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123,309 | 2b66b634290b25b02ea5f691f0adcd7278e52832 | By . Tamara Cohen . School milk must be offered to all pupils from the New Year, it emerged last night. Officials believe it forms a key part of a healthy diet. They also hope the measure will slash pupils’ consumption of fruit juices, with their high sugar content. The change comes in new school food standards released today. The overhaul of school meals was announced as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was joined by TV chef Lorraine Pascale at Foresters Primary School in London . Under then changes, pupils will be offered three types of fruit a week, but fruit juice will be limited . They will specify that semi-skimmed milk ‘must be available for drinking at least once a day’ in all primary and secondary institutions. However, it will not be free for all. Reinstating the place of milk in daily school life is a remarkable turnaround for the Conservatives. It has been an emotive issue for the party since the then Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher was nicknamed the ‘milk snatcher’ in 1971 for scrapping the free drink for the over-sevens. Four years ago David Cameron had to stop his higher education minister’s plans to axe it for under-fives to cut costs. The food standards to be unveiled by Education Secretary Michael Gove today aim to clamp down on sugary and fried products. The milk will also help address concerns about low calcium levels in children. Currently, schools are only encouraged to offer ‘healthy drinks’ to pupils and many do not offer milk at all. Milk must be offered to all schoolchildren under the new food standards . Obesity campaigners welcomed the measure but said they would have gone further in trying to cut juice consumption. The under-fives will continue to get their milk for nothing but older pupils will be charged, except for those on free school meals – but it is hoped making small cartons available will encourage more pupils to make a habit of drinking it. A Department for Education source said: ‘This is new. We hope making low fat milk regularly available at least once a day will help encourage children to have healthier diets’. The return of milk follows a review of school dinners by restaurateurs Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent. That came after the high-profile campaign begun by Jamie Oliver in 2005 to improve pupils’ food. They concede meals have improved dramatically over the years since the celebrity chef’s crusade against fast food horrors such as Turkey Twizzlers – which were later banned. But officials say the guidelines brought in by New Labour– which forced schools to submit meal plans and samples to a laboratory to check their nutritional content were too complex and bureaucratic. Under the guidelines, fruit juice will be restricted to one 150ml glass per day from January amid growing evidence of the damaging effect of its rich natural sugars on children’s developing teeth. Many nutritionists now recommend that children are only allowed one small glass of fruit juice per week as a treat. The new guidelines will specify portions from particular food groups as opposed to dictating precise menus. Children must be offered three different types of fruit a week and only two portions of food cooked in oil such as chips, battered fish or chicken nuggets. Wholegrain carbohydrates such as brown rice are approved, while refined foods such as white bread are out. The new rules are intended to make meals more ‘creative’ than under the current system which calls for them to contain specific levels of nutrients such as zinc, vitamin A and folic acid. The food standards to be unveiled by Education Secretary Michael Gove aim to clamp down on sugary and fried products offered to children . Newly created academies and free schools will also have to follow the food guidelines. Until now, academies – free from council control and set up post-2010 – had been free to make their own rules. This caused controversy last year when research showed nine out of ten academies were selling pupils chocolates and crisps which are banned in other state schools. Existing academies will be encouraged to follow the new guidelines. The Department for Education said the new standards would be easier to enforce and allow schools to be more ‘creative’ in what they serve and make food preparation a ‘joyful’ experience. Henry Dimbleby said: ‘This is about encouraging healthier habits and we are trying to encourage milk and water as drinks of choice. Fruit juice is as sugary in many cases as canned soft drinks.’ Mr Gove will say today: ‘These new food standards will ensure all children are able to eat healthy, nutritious meals at school. ‘We now have a clear and concise set of food standards which are easier for cooks to follow and less expensive to enforce. Crucially we have achieved this without any compromise on quality or nutrition.’ Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum welcomed the crackdown on sugary juices, but said he would have gone further in restricting it to one small glass per week. Mr Fry said: ‘Fruit juice is known to be really laden with sugar, and it needs to be a treat not an everyday occurrence. The preference in schools should be water which is hugely beneficial.’ | Milk must be offered to all schoolchildren from New Year under new rules .
Semi-skimmed milk 'must be available for drinking at least once a day'
Education Secretary Michael Gove aims to clamp down on sugary products .
He also hopes milk will address concerns about low calcium levels in kids . |
174,658 | 6e0fdd8023192cd69d5aa50e15dc36b1e9047ee8 | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 10:35 PM on 27th February 2012 . An eight-year-old boy is today on a ventilator after a chlorine incident at a swimming pool hospitalised 70 people and left one girl 'barking like a seal'. Most were children and almost all were treated and released following the incident at a community pool in British Columbia, Canada, on Sunday. But Billy Swyers and another adult were kept in. The boy was sitting on the bleachers when fumes were smelt in the air and everybody ran outside. Scary: Most were children and almost all were treated and released following the incident at this community pool in British Columbia, Canada, on Sunday . ‘He's showing signs in his lungs that the doctors aren't happy with,’ the boy’s mother Angela Swyers said after the incident in Williams Lake. ‘So just as a precaution, they are keeping him overnight, giving him some antibiotics, and making sure he's OK before they send him home.’ Mrs Swyers said she was sitting on the seating with Billy when everyone ran out of the pool and many of the children were coughing heavily. At the hospital, Billy was placed on a ventilator and given medication, she said, noting that doctors also performed blood work and an x-ray. ‘I just want to make sure he's better,’ Mrs Swyers said. ‘So we'll do whatever we can to get him healthy and then go home.’ The mother and son live in Quesnel, British Colombia, which sent several youngsters to the swim meet in Williams Lake, about 75 miles away. Location: This map marks the spot in Williams Lake, British Columbia, where 70 people were hospitalised following the swimming pool incident on Sunday . Swimmers from Prince George were also there. A spokesman for Williams Lake described what happened as a ‘chlorine incident’. Chlorine gas can be problematic because it dissolves into the moisture found in the upper and lower airways and forms an acidic compound that irritates the lung tissue and causes swelling . The irritation and swelling can give patients asthma and bronchitis-like symptoms, like wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath and sometimes chest pain . In some individuals, it can also result in bacterial pneumonia . He said authorities are trying to work out what happened at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, which also includes a hockey arena. He said the pool uses chlorine gas, not liquid chlorine, which is dispensed by a computer. Chlorine is used to sanitise pool water. But in high concentrations, particularly once airborne, the gas can turn toxic and cause a burning sensation in the eyes or breathing difficulties. Kathie Kovacs, of Quesnel, wasn't at the event but drove to Williams Lake after learning her 12-year-old daughter, Janna, went to hospital. ‘When she coughs it sounds like almost like a seal barking,’ Mrs Kovacs said. ‘It's a really, deep horrible cough actually.’ Emergency situation: Authorities are trying to work out what happened at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, which also includes a hockey arena . Janna ran out of the pool after smelling what she thought was vomit. Some parents said a smaller, shallower pool there had been drained. Janna and Billy were among dozens of children getting ready for the swim meet when one coach said she started smelling ‘something weird’. 'It was pretty scary seeing, like, eight-year-olds with oxygen masks on and stuff. It was scary' Abbi Taylor, 17, coach . ‘People just said: “You've got to get out”,’ said coach Abbi Taylor, 17. She added that a ‘wall of people’ ran to the door when the alert was given. The children, many still wearing wet bathing suits, were ushered to the ice arena before the whole building was evacuated and ambulances arrived. ‘It was pretty scary seeing, like, eight-year-olds with oxygen masks on and stuff,’ Ms Taylor said. ‘It was scary.’ Swimming pool staff trying to solve the problem were coughing and lifeguards were trying to keep people calm, Ms Taylor said. Allison Ruault, health-services administrator for the region, said that 45 children and 25 adults were treated in total after the event. | Incident during event at swimming pool in Canada .
Children & parents ran outside when smelling fumes .
Most went to British Columbia hospital and released .
One boy and an adult are only from 70 to be kept in . |
224,390 | ae8db920b5c26d1a736ff815f140abe28bb0f101 | (CNN) -- Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head during a shooting rampage in January, appeared in her first television interview late Monday night, clearly understanding the questions put to her but able to respond only in simple words. "I cried," she told ABC's Diane Sawyer in response to a question about how she felt when her husband told her what had happened. "Died," she said. "Sad," said her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly. "Sad," Giffords agreed. "I cried. A lot of people died." She said she has no memory of the incident. "That day is gone?" Sawyer asked. "Gone," Giffords replied. Giffords also doesn't remember the next 13 days at a hospital in Tucson before she was flown to Houston. She said she remembers the flight "a little bit." "She said she felt like a --" Kelly said. "A zombie," Giffords said, finishing the sentence. Giffords also said she never got angry about what happened. "No," she said. "No. No. No." She paused. "Life," she said, then shrugged. "Life." Jared Loughner, 23, is accused of wounding Giffords and 12 others and killing six people in the shooting at a meet-and-greet event for the congresswoman outside a Tucson, Arizona, shopping center. Giffords, a Democrat, posted an audio message to her constituents Tuesday on her Facebook page, saying she missed them and Tuscon: "The mountains, the blue skies, even the heat. "I'm getting stronger, I'm getting better," she says, adding that she wants to go back to work. She sat with her husband on a couch for the ABC interview, wearing a lime green jacket. She wore her hair short and smiled often. When Sawyer asked Giffords how she feels, the congresswoman responded, "Pretty good." Sawyer asked Giffords if it was painful to move her right arm. Giffords said it was not. "Difficult," she said twice, then grinned and swung her left arm. "Strong!" she said, getting a laugh from Sawyer. "Strong, strong!" Giffords was shot in the head, with the bullet passing through the left side of her brain, which controls the right half of the body. Her right arm lay unused on her lap during the interview. But before the interview began, she leaned over to fix Sawyer's hair with her left hand. Giffords has made what doctors call a miraculous recovery since the shooting. Her neurosurgeon, Dr. Dong Kim, told CNN Tuesday that Giffords' thought process is normal -- a remarkable feat for someone with the kind of injuries she suffered. As a sign of her stunning recovery, Kim told CNN's Elizabeth Cohen that Giffords recently spoke two sentences in a row to him. "Wow, you have a suit on today," she said to him when he walked in to see her. Then she added, "What's with the necktie?" The ABC report showed Giffords in therapy, struggling to come up with a word when asked what she would use to tell time. "W....," the therapist prompts. "Wwwwwwatch!" Giffords says, to the delight of the therapist. She and Kelly told Sawyer she did two hours of therapy a day in their home. Giffords has clearly retained a sense of humor; her husband teases her when Sawyer asks what she loves by interjecting: "Football! Gabby loves the NFL." "No, no, no," she giggles. "Stinks!" Loughner is in mental health treatment and will be re-evaluated early next year to determine his competency to stand trial. | NEW: Giffords doesn't remember the shooting, she says .
NEW: Giffords felt like a "zombie" on the flight to Houston .
NEW: Her neurosurgeon describes the stunning recovery to CNN .
Jared Loughner is charged with wounding her and 12 others and killing six . |
197,736 | 8bf1059d092e35c3b4e9fb8b2efd0729765d269f | Craving McDonald's and willing to spend $141.33? A McEverything it is, along with a Diet Coke to wash it all down. Nick Chipman, 32, purchased one of every breakfast and lunch sandwich at a McDonald's in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, to make a "McEverything." "Obviously, everything at McDonalds starts with a Mc," he said. The No. 1 thing on the 32-year-old's bucket list was to make this monstrous sandwich. "I have kind of a weird bucket list. Most people are like, 'Hey, I want to go skydiving.' Mine was like, 'Hey, I want to make a McEverything.' " Chipman's large order shocked McDonald's workers. "They were like, are you seriously going to eat all this?" he said. But his family wasn't surprised. "They are kind of used to my ridiculous food creations by now," he added. To keep the gigantic McEverything together, Chipman used "lots and lots of bamboo skewers." Then, he disassembled it and filled up his fridge with enough sandwiches for about another three days. When asked about Morgan Spurlock's film "Super Size Me," which shows a man following a McDonald's diet for a month, he said, "That documentary had an adverse effect on me. It doesn't affect me the way that everyone else I know got affected by it." Instead, he craved McDonald's. Of his idea, he said, "People either think it's hilarious or hate it." He added, "It is the same as going to the grocery store and buying food for seven days." Thankfully, Chipman doesn't have to worry too much about a gym membership after finishing the McEverything. "The owner of the place where my wife works pays for (employees') gym memberships, and he pays for mine, too. He just assumed, 'Hey, you need to go to the gym.' " What else is on his bucket list? About 50 other food items. "I think my next plan is to make some custom giant tortilla. Get one of everything at Taco Bell and make a giant burrito; wrap everything up in a tortilla." | Nick Chipman's bucket list included a bucketful of sandwiches wrapped into one .
He ordered each breakfast, lunch sandwich at a McDonald's in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin .
To keep the McEverything together, he used "lots and lots of bamboo skewers"
He's not done: "I think my next plan is to make some custom giant tortilla" at Taco Bell . |
86,039 | f41196edd6ac6cbc5aacc9f22f379ff325739502 | (CNN) -- I love Schrodinger's cat. There are many versions of this famous paradox but here's my favorite ... You put a cat in a bunker with some unstable gunpowder that has a 50 percent chance of exploding in the next minute and a 50 percent chance of doing nothing. Until we look in the bunker, we don't know if the cat is dead or alive, but when we do look, sure enough, it is dead or alive. If we repeat the experiment with enough cats and gunpowder, then half the time the cat will live and half the time it will die. But, before we look, the cat is dead and alive; it is only the act of looking that forces nature's decision. For the cat's part, it will either see the gunpowder explode or not. So, the gunpowder explodes and the cat sees it explode or the gunpowder doesn't explode and the cat doesn't see it explode. The cat's reality becomes entangled with the outcome of the experiment and it is only our observation of the cat that forces nature to collapse into one reality. Thank God -- or physics -- that football isn't as complicated. At least, it never used to be. The globalization of our game means that domestic football in this country is now represented by players from all over the world who bring with them different faiths and cultural traits that entangle with our own. Occasionally, some of these different cultures smash together with all manner of pundits, journalists and fans eager to give their interpretation of the results. If I were to ask members of our youth team on Monday morning whether anybody from the Football Association or the Premier League has ever spoken to them about racism, I will bet everything I hold dear to me that every single one of them will say "no". So one of two things happen: either players try too hard not to say something that could be construed as racist -- and do. Or nobody says anything. And that is particularly scary. The problem is there is a lack of real education on the issue. Throwing t-shirts at players to wear before matches is not education. Don't get me wrong. We all know what racism looks like in its crudest form, such as the disgraceful monkey gestures we've seen in the Premier League from some fans already this season or the throwing of bananas on to the pitch as happened to the legendary Brazilian left back, Roberto Carlos, while playing in Russia. What is required is a little education to fill in the gray areas. Take Alan Hansen, a former Liverpool player who is now a pundit on Britain's highlights show "Match Of The Day", who in 2011 described black players as "colored". There but for the grace of God -- or physics -- goes me. Because when we were growing up in the early 1980s, my father was at pains to point out the correct term for a black person was "colored" and not as some of the other kids in the street used to say, "Darkie". We were told to call the man that lived on the end of our row "Indian", even though I am convinced that nobody had a clue where he was from. You certainly never used the "P" word, even though at the time the word could be heard frequently on some of the nation's most popular television shows. But, of course, nobody is going to tap you on the shoulder 10 or 20 years later with an update and, as we know, so much of what a person learns in childhood will shape their adult life. But that doesn't make it acceptable to plead generational or cultural ignorance. It took an FA-led commission, the report of which ran to 115 pages, to determine whether or not Luis Suarez, the Liverpool striker, had racially abused Patrice Evra, the Manchester United defender, in 2011. The commission had to consider that in Suarez's native Uruguay, the word "negro" is a widely used term that black people use to greet one another. But, after all, Suarez is mixed race and playing his football in England. Suarez was eventually banned for eight games and fined $63,000 due to a lack of video evidence. Keep in mind that John Terry, the former England captain, was banned for four games, despite all the video evidence that was presented during his hearing on whether he had racially abused Anton Ferdinand, the Queens Park Rangers defender. Perhaps the most lenient punishment of all came last month when UEFA, football's European governing body, imposed what "Kick It Out" chairman, Lord Ouseley, described as a "paltry" $95,000 fine on the Serbian FA after England's black players were racially abused during an Under-21 match in Krusevac. The Professional Footballers' Association, a body which presents the interests of players in England and Wales, can occasionally be heard in the middle distance calling for tougher punishments. But its chief executive, Gordon Taylor, would do well to get in front of the players who he represents instead of the TV cameras he seems to prefer. In the absence of any leaders educating the next generation, we continue to see unsavory episodes. We are arriving very quickly towards a state of extreme paranoia, where everybody is a racist until it's proven that they're not. Take the absolute farce at Stamford Bridge last year when Chelsea complained referee Mark Clattenburg had called midfielder John Obi Mikel a "monkey". When I phoned my friend at Chelsea, who was in the dressing room as things were kicking off, he told me that even the rest of the Chelsea players didn't believe Mikel and said as much to him. But Mikel's claim was backed up by his Brazilian teammate, Ramires, who, as my friend put it: "Hardly speaks any English." It is common knowledge that Clattenburg calls almost every player on the pitch by his nickname and, as my friend said: "We know in all likelihood that the ref has called him "Mikey" but what can we do?" Premier League rules state that clubs have to make their complaint after the game, when tensions are obviously running high and people are emotional. Again, as my friend said: "We didn't want to complain but we had to." Fair enough, but the fact the story made its way into the public domain almost before the players had left the stadium could have cost Clattenburg his career if the story hadn't been so unbelievable. Fortunately, Clattenburg was later absolved. You don't need me to tell you that a football changing room is a unique place to work in. We bend more rules than the Catholic church and each player will be pushed as close to their tolerance threshold as possible in an attempt to find the boundaries of acceptable mockery. There are examples of this behavior every single day. During the running sessions in which the fitness coach will tell you that "we're looking for winners", the person who crosses the line first will usually be abused based on a strong feature that they have. So a person with a big nose might hear a fellow professional shout: "He won it by a nose!" A few weeks ago, somebody shouted to a black player: "He won it by a lip!" And everybody laughed, including the player who the comment was directed at. But there are also players who have their own unique relationship with each other. I know a black player and a white player who go out of their way to deliver insult after insult about each other's race and personal appearance. They are strong characters and enjoy engaging each other on that level and treat their relationship, it seems to me, as a test of quick wit. It's worth pointing out that they do it only in front of the squad. It's been like that at every club I've played for. I remember a ball getting stuck in a tree at one club and a black French player saying to an African player "you climb this tree, you a bigger monkey than me" before the pair of them fell about laughing. Some comments you will hear at most football clubs. They seem to travel as players move around and become entangled in the clubs' genes. Tackling racism should never be considered the job of one person or organization. The task is too great and, if I may say, too diverse. Nobody seems to know what the right thing to say is anymore and it could be that point which prevents people stepping forward to speak out. Maybe quantum mechanics is easier after all. In Schrodinger's book, "What Is Life?" he talks about each individual's consciousness as being only a manifestation of a unitary consciousness that pervades the universe. His best-known work on wave mechanics known as "Schrodinger's Equation" goes some way to explaining the inter-connectivity of the universe at a quantum level. Think of Suarez and Evra as ocean waves or tornadoes. At first glance, they appear to be two separate bodies, but they're not. That is simply the way we chose to perceive them. Waves and tornadoes are simply water and wind stirred up in different directions. The truth is that nothing is separate and everything is related. The colors that we see exist only in our own consciousness. ** With special thanks to The Secret Footballer's good friend Mr T, working at CERN. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of The Secret Footballer. | The Secret Footballer says there is a lack of education regarding racism in football .
The EPL has seen racism incidents involving high-profile players in the last 18 months .
TSF says fighting racism is not the job of one person or organization .
A match in the Netherlands was temporarily halted after U.S. striker Jozy Altidore abused . |
8,417 | 17c1e869a1d7592937e8c2ef9d7a5bd76e0f2ad5 | On July 13, Andre Schurrle lifted the World Cup. After coming off the bench in the 31st minute, the winger played a crucial part in Germany eventually triumphing over Argentina – setting Mario Gotze up with a pinpoint cross to turn home the extra-time winner. It was a fitting end to his tournament, which cast him as Joachim Low’s secret weapon. He netted the crucial extra-time opener against Algeria in the second round before rubbing salt in Brazil’s semi-final wound by scoring the final two in Germany’s famous 7-1 win. When he returned to show off his new medal to his Chelsea team-mates, fans could be forgiven for thinking they were about to be treated to settled-in Schurrle adding lightning pace and finishing to the Blues attack. Andre Schurrle (centre) battles for the ball with Shrewsbury Town's Mickey Demetriou (left) Schurrle falls to the ground after being challenged by Connor Goldson during Tuesday night's match . Didier Drogba (second left) celebrates Chelsea's winner at Shrewsbury with Schurrle . What they’ve got instead is Jose Mourinho slamming him after a poor display at League Two Shrewsbury. Schurrle was continually wasteful both in possession and with his frequent long-range shots, with the Chelsea manager admitting his disappointment. It’s not the first time this season. Handed chances to impress against Bolton in the Capital One Cup and Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, Schurrle turned in similarly frustrating displays. Too often he was trying to make the impossible happen rather than using his undoubted quality to influence the game. Instead of Chelsea’s attacking play going through him, he scuppered many of the Blues' moves forward. The contrast to Willian’s tireless teamwork and ability to play in his fellow attackers makes it easy to see why the Brazilian is preferred in big games. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho issues instructions during the match against Manchester United on Sunday . Schurrle lifts the World Cup trophy after Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 final in Brazil in July . Schurrle (right) controls the ball during the World Cup final as he is chased by Argentina's Martin Demichelis . Schurrle has his shades on as he is pictured with the World Cup at the parade through Berlin in July . In the days following the game in Lisbon, Mourinho commented on Schurrle: 'Sometimes phenomenal, sometimes he is so-so. When he is phenomenal, he is phenomenal.' Mourinho isn’t a fan of inconsistency, and his frustration after the Shrewsbury outing will have been at the German’s inability to react to comments like that – no doubt relayed in far more detail behind closed doors. This season has also seen the ‘phenomenal’ Schurrle – the World Cup Schurrle – in fits and starts. He looked to have come on to hand Chelsea a vital three points at Manchester City before Frank Lampard famously returned to haunt his old club. He is currently playing himself into being an impact player – a roll of the dice for 20 minutes when things aren’t going right. Schurrle celebrates after scoring against Manchester City in the Premier League clash last month . Schurrle celebrates towards the Chelsea fans at the Etihad Stadium after scoring against City . Many a player has made a career out of being a supersub, but it can’t have been the Chelsea niche the 23-year-old had in mind when arriving at the club in the summer of 2013. Unless Schurrle adjusts his mentality when called upon to be a crucial part of the Blues’ attack, the manager will lose patience altogether. Last season saw Mourinho cast off a fans’ favourite in Juan Mata because of a perceived inability to follow direction. Schurrle must shape up if he doesn’t want to go the same way. | Andre Schurrle won the World Cup with Germany at Brazil 2014 .
Jose Mourinho criticised Schurrle for his poor display at Shrewsbury .
The Chelsea midfielder must shape up after turning in frustrating displays . |
19,382 | 36f4bc81b1c79aa8df2d90ff53bc676c7c38b6f1 | Hackers penetrated the Kremlin government's security system today breaking into premier Dmitry Medvedev's Twitter account to announce he was quitting. The incident sparked a rush of web humour directed by Russians against rulers seen by many as authoritarian but who are rarely criticised in the mainstream media. 'I'm resigning,' read Medvedev's Twitter feed. Hackers penetrated the Kremlin government's security system today breaking into premier Dmitry Medvedev's Twitter account to announce he was quitting . 'I'm resigning,' read Medvedev's microblog. 'Ashamed of the actions of the government. Excuse me' 'Ashamed of the actions of the government. Excuse me.' The ex-president's press service rushed out a statement that the announcement was a fake. 'The Tweet on his resignation is false. We're working on the problem.' President Vladimir Putin's press secretary had initially seemed less sure. 'I don't have any information, but I'm pretty sure that this was a hacker,' he said. The embarrassing security lapse came as Medvedev is due today to join Putin in Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in March. The embarrassing security lapse came as Dmitry Medvedev is due today to join Putin in Crimea, annexed from Ukraine in March . The stream of fake Tweets attacked a speech by Putin in Yalta as well as Kremlin policies in general as the country is hit by Western sanctions over Ukraine. 'Do you think that in Yalta today will say something important? I doubt. Now sitting here and thinking - what the **** for?' 'Crimea isn't ours. Please retweet,' said one. Another said: 'We can return to the '80s. It is sad. If this the goal of my colleagues in the Kremlin, it is achieved.' Russian citizens 'should not suffer because of problems in the perception of common sense among the top leadership of the country', the tweets continued. Another using the name by which Putin would have been known as a child said: 'I wanted to say for a long time. Vova - you are not right!' Yet another criticised a regulation Medvedev signed into force which will require users to register, including providing their passport information, to use public Wi-Fi sites. 'Despite our initiative certain network hooligans don't give a damn about network access by passport.' His account was in the control of hackers for almost an hour before a flood of fake Tweets was halted and the offending comments deleted. The Tweets mirrored the language of a blast from minister Sergei Belyakov recently fired over his comments about the Kremlin's pension policies. But in a series of ripostes web users highlighted the rumoured strained relations between Putin and his premier, and indulged in mockery of their leaders. 'Dmitry Medvedev's twitter was hacked by Vladimir Putin. They just pull each other's leg like that,' said Spisok Debilov. President Vladimir Putin's (pictured) press secretary had initially seemed less sure. 'I don't have any information, but I'm pretty sure that this was a hacker,' he said . Miroslav Zheltikov wrote: 'Actually hacking Medvedev's twitter account is a test. Everyone, who re-Tweeted will be executed in a couple of hours.' Rtz said: 'Medvedev's twitter wasn't hacked. Dima just forgot to take his pills in the morning. Everyone in charge of it was fired already.' Zone1508 posted: 'In the rest of the world when politicians' accounts are hacked some nonsense starts to appear - only in Russia the truth that everyone was waiting for.' Medvedev's surname derives from the Russian word 'bear' and Anton Pokhilyak joked: 'The circus with the bear is over. That's all folks.' Corcoran wrote: 'The Russian prime minister probably can't believe it. He's finally going viral on twitter.' Nikolay Polozov: 'Medvedev was hacked. OK, now twitter will be forbidden for sure.' Local resident Alexander Avdyukhin inspects the damage in his destroyed house after shelling in Donetsk . A convoy of white trucks with humanitarian aid is seen about 28 kilometres from the the Ukrainian border . | 'Ashamed of the actions of the government. Excuse me,' read spoof tweet .
Putin's press secretary initially seemed less sure if it was hacker . |
236,144 | bdb026efb865ccd2d29742c883cecf5da649a153 | By . Rebecca English . He may just be nine months old, but Prince George presented his hosts Down Under with something of a conundrum – what do you get the boy who has everything? Well if his first haul of gifts is anything to go by, then a customised skateboard and a possum fur cloak ought to do the trick. The third in line to the throne has been showered with gifts from officials and adoring members of the public in both Australia and New Zealand. One of many: The baby Prince holds a toy Bilby given to him while visiting Taronga Zoo earlier this week. It, along with hundreds of others, will be lovingly shipped back to the UK . They range from his own amphibious vehicle to a full-sized surf board, and his parents have been particularly delighted by his mountain of cuddly toys. The Duke of Cambridge revealed in a speech that his son’s favourite gift was a life-sized wombat given to him by the Australian Governor-General – which George has taken to ‘chewing lovingly’. That very same wombat was seen being carefully loaded on to the family’s plane at Sydney Airport yesterday, as George’s inaugural royal tour drew to a close. Bags of presents – several hundred in all – were also stuffed in the overhead luggage compartment of the Qantas jet. But aides have been forced to arrange for some of the larger items to be shipped back home to Kensington Palace. Strict regulations concerning gifts were brought in a decade ago after it emerged that Prince Charles had pocketed £23,000 from selling valuables he had received from wealthy benefactors. Members of the Royal Family are now barred from selling or exchanging their gifts. Each one must be consumed by the royal, displayed in a royal residence or stored for future use – although low-value items can be given to charity or even destroyed. Now George has begun a collection all of his own, which will be published in the list of official gifts next year. | Nine-month-old prince has been given hundreds of toys on Royal tour of New Zealand and Australia .
They include a flying helmet, a mini BMZ, a cricketing babygro and bat, a cuddly wombat and a full-sized surf board .
All of the toys and gifts will be shipped or flown back to Kensington Palace in accordance with rules on Royal gifts . |
201,162 | 907034a4036234a7c05da23f1eb54900a9f2ea3d | (CNN) -- World No. 1 Roger Federer got his European clay season up and running at the second attempt with a routine win in his opening match at the Estoril Open in Portugal on Wednesday. The Swiss superstar was upset by young Latvian Ernests Gulbis in Rome last month, but had no such problems against German journeyman Bjorn Phau as he triumphed 6-3 6-4 in the third-tier ATP Tour event. The 28-year-old, returning to the tournament that he won on his debut there in 2008, will next play another seeded player in Friday's quarterfinals when he takes on French veteran Arnaud Clement. "I'm happy that I came through the first round, it was nice to win," Federer told reporters. "Today was a matter of coming through tough situations. I played well when I was down 0-40 and serving for the first set. "This win was not always beautiful but it doesn't matter. I'm sure my best tennis is not far away. I have a bit of a breather now and I'm looking forward to Friday." Federer has now been top of the world rankings for 281 weeks, and if he can stay there for another five he will match the all-time mark of American Pete Sampras. But he has been surpassed by Rafael Nadal on the list of all-time Masters Series titles after the Spaniard won in Rome to match record-holder Andre Agassi on 17. Nadal is poised to be Federer's biggest obstacle in his bid to retain his French Open title later this month, having ended an injury-wrecked past 12 months by winning his first two events of this season on clay. Federer's route to a second success in Estoril has been made easier by the withdrawal of Croatian second seed Ivan Ljubicic, who has pulled out due to the stomach strain that ended the world No. 14's campaign in Rome. Defending champion Albert Montanes moved into the last eight with a 6-1 6-2 victory against fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver. The fourth seed will next play Uruguayan eight seed Pablo Cuevas, who overcame Spanish qualifier Marcel Granollers 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-2). Meanwhile, top seed Marin Cilic won his opening match at the BMW Open in Munich, moving into the second round as he completed a rain-delayed 6-4 6-2 victory over Michael Berrer on Wednesday. The Croatian will next play another German, Simon Greul, whose fourth-seeded compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber also progressed into round two by beating Daniel Brands 6-4 6-4. Russian second seed Mikhail Youzhny defeated German Andreas Beck 6-3 6-3 to reach the third round, where he faces Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic. Third seed Tomas Berdych moved into the third round, with the Czech defeating Spain's Pere Riba 7-5 6-1. | Roger Federer beats Germany's Bjorn Phau 6-3 6-4 in opening match at Portugal's Estoril Open .
World No. 1 bounces back after losing first clay match of 2010 in Rome .
Swiss star will next play French veteran Arnaud Clement in Friday's quarterfinals .
Top seed Marin Cilic wins rain-delayed opening match of BMW Open in Munich . |
274,041 | eef4331197c0966c6287e615630381ad28561c7c | Richie Williams, 64 (pictured), the landlord of the Fur and Feathers in West Derby, Liverpool, died after receiving a fatal punch from Matthew Connah . A landlord was battered to death in a street brawl after a punter insulted him over the quality of his beer, a court heard. Richie Williams, 64, who was the landlord of the Fur and Feathers in West Derby, Liverpool, died after receiving a fatal punch from customer Matthew Connah. The grandfather-of-ten was found unconscious with serious injuries following the attack in the early hours of August 11 and was taken to Aintree University Hospital, where he died a short time later. Connah, 38, today admitted a charge of manslaughter at Liverpool Crown Court after prosecutors dropped a murder charge against him, saying there was 'no realistic prospect of conviction'. John Benson, QC, prosecuting, told the court that the brawl happened a short time after Mr Williams and Connah had shared a drink in his social club. Connah and his friend David Needham had left the club as Mr Williams locked up, but were eventually caught up by the landlord and his friend, Peter Nolan. Mr Benson said: 'Unhappily, the prosecution say, the defendant made some disparaging remarks about the quality of the beer in the premises. 'Mr Williams took umbrage and went over to remonstrate. We can't be entirely clear as to what happened when Mr Williams went over to the defendant but it resulted in the deceased striking the defendant with a blow to the face.' Mr Williams and Mr Nolan walked away but were followed by an 'irate' Connah, who threw a bottle at Mr Williams which missed and smashed on the ground nearby. Mr Benson said: 'He [Connah] was not going to let the matter lie. He equipped himself with what appears to be a chair leg and then approached Mr Williams and Mr Nolan with the chair leg. He was menacing with it and shouting at them. 'He was persisting with his question "why did you do that?". Questions which were shouted and overheard by people occupying various properties. 'The defendant approached with the chair leg. Mr Nolan told him to put it down and Mr Williams said "come on, one-to-one", and a crucial feature of this case is that the defendant did put the chair leg down. 'Then both men, the defendant and the deceased, met in the middle of the road and traded blows. 'The deceased struck a blow to the defendant and the defendant went to the floor. The defendant got up and struck a blow which put the deceased on the floor. 'Mr Williams wilted. He was an older man than the defendant. The defendant is a stronger, taller man. The altercation occurred outside the Fur and Feathers Bar in Liverpool (pictured) on August 11. Connah, 38, today admitted a charge of manslaughter at Liverpool Crown Court and will be sentenced on February 18 . 'At the end of that altercation there was a flurry of very heavy blows delivered by the defendant.' Mr Williams collapsed on the floor as Connah left the scene, telling him 'don't come around to my house in the morning.' Mr Benson said that was an indication that Connah did not know he had delivered a fatal blow. 'In the circumstances the prosecution has taken a view that it would be appropriate in all the circumstances to accept the defendant's plea of guilty to manslaughter,' he said. He told Mr Justice Edis that Mr Williams' grieving family were 'entirely understanding' of the decision not to proceed with the murder charge. Connah, of Liverpool, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on February 18. | Landlord Richie Williams, 64, died from fatal punch following altercation .
Grandfather-of-ten involved in fight with punter who 'moaned about beer'
Matthew Connah landed fatal punch to Mr Williams in attack on August 11 .
He has now admitted a charge of manslaughter at Liverpool Crown Court . |
44,289 | 7ce1410e0bf55bc128f8fc7ac0def8416ea05b53 | The Queen got a bird's eye view of Buckingham Palace today as she scaled the Shard . as part of a visit to a scheme helping to pay for some of the city's . poorest students go to university. Standing at 310m high (1,016 ft), . as Western Europe's tallest building, both the Queen and Duke of . Edinburgh were treated to spectacular views of London's skyline - although Her Majesty seemed to veer away from the floor-to-ceiling windows as she met staff and some recipients of the Southwark Scholarship Scheme. Phillip and the Queen visited levels 69 and 72 of the . landmark building in London Bridge for a personal tour as they took in the view. Scroll down for video . The Queen got a bird's eye view of London today as she scaled the Shard as part of a visit to a scheme helping to pay for some of the city's poorest students go to university . Mark Layden, 24, a member of The Shard's apprenticeship scheme, showed the monarch how to use a digital telescope, and helped her make out Buckingham Palace . Her Majesty appeared to choose to stay away from the floor-to-ceiling windows as she met staff and some recipients of the Southwark Scholarship Scheme . The Queen dazzled onlookers in a bright purple wool coat finished . with a black trim and gold buttons. A matching floral-trimmed hat and . her favourite Launer handbag completed the look as she peered through an . interactive telescope on the landmark's 69th floor, before braving the . cold weather on the 800ft (244m) high open-air viewing gallery of the . building at London Bridge. She . remarked that St Paul's Cathedral looked 'quite small' as she walked . around the 360 degree gallery, known as The View. 'It's interesting, the . different views and how people can see their houses,' she said. The . Queen was introduced to Mark Layden, 24, a member of The Shard's . apprenticeship scheme, who showed the monarch how to use a digital . telescope, which can identify landmarks across the capital and allows . users to zoom in. Speaking . after the royal visit, Mr Layden said: 'I was stood by the telescope . and she asked, "are you going to show me Buckingham Palace?" 'She liked how much you can zoom in. She seemed quite interested in a plane flying past on its way to City airport as well.' Standing at 310m high (1,016 ft), as Western Europe's tallest building, both the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were treated to spectacular views of London's skyline . The project removes the financial burden of going to university for high achievers who would otherwise have struggled to be able to afford it . The scholarships are part of the council's multimillion- pound Youth Fund, investing in education and employment opportunities for young people in Southwark . The Queen remarked that St Paul's Cathedral looked 'quite small' as she walked around the 360 degree gallery, known as The View . The Queen unveiled a plaque after meeting young people from the local area on the viewing platform . Despite . the grey skies above, the Queen and Duke stepped out on to the outdoor . viewing platform on level 72, where they met staff and young people . involved the Southwark Scholarship Scheme. The . project removes the financial burden of going to university for high . achievers who would otherwise have struggled to be able to afford it. The . scholarships are part of the local council's multi-million pound Youth . Fund, investing in education and employment opportunities for young . people in Southwark. After unveiling a commemorative . plaque and taking a guided tour of the record-breaking Shard the Queen . visited Southwark Cathedral, where they were greeted by cheers from more than 200 local schoolchildren waving Union flags. As they entered the historic building, choir singers sung the National Anthem before performing a rendition of the Vast Ocean of Light, which was written for the Diamond Jubilee. The Queen giggled as she was introduced to the cathedral's cat, named Doorkins, who lay asleep on a chair inside the main hall. 'It goes for lunch in the market and then sleeps it off in the chair," Andrew Nunn, the Dean of Southwark, said. The Queen and Duke observe the surroundings at Southwark Cathedral today . Queen Elizabeth II at Southwark Cathedral today as part of a visit to a scheme for the city's poorest students . The Queen was shown a stain-glassed . window which features an image of her face after it was repaired . following damage in the Second World War. 'I didn't know anything about it,' she said. 'It's very unlikely.' The . royal couple met members of the guild of broderers of the cathedral who . are making a new set of jubilee copes to be worn by the four bishops of . the diocese. 'It does take an age doesn't it,' the Queen said as she was introduced to the broderers. During . her visit, the Queen was shown a new stained glass window created by . Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjord to mark the Diamond Jubilee. The lowest part of . the design of the window bears the text Vivat Regina! Defender Of The . Faith, Diamond Jubilee 2012 and the heraldic symbol of the Glaziers . Company. After unveiling a commemorative plaque the Queen visited Southwark Cathedral to look at a new stained glass window which was created by Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjord to mark the Diamond Jubilee . The Queen dazzled onlookers in a bright purple wool coat finished with a black trim and gold buttons . The Duke arrived at Southwark cathedral sporting various dressings on his hand and ear . Prince Philip seemed to be in very good spirits as he was greeted by onlookers . The design was commissioned after a competition by the Worshipful Company of Glassmakers and Painters of Glass. The royal couple will meet the Deanery and Chapter of the Cathedral and representatives of the Icelandic Community. They also met members of the Guild of Broderers of the Cathedral who are making a new set of 'Jubilee Copes' to be worn by the four bishops of the diocese. As the royal couple left the cathedral, the Duke turned to a group of schoolchildren and asked: 'Anyone got frostbite yet?' The Shard pictured at dusk, towering above London . | Tower is 1016ft high, with 11,000 glass panels covering the area of eight football pitches .
There are 44 lifts, including double-decker lifts and 306 flights of stairs .
The viewing platform is 800ft above London .
The Queen and Phillip were visiting a Southwark Scholarship Scheme . |
277,702 | f3bc7b2bbb97274473e5ccd53129dba56ed403db | (CNN) -- A federal judge ordered the Obama administration Friday to stop temporarily the forced feeding of a detainee at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and provide videotapes of past such feedings. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler ordered the administration to preserve and turn over the videotapes of the forced feeding of detainee Mohammed Abu Wa'el Dhiab between April 9, 2013, and February 19, 2014, according to court documents. The judge also ordered the federal government to preserve all videotapes of forcible cell extractions of Dhiab. Dhiab, 42, a Syrian, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 and has been detained in Guantanamo for more than 10 years, according to the London-based human rights group Reprieve. The group says it has been acting on behalf of Dhiab and his effort to secure 140 to 150 videos. Reprieve describes a forcible cell extraction as the Guantanamo base's process in which detainees who do not wish to be force-fed are restrained, sometimes "violently," and taken to a force-feeding chair. The forced feedings are the U.S. government's response to hunger strikes by detainees. Dhiab, in court filings,seeks an injunction against "abusive" and painful force-feedings. U.S. Justice Department attorneys argued in court papers that although Dhiab was subject to forced feedings between March 2013 and February 2014, "the medical records during that time period are not material to his current motion for preliminary injunction, which seeks prospective injunctive relief to stop (forced) feeding going forward." Dhiab also hasn't shown which forcible cell extractions were "unlawful," the government's attorneys said in court papers filed Thursday. "His motion is completely devoid of any details regarding specific instances of mistreatment. Rather, he has only raised vague and speculative allegations of FCE abuse based almost entirely on statements of other detainees that provide no information about (Dhiab) whatsoever," the Justice Department attorneys said. Guantanamo, in southeastern Cuba, has been used by U.S. government for detainees suspected of terrorism since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Dhiab was cleared for release by the Obama administration in 2009 and has never been charged, Reprieve's website said. Dhiab is in poor health with depression and uses a wheelchair, the rights group said. His return to Syria is now "impossible" because of that country's ongoing civil war, the group said. "He urgently needs a country to step forward and offer him resettlement so that he can begin his life with his family again, in safety and in peace," Reprieve said. The judge scheduled a May 21 status conference on the videotapes and forced feedings. | Judge orders Obama administration to stop temporarily a detainee's forced feeding .
Mohammed Abu Wa'el Dhiab, 42, a Syrian, has been detained since 2002 arrest .
The Guantanamo base is also ordered to turn over videotaped forced feedings .
Dhiab was cleared for release in 2009, but he needs a country to take him, group says . |
111,784 | 1c29b31ee703e5edf43ba6b41f965732a54ed2a2 | England international goalkeeper Jack Butland has joined Derby County on loan. The 21-year-old Stoke keeper is eager to gain more game time and will link up with former England boss Steve McClaren on Monday. Derby moved for Butland after regular No 1 Lee Grant suffered a fractured foot. England international Jack Butland is set to join Championship side Derby County on loan . Butland has found first team chances difficult to come by at the Britannia Stadium, with the continued excellence of Asmir Begovic between the sticks. He is set to make his debut for Derby in their Sky Bet Championship fixture against Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on Tuesday night. 'We're extremely pleased to welcome Jack Butland to Derby County and I would like to extend our thanks to Stoke City for agreeing to let him join us on loan,' McClaren told his club's official website, dcfc.co.uk. 'Jack is a promising young goalkeeper and after Lee Grant picked up an injury on Saturday, as a management team, we quickly set about identifying someone to come into the group. 'We know a lot about Jack and he is someone who Eric Steele (Derby's goalkeeping coach) rates very highly.' Meanwhile, his Stoke team-mate Andy Wilkinson is moving to Millwall on a 93-day loan. Wilkinson was also wanted by Fulham and Birmingham while both loan deals contain a recall option after the first month. Stoke's Andy Wilkinson (pictured tackling Fernando Torres in April) is moving to Millwall on a 93-day loan . Butland is off to the Rams on loan as Lee Grant (pictured making a save against Reading) is injured . | England Under 21 goalkeeper wants to gain more game time .
Derby County are tipped for promotion from the Championship .
Mark Hughes has a 31-day recall option on Butland .
Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson is off to Millwall on a 93-day loan . |
26,227 | 4a5385dc6793268750f2e81ee4a226e97516b65f | Kind-hearted Ann Maguire took in and brought up her two young nephews when their mother died of cancer while only in her 30s. The murdered teacher stepped in to care for brothers Daniel and Andrew Poole after her sister Eileen Poole's death in 1986. She became a 'mother figure' to the boys, according to one family member, raising them along with her own two daughters in her semi-detached home in Leeds. Scroll down for video . Caring: Mrs Maguire was described as a 'wonderful' teacher, who had touched the hearts of three generations of pupils . Daniel was eight and Andrew was just . six when their mother, who was also a teacher, died in . Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, aged 35. Mrs . Maguire was described by a family friend as 'an angel' for the way she . looked after her nephews on top of all the other commitments in her . life. The friend, who lives . near the modest terraced house in Wigan where Mrs Maguire grew up, paid . tribute to her as an 'amazing woman' from a 'talented family'. She said: 'Ann was a truly lovely woman - the kind of person who you never forget even if you only meet her once. 'The whole family - all of Ann's sisters and her brother - were a really great family. They all did very well at school. 'Her sister passed away in very sad circumstances several years ago and Ann came in and took on her two boys. Poignant: This floral tribute left at the school gates described Mrs Maguire as 'simply the best' 'It . was a very difficult time for the family but Ann stepped in and she . brought them up with her two young girls - and she was a teacher as . well. She was an angel.' Trevor . Glossop, 68, whose daughter Beverley, 45, was previously married to . Daniel Poole, now 36, said Mrs Maguire was a 'mother figure' for his . former son-in-law. He added: . 'She was a lovely woman - kind-hearted and she would do anything for . anybody. Everything she tried to do, she did with the best intentions.' Her former brother-in-law Mike Thomas told The Sun: 'Ann took on the two sons and brought them to live with her. She brought them up till they were about 18. 'She had two daughters so her family doubled overnight. It must have been hard work for her with four kids, but she didn't bat an eyelid.' The . family friend, who did not want to be named, said Mrs Maguire and her . siblings were devoted Catholics who all did well in school and were . well-liked in the community. 'When . I read the news I didn't realise at first it was her because I didn't . recognise her married name, but I was shocked and disgusted simply by . what had happened,' she said. 'When . I found out it was Ann Connor (her maiden name) I was devastated.' Another neighbour said: 'The family were very close, Ann was a lovely . lady, a really wonderful person, and she would come down to visit James . (Connor, her younger brother, who still lives in the family home) from . time to time. 'I hadn't seen her for a few years but when I saw the picture of her in the paper it made my heart wrench.' Mr . Connor, 59, could not be reached yesterday (Tue) and neighbours, who . described him as 'very quiet' and reclusive, said they were worried . about how he would be affected by his sister's death. Mrs Maguire's youngest sister Denise Courtney, 48, was too upset to speak at her home in Warrington. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Ann Maguire raised them along with her own daughters in Leeds .
The boys' mother, who was also a teacher, died in Somerset, aged 35 .
Mrs .
Maguire was described by a family friend as 'an angel' |
125,465 | 2e359aa31642b1ddbc1cb11f2bb1956027e795ab | By . Deni Kirkova . Chunky men everywhere will be delighted to hear that British women have redefined the classic 'hunk', with recent research revealing they prefer their men 'real' - with a little more wobble than muscle. Now Amanda Holden is heading up a campaign to find the UK's tastiest real-life hunk - and, if the research is to be believed, they might not be your stereotypical Adonis. The study reveals that one in five UK women actively lust after cuddly men with a little extra padding around the middle. In fact, contrary to popular belief, just 10 per cent of women like their men broad and muscular. Clean shaven and muscly isn't most British women's cup of tea - one in five likes extra padding . As well as cuddly love handles, more than third of women (33 per cent) prefer men with hairy chests. And less than 10 per cent of British women like the clean-shaven look. Four in ten devoted ladies said their own man possesses the ideal body. Yoghurt brand Oykos worked with psychologists to measure the fluttering heart rates and clammy palms of women when shown a variety of hunky male body types. Amanda Holden and Oykos will celebrate real-life hunks of all shapes and sizes by sculpting them . Dr Simon Moore, Chartered Psychologist says: 'Body types traditionally viewed as "ideal" rated more attractive for short-term relationships. But the research revealed that men with cuddly bodies rated most attractive to women seeking long-term relationships, due to their perceived 'humour, intelligence, honesty and kind-nature.' Having . searched the country high and low for special people on Britain's Got Talent, Amanda . Holden now partners with Oykos to judge the real-life hunk competition. It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it, eh Amanda? Slightly surreally, Oykos plan to immortalise winners as . dessert spoon sculptures. Amanda . Holden says: 'I'm used to looking for talent, but searching the nation . for hunks is a whole new ballgame! I need you, the women of the UK, to . nominate your man, whatever his shape or size! 'And I’ll turn his torso . into a tasty spoon, so you can dunk your hunk whenever you fancy!' Having searched the country for real British talent, Amanda now judges a different type of competition . An Oykos spokesperson said: 'It’s wonderful to see women across the UK are redefining ’hunk’ as real-life men at home, not just the celebrities and models we so often see in the media. 'It’s great that 40 per cent of women believe their man represents their ideal body type and we would like to encourage women to celebrate their hunks at home by nominating them to be immortalised as a delicious dessert spoon.' For more information about the campaign, or to enter your hunk, visit Oykos.co.uk/hunks or Facebook.com/OykosUK . New research reveals British women prefer their real men with a little more padding than muscle . | Four in ten UK women thinks their man has ideal shape .
Just one in ten like a clean-shaven look and a third love a hairy chest . |
71,986 | cc0f9f1c1d7853e5840d588b13a01cb6937d5277 | By . Jenny Hope . Tens of thousands of people are putting themselves at risk of stroke by dismissing early warning signs as a ‘funny turn’, experts say. Mini-strokes – also known as transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) – are often a precursor to a potentially fatal major stroke. Common symptoms such as arm weakness, slurred speech and blurred vision are often written off by sufferers as sciatica or a migraine. Patients often dismiss symptoms such as arm weakness, slurred speech and blurred vision as having a 'funny turn' (picture posed by models) However, one in 12 people who have a TIA will go on to suffer a full-blown stroke within a week. Every year, 46,000 people in Britain have a mini-stroke for the first time. If these were treated properly, around 10,000 strokes a year could be prevented and the NHS could save more than £200million, according to the Stroke Association’s report, Not Just A Funny Turn. Jon Barrick, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: ‘The greatest risk of having a major stroke is within the first few days after a mini-stroke. However, for many people it doesn’t feel like an emergency because the symptoms are brief. ‘Too many mini-stroke patients delay calling 999 when their symptoms start and instead book a GP appointment or visit their optician because of their visual symptoms.’ The charity’s report found that one in three people who had a mini-stroke in the past five years thought it was just a ‘funny turn’. Only one in five rang 999 and almost half said the symptoms did not feel like an emergency. But one in five then went on to have a stroke. What to watch for . The charity questioned 670 people for the report, which was supported by Legal & General. And a quarter of those surveyed said healthcare professionals had not recognised the symptoms as those of a TIA. More than a fifth said they were not given any information about lifestyle changes they needed to make to prevent a stroke. Strokes can affect even the seemingly fit and healthy, as father of four Simon Bird, 53, discovered. He had a TIA one evening in October 2011. He said: ‘I was clearing the dishes away after dinner with my wife, Tricia, when I felt a sudden numbness in my left arm and couldn’t get my words out. I had to sit down. But it was over within about 30 seconds.’ Mr Bird was taken to hospital, where a specialist confirmed he had had a mini-stroke. It was a huge shock, given his age and healthy lifestyle. ‘I had lost weight, my diet was good and I was in training for a 100km cycle ride,’ he said. The mini-stroke was caused by atrial fibrillation, a condition which affects heart rhythm and increases risk of blood clots, which in turn raises risk of stroke and TIA. Mr Bird was put on medication to manage the condition and prevent a stroke. ‘I dread to think what could have happened if I had ignored it and just put it down to a “funny turn”.’ | Better awareness of symptoms could prevent 10,000 stroke a year .
Increased surveillance could save the NHS £200 million a year .
Only one in five patients suffering a mini-stroke thought to call 999 . |
227,310 | b254b1eedfdb67d7d295cda3e7406dac599f0807 | (CNN) -- The third body recovered in Yosemite National Park near where three hikers were swept over a waterfall in July has been identified as missing 21-year-old Ramina Badal, park officials said Tuesday. The bodies of the other two hikers had previously been identified. In July, witnesses said the three -- two men and a woman -- climbed over the guardrail at the top of a trail and went into the gushing river that feeds the waterfall, known as Vernal Fall. They were quickly swept over. Park officials had said previously that a body found by a park ranger on November 29 was determined to be that of Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock, California. His body was found in the Merced River about half a mile below the base of the waterfall. Hidden dangers in Yosemite . Yacoub was with Hormiz David, 22, of Modesto, California, and Badal, of Manteca, California, when the three disappeared. David's body was recovered in August about 240 feet from the base of the waterfall. Badal's body was found Saturday in the same general location where Yacoub's body was discovered, park officials said. | Ramina Badal, 21, was one of three hikers swept over a waterfall in July .
Her body was found Saturday .
The bodies of the other hikers have also been identified . |
146,594 | 4994f646b083542a9268a7eea3cdb4f99d29e3c8 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:40 EST, 23 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:25 EST, 23 August 2013 . Rob Ford, the mayor of Toronto who was allegedly filmed smoking crack, 'beat' wrestling legend Hulk Hogan in an arm wrestling match Friday. The fight happened at 10am as part of Hogan's visit to the city for Fan Expo, Canada's version of Comic Con. Mayor Ford has been the subject of a recent scandal involving a video that depicted him smoking crack. Scroll down for video . Winner? Toronto mayor and rumored crack user Rob Ford, left, took on Hulk Hogan in an arm wrestling competition Friday and won . Crack scandal: A still from the video that was shopped around to news outlets in May, depicting the mayor smoking crack. The video has since disappeared . His supposed dealers tried shopping the tape to news outlets including Gawker and the Toronto Star, but neither could come up with the $200,000 requested. Eventually Gawker lost contact with the person selling the video and when they resurfaced the source said it was 'gone'. So the match-up with Hogan may have been an attempt on Ford's part to draw attention away from the video, and his even more recent scandal of being seen wandering around drunk at a food festival last weekend. Before the PR stint, Mayor Ford talked about not being quite ready to face to wrestler arm to arm. 'I don't know if I'm going to win the arm wrestle, but we'll see. I haven't lifted too many weights lately. We'll see what happens,' he told the Toronto Star. And Ford did seem to struggle at first, going bright red in the face and having to readjust his seat. Giving it his all: The competition got off to the bad start for Ford who looked like he was trying much harder than Hogan . Mayor Hogan: During the battle, Hogan threatened to both rip off Ford's arm and take his job . Comeback kid: Despite Hogan's smack talk, Ford still won . Celebration: Ford is certainly not a humble winner. He leaps to his feet while Hogan recovers from the loss . Champion: Hogan points to the unlikely champion as 'Eye of the Tiger' plays in the background . Hogan, in true WWF form, antagonized the mayor with some smack talk. 'Not only am I going to trip this arm off, I'm going to take your job,' he said. But Ford made a comeback and pushed Hogan's arm down and jumped up victoriously while 'Eye of the Tiger' started to play. | The arm-wrestling competition between Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and Hulk Hogan was held during the city's Fan Expo .
Mayor Ford was recently accused of being a crack-cocaine user when a group tried to sell a video of him smoking the substance .
Last weekend, he was filmed apparently drunk at a food festival . |
134,552 | 3a04e8fb9f6629083060ca2dae35209bab6df904 | Washington (CNN) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his U.S. visit Friday with a trip to Chicago, the hometown of his counterpart, U.S. President Barack Obama. He visited a Chinese-owned auto parts firm, a Chinese wind energy company and the Confucius Institute -- a Chinese language and cultural education center housed at Walter Payton College Preparatory High School. Hu wrapped up his three-day visit to the U.S. capital Thursday, telling an audience of American business leaders that Beijing is seeking closer ties and greater trust with the United States on a range of issues. He sought to assuage concerns about China's rising economic and military power, declaring that his country "will never seek hegemony or pursue an expansionist policy." The Chinese leader was unapologetic, however, about Beijing's position on the politically sensitive status of Tibet and Taiwan, calling it a matter of Chinese territorial integrity and a "core interest." We are building "a socialist country under the rule of law," he asserted. He said relations between Washington and Beijing need to be governed by a belief in "equality" and "mutual respect." Hu made his remarks at a luncheon hosted by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council and other organizations. Earlier Thursday, Hu traveled to Capitol Hill, where congressional leaders used the occasion to raise strong concerns about Beijing's commitment to human rights and economic issues such as the protection of intellectual property. He met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, among others. Neither man attended Wednesday night's White House state dinner in honor of the Chinese leader. Earlier in the week, Reid called Hu a "dictator," a word that was later recanted by both the senator and his spokesman. Boehner said that concerns about tensions on the Korean peninsula also were raised during Thursday's talks. We had "a good meeting," Boehner said. "I would hope that the dialogue on all of these subjects would continue." Disagreements over human rights -- including China's treatment of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo -- were "raised very strongly," according to Rep. Howard Berman of California, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "I would not indicate there was great engagement ... other than a general recognition by the president of China that they have a ways to go," Berman told reporters. On Wednesday, Hu met with Obama behind closed doors at the White House as top officials from both countries worked to address issues tied to the global economic crisis, international security, the environment and human rights. Obama administration officials used the president's meeting with Hu to highlight economic progress between the two countries, announcing Beijing's approval of $45 billion in new contracts for U.S. companies to export goods to China. The contracts will support an estimated 235,000 American jobs, according to the White House. The two leaders acknowledged continuing differences on human rights but pledged to keep working on the matter in a "frank and candid way," according to Obama. Human rights remains a touchy subject in China, as censors in the Asian nation made clear during Hu's visit by blacking out CNN's news broadcast each time the topic of human rights was mentioned. Even when Hu spoke about human rights, it was blacked out. Footage of anti-China protesters near the White House was similarly blacked out. Obama has nevertheless hailed Hu's visit as a chance to lay a foundation for the next 30 years of Sino-American relations. Hu declared the relationship between the two powers to be one of "strategic significance and global influence." During a news conference with reporters Wednesday, Obama said he had received a promise from Hu to establish a more "level playing field" for U.S. trade. China's currency, Obama said, remains undervalued -- a key factor in America's trade imbalance with Beijing. Hu conceded that key differences remain over economic policy, but he promised that Beijing would continue making attempts to resolve those differences. CNN's Alan Silverleib, Ben Rooney, Tom Cohen and Aaron Smith contributed to this report. | Chinese leader ends visit with a stop at a Chinese language and cultural center in Chicago .
Hu Jintao told business leaders China is not pursuing an expansionist policy .
Congressional leaders discussed human rights and economic issues with Hu .
The session followed Hu's meeting Wednesday with President Obama . |
66,370 | bc4c1091fd2c082bacc89156e134ef1145f545cf | (CNN) -- Known for his outspoken, unapologetic support of migrants in Mexico, the Rev. Alejandro Solalinde is bringing his message to the United States. The priest is part of a caravan of migrants and their supporters traveling from Los Angeles to Washington to push for immigration reform. In Mexico, Solalinde has criticized the government, and even the Catholic Church, saying that both can be more compassionate to migrants. His views are shaped by the years he has spent leading a migrant shelter in Oaxaca that offers support to Central Americans who embark on the dangerous route north by clinging to trains. A number of threats last year led to his leaving his post, located in Ixtepec, in the southern state of Oaxaca, but he has since returned. "I don't know how to live with fear," Solalinde told CNN. Immigration issues must be tackled both at the source and the destination of the migrants, he said. In the United States, Solalinde says he wants to include more voices in the debate. "Not just the voice of the north, but the voice of the south, the voice of the poor, the voice of the migrants." The 68-year-old, wearing a white button-down shirt, cream-colored vest, thin glasses and a cross necklace, admits that he believes his opinion will have little sway. With so much money and political interests at play, the voice of a Mexican priest is likely to get drowned out, he said. But Solalinde is undeterred. The caravan's participants are lobbying for a path to citizenship, a stop to the separation of families, and greater attention to the human cost of immigration policies. The priest says he is not advocating a certain policy, but wants to raise consciousness about the issue. An immigration bill currently pending in the Senate commits additional resources to southern border security and establishes a new system of metrics to measure border control effectiveness, but critics insist the plan is full of holes and will ultimately do little to help stem to the tide of illegal immigration. While claiming to strengthen the border, the legislation also would create a 13-year path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants while bringing dramatic change to labor policy on America's farms. U.S. tactics like a border wall and restrictive immigration policies do nothing other than drive up the price that smugglers charge to sneak people across the border, he said. At the migrant shelter in Oaxaca, Solalinde says he sees constant suffering, but also constant hope in the people who pass by. During his brief exile from the shelter, Solalinde spent a month in Europe followed by some weeks of reflection in Jalisco state before returning to Oaxaca. After doing much reading and writing during his time away, the priest said he returned with a deeper commitment for acting now, for helping migrants today, he said. "Each day god gives me the grace to be happy, he provides strength, but at the end of the day my heart hurts, it tires emotionally," he said. CNN's Alan Silverleib contributed to this report. | The Rev. Alejandro Solalinde is well known in Mexico for his migrant shelter .
He is now advocating for immigration reform in the United States .
Solalinde wants other voices to be heard in the debate .
He has continued to work in Mexico despite threats . |
220,277 | a9211ba289b01fcd376d72cf2a8b6f3c337caff4 | By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 11:50 EST, 15 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:02 EST, 15 September 2012 . A Missouri man who provided key testimony in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing trial walked into a downtown Kansas City federal building setting off a bomb scare that closed several blocks after he asked if he's on a government terrorist watch list. Officers closed off several blocks of traffic near the Richard Bolling Federal Building following the incident on Friday said to have been a misunderstanding that sent a bomb-sniffing dog and robot to search the man's car, originally unbeknownst to him. The more than four-hour search turned up nothing threatening, according to the FBI, except for a bit of upset from the man, an Egyptian-born American citizen, who claimed to have been their target. Scroll down for video . Wrong man: Wahed Moharam said he was investigated by FBI officers over a possible terrorist threat after questioning federal officers on why he's listed as a potential terrorist . 'I love this country more than any place on the face of this earth, I would give my life for this country,' Wahed Moharam told KCTV on Friday night. ‘I never went to the building and said I have a bomb. If I said I had a bomb I wouldn’t be talking to you now,’ he defended over initial accusing reports. Mr Moharam had relocated to the suburb of Grain Valley after providing crucial testimony in the World Trade Center attack in 1993. It consequently helped lock away two major terrorists, one, Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was called the most important man to call jihad against the U.S. by the late Osama bin Laden, according to The Kansas City Star. 'I should be honoured for what I did, not treated like this. It's very unfair,' he told the Associated Press. Law enforcement didn't identify the man themselves but Mr Moharam confirmed his car was the one searched during the incident. He said he wasn't in any trouble and was never detained. He said he was inquiring about being on the list after a recent traffic stop swarmed his car with officers, revealing his name as flagged. Reaction: Fearing a potential terrorist attack, a bomb squad closed down several blocks around the federal building, pictured left, while a robot inspected his car, right . 'The FBI treated me very well and they even took me home to make sure I am safe,' said Moharam. 'Whoever said, “I have a bomb and this,” is untrue. I never said, “I have a bomb” or anything whatsoever in that manner.' - Wahed Moharam on his possible listing on a terrorist watch list . FBI special agent Michael Kaste said . earlier on Friday that the large-scale response was based on the . 'initial limited information' police had from witnesses, adding: 'The . primary concern was for the public's safety, which made the actions . today necessary.' Mr Moharam said he had walked into the building and asked to speak to someone with Homeland Security to get more information following the traffic stop a day earlier. He said he'd been pulled over by a Jackson County sheriff's deputy, who told him his name had been flagged, and was later surrounded by five sheriff's vehicles but wasn't cited for anything. Mr Moharam said he was polite at the federal building, and that the individuals to whom he spoke were polite. Convicted: Mahmud Abouhalima, left, and blind cleric Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, right, were two men Mr Moharam's testimony helped convict in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing . He said an officer asked on Friday if . authorities could search his car, and he answered yes, gave them his . car’s key and offered to take them to the vehicle, but they declined. He . said he waited in the building with the officials, and that they bought . him a Starbucks coffee. Local news helicopters would later broadcast his parked vehicle being searched by a remote controlled robot and investigators in bomb squad gear. 'I had no clue what was going on outside. I gave them the key. I didn't mean to cause any problem,' said Moharam, who said he moved to the U.S. 35 years ago from Egypt. 'I have nothing to hide. I have no intention of doing any harm.' FBI officials are prohibited from discussing whether someone is on a national security watch list, but Kaste said the man walked into the building 'to clarify whether he was under investigation by a federal agency.' The source said no explosives were found on the man or in his car, but police did find a gun in the vehicle. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation. Businessman: Mr Moharam is seen centre left with some of his coworkers of his cleaning business whose cleaning products in his car first concerned federal agents during their search . Asked about the gun, Mr Moharam said it was a toy gun, 'like you buy for $10, like you see at Toys R Us.' He also said the search dogs may have . picked up the scent of his business’ cleaning supplies in his car, and . had told authorities the chemicals were there because he operates a . cleaning business in nearby Blue Springs. Neighbours of Mr Moharam defended him to KCTV saying he's a good man who uses his cleaning business to hire those recently out of a job. The searched car was parked near the Fletcher Daniels State Office building and the towering Bolling building, which houses numerous government agencies including the Social Security Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers. Donna Kerr, a benefits analyzer for SSA, said workers had 'absolutely no information from official sources, other than to stay away from the windows.' Workers were told to go home early. Mr Moharam insisted he wasn't trying to make trouble, saying he simply hopes to support his children and grandchildren. He wasn't told why his name had been flagged. 'I love this country. This is my country. Two-thirds of my life I've been here,' Mr Moharam said. Helmet Head: Mr Moharam is known by locals for his love of painting his face and head at Kansas City Chiefs football games though he had his tickets revoked while being in the witness protection programme . An expressed proud American, before Friday's incident Mr Moharam was already familiar to many Kansas City residents being the once-ardent fan dubbed 'Helmet Man' for the face paint and other gear he wore to Kansas City Chiefs football games. The Chiefs revoked his season tickets out of safety concerns in 2003 after the team learned he had been in the federal witness protection program for testifying while living in New Jersey for government prosecutors in the first World Trade Center bombing. At the time of his participation in the programme his name had been changed to another. The Chiefs confirmed his placement with federal authorities, and believing Moharam could still be a target because of the case, offered to rotate his tickets to different spots in the stadium and asked him to stop dressing in full 'Helmet Man' regalia. When he refused, they said, they had no choice but to revoke his tickets. Watch the video here: . KCTV5 . | Wahed Moharam, an Egyptian-born American citizen, said he was investigated after asking federal officers while he was being targeted .
His inquiry launched a four-hour bomb scare 'misunderstanding' closing down several blocks and causing his car to be searched by a robot .
Mr Moharam had been in the federal witness protection programme after testifying against two now convicted terrorists in the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 . |
147,615 | 4add906447efd36822678cf1e3597817e4da3dca | Watch the full interview with Ratan Tata on "Fareed Zakaria GPS" at 1 p.m. ET Sunday on CNN. The Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India, temporarily increased security after being warned of a possible terrorist attack, the chairman of the company that owns the hotel said Saturday. Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata, whose company owns the Taj hotel, discusses this week's attacks in Mumbai. But Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata said those measures, which were eased shortly before this week's terror attacks, could not have prevented gunmen from entering the hotel. "If I look at what we had ... it could not have stopped what took place," Tata said in an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria that will air Sunday. "It's ironic that we did have such a warning, and we did have some measures," Tata said, without elaborating on the warning or when security measures were enacted. "People couldn't park their cars in the portico, where you had to go through a metal detector." However, Tata said the attackers did not enter through the entrance that has a metal detector. Instead, they came in a back entrance, he said. Watch Tata discuss need for better preparedness » . "They knew what they were doing, and they did not go through the front. All of our arrangements are in the front," he said. "They planned everything," he said of the attackers. "I believe the first thing they did, they shot a sniffer dog and his handler. They went through the kitchen." The 105-year-old hotel was one of nine sites attacked by gunmen in a 60-hour wave of terror that killed at least 183 people and injured hundreds more before it ended in a standoff at the hotel Saturday morning. Learn more about the historic hotel's past and future » . Authorities carried out a room-by-room sweep in the 565-room Victorian building late Saturday to make sure that all guests had been evacuated and no gunmen remained inside. A. Vaidyanathan, an economist who was a guest in the Taj when the attacks occurred, told The Hindu newspaper on Friday that he had noticed tight security at the hotel when he stayed there last month. "First, when you enter the open parking, where the cars are parked, you had a very heavy metal frame; your baggage was searched," he said. "At the entrance of the foyer, there was another metal detector, and you were personally searched and so on." However, for this latest trip, he said, he could walk right into the hotel without encountering the same measures. Bullet holes and scars of grenade blasts marred the restaurant walls in the Taj Mahal hotel, Tata said. See images from the battlegrounds » . Tata said the attacks revealed deficiencies in law enforcement, especially in the areas of crisis response and management. "We were getting the cooperation that they could give us, but the infrastructure was woefully poor," he said, . As an example, Tata said it took three hours for firefighters to get water to the Taj after a blaze broke out in the oldest part of the building. "We had people who died being shot through bulletproof vests," he added. Tata said that not even the army or commandoes who ultimately took over the offensive were prepared for the level of organization and execution that the attackers seemed to have put into their plan. "They seemed to know [the hotel] in the night or in the daytime," he said of the attackers. "They seemed to have planned their moves quite well, and there seem to have been a lot of pre-planning." Tata said the attacks underscored the need for law enforcement to develop infrastructure for crisis management, even if it meant seeking outside expertise for training, equipment and strategic operations. "We've been very complacent, because we've really not had this kind of terrorism inflicted upon us," he said. "We should not stand on ceremony to hold back. We should go to the best place possible to get expertise." Tata was hopeful that the attacks would unite Indians behind a common goal of preventing a similar tragedy. "Rather than have us succumb to this kind of terror, what it has done is given us a resolve that nobody can do this to us," he said. "We're indignant, but we're not scared. If there's a view that this has pulled us down, I think it will unite the country that much more." Tata said he derived those sentiments from members of his staff, who have pledged to stand behind him and restore the Taj to its former grandeur. "The general manager lost his whole family in one of the fires in the building," Tata said. "I went up to him today and I told him how sorry I was, and he said, 'Sir, we are going to beat this. We are going to build this Taj back into what it was. We're standing with you. We will not let this event take us down.'" Tata added, "And that is the feeling that they have, and I have a feeling that that's pretty much echoed throughout the country." | Taj had heightened security in response to warning, Tata group chairman says .
Increased measures wouldn't have stopped gunmen, Ratan Tata says .
Tata surprised at level of planning, familiarity with hotel shown by attackers .
"We're indignant, but we're not scared," Tata says of nation's resolve . |
57,912 | a419dc2561094098c66ca0db29f9c6189842e1a0 | (CNN) -- The plot may have been years in the making, but the killer gave just minutes' notice before he rained terror across a Southern California community. Now, shattered glass and flowers mark the path of horror created by a young man bent on getting his revenge for perceived slights and chronic problems with women. Six victims and the assailant are dead, and 13 people were wounded, authorities said. Three of the wounded are still being treated at at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, spokeswoman Maria Zate told CNN on Monday. Two are in good condition and one is in fair condition. In the three days since the rampage, a slew of new information has emerged about the victims, the suspect and what led up to the stabbings and shootings. Here's what we know: . The rampage started with his roommates . Authorities now know Elliot Rodger's killing spree across Isla Vista began before he even left home. The 22-year-old former Santa Barbara City College student fatally stabbed three young men in his own apartment -- George Chen, 19, Cheng Yuan Hong, 20, and Weihan Wang, 20. Chen and Hong were the attacker's roommates. A friend of Rodger's family said Rodger recently had a feud with his roommates, complaining to his landlord that his roommates were too noisy and played lots of video games. The assailant himself outlined his plan to kill two roommates in a 137-page manifesto he left behind. "I'd even enjoy stabbing them both to death while they slept," Rodger wrote. Inside the gunman's head: Rejection, jealousy and a vow to kill 'beautiful girls' The assailant had been seeing therapists . Rodger's history of mental health issues was no secret to his family, and the young man was seeing at least two therapists prior to his death. He had been seeing therapists on and off since he was 8, family friend Simon Astaire said. When he went to high school in Van Nuys, California, he met with a therapist "pretty much every day," Astaire said. Rodger's family contacted police after discovering social media posts about suicide and killing people, family spokesman and attorney Alan Shifman told reporters Saturday. Six policemen showed up at Rodger's home in Isla Vista on April 30, but they found nothing alarming. So they told Rodger to call his mother and they reassured her that he was OK, according to Astaire. Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters Saturday that at the time, deputies "determined he did not meet the criteria for an involuntary hold." Brown said Rodger told deputies it was a misunderstanding and that he was not going to hurt anyone or himself. Rodger said he was having troubles with his social life. But long before that, Rodger was plotting his deadly "Day of Retribution." "I had the striking and devastating fear that someone had somehow discovered what I was planning to do, and reported me for it," Rodger wrote about the police visit, toward the end of his manifesto. "If that was the case, the police would have searched my room, found all of my guns and weapons, along with my writings about what I plan to do with them. "I would have been thrown in jail, denied of the chance to exact revenge on my enemies. I can't imagine a hell darker than that." Five revelations from the 'twisted world' of a 'kissless virgin' He sent his manifesto to two dozen people . Perhaps some of the most obvious clues as to why the rampage took place come from Rodger's manifesto, which chronicles his life from birth all the way to his planned "Day of Retribution." In "My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger," the writer said he bought his first handgun in 2012 in preparation for a possible "Day of Retribution." On Friday, minutes before he shot three young women in front of a sorority house and killed a young man at a nearby deli, Rodger e-mailed his writings to two dozen people, including his parents and at least one of his therapists. "My orchestration of the Day of Retribution is my attempt to do everything, in my power, to destroy everything I cannot have," Rodger wrote. "All of those beautiful girls I've desired so much in my life, but can never have because they despise and loathe me, I will destroy. All of those popular people who live hedonistic lives of pleasure, I will destroy, because they never accepted me as one of them. I will kill them all and make them suffer, just as they have made me suffer. It is only fair." One of the people he mentioned by name in the manifesto is Lucky Radley, a childhood friend, who he said became "an object of my extreme jealousy and hatred." "When I saw that, I was shocked," Radley told CNN's "New Day" on Monday. "I literally didn't believe that was coming from him." Radley said Rodger was an abnormally quiet boy who barely spoke, even when Radley went to Rodger's house a couple of times to play. He hadn't seen Rodger since high school. Seeing Rodger's video now, Radley told CNN, "That's the first time me hearing him say more than a one-word answer." Rodger's mother, Lichin, saw the e-mailed manifesto at 9:17 p.m. Friday. She went to Rodger's YouTube page and saw a disturbing video in which her son talked about "slaughtering" women at a sorority house at the University of California at Santa Barbara, Astaire said. His mother called 911 and Rodger's father, and the parents left Los Angeles, headed for Santa Barbara, the family friend said. En route, they heard there was a shooting. Later that night, they found out their son was the gunman. Killer's parents frantically searched for son . All the deceased victims were UCSB students . Chen, Hong and Wang, the three men fatally stabbed in Rodger's apartment, were students at the University of California, Santa Barbara -- as were the three other victims who didn't survive. UCSB canceled classes until Wednesday and declared Tuesday to be a day of mourning, with a memorial service set for Tuesday afternoon. Counselors are available on campus for anyone needing support, the university said. The two young women fatally shot outside the Alpha Phi sorority house -- Katherine Cooper, 22, and Veronika Weiss, 19 -- were members of the Delta Delta Delta sorority at UCSB. "Katie will be remembered for her generous spirit and warm heart. Veronika will be remembered for her vibrant personality and enthusiasm for life," Delta Delta Delta President Phyllis Durbin Grissom wrote. The sixth victim killed was Christopher Martinez, who was getting a sandwich at a deli when he was shot. The 20-year-old UCSB student was known for his selflessness. "Chris was just an amazing guy," Jeff Dolphin, Martinez's freshman-year roommate, told the Los Angeles Times. "If I was going through something, he was always there for me. If I needed something, he was there. If I needed a textbook, if I was locked out of the room because I forgot my key, he would stop playing basketball or doing what he was doing to unlock the door so I didn't have to get charged. He was just a great guy." Martinez's father, Richard Martinez, lambasted politicians and the National Rifle Association after his son's death. He told CNN's Kyung Lah that nothing has changed since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in 2012, when 20 children and six adults were killed. "Have we learned nothing? These will continue until somebody does something. Where the hell is the leadership?" Richard Martinez asked. "He's our only child. And he died on Friday. I'm 61 years old now. I'll never have another child. He's gone." Father of shooting victim chastises politicians, demands new gun laws . The community is trying to move forward . While some try to understand why the tragedy happened, others say it's a lost cause. "I don't need an explanation. It's, unfortunately, a very sad situation that no explanation can ever justify," said Ryan Booth, manager of the I.V. Deli Mart, where Martinez died. He said he refuses to read the killer's manifesto or watch his YouTube video, "Retribution." "As a community we have to be strong and stand up and try and move on." Who's the man behind the rampage . CNN's Todd Leopold, Chelsea J. Carter, Ashley Fantz, Joe Sutton and Steve Almasy contributed to this report. | NEW: Three of the injured are still at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital .
Authorities identify the three men stabbed in Elliot Rodger's home before he left .
Family friend: Rodger, 22, had been seeing therapists since he was 8 years old .
He sent a 137-page manifesto to his parents and others before his shooting rampage . |
101,523 | 0edbdc28db6a1b5ca7e0645367fb243480e04866 | Four militants and three Russian security force members were killed Wednesday in a shootout in the Russian republic of Dagestan, Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing anti-terror officials. The shootout came amid an anti-terror operation at a house in the Dagestan village of Karlanyurt, the officials told RIA Novosti. At least five officers were also injured in the shootout, the agency added. The confrontation, news of which spread first on Twitter, came as Russian security forces have tried to address security concerns before next month's Winter Olympics in Sochi, about a 13-hour drive west of Karlanyurt. It also comes amid years of unrest and an Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus region. Concerns about security in Russia were heightened after twin bombings on public transit that killed more than 30 people in the southern city of Volgograd at the end of last month. Security tightened . With weeks to go until the games begin, a huge security operation has swung into gear around Sochi. A special exclusion zone went into force last week, under which only Sochi-marked vehicles, emergency transport or specially accredited intelligence service cars will be allowed into the wider Sochi area. Air traffic and sea access will be restricted, and everyone going into the zone will have to go through heavy security and identity checks. Russia is pouring huge resources into ensuring that the Games, seen as a flagship project of President Vladimir Putin, go off without incident. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Volgograd, but suspicion has fallen on Chechen separatist groups. A bitter battle for an independent Chechnya, lasting almost two decades, spawned an insurgency that has spilled into neighboring republics in the North Caucasus region, including Dagestan. Chechen warlord Doku Umarov, leader of the Islamist Caucasus Emirate group, last summer called on his followers to do what they could to disrupt the Games. He says they will be held on the graves of Muslim occupants of Sochi, who he says were driven out by Russian imperial forces in the 19th century. Despite the shock waves from the Volgograd attack, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said he was confident that Russia would keep the Winter Olympics safe. | The clash occurred at a house in the Dagestan village of Karlanyurt, RIA Novosti reports .
It says at least 5 officers were injured in the clash, which came amid an anti-terror operation .
Russia has been trying to address security concerns before the Winter Olympics .
Security fears have been heightened after bombings in Volgograd last month . |
85,268 | f1dac2662d45e77b4dc73be2d9aa5c7757d0dadb | (CNN) -- World number one Rafael Nadal has been knocked out of the Shanghai Masters after suffering a shock 6-1 3-6 6-3 defeat to Jurgen Melzer in the third round on Thursday. Nadal's serve was broken twice in the opening set against the Austrian, who is ranked 12th in the world and will now play Argentina's Juan Monaco in the quarterfinals. U.S. Open champion Nadal came into the tournament on the back of a title in Japan, having been upset in the semifinals in Thailand the week before. He now has a season record of 67 wins and nine defeats ahead of the Paris Masters and ATP Tour World Finals in London. "I felt slow on court. I had more mistakes than usual," the 24-year-old Spaniard told reporters on Thursday. "I played shorter than usual. [I was] a little bit more tired than usual, just physically and mentally." Melzer has an outside chance of playing in both the singles and doubles at the season-ending event in London, which would make him the first player to do so since Spain's Emilio Sanchez in 1990. "But it's a long way there. I'm almost 900 points off the eighth player. This is a very long way," the 1999 Wimbledon junior champion said. There are four places yet to be confirmed for the tournament, with Sweden's Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, Spain's David Ferrer and injured American Andy Roddick currently on course to claim the remaining berths. Third seed Roger Federer, who has already qualified for London, set up a quarterfinal clash with fifth seed Soderling after dispatching Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-4. The Swiss maestro faced several break-points in the opening set, but his Italian opponent was unable to take advantage and the 29-year-old progressed. Soderling reached the last eight on Thursday with a 7-5 6-4 win over 11th seed Ferrer. World No. 4 Andy Murray advanced with a 6-3 6-4 victory over French qualifier Jeremy Chardy, ensuring his place in the eight-man ATP Tour World Finals in the process. Murray will play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals in Shanghai, after the French 12th seed beat Germany's Florian Mayer 7-5 6-3. "It was a big match for me, because I knew I'd qualify for London if I won, the 23-year-old Murray told his official website. "I thought it was very good. I served well when I needed to, when I was down break points at the start of the match. My second serve I varied a lot, because he was trying to run round and hit his forehand." Second seed Novak Djokovic, who won the China Open in Beijing last week, is also into the last eight in Shanghai after a 6-1 6-1 triumph over France's Richard Gasquet. The world number two never looked threatened in the match, breaking Gasquet's serve on five occasions and hitting 25 winners. The Serbian will next face Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Nadal's conqueror in Bangkok before winning the title. The in-form Spaniard dented world No. 7 Berdych's end-of-season hopes with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 win over the Wimbledon runner-up, but has lost all three previous encounters with Djokovic. | Rafael Nadal is beaten in the third round of the Shanghai Masters by Jurgen Melzer .
Spanish world No. 1 suffers his ninth defeat of 2010 season following 67 wins .
Third seed Roger Federer and No. 2 Novak Djokovic both secure wins in China .
Andy Murray secures his place in the ATP Tour World Finals in London . |
237,950 | bffc0c6b0583c6dd83a71bfbde5ed8ce0fb6ac7f | Sydney, Australia (CNN) -- "Smoking hot" was how many observers described Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's blistering attack on sexism and misogyny in the bear pit of Australia's Parliament on Tuesday. The roar of support from Australian women on Twitter was deafening. So too was their rage when the parliamentary press gallery almost uniformly condemned Gillard's excoriation of the Leader of the Opposition coalition, Tony Abbott, as hypocritical and showing poor political judgment. For 15 minutes Gillard tore into Abbott before the Australian House of Representatives, the expression on his face going from a wry smile to embarrassment. The occasion was a highly charged debate on a motion brought by Abbott to sack the Speaker of the House, Peter Slipper. Slipper, a coalition turncoat who helped the government bolster its numbers by taking up the highly paid position last year, stepped aside in April amid allegations of fraud and sexual harassment. In court documents published last week, text messages between Slipper and his accuser in the sexual harassment action revealed deeply disturbing and offensive banter. In one of the messages, Slipper described female genitalia as looking like "a mussel removed from its shell." Abbott said the messages showed Slipper was not fit to be the standard-bearer of good behavior in Parliament. Gillard, while condemning the text messages, refused to support the motion to sack Slipper. Instead, she unfurled two years of pent up rage at the coalition leader for what she described as his own sexist, misogynistic attitude toward her and women generally. Shock jock targets Gillard . "I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. I will not," she said, pointing at Abbott. "And the government will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever. "If he wants to know what misogyny looks like in modern Australia, he doesn't need a motion in the House of Representatives. He needs a mirror." The prime minister then presented her evidence. She reminded Abbott of his response to a question about lower female representation in positions of power: "What if men are by physiology or temperament more adapted to exercise authority or to issue command?" She then cited his statements that "abortion is the easy way out" and "what the housewives of Australia need to understand as they do the ironing ..." during a debate on the recently introduced carbon tax. "I was offended too," Gillard continued, "by the sexism, by the misogyny of the Leader of the Opposition catcalling across this table at me, as I sit here as prime minister, 'If the prime minister wants to, politically speaking, make an honest woman of herself,' something that would never have been said to any man sitting in this chair. "I was offended when the leader of the opposition went outside in the front of Parliament and stood next to a sign that said 'Ditch the Witch.'" But the prime minister's anger turned into white-hot rage when she responded to Abbott's assertion, made during his speech in support of Tuesday's motion to sack the speaker, that every day Gillard supported Slipper was "another day of shame for a government which should already have died of shame." Just a week earlier, a coalition-supporting commercial radio presenter, Alan Jones, provoked outrage across the nation when he told a gathering of young Liberals that the prime minister's recently deceased father had "died of shame." The prime minister had refused to comment on the controversy. Yesterday she broke her silence: . "I indicate to the leader of the opposition, the government is not dying of shame, my father did not die of shame. What the leader of the opposition should be ashamed of is his performance in this parliament and the sexism he brings with it," she said. Not long after Abbot's motion narrowly failed in a parliamentary vote, with the prime minister victorious, Slipper resigned his post. Gillard's speech has ignited excitement and debate internationally. The venerable New Yorker magazine implored U.S. President Barack Obama to learn a lesson from the way politics is played in Australia. "After his performance last week, supporters of President Obama, watching Gillard cut through the disingenuousness and feigned moral outrage of her opponent to call him out for his own personal prejudice, hypocrisy, and aversion to facts, might be wishing their man would take a lesson from Australia," it intoned. Britain's Guardian applauded Gillard for pulling no punches but noted the prime minister "isn't quite the stuff of feminist fantasies" because she has repeatedly refused to support same sex marriage in Australia. From the journalists permanently reporting from the Australian Parliament, there were many questions -- in particular why the prime minister welcomed Peter Slipper's resignation over his bawdy and offensive text messages but was unprepared to sack him? Peter Hartcher, political and international editor for the Sydney Morning Herald, led the charge. Gillard faced a choice, he wrote, "between the political defense of her parliamentary numbers or the defense of the principle of respect for women." She made the wrong choice, wrote Hartcher. The prime minister chose power over principle in deciding not to support the sacking of the house speaker and in so doing, "The prime minister gained nothing and lost a great deal," he added. Taking the pulse of social media, there are very few women who agree with him. "Where does he get off taking the high moral ground pffft!" posted @abissicus on Twitter. "What utter s***" wrote @vikkiking88. Australia now has a female prime minister, a female speaker of the House -- elected after Slipper resigned -- and a female governor-general. Just another day in Australian politics. | Australian PM Julia Gillard hits out at opposition leader in parliament .
Gillard was speaking out against a motion by Tony Abbott to sack Parliament speaker .
Peter Slipper was accused of sending sexist and offensive text messages .
Gillard condemned the texts but slammed Abbott's sexist behavior towards her . |
226,674 | b18068e99458e382898a5275d0eb15cb3833b95a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:54 EST, 9 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:56 EST, 9 March 2013 . Threat: Accused gunman James Holmes, pictured, was held in restraints at a psychiatric hospital last November after jail officials determined he was a threat to himself . Accused Aurora, Colorado movie theater gunman James Holmes was held in restraints at a psychiatric hospital last November after jail officials determined he was a threat to himself. Holmes' lawyers revealed the days-long stay in court filings made public on Friday in an effort to have a videotape of his hospitalization turned over to them by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail where he is being held without bond. But Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester ordered the sheriff's office to keep the footage 'pending further order of the court.' The court filings were made public on the same day that Sylvester rejected a motion by defense attorneys to declare Colorado's insanity defense law unconstitutional. Holmes, 25, is scheduled to enter a plea in the case on Tuesday. Holmes is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the July shooting rampage that killed 12 moviegoers and wounded 58 others during a screening of 'The Dark Knight Rises' Batman movie in Aurora. Defense lawyers said in the motion that Arapahoe County attorneys not involved with the prosecution asked a judge on November 15, 2012, to transfer Holmes to a hospital because he was a danger to himself and in 'immediate need of a psychiatric evaluation.' That same day, Holmes was transported . by ambulance from the jail to Denver Health Medical Center's . psychiatric unit 'where he remained for several days, frequently in . restraints,' the motion said. Psychiatric unit: Holmes' lawyers revealed the days-long stay at Denver Health's psychiatric unit, pictured, in court filings made public on Friday . That hospitalization, defense lawyers noted, was separate from an earlier incident where Holmes was treated at a hospital for injuries 'that resulted from potential self-inflicted head injuries in his cell.' The motion said the sheriff's office refused to give the video to prosecutors or defense attorneys at the direction of Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson. Robinson told Reuters on Friday night that he had released a 'relevant video to both sides,' but citing a gag order imposed by the judge in the case, declined to comment on its contents. Robinson said his office had been 'straightforward and cooperative' in the case, and that he would not release the hospital video because it was taken outside his jurisdiction. In the dock: Colorado shooter James . Holmes appears confused while making his first court appearance at the . Arapahoe County on July 23 . Memorial: Tributes are left for victims near the scene of the tragedy in Colorado that claimed 12 lives . 'I told them (attorneys) that I didn't . have the authority to give them that video because it was taken in . Denver and they'd have to go through them,' he said. In rejecting the defense motion to declare Colorado's insanity defense law unconstitutional, Sylvester said defense lawyers had raised the issue prematurely since Holmes had yet to enter a plea, and prosecutors had not indicated whether they would seek the death penalty. Lawyers for Holmes last week challenged the constitutionality of a Colorado statute that requires a defendant who raises an insanity defense to submit to examinations by court-appointed psychiatrists. Defense lawyers argued that the law, which would compel Holmes to provide potentially damaging information that could be used against him at trial, or at sentencing should he be convicted, violated his Fifth Amendment guarantee of protection against self-incrimination. | James Holmes, 25, was held in restraints at Denver Health's psychiatric unit after jail officials determined he .
was a threat to himself .
Defense lawyers revealed the stay in an effort to have a .
videotape of his hospitalization turned over to them by the Arapahoe .
County Sheriff's Office to help their case .
But Judge .
William Sylvester ordered the sheriff's office to keep the footage .
'pending further order of the court' |
194,889 | 8848fe2ae596c70afa7aa2a44b8398e242ed79f4 | Thousands of exhausted but happy young Queenslanders head home after a week-long party in Surfers Paradise as interstate school leavers arrive on the Gold Coast to begin their schoolies celebrations. One partier Alex Cahill summed it up on Instagram by posting all of the empty alcohol bottles from the week with a complete inventory on what was consumed. '7 days, 241 beer bottles, 4 bottles of bourbon and 4 bottles of vodka. QLD you have been good to us, cheers for the ride. #schoolies #schoolies2014,' he posted on Sunday morning after seven days of non-stop party action. Scroll down for video . A young woman gets handcuffed by two police officers on the final night of the official schoolie celebrations . One helluva week for Alex Cahill at schoolies week in Surfers Paradise - one can only hope that he was helped out by his mates . Alex Cahill summed it up in one post on Instagram - thanking Queensland for being such a great host for the schoolies celebrations . Police arrested 29 schoolies on 32 offences throughout the Saturday night . Double trouble: Hot blonde babes Rachael Mathias and Morgan Quinliven get into the schoolies spirit . The final night of the official celebrations saw police arrest 29 schoolies on 32 offences with the majority of charges for public nuisance, being drunk in a public place and street offences. While there was a total of 35 non-schoolies arrested on 45 offences including public nuisance, and drug offences. Since the schoolies celebrations began on Friday November 21, 131 schoolies have been arrested on a total of 152 charges. A total of 131 schoolies were arrested on a total of 152 charges since schoolies week began on November 21 . A young man is escorted by the police on the Gold Coast during the schoolies festivities . One of the many young people questioned by police during the late night celebrations . During the same period, there were 186 non-schoolies arrested on 226 charges. Despite more revellers attending schoolies than last year, they were better behaved than in 2013. Gold Coast acting Chief Superintendent Des Lacy said he was pleased with the behaviour of the majority of this year's schoolies. 'While the number of schoolies attending the hub this year was up on last year the number of arrests were down,' Acting Chief Superintendent Lacy said. 'This is a clear result of effective policing strategies and a continued strong collaboration between police and a range of organisations including the event organisers, government departments, the local council, and volunteer agencies such as the Red Frogs.' A police officer (left) has a firm grip on the young man's arm as he escorted through a Gold Coast shopping mall . Police search the bag fo a reveller who looks to have gone through half a bottle of vodka and a six pack of Smirnoff Ice cans . But there will be no rest for all involved parties in the event as a large number of interstate schoolies have begun arriving on the Gold Coast - the strong police presence will continue throughout the next two weeks. 'The majority of interstate schoolies are over 18, and this will mean our focus will shift towards the policing of licensed venues,' Acting Chief Superintendent Lacy said. 'We want to remind our interstate visitors to do the right thing as we will be out there with a strong presence ensuring that anti-social behaviour and criminal activity will not be tolerated. 'We will be proactively targeting offences such as consuming alcohol in a public place.' It's raining schoolies: not even the wet weather could dampen the reveller's spirits . Even the fierce storms that hit the state on Friday night did not stop the revellers partying the following night . Just four of hundreds of volunteers who help make schoolies a safe environment . Strumming a happy tune: A lifetime of fun memories for the young school leavers . Since the celebrations began on Friday November 21, 131 schoolies have been arrested on 152 charges . There were 186 non-schoolies arrested on 226 charges during the week-long party . The majority schoolie charges were for public nuisance, being drunk in a public place and street offences . As the Queensland schoolies head home - the intersate school leavers are arriving in Surfers Paradise . Police presence will remain strong on the Gold Coast throughout the following two weeks . Despite more revellers attending schoolies than last year, they were better behaved than in 2013 . Police put the decrease in incidents down to the collaboration with many other organisations . | The week-long partying for Queensland schoolies ended on Saturday night as hordes of interstate schoolies arrived in the Gold Coast ready to party .
Despite numbers up on last year - there were less arrests among revellers - s total of 131 schoolies were arrested on a total of 152 charges .
While 186 non-schoolies were arrested on 226 charges since the schoolies celebrations started on November 21 . |
237,692 | bfa429070040d255de4e7998a49141d4bd0e40ec | (CNN) -- Lawyers for former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted on multiple counts of child sex abuse, argued a motion for a new trial Thursday. Judge John Cleland, who presided over Sandusky's conviction and sentencing, heard arguments Thursday at Centre County court in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, but did not rule immediately. A motion for a new trial asks the trial court to re-examine issues it already ruled on in an earlier judgment. In October, Cleland sentenced Sandusky to no less than 30 years and no more than 60 years in prison for abusing 10 boys during a 15-year period. Sandusky, 68, had faced the possibility of up to a 400-year prison term. Sandusky's lawyers have argued that there was insufficient evidence to convict him, and that the court didn't allow them enough time to prepare for trial after the prosecution flooded them with documentation. Defense attorney Joe Amendola testified Thursday that he had been unprepared for the trial. But he also conceded that after reviewing the documents post-trial, he didn't see anything he would have done differently in defending Sandusky. Sandusky's legal team has also argued that certain counts against their client were too broad and should therefore have been dismissed. Opinion: Pennsylvania's suit against NCAA is absurd . Cleland could easily rule that evidence presented at the criminal trial was so overwhelming -- the victims' testimony, for instance -- that the defense's concerns would not have changed the end result, said Karl Rominger, one of Sandusky's lawyers. The eight victims who testified, now young men, said that they were boys when Sandusky forced them to engage in sexual acts with him. The acts occurred, they said, in showers in Penn State's athletic facilities; hotel rooms; and the basement of Sandusky's home, among other places. Testimony was often emotional and graphic. Jurors convicted Sandusky on 45 out of 48 sexual abuse counts. This first attempt to overturn the conviction based on ineffective counsel, a common tactic, will be tough, his lawyers acknowledged before the hearing. They said that if the court rejects it, they may launch appeals based on other arguments. "If you win on one of the appeal issues, everything probably falls," Amendola has said. "All we have to do is convince an appellate court that one of the issues we will raise is worthy of a reversal." Amendola and Rominger have also filed a motion to have Sandusky's sentence reconsidered. The lawyers had attempted to withdraw from the case before the trial, telling Cleland the day before jury selection began that they did not feel adequately prepared and that it would be "unethical" for them to move forward. Cleland denied their request. The sex abuse scandal led to the firing of head football coach Joe Paterno and the ouster of the university's longtime president, Graham Spanier. Paterno died in 2012 of lung cancer. The NCAA slapped Penn State with fines and sanctions over the case, but Pennsylvania's governor announced a lawsuit last week against the collegiate athletic board, saying Sandusky's actions were a criminal matter and not a violation of NCAA rules. CNN's Sara Ganim, Josh Levs, Mallory Simon, Ben Brumfield and Marina Carver contributed to this report . | NEW: Sandusky's attorneys filed a motion for a new trial .
NEW: The judge has not yet ruled on the motion .
Sandusky, 68, was convicted on 45 counts of sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years .
If the motion fails, defense lawyers may appeal the case . |
47,375 | 858bc550942f7c1b68754f8a4742f246340336ef | By . Associated Press . and Zoe Szathmary . An 18-year-old woman reportedly lied about being abducted and held for 16 hours in Michigan - and investigators who determined her story was fake said Monday they plan to ask prosecutors to file charges against her. Police in the Detroit suburb of Ecorse, where Hayley Turner was found Friday, will send the case to the Wayne County prosecutor's office, Lt. Greg Blade said at a news conference. Charges could include filing a false police report, Blade said. 'During the interview there was a lot of questions that couldn't be answered and I don't think the young lady was being very truthful with me during my investigation,' Blade said. Scroll down for video . Bogus: Police determined that Hayley Turner lied about her abduction to police . Ecorse police: Lt. Greg Blade, left, and Chief Michael Moore, right, spoke to reporters on Monday . 'I just figured if you're telling the truth you don't get confused about telling the truth,' he said. Tuner had cuts that appeared to be self-inflicted, Blade said. 'A lot of manpower was extended, a lot of time - I mean we truly wanted to help,' Blade said. 'It started not to click,' Chief Michael Moore said in the conference. 'My frustration level was very high. We are a cash-strapped city...and this cost us quite a bit of money.' Moore said Turner didn't act alone and was never in physical danger. 'They weren't looking for Ecorse. This is another instance where they were looking for Detroit,' Moore said. 'She could not do this alone and at no time was she never out of the company of a friend,' he said. Moore said he did not know if the person who helped Turner spoke to Monroe County investigators. Police also did not discuss Turner's motive for lying about the abduction. Travel: Turner and another individual were reportedly on their way to Detroit, but wound up in Ecorse . Distraught: Turner's parents were seen at a press conference with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office on Friday . Scene: Turner told her family she was going to a video store before her disappearance on August 7. Lt. Greg Blade with the Ecorse police department said Turner wasn't 'being very truthful' with him . The sheriff's department in neighboring Monroe County in a Friday press conference that Turner told her family she was going to a video store before her disappearance. Turner was speaking to a friend on the phone Thursday night when she said she was stopping to help someone by the side of a road in Bedford Township, the sheriff's department said. Turner told her friend that she was being followed by a man with a gun. Then the call was disconnected. When Tuner was found about 45 miles from that spot on Friday she told officials she had been abducted. Turner's mother Christy Turner spoke at the conference, saying 'Hayley, please call. Call anybody. We miss you. We want you home.' A Monroe sheriff's detective and an FBI agent re-interviewed Turner Sunday. 'As a result of that interview, it was determined that the incident did not take place, as originally reported,' the sheriff's department said in a statement. It said the sheriff's department forwarded its report to prosecutors in Monroe County. video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player . | Hayley Turner, 18, told her family she was going to a Bedford Township video store before her disappearance on August 6 .
Turner was talking with a friend on her .
phone Thursday night when she said she was stopping to help someone by .
the side of a road in Bedford Township .
When she said the man had a gun, the phone went dead .
Turner was found in Ecorse on Friday .
Ecorse police Chief Michael Moore said Turner was traveling to Detroit with another person but ended up in the suburb instead .
Both Ecorse police and the Monroe County Sheriff's Department are sending the case to prosecutors . |
69,629 | c562e8d0d35fda1e1ed4d516c3f8b5172a53d9b4 | By . Lucy Worsley . Are you under the impression that Henry VIII was the most dysfunctional monarch we've ever had? Meeting our Hanoverian kings of the 18th century might make you think again. We'll be hearing a lot about them in 2014, as our first Hanoverian monarch George I - distant forebear of today's little Prince George - ascended the throne exactly 300 years ago. George I ascended the throne exactly 300 years ago . Exhibitions across London are celebrating this anniversary, including The First Georgians: Art & Monarchy 1714-1760 at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, with over 300 Georgian treasures from the Royal Collection. At Historic Royal Palaces, where I am a curator, we're covering the stories of George I at Hampton Court and George II at Kensington Palace. I'll also be introducing George I and George II, Britain's least-known kings, in a new BBC 4 series The First Georgians. It's funny to think that our modern British monarchy originated in Germany, and that Georg Ludwig, Elector of Hanover (effectively a prince), was invited to become King George I of Great Britain through an accident of biology. In 1714 his distant cousin Queen Anne died with no surviving children, despite having gone through 18 pregnancies trying to produce an heir. Her nearest relatives were all Catholic, and therefore unacceptable to Britain's powerful Protestant ruling class. George II (left) and his son George III (right) who both were said to have volatile relationships with their family . So Parliament looked for Anne's nearest surviving Protestant relatives and finally found them living in the sleepy little German state of Hanover. German Georg was then 54 years old, and wasn't all that keen on coming over to Britain to start a new career as king. He wasn't warmly welcomed by his new subjects either. One spectator at his Coronation waved a turnip on a stick: the message was that Hanover was a place full of yokels. His new subjects also believed he had brought with him no fewer than two mistresses - one fat, one thin - known as The Elephant and The Maypole. 'The king rejects no woman if she is very willing, very fat, and has great breasts,' one courtier claimed. In reality, the king's poor English was at the root of the misunderstanding. The Elephant was really his half-sister and he lived with his single, skinny, almost respectable mistress of more than 20 years Melusine, with whom he had three illegitimate daughters. But there was a fiery sexual scandal in King George's past. In the 1690s, his wife, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, had embarked upon an affair with a Swedish count while George consorted with Melusine. George IV (pictured) tried to carry out a coup and become king in his father's place . Their love letters were leaked and George was humiliated throughout Europe. Rumour has it he had the lover assassinated, and it's absolutely certain he divorced his wife for adultery, placing her under house arrest in a remote German castle for the rest of her life. At the time George I locked up his wife, their son, the future George II, was only 11. He would never see his mother again. This was one factor in the appallingly bad relationship that developed between these two. George I was quiet and shy, whereas George II was volatile and passionate. George I had hated his wife, while George II loved his own deeply. The parties George I held at Kensington Palace were rivalled by the exciting soirées hosted elsewhere by his son. At the Prince of Wales's parties, people were said to have had so much fun 'some virgins conceived'. This bad feeling came to a head in the ludicrous events of 1717, known as 'The Christening Quarrel'. When the Prince of Wales and his wife Caroline had their fifth child, the baby's christening was interrupted by a gate-crasher, the Duke of Newcastle, who'd been sent by the king to be a spy in his son's camp. 'You rascal!' the Prince of Wales said to the Duke, 'I will find you later!' Unfortunately, because all the Hanoverians spoke English with a thick German accent, what the courtier heard was, 'You rascal! I will fight you!' He took this as an invitation to a duel - a dreadful breach of court etiquette - and complained to the king, who, believing the worst, expelled his son and Princess Caroline from the royal palaces. He also kept behind four of his grandchildren as hostages for future good behaviour from their father the Prince of Wales. Poor Princess Caroline 'fell into one faint after another' as she said goodbye to her weeping children. Worse still, the new baby boy, whose christening had ignited the quarrel, was given poor medical care, and died. Accounts in the National Archives record payment for a little square of black velvet, the size of a child's coffin. This quarrel dangerously tarnished the image of the new Royal Family. And yet the alternative was seen as even worse. Few people wanted the Catholic Stuart claimants to the throne back again: the Old Pretender James Stuart, and then his son, the Young Pretender Bonnie Prince Charlie. Slowly but surely, with growing confidence, kings George I and then George II settled into their new realm, providing steady government, and crushing two rebellions by their exiled rivals. Historian, Dr Lucy Worsley, will present The First Georgians starting on Thursday, 9pm on BBC4 . George I's great-grandson, George III, completed the process of transplantation when he came to the throne in 1760. 'I was born and educated in this country,' he proudly declared, 'I glory in the name of Britain.' A kind and welcoming man, he came to the throne resolved 'to introduce a new custom': that all his 'family should live well together', because he was 'very sorry for the misunderstandings that there had formerly been'. He proceeded to act on this by marrying a German princess, Charlotte, remaining uxoriously devoted to her and fathering 15 children. Yet one thing remained the same. As the years rolled by, even the friendly George III came to have a terrible relationship with his own eldest son, the future George IV. When the king began to suffer from debilitating bouts of a mysterious illness, possibly porphyria, or maybe bipolar disorder, his son tried to carry out a coup and become king in his father's place. Today, many people have difficulty identifying the four Georgian monarchs, thinking them grumpy, German and indistinguishable. But in reality they were human beings, experiencing pain and passion just as the rest of us do. This year's exhibitions and programmes about the Hanoverian kings will hopefully bring them back to vivid life. The First Georgians, Thursday, 9pm, BBC4. The First Georgians: Art & Monarchy 1714-1760 is showing at The Queen's Gallery until 12 October. | A new series will explore the lives of British Hanoverian monarchs .
It marks the 300 years since George I ascended the throne .
The series starts Thursday, 9pm on BBC4 . |
55,263 | 9c9318b25a18ab5c289d57eee9989d556e18d243 | By . Charles Sale . PUBLISHED: . 19:32 EST, 31 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:32 EST, 31 December 2013 . The England Test team, facing a repeat of the demoralising Ashes whitewash Down Under seven years ago, at least demonstrated more team unity on New Year’s Eve than the dysfunctional 2006-07 side. All the squad and their partners attended the ECB function last night at the Flying Fish waterfront restaurant that offered a prime view of the Sydney Bridge fireworks. This contrasts with the splits in the camp under Freddie Flintoff’s leadership when the captain went out on a boat with his testimonial committee chairman Paul Beck and took with him three other members of the squad in Jimmy Anderson, Steve Harmison and Geraint Jones plus agent Neil Fairbrother. Sticking together: The England team celebrated New Year together in Sydney . Flintoff wrote in his autobiography: . ‘The media made a big issue about us not celebrating the new year . together as a team. Why would we want to do that? We’d hardly spent an . evening together during the rest of the tour so why would New Year’s Eve . be any different? I told the lads to do what they wanted. ‘I’d . flown out everyone who had worked on my benefit committee the previous . year and we had a great night on a boat in Sydney harbour. We watched . the fireworks and just for a few hours it felt like I wasn’t on this . tour from hell.’ The . ECB claimed all the tour squad had been invited on to the Flintoff boat. Attendance at last night’s function at the same venue was optional but . every player chose to go at some stage during the evening. The Aussies . saw in the new year as a unit watching the fireworks from their hotel in . the Sydney Rocks. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- . One of the many boats in Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve three years ago during the last Ashes tour contained a number of cricket-loving tycoons and captains of industry, including David Ross, Sir Stuart Rose and Sir Victor Blank. The chat concerned who, among them or their friends, could mount a much-needed challenge to Giles Clarke for the chairmanship of the England Cricket Board. None emerged and Clarke was re-elected unopposed for three more years in 2012. The sports honours committee meet in October to determine the new year gongs, which helps explain why retiring England chief selector Geoff Miller was rewarded with an OBE for the three Ashes victories on his watch. Certainly Miller would not have been recognised for how the selections in his last Ashes touring party have fared - especially with three giant fast bowlers having played one Test between them. Gong: Geoff Miller has been awarded an OBE on the New Year Honours list . England look like they have already missed the big-money T20 boat despite inventing the format. There is likely to be room in the year for just two T20 competitions that will attract the world’s best players and Australia’s Big Bash has seemingly grabbed that second spot after the Indian Premier League. Big sucess: England batsman Eoin Morgan is playing for the Thunder in the Big Bash League and it is proving a sucess . The weather, the presentation, . free-to-air TV coverage, the use of large stadiums for big crowds and . slick entertainment around the cricket — such as motorbike stunts and . the chance for a viewer to win a six-figure sum if a celebrity on a . platform in the crowd catches a big hit — have all helped the Big Bash . establish itself in the cricket calendar while the ECB are still working . on their T20 revamp. Strauss in school shift . Andrew Strauss, former Ashes-winning England captain turned Sky pundit, is temporarily taking his eight-year-old son Sam out of Caldicott Preparatory School, whose former headmaster Peter Wright has been found guilty of indecent assaults on pupils between 1959 and 1970. Strauss’s decision has nothing to do with his former school’s past, which emerged during Wright’s trial. Sam is being educated in Australia for one term as Strauss is staying Down Under until April having bought a house in Ballarat, Victoria where his wife Ruth comes from. Staying Down Under: Former England captain Andrew Strauss is staying in Australia after the Ashes . The senior England players received up to £60,000 each in bonuses for their Ashes win last summer and the Aussies are on course to collect extra payments of around that figure also if they complete a 5-0 whitewash. Bonus: Peter Siddle, Michael Clarke and the rest of the Australian team will all receive bonuses for winning . | England players celebrate New Year's Eve together on Sydney's waterfront .
England selector Miller awarded OBE after three Ashes wins .
Big Bash League proves to be a hit with T20 fans .
Strauss to stay Down Under once Ashes are finished and takes son out of school . |
197,515 | 8ba5cf2b422812f45725c06dba7cd4666d2f769f | At the top of a winding North Carolina mountain road is the entrance to Oz, a 1970s theme park abandoned less than 10 years after it opened. In its heyday the Land of Oz could attract 20,000 visitors a day, but now the neglected Yellow Brick Road is missing some bricks, the Wicked Witch of the West's castle is empty and the Emerald City has disappeared. In the same way the Wizard of Oz created the Emerald City to wow his subjects, entrepreneur Grover Robbins dreamed up the Beech Mountain theme park as a way of attracting families - and money - to the resort town. Scroll down for video . Lost: The Yellow Brick Road weaves through the abandoned theme park, which has been the victim of fire and theft since closing . Eerie: Props can be found in the deserted houses and characters carved into trees when the park opened in 1970 appear ghoulish in the deserted park . In its heyday the Land of Oz could attract 20,000 visitors a day . The park opened on June 15, 1970 by Debbie Reynolds, accompanied by her then little-known daughter, Carrie Fisher. In its first summer 400,000 visitors came to the Land of Oz . The park was designed originally to walk tourists through the story, starting with the farmhouse, where Aunt Em could be found in the kitchen . Using local craftsmen and entertainers, Robbins and designer Jack Pentes built their grand interpretation of the popular 1939 film over 450 acres. The Yellow Brick Road wound its way through the park, leading tourists to a replica Emerald City. Dorothy's house, the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West and the Munchkin village were all faithfully recreated. The men behind the project even set up a . balloon ride made out of a ski lift, so that visitors would get a . winged-monkey's eye view of the park nestled in the mountains before . they were whisked back to the real world. The park opened on June 15, 1970 by . Debbie Reynolds, accompanied by her then little-known daughter, Carrie . Fisher. In its first summer 400,000 visitors came to the Land of Oz, . according to Watauga Lake Magazine. Sadly, . however, Robbins never lived to see his masterpiece, dying at the age of . 50 of bone cancer only six months before the park opened in 1970. More . tragedy was to beset the park, when a fire destroyed Emerald City and . part of the museum collection, including dresses worn by Judy Garland in . the movie. Visitor . numbers started to dwindle and finally, ten years after its opening day . brought in 20,000 visitors, the Land of Oz closed its gates. As the sound effects of a tornado began, tourists would be ushered into to the storm shelter with one of several Dorothys who worked at the park . Weeds have been cleared from the Yellow Brick Road, the fountain and waterfall have been repaired and, proving that there really is no place like home . Keep out: The gates to Oz, which attracted 400,000 visitors in its first summer, closed ten years after the park started . Theatrical: Local entertainers would play the parts of characters in the beloved film, greeting families as they explored the mountain resort theme park . Abandoned . and forgotten, the park became a target for vandals and thieves, who . destroyed or stole props in the park, including entire houses. The park was designed originally to walk . tourists through the story, starting with the farmhouse, where Aunt Em . could be found in the kitchen. As the sound effects of a tornado began, . tourists would be ushered into to the storm shelter with one of several . Dorothys who worked at the park. A door in the cellar would then open . on to a tilted version of the farmhouse, to recreate the storm damage, . and a pair of striped stockings and ruby red slippers of the Wicked . Witch of the East, would greet the visitors as they left the house. However, characters carved into the trees lining the now uneven Yellow Brick Road and stone characters scattered throughout the Munchkin village appear ghoulish in the abandoned park, and the witch's castle looms eerily in the mountain mist. All hope is not lost for the Land of Oz . though. In the 1990s project Emerald Mountain was started by a group of . kind-hearted volunteers who, with a little bit of the Cowardly Lion's . courage and the Scarecrow's brains, have slowly restored the park. Popular: Judy Garland as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, released in 1939. One of her dresses and props from the film were in a museum at the park . Lost in time: The Land of Oz was once filled with families exploring the mountain park, but its exhibits, like the Munchkin village, right, are now eerily deserted . Weeds have been cleared from the Yellow Brick Road, the fountain and waterfall have been repaired and, proving that there really is no place like home, Dorothy's house has been converted into a cosy cottage, which can be rented to holiday-makers. 'Each summer we add something back to OZ. Sometimes it is original items returned to us from caring friends. One of my proudest moments was hauling back to OZ what I believe to be the very last balloon in existence,' Cynthia Keller, who helps look after the park, said. Tourists are still welcome at the Land of Oz where they have the option of hiring a costume and going in search of the Emerald City. The park also holds a two-day festival each year, with a guided tour through the park, a picnic at the Kansas farmhouse and, for an additional $100, a whirlwind visit from Dorothy herself. | Fire and death forced park to close ten years after it opened in 1970 .
Park based on popular Wizard of Oz theme attracted 400,000 visitors in its first summer .
Tourists could explore Dorothy's farmhouse, meet the characters and depart in a special hot air balloon ride .
Vandals and thieves damaged Oz, as it lay forgotten on top of a mountain resort . |
231,726 | b804759875f5de66432f0cbfd7dca169aaa48625 | (CNN) -- Sniffer dogs will search an Oregon high school for explosives before students return from the Memorial Day weekend, because one of their classmates was planning to attack them with bombs, police said. The 1999 shooting spree at Colorado's Columbine High School served as Grant Acord's benchmark and inspiration, Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said. But the prosecutor said the teen wanted to top Columbine in a planned attack at West Albany High School. With the help of explosive devices, checklists and diagrams, Acord's "goal was to model the Columbine shootings with some adjustments that would make it a greater success," Haroldson said. The prosecutor said police found six types of explosives in the 17-year-old's possession after they arrested him Thursday night at his mother's house in Albany, Oregon. They recovered napalm, pipe and drain cleaner bombs, as well as Molotov cocktails Friday from "a secret compartment that had been created in the floorboards" of the teen's bedroom, Haroldson said. Albany police became suspicious after they "received information that associated ... Acord with manufacturing a destructive device with the intent of detonating it at a school." West Albany High School's principal, Susie Orsborn, sent a note to students' parents, asking them to urge their children to come forward and speak with police if they knew anything about the plan. Acord, a juvenile, will be charged "as an adult with attempted aggravated murder," Haroldson said. He will also face bomb-making charges and "unlawful possession of a deadly weapon with intent to use against another person." He is scheduled to appear in court for the first time Tuesday. CNN is attempting to reach Acord's attorney for comment. A woman who answered the door at the house believed to belong to Acord's mother told CNN affiliate KATU that she has no comment. Albany police searched the school twice -- the first time on the night they arrested Acord. But state police want to conduct a more thorough search with dogs before students return to class. Sheriff: Student plotted TX college attack, fantasized about stabbings . Fifth-grade boys' plot to kill a classmate thwarted . In January: Alabama teen free on bail after allegedly plotting 'terrorist attacks' | Police searched the school for explosives and are planning a second search .
Prosecutor: Grant Acord made bombs and planned an attack deadlier than Columbine's .
The teen hid explosives in a secret floorboard compartment in his bedroom, the DA says .
The bombs were made with napalm, drain cleaner and flammable liquids, authorities say . |
127,774 | 3128fc9b3ce8d5689f66b967b78b360dc5e3fcb1 | An Australian farmer has found a new and unique way to share what goes on at her mixed irrigation farm. Since September, Aimee Snowden has photographed LEGO figurines on their daily adventures at her parent's lucerne hay production farm in Southern Riverina, New South Wales for her Lego Farmer blog. The 24-year-old told Daily Mail Australia that she was inspired by the well-known travel blog, The LEGO Travellers, but that she noticed a gap in LEGO photography topics. Aimee Snowden began her Lego Farmer project in September after being inspired by the well-known travel blog, The LEGO Travellers . The 24-year-old hopes to connect with people who are not familiar with what goes on in a farm through the project . 'Instagram has a strong LEGO community, but there was nothing on the topic of famers,' Ms Snowden said. 'I've grown up on a farm and always had an interest in Australian agriculture, so when I saw The LEGO Travellers I saw a different way to connect with people who are not familiar with what goes on in a farm. 'LEGO is also a great toy that transcends generations and allows you to be creative.' Fascinated with macro photography, Ms Snowden's photos show a couple of farmers going about their daily business - stacking bales, feeding calves and harvesting various grains. Her photos show LEGO farmer figurines stacking bales, feeding calves and harvesting various grains on her parents farm in Southern Riverina, New South Wales . 'I have been most over whelmed with the response… there are a few thousand people looking at the blog today,' Ms Snowden said . With her photographs spread across a blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, the photo project has attracted growing interest online. 'I have been most overwhelmed with the response… there are a few thousand people looking at the blog today,' Ms Snowden said. The avid farmer said she was looking forward to sharing more happenings of her Lego mini-figures over Christmas, and has already begun a '12 days of Christmas' photo series as the holiday creeps nearer. The avid farmer said she was looking forward to sharing more happenings of her Lego mini-figures over Christmas, and has already begun a '12 days of Christmas' photo series . | Aimee Snowden began her Lego Farmer blog in September .
Obsessed with macro photography and Australian agriculture, the 24-year-old combined the two to document the daily happenings of a farm .
Ms Snowden said she was overwhelmed with the amount of support her project has received, saying she has had thousands of blog visitors . |
53,408 | 977c7954ffa2edb66b28b094b389b451002262a7 | Scientists have finally solved a visual illusion first discovered by Galileo over 400 years ago. He was perplexed to find Venus looked bigger than Jupiter with the naked eye - but not through a telescope. Now, researchers say the effect is an optical illusion that occurs because of the way our eyes see lightness and darkness in the world. Galileo was perplexed to find Venus (left) looked bigger than Jupiter with the naked eye - but not through a telescope. Now researchers claim to have discovered why . The edges of a light object appear blurred and this is effectively magnified by the brain so that the entire object appears bigger than it should. Venus, being nearer to Earth, is brighter than Jupiter and so it appears bigger against the dark background of the night sky. Their results advance our understanding of how our brains are wired for seeing white versus black objects. The work was done by Jens Kremkow and collaborators in the laboratories of Jose Manuel Alonso and Qasim Zaidi at the State University of New York College of Optometry, and will be published on February 10 of 2014 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science . 'Galileo was the first to say that our eye was distorting reality,' Dr Alonso said. 'He could see that Venus appeared to be much larger than Jupiter when seen with the naked eye and that the opposite was true when he looked through his telescope,' Galileo said that the effect was some kind of size illusion created by the eyes. 'Either because their light is refracted in the moisture that cover the pupil, or because it is reflected from the edges of the eyelids and these reflected rays are diffused over the pupil, or for some other reasons,' Galileo wrote. The 19 Century German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz came nearer to the truth when he said that the 'irradiation illusion', as he called it, was caused by our sensation of the object and not by the optics of the eye. 'The latest research demonstrates that the sensation Helmholtz used to explain the irradiation illusion is a ‘non-linear’ response of the visual system when objects are presented on dark backgrounds,' Dr Alonso explained. The phenomenon is related to the way we see black and white- and also explains why we find black text on a white page easier to read . Galileo was puzzled by the fact that he appearance of the planets hanged depending on whether one looked with the naked eye versus with a telescope. Viewed directly, planets seemed 'expanded' and had 'a radiant crown', which made Venus looked eight to ten times larger than Jupiter even if Jupiter was four times larger. Though Galileo realized this size illusion was not created by the object—but by his eyes—he did not understand why or how. He wrote, 'Either because their light is refracted in the moisture that covers the pupil, or because it is reflected from the edges of the eyelids and these reflected rays are diffused over the pupil, or for some other reason." Generations of scientists following Galileo continued to assume the illusion was caused by blur or similar optical effects. However, though blur can distort size, it does not explain why Venus looks larger than Jupiter with the naked eye. Hermann von Helmholtz—the venerable 19th Century German physician-physicist—was the first to realize that something else" was needed to explain the illusion, as he described in his Treatise on Physiological Optics. In this photo, the planet Jupiter is visible as a bright dot on the upper left, with Venus the brightest planet in the center of the frame and the cresent moon is behind the cloud. Scientists have now discovered why Venus looks bigger than Jupiter . The researchers say the results also show why we prefer black text on a white background . Only now, with Kremkow and colleagues' new study, has science finally zoomed in and illuminated the scope of the problem. It's a feature of how we see everything, no less. In the new study, Alonso and his colleagues used electrodes to record the electrical signals from neurons in the visual areas of anesthetized cats, monkeys and human brains while the researchers showed the animal and human participants dark shapes on a light background, light shapes on a dark background, or light or dark shapes on a gray background. So white spots on a black background look bigger than same-sized black spots on white background, and Galileo's glowing moons are not really as big as they might appear to the unaided eye. This effect is responsible for how we see everything from textures and faces—based on their dark parts in bright daylight—to why it is easier to read this very page with black-on-white lettering, rather than white-on-black (a well known, and until now, unexplained phenomenon). By tracing these effects as a function of the way neurons are laid out and interconnected in the retina and brain, the authors found that the illusion is potentially derived from the very origin of vision—in the photoreceptors of the eye themselves. | Experts say key is the way our eye processes black and white .
Also explains why we prefer reading black on white text .
Galileo first spotted effect when planets were viewed with the naked eye and a telescope . |
65,438 | b9d5c264b0d45afcce97b3381efc6237ef53daab | Bowe Bergdahl is reportedly refusing to speak with his family, despite getting a letter from his sister, as he recovers in an Army hospital in Germany. This comes as officials in his hometown Hailey, Idaho, canceled a homecoming celebration for the American prisoner of war. Officials cited several death threats his parents, Bob and Jani Bergdahl have gotten since the controversial release of their son, who was freed in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees. Many in Hailey suspect the celebration was also canned because of a massive backlash, both national and local, over reports that Bergdahl deserted his post in Afghanistan before he was captured. The FBI is investigating . death threats that Mr and Mrs Bergdahl have received from . people furious about the deal that saw him released from captivity. Fueling the anger is Mr Bergdahl's use of both Pashto and Arabic . language during a White House press conference with President Barack . Obama. Bergdahl has told military officials that he was kept locked in a shark cage in total darkness for weeks at a time and tortured as punishment for twice trying to escape his Taliban captors. Threats: Federal authorities have confirmed that threats have been made against Bob Bergdahl and his wife Jani following their son's controversial release . Moment of release: Sgt Bowe Bergdahl was shown struggling to adjust his eyes to the light at the moment he was released in a video released by a Taliban website. Former colleagues accused him of being a deserter . Bergdahl said his captors kept him in a cage for weeks on end in total darkness (stock photo) The Wall Street Journal reports that Bergdahl doesn't yet want to speak with his parents on the phone. The New York Times quotes military sources as say he has gotten a letter from his sister, but has so far declined to respond. He also does not have access to news media and does not know the political controversy that his release has caused in the U.S. Military officials are planning a re-union with his family at a medical facility in Texas, though they say he is not yet psychologically ready for such a reunion. The Times reports that Sergeant Bergdahl has begun opening up about his ordeal to a team of doctors and psychologists that are caring for him. 'It’s safe to assume he was held in harsh conditions. These are Taliban, not wet nurses,' one senior official said. Among the revelations is that he was locked in a shark cage for weeks at a time as punishment, military sources told the newspaper. Bergdahl said he tried to escape at least once, possibly twice, during his five years being held by the Taliban and later the extremist Haqqani network in Afghanistan. As their son recovers, Mr and Mrs Bergdahl have kept out of the public eye after getting several death threats. Officials won't describe the nature of the threats, but acknowledge that threats have been made. The Bergdahl have not been seen publicly since announcing with President Barack Obama that their son had been freed. 'We are working jointly with our state and local . partners and taking each threat seriously,' FBI Special Agent William . Facer told CNN in an e-mail on Saturday. The threats come in the wake of controversy . coming from the families of soldiers who were killed while supposedly . looking for Bergdahl, who is said to have deserted his post, which is what led to his capture by Taliban forces in 2009. Swap: Sgt Bergdahl, 28, was handed over to U.S. special forces in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees . Emotional: Bob and Jani Bergdahl wept as they spoke of their love for their son in another press conference . Accusations: Sara Carter, senior Washington correspondent for TheBlaze, said the Taliban was thrilled . The family also was the center of . controversy after Mr Bergdahl thanked Allah during the White House . announcement about Bergdahl having been freed. Conservative commentator and former Republican Congressman Allan West said Taliban was 'thrilled' by Mr Bergdahl's use of Arabic and that he had 'claimed the White House for Islam' by thanking Allah in his press conference with President Obama. The father of the freed . soldier - who former soldiers in his unit claim was a deserter - said he was . speaking Arabic and Pashto because his son's English was poor after five . years in captivity. But . conservative commentators accused him of giving the Taliban a priceless propaganda . tool, with one saying extremist sources in Pakistan were delighted. Mr . Bergdahl spoke at the White House after 28-year-old Bowe - the only . American prisoner of war in Afghanistan - was freed in exchange for five . Afghan detainees held by the U.S. Introduced by the President in the rose garden, he spoke mostly English with some Arabic and Pashto. 'I'd like to say to Bowe right now, who's having trouble speaking English, bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,' he said. 'I'm your father, Bowe. The people of Afghanistan, the same. 'To . everyone who effected this... throughout the whole of American . government and international governments around the world, thank you so . much.' The Arabic phrase . bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim appears prominently in the Koran and means . 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'. Sara . Carter, senior Washington correspondent for conservative news site TheBlaze, said her Taliban sources were 'thrilled' at the phrase being . used. She told TV commentator Glenn Beck: 'He definitely was, in a way, consecrating the area. 'He was reaching out. It's an Islamic phrase... And when I contacted my sources in Pakistan who have direct links with the Taliban, they were actually thrilled, the Taliban was actually thrilled that the father did this.' She added: 'This is incredible, he's gone way way beyond just a father reaching out to his son. Divisive: Bob Bergdahl said he studied Arabic to understand his son's captors . 'He’s actually putting so many lives in danger, and he’s giving a propaganda tool to Mullah Omar, who is the leader of the Taliban who the U.S. has been looking for for years.' Others, however, said there was nothing so sinister in the former UPS delivery man's speech. After his son was captured by the Taliban in June 2009, Mr Bergdahl said he immersed himself in the language and culture of Afghanistan chiefly so he could understand the captors, and speak to them from afar. He said in a previous interview: 'I'm trying to learn a little Pashto so that I can speak to people... I'm trying to write or read the language. 'I probably spend four hours a day reading on the region and the history.' Stefanie O'Neill, a Bergdahl family friend, added to CNN: 'Wouldn't you try and connect with the people that had your child? 'Bob and Jani did everything possible they could to ensure Bowe's safety. And if Bob was trying to connect with them, it was to keep his son safe, I'm sure.' Yesterday a public homecoming parade for Bergdahl featuring Grammy-winning singer Carole King was abruptly cancelled in his tiny hometown of Hailey, Idaho. The official reason given was a concern for public safety - but MailOnline learned that a row erupted between Mayor Fritz Haemmerle and former US Army Platoon leader Jonathan Kennedy, who lives in the town. In . an email to Mayor Haemmerle, who wanted to hold the celebration, Kennedy said: ‘If Individual members of the . community wish to hold sedate, private celebrations to commemorate Bowe . Bergdahl's homecoming, they are of course free and welcome to do so. Cancelled: A homecoming parade for Bergdahl was abruptly called off in his home town of Hailey, Idaho . Political firestorm: Senator John McCain - who was a POW for more than five years in North Vietnam - speaks to reporters yesterday. President Obama has been accused of putting a price on an American life . 'It would be, however, a monstrous profanity if a public ceremony, financed by public money, were to be held. ‘It would be more monstrous still if this ceremony were to, in any way, heap undeserved adulation on Bergdahl, or to adopt the sickly hue of ostentatious jingoism that all too often colors such occasions.’ He added: ‘Until he is cleared of the charges against him, this man deserves no applause. For now, the only appropriate response is silence.' Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel phoned Bergdahl's family yesterday to update them on his condition. In the 10-minute call Hagel wished the family well and told them the Defense Department will continue to support the soldier's medical care, along with the process known as reintegration. An official said Bob and Jani Bergdahl expressed their gratitude. Earlier Wednesday, Hagel told reporters that the rush to judgment about Bergdahl is 'unfair' to his family. Footage: A video on the Voice Of Jihad Website was confirmed to show Sgt Bergdahl on the day he was freed . Released: Since he was taken back by the U.S., Bergdahl has been in debriefing with military psychologists . To freedom: The soldier was shown in the video being patted down by his own colleagues before boarding . The POW's exchange for five Guantanamo detainees has provoked a storm of controversy. Many accused President Obama of negotiating with terrorists and allowing a clear price to be set on an American life. And . while the soldier has been hidden from public view, being debriefed by . military psychologists, many of his former colleagues have accused him . directly of desertion. Some claim six servicemen died in the search for the POW, and a Facebook group called Bowe Bergdahl is NOT a hero! has attracted more than 13,000 members. Its description reads: 'Bowe Bergdahl has been made out to be a hero, deserving of praise. 'However, the media and government have lied to the public and covered up the facts. 'I and many of my former battle buddies have first hand knowledge of what took place on that hill in Afghanistan. 'We are here. We will be heard. Bergdahl will be held accountable for his actions.' | Bob Bergdahl and his wife Jani have received unspecified threats, federal authorities confirm .
The threats come amidst claims other soldiers were killed while looking for Bergdahl .
Bob Bergdahl also has received criticism after he said 'bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim', Arabic phrase in the Koran, during a speech at the White House .
Some commentators claimed he was 'claiming White House for Islam'
One correspondent claimed Taliban sources were 'thrilled' at the phrase .
Obama has been accused of putting price on American life in controversial prisoner swap .
Parade in Hailey, Idaho, axed last week amid claims Bergdahl was a deserter . |
271,605 | ebcaf570da00e31df991424577e23c139100c7bc | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:31 EST, 25 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 02:49 EST, 26 February 2014 . Casey Anthony refused to tell lawyers why she made up her story about Zanny The Nanny kidnapping her daughter Caylee and threatened to storm out of a new deposition released this week. The mother, who was cleared of killing her daughter in 2011, was facing fresh questions from attorneys for Zenaida Gonzalez, who is suing Anthony for defamation. Gonzalez says the similarity of her name to Zanny The Nanny meant that some people thought she was to blame for Caylee's disappearance. Hiding: Casey Anthony, pictured in March last year, has been seen little since she was acquitted of her daughter's murder in 2011 . But Anthony insisted to Gonzalez's lawyers that Zanny The Nanny was a real person and she had not made up the name as a code for the prescription drug Xanax. In the . contentious January 23 deposition, Anthony claimed that Zenaida . Fernandez-Gonzalez was someone she'd last seen in 2007 and who had baby-sat . Caylee just once. ‘I met her at Universal Studios in 2006… through a mutual friend,’ Anthony said, adding: ‘We were friends a little over a year.’ But she admitted that the real Zanny The Nanny did not kidnap Caylee, as she initially claimed after disappearance. Miss Gonzalez . sued in 2008 after Anthony claimed that a similarly-named nanny had . kidnapped two-year-old Caylee. Authorities ultimately determined the . nanny didn't exist and the girl was dead, although Anthony was eventually acquitted of murder in Caylee's death after a high-profile trial. Court battle: Zenaida Gonzalez argues her lawsuit should survive the bankruptcy because Anthony was 'willful and malicious' in damaging her reputation . In the contentious January 23 deposition, Anthony claimed that Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, the nanny she claimed had kidnapped her daughter, was a real person . On July 5, 2011, the jury found Casey not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child, but guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer. The not guilty murder verdict was greeted with public outrage, and was both attacked and defended by media and legal commentators who complained that the jury had misunderstood the meaning of reasonable doubt. During the deposition, Anthony admitted she made . up the story about dropping her daughter Caylee off with the fictional . babysitter at the Sawgrass apartments in Orlando, Florida, the same . address as the woman suing her. And she admitted to lying to the police . about it. But when Gonzalez' lawyer Keith Mitnik pressed and asked . what happened to Caylee and whether she knew her child was alive or dead . at the time she claimed to have dropped her off with the fictional . babysitter, Anthony threatened to walk out. ‘At the advice of . counsel, I decline to answer questions about my daughter. If you ask me . again, I will walk out of this room,’ she said. A transcript of the two hour deposition was filed in federal court on Tuesday. Mitnik . expressed skepticism of Anthony's claim that the nanny was a . real person. ‘Now, is there any way in the world that you could . suggest to me that I might find this person to see if she ever existed?’ Mitnik asked Anthony. Anthony replied: ‘I don't know if you could or not, sir.’ Mitnik . reminded Anthony that Baez said at trial that she had difficulty . telling the truth: ‘Do you have a significant problem with not telling . the truth?’ Victim: Caylee Marie Anthony went missing in June 2008 and was found in a wooded area near her grandparents house six months later . ‘No, sir, I do not,’ Anthony replied. She also denied . that the nickname ‘Zanny the nanny’ was a reference to the knockout drug . Xanax, and that she had ever given drugs of any kind to her daughter. The . deposition was part of the ongoing legal wrangling surrounding Anthony's . Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Gonzalez argues her lawsuit should survive the . bankruptcy because Anthony was ‘willful and malicious’ in damaging her . reputation. At the crux of the suit are comments Anthony made to her . mother, Cindy, during a jailhouse visit. Anthony allegedly said she . hadn't ruled out Gonzalez as a suspect, information her mother relayed . to reporters. Anthony said she didn't . authorize her parents to represent her in the media: 'I had zero control . over that. I was in jail, Mr. Mitnik. I had no control over anything.' As the deposition neared its end, Anthony emphatically said she never blamed the woman suing her for Caylee's disappearance. 'That's . never been the case and that will never be the truth. So let's get that . straight right here and now. You can ask a hundred more ridiculous . questions. I'm not going to answer them,' she said. 'I'm done here.' | Zenaida Gonzalez is suing Anthony, 26, for defamation after she was questioned about the disappearance of Caylee Anthony .
Caylee's remains were found in December 2008 .
Casey Anthony was acquitted of murdering the toddler and later filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy .
Gonzalez argues her lawsuit should survive the .
bankruptcy because Anthony was 'willful and malicious' in damaging her .
reputation . |
282,610 | fa0c451adcb3b6a61c4855b34ed8bdd863a11905 | This schoolboy has set his sights on a professional rugby career - despite being born with just one hand. Ben Seward was born with his right arm missing the wrist and hand but he hasn't let his disability hold him back and has been a keen rugby player since he was just seven-years-old. The 10-year-old, from Chorley, Lancashire, has a prosthetic hand but due to health and safety concerns he is not allowed to wear it on the pitch and copes with just one hand. Rugby-mad Ben Seward, centre, was born with only one hand, pictured with his parents David and Carol . Despite his disability, Ben, pictured, does not allow it to stop him from playing the game he loves . His dream is that when he grows up he can play with his favourite team the Wigan Warriors, pictured . Ben plays winger and centre for Chorley Panthers under 11s and dreams of a career playing for his idols, the Wigan Warriors, when he is older. He said: 'I have been playing rugby for nearly four years now. I started playing rugby because it was a good way for me to keep fit and it is a team sport so everyone can get involved. 'The thing I love the most about it is that I have made so many new friends and get to meet lots of people. 'My favourite team are the Wigan Warriors and I go to watch all of their home games. I have met a lot of the players too and my favourite player Josh Charnley used to play for the same team as me. 'I go to training camps at Wigan every summer too and have even had the chance to play against some of my favourite players which is really exciting. 'Going to the camps and playing for Chorley Panthers helped me decide that I definitely want to play professionally. My coaches have been amazing and I have improved a lot over the past few years. 'I have two favourite positions, winger and centre. If I play centre then I get to tackle a lot more - sometimes it can be quite scary because there are some really tough players. 'I don't think having one hand holds me back from playing rugby at all, and when I start secondary school in September I am hoping to be able to play for them too one day.' And Ben isn't the only rugby fan in the family as dad David, 38, is the reason behind the schoolboy's obsession and Carol, David and daughter Kaitlyn, 12, are also season ticket holders. Mum Carol said that having one hand has never stopped Ben doing anything and that the brave schoolboy rarely wears his prosthetic hand except for 'cosmetic reasons'. Doctors believe that Ben punched through the lining of the womb causing fibres to wrap around his arm . Ben, pictured, has been playing for the Chorley Panthers under 11s, where his idol Josh Charnley started . The 39-year-old teaching assistant said: 'Ben is completely obsessed with rugby - it is his life. 'He isn't allowed to wear his prosthetic hand when he plays because of health and safety as it is quite hard and could harm another player on the pitch. 'But he wouldn't want to as sometimes it just gets in his way and he copes just fine with one hand. He gives it his all. 'He does very well with his rugby and is a very popular member of the team.. He is hoping to play for his high school as well when he starts in September. 'They make no exceptions for him and treat him just like every other child.' 'When he isn't playing it, he is watching it - no matter what team it is or if it is rugby league or rugby union. And he has a season ticket for the Wigan Warriors.' According to Mrs Seward, the only thing Ben cannot do like his friends is tie his own shoelaces . The youngster's disability came as a huge shock to the family after what seemed to be a normal, healthy pregnancy - and his missing limb was only discovered after he was born. Doctors think it may be a result of Ben punching through the lining of the womb, in the early stages of pregnancy, causing fibres to become wrapped around his right arm. But the missing limb didn't delay his development and he was walking unaided at just 13-months-old and he has excelled in several sports such as football, rugby and javelin. Mrs Seward said: 'If there is something Ben can't do, he quickly works out his own way of doing it. He is amazing. 'He is just like any other child and he never uses his arm as an excuse. In fact the only thing Ben can't do is tie his own shoelaces. Everything else, he has a good go at. 'He has had a prosthetic arm since he was just seven-months-old but most of the time it is just a hindrance to him. 'He had a dress arm at first and then had months of training to use a mechanical arm but he doesn't wear a prosthetic often. 'He mainly wears it for cosmetic reasons rather than functional reasons - maybe if he was having a school photo taken or something like that.' Ben Seward, pictured, rarely wears a prosthetic arm, only using it on 'dress occasions' like a school photo . | Ben Seward, 10, from Chorley, Lancashire, was born with only one hand .
The youngster wants to pay for the Wigan Warriors when he grows older .
He is not able to use his prosthetic hand while on the rugby field .
Brave Ben has been playing rugby since he was seven-years-old .
He is a Wigan Warriors season ticket holder and goes to all home games . |
108,359 | 17b8a77c44fe040c52aca9965793212bd7aaaef2 | (CNN) -- The White House asked Wednesday that a federal shield law be reintroduced in the Senate, a move that could affect the way the Justice Department conducts investigations into leaks of secret government information. Administration officials told CNN that the request was made to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York. It comes two days after the Associated Press announced that the Justice Department had seized some of its phone records as part of a national security leak investigation. "This kind of law would balance national security needs against the public's right to the free flow of information," Schumer said in a statement. "At minimum, our bill would have ensured a fairer, more deliberate process in this case." The records covered a two-month period beginning in May 2012 and included more than 20 AP lines, including personal phones and AP phone numbers in New York; Hartford, Connecticut; and Washington. "A shield law would keep lazy prosecutors from going after reporters' notes and phone records and compel them to actually conduct investigations that do not step all over the First Amendment," Teri Hayt, the First Amendment chairwoman of the Associated Press Media Editors, said in a statement issued before the White House announcement. Federal shield legislation -- which would protect journalists from revealing their sources and beef up protections for reporters and their sources caught up in such probes -- passed the Judiciary Committee in 2009 but never advanced. The AP phone records controversy pits First Amendment advocates against an administration that has made unprecedented moves to end the leaking of government secrets in the name of national security. "If there were a shield law and it said that the government has to let you know when it's subpoenaing your phone records, your hotel records or any other records that you don't have in your hands, that would have been a big help," said Chuck Tobin, chairman of the media law department at the law firm of Holland & Knight in Washington, who has represented the AP and CNN in the past. His comments too were made before the White House announcement. Related: Justice Department defends itself in AP snooping scandal . "They kept that information from journalists and went to the phone company to prevent giving journalists the chance to fight in court," Tobin said in a telephone interview. "That kind of end-run could be prevented if there were a federal shield law that required notice when the government goes after records from third parties." He added, "It's colossally troubling to everybody, and should be, that the government can come between journalists and their sources in this kind of an unfocused and unbridled fashion." Typically, he said, the government negotiates with the news media to ensure that any subpoena is tailored as narrowly as possible. But in this instance, "the government issued what appears to be an overbroad subpoena," skipping the step of notifying the journalists ahead of time, which would have given them the opportunity to challenge it. "And they did it on purpose," he said. "They did not want to give the journalists an opportunity to try to get this narrowed or quashed." Justice Department regulations allow the government to seize records only in the case of "a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation," Tobin said, adding that that did not appear to have been the case with the AP probe. "It's hard to imagine that there was a substantial threat to an investigation of past events that would warrant not giving AP a chance to go to court on this issue," he said. "That's deeply troubling." The wire service said the investigation into its records appears related to an AP story about a thwarted terrorist plot in Yemen to bomb an airplane bound for the United States. "These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP's newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP's activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know," said Gary Pruitt, AP's president and CEO, in a letter of protest sent Monday to Attorney General Eric Holder. Pruitt said Tuesday in a statement that the news organization had taken extraordinary measures to placate federal authorities, delaying publication of the story, at their request, "until the government assured us that the national security concerns had passed." At the time of publication, the administration itself was preparing to announce that the bomb plot had been foiled, he said. "The White House had said there was no credible threat to the American people in May of 2012. The AP story suggested otherwise, and we felt that was important information and the public deserved to know it." But Holder told reporters on Tuesday that the article that prompted the investigation was one of "the top two or three most serious leaks that I've ever seen." He testified Wednesday to the House Judiciary Committee that he could not comment on the matter because he had recused himself from the case to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest and that the matter was being handled by a deputy. Forty states have passed shield laws and nine others have de facto shield laws created by court decisions (Wyoming is the outlier), according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which offers legal advice and other resources to journalists. But the state laws confer no protection from federal actions like the one reported by the wire service. In the past decade, Congress has come close to passing a federal shield law. But support for the measure shrank during the WikiLeaks scandal in which thousands of classified U.S. diplomatic cables were released. Such a law could keep federal authorities from employing what some media lawyers decry as overly aggressive tactics. The issue has been muddied as the Internet has blurred the line between journalist and private citizen. Under a federal shield law introduced in 2011, the federal government would have had to prove to a judge that the information it was seeking outweighed the journalist's need to keep confidential information, according to the Society of Professional Journalists. Two years later, it remains in a subcommittee. The Justice Department's seizure of AP's phone records appears to have been legal, said CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin. "A lot of people think the First Amendment protects journalists from having to disclose this sort of information," he said Monday. "Not true. Especially under federal law. There is no privilege to protect this kind of information." But administrations since the Nixon White House have exercised restraint, he said. "They have said, 'Look, we will do whatever we can to avoid having to subpoena journalists.'" President Obama had indicated he would follow suit. A day after he entered office, on January 21, 2009, Obama said that he would embrace openness. "Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency," he vowed. That promise has not been kept, legal analysts contend. The Obama administration has used the Espionage Act, which was passed in 1917, to target suspected leakers in six cases, twice the number undertaken by all previous administrations combined. Toobin said the AP's subpoena was particularly egregious. "I have never heard of a subpoena this broad," he said. "The administration is not violating the First Amendment, but they are certainly doing more than has ever been done before in pursuing the private information of journalists, and we will see if there is any political check on them, because there doesn't appear to be any legal check on what they're doing." Such seizures risk turning the news media's news-gathering process into an investigative tool of the government, said Gene Policinski, senior vice president and executive director of the First Amendment Center. "Reporters become effectively recorders of contacts and information for the prosecution, not at all what journalism is supposed to be." But a former spokesman for the Department of Justice who worked as an aide to Holder defended the government's actions. "What they're trying to find out through this investigation is what government official broke the oath that they signed to protect classified information," said Matthew Miller, who left the Justice Department in 2011 and is now a public affairs consultant in private practice. "There is no reporters' privilege in law protecting their records." The Justice Department could have been even more aggressive, forcing the reporters to testify and throwing them in jail had they refused, he said. Besides, federal authorities have an incentive to find out who leaked the story that goes beyond the case, he said. "The government has to send a signal to its employees that these laws mean something, and they will investigate and prosecute you for violating them." Whether a federal shield law would keep the Justice Department from carrying out such actions "would totally depend on what the federal shield law looks like," Miller said, noting that several versions have been proposed. Some would prevent reporters from ever being subpoenaed, others would allow judges to carve out exceptions in cases of national security. White House press secretary Jay Carney reiterated on Tuesday that the administration had no involvement in any criminal investigation by the Justice Department. Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley predicted that the move will have little long-term impact. "It seems to be a kind of a strange, isolated case," he said in a telephone interview. He predicted the Obama administration would back off rather than court further outrage. CNN's Thom Patterson contributed to this report . | Proposed federal shield law might have protected Associated Press from seizure of records .
The Obama administration has taken a hard line against government leakers .
"A shield law would keep lazy prosecutors from going after reporters' notes," says AP editor . |
251,449 | d179523f47dc372d685bcdc853324742ebd952af | (CNN) -- Negotiations between NFL owners and the players union on a new collective bargaining agreement were given a 24-hour extension Thursday, according to a statement from the league. "The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to extend the expiration of the (collective bargaining agreement) for 24 hours and continue negotiating under the direction" of federal mediator George Cohen, the statement said. "The agreement by both sides to refrain from comment on the negotiations remains in place." Representatives of the players and owners have been meeting in Washington. "I just want to say to all of our fans who dig our game, we appreciate your patience while we work through this," said NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith. "We're going to keep working. We want to play football." Without a last-minute agreement or the extension of the deadline, the NFL Players Association had been expected to decertify on Thursday afternoon -- meaning it would stop being the collective bargaining agent for the players. By decertifying, the union would clear the way for the players to file an antitrust lawsuit if the owners lock out the players as soon as Friday, after the current contract expires. All of that would mean the first NFL work stoppage since 1987 and the likelihood of months of labor and legal maneuvering for football fans already confused about how a $9 billion industry lacks enough money to satisfy everyone. Even if there is a lockout, the NFL draft would proceed as scheduled on April 28-30, the league says. All other regular off-season activity would cease, threatening to delay or cancel the start of the 2011 season now scheduled for September 8. Asked about the talks, President Obama said Thursday that the parties ought to be able to figure out how to split the revenue and keep fans happy. "You've got owners, most of whom are worth close to a billion dollars, you've got players who are making millions of dollars," he said during a joint news conference with visiting Mexican President Felipe Calderon. "My working assumption, at a time when people are having to cut back, compromise and worry about making the mortgage and paying for their kids' college education is that the two parties should be able to work it out without the president of the United States intervening." Currently, the owners take about $1 billion off the top of league revenue, and the players get 60 percent of the rest. For a new contract, the owners want to double their take off the top to $2 billion, with the players continuing to get 60 percent of the rest. The NFL generated $9.3 billion in revenue in 2010. Other issues include a proposal by the owners to increase the regular season schedule to 18 games from the current 16. The overall number of games per season, including exhibition games, would remain at the current 20. The players' union questions why the owners should get additional money up front and challenges the league's 32 teams to fully open their financial records. The owners, who say they are not legally obligated to provide full financial disclosure, argue they are looking out for the long-term stability of the franchises and the league. If there is a lockout, players won't get their salaries or bonuses, and if the shutdown forces the league to cancel games next season, the NFL estimates a loss of $400 million in revenue each week. Another possible scenario from the talks would have Cohen declare an impasse that would automatically extend the rules of the expiring collective bargaining agreement. Such an impasse can only occur if neither side takes steps to halt the negotiations, such as the union decertifying or the owners declaring a lockout. | Negotiations extension averts lockout, for now .
NFL owners and players are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement .
A federal mediator is overseeing the talks .
Without an agreement, a lockout and litigation are likely . |
175,531 | 6f338941cb1f3ab9b07e6ea5ecbd9c1e3f8e4084 | Washington (CNN) -- Sen. Kay Hagan's campaign said late Wednesday the North Carolina Democrat missed a classified hearing last winter on the threat from the terrorist group ISIS to go to New York to raise money for her re-election. Hagan admitted earlier this week she didn't attend a hearing because she went to the fundraiser but didn't disclose which hearing she missed. Her decision to skip the Armed Services Committee session -- at which high-level administration intelligence officials filled in senators on top secret details about the group -- is drawing fire from her Republican opponent, North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis, who is narrowly trailing her in recent polls. The Feb. 27, 2014 classified ISIS hearing she missed adds to a long list of Armed Services Committee hearings Hagan has already acknowledged skipping. Her aides had previously explained she missed 27 of 49 public hearings over the last two years because of scheduling conflicts with other Senate business, such as hearings for different committees and meetings with North Carolina constituents. Tillis is betting her absences from the national security hearings will hurt the first-term senator's re-election effort in the Republican-leaning Tar Heel state -- which has a very large military population -- even though he too has faced criticism for missing work in the state capital in order to attend his own fundraisers. "There is nothing more important than receiving briefings on our national security," Tillis told reporters on a conference call Wednesday. "It's the top responsibility of every Member of Congress. Senator Hagen has failed to do her job. What is her excuse for not showing up to work over half the time?" Tillis released an ad on Thursday slamming Hagan for missing hearings. Charges that incumbents have missed hearings, briefings, votes, and other official work are popping up in a several closely-fought Senate races this year. The notion that lawmakers are not showing at the jobs they were elected to do infuriates many voters and feeds a narrative that Washington is broken and office holders need to be replaced. Democratic campaign operatives in Washington, who are already battling headwinds in their effort to keep the Senate in Democratic control, conducted private polling on the question so they could fully understand its impact. The results showed the issue is very potent and could damage even seasoned candidates. Senate math seems impossible to some Democrats . In this year's midterm campaigns, Republican challengers have accused Democratic senators Mark Udall of Colorado and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire of missing hearings related to the threat from the terrorist group ISIS. Rep. Bruce Braley, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Iowa, faced a barrage of TV ads accusing him of not appearing at hearings on the Veterans Administration's recent health care scandal. "When our veterans needed him, Bruce Braley was AWOL," one TV ad this summer charged. In another tight race, Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Allison Grimes blasted Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for missing hearings of the agriculture and appropriations committees and suggested he was too busy with his leadership duties to deal with the needs of Kentuckians. The allegations that Hagan missed so many Armed Services Committee hearings first came to light last month. But at a news conference Tuesday night, following a debate with Tillis, Hagan was asked directly, "Did you miss any of these meetings specifically for a fundraiser?" "You know, there was one," she responded. "And what had happened at that hearing, it was scheduled early in the day. And then votes were scheduled, and that hearing then had to be postponed later that day. So, yes, I did miss that one." The fact that she skipped such an important hearing, at which the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency took questions from senators on "current and future worldwide threats to the national security of the United States," according to the committee website, could prove politically difficult for voters to understand. On his conference call, Tillis was asked about why he missed work in the North Carolina House to raise campaign cash. He deflected the question but said, "Quite honestly, if I had anything approaching the seriousness of the threat of ISIS, I would have canceled anything I was doing." DSCC ad: Tillis in Koch brothers' pocket . Whether voters will accept Hagan's and Tillis's explanations remains to be seen. But one of the dirty little truths about the way Washington works is that lawmakers from both parties have very busy schedules and don't attend all the hearings of the committees and subcommittees to which they are assigned. Even veteran senators from safe states will bristle at the suggestion they might have skipped a national security hearing or classified briefing to attend something that could be perceived as political in nature. That's because they've learned that voters don't take it lightly. | Sen. Kay Hagan's admission might hurt her chances at re-election .
Republican challenger Thom Tillis says Hagan "failed to do her job"
Similar charges have been made ahead of hard-fought midterms . |
17,632 | 31f55976f55f4e5890f53ef85739a6d019eef5dd | American photographer Christopher Makos has released a new book featuring stunning celebrity photographs taken over the past three decades. Among those featured are Brooke Shields,Michael Jackson and Calvin Klein at a 1983 party at the American Museum of Natural History in 1983, Queen Elizabeth out at Ascot back in 1991, and photos of actors Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon taking in 1983 and 1980 respectively. Scroll down for video . Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields and Calvin Klein in 1983 . Queen Elizabeth at Ascot in 1991 . Karen Smatt and Peter Wise in New York City in 1981 . The book, Everything: The Black and White Monograph by Christopher Makos, which is published by Glitterati Incorporated,is available to purchase now. Other photos include OJ Simpson, John Lennon hanging with Liza Minelli, and a gaunt looking Mick Jagger taken out in Montauk, New York, back in 1977. Makos, who was born in Massachusetts in 1948 has worked with many of the greats in his lifetime, apprenticing with Man Ray in Paris and collaborating with Andy Warhol. A young Matt Dillon in 1980 . A young Rob Lowe in 1983 . Mick Jagger in Montauk, New York in 1977 . He is also the man who introduced Warhol to the work of two of the biggest artists of the eighties, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. His photos have appeared in magazines including Interview, Rolling Stone and New York, and he is displayed in over 100 galleries. Jack Nicholson enjoying some champagne in Aspen in 1983 . Ivana Trump at her apartment in the Trump Tower in 1990 . Charlton Heston playing tennis in Bel Air, California in 1986 . He currently lives in New York City. | American photographer Christopher Makos has released a new book of pictures, Everything: The Black and White Monograph .
Among the celebrities photographed are Michael Jackson, Brooke Shields, Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon .
The book also features a snap of Queen Elizabeth at Royal Ascot . |
264,220 | e23923ba5bce677744f91447c86c199f97d6d667 | MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Fifty-six government employees -- including a police officer, a felony court clerk, two corrections officers and 27 school bus drivers and attendants -- were arrested in a scam that used health insurance information to fraudulently obtain prescriptions for the painkiller OxyContin, authorities said Wednesday. Arrested as "recruiters" in the alleged OxyContin scam, are, clockwise: Janice Currington; Dwonvalyn Johnson; Barbara Miller Benaby; Guyton Wynell; Marcella Pierce; and Wanda McNeal. Sixty-two people were arrested in total and all face charges including racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering and grand theft, according to the Miami-Dade state attorney's office. Authorities estimate 130 medically unnecessary prescriptions for OxyContin -- more than 12,000 tablets -- were presented to pharmacies. The drugs have an estimated street value of $400,000, prosecutors said. OxyContin is a popular painkiller, delivering an instant "high" when it is crushed or dissolved and ingested. The scam began in January 2003, when six "recruiters" enlisted a group of people, most of them employees of local government, to participate in the ring, according to prosecutors. Those employees provided their health insurance identification information, and with that information they obtained unnecessary prescriptions for OxyContin from another codefendant, who was a physician, authorities said. The defendants filled those prescriptions at pharmacies and sold the pills for cash to another codefendant, authorities said. In addition, prosecutors said, the defendants submitted claims to their insurance companies for reimbursement for the OxyContin prescriptions. "There can never be an excuse for helping put dangerous drugs onto our streets," said Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Miami-Dade state attorney. "When public employees are a part of the problem and when public medical benefits are used to make the scheme work, these are shameful events. They are also crimes." Among those arrested, according to authorities, were: . • 17 Miami-Dade County Public Schools bus drivers . • 10 Miami-Dade County Public Schools bus attendants . • Six city of Miami Department of Solid Waste employees . • Five Miami-Dade County Public Schools security officers . • Three Miami-Dade County Public Schools custodians . • Two Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation corrections officers . • Two Miami-Dade County Public Schools teacher assistants . • Two Miami-Dade County Transit bus drivers . • One city of Hialeah police officer . • One city of Miami crane operator . • One Miami-Dade County Circuit Court felony clerk . • One Helen B. Bentley Family Health Center driver . • One Miami-Dade County Human Services data entry specialist . • One Miami-Dade County Human Services employee (other) • One Miami-Dade County General Services Administration employee . • One Department of Children and Families employee . • One former employee of Family Christian Services . | Total of 62 arrested, including police officer, felony court clerk, corrections officers .
Officials: Recruiters enlisted mostly Miami-Dade government workers in drug ring .
Authorities: Health insurance information used to get OxyContin prescriptions .
More than 12,000 tablets were obtained, with a street value of $400,000 . |
208,622 | 9a207c4c8cf85b82e37d03892e6baaf06be06f12 | (CNN) -- An attorney for a man charged in the abduction of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham and assault of a different woman indicated Friday that he wants his client to undergo a sanity evaluation. That development came as Jesse Matthew was arraigned Friday in the latter case in which he's accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Fairfax, Virginia, in 2005. Matthew separately is charged with abducting Graham, the 18-year-old sophomore whose body was found on an abandoned Virginia farm October 18, more than a month after she was last seen in Charlottesville. In Friday's arraignment in the Fairfax case, defense attorney James Camblos tried to introduce a motion seeking an evaluation for his client. A judge cut Camblos short, saying that motion could be filed and considered later once a jurist was permanently assigned to the case. Fairfax County prosecutor Ray Morrogh told reporters Friday that Camblos' motion sought a sanity evaluation that would help determine Matthew's competency to stand trial. Matthew made a virtual appearance at the Fairfax hearing via video from jail in Charlottesville, where he's being held in connection with the Graham case. In Friday's hearing, he was arraigned on three charges in the 2005 case: abduction, sexual assault and attempted capital murder. Analysts say he may be tried first in Fairfax, because authorities there have had more time to build their case, and they have both DNA evidence as well as a potential eyewitness. Woman was dragged, sexually assaulted . In the Fairfax case, authorities say that on September 24, 2005, a young woman returning from a grocery store was grabbed from behind by an assailant and sexually assaulted. "We saw her purse on the front sidewalk," said neighbor Stacey Simkins. "He had already dragged her behind our units to the dark pool area." Simkins did not see the suspect's face, but she immediately called police. "The offender was scared away by a passer-by," the FBI said in a statement, "but the victim got a good look at him." The victim helped authorities draw up a composite sketch, and now she could potentially be called as a witness at trial. "I'd rather not say where she is, but she is cooperative," Morrogh, the prosecutor, said last week. Evidence may be challenged . In addition to the victim's potential testimony, the FBI also said it has DNA evidence in the case. But DNA evidence can be challenged in court, said HLN legal analyst and defense attorney Joey Jackson, as can the testimony of the victim. "When someone is undergoing a trauma, as in this case the victim was, you have to wonder whether that traumatic experience could make what she saw reliable," Jackson said. "On the other hand, the prosecution will argue that it's emblazoned in her memory." Still, testimony and forensics may not be the only evidence in the Fairfax case. Now that investigators have the name of a possible suspect, Jackson said, they are likely chasing dozens of new threads, searching for evidence. For example, they would be looking for cell phone records, texts, surveillance video or toll booth receipts that might link Matthew to the crime scene, or any friends or relatives or business associates that might place him in Fairfax. Matthew's attorney to represent him in both cases . Camblos, Matthew's attorney in Charlottesville, declined to comment on the charges or the evidence against his client in either city. The Fairfax County judge granted Matthew's request to have Camblos represent him in the 2005 case, though the judge also appointed a public defender. In Charlottesville, prosecutors on October 24 said that they are still weighing which additional charges they will file in the Graham case. The case could be more difficult to make, according to defense attorney Scott Goodman, since there may be no witnesses who could testify. It is also unclear what forensic evidence may exist in the case, aside from a surveillance video from the night of Graham's disappearance -- on September 13 -- that shows Matthew, 32, apparently following her in Charlottesville's Downtown Mall area. "In Charlottesville, the case is much more complicated than Fairfax, because the Charlottesville case relies almost wholly on circumstantial evidence," Goodman said. Matthew was taken into custody September 24 while camping on a beach in Galveston, Texas, some 1,300 miles from Charlottesville. He is the only person detained in connection with Graham's disappearance, and was charged with abduction with the intent to defile. CNN's Paul Courson contributed to this report. | NEW: Request for evaluation comes in separate sex assault case from 2005 .
Jesse Matthew was last person seen with University of Virginia student Hannah Graham .
Authorities: DNA evidence links him to 2005 sex assault . |
91,111 | 012ee43b28f485f56510cb683e63360b76fc9365 | A heady mix of infatuation and attraction, the unmistakable flutter in your stomach and the realisation you are in love. Your appetite wanes as you anxiously look forward to seeing the object of your affections, and your mind wanders, their presence occupying your every thought. But a surge in your libido and a rise in testosterone levels in the body can leave you more prone to suffering an outbreak of unsightly spots, scientists say. A new psychological study of couples identified the five stages of love - butterflies, building, assimilation, honesty and stability. Scroll down for video . A new study by dating website eHarmony has identified the five stages of love - butterflies, building, assimilation, honesty and stability . Those taking part were asked to complete a psychological test to determine their true feelings. The findings, collated by dating website eHarmony, were grouped into five stages. Participants were asked questions about their behaviour and lifestyle, in order to uncover the impact love has on a person's health at each stage. Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, who assisted with the study, told MailOnline the aim was to establish if there are distinct stages of love, how people feel and what happens to them physiologically. She said: 'It's fascinating to note that this one core emotion can be broken down into such distinct stages. 'What's more, each stage may be relived and recaptured as couples grow into a relationship, and face different life challenges together.' Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulous said the different stages of love impact on our health, causing weight loss, a lack of sleep and raised stress levels . STAGE ONE: BUTTERFLIES . And the findings suggest of the 33 million Britons currently in a relationship, two per cent - or 588,000 people - were found to be enjoying stage one. Marked by intense infatuation and sexual attraction, symptoms noted by couples included weight loss (30 per cent) and a lack of productivity (39 per cent). Biologically, it's reported that during this early stage of dating, both men and women create more of the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen. As a result more than half - 56 per cent - noted an increase in their libido. Dr Papadopoulos told MailOnline: 'First comes butterflies - we have all felt it, it's visceral - you just feel it. 'Butterflies is a great way to describe it, the time when you can't stop having sex. 'We found people almost forget to eat, there is a sense people are full on love. 'Productivity is not great at this stage, as people's minds constantly wander. 'And interestingly, people tend to get pimples in the early stages of a relationship. 'This is because increases in testosterone cause a rise in sebum, which can block pores and cause a breakout.' STAGE TWO: BUILDING . As the initial attraction gives way to learning more about one another, the honeymoon stage subsides and a couple begin to build their relationship. eHarmony's study estimated around three per cent of Britons in relationship are currently at stage two. The body releases neurochemicals called monoamines, which speed up heart rate, trigger rushes of intense pleasure and replicate the effects of Class A drugs. The biological effect culminates in a feeling of 'happy anxiety', where people can think of little else than their blossoming relationship. Forty-four per cent of the study participants noted a lack of sleep while 29 per cent reported a their attention span had been adversely affected. 'Love changes, it moves slightly further to the point where you are building your relationship, getting you know your partner,' Dr Papadopoulos said. 'You may find your attention span is really awful, and you're not able to focus. 'It can also be difficult sleeping, you're literally kept awake thinking about the other person. And there is a sense of happy anxiety, where you feel drunk on love.' STAGE THREE: ASSIMILATION . Having established whether the other person is 'right', stage three forces a couple to question whether the 'relationship' itself is right. Questions over the future of the union and forming boundaries in the relationship can lead to a rise in stress levels, reported by 27 per cent of those taking part in the study. Stage one increases libido, while stage two releases chemicals that replicate the effects of Class A drugs. Love can also impact weight loss, stress levels and sleep patterns . Dr Papadopolous said: 'The third stage is when it becomes more serious, you start thinking "this is more serious than I thought", and "I know you but where are you at in your life, do we want the same things", and "can we figure this out". 'You begin to see that you assimilate that person into your life.' STAGE FOUR: HONESTY . She said this combined with stage four, where people open up showing the 'real you' sees the first real rise in stress levels and anxiety. 'This stage deals with the concept behind how we all put on our best faces, through social media we edit our lives as well as our pictures to make it appear as though everything is fine,' she said. Opening up completely triggered feelings of doubt and increased vulnerability in 15 per cent of participants. Dr Papadopolous said: 'Interestingly stages three and four see an increase in stress levels. 'Up until now it has been wonderful, feelings of happiness and being content. 'But the more serious the relationship becomes, the more people worry, "is it what I think it is"?' 'Vulnerability and stress can manifest itself in various ways, causing unease and obsessiveness around the relationship.' STAGE FIVE: STABILITY . But if a couple can weather the emotional rollercoaster of the first four stages, the fifth and final stage, stability, brings with it increased levels of trust and intimacy. eHarmony found 50 per cent of respondents had reached this stage, and 23 per cent reported feeling happier as a result. Biologically, vasopressin - a powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm - strengthens feelings of attachment. The fifth stage, stability, brings with it increased levels of trust and intimacy after weathering the emotional rollercoaster of a relationship . Meanwhile oxytocin - released during childbirth - deepens feelings of attachment. 'This is where we see a real level of contentness,' Dr Papadopolous told MailOnline. 'We found the body releases wonderful hormones which helps couples bond. We noted a real sense of attachment, and a sense of "you have got my back and I've got yours". Jemima Wade, spokesperson for eHarmony.co.uk, said: 'Here at eHarmony, we're responsible for tens of thousands of relationships and millions of "butterfly" moments every year as a result of getting to know both the heads and hearts of our members.' 'While love doesn't have a rule book, our unique compatibility system matches members on the 29 key personality dimensions needed for a successful relationship including emotional temperament, core values and social skills – giving singles the best possible matches and better dates.' | eHarmony study identified the stages as butterflies, building, assimilation, honesty and stability .
Stage one increases libido, while stage two releases chemicals that replicate the effects of Class A drugs .
Love can also impact weight loss, stress levels and sleep patterns .
Couples reported a lack of productivity, increased vulnerability, as well as delirious happiness before reaching the comfort of stage five .
Psychologist Dr Linda Papadopolous said each stage can be 'relived and recaptured as couples grow into a relationship' |
215,921 | a385671b0d508e396b163aa65a3dbf0f5c4d98b9 | By . Daily Mail Reporters . PUBLISHED: . 19:40 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:42 EST, 13 March 2014 . The Washington driver accused of recklessly causing the tragic deaths of 17-year-old twin sisters in October is now asking a judge for his license back. Ira Blackstock, 53, is accused of two counts of vehicular homicide in the deaths of Jeneah and Janesah Goheen but says he simply must have his license back in order to run his roofing business. To the still grieving community of Oak Harbor, the request is further infuriating proof that Blackstock can't own up to what he's done. Fit to drive? Ira Blackstock, right, and his attorney (pictured late last year) are asking a Washington court to give the 53-year-old accused of vehicular homicide in the deaths of twin 17-year-old girls his license back . Killed: Janesah Goheen, left, died from her injuries 11 days after her twin sister Janeah, right, died in a car crash. The girls were with another friend when their car was struck by Blackstock . 'My concern is that he hasn't accepted . responsibility for what happened,' family friend Dena Royal told KREM. 'Accidents happen, but he's still responsible, and until you take . responsibility, I don't think you need to be behind the wheel.' Royal's sentiments have echoed through the small town since the loss of the girls. And that includes their father Jim Goheen. 'He . just has to live with what he's done,' a weeping Goheen told KIRO not long . after Blackstock's attorney suggested in court late last year that . mechanical issues in his mustang may have been to blame. Janesah Goheen, 17, passed away 11 days after her identical . twin, Janeah, was killed in the crash in Oak Hill, Washington as the . girls drove with a friend to visit a haunted house. Horror crash: The three teenaged girls had to be cut out of the wreck of the 1993 Acura they were traveling in . Not at fault? Blackstock was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But the grief-stricken Washington community was appalled when his attorneys suggested his car may be to blame . 'He just has to live with what he's done,'urged the girls grieving father . In . a heartbreaking twist, it is the third tragedy for the family, who lost . another daughter - 23-year-old Jessica Goheen Thorn - in May 2008 to a . car wreck. Janesah had been . driving their 1993 Acura at 5pm on Halloween when it was hit head-on by . a Ford Mustang driven by 53-year-old Ira Blackstock and was rushed to hospital in serious condition. Her progress had given her family hope, KIRO-TV, reported, but she succumbed to her injuries surrounded by family and friends. The twins' pastor, Russell Schlecht, told the station there was some comfort in the death. 'This is the longest they've been apart,' he said. 'One being taken . instantly, one enduring as long as she could. 'As awful as it is, I'm glad they're together right now. There's a beauty to it. A sense there this needed to happen.' Family tragedy: Their deaths come five years after their big sister Jessica, pictured, was killed in a car crash . Troopers said Blackstock had crossed the centerline on Highway 20 in his Mustang and . slammed into their car. Police say Blackstock appeared to have been accelerating at the time of impact. The damage was so severe that the girls had to be cut from their vehicle. Janeah, who was seated in the back of car, was killed in the . accident while the twins' close friend Alysha Pickler, 18, was sitting in the front passenger seat and suffered a concussion. When authorities arrived on the scene, Blackstock allegedly showed signs of impairment and a blood sample was taken to test his blood alcohol level. He's since been cleared of any charges he may have been under the influence of drugs, but faces a vehicular homicide charge for each girl and an additional vehicular assault charge. Impaired: Toxicology are pending but officers say Blackstock appeared impaired and found this flier in the back of his car . An Alcoholics Anonymous brochure and a Bible were found in . the backseat of his car. Blackstock suffered minor injuries and was arrested after his release from hospital. According to KING 5, the twins sang in perfect harmony at their local church and often finished each other's sentences. Oak Harbor School District communications officer Kellie Tormey told the Skagit Valley Herald: 'It's a shocking tragedy for us.' Injured: Janesah is pictured with her friend Alysha Pickler, who suffered a concussion in the crash . A life together: Twins Janesah and Janeah Goheen were close, often finishing each others sentences . Tormey said the Goheen twins had attended Oak Harbor High School and HomeConnections, the home-school program. They . had many friends at the school and Tormey said a crisis response team . was at the school and will return to help students and staff deal with the losses. The Goheen family has two other surviving daughters. | Ira Blackstock, 53, is asking a judge to let him drive again as he faces vehicular homicide charges in Washington State .
Three teenage girls including Janesah and Janeah Goheen, 17, were hit head-on by another car on October 31 .
Janeah was killed instantly and Janesah was in serious condition but she passed away days later .
It is the third daughter the Goheens have lost a car crash; another daughter, 23-year-old Jessica, was killed in a crash in 2008 . |
119,532 | 266763b12a07deeb0e26af94e4def693de086100 | (CNN) -- Rooting for the Seahawks or rooting for the Broncos in the Super Bowl? Heck, we were rooting for Bruno Mars. The Grammy-winning artist had a tough act to follow this year with his halftime show, given that last year's star performer was Beyonce. And let's be honest -- no one wants to have to follow Beyonce. But we have to admit, Mars rocked the house (or rather stadium) and his obvious joy at performing for what was basically almost the entire world was pretty infectious. For those not familiar with Mars, he's pretty awesome. Here are just a few things to love about the guy: . 1) He was a baby Elvis . As a child growing up in Hawaii, Mars performed with his family in a Vegas-style show. Born Peter Gene Hernandez, he was only 4 years old when his family heard him belting out some Motown tunes and added him to the act, which included his father, Pete, a percussionist, and his mother, Bernadette, a singer who passed away in 2013. According to Mars, when he was a baby his dad wanted to call him Elvis, so at age 6 the tiny singer became one of the youngest Elvis impersonators in the world. Baby Bruno said he loved everything about his idol, including "his lip." Too cute. 2) He's a return to the singer-songwriter . Mars doesn't just belt out the tunes, Mars also writes them. While struggling to be discovered as a singer, he got his start in the industry writing and producing hit songs for other artists, including Travie McCoy's "Billionaire," Flo Rida's hit "Right Round," and K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag," which became the theme song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 3) He's really good at impressions . His turn on "Saturday Night Live" may not have gotten as much attention as, say, Justin Timberlake's, but there was no denying Mars was out of this world when he portrayed an intern at Pandora who has to imitate several artists -- including Green Day, Michael Jackson, Steven Tyler and Justin Bieber -- when the power goes out. Not only was it hilarious, but his version of Bieber's "Boyfriend" was quite possibly better than the original. 4) He represents for the vertically challenged guys . He's a whole lot of talent packed into a little frame. Mars is reportedly 5-foot-5. 5) He can always find the bright spot -- even when being arrested . How can we forget that famous mug shot with him grinning when he was arrested for alleged drug possession? Mars later explained the smile by laughingly saying "I have no idea (why he smiled). It was a picture." 6) He really is as cute as a Monchhichi . We hooted when fans started pointing out the cropped-haired resemblance to the Monchhichi doll, made popular in the 1980s. But there is no denying either the similarity or the utter cuteness of both. 7) He's a supportive brother . While his star has ascended, there are others in his family who are waiting in the wings to find fame. Four of his sisters have formed a singing group called The Lylas, and last year they launched a reality show on the WE network. While he didn't appear in the first season, his sisters said he offers plenty of advice -- even though when he does, "We pretty much ignore it," they have said. They may want to start listening. | Bruno Mars rocked out during the Super Bowl halftime show .
As a child he was an Elvis impersonator .
His sisters have a singing group . |
257,833 | d9ab28a901e26c0bd87d511d638f5c33ace504f0 | Boris Johnson's latest attempt to present himself as a global statesman hit a glitch today as a walkabout in Boston left him knee-deep in snow. The London Mayor already faces a chilly reception when he returns to the UK, amid claims he is neglecting the capital while using international trips to boost his foreign affairs credentials ahead of a potential bid to become Tory leader. But his six-day visit to the US has coincided with an extreme cold snap hitting the country's eastern seaboard, with almost five feet of snow being dumped on Boston in just over two weeks. Scroll down for video . London Mayor Boris Johnson toured the streets of Boston in a London Underground hat as he faced criticism for his international globetrotting . Despite being well-warned of the dire weather, Mr Johnson was pictured tramping around in smart black leather work shoes with not a wellington boot in sight . Forecasters warn that the four-day storm that has sat over the region is set to intensify. The morning commute for many was hellish while schools were closed and flights cancelled. In the middle of it all, Mr Johnson was trying to promote the idea of building roads underground 3,000 miles away in London, where temperatures are much milder at 9C. Despite being well-warned of the dire weather, Mr Johnson was pictured tramping around in smart black leather work shoes with not a wellington boot in sight. To keep his head warm, and his famous blonde hair covered, he had at least remembered to pack a London Underground wooly hat. Mr Johnson, who is hoping to return to parliament at the general election, has insisted his visits are to promote London. In his second trip across the pond in three months, he will this week hold talks with Hillary Clinton in New York City, as well as visiting Harvard University in Boston and a Congressional reception in Washington DC. After braving sub-zero temperatures for a walkabout in the snow, Mr Johnson announced plans to run more of London's roads through tunnels to improve air quality and free up land. Forecasters warn that the four-day storm that has sat over the region is set to intensify . Streets in Boston are all-but deserted as people choose to stay indoors after forecasts for an extra two foot of snow . City officials are at a loss over where to put all of the snow after five feet fell over the last two weeks . NOV 2012 – India – six-day tour including visit to Delhi . OCT 2013 – Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China - week-long tour . OCT 2014 – Umbria, Italy - three-day stay paid for by Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev . NOV 2014- New York City, USA – tour to promote his book on Winston Churchill . NOV 2014 - Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur – six-day Far East tour . JAN 2015 – Kurdistan, Iraq – visited British troops helping to train local fighters in war against Islamic State (IS) FEB 2015 – Boston, New York City and Washington DC, USA – six-day east coast tour . Parts of the A13, A3, A316, A4 and A406 could be diverted underground, he said. Mr Johnson told LBC: 'Because of the huge growth of white vans as a result of internet shopping, congestion on our roads with the growth we've got is going to get worse and worse unless we put in mitigating measures. 'We're going to do a lot. We're working to get lorries off the roads at the peak, we're doing all sorts of things to manage the traffic, but in the end, you've got to start thinking laterally and thinking bigger.' He tried to win over the locals by taking a trip on the T underground line. But after chatting with passengers the journey had to be abandoned when services were cancelled, and Mr Johnson headed outside in search of a bus. The visit to the US comes two weeks after a trip to Kurdistan – where he was pictured with an AK-47 while meeting British troops training local fighters in the war against the Islamic State (IS) - and trips to the Far East and USA last November. He also made high-profile international visits to China and India earlier in his mayoralty. Mr Johnson tried to press ahead with his planned engagements in Boston, designed to promote London investment in science and technology . A planned ride on Boston's T line service had to be abandoned where the service was cancelled . Eventually the London Mayor admitted defeat and returned to the street level to continue his journey on foot . Labour claimed the Conservative mayor, who is not standing for re-election when his term as mayor ends in 2016, has 'mentally checked out' of City Hall, while Green Party peer Jenny Jones, who is also an Assembly Member, said other people were being left to run the city. 'I feel he is lining himself up to be a global statesman when what we need is a London mayor on the case,' Baroness Jones said. Christian Wolmar, who wants to be Labour's mayoral candidate, said Mr Johnson had become a 'part-time mayor'. As well as campaigning in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where he is standing to become MP, Mr Johnson carried out 95 party political visits in 10 months last year, including campaigning for Conservative candidates in Bath, Swindon and Staffordshire. Labour has called for Mr Johnson, who is paid a salary of £143,911 to reimburse London taxpayers for the days he is absent from the city during the general election campaign. Mr Johnson, who has dual US and UK nationality as he was born in New York, began his visit with a speech in Boston on how innovation can help the poor. Mr Johnson, picture on Monday, walks through snow drifts on the streets of Boston as he started his six-day visit to the US . Soon after arriving in Boston, Mr Johnson was posing for selfies with business leaders at the Institute of Contemporary Arts . On the first day of his trip, the Mayor announced plans to run more roads underground in London, more than 3,000 miles away . The message was interpreted as Mr Johnson positioning himself as a 'one nation' candidate for the Tory leadership when David Cameron steps down. He will meet former US secretary of state Mrs Clinton on Wednesday to discuss terrorism and the war in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State. Mr Johnson will also hold meetings with Bill de Blasio, the mayor of New York, his predecessor Michael Bloomberg, as well as the British stars of Broadway and New York fashion week. In November, Mr Johnson conducted a tour of television studios in New York promoting his book on Winston Churchill. The Mayor's official spokesman dismissed the criticism, insisting overseas visits were often at the invitation of Governments or city leaders. 'Each trip is focused on driving investment for London and for British business and have delivered substantial results for London and for UK plc,' the spokesman said. 'The U.S. trip will focus on tech, life science, policing, higher education, Foreign Direct Investment, city to city co-operation, business engagement and investment, theatre, film, culture and tourism. 'The Mayor will be accompanied by senior leaders in tech and life science and a variety of SMEs in the sector seeking new business in the United States. 'Their association with the Mayor's export programme opened new opportunities in the Far East recently and we hope to do the same here.' | London Mayor accused of using his trips to improve his global image .
He has flown into Boston, USA, on his third long-haul visit in three months .
He will hold talks with Hillary Clinton in New York City and visit Washington .
Johnson insists trips are to promote London while he is still mayor .
But it comes as he prepares to return to the Commons as an MP in May . |
153,602 | 527ac700bfa6f4bf7bc3a591d60a875702710cbd | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Elizabeth Taylor went to the Hollywood Bowl to hear Andrea Bocelli in concert, the first night out in months for the big-screen legend. Elizabeth Taylor went to see Andrea Bocelli at the Hollywood Bowl, a rare outing for the film legend. Taylor, bound to a wheelchair by scoliosis, said her mind and soul "were transported by his beauty, his voice, his inner being." The 77-year-old actress posted online messages through the Twitter social network after the Italian tenor's concert Monday night. "I went to see Andrea Bocelli last night. The first time I've been out in months. The Hollywood Bowl allowed me to use my wheelchair," Taylor's first tweet said. "My mind, my soul were transported by his beauty, his voice, his inner being. God has kissed this man and I thank God for it," she wrote in a second message. Taylor opened her Twitter account this year as "DameElizabeth" at the suggestion of her close friend, model-actress-author-businesswoman Kathy Ireland, her publicist Dick Guttman said. Taylor is "very adventurous" and "exceedingly active" despite health problems that sent her to a hospital for a week last month, Guttman said. She is working on a new perfume to follow up on her popular White Diamonds, he said. | Elizabeth Taylor attended Andrea Bocelli concert at Hollywood Bowl .
"The first time I've been out in months," Taylor wrote on Twitter .
Taylor was in hospital last month but still "exceedingly active," says spokesman . |
193,677 | 86baee0a3190fe99b2dba66ec1c03389d1d342fb | (CNN) -- English Premier League champions Manchester United have signed young Mexico striker Javier Hernandez from Chivas de Guadalajara. The 21-year-old, who is better known in his homeland as "Chicharito," will join the club for an undisclosed fee on July 1, subject to being granted a UK work permit. Hernandez agreed personal terms with the Red Devils this week and passed a medical at the club. As part of the deal Manchester United will travel to Mexico and play a match to open the new 45,000 capacity Chivas Stadium in Guadalajara as part of their preparations for the 2010/11 season. Hernandez has scored four goals in just four appearances for the Mexico national team and could make their squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa that begin in June. United manager Alex Ferguson told the club's official Web site: "I am delighted to reach agreement with Chivas to bring such an exciting young striker, who has been in such prolific form for both his club and his country. "He will be a great addition to our squad and we look forward to welcoming our first Mexican player in the summer. "We are equally excited to play our first game in Mexico, opening the magnificent new Chivas Stadium in July." | English champions Manchester United sign Mexico striker Javier Hernandez .
Hernandez currently plays for Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara .
The 21-year-old will join United on July 1, subject to a UK work permit .
Hernandez has scored four goals in four games for the Mexico national team . |
271,831 | ec1bf5971aba03430c528d83a164323aabd45820 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 14:41 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:03 EST, 12 April 2013 . Legendary ballerina: Maria Tallchief (pictured in Chicago in 1974) passed away on Thursday . Maria Tallchief, one of America's first great prima ballerinas who gave life to such works as The Nutcracker and Firebird has died at 88 years old. Tallchief 's daughter, Elise Paschen, revealed today that her mother had passed away in Chicago on Thursday. Tallchief danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1942 to 1947, but her career was most associated with the New York City Ballet, where she worked from 1948 to 1965. Balanchine, the Russian-born dance genius, was not only the company's director; in 1946, he became Tallchief's husband for some years. She told Women's Wear Daily in 2003 that when she first worked with Balanchine she thought, "'I am seeing music. This is it!' I was a musician myself, and I thought, 'I am in my place now.' I knew that that's the way I wanted to dance." Tallchief was one of five Oklahoma natives of American Indian descent who rose to prominence in the ballet world from the 1940s through the 1960s. She retired in 1965, when she started teaching the next generation of dancers. "My mother was a ballet legend, who was proud of her Osage heritage," Paschen said in a statement. "Her dynamic presence lit up the room. I will miss her passion, commitment to her art and devotion to her family. She raised the bar high and strove for excellence in everything she did." On stage: Maria Tallchief pictured left in 1950 while performing in the ballet Firebird, pictured right in 1954 in the Balle Russe De Monte Carlo . Teacher and star: Maria Tallchief, founder and artistic director of Chicago City Ballet, pictured rehearsing the corps de ballet for a performance of Cinderella in Chicago . Tallchief created roles in many of Balanchine's ballets, including "Orpheus," in 1948, and "Scotch Symphony," in 1952. She was the Sugar Plum Fairy in his original production of "The Nutcracker" in 1954. In the 1970s, Tallchief served as artistic director of the Lyric Opera Ballet in Chicago. She later founded and was artistic director of the Chicago City Ballet. In 1996, Tallchief became one of five artists to receive the Kennedy Center Honors for their lifelong contributions to American culture. Tallchief was born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief in 1925, on a reservation in Fairfax, Oklahoma, a small town about 60 miles northwest of Tulsa. Visiting teachers gave her lessons, and her mother later moved the family to Los Angeles so that she and her sister could receive proper training. Prima ballerina: Maria pictured in 1952 with Andre Eglevsky (left) A natural dancer: Maria at a 'Busman's Holiday' party in Manhattan, New York, in 1965 . | Tallchief was one of America's first great prima ballerinas .
She danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo from 1942 to 1947 .
One of five Oklahoma natives of American Indian descent who rose to prominence in the ballet world from the 1940s through the '60s . |
139,694 | 40a78f88f7218a0058910d92cca3e35cb70b118b | Lake Mary, Florida (CNN) -- Shortly after joining the Lake Mary Police Department in 2007, Zach Hudson was dispatched to the home of two elderly women. What he saw left him appalled. The two women -- a mother in her 90s and a daughter in her 70s -- had no food and no electricity. Each month, they alternated what they spent their small amount of money on: One month it would be medicine, the next it would be food and bills. "They were struggling horrifically," Hudson recalled. "They had to cut their medications. They were doing the things that seniors often do to try to make up the financial difference." In his 10 years as a Florida police officer, Hudson had witnessed countless senior citizens in tragic circumstances. But this was the last straw for him. "I'd had enough," he said. "And I realized that something had to be done. And that's when I started to conceptualize the Seniors Intervention Group." Since 2009, Hudson's group has tended to the basic needs of nearly 1,000 seniors in Seminole County, Florida. With the help of hundreds of local volunteers, seniors are provided with essential assistance such as food, money, transportation, vehicle maintenance and help around the house. "If you're 80 years old and you have to get up on a footstool to change your light bulb and you fall, it could kill you," said Hudson, 40. "When it's 100 degrees outside and you're faced with either doing your yard or being fined, and you can't pay somebody to do it, what do you do? Well, you get out there and do it and suck it up, right? "But sucking it up killed this (one) gentleman. A very kind elderly man walked outside to do his yard, and he didn't survive. And that's happening all the time." Hudson said seniors facing diminished income in a difficult economy often have to make life-and-death choices for where and how to spend their money. For example, a light bulb that illuminates a doorway -- or a repair to a front door -- might easily fall below food and medicine on a senior's list of priorities and make them more vulnerable to crime. If a licensed worker is out of a senior's financial reach, they might be willing to pay cash to a stranger who knocks on their door offering to clean their yard or perform basic services. Too often, Hudson says, these strangers are not who they say they are. "As cops and firefighters, we see people at their worst. That's just the way it is," Hudson said. "And when you see seniors on a regular basis ... and they're constantly being scammed or victimized ... you start to ask yourself: 'Why? What can we do? I'm tired of walking away from this elderly person's house every day and not being able to fix the problem.' ... "If you have a crime, then (police) can handle it. If you have a fire, the fire department can handle it. But what do you do when somebody can't pay their electric bill and, as a result, that won't run their oxygen pump? How do you deal with that?" Forming the Seniors Intervention Group was a natural offshoot of Hudson's job as community relations officer for his department. The group became a nonprofit in early 2010, and it expanded to include the entire county this year. By partnering with faith-based organizations, local businesses and other nonprofits, the group can call upon hundreds of volunteers to make house calls. Seniors are either referred by local first responders or reach out for help directly. Assistance could be as minor as retrieving a pill that has fallen behind a piece of heavy furniture or as major as rebuilding a senior's home. All of the group's services are free and covered by private donations. About once every month, the group schedules a large "operation" in which dozens of volunteers descend upon a local neighborhood to do massive group service, such as yard cleanup or a sweeping installation of energy-efficient lighting. Hudson says this is often a great way to identify individuals who need more help. "That operation ... always leads to finding other things, whether it's floor issues, window issues, (air conditioning) issues, whatever the case might be," he said. "It's a neat opportunity for us to get on the ground, take a good look around and see how else we can help." Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2012 CNN Heroes . Hudson's dedication to public safety might not be unique among police officers, but his compassion for seniors is rooted in a more intimate history. He was raised primarily by his grandparents and great-grandmother in a senior community. "Elderly people rescued me in a lot of ways," he said. "They taught me respect. They taught me so many things. And this is simply an opportunity for me to give back to them in their time of need, because that time is here and it's now." And it's something that is only going to get worse over the next 20 years, according to the Pew Research Center. Each day in the United States, about 10,000 Americans turn 65. By 2030, when all baby boomers will have passed the milestone, 18% of the nation's population will be at least that age, Pew projects. "We need more organizations, more businesses, more churches, more police departments, more fire departments to get on board, see the big picture, see the problem," said Hudson, who hopes to see his nonprofit model replicated nationwide. "This is just the beginning." For seniors like Ralph Anderson, the group's efforts have been life-changing. The Vietnam veteran had worn a hole in his bathroom floor with his wheelchair, leaving him vulnerable to an accident. It was also difficult for Anderson to leave his home, so he had to often rely on other people to walk his dogs. But he was introduced to Hudson's group last month, and volunteers have since replaced and tiled his bathroom floor, fixed his leaky kitchen faucet and installed a wheelchair ramp at the front entrance of his home. "It means the difference between feeling like I'm a burden on someone and being able to do something for myself," Anderson said. "Since they're putting this little ramp (in), I can take the dogs out to walk them. I don't have to wait for someone to come help me." Hudson says that helping Anderson and other seniors is a pleasure and a privilege. "(This) is an opportunity for me to embrace the very people that embraced me growing up. ... This is my chance to take care of them as they have taken care of me." Want to get involved? Check out the Seniors Intervention Group website at seniorsinterventiongroup.org and see how to help. | Police officer Zach Hudson often saw senior citizens vulnerable and victimized .
He formed a group of volunteers in Florida to reach out to seniors and help .
The house calls provide specialized service that police, fire departments usually can't .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2012 CNN Heroes . |
282,683 | fa229919943a4970515eed2038d956076d2fb306 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 06:55 EST, 7 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:31 EST, 7 March 2014 . A mother suffered an extreme and terrifying form of postnatal depression which caused her to hear voices and fantasise about killing her baby daughter. Having never suffered any form of mental illness, Lyndsey Walker, 20, experienced rare postpartum psychosis following the birth of her daughter Elizabeth, now 15 months old. The psychosis manifested itself as a male voice inside Miss Walker's head which told her she was an unfit mother and that her family would be better off if she were dead. Recovered: Lyndsey Walker, 20, with fiance Andrew, experienced rare postpartum psychosis following the birth of her daughter Elizabeth, now 15 months old . Troubled: The psychosis manifested itself as a male voice inside Miss Walker's head which told her she was an unfit mother and her family would be better off if she were dead . The voice even encouraged her to imagine asphyxiating Elizabeth, resulting in Miss Walker attempting suicide. While postnatal depression is relatively common, affecting around one in ten women, postpartum psychosis is 100 times rarer. Miss Walker, a former hairdresser, said: 'After Elizabeth was born I didn't feel anything towards her, good or bad. I had no emotions at all. 'I pretended I was delighted in order not to make other people alarmed. But I was steadily getting worse, and soon resented having to change and feed Elizabeth. 'A deep male voice started talking to me, coming to me at times I couldn't predict. He told me I was so bad at being a mum that Elizabeth would be better off if I were dead. 'I had visions of smothering Elizabeth with a pillow, which I believed would make the voice leave me alone, although I never came close to hurting her.' Arrival: Baby Elizabeth was born in December 2012 after an exhausting 39 hour labour . Miss Walker said: 'I loved having the bump. I felt really close to my daughter from an early stage. The labour really took it out of me. But when they gave me Elizabeth to hold, I didn't feel anything . Elizabeth, Miss Walker's daughter with her fiance Andrew Jackson, 29, a car detailer, was born in December 2012 after an exhausting 39-hour labour. Miss Walker, of Preston, said: 'Andrew and I found out I was pregnant almost as soon as we decided to start trying. We were really happy. Postpartum psychosis affects about 1 in every 1,000 women (0.1 per cent) who have a baby. It is much less common than Baby Blues or postnatal depression. It is a severe episode of mental illness which begins suddenly in the days or weeks after having a baby. Symptoms vary and can change rapidly. They can include high mood (mania), depression, confusion, hallucinations and delusions. Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric emergency and help must be sought as quickly as possible. Postpartum psychosis can happen to any woman. It often occurs ‘out of the blue’ to women who have not been ill before. Women usually recover fully after an episode of postpartum psychosis. (SOURCE: Royal College of Psychiatrists) 'I'm close to my mum and loved the idea of passing on that love and having a little life to care for. 'I loved having the bump. I felt really close to my daughter from an early stage. The labour really took it out of me. Then, when they gave me Elizabeth to hold, I didn't feel anything. I wasn't sad, or surprised. I didn't feel any strong feelings whatsoever. I thought, 'I'm holding a baby, and it's OK, but I'm not that bothered'. 'Over time, things became unbearable. Washing, dressing and feeding Elizabeth was just a chore. Andy and my mum Amanda could tell I was suffering so they asked me to go and see a doctor.' At the GP's office, Miss Walker was scared to reveal a troubling development - that she had begun hearing a voice in her head. She said: 'I wasn't sleeping very much and was very shaky. I was terrified that if the doctor heard about the voice then Elizabeth would be taken away from me. 'The voice told me that Elizabeth was sent by the devil. Then, when I began fantasise about hurting her, I knew it was time to seek help. Problems: As time went on, Miss Walker struggled to wash, dress and feed Elizabeth, because it felt like 'a chore' 'I told mum everything and she took me back to the doctor, who diagnosed postpartum psychosis and prescribed anti-depressants and anti-psychotic medicine. But by then I was doing everything to voice told me to do. 'It tried to make a bargain - it said it would leave me alone if I swallowed all my medication at the same time while drinking an entire bottle of wine.' Recovering from her overdose, Miss Walker volunteered to be placed on a psychiatric ward, where she would stay under close supervision for two weeks. She said: 'It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was strange having to line up for medication every morning with the other patients, and being away from everyone. 'Although I was allowed visitors, I wasn't permitted to see Elizabeth for a week. Battle: Miss Walker began to hear a voice in her head that said Elizabeth was sent by the devil. When she began fantasise about hurting her, she knew she had to seek help . Apart: Miss Walker was banned from seeing Elizabeth for a week - during which time she began to long for her . 'Being away from her had an effect I didn't expect - I started longing to be with her. It was the first sign of a change within me. 'When I came out of hospital I started to notice things about Elizabeth - how beautiful her smile was, and what fun we had when we're together. Miss Walker hopes to raise awareness of postpartum psychosis to help others affected . 'I knew I loved her and would do anything for her.' Today Miss Walker says Elizabeth is the light of her life. She has been given a clean bill of health by psychiatrists and doctors and, following several months of aftercare at home, she will be completely discharged from the mental healthcare services next week. She now hopes to raise awareness of postpartum psychosis in order to give hope to parents affected by it. Postpartum psychosis, or PPP, affects approximately one in 1,000 mothers. Most women who experience it have no history of mental illness themselves, or within their families. She said: 'I've had to accept that the experience has changed my life. 'Women who have suffered postpartum psychosis after their first pregnancy have an even chance of developing it again after following pregnancies, so there are risk factors to consider if I want to have more children in the future. 'What I went through was terrible and even though it's rare it can happen to anyone. 'But when people ask me about it, I don't shy away from it. It's important that all aspects of mental health are discussed openly and honestly in order for people to understand it better.' For more information or advice about post-natal depression, click here . For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org . | Lyndsey Walker experienced postpartum psychosis after daughter was born .
Baby Elizabeth, now 15 months, was born after 39-hour labour .
But her mother says she felt 'nothing' when she held her daughter .
Then began hearing voices saying Elizabeth had been sent by the devil .
Took an overdose and was admitted for psychiatric treatment .
Miss Walker has now recovered and formed a deep bond with her daughter . |
15,669 | 2c7fb7b897db7f304961e919cd5ef1a5a93877a4 | A French left-wing MEP has hit out at the creators of video game Assassin's Creed over their portrayal of Maximilien de Robespierre. A slight artistic liberty from the creators sees the character of Robespierre presented as a psychopathic mass-murderer, which has enraged the French left, . Jean-Luc Melenchon claims the depiction of Robespierre, considered by many to have been the architect of the French Revolution, in the latest installation of the game is 'propaganda against the people'. Off with their heads! The creator's of Assassin's Creed: Unity (pictured) have been accused of 'propaganda against the people' following it's less than flattering portrayal of Maximilien de Robespierre . Robespierre, considered one of the most influential politicians of the French Revolution, remains a controversial figure in the country's history. Despite being a fierce opponent to the death penalty early in his political career, he praised the Reign of Terror that followed the fall of the French monarchy as 'necessary, laudable and inevitable'. During the 11 months of 'Terror' 1793-1794, more than 40,000 people were executed, mainly as part of public spectacles using the guillotine. However, his depiction in Assassin's Creed: Unity has not been welcomed by the left-wing on France. Attack: MEP and former presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Melenchon, also accuse makers Ubisoft of being part of a 'capitalist conspiracy' 'This is propaganda against the people,' MEP and former presidential candidate, Jean-Luc Melenchon said, accusing the creators, Ubisoft, of rewriting French history as part of a capitalist conspiracy. 'A man who was our liberator at one stage of the Revolution is portrayed as a monster,' he is quoted as saying in The Independent. Robespierre is presented as a psychopathic mass-murderer in the new video game . 'They are insulting us to destroy what keeps us together as French people.' The game has also been accused of giving young people a distorted view of history, but not accurately portraying the events of the French Revolution. However, Ubisoft and the team behind Assassin's Creed: Unity, has hit back at this, defending their right to artistic license. 'We're making art,' said 'Unity' level design director Nicolas Guerin. 'It's not a historical simulation. We still want players to feel like they're in the Paris they've seen on a postcard or visited in person, but there's pressure — because many of the developers are French — to make sure that we render justice to the capitol of my country, as well as to history.' 'Assassin's Creed: Unity' designers spent two years erecting a virtual Notre Dame — inside and out — to scale, but it is not historically correct. Despite the fact 'Unity,' is set before the iconic cathedral's spire was built, it sits atop the game's Notre Dame. Likewise, Bastille is still standing when it would've been rubble. | French MEP calls Assassin's Creed 'propaganda against the people'
New videogame portrays Robespierre as psychopathic mass murderer .
Left-wing accuses makers of being part of a capitalist conspiracy .
Robespierre was one of the most influential politicians of the Revolution . |
15,504 | 2c14e350697d6d4a77d3aa73810a77fdc36cc193 | (CNN) -- "Unguarded" with Rachel Nichols premieres tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET and CNN's newest host sat down with CNN Digital to talk about hot-button issues surrounding athletes, her experiences as a woman in sports broadcasting and why "Unguarded" is far from your typical sports show. Below is an edited version of that discussion. CNN: How is "Unguarded" going to be different? What can the audience expect to see? Rachel Nichols: There's all kinds of sports shows and most of them are on sports networks. I did that for a long time so I like that stuff. I am a viewer of those shows. Those shows are geared toward hardcore sports fans who can tell you the third stringer on their favorite teams and every little detail. We want it to be a show for a more general fan that's looking at sports from the sort of bigger picture perspective. This is not the same show I would be doing on another network. This show is very purposefully on CNN. CNN: Most people don't associate CNN with sports coverage. How are you going to make CNN a sports destination? Rachel Nichols: I like to think of it kind of as opening up a newspaper. I think for a long time news on CNN was politics and hard news. Well that's the first section of the paper, really. Part of the idea is to have this be the whole newspaper. We're the sports section. I like the fact that CNN is saying, "Hey, the broader audience is interested in sports, along with their finance and everything else, and we're going to be that component." CNN: You were in China interviewing LeBron James. What was that like? Rachel Nichols: LeBron James is one of the most documented athletes in the world. Finding something new about LeBron James is not an easy task. However, one thing a lot of people might not be aware of is that every summer LeBron takes a trip for about two weeks to Asia and conducts the business that comes with being a global phenomenon -- promoting his sponsorship deals, generally trying to increase his popularity in that half of the globe, promoting basketball, shooting some commercials. It's a business trip and it's a pretty crazy business trip because like a lot of people on business trips away from home, he has to figure out things with the language, he has to eat food he's not used to, he's been on a plane and he's jet lagged; and I liked the idea that there was this crazy superstar having what many of our viewers will recognize as a common experience with the travel and the jet lag and missing your family. LeBron actually invited us. It was the first time he ever allowed cameras on this trip. We had all kinds of exclusive access with him. It was a great example of what "Unguarded" can do. Watch: LeBron James on what he eats in China . CNN: Do you feel certain camaraderie with other women in sports broadcasting? I noticed you sent a congratulatory tweet to Sage Steel when she was named host of ESPN's NBA Countdown. Rachel Nichols: Absolutely. There's definitely a "we're all in this together" feeling about it, at least for me. People love the word "catfight;" they love to pit women against each other. One of the things I love about women in sports broadcasting is that you actually don't see that. You really see incredible support. I know it doesn't make for as sexy a story that that's the case, but it actually is the case and the fact that you see the colleagues that you respect doing so well is really fun and, again, moves the ball forward. The fact that Sage is hosting NBA Countdown is a great example. I don't think that job would have necessarily gone to a woman 20 years ago. CNN: Is there a particular sport or major sporting event that you enjoy covering the most? Rachel Nichols: I'm an adrenaline junkie, so whatever time of the year it is where the sport matters the most, that's what I'm interested. Right now it's the World Series. When the NBA Playoffs are going on I'll tell you it's the NBA and so on. That makes me a huge bandwagon jumper, I recognize, but that's the answer. It's when stuff matters the most. CNN: What are your thoughts on how the NFL is handling head injuries? Rachel Nichols: We've seen enormous change in the last five years, and we'll see enormous change continue. I think the overall question is going to be: Is there a point where the information fans are hearing about what happens to these players from playing the game of football, the more stories we see, the more heavy hits there are, at some point does that diminish the ability to enjoy the game as you're watching it? What we have started to see is more and more parents who are saying to their kids, "You know what? I don't think I want my kid playing football." That's going to have a significant impact. Baseball used to be the national pastime. We have seen the NFL overtake that. There's no question that our most popular sport is football. That doesn't mean it's always gonna be football. CNN: Does social media impact the way you cover sports? Rachel Nichols: I pay attention to social media. The biggest impact I would say that it has on me is actually reading the athletes' social media accounts because the information that they give you is so much more insightful and provides so much more access than we got before social media. CNN: In the last year we've had a few current pro athletes say they're gay. Do you think we'll see more prominent athletes coming out in the future? Rachel Nichols: I do. I think that as we see more people talk about it in society and talk openly in society, we'll see the same thing reflected in sports and I think that it's fantastic that people are comfortable talking about who they are as people and the fact that sports is becoming more accepting of that is a terrific thing and something we should celebrate. CNN: Should college athletes be paid? Rachel Nichols: It's complicated. That's part of the problem. That's why nobody's come up with some genius solution. Do you give them a stipend? If you do, where does that money come from? The athletic departments will tell you that the money they use that they get in from this tremendous revenue from football has gone to the women's lacrosse team or the men's gymnastics team. If they use some of that money to pay the football players, then the lacrosse team or the gymnastics team doesn't get equipment or they don't get funded anymore. Do they pay all athletes? Does the lacrosse team also deserve payment? Is it just the football team because that team earns revenue? That doesn't mean we shouldn't pay these athletes. It doesn't mean that the answer should just be "we give up," but I do think that it is more complicated than simply saying "they should get paid." | "Unguarded" premieres tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET on CNN .
Rachel Nichols on other women in sports broadcasting: "You really see incredible support"
"I'm an adrenaline junkie," says Nichols . |
61,511 | aebc6722edf72ed3399587e15b7a9c243bf035a6 | By . Jessica Jerreat . A Louisiana man who spent 17 years in prison for attempted rape has been released after DNA proved he was innocent. The night Nathan Brown was arrested in 1997 over claims he tried to attack a woman who lived in his apartment complex, he was a father to two young girls. Seventeen years later, and his eldest daughter has a baby of her own, who Brown was able to hug for the first time on Wednesday after being released from prison. Free man: Nathan Brown greets his daughter Celene Brady and grandson Kenard after being released from prison on Wednesday . Relief: Brown hugs his daughter Celene on Wednesday. He served 17 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of trying to rape a woman who lived in his building . 'It's really a relief mentally, . physically, to be free from serving time for a crime that you did not . commit,' Brown said as he held his one-year-old . grandson, Kenard, for the first time. 'It was hard. It wasn't no easy task being in prison for 17 years for something you had no knowledge of,' the father-of-two told the Times-Picayuna. The only evidence linking Brown to the crime scene was the victim identifying him after police presented him as the sole suspect. But, after public policy group Innocence Project requested that DNA taken from the victim's dress be tested, it finally proved police had arrested the wrong man. A match was made from a saliva sample taken from the dress, which linked the DNA to a man who is currently serving a sentence in Mississippi. The suspect, who has not yet been named, is believed to have lived just a few blocks from where the attack in 1997 took place. Accused: Booking photos taken of Brown in 1997. DNA evidence last year finally proved another man had been responsible for the attack . Campaign: The Innocence Project helped Brown, second left, to prove his innocence . Lost years: After securing his release, the Innocence Project will now help Brown apply for compensation . Brown said he hopes that the victim will 'find comfort in knowing that the guy that really committed this crime will be brought to justice'. He added that he did not resent the victim. 'She was attacked. It was a terrible thing that happened to her.' The woman had been walking through the courtyard of the apartment building in 1997 when she was knocked to the ground from behind. Her attacker bit the woman on the neck, ripped her dress and stole her purse before fleeing. She told police she had seen him leave the crime scene on a bike, but when officers arrived the building's supervisor directed them to Brown's apartment. His family were one of the few African-Americans living in the building and, despite at least four family members telling police he had not left the apartment, Brown was arrested. Family: Brown hugs his cousin Shawn Brown after finally being released from prison . Catching up: Brown's grandson Kenard hides behind his mom's leg in a moment of shyness when he meets his grandfather . When police knocked on his door Brown was in his pajamas and was rocking his baby to sleep. Despite the victim claiming her attacker had strong body odor, Brown reportedly smelled of soap when she was asked to identify him. Brown was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but continually protested his innocence before finally reaching out to the Innocence Project for help last April. 'What happened to Nate Brown is absolutely horrific,' Vanessa Potkin, senior attorney for the Innocence Project, said. 'A lot went wrong in this case. A crime happened, and there was a rush to judgment. No one stopped and scrutinized on any side. People just didn't hear his screams that he was innocent,' she told the Times-Picayuna. The group was able to push for the DNA analysis that finally proved Brown's innocence, and is now helping the 40-year-old seek compensation for his wrongful imprisonment. | Nathan Brown was sentenced to 25 years after being wrongly convicted .
Tests on victim's dress proved Brown was innocent after Innocence Project intervened .
New suspect has been identified thanks to DNA match on clothing . |
61,995 | b01ad4067202fffb08cec03c2c74dbdbaadca17e | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 08:44 EST, 31 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:07 EST, 31 January 2014 . It was the most terrifying frog to have ever hopped the Earth – and now scientists believe the ‘devil frog’ was even scarier than first imagined. The ancient frog, named Beelzebufo ampinga, had monster flanges protruding from the back of its skull and armour on its back like a shell. It was the size of an African bullfrog, growing to about 10 inches (25.4 cm) across, and lived between 70 million and 65 million years ago. The ancient frog, named Beelzebufo ampinga, had monster flanges protruding from the back of its skull and armour on its back like a shell. A new computer model for Beelzebufo ampinga's skeleton incorporates fossil specimens marked in dark blue. The scale bar at lower right marks roughly an inch in length . The species bone fragments have been collected for nearly two decades, but researchers have only recently pieced the fossils together to reveal its incredible features. ‘We knew it was big; we knew it was almost certainly predatory,’ said study co-author Susan Evans, a palaeontologist at the University College London told Live Science. ‘What the new material has shown us is that it was even more heavily armoured than we imagined.’ Study also found the devil frog was slightly smaller than previously thought. It was the size of an African bullfrog, which grows to about 10 inches (25.4 cm) across. Pictured is an illustraion of what scientists initially thought the frog looked like compared with a modern frog, and a pencil added for scale . The devil frog’s name, Beelzebufo ampinga, came from Beelzebub, the Greek for devil, and bufo - Latin for toad. Ampinga means ‘shield,’ named for an armour- like part of its anatomy. The creature had monster flanges protruding from the back of its skull and armour on its back like a shell. It was the size of an African bullfrog, which grows to about 10 inches (25.4 cm) across, and lived between 70 million and 65 million years ago. Even though it lived far away, Beelzebufo appears to be closely related to a group of frogs that live today in South America. They are nicknamed ‘Pac-Man’ frogs due to their huge mouths. Some have little horns on their heads, and the scientists think Beelzebufo also may have had horns. The first frogs appeared about 180 million years ago, and their basic body plan has remained unchanged. The devil frog lived during the Cretaceous Period at the end of the age of dinosaurs, which went extinct along with many other types of animals 65 million years ago. Earlier studies suggested the creature had a huge, round head as well as sharp teeth and short back legs. But the spiky flanges and plates in its skin were an unexpected discovery. Scientists suspect the devil frog’s body armour may have been an adaptation to a dry environment allowing it to burrow underground to cool down. The armour may also have been protection from dinosaurs that roamed the Earth during the same period. It was powerfully built and possessed a very wide mouth and powerful jaws. It probably didn't dine daintily. ‘It's not outside the realm of possibility that Beelzebufo took down lizards and mammals and smaller frogs, and even - considering its size - possibly hatchling dinosaurs,’ said David Krause of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, . When the team looked the frog's body structure, they found that physically, it fit in with a family of horned frogs called the Ceratophryidae, now found only in South America. However to reach Madagascar from South America, the frogs would have needed to through Antarctica – a route which was submerged underwater by 112 million years ago. That would mean that devil frogs diverged from their South American relatives before that submergence, pushing back the origin of Ceratophryidae by more than 40 million years. Researchers collected frog fossil fragments in the Mahajanga Basin in Madagasca. The majority of specimens of Beelzebufo were discovered in the green sections shown on this map . The skull of the devil frog is shown here. Scientists suspect the devil frog's body armour may have been an adaptation to a dry environment allowing it to burrow underground to cool down. Areas of digital model representing actual specimens are shown in dark blue; and missing regions silhouetted in grey . | Frog had monster ridges on the back of its skull and armour on its back .
The species bone fragments have been collected for nearly two decades .
It was the size of an African bullfrog, growing to 10 inches (25.4 cm) across .
Scientists recently pieced fossils together to reveal its incredible features . |
73,236 | cfb2bf065fd316d2fc9a07cad44fd34f0acd9097 | A six-day-old baby boy said to have 'spontaneously combusted' is being tested by doctors in India. The child was admitted to Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) in Chennai after allegedly bursting into flames and is being given round-the-clock care. The boy's mother, who gave her name as K Rajeswari, said her baby caught fire on Thursday, six days after he was born, with his feet bursting into flames. Scroll down for video . A six-day-old baby boy said to have 'spontaneously combusted' is being tested by doctors in Chennai (pictured), India . A team of five doctors at KMCH, including paediatricians, psychiatrists and plastic surgeons are running tests on the boy. Dr N Gunasekaran, dean of the hospital, said: 'We have sent wound swabs for tests. The results will be out in two days. 'We will decide on further tests and treatment on Monday.' This is not the first time that Ms Rajeswari, 22, has claimed that one of her children has spontaneously caught fire. Ms Rajeswari (right), 22, claimed in 2013 that her other son Rahul had also spontaneously combusted . She brought her three-month-old son Rahul to the hospital in August 2013 and claimed he had caught fire - for the fourth time. Doctors ran a series of tests on the boy and found that he had not spontaneously combusted, raising concerns that he may have been abused by relatives or burnt in an accidental fire. ‘People thought I set him on fire deliberately,’ his mother, Rajeswari said at the time. Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) has been implied as a cause of death in a number of documented cases where burned corpses have been found without an apparent external source of ignition. An estimated 200 cases have been found throughout history and victims are often elderly, sick, or under the influence of alcohol, which would explain why they have not been able to escape the flames. Puzzled scientists have come up with the ‘wick theory’ to explain such events. The theory is that the human body can become an ‘inside out’ candle . The person’s clothes are the wick, while their body fat is the wax or flammable substance, that keeps the blaze going. Limbs may be left intact because of the temperature gradient, with the bottom half of the body being cooler than the top. Some have postulated that static electricity could cause the needed spark. | Baby rushed to hospital after parents claim he 'spontaneously combusted'
Six-day-old Indian boy's feet are said to have burst into flames on Thursday .
His mother claimed in 2013 that another of her children caught fire .
Her then three-month-old son Rahul combusted four times, she says .
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . |
187,854 | 7f4156949e0627fd6fdd902b94bbd0c6812d3340 | (CNN) -- Jostling a flip phone and dried apricots, Ron Jeremy frees a hand to shake before lifting his shirt to reveal a fading red scar that slices halfway down his chest. "The worst is over," he says of the health crisis that nearly killed him in February. "But it was really spooky. I guess no heart problem comes at the right time, but this was just a big disaster. "I had one of the worst things you could ever have. It really bugs me; it really actually bothers me because I don't smoke, I barely drink, I don't touch drugs. I had none of those horrible habits and I still got this horrendous heart problem: aortic dissection, or aortic aneurysm dissection. In my case, I had two: abdominal and thoracic. Two holes they had to sew up." We're speaking on his first day back to work, filming "Jessica Drake's Guide to Wicked Sex: Legends." In the instructional movie, director Drake asked four of the, ahem, biggest men in pornography for their secrets and tricks on how to please a woman. Evan Stone, Steven St. Croix and Sean Michaels answered interview questions and later demonstrated their techniques. At the end of Jeremy's interview, the camera pans out to reveal he's already getting some action. Although he has shot more than 2,000 movies over his 30-plus year career, the 59-year-old Jeremy modestly cleared the room for his scene. "I was nervous," he says. "Blood pressure medicine can affect the penis. I'm taking blood pressure medicine now and I was able to do it, but my scenes aren't as good as they used to be. I don't get the full massive. If I could be so specific, CNN, it bends a little. But it felt good being back in the saddle." "I'm really grateful that Ron Jeremy could be here with us today," Drake says. "I'd like to pick his brain some more, but I wanted to go easy on him. I was really worried about having him on the set. When he was getting (oral sex), I was really watching; watching his breathing, watching his face. Everything." With two operations, medication and successfully climbing the two flights of stairs required to green-light his return to work ("What'd I do? I walked up three just to prove a point"), doctors seem confident he'll be OK. Still, Jeremy now has to think about his performance above the belt, too. "I look at exotic locations where I used to host shows, from Jamaica to Key West. I'm still planning on doing it, but it's scary," he says. "What if I'm on a plane and something happens? You can't say, 'is there a doctor in the house?' It has to be an aortic doctor. They told me to walk around the plane every hour and I said, great, I'm gonna be that guy. There's always a guy that bangs into your elbow, and we all hate that guy." Whether it's the result of a brush with mortality or simply wanting credit where it's due, the entertainment industry veteran and guest star in many mainstream movies, TV shows and music videos, is keenly aware of his fame. He rattles off his name-check by Seth MacFarlane at the Academy Awards, Grammy parties he was scheduled to attend, press mentions from TMZ and Jay Leno and celebrity well-wishers like Gene Simmons and Macy Gray. In the hospital, he says he was thinking about the Rainbow Bar and Grill, an LA institution, where, incidentally, his rum is sold. "I thought, I can get in my car and drive over there. The doctors will be looking for me, but I really want to go because I can't stand it here anymore," he says. "They say I was hard to control." Glory aside, he's grateful for the support. "People used to come up to me (and say), can I see your penis or God knows what I used to hear. Now it's, how's your rehab coming along? We're glad you're OK." "Ron Jeremy is the hope for guys everywhere," Drake says of his enduring appeal. "They watch him and go, huh, Ron Jeremy's still (getting) chicks; I could do that too!" | Ron Jeremy has returned to filming adult movies after a health scare in February .
Jeremy had two aortic aneurysms: abdominal and thoracic .
Porn star says he was nervous about filming his first scene after returning . |
119,260 | 2609de74ebb7d22741bc5cefd25a488788ea5d63 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 09:03 EST, 28 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:06 EST, 28 November 2012 . Seen this before? Many have been annoyed by the amount of nuisance texts promising payment protection insurance refunds . A marketing company that sent millions of illegal texts encouraging Britons to claim compensation for PPI or accidents has become the first to be fined. The Information Commissioner’s Office has ordered the owners of Tetrus Telecoms to pay £440,000 after they plagued the public with up to 900,000 unlawful spam texts per day over three years. Owners Christopher Niebel and Gary McNeish were making up to £7,000 a day from selling the details of those who replied to other companies. Other firms sending similar texts or phone messages have been warned they may be next as the ICO is receiving tens of thousands of complaints from the public. Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, said: 'The public have . told us that they are distressed and annoyed by the constant bombardment . of illegal texts and calls and we are currently cracking down on the . companies responsible, using the full force of the law. 'The two individuals we have served penalties on today made a . substantial profit from the sale of personal information. They knew they . were breaking the law. 'Our message to the public is that if you don’t know who sent you a text . message then do not respond, otherwise your details may be used to . generate profits for these unscrupulous individuals.' Examples of the text messages sent out by Tetrus Telecoms included: 'CLAIM TODAY you may be entitled to £3500 for the accident you had. To . claim free, reply CLAIM to this message. To opt out text STOP. Thank . you'. Another was: 'URGENT! If you took out a Bank Loan prior to 2007 then you . are almost certainly entitled to £2300 in compensation. To claim reply . ‘YES’.' The monster fine came following an 18-month investigation into the activities of Tetrus Telecoms. Money-maker: These companies bombard people with texts and those who reply they then try to extract personal information that can help them make huge profits . The company was sending huge volumes of unsolicited text messages from offices in Stockport and Birmingham, without the consent of the recipient and without identifying the sender - both of which are legal requirements. Any replies were then used to generate leads that were sold to other companies at a considerable profit. The ICO’s investigation included raids at the company’s Stockport premises, in August 2011, and the Manchester home of Niebel, in February this year. Phone owners should also not receive unwanted automated calls - but many companies flout the law and ring them anyway - much to the anger of many . The evidence obtained showed Tetrus was using unregistered pay as you go sim cards to send out as many as 840,000 illegal text messages a day with an income of £7,000 - £8,000 a day. Niebel has now been ordered to pay a penalty of £300,000, while McNeish, who appears to have taken less out of the business, has been fined £140,000. The ICO has connected the company to over 400 complaints to its office about spam texts linked to Tetrus. If you receive a text from a company . you know, or from an anonymous five digit short code, you can prevent . any repeat by replying with the word 'STOP'. If the text message is from an . unknown company, or from an organisation you are not familiar with, the . telecoms watchdog OFCOM recommends that you do not reply. Responding will confirm that the number is active and might result in more messages, or even voice calls. Instead, you should report the text . to your network operator, which may be able to prevent further messages . from the originating number. If the texts continue, complain to . the Information Commissioner's Office – . http://www.ico.gov.uk/complaints.aspx or 0303 123 1113. To stop unwanted sales calls, . register your phone number – either landline or mobile – with the . Telephone Preference Service on its website http://www.tpsonline.org.uk . or 0845 070 0707. This service is free and takes some 28 days for the ban to come into effect. Alternatively, some telephone . companies offer services to block unwanted calls. For example, BT offers . 'Privacy at Home', 'Choose to Refuse' and 'Anonymous Call Rejection'. | Christopher Niebel and Gary McNeish made £7,000 a day selling data .
Tetrus Telecoms sent millions of compensation claim texts over three years .
Information Commissioner warns other companies will be next . |
27,854 | 4ef10a5e5a4b153f6a0e49b2c3d5418668b7ef1e | Shooter Adam Lanza carried out the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School . Adam Lanza had always been a child in need of help. At age 3, he was referred to special education after he began to exhibit oddly repetitive behaviors and couldn't socialize like most kids. By fourth grade, he had been diagnosed with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder and autism. Yet year after year — as psychiatrists insisted that Lanza should be on treatment and strict medication — his mother Nancy refused to follow through on the requests. She chalked up her son's behavior to a presumed superior intelligence, seeing him as a gifted student, despite testing done by experts showing he presented average intelligence. But, as the years went on, the truth became clearer: Adam Lanza was a deeply troubled young man who obsessed over mass killings as he fell deeper into a pit of mental illness while his mother ignored his struggles . These are the findings of a new report by the Office of the Child Advocate in Connecticut, which released on Friday a 114-page dossier about the life of the shooter who massacred 20 children and six adult staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on December 14, 2012. Panicked children leave the school in the aftermath of the shooting. In total, 20 kids and six adult staffers were killed . Cops maintain a perimeter outside the school in the hours following the shooting on Dec. 14, 2012 . The report charges that the local school system enabled Nancy Lanza as she accommodated and appeased her son — even as he became more withdrawn socially and exhibited frightening signs of his obsession with murder. The Office of the Child Advocate says there were missed opportunities to provide more treatment for Lanza. 'Both AL's mother and his educational team shared a goal of managing and accommodating, rather than securing treatment for, AL's disabilities, and likely this approach was fueled by a lack of critical information and guidance,' the report says. The report adds: 'There were early indications of AL’s preoccupation with violence, depicted by extremely graphic writings that appeared to have been largely unaddressed by schools and possibly by parents.' By eighth grade, Lanza's anxiety became so severe, he was placed in a program for children who are 'too disabled, even with supports and accommodations, to attend school.' A major red flag came when Lanza was 14: the Yale Child Study Center, where he underwent a psychological evaluation, said that a 'strategy of accommodating AL, rather than addressing his underlying needs, would lead to a deteriorating life of dysfunction and isolation.' The Yale center prescribed extensive treatment and ongoing expert consultation for Lanza — all recommendations that were ignored. Lanza himself refused to follow treatment for his anxiety and OCD, disagreeing with doctors over his Asperger's diagnosis and avoiding individual therapy. His mother Nancy enabled him and kept him out of treatment, the report says. 'Though AL was profoundly impaired by anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, his parents may not have understood the depth or implications of his disabilities, including his need for ongoing support,' the report says. Lanza completely stopped seeking psychiatric help after 2006. Victims: Lanza shot his mother Nancy (bottom right) before heading to Sandy Hook, where he massacred 20 children and six adults . Twisted mind: Adam Lanza spent most of his time in an online community dedicated to talking about mass murders, as seen in this email he sent days before opening fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School . In the three months before the December 2012 massacre, Lanza had not left his room in his mother's spacious colonial-style house, where he lived surrounded by an arsenal of weapons and spent long hours playing violent video games. His parents were divorced, and Lanza had not seen his father for two years. The report said Lanza's severe and deteriorating mental health problems, combined with a preoccupation with violence and access to deadly weapons, proved a recipe for mass murder. Lanza lived in 'virtual social isolation,' spending his days obsessing over mass killings and exchanging emails with a cyber community of murder enthusiasts. Although he struggled with depression and at times had suicidal thoughts, there is no evidence showing that he was psychotic throughout the period. Despite his declining mental state, Lanza's mother — with whom he'd went on a series of shooting activities over years — didn't seem to curtail his access to the high-capacity magazine weapons guns Nancy Lanza had in her home. In his last few months, Lanza spent most of his time inside his home, refusing to leave. Lanza barely ate anything and was anorexic when he died at just 112 pounds on his 6-foot frame. The report also provocatively asks whether a family that was not white or as affluent as the Lanzas would have been given the same leeway to manage treatment for their troubled child. 'Is the community more reluctant to intervene and more likely to provide deference to the parental judgment and decision-making of white, affluent parents than those caregivers who are poor or minority?' the report said. Lanza killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, then shot his way into the Newtown school on Dec. 14, 2012, and gunned down 20 children and six educators before committing suicide. The advocate's office investigates all child deaths in the state for lessons on prevention. The authors of the Newtown report said it aims to reinforce the importance of effective mental health treatment and communication among professionals charged with the care for children. 'Records indicate that the school system cared about AL's success but also unwittingly enabled Mrs. Lanza's preference to accommodate and appease AL through the educational plan's lack of attention to social-emotional support, failure to provide related services, and agreement to AL's plan of independent study and early graduation at age 17,' the authors wrote. The authors said they could not say whether more effective treatment could have prevented the tragedy. 'This report raises, but cannot definitively answer, the question as to whether better access to effective mental health and educational services would have prevented the tragic events at Sandy Hook,' they wrote. Family photos show Adam Lanza growing up surrounded by guns at his parents' house (left). Experts say his easy access to heavy weaponry contributed to his carrying out of the mass shooting in 2012 . A shattered window at Sandy Hook Elementary School following the shooting . The police investigation into the massacre concluded more than a year ago with prosecutors saying that a motive might never be known. It said Lanza was afflicted with mental health problems, but despite his dark interests, he did not display aggressive or threatening tendencies. Documents released by police in December 2013 included descriptions of sporadic treatment for his mental health troubles. At one point, experts at the Yale Child Studies Center prescribed antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication, but Nancy Lanza discontinued the treatment and never scheduled follow-up visits, police reports said. A Connecticut judge last year ordered Newtown school officials to give Lanza's records the Office of Child Advocate for its investigation. The governor's Sandy Hook Advisory Commission has been waiting for the office's report before releasing its recommendations on what the state can do to prevent and respond to future mass killings. Child Advocate Sarah H. Eagan already has met with the families of the victims and Newtown school officials to discuss the findings. On the left, a shooting target found at the home Lanza shared with his mother Nancy. On the right, guns found at Sandy Hook Elementary School . | A new report says the school system in Newtown, Connecticut, unwittingly enabled Nancy Lanza to 'accommodate and appease' the shooter .
Adam Lanza was becoming more socially withdrawn, and there were missed opportunities to provide more appropriate treatment for him .
The Office of the Child Advocate says in its report that recommendations for extensive special education support and consultations went unheeded .
Lanza shot 20 children and six adult staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 after shooting his mother Nancy . |
180,748 | 75fb04b7898b48c19b46f196ee5d95a6afe1f029 | By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 09:08 EST, 18 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:29 EST, 19 March 2014 . Bored: Lee Price, 30, told officers he was fed up of living in the 'middle of nowhere' This is the drug addict who was so bored of living in the 'middle of nowhere' that he dialled 999 and begged to be sent to jail. But officers told 30-year-old Lee Price he had to commit a crime first - so he went out and did just that. Price left the picturesque market town of Church Stretton in Shropshire, known for its natural beauty, scenic walks and historic rock formations, to go on a shoplifting spree at Waitrose. Price had told officers he was bored and the quaint town was an 'alien environment' to him. All his friends lived in this bustling market town of Shrewsbury 13 miles away, where he grew up, and he could no longer cope with rural life. Price followed a security guard around the store in his home town - before 'blatantly' bagging £128 worth of goods in a bid to be arrested. He was jailed for 12 weeks after pleading guilty to one charge of shoplifting at Telford Magistrates' Court. He is believed to have been sent to HMP Birmingham in Winson Green, situated close to the notorious James Turner Street, dubbed 'Benefits Street' in the popular Channel 4 series. Dean . Easthope, defending, said Shrewsbury-born Price had been living at . Oakbank Motel in Church Stretton after being released from prison for . another offence. The previous offence was not disclosed in court and a West Mercia Police spokesman refused to say what it was. Mr Easthope described Price's situation as a 'sad case' that had emerged from the fact he felt he 'couldn't cope in the community any more'. 'He is a Shrewsbury lad. All his friends and family live in Shrewsbury. Everything he knows is in Shrewsbury,' said Mr Easthope. Picturesque: Church Stretton in Shropshire is known for its natural beauty, scenic walks and rock formations . Historic: But drug addict Lee Andrew Price, 30, was so desperate to escape the Shropshire market town that he dialled 999 and begged police to be sent to jail. Above, Church Stretton, which has a population of just £4,670 . 'Alien environment': Price, who was born in Shrewsbury, had been living at Oakbank Motel (pictured) in Church Stretton after being released from prison for another offence, Telford Magistrates' Court heard yesterday . Taking action: When Price was told he could not be arrested without committing a crime, he went on a shoplifting spree at Waitrose (pictured) in Pride Hill, Shrewbsury, during which he stole £128 worth of goods . 'When he came out of prison he was housed in Stonham, Abbey Foregate, then . he obtained privately rented accommodation. 'But when his landlady found . out about his previous convictions, she changed the locks and he was . immediately homeless. 'The closest he could be . housed at such short notice was in Church Stretton. He was put into the . middle of nowhere. He tells me he lives in the hills in a totally alien . environment.' Mr Easthope said Price had been . addicted to drugs for most of his life and had been on a methadone . script - adding: 'Life had become intolerable for him.' 'He rang up the police and said he wanted to be locked up,' he said. 'The sergeant quite helpfully told him we can’t lock you up unless you’ve committed a crime. 'He can only see a prison cell as being his respite for the next couple of weeks.' Sara . Beddow, prosecuting, said Price had told police, 'I got caught on . purpose. I need to go back to prison', following his arrest. New home: He has now been sentenced to 12 weeks in prison after pleading guilty to one charge of shoplifting at Telford Magistrates' Court. He is believed to have been sent to HMP Birmingham (pictured) in Winson Green . Old-fashioned: Church Stretton, pictured, is situated in the South Shropshire hills on the English-Welsh border . Famous: The town has even inspired British authors, including Malcolm Saville, Mary Webb and A. E. Housman . Welcoming town: Despite his 12-week sentence, Price is likely to be released on licence in just six weeks . She added that the drug addict had also breached a conditional discharge for another shoplifting offence in September last year. But magistrates only handed him a further 12 weeks in jail to run concurrently for . that offence - meaning the petty criminal is likely to be released on . licence in just six weeks. Church Stretton, which has a population of just 4,670, is situated in the South Shropshire hills on the English-Welsh border. It is renowned across the world for its countryside walks, beautiful views and geology - with some of the oldest rock formations in existence. Its picturesque surroundings have even inspired several British authors, including Malcolm Saville, Mary Webb and A. E. Housman. | Lee Andrew Price, 30, was fed up with living in Church Stretton, Shropshire .
Dialled 999 and begged police to be sent to prison in bid to escape town .
Drug addict told he must commit a crime first, so shoplifted from Waitrose .
He 'blatantly' stole £128 worth of goods from store in a bid to be arrested .
Now, he has been imprisoned for 12 weeks - but could be out in just six .
Church Stretton known for natural beauty, scenic walks and rock forms . |
28,267 | 502da851f3bb3df05f1cf32eeceb610fb1a8ac98 | Tunis, Tunisia (CNN) -- Tunisia's interim president and prime minister resigned from the ousted leader's ruling party, state TV said Tuesday, a move seen as a gesture to placate angry street demonstrators and keep the unity government afloat. But at least four ministers from opposition parties have pulled back from the new government, leaving some observers concerned that the coalition may collapse before it can set up new elections. President Fouad Mebazaa and Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi submitted their resignations from the Constitutional Democratic Rally, which was the ruling party of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali -- now in exile in Saudi Arabia. Members of the opposition and the Ben Ali party formed a unity government to replace the ousted president, but there have been difficulties in getting that administration going because protesters are demanding that more should be done to sweep the old guard out of power. The displeasure was reflected Tuesday in central Tunis, when roving packs of protesters staged demonstrations and up to 1,000 protesters took to the streets of the capital and called the country's new unity government a sham. The opposition parties were listening. Lotfi Al Ahwal, a senior member of the General Union of Tunisian Workers, confirmed that the union's administrative committee is calling for all of its members to resign from the recently formed unity government. Three ministers have already stepped down, Al Ahwal said. The union's administrative committee, which met Tuesday in a Tunisian suburb, decided not to accept any government that has officials from the old regime and called for demonstrations against the ruling party. Another opposition leader, Mustafa Ben Jaafar, was to serve as health minister in the new government but suspended his participation in the united government, his spokesman, Abudallah Tif, told CNN Tuesday. The move by the interim president and prime minister was seen as a way to disassociate themselves from the old guard and salvage the new government. Earlier, Ghannouchi said in an interview with Europe 1 radio that some officials from the old regime kept their positions "because we need them in this time of building democracy." "All ministers who have retained their jobs have clean hands and they are very competent. They also have a merit. With their dedication, they have succeeded in reducing the destructive capacity of some areas," he said. He emphasized that a new election will take place in six months and will be the first to be held in a free Tunisia. Ghannouchi also said that "we will not forgive" those responsible for wrongful shootings, including people who may have been personal officers of Ben Ali, and that "all those who were behind this massacre will be held responsible." Weeks of demonstrations have left 78 dead and 94 wounded, the government said. Many of the injured were police officers, according to the country's interior minister. It was not immediately clear how many may have been shot by those affiliated with Ben Ali. Ghannouchi -- who said the military didn't shoot people -- emphasized that he never gave any order for police to shoot people and only allowed tear gas and rubber bullets. When peaceful gatherings started to grow in size, witnesses said, police would step in and start firing tear gas and chase protesters with their batons. At least a half dozen people were beaten, witnesses said, and one man's arm was broken. At the same time, more people began going back to work and more businesses were opening Tuesday, as many tried to restore a sense of normalcy despite the unrest permeating certain places in the restive country. But many others remained angry about the country's new unity government, saying they don't want it to include anyone from the old administration, which fell apart after Ben Ali fled last week. "No leftovers from the old regime!" protesters chanted. Ghannouchi's 19-member cabinet was to include three opposition leaders and 10 independents, he announced Monday. The new government will be tasked with leading Tunisia toward new elections, he said. Opposition leaders Ahmad Ibrahim and Ahmad Najib Al Shabi were named to serve as education minister and minister of local development, respectively. Monsef al Marzouki, the leader of Tunisia's National Congress Party -- a leftist and secularist movement that was banned by Ben Ali's ruling party -- returned to Tunisia from exile in Paris to cheers from demonstrators at the Tunis-Carthage International Airport. Among the holdovers from the previous government is Ahmed Friaa, the interior minister. Friaa has vowed that those who should be held responsible for mistakes of the past will be punished. Hager Ben Mahmoud, a 34-year-old bid manager at a software company, told CNN that normalcy is creeping back, with banks, shops and grocery stores in Tunis starting to reopen. But the military is ever-present. "There are still a couple of demonstrations because people are against the fact that older members of the political party (will remain) in power," she said. She said that the Tunisian workers union is asking people to go back to work in order to get things back to normal. In the city of Sfax, Tunisian State TV said, all of the the shops, pharmacies, cafes and most banks are open as usual. Unlike the previous two days, no demonstrations had taken place in Sfax Tuesday, the report said. The army is still positioned in most areas but not as prominently as in previous days. Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia last week after ruling the country for 23 years, following weeks of protests over what Tunisians said were poor living conditions, high unemployment, government corruption and repression. The unrest over the past several weeks was triggered in December when Mohamed Bouazizi, an unemployed college graduate, set himself ablaze after police confiscated the fruit cart that was his source of income. He died early this month. Recent diplomatic cables from the U.S. Embassy in Tunisia, disclosed by the WikiLeaks website, revealed growing discontent with what Tunisians believed was widespread corruption and nepotism within Ben Ali's government. The unrest has stoked concern across the world, with international leaders calling for an end to violence and offering assistance to develop a Tunisian democracy, with a unity government that "ensures a peaceful democratic transition." "Tunisia has reached a point of no return. The EU will stand side by side with Tunisians as they pursue their peaceful and democratic aspirations," Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy chief, and Stefan Fule, commissioner for enlargement and the European neighborhood policy, said in a statement released Tuesday. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underscored the EU statement, appealing "for broad-based consultations in Tunisia to establish an inclusive interim government leading to the holding of timely and credible elections through which the citizens of Tunisia can freely choose their leadership." "The United Nations stands ready to provide assistance to the Tunisian people," he said. CNN's Ben Wedeman, Rima Maktabi, Tom Evans, Joe Sterling and Neil Curry contributed to this report. | NEW: At least 4 opposition ministers back away from unity government .
The president and prime minister leave Ben Ali's old movement .
Angry protests erupt in Tunisia's capital and witnesses report violence .
Tunisians are steadily trying to get back to a semblance of normalcy . |
27,130 | 4cef3bc65baa552f1e59c6fd8c24033e8c495f02 | Three times as many children have tried e-cigarettes as have smoked tobacco, figures show. They have prompted concern that e-cigs are acting as a ‘nicotine gateway’ for children luring them to back to more harmful cigarettes. A study of 1,601 pupils aged 10 and 11 in Wales found that six per cent had tried e-cigs compared to just two per cent who had smoked tobacco. Furthermore, those who had tried the devices were seven times more likely to admit they might take up smoking within the next two years. A study of 1,601 pupils aged 10 and 11 in Wales found that six per cent had tried e-cigarettes, compared with just two per cent who had smoked tobacco (file image) Some 14 per cent of those who’d tried e-cigs said they might start compared to just two per cent of children who’d never tried. The battery-operated devices resemble pens or cigarettes and they contain a liquid form of nicotine that give users the same rush as smoking. They are used by an estimated one million Britons trying to give up smoking but concerns have also been raised that they are luring children on to tobacco. The study was only carried out on Welsh pupils and Public Health England said its own similar survey had found just two per cent of children had tried them. Nonetheless campaigners said the findings showed the need to keep a ‘watchful eye’ on their use. Mark Drakeford, health minister for Wales said: ‘These latest findings shine further light on the potential impact of e-cigarettes on our children and young people. ‘I am concerned the use of e-cigarettes may act as a gateway to and re-normalise smoking, especially for a generation who have grown up in a largely smoke-free society.' Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation said: ‘This research is interesting in that it is the first survey of its kind in the UK to find the number of children who have tried e-cigarettes to be higher than the number who have tried smoking. Experts have raised concerns that the devices are acting as 'nicotine gateways' luring children to smoke . ‘This again emphasises that e-cigarettes are still an emerging and evolving technology, and that we need to keep a watchful eye on how they are being used, particularly by children. Although there is no evidence that vaping (smoking an e-cig) is anywhere near as harmful as smoking, e-cigarettes are not recommended for children or non-smokers, at least until more research has been conducted into their long-term health impacts. ‘That said, these data on their own don’t provide clear evidence of the so-called ‘gateway effect’ of e-cigarette use leading to sustained smoking. ‘Research suggests that smoking rates amongst UK children overall, while still too high, have continued to decline since the emergence of e-cigarettes last decade.’ | Study of 1,601 pupils aged 10 and 11 in Wales found 6% had tried e-cigs .
That compared with just 2% who had smoked regular tobacco .
Experts have warned devices act as a 'nicotine gateway' for children .
Say they are luring young people back to more harmful cigarettes .
Those who'd tried e-cigs were seven times more likely to admit they might take up regular smoking within the next two years . |
241,965 | c52705b76177b4a0648420b8fd996f8348660998 | By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 13:20 EST, 20 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:10 EST, 20 January 2014 . A fourth member of a gang branded the 'ASBO Angels' has been named and shamed after exploiting frail old men for cash - by stealing kisses from them. The four women would target the elderly by posing as carers or offering to help with their weekly shopping before asking for and taking their money. CCTV captured one of the women flirting and planting a kiss on the cheek one of the victims after bluffing her way into his home. Caught: Andrena Kelly (left) and Emma Reeves (right) who targeted elderly men for money . At least 40 victims aged in their 70s and 80s handed over cash to Andrena Kelly, 36, Emma Reeves, 36,Tracy Halliday 40, and Lesley Bennett, 36, after the women carried out activities on their neighbourhoods looking for likely targets. Police fear there are many other elderly men targeted by the women in Chorley, Lancashire, but are too embarassed to come forward. Today Kelly joined accomplices Reeves, Halliday and Bennett by being issued with an anti social behaviour order, which has banned them from all sheltered housing and supported living accommodation in their hometown. The orders say they cannot offer to provide any services for gain - except for legitimate employment or business. Lesley Bennett, left, and Tracy Halliday, right, were part of a three-strong gang dubbed the 'ASBO Angels', who preyed on elderly men in Chorley, stealing money as they posed as carers . They also cannot carry ID or bank cards belonging to another person. After the hearing at Chorley Magistrates' Court, Inspector Dave Robinson of Lancashire Police said: 'This activity has been going on for some years and the victims we know about are potentially only the tip of the iceberg. 'There are likely to be many other vulnerable victims we are not aware of who have not reported issues due to embarrassment or a lack of capacity to do so. 'A lot of this activity has taken place behind closed doors and so has been very difficult to get a handle on. 'This is a great result for us and indeed the community of Chorley as a whole. 'Most of the victims have suffered some financial loss, as well as being made to feel threatened and intimidated in their own homes. The victims’ vulnerabilities and associated problems have in the past presented considerable difficulties in mounting substantive criminal prosecutions. CCTV images showing one of the women flirting with one of her victims and planting a kiss on his cheek . 'These ASBOs will give us the ability to closely monitor these individuals’ activities and hopefully prevent many more vulnerable people becoming victims. It will also give us the means to get these individuals quickly before a court for any breaches.' Local Labour Councillor Adrian Lowe said: 'I’m delighted that these women have been given ASBOs. 'They preyed on men who were particularly vulnerable. 'A lot of hard work has been done by our officers working in partnership with the police and other agencies to gather the evidence to achieve this result. 'I would hope that this will give people who feel they’re being exploited the confidence to tell us and not feel embarrassed. If you are a victim of this type of crime, or any type of anti-social behaviour, then please tell someone, it’s the only way we can put a stop to it.' Police said officers gathered a dossier of evidence showing the three women stealing from and offering services to vulnerable members of the community over the past year. It included taking inappropriate sums of money to assist with domestic chores such as shopping. They also offered sexual services for financial rewards. Reeves had previously served three years jail after talked her way into the home of a couple aged 79 and 83 before stealing £740. Emma Reeves (right) arriving at Chorley Magistrates Court. Reeves had perviously served three years jail after talking her way into the home of a couple before stealing £740 . She was captured on CCTV taking money from one of her victims after giving him a kiss. David Dickinson, 55, whose father Jack, 80, was targeted by the women in another incident said: 'My dad has has Alzheimer’s and now he keeps repeating: "Have I told you I’ve been robbed?” He has been left upset and confused. 'He keeps saying "I thought I was safe here".' Mr Dickinson added: 'I am so angry with these women. They’re just horrible people. Your natural human instinct is to look after vulnerable old people yet these women pretended to care when they didn’t. 'In my dad’s case the woman said she was his carer but when he let her in, he realised straight away that she wasn’t his carer because they have a set routine and this woman wasn’t behaving in a way that the carers usually do. 'She started looking around and asked him if he had any money. God knows what she took. But apparently she was in and out straight away. Even if it was only a couple of quid, the effect it has had is awful. 'Then another time they came to the window and asked for a cigarette so he gave them one and she said 'have you not got anymore? I know you’ve got more.' 'They imposed themselves on him. They were making excuses trying to get into the building. It’s disgusting. They’re preying on the vulnerable. I’m not sure what good an ASBO will do? Some take pride in it, don’t they. They should be in jail.' The orders will remain in place until December 2015. | CCTV captured one of the women flirting and planting a kiss on the cheek one of the victims .
At least 40 victims aged in their 70s and 80s handed over cash .
Police fear there are other elderly men who were targeted by the women in Chorley, Lancashire . |
214,641 | a1ea746be6100d88ed8d85ea364a8062239a571f | (CNN) -- Contrary to Katy Perry's infectious West Coast anthem, not every California girl sports "Daisy Dukes, bikinis on top." Such skimpy apparel doesn't meet San Francisco's style standards. For starters, the weather is unpredictable. And the city's eclectic array of designer boutiques, thrift stores and vintage shops prove incentive enough for inhabitants to stay fully, and fabulously, dressed. Blogger Dyanna Dawson and partner John Tran showcase the hottest looks on TheSFStyle.com, a website for trendsetting San Franciscans, by trendsetting San Franciscans. "We aim for quality over quantity," Dawson said. "Our blog is the highlights reel of San Francisco street fashion -- only the best make it on the site. We photograph maybe one in 200 people that we encounter." Here, she explains San Francisco style: . CNN: What inspired you to start a San Francisco-specific style blog? Dawson: John started the blog in 2008 because it combined all of his favorite things: fashion, photography, writing and blogging. It's a lot of work for just one person, so he brought me on about a year later in 2009. I've always been really interested in fashion, especially on the consumer trend level, and John's taught me everything I know about photography. CNN: Describe the "style vibe" in your city: . Dawson: There's a certain utility to the way San Franciscans dress. There has to be, because of the unpredictable weather and the amount of walking the average SFer does. Classic American work wear is hugely popular all over the city. Haight Street is littered with eco-chic boutiques, while the Mission District houses a treasure trove of great vintage spots. It's really interesting to see where these three styles converge. CNN: What influences street style? Dawson: The weather plays a crucial role in dictating which runway trends actually make it to the streets. We don't have proper seasons, and San Francisco is pretty well known for its microclimates that vary from district to district. This makes layering pieces essential year round, even in summertime. Also, since most people in the city ride bikes or take Muni, comfortable shoes and handbags are worn by both men and women alike. CNN: What are popular looks? Staple pieces? Dawson: The unisex SF uniform varies a bit every season, but is more or less: dark skinny jeans, a fitted coat (usually a peacoat or trench), canvas or leather shoes (oxfords, loafers, boots, TOMS), a nice carry-all and some tasteful layering pieces. I never leave the house without a scarf and sweater in my bag -- no matter what time of year it is. You just never know what to expect with San Francisco weather. Even when it's bright and sunny out, you could turn the corner and get hit with some fog or a gust of wind. CNN: Are there any trends specific to San Francisco? What makes fashion stand out from other cities? Dawson: San Francisco is a great place to live, in part because it has so many wonderful vintage and thrift stores. The ready availability of vintage fashions can be seen in various forms throughout the city. San Francisco tends to be more laid back than a lot of other cities, so most of what we see on the streets -- and a lot of the outfits we post on the website -- tends to be casual. CNN: What makes you stop and snap a photo of someone? Dawson: We always have our cameras on us, ready to capture fashionable morsels wherever we might be. We look for morsels that strike us for their exceptional personal style. This can mean either epitomizing a popular trend we want to feature, or putting their own unique spin on a vogue. Fit is a key element, and we also look for people who are wearing standout pieces (bags, shoes, coiffure, accessories, etc.). CNN: What trends do you love right now? Dawson: We like to post features that showcase different examples of the same trend, as photographed all over the city. One of the hottest trends in San Francisco right now is animal jewelry. We usually include a poll, so that readers can vote for their favorite piece. CNN: Where should we shop in San Francisco? Dawson: We get asked this question constantly! We even have a dedicated resource page for people who are either visiting SF, or just new to the area. It lists all of my favorite shopping spots, along with some other info on where to eat and drink. CNN: What advice would you give to fashionistas on a budget? Dawson: We're so lucky to have all of these amazing thrift stores and affordable vintage stores. I know from growing up in the SoCal suburbs that not every city is as fortunate. They key to thrift/vintage shopping is to go often, and to not be discouraged when you leave empty-handed. Even the most seasoned vintage shoppers don't strike gold every time. And if you live outside of the Bay Area, there are tons of great finds on Etsy and eBay. How do people dress in your city? Submit your favorite looks to iReport for a chance to be featured on CNN.com. | Blogger Dyanna Dawson and partner John Tran showcase hot looks on TheSFStyle.com .
Blog was created because it combined fashion, photography, writing and blogging .
Dawson says weather, travel habits, thrift and vintage shops, city vibe influence fashion .
Bloggers look for "exceptional personal style," including fit, uniqueness, standout pieces . |
271,891 | ec31ad06cde81bfc883da74705a7d794de5b34f9 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- The New York State Assembly passed a same-sex marriage bill Tuesday evening, bringing New York one step closer to legalizing such marriages. Gov. David Paterson has said he'd sign a same-sex if it's passed by the New York Senate. The bill, which passed 89-52, will now go on to the state Senate for a vote. If it is passed there, it will go to Gov. David Paterson, who has made it clear he will sign the bill. "I applaud ... members of both parties for moving this historic legislation forward," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement released by the mayor's office. "I hope New York will soon become the latest state to adopt a law whose time has come." State Sen. Thomas K. Duane, a Democrat, said in a statement, "I am confident that this year my Senate will uphold this fundamental legal principle and vote for my right, our right, to be married this year." This is the second time New York's Marriage Equality Legislation has been approved by the State Assembly -- it passed in 2007, but subsequently stalled in the then Republican-controlled Senate. | New York State Assembly passes bill by vote of 89 to 52 .
Same-sex marriage bill will go to the state Senate .
Gov. David Paterson has said he would sign a same-sex marriage bill .
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg applauds legislators for vote . |
165,160 | 618fb7c8145e40b743e04efe0fe2489216debd17 | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 08:29 EST, 11 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:51 EST, 11 July 2013 . A prolific thief who raided the hotel suite of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and stole more than £100,000-worth of his wife's designer jewellery was on licence at the time, it has emerged. A court heard Jamie Filan, 32, had also targeted the suite of a wealthy businessman in the Savoy just three days before he crept into Mourinho's penthouse at the five-star Wyndham Grand Hotel in Chelsea, stuffed the gems into one of the manager's Louis Vuitton suitcases, and left the scene in a taxi. Filan, who was jailed for 31 months in May after he admitted burgling the suite while Mourinho was on business and his wife and daughter were out shopping, was brought back to Southwark Crown Court today and jailed for a total of four years after owning up to a string of other raids on five-star hotels. Prolific: Thief Jamie Filan, 32, has had his jail time extended after it emerged he targeted a businessman staying at the Savoy three days before he raided Jose Mourinho's Chelsea hotel suite . 'Persistent offender': A judge told Filan he had an 'appalling' record of convictions as jailed him for four years at Southwark Crown Court today . Filan, described in court as having an 'appalling' record of convictions, was on licence when he targeted Mourinho's suite after having been released earlier this year from a sentence for a domestic burglary in 2012. He bypassed tight security to help himself to gold jewellery, a diamond pendant, computer equipment, and an Ermenegildo Zegna coat, worth £1,850, belonging to the Chelsea boss. Victims: Filan stole jewellery worth tens of thousands belonging to Matilde Mourinho (pictured leaving a London restaurant with the Chelsea boss last night), the wife of football manager Jose . Burgled: Filan left the five-star hotel in a taxi after stealing a haul that included a designer coat worth almost £2,000 belonging to Mourinho (pictured left in London last night), and jewellery he had given to his wife (right) Prosecutor Usha Shergill said today Filan . posed as genuine guest at the five-star Savoy Hotel to get into the room . of businessman Soven Hansen. 'He approached two members of staff who were part of the cleaning team and casually asked them what time they would complete cleaning the room', she told the court. 'It led them to believe he was the occupant of room 421. 'He entered the room and later seen leaving the room with an orange plastic bag containing quite a significant amount of property.' Filan stole a Louis Vuitton purse worth £100, Sony photographic equipment, a Tom Tom sat-nav system, and a brand new iPad worth £2,000. He later told police he sold the goods on Edgware Road in a bid to clear £7,000 worth of debt. Thief: Filan posed as a guest at the Savoy Hotel in order to sneak into the suite of businessman Soven Hansen . Lavish: Jose Mourinho was away on business and his wife and daughter were out shopping when Filan burgled their suite escaping with more than £100,000 worth of goods . Filan had scoured the hotel looking for a way into the room, and is thought to have found a keycard in a janitor's cupboard. 'CCTV footage shows Mr Filan entering the hotel, and he was then seen to enter a blue lift up to the fourth floor', Ms Shergill said. 'Earlier footage shows Mr Filan entering the janitor's cupboard, and the only inference for this is he managed to obtain a swipe card to gain access to the room in question.' She added: 'One can only imagine the tremendous inconvenience the loser of the property must have experienced, having lost not just personal items but also a computer containing lots of information and data. 'He planned the burglary and clearly went with the intention of stealing, embarking on some form of deception.' Filan confessed to that raid on March 23, and asked for two other raids - on the Renaissance Hotel in St Pancras, on February 28 and the Landmark London Hotel in Marylebone, on March 27 - to be taken into consideration. Targeted: Filan raided Mourinho's five star suite while he was away on business and his wife Matilde and daughter Tita were out shopping . During those other burglaries, he got away with £3,800 worth of goods, but was later identified on CCTV as a well-known thief. Filan had targeted Mourinho, then still in charge at Real Madrid, on March 26, just three days after he and his family checked in to their hotel suite. In that raid, he helped himself to a Cartier pendant, earrings and a ring worth £51,450, which the soccer star had given to his wife Matilde as gifts. A Bulgari white gold watch and earrings worth £30,450, together with a £14,900 Van Cleef and Arpels gold bracelet; a Tiffany 18ct white gold diamond cross pendant, worth £2,450; a Boucheron yellow, white and pink gold ring, valued at £4,600; and a pair of Chaumet 18ct white gold diamond earrings, worth £2,750, were also taken. Wealthy clientele: Three days before the raid on Mourinho's suite in Chelsea, Filan had targeted a wealthy businessman at London's Savoy Hotel, a court heard . Brazen Filan then stuffed the haul into one of Mourinho's Louis Vuitton suitcases and casually asked hotel staff to order him a taxi. In 2007 Filan was jailed for five years for running over and killing dental nurse Michelle Dever in Lancing, West Sussex. Filan was then let out in June 2009 and hit the headlines after bragging on Facebook about jet-skiing, quad-biking and nightclubbing in Ibiza while on licence. The court heard Filan has 22 previous convictions for 55 offences, and is currently a serving prisoner at HMP Wandsworth. His latest crime spree finally came to an end on April 13 when he raided a suite at the exclusive Four Seasons in Hamilton Place, Park Lane. Security staff spotted him returning the following day to try to break into another room at the same hotel, and detained him. Filan, who was known to use the alias 'Jimmy Dormer', is already banned from entering any hotel in the City of London and the City of Westminster for five years upon his release from jail. Judge Stephen Robbins jailed him for four years today, to run concurrently with his existing 31 month jail term. 'Your antecedents show an appalling record of convictions', said the judge. 'You are a persistent offender.' Filan, formerly of Westminster and now of Peterborough, admitted one count of burglary with two other offences to be taken into consideration. | Jamie Filan, 32, crept into suite at five star Wyndham Grand in Chelsea .
Was on licence for a domestic burglary at time of raid, it has emerged .
Targeted businessman's suite at plush Savoy just three days earlier .
Jailed for 31 months in May after admitting to raid on football boss' suite .
Sentenced to four years today after owning up to more hotel thefts . |
215,518 | a2f92948febbbd7f71fbe6fdaa9d2bb08aa0f4ad | A woman who could face the death penalty for murdering her ex-boyfriend in a jealous rage has asked for the date of her sentencing to be delayed. Jodi Arias admitted killing her former lover Travis Alexander in 2008, who was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head, but said it was in self-defense. Prosecutors said the murder was premeditated, and that Arias killed Alexander because he wanted to end their affair. She was found guilty last year but jurors could not decide whether she deserved the death penalty, so a retrial to determine her punishment was set for next month. Jodi Arias was last year found guilty of brutally murdering her former lover Travis Alexander, but the jury could reach a decision on whether she should face the death penalty . At a hearing on Wednesday at Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona, Arias, 34, asked for a delay to give her time to interview an expert witness she plans to call to testify and to review evidence. Speaking softly while seated at a defense table alongside her two lawyers, it was the first time Arias had argued her own motions. Arias was previously granted permission to represent herself, so long as the two court-appointed attorneys stayed on as advisers. But yesterday Arias asked judge Sherry Stephens to postpone the penalty phase of her murder trial, saying she would no longer represent herself if one of the defense lawyers quit the case. Kirk Nurmi, one of the two attorneys representing Arias, filed a motion last week which said that 'a completely fractured relationship between counsel (and client) now exists'. Prosecutor Juan Martinez objected, saying that the case had dragged on long enough. He added that the original ruling allowing Arias to represent herself stated that there would be no delays. 'She agreed to those terms,' Mr Martinez told the judge. Arias, 34, wants the sentencing to be delayed so she can interview an expert witness . The convicted murderer also wants one of her defense lawyers to be removed, which could further delay the sentencing, which is set for September 8 in Phoenix, Arizona . Arias has tried to fire Mr Nurmi several times, and he has sought to get off the case too. Arias told the judge that she would no longer serve as her own attorney and would let her other lawyer, Jennifer Willmott, argue the case if Mr Nurmi was allowed to quit. 'As far as I know, he has not done anything' to assist in the defense lately, Arias told the judge. Arguments were then closed to the media and public, and it was not immediately clear if the judge issued a ruling. The prosecutor and defense attorneys left court without comment. A hearing is set for August 22 on Arias's motion to postpone the retrial. Under Arizona law, Arias's murder conviction stands and prosecutors have the option of putting on a second penalty phase with a new jury in an effort to secure the death penalty. If a new jury fails to reach a unanimous decision, the judge will then sentence Arias to spend her life behind bars or to be eligible for release after 25 years. | Arias, 34, murdered her ex-lover Travis Alexander in 2008 .
He was stabbed 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head .
Arias was found guilty last year, but jury could not decide whether she should face the death penalty .
Now sentencing could be delayed further as Arias says she no longer wants to represent herself and wants one of her lawyers to quit the case . |
129,747 | 33bbac31b9d5f52b637aaa989296d14de972358b | By . Margot Peppers . Angelina Jolie turned 39 on Wednesday, but thanks to her flawless skin she doesn't seem to have aged in years. Now, according to Us Weekly, the secret to her youthful appearance has been revealed: an $800 treatment called the Triad facial, administered by New York dermatologist David Colbert, which combines microdermabrasion, laser and a glycoloic peel. Dr Colbert, whose office is in Manhattan, has also treated Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, all of whom are fans of the Triad facial. Skin secret: Angelina Jolie, 39, (pictured on Tuesday) reportedly owes her flawless complexion to the Triad facial, an $800 treatment developed by New York dermatologist David Colbert . Magic formula: The facial combines microdermabrasion, laser and a glycoloic peel . Angelina reportedly first met Dr Colbert in 2010 on the set of Salt, where he treated her for a minor cut. Since then, she has come to swear by his 30-minute treatments. The Oscar winner also uses Dr Colbert's line of skincare products, which range in price from $52 for a purifying cleanser to $165 for night cream. According to his website, the Triad facial is a three-part process: gentle microdermabrasion to remove dead skin cells, then laser toning to even pigmentation, and finally a gentle chemical peel that 'imparts a fresh, youthful radiance and silkiness to skin.' It can cost between $800 and $1,200, depending on the type and strength of the chemical peel as well as the number of laser pulses performed. Get the look: Dr Colbert, whose office is in Manhattan, also has a line of skincare products, with prices ranging from $52 to $165 . One of the benefits of the treatment is that it doesn't produce redness, which means A-listers can have it last-minute before attending important events. 'It gives immediate results and, most importantly, there's no downtime,' the dermatologist told the Hollywood Reporter. Dr Colbert first gained attention in 2010, after Naomi Watts said in Life & Style magazine that she credited his skin care line for her flawless complexion. Celebrity following: House of Cards actress Robin Wright, 48, (pictured left on Wednesday) and 45-year-old Naomi Watts (right, on May 16) are also fans of the Triad facial . Supporters: Michelle Williams, 33, (left in 2012) apparently visited Dr Colbert's temporary clinic in Beverly Hills before this year's Oscars. And Rachel Weisz, 44, (right, in 2013) swears by his treatments, too . Oprah endorsed his 'heal and soothe' night cream in the July 2010 issue of O Magazine, and Fitness magazine featured his facial disks as some of the 'secrets to perfect skin' in the February 2013 issue. In February, Dr Colbert set up a temporary pre-Oscar beauty clinic in Beverly Hills, so that actresses could enjoy a 20-minute version of his signature Triad facial before hitting the red carpet. Robin Wright, Emma Stone and Heidi Klum all apparently visited the temporary clinic before the big event . | The Triad facial, created by New York dermatologist David Colbert, is also loved by Naomi Watts, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Robin Wright . |
188,771 | 807c4cb413603cfcc258dba474d73e0cbf9bf9ac | (CNN) -- Inter Milan did all they could to keep the pressure up on Serie A leaders AC Milan as they beat lowly Cesena 2-1. But they left it very late. Two goals in injury time by striker Giampaolo Pazzini ensured Inter stay in touch with their city rivals, closing the gap to five points until Sunday at least, when Milan host mid-table Bologna. Cesena took the lead after 56 minutes thanks to Croatian striker Igor Budan and, as the finals minutes ticked down, looked to have claimed three vital points. But then Inter's unlikely comeback started with Samuel Eto'o delivering an inswinging cross into the box which Pazzini managed to poke home on the volley. Seconds later the Italian striker found himself in the right place at the right time again as he rose to meet Maicon's cross from the right to head home to complete a dramatic and bizarre turnaround. "It was all calculated, it was organized from the first minute, everything went perfectly," Inter coach, Leonardo joked afterwards, AFP reported. "We looked at it as a decisive game and it was very important to get the three points for the Champions League, even if qualification isn't yet secured. Winning in this way really is incredible even if it's not our first comeback," he added, AFP reported. The loss leaves Cesena in 16th place, although both Sampdoria (who face Brescia) and Lecce (who travel to Chievo) can both overtake them if they win on Sunday. In Saturday's other game third-placed Napoli kept up the pressure on Inter with a 1-0 win over Genoa -- Slovak midfielder Marek Hamsik with the goal seven minutes before the final whistle. The result means Napoli remain a point behind Inter in the table whilst extending their lead over fourth-placed Lazio who host Juventus on Monday evening. | Inter Milan beat Cesena 2-1 with two goals in injury time .
Napoli retain grip in third as they beat Genoa 1-0 . |
48,327 | 886877992357bb94eb5017c5f671383cd66bed09 | A hair-loss medication reportedly tried by Wayne Rooney may cause prolonged and possibly irreversible impotence, scientists have claimed. The recent findings come after one patient bravely stepped forward to reveal the drug left him with no sex drive and even shrank his genitals. Kevin Malley, 30, was prescribed with the drug Propecia after he worried he could be losing his hair. He said he only planned to take the pill for a year. Concern: Men worried about losing their hair may consider treatments such as Propecia. However in the UK the drug label warns about possible 'persistent' sexual side effects . However, just five months after he started taking it in May 2011 he found he was completely impotent and his testes also became smaller. Worried, he consulted his doctor and was told the symptoms would disappear after he stopped taking the drug. But he says a year on and nothing has changed. It will come as no surprise to Dr Michael Irwig from the University of Washington. He recently published a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, that found the ingredient finasteride, which is found in Propecia, can cause persistent sexual dysfunction, including low sexual desire, erectile dysfunction and problems with orgasms. The male pattern baldness drug is manufactured by Merck and was approved by the FDA in 1997. While labeling on the medication in the U.S. currently warns about possible reversible sexual side effects, there is no reference to the effects being persistent, Dr Irwig said. However, other countries including the UK and Sweden do require medical companies to include the 'persistent risk' warning on the labeling. It was reported that Wayne Rooney started taking the medication in 2009 after he became sick of other footballer's jibes about his receding hairline. He has since had a hair transplant. Unfortunate side-effects? Wayne Rooney was reported to be taking Propecia in 2009. It has since been linked with impotence . Dr Irwig first became aware of the problems caused by finasteride several years ago when he encountered several men who reported they had developed sexual dysfunction while taking the medication. 'It’s been very frustrating for a lot of these men because they’ve sought care from medical professionals who have looked at the literature and have not seen a risk of persistent sexual dysfunction,' says Dr Irwig. 'So a lot of these patients have been told to see psychiatrists and psychologists and that it’s all in their head.' Dr Irwig then noticed that men had reported sexual dysfunction for months even after they stopped taking the medication. 'I came across a website called propeciahelp.com with more than 1,400 registered users - many young healthy men who developed the same sexual side effects from finasteride - and I discovered that nobody had published a series looking at these men - who they are, how long the sexual side effects lasted, what types.' Dr Irwig’s study included results from interviews with 71 men aged 21 to 46 years old to assess how long they took finasteride, the type and duration of sexual side effects and their sexual frequency before and after the medication. Dr Irwig discovered that 94 per cent developed low libido, 92 per cent developed erectile dysfunction and decreased arousal, and 69 per cent developed problems with orgasm. On average, the men used finasteride for approximately 28 months but experienced persistent sexual side effects for an average of 40 months, from the time they ceased taking the medication to the time of the interview. Dr Irwig also found that the average number of sexual episodes per month dropped after finasteride use. 'It turns out that almost all the men had multiple sexual function problems,' says Dr Irwig. 'Before finasteride use, the men experienced average sexual activity of approximately 26 episodes per month, but after use, it came down to approximately eight per month - an almost two-thirds reduction. 'Twenty per cent of patients I interviewed experienced persistent sexual dysfunction for more than five years, which makes me wonder if their persistent sexual dysfunction is permanent,' he adds. Controversial: Merck says no evidence has proved a causal relationship between Propecia and long-lasting sexual dysfunction . This was certainly Mr Malley's experience. He told Good Morning America: 'I kept expecting the side effects to go away, but they did not, they only got worse.' Mr Malley said before he took the drug he was engaged and worked as a public health researcher at a university in Las Vegas. After he developed symptoms his fiancee broke off the engagement and he said he had to resign from his job because of cognitive problems. He said he is angry no one warned him the drug could have such lasting effects. 'Even if the side effects are rare, that doesn't mean that I should not . have been warned. I did have a life before this,' he told Good Morning America. Dr Irwig said roughly 5 per cent of men who take medicine will experience sexual dysfunction, and of those 'it’s hard to tell how many will experience persistent symptoms'. 'We know that this is a potential problem, but we can’t quantify what the exact risk is. I can’t tell a man if he has a 1-in-100 chance, or a 1-in-1000 chance of developing persistent sexual dysfunction, but it’s pretty clear there’s a relationship here,' he says. Topical Rogaine can be used as an alternative to Propecia - applied directly on the skin, it does not get absorbed by body and thus does not cause sexual side effects - but Dr. Irwig says Propecia is very effective in treating hair loss and thus is commonly prescribed. So Dr Irwig says it is crucial physicians treating male pattern hair loss discuss the possibility of persistent sexual side effects associated with finasteride with their patients. 'I think it’s very important that doctors who are prescribing this medicine talk about potential risks, so men can make an informed decision,' he said. In a statement, Merck said no evidence has proved a causal relationship between Propecia and long-lasting sexual dysfunction. A spokesman said: 'Merck believes that PROPECIA (finasteride) has demonstrated safety and efficacy profiles and that the product labeling appropriately describes the benefits and risks of the drug to help inform prescribing. 'A causal relationship between the use of PROPECIA and continued sexual dysfunction after discontinuation of treatment has not been established. We encourage patients to talk with their doctor if they have any questions or concerns about their health, or about PROPECIA.' | Doctor reveals twenty percent of patients he interviewed for Propecia study experienced persistent sexual dysfunction for more than five years .
'I should have been warned', says patient who claims drug shrunk his genitals . |
157,665 | 57d9c5c27ac1eac993f5cc674a2d58f361bd408b | Seven Marines were killed in an explosion during a Marine Corps training exercise at Hawthorne Army Depot in western Nevada, the Marine Corps said Tuesday. Eight others were injured. The cause of the Monday night blast was a 60 mm round that detonated inside a mortar tube, Brig. Gen. James W. Lukeman, commanding general of the 2nd Marine Division, told reporters. The Marines said in a statement Tuesday evening that all 60 mm mortar rounds and tubes used to fire them are being pulled pending an investigation. One Marine and one sailor suffered very serious injuries, and four Marines are in serious condition, the service said in a news release. Another Marine was treated and released. One Marine suffered minor injuries, but it is unclear whether that individual was hospitalized. "Let me say to the families of our Marines and sailors that our hearts go out to you," said the general, whose division is based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. "We appreciate your sacrifice, and we'll do all that we can to continue to support you." The Marines will release the names of the deceased 24 hours after their relatives have been notified. Lukeman wouldn't give any details about which Marine unit was involved but said it was involved into a mountain training exercise that involved live ammunition. Marines had been training at Hawthorne and the nearby Marine mountain warfare training center in Bridgeport, California, for about a month. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who represents Nevada, called it "quite a big explosion" and said the area of the blast was cordoned off as details emerged. "We don't know exactly what happened, but it was a violent explosion, we know that," he said. "Our thoughts are with those who were injured and, of course, the families of those who lost loved ones." Hawthorne Army Depot, about 140 miles southeast of Reno, is used for storing ammunition and weapon stocks awaiting demilitarization. The facility also provides high desert training facilities for military units. KOLO: Seven Marines dead in Hawthorne explosion . President Barack Obama was immediately made aware of the incident, and the White House was monitoring the situation, spokesman Jay Carney said. "We are obviously in the early stages of assessing the incident," he said. "It is a tragedy, clearly." | Marines say two people suffered very serious wounds .
Marines temporarily discontinue use of type of mortar round that caused explosion .
Unit was undergoing a live fire exercise at a mountain warfare training center .
The Hawthorne Army Depot is about 140 miles southeast of Reno, Nevada . |
196,364 | 8a2113d86cd0d2e7bfdf87655ebb4232c96639f2 | The mom of a three-year-old who works in fast food, a man who just graduated from a study course aged 49, another who cares full-time for his mom - and two men who are in prison. They may seem very different, but these people have something in common - their lives have been blighted by an addiction to methamphetamine. Esther Allison, Glenn Lagrew, James Hibbs, Joseph Harris, and Perry Bennett became the public faces of drug abuse when their mugshots were used in the Faces of Meth campaign in 2004 - and are still recognized for it today. And - thanks to an extensive investigation by The Oregonian - with some making steady progress kicking the drug, holding down jobs and making their way in life. Scroll down for video . Public faces: Esther Allison, now 38, is pictured above in jailhouse mugshots showing the effects of meth addiction over just eight months. She now works as a manager in McDonald's . Today: Allison is now out of jail and has a managerial job at McDonald's - as well as a son to look after . Decline: The above mugshots show how the drugs aged Glenn Lagrew, who has done 17 years of jail time . Out and working: Lagrew now has two jobs - and graduated from an education program in June . Reporter Kasia Hall tracked down six of the eight drug users who featured in the campaign, which was born from a project by a sheriff's deputy at the Multnomah County Jail in Portland, Oregon. Deputy Bret King was the ravaged faces in front of him every day, and compiled mugshots of the most extreme examples into a drug prevention package which made it round the country thanks to its stark, visual message. Some of those featured later revealed that they hated the fact that their problems were made so public - while others are glad if their pictures turn anybody away from the same path. Allison was tracked down by The Oregonian to a home in Carlton, an hour outside of Portland. Despite last being arrested as recently as 2012, the 38-year-old has managed to turn her life around, splitting her energies between caring for her son and working as a manager at a McDonald's. Shocking: Images such as these - showing Theresa Baxter - were compiled in the Faces of Meth campaign, which showed the stark physical effects of using the drug . Grizzled: Patrick Lucas, now 51, is another former addict whose image was featured in the attention-grabbing campaign . She began using meth as early as 12, she said, while she was living in foster homes around Portland. She later became homeless and worked as a prostitute - but now has something to live for and is trying to shake her association with the drug. She said: 'Everybody knows your name here, but I'm trying to be a good mom. Now, I'm a manager at McDonald's. That means something to me.' Lagrew, 49, graduated from an education program this year in Portland and now holds down two jobs: working in a warehouse and delivering home equipment. But the former addict, also a father, has spent a total of 17 years behind bars - and during one of the appearances landed in the campaign. Speaking at the graduation ceremony, he said: 'I want to make amends to the city and be a role model so my son ... will make it out, too.' He told The Oregonian he hopes to be an addictions counselor and help others. James Hibbs is a third who made it out and is now clean. He started using the drug aged just 15, while travelling with his carnival worker parents, and ended up homeless in Portland - where he says the generosity of locals meant he had no trouble supporting his habits by begging. Troubled past: James Hibbs, pictured above in successive mugshots, started using meth when he was just 15 . Now: Hibbs is now married and cares for his mom in their Spokane, Washington home. He says participating in the campaign - and potentially turning people away from meth - makes him feel better . In an interview with the newspaper, he said: 'Other people should see what [meth] does. 'Even though I'm dumb enough to do it, if I can convince anybody else from doing it, that makes me feel better. Not everybody has to be as dumb as I was.' Though he was once a gang member - and has the tattoo to prove it - he says it has been seven years since he used the drug. He now lives with his wife and ill mother, whom he cares for, in Spokane, Washington. However - the stories of those whose images were turned into a weapon against the drug that so damaged them are not uniformly positive. Two of the eight faces are still behind bars - and one admits he is likely to start using again once he gets out. Joseph Harris, 52, has been using meth since he was 14. And he told the paper that as soon as he is let out of Jefferson County Detention Center, Kansas, he will probably start up again. Pocked: Joseph Harris, 52, has one of the most shocking set of mugshots. But according to a recent interview, he will take up meth again once he leaves jail in Kansas . Arrested not long after a pressure cooker exploded while preparing the drug, his pockmarked faces from 2000 is one of the most shocking in the series. He said he hopes to keep living in Kansas with his girlfriend once he leaves jail - and to pay his way by fixing up then selling his dad's Montana ranch. Perry Bennett, 50, is also in jail - this time a correctional facility in Portland. He has spent just over half his life inside and has repeatedly tried to quit meth. Hoping to fix it: Perry Bennett, shown above, has spent more than half his life in jail - but now has a son and hopes to stay clean when he is next released for his sake . Missing link: Jennifer Lundgren, shown above at the times of her arrests, could not be found for an update . But he said that once he is released next month he will approach the task with renewed vigor because he now has a son - which could spur him to leave the drugs behind. Two more of the subjects - Theresa Baxter and Jennifer Lundgren - either could not be found or would not agree to be interviewed - but their shocking images of decline continue to form be used as a tool in the war of meth. | Mugshots of addicts were used for campaign showing ravages of meth .
2004 initiative featured eight people arrested in succession around Oregon .
Ten years later newspaper investigation caught up with most of them .
Esther Allison, 38, now has a son, three, and is a manager in fast food .
Glenn Lagrew, 49, graduated in June and now has two jobs .
James Hibbs has also shaken his addiction and now lives with his wife .
But two of those featured are still in prison; one says he will use meth again . |
1,941 | 059871b4559ca0a3938f354adb02b3a247cba072 | Gunfire echoes across the desert plain as a Kurdish army commander, crouched on a dusty ridge, takes his finger off his AK-47 trigger and lifts his binoculars. ‘They’re definitely getting closer,’ announces Shehab Ahmed Hamed a few moments later in a theatrical whisper. By ‘they’ he meant the Islamic State militants fighting Kurdish armed forces, or Peshmerga, only a mile and a half away in the village of Shovepelke. Thankfully we could only hear their guns, not see them, though that was scant comfort. ‘We need your British warplanes more than ever now,’ said Shehab after a long sigh. Scroll down for video . Thin line of defence: Fighters beneath the Kurdish flag near Makhmour . We didn’t know it at the time – it was late yesterday morning – but as he spoke two RAF Tornadoes carrying laser-guided bombs were already flying over Northern Iraq, prepared to strike at IS targets. Here in northern Iraq, on the frontline in the battle against IS, British assistance – any assistance from above, in fact – would indeed be most welcome. Behind us, at the foot of the Karajokh mountains, the fearful Kurdish town of Makhmour shimmered in the distance. Its people feel trapped, surrounded – and very scared. Makhmour fell to the Islamists a month ago, only to be reclaimed by the Peshmerga a few days later. But there are increasing concerns that without the support of coalition jets, it may fall again soon. ‘Please tell David Cameron that IS are all around us,’ says 22-year-old Marwa Fazil, who returned home yesterday after fleeing in terror last month with her children, aged two and three. Her husband stayed to fight with the Peshmerga. There was, she recalls, ‘a sick feeling of dread in my stomach’ when the ominous black flags of IS were raised across the town, when its terrorists swept from house to house, pillaging and killing and burning down shops. Bullet holes scar the walls of buildings, broken glass still carpets the pavements. ‘It keeps returning, that feeling. I don’t know how long it will be safe here,’ says Marwa. ‘We all fear them coming back and I am terrified something will happen to my children.’ Enemy camp: Image from an IS video said to show recruits preparing for jihad . All over the town, David Cameron’s name is invoked with an almost strange frequency by both young and old. They whooped with joy, they said, when the Commons voted in favour of air strikes. ‘We keep a close eye on what goes on in UK,’ explained Shehab later, a patterned scarf hung around his waist in traditional Kurdish fashion. ‘We have to. What is decided in your country can make the difference between life and death here.’ As if suddenly embarrassed by this melodramatic flourish, he quickly laughed. ‘Of course, we know the names of Manchester United’s new signings too.’ Makhmour, with a population of around 6,000, is 30 miles from the city of Erbil, the oil-rich capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, which IS has coveted for months. Buoyed by the capture of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, the jihadists managed to reach Erbil’s margins in the summer, but were repelled. ‘They want to take Makhmour again because it is the last place before Erbil,’ said another Peshmerga fighter, Idres Salem Muamed. ‘It is strategically important to them.’ Directly opposite the cafe in the centre of the town, where Idres sat drinking tea with other Peshmerga soldiers yesterday morning, were the burnt remains of an electrical goods store. ‘They [Islamic State] did this when they were here; they burnt down a lot of our houses and shops,’ said Idres. ‘Near here they killed a child, a boy, who was fleeing with his mother and father. We knew they were coming. We could see the black flags flying from their cars. We evacuated all the women and children – most went to the mountains – but there was not enough Peshmerga to fight back. Strong holds: The green lines show the increasing hold IS has over the region . ‘So we had to retreat and regroup and then we came back after a few days in greater numbers – 600 of us in all from all over the region. The Islamists soon took flight.’ It is only now that the women and children are beginning to drift back and many, like Marwa, already wish they hadn’t. In their absence the men of the town, ranging in age from 17 to 70, took up arms. Few had any military experience. They are a volunteer army ready to fight alongside the Peshmerga. Three miles away the front line is formed of mounds of earth. At the point where Shehab watched and waited yesterday, there was a cluster of tents, some plastic chairs and the Kurdish flag atop a pole that kept threatening to keel over. In all, it isn’t much of a bulwark against marauding terrorists. ‘But it’s the best we’ve got at the moment’, said Shehab. Alternately peering through his binoculars and aiming his gun, Shehab said fighting was raging ‘beyond the clump of trees in the far distance’. He added: ‘This morning the IS took control of Shovepelka and another settlement, Hoshtralok, which is nearby. But the Peshmerga has now moved in and there is fighting from close quarters. It has been going on since nine o’clock this morning.’ 'It is vital that Britain get involved because it gives legitimacy to our war. It means it is not just the US and a few others, but Europe to' As well as help from above, the soldiers beseech the UK to ‘send us weapons’. In Makhmour, at least, they possess only archaic rifles and ‘not enough semi-automatics’. In comparison, the IS terrorists’ arsenal is sophisticated, much of it the latest hardware from the United States. At the Peshmerga’s regional HQ, a few miles down the dusty desert road to Erbil, it is this subject that senior commander Najdt Ali Salin is constantly turning over in his mind. ‘Air strikes alone are not enough,’ he said. ‘We don’t need soldiers from Britain and America but we do need some of the marvellous weapons you have in the UK. ‘The air strikes have helped us a great deal, allowed us to recapture lost land, towns and villages. We need more, though, to strengthen our positions around Makhmour and push them [IS] further back. ‘It is vital that Britain gets involved because it gives legitimacy to our war. It means it is not just the US and a few others, but Europe too. ‘But more sophisticated weapons, are essential if we are to win this war. I do not wish to be ungrateful, I was delighted to hear the news about your Parliament’s vote.’ Elsewhere in the HQ, which was occupied briefly by IS, a less senior soldier boasted about recent successes. ‘We have killed 47 IS militants in villages around here in the past week, ‘ he said as he flourished his mobile phone, full of pictures of dead bodies. Back at the front line, Shahab had tilted his binoculars upwards and was scanning the skies. There was still no news about Britain’s Tornados – which did not, in fact, strike at IS targets yesterday. ‘They may be further north around Mosul,’ he said. ‘Never mind. Perhaps next time for us.’ | In Iraq they 'whooped with joy' that the Commons backed air strikes .
And said British involvement gives 'legitimacy to our war'
But locals also wanted to be supplied with the UK's 'marvellous weapons'
As IS . |
136,613 | 3cb903d76a647568448926d4db52d58f08f1e282 | If somebody gave us a quid every time Danny Welbeck's name was mentioned this week we'd have enough to put a few big bets on the Arsenal striker and plenty left in the kitty for a punt or two on Radamel Falcao. Manchester United's late capture of Falcao brought the curtain down on the latest deadline day while Welbeck's switch from Old Trafford to the Emirates raised expectations (north London) and eyebrows (everywhere else). Bookies opened a ton of markets on a host of Premier League new boys after the window closed but Falcao and Welbeck are attracting most attention. You can like our Manchester United Facebook page here . You can like our Arsenal Facebook page here . Danny Welbeck will hope he can get off to a flyer in his Arsenal debut against Manchester City . Danny Welbeck is 4/1 with the bookies to score more than 14 Premier League goals this season . Two goals for England on Monday night could be the spark for a bright season for 23-year-old Welbeck, who is second-favourite behind Alexis Sanchez to be Arsenal's top Premier League scorer. Some firms go 2/1 Welbeck with the Chile star 6/4 but Bet365 have the Englishman at 9/2 to top the Gunners' charts. Remember, Santa Claus will be here before Olivier Giroud returns from injury so we should be looking at a two-horse race - no disrespect to Aaron Ramsey. You can also back Welbeck at 4/1 to score over 14 in the top flight this term, something an Arsenal player has managed in four of the last five seasons. Theo Walcott hit 14 in 2012/13. Radamel Falcao is set to make his Manchester United debut against QPR on Sunday . Homes: Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, Reading . Aways: Wolves, Hearts, Fleetwood, Wimbledon . Draws: Arsenal vs Man City, Crystal Palace vs Burnley, St Johnstone vs Dundee . Manchester City provide the opposition for Arsenal on Saturday and Welbeck has a less than impressive record against them - scoring one goal (in an FA Cup tie) in eight games during his Red Devils days and drawing a blank in two appearances as a Sunderland player. He's 9/4 with several firms for a debut goal against the champions, widely available at 7/1 for the opener and 5/1 to score in a home win. Back up in Manchester, there was a familiar theme to the press conference as Falcao was officially unveiled as a United player. He spoke about his 'dream move', naturally, and hailed the 'biggest club in the world' with 'great players' blah, blah blah. Louis van Gaal has to keep Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie happy at Manchester United . Less predictable is how Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal will accommodate Falcao, Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and the rest of the new recruits. Falcao and Rooney are 7/4 with a few firms to score most Premier League goals for United while the 2/1 with Paddy Power and Bet365 is the best you'll get for Van Persie. Falcao and Co face QPR on Sunday and the Colombian is 3/1 in most places to score first and 4/1 with several firms for two or more. Diego Costa started the season behind Van Persie, Sergio Aguero and Daniel Sturridge in the betting for Premier League top scorer but he's top of the tree (9/4) now after four goals in three games for Chelsea. Falcao is available at 14/1 and Welbeck is 33s. For the full list of top goalscorer odds from our betting partner Coral, CLICK HERE. The runners and riders in this race can't afford to let Costa get too far in front - although Luis Suarez reeled them after starting last season with a suspension - and if you fancy a fast start from the United and Arsenal men it's slightly better than 4/1 that Falcao and Welbeck score at any time this weekend. Mario Balotelli played an hour for Liverpool at Spurs but he's set for his home debut against Aston Villa on Saturday night. Stick the controversial Italian in with Welbeck and Falcao and the anytime treble returns around 9/1. Chelsea striker Diego Costa is the early leader in the race to score most Premier League goals this season . The Premier League is back with a bang - Arsenal vs Manchester City is a belter to kick off the weekend and should be first on any both-teams-to-score line. Liverpool against Aston Villa has the makings of another telly treat with both sides hitting the net, while adding in Dundee United against Hamilton, Swindon's trip to Bradford and Southend's home clash with Portsmouth returns around 16/1 with Coral if all 10 teams score. Mario Balotelli is set to make his home Liverpool debut when they face Aston Villa on Saturday evening . * All prices correct at time of publication - subject to change . | Danny Welbeck is 9/4 to score against Man City and 7/1 for the opener .
Welbeck is in line for his Arsenal debut against the champions .
Radamel Falcao is also set for his Premier League bow .
The Manchester United striker is 3/1 to score first against QPR .
Welbeck, Falcao and Mario Balotelli to score this weekend pays 9/1 .
Diego Costa is favourite for Premier League top scorer .
The Chelsea striker is a best-priced 9/4 after four goals in three games . |
210,799 | 9d0a2db9f412204f840291fcdf110f2fa21e479f | (CNN) -- Ferrari's plans to unveil their new car for the 2012 Formula One season have been scuppered by heavy snowfall at the Italian team's Maranello factory. The legendary marque had planned to showcase the new car, which they hope will win them a first drivers' championship since 2007, on Friday. "There was no let up from the snow last night, which continued to fall on Maranello and the surrounding area and the situation does not appear to be changing this morning," the team told the sport's official website. New car gives McLaren confidence to end Red Bull dominance . "The forecast is still bad both in terms of predictions of more snowfall and of a further drop in temperature. Therefore, the decision has been taken to cancel the presentation ceremony for the new car." Despite the setback, Ferrari -- who have won a record 16 constructors' championships -- still plan to publish pictures and technical analysis on their website on Friday. British outfit McLaren unveiled their 2012 model Wednesday, while reigning drivers' and constructors' champions Red Bull will have an online launch on Monday. Red Bull's German driver Sebastian Vettel has won the drivers' title for the last two years and is the sport's youngest double world champion. The 2012 F1 season will get underway with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 18. | Ferrari shelve plans to unveil their 2012 Formula One car due to heavy snowfall .
Plunging temperatures at the marque's Maranello factory, in Italy, causes postponement .
Ferrari now plan to publish pictures and technical analysis on their website on Friday .
The 2012 F1 season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix on March 18. |
198,653 | 8d2472afaf6704f332181d815b2b8bba05e56479 | Kelly Brook took the crown followed by Rihanna, Jennifer Aniston, Cheryl Cole and Kim Kardashian . David Beckham took the male crown with Simon Cowell in third place . By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 10:59 EST, 17 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:52 EST, 17 September 2012 . Although we have witnessed hundreds of super slim models looking fabulous whilst parading the catwalks this weekend at London Fashion Week, forget size zero and extreme dieting because female slimmers want a body just like curvaceous Kelly Brook. The brunette actress and model, 32, was crowned ‘Miss Body Perfect’ by a new survey where almost a quarter of voters said she was their number one choice. The curvy model was followed by singer Rihanna (14 per cent), ex Friends star Jennifer Aniston (10 per cent), popstar Cheryl Cole (8.05 per cent) and US reality TV star Kim Kardashian (7.45 per cent). It's actress and model Kelly Brook who won the votes for the perfect figure, leaving Victoria Beckham trailing behind . Super skinny Victoria Beckham – who was photographed last week with Vogue editor Anna Wintour, in an elegant tangerine dress that created the illusion of curves - won less than one per cent of the vote. However, despite this there was still cause for celebration in the Beckham household, as husband David was named owner of the hottest male celeb body. A third of women voted father–of-four David’s body the best, one in ten opted for movie legend George Clooney and X Factor supremo Simon Cowell was the surprise third place choice, with 8 per cent of the vote. The 52-year-old British TV star beat a long list of, much younger, Hollywood leading men, including Twilight star Robert Pattinson (5.15 per cent), screen idol Orlando Bloom (5.95 per cent) and all action hero Jason Statham (6.55 per cent). David Beckham took the crown for the men with Simon Cowell coming in a surprising third place . And pop music mogul Cowell was even more popular with women under 35, with over a fifth of women in this age range insisting he was their ‘Mr Body Perfect’. Speaking about the results of the poll, Linda O’Byrne, chief nutritionist for the New Atkins Diet, who OnePoll carried out the research for, said: 'It’s great that women in the UK are looking to celebrities with real curves for inspiration, as it provides an achievable weight loss goal. 'The trend for size zero and extreme dieting was very unhealthy and worrying, so it is very reassuring to discover, thanks to our research, that women are beginning to adopt a healthier attitude to losing weight and using better role models. 'Kelly Brook has a fantastic figure, and now it seems that it is no longer just men that appreciate it. It is also very easy to understand why so many women voted David Beckham the perfect body, he has it all. 'And while Simon Cowell has a certain charisma, it was something of a surprise to discover just how popular he is with women under 35.' Cheryl Cole and Rihanna were in the top five females voted with having the best body . The study also discovered that women were most conscious of their tummies (55.85per cent), followed by legs (16.80 per cent) and then their bum (11.50 per cent). Worryingly, a fifth of those under 35 confessed that they had first started dieting at the tender age of 11, and almost a third of ladies in this age range said they were always on a diet. Chocolate was voted the hardest thing to avoid when dieting, with four out of ten women agreeing, followed by carbs, such as pasta and bread (17.25 per cent) and thirdly, alcohol (15 per cent). Meanwhile, one in four told researchers they were most likely to break their diet and comfort eat at this time of year, as autumn arrives and the weather turns colder. Linda O’Byrne, chief nutritionist for the New Atkins Diet, added: 'It is a fact that when slimming, many women do try and fail numerous diets and also often find themselves blindsided by temptation or seasonal changes, such as colder weather setting in during autumn or an abundance of parties at Christmas time.' 1. Kelly Brook . 2. Rihanna . 3. Jennifer Aniston . 4. Cheryl Cole . 5. Kim Kardashian . 1. David Beckham . 2. George Clooney . 3. Simon Cowell . 4. Jason Statham . 5. Orlando Bloom . | Kelly Brook took the crown followed by Rihanna, Jennifer Aniston, Cheryl Cole and Kim Kardashian .
David Beckham took the male crown with Simon Cowell in third place . |
39,019 | 6e407e0acc85142f404b0073132a3a2037925aeb | By . Brendan Carlin, Mail on Sunday Political Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:26 EST, 29 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:37 EST, 29 December 2012 . John Bercow’s attempt to call time on Westminster’s hard-drinking culture was in tatters last night after plans for a total ‘no-alcohol’ policy for Commons staff were ditched. The Speaker has taken action to curb excessive drinking at the Commons after Labour MP Eric Joyce assaulted colleagues in a Westminster bar. Waiters are now told to top up glasses less frequently and provide more non-alcoholic drinks. But radical plans to tackle consumption among parliamentary staff – by banning drinking at work – have now been scrapped by Commons managers. Speaker John Bercow's plans to ban drinking in Westminster have been rejected by Commons staff . In stormy meetings, rank-and-file workers complained the ban would not apply to MPs, saying: ‘Staff are being penalised because of the actions of drunk MPs.’ The ban is now set to be replaced by a ‘voluntary’ policy stating that drinking at work should be allowed only in exceptional circumstances. However, Commons managers insist that the Westminster drinking culture is not confined to MPs. According to records of a series of staff meetings in June, Commons doctor Ira Madan specifically raised the alarm over drinking levels. Disgraced: John Bercow announced his intentions to ban drinking in Westminster after Labour MP Eric Joyce assaulted a colleague in a Commons bar earlier this year . The minutes read: ‘The House Doctor is concerned at the proportion of staff she sees who have alcohol-related problems.’ Commons managers later concluded: ‘There is a culture of drinking in some parts of the House service.’ Last night Mr Bercow declined to comment on the alcohol ban retreat. A Commons spokesman said: ‘Following feedback on the practicalities of a complete ban, the management board is proposing a greater emphasis on education and support.’ | John Bercow unveiled plans after MP Eric Joyce assaulted colleagues in Commons bar .
Staff say they will be penalised because MPs will not suffer same restrictions .
Ban replaced by a voluntary code for drinking at Westminster . |
29,684 | 5464d5df21e5126ae695674fa49ed47e27949f56 | The Duchess of Cambridge was the first commoner to marry the heir to the throne in 350 years and is descended from coal miners, a road sweeper and even a prisoner. But new research into her family has revealed that the middle class princess has noble blood after all. A previously unknown branch of the Middleton's family tree shows Kate can count earls, countesses and even a Prime Minister among her ancestors. The Middleton family tree shows the Duchess of Cambridge is related to a Prime Minister as well as countesses and earls . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's child will be third in line to the throne . The Duchess welcomed the news about her ancestors when she was informed during the first . weeks of her pregnancy. Pupils in Melbourne, Australia, stumbled across the link during a genealogy project set by their teacher Michael Reed. The children were asked to research either the family tree of the Duchess, David Beckham or rapper 50 Cent using an online programme. It was soon discovered that the . Duchess was related to William Petty FitzMaurice, the 1st Marquess of . Lansdowne, whose ancestral seat Bowood House in Wiltshire is considered . one of Britain's best stately homes. He . served as Prime Minister between July 1782 and April 1783 during the . reign of George III and is remembered for negotiating the peace . settlement that ended the American War of Independence. Mr Reed said he embarked upon some . serious research when he realised while helping his pupils that there . was a connection between the Middletons and the Lupton family - a rich . and successful merchant and manufacturing family. Kate was the second cousin . three times removed of Barbara Lupton, who became Lady Bullock when she . married Sir Christopher Bullock. Sir . Christopher, a descendent of William Petty FitzMaurice, worked as . principal private secretary to Winston Churchill and later became . permanent under-secretary at the British Air Ministry. Illustrious: William Petty FitzMaurice served as Prime Minister during the reign of George III and negotiated the end of the American War of Independence and his ancestral seat Bowood House, right, which is considered one of the best stately homes in the country . The Duchess of Cambridge was sent a picture of her second cousin three times removed who became Lady Bullock when she married Sir Christopher Bullock, right . Mr Reed told The Sunday Times: 'Everyone has always made it clear Kate's a commoner so when I saw one of her cousins had a title I was surprised and intrigued.' The teacher contacted Edward, the surviving son of Sir Christopher and Lady Bullock who confirmed the connection. He also sent his findings to the Duchess, who thanked him for the research. Her assistant private secretary Rebecca Deacon wrote back on October 19, in the early stages of Kate's pregnancy, that the Duchess sent her best wishes and thanks to the teacher. Mr Reed told The Sunday Times: 'It is a good feeling to know that I've unearthed something that may be of interest to the Duchess, her family and the Royal family.' He traced the Duchess's family line back five generations to the Marquess of Lansdowne and his brother Thomas FitzMaurice who lived at the Buckinghamshire stately home Cliveden with his wife Mary, 4th Countess of Orkney in the late 18th century. William Bortrick, the chairman of Burke's Peerage, said it will make an 'interesting inclusion' in the next edition of the guide, which will be published after the Duchess gives birth. | Australian teacher Michael Reed and his pupils found link between the Middleton family and a former Prime Minister .
The Duchess of Cambridge's ancestors include William Petty FitzMaurice who negotiated an end to the American War of Independence . |
27,075 | 4ccbdfcdbf8189de21da3dfb8f93ff0a4acd16c9 | Matt Taylor will miss Burnley’s Premier League clash with his old club West Ham at Turf Moor on Saturday after being sent for surgery on an achilles problem. The 32-year-old midfielder left the Hammers on a free transfer in the summer and played in Burnley’s first four games of the season, but has not appeared since the goalless draw with Manchester United in August. The club’s medical staff hoped that rest would cure the condition but manager Sean Dyche revealed that Taylor is booked in for an operation on Monday. Burnley manager Sean Dyche (above) is without midfielder Matt Taylor for the home match against West Ham . Taylor (right) has not featured for Burnley since their 0-0 draw against Manchester United in August . ‘Matty Taylor unfortunately is going to have a minor operation,’ said Dyche. ‘He’s got a niggling achilles and it just hasn’t settled down. ‘We’re not sure how long he will be out for. We’ll know more after the operation but we’re hopeful that he’ll go in Monday. ‘It’s nothing too serious in the grand scheme of things, just something that’s niggling. It’s a small bony area at the back of his achilles which is irritating it, so that’s going to have to be done. ‘I always follow surgical opinion. That was the opinion to allow it time to settle down, but it just hasn’t settled to the level that you need to carry on what you’re doing. So we leave that one with the surgeons, that’s what they’re paid for.’ Burnley striker Danny Ings (left) challenges Branislav Ivanovic (right) of Chelsea for the ball . Kieran Trippier (above) should also return to bolster Burnley's defence . There was better news on the injury front for Dyche regarding five other players, including last season’s 26-goal top scorer Danny Ings who could return to action against West Ham. Ings has missed the last three games with a hamstring strain and Dyche said: ‘He’s had a good week with us so he’s certainly in the thinking which we’re pleased about. ‘He’s managed to get on the grass at the beginning of the week as well which is important because he’s fit to train with the group rather than throw him in at the last minute. We just thought it was important to give him a full week’s training so he definitely comes into the thinking.’ Kieran Trippier is fit despite being carried off with an ankle injury in the 2-2 draw at Leicester last time out, and David Jones, Nathaniel Chalobah and Michael Keane should all be available. The match at Turf Moor comes too soon for forward Sam Vokes, who is recovering from a serious knee injury . However, Sam Vokes is still not ready to return while Steven Reid and Dean Marney are unlikely to be fit to face West Ham. ‘Vokes is going really well,’ added Dyche. ‘There have been some remarks in the papers about him trying to be fit in a month, and I don’t think that’s the case. You never know but he’s going along really well. ‘There will certainly be no pressure from us. We want to make sure he’s right, fit and well in his own time.’ | Matt Taylor booked in for Monday op after rest fails to heal the problem .
But Burnley manager Sean Dyche could have striker Danny Ings back .
Saturday's game at home to West Ham comes too soon for Sam Vokes . |
229,952 | b5c6ad1261629f272bde8a1606ddcf632dd4a830 | (CNN) -- If Real Madrid does fail in pursuit of 'La Decima' then at least it will always have 'the decimation'. On a night where the champion was dethroned in brutal fashion, Real flexed its muscles and showed it is ready to end the long wait for a 10th European triumph. A stunning 4-0 success in Munich completed a 5-0 aggregate victory and paved the way for a final clash with either city rival Atletico or former manager Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea side. Not since 2002 has Real, Europe's most successful club, managed to acquire the continent's top club prize. No team has ever retained the Champions League title and Bayern Munich, so highly fancied once again this year, rarely looked like repeating its glorious triumph of last season. Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Madrid, Bayern endured a nightmare first half as Real produced an astonishing performance to lead 3-0 at the interval. Sergio Ramos scored twice in four minutes before Cristiano Ronaldo rounded off a fine counter attack to claim his 15th goal of this season's competition -- a new Champions League record. Ronaldo added a fourth late on with a free-kick to cap a remarkable performance to make it 51 goals in 50 Champions League career appearances. "It's a fantastic result for us," winger Gareth Bale told ITV. "We've been working hard, got our tactics right, played well and deserved the win. "We are happy to be in the final but still have one game to go. Everybody put in 100% -- no matter who it was, they put in a performance. "This is why I wanted to come to the biggest club in the world - to win trophies in massive games. "We still haven't won it yet, we have a difficult game in the final whoever it may be but I'm looking forward to it." Bale will remember this occasion for many a year to come -- but for most of those who were packed inside the Allianz Arena, this was a night to forget. This was a painful and merciless destruction of a Bayern side which had looked unbeatable earlier in the season. While Real played with the belief and purpose of champions, Bayern appeared cumbersome, disjointed and a shadow of the side which had waltzed to last season's title. But for all of Bayern's deficiencies, it would be churlish to take away from the achievement of Carlo Ancelotti's side. Bayern coach Pep Guardiola had spent the past few days instilling belief and confidence into his players. Much of that had evaporated within the opening 20 minutes as Real's pace and power tore through the home defense. Labored and predictable in possession and embarrassingly open in midfield, Bayern allowed Real to use the likes of Ronaldo and Bale at every opportunity. Yet, for all the attacking talent at its disposal, it was through an old-fashioned set-piece routine which Real forged ahead. Luka Modric's corner parted the Bayern defense and Ramos rose highest to head an unstoppable effort past Manuel Neuer. Shocked and stunned by conceding, the home team was then hit with a real knockout blow four minutes later. Again it was Ramos who found the net, producing a fine header to guide Angel Di Maria's cross into the far corner. For Ramos, this was sweet revenge. Two years ago, the Spain international missed from the penalty spot as Real was defeated on spot kicks by Bayern in the last four. This time, it was he who was dancing with delight as Bayern heads began to drop. Dazed and downbeat, Bayern looked beaten. Real, defeated in its past three semifinal appearances, began to play with the style and swagger long associated with the club from the Spanish capital. And with 11 minutes of the first half remaining, it produced a breathtaking move to claim a third. Karim Benzema released Bale and the Welshman ran half the length of the field before picking out Ronaldo to coolly fire home. Needing five goals to qualify for the final, Bayern's case looked hopeless and so it proved. Real, happy to sit and defend deep, was rarely troubled and only a fine reflex save by Neuer prevented Fabio Coentrao from adding a fourth. Bayern enjoyed plenty of possession after the interval but Iker Casillas in the Real goal was rarely tested. In the end, it was left to Ronaldo to have the final word. With just over a minute of normal time remaining, the Portuguese star unleashed a low free-kick which flew past Neuer to add further gloss. "La Decima" is within touching distance -- only Atletico or a certain Mr Mourinho can stop Real now. | Real Madrid qualifies for Champions League final .
Real wins 4-0 on night, 5-0 on aggregate .
Spanish club aiming for 10th European triumph .
Real will face either Chelsea or Atletico Madrid in the final . |
32,702 | 5cf19a39a2ee48303809fc3d01756e2584892681 | (CareerBuilder.com) -- When it comes to employee/boss relationships, John Ewert -- vice president at DRIVEN Public Relations in Temecula, California -- believes he has a fantastic one. "For starters, I think the most important thing that makes the relationship between me and my boss so great is respect," Ewert says. "We are accountable for our actions, good or bad, and own up to our mistakes while offering credit where credit is due. We take great pride in agreeing to disagree, but not without discussing subjects in an open manner and exploring options to find solutions. I know it sounds cheesy, but respect and trust are the keys to any successful relationship." As experts, supervisors and satisfied workers will attest, Ewert's "cheesy" advice is spot on. Here are some tips on how anybody can forge a better relationship with his or her boss. Communication counts . "In many office environments, employees and management are so involved in daily job requirements that communication may be pushed aside. In the long term, lack of communication can damage an employee/supervisor relationship," states Marni Bobich, team manager from Administaff (a professional employer organization). Daily e-mail exchanges are fast and oftentimes sufficient, yet Bobich suggests periodically requesting face-time. "While you don't want to become a nuisance, in-person communication can go a long way in displaying your desire to develop and maintain a positive working relationship. Determine the type of information that is best communicated face-to-face and discuss it during your meeting." Building trust . Experts agree that one instance where you should always go to your boss is when there is a potential problem. "If a project isn't going well, don't hide bad news from her for fear of looking bad," says Melinda Stephenson, cofounder of The Leadership Room, a unique development program for rising executives. "Let her know if a problem is brewing or if you're struggling with something. If your boss can trust you to give her a 'heads up' and to bring solutions to problems, you've built a solid relationship." "And save your boss time!" says Anja Schuetz, a people management coach from The Netherlands. "When going to him with a problem, tell him all the things you have already tried to solve it. Anticipate his questions, and bring documents and proof along so your boss can see things through your eyes and is able to rule things out quickly, rather than thinking the whole thing through from scratch." Other ways to develop trust include: . • Keeping confidential any sensitive information about your boss or the company. • Refraining from talking about your boss behind his back. • Pointing out his mistakes tactfully (and preferably in private). Bosses are people too . It pays to remember that bosses like a pleasant atmosphere as much as any employee. While you needn't set out to make him your new best friend, developing a cordial relationship can strengthen ties. "We always begin each conversation, whether it be by phone or e-mail, with a friendly greeting, such as 'Good Morning!' or 'How was your weekend?'" says Kaitlynn Carter, who works for a wedding-planning company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. "It goes a long way when you show that you are considering the other person and that you are committed to having a friendly exchange!" Other ideas for building a personable, yet office-appropriate, relationship include: . • Giving a genuine compliment. (I like your new coat.) • Talking about a common interest. (Did you see the baseball game last night?) • Expressing interest in a major life event. (How did your son's graduation go?) • Showing gratitude. (Thanks for letting me leave early to attend my daughter's recital.) • Offering kudos. (Congratulations on landing that new account.) An occasional lunch together also can help. If the two of you travel for business, use the time waiting for the plane or riding in a taxi to get to know one another as individuals. Remember you're on the same side . Chances are that you and your boss want many of the same things: a paycheck, recognition, a strong company, career fulfillment. Looking at situations as cohorts can help both parties. "The bottom line: positive effort equals positive results," Ewert says. "Sometimes there are projects that we don't want to do, sometimes we have issues outside of work that are out of our control, sometimes our clients move up deadlines or change the focus for a project, but instead of harping on an issue and running away, we adapt and overcome. We view our clients and employees as partners, and we have a lot of fun helping businesses and employees be successful." © CareerBuilder.com 2010. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority. | Marni Bobich, team manager from Administaff recommends periodically requesting face-time .
Experts agree that you should always go to your boss is when there is a potential problem .
Refrain from talking about your boss behind his back .
Remember that bosses like a pleasant atmosphere as much as any employee . |
4,979 | 0e2fcc0dab8f564546efaf63e008b115da900755 | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 20:45 EST, 28 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:47 EST, 28 November 2013 . A Canadian woman has been denied entry into the United States by a Customs and Border Protection agent because she was hospitalized for depression in 2012. Ellen Richardson, who is paraplegic, went to Pearson airport to fly to New York City, where she was to embark on a Caribbean cruise.The agent who refused Richardson entry cited the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 212, which denies entry to people who have had a physical or mental disorder that may pose a 'threat to the property, safety or welfare' of themselves or others. Refused: Ellen Richardson was looking forward to a 10-day Caribbean cruise but a U.S. border agent refused to let her fly to the States because of a 2012 hospitalization for depression . Holiday cancelled: Ellen Richardson never made it to New York from Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada . According to The Star, the agent gave Richardson a document that said 'system checks' has uncovered details of her hospitalization and that she would need special clearance before being allowed entry into the States. Richardson is now left wondering how the agent had access to her private medical records. She had organized her cruise with about 12 others and paid $6,000 for the 10-day vacation. 'I was so aghast. I was saying, "I don’t understand this. What is the problem?"' Richardson told the Star. 'I was so looking forward to getting away... I’d even brought a little string of Christmas lights I was going to string up in the cabin.' Border control: Canadian officials want to know how a U.S. border protection agent had knowledge of a citizen's medical history . Private: Richardson is now wondering how the agent had access to her personal medical records . As a disabled person, Richardson cannot easily re-book her holiday, which takes a lot of planning and organization. In addition, she does not qualify for a refund for her trip because her insurer, Ingle International, does not cover clients who are denied boarding. According to the Star, in order to receive clearance to travel to the U.S., Richardson would have to examined by one of only three doctors in her native Toronto whose assessments are accepted by U.S. Homeland Security. Richardson has long suffered from mental illness. In 2001, she became paralyzed from the waist down after attempting suicide by jumping from a viaduct. Author: Richardson documented her struggle with depression in a book published in 2009 - but the security agent cited only a 2012 episode of depression as the reason she was denied entry to the U.S. Richardson has detailed her battle with depression in a book, Hope for the Heavy Heart: For the War-Weary and the Heaven-bent, but it was published before her 2012 hospitalization. Despite this, she has traveled to the United States on three separate occasions since 2001, and no security agent has made mention of the attempt. The security agent who refused her entry to the States on Monday also seemed unaware of the suicide attempt, mentioning only Richardson's 2012 hospitalization. The Star reports that Richardson, who has a master's degree in counseling, is on medication that has helped her depression and sees a psychiatrist regularly.Police were not involved in her 2012 episode of depression and Canadian officials are concerned about the U.S. agent's apparent ability to access medical records.MP Mike Sullivan told the Star that he will be 'demanding to know how this happened.'Richardson has instructed her lawyer, David McGhee, to investigate what she is calling a 'breach of privacy' as well as discrimination. | A Canadian woman has been denied entry to the U.S. by a border agent who cited a 2012 hospitalization for depression .
Ellen Richardson, a paraplegic, had planned a $6,000 cruise departing from New York .
The agent said she could 'pose a threat to herself or others' based on the 2012 hospitalization .
Richardson wants to know how the agent had access to her personal medical information . |
120,386 | 2797e29c80a52a715366695f1384520af54eac21 | By . Bianca London . She's famous for her love of recycling outfits and the Duchess . of Cambridge kept up her thrifty reputation on tour in New Zealand today. Kate, 31, took part in a friendly race in America's Cup sailing boats on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour - and twice beat her husband - wearing a look we've seen not once, but twice before. The Duchess donned blue J Brand skinny jeans and a £48 ME + EM striped Breton-style top with a £79.99 navy Zara jacket and cool Ray Ban sunglasses. Scroll down for video . Deja vuz! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive to the Viaduct Basin to sail with Team New Zealand - but haven't we seen that outfit before, Kate? Familiar: Kate, known for her love of recycling her clothes, was seen wearing the same look when she played volleyball at the Olympic park in October (left) and at the Olympic village in the year before (right) She loves her stripes: Kate, pictured in 2012 with Tessa Jowell (L) and Mayor of the Olympic Village Sir Charles Allen (R) during a visit to the Team GB accommodation flats in the Athletes Village . Similar style: The Duchess of Cambridge shows how much she loves the jeans and blazer combo as she arrived at Team GB House in the Westfield Centre, Stratford, in 2012 . Kate was seen wearing the exact same look at an event at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London in her role as patron of the charity SportsAid last October, where she showed off her toned stomach following the birth of Prince George. Avid fans will notice that Kate, . who is well known for recycling her wardrobe staples, wore a very . similar navy outfit at the 2012 Olympics Games when she paid a visit to . the athletes in the Olympic village, too. While Kate arrived wearing her beloved . 4in corked shoes, which hit the headlines when swimmer . Rebecca Adlington told the Duchess she . loved her £245 navy wedges, the Duchess swapped them for Sebago Bala flats as she hopped on board - a much more practical choice for today's activity. Stylish: Kate donned blue J Brand skinny jeans and a £48 ME + EM striped Breton-style top with a £79.99 navy Zara jacket and cool Ray Ban sunglasses . Still smiling: Kate shelters from the rain with an umbrella as she and Prince William arrive to sail on Team New Zealand's America's Cup yachts on Auckland Harbour today . Hush! Kate seemingly tells the waiting fans (or perhaps William) to quieten down as she holds a bouquet . Fans: Kate meets waiting crowds after she traveled by Sealegs craft to Westpark Marina in Auckland . Her smallest fans: The Duchess of Cambridge meets Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) staff and their families after arriving with her husband at the RNZAF base in Whenuapai, near Auckland . Someone doesn't like losing! Kate seems to tease William after her loses two races to her . Joking around: Prince William and Kate share a laugh on a visit to Emirates Team New Zealand base, home to New Zealand's Americas Cup Team . Laughter: Kate and William get into the sporty spirit as they join the sailing team for the day . Today's casual outfit was a far cry from the more glamorous bespoke Jenny Packham gown she wore, which had been hand-stitched with silver beading to represent New Zealand's national emblem. The . Queen has long employed the trick of incorporating an item of national . importance in her outfits when on foreign tours - and it appears that . the Duchess has now taken a leaf out of her book. The Duchess did, however, add some sparkle to her pared-back outfit with a pair of £695 Grace Collection White Topaz and Diamond stud earrings by London jeweller Kiki McDonough - one of her favourites. Today, both Kate and William had some high-powered teammates - Kate was paired with Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker while William raced with Grant Dalton, the team's manager and a veteran round-the-world racer. Sporty chic: The Duchess of Cambridge travels by Sealegs craft to Westpark Marina in Auckland - and still looks cool in a Musto sailing jacket . Sorry Wills, we can't all be winners! Kate looks smug as she beats her husband in a friendly sailing race today . Timeless style: Kate wears her staple Breton striped tee as she enjoys her 19-day official visit to New Zealand and Australia . And they're off! Kate prepares to go match-race sailing on America's Cup yachts with Skipper Dean Barker . Glowing: Kate shows off her famous rosy cheeks as she grins and chats to families of the RNZAF . Well wishers: Kate greets families of the RNZAF after arriving at Whenuapai . Delighted: Kate greets waiting crowds after she traveled by Sealegs craft to Westpark Marina in Auckland . Trademark hair: Kate wore her hair in its signature loose wavy style . From us to you: The Royal couple receive a gift of a small Sealegs Craft for Prince George after they travelled by Sealegs craft to Westpark Marina . Behind the wheel: Kate races with Team New Zealand during a match race on the Waitemata Harbour . The royal couple is on a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia. It rained again as it has most days on their tour but that didn't put off hundreds of people who gathered on Auckland's waterfront to greet them. After the racing, the couple took a ride on an amphibious craft called Sealegs, which drove out of the water at Westpark Marina to the delight of the crowds. The couple plan to visit Hamilton on Saturday. Team mates: Prince William and Kate visit Emirates Team New Zealand base, home to New Zealand's Americas Cup Team. The Duke and Duchess informally raced around Auckland Harbour . One of the team: The Duchess of Cambridge laughs with crew members as she boards a craft with her husband . In her jeans: The Duchess of Cambridge wore J Brand jeans three days in a row in Canada in 2011. Kate purchased the 811 style from Trilogy's Chelsea store over 3 years ago (among other styles that she has bought from the store over the years) and has been wearing them ever since . Style credentials: The Duchess of Cambridge . waves as she leaves after a visit to a SportsAid Athlete Workshop in a . striped ensemble last October . Wardrobe staple: Kate has worn her £245 4in wedges countless times, which are by Russell and Bromley (right shows the cork shoes in black) Thrifty Kate strikes again! Kate wore the same . MaxMara wrap around jersey dress for her flight to New Zealand that she wore during a . visit to Hope House in London in February last year . Snap! Kate wore the Jenny Packham gown first in October (right) and then again in February this year for a gala dinner . 107091 . 379972 . 66224 . 115232 . 37880 . 85427 . 155946 . 57516 . 92787 . 124041 . 61533 . 108763 . 136836 . 64365 . 35550 . 96270 . 97455 . 53848 . 130054 . 180840 . 120559 . 65783 . | Kate, 31, enjoyed friendly sailing race in New Zealand .
Wore similar outfit to play volleyball last year .
Also wore for visit to athletes' village during 2012 Olympics .
Her favourite £245 Russell & Bromley wedges made another outing .
Covered up with £79.99 Zara jacket .
Wore skinny J Brand jeans, one of her favourite denim labels . |
61,754 | af6a1fbc5442e7fc3faff06d7835a962ce046bb4 | BEIJING, China (CNN) -- If 63-year-old Chinese scholar Zhou Duo had his way, he would be on hunger strike on June 4, sitting quietly through the day at Purple Bamboo Park, 20 minutes' taxi ride from Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Zhou Duo wants to mark the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown with a hunger strike. His aim: to mark the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown and to dramatize his defiant call for answers from Chinese authorities. "What is the truth?" he pressed rhetorically, as he discussed his plans with CNN a week earlier. "How many people were in fact robbed of their lives? The truth remains unknown, because the Chinese government has suppressed information about the truth on June 4th." On that day 20 years ago, Chinese troops in armored personnel carriers and tanks rumbled toward Tiananmen Square. That was where Zhou, along with three other intellectuals, including Taiwanese singer-composer Hou Dejian, were on the second day of a hunger strike to show solidarity with student protesters. The soldiers, on strict orders to clear Tiananmen Square of demonstrators, had forced their way through the city's main thoroughfare. Along the way, they met fierce resistance from students and city residents who barricaded the streets, so they fired at them. When the firing stopped, hundreds if not thousands of people lay maimed or dead. A few hours past midnight on June 4, Zhou and the protesters on the square found themselves surrounded by troops and tanks, and yet several holdouts wanted to "resist till death." Sensing a sure bloodbath, Zhou and Hou appeased the hotheads and took control of their ranks. Gingerly, the two approached army officers and negotiated an agreement that allowed the demonstrators to withdraw peacefully. After they dispersed, some stayed home, some were arrested, and others became fugitives. Three days later, Zhou went into hiding after he learned that the computer company he worked for as a policy planner had become the target of a witch hunt. Weeks later, police caught the bespectacled sociologist. He was detained but was not formally charged or tried. He was released months later. Any regrets? "None at all," Zhou said firmly. "I would regret enormously if I hadn't done what I did and if hadn't saved the lives of so many people (on the square). This single reason is enough. Had I not done that, I would be hitting my head against the wall every day." Despite the painful memories, Zhou said, he remains cautiously optimistic about how grassroots activism has grown in China. "There is a huge difference now compared with 20 years ago," Zhou told CNN two weeks before the June 4 anniversary. "I think the citizens are becoming more aware of their rights. It's especially shown in the ranks of the NGOs (nongovernment organizations), lawyers and intellectuals. This is an important sign that the citizens' consciousness has waken up in China." Accordingly, Zhou has sought to abide by laws and regulations. A week before the June 4 anniversary, Zhou prepared to drive to a police station to apply for a permit to conduct his day-long hunger strike. He wrote an application, even detailing that he would simply sit quietly in the park, carrying a banner that would read: "Publicize the truth of June 4 -- reach the goal of reconciliation of society!" But Zhou did not even make it to the station. Police showed up at his home and talked him and his wife into going along with them for a "vacation" at a government-owned hostel. Reached by phone on June 3, Zhou's wife said good-naturedly: "We are both fine. We are having a good time teaching the police about democracy." She said they expected to return to the city a week later, after the June 4 anniversary jitters had subsided. | Zhou: "Chinese government has suppressed information about the truth on June 4th"
He and another, Hou, negotiated deal allowing protesters to leave peacefully .
No regrets, Zhou says .
He remains cautiously optimistic about grassroots activism . |
273,997 | eee5cd2d3f4e5104bc532991747f175b23ed6aa7 | (CNN) -- A wildfire that has raged for days in Michigan's Upper Peninsula has destroyed 97 structures -- including a motel, a store and 34 homes. The Duck Lake Fire has burned more than 22,000 acres and is still going despite recent rains, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources reported on its website. The state agency estimated Monday the blaze is about 51% contained, thanks to progress made by firefighters in maintaining a firm perimeter. Crews have about 40 miles of firelines set up to control the situation, including 6 miles along the shore of Lake Superior. But a lack of roads in the area has complicated efforts. The fire's south end is about 14 miles north of Newberry and 7 miles west of the Yahquamenon Falls State Park campgrounds. Lightning sparked the wildfire late Wednesday afternoon, leaving firefighters little time to contain it before dark. The flames picked up significantly the next day, fanned by strong winds and high temperatures. Since then, the wildfire has taken its toll. While noting that the entire affected area has not been surveyed, the state department said at least 97 structures on 39 different properties have been "lost" due to the blaze. Dry conditions have exacerbated the fire danger throughout the region. On Friday, Gov. Rick Snyder banned outdoor burning in 49 counties in northern Michigan in hopes of preventing wildfires. | The Duck Lake Fire is raging in Michigan's Upper Peninsula .
It has destroyed 34 homes, a hotel, a store and other structures, the state says .
The blaze has burned over 22,000 acres since starting last week . |
34,799 | 62e220872aa6ec051cc1eb9feecb22b25fc9d9d1 | A teenage girl is believed to have vanished with a man she had never met on Monday. Aysia Monique Lewis, 16, of Christiansburg, Virginia, was reported to be traveling with Donald 'Bruce' Quesenberry, Jr, 33, after he left his home in Normal, Illinois, to meet her. Virginia police began searching for the missing teen after she was last seen at the end of the day on Monday at Christianburg High School. Scroll down for video . Aysia Monique Lewis, 16, of Christiansburg, Virginia, was believed to be traveling with Donald 'Bruce' Quesenberry, Jr, 33, of Normal, Illinois . The pair are believed to have driven off together from Miss Lewis's high school on Monday in a light gold Nissan Altima - with Illinois plate V975074 . The pair are believed to be traveling in a 2002 light gold Nissan Altima - with Illinois plate V975074, according to wsls. Neither Quesenberry nor Miss Lewis have contacted relatives or friends since allegedly taking off together. Virginia State Police have classified the 16-year-old's disappearance as an endangered missing person alert and believe she may be in danger of sexual exploitation. Quesenberry has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. It is unclear if the pair have remained in the local area or left the state of Virginia. Police believe that Florida may be a possibility. According to a missing poster, Miss Lewis is 5'3' and weighs 160lbs. She has black hair with red highlights. The parents of the 16-year-old (pictured) have asked the 33-year-old man who took her to 'drop her off in a safe place' She was last seen wearing light blue jeans, a navy blue t-shirt, a black fleece, and brown moccasin-style shoes. Quesenberry was described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5'7' and weighs 195lb. The girl's parents, Brandon Lewis and Teneara Dial, have asked Quesenberry to drop her off in a safe place. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Christiansburg Police Department at (540)-382-3131 or Virginia State Police at 1-(800)-822-4453. That's 1 (800) VACHILD . Virginia State Police have classified the 16-year-old's disappearance as an endangered missing person alert and believe she may be in danger of sexual exploitation by Quesenberry (pictured) | Aysia Monique Lewis, 16, of Christiansburg, Virginia, was believed to be with Donald 'Bruce' Quesenberry, 33 .
Police believe that Quesenberry picked Miss Lewis up after school on Monday and that they are traveling in a light gold Nissan Altima car .
There are fears that the 16-year-old is in danger of sexual exploitation . |
76,605 | d9524470833bffa6a3799101f82df4a6b3e0f2fe | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 12:26 EST, 12 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:00 EST, 12 December 2012 . These pictures purport to show the phone which BlackBerry maker Research In Motion hopes will halt its seemingly inexorable slide out of the mobile business. Sourced from a Vietnamese tech news site they show a gadget that's sleek, shiny and futuristic - and that looks suspiciously like an iPhone. The images suggest Research In Motion has finally dropped the full keyboard that was their brand's virtual trademark in favour of a full touchscreen device. Leaked: This image purports to show the Blackberry 10 L-Series, the phone which Research In Motion hopes will bring it back into the fore of the smartphone business . Best pictures yet: The images are similar to the handset shown in previous leaks, but are far clearer than those previously seen, many of which were blurry . They purport to show the BlackBerry 10 L-Series, which is expected to be released at the end of January. The images are similar to the handset shown in previous leaks, but are far clearer than those previously seen, many of which were blurry. The chunky bezel at the top and bottom of the phone, adding extra length to the device, are the feature that brings up the most similarities to Apple's no iconic offering. But unlike the iPhone, the new BlackBerry has no home button adorning its front. It is expected that the software will allow users to switch between apps without having to go via a home screen. Pictures of the side of the device shows it boasts not only a micro-USB connector, but also a slot for a micro-HDMI cable, which could enable it to connect to high resolution external displays. Slimline: The device boasts not only a micro-USB connector, but also a slot for a micro-HDMI cable, which could enable it to connect to high resolution external displays . Expert Reviews says this suggests that RIM could be planning to bundle the phone with film rental services, which Apple and Google already do with their operating systems. The rear side shots of the phone reveals it is textured for grip, and further photos show that, unlike some new smartphones like Motorola's latest Android-based Razr, it has a removable cover. A peek inside the phone shows slots for a micro-SIM and microSD memory card, along with a removable 1,800mAh battery. The images only show the device switched off, experts have noted, so it is impossible to see the software that the phone is using. Back panel: Unlike some new smartphones like Motorola's latest Razr, the Blackberry has a removable cover . A peek inside the phone shows slots for a micro-SIM and microSD memory card . The images were first leaked by Vietnamese site Tinhte.vn, which says the phone feels 'very comfortable' to hold, but refuses to go into details of where they got hold of the device. The BlackBerry 10 L-Series is likely to be the make or break device for Research In Motion, which has gone from being the executive smartphone of choice to fast becoming an also ran in the mobile market. Last month one analyst warned investors to ditch their shares in the Canadian firm, predicting that the BlackBerry 10 OS will be 'dead on arrival' when it finally launches in 2013. Bloomberg quoted James Faucette of Pacific Crest Securities as telling investors: 'We expect the new OS to be met with a lukewarm response at best and ultimately likely to fail.' The company has said it will release its next generation of smartphones on January 30. | Images suggest that like Apple's device the Blackberry will have chunky bezels at top and bottom .
Device set to be Research In Motion's make or break product, with launch expected at the end of January .
Pictures leaked by a Vietnamese tech site . |
242,548 | c5f2a900f065f43c129e5d58f19d4c92d079cf13 | Gary Neville had barely digested his first breakfast under the new world order when he waded into an online debate with those who thought England should simply try to copy the way Germany produce footballers. Those people are either ‘oblivious to the obstacle’ or they ‘believe in magic wands’, rapped Neville on Twitter. ‘You might as well say England needs weather like Spain.’ He claimed Germany’s ‘holistic approach’ could not be transported across the North Sea and added: ‘We are going to have to find our way of doing it because the system we have doesn’t allow us to adopt the German route in its entirety.’ VIDEO Scroll down to watch Gary Neville leading an England training session . New world order: Germany celebrate their first World Cup in 24 years . Fronting up: Gary Neville admits England are unable to copy Germany's model for success . Germany’s first World Cup triumph in 24 years has aggravated some unhealed wounds. It is not simply the bitter football rivalry but the painful proof that England are being left behind as others accelerate and are losing the ability to convert our raw materials into footballers of genuine world-class ability. At the heart of Germany’s victory in Brazil is the fact that six of those selected by Joachim Low for the final before Sami Khedira’s injury in the warm-up – had started in the final of the European U21 Championships in 2009, when the Germans had beaten England 4-0 in Malmo. Success stories: James Milner (left) and Joe Hart (centre) played for England in the European U21 Championships in 2009 . From the England team that day, only James Milner made it to Brazil, although Joe Hart is another who would have played for the U21s five years ago had he not been banned and Theo Walcott would have been at the World Cup but for injury. But it goes a little deeper. All but one of those who started for Germany in Malmo went on to play senior international football, including some who switched flags. Fabian Johnson played for the USA at the World Cup and Sebastian Boenisch played for Poland in the qualifiers. Ashkan Dejagah, who missed the final against England through suspension, was in Brazil with Iran. Switching sides: Ashkan Dejagah played for Germany's youth sides before declaring for Iran . Rising star: Toni Kroos is on the brink of a move to Real Madrid . Then there was Toni Kroos, the poster boy for the U21 Euros in 2009; a prolific young striker from Bayern Munich who was injured and unable to take part in the tournament. Germany got by without him, and Kroos developed into a midfielder, now on the brink of a move to Real Madrid. It was indeed an exceptional crop but, still, it goes deeper. Germany made the decision to deliberately restructure its youth development programme at the start of this century and these are the results coming to fruition. 'Other young players are coming,' warned Wolfgang Niersbach, president of the German FA (DFB). Eyes on the prize: German chief Wolfgang Niersback is hoping for a years of domination . It’s true, in the same year that Germany’s U21s were winning in Malmo, their U17s were winning the European title with a team featuring a certain Mario Gotze, scorer of the only goal in the World Cup final. This could be an era of domination, as Low said, born out of a disappointing display (by their own standards) in Euro 2000, when they lost to Kevin Keegan’s England and the old foes were out together, after the group stage. England crossed their fingers and hoped players like Michael Owen, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard would continue to progress at their clubs, while Germany went home and overhauled their Academy system to make sure the next generation was much better. Rock bottom: Germany started from scratch after their Euro 2000 exit . The advantage they had was that the DFB and the Bundesliga were almost one entity at the time and the governing body had power to force change upon its clubs. Strict regulations were imposed in youth development from 2001. He didn’t spell it out but this is probably Neville’s 'obstacle'. The relationship between the power brokers inside the English game is complicated by the rich history and the community roots of a 92-club pyramid. One of its biggest strengths has been its biggest weakness when it comes to international football. Dejected: Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard reflect on England's World Cup exit . As Germany sorted itself out, the FA did next to nothing and things conspired against them. They took an age to build St George’s Park and neglected coach education while clubs routinely denied young players release to play for their country at U19, U20 and U21 level and, in some cases, the players were happy to be denied it. At the same time, clubs made it harder for these young players to get into the first team by signing more foreign players and the development process stalled. The argument is well-worn and still everyone points fingers of blame at each other. The FA does one thing, the Premier League another and the world hurtles towards another season and the qualifying campaign for Euro 2016. VIDEO Neville for England - Owen . 'I’m confident the mountain is starting to move, but it’s a slow shift and results will take time,' said Neville, who perhaps understands (or represents) the confused forces as well as anyone in his dual role as England coach and Sky Sports analyst. As he tweeted away about Germany and England, Sky were confirming the matches being shunted around for live broadcast and issuing a press release in which Neville was quoted saying: 'I can’t wait for the new season and I can’t wait for Sky’s live matches. I can’t wait to get back into the studio.' Really? Others can’t wait for a major tournament when it’s not quite so embarrassing to be English, but, failing that, sure, bring on the Premier League. It will be great entertainment as ever and we can all do with the distraction. | Three Lions coach says English club system restricts youth development .
Neville says progress is being made but will take time for results .
Germans hoping to dominate world football for years after Brazil triumph . |
79,644 | e1da3f66df31e188fd4ad3607078568a35ecf485 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:21 EST, 22 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 23:07 EST, 22 August 2012 . A senior citizen had a stroke of bad luck after she was the victim of a robbery while shopping - then hours later had her purse swiped on the way to the police station to report the first crime. Harriet Sweger, 72, was shopping at Big Lots, a discount retailer, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania when a female customer bumped into her and lifted the check book from her purse. The thief ran out of the door, leaving Ms Sweger in a panic. Twice in one day: Harriet Sweger, 72, was robbed twice in the span of a few hours and wonders 'Is there a tag of me or what?' Frightened: The senior citizen is now scared to go about her daily routine. 'I don't know where you can go to be safe anymore,' she said . The elderly woman then decided to go to the local police station, in nearby Stowe Township, to report the theft - when she was the victim of another robbery. She had pulled her car over to the side of the road to ask directions from a male pedestrian. The man then reached into her car and grabbed her handbag, which was sitting on the passenger seat. 'I was scared to death. I mean you should have seen the way he snatched it and started running like hell,' a frightened Sweger told WPXI-TV News . Sweger still can’t imagine how she could be victimized like this. 'I was robbed twice. I said, ''Is there a tag on me or what?''' Scam: Ms Sweger was shopping at this discount store when a woman stole her check book . Robbery #2: The elderly woman says a male pedestrian grabbed her purse out of her car (pictured) when she pulled over to ask for directions to the local police station in Stowe Township, Pennsylvania . She has put a hold on her bank card and account but is unsure of the financial damage of both crimes. Police say the check book was returned to Big Lots and they say a purse was found but they did not specify if it belonged to Sweger. Sweger is now trying to cope with overcoming her fears after the crime wave. 'I don't know what to do,' she said, wondering, 'I don't know where you can go to be safe anymore.' | First robbery occurred while Harriet Sweger, 72, shopped .
Later robbed by a man she asked directions to the police station .
'I don't know where you can go to be safe anymore,' the senior citizen said . |
198,335 | 8cbcc5cc072f40146e934ebbe5547895e734f8a2 | Twitter is on the verge of its initial public offering and everyone's knickers have been in a knot all week over the company's lack of management diversity -- that is, women. As The New York Times put it last week, "The board? All white men. The investors? All men. The executive officers? All men but for the general counsel, Vijaya Gadde, who has had the job for five weeks." Question: Why is this a problem? First, there aren't enough women at Twitter or in the tech world because there aren't enough women anywhere. Some facts: Women make up 6% of chief executives at the leading 100 tech companies, and that has taken years to accomplish. Most startups have all-male boards. In 2012 women held 16.6% of Fortune 500 board seats. Women of color were 3.3% of the total. Fully one-tenth had no women serving on their boards at all. In the past five years, women and minorities have lost ground despite evidence strongly suggesting that gender parity and board diversity have positive effects on profitability. Twitter had more than a year to prepare for this IPO: Where are the women? The company's immediate response focused on a "paucity of candidates." The tech industry has a well-documented pipeline problem, one largely the result of gender stereotypes that reach into the educational system. However, companies regularly draw executives from outside their own industries -- sometimes, yes, even women -- when seeking senior-level and board positions. It enables them to cross-pollinate ideas, diversify their expertise and innovate. For example, Apple has hired Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts. During her tenure at Burberry, the company doubled its revenues and tripled its share price. Companies redefine "pipeline" every day -- particularly when profits are involved. The technology sector dresses itself up as progressive when in reality it shows every indication of being, at its core, powerfully retrograde. Despite investing in diversity programs, the management of tech firms is distinctly not diverse, and indeed the industry continues to "dazzle" with incidents in which men gleefully display their not even implicit biases. Last month's Titshare debacle (click and weep), as well as Business Insider's long-overdue firing of CTO Pax Dickinson (who'd for years been churning out such sexist, racist, tweets as "Jesus gets raped by a pack of n****s. It's his own fault for dressing like a whore though") are two recent examples. Second, sexism is seamlessly coupled with the distribution of capital. Bryan Goldberg's September launch of Bustle, a "women's centric" website ("world news and politics alongside beauty tips") was a blunt force case in point. After announcing the site with a tone-deaf post, Goldberg was widely mocked for his personal failure to grasp, among other things, how ridiculous his claim to be starting the "first site of its kind" for women was. The real issue isn't Goldberg's cluelessness, but the institutional biases that enabled him to raise $6.5 million when far more able, knowledgeable and experienced women can't. Companies with at least one woman founder make up only 13% of those funded. Venture capitalists are less likely to invest in startups if there are women involved in their management; investors actively reduce holdings in companies that appoint female directors. These are particular ironies since women-run startups use 40% less capital to launch. These facts don't reflect women lacking in confidence ideas. They illustrate discrimination, whether it is conscious or not. Third, while we think of Twitter as a tech company, it is a media company and part of a larger environment that does little to correct its failure at diversity. Year after year, studies such as one last week from the Directors Guild of America, as well as reports from Who Makes the News and the Women's Media Center Status on Women in Media document exactly how distorted mainstream media ownership, management and production remain. Only online is the situation improving. But even there the difference is largely gains in women-oriented "pink-collar" content. How can we separate these facts from ownership? We can't. As reported by the Federal Communications Commission, our media are almost entirely owned and managed by white men. Lastly, what does this have to do with speech? Everything. Male experiences, interests, expectations and voices, mainly white, inform the way we think, decide how our resources are dispersed and define our norms. The ghettoized status of women and minorities in media and technology, coupled with the lack of venture capital investments, means that our attempts to express ourselves are limited, misrepresented and regularly repackaged to make what we say palatable to a sexist status quo. And this status quo is entirely uninterested in the idea of women as capable, autonomous leaders who might change norms in unsettling, risky ways. Stating these facts baldly is not an indictment of white men as individuals. It is a description of systemic problems that we refuse to confront with systemic solutions. The presence of a carefully selected handful of women in tech, regardless of how determined, able and prominently visible they are, has for decades done little to alter the makeup of management and ownership. Gender diversity at Twitter, as elsewhere, isn't a priority because people make reasonable decisions about what they believe will be profitable and successful: Twitter is looking for experience and expertise within a comfort zone. "This to me is not a gender issue, it's an innovation issue," Twitter CEO Dick Costolo has explained. Gender issues aren't innovation issues only if your gender is dominant and the norm. This rationale, and others like it, are exactly the kind of "1,000 paper cuts" marginalization that result in fewer women pursuing tech careers to begin with. Twitter is one part of a male dominated social structure, economy and culture, all of which rely on cradle-to-grave sexism to be profitable. That's tweetable by the way. | Soraya Chemaly: Twitter, on verge of IPO, is under fire with leadership that's virtually all men .
She says it reflects larger dearth of women in tech, media fields -- 6% of tech CEOs are women .
She says sexism abounds in male-dominated field and guides investment, leaving women out .
Chemaly: Controlling women's access makes men keepers of speech, keeps sexist status quo . |
7,355 | 14d515ed48458997b6e6e0057a2ef431da1b22d2 | (CNN) -- The head of European football has told players not to walk off the pitch if they are racially abused, saying any decision to stop a match should be left to the referee. UEFA president Michel Platini's comments come just one week after AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli, who was subjected to "monkey chants" in a recent match against Roma, told CNN he would leave the pitch if he was abused in future. Balotelli's teammate Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the field during an exhibition match against a fourth division team in January and while Platini support's Boateng's decision, it is a situation he is keen not to see repeated. "It's not a matter for the player to regulate the game and to stop the game; it's a matter for the referee," Platini, who has been president of European football's governing body since 2007, told CNN in an exclusive interview. "It's not normal that people in 2013 are being insulted about their color, about the difference of color. It's not normal. It's very tough for the player on the field." But Platini fears that if a team is "not happy" and is losing a match its players could decide to leave the field for reasons that might having nothing to do with racist abuse. On Thursday, UEFA announced a raft of new racism regulations -- part closures of stadiums, match abandonments and full stadium closures in the event of discriminatory chanting. Clubs would be handed a fine of $65,000, a figure which has drawn criticism as being too meager for football teams which are multi-million dollar businesses. But Platini defended the severity of that financial sanction. "It's not a question of money," explained the Frenchman, who said clubs are often left in a difficult position when trying to deal with fans who attend games armed with political agendas. In the past Platini has also faced criticism for his stance on goal-line technology (GLT), with the Frenchman often portrayed as a "luddite" for opposing the use of a system which FIFA has embraced. GLT debuted at last year's Club World Cup and is set for another run out in June's FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. But the 57-year-old Platini defended his position, insisting money should be spent on developing the game at grassroots level rather than GLT. "It will cost me $67 million to have GLT," continued Platini, who was crowned European Footballer of the Year in 1984. "I have to put it in all the games in the Champions League and all the games in the Europa League. I have to put it in Kazakhstan, in Manchester and in Turkey. "It costs me $67 million, for one goal, two goals a year? I prefer to invest that for the use football in the grassroots." Championed as a possible successor to FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the next election in 2015, Platini would not be drawn on whether he has ambitions to succeed the 77-year-old Swiss. "He will be 79," said Platini. referring to how old Blatter will be at FIFA's next presidential elections. "If he thinks it's time to stop, it's up to him." If Platini does succeed Blatter as head of football's global governing body, one item on his agenda will be the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, particularly with regard to what time of the year that tournament should be staged. Fears have been raised over playing the tournament in its usual June-July slot, which would see players compete in high temperatures. Platini has long been an advocate of playing the tournament in the European winter, a proposal which has been met with staunch opposition as it would disrupt the traditional season for Europe's major leagues. "If I am president of FIFA or not president of FIFA," declared Platini, "I will always support we have to play in winter." | Michel Platini urges players not to walk off the pitch if racially abused .
The UEFA president insists the decision to stop a match rests with referees .
The Frenchman also reiterates his stance against goal-line technology .
Platini remains behind the Qatar World Cup in 2022 being played in winter . |
159,188 | 59c5386ada7a66c6ad3894d5940226c74372906d | Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Agency for International Development has paid Alan Gross $3.2 million, settling a claim over the former contractor freed last week by Cuba after five years in prison, a spokesman for the federal agency tells CNN. USAID, the agency which oversees foreign aid, said it finalized the settlement with Development Alternatives, Inc (DAI). Gross was employed by the Maryland-based company when he was arrested in 2009 trying to provide cell phones and other communications equiment to Cuba's Jewish community under a USAID program. The U.S. maintained Gross was trying to help Cubans access the Internet as part of democracy-building program in a country where information is tightly controlled. Gross was serving a 15-year sentence for trying to subvert the Cuban government, but was released last week as part of a landmark deal that paved the way for a restoration of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba after more than 50 years. In a statement released Tuesday, USAID said the settlement -- agreed to in principle in November -- calls for payment by USAID for unanticipated claims under a cost-reimbursement contract, including claims related to Gross. DAI had been seeking $7 million in costs before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. "The settlement avoids the cost, delay and risks of further proceedings, and does not constitute an admission of liability by either party," the statement said. The USAID spokesman said as part of the settlement agreement, the agency agreed to pay Gross the $3.2 million directly. RELATED: CNN/ORC Poll: Americans side with Obama on Cuba . Gross and his wife, Judy, filed a $60 million lawsuit in November 2012 for gross negligence against the U.S. government and DAI. They settled with DAI for undisclosed terms in May 2013, and a U.S. district court threw out his claim against the U.S. government. That ruling was upheld on appeal last month. | The U.S. Agency for International Development has paid Alan Gross $3.2 million in a settlement .
Gross and his wife had filed a $60 million lawsuit in 2012 against the U.S. government and DAI .
Gross was released after a five-year imprisonment in Cuba last week . |
157,969 | 583ab36901cb5ff789f3f4339f70abba74460067 | The U.S. Department of Defense tried to pay ransom to win the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl from the terrorist Haqqani network in Pakistan, but was duped by a con man who ran off with the money, according to a member of Congress. The Pentagon said June 9 that 'there was no money exchanged for Bergdahl’s release,' and the White House's National Security Council insisted a day later that 'the United States did not provide money in exchange for Sgt. Bergdahl’s release.' Those carefully worded statements don't appear to rule out the possibility that money was sent but never reached its target. Joe Kasper, the press secretary to California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, told MailOnline on Thursday that the Pakistanis holding Bergdahl 'wanted to deal. They were desperate to deal.' Official denials from the Obama administration, Kasper said, are par for the course but likely deceptive. Rep. Duncan Hunter (center) is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who is pressing the Pentagon for details about a failed plot to ransom Bowe Bergdahl through a middleman who disappeared with the money . A triumphant President Barack Obama announced Bergdahl's release in May, offering no suggestion that his administration had tried to ransom him before opting for a 5-to-1 prisoner swap instead . AWOL? Bergdahl's former platoon-mates said he walked away from his post in Afghanistan and should have been court-martialed instead of reintegrated into the military . 'We know better than to believe that,' he explained. 'That's what they're going to say, and that's fine. We should expect that. But where there's smoke there's fire.' 'They can deny it all they want,' added Kasper, speaking of the administration's official spokespersons. 'But there are people within the Defense Department itself who are saying otherwise. Their own people. ... We know who discussed this issue within the Pentagon. We know who briefed the secretary.' He said the government is in the habit of entertaining ransom plans, but always through third-parties that will give the United States deniability. 'We don't pay a ransom in the sense that the U.S. government officially makes payments to a foreign entity,' Kasper said, emphasizing the word 'officially.' 'The way we've been doing this for a long time is through a workaround.' Rep. Hunter, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served two combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terror attacks, is among Capitol Hill's most persistent military bloodhounds. Pentagon officials flatly told the congressman this year that there was no consideration of a cash swap for Bergdahl, Kasper said. 'They told him categorically that, no, it never happened. That's when we decided to press down on the accelerator. And the information we got back was resounding.' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters on Wednesday that the Obama administration flatly opposes the idea of paying for the release of Americans held captive overseas. 'It's not in the best interests of American citizens to pay ransoms to any organization, let alone a terrorist organization, that is holding an American hostage,' he said. 'And the reason for that is simple: We don't want to put other American citizens at even greater risk when they’re around the globe, and that knowing that terrorist organizations can extract a ransom from the United States if they take a hostage only puts American citizens at greater risk.' Hunter dropped a bombshell in a Nov. 5 letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, claiming that America's Joint Special Operations Command 'did pursue at least two lines of effort for Bergdahl: a kinetic rescue operation, if necessary, and; a payment to the Haqqani Network to gain Bergdahl's release.' 'It has been brought to my attention,' Hunter wrote, 'that a payment was made to an Afghan intermediary who "disappeared" with the money and failed to facilitate Bergdahl's release in return. The payment was made in January-February 2014.' Hunter also seemed to understand the careful parsing of denials that often follows inquiries – from both congressmen and journalists – into sensitive national security matters. 'I recognize the reluctance to describe a payment as a ransom,' he wrote, but claimed the botched payment was made – 'regardless of how the transaction is described.' In a separate letter to the directors of the FBI, the CIA and U.S. Special Forces Command, he expressed his understanding that 'a transfer occurred that possibly included payment to Haqqani from the Taliban for the receipt of Bergdahl.' Accusation: Hunter's press secretary told MailOnline that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was briefed on the failed ransom plan, which had to involve third parties in order to give the White House deniability . TALIBAN FIVE: The Afghans released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for Bergdahl were among the most senior members of the Taliban held at the prison camp, including one who had direct ties to Osama bin Laden . According to The Washington Times, unnamed officials said the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force anti-terrorism squad handled the Bergdahl ransom mission. 'The FBI also was involved in the ransom payment attempt and was waiting inside Afghanistan’s border with North Waziristan when the release failed,' the Times reported, 'confirming that it had been a scam.' The USA Patriot Act makes it a crime to give payment or assistance to terror groups that could boost their support, and hostages' family members have said publicly that the federal government warned them against raising money for their loved ones' safe return. But retired Lt. Col. Oliver North told WMAL radio in Washington in June that he had direct knowledge of the negotiating process and was sure the Haqqani network had asked for a cash payment. Bergdahl, he said, 'was never regarded as a – quote – "prisoner of war." They all thought of him as a hostage and that’s the way they presented it. All they wanted was money.' Earnest's statement on Wednesday came in response to questions about a government-wide review of U.S. hostage policies, requested this summer by President Barack Obama. Bergdahl is back on active duty now, after five years of captivity . The Pentagon completed a review of his case in October but has yet to release it, citing the need for an internal review. Angry Republicans including some on the House Armed Services Committee claimed in the days before the midterm election just weeks ago that Democrats were holding it back for political advantage. The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, a militant terror group that now controls large sections of Syria and Iraq, has executed three American hostages this year in gruesome beheading videos distributed via online social media. That group has reaped at least $20 million this year in hostage ransoms, according to Treasury Undersecretary David S. Cohen, but often decides that the propaganda value of videotaped killings outweighs the value of money. Bergdahl was released in May after the Obama administration made a different kind of trade – not for money, but for five high-value Taliban terrorists who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba military detention facility. The enlisted soldier came under fire for allegedly deserting his U.S. Army unit in Afghanistan before he was captured by Taliban fighters. That group reportedly sold him to the Haqqani network, a notorious crime syndicate with centuries of history trading hostages for gold, opium and other commodities. The Haqqanis held Bergdahl for five years. He is now back on active duty and serves at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Duncan Hunter Letters on Bergdahl Ransom uploaded by MailOnline . | Rep. Duncan Hunter mentioned the failed plot in a letter to the defense secretary; his spokesman says the Obama administration isn't credible .
Con man who claimed to represent the Pakistani 'Haqqani Network' allegedly fooled Pentagon into paying ransom through a Delta Force unit .
'We know who discussed this issue within the Pentagon. We know who briefed the secretary,' Hunter's spokesman said .
FBI agents waiting inside Afghanistan reportedly realized the government had been scammed when no hostage-takers showed up with Bergdahl .
But the White House insisted Wednesday that America doesn't pay ransoms because it would 'put other American citizens at even greater risk'
Defense Department's careful statement insists no ransom was 'exchanged for Bergdahl’s release' |
137,316 | 3d9b6cd014e2124a4451c7bdf0afb80eb18a8089 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:48 EST, 15 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:04 EST, 16 October 2013 . Two years ago, Kayli Stollak, now 26, turned to her 75-year-old grandmother Gail for advice on love. After the young New Yorker found herself single after the end of a four-year relationship, the pair decided to tackle the world of online dating together -- using the blog Granny Is My Wingman to keep track of their escapades. Now, single again with dozens of dating horror stories to tell, Miss Stollak has turned Granny Is My Wingman into a book about the duo's romantic misadventures and the obstacles of modern love. Single again with dozens of dating horror stories to tell, Kayli Stollak has turned her blog Granny Is My Wingman into a book about the duo's romantic misadventures and the obstacles of modern love . 'The book is about getting into a relationship, finding love, being in love, falling in love, and letting it run it's its course,' Miss Stollak told MailOnline. 'We both started online dating to open it up again, and to practice dating - it's always quantity over quality when you start, which eventually leads to meeting people in the real world again.' After going on a dozen or so dates with men she met online, Miss Stollak took a chance on a guy who gave her his number at a club. The book, released October 15, reveals just how Granny Gail became so wise in love, revealing her romantic back story . 'Normally I would say no, but I was . going on so many dates anyway,' she said. The date was a success and a . relationship blossomed that lasted two years. 'We just broke broke up . after the book got printed, it was a great relationshiop that ran it's . course.' Meanwhile Granny, as Miss Stollak calls her, wasn't looking for a relationship . - she was simply looking to have some fun, and support her . granddaughter. 'Shes likes her independence, not being committed to . someone,' said Miss Stollak. So the pair set off on a dating adventure that proved to be both good practice, and fodder for entertainment. 'Granny has got one setting: real,' Miss Stollak, who works as a TV writer, told Today. 'Friends will sugarcoat things, make it sounds nice. But Granny's like, "Here's how it is. Listen, I know, I've been there."' The book, released October 15, reveals just how West Palm Beach resident Granny Gail became so wise in love, giving her romantic back story that Miss Stollak never touched on in the blog. 'We wanted to tell that story,' she said. According to the book, Gail dated her ex-husband for just five . weeks before tying the knot at 19 in 1954. Six weeks later she was . pregnant, and two years after that her husband admitted cheating on her. When a co-worker of her husband's caught her eye at one of their regular dinner parties, the book explains how she began a love affair that spanned the rest of her marriage and then through her . divorce in her early forties. As the young New Yorker found herself single after the end of a four-year relationship, the pair decided to tackle the online dating together -- using the blog Granny Is My Wingman to keep track of their escapades . Having never moved on from her love affair, she decided to delve into online dating with her granddaughter for support and as a personal challenge. 'We were always close, but I didn’t know as many details about her past,' Miss Stollak told the New York Daily News. Gail . said she thought Miss Stollak was old enough to hear the truth and . finally opened up to her granddaughter about her past. 'I thought she’d . understand better,' she said, adding that dating online was something . she was ready for. But after several failed romantic affairs, Gail has now decided to stick to dating people in . her building or men her friends fix her up with. Some of them are . widowers. 'I’ll say, "Well, . how long is his wife gone?"' she said. 'If it’s not close to at least a . year, I don’t want to bother with them. Let them go through their . mourning.' 'Granny has got one setting: real,' said Miss Stollak, who works as a TV writer. 'Friends will sugarcoat things, make it sounds nice. But Granny's like, "Here's how it is. Listen, I know, I've been there"' As for Miss Stollak, she recalls the 'serial dater' who kept his phone crammed with numbers of girls he met on OkCupid, the . man so shy he hardly said a word, and the self-professed 'globetrotter' who insulted her job at the time -- a cocktail waitress. After being stood up for the first time, Miss Stollick recalls: 'Granny offered up a gem in condolence, "Better he stands . ya up now, than at the alter." So true, so true.' Coming out of a long-term relationship, Miss Stollak said she wanted to move on from her ex-boyfriend but also felt she needed 'practice dating.' 'What do you say on a first date? Where do you go? How do you act?' she asked -- questions she touches on for both generations in the book. '"Just go out and have fun, Kayli!" That was what I kept telling her,' said Gail, adding that 'in the process of me trying to convince her, she said, "Okay, but you do it too." 'So I would do it on my level, she would do it on her level. And we’d talk about it.' | After Kayli Stollak found herself single in New York at the end of a four-year relationship, she turned to her 75-year-old grandmother, Gail, for help .
The pair decided to tackle the world of online dating together -- using the blog Granny Is My Wingman to keep track of their escapades .
Their book of the same name is set to be released October 15 . |
186,787 | 7deeb9109b45334a4e92e7c71870ad4242b0f94e | 'All dressed up with only a hotel room to go to' was the provocative theme for Marc Jacob's autumn/winter 2013 catwalk spectacle for Louis Vuitton. And in a three minute promotional video for the collection, entitled 'Ladies of the Night', models Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Georgia May Jagger are seen posing along the Rue du Pont Neuf in Paris in the most minimal pieces. Now the video has come under fire by a leading French daily newspaper for 'promoting prostitution'. 'It is an extremely shocking representation of women,’ said Dominique Attias, a leading lawyer who signed a letter criticising Louis Vuitton published in French left-wing newspaper Libération. Scroll down for video . Model of the moment Cara Delevingne is seen provocatively walking the streets at night in the new short film . The model in heels and a fur coat poses seductively against a wall . Georgia May Jagger also stars in the night-time video, wearing a Louis Vuitton lingerie dress . The letter published in the newspaper with a circulation of over 140,000 slammed the Gallic fashion . house for 'assimilating luxury with the world’s second most profitable . criminal activity after drug trafficking'. It was also signed by Chantal . Jouanno, a former centre-right minister, Laurence Rossignol, a Socialist . Senator, and the Scelles Foundations Against Sexual Exploitation, . reported the Times. Accompanied by haunting piano music, the . film shows Cara walking the dark streets of Paris as if waiting to be . picked up or on a 'walk of shame' home. Meanwhile model Magdelena Frackowiak . flashes her derriere as she walks down a Parisian alley in just a fur . coat and heels while other raunchy scenes see a model flashing her chest . in the back of a car. The short film also stars a a scantily-clad Edie Campbell, Saskia de . Brauw, Isabeli Fontant and Lily McMenamy as it cuts from the outdoor . scenes to the models stomping on to the . catwalk in this season's Paris Fashion Week show. There was a melancholy note to Marc Jaconbs' autumn/winder 2013 show at Paris Fashion Week showcasing his new collection. It encapsulated, in the designer's own words, 'an attitude of getting dressed up only to find the most glamorous destination is one's own hotel room', reported Grazia. The film shows the models in the sexy new range and various states of undress in the Paris streets . Mrs Attias said Louis Vuitton had . 'portrayed women’s bodies as an object and prostitution as something . that is playful and enjoyable'. 'This is very damaging because we are . trying to fight the idea, to which some young women in France . subscribe, that prostitution is banal, and just a way of getting money . to buy some new clothes,' she said. Louis Vuitton has declined to comment . on the controversy, however the Times reported that a source close to . the fashion house said that it had never authorised the prostitution . video. The film was made for Love, the . British fashion magazine edited by Katie Grand, a stylist who works as a . consultant for Louis Vuitton. Grand told Grazia magazine: 'I knew the character was [director James Lima's] kind of woman, she was French and a lady that enjoys the night time.' A credit at the end of the video . offers 'special thanks' to Mr Jacobs, implying that he approved it, . although the source in Paris claimed that was not the case. The video circulated on the internet as Jacobs announced that he had taken a role as a pornography baron in a movie, Disconnect. Mrs Attias described the video as . 'devastating for the image of women' but also criticised Louis Vuitton’s . Paris show, which featured models in what appeared to be hotel . corridors. 'What indecency, what ignorance, what . indifference to play with the fantasy of chic pornography: the social . condition of the immense majority of people who prostitute themselves is . in no way enviable, and in no way happy. 'Do creators from the universe of luxury realise that they are promoting violence, pornography and sexual slavery?' | Left-wing newspaper Libération slams Jacobs for 'shocking representation'
Film was for Love magazine, edited by Vuitton consultant Katie Grand .
A source in Paris said that fashion house didn't authorise the video . |
133,106 | 381a0edf212d63f67d998979f380c08c7ea07e79 | (CNN) -- Katy Brown is an Internet-savvy college freshman with conservative perspectives who worries about the future of the Republican Party. Katy Brown, Kevin Neugebauer, Barbara Rademacher and Chuck Burkhard discuss the future of the GOP. Brown, a student at Kent State University in Ohio, joined other Republicans and conservative independent iReporters in an online roundtable discussion. The Republican National Committee selected Michael Steele to become its chairman Friday during its annual winter meeting after the decisive victory of President Obama in November. Over the next four years, Republicans must regroup and establish a strategy, and the new GOP leader must navigate a political landscape where the Democrats control the White House and both houses of Congress. "I think we'll come with somebody who has experience, knows what they're talking about, is good with both liberals and conservatives, both Democrats and Republicans," Brown said of a future Republican presidential nominee. iReport.com: Watch Brown respond to one of Obama's Cabinet picks . Kevin Neugebauer of Katy, Texas, a Republican who voted for Sen. John McCain in the election, said during the chat that he thinks the majority of Americans are conservative and that he wants to see the party head in a more conservative direction. iReport.com: 'McCain wasn't conservative enough to win' Neugebauer thinks that abiding by conservative principles, especially fiscally, is the only way to solve the country's financial problems. "I don't want to have to mortgage my kids' future to get us out of the things we're doing today," he said. Another panel participant, Chuck Burkhard of Windber, Pennsylvania, voted for McCain as a registered Republican but plans to become an independent. Watch the iReporters talk over a Web chat » . He feels that the Bush administration failed at making government smaller and reducing spending, which he thinks Republicans should make a top priority. He hopes that the party will take a new direction and reach out to more people. "I really think the Republicans will reach out with a grass-roots campaign," he said. iReport.com: 'I choose Sen. McCain' Neugebauer said he thinks the Republican Party needs a "fresh new face" who can set the agenda. He says the government needs to be smaller and thinks politicians waste money on "stuff that the government has no business being in." The fourth panel participant, Barbara Rademacher, said she had a difficult time making her decision during the 2008 election. She finally settled on McCain but says she is very much an independent voter. Social issues such as abortion are what swung her to the right, but she said the party focused too much on attacks. "I hate the Republican Party the way it is right now. I hated the way they acted during the election and some of the ideas they came up with as election strategies," she said. Rademacher said she thinks former Gov. Mike Huckabee, a candidate in the 2008 race, would be a good president because of his experience. She says he has integrity, intelligence and charisma, as well as the ability to manage money. iReport.com: How will Huckabee reform the party? "I think he may be the only hope for the Republican Party," she said. Burkhard, Brown and Neugebauer all agreed that Huckabee would be a good presidential candidate. Neugebauer said he also likes former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and advocated for a return to strong Republican politics. "I just think what we need to do is, we need to concentrate on the core values that the Republican Party was started on," he said. "There's too many fence-huggers. They'll say one thing just to get votes, and they actually are thinking the other way. You really need someone in there that can rally the troops and somebody with good morals and a good record." Paul A. Beck, a political science professor at Ohio State University, said that although Obama is president, there is a large number of conservative people in the country, and they will want their say. "We have to remember that the 2000 and 2004 elections were very narrow elections," Beck said. "The country was very divided in those elections." He said he feels that many voters looked at Bush's administration and blamed him for the downfall of the economy and the war in Iraq, creating trouble for the Republican candidates who would attempt to follow him. "It looks like the Bush administration fumbled the ball. McCain didn't know quite what to do," he said. Hao Li, a student at the University of Southern California, said he wasn't Bush's biggest fan but thought the former president did "the right thing." Li said he lives the divide in this country every day as a committed Republican and McCain voter in a state that went for Obama. He describes himself as strongly fiscally conservative and socially moderate. He feels that the GOP needs to make greater efforts to reach out to minorities and young people if party members hope for success. Watch Hao Li ask about reaching out to young people in a 'Digg Dialogg' "The party has its way of saying, 'Just work hard, and you'll get there,' and they don't really outreach to the minority community. The party shouldn't change its basic principles, but the party should outreach to women and minorities." | Republican National Committee names Michael Steele as chairman .
Katy Brown advocates bipartisan cooperation during iReport roundtable chat .
Kevin Neugebauer suggests Republicans need to return to conservative roots .
iReport.com: Hao Li asks how the party can reach out to younger voters . |
257,806 | d9a0cf382645a0ec499f2450d517cd401c9e6b7f | By . David Kent . Andy Murray admits it will be a relief to defend his Wimbledon title without the same pressure that had followed him throughout his career before last year's victory. The Scot ended a 77-year wait for a British champion by defeating Novak Djokovic in last year's final and returns to the Championships without wearing that albatross around his neck for the first time. 'It builds to a point where last year was by far the most extreme pressure I’d felt in my career. It’s nice not to worry about it now,' Murray told the Evening Standard. All white on the night: Andy Murray models the new adidas collection he will be wearing at Wimbledon . Tough times: Andy Murray has had to deal with injury problems and changing coach since last summer . Three is the magic number! Andy Murray has been seeded third for his defence of the Wimbledon title . Since banishing the ghosts of Fred Perry last summer, Murray has struggled on tour as a consequence of two defining events - splitting with coach Ivan Lendl and undergoing crucial back surgery. Murray had an operation in September to resolve an issue with his back that had been troubling him for years, and is starting to feel the benefits. 'I was having to change the way I was training to try to deal with the back and it just got to a point where I was like ‘I’m tired of this’. 'I feel better now than I did, not so much endurance wise but in terms of the shots I can play without being in pain,' he says. However, while the physical scars of his operation are starting to heal, the British No 1 is still recovering from the emotional turmoil of ending his relationship with Lendl in March. Relief: Andy Murray admits it will be nice to play at Wimbledon without the usual pressure . At last! Andy Murray ended a 77-yer wait for a British champion after wining last year's Championships . 'It was like a double blow, it was a real setback for sure but only for a few weeks and then it’s time to move on. 'I spent a couple of great years with him but it’s time to try to move on.' Murray has since become the first high profile player to take on a female coach after agreeing to work with Former World No 1 Amelie Mauresmo at SW19. 'Ivan’s game was very consistent, high percentage, very solid, no weaknesses, he just did everything, well, great. Amelie played with more variety and flair, came to the net more, did more top spin,' he said. 'That’s more my sort of style so it might be a bit easier for her to explain those things to me and help me work on my strengths a bit more.' Girl power: Murray has become the first high profile player to take on a woman coach in Amelie Maursemo (L) Best defence: Andy Murray can count on previous experience when he tries to repeat history at SW19 . Murray, who has been seeded third, has been handed a favourable draw and will face Belgian David Goffin in the first round. He admits that successfully defending his crown will be challenging, but at least he can count on previous experience. 'Is it easier to win it a first time or defend it? I don’t know. What I do now is how tough it is to win Wimbledon.' | Andy Murray returns to defend his Wimbledon title at SW19 .
Murray has revealed his new adidas kit for the first time .
Scot admits relief at returning without pressure of waiting for first British winner since Fred Perry 77-years ago .
Murray has had to contend with back surgery and losing his coach Lendl .
British No 1 has agreed to work with Amelie Mauresmo at Championships . |
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