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181,041 | 766313939d5bfb4eea25c41ce30963cf7f996d2f | Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- At least seven people were killed when a building was attacked in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday. All the attackers were gunned down by security forces, the city's police chief said. A police officer and a guard were killed, police said. According to Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, the incident went on for more than six hours before all five attackers were killed. Sediqqi also said that eight people were injured including one Italian woman, three Nepali guards and four Afghan policemen. He confirmed the death of one policeman, but the Kabul police chief said that one Nepali guard also was killed. The building that came under attack is near headquarters for Afghan and international groups, including the International Organization for Migration -- a U.N.-affiliated group. The United Nations said at least three IOM staffers and a staffer from its International Labour Organization were hurt. | All five attackers were killed, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry says .
Deaths also included a policeman and a guard, the Kabul police chief says .
The incident went on for several hours, authorities say . |
202,690 | 926fb4a761e0f049edafe54f8b3cad2428341c2b | Chinese officials have sealed off large parts of a city after a resident who was bitten by a rodent died of bubonic plague. The 38-year-old victim from the city of Yumen in Gansu province was infected by a marmot, a wild rodent, last week. Reports suggested the marmot was already dead but he chopped it up and fed it to his dog and began suffering from a fever later that day. Around 30,000 residents have now been told they cannot leave and police at roadblocks on the perimeter of the city are telling motorists to find alternative routes. Quarantine zones: Police have set up roadblocks around the city of Yumen after a resident was infected with bubonic plague. Around 30,000 residents have been quarantined by an epidemic prevention team (right) Empty: Officers on the perimeter of the city are telling motorists to find alternative routes, leaving the roads deserted . It said 151 people who came into direct contact with the victim have also been placed in quarantine and are being analysed by epidemic prevention teams deployed around the city. Reports by China Central television say that those in quarantine are in a stable condition and there have been no further cases. The city is said to have enough rice, flour and oil to supply all its residents for up to one month after setting aside 1 million yuan ($161,200) for emergency vaccinations. The plague is a bacterial disease spread by the fleas of wild rodents such as marmots. While the disease can be effectively treated, patients can die 24 hours after the initial infection, the World Health Organisation says. Outbreaks in China have been rare in recent years, and most have happened in remote rural areas of the west. China's state broadcaster said there were 12 diagnosed cases and three deaths in the province of Qinghai in 2009, and one in Sichuan in 2012. Beijing's disease control centre sought to dispel worries about a wider outbreak of the disease in China, saying on its website that the risk of the disease spreading to the capital was minimal . Prepared: Hundreds of extra emergency service personnel are on standby to try and prevent the outbreak from spreading . Precautions: Epidemic prevention team trucks have been deployed around the city to prevent an outbreak. The victim was bitten by a wild marmot (file picture right) Black death: A town crier says 'bring out your dead' Bubonic plague is one of the most devastating diseases in history, having killed around 100million people during the 'Black Death' in the 14th century. Drawings and paintings from the outbreak, which wiped out about a third of the European population, depict town criers saying 'bring out your dead' while dragging trailers piled with infected corpses. It is caused by a bacterium known as Yersinia pestis, which uses the flea as a host and is usually transmitted to humans via rats. The disease causes grotesque symptoms such as gangrene and the appearance of large swellings on the groin, armpits or neck, known as 'buboes'. It kills up to two thirds of sufferers within just four days if it is not treated, although if antibiotics are administered within 24 hours of infection patients are highly likely to survive. After the Black Death arrived in 1347 plague became a common phenomenon in Europe, with outbreaks recurring regularly until the 18th century. Bubonic plague has almost completely vanished from the rich world, with 90 per cent of all cases now found in Africa. However, there have been a few non-fatal cases in the U.S. in recent years, while in August 2013 a 15-year-old boy died in Kyrgyzstan after eating a groundhog infected with the disease. Three months later, an outbreak in a Madagascan killed at least 20 people in a week. A year before 60 people died as a result of the infection, more than in any other country in the world. Outbreaks in China have been rare in recent years, and most have happened in remote rural areas of the west. China's state broadcaster said there were 12 diagnosed cases and three deaths in the province of Qinghai in 2009, and one in Sichuan in 2012. In the United States between five and 15 people die every year as a result, mostly in western states. | Around 30,000 people from Yumen have been sent to quarantine zones .
A 38-year-old victim infected by a wild marmot and died last week .
151 people who came into contact with the victim are also being checked .
City is now surrounded by police roadblocks and emergency services . |
196,734 | 8a976015d7f5a68e75e62452e2b6a90b35ced1d4 | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 06:14 EST, 13 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:06 EST, 13 September 2013 . A vicar has stopped serving wine during holy communion because of the growing number of alcoholics in his congregation. The Reverend Paul Filmer said he didn’t want the ‘four or five’ addicts who attend his church to feel isolated during his services. He took the unorthodox step for the first time last Sunday, using grape juice instead of red wine for everyone. The Reverend Paul Filmer started serving grape juice at St Peter and St Paul Chuch in Yalding, Kent, last week . He decided against using separate wine and non-wine chalices because he wanted everyone in his 70-strong congregation to feel they were 'together' during communion. Mr Filmer, vicar at St Peter and St Paul Church in Yalding, Kent, said: 'This is a very new thing for us and quite rare in the Church of England. 'I didn’t feel like it was fair that some of our congregation may feel excluded from everybody else. 'The feedback has been positive so far. People feel like they are doing something to help others. 'To go from a strong communion wine to grape juice has been a bit of a shock for some of my congregation, but we want to be in communion, we want people to come together with us.' Mr Filmer, 55, has been at the small village church for four years and has seen his congregation grow. Altar wine has been served in churches for centuries but Mr Filmer stopped after talking to a local rehab centre . His action has been prompted by the church’s close association with the Kenward Trust, which runs a nearby rehab centre. The Church of England’s Canon Law states that the drink used for communion should be '....wine, the fermented juice of the grape, good and wholesome'. A Church spokesman said there was nothing wrong with Mr Filmer's decision to not serve alcoholic wine, but said that official advice suggests it should be fermented first and then have the alcohol removed afterwards. Mr Filmer admitted that some of his congregation had voiced concerns that his changes had devalued the communion. But the vicar, who was ordained in 1997 after a career in industry, argued that Jesus would want to make everyone feel welcome. He added: 'Some of my congregation have quite a devout ideology and I have spoken to a few who I thought might have a problem. 'They asked me "Why can’t they just drink from a separate cup?" and I asked them what they thought about drinking from a separate cup themselves. 'Their response was that they would feel isolated and that sort of proved my point. 'There is the argument that Jesus used wine to deliver his communion, but my faith tells me that if Jesus was here he would want to make everybody feel welcome.' Wine has been served at Christian services for more than 2,000 years, but some churches disapprove of the consumption of alcohol and serve non-alcoholic wine or juice instead. Methodist Church: Usually serves non-alcoholic wine at services in the UK. A spokesman told MailOnline: 'We are committed to church being a safe space for people, and one way is by ensuring they don't encounter alcohol.' Baptist Church: Usually serves grape juice at communion. Roman Catholic Church: Always serves (alcoholic) wine at communion. A spokesman said: 'There are very clear directions on this and the wine must be pure, unadulterated and straightforward, as it has been for more than 2,000 years.' | The Reverend Paul Filmer says he has 'four or five' recovering alcoholics in congregation at the C of E St Peter and St Paul Church in Yalding, Kent .
The 55-year-old vicar chose not to have separate chalices as he didn't want anyone to feel left out .
Mr Filmer introduced the grape juice at last Sunday's service and said it was 'a bit of a shock' for some people . |
254,904 | d5ed40d6fec132483721b6f65cbf85e0a46d7ccb | By . Binky Felstead . Honestly! You'd think I'd have grown out of celebrity crushes by now, wouldn't you? OK, I no longer stick posters of boy band hunks on my bedroom wall, but my fascination for famous faces remains. Despite the fact that I now get targeted by paparazzi photographers and even sign the occasional autograph, I still love celebrity gossip and I'm obsessed with Hollywood fashion and beauty. My latest superstar style crush is Mila Kunis, the gorgeous actress and girlfriend of Ashton Kutcher. Famed for her glossy brunette locks and sultry beauty, I think she's incredible, so for this week's blog I decided to recreate her signature smoky-eyed glamour. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . This week Binky shows you how to achieve Mila's signature smokey eye . GET THE MILA LOOK . DO YOUR PREP . Prep your face with foundation and powder for that flawless Hollywood complexion, followed by a light coverage of Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer on the eyelids. This creates a perfect even canvas for colours, as well as fixing eye make-up in place and preventing eyeshadow creases. POWER BROWS . Mila has fabulously strong, dark brows so use the dark brown eyeshadow shade from the Daniel Sandler Eyeshadow Quad in Beyond Sunset to emphasise your own. Simply follow the natural line of your brows, applying colour with a small, angled brush. Binky recommends using a primer to fully prep your face in order to prevent makeup from slipping . LUXE LIDS . Next, using a larger brush, blend the nude/brown shade from the Daniel Sandler palette across your lids, creating a subtle base of pretty colour and adding depth to the eyes. Going back to the darker brown shade, add a stronger wash of colour at the corners of your lids, winging it out towards your brows, along the lower lash line and around the eye. Next up, apply the sparkly grey-brown shade from the same palette along your upper and lower lash lines, using a small, angled brush. Finally, apply the glistening golden shade from the Daniel Sandler palette to the centre of your lid. This look calls for quite a lot of colour on your eyes, so the key is to blend carefully so each shade merges subtly into the next. Binky says it's important to blend your eyeshadow so that one shade merges into the next . FINE LINES . Now draw a dark eyeliner along your upper and lower lash lines, and inside the water line - I used Clarins Crayon Kohl Long-Lasting Eye Pencil in Intense Black. This will emphasise your eyes and really strengthen that dark, smoky-eyed effect. Finish up with lashings of Too Faced Lash Injection mascara to really finesse your eye make-up. LA GLOW . A Binky look has to include bronzer - even if it's a Mila Kunis-influenced Binky look! Take a large fluffy brush and swish it across both shades in the Daniel Sandler Sculpt & Slim Contour Kit, then apply the colour anywhere the sun would hit your face. Next brush a soft, shimmery blusher across the apples of your cheeks - I used Guerlain Blush Duo in Peach Boy - to add a healthy Californian glow to your complexion. A PERFECT POUT . The focus of this look is the sultry eyes, so I've taken a tip from Mila's book and stuck to a nude lip colour. Apply Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick straight from the tube and smudge your lips together to achieve a soft, neutral finish. I reckon this a gorgeous result, one Mila Kunis herself would be proud of! If there's a Hollywood star whose hair or make-up look you'd like to recreate, just drop me a line and I'll try to help out. You'll find all the products I've used today at online beauty boutique escentual.com. The focus of this look is sultry eyes so Binky recommends keeping to subtle colours for your lips . On another note, I’m currently testing my willpower by taking part in the Decafflon launched by Emmi . CAFFÈ LATTE . Decaff – it’s a challenge encouraging the nation to give up caffeine for 10 days. So far, so good…I’ve replaced my usual coffee with the tasty new Emmi CAFFÈ LATTE Decaff and have been exercising first thing in the morning to kick-start my metabolism. If you fancy attempting the Decafflon yourself (which I highly recommend!) you can find out more info here: www.facebook.com/emmicaffelatteuk . Until next time, stay gorgeous! Love Binky xxx . PS. Huge thanks to the gorgeous Marie Selby who helped me recreate Mila Kunis' look. She's an amazing make-up artist and also does eyelashes, hair extensions & teeth whitening! Check her site out here girls: www.hairmakeupbeauty.co.uk . | This week Binky is channeling the smoky-eyes of Mila Kunis .
She shows you how to achieve the look with a range of products .
She has also been trying to give up caffeine for ten days . |
213,344 | a0484128ab4aeedaa0613de4523c8564cae9f846 | The temperature is a balmy 25c; pulling my sunglasses over my eyes, I warm my face in the bright sunshine before taking a sip of sangria. Aaaah, Barcelona - the perfect destination for a summer break. Except this is October and I'm not here to put my feet up. I'm on a mission to buy a new winter wardrobe and I've got another shop to visit. Going abroad for a little retail therapy isn't something I've ever done before. I have a couple of glamorous friends who occasionally jet off to New York to stock up on the latest designer labels, but my budget has never stretched further than my local High Street. Bagging a bargain: Clare travelled to Spain to see if she could save money on her winter wardrobe . Never mind the purchases you make when you get there, you have to factor in paying for flights and a hotel. Not to mention getting to and from the airport, travelling around the city, and eating. But I've discovered that several clothing brands are much cheaper in Spain than in the UK. Zara, Massimo Dutti and Mango cost up to 39 per cent less in Espana than here at home. Not surprisingly, they are all Spanish brands. Items are either manufactured in Spain or, if they're made further afield, channelled through Spanish distribution centres. If they don't have to travel on far then it's going to bring costs down. The exchange rate is also relatively advantageous and taxes tend to be lower. But how much cheaper does this make it? I decided to see if I could buy a whole winter wardrobe - and pay for a return flight and a night in a hotel in Barcelona - for no more than the cost of buying exactly the same clothes in the UK. I chose 13 key items - a work dress, party frock, trousers, skirt, winter coat, smart jacket, shirt, casual top, ankle boots, pair of smart heels, jumper, leather gloves and scarf. So can it be done? Booking my flight five days before my trip, I discover I can fly Ryanair from my local airport, Stansted, to Barcelona’s main airport for £93.98. Feeling quite pleased with myself, I turn my attention to a hotel. A frantic afternoon scrolling through myriad price comparison websites results in a booking at the Hotel Catalonia Park Putxet for £47. It's a four-star hotel, so I’m pleased with my bargain. With the basics in place, off I set on an 8.20 am flight. Travelling with hand luggage only, I pack the bare essentials, so my bag is left virtually empty for my new purchases. Luckily, while gloomy Britain is being drenched with rain, Barcelona is having an autumnal heatwave, so there’s no need to pack a coat. Worth the trip: It's far cheaper to shop at Zara and Mango in Spain . The exchange rate on the day I travel means one euro equals roughly 79p - or £1 = €1.26. A bus from the airport to the city centre costs €5.90 (£4.67) and once I'm there, a two-day travelcard to get me round the Metro costs € 14.40 (£11.40). So far I've spent £158 - and that's without buying anything to eat. Can I cover it all in savings at the shops? After dumping my bag in my hotel room, I head to the main shopping street off the Placa de Catalunya, Barcelona’s main square. My first destination is Zara - owned, like Massimo Dutti, by Spanish retail giant Inditex. One of the UK's favourite stores, it's favoured by stylish women including the Duchess of Cambridge, who chose a floaty blue Zara dress the day after her wedding in 2011. Here, I spot the perfect work dress - a dog-tooth-pattern shift with forgiving elbow-length sleeves. Figure-hugging but smart, it costs €39.95 (£31.63). In the UK, this dress would have set me back £49.99, so that’s a saving of £18.36 to start with. Then I spy a navy blazer with a single brass button that will go with everything and is so classically chic, it’s surely one the Duchess of Cambridge would have her eye on if she wasn't expecting. This is €69.95 (£55.38), but in the UK is priced at £79.99, saving me £24.61. Royal fan: The Duchess of Cambridge has worn Zara clothes on numerous occasions, including the day after she married Prince William when she wore this blue dress at Buckingham Palace . Now I'm on a roll. I spot a soft camel coat for €79.95 (£63.30) that would be £89.99 at home, saving me more than £25, a pair of comfy leather ankle boots for €69.95 (£55.38) that are £69.99 in the UK and a stripy top for €12.95 (£10.25). Unfortunately, a pair of silver kitten heels I'd coveted at home were sold out and the store is generally lacking in glam shoes, but a pink-and-black party dress with jewel embellishments is there for €49.95 (£39.52), a saving of about £20 on buying it in Britain, where it would cost £59.99. While gloves are the last thing I need in sunny Barcelona, I try to remember I am putting together a 'winter' wardrobe. I imagine doing the school run on an icy December morning and pick up a pair of black leather gloves for €29.95 (£23.70). These are £29.99 in the UK. My next stop is Mango. I've always thought of Mango as a store for the under-30s. However, I'm surprised to find a red jumper with pretty detailing. It's viscose and polyester, but at €19.99 (£15.82) is such a bargain it won’t matter if it doesn’t last. It’s less of a bargain back at home, though, where it costs £24.99. While many of the skirts in Mango are too thigh-skimming for my liking, I find a knee-length black and navy pencil skirt for €29.99 (£23.75), which looks great with the sweater. On the British High Street, it would cost £34.99. Sadly, there are no party shoes here either, but I find a cosy tartan scarf for €19.99 (£15.82). UK price? £24.99. As I'm about to pay for my items, I spot a display of sunglasses. They're not on my winter shopping list, but as one of the arms fell off my own pair on the flight over - and the sun is very bright - I treat myself to a pair of tortoiseshell specs. At €19.99 (£15.82), they're nearly a tenner less than in the UK, where they’re £24.99. By this point I’m too exhausted to shop any more and treat myself to a bowl of gazpacho soup, a roll and a small jug of sangria in a beautiful square off Las Ramblas - Barcelona’s tree-lined promenade. The cost is an eye-watering €17 (£13.45), but then I am in prime tourist territory. Pays to shop in Spain: Items in Zara can be 39 per cent less than they are in the UK . After returning to my hotel to recharge my batteries, I spend the evening exploring in the vibrant squares of the Gracia area 15 minutes’ walk from my hotel. Dinner is tapas - what else? - and a beer for €25 (£19.79) before heading to bed for an early night. As I've still got three items on my list to find, I’m in the hotel having cafe con leche and a croissant by 8.30 am, despite that breakfast is €8 (£6.33) extra. Then it’s back on the Metro and once more to the shops. Massimo Dutti, which has 11 stores around the UK, is Zara’s older, more upmarket sister. But there are big savings to be made here, too. A classic white stretch shirt with black piping detail will look great with the pencil skirt. In Barcelona it costs me €49.95 (£39.53), but in the UK is £54.95. Meanwhile, a pair of dark red trousers are also €49.95 (£39.53) but would cost £54.95 at home. And I find a pair of shoes that will be perfect for work and Christmas parties. The crocodile-skin-effect slingbacks are €89.95 (£71.17) - my most expensive purchase - but would have cost £89.99 at home. Finally, I have everything - all 13 items, plus some bonus sunglasses. It's time to head back to the airport for my 2.35pm flight. Of course, to avoid paying for check-in baggage I have to wear as much as possible. Piling on my blazer and coat when the temperature is 25c leaves me hot and red-faced. At least, because I've been shopping in the EU I don't have to pay import duty. So did I manage to save enough on my shopping to cover the cost of my mini-break? When I tot everything up I discover - hurrah! - I am £3.89 in credit! Sun, sea and savings? It pays to shop in Spain. Winter wardrobe sorted: Clare saved £205 on clothes . | Several clothing brands are much cheaper in Spain than in the UK .
Zara, Massimo Dutti and Mango cost up to 39 per cent less .
But with travel costs, how much cheaper does this make it?
Clare Goldwin flew to Barcelona to find out .
Challenge involved buying winter wardrobe, return flight and night in a hotel .
But spending no more than the cost of buying exactly same clothes in UK . |
184,695 | 7b3da277d3c6568aee8f06b0a3f6f3535da9511d | MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- The phrase "war on terror" is misleading and may have done more harm than good as countries around the world fight extremism, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Thursday. Use of "war on terror" also implied a fight against a shared single enemy, David Miliband said. Miliband said in a speech in Mumbai, India, that the phrase joined nations against a common enemy rather than together with common ideals. "Ultimately, the notion is misleading and mistaken," Miliband said. "Historians will judge whether it has done more harm than good." The foreign secretary spoke at the Taj Hotel, the historic building set ablaze during the terrorist attacks in the coastal city in November, on the last day of his three-day trip to India. He praised the response of the Indian people after the attacks and expressed Britain's sympathy and support. He said the British government has refrained from using "war on terror" recently because it does not accurately describe the threat that the UK, India, or other countries now face. "The notion of a war on terror gave the impression of a unified, transnational enemy, embodied in the figure of Osama bin Laden and the organization of al Qaeda," Miliband said. "In fact, as India has long known, the forces of violent extremism remain diverse. Terrorism is a deadly tactic, not an institution or an ideology." The phrase also implies that the best response to terrorism is a military one, tracking down and killing hardcore extremists, Miliband said. He pointed to the U.S.-led coalition's challenge in Iraq, where "the coalition there could not kill its way out of the problems of insurgency and civil strife." Use of "war on terror" also implied a fight against a shared single enemy, Miliband said. It aimed for solidarity among nations based on who they are against instead of what they are for. "Democracies must respond to terrorism by championing the rule of law, not subordinating it," he said. "If we want to promote the politics of consent instead of terror and of democratic opportunity rather than fear and oppression, we must uphold our commitments to human rights and civil liberties both at home and abroad." He added that it was a lesson learned from the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and he said Britain welcomed President-elect Barack Obama's commitment to close it. | Phrase "war on terror" may have done more harm than good, UK minister says .
David Miliband: "Notion is misleading and mistaken"
Foreign secretary spoke at Taj Hotel, set ablaze during Mumbai terror attacks . |
127,651 | 310217033a0873ed9d50b8cf2d87afd8cb3fdd1e | By . Paul Bentley, Larisa Brown and Daniel Martin . PUBLISHED: . 17:17 EST, 1 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:56 EST, 1 November 2013 . The Unite union’s campaign of bullying and intimidation has targeted more than 60 businesses in the past two years, the Mail can reveal. Packs of militant protesters hounded senior managers at country hotels, a children’s charity fun run and at the castle where Downton Abbey is filmed in dirty tricks operations designed to humiliate them into giving in to the union’s demands. And while the bullying campaign came to light during this month’s bitter Grangemouth oil refinery dispute, such brutal militancy has been going on unchecked since 2011. Campaign of intimidation: Unite militants with their giant inflatable rat outside The Pig, one of Ratcliffe's business interests in the New Forest, during the bitter Grangemouth dispute . Raising the 'levels of hostility': The union activists protested at Lymington Town sailing club . Three executives at a construction company which was caught up in a separate Unite row this summer involving the Crossrail project called the police after they were repeatedly harassed at their homes, causing huge distress to their families and elderly neighbours. Under attack: Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos . ‘There were multiple protests outside their homes,’ a friend said. ‘It embarrassed them in the neighbourhoods. It is victimising the people who are wholly unconnected to get to the people who are connected. These were issues relating to business – bringing it to people’s own homes is reprehensible.’ The bosses fear speaking out or being named in case of reprisal attacks. ‘They were worried about the company and its members being targeted again. As we know, they [the militants] play by their own rules,’ the source added. The full extent of Unite’s militant campaign has emerged after the Mail revealed this week that a sinister unit backed by general secretary Len McCluskey – known as the ‘leverage’ team – had invaded the front drive of one of the directors of Ineos, the chemical company which owns Grangemouth. The boss called 999 fearing for the safety of his wife and two young children. Ed Miliband’s close friend and major . Labour donor Andrew Rosenfeld has also been implicated in the scandal . after it emerged one of his firms has been aiding the union thugs by . supplying them with free mobile phone calls and text messages. Last night, former Labour parliamentary candidate Jonathan Roberts resigned from Unite following the Mail’s revelations. One militant squad descended upon the Limewood Hotel in the New Forest, chanting at diners for 45 minutes . Protestors targeted the Solent Half Marathon, which included a children¿s fun run . UNITE has instructed its members to have no limits and to show escalating ‘levels of hostility’ in targeting bosses. In a guide published in March 2012, activists are told to exploit ‘all areas of weakness of an employer – both direct and indirect’. ‘The Leverage Strategy has essentially come out of the simple need to beat the employer,’ it says. ‘It has not developed by theory or desk research, it has developed by the absolute need to win - whatever it takes.’ As it is ‘ever more difficult to win when faced with either determined employer attacks or resistance to our demands’, the guide says, a new approach must be used. ‘Leverage is an extension of the understanding that “weight of argument” does not change an employer’s mind. Leverage simply looks at what will change an employer position,’ it says. ‘An important part of leverage is the ability of those using it to be able to turn on and off the tap. To be effective leverage must be used sparingly and as part of a strategy.’ The union has, however, stood by its campaign to target bosses’ homes, saying it would not be ‘cowed in any shape or form’. David Cameron described the union’s actions as ‘shocking’ and ‘very serious’ and has demanded the Labour Party investigate one of its main paymasters. Documents seen by the Mail show Unite leaders instructed militants to use growing ‘levels of hostility’ and to do ‘whatever it takes’ in their leverage campaigns, which have been going on for almost two years. A 50-page union guide for activists details how they should identify ‘the potential vulnerabilities of the employer’ and states that ‘leverage treats the employer as an opponent’. As well as Ineos and Crossrail, Unite . mobs have targeted bosses at the Honda car plant in Swindon and he MMP . packing company in Bootle, Merseyside. In the Grangemouth dispute alone, . the campaign targeted at least 66 companies, homes and events connected . to Ineos, including customers, suppliers and banks. Police were called when activists turned . up to intimidate their targets carrying a giant inflatable rat and . wearing hoodies, waving flags, playing loud music and chanting. Ineos had threatened to close the plant at Grangemouth after a new pension package designed to save the business was rejected by Unite . Ineos had threatened to close the plant at Grangemouth after a new pension package designed to save the business was rejected by Unite. The union threatened to strike but finally gave in last week and agreed to call off the leverage team. During the dispute, one militant squad descended the Limewood Hotel in the New Forest, which is owned by Ineos chairman and founder Jim Ratcliffe, 61. They arrived during Sunday lunch, chanting at diners for 45 minutes while putting leaflets attacking Mr Ratcliffe on customer’s cars. They left after police were called but also protested at the nearby Pig restaurant, which Mr Ratcliffe has invested in, and Lymington Town sailing club, where he is a member. Again, police were called. The group then marched down the local high street and targeted the Solent Half Marathon, which included a children’s fun run. They also posted pictures of themselves wearing hoodies and high-visibility jackets outside Highclere Castle in Hampshire, where Downton Abbey is filmed. It is believed leveraging started in late 2011 and is a carefully considered campaign designed to ‘get around’ laws brought in under Margaret Thatcher to curb picketing. Unite yesterday shamelessly continued to defend its tactics. McCluskey said the union would not be ‘cowed in any shape or form’, adding: ‘If a company is engaged in what we believe is an unfair attack on workers and their families and their communities, then the idea that faceless directors can disappear to their leafy suburbs and get away with that type of action is something we think is wrong.’ | Militant protesters hounded senior managers in dirty tricks operations .
Designed to humiliate them into giving in to the union's demands .
former Labour parliamentary candidate Jonathan Roberts resigned from Unite following the Mail’s revelations .
Union has stood by its campaign to target bosses' homes, saying it would not be 'cowed in any shape or form' |
202,888 | 92aae768cf71cf0e8043bb7c8f3ed7f6f0dc7ee0 | After years of cutting back in the wake of the worst recession in living memory, it seems we have started spoiling ourselves again. This year saw families splash out more on eating in restaurants and going on holiday, according to analysis of our spending habits. The improving economy has helped bolster confidence and encouraged Britons to ‘shake off the shackles of the downturn’, according to Barclaycard which carried out the research. Scroll down for video . After years of cutting back in the wake of the worst recession in living memory, it seems Britons have started spoiling ourselves again, spending more on eating in restaurants and going on holiday . Spending on travel rose 4 per cent, on airlines 3.2 per cent and hotels, 6.4 per cent; those who stayed at home prompted an 8 per cent rise in DIY spending . Spending on eating out jumped the most in 2014, while people spent significantly less on petrol . However, we haven’t entirely forgotten the dark days of the financial crisis, which started seven years ago. Households have become more financially savvy by cutting back on the weekly shop to pay for more leisure activities, the analysis found. This year spending on restaurants grew 14.6 per cent, while our bills for entertainment – including drinking in pubs and going to the cinema and concerts – jumped 11.3 per cent. Consumers snapped up more gadgets, parting with 6.4 per cent more in electronics stores. Spending on travel rose 4 per cent, on airlines 3.2 per cent and hotels, 6.4 per cent. Those who stayed at home prompted an 8 per cent rise in DIY spending. Families are balancing the books by cutting back on essentials, according to Barclaycard, which said the desire to seek out a bargain has become more ‘entrenched’ since the crisis. Spending on food and drink grew just 2.1 per cent – less than any other category – and consumers forked out 1.8 per cent more in supermarkets, which the analysis attributed to shoppers ‘squeezing the best value from essential purchases’. Britons haven’t entirely forgotten the dark days of the financial crisis, which started seven years ago, with households now becoming more financially savvy by cutting back on the weekly shop, the analysis found . It suggests thrifty consumers are also making the most of a supermarket price war, in which the big names have slashed their prices to compete with discounters Aldi and Lidl. Shoppers are also ditching the big weekly supermarket shop. Consumers spent 6.5 per cent less every time they went to the supermarket but made 8.9 per cent more purchases. And this trend applies to shopping generally, as households adopt a little and often approach. The average amount spent per transaction has fallen by 3.7 per cent this year, but the number of purchases increased 7.4 per cent. The plummeting price of petrol, driven by the slump in the cost of oil, is helping keep more cash in consumers’ pockets. Prices have dropped from 130.79p a litre to 114.07p, according to the AA, while the Barclaycard figures show spending on petrol has dropped 5.5 per cent this year. Valerie Soranno Keating, chief executive of Barclaycard, hailed a ‘steady recovery in consumer spending’. ‘Greater confidence in the future, stemming from an improving economic backdrop, continued falls in unemployment, lower inflation and discounting by retailers have all tempted consumers to part with more of their money,’ she said. ‘Despite increased confidence, the value-seeking behaviour that we saw take hold in the tough economic times has become entrenched and we’ve seen consumers responsibly balancing the books by cutting back in one area to spend in another. ‘I suspect it’s a behaviour we’ll continue to see until meaningful wage growth.’ There are signs that this is starting to happen. Figures released last week show regular pay grew 1.6 per cent in the year to October, while inflation fell to 1 per cent – its lowest level for 12 years. | Britons are cutting back on the weekly shop to pay for entertainment .
Consumers are said to be making the most of the supermarket price war .
Spending on restaurants grew 14.6 per cent, and travel rose 4 per cent . |
7,740 | 15ed8f6e176af1557fd9042cc3c70e9fb2634908 | 12-year-old Tia Sharp, pictured, whose mother Natalie says she was tormented by sick pranksters in the week leading up to the discovery of her daughter's body . The grandmother of schoolgirl Tia Sharp will face no further action from police in connection with her death. Christine Sharp was arrested on August 10, on suspicion of murder after the 12-year-old's body was found in the loft of her home in The Lindens, New Addington. Police today confirmed the 46-year-old had been released with no further action. Ms Sharp's neighbour Paul Meehan remains on police bail. The 39-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, is bailed to return in mid-December. Stuart Hazell, the partner of Tia's grandmother has been charged with her murder. The 37-year-old of New Addington, will stand trial next May. Police launched a 100-strong manhunt after the disappearance of Tia in August, with members of the public joining in with extensive searches to help find her. Her body was eventually found wrapped in a sheet inside a plastic bag in the loft of her grandmother's home in New Addington, South London, more than a week after she went missing. This was despite police visiting her grandmother's terraced property four times. Tia, who lived 10 miles away in Mitcham . with her mother and her partner David . would often spend weekends with her grandmother. Tia's grandmother, Christine, 46, was arrested in connection with Tia's death and is on bail. Christine's partner, Stuart Hazell, 37, is due to appear at the Old Bailey on November 19 accused of the child's murder. Christine Sharp, left, who joined the hunt to find her granddaughter and her partner, Stuart Hazell, right, who is accused of Tia's murder . Search: Tia's grandmother's house in New Addington, where police found the 12-year-old girl's body . Solemn: Tia Sharp's coffin arrives at Morden Cemetery last week for the funeral service of the schoolgirl . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Grandmother's partner due to stand trial for Tia's murder next May . |
72,429 | cd50184d54c3685dd75a8bf13e768f68a3c9f89e | Claire Blackman, the wife of Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman, says she has been overwhelmed by the support shown to him since he was jailed for murder . The wife of jailed Royal Marine Alexander Blackman last night said she was ‘overwhelmed’ by support for calls for his freedom. Claire Blackman praised the ‘outstanding’ backing from more than 100,000 people, including MPs and senior military figures. There is now huge momentum behind the campaign to urge senior judges to reduce the commando’s sentence or even quash his conviction for murdering an Afghan insurgent. The 39-year-old sergeant must serve at least ten years in prison after being found guilty last month of executing the severely wounded Taliban prisoner in Helmand in September 2011. But the severity of the punishment has sparked a massive wave of support for the first British serviceman to be convicted of murder on active service abroad since the Second World War. Many believe Blackman should have received a more lenient sentence reflecting how the intense stress of fighting on the front line led to a ‘moment of madness’. Speaking on behalf of Mrs Blackman, solicitor Issy Hogg said: ‘She has been overwhelmed by the tremendous kindness and outstanding support which the British public has shown and would like to express her gratitude for the comfort this continues to provide.’ She added that Mrs Blackman ‘wishes to avoid the glare of publicity at this difficult time’. Last night a petition on a government website calling for Blackman to be freed had attracted more than 26,000 names. Another 80,000 people had used Facebook to call for the non-commissioned officer – dismissed from the elite corps in disgrace – to also have his conviction overturned. Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire Tory peer, wrote on Twitter that he could help bankroll the appeal. Blackman, pictured on the day he shot the insurgent, was jailed for 10 years but 100,000 people have signed a petition calling for the sentence to be reduced . However, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said it would be ‘wrong’ to comment on the clamour for a reduced sentence. He said: ‘This is an independent judicial . decision. The court will have had all the facts, including pleas in . mitigation around the sentencing decision. There may well be an appeal . over the sentence.’ Meanwhile, a survey found that six out of ten people thought the commando’s prison sentence should be halved to five years. One in three of the 900 people questioned by pollsters Survation felt he should serve no jail time at all. Blackman’s legal team have pledged to fight for a reduced sentence at the Court Martial Appeal Court and are studying whether there are grounds to challenge the conviction itself. Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said it would be 'wrong' to comment on the clamour for a reduced sentence . Supporters have pointed to the case of Canadian soldier Captain Robert Semrau, who was kicked out of the Canadian Army but spared prison for shooting a severely wounded insurgent in 2008. Former defence minister Sir Gerald Howarth said: ‘The court should have paid greater attention to this man’s fine record and that he had done several tours of duty in Afghanistan.’ Lord West of Spithead, a former head of the Royal Navy, said it would be a ‘coup’ for Islamic extremists if they succeeded in capturing or killing relatives of Blackman, known during his trial as Marine A, in retaliation. ‘By releasing his name, it is dangerous not just for the marine in prison but also his family,’ he said. ‘I hope somebody is talking to his family and is keeping an eye out.’ Left-wing MP Eric Joyce, a former soldier, said: ‘I doubt whether the judge has the first idea of what it is like to be on the battlefield when bullets are flying around.’ The court martial heard on Friday that Blackman was suffering from combat stress when he murdered the Taliban captive, a scene filmed on a colleague’s helmet-mounted camera. He was also trying to deal with the grief of his father’s death months earlier. He lost his cool near the end of a ‘tour from hell’ in which 23 servicemen died and insurgents had hung the limbs of maimed British troops in trees as ‘trophies’. Blackman, from Taunton, Somerset, claimed he thought the insurgent was already dead but he was told by a judge he had ‘tarnished the reputation’ of Britain’s armed forces. | MPs and senior military figures among those calling for Alexander Blackman's ten year jailed sentence to be cut .
His wife Claire Blackman praised the 'outstanding' backing he has received .
Blackman found guilty of executing the wounded Taliban prisoner . |
79,746 | e21dd5542e702de51f15edbc04076cfa50223dcf | The Ebola screening system at airports has been toughened up after Pauline Cafferkey, who later developed the virus, was waived through . The Ebola screening system at airports has been toughened up after a nurse who later developed the virus was waived through. Nurse Pauline Cafferkey is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with Ebola last Monday having spent five weeks treating victims in Sierra Leone. It later emerged that officials at Heathrow had allowed her to board a connecting flight to Glasgow even though she had complained of a fever. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday announced that officials had introduced more rigorous checks for doctors and nurses returning to the UK following volunteer work. Until recently, the screening only involved them having their temperature taken and filling-in a questionnaire about whether they have come into contact with patients. But from now on, anyone who thinks they are mildly unwell will be kept on and made to undergo further checks even if their temperature seems normal. Officials will also seek advice from tropical disease experts and monitor the patient closely for a number of hours. Pauline Cafferkey, 39, from Glasgow, remains in a critical but stable state at a special isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. Addressing the House of Commons yesterday, Mr Hunt said: 'Pauline's condition has deteriorated to a critical state although she stabilised yesterday and continues to receive the best possible care.' 'She said in Sierra Leone that she hoped her loved ones would be proud of her. 'Well, she should know today the whole country is proud of her for her bravery and dedication to the service of others. 'She stands, quite simply, for the very best of NHS values.' Addressing the House of Commons yesterday, Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said officials had introduced more rigorous checks for doctors and nurses returning to the UK following volunteer work . | Pauline Cafferkey is fighting for her life after being diagnosed with Ebola .
Heathrow officials allowed her to board a connecting flight to Glasgow even though she had complained of a fever .
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said more rigorous checks for doctors and nurses returning to the UK following volunteer work have been introduced . |
28,278 | 503840a440a953d3b6a137c6ae62e1c8d064ecd6 | Seemingly discontent with being one of the world's best tennis players, Rafael Nadal is undergoing some extreme training to turn himself into a poker expert too. In a new YouTube advert for online poker company Poker Stars, the Spanish star is given a crash course in learning to bluff while on a golf course in Majorca. Told to sit on the ground and pretend he'd been hit on the head by a ball, Nadal tricks unsuspecting golfers by acting like he'd lost his memory. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Rafael Nadal trick golfers into believing he has lost his memory . Tennis star Rafael Nadal (left) is given his bluffing challenge at the start of the YouTube advert . Nadal pretends he's been hit on the head by a golf ball during a 18 holes on a course in Majorca . The world No 3 tricks unsuspecting golfers that he has lost his memory in the video . The world No 3 claims he doesn't know who he is or where he is with three men as each try desperately to remind him of his star status. The trick is only revealed when Nadal's phone rings and the Poker Stars ringleader eventually explains what's going on. Although Nadal passes his bluffing test with flying colours, his current form has been less positive. One of the golfers takes a call from an interviewer but it's all part of the elaborate prank . Nadal jokes with one of his victims after getting the man to believe he'd forgotten who he was . The 28-year-old was dumped out of the Shanghai Masters last week, losing in straight sets - 6-3, 7-6 - to his compatriot Feliciano Lopez in the second round. Roger Federer emerged victorious in China, beating Gilles Simon in the final to jump ahead of Nadal and into the No 2 spot in the world rankings. Roger Federer poses with the Shanghai Masters trophy after beating Gilles Simon in the final in straight sets . | Rafael Nadal is given a bluffing challenge in a new ad for Poker Stars .
The Spaniard pretends he has lost his memory after being hit by a golf ball .
Nadal tricks three golfers into thinking he doesn't know who he is anymore .
He lost to Feliciano Lopez in the second round of the Shanghai Masters . |
42,780 | 78a417c9319a31ffc60de3b77a34bd89a402adf9 | Washington (CNN)Tens of thousands of pro-life activists descended on Washington on Thursday for the annual March for Life, marking the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal — by promising to end it. By the size of the crowds and the enthusiasm of the speakers, it was impossible to tell that just the night before, Republican leaders on Capitol Hill had spiked one of social conservatives' biggest priorities, a bill banning abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy. The scramble over the bill behind closed doors was the latest in a series of conflicts within the caucus, and again underscored the challenge facing the GOP as they head into a presidential election year: How to expand the party's appeal with untapped demographic groups, while still appeasing their conservative base. That was the concern raised by Rep. Renee Ellmers, the North Carolina Republican who, along with a group of GOP women and centrists in the party, led the successful effort to get the bill pulled. "The first vote we take, or the second vote, or the fifth vote, shouldn't be on an issue where we know that millennials—social issues just aren't as important [to them]," she told National Journal last week. Ellmers and Rep. Jackie Walorski pulled their sponsorships because of concerns over a requirement that rape victims file a police report to get an exemption from the ban. Other centrist Republicans expressed concerns on Thursday that the party should be focusing on less controversial issues with broader appeal. "This appeared to be messaging bill, and the message that was being sent was not a very good one," Republican Rep Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania said. "I would prefer that our party spent less time focusing on these very contentious social issues, because that distracts us from broader economic messages where I think we have much greater appeal to the larger public," he said. The GOP has long faced significant issues in wooing single female voters and young voters, which contributed to its unexpected loss of the White House in 2012. After that election, an RNC post-mortem report diagnosing the party's problems suggested the GOP "must in fact and deed be inclusive and welcoming" on social issues. SEE ALSO: House GOP leaders cave on abortion bill . But as centrists in the party look to move away from the abortion issue, they'll run up against fierce opposition from social conservatives, who were calling for revenge against Ellmers and other lawmakers who led the effort to drop the bill. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, told CNN she met with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday night and was "shocked and surprised" when she was told they wouldn't be bringing the bill to a floor for a vote. "No one ever brought up any of these issues. No one ever brought it up in the Senate races where we injected it in the middle of the campaign," she said. "[House Republicans] have managed to really pull [defeat] out of the jaws of victory for sure." House leadership has told her that the bill will eventually come up for a vote, but gave her no time line. A leadership aide said lawmakers are going to discuss how to move forward with the bill, but it's not clear what's next for it. Dannenfelser said Ellmers is almost certain to face a primary challenge in 2012. "My phone does not stop ringing with people asking me, what are we going to do about her next year? I want to stay focused on getting the bill passed — but some people ... there's no protecting some people once they've gone past the tipping point," she said. Ellmers represents a GOP-leaning district and won her last primary with less than 60% support, so the threat of a challenge in 2016 over the abortion issue is a significant one for her. But it's less clear how the issue will play out for the GOP as a whole. This time last year, the RNC passed a resolution urging Republican candidates to speak out on the abortion issue on the campaign trail, and attendees at the event, including RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, said it was a winning issue. This time around, Priebus was elsewhere, and Republicans made little mention the abortion issue at their winter meeting. Most of the GOP's likely presidential contenders kept mum on the developments on Capitol Hill. Rick Santorum, who was the favorite of social conservatives during the 2012 race and is contemplating another run, was relatively subdued about leadership pulling the bill. "I'm disappointed," he said, "but leadership is just doing what good leadership does — which is listen to its members and try to work out a bill that is acceptable to the most within the caucus." And few dozen protesters, mostly college students and older activists, gathered outside Ellmers' office after the march to express their frustration with her move. One, Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins, called Ellmers a "coward" for previously supporting a similar bill, before working to block this one. But asked whether candidates should run on the abortion issue if they hope to appeal to millennials, she demurred. "Obviously, there are a ton of important issues that millennials care about...but I think they shouldn't shy away from it," she said. | At the March for Life on Thursday, thousands of pro-life activists pledged to end abortion .
The night before, House GOP leadership decided to drop a bill banning abortion at 20 weeks of pregnancy .
The move reflects the challenge for the GOP heading into 2016, as it tries to expand its appeal . |
214,378 | a19e7383d5d7c3387a35c28a2bb7ac3407b81aa5 | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 09:49 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:10 EST, 3 December 2013 . A Michigan mother-of-two has claimed a Catholic hospital could have killed her after it forced her to suffer through a painful miscarriage at 18 weeks because it doesn't believe in abortion. Tamesha Means, 30, of Muskegon, with . the help of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Friday . against the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding . treatment she allegedly received at Mercy Health Partners hospital in December 2010. Then 27, the suit claims Means visited the hospital - the only one in her county - three times after her water broke some five months early. Lawsuit: Tamesha Means, pictured, has claimed a Catholic hospital could have killed her after it forced her to suffer through a painful miscarriage at 18 weeks because it doesn't believe in abortion . But she was given medication and told to go home, according to NBC News. On the third visit, hospital staff again tried to send her home but she miscarried and the fetus was delivered feet-first in a painful and prolonged breech delivery. 'Each time I went into the hospital, the same thing happened,' Means told NBC through an ACLU spokeswoman. 'They should act like it's their mother or sister or daughter they're treating. I pray to God someone stops this from happening again. My life could have been taken. I was in a very dangerous situation.' Mercy Health Partners is part of Trinity Health, a Catholic-run medical group that prohibits abortion in its hospitals. Negligent: Then 27, the suit claims Means visited the hospital, pictured, which is the only one in her county, three times after her water broke five months early but on the third trip she miscarried . Because of this stance, doctors did not . tell Means that the fetus had 'virtually no chance of surviving' and . that continuing the pregnancy would put her own life at risk. 'Nor did MHP tell Ms. Means that the safest treatment option was to induce labor and terminate the pregnancy,' the complaint says. 'MHP also did not tell Ms. Means that it would not terminate her pregnancy, even if necessary for her health, because it was prohibited from doing so by the Directives.' Means and ACLU aims to highlight the 'trauma and harm that Tamesha and other pregnant women in similar situations have experienced at Catholic-sponsored hospitals.' Big risk: Because of the hospitals no-abortion stance, doctors did not tell Means, pictured left and right, that the fetus had 'virtually no chance of surviving' and that continuing the pregnancy would put her own life at risk . The suit says Means' case was one of five instances at Mercy Health Partners where doctors refused to induce labor in pregnant women whose water broke before their fetuses could possibly survive. The hospital declined to comment to . MailOnline and the Conference of Catholic Bishops has not responded to a . request for comment. The hospital's vice president of mission services Joseph O'Meara told NBC the directives authorized by the Catholic bishops prohibited the hospital from inducing labor. Catholic systems run 630 of the nearly 5,000 community hospitals in the country, according to the Catholic Health Association of the United States. The suit is seeking damages awarded at a jury trial. | Tamesha Means, 30, of Muskegon, Michigan, filed a lawsuit Friday against the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops .
The suit is regarding treatment she allegedly received at Mercy Health Partners hospital in December 2010 .
It claims Means, then 27 and a mother-of-two, visited the hospital - the only one in her county - three times after her water broke five months early .
She says she was told to go home before she miscarried on the third visit and was forced to deliver the 18 week fetus feet-first .
She wasn't told that the child had 'virtually no chance of survival' and that continuing the pregnancy would risk her own life . |
96,086 | 078d4463efe20b40cd58b12c6b0e038d94351ffb | By . John Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 18:25 EST, 15 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:52 EST, 16 April 2013 . The curvaceous figure which prompted outrage from viewers is covered by her demure wedding dress and as she leans forward to cut the cake, she beams like any other bride on her big day. This is stripper Keri Graham who yesterday blamed everyone but herself for turning Britain’s Got Talent into a sleaze fest. Mrs Graham said that her ‘classy’ dance routine was only made seedy when the ITV show’s judges David Walliams and Simon Cowell came on stage and prompted her to perform a lap dance. Scroll down for video . Demure: Mrs Graham with husband Gary on their wedding day eight years ago . The 43-year-old writhed semi-naked with one leg over Cowell’s shoulder after he rushed on stage, egged on by Walliams, following her performance and took a seat saying ‘let’s do it’. The married mother-of-one, who was on TV just a few weeks ago as a Las Vegas showgirl in Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, also said responsibility for the public’s backlash rested with ITV bosses for allowing her act to be screened before the 9pm watershed. Speaking for the first time following the backlash she told the Mail that she believed that the routine she had initially gone on the show to perform was not sleazy. She said: ‘My act was actually more about strength and balance, using my core strength. It was a hard routine and trying to make it flow and sexy. ‘But then the tone got lowered when Simon got on stage.’ Mrs Graham had gone on the show to perform a dance routine on a chair to explicit song Freak Me, during which she took off her clothes to show her underwear. Fighting fit: Keri Graham insists her act was not seedy . At the end of her performance judge David Walliams told Mrs Graham: ‘I just thought wouldn’t it be great to see Simon sat on the chair and you doing the dancing?’ After initially seeming reluctant, Cowell walked on to the stage and kissed Mrs Graham on the cheek, before sitting on the chair as Mrs Graham gave him a lap dance accompanied by Walliams. Viewers immediately took to the Internet to express their disgust at the lap dance, with one condemning the show as ‘Britain’s Got Sleaze’. Yesterday at her £334,000 four-bedroom detached home in Chafford Hundred, Essex, Mrs Graham said that she had sympathy with those complaining, but said it was ITV’s decision to screen it at around 7:30pm, hours before the watershed. She said: ‘I didn’t do it to upset anybody. I do actually understand some of the concerns. But at the end of the day I did not choose to put that on ITV. That was for the ITV bosses to decide, I did the act, they did not have to show it.’ She claimed that she had made sure that her skimpy outfit was not too revealing. She said: ‘Seriously, there is more sleaze in a Carry On movie, isn’t there? Actual bare flesh, boobs and bums. It was all about a bit of fun. ‘I went to a lot of trouble with my wardrobe. I had my cleavage covered and wore two pairs of shorts, one over the other, to make sure everything was covered. It looked sexy but classy.’ Mrs Graham, who has been married to her husband Gary for eight years, said that she only auditioned for the show ‘for a laugh’ as she was taking her 12-year-old son Callum audition as a hip hop dancer. ‘I ran it all by him,’ she said. ‘I asked that it was all OK with him. And he said I am really proud of you mum, you have to do it. All his friends at school are very supportive.’ However, it is not clear that all the family were quite so unembarrassed by the performance. After watching the show, her step-son Seamus, who works for law firm Mishcon de Reya, wrote on Twitter: ‘Ladies and Gents, my step mum ... *hides*’ Her husband Gary yesterday refused to comment on his wife’s performance. It is not the first time that Mrs Graham has appeared primetime Saturday night television. She appeared in four episodes of the latest series of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway as a Vegas show girl. During Mrs Graham’s performance on Britain’s Got Talent she was described on screen as a ‘housewife’, yesterday she admitted that she had worked as a professional stripper. Britains got sleaze.jpg . Mrs Graham, whose stage name is Keri Gold, said that she was not ashamed of her work as stripping is now ‘very common’, but said that she now only works as a choreographer for a burlesque dance troupe. She said: ‘Stripping is something that I did do, something in my past that I’m very proud of.‘When you become a professional dancer they pay you hardly any money, so I was trying to pay bills. I’m not saying oh poor me I was destitute and had to do it. Actually I had a brilliant time and enjoyed it. ‘It is something that is very common now, it is not something that is so shameful now. I did it and I do choreography now. I’ve moved on.’ Raunchy: David Walliams and 43-year-old Keri Graham gave Simon Cowell a lap dance in the family entertainment show . However, the Daily Mail can reveal she was signed up to the Colchester-based LimeLite Strippers Agency near to her home in Essex, and that she only quit the company two weeks ago following her performance on Britain’s Got Talent. A spokesman for the agency said: ‘Keri was on our books, but left two weeks ago. It was her on Britain’s Got Talent. I think her leaving was because she was going to be on the show.’ A handful of complaints about Mrs Graham’s routine have been made to ITV and around 30 to Ofcom, the media watchdog is currently considering whether or not to launch an investigation. | Keri Graham blamed everyone but herself for turning Britain's Got Talent into a sleaze fest .
She said her 'classy' dance routine was only made seedy when the show's judges prompted her to lap dance . |
150,006 | 4def3e751a71b27ab9c94d3d346996c713558ee5 | (CNN) -- Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom should leave office during the investigation into whether he was connected to three recent slayings, his 2007 presidential opponent said Thursday. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom has said he has no intention of giving up power over the slayings inquiry. Retired Gen. Otto Perez Molina, who lost to Colom in a runoff, said Guatemala is suffering its worst crisis since the democratic process began in 1985 after years of civil war. Demonstrations will continue and anger will mount unless Colom temporarily steps out of the way to allow an unblemished probe, he said. "We want an impartial investigation, a transparent investigation," Perez told CNN. "The president must leave his post." The crisis started Monday with the surfacing of a video in which Guatemalan attorney Rodrigo Rosenberg said Colom, the president's wife and a top aide would be responsible if something happened to the lawyer. Rosenberg was gunned down Sunday while riding his bike in Guatemala City. He had recorded the video last week. Rosenberg was being threatened with death, he said, because he had blamed Colom and his associates for the April slayings of a prominent businessman and his daughter. Rosenberg had represented the businessman. They were killed, Rosenberg said, because they had refused to participate in acts of corruption as the president wanted. "It's the time-honored tradition in Guatemala that if someone gets in your way, there's likely to be a violent outcome," said Donald J. Planty, the U.S. ambassador to Guatemala from 1996 to 1999. Colom took to the airwaves Monday night to vehemently deny that he, his wife or the aide had any connection to the slayings. He promised a full investigation and said he would accept international help, asking the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to become involved. A Guatemalan newspaper reported Thursday that an FBI agent had arrived in the country in connection with the investigation. But Rosenberg supporters say they don't believe the Guatemalan government can carry out an impartial and thorough investigation and want Colom out. Perez said Vice President Jose Rafael Espada could take over until the investigation is complete. "We are only asking that the state be strengthened," Perez said. "If he doesn't do this, we believe the situation will get worse." Colom said in an interview Tuesday night with CNN en Español that he has no intention of resigning or otherwise giving up power. He blamed the deaths on unnamed people who want to bring down his government. "It is evident that [Rosenberg's video statement] was written by someone who has been in on this plan to destabilize the government and for reasons that I don't know, because I don't know why Mr. Rosenberg mentions us in that video," Colom said. For Perez and other critics, that's not good enough. "The president has not wanted to confront this and has given evasive answers," Perez said. "Until the president confronts this, indignation will increase." Some analysts say Colom needs to get the nation under control immediately. "It's a very worrisome situation," said Planty, the former U.S. ambassador. "The country is in very serious trouble." There were rumors two to three weeks ago that the military might stage a coup, Planty said. "The security situation is out of control," he added. Heather Berkman, a Latin America analyst with the Eurasia Group consulting firm, calls it "a major political scandal." Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, a Washington policy institute, agrees with that assessment. "It's very damning for the president. Very damning," he said. Fernando Carrera Castro, a fiscal analyst and executive director of the Instituto Centroamericano de Estudios Fiscales, said the upheaval could further tear apart a poverty-ridden nation trying to heal from a deadly civil war. The three recently slain Guatemalans -- Rosenberg, businessman Khalil Musa and his daughter -- came from the upper economic class. As a result, Carrera said, many wealthy Guatemalans are being "radicalized" against the government. Likewise, he said, many poor and disenfranchised Guatemalans also are becoming radicalized and are rallying behind Colom and the government. "I fear that this crisis will lead to violence and destabilization of the government," Carrera said from Guatemala City. "We all want justice. That is clear." Juan Tornoe, a Guatemalan who has lived in the United States for seven years, rejects what he says are efforts to forge a class divide. "The powers that be are trying to make it a social issue -- the wealthy against the poor," he said. "This is not a social issue. This is Guatemalans are fed up." Tornoe has personal connections with some of the key actors in the crisis. Rosenberg was his wife's law professor at La Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Tornoe said. And he said he went to high school with Gustavo Alejos, the presidential aide Rosenberg mentioned in the video. In his conversations with friends in Guatemala, Tornoe said, he sensed "a sense of desperation, of hopelessness." He believes people are fed up. "They're saying, 'OK. Let's do something. Let's not let this happen again and again and again,' " he said. Carrera, the fiscal analyst, holds out hope. The investigation, he said, will be handled by an independent attorney general who does not report to the president. And the probe will be conducted under the watchful eye of a U.N.-Guatemalan commission set up to investigate corruption and political violence. "That gives me more confidence," he said. But Perez and others note that the attorney general, Jose Amilcar Velasquez Zarate, met privately with Colom on Tuesday morning, the day after the scandal broke. The meeting was not disclosed until reporters uncovered it and questioned Velasquez on his way out. Colom's critics accuse the president of already meddling in the investigation. Colom and Velasquez said the meeting had been planned days ahead of time. "There is no interference in the investigation," Velasquez told reporters afterward. Guatemala has "a culture of corruption," said Planty, the former U.S. envoy. A just investigation is necessary, he said. "Until they fix it, they will limp along -- and that's the good scenario," he said. "They are in serious danger of becoming a failed state, if they're not already. There is complete impunity. Nobody is punished for anything." Rosenberg said the same thing in the video, bemoaning the "narcos, assassins and thieves" who have taken over the country. "Those thieves are sinking all of Guatemala," he said. "They kill people like dogs." The lawyer's niece, Mariela Rosenberg, said her uncle learned to accept his fate. "He had many threats," she told CNN en Español, "and when he saw it was inevitable, he taped a video." Radio journalist Mario David Garcia told CNN en Español that Rosenberg was supposed to detail his allegations Monday afternoon on Garcia's program, "Hablando Claro" (Speaking Clearly). Instead, his funeral was held that day. | Lawyer who blamed Guatemala's president for two slayings was killed Sunday .
In video released after his death, lawyer says to blame president if he is slain .
President should step aside during inquiry, says man who lost '07 presidential race .
President blames deaths on people he says want to bring down his government . |
18,364 | 33f0263f8c74382983d43285fd8ba0914c463a88 | Passengers on a whale watching trip in California were treated to the sight of a rare white dolphin Sunday. Passengers and crew aboard a Monterey Bay Whale Watch vessel spotted the white Risso's dolphin as it swam alongside gray pod mates. Naturalist Melissa Galleti provided images to the media, showing the dolphin with its mother and two cow-calf pairs. Scroll down for video . Passengers and crew aboard a Monterey Bay Whale Watch vessel spotted the white Risso's dolphin as it swam alongside gray pod mates . Naturalist Melissa Galleti provided images to the media, showing the dolphin with its mother and two cow-calf pair. Grind TV reports that the crew was unable to tell if the dolphin was a true albino, which would require pink eyes, or simply a partial albino, which would exhibit blue eyes. ,,'this little one kept coming to the surface with its eyes closed,' Galieti wrote on the company's Facebook. She added in an email: 'It also exhibited some play behaviors, like pec-fin slapping and rolling. All the guests were excited to see something so stunning.' The crew was unable to tell if the dolphin was a true albino, which would require pink eyes, or simply a partial albino, which would exhibit blue eyes . Rissos are identifiable with their stout, blunt-noses . It's body appears to carry a pink tinge in some images. Rissos are identifiable with their stout, blunt-noses. Though it is uncertain whether the dolphin was a full albino, it's body appears to carry a pink tinge in some images . They also typically appear dark gray with scars generally caused by other Risso dolphins, squids, and parasites. They usually stay far from the shoreline and are very rare. | Naturalist Melissa Galleti provided images to the media, showing the dolphin with its mother and two cow-calf pairs .
The crew was unable to tell if the dolphin was a true albino, which would require pink eyes, or simply a partial albino, which would exhibit blue eyes .
Rissos are identifiable with their stout, blunt-noses. |
286,051 | fea43ff894b2018eff695627f7d1bb7f7d782d00 | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 08:30 EST, 19 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:45 EST, 19 March 2013 . A grandmother who is 'trapped in World War Two' after a police car ploughed into her garden plans to sue the Metropolitan Police. The family of Eileen Lee, 76, said she now crouches on the ground with her hands over her head when she hears a loud noise and repeatedly shouts: 'Run for cover, the bombs are dropping'. They say she has suffered recurring flashbacks of bomb attacks since the police car hit her fence in Kirkdale, Sydenham, south London. The family of Eileen Lee, pictured with dog Coco, say she has been 'trapped in World War Two' since the crash and they are now suing the Metropolitan Police . The police car was about to set off in pursuit of a motorcyclist when it overturned and hit the pensioner's fence . The grandmother-of-two survived a Second World War bomb as a child that destroyed her family's Bromley home. Her daughter Maxine, 49, says her mother, who was only three and four years old during The Blitz, has been thrown into a 1940s time warp. She said she was fine before the crash on August 22, last year, but has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress and spent Christmas in a psychiatric ward at Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham. Ms Lee said the trauma has left her mother 'just wanting to die'. The grandmother believed the noise of the crash was the sound of bombs . Post-traumatic stress disorder is a disabling anxiety disorder triggered by a traumatic experience that can range from a single incident to chronic stress, such as warfare. Stressful or frightening events such as serious road accidents, terrorist attacks, military combat, assaults or natural disasters can cause PTSD. Symptoms of sufferers can include nightmares or flashbacks to the traumatic event or problems sleeping or concentrating that affect daily life. The disorder may develop almost immediately or take weeks, months or years to take hold. Patients are commonly treated with supportive therapies, including antipsychotics, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and psychotherapy. The NHS says that PTSD affects up to 30 per cent of people who experience a traumatic event. Ten per cent of women and five per cent of men will be affected at some point in their life. She said: 'Her mental health has further deteriorated on a massive scale. 'She's terrible. I haven't got a mum any more. I've lost her. Since that night she doesn't go out, she doesn't dress. 'It's very, very sad that our united family has come to this.' The police car was about to pursue a motorbike on her road but crashed and overturned into her garden. The pensioner was watching television and had let her Pomeranian dog Coco into the back garden minutes earlier. Ms Lee said: 'Any loud bangs, any noise outside, she's just petrified. She still doesn't sleep.' She said her mother is now extremely depressed, according to her daughter, and has suicidal thoughts. The family say they have struggled to find a lawyer to represent them as they were denied legal aid, which they blamed on upcoming cutbacks. But they have now secured a lawyer who will represent the family on a 'no win no fee' basis although they have not yet filed a writ. Ms Lee said: 'I consider that my mum's plight is a matter of major public concern.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'A thorough investigation is taking place and it has not yet concluded so it will be inappropriate for us to discuss it at this time.' | Eileen Lee suffered post-traumatic stress after the police car crash .
Family say the grandmother is now 'trapped in World War Two'
Pensioner survived bomb attack that destroyed family home in war . |
71,429 | ca73fa12e4491e7b5574717b56aca40899934d17 | (CNN Student News) -- May 17, 2013 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . Texas; Davie, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee . Benghazi, Libya . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. Teachers: We're looking for your feedback about CNN Student News. Please use this page to leave us comments about today's program, including what you think about our stories and our resources. Also, feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom. The educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well. Thank you for using CNN Student News! | The daily transcript is a written version of each day's CNN Student News program .
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127,042 | 303709dcddee8eabfa944bbf512bc7b64d060d7c | By . Dan Bloom . PUBLISHED: . 14:29 EST, 15 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:04 EST, 15 January 2014 . Art may be food for the soul, but these works really are good enough to eat. Two amateur photographers have made more than 100 miniature scenes in their living rooms - with food from their kitchen cupboards. The 'food art' includes a moon landing in parmesan cheese, a ski slope on an iced cake, an office built from wafer biscuits and a crib containing the baby Jesus inside a muffin. One small step for parmesan: Italian 'food artists' Antonio Magliocchetti and Stefano Adorinni have created more than 130 photos of a miniature world using everyday objects - often from their kitchens . Off-piste: In one creation these cross-country skiers appear to have got lost on the icing on a cake . Dancing on iced martini: Figure skaters take to the surface of a frozen cocktail in another shot by the artists . Earning a crust: Office workers are hemmed in by wafer biscuits, but at least they can eat their way out . On their coffee break: Construction workers hauling buckets of beans - including with a miniature JCB . The artists from Udine, Italy, used tiny model people which they bought from hobby shops and from eBay for as little as £1. Antonio . Magliocchetti and Stefano Adorinni began their Mini World Project in 2012 and have since amassed more than 130 images, expanding their repertoire to household objects like vinyl records, glass bottles and a fish tank. Each shot takes up to two hours to piece together using ordinary household objects, coloured paper and a tripod-mounted camera with a macro lens. The pair have sold their creations to cafes, restaurants and offices, where they are now on display across Italy. Mr Magliocchetti, 54, said: 'The construction is very fun, finding the items and building the sets. Big appetite? This baker carries a croissant bigger than him. The artist pair use 1/67 scale models . No crib for his bread: The baby Jesus finds an unusual scene for a manger inside a hollowed-out panettone . Rising to the challenge: Builders create a bread house out of dough (bottom left) in a tiny cement mixer . Ice cream Sunday: Subathers lounge around on their day off with more food than they can eat . Sawing chocolate: This logging depot made out of thin wafers takes the biscuit in one photo by the artists . Watermelon men: There was no seed of doubt for the swimmers in this miniature beach scene . Golden sun: The artists created a perfect sunbathing spot for their figurines with half a pineapple . Spill something? A man drinks wine next to a full-size bottle in this photo by the two Italian artists . Dried fruit: Brightly-coloured clothes on a miniature washing line are outshone by slices of pear and lime . 'We get inspiration from everywhere: the kitchen, food. It can strike at any time.' Despite the intricate nature of their shots, the pair use some surprisingly low-key methods to create them. They tend to set up their 'studio' on the carpets of their living rooms during their free time. For the people in their scenes they favour 1/87 scale figurines, which they buy from hobby shops or on eBay for as little as £1 each. Mr Magliocchetti said: 'The reaction is highly variable. It is often the surprise and amazement of seeing certain combinations that get people going. It's an attempt to revive what is not alive.' Our song: Some of the photos do not include food, such as this one of a couple dancing on a vinyl record . Tuning up: The musical theme continues as tweaking these guitar strings becomes an industrial task . You're going to need a bigger boat: This fisherman comes face-to-face with his gigantic catch . Castaway: A rowboat delivers a message in a bottle in this photo, taken at an unusual angle . White wedding: As the bride throws her bouquet, guests clamour to catch it without falling off their tiny pebbles . Daredevil: A cyclist takes on a full-size companion as he makes his way round the rim of a bicycle wheel . Wall of death: An empty tin can becomes a funfair stunt in this photo, created in the artists' living rooms . In this photo, women and children are dwarfed by their own clothes pegs as they try to reach for the washing . The pair are continuing with their project, even releasing 'how-to' images giving a glimpse of how their pieced their shots together. The fantastical scenes include workers sawing apart 'logs' made of wafer biscuits and a woodland scene with closed cup mushrooms transforming into trees. Some are a little more bizarre, with a tiny clothes line next to a line of dripping fruit slices. And many of the pair's characters are stranded on top of fruit slices, frozen drinks or biscuit mountains with no sight of terra firma. But at least if they get stuck there's a solution: they can always eat their way out. So it WAS a hoax! 'Making-of' photos released by the pair show how they created the moon landing made of parmesan cheese, left, and the logging depot constructed from wafer biscuits, right - in their living rooms . Some of the scenes took hours to set up on the artists' floors... as well as needing some very steady hands . In this autumn scene, lowly mushrooms became towering oaks surrounded by crisp red leaves . Complex: The scenes needed a macro lens, but otherwise used household objects and a perfectionist mind . | Amazing works are by Italians Antonio Magliocchetti and Stefano Adorinni .
They have made more than 130 photos from bread, pineapples and coffee .
Antonio: 'We usually create them in our living rooms during our free time'
Their secret is £1 figurines on eBay, a good camera and very steady hands . |
99,711 | 0c78b694d2739db66ae788c4601cf1731e178a31 | By . Ashley Collman . LeBron James has not only won back the hearts of Cleveland by rejoining the Cavaliers, but America as a whole according to a newly-released poll. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, ranks the basketball MVP as the nation's favorite athlete, knocking legend Michael Jordan off the number one spot. Though Jordan hasn't played basketball in more than a decade, he has remained in the top 10 every year. Mr Popular: A new poll ranks LeBron James as America's favorite professional athlete. Pictured above in 2010, during his original run with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He recently announced he would be returning to the Cavs after winning two championships with the Miami Heat . Everyone still likes Mike: LeBron may have replaced Jordan as America's favorite athlete, but he's still ranked number one among women and GenXers . Surprisingly, the survey was conducted before LeBron announced he would be returning to Cleveland, which means he may be even more popular now than the survey currently reflects. LeBron was kicked out of the top 10 for an entire year in 2011, after making the then-unpopular decision to leave the Cavs to join the Miami Heat. However, after winning back to back championships in 2012 and 2013, LeBron made it back onto the list and last year was ranked second. The poll also included a list for favorite female sports athletes with tennis all-star Serena Williams topping the list. Her sister Venus was ranked number three with NASCAR driver and GoDaddy spokesman Danika Patrick in second place. 1. LeBron James . 2. Michael Jordan . 3. Derek Jeter . 4. Peyton Manning . 5. Kobe Bryant . 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr . 7. Tom Brady . 8. Tiger Woods . 9. Drew Brees . 10. Aaron Rodgers . 1. Serena Williams . 2. Danica Patrick . 3. Venus Williams . 4. Maria Sharapova . 5. Mia Hamm . 6. Lindsey Vonn . 6. Billie Jean King . 8. Alex Morgan . 8. Chris Evert . 10. Misty May . Girl power: Tennis champ Serena Williams was ranked America's most favorite female athlete. Serena exited early at Wimbledon (pictured above) this year, and was forced to forfeit in the doubles championship with her sister Venus (ranked number three on the list) when she contracted a viral illness . The survey revealed some interesting differences in who different Americans considered their favorite athlete. While men overall preferred LeBron James, women were bigger fans of Jordan. Race also played a role, with white Americans choosing soon-to-retire New York Yankee Derek Jeter as their favorite athlete while Hispanics preferred LeBron. For African Americans, it was a toss-up between LeBron and Jordan. Jeter was also the favorite athlete of older people, over the age of 68 and Republicans. Democrats, meanwhile, preferred Jordan and for Independents it was LeBron . Farewell: Derek Jeter may be retiring after this season, but he remains a favorite on the list. He ranked three overall, but was number one for older Americans, white Americans, Republicans and those who live on the East Coast. pictured above at the MLB All-Star game which took pace Tuesday . Millennials and Baby Boomers both agreed on their love of LeBron while Gen Xers ranked Jordan, who dominated the NBA during their childhood, as their favorite. There were also differences regionally, with Americans in the Midwest and South ranking Lebron as their favorite, which is perhaps unsurprising considering he has played for teams in both regions. Those in the West stayed true to Jordan and Jeter was number one for baseball-loving East Coasters. Gender:Men - LeBron JamesWomen - Michael Jordan . Race/Ethnicity: White - Derek Jeter African American - Tie between LeBron James and Michael JordanHispanic - LeBron James . Generation: Millennials (ages 18-36) - LeBron JamesGen X (37-48) - Micheal Jordan Baby Boomers (49-67) - LeBron James Matures (ages 68+) - Derek Jeter . Region: East - Derek Jeter Midwest - LeBron James South - LeBron James West - Michael Jordan . Political party: Republican - Derek Jeter Democrat - Michael Jordan Independent - LeBron James . | The Cleveland Cavaliers player was ranked number one in a poll conducted by Harris Interactive .
LeBron was kicked off the list in 2012, after making the unpopular decision to leave the Cavaliers to join the Miami heat .
But after winning two championships with the Heat, he made it back onto the list in 2013 when he was ranked second to Michael Jordan .
This year he beat out Jordan, who continues to make the list every year despite having retired more than a decade ago . |
55,358 | 9ce55d72f0958800db7018be31d36a3db2d2a6ec | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Second World War air raid shelter buried for more than 70 years has been discovered at a primary school by a pupil - and it was so well preserved the light bulb was still working. The iconic Anderson shelter was unearthed at Stoke Community Primary School, in Medway, Kent. Youngster Harvey Cotton, ten, had been taking part in a school activity when he saw a block of concrete at the back of what used to be an orchard in the school grounds. The Second World War shelter was so well preserved the light bulb was still working . School caretaker Chris Poulter was sent to investigate and was amazed at what he found. He said: 'We cleared away some of the vegetation and saw the steps down to the shelter. 'After more clearance work we were able to get to the entrance. It was bricked up most of the way and there was a wooden door behind it. 'We knocked through the bricks and it opened up into the shelter.' Once inside Chris and parent helper Martin Blackwell discovered a crate of dusty old milk bottles and other items that had lain untouched for decades. The pair were even more surprised when they ran an extension lead down to the shelter and switched on the light and the bulb still worked. It's thought the shelter was used during the Blitz by pupils at the school and local villagers from nearby Lower Stoke. School caretaker Chris Poulter was sent to investigate and was amazed at what he found. He is pictured with Harvey Cotton, left and another pupil at the entrance to the shelter . The school now plans to restore the shelter so it can be used for hands-on lessons about the Second World War. Volunteers from National Grid have agreed to connect a power supply and help with some of the clearance work to create better access to the shelter. Head teacher Anita Meggs said: 'We feel very privileged to have such a wonderful resource in the school grounds. 'There is so much history in the school, which has been here since the 1800s. In September we plan on doing a project on the Second World War that will run all term. 'We hope to use the shelter for lessons and invite older villagers, who may have used the shelter, into the school to tell their stories about the war.' | Second World War air raid shelter was buried for more than 70 years .
The Anderson sheltered was unearthed at Stoke Community Primary School in Medway, Kent .
The Anderson shelter was so well preserved that the light bulb was still working . |
64,424 | b6e715b0d1016bfc61f6abda2d15eac23c3211cf | When Maura Horton's husband, former college football coach Don Horton, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, she felt helpless to aid him - until he came to her with a problem she could tackle: his clothes. Don Horton hadn't been able to do up his shirt after training one day. That's when Maura Horton, 43, knew she had the solution to at least one of the obstacles Parkinson's had thrown at Don, 55. MagnaReady came into being as a blueprint on Maura's . computer. The former children's clothing designer used her skills to . make a dress shirt with strong magnets embedded behind the buttons, dispensing with fiddly buttonholes. Husband help: Maura Horton wanted to find a way to make dressing easier for her husband Don Horton after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease . MagnaReady was created by Maura Horton for her husband, but her design has proved to be helpful to many other people suffering neurogenerative diseases like Don Horton, as well as people who have suffered strokes, arthritis, and even people with war injuries. 'Getting dressed shouldn't be a stressful task - living with a disability is hard enough,' says Maura Horton. 'There were a lot of challenges or changes [Don] might have been going through that I couldn't help,' she told Fox News. 'But that was one I thought I would try to get to the bottom of it.' The hardest button to button: With no fiddly buttons or buttonholes, the MagnaReady is a great solution for people with limited mobility or impaired motor skills - it's also a great-looking shirt . Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's, and proceeds in a similarly slow yet destructive way. According to MichaelJFox.org, one in 60 people over the age of 60 in the U.S. will be diagnosed with Parkinson's. It was four years ago that Maura Horton got the idea of how to help her husband get dressed. 'I knew something was wrong when he came home,' she told CNN. 'I thought maybe it was a bad game.' Dignity: Not being able to do up his shirt buttons after a game made former football coach Don Horton embarrassed and frustrated - and his wife knew she could help . Entrepreneur: Maura Horton operates MagnaReady from her small home office in North Carolina . Don explained that a player, Russell Wilson who now plays for the Seahawks, had done up his buttons for him in the locker room because his fine motor skills were failing and he couldn't do it himself. 'I didn't want him to feel that way ever again,' said Maura. From a small home office in Raleigh, North Carolina, Maura has sold 1,000 MagnaReady shirts. Don Horton left football coaching in 2012 and since then has been helping out with his wife's business. The couple are hoping the shirts will eventually be stocked in department stores; for now MagnaReady shirts can be bought at MagnaReady.com and some online distributors. Parkinson's: Well-known sufferers of the disease Muhammad Ali and Michael J Fox . Pope John Paul II suffered with Parkinson's, and it was suspected artist Salvador Dali had the disease, too . Shirt tales: The packaging of a MagnaReady shirt . The shirt looks like any other dress shirt, only its button and buttonholes are purely decorative. Behind the buttons are embedded magnets that Maura has tested for just the right strength. Too weak and the shirt will open easily, too strong and the shirts would be hard to take off. They also have to be specially coated to prevent rusting in the wash. MagnaReady shirts currently come in blue or white and retail for $59.99. Maura Horton has more products in the works. Don Horton has recently undergone brain surgery in a bid to improve his Parkinson's symptoms. As a result, he is wearing a battery pack similar to a pacemaker and can't wear the MagnaReady shirt in case it interferes with its functions. It's a new challenge for Maura and she thrives on helping her husband. 'I could fall on my face,' she told News Observer. 'But at least I’ll bring some awareness to the disease.' | Maura Horton's husband Don Horton has Parkinson's disease and has trouble doing up his shirt buttons .
She designed MagnaReady with magnetic buttons to help her husband .
The shirt has proven helpful for many people suffering from other complaints such as arthritis and stroke .
1,000 shirts have been sold already; they retail for $59.99 . |
43,409 | 7a6d13152f82854cbb37fc01d93593a7f52a2d78 | Temba Bavuma has become the first black African batsman to play for South Africa when he came into bat at No 6 in the second Test against the West Indies at St. George's Park on Sunday. With Quinton de Kock ruled out of the remainder of the three-match series with an ankle ligament injury, Bavuma took his place in the Proteas line-up, but did not get a chance to bat until day three due to bad weather. The 24-year-old's debut is a big deal for South Africa, which has fielded only five black African players since readmission in 1991, and has not had any since fast bowler Makhaya Ntini's last Test at the end of 2009. Temba Bavuma plays a defensive shot during his debut, a significant milestone for South African cricket . Bavuma was out for 10, after Shannon Gabriel had him caught behind with a vicious rising delivery . Temba Bavuma made his Test debut for South Africa against the West Indies in the Boxing Day Test Match . However, the occassion proved to be something of an anti-climax as Bavuma lasted just 35 balls, before gloving a sharp, lifting delivery behind to depart for 10. Despite the fact that almost 80 percent of South Africa's population is black, Ntini is the only cricketer to have held down a regular place in the national side, taking 390 wickets in 101 Tests. Fast bowlers Monde Zondeki, Mfuneko Ngam and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, and wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile, all managed a combined 17 Tests. 'I've come to realise that there are a lot of people out there that I represent - I'm not just playing for myself,' Bavuma said on Wednesday. 'I am aware, but it doesn't really change the ballgame for me.' Born in Langa, Cape Town's oldest township, Bavuma was educated at a leading cricket school in Johannesburg, and played for South Africa Under-19s. Bavuma is the first black African to play for South Africa as a specialist batsman . The 24-year-old, who has a first class average of almost 36, says he is representing more than himself . Makhaya Ntini is the most famous non-white South African cricketer, having played over 100 tests . He has forged a successful first-class career, scoring 3,631 runs at an average of almost 36, and hit a career-best 162 against Australia A during a South Africa A tour in August. South Africa made one other change to the side that thrashed the West Indies by an innings and 220 runs in the first test to take into account the different conditions in Port Elizabeth. The Proteas fielded an all-seam attack at Centurion, but the St. George's Park pitch is traditionally drier and slower, and so legspinner Imran Tahir replaced fast bowler Kyle Abbott. Left-armer Robin Peterson, who was the original spinner in the squad, was ruled out of the series after splitting his left index finger during a training drill on Tuesday. Bavuma is likely to bat at number 7 for South Africa, who lead the West Indies 1-0 in the three-match series . | Temba Bavuma comes in for injured Quinton de Kock .
Bavuma is first black player in Proteas side since Makhaya Ntini in 2009 .
The South Africa No 6 makes just 10 before being caught behind . |
271,476 | eba1b807ad9cd29006d2af3c56304f5f631496a2 | Three witnesses spotted 9/11 ringleader Mohamed Atta casing security at Boston's Logan International Airport and reported his suspicious behavior to authorities - but airport security ignored the warnings and never questioned him, a shocking new report reveals . The witnesses have been identified for the first time by the New York Post after testifying in a lawsuit on behalf of the the families of the victims who died aboard American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001. Atta, a ringleader of the 9/11 attacks, was spotted filming the TSA security checkpoints at Logan on May 11, 2001. One of the witnesses, a veteran American Airlines technician, even confronted the al-Qaeda member and asked him what he was doing. Scroll down for video . Security lapse: Terrorist ringleader Mohamed Atta smuggled boxcutters and pepper spray through security at the airport in Portland, Maine, (pictured) then flew to Boston, where he hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 . Ringleader: Mohamed Atta was spotted casing the Boston airport in May 2011 . Surveillance video had not even been installed at the airport yet, so no video record exists of Atta's activities. Atta, who was a trained commercial pilot, and four other terrorists smuggled box cutters and pepper spray through the security at the airport in Portland, Maine, on the morning of September 11 and flew to Boston. They then boarded American Airlines Flight 11 and overpowered the pilots and crashed the Boeing 767 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center - the first attack against the Twin Towers. All 92 people aboard the plane were killed and hundreds of people at the Trade Center died in the crash and subsequent collapse of the building. Stephen J. Wallace revealed in testimony that he saw two Arabs, including one matching Atta's description, conspicuously filming a security checkpoint at Logan about 25 feet away while talking loudly in Arabic, according to the Post. This went on for 45 minutes, Mr Wallace told a court. He said he contacted security, but police never responded. 'I said, specifically, "These two clowns are up to something. They’ve been taking videos and pictures down at the main checkpoint,"' he testified, according to the Post . Finally, Mr Wallace confronted Atta - who had a set of brand-new pilot luggage. He said he asked the two men whether they had any prohibited items in their bags. They swore at him in Arabic, then boarded an American Airlines flight to Washington Dulles International Airport. Theresa Spagnuolo, an American Airlines passenger screener, and her supervisor James Miller Jr. also noticed the men and reported them to authorities. They were told that police could do nothing about Atta's behavior, they later testified. The Post reports that even pre-9/11 laws could have allowed authorities to stop and question Atta. 'I’m convinced that had action been taken after the sighting of Atta, the 9/11 attacks, at least at Logan, could have been deterred,' Brian Sullivan, a former FAA special agent, told the newspaper. Atta flew Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing all 92 people aboard. Thousands more died in the towers and after the subsequent collapse . | Stephen J Wallace testified in a lawsuit that he watched two Arab men film a security checkpoint at Boston's Logan International Airport for 45 minutes .
Wallace says he confronted the men, one of whom was later identified as 9/11 ringleader Mohamad Atta .
Atta and four others hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 on September 11, 2001 and flew it into the North Tower of the World Trade Center . |
173,016 | 6be8a7cd6b55d92d8792a588aee36e729fb2ae06 | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 05:34 EST, 4 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:34 EST, 4 December 2013 . Looking for the ultimate Christmas wreath to make your neighbours green with envy? One luxury website has the answer, assuming you have £3 million to spare. Studded with over 40 diamonds and rubies totalling over 138 carats, exclusive launches website, VeryFirstTo.com, is selling the ultimate Christmas wreath for a cool £2,835,000. The 60cm wreath is made up of some of the most luxurious flowers and leaves in the world and is created by world-renowned Finnish Floral Designer, Pasi Jokinen-Carter. That will make the neighbours jealous! A luxury website has unveiled the most expensive Christmas wreath studded with 16 Rubies and 32 diamonds totalling over 138 carats that is being sold for nearly £3m . His client portfolio includes the Royal households, country clubs, galleries, and film and TV production houses. For this high-end commission Jokien-Carter has used Laurus, Lingonberry and Blueberry stems sourced from his country house in Finland - as they are not commercially available in the UK. Speaking about his latest creation, he said: 'I am passionate about my craft and this recent invitation to create an exclusive wreath, using natural materials and diamonds, has been an exciting and exceptional project.' The diamonds and rubies for the wreath are provided by 77 Diamonds, who offer the world's largest selection of loose diamonds, some 300,000, or over 70 per cent, of the world's finest polished diamonds. Exquisite: The wreath is made up of rare flowers from Finland and once it wilts, the diamonds can be transformed into a bespoke piece of jewellery . Tobias Kormind, co-owner of 77 . Diamonds, said: 'It is exhilarating to participate in curating a . selection of gems that would create the most sparkling Christmas anyone . could wish for; plus a very worthwhile investment for the future.' The bad news? The dazzling wreath will only last twelve days - that's a cost of £236,250 per day. However, . all is not lost because the stones from the wreath are removable and . can be reattached to next year’s wreath, say the creators. Alternatively, 77 Diamonds is offering the complimentary service of mounting them into a bespoke designed piece of jewellery. Florist: The 60cm wreath has been created by top Finnish Floral Designer, Pasi Jokinen-Carter, whose clients include the Royal household . Marcel Knobil founder of VeryFirstTo, who is selling the wreath, said: 'We are delighted to be able to . offer the world’s most expensive Christmas wreath as part of our ongoing . endeavor to offer truly exceptional newly launching luxury products and . experiences.' And while the wreath may cost more than the average Briton could ever dream of earning in a lifetime, a donation of £1,000 from the sale will be made to The Prince’s Trust. | Wreath features gems totalling over 138 carats .
At cost of £2,835,000 the cost per day is a staggering £236,250 .
Created by Royal flower designer Pasi Jokinen-Carter .
After it wilts, diamonds can be turned into a bespoke piece of jewellery . |
161,708 | 5d1a093219b5a22b020e2544aa0acf9078f42679 | By . Matt Chorley, Sean Poulter and Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 15:57 EST, 12 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:46 EST, 13 November 2012 . Anyone caught rigging energy bills will face the 'full force of the law' the government warned today after a whistleblower claimed power firms regularly fixed Britain's £300 billion wholesale gas market. Energy Secretary Ed Davey told the Commons that any attempt to manipulate markets was wrong, but the impact would be even more severe at a time when families are struggling to pay soaring heating bills. City watchdog the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and Energy regulator Ofgem have launched investigations into the claims, as industry insiders complained of a 'very laxly-regulated environment'. Scroll down to watch . 'Bent' market: Former trader turned whistleblower Seth Freedman claimed that manipulation is 'rife' Mr Davey told MPs in a Commons statement: 'Market abuse is always wrong, but at a time when people and companies are struggling with high energy bills, the country would expect us to take firm action if these allegations prove true, and we will. 'These allegations of market manipulation are being taken very seriously. We will support the regulators taking whatever steps necessary to ensure that the full force of the law is applied, if they are true, so that any guilty parties are held to account.' Downing Street called for a speedy inquiry. A spokesman for David Cameron said: 'If there has been manipulation of the energy market, then action needs to be taken very quickly. 'People in this country deserve markets that are fair and if there has been wrongdoing, that is totally unacceptable and the regulator should come down on those people very hard.' The manipulation of wholesale prices - linked to the bills charged to households - is alleged by a . whistleblower who spotted unusual gas market trading patterns and price changes . in September. Seth Freedman, a former City trader who worked as a price . reporter at the energy analyst firm ICIS Heren for nine months, claimed the market is 'bent' and said tighter regulation is urgently required. He said: 'As I was getting closer and closer to traders and participators in the market it became apparent that people thought manipulation was rife. Then various examples were brought to light. 'The big six are trading in the gas market, but so are banks, hedge funds and all kinds of participants,' he told Sky News. 'Commodities are traded in a very laxly-regulated environment.' Mr Freedman added that many European politicians are calling for tougher regulation to make the markets more transparent and avoid 'cloak and dagger' dealings behind the scenes. He told Sky News: 'The idea that people don't know what's going on at wholesale level will certainly raise suspicion and the response from MPs so far is that this needs to be urgently addressed.' Spot: Mr Freedman claims to have identified a series of suspect trades on September 28 this year which were indicative of a widespread problem . Struggling: The UK is currently suffering the longest cost of living squeeze in at least a century with many households facing a nightmare choice between heating and eating (file picture) Mr Freedman claims to have identified a series . of suspect trades on September 28 this year which were indicative of a . widespread problem, reported the Guardian. The date is important as it marks the end of the gas . financial year and can have an important influence on future prices. 'As I was getting closer and closer to traders and participators in the market it became apparent that people thought manipulation was rife' Seth Freedman, former City trader . The alleged manipulation is claimed to . have cut the wholesale price of gas, which therefore does not imply it . had an impact on consumer prices. The process has similarities to the . way banks rigged the interest rates at which they borrowed from each . other during the Libor scandal. The benchmark prices are critically . important because they form the basis for many wholesale gas contracts, . while small changes in the price can cost or save companies millions of . pounds. Britain’s energy supplies are . dominated by a ‘big six’ group of British Gas (which is part of . Centrica), Scottish and Southern Energy, Eon, Npower, EDF and Scottish . Power. All but one of these companies has . raised prices in the last few weeks, blaming a combination of the rising . cost of wholesale gas and the high cost of switching to green energy. Punishments possible: Energy Secretary Ed Davey warned anyone found guilty would be held to account . Any proof that power companies have . rigged wholesale prices would be devastating in terms of public trust, . while it could also lead to fines running to tens of millions of pounds. Mr Clegg told Sky News: ‘So many people are struggling to pay their bills - and gas bills during the winter are one of the biggest expenses that many families are having to deal with at the moment. 'If there is evidence that those household prices are higher because of cynical manipulation in the wholesale market, I think people will be enraged' Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister . 'If there is evidence that those household prices are higher because of cynical manipulation in the wholesale market, I think people will be enraged. That's why we need to take it very seriously.’ The nation is currently suffering the . longest cost of living squeeze in at least a century with the result . many poorer households face a nightmare choice between heating and . eating. At the same time, thousands of . elderly people will die this winter from illnesses exacerbated by the . fact they are living in cold homes. The companies deny the claims and insist they have procedures in place to prevent any form of price fixing by their traders. Living cost squeeze: Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said 'people will be enraged' if the manipulation is proven . The central allegation is that gas . prices were rigged to appear either higher or lower in order to suit the . financial interests of traders who buy and sell huge quantities of gas . on a daily basis. Mr Davey, said he was first alerted to the allegations last Friday and offered to change the law if the powers of regulators including the FSA, Ofgem and the Office of Fair Trading are found to be lacking. 'I am extremely concerned about these allegations and will be keeping in close touch with the regulators while they get to the bottom of this' Ed Davey, Energy Secretary . ‘I am extremely concerned about these . allegations and will be keeping in close touch with the regulators while . they get to the bottom of this,’ he said. A department spokesman said: ‘At a . time of economic uncertainty and rising global energy prices, British . consumers deserve markets that are fair. ‘The Government takes alleged abuse in our markets very seriously.’ Speaking on ITV’s Daybreak, shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint called for greater transparency in the energy sector. Changes: Shadow energy secretary Caroline Flint called for greater transparency in the energy sector . She said: ‘Whether these allegations prove right or not there is a huge lack of confidence in this country in the energy sector - people just don’t trust it any more. ‘Our energy bills have gone up by over . £200 in recent years and in the last few weeks prices have gone up again . so these latest allegations couldn’t have come at a worse time for . people trying to heat their homes.’ 'Our energy bills have gone up by over £200 in recent years and in the last few weeks prices have gone up again so these latest allegations couldn’t have come at a worse time for people trying to heat their homes' Caroline Flint, Shadow energy secretary . Officials stressed the investigations . by Ofgem and the FSA should not be pre-empted, however they insisted it . is important to ensure ‘any wrongdoers are held to account’. Mr Freedman is understood to have . taped conversations with traders about the unusual price changes on . September 28. These have been handed over to the FSA. One power company trader reportedly . says: ‘There’s a feeling among some people that somebody’s taking the . p*** a bit on the day ahead index. Between us I think [Company X] got in . a bit of trouble for that about six months ago.’ ICIS Heren confirmed that it had . detected some ‘unusual trading’ activity on the British wholesale gas . market on September 28, which it subsequently reported to Ofgem. Cooker: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) and energy regulator Ofgem are investigating claims that power companies are manipulating wholesale gas prices . The company said: ‘The cause of the . trading pattern, which involved a series of deals done below the . prevailing market trend, has not yet been established. ‘ICIS welcomes the seriousness with . which the regulator has so far responded to this information and we have . provided all the evidence at our disposal to help the regulator . determine what happened.’ It is believed that on September 28 prices went down by about 0.4 per cent. 'Our compliance procedures and trading principles are clear. They require us to comply with all EU and UK laws and we have done so' Spokesman for Centrica, British Gas owner . An FSA spokesman said: ‘We can confirm . that we have received information in relation to the physical gas market . and will be analysing that material.’ An Ofgem spokesman said: ‘In preparing for full implementation of new EU legislation to tackle market abuse, we will consider carefully any evidence of market abuse that is brought to our attention as well as scope for action under all our other powers.' The British Gas owner, Centrica, . denied any wrongdoing. It said: ‘Our compliance procedures and trading . principles are clear. They require us to comply with all European Union and UK laws and we have done so.’ EDF and SSE denied that they would be . involved in any attempt to manipulate prices or be involved in other bad . practice. Eon, Npower and Scottish Power have made similar statements . in the past. EDF said it does not participate in trading activity that is against existing market regulation. VIDEO: Whistleblower likens alleged energy market manipulation to Libor scandal . | Claim alleged by whistleblower who identified unusual trading patterns .
All but one of the big energy suppliers has raised prices in last few weeks .
Proof of price rigging would devastate public trust and could lead to fines .
Comes in context of rocketing UK energy prices and cost of living squeeze .
Companies deny claims and say they have measures to prevent price fixing . |
3,426 | 09e77398895c34bc8b903df06c0b3a792a966831 | Russia's anti-gay stance was thrown into confusion today by speculation that fake lesbian pop duo tATu will be the surprise performers at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. The line-up for the February 7 opening ceremony is a closely guarded secret, but flame-haired singer Lena Katina yesterday tweeted 'we have been invited to take part at the Sochi Olympics'. The announcement follows worldwide criticism of Russia over recently passed laws held to be discriminatory against gays. Not schoolgirls any more: A picture from tATu's social media site shows the pair posing next to a Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics photo. There is speculation that the controversial faux lesbian pop duo could perform there . Katina and her bandmate Yulia Volkova were just teenagers when they burst into worldwide musical superstardom with their critically acclaimed 2003 single All The Things She Had. But the duo also courted controversy with a risque music video which showed them standing in the rain and sharing a passionate kiss while dressed in revealing school uniform-like outfits. Children's groups in Britain reacted with outrage amid claims their act was a marketing stunt promoting homosexuality among vulnerable teenagers. So speculation that tATu will be one of the acts at Sochi comes as a surprise with Russia currently mired in controversy after new laws were passed in the country which ban homosexual 'propaganda' to children. The legislation is drawn so widely that there are fears it could trap gay visitors or competitors in Sochi - or even tATu themselves. Mayor of Sochi, Anatoly Pakhomov, was quoted this week saying there are no gay people in his Black Sea resort. Earlier Putin said gay people could feel 'relaxed' about attending the Sochi Olympics but they should 'leave children alone please'. But still cuddling up: Speculation that tATu will be one of the acts at Sochi is ironic with Russia currently mired in controversy after new laws were passed in the country which ban homosexual 'propaganda' to children . However, the appearance of tATu at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony is not yet confirmed. Katina, now 29, later withdrew her post announcing their appearance, replacing it with a message stating: 'All statements will be made at the right moment. As it turned out, this was not yet the right moment.' Despite this, a number of major news websites reported that the controversial duo will be on stage in Sochi. 'Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova from tATu will be singing at Sochi Olympics opening ceremony,' stated news outlet gazeta.ru. Montages of Katina and Volkova, 28, posing with the Olympic symbol were posted on the group's social network site, but there were also claims it could be a publicity stunt. Katina also criticised the organisers for 'disgustingly bad organisation'. She ranted: 'They treat artists like **it.' Controversial: A frame of the music video for All The Things She Had which showed Katina and Volkova standing in the rain and sharing a passionate kiss while dressed in revealing school uniform-like outfits . Although the pair are now both grown up women in their late 20s, images of Katina and Volkova still show them posing as schoolgirls. Despite officially splitting in 2011, the duo recently performed together. Volkova is reported to be currently in Moscow having undergone Botox treatment in her lips. She has two children - a daughter Viktoria, aged 9, and son Samir, 6 - from two marriages. Katina wed Slovenian musician Sasho Kuzmanovich in August last year. Russian Olympic chiefs declined to comment on any role for tATu. | Ironically, children's groups in Britain once accused the pop duo of promoting homosexuality among teenagers . |
110,341 | 1a412f0f01e0452b8a21d8c0415c1d70cd510f73 | It's official: U.S. President Barack Obama wants lawmakers to weigh in on whether to use military force in Syria. Obama sent a letter to the heads of the House and Senate on Saturday night, hours after announcing that he believes military action against Syrian targets is the right step to take over the alleged use of chemical weapons. The proposed legislation from Obama asks Congress to approve the use of military force "to deter, disrupt, prevent and degrade the potential for future uses of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction." It's a step that is set to turn an international crisis into a fierce domestic political battle. There are key questions looming over the debate: What did U.N. weapons inspectors find in Syria? What happens if Congress votes no? And how will the Syrian government react? In a televised address from the White House Rose Garden earlier Saturday, the president said he would take his case to Congress, not because he has to -- but because he wants to. "While I believe I have the authority to carry out this military action without specific congressional authorization, I know that the country will be stronger if we take this course, and our actions will be even more effective," he said. "We should have this debate, because the issues are too big for business as usual." Obama said top congressional leaders had agreed to schedule a debate when the body returns to Washington on September 9. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing over the matter on Tuesday, Sen. Robert Menendez said. Transcript: Read Obama's full remarks . Syrian crisis: Latest developments . U.N. inspectors leave Syria . Obama's remarks came shortly after U.N. inspectors left Syria, carrying evidence that will determine whether chemical weapons were used in an attack early last week in a Damascus suburb. "The aim of the game here, the mandate, is very clear -- and that is to ascertain whether chemical weapons were used -- and not by whom," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters on Saturday. But who used the weapons in the reported toxic gas attack in a Damascus suburb on August 21 has been a key point of global debate over the Syrian crisis. Top U.S. officials have said there's no doubt that the Syrian government was behind it, while Syrian officials have denied responsibility and blamed jihadists fighting with the rebels. British and U.S. intelligence reports say the attack involved chemical weapons, but U.N. officials have stressed the importance of waiting for an official report from inspectors. The inspectors will share their findings with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Ban, who has said he wants to wait until the U.N. team's final report is completed before presenting it to the U.N. Security Council. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which nine of the inspectors belong to, said Saturday that it could take up to three weeks to analyze the evidence they collected. "It needs time to be able to analyze the information and the samples," Nesirky said. He noted that Ban has repeatedly said there is no alternative to a political solution to the crisis in Syria, and that "a military solution is not an option." Bergen: Syria is a problem from hell for the U.S. Obama: 'This menace must be confronted' Obama's senior advisers have debated the next steps to take, and the president's comments Saturday came amid mounting political pressure over the situation in Syria. Some U.S. lawmakers have called for immediate action while others warn of stepping into what could become a quagmire. Some global leaders have expressed support, but the British Parliament's vote against military action earlier this week was a blow to Obama's hopes of getting strong backing from key NATO allies. On Saturday, Obama proposed what he said would be a limited military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Any military attack would not be open-ended or include U.S. ground forces, he said. Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons earlier this month "is an assault on human dignity," the president said. A failure to respond with force, Obama argued, "could lead to escalating use of chemical weapons or their proliferation to terrorist groups who would do our people harm. In a world with many dangers, this menace must be confronted." Syria missile strike: What would happen next? Map: U.S. and allied assets around Syria . Obama decision came Friday night . On Friday night, the president made a last-minute decision to consult lawmakers. What will happen if they vote no? It's unclear. A senior administration official told CNN that Obama has the authority to act without Congress -- even if Congress rejects his request for authorization to use force. Obama on Saturday continued to shore up support for a strike on the al-Assad government. He spoke by phone with French President Francois Hollande before his Rose Garden speech. "The two leaders agreed that the international community must deliver a resolute message to the Assad regime -- and others who would consider using chemical weapons -- that these crimes are unacceptable and those who violate this international norm will be held accountable by the world," the White House said. Meanwhile, as uncertainty loomed over how Congress would weigh in, U.S. military officials said they remained at the ready. 5 key assertions: U.S. intelligence report on Syria . Syria: Who wants what after chemical weapons horror . Reactions mixed to Obama's speech . A spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition said that the opposition group was disappointed by Obama's announcement. "Our fear now is that the lack of action could embolden the regime and they repeat his attacks in a more serious way," said spokesman Louay Safi. "So we are quite concerned." Some members of Congress applauded Obama's decision. House Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy and Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers issued a statement Saturday praising the president. "Under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war lies with Congress," the Republican lawmakers said. "We are glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria in response to serious, substantive questions being raised." More than 160 legislators, including 63 of Obama's fellow Democrats, had signed letters calling for either a vote or at least a "full debate" before any U.S. action. British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose own attempt to get lawmakers in his country to support military action in Syria failed earlier this week, responded to Obama's speech in a Twitter post Saturday. "I understand and support Barack Obama's position on Syria," Cameron said. An influential lawmaker in Russia -- which has stood by Syria and criticized the United States -- had his own theory. "The main reason Obama is turning to the Congress: the military operation did not get enough support either in the world, among allies of the US or in the United States itself," Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the international-affairs committee of the Russian State Duma, said in a Twitter post. In the United States, scattered groups of anti-war protesters around the country took to the streets Saturday. "Like many other Americans...we're just tired of the United States getting involved and invading and bombing other countries," said Robin Rosecrans, who was among hundreds at a Los Angeles demonstration. What do Syria's neighbors think? Why Russia, China, Iran stand by Assad . Syria's government unfazed . After Obama's speech, a military and political analyst on Syrian state TV said Obama is "embarrassed" that Russia opposes military action against Syria, is "crying for help" for someone to come to his rescue and is facing two defeats -- on the political and military levels. Syria's prime minister appeared unfazed by the saber-rattling. "The Syrian Army's status is on maximum readiness and fingers are on the trigger to confront all challenges," Wael Nader al-Halqi said during a meeting with a delegation of Syrian expatriates from Italy, according to a banner on Syria State TV that was broadcast prior to Obama's address. An anchor on Syrian state television said Obama "appeared to be preparing for an aggression on Syria based on repeated lies." A top Syrian diplomat told the state television network that Obama was facing pressure to take military action from Israel, Turkey, some Arabs and right-wing extremists in the United States. "I think he has done well by doing what Cameron did in terms of taking the issue to Parliament," said Bashar Jaafari, Syria's ambassador to the United Nations. Both Obama and Cameron, he said, "climbed to the top of the tree and don't know how to get down." The Syrian government has denied that it used chemical weapons in the August 21 attack, saying that jihadists fighting with the rebels used them in an effort to turn global sentiments against it. British intelligence had put the number of people killed in the attack at more than 350. On Saturday, Obama said "all told, well over 1,000 people were murdered." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday cited a death toll of 1,429, more than 400 of them children. No explanation was offered for the discrepancy. Iran: U.S. military action in Syria would spark 'disaster' Opinion: Why strikes in Syria are a bad idea . | Syrian official: Obama climbed to the top of the tree, "doesn't know how to get down"
Obama sends a letter to the heads of the House and Senate .
Obama to seek congressional approval on military action against Syria .
Aim is to determine whether CW were used, not by whom, says U.N. spokesman . |
106,832 | 15d09af72a432216f9369e724b40306471486219 | Health officials are investigating a possible case of Ebola at Primary Children's Hospital in Utah, it has been confirmed. The patient, who has not been identified, had recently traveled to a country in Africa where transmission of the Ebola virus has not yet been reported, chief of pediatric infectious diseases Dr Andrew Pavia told a press conference. He said the patient was admitted on Wednesday and insists it is unlikely they have the deadly virus. Scroll down for video . Revealed: A patient who has just returned from an African country not yet affected by Ebola is being tested for the deadly virus at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, today . However, medics at the Salt Lake City hospital are for the first time employing the center's emergency plan created to tackle the disease. A spokesman said: 'While we have determined it is unlikely that the patient has Ebola virus, Primary Children's has taken this opportunity to use the emergency plan that we have been working on for the past few months in order to provide the maximum protection to staff, patients, families, and the greater community in the event we do have a patient with an Ebola infection in the future.' Pavia said the hospital was merely taking advantage of the opportunity to test its emergency system and that an alternative diagnosis became evident while doctors worked with the patient today, KSL reported. He added that the patient would pose no risk of infection to other patients or staff as the virus is spread through close bodily contact, not through the air or casual contact. He did not reveal details of the alternative diagnosis. Tests taken today have been sent to the CDC's headquarters for evaluation as part of the hospital's test. Scare: Thomas Duncan (right), the first person to be diagnosed in the US, could have touched 100 people . Traveled: Duncan went from Liberia to Brussels before catching a flight to Washington then another to Dallas . All US hospitals have been preparing to handle cases of Ebola, he said, adding: 'The possibility that somebody comes back to any state with Ebola is real. That should not make people nervous.' According to a press release, Primary Children's has been working for several months on an emergeny plan that provides 'the maximum protection to staff, patients, families, and the greater community in the event we do have a patient with an Ebola infection in the future.' It comes as it emerges Thomas Duncan, the first Ebola patient to be diagnosed in the US, could have been in contact with up to 100 American citizens before being isolated. And today it emerged there is a possible case in Hawaii. Four members of 42-year-old Thomas Eric Duncan's family have been legally ordered to stay home as a precaution even though they are not showing symptoms, the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement on Thursday. Violating the order could result in criminal charges. Some parents have temporarily removed their children from Dallas schools after learning that the five students may have come into contact with the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. | Patient being tested for Ebola at Primary Children's Hospital, Utah .
They 'had been to a country in Africa not yet affected by the virus'
Chief of pediatric diseases said they are merely testing emergency system .
But the results of the tests have been sent to CDC for examination . |
3,797 | 0af6eb754130e6d8d52d9e8967d4a756a0db6591 | (OPRAH.COM) -- Here's a little fact of life that took me by surprise: Roughly 23 million women in this country are 40 to 49 years of age and about 6,000 of us turn 50 every single day. We are a thoroughly undefined constituency. Some of us are what the wonderful Wendy Wasserstein used to call "bachelor girls," some of us are married, and a lot of us have had trial separations that seemed to go just fine...at least for the husband (with the struggling rock band), who went on to become the ex-husband (with the thriving law practice). Many of us have demanding kids or aging parents or a little of each. We juggle jobs, mortgages, student loans, and cancer treatments with low-fat diets, low-impact aerobics, low-grade depressions, a strong sense of irony, a dark sense of humor, and a full-bodied cabernet. We are tired. We are very tired -- we've thought seriously about penciling in a nervous breakdown for ourselves, but we've been through everything the world has to throw at us so many times that it's damn near impossible to get nervous about much of anything. Despite (or perhaps because of) all the coulda, woulda, shoulda moments that have come and gone, we've learned how to have a good laugh, an impromptu party, and an impure thought (or two) on a semiregular basis. We consider our options, our alternatives, our exit strategies. We take notes, we plan ahead, but we always leave room for serendipity. We are an entire generation of women who are making up our lives as we go along. Oprah.com: What Oprah has learned though the years . I know that it's human nature to want to glorify the past and preserve it in a delicious, if often inaccurate, cotton-candied haze. But the truth is that part of me (that would be the part of me that now needs an underwire bra and a pair of Spanx) really does miss my 20s. I still had that new car smell. I still thought terrorism would stay confined to the other side of the world. On the home front, I still kept standing up for brides (as if they needed my assistance to stand) while waiting politely for it to be my turn. And because it never occurred to me that my turn wouldn't come, I devoted an inordinate amount of time to trying to decide whether my wedding gown should be white or ecru -- by the time I hit 35, I'd have been okay with paisley. The Web had not gone mainstream when I was in my 20s, so any surfing I did (and coming from Detroit, that wasn't much) was in the ocean. And I grant you, my rearview mirror might be a little bit rose-tinted, but if memory serves, those oceans were fairly clean. Come to think of it, the glaciers were glacial, the bees were alive and well, a can of tuna didn't require a warning from the surgeon general, and the climate wasn't making any sudden moves. Color me crazy, but I've always been a sucker for a nice solid layer of ozone parking itself between me and a death ray. I'm also a great believer in time off for good behavior. I crave solitude. I like being unreachable once in a while, and in those days it was no big deal if somebody couldn't track you down for half an hour. You see, in the 1980s, we didn't know from e-mail or cell phones or Facebook or GPS, and a BlackBerry was nothing more complicated than a healthy treat that was high in antioxidants -- only guess what? Nobody had ever heard of antioxidants. I didn't need a baby aspirin every night or a Lipitor every morning. And I swear to God (that's another thing, God was still around when I was in my 20s), the closest anybody seemed to come to a genuine eating disorder was picking at a mixed green salad on a blind date until it was okay to go home and scarf down the contents of your refrigerator. But before I start turning into my great-uncle Saul, who never fails to tell me how he could've bought the entire Upper East Side of Manhattan for $225 back in 1936 ("when an ear of corn still tasted like an ear of corn"), let me say this: As much as I miss those days, I'm delighted and relieved to be done with being young. One quick glance in the mirror is all I need to know that time is most definitely a thief. Wait, strike that: One glance and I usually think I'm holding up pretty well -- it's upon closer inspection, that moment when I take a deep breath, put on my glasses, and turn up the dimmer switch, that I'm reminded gravity is not my friend. But if time has robbed me of a little elasticity and a lot of naïveté, it's left a few things in their place. Thanks to nearly 48 years at the big dance, a million mistakes, and one extraordinary psychiatrist, I've finally achieved the occasional touch of clarity. I'm getting to be resourceful. I'm getting to be resilient, and I hope that on my better days, I'm getting to be a little more calm, a little more contemplative, a little more compassionate. Oprah.com: How to make your midlife matter . Sometimes I think being middle-aged isn't about learning a lot of new lessons so much as learning the same old ones again and again. Here are a few of the lessons I keep learning: . • It is never a good thing when a shrinking portion of the population controls a growing portion of the money. It tends to make incredibly decent, hardworking, middle-class people sort of jumpy, and the next thing you know Kirsten Dunst is playing Marie Antoinette in a Sofia Coppola extravaganza. • Anyone who looks okay in ochre will look even better not in ochre. • War and famine bad, James Franco and spaghetti carbonara good. • What doesn't kill me does not make me stronger. It makes me anxious, bitchy, and vulnerable...but nobody wants to see that embroidered on a pillow. • This isn't exactly an old lesson I keep learning, but given that I'm lucky enough to have my own column, I'd like to use it to set right an unfortunate mistake. Remember a few years ago when we all got together and decided that sleep was the new sex? I've come to believe that we were dead wrong. What do you say we make actual ouch-you're-on-my-hair, did-you-hear-the-baby, jeez-that-was-my-eye, messy, intimate, life-affirming, really, really fun sex the new sex?! Because here's the thing: Between the economy, the environment, and the powder keg that is Pakistan, nobody's getting any sleep anyway -- so as long as we're all lying there wide awake... • Dorothy Parker was a genius. She wrote a gem of a poem called "Indian Summer." It's very short, but I'm low on space, so I'll just cut to the end: . But now I know the things I know, . And do the things I do; . And if you do not like me so, . To hell, my love, with you! Bravo, Ms. Parker. And, finally, deep into my 40s, I couldn't agree with you more. By Lisa Kogan from O, The Oprah Magazine, February 2009 . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Columnist Lisa Kogan heads toward 50s with fond look back at younger years .
Back then, she still had her "new car smell" and could enjoy solitude .
Says women in her generation are tired, considering scheduling a breakdown .
But since no one is sleeping these days, she'd like life-affirming, really fun sex . |
236,089 | bd9f9a742913415b514a1f52578837bc5d2a283b | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Felony fraud charges against actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, were dropped Wednesday after she accepted a deal on a misdemeanor offense, a California prosecutor said. The Quaids were facing felony charges of defrauding an innkeeper and skipping out on a $10,000 hotel bill in Santa Barbara, California, in September 2009. The couple have paid the bill in full, according to Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Arnie Tolks. After Evi Quaid entered a plea of no contest to one misdemeanor count of defrauding an innkeeper, she was sentenced to three years probation and 240 hours of community service, Tolks said. The Quaids were first arrested in Texas in September on a warrant issued by a Santa Barbara judge. They missed several court dates since then, prompting the judge to order them to jail on Monday unless they posted $100,000 bail each, which they did. After the couple showed up for a court hearing on Monday, their lawyer negotiated a plea deal. While investigators had circumstantial evidence against Randy Quaid, they could not prove his direct involvement in dealing with the hotel or the credit card transaction, Tolks said. Evidence showed it was Evi Quaid who handled the business with the hotel, he said. Quaid, 56, is known for his roles in several films, including the "National Lampoon's Vacation" movies, "Kingpin" and "Brokeback Mountain." His younger brother is actor Dennis Quaid. CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report. | Felony charges dropped against actor and his wife .
They were accused of skipping out on $10,000 hotel bill .
Evi Quaid agrees to misdemeanor charge, probation and community service . |
203,870 | 93f33cb19207eb793a45c9b7fe7346dc4b144fa6 | (CNN) -- Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced the resignations Tuesday of three high-level government officials, most notably Communications and Transport Secretary Luis Tellez Kuenzler. The government of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, seen here in January, is facing elections in July. Abraham Gonzalez, a key official for the powerful ministry that oversees Mexico's government, also resigned. So did Sergio Vela Martinez, president of the National Council for Culture and the Arts. No official reasons were given for any of the resignations, which analysts said did not appear to be related. But at least two of the resignations did not come as a surprise. Tellez, who stepped down from a Cabinet-level post, had been involved for weeks in a controversy over taped comments revealed last month by CNN journalist Carmen Aristegui. In the taped conversation, Tellez said former Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari had stolen government money. Salinas has not been formally accused of any crime. Tellez received an anonymous threat in late February from an apparent political enemy telling him to resign or more damaging audiotapes would be released to the media. He refused and turned the matter over to authorities. Ana Maria Salazar Slack, a political analyst who is host of a daily radio show in Mexico City, called it "an almost soap opera-ish scandal" that left Calderon little choice but to force Tellez to resign. "Although Calderon wanted to keep him in office, it made it very difficult to keep him there," she said. Calderon moved Tellez to a post as a presidential aide dealing with economic matters. Other observers also were not surprised by the move. "That was waiting to happen," said Andrew Selee, director of the Mexico Institute at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center. "But evidently the president values his counsel and has kept him in a high-profile position in the presidency from which he'll continue to have influence." Robert Pastor, the Latin America national security adviser for President Jimmy Carter in the 1970s, praised Tellez but said political considerations prevailed. "He's a very competent fellow," Pastor said. "One of the most competent people I've known in Mexico. But this tape in particular was very embarrassing." In a televised news conference after Calderon announced the changes, Tellez expressed his "gratitude for this opportunity that few Mexicans obtain." Replacing Tellez will be Juan Molinar Horcasitas, the head of the Mexican Institute for Social Security. Molinar belongs to the same party as Calderon, the National Action Party [PAN], while Tellez belongs to the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party [PRI]. That played a role, Slack said. "The president is sending a signal to his party that he's going to support people from his own party," Slack said. "Beyond the political scandals of the tapes, there's a decision for the president to appoint people very close to the party." Gonzalez's departure was not a surprise either, since he is running for a congressional seat in July and Mexican law requires him to resign. Analysts spoke highly of Gonzalez's replacement, Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez. He had been the top person in the foreign ministry for Latin and North America. "Gutierrez moving in is outstanding," the Mexico Institute's Selee said, calling him "one of the smartest people ... I've met" and "an impressive guy." Consuelo Saizar Guerrero takes over as head of the National Council for Culture and the Arts, replacing Vela, whose reasons for resigning were not disclosed. Saizar previously served as head of the Economic Culture Fund, the government's book-publishing enterprise. The arts and culture post will play a significant role in 2010, when Mexico celebrates 100 years of its social revolution and 200 years of its declaration of independence, radio analyst Slack said. As for the timing of resignations from three key posts, Slack linked it to Mexico's election calendar. "In order to understand these changes," she said, "you have to understand there are midterm elections in July. So if there are going to be any changes, they have to take place right now." Meanwhile, Peter Hakim, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue, said the changes do not portend a political shift. "This doesn't sound like any major direction in change for Calderon," Hakim said. | Analyst says timing of resignations linked to Mexican midterm elections in July .
Communications and transport secretary resigns amid controversy over comments .
Key official for ministry that oversees Mexico's government leaves . |
129,092 | 32d1a4ebe3338a46b74de1c35aa1cb18b4a3710f | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 05:57 EST, 5 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 5 March 2014 . A mother-of-five has a rare skin condition which means she can draw on her own skin and watch it disappear - like an Etch a Sketch. Sarah Beal, 43, from Arley, Warwickshire, has such sensitive skin that the slightest scratch can cause it to swell. But she has also realised that the condition - known as dermatographia - allows her to create patterns . and pictures on her skin which disappear within an hour. Bizarre: Sarah Beal has a rare condition called dermatographia, which allows her to create patterns and pictures on her skin . Rare: Dermographism or 'skin writing' is a type of urticaria, or hives - where a raised, itchy rash appears on the skin. Ms Beal said: 'I grabbed a spoon from my kitchen draw and with the handle I drew a heart on my arm. When I saw the heart appear on my skin, I loved it' Art: Ms Beal says the Etch a Sketch comparison is 'pretty accurate - although I wish a good shake was enough to get rid of the itching' Dermographism or 'skin writing' is a type of urticaria, or hives - where a raised, itchy rash appears on the skin. Ms Beal said: 'My skin is so sensitive that sometimes even clothes can feel uncomfortable. “When I lie in bed, the quilt can feel like needles pressing into me. 'I can scratch my arm or my back and long lines will come up on my arms where I’ve scratched. 'But I think being able to draw on my skin is so cool - it’s my party trick. She added: 'The etch a sketch comparison is pretty accurate - although I wish a good shake was enough to get rid of the itching.' Dermatographia is thought to be caused when the cells under the surface of the skin release histamines under the slightest pressure. Histamines are chemicals released in the body as part of an allergic reaction, causing the skin to swell. Temporary: Ms Beal's 'etchings' disappear within the hour. She said: 'I think being able to draw on my skin is so cool - it's my party trick' Reation: Dermatographia is thought to be caused when the cells under the surface of the skin release histamines under the slightest pressure. Histamines are chemicals released in the body as part of an allergic reaction, causing the skin to swell . Ms Bell only discovered her dermatographia just three years ago. She said: 'It just came out of nowhere. At first I just thought my skin was getting more sensitive as I got older. 'I’d scratched my skin one day and it got all itchy and raised, but it was nothing serious enough to do anything about. 'But as it got worse I knew something wasn’t quite right - I could give my back a scratch and before I knew it my skin would turn red and be really painful. 'Eventually I Googled the condition and I just couldn’t believe it.' She also discovered the unusual quirk of her condition just by chance. She said: 'I don’t know why I thought of it, but after seeing my skin raise at the slightest touch, I wondered if I could draw on it. Random: Ms Beal discovered the unusual quirk of her skin condition just by chance. She said: 'I don¿t know why I thought of it, but after seeing my skin raise at the slightest touch, I wondered if I could draw on it' Dermographism or “skin writing” is a type of urticaria, or hives - where a raised, itchy rash appears on the skin. Dermatographia is thought to be caused when the cells under the surface of the skin release histamines under the slightest pressure. Histamines are chemicals released in the body as part of an allergic reaction, causing the skin to swell. In this type of urticaria, itchy weals occur after friction such as rubbing or stroking the skin. This itching may be aggravated by heat. Weals and red marks also often appear as lines at the sites of scratching, and generally last for less than one hour.' Antihistamines block the effect of histamine, and reduce itching and the rash in most people, but may not relieve urticaria completely. If urticaria occurs frequently, it is best to take antihistamines regularly every day. 'I grabbed a spoon from my kitchen draw and with the handle I drew a heart on my arm. 'When I saw the heart appear on my skin I loved it. 'It becomes quite itchy and sore afterwards, but I thought it was so interesting to see it stay on my skin like that. 'I quickly took a picture of it and uploaded it to Facebook before it disappeared. I have tattoos so I quite like the idea that you can draw on your skin. 'My friends and family think it’s really fun too.' Ms Beal who runs a cake and confectionery company, takes no regular medication to control her sensitive skin. She said: 'At the moment it’s quite bad, but I just grin and bear it. 'When it really flares up, clothes and bedding can be the most painful - it feels like my skin is filled with needles or tiny bits of glass. 'Some jewellery can be very painful to wear too, especially around my neck. 'I’ve also got two little dogs, and just the tiniest scratch from them can be agony. 'But I do like the fact that I can draw on my skin - it’s a little bit quirky and different, a great conversation starter.' Matthew Gass, from the British Association of Dermatologists, said: 'Dermographism or “skin writing” is a type of urticaria. 'Swelling is caused by the release of histamine from cells in the skin called mast cells. 'In . this type of urticaria, itchy weals occur after friction such as . rubbing or stroking the skin. This itching may be aggravated by heat. Painful: Ms Beal says that when her urticaria flares up, it can feel like her skin is filled with needles or tiny bits of glass . 'Weals and red marks also often appear as lines at the sites of scratching, and generally last for less than one hour.' He added: 'Antihistamines block the . effect of histamine, and reduce itching and the rash in most people, but . may not relieve urticaria completely. 'If urticaria occurs frequently, it is best to take antihistamines regularly every day. 'There . are many different types, including non-sedating and sedating . antihistamines, in addition to short acting and long acting types. 'The antihistamine tablets can to be taken for as long as the urticaria persists.' For more information of uticara,visit Allergy UK . | Sarah Beal has such sensitive skin that slightest scratch causes swelling .
She suffers from dermatographia, which is a type of urticaria, or hives .
Shapes appear on her skin and are thought to occur when the cells under the surface of the skin release chemicals under the slightest pressure .
Says she discovered the unusual quirk of her condition just by chance . |
235,245 | bc8b2af794c2ec06357797f99b23112b2348e24d | By . Lydia Warren . and Daily Mail Reporter . The Bush family today shared the first pictures of its newest member - Margaret Laura 'Mila' Hager. Jenna Bush Hager gave birth to the healthy little girl in New York City at 8.43pm on Saturday, making former President George W Bush and wife Laura grandparents for the first time. Intimate images released by the family today show the proud new grandfather cradling the tiny bundle alongside his beaming wife, while another shows Jenna and her mother cooing over the little girl. There's also some early family bonding as George Bush and his son-in-law Henry Hager are seen holding Mila up to watch the Masters tournament on the hospital television. Scroll down for video . Newest addition: Jenna Bush holds her healthy daughter Mila, who was born on Saturday evening, alongside her parents, former president George Bush and his wife Laura Bush, and her husband Henry . Proud: Bush and his wife grin as they hold their first grandchild, who was born weighing 6lbs and 15oz . And one family portrait shows Jenna holding her tiny daughter surrounded by her parents and husband Henry, with a drawing of a heart containing the word 'Mila' hanging behind them. In a statement, President Bush said: 'Laura and I are thrilled to announce the birth of our grandchild. We met our beautiful granddaughter today. Jenna and Mila are healthy. And our family is elated.' Mila was named after her grandmothers, like Jenna herself and her twin sister Barbara. The . Bush family has frequently named babies after their predecessors. Other . examples include George, Prescott, Walker, Ellis, Pierce and Dorothy. Ladies of the family: Jenna and her mother Laura are pictured cooing over Margaret Laura 'Mila' Hager . Welcome: Jenna cuddles her tiny newborn Mila, who was named after her grandmothers . Daddy's girl: Jenna's husband of nearly five years, Henry Hager, is pictured with their daughter . Family bonding: The men introduce baby Mila to golf as they watch Angel Cabrera play in the Masters . A heavily pregnant Jenna Bush Hager was seen around New York City last week running errands in a bright pink, . figure-hugging long top that showed off her large baby bump. Until then Bush had tried to conceal her bump with shapeless shift dresses, . but last Wednesday the mother-to-be decided on the shape-defining top. The previous week the Today show correspondent, who announced her pregnancy in December last year, held a baby shower with her NBC co-workers Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie. According to People magazine, the gift table was piled with dozens of . her co-worker's favorite childhood books - each inscribed with a piece . of parenting advice. Happy news: The Today show, where Jenna works, aired the announcement of baby Mila's birth . Mom-to-be: A heavily pregnant Jenna Bush Hager dotted around New York City today running errands in a bright pink figure-hugging top that showed off her growing baby bump . Meredith Viera gave a copy of We're Going on a Bear Hunt, with the advice: 'Get a nap anytime you can.' Meanwhile Savannah Guthrie gave . Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and Kathie . Lee Gifford offered Party Animals. Goodnight Moon, given by news anchor Natalie Morales, was also among the shower gifts. 'I have read this book so many times, I . have it committed to memory and committed to song, because I have to . jazz it up - not just for my kids,' explained Ms Morales. Last month, Laura and George W. Bush, swept into the couple's lower Manhattan . apartment to whip . the nursery together and painted it green - as they did not know the gender of the baby. Baby shower: Hoda Kotb (left) and former . co-anchor Meredith Viera (right) pose for pictures with Jenna Bush Hager . (middle) during her baby shower last week . Live entertainment: Natalie Morales (right) performed a song version of the classic book, Goodnight Moon . Happy couple: Henry Hager, 34, made a surprise visit at the afternoon women's soirée to his wife's delight . Mr Bush, who has taken up painting since his eight-year stint in the White House, contributed the nursery's artwork. 'He’s . become an artiste. There’s a whole new side of him and he’s so excited . about the baby,' Mrs Bush Hager explained. Before her NBC co-workers left for the afternoon, she made sure they knew how grateful she was. 'It . made me feel really happy to work where we work,' said Mrs Bush Hager. 'I already feel 100 percent supported, which is a really amazing . feeling. She also promised to . be back in the studio after a summer maternity leave. We're pregnant! Jenna Bush Hager and Henry Hager . posed on the set of Today on December 12th, 2012, as they confirmed they . are expecting their first child . Wedding day: The happy couple beam alongside former President George W Bush, Laura Bush and . Barbara Bush after tying the knot in May 2008 . 'I’ll bring this baby to work — on the subway, I guess,' she said. 'I haven’t figured that part out yet.' Mrs Bush Hager and her husband, 34, who got married in 2008 on former President Bush's Texas ranch, will be celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary in June. The busy mother-to-be is an editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine as well as a contributing correspondent on the Today show. | Jenna Bush Hager, 31, gave birth to healthy baby daughter on Saturday .
Margaret Laura Hager, who was born 6lbs and 15 oz, is the first grandchild for former president George Bush and his wife Laura . |
118,829 | 25724f3f1c7ba84dea9b6b1a6e5a07f16da2ee18 | Some football referees can earn up to £70,000 a year - but Swedish official Jonas Eriksson may be earning more than that in annual interest alone. That's because the canny 39-year-old became a . multi-millionaire after selling his 15 per cent stake in a Swedish sports . media rights business over six years ago for about £6million. Eriksson, who has been a referee . since 1994, is understood to be one of three partners who sold their . share in the company, IEC in Sports. The former journalist hit the headlines for failing to send off striker . Robert Lewandowski after he elbowed Arsenal player Laurent Koscielny . during Borussia Dortmund's win against the club last night. Canny Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson became a multi-millionaire after selling his 15 per cent stake in a sports media rights business over six years ago for about £6m . Erkisson, who lives in the picturesque town of Sigtuna (above, file picture), just north of Stockholm, said: 'I've had a fantastic life as a businessman... but since 2011, I've dedicated myself to being a professional referee and I'm having the time of my life' Based . primarily in Stockholm, IEC has . offices around Europe, as well as in the Middle East, Asia and Oceania, distributing . television rights worldwide to TV stations and media companies. Its current programme list consists of 250 events with a total annual volume of more than 3,500 hours. The company’s archive boasts more than 5,000 events, dating back to 1993. But despite Eriksson's wealth, nothing will change his first love as he continues to officiate in his home country and across Europe. Erkisson, who lives in the picturesque . town of Sigtuna, just north of Stockholm, told UEFA in August: 'I've had a fantastic . life as a businessman... but since 2011, I've dedicated myself to . being a professional referee and I'm having the time of my life.' Jonas Eriksson shows Robert Lewandowski of Borussia Dortmund a yellow card for a foul on Laurent Koscielny of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match yesterday . 'All the money hasn't changed . anything, the best thing I do in my life is still refereeing football,' said Eriksson. Above, Robert Lewandowski was fortunate to stay on the pitch after he was only cautioned for an elbow during the game at the Emirates Stadium yesterday, which saw Dortmund win 2-1 . And speaking last year, he said: 'All the money hasn't changed . anything, the best thing I do in my life is still refereeing football.' The Lewandowski incident is not the first time Eriksson has courted controversy. He bore the brunt of Rangers' wrath in 2009 after waving away penalty claims in a Champions League clash with Sevilla, with Scotland manager Gordon Strachan saying after the game that the Swede 'shouldn't get another game in the Champions League... he is not good enough.' And he sparked more trouble in the 2011-12 season when he dismissed two penalty claims from Barcelona in their goalless draw with AC Milan at San Siro in the Champions League quarter-final. Ryan Babel of Liverpool is shown a red card and sent off by Eriksson during a game against Benefica in Portugal in 2010 . | Swedish official Jonas Eriksson became a multi-millionaire after selling stake in sports media rights agency .
Ex-journalist made about £6m from his 15% stake in IEC in Sports .
Lewandowski elbowed Arsenal player Laurent Koscielny .
during Borussia Dortmund's win against the club last night . |
276,955 | f2ce28aea364f10c12f2933354a0baeab4dc77c5 | These are the shocking injuries suffered by a woman who was beaten by her husband after they were captured on a police body camera worn by a officer responding to her 999 call. Police were called to Dawn Marmoy's home on the Isle of Wight in October last year after reports she was being attacked by her husband Michael Gregory. The two responding officers were both wearing Body-Worn Video (BWV) cameras, which filmed Ms Marmoy's bruised and swollen face, which one officer described as the worst they had ever seen. The images captured on a police officer's body worn video camera showing the shocking injuries suffered by Dawn Marmoy after she was beaten by her husband Michael Gregory . The pictures show Ms Marmoy after she was attacked and when police came to her home in the Isle of Wight after she dialled 999 . Ms Marmoy's face was left bruised and swollen following the attack and the footage shows how she was left in pain . In the footage, which has been released by Hampshire Police, the two officers can be seen knocking on the front door, which is opened by Gregory. As a dog barks loudly in the background, one of the officers ask Gregory if they can speak to his wife. At first the 77-year-old is reluctant to let them in, saying 'who called you?' But after eventually letting the officers into the home, the footage then shows a confused Ms Marmoy, aged 60, who has bruising around both eyes and swollen cheeks. She can then be seen sitting in an armchair holding a cup wincing in pain from her injuries. Gregory was then arrested and in May of this year pleaded guilty to assault and jailed at Portsmouth Crown Court. Now the footage showing the night of the attack has been released with the consent of Ms Marmoy, who is urging other sufferers of domestic violence to speak up. When officers first turned up at the couple's house in the Isle of Wight, Gregory answered the door and at first appeared reluctant to let the constables inside . Gregory eventually relented, and the officers discovered Ms Marmoy and her injuries. Gregory has since been convicted of assault at Portsmouth Crown Court . She said: 'You’ve got a life, and you deserve that life. These people make you feel worthless, completely useless; that’s not true. 'They deserve the punishment, you don’t, but until you tell someone, or say it’s "got to stop", it will carry on. Do what you’ve got to do, but do it sooner than I did it. 'The last time he was punching me, I thought "this is it", you’re going to die tonight. 'I was thinking of my children, my grandchildren. He just meant to do me harm, which he did, but I didn’t realise how much harm, I was terrified. 'They could see the emotion of how frightened I was. If they (police) had left that night and that camera wasn’t on, and it had been a little bit later, they wouldn’t have found me as they did, they would have found a body.' She also appeared on the BBC Panorama programme earlier this week, where she spoke about her experiences. Police are now praising Ms Marmoy for speaking about her injuries and say the case highlights how usefel BWV cameras can be. Ms Marmoy pictured now, has allowed Hampshire Police to release the footage of the night she was attacked in a bid to urge other survivors of domestic abuse to speak out . Detective Superintendent Ben Snuggs said: 'The effects of domestic abuse can be profound and persistent for the survivors, their families and the wider community. 'We have the utmost respect and admiration for Dawn Marmoy and her decision to speak out and give strength to encourage other victims not to suffer in silence. 'Hampshire Constabulary is dedicated to supporting survivors like Dawn to ensure they have trust and confidence in reporting their experiences to police. 'This case provides a graphic insight into the power of Body-Worn Video (BWV) as an independent witness that captures crucial early evidence in an investigation.' | Dawn Marmoy called 999 after she was beaten by Michael Gregory .
Two police officers that responded were both wearing body cameras .
Devices filmed the scene which greeted them at the house in Isle of Wight .
Gregory, 77, is seen answering the door and reluctantly letting officers in .
Camera then shows the shocking facial injuries suffered by Ms Marmoy .
Footage shows her looking in pain with a bruised and swollen face .
Gregory was arrested and convicted of assault and jailed earlier this year .
Now police have released footage to encourage other domestic violence sufferers to speak out . |
151,193 | 4f7c3c964afc1459c5b5b0d1573e1d30928863b0 | By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 16:47 EST, 2 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:02 EST, 2 April 2013 . An African-American mother has launched a petition urging Mattel to produce party supplies featuring a black Barbie after failing to find products themed around her daughter's favorite doll. Karen Braithwaite was organizing daughter Georgia's Barbie-themed fifth birthday party when she discovered the only products available featured the blonde, blue-eyed version of the doll. Surprised by the lack of black Barbies represented in the products, the mother, from Harlem, New York, launched a Change.org petition urging Mattel to offer a more diverse selection of party supplies. Scroll down for video . Taking a stand: Karen Braithwaite (pictured with her daughter Georgia) has launched a petition for Mattel to offer more black Barbie party supplies . The petition has now amassed over 3,000 signatures. Georgia - whose fifth birthday is this week - told DNAinfo that she wanted a black . Barbie-themed party because the dolls 'look like princesses and fairies,' she explained. 'They look like me.' But when her mother set out to find party supplies, she found that the only line offered by Mattel included more than 35 products featuring images of the white doll. Meanwhile, the sole indication of diversity was a . brown-skinned Barbie and a brunette - 'possibly meant to be a HIspanic,' noted the mother - featured on a tablecloth . and a handful of hanging decorations. So Mrs Braithwaite launched the petition, along with an accompanying video and letter explaining her situation and requesting the signatures of others. She explains in the video: 'This is about more than just my daughter's . birthday party - it's about promoting diversity, inclusion and respect.' 'This is about more than my daughter's . birthday party - it's about promoting diversity, inclusion and respect' Mrs Braithwaite points out that . Mattel is far from racist; in fact, the toy company sells black, . Hispanic and Asian barbies and markets many of its products . to young girls of color. But . she notes that if a black girl wants to have a Barbie-themed birthday party, she has no choice but to use products adorned with the white doll. She asks in the clip: 'Is that really the message Mattel wants to send in . 2013?' Mrs Braithwaite explains that the lack of diversity is not only disturbing in the modern world, but it can also negatively affect the image black girls have of themselves. Lack of diversity: When the Harlem mother set out to find Barbie-themed supplies for her daughter's fifth birthday party, she found more than 35 products featuring images of the blonde, blue-eyed version of the doll . The petition website reads: 'Featuring the white Barbie so prominently on the party favors while relegating the "ethnic" Barbies to near-invisible cameos sends a clear - and troubling - message to young girls' On the website for her . petition she writes : 'Featuring the white Barbie so prominently on the banners, . cups, napkins, plates, party favors, and invitations, while relegating . the "ethnic" Barbies to near-invisible cameos sends a clear - and . troubling - message to young girls.' 'Featuring the white Barbie so prominently sends a clear - and troubling - message to young girls' The accompanying video illustrates the diversity of Barbie fans. It shows a sequence of young . girls from various ethnicities playing with the dolls and saying to the . camera: 'I am a Barbie girl.' At the end of the clip, a banner appears that reads: 'Beauty comes in all colors.' And it seems Mrs Braithwaite isn't the only parent who has experienced difficulty with the lack of diversity in Mattel's Barbie birthday party supplies. Some of the supporters of the petition have listed their reasons for signing it on the website. One such woman wrote: 'Every little girl should see herself and be proud.' Beauty comes in all colors: A video for the petition shows a sequence of young girls from various ethnicities saying to the camera: 'I am a Barbie girl' Like any other girl: Georgia Braithwaite - whose fifth birthday is this week - says she wants a black Barbie-themed party because the dolls 'look like princesses and fairies,' she explained. 'They look like me' Another supporter said: 'As a parent of a child of color, it has always been important to our family to have toys that represent our child's image.' When she contacted Mattel, they apparently told her that it was up to product licensees to produce black Barbie party supplies. Still, she Mrs Braithwaite says she thinks that the company should play a more active role in ensuring there is a diverse selection of party supplies on offer for consumers. Says the petition: 'Young girls of . color have birthdays, and young girls of color love Barbie. So why only . offer party supplies very prominently featuring one, white Barbie?' WATCH: Mom petitions Mattel for Barbies of color party supplies . | Karen Braithwaite was organizing daughter Georgia's Barbie-themed fifth birthday party when she discovered the only products available featured the blonde, blue-eyed version of the doll .
The mother, from Harlem, New York, launched a Change.org petition urging Mattel to offer a more diverse selection of party supplies. It has since amassed over 3,000 signatures . |
230,629 | b6a71c1fbd9355a267b0915844ec77cd296cdb6b | (CNN) -- The college student accused of hijacking the webcam of Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf and other young women is a former high school classmate of the pageant winner. Jared James Abrahams, 19, was arrested Thursday for allegedly taking nude images of the women using their own webcams, and then blackmailing them to send more explicit material. 2011: Hacker gets 6 years in prison for 'sextortion' scheme . Wolf told CNN on Friday that she had no personal connection with Abrahams while they were in high school in Temecula, California. "When I heard his name it didn't click right away what he looked like," she said. "His name is familiar. When I looked at his yearbook picture, I recalled moments when I saw him in the hallways." The suspect is accused of taking nude pictures of Wolf while she changed clothes or walked into her room after a shower. Wolf, 19, said her computer apparently was hacked months before receiving the first threatening e-mail on March 21. At the time, she did not have her current pageant crown and was attending a college in Costa Mesa and lived in an apartment. "When I got the first e-mail, I read the first three lines and I quickly scrolled through it and saw it was a long e-mail," she said. "Two photos of me were attached. I literally threw my phone across the room and started screaming. It did not feel real, it was like a horror movie." Wolf said she believes the images were taken while she was in high school. A threat to Wolf allegedly read, "Either you do one of the things listed below or I upload these pics and a lot more (I have a LOT more and those are better quality) on all your accounts for everybody to see and your dream of being a model will be transformed into a pornstar" (sic). Fears about such hacking are not misplaced. Last month, it was reported that some high-end televisions with built-in cameras could be turned on without the viewers knowing. Security cameras, lights, heating control systems and even door locks and windows are now increasingly coming with features that allow users to control them remotely. Without proper security controls, there's little to stop hackers from invading users' privacy, stealing personal information or spying on people. FTC cracks down on hacked video camera maker . Abrahams is a computer science student. His arrest came six months after Wolf alerted authorities to the "sextortion" scheme. Authorities executed a search warrant at Abrahams' home on June 4, at which time he "voluntarily agreed to speak" with a pair of FBI agents. Describing himself in that interview as a college freshman who was good with computers, a criminal complaint said, he admitted using malware and his expertise to "watch his victims change their clothes and ... use the photographs against them." When he admitted what he'd done, Abrahams said he had 30 to 40 "slave computers" -- or other people's electronic devices he controlled -- and has had as many as 150 total, according to the complaint. Investigators also linked him to at least eight other young women, some of them, like Wolf, from Southern California. Others were from as far away as Moldova. Rutgers Freshman's Suicide Shows Risks of Webcams . Wolf said she became aware of the hack after she got a Facebook alert that someone had tried to change her password. She then noticed other social media accounts were not "acting the same." The pageant contestant, now attending school in New York, replied to a couple of e-mails that day in March. "I asked him, 'Please don't do this to me.'" Authorities advised her not to have further contact. The FBI used evidence from her computer and iPhone to build its case, Wolf said. "It took them two to three months to figure out who this was." Wolf told CNN said has been on a "roller coaster of emotions." "It's kind of hard to explain my emotions about him. One one hand I am upset. ... how he traumatized me," she said. "I feel, on the other hand, sorry for him. He went to high school with me." Wolf says she is now on a campaign to raise awareness about the risks that technology can expose users to. She has spoken to students about steps they can take. "It can happen to them because they are growing up in a generation where technology is so advanced." "Be careful what you are doing on your computer," she advised. "There are cameras on computers and iPhones. Be careful of what you are doing in front of your camera." Wolf said she used her computer responsibly but "did not know how dangerous a computer can be in the hands of someone else." Other advice? Change passwords on e-mail and social media accounts. Make them difficult. Delete cookies and browsing history. And, when not communicating with a loved one or friend, put a sticker over the computer webcam. Police: Naked scammers seduce, blackmail men on Web . | NEW: "I started screaming," Miss Teen USA tells CNN .
Cassidy Wolf recognizes her alleged tormenter as a former high school classmate .
Jared James Abrahams is accused of hijacking webcams of young women .
He allegedly made demands of them, threatening to release nude photos . |
155,756 | 5552282807e28ded0c37a74d374eb39242942cd3 | (CNN) -- Spain's football duopoly of Real Madrid and Barcelona has become so dominant that sponsors have lost interest in backing other Spanish clubs. "Having two monsters like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, the world's leading concert in football, overshadows the other clubs," financial expert Jose Maria Gay de Liebana told CNN. "Sports sponsorship companies are more inclined to be the third or fourth sponsor of these two great clubs, Barcelona and Madrid, rather than be the first sponsor of a club without universal screening," he added. Gay de Liebana told CNN that the apparent advantage of having global brands in the top tier of Spanish football -- known as La Liga -- is in fact a serious detriment to many clubs. According to Forbes Magazine's 2012 rankings, Real Madrid is the richest club in the world by revenue -- $695 million -- and second only to Manchester United in market value. Burden . Meanwhile, Barcelona -- widely recognized as the best football team in the world with a pedigree of stars such as Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta -- is the second richest club in the world by revenue. Gay de Liebana says the presence of these two football behemoths combined with billions of euros of debt - estimated at $4.5 billion for Primera Division teams -- and liabilities has meant Spanish football clubs can no longer cope with this burden. Traditionally local governments in Spain have had a role to play in the financial management of football clubs. In the past, teams such as Valencia and Madrid, as sporting institutions, have received subsidies from local authorities, according to Spanish football expert Sid Lowe. But in the current economic climate, state investment in football clubs is not a high priority for many politicians as the central government in Madrid grapples with a spiralling national debt and chronic unemployment of over 25%. Spain -- the eurozone's fourth largest economy -- is likely to be the next bailout casualty of the debt crisis in the 17-nation currency union. The government in Madrid has already requested a rescue package for its ailing banks, which require almost 60 billion euros ($76.4 million) in support following an audit in September. Real Oviedo's plea . Further down the feeding chain of Spanish football the financial situation is even more dire -- so much so that one Spanish club in the third division -- Real Oviedo -- has turned to football fans for help. Earlier this month the Asturias-based team launched a campaign, whereby fans could effectively buy shares at approximately 11 euros [$13] each in exchange for a token stake in the club. Word of Real Oviedo's plight went viral on Twitter and football fans across the globe responded by purchasing shares and raising more than one million euros ($1.2 million) in nine days. Gay de Liebana argued that the current state of Spanish football clubs is the result of poor financial regulation and supervision. When asked whether other teams might also stand on the precipice of extinction, he said: "I absolutely know it will happen... The next few months -- and I hope I am wrong -- will be tragic for some clubs." | Spanish football clubs struggle to find sponsorship and marketing deals in economic crisis .
Teams suffering as a result of poor financial regulation, according to financial expert Gay de Liebana .
Real Oviedo has turned to fans for financial help .
Gay de Liebana warns next few months for Spanish clubs "will be tragic for some clubs" |
73,117 | cf5d298d45fff9493ba8f7ffdc4fa336e7688b68 | By . Amanda Williams and Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 11:20 EST, 18 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:35 EST, 19 December 2012 . Jailed: Factory worker Richard Morgan who shook his girlfriend's poorly baby son to death . A 33-year-old man who beat and shook a poorly baby to death while the boy's mother went shopping was jailed for seven-and-a-half years today. Slater Sharkey suffered 25 bruises from his head to his toes when he died aged 13 months in December 2010, a jury at Newcastle Crown Court heard. Richard Morgan, of Tantobie, County Durham, harmed the baby over 18 hours prior to his death. His partner, the child's mother, Rachel Peacock, 31, was convicted of cruelty to a child but cleared of causing or allowing her son's death. Morgan was not the boy's father and was in sole charge of Slater when the fatal injury was inflicted, Mr Justice King told him as he passed sentence at Newcastle Crown Court. He was convicted of manslaughter yesterday following a trial lasting over four weeks. He said: 'Your killing of Slater was the result primarily of your forceful shaking of the child, in a momentary loss of control, at a time when you had become frustrated by his whingeing and crying due to him in all likelihood being separated from his mother. 'Whatever the circumstances leading you to becoming frustrated at the child's behaviour, nothing justifies Slater becoming treated in this way.' Tragic baby Slater Sharkey, who died aged just 13 months, suffered 'catastrophic' head trauma and a number of bruises . The judge accepted Morgan did not intend to inflict serious harm when he shook the baby, and that he had been a good father to his own children. Bruising inflicted prior to the boy's death could not be proved to have been caused by Morgan, the judge said, but there was 'clear evidence' of assaults over a 24-hour period leading up to it. Slater's mother, Rachel Peacock, who had been living with Morgan for two months, was cleared by a jury of causing or allowing her son's death, but she was convicted of a cruelty charge. That related to an incident a month before Slater's death when she did not take him to hospital in defiance of her GP's advice. She was handed a 12-month community order by Mr Justice King, who said the single episode of neglect had not contributed to her son's death. Morgan claimed he had left the baby momentarily in the living room and when he returned, he found the boy had collapsed. Richard Morgan (left) beat and shook baby Slater Sharkey to death. His . partner, the child's mother, Rachel Peacock, (right) was convicted of . cruelty to a child but cleared of allowing or causing his death . Soon after Peacock . returned from the shops, he claimed, and they rushed his lifeless body . to Shotley Bridge Hospital, and he was then taken to the University . Hospital of North Durham, but attempts to save him failed. Outside . court Detective Chief Inspector Steve Chapman said: 'This was all about . Richard Morgan taking responsibility for his actions. 'He has always said it was not him, and ultimately the jury found him guilty. 'For the family, this was all about getting a conviction.' The pair are no longer together. During the earlier trial, Andrew Robertson QC told jurors Slater died of 'catastrophic brain damage' at the hands of Morgan, who was looking after him while Peacock went to the local shops. The court heard on the day of his death on December 11 2010 Slater had gone to the supermarket with his mother then returned home for tea. Peacock realised she had forgotten something when they got back and popped out to her local shop, leaving Slater alone with Morgan. While she was away Slater lost consciousness. Morgan claimed he had left the child playing with his toys and he was lying face-down, passed out when he got back. Slater's lifeless body was taken to hospital but he died hours later on December 11, 2010. Mr Robertson said: 'Rachel Peacock left Slater playing with his toys. When she left, she left the child in Richard Morgan's sole custody. 'When she returned, Slater was unconscious. Richard Morgan was panicking but he hadn't telephoned an ambulance. 'Richard Morgan's account was he had simply gone to the toilet leaving Slater playing with his toys in the living room floor and when he returned, Slater was face-down on the floor not breathing.' The child was found to have suffered multiple head wounds consistent with being beaten or struck against something, and had bruises on his legs which suggested he had been gripped tightly. The pair were sentenced today at Newcastle Crown Court. The baby's mother received a community order . A pathologist discovered he also had 'extensive and severe' bleeding in his eyes and bleeding and swelling to the brain - a sign he was violently shaken. Mr Robertson added: 'The fatal injury can only have occurred when the child was left alone with Richard Morgan. 'This wasn't a one-off assault.' The 31-year-old mum was found guilty of cruelty after she fled a doctor's surgery a month before Slater's death in December 2010 when it was suggested the boy should be examined by a specialist. The court heard she was covering up bruising on her boy during the shopping trip on the day he died, telling a friend she could not take him to the doctors for a cold because of the state of him. The couple were living together in Tantobie, County Durham at the time of Slater's death. | Baby Slater Sharkey suffered 25 bruises from his head to his toes when he died aged 13 months .
Richard Morgan, 33, harmed the baby over 18 hours prior to his death .
Baby's mother Rachel Peacock handed 12-month community order .
Morgan sentenced to 7 and a half years today . |
161,646 | 5cfdf24725ec2f9fc8f54bc7d36769e45c964d86 | By . Lizzie Parry . PUBLISHED: . 05:03 EST, 8 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:28 EST, 8 January 2014 . Bargain hunters are expected to make a dash for the best holiday deals this weekend,as travel firms gear up for 'Sunshine Saturday'. The stampede for holidays is expected to see thousands booking a break in the sun, as people try to beat the the post-Christmas winter blues, made worse by the relentless stormy weather in recent weeks. Travel firm Thomson told MailOnline it is expecting to see more than one million people visit one of its high street stores or log on to its website over the 24-hour period. Thomson and First Choice are gearing up for Sunshine Saturday this weekend, when they expect thousands to book holidays to beat the winter blues. Mauritius, pictured, is expected to be one of the must-visit destinations . Of these around 35,000 customers are expected to part with their money and secure themselves a well-earned break. It will make Saturday the busiest holiday shopping day of the year, prompted by the stormy weather and widespread flooding. Thomson and fellow operator First Choice said more than half of all bookings are likely to be made on a tablet or mobile phone. Head of marketing, Jeremy Ellis, said: 'With Christmas firmly out of the way many people want a holiday in the sunshine to look forward to. More than half of bookings are expected to be made on tablet computers and mobiles . 'Over the last few years we've seen a trend towards booking holidays earlier and with record bookings over Christmas we're expecting the rush to continue with our busiest day of year this Saturday. 'It's also the perfect time for Brits to take advantage of some of the great January deals available to places like Greece and Croatia or further afield to . Jamaica and Mauritius.' Bookings are expected to peak in store at 2pm and online at around 8.45pm. Short haul breaks in Europe are tipped to be the most popular, with Greece, the Balearics and Croatia likely to be the must-visit destinations. While for those in search of adventures on far flung shores, places like Jamaica, Mexico and Mauritius are expected to top the wish list. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said: 'Members are reporting strong bookings and we expect this weekend and the next few weeks to be busy.' Thomson and First Choice said they saw record bookings on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, with bookings up 10 per cent on last year. A surge of people rushing to treat themselves saw traffic peak between 10am and noon on Christmas Day with more bookings than ever before made on tablet computers or mobiles. Tenerife proved the most popular destination on Christmas Day, with many sun seekers attracted by the regular temperatures of 22C to 28C. The Association of British Travel Agents said it is 'cautiously optimistic' about the holiday market in 2014, predicting people will spend more money than in 2013. Thomson and First Choice predict a million people will visit their stores and log on to their websites on Saturday, hunting for cut-price deals. Of those around 35,000 are expected to snap up a bargain and book a break in the sun . The harbour in Hvar Town, Croatia. The country is tipped to be one of the most popular destinations for 2014 . Firm favourite Greece is expected to once again be one of the most attractive short haul options for people booking up their summer holiday . The association's destinations to watch in 2014 include Brazil, where the World Cup will kick off in June, the Caribbean, Greece, Mauritius and Sicily in Italy. Mark Tanzer ABTA Chief Executive said: 'We know that Brits hate to cut back on their holidays and after several years of tough market conditions, we are seeing early signs of more optimism amongst British consumers. 'However, with the squeeze on household budgets continuing, we are expecting that tried and tested destinations and package holidays will continue to perform well in the coming year. 'We are also expecting a range of other overseas destinations to prove popular in 2014, as well as another good year for domestic tourism after the heatwave in the UK in summer 2013.' | Thomson and First Choice predict one million people will visit stores and websites this Saturday as bargain hunters aim to beat the winter blues .
Relentless stormy weather is driving people to seek solace in the sun .
Of those 35,000 are expected to snap up a deal and book a break .
Greece, Croatia and the Balearics tipped to be most popular short haul destinations with Jamaica and Mauritius top of the long haul wish list . |
176,073 | 6ff1ff09a761a24160fb733c6ded67054a661a0c | Irbil, Iraq (CNN)Rashid Fouad Abdullah is a Kurdish peshmerga fighter in his late 50s, but he's younger than his gun. It's a British artillery piece manufactured in 1941, kept in immaculate condition and in daily service as Kurdish forces tighten their grip around Iraq's second city, Mosul. Abdullah is one of a few dozen peshmerga stationed on Mount Zartak, overlooking Mosul from the east. The city is still firmly under the control of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, but the peshmerga are in buoyant mood, having first stemmed and then partially reversed territorial gains made by ISIS last summer. They expect much more fighting ahead, and from the generals to the volunteers, they all lament a lack of modern weapons that would help them take on ISIS. Abdullah said he would have happily showed us how his old gun worked, but he had only 20 shells left. On Saturday, clutching AK-47s and more ancient rifles, Abdullah and his fellow fighters gazed into the sky and watched the arc of vapor trails as coalition planes hit ISIS targets all around Mosul. Kurdish fighters told us it was the heaviest day of bombardment they had witnessed. We heard well over a dozen loud detonations to the east, but their exact points of impact were difficult to determine through the haze. The peshmerga defensive positions on the mountain are well-fortified, with lines of sandbags and concrete bunkers, and a track carved into the mountain slopes for access. The Kurdish flag -- red, white and green horizontal stripes with a 21-point yellow sun -- flutters above. The fighters said that ISIS occasionally launched Katyusha rockets at their positions, but most fell short. The situation of peshmerga on the plains below is more precarious. There are ISIS positions to the east and south. CNN witnessed an exchange of fire between the two sides at the weekend, with ISIS shooting from an abandoned cement plant just 500 yards away and the peshmerga firing back with heavy machine guns. They have placed large concrete barriers across the highway, once the main road between Irbil and Mosul, but they are vulnerable to mortar fire and Humvees converted into devastating suicide bombs. The commander said he'd asked for airstrikes time and again, but nothing had happened. The Kurds say they are short of essential equipment such as night-vision goggles. Most infiltration attempts by ISIS come at night or in thick fog. Along one stretch of their defenses, peshmerga have rigged up floodlights to try to detect movement at night, but they don't provide much coverage. Gen. Sirwan Barzani, a son of the President of Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, told CNN his troops needed heavy machine guns, anti-tank missiles and armored vehicles above all else. They say 70% of the 1,000 peshmerga killed in the current conflict have been the victims of improvised bombs. ISIS has rigged villages with dozens of such devices before falling back, some of them ingeniously designed to avoid all but the most forensic inspection. Kurdish fighters have begun building their own armored vehicles. One -- on the front line southwest of Irbil -- looked like a collision between a carnival float and something out of "Mad Max," a monstrous contraption of steel plates laid on the chassis of a truck. The Kurds -- highly regarded warriors themselves -- have been struck by the tenacity and skill of their enemy. One senior commander called them "very professional and well-trained," noting the complex attack launched from four directions on Kirkuk at the end of January. ISIS' ability to rig up quickly and detonate explosives has destroyed bridges across the region -- among them a modern concrete bridge on the main highway between Irbil and Mosul now reduced to slabs. Some of the peshmerga, who are at the front lines on two-week rotations, are grandfathers fighting their third or fourth war. Near the village of Gwer, we met Said Mahmoud, a fighter sporting a moustache straight out of colonial India and the traditional white and red checkered headscarf. "I am too old for this," he said with a laugh -- and then pointed toward a sandbank in a nearby river where ISIS fighters had several times crossed at night. "A couple of nights ago, it was raining," he said. "They crossed the river by boat. We fought them until the morning. When our reinforcements arrived, we forced them to the other side of the river. Aircraft were attacking them." The Kurds have built a modern-day version of Hadrian's Wall along a stretch of territory more than 100 miles long, with bunkers on hilltops, fences and deep trenches designed to keep out ISIS' Humvee suicide bombs. Some of these vehicles are captured and briskly converted for use by the peshmerga. "We are getting American weaponry," joked one fighter. "It was given by the Americans to the Iraqi army, and when they fled, ISIS took it. Now we are taking it from ISIS." Kirkuk is an oil-rich city, home to nearly a million Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen and long a fault line in Iraq's ethnic mosaic. It's also a target for ISIS. At the end of January while using fog for cover, the group launched an attack on the city from four directions, taking several bridges on the outskirts. It took two days of heavy fighting by peshmerga, supported by airstrikes, to repel the offensive. Fatih Muhammad, the Kurdish commander in the area, expects another assault. Without the peshmerga presence, he insists, the city would fall to ISIS within hours. For now, the two sides are separated only by a narrow canal. The black flag of ISIS can be seen clearly on the other side. The Kurds have established a line of fortifications; earthmovers scramble to dig deeper and more defensible positions. Just behind them are hastily dug graves for some of the dozens of ISIS fighters killed in the recent battle. In the city, there is an uneasy but peaceful sharing of duties between the peshmerga and the Iraqi police and army. But there's no doubt who holds the upper hand. While Iraqi police sport new Ford Taurus cars in green and yellow livery, many seem restricted to traffic duty. The peshmerga race through Kirkuk and its surroundings in pickups, and other traffic keeps a respectful distance. The soldiers wave at peshmerga checkpoints but pass Iraqi positions without acknowledgment. Kurdish security officials told CNN they are sure ISIS has cells inside Kirkuk, waiting for orders to launch suicide attacks, as they did two weeks ago on an abandoned hotel used by local police. While the Kurds see Kirkuk as very much their city, few expect or want to be involved in cleansing Mosul of ISIS. It is principally a Sunni Arab city, and the Kurds have no desire to spill their own blood for a place they don't regard as theirs. They don't expect the Iraqi security forces, now being retrained and rebuilt, to be ready for such an offensive before the summer. In the meantime, they are intent on strangling ISIS in Mosul by cutting off its freedom of movement and resupply from Syria. They have surrounded it on three sides, with an inner and outer ring of positions. The Iraqi army, supported by Shia militia, is involved in combat in Anbar province, far to the west, and has pushed ISIS units out of Diyala, to the north of Baghdad. But in this part of Iraq, the peshmerga -- supported by airstrikes of growing intensity -- are the ones inflicting real damage on ISIS. And once the terrorists are defeated, the Kurds might be in no mood to compromise on their hard-won gains. Ministers, soldiers and ordinary civilians speak of Iraq becoming a loose confederation, but taking orders from Baghdad is not on their agenda. Ten years ago when I first visited Irbil, the seat of the Kurdish Regional Government, it was a bustling but provincial town. Now dozens of cranes dot the skyline as apartment blocks and office complexes are built. A new ring road is being constructed. Oil is the basis for this new-found wealth, but construction and trading companies are also flourishing. Electricity and water flow uninterrupted. Flights from Europe and the Middle East arrive daily at the new airport. "Soon this will be like Dubai, but in the mountains," said one Irbil resident -- without a hint of hyperbole. But first the enemy that a few months back was just 20 miles from the gates of this city must be vanquished. Violence flares after Baghdad's decade-old curfew lifted . | In northern Iraq, Kurds are taking the lead in keeping ISIS at bay .
They say they need heavy machine guns, anti-tank missiles and armored vehicles . |
5,193 | 0eb9aef24749f6b8746d83d7e1d204e48a4d51db | The Government’s controversial £50billion high-speed rail project has been given a damning ‘amber-red’ warning - meaning it is at serious risk of failure. Spending watchdogs say successful delivery of the flagship 330-mile HS2 line, which will run from London to Birmingham and then onwards to the North, remains ‘in doubt’ They claim there are ‘major risks in a number of areas’ which require ‘urgent action’ if the scheme is to be saved. At risk: The Government's £50billion high-speed rail project has been given an 'amber-red' warning - meaning it is at serious risk of failure. Above, the HS2 line will run from London to Birmingham, and then on to the North . The alarming assessment by the . watchdog Major Projects Authority (MPA) appeared in its second annual . report published by the Cabinet Office. The report covers 199 projects across Whitehall departments - totalling what ministers admit is an ‘eye-watering’ £400billion of taxpayers’ money over their lifetimes. It rates the projects on a five tier traffic light system from red for ‘unachievable’ to ‘green’ for success being ‘highly likely.’ The delivery of two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers was rated as 'red' for a second year in a row, while the controversial Universal . Credit scheme was excluded from the review after it was 'reset' by Work . and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith. HS2's 'amber-red' rating follows an earlier row over the Government’s refusal to publish documents relating to an earlier damning assessment on the scheme. Controversial: Spending watchdogs claim there are 'major risks in a number of areas' which require 'urgent action' if the scheme is to be saved. Above, the Birmingham and Fazeley viaduct, part of the planned HS2 route . Angry: The alarming assessment by the watchdog Major Projects Authority (MPA) appeared in its second annual report published by the Cabinet Office. Above, a protest sign is pictured in Middleton, Staffordshire . The Information Commission is currently taking legal action to force the disclosure of those documents. The new MPA assessment - covering the period from July to September last year - was welcomed by opponents of HS2, who have condemned the project as a ‘white elephant’ and an expensive ‘vanity project.’ But they also criticised the timing of the report’s release – the day after the local government and European elections as votes were still being counted – as ‘a good day to bury bad news’ and another example of Government ‘spin’. In the foreword to the report, Francis Maude said the Government must identify and address problems early on before they become an issue . The 'amber-red' grading, the second worst of the five possible levels, means: ’Successful delivery of the project is in doubt, with major risks or issues apparent in a number of key areas. Urgent action is needed to ensure these are addressed, and whether resolution is feasible.’ The MPA report states: ‘The amber/red delivery confidence assessment on HS2, like other projects with a similar assessment, indicates that the focused attention that is being applied to addressing the remaining issues must continue.’ It adds: ‘High Speed Rail (HS2) is a high-profile example of a project that displays many of these challenges. It is not unusual for projects of this scale to have a lower delivery confidence assessment early in their project life, highlighting the substantial issues that inevitably remain to be resolved. ‘Significant progress has been made in the last year on HS2, for example in depositing the High Speed Rail Bill in Parliament and securing successful second reading in the Commons.’ But Penny Gaines who chairs campaign group Stop HS2 said: ‘The MPA have kept giving HS2 amber/red ratings. The Department for Transport may claim that it is a project in excellent shape, but the evidence says otherwise.’ And Richard Houghton of HS2Action Alliance said: ‘It’s no surprise the report concludes HS2 is at risk of failure. This project is running out of control.’ The Bill for HS2 recently survived its second reading - despite fury and a backbench rebellion by dozens of Tory backbenchers. But a Department for Transport spokesman . said: ‘As the MPA itself makes clear, HS2 has made significant progress . in the eight months since the evidence for this report was gathered, . most recently with MPs voting 452 to 41 in favour of the Second Reading . of the hybrid Bill. ‘We have met all major milestones and are on track to have spades in the ground in 2017 as planned. Protest: The new MPA assessment - covering the period from July to September last year - was welcomed by opponents of HS2, who have condemned the project as a 'white elephant' and an expensive 'vanity project' 'HS2 is a vital part of the Government’s long term economic plan and we are determined to ensure Britain will benefit from the jobs, skills and extra capacity it will provide.’ In the foreword to the MPA report, Cabinet Office Secretary Francis Maude admits the budgets are ‘eyewatering’, but insists: ’Delivering projects will never be easy – they are some of the biggest and most complex things the Government will do. 'But we must not pretend problems don’t exist. Instead, we must identify and address them early on before they become an issue.’ And Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, wrote: ‘The Treasury remains committed to the important work that this Government is undertaking to improve the delivery of our most important projects.’ Speaking out: Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said the Treasury 'remains committed to the important work that this Government is undertaking to improve the delivery of our most important projects' The report's publication comes as . campaigners have been fighting for months to have details of earlier . internal correspondence between ministers and HS2 Ltd made public. In . April, Britain’s freedom of information tsar announced he was to launch . an ‘unprecedented’ High Court challenge against the Government after . ministers used a wartime veto to censor embarrassing details about the . controversial HS2 high speed rail project. Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said he was seeking a judicial review of Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin’s decision to block publication of secret internal report highlighting official fears that the proposed £50billion project could fail – saying such censorship was ‘unlawful’. The Government's controversial Universal Credit scheme was excluded from the MPA report after it was 'reset' by Iain Duncan Smith . Mr Graham said he had 'not taken the decision lightly’, but that a fundamental point of principle is at stake. He added that ministers have acted unfairly and unreasonably in banning publication, despite there being ‘no demonstrable flaw in fact or law.’ The furious confrontation began in January when Transport Secretary Mr McLoughlin invoked rare emergency veto powers to ban publication of a damning Whitehall Project Assessment Report into the Government’s controversial HS2 high speed rail. The banned report is also believed to have put an ‘amber-red’ rating on the scheme, suggesting it was in danger of failing. Six months earlier, the Information Commissioner had already ruled that the Government had to disclose the controversial HS2 report. But the Government refused to comply. And after first appealing against the decision. Ministers subsequently withdrew their appeal and in January, imposed a blanket veto of the kind issued in wartime. Ministers argued the report into the Y-shaped line from London to Birmingham and beyond to the North, was private and confidential advice from civil servants to them, so shouldn’t be published. The veto aimed to ensure that. New figures revealed last week that taxpayer spending on consultants for the controversial high speed HS2 project is accelerating 86per cent and £87million over budget. Expert analysis of the Department for Transport’s spending to the end of February 2014 by construction magazine Building reveals that the Whitehall-run firm set up to manage the project - HS2 Ltd - has overshot its allocated £101m budget by £87million for four lots of professional services contracts. That takes total spending on consultants to £188m – or 86per cent over budget. Preparatory work on HS2 is set to start in 2016, ahead of building work in 2017. The first phase from London Euston to Birmingham will be completed by 2026, with an ‘accelerated’ section to Crewe finished the following year. The full route to Manchester and Leeds is expected to be completed by 2030. | Spending watchdogs say successful delivery of HS2 remains 'in doubt'
Claim there are 'major risks in number of areas' requiring 'urgent action'
Damning assessment was made by watchdog Major Projects Authority .
Published in report covering 199 Whitehall schemes by Cabinet Office .
HS2's 'amber-red' warning is the second worst of five possible grades .
High-speed line will run from London to Birmingham, then on to North . |
173,028 | 6bef07e9172e9aef5256f2d20782faef0fa3a325 | (CNN) -- It was a scare no one aboard the Halloween horror cruise expected. A jolt shook the Bahamas Celebration cruise Friday night after the ship hit something at sea, forcing hundreds of costume-clad passengers to evacuate the ship after the vessel apparently lost power. "At first you kind of thought, maybe this is a Halloween joke and this is supposed to be funny," said Wally Yoost, 37, who was in line to get a bingo card with his wife when they felt the ship start to tilt. "As we were walking out of the room, the whole boat just went black." Passengers started to panic, he said. "There was folks crying. ... You could see people were kind of jockeying for the life jackets," said Armando Fana, 44. Cindy Parette, 47, said she'd been planning to attend a costume contest and go to a zombie ball aboard the Halloween-themed cruise. Instead, she waited for hours to evacuate the ship with her boyfriend. "It was hot. People became overwhelmed, and there was no food, nothing," she said. Celebration Cruise Line said in a statement that passengers were told to put on life vests and the ship returned to port after the boat hit something while leaving Grand Bahamas Island around 9 p.m. Friday, . "No passengers were ever in any danger, and everything was handled in an organized and efficient way by ship, corporate and Bahamian personnel," the cruise line said. Several passengers told CNN the situation aboard the boat was anything but organized. "One crew member would say one thing, and then another crew member would say something else. ... They had no idea what to do," Parette said. Hours after the alarm first sounded, passengers made it off the boat, Fana said. His anxious 10-year-old son, dressed in an Iron Man costume, began to cry as rumors swirled about what went wrong. "We were just sitting there for hours," he said. Ultimately, passengers were housed in resorts on the island, Celebration said. And Bimini SuperFast helped return the cruise ship's 960 stranded passengers and crew to Port Miami on Saturday evening, Resorts World Bimini spokeswoman Heather Krasnow said in a statement. Two Celebration cruises scheduled for Saturday and Monday were canceled while damage to the boat is assessed. "Our focus at this time (is) taking care of our passengers who were on the ship or had planned to be on the ship over the next few days," Celebration said. Several passengers who'd been onboard the vessel told CNN Sunday that they were hoping for a refund, or a more detailed explanation of what happened or more of a response from the cruise company. "When you expect two and a half fun-filled days and you get basically a nightmare for 24 hours, you should at least get an apology or something," Fana said. CNN's Carma Hassan contributed to this report. | NEW: Passenger: The Halloween cruise was "basically a nightmare for 24 hours"
The ship struck something while leaving Grand Bahamas Island, Celebration says .
"No passengers were ever in any danger," the cruise company says . |
189,523 | 816b72c32f5284e8a4155e718b82715dca0da9e9 | Labour leader Ed Miliband was today hounded out of an Edinburgh shopping centre as a campaign walkabout became overrun by protesters. He was repeatedly branded a 'f***ing liar' by Yes campaigners who drowned out his supporters with cries of 'bow down to your imperial master. Mr Miliband pleaded for a 'civilised' debate with two days of campaigning left before the referendum, before being rushed out of the door by his aides, who were left 'visibly shaken' by the incident. At one point he became trapped outside a hairdressers called 'Supercuts', leading opponents to chant: 'Vote No for Supercuts, vote No for permanent austerity'. Scroll down for exclusive video . Labour leader Ed Miliband was bundled out of an Edinburgh shopping centre after a planned walkabout became overrun by Yes protesters . A planned appearance on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh was abandoned in favour of the shopping centre visits, which quickly descended into chaos . Journalists and film crews jostled with protesters, who yelled 'f***ing liar' and 'traitor' at Mr Miliband . Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran tried to force the throng back as placard-wielding Yes and No protesters forced their way through the mall . Aides later said Labour campaigners were left 'visibly shaken' by the incident, after Mr Miliband was led away to safety . Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale revealed the mood in the campaign room after the ugly scenes in the mall . Mr Miliband had been due to appear at St James Shopping Centre in Edinburgh at 3.15pm, but arrived almost 45 minutes late. With Yes protesters outside chanting 'we don't need your f***ing union' and 'how many spare bedrooms has the Queen got?', Labour aides decided to stage the event inside the shopping centre. But he was unable to address the crowd and only managed to speak to members of the public caught in the furore. As Mr Miliband battled his way through the crowd, Yes protesters called out: 'This is what a political class looks like when it's dying.' The visit to Scotland's capital was supposed to be the main event in Mr Miliband's diary. But the extraordinary spectacle of the Labour leader being rushed into a car park lift came amid growing concern about threats of intimidation aimed at those opposed to independence. First Minister Alex Salmond admitted 'there are always idiots in a campaign' but insisted that '99 per cent of people participating in this campaign are behaving impeccably'. However, Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale wrote on Twitter after Mr Miliband's Edinburgh visit: 'Campaign room full of visibly shaken and upset folk who were in St James Centre - truly crappy day for democracy.' As a large crowd pushed him towards the shopping centre exit, Mr Miliband told journalists: ‘I think we have seen in parts of this campaign an ugly side to it from the Yes campaign. 'I think debate should be conducted in a civilised way, I think that’s very, very important, but I understand that passions run high.' The extraordinary scenes come amid growing claims of intimidation against people opposed to independence . Mr Miliband hit out at the 'ugly scenes' which have been orchestrated by the Yes campaign in recent days . Mr Miliband said he wanted the referendum campaign to be conducted in a 'civilised' way, but could barely be heard above the chanting around him . Ed Miliband became trapped outside a hairdressers called Supercuts . By Matt Chorley, in Edinburgh . It is difficult to know what Labour aides hoped to get out of Ed Miliband's walkabout in St James Shopping Centre. But surely it wasn't this. The Labour leader had been expected on the Royal Mile, but later changed plans to go to the shopping centre for 3.15pm. Outside a small group of Yes protesters chanted and laughed, mocking Mr Miliband before he'd even arrived. Almost half an hour later, aides emerged to tell waiting reporters that Mr Miliband would instead be appearing inside the mall. Camera crews scrambled, reporters began running, dodging between bewildered shoppers. But Mr Miliband's walkabout had ground to a halt. Surrounded by a pack, with Yes chants winning on volume alone, he grabbed anyone passing by who could not escape the melee. He had the grace to laugh when asked about intimidation, but this was a terrible spectacle, his plea for 'civilised' debate drawn out by heckles. The true low point was when he disappeared into the doorway of a hair salon called Supercuts, deep irony at a time when the SNP complains of Westminster cost-cutting. Mr Miliband went on: 'What I have enjoyed about this campaign, including today when I get the chance, is meeting people who are genuinely undecided.' He was also challenged over whether Gordon Brown is now the leader of the No campaign, after taking a more high profile role than both Mr Miliband and Better Together chief Alistair Darling. But Mr Miliband insisted:'He’s a very important part of this campaign, I think he has done a very good job. All of us are setting out that choice. 'I think all of us are doing our job in getting through to Labour voters. I think Gordon is playing his role, Johann Lamont is playing her role, Alistair Darling, all of us are setting out that big choice that we face.' A Labour campaigner, Clare Lally, said on Twitter: 'Upsetting scenes in Edinburgh at an event, I had to link arms with Monica Lennon to protect Johann Lamont and Margaret Curran #disgraceful.' Scottish nationalists are facing further accusations of bullying and intimidation as the independence debate turns increasingly bitter. ITV political editor Tom Bradby said covering the referendum campaign had been a 'rather unpleasant experience'. Writing a blog, he added: 'My first major job as a correspondent was in Ireland in the early nineties and, despite the fact that there was a bitter war going on all round me that took many lives, I experienced virtually no personal hostility at all from anyone. They didn’t lob accusations of bias around every time you asked a question either.' BBC Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark last night had to issue an on air apology after a live broadcast was interrupted by a heckler. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander was also heckled during a No campaign rally in Glasgow, and most shockingly of all, Respect MP George Galloway claims he was ‘threatened with a bullet’ during the event. Ms Wark was presenting Newsnight from an outdoor studio in Dundee when her broadcast was interrupted by someone shouting and swearing. The interruptions took place throughout the programme, first when the journalist was interviewing actor Brian Cox and later when she was on air with a panel of industry experts. Ms Wark told viewers: ‘We apologise for the swearing, I’m afraid it’s beyond our control.’ Mr Cox, when asked about negative elements of the Yes campaign, told Ms Wark: ‘You get head-bangers, you’ve just had one behind you now.’ After escaping from the shopping centre, Mr Miliband crossed over a pedestrian bridge before disappearing into the lift of a multistorey car park . Mrs Curran tried to shield Mr Miliband from the crowd, as he became trapped between protesters and film crews . Aides rushed Mr Miliband into the lift of a car park and spirited him away, with photographers in pursuit . While Mr Miliband faced down protesters, David Cameron was in London holding a meting with Tory ministers Patrick McLoughlin (left), Iain Duncan Smith (second left), William Hague (third left), and aide Ed Llewellyn (front, centre) The BBC has come under fierce criticism from nationalists who accuse the corporation of being biased in its coverage. Up to 1,000 independence supporters gathered outside the broadcaster’s headquarters in Glasgow on Sunday, with many also calling for BBC political editor Nick Robinson to be sacked - action that was praised by Alex Salmond as 'joyous'. Respect MP George Galloway said he was threatened with a 'bullet' at a No rally in Glasgow last night. Up to 1,000 Yes campaigners protested outside the BBC HQ in Glasgow on Sunday against allegations of biased coverage . Thousands of Yes campaigners gathered in George Square in Glasgow tonight for a rally in support of independence . Graffiti saying 'Vote Yes or Else?' was daubed on walls in Aberdeen, including on a house on the corner of Osborne Place and Prince Arthur Street . An Edinburgh Yes voter had 'coward' scratched into his front door in an act of vandalism. Former Defence Secretary John Reid accused the Yes side of using the ‘language of abuse’ towards women who speak up for union, and he alleged that Alex Salmond’s supporters had organised ‘street mobs’ to intimidate No campaigners. Mr Reid made the comments after Harry Potter author JK Rowling and lingerie boss Michelle Mone were subjected to abuse after expressing support for the No campaign. No campaign sources have claimed that a Better Together activist in Aberdeen was warned he would feel like a 'Christian missionary in Syria' after a Yes vote. A nationalist was also reported to have turned to his son in front of unionist activists in Glasgow and said: 'One day, remind me to tell you what Mussolini did to collaborators.' And an English activist in Glasgow was told to 'get out of my country', while a Spanish woman, who had lived in Scotland for 20 years, was spat on while leaving a No rally and told to go home. | Labour leader abandons walkabout after becoming overwhelmed by crowds .
Miliband arrived 45minutes late for his No event and failed to address voters .
St James Shopping Centre thronged by chanting Yes and No protesters .
Cries of 'f***ing liar' and 'traitor and part of a 'dying' political class .
Aides 'visibly shaken' - Labour MSP condemns 'crappy day for democracy'
Comes amid growing row over threats of intimidation ahead of Thursday . |
269,375 | e8ec33b3c7f669da910f4a50706e9cbcb0e7aa89 | Tiger Woods has announced he will take a break from golf as he bids to overcome his latest injury scare and poor form. The 14-time major champion withdrew midway through his first round at last week's Farmers Insurance Open in California due to back pain although he has allayed fears over the setback. Of more pressing concern for the 39-year-old is his recent struggles on the course, with his injury coming six days after recording the worst round of his career - an 11-over-par 82 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. Tiger Woods is taking a break from competition golf to work on his game and regain full fitness . 'Right now, I need a lot of work on my game, and to still spend time with the people that are important to me,' Woods wrote in a statement on his official website. 'My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf. Like I've said, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I'm ready, I'll be back.' Although his comments read as if Woods is taking an indefinite break from the sport, he's also said that he hopes to play his hometown Honda Classic, which begins in a fortnight on February 26 at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida. Woods pulled out midway through his first round at last week's Farmers Insurance Open in California . 'Next week I will practice at Medalist and at home getting ready for the rest of the year. I am committed to getting back to the pinnacle of my game,' he said. The 14-time major winner said he is 'committed to getting back to the pinnacle of my game' 'I'd like to play The Honda Classic - it's a tournament in my hometown and it's important to me - but I won't be there unless my game is tournament-ready. That's not fair to anyone. 'I do, however, expect to be playing again very soon.' The American withdrew from last year's event in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, after 13 holes with back pain and would eventually have to undergo surgery in April on a pinched nerve which forced him to miss the Masters and the US Open. Yet any thoughts that he has aggravated the problem were dismissed. 'The last two weeks have been very disappointing to me, especially Torrey, because I never want to withdraw. Unfortunately, lately injuries have made that happen too often,' he said. 'This latest injury is not related to my previous surgery. I am having daily physical therapy and I am feeling better every day.' Since his return from last year's injury, Woods has struggled to recapture the form that saw him become one of the greatest players of all-time. He finished 69th at the Open at Royal Liverpool in July, while a month later he missed just his fourth cut in 66 majors as a professional after suffering yet more back trouble at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla. Woods subsequently ruled himself out of consideration for a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September because of injury and later revealed he did not feel he could have won a point for the United States. Woods speaks to media following his withdrawal in Arizona. He has since said he's targeting a return to the game at his hometown Honda Classic, but that 'I won't be there unless my game is tournament-ready' Woods made an underwhelming return to golf by shooting a five-over-par first round at the Hero World Challenge in December and it has gone from bad to worse in his first two tournaments of 2015. His withdrawal on Thursday was the ninth of his career to date, and the third in his last eight. He has not won a PGA Tour event since 2013 and has failed to land a major since 2008. Â . | Tiger Woods said he'll be back in action 'when I think I'm ready'Â .
14-time major winner said he need 'a lot of work on my game'
His target is The Honda Classic in Florida starting on February 26Â .
But he said he won't be there 'unless my game is tournament-ready' |
141,971 | 43984579b536f672bb7f0f1c46e8bc7e57210562 | By . Michael Zennie . PUBLISHED: . 02:14 EST, 21 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:14 EST, 21 August 2013 . Arrested: Michael Brandon Hill, 20, is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon . The crazed gunman who stormed a suburban Atlanta elementary school and threatened to shoot everyone has a 'long history of mental problems' and was 'bound to do something stupid' his brother said today. Michael Hill, 20, was arrested yesterday without killing or even injuring a single person at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur after a brave and unarmed school secretary managed to talk him into surrendering. Antoinette Tuff revealed last night that Hill told her he had no reason to live because no one loved him. 'And I just explained to him that I . loved him,' Tuff told ABC News. 'I didn't know much about him. I didn't . know his name but I did love him and it was scary because I knew at that . moment he was ready to take my life along with his, and if I didn't say . the right thing, then we all would be dead.' His brother Timothy Hill also spoke . to ABC and told them: 'I honestly can tell you he has got a long history . of medical disorders, including bipolar, and that could make you snap . on a dime. 'My mom's almost looked like a drugstore at one point. There was so many different medications he was on.' Hill, 22, said he is not close to his brother and last saw him in January 2011. He did not reveal exactly what his . mental health issue but said he was taking drugs for attention-deficit . hyperactivity disorder since he was six-years-old. 'I had a feeling he was going to . eventually, one day, do something stupid, but not of this magnitude,' he . said, adding that he once threatened to kill him. Michael Hill, 20, slipped into the school on Tuesday afternoon behind a parent who was buzzed in through the locked doors. He stormed into a front office . brandishing an AK-47 and demanded a TV news crew film his ensuing . shootout with police, in which he intended to die. But, his suicidal plan was thwarted by . Antoinette Tuff, an unimposing, unarmed bookkeeper. She steadfastly . refused to allow him to go anywhere near the young children of her . school and then convinced him to drop his weapons, empty his pockets and . give himself up. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Antoinette Tuff said: 'And I just explained to him that I loved him. I didn't know much about him. I didn't know his name but I did love him and it was scary because I knew at that moment he was ready to take my life along with his' Hero: Secretary Antoinette Tuff is seen here in her office at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, where she convinced a gunman to surrender and not harm the child of her school . Holding tight: Panicked parents rushed to Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy to collected their children after hearing reports of a gunman at the school . Evacuation: The students had to be evacuated from the back of the door and firefighters had a cut a hole in fencing to allow the children to pass through . The shooting resulted in no injuries, but the incident . nonetheless recalls the horrifying massacre last December at Sandy . Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in which a lone gunman . with an assault rifle killed 20 students and six teachers before taking . his own life. Ms Tuff may very well have prevented similar tragedy at McNair Academy. 'He had a look on him that he was willing to kill - matter of fact he said it. He said that he didn't have any reason to live and that he knew he was going to die today,' Ms Tuff told WSB-TV. 'I knew . that if he got out that door he was gonna kill everybody.' GBI Director Vernon Keenan said the . incident was terrifying for parents and students alike, but that the it could have been much worse. 'It takes a lot of resources to handle something like this,' Mr Keenan told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 'We were dern lucky we didn’t have anyone killed in the school.' Police say Hill, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, multiple other weapons and a backpack full of spare ammunition, barged into the front office of the school, fired a shot and told Ms Tuff to call an Atlanta TV station, saying that he wanted camera crews to 'start filming as police die.' As officers began arriving at the school, he fired at least six shots at them from the office. Police returned fire. No one was hit in either exchange of gunfire. 'He told me he was sorry for what he was doing. He was willing to die,' Ms Tuff told WSB-TV. Ms Tuff realized that she had to keep Hill busy while teachers evacuated the school's 870 students. Ms Tuff realized that she had to keep Hill busy while teachers evacuated the school's 870 students . Terrifying: Nicole Webb begins to cry as she waits to pick up her 9-year-old son after the shooting . At one point, Hill started to leave . the office and step into the hallway, where he would have had access to . students. Ms Tuff stopped him and told him that she was not going to let . him leave. He refused to tell her his name, so Ms Tuff decided that she would keep his attention focused on her by telling her own story. Ms . Tuff described to Hill the heartbreak of her marriage falling apart . after 33 years and the 'roller coaster' of opening her own business. 'I told him, "OK, we all have situations in our lives,"' she said. 'It was going to be OK. If I could recover, he could, too.' Eventually . she managed to calm Hill down. She then convinced him to change his . mind, that he should surrender rather than dying in a blaze of glory in a . police shootout. Police SWAT teams and bomb squads feared that Hill planted bombs in his car in . the parking lot of the school. They detonated a controlled blast in the . trunk of the car and evacuated the neighborhood around his nearby house . before making entry to search for more weapons and bombs. WSB-TV reports that the school has a buzzer system that limits access to outsiders, but that that Hill may have slipped in behind a parent who was walking into the building. The students had to be evacuated through the back of the elementary school because police were concerned that the gunman's car could be rigged to explode and kill students if they fled through the front exit. Firefighters cut a hole in fencing at the back of the school property that students had to run through to escape the school. Police evacuated the neighborhood around the gunman's house as they searched his home for explosives and other weapons . Heavily-armed police patrolled the neighborhood around the school as they searched for explosives that they feared suspect Michael Brandon Hill may have hidden . Chaos: The evacuation of the school left dozens of parents and students frantically searching for each other in the parking lot of a nearby Wal-Mart . Just a week into the new school year, the students - pre-kindergarten to fifth grade - sat outside along a fence in a field hours until school buses came to take them to their waiting parents and other relatives at a nearby Wal-Mart. When the first bus arrived about three hours after the shooting, cheers erupted in the store parking lot from relieved relatives, several of them sobbing. Hill was arrested months ago, though his neighbors described his as a quiet, 'average guy.' His connection to the home was not immediately clear, though it appears he was staying less than three miles away from the campus. Hill is currently being interviewed by detectives, who hope to find out what drove him to walked into a school with an assault rifle. He is charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, terroristic threats and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon . Waiting for word: Concerned parents lined up outside the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy school near Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon when they heard about the shooting . Taking every precaution: Police and SWAT teams were on the scene but began to disperse after the shooter was in custody . Getting out safe: The shooter has been taken into custody and no one was injured at the scene . Staying safe: Police huddled children to a nearby field after the shooter was apprehended . On patrol: Some units remained on the scene to make sure no explosives were left in the school . Residential: The school is located in a less busy suburb of Atlanta, with homes surrounding it . Worried: The elementary school shooting was the first since the massacre at Sandy Hook in December . | Michael Brandon Hill, 20, armed with an AK-47, stormed into elementary school in Atlanta suburb and took secretary in front office hostage .
School had a buzzer system and locked doors but he slipped in behind a staff member .
Hill exchanged gunfire with police as they arrived .
Called Atlanta TV station and said he wanted news cameras to film him .
Secretary Antoinette Tuff talked him out of killing anyone . |
249,858 | cf5f82f4b6574b807693453cb0510f231837df92 | Disney's Frozen Castle and Ice Palace Playset - the must-have toy of 2014 - is for sale on eBay at nearly seven times its retail price as touts cash in on parents’ desperation. With Christmas approaching, the $119 toy - made by Mattel Inc - is sold out, although on eBay for $700. There are still plenty of other Frozen-themed toys available - but only for now. If you still have Disney's Frozen Castle and Ice Palace Playset on your holiday gift list this year, you may already be out of luck. With Christmas approaching, the $119 toy - made by Mattel Inc - is sold out, although it is on eBay for $700 . Industry analysts, poring over results from the Thanksgiving holiday week, say the hottest 25 toys have already hit their price lows and will only get more expensive as Christmas nears and the remaining inventory flies off stores' shelves. The silver lining? Retailers made a huge bet on toy inventory this holiday season - ordering twice as many shipments of Legos as last year, for instance, according to research firm Panjiva. Expect fierce price competition at major retailers like Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Target Corp, which carry thousands of toys, notes Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of Time to Play Magazine (ttpm.com). 'There will be huge promotions going on,' he predicts. The sales will not be nationwide shopping events like Black Friday, but will pop up sporadically, culminating in major sales on Dec. 20, the Saturday before Christmas which experts expect to be an extremely heavy shopping day. 'One by one, either loudly or quietly, they will be rolling out some amazing deals,' says Panjiva CEO Josh Green. The Frozen film has taken the world by storm since its release in November last year . Consumers love sales, but Silver notes they may be very disappointed if they can't find the hottest toys. Besides the sold-out Frozen Castle, there are 12 to 15 items which are currently hard to find, including the Max Tow Truck. It is listed currently around $128 on Amazon.com, depending on color - well above its list price of $59.99. Another hot item is the Imaginext Supernova Battle Rover - currently available for $109.99 at Toys R Us [TOYS.UL], slightly below the list price of $119. There are also about 25 to 30 toys that will sell out in the next two weeks, Silver says, especially the most popular new toys in the Lego, Barbie, My Little Pony, FurReal Friend and Nerf lines. Toys with a movie or popular culture tie-in drive demand, while interactive pets tend to be short-lived fads (think Zhu Zhu Pets or Furby). 1: LEGO 14.2 . 2: Cars & Trucks 8.1% . 3: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 7.7% . 4: Video Games 7.5% . 5: Hot Wheels 4.6% . 6: Xbox One 4.4% . 7: PlayStation 4 4.2% . 8: Transformers 3.5% . 9: Remote Controlled Vehicle 2.7% . 10: Marvel Action Figures 2.3% . 1: Disney Frozen 20.0% . 2: Barbie 16.8% . 3: Dolls 10.7% . 4: Monster High 5.2% . 5: American Girl 3.8% . 6: LEGO 3.1% . 7: Tablet/Apple iPad 3.0% . 8: My Little Pony 2.1% . 9: Disney Doc McStuffins 1.9% . 10: Apparel 1.8% . 'There are clear bets by retailers - orders for Frozen toys and My Little Pony toys are up massively versus 2013,' said Green. Most hot toys hit their price lows on Cyber Monday, according to data firm MarketTrack. This year, for example, the FurReal Friend Get Up & GoGo dog, which has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $59.99, was being offered for $49.99 at most stores in early November. It went down to $39 just before Thanksgiving and hit $27 on Amazon on Cyber Monday. The very next day, the dog, which responds to commands from a remote-control leash, was back up to $39. The price is now fluctuating at most stores because of limited supply. Similarly, the My Little Pony Friendship Rainbow Kingdom Playset, which lists at $39.99, was on sale for $35 at Target on Black Friday and bottomed out at $19.99 on Cyber Monday on Amazon for a half-price sale. It is now back up to $34 at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us. What should shoppers do if they want the hottest toys? 'Grab the hot items early and then get bargain toys when you can,' Silver says. But you may have to wait until next year to employ this strategy. | With Christmas approaching, the $119 toy - made by Mattel Inc - is sold out .
Still plenty of other Frozen-themed toys available - but only for noW . |
283,497 | fb38fc9a15b24401ed64235a27cbf4d2bd6c8e6c | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The Gulf may still be booming but inflation - and skyrocketing prices - is making life tough for the workforce. Working in the Gulf is less profitable for expatriate workers because of inflation . Many expats initially drawn by the region's tax-free salaries and high standard of living are now feeling the effects of inflation in high rent and living costs. All this is making work in Dubai, Qatar and the surrounding countries a less attractive proposition than it was a few years ago. "The working population here is growing restless and the reasons are obvious," said David Westley, Editorial Director at ArabianBusiness.com. "Inflation has become a real issue across the region... salaries have risen but they haven't risen as fast as inflation, which in real terms means you've had a pay cut," he continued. This means workers are finding it harder to save money and are experiencing a decrease in their standard of living. Add to that a lack of key social infrastructure like schools and some of the major incentives for people to stay in the region are disappearing. ArabianBusiness.com recently conducted an online survey which found that more than two thirds of workers who responded were more inclined to look for another job this year than in 2007. With the Gulf's economic explosion largely dependent on a combination of skilled and unskilled expatriates -- 20 percent of the workforce in some parts of the region -- there is the added worry that increasingly dissatisfied workers could start looking for jobs in other parts of the world. A lack of indigenous workers who can lead the complex infrastructure projects currently being undertaken in the Gulf is already a problem, and a mass exodus of disenchanted expatriates would have serious knock on effects for business in the region. The problems of inflation and keeping experienced workers in the region are intimately connected, according to Richard Thompson, Editor of the Middle East Economic Digest. "Probably the top two issues for the Gulf at the moment are a skills shortage and inflation and they're two sides of the same coin. The economy has grown too fast ... and that has delivered inflation. The other aspect of that growth is the need to bring in and recruit skills to deliver infrastructure projects," he said. And tougher conditions also mean that it could be harder to continue attracting workers from other parts of the world to the region. But workers in the Gulf are not completely motivated by financial concerns, according the the ArabianBusiness.com survey. It found that while salary is an extremely important motivating factor for employees -- 33 percent of survey respondents said money was their key concern -- it is not the only consideration. For the majority of workers, opportunities for promotion -- which remain a strong incentive in the Gulf's vibrant market -- are the single most important condition for staying in a job, according to Wetly. "One of the things [companies] should try to do is to encourage an environment where you think you can get somewhere. That way you don't have to rely on just handing out the money to get people to stay in your organization," he said. Pressure is also mounting on governments to find solutions to inflation. "If governments depend on expats, then how are you going to train and recruit and develop the local work force? So there is a dichotomy for governments here they have to think for the long term to keep the boom growing," said Thompson. There are a number of initiatives being talked about, ranging from proposals to set a minimum wage to governments setting rent caps on property prices. "We're beginning to hear an increasing amount of businesses calling for a more managed approach to the economic boom particularly on the implementation of infrastructure projects," Thompson explained. "Growing economies such as Abu Dhabi are learning from Dubai's mistakes and looking to a much more structured, strategic approach to development," he continued. Wetly believes many of the region's problems are short to medium term -- like expensive housing which will resolve itself by 2010 when more accommodation comes onto the market quenching demand and therefore reducing prices. He is convinced huge growth and an exciting environment will continue to bring expatriate workers to the Gulf. "Walk around ... Dubai or Abu Dhabi or Doha, Qatar and you find these cities buzzing and for many people that is the most important thing, so I think you will always find people coming here," said Westley, "This region needs expatriate workers just as much as expatriate workers need this market. And I think that's ultimately the truth." E-mail to a friend . | Inflation and skyrocketing prices in Gulf making life tough for workers .
A survey found two thirds of workers may look for another job in 2008 .
A mass exodus of expatriate workers would have a serious effect on business .
Pressure is mounting on Gulf governments to find solutions . |
121,185 | 28ac75270c136805f36b97427f1fa9bcbd216100 | Sandra Herold, the deceased owner of Travis the chimp that mauled her friend and assistant Charla Nash's face, spoke openly and honestly about the bizarre world she and her animal lived in before the horrific attack. Speaking to her attorney in sworn testimony, Mrs Herold told of how she and Travis would sleep together 'every night' and she would have Miss Nash purchase specially sized sweet potatoes for his enjoyment. She also insisted that then Stamford Mayor Daniel Malloy, who is now governor of Connecticut, casually told her to 'not let him out again' after he escaped during 2003 and terrorized the downtown area. On Feb. 16, 2009, the 200-pound . chimpanzee mauled Miss Nash, causing her to lose her eyesight, lips, . nose, and hands in the attack. A hearing for Miss Nash's $150million lawsuit against the state will be held today to see if her claim that the state failed to protect the public, including herself, from a dangerous animal. Recovery: Charla Nash has settled an undisclosed lawsuit against the animal's now-dead owner after her face was ripped off . Attack: On Feb. 16, 2009, the 200-pound chimpanzee named Travis, left, mauled Charla Nash, right, causing her to lose her eyesight, lips, nose, and hands in the attack . She received a face transplant after the attack and now lives in a rehab center outside Boston, while Mrs Herold passed away from a ruptured aortic aneurysm at the age of 72. Miss Nash has already filed a $50 million lawsuit against Mrs Herold's estate, but she is hoping that Mr Malloy's conversation with Mrs Herold, which he denies, will prove he was aware of the dangers of the animal's continued freedom. In newly released transcripts published in the Hartford Courant, Mrs Herold told her attorney that Travis escaped from her SUV in October 2003. Vacation: Sandra Herold, the deceased owner of Travis, spoke openly and honestly about the bizarre world she and her animal lived in before the horrific attack . Happy: Miss Nash, pictured here with Travis, worked for Mrs Herold performing odd jobs and caring for the animal . The animal eluded police capture and proceeded to romp all over cars in the downtown Stamford street before buckling himself back into the seat of her car. 'And when did you have this contact with Mayor Malloy?' her attorney asked. 'We used to take Travis for a ride every night and a lot of times went by his home,' Mrs Herold responded. 'And you had a conversation with him?' her attorney asked. 'A good conversation. You know, just friends. And we would stop. And he just said, "San, do me a favor? Don't let him get out again,"' she replied. Reconstruction: In the attack, her eyes, nose, and lips were mauled off . Courageous: The survivor first revealed her mauled face on the Oprah Winfrey show; before the surgery, she kept a veil over her face . The Mayor has repeatedly denied that he ever had any conversations with Miss Herold about the animal. Miss Nash has also claimed that he knew about the 2003 rampage and did nothing. '[He] allowed her to take Travis home and said [to] keep him locked up. I think it was said that if he got loose again, they were going to shoot him. That's what Sandra told me,' Miss Nash said in March. But beyond the testimony about Mr Malloy, Mrs Herold gave more details about her life with the chimp that dined on lobster and steak and drank from wine glasses. 'I didn't consider him a pet, really,' she declared. Court: Charla Nash, right, talks with attorney Bill Monaco before a hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Connecticut . Injury: Charla Nash arrives for a hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, Connecticut . 'Okay. Well, what did you consider him?' her attorney asked. 'Part of the family,' she responded. She also told her attorney that the chimp would sleep in bed with her every night. The animal was shot dead by police during his vicious attack. If Miss Nash's request to sue the state is . denied by the Claims Commission, she can appeal to the legislature. Nash's lawyers have hired a lobbyist to represent her if necessary at . the state Capitol. The state has 'sovereign immunity' against most lawsuits unless such permission is granted. Despite her legal woes, the face transplant recipient says she feels at home in her new skin. 'I have to depend on a lot of help. My life depends on really not being alone. I used to be very independent.' Charla Nash . The brave 58-year-old woman, who nearly died in the horrific mauling, told the Hartford Courant that she feels no different than she did before the attack. ‘I just feel like it’s my face,’ she said. ‘It’s just not working real good.’ Ms Nash, a single mother from . Stamford, Connecticut, told the Courant that she’s regaining movements . in her face and can express herself with various motions. ‘Every day, my muscles get better,’ she said. Sandra . Herold, who owned the 200-lb chimp Travis, died of an aneurism in 2010. Ms Nash said that if she could say anything to her former boss and . friend, she would say she is ‘sorry that all this happened. And, nothing . we can change now.’ She also said that Mrs Herold was a troubled woman, who cared more about the animal than her good friend. On a rampage: Travis escaped in 2003 and roamed around Stamford, Connecticut before he was eventually re-captured . Q: ‘So, is it your testimony that from the time you first purchased . Travis [in 1995, when he was born] and brought him home to Stamford . until your husband died [in 2004] you would bring Travis to Desire Me . Motors daily?’ A: ‘Every single day.’ Q: ‘...You mean Monday through Sunday every week?’ A: ‘...If I was down there Monday through Friday, he was with me Monday . through Friday. If we went down on Saturday, he was down on Saturday. When I was there, he was there. And everybody in town knew it.’ Q: ‘And when you first brought Travis home to Stamford did he have a bedroom?’ A: ‘Ours.’ Q: ‘Okay. So he stayed in the same room with you and your husband?’ A: ‘Slept in the same bed from the day he was brought home until the day . he died.’ Q: ‘So, he would sleep in that bed every night with you — ‘ . A: ‘Every single night.’ Q: ‘ — and your husband?’ A: ‘Yes.’ Q: ‘And after your husband died he would sleep with just you?’ A: ‘Yes.’ Mrs Herold also spoke of her employment of Miss Nash, saying she paid her $300 a week in cash. Q: ‘Okay. And what was her job?’ A: ‘Answer the phones, release the [towed] cars, clean out the cars when . they were going to junk after they had been totaled. Just general. Shop . for Travis, mow the lawn up at the house, clean his pen, get newspapers . for him. ... There was a [newspaper distribution] place right around . the corner from us. You know, papers they didn't sell. And you had to be . there by 6 in the morning, between 5:30 and 6. And twice a month — once . for sure, but most of the time it was twice a month.’ Q: ‘And the newspapers were for what purpose?’ A: ‘Travis's room. Because originally it had a tile floor, and then I . put rubber matting over it. And then I put the papers over that.’ Mrs Herold was also asked how Miss Nash would shop for Travis. A: ‘ ... I would take her to the store … and I'd say, 'Okay. He likes . sweet potatoes. They have to be this size.' You know, he liked not great . big ones, not little tiny ones. They had to be a certain size. So, I . showed her. And then fruit, he liked a certain kind of bananas and . stuff. So, if I couldn't go, she had to go.’ Q: ‘Okay.’ A: ‘And she'd make him rice pudding. And you know, she was bottle . picking, so she found toys that people put out that were good. She'd get . it for him. Stuff like that.’ | Charla Nash, 58, horrifically mauled by chimpanzee in 2009 .
Had revolutionary full-face transplant in June 2011 and says she has feeling in various parts of her face .
Is suing state of Connecticut, seeking $150m in damages for not dealing with dangerous 200lb chimp Travis .
Chimp escaped in 2003 and roamed around Stamford before being caught .
Owner Sandra Herold slept with animal 'every night' and made Miss Nash cook him rice pudding . |
189,635 | 81915c5e37f08bfbd7e26f41e5f2b1dcd324e77a | Zohra Amrani, 59, and her husband Hassan are believed to have been killed by their son at their home in Westbourne Grove . This is the mother who was allegedly murdered alongside her husband by her convicted rapist son, just days after he was released from jail. Zohra Amrani, 59, and her husband Hassan, 72, were found dead at their home in Westbourne Grove, west London, 24 hours after their son plunged to his death. Ashraf Amrani, 30, fell to his death on Friday in a suspected suicide. He was found by residents on the first floor of a block of flats, on the same street where police later discovered his parents’ bodies. The second discovery was made when officers went to inform the couple of their son’s death. Detectives have launched an investigation following the suspected murder-suicide but are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths. The case has now been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. The young man had been released from jail after raping a 23-year-old woman and was also arrested on suspicion of affray days earlier. Amrani was sentenced to seven years and two months in June 2010 after filming the vicious sex attack then threatening to send the footage to his victim’s family. The offender, who had a sexually transmitted disease, carried out the attack at his family’s flat in Notting Hill, where his parents were found dead on Saturday. Last night, neighbours said officers had been called to the property a day before the murders and Amrani had refused to let them in. He was arrested on suspicion of affray last Tuesday and was due to answer his bail on Wednesday. It also emerged that Amrani had committed a series of attacks on women. Police confirmed their handling of the case is being referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission. In November 2009 he raped the 23-year-old after ordering her to carry out ‘humiliating’ domestic tasks. Jurors at Southwark Crown Court were shown film of the naked victim crying as Amrani barked orders and threatened to slash her. Judge Gregory Stone described the crime as ‘a sustained attack of violence, humiliation and coerced sexual acts.’ Neighbours said Amrani had recently been released from jail after serving half of his sentence and his retired Moroccan parents - described as a 'very sweet couple' - had been upset when he turned up at their flat. A woman who lives next door said Mrs Amrani had told her on Thursday that ‘there was some trouble in the house’, adding that police had been called to the address on Thursday, but a man, believed to be the couple's son, had tried to block them from going inside. A 30-year-old recently out of jail and on bail for assault is believed to have killed his elderly parents, pictured is a forensic tent outside Landor House, west London, where a man and woman were found dead . The body of Ashraf Amrani, 30, was found on Friday lunchtime on the first floor roof of a house in Westbourne Park, pictured are forensic officers outside his parents' house . She said: 'The last time I saw the wife was on Thursday and she didn't look happy. She looked a bit fed up and sad. 'She said her husband had called her and said there was some trouble in the house. 'On that same night when I went home, my brother told me that police had been round and they were looking for the son and opened the door. 'He got the impression he was in there and not letting them in. I hadn't seen the son for a few years, and then I saw him again about a month and a half ago.' The woman added that she had heard nothing suspicious from the couple's home on Friday. She said: 'There was no noise, nothing to indicate what might happen.' She paid tribute to the 'lovely couple' who also have a grown-up daughter and a grandson. 'They were just a really nice couple. I'm just so shocked. They were always so nice,' she said. 'She would always go and see her daughter and grandson.' The neighbour said the couple, originally from Morocco, were very house-proud and doting grandparents to their grandson, who is around seven or eight years old. She said: 'The husband was a very quiet man. They had an extremely beautiful house. She kept everything immaculate. They would often go back to Morocco and see their family. It is awful.' No arrests have been made and Scotland Yard detectives are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident . Three bouquets of flowers were left as a tribute to the grandparents who were described as a 'lovely couple' But the son was described as 'trouble for his family' by neighbours. Neighbour Farhad Chowdhury, 28, said: 'The mother was very nice to us. She would always say hello and have a chat. 'It’s very sad because she treated me like a son. And she even went to my sister’s wedding. 'She was a lovely woman and every now and then she would come over and cook with my mum and share recipes. 'She was very nice to our whole family. When I first heard what happened I was shocked. 'The father we didn’t see so much because he would be coming and going from Morocco. 'I came home from work and saw all the police and they had taped off all the homes. It gave me a heart attack because I didn’t know what was happening. 'I would see the son every now and then and we would say hello to each other. He disappeared for a while and I didn’t see him for a few years. I think he had been trouble for the family. Three people believed to be from the same family have died in a suspected murder-suicide. A man and a woman were found dead in Landor House, west London . 'He came back about six months ago and when I saw him again he had changed, he just looked different almost depressed.' Other neighbours on the estate shared their disbelief about what had happened. Sotira Savva, 75, said: 'It's just devastating, and to have it happen in this estate. I have lived here for 40 years and it has changed but it’s always been quiet. This is just horrible for the whole estate.” Floral tributes have been left by friends of the couple outside the home. One woman, who wished not to be named, who was friends with Zohra Amrani through the local Muslim community said: 'I just wanted to come down and say some prayers for them. 'When I found out yesterday what happened I couldn’t believe it. I was so upset I couldn’t stop crying. 'She was a lovely woman, so so nice to everyone. It’s so sad.' A friend of Ashraf Amrani, who asked not to be named, said: 'I don't know much about it, but I know he was in prison before. 'I think he must have got out recently. I'm not going to talk about why he was locked up.' Last night, a police forensics tent had been erected in the back garden of the ground floor flat in Landor House, a two storey block near Royal Park. Police cordoned off the nearby estate area and forensics teams scoured the crime scene. Flowers were laid outside the flat where the couple were found. Scotland Yard detectives are treating the incident as a suspected murder suicide and they are not seeking anyone in connection with the three deaths. The case is due to be referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Monday, according to a Met spokesman. | Zohra Amrani, 59, and her husband Hassan, 72, found dead at their home .
Body of son Ashraf Amrani, 30, found on first floor roof 24 hours earlier .
He was recently out of jail and had been arrested days before for assault .
Officers went to inform next of kin and found bodies of his elderly parents .
No arrests have been made and police are not looking for anyone else .
Officers are treating the incident as a suspected murder suicide .
Case due to be referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission . |
255,394 | d6950e0a3b9b991291df0809b76e3b5bf97ad2c3 | (CNN) -- As a teenager, Roger Pontz's eyesight began to fail. Doctors told him there was nothing they could do to save his vision and over the years his sight deteriorated until, by the age of 40, he was completely blind. Pontz had been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary eye disease that damages the retina -- a layer of tissue at the back of the eye that converts light to nerve signals and sends them to the brain. But he always believed that one day he would see again. A few years ago he heard about a device called the Argus II. Known as the "bionic eye," it gave a glimmer of hope that some of his sight might be restored. "At that time it was all experimental," recalls Pontz, "so I just kept waiting and kept waiting and thought someday it would happen, because you have to believe in yourself." The Argus II system consists of a pair of glasses with a small video camera mounted on it, which captures images. A prosthesis no larger than a pencil eraser is surgically implanted on the surface of the retina and information from the camera is transmitted wirelessly to electrodes on the artificial retina, where it is converted to electrical pulses. Any remaining cells that haven't been damaged by the eye disease are stimulated by the pulses, leading to a perception of light patterns in the brain. It's a long way from perfect vision -- the users perceives simple flashes of light, no color or details -- but it can be enough to get around. The Argus II has been used in Europe since 2011 in countries including Italy and Germany, but Pontz lives in Michigan, and the device wasn't approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until last year. On January 22, 2014 Pontz became the second person in the United States to get the implant. The surgery itself lasted around four hours but the recovery took a few weeks. When doctors at the Kellogg Eye Center, at the University of Michigan, finally activated the chip, they warned Pontz that he might not see anything right away, but in fact the effects were immediate. He remembers: "They turned it back on and I'm sitting there and I'm thinking: there was a light flashing on the screen wasn't there? And they said, 'yeah.' "I looked up and I said 'there's a light up there,' and I turned around and the three lights in the room, I pointed right at them." The surgery was a success. It appeared Pontz would regain some vision with the help of the glasses and the implant, but it wouldn't be easy. After years of not processing visual information, it wasn't just Pontz's eyes that had to learn how to see again. "You have to go through the process, kind of like learning a new language," says Kari Branham, genetic counselor at Kellog Eye Center. "You have to retrain your brain to see and understand those images that it's seeing." So every week, Pontz and his wife drive to Ann Arbor for rehab, three hours there, and three hours back. "They start out in the beginning really just teaching them what they're seeing," says Branham. "So, how do they understand what they're seeing? What's the difference when they see the lights and when they don't see the lights? How to interpret what a shadow is, what's a light? Then learn about interpreting lines and things like that." Although seeing pulses of light may not sound like much, for Pontz it's so much more than he had before the procedure. "It's been pretty awesome," he says. "I can tell when my grandson runs around the house, I can tell when people step in front of me, I can tell when my wife had on a white top versus dark bottoms, vice versa. I could follow my mom around on Easter; she had a light top on. Every day it's something small but something different." There have been four such surgeries performed at Kellogg this year -- one of only two clinics in the United States currently doing the procedure, although 10 more are working to add the operation. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that surgery like this does come with "potential complications" and this procedure still isn't available to the "mass public." But it also notes that for "someone who has no vision this is an outstanding breakthrough," even if the vision is still only "rudimentary." With the progress of patients like Pontz, there is growing hope for the "bionic eye," and for a second chance at sight. "I told my wife for years, 'I don't know when, what, or how, but I will see again," says Pontz. "You got to believe in yourself -- I always have. Someday, yes, I will see again. I didn't know how, where, when -- but it's happening now." | An artificial retina is restoring partial vision in blind people .
The Argus II collects visual information using a video camera on a pair of glasses .
Roger Pontz is only the second person to get the implant in the United States .
"It's been pretty awesome," he says . |
111,700 | 1c0b63832aab301ffb0013a9403462a0f937be61 | By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 10:34 EST, 30 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:30 EST, 30 November 2013 . Prince Charles once expressed concern at his son's motorbike obsession. But it seems the Duke of Cambridge does not share the same fatherly worries. During a visit to the Midlands, Prince William spent a day trying out state-of-the-art power cruisers UK's flagship motorcycle show - and beamed as organisers presented him with a mini version for Prince George. Scroll Down for Video . Ecstatic: The Duke of Cambridge delightedly climbed astride a Ducati Diavel at the UK's flagship bike event . Like father, like son: William clutched the bespoke balance bike presented to him for Prince George . In the afternoon, he completed his boyish day out with a football match - watching his side Aston Villa play Sunderland at home in a goalless draw. Starting the day with the bike show, Prince William was in his element. Along with his brother Prince Harry, the Duke has been a keen biker from a young age and currently owns a 1199cc Ducati. In 2008 the heirs to the throne took part in an arduous motorcycle rally across Africa to raise money for a variety of charities including Sentebale, which was jointly founded by Prince Harry. Today he astonished thousands of bike . fans by making an appearance at Motorcycle Live in Birmingham's National . Exhibition Centre. Indulging his love of motorbikes, . Prince William showed no sign of hesitation when someone from the crowd shouted for him to climb astride a cutting-edge Ducati Diavel. Surprise visit: Prince William entered the National Exhibition Centre with organisers to check out the display . Interested: The prince wanted to know everything about the new model. He currently owns a 1199cc Ducati . Christmas come early: The second in line to the throne beamed at the state-of-the-art power cruiser . Fun: He was happy to sit for pictures as hundreds of fans excitedly stared at the unexpected visitor in Birmingham . With a laugh, William replied: 'Alright then, if I have to,' before jumping aboard. Flanked by crowds, he walked through the arena talking to engineers and organisers at the Norton, Metisse, Triumph, CCM, Ducati, and Yamaha stands about the bikes. One eight-year-old girl went over to the young royal to speak to him about the show. Passing it on: Prince William was animated as he asked organisers about the balance bike made for his son . Present: Prince Charles once worried about William's bike obsession. It seems the duke doesn't feel so scared . Fit for a prince: The one-of-a-kind toy motorcycle has little personalised touches all over it for George . Specially-made: The mini bike was decorated with a coat of arms on the side and a 'G' topped with a crown . Royal rider: It seems the royals have embraced biking once and for all as little George is welcomed into the clan . Detail: The air socket stopper has been fashioned into a miniature crown for the third in line to the throne . Hat tip: And with a nod to mum and dad, organisers painted 'W' for William and 'C' for Catherine on the back . Bronte Williams, from North Devon, who was visiting the exhibition with her family, said: 'He was very nice and chatty. 'He asked me what I enjoyed and I told him the off-road show.' Just before leaving, the Duke was presented with a balance bike for his son, Prince George. He then headed to Villa Park with George's godfather William van Cutsem to support Aston Villa in their clash against Sunderland. The Duke of Cambridge is a long-time Villa supporter and was in a box to watch his side take on the bottom-of-the-table Black Cats. In the box: Later, he went to Villa Park with William van Cutsem for Aston Villa's clash with Sunderland . Support: Clad in an AVFC scarf, the duke roared on the Villains during a match that was 0-0 at half time . Close: Aston Villa may be nine spots ahead of Sunderland in the table but they are having no luck today . Fan: He has always maintained that young George will be a Villa fan like him, his friends and his brother . Roared: Sat behind other fans, he and his friends screamed and shouted in support of the Villains throughout . But it was a stagnant game that ended 0-0. The heir to the throne helped organise . the first competitive game at Buckingham Palace earlier this year . between two of England's oldest amateur clubs, Civil Service FC and . Polytechnic FC, as part of the FA's anniversary celebrations. Prince William is not the first member of the Royal Family to support the Villains, and he will not be the last. The proud father said last month that his baby son George will be a devoted Aston Villa fan like him. It had the royal crest emblazoned on it, a 'G' with a crown above it and the Motorcycle Live logo. He also watched riders taking part in the Yamaha off-road experience, a short off-road course inside the NEC. Motorcycle Live, at the NEC from November 23 to December 1, is the Motorcycle Industry Association's flagship event. Spectating: The prince walked around the arena speaking to representatives from companies like Yamaha . Shows: During his talks with engineers, he watched off-road shows demonstrated by professionals . The association has looked after the interests of the motorcycle industry in the UK for over 100 years. Its members manufacture and import motorbikes and supply associated goods and services in the UK. The association says its objective is to promote, protect and expand the motorcycle industry for the benefit of its members. | Duke of Cambridge visited UK's biggest bike show, Motorcycle Live .
Climbed astride a Ducati Diavel and spoke to engineers from all companies .
Organisers gave him a balance bike for his son emblazoned with a 'G'
Prince completed his Midlands visit by watching his side Aston Villa play . |
101,133 | 0e556325ade3edb41fba02218c08ad6a0f2c31e5 | Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard blasted Liverpool for being 'too soft' as their Champions League hopes were plunged into jeopardy. Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by Basle, conceding a poor goal to Marco Streller, and the feeble manner of their performance in St Jakob Park enraged their manager and captain. To add to a miserable night, there was an open show of petulance from Mario Balotelli, who ignored Rodgers’ request to applaud the visiting supporters and stormed straight down the tunnel. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Brendan Rodgers: Mario is working hard to get scoring . Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitted his side were second best in Basle . It was the manner in which they surrendered control of Group B, though, that caused Rodgers and Gerrard most alarm and they slammed the way in which Liverpool, who now face back-to-back games against reigning champions Real Madrid, folded. Gerrard said: 'They wanted it more which is most disappointing. We came for the win and I expected a win so very disappointing. We didn't deserve anything. We were too soft all over the pitch. ‘It hurts to say they wanted it more. We were second best against an ok team. We didn’t show what we did against Everton. We went back to how we have been this season, which wasn’t good enough.’ Basle striker Marco Streller scores the winner against Liverpool on Wednesday night . Basle coach Paulo Sousa celebrates beating Liverpool with goalscorer Marco Streller . Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers let rip at his players after disappointing defeat . Rodgers agreed, saying: ‘It was far too soft – and not for the first time either. We lost contact again (for the goal) and it was a very disappointing one to concede after all the work we’ve done on the training ground. ‘We never not going in the first 25 minutes and gave it away too easy. We grew into it and I thought we created some chances. We were close on couple of occasions but we conceded a soft goal and then it’s difficult. Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli endured a frustrating night in Basle on Wednesday . Balotelli had the ball in the net but his effort was rightly ruled out for offside . Balotelli was also booked for an off-the-ball 'slap' on Basle's Taulant Xhaka . ‘Away from home, against a team with a great record, we had a chance to at least get a point. I don’t think we’re anywhere near where we were technically last year. It’s very important we get back to playing as a team because that’s what we have done over the last 18 months.’ This is the second time Balotelli has ignored Rodgers order to clap the travelling fans but the Northern Irishman attempted to defuse the situation. ‘Mario worked hard, he knows his job is to create and to get into the area,’ said Rodgers. ‘We are working hard on it. I’m not sure if he went back out to say thanks to the fans as I came straight in.’ | Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard admitted his side were second best in Basle on Wednesday night .
Swiss champions beat Brendan Rodgers' side 1-0 at St Jakop-Park courtesy of Marco Streller's close-range strike .
Liverpool's next opponents in the competition are Real Madrid, who top the game after two wins . |
236,758 | be7527c2eff4d7155c8695d59082692f0b18190c | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 06:04 EST, 14 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:34 EST, 14 June 2013 . Hospital bosses have admitted responsibility for the death of a newborn baby following an ‘appalling catalogue of failings’ by midwives. Lesley Broughton and Jason Ham's first child, Ford, died of brain damage caused by oxygen starvation at Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital shortly after his birth on October 3, 2010. Ms Broughton, 31, lost so much blood during labour that she feared for her own life. She also had to wait more . than two hours to be sent for an emergency Caesarean section after . Ford’s heartbeat dropped. Lesley Broughton and Jason Ham's first child, Ford, died of brain damage caused by oxygen starvation at Redditch's Alexandra Hospital. Midwives struggled to find the baby's heartbeat but it took two hours for Ms Broughton to be sent for an emergency C-section. The couple are pictured with a memory box they created . Investigators found that Ms Broughton was not reviewed by a consultant - despite her pregnancy being considered high risk because of complications during previous pregnancies. They also discovered that midwives failed to request additional help when the maternity unit became busy and that the couple were not provided with somewhere quiet to grieve after their baby’s death. The couple have now secured a full admission of responsibility and official apology from Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust after taking legal action. They have also received an undisclosed payout, which will be used to have treatment for depression. Ms Broughton, from Kings Norton, Birmingham, was admitted to the Alexandra Hospital on October 1, 2010, so she could be monitored closely after suffering repeated heavy bleeding. At 7.15am on October 3, midwives struggled to find a strong heartbeat for Ford, yet it took more than two hours for staff to transfer Ms Broughton to theatre for a more detailed scan and potential Caesarean section. Doctors spent 20 minutes trying to resuscitate Ford after his birth but they were unable to save him. ied, despite staff trying to resuscitate him for 20 minutes . Ford was eventually delivered at 9.39am with no signs of life. He died, despite staff trying to resuscitate him for 20 minutes. Ms Broughton, who has two children aged six and 11 from a previous relationship, said: ‘Ford was mine and Jason’s first child together and we were so excited to welcome him into the family. ‘My other children couldn’t wait to meet him and they made cards for him, so when Jason had to go back to our home and tell them they wouldn’t ever get to see him and I was poorly in hospital, it broke their hearts, too. ‘Jason and I knew something was wrong but despite begging for help, the midwives did nothing and just didn’t seem to care. I was losing so much blood I thought I was going to die. The couple say they are now too scared to try for another baby . ‘I don’t remember the Caesarean and needed further surgery. Several hours after the delivery a doctor came and told me that Ford had died while I was on my own. ‘The following day, Jason and I were allowed to go and say goodbye to Ford. We both held him in our arms and sobbed. ‘Even when I stayed in hospital to recover for three weeks, none of the nurses seemed to care about what we’d been through and didn’t offer any support or counselling.’ She added: ‘We were disgusted by the way we were treated and determined to get justice for Ford. ‘We welcome the apology but nothing could bring him back or make up for the pain we continue to suffer. We’re too scared to try for another baby because we’ve lost faith in the country’s maternity services. ‘We just hope more than anything that improvements on the ward have been made as it will give us a tiny piece of hope that Ford’s death was not completely in vain.’ Following the birth, Ms Broughton spent three weeks in hospital recovering from blood loss and further complications from surgery. She said: ‘I’m not the person I used to be. I have some good days, some bad days.’ A hospital spokeswoman said: ‘Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust apologises for the failings in care given to Ford and his family. ‘The Trust has admitted responsibility and offered a full apology to the family for Ford’s death. ‘The Trust is pleased a financial . settlement has now been reached with his family and extends its . condolences during what would continue to be a difficult time for Ford’s . family.’ Alexandra Hospital has admitted responsibility for Ford's death and has agreed an out-of-court settlement with his parents who say they need the money to pay for treatment for depression . Tom Riis-Bristow of the law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represented the couple, said: ‘This is a tragic case that has seen a young couple left devastated by the loss of their first child together. ‘What is clear is that midwives made an appalling catalogue of failings and ignored a number of clear signs that Lesley should be rushed for an emergency Caesarean to save Ford’s life. ‘It’s hard to comprehend why more was not done to investigate why Lesley was in so much pain and losing so much blood, particularly given that staff were aware she was a high risk pregnancy . ‘The couple have understandably found it incredibly hard to accept what happened and need specialist support to help them come to terms with their loss. ‘We are pleased that a settlement has been reached to fund this but we are also keen to see proof that the Trust has learnt from the mistakes it made and made improvements to ensure the same tragedy cannot happen again.’ | Ford Ham died of brain damage at Alexandra Hospital, Redditch .
His mother, Lesley Broughton, 31, was admitted with heavy bleeding .
When midwives struggled to find Ford's heartbeat, they took two hours to send her for an emergency C-section, meaning he was starved of oxygen .
Hospital has admitted responsibility for his death and paid compensation . |
63,194 | b38244217c4eb1384fb0ba07b95b2cc1e7382f56 | By . Mark Duell . UPDATED: . 00:52 EST, 1 September 2011 . One of America’s most famous historical figures who wrote the Declaration of Independence might not have fathered his slave’s children after all. It had been believed for more than a decade that former U.S. President Thomas Jefferson fathered his slave Sally Hemings’s youngest son, Eston. But DNA evidence that showed a Jefferson male fathered the boy actually suggests Mr Jefferson’s brother Randolph was the dad, a new book says. Changing history: It had been believed for more than a decade that U.S. President Thomas Jefferson fathered his slave Sally Hemings's youngest son, Eston . It’s an important debate because of America’s history of slavery and race - and Mr Jefferson’s controversial ownership of slaves. The book's release comes as the Smithsonian's . National Museum of African American History and Culture plans an exhibit . to explore Mr Jefferson's history with slavery. Museum . officials say the exhibit, to be opened in January, will tackle the sensitive subject of slavery during . the American Revolution. Mr Jefferson called slavery an 'abominable crime' but was a lifelong slaveholder. The scholars’ book also disputes beliefs that Ms Hemings's children received special treatment from the president, which suggested a special bond with the president. ‘It is true that Sally’s sons Madison and Eston were freed in Jefferson’s will,’ commission chairman Robert F. Turner told the Washington Times. ‘But so were all but two of the sons and grandsons of Sally’s mother Betty Hemings, who still belonged to Thomas Jefferson at the time of his death. ‘Sally’s sons received by far the least favourable treatment of those freed in Thomas Jefferson’s will,’ the former University of Virginia professor said. Jefferson slave: The book disputes beliefs that Sally Hemings's children received special treatment from the president, which suggested a special bond . The book, entitled ‘The Jefferson-Hemings Controversy: Report of the Scholars Commission’, will be released on Thursday. 'Sally’s sons received by far the least favorable treatment of those freed in Thomas Jefferson’s will' Robert F. Turner, commission chairman . The commission was formed by request of the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society - a group that tries to defend his image. Richard Dixon, of the Jefferson Heritage Society, told the Washington Times the book is important as shows ‘the issue is not proven’. ‘It does address (these) reasons why Jefferson could have been the father in a detailed manner - and shows the fallacies in these reasons,’ he said. Publication: The book, entitled 'The Jefferson-Hemings Controversy: Report of the Scholars Commission', will be released on Thursday . The Thomas Jefferson Foundation in Virginia says the evidence they have seen suggests he was the father, but it cannot be proven either way. 'It does address (these) reasons why Jefferson could have been the father, in a detailed manner, and shows the fallacies in these reasons, and should bring the reader back to a point where the issue is not proven' Richard Dixon, Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society . It all dates back to the early 1800s . when a newspaper claimed Mr Jefferson had fathered ‘several children’ with a slave called Sally. Evidence released almost 200 years later in 1998 showed a genetic link between family descendants of Mr Jefferson and Eston Hemings, reported the Washington Times. It's also believed Mr Hemings’s family said his father was an ‘uncle’, which scholars say is referring to Mr Jefferson’s brother Randolph. He would have been referred to as ‘uncle’ by Mr Jefferson’s daughters. | Decade-long theory Jefferson fathered Eston Hemings .
Hemings was youngest son of president's slave Sally .
But study claims dad was probably Jefferson's brother . |
233,199 | b9e76c47f1eeca03bbdb027ec31cf83d63556b65 | Bosses at the FBI-style agency shut down last year for failing to catch ‘Mr Bigs’ have shared massive payoffs and bonuses. One senior executive at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) chose to resign but was still rewarded with more than £200,000 – and has now walked into a well-paid job in another policing body. Meanwhile, the head of the discredited unit – accused of letting crime barons off the hook and failing to investigate a hacking scandal – was handed a £12,500 bonus. Bonuses: Michael Cornberg, pictured, received a payout from the defunct Serious Organised Crime Agency . Last night the Home Office was facing calls to explain why it had rubber-stamped the payments at a time when forces are having to cut bobbies on the beat to save money. Keith Vaz MP, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘In a time of austerity it is unacceptable to use taxpayers’ money to reward those leaving an organisation that had been accused of under-performance and failure to achieve objectives. ‘We have made it clear a number of times that the public will not accept senior figures in policing who leave one job and obtain a huge amount of money, before going on to take up another publicly-funded job in the same area.’ Police Federation chairman Steve White said: ‘At a time of severe cuts which have put the entire service under strain and affected the pay of all police officers and staff, it seems farcical that huge sums of public money are used to pay off already well-paid executives.’ SOCA was set up in 2006 as a national force to tackle the growing threats of drug smuggling, human trafficking and fraud run by crime syndicates. Director General Trevor Pearce received a £12,500 bonus, it has been revealed . But a whistleblower told The Mail on Sunday it had decided it was ‘too difficult’ to catch its top targets. Then, it emerged that in 2008 the agency had a list of 102 organisations and individuals suspected of employing rogue private investigators to use illegal methods such as phone-hacking against rivals and customers – but failed to act. The ‘blue-chip hacking scandal’ led, last year, to the resignation of SOCA’s chairman Sir Ian Andrews, who failed to declare he had set up a private company with his wife, who also worked for a security firm. In October SOCA was taken over by the National Crime Agency, but the final set of accounts, published last week, show many of its top bosses were handsomely rewarded as the failed agency was abolished. Malcolm Cornberg, who earned £150,000 as its Executive Director Capability and Service Delivery, resigned last July but was given a payoff worth £189,600 ‘which was agreed with and funded by the Home Office’. He also received a payment in lieu of leave of £14,100. Last month he joined the College of Policing as Director of Corporate Services on a salary of £115,000. Two other SOCA directors, Gerry Liddell and Bradley Jones, received compensation payments of £184,500 and £82,400, respectively, and director-general Trevor Pearce got a £12,500 bonus. He was accused of treating Parliament with ‘absolute contempt’ by giving different accounts of when SOCA took action in the industrial espionage case. A spokesman for the Home Office said: ‘The settlement with Malcolm Cornberg was reached in accordance with Treasury rules.’ | Bosses at FBI-style agency SOCA share massive payoffs and bonuses .
One senior executive chose to resign but was rewarded more than £200,000 .
Head of discredited unit was also handed a £12,500 bonus, it is revealed .
Unit was accused of letting crime barons off the hook and failing to investigate a hacking scandal .
Home office facing calls to explain why payments have been rubber-stamped . |
217,737 | a5e9aaec93c54f55ab212dd7ad794c80e30fb676 | Scientists have long predicted that Mars had significant volcanic activity in the first billion years of its history, but images of the planet's surface haven't delivered as much evidence of volcanoes as they expected. New research suggests, however, that scientists may have been looking for the wrong kind of volcanoes. A new study in the journal Nature argues that a handful of geological formations on Mars that were thought of as impact craters were once, instead, supervolcanoes. They never looked like mountains; rather, they formed when the ground collapsed on itself in violent explosions. "This is a totally new kind of process that we hadn't thought about for Mars, and it changes the way we view the evolution of the planet," said lead study author Joseph Michalski of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and the National History Museum in London. The volcanic eruptions likely represented the biggest explosions in the history of Mars, Michalski said. These explosions would have occurred more than 3.5 billion years ago. He and NASA colleague Jacob Bleacher focused on a region on Mars called Arabia Terra, which is speckled with craters. Bleacher could not discuss the study Wednesday, Michalski said, because of the United States government shutdown that furloughed most of NASA's employees. (But Mars rover operations, including driving and using scientific instruments, are continuing this week, a NASA spokesman said). NASA on shutdown: 'Sort it out, humans' The researchers used data from instruments aboard several orbiters: Mars Express, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. Particularly intriguing to them was a crater called Eden Patera, which did not have features consistent with an impact crater. Instead, it resembled a structure seen on Earth called a caldera, which is a volcano that has collapsed inward (caldera is also the Spanish word for cauldron.) They believe Eden Patera is the best example of a possible ancient supervolcano on Mars. When you think of a volcano, a cone-shaped structure protruding from the ground probably comes to mind. These, such as Mauna Loa in Hawaii, are essentially mountains of lava. But Eden Patera and other supervolcanoes on Mars never looked like that; instead, they represent the inward collapse of Martian terrain. Eden Patera and other supervolcanoes would have been much smaller than Olympus Mons, a shield volcano on Mars about the size of the state of Arizona, and the biggest volcano in the solar system. But while Olympus Mons oozed lava, the supervolcano explosions would have been much more powerful, Michalski said -- they would have thrown material all around the planet. By comparison, Mount St. Helens erupted on Earth in 1980, spewing more than 0.24 cubic miles (1 cubic kilometer) of material over Washington state and surrounding areas. Supervolcanoes can produce eruptions spouting more than 1,000 times more volcanic material than that. Six must-see volcanoes on Earth . How a supervolcano collapses . How calderas such as Eden Patera form is similar to the process that created what is today Yellowstone National Park, Michalski said. A supervolcano there exploded 640,000 years ago; there was no mountain-like structure there beforehand. Had you been there, said Michalski, you would have been standing around in Wyoming and observing a bit of steam coming out of the ground. You would start to feel earthquakes because of the movement of magma underneath you, causing the earth to crack and break. Bigger and bigger earthquakes would have given way to smaller explosions from within the ground. That happens because as the magma produces bubbles, pressure would build up and blows up the terrain; destabilization would lead to more earthquakes and then -- boom! -- a massive explosion. Such explosions would send ash far into the atmosphere, creating lots of heat and gas. The wind would carry away the ash, and while much of it would rain down to form layered materials on Earth, some ash would stay in the atmosphere for years to come . "By the time you'd get to see that, you'll be dead, because it's quite a massive, violent activity," Michalski said. "No one's really ever witnessed it, because if you did, you wouldn't be here to tell about it." Water discovered in Martian soil . Why it matters . Supervolcanoes were instrumental in shaping geological formations and the climate on our own planet, and the same goes for Mars, Michalski said. Eruptions would have sent the climate into a tailspin of global cooling or warming, or both, because of competing environmental processes, he said. The volcanic explosions emitted greenhouse gas and unleashed ash into the atmosphere, which blocks out the sun. "That would have had a strong impact on what the climate and what the environment was like at geologically relevant time scales," he said. Understanding supervolcanoes could give scientists new clues into the early Martian atmosphere and explain various features of the planet's geology. Material from the eruptions may even be responsible for some of the rocks that the Mars rover Curiosity has been encountering since it landed on August 6, 2012. Mars may be home to even more ancient supervolcanoes that today look like impact craters, researchers say. Stephanie C. Werner, planetology researcher at the University of Oslo, who was not involved in the study, believes some of the conclusions of this new study are speculative and not based on a firm timescale. More research is needed to better determine whether this supervolcano activity really predates other significant volcanic episodes, specifically, those that occurred in the Tharsis region of Mars, she said. "One thing lacking in this study is the constraint on the timing of these events, to fully evaluate the impact on atmosphere evolution and impact on climate," she said in an e-mail. "Nonetheless, events related to the formation of these landforms can have significant influence and may be important if no other activity occurred at the same time." More orbital data would help resolve unanswered questions about the ancient supervolcanoes, Michalski said. Like magma under an active fault, such discussions will continue bubbling among members of the community of scientists who study Mars. Follow Elizabeth Landau on Twitter at @lizlandau . | Study: Supervolcanoes on Mars exploded more than 3.5 billion years ago .
Scientists say some structures that look like impact craters were volcanoes instead .
The best example is called Eden Patera .
More research needs to be done to confirm . |
31,110 | 586f5184566d52ff9f11cea8b36b419d69025395 | By . Andy Dolan . PUBLISHED: . 08:23 EST, 28 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:55 EST, 28 October 2013 . Nestled in a wooded valley which is home to rabbits, deer and even a holy well, Whichford seems the ideal location for a holistic retreat. But the peace and quiet of the sleepy Cotswolds village has been shattered by a war of words between a band of well-heeled residents – led by a millionaire author – and the couple behind the ‘alternative campsite’ and adjoining ‘house of healing’. Andy Birtwell, 67, and his wife Sally, 63, opened Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre on the edge of the south Warwickshire community a decade ago. Objection: Andy and Sally Birtwell deny their Holycombe Spritual Development Centre hosts rowdy raves and drunken revellers . Claims: Site owners Andy Birtwell, and his wife Sally say Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre attracts people looking for a quiet setting . The centre, which boasts its own stone . circle, plays host to yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, meditation . groups and song and dance sessions. But their closest neighbour, . author Terry Maher, 73, who wrote a best-selling memoir, Against My . Better Judgement, and novel Unfinished Business, is taking legal action . against the couple after they were granted retrospective planning . permission for the 30-pitch campsite earlier this month. Some of the . village’s 320 residents are even threatening to boycott donations to the . local 12th century church, St Michael’s, after Mr Birtwell suggested . his centre enjoyed a ‘symbiotic relationship’ with the church. Mr . Maher, whose £1million home lies 400 yards from the campsite, is . attempting to get a judicial review to overturn the council’s decision. The . former chairman of defunct bookseller Dillons has lived in the village . with wife Barbara for 30 years. He said: ‘I have been friends with Andy . and Sally for many, many years and I even persuaded him to buy the land. ‘Everything . was fine, and we had no opposition to the holistic centre but the . campsite is causing noise which is very intrusive to us. Complaints: Author and publisher Terry Maher, pictured, claims his tranquility is being ruined by the neighbouring holistic peace retreat . Permission: The Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre overlooking the rolling Cotswold hills was granted permission to hold weddings in its grounds . ‘If we sit . on our terrace, and with a prevailing wind, we can hear conversations . from the campsite quite clearly as well as children playing. ‘It does not fit with the atmosphere of a quiet village in the Cotswolds.’ Mrs Maher, 70, added: ‘The Birtwells were good friends of ours and we are sad that it’s come to this. ‘It’s been a spoiler in the village, there’s no friendship any more.’ Another . resident, London solicitor Bridget Barker, 55, complained of ‘terrible . noise pollution’ over the years from ‘rowdy campers, chanting and . singing’. She added: ‘One of the worst things is that people come into the village and park all over the place. ‘It got particularly bad in 2011 which was what prompted us all to complain.’ The . retreat is situated where a Norman castle once stood, although now . only a shallow moat remains. Idyllic: Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre has been run from this site in the Cotswold village of Whichford by Andy Birtwell, 67, and his wife Sally, 63, for the past 10 years . Tranquil: Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre is set in the middle of picturesque countryside . Mr Birtwell said initially, only a handful . of people camped each year – within rules which allowed camping on the . site for less than 28 days a year without planning permission. But . the popularity of the site took off in 2011 after it was featured in a . national newspaper article on ‘cool campsites’ and neighbours began to . complain about noise caused by groups of guests drinking late into the . night and playing loud music. The Birtwells said they rebranded the . site as a ‘quiet’ destination, where radios and instruments of any kind . were banned – except, of course, the acoustic guitar. The couple, who . have six children, also introduced a policy only to admit singles, . couples or families – barring large groups. Tensions: The red circle shows where Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre sits in relation to the Stone circle and campsite (blue), the home of author Terry Mayer (green), the local parish church (yellow) and the home of solicitor Bridget Barker (orange) They denied guests parked in . the village and said vehicles were left alongside the tents. Their . retrospective planning application for a 30-pitch campsite – including . four furnished bell tents – was approved by Stratford-on-Avon District . Council. Mr Birtwell, who runs a water purifying company, said: ‘We took . full responsibility for the noisy guests we had in 2011. 'The problem . was we were getting lots of couples booking who turned out to be part . of larger groups. ‘Since then we have imposed an 11pm noise curfew . and banned virtually all forms of music. The council have had no . complaints about noise from our site since. Conversion: Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre had been a junk yard, pictured in 1995, before it was taken over by Andy Birtwell and his wife Sally . ‘Our holistic retreat . attracts the sort of people who want to be quiet. The only noise now is . the sound of children playing during summer weekends.’ Mrs Birtwell . said the retreat was used mostly by middle-aged couples and walkers . wanting to ‘enjoy the countryside in peace and quiet’. Stratford . District Council, which is responding to the seven claims for a judicial . review, refused to comment. A spokesman said: ‘It would be . inappropriate for us to comment while legal proceedings are continuing.’ | Owners deny Holycombe Spiritual Development Centre is a disturbance .
Author Terry Maher, 73, claims the centre spoils his tranquility .
He has called for planning permission for the site to be overturned . |
101,010 | 0e2a900acd8ad438963e80e4d0d7011b9c82af5f | On Christmas Day 1974, police officer Daryl Manzie emerged from what was left of his Darwin house and thought: 'We must be the only ones left alive.' The city's 45,000 inhabitants had spent a harrowing night lashed by winds so fierce they broke the recording equipment at the Bureau of Meteorology. At least 66 people were killed in the storm. Cyclone Tracy lashed down on Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974 . Manzie likened the noise of the wind to a speeding train bearing down on his home. 'It hit the house like a bloody giant sledgehammer and the house is heaving and moving, and the manhole cover disappears, and I get the torch and shine it up and the next minute the roof disappears,' he says. Although Darwin did have a history of being periodically destroyed - by cyclones in the late 1800s and 1937, and suffering extensive damage caused by Japanese bombs in 1942 - the relentless fury of Cyclone Tracy would change the city forever. It levelled and altered its essential character. At least 66 people were killed in the storm . Winds were so fierce that they broke the recording equipment at the Bureau of Meteorology . As Manzie puts it: 'Those that went through it were different people to those that didn't.' Darwin before Tracy was still a frontier town of opportunity and promise. 'It's always been a place to come if you're running away from something or looking for your next big chance,' Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim tells AAP. Jill McKerchar Kinang, who finished high school in 1974, remembers her childhood as an outdoor idyll, hours spent playing along beaches and in the bush in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. One survivor likened the sound of the wind to that of a speeding train . 'It was a dream, it was absolutely wonderful,' she says. 'But that freedom and sense of knowing everyone disappeared after the evacuation.' Before Tracy, there weren't many sophisticated buildings in Darwin. But once it was decided in 1975 that the city would be rebuilt - which wasn't initially a certainty - things progressed rapidly. Designs intended for homes in southern cities such as Perth or Melbourne were appropriated for Darwin so houses could quickly be constructed for the returning population. Survivors remember how the night changed the town forever, turning it from a town where everyone knew each other's name to a sophisticated modern city . Darwin inhabitants say houses and building were built in identical-looking blocks in the ravaged northern suburbs . Fong Lim says this resulted in identical-looking blocks in the ravaged northern suburbs. The Royal Darwin Hospital's design was intended for Canberra, and continues to be an example of some of the 'really stupid' planning decisions, she says. The newly introduced cyclone construction code didn't preclude good design, 'but where there was a need to build fast and just get them up, then you do get things that are a bit square-blocky', Fong Lim said. Recently, planners considering the city's master plan felt that modern Darwin is ugly, she says. The Royal Darwin Hospital's design was intended for Canberra, and continues to be an example of some of the 'really stupid' planning decisions . 'The city was reborn in the 1980s and that's what you've got, ugly architecture; it's a symptom of the time.' Author Sophie Cunningham, in her book Warning: The Story of Cyclone Tracy, quoted resident Vicki Harris: 'It was like a forgotten backwater, really, back in the early seventies. But in 1980 it was almost as if the cyclone had done it a favour by blowing it off the map ... it had really blown the cobwebs out of the place.' Manzie, who spent 18 years in the NT Parliament from 1983 and has seen four decades of change, says Tracy revitalised the city. 'You see what Darwin is today,' he says. 'I don't think it would have grown nearly as quickly. 'It was an exciting time; it brought new people into the city, new opportunities, new businesses.' It was a time of optimism. As southern Australia struggled with high unemployment, Darwin boomed, with the Top End slowly shaking off the grip of heavy-handed southern leadership that dominated the first few months after Tracy, . | Darwin was lashed with historic wind and rain on Christmas Eve 1974 .
Cyclone Tracy broke the recording equipment at the Bureau of Meteorology .
At least 66 people died in the storm .
One survivor likened the sound of the wind to that of a speeding train .
Survivors remember how the night changed the city forever .
The Royal Darwin Hospital's design is an example of some of the 'really stupid' planning decisions made . |
249,600 | cf09ce9cc3a36c0dbe35cc8764a5625c43e9ce82 | By . Associated Press . National Zoo giant panda cub Bao Bao (bow-bow) has ventured outside for the first time. The zoo says Bao Bao spent about two hours outside Tuesday with mother Mei Xiang's. The zoo says Bao Bao tried out her climbing skills on one of the smaller trees and sat on the grass with a piece of bamboo. Scroll down for video . Playful: Bao Bao tried out her climbing skills on one of the smaller trees and sat on the grass with a piece of bamboo . Bao Bao soon grabbed some bamboo for herself, sitting beside her mom in the sunny yard. Zoo officials say Bao Bao has started tasting bamboo, but she's still nursing from Mei Xiang . Cub love: Bao Bao, who was born last August and is pictured her in January, is only the second cub to survive at the zoo since the first giant panda was brought in the 70s . Zookeepers had said Monday that Bao Bao would have the option of going outside if the temperature was at least 35 degrees and it wasn't not raining or snowing. Animal keepers 'cub-proofed' the panda yards before allowing Bao Bao outside. They placed collars on trees to prevent the cub from climbing too high. Some tree limbs have been trimmed, and the keepers spread out bales of hay to cushion any falls. The Smithsonian's National Zoo is naming its female giant panda cub Bao Bao after receiving more than 123,000 votes from the public. Bao Bao, which means 'treasure' or 'precious', is only the second surviving cub born at the National Zoo since the first pandas arrived in 1972 to commemorate President Richard Nixon's historic visit to China. She was born August 23, 2013. Mei Xiang's only other surviving cub, a male named Tai Shan, was born in 2005 and was returned to China in 2010 for breeding. Male panda Tian Tian is the father of both cubs. Bao Bao explored her mother Mei Xiang's yard, climbing a nearby tree while her watchful mother munched on some bamboo . Animal keepers have cub-proofed the panda yards. They placed collars on trees to prevent Bao Bao from climbing too high. Some tree limbs have been trimmed. And the keepers spread out bales of hay to cushion any falls . Out and about: Zookeepers say she'll have the option of going outside if the temperature is at least 35 degrees and it's not raining or snowing . | Panda yards 'cub-proofed' in advance of her trip .
Bao Bao was born last August . |
225,048 | af6b60e6569626ac2dbf8ca243e557e7f1b7c65d | Washington (CNN) -- In the largest alleged BP oil spill-related scam uncovered to date, federal authorities on Thursday charged two Floridians with taking $340,000 in funds intended for victims of last year's environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Justice Department officials said Joseph Harvey, 51, and Anja Kannell, 41, of Delray Beach, Florida, appeared in federal court in Miami on Thursday to face indictments for mail fraud, wire fraud and aggressive identity theft. Prosecutors said the defendants claimed the money from a $20 billion fund set up to help legitimate victims of the spill recover lost income. Justice officials said they have brought charges in at least 30 cases in which individuals tried to recover funds to which they were not entitled. This was the biggest case yet, according to the Justice Department. Harvey and Kannell are accused of filing phony claims using 34 assumed identities of actual Florida residents. These claims were complete with names and Social Security numbers, though they had fictitious addresses in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Officials say the defendants instructed that all the funds be sent to an account they controlled in Texas. A magistrate judge on Thursday ordered Harvey and Kannell to remain in custody, pending further court proceedings next week. The charges carry 10-, 15- and 20-year prison sentences upon conviction. | Joseph Harvey, 51, and Anja Kannell, 41, appear in federal court .
They allegedly assumed 34 false identities to file oil-spill claims .
Prosecutors say the two claimed $340,000 intended for victims of the Gulf spill . |
245,612 | c9e8d0152592588595122f6cb1a90e9de9aff0cb | Beijing (CNN) -- Money rewards are coming in for a woman who rescued a bleeding toddler left for dead last week by multiple passersby in southern China. Two hit-and-run drivers rammed into Wang Yue, 2, one after another, as she walked on a narrrow street in Foshan. More than a dozen people walked, cycled or drove past as she lay bleeding in a busy market, sparking a global outcry on the state of morality in a fast-changing society. Wang is in critical condition, her brain showing little activity despite earlier subtle movements in the lower body, said her mother, Qu Feifei. But despite the many villains in the story, it has also turned the spotlight on an unlikely hero: A 58-year-old scavenger. In the video that has sparked outrage globally, Chen Xianmei moves the baby to safety, becoming an instant symbol of understated decency in a nation analysts say is obsessed with climbing the economic ladder. "I didn't think of anything at the time," Chen said Sunday. "I just wanted to save the girl." Two government offices in Guangdong province, where the hit-and-run occurred, offered the Good Samaritan a total of 20,000 yuan (US $3,135), according to state-run Xinhua news agency. Wang's mother has said she does not understand the behavior of the passersby, but wants to focus on the positive. "Granny Chen represents the best of human nature," she said of her daughter's rescuer. "It's the nicest and most natural side of us." On Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, the story continued to be the No. 1 topic after generating more than 4.5 million posts along with a "stop apathy" online campaign. As the outrage over morality continues, a steady procession of well-wishers pours in, offering gifts, money and support to the toddler's family. | Two hit-and-run drivers rammed into the 2-year-old last week .
In the video, Chen Xianmei moves the baby to safety .
"I just wanted to save the girl," she says . |
53,212 | 96ee10c1df59efa839168a003b1d78a43f644010 | English county cricket clubs have seen their salary cap slashed by 10 per cent with immediate effect, giving them just three months’ notice before the new season starts. The ECB informed the 18 first-class counties this week that their wages limit — plus cricket-related travel and hotel costs — was being reduced from £2.19million to £1.97m. And the cutback, that will severely limit major counties’ spending power on overseas stars, comes when England’s T20 tournament is suffering so badly in comparison with Australia’s Big Bash and the Indian Premier League. English county cricket clubs will now find it harder to compete with the money of foreign money . ECB say move benefits home-grown talent, of which Yorkshire, bankrolled by Colin Graves, have the most . Surrey, who recruited Graeme Smith, Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting for the 2013 T20 campaign, will be one of the counties worst affected, along with Warwicks and Lancashire. Surrey chief executive Richard Gould said: ‘We are not at all pleased by the cuts or the short notice given. Budgets were set for 2015 last September. It is artificially dampening down investment in cricket and how can we compete with other T20 competitions around the world with these restrictions? At the same time England players’ salaries have gone up and up.’ The ECB say the move is to encourage home-grown talent, of which Yorkshire, bankrolled by ECB chairman elect Colin Graves, have the most. BT Sport Pundit and former Liverpool striker Michael Owen in a bizarre new advert for Spey whisky . Owen signed a three-year deal last June to become a global brand ambassador for Spey . Forget the awfulness of the BT Sport promotion ‘The Cool People To Watch Football With’, topped by the Michael Owen thumbs-up which has inspired Brighton to make their own version. Even worse is Owen’s awkward monotone online advert for Spey Whisky, panned as one of the worst commercials ever. Owen signed a three-year deal last June to become a global brand ambassador for Spey but even BT Sport colleagues are giving him stick. Another sign The Open is heading to Sky is the involvement of agents IMG in negotiations. IMG, who represent the R&A, also produce Sky’s golf coverage in partnership with the European Tour. And The Open, notable for the BBC’s far inferior camera work, is the only major golf event in Europe not brought to screens by European Tour Productions. Another sign The Open is heading to Sky is the involvement of agents IMG in negotiations . The R&A, who receive around £7m a year for the Open rights from the BBC, want a minimum £10m a year. Ideally, they would like to keep the BBC involved in a share agreement for the live contract, but Sky are highly unlikely to pay premium price without exclusivity. Certainly the R&A will want Sky to be host broadcaster. The billboard wars continue after Leicester put up a poster outside Wasps’ new home, Ricoh Arena in Coventry, promoting Tigers’ long history. Wasps fan Edward Marno is seeking £800 using crowd-funding to pay for a billboard in Leicester town centre advertising Wasps ‘bringing exciting rugby to the Midlands since 2014’. Wasps expect another 20,000-plus crowd against Leinster on Saturday. David Gill will face just one opponent in the election for the British vice-presidency seat on FIFA’s ExCo . COAST IS CLEAR FOR GILL . Manchester United director David Gill will face just one opponent in the election for the British vice-presidency seat on FIFA’s ExCo. Scottish FA president Campbell Ogilvie has decided not to stand, leaving a straight choice for the UEFA Congress vote in March between England representative Gill and FA of Wales president Trefor Lloyd Hughes. Gill, who sits on UEFA’s ExCo and is seen by many inside the game as the next FA chairman, is sure to emerge victorious. But Lloyd Hughes feels aggrieved that the other home nations have reneged on a 2011 deal that the BVP role should rotate, with Wales never having had a FIFA ExCo representative. The FA say reforms that have resulted in a full UEFA vote, rather than just the home nations, rule out previous agreements. Marketing agency FutureProof are responsible for the FA’s advertising promotion around the Euro 2016 qualifying games, with ‘Together for England’ featuring split pictures of players and fans, and tag lines such as pride-passion. The same agency have been hired to do something similar by the ECB for the Ashes next summer. Yet it seems odd the ECB are investing in an expensive campaign having just cut county cricket spending as well as rapidly culling staff aged over 50. | ECB have slashed wage limits for county cricket clubs .
The new limit is £1.97m, 10 per cent lower than the previous limit of £2.19 .
The Open Championship looks as though it could be heading to Sky .
Manchester United director David Gill will face just one opponent in the election for the British vice-presidency seat on FIFA’s ExCo . |
125,694 | 2e7dac76c35aa2359d7188eb7076af0a8bd832fc | (CNN) -- Taryn Davis was 19 when she married her high school sweetheart. "It was probably the happiest point of my life," she said. "I didn't need someone to complete my life. He made me want to be a better person." Two days after the wedding, Davis moved to Alaska to be with her husband, Michael Davis, who was stationed at an Army base there, putting their honeymoon plans on hold. "He wanted to take me to Hawaii," she remembered. But they never got to take that trip. On May 21, 2007, Davis came home to find two men waiting to tell her that her husband had been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. At 21, Davis was a widow. Consumed by grief, she felt she had nowhere to turn for support. After her husband was deployed to Iraq, Davis moved back home to San Marcos, Texas, away from a military community. "I didn't live near any bases," she said. "When Michael was killed, I was in my senior year in college. I didn't have a connection to military wives." But Davis was not alone. Since 2001, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left 2,829 women without husbands and 46 men without wives, according to a May 2011 report from the Defense Manpower Data Center. "In the beginning after I lost Michael, I honestly wanted to die," she said. "I wanted someone 21 to say, 'I got the knock on the door. I had the two men who said the words that shattered my world. And I am like you and trying to pick up the pieces.' " So she made it her mission to seek out other widows. She contacted a widow whose husband was killed alongside hers. "I gave her a call one day, and I said, 'I want to know all the things that people stopped asking me. I want to know how you met your husband. I want to know how you fell in love, how you were notified, and most importantly, I want to know what makes you get up every day and face life again,' because I didn't know the answers." Davis found other widows on MySpace and used some of the $100,000 she received in military death benefits to buy video equipment. Then she set out across the country to interview six widows in six different cities. "It was in the midst of filming that documentary that I got the idea of starting a nonprofit organization that would allow these women to have a place to share all the things that we basically were asking [in the film]," she said. Four months after Davis' husband was killed, the American Widow Project was born. Since then, more than 750 widows have joined the organization. It started with the website -- a place for young widows to share their stories, learn from one another and find comfort in knowing they're not alone. Then Davis began organizing "getaway" trips so the widows could meet in person. The trips have ranged from skydiving out of planes to rebuilding a house damaged by Hurricane Katrina through the St. Bernard Project. Brooke Toner, a widow who helped rebuild the house in New Orleans, said it was hard to find other people who understood what she was going through. "After Frankie died, I just felt like there was nothing that was going to give me any comfort," Toner said. "I felt like nobody could understand that amount of loss of my best friend, my husband, my soul mate. "I didn't even think that these women could understand that. But I've been fortunate to meet all of them. They're dealing with so much of it, and they're on a similar path. For me, it's comforting." Erin Dructor, who also lost her husband, agrees. "It's opened my eyes to show me different ways on how to be able to handle things to where I feel like I'm not alone," she said. "It's definitely helped me heal more." For Davis, starting the organization has helped her just as much as it's helping other young widows. "In the beginning, it was hard for me to even laugh or smile because I thought if people saw me laughing or smiling, they would think that I was over Michael," she said. "In reality, I've learned that when I'm laughing and smiling and I feel most alive is when I feel my husband the most. "We're all on different journeys. We all have different paths. But to come here on one of our getaways for at least three days and just feel united, feel the love of our husbands and feel the love of our new lives that we're rebuilding together ... that's the thing that gets me through it." | Taryn Davis founded the American Widow Project after her husband was killed in Iraq .
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced close to 3,000 widows .
Widows can share stories on americanwidowproject.org, meet other women on getaway trips . |
251,761 | d1dc59ac429b781736867faab738e3d04fe11505 | By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 07:19 EST, 12 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:14 EST, 12 November 2013 . As austerity continues to bite and metal prices soar, the sight of scrap metal men hurling old microwaves into the backs of vans is an increasingly common one. The job's not glamorous, but what few realise is that while other industries are struggling, Britain's scrap metal industry is a thriving, £10billion-a-year business that makes serious money for those who work hard. A fascinating new documentary lifts the lid on the secret world where the Rolex-wearing, Mercedes-driving scrapyard boss turns over £7million a year, and the rag and bone man makes £12 a day trawling the streets with his pony and cart. Doing well: Michael is the Rolex-wearing, Mercedes-driving scrapyard boss who turns over £7million a year . Lucrative: Staffed by a team of nine, Sydenham Scrap Metal turns over 10,000 tonnes and £7million a year . Called Getting Rich In The Recession: Scrappers, the show focuses on the characters who make their living at Sydenham Scrap Metal in south London. Packed with compacted old cars, vacuum cleaners, cables, washing machines and other sort of metal junk, the yard is a thriving business run by 31-year-old Michael (his surname is not given) and his staff of eight. The yard turns over 200 tonnes of scrap metal each week and pays out £60,000 a week to an army of self-employed scrappers, who scour London's streets for rubbish they can turn into cash. Tattooed Michael, whose grandparents set up the business with just £50 decades ago, now makes millions from his business buying metal from scrappers and selling it on to be recycled. They use a magnet to sort the metals - if it sticks it's iron and not worth much, and if it doesn't it's precious metal - copper, brass or lead - and worth up to 100 times as much. Michael said: 'I started here at 14, no exams, nothing, and I turned over £7m last year. This is my life, but I'm happy. 'I'm 31. Who runs a multi-million pound business at 31?' Going straight: Adam has done time for his part in a violent criminal gang - now he makes £700 a day . Family business: Charlie and his grandson Alfie, 15, scour south London in a pony and cart for scrap . One of Michael's busiest scrappers is Adam, who turned to scrapping after he found it hard to get a job when he got out prison. Former criminal gang member Adam, 26, said: 'It was going in houses tying people up to make them open their safes - it was all stockbrokers, footballers, really wealthy rich people. 'A lot of people got hurt, traumatised by it, things like that.' Sentenced to 10 years in prison for burglary, theft and possessing prohibited weapon at just 18, Adam got out three years ago after serving five years and now makes up to £800 a day scrapping. He said: 'No-one wanted to give me a job. This isn't what I wanted to do but it's easy, it's good money and it's not really against the law.' Grandfather and grandson work full-time collecting scrap metal to sell at Sydenham, earning up to £30 a day . Metal theft is a problem that grows alongside the price of metal, and results in lead being taken from churches' roofs, bronze statues being stolen, and vital cables stripped from railway lines. One of the UK's fastest-growing crimes, the problem is barely addressed in the show, but Sydenham Scrap Metal has always refused to buy goods they believe to be stolen. Keen to stay on the right side of the law, Adam concentrates on working hard to earn as much as he can, getting up early to beat competitors to the old printers and radiators he finds left on the streets overnight. He said: 'I don't really know what a recession is. The most I've earned in one day is about £700 or £800, and I can earn up to £100,000 a year. 'I want the nice things in life. I want to be eating steak three times a week, I want a nice car, I want to buy stuff.' Form of therapy: Single mother of three Cheryl goes out scrapping all night while her children sleep . Rachel is the scrapyard boss' fiancee - people ask her if she is a footballer's wife when she's out in her car . But Adam said he didn't see scrap metal as a long-term career for him, and hoped instead to make enough money from his 'embarrassing' trade to set up on his own as a car dealer. He said: 'I don't want to do this much longer really but I don't want to go back inside and see my son growing up outside. 'I'm doing this for him. I want my son to be driving around in a brand new M3 when he's 18.' While Adam has a white van, grandfather and grandson scrappers Charlie and Alfie trot through the south London streets in a pony and cart, as their ancestors have done for five generations. Charlie estimates he makes around £12-14 a day, or maybe up to £29 by collecting old washing machines and saucepans and taking them to the yard. Dream job: Forklift operator Jamie, 21, used to come to the yard when he was 10 and beg for a job . At 15, Alfie left school last year to work full-time collecting scrap metal with his grandfather and their piebald pony, Crackerjack. Charlie said: 'He's a little bit streetwise so what can you do? Look at the size of him, how can a little teacher tell him what to do? He added: 'It's in the blood. We're like scavengers.' Cars are the most prized items to be brought to the yard, as the men enjoy crushing them, but old tumble-dryers from laundrettes are also popular, particularly if they still have coins in them - the record is 880 pound coins in one machine they crushed. The only female scrapper to visit the yard at Sydenham is Cheryl, a newly-single mother of three in her 30s who goes out scrapping all night when her children sleep to take her mind off her marriage breakdown. Cheryl, whose father was in the same trade, is undeterred by her male competitors. She said: 'Everything that someone throws away is something I can make money from. I'm going to register as self-employed and I'm going to be taking all the scrap from those men.' Scrappers airs on Channel 4, Thursday 28th November at 9pm . | Fascinating documentary goes behind the scenes of thriving scrap trade .
Sydenham Scrap Metal yard in south London turns over £7million a year .
Boss Michael, 31, says: 'I've no exams but I run a multi-million business'
Self-employed 'scrappers' collect waste from the streets and sell it to him .
Scrappers with lorries earn £800 a day; others with pony and trap just £12 .
Getting Rich In The Recession: Scrappers will be on C4 on 28 November . |
8,324 | 17883d25a9e5a7e4aac57588544a88b5f89989bf | By . Amie Keeley . Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler's love letters to his wife are to be revealed for the first time . Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler's love letters to his wife are to be revealed for the first time. Hundreds of the notorious SS commander’s private letters, notes and photographs dating from 1927 to 1945 will be published on Sunday by Germany’s Die Welt newspaper. The architect of the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of six million Jews, met his future wife Marga, who ran a Berlin nursing home, in 1927. The trove of letters give an insight into the early days of their relationship and also document the breakdown of the marriage from 1938 onwards when Himmler had an affair with his private secretary. The documents belonged to an Israeli family and are now being stored in Tel Aviv. They are also expected to detail Himmler’s extreme anti-Semitism and give new insight into the rise and fall of the Nazi regime. They were taken by U.S. soldiers from a safe in the Himmler family home after he committed suicide while in Allied custody swallowing a cyanide pill. But it is not clear how they ended up in Israel. Die Welt said the letters had been independently verified. Michael Hollmann, president of the German Federal Archive, told The Telegraph: ‘We are sure about these documents. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the documents in Tel Aviv.’ According to Die Welt, the letters do not change the overall picture of the Nazi reign of terror, but they certainly add countless previously unknown details and help [give] a better idea of what type of person the SS leader was, his everyday life and his surroundings’. The letters are expected to detail the extreme anti-Semitism Himmler (pictured here with his daughter) harboured and give new insight into the rise and fall of the Nazi regime . | Collection includes letters and photographs from between 1927 and 1945 .
Letters give detailed insight into SS commander's relationship with wife .
Holocaust architect committed suicide in custody after Second World War . |
55,329 | 9cccd71b8e5bab939f209635191fd092f2e761ce | By . Jenny Hope . PUBLISHED: . 18:56 EST, 11 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:33 EST, 12 February 2013 . Soaring numbers of young children are being sent to hospital because GPs are increasingly unavailable to deal with even common infections, a report claims. The rate of children requiring emergency admission rose by more than a quarter in the 12 years to 2010, researchers say. The largest jump was among under-fives, including a 52 per cent increase in emergency admissions of babies since 2003. Unavailable: GPs are accused of not being on hand to deal with cases of common infections - leading to more children heading to A&E for treatment. (File picture) Common infections – not life-threatening illnesses – were to blame for much of the rise, which suggests a ‘systematic failure in the NHS’ according to the study involving seven million admissions. It found a ‘persistent’ increase year-on-year of around 3 per cent among under-fives. The study says there is a ‘reluctance’ to treat children at surgeries, driven by changes to the GP contract in 2004 which led to 90 per cent of family doctors opting out of caring for patients during evenings and weekends. 'Systematic failures': A reluctance to treat children at surgeries is a cause for the rise in A&E admission rates. (File photo) Study leader Peter Gill, a researcher in the department of primary care health services at Oxford University, said emergency admissions put children at risk of hospital-acquired infections, medical errors, drug reactions and emotional trauma. The study, published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, looked at hospital admission rates among the under-15s in England and national population estimates for the years 1999 to 2010 inclusive. The emergency admissions rate among children rose by 28 per cent from 63 per 1,000 of the population in 1999 to 81 per 1,000 in 2010. But the increase in admissions does not reflect an increase in the number of very sick children – on the contrary, the risk of serious illness is low and falling, the study says. The number of deaths of children aged one to 14 fell by 36 per cent during the study. Mr Gill said parents and doctors were more likely to ‘play safe’ when a child is ill. Targets for A&E might also have contributed to the rise, he suggested, with children being admitted for observation before the four-hour maximum wait was breached. He said that and ‘the change to general practitioners’ out-of-hours care may have played an important role’. The British Medical Association said a key factor for the increase ‘is likely to be the more cautious approach being taken to the treatment of children’. | Study finds 52% increase in emergency admissions of babies since 2003 .
Rate of children needing A&E admission up a quarter in the 12 years to 2010 . |
73,084 | cf3ed9f0a15ed3b0f7d2ced3e9156a97a7a336e1 | By . Chris Hanlon . PUBLISHED: . 18:33 EST, 16 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:38 EST, 17 May 2012 . Gift of a lifetime: 83-year-old Nicholas Crace is the oldest living kidney donor in the UK and the oldest person to give a kidney to a stranger . At the age of 83, most of us would be grateful just to have our health. But not only is Nicholas Crace fighting fit, he is using his good condition to help others. The former charity director has become Britain’s oldest living kidney donor by giving his organ to a stranger. Mr Crace decided to be an 'altruistic donor' – someone who donates to a patient on the NHS waiting list whom they do not know – after his wife Brigid died last year. After researching how he could help others, he found he was 43 years too old to be a bone marrow donor and 13 years too old to give blood, despite donating 57 times previously. But when tests showed his kidneys were functioning as well as a 40-year-old’s, he knew he had to donate. 'I couldn’t have lived with myself with the knowledge that I had had the chance of changing someone’s life and turned it down,' he said. 'Giving a small part of me to someone else will make little difference to my life but a huge difference to someone else’s. 'It was an easy decision for me to make.’ Mr Crace, who volunteers as a driver for a hospice, was moved to act after discovering what life was like for patients on the transplant list who are having dialysis. New lease of life: A kidney patient will be able to come off dialysis thanks to Mr Crace (File pic) He said: 'All this can be put right by the donation of a healthy kidney.' Mr Crace, from Overton, Hampshire, had the operation at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, and was back bicycling and mowing the lawn a week later. 'Giving a small part of me to someone else will make little difference to my life but a huge difference to someone else's - it was an easy decision for me to make' Because he is an altruistic donor, he will never know who received his kidney, but he has been told the recipient is 'doing well'. Consultant surgeon Sam Dutta, who performed the operation, said: 'A living donor kidney performs better, works quicker and lasts longer than one from a deceased donor. 'An altruistic donor coming forward is an amazing thing for us. The recipient just gets a new lease of life.' Mr Crace's operation took three hours and the surgeon congratulated him as his kidneys were in perfect condition. He said: 'In fact, given a halter, he would gladly have led me into the winner's enclosure at the Smithfield Show to have a rosette pinned on.' Generous: Mr Crace, 83, from Overton, Hampshire, had an operation to remove his kidney and was back bicycling and mowing the lawn a week later . Annabel Ferriman, chairwoman of Give a Kidney - One's Enough, a charity dedicated to raising awareness of altruistic donation, said: 'Altruistic donors are very special people. 'They have the imagination to understand the suffering that people go through on dialysis while waiting for a transplant and the courage and generosity to do something about it.' The process involved Mr Crace undergoing a number of tests during 14 hospital visits in a six-month period. Almost 100 people have donated a kidney since the altruistic living donor scheme was launched in the UK in 2006 and in 2011 a further 1,000 people gave a kidney to a relative or friend. | Nicholas Crace's kidneys found to function as well as those of someone in their 40s .
There are around 7,000 patients waiting for a transplant with roughly one dying a day . |
106,993 | 1600cb1c31e3d7a96769985ef48cb5020c223f84 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:38 EST, 18 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:38 EST, 18 December 2012 . These conjoined twin brothers are lucky to be alive after being born sharing the same torso because of a rare one-in-a-million medical condition. Sohna and Mohna have defied all the odds to celebrate their ninth birthday despite their condition killing most at birth. In an orphanage in Amritsar, India, the pair go to lessons and live life to the full even though they share the same torso and two legs - each boy has their own two arms. A one-in-a-million chance: Sohna and Mohna suffer from dicephalic parapagus meaning they share the same torso and legs . The brothers are what is known as dicephalic parapagus twins and their amazing story will be aired for the first time in 'The Twins Who Share a Body - A Body Shock Special' on Channel 4 at 10pm tomorrow. The Indian twins are just one of a handful of known cases alive today in the world as more than half of twins with the condition are stillborn. They are growing up in an institution after being given up by their parents who were afraid they couldn't provide for them. Trying to lead normal lives: The boys live in an orphanage in Amritsar, India, and attend school every day . The pair go to school each day and both can read and write. As the remarkable documentary shows doctors are still unsure how the children cope so well with their condition. Following their journey, the show reveals some remarkable findings about how the boys live in one body controlled by two brains. Dr Rakesh Chouhan said: 'It's still a mystery and we're not 100 percent sure how these things are happening. Defying the odds: The brothers will soon celebrate their ninth birthday despite the majority of twins with their condition being stillborn . 'The most remarkable thing is two brains, single body being controlled separately and still they're a single unit.' Dicephalic parapagus is an extremely rare form of conjoined twins. Approximately half of conjoined twins are stillborn and the overall survival rate for conjoined twins is just 25 per cent. Twins with Dicephalic parapagus have an even smaller chance of survival as they share the same torso and it is impossible to separate them. Twins, such as Sohna and Mohna, share most parts of their body but think completely independently of each other. The birth of such twins is more common in south-west Asia and Africa. However, there have been instances of dicephalic parapagus twins in the West. In the U.S. Abigail and Brittany Hensel have become media celebrities, appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show and featuring in television documentaries. The . examination even reveals Sohna and Mohna get sleepy at different times . and sense touch completely separately on their body divided exactly down . the middle. Nanny Parmjit Kaur said the boys had a fully individual sense of themselves. She . said: 'Sohna and Mohna think as two separate people. With shoes or . socks, Sohna will put on his own and Mohna will put on his own. They . will never put them on for each other. 'When they've been playing we tell them to wash their hands and legs. 'Sohna will wash his leg and walk away so we have to take Mohna back so he can wash his leg. That's how it is.' The documentary also follows conjoined baby twins Jesus and Emmanuel living in Brazil. Born deep in the rainforest, the six-month-old boys present medics with a battle to save them as the twins have just one heart between them. Like so many twins sharing so much the show discovers it causes medical complications as Jesus develops a collapsed lung. There is then the agonising moment the parents may have to decide if they should save one if the other dies. Medical miracle: Despite sharing the same body, the boys think independently, get tired at different times and feel sensation on different sides of their body . | Sohna and Mohna suffer from dicephalic parapagus - an extremely rare form of conjoined twins .
The brothers are one of just a handful of known cases in the world .
More than half of twins with the condition are stillborn .
The pair now live in an orphanage in Amritsar, India, because their parents feared they wouldn't be able to care for them .
The Twins Who Share a Body - A Body Shock Special airs Wednesday night on Channel 4 at 10pm. |
153,786 | 52c0f26077aced5823ac9c0c0b344b52ce55ca75 | The sovereign state of Brunei, perched on the north coast of Borneo, is described as the 'forgotten jewel of South East Asia'. It certainly was when I visited 30-odd years ago and was dropped by helicopter on to an unexplored ridge. Back then, at the age of 20, I was almost overcome by the primeval beauty of it all - particularly the lilting gibbon calls at dawn and range after range of majestic trees. Anyway, it was about time I went back to see how the little sultanate had fared - after all, the bulk of Borneo (the rest comprises Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island, and the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak) had, in the ensuing years, been widely abused, if not clear-felled. Heading back: Benedict Allen first visited Brunei 30 years ago - and was delighted to return to its rainforest . I was bracing myself. The country's vast oil reserves have led to it becoming one of the richest per capita on the planet, in sixth place. Britain comes in at only 22nd. Sure enough, things had changed. Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital, was no longer a backwater but a sleek, clean place of breathtaking mosques and balmy avenues. It says something about 21st Century Brunei that my guide, Tom, suggested I might like to experience - after a leisurely dusk river trip - the 'Harley-Davidson bike evening tour'. On our river trip, a boat whisked us into tranquil waterways, abode of salt-water crocodiles, flying foxes and monitor lizards. The sun dipped serenely over the mangroves while proboscis monkeys munched on leaves, kingfishers dipped, and egrets returned to their roosts. Then it was back to my gloriously immodest accommodation, the mighty Empire Hotel and Country Club. This featured a luxurious manmade beach - next to a luxurious natural beach. It was hard to imagine going anywhere more lavish - though we managed it at the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, whose gate railings are capped with 18-carat gold, sapphires and rubies. Everything you see turns to gold: Brunei's wealth is visible in the ornateness of some of its buildings, including its mosques (left); the Sultan of Brunei (right), who holds aopen-house event for his people every year . Next up was the Istana Nurul Iman, the royal palace. My visit coincided with the annual festival of Aidilfitri, when the Sultan extends a personal greeting to his people. It's the ultimate open-house party at the world's largest residential palace, which, at the last count, had 1,888 rooms and 290 bathrooms. I joined the throng of scrupulously turned out families to be conducted through ever grander halls. Finally, the 29th Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, the richest man in the world, was before us, there to shake hands with each male subject. In an adjoining chamber his consort greeted the women. The Sultan and his family greeted 73,000 visitors during the two-day festival. But I had come here for the jungle - encouraged by reports that 97 per cent of the primary forest was still pristine. So it was off into the Ulu Temburong National Park by longboat into the emerald interior. After a couple of hours we came upon the Ulu Ulu Resort - a peaceful retreat among the soaring trees with well appointed cabins constructed along a boardwalk. This means that without actually having to step into the vegetation, you may peer at frogs with sucker feet, observe a pygmy squirrel, or prod one of those engaging crickets that resemble a fallen leaf. We went off on a forest trek, which was utterly enchanting: a giant lizard striped like a zebra splayed itself on a stone; a bat snoozed under a leaf. Then the horned frog uttered its cry - the signal for a downpour - and we retreated. Monkey business: Benedict spotted proboscis monkeys and giant lizards in the rainforests of Brunei . But the highlight was the misty dawn - and those gibbons with their eerie early morning call. At Ulu Temburong the effect is magnified by a discreet walkway lately constructed right above the tree canopy. What a sight - spectacular and stirring. The forests here had endured. I don't think any visitor could forget that rather private experience of seeing the sun rise through an endless kingdom of orchid-laden trees. That, I thought to myself as we took the longboat downriver, is what travel is about: gathering what secret jewels we may along the way. Royal Brunei Airlines (www.flyroyalbrunei.com/uk, 020 7584 6660) offers a daily non-stop service between Heathrow and Brunei from £728 return. Rooms at the Empire Hotel (www.theempirehotel.com) start at about £153 a night. A two-day stay at the Ulu Ulu Resort costs from around £155 per person (www.uluuluresort.com). For more information on Brunei, see www.bruneitourism.travel. | Brunei is a small part of the tropical Far Eastern island of Borneo .
It is one of the planet's richest countries per capita, thanks to oil wealth .
Despite its little size, it has some wonderful beaches and national parks . |
164,621 | 60e23faf250cc18ea6d983766e9900d949772607 | (CNN) -- Rajasthan Royals eased their way to an eight-wicket victory over the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League on Saturday. South African spinner Johan Botha was the star with the bat, hitting eight fours and a six in an unbeaten 67 off just 47 balls as Rajasthan passed Deccan's total of 137 for eight with seven balls to spare at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Botha, who was promoted to number three in the order, received good support from the veteran India batsman Rahul Dravid, who scored 28, while New Zealand's Ross Taylor chipped in with 21 not out. Put into bat by Rajasthan captain, Shane Warne, Deccan openers got off to a brisk start, but once Shikhar Dhawan and Ishank Jaggi were out, the runs dried up and wickets continued to fall with Siddharth Trivedi and Amit Singh claiming three victims each, while Warne bagged two. Australian Daniel Christian (26 runs) and Ravi Teja (28) boosted Deccan's run rate towards the end of the innings but it couldn't disguise a shortage of runs. Meanwhile, in the other IPL match played Saturday, the Bangalore Royal Challengers beat the Kochi Tuskers Kerala by six wickets at the Nehru Stadium, Kochi. An unbeaten half-century from South Africa's AB de Villiers helped the Challengers overhaul a Tuskers total of 161 for five with eight balls to spare. Earlier, New Zealand's Brendon McCullum and Indian legend VVS Laxman got the Tuskers off to a flier scoring at nearly 10-an-over until Laxman was out for 36 in the ninth over. McCullum followed two overs later for 45 from just 32 balls. A quickfire 27 from Australia's Brad Hodge and 23 not out from India's Ravindra Jadeja helped push the score past 150. But De Villiers' 54 was the star turn of the match. His 40-ball unbeaten innings included five sixes and gave his team the momentum at a crucial time in the match. | Shane Warne takes two wickets in a comfortable win over Deccan Chargers .
Unbeaten 54 from AB de Villiers earns Bangalore Royal Challengers victory . |
160,907 | 5c034b7e6acf0597195256ff7ce63a13601625c0 | (CNN)San Francisco General Hospital will soon have a new name and a new face -- thanks to Facebook. Specifically, it's thanks to the social media giant's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan. The San Francisco General Hospital Foundation says the couple's $75 million gift is "believed to be the largest single private gift from individuals to a public hospital in the United States. It's not just a substantial gift, but a personal one. Chan worked for years at the facility -- the Bay Area city's lone trauma center -- during her pediatric residency. She came away struck by the importance of San Francisco's main "safety net" hospital (where more than 70% of patients are underinsured or uninsured), as well as impressed by those who work there. "Day in and day out, I witness the compassion and dedication of my colleagues as they work tirelessly to deliver the best available care to all of our patients," Chan said in a statement released Friday through the foundation. "Mark and I are proud to support such an important public hospital. The General, as it's known, is in the process of a "rebuild" to create a nine-story, 453,000-square foot main hospital and new trauma center. It's scheduled to open in December. Zuckerberg, posting (of course) on Facebook, said that "our contribution ... will allow The General to double the size of its new Emergency Room and quadruple the number of beds, and provide state of the art equipment for healthcare providers and first responders." "We are so fortunate that our work in connecting the world through Facebook has given us the ability to give back to our local community, our country and the world -- and to work to improve education, health care and internet access for everyone," he said. "To serve our community in San Francisco, we can think of no better place to focus than The General." In light of the pledge, the city has started the process of officially naming the facility Priscilla and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, according to the foundation. It's not common that someone, especially one going through the rigors of residency, pays back their employer rather than gets paid. Chan and Zuckerberg are in a position to break from the norm. Forbes reported last fall that Zuckerberg, 30, had a net worth of $34 billion. So the hospital donation will hardly set him back much. Still, it fits a pattern of generosity by he and his wife, who the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports pledged $6.2 billion -- more than anyone else -- in 2013 alone. Even with her husband's wealth, Chan hasn't stopped working. The Braintree, Massachusetts, native met Zuckerberg at Harvard University, where both were students. They were a couple for years before getting married in 2012. This happened days after Chan's graduation from the University of California, San Francisco, medical school. Her Facebook profile says that she went on to work at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. During a 2012 interview with ABC News, Zuckerberg said that Chan's work comes up regularly -- just like his does. "She's going to be a pediatrician," he said then, "so our dinner conversations are often about Facebook and the kids that she's meeting." No doubt such discussions fed into their donation to San Francisco General. While the couple now calls nearby Palo Alto home, they have long and deep ties to San Francisco. And, as Zuckerberg said Friday, "We hope this contribution alongside the great work of other contributors, will help The General to continue to save lives and deliver care to everyone who needs it." | Facility will become Priscilla and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital .
Mark Zuckerberg's wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, worked at hospital in residency .
Couple gives what a foundation says may be biggest donation to a U.S. public hospital . |
246,879 | cb7da17169699584006fad9167ab7d132e7046fd | The devastated relatives of a family killed in a car crash have paid tribute to their loved ones, as an 18-month-old baby - the sole survivor of the accident - remains in hospital. John Kehoe, 72, his wife Margaret, 65, their son-in-law Martyn Pugh, 47, and 28-year-old Alison Hind all died in the three-vehicle collision in West Wales last week. Baby Holly Hind was the only survivor. She is currently being treated at Cardiff’s University Hospital Wales, where she is said to be in a stable condition, with her father at her bedside. Investigations into what caused the crash on the A44 near Llangurig are continuing. Survivor: Holly Hind, 18 months, (left) was the sole survivor when her great-uncle Martyn Pugh's car was in a pile-up with a fuel tanker and a van, killing her 28-year-old mother, Alison (right), Mr Pugh, 47, and his partner’s elderly parents, John and Margaret Kehoe . All four of those killed had been travelling in a Ford Focus. The other vehicles involved in the crash were a tanker and a van. The driver of the van escaped uninjured as did the lorry driver. But the four adults in the Ford were killed. Holly, who was strapped into a child seat, was airlifted to hospital in Cardiff. Her . father, 36-year-old mechanic Steve Hughes, is at her bedside. The . incident led to a 21-mile stretch of the road being closed for 12 hours. The family of Holly’s mother, Ms Hind, said they were utterly heartbroken. John Kehoe, 72, his wife Margaret, 65, died in the crash last week. Relatives have paid tribute to a 'devoted couple' Their son-in-law Martyn Pugh, 47, was also killed. The family of Mr Pugh, who was Ms Hind's brother-in-law, said he would be 'deeply missed by his large circle of family and friends' Scene: The 'dangerous' A44 in Powys was closed for 12 hours after the tragic crash . 'She was a lovely, kind and caring person,' they said in a statement. 'She was a great mother, partner, daughter and friend to all who knew her. 'Alison . doted on her two children Ethan and Holly. She was dedicated to her . family and friends, always putting other people before herself and an . extremely hard worker. 'She will be missed by all her family and friends enormously, and will never be forgotten.' The . family of Mr Pugh, who was Ms Hind’s brother-in-law, said he would be 'deeply missed by his large circle of family and friends'. Loss: Holly's father Steve Hughes, 36, pictured with Ms Hind is at his daughter's bedside in hospital in Cardiff . Tragedy: 18-month-old Holly Hind was rescued from the vehicle's wreckage and flown to hospital by air ambulance after a collision involving a fuel tanker and a van in Wales . Holly was flown south to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and is today in a serious condition in hospital but is expected to survive. Her father is with her . They said: 'Martin was a fun-loving, caring and considerate person. He was a devoted family man and a dedicated partner to Lynn and dad to his two children, Matthew and Nicole. 'For the last 11 years he has cared for his partner Lynn but previously worked at Laura Ashley’s. He enjoyed fishing and spent most of his time caring for wider family members.' And the family of John and Margaret Kehoe said they would always remember the 'devoted' couple. 'Mum and Dad were devoted to each other and their family. Their passing is a great loss to us all and our pain has been increased so much by having them both taken from us at the same time and in such tragic circumstances. 'Although we mourn their deaths, we take comfort from the warmth and love of the family they left behind. 'We will forever carry them in our hearts and thoughts, and will always be able to smile when remembering the joy and happiness they gave to all those, whose lives they touched.' It is believed the family were driving home following a trip to the seaside at Aberystwyth on June 17. | 18-month-old Holly Hind survived head-on crash with tanker and van .
But her mother Alison, 28, uncle Martyn, 47, and his parents in law died .
Baby airlifted to hospital with head injuries but is expected to recover .
The family have today said they are 'utterly heartbroken' by the loss . |
1,827 | 0545f3c8c6f09c482bb7c281aa05c0b8ca4efe94 | They are the gruesome crimes that have appalled - and intrigued - the world. First came so-called Miami 'zombie', Rudy Eugene, who stripped his victim before savaging his face by the side of the road. Then, gay porn star Luka Magnotta allegedly murdered his former lover with an ice pick before dismembering him and devouring some of his flesh. As if this was not horrifying enough, he then apparently posted footage of the killing online. The pair are just the latest in a long and infamous line of cannibals whose exploits have broken one of the last taboos. Adventurer William Buehler . Seabrook wrote of his experiences with cannibalism in his 1931 book . Jungle Ways. He noted that human flesh actually tastes 'just like veal' Tribesmen in Papua New Guinea, where cannibalism is still practised . But back in the 1920s, one man set . out to provide a detailed record of the societies that devour human . flesh - and went so far as to taste it himself. American adventurer William Buehler . Seabrook wrote of his experiences in his book Jungle Ways, published in . 1931. He noted that human flesh actually tastes 'just like veal'. The account follows his travels in . West Africa, where he spent time with the Guero people, and joined them . as they feasted on human meat. The author observed that the raw flesh looked like beef but less red and with pale yellow fat. Once cooked it turned grey and smelled like beef. As for the taste, he wrote: 'It was so nearly like good, fully developed veal that I think no person . with a palate of ordinary, normal sensitiveness could distinguish it . from veal.' Modern day cannibals: Luka Magnotta (left) is . suspected of killing and eating his victim and sending body parts in the . post. Rudy Eugene (right) was shot dead while he ate the face of a . homeless man in Florida last month . Seabrook's account is regarded as . unreliable by many, because he later confessed Guero tribesmen refused . to let him take part in their tradition - bizarrely claiming he made up . for the disappointment by obtaining the body of a dead hospital patient . in France and cooking it on a spit. But experts regard his description as the most useful - because most commentaries on cannibalism come from the criminally insane and are often contradictory. German killer Armin Meiwes,insisted human flesh tastes like pork, 'but a little bit more bitter, stronger.' While Japanese cannibal Issei Sagawa described it as 'tender and soft' like tuna. The . survivors of the 1970 Andes plane crash, portrayed in the movie Alive, . were forced to eat their fellow passengers to survive - but insist in . their accounts the frozen flesh was flavourless. Cannibalism has recently been practised in several wars, specifically in Liberia and Congo. Cannibalism is rare and is not illegal in most countries. People who eat human flesh are usually charged with crimes not relating to cannibalism, such as murder or desecration of a body. The Korowai - an ethnic group of about 3,000 people in New Guinea - are one of very few tribes still believed to eat human flesh as a cultural practice. It is also still known to be practised as a ritual and in war in various Melanesian tribes. Melanesia is an island region immediately north and northeast of Australia. Survivor Nando Parrado recalled: 'When I ate my first piece, it had no taste. I forced myself to swallow - without guilt. I was eating to live.' Those . who have tried to unearth the truth about the taste of human flesh . point out the flavour is likely to vary - based on the age of the . victim, the body part eaten and the method of cooking. An article on Slate.com observed: 'Cannibals have told anthropologists that human meat is sweet, bitter, . tender, tough, and fatty. The variation may result from disparate styles . of cookery. 'Many tribes eat the meat of deceased humans only after it . has rotted slightly. Roasting and stewing seem to predominate, with many . tribes throwing in hot peppers or other seasonings. 'Rudy . Eugene, the attacker in Florida, ate his victim’s face.The Swedish . cannibal went for only the lips, while a Tokyo man reportedly cooked and . served his genitals to the highest bidders. 'Cannibalistic . tribes show a similar diversity. Seabrook’s West African cannibals . preferred the loin, rump, ribs, and palms, which were considered . especially tender. Cannibals in 19th-century Fiji reportedly preferred . the heart, thigh, and upper arm. Other tribes apparently held the . breasts of young women in high esteem.' Alive: Survivors of the Uruguayan plane that crashed in the Andes in 1972 were forced to eat the flesh of dead passengers . | William Buehler Seabrook spent time with a cannibal tribe in Africa in the 1920s .
He described the texture and taste of human flesh in his 1931 book Jungle Ways . |
204,900 | 9548762f946bd44b660b8ccf0b5773d4c9107527 | A study by the British Heart Foundation has shown that portions of food have doubled in the past 20 years . Britain’s supermarkets are ‘out of control’ when it comes to portion sizes, according to a study by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Despite the deepening obesity crisis portion sizes continue to rise, and are now double the size they were in 1993. An average chicken curry and rice ready meal is now 53 per cent larger than in 1993, and a shepherd’s pie meal is about double the size. Crumpets and garlic bread are from 20 to 30 per cent bigger now, while an average bagel has increased in size by 24 per cent. To gain a pound in weight, a person need only consume an additional 3,500 calories and the massive increase in portion sizes explains why so many people are unwittingly putting on excess pounds. As well as fuelling the growing obesity problem, the BHF said that oversized food portions were also contributing to heart disease, currently the UK's single biggest killer. Portion sizes of 245 products sold in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Morrison’s were compared with portions sizes listed by the Food Standards Agency in a 1993 in the study, the Times reports. The BHF has claimed that the oversized portions are damaging the health of the nation and has urged both the Scotish and Westminster governments to take urgent action to curb the proportions of food sold in supermarkets. Despite the new regulations over . labelling of food which aim to make it easier for consumers to make . informed choices over what they eat, the study showed that many are . still confused. ASDA was one of the four major supermarkets that had its portion sizes investigated in the study, along with Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons . Bagels have increased by 24 per cent in the last 20 years, while a curry ready meal is 53 per cent bigger . The rules stipulate that nutritional information must be clearly displayed on the front of packaging, using a ‘traffic light’ colour code and showing the salt, fat, sugar and caloric content of 100g of the product. The BHF surveyed 140 people and many reported still being unsure about the content and correct portion sizes of their food. Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the BHF says of the findings: ‘We urgently need a government review of portion sizes in the UK,’ ‘We are calling on supermarkets and manufacturers to take their share of responsibility for how much we eat.’ One portion of bread is considered as just a single slice . One portion: . One slice of bread . Half a baked potato . Half a pitta bread . Half a scone . Two small boiled potatoes . One portion: . Lean meat - the size of a deck of cards (75g cooked) Fish - the size of a cheque book (75g oily fish or 150g white fish) Eggs - two boiled eggs . Baked Beans - five tablespoons or half a can . One portion: . Milk - 200ml . Hard cheese - size of a match box (30g) Yogurt - 150ml or a small pot . One Portion: . Medium fruit - one apple, pear or orange etc . Small fruit- Two kiwis, plums, satsumas or clementines etc . Salad leaves - about a dessert bowl full . Vegetables- three heaped tablespoons of carrots, pea, broccoli etc . Source: Bupa.co.uk . | A study by the British Heart Foundation compared portions to 1993 .
Looked at 245 products sold in Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Morrison’s .
Found they have doubled in the past 20 years and urge government to act .
A chicken curry ready meal is now 53% larger and bagels are 24% bigger .
People are still confused about nutritional labelling and portion sizes . |
108,980 | 187c95ffb5c2b87fd942abede8dd1f45c6cab1da | By . Deni Kirkova . PUBLISHED: . 06:13 EST, 5 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:48 EST, 5 July 2013 . With their muscular thighs, hairy bodies and large feet, getting comfortable in their partner's tiny outfits can't have been an easy task for Jon Uriarte's subjects. But nine brave men persevered for the Spanish photographer's latest project, The Men Under The Influence, which took him three years to complete. While he originally took photos of the couples together wearing each other's clothes, Uriarte later realised that the men were more striking alone. In multicoloured pumps and a playsuit, Jose wears his girlfriend Ainara's outfit for Uriarte's series . Steve wears his partner Fonlin's summer babydoll dress and spangly sandals . 'The Men Under The Influence addresses the recent change in roles in heterosexual relationships from those of our predecessors and how changes have affected men in particular,' Uriarte says of his project. 'The photos attempt to capture the men's loss reference now that women have taken a step forward and have finally come into their own as equal partners. 'The project consists of full-length portraits of men wearing the clothes of their girlfriends or wives, taken in the space shared by the couple.' Who am I? A less-than-amused Javi poses on a chair in his partner Gabi's floral jumpsuit and heeled sandals . Comfortable in that? Victor kits himself out in Ana's grey cardie and tights, plus demin mini skirt . Carlos in Naia's booties (a bit small for him!), tights and dress (l) and Santi in Sabela's cute red coat (r) Nick sits in a low-lit kitchen wearing Reiko's green and yellow sundress . Guillermo wears his partner Beatriz's skinny jeans, boots (not quite fully on), scarf and jacket . Marcos wears Lucía's pencil skirt, tight white top an boots . | Spanish photographer Jon Uriarte, 33, convinced men to dress up .
Aims to highlight men's adjustment to more equal modern partnerships . |
235,890 | bd5b3ec107500f3686be6734661f92f7f5f8936f | (CNN) -- Retrospectives of Sally Ride's life over the next few days are likely to include the words "ground-breaking," "trailblazer," "inspiration" and "mentor." And rightly so. She epitomized these words and so many more. To me, she was also a classmate, a crewmate, a collaborator and a friend. Sally and I first crossed paths in the first grade at Hayvenhurst Elementary School in California in 1958, though neither of us remembered the other clearly. We had a good laugh as we pieced this together 20 years later, when we met as two of the first six women in NASA's astronaut corps. Sally Ride opens a new frontier for others . It wasn't the only similarity in our backgrounds. We shared a love for competitive sports, and our college careers revealed that we both loved arts and letters as much as the sciences. The second point paid many dividends later on, in great crossword challenges during crew quarantine and many shared lecture engagements. iReport: Sally Ride inspired me to dream . We six women in the Class of 1978 ranged in age from 39 (Shannon Lucid) to 26 (Sally and me). Underneath our different professional backgrounds and personal styles, we had many points in common: All six were intelligent, goal-oriented, creative and strong. We each hadchosen our career path because it suited our talents and fired our passion, not in pursuit of celebrity. Light Years: Tributes pour in for Sally Ride . But we found ourselves on a very different stage. We bonded as we took on the challenges that came with being the first six women in the U.S. astronaut corps, from the glare of the media spotlight to the everyday challenges of the workplace. We were keenly aware that what we did, and how we did it, would lay the ground for all the women who would come after us. We had to do it right. Which is not to say we couldn't have fun while we were at it. Sally was one of the quickest wits and keenest pranksters in our class. She was the master of the clever, perfectly timed retort. Sally Ride, first American woman in space, dies . A favorite memory is from our first morning in orbit in 1984. Mission Control woke us up with the standard mix of a bit of music and words to the effect of, "Good morning, Challenger. Houston standing by." Instead of the normal response, "Roger," Sally launched into an answering machine reply: "We're sorry nobody can take your call right now. Please leave your name and number..." Our grins turned to guffaws when the Capcom replied with his name and a real phone number for Mission Control. We carried her joke on throughout the flight, with everyone taking turns at making up the morning's fake answering machine message. "Why was Sally Ride tapped to fly first?" is a question I've been asked many times in the past few days. The truth is, none of us ever knew, not even Sally. Whatever the reasons may have been, history will record that the selection turned out well indeed. Sally performed superbly on STS-7 and stepped into the role of first American woman to fly in space with intelligence, dignity and grace. Thank you, Sally Ride . With the distinction she earned in 1983, Sally was free to write her own ticket to life. That she chose to devote her energies to teaching and inspiring others to dream, to dare and to aspire to excellence speaks volumes about her character. She wanted to share her wonderment about the universe and joy of learning with others. She was committed to breaking down the cultural and educational barriers that block so many, especially young girls, from science and the opportunities it offers in life. And this she did, through her work as a physics professor, mentor, motivator and businesswoman. Sally's place in history is solidly established by her many contributions to science, spaceflight and the American space program. But I daresay her greatest legacy lies in her post-NASA work as an educator and a role model. Light Years: Memories of my space flight with Sally Ride . She inspired countless people to reach for the stars Her spirit will live on in each and every one of them and in all of us who called her a friend. Share your tributes to Sally Ride with us on CNN iReport. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kathryn Sullivan. | Former astronaut Kathy Sullivan was Sally Ride's classmate, colleague and crewmate .
Sullivan says Ride loved pranks, was master of the clever, perfectly timed retort .
Ride will be remembered for her contributions to science and spaceflight, she says .
But Ride's best legacy, she writes, is her work inspiring young people to study sciences . |
58,373 | a586717c2bf9fa62aebd8e7d32c713c9878f4122 | (CNN) -- Colombia opened their Copa America campaign with a victory on Saturday, defeating 10-man Costa Rica 1-0 in Jujuy. The 2001 champions went top of Group A courtesy of a goal on the stroke of half-time from Hertha Berlin striker Adrian Ramos. Costa Rica had a mountain to climb once they lost a player in the 27th minute --- winger Randall Brenes shown a straight red card for a bad foul on Amaranto Perea. Bolivia hold hosts Argentina in Copa America opener . Young goalkeeper Leonel Moreira kept the Colombia attack at bay but was unable to do anything about the goal, with Ramos beating him to a pinpoint through-ball from Freddy Guarin. Colombia continued to creat chances after the break, with Ramos and Hugo Rodallega both denied by Moreira, while Radamel Falcao headed against the crossbar from close range. "It's great to start off with a win -- it's a real confidence boost," Ramos told reporters. "We were good in parts and bad in parts too, but the important thing was to win," added the 25-year-old. The result lifts Colmbia to the top of the group ahead of host nation Argentina and Bolivia -- who drew 1-1 in Friday's opening match. | Colombia begin their Copa America campaign with a 1-0 win over Costa Rica .
Hertha Berlin striker Adrian Ramos scores the only goal on the stroke of half-time .
The result lifts Colombia to the top of the group ahead of Argentina and Bolivia . |
40,811 | 731bdf4bcd7babc076979dfdeb8743153e73e029 | Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been cleared by Italy's top court of tax evasion. The founders of the Dolce and Gabbana fashion house had previously been found guilty by two lower Italian courts of failing to declare millions of euros the company earned through a subsidy based in Luxembourg. In April, an appeals court gave a suspended sentence of 18 months in jail to the designers, who have always denied the charges. Acquitted: Domenico Dolce (right) and Stefano Gabbana have been cleared by Italy's top court of tax evasion . However when the Supreme Court of Cassation was asked to confirm the sentence, it acquitted the pair saying there was no case to answer. Shortly after the ruling, Gabbana tweeted: 'We knew it!!! We . are honest people!'. The suit stems from an investigation that began in 2008 when . Italian authorities stepped up their fight against tax evasion . as the global financial crisis began to bite. Fashion groups have come under tax authorities' scrutiny in . Italy partly because they performed better than most other . sectors during the financial crisis, but the cases rarely come . to court. Fellow Italian fashion house Prada said in . September its chairwoman Miuccia Prada and her husband, chief . executive officer Patrizio Bertelli, were being investigated by . Italian authorities over payment of past taxes. Fellow Italian fashion house Prada said inSeptember its chairwoman Miuccia Prada and her husband, chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli, were being investigated byItalian authorities over payment of past taxes . | Designers had been found guilty of failing to declare millions of euros .
Dolce and Gabbana had earned money through Luxembourg-based subsidy .
In April, appeals court gave a suspended sentence of 18 months in jail .
Today the pair, who have always denied the charges, were acquitted . |
36,895 | 6898e9f827dc37e58b07c1566b9555ffcfdac0fc | By . Travelmail Reporter . A drunk passenger attempted to open a plane door on a Ryanair flight to Dublin after mistaking it for a toilet. Tomasz Mucha, 26, drunk vodka and beer to calm his nerves on what was his first ever flight when he made the error. Shocked passengers looked on as Mucha, of no fixed abode, tried to open the rear door on the Boeing 737. Fined: Tomasz Mucha attempted to open the rear door of a Ryanair flight to Dublin (file photo) He managed to get the door handle up, but the air pressure on board the aircraft prevented him from doing so, Dublin District Court heard. Ryanair cabin crew immediately escorted Mucha - who was said to be drinking his own beer on the flight - back to his seat, and he was arrested upon arrival in Ireland. Garda Shaun Cafrrey told the court he arrested Mucha, who he said was not violent, at Dublin Airport. Judge James Faughnan asked the accused: 'Do you realise how serious it could have been?' to which Mr Mucha replied: 'Yes', according to the Irish Mirror. Mucha, who was travelling from Krakow on the July 11 flight, admitted being drunk on an aircraft and using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour. He was fined £160 . | Tomasz Mucha was flying from Krakow to Dublin on July 11 .
It was his first flight - so consumed beer and vodka to 'calm nerves'
Claimed he thought rear aircraft door was the toilet . |
140,757 | 4202f314ae719c190cdd01b9056512dd03425992 | Sapper: Mark Antony Smith, 26, of Swanley, Kent, died in Sangin, Helmand province, in July 2010 . Failures by the Armed Forces to check for ageing shells dating back to the Cold War could be putting their own troops' lives at risk from 'friendly fire', a coroner warned today. Sapper Mark Antony Smith, 26, was killed instantly by a stray coalition smoke shell up to 30 years old as he rested in a compound in the Sangin area of Helmand in July 2010. The serviceman, from Swanley, Kent, who was with the Army's Counter Improvised Explosive Device Task Force searching for buried bombs, was hit when the 105mm munition fell 866ft short of its intended target. The inquest into his death heard that the age of the shell and its propellant had not been tested to check if they had deteriorated. This could have been one explanation why the munition fell short of its intended target. Experts told the inquest that crucial weather data affecting the speed and direction of the shell had not been inputted correctly into a malfunctioning missile launch system. The Ministry of Defence insisted the missile was no more than three years old. But Coroner Roger Hatch said the truth of the tragedy might never be known because of the Army's 'flawed' investigation. He condemned the Army's probe as 'unsatisfactory' due to missing evidence and incomplete documentation. Mourners: Friends and family of Sapper Mark Smith at his repatriation ceremony, after he was killed in 2010 . 'I take the view that there should be a statutory inquiry into the systemic failures,' he said. 'There has been a systematic failure in the collection of that evidence that leaves questions unanswered and potentially dangers remain for soldiers who use the ammunition that has not been tested. 'Because of the age of the rounds, it is possible their condition may require verification to discuss whether the propellant may have contributed to the shell falling short. 'It is now quite clear that this was never done. What is clear from all the evidence I have heard is that we are left without knowing why there was a short fall of the fatal shell.' He pledged to report the matter to the Ministry of Defence. He concluded that Spr Smith died of catastrophic injuries 'in the course of active service when a smoke shell fell short'. Solemn: The funeral of Spr Mark Smith, who was killed by friendly fire in Sangin, Helmand, Afghanistan . There were a 'number of possibilities or . combination of factors' that the missile, designed to provide cover for . soldiers working on the ground, went 'rogue'. Soldier: Spr Smith, from 36 Engineer Regiment, was taking part in an action against the Taliban in an area described as 'highly dangerous' Spr Smith, from 36 Engineer Regiment, . was taking part in an action against the Taliban in an area described as . 'highly dangerous due to insurgent activity'. A smoke screen was requested to allow the troops to advance towards enemy positions. In the morning one shell fell 1,476ft from its target, hitting an empty compound. Later that afternoon, a second shell intended to allow soldiers to fell some trees hit another compound where Spr Smith was resting. Two other servicemen were injured. Speaking at the end of the four-day inquest in Gravesend, Kent, today, Spr Smith's devastated mother Helen said: 'We believe that Mark’s death was preventable. 'The evidence shows that a broken weather computer and use of incorrect data from earlier in the day resulted in Mark’s death. 'This is compounded by the fact that the investigation was flawed.Key evidence has gone missing and has never been returned to the UK. 'We will probably never know if the ammunition failed on that fateful day. We believe the Ministry of Defence needs to take responsibility for this so as to avoid further deaths.” An Army spokesman said: 'This was a tragic accident, which resulted in the death of a gifted and well-respected soldier. 'Lessons have been learnt, including ensuring that a minimum safety buffer zone of 500 metres is established before firing smoke rounds.' | Sapper Mark Antony Smith, 26, killed in July 2010 in Helmand, Afghanistan .
Died instantly by stray coalition smoke shell up to 30 yrs old as he rested .
Serviceman from Kent was hit when munition fell 866ft of intended target .
Age of shell and propellant 'hadn't been tested to check for deterioration' |
31,747 | 5a4e801a51c7d888a771a04895c054437fb96aa3 | Joan Rivers may have been given the same drug that killed Michael Jackson when she went into cardiac and respiratory arrest at a New York clinic, it has been sensationally claimed today. The 81-year-old comedy legend slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness after being sedated for an endoscopy procedure. She died this afternoon. The New York State Department of health has launched an investigation into Yorkville Endoscopy, the out-patient clinic where Rivers went into arrest. The clinic has said it is cooperating fully. RadarOnline reports that Rivers was given Propofol, which is often used was an anesthetic for simple medical procedures. Scroll down for video . Entertaining to the end: Joan Rivers had her hair and makeup done daily after she slipped into a coma following a routine surgery at a New York City clinic . It is the same drug that gained infamy after it was revealed that the King of Pop died after taking a cocktail of drugs that included Propofol. In the days before her death, she reportedly had her hair and makeup done every day - a testament to the consummate performer's desire to always look her best, the New York Daily News reports. Her suit at Mount Sinai Hospital was filled with decoration and flowers in an effort to make her comfortable in her last moments, the newspaper reports. New York Post's gossip columnist and Rivers' self-proclaimed ‘forever friend’ Cindy Adams reported Thursday that Joan has been transferred to a larger suite decorated with flowers, plants and bows by celebrity event planner Preston Bailey, who had organized Melissa Rivers' wedding years earlier. Adams, who was spotted leaving the Manhattan medical center after visiting her friend earlier this week, also said that Rivers lies covered with a white faux mink blanket from designer Dennis Basso's collection and has a CD of the musical Oklahoma! playing in the room, according to Hollywood Life. Adams dished about Joan Rivers' upgraded hospital stay, which includes a team of makeup artists, hairdressers and manicurists swarming around her to make sure the legendary fashionista looks her best. According to the columnist, her nails are painted deep purple and white, and her toenails are green. Hospital staff even allow Rivers' dogs, a Japanese Chin named Teegan and a Havanese, to be brought into her room so they could give their 'mommy' a kiss. Dog lover: Hospital staff allow Rivers' two dogs, including Teegan the Japanese Chin (pictured) to visit her . Ms Rivers was rushed to Mount Sinai a week ago after going into cardiac arrest during an outpatient procedure on her vocal chords. On Thursday, TMZ reported that the New York state Department of Health is now looking into Yorkville Endoscopy - the clinic where Rivers had the ill-fate surgery. State officials said they are reviewing the case, but have yet to launch an official investigation. Spokesman James O'Hare said Thursday that the department is looking into 'the whole matter.' He declined to discuss specifics. Also today E! network announced that Ms Rivers' weekly Fashion Police series has been put on hiatus in the wake of her hospitalization. The long-running program, which normally airs fresh episodes on Fridays, is on break this week and next, the network stated, 'as we await Joan and Melissa's return in front and behind the camera.' Rivers' daughter, Melissa Rivers, is its executive producer. In its place, the network plans to air two special programs focusing on New York Fashion Week. Melissa Rivers released a statement Wednesday saying that her mother is being 'kept comfortable' after being moved from ICU into a private room. In style: Rivers' hospital suite has been decorated with flowers, bows and plants by celebrity event planner Preston Bailey (left) Shelved: E! network announced that Joan Rivers' show Fashion Police has been put on hiatus . She made no reference to whether or not her mother's condition has improved. Rivers suffered cardiac arrest and stopped breathing during minor throat surgery on her vocal chords at a New York City hospital last Thursday. She was left fighting for her life amid fears she might be left a 'vegetable', but friends have since dismissed these claims and said she is improving day by day at Mount Sinai Hospital. Her daughter flew from Los Angeles following the incident and has remained at her bedside. The comedy stalwart had reportedly laughed about undergoing 'a little procedure' ahead of her operation. Under scrutiny: New York state health officials are now looking into Yorkville Endoscopy, the clinic where Rivers underwent the ill-fated procedure on her vocal cords last week . Medical care: Rivers has been at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan since last Thursday . Worried: Rivers' daughter Melissa has been by her mother's bedside since the beginning of her health crisis . Her friend Jay Redack, who was turned away by security when he tried to visit her in hospital, was one of the last people to spend time with her and said she was in good spirits before the surgery. They had enjoyed dinner on Wednesday night after her hour-long stand-up session at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in Times Square. 'She said her throat was bothering her for a long time,' he told the New York Daily News. 'Her voice was getting more raspy, if that was possible. She said she was just going in for a little procedure in the morning, that was it.' Tight-knit family: Rivers (center) pictured in 2011 with daughter Melissa and grandson Cooper Endicott . | Rivers' daughter Melissa has been bringing hairdressers and makeup artists to her mother's suite in Mount Sinai Hospital daily .
Celebrity event planner Preston Bailey decorated her room with plants, flowers and bows .
Rivers lies covered with a designer faux mink blanket and has a CD of Oklahoma! playing in the background .
Hospital staff allow her two dogs to be brought in to spend time with the comatose star .
E! network announced Rivers' show Fashion Police has been put on hiatus . |
18,601 | 349acf70330133cc47538f6c7b86c99f8db9100f | Former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze insists Angel di Maria is one of the four best players in the world. The 26-year-old made his £60million move from Real Madrid to United during the summer's transfer window, and has hit the ground running in the Premier League with three goals in five games, including a sublime chip against Leicester. Heinze, now retired, was in the same Argentina squad as Di Maria for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and the 36-year-old could not praise Old Trafford's newest star enough. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Angel di Maria one of the world's top four - Gabriel Heinze . Angel di Matria has hit the ground running in the Premier League with three goals and three assists so far . Di Maria celebrates scoring the opening goal against Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday . The 26-year-old made his £60million move from Real Madrid to United during the summer's transfer window . VIDEO Di Maria one of the world's top four - Heinze . 'Anything I say about Angel Di Maria is not enough. For me, he's one of the four best players in the world,' Heinze said, as reported by Goal. 'He's already reached an amazing level and arrived at an amazing club where they will look after him and he'll perform really well for them. I think everyone needs time to adapt, especially in the English league. 'You need to adapt but the club can help you and Manchester United will make things easier for you.' Di Maria won't be in action for United until October 20 as the Premier League breaks for international matches. Heinze (left playing for United, and right for Argentina) says he cannot praise ex-teammate Di Maria enough . Do you think Angel di Maria is in the top four in the world? And who are Nos one, two and three? Click here to let us know what you think! | Angel di Maria joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in a £60million move during the summer's transfer window .
Gabriel Heinze, who was in the same Argentina squad as Di Maria for the 2010 World Cup, says the 26-year-old is in the top four in the world .
He adds: 'He's already reached an amazing level and arrived at an amazing club where they will look after him and he'll perform really well for them' |
125,791 | 2e9becad13edde374c267fa395193dd3001a72ee | By . Daily Mail . PUBLISHED: . 11:13 EST, 6 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:38 EST, 6 December 2013 . Anne Wojciki, the estranged wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, says her genetic testing startup 23andMe will continue to operate despite being ordered to stop providing its most popular service - health-related DNA tests - after being pursued by the Food and Drug Administration. On November 22, the FDA demanded the company stop marketing its DNA testing device, which uses a person's saliva to gather ancestry data and determine whether they are prone to certain medical conditions. At issue is the fact the device is used to diagnose diseases, but 23andME do not have government approval to give out such information. The agency warned that erroneous results could cause customers to seek unnecessary or ineffective medical care. The FDA dispute follows a $5 million class action lawsuit filed by a customer, who claimed its ads are misleading and that the results are not supported by scientific evidence. Sergey Brin - who founded Google with Larry Page - and wife Anne Wojcicki - CEO of genetic testing company 23andMe - confirmed they had separated in August. Wojcicki has said her startup will continue to operate despite a government order to stop its most popular service, DNA-tested health results showing whether people are prone to certain diseases . California start up 23andMe uses a saliva sample to DNA test people for ancestry information and whether they are prone to over 250 diseases and health conditions. However the FDA say they do not have government approval to give out such medical information . 23andMe customers receive a tube in the mail which they returned to the company with a saliva sample. For $99, they receive back DNA test results detailing their ancestry and whether or not they are at risk to more than 250 diseases and health conditions. 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki says her company is now complying with FDA requirements . Founded by Wojcicki in 2006 - along with Linda Avey and Paul Cusenza, who have both now left the company - 23andMe has for years walked a fine line with the FDA, because it sits on the border of giving scientific information and providing a medical test. Both sides have struggled to determine how the company should be regulated. Now, in order to comply with the FDA but keep the company running, 23andMe say customers will still be able to download their own raw data, but it will be 'without interpretation'. 'We remain firmly committed to fulfilling our long-term mission to help people everywhere have access to their own genetic data and have the ability to use that information to improve their lives,' Wojcicki said in a statement. 'Our goal is to work cooperatively with the FDA to provide that opportunity in a way that clearly demonstrates the benefit to people and the validity of the science that underlies the test. 'The company will continue to provide consumers both ancestry-related information and raw genetic data without interpretation. 'In addition, the company will continue to conduct research using its database of genetic and phenotypic data, and also will continue its educational efforts.' In a letter published Tuesday in the Wall Street Journal, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg insisted that regulatory review of 23andMe is necessary, but that the agency saw value in 23andMe's approach. 'We agree that access to tests through a direct-to-consumer model will allow consumers to take a more active role in certain aspects of their health,' she wrote. 'The agency’s desire to review these particular tests is solely to ensure that they are safe, do what they claim to do and that the results are communicated in a way that a consumer can understand.' 23andMe is based in Mountain View, Calif. For $99, customers send back a spit kit to 23andMe containing a saliva sample (pictured) which is used for a genetics test. The company will continue to provide customers with the 'raw data' of their test results, however it will be 'without interpretation' In August it was reported Wojcicki and Brin, one of Sillicon Valley's highest-profile couple, were living apart. A spokesman for Brin and Wojcicki confirmed that 'they have been living apart for several months' 'They remain good friends and partners,' the spokesman said. Brin and Wojcicki, both 40 years old, had been married for six years and have two children. They are not yet legally separated. 23andMe was underwritten by a $3.9 million investment from Google in 2006, along with Genentech, New Enterprise Associates and Mohr Davidow Ventures. Brin has separately invested in the company over the years as well. | 23andMe is a California-based startup that uses saliva samples to perform DNA tests tracing ancestry data .
The Food and Drug Administration have ordered the company to stop marketing its DNA testing device, which tells customers whether they are prone to over 250 diseases, because they do not have government authority to make such medical claims .
CEO Anne Wojcicki - who recently separated from her husband, Google co-founder and 23andMe investor, Sergey Brin - say they will continue to operate and genetic data 'without interpretation'
while the regulation review continues . |
266,962 | e5c6cbd5baf6dec50ea1c62d21724c4e95de3d8f | The wife of murdered Australian businessmen Robert Kelvin Ellis has told Indonesian police she played no part in his killing, blaming her housemaids and local thugs in Bali. Robert Ellis' body was found by a farmer in a ditch in a rice field on Tuesday, wrapped in plastic and bedding, 25 kms from the couple's luxury Bali villa. Julaikah Noor Aini, known as Noor Ellis, has told police she slept through the murder in a guest room of the home, next door to the kitchen where three attempts were made to slit her husband's throat, Fairfax reports. According to police, Robert Ellis was set upon by five killers who slashed his throat 'like killing a pig.' The autopsy has confirmed he died from a 'deep cut to the throat'. 'The cut severed an artery - blood would have spurted and it would have been a quick death after that. The victim didn't show much sign of a struggle, and there were no signs that he was defending himself. We saw bruising on both arms indicating that he was restrained,' Dr Ida Bagus Putu Alit from Denpasar's Sanglah Hospital told Fairfax. Police allege Ms Noor had admitted ordering the hit on her husband, paying the couple's two housemaids and five men 150 million rupiah ($14,200) to carry it out. But her lawyer says she only organised some men to 'talk' to her husband about financial problems and things went wrong. If found guilty of premeditated murder, Ms Noor faces the death penalty in Indonesia. SCROLL DOWN TO VIDEO . British man Robert Kelvin Ellis (left), here with wife Noor Ellis (right) was found in a rice paddy with his throat cut on Tuesday . Police allege Noor Ellis paid Arli (also known as Adrianus Ngongo or Ariel pictured), the boyfriend of her maid known as 'F', $14,000 to kill Mr Ellis . According to her lawyer Nyoman Wisnu Yasa, Ms Noor had asked her maids to organise some men to give her husband a 'talking to' because he was withholding money from her. 'Noor said specifically and several times: "Do not harm Bob, do not injure him in any way"', the lawyer told Fairfax Media. She claims she only knew her husband was dead when she was awoken by a knock on her door and a thug saying: 'Ibu [Ma'am], the job is done.' Ms Noor told Police she found her husband in blood on the kitchen floor and was forced to get rid of the body. 'She was only following instructions. She was saying, "I don't want this," but the executioners were saying, "You do it or we'll kill you too". She had no idea where to go, it was them telling her, "Go straight, go left, go right,"until they reached the middle of nowhere and dumped the body,' reported her lawyer. But Police allege Ms Noor organised the murder of her husband of 25 years because she was furious over money and infidelity. They say she and the two housemaids had already confessed. 'The motive is because his wife felt embittered with the victim,' Badung police chief Komang Suartana told News Corp. 'Because of many things. She said that her husband is often cheating on her.' Police allege she paid one of the maid's boyfriends, Arli (also known as Adreanus Ngongo or Ariel) and other men $14,000 to kill Mr Ellis, most of it to be paid after the crime. Police spokesman Hery Wiyanto said Ms Noor, Arli, maid 'F' and a second maid known as 'Y' will be charged. F is accused of 'lifting and dumping' Mr Ellis' body, while Y apparently cleaned up the bloody kitchen. Mr Wiyanto said two charges were being weighed - murder, carrying up to 15 years jail, and premeditated murder - which carries a maximum penalty of death. Arli is now in custody but police are looking for four other men, identified as Martin, Deni, Angel and Urga who they believe were involved in the killing. 'Some have fled out of Bali and some are still hiding in Bali,' said Wiyanyto. 'We urge them to surrender. Wherever they are, we will hunt them down.' Officials said Mr Ellis, who has been living in Australia, had a UK passport, and is believed to have moved to the seaside area of Sanur, Bali with his wife . The couple's sons Jon and Peter Ellis, both Perth-based students, arrived in Bali on Thursday. They released a statement on Wednesday saying their father was a huge influence in their lives. They were 'completely devastated' by his death, they said. 'The circumstances surrounding the death of our father is something we are still trying to come to terms with at this moment.' 'We are fortunately surrounded by friends and family.' 'We do ask for people to understand our need for privacy at this extremely difficult and sad time for us.' Officials confirmed that Mr Ellis, who had been living in Australia, had a UK passport, and is believed to have moved to the seaside area of Sanur, Bali with his wife. A friend told Fairfax Media that Mr Ellis spent a lot of his time in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, where he had an apartment. 'He used to go up there every week and was rooting every girl that runs around town,' the friend told Fairfax. Balinese police collect evidence after the discovery of the body of British Robert Kelvin Ellis, 60 . A security guard stands at the entrance of Emerald Villa complex, where British man Robert Kelvin Ellis lived . Although Mr Ellis's wife has reportedly confessed to ordering her husband's murder, he is said to have angered contractors who were building a motel for him in the Bali beach side town of Sanur, claiming they were not doing a good job. He was accused by the friend of being very tight with money. Bali police said Mr Ellis' was found with his hands and feet tied, and a bed cover had been put over his body. A mobile phone and a large mat was found in close proximity to the body, local authorities said. 'There is no doubt this was an execution-style murder,' said a senior police officer in the Bali capital, Denpasar. 'One of the wounds to the throat was fatal, but he also had several bruises around his head, suggesting he had been knocked to the ground before receiving the fatal throat wound,' said Mr Ida Bagus Putu Alit, who heads the district's forensic team. The body Mr Ellis, 60, was found in a rice field on Tuesday morning local time by residents . Police guard the home of Mr Ellis and his Indonesian wife, Noor Ellis . Flowers were seen being delivered to Mr Ellis' widow at the home they shared . Detective Wisnu Wardana said the body is believed to have been lying in the ditch for several days as it was in a state of decay. The rice paddy where the body was found lies between the popular coastal area of Kuta and the hillside town of Ubud. 'There was a deep wound to the neck that had almost completely cut the head,' said Detective Wisnu. Police believe the mat found in the ditch was used to wrap the body and carry it to the rice paddy to be dumped. It is understood Mr Ellis went missing in the early hours of last Sunday morning. There were bruises around his mouth and his right cheek, as well as on both his upper arms, suggesting he had been restrained. It is understood that Mr Ellis and his wife had been living in the Emerald Villas, a luxury complex in the Balinese seaside district of Sanur. | Noor Ellis denies involvement in the murder of her Australian-British husband Robert Kelvin Ellis, blaming housemaids and thugs .
Ms Ellis's lawyer says she was forced to dispose of his body by killers .
Police allege Noor Ellis paid her maid's boyfriend, Arli, $14,000 to kill her husband because she was furious over money and infidelity .
A charge of premeditated murder in Indonesia carries the death penalty .
The body of Robert Ellis, 60, was discovered in a Bali rice field, with his throat cut and his hands tied on Tuesday .
Police say four others are still wanted for assisting Arli in the murder .
Bali police will stage another re-enactment for investigators on Friday . |
178,730 | 736355be74108932f82c0fc8efd62c1d23557f68 | A horse, a dog, a flock of seagulls and a box of eggs. Not the start of a bad joke, but some of the highlights – and surprises – of campaigning to maintain Scotland within the United Kingdom. I always knew the independence referendum would be the most important event I would ever be involved in, the most important event for Scotland. Because of that I decided to campaign in a totally different way, going back to an old-fashioned politics predating social media and spin doctors. I embarked on a 100-stop tour of open-air meetings across my beautiful country. It was just me, my microphone, my makeshift stage of two Irn-Bru crates and whoever turned up. Thousands of Scots came along and joined the great debate. Scroll down for video . Labour MP Jim Murphy, right, received plenty of abuse campaigning for No on his upturned Irn-Bru crates . And I loved most of it. I visited places I’d never been to before and discovered that the best comedians aren’t only found at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Many were in the crowds with a wry comment or a well-timed put-down. I’m not sure I got the better of every exchange. From Barra to Barrhead, it wasn’t just undecided voters that got involved. On the island of Islay I was heckled by a horse wearing a Yes Scotland blanket. In Ayr I was barked at by a dog with ‘Freedom’ scrawled across its back. His purple-bearded owner claimed to be called William Wallace, and spent most of the meeting trying to climb on my crates bellowing ‘Traitor!’ in my right ear. One meeting in Oban harbour was disrupted by uninvited visitors. When I arrived the crowd had their hoods up. Surprisingly, some even had umbrellas above their heads on a lovely rain-free evening. A journalist had to explain that the Yes voter at the edge of the crowd was the ‘Oban Seagull Whisperer’, who had summoned dozens of gulls over us to disrupt our gathering with droppings, but we just kept going! There was a lighthearted edge to many of the criticisms – hecklers helped make many of the meetings more authentic. Jim Murphy, right, faced groups of organised Yes protesters anytime he tried to take to his stump . However sometimes it became far more sinister. There is a dark corner of Scotland where an intolerant Scottish nationalism lives. We all know that no political movement is without its idiots. But what went on at times in the referendum was of a different nature altogether – it wasn’t the occasional fool but an orchestrated campaign. In places like Motherwell, Dundee and Kirkcaldy, Yes groups organised big crowds of their followers to drown out our events, preventing undecided voters from joining open-air democracy. In their dozens and sometimes in their hundreds they screamed ‘Traitor!’, ‘Scum!’, ‘Quisling!’ and even ‘Terrorist’. And there was one more vile insult they hurled at me. In the midst of the campaign, new details appeared in the media about alleged 1970s child abuse in and around Westminster. To some of my opponents, it didn’t matter that I was in primary school when these terrible cases were alleged to have taken place. Instead it became a regular insult to scream ‘Paedophile!’ at me throughout my street meetings. An anti-English group, Siol nan Gaidheal – or ‘Seed of the Gaels’ – boasted that they had been ‘following Murphy’ for ‘in-your-face confrontations’. And there was a lot of publicity for the least-skilled egg thrower – it took him four eggs before he hit me. But I couldn’t care less about an egg thrower, what was worrying was their determination to deny us space in Scotland’s streets. Mr Murphy, pictured, said party leader Ed Miliband also faced abuse while on the campaign trail . And it wasn’t just me; Ed Miliband and others were also in their sights, and the BBC’s Glasgow HQ was targeted by Yes protesters because of unfounded allegations of anti-independence bias at the BBC. I know the vast majority of Yes supporters would never dream of behaving like this. They decided to support the Yes campaign because they believed it was best for their family and our country. They are decent and honest people, many of whom are hurting this weekend. But wherever we went there was often a noisy crowd that followed us. Rightly, nothing like this ever happened to Alex Salmond or the Yes campaign. After a while my meetings became impossible places to guarantee public safety – I had to halt my tour and seek police advice. To this day, I still don’t know how high up in the Yes campaign these actions were sanctioned, but I do know how widespread they became. I lost count of how many No voters told me they were too worried to wear a sticker or display a poster. The effect was that visually, the Yes campaign appeared to speak for the majority. If the vote was decided by which campaign had the most window posters, then Scotland would be independent. Fortunately windows don’t vote. But this phenomenon of passionate political silence gave me confidence that there was an undeclared pride in many people at being both Scottish and British. And Alistair Darling among others continually emphasised that referendum day was the time for ‘the quiet patriotic majority to stand up and be counted’. ‘Better Together’ was our campaign motto. But it has to be more than just a slogan. It’s time to put the divisions of the campaign behind us and concentrate on what we have in common. In a dangerous and complicated world, the combined power, prosperity and influence of the four nations in our imperfect Union is something to be cherished. | Jim Murphy said the referendum was the most important vote in his life .
He said he wanted to go back to 'old fashioned' politics with meetings .
Murphy travelled the country with a pair of Irn-Bru crates for his stump . |
117,673 | 23f17e42987eb9af75e22810308b5f19fd15ebaa | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:16 EST, 20 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:38 EST, 20 May 2013 . A Dallas elementary school teacher left her one-year-old daughter inside a hot car for hours on Friday and the child was later found dead. The mother, 42-year-old Vibha Marks of Balch Springs, was arrested late Friday on a charge of second-degree felony child abandonment, according to the Dallas Police Department. Her daughter, Victoria, had just celebrated her first birthday on Thursday. Arrested: Vibha Marks of Balch Springs was arrested late Friday on a charge of second-degree felony child abandonment after she left her child inside a hot car . Tragedy: Victoria Marks had just celebrated her first birthday on Thursday, the day before she died after being left inside a hot car . Marks works as a teacher at Frank Guzick Elementary School. A high school senior who works part time at the elementary school as a teacher's aide discovered the child inside Marks' locked car around 1:20 p.m. Friday, according to the Dallas Morning News. 'I looked over and saw that there was a baby in there,' Exenia Gomez told the newspaper. 'I looked at the baby and she wasn’t moving. She had dried bubbles on her face and her eyes were still looking down.' Gomez called 911, and the operator told her to remove the child from the car and perform CPR. Since the doors were locked, Gomez used a piece of wood to break into the vehicle. She picked up the baby from her car seat and could tell she wasn't breathing. She began performing CPR. Paramedics arrived on the scene and the baby was transported to Baylor University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Grim discovery: Marks works as a teacher at Frank Guzick Elementary School (pictured). A high school senior discovered the child inside Marks' locked car around 1:20 p.m. Friday . Temperatures on Friday had reached 86 degrees, but the air inside the vehicle where the baby was locked was even warmer. An autopsy will determine her exact cause of death. School officials released a statement Friday saying that Marks had been placed on administrative leave pending the police investigation. 'Obviously, this is a very tragic situation,' the statement said. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the teacher and her family at this time, as well as the staff at Guzick Elementary.' | Vibha Marks, 42, of Dallas, was arrested late Friday on a charge of second-degree felony child abandonment .
She left her child inside a hot car parked outside the elementary school where she works .
Teenager spotted the child and broke into the car to try and revive her . |
42,267 | 774662c3afdbc0f9993ad03994d8fbce12a907de | By . Nazia Parveen . PUBLISHED: . 18:03 EST, 25 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:28 EST, 26 June 2013 . Hounded out: Magistrate Yvonne Davies told defendant Christopher Duncan who she was sentencing for growing cannabis that addiction to the drug had led to the death of her own brother . A campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis has boasted of his role in forcing a magistrate to resign. Peter Reynolds made one of four official complaints about Yvonne Davies, who had highlighted the dangers of the drug when sentencing a dealer. Judicial officials upheld the complaints – a decision that eventually cost the 65-year-old great grandmother her job on the bench. Cannabis claimed the life of her brother at just 39. But Mr Reynolds, who has smoked cannabis since turning 14, claimed the magistrate had been scaremongering and the drug was safer than peanuts. ‘She was spreading scare stories about cannabis which are wholly unacceptable,’ he said. ‘There are only small risks with cannabis – it is nowhere near as bad as alcohol. ‘She made the right decision to resign and she has been brought to her senses because she was in an impossible position – she could not dispense justice fairly with such strong views against cannabis.’ Mrs Davies had issued a heartfelt plea to a cannabis grower to mend his ways, describing the devastating case of her brother. She said she had told of her family’s ordeal ‘hundreds of times’ during her 14 years on the bench. However, she was officially reprimanded by the Office for Judicial Complaints and said she felt her position became untenable following a ‘back-to-work’ interview in which she was repeatedly asked to resign by senior colleagues. Mr Reynolds, a divorced former advertising executive, has even encouraged his own children, now 26 and 24, to use cannabis. In his letter of complaint, he wrote: ‘It is clear that you [Mrs Davies] have suffered a family tragedy and it is possible your brother was one of the tiny minority of people who react badly to cannabis. ‘However, the scientific evidence is that cannabis is very, very safe – much safer than alcohol, tobacco, all prescription drugs, most over-the-counter medicines and even peanuts.’ Drugs lobbyist: Peter Reynolds has claimed that cannabis is 'as safe as peanuts' In the letter, which went to the OJC, the 55-year-old told Mrs Davies to come to ‘her senses’ and stop being ‘biased’. He wrote: ‘Your conduct in expressing your opinions which diverge so clearly from the facts and evidence is irresponsible, dangerous and entirely unforgiveable. Please issue a public apology and resign.’ Mr Reynolds, who became leader of the pro-cannabis group Clear in 2011, has repeatedly lobbied for users to be able to buy the drug in licensed premises. ‘The harmful aspects of cannabis are . vastly exaggerated, especially by people like Mrs Davies, and it is only . right that we should put these people right.' Peter Reynolds . He says he has ‘always been outraged by the law interfering in his life’ and claims legalisation would cut crime. He said: ‘The harmful aspects of cannabis are vastly exaggerated, especially by people like Mrs Davies, and it is only right that we should put these people right. ‘Cannabis can have many benefits and advocating regulation of it will get rid of the criminals who run the markets at the moment.’ Mr Reynolds, who lives in Weymouth, Dorset, has also encouraged his elderly father to use the drug. The 80-year-old arthritis sufferer rejected his son’s advice because he ‘didn’t want to break the law’. Last August Mrs Davies, who is a psychotherapist and mental health counsellor, spoke out about her family tragedy while sentencing Christopher Duncan, 55, to 200 hours of unpaid work for growing cannabis. She said her family went through a ‘living hell’ after her brother Glen Harding died. He developed epilepsy, schizophrenia and depression following years of smoking cannabis and was found dead in a canal in 1997. Experience: The 65-year-old chairman of the bench had cited the 'living hell' her family went through after losing her brother Glen Harding, pictured . Following the hearing – and Mrs Davies’s interviews in local and national media – the OJC launched an investigation into the way she had expressed her personal views on the case. This was triggered by four complaints including three from retired magistrates – former bench chairman Roger Hall and his two former deputies Barbara Holmes and Pauline Holt. The retired magistrates used Mr Reynolds’s pro-cannabis arguments when they stated their case against Mrs Davies. All the complainants asked for Mrs Davies to be removed from her position immediately. She was suspended but, following a ten-month investigation, the OJC opted only to reprimand her. The decision was signed off by the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice. Tragic: Glen Harding developed schizophrenia and epilepsy, apparently as a result of cannabis use. He is pictured here with his father Les Harding in 1987 . She stood down on Friday after being asked to resign by a justice clerk and a liaison judge. She said she felt ‘disgusted and let down’ by the system and had been ‘pilloried’ for speaking out. ‘It is also doubly astounding that the views of a pro-cannabis campaigner were used to build a case against me. As far as I am aware, cannabis is still very much illegal in Britain,’ she added. Mrs Davies, who lives with her husband Ernie, 65, in Partington, Greater Manchester, said she ensured justice had prevailed in all her cases. ‘But I still do not regret speaking out because I felt I was doing the right thing and helping people to stay away from a harmful substance,’ she said. ‘But I don’t regret any of it and I would speak out again about the dangers of using drugs. My brother lost his life because of it and if I can save others from the devastation it causes I will. | Peter Reynolds was one of four to complain about JP Yvonne Davies .
Cannabis claimed the life of her brother at the age of just 39 .
Mr Reynolds accused the 65-year-old of scaremongering . |
123,059 | 2b17a5af2adc498d4e8432f8c13d81fc025503fb | By . Paul Bentley and Toni Jones . PUBLISHED: . 07:39 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:40 EST, 16 July 2013 . When she fell pregnant in 2010 21-year-old Holly Griffiths didn't feel the same sense of joy that envelops most first-time mothers. Instead the long-term anorexic was terrified at the though of gaining weight in order to be able to carry a healthy baby. The pregnancy was a painful one that saw Holly having to cope with cracked ribs as her tiny frame struggled to cope with a growing baby but she desperately tried to gain weight and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy, named Dylan. Almost three years later Holly is pregnant again, and still in the grip of anorexia. At eight and a half months and weighing just 8st 1lb she will be induced on Monday. Today she appeared on This Morning to discuss her daily struggle to gain weight as she carries her baby. Anorexic Holly Griffiths (right) who is eight and a half months pregnant and anorexic appeared on This Morning today along with psychologist Emma Kenny (left) Talking about her first pregnancy Holly said: 'I didn't ever expect to get pregnant, I think it is pretty rare. 'I was at my darkest point when I got pregnant with Dylan. I was the thinnest I had ever been, I was the illest (sic) I had ever been. 'I had this massive guilt every time I ate because the anorexia still had a massive grip on me. And then I had massive guilt for not feeding, or not considering feeding my child. Holly Griffiths, 21, has battled anorexia since she was a child. She managed to give birth to a healthy baby boy called Dylan (pictured) when she was 19 and now is pregnant with a little girl she has named Isla . Despite being 32 weeks pregnant in these pictures Miss Griffiths . does not look as if she is pregnant at all. She has been is trying to put on as . much weight as possible for her baby . Miss Griffiths, is pictured here at 32 weeks. She is trying to put weight on to ensure that baby Ilsa is born at a healthy weight when she is induced on Monday . 5ft 7in Holly was eight when she . started battling with her weight. She blames her condition on the . pressure to look skinny in a leotard while taking ballet classes. By 12 she had been admitted to a children’s psychiatric clinic weighing just 5st 5lb – about 3st underweight. When Holly was pregnant with Dylan, now aged two, she was so thin that one of her ribs cracked as the baby grew. She was induced at 37 weeks and gave birth after a labour of only ten minutes. Dylan weighed 5lb 10oz and, to her . relief, was healthy. ‘I was so lucky he was OK,’ she said. ‘I felt so . guilty I had put his life at risk.' Miss Griffiths admits that when she was told that she was pregnant with her first child Dylan she was terrified. She said she should have been over the moon but was upset she would not longer be able to control her weight . Miss Griffiths (pictured with fiance Harrison Bogbanovs after the birth of Dylan) was so small that when Dylan was in her womb he cracked her rib and started to crush her lungs. Because of this she was induced at 37 weeks . Miss Griffiths is pictured looking a slightly healthier weight while on holiday with her partner Harrison and baby Dylan. Miss Griffiths goes into periods of remission but is prone to relapses. Now, at 34 weeks pregnant, she has been battling to gain weight before she gives birth to her daughter, who she will name Isla, despite the severe morning sickness that saw her lose 18lb in the earlier stages. Normally, pregnant women are expected . to consume about 2,000 calories a day but Holly, who is engaged to the child's father, gym manager Harrison Bogbanovas, 24, makes do with . between 800 and 1,200, eating one slice of toast for breakfast, salad . for lunch, and plain pasta for dinner. Holly, from Greenwich, South London said: ‘I suffered terrible morning sickness which caused my weight to drop, triggering my anorexia. 'I had thoughts of purging but didn’t . need to, my body was reacting in its own way. This made eating a lot . easier, because I would just vomit it up anyway.’ 'I lost a massive amount of weight and then got put on a strict eating plan - nothing rich, spicy or creamy, I needed very simple, basic foods to stop me being sick.' Miss Griffiths (pictured, left, age six) developed anorexia when she was eight after ballet classes put pressure . on her to lose weight. She has fought the condition for years and has . gained a healthy weight for short periods of time. In summer last year . she relapsed (right) and plummeted to seven stone despite being 5'7" Psychologist Emma Kenny who appeared on the show with Holly and hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford said: 'The natural inclination to wish to starve oneself is always present in the mentality of any anorexic. 'But what Holly's situation shows is that with intensive therapy and treatment and a belief system that becomes a positive one i.e. I have got to feed this child, the pregnancy can continue and you can have a healthy baby. Also the learning experience in that is that if you put your mind to it you can continue that behaviour and then in the long-term overcome this disorder.' Holly is carrying a girl that she has named Isla (pictured here in her 20-week scan). Doctors says the baby is doing well and is healthy despite her mother's low weight . Holly has had to see a high-risk maternity . doctor, throughout her pregnancy and a 4D scan of the child shows she . currently looks healthy. Holly said: 'I'm not better yet but having Dylan kept me eating three meals a day and kept me from really relapsing or regressing. In the future I'm going back to treatment and I hope to kick it for good, it's really important for me to be able to be something that my kids want to emulate. 'I’m desperate to recover so I can teach my kids a healthy way to approach food. 'I couldn’t bear it if they had body issues like me, so I’m continuing to fight the voices in my head and get better for them.’ | Holly Griffiths, 21, has suffered with anorexia since she was eight years old .
She was induced at 37 weeks while pregnant with first baby, Dylan, now 2, because she was so thin he cracked her rib and began to crush her lungs .
Dylan was born weighing a healthy 5lb 10oz and luckily he has suffered no ill effects of being carried by an anorexic mother .
At 8 and half months pregnant with her second child Holly weighs 8st 1lb .
She is due to be induced on Monday with a baby girl named Isla .
Appeared on This Morning to discuss her daily struggle to put on weight . |
197,858 | 8c1a19733538bf2b8a34c6790fab37ab767483dd | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:28 EST, 28 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:45 EST, 28 November 2013 . The Daniel Fast is based on the fasts of the Old Testament prophet Daniel (pictured) There are diets that involve substituting food for air and others that see slimmers consume alcohol instead of a meal. Now, there is also the so-called God diet. Officially known as the Daniel Fast, the diet sees people eat nothing but fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Followers only drink water and avoid eating meat, fish, bread and any sweetened or processed foods. The eating plan is based on that followed by the Old Testament prophet, Daniel. It is fasting in the sense that followers cut back, rather than stop eating food altogether - in a similar vein to the the 5:2 plan (where followers eat a restricted diet two days a week). Susan Gregory, author of The Daniel Fast, explained that the plan is based on his recorded fasting experiences. In a video, she explains that Daniel was among a group of men captured by Babylon and that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon wanted the men to be in top condition - so insisted they eat the same food as he ate. But when Daniel was served this food, he refused it, as he was committed to God and felt the food had not been prepared according to Jewish standards. He also believed it had been sacrificed to false gods. Daniel 1:8 states: 'But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank.' Instead, Ms Gregory says, he vowed to eat nothing but foods grown from seeds and drink only water. Later, Daniel fasted again while seeking God's word on the future of Israel and described this fast as involving no meat, wine or leavened bread. Daniel 10:3 states: 'I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.' These biblical descriptions of Daniel’s fasts form the basis of the new eating plan. Ms Gregory, who described the Daniel Fast as a 'vegan diet with even more restrictions', says following the diet involves avoiding caffeine, chemicals and sugar and, as a result, it can ease headaches, leg cramps and fatigue. She added it can also cause people's cholesterol levels to fall and their blood sugar levels to balance out. The author adds that the diet often leads to weight loss and 'a general feeling of wellbeing'. However she adds that, while the diet is a very healthy way to eat, people with health problems might need to modify it. It sees people eat nothing other than fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Followers also drink nothing other than water and avoid sweetened and processed foods . For example, she accepts that people with diabetes might need to eat more carbohydrates and that pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers might need to add fish, chicken and cheese. Sarah Neumann, from Michigan, tried the Daniel Fast as a religious exercise and without considering the weight loss that could go with it. She told The Atlantic that she initially struggled with it when eating in restaurants or with friends. However, she says she lost weight while on the diet and she still has a healthier diet as a result. 'Since the experience I've lost a lot of weight just from learning how to have more self-control,' she said. But nutritionist Zoe Harcombe is unconvinced by the health benefits of following the diet. She explained to MailOnline that the health impacts it would depend on how long someone follows it for. Nutritionists say there are some benefits to the diet as it sees people cut out junk food, white flour, sugar and processed foods. However, they also say it could lead to shortages in many vital vitamins . She said that if they only follow it for a few days, it would not cause too many problems. But longer than that could cause them to become deficient in numerous vitamins - especially those found in animal products. She said the diet is good in the sense that it involves cutting out junk food, sugar, white flour and processed foods. This reduces the chance of obesity and lowers a person's risk of some cancers, heart disease and diabetes. But, she added that followers would miss out on Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin B12. A lack of Vitamin A can, in extreme cases, lead to blindness, a shortage of Vitamin D can cause muscle weakness and bone pain and a deficiency of Vitamin E could cause the immune system to be weakened. She explained that, as a result, anyone following the diet for longer than a few days would need to take vitamin supplements to avoid health problems. Nutritionist Zoe Harcombe explained to MailOnline that the health impacts of the diet would depend on how long someone followed it for. She said that if they only followed it for a few days, it would not cause too many problems. However, she added that if someone followed it for more than a few days it could cause them to become deficient in numerous vitamins - especially those found in animal products. She said the diet is good in the sense that it involves cutting out junk food, sugar, white flour and processed foods. This reduces the chance of obesity and lowers a person's risk of some cancers, heart disease and diabetes. But, she added that followers would miss out on Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin B12. A lack of Vitamin A can, in extreme . cases, lead to blindness, a shortage of Vitamin D can cause muscle . weakness and bone pain and a deficiency of Vitamin E could cause the . immune system to be weakened. She explained that, as a result, anyone following the diet for longer than a few days would need to take vitamin supplements to avoid health problems. | The Daniel Fast is based on the fasts of the Old Testament prophet Daniel .
It involves eating nothing but fruit, vegetables and whole grains .
Followers also only drink water, particularly avoiding consuming any wine .
But nutritionists say the diet could lead to deficiencies of all the vitamins primarily found in animal products, and lead to bone and muscle problems . |
125,079 | 2daee36e4ac08ccbd0689cbf51c488741fcc3d4a | By . Martin Robinson for MailOnline . Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker has promised to get rid of a controversial goatee beard after admitting it was 'c***' - but has a fight on his hands from his wife who 'likes the Robin Hood look'. Following the deluge of criticism of his facial hair after Saturday’s programme the 53-year-old said he would shave it off, but Danielle Lineker says she is 'wrestling the razor from him'. It appears the former England striker has not learned his lesson about facial hair because he was ridiculed in 2011 after growing a much-maligned moustache. Scroll down for video . Poor form: Gary Lineker's goatee beard has been panned and the BBC presenter has pledged to shave it off . Tweeting about his new beard he said: ‘Seems like the overall verdict was great show, c**p goatee! It’s going.’ Seeing the funny side he added: 'It's a Des Lynam, Jimmy Hill tribute'. But his 35-year-old wife Danielle may have other ideas about him removing the beard and told a friend: ‘Currently wresting the razor from him. Like the Robin Hood look.’ When the former Spurs and Barcelona striker grew a moustache after being dared to by his children a few years ago, it caused an outcry, with one TV viewer saying it made him look ‘like he’s eaten a bowl of iron filings without using his hands’. But the Match Of The Day presenter’s new goatee beard has provoked an even stronger response. Piers Morgan compared him to d'Artagnan from The Three Musketeers while Russell Brand hailed a 'new era' for the show . Home front: Gary Lineker wants to get rid of the beard but his wife Danielle says she likes it . One viewer said it ‘turned you from respectable presenter to snake-oil salesman’, while another claimed to have ‘officially stopped paying the licence fee until the beard goes’, adding: ‘It’s scaring my six-year-old.’ Gary Lineker was not the only Match of the Day pundit to be criticised for his appearance. New boy Phil Neville, panned during the World Cup for his dull commentary, was targeted because of his blonde highlights. | Star says that it is a tribute to BBC greats Des Lynam and Jimmy Hill .
Wife Danielle wants him to keep it because she likes the 'Robin Hood look' |
179,466 | 746101edf5e0451b8009c7c3e60f92709ce9f6f1 | By . Arthur Martin . PUBLISHED: . 20:00 EST, 30 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:52 EST, 30 April 2012 . The potentially deadly exotic caterpillars invading Britain are unstoppable, an expert warned yesterday. Oak processionary moths, which are highly toxic pests during their caterpillar stage, have spread into new areas of the country. There are even fears the insects could affect the Olympics if oak trees in East London suffer an infestation. Fears: The oak processionary moth caterpillar is highly toxic and have spread into new areas of the country . If this happens, millions of spectators could come into contact with poisonous hairs on the caterpillars that contain powerful toxins. Each caterpillar is covered in 63,000 of these hairs, which can trigger potentially lethal asthma attacks. The bristles can blow off in the wind and cause painful skin and throat rashes, running eyes, vomiting, dizziness and fever if you come into contact with them. Spreading: The oak processionary moth loses its toxicity once it has turned into a moth as seen here . Tony Kirkham, head of the arboretum at Kew Gardens, said the pest was resilient to bad weather and difficult to eradicate. ‘We use spray to keep them at bay but even the nest removals at Kew don’t totally control oak processionary moths,’ he said. ‘You can slow them down but we will never find them all. They will always keep increasing.’ The creatures can usually be spotted in oak trees, where they strip off the leaves before turning into moths. Swarm: The oak processionary moth caterpillars have been found on trees at Kew Gardens in south west London . They first appeared in Britain in 2006, after they were brought into London on a batch of oak trees imported from Holland. Since then they have spread rapidly across the South East and have been spotted as far afield as Reading and Sheffield. It is feared that the pest will be prevalent throughout the South East within five years. In Belgium, the situation became so bad that the army was sent in to incinerate the caterpillars’ nests – but officials here have no such plans. | Each caterpillar is covered in 63,000 hairs which can trigger potentially lethal asthma attacks .
Fears the insects could affect the Olympics if oak trees in East London suffer an infestation .
Kew Gardens expert says 'you can slow them down but we will never find them all' |
130,433 | 34a7bfa37bd23a65851699ad8e95eede200f44dc | (CNN) -- The fighting among Shiite militias and government troops in Basra is a glimpse of Iraq's future, and pivotal cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is in deep trouble, according to two CNN correspondents and a CNN military analyst. Mehdi Army fighters wear masks during clashes in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Wednesday. The fiery religious leader has a loyal following in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood and other enclaves thanks to generous social programs, but his political movement, his Mehdi Army militia and the cease-fire al-Sadr recently extended are no match for Iranian intrigue, according to CNN's experts. "Al-Sadr is involved in a very complicated relationship with the Iranians," said CNN Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware. "The Iranians do provide funding and support for his militia, yet at the same time they're trying to rein him in and get him to adopt a certain political agenda, which from time to time he resists." Ware said Iran wants to use al-Sadr's populist base to advance its agenda in Iraq. "However, they don't want to see him get too big for his boots or to rise to a position where they can no longer have sway over him." Iran has weakened al-Sadr by encouraging dissension within his Mehdi Army and backing hardliners -- known as the Special Groups -- who break away and keep up the fight against the U.S. occupation, Ware said. "Iran's very good at putting pressure on you, forcing you to split, and anything that squeezes out the side, Iran picks up and turns into hardline factions," Ware said. "That's exactly what's happened to Muqtada. He's had purge after purge after purge of belligerent commanders, and they've all been swept up by Iran. "And now the most lethal attacks on U.S. forces, the most coordinated attacks on U.S. forces, the most daring attacks on U.S. forces in the country are committed by Iranian-backed breakaway elements of Muqtada's militia faction." Learn more about the Mehdi Army and other key players in Basra » . The violence in Basra -- which has spread to Shiite areas throughout the country, including Baghdad -- is a kind of fighting Americans are unaccustomed to seeing, said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Donald Sheppard, CNN's senior military analyst. Watch the violence multiply » . "This is intra-Shia. This is not Sunni vs. Shia, this is not civil war, this is not sectarian violence, it's intra-Shia politics for control of the government," he said. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is trying to hold together his political alliance -- an alliance that includes the political wings of the militias he's fighting, Sheppard said. "If this alliance breaks apart because of the fighting, you've got chaos within the Parliament," Sheppard said. Watch Sheppard assess the military situation » . So far, al-Sadr has resisted the temptation to end the Mehdi Army cease-fire, which, combined with the simultaneous increase in U.S. forces last year, had brought a sharp reduction in violence. If the truce ends, "the success of the surge is going to be hugely in doubt," said CNN International correspondent Michael Holmes. "I've always said, yes the surge has reduced violence in Baghdad, but you have to put it in context: Why has it reduced the violence, and what else has happened? "It's a lot like squeezing a balloon, as a general told me: You squeeze it in Baghdad, it pops out elsewhere. Where you've seen a lot of the militiamen go, a lot of the insurgents go, is to the south and mainly to the north, which is why you're seeing a lot of action up in Mosul." And the Mehdi Army and Badr Brigades -- the principal combatants in the Basra region -- are hardly the only militias at arms in Iraq. Indeed there are dozens, each with its own political, social, religious and military agenda, Ware noted. Watch Ware look ahead to a post-American Iraq » . "What worries me the most is all of the good work that we've done with the surge, spreading higher levels of security throughout Iraq, the people slowly gaining confidence in their own security forces -- that could all break down," Sheppard said. "It could all break down because of Basra, it could break down because al-Sadr basically ends the truce and fighting starts all over the country in the Shia areas. "This is very, very serious and it could all go wrong for the United States as we try to extricate ourselves. It could go wrong in many, many ways and cause everything to come apart there." But Holmes suggested there's a chance al-Maliki and Iraq will survive this crisis. "This could be a good test of Nuri al-Maliki and the security forces. They're going to have to stand up at some point; maybe this is a time to see how they do." Ware doubts the security forces can prevent a meltdown. "This is a window into the future of Iraq after the American withdrawal," Ware said. "What many people suggest is that we're looking at a situation that will be akin to Lebanon in the 1980s, with vicious, well-armed militia proxy wars where all the factions are supported by one foreign sponsor or another. "But this will be Lebanon on steroids." E-mail to a friend . | CNN analysts assess what Basra fighting says about Iraq's future .
Michael Ware: Iran fosters clashes among rival Shiite factions .
Michael Holmes: Crisis is opportunity for central government to stand up .
Sheppard: Breakdown could lead to political chaos, loss of gains from surge . |
195,031 | 887505370b8f8a7a475a44a486422d8f9da35f3b | (CNN) -- A driver's best bet is to stay home when wintry weather coats the roads in snow and ice, particularly in areas such as the Southeast where motorists and road crews aren't in the habit of dealing with icy conditions. The Georgia Department of Transportation is urging travelers to avoid all but absolutely necessary driving until at least Tuesday as a storm that arrived Sunday night continues to cause treacherous traveling. For those who must go out, it's important to plan ahead. AAA recommends motorists pack a winter driving kit made up of the following: a bag of abrasive material (sand, salt or cat litter), a snow shovel and brush, traction mats, an ice scraper, booster cables, a flashlight, window washing liquid, cloth, warning flares or triangles, a cell phone, gloves and a blanket. Try to ease your vehicle out of parking spaces without spinning the wheels. Drive back and forth for several feet in either direction to clear a path. Spread sand or salt near the wheels if additional traction is needed. If you do get stuck, you can contact AAA via phone, iPhone app or at AAA.com. De-ice vehicles before driving, urges the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Iced-over vehicles can limit driver visibility, and ice flying off cars can be hazardous to fellow drivers. If you have to drive in conditions with low visibility, go slowly, with your headlights on low beam, AAA advises. Allow at least double the usual following distance between cars. Never use cruise control on a slick surface. Steering around an obstruction is often safer than braking suddenly at speeds above 25 mph on a slippery surface, according to AAA's pamphlet "How to Go on Ice and Snow" (PDF). When you do brake, don't remove your foot from the brake or pump the pedal if you have antilock brakes, AAA advises. Drivers of cars that don't have antilock brakes should keep their heel on the floor and apply firm pressure to the brake pedal to the threshold of locking. In case of skidding, steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go, keeping your eyes on your travel path. And don't slam on the brakes; you're likely to make it harder to get back in control. | Georgia officials urging drivers to avoid travel until at least Tuesday .
If you have to go out on icy roads, AAA recommends essential winter driving tools .
Don't slam on your brakes in a skid; steer in the direction you want the front of the car to go . |
123,071 | 2b1c1afa9cb033e92c644f1a508b5bb551636c0a | By . Hugo Gye and Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 10:51 EST, 15 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:50 EST, 15 January 2013 . Five Jessops employees who posted an appeal for a new job in the window of their closed-down store have already been attracting attention from possible employers. The group of loyal workers have apparently been ordered to remove the window display - but within just three days, job offers were pouring in for the laid-off staff. One potential employer even offered to fly the group out to Spain to discuss the possibility of employing them. The workers at the Warrington branch of Jessops posted photographs of themselves with the message, 'Five unemployed and loyal staff seeking work. Can you help?' in the window of their store after the firm stopped trading on Friday. 'Devastating effect': Staff from the Warrington branch of Jessops plastered their photos in the window of the store in the hope of finding new employment . Lanza Martineta said he and his . fellow team-members - some of whom have worked for Jessops for up to 15 . years - wanted to show the 'real faces' behind yet another blow to the . British high street. And it did not take long for the . workers' inventive appeal to capture the public imagination - Mr . Martineta, 44, told MailOnline today that 'within hours there was a . response'. He added: 'This morning we've had someone ring us from Spain, to fly us over there and discuss an opportunity.' While emphasising that 'it's going to . take time' to get all the employees back into work, he expressed . confidence that the Warrington staff would find new jobs before long as a . result of the unconventional advertising. 'Loyal staff': Mr Martineta's picture beneath the sign featuring the staff's call for help . However, Mr Martineta warned that . many of the other 1,370 Jessops employees would find it harder to return . to the labour market, and urged the government to do more to support . struggling retailers. 'It's not me who's on the scrapheap,' he said. 'The personal battles have just started for each member of my store.' He continued: 'Why can't crippling . high street rents be subsidised by the government? When a store has to . find the best part of £92,000 before it makes a profit, that adds up. 'You can introduce all the measures you want, but once a company is making losses it's forever playing catch up. 'We have had literally hundreds of . people knocking on our door telling us how sorry we were that we were . going. We would like to say thank you for that - but what we really want . are jobs that replace the ones we have lost.' On Tuesday Jessops staff were seen taking down the employees' display from the shop window in Warrington. ITV Granada reported that the firm . had ordered that the display be removed a day after it sprang to . national attention after being featured on MailOnline. Around 1,370 shop staff were left jobless when Jessops closed its 187 stores across the UK last week. Further redundancies at the chain's head office in Leicester also look likely. Mr Martineta said their window display - which also includes a sign that reads: 'What's happening to our high streets?' - had created quite a stir in the town centre. 'It's brought quite a bit of attention,' said Mr Martineta, who said people had come in to sympathise with the team as they packed away stock and equipment inside the closed store. High street casualty: All 187 Jessops stores nationwide have ceased trading . The . team's collective enthusiasm for their work made the news of their fate . all the more devastating, according to Mr Martineta, who said staff . only learned of the chain's collapse when a journalist called the . Warrington branch for a comment. 'It . was really out of the blue,' he said. 'We had no warning. I've seen my . colleagues crying, wondering how they are going to pay their rents.' Mr Martineta, who in the meantime . intends to concentrate on his professional photographic work after . losing his position at Jessops, said this latest retail casualty . indicated a bleak future for the British high street. 'When Comet went down I did pay it . some attention, but it doesn't really hit you until it happens to you,' said Mr Martineta, adding that Jessops had struggled to compete with . internet retailers. 'People . were coming in for our expert advice, then using that to buy stock . online,' he said. 'I do think we could have adapted better. It is a . crying shame.' Final days: Customers browse in the Bath branch of Jessops on the day before stores across the country closed their doors . He also commented on the irony of HMV going into administration so soon after Jessops, saying that the local branch of the entertainment shop was 'literally a two-second walk'. The chief executive of HMV, Trevor Moore, was chief executive of Jessops until July last year. As Britain's only specialist camera retailer, Jessops had been a fixture on high streets nationwide for almost 80 years. Its collapse followed that of a number of familiar high street names over the course of last year, including fellow camera retailer Jacobs in June 2012, and Comet in November. Peacocks, La Senza and Clinton Cards also went under last year. Anyone who would like to get in touch . with Mr Martineta and the other former members of staff at Jessops . Warrington should contact [email protected]. | Camera retailer closed its 187 stores across the UK last week .
Staff in Warrington put photos of themselves in windows to help find a job .
Received offers 'within hours' - one employer said he would fly them to Spain . |
53,112 | 96a9abb404aaf6c04cd03014a310fdc9213ec7b2 | (CNN) -- South African mountain bike star Burry Stander, who narrowly missed out on a medal at the London Olympics, has been killed in a road accident. Stander, 25, was on a training ride when he was hit Thursday by a vehicle in Shelly Beach, on the country's southeast coast, according to Cycling South Africa, the national cycling body. Details of the accident are still being investigated, it said. "Not only is this a loss to South African sport, but we have lost a true gentleman who through his professionalism, modesty and humility, constantly showing sheer guts, represented our country with great pride," Cycling South Africa said in the statement released Thursday. The organization expressed its condolences to Stander's family, including his wife and parents. Stander finished fifth in the Men's Cross Country mountain bike event at the Olympic Games in London last year. It was the second Olympics for Stander, who had finished 15th in the same event at the Beijing Games. He rode a superb race to move through the field in a race won by Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic from Nino Schurter of Switzerland. Italy's Marco Fontana was third, 25 seconds adrift, with Stander only missing out on the podium by four seconds in a close finish. He had won the 2011 African championships to book his place at the Games. Adrien Niyonshuti was fourth in the same race to become the first Rwandan to qualify for an Olympic competition. Stander had recently married the multiple South African road race champion Cherise Taylor. CNN's Jethro Mullen contributed to this report. | Burry Stander is hit by a vehicle while on a training ride in South Africa .
He was the country's most successful mountain biker .
He finished fifth in his event at the Olympic Games in London last year .
Stander missed out on a medal by just four seconds . |
279,312 | f5dbec3fdc18b70c481d3e0dafbc958950791296 | After a historic and emotional win at the grand final by the South Sydney Rabbitohs, one of its footy stars has lost their NRL premiership ring. The Rabbitohs centre reportedly dropped his prized possession into Sydney Harbour just less than a week after receiving it. Perth Now reports that Walker lost the ring whilst on a team cruise on Wednesday as players continued their celebrations following Sunday night's 30-6 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs. Scroll down for video . South Sydney Rabbitohs centre Dylan Walker is pictured being tackled during the NRL grand final match with the Canterbury Bulldogs on Sunday night . Dylan Walker (centre) wears his premiership ring with pride during a meet and greet with fans at Redfern Oval on Monday . The premiership ring was awarded to the winning team of the NRL grand finals - this year being the South Sydney Rabbitohs . (From left) Sam Burgess, Greg Inglis and Dylan Walker of the Rabbitohs pose with the trophy in front of the crowd after their victory during the NRL grand finals . South Sydney team members and fans alike have been celebrating their premiership win from Sunday night - their first in 43 years. And the festivities continued today with a parade through Sydney before the team received the keys to the city. Earlier in the week, the team received a heroic welcome as they mingled with thousands of Rabbitoh's fans who crammed into and around Redfern Oval on Monday afternoon to commend the club's long-awaited grand final win. But on Thursday afternoon, reporter Ben Fordham tweeted: 'Souths player Dylan Walker has already LOST his NRL Premiership ring.' 'Dylan Walker's NRL premiership ring is on the bottom of Sydney Harbour. He dropped it while on a boat yesterday. Souths trying to replace it,' he wrote. However it is unknown the NRL have not confirmed whether or not they will be providing Walker with a replacement ring. Daily Mail Australia is also waiting a response from the South Sydney Rabbitohs. This was tweeted by reporter Ben Fordham on Thursday afternoon . Dylan Walker reportedly dropped the ring in Sydney Harbour on Wednesday night . | South Sydney Rabbitohs centre Dylan Walker reportedly lost his ring on Wednesday .
It is believed he was on a cruise with teammates celebrating Sunday night's NRL grand final win .
It is unknown whether the ring will be replaced .
This team won the premiership for the first time in 43 years .
The Rabbitohs defeated Canterbury Bulldogs 30-6 . |
144,172 | 466fc739bc2f52207521b32b3d4c94f65f8b2f2b | RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNN) -- Former presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil called Wednesday for the decriminalization of marijuana for personal use and a change in tactics on the war on drugs, a Spanish news agency said. People march in support of legalized marijuana in late January in Belem, northern Brazil. Ex-presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico, Cesar Gaviria of Colombia and Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil made their announcement at a meeting in Brazil of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, the EFE news agency said. "The problem is that current policies are based on prejudices and fears and not on results," Gaviria said at a news conference in which the commission's recommendations were presented. The 17-member panel worked on the report for a year and will forward it to all Latin American governments as well as the United States and the European Union, EFE said. Gaviria said the time is right to start a debate on the subject, particularly with the pragmatic openings provided by the election of President Barack Obama in the United States. "In many states in the United States, as is the case in California, they have begun to change federal policies with regard to tolerating marijuana for therapeutic purposes. And in Washington there's some consensus that the current policy is failing," EFE quotes Gaviria as saying. Decriminalization should be accompanied by treatment for addicts and public service campaigns on abuse prevention, the commission said. "If you don't help those who are dependent, you are half way there because they are going to commit crime to get money and pay for the drug," Gaviria said. Cardoso said the group called for only the decriminalization of marijuana and not other illicit drugs because "you have to start somewhere" and it would have been unrealistic to ask the same for all drugs, EFE said. Marijuana was chosen because it is grown in all countries in the region and because it is "less harmful." The decades-old criminalization of personal consumption has failed to stop the plant's cultivation and distribution, the group said. The commission urged that all current criminal prosecution be aimed at drug cartels and organized crime and not marijuana smokers, EFE said. Zedillo did not attend the news conference but worked on the report, Cardoso said. Wednesday's recommendation was the second time in less than a week that a Latin American government official called for decriminalization. A mayor in Peru suggested Friday that the federal government legalize illicit drugs and administer them through the national health ministry. Gusto Sierra, the mayor of the Surquillo district in Lima, said a federal drug law is hypocritical because it allows maximum legally allowed quantities for some drugs and plants but doesn't say where to acquire them, the Peru 21 newspaper reported in a front-page story headlined "Say yes to drugs?" Sierra said he will take the matter up with the nation's executive branch. Zedillo served as president of Mexico from 1994-2000. Gaviria was president of Colombia from 1990-94. And Cardoso led Brazil from 1995-2002. | Ex-presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia urge decriminalization of marijuana .
Leaders urge treatment for addicts, public service campaigns on abuse prevention .
Criminal prosecution should target drug cartels, not users, former leaders say . |
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