to data from the University of Maryland and Google. A forest clearing is pictured . Users can choose to be alerted when a forest is lost, allowing networks of organisations and individuals to mobilise to take action against deforestation, GFW said. They can also use analytical tools to select layers showing boundaries of protected areas, as well as forest fire alerts from Nasa and biodiversity hotspots. It is hoped that GFW will have far-reaching implications across industries, enabling financial institutions to evaluate if the companies they invest in adequately assess forest-related risks. Buyers of major commodities such as palm oil, soy, timber and beef can better monitor compliance with laws, sustainability commitments and standards and suppliers can credibly demonstrate that their products are ‘deforestation free’ and legally produced. The tool is also designed to support indigenous communities who can upload alerts and photos when encroachment occurs on their lands and NGOs that can identify deforestation hotspots and collect evidence to hold governments and companies accountable. Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are excited about using the tool as it can help them design smarter policies, enforce forest laws, detect illegal forest clearing, manage forests more sustainably, and achieve conservation and climate goals. This map shows forest gain . Many governments like Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are excited about using the tool as it can help them design smarter policies, enforce forest laws, detect illegal forest clearing, manage forests more sustainably, and achieve conservation and climate goals. Heru Prasetyo, Government Ministerial level Head of the REDD+ Agency, Indonesia, said: ‘Indonesia is committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 per cent, or 41 per cent with international support, which reflect national and international commitments to combat climate change. ‘How Indonesia meets that commitment is largely defined by how we manage our forests. The ability to better monitor our forests and have up-to-date information to make decisions are critical.’ It is hoped that GFW will have far-reaching implications across industries, enabling financial institutions to evaluate if the companies they invest in adequately assess forest-related risks. Here, areas of deforestation are show across Europe . | Global Forest Watch (GFW) uses satellites, open data and crowdsourcing to map areas of forest destruction and gain .
The system is backed by 40 businesses including Google and should give businesses a better idea about whether their products are sustainable . |
8,935 | 19351209d547bbd0ddad6ffecc925c29694c4640 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two customers are suing Wal-Mart for negligence after being injured in a mad rush for post-Thanksgiving bargains that left one store employee dead, the men's attorney said Tuesday. A temporary worker at this Wal-Mart was crushed to death when shoppers rushed into the store last week. Temporary Wal-Mart worker Jdimytai Damour, 34, was crushed to death as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of a store on Long Island at 5 a.m. Friday. Attorney Kenneth Mollins said Fritz Mesadieu and Jonathan Mesadieu were "literally carried from their position outside the store" and are now "suffering from pain in their neck and their back from being caught in that surge of people" that rushed into the Wal-Mart. New York Newsday reported that the Mesadieus are father and son, ages 51 and 19. The lawsuit alleges that the Mesadieus' injuries were a result of "carelessness, recklessness, negligence." In a claim against the Nassau County police department, the men also contend that they "sustained monetary losses as a result of health care and legal expenses ... in the sum of $2 million." "This is a tragic situation that could have and should have been avoided with the exercise of reasonable care. There are very simple measures that could have been put in place to avoid this, such as barriers along the line to spread people out, extra security and a better police presence," Mollins said. He said his clients and others who were at the scene contend that the police "were there ... saw what was happening, and they left." Calls seeking comment from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. were not immediately returned. Lt. Kevin Smith of the Nassau County Police Department said, "it's our policy that we don't comment on open litigations" and would not respond directly to Mollins and his clients' claim that officers left the scene. He said it is "incumbent upon the store to provide security" but noted that there was no security force present when officers responded to an initial phone call after 3 a.m. Friday for an unknown disturbance at the site. Smith said the officers noticed a lack of order with the crowd and began to organize them into a line, remaining on site for about 30 minutes until the crowd had become orderly. Throughout the morning, officers went back to check on the crowd and continued to notice no disturbance, Smith said. He said that there were no additional calls for assistance until about 5 a.m., when people began rushing the doors of the store and trampled Damour. An autopsy showed that Damour died of asphyxiation after being trampled, Nassau County officials have said. Video showed that as many as a dozen people were knocked to the floor in the stampede of people trying to get into the store. The employee was "stepped on by hundreds of people" as other workers attempted to fight their way through the crowd, said Nassau County Police Detective Lt. Michael Fleming. CNN's Kristen Hamill contributed to this report . | Men suffered injuries after being carried along in rush for bargains, suit claims .
Customers also filed claim against police, say they didn't maintain order .
One store employee killed in post-Thanksgiving rush for bargains . |
70,085 | c6b475670aa2b7f2c3466c2f61b6f8d0d4e6dad8 | By . Graham Smith . PUBLISHED: . 07:44 EST, 31 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:50 EST, 31 May 2012 . Baby wipes are as safe and effective as cotton wool and water and can even soothe nappy rash, according to scientists. A wipe is as gentle on baby skin as the cotton wool and water washing technique recommended by Government health experts, it is claimed. Researchers at Manchester University tested the wipe against cotton wool and water on 280 babies over a three-year period. The high street wipe tested is as gentle on baby skin as the cotton wool and water washing technique recommended by Government health experts . They discovered that wipes are ‘as effective and as safe as water - but much more convenient for parents'. And babies cleaned with wipes suffer less nappy rash. The findings run contrary to guidelines . from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice), which . recommends that parents wash newborns with cotton wool and water . to avoid skin irritation. Babies under the age one lose more moisture through their skin than older children and are more vulnerable to irritation, meaning parents have to use gentler washing techniques. Lead researcher Tina Lavender said 'the wipes were ‘equivalent to water and cotton wool in terms of skin hydration'. They also revealed slightly lower levels of maternal-reported napkin dermatitis - or nappy rash - among babies washed with wipes than those who had water and cotton wool used on them. Professor Lavender said: 'Our trial provides us with . the strongest evidence available so far that we shouldn’t base our . practice on tradition alone and that Nice needs to look at its current . guidelines. 'For the first . time, we now have a robust, adequately-powered study that can be used in . practice, the results of which should be adopted by our national . guidelines. 'These results should provide . healthcare professionals with much needed evidence-based information, . giving them the option to support the skin-care cleansing regime best . suited to individual parents and their newborn babies.' The experiment was sponsored . by wipe manufacturer Johnson & Johnson using their Extra Sensitive . Wipes. But Professor Lavender said the research was carried out under ‘strict, independent scientific . protocols’, using blind tests and peer reviews. She added: 'Our research, looking at one high street baby wipe, wanted to test whether the product was as safe and effective on newborn babies’ skins as water alone to see if midwives could help give parents more options than current guidelines provide. 'Parents can now be confident that using this specific baby wipe, proven in the largest randomised clinical trial conducted in newborn cleansing, is equivalent to water alone.' The research was published in the journal BMC Paediatrics. | Researchers tested one high street wipe against cotton wool and water on 280 babies over three years .
They are now calling on National Institute of Clinical Excellence to change the advice it gives parents . |
189,338 | 813502cc0cb53516a3194e133b7d3e14e3586b73 | By . Fiona Macrae . Nature not nurture: Men are more likely to be gay if they have older brothers, according to a series of studies . The more older male siblings a man has, the greater chance he will be gay, according to a series of studies. Scientists say the phenomenon cannot be explained by the youngest boy being babied and mollycoddled or other differences in the way they are brought up. Instead, it has a biological basis, claim researchers. They believe the immune response a woman mounts against having a male baby in her womb increases with each son, raising the odds of ‘feminising’ the foetus’s developing brain. In one study, Canadian scientists collected data from almost 1,000 men, including some who had been adopted or brought up with stepbrothers and stepsisters. This revealed that having lots of brothers raised a man’s odds of being gay – but only if they were blood brothers. Stepbrothers did not have an effect, the research by Brock University in Ontario found. However, biological brothers who were brought up separately did. This suggests that the link can be explained by nature rather than nurture, New Scientist reports. Each older brother raised the odds that a man was homosexual by a third. This means that if a first-born son has a 3 per cent chance of being gay, the figure for the second son will be 4 per cent. Hormones: Scientists believe the immune response a woman mounts against having a male baby in her womb increases with each son, raising the odds of 'feminising' the foetus's developing brain . By the fourth son, the odds will have more than doubled. It . is thought that carrying a male baby in the womb triggers an immune . response in the mother, creating antibodies that attack part of the . unborn child’s brain linked to sexual orientation. New claims: A study revealed that having lots of brothers raised a man¿s odds of being gay ¿ but only if they were blood brothers . This response gets stronger the more boys a woman carries, raising the odds of homosexuality. Genetics and exposure to hormones in the womb are also likely to be important, while some argue that upbringing plays a role in sexuality. Female foetuses do not provoke the same reaction and no link has been found between having lots of sisters and lesbianism. This week’s New Scientist reviews other studies that link physical and psychological traits to a person’s place in the order of siblings – or parity. Studies show eldest children to be more cautious but also more intelligent. Middle children tend to be more sociable while youngest children are less likely to suffer from allergies and asthma. The science magazine states: ‘Not all younger siblings will be spoilt and allergy-free, not all middle-borns will be social butterflies and not all older siblings will be tall, intelligent, responsible leaders, but our place in parity provides fascinating insights into the complexity that makes each of us unique.’ | Canadian scientists found each older brother raises odds of homosexuality by a third .
Carrying a male foetus causes an immune reaction in a women's body .
It causes antibodies to attack part of the developing male brain linked to sexuality . |
226,245 | b0f7c5e6ceeda533ce8cd91f2686199f17156fd2 | Bubba Watson has a reputation of being a bit of a joker away from the golf course and the American golfer has filmed yet another hilarious video to make that assumption even more realistic. The 36-year-old posted footage of himself putting a hole-in-one during an evening golf session before taking off his top to celebrate his triumph in true Watson style. Watson tweeted the video to SportsCenter in hope that the account, which showcases sporting talent, would be posted to their 13.4million followers. Bubba Watson looks into the camera before predicting he will putt a hole-in-one during an evening golf session . Watson's shot goes towards the golf flag before landing in the hole to the American golfer's delight . He then runs around the course with his shirt off to celebrate his hole-in-one . SportsCenter allow Twitter users to nominate a sportsman, by using the hashtag #SCtop10, for coverage on their page. Watson says during the video: 'Hey SportsCenter. Yes, it is time for another Bubba Watson SportsCenter top 10,' before predicting he will putt a hole-in-one. After his prediction comes to fruition, he looks into the camera and says 'you're welcome' before running around the course shirtless. Watson, who has released comical music videos with fellow Golf Boys members Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan, released a rap song shortly before Christmas which he named 'Bubba Claus The Single'. The 2014 Masters winner blurted out lyrics such as: 'I just touched down on a hovercraft. I bet you want to know what’s in my bag. 'Is it golf clubs or a bag of toys? It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Bubba Claus.' Watson looks at the camera to say 'you're welcome' as he aims to entertain his watching fans . The 2014 Masters winner dressed up as 'Bubba Claus' for his 'The Single' Christmas video . I just touched down on a hovercraft . I bet you want to know what’s in my bag . Is it golf clubs or a bag of toys? It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Bubba Claus . I remember Christmas growing up in Bagdad . Chillin in the living room with my dad . Mama in the kitchen got food in the stove . Sister in the living room playing on the floor . I used to hit the golf course take me a swing . Got my first clubs this boy was a teen . Kids in their room can't even go to sleep . Cos they know I'm coming through putting gifts on a tree . No sled, no beard, no reindeer . I might come deliver gifts on a John Deere . KD asked me to bring him a new ball . But I'm checking ma list it's Bubba Claus . I just touched down on a hovercraft . I bet you want to know what’s in my bag . Is it golf clubs or a bag of toys? It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Bubba Claus . I gotta big guy he's the reason I made it . I thank him every day for the moves that I make . Baby Jesus he was born in a manger . Cos he knew when I was born I was gonna be the saviour . Thank you for my clothes and the shoes on my feet . Thank you for my kids and the food that they eat . Thank you for my house and the house where we sleep . I wake up every day and put it on repeat . I just touched down on a hovercraft . I bet you want to know what’s in my bag . Is it golf clubs or a bag of toys? It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Bubba Claus . | American golfer Bubba Watson has filmed yet another comical video .
Watson predicts he will putt hole-in-one before sinking shot .
The 36-year-old released rap song video shortly before Christmas . |
139,439 | 404e8460c174bab6192caa5d10e23584a56159a8 | A man and woman have both been charged over the death of a young man whose badly burnt body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a park. The body of Dane McNeill, 20, was found by a council worker at Picnic Point in south-west Sydney shortly before 5.30am on July 21. Mr McNeill, who was reported missing by his family three days before he was found, was so severely charred it was difficult to initially identify him and his age. Scroll down for video . The body of Dane McNeill, 20, was found by a council worker at Picnic Point in south-west Sydney shortly before 5.30am on July 21 . Detectives arrested a 24-year-old man at a home at Bankstown about 8am on Wednesday. He has since been charged with murder and conspiracy to murder and was refused bail. A 24-year-old woman was also arrested on Wednesday at a home at Liverpool just after 10am. She was charged late on Wednesday afternoon. The woman is believed to be pregnant and also has a two-year-old child, Daily Telegraph reports. A third man in custody for an unrelated matter is expected to be charged this month. It is understood the pregnant woman is the girlfriend of one of her co-accused. Detectives arrested a 24-year-old man on Wednesday morning and he has since been charged with murder . Mr McNeill, who was reported missing by his family three days before he was found, was so severely burnt it was difficult to initially identify him and his age . A woman, 24, was also arrested by police on Wednesday morning and was charged later that day . His family have spoken out about their heartbreak over the loss of Dane and their deep sadness that he 'fell into the wrong crowd' in the months before his death. Every New Year's Eve, he made an effort hug to his mum when the clock struck 12. It was the haunting absence of this routine show of affection a week ago that made the occasion almost too much to bear. 'Dane's mum really missed that. Come 12 o'clock and he wasn't there - it was hard,' father Peter McNeill told AAP. On Wednesday, the Sydney family welcomed the bittersweet news that two people had been charged over their 20-year-old loved one's murder. Mr McNeill - an ice hockey star in his childhood - had lost his way with drugs six months before his death. He had twice been busted for drugs and on one occasion was caught by police with ice and three knives in a suburban Sydney street. When police searched his padlocked car on May 20 last year, they found digital scales, a black wallet with crystal meth-filled capsules and a drug tick book with names and dollar amounts. The Narellan man later pleaded guilty in court to a string of drug charges a month before his alleged murder. If anything can come from his son's death, his father hopes it's a message about the impact of ice. 'I think it's really important the rest of the people out there realise the dangers of this drug,' he said. 'He was a good boy mixed up in ice. It was out of his control, basically.' 'He got mixed up in this ice epidemic... Guys, take it easy. You don't need it,' his father told Nine News. Police allege that Mr McNeill was assaulted at an address in Heckenberg on July 18 and kept captive overnight . The 24-year-old man has since been charged with murder and conspiracy to murder and was refused bail . Mr McNeill's family and girlfriend, Jade Patterson, are preparing themselves for the next milestone without him - his 21st birthday in March. Ms Patterson hopes that now arrests have been made, Mr McNeill can 'now be at peace. 'He didn't deserve what they [allegedly] did to him,' she told SMH. 'He was a beautiful boy with a heart of gold ... no matter what though, nothing will change what I'm feeling or bring Dane back.' The body of Mr McNeill was found in a park at Picnic Point in Sydney's south west last July . Mr McNeill's body was so severely burnt it was difficult to initially identify him and his age . A council worked made the gruesome discovery of Mr McNeill's body back in July 2014 . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Body of Dane McNeill was found by a council worker at Picnic Point in south-west Sydney on July 21 .
His body was found so badly burned that it could not be recognised .
Detectives arrested and charged a man and woman on Wednesday .
The man has since been charged with murder and conspiracy to murder .
Police allege Mr McNeill died after being assaulted and stabbed .
He was then allegedly set alight in the park where his body was found . |
123,377 | 2b7c4a0c46e747bc7c03ba4165267e89d2554166 | Ricardo Medina Jr will not be charged, police said today, after he was accused of fatally stabbing his roommate . A former Power Ranger will not be charged after being accused of stabbing his roommate to death with a replica medieval sword in a row over his girlfriend. Ricardo Medina Jr, who played the Red Ranger, reportedly told officers that he stabbed Joshua Sutter after he forced his way into his bedroom during the fight. Prosecutors said on Tuesday that Medina will not be charged but did not reveal other details. Sutter was said to have been angry that Medina's girlfriend was spending too much time at their home when the former Power Ranger was not there, TMZ reported. The 37-year-old has been charged with killing his roommate by stabbing him in the abdomen with the sharp weapon on Saturday afternoon. Medina, who reportedly called 911 himself, was taken into custody in Palmdale, California, shortly after, reports claim. Sutter was taken to hospital and pronounced dead. The roommates started fighting at around 3.30pm, according to reports. Medina went into his room with his girlfriend but Sutter tried to follow them. It was then that Medina had allegedly dealt the fatal blow. Medina starred in the 2002 TV series Power Rangers Wild Force before playing Deker in the 2011 series Power Rangers Samurai. He also voiced Deker in the video game Power Rangers Samurai, and in the movie Power Rangers Samurai: A New Enemy, which hit theaters in 2012. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Medina was also pursuing a singing career and had stints in ER and CSI, according to his IMDb profile. 'He is a great friend and a great client. It's something I can't even conceive. I don't see that in him. 'He was a very helpful guy and great with his dog. It's such a shock,' said Gar Lester, Medina's former agent who has known the actor for 12 years, told ABC7. Medina's neighbor, Justin Adamson, said the actor had moved into the block about two months ago. He told ABC7: 'We brought him some bread and just tried to interact a little bit with him, but he was more of the, you know, the type of guy that didn't really want to communicate.' Medina starred in the 2002 TV series Power Rangers Wild Force before playing Deker in the 2011 series Power Rangers Samurai (right) | Ricardo Medina Jr, 37, allegedly stabbed roommate to death in California .
Actor, who played Red Ranger in the popular TV show, will not be charged, prosecutors said on Tuesday .
Row reportedly sparked by time Medina's girlfriend spent at property . |
91,576 | 01ce73352b1bf4c21c6868f0b20a04b6b52e4282 | By . Daniel Martin . 'I'm being victimised': Bob Crow says he is under no moral obligation to move out of his council house . Union firebrand Bob Crow has said he has ‘no moral duty’ to move out of his council house – despite earning £145,000 in salary and expenses. The general secretary of the rail union RMT still lives with his family in taxpayer-subsidised social housing even though millions of much more needy people are stuck on waiting lists. Challenged in a radio interview about his failure to buy his own home, he claimed he was being ‘victimised’ and denied there was any ethical obligation for him to do so. ‘I have no moral duty at all,’ he said. ‘I was born in a council house, as far as I’m concerned I will die in one.’ Mr Crow, 52, spoke on the day that he revealed his union could strike for a whole working week in response to plans by Transport for London to close ticket offices across the Tube network, with the loss of 750 jobs. He appeared on London’s LBC radio sporting a tan just after returning from holiday. Presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer challenged the union boss about why he was still living in a housing association home in North London, when he was on such a high wage. She suggested that if he moved out, the home could be used for a family on a waiting list for social housing who might currently be living in overcrowded accommodation. Mr Crow said that if he did move out into a private home, it would be unfair on his family. ‘Yes I could buy my own place but why don’t you ask the rest of my family who live at home with me whether they should have to move as well?’ he said. ‘Why is it just down to me to buy a house? Why should my family who have lived there for 30 years, with all the friends they’ve got, have to move because of the job I’ve got?’ The RMT leader suggested that if he did move he would be seen as having deserted his working class roots. ‘If I moved out of my house tomorrow the first thing you’d say is Comrade Crow leaves his roots,’ he said. Staying put: Mr Crow, who earns £145,000, said 'I was born in a council house so I will die in one' ‘It’s an absolute nonsense. I’m the only one down my road who pays their rent and I’m being victimised.’ He said it did not say anywhere in the rules that ‘someone who pays their rent every week, doesn’t claim social security’ should have to give up their council home. Mr Crow said the reason behind the shortage of social housing was not because of people like him, but because of Margaret Thatcher’s policy of right to buy, which allowed council housing tenants to buy their own homes. But a ban on councils building their own homes meant that these were never replenished – causing a shortage. He also denied he was the recipient of ‘subsidised rent’, even though his rent will be much less than the market rents for similar properties in his area. | RMT general secretary lives with family in taxpayer-subsidised housing .
Claimed he is being 'victimised' over his arrangements in radio interview .
'I was born in a council house so I will die in one', he said . |
224,755 | af02483567f811e0c039e9ca1864e86668914bb3 | (CNN) -- When a website that claims more than a half-billion monthly visitors gets hacked, users pay attention. So when we wrote Thursday about hackers who published login information for more than 450,000 Yahoo users, readers had plenty to say about it. Dozens of your comments hovered around a central theme: Who still uses Yahoo anyway? Selendis said: "hmmm, I may be on that list. except that it would be so old, the email and password wouldn't get you anywhere. have not logged into a yahoo account in years. don't even remember what email address it would have had." Maekju80: "I'm surprised that many people still use Yahoo. Wonder if those same users still have 8-Track tapes too?" prelude066: "Who still has a yahoo account? Over 50 year old white guys who haven't checked it in 6 years... " Yahoo may not have the digital sex appeal it did back in the glory days of the '90s dotcom boom. And, to be sure, recent months have been tough on the venerable Web giant. The company cut 2,000 jobs in April as part of an overhaul by then-CEO Scott Thompson. Then, less than a month later, Thompson himself was out after the discovery that he had padded his resume with a phony college degree. But having been perhaps the Web's first major portal, Yahoo holds onto a massive worldwide base of users. Its e-mail service is the world's second-most popular, behind Microsoft's Hotmail, although Google's Gmail has been gaining big chunks of ground in recent years. Many of you blamed Yahoo for not having taken tougher security measures: . Sixnard: "What's annoying is that there are companies who do this right, but so many other companies who aren't paying attention. Amazon, for example, assumes that their systems will be broken into despite all precautions, and it stores personal information encrypted and on separate servers so multiple break-ins and extensive correlation would be needed to obtain useful information." They also report break-ins when they occur with full details, so anyone else who's interested can take steps to prevent further exploits. People know how to do this, they just chose not to. In a written statement Thursday, Yahoo said they were fixing the exploit the hackers used and changing the passwords of users who were hit. They said that less than 5% of the breached e-mail accounts had their active passwords attached to them. Some readers felt like the story was overblown and that hacks like this are, unfortunately, part of online life: . garyguy: "Seems only the biggies get headlines. Actually there were new reports today that an Android forum and an Nvidia forum were also hacked. It's getting to the point where you'll need a password to use your password." Cat Nippy: "There are always security risks in technology and communication. That doesn't mean we should all retreat to the Dark Ages and start sending out information on stone tablets. Over-react much?" And, of course, some of you decided to have some fun with it: . TwitHappens: "Now someone can finally respond to that Nigerian lawyer who wants give me $12 million if I just give him my checking acct number..." Richard Williams: "Oh great now someone is going to make fantasy football trades without my knowledge" Finally, on a more useful note, many readers wanted to know where they could find out if their account was one of the ones that was compromised. CNN Tech is not linking to the hackers' Web page. But security firm Sucuri Labs has created a page with a tool it says will tell users whether their e-mail address was leaked. | CNN readers respond to news of hackers who exposed 450,000 Yahoo accounts .
Many felt Yahoo could have done more to prevent the leak .
Others say the story was overblown, that hacks are a part of online life .
Many jokesters say: People still use Yahoo? |
179,416 | 744d8378877d3efde3f509b7168a4296750a5299 | Will England qualify for the knockout stages? Will England qualify for the knockout stages? Now share your opinion . This time Andre Pirlo did his damage without touching the ball. It was a beautiful dummy, one which suckered in Daniel Sturridge and created the space for Claudio Marchisio to fire Italy ahead, with the crispest of drives. The Italians (and the natives of Manaus) celebrated in style and without injuring anyone in the process, but there would still be work to do in a wide-open contest. Here were two teams with reputations for strength at the back, who can be turgid, especially in the group stages of a tournament like this, producing an absolute thriller. The master at work: Andrea Pirlo played a key role as Italy kicked off their World Cup campaign . Crisp strike: Claudio Marchisio fires Italy ahead after Pirlo's step over . The round-by-round Rumble in the Jungle verdict . Round 1 (0-15 minutes): The old master and his young challenger stand off each other at first, with Welbeck more concerned with attacking and Pirlo unbothered, but the Italian fools England’s number 11 seconds before the end of the round with a dummy which eventually leads to nothing. Round 2 (15-30 minutes): Pirlo is dictating the play for Italy now. Welbeck looks dangerous out wide but leaves his man to take over in the middle with the two fighters backing off each other for now. Round 3 (30-45 minutes): The bearded maestro almost turns Welbeck’s cross into his own net before inspiring his team’s best moment, dummying on the edge of the area to fool the Englishman and allow the ball to break to Marchisio who slams home the opener. Round 4 (45-60 minutes): Pirlo controls the contest from range, not allowing himself to get drawn into a battle with his younger counterpart. Round 5 (60-75 minutes): Seconds into the 60th minute and it’s a knock-out as Roy Hodgson throws in the towel for Welbeck and he’s withdrawn from the contest. Italy left . holes, England left more and what a delight it was for Pirlo, one of the . finest midfielders of his generation with a gift for visualising the . game, and unpicking it with his passing and control. Two years on from . Kiev, a few degrees hotter with more hair on his face, he is still a . delight to watch and a master play-maker. Each . touch of the ball has an effortless caress, be it a two-yard roll of . the ball or the sort of 40-yard pass he threaded behind Leighton Baines . in the opening couple of minutes, or which he slid through on the . counter-attack late on for Ciro Immobile. So . much for the friendly handshake in the tunnel with Roy Hodgson, the man . he claimed called him Pirla, a light-hearted term of offence in . northern Italy, when he was manager of Inter Milan. He meant business. Pirlo . captained his team in the absence of Gianluigi Buffon, but could . England tame him? That would be the key from the outset. Jordan . Henderson had worked in training to monitor his movement, with Jack . Wilshere as the Pirlo double. Yet . Henderson did not want to leave Steven Gerrard’s side as they tried to . shield their back-four and Pirlo was content to play from deep, . particularly when he worked out Matteo Darmian and Antonio Candreva – . Italy’s dominant forces - were tormenting England’s left side. In control: Pirlo keeps the ball from Daniel Sturridge . Taking instructions: Cesare Prandelli speaks with Pirlo and Mario Balotelli . All . the threat came from the Italian right. Pirlo noted this, and . manoeuvred the ball that way, sliding passes into the gaps where Wayne . Rooney had not tracked the runner or Leighton Baines had been dragged . out of position. It . is a sign of his understanding of the game. He stands where there is . room and the game gravitates his way. It is not an accident. There is . no-one in English football to match. He protects the ball never gives it . away and his head is always swivelling around, looking for openings, . checking out the movement around him. Making his mark: Pirlo got around the pitch and helped Italy to their win . There . was no 'Panenka' chipped penalty – although Italy may have deserved a . spot-kick when he clipped the ball past Glen Johnson in the first-half . and the full-back blocked it with his arm. There was no delicious . free-kick – although he went mighty close in stoppage time. Instead, . here was another 90 minutes where England never quite got a grip on . him. It may be for the last time. He will retire from international . football after this World Cup. In the meantime, enjoy him. And, perhaps, English midfielders can learn what he does. Outnumbered: Pirlo keeps the ball under pressure from Danny Welbeck and Glen Johnson . Looking for the ball: Pirlo looks for the pass as Italy look to get on top . Making his point: Pirlo gestures to the referee as Giorgio Chiellini controls the ball . | Italian midfielder Pirlo makes his mark in with with step over for opening goal .
Two years on from running the show at Euro 2012 - Pirlow shows he is still class .
England midfielders can learn from Italian plays the game . |
220,154 | a8f0a3395d4c59be7cb5a40329e4d2ae2db84fa2 | The U.S. decision to cripple the finances of the insurgent Haqqani network has put the limelight on its influential and respected leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani. Based in North Waziristan, a tribal area of Pakistan, the group is aligned with the Taliban and al Qaeda and is considered one of the most significant threats to stability in Afghanistan. Jeffrey Dressler, a senior analyst with the Institute for the Study of War, said Siraj, as he is known to intelligence sources, is the "name, the face" and the "guy with all the clout" in a group that has been a major problem for coalition forces along the Afghan-Pakistan border. "He's very, very competent, a very capable leader who has really grown the network over the past five, six years," Dressler said. Clinton labels Pakistan-based group as terrorists . U.S. intelligence officials believe Sirajuddin began turning the Haqqani Network into a "killing machine" in 2007. The network -- long regarded as a proxy of Pakistani security services -- is believed to have been behind a slew of attacks. One was a 2008 coordinated suicide bomb attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul that left six dead. Another was a strike in June 2011 that killed 12 at the InterContinental Hotel. A third was an attack on a military base near Kabul around 10 years after the September 11, 2001, attacks that left 77 coalition soldiers injured. The Haqqani clan is believed to be holding Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who disappeared in June 2009 after finishing guard duty at a combat outpost in southeastern Afghanistan's Paktika province, U.S. military officials have said. The Taliban previously claimed to have captured the soldier but it is possible, because of the close ties between the two groups, that Bergdahl was handed over to the Haqqani network. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will notify Congress of her intent to formally designate the Pakistan-based Haqqani network as a terror organization on Friday, Clinton said. Individual commanders such as Sirajuddin have already been blacklisted. The United States put a $5 million bounty on him shortly after the Treasury Department designated him as a supporter of global terrorism. But Clinton's plan to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity would make it easier to pursue those who provide support for the movement. Sirajuddin has taken over leadership of the group from his father, Jalaluddin Haqqani -- once considered a U.S. ally because of his role organizing Afghan fighters in the war against the Soviets in the 1980s. The elder Haqqani developed a close relationship with Taliban leaders and Osama bin Laden after the war with the Soviets, according to writings of journalist Ahmed Rashid, one of the foremost experts on al Qaeda, the Taliban and Afghanistan. The Haqqani network, a family and a terror group . The top leadership is a "family business," said Bill Roggio, managing editor of The Long War Journal, a website that tracks terror-related events and trends. Along with Sirajuddin, Jalaluddin's son Nasiruddin and brother Ibrahim run the network's extensive financial operation. Another son, Badruddin, had been the day-to-day operational commander, but last month he was reported killed in a drone strike. The Taliban denied reports of his death, but Dressler said authorities have confirmed the killing. Badruddin's death will "seriously alter" the daily operations, he said. "Siraj will take a little more of an active role" as a result, "picking the slack in the meantime," Dressler said. Sirajuddin has been described as the more radicalized and more violent of Jalaluddin's sons. He is "very much into the global extremism of al Qaeda. ... He has got those ties (to al Qaeda) so he tends to be more violent than his father ever was," according to Jane's Information Group, which cited an unnamed U.S. intelligence official. Several security experts and U.S. military officials say he has extended the Haqqani network's reach to countries far from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The group has managed to recruit fighters in Chechnya and Turkey, for example, according to a November 2010 Jane's report. Since 2001, global security experts have said the Haqqani network's specialty has been bold and complex suicide bombing attacks. In a rare interview, Sirajuddin Haqqani told Al Jazeera in 2010 that the group's fighters were becoming more advanced and that in the future their techniques "will be even better." "At the beginning of this war, the coordination between our fighters was useless," he said. "But there are so many attacks now, we can't count them ourselves. But it's still not enough. The future will show what I mean." Dressler said Sirajuddin is "increasingly seen as a respected figure in the tribal areas." He has the ability to "hold sway with a variety of militant groups harboring different agendas." They pay deference to Siraj, he said. "He's supposedly pretty sharp and maintains very good relations" with entities ranging from al Qaeda and its affiliates and Pakistan's security services, Dressler said. U.S. and Pakistani intelligence have estimated the Haqqani network has between 4,000 and 12,000 fighters. Adm. Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the Haqqani network acted "as a veritable arm of Pakistan's intelligence." The allegations have strained relations between Washington and Islamabad, which have been in an uneasy alliance in the war against terror since 2001. The relationship between Pakistani intelligence and the Haqqanis goes back to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan when Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States supported the resistance. Intelligence officials believe Pakistan still regards the Haqqanis as an important tool in countering Indian influence in Afghanistan and helping shape any future peace process. Haqqani network militant killed, Afghanistan says . | Haqqani Sirajuddin is described by analysts as more radicalized and violent than his brothers .
His network is based in Pakistan's tribal region .
He is widely respected among other insurgents .
The Haqqani network has been described as a 'family business' |
164,279 | 606f4350580d39a3107deb5dd48219bbb4b66a1b | A husband has been found guilty of beating and choking his wife to death on Valentine's Day - just hours before she was to testify against him in a child abuse case. Jacob Pearman, 32, was convicted of first-degree murder by a jury in Rutherford County, Tennessee on Tuesday morning, a day after closing arguments wrapped up. Pearman, who had admitted to killing his wife Carla in the early hours of February 14, 2013, will likely spend life in prison when he is sentenced, the Daily News Journal reported. He was also convicted of child abuse and aggravated assault for kicking and choking his wife's eight-year-old son on December 14, 2012. He was tried on all charges at the same time. Scroll down for video . Convicted: Jacob Pearman, pictured in court, has been found guilty of first-degree murder for the beating and choking death of his wife, Carla Pearman, at their Murfreesboro, Tennessee home in 2013 . Carla Pearman had been due in court on February 14, 2013 to testify in the child abuse case involving her husband and her son from a previous relationship. Prosecutors said that her husband killed her because she chose not to testify on his behalf. After her death, her husband gave a sworn statement to Murfreesboro Police saying he was 'upset about the court date' and had fought with her over what she would testify. In the hours before her death, he fought with his wife over text messages and when he returned home, he found his clothes packed, he told the police. 'We continued to talk/argue until 1 a.m.' Jacob Pearman said in the statement. 'We spoke with my mother over speakerphone. At that time I was suicidal, not homicidal.' But he turned on Carla, beating and strangling her - before putting her body back in her bed. Afterwards he searched for his gun to take his life and called his parents to tell them what had happened. Jacob Pearman's mother Donna testified how her son called her husband in the early hours of February 14, 2013. Killed: He killed his wife (pictured together) because refused to testify in his favor in his child abuse trial later that day, prosecutors said. He was accused of child abuse after kicking and choking her son . Locked up: After killing her, Pearman (left in his mug shot) put his wife's dead body into their bed . 'I remember my husband fell on his knees,' she told the court. 'That's when I called 911.' Pearman was picked up at a gas station later that morning. When he was arrested by Manchester Police, he had blood on his shorts, an officer testified. Murfreesboro Police found Carla Pearman's body in the couple's bed and an autopsy later revealed that she had been beaten and strangled to death. 'These acts were not only savage and brutal, but they were intentional,' Assistant District Attorney J. Paul Newman said in his closing arguments. 'This was a savage murder and Carla Pearman fought to live. It was a struggle she could not win.' The jury heard how investigators found Pearman's DNA underneath his wife's fingernails, indicating that there had been a struggle. Before her death, Carla told her friend Megan Porter that Jacob Pearman had bought a gun and threatened to kill her for not testifying in his favor, Porter testified, WSMV reported. Confession: The court was shown a video of Pearman confessing to the killing later that day, pictured . Scene: When he arrived home (pictured) the night of her death - and the night before his child abuse court case - he found that she had packed his belongings and wanted him to get out . While Pearman's mother testified that Carla had said she wanted to have his children, other friends said that the woman feared for her life and wanted to protect her son. At the time of her death, Carla Pearman's son had moved to Chattanooga to live with his birth father following the abuse incident in December 2012. 'I knew exactly what she was going to do,' said her friend Steve Matranga. 'He packed his stuff, removed the remote from the vehicle. Had to get him out of the house. The next day was the court date.' But Jacob Pearman's attorney Luke Evans said his client had admitted to killing his wife on Valentine's Day but insisted it was not premeditated. 'He killed her; he did it,' Evans said. 'But truth is Jacob Pearman did not premeditatedly kill his wife.' See below for video . | Jacob Pearman was convicted of first-degree murder on Tuesday for the killing of his wife, Carla Pearman, in the early hours of February 14, 2013 .
Prosecutors claimed he killed her because she refused to testify in his favor in his upcoming child abuse trial .
He faces child abuse charges for kicking and choking her son, eight .
After a night of arguing, he choked her to death before putting her body in their bed and calling his parents . |
50,309 | 8e4cc5ebbc9f36fe12752d60157443d920a8a317 | It is furniture befitting the most prestigious seat of learning. But a university’s plans to pay £150,000 for a set of seven hand-crafted chairs have left staff in a fury. Plymouth University has commissioned luxury furniture maker John Makepeace to create the three-legged seats for use in graduation ceremonies. They are meant to be seen as symbols of success, although as yet it is unclear exactly who would be sitting on them. The chairs, which cost a total of £150,000, are to be used during graduation ceremonies (file picture) A senior university source said the total price tag stands at £150,000 – a quarter of the total £600,000 budget for this year’s graduation programme. Nick Varney of the UCU teaching union said the decision was a mistake at a time when staff were being laid off. ‘Splashing out £150,000 on seven chairs really is quite extraordinary,’ he said. ‘It is even more incredible when you consider that financial problems have been given as a reason for job cuts. ‘If the university needs to save money it should look at its travel and expenses bills and cut down on chairs. ‘Anyone who thinks chairs are a symbol of success is more out of touch than we feared and should probably not be running a university. A successful university is one where students receive a quality education from well-supported staff – chairs simply don’t come into it.’ Students condemned the decision, one tweeting: ‘Plymouth University spend £150,000 on seven chairs ... Not professorial “chairs”. Real chairs. To sit on. Mad.’ Deputy vice-chancellor David Coslett said the commissioning process was ongoing and the university planned to pay for the chairs through private donations and charitable foundations. Professor Coslett was warned in a series of emails between senior staff members that it would be damaging to the university’s reputation if the price was made public. But he said in the emails that he was keen to push ahead, saying the chairs would be ‘a symbol of success’. He added: ‘If there is any disquiet, I am more than confident time will judge this to have been a great decision.’ He said the chairs followed the commissioning of ceremonial robes and a mace and the granting of a coat of arms. | The chairs will be used during graduation ceremonies at Plymouth University .
Students condemned the extravagant purchase as 'mad'
The university's deputy chief says buying the chairs was a 'great decision' |
54,258 | 99b39d1f80564f832680b327faf900ef83d2047b | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 05:04 EST, 6 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:00 EST, 6 June 2013 . The world's oldest tumour has been discovered in the rib of a Neanderthal who lived around 130,000 years ago. Scientists at the University of Kansas took X-rays of the inch-long rib fragments - first found in the Krapina rock shelters of Croatia - and discovered parts of the inner bone were missing. Following CT scans the scientists discovered that this was likely to have been caused by soft-tissue tumour known in modern-day patients as fibrous dysplasia. Scans found that a small part of the inner bone network was missing and had been 'eaten away' by a soft-tissue tumour. This condition is called fibrous dysplasia . Fibrous dysplasia is an abnormal bone growth where normal bone is replaced with soft fibrous bone tissue. It can cause abnormal growth or . swelling of the bone. Although it can occur in any part of the . skeleton the soft tumours are most commonly found in the skull, thigh, shin, ribs, upper . arm and pelvis . Fibrous dysplasia is not cancerous but is rare and there is no known cure. The disorder is usually diagnosed in childhood or early adulthood. Males and females of any race are equally affected. The bones studied by Kansas university anthropologist David Frayer and his team were first excavated more than 100 years ago in Croatia. The site, known as the Krapina rock shelter, in the north of the country held more than 900 Neanderthal bones dating back from between 120,000 and 130,000 years ago. Frayer wanted to scan the bones because many of them showed signs of trauma and marks that happened after the neanderthal had died. Many of the 900 neanderthal bones found in Croatia had evidence of trauma or possible bite marks. This scan taken during the 1980s by researchers in Pennsylvania has a white area of overexposure which was the first evidence that a tumour had 'eaten away' the bone . The detailed scans show exactly where the bone has been 'eaten away' These marks suggest either cannibalism or burial rituals. Researchers . from the University of Pennsylvania took X-rays of the bones during the . 1980s and published a book containing all the radiographs. One of the inch-long rib fragments was shown to have sections of bone that were 'burned out' in the X-ray images. 'Burned out' sections of X-rays suggest over exposure, and in the rib bones this overexposure was caused by missing bone in the inner part of the fragment. Frayer used these images as a guide to take new, higher-resolution X-rays of the specimens. His team also scanned the bones using high-resolution microCT scanners that doctors currently use on modern-day patients. The microCT scan found that the 'spongy bone' which should be on the inner part of the fragment was missing and may have been 'eaten away' by a soft-tissue tumour. This type of tumour is seen in modern-day patients and is called fibrous dysplasia. Fibrous dysplasia is an abnormal bone growth where normal bone is replaced with fibrous bone tissue. It can cause abnormal growth or swelling of the bone and although it can occur in any part of the skeleton, it is most commonly found in the skull, thigh, shin, ribs, upper arm and pelvis . Fibrous dysplasia is not cancerous but is rare and there is no known cure. Frayer reported the findings in the journal PLOS ONE. He told LiveScience: 'People . of that time didn't live as long as they did today; plus, there weren't . very many of them compared to the Egyptians and people today. 'Finding evidence of tumors and evidence of cancers, is - . I don't know if I want to say "lucky" - but there isn't a lot of . evidence for it.' It was previously thought that climate change and a reduction in tree cover forced early man to stand up, but now experts believe the rocky African landscape played a far more significant role . Describing the type of tumour that was found, Frayer added: 'They range all the way from being totally benign, where you wouldn’t . recognize them, to being extremely painful. 'The size . of this one, and the bulging of it, probably caused the individual . pain.' Previously the earliest known tumours were found in Egyptian mummies dating back 4,000 years so this discovery predates this find significantly. A study released earlier this month discovered that Neanderthals lost out to homo sapiens in the battle to survive because they were not clever enough to adapt. The . results showed that . modern man walked the planet much earlier than was believed and Neanderthals died out much sooner than was estimated. Neanderthals had larger eyes than Homo sapiens but did not develop brain power in the same way. This meant that Homo sapiens were able to outsmart and ultimately outlive Neanderthals who had to use their brains more for physical rather than mental needs . Neanderthals breastfed their babies for over a year - just like humans, according to new research. Chemical . analysis of a neanderthal child's tooth reveal it was reared on . mother's milk for seven months with suckling continuing for the same . period coupled with solid food. The . change from breastfeeding to plants and grains can be established by . looking at differences in the distribution of barium – a similar . compound to calcium - in teeth enamel. This . enabled Dr Manish Arora and colleagues at Mount Sinai School of . Medicine in New York to discover the early life diet of a 10 to 12 . year-old child that lived in a cave in Belgium around 100,000 years ago. The . brains of Neanderthals were the same size as those of modern man but . more of it was used to focus on the physical needs of their larger . bodies. Researchers from the University of York additionally found that early man began to walk on two feet because of rocky terrain and not climate change. The study found that our upright gait may . have its origins in the rugged landscape of East and South Africa which . was shaped during the Pliocene epoch by volcanoes and shifting tectonic . plates. Hominins, human's early ancestors, would . have been attracted to the terrain of rocky outcrops and gorges because . it offered shelter and opportunities to trap prey. But it also required . more upright scrambling and climbing gaits, prompting the emergence of . bipedalism. | Rib is up to 130,000 years old and was found in a cave in Krapina, Croatia .
Scientists scanned the bone and found evidence of a soft-tissue tumour .
The earliest tumours previously discovered were found in 4,000-year-old Egyptian mummies . |
222,133 | ab88e0741d82a7bdbf59025ee1e192f4e7d44901 | Women seeking the perfect partner are not looking for Mr Right – they want to find the man they can turn into Mr Right. Two-thirds of women admit trying to transform their boyfriend’s appearance, a study reveals. They buy £500 worth of clothes and spend more than six months buffing and grooming their man – often to make him look more like their favourite celebrity. Two thirds of women admitted to changing the way their partner looked, with some saying they were embarrassed and ashamed to be seen in public with their boyfriend when they first began dating - was this the case for Victoria and David Beckham? (pictured, left, in 1998 and, right, in 2012) More than a third (36 per cent) admit . they were ‘embarrassed and ashamed’ to be seen in public with their . boyfriend at the start of their relationship. They were worried about . his choice of clothes (34 per cent), hair style (22 per cent) and even . smell (9 per cent). Some 68 . per cent admit they ‘improved’ their partner’s appearance, with 48 per . cent buying his clothes. They typically purchased 21 items a year, . spending £493. The star most . women try to transform their man into is David Beckham (22 per cent), . followed by Take That singer Gary Barlow (19 per cent), and X Factor . host Dermot O’Leary (17 per cent), the survey found. Style icons: When it comes to styling their partner, women voted the likes of David Beckham, Gary Barlow and Dermot O'Leary as the celebrity fashion icons they most try to replicate for their man . Dr . Simon Moore, from the British Psychological Society, said women fear . competition from others if they date men who already have the perfect . image. Instead, they look for those with ‘potential’ and aim to shape . them into their ideal man instead. ‘Typically, women who are looking for . an affair or short-term relationship will go for looks and style over . personality,’ he said. ‘However, when it comes to settling down, personality becomes more important. Style overhaul: Choice of clothing was the top reason women were put off their partner and, according to the survey, they'd love their man to channel Justin Timberlake or Harry Styles . ‘Longer-term, . women will look for a man whose character they like and then set about . trying to change their image into somebody more attractive. David Beckham (22 per cent)Gary Barlow (19 per cent)Dermot O’Leary (17 per cent)Mark Wright (11 per cent)Justin Timberlake (9 per cent)Jude Law (8 per cent)Jason Statham (6 per cent)Olly Murs (5 per cent)Harry Styles (2 per cent)Tinie Tempah (1 per cent) 'Changing . their hair, clothes, aftershave and so on is an easier task then . changing their personality. In some ways, women use it as a bit of a . test. ‘If the man is willing . to change after six months, they are more likely to cope with anything . that life throws at them – including the possibility of having a baby.’ Gary Kibble, from online retailer Littlewoods.com, which surveyed 2,000 . women, said: ‘It definitely shows the high standards we set for . ourselves and the expectations we have for our relationships.’ Sophie . Morris, 29, from Brighton, admits that she transformed her boyfriend . into the ‘perfect man’. She said: ‘When I first met my partner I was . attracted to his lively personality and great sense of humour. ‘His hair looked a mess and his clothes had seen better days but I knew they were things that could easily be put right. ‘He was so keen to please me that it didn’t take long for him to make the changes I was looking for. He’s now the perfect man.’ To help men improve on their appearance, Littlewoods.com ambassador, Mark Wright, has revealed his top style tips... To help men improve on their appearance, Littlewoods.com ambassador, Mark Wright, has revealed his top style tips... Keep it fitted. Wear clothes that compliment your frame . Take the time to develop your own style and what works for you. The worst mistake you can make is try too hard . It’s all about the detail. A simple pair of brogues or a blazer can smarten up any look . Don’t mess with your hair. Keep your hair as natural as possible and . try add some length so that there is more to play with . The secret to great skin is to moisturise as much as you can, particularly at night and in the morning after your shower . The key to looking good is feeling good and that means living a healthy . lifestyle. I live by the motto ‘everything in moderation’ | Over two thirds of women have tried to change their partner’s appearance .
David Beckham tops the list of style icons for women, study reveals .
Average women buys 21 items a year for their partner, spending £493.08 .
TOWIE's stylish male star Mark Wright shares some top tips for boys . |
228,753 | b42f0dc8d22f91e875fd11178e7ea02b8a057cd4 | (CNN) -- Luke Donald may have surrendered his supremacy in world golf to Rory McIlroy this year, but he has the chance to get the last laugh of 2012 as the duo go head to head for the final round of the European Tour season on Sunday. The top-ranked duo remained locked at the top of the leaderboard at the $8 million World Tour Championship on Saturday, having moved three shots clear of the 56-man field in Dubai. World No. 1 McIlroy, who emulated his Ryder Cup teammate by winning both the European and U.S. PGA Tour money lists this year, recovered from an opening bogey as he fired five birdies and an eagle in his six-under-par 66. He is already guaranteed $1 million for winning the Race To Dubai with two events to spare, but there is also $1.35 million at stake for finishing first on Sunday. "I think everyone is looking forward to the number one and number two duel, and that's the way it's panned out," said the 23-year-old McIlroy, who has been struggling with a fever. "I know I'm excited about it, and I'm sure a lot of people are. It will be a great way to finish the 2012 European Tour season." Donald has now gone 100 holes without dropping a shot at Dubai's Jumeirah Golf Estates' Earth Course following his flawless six-birdie 66. The last player to win a tournament without carding a bogey was Jesper Parnevik in 1995. "That's pretty good. I guess that's my style -- I don't make too many mistakes," said the 35-year-old Englishman. "It's going to be fun -- great for the crowd and everyone watching around the world. Hopefully we can make some birdies." Neither player has won the season-ending event, which was launched in 2009 -- when Lee Westwood triumphed to overhaul McIlroy in the money list. They are being chased by South Africa's Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, who carded 67 and 68 respectively on Saturday to be on 14-under 202 after three rounds. Their compatriot Branden Grace, a four-time winner on the European Tour this year, was tied for fifth on 12 under with Dutchman Joost Luiten. Justin Rose, third in the Race To Dubai standings, was tied for seventh on 11 under after a 69 -- one shot ahead of second-placed Swede Peter Hanson (70). | Top-ranked Rory McIlroy shares lead with No. 2 Luke Donald at European Tour finale .
Duo will take a three-shot lead into final round of World Tour Championship in Dubai .
McIlroy has emulated Donald by winning the European and U.S. PGA Tour money lists .
They will be battling for the $1.35 million first prize on offer for the tournament winner . |
99,667 | 0c6b2ae068b86af1ffcf420ff54933a71cfb2001 | Even at this late stage Roger Federer has plenty left to do in the 2014 season, whereas for Andy Murray it could be as good as over on Tuesday night. Federer looks set for another run into the last four of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals before trying to win the Davis Cup final for Switzerland, the one significant prize that eludes him. His partner in achieving that dream, Stan Wawrinka, got off to a flying start on Monday with a 6-1, 6-1 victory against Tomas Berdych. Andy Murray shows his dejection after losing to Kei Nishikori in his ATP World Tour Finals opener on Sunday . Novak Djokovic later then brushed aside US Open champion Marin Cilic by the same scoreline, completing a faintly embarrassing brace of one-sided matches which lasted a total of just one hour and 54 minutes. Murray plays Canada’s Milos Raonic on Tuesday evening and if he cannot overcome the world No 8 then his chances of survival to the weekend are almost certainly finished. Murray may be running out of opportunities to win this tournament on home soil. The O2 Arena is guaranteed as the venue next year but then it is up for grabs. World No 1 Novak Djokovic has his eye on the ball as he raced to victory over Marin Cilic on Monday . Stan Wawrinka gives a fist pump as he celebrates his comfortable victory against Tomas Berdych . Proposals from Moscow, Doha and Beijing are believed to be in the offing, while Rio de Janeiro has expressed interest in the past. In the other Group B match on Tuesday, Federer tackles Kei Nishikori. Wawrinka believes that his 33-year-old Swiss team-mate has the ability and fitness to do well here and then make the switch to clay for the Davis Cup final against France in Lille starting a week on Friday. The man known as ‘Stanimal’ said: ‘Roger is the best player ever to adapt to a different surface, it takes him one hour or one day maximum. I am sure he will find a way to play well on clay and be ready to win the Davis Cup.’ Roger Federer bids to claim the Davis Cup with Switzerland for the first time next week in France . | Andy Murray takes on Milos Raonic at the O2 Arena on Tuesday night .
Roger Federer faces Kei Nishikori during Tuesday's afternoon session .
Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka both raced to victory on Monday . |
144,040 | 4641525e6b33f091c3db4d3746ab1264055385af | By . James Rush . A Nigerian man was detained on a psychiatric ward for 18 days because he did not believe in God, a humanist charity has said. Mubarak Bala said he was detained and medicated at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, in Kano state, northern Nigeria, by his Muslim family after speaking openly about his religious beliefs, the International Humanist and Ethical Union has said. Mr Bala was freed on Tuesday following a strike at the hospital which also saw a number of other patients discharged, the charity said in a statement this week. Mubarak Bala was detained on a psychiatric ward for 18 days because he did not believe in God, a humanist charity has said . The IHEU, along with other activists who had been pushing for his release, agreed not to issue the news of his release until he was in a safe location. The charity said: 'There are still deep concerns for Mubarak's safety in a part of the country where accusations of "apostasy" can be deadly.' Following his detainment, Mr Mubarak had used email and Twitter to seek help, until his phone was taken off him. He has now thanked those who campaigned for his release and said he no longer wants to take legal action. Mr Bala has said he was detained and medicated at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, in Kano state, northern Nigeria, by his Muslim family after speaking openly about his religious beliefs, the International Humanist and Ethical Union has said . At the time he was detained, IHEU spokesman Bob Churchill said: 'It appears that a warped notion of family honour is the motivation to pressure Mubarak in this appalling manner, to conform to religious views that he simply doesn’t hold. This is an abhorrent violation of his freedom of thought and belief.' While detained, Mr Bala told online he was detained because of a 'personality change' after he became atheist despite having been raised a Muslim. Activists instructed a Kano-based lawyer and campaigned for the hospital to reassess his case and for the government to call for his release. | Mubarak Bala was detained and medicated at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital .
He said he was detained by his family after speaking about religious beliefs .
Was freed on Tuesday following a strike at the hospital in northern Nigeria . |
227,118 | b2151562c604d41654692c867c1e3f8e6b4128a1 | By . Dr Ellie Cannon . PUBLISHED: . 16:00 EST, 5 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:00 EST, 5 October 2013 . Pop star Rita Ora posted a photo of herself last week having Vitamin B12 injected into her bottom. She is the latest in a line of stars following this crazy fad, apparently as an energy boost. Shooting up: Singer Rita Ora, in printed trousers, left, and friend Emily Rose receive B12 Vitamin injections . Even for celebrities, this seems radical. Is it really a good idea? B12 injections are important for people with a deficiency and it is possible that Rita was prescribed this treatment. However, for those with normal B12 levels, there’s no evidence it will help – and no proof it will replenish energy levels. Unless you have problems with your bowel, there’s no reason not to take a normal oral supplement. Vitamin boost: Jabs are only needed by people who have a B12 deficiency . So why is Vitamin B12 so important? This vitamin is vital for a healthy nervous system and blood cells. It helps utilise energy from our food, which is possibly where the idea comes for fatigue-busting injections. Usual sources would be animal products including meat, eggs, cheese and milk, plus fish and fortified cereals, so most of us already get plenty from our diet. Why do some people have it injected? The most common cause of B12 deficiency is a condition called pernicious anaemia. This is where your stomach lacks the right protein to absorb the vitamin from food. It leads to immense fatigue and breathlessness, and sometimes tinnitus. As the condition means no B12 can be taken in through the gut, injections are vital and initially they are given three times a week to build up stores. After that, a jab once every three months is usually enough to resolve symptoms. What about the trend for IV vitamin drips? These intravenous drips are completely unnecessary for otherwise healthy people. A balanced diet is perfectly adequate for maintaining normal levels of vitamins, and if there is any dietary lack, a tablet is enough to rectify the problem. | New trend of Vitamin 12 injections growing among celebrities .
Pop singer Rita Ora the latest to join as she posts picture of jab online . |
155,085 | 546d947d7523b2117e0b0204e9a4eaf3979304a2 | By . Kieran Corcoran . PUBLISHED: . 17:56 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:54 EST, 20 September 2013 . If you spend every single day in a zoo enclosure, you could be forgiven for wanting some privacy now and again. But this extrovert otter still went out of his way to wow the crowds by juggling with a pebble. He put on a show for visitors to the Sea Life Abenteuer Park in Oberhausen, Germany, to the delight of those around. Scroll down for video . Talented: An otter at the Sea Life Abenteuer Park in Oberhausen, Germany, picks up a pebble to show off his juggling skills to visitors . Caught on camera: Footage of the otter juggling the pebble between its paws was uploaded to YouTube . What a catch: The otter had no problem repeatedly passing the pebble between its paws at a fast rate . After scrabbling about with the small . rock, he begins rolling it across his chest before he hits his stride . and begins tossing it higher and higher. But while his cute display may be amazing the humans, the otter laying right next to him barely seems to notice. The . other creature, potentially the juggler's partner, looks lazily over . out of one eye before deciding she has better ways to spend her time. The performing scamp is part of a family of Asian short-claws otters that live in the park, which also has penguins, sea turtles, jellyfish, sharks and giant Japanese Spider Crabs. 'Look what I've found': The otter grabs a pebble and looks around before his performance . Ready...: The otter gets ready to launch the rock, to the bemusement of his partner . Asian short-clawed otters are the smallest species of otter in the world, and weigh only 5kg. The furry animals live in water, but their fur is so thick that their bodies never actually get wet. They are often tamed and used as pest control to rid rice paddies of crabs. The mammals can live for up to 16 years and stay faithful to their mate for life. Otters have . many quirky habits, including banging rocks against clams and on their . tummies to crack shells. At night, sea otters hold hands with their mate while they sleep to stop them floating apart. Great catch!: He starts to throw the pebble back and forth . Look at me!: Despite his trick, the otther next to him seems more interested in her own tail . Share what you think . The comments below have not been moderated. RussN, . London, . 3 days ago . "Otters are the cause of our declining water vole population. They just love to snack on furry things after eating all the eels" Newton , Bournemouth, United Kingdom, 21/9/2013 09:32... They're not the cause. Sure they will effect the voles, and certainly there are more otters around now - but voles decline where otters are not present too. The big reason for vole decline is damage to habitat and mink - not otters. There are a sight more voles than there are otters, and a damn sight more mink! The big reason for eel decline is HUMANS! Newton, . Bournemouth, United Kingdom, . 3 days ago . Otters are the cause of our declining water vole population. They just love to snack on furry things after eating all the eels. typeOnegative, . Mumbai, India, . 4 days ago . Devoted to their partners. And cute to boot. Bet we can learn something from them. Alexis, . Tropical Place, . 4 days ago . Reminds me of the movie called "Osaka the Otter.." so sad.. why British people wants to use hunting digs and rip these cute innocent animals into pieces while they are alive is beyond me. Mickey, . Snarkysville, United States, . 4 days ago . ZOOS ARE EVIL LET THE OTTERS GO! WHAT CRIME DID THEY COMMIT TO BE INCARCERATED? Lexie, . Liverpool, . 4 days ago . Those animals must be bored out of their wits. - A nation of fools , Thornton Heath . ....What rubbish! Otters are very playful animals and I don't imagine they'd ever be bored for one minute as they're always up to mischief no matter where they live. A nation of fools, . Thornton Heath, United Kingdom, . 4 days ago . Those animals must be bored out of their wits. giddey_up, . Houston, United States, . 4 days ago . Looks fake. Anon, . Somewhere in the UK, United Kingdom, . 4 days ago . I want one!- StrawberryLover , Nandos, 20/9/2013 05:02 Beautiful, magical, intelligent otter isn't it, best leave then where they are as they not possession for humans. - Stormy Wolf , Help And Get Me Out Of, United Kingdom, 20/9/2013 05:43 . stormy, if you're a guy, i wanted to say you sound lovely x . EllieC130, . Dartford, United Kingdom, . 4 days ago . Cute article but I swear you used the headline on a similar article? The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. | Playful creature lies on its backs and tosses a stone between his paws .
He took centre stage at Sea Life Abenteuer Park in Oberhausen, Germany .
But his partner wasn't taken in by the 30-second display . |
251,778 | d1e1279c76248876bc6dc7f661462c6a9d719594 | By . Wills Robinson . Twenty pro-Russian 'terrorists' have been shot dead after they clashed with Ukrainian soldiers in the port city of Mariupol. Fighting broke out at the area's police headquarters and interior ministry when local forces tried to reclaim buildings which were seized last night. Five policemen are said to have been wounded in the stand off while four separatists were captured. Scroll down for videos . People stand near the burning Mariupol police station, Ukraine. Twenty people are said to have died in the city during battles . Rescue attempt: People carry a firefighter injured during an attack at the police station in Mariupol . Grieving: A man mourns over a dead body outside the police headquarters. Firefighters are trying to put out a blaze in the background . Ukraine's interior minister Minister . Arsen Avakov said the attempt by 'terrorists' to storm the building . turned into a pitched battle within its walls. Some rebels had fled and were seeking shelter in the town. A local photographer at the scene told Reuters the building was ablaze and that at least two bodies were lying in the street outside. 'One of them is definitely a police officer,' he said. Other reports said the headquarters was left ridden with bullet holes after the vicious gun battle broke out. A . parade marking the Soviet Union's victory over the Nazis in 1945 was . taking place in the city at the time, but participants were re-directed . and joined the violence. Smoke was seen rising from the city as residents described the 'deadly clashes' on social media. The fire started after Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian milita pitched a battle inside the building . Emergency services: Firefighters try to put out the raging blaze inside the building which was seized by pro-Russian militants overnight . Weapons: Pro-Russian protestors show bullets used near the scene of a vicious stand off . Ukrainian forces had brought . several armoured cars into the town, a major industrial and shipping . centre with a population of around 500,000. The . Interfax agency said police were trying to wrest back control of the . buildings when they came under came under fire from pro-Russia militia. Tanks . were seen patrolling the streets as brawls broke out around the city, . days after 30 pro-Russia insurgents were killed in Slovyansk. Local police in the eastern Donetsk region, centre of a pro-Russian rebellion against Kiev, said they could not comment. Mariupol, in the heart of a . self-declared 'People's Republic' declared by local pro-Russian rebels, . has been the focus of days of skirmishing between Ukrainian police and . separatist gunmen. Carnage: Smoke is seen rising from the port city of Mariupol, where eight people have been shot dead during violent clashes . Deadly: A masked man holds up a tank shell in the city of Mariupol, where vicious gun battles have taken place . The violence cams as President Vladimir Putin flew to Crimea to mark Russia's Second World War Commemorations. It . is the first time he has been to the region since it was annexed in . March and is a visit that is likely to anger the Ukrainian leadership and . upset the West. Around 11,000 troops marched through Moscow's Red Square to celebrate Victory Day, marking the Soviet Union's defeat of Hitler. Vladimir Putin told the mass of soldiers: 'This is a holiday when all-conquering . patriotic force triumphs, when we all feel especially strongly what it . means to be true to the Motherland and how important it is to be able to . stand up for its interests.' Force: Residents captured tanks patrolling the streets. Ukrainian forces are said to have stepped up the presence of armoured vehicles in a bid to retrieve seized buildings . | Fighting broke out at town's police station after it was seized last night .
Five policeman said to have been wounded and four separatists captured .
Smoke was seen rising from the city as the deadly clashes broke out .
Ukrainian forces had brought several armoured cars into the town .
It is a major industrial and shipping centre with a 500,000 population .
Violence comes as Vladimir Putin lands in Crimea for Second World War commemorations . |
259,352 | dbbbbadacdc1245a7e5ce45bb91a516ca75d4068 | (CNN) -- From fighting common colds to cancer, Chinese herbal medicines have long been touted for their healing properties. But this week, environmental group Greenpeace says it found many herbs purchased from Chinese and Hong Kong retail stores contain alarming levels of harmful pesticides. One herb, a sample of San Qi flower purchased from popular chain Beijing Tong Ren Tang, contained over 500 times the EU safety limit of a restricted pesticide. Another herb contained over 100 times that limit, according to the report. Beijing Tong Ren Tang did not return calls for comment. Of the 65 herbs sampled by Greenpeace, 51 contained pesticides with 26 having chemicals classified as "extremely or highly hazardous" by the World Health Organization, it said. "These herbs are of doubtful quality and not safe to consume," said Jing Wang, a Greenpeace project leader. The pesticides pose significant risks for consumers and farmers, Greenpeace said. "We found some old, obsolete pesticides, with highly hazardous chemicals. Even a tiny dose can result in acute toxicity or sickness," said Wang. "Other pesticides can affect our immune system or hormones, and some may have an impact on children's brain development." This is not the first time China has experienced a pesticide-related food scandal. In 2010, batches of cowpeas in Hainan province tested positive for a highly toxic pesticide, according to state media. Last month, an investigation by China Central Television (CCTV) found that farmers in Shandong province were using "three to six times" the recommended level of pesticides on ginger crops. According to Greenpeace, China uses more pesticides than any other country in the world. Wang said the Chinese government has "no regulation or guidance" regarding the use of pesticides with herbal crops. "We want government agencies to strengthen the control, monitoring, and guidance of pesticide use," she said. "The Hong Kong government has more standards than the mainland, but it's still not enough," she added. Dr. Stephanie Ma, an expert on pesticides at the University of Hong Kong, said that Hong Kong generally has "adequate safeguards" to protect consumers from pesticides in food. "All pesticides are fully assessed by the regulatory authorities for safe use before registration," she said. A Hong Kong law scheduled to take effect in August 2014 will set further limits on pesticide residues in food. Ma said pesticide levels that exceed standards set by the European Union "do not automatically indicate imminent health risk to consumers." Conclusions about risks cannot be drawn without taking into account consumers' "level of intake and consumption frequency," she added. In a statement, the Hong Kong Department of Health said, "The Department of Health (DH) is concerned about the findings released by Greenpeace. DH is requesting Greenpeace to provide us with the full report for detail study. In particular, there is lack of information on the testing methods, testing standards and the testing laboratory which are needed to conduct an appropriate risk assessment." "The DH has also in place a market surveillance system to obtain Chinese herbal medicine samples to test the levels of pesticide residues and heavy metals," it added. "So far no abnormal results have been detected from the decocted Chinese medicine samples." The Chinese Ministry of Health did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, Ma offered a simple piece of advice: "In general, the level of pesticide residues in a crop commodity will be reduced substantially following washing and processing: boiling in particular." | Greenpeace: Of 65 herbs tested, 26 contained "highly hazardous" pesticides .
Greenpeace: One herb contained over 500 times European safe limit of pesticide .
NEW: Hong Kong Department of Health says it is "concerned about the findings"
Scientist says pesticides do not necessarily pose risk; boiling herbs can help . |
223,914 | aded1b126787070f73c5210d951c1210ff0730dd | Ruthless Chelsea extended Tottenham's torment at Stamford Bridge with a 3-0 win which saw Jose Mourinho's unbeaten Blues consolidate their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League. Sportsmail's Sami Mokbel rated the players' performances at Stamford Bridge. CHELSEA (4-2-3-1) Thibault Courtois - 6.5 . Had to keep his wits about him as Spurs started quickly, but was a spectator for the most part. 6.5 . Branislav Ivanovic - 6.5 . As always, what you see is what you get. Solid in defence and joined in to bolster numbers in attack. Striker Didier Drogba (right) celebrates scoring Chelsea's second goal with Branislav Ivanovic . John Terry - 7 . The Chelsea captain has clearly not lost his enthusiasm on derby day. As combative and determined as ever. Gary Cahill - 6 . Recovered well after a nasty head collision with Jan Vertonghen, but had to be replaced at half-time. Cesar Azpilicueta - 6.5 . Lennon's pace caused him a few problems, but on the whole dealt well with the Tottenham winger. Nemanja Matic - 7 . Provides the base for Chelsea's forwards to cause havoc. Is there a better defensive minded midfielder in England? Chelsea's Eden Hazard (left) opens the scoring against Tottenham on Wednesday night . Cesc Fabregas - 7 . Had extra incentive given his links with Arsenal. The Spaniard helped Chelsea take full control of midfield. Willian - 6.5 . Relentless work rate from the Brazil international. As important defensively as he was in the attacking third. Oscar - 7 . Brilliant pass to set-up Drogba's first-half goal. Spurs struggled to deal with his intelligent movement in front of their back-four. Eden Hazard - 7.5 . Knew he had the beating of Chiriches and took full advantage, giving the Romanian a night he'll want to forget. Nemanja Matic produced another influential performance in the Chelsea engine room . Didier Drogba - 8 . This Drog doesn't need new tricks, the old ones are still working fine. An utterly ruthless display from the Blues legend. Subs . Zouma 6 (for Cahill, 46); Remy 7 (for Drogba, 67) Not used: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Schurrle, Salah, Remy . Manager . Jose Mourinho - 7 . His side were rattled during the opening exchanges, but they rarely looked in any serious trouble. TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1) Hugo Lloris - 5 . Will be disappointed to have let Hazard's strike in at the near post. His side's positive start went to pot from that moment. Vlad Chiriches - 4.5 . Hazard had him on toast. You almost felt sorry for the defender at times. Not a right back…and it certainly showed. Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches (right) endured a torrid night at Stamford Bridge . Federico Fazio - 5.5 . The jury's still out on the central defender. Looked solid one minute and error-prone the next. Jan Vertonghen - 5.5 . Doesn't look anywhere near the player he was during his first two seasons at Tottenham. Ben Davies - 6 . Had his hands full in trying to deal with Willian's energy and his quality in possession suffered as a result. Ryan Mason - 5.5 . Did his best against Fabregas and Matic, but was no match for Chelsea's formidable midfield duo. Nabil Bentaleb - 6.5 . The youngster will be better for this experience. Kept a cool head in midfield and was economical in possession. Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb kept a cool head under pressure . Aaron Lennon - 6 . Seems to be back in favour with Pochettino and caused problems down Chelsea's left-hand side before being subbed. Christian Eriksen - 6 . Schemed and probed for an opening but couldn't get on the ball enough to cause Chelsea major problems. Erik Lamela - 6 . Saw plenty of the ball, but once more flattered to deceive for Tottenham. When will Pochettino run out of patience? Harry Kane - 7 . Spurs' biggest threat on a disappointing night. Unlucky with a header that hit the bar in the first half. Tottenham striker Harry Kane was a threat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge . Subs . Chadli 5 (for Lennon, 58); Paulinho 5 (on for Mason, 58); Soldado (on for Lamela, 74) Not used: Vorm, Kaboul, Dier, Naughton . Manager . Mauricio Pochettino - 6 . Would have been encouraged by his side's start but then watched his side self-destruct in three minutes. Ref: Mike Dean - 6.5 . Kept a cool head on fiery night at Stamford Bridge. Didn't once look like he was close to losing control of this London derby . | Nemanja Matic (7) produced another commanding performance .
Chelsea's Didier Droba was man of the match with top mark of 8 .
Midfielder Eden Hazard was also in fine form and scored 7.5 . |
100,952 | 0e14b2544b50bb890c3f345393c20d7d26648a52 | A Las Vegas mother, her ex-husband and his new wife all faced court on Tuesday after being charged with what police described as 'one of the most horrific sex rings in memory' involving their own children. Mother-of-four Terrie L. Sena, 43, who was arrested last week and charged with multiple counts of disturbing sexual abuse in Clark County, has been a licensed kindergarten through 12th grade substitute teacher since May 2013, according to The Las Vegas Review Journal. Along with her ex-husband Christopher Sena, 47, and his current wife Deborah Sena, 50, the trio are accused of engaging in sex acts with at least eight minors and filming some of the encounters as part of a child porn operation. The eight children identified as being abused were immediate and extended family members, police said. Despite the strange relationship dynamic, all three live together in the same trailer home. In court on Tuesday: Christopher Sena, 47 (left) and his current wife Deborah Sena, 50 (right), are facing a total of 50 sexual abuse charges involving eight child victims over 12 years . Disturbing: Mother-of-four Terrie Sena, 43, a Clark County School District substitute teacher, is accused of participating in the sex ring. She is seen at left in her mugshot and at right in court this week . Scene: Officers searched the Vegas trailer home of Christopher Sena, where they allege the abuse occurred . Investigators believe there are more victims and say the sex crimes have been going on for at least 12 years. Some of the victims are now adults, police said. Terrie and Christopher Sena had three sons and a daughter together before splitting in 1997. However Terrie continued to live with her ex and their children, even when he took a new wife. Police found out about the alleged sex ring in September after the new wife Deborah Sena, another adult and a child told a family law attorney about the abuse. Charged: Christopher Sena, 47,was arrested September 19 after investigators identified him as the alleged ring leader, while his current wife Deborah Sena (right) and ex Terrie Sena were arrested Thursday . Hangout: Neighbors say the home was a meeting point for alot of children in the area . Deborah Sena is said to have left her husband in August, moving out of the home where the alleged abuse occurred. A Metro SWAT team served a search warrant on their trailer home in the 6000 block of Yellow Stone Drive, near Lake Mead Boulevard and Mount Hood Street, on September 18. Officers found at least 30 pieces of electronic and recording equipment. A subsequent investigation lead to the arrest of Christopher Sena, who is facing 23 charges, including incest, bestiality and felony child abuse. Many of the charges carry a sentence up to life in prison. Deborah Sena told police that there was 'fear and intimidation' involved when it came to dealing with her husband Christopher (pictured together in an old photo), whom she split from in August . Debra Sena was charged with four counts of open and gross lewdness, two counts of sex assault against a child less than 14 and two counts of incest, among other charges . Christopher Sena was charged with five counts of child abuse or neglect, four counts of incest and three counts each of sex assault against a child less than 14, sex assault and lewdness with a child less than 14 . One of the seized recordings allegedly shows two Sena children having sex with the family dog, The Daily Beast reported. A review of other the recordings allegedly implicated Terrie and Deborah Sena. The pair were arrested on December 11 and together face 27 charges, including child abuse and neglect, sexual assault of a minor and incest. More charges related to child pornography are expected to be laid. All three appeared in Las Vegas Justice court Tuesday morning. The court heard that Christopher Sana threaten to break the legs of one of his alleged victims if the child told anyone of the abuse, according to KLAS-TV. Neighbors describe the Sena property as a meeting point for many children in the community and was often the place many of the kids would hang out. 'Sick': Christopher Sena has been described as a 'monster', sexually assaulting at least eight children . Home: All three Sena family members lived here, in the 6000 block of Yellow Stone Drive . Christopher Sena would erect a projector screen in the yard and hold movie nights, the neighbors said. The two women appeared in court on Monday before Judge Nancy Oesterle, who described their charges as 'extremely shocking and disturbing'. 'That’s putting it mildly,' Judge Oesterle said. Both women said they cannot afford an attorney. All three Senas have been held without bail. | Terrie Sena, 43, is a licensed substitute teacher in Clark Country,Nevada .
She was arrested last week as part of a major child sex ring .
Her ex-husband Christopher Sena, 47, and his current wife, Deborah Sena, 50, are also charged with multiple counts .
Police allege the three sexually assaulted at least eight kids over 12 years .
All were immediate or extended family .
Some of the encounters were recorded .
One involved the family dog .
All three live together in a trailer home, where the alleged abuse occurred . |
243,013 | c688dd35a72dcbf4b11d36afbd7115bcfbdf6cd5 | Bangkok (CNN) -- Thai authorities have released 70 women and girls originally from Laos and Myanmar following a trafficking raid in southern Thailand. District police and Thai special investigators raided a karaoke bar and a spa Friday night, said Lt. Col. Noppadon Petsut, deputy police chief of Sadao district. Forty-one of the females released had been forced into prostitution, Petsut said. The other 29 were willfully working as prostitutes and were fined and released. Of those forced into prostitution, about 20 trafficking victims are under age 18, Petsut said. Thai police arrested five suspects -- three Thais, one Malaysian and one Singaporean, Petsut said. All were detained and charged with human trafficking and illegally allowing illegal migrants to stay in Thailand. The raid took place after the Department of Special Investigation received a call from the Laotian embassy in Bangkok saying there were Laotians being forced into prostitution, Petsut said. | Police say the females are from Laos and Myanmar .
41 were forced into prostitution; 29 were willfully working as prostitutes .
About 20 who were forced into prostitution are under 18 years old, a police official says .
Five suspects are in custody, charged with human trafficking . |
91,269 | 0161f91fada3e7d5895b5c35b24a3fd418db3436 | (CNN) -- British Transport Police said Tuesday they found a stolen 300-year-old Stradivarius violin worth more than $1 million, along with two bows valued at more than $105,000. Police released few details about how they found the items that were stolen in late 2010 near a London train station. They were found at a house in central England. The violin was recovered intact with some very minor damage, they said. "We're delighted to have recovered the violin after a long and very complex investigation," said Detective Chief Inspector Simon Taylor, who led the hunt. He said members of other police forces, an insurance company, and antique dealers helped with the investigation. Two teenagers were arrested and sentenced in 2011 in connection with the theft of the 1696 Stradivarius. The violin's owner, acclaimed violinist Min Jin Kym, noticed her case containing the violin and bows was missing and called police. She said she thought about the theft every day, even in her dreams, and was elated to learn it was found. Stradivarius violins were made by the world's most celebrated violin maker, Antonio Stradivari, in the 1600s. It is thought that from 1666, the Cremona, Italy-born Stradivari made 1,116 instruments, of which more than 600 are still in existence, including violas, cellos, mandolins and guitars. During the 18th century, his unrivaled reputation extended throughout Europe where his instruments were coveted by royalty, aristocracy, church dignitaries and top musicians because of the extraordinary sound they were capable of producing. Stradivari made his last violin in 1737 when he was 92. Experts: Bob Dylan's long-lost guitar finally found . Tom Petty's stolen guitars recovered . | The violin is intact with minor damage, police say .
Police discover the violin and 2 bows at a house in central England .
They were stolen in late 2010 near a London train station .
Two teens were sentenced for the theft in 2011 . |
179,606 | 748da90ce026b0be6b0b2bb77c0be08943d58adb | (CNN) -- A lab crucial to diagnosing cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reopened, according to the CDC. The Atlanta lab was closed several weeks ago after reports of multiple improprieties -- including transporting dangerous materials in Ziploc bags and sending a live sample of bird flu to a low-security lab -- prompted CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden to instruct his highest-security labs to stop transferring out biological materials. The TB lab resumed operations after an "intensive review" by the CDC's new internal laboratory safety working group. The group has implemented detailed safety procedures for TB inactivation, according to a CDC statement. This lab was not involved in the recent anthrax- and deadly flu-exposure incidents. The transfer moratorium remains in place for other high-security labs, known as BSL-3 and BSL-4. The lab mishaps continue to have broad impact, compromising care for patients with diseases such as chikungunya and potentially slowing work overseas on Ebola and MERS. Laboratories around the world can no longer depend on the CDC to help them diagnose these unusual diseases, said Michael Shaw, deputy director of the CDC's Office of Infectious Diseases. The CDC is one of only three public health labs in the United States that does quick testing on drug-resistant tuberculosis specimens to see which antibiotic might work the best. The CDC is still turning away about 100 samples per week that need to be checked for chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease that's risen to record levels in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other parts of the Caribbean, according to Shaw. Doctors in the area have been sending specimens to the CDC to help diagnose the disease, which often has the same symptoms as dengue fever or malaria. Without answers, doctors on the ground will have difficulty knowing how to treat their patients and whether they need to isolate them from others, Shaw said. The CDC has also stopped a mosquito surveillance program in Gulf Coast states aimed at detecting whether infected bugs are bringing the disease to the continental United States. State labs in the United States also rely on materials from the CDC to test substances such as white powders that are suspicious for bioterrorism. The labs have enough materials to last awhile but at some point will run out. Internationally, labs working on the Ebola crisis in Africa and on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome might see their work slowed down because of the CDC lab situation. Those labs depend on materials from the CDC to do their work. Shaw said they also currently have enough but might run out soon. The 22 CDC labs under the moratorium are in Atlanta; Anchorage, Alaska; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Fort Collins, Colorado. The moratorium will be removed lab by lab as each one can prove it can operate safely again, Shaw said. "We shouldn't and we won't be doing this work unless we can do it in a safe way," he added. "As soon as each lab can document that policies and procedures and validated protocols are in place, they can resume transporting materials." CDC lab director resigns after anthrax incident . USDA finds more CDC lab problems . Anthrax investigation turns up 'distressing' issues at CDC . | NEW: CDC lifts moratorium on high-security lab responsible for TB diagnosis .
Improprieties led CDC director to instruct labs to stop transferring biological materials .
Ban meant other labs could no longer get the CDC's help . |
221,801 | ab1cef7b7b6b4eaa785613bca89a208447bcfccf | Almost all galaxies are known to have a single supermassive black hole at their heart. But scientists have now found that one galaxy actually has three, and it could be a precursor to more such galaxies being discovered. The discovery could also help astronomers in the search for gravitational waves - the 'ripples in spacetime' predicted by Einstein. Astronomers have discovered three closely orbiting supermassive black holes in a galaxy more than 4 billion light years away. Illustrated here are helix-shaped jets from one supermassive black hole caused by its very closely orbiting companion, while the third black hole emits relatively straight jets due to its distance . Scientists view the the universe as being made up of a 'fabric of space-time'. This corresponds to Einstein's General Theory of Relativity which was published 1916. Objects in the . universe bend this fabric, and more massive objects bend it more. Gravitational waves are considered ripples in this fabric. They can be produced for instance, when black holes orbit each other or by the merging of galaxies. Gravitational waves are also thought to have been produced during the Big Bang. The finding, published in Nature, was made by an international team led by Dr Roger Deane from the University of Cape Town. They examined six systems thought to contain two supermassive black holes. The team found that one of these called SDSS J1502+1115 over 4 billion light years away contained three supermassive black holes. This is the tightest trio of black holes detected at such a large distance, with two of them orbiting each other at just 500 light years apart rather like binary stars. The finding suggests that these closely-packed supermassive black holes - each with a mass between 1 million to 10 billion times that of the sun - are far more common than previously thought. And the three supermassive black holes could also provide further observations of elusive gravitational waves. This is the tightest trio of black holes known to date and is remarkable since most galaxies have just one, usually with a mass between 1 million to 10 billion times that of the Sun, at their centre. The discovery suggests that such closely packed supermassive black holes (illustration shown) are far more common than thought . This particular discovery was made using a technique called Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) to discover the inner two black holes of the triple system. This technique combines the signals from large radio antennas around the world separated by up to 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometres) to see detail 50 times finer than that possible with the Hubble Space Telescope. This discovery was made with the European VLBI Network, an array of European, Chinese, Russian and South African antennas, as well as the 305 metre Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Future radio telescopes, like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), will be able to further measure the gravitational waves from such black hole systems. Gravitational waves from cosmic inflation generate a faint but distinctive twisting pattern in the universe. Shown here is the pattern observed with the Bicep2 telescope, providing what was thought at the time to be evidence for cosmic inflation after the Big Bang. The results have now been called into question . ‘What . remains extraordinary to me is that these black holes, which are at the . very extreme of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, are orbiting . one another at 300 times the speed of sound on Earth,’ said Deane. ‘Not . only that, but using the combined signals from radio telescopes on four . continents we are able to observe this exotic system one third of the . way across the universe. ‘It . gives me great excitement as this is just scratching the surface of a . long list of discoveries that will be made possible with the Square . Kilometre Array (SKA).' Professor Matt Jarvis of Oxford University's Department of Physics, an author of the paper, added: 'General Relativity predicts that merging black holes are sources of gravitational waves and in this work we have managed to spot three black holes packed about as tightly together as they could be before spiralling into each other and merging. ‘The idea that we might be able to find more of these potential sources of gravitational waves is very encouraging as knowing where such signals should originate will help us try to detect these “ripples” in spacetime as they warp the universe.' | University of Cape Town-led research has found a bizarre distant galaxy .
SDSS J1502+1115 was found to have three supermassive black holes .
It is the tightest trio of black holes ever discovered - two of them are just 500 light years apart .
Discovery was surprising as most galaxies only have one large black hole .
It could indicate that phenomena like this are common in the universe .
It may also provide astronomers with more data on gravitational waves - ripples in the fabric of spacetime as predicted by Einstein . |
190,761 | 8302e56d8a662a665f8d85a268deb06f49897920 | A woman was jailed today for fleecing her grandmother out of her £140,000 life savings and using the cash to fund a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars, new clothes, exotic holidays and £10,000 on a single spa trip. Katie Gosley-Shaw, 38, stripped Ruth Gosley, 89, of money left to her by her late husband, leaving her unable to afford heating or new clothes. Mother-of-two Gosley-Shaw, from Tockwith, York, was jailed for four years after she was found guilty of five counts of theft and two of fraud committed between 2009 and 2012 after a trial last year. Katie Gosley-Shaw (right) was found guilty of five counts of theft and two of fraud for fleecing her grandma Ruth Gosley (left) out of her £140,000 life savings . Gosley-Shaw, who carried out four years of deceit and theft - while at the same time claiming state benefits - had purchased a flashy BMW, foreign holidays, hotel stays, new dresses and run several credit cards. Leeds Crown Court heard today that Gosley-Shaw, who used to work for a hair products company, spent up to £200 a month on petrol and planned to buy a £540,000 house with her partner without needing a mortgage. It was also revealed that Gosley-Shaw spent nearly £10,000 on a single transaction at Feversham Arms health spa in Helmsley, North Yorkshire, and that she also stole two gold necklaces from her grandmother. Before it was stolen by her granddaughter, Mrs Gosley had worn one of the necklaces, which had been a Christmas present from her late husband, every day for 15 years. Katie Gosley-Shaw was jailed for four years today at Leeds Crown Court . Prosecutor Liam O'Brien told the court that Mrs Gosley was left devastated by the actions of her granddaughter. He said: 'Mrs Gosley said that she had "broken her heart". 'She said she couldn't bear the thought of the defendant being sent to prison because of the children.' According to Mr O'Brien, Mrs Gosley's late husband had reassured her she would be cared for after his death. He said: 'He told me "Don't cry Tosh, you will be all right" and I was all right because he left me quite a lot of money, but it's vanished. The lot.' During her trial, the granddaughter claimed in the witness box that her grandma had approved each and every transaction, including giving her about £65,000 in a single 'gift' by selling shares. According to Gosley-Shaw, Mrs Gosley also lent her money because she had financial problems following the break-up of her marriage and lived beyond her means. Gosley-Shaw said: 'She is a very, very kind and generous woman.' The grandmother denied approving any of the transactions. 'Mrs Gosley previously said: 'Katie was here all the time. She would nip in with the kids and we would have a natter. She was here almost daily. 'She was so helpful. She would do anything for me, go to the shops, anything. I adored Katie. 'She was always full of life and liked a good chat. We were good pals. 'If I was down in the dumps she was the one who brought me up. She was very good. 'What happened was a terrible shock. It's unbelievable how it happened. 'If she'd have wanted anything all she had to do was ask and she could have had it.' During sentencing, Judge Rodney Jameson QC told Gosley-Shaw: 'You stole from your grandmother who by the end of matters was in her late eighties. 'She thought that you were the epitome of modern, glamorous living. 'She was speaking highly of you. In many respects finding it difficult to reconcile with the person she had known until then to the person you had been over the past four years.' Judge Jameson added: 'You did not need to do what you did. This was not in my judgement a case where necessary or significant pressure played any part in this offence. 'In contrast, the theft left your grandmother virtually penniless, living on a state pension. 'It is about as mean as an offence as is possible to imagine.' Ruth Gosley (wearing blue) was left without heat and unable to buy clothes after granddaughter Katie Gosley-Shaw (wearing wedding dress) stole her savings . | Katie Gosley-Shaw, 38, stole £140,000 from grandmother Ruth Gosley .
Mother-of-two was found guilty of five counts of theft and two of fraud .
Gosley-Shaw, of Tockwith, York, was jailed today for four years .
Gran was left 'devastated' and unable to pay for new clothes or heating . |
90,330 | 003952f45c4ce03898213bb94e5865039ba33120 | By . Richard Arrowsmith . It may have cost over £100 million to build, but Gerard Pique didn't appear too impressed as Barcelona arrived at St George's Park to begin their pre-season preparations. The four-time European champions have chosen the National Football Centre to get ready for the new season and will be based in Burton-upon-Trent from July 28 - August 2 after flying into Birmingham on Monday. However, Spain international Pique looked like he would rather be back at La Masia after posting a sulky faced Instagram picture of his new digs, with the caption:'Views from my room. St George's Park'. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the Barcelona squad train at St George's Park . Not impressed? Barcelona defender Gerard Pique posted a less than enthusiastic image of himself from St George's Park on Instagram . Cool customer: Alex Song posted this snap with his team-mates arriving in England . Grass is greener: Gerard Pique looked more at home on the training pitch than in his room . Back to business: Pedro (L) and Andres Iniesta (3L) get on with a training session at St George's Park . Feeling limber: Xavi (C) stretches his ageing legs during the training session . Team talk: Barcelona's squad gather round to take instructions from the coaches . Revoloution: New coach Luis Enrique (L) will be looking to improve on a disappointing season last term . Best therapy: Spain's Pedro and Xavi (R) will looking to get over their disappointing World Cup campaign . New blood: Luis Enrique (L) has made several new signings including Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic (R) Must improve: Barcelona finished last season without winning any silverware . VIDEO Mathieu wants to take centre stage for Barca . Former World Cup-winners Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro were all in the 26-man squad that flew into Birmingham on Monday before being given a tour of the facilities that include a full-size Wembley replica indoor pitch, hydrotherapy centre and numerous outdoor training pitches. Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Dani Alves and Neymar did not travel after being granted extended leave for their World Cup exertions, but new signings Mark-Andre Ter Stegen, Claudio Bravo, Jeremy Mathieu and Ivan Rakitic all made the trip. Former Everton loanee Gerard Deulofeu was also amongst the first-team squad with Martin Montoya, Marc Bartra, Sergi Roberto and Ibrahim Afellay all involved. Defender Adriano missed out with a health issue while former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song arrived in England before leaving immediately for personal reasons. One player who will not to be using the facilities is former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez who joined the Catalan club for £75million but is currently serving a four-month ban from all football as punishment for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup on June 24. Spanish fly guys: Andres Iniesta (2R), Sergio Busquets (4R) and Pedro (2L) take part in light jogging . Pocket rockets: Barcelona's Jordi Alba (L) and Xavi make up in skill what they lack in stature . Making glove: New Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo talks to one of the coaching staff . Off the buses: Barcelona players arrive at the national Football Centre for their pre-season preparations . Pretty in pink: Barcelona players take part in their first training session at St George's Park . Training Day: Barcelona will be based in Burton-upon-Trent from July 28 - August 2 . The stars come out: World Cup winners Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Gerard Pique were in the squad . What are we doing here? New manager Luis Enrique discusses training with his coaching staff . 'I am absolutely delighted that FC Barcelona have decided to join us for their pre-season preparations later this month,' said St. George's Park's Managing Director, Julie Harrington. 'This is hugely exciting news for St. George's Park and The FA, and it is a real pleasure to be able to have one of European football's most successful clubs train at our facility. 'We look forward to welcoming the players and staff, and helping ensure their visit with us is both an enjoyable and memorable experience.' First team: Ter Stegen, Masip, Bravo, Adriano, Pique, Alba, Mathieu, Bartra, Song, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Rafinha, Sergi Roberto, Rakitic, Afellay, Pedro and Deulofeu.Barca B: Patric, Edgar Ie, Grimaldo, Samper, Halilovic, Munir, Sandro and Adama. Missing: Lionel Messi did not travel to St George's Park following his World Cup exertions . Hunger games: Luis Suarez will not be allowed to training following his four-month ban for biting . David Sheepshanks, chairman of St. George's Park, said: 'It’s fantastic that one of the world’s greatest clubs have chosen our facilities to prepare for the upcoming season. 'The facilities speak for themselves and it’s good to see us establishing ourselves as something of an epicentre for football. 'As well as facilitating elite level teams like Barcelona, there is much coaching activity happening throughout the week with The FA’s A Licence candidates on site as well as our England Women’s team being coached here.' | Barcelona have arrived at St George's Park for pre-season training .
La Liga giants will be at the National Football Centre from July 18 - Aug 2 .
Defender Gerard Pique posted a sulky Instagram pic from his room .
World Cup winner Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro were part of the squad .
New manager Luis Enrique needs to improve on a disappointing season .
Luis Suarez is not allowed to train following his four-month ban for biting .
Lionel Messi did not travel after being granted an extended summer break .
Barcelona will leave to play a friendly against Nice on Saturday . |
238,397 | c08edb001d8cfdcc91fb35d7716c14b41c964ce4 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Justice Department and Seattle announced a settlement Friday over long-simmering allegations of excessive force by police officers. The agreement calls for a federal court-appointed monitor who will resolve disputes that might arise over the next several years, according to officials. The monitor will also be able to order changes in the reforms announced Friday, if necessary. "This agreement represents a blueprint for reform," said Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, the nation's chief civil rights official, who flew to Seattle to join city officials for the announcement. A series of allegations by minority groups that police were quick to resort to force in several instances prompted the Justice Department to launch an investigation. Some of the incidents were videotaped. Most prominent of the incidents was a case in which a wood-carver and member of "First Nations" was shot and killed by a policeman. Totem carver John T. Williams was walking down a street with a piece of wood and small knife when he was ordered to drop the weapon. When he failed to respond immediately, he was fatally shot. That August 2010 incident prompted more than 30 organizations to demand a Justice Department investigation. Justice launched a probe that found in December 2011 that the Seattle police department had engaged in a "pattern or practice" of excessive force. During bumpy negotiating sessions in which officials say Seattle officeholders argued over the agreement, the Justice Department set a July 31 deadline for a settlement, saying if they did not agree the federal government would sue the city. The last-minute deal Friday avoided that outcome. The Seattle settlement comes just days after the Justice Department announced a much broader deal with the city of New Orleans to try to root out deep-seated corruption in its police department. The Justice Department Civil Rights Division still has 15 other "pattern or practice" investigations of police departments pending. The largest is Puerto Rico. Most of the others deal with small cities. A suit against Maricopa County, Arizona, alleging discrimination against Latino suspects is currently being challenged in a federal court. | Justice Department and Seattle announced a settlement Friday .
The settlement involves allegations of excessive force by the Seattle police .
The agreement calls for a federal court-appointed monitor who will resolve disputes, officials say . |
205,441 | 95f5fec48e48a93a718c3615f28c7db175a88409 | By . Eve Mcgowan . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 8 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:28 EST, 9 March 2014 . When Doug Ibbs and Deni Daniel appeared on Grand Designs back in 2004 after buying an enormous ruin in rural France, a sceptical Kevin McCloud proclaimed they’d got ‘carried away with the romance of it all’ – and wasn’t at all sure they’d ‘thought it through’. The couple, both divorcees who had met five years previously, bought the tumble-down 19th Century manor house on a whim after stumbling across an advert for it online. The odds didn’t look good – neither of them spoke French, they had no experience with building work and they hadn’t even been intending to move overseas when they bought the house just two days after spotting it. They sold their Dorset home and gave up steady jobs in Britain (Doug was an engineer and Deni worked in sales and marketing.) Scroll down for video . Transformed: The five-storey property in the Limousin region in central France appeared on Grand Designs in 2004 and is now on the market for £495,000 . The five-storey property in the department of Creuse in the Limousin region in central France had been the headquarters of the local Resistance movement during the war. It was discovered and burnt down by the Germans in 1944, and since then it had not been touched. But just a few months after first seeing the property, Kevin was forced to eat his words. ‘Every time I’ve visited I’ve been more and more blown away by Doug and Deni,’ he said on the show. ‘They’ve proved that through sheer dogged optimism, it’s possible to tackle almost anything.’ Fourteen months after buying the manor house, the couple, who lived in a caravan in the garden while the work was being done, opened their doors to paying guests. Dilapidated: This is what the mansion looked like before the restoration 11 years ago, having not been touched since the German army destroyed it in 1944 . Pride and glory: The property was the headquarters of the local Resistance movement during World War II and was left untouched for nearly 60 years . Big project: Doug Ibbs and Deni Daniel appeared on Grand Designs back in 2004 after buying the enormous ruin in rural France . Now, ten years after the show aired on Channel 4, they have put the property on the market for €599,960 – about £495,000. Both 64, they are keen to retire and spend more time with their children and grandchildren (they have five children and four grandchildren between them.) Their pensions won’t allow them to maintain a large property like Chez Jallot, which comes with four acres of land, without keeping it running as a business. ‘It breaks our hearts to have to sell and we’re doing so with a lot of regret,’ says Doug. ‘But it’s an experience we can look back on and say, wow, we did that.’ Something about the intrepid pair must have struck a chord with Grand Designs viewers. Since Chez Jallot opened its doors in November 2004, they have been inundated with bookings from viewers charmed by the couple’s French dream. Some guests have been from as far as Australia, where the show aired a couple of years after it did in Britain. Converted: Kevin McCloud initially told the couple they had gotten 'carried away with the romance of it all' but was forced to eat his words . ‘In the first few years all our guests were viewers of the show,’ says Deni. ‘We haven’t had to spend any money on marketing at all. Now we get a lot of word-of-mouth bookings and return visitors and people who’ve read the reviews online.’ Doug adds: ‘We’ve met people from every continent in the world. The international gatherings around our dining tables in the evenings have been really great.’ He says the couple often have house-hunters staying with them – perhaps hoping they’ll be able to pick up some advice. The Limousin region has about 10,000 British residents and attractions include Lake Vassivière, France’s largest man-made lake (a 15-minute drive from Chez Jallot). Since the show, the couple have carried on building. When they started having guests, only the first two storeys were habitable. They completed the rest of the house, which now has seven en suite bedrooms, in 2006. In 2009 they converted the derelict barn into two self-catering gites. Doug and Deni bought Chez Jallot for £36,000 in 2003 and although they originally earmarked about £100,000 for doing it up, like most Grand Designers they far exceeded their budget. ‘The total must be about half a million euros,’ admits Deni. The couple aren’t selling Chez Jallot as a business as they would have to pay capital gains tax, although they are happy to offer advice to buyers who want to run a similar concern. They plan to stay in the area and buy or even build something smaller. According to Paul Haskett of Legget estate agents, who are selling the property, now is a tricky time to be selling as the market is depressed in France. Prices in the Limousin dropped by almost 16 per cent last year, compared to three to four per cent in the rest of France, and many homeowners are in negative equity. ‘Prices are set to drop further this year. So it’s definitely a buyers’ market,’ says Paul. The French Resistance was a collection of movements that fought against the Nazi occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II. Résistance cells were small groups of men and women who carried out guerrilla warfare that helped Allied soldiers and airmen trapped behind enemy lines. The men and women of the Résistance came from all economic levels and political leanings of French society, including conservatives, liberals, anarchists, and communists. Villiers Le Lac, World War II, Resistants of French Forces . The French Resistance played a significant role in facilitating the Allies' advance through France after the invasion of Normandy. The Résistance also planned and executed acts of sabotage that hampered the Nazi occupation, such as destroying Nazi electricity grids and several other parts of the infrastructure. The Résistance was coordinated in part by French Symbol Charles De Gaulle, the commander of French forces in Britain, who later went on to be elected President of France. French resistance soldiers and Allied soldiers fighting together against the Nazi German occupation . | Five-storey mansion in central France appeared on Grand Designs in 2004 .
It was the HQ for the local resistance during World War II .
The seven-bedroom home is now on the market for £495,000 . |
184,946 | 7b93bbb0246700a92bcc1fd21b41e69c238c0bf0 | Editor's note: The staff at CNN.com has been intrigued by the journalism of VICE, an independent media company and Web site based in Brooklyn, New York. The reports, which are produced solely by VICE, reflect a very transparent approach to journalism, where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process. We believe this unique reporting approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers. Brooklyn, New York (VICE.COM) -- The first time I went to Libya, in 2010, I was arrested just two days into my trip. Filming a documentary for VICE, I was detained for shooting where the authorities thought I shouldn't, beginning endless rounds of questions, emphatic yelling and head-shaking incredulity at my claims of innocence -- and, of course, the requisite implications that I was a spy. When I was finally released, I swore I would never return to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. But that promise was quickly broken, and I found myself back in the country almost exactly a year later, in the midst of a chaotic and violent revolution. My second trip to Libya consisted of traveling from the Egyptian border to Benghazi and then onto the front lines in Misurata, embedding with a few different rebel groups along the way. I was shocked by how young many of them were. Barely past puberty and fighting with whatever they could find (one guy had a spear gun), they displayed so much heroism and courage that I would tear up while talking to them. One rebel I spoke with had left the hospital earlier that night -- despite having lost a leg -- so that he could get back to the front lines. He was offered a flight to Germany and a new prosthetic limb by an NGO, but instead snuck out of the hospital to rejoin his comrades. But the big question looming over everything was: "Why are they fighting?" Everyone I asked -- bankers, shop clerks, students, construction workers, oil engineers and ex-Gaddafi loyalists -- offered the same answer: "Freedom." It was like the end of Braveheart every time a rebel looked into my eyes and said it. One 16-year-old told me, "I will die so the others can at least breathe free air." Heady stuff for a teenager, especially when most of the rebels aren't old enough to have known a political system other than Gaddafism. Risking your life for freedom is one thing. But risking it for the concept of freedom is something else entirely. See the rest of The Rebels of Libya at VICE.COM . When we finally got to Misurata, it was surrounded by Gaddafi's troops and only accessible by sea. We slowly made our way toward the front, stopping periodically to talk to rebels. One 15-year-old boy I met was preparing a Grad-missile truck for battle. Beaming, he wondered whether I could "ask Clinton and Obama for new weapons" so that they could beat Gaddafi and he could fulfill his dream of playing for the Miami Heat or the Dallas Mavericks. As we talked, it struck me how much had changed in such a short period. This was a different Libya than the one I experienced last year -- a completely new country. | VICE embeds with rebel groups on the front lines in Libya .
Journalists were surprised by how young some rebels were .
When asked why they were fighting, "freedom" was the common answer . |
19,796 | 3833b69468d497d871488c4fa348d1b5620273c6 | A Canadian hiker has released a video of what he thinks could be Sasquatch in the mountains near Squamish, British Columbia. The video was shot by Myles Lamont two years ago while he was hiking in the Tantalus Range, north of Vancouver. Now that it has been posted on YouTube, more than 260,000 people have viewed the footage. Scroll down for video . Standing out: The video shows a black dot of a figure apparently moving up the slope of a snow covered mountain . Is this the beast? A Canadian man who claims he filmed a possible sasquatch while hiking in the Tantalus Range near Squamish, B.C. two years ago is getting thousands of hits on YouTube after recently uploading the footage . A memorable trip: Mr Lamont was hiking with some friends in the Tantalus Range, British Columbia, north of Vancouver two years ago when he encountered the mysterious creature . Mr Lamont claims he only uploaded the video for the benefit of a couple of friends. 'We had no intention for it to gather the interest it has. We are not claiming this to be anything other than a strange encounter.' The video shows a small black dot of a figure reportedly moving up a mountain. 'Pretty sure this is Sasquatch down there,' said Mr Lamont on the video recording. 'I can't see it very well. It's this little black dot walking in the middle of the snow in the middle of nowhere.' Mr Lamont says he was able to view the . subject far better than what the video portrays as it was just a simple . point and shoot camera. 'The contrast was excellent due to the snow . behind the subject,' he says. The video is intriguing because the shape does appear to be rapidly moving up the mountain. The great outdoors: The Tantalus Range is a favourite with climbers, and also with photographers and filmmakers - and now it sees, Bigfoots . Can you spot bigfoot? Myles Lamont of Vancouver, Canada, shot this footage in the summer of 2011, but is just uploading it now, and it's garnered almost 260,000 views . Rapid ramble: Less than a minute later, the creature still seems to be moving with incredible pace against a snowy mountain-face . 'If that's human why would you walk up that ridge or that snow line?' Mr Lamont asks. 'Why would he not just go straight down?' 'Good thing we brought beers,' he jokes. 'Maybe we can lure him over here. I don't know how high we are, but we're probably close to 7,000 feet and this guy's just scampering up snow lines like it's no big deal.' He states in his posting that 'the . subject was clearly bipedal and was without snowshoes or a backpack and . wearing all one colored clothing'. 'Movement . over this kind of terrain in soft snow without snowshoes would have . been very difficult and the distance travelled over the given time period . would have been very fast for a human without proper snow travel gear.' Fake? Almost all Bigfoot footage is ¿ grainy and shot from an incredible distance, but it does appear to depict a rather large individual moving at considerably-faster-than-human speed up a snowy slope . Speedy: Whoever or whatever it was covered an vast amount of ground in a very short space of time in the most difficult of conditions . Some other interesting factors are noticed about the unusual recording. 'There was a very steep drop off below where the video was shot, easily a 300m sheer face. We were not equipped with climbing gear and a descent around would have been impossible before nightfall,' Mr Lamont says. He does not believe that the footage is that of a bear or any other wild animal. 'Perhaps the most reasonable explanation for this video is a very ill prepared hiker, hiking up a difficult section of snowline as opposed to a much easier route, one who is very physically fit and able to cover ground in unusually quick fashion and must have had very large feet as we were breaking through snow crust in just our boots.' Although some may question the authenticity of Mr Lamonts' video, over the past five years, the Sasquatch Genome Project has spent $500,000 on collecting data and evidence and describe it as a 'serious study.' The group says they'll continue to collect evidence and video, which will be used in a documentary at a later date. Famous: A still from the 1972 Patterson-Gimlin film purporting to show Bigfoot . For many, Bigfoot is considered to be a combination of folklore, misidentification and hoax. Along with the Loch Ness Monster, it is commonly described as a modern-day myth - but that has not prevented a raft of sightings throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. In 1951 American Eric Shipton photographed what he described as a Yeti footprint beginning a spate of 'sightings' and print finds. More recently, the Sasquatch Genome Project spent $500,000 on collecting data and evidence over the past five years. In the last 12 months alone there have been several reported sightings, although not all have gone uncontested. In October last year an apparent Bigfoot sighting in Pennsylvania was labelled a scam after the mythical creature turned out to be a huge tree stump. Hiker John Stoneman claimed he spotted not one but two of the seven-foot-tall ape-like beasts through the trees, just yards from a main road in Kinzua State Park near Bradford. But a tipster told HuffPost Weird News either Stoneman was lying or he didn't know he was actually staring at a chunk of a tree that had been uprooted by well drillers. In the same month it was reported researchers at the Sasquatch Genome Project screened what they claimed was conclusive evidence that the creature exists. During a news conference in Texas, the group of experts played several short clips that they described as ‘never before seen HD video’ of the supposed ape-like creature. The footage consisted of very short, grainy and out-of-focus clips of various apparently human-like, hairy figures moving about in wooded areas in Kentucky. The announcement came just one week after a map was released which plotted out every reported Bigfoot sighting in North America for the last 92 years. A map was released in September last year which plots out every reported Bigfoot sighting in North America for the last 92 years . PhD candidate Josh Stevens mapped out the 3,313 possible Sasquatch spots since 1921 and found that people do seem to glimpse the hairy creature much more in some regions than others. The map and data collated by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization show, for example, that Bigfoot has supposedly been spotted three times more often in Missouri than neighboring Kansas. Stevens explains on his website: 'Right away you can see that sightings are not evenly distributed. At first glance, it looks a lot like a map of population distribution.' This makes sense - by a law of averages you would expect an area with more people to report more possible Sasquatch viewings. Even so, there are some very bright spots around the Ohio River Valley, Mississippi River Valley, the Sierra Nevada mountains, central Florida and the Pacific Northwest. Yet it gets intriguing when Stevens maps the relationship between reported sightings and population density. As he notes: 'There are distinct regions where sightings are incredibly common, despite a very sparse population. 'On the other hand, in some of the most densely populated areas Sasquatch sightings are exceedingly rare.' Most of these Bigfoot hot spots are in the Western United States. Stevens acknowledges that 'terrain and habitat likely play a major role in the distribution of reports.' | Footage was captured two years ago but has only recently been published on YouTube .
Figure is seen walking with ease up snowy mountain face . |
28,132 | 4fbb39eff096442bfe5666810b15fd15b0f2da45 | (CNN) -- Inspired by a CNN Hero and want to help? You can make a tax-deductible donation to any of the top 10 Heroes through Google. The Heroes' nonprofits will receive 100% of the funds, and all transaction fees will be waived. To learn more about each nonprofit and their causes, here are the top 10 Heroes in alphabetical order: . Eddie Canales . Nonprofit: Gridiron Heroes . What it does: Provides emotional and financial support to high school football players who've sustained life-changing spinal cord injuries . Eddie says: "Gridiron Heroes is not about deterring anyone from playing football. ... (But) these kids need help, and the families need help." Exploring the issue: When a high school athlete gets seriously hurt, the pain isn't just physical. There are also emotional and financial consequences. Donate to Gridiron Heroes . Taryn Davis . Nonprofit: American Widow Project . What it does: Connects military widows online and in person, providing a network of support and inspiration . Taryn says: "Our main form of communication with our husbands (was) Skype and Facebook. The Internet ... it's a safe haven, in a way. ... It lets (the widows participate) at their own pace. ... It allows other women who maybe are kind of afraid to step forward ... (to) be like ... 'You know, they look like me.' " Exploring the issue: It's not just widows who need support. The changing landscape of the U.S. military has created a tiny fraternity of men: the widowers of war. Donate to American Widow Project . Sal Dimiceli . Nonprofit: The Time Is Now to Help . What it does: Provides personalized assistance, whether it be groceries, rent money or other necessities, to people who need help getting back on their feet . Sal says: "With this recession right now, there are a lot of people in extreme desperate need. People who are homeless, we'll help them get shelter; people who are hungry, we're going to feed them; people who have utilities off, we're going to turn them on; people that need transportation, we'll help fix their cars." Exploring the issue: About 46.2 million Americans are considered in poverty, 2.6 million more than last year. Donate to The Time Is Now to Help . Derreck Kayongo . Nonprofit: Global Soap Project . What it does: Collects partially used hotel soap in the United States, reprocesses it and then sends it abroad to save lives in impoverished countries . Derreck says: "Because of our work, this world is going to be a better place than we found it -- with no soap being thrown away and with no child or woman ... or any vulnerable populous left without a bar of soap to fend off disease." Exploring the issue: In developing countries around the world, millions of children lack access to soap and clean water. Donate to Global Soap Project . Diane Latiker . Nonprofit: Kids Off the Block . What it does: Gives young people in Chicago a place to hang out and learn valuable life skills so they can stay off the streets and away from rampant gang violence . Diane says: "What I want people to know is that the work that I and so many others do can literally be the difference between life and death for a generation that seems to have lost all hope. ... If I can make a change in a generation, then my community's going to get better -- because they're going to be the ones that take it over." Exploring the issue: In several cities around the world, streetwise "interrupters" are trying to stop teen violence before it starts. Donate to Kids Off the Block . Robin Lim . Nonprofit: Yayasan Bumi Sehat . What it does: Offers free prenatal care, birthing services and medical aid to low-income women in Indonesia . Robin says: "Because the cost of childbirth often exhausts the family's income, the poor and even the middle-income people of the world find themselves in a downward spiral of suffering and loss, just when they should be celebrating the births of their babies." Exploring the issue: Many women in the developing world do not have access to contraception or maternal care. Donate to Yayasan Bumi Sehat . Patrice Millet . Nonprofit: FONDAPS youth soccer program . What it does: Provides free equipment, coaching and food to hundreds of poor Haitian children and teaches them to become responsible citizens . Patrice says: "When you live in the ghetto, you don't see the world outside. I try to bring hope for them ... to show them that (their) life is not only the reality." Exploring the issue: Malnutrition is a major problem in Haiti, but ready-to-use therapeutic foods are helping children recover faster. Donate to FONDAPS . Bruno Serato . Nonprofit: Caterina's Club . What it does: Serves free pasta dinners to children, many of whom are poor and live in motels with their families . Bruno says: "In America, in our own backyards, we have kids who go to bed hungry. If we do something about it, we will have no hungry children in America." Exploring the issue: Food insecurity is spreading in America, and it's particularly hard on one group: children. Donate to Caterina's Club . Richard St. Denis . Nonprofit: World Access Project . What it does: Collects discarded wheelchairs from the U.S., refurbishes them and then sends them to people living with disabilities in rural Mexico . Richard says: "In many rural, impoverished, uneducated areas of Mexico, people don't even know what a wheelchair is. They don't know what their disability is or why they can't walk. They have no hope, no expectation for the future, and no resources to change their situation." Exploring the issue: Wheelchairs aren't the only useful medical supplies being discarded in the United States. Donate to World Access Project . Amy Stokes . Nonprofit: Infinite Family . What it does: Finds online mentors for South African teenagers, many of whom have lost their parents to HIV and AIDS . Amy says: "We all learn best from each other, which is why growing up in families and communities of caring adults is so important. More than 50 million children in sub-Saharan Africa do not have this opportunity." Exploring the issue: Online mentoring is starting to grow as an "effective and viable" alternative for young people, experts say. Donate to Infinite Family . | This year's top 10 CNN Heroes are tackling issues both domestic and international .
If you'd like to help, you can donate to their organizations through Google . |
175,670 | 6f65b6414be83b3e0e1c63a769ced10644e97231 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:59 EST, 22 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:15 EST, 22 November 2013 . New York mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has been given policing advice by ex-cons - who think the system should be softer on them. Thousands of New Yorkers have helped shape the Democrat's policy since his landslide victory over Republican Joe Lhota on November 5. And among them were 50 ex-criminals brought together in a think tank run by the billionaire investor George Soros, the New York Post reported. Speech: Mr de Blasio in the Talking Transition tent in downtown Manhattan on Wednesday. One event held has part of the campaign involved 50 ex-criminals - who suggested the mayor-elect should be softer on them . The event was held by Talking Transition, which urges New Yorkers to write down what they want changed . Enlarge . Advice: Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio with his wife Chirlane McCray, daughter Chiara and son Dante after his victory . The newspaper interviewed several of the attendees - whose crimes ranged from manslaughter and robbery to identity theft. Arthur Castillo, 38, who was convicted of assault and possessing stolen property, said: 'Cops won’t leave us alone. Newly released prisoners are watched by the police and a lot of us . don’t feel we have an opportunity to readapt to normal life because we . are treated as criminals even though we are free.' The Talking Transition campaign is run by the billionaire investor George Soros, pictured . He added: 'A lot of money is spent on the prison . system - it should be used to cultivate prisoners' lives. The money should be redistributed to help those who want to change . while they are incarcerated.' Gregorio 'Koko' Cruz, 63, once convicted of first degree manslaughter, kidnapping and robbery, told the newspaper: 'Bloomberg forgot about all of us. I’m . hoping de Blasio remembers us.' Other ex-criminals reportedly wanted to end stop-and-frisk and make it easier for illegal immigrants to find work. The Post reported that the event was part of a campaign called Talking Transition - which is led by liberal magnate Mr Soros - and was held in association with the rehabilitation group The Fortune Society. Talking Transition's headquarters are in a tent in downtown Manhattan, which offers New Yorkers the chance to put their own suggestions to the mayor-elect before he takes office on January 1. Voters are able to write their suggestions on a piece of paper and stick them on a wall. All the suggestions, including those reportedly by the ex-cons, are due to be put to the new mayor's team. Tomorrow, the two-week campaign will culminate in a public meeting at New York's Town Hall. Thousands of residents have visited Talking Transition's events, including the mayor-elect's wife Chirlane McCray, 58, who stopped in on Tuesday for a whirlwind one-hour tour of the tent. She told the New York Daily News: 'I like the idea that so many people have come in here and talked about what their priorities are for the city and the direction the city should go in.' Controversial: The mayor-elect takes another question about the stop-and-frisk policy at the Talking Transition tent. The campaign urging New Yorkers to say what they want is run by billionaire George Soros . De Blasio did not appear at the event which involved the ex-criminals. The Democrat, who served as the New York City Public Advocate since 2010, won more than 73 per cent of the vote in the mayoral election on November 5. Yesterday outgoing mayor Michael Bloomberg, who left the Republican party to turn independent in 2007, said his successor would be left with a balanced budget for the first time in a generation. The mayor of 12 years claimed he has closed a $2 billion deficit . which had been predicted in the city's $72.7 billion budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins on . July 1. 'For the first time in modern memory and . perhaps for the first time in New York City history, the budget for the . incoming fiscal year has been balanced for an incoming mayor well before . he or she steps into office,' he told a news conference. | Ex-criminals said New York's mayor-elect should do more to help them .
Thousands of New Yorkers have contributed their ideas as part of scheme . |
283,552 | fb4c2513eea9c0d6a171bd56618060e3834515be | By . Jonathan McEvoy . Two very different men in two very similar cars will contest the 50th grand prix to be staged at Silverstone – the race that could go a long way to defining the lives and careers of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Hamilton is largely a public figure, a result of his craving for fame and the modern media’s insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip. This week he told his 2.17million Twitter followers that he spent a romantic break in Venice with his Pussycat Dolls girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger to celebrate six years (mostly) together and had a lunch on a yacht in Monaco with A-listers Samuel L Jackson and Magic Johnson. Rivals: Nico Rosberg smiles as he sits next to Lewis Hamilton following his victory at the Austrian Grand Prix . Venice: Hamilton posted a series of pictures from his latest holiday on Twitter this week . He also posted pictures of himself riding his push bike bare-chested. His Twitter account is accompanied by the self-description: ‘H.A.M. until the day I die.’ In a certain nomenclature those initials stand for Hard as a Mother******. Rosberg, more measured and more cerebral, is essentially a private man. Save for a tweet thanking fans for sending him birthday wishes – he turned 29 on Friday – there is no word about his personal life from the moment he finished the Austrian Grand Prix victorious a week ago. That victory put the German 29 points ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in what is a private battle for the 2014 World Championship. Rosberg’s advantage is not quite as big as it seems – under the old scoring system, where a win was worth 10 points rather than 25, it would be a lead of about 12, or one victory and a little bit more – but clearly Hamilton needs to stop his rival’s momentum by winning for the first time since the Spanish Grand Prix on May 11. Victorious: Rosberg lifts the trophy after triumphing at the Red Bull Ring in Speilberg, Austria . Playful: Hamilton sprays Rosberg after finishing second behind the German at the Austrian Grand Prix . John Watson, one of only 12 home winners of the British Grand Prix, said: ‘He needs to win this race big time. It is make or break – as important a grand prix for Lewis as any in his career has ever been. He needs to respond to Nico Rosberg’s excellent performances by dominating him in every way, in qualifying and in the race. ‘He needs to reassert himself. It is not an issue of speed. In Austria it was a matter of not quite doing things accurately enough. He was not quite as exact in how he got into the pit box as he could have been, whereas Nico is maxing out on his potential, in his in-lap, his out-lap, pit stop. He is nailing everything. ‘Lewis has always relied on his natural skills. Nico is metronomic.’ Silverstone: Hamilton (pictured) is under pressure to beat Rosberg on home soil . Sir Jackie Stewart, a twice winner of the British Grand Prix and, like Watson, a survivor from the dangerous days of their sport, also sees Hamilton’s over-reliance on God-given skill as the significant difference between the two men. ‘Lewis is a natural,’ said Stewart. ‘But he needs to get away from using only his natural talent, which is in danger of being detrimental to him. All the great drivers have had more than that.’ Stewart himself developed his mind-management long before he got into Formula One. He reached international standard in clay pigeon shooting as a boy, learning that if he missed a target it was gone for ever. You could not recover your position on the next corner. The calmness and calculation of Stewart is more evident in Rosberg, a driver Stewart observed at close quarters during the German’s years at Williams. ‘Nico was not fully developed then,’ he said. ‘He was not quite training as hard as he is now. He has full race distance ability now. He has a very good brain and is totally focused on his motor-racing. There are no distractions. He has been engaged for while and is close to getting married. He is very settled, and that can help performance.’ Helping: Niki Lauda says Hamilton is well-prepared for the British Grand Prix and is motivated to do well . The man trying to help Hamilton is another driving luminary of the Seventies, Niki Lauda, the Mercedes non-executive chairman. Lauda told me yesterday that his British driver is ‘very well balanced, not sad, but motivated’. But Watson is less convinced. ‘Pictures of him having lunch with Samuel L Jackson is great for Hamilton’s management – Simon Fuller and XIX – because it gets their client profile, but at the end of the day it is all about winning the world championship. ‘It would be a brave person to say that his private life is impacting on his professional life, but I don’t know who in the team has the ability to put their arms around Lewis in the way Ross Brawn could and did. ‘Niki’s job is to see Mercedes win. Paddy Lowe (the executive technical director) is a superb engineer but he is not a team principal and Toto Wolff, well, he’s more of a businessman.’ Meeting: Hamilton (right), has lunch with Samuel L Jackson and Magic Johnson in the south of France . Mercedes seem likely to win at Silverstone despite the upturn in Williams’s fortunes at the Red Bull Ring last week because the aerodynamic demands of the Northamptonshire track are better suited to them. That raises the prospect of Hamilton recreating one of the most epic performances ever seen on a British track – his win in the wet in 2008. ‘The British fans are the absolute best in the world and it’s really humbling to see thousands of people out there cheering you on, no matter what the weather or the result,’ he said. Good memories: Hamilton celebrates on the podium at Silverstone after his stunning win in 2008 . ‘When I won in 2008 it was just the best feeling. The gap was about 60 second at the end and I had lapped everyone up to third place, which was just unreal. 'I could never have hoped or dreamed for a race like that, especially at my home grand prix. That has to be one of the best moments of my career. ‘I loved raising that gold trophy in front of the home crowd and I’m determined to get my hands on it again this year.’ | Mercedes pair will compete at the 50th grand prix to be held at Silverstone .
Rosberg's win in Austria last week put him 29 points ahead of Hamilton .
Former winner Watson says it is 'make or break time' for the Brit .
Sir Jackie Stewart thinks Hamilton might rely too much on his natural skill . |
23,097 | 418aba990d7d3a182cf932831467f01cef5455e0 | Earlier this week on ABC’s Q&A, comedian Josh Thomas introduced politician Bob Katter to the gay hook-up app, Grindr – and it seems the Greens party was listening. The Greens have begun advertising on Grindr, using geo-located ads to send targeted messages to members of the gay community in marginal seats. Greens candidate, Sam Hibbins will use the app to send political messages to members of Melbourne’s Prahran electorate, living in the suburbs of Prahran, Windsor, South Yarra and St Kilda East, as the candidate campaigns ahead of the Victoria's state election in November. Sam Hibbins, Greens candidate for Prahran, is using Grindr to send targeted messages to the homosexual community in his electorate ahead of the November 29 state election . ‘This election we're using Grindr to reach voters in Prahran,' Mr Hibbins wrote on his Facebook page. 'We'll be using it to promote events, our support for equality and broader policies.' Mr Hibbins believes that although he is the first to use the strategy in Australia, the idea will take off as a popular campaign approach. ‘It might seem new and innovative now, but I suspect the other parties will also do it this election,' Hibbins explained in his Facbeook post. ‘Mind you, I don't think Denis Napthine or Daniel Andrews broached it when they addressed the Australian Christian Lobby,’ he added. The first of the Greens’ ten Grindr ads is an invitation to South Yarra gay bar Exchange on Saturday night, to join Hibbins and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. ‘There might be a perception that the rainbow community supports us,' Mr Hibbins told SMH. 'We want to make sure of that, and being able to reach them effectively is very important for us.' The first of the Green’s ten Grindr ads is an invitation to South Yarra gay bar, The Exchange on Saturday night, to join Hibbins and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. Hibbins says the smartphone app is a cheap and creative way to reach voters. ‘When the opportunity to advertise on Grindr came up we jumped on it. It was the way of being able to micro-target an audience that was really important,’ Mr Hibbins told SMH. The Prahran seat is known as the ‘pink seat’ amongst politicians, as it is a hub for the gay community, with the latest census data showing 6.6 per cent of Prahran couples are same-sex. ‘It’s fitting that the diverse, vibrant seat of Prahran is the only three way Green-Liberal-Labor marginal in Victoria,' Mr Hibbins wrote on his Facebook page. The seat is currently held by Liberal Clem Newton-Brown by 4.7 per cent. Mr Hibbins says the seat is ‘winnable’ and his approach to the upcoming state election is a ‘grassroots people-powered campaign’, which includes door-knocking and a ‘Grease the Musical sing-a-long fundraiser’ The Labor candidate Neil Pharaoh is also an advocate for gay rights, as he himself is a young gay man. Mr Pharaoh convened Rainbow Labor at a national level, an organisation which 'advocates internally for progressive LGBTI reform.' Mr Hibbins says the seat is ‘winnable’ and has described his approach to the upcoming state election as a ‘grassroots people-powered campaign’, including door-knocking more than 6000 homes and a ‘Grease the Musical sing-a-long fundraiser’ for the party. Whilst it’s believed to be an Australian-first, Dutch and Irish politicians were the first to use Grindr to connect with voters. Dutch politician Jan-Bert Vroege used the app to campaign in March this year. He did not use pop up messages like Mr Hibbins however, rather transforming his own pre-existing Grindr account, changing his profile description to: ‘let’s have a date on March 19’ to promote a political event about gay issues. Whilst it’s believed to be an Australian-first, Dutch and Irish politicians were the first to use Grindr to connect with voters. The news comes after a heated exchange between north Queensland MP Bob Katter and homosexual comedian Josh Thomas about gay issues in politics, featured on Q & A on Monday. Mr Katter admitted he hadn't discussed the subject of gay rights "in the last 7 years". Mr Thomas held Mr Katter to account, pointing out the problems with Mr Katter's refusal to address gay issues. 'You say that it's (mental health issues amongst the gay community) not a priority but you talk about it quite a bit, and when you do talk about it you say awful things,' began Mr Thomas. 'And then when you go out and deny the existence of homosexuals in North Queensland,' Mr Thomas continued. 'They exist, there's an app called Grindr, I'll put it on your phone' he told Mr Katter, who mimed taking notes with a pen. Mr Thomas' impassioned argument was met with loud applause from the audience and an excited response from the Twitter community. 'All you need to do (is) say you say you know what, I've said some things in the past, it was a mistake,' said Mr Thomas, telling Mr Katter how to move forward in a more positive manner. '(You need to say) I understand now, it's (Mr Katter's comments) hurting people's mental health, it's part of the problem, not part of the solution. 'I'm sorry, hooray for homosexuals, here's some glitter.' | A Melbourne Greens candidate is sending targeted messages on Grindr .
Geo-located ads promote events & gay policies to the 'rainbow community'
Targeting Grindr users in Prahran electorate - known as the 'pink seat'
Grindr is a smartphone app to facilitate casual sex for gay men .
Candidate Sam Hibbins' first message is an invitation to a popular gay bar to meet with himself and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young .
Hibbins expects other parties will use the same strategy this election .
Comes after comedian Josh Thomas introduced north Queensland MP Bob Katter to Grindr on ABC show Q&A .
Thomas took Katter to task on his aversion to gay issues in politics . |
52,735 | 958665083e269062d1e66a9b7141459f2dd3a63b | Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Desperation erupted into violence Tuesday in flood-ravaged Pakistan as survivors who have yet to receive aid scrambled to put food in their empty bellies. People in Sindh province blocked a highway to protest the slowness of aid delivery and clashed with police, the United Nations said. In a hard-hit district of Punjab, hungry mobs unloaded two aid trucks headed to a warehouse. Local aid agencies reported other incidents of looting. An aid agency worker said distributions were hampered because of the crowds stopping the convoys and because large numbers of people were living along the road. About 20 million people have been affected by the relentless monsoon rains that began falling three weeks ago, leading to massive flooding from the mountainous regions in the north to the river plains of the south. See high resoulution images of disaster . About one-fifth of Pakistan is submerged, and entire families waded through filthy water, pleading for help. More than 1,400 people have died. Health officials fear a second wave of fatalities from waterborne diseases, including cholera, which is endemic in Pakistan and now threatening to become a major outbreak. Up to 3.5 million children are at high risk of cholera and other deadly diseases like typhoid and dysentery, said Maurizio Giuliano of the United Nations' humanitarian affairs office. About 900,000 homes have been damaged, and the monsoon season is only about halfway over. Water is the villain here but can also be a savior: The only recourses from waterborne illnesses are clean water and medical care, but both are in short supply. The United Nations has called for $166 million for clean water and medical care but has received only $25 million. The World Bank has committed about $900 million at the request of the Pakistani government. According to a statement, funding will come from the bank's Fund for the Poorest through reprogramming of currently planned projects and reallocation of undisbursed funds from ongoing projects. The overall global response has not been nearly enough, according to an International Rescue Committee-chaired consortium called the Pakistan Humanitarian Forum. About $150 million had been received from nations around the world by Monday, the group said in a statement, but much more is needed. "The international response to the disaster has been too small to even begin to effectively address the needs of survivors," said Tammy Hasselfeldt, the country director of the International Rescue Committee. "The most urgent priority is to ensure that safe water as well as medicines are available, food supplies are restored and transportation networks fixed to accelerate the delivery of desperately needed aid." The UN says $150 million is needed to feed up to 6 million Pakistanis, and $105 million is needed to help shelter about 2 million people left homeless. The United States has committed about $76 million for emergency flood relief assistance. But delivering the goods to flood victims is a nightmare in itself. With many roads and bridges reduced to rubble, travel by vehicles and foot is often impossible. The country is relying heavily on helicopters and boats to bring aid. "We're putting the final pieces in place on a distribution system which can reach the huge number of people in need in the shortest possible time," said Wolfgang Herbinger, director of the United Nations' World Food Programme in Pakistan. "It's a huge challenge, particularly in Sindh, where the delivery infrastructure is most constrained." U.S. military helicopters delivered 2,500 pounds of relief supplies Tuesday and rescued 375 people. There are now 11 helicopters on the ground in Pakistan, but the Pentagon has ordered a total of 19 for flood relief efforts. Those efforts are costing the United States $300,000 a day, the Pentagon said. So far, $2.5 million has been spent. "It's a dynamic situation," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "But the U.S. is a good ally and a friend, and we want to be supportive." Families continue to stomp through mud carrying whatever belongings they can salvage, passing dead livestock, with nowhere to go. Despite their suffering, many flood victims are reluctant to leave the ruins of their homes because they fear having their land stolen. Amid the devastation, a bit of good news surfaced: The head engineer of the Sukkur barrage -- a dam whose strength was questioned as flood waters rose in the Indus River -- said the dam is considered safe. The river crested August 10, and the dam withstood the pressure. CNN's Reza Sayah, Samson Desta and Sara Sidner contributed to this report. | Millions of children are at high risk of deadly diseases, United Nations says .
About a fifth of Pakistan is under water amid monsoon rains .
The UN urges more assistance for clean water, medical care .
The United States has committed about $76 million for aid . |
73,793 | d13dabfde1e2751097cf51cb5dac9e107b52e010 | By . Sami Mokbel for the Daily Mail . Follow @@SamiMokbel81_DM . Malky Mackay, who worked alongside Iain Moody at Cardiff, held a second round of talks with co-owner Steve Parish on Monday over the vacant manager's role. The Scot, who has been out of work since his sacking at Cardiff in December, held initial discussions with Parish on Sunday - as did Tim Sherwood, the other leading candidate for the role. Parish is set to make the final decision on who he wants to replace Tony Pulis in the next 48 hours. Leading candidates: Tim Sherwood (left) or Malky Mackay (right) are expected to replace Tony Pulis . Broken relationship: Tony Pulis (left) decided to leave Selhurst Park after disagreeing with Steve Parish . Meanwhile, it is understood Palace will be due a compensation fee from Pulis' next club, providing he is back in work by December. Pulis left Selhurst Park last week following a disagreement with Parish over the club's transfer policy. The 56-year-old is sure to be highly sought-after when managerial roles become vacant in the coming weeks and months given his record of never being relegated. But his next employers will be obliged to fork out a fee to Palace for Pulis, despite his shock exit last week. VIDEO Sherwood tipped for Palace . | Steve Parish has held talks with Malky Mackay and Tim Sherwood .
The Crystal Palace co-chairman wants a new man in charge by Thursday .
Tony Pulis left his role at the Eagles after a disagreement regarding the club's transfer policy . |
191,319 | 83be57c4be6be63e78a3e8e1c2d46fdeb2000932 | By . Rob Cooper . Last updated at 9:45 AM on 21st October 2011 . A blind daredevil set an aerobatics world record for the most consecutive formation loops yesterday. Mike Newman has pledged to make it a triple crown - by breaking the world blind land speed record on the road and in the water . The bank manager carried out the first of 26 consecutive loops before his co-pilot Myles Garland took over the controls. Plane crazy: Mike Newman gets into the plane and is prepared for take-off before his world record bid in Northamptonshire yesterday . Their Blades aircraft was joined by three others flying in formation with them as they broke the record at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire yesterday. The four EA-300 LPs reached a height of 2,000ft at the top of the loops and the pilots experienced 3.5g during the manoeuvres. Mr Newman, a married father-of-two- said: 'It was brilliant, I could have happily stayed up there until tea time. 'We usually do our records on the ground but this was such a different experience and a wonderful experience. Formation flyers: The four Blades planes fly 26 consecutive loops to break a world record. Blind Mike Newman did the first one before his co-pilot took over the controls . Record-breakers: Mike with his co-pilot Myles Garland (right). The blind man is hoping to break world land and sea speed records in the next year . 'It was great to fly with this prestigious group of pilots who are raising money for a very worthy cause. 'I'm hoping to do a water speed and land speed record next year so that I can get the triple record.' The Blades Aerobatic Team are a civilian . aerobatic team made up of former Red Arrows pilots. The team works . closely with the RAF Association Wings Appeal, which supports RAF . service personnel. After notching up the air title, Mr Newman is hoping to complete a triple crown of world records on land, sea and in the air. He is hoping to wrestle back his blind land speed record by driving a supercar at over 200mph next year. His record was taken away from him last year by Turkish driver Metin Senturk who drove a Ferrari F430 unaccompanied at 182mph. He is also planning to try and beat the current Blind Water Speed Record of 99.19mph using a Silverline F1 Powerboat. Both attempts, planned for the next . 12 months, would see Mr Newman become the first blind person to hold . world speed records for air, land, and water. However, yesterday he was toasting his blind flying world record. James Cliff, Blades spokesman, said: . 'It feels fantastic for the team to have set this unique record and to . have Mike Newman alongside has made it even more special. 'Maybe we could for 50 loops in the New Year - let's see.' The record will go to the Guinness Book of Records after being ratified by the Federation Aeronatuique Internationale (FAI). Record bid: Mike is strapped in moments before take-off. The daredevil, a married father-of-two, is a former blind land speed record holder . Jubiliant: Mike Newman smiles after breaking the blind land speed record in 2003 by driving at 141mph near York. The record was subsequently broken by a Turkish man last year . | Mike Newman performed 26 consecutive loops . |
138,380 | 3ef7dc6c771222c71c75a3e39368bc432be2617c | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:15 EST, 18 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:39 EST, 18 March 2014 . Four veterans who served for years in the U.S. military have been grounded after their names were among those of 13 Americans believed to have been added to the government's no-fly list. The group, who have found themselves barred from flying to the U.S., are suing the government over claims that the list denies them the right to due process. For many, including Raymond Earl Knaeble IV, who converted to Islam after serving in the Army, the first sign they have of being on the list is when they are stopped from boarding flights back to their homes in the U.S. Denied: Raymond Knaeble, left, and Abe Mashal, right, are included in a lawsuit suing over the no-fly list . Knaeble served in the Army from 1999 to 2003 and, after his honorable discharge, began work for a private company in Kuwait. He later converted to Islam and joined an anti-war group but, according to his father, Knaeble is a loyal American. He first discovered he was on the no-fly list in 2010, when he tried to board a flight to Colombia after getting married. The bar meant that in order to return home to the U.S. he had to travel by bus from Panama, through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico before reaching the U.S. His father told Fox News: 'It’s affected him immensely. He can’t travel unless it’s by car or by . foot. And he has the FBI following his every move, 24/7.' Knaeble, like the others on the list, has no way of finding out why he has been barred from flights. When he was barred from boarding the plane in Colombia he was told to visit the nearest Embassy, where his passport was taken from him but no answers were given. The government has refused to confirm or deny if those bringing the case are on the no-fly list. Solution: District judge Anna Brown says officials need to find a way to let those on the list know why they have been blocked . In 2010, Mr Knaeble, who now lives in Chicago, wrote in a blogpost that he cooperated with officials, handing over his cell phone SIM card and a list of contacts in the Middle East. He claims that he has been 'interrogated day in and day out by the FBI' despite not being given a reason for why his name is on the list. The American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing them, said the process used by the FBI's terrorist screening center, is unconstitutional . because those on the list have no way of knowing what caused them to be . added, and therefore are not able to contest it. According to AP, in 2012 the federal no-fly list included about 21,000 people, including 500 Americans. The 13 Americans bringing the lawsuit over their inclusion on the list have been barred from domestic flights and those flying to and from the U.S. Their names were added between 2009 and 2012. One of the other veterans suing under the lawsuit is Abe Mashal, who was trying to fly from Chicago to Washington state when he first realized he was on the no-fly list. The former Marine said the ban has caused him to miss key family events, including weddings and funerals, and said it has led to a loss for his dog-training business. According to the Huffington Post, he was added to the list after sending emails to a Muslim cleric the FBI was watching, and then refusing to hand over information about fellow Muslims. Mashal and Knaebie's cases illustrate the personal restrictions being on the no-fly list cause. A federal judge has rejected claims by the Justice Department that the list does not lead to a bar on travel by other means. In August U.S. District Judge Anna Brown rejected claims that the no-fly list does not deprive citizens of their civil liberties. She demanded a solution for those on the list to find out why they were added and to be able to maintain their right to due process. Government lawyers this week however said national security issues limited a person's rights to a hearing about their no-fly status. They warned Brown against taking over policy making if she rules the current system is unfair. In August the circuit court of appeals gave Brown responsibility for the lawsuit, which was launched in 2010. The Oregon judge has not said when she expects to make a decision in the case. Attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, Hina Shamsi, has said the current system denies Americans the right to contest the evidence that led to them being on the no-fly list. 'When . the government deprives people of those rights, it must provide them . notice and a meaningful opportunity to clear their names,' Shamsi told Fox News. Currently, those barred from boarding a flight to the U.S. can try to contest it with the Department of Homeland Security. If they are then unhappy with the department's ruling they can apply for a judicial review bit not a hearing, where evidence against them would be presented. For Knaeble and the others fighting their inclusion on the no-fly list, the travel limbo has left them in despair. 'I am a veteran of the U.S. armed forces and I have no criminal record. I am no threat to national security and have been charged with no crime,' Knaeble wrote in 2010. 'The FBI put me on a list that turned my life upside-down and there is no process in place to make them tell me why, or let me respond to any accusations they may have against me.' | Lawsuit claims those barred from flying are being denied their right to due process .
Army veteran Raymond Knaeble only discovered he was on the list after trying to fly home from Colombia . |
30,950 | 57f18c2e42b87835ba7cb062914c99e9102db066 | By . Jack Doyle . Public trust in the police has been severely shaken by recent corruption scandals, a major report warned yesterday. In a worrying assessment, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor said the public felt badly let down by the failure of officers to live up to expected standards of integrity. The Stephen Lawrence investigation, Hillsborough, Plebgate, revelations about undercover officers, the death of Ian Tomlinson during the G20 riots and other recent controversies have, he said, left the police damaged – despite ordinary bobbies being more honest than they were in the 1960s and 1970s. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor said the public felt badly let down by the failure of officers to live up to expected standards of integrity. File picture . In his 163-page assessment of the State of Policing in England and Wales, Mr Winsor concludes forces are: . But it is his conclusions around public trust in the police which will raise the most concern. He wrote: ‘Controversies and revelations of a serious and negative nature in relation to the conduct of some police officers, both past and present, have hurt public confidence in the police, and the morale of the very great majority of honest, hardworking, committed and brave police officers has suffered as a consequence.’ Andrew Mitchell: Victim of misconduct in Plebgate row . He added: ‘The police service has been damaged, but it is certainly not broken.’ Mr Winsor called on police leaders to ‘repair the damage which has been done’ with a commitment to the highest standards of professional conduct and to the vigorous and uncompromising establishment of the truth. Those who have violated the high standards that police officers should abide by deserve firm treatment, the report said. It said: ‘[The public’s] expectations are that police officers will adhere to standards of honesty and conduct which are appreciably higher than those demanded of most others. And it is in that respect that the public feel badly let down – and perhaps afraid – when police officers are exposed as having failed.’ Before he was appointed to head the HMIC, Mr Winsor wrote two reports proposing widespread and radical reforms of the police. Until then, policing workplace practices were ‘stale and discredited’ and some officers developed a sense that forces ‘deserved to be insulated from fundamental and searching review’, he concluded. The failure properly to combat the huge rise in cybercrime had handed the advantage to offenders and left the public at risk. ‘The internet opens a new portal in our homes to those who do us harm,’ he said. Mr Winsor pointed to burglary detection rates among forces as low as 15 per cent and also raised ‘real concerns’ about the handling of domestic abuse cases and car crime. And, he said, criminals have got off as a result of the sloppy writing of reports for the Crown Prosecution Service. Controversies such as the Stephen Lawrence (left) investigation and the death of Ian Tomlinson during the G20 riots (right) have affected public trust . Labour policing spokesman Jack Dromey said the report raised serious questions about the future of British policing. ‘Public trust in the police has been damaged by allegations of misconduct, failed investigations and cover-ups,’ Mr Dromey said. A Home Office spokesman said: ‘Tom Winsor’s report rightly points out that recent allegations about misconduct have damaged but not broken public confidence in the police. The majority of police officers conduct themselves honestly.’ | Stephen Lawrence, Hillsborough, and other controversies shake public trust .
Failures over break-ins, domestic abuse and cyber crime also worry public .
But Home Office says majority of officers conduct themselves properly .
Failing properly to investigate home break-ins, domestic abuse and car crime; .
Ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal with new types of crime such as online fraud; .
Leaving officers with primitive technology more than a decade old; .
Mired in inefficiency and unnecessary bureaucracy. |
254,901 | d5ec19bdb7feb54d907b89015d113ef16fff2996 | An Orlando abortion clinic ran by a controversial, unlicensed physician has outraged locals by offering discount abortions. The Orlando Woman’s Center, which was shut down in June and had all of its equipment seized, has brazenly thrown its doors back open – and even more boldly, it has begun circulating coupons for bargain-basement abortions on Sundays. The coupons offer a $50 discount for abortions performed on Sundays. Outrage: A Florida abortion clinic is offering discount abortions . Open since July, it’s not clear when the clinic began the promotion, but it is clear who the clinic is targeting. ‘An abortion center that’s open seven days a week in Florida is giving away coupons to poor women in a crisis pregnancy so they can save money on their abortions,’ said Rachel Burgin, executive director of Florida Right to Life. Ran by Dr. James Pendergraft, a physician who has had his license revoked five times, according to WFTV, the clinic is open seven days a week and is working with borrowed equipment. All the equipment was seized in June as part of the proceedings in an unpaid $36million medical malpractice judgement against Pendergraft, according to WFTV. The most recent license revocation, in April, came after the good doctor performed an illegal third-trimester abortion, according to the station. He maintained he did not know the pregnant woman was in her third trimester. Controversial: Dr. James Pendergraft's Orlando Woman's Center is open once again, despite his medical license being suspended five times . Borrowed equipment: The Orlando clinic is working with borrowed equipment, but is it also on borrowed time? Repo men: A crew seized the clinic's equipment in June as part of an effort to settle a $36million judgement against Pendergraft . Pendergraft has also been accused of performing faulty abortions, the station reported. The scandal-stained doc was able to reopen the clinic because he is not performing any medical procedures, instead delegating that work to six other physicians, he told the station. In the process of recovering both his equipment and medical license, Pendergraft told the station ‘I've done nothing that I thought was inappropriate, illegal, immoral or wrong.’ The state of Florida, the legions of protestors outside the clinic and the 270,000 people who 'liked' Burgin's post on the pro-life group's website disagree. | The clinic is run by a former physician who has had his license revoked FIVE TIMES, most recently for an illegal third trimester abortion .
Dr. James Pendergraft previously lost a $36million malpractice judgement, causing the state to seize all of his equipment and shutter his clinic .
Pendergraft has reopened with borrowed equipment and a new business strategy . |
272,523 | ecffd7c13a0247b9406d8debb5c1c5610b12d055 | (CNN) -- Nickey Van Exel, the 20-year-old son of former NBA player and current Atlanta Hawks coaching staff member Nick Van Exel, has been charged with capital murder in the shooting of a close friend, his attorney said. Van Exel was released on $25,000 bond, said Executive Chief Deputy Jesse Flores of the Dallas County Sheriff's Department. Van Exel is charged in the shooting of Bradley Bassey Eyo, 23, in the Dallas suburb of Garland. Eyo's body was dumped near Lake Ray Hubbard, authorities said, and had an apparent gunshot wound to the upper body. Police found the remains on Sunday and arrested Van Exel on Wednesday, authorities said. In an interview with CNN affiliate WFAA, Eyo's father said police told him that Van Exel said the shooting was an accident. "They were playing with a shotgun, and when it went off on Bradley, he didn't know what to do, took his body and dumped it on the street," the father told WFAA. Authorities told reporters that they reviewed the case closely before making it a capital offense. "If a person is making the assertion this was an accident -- you place the body in a vehicle and moved it to a second location -- that in itself, coupled with the fact that property is missing, makes this a capital murder," said Deputy Chief Craig Miller. A cell phone and shoes were the missing property, said Dallas police spokesman Kevin Janse. Paul Johnson, Van Exel's attorney, told CNN the shooting was the result of "horseplay." "The young men were involved in a bunch of horseplay. They didn't believe it was loaded and, unfortunately, it was," Johnson said. "Unfortunately, there was a tragic result to the horseplay." The two men had been friends for years and were neighbors who lived across the street from each other, Johnson said. Van Exel does not live with his father, Johnson said. "Everybody considered them to be like brothers," the attorney said of the two young men. When asked why Van Exel allegedly moved the body, Johnson said Van Exel went "into a state of shock and panic." "When it occurred, there was no question his friend was deceased," Johnson said. Van Exel tried to call his family, but he "couldn't get a hold of anybody," Johnson said. "You are talking about a 20-year-old boy." Van Exel and Johnson went to police and cooperated, Johnson said. Van Exel consented to have his home and vehicle searched, Johnson said. Johnson described the families of the two young men as close. "There has been communication between the families since the incident," Johnson said. The elder Van Exel became player development instructor for the Atlanta Hawks in September after serving as an assistant coach at Texas Southern University, according to the Hawks' website. Van Exel, 39, played 13 seasons in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trailblazers and San Antonio Spurs, the website said. | Nickey Van Exel is son of ex-NBA player, current Atlanta staff member Nick Van Exel .
Nickey Van Exel faces murder charge in the shooting of his friend, police say .
His attorney says the shooting was an accident that occurred during "horseplay" |
22,410 | 3fa0a516db8b711e96592229fc5f958abbd2b9a1 | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 08:45 EST, 7 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:59 EST, 9 April 2012 . Hotel hopper: Billionaire business tycoon Nicolas Berggruen, pictured with designer Lindsey Steede last year, has chosen not to own a house because he's 'not interested' in material possessions . Like most nomads, Nicolas Berggruen travels light. He doesn't own a house, car or even a watch and the few belongings he does have are carried around in a paper bag. Possessions have 'zero appeal', he says. It's our actions that have real value. But what sets the 50-year-old apart from nearly all other homeless people is the small matter of his £1.5billion fortune. Berggruen got rid of his New York pad and private island 12 years ago. Home is far more transient nowadays. Life for him is a jet-set one - trotting the globe, hanging out with beautiful women and staying in luxury hotels, sometimes in 14 different cities in a month as he builds his enormous business empire. His most recent acquisition has been a £881million stake in Burger King. But in spite of his wealth, the Franco-German tycoon insists he doesn't need, or want, material goods. 'Possessing things is not interesting,' he told the Daily Mirror. 'Living in grand environments to show myself and others that I have wealth has zero appeal. 'Whatever I own is temporary, since we're only here for a short period of time. It's our actions that will last for ever. That's real value.' Berggruen was born into a privileged family (his Jewish father, Heinz, was a wealthy art dealer who befriended Pablo Picasso) in Paris in 1961. He had a rebellious streak when growing up - getting expelled for 'insubordination' from a Swiss boarding school and once vowing he wouldn't learn 'a word of English' because it was the language of imperialism. He did, however, move away from that view and went on to study finance at university in New York. Playboy: The 50-year-old often hangs out with beautiful women like Claudia Schiffer (left) on his jet-set travels . Happier now: Berggruen, posing with actress Lisa Lovbrand in 2009, says he prefers living like a nomad . In 1988, he jointly founded hedge fund Alpha Investment Management and later created Berggruen Holdings, which bought slices of firms around the world. One of these was German department store Karstadt, which he acquired for one euro and then saved 25,000 jobs there by investing £40million. He's never revealed why, but in 2000 he had something of an epiphany and vowed to give away most of his wealth. In that year, he sold his Fifth Avenue home in New York - and his private island off Miami - and focused instead on his hotel-hopping travels, staying at some of the world's finest establishments such as Claridge's in London. Mingling with the rich and famous, he . holds an annual Oscars party at Los Angeles Chateau Marmont hotel, where . he hosts celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton. Transient: The exclusive Claridge's hotel (above) in Mayfair, London, is among the temporary homes used by the Paris-born entrepreneur . Celebrity friends: Berggruen holds an annual Oscars party at Los Angeles Chateau Marmont hotel (above) for stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Paris Hilton . He told the Daily Mirror: 'I have always spent a lot of time in hotels, so it started to seem easier to do this. I feel happier. 'I am not that attached to material things. I have very few possessions. Luckily, as a man, you don't need much.' Berggruen is one of more than 50 billionaires who have agreed to give away at least half of their fortunes. He spends millions buying artworks by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst just to hand them to museums for free. And last year he spent £12million on a campaign to save California from its crippling debts. Perhaps a homeless charity will be next on his list. | Nicolas Berggruen, 50, has £1.5billion fortune... but plans to give half away .
Has bought £881m stake in Burger King... but carries things in paper bag .
'Whatever I own is only temporary. It's our actions that have real value' |
139,187 | 3ffc4b1d7f69109708476667aaf9c232baa19046 | (CNN) -- A video showing a blind man being repeatedly kicked and stomped by an unknown assailant was released by the Philadelphia Police Department Tuesday. The 33-year-old victim was walking down the street around noon on October 2 in Philadelphia's Southwest Germantown neighborhood when the suspect looked in his direction as he was approaching, according to police. The grainy police surveillance video shows the suspect laying down his backpack near a corner shop after he spots the victim. The video goes black, and the next moment shows the victim being pushed to the ground and repeatedly punched, stomped on and then kicked about four times by his attacker as witnesses watched. One man is seen crossing the street mere steps from the beating, and he continues walking. After the suspect finishes assaulting the blind man, he picks up his backpack and walks away, leaving the victim helpless on the ground with injuries to his head and face, according to police. Philadelphia police spokeswoman Officer Tanya Little said it was not clear whether the suspect knew that the victim was blind. The victim told police he did not recognize his attacker's voice. Police are asking the public to help identify the attacker, whom they described as a 20-year-old black man wearing a tan baseball cap, tan shirt and khaki pants. WWII veteran beaten to death by teenagers . Video captures beating of college student . Man pleads not guilty in New Jersey beating caught on camera . City pays $1 million to mother of homeless man beaten to death by police . | Blind man randomly attacked in Philadelphia neighborhood, police say .
Suspect is shown kicking, stomping, punching the victim in video .
The victim suffered head and face injuries; police seeking suspect . |
173,989 | 6d27a05f9fdb69fa6d5f7efffc50c85989414072 | (CNN) -- "There's no more skeletons in my closet," Russell Brand told CNN's Piers Morgan. "I live in a haunted house." On Wednesday's "Piers Morgan Tonight," Morgan introduced Brand as "the man who put the sex, drugs and rock and roll into comedy," calling the comedian "a lawbreaker, a line-crosser, a madman and a genius." Brand, who makes no secret of his shaky past, told Morgan, "They know I'm a junkie. They know I carried on with women. They know I've been in trouble with the police." The actor also talked to the CNN host about his new movie, "Arthur," a remake of the 1980s classic, his marriage to pop superstar Katy Perry and his thoughts on the royal family. Brand described his pre-sobriety self in detail, saying he was "a scrawny, retched, ne'er do well -- a twig crow man, scorching across the north London streets, fingerless gloves, outstretched palm, bags of smack in pocket, pipe on the lips." "I used to hang out with pimps and hookers and junkies and crooks," continued Brand. "But the reality of that life, you know, you can snatch glistening pearls of amusement from it. But when that's your daily life, it's miserable." Morgan asked Brand if his newfound immense success made him happier. "Given that I had an early life that was about like sort of stealing to survive," said Brand, "and having to get on the public transport without paying, and sort of petty incidents, and low-life crime sort of stuff, then yes. It's obviously easier to have money than to be dirt poor. But I think that to say that money brings happiness is reductive." Morgan argued that Brand getting a California driver's license was a step toward the straight and narrow because "wild rockers can't drive." Brand, who drives a Range Rover, said he takes driving very seriously and tries "to accept that driving is not a medium in which to express your true nature." The actor, who married singer/songwriter Perry in October, told Morgan, "I really love married life. I love the companionship and the friendship and the consistency of someone being there." Morgan asked if there was any truth to the rumors that Brand is teaming up with Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin to make a film version of the stage musical "Rock of Ages." Brand said, "As a man who is married to a person that can often be on another continent, I need to put my marriage first. See if we can work out the schedule in there, and then I'll do it." "Arthur," hits theatres Friday. "Obviously, you're replacing a legend," said Morgan. "I mean, Dudley Moore made 'Arthur' this immortal character. Did you have any qualms about taking over such a part from one of your comedy heroes?" "I hold Dudley Moore in such reverence," Brand said. "I have such strong feelings and affection for the original film. It just felt like a privilege and an honor." He called the film "a beautiful way of updating a very traditional and archetypal story." Brand, a recovering alcoholic who played a womanizing drunk, had an interesting way of preparing for his scenes. "I was smelling the bottles of booze to get me into character, 'cause I don't drink anymore as you know. "I would take the bottles of rum, bottles of tequila, just to evoke the memory." He called the experience "a distilled, but positive aspect of alcoholism," saying it was like being drunk with the exception of "having to wake up with a terrible headache and a stranger." Brand said the overall message of the film is that "Arthur is a billionaire, but he's unhappy and he is lonely until he finds love." When the subject of the upcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton came up, the two Englishmen discussed the monarchy. Brand noted he has been "overwhelmed by patriotism" since moving to the United States. "I have become sort of seduced by it," continued Brand. "I think those things have contributed to a renewed appreciation for the monarchy; while I still believe absolutely in equality at my core." Morgan asked Brand what the difference between British and American humor is, and whether the comedian tailors his act for American audiences. "I think there's a very direct corollary that's based around our language," Brand said. "And I, I certainly don't think it holds true that the American sense of humor is in any way unsophisticated when you think of the geniuses like (Jerry) Seinfeld and (Richard) Pryor." As for upcoming plans, Brand told Morgan he wishes "to continue being a stand-up comedian, continue to be happy in my marriage and to make sure that when I interact with people, I make them happier." Watch Piers Morgan Tonight weeknights 9 p.m. ET. For the latest from Piers Morgan click here. | Russell Brand's sordid past includes drug addiction, arrests and womanizing .
Brand on marriage: "I love the companionship and the friendship and the consistency"
Actor on "Arthur": "Beautiful way of updating a very traditional and archetypal story" |
132,441 | 37454bce569547ca9ec4580232cd5a6be4a56c1c | By . Ashley Collman . Behind bars: 27-year-old teaching assistant Melissa Bradley is being accused of sleeping with two of her male students. She was arrested May 4 and charged with seven counts of endangering the welfare of a child . A teacher's assistant in New Jersey is being accused of sleeping with two male high school students. Melissa Bradley, 27, was arrested May 4 and booked in Essex County Jail after administrators at Belleville high school reported her behavior to the police. It's uncertain how the school found out Bradley had sexual relations with two teen students, but she is accused of having oral sex and intercourse with the boys. The two students were born in 1996. One just turned 18 while the other is 17. It's uncertain what age the 18-year-old was when the relationship happened. Kathy Carter of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office says Bradley had a relationship with one of the boys between May 2013 and February 2014. The other relationship overlapped by a month and started last January to this March. Bradley has been charged with seven counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She is still being held on $500,000 bond at the Essex County Jail. School district officials confirmed that they reported the incident to NJ.com, but would not elaborate on the situation. Silent: Officials at Belleville High School in suburban New Jersey refused to elaborate on the situation . | Prosecutors say Melissa Bradley, 27, slept with two of her students over the course of a year .
The male students are currently ages 18 and 17 .
Bradley is being held on $500,000 bond . |
93,447 | 042eb3519571e18eb4fde445d5b358894b34afbc | A government agency in Chile has published a report on two photographs showing an object which it claims 'can be qualified as a UFO.' The Committee for the Studies of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena (CEFAA), part of Chile's Ministerial Department of Civil Aeronautics, studied photographs of the object after it was spotted by four engineers above a remote copper mine. According to the report, the engineers described the object as 'a flattened disc of brilliant colour with a diameter of 5 to 10 metres [16 to 32 feet]. It performed ascending, descending and horizontal movements in short lengths, about 600 meters above the ground.' Scroll down for video . The Commitee for the Studies of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena (CEFAA) studied the photographs of an object spotted by four engineers above a remote copper mine . Following investigations, the CEFAA ruled out the possibility of any meteorological phenomena, including lenticular clouds, along with experimental aircraft, planes, and weather balloons . One of the workers reportedly took the pictures on a Kenox Samsung S860 camera after they spotted the object at the Collahuasi copper mine while they were working there in April 2013. While the engineers did not want to talk about the sighting, the photographer did tell a colleague at the mine, who sent copies of the images to the CEFAA earlier this year. The engineer who sent the pictures on to the government agency also passed on information provided to him by the witnesses, the Huffington Post has reported. Following investigations, the CEFAA ruled out the possibility of any meteorological phenomena, including lenticular clouds, along with experimental aircraft, planes, and weather balloons, according to the Inquisitr. The agency also ruled out the possibility of drones in the area. CEFAA international affairs director Jose Lay told Leslie Kean, for the Huffington Post: 'Fishing companies use drones and they make a lot of noise. This was definitely not a drone.' According to the report, the engineers described the object as 'a flattened disc of brilliant colour with a diameter of 5 to 10 metres [16 to 32 feet]' The study concludes: 'It is an object or phenomenon of great interest, and it can be qualified as a UFO.' Caution has been urged however . regarding the conclusions, primarily as the four engineers who witnessed . the incident refused to co-operate with the agency conducting the . investigation. The report . was released in the same week as the CIA revealed they were responsible . for a number of 'UFO' sightings in Norway in the 1950s. Throughout . the decade, numerous lights in the sky were reported by members of the . public and pilots alike, with some suggesting they were of . extraterrestrial origin. The study concludes: 'It is an object or phenomenon of great interest, and it can be qualified as a UFO' But the CIA last week revealed it was the agency flying their secretive U-2 aircraft high in the atmosphere. In a tweet the CIA said: ‘Remember reports of unusual activity in the skies in the ‘50s? That was us.’ Meanwhile, a series of images from Nasa's Curiosity rover, which shows a white dot appearing to descend to the surface of Mars, was also explained this week. While one Youtuber claimed the images was evidence of a UFO landing on the red planet, Nasa said the anomaly can be easily explained as a so-called 'hot pixel' in one of the cameras. | Government agency in Chile says object is 'of great interest, and it can be qualified as a UFO'
Committee for the Studies of Anomalous Aerial Phenomena studied photographs after object was spotted by engineers at copper mine .
Agency ruled out possibility of meteorological phenomena as well as experimental aircraft, planes, weather balloons and drones . |
39,506 | 6f9ab9972e5b26618d622919d9bc7c402c947eb8 | MIAMI BEACH, Florida (CNN) -- On the grainy, silent black and white video, it's hard to tell exactly what happened the night of June 14 in Miami Beach. But one thing is certain: A tourist, Husien Shehada, can be seen falling to the ground, shot by a police officer. Shehada, 29, later died. Husien Shehada, at left with his brother, Samer, was shot dead by Miami Beach police on June 14. Four nights later, again in Miami Beach, Lawrence McCoy allegedly pistol-whipped a cab driver and led police on a chase. Police say shots were exchanged. McCoy, also 29, was killed. Officer Adam Tavss, a 34-year-old former history teacher with three years on the force, was involved in both police shootings, the first in Miami Beach since 2003. Although it is not yet clear whether Tavss fired one of the shots that killed McCoy, questions are being raised as to whether the officer was cleared for patrol duty too soon after the first shooting. Police and the Miami-Dade County state attorney's office are investigating the shootings. The inquiry is expected to last several more months. All the records and reports have been sealed. Watch surveillance video of the first shooting » . The families of Shehada and McCoy are asking the Justice Department to investigate. Tavss, who is now assigned to desk duty, declined through his attorney to speak with CNN, citing the ongoing investigation. Miami Beach Police Chief Carlos Noriega has defended both shootings. "It is important to note that the subjects in both cases had exhibited aggressive, violent, non-compliant and criminal behavior," the chief said in a statement to the media. Noriega added that officers "are required to make split-second decisions based on a variety of factors and cannot afford to hesitate or be wrong." The Miami Beach department's standard operating procedure for use of force, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, states that any officer involved in a fatal shooting must be assigned to administrative duties for at least 72 hours. The department also mandates psychological support. Tavss was removed from duty for 72 hours, evaluated and then cleared by Noriega to return to patrol, which is departmental policy. On his first day back out on the street, Tavss was involved in the second shooting. Each of the nation's 20,000 police departments sets its own policy for police involved in shootings and fatalities. Some departments keep the officers off the streets for a week or longer. In virtually all cases, psychological evaluation and counseling are mandatory. Watch CNN's report on the shootings » . Maria Haberfeld, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and an expert on police use of force and stress management, said she had never heard of an officer being involved in two shootings within four days. "I think it's a gross error of judgment for any police department to maintain a rule that allows an officer who was involved in a fatal shooting to be back on the streets four days after the incident," Haberfeld said. A study by the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice found that officers involved in fatal shootings can be affected for months afterward. "In the days, weeks and months that follow a shooting, officers may suffer adverse reactions such as sleep interruption, anxiety and depression," a report on the study said. Officers "experienced a range of psychological, emotional and physiological reactions that distorted time, distance, sight and sound," the study concluded. In some cases, the study found, officers could not recall firing their weapons. But even experts are undecided on just how much time off the street is enough, because every incident and every police officer is different. "It's hard for me to estimate whether it's weeks or a little bit more, but certainly not days; certainly not hours. It's just too irresponsible toward the officer and toward the society the officer needs to serve," Haberfeld said. Police officers across the country train on how to make difficult split-second decisions on the use of deadly force. The sheriff in neighboring Broward County uses an interactive video screen that places officers into scenarios they might face while on patrol. "In less than half a second, your pulse may go from 60 to 160, 170, and your heart's beating out of your chest, and you have to make a split-second decision," Broward Sheriff's Sgt. Bill Pennypacker said. Witnesses, police and surveillance video obtained by CNN provide the following, sometimes conflicting, accounts of what happened during the two Miami Beach shootings: . Husien Shehada and his brother, Samer, had come from Virginia to spend a long weekend with their girlfriends in Miami Beach. Early on Sunday, June 14, they got into a scuffle with another group of men, who intervened after Samer Shehada allegedly assaulted his girlfriend. Investigators said they believe that the two brothers were looking for revenge against those men when somebody called 911, reporting that two men were walking down the street and that one of them might be carrying a machine gun. The callers said they could see the outline of a large gun underneath his white shirt, and he was carrying it in his left hand. In a color security camera tape released by the Miami Beach Police Department, it appears that one of the brothers was carrying something under his shirt, holding it with his left hand. Tavss and other officers approached the brothers in front of Twist, a popular South Beach nightclub. A grainy black and white videotape shows the brothers together and Husien Shehada falling to the ground. A police officer can then be seen approaching. Samer Shehada said he and his brother were cooperating. "His hands were up for a good two seconds, three seconds," Samer Shehada said. "He wasn't in the process of raising his hands. His hands were up." One witness told CNN that when Tavss approached the brothers with his gun drawn, the brothers were belligerent. The witness, Derek Reynolds, was working security at the club that night. He said the two men cursed at police and wouldn't put their hands up. "It got intense. ... They weren't cooperating," he said. "One guy reached behind him, and he got shot." Law enforcement sources say a coat hanger and a bottle were found at the scene, but no gun was found. Samer Shehada said that neither he nor his brother was carrying a coat hanger, much less a gun. After the shooting, Tavss was relieved of duty for 72 hours, per department policy. When he returned to street patrol, he was one of several officers who responded to a 911 call reporting that that a taxi driver had been pistol-whipped and his cab stolen. Police confronted Lawrence McCoy on a Miami Beach causeway. According to police, McCoy ran and fired at the officers. McCoy was shot dead by police. It is not yet known whether Tavss fired any shots. John Contini, an attorney representing the families of both men shot by police, said McCoy was shot nine to 11 times. No weapon was found on McCoy. Police found a gun several days later in Biscayne Bay, but they say they don't know if it belonged to McCoy. Lawrence McCoy Sr. said his son's civil rights were violated. "Michael Vick was convicted and put in jail for two years for killing dogs -- for killing dogs. I want justice for my son," he said. Contini said Tavss should be in jail. He also questioned the policy that allowed him back on the street so quickly. "In fairness to the officer, you don't put him on the street, with a gun and a badge, to be in this situation without allowing for a period of decompression -- for the officer's sake, to get some help," Contini said. | Miami Beach police officer Adam Tavss is involved in two police shootings .
Second shooting happened on his first day back on street .
Questions are being raised as to whether he was cleared for duty too soon .
Miami Beach police chief decides when an officer is ready to return . |
213,014 | 9fdb1700a36127fb67c12303e7b86f10bcba4ac3 | BRADFORD, England (CNN) -- Tuesday is her 104th birthday, but that hasn't stopped Britain's Ivy Bean from being an avid Twitter user and possibly the oldest person on the social networking site. Ivy Bean has 27,000 Twitter followers and tweets from the care home where she lives in Bradford, England. From the care home where she lives in the northern English city of Bradford, near Leeds, Bean updates her more than 27,000 Twitter followers about the ups and downs of her life -- from getting her hair done with her good friend Mabel, to eating fish and chips and watching her favorite game show, "Deal or No Deal," on TV. Last month, she tweeted her sadness that her friend Norma had passed away overnight. Before getting onto Twitter, Bean was already active on Facebook, where she maxed out her 5,000-friend limit in no time. Bean says she prefers Twitter because it's easier than Facebook -- it only requires updating. She has linked both accounts so that her tweets automatically show up on Facebook. Bean says she knows people must think it's amazing that she's so active on online, but she thinks it's a good way of keeping in touch with people. And for those who find it hard to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, Bean offers this advice: "Keep on at it." "Old" is not the first -- or second or even 10th -- word that comes to mind with Bean, an engaging, lively and friendly lady with a warm and infectious smile. A resident of Hillside Manor, she recently won a gold medal at the residential home's Over-75 Olympics in the Frisbee-throwing category. And she enjoys bowling on the home's Nintendo Wii. No surprise, perhaps, for a lady who was a gymnast when she was younger. What do her friends think of her online popularity? "I think they might be jealous," she said with a joking laugh. Others at Hillside Manor also have Twitter accounts, but not Bean's friend, Mabel Davis, 87. "Just put me on yours, Ivy," she says. Already, Bean's centenarian tweeting and Facebooking have attracted international attention, and news outlets from around the world have interviewed her. Bean's daughter, Sandra Logan, 61, said she arrived for a visit one day only to find her mom busy with a call. "I'm on the phone with Israel," Bean called out to her daughter. Part of the reason Bean is so active online is because the care home makes activities for its residents a priority. One resident wanted to learn more about photography, so he now takes a course once a week at a local college. The home also helped another resident get a passport so he could visit his son in Spain. Hillside Manor also recently hosted a quiz with students from the local college. The subject was history. The Hillside Manor residents won. "We're trying to do something different than knitting or crochet," explained Pat Wright, the home's manager. Bean came from a large family with four brothers and three sisters. All are gone, Logan said. Bean, who was in the middle of her siblings, was approaching 40 when she got married during the "great war" to Harold Gibson Bean. He was a cook in the army, and she worked in a mill. After the war, the couple got a job "in service" to a wealthy family. Ivy Bean was a housekeeper and her husband was the cook and butler to Lord and Lady Guinness in Northamptonshire, England. Daughter Sandra, their only child, was born two years later, in 1947. The couple retired together but Harold Bean died a few years later, when he was in his 70s, Logan said. Bean now has three great-grandchildren with two more on the way, Logan said. They all call their famous great-grandmother "Little Nan." Wright says Bean is "very open" to new suggestions and new ideas and is always willing to have a go at something. "She must have been like that all her life," Wright says. "It's not a new thing. I think if you're one of those people that'll try anything through your life, it doesn't stop when you get old." As she types an update on her Twitter page, Bean certainly seems to be displaying an open mind. Would she agree? "I don't know if I have or not," Bean says. "But there's something there. There must be!" Is Ivy the oldest tweeter in town, or do you know an older twitterer? Use the Sound Off box to post your comments. | British Twitter user Ivy Bean, 104, may be oldest on social networking site .
Bean updates her more than 27,000 followers about ups and downs of her life .
"I think they might be jealous," Bean jokes about her friends .
Post your comments in the Sound Off box below . |
4,904 | 0e0a65dd894fac8d7a521f13c13743f2d2fa4fb2 | On the eve of the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley, the Detroit Lions have suspended CJ Mosley and sent him home. The 31-year-old defensive tackle has received a fortnight’s suspension for conduct detrimental to the team and an unspecified violation of team rules. The back-up is nevertheless considered one of the leaders in Detroit’s No 1 ranked defense and has played every game this year, recording 2.5 sacks. His absence will likely mean a greater workload for Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley. Caraun Reid and Jason Jason should see increased snaps too. CJ Mosley pictured on the bench during the game against the New Orleans Saints in Detroit last Sunday . Rookie safety Jerome Couplin has been promoted from the practice squad to fill Mosley’s roster spot. With a bye next week, Mosley will also miss the week 10 game against the Miami Dolphins. Now in the his tenth NFL season, this is Mosley’s second year in Detroit, but he will become a free agent at the end of the season. Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell (front left), alongside a number of his players, speaks to the crowds at Trafalgar Square during the NFL Fan Rally on Saturday . | Mosley has been sent back to Detroit for conduct detrimental to the team and an unspecified violation .
The 31-year-old DT is considered a defensive leader .
His absence will mean more snaps for Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley .
The Lions (5-2) face the Atlanta Falcons (2-5) ahead of bye weeks for both teams . |
3,583 | 0a5de5a1aefba6b21c0ca9163baf46832402d6f8 | Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will contest the disrepute charge for criticising referee Chris Foy after his team’s FA Cup draw at Cambridge two weeks ago. Van Gaal said it was ‘always the same’ with referees when bigger teams play against smaller clubs, leading the FA to charge him with implying bias on Foy’s part. Now it has emerged the United manager will request a personal hearing with the governing body at which he will explain he was just trying to make a general point. Louis van Gaal hopes he won't have have the book thrown at him for comments made about referee Chris Foy . United take on West Ham away on Sunday and Van Gaal said: ‘I am not angry, I am very disappointed. I am now for nearly 30 years a trainer-coach or manager and I have never been charged. And still, up to now, I don’t think that I said something wrong. ‘I said already in our press conference (before the game) the same phrases, because I know in advance everything is in favour of the underdog. ‘I said it before the game and I said it after the game, only in the meaning of the general feeling of everybody, everybody for the underdog. ‘So I cannot imagine the FA has charged me. But, OK, it’s like that. Of course I will contest it. I never said anything wrong. You can confirm, as the media, that I never say anything about the referee, in all the matches.’ Van Gaal's men were held to a 0-0 draw against League Two team Cambridge United back in January . However the Red Devils did not let lightning strike twice and were 3-0 winners in the replay at Old Trafford . Van Gaal refused to buy in to former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s theory that the FA used to pick on the club simply because of its standing in the game. But it is clear he is irritated. United are, at least, in the next round of the FA Cup, having beaten Cambridge 3-0 in the replay at Old Trafford on Tuesday. That game featured an impressive cameo appearance from Spaniard Ander Herrera who has hardly played this season despite being bought for £29million in the summer. Van Gaal said: ‘He’s a great guy, he’s a great professional also, so that’s not the problem. His problem is he has to compete with high-level players. Wayne Rooney is the captain so he has a privilege (of always playing) — I have explained that — so then the other places... in this system, for example, that we are playing now, the No 10... that’s Juan Mata, that’s Angel di Maria. ‘That’s difficult to compete with, but he did already know that at the moment he signed. When you sign for a top club, he knows that he has to fight. But he is fighting.’ Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson (left) was believed United were treated harshly because of their profile . Ander Herrera (centre) has impressed i cameo appearances but faces stiff competition for a starting place . Di Maria, meanwhile, has continued to make himself available for selection despite the fact he and his family are living in a hotel following an attempted burglary at their home last weekend. ‘He is worried about his wife and child, but I have spoken with him and he wanted to play against Cambridge United and I played him,’ explained Van Gaal, who laid a wreath at Old Trafford yesterday as an act of remembrance for those who died in the Munich Air Disaster on February 6, 1958. ‘I have decided in the past that I will never play a player in those circumstances, because of the total human-being principle. But with him, I had the feeling that I had to give him a chance to play. He played well. And of course, I have to decide again when we face West Ham.’ Angel di Maria is available against West Ham despite a stressful attempted burglary o his home . | Manchester United were forced into an FA Cup replay by Cambridge United .
Louis van Gaal was charged for comments about the referee after the game .
The United boss stood by his comments and said he was 'disappointed' |
228,503 | b3de9f2ed195d9a036e8e7fbcdce2495ec255693 | By . Louise Boyle . A mother has revealed her humiliation after she was told to cover up while breastfeeding her baby on a Delta Airlines flight. Casey Yu was traveling from Atlanta to Tallahassee on Flight 2655 this weekend after attending a family funeral in Connecticut. She said that after a long day of traveling, she settled into her seat to feed her hungry and sleepy son. The mother said she unlatched her bra strap and fed her son with minimum exposure to other passengers. Scroll down for video . Casey Yu, pictured with her one-year-old son Will, has demanded an apology from Delta Airlines after two members of cabin crew told her to cover up while breastfeeding on a flight this weekend . She was quickly approached by a female flight attendant who gave Ms Yu a blanket to cover herself and her one-year-old son Will. Ms Yu told WTXL: 'I asked what it was for because I didn’t . ask for a blanket and she said it was ''for you to cover up while you’re . nursing.'' I said I don’t need that, thank you. She said ''well, we’re . getting complaints about this.''' The mother, who has two other children, said this is the first time she has ever been reprimanded for breastfeeding. A second flight attendant, who Ms Yu described as 'really aggressive' then ordered her to cover up. She responded that it was within her rights to breastfeed her baby. The mother also added that it was late at night and no one was sitting next to her, so she was unsure who allegedly complained. Ms Yu, pictured with her son Will, was breastfeeding her son after a long day of traveling home from a family funeral when she was asked to cover up by Delta flight crew . The mother-of-three posted an account of her ordeal on Twitter after being ordered not to breastfeed on a flight by Delta flight attendants . Ms Yu vented her anger at the situation on social media where she was met with resounding support. She tweeted: 'Hey @Delta @DeltaNewsroom @DeltaAssist on flight 2655 to TLH and 2 flight attendants told me to cover up while nursing my baby. NOT. OK.' She later posted: 'My baby and I decide when to nurse. MY BODY, not yours.' When the flight landed, Ms Yu asked to see a supervisor. The Captain joined the discussion and apologized, Ms Yu said. She said that the flight attendant then changed her story and denied saying there had been a complaint. Ms Yu tweeted: 'I have never been so disrespected before in my life. Male FA said I was showing people (WHO??) my entire front side. #feedwill' Dozens of people offered their support to Ms Yu. @maryblau responded: '@caseyyu I'm incensed on your behalf. That's absurd. Terrible.' @cataltmaier wrote: '@caseyyu Oh my God. How did you not slap him?! And even if you were (though I know you weren’t), IT’S YOUR RIGHT TO BREASTFEED!' In a statement to MailOnline today, Delta said: 'We have spoken with our crew members and have reached out to the passenger to express our apology and provide a ticket refund.' The company's website states: 'Delta fully supports a woman’s right to breast-feed on board Delta and Delta Connection aircraft and in Delta facilities.' | Casey Yu was traveling from Atlanta to Tallahassee on Flight 2655 this weekend after attending a family funeral in Connecticut .
While feeding her one-year-old son Will, she said a female flight attendant handed her a blanket to cover up which she did not request .
A second flight attendant ordered Ms Yu to cover up .
Delta Airlines policy states that it supports a woman's rights to breastfeed on their airplanes . |
267,131 | e602b8f7df19f8ad2d4c44465c674bfd837d2e4c | Taiwan has banned children under the age of two from using electronic devices such as iPads, televisions and smartphones. Parents who allow their young children to play with their gadgets face fines of up to £1,000, in line with a law passed last week. The new law also states that parents must ensure that under-18s only use electronic products for a 'reasonable' length of time. Scroll down for video . No more iNanny: Parents in Taiwan are now completely banned from allowing their under-twos to use any electronic devices, such as tablets, smartphones or TVs or they risk a £1,000 fine . Taiwanese lawmakers passed the new legislation last Friday, completely banning parents from allowing their under-twos to use any electronic devices, China's official news agency Xinhua reports. Meanwhile Taiwanese under-18s are not allowed to 'constantly use electronic products for a period of time that is not reasonable', although the 'reasonable length of time' has not been defined. The new law means that iPads, smartphones and televisions are now listed alongside cigarettes and alcohol as restricted. The new law was originally proposed by Taiwanese MP Lu Shiow-yen, who said his intention was to protect young people by stopping them using electronic devices for more than 30 minutes at a time, The Telegraph reports. Research published in December last year found that 7.1 per cent of the population in Asia is addicted to the internet. Screens off: Taiwanese under-18s are no longer allowed to 'constantly use electronic products for a period of time that is not reasonable' under new legislation . In neighbouring China, online addiction among young people has become a serious problem, with an estimated 24million children considered 'web junkies'. As well as introducing laws requiring games companies 'to develop techniques that would limit the gaming time of minors', more than 250 military style boot camps have been set up across China to tackle under-18 internet addiction. Since the release of the first iPad in 2010, an ever increasing number of parents use the Apple device to 'babysit' their children. A recent poll found that half of British parents routinely allow infants to play with their smartphone or tablet, and one in seven let them spend more than four hours a day on hand-held devices. Even Prince William recently admitted to letting Prince George play games on his iPad, saying that he believes it is 'a good way to each him the inner workings of electronics'. Research published in the British Medical Journal found that a child born today will have spent a full year staring at screens (tablets, computers, TVs) by the time they reach seven. | Children under two banned from using electronic devices in Taiwan .
Parents who allow children to use iPads and smartphones face fines .
Under-18s are only allowed devices for a 'reasonable length of time' |
125,798 | 2e9d18ee27e22a760e0e70a0fa05c46882a04618 | Lynda Bellingham's grieving son revealed his heartbreak in a series of tribute tweets to his late mother last night. Michael Peluso, 31, took to the social network yesterday after actress Lynda lost her battle with colon cancer on Sunday evening. He posted the message: 'Oh mama miss u so much', followed by a small picture of two hands clasped together in prayer. He also changed his profile picture to a beautiful photo of Lynda at the height of her fame. Scroll down for video . Michael Peluso - pictured with his mother Lynda Bellingham when she received her OBE earlier this year - told of his grief on Twitter yesterday after the actress died on Sunday following a battle with colon cancer . After re-tweeting tributes to his mother, Michael, 31, tweeted last night: 'Oh mama, miss you so much' Michael also posted a series of messages thanking well-wishers and praising his mother, who was best known for roles in the Oxo adverts and All Creatures Great and Small. He wrote: 'In honour of mum! She always said...Tomo son is another day, onwards & upwards and don't let the buggers get u down Xxx' Michael then re-tweeted a series of tributes by fellow TV stars Eamonn Holmes, Jennifer Ellison, Denise Welch, Zoë Wanamaker and Carol Vorderman. Next to a picture of a broken heart, he wrote: 'Thank you everyone! Your love and compassion is overwhelming,' The actress - best known as the mother in the long-running Oxo adverts (right) - died just days after she filmed her final appearance on chat show Loose Women (left), in a show to be screened on Wednesday . Lynda and her second husband Nunzio Peluso with Michael as a baby shortly after his birth in 1983 . Michael later added: 'With all the things goin on in the world the love u have all given myself and family and most importantly mum is just incredible. Thank youX' When one of his followers commented on the outpouring of grief seen online, Michael replied: 'I'm very humbled X' Michael and his brother Robbie are Lynda's sons from her second marriage, to Italian businessman Nunzio Peluso, which ended in divorce in 1996. He followed his mother into acting, studying, like she did, at the Central School and Speech and Drama, and he even appeared alongside her on All Creatures Great and Small as a child. He and his brother Robbie accompanied their mother and her third husband, Michael Pattemore, when she received her OBE earlier this year. Lynda received her OBE with (left to right) sons Robbie and Michael, husband Michael Pattemore and her step-son Bradley in March this year after being awarded the honour by Prince Charles . Lynda died aged 66 in the arms of her husband, Michael, in a London hospital on Sunday, just days after she announced her plans to end chemotherapy for the colon cancer which had spread to lungs and liver. She said she wanted to take back control of her life and spare her family the pain of seeing the gruelling treatment take its toll on her. She said two weeks ago: 'I want my husband and children to see me off happy, contented. So I put the chemotherapy in a box. 'In this box, I could stop the chemotherapy after Christmas - I'm determined to hang on until Christmas. 'If my quality of life fades after that, I want to be able to open the box, make a choice and stop the chemotherapy.' | Popular actress died on Sunday after year-long battle with colon cancer .
Mother-of-two had hoped to spend one last Christmas with her family .
Her son takes to Twitter to tell of his heartbreak after her death .
The 31-year-old also changed his profile picture in tribute to her .
He thanked everyone who has sent messages of support to her family . |
209,880 | 9bcf188ca41add9412cb68cb1bd0a434a81a7141 | By . Alasdair Glennie . and Lucy Osborne for the Daily Mail . and Paul Harris for the Daily Mail . It first, it had looked like a simple case of crookery among the cooks. Viewers of this week’s Great British Bake Off saw one contestant’s ice cream pudding reduced to slush in an apparent act of sabotage by bespectacled grandmother Diana Beard, causing her rival to storm off and also be eliminated from the competition. But yesterday the mystery of the Great Baked Alaska Meltdown took a tasty new twist – and this time it was the BBC which was feeling the heat. Stroll down for video . Upset: Diana Beard, 69, pictured at her home in Shropshire, says she has been unfairly blamed for a rival's failed Baked Alaska on last night's show - it later emerged that she never returned to the show . Wednesday night's show descended into chaos when bearded competitor Iain Watters binned his pudding after the ice cream melted in the 25C heat and stormed out of the tent . Diana Bird - who at 69 is the show's oldest ever contestant - was clearly seen removing his pudding from the freezer despite being warned by another that it belonged to him - but Mrs Beard said today she was the victim of a 'stitch up' Meltdown: This is the moment Iain Watters decided he had to bin his Baked Alaska after it collapsed . Grey-haired Mrs Beard, 69, wept as she . claimed the corporation had cast her as the villain, deliberately . editing the show to make it look as if she had left the dessert out of . the freezer for several minutes. Adding . to the pressure-cooker atmosphere, last night it emerged that she will . take no further part in the show. This, however, is because of illness . rather than ‘Freezergate’, after she lost her sense of smell following a . fall. The scandal is the . biggest to hit Bake Off since last year’s Custardgate drama, when one . contestant tearfully admitted taking another’s custard to use in a . trifle. Getting to the soggy bottom of the baked Alaska incident, however, was proving rather more difficult last night. The . story starts on Wednesday when 8million viewers watched bearded Iain . Watters, 31, throw a wobbly when he found his dessert had been reduced . to a splodge after Mrs Beard took it out of the freezer. Diana Beard says the knives have been out for her and she sobbed after watching the show last night . Mr Watters, 31, screamed in frustration and was knocked out of the competition after he walked up to judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood with a bin in his hand instead of a pudding . He was eliminated after he presented it in a bin to judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, then stormed off set. That . led to Mrs Beard, from Shropshire, being pilloried as a cheat in cruel . online comments. There were more than 550 complaints to the BBC. What happened to Iain's baked Alaska and is the BBC to blame for its destruction? She, . however, insisted the recording had been edited to make it seem as if . she had left the meringue and ice cream dessert out for minutes, rather . than seconds. ‘They deliberately misled viewers and exploited me for the . sake of entertainment,’ she said. ‘The BBC should be ashamed. ‘The . cake was out of the freezer for 40 seconds and I was asking who it . belonged to. Then Iain walked over and took it away. It happened as . simply as that. ‘Iain didn’t . blame me at all. I was very disappointed and upset by how they cleverly . edited the show and as a result I have people saying all sorts of nasty . things about me.’ Others pointed out that Wednesday’s episode had been . filmed in a tent in the May heatwave. Fellow competitor Jordan Cox, 33, . said some freezers had not worked properly in the heat and added: ‘Poor . Diana is a scapegoat for BBC.’ Judge Mary Berry, 79, said his behaviour was 'unacceptable' and refused to put him through to the next round . The Irish construction engineer won the sympathy of many who felt he had been the victim of an underhand plot by his rivals . How the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday's scandal . Even . Mr Watters said: ‘I don’t hold Diana responsible in any way. There are . no grudges, we are still friends and keep in contact regularly.’ However, he disputed the claim that the dessert was out of the freezer . for only 40 seconds or so, saying it must have been longer because . otherwise it would not have melted so much. A . BBC spokesman said: ‘Diana removing Iain’s ice cream from the freezer . for less than a minute was in no way responsible for Iain’s departure.’ Mrs . Beard’s own withdrawal from the BBC1 series comes after she fainted and . banged her head before production of the next episode. She damaged her olfactory nerve, meaning, she said: ‘I have now lost my sense of smell and most of my taste.’ | Diana Beard says 'knives are out' for her and she cried after seeing show .
Rival Iain Watters stormed off set when his Baked Alaska collapsed .
Mrs Beard seen taking it from fridge - but she says it was back in in seconds .
'I've been stitched up. Why would I .
want to sabotage Iain's Baked Alaska?'
It emerged today that she never returned to the Bake Off after episode .
BBC: .
'Diana will not appear in the rest of the series as she fell ill' |
95,903 | 074ad73f21aa04ead8a4a658d093ae20b904c1e1 | David Warner will play the Boxing Day Test and Shane Watson should too, but far more grievous matters remain at the forefront of their minds. Warner on Wednesday batted for the first time since hurting his thumb in the second Test win over India at the Gabba last week. Watson also took part in the Christmas Eve session at the MCG, a day after being dazed by a bouncer that struck his helmet. Shane Watson is seen in the field on day four of the second Test match between Australia and India at the Gabba . Watson puts his hand on his head after being hit in the helmet by a bouncer, a confronting moment for the entire squad . The hit was a confronting moment for the entire squad, especially the likes of Watson and Warner who were in the field when Phillip Hughes was fatally injured by a bouncer. 'It probably shook him (Watson) up a lot more than he would have anticipated,' Warner said. 'He was close to Hughesy. It brought back a bit of a memory for him and he got back on the horse and trained again today which was fantastic.' Warner suggested Hughes' death is never far from his thoughts. 'It's going to be in the back of my mind every time I play,' he said. 'Every time I sit at home and I'm thinking about nothing but that. We've got to keep pushing on. He'd want us to do that.' Batsman David Warner leaves the field after being dismissed for six runs . Warner said ex team mate Phil Hughes' death is never far from his thoughts: 'It's going to be in the back of my mind every time I play,' he said . Warner did just that at the MCG, starting with some throwdowns from batting coach Michael Di Venuto. The aggressive opener was somewhat apprehensive early, immediately pulling his left hand off the bat after the first few strokes. But Warner soon found his rhythm, driving and hooking with few signs of discomfort and then facing Nathan Lyon and some net bowlers. The 28-year-old declared he will be ready for the third Test, and that middling the ball would be the best form of pain management. Phil Hughes, who died in tragic circumstances last month after being struck in the head by a bouncer . 'I tried to have a dip at the spinners to see if I could actually hit the ball as hard as I can and it did feel real sore,' Warner said. 'I had to try and grind it out and get through that pain and I was able to do that. 'When the ball hits the splice I found out today it's going to be quite painful, but I can bear that pain.' Warner will wear a finger splint and expects to be shifted to mid-off while fielding. Watson started the session with a bowling machine in the indoor nets, then faced some medium-pacers in the outdoor nets. Warner declared he will be ready for the third Test, and that middling the ball would be the best form of pain management . 'He practiced as well as I've seen him hit the ball,' Warner said. 'He looked great.' As did Ryan Harris, who proved his fitness bowling in tandem with Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood. Shaun Marsh was struck on his left hand by a rising delivery from Josh Hazlewood on Wednesday. Marsh headed to the rooms for further assessment, but returned to the nets for some throwdowns. 'You go 12 months without someone getting hit in the nets and then all of a sudden you have three or four in the one net session, and that's cricket,' Warner said. | Batsman David Warner said Hughes' death is never far from his thoughts .
He said that middling the ball would be the best form of pain management .
Shane Watson played in Christmas Eve test at MCG, after bouncer scare .
Both players will take part in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG . |
111,834 | 1c3a56ba19b1726e46d9d7d0c4dd35219e0d78be | By . Jaya Narain . If the prisoner was trying to wind up the police officer who was driving him to a custody cell 50 miles away, he succeeded – spectacularly. For after being repeatedly asked how fast the high-performance police car would go, PC Barry Evans put his foot down – and drove at speeds of up to 140mph. But when he delivered the suspect to their destination, the prisoner reported him to the desk officer. Caught: The Pc's 140mph speeding was reported by his criminal passenger when the pair arrived at Darlington Police Station (pictured) Now PC Evans has been stripped of . driving duties and a row has broken out after senior officers said he . would not be prosecuted despite the offence ordinarily carrying a . driving ban. The constable . from Durham Police was driving the prisoner, who had been arrested on . suspicion of theft, from Leeds back to Darlington in a marked police BMW . 330. In trouble: The driver sped for part of the journey between Leeds and Darlington and the prisoner promptly informed a custody officer when he arrived . A source said: ‘The . conversation turned to the vehicle they were travelling in. Apparently . the prisoner asked how fast it would go and the officer said something . along the lines of, “I’ll show you”, or, “Let’s see”. As soon as they . got back to Darlington, the prisoner proceeded to tell the officer at . the custody desk just how fast they had been going.’ Road . safety campaigners condemned the decision not to prosecute. The law . allows police, ambulance and fire service drivers to exceed the speed . limit, but only in emergencies. Joe . Burns, from the charity Brake, said: ‘Driving at very high speeds on . public roads poses a horrendous danger, so anyone caught driving in . this reckless way should face appropriately stiff penalties.’ Yesterday . Supt Darren Ellis, head of professional standards at Durham Police, . said the officer had been removed from road policing. He added: ‘After a . thorough internal investigation the force has taken appropriate action. ‘The . officer was an advanced and highly skilled police driver and there was . no suggestion the vehicle was driven dangerously at any time. The . officer’s conduct prior to the incident had been exemplary.’ He will not return to full operational duties until it is deemed appropriate. The case had also been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission for consideration. | Durham Police driver discussed his powerful BMW with criminal passenger .
Source said the pair spoke about its top speed and Pc said: 'I'll show you'
Prisoner taken into custody where he told staff about speeding officer .
Unnamed Pc 'has been moved permanently from roads policing duties' |
187,189 | 7e6bdf152ad23e2f920d706fd78f166228ef650d | A dog has been killed in a bizarre accident during 100mph winds after a trampoline was blown into a power line, knocking it down and plunging it into a waterlogged back yard. Rosie, a Border Collie, was in Dick Pritchard's back yard in Boderdern, near Holyhead, when she was electrocuted. The father-of-two said that a gust lifted the trampoline from a garden two doors down and onto his neighbour's roof. Scroll down for videos . Dick Pritchard next to the trampoline that hit a cable, knocking it into his back yard and killing his dog when it stood in a puddle . The father-of-two said that a gust lifted the trampoline from a garden two doors down and onto his neighbour's roof . The trampoline became entangled in . the power line and a man from next door climbed up to lower it from the . cable and chimney despite Mr Pritchard's warnings that it could be live. Fortunately the neighbour was unharmed. Mr Pritchard then took his sons, . Aron, 15 and Iwan, nine, to school but when he returned he let the . family pet out and she stood in a puddle. 'All of a sudden her back legs went,' he said. 'I tried to kick the cable away but she bit me. She was probably dying by then. 'I went into the house and told my wife "Rosie's dead". We'd had Rosie for nine years, we're very upset.' Mr Pritchard needed four stitches in the first finger of his right hand and a tetanus jab. A builder killed yesterday when his van was crushed by a tree has today been named as Christopher Hayes, 51, from Tonbridge, Kent. A passenger in the vehicle had a lucky escape in the tragic accident which happened at 12.25pm yesterday. Mr Hayes was well known in the local area and ran building firm. Hundreds of engineers have been working to restore power to 140,000 homes and businesses . Most people are due to have power restored by later today, but more inaccessible parts of the country are looking at spending another night in darkness . The historic Danzey Green windmill in Danzey Green, Worcestershire, suffered damage as a result of the strong winds . By 2pm today (left) large parts of the west coast and Northern Ireland will experience heavy rain turning to torrential downpours by 9pm (right), particularly across large parts of Scotland . His wife, son and two daughters are coming to terms with their loss and asked for privacy while they grieve. Britain woke up to calmer weather . today but forecasters say it is a 'brief respite' before the UK is once . again battered by strong winds. They are predicting gusts of up to . 75mph tonight across Scotland and Northern England while the rest of . England and Wales will be hit by 50mph winds. It was a much calmer start to the day this morning but a band of heavy rain heading from the Atlantic can be seen to the top left . Severe . weather warnings have been issued for heavy rain for large parts of the . the west coast stretching from South Wales, across Northern Ireland and . North West England to the top of Scotland. Billy Payne, from MeteoGroup, said: 'There's going to be a brief respite this morning, but winds will pick up later in the day. 'There . will be maximum gusts of 75mph, mainly in exposed parts of western . Scotland. But even across northern England and eastern and central parts . of Scotland we're looking at gusts of 65mph to 75mph in exposed places. 'It's going to be windy in Wales and much of England, with many places seeing gusts of 50mph. 'The strongest winds will be overnight and into tomorrow morning before they subside in into the afternoon.' Much of Scotland and the far North . East of England woke up to heavy rain this morning and that weather is . expected to travel south, spreading to Northern Ireland, Wales, North . West England, Yorkshire and the Humber from 9am today. The South is expected to see lighter rain by mid-afternoon before more torrential downpours fall throughout tonight. Tomorrow will become gradually calmer throughout the morning as the day progresses, with a chance of sunshine in some parts. In Scotland around 140,000 homes and businesses were left without power yesterday and 26,000 still did not have electricity this morning. A spokesman for Scottish and Southern Energy said problems of accessibility mean that some homes will not have power restored until tomorrow and 700 engineers are working on repairing lines damaged by falling trees. The roof was blown off this Grand Designs house in Kilcreggan after facing winds of up to 100mph . When the boat comes in: This worker was left bemused after strong winds off Chesil Beach, Dorset, swept a boat into a bus stop . Crushed: The driver of a single decker bus in Witley, Surrey, was badly injured when an oak tree came crashing down on the vehicle . Tragedy: Emergency services at the scene in Tunbridge Wells where a 50-year-old van driver was killed when a tree fell on his vehicle in high winds . Southern Electric today said around . 4,000 properties were affected by power cuts across its distribution . area, which runs from the Isle of Wight up to Oxfordshire. Most of the problems were being . experienced in Berkshire, the company said. A spokesman said more than . 500 engineers were out first thing this morning and they had staff . working late into yesterday evening and overnight to fix the problems. One man died after a tree fell on his van in Tunbridge Wells, Kent . Second man killed when a huge wave hit a small tanker in the English Channel . Man with hypothermia in Portsmouth Harbour rescued from a dinghy as he tried to get to his yacht . Driver freed from a bus after a tree fell on it in Witley, Surrey . Woman in her 40s rescued from car before it was swept away in Chew Stoke, Somerset . Five people injured in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, when high winds overturned caravans . Part of the grandstand at Epsom racecourse was blown away . Strathclyde Fire and Rescue went to nearly 500 incidents by lunch time . Trains and airports severely disrupted by the weather . Twelve people evacuated from homes in Dolgellau, Gwynedd after a short circuit in an electrial box . Passenger train between Basingstoke and Reading hit a tree on the line, but there were no injuries . In Humberstone, Leicestershire, six houses were broken into over night as thieves took advantage the winds. The gale-force storms provided enough noise for the raiders to cover up the noise of them ransacking the houses. Computers, TVs, game consoles and cash were among the items that were taken from the. Inspector Bill Knopp said: 'The person . or persons involved were looking for easy access when it came to . choosing houses. It cannot be coincidental that four of the six houses . were unlocked.' None of the victims realised what had happened until they woke to find their homes ransacked the next morning. Resident Kuldip Singh, 59, who has . lived on the street for 30 years, said: 'We are all very shocked and . frightened, locking our doors early and not opening our doors to people . we do not know. It is very unusual.' The storm also claimed the life of a man on board a tanker . which was hit by a huge wave in the Channel. Trampolines were also blown from . gardens in Gwynedd, where one landed on a car in Bala, and in Wrexham, . where one flew into a neighbouring property. A fourth trampoline was reported at . Menai Bridge, but police could not confirm that incident, and there was . disruption in Flintshire when wheelie bins were blown onto the A55. Barely a single area was spared the onslaught roaring in from the Atlantic, which toppled lorries and brought down power lines. At Great Dun Fell in the north . Pennines, the wind as so strong that a waterfall appeared to defy . gravity as it flowed upwards in 106mph winds. Buildings were damaged, roads closed and trains, flights and ferries were cancelled. The Met Office issued numerous severe weather warnings and emergency services urged motorists and pedestrians to stay indoors. However, some had to be evacuated from their houses because of flooding. Sleet . and snow added to the problems in some parts, bringing a cold wake-up . call to Britain in 2012 after an unusually mild festive season. Crushed: This house, which featured in the Grand Designs Channel 4 television programme, was damaged by gale force winds in Kilcreggan, Scotland . A Met Office spokesman said last night: ‘An intense Atlantic storm passed over the UK bringing some very strong winds with it. ‘We do expect stormy conditions at this time of year, but the strength of this one was unusual.’ The driver who died was a man in his . 50s whose identity has not been revealed. A 3ft-diameter tree trunk . smashed on to his van in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Numerous roads near rivers and the . coast were shut after flood alerts, with the Environment Agency issuing . 21 river alerts in the South West alone. Waves . hit massive heights around the coast and Portland Coastguard in Dorset, . where 45ft breakers rolled in, warned people to keep their distance. A spokesman said: . ‘Often people like to walk along harbour walls or go on the beach to see . the waves, but they really do need to keep well clear – it is very . dangerous.’ All at sea: A pilot boat returning to Portsmouth battles through high waves and fierce storms as gusts topped 85mph this morning . The Norman Spirit ferry limps into Dover, Kent, as fierce storms batter Britain, with heavy rain and winds gusting up to 85mph . Sailing training yacht Liquid Vortex and its crew of seven had to be rescued off the coast of Kent when it was battered by violent winds of up to storm force 11 . Paying the price: In Southampton, bricks rained down on a pavement as a shop front collapsed in the face of extreme winds . Storm-force: Walkers braving the driving wind and rain on Brighton seafront assess the damage done to a beach hut . Upside down: Coastguard search and rescue had to attend a caravan park 300 miles from the Outer Hebrides when a home appeared to be flipped on to its roof near Dunoon in Argyll and Bute . | 26,000 houses in Scotland were still without power this morning .
Some homes won't have power restored until tomorrow .
Severe weather warnings have been issued for heavy rain .
Man killed when oak tree landed on his car named as Christopher Hayes . |
29,903 | 55086c3f69cb41b991d3db0c6b10b0aa374788b4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:11 EST, 4 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:55 EST, 5 October 2013 . Release: Herman Wallace managed to live his final days as a free man . A 71-year-old man who spent 41 years in solitary confinement died today, just days after being freed. Herman Wallace, who had liver cancer, died at a supporter's home in New Orleans, his attorneys said. 'One of the final things that Herman said to us was, "I am free. I am . free",' they said. Before he was released from prison on Tuesday and granted a new trial, Wallace had been at a prison hospital. Jackie Sumell, a longtime supporter of Wallace, said he was surrounded by friends and family when he died. At one point Wallace told them, 'I love you all,' she said, adding that he was 'in and out of consciousness'. Baton Rouge Judge Brian Jackson had ordered Wallace released from prison on Tuesday after granting him a new trial. Jackson ruled women were unconstitutionally excluded from the grand jury that indicted Wallace in the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old prison guard Brent Miller. A West Feliciana Parish grand jury re-indicted Wallace on charges connected to Miller's death on Thursday. District Attorney Sam D'Aquilla told The Advocate newspaper that Jackson ordered a new trial because he 'perceived a flaw in the indictment - not his murder conviction'. Wallace and two other inmates held in solitary confinement for years came to be known as the 'Angola 3'. When he learned his cancer was terminal, Wallace made a statement on a website dedicated to an art project based around his experiences. He said: 'The State may have stolen my life, but my spirit will continue to struggle along with Albert and the many comrades that have joined us along the way here in the belly of the beast.' His attorneys said in a statement on Friday that it was an honor to represent him. Freedom: Herman Wallace, who had liver cancer, is pictured above being released from prison . Two of the three: Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, pictured in prison in 2008, were convicted alongside Robert King who were sentenced for killing a prison guard in 1972 . Behind the gates: Wallace was in solitary confinement at Louisiana's Angola Prison for 41 years . 'Herman endured what very few of us can imagine, and he did it with grace, dignity, and empathy to the end,' they said. 'Although . his freedom was much too brief, it meant the world to Herman to spend . these last three days surrounded by the love of his family and friends.' Parnell Herbert, who wrote a play about the Angola Three, called his friend a 'phenomenal person' whose mission was to help people. 'He completed that mission. And he was able to see himself a free man,' Mr Herbert told The Times Picayune. The New Orleans man was serving a 50-year armed robbery sentence when Mr Miller was stabbed to death. Wallace . and fellow 'Angola 3' member Albert Woodfox denied being involved, . claiming they were targeted because they helped establish a prison . chapter of the Black Panther Party at the Angola prison in 1971, where . they set up demonstrations and organized strikes for better conditions. In 2010, Woodfox was moved to the David Wade Correctional Center in Homer, where he remains in custody. The . third 'Angola 3' member, Robert King, who was convicted of killing a . fellow inmate in 1973, was released in 2001 after his conviction was . reversed. Friendship: Herman with friend and artist Jackie Sumell during a prison visit earlier this year . Life inside: Wallace, pictured in 1970, was serving a 50-year sentence for armed robbery when he was accused of being involved in the stabbing of a prison guard . Connected: Robert Hillary King, left, spent 29 years in solitary before being released in 2001 and Albert Woodfox, right, remains in prison and has spent 40 years in solitary . 'The record in . this case makes clear that Mr Wallace's grand jury was improperly . chosen in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of "the . equal protection of the laws" ... and that the Louisiana courts, when . presented with the opportunity to correct this error, failed to do so,' Judge Jackson wrote. A lawyer for Wallace said the decision gives his client 'some measure of justice after a lifetime of injustice'. Amnesty International delivered a petition to Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's office last year, containing 65,000 signatures from people around the world who called the men's solitary confinement inhuman and degrading. | Herman Wallace was freed on Tuesday after being jailed since 1971 .
'I'm free, I'm free,' 71-year-old said in final moments . |
28,616 | 512f3709bee99ff353c3daf1b01713f95abc45ba | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:57 EST, 17 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:55 EST, 17 May 2013 . A study by a top university has claimed internet giant Google’s search facility 'perpetuates prejudices'. The investigation from Lancaster University found that results from Google’s auto-complete internet search tool produce suggested terms which could be viewed as racist, sexist or homophobic. The study by at team at Lancaster University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences comes as a German federal court has told Google to clean up the results its search engine suggests. The re4sult of typing 'why do black' in Google in the UK reveals a list containing offensive answers . Typing 'why do gay people' into Google reveals this list which also includes offensive answers . Autocomplete is an automated system. As you type, autocomplete predicts and displays queries to choose from. The search queries that you see as part of autocomplete are a reflection of the search activity of all web users and the content of web pages indexed by Google. If you're signed in to your Google. The court has said Google must ensure terms generated by auto-complete, which represent the level of questions people are asking, are not offensive or defamatory. The FASS study found some shocking results in its UK study, which drew out more than 2,600 questions on the Google search tool and categorised the answers. And it warns that 'humans may have already shaped the internet in their image, having taught stereotypes to search engines.' The research revealed high proportions of negative evaluative questions for black people, gay people and males. For black people, these questions involved constructions of them as lazy, criminal, cheating, under-achieving and suffering from various conditions such as dry skin or fibroids. Searching for 'why do men' reveals the answers cheat, rape, go blind and get morning glory . Searching for 'why do women' also reveals offensive answers . Gay people were negatively constructed as contracting AIDS, going to hell, not deserving equal rights, having high voices or talking like girls. The negative questions for males positioned them as catching thrush, under-achieving and treating females poorly. A Google spokesperson said the system was entirely automated. 'Autocomplete is a feature of Google search that offers predicted searches to help you more quickly find what you’re looking for. ' The search queries that you see as part of autocomplete are a reflection of the search activity of all web users and the contents of web pages indexed by Google. Autocomplete predictions are algorithmically determined based on a number of factors (including popularity of search terms) without any human intervention. Google also allows people to ask for offensive terms to be removed from the service. Professor Baker’s said: 'It seems as though humans may have already shaped the internet in their image, having taught stereotypes to search engines and even trained them to hastily present these as results of ‘top relevance’. The US according to Google's auto-complete function . While it is disturbing to see negative questions appear for any social group, it is especially worrying to encounter them when they refer to groups who either constitute a minority or have been subject to oppression either now or in the past. The higher amounts of negative questions (both in terms of proportion and frequency) for black and gay social groups are thus a cause for particular concern.' The report recommends Google introduces a way for readers to flag up auto-complete suggestions as problematic. The study by at team at Lancaster University¿s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences comes as a German federal court has told Google to clean up the results its search engine suggests . Examples of offensive auto-complete options include when typing 'why do black' suggestions of 'why do black people have big lips' or 'why do black people like chicken' are made. The phrase 'Why do gay' is met with a suggestion of 'why do gay people get AIDS'. Prof Baker said: 'Many websites offer the facility for Internet users to flag user-generated content as problematic by clicking on an icon. For example, in the video-sharing website YouTube (owned and operated by Google), people can comment on videos, and then readers can mark those comments with ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’. 'If enough people disagree with a comment, it is hidden and an additional link needs to be clicked on for it to be viewed.' Europe according to Google's auto-complete feature . The report concludes that advances, which have been put forward in order to improve or personalize people’s experience of the Internet by predicting the sorts of things that people will find interesting or want to search for, have unintended consequences which can result in the perpetuation of negative stereotypes about vulnerable social groups. Prof Baker said: 'Most people would probably not wish to ask Google about social group stereotypes. However, enough people are doing so to cause auto-complete algorithms to offer these questions. 'Should content-providers ‘protect’ their users or should they simply reflect the phenomena that people are interested in? 'And if content providers do choose to manually remove certain suggestions from auto-completion algorithms, who decides which suggestions are inappropriate? 'Decisions to remove certain questions could be interpreted by some Internet users as censorship and result in a backlash.” | Team analysed more than 2,600 questions on the Google search tool and categorised the answers .
The research revealed high proportions of negative questions for black people, gay people and males . |
15,113 | 2aefc9822a2cd6845f2b61a9fac0c3be071b37dd | Hong Kong (CNN) -- Thought the 111 million people tuning into the Super Bowl was a lot? Try six times that. More than 700 million watched China's five-hour long Lunar New Year TV gala this year, according to China's state television network. The Lunar New Year also dwarfed the Super Bowl on social media. Although internet users set a new Twitter record with more than 381,605 tweets about the Super Bowl during one minute, it was nothing compared to Chinese internet users, who used the social network QQ to send 32.7 million messages in one minute during the Chinese holiday. Another Chinese social media app, WeChat, said its users sent 10 million messages in one minute on Lunar New Year. This year, WeChat introduced a popular new feature allowing its users to send traditional "lucky money" to each other online. In recent years, Chinese social media use has seen a dramatic rise, as users take to the internet to talk about everything from celebrities to politics to their personal lives. According to statistics from the official China Internet Network Information Center, there are nearly 600 million internet users in China today. The U.S. has 254 million, according to the Harvard Business Review. | More than 700 million watched China's Lunar New Year TV gala this year .
Chinese social network QQ said users sent 32.7 million messages in one minute .
There are nearly 600 million internet users in China today . |
110,231 | 1a1f341a78f93978bada76deeefb5c1b67875688 | Could the George Clooney effect have influenced Britons' choice of a winter break this Christmas? Research has revealed that there has been an increase of 66 per cent in bookings for the Italian city, which hit the headlines this autumn when film star and director Clooney married Amal Alamuddin at the seven-star Aman Canal Grande Hotel. However, the rise in bookings could in part be attributed to Venice's dedicated Christmas food market in the Campo Santo Stefano, with stalls offering creamy-white almond stuffed nougat, fruit-filled panettone from Verona and white truffles from Alba. The Christmas markets of Venice - they offer charm and an exquisite array of gifts . George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin in a lavish ceremony in Venice . Andy Washington, Expedia.co.uk MD said: 'The Christmas period is always an extremely popular time for travel, with Brits getting away to visit traditional and non-traditional Christmas markets in the UK, as well as Europe for festive-filled breaks. 'With its central location Venice is a great starting point to discover the North East of Italy, whether exploring Prosecco country or aristocratic villas near Verona, Padoa and Vicenza, all within one hour distance by car. London remains the most popular for Brits to visit this Christmas, ahead of New York and Paris. The table to the right shows the biggest percentage rises of visits to other cities . 'Of course the Clooney wedding effect may also be playing a part in the popularity of Venice, with tourists looking to experience some of the city's romantic magic.' As excitement for Christmas builds and Christmas markets spring up across Europe, Expedia.co.uk has revealed the most booked Christmas destinations, with London experiencing a 39 per cent increase in bookings for the festive season (2013-2014 year-on-year). Germany and the Netherlands have enjoyed 35 per cent rises respectively. The festivities at London Southbank Christmas Market are the envy of the world and with bookings to London for the upcoming festive period rising by 39 per cent year-on-year, the capital once again promises to be an extremely popular destination. But could the bright lights of Venice be a favourite of Brits as they want to see what all the fuss was about when George Clooney married there this autumn . London's Christmas markets on the South Bank are a popular stop-off for tourists around the world . This year it celebrates the spirit of Charles Dickens, creating a magical landscape resplendent with a Christmas Tree Maze, showcasing 300 real blue spruce trees. The Netherlands has seen bookings rise 35 per cent year-on-year for the festive season and hosts one of the oldest underground markets in Europe. A visit to Valkenberg's 'Christmas Market Velvet Cave' goes beyond decorations alone, as visitors will admire its cosy atmosphere and 18th century sculptures as they meander down a path marlstone. Located beneath the impressive Valkenburg Castle, the Velvet Cave is truly breath-taking. For festive travellers looking for beautiful ambience this Christmas, the Royal Christmas Market at Hohenzollern Castle in Stuttgart, Germany (35 per cent rise) is the perfect fit. The many market stalls will satisfy everybody's Glühwein and bratwurst fix. | Bookings for Venice have risen by 66% this year compared to 2013 .
London still most popular destination for Brits on a festive break .
Christmas markets around Europe are a particular crowd-puller . |
28,689 | 51718ba39cc7c75e8a92893e669468ac0b22e912 | A young woman suffering excruciating stomach pains diagnosed herself with ovarian cancer using Google. By the time the Sadie Rance's disease was discovered, a tumour growing on her ovary had reached the size of a melon. Until then, the 22-year-old had been told her agonising stomach pain and constipation were caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As her pain became unbearable Mrs Rance turned to the internet to search for answers. She discovered her symptoms met almost all the key signs of advanced ovarian cancer. Scroll down for video . Sadie Rance diagnosed her own ovarian cancer online after doctors mistook her symptoms for IBS . The then 22-year-old started to suffer excruciating stomach pain and constipation while she and her boyfriend Jason, pictured left with her, were travelling through Australia. Doctors operated, right, in January last year - but discovered there was nothing they could do . But after returning home to be told by doctors she was suffering IBS, she did her own research when her pain became unbearable. She discovered she had most of the signs of ovarian cancer. After she requested more tests doctors discovered a tumour the size of a melon in her stomach . After requesting more tests doctors diagnosed her with stage four ovarian cancer in September 2013. In January last year doctors performed an exploratory operation but discovered they could not remove the growth, because it had attached itself to her internal organs. The advanced cancer had spread to her small bowel, liver, diaphragm, heart and lungs. Mrs Rance has now been told she has between one and two years to live. But the positive 23-year-old has responded well to chemotherapy, which has shrunk the tumour. In June last year, Mrs Rance's then boyfriend Jason got down on one knee to propose. The couple, who met at university, married surrounded by friends and their families the next month. Mrs Rance, from Bromley, Kent, said: 'The trouble I had was that ovarian cancer is very rare in people under 50, and the type I have is even more rare, so I don't think it was ever even something that was considered. 'Still, when my problems seemed to get worse, I remember looking online and saw I had eight out of the nine symptoms of ovarian cancer. 'I asked my mum what she thought and, like any friend or mum would say to reassure you, she said "Don't be silly, you don't have cancer". 'But I knew my body and I could tell something wasn't right. I'm a very happy person and I'm determined to stay that way. 'When my doctor gave me the diagnosis, he said: "I'm really sorry, you're such a positive person". 'Jason has been amazing throughout all this. When he proposed I burst into tears because I couldn't face leaving him behind. Six months after first going to the doctors Mrs Rance was told her cancer was terminal. In July last year she and Jason tied the knot, after he got down on one knee to propose in the June . Mrs Rance, from Bromley in Kent, said she burst into tears when her husband proposed because she couldn't bear the thought of leaving him behind . The signs of ovarian cancer are not easy to spot and can be vague. They can just about all be attributed to another less serious condition, particularly where the disease is less advanced. Many women suffering the very early stages of ovarian cancer, stage one, won't have any symptoms at all. If they do notice changes, they are most likely to suffer pain in the lower abdomen or side, and bloating, or a full feeling in the abdomen. By the time ovarian cancer has spread outside the ovaries (stages two and three), the symptoms include: . When the cancer spreads to a distant body organ, for example the lungs, it is classed as being stage four ovarian cancer. Symptoms in this late stage include: . Source: Cancer Research UK . 'But the wedding was the best day of my life and he's helped me through so many struggles, including losing my hair. 'He would tell me my bald head was beautiful.' Mrs Rance first began suffering with stomach pains and constipation when she went travelling with her now husband, who is also 23. They spent six months in the Australian outback after graduating from the University of Winchester. Initially, Mrs Rance put the symptoms down to a change in her diet and new surroundings. But her health continued to deteriorate, despite all her blood tests and scans coming back clear. And it wasn't until the couple returned to the UK in May 2013 that she went to see her GP - by which time she had not been to the toilet for five weeks. She was told it was Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and prescribed laxatives. Over the next four months, while in constant agony, Mrs Rance returned to the surgery five times. Her pain became so unbearable she would double over in agony and could only stand for a few minutes. She said: 'When my symptoms began in Australia, I put it down to the water or the change in diet. 'But it was getting worse and worse and I was feeling so awful. 'I had two ultrasounds and some blood tests but nothing was picked up. 'By the time I flew home to the UK, I hadn't been to the toilet in five weeks. 'My mum said I looked really ill and took me to the doctors that day, but they just put me on laxatives. 'In the end I said to my GP: "I'm not leaving here until you look at me and tell me I need to go to hospital". Doctors told Mrs Rance she has between a year and two years to live. By the time her disease was detected it had already spread to her liver, bowel, heart and lungs. Despite her terminal diagnosis, the now 23-year-old is determined to remain positive . 'I couldn't take any more, I felt horrific and I couldn't even go to the supermarket without needing to sit down after five minutes because I was in so much agony. 'I had really bad pain in my stomach and when the doctors finally said it could be ovarian or bowel cancer, I thought it all made sense. 'I should have said to my doctor "I think this is what I've got, do something about it," but there's no point on dwelling on what I could have done.' Mrs Rance is being treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital and responded well to weekly chemotherapy, which successfully shrank the tumour. But when it stopped working in September, she was put on a clinical trial with monthly sessions. The 23-year-old said she wants to share her story to encourage young people to be more persistent with doctors, and to raise awareness. She said: 'I've met lots of young people aged 24 and under with cancer on my journey and there's a massive problem with young people being diagnosed in later stages because doctors don't believe it could be cancer. 'I'd absolutely urge people to go the doctors and be persistent. 'When you know something's really wrong with your body you know and you need to make the doctor believe it.' Her husband Jason, who now works one day a week at a supermarket and devotes the rest of his time to his wife, has been by her side throughout. The pair have been determined to make the most of their time together by enjoying as many days out and memorable experiences as possible. He said: 'Sadie is quite simply the most amazing young lady I have ever met in my life. She has now urged other young people who fear something is wrong to push doctors for a diagnosis . Mr and Mrs Rance have raised more than £35,000 for the gynaecological unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment . 'Through everything she has gone through, she never moans and always finds a positive no matter how bad things are. 'I'm the luckiest man in the world - firstly to have met her, but now being married to her means the world to me. 'We make the most of every minute together and take each day as it comes. 'We have no idea how long we have left together so for us, so all we can do is enjoy each other's company and make the most of it. 'The way she looks at life is so inspiring. 'She hates the phrase but she really is a role model. She shows you can look at life in a positive way, no matter how bad things get.' The couple have raised more than £35,000 for the gynaecological unit of the Royal Marsden and they are also raising money for Teens Unite Fighting Cancer. To donate visit their Just Giving page here. | Sadie Rance was suffering crippling stomach pain and constipation .
Doctors put her symptoms down to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
But after researching online when the pain became unbearable, Mrs Rance discovered she had most of the symptoms of ovarian cancer .
She demanded more tests and doctors discovered a melon-sized tumour .
The cancer had already spread to her liver, bowel, heart and lungs .
Doctors have told her she has one to two years left to live .
She and devoted husband Jason have raised more than £35,000 for the Royal Marsden Hospital where the 23-year-old is being treated . |
91,261 | 015fa190549c694a039318f54682080c5f33c434 | By . Alex Finnis for MailOnline . Around 120 million girls worldwide - more than one in 10 - have been raped or sexually assaulted by the age of 20, according to a United Nations report. It also found a fifth of murder victims globally are under 20, resulting in 95,000 deaths in 2012. Drawing on data from 190 countries, the report from the UN children's agency, Unicef, notes that children around the world are routinely exposed to physical, sexual and emotional violence ranging from murder and forced sexual acts to bullying and abusive discipline. Scroll down for video . Nigerian Islamist rebel group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls earlier this year . The violence 'cuts across boundaries of age, geography, religion, ethnicity and income brackets,' Unicef executive director Anthony Lake said. 'It occurs in places where children should be safe, their homes, schools and communities. Increasingly, it happens over the internet, and it's perpetrated by family members and teachers, neighbours and strangers and other children.' Unicef found that murder is the leading cause of death among males between the ages of 10 and 19 in several countries in Central and South America, including Brazil, Panama, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Nigeria, where the Boko Haram terrorist group abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in April and threatened to marry them off, had the largest number of young murder victims, with almost 13,000 deaths in 2012, followed by Brazil with about 11,000, the study found. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau speaking to the camera after this year's abduction . Women protest against the release of the 276 girls kidnapped girls taken by Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria . Among countries in Western Europe and North America, the United States has the highest child homicide rate, it said. Sexual violence is widespread - according to the report - about one in 10 girls around the world under 20, an estimated 120 million, have been forced into sex acts. Meanwhile, one in three married adolescent girls, about 84 million, have been victims of emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their husbands or partners. Unicef said the prevalence of partner violence is 70 per cent or higher in Congo and Equatorial Guinea and approaches or exceeds 50 per cent in Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. In Switzerland, it said a 2009 study found 22 per cent of girls and 8 per cent of boys aged 15 to 17 had experienced at least one incident of sexual violence, most commonly stemming from interactions on the internet. The report showed the impact of violence on children has grown over the last decade and cited a number of reasons why the phenomenon remains largely ignored. Violence against children in some countries is socially accepted, tacitly condoned or not seen as being abusive, Unicef said. Victims are too young or too vulnerable to report the crimes, the legal system cannot adequately respond, and child protection services are also scarce. Susan Bissell, chief of the child protection unit at Unicef, said the 'horrific atrocities that children experience on a daily basis everywhere in the world' demonstrate the urgent need for all countries to put a spotlight on the problem. Much of the violence against children is perpetrated by the people tasked with taking care of them. On average, about six in 10 children worldwide, or almost 1 billion, between the ages of two and 14 are regularly subjected to physical punishment. 'We're not talking about a little smack on the bottom,' Ms Bissell said. 'We're talking about a blunt instrument, and repeated.' Only 39 countries worldwide protect children legally from corporal punishment, the report found. Often, the violence goes unreported. One of the reasons for this is that violence seems normal. Nearly half of all girls worldwide, between 15 and 19, think a husband is sometimes justified in hitting or beating his wife, the report found. According to Unicef, slightly more than a third of students between the ages of 13 and 15 worldwide are regularly bullied in school - and in Samoa, the proportion rises to three-quarters. In Europe and North America, almost a third of students aged 11 to 15 report bullying others - and in Latvia and Romania the number rose to nearly 60 per cent. A separate Unicef report lays out six strategies to prevent and respond to violence against children. The steps include providing support for families and caregivers in hopes of reducing the risk of violence within the home. | Report also shows a fifth of murder victims worldwide are under 20 .
Murder is leading cause of death for young men in several countries in South and Central America, including Brazil, Venezuela and Guatemala .
There were almost 13,000 young murder victims in Nigeria in 2012 .
U.S. has the highest child murder rate in North America and Western Europe .
A third of young married girls have been victims of domestic abuse .
Figure is as high as 70 per cent in some African countries like Uganda .
Six in ten children worldwide are regularly subjected to physical punishment .
Only 39 countries in the world protect children from corporal punishment . |
52,847 | 95e7055a36a2716a085386bab5e6844da266f78e | The Supreme Court sidestepped a sweeping decision on the use of race-conscious school admission policies, ruling Monday on the criteria at the University of Texas and whether it violates the equal protection rights of some white applicants. The justices threw the case back to the lower courts for further review. The court affirmed the use of race in the admissions process, but made it harder for institutions to use such policies to achieve diversity. The 7-1 decision avoids the larger constitutional issues. Read the decision (.PDF) Abigail Noel Fisher individually sued the flagship state university after her college application was rejected in 2008 when she was a high school senior in Sugar Land, Texas. She claims it was because she is white and that she was being treated differently than some less-qualified minority students who were accepted. In a statement after the ruling Fisher said, "I am grateful to the justices for moving the nation closer to the day when a student's race isn't used at all in college admissions." The decision comes as the justices work toward wrapping up a busy term. Among the big issues yet to be resolved: federal enforcement of the Voting Rights Act and the politically blockbuster constitutionality of same-sex marriage. The Supreme Court plans to meet again on Tuesday to issue additional opinions. In the Texas case, the school defended its policy of considering race as one of many factors, such as test scores, community service, leadership, and work experience, designed to create a diverse campus. University encouraged by decision . The university said it was encouraged by the decision. "We remain committed to assembling a student body at The University of Texas at Austin that provides the educational benefits of diversity on campus while respecting the rights of all students and acting within the constitutional framework established by the court," said school President Bill Powers. The Obama administration agreed with the school, saying to grow a nation built on differing complexions and backgrounds will depend on future leaders "who possess the understanding of diversity that is necessary to govern and defend the United States." In ruling narrowly, the court reaffirmed earlier decisions allowing for a limited use of race-conscious public policies. "The attainment of a diverse student body serves values beyond race alone, including enhanced classroom dialogue and the lessening of racial isolation and stereotypes," wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy in the majority opinion. Ex-student challenges university's affirmative action policy . But Kennedy said that such admissions programs must withstand close review. Kennedy said the "university must prove that the means chosen" to attain diversity "are narrowly tailored to that goal," adding that the highest level of legal standard must be met before institutions use diversity programs. "Strict scrutiny (of the policy) imposes on the university the ultimate burden of demonstrating, before turning to racial classification, that available, workable race-neutral alternatives do not suffice," he said. The Supreme Court in recent decades has established a three-pronged test to balance the government's interest against a constitutional right or principle, and decide which laws may go too far. These standards of review are rational basis scrutiny, heightened scrutiny, and strict scrutiny. Kennedy said the appropriate standard was not applied properly by the lower federal courts in the Fisher case. He said state universities must demonstarte to the courts that no workable race-neutral alternatives would produce the desired educational and social benefits. Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor, who are more left-leaning, agreed with the Supreme Court's five conservatives. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas also agreed with the limited reach of the ruling, but separately suggested continuing use of diversity programs in the classroom were unconstitutional. "Although cloaked in good intentions, the university's racial tinkering harms the very people it claims to be helping," said Thomas, the court's only African-American, who himself benefited from affirmative action programs early in his academic and professional career. Only Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg disagreed with the majority's conclusion lower courts should take another look at the Fisher case. "Government actors need not be blind to to the lingering effects of an overtly discriminatory past," she said. "I have said before and reiterate here that only an ostrich could regard the supposedly neutral alternative as race unconscious." Justice Elena Kagan did not participate in the case because she apparently had been briefed on the issue as the Obama administration's solicitor general before joining the high court. Three questions for Clarence Thomas . Ideological differences . The justices said in 2003 that state universities can, in limited circumstances, tailor their admissions policies to consider an applicant's race. And this court was clearly divided along ideological lines during last October's oral arguments about whether affirmative action essentially has run its social and legal course, and should no longer be used in the way schools like the Texas university has done. The state of Texas provides for a hybrid admissions policy: Automatic acceptance to its university's main campus in Austin for in-state students finishing in the top 10 percent of their high schools, ensuring a measure of non-subjective diversity. Three-fourths of the in-state student body get in this way. Fisher just missed that opportunity, so had to compete in a separate pool of students seeking to attend the highly competitive school. It is that selection process that was before the court. The school, with 52,000 students, has touted its "holistic" policy of considering race as one of many factors. African-Americans in Texas as a whole represent about 12 percent of the overall population, but only make up about 5 or 6 percent of University of Texas admissions. The high court will get another crack at the issue this fall in a separate appeal. The justices will decide the constitutionality of a voter referendum in Michigan banning race- and sex-based discrimination or preferential treatment in public university admission decisions. Oral arguments are likely in October. The case is Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (11-345). Fast facts: Top U.S. Supreme Court decisions . | Decision involving the University of Texas affirms the use of race in college admissions .
But 7-1 ruling makes it harder for institutions to justify diversity in certain cases .
Supreme Court case involved white student who sued after application was rejected .
The school defends its policy of considering race as one of many factors in admissions . |
26,888 | 4c53667bb25445ce07828cdb65b39f3f5c1a5049 | Warning: Khalid Mahmood MP has spoken of his fears that Muslim pupils are being indoctrinated by extremists at Birmingham schools . Extremist Muslims are trying to indoctrinate pupils at a dozen state schools in Birmingham, it has been claimed. Local MP Khalid Mahmood warned of the risk posed by religious radicals as it emerged that education authorities had widened their investigation into the allegations to include more than 12 different schools. In some schools non-Muslim teachers are reported to have been sidelined by Islamic extremists, who have allegedly imposed halal food in canteens and abolished sex education classes. The claims first came to light last month, when a letter referring to a 'Trojan Horse' plot to take over Birmingham schools was leaked to the Press, although its authenticity is unclear. Park View Academy was downgraded from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate' after allegedly being infiltrated by extremists, while the non-Muslim headmaster of Saltley School claims he was forced out of his job. Education Secretary Michael Gove is believed to have taken a personal interest in the investigation, which includes both faith schools and secular establishments. A source told the Sunday Times: 'Michael Gove has ordered an all-embracing investigation and has asked a number of department officials to drop everything and just focus on this. 'They will be going through financial records and interviewing staff members at more than 12 schools in Birmingham.' Investigation: Park View School is one of a dozen believed to be subject to an official probe . Mr Mahmood, the MP for Perry Barr in Birmingham, has called for a thorough investigation into the scandal. He said that some of the schools were run by members of the ultra-conservative Salafi sect, who may be 'trying to import their views into classrooms and the day-to-day running of the school'. Mr Mahmood added: 'The majority of kids are Sunni mainstream Muslims. It is an attempt at indoctrination. 'These are state schools, not Islamic. I am very concerned at the way non-Muslim staff have been dealt with and the effect on the children.' The Labour MP, who chairs the Tackling Terrorism All-Party Parliamentary Group, welcomed the intervention by the Department for Education and Ofsted. He suggested that education officials had previously steered clear of getting involved in disputes with Muslim schools for fear of being dubbed racist. 'Council officers were in a difficult position where they either went along with it or were portrayed as anti-Islamic,' Mr Mahmood said. | Department for Education widens probe to include 12 Birmingham schools .
Radical Muslims are accused of imposing Islamic values on pupils .
Local MP warns that hard-line Salafi Muslims are 'indoctrinating' children from mainstream Islamic families .
Suggests officials have been wary of investigating because of racism fears . |
43,370 | 7a4c6a91f225f1a40b97a7aaafac2365b50686f4 | By . Michael Zennie and Reuters Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:16 EST, 29 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:17 EST, 29 July 2013 . The key witness in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse trial has testified that three top Penn State University officials conspired together to keep the former football couch's child molesting a secret - and that even Joe Paterno lamented the coverup. Mike McQueary, himself a former assistant Nittany Lions coach, said Monday that the legendary head coach spoke several times about the failure of university officials to report Sandusky to police - warning that if it ever came out, the top administrator's in the campus' Old Main building would try to use him as a scapegoat. 'Old Main screwed up,' McQueary recalls Paterno lamenting days after learning of the abuse and the university's failure to report it to police. Key witness: Mike McQueary, a former Penn State assistant football coach, was a key witness in the Sandusky trial and will also play a major role in the trial of the officials accused of a coverup . Coverup? Legendary head coach Joe Paterno is said to have lamented the fact that university officials didn't call the police on Jerry Sandusky in 2001 . McQueary is again the star witness as prosecutors pursue charges against the college's former president, Graham Spanier, 65; its former athletic . director, Tim Curley, 59; and its former senior vice president Gary . Schultz, 63. All three are accused of a 'conspiracy of silence' for allegedly covering up the abuse and refusing to report it to police in an effort to protect the highly lucrative Penn State football program. Their actions, prosecutors say, allowed Sandusky to continue molesting young boys he recruited and groomed through his charity 'The Second Mile.' McQueary says he told Paterno, Curley and Schultz in February 2001 that he had witnessed Sandusky raping a young boy in the showers at a practice facility. Prosecutors allege that the three top administrators . 'I had seen Jerry Sandusky engaged in a very bad sexual act, a molestation act, with a minor,' McQueary testified he told Paterno. He also testified that he told other university officials about the incident - including two of the three officials appearing at Monday's hearing. None reported it to police. Charged: Former president Graham Spanier, top, former vice president Gary Schultz, left, and former athletic director Tim Curley are on trial . Sandusky, 69, a former assistant football coach, was convicted in June 2012 of 45 counts of sexual abuse involving 10 boys. He is serving a sentence of 30 years to 60 years in a state prison. McQueary lost his job as a receivers coach after charges were filed against Sandusky in November 2011. McQueary, who testified he also told Curley and Schultz of the shower incident, said Paterno told him in the months following the shower incident 'Old Main screwed up,' using a nickname for the administrative center of Penn State. Sandusky was arrested in November 2011 and charged with molesting boys. A year later, in November 2012, a grand jury charged Spanier, Curley and Schultz with endangering the welfare of children, criminal conspiracy and obstruction of justice. Spanier also was charged with perjury. Curley and Schultz were previously charged in November 2011 with perjury and failure to report suspected abuse. Spanier was fired from Penn State; Curley was placed on administrative leave and Schultz had already retired from the school. Graham Spanier, who was fired as president of Penn State, says he was never told of the sex abuse allegations . Harrisburg District Judge William Wenner will decide if there is enough evidence to bring the case to trial after the preliminary hearing. Within weeks of Sandusky's arrest, Penn State Trustees fired Spanier, at the time the nation's highest-paid public university president. Trustees also fired Paterno, Sandusky's boss. Months later, Paterno, a legendary figure in college football died of lung cancer at the age of 85. Civil lawsuits filed by the victims, now grown men, against the university are close to being settled, with the school putting aside $60 million to cover the claims, according to a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs. The attorney said there were as many as 32 claims from alleged victims. McQueary also has filed a whistleblower and defamation lawsuit against Penn State, accusing the school of not renewing his contract because he cooperated with authorities investigating Sandusky and the Penn State officials. And, Spanier's lawyers have served legal notice that they intend to file defamation charges against Louis Freeh, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Freeh was the author of a study, commissioned by the university, spelling out a narrative of the scandal that many in the state rejected, including the Paterno family. The Freeh report prompted the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the governing body for college sports, to issue sanctions against Penn State. The NCAA imposed a $60 million fine and voided the 14 seasons of football victories Sandusky coached. | Former Penn State President Graham Spanier, former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz are accused of a coverup .
Former coach Mike McQueary says he told Curley and Schultz about seeing Sandusky abusing a boy in 2001 and they never reported it to police .
Sandusky was never charged until 2011. He was late convicted and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison . |
260,251 | dd01375ad87c2364d5315832adc75d8c6439b67c | Jarod Wetherell, 37, with his niece. He died of blood loss after falling off a mountain trial last week . A Colorado climber died of blood loss and his friend was injured after the pair fell off a mountain trail and waited two days for rescuers to find them. Jarod Wetherell, 37, was hiking with his friend David Richardson last Wednesday when the climbers, both from Vail, became separated. Both of them then fell after wandering off the trail on their descent of North Maroon Peak. They had taken a selfie after they reached the top, sending it to a friend in Vail, reports Post Independent. But the friend became concerned after not hearing from the climbers and called Pitkin County authorities that night. On Thursday, Mountain Rescue Aspen volunteers began the search, but weather conditions meant they could not deploy a helicopter. They spent two days searching for the pair, but Wetherell was dead by the time they found him on Friday near one of two peaks over 14,000 feet comprising the Maroon Bells near the ski town of Aspen. Mountain Rescue Aspen members brought Richardson, who injured his pelvis and ribs, to safety at 11:15 a.m. Friday. Sheriff's Deputy Michael Kendrick told Post Independent the climbers had gone off the trail. 'They climbed up South Maroon and traversed over to North Maroon,' Kendrick said. 'On their way down from North, they got off trail. Jarod Wetherell, 37, was hiking with his friend David Richardson last Wednesday when the pair, both from Vali, became separated . Rescuers spent two days searching for the pair, but Wetherell was dead by the time they found him on Friday . 'There are a lot of places you can get off trail coming down. The only way you know for sure what the trail was is if you went up that way. They didn't go up that way. They were coming back down a trail they had never been on.' Kendrick said the climbers ended up off the trail and fell down one of the gulleys. 'They were not roped together and fell separately at different times,' Kendrick said. ' The route coming down on the north side is not easy.' Wetherell was originally from Matunuck, Rhode Island, although he moved to Vail a year ago. 'He was just starting to explore his new home,' said Jenny Tucker, Wetherell's many friends, reports Vail Daily. 'It was because he loved living here that he went on these grand adventures.' Both of them then fell after going off an unfamiliar trail on their descent of North Maroon Peak (file photo) Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Jarod Wetherell, 37, was hiking with his friend David Richardson .
The pair became separated on Wednesday and then fell at different times .
Wetherell was dead by the time a rescue team from found him on Friday .
Richardson, who injured his pelvis and ribs, is now in hospital .
Rescue team delayed as bad weather halted helicopter dispatch . |
208,090 | 9965e74528812dd7c5095bdf94a4d4e1292c6ab0 | By . Jonathan Gornall . PUBLISHED: . 18:56 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:56 EST, 18 September 2013 . Every morning after breakfast, before Sophia Zepeda leaves the house for university, the 23-year-old knocks back something a little stronger than just a coffee to help her get through the day. As she pops two Nurofen Plus tablets into her mouth, the law student says: 'It's a preventative measure. They give me the confidence that I can spend each day virtually pain-free. On other days, I take paracetamol and Migraleve.' It may sound extreme, but Sophia, who lives with her parents in Barnet, North London, is part of Generation Painkiller, the phrase coined after a recent report found a third of all 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK take over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication daily. Nine years of addiction: Sophia Zepeda started taking Nurofen Plus tablets aged 14 (right) after suffering from a series of debilitating headaches that plagued her adolescence . Take Sophia's pill-popping habit. She began dosing herself with painkillers aged 14, after the first of a series of debilitating headaches that went on to plague her adolescence. Her parents suffered from migraines and Sophia's GP decided she did, too. But his recommendation, she says, to start taking codeine-based OTC painkillers saw Sophia unwittingly embark on an entirely legal opiate addiction, which still has her in its grip nearly a decade later. Most of us have a packet of painkillers in our bathroom cabinet - but just because you can buy them in a chemist or supermarket without a prescription doesn't mean they're safe. Few people realise that codeine, available in a variety of OTC painkillers, is a potentially addictive opiate - a narcotic, like morphine and heroin, derived from the opium-producing poppy plant. And just this week, research showed that paracetamol-based Calpol - the most seemingly innocuous drug of all - could even be responsible for increasing rates of asthma in children. 'We certainly encounter significant numbers of people who do abuse painkilling medication,' says Nick Barton, of the charity Action on Addiction. 'It is an increasing problem.' Sophia admits she would be very nervous about giving her tablets up: 'I still get headaches all the time but they don't progress to migraines very often and I'm convinced that's because I'm dependent on painkillers.' Trapped: Aspiring novelist Rachel Sirotinina started taking painkillers when she was 16 to try and alleviate her stress headaches . Regular codeine users quickly become dependent, explains Fayyaz Ahmed, a consultant neurologist at Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, and chairman of the British Association for the Study of Headache, because they soon find they need more and more of it to relieve the same pain. 'When they stop taking it they get withdrawal symptoms: irritability, insomnia, restlessness, sweating, anxiety,' he says. 'So they take more.' There are restrictions - pharmacists are not supposed to sell more than one pack of 24 tablets of codeine-based painkillers at a time - so Sophia stocks up whenever she can: 'My bag is always filled with them. I feel panicky if I forget to put some in my purse.' Stress is a major factor in Sophia's continuing usage - as it was for most of those interviewed for the report, who said they took painkillers to relieve tension headaches; almost half think their generation faces more stress than any other. 'There's a huge amount of pressure on my generation, to do well at university and then to get a good job and a mortgage - something that's never been tougher,' says Sophia. She lives with her parents and works hard to fund her studies, giving piano, maths and English lessons to children on the side. 'I can't let headaches stand in the way of my commitments or my future.' That's a sentiment that Daniel Johnson echoes. When the 25-year-old events manager from Brighton began suffering from a bad back, that caused headaches and pain in his neck, he started taking codeine-based painkillers to allow him to carry on working. Six months later, he's still taking them - despite the warning on the packets that they should not be taken for more than three days. 'They're a saviour in enabling me to get on with my job,' he explains. 'As an event manager I can be on my feet for 15 to 20 hours a day. The painkillers give me the peace of mind that I'll be able to do so.' He recognises that he is now utterly reliant on painkillers: 'I imagined that the amount of codeine in the tablets I buy in the chemist wouldn't cause a problem, but I can't function properly without them due to the pain. I'm at a crucial stage in building my career and savings so that I can eventually buy a house. 'I'm devoted to my job and don't want to have to take any time off sick with a back problem. I feel that it's not something I should have at my age.' It's an easy trap to fall into, as 34-year-old Rachel Sirotinina, an aspiring novelist from Durham, knows. When she was 16, her mother, eager to end her daughter's constant stress headaches, brought home a packet of Syndol, an OTC painkiller containing paracetamol and codeine. 'He was groggy, not his normal self, and I thought: “I take these things every day and this is what it does to a grown man?” ' They worked instantly, but quickly turned into a daily habit - and Rachel discovered that unless she upped her dose, her headaches got worse and worse. Most days, she would take two tablets - on bad days, it could be four or six. But neither she nor her parents realised there was anything wrong: 'We didn't see it as a big deal. It was like taking a cough sweet or something,' she says. Soon, the once bright and athletic teen became too exhausted to do anything. Whenever Rachel stopped taking it, her withdrawal symptoms left her anxious, sick and drained of energy - and, ironically, gave her more headaches. She was 29 - 15 years into her dependence on codeine - before she realised the drug might be the source of her problems. 'My boyfriend, Nik, had a headache, and I said: “Oh, take a couple of my tablets.” He took some and was absolutely floored - he fell asleep for a couple of hours and afterwards said: “How do you take these all the time? I feel terrible.” 'He was groggy, not his normal self, and I thought: “I take these things every day and this is what it does to a grown man?” ' Rachel's GP referred her for counselling - and when she confessed to taking a packet of Syndol a day, she was horrified to be told she was addicted to the codeine: 'I don't smoke, don't really drink, don't agree with drugs at all - I just thought they were innocuous.' Rachel was then referred to an addiction treatment centre - where they proposed putting her on methadone, which is usually used to wean addicts off heroin. 'It was an immense shock,” she says. 'They were saying things like “When did you last shoplift?”, “How did you meet your dealer?”, and I'm thinking, “I go to the chemist! I've never shoplifted in my life. I'm in completely the wrong place”.' Fighting it: Rachel, pictured here in her twenties when she well into her addiction, eventually went to an addiction treatment centre and mastered her dependency . And codeine can also be a killer. In the past decade the annual number of deaths in which some form of codeine has been implicated has almost tripled, from 46 in 2001 to 120 in 2012. That's not far short of the 154 deaths in 2011 caused by the opioid-like Tramadol, a prescription-only painkiller the Home Office is now looking at reclassifying as a Class C drug. For doctors such as Fayyaz Ahmed, who see the consequences of such codeine addiction daily, the answer is clear - he would like over-the-counter codeine banned in the UK, as it is in the U.S. and many other countries. Yet the government regulator says that it has never considered making codeine solely a prescription-only medicine. And OTC painkillers are big business to the pharmaceutical industry. In the last year, sales of adult painkillers hit an all-time high of more than 25 million packs - at least 754 million pills. Though Daniel and Sophia are still struggling to cut down their intake, for Rachel, hooked on codeine from the age of 16 to 29, there has been a happy ending. Shocked by the suggested methadone treatment, she decided to go 'cold turkey' on her own: 'It was horrible, but it passed and I'm really glad I did it,' she says. Deadly pills: The number of deaths in which codeine has been implicated over the past decade has almost tripled . 'As the weeks went by the fog started to clear, the exhaustion lifted and, for the first time in 15 years, I started remembering what it was like to feel normal.' Once a college drop-out who struggled to find a job, in 2011 Rachel celebrated by marrying Nik, the man who helped her kick the codeine habit. She has since completed a masters degree in creative writing, and is working on a novel. 'I can't believe I lost so many years to over-the-counter drugs,' she says. 'Now I just want to warn people about the dangers of medication. We all assume anything we can get over the counter is harmless, but that's not the case.' Additional reporting by Sadie Nicholas. | A third of 18 to 24-year-olds take over-the-counter (OTC) medication daily .
Members of Generation Painkiller often don't realise they could be addicts .
Codeine, available in a variety of OTC painkillers, is a narcotic .
Regular codeine users quickly become dependent on it .
And the drug can be fatal: deaths related to codeine have tripled since 2001 . |
89,663 | fea1a353be5387f0da7cadbe97c12c93e8008977 | Chelsea star Ramires flashes a grin as he bumps into ex Blue teammate Demba Ba in Turkey. Jose Mourinho's side have jetted out for a pre-season charity tournament where they play two 45 minute friendly matches against Besiktas and Fenerbahce. Senegalese striker Ba, who scored 14 goals in 51 matches during his 18 months at Chelsea, left Stamford Bridge for Besiktas last month after falling down the pecking order behind new signing Diego Costa and Fernando Torres. Fancy seeing you here!: Ramires looks happy to see old pal Demba Ba in Turkey . But Ba seemed happy in his new surroundings as he chatted to the Brazilian midfielder ahead of the event which will raise funds for the families of the 301 people killed in May's Soma mining disaster. He also caught up with old pal Eden Hazard after the game. An explosion and subsequent fire left 787 workers buried underground leading to a four-day rescue effort and three days of national mourning. It was the worst disaster of its kind in Turkey. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was photographed wearing a T-shirt in support of those affected. Show of support: Mark Schwarzer poses for a photograph in Soma T-shirt . Happy times: Demba Ba and Ramires celebrate goal during Chelsea's match with Sunderland in December 2013 . Old friends: Demba Ba poses with Chelsea's Eden Hazard after the game . All of the players donned the shirt during the warm-up. The games should give Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho another chance to work out his best XI ahead of the Premier League season, while giving his World Cup stars another chance to impress. Fenerbahce also boast one-time Blues midfielder Raul Meireles in their ranks. CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… . | Jose Mourinho's side play friendly matches against Besiktas and Fenerbahce .
Senegalese international Ba left Stamford Bridge for Besiktas last month .
Chelsea also likely to face one-time Blues midfielder Raul Meireles who now plays for Fenerbahce . |
115,506 | 210da2e04a2cbf70068dbc7932fe230e45d802f3 | The ultimate fridge for grazers has been unveiled by South Korean group LG. The 'Door-in-Door Mega-Capacity' refrigerator has shelves built into the first set of doors, which then open around a second set of doors, and the main fridge compartment. Called Model LPXS346C, the new Door-In-Door fridge model has 34 cubic feet of space, and LG claims it stops up to 47 per cent of cold air escaping each time the fridge is opened. The 'Door-in-Door Mega-Capacity' refrigerator has shelves built into the first set of doors, which then open around a second set of doors, and the main fridge compartment . The latest 'Door-in-Door Mega-Capacity' refrigerator is an upgrade to LG's existing 'Door-in-Door French-door' refrigerator. It also features LG's Smart Diagnosis technology, which is designed to help LG's call centre staff to identify any problems that arise with the fridge remotely. An Android smartphone app also allows users to 'record and analyse signals from the refrigerator'. The fridge was unveiled at CES in Las Vegas this week, and will be available later this year. There is currently no information on its cost. The South Korean company also unveiled a washing machine with two washers that lets people save time and energy by cleaning double the amount of clothes simultaneously. David VanderWaal, US marketing lead at LG Electronics reveals the company's latest design in Las Vegas . LG Electronic's David VanderWall introduces the LG front loading washing machine with the new Twin Load System allowing the consumer to do two separate washington loads at the same time and the LG Multi Door Regferator with 'Double Door in Door' The South Korean tech giant also used the event to announce its next-generation flexible phone, called G Flex 2. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit octa-core processor, with 2GB of RAM. The 5.5-inch full HD curved display has a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution and a 403 Pixel Per Inch density. It runs Android Lollipop and the whole device is said to be 30 per cent more durable than the original model. Homeowners can control the temperature and length of cycles, and set them to start, while they're out of the house using an app. It is powered by the mini washer, which LG calls the 'world's first compact washer in a hide-away pedestal, generating a whole new set of washing options.' For example, muddy gym wear can be separated from whites, or silk underwear can be washed at the same time as towels on a hot wash. When not in use, the mini washer acts simply as the pedestal for the main washer, but it can also be combined with any of LG's front loading washers. The system is Wi-Fi and NFC enabled and is fitted with LG's SmartThinQ technology. This means users can program cycles using an app, including the temperature and length, while they're at work, or on their way home. LG's latest washing machine uses a Twin Wash system to clean two loads simultaneously. The machine has a main washer above a smaller washer in the pedestal beneath (pictured). LG said the the mini washer is perfect for items that need specific settings, and it can also be fitted to any of LG's front loading machines . While the NFC tagging technology, means users can download pre-programmed wash cycles to their smartphones, and start them by touching the phone on the machine. It also has a Smart Diagnosis feature that helps users to quickly identify issues and faults. Meanwhile, the South Korean tech giant used the event to announce its next-generation flexible phone, called G Flex 2. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit octa-core processor, with 2GB of RAM. The 5.5-inch full HD curved display with a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution and a 403 Pixel Per Inch density. It runs Android Lollipop and the whole device is said to be 30 per cent more durable than the original model. Rob Kerr, mobiles expert at uSwitch.com, told MailOnline: 'From an ergonomic point of view, you can see why a phone with a bend would be more comfortable when making a call, curving from ear to mouth, or when slotted into your back pocket. 'Ultimately, though, the curved body is more a gimmick than a standout feature. Fortunately, the updated specs mean this smartphone has plenty more to shout about.' Meanwhile, the South Korean tech giant used the event to announce its next-generation flexible phone, called G Flex 2 (pictured). It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 64-bit octa-core processor, with 2GB of RAM . The 5.5-inch full HD curved display has a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution and a 403 Pixel Per Inch density. It runs Android Lollipop and the whole device is said to be 30 per cent more durable than the original model . | The Door-in-Door fridge has shelves built into the first set of doors .
These then open around a second set of doors, and main fridge area .
LG Electronics claims it could stop up to 47% of cold air escaping .
LG unveiled Twin Wash system to wash two loads simultaneously .
Firm also revealed its G Flex 2 phone at CES in Las Vegas this week . |
231,523 | b7c3269c5f060753645d1f0403ca5131338d28b5 | Madonna yesterday stumbled into fresh controversy by comparing today's France to Nazi Germany. Speaking out against anti-Semitism and racism in France, the singer described the situation as 'scary', claiming that the country had lost its tradition of welcoming foreigners and making them feel at home. During an interview, Madonna claimed that anti-Semitism was at a record level in France – where at least 90,000 Jews were rounded up and sent to the death camps during the Second World War. Scroll down for audio . Speaking out: Madonna told a French radio station that intolerance against Jews in Europe had reached 'an all-time high' She told a Paris radio station: 'We're living in crazy times. It feels like Nazi Germany. 'France was once a country that accepted people of colour, a place artists escaped to, whether it was [entertainer] Josephine Baker or [saxophonist] Charlie Parker. 'It was a country that embraced everyone and encouraged freedom in every way, shape or form of artistic expression of freedom. Now that's completely gone.' Fresh from the incident in which she fell on stage at the Brit Awards in London this week, the 56-year-old renewed her attack on France's far-Right National Front party, calling it 'fascist'. On the rise: Madonna hit out at the 'fascist' National Front Party. Party leader Marine Le Pen threatened to sue her over a video featuring Le Pen with a Swastika on her head . Madonna has previously criticised the party, which won 25 per cent of the vote at local and European elections last year. Renewing her stance – albeit getting the name of its leader Marine Le Pen incorrect – she yesterday spoke of 'receiving a lot of criticism and threats from Marie (sic) Le Pen'. The star's past attempts at political comment have caused controversy in France. In a backing video on stage during her 2012 tour, she displayed an image of Miss Le Pen with a swastika superimposed on her forehead. Miss Le Pen threatened to sue and the Nazi symbol, which Madonna had also displayed on stage in Israel, was removed to avoid court action. Floored: She scrunched her face in anticipation on the rough landing, when she realised that she was not going keep her balance . Grounded: The pop superstar was dragged to the ground as she attempted to undo her cape . Yesterday Madonna, who until recently was in a relationship with French dancer Brahim Zaibat, said: 'What I said two years ago is valid today. It's not just in France, it's all over Europe. But particularly in France. The level of intolerance... is scary.' Speaking after her fall on stage on Wednesday night, she said: 'I had a little bit of whiplash, I smacked the back of my head.' | Singer says France is no longer a country that 'embraced everyone'
The rising anti-Semitism and level of intolerance in Europe is 'scary'
Its role as a site for artists and freedom of expression is disappearing .
She called the National Front 'fascist' and criticised its rapid rise . |
37,153 | 694fbc07471c47c1f8d77963a82465b619c911d4 | It has now been handed over to the Police Service of Northern . Ireland . By . Bob Graham . PUBLISHED: . 16:10 EST, 6 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:10 EST, 6 July 2013 . The night of December 7, 1972, is forever branded on Michael McConville’s memory. That night a gang of masked IRA terrorists smashed down the door of his family’s West Belfast home and dragged out his mother Jean, as several of her ten children clutched at her skirts and screamed. It was the last time Michael, then 11, was to see his mother alive. Horror: The remains of IRA murder victim Jean McConville are recovered from an area near the Templetown beach in County Louth in 2003 . Now, at last, the McConville children are on the verge of hearing – from beyond the grave – the confession of the IRA woman who drove their mother to her death. And in an explosive testimony, she is believed to have named Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, as the IRA commander who ordered the execution of Michael’s mother. Gerry Adams is accused of ordering the 1972 execution . Yesterday, 11 clandestine tapes recorded by Republican and Loyalist paramilitaries, which have languished for ten years in the archives of the Burns Library in Boston College in the US, were handed over to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. They include an admission from Dolores Price, one of the IRA’s most infamous terrorists, that she ferried Michael’s 37-year-old mother to the Irish Republic where she was tortured, tied up and shot in the head. And she asserts it was Gerry Adams who sanctioned the murder. Adams, who now sits in the Republic of Ireland’s parliament, has always strenuously denied belonging to the IRA and any involvement in terrorist murders. But Michael McConville, now 51, believes the tapes’ shocking contents could lead to fresh arrests – among them that of Adams. Price’s damning revelation is corroborated in another tape, made by Brendan ‘Darkie’ Hughes, the terror-hardened deputy commander of the IRA’s Belfast Brigade. He, too, insists it was Adams who signed the Catholic Belfast housewife’s death warrant. Yet Adams claims credit for shaping the 1996 peace agreement that ended Ulster’s Troubles after he swapped the ArmaLite for the ballot box. Price and Hughes, now both dead, agreed to make the tapes with Irish academics on the strict proviso they remain locked away while they lived. Price’s death in January this year freed the Boston College from its obligation to keep them secret. The release of the tapes has been at the centre of a bitter legal wrangle. Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness, Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly and a self-confessed former IRA commander, and US Secretary of State John Kerry have waged a high-profile battle to have them suppressed on the grounds that they could derail Ulster’s fragile peace process. Mrs McConville with her husband and three of her ten children . For Michael and his siblings, their hope is that the recordings may at last lead to their mother’s executioners being brought to justice. ‘If Price mentions Gerry Adams in the tapes, that he was in some way involved and if it can be proved, he should be tried,’ Michael says. ‘At the very least I’d like to see him stand in court and answer the accusations. 'You can’t turn around and say it is right to kill someone the way they did, especially a mother, no matter what your beliefs are.’ Michael’s mother, Jean, a Protestant who converted to Catholicism when she married husband Archie, had moved to the staunchly Republican Divis Flats in the Lower Falls area after being intimidated out of a Loyalist area. When the IRA eventually confessed to abducting and killing her, they claimed it was because she was a ‘tout’ who was passing information to the British Army. Gerry Adams (centre) pictured attending an IRA funeral during the troubles . The McConville family has always insisted that their mother’s only involvement with the Army was that she once gave succour to an injured squaddie. Michael has yet to hear the tapes. But shortly before she died Delores Price chillingly told me of her role in the murder of his mother – one of 17 IRA victims known as the Disappeared. She told me that her memoir, including her role driving away the Disappeared, was recorded in the Boston Project – as the collection of tapes are known. Price, who led the IRA terror squad that bombed the Old Bailey in 1973, admitted she drove Mrs McConville to Dundalk in the Irish Republic. She confessed she was a member of a select unit of the IRA’s Belfast Brigade, codenamed the Unknowns, whose mission was to take those believed to have betrayed Republicans for interrogation. For those found guilty by the Republican kangaroo courts, the only sentence was death.‘I never knew for sure their ultimate end, I was simply told by Gerry Adams to take the people away,’ Gerry Adams with one-time friend Brendan 'Darkie' Hughes, who was a . deputy commander of the IRA's Belfast Brigade and also insisted it was . Adams who signed the Catholic Belfast housewife's death warrant . Price admitted. ‘Some, I knew their fate, some I didn’t. I took seven in all. My job was to hand them over to others. I don’t even remember some of their names. ‘I drove Jean McConville away. She was a very, very unpleasant woman. I know I shouldn’t speak ill of the dead and I don’t think she deserved to die. I didn’t know she was a mother. ‘I had a call one night and Adams was in a house down the Falls Road. McConville had been snatched and held for several days. 'It was part of my job to take them across the border to hand them over. She got into my car and as far as she was concerned she was being taken to a place of safety by the Legion of Mary [a Catholic charity]. Son Michael McConville believes the tapes' shocking contents could lead to fresh arrests ¿ among them that of Adams . ‘She went on and on about “them f****** Provies, they wouldn’t have the balls to shoot me. F*** them”. I was saying to myself “please don’t say any more”. But she went on and on, she convicted herself out of her own mouth. 'It wasn’t my decision to “disappear” her, thank God. All I had to do was drive her. I even got her fish and chips and cigarettes before I left her.’ Price refused to enlarge on why Adams ordered Mrs McConville’s execution, but commented: ‘You don’t deserve to die if you are an unpleasant person, as she was, but you do deserve to die if you are an informer. Particularly in a war. That is the Republican way.’ For the McConville children, their mother’s death blighted their lives for ever. Today a fragmented family, they rarely meet or discuss the trauma of her being taken. Michael remembers his older brother Archie, then 16, followed the terrorists dragging his mother onto the street, begging: ‘Can I go with my Mammy?’ One of the gunmen took him aside, put his pistol to the teenager’s temple and told him to ‘f*** off’. He added: ‘Not long after she was taken, a local IRA man knocked on the door and handed Mum’s purse and wedding ring to my sister. I knew then she hadn’t just been murdered but executed. We found out she had been taken to a beach, had her hands tied, was knocked to the ground beside what would be her own grave and shot in the head.’ The Provisional IRA immediately imposed a menacing omerta among the West Belfast community. To talk of Jean McConville’s fate was to invite a visit from a death squad.’ When, 30 years after her abduction, the IRA admitted they had killed Mrs McConville, exhaustive searches found no body. Then, in August 2003, walkers stumbled upon her remains buried on Shelling Hill beach, Dundalk. Now, for Michael McConville and his family, justice is at last in sight. | Adams is accused of ordering execution of mother-of-ten Jean McConville .
IRA woman who drove Mrs McConville to her death recorded a confession .
The tape had languished for ten .
years in a Boston College library .
It has now been handed over to the Police Service of Northern .
Ireland . |
100,163 | 0d0d260742a08aea7bfe7004a6cd8fb75dd2221f | (CNN) -- A father who shot and killed his five children in their Washington state home before killing himself had argued with his wife over another man before the shootings, police said. Authorities found five children, ages 7 to 16, dead in their Pierce County, Washington, home Saturday. Authorities found the children, ages 7 to 16, dead in their Pierce County home Saturday afternoon, and the father, James Harrison, was found dead inside his SUV in adjacent King County, Detective Ed Troyer told CNN Radio Sunday. Police said Harrison committed suicide by shooting himself with a rifle. Troyer said that on Friday night, Harrison and his 16-year-old daughter found his wife with another man. The couple argued, and then Harrison and his daughter returned to the family home near Tacoma without his wife, Troyer said. At the home, Harrison and the children held a family meeting with other relatives, Troyer said. The relatives left, and later that night Harrison shot all five of his children -- four girls and one boy -- as they slept in their beds, Troyer said. The children's mother was located after the shootings and was being counseled by a chaplain, Troyer said. The family massacre comes just two months after a Los Angeles, California, father killed his wife, their five young children and himself after he and his wife were fired from their jobs. And police are still investigating another family shooting last week, in which a Santa Clara, California, man gunned down six of his family members -- killing two adults and three children and wounding his wife -- before committing suicide. | Five children shot and killed in their Washington state home by father, police say .
Police say James Harrison then committed suicide with a rifle .
Detective: Harrison and daughter, 16, had found his wife with another man .
Children's mother located after the shootings, being counseled by chaplain . |
63,139 | b35f80028d9e6c53ab72ea24f8b404740166c47c | Russia's long-range bombers will range from the Arctic Ocean to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico on regular patrol missions, the military said Wednesday, a show of muscle reflecting tensions with the West over Ukraine. A statement from Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's statement comes as NATO has reported a spike in Russian military flights over the Black, Baltic and North seas as well as the Atlantic Ocean. It reflects Moscow's increasingly tough posture amid tensions with the West over Ukraine and its role in the conflict in Syria. Shoigu said Russian long-range bombers will conduct flights along Russian borders and over the Arctic Ocean. He added that 'in the current situation we have to maintain military presence in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, as well as the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.' Saber rattling: Russia's defense minister Sergei Shoigu says the military will conduct regular long-range bomber patrols, ranging from the Arctic Ocean to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico (FILE: Russian military Tu-95 bombers over international airspace) He said that the increasing pace and duration of flights would require stronger maintenance efforts. Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers were making regular patrols across the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans during the Cold War, but the post-Soviet money crunch forced the military to cut back. Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to call this a Russian provocation. He said the Russians have a right, like any other nation, to operate in international airspace and in international waters. Gearing up? Sergei Shoigu's statement comes as NATO has reported a spike in Russian military flights over the Black, Baltic and North seas as well as the Atlantic Ocean. It reflects Moscow's increasingly tough posture amid tensions with the West over Ukraine. Here, Russian Air Force strategic bombers, Tu-95, fly in formation over Red Square . The important thing, Warren said, is for such exercises to be carried out safely and in accordance with international standards. Ian Kearns, director of the European Leadership Network, a London-based think tank, said the bomber patrols are part of Kremlin's efforts to make the Russian military 'more visible and more assertive in its actions'. The new bomber flights 'aren't necessarily presaging a threat,' Kearns said. "They are just part of a general ramping-up of activities." But, he added, 'The more instances you have of NATO and Russian forces coming close together, the more chance there is of having something bad happening, even if it's not intentional.' The bomber patrol flights have resumed under Putin's rule and have become increasingly frequent in recent years. On Monday, the European Leadership Network issued a report that found a sharp rise in Russian-NATO military encounters since the Kremlin's annexation of Crimea, including violations of national airspace, narrowly avoided midair collisions, close encounters at sea, harassment of reconnaissance planes, close overflights over warships, and Russian mock bombing raid missions. Three of the nearly 40 incidents, the think tank said, carried a 'high probability' of causing casualties or triggering a direct military confrontation: a narrowly avoided collision between a civilian airliner and a Russian surveillance plane, the abduction of an Estonian intelligence officer, and a large-scale Swedish hunt for a suspected Russian submarine that yielded no result. In September, the report said, Russian strategic bombers in the Labrador Sea off Canada practiced cruise missile strikes on the U.S. Earlier this year, in May, . the report said, Russian military aircraft approached within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the California coast, the closest such Russian military flight reported since the end of the Cold War. TROUBLE IN CHINA . Just Tuesday, the White House said Obama and Putin spoke three times on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific economic meeting, tackling some of the tough issues that have strained their relationship, including Russia's provocations in Ukraine and support for Syria's embattled government. They also discussed the fast-approaching deadline in nuclear talks with Iran, in which the U.S. and Russia find themselves on the same negotiating team. Unlike at some of their past meetings, Obama and Putin kept their deep-seated policy disagreements behind the scenes. But their public encounters suggested their relationship remains tense. Picturesque Yanqi Lake, just outside of Beijing, became the venue for an awkward pas de deux between two of the most powerful leaders in the world. Entering an ornate, wood-paneled room for the start of the summit, Obama and Putin looked a bit like sidekicks to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The summit's host led the way, with the American on one side and the Russian on the other. Trouble in China? Russian President Vladimir Putin passes by US President Barack Obama at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on Tuesday where pleasantries in front of the camera reportedly hid the icy negotiations behind it over the thorny issues of Syria, Iran and Ukraine . Syrian strife: Syria asked Russia this month to speed up delivery of S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, concerned about a possible US attack, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said in an interview published Thursday. Here, a man carries the body of his son following a reported barrel bomb attack by government forces in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo . 'It's beautiful, isn't it?' Putin said in Obama's direction. Yes, it is, concurred a reticent Obama, avoiding eye contact with Putin and addressing his response to no one in particular. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin offered much in the way of detail about the policy conversations Obama and Putin had on the sidelines of the summit. Putin's spokesman said only that the two had spoken a few times, touching on 'bilateral relations, the situation around Ukraine, Syria and Iran.' THE ISSUE WITH IRAN . Also on Tuesday, Russia signed a contract Tuesday to build two more nuclear reactors in Iran to be possibly followed by another six, a move intended to cement closer ties between the two nations. The deal comes less than two weeks ahead of the Nov. 24 deadline for Tehran to sign an agreement on its nuclear program with six world powers. Tuesday's contract has no immediate relation to the talks that involve Russia and the United States, but it reflects Moscow's intention to deepen its cooperation with Tehran ahead of possible softening of Western sanctions against Iran. Nuclear officials from the two countries signed a contract Tuesday for building two reactors at Iran's first Russia-built nuclear plant in Bushehr. Undermining the West? Sergei Kiriyenko, right, head of the Russian state nuclear monopoly Rosatom, and head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Ali Akbar Salehi shake hands during a signing ceremony in Moscow Tuesday. Russia will build two new nuclear power plant units in Iran under a deal made less than two weeks ahead of the Nov. 24 deadline for Tehran to sign an agreement on its nuclear program with six world powers . USURPING UKRAINE? And on Wednesday, NATO's top commander says new columns of Russian troops and tanks have rolled into eastern Ukraine, the claim promptly denied by Moscow. U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove said Wednesday that in the last two days 'we have seen columns of Russian equipment, primarily Russian tanks, Russian artillery, Russian air defense systems and Russian combat troops entering into Ukraine.' Breedlove, who spoke in Sofia, Bulgaria wouldn't say how many fresh troops and weapons have moved into Ukraine and wouldn't specify how the alliance obtained the information. The Russian Defense Ministry quickly rejected Breedlove's statement as groundless. The West and Ukraine have continuously accused Moscow of fueling a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine with troops and weapons - the claims Russia has rejected. Breedlove said the Russia-Ukraine border 'is completely wide-open.' Fortifying rebels? A pro-Russian gunmen patrol the centre of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on November 12, 2014. Heavy artillery fire on Wednesday rocked east Ukraine's pro-Russian rebel bastion of Donetsk, after international monitors warned over escalating violence following the arrival of columns of insurgent reinforcements . Ignoring the world? An amored personnel carrier (APC) rolls on November 12 on a main road in rebel-territory near the village of Torez, east of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine. The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday following reports of Russia's latest military incursion in Ukraine, diplomats said . | Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's announcement comes along with a spike in Russian flights over the Black, Baltic and North Seas and Atlantic .
The move highlights growing tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine, where NATO says Russian tanks are streaming in .
Just Tuesday, Obama and Putin sat together in China for Asia-Pacific economic meeting that was pleasant in front of cameras but icy behind them .
On the table in addition to Ukraine were the issues of Russia's involvement with warn-torn Syria and its renewed plans to build nuclear reactors in Iran . |
111,910 | 1c5457c5138610b1cdd5f44b4cd792dc498b42d9 | Arsene Wenger and John Terry are among the Premier League stars to have recorded announcements for the London Underground, which can be heard throughout Thursday. Their voices are being played at Tube stations as part of the Royal British Legion's London Poppy Day. Other players to have recorded messages include Mikel Arteta, Andros Townsend, Joey Barton, Scott Parker, Rob Green and Ben Davies. The announcements are being played at stations close to each of the players' clubs. You can support this year's poppy appeal by donating here. Arsene Wenger has recorded announcements for the London Underground for London Poppy Day . AUDIO: Listen to Arsene Wenger's London Underground announcement (being played at Arsenal, Holloway Road and Finsbury Park stations) AUDIO: John Terry's announcement (Fulham Broadway, Earl's Court and West Brompton) AUDIO: Joey Barton (White City, Wood Lane and Shepherd's Bush Market) The messages are being played at Tube stations close to the Premier League stars' respective grounds . AUDIO: Andros Townsend (Seven Sisters, Tottenham Hale and Tottenham Court Road stations) AUDIO: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal, Holloway Road, and Finsbury Park) AUDIO: Scott Parker (Putney Bridge and Parsons Green) AUDIO: Dan Burn (Putney Bridge and Parsons Green) AUDIO: Rob Green (White City, Wood Lane and Shepherd's Bush Market) | Arsene Wenger and John Terry have recorded announcements for the tube .
The messages are being played on the London Underground on Thursday .
Mikel Arteta, Andros Townsend, Joey Barton and Rob Green also involved .
The messages are in aid of London Poppy Day . |
73,919 | d19764c23936da5c4727f5df95ee224244732bf4 | The mummified bodies of soldiers who fell in the First World War 100 years ago are still being uncovered as glaciers melt - and experts say there could be many more to come. Corpses emerge every time there is a hot summer in Trentino, a rugged part of the Italian Alps where countless men were shot, starved or froze to death in a three-year campaign. Whenever the gruesome finds appear, archaeologists must act within hours - because not only do the bodies decompose, they are also looted by opportunistic thieves. Frozen in time: Mummified remains of two teenage Austrian soldiers were found in the Presena Glacier in 2012. Dr Franco Nicolis, Director of the Office of Archaeological Heritage in Trentino, blamed global warming . Gun: An Austrian Rifle found poking out of the ground, protected until its discovery by a thick layer of ice. But Dr Nicolis said many finds are stripped bare by looters who then sell the war artefacts on the internet . Dr Franco Nicolis, the director of the Trentino's Office of Archaeological Heritage, has blamed global warming for the surge in corpses found in the last decade. The last two soldiers, found side-by-side in 2012 on the Presena Glacier, were as young as 16 and 18 when they went to fight on the bitter Italian front and were buried by fellow fighters in a crevice. Archaeologists who studied their bones to age the bodies said both were shot in the head in 1918. One of the young men still had a spoon tucked into his uniform for digging away at rations. Other remains have been found almost every year before that dating back to 2004, when a major discovery of three Austrian soldiers buried in the ice made global headlines. Dr Nicolis, who watched the autopsy of the most recent bodies, told MailOnline: 'It was very emotional. The first moment I looked at the boy I thought about his mother, who would have seen him for the last time and never heard from her young son again.' Corpses have been found in the Alps almost every year since 2004, when these mummified remains emerged . Elusive: One body yet to be found is that of Captain Arnaldo Berni, 24 (right), who led Italian troops on the 3,678m peak of San Matteo in August 1918. The war would drag on until a final victory in October . More than a million soldiers from both sides were killed on the Italian front, which ranged across more than 400 miles with battles lasting almost the entire length of the First World War. The long fight, much of it in the mountains where blizzards could send temperatures dropping to minus 30 degrees celsius, was between Italian forces and those of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although the two sides had been allies until the time when war broke out, old emnities quickly showed and in April 1915, Italy changed sides by signing the Treaty of London in secret. Russia, France and Britain - all part of the Triple Entente - persuaded Italy to leave the Triple Alliance, which it had until then maintained with Germany and Austro-Hungary. The brutal mountain war stretched on until October 1918 and the Battle of Vittoria Veneto, which saw the final defeat of Austro-Hungarian troops and a crucial victory for those on the Western Front. Historians have been collecting material from the mountains ever since, with regular finds since the early 1990s. Dangerous terrain: While British forces suffered disease in the trenches, those on the Italian front had to string the razor wire denoting No Man's Land across the edge of perilous cliff tops . Hazardous: The Italian front, marked by the red line, stretched for hundreds of miles over the Alps . Discoveries have included clothes, shoes and a remarkably intact letter from a soldier to his lover. On the peak of Punta Linke, historians uncovered an entire cableway station concealed beneath the ice, with soldiers' letters still pinned to the walls. But recovering the bodies is not easy because of looters and thieves, claimed Dr Nicolis. 'We're not able to go on the glaciers and research the bodies ourselves,' he said. 'We have to wait until they are found by people making excavations for work or hiking. 'Usually people take away everything from the body and only call us or the police afterwards. Often we find bodies with none of the equipment of a soldier around them. 'People then sell what they've found online - I've seen it happening. It's surreal that you would get people going up the mountain just to find 100-year-old things they could sell on the internet.' There were no bodies last year, said Dr Nicolis. Now his team are waiting to see whether any will turn up this summer - but after heavy snow in the last few months, they fear the secrets of the past could remain hidden for many years longer. | Soldiers fought in the Italian Alps in temperatures plummeting to minus 30C .
Battles raged for more than three years and killed more than a million .
Bodies revealed every time there is a hot summer in Trentino, northern Italy .
But often walkers strip them of valuables before they can be recovered .
Archaeological director claims global warning means there will be many more . |
218,840 | a7452d2825f47bd3850b06db9eb37e3c03eb57d5 | A fraudster swindled nearly £2million from his in-laws and friends in a Ponzi-style sports betting scheme to fund his gambling addiction. David Gale, 51, admitted using bank and Betfair accounts in the name of his ex-wife Faye - and convinced her father and grandfather to part with cash in the failed scheme. The financial advisor told investors the scheme would pay 'dividends' if they signed up, but he conned his father-in-law out of £145,000, a court heard today. David Gale (right) and his ex-wife Faye (left) appeared at Guildford Crown Court today where he admitted using bank and Betfair accounts in her name to con people, including her father and grandfather, out of cash . Mrs Gale was 'swept off her feet' when she met her husband, who is 13 years his junior, at Royal Ascot in 2004 but the seven-year marriage ended when his scheming was uncovered in 2011. He immediately left the family home in Great Bookham, Surrey, where the couple lived with their two children and moved to Little London in Chichester, West Sussex. Mr Gale appeared at Guildford Crown Court today, carrying an overnight holdall, where he admitted three counts of fraud and two counts of unauthorised regulated activity. Prosecuting, Alison Clare said: 'They have two small children. Mrs Gale's father lost more than £100,000 and her grandfather lost money. 'It was all in her name and she has already been successfully sued by one investor who lost £300,000.' Mrs Gale, 37, appeared in the dock alongside her former husband charged with aiding and abetting him, but Judge Robert Fraser told her this would lie on file. David Gale, who is 13 years older than Faye, was pictured arriving at court today carrying a holdall . At an earlier hearing she was found liable for hundreds of thousands of pounds when family friend, Kathleen O'Neill sued for the £300,000 she had invested in her husband's scheme. In March last year, Judge David Donaldson QC cleared the London-based TV producer of any dishonesty but ruled that she would still have to cover the costs of Mr Gale's losses. Judge Donaldson expressed amazement that 'intelligent and level-headed' people could possibly have believed that any scheme involving betting on football could be risk-free. He explained the collapse came abruptly in 2011, adding: 'Mr Gale wrote to his investors to explain - falsely, as is now known - that, by oversight and clumsiness in making a single entry online, he had lost the entirety of the pool of money.' She took it to the Court of Appeal in December but three top judges ruled against her. In today's trial, the court heard that Gale's gambling addiction had led him to get caught up in the betting system and he convinced investors they would receive 'dividends' if they signed up. He admitted the charges at Guildford Crown Court today and is due to be sentenced on December 12 . He told his wife's friends, relatives and neighbours that the scheme was risk free and his ex-wife's grandfather was one of the first investors. Ms Clare told the court: 'The loss to the witnesses was in the region of £1.8 million.' Judge Fraser warned the former mortgage broker he faced jail and Gale was released on bail until December 12, when he will be sentenced. | David Gale, 51, admitted using bank and Betfair accounts in ex-wife's name .
He convinced her father and grandfather to part with cash in failed scheme .
Told investors it would pay 'dividends' but blew the money on gambling .
Mr Gale appeared in court today where he admitted three counts of fraud .
Ex-wife Faye Gale also appeared in dock but proceedings were dropped .
Due to be sentenced on December 12 and could face Christmas in prison .
Following publication of an earlier version of this article, we have been asked to make clear that though Mrs Gale was aware of her husband’s business scheme, she had no knowledge of the fraudulent nature of the operation. |
172,833 | 6baffb32260af7de4f3fa0553acaf6fbad96dfdc | It is easy to understand why England's coaches felt Dan Cole could cope with an in-at-the-deep-end return to Test rugby. The Leicester prop is a master of understatement, which perfectly illustrates his unflappable nature. One stock response sums up the tighthead's measured outlook. Asked about the prospect of starting against Wales in Cardiff, after a year out of the international game due to injury, he calmly conceded: 'It's not ideal.' Asked to reflect on England's capitulation at the Millennium Stadium two years ago, he said: 'It wasn't ideal' - different tense, same sentiment. Dan Cole will earn his 49th England Test cap when they take on Wales in the Six Nations opener on Friday . Wilson (centre) has been ruled out of Friday's clash against Wales due to a neck injury . England have won 62.2 per cent games with Cole in their line-up compared to 58.3 per cent without . Cole, 27, has been thrown straight back into England's starting front row, after six weeks out with a foot injury - following nine months on the sidelines with a serious neck problem - because Bath's David Wilson has been ruled out. Wilson also has neck damage, leaving the Lion for whom he often deputised to fill the void at short notice. When Cole made his autumn comeback for the Tigers after surgery, he later admitted that he was not so much worried about his neck as the uncomfortable prospect that he might be 'rubbish' after so long out of the game. He need not have worried about that and he will not be concerned about what awaits on Friday night - a 49th Test cap and a head-to-head scrum collision with the wily Welsh loosehead, Gethin Jenkins. Cole's lack of game time is alleviated by an abundance of experience. He feels ready. 'Confident? I wouldn't be here if I wasn't,' he said. 'Yes, it's not the most ideal entrance to the Test scene, but I got the nine months (absence) out of the system with the eight games I played for Leicester. We had Toulon back-to-back and the Saints, so they were hardly easy games. 'You believe in the conditioning and it's not like I've done nothing over the past few weeks. I feel as best prepared as I can be. It's about getting the sharpness back. It's not like you are starting at square one when you come back in.' Cole (right) has endured an injury-plagued 12 months for England and club side Leicester Tigers (pictured) Cole (left) is helped by fellow forward Billy Vunipola during England's training session on Monday . England forwards coach Graham Rowntree insisted that there is minimal risk involved in asking Cole to resume his starting role without a suitable build-up. 'Dan is a class, proven operator,' he said. 'He's not been out for six months and he's not been twiddling his thumbs for the last six weeks. We have trained pretty fast and he's slotted in nicely. His knowledge doesn't dissipate over six weeks. Dealing with environments like Friday night comes with experience. It's good to have him around.' When he turns his focus on to the grim ordeal England endured at the Millennium Stadium in 2013, Cole's recollections of the game and the occasion are typically moderate. 'It wasn't ideal,' he said. 'You remember the day - it wasn't really a high point. It was loud. You are playing in front of 80,000 people and it's loud. It was probably a step up from what I have played in front of at the Millennium Stadium before. 'The Welsh did live off that atmosphere but I wouldn't say it threw us off our game. Both teams feed off the crowd because it provides energy.' The interruption to his career caused by a rare injury allowed Cole to take a long-overdue rest and he has returned fresh and 'a touch heavier', which won't be a prospect to encourage Jenkins. 'I'm in better nick than I was before,' said the man charged with anchoring England's set-piece assault. If he says that, it must be true, because even mild hyperbole is not his style. Cole was part of the England side that were thrashed 30-3 in their last Six Nations visit to Wales in 2013 . | Wales host England in the Six Nations opener on Friday night .
England were thrashed 30-3 in their last visit to Wales two years ago .
Dan Cole will earn his 49th Test Cap in the Millennium Stadium encounter . |
143,828 | 45fcca16cfa531b8db58910222d4abf56941f19c | He was less than impressed when he heard that James Franco and Seth Rogen were planning to assassinate him in spoof Hollywood movie The Interview, but it seems there are some films that North Korea's Kim Jong-Un does approve of. But with titles like Urban Girl Comes to Get Married, A True Daughter of the Party, The Bloodstained Route Map and Sea of Blood, sitting through them might prove a challenge. Despite the uninspiring titles, North Korea boasts a thriving film industry, with the biggest film studio, which has sets that include a Chinatown and an English country village, just outside Pyongyang. Scroll down for video . Popular: Cinema is hugely popular in North Korea but all films are made by the regime and feature propaganda . Rousing: Most of the films have an inspiring message and feature views of North Korean capital Pyongyang (pictured) Heroic: Typically, films show North Koreans performing heroic deeds with South Koreans and Westerners often cast as villains . And action! Tourists often find themselves unexpectedly starring in films - the man waving is the North Korean version of Steven Spielberg . Starring role: Mr Lafforgue and his fellow passengers were asked to repeatedly walk down this set of airport steps before catching their flight . 'Although the film offer is usually quite poor, the people of North Korea are very fond of cinema,' says photographer Eric Lafforgue, who went behind the scenes at the Chollima Studios and even found time to star in a North Korean movie himself. 'So was their Dear Leader Kim Jong-Il, who described it as "the most powerful medium for educating the masses". In fact, he liked it so much, he even kidnapped South Korean director Shin Sang-Ok and his wife in 1978 and held them until 1986.' Despite the Shins escape, North Korea continues to make films, although most double as propaganda with tales of perfidious Westerners and heroic North Koreans dominating the script. Apart from within universities where films like Gladiator and Titanic are shown to language students, Western films are not allowed, although that didn't stop Kim Jong-Un from taking exception to The Interview. Indeed, so offended was Kim by his cinematic death, he declared it 'an act of war' while hackers allegedly funded by North Korea tapped into computers belonging to backers Sony and stole thousands of documents - including some extremely embarrassing emails. One saw producer Scott Rudin describe Angelina Jolie as 'a minimally talented spoilt brat', while another exchange saw Rudin claim to have no idea who actor Michael Fassbender was before going on to crack jokes about the star's manhood. Favourites: Popular titles include Urban Girl Comes to Get Married and A True Daughter of the Party . Welcome: Those visiting the Chollima Movie Studios are greeted by this rousing fresco . Disciplined: Film shoots are run along military lines with everyone expected to know what to do and say at all times . Backstage: Extras leave their clothes and shoes in a single large changing room, staffed by a pair of dressers . On guard: A soldier left to guard the piles of clothes opts for having a sleep on them instead . Looking good: A pair of extras in traditional dress have their hair attended to by two of the studio's legion hair and make-up artists . Starring role: An elderly actor has his beard carefully neatened by a hairdresser - ironically sporting a cap emblazoned with the HP logo . Tidying up: The hair and make-up artist completes the job, slicking down the actor's beard with a little oil . Such theatrics would never happen in North Korea, says Lafforgue, where all actors are state-sponsored and tourists frequently find themselves becoming accidental guest stars. 'The actors have to reread their scripts just before shooting starts,' says Lafforgue of his day on set with North Korea's acting A-list. 'There's a real military atmosphere and discipline is very strict.' North Korea's love of film began with Kim Jong-Il who, according to the regime, once shot a film personally - about the founding member of the dynasty, Kim Il-Sung - and earned himself the title of 'Genius of Cinema' in the process. He also managed more than 600 visits to the Chollima Studios during his tenure and was instrumental in ensuring a film about the 2009 release of two American tourists held prisoner by the regime was made. The story of the release, which came during the visit of former president Bill Clinton, was given a North Korean twist and turned into an epic about the strength and power of a dynasty that could 'force' American leaders to do its bidding. Getting ready: Extras sit down en masse on a tarmac road cutting through one of the sets as the director explains their role . And action! The extras, who are playing the role of demonstrators, get to work as the camera (right) starts rolling . Protest: According to Lafforgue, this staged protest - set in Japan - was the only one that he saw during his visit to the country . Sharp: A group of young extras have their hats adjusted - overseen by a group of soldiers . Perfect: A regime official signs off an actress' hairdo as filming at the Chollima Movie Studio gets underway . All smiles: A group of extras, dressed in Victorian style garb and sitting in the London set, smile for the camera . Superstars: These photos are of North Korea's most talented stars but unlike Hollywood's talent, they are paid by the government . So important are these films to the North Korean regime, according to Lafforgue, visits to the cinema are completely free. 'People don't usually have to pay an entrance fee,' he confirms. 'It is seen by people as an opportunity to relax and have fun. 'Sometimes there is a real fight to enter the movie theatre as so many people who want to go at the same time. My guide told me that he sometimes had to stand up to see the film as all the seats are full.' Those who can't make it into the cinema cannot avoid the propaganda that accompanies the films, however. According to Lafforgue, Pyongyang and other cities are peppered with film posters, many of which are painted onto the walls and all of which push regime messages. 'Most of the time, the posters show North Korean heroes who suffered for their nation, not people smiling,' says Lafforgue. 'They look more like the usual propaganda posters than movie ads.' And while James Franco and Seth Rogen remain unlikely to ever find themselves adorning a North Korean wall, one much-loved Western figure can be spotted everywhere. 'Mickey Mouse is really popular,' says Lafforgue. 'They even use old Mickey Mouse movies to teach video editing techniques. Most of the North Koreans think Mickey is Chinese though.' Heroine: Films such as Sea of Blood and The Bloodstained Route Map focus on the heroics of North Korea's soldiers . Permanent: In Pyongyang and other cities, the posters are painted onto walls and remain in place for years . New releases: Film posters show some of the new movies available to watch, many of which offer a North Korean take on current events . Power: Others, such as this one about the country's rocket programme, emphasise the power of North Korea . Unsmiling: According to Lafforgue, it is rare to see a smiling actor on a film poster because most films are preoccupied with martyrdom . Loved: Old Mickey Mouse films are used to teach video editing techniques, although most of the students believe Mickey is Chinese . Looks familiar? This part of the Chollima Movie Studios is supposed to stand in for London . Home from home: The British countryside is also represented, in the shape of a series of picturesque period cottages . Free: Because of its use as propaganda, going to the cinema is completely free in North Korea . Knock-offs: Despite Western films ostensibly being banned, some Chinese copies - as well as local films - are available as copied DVDS . | Sony Pictures was hacked by North Korea after making film that features the assassination of Kim Jong-Un .
Hackers have released embarrassing emails from the studio and forced The Interview's release to be cancelled .
But North Korea has its own movie industry, and its leader enjoys such titles as A True Daughter of the Party .
Photographer Eric Lafforgue went behind the scenes in the country and revealed its deep love of cinema .
Mickey Mouse is also popular with North Koreans but only because they think Mickey is Chinese . |
144,014 | 463868e0c573c3731aeb2adc49ca43358fc1af43 | Donald Trump seems to have hit hard times. The unfortunate fellow has been forced to buy a second-hand 757 from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for a paltry $100 million -- though he did then coat every metal surface in gold. But had he been feeling really extravagant, he could have thrown the kids' inheritance at a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) with a new MAX engine -- the latest technological jump from the company that recently unveiled the 747-8, their largest offering to-date and the longest commercial jet in the world. Boeing Business Jets -- the division dedicated to pimping out their commercial airliners and selling them to embarrassingly rich people -- has taken this beast under its wing. The 747-8 Intercontinental is the latest, longest and about the most expensive corporate jet in the world -- a shiny new, "green" (empty) 747-8 will set you back $300 million, but with a VIP fit-out the figure is closer to $500 million. But what else is there out there for those with a few hundred million to splash? Also on CNNGo: What's so special about the 787 Dreamliner? The jet set . The traditional Boeing Business Jets are the 700-, 800- and 900ER-series 737s at 34 meters, 40 meters and 42 meters long. You'll pay up to $115 million for the largest of these. At the top end of the line is the superlative-filled super-jumbo. A touch over 76 meters long, the 747-8i VIP also boasts a cabin 6.1 meters wide, dwarfing the BBJ's (only the 737s are referred to as "BBJs" -- all other models are "VIP") 3.5 meters, and it has up to 525 square meters of floor-space -- two or three times the size of your average house. Then there's the latest engine. Boeing recently announced that the "MAX" engine is now available as an option for all new 737 orders for commercial airliners, asserting that it can offer fuel-savings of up to 16 percent over competitors. "We intend to take advantage of the improved efficiency of the new 737 MAX family for our BBJ product line," says BBJ president Steve Taylor. "We've studied the capabilities of all the MAX variants and of course they offer significant range, economic and environmental benefits over the current line of BBJ products." Also on CNNGo: World's biggest model airport . Who's buying? Boeing is tight-lipped about who, exactly, is buying these "flying castles" -- apparently crazy-rich people cherish their anonymity -- but can reveal that almost half of the 206 BBJs and VIPs ordered since their launch in 1996 have gone to private owners, and a third of them have headed for the Middle East. Trump's "new" 757 is basically a 20-year-old 737, but with a fuselage that's five meters longer. With a poky floor-space of 125 square meters and a range of around 8,000 kilometers, it's a far cry from the 747-8 VIP, whose range is over 17,000 kilometers. But for the multi-millionaire tech-heads who just have to possess the very latest technology, and you're less concerned about spacious luxury than you are about speed, there's a new corporate jet dubbed the Arion SBJ that'll get you from A to B at Mach 2 for the bargain price of $80 million. The release date's not set, but pre-orders are now open. The company claims to have $4 billion worth of "letters of intent" for what will no doubt be the gem at every air show for years to come. Also on CNNGo: 10 great cities, 100 fantastic free attractions . | The 747-8 Intercontinental is the latest, longest and about the most expensive corporate jet in the world .
The new "MAX" engine can offer fuel-savings of up to 16 percent over competitors, Boeing says .
Boeing is tight-lipped about who, exactly, is buying these "flying castles" |
143,725 | 45dc2f1580fa8eb3c39f4a54c871b0a7d02d547e | (CNN) -- The U.S. Embassy in Jordan warned Wednesday that "credible information" has been received about a possible imminent threat in the region of the Gulf of Aqaba, the branch of the Red Sea that lies between Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The embassy warned U.S. citizens to avoid the downtown and port areas of the city of Aqaba, a tourist destination that lies on the Red Sea near the border with Israel. It recommended that all non-official and personal travel to Aqaba be deferred for at least 48 hours. The embassy issued a similar warning last month, after two rockets hit a street near the Intercontinental Hotel in Aqaba on August 2. News reports said a Jordanian civilian was killed. Rockets were also fired the same day at the Israeli Red Sea resort city of Eilat, according to news reports. However, Ali Al Ayed, Jordan's minister for media affairs and communications, told the state news agency Petra that the security situation was assessed and is considered stable. He said the U.S. Embassy warnings pertained only to U.S. citizens. | The embassy says it has "credible information" about a possible threat .
It warns U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Aqaba for the next two days . |
133,723 | 38eb1687143bc07019050669706849f3104866eb | A masterful front-running ride from Ryan Moore, who partners Tapestry in Sunday's Arc, helped lift Sir Michael Stoute-trained Integral to a length win in the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket. The daughter of 2003 Arc winner Dalakhani, who also landed the Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket in July, beat Andre Fabre’s 1,000 Guineas winner Miss France with Fabre’s Fintry third. Integral could now run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot’s Champion Day a fortnight on Saturday. Integral and Ryan Moore after winning The Kingdom Of Bahrain Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket . Integral won from Miss France and then Fabre’s Fintry in the race on Saturday . Moore, on Integral, wins the Chariot Stakes during Tatteralls Millions Day at Newmarket on Saturday . Stoute said: ‘We’ll have to see how she comes out of this. We might take our chance. ‘She did a nice piece of work about 10 days ago with Ryan and we were very happy with that. She made it in the Falmouth, so she’s very versatile. ‘You can ride her any way, but I love her with a lead. She’s got a great kick.’ | Ryan Moore rode Integral to a length win in the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket .
Integral beat Miss France and Fabre's Fintry to the win .
Moore will ride Tapestry in Sunday's Arc .
Integral could now run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot's Champion Day a fortnight on Saturday . |
218,303 | a69b9698efadc2912028aa5165c99293f57a05d5 | A new petrol price war erupted yesterday on the back of falling oil prices and the first 99p per litre forecourt in Britain for more than five years. Asda sparked a 2p per litre price cut as the three other ‘Big Four’ supermarkets - Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – swiftly followed suit. Price cuts will ‘ripple’ through the nation’s forecourts by putting pressure on other retailers to match them or lose business. But it also led to calls for the Chancellor to cut fuel tax which now accounts for more than 70p in every pound spent at the pumps – the highest proportion for six years. Pumps at the Harvest Energy's forecourt in Kings Heath, Birmingham run empty of unleaded fuel after the service station reduced the price of unleaded petrol to 99.7p a litre . The price drop prompted Asda to cut prices by 2p per litre and Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco quickly followed suit . The Tesco cut took affect yesterday while reductions by the other three companies will kick in today. For Asda customers, the latest reduction means they will pay no more than 103.7p a litre on petrol, with diesel at 110.7p a litre. The reductions have come after a chain of three Harvest Energy filling stations in Birmingham and the west Midlands cut the price of petrol to 99.7p a litre. The RAC has been forecasting for weeks that petrol prices would dip below the £1-a-litre mark and welcomed the news of the Birmingham service station price cut. As average prices continue to fall closer to the £1 mark, the RAC said the 99p charge could soon become the rule rather than the exception. Fuel price trackers Experian Catalist said the average price before the supermarkets announced their cuts was 108.9p per litre for unleaded and 115.98 for diesel. Ironically however, as the price of the fuel product itself falls, the proportion of the pump price which is tax going to the Chancellor has increased - and represents now more than 70 per cent of the price of unleaded petrol now goes to the chancellor in tax. This is because duty is levied at a fixed rate of 57.95p and does not fall in line with the falling cost of the product. VAT is then levied on the total price including duty, accounting for around 18p per litre. So even though the price is dropping, the Chancellor’s tax take remains largely unaffected other than a drop in VAT. Asda said the 2p price reduction across its 245 filling stations was the fifteenth fuel cut since end of September, taking a total of 23p per litre off unleaded and 19p per litre off diesel, Asda’s senior vice president Barry Williams said: ‘Asda once again are leading this next round of price cuts. Harvest Energy petrol station's owner smiles after his unleaded petrol has run dry due to price cuts. The RAC said the 99p charge could soon become the rule rather than the exception . ‘No matter where customers live, they will benefit from the same fuel price with our national price cap of 103.7ppl for unleaded and 110.7ppl for diesel.’ He said: ‘Whilst other supermarkets will follow the fuel price drop, Asda is the only retailer that has a national price cap on fuel at all 245 filling stations.’ RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘The decision of three forecourts in the West Midlands to sell petrol for under £1 a litre – last seen in 2009 – is clearly having a ripple effect on the supermarkets as they are continuing to bring their prices lower still.’ He said that with a barrel of oil now costing around $47 ‘we are surely only weeks away from the milestone price of £1 a litre being a common sight at petrol stations up and down the country’. ‘This will also have a very positive effect on reducing the average price of both petrol and diesel for motorists everywhere.’ But he added:’We are now getting to a point where the share that the Treasury takes from the forecourt price is nearing 75per cent which is a bitter pill for motorists and retailers. We should perhaps be seeking a commitment from all the major political parties that they will not look to increase fuel duty in the next parliament.’ But price cuts also led to calls for the Chancellor to cut fuel tax which now accounts for more than 70p in every pound spent at the pumps – the highest proportion for six years . Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, agreed: ‘An astonishing 70p in every pound we spend at the pumps is now destined for government. ‘Because fuel duty is set at a flat rate and makes up the bulk of fuel taxation, the Chancellor is able to rely on his tax income from fuel remaining quite steady even as the underlying price of petrol and diesel falls. ‘Last week the Chancellor again publicly urged fuel companies to pass on oil price reductions to motorists. Clearly he thinks the price of fuel is still too high. Well he has an easy solution. Cut duty further.’ Professor Glaister estimates that UK drivers collectively are £330million better off each month compared with last summer because of price reductions at the pumps: ‘Yet they could be better off still, and have more money to spend on the high street, if the Chancellor revised downwards the huge proportion of tax he takes from motorists and hauliers.’ AA president Edmund King said: ‘There remains a postcode lottery out there when it comes to fuel prices. Drivers in rural areas are still paying much more than the £1.09 average price and in some places £1.18. ‘It will still take some time to get down to an average of £1 per litre, particularly as 70per cent of the pump price is tax (57.95p duty and 18.3p VAT). | Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco followed Asda's price cut .
Spurred after three Harvest Energy filling stations in Birmingham and west Midlands cut price of petrol to 99.7p a litre .
Asda customers will pay no more than 103.7p a litre on petrol .
Price cuts led to calls for Chancellor to cut fuel tax .
Currently accounts for more than 70p per pound spent at the pump . |
108,774 | 18419fe7fbb5b1fe1f49c3cce0e23bb092170783 | Google’s French arm has been told it will have to pay a 1,000 euro fine every day should the parent company in America – Google Inc - fail to remove a defamatory article from its global network. The order, by a court in Paris, is an enforcement of the controversial so-called ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling. The case was brought against Google by Dan Shefet, a Danish lawyer employed in France, last August following a malicious campaign against his firm by various blogs and sites that was overseen by someone who couldn’t be traced. Google’s French arm has been told it will have to pay a 1,000 euro fine every day should the parent company in America – Google Inc - fail to remove a defamatory article from its global network . Google France complied with an order for links to the defamatory articles to be removed, but the U.S parent company did not, The Guardian reported. This means that the articles are not visible to internet users in France, but are to anyone based outside the country. Mr Shefet said that it was important for the parent company to remove the articles from its entire network because his firm has a global reputation. He said: ‘Google France complied, but in spite of serving judgment on Google Inc nothing happened. They simply didn’t comply and didn’t even respond to the French court order.’ The latest judgement by the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance was made possible, Mr Shefet explained, by a clause in the right to be forgotten ruling that links divisions in multinational companies. It says: 'The activities of the operator of the search engine and those of its establishment situated in the member state concerned are inextricably linked.' The order is a punitive one and opens the door for other Google subsidiaries to be sued should the parent company ignore requests for defamatory articles to be wiped off the network. Mr Shefet added: ‘Now a daily penalty can be inflicted upon Google UK by local courts until Google Inc delivers the result by way of [removing links] world wide.’ The case was brought against Google by Dan Shefet, a Danish lawyer employed in France, last August following a malicious campaign against his firm by various blogs and sites that was overseen by someone who couldn’t be traced . A Google spokesman told The Guardian: ‘A Google spokesperson said: “This was initially a defamation case and it began before the CJEU ruling on the right to be forgotten. We are reviewing the ruling and considering our options.’ This week Sajid Javid warned that terrorists are exploiting the right to be forgotten rule to wipe stories about their trials from Google in a move that amounts to censorship by the back door. The Culture Secretary condemned ‘Luxembourg’s unelected judges’ who created the rule. In a forthright speech to newspaper editors, Mr Javid accused European courts of ‘trying to restrict media freedom’ and took aim at the BBC for competing with news websites like MailOnline. Last month it emerged Google has deleted more than 18,000 web links following requests from UK Requests from Britain included a former clergyman who wanted to remove links to articles about a sex abuse investigation and a doctor who botched a medical procedure. Google said it deleted 35 per cent, or 18,459, of the unwanted links Britons requested be removed. Mr Javid said the scale of the attempts to remove links to news stories was a threat to journalism. ‘Since Luxembourg’s unelected judges created the so-called “right to be forgotten”, Google has been receiving a demand for deletion every 90 seconds,’ he told the Society of Editors conference in Southampton. ‘Each day, a thousand requests pour in from people who, for one reason or another, would prefer their pasts to be kept secret. ‘Criminals are having their convictions airbrushed from history even if they have since committed other, similar crimes. ‘Terrorists have ordered Google to cover up stories about their trials.’ | The order by a Paris court enforces the 'right to be forgotten' rule .
The case was brought by a law firm in France that was defamed online .
The court ordered links to a defamatory article about the firm to be deleted .
Google's French division complied, but the parent company did not .
It meant that the article was invisible in France, but visible elsewhere .
Now the French arm will be punished if the parent company fails to comply . |
17,626 | 31f01a615acf3543df1149405ceeb535f1895b56 | Las Vegas (CNN) -- After six days, 3,250 booths and 20,000 new products, a few interesting trends bubbled up at last week's Consumer Electronics Show. There were plenty of generic 5-inch smartphones, cheap tablets and ginormous televisions, as well as prototypes of fun, futuristic technology like the 20-inch 4K tablet from Panasonic or the self-driving car from Audi. We also spotted plenty of odd gear, like the manicure machine that can print photos on your nails and the mind-controlled helicopter. And we learned a few things about where consumer tech is going in 2013. Here are six trends that caught our eye. Transportation for people who hate walking . Shiny, futuristic smart cars were on display from big companies such as Audi, Toyota and Ford. They showed off self-driving car prototypes and in-car displays for reading maps, playing music and even checking social networks. But some of the more inventive transportation tech was smaller and geekier. There was the ZBoard, a motorized skateboard that senses your weight to propel you in the right direction, going up to 15 miles per hour. The eFlow E3 Nitro Electric bike will set lazy bikers back $4,000. People wearing electric roller skates and strange two-wheeled boots zipped around the show floor at low speeds. The Solowheel electric unicycle actually looked like a lot of fun, but at $1,795, you might be better off catching a few cabs. Overhyped pricey TVs . Televisions are the biggest product category at the Consumer Electronics Show, with major companies such as Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Panasonic using the occasion to launch their latest and greatest screens. The big hardware feature pushed at last week's show was the Ultra High-Definition 4K screen, which offers a crisper picture than traditional HD displays. While the technology is closer to being available to consumers, it's still mostly just hype. The prices are sky-high for 4K TVs, and you'll notice the difference only if you're sitting close to the set or if you spring for a giant television measuring 60 inches or larger. Even if you can afford a 4K TV, there's not much in the way of content for the medium yet. Crowdfunded gadgets . The crowd-funding and conference worlds merged nicely at this year's CES. Companies that got their start on Kickstarter or Indiegogo, like the people who made the Pebble smart watch, managed to parlay that early momentum into higher visibility at the show. Crowdfunding sites also are proving to be more than just great ways to raise money; they're places where people with offbeat inventions can test the waters to see whether there's a market for their product. And then there were the startups with protoypes that announced plans to raise money on crowdfunding sites in the coming months. One CES darling was the HAPIfork, a "smart" fork that tallies how many bites you take in order to help fast eaters slow down. The product has received a lot of press, both adoring and mocking, which should help it rake in money when it debuts on Kickstarter this spring. Help for senior citizens . The elderly tend to get overlooked in the tech world, but this year's CES featured a surprising number of products aimed at the grandparent set. Connected smart-home devices make it possible to monitor family members from far away, which can be comforting to primary caregivers dealing with aging parents. New sensors can text family members or a doctor if something is amiss in the senior's daily routine, such as not getting out of bed or skipping medication. If you're concerned about an elderly relative's safety, you can use smartphone apps to remotely control security systems, thermostats and even kitchen electronics. For people in poor health, sensors and gadgets will monitor vital signs and send alerts if someone needs assistance right away. In case of emergency . Whether inspired by Hurricane Sandy or "The Walking Dead," a number of intriguing gadgets promised to help users handle emergencies. The Luci inflatable lantern, for example, is both solar-powered and waterproof. Also popular were mobile-charging devices that offer backup power on the go for smartphones and tablets. These battery packs can be pricey, though. The solar-powered Yeti 150 generator has enough juice to power a smartphone for 15 hours, but it will cost you $400. The junk . CES is huge, spanning 1.92 million square feet. For every interesting gadget or prototype, there were dozens of small booths hawking digital detritus. Though Apple doesn't have an official presence at CES, the iPhone accessory was a popular item on the show floor, There was a neverending supply of cheap cases, covers, Bluetooth keyboards, power packs and charging stations for iPhone and iPads. Speakers and headphones were as omnipresent as flu germs. Some big companies introduced cool audio products, but the big trend continued to be celebrity-endorsed headphones. Beats by Dre has done so well that every earbud now clamors for some famous support, even from the likes of Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister or, um, "The Jersey Shore's" Snooki. Finally, there were the massagers. There wasn't anything terribly innovative or new in the massage field, but the booths demoing massage tech were always packed with stressed-out or weary attendees who needed a little back rub after wandering the show floor all day. The latest trend in this field? Little robot massagers that wander around on your back. We'll find out soon enough whether they catch on in the real world. | 20,000 new products were showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show .
Helpful technology for seniors and emergencies was big on the show floor .
Many companies planned Kickstarter funding campaigns for their products .
The massive show wrapped up Friday in Las Vegas . |
111,506 | 1bc9ccf5bb43c7c25b6cf41860061de318b8b895 | By . Matt Morlidge for MailOnline . Follow @@MattMorlidge . Crystal Palace have pulled the plug on the appointment of Malky Mackay as their new manager. The former Cardiff boss was the favourite to take the vacant position at Selhurst Park following the shock departure of Tony Pulis two days before the start of the Premier League season. Keith Millen will remain in charge for this weekend's game against West Ham. Not their man: Malcky Mackay will not be Crystal Palace's manager after Tony Pulis' departure . Quick solution: Chairman Steve Parish wants a speedy appointment as the transfer window nears its end . Pulis left the club last week after disagreeing with club chairman Steve Parish over transfers. The 56-year-old helped the South London club to a stunning survival last year and wanted to progress this season. But after being locked in talks with Parish at a crisis meeting Pulis decided enough was enough, though he officially left through mutual consent. Mackay was the front runner for the job, especially after the chairman's comments at the weekend indicating he wanted experience and a swift appointment, but talks have now broken down. Mutual consent? Tony Pulis left the club last week, shocking supporters . One choice? Tim Sherwood may well be the bookies' favourite for the role now . Tim Sherwood was thought to be rivaling Mackay and could now be the bookies' favourite. Mackay impressed in his first season in the top flight last year, though he was also involved in a controversial departure at Cardiff. Despite helping the Welsh side to their first promotion to the Premier League and getting off to a solid start, the Scot fell out with owner Vincent Tan and was promptly replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. | Malky Mackay will not be Crystal Palace's new manager .
Tony Pulis left last week after disagreeing with chairman Steve Parish .
Former Cardiff boss Mackay had been in talks regarding the vacant role .
Keith Millen will remain in charge for this weekend's game against West Ham . |
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