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212,233 | 9ed498b7cab1b60cf64c45a8f6a098ce8ba746e9 | (CNN) -- Amid concerns over adult content popping up on its new Vine video app, Twitter appeared Tuesday to have restricted how users can share sexually explicit clips. As with Twitter, Vine users can create and search hashtags (#CNN, #news, #tech, for instance) to share posts with a wider audience or find lots of content about the same subject. By Tuesday morning, hashtags that had worked Monday -- including searches for the terms "porn," "nude," "sex" and "naked" -- were among those that delivered no results. That doesn't mean that pornographic content has disappeared from the Vine app. But it's no longer as easy to find, or share, huge caches of the stuff with a single click. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. Rolled out last Thursday, Vine is a mobile app that lets users create six-second video clips and share them through the app, on Twitter, or both. While Vine has already been used to post some creative videos, like virtually any Web tool that allows user-created content it has also been used for the mass display of naughty bits. The issue came to the forefront over the weekend when an explicit video appeared under the prominently displayed "Editor's Picks" section on the app's main page. Twitter said the video appeared due to an employee's error and it was removed. The porn issue was a public-relations stumble for Twitter and for what appears to be a quickly adopted app. Since its release, Vine has been among the most popular free apps in Apple's app store. Currently, Vine is only available on Apple mobile devices. With its restrictions, Vine's new model appears to more closely resemble the one used on Facebook-owned Instagram, the popular photo-sharing app. Salacious hashtags also deliver no results there. On Tuesday, there were still some workaround-style hashtags on Vine with which users were sharing adult videos. Presumably, Twitter might monitor and start deleting those as well. | Naughty hashtags are no longer working on Twitter's Vine video app .
Users had begun using the app's 6-second clips to post porn .
On Tuesday, #porn, #sex, #nude and #naked no longer delivered results . |
83,968 | ee2f440324402cd0d5289ef2ebb5fe2c652c61d8 | By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 19:56 EST, 30 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:29 EST, 1 October 2013 . Dr Tim Hands says parents being made to feel it is morally wrong to send children to private schools . Parents are being made to feel it is morally wrong to send their children to private school, according to a leading headteacher. Dr Tim Hands, Master of Magdalen College School in Oxford, said there is a view that being privately educated is damaging to a child, and that . youngsters are at risk of becoming social lepers. He said: 'We . are asked to believe that our schools induce a new kind of social . leprosy, with one politician recently arguing that attendance at an . independent school was "seriously disabling".' Dr Hands, who is this year’s chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), suggested it was 'illogical' that buying a house, car or holiday can be seen as acceptable but paying to educate a youngster privately is not. He also warned that government education reforms over the last 50 years have put academic success over children’s happiness. He said that in the last few decades people have become 'more bothered' about private education, and this has been fuelled by the attitudes of politicians. 'Making the journey to independent education, parents are currently made to feel, is an unacceptable mobility: expenditure on purchase of a car, holiday or house is moral; expenditure on the education of the child is not,' he said. 'The illogicality is clear. Why should those members of the public who so value education find that those responsible for publicly funded education do not value them?' In a speech to the HMC’s annual meeting in central London, Dr Hands said in 2005 then Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke about how parents could transform their child’s education. The headteacher said some private schools like Christ's Hospital in Horsham (pictured) have a diverse pupil base where the majority receive bursaries and only a few students pay the full fees . 'Examples included moving house in . order to access a better school and employing a personal tutor - one . quarter of all parents in London pay for private tuition in the course . of their child’s school career,' he said . 'Moral . opprobrium attached to neither of these, though the latter is of course . paying for a private education, and the former is not social but . postcode mobility, potentially productive of social division.' Dr Hands suggested that in some cases, state schools are more exclusive than private schools. He cited The London Oratory School, a state Catholic secondary school, claiming that only a small percentage of its pupils are eligible for free lunches - a key measure of poverty - and that it had been reported that houses nearby were on sale for millions of pounds. Former Labour schools minister Lord Adonis said parents who send children to private schools are buying a 'high quality academic education' At the other end of the scale Christ’s . Hospital, a fee-paying school in Horsham, West Sussex, the majority of . pupils receive bursaries and few pay the full fees. Ahead of his speech, Dr Hands said: 'My . feeling is as a parent that over the decades people have come to feel . more bothered about the concept of private education, and that has been . politically fuelled.' Earlier this year, Lord Adonis, who served as a schools minister under the last Labour government, said that parents who send their children to private school are buying a 'high quality academic education'. But he added that it can be 'seriously disabling for students going to exclusive fee-paying schools that they see so little of society while they are at those schools.' Dr Hands said: 'Our schools are not marooned on islands of privilege; they are instead preventing our island from being marooned. It is not our schools that are splendidly isolated but our politicians.' He also used his speech children have been 'neglected' by government education policy in the last half century. 'The story of the last 50 years is the intrusion of Government and the disappearance of the child. 'More radically put, it is by extension the intrusion of the state, and the disappearance of love,' he said. | Dr Tim Hands said there is a view that private education damages children .
Said 'illogical' to suggest buying a house, car or holiday acceptable and paying for children's education is morally wrong .
Said past education reforms prioritised grades over happiness of children .
Dr Hands chairing the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference . |
56,962 | a15381999d778528f74ce09401e633e49f7dd0b6 | By . Ian Sparks . PUBLISHED: . 11:47 EST, 5 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:51 EST, 6 November 2012 . French First Lady Valerie Trierweiler's boss has launched an astonishing attack on her by claiming she caused him 'nothing but problems' and was 'an unpinned grenade.' Glossy weekly Paris Match's owner Arnaud Lagardere also said he would not be renewing the 47-year-old's contract at the end of the year. It is the latest in a barrage of attacks aimed at Ms Trierweiler since Francois Hollande became head of state in May. Critical: The boss of French First Lady Valerie Trierweiler, left, has launched an astonishing attack on her. Arnaud Lagardere, right, claimed she caused him 'nothing but problems' and was 'an unpinned grenade' Mr Lagardere's comments have been revealed in a new biography of the millionaire media tycoon by journalist Jacqueline Remy. Ms Remy said it was suggested to Mr Lagardere in June that having the French First Lady as an employee would surely help him get 'the ear of the president'. But he is quoted as replying: 'Are you kidding? Up until now, she's caused us nothing but problems.' He went on: 'She's like an unpinned grenade.' And Paris Match would be 'letting her go' next year to avoid any 'conflict of interest', he said. He made his comments just weeks after Ms Trierweiler had attacked her own magazine for putting her picture on the front cover without informing her first. Together: French President Francois Hollande, right, is pictured with his partner Valerie Trierweiler, left . She said at the time: 'Would have been nice to have been informed in advance, especially by one's own employer.' Ms Trierweiler has also attracted wide criticism in the French media in recent months. Just weeks after Mr Hollande took office, she sparked outrage by tweeting her support for a candidate standing in parliamentary elections against Segolene Royal, the mother of the president's four children. Ms Royal lost the election and blamed Ms Trierweiler for wrecking her political career. No love lost: Lagardere said he would not be renewing the 47-year-old's contract at Paris Match magazine (above) at the end of the year . Furious prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told Ms Trierweiler that she should 'know her place' and Mr Hollande's eldest son Thomas Hollande said he had disowned her. Laurent Greilsamer, author and former news editor of leading daily Le Monde, then launched a blistering volley of slurs at Ms Trierweiler in his new biography called The Favorite. He wrote: ‘As I see it, you have shown yourself to be not normal, snooty, infatuated, unpredictable. And a third book by author Christophe Jakubyszyn called Valerie Trierweiler: The Heart of Power promises to reveal 'the driving force behind this mysterious woman' when it is published in October. Mr Hollande has publicly expressed his own disapproval of her antics during a televised Bastille Day address to the nation on July 14. The president said: 'I am for a clear distinction between public and private life. I believe private matters should be regulated in private and I have asked those close to me to respect this.' Mr Hollande and former lover Ms Royal lived together for 28 years before the president left her for Ms Trierweiler in 2005. News magazine L'Express wrote recently of Ms Trierweiler: 'For her, Segolene Royal remains the object of profound and irrational jealousy that complicates political relations. 'It is almost impossible to even speak about the woman in front of her, even from a purely political angle. It's stronger than she is.' | Glossy weekly Paris Match's owner Arnaud .
Lagardere said he would not be renewing the 47-year-old's contract at the end of the year .
It is the latest in a barrage of attacks aimed at Ms Trierweiler since Francois Hollande became head of state in May . |
225,914 | b089b24f906832a8a87c4f53d4331dd98967ccf7 | It was what you might call drinking in the Stamford Bridge last chance saloon. Mohamed Salah, in all likelihood on his way out of Chelsea, was given one final chance to persuade Jose Mourinho to let him stay. The fact it was an FA Cup tie against League One opposition in Bradford City, sandwiched between two much more significant and high-profile League Cup games with Liverpool, said everything about the Egyptian’s Chelsea career since he arrived 12 months ago. He was only on the teamsheet because Mourinho needed to rest his key personnel for Tuesday night’s all-important second leg with the Reds. Plain and simple. In normal circumstances, he probably wouldn’t have made the squad, such are the talents at the manager’s disposal. Mohamed Salah of Chelsea attempts to ride the challenge of Bradford's Andrew Halliday at Stamford Bridge . The relentless pace of fighting for silverware on four fronts, the inescapable need to rotate the players to avoid injury and fatigue seems to be the only way the £11m Salah can get a game. He has played a mere 268 minutes of first-team football this season, spread over seven appearances across all competitions. It certainly hasn’t worked out the way he planned when he arrived from Basle with great fanfare last January. Including this one, Salah has featured in just 18 games for the club. His fate seems sealed. During the remaining days of the transfer window, Salah will head most likely to Roma on loan until the end of the campaign. A longer lasting decision will then be made. But he was at least granted one last opportunity to show Mourinho - and the Chelsea fans - what they’d be missing. It was certainly more than Andre Schurrle who, like at Liverpool on Tuesday, didn’t make the matchday squad. Bradford team-mates enjoy the moment having beaten Premier League leaders Chelsea in the FA Cup . Salah has made just 18 appearances for the Blues since signing from FC Basle in January 2014 . He too is heading for the exit door. While Mourinho was insistent in his pre-match comments that it would take a ‘phenomenal offer’ to spirit him away - Wolfsburg are believed to be front-runners - the reality is that Schurrle, just seven months after helping Germany to the World Cup, is out of favour. Mourinho’s follow-up comment that Schurrle needs to start out-performing Eden Hazard and Willian to regain his place sounded ominous indeed. Anyway, back to Salah who, with garish red boots and long sleeves on a nippy January afternoon, set out to prove he still has something to give. The initial signs weren’t promising. He was crowded out by Andy Halliday and Rory McArdle as he tried to make headway down the left and was quickly swapped with Loic Remy to take position on the right. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho can't hide his frustration during the 4-2 defeat to Bradford on Saturday . Chelsea led on 15 minutes, Gary Cahill in the right place to deftly flick home an Oscar corner. The magnificent 6,000 travelling Bradford fans were silenced - at least temporarily. On 25 minutes, Salah’s first involvement of note, though it wasn’t particularly positive. Both he and Remy lunged to try and reach Didier Drogba’s cleverly threaded through ball. Remy swung his right leg, Salah his left. They clashed, the ball went to the goalkeeper. Remy shot his team-mate a glance of a thousand knives. Shortly afterwards, he received the ball wide right from a reluctant Remy, played it in to Ramires and then anticipated the return. It didn’t materialise. But his next contribution, along similar lines, was good. Ramires emerged from midfield, slotted the ball to Salah and, after a second’s delay, he played the perfect return for the Brazilian to roll the ball in off the post for 2-0. That was the timing and presence of mind Salah was bought for and has so seldom been able to display. The Egyptian winger struggled to impose himself against the League One opposition and was replaced . Jon Stead halved the deficit shortly before the break to ignite the contest again but to judge by Salah’s start to the second period, it was long settled. Two minutes in and he was showboating, producing a flurry of step-overs, rolling the ball left and right as Andrew Davies’ eyes flickered. It was nice to watch but totally out of context and there were even a few restless jeers from the crowd before Salah passed to Remy. There was one glimpse of the Salah Chelsea bought last year, a purposeful driving run through the middle. His pace carried him past three Bradford players and it led to a chance for Oscar. That was more like it. Mourinho talks to Andre Schurrle in training last week, with the German set to leave Chelsea this month . And five minutes later, he cut inside well onto his left foot and curled in a shot that went a couple of inches wide of the post. He was beginning to be genuinely influential. Then, with the game still delicately-poised at 2-1, it was suddenly all over. The No 17 went up on the board and Salah was replaced by Willian, whom Mourinho hoped would supply the class for a decisive third goal. There was a smattering of applause for the Egyptian, a few stood in appreciation. Salah, meanwhile, wore the regretful expression of somebody painfully aware all good things must come to an end. | Chelsea lost 2-4 at home to League One side Bradford in the FA Cup .
Mohamed Salah made a rare start for Chelsea but struggled to impact .
Salah has made just 18 appearances for the Blues since January 2014 .
The Egyptian showed glimpses of his best in the second-half .
He also assisted Ramires to set up Chelsea's second goal .
But he was withdrawn for Willian late in the match .
Salah is expected to secure a loan move to Roma until end of season . |
260,704 | dd99611f5a3a383f6b27133cfb5e1daa00426721 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:38 EST, 4 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:57 EST, 4 December 2013 . Kyle Van WinkleJust a normal guy: Kyle Van Winkle, 30, has been identified as the man who died in a parking lot outside Arrowhead Stadium . The 30-year-old father who died after a fight in the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium was found sleeping in a Jeep that was nearly identical to his own vehicle, it has been revealed. Police are still baffled by the mysterious death of Kyle Van Winkle. A small amount of blood was found at the scene of his death, though there was no obvious sign of trauma. It is thought that he was taken for a car thief when the owner of the Jeep returned to the parking lot with his young son and found Van Winkle asleep inside. Detectives are now saying that Van Winkle, the son of a Missouri police sergeant and the father of a 7-month-old baby boy, left Sunday's Chiefs-Broncos game early and walked to the same row where he had been tailgating with his father and friends. He then go into an unlocked Jeep that was ten cars away from the Jeep that he had arrived at the stadium in. It was a similar color and a similar model, as well, the Kansas City Star reports. The owner of the vehicle, who also left the game early with his 10-year-old son, found Van Winkle asleep in the vehicle. Scroll down for video . A man who spent Sunday night in police custody in connect with the death of a man in the parking lot at the Kansas City Chief's Arrowhead Stadium is expected to be released later today . What happened next isn't clear - witness accounts vary wildly and police are still trying to track down the truth. One witness says the owner of the Jeep fought with Van Winkle and saw Van Winkle throw a punch of the man. Another witness says the owner called out for help from tailgaters who were watching the game on TVs in the parking lot - and several ran over to render assistance. That witness told police the Jeep owner wasn't involved in the fight. Instead, it was the tailgaters who beat Van Winkle. The witness said he heard one of the tailgaters say that he had beaten Van Winkle and that he 'won't be doing that again.' Van . Winkle's father, Dean Van Winkle, who is a police sergeant in . Grandview, Missouri, said his son was not drunk when he left the stadium . and did not appear to be suffering from any health problems. Mr Van Winkle was a loan operations specialist with a local credit union. He had played varsity sports in both high school and college and had no criminal record. Tragic: A man has died in the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot following a brawl. The man had either broken into or mistakenly entered the Jeep pictured, which triggered the fight . Medical authorities told investigators on Sunday evening they could detect 'no obvious signs of what caused (the man’s) death.' 'Talking to several witnesses that . were out here in the parking lots, there was an individual who came back . to his vehicle, saw someone inside the vehicle that did not belong,' said Snap. 'A struggle ensued between the two. That's when the individual (who had been inside the vehicle) collapsed.' Snapp said there were no obvious indications of how the death occurred. He had not been shot or stabbed, and hospital officials didn't find signs of a significant struggle on his body. 'We . don't know if the person had a health condition, had a heart attack. We . don't know,' Snapp said. 'We're going to investigate this as a homicide . until we hear differently. Right now it's a suspicious death but we are . going to investigate it as a homicide.' Deadly struggle: Three men were taken in custody after a man died during a vicious parking lot brawl near this Jeep on Sunday night . The men reportedly brawled in the parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City (pictured) last night . Last night's death came one year to the day after Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher (pictured) shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, at a home not far from Arrowhead Stadium . Officers said the fight did not appear to be related to fan rivalry. Chiefs . spokesman Ted Crews said the team is aware of the incident but cannot . comment further because of the police investigation. The game began about 3.30pm and the Chiefs lost to the Denver Broncos. The . death came one year to the day after Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher . shot and killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, at a . home not far from the stadium . Belcher then drove to the team's practice . facility and fatally shot himself in front of then-coach Romeo Crennel . and general manager Scott Pioli. | Kyle Van Winkle, 30, died after a fight in the parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City .
He was found in a Jeep not far from his own car, where he had tailgated with friends .
His cause of death remains unknown, though blood was found at the scene . |
282,591 | fa050d03a040acda9583e0bb0363818d8f3d5def | A former high school football captain has revealed for the first time how being abused by a female teacher shattered his dreams of playing at college level and changed his future. Cameron Clarkson, 22, attended Catholic Cretin-Derham Hall in St Paul, Minnesota for four years where he eventually led the state-title winning Raiders football team. However Mr Clarkson's dreams of going on to play at college came crashing down when he was targeted at the age of 16 by substitute teacher and weight room supervisor Gail Gagne. Mr Clarkson is now suing the school for not doing more to protect him from the 25-year-old teacher. Gagne is also facing a lawsuit. Scroll down for video . Cameron Clarkson (pictured left this week) attended Catholic Cretin-Derham Hall in St Paul, Minnesota. When he was 16 he had a relationship with a 25-year-old substitute teacher which had a damaging effect on him . What began as a friendship between Gagne and the teenage boy over the summer of 2008 while he worked in the weights room, developed when the 25-year-old told the teen she had feelings for him. She is the daughter of former wrestler Greg Gagne and her grandfather is wrestling legend Verne Gagne. The sophomore and 25-year-old teacher began having sex at her parents' home and at a motel but the liaisons began to have a deeply unsettling effect on the schoolboy. In a new interview with Fox, he said: 'It got to the point where I didn't like sneaking around or feeling like I was doing something wrong, as much as I found her attractive. Getting food, rides home, feeling like the cool guy; it didn't feel right.' Former teacher Gail Gagne was registered as a sex offender after having sex with student Cameron Clarkson in 2008 (right). She is now being sued by that student . The former football player said that rumors began to circulate at the esteemed school and left him with the reputation of a 'teacher f*****' and a pervert. Finally, a girl whom Clarkson was interested in went to the police about the teacher's affair with the student. Gagne lost her job at the prestigious school and Clarkson was targeted by bullies. His mother's car was vandalized, Fox reported, and the teacher's name bleached into his home's front yard. He said that after using marijuana to numb the pain, he headed to Howard University in DC so that he could get away from Minnesota. The student told Fox: 'I had to get away from this life, from this Cameron. I don't look like a victim of sexual abuse.' In 2011, at the age of 28, Gagne received a stayed jail sentence of one year and a $300 fine for having sex with the high school athlete. She served one year of probation. As part of a deal with prosecutors, Gagne waived her right to a jury trial after admitting sex with the student while she was working as a weight room supervisor. In exchange, the judge found her guilty of a reduced charge of fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct -- a gross misdemeanor -- and dropped a felony charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Gagne's father Greg (pictured left) and her grandfather Verne (right) both made careers are professional wrestlers . Gagne registered as a sex offender in both California and Minnesota. She will never be allowed to work with minors again. Attorney Mike Freeman said at the time: 'A parent who sends their child to be taught and participate in activities to be coached ought not be worried about whether the coach is going to have sexual relations with that child. Period.' Mr Cameron is now suing his former teacher and school over the damaging effects the sexual relations had on his life. A settlement has not been reached with the school so a court date has been set for December 1. MailOnline was awaiting a statement from Cretin-Derham Hall on Tuesday. | Cameron Clarkson attended Catholic Cretin-Derham Hall in St Paul, Minnesota for four years and was captain of the football team .
Substitute teacher Gail Gagne, 25, began having sex with him when he was 16 years old - at her parents' home and at a motel .
He was bullied after the liaison was made public at school, he began smoking marijuana and later left the state .
Mr Clarkson, 22, is now suing the school and his former teacher . |
179,346 | 7433b06f126f71ef5c25df3f5ecc8f03b211ccb7 | Tyson Fury's showdown with Dereck Chisora failed to live up to the hype surrounding the heavyweight bout but the victorious fighter never fails to entertain away from the ring. Fury, who remains unbeaten after defeating Chisora at the weekend, has attempted to sing one of Elvis Presley's hit songs. The 26-year-old sang Presley's In the Ghetto while being filmed by iFL TV following his victory against his rival. Tyson Fury looks into the camera while singing Elvis Presley's 'In the Ghetto' after beating Dereck Chisora . Fury gets into the mood by closing his eyes before signing Presley's hit song . Fury looks into the camera before showing off his musical talent by singing the April 1969 hit. The heavyweight fighter may have to turn his attention to a potential domestic blockbuster against Anthony Joshua after the new year. Talks are said to be underway regarding a possible fight between the two undefeated fighters, which could take place next summer. Fury dominated Chisora for 10 rounds before his opponent was pulled out by his corner . Fury lands an uppercut on his way to a decisive victory over Chisora at the weekend . | Tyson Fury has been filmed singing 1969 hit Elvis Presley song .
The 26-year-old defeated rival Dereck Chisora at the weekend .
Talks are underway regarding fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua . |
201,631 | 910ea640f218529fd87f16b53d0c19a046bab330 | (CNN) -- Shortly after 10 a.m. Blair Scott sent a text to his daughter Rose, a junior at Buckhorn High School in northeast Huntsville. He could feel the lump in his throat as he warned her: You have three minutes to get to a safe place. The twister was hurtling straight toward her. It was one of two apparent tornadoes that ripped through the area Friday. Scott jumped in his car and furiously drove the three miles from his home to the school. The speedometer said 80. In his read view mirror, he could see four police cars. But they weren't chasing him. They were also charging towards to the school and the sitting targets within. Scott arrived to a surreal scene wrought by the fury of the storm. His heart skipped a few beats. He was one of thousands of Americans unnerved Friday by a swath of severe weather that extended from Alabama to Indiana. Inside the school, it was hot, damp and dark -- the power was out. The staff had gone into storm mode at about 8:45 in the morning, huddling the students in the safest place of all, the hallway, Scott said. Rose was huddled with her classmates. She could feel her frightened friend's clawing into her arm. Everyone knew the tornado coming their way, like a killer approaching a helpless victim. Everyone was terrified. Rose was 20 feet away from the door and could feel the wind forcing its way underneath. It was so strong that even through the cracks, it made her hair fly. "We didn't know if it was going to bust open at any minute," she said. Signs outside were blowing; trees bending. Suddenly, it became sunny. The wind went one way one minute and another, the next. Then, it began raining. Hard. The pressure changed and got so bad it made Rose's ears hurt. She got low to the floor. A large trash bin flew through the air. Where once there had been tall oaks, there was nothing. They were horizontal with the earth and Rose could see the house that used to be hidden by vegetation across the street. When it was over, teachers screamed as they saw their wrecked cars, the building's windows shattered and part of the roof in the parking lot. Similar storms ripped through the Huntsville area about a year ago. Students, teachers and parents all had their memories. Rose had even chased tornadoes with her dad -- both father and daughter are fascinated with science and meteorology. But she had never lived through a tornado before. Now she knew what it felt like. "It was a whole different experience," she said. "I couldn't even text. My hands were shaking so bad." Many of the students were trying to call their moms and dads but cell phone service was sketchy. She was relieved to see her father when he arrived at the school. Scott said his daughter's friends pleaded with him. "Please, Mr. Scott," they said. "Take us home." But he couldn't. School policy forbade it so that all the students could be accounted for. "It was heartbreaking," he said. "It was horrible in there. They were so scared and apprehensive." Scott felt incredibly lucky that everyone he loved was alright. He took his daughter home and passed the rest of the day under a tornado watch. | Blair Scott sent a text warning to his daughter at Buckhorn High School .
One of two apparent tornadoes was heading straight toward her .
The students huddled in a dark, damp hallway .
Everyone was terrified, said Scott's daughter Rose . |
162,119 | 5d9e3ce83d5ee309aa017fa9f4540c693c6e207d | Fear is something that consumes all of us at one time or another. What matters is whether you let your fear control you or parts of your decision-making? And if so, is fear something we can improve upon? Before I was selected to be a part of Fit Nation, I was afraid of flying. Let me rephrase that -- I was scared to death of flying. What could possibly go wrong? Many things ran through my head. A plane crash. Oxygen deprivation. A panic attack. Another fear I had was swimming in large bodies of water. I knew how to swim; I grew up with a pool at my house. I was very comfortable swimming in a pool because I could see the bottom. You can't see the bottom of the ocean when you swim in it. What could possibly go wrong? A shark attack. Oxygen deprivation. A panic attack. I came to realize that I was missing out on things because of my fears. I would only vacation in places I could drive to. In fact, last October, my partner Joy and I drove 14 hours to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a long weekend. We could have gotten a sweet rate on round-trip airfare and had more time at the beach, but I elected to drive instead. I was beyond excited when I was selected for Fit Nation in December. But fear quickly took over when I realized that not only did Fit Nation involve swimming in the ocean but also two trips to California (somewhere beyond even my driving desire). I was scared. Yet I wanted to be part of Fit Nation so badly that I knew I would have to meet both of these fears head on. In January, I was scheduled to fly to Atlanta for kick-off weekend. As the days got closer, I grew more anxious. People began to tell me stories about their first flying experience; some had flown as children, unaccompanied, to visit family. Another friend told me she traveled often for her job; she flew more than 140 times last year. I began to wonder what could possibly go wrong. Seeing another part of the country? Visiting people I hadn't seen in years? Finishing a triathlon? I came to realize that I was looking at the worst possible scenario instead of the best-case scenario. I decided that I had to take a chance. Fortunately for me, my first flight was a short one. I kept telling myself that millions of people fly every day and nothing happens -- except that they get to their desired destinations and go about their business. I have now flown four different times, including cross-country twice. And I have found that I actually enjoy flying. During our midway training trip in California, we started our swim training in a lap pool. I could see the bottom; I was in control; no problem. Then came our first training session in the ocean. I was nervous -- sweaty palms and all, as I listened to our instructions. But as my coach explained dolphin diving (a technique used by swimmers to get under a wave) I began to feel a sense of confidence. It was almost as if I knew what I had to do, and there wasn't anything that was going to stop me. Was my fear of the ocean, or of the unknown? People who have swum less than me had completed this challenge; what was holding me back? One of the lifeguards set a buoy at 150 yards. My teammate and I swam out to it without any problems. I remember treading water, talking to him, thinking: "I just swam 150 yards out into the ocean. This isn't bad." Over the next few days, I completed four different swims in the Pacific Ocean, including a mock triathlon distance of 400 yards. Can your fears go away? I feel completely different about flying and swimming in the ocean than I did a year ago. I actually enjoy flying now and look forward to heading back to sunny California in September. Although something can be said for long car trips with your family, I think back to the hours that could have been spent relaxing and enjoying vacation instead of being behind the wheel. I also look forward to swimming once again in the Pacific Ocean. I wouldn't say I'm a risk-taker, but I think I am more willing to take a chance on things now. One of my favorite quotes I say to my athletes is, "If you do what you always do, you get what you always get." Don't let your fears stand in your way of "getting" something more! You have more to lose than pounds . Why I gave up soda . | Mike Wilber was afraid of flying and of swimming in the ocean .
With the Fit Nation team, he learned to face his fears and fight back .
Follow Mike's journey training for a triathlon on Twitter @TriHardMike . |
86,505 | f58838b81fa2756a50ee040446a88793ea1d24ae | By . Claire Ellicott . UPDATED: . 02:48 EST, 13 September 2011 . The year six pupil was born a boy physically but has suffered from gender dysphoria, a disorder that makes a person unhappy with the gender they were born with. His mother is supporting his decision. She has allowed him to dress as a girl and says he will start hormone blocker therapy – the first step to changing gender – when he is 12. Close: The mother with her son, who has gender dysphoria . The boy, who wishes to remain . anonymous, wanted to be a girl from the age of two-and-a-half and would . play with Barbie dolls rather than Action Man. The headteacher at his primary school . in Worcester gave a special assembly – attended by his parents and a . police officer – to explain the change to other children and prevent . bullying. But the boy’s mother said other . pupils have been more understanding than adults since he ‘came out’ as a . girl over the summer holidays. The 36-year-old said neighbours and parents had branded her son a ‘freak child’ and reduced him to tears by heckling him. She said of her son: ‘She is within . her mind a girl but she has a boy’s body. She is the same as everybody . else apart from the fact she doesn’t feel right in her own body. ‘She would rather play with a doll . than a car. She is a girlie girl. She wants all the latest fashions. There is nothing about her which is male. ‘It wasn’t a problem until she got to . primary school at the age of seven-and-a-half. Then she would have to . lie about what she got for Christmas and say a football or an Action Man . when in fact she got a pair of sparkly shoes and a Barbie. Everything . she was having to do was a lie.’ People with gender dysphoria, which is also known as gender identity disorder and transgenderism, experience anxiety and discomfort about the gender they were born with. It is rare, but the number of those diagnosed is increasing due to growing public awareness. Symptoms can begin at a very young age. Children may refuse to wear the clothes typically worn by those of their gender, or may dislike taking part in the usual games and activities. While the cause of gender dysphoria is unknown, it is classed as a psychiatric condition. Research into its causes is ongoing, with recent studies suggesting it has much to do with biological development. Treatment is varied and aims to help people become content with their gender identity. Some choose to dress and live as their preferred gender, while others take hormones that change their physical appearance. Most transsexuals – those who have long-lasting and extreme gender dysphoria – seek to have surgery to permanently alter their sex. In 2009, a German teenager became the youngest person to undergo Gender Reassignment Surgery for the condition – at the age of 16. Kim Petras – born Tim - started hormone replacement therapy as part of her gender transition at age 12. She added that her son had known he wanted to be a girl since he was two-and-a-half but was forced to act like a boy at school. He would then act and dress like a . girl when he got home but became a target for abuse as more and more . people realised his secret. His mother added: ‘We went to a . performance at the school and my daughter (the boy) went as herself. Some of the parents were unhappy she was allowed to go into the school. 'They were walking past, coughing and . saying: “That’s that freak family. That’s that freak child”. It’s not a . phase. It’s not a choice – what child would choose to be completely . miserable? ‘I don’t expect people to understand. I just don’t want people abusing my child. I don’t want her to be . called a freak. I want her to be left alone. Some people need glasses. Some people are required to go in wheelchairs. My daughter needs to . dress like a girl because she is a girl.’ The mother added that the school had been very understanding, as had many of her son’s classmates. But some parents said they should have been consulted before an announcement was made to the pupils on their first day back. One parent with a child at the school . said: ‘The headteacher told all the kids that there was a kid at the . school who was a girl trapped in a boy’s body. The parents we spoke to are . absolutely outraged that they weren’t consulted about this. This kid is . just going to be bullied now. Why didn’t the school send us a letter?’ The school head said: ‘We operate an inclusive policy and work hard to ensure all our pupils have the support they need. ‘As part of this, we feel it is . important to encourage discussion and promote understanding. We strive . to make sure that all our children get the most possible out of their . time here and a key part of this is helping pupils understand that all . their peers are unique.’ According to the NHS, an estimated . one in 4,000 people is receiving medical help for gender dysphoria. On . average, men are five times more likely to be diagnosed with the . condition than women. | Boy had to lie about Christmas presents and pretend he was given Action Man figures instead of Barbie dolls .
Branded a 'freak' by cruel adults when he dressed in girls' clothes .
Mother says she knew something was different since he was two-and-a-half years old . |
43,672 | 7b2b414d8cbc968f4df05bcefb2f9f0fd3052083 | Among the tragic victims of the Sandy Hook massacre were remarkable stories of survival - and heroism. First grade teacher Kaitlin Roig escaped unharmed when crazed gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into the elementary school on Friday - and so did all of her students. The 29-year-old had been teaching 15 children at about 9:30 that morning when . the classroom windows suddenly shattered. Scroll down for video . Hero: First-grade teacher Kaitlin Roig escaped unharmed when crazed gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into the elementary school on Friday - and so did all of her students . Reacting immediately, Ms Roig, 24, whisked the children into a bathroom. She told ABC News: 'I put one of my students on top of the toilet. I was telling them, it's going to be OK, you're going to be all right. 'I told them to be absolutely quiet because I was just so afraid if he did come in he would hear us and start shooting the door. Killer: Adam Lanza forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary on Friday morning, killing 20 children and six adults . 'I said there are bad guys out there now. We need to wait for the good guys. 'The . kids were being so good. They asked, "Can we go see if anyone is out . there? I just want Christmas, I don't want to die, I just want to have . Christmas." 'I said, "You're . going to have Christmas and Hanukkah." I tried to be positive. If they . started crying I would take their face and say it's going to be OK.' She was struck by the bravery of the children in her class. She told the network: 'One of my students was saying, "I know karate, so it's OK." 'I said, “We're staying here until someone comes to get us out.” When authorities did finally come to the bathroom, Ms Roig said she wasn't taking any chances. 'The . police came and started knocking and obviously I was completely beside . myself. I said, “I don't believe you. You need to put your badges under . the door.” So they put their badges under the door.' Another Sandy Hook educator, Maryrose Kristopik, also survived the attack uninjured, along with her students. Ms Kristopik, 50, huddled in a storage room with 15 children while outside the gunman could be heard screaming: 'Let me in!' The students had been in a music lesson watching The Nutcracker on TV when the gunshots started. The group hid in the closet until police arrived to lead them to safety. Unharmed: Ms Roig, left, as well as fellow Sandy Hook teacher Maryrose Kristopik, right, survived the attack uninjured, along with their students . Watch video here . | Kaitlin Roig, 29, ushered her 15 first-grade students into a bathroom after Adam Lanza shot out the classroom windows .
She says she was struck by the bravery of the children, including one who said he could fight the gunman with karate .
Ms Roig and fellow teacher Maryrose Kristopik survived the attack unharmed - along with their students . |
123,548 | 2bb45fb62ea8dab378e7920c7ced6376a550bda9 | Dr. Ken Yeang is the world's leading architect in ecological and passive low energy design. He has delivered over 200 built projects and his 'bioclimatic' towers have had an impact around the world, fusing high-tech and organic principles. Born in Penang, Malaysia in 1948, Yeang was educated there, as well as in the U.S. and the UK, receiving his doctorate in Architecture from Cambridge University, and attending graduate courses at the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. His expertise in the field of green design originated from his early doctoral dissertation from Cambridge University (1971-1974) followed by his ongoing R&D work, which has since led to the publication of a number of his treatises on the topic of ecological design and planning, bioclimatic design and high-rise design. His publications include: "The Skyscraper: Bioclimatically Considered," "The Green Skyscraper: The Basis for Designing Sustainable, Intensive Buildings," and his latest book "Ecodesign: A manual for Ecological Design." He is a member of the RIBA and is registered with ARB. Over his 35 years of professional practice, he has seen to completion over a hundred projects on site, including having designed over 50 skyscrapers, with over 12 completed, and currently three towers in construction. He is best known as the inventor of the Bioclimatic skyscraper (as a genre of low-energy skyscrapers based on bioclimatic design principles), and for his novel ideas on designing the high-rise building type as vertical urban design. E-mail to a friend . | Born in Malaysia in 1948, Yeang studied at Cambridge in the UK .
He is an expert in green design, incorporating organic and inorganic elements .
Yeang is best known as inventor of the bioclimatic skyscraper . |
35,734 | 65851ab9168699e9e93af02ca688ae951af0b3a9 | PHOENIX, Arizona (CNN) -- Police on Thursday released a video showing officers arresting a 45-year-old New York woman at Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport just before she died while handcuffed in a holding cell. Video shows Carol Ann Gotbaum being arrested at a Phoenix airport shortly before she died while in custody. Authorities also gave a more complete account of Carol Ann Gotbaum's arrest, detention and death September 28. Police have said she apparently strangled herself as she tried to maneuver her way out of handcuffs that were secured behind her back. According to the police report, Gotbaum's husband, Noah, called the airport several times that night, trying to reach his wife or the airport police, telling them they didn't know the circumstances involving his wife, whom he described as suicidal. Noah Gotbaum claimed his wife's body in Phoenix Thursday after an autopsy. The body was set to be returned to New York on Thursday night, according to Michael Manning, a Phoenix attorney whom Gotbaum's family has retained. Police said in a Wednesday statement they did attempt to calm an irate Gotbaum before arresting her. And they said they had no idea of her "personal issues," including that she was on her way to check into an alcohol treatment center. Watch Gotbaum appear to yell as officers handcuff her at the airport » . Police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill told reporters Thursday there were indications that alcohol may have played a role in the incident, although toxicology tests administered during the autopsy would determine that. Results of such tests typically take several weeks. Gotbaum, who was flying through Phoenix on her way to Tucson, became angry when she was denied access to her flight and argued with a gate attendant, police said. According to the police statement, Gotbaum "became agitated and loud" and threw her hand-held PDA, which shattered after narrowly missing a person. She then left the gate area, but the gate attendant summoned police. The video showed Gotbaum after she apparently had just left the gate area. She was by herself, standing in the middle of a concourse, doubled over, and she seemed to be screaming. Although the video contained no audio, witnesses -- including a federal police officer -- said Gotbaum was "screaming at the top of her lungs, 'I'm not a terrorist, I'm not a terrorist,' " according to Sgt. Mike Polombo, who is investigating the incident. In the video, a Transportation Security Administration officer approached and spoke with Gotbaum, followed by three police officers. While speaking with them, Gotbaum waved her arms. She backed away from an officer who reached for her, and she became combative before dropping to the ground. As officers were on the ground with Gotbaum attempting to handcuff her, she continued to scream profanities, Polombo said. The video showed police eventually bringing Gotbaum to her feet and walking with her, although she continued to pull away. She can be seen locking her legs, forcing the officers to drag her. Officers did not need to use pepper spray or a Taser device on Gotbaum, Hill said. "She did not bite or kick or hit any of the officers. She was just resisting [arrest]." Gotbaum was placed in a holding room at the airport and searched by a female officer but "continued to be uncooperative," the police statement said. According to the 108-page police report on the incident, also released Thursday, Gotbaum told authorities she was a "depressed, pathetic housewife." "In the holding room, there is a bench with an 'eyehook' on it. The officers took a 'shackle,' which is described as a metal chain, approximately 16 inches long, with a large 'handcuff' on each side. The total length of the chain with handcuffs is approximately 24 inches," the statement said. "One of the handcuffs on the 'shackle' was attached to the 'eyehook' on the bench. The other handcuff of the shackle was attached to the chain of the handcuffs that were already on Ms. Gotbaum's hands. "So Ms. Gotbaum was handcuffed with her hands behind her back, and additionally those handcuffs were attached to a shackle that kept her attached to the bench." Gotbaum was not deemed a threat to herself or others, the police statement said. If she had been, she would have been monitored by an officer. Phoenix police policy is that prisoners can be left alone in holding rooms as long as they are checked every 15 minutes. Hill told reporters Thursday that Gotbaum was left alone for six or eight minutes. Police previously had said it was 15 or 20 minutes. After officers left, she continued to scream, the police statement said. However, police checked on her when she fell silent and found her unconscious. Gotbaum was found sitting on the floor, with her head on the bench and the handcuffs under her chin, the police report said. "Initial information ... indicated that Ms. Gotbaum had somehow worked the handcuffs to the front of her body, probably from under her legs, and had pulled the chain from the shackle across her neck area," the statement said. Officers used CPR, a defibrillator and other measures in attempts to save her life. A police officer said in the police report that Gotbaum vomited while CPR was being performed on her and that when she did, he could smell alcohol. Gotbaum was pronounced dead by firefighters who arrived shortly afterward. "Officers had no information ... that Ms. Gotbaum had traveled unescorted" from New York City to Phoenix "in order to seek treatment for a substance abuse issue," the statement said. "The officers had no knowledge of any of Ms. Gotbaum's personal issues. They had not been apprised of any calls from the family to the airport seeking to locate Ms. Gotbaum." According to the police report, Noah Gotbaum called the airport communications division several times trying to reach the airport police or his wife, whom he described as suicidal. He told an operator that his wife got bumped off a flight, according to a transcript, and "the last thing I heard was she was screaming into the telephone." "This is a medical emergency," Noah Gotbaum said in another call. "They're not dealing with some lout who's just drank too much on an airplane. That's not what's going on here." Hill said Thursday that police are aware of no policy violations, but he said the incident remains under investigation, as any in-custody death would be. Manning has previously said Gotbaum had an "emotional reaction" after she was not allowed to board her flight. He said the family has not decided whether to take legal action against police. It's unclear why Gotbaum was not allowed to board the plane. About 200,000 people travel through Sky Harbor Airport daily, Hill said, and police receive three to five calls a day regarding irate passengers. However, he said, so far this year only 265 people have been arrested, 14 of them for disorderly conduct. The officers involved in the incident with Gotbaum "are still very upset about what happened," Hill said. "They did everything they could to save Ms. Gotbaum." Gotbaum, the mother of three young children, lived in New York. She was the daughter-in-law of longtime New York City public advocate Betsy Gotbaum, who called her "a wonderful, wonderful person." E-mail to a friend . | NEW: Husband called airport saying his wife was suicidal, police report says .
Video shows woman apparently yelling before officers approach her .
Several officers surround her, and she drops to the floor .
Carol Ann Gotbaum died in custody September 28 . |
197,414 | 8b839f65b58c1e32dfb09c2bc206de80222a29e0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:27 EST, 18 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:16 EST, 19 October 2013 . A Walmart stock clerk who was fired for violating company policy after helping a woman who was being assaulted in the parking lot has been offered his job back. The retail giant reversed course after public outcry over Kristopher Oswald's termination from the Walmart in Hartland, Michigan, over the weekend. Mr Oswald says he was just doing the right thing when he stepped in to help the young woman, who was being harassed and manhandled by her boyfriend. The furious boyfriend punched Mr Oswald in the head six times and his two friends then beat him up. Jobless: Kristopher Oswald says he never thought he'd be fired for coming to the aid of a woman in distress . When he returned to work the next day, his boss handed him a pink slip. 'We looked into the situation, reviewed the facts, talked to witnesses,' Walmart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said Friday. 'While . Mr Oswald broke a policy of ours - a policy put in place to protect our . associates and our customers ... we realize Mr Oswald's intentions were . good.' The company said it has called Mr Oswald and told him he can come back to work for Walmart. Mr Oswald previously said he was not sure he'd want to work for Walmart again if he was offered his old job. He never thought he could be fired for doing the right thing, he said. 'I never expected all of this. And the least I expected was to not have a job,' Mr Oswald told WXYZ-TV. But Walmart says corporate rules demanded that Mr Oswald not intervene in that circumstance. Mr Oswald's manager wrote he was fired 'after a violation of company policy on his lunch break.' The assault happened about 2.30am on Sunday in the parking lot while Mr Oswald was on his meal break . 'We . had to make a tough decision, one that e don't take lightly, and he's . no longer with the company,' company spokeswoman Ashley Hardie told the . Associated Press. Mr Oswald . said he was in his car on his break from his job stocking shelves about . 2.30am Sunday when he saw a man grabbing a young woman. It appeared that . he was trying to stop her from leaving the parking lot, Mr Oswald said. He said he asked her . if she needed help and the man started punching him in the head and . yelled that he was going to kill him. Mr Oswald said he was able to get . on top of the man, but then two other men jumped him from behind. Livingston County sheriff's deputies arrived and halted the fight. The woman was not seriously hurt. Police investigated, but could not track down the suspect. Mr Oswald had worked for Walmart for about seven weeks and said he would not have been considered a permanent employee until after his 180-day probation. | Retail giant reversed course after public outcry for firing good Samaritan .
Kristopher Oswald has not accepted the offer to be rehired yet and previously said he might not want to go back to work for Walmart . |
284,477 | fc90458de8809acfe557142d0b2591b5e864db78 | (CNN) -- His appointment at Bayern Munich was regarded as a something of coup, but less than a year after his arrival in Bavaria the first cracks have appeared in the relationship between Pep Guardiola and the German club. Widely regarded as the best coach in the world, Guardiola joined Bayern last year armed with a footballing philosophy that had brought him world domination during his time at Barcelona. The Spaniard quickly guided Bayern to victories in the club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, before securing the German Bundesliga title in record-breaking speed. But after crashing out of the Champions League at the semifinal stage to Real Madrid this week in humiliating fashion, the Spaniard's possession-based style of football has come under criticism. "If we don't win, it does not help me when Bayern Munich's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and sporting director Matthias Sammer, are backing me," Guardiola told reporters Friday. "If we lose I'm a risk for the club. It's a big club and you always have to win. If this doesn't happen, the club may decide something else." Perhaps more worryingly for Guardiola, honorary president Franz Beckenbauer openly expressed his exasperation after Bayern's Champions League exit. "Bayern are not right," Beckenbauer, who both played for and managed Bayern, told Spanish newspaper Marca. "This is something that we have known for weeks. The disappointment is huge." But Guardiola is adamant he will not alter his approach, insisting it is down to Bayern to decide if they want him to continue as manager. "The club must decide whether the coach is the right man for this team," said the 43-year-old Spaniard. Bayern's 4-0 home defeat by Real raised questions that Guardiola's team is too tactically predictable. "I'm a strong person. There was lot of criticism but that's the nature of the beast. Criticism is normal," Guardiola said. "I can't train the players with other coaches' ideas. Even after the defeat [against Madrid] I'm confident in my own ideas. "Next season, we will play 100% with my ideas. I can't coach this club or its players without believing in my ideas." Guardiola says he is already planning for life in Munich next season, when he will be hoping to repeat his success on the domestic front, while going those extra steps further in Europe. Despite the setback in Europe, Guardiola could yet win a fourth trophy this season with Bayern playing Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final on May 17. Later Friday, Karl Hopfner was elected as the new president of the Bavarian giants, succeeding Uli Hoeness, who will serve a three and a half year jail term for tax fraud. Hoeness, who was at the meeting ahead starting his sentence, received a standing ovation from the club members and hinted he would return once he is a free man. "I made a huge mistake and I will accept that. When I return, I am not going to retire," said the 62-year-old Hoeness, who was found guilty of evading $39.5 million of taxes at a trial earlier this year. Hopfner, who is 61, has spent over 30 years in a series of senior positions at Bayern. | Pep Guardiola says Bayern Munich must decide if he is right coach for job .
Guardiola has faced criticism recently for his tactics .
The Spaniard wants to stay at Bayern for next season .
Karl Hopfner succeeds Uli Houness as Bayern club president . |
13,235 | 259c58da429fb70844a23fc4265ffaf7850148d3 | (CNN) -- A 14-year-old boy who allegedly fired a gun at another fleeing male on a New York street early Sunday morning was shot and killed by a uniformed police officer, the New York City Police Department said. The teen, identified as Shaaliver Douse, was pronounced dead at the scene, the department said in a news release. An investigation of the incident is ongoing, according to the release. Around 3 a.m. Sunday, two uniformed officers heard gunshots and proceeded east down a Bronx street, where "a male was running westbound in the middle of the street, pursued by another male armed with 9 mm handgun," the release states. The area is designated an "impact" neighborhood, which means it has high crime rates and is flooded with police officers to reduce that crime. "Ordered to 'drop the gun' by the uniformed officers who identified themselves as police, the male with the gun still in his hand did not comply," according to the news release. "One of the officers discharged one round from his service weapon, striking the armed male in the lower left jaw," the release stated. A black 9 mm semiautomatic firearm was recovered at the scene. Florida deputies shoot man they mistook for car thief . The two officers, ages 26 and 27, were sent to a local hospital to be treated for tinnitus and trauma. They joined the NYPD in January, the release said. A man who lives in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred told CNN affiliate New York 1 that his son alerted him to the shooting early Sunday morning. Anthony Riverecio, who has lived in the Bronx for 68 years, told NY1, "You can't walk this avenue. ... It's always constantly stabbing or shooting. They have been killing around here like crazy." "I respect them ... cops are doing a good job. There's too many guns out here," he said. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly showed two surveillance videos of the incident at a news conference Sunday night. One of them shows Shaaliver holding a gun and chasing after another person, who has not been identified. Kelly said: "It's very troubling, and obviously there are way too many guns on the streets of our city. Regardless of the circumstances, this is a crushing blow to any parent." He added that most of the guns police recover are from out of state. "Most likely, this gun has been purchased from out of state or somehow was obtained from out of state, was stolen and brought to New York City." The gun was manufactured in Spain, Kelly said Sunday. In May, Shaaliver was arrested and was facing charges of attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to Bronx District Attorney's Office spokesman Steven Reed. The prosecution was deferred, pending further investigation, Reed said. There was insufficient evidence to move forward, he added, explaining that a witness could not identify who shot him. 74 Cleveland police officers to face discipline after deadly pursuit . CNN's Allison Malloy contributed to this report. | Police says a 14-year-old boy was pursuing someone in the Bronx and fired his gun .
An officer fatally shot the teen when he did not drop his weapon, NYPD says .
The neighborhood where the shooting occurred is a designated high-crime area . |
88,857 | fc316144cdca74af70123b7012b9c20c3f7b672f | Lena Dunham has finally responded to claims she made up a story about being raped by an acquaintance in college, detailed in a passage from her new book Not That Kind of Girl, and she's sticking by her story. The star and creator of HBO's Girls, wrote an essay on Buzzfeed to address reports claiming to have identified a man named 'Barry' who matched the descriptions of the man who raped her after a party when she was attending Oberlin College nearly a decade ago. The man interviewed by Breitbart and the National Review denied the claims, saying he never even met Dunham during their time at the Ohio liberal arts college. Dunham has now clarified that 'Barry' was just a pseudonym she designed to protect the identity of her attacker, who she never meant to identify in the story. Instead, she says she wrote the essay to bring comfort to other victims like herself and that she intends to continue raising awareness of the issue of sexual assault on college campuses. Scroll down for video . Not his name: Lena Dunham says she changed the name of a man who allegedly raped her, when she described the incident in an essay in her new book Not That Kind of Girl . In Not That Kind of Girl, Dunham describes the night she was walked home by the acquaintance - a mustachioed Republican who hosted his own campus radio show. While Dunham admits her memory of the night is hazy, having been drunk and high on cocaine and Xanax, she remains steadfast that she did not consent to having sex with Barry, who was aggressive and twice tried to pull off a condom during the assault. However, she says it took her a long time to process the attack as a rape, and reach a point in her life where she was comfortable enough to write about it and share it in her book. Following the book's release, some publications, including conservative websites Breitbart and Nation Review, sought to identify the Oberlin alumnus who raped the writer, using details from the book to narrow down the list of possible attackers. Both Brietbart and National Review were led by their research to a man named Barry, who was a prominent campus Republican when Dunham attended the institution. They looked for men named Barry, since Dunham did not explicitly state that the attacker's name was changed, as she did for other stories in the book. The man Breitbart identified as 'Barry One' (to protect his real name) vehemently denied ever meeting Dunham, and says his reputation has now been tarnished because of the book. Scene: It is believed the rape Dunham describes in her book took place at Oberlin College in Ohio (pictured) in the winter of 2005 following a party . He told the National Review that the experience of being connected to the attack was the 'most unfortunate coincidence of my life'. But in the Buzzfeed article published Tuesday, Dunham confirmed that 'Barry' was not the name of her attacker, and that she's sorry someone else has been falsely tied to the crime. 'To be very clear, “Barry” is a pseudonym, not the name of the man who assaulted me, and any resemblance to a person with this name is an unfortunate and surreal coincidence. I am sorry about all he has experienced.' Dunham went on to explain her reason for writing about the rape, saying she never meant for her rapist to be identified and she does not plan to press charges. 'Speaking out was never about exposing the man who assaulted me. Rather, it was about exposing my shame, letting it dry out in the sun. 'I did not wish to be contacted by him or to open a criminal investigation. I am in a loving and peaceful place in my life and I am not willing to sacrifice any more of it for this person I do not know, aside from one night I will never forget. That is my choice.' While Dunham says she expected the story might cause controversy, she did not think it would lead to assassinations on her credibility. Dunham wrote Tuesday's response essay to stop the questions, which she believes have been 'used to cast doubt on other women who have been sexually assaulted'. Dunham finishes the essay by saying she will continue to fight for change on college campuses, where rising rates of sexual assault have become a national concern. 'Prevention and response on campuses is only a small part of the problem with how we as a nation are handling sexual assault. But it’s a good place to start. Educational spaces must be made safe, so that we leave them stronger and poised to enact change,' Dunham writes. Aaron Minc, the attorney for the man named Barry, said he had received a statement from Random House promising to make clear that Barry is not a real name in any form - although the publisher has not made any public statement itself. 'The statement ignores the fact they let my client hang out there for two months, he’s been damaged,' Mr Minc said. 'We are gratified that they put it out there my client isn’t that guy, but we're not completely satisfied, . 'We haven't heard from Lena herself, just the publisher and we want to hear from her at some point exonerating "Barry". 'Lena Dunham is the only person with first-hand knowledge who can truly clear my client’s name.' Mr Minc - who confirmed to MailOnline Barry had never actually met Ms Dunham - added: 'My client reached out to Ms Dunham's literary agent as early as October 6. He had three reporters contact him within a 48 hour period and he noticed his LinkedIn views skyrocketed into the hundreds. 'He was called at work and at home. He was told by Ms Dunham's agent 'let's not fan the flames', but then watched, to his dismay as she issued statements over Twitter fanning the flames in a so-called 'rage spiral', adding more ambiguity as to the identify of this alleged rapist.' He added: 'Until yesterday, we had really been treated with compete indifference. We are now in discussions with Dunham and Penguin Random House to remedy this situation. 'This book has already sold about 30,000 copies and will sell around a million copies, we need the book to be edited, so the confusion stops. 'I believe the publishers are amenable to doing something like that.' The publisher acted as soon as it became public that Barry, with the help of his lawyer, had set up a legal fund to defend his reputation and has already raised nearly $24,000. Random House has also offered to pay Barry’s legal fees accrued to date in the case. Today, Mr Minc released a statement saying while he welcomed Random House's offer to pay Barry's legal expenses, he found the publisher to have committed a 'grievous error.' And he added: 'Our work, however, is not complete. Random House’s offer to foot legal expenses already incurred fails to take into account the fact there are still ongoing legal expense because of their mistakes. 'We will continue to keep the GoFundMe campaign active to raise money for survivors of sexual assaults and for Barry’s ongoing legal expenses until we receive an apology from Ms. Dunham and both Ms. Dunham and Random House have taken all appropriate steps to clear Barry’s name and restore the damage caused to his reputation.' | Lena Dunham used her book to describe how 'Barry', a 'flamboyant Republican', raped her at Oberlin College .
After the book was published this fall, some publications fact-checked Dunham's account and found a man with the same name and descriptions .
That man said he never even met Dunham at school .
Dunham has now written an essay for Buzzfeed, saying she changed the name of her attacker and never meant to identify him .
She also apologized to an Oberlin alumnus named Barry, who Breitbart and National Review said matched the rapist's description . |
37,267 | 699355bb464e1b96ca41499afc80c0e5c006d7b8 | Tegucigalpa, Honduras (CNN) -- The death toll from a prison fire in central Honduras rose to 382 Thursday, as new details emerged about what happened when flames tore through the overcrowded facility. Officials transported bodies from the prison in Comayagua to the capital, Tegucigalpa, where investigators worked to identify the victims. The cause of the fire remained unknown, and the federal government asked for patience during its inquiry. But desperate families said they didn't want to wait to recover the remains of their loved ones. "What we are hoping for is that they give them to us so we can leave because we cannot stand the hunger, too," said Francisca Gomez, the sister of one of the victims. "We have our children with us and you know that we've been here waiting and no one gives us answers." The Comayagua fire department gave the new death toll, and said that it remained unknown if others escaped or would be added to the casualty list. The hypothesis that a mattress fire started the blaze was gaining traction, fire operations chief Jorge Turcios said Thursday. Comayagua's governor said she received a call from an inmate inside the prison reporting the fire. "What I know, according to what I've been told, is that someone lit a mattress on fire and said, 'We're all going to die,'" Gov. Paola Castro said. Inmates have also complained that guards were slow to open doors for them to escape. Prisoners broke out of the facility any way they could, one survivor said. "The authorities should have opened the gates," said Odalis Aleyda Najera, a relative of a victim. "It is preferable to face the responsibility for a mass escape of prisoners and avoid situations like this where there are more than 300 dead inmates." Outrage over the fire increased after the president of the country's supreme court admitted that only 40% of the inmates in the prison had been convicted. The majority were awaiting trial or waiting for charges to be filed against them. "Honduras passed an anti-gang law, and what it allowed police to do is to sweep anybody off the streets ... who they had a suspicion was a member of a gang, but really had no proof. So the prison population swelled," said Vikki Gass of the Washington Office on Latin America. "And so in the case of Comayagua, you don't have enough magistrates or judges to process the people who are being detained." Authorities have not determined what caused the fire, but the nation's electric utility will review wiring in all prison facilities as a "preventative measure," Honduran President Porfirio Lobo said, "because that can be one of the causes of these types of disasters." The prison facility was well over capacity, said Rodrigo Escobar Gil of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. "The prisoners slept on the floor and they had to share cells in truly deplorable conditions," he said. At the request of Honduran officials, arson experts from the United States were expected to arrive in Honduras Thursday to lend a hand, Turcios said. The team from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will reconstruct the scene, conduct interviews and sift through debris to obtain evidence and determine the origin of the blaze, the agency said in a statement. Teams from El Salvador, Chile and Mexico were also expected to help Honduran authorities. Tuesday night's blaze was the third fatal prison fire in recent years in the country. In 2003, 61 prisoners were killed in a fire at a prison in La Ceiba. In 2004, 107 died in a fire at a San Pedro Sula prison. The U.S. State Department published a report last April criticizing conditions at Honduras' 24 prisons. Prisoners "suffered from severe overcrowding, malnutrition, and lack of adequate sanitation," the report said, citing human rights groups. CNN's Carol Cratty, Brooke Baldwin and Camilo Egana contributed to this report. | NEW: A team from the ATF will help investigate the blaze .
The government is focusing on transporting the bodies of the victims .
The theory that a mattress fire started the blaze is gaining ground .
An official says only 40% of the inmates in the prison were actually convicted . |
36,963 | 68c9667f2b1d234c44670dde70070bc79f5e674d | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 06:42 EST, 11 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:23 EST, 11 April 2013 . An Iranian scientist claims he has invented a time machine that allows you to predict the future with 98 per cent accuracy. Ali Razeghi says his device can produce a print-out detailing any individual's life between five and eight years in advance after taking readings from the touch of a user. He claims the Iranian government, whose nuclear programme has caused concern around the world, can use his invention to predict military conflicts and forecast the fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies and oil. Not quite the DeLorean yet: An Iranian scientist has claimed to have invented a time machine, but unlike the car (above) in Back To The Future it produces a print-out detailing a person's life ahead rather than actually taking them anywhere . He says the device is the size of a laptop and uses a complex set of algorithms which took him ten years to develop, but has not revealed any concrete details about his invention. Unlike the time-travelling DeLorean in hit film Back To The Future, Mr Razeghi said his device 'will not take you into the future, it will bring the future to you.' He told the Fars state news agency: 'My invention easily fits into the size of a personal computer case and can predict details of the next five to eight years of the life of its users. 'Naturally a government that can see five years into the future would be able to prepare itself for challenges that might destabilise it. Fates of the state: Inventor Ali Razeghi claims his device can be used by warmongering Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (above) to predict military conflicts and future values of currencies and oil . 'As such, we expect to market this invention among states as well as individuals once we reach a mass production stage.' Mr . Razeghi, who claims he has 179 inventions listed under his name, has . been criticised by friends and family for 'trying to play God.' But he said: 'This project is not against our religious values at all. 'The Americans are trying to make this invention by spending millions of dollars on it where I have already achieved it by a fraction of the cost,' he said, without divulging how much. He said Iran was not planning to launch the prototype just yet in case 'the Chinese will steal the idea and produce it in millions overnight'. Doctored? Iran faced accusations that its much-heralded new fighter jet could even fly and that this picture of it soaring over mountains had been superimposed in Photoshop . Iran has been ridiculed in recent months after attempting to showcase its technological advances only to face accusations they were faked. In February, it proudly unveiled a stealth fighter jet at a ceremony attended by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but experts quickly expressed serious doubts about whether it could even fly. A picture of the domestically produced Qaher-313 apparently soaring over Iranian mountains did little to curb scepticism amid claims the plane never actually left the ground, but was simply doctored using Photoshop. Critics also believe Iran's claims that it launched a monkey into space could have been faked. Scientists in Tehran hailed the mission to send a simian 75 miles above Earth and back in a Kavoshgar rocket as a success. But question marks were raised after the monkey presented to the nation as the heroic astronaut looked remarkably different than the one which made lift off. | Ali Razeghi, 27, claims device can detail person's life with 98% accuracy .
Spent ten years developing complex algorithms to arrive at predictions .
Says his warmongering government can use it to predict military conflicts .
Won't release prototype yet 'in case China steals it and produces millions' |
41,338 | 74962072e612d9c1bf532b68a79c1e53cfccc9cf | (CNN) -- Gerardo Naranjo's "Miss Bala" is one of these films that comes along every so often that captures the imaginations of the critics and has most of us dancing around singing "Hallelujah." Every time this happens, however, there are one or two critics of otherwise sound mind who have a less than enthusiastic reaction. This time it's my turn. Not to say that "Miss Bala" isn't an entertaining, well made and thought provoking film. It is. It also boasts some exceptional acting work from its lead, Stephanie Sigman, as well as a chilling turn from Noe Hernandez, as the menacing gangster who insinuates himself into her life. It's just that I wasn't blown away and while we critics don't exactly have a hive mind, when you come across a film that is worshiped by many colleagues who you respect that you simply "like," you wonder if only for a moment, whether there's something wrong with you. Laura (Sigman) is a stunningly beautiful young woman in her early 20s living in Tijuana, Mexico, who dreams of winning the Miss Baja title. The day before she is to audition for the pageant, Laura and her friend Suzu (Lakshmi Picazo), also an aspiring beauty queen, end up in a seedy nightclub populated by dangerous men and the women who love them (which includes Suzu). A victim of "wrong place at wrong time" syndrome, Laura ends up being the only living witness to a massacre perpetrated by Lino (Hernandez) the local drug kingpin and his gang, as they storm the nightclub. While searching for Jessica the next morning, Laura makes the mistake of trusting a local traffic officer with her story and things go markedly downhill from there. Lino takes an immediate shine to Laura (who wouldn't?) and rather brazenly begins to use her in his criminal endeavors, including running cash across the border for weapons, all in exchange not only for the safety of her father and brother, but also so Lino will fix the beauty pageant. It's like watching the fastest case of Stockholm Syndrome on record. Laura comes across as a weak and superficial woman and while this isn't a problem in and of itself, it can be frustrating to watch such a character repeatedly make what, to me, were obvious mistakes. Then again, I have never been in her situation. I guess you could say I had a failure in my ability to suspend disbelief. The film is expertly shot, however, and director Naranjo does a great job creating dread, building suspense and pacing the film as things get darker and darker for Laura. Alas, along the way she makes mistake after mistake. "Miss Bala" is based on the true story of former Miss Sinaloa, Laura Zúñiga, who was arrested in 2008 for being part of an international drug trafficking ring. All in all, there is enough suspense, quality acting and truly harrowing scenes in "Miss Bala" but I felt like I should like it more than I did. "Miss Bala" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It's extremely violent with contact gunbattles and contains an upsetting but non-graphic scene of rape. | "Miss Bala" is based on the true story of former Miss Sinaloa, Laura Zúñiga .
Laura (Stephanie Sigman) is a beautiful woman who dreams of winning the Miss Baja title .
The film is expertly shot and director Naranjo does a great job creating dread . |
253,485 | d41aeebf649d8f0dc83dfa7a7a125f146712b277 | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 10:27 EST, 20 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:27 EST, 20 December 2012 . Mass brawl: Kelvin Chibueze,17, was stabbed repeatedly with a foot-long blade . Four killers stabbed a teenager to death after chasing him out of a nightclub brandishing champagne and brandy bottles. Kelvin Chibueze, 17, rushed out of a private party at an east London venue after he was attacked in a mass brawl involving knives and bar stools. But the youth tripped outside a Lidl supermarket and the rival gang members sat on his legs to stop him running away before stabbing him repeatedly with a foot-long blade. Dale Williams, 21, Lerone Boye, 25, Hugo . Nwankwo, 18, and Roger Damali, 31, denied murder but were today convicted . after a trial at the Old Bailey. A judge condemned Britain's 'endemic' knife culture as he jailed the four members of the Barking-based Harts Lane street gang for 93 years in total. A fifth man, deaf-mute Ibrahim Zakari, . 21, who threw a bottle at Kelvin during the chase, was earlier jailed . for two years - but walked free because he had already served more than a . year in jail on remand. Hours after the attack, David Cameron . pledged to 'wage a war' on gang culture in the capital in the aftermath . of last summer's London riots. Kelvin, from Croydon, was affiliated to the notorious Dagenham Boys gang and went by the street name Boss Don Gramz. A petty squabble over a girl is thought . to have started the row. Judge John Bevan QC said today: 'The veil of silence that has fallen over the main participants in this case speaks volumes as to the cowardice and moral bankruptcy of those on both sides of this argument. 'Carrying knives, at least three on each side, is a comparatively modern phenomenon, which is approaching an endemic state among feckless, aimless youths who think nothing of wielding and using of knives in the face of the slightest provocation or perceived insult.' Brutal: (From left) Hugo Nwankwo, 18, Lerone Boye, 25, and Roger Damali, 31, all denied murder and violent disorder but were convicted at the Old Bailey today . Vicious: Dale Williams, 21, denied murder but admitted violent disorder. He too was convicted and jailed for life after the quartet attacked Kelvin with bottles and sat on his legs to stop him escaping . It is thought violence flared inside the Arteflex nightclub, off Ilford High Road, on August 15 last year after derogatory comments were made about a girl, but Judge Bevan said the full reason will never be known. 'We are still none the wiser as to the cause, and whether of not it has to do with gang violence', he said. 'Whether there was rivalry, whether there was loyalty, whether it was revenge for a previous incident, I don't know.' The Old Bailey trial heard simmering tensions between two rival factions threatened to boil over at a 23rd birthday party at the 150-capacity venue, behind a converted shopfront. 'One group went into the rear garden to smoke a couple of times and whenever they returned, things appear to get either tenser or the atmosphere a little more strained', said Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting. The situation came to a head at around 4am, when Kelvin and five friends returned from the smoking area. 'The group was making its way back from the garden and was blocking the area between the entrance and the main room,' said Mr Whittam. 'There was a confrontation and knives were brandished. People were pushing and Kelvin Chibueze ran to the exit.' Gang warfare: The Old Bailey heard that it is thought that violence flared at the 23rd birthday party after derogatory comments were made about a girl . Kelvin was stabbed inside the club during a mass brawl, which spilled outside as gang members armed themselves with Champagne and Hennessey brandy bottles from behind the bar. The victim tried to flee but was chased into the car park of the Ilford Retail Park, close to Lidl, where he was attacked again and finally collapsed to the floor, crying, 'I can't breathe'. He was taken to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, but was pronounced dead. One of the wounds he received had pierced his lung. 'To say those originally in the dock did not know who inflicted the fatal injuries is nonsense', said Judge Bevan. 'That, of course, is a secret they are not going to divulge.' He also criticised Kelvin's friends who were with him that night for refusing to testify in court or help police investigate the murder. 'Witness after witness, with one solitary exception, lacked the necessary courage to advance the truth', he said. 'The victim's best friend declined to name those who stabbed Kelvin in the car park. 'His attitude as the best friend of the victim is made clear in his statement, where he says, if forced to go to court, I shall be rude and disruptive.' The judge identified Williams and Boye as ringleaders in the attack, while Nwankwo joined in the violence outside the club. He said all three carried knives. Damali, he said, probably joined in the attack out of loyalty to others rather than any direct involvement. Williams, of Barking, east London, was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 26 years. He denied murder but admitted violent disorder. Boye, Damali, and Nwankwo all denied murder and violent disorder but were also convicted. Boye, of Ilford, was jailed for life, with a minimum of 28 years, while Damali, of East Ham, was jailed for life with a minimum of 23 years. Nwankwo, of Dagenham, who was 16 at the time of the murder, was sentenced to 16 years in a young offenders institute. Zakari, of Barking, was cleared of murder but convicted of violent disorder, having denied both charges. Joel Asare-Minta, of East Ham, and Diphy Menga, of Ilford, were both cleared of murder and violent disorder by a jury. Kongolo Kongola, of Plaistow, east London, was cleared of murder and violent disorder part-way through the trial due to lack of evidence. | Gang stabbed Kelvin Chibueze repeatedly with a foot-long blade .
Judge criticises 'cowardice and moral bankruptcy' on both sides of the row .
The teenage victim's best friends refuse to testify against his murderers . |
143,146 | 451d15714427e1bb6108d0f0a58919c8823c4e5b | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The 2002 World Cup tournament was the first one held in Asia and was instrumental in bringing the world's attention to the continent's footballing talents. Michael Chopra was the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the English Premier League. It was seen as Asia's chance to show the rest of the world what it had to offer on the pitch and with South Korea reaching the last four of the tournament, the rest of the world was impressed. However, since then few footballers of Asian origin have made an impact outside of the Asian Federation Cup (AFC) -- the largest league in terms of area and population. A new initiative, spearheaded by Chelsea FC, has been launched in the UK to search for talented youngsters from backgrounds not commonly found among today's top footballers such as India and Pakistan. See a gallery of the best Asian players . Chelsea have teamed up with the Football Association (FA), anti-racism campaigners Kick It Out and the Asian Media Group for the The Search for an Asian Star event to be held in May at Chelsea's training ground in Stamford Bridge, London. The search is aimed at players in the under 12, 13 and 14 age groups and is open to players based in London and the south-east of England who hail from Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi backgrounds. "We realize there is a lack of representation of players from Asian backgrounds within the game and we hope that the competition will help inspire Asian youngsters," former Chelsea and England full-back Graeme Le Saux told thefa.com. "We want to show that race is no barrier to joining our club and that opportunities for Asian players do exist. It is important all clubs share our ambition that players should only be judged on their talent and their potential." | A new initiative is launched to find the Asian football stars of the future .
Players aged 12 to 14 will be put through their paces by Chelsea FC staff .
English football currently boasts very few players of Asian descent . |
44,954 | 7eade678fa242ae14f88de3ffd9e8a89e74eed27 | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 12:58 EST, 4 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:58 EST, 4 May 2013 . Adorned with beautiful baroque paintings that wouldn't look out of place in the Sistine Chapel, it is little wonder that the Painted Hall at London's Old Royal Naval College has been described as the 'finest dining hall in Europe'. And the stunning splendour of the hall's West Wall and part of its ceiling have been restored to their former glory thanks to the completion of the first restoration work on the artwork for half a century. Work on the section of the historic hall cost £335,000 and several months to complete and was possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The work was part of a project to restore the entire hall which will cost £2.5million and take several years. Restored: The stunning West Wall of the painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Months of work to restore it to its former glory have been completed . Stunning: A woman admires the restoration work on the hall which was originally constructed as a dining hall for the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich . Majestic: Visitors gather around the restoration work which has cost £335,000 to complete and is part of a wider project to restore the entire Painted Hall . Visitors got their first glimpse at the restored work this week. The Painted Hall was originally designed as a dining hall for the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich, which came to be known as Greenwich Hospital. The original building was designed by Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1712. It was built in the mold of Les Invalides and Chelsea Hospital to house pensioners. Similar to their Chelsea counterparts, Greenwich Hospital's pensioners wore a uniform, but in blue and not red. Wren commissioned artist James Thornhill, who also painted the dome in the architect's masterpiece St Paul's Cathedral, to decorate the dining hall in 1708 and he painstakingly painted it over the next 19 years. He was instructed to include as many references as possible to the importance of the Navy in Britain's fortunes. His outstanding work shows his remarkable skill in the use of trompe l’oeil painting throughout, and makes full use of perspective. The original building was designed by Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1712. It was built in the mold of Les Invalides and Chelsea Hospital to house pensioners . Beautiful: James Thornhill, the artist who painted the dome in St Paul's Cathedral, was commissioned to decorate the hall and spent 19 years painstakingly working on it . Talent: Thornhill's outstanding work shows his remarkable skill in the use of trompe l¿oeil painting throughout, and makes full use of perspective . Historic: The West Wall itself shows Britain¿s new royal family from Hanover in Germany. George I is surrounded by his children and grandchildren and the dome of Wren¿s St Paul¿s Cathedral looms large in the background . He painted directly on to dry plaster, working on what must have been rather precarious scaffolding. The West Wall itself shows Britain’s new royal family from Hanover in Germany. George I is surrounded by his children and grandchildren and the dome of Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral looms large in the background. Self-portrait: Thornhill himself appears in the bottom right-hand corner with his paintbrushes and palette . Thornhill himself appears in the bottom right-hand corner with his paintbrushes and palette. Although the composition of this wall was certainly by Thornhill, it was probably painted by his highly skilled assistant Dietrich André. Thornhill was paid just £3 per square metre for his work on the ceiling and £1 per square yard for the walls. But his years of toil did not go unnoticed and Thornhill was awarded a knighthood in 1720. Once the hall was completed it was deemed too grand to act as a dining hall and instead well-to-do visitors were allowed in to look around for a charge of £3 with the pensioners acting as tour guides. The Painted Hall was deemed special enough for Admiral Nelson's body to lay in state their in 1806 and a plaque still marks the spot where his coffin lay. From 1824 until 1936, the Painted Hall housed the National Gallery of naval Art and more than 300 works. From 1939 onwards the room's function finally met its original purpose and it acted as a dining room for the Old Royal Naval College and a venue for important dinners, including the 1946 celebration dinner marking the formation of the United Nations. The last restoration work was carried out in the 1950s when 15 layers of varnish had to be meticulously removed. The latest conservation work was carried out by specialist company Paine & Stewart. Wesley Kerr, chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for London, who officially unveiled the conserved west wall and upper ceiling paintings, said: 'The Painted Hall is London’s Sistine Chapel – it is one of the most magnificent rooms in Europe and Thornhill’s work is one of the finest paintings in Britain. 'We are delighted that this first phase of restoration works is now complete, revealing a masterly exposition of historic, royal, naval and London motifs. 'More than a thousand people climbed the scaffold to see the restoration in progress, and we look forward to tens of thousands more visiting Greenwich to view this magnificent attraction in the future.' Landmark: The original building was designed by Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1712. It was built in the mold of Les Invalides and Chelsea Hospital to house pensioners . Grand architecture: The original building was designed by Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1712. It was built in the mold of Les Invalides and Chelsea Hospital to house pensioners . | The Painted Hall's west wall has been restored over several months at a cost of £335,000 .
The restoration work, the first for more than 50 years, is part of plans to restore the whole room . |
41,287 | 747506da29d266798430cbe4401ba12c77a92980 | By . Oliver Pickup . Last updated at 4:34 PM on 26th August 2011 . The father-in-law of a missing Utah mother has today said that she would order him to smell her hair and pushed her breasts into his hands as he revealed more details of the sexual relationship he claims they had. Steve Powell alleges that he enjoyed a 'very sexual' relationship with daughter-in-law Susan Powell who disappeared in December 2009. Mr Powell said his missing daughter-in-law would frequently make passes at him and that they enjoyed 'sexual touching'. Scroll down for video . Mother: Susan Powell went missing from her hom in December 2009 and is now being described as a 'very sexual' person . Explosive claims: Steve Powell said he and his daughter-in-law enjoyed a very sexual relationship and that they were falling in love . 'I had a relationship with her that was probably beyond the pale, he told ABC News. 'When she was living at my house she would regularly come into my office after taking a shower.' He said that she would say to him, 'Smell my hair, I just shampooed it, it smells nice'. 'She would bend over my lap to let me smell her hair or come in and say I "I just waxed my legs, feel my thighs, how smooth they are",' he added. 'One day we were at an animal park with the boys. I was holding Brayden [her son] in my arms, she came over to take him from me and instead of just reaching out and grabbing him, she pushed her breasts against my hand, tightly.' Mr Powell called his daughter-in-law 'unstable', echoing by claims by his son Josh, who is the only person of interest named in the case. Family: Susan Powell shown with her two young children and her husband, Josh Powell . He told ABC News: 'Susan was very very sexual with me, . very flirtatious. She would do a lot of things to me, we interacted in a . lot of sexual ways. 'I think it is pretty likely I was falling love with her, and there is no . doubt in my mind that the feeling was mutual.' 'There was really a disconnect . between the Susan who was a faithful, loving wife, and the Susan who was . a very flirtatious, sexual being. 'Father-in-law, daughter-in-law . flirting with each other, maybe some sexual touching or whatever. And I . enjoyed it, frankly. Susan was a joy to be around in so many ways, not . just those ways,' he told Good Morning America. Josh Powell, 34, spoke yesterday as police investigating the disappearance searched the home of he shares with his father-in-law. He said: 'Everyone who knows me knows that I . would never hurt her and I would never hurt my boys. I would never hurt anyone. Emotional: Josh Powell fought back tears as he spoke about his missing wife, saying he was a good husband . 'I am a good dad and I was a good . husband. Though Susan was never unfaithful before that I know of, she . was a very sexual person.' He maintains that he left his . 28-year-old wife on her own when he took his two sons Charlie, then . four, and Braden, then two, camping in the middle of a blizzard in the . middle of the night, claiming that he simply tends to be 'spontaneous' and that the day was a blur to him. Mr Powell also described his wife as . an erratic and depressive person who contemplated suicide and would leave . the house in her underwear and walk down the street, a situation he . calls 'mortifying'. Steve Powell said his son was unaware of the relationship between he and Susan, saying: 'Josh wasn't aware of a lot of these . things at first because the first two or three years of his marriage - . it was really pretty much not something that really came to light. 'We interacted in a lot of sexual ways . because Susan enjoys doing that.' After the interview with GMA, Susan's . father Chuck Cox told the network that their claims are 'completely . false' and 'ridiculous'. Ridiculous: Chuck Cox said that Steve Powell's claims are completely false and it was him who made passes at his daughter . Speaking about Steve Powell, he said: . 'She told us a long time before they moved to Utah that he had made . advances towards her which she said made her very uncomfortable and that . her husband did not seem to care. 'She moved to Utah to get away from Steve.' Both Steven and Josh Powell are . trying to get her journals made public as they believe it illustrates . that she grew up around emotionally abusive parents and accused her . father of being a manipulator. They also said the teenage journals prove that his daughter-in-law is capable of walking out on her husband and their two sons. Steve Powell has said that the . journals, which stretch back to when Susan was a teenager, show that . she attempted to commit suicide and was 'lustful', and therefore could . have run off with another man. The allegation brought a furious . response from Susan’s father, Chuck Cox, who said he would fight the release of the pages. Mr Powell (left) is the only person of interest in the two-year investigation. Susan Powell (right) was last seen in December 2009 . He told ABC News : 'We . deny all allegations, they are just totally ridiculous and we’re very . disappointed and believe it’s unconscionable that he would first read . those journals and then think he had the right to publish them.' He said: 'They don't have authority to do it. If she is alive, . which they claim, she then still maintains control over her writings, copyright-wise. 'If they publish it, I'm prepared to take action. I have an attorney and we're waiting.' The . diary extracts show seven handwritten pages on what appears to be . school notebook paper, detailing events from Susan's life in 1996 . and 1998. Steve Powell . said that the documents prove that 'Susan is a lot more vulnerable . emotionally than Chuck and Judy Cox (her mother) would like people to . believe'. Further, the diary extracts show 'that Susan led a double-life from the time she was 13, 14, or possibly even 12,' Mr Powell claimed. Police widened their search to a network of abandoned mines in Ely, Nevada, but have not revealed any new evidence . The debate comes days after authorities searched a sprawling network of abandoned mines outside Ely, Nevada, but did not reveal any new evidence. The renewed interest into Susan Powell's disappearance comes after a remembrance rally for her descended into chaos on Friday as family members traded allegations in public. Chuck Cox has said that he will fight the release of his daughter's diaries . Tensions reached a boiling point between the feuding families as . loved ones gathered in Puyallup, Washington to pass out flyers and comb . for leads. Steve Powell confronted Mr Cox, calling him a 'liar' and a 'cyberbully'. The families are scheduled to meet in court today when Josh Powell will request a restraining order against Mr Cox. Mrs Powell was last seen at her home on December 6, 2009. She was reported missing the next day when she failed to show up for her job in West Valley City, Utah. Her husband recently told the Salt Lake Tribune that he is willing to talk with federal authorities, but not West Valley City police. He told the newspaper that he considered the search in Ely an opportunity for authorities to set him up. 'It occurred to me,' he said, according to the paper, 'they were planting something in Ely so they could magically show it to the media.' The FBI Utah office's spokeswoman, Debbie Dujanovic Bertram, declined to comment yesterday. Watch the video . | Susan Powell has not been seen since 2009 .
Steve Powell said she made sexual passes at him . |
133,489 | 389fe3756bec2db1c78eba783567c73b9a18647a | By . Daniel Miller . Police are hunting for a 40-year-old California man who is suspected of kidnapping a teen girl that he had a 'crush' on after murdering her mother and younger brother. James Lee DiMaggio is believed to be on the run with Hannah Anderson, 16. The search for Hannah was launched on Sunday after police found the bodies of Hannah's mother, 44-year-old Christina Anderson, and another youngster inside a burned-down rural house near the U.S.-Mexico border in California. The youngster has not yet been identified but police believe it could be the body of Hannah's 8-year-old brother, Ethan. Scroll down for video . Missing: Authorities have issued an an Amber . Alert in the hunt for Ethan Anderson, 8, and Hannah Anderson, 16 . Search: 16-year-old Hannah Anderson in a Facebook photograph. Police have issued an Amber Alert in the hunt for her and her brother Ethan after their mother was found dead in a burnt out property near San Diego . Brett Anderson, father of Hannah and Ethan, speaks at a candlelight vigil held Tuesday night at El Capitan High School in Lakeside, California . DiMaggio was described as being like an uncle to Hannah and Ethan. But Hannah's friend, Marissa Chavez, said . Wednesday that DiMaggio had developed a crush on Hannah and told her that he would . date her if they were the same age. 'He said he had a crush on her, but didn't mean it in an intimate way,' 15-year-old Marissa Chavez told The San Diego Union-Tribune. 'He said, "If I was your age, I'd date you."' Chavez said she witnessed the . exchange when DiMaggio was driving them . home from a high school gymnastics meet. Hannah asked Chavez to join her . from then on whenever DiMaggio drove her to meets because she was . uncomfortable with the attention, according to Chavez. 'She was a little creeped out by it. She didn't want to be alone with him,' Chavez said. She . also said that DiMaggio took her to Hollywood in late June or early . July for her birthday, and that he cut the week-long trip short because he was . upset that Hannah was paying more attention to her phone than to him. Suspect: James DiMaggio (right) the owner of the home (left) in Boulevard, 60 miles southeast of San Diego where the bodies of Christina Anderson, 44, and an unidentified child were discovered on Sunday . Dimaggio was in a relationship of some sort with Christina Anderson . DiMaggio took Hannah (far left and far right) to Hollywood for her birthday, but cut the week-long trip short because he was upset that Hannah was paying more attention to her phone than to him . 'After that she never responded to his texts and e-mails,' Chavez told the San Diego newspaper. DiMaggio was in a 'close platonic relationship' with Anderson, a sheriff’s statement said without further explanation. Brett Anderson, Christina Anderson's husband and father to Hannah and Ethan, flew to San Diego Tuesday to be interviewed by investigators and to plead with DiMaggio to return his daughter safely. 'Jim, . I can't fathom what you were thinking. The damage is done,' he said . outside San Diego County Sheriff's Department headquarters. Addressing Hannah, he said he loves her very much and pleaded, 'if you have a chance, you take it. You run. You'll be found.' Athena Stewart lights a candle during a vigil for Hannah, 16, and Ethan, 8, Tuesday night . The remains of a home owned by 40-year-old James Lee DiMaggio, a suspect in the murder of two people, is shown in the Boulevard neighborhood of San Diego County . Anderson lives in Tennessee. He moved away from his family a couple months ago for a new job. DiMaggio was in a 'close platonic relationship' with Anderson, the sheriff’s statement said without further explanation. DiMaggio is believed to be driving a blue Nissan Versa with California license plate 6WCU986. He is described as white, 5-feet-9-inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, and is currently clean-shaved without the goatee beard seen in his photo. | Amber Alert issued in hunt for Hannah Anderson, 16, and Ethan Anderson, 8 .
Authorities called to house fire in Boulevard near U.S. - Mexico border .
Body of a child discovered in the rubble of the property's detached garage .
Home owner was in a 'close platonic relationship' with the murdered woman . |
216,503 | a44fb5c3b98616e5c2f73d5c6133ccedd4bdfdfb | It is the new Nordic-style drama that has everyone gripped. Dubbed the 'Broadchurch of the Arctic,' the much-anticipated Sky Atlantic series Fortitude tells the tale of a close-knit community that has never previously experienced a violent crime, dealing with a grisly and mysterious murder. With Arctic Norway providing the spectacular setting for the programme, tourism bosses are expecting a surge in visitors seeking out the icy perfection featured in the show. Fortitude, Sky Atlantic's gripping new drama, was inspired by the real-life Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard . Fortitude, which stars Michael Gambon and Stanley Tucci, premiered on January 29 to great fanfare after being dubbed the 'Broadchurch of the Arctic' In the winter, temperatures in the breathtaking archipelago can reach as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius . The Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard takes centre stage in the show, with travel companies jumping on the opportunity to offer fans unique ways to explore the dramatic landscape. Dogsledding and learning to mush your own husky team are among the outbound activities that make Svalbard a key adventure destination, along with snowmobile safaris or even hiking and kayaking in the summer months. Along with adventure tourism company, Basecamp Explorer, guests can experience the unspoiled grandeur . During a week-long trip in March - to see the solar eclipse - travellers will stay at the Basecamp Trappers Hotel (pictured) Situated in Longyearbyen, the hotel is made of drift wood, tar paper and other recycled materials . The Basecamp Trapper's Hotel, situated at the heart of Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Svalbard, is made of drift wood, tar paper and other recycled materials, is Spitsbergen's first lodge. Set up in 1998, it's since expanded to five eco-lodges and 16 individually decorated rooms, that offer a perfect starting point for arctic adventures that are mindful of ecological principles. There, guests can witness the Northern Lights - through the hotel's glass ceiling - and explore abandoned mining towns. Guests can enjoy dog sledding, scenic snowmobile tours (pictured) and even explore abandoned towns . Stanley Tucci, seen here, filmed the outdoor scenes of Fortitude in the frozen tundra . Travellers will also have the opportunity to spend four nights at Spitsbergen's Ship in the Ice, the world's only ice-bound hotel. The 100-year-old schooner, Nooderlicht, is frozen in the Tempelfjorden each year. Located 60km northeast of Longyearbyen, it's accessible only by snowmobile or dog sled from mid-February to mid-May, dependent on ice conditions. Travellers can also stay at Spitsbergen's Ship in the Ice - the world's only ice-bound hotel . On the day of eclipse, March 20, guests will observe the phenomenon before taking to the snow for an active afternoon of seal and polar bear-spotting . Ship in the Ice has 10 well-equipped cabins with a total of 20 beds, as well as lounges, a fully-licensed bar and a well-appointed restaurant. On the day of the eclipse itself, March 20, guests will observe the incredible phenomenon, followed by a lunch with sparkling wine and an afternoon spent seal and polar bear-spotting. That evening, a festive four-course dinner will also be served - but don't worry, though the breathtaking Norwegian archipelago can see winters as cold as minus 30 Celsius, this meal will take place indoors. | Svalbard, Arctic Norway, provides inspiration for the much-anticipated TV drama on Sky Atlantic .
Intrepid travellers can visit the archipelago to explore the dramatic frozen landscapes from the show .
In March, guests will be able to observe a solar eclipse as well as seeing the Nrthern Lights .
Svalbard is home to the only ice-bound hotel, a boat that freezes into the landscape each winter . |
91,872 | 022e246387eaf294fcbe2372b5706d648df9a90e | In the same week supporters cheated death when a rally car flipped during a race in Italy, footage has emerged of another horrific crash that saw a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X somersault in Poland. Wojciech Szulc, driving in the 2014 Magura Malastowska rally, was fortunate to walk away with just bruises to show after his Evo struck a road sign at high speed on the bend before being sent flying. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the incredible videos of the rally cars flipping over this week . Wojciech Szulc, driving in the 2014 Magura Malastowska rally, goes by on-looking spectators in Poland . The footage shows the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X do somersaults in Poland as it hits the road sign in Poland . The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X goes airborne with driver Szulc inside as it makes its first somersault . Szulc, driving in the 2014 Magura Malastowska hill-climb, lands on the road after making its flips . The footage of the crash in Poland comes in the same week supporters cheated death in North West Italy . More footage shows a safety crew reacting to help Szulc after his car appears to complete two spins before landing on its roof as it made the wide turn. They flip the Evo back on to its wheels with three still attached, and immediately check its engine. Up to nine fans at the Jolly Rally Valle D'Aosta in North West Italy were inches away from being killed when a Renault Clio Super 1600 flew towards them days ago. Both driver Pietro Scavone and his navigator Diego D’Herin came away from the crash unscathed, and were released from hospital after precautionary tests. Thankfully in Poland, no supporters were involved. The spectators realised there was a problem as the car misjudged the corner and mounted a grass verge . The Renault Clio hit a dip in the grass, with spectators having not had time to move back from the danger . As the rally car lands on its roof before flipping, it seems that there is no way the spectators can avoid the car . The driver of the car, Pietro Sacvone, is helpless as his car flips upside down, dangerously near the fans . The car bounces back towards the road, missing the spectators by inches, and nobody is hurt in the crash . | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X flips on the bend at the 2014 Magura Malastowska rally in Poland but driver Wojciech Szulc escapes with just bruises .
Safety crew flip the car over from its roof with three wheels still attached .
Supporters in North West Italy somehow escaped harm when a Renalt Clio Super 1600 flew towards them and landed inches away . |
272,996 | ed989c24fbabdd3947cf49367e3ac5e566890dba | By . Neil Ashton . Follow @@neilashton_ . Roy Hodgson is sending an FA delegation to assess the state of the pitch in Manaus amid concerns about the poor surface quality. Pictures emerged of a poorly prepared surface inside the Arena da Amazonia ahead of England’s opening group game there against Italy on Saturday. Even the man in charge of Manaus’s pitch admitted it was in ‘bad shape’. Hodgson’s squad make the four-hour journey by plane deep into the Amazon rainforest today and will not even practise at the FIFA-appointed training ground. The grass isn't greener: England will open their World Cup campaign against Italy at the Amazonia Arena . Patches: The pitch appeared dry in places and was noticeably bare, just three days ahead of the Group D match . Running out of time! A lonely groundsman cuts te grass in the empty Arena da Amazonia stadium . Hoof and hope? The uneven pitch surface is unlikley to promote passing football for England's opener . It's not the Premier League! Weathered lines are clearly visible across the pitch in Manaus . Instead, the FA revealed that the team will work in the gym this afternoon before training in the stadium on Friday evening. England’s . advance party will check the condition of the pitch — in line with . FIFA regulations — and report back to Hodgson at the team hotel on . Thursday afternoon. Carlos . Botella, head groundsman for the Royal Verd company which is . responsible for the turf at Manaus and six other World Cup stadiums, . said: ‘Frankly, Manaus is in bad shape. On tack: Brazilian road builders work inside the stadium area of the Arena Amazonia in Manaus . England vs Italy - Group D - June 14 . Cameroon vs Croatia - Group A - June 18 . United States vs Portugal - Group G - June 22 . Honduras vs Switzerland - Group E - June 25 . 'We’ve . started to implement an emergency plan to try to save the field and . improve it as much as possible, but I don’t think it’ll be in good . condition by the weekend. 'We put fertilizer on and we’ll increase the . fertilizing process with biostimulants and seeds to try to get the most . out of the grass.’ England . players have so far insisted they are not concerned about the quality . of the pitch, but behind the scenes there are genuine reservations about . what they are likely to face. Up for the battle: Andrea Pirlo and Steven Gerrard will come face-to-face in Saturday's encounter . Warm weather: Luke Shaw is sprayed with water as the England defender bids to stay cool during training . Hodgson . is also waiting on positive news for Danny Welbeck after he was forced . to miss training on Wednesday with a strained muscle in his right leg. The . England forward limped out of training on Tuesday and was forced to . miss the entire session at their Urac military training centre on . Wednesday. Instead, he . worked with physio Gary Lewin but will travel with the rest of the squad . to Manaus after a scan revealed there is no serious damage. On Wednesday, Hodgson juggled his team in training and played Raheem Sterling out on the left during a practice match. At . this stage, it seems a straight fight between Welbeck and Sterling for . the final spot in England’s starting line up against Italy. That . means Wayne Rooney is likely to start in his preferred No 10 role . behind Daniel Sturridge with Adam Lallana out on the right in a 4-2-3-1 . formation. On your bike: Jack Wilshere and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, who is set to miss the Italy match, observe training . Concern: Danny Welbeck is an injury doubt for England's Group D opener against Italy on Saturday . | England play their opening World Cup game against Italy in Manaus .
Roy Hodgson sending FA delegation to assess the pitch damage .
There are major concerns over the playing surface at Amazonian stadium .
Head groundsman Carlos Botella admits that the pitch 'is in bad shape'
Emergency plans to get the pitch for Group D clash are underway .
Access problems, rain and algae at $229m stadium have been blamed . |
224,411 | ae94087f1bed55857c27a2c6eee55d7f4c8a90ac | Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi political leaders were unable to meet a self-imposed deadline this weekend to decide whether to request U.S. troops stay beyond a planned end-of-the-year withdrawal, lawmakers told CNN. The deadline imposed by President Jalal Talabani passed over the weekend with lawmakers divided over how or even whether to request an extension, raising questions about when Iraq may ask and whether it will be too late to turn around withdrawing troops. "The country is almost paralyzed because of this decision whether Iraq will decide to keep some American troops after 2011 or not," said Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman, a close political ally of Talabani. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said months ago that the White House would need to know Iraq's decision by August. Talabani's office declined a CNN request for comment. Al-Maliki's office referred questions to Talabani. During the meeting at Talabani's Baghdad office, the representatives said they needed more time to consult party members, Othman said. He was briefed on the outcome of the meeting by his party, the Kurdish bloc. But an official in the office of Sunni Vice President Taha al-Hashami told CNN political leaders decided to postpone the meeting "until further notice" because there are still disagreements over a possible request to extend the stay of U.S. troops. The disagreement extends beyond the closed door meeting. Shiite lawmaker Hassan al-Sineid told Iraqiya state TV Sunday that U.S. troops should leave as planned. "Let me tell you something, whether the Iraqi army is able or unable to protect Iraq's borders from external aggression, we shouldn't agree to keep some American troops after 2011," said al-Sineid, a member of al-Maliki's political party. Radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose Sadrist political party is closely aligned with al-Maliki, has vowed to escalate armed resistance if the U.S. military does not leave as scheduled, a move that could destabilize the country should the Mehdi Army repeat the bloody battles it waged against American and Iraqi forces during the height of violence. The Kurdish party, which represents Iraq's Kurdish territory, is pushing to keep U.S. troops, saying it wants some American troops to stay "for the benefit of the two countries." On the streets of Baghdad, Iraqis appeared as divided as their political representatives. "I don't want to see American troops after 2011," said 33-year-old Qassim al-Shammari, a businessman. He challenged Iraqi lawmakers to broadcast a meeting and make public their decision. But Habeeb Forqan, a 25-year-old government employee, said he wanted U.S. troops to stay for another few years "until the Iraqi army is ready to protect the country." "Every few weeks the Iraqi politicians give a new deadline to make a decision. It is a joke," he said. "This issue affects our lives, it affects our future. They should decide quickly." The failed weekend meeting comes nearly two weeks after newly appointed U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urged Iraq's government to make a decision during a trip to Baghdad. A U.S.-Iraqi security pact signed in 2008 requires U.S. troops to leave the country by the end of the year. While the U.S. military says it is not aware of any deadline imposed by either the Iraq or U.S. governments, it has pushed the Iraqis for a decision. "We have consistently said it becomes less feasible to support a new request once we begin reposturing our troops and as we continue transitioning bases and redeploying our equipment," Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, told CNN in an e-mail interview Sunday. The decision about whether to grant any request to extend the stay of U.S. troops in Iraq beyond Jan. 1, 2012, will be made by President Barack Obama. The debate comes amid an increase in attacks against the roughly 46,000 American troops still in Iraq. Fourteen U.S. soldiers were killed in combat-related incidents in June, the largest loss of life among American troops since 2008, according to CNN figures. There also has been a spike in the number of attacks against civilians and Iraqi security forces, with more than 270 people killed in June, authorities said. The U.S. military has said the Shiite-militias -- Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib al Haq, and the Promise Day Brigade -- are using the bombings to try to take credit for driving American forces out of the country. Tawfeeq reported from Baghdad and Carter from Atlanta. | Iraqi political leaders are debating whether to ask U.S. troops to extend their stay .
Official: "The country is almost paralyzed because of this decision"
Iraqi lawmakers are split about whether to keep American troops .
The U.S. military says it becomes less feasible to respond to a request as time goes on . |
173,379 | 6c62dcb4a87d05a9437f28fa921f2332330319cf | Pennsylvania's highest court has ruled that it will not review Jerry Sandusky's child molestation conviction. Other legal avenues remain open to the former Penn State assistant football coach but the Pennsylvania Supreme court ruled against him on Wednesday on his latest call for appeal. Sandusky had asked the court to take up his 45-count conviction, arguing his lawyers were rushed too quickly to trial in 2012 and that prosecutors improperly made reference to his decision not to testify. He also said the trial judge should have issued a jury instruction about how long it took his victims to report the abuse and that jurors should not have been told to weigh evidence of his good character against all other evidence. Staying in jail: Jerry Sandusky will not be granted an appeal on his child molestation conviction, as the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled against him today (pictured in January 2013) Sandusky defense attorney Norris Gelman said he was disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision, which was issued in the form of a one-sentence order. Sandusky has the right to file a new appeal. 'I'm sure he will,' Gelman said. Attorney General Kathleen Kane, whose office prosecuted Sandusky, issued a statement saying she was pleased with the decision. Breaking her silence: His wife Dottie Sandusky (pictured in 2012) spoke out in an interview last month declaring his innocence . 'Protecting Pennsylvania's children is one of my top priorities and I remain committed to seeking justice for all victims of sexual abuse,' Kane said. The prosecutor's office had said that Sandusky did not provide sufficient basis for the Supreme Court to take up the matter and that decisions made by the trial judge did not violate his rights. Michael Boni, a lawyer who represents Aaron Fisher and other Sandusky victims, said the Supreme Court made the right call. 'Hopefully this will, once and for all, put to bed any lingering hopes that Jerry will have his sentence reversed, his convictions reversed,' Boni said. 'It's a happy day for the victims.' Sandusky, 70, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence for sexual abuse of 10 boys. Gelman said Sandusky can file a new appeal under the state's Post Conviction Relief Act. That appeal, he said, could address any newly discovered evidence as well as any claims that Sandusky's lawyers were not effective. Sandusky also could eventually take his case to federal court. Eight of his victims testified at trial, describing a range of abuse from grooming and fondling to oral and anal sex, including attacks in the basement of Sandusky's home outside State College. Another witness, a graduate assistant for the team who had been a quarterback for the Nittany Lions, testified he saw Sandusky having sexual contact with a boy inside a team shower late on a Friday night. Sandusky did not testify on his own behalf but has maintained his innocence. His lawyer has said the victims' testimony was motivated by a desire to cash in. Penn State announced last year it was paying $59.7million to 26 people who had raised claims of abuse at Sandusky's hands. Hoping for a retrial: Sandusky said that his lawyers were rushed when he was first tried in 2011 (pictured then) His defense lawyers repeatedly sought delays before trial, saying they were swamped by an enormous amount of material from prosecutors and needed more time to examine the background of his accusers. During a post-sentencing hearing, however, defense attorney Joe Amendola acknowledged that he had not discovered anything afterward that would have changed his trial strategy. Sandusky's 2011 arrest led to the firing of Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno and significant penalties levied against the school by the NCAA. Paterno was stripped of 111 of his 409 career wins while the school was fined $60million, banned from bowl games for four years and faced steep scholarship cuts. Three other high-ranking school officials, including the then-president, face charges they covered up complaints about Sandusky. Their case has not yet gone to trial. | The former Penn State assistant football coach wanted a retrial .
Said that his lawyers were rushed during the original trial 2011 .
Was convicted on 45 counts of child abuse and molestation . |
21,464 | 3cf79f31a7dd38dde00b63208502a4dc1868fda2 | (CNN) -- The brutal winter storm that caused havoc from Texas to Maine has paralyzed swaths of Kentucky, where officials are working to cope with what they say is the worst power outage in the state's history. "We are kind of in a state of emergency. It's pretty bad," said iReporter Dwight Stanley of Louisville, Kentucky. Andrew Melnykovych, spokesman for Kentucky's Public Service Commission, said it is "an indescribable mess everywhere." Ice storms covered parts of the state Friday, with moderate snowstorms expected to continue into Saturday morning, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures that dipped into the teens on Friday are expected to rise to the upper 30s to lower 40s on Saturday, the weather service said. Larry Holeman, deputy emergency management director of rural Grayson County, called his hard-hit community "a war zone." The emergency reflects the challenges faced in states such as Kentucky, where many rural and remote regions struggle to keep warm and dry under dire weather conditions. Nine weather-related deaths have been reported, with two confirmed, said the office of Gov. Steve Beshear. A previously confirmed death has since been found to be unrelated to the weather. In western Louisville, three adults were found dead Friday morning of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator the family brought indoors, Mayor Jerry Abramson said. The deaths prompted authorities to issue a stern warning about the dangers of carbon monoxide. "We've lost three citizens because people weren't listening to the fire department when they look into the cameras and talk on the radios and say, 'listen up, carbon monoxide kills,' " Abramson said in a press conference Friday afternoon. "We can't talk enough about it." The storm caused the largest power outage in Kentucky's history, with more than 607,000 customers out of power. Watch residents of Grayson County, Kentucky, try to cope with outage » . But Melnykovych said that while the state is saying 607,000 customers have lost power, he thinks the number is closer to 650,000 because the state figure comes only from utilities it regulates. When Hurricane Ike hit in September, 600,000 customers lost power. Melnykovych said the temperature was around 75 degrees and power outages were more of an "inconvenience than a life-threatening situation." iReport.com: Send your wintry weather photos, videos . "Hurricane Ike didn't have this kind of impact," he said. Of the state's 120 counties, 78 have declared emergencies. So have 47 cities, the governor's office said. At least 113 emergency shelters have been opened. Jewel Tomes, who lives in Leitchfield, took shelter at a high school after a complex for the elderly lost power and was "thrilled to have a place to come to." "The high school here was generous, and more than 500 people have been sheltered here, and we have had cots and blankets and three meals a day. And we had medication," she said. Around 93,000 customers on 55 water systems remain without access to water because of outages and storm damage. Photos of storm's impact » . Crews across the state were working to clear roads of snow, ice and trees. A key concern is getting generators to water treatment facilities because of the large number of people without water. The Kentucky National Guard, which has had 620 soldiers on duty, is bolstering to 1,000 the number of soldiers aiding recovery efforts. Three of the battalions are headed to Paducah, Owensboro and Benton in the west and others are headed to other hard-hit spots. The state said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will operate out of a National Guard center in Frankfort. Beshear praised the Obama administration's prompt reaction to the storm. "They really hit the ground running," he said. "They're working very hard to get all the equipment and supplies here that we need." For a third day, Beshear on Friday visited regions of the state slammed by the storm. "Western Kentucky has obviously been hit very badly by this storm," Beshear said Friday. It's the first ice storm for Debbie Pelissero, who moved to Lexington from San Diego in May. She took pictures of the "peaceful and surreal" scenes for her California family. "I never saw anything like it before. I've never lived in anything like this," she said, watching crews salt the road for the next expected storm. The newcomer is learning a basic principle about her new Kentucky home, uttered by the governor. Kentuckians, he said are "a very resilient bunch." | NEW: 3 die of carbon monoxide poisoning in Louisville, mayor says .
NEW: Moderate snowstorms expected to continue into Saturday .
Nine weather-related deaths have been reported, governor says .
More than 607,000 customers without power, state says . |
128,849 | 3278a6503c47616fd8822fef36888b70460394d4 | (CNN) -- If you've been weighing buying a new Mac or iPad but are holding out for one of Apple's rare discounts, Black Friday is your chance. As it's done in recent years, Apple is holding a "one-day shopping event" for the day after Thanksgiving. A page on Apple's site invites Black Friday shoppers to visit its online store; it's not clear whether the same deals will be offered at the company's retail stores as well. Apple's promotional copy touts "iPad, iPod and Mac gifts." Conspicuously absent is any mention of deals on the new iPhone 4S, which starts at $199 (with two-year wireless-carrier contract) and will probably not be discounted. In typically cryptic fashion, the company isn't offering specifics on its seasonal markdowns. But the blog 9to5Mac published what it claims are some leaked details: Modest discounts of $101 on Macs, $41-$61 on iPads (depending on storage capacity) and $21-$41 on iPods. Those would be in line with the Black Friday deals Apple offered last year, although the company only marked its iPads down by $41. 9to5Mac also says some accessories, such as iPad covers, will be discounted Friday. There was no mention of any deals on iPhones. An Apple spokesman declined to comment Wednesday on the report or on potential discounts. Even at a briefly discounted price of $458, the cheapest iPad has new competition this holiday season from smaller, less expensive tablets like Amazon's Kindle Fire ($199) and Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet ($249). BlackBerry also has slashed the price of its 7-inch PlayBook tablet from $499 to about $200, depending on the retailer. Some observers also had expected Black Friday to mark the debut of Apple's huge new retail store inside New York City's iconic Grand Central Station. But according to tech-news blog Mashable, a CNN.com content partner, construction workers at the site don't expect the store to open until December. | Apple is holding a "one-day shopping event" on Black Friday .
Discounts are expected on iPads, iPods and Macs but not iPhones .
Even a discounted iPad has competition from smaller, less expensive tablets . |
231,783 | b81926100c6d261b0473fab562dd3a6b18fb34b0 | (CNN) -- Hurricane Norbert lashed Mexico's west coast Saturday with strong winds and drenching rains, the latter of which triggered mudslides that cut off some communities. As of 5 p.m. (8 p.m. ET), the storm had 100 mph sustained winds as it moved northwest at an 8 mph clip. The worst of it was not rolling over land -- centered, as it was, 180 miles west-northwest of Cabo San Lazaro -- meaning its winds haven't been as devastating as might have otherwise been the case. The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted that 3 to 6 inches will likely fall in the central and northern Baja California peninsula, with 10 inches possible in some spots. All that water has already caused dangerous mudslides and damage. "There are no terrestrial communications" in two communities in the Loreto municipality after landslides, said Baja California official Jose Luis Perpuly Drew, according to the Notimex state news agency. Local authorities working with army, navy and civil protection forces are moving to bring food and medical supplies to Ague Verde and San Cosme, said Drew. There are also efforts underway to rebuild a wall that serves as a key buffer in Comondu, Notimex reported. The storm also prompted the evacuation of more than 450 people from two hostels in Puerto San Carlos, according to the news agency. Hurricane Norbert is expected to cause large swells, dangerous surf and rip currents along Mexico's west coast through the Gulf of California, the National Hurricane Center said. There is some good news in all this, though: Norbert got weaker as Saturday wore along and that trend should continue, with the Miami-based hurricane center predicting it will become a tropical storm on Sunday. | NEW: state news: Over 450 people evacuated from 2 hostels .
Hurricane Norbert has 100 mph sustained winds, is about 180 miles offshore .
It could produce up to 10 inches of rain in spots, says National Hurricane Center .
Some communities have been cut off due to mudslides . |
100,328 | 0d438cbbcd17ca3d9c7932e5e171e4003f822f18 | (CNN) -- In what should have been one of the more emotional and poignant moments of the president's State of the Union address, I'm left with just one feeling after watching the recognition of Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg, who was wounded in an IED explosion in Afghanistan. Frustration. That might seem like a harsh critique, and it's not directed at either the president or Remsburg. It's pointed squarely at some of my fellow veterans and commentators and their reactions to this event, turning the appearance into political theater. A bipartisan outpouring for wounded war hero . As I watched the address Tuesday night, I could feel the emotions of Remsburg. I've felt the same thing. At the All-American Bowl in San Antonio in 2011, I stood in front of thousands of people in a packed football stadium full of cheering fans, on a field with other wounded warriors and heroes. We waited anxiously, appreciative of the people cheering us, but we were also confused. What we did, while viewed as heroic by others, was simply our job. It might be hard to imagine, but the recognition felt misplaced. I understood that thousands of other troops have sacrificed as well, along with our nation's firefighters, police and other first responders. I asked myself, "Why me? What did I do that was different?" I bet Remsburg, the Army Ranger, may have felt the same way in front of all those cameras Tuesday night. He said what? Obama's speech explained . That being said, the recognition by President Barack Obama at the end of the State of the Union address was appropriate. He shared a personal anecdote about their previous interactions together, a history of Remsburg's service. Then the President expressed gratitude, saluting in the direction of the soldier being honored. All that was fine. My frustration stems from the public response to that last part of the State of the Union address. Many friends, both veterans and non-veterans alike, are using Remsburg's appearance to further their political or ideological agenda. Opinion: Can Obama deliver action on inequality? Those who are on the right claim it was a fake, propaganda-laden showing that exploited the deeds of our troops. Those on the left regale the commander in chief with praise, having concrete proof that the president does, in fact, support the troops. The reality of the situation, however, is a bit more simple. The President made a respectful gesture of recognition toward an individual soldier and his accomplishments, and showcased this on a national stage. That's it. Regardless of where you stand on health care, gun laws, big government, the minimum wage or other divisive issues, we should all be able to, for just one night, applaud Remsburg and our troops in harm's way. We have plenty of time to return to the partisan bickering and politics of division later. For just one night, it's really OK to simply honor a soldier and his sacrifice. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Heath. | David Heath, a war veteran, says celebrating veterans shouldn't be about politics .
Heath has been in a similar spotlight and felt uncomfortable .
He says honoring troops is more important than where other vets stand on issues . |
191,654 | 842cc196e8116aef7e8fc2e551aff07838b7da86 | By . Anna Edwards . Last updated at 2:22 PM on 13th January 2012 . Don't give this dog a bone: Rossi gulped down the six-inch rib before his astonished owners could stop him and had to have the spare rib surgically removed . A puppy got himself into a sticky situation when he pinched a six-inch Chinese spare rib from his owner and swallowed it in one gulp. Greedy Staffordshire bull terrier Rossi got into difficulties when the bone - which unbelievably he didn't choke on - started scratching his stomach. Owner Steven Hawthorn, 44, said the 15-week-old puppy snatched the rib and swallowed it whole as he and his family sat down to a takeaway meal. His wife Donna, 35, and sons Lewis, 13 and Samuel, 11, watched in amazement as Rossi, named after motorcycle legend Valentino Rossi, jumped up to nab the pork rib and devoured it in seconds. Worried that the bone would get stuck, Mr Hawthorn, from Oldbury, West Midlands, took Rossi to the Companion Care Veterinary Surgery the next day. An . x-ray on January 6 revealed the large bone was scratching his stomach . lining, which was starting to bleed and the pet was prepared for . surgery. Mr Hawthorn said: 'How he managed to . swallow such a large bone is amazing. How it didn't choke him or damage . his aesophagus is a miracle. Gobbled it up in one go: His owner Steven says Rossi could not resist the delicious smell of the takeaway, and ignored his usual dog food to try his luck with the takeaway . 'It could have easily ruptured his . intestines. He's lucky to be alive, a lot of things went in his favour . and we're really glad he's still here. 'A second x-ray showed the bone had moved towards the intestines. A few more hours without the operation and he would have gone, I can't praise the vets enough. 'It was our first food treat of the year after Christmas and we were looking forward to it. But as soon as he swallowed it I knew he was in trouble.' Sticky spare rib: The surgeons believe if they hadn't acted quickly Rossi could have died . Rossi usually only eats his favourite . chicken flavoured dried dog biscuits but Mr Hawthorn thinks the smell of . the ribs was too much for the puppy to resist. He . said: 'He's our first family pet and we were astonished that he would . just wolf down something like that still being so small. 'He tends not to chew things which is maybe why he tried to eat it whole rather than nibble at it. 'He didn't show any signs of any problems at first but the day we took him to the vets he was ill. 'Rossi's running around fine now though, he's made a full recovery and playing around with the family as normal.' Companion Care veterinary care . assistant Cherri Wilde said it was a very rare case that dogs of any . size swallow anything quite so large. She said: 'Poor little Rossi swallowing an entire spare rib was a most uncommon case for us. 'If he had not undergone immediate surgery then this would most likely have been fatal for the pup. 'He . was not at all fazed by his ordeal and we are extremely happy with his . speedy recovery and fighting spirit. He was such a brave little puppy.' | 15-week-old Rossi has life-saving op after takeaway bone gets stuck in his stomach . |
168,635 | 6623156e13b0f4df02b7903296d46917fdc59319 | By . Amy Oliver . UPDATED: . 10:00 EST, 6 June 2012 . A 'sexually obsessed' stalker whose explicit texts and phone calls caused a mother six months of torment was the very police officer sent to help her, it has emerged. Dunstable-based Maria Snow, 49, waived her anonymity to speak of her horror at finding out PC Mark Wilkie was behind the daily calls to her mobile. Mrs Snow recalled how former Bedfordshire Police PC would breathe heavily into the phone and tell her how attractive she was to him. The terrifying calls started in August 2009 when Mrs Snow was going through a difficult divorce from her husband. Six months of hell: Maria Snow, 49, was shocked to discover her phone stalker had been the very policeman called out to help her following an argument with her husband . The couple had been arguing so violently one day that Mrs Snow's son had called the police. PC Wilkie arrived soon after and as Mrs Snow recalls, seemed very laid back about the ordeal. She told the Daily Mirror: 'He was making jokes, reassuring me that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. 'Once it was confirmed no one had been hurt or was in danger, he seemed very casual. 'At the time I didn’t think much of it, but after he left I thought it was a little bit odd,' she added. Six months later another row resulted in a second call out to police and PC Wilkie arrived once again. Abuse of power: Mark Wilkie, 51, a former officer with Bedfordshire Police had stalked Mrs Snow for six months after being called out over a domestic incident between her and her husband . As Mrs Snow's husband was taken to the police station her mobile displayed the first in a long line of explicit texts. It read: 'You look so gorgeous and sexy'. Thinking it was a mistake Mrs Snow replied saying the caller must have the wrong number but, chillingly, they replied: 'No I haven't, Maria'. Ironically she called police who discovered the offending text had come from a pay-as-you-go number which the owner always topped up with cash making it impossible to trace. The calls and texts continued. 'It turned in to six months of texts and phone calls, every night and day. It was mental cruelty,' Mrs Snow said. Her suspicion fell on every man she knew, she said, from 'friends' husbands, to someone at the gym, to people I worked with'. And the stress and anxiety even caused her hair to break off and fall out. She . continued: 'I didn't want to change my phone number because I had had . it for 20 years and used it for my work, and my phone wouldn't let me . block the calls. 'He started with one call a day and within a month it had gone up to once an hour. It was like a drip, drip torture. 'Two months in I texted back and said, "I'm in the middle of a horrible divorce, could you please stalk me in six months' time?" 'My friends would phone him and threaten him, but it didn't make any difference. 'There . was one time that I answered the phone as I was worried it might have . been one of the children trying to contact me, and it was him. 'He said, "Hi, it's me," and I almost threw up on the spot. 'You just go into a whole world of doubt and suspicion, and it makes you realise how vulnerable you are.' Then at the beginning of August 2010, the . contact stopped abruptly and at . the end of December she had a phone call from the police. An officer had been arrested with a pay-as-you-go phone he'd used to harass several other women. Mrs Snow told the Mirror: 'I was floored. I couldn’t believe they’d managed to catch anyone, especially when it went on for so long and he hadn’t slipped up.' She was even more surprised to find her stalker was 51-year-old Mark Wilkie. He had been caught when his work locker was searched following an arrest for as similar offence. Wilkie, an . award-winning policeman commended for bravery, was jailed for three . years and four months last year at Cambridge Crown Court after . admitting to 12 counts of misconduct in public office over a period of . two years. Between 2008 and . 2010 he would target women who he had met while investigating crimes, . and would search out their numbers and details using the police's . database. Ordeal: Mrs Snow received daily explicit text messages and phone calls from Wilkie who even breathed heavily down the phone on occasion . Wilkie, of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, would then . pester them using a pay-as-you-go mobile phone. Detectives . said there may have been as many as 50 targets. The people he stalked included victims of domestic abuse and missing teenagers. Mrs Snow, who used to be confident and outgoing, said the harassment caused her to become 'a nervous wreck'. In mitigation, defence counsel Hector . Maclean-Watt told the court his client's long-term relationship had . broken down shortly before the offences started and his marriage had . ended four years earlier. The . judge described him as 'sexually obsessed'. He said the offences were . 'an appalling breach of trust' which undermined public confidence in the . police. Judge Gareth . Hawkesworth told Wilkie at the time: 'You abused the very people you were there to . protect. This was effectively terrorising vulnerable people in breach of . trust.' A Bedfordshire Police spokesman added: 'Wilkie's behaviour is absolutely abhorrent.' The jailing of her tormentor, who she describes as 'a pervert', has brought little relief or joy for Mrs Snow. 'I can't be pleased at the sentence. I just feel numb and I wish I didn't have to be involved,' she said. 'I actually don't believe I trust anyone any more. 'But . I hope this will make the police take this kind of situation seriously, . and I hope it stands as a lesson to other people out there.' Mrs Snow now wants to highlight the lasting effects stalking has on the victims. She said: 'It still affects me - I don't know when that's going to stop.' | PC Mark Wilkie had been called out to Maria Snow's house following a row with her husband .
He started sending explicit texts six months later after being called out for a second time .
Police believe up to 50 women could have been stalked .
Wilkie used pay-as-you-go phone to not be traced .
Victims' details taken from police database .
51-year-old jailed for three years and four months .
If you have been affected by stalking or harassment you can call the National Stalking helpline on 0808 802 0300 or email them: [email protected] . |
283,003 | fa9543dd54ac3f54003f55ab372c5bc2948635a8 | (CNN) -- The State Department apologized for a computer glitch that invalidated results for thousands who thought they were chosen in the most recent green card visa lottery. Millions of people worldwide apply for the 50,000 permanent resident visas issued a year to relocate to the U.S. A computer randomly picks would-be immigrants who then undergo interviews, background checks and medical exams before visas can be issued. "Due to a computer programming problem, the results of the 2012 diversity lottery that were previously posted on this website have been voided," the State Department said in a statement Friday. "We regret any inconvenience this might have caused." The results of lottery were not valid, and the drawing will be redone. "They did not represent a fair random selection of the entrants, which is required by U.S. law," said David Donahue, a deputy assistant for the State Department. The issue has been resolved and officials expect to do another selection in July, Donahue said. | Millions apply for 50,000 permanent visas issued a year .
"We regret any inconvenience this might have caused," State Department says .
Results from a new lottery will be announced in July . |
127,683 | 310d47779746daf6e08a0625d19d8bc55de4624b | By . Ben Ellery . PUBLISHED: . 17:04 EST, 23 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:09 EST, 23 February 2013 . Too posh: Listeners have criticised Archers actress Heather Bell . The editor of The Archers has sprung to the defence of actress Heather Bell, who has returned to the role of Clarrie Grundy in the Radio 4 show, amid claims that she is ‘too posh’. Other listeners posting comments online complain that Ms Bell, 68, sounds like ‘an over-excited Pam Ayres’, while some allege that her accent is ‘wobbly’. Ms Bell played the character 25 years ago before being replaced by Rosalind Adams. However, she returned to Ambridge earlier this month. One Twitter user wrote: ‘They seem to have replaced Clarrie with an over-excited Pam Ayres. I hope she remembers to breathe.’ Such is the criticism aimed at Ms Bell that The Archers’ editor, Vanessa Whitburn, has now released a statement backing the actress. She said: ‘Many listeners are delighted to hear the original Clarrie again. Heather is doing a terrific job.’ Return: Ms Bell, second right, played Clarrie Grundy when the BBC radio soap celebrated its 30th birthday with cast members in 1980 . | Listeners say Heather Bell sounds like 'over-excited Pam Ayres .
Actress returned to play Clarrie Grundy after 25 years .
Editor Vanessa Whitburn has backed 68-year-old . |
142,300 | 44074184e510d91b57da501b130897bdf3f28842 | (CNN) -- A Pennsylvania patient accused of shooting his caseworker to death has been charged with first and third-degree murder, authorities said. Richard Plotts was arraigned late Saturday at his hospital bed, said spokeswoman Emily Harris of the Delaware County District Attorney's office. He is also charged with attempted murder, recklessly endangering another, assault and simple assault, and carrying a firearm without a license, Harris said. On Thursday, Plotts, 49, walked into the psychiatric unit Mercy Fitzgerald Wellness Center in Darby, Pennsylvania, alongside his caseworker Theresa Hunt, 53, according to Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan. The two went into psychiatrist Dr. Lee Silverman's office and an argument erupted, Whelan said. Hunt shut the door and called police. Moments later, shots were fired. Another doctor and caseworker ran into the room and found Hunt wounded, authorities said. The physicians wrestled Plotts to the floor and held him until police came. A bullet grazed Silverman's head. He was treated and released after investigators interviewed him. Silverman used a gun he was carrying to shoot Plotts in the arm and torso, authorities said. Plotts was being treated at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. It's unclear why Plotts opened fire, authorities said last week. Whelan told CNN affiliate WPVI, "This could be a much different situation if the perpetrator was allowed to continue with his actions, so I give credit for the staff for intervening." Two guns were recovered at the scene -- Plotts' and Silverman's. It wasn't certain who shot Hunt but, according to Whelan, investigators believe Silverman shot Plotts in self-defense. DA to decide whether to charge killer of intruder who yelled 'I'm pregnant' CNN's Kisa Mlela Santiago, Shelby Lin Erdman, Dominique Dodley, Christy Lenz, Chelsea Carter, Allison Malloy and Rob Frehse contributed to this report. | DA spokeswoman: Richard Plotts is charged with first and third degree murder, among other charges .
Psychiatrist uses gun he was carrying to shoot suspect, authorities said .
A caseworker was killed and two people, including suspect, were wounded in the shooting . |
160,796 | 5bdf429cec80405cb0820b36d2100aad8adf0751 | (CNN) -- As a little girl, she never got a valentine at school parties. As a teenager, she never had a best friend, a boyfriend or a date. As a woman, she's never had a relationship. She's never been kissed. Her dream to one day become a wife and mother is fading as she grapples with the reality that it may never happen. Penny Loker, 31, was born with hemifacial microsomia and Goldenhar Syndrome, two birth defects that left her with a disfigured face. Hemifacial microsomia causes a malformation of the ear and/or the structure of the lower jaw. Goldenhar Syndrome is a congenital condition that produces abnormalities of the head and the bones of the spinal column. It usually affects the appearance of eyes, ears, facial bones and the mouth. Both conditions are complex, as are their names. But for a little girl facing a big world, the names were simple: Monster. Ugly. Freak. Loker was raised in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, in a home where love and acceptance were given freely. Her father died soon after Loker's first birthday. Her mother, a strong, loving woman, readily took on the challenge of raising Loker and her sisters. That included arranging for multiple surgeries at hospitals far from home. Loker's recoveries were lengthy and painful, recalls older sister Crystal Loker. "But even then Penny had a positive attitude. She was a trouper who kept her smile and didn't complain." 'Impaired Perceptions': Photographer rejects first impressions . At home, Loker's looks were not an issue and she was treated the same as her sisters. She knew she looked a bit different, and she knew it caused her to be in the hospital a lot, but she had a child's innocence and accepted it as normal. When it was time to start school, she discovered how different she actually was. She spent a lonely childhood excluded from nearly everything. She had no friends. She accepted the name-calling as part of her life and seemed to understand that crying or fighting back only made it worse. So she quietly endured it. She remembers that pain and humiliation well. "As an adult, it's hard to stand by silently when you know what these kids are going through," Loker says. "But it's equally difficult to speak out when you don't feel empowered to do so." As she got older, the name-calling was more often behind her back than to her face. By the time she reached high school, she had learned there would be no friends, parties or dates for a girl who looked like a freak. "It hurt, but there was nothing I could do to change it," she says. While day-to-day encounters with strangers brought the same hurtful stares and comments, Loker was used to it. Then came a day with such cruelty it remains a vivid memory. "For graduation my sister gave me a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure. I'd never had one before, and it was a wonderful experience. I left the spa feeling truly pretty for the first time in my adult life." But less than a block from the salon, she encountered a carload of boys who slowed to look at her and began pointing and calling her names. Distraught, she walked as quickly as she could to get away from them, thinking all the while that she was not beautiful after all. "The pretty nails made no difference at all. Shamed and humiliated, I realized I was still the same girl that everyone made fun of," she recalls. "I remember that day as one of the worst." Talking to someone with a chronic illness . But time can ease all wounds, and her determined spirit taught her to find the good around her. She has a core group of girlfriends and relatives who cherish her as she is. She speaks proudly of being able to provide for herself, thanks to her job at Rogers Communications, where she spends her days handling customer requests. The company was recognized this year as a diversity leader corporation, a recognition that only adds to Loker's pride. There are many adventures in life that she is hesitant to embrace, even though she is physically able. She prefers not to shop alone. She has never been on a true vacation, saying the thought of one is scary. Yet it's a feat she is determined to accomplish. She is saving now for a trip to California to visit either BlizzCon or Comic-con. "I'm kind of a geek and play the online MMO World of Warcraft with my sister and her husband, and we always talk about how cool it would be to go there," she says. "People dress up so I would feel 'normal', not out of place." She's quick to point out she has no interest in visiting a theme park geared toward children, where she'd likely be subjected to stares as parents attempt to answer questions about her. She wishes she could open the dialogue about individuals with malformations by educating people, especially children, whose natural curiosity can eventually become cruelty if left unaddressed. "Educating them early on would help them learn to be more tolerant of others who are different. The ability to love, share, bring happiness and help others is the real beauty of a person," she says. "The exterior doesn't necessarily reflect the beauty that often lives inside. And when people fail to remember that, they can miss out on the love and friendship of a truly special person." Crystal Loker agrees. "Penny is truly beautiful. She's always seeing the best in others and never has an unkind word for anyone. In Penny's world, others always come first. She's full of laughter and smiles. When you spend a day with her, you go home feeling good about yourself." Loker welcomes the opportunity to teach all of us to see beyond the surface. But until then, she continues to hope for good days in her own life, which for her means days when she is ignored. "When I go out to dinner with my friends and no one stares at me or asks to be moved to a table further away from me, that's a good day," she says. In spite of it all, Loker is quick to point out her many blessings: Being able to share a home with her family, having a job she loves, having good friends and a good health care system to help with the cost of a lifetime of surgeries. Her only regret? "I have so much love to give and I would love to share that with a family of my own. I understand it will probably never happen, and I'm learning to accept it. But I am sad about it," she says. "It feels like the one great loss in my life." Penny Loker will be on the CNN Facebook page for a live discussion Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. | Birth defects left Penny Loker with a disfigured face .
Growing up, she endured cruel treatment from others .
She wishes she could open the dialogue and educate others about malformations .
Loker wants to be a wife and mother, but accepts that may never happen . |
96,106 | 079747194265d3ecbd748b7ba579b7ef52d95034 | By . Michael Zennie . Half of the United States population resides in 146 very large urban and suburban counties clustered around the nation's most populous cities. The remaining 157million Americans are scattered through the country's 3031 smaller counties, boroughs and parishes - many of them rural . Business Insider used U.S. Census data to point out the intriguing urban-rural divide and developed a map to illustrate the point. The map shows not only where the large cities are located, but how large their suburban footprint is. Population centers: This is the map that reveals the 146 counties that are home to half of the country's population . Densely-populated: In the northeast, the string of heavily-populated counties runs, almost uninterrupted, from northeast Massachusetts and Boston to northern Virginia and the Washington area. Southern California counties are dramatically larger, by comparison, but also include a similar string of unbroken suburban growth . The largest 146 counties range in population from Los Angeles County - with 9.8million people - to Williamson County, Texas, - a bedroom community for Austin, with 455,000 people. The map offers one metric to show the suburban sprawl in the country that isn't always translated by examining city or metropolitan area population . For example, the Phoenix metro area is the 13th largest in the country. Maricopa County - where Phoenix is located - is the third largest in the nation. With 3.8million people, Maricopa . County is home to more souls than the entire city of Chicago and more . than any single borough of New York City - including Manhattan. It also shows that the footprint of many cities sprawls much farther than the city itself. Miami is home to only 413,000. Dade County, though, is the 7th largest county in the nation, with 2.4million souls. Detroit, . which has made headlines for its rapidly-declining population, still . commands high density in its home - Wayne County - and two other . suburban counties - Oakland and Macomb. The 2010 U.S. Census reveals that American are increasingly clustering around large cities. 1. Los Angeles County, California - 9.8M . 2. Cook County, Illinois - 5.2M . 3. Harris County, Texas - 4.2M . 4. Maricopa County, Arizona - 3.9M . 5. San Diego County, California - 3.1M . 6. Orange County, California - 3.1M . 7. Miami-Dade County, Florida - 2.9M . 8. Kings County, New York - 2.5M . 9. Dallas County, Texas - 2.4M . 10. Queens County, New York - 2.3M . 1. Loving County, Texas - 82 . 2. Kalawao County, Hawaii - 90 . 3. King County, Texas - 286 . 4. Kenedy County, Texas - 416 . 5. Aurthur County, Nebraska - 460 . 6. Blaine County, Nebraska - 478 . 7. Petroleum County, Montana - 494 . 8. McPherson County, Nebraska - 539 . 9. Grant County, Nebraska - 614 . 10. Loup County, Nebraska - 632 . About 80percent of the nation lives in settings that government defines as 'urban' - that includes areas that don't have high enough population to make the Business Insider list. The U.S. Census data comes as a government report shows plummeting birth rates across the U.S. have finally leveled out after decreasing for the past four years. The number of babies born last year, a little less than 4 million, is only a few hundred less than the number in 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released on Friday shows. This suggests fewer couples are scared away from having children because of the economy or other factors, some experts say. One, Brady Hamilton, a statistician with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said: 'We may be on level course or potentially even see a rise in birth trends in the near future.' The report also showed that the birth rate for women in their early 30s has also increased for the first time since 2007. Births were on the rise since the late 1990s and hit an all-time high of more than 4.3 million in 2007. The drop that followed was widely attributed to the nation's flagging economy. Experts believed that many women or couples who were out of work or had other money problems felt they couldn't afford to start or add to their family. The economy was officially in a recession from December 2007 until June 2009, but polls showed most Americans remained gloomy, citing anemic hiring, a depressed housing market and other factors well into 2011. | Population clusters gathered around major cities including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Chicago . |
224,188 | ae4ae3e726c26f55a2f1e8e6916d166be229832f | Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski has shot down reports that he is being lined up for a £10million move to bitter rivals Tottenham. The World Cup winner posted a message on his Twitter account, saying: 'Hell would freeze over before this transfer would happen #Poldi #aha #AlwaysAGunner #Nevercheatyourclub #afc #RedArmy'. Reports suggest the Germany forward has grown frustrated at his lack of playing time - with Arsene Wenger yet to start him in the Premier League this season, preferring Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck. Lukas Podolski has swiftly nipped rumours of a move from Arsenal to Tottenham in the bud . The World Cup winner made it clear in no uncertain terms that he wouldn't be leaving for White Hart Lane . The fact the 29-year-old has been unable to force his way in even though Arsenal have also been without long-term absentees Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud has led to uncertainty over his future. Speaking after winning his 120th cap for Germany in the 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland, Podolski said: 'I have assessed my position in the team, and it has to change now. 'Let's see what happens in the winter. The fact is that I'm not happy with it, that's clear.' What is also clear is that, should the former Cologne forward decide to leave the club, he will not be moving across north London to White Hart Lane. Podolski arrived at the Emirates for £11m in 2012 and has scored 28 goals from 74 appearances - with 20 of those coming from the bench. Podolski, training with Danny Welbeck (right), admits he has been frustrated by his lack of playing time . The Germany forward has scored 20 of his 28 goals for the club from the substitutes bench . | Reports have linked Arsenal striker with a £10m move to rivals Tottenham .
The Germany international has slammed the reports on Twitter .
The World Cup winner has not started a Premier League game this season .
Lukas Podolski admits he in 'not happy' with his current situation . |
280,535 | f76a816f1247e36c38dd555f3a4b0bf9e7ae568d | Brave Kurdish soldiers battling Islamic State militants in northern Syria have converted tractors and lorries into tanks by adding metal plates to create Mad Max-style road warriors. The peshmerga troops were forced to take the initiative and create their own armoured vehicles after the far better equipped ISIS jihadists repeatedly got the better of the Kurds' Soviet-era military fleet. In recent weeks hundreds of thousands of Syrian Kurds have been forced to flee across the border into Turkey, as ISIS launched an onslaught into the autonomous Kurdish territory in northern Syria. Despite the odds being against them, peshmerga forces have bravely fought back against the estimated 31,000 ISIS militants operating in Syria and Iraq - whose self-declared 'caliphate' forms an area larger than Britain with a population of four million brutally oppressed citizens. Scroll down for video . Homemade: Kurdish forces have converted tractors, farm vehicles and lorries into makeshift tanks in order to compete with the considerably better-equipped ISIS militants ravaging northern Syria . Elaborate design: Troops from the People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria previously had little more than rifles and flak jackets - making them incredibly vulnerable in the face of heavily-armed ISIS terrorists . Design: The Kurdish forces have used their homemade armoured vehicles - which are bright and elaborately decorated - to keep ISIS advances in check, and in some cases even force them to retreat . Flying the flag: Despite the odds being against them, peshmerga forces have bravely fought back against the estimated 31,000 ISIS militants operating in Syria and Iraq . Strong resemblance: The converted Kurdish vehicles look similar to the heavily-armoured lorries in the 1979 dystopian action film Mad Max (pictured) In order to resist ISIS' high-tech firepower, the Kurdish forces have converted tractors and other farm equipment into heavily-armoured vehicles fitted aging Soviet-era guns. Previously troops from the People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria had little more than rifles and flak jackets - making them incredibly vulnerable in the face of heavily-armed ISIS terrorists. Much of the weaponry and military equipment currently in the hands of the jihadists was gathered after thousands of members of the U.S. trained and expensively equipped Iraqi army melted away in the face of a lightning advance by just a few hundred ISIS militants in June. As the soldiers fled the scene, they left behind millions of pounds worth of top-of-the-range and barely used equipment - all of which was quickly swept up by ISIS. Since then the Kurdish peshmerga forces have carried out the defence of much of northern Syria and Iraq, despite the fact many of the militants only know how to operate clunky, decades-old Soviet-era weapons and are hugely under-resourced in terms of ammunition and protective equipment. Innovative: The peshmerga troops were forced to take the initiative and create their own armoured vehicles after the far better equipped ISIS jihadists repeatedly got the better of the Kurds' Soviet-era military fleet . Homemade: In order to resist ISIS' high-tech firepower, the Kurdish forces have converted tractors and other farm equipment into heavily-armoured vehicles fitted aging Soviet-era guns . Protection: An off-road vehicle is seen covered in bullet-proof metal, making it much harder for ISIS to destroy . Force: One place in which the vehicles have been deployed is Kobane - the small Syrian town that has been besieged by ISIS militants for a week . Brave: Kurdish peshmerga forces have carried out the defence of much of northern Syria and Iraq, despite the fact many of the militants only know how to operate clunky, decades-old Soviet-era weapons and are hugely under-resourced in terms of ammunition and protective equipment . Tough: A peshmerga soldier poses with one of the converted farm vehicles being used in the fight against ISIS . U.S.-led air strikes hit grain silos and other targets in Islamic State-controlled territory in northern and eastern Syria overnight, killing civilians and wounding militants, a group monitoring the war said today. The aircraft may have mistaken the mills and grain storage areas in the northern Syrian town of Manbij for an Islamic State base, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. There was no immediate comment from Washington. The United States has targeted Islamic State and other fighters in Syria since last week with the help of Arab allies, and in Iraq since last month. It aims to damage and destroy the bases, forces and supply lines of the al Qaeda offshoot which has captured large areas of both countries. The strikes in Manbij appeared to have killed only civilians, not fighters, said Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Observatory which gathers information from sources in Syria. The Kurdish forces have used their homemade armoured vehicles - which are bright and elaborately decorated - to keep ISIS advances in check, and in some cases even force them to retreat. One place in which the vehicles have been deployed is Kobane - the small Syrian town that has been besieged by ISIS militants for a week. The Kurdish fighters in Iraq said that although they had been promised equipment from the U.S. and European countries, but so far most of the shipments included food - something they need far less urgently than weapons. Last week, one Kobane resident told the Independent: 'Don't send us food, we don't need food...we will eat mud if we have to. Send us weapons, send us peshmerga.' But while they continue waiting for the Western weapons to materialise, the Kurdish forces are reliant more than ever on their makeshift armoured vehicles to protect their population from the murderous fanatics who pose such a threat to their existence. In recent weeks hundreds of thousands of Syrian Kurds have been forced to flee across the border into Turkey, as Isis launched an onslaught into the autonomous Kurdish territory in northern Syria. Hard to destroy: Kurdish troops were forced to take the initiative and create their own armoured vehicles. They hope to stop the advance of ISIS militants, who are armed with high-tech weapons captured from the Iraqi army . Defence: While they wait for Western weapons to materialise, the peshmerga forces are more reliant than ever on their makeshift armoured vehicles to protect the Kurdish population from murderous ISIS fanatics . Bulk: The Kurdish fighters in Iraq said they had been promised equipment from the U.S. and European countries . Power: Brave Kurdish soldiers battling Islamic State militants in northern Syria have converted tractors and lorries into tanks by adding metal plates to create Mad Max-style road warriors . Fierce fighting has been reported on the outskirts of Baghdad where ISIS militants are attempting to seize control of the Iraqi capital - despite ongoing Western airstrikes against the terror group. The fighting is taking place just one mile to the west of the city, with government forces desperately trying to hold off the militants, who allegedly killed up to 1,000 soldiers during clashes yesterday. ISIS have held a number of towns and villages close to the Iraqi capital since earlier in the year, when government troops melted away following a lightning advance in the west of the country - enabling the terrorist group to seize further swaths of territory for their so-called caliphate. Jihadists: Fierce fighting has been reported on the outskirts of Baghdad where ISIS militants are attempting to seize control of the Iraqi capital, despite ongoing Western airstrikes against the terror group (pictured) Approaching: Reports that ISIS militants are now just one mile from Baghdad came from the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East - an organisation supporting the work of Canon Andrew White . Reports that ISIS militants are now just one mile from Baghdad came from the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East - an organisation supporting the work of Canon Andrew White, vicar of the city's St George's Church, the only Anglican church in Iraq. In a message posted on Facebook, the group said: 'The Islamic State are now less than 2km away from entering Baghdad. They said it could never happen and now it almost has. 'Obama says he overestimated what the Iraqi Army could do. Well you only need to be hear a very short while to know they can do very very little,' they added. The claims were backed up by Canon White himself, who shared the message just hours after he had earlier suggested the group were approximately six miles from the centre of Baghdad. Location: The militants are understood to have had their advance halted by airstrikes yesterday at Ameriyat Al-Falluja yesterday - a small city about 18 miles south of Fallujah and 40 miles west of Baghdad. But the clashes did not force the bulk of the fighters - with many of them now having made their way to the Baghdad suburbs . On a mission: The RAF jets seek out their terror targets in Iraq - which they failed to find and bomb, again . In a message he also posted on Facebook, Canon White had said: 'The Islamic State are now within 10km of entering Baghdad. Over a 1000 Iraqi troops were killed by them yesterday, things are so bad. As I said all the military air strikes are doing nothing. If ever we needed your prayer it is now.' The militants are understood to have had their advance halted by airstrikes yesterday at Ameriyat Al-Falluja yesterday - a small city about 18 miles south of Fallujah and 40 miles west of Baghdad. But the clashes did not force the bulk of the fighters - with many of them now having made their way to the Baghdad suburbs for this morning's fighting. | Peshmerga troops converted old tractors and lorries into military vehicles .
They are badly out-gunned by ISIS who seized weapons from the Iraqi army .
In order to properly defend themselves, Kurds armoured their own vehicles .
Result is a fleet of elaborately designed but well-defended battle buses .
The vehicles bear a close resemblance to the vehicles in 1979 film Mad Max . |
176,990 | 711a1fa355d74e300df584c1953b3763e011192c | MUNICH, Germany (CNN) -- Juliane Koepcke is not someone you'd expect to attract attention. Plainly dressed and wearing prescription glasses, Koepcke sits behind her desk at the Zoological Center in Munich, Germany, where she's a librarian. Juliane Koepcke fell more than 3kms after the plane in which she was traveling broke up in midair. Yet this unassuming middle aged woman has one of the most exciting and unbelievable stories of tragedy and survival to tell. It was Christmas Eve, 1971, when Koepcke, then aged 17, and her mother boarded a Lockheed Electra turboprop for a flight from Lima, Peru, to Pucallpa in the Amazonian rainforest. Her parents, both famous zoologists, ran a research station in the jungle studying wildlife. The airline, LANSA, had already lost two aircraft in previous crashes. "We knew the airline had a bad reputation," Koepcke told CNN, "but we desperately wanted to be with my father for Christmas, so we figured it would be alright." The flight was supposed to last for less than an hour and for the first 25 minutes everything was fine, Koepcke recalled. "Then we flew into heavy clouds and the plane started shaking. My mother was very nervous. Then to the right we saw a bright flash and the plane went into a nose dive. My mother said, 'This is it!'" An accident investigation later found that one of the fuel tanks of the Lockheed Electra had been hit by a bolt of lightning which had torn the right wing off. "We were headed straight down. Christmas presents were flying around the cabin and I could hear people screaming." Watch Koepcke tell her dramatic survivor's story » . As the plane broke into pieces in midair, Koepcke was thrust out into the open air: . "Suddenly there was this amazing silence. The plane was gone. I must have been unconscious and then came to in midair. I was flying, spinning through the air and I could see the forest spinning beneath me." Then Koepcke lost consciousness again. She fell more than three kilometers (two miles) into the jungle canopy but miraculously survived with only minor injuries. Ninety-one other people aboard Flight 508 died. Koepcke says she is not a spiritual person and has tried to find logical explanations for why she survived. "Maybe it was the fact that I was still attached to a whole row of seats," she says. "It was rotating much like the helicopter and that might have slowed the fall. Also, the place I landed had very thick foliage and that might have lessened the impact." In any case she survived with only minor injuries. Her collarbone was broken, her right eye swollen shut, she was suffering concussion and had large gashes on her arms and legs. "I didn't wake up until nine o'clock the next morning. I know this because my watch was still working. So I must have been unconscious the whole afternoon and the night. When I came to I was alone, just me ... and my row of seats." Her ordeal was far from over. Rescue planes and search crews were unable to locate the crash site and Koepcke was stranded in the jungle alone. But she had spent years on the research station with her parents and her father had taught her how to survive in the rainforest -- she knew how to cope in that environment. ""He said if you find a creek, follow it because that will lead to a stream and a stream will lead to a bigger river and that's where you'll find help." The day after the crash she found a creek and started to wade down stream, but it was tough going. The only food she had was some candy she had found at the crash site and her wounds were quickly infested with parasites. "I had a cut on my arm and after a few days I could feel there was something in it. I took a look and a fly had laid her eggs in the hole. It was full of maggots. I was afraid I would lose my arm. Later, after I was rescued it was treated and more than 50 maggots were found inside. I still wonder how so many maggots could have fitted into that little hole, it was no bigger than a one euro coin." As she travelled downstream, Koepcke discovered more wreckage from the plane -- and found some of the crash victims. "I found another row of seats with three dead women still strapped in. They had landed head-first and the impact must have been so hard that they were buried almost two feet into the ground. "I was horrified -- I didn't want to touch them but I wanted to make sure that my mother wasn't one of them. So I took a stick and knocked a shoe off one of the bodies. The toe nails had nail polish on them and I knew it could not have been my mother because she never used nail polish." Juliane continued through the rainforest, wading through jungle streams infested with crocodiles, piranhas and devil rays. "Sometimes I would see a crocodile on the bank and it would start into the water towards me, but I was not afraid. I knew crocodiles don't tend to attack humans." After 10 days, starved and exhausted, Koepke finally came upon a small boat and a hut on the river. She stayed there, hoping to be rescued. The next day a group of Peruvian lumberjacks found her and brought her to the next town. She became known as the miracle girl and was hounded by Peruvian media, receiving hundreds of letters from people she had never met before. "It was so strange," she says, smiling. "Some of the letters were simply addressed 'Juliane -- Peru' but they still all found their way to me." The events of 1971 still haunt Koepcke and she says the memories are especially clear when she is confronted with airline disasters like last month's Air France crash off the coast of Brazil. "It just horrifies me. I only hope it all went quickly for those on board." | German girl, 17, was only survivor of 1971 plane crash in Peruvian rainforest .
Juliane Koepcke fell more than 3km into jungle attached to a row of seats .
Koepcke suffered minor injuries, survived for 10 days alone in rainforest .
Koepcke haunted by ordeal; especially when confronted with other air disasters . |
15,043 | 2ab50b6623c3cc3f6c75e2cc889e331b2b571db4 | She's the farm girl with a Harvard education that left a high-flying law career to embark on a life in politics. But on Tuesday the focus was on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's new relationship, rather than her policies. By her side at the Melbourne Cup Carnival was businessman David Panton, and the pair are said to have been dating for around six months, the Daily Telegraph reported. Scroll down for video . Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop (right) with her partner David Panton (left) during Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on Tuesday . Mr Panton also took daughters Laura (left) and Sally (right) to Flemington with him, seen here holding the Melbourne Cup . Mr Panton's two adult daughters Sally and Laura were also at the celebration at Flemington Racecourse earlier this week. A property investor from Melbourne, Mr Panton recently relocated to the beachside Sydney suburb of Manly from the Melbourne suburb of Shoreham. According to The Telegraph he and Ms Bishop both share a common passion for sport and fitness. Social media posts show Laura (left) and a friend brushing shoulders with Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr (centre) earlier this year . His daughters Laura and Sally were seen later in the day posing for a photo holding the prestigious Melbourne Cup, while social media posts show Laura brushing shoulders with Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr earlier this year. Mr Panton also has an adult son, Matt, who lives in New York. Aside from her blossoming relationship, Ms Bishop seems to have gained the approval from voters to be crowned the nation's next leader. Mr Panton also has a son Matt (left) and recently relocated to the Sydney beachside suburb of Manly . Fairfax poll found Ms Bishop (left) and Tony Abbott (right) both have 20 percent support from voters in preferred leadership stakes . As Australia's first female Foreign Minister and the Liberal Party's first female Deputy Leader, Ms Bishop's popularity has nearly doubled in the past five months. A Fairfax-Ipsos nationwide poll found Ms Bishop is now level with Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the preferred leadership stakes, who both have 20 per cent of support. This has been attributed to her strong showing on the international stage - particularly throughout the MH17 crisis in Ukraine - and her calm handling of government affairs in Australia. After the figures were released on Tuesday - Melbourne Cup day - she attended Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne with her new love, confirming to the Daily Telegraph the pair had been dating for six months. But it appears Ms Bishop has no plans of taking the country's top job as she told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that she is: 'Living the dream and loving the job'. US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop (centre) during the United Nations General Assembly reception at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York last year . US Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop sign a Force Posture Agreement during the AUSMIN talks at Admiralty House in Sydney on August 12 . Ms Bishop and the US Secretary of State shakes hands with after a press conference at the conclusion of the AUSMIN talks, at Admiralty House in Sydney on the same day . Bono, frontman of the music group U2, met with Ms Bishop in Sydney in 2010 as part of his Red Campaign to raise awareness about HIV/Aids . When Ms Bishop met Bono during her time as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition . 'I am in the best job I could ever wish for,' she said. 'It's the job I wanted to do when I went into politics.' Ms Bishop's popularity has jumped from 11 percent in June to 20 percent. But both the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister fall into second place behind Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull who remains the overall choice with 35 percent support. The Fairfax poll of 1,401 voters, carried out between Thursday and Sunday, found female voters heavily favoured Mr Turnbull or Ms Bishop. The surge in support for Ms Bishop could be a result of her strong performance in relation to foreign diplomacy and national security in recent months, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Ms Bishop fiercely confronted Russian President Vladimir Putin late last month at a summit in Italy to question him over the MH17 disaster over the Ukraine. The Foreign Minister was also regarded for pushing the resolution the United Nations Security Council passed back in July to allow Australia and other countries access to the Malaysian Airlines crash site to retrieve the bodies. Ms Bishop also created close ties with US Secretary of State John Kerry as they signed a Force Posture Agreement during the AUSMIN talks at Admiralty House in Sydney in August this year. She has also met with powerful figures including US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Bono - the frontman of music group U2 - during her time in politics. Ms Bishop grew up on a cherry farm and was educated at the prestigious St Peter's Collegiate Girls School in Adelaide. She is pictured in 1982 . Ms Bishop is pictured in 1996, about the time when she was inspired to enter federal politics after attending Harvard Business School in Boston . Ms Bishop grew up on a cherry farm in Adelaide Hills, east of Adelaide, as she attended the prestigious St Peter's Collegiate Girls School where she later graduated as head prefect in 1973. She was also class captain and debating champion, according to the Daily Telegraph. Ms Bishop went on to study law at Adelaide University and graduated in 1978. Whilst completing an eight-week advanced management program at Harvard Business School in Boston in 1996, she was inspired to enter politics. Two years later, Ms Bishop won pre-selection for the Liberal Party for the seat of Curtin, Western Australia. Since then, she's gained a number of titles having served as a Cabinet Minister in the Howard Government as Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues and the Minister for Ageing. Ms Bishop married Perth property developer Neil Gillam in 1983 but divorced in 1988. Afterwards the Foreign Minister dated former Lord Mayor of Perth Dr Peter Nattrass for at least 12 years before stepping out with her new man yesterday. The Foreign Minister looks at a memorial for MH17 victims as she arrives at the Dutch embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, to meet with the Ukraine Foreign Minister on July 24, 2014 . Then Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull (centre) and Deputy Opposition Leader Ms Bishop as they watch a demonstration on a rocket propelled grenade during their visit to meet the solders in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan in 2009 . Questacon director Graham Durant with then Education Minister Julie Bishop as she launched the Space Lab gallery at Questacon in Canberra in 2006 . Julie Bishop (left) is sworn in as Minister for Ageing by Governor-General Michael Jeffery at Government House in Canberra in 2003. Prime Minister John Howard is pictured in the back . As Australia's first female Foreign Minister and the Liberal Party's first female Deputy Leader, the 58-year-old's popularity has nearly doubled in the past five months . | Foreign Minister Julie Bishop stepped out with a new partner on Tuesday .
David Panton is a Melbourne businessman who recently moved to Manly .
The pair have been dating for six months and share a love of fitness .
Ms Bishop grew up on a cherry farm in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia .
She graduated as head prefect at the prestigious St Peter's Collegiate Girls School in Adelaide in 1973 .
She was also class captain and debating champion at school then went on to study law at Adelaide University .
Ms Bishop was later inspired to enter federal politics after attending Harvard Business School in 1996 .
She was married to Perth property developer Neil Gillon from 1983 to 1988 . |
82,985 | eb5329ff2316ff7171bde30e5b624f7aa84d23e9 | The North Carolina man who was trapped under his SUV for 17 hours after it tumbled 60-feet off a cliff is recovering well after having his leg amputated. Joe Woodring, 21, fell asleep at the wheel driving last month in Boone when he came off the road and came to found pinned under the car for almost a day until someone heard his cries and phoned 911. During his ordeal he managed to survive by making a pillow out the grass he was surrounded by and used his pocket knife to cut the lining of the seat to make a blanket. Scroll Down for Video . Thumbs up to recovery: Joe Woodring lets his family now that despite his accident he is feeling better every day . Rescue: After 17-hours pinned underneath his SUV, Joe Woodring was rescued by emergency services in North Carolina . Pulled from the wreckage: Joe Woodring is taken by stretcher from the upturned SUV and taken to an ambulance . Pulled from the wreck: Joe is transported from the crumpled SUV to a small truck that will take him to safety . 'From the time it stopped (rolling), he was awake and conscious,' said his aunt Trish Miller to ABC News. 'He was very smart. He caught rain water in a little can to drink.....he's definitely a survivalist.' Following on from the October 28 crash, Woodring has been recovering at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As part of that process doctors unfortunately couldn't save his leg and it was amputated above the knee. End result: This is Joe's SUV being dragged away from the scene at Boone, North Carolina in late October . He is currently undergoing physical therapy and should be able to return home back to his grandfather in two weeks. 'When we comes home, he'll be in a wheelchair for a while,' said his grandmother, Tempie Ruth Woodring to ABC News. 'Then they'll work on getting him a leg.' While he continues his recover, Joe has told his family that the thing he misses the most is hunting. "He and my oldest son, Ethan, they're best friends and they had been planning their hunting strategies for this year," Miller said. "So this has put a damper on that but they're looking forward to next year." "He knows it's going to be a rough road for a while," she added. "But he knows he's going to be able to walk again. He's got that drive. And technology today is limitless." | Joe Woodring, 21, fell asleep at the wheel driving in Boone, North Carolina .
Careened 60-feet off cliff face and found himself pinned under his SUV .
His aunt described him as a 'survivalist' for keeping himself alive .
His screams alerted passers by and they managed to alert authorities . |
210,309 | 9c66716a8f3d85928a71dd940afc18290f3b5593 | (CNN) -- Jordan Belfi has a great job: He plays Adam Davies on the HBO show "Entourage," a comedy series that takes a look at the life of a young actor, Vincent Chase, and the old friends who surround him in Hollywood. Jordan Belfi arrives at the premiere of "Entourage" season six in Los Angeles, California. Davies is one of the few characters on the show who has the ability to shake one of the central figures: the unshakeable agent Ari Gold. Belfi has been around since the early days of "Entourage" and remembers the humble beginnings of his character's career as an agent under Gold's direction. Since that first season, Davies has risen to become Ari's chief rival on the show. Belfi believes conveying the tension between him and Ari is easy, based on the great material he's given. "It's a testament to the writing by Doug Ellin, the creator of the show. It's just on the page," Belfi said. "When you get setups and writing and dialogue and scenes that good, it makes your job that much easier." CNN talked to Belfi, who's also in the movie "Surrogates" (opening Friday), about his experiences on the show and his inspiration for the role. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: A lot of fans really missed that rivalry between you and Ari Gold. Talk a little about how you and Jeremy Piven kind of prepare for that and try to make that real on screen. Belfi: Adam Davies has become ... one of the few characters on the show that really knows how to get under Ari's skin and push his buttons. Ari is an entertaining character, and it's fun to watch him go after things, but people really enjoy kind of when Ari's off balance. That interplay, that back and forth, particularly the sort of thing that's happening now [on the show], the constantly one-upping each other, is just really fun to watch. It's entertaining. And I get that response from a lot of the fans of the show. They love Adam Davies for that reason because he just knows how to do it. Jeremy ... [is] an actor with so much power and force and impact that you're sort of forced to up your game. You're really present in the moment. And when you're there and you're really going back and forth, that's when the sparks really fly. CNN: Talk little bit about the inspiration you draw from to play Adam Davies. Belfi: I started way back on season one in the beginning of the show. And back then, Adam Davies was still in his cubicle. So a lot of the inspiration came from meetings I had when I was starting out -- you know, behavior I experienced from agents and other industry people when I was starting out. I was in a not-too-dissimilar position. ... And I think that's what people really respond to. There's an absolute foundation of truth -- almost scary truth -- to the things Adam says, the things Ari does, all that kind of stuff. And it's why it's such a visceral experience for people in the industry and fun for people that happen not to be in the industry. CNN: What are your thoughts on Adam Davies as a person? Belfi: What gives Ari a little bit of his soul, his heart, is that we have all these scenes with his wife and his family, and you really get to see him as a dad. ... [But] we haven't gotten to see any of the personal life of Adam Davies. So I don't know if there's anything yet to kind of balance out those ruthless qualities he has. But I think he's the kind of agent that I'd certainly like to have if you're that actor trying to go after that job. You want that agent who's going to beg, borrow and steal to help prove that you're the guy. So in that respect, it seems like he's someone you'd want on your side. And the thing is, I think that's what made the rivalry between him and Ari so great. You know when he was coming up, he probably did a lot of the same things [as Ari] and ran over people in similar kinds of ways. They're really kind of the same in a lot of ways. So you're either best friends or mortal enemies when you share that much in common with somebody. CNN: Exempting Davies, who's your favorite character on the show and why? Belfi: Ah! Impossible question! I have to exempt Adam Davies from the answer? ... If I absolutely, gun-to-my-head have to choose, there's a quality about [Chase's brother] Drama that I've always loved. And it was maybe more prominent in the first couple of seasons than it is now because it's evolved slightly. The quality that I always found the most entertaining, is that Drama was always this mix of desperation and simultaneous pride. And that's really funny. You know at the beginning he was just scratching, begging for something, some chunk of the game or to get back in the game. But he simultaneously kind of knows it all. And that mix is a great comedic mix, comedic recipe. It was both funny and heartbreaking. CNN: Of course, our diehard "Entourage" fans would love to get some scoop on the coming story lines. You've gotta give us something. Belfi: A little something? Well, I don't think I'd be giving away too much to say that Adam might get Lloyd. In terms of the story line, there's some stuff that I'm told with Drama and his going after this role on "Melrose Place" and the screen test for that role and the ups and downs of that. And also, some big things happen between Eric and Sloane. But in terms of the really exciting stuff between Adam Davies and Ari, I guess I'll say this: At the end of season two, when Ari is trying to form his coup, to break up the agency, and Adam is the one who rats him out and gets him fired and humiliated and causes that whole thing ... In the amazing way that Doug has constructed it, all that stuff from the end of season two comes full circle. There's this one thing that happens that will really stand out and that people will talk about. So some fun, exciting stuff to look forward to. | Jordan Belfi plays acting agent Adam Davies on the HBO show "Entourage"
Belfi has played Ari Gold's nemesis on the show since the first season .
"I think he's the kind of agent that I'd certainly like to have," Belfi says of Davies .
A little something about coming story lines: Belfi says Adam might get Lloyd . |
24,905 | 468f81b1365214e94c2da1e9d12f00b1639379ff | Fort Meade, Maryland (CNN) -- Bradley Manning, the Army private whose disclosure of hundreds of thousands of U.S. military and diplomatic documents gave American officials a global case of heartburn, was sentenced to more than three decades in prison Wednesday. A military judge sentenced Manning to 35 years -- less than the 60 prosecutors sought and far shorter than the 90 he could have received -- minus credit for the about three and a half years he's already been behind bars. He showed little to no reaction when the judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, sentenced him at Fort Meade, outside Washington. But in a statement read by his attorney afterward, he said he acted "out of a love for my country and a sense of duty," to expose what he said were abuses committed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The attorney, David Coombs, said the statement was part of Manning's application for a pardon from President Barack Obama. "If you deny my request for a pardon, I will serve my time knowing that sometimes you have to pay a heavy price to live in a free society," the statement said. "I will gladly pay that price if it means we could have a country that is truly conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all women and men are created equal." White House spokesman Josh Earnest had no comment on a possible pardon, saying only that Manning's request would be considered "like any other application." Manning's lawyer: He should not 'rot in jail' Manning, 25, was convicted in July of stealing 750,000 pages of classified documents and videos and disseminating them to WikiLeaks, the online anti-secrecy group. Lind also reduced his rank from private first class to private, ordered him to forfeit pay and benefits and be dishonorably discharged. "We're still here fighting for you Bradley!" a supporter yelled as Manning was hustled out of the courtroom. "We love you Bradley!" another said. An aunt and a cousin of Manning's wept openly in the courtroom. Manning was found guilty of 20 of the 22 charges against him, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act. He avoided a potential life sentence when Lind rejected charges that his actions aided the enemy. Lind already had agreed to reduce Manning's sentence by 112 days after ruling that the harsh treatment he was subjected to in the brig at the Marine base in at Quantico, Virginia, was out of line. Manning will be eligible for parole in 10 years, Coombs said. In the meantime, he called on Obama "to focus on protecting whistleblowers, instead of punishing them." The sentencing wraps up a case of what prosecutors called the biggest leak of classified materials in Army history. The documents included field reports from Army units in Iraq and Afghanistan, video of a U.S. helicopter attack that killed two journalists in Iraq and unvarnished assessments of other countries' leaders by American diplomats overseas. Prosecutors have said Manning acted as a "determined insider" in leaking classified information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, arguing his actions created grave risk, disrupted diplomatic missions and endangered lives. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who last week criticized what he called a "forced" apology by Manning, said the sentence was "a significant tactical victory" for the defense. But he called Manning's prosecution "an affront to basic concepts of Western justice." "Mr. Manning's treatment has been intended to send a signal to people of conscience in the U.S. government who might seek to bring wrongdoing to light," Assange, now holed up in the Ecuador's embassy in London, said in a written statement. "This strategy has spectacularly backfired, as recent months have proven. Instead, the Obama administration is demonstrating that there is no place in its system for people of conscience and principle. As a result, there will be a thousand more Bradley Mannings." But the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Buck McKeon, criticized what he called a light sentence compared to the life terms some convicted spies have received. "Bradley Manning betrayed his country, his obligations as a soldier and the trust of all Americans. He put the lives of our troops and our allies in danger," McKeon, R-California, said in a written statement. "Given the vast damage he did to our national security and the need to send a strong signal to others who may be tempted to disclose classified information, this is a dangerous conclusion," McKeon added. Judge explains verdict . The disclosure of more than 250,000 cables from U.S. embassies in late 2010 came in for particular criticism, with State Department officials arguing the leaks would make it harder for Washington to get accurate appraisals of the countries where American diplomats work. A CNN analysis of the first batch of cables WikiLeaks published found 170 that named sources whose identity was meant to be protected. But in 2011, the human rights group Amnesty International said the leaked documents helped galvanize opposition to longtime Tunisian strongman Zine El Abedine Ben Ali by revealing the depth of his government's corruption. Ben Ali was toppled by a popular uprising that January -- the first of the "Arab Spring" revolutions still roiling the Middle East. Capt. Joe Morrow, the prosecutor, said Manning's arrogance meant that he "felt he alone was knowledgeable and intelligent enough to determine what information was to be classified." "There may not be a soldier in the history of the Army who displayed such an extreme disregard" for his mission, Morrow said Monday during final sentencing arguments. But Coombs said Manning was "a young man capable of being redeemed" and urged Lind to hand down "a sentence that allows him to have a life." He told reporters later that Manning's case should be seen as a watershed in the debate over secrecy that's now raging in the United States. "The ultimate role of oversight in America has always belonged to the American people, and it's only to the extent that the American people can be informed as to these matters that oversight works at all," he said. "There are too many things we don't know about our national security apparatus." Manning apologizes, tells court he must pay price . CNN's Chris Lawrence contributed to this report. | NEW: Manning's leaks did "vast damage" and deserved more prison time, lawmaker says .
Manning will seek a pardon, says he acted "out of a love for my country"
Assange says case will yield "a thousand more Bradley Mannings"
Prosecutors said Manning was arrogant and showed "extreme disregard" |
183,110 | 792cbbcdd5c588582489d4188754acba405786fd | "Yes, I identify as black or African-American, but I am not a Negro," said a 25-year-old teacher from New York City. On Monday, when Raeana Roberson took the day off from work to report for jury selection, she was not prepared for what she called an offensive and disgusting experience. The juror information card all prospective jurors have to fill out included a race category that included, "Black, African-American, or Negro." "Are you kidding me? What year is this?" Roberson thought when she read the form. When Roberson looked around, no one else in the room was apparently concerned by this, she told CNN on Friday. Since the words "Black, African-American, or Negro" appeared as a part of a single category, Roberson crossed out the word "Negro" and wrote next to it, "offensive! It's 2014!" She then snapped a picture of the form and posted it on her Facebook page. Roberson returned the form to a court employee, hoping for some sort of reaction, but there was none, she said. With grandparents from North Carolina who lived through the Jim Crow laws of racial segregation, Roberson said she is especially offended by the contemporary use of the word "Negro." It is outdated and has a negative connotation, Roberson said. "I don't think it was malicious," said Jeffrey Sammons, a professor of history at New York University. "Negro" has been used from the late 1900s all the way to the Harlem Renaissance and beyond, Sammons explained. There were times when the word was used to describe educated and empowered African-Americans, he said. There have been various terms that have been embraced by different generations of African-Americans, Sammons said, and "Negro" was one of them. The term lost popularity with the arrival of the baby boomers and the black pride movement, according to Sammons. "I believe there are many black people who still prefer that term," said Sammons. "It is a generational issue." It would be a problem if the word "Negro" appeared on the form by itself, he said Friday. Race categories for New York courts come from the U.S. Census Bureau, according to Arlene Hackel, a spokeswoman for the New York State Office of Court Administration. The courts are required to collect demographic information about prospective jurors, per Judicial Statue Section 528. As of September 13, 2010, every person who appears for jury service in any city in New York must complete a scannable data card, which includes specification of race, according to the statute. However, the statute only uses the word "black" when referring to blacks or African-Americans. According to a 2010 blog post by then director of the U.S. Census Bureau, Robert Groves, the word "Negro" was used in the 2000 census as a result of research in the late 1990s that showed approximately 56,000 people wrote in the word "Negro" under the "some other race" category. More than half of these individuals were under the age of 45 in 2000. In the 2010 census, many respondents found the use of the word "Negro" outdated and offensive, according to a press release by the bureau. Groves apologized to those who were offended. "I am confident that the intent of my colleagues in using the same wording as Census 2000 was to make sure as many people as possible saw words that matched their self-identities. Full inclusiveness was the goal," Groves wrote. Following the negative feedback, the Census Bureau conducted research on race and Hispanic origin using what it called the Alternative Questionnaire Experiment, according to the press release. The study found that removing the term "Negro" does not have an impact on data quality and therefore recommended removing the term for future data collection. The Census Bureau, which follows the Office of Management and Budget for definitions of race and ethnicity, discontinued use of the word "Negro" at the beginning of 2014, according to a press release. New York courts will be following suit and discontinuing the use of the word soon, according to Hackel. "Collecting demographic data is really important; however, they may have had a technical hiccup in their choice of language," said analyst Greg Hurley of the National Center for State Courts. Not all states collect demographic information from prospective juror, Hurley told CNN. It is a good thing that New York courts do this in order to ensure a fair cross-section of the community, he explained. The National Center for State Courts created its own form for prospective jurors, which does not include the word "Negro." According to Hackel, this is the first time officials have heard of anyone being offended as a result of the race categories on juror information cards. The story was first reported by The Huffington Post. | "Negro" used as part of race category by New York courts .
Prospective juror was offended and posted picture of card on Facebook .
U.S. Census Bureau stopped using the term at the beginning of 2014 . |
63,937 | b5847a1956de3bf2a7a02c149005ab81cf4630ec | By . Phil Vinter . PUBLISHED: . 06:15 EST, 10 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:06 EST, 10 July 2012 . A terrified teenager decided to risk breaking a leg by jumping 35ft from a chairlift because because she feared she was about to be struck by lightning. Melanie Rossomando of Springfield said she 'freaked out' when her chairlift ride high above the beach in New Jersey stopped as a thunderstorm approached — and that's why she took the decision to leap to the sand below. The 17-year-old told CBS New York she took the extreme option when her chairlift came to a halt as she took a final ride of the day with her friend Herlide Joseph after celebrating her birthday at the Casino Pier amusement park. Going: Melanie Rossomando leans forward as she gets ready to leap from the chairlift in New Jersey because she feared she was about to be hit by lightning . Going: One of Rossomando's shoes is seen falling to the ground after the 17-year-old kicked it off moments before her jump . Gone: Without hesitation Rossomando, of Springfield eases herself out of the chairlift and hurtles 35ft to the sand below . The leap was captured on a shaky mobile phone by a pedestrian and the footage has already had more than 20,000 views on YouTube. The video shows the girl kicking off her shoes and jumping off the Sky Ride lift as dark clouds and heavy winds roll in. It doesn't, however, show her landing on the beach. Rossomando said: 'In my mind I was like, I'm either getting struck by lightning or I'm breaking a leg maybe. 'The way my hair was blowing, the way that the seat was rocking, the lightning so close.' Her friend Herlide Joseph who was alongside her on the chairlift said she told Rossomando: 'I'll only jump if you jump with me and she said 'okay' and right away she jumped and I wasn't ready for it.' Lucky: The teenager suffered only bruises to her foot, arm and neck and says it was fortunate an off-duty medic was able to assist . Fortunately the daredevil wasn't injured in the leap and on the video a man is heard screaming 'don't jump, don't jump,' to those people still on the chairlifts. Rossomando says an off duty Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) came to her assistance. She said: 'Thank God for him, because if it wasn't for him I don't know what I would have done.' 'I'm not a calm person, I'm really not. I freaked out. You can hear in the video I was screaming bloody murder.' In the end she only suffered a sore arm, foot and neck. Her friend stayed on the lift until it was able to take her safely back to the entrance. Her father Peter said: 'That was her instinct with lightning all around her so we support that she did it, we are just glad she is okay.' The operators of the Casino Pier said the chair ride was in standby mode and no new passengers were being allowed on when the power went out. They said staff, following emergency procedures, evacuated the remaining riders and that they didn't know a passenger had jumped off until they saw the video Sunday. The chairlift takes riders above the beach and boardwalk, offering cool ocean breezes and views of MTV's 'Jersey Shore' house, among other things. | Teen jumped 35ft because she feared she would get hit by lightning .
Girl was celebrating 17th birthday with friend at Casino Pier amusement park .
Says she became scared when chairlift stopped when thunderstorm set in .
Off duty medic came to teen's assistance and she walked away with bruises .
Shaky phone video footage of incident has had 20,000 YouTube views . |
283,498 | fb39476060d290994c8597fccd0fc539bde04c9d | By . William Turvill . PUBLISHED: . 09:56 EST, 1 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:34 EST, 1 October 2013 . Students in the UK could be paying up to £90,000 over three years on university halls of residence. One student block in London is charging just under £30,000 for a year - or close to £90,000 overall should students stay for three years. Another in Paris Gardens, near London's South Bank, charges more than £60,000 over three years offering views of the Shard and Big Ben. Scroll down for video . Students at Paris Gardens accommodation, on London's South Bank, would have to pay £60,000 for three years . The digs offer spectacular views over London, including of the Shard and Big Ben . It also has a penthouse communal lounge and a roof terrace as well as sun loungers, flat screen TVs and a bar serving drinks and ice cream. Flats at this hall cost up to £409 per week, which works out at £20,859 a year or £62,577 for three years. This year just two of its 250 or so rooms were left empty, with company Victoria Hall claiming students of 50 different nationalities are represented in the building. The firm has a more modest accommodation blocks nearby - where students pay a mere £339 a week (£17,289 a year). Luxury - but at a cost. Students at this South Bank accommodation could be paying up to £409 a week . As well as the Paris Gardens accommodation, the company offers cheaper living nearby - at £339 a week . North of the river in London, meanwhile, deluxe studio rooms at Mansion Bloomsbury are offered for 51 weeks at a rate of £575 a week. This means a monthly bill of £2,443.75, more than double the average rent for a private sector property in the capital. The total cost for the year is £29,325 - nearly £3,000 more than the average salary in the UK - while a three-year stay is just shy of £90,000. The rooms include a fridge freezer, flat screen television, and internet access, private showers and toilets, with 24-hour security inside the building. The company also has accommodation around the country, including Oxford, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bristol and Manchester. At the South Bank accommodation just two of 250 rooms were not taken up this year despite the price . Student Rebecca Chow, 22, from Singapore, who is studying language and cultural studies at Kings College and staying at the Paris Gardens flats, said: 'It is a great place to live, the facilities are excellent. 'I don't think the price is unreasonable. It is quite expensive but it is similar to the private sector, the facilities are excellent.' Jochen Viegener, 21, from Germany, has jumped ship from the university halls where he had been staying the previous year. The graphic and media design student also staying at Paris Gardens, said: 'The accommodation was just not up to scratch but here everything is new and well-organised. 'I share with another student so we can divide the cost that way and it makes it much more affordable - I've found you get what you pay for.' 'Incredibly, there is no shortage of those willing to cough up such prices, with the building almost full.' Best years of their lives: A student relaxes in a communal area, complete with huge television . Lucky: The students pay prices much higher than their counterparts who stay in ordinary halls . | Students in UK paying up to £90,000 on accommodation over three years .
In return, they are offering spectacular views, flat screen TVs and pool tables . |
43,107 | 7999d04992d166cef86a148e5c30ad2b9f4740dd | A model who was brutally attacked in a Glasgow nightclub has taken part in her first full photo shoot for 11 months. Lauren McDonald, 27, feared her modelling career was over when she was savagely beaten with a stiletto and struck in the face with a glass in an unprovoked assault. She was attacked by two girls in September last year at the Sanctuary club in Glasgow's west end, where Radio 1 DJ Trevor Nelson was playing a set. Lauren McDonald, 27, feared her modelling career was over when she was savagely attacked in a Glasgow club. Pictured left is her after the attack and (right) following her first photo shoot in 11 months . Ms McDonald said the attack had left her 'frightened' and 'emotional, angry and disgusted' but has now got her confidence back. She has recently returned from a week-long trip to Chicago where she secured a deal with fashion magazine, Regime . Ms McDonald took part in the photo shoot after undergoing three laser surgeries on her face following the savage attack in September 2013 . The model, who was out with six friends, suffered a fractured skull and was drenched in blood. She was also left with a six-inch scar on her face which she thought could end her career. But now, after undergoing laser surgery, she has taken part in her first full photo shoot for 11 months. Ms McDonald, from Anniesland in Glasgow, told the MailOnline: 'I went through a huge whirlwind. I was emotional, angry and disgusted by what had happened. 'I have had three laser surgeries on my face now. They're incredibly painful but they reduce the scarring and and redness on my face. 'Also in the first operation, they stitched up glass in my face and so I had to go back and have another operation three weeks later.' The Glasgow model has got her career back on track after a horrific attack in a nightclub . The glamour model said she can remember the night of the assault clearly. 'I came back from the VIP area and remember my hair being pulled and then felt contact to my face and then I put my hand on my face and was covered in blood and fell to the floor. 'I remember people were looking at me with their mouths open.' And she said the appalling ordeal had changed her as a person. 'I used to be the party girl and go out all the time. After what happened, I thought "what's the point of making an effort?" 'I was also frightened of going out and leaving the house. 'I am starting to get some of my confidence back, but I don't feel myself anymore. I don't go out in the way I used to. 'The attack has made me more determined to try my best and do what I love, my work.' Ms McDonald was left with a six-inch scar on her face following the unprovoked attack in Glasgow . Ms McDonald, who dated American midfielder Maurice Edu after he arrived at Ibrox from Major League Soccer side Toronto FC in a £2.6m deal in 2008, said: 'In the last two months I've been getting back into new jobs.' Ms McDonald has recently returned from a week-long trip to Chicago where she secured a deal with fashion magazine, Regime, which will be distributed in airports across the world. She also appeared in television soap River City twice last month and is looking forward to featuring in a reality TV show and documentary, while continuing her treatment at the La Belle Forme clinic in Glasgow. | Model Lauren McDonald, 27, was savagely beaten in a Glasgow nightclub .
The photo shoot was her first since the assault in September last year .
She has had three laser surgeries on her face to resurrect her career .
Said she was 'emotional, angry and disgusted' by what had happened . |
281,353 | f8717b470bc916066740eeb9cda9fdc7c263d91f | A dog survived after being struck by a car then travelling 55 miles dangling from its bumper, it was reported today. Driver Julia Cesar Siqueira said he heard a thud after turning onto a road near his home in Itapetinga, northeastern Brazil. But the student, 35, carried on his hour-long trip towards the next town - unaware that the young mogrel was trapped inside the vehicle's front bumper grille. Terrifying: Rescuers help a dog after it was struck by a car and carried 55 miles while wedged in the front grille . It was only after arriving at his university campus in Vitoria de Conquista, Bahia state, that passers-by noticed the terrified animal and alerted him. Mr Siqueira, who was traveling with his mother and two fellow students, told Brazil's Globo G1 website: 'I saw the dog in the middle of the road and swerved to avoid it. 'But then I heard a thud, and realised I'd hit it. 'I was traveling at speed and knew it could have survived the collision, so I kept driving. It's quite a dangerous spot.' Arriving at his destination at around 8.30pm on Tuesday, Mr Siqueira noticed several people signalling for him to stop. Journey of terror: The mongrel's 55-mile ride from Itapetinga to Vitoria da Conquista . He said: 'There weren't any places to stop safely so I carried on and parked in front of the university. 'Someone told me there was a dog on the front of my car, so we went to look, imagining it was dead. 'We couldn't believe it when she appeared to still be alive and conscious. 'The force of the collision had smashed the front panel and she was trapped in the body of the car.' Firefighters and a local vet were called who rescued the animal, which was found to have a broken front leg but was otherwise unharmed. The bitch has now been christened Vitoria, which as well as being the name of the town, means 'Victory' in English. A spokesman for Vitoria da Conquista's 7th Fire Brigade confirmed they had freed the dog and that it was being cared for at a private veterinary clinic in the town. Mr Siqueira had agreed to pay all of the dog's treatment, the spokesman added. | Brazilian driver heard thud but was unaware mongrel was trapped in car .
Only discovered the animal when he arrived at university 55 miles away .
Dog has been named Victory after escaping ordeal with just a broken leg . |
53,799 | 9890c630bf6e047d96a5939c1b10530852fb5c08 | Former Tottenham midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson believes he would have excelled at White Hart Lane under manager Mauricio Pochettino because of the Argentine's style of play. Iceland international Sigurdsson sealed a move back to Swansea during the summer as part of the deal which saw Ben Davies and Michel Vorm join Tottenham. The 25-year-old has settled into life back in Wales with minimum ease, scoring three Premier League goals for Garry Monk's side, however he still thinks he has the ability to ply his trade at White Hart Lane. Gylfi Sigurdsson, pictured scoring against Manchester United, joined Swansea during the summer . The Iceland international believes he could have been a hit at White Hart Lane under Mauricio Pochettino . Sigurdsson rejoined Swansea while Ben Davies (left) and Michel Vorm (right) moved in the opposite direction . Sigurdsson, speaking to The Times, said when asked if could fit into Pochettino's high-pressing team: 'That's what we do here.' And when pushed, he added: 'Yes. Pochettino is trying to bring the style he had at Southampton and of course it's going to take time. 'I'm pretty sure the chairman is going to give him a couple of seasons to get it right.' The attacking midfielder also revealed he was reluctant to leave Spurs during the summer as he wanted to prove himself at the north London outfit. 'My first reaction was, Gylfi, don't leave Tottenham, it will look like you can't make it to the next level.' Pochettino took over the reins at Tottenham after leaving Southampton at the end of last season . | Gylfi Sigurdsson rejoined Swansea during the summer transfer window .
He believes Tottenham play a similar style of football to Swansea .
Sigurdsson is expected to face former side Tottenham on Sunday . |
167,877 | 6520a50c873e363bb19e2b356522f1b5ddb2216c | JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- The death toll from a flash flood in Indonesia's capital grew to 98 people on Sunday as rescuers widened their search for more than 130 other people in the aftermath. Members of a search and rescue team look for bodies near Jakarta. The nation's health ministry said 62 women, 31 men and three students had been killed. Of those, 12 bodies remained unidentified, ministry spokesman Rustam Pakaya said. Another 13 people were missing. The search for the missing will be called off Sunday night, he said. The flood started Friday morning after heavy rains caused waters to smash through a dam and rush into Jakarta. The breach unleashed a torrent of water that plowed into hundreds of homes in what some survivors described as a suburban "tsunami." About 1,500 volunteers -- mostly students from two flooded universities in Jakarta -- are assisting in the search and rescue effort, said Mardjito, a social affairs ministry official who, like many Indonesians, goes by one name. He said rescuers started using heavy machinery to lift debris. Still, the death toll is expected to rise. At least 50 people were injured and nearly 1,500 have been displaced. Mardjito said a camp for survivors so far has adequate supplies as members of political parties continue to send food, blankets, flashlights and other items amid a major election year. Sleeping residents were taken by surprise by the powerful flash flood as it crashed through the crowded Cirendeu district near Jakarta early Friday. Watch scenes of the flood devastation » . Drenched and shivering survivors were taking refuge on the rooftops of their homes as rescuers in rubber boats were struggling to reach them, said social affairs ministry official Mardjito. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, currently on the campaign trail ahead of the elections later this year, has said he had ordered senior ministers to visit the scene of the disaster. "On behalf of the government, I express my condolences to the families of the dead victims and may their souls be accepted by God almighty," he said, according to the official Antara news agency. The rain obliterated a 255-meter-long section of the dam, releasing a wall of water from a 20-hectare lake that some survivors said reminded them of the tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004. "They said they had heard loud rumbling sounds like during a powerful earthquake. They later found out that the sounds came from the water rushing out from the dam's lake," according to Antara. Floods from heavy rains are an annual occurrence in and around Jakarta, a low-lying city on the northern coast of Java island, where poor infrastructure often results in polluted canals and rivers overflowing their banks and spilling into thousands of homes. In 2007, 38 people were killed and 430,000 forced from their homes when storm water 3 meters deep in some places swamped 75 percent of the capital, which is home to about 9 million people. With poor sanitation and a hot and humid climate, the risk of water-borne diseases is usually a major concern following floods in the city, where mosquito-transmitted malaria is also a threat. CNN's Andy Saputra contributed to this report. | At least 98 dead, many more missing, from flash floods in Jakarta .
Flood began after heavy rains caused waters to smash through a dam .
Survivors say rumbling of waters sounded like an earthquake .
Rescuers are having difficulties reaching people because of mud . |
66,380 | bc50e368dc6c1c2ea72dc56ae2021ada9e384c11 | BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNN) -- When Susana Trimarco's daughter Marita Veron was 23, she vanished from their hometown in Argentina, a suspected victim of a human trafficking and prostitution ring with links throughout Latin America and Europe. Marita Veron, who is missing, hugs her daughter Micaela. Police believe Marita was forced into sexual slavery. Trimarco, 54, has spent the past 6½ years searching for her daughter, often putting herself at risk. While chasing down leads on Marita's whereabouts, she's entered dark and dangerous brothels and confronted pimps and politicians who, she says, are complicit in her daughter's disappearance. She has won accolades throughout Latin America, Europe and the United States for her work. But Marita is nowhere to be found. "Marita is a wonderful and caring girl. My life will be completely absorbed with this fight until she is back and safe," Trimarco said. On April 3, 2002, Veron left her house in the northern Argentine province of Tucuman early for a doctor's appointment. She was wearing a turquoise shirt, blue jeans and old white sneakers. As she left the house, she told her mother, "Don't worry. I'll be back soon." Those were the last words the two exchanged. The investigation that has followed has led police and Trimarco to believe that she was kidnapped and forced into prostitution, either in rural Argentina or Spain. So far, a series of random clues has failed to provide any concrete information on Marita's whereabouts. Now, art is imitating life on Argentina's airwaves. Trimarco's story has become the basis of one of Argentina's most popular nighttime soap operas, "Vidas Robadas," or "Stolen Lives." Watch art imitate activism » . The program premiered in March on Telefe, one of Argentina's largest television networks, to a lukewarm response. But as the storyline and characters evolved and word started to spread, the audience grew, and it became water-cooler television. "Stolen Lives" attracts more than 2 million viewers nightly, a considerable feat considering Argentina's population is only 40 million. The show's plot centers on widowed anthropologist Bautista Amaya (played by Facundo Arana) and Rosario Soler (Soledad Silveyra) -- the mother of a young kidnapped girl, based on Trimarco -- who team up to unravel an underground prostitution ring. "With every performance, I try to display the inner feelings of this woman who is suffering, to transmit her grief," Silveyra said. "As an actress, I feel an enormous responsibility." The usual telenovela themes of love, passion and revenge are ever present in "Stolen Lives," but the show strives to expose an issue that has remained in the dark in Argentina until recently. Human rights groups in Argentina estimate that 800 women have gone missing at the hands of human traffickers since 2007. Worldwide, about 800,000 people are trafficked across borders annually, according to the U.S. State Department. "I am delighted that the show has been able to bring this topic to light, because no one ever talked about human trafficking in Argentina before," Trimarco said. "Stolen Lives" is the latest in a series of recent Argentine telenovelas that dissect important social issues while also aiming to entertain. One of the most important was the 2006 hit "Montecristo," which examined crimes against humanity committed by Argentina's military during the 1970s and 1980s. Local versions of "Montecristo" are produced in nine countries around the globe, including Turkey, Portugal, Mexico and Russia. "With these types of telenovelas, we are able to bring something entirely new to the public debate. And because we take a take a fictional and not a journalistic approach, we are able to attract and keep more viewers," Telefe programming director Claudio Villarruel said. "Montecristo" helped reunite children of Argentina's Dirty War who "disappeared" with lost family members. The Dirty War happened from 1976-83, when the government carried out a secret campaign to purge the country of those it considered to be dissidents. "Stolen Lives" is making a similarly strong impact. Trimarco established a foundation in her daughter's honor, Fundacion Maria de los Angeles, last year in Tucuman. It counts U.S. Ambassador to Argentina Earl Wayne and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner among its supporters. According to Trimarco, the foundation has rescued 360 women and children from trafficking networks, and leads on missing people continue to pour in. Argentina passed its first national law against human trafficking this year, a law that Trimarco lobbied hard to get passed. Meanwhile, praise rings from home and abroad. In May, "Stolen Lives" was declared a show of "social interest" by the Buenos Aires City legislature. In 2007, Trimarco received the U.S. State Department's "International Women of Courage Award" from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a ceremony in Washington. Later this year, Trimarco will travel to Spain to speak about human trafficking with lawmakers from the European Union. "It's just like Condoleezza Rice told me: My screams are being heard all over the world," she said. Trimarco travels around Argentina constantly, educating people about human trafficking, and following up on clues about Marita. She is also raising Marita's daughter, Micaela, 9. With all the publicity surrounding the case and the success of "Stolen Lives," Trimarco has herself become a target. Her accusations of political and police involvement have led to death threats, she says. Still, she remains committed to the cause and says that collaborating with the producers of "Stolen Lives" to tell her story has helped give her the strength to continue searching for her daughter. "I'm content, because my pain is now serving a purpose," she said. | Argentine woman vanished in 2002; it's believed she was forced into prostitution ring .
Argentine soap opera, based on Marita's mother's search, probes human trafficking .
Mom: "My life will be completely absorbed with this fight until she is back and safe"
Mother Susana Trimarco's foundation tries to save women, children from sex slavery . |
208,331 | 99b659b004d971c5508ea6f116051dcd5eb59d85 | The brother of a Sudanese woman facing the death penalty for ‘abandoning her Islamic faith’ has said she 'should be executed' if she continues to be a Christian. Meriam Ibrahim, who gave birth to a daughter in her prison cell last week, has been sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging after a Sharia court convicted her for converting to Christianity, and ‘adultery’ because she had wed a non-Muslim. Today her brother Al Samani Al Hadi told CNN that he had denounced his sister to the authorities because his family are 'Muslim people.' Scroll down for video . The brother of Meriam Ibrahim has said she 'should be executed' if she continues to be a Christian. Ms Ibrahim, who gave birth to a daughter in her prison cell last week, has been sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging because she had wed a non-Muslim . Ibrahim has a son, 18-month-old Martin, who is living with her in jail, where she gave birth to a second child last week. By law, children must follow their father's religion . But Ms Ibrahim, 27, maintains that her Muslim father . left when she was young and that she was raised a Christian by her . Ethiopian mother, who is an Orthodox Christian. 'It's one of two; if she repents and returns to our Islamic faith and to the embrace of our family, then we are her family and she is ours,' he said. 'But if she refuses she should be executed,' he told CNN. Today Ms Ibrahim's lawyer said she has appealed the sentence. The appeal demands the release of Ms Ibrahim, saying the court that tried her committed 'procedural errors,' said her lawyer, Eman Abdul-Rahim. Ms Ibrahim ,a qualified doctor, was thrown in jail in September and earlier this month was sentenced to death for apostasy and adultery for marrying Daniel Wani in 2011, a Christian Sudanese man with U.S. citizenship who lives in Manchester, New Hampshire. As in many Muslim nations, Muslim women in Sudan are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims, though Muslim men can marry outside their faith. Ibrahim has a son, 18-month-old Martin, who is living with her in jail, where she gave birth to a second child last week. By law, children must follow their father's religion. A video shows Ibrahim with her newborn and her son Martin at the prison's hospital where she gave birth. Looking happy and relaxed, the video shows Ibrahim breastfeeding the baby while seated on a bed with Martin sitting close by. Amnesty International condemned the sentence against Ibrahim, calling it 'abhorrent,' and the U.S. State Department said it was 'deeply disturbed' by the sentence. Sudan introduced Islamic Shariah law in the early 1980s under the rule of autocrat Jaafar Nimeiri, a move that contributed to the resumption of an insurgency in the mostly animist and Christian south of Sudan. Meriam was condemned to death under Islamic law because she is Christian and married a Christian man . The south seceded in 2011 to become the world's newest nation, South Sudan. Sudanese President Omar Bashir, an Islamist who seized power in a 1989 military coup, has said his country will implement Islam more strictly now that the non-Muslim south is gone. A number of Sudanese have been convicted of apostasy in recent years, but they all escaped execution by recanting their new faith. Religious thinker and politician Mahmoud Mohammed Taha, a critic of Nimeiri and his interpretation of Shariah, was sentenced to death for apostasy. He was executed in 1985 at the age of 76. Campaigners . had said that they feared the Sudanese government was just ‘playing . games’ to try and get the international community off its back. | Al Samani Al Hadi said he denounced his sister Meriam Ibrahim, 27 .
He said his family are 'Muslim people' and she needed to renounce her faith .
Ms Ibrahim gave birth to a daughter in her prison cell last week .
She has been sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging . |
41,650 | 7580b53bb56748258ccff78acd46fe700176681a | London, England (CNN) -- She reputedly never carries any bank notes, but Britain's Queen Elizabeth II this week marked half a century since she became the first ever monarch to be depicted on one. Sketched by artist Robert Austin, the young queen first appeared in a £1 note in 1960 wearing a crown, earrings and a necklace, her likeness replacing images of Britannia -- a female symbol of Britain used on the country's currency for centuries. While her firm gaze and faint smile remain unchanged, the image of the queen has aged visibly over the decades, albeit very gracefully. A new image appeared in 1963, the year she marked her 37th birthday, and again in 1970 and 1971, the last of which survived unchanged for nearly two decades. The current image in circulation, showing an older queen, again wearing crown, necklace and earrings, dates from 1990. With the queen still officially head of state in many Commonwealth countries, Elizabeth II also features on many bank notes worldwide -- making her image one of the most widely reproduced of all time. To mark the anniversary, the Bank of England's museum this week opens an exhibition of past and present banknotes featuring the queen in addition to the original pencil sketches and printing blocks used to create them. | Young queen first appeared in a £1 note in 1960 .
Current image in circulation dates from 1990 .
Bank of England's museum has opened new exhibition of bank notes . |
213,552 | a090567e939a8ad2f5daeae7286e988500aea690 | A racism row has forced Adidas to scrap its plans for a pair of trainers with ‘shackles’. Critics had compared the 'JS Roundhouse Mids', to be released in August, to the chains worn by black slaves in the 19th century. Now the sportswear giant has cancelled the launch of the Jeremy Scott-designed footwear and apologised for causing any offence. Outrage: Adidas has sparked anger and been accused of 'promoting slavery' by creating a new pair of trainers which have bright orange 'shackles' that fit around the wearer's ankles . Controversial: Many have said the shoes have connotations of the slave trade (left) and prisoners (right) The firm said: 'The trainer is . nothing more than the designer Jeremy Scott's outrageous and unique take . on fashion and has nothing to do with slavery. 'Since the shoe debuted on our . Facebook page ahead of its market release in August, adidas has received . both favourable and critical feedback. 'We apologise if people are offended by the design and we are withdrawing our plans to make them available in the marketplace.' The firm had unveiled the trainers on . its Facebook page. They feature plastic orange ‘shackles’ attached to . the ankles by chains in the same colour. They . sparked an angry debate online. More than 2,000 Facebook users have . commented, with many calling the design ‘offensive’ and ‘ignorant’, . saying the firm has ‘sunk to new lows’ with its ‘slavewear’ product. One, ‘Kay Tee’, said: ‘It’s offensive . and inappropriate in many ways… How would a Jewish person feel if they . decided to have a shoe with a swastika on it and tried to claim it was . OK in the name of fashion?’ Anger: More than 2,000 people have labelled the design 'offensive' and 'ignorant' and say the firm has 'sunk to new lows' in its 'slavewear' product . Dr Boyce Watkins, writing for Your . Black World, said: 'Shackles. The stuff that our ancestors wore for 400 . years while experiencing the most horrific atrocities imaginable. 'Most . of which were never documented in the history books and kept away from . you in the educational system, all so you'd be willing to put shackles . on your ankles today and not be so sensitive about it.' The Professor at Syracuse University said he accepted some people would accuse him of overreacting. But he added: 'There is always a group of negroes who are more than happy to resubmit themselves to slavery. 'I'm offended by these shoes as there is nothing funny about the prison industrial complex, which is the most genocidal thing to happen to the black family since slavery itself.' Others have likened the shoes' orange 'bracelets' to the shackles worn by prisoners across the America, or said the firm is 'promoting slavery'. Controversial: Nike has provoked outrage by launching a new Black and Tan line of trainers for St Patrick's Day . Kay Tee added: 'Regardless if the . company was saying the shoes are so hot you have to chain them to you, . or they were capitalising on the whole prison style popularity. 'But . corporate business has a social responsibility above all to consider . these perceptions before releasing a product like this. It seems Adidas did not want to be outdone by fierce competitor Nike in the controversial shoe design stakes. In March, Nike was accused of 'huge insensitivity' for launching a £70 'beer-themed' trainer called 'The Black and Tan' in time for St Patrick's Day. The firm apologised, saying it was an innocent name designed to chime with the often boozy celebrations for Ireland's patron saint. To others, however, it was a historical affront reviving bitter memories of a British unit sent to Ireland to suppress revolt in the 1920s. Crackdown: British police, known as Black and Tans for their mix-and-match military outfits of dark wool and khaki, hold a suspected Sinn Fein member at gunpoint and search him for weapons . That is because the Black and Tans was the nickname given to the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, which became notorious for a brutal crackdown during the independence war. One outraged Irish American claimed it was the equivalent of calling a shoe ‘the Al Qaeda’. The trainer is officially called the Nike SB Dunk Low, but has been nicknamed The Black and Tan for its colourings. An advertisement for the shoe says: ‘Tis the season for Irish beer and why not celebrate with Nike. ‘The Black and Tan sneaker takes inspiration for the fine balancing act of a stout on top a pale ale in a pint glass.’ Others Irish Americans criticised Nike for being ‘oblivious’ to the historical connotation. Six years ago ice cream firm Ben & Jerry’s caused a furore when it launched a Black and Tan flavour. The product was quickly withdrawn. Athough only deployed from 1920 to 1922, nationalist Ireland still associates the Black and Tans with murder, brutality, massacre and indiscipline in the years leading to southern Ireland's independence . Historians say there is no dispute that 'the Tans' killed and destroyed on a large scale, and recorded that when a Tan was killed in Cork, they burnt down more than 300 buildings. The Catholic cardinal of the day called them 'a horde of savages, some of them simply brigands, burglars and thieves'. | JS Roundhouse Mids have bright 'shackles' that fit around wearer's ankles .
Many have compared devices to those worn by black slaves in America .
2,000 label design 'offensive, ignorant' and say Adidas 'sunk to new lows' |
232,353 | b8db0b1cffc0f0b89c3ca49e26bcb81c1d36158c | Canton, Georgia (CNN) -- The suspect in the slaying of a 7-year-old Georgia girl worked in the apartment complex where she lived, investigators said Wednesday. Authorities arrested maintenance worker Ryan Brunn, 20, Wednesday afternoon. He is charged with killing 7-year-old Jorelys Rivera, who was last seen alive Friday near a playground at the apartment complex in Canton. Investigators found her body in a trash compactor there three days later. Tips from the public led investigators to Brunn, who had been working at the complex since November 7, authorities said. "We believe that this horrendous crime was planned and calculated," Vernon Keenan, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, told reporters. One resident said she told investigators about a recent conversation she had with Brunn, who mentioned that someone could break into one of the many vacant apartments in the complex and harm a child. Jorelys was abducted "in the immediate vicinity" of the apartment complex's playground, then taken to an empty apartment nearby, Keenan said. "We have evidence that the murder occurred in that vacant apartment," he said. "At some point, the child's body was then disposed of in the Dumpster and compacted into trash." Authorities have said Jorelys died of blunt force trauma to the head, was stabbed and had been sexually assaulted. Earlier, Keenan said investigators had found blood in an empty apartment. Brunn's adopted brother told CNN affiliate WXIA that the arrest was a "big mistake," and said investigators should have focused on the complex's other maintenance workers. "I honestly think he is innocent. There's just no way he would do something like this. He's just a kindhearted person," Connor Brunn told WXIA. He said he'd spoken with his brother since the killing. "He just told me he wouldn't touch a girl like that, he wouldn't ever do something like that. ... This is just all bogus. ... He knew that he was suspected but he never, like, thought that it would go to him. He was asked to help to go look for this little girl. And then he got brought into this," Connor Brunn said. Neighbor Heather Johnson-Coker said residents were suspicious of Ryan Brunn after investigators found Jorelys' body in the trash compactor, which can only be operated with a key that employees at the complex have. She said the maintenance worker had mentioned the large number of vacant apartments in the complex when a boy from the area went missing for a few hours recently. "He said, and I quote, 'It would be really easy for someone to break in and do something to one of these children,'" Johnson-Coker told HLN Wednesday. "I did talk to him on a daily basis and he seemed like a relatively nice guy. He wasn't socially awkward. He didn't seem to have any type of anger issue. He seemed like a regular, decent person who worked there to make a living just like anybody else," she said. "The statement at the time did not shock me. I did not think anything odd about it." But Johnson-Corker said she told investigators about the conversation after investigators found Jorelys' body. Days earlier, the maintenance worker was in a search party with her husband after Jorelys went missing. "They were together searching not five feet from each other, and it just turns my stomach thinking about it," she said. After Ryan Brunn's arrest Wednesday, mother Joselin Rivera wept next to a family memorial for her daughter, and said she didn't know if she would recognize the suspect. "I can't tell you who he is. ... I don't want any charges brought against him. What I want is the death penalty. He's an animal. He killed my little angel," Joselin Rivera told CNN affiliate WSB. She wore a T-shirt with Jorelys' picture that said, "We will always remember you." Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman John Bankhead told CNN the 7-year-old's slaying was one of the most brutal crimes his agency has ever seen. Ryan Brunn was one of hundreds of people investigators interviewed in their search for suspects, Keenan said Wednesday. "We're confident that Brunn is a killer," Keenan said, but he added that the investigation will continue for months. "We are investigating all of the past history of Ryan Brunn and piecing together what he's been doing the last several years," Keenan said. "We have sent agents to other states and also to other counties and we're going to backtrack all of his activities and make a determination if he has been involved in other crimes. He has no known criminal history to us, but we will find out." Posts on a Facebook page that friends said belonged to Brunn recently talked of plans to move to Canton. "New job,apt,life coming soon," an October 6 post said. A post on November 5 said, "Today is moving day! Not ready to go but i got to." The brutal killing has shaken residents of the apartment complex, located about 40 miles north of Atlanta. Residents shouted words like "monster" and "scum bucket" at Ryan Brunn as authorities arrested him Wednesday, neighbor Kelly Knight told HLN's "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell." "It was very surreal. As soon as we heard they were coming in to that apartment, I went outside my door and I witnessed it all. And I even hollered at him that I'd like to shoot him myself," Knight said. Ryan Brunn is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Cherokee County Courthouse in Canton, Keenan said. CNN's Gustavo Valdes, Holly Firfer, Mike Brooks and Rich Phillips contributed to this report from Canton, Georgia. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet wrote the story in Atlanta. | NEW: The suspect's brother tells WXIA that his arrest is a "big mistake"
"He's an animal. He killed my little angel," the 7-year-old's mother says .
A neighbor says she shouted at suspect Ryan Brunn as investigators arrested him .
The 20-year-old was a maintenance worker at the apartments, authorities say . |
227,442 | b27d6e0b501d9f2e177ec8eb2e711e9dce2469e2 | By . Lucy Thackray for Daily Mail Australia . Victorian Police hold concerns for two missing toddlers, who are believed to be with their 25-year-old mother. Two-year-old Bodi Jordan and three-year-old Lylah Jordan were last seen on 18 August at a residence in Sale, in the Gippsland region of Victoria. A Facebook account which appears to belong to the mother, Rebecca McGuiness, commented on the Victoria Police's Facebook post on Friday night and again on Saturday morning, insisting that she wasn’t missing, but ‘trying to escape hell’. Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate two missing Sale children. Investigators have been told two-year-old Bodi Jordan and three-year-old Lylah Jordan were last seen at a residential house in Sale on 18 August. A Victoria Police media contact told Daily Mail Australia that they are aware of the comments, but they ‘are still looking for the children. Nothing has changed, the children are still missing.’ Victoria Police believe the children may be travelling in taxis with their 25-year-old mother and were in Tarneit, west of Melbourne, on Friday at 7am. It is believed the children may be travelling in taxis with their 25-year-old mother Rebecca McGuiness. Investigators hold concerns for Rebecca and the children, and appeal for them to make contact with police. Investigators are appealing for the mother to formally make contact with them. They have released photos of the trio ‘in the hope that someone may recognise them.’ Bodi has light brown hair and blue eyes, while Lylah has brown hair and brown eyes. Members of the public who locate the missing persons are urged to call 000. | Rebecca McGuinness and her children Bodi & Lyla last seen on Monday .
Police hold concerns for the trio, who were last seen in Sale, Victoria .
It appears the 25-year-old posted comments on the Victoria Police Facebook page last night and this morning .
The online comments insist: 'I'm not missing, just trying to escape hell'
Police say the children are still missing and nothing has changed .
Members of the public who see the missing persons should call 000 . |
230,575 | b69694562bddcae0994fbdd9118fff3325b38e67 | Former First Lady Barbara Bush has made comments suggesting that her son Jeb could be president, backtracking on previous remarks that America has 'had enough Bushes' in the White House. The Republican matriarch appeared via Skype at a literacy charity fundraiser event her second oldest son was holding for the Barbara Bush Foundation in Bonita Springs, Florida, where he used to be governor. 'Jeb, it’s Mom. Listen, what do you mean, ‘too many Bushes’?... I changed my mind!' she said, according to the Washington Post. Scroll down for video . Barbara Bush (left) gave her blessing to son Jeb (right) to run for president in a video exchange. Above, the two attend a Barbara Bush Foundation event together on an unknown date . The former First Lady (right, 2010) said she had changed her mind about previous comments she made suggesting that her son (left) should not run for president because there had been 'enough Bushes' in the White House . Bush had brought up his mother's statement in 2013, when she told NBC's Matt Lauer that there were other qualified candidates besides her children, right before she appeared via video link. 'Hey mom, can I get that in writing by the way,' the younger Bush, who has announced he is 'seriously considering' running for the presidency in 2016, said. Barbara Bush, 89, who appeared next to former president George H W Bush, said, 'Our problems are so big that it doesn't matter what your last name is in America.' Jeb Bush replied, 'Mother, I love you. You’re the greatest mother in the world.' Jeb Bush, who has announced he is 'seriously considering' running for president, referenced his mother's 'enough Bushes' comment before she appeared and walked the remark back . Barbara Bush responded candidly that she did not think Jeb should run for president in an April, 2013 interview on NBC . Other Bushes, such as former First Lady Laura (in blue dress) supported a potential Jeb candidacy in 2013. Above (from left), Mr Lauer, Barbara Bush, Laura Bush, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush . Late last year the potential candidate's mother said that she had shifted her position on Jeb running to 'neutral'. She said her previous comments about 'enough Bushes,' which were in direct response to a question about Jeb running for president, were to clarify that the political family does not feel a 'sense of entitlement', according to Bloomberg. The last several weeks since Jeb's announcement that he is looking at the presidency have seen him begin raising money for his super PAC Right to Rise. Events have included a $100,000 a plate fundraiser in New York at the home of billionaire Harry Kravis on Wednesday. A Bush family photo includes (top row, from left) Neil, Jeb with son George P, George H W, George W, Laura, (bottom row) Jeb's wife Columba with daughter Noelle, Dorothy, Barbara and Marvin . Jeb Bush, seen in 2012 with Columba, has been holding high profile fundraising events for his super PAC, Right to Rise . The former governor has become the presumptive front runner for the Republican nomination after 2012 candidate Mitt Romney said he would not run again. One problem for Bush is the legacy of his older brother George W Bush, especially two wars that he began in Afghanistan and Iraq during his presidency. Prepping for a foreign policy speech next week in Chicago, Jeb Bush said 'I won't talk about the past' in response to a question about the wars. 'If I'm in the process of considering the possibility of running, it's not about re-litigating anything in the past.' The front runner status of both Bush and likely Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton have raised the idea that the 2016 election will be fought between their two powerful political families. Jeb Bush will have to answer questions about his brother George W (pictured) and the two wars that began during his presidency . | Barbara Bush, 89, had said American had 'enough Bushes' in White House .
Mother of potential presidential candidate appeared by video at fundraiser .
Former First Lady said she 'changed her mind' about previous comments .
She said 'problems are so big that it doesn't matter what your last name is' |
14,400 | 28d2f72ba1fb66270c64893aecb0026bff765dba | Thorgan Hazard is open to remaining at Borussia Monchengladbach beyond his loan spell. The 21-year-old has impressed while on loan at the Bundesliga side but has yet to play a game for Jose Mourinho's side. And Hazard, the brother of Blues playmaker Eden, isn't ruling out a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's Thorgan Hazard is open to remaining at Borussia Munchengladbach beyond his loan spell . The 21-year-old Belgian midfielder scored in the weekend victory against Hertha Berlin . 'It's an option to stay at Gladbach longer. But it's just too early to talk about it now,' he told the Evening Standard. 'The decision will be made towards the end of the season. I feel great here.' Hazard signed from French club Lens two years ago but has failed to make an appearance for Chelsea and spent two years on loan at Waregem in Belgium. | Eden Hazard's brother could be leaving Chelsea permanently .
Thorgan Hazard is on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach .
21-year-old hasn't played a game under Jose Mourinho . |
97,732 | 09cf9258a5302636aa131144b8d2d41386d8da03 | The last time Graziano Pelle can remember playing in a such a one-side game was in the tiny square outside his house in Lecce, southern Italy. It was there that the young Pelle would score goals and celebrate like Alan Shearer, trying to replicate his Premier League hero. He wanted to be like Shearer: a powerful, bustling striker with a bullet header and shot like thunder. Little did he know that, at the age of 29, he would realise his dream. VIDEO Scroll down to watch An unbelievable result - Koeman . Graziano Pelle scored twice (he wants to claim a third) as Southampton beat Sunderland 8-0 on Saturday . Pelle claims he idolised former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, and Marco van Basten, when he was younger . Pelle strikes home his second goal during the thrashing of the hapless Black Cats at St Mary's . 7 Graziano Pelle has had a hand in seven goals in his last six games, scoring six and assisting one. 4 Dusan Tadic joined Santi Cazorla, Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas, Jose Antonio Reyes and Dennis Bergkamp as the only men with four PL assists in a game. Nor that it would be at Southampton, the club where the teenaged Shearer broke through to become one of the greatest forwards in English football. Pelle claimed two more strikes in the thrashing of Sunderland — making it six goals in eight Premier League appearances since he signed in the summer — and ran the opposition’s back line ragged. He said: ‘When I was young and I scored, it was “a great Van Basten” or “a great Shearer”. When you are young, you want to be someone who is already in the Premier League or Serie A. ‘Now I’m happy that I am here. I see a lot of love from kids who want to be me. I have to always show them that with work you can reach what you want to reach.’ Pelle was only denied a hat-trick by the combination of a half-save from Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone and the ineptitude of midfielder Liam Bridcutt. Pelle wants to keep the match ball as his shot was heading in before Liam Bridcutt (r) bundled it over the line . Santiago Vergini got a miserable day going for Sunderland with a sliced own goal . Pelle and Ronald Koeman picked up the Players' and Manger of the month awards for September . VIDEO An unbelievable result - Koeman . His strike was powerful and Mannone could only push it to one side. The ball was creeping towards the goal-line until Bridcutt got it caught in his feet and bundled it over the line. But Pelle is determined to keep the match-ball for scoring three. ‘We are going to ask them to give me the third goal,’ he explained. ‘The club is going to fight for it. One goal counts! For a striker, it always counts.’ Considering goals were few and far between in the early part of Pelle’s career, struggling in Serie A in his teens and early 20s, it is understandable he is so keen to add as many to his name as he can. Scoring has come far easier in the past two seasons. Moving to Holland’s Eredivisie, first to AZ Alkmaar where he played for Louis Van Gaal and then Feyenoord under Ronald Koeman, ignited Pelle. He won the league but was not prolific at Alkmaar. In two seasons at Feyenoord he struck 50 goals in 57 league games before Koeman took Pelle with him to Southampton for £8million. The Italian striker was not prolific at AZ Alkmaar before joining Feyernoord . Pelle scored on his Italian debut against Malta in a Euro 2016 qualifier last week . Continuing that form into this season has finally earned him a call-up to the Italy side and he netted on his debut, against Malta, during the international break. A few days later he was named the Barclays Premier League player of the month and celebrated by starring in one of the biggest wins in league history. ‘It was the best week of my career,’ he added. ‘I had great moments in the past. I was happy in many situations. But this is something I am doing in a higher league, the best competition in the world. I believe in myself, I believe in the team. I just want to keep going, it’s just the beginning. We are in October. It will be really bad to stop now because it doesn’t have meaning. If we stop now, at the end of the season nobody will remember.’ He is scoring goals which Shearer would surely have been proud of. For instance, against Queens Park Rangers when he flicked the ball up and sent it into the top-right corner with an overhead kick. But while Pelle is earning plaudits for finding the net, Serbia’s Dusan Tadic — another Koeman recruit bought from FC Twente — is pulling the strings. Against Sunderland, not only did Tadic score, he set up four of the other goals. Pelle said: ‘When I was in Holland, I had a question: which player would you like to play with? I said: “Dusan. Many No 10s are a bit selfish. Not Dusan. He always wants to be dangerous”.’ Summer signing Dusan Tadic jumps into the arms of Italian forward Pelle after scoring his side's sixth goal . Vito Mannone watches on as Jack Cork squeezes the ball into the back of Sunderland's net for the third . | Southampton thrashed Sunderland 8-0 at St Mary's on Saturday .
Graziano Pelle scored two but claims it should have been three .
Italian striker says he can't remember a game like that since he was a child .
Pelle claims he idolised Alan Shearer and Marco van Basten . |
281,443 | f88fea5c2baa0fd6b24f993c4438d6b44f24c69b | Vladimir Putin dropped in on one of Russia's old Cold War allies on Friday, as he began a six-day tour of Latin American with a state visit to Cuba. The tour included a rare public appearance with the country's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who has been seen in public since the start of the year. Putin and the 87-year-old leader met to discuss international relations and the economy, as Moscow sought to strengthen ties with its old friend. Scroll down for video . Cold War friends: Putin holds on to Fidel Castro's arm during a meeting with the revolutionary leader on Friday . Talks: Fidel Castro and Putin spent about an hour together discussing the economy and international politics . The Russian president was also pictured embracing Fidel Castro's younger brother Raul, who took over leadership in 2008. The meetings have been seen by analysts as further . attempts to snub the West over its Ukraine sanctions. Cuba . and the other countries Putin is due to visit on the trip have been . sympathetic or not overly critical of Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. In Cuba, the state-run papers have tended to portray it as a struggle against right-wing extremism that has been threatening ethnic Russians living in Ukraine. Earlier . this year, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez criticized U.S. and . European Union sanctions imposed on Russians and pro-Russian . Ukrainians. 'In . the international arena, we agree with the current policy of strength . and political intelligence that the Soviet Union - I mean Russia - is . carrying out,' Castro said. Old friends: Russia's president Vladimir Putin embraces Cuba's leader Raul Castro in Havana . Backing: Putin and Castro at a ceremony in Havana on Friday. Moscow is strengthening economic ties with Cuba . Before . leaving for his Latin America tour, Putin also made remarks on . cyber-espionage, saying: 'This is not just blatant hypocrisy in . relations between allies and partners. According to the Business Recorder Putin, . whose country provided asylum to Ed Snowden, said: 'It is also direct . infringement of a country's sovereignty and a breach of human rights, an . invasion of privacy.' His . comments came as the CIA chief based in Berlin was asked to leave over . allegations that the U.S. spied on Germany's Angela Merkel. In Cuba, . Castro and Putin strengthened their ties, using the official . tour to sign about a dozen accords in energy, industry, health and . disaster prevention. Shortly . before the visit, Moscow wrote off more than $35 billion of Cuba's . Soviet-era debt. Speaking about the debt agreement, which clears 90 percent of what Cuba owes, Raul Castro said it was 'another great, tangible generosity of the Russian people toward Cuba.' In a . further sign of Putin turning his back on the West, the Cuban government . website announced that Russian companies are to take part in petroleum . projects around Boca de Jaruco on Cuba's north coast, and that . cooperation will extend to offshore oil deposits. Show: The visit to Latin America is seen by analysts as sign of Putin snubbing the West over sanctions imposed over the Ukrainian crisis . Another . agreement covered infrastructure at a new port project that Cuba hopes . will become a regional shipping center and attract much-needed foreign . investment. 'We . are talking about the possibility of creating in Cuba a grand . transportation hub with a possible modernization of the maritime port of . Mariel and the construction of a modern airport with its respective . cargo terminal,' Putin said, according to an official Spanish . translation of his remarks in Russian. According to the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, Putin spent about an hour with retired revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. The men are said to have discussed a range of topics including international affairs, the economy and Russian-Cuban relations. The . Cuba visit included official duties, in which Putin and Raul Casto took . part in a ceremony at Havana's Memorial to the Soviet Internationalist . Soldier. Allies: Putin and Castro on Friday. The visit came as Moscow announced plans to write off 90 percent of Cuba's Soviet-era debt . Havana . and Moscow have a shared history dating to the Cold War, when they were . united by ideology and opposition to U.S. influence. They . drifted apart in the 1990s, however, as the collapse of the Soviet . Union ended billions of dollars in trade and subsidies for Cuba. After . leaving Havana, Putin is due to travel to Argentina, whose President . has accused the U.S. and Britain of having double standards. In . March, Cristina Fernandez rebuked the countries for criticizing a . pro-Russian secession vote in Crimea while backing a status referendum in . the Falkland Islands. From Argentina, Putin will travel to . Brazil, which was among several countries that opposed Russia being . excluded from the G20 summit in Australia. 'We . are grateful to South Americans for the support of our international . initiatives, including outer space demilitarization, strengthening . international information security and combating the glorification of . Nazism,' Putin said in an interview before the trip. Power talk: The Russian leader's tour takes in many countries that have been sympathetic to Moscow over the Ukraine crisis . Support: Putin used the visit to criticize the U.S. embargo on Cuba that has been in place for 52 years . Russia said in February that it was looking to expand its worldwide military presence, including asking permission for its navy ships to use ports in Cuba and elsewhere in Latin America. A Russian intelligence-gathering vessel has docked in Havana on multiple occasions in recent months. Putin plans to attend a presidential summit of the BRICS group of nations in Fortaleza, Brazil, in the coming days. He is to be in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday for the World Cup final and ceremonial handover of host duties for soccer's marquee tournament, which next takes place in Russia in 2018. | Russian President makes official visit to Havana at start of Latin America tour .
Analysts claim visit is Moscow reacting against sanctions over Crimea .
Putin and Raul Castro announce trade deals as Russia writes off $35bn debt Cuba owed from Soviet-era days . |
21,295 | 3c69c611c8d0803508d5352c0c619232c86c6bc8 | (Rolling Stone) -- The Rolling Stones are strongly considering at least one live concert later this year to mark their 50th anniversary, Stones insiders tell Rolling Stone. Sources add that the band is still considering a tour in 2013. "I'd like to get a couple of shows down and see how it goes," Keith Richards says. "But I'd love it." The news comes after the band gathered in late April in the New York area for a full week of rehearsals -- their first time playing together at such length since the final night of the marathon A Bigger Bang tour at London's O2 arena in August 2007. In July, the band will gather in London to further discuss live performance possibilities. "It's all very hush-hush," Richards says. "I'm going over to London for a bit, so I'll find out more then." He adds that the band will also use the summit to discuss whether they will be recording their first new LP since 2005's A Bigger Bang. "We're going to talk about that in July and see. I mean, I'd love to get some tracks down and see what songs we've got. And that goes along with part of getting the band back together and getting things moving. So I'd love to cut some tracks, yeah." Does Richards see himself writing one-on-one with Mick Jagger again? "Oh, yeah," he says. "I have no doubt." In late April, the Stones began rehearsing in New York and continued working across the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey, inviting a film crew led by director Brett Morgen to shoot footage for a documentary celebrating the group's anniversary, set for a fall release. The Stones blasted through classics including "Beast of Burden," "Respectable," "Fool to Cry" and "Gimme Shelter." "We played everything, really," says Richards. "We're just getting our chops together. It was like playing in the garage — a maintenance check, you know?" The vibe was joyful, with Keith Richards and Mick Jagger joking around between takes. "Someone would mention a song, and within the second run, they had nailed it," Morgen says. "Having screened through 50 years of material over the last six months, I would rank it up there with anything I've ever heard from them. They were extremely tight." Adds Richards, "I thought I'd be quite rusty. After all, we hadn't done it for a while — five years or something. But it sounded as fresh as you could hope for. It was a great week." See the full story at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | The Rolling Stones are considering at least one concert to mark their 50th anniversary .
The band is still considering a tour in 2013 .
In July, the band will gather in London to further discuss live performance possibilities . |
169,219 | 66f1130b053705b0419b5024af5653bc50080909 | Her mouth frozen in a rictus grin and her eyes blue and staring, the new waxwork of Spain's eight-year-old Princess Leonor is unusual to say the least. And the sculptures created of her parents, King Felipe and Queen Letizia, which were unveiled by the Wax Museum in Madrid this week are little better. While Felipe's is without the salt and pepper beard that he has sported since the summer, Letizia's bears little resemblance to the royal original. Not so good: The Wax Museum's sculptures bear little resemblance to King Felipe and Queen Letizia . Unrecognisable: The creepy waxwork of Princess Leonor is a world away from the angelic-looking real thing . But the Spanish royals aren't the only ones to find themselves on the receiving end of wax tributes that look little like the real thing. Prince Harry, who now boasts an updated and considerably more lifelike waxwork at Madame Tussaud's in London, was, until recently, another victim of a royal waxwork disaster. Not only did the sculpture boast hair that was noticeably lighter than the real Harry's copper hue, the wax figure also looked considerably more like Barbie's boyfriend Ken than the prince. Other bizarre royal sculptures include the terrifying take on the Duchess of Cornwall that once graced Madame Tussaud's and a bizarre rendering of the Prince of Wales that looked more like a Spitting Image puppet than the royal himself. Bizarre: Queen Letizia's creepy waxwork boasts staring eyes and an oddly shiny forehead . Not quite right: The creepy-looking wax Felipe is missing the salt and pepper beard of the real thing . Family: Along with Felipe and co, the museum has made waxworks of King Juan-Carlos and Queen Silvia . Frightening: The Spanish royals aren't the only ones to be afflicted by bad waxworks as this one proves . Much better: The real Camilla is much prettier (and far less frightening) than her wax doppelganger . Is it Prince Harry? Or Ken! A terrible take on Charles (left) and a Prince Harry that looks more like a Ken doll . Much better: The real royals are both better looking and a little more rugged than the waxworks . One royal who has had no such problems with waxwork tributes is the Queen, whose Madam Tussaud's sculpture is updated regularly to ensure it looks as close to the real thing as possible. The current version was made to coincide with the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and wears a stunning silver lace dress embroidered with 53,000 Swarovski crystals. Another set of royals to boast accurate waxworks are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, whose likenesses entered the waxwork museum shortly after their wedding in 2011. Although the Duchess' smile does look slightly fixed, her long chestnut locks are spot on as is the dress, a copy of the blue Issa number worn to announce her engagement to Prince William. The current Prince Harry is also a good one, with the royal shown looking handsome in his military fatigues. Spain's Princess Leonor, whose waxwork is enough to frighten most other girls of her age, will surely be hoping for something similar in future. Who are they? Princess Diana and the Duchess of York both fell victim to terrible waxworks . Beautiful: Both the late Princess Diana and the Duchess of York are prettier on their waxworks . Big improvement: A new Prince Harry sculpture that looks far more like the real thing was recently unveiled . Good effort: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's 2011 sculptures are reasonably lifelike . No problem: The Queen's waxwork is regularly updated and wears a dress that boasts 53,000 crystals . | The new waxworks were unveiled by the Museum of Wax in Madrid .
Princess Leonor, eight, appears but her sister Sofia, seven, doesn't .
Bizarre wax figurines bear little resemblance to the royal originals .
Other royals to suffer wax disasters include Fergie and Camilla .
The Prince of Wales is also no stranger to a bad waxwork figure .
Prince Harry's last waxwork bore a close resemblance to a Ken doll . |
79,755 | e22284291014bf9c79a56b2d2b273b6f65dad070 | (EW.com) -- Since everything about "Les Misérables" is fortissimo — including but not limited to its unabashed pursuit of awards that are shiny or globular or both — you have perhaps already heard a little about the movie now storming the Bastille of your wallet. You may already know that to make his movie adaptation of the internationally popular theatrical musical conjured from the 19th-century political novel by Victor Hugo, director Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech") bade his actors sing live during filming. You probably already know that Anne Hathaway, as the wretched single mother-turned-prostitute Fantine, is reputedly a formidable Oscar favorite for her sobbing and warbling and haircutting-in-real-time. You've learned, from posters and trailers, that Hugh Jackman, as former convict Jean Valjean, looks impressively stricken and that Russell Crowe, as implacable police inspector Javert, looks disconcertingly dyspeptic. What's left to learn is this: "Les Misérables" provides compelling reasons for Crowe to be peeved, beginning with the humiliation of having to sing Broadway-style, when it clearly is so not his thing, and ending with the Cap'n Crunch wardrobe into which the gentleman is packed. (O, for Crowe's costumed glory days in "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World!") Jackman has a right to be cranky too, although he's too much of a trouper to show it as he overemotes on demand and sings of finding God after he steals a pair of candlesticks from a nice priest. (Long story.) Hathaway looks happy enough channeling Liza Minnelli for her tremulous rendition of the Susan Boyle-appropriated anthem ''I Dreamed a Dream,'' but that's no doubt because she knows that soon after the song, she's pretty much done for the night. Ricky Gervais' 'Derek' trailer posted . Shall I go on about all the ways in which this fake-opulent "Les Miz" made me long for guillotines while millions of viewers who have softer, more generous hearts than I may swoon with money's-worth contentment? (At least it doesn't skimp on length: The movie is approximately as long as the 1832 Paris uprising it depicts.) Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter mug and prance as the comic-relief grifters Thénardier and his missus, outfitted in what has become de rigueur for both BCs — Pétrouchka makeup and prosthetically grungy teeth. Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne play the young lovers Cosette (Fantine's muppet daughter, raised by Valjean) and the boy-band-styled student revolutionary Marius like lab rats, their pale faces and lashless eyelids often observed in the merciless close-up that is one of Hooper's mix-it-up signature shots. (He is similarly devoted to tilted perspective and the room-at-a-45-degree-angle shot.) 'Hobbit' at No. 1 for second week: $36.7M . It's a daunting challenge, to be sure, to turn a big musical into a viable movie. For every great "Cabaret," "My Fair Lady," and "The King and I," there's a dud "Rent," "Evita," and "Mamma Mia!" But this steam-driven military weapon of an enterprise is a sobering reminder of just how tinny a musical "Les Misérables" was in the first place — the listless music and lyrics by Alain Boubil, Claude-Michel Schönberg, and Herbert Kretzmer, the derivative characters fashioned from "Oliver!" scraps. And even if you do come to Mr. Hooper's neighborhood loving the show, having seen seven stage productions and named your cat Gavroche after the urchin who hitches his fate to those of grown-up revolutionaries, well, you're in for a gobsmacking: This ''prestige'' production is at heart a minor road-show carnival, leaving behind little but tinsel as it rumbles through the streets of Awardstown. C . See the original article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | This ''prestige'' production is at heart a minor road-show carnival .
Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter mug and prance as comic-relief grifters .
Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne play young lovers Cosette and Marius . |
80,905 | e54abc8237ffb5e2172f192200fbde85a100cdcf | When an elderly woman fell down an escalator at a bustling train station, you might have expected rail staff to rush to her aid. But astonishingly, they refused to help her. And their reason? They had not been trained in ‘people-handling’. The extraordinary excuse was given by Northern Rail workers, who stood just yards away and let other passengers tend to the shocked woman instead. A witness, who confronted the staff at Leeds train station, described their attitude as ‘shameful’. Going up: Rail staff refused to help an elderly woman after she fell down an escalator at bustling Leeds station . Tom Lees, 25, said he was waiting for a train at around 10.30am when he spotted an ‘old lady fall backwards’ while travelling up an escalator. He said one passenger ‘grabbed her’ and another stopped the escalator by pressing an emergency button. ‘A third called the Northern Rail staff to help but they just stood there like lemons,’ he said. Mr Lees, a scientist working in the road industry, added: ‘I dashed up the escalator – she was in a very precarious position. Afterwards I asked [the staff] why they didn’t help and they said they weren’t allowed to because they weren’t “people-handling trained”. ‘I said it was shameful behaviour.’ Northern Rail runs passenger trains across the north of England and is the largest train operator in the UK. This week it introduced peak evening fares – meaning some weekday tickets will cost 117 per cent more. Scene: The extraordinary excuse given by the Northern Rail workers, who let other passengers tend to the shocked woman at Leeds train station (pictured), was that they had not been trained in ‘people-handling’ Mr Lees, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, said the two Northern Rail staff were standing at the ticket barrier, about 20 yards away, in full view of the escalator. ‘After speaking to them I thought they were just misinformed staff so I gave the customer service line a call and they repeated the same line to me – that they’re not allowed to help because they’re not people-handling trained. It seemed to be against common human compassion.’ He added: ‘I said to them “if your granny fell over would you not hope that someone would pick her up?” They didn’t answer.’ After the incident last week, Mr Lees and two female passengers helped the elderly woman to a bench before comforting her and getting her a drink. The woman, who was left shaken but is not believed to have been injured, has not been identified. Last night the train company put the incident down to policy concerning the use of staff trained in first aid. A Northern Rail spokesman said: ‘We’re sorry for any distress caused to the lady who fell or other customers who witnessed what happened. Our team report any accident directly to the station managers so a qualified first aider can be alerted immediately.’ But John Rowe, head of operations for the Health and Safety Executive in Yorkshire and the Humber, said it was a ‘ridiculous’ situation, adding: ‘There nothing in the Health and Safety at Work Act that prevents people offering assistance to others in distress. ‘I can only think that either the company’s own policies are being stretched and misinterpreted by their employees, or the individuals in question didn’t fancy getting involved and they just used health and safety as a convenient excuse.’ | Elderly woman 'fell backwards' while travelling up escalator at Leeds station .
But rail staff refused to help and let other passengers tend to the pensioner .
Their extraordinary excuse was they hadn't been trained in 'people-handling'
Witness who confronted Northern Rail staff described attitude as 'shameful' |
282,304 | f9a4298751be8aba040421999fc5281153204c73 | Three Nobel Peace Prize winners have blasted the decision to give this year’s award to the European Union. In an open letter, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Northern Ireland’s Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Perez Esquivel from Argentina say that the EU is ‘clearly not one of the “champions of peace” Alfred Nobel had in mind’ when he created the prize in 1895. They insist the 27-nation bloc’s values do not match those associated with the prize, and say the prize money of £750,000 should be withheld. Contesting: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of three former winners contesting the decision to give the 2012 award to the EU . Stating that the EU condones ‘security . based on military force and waging wars rather than insisting on the . need for an alternative approach’, they add that it has failed to . ‘realise Nobel’s demilitarised global peace order’. ‘The Norwegian Nobel committee has . redefined and remodelled the prize in a manner that is not consistent . with the law,’ their letter asserts, adding that the committee should . respect the original wishes of the prize’s founder, who died in 1896. The trio behind the letter are among the award’s most respected winners. The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, now . 81, rose to fame in the 1980s as an outspoken opponent of apartheid in . South Africa. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. Mrs Maguire, 68, won the 1976 prize . for her ‘Women for Peace’ marches during the Troubles in Northern . Ireland. In recent years she has also been a noted critic of Israel’s . policy towards Gaza. Mr Esquivel, 81, is a pacifist, . painter and sculptor who won the 1980 award for his defence of human . rights against the Argentine junta. Their letter was also signed by the . Geneva-based International Peace Bureau, which won the award in 1910, . and several authors, lawyers and peace activists. Announcing this year’s award in . October, the committee hailed the EU for transforming Europe ‘from a . continent of war to a continent of peace’ in the decades following the . Second World War. The controversial decision came as a surprise amid . Europe’s crippling economic crisis. But while acknowledging Europe’s . current financial problems and social unrest, Nobel committee president . Thorbjoern Jagland said the decision was to herald six decades of . advancing ‘peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights’. Former winner: Northern Ireland's Mairead Maguire, who was awarded the prize in 1976, has also signed the open letter, which says the EU is not a 'champion of peace' EU President Herman Van Rompuy called . on all the bloc’s member states, along with soon-to-be-inducted Croatia, . to send attendees to the ceremony. But while German Chancellor Angela . Merkel and French President Francois Hollande have said they will . attend, David Cameron leads the list of leaders who plan to snub the . December 10 event in Oslo. Eighteen European leaders have accepted an invitation while six others have declined, the Nobel Institute said yesterday. The Nobel committee has rarely shied away from controversy with its choice of winner. US President Barack Obama won the award in 2009, despite leading a country that was fighting two separate wars. Alfred Nobel, a Swedish industrialist . and inventor, gave only vague guidelines for the peace prize, saying it . should honour ‘work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or . reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace . congresses.’ A prominent researcher and Nobel . critic Fredrik Heffermehl – who also signed the letter – previously . accused the Norwegian jury of gradually widening the scope of the prize . to include environmental, humanitarian and other efforts by selecting . winners such as President Obama. The complaint led to a formal inquiry . to see if the Nobel Peace Prize jury has deviated from its selection . guidelines for winners, but it was later dropped. | Desmond Tutu has contested the decision to award the prize to the European Union in an open letter to the Nobel Committee .
Fellow Peace Prize laureates Mairead Maguire and Adolfo Perez Esquivel also signed the letter, which insisted the EU was not a 'champion of peace'
The trio said the $1.2million prize money should not be paid out to the bloc, which they claim contradicts the values associated with the prize .
The decision to award the prize to the EU in a year marked by rioting amid the ongoing Eurozone crisis has already been widely derided . |
160,896 | 5bfeb724aabd151ae15c5633b8f9b860dfe5f183 | By . Emma Glanfield . For centuries Cornwall has claimed the rights as the inventor of the traditional pasty. Marketed as a savoury snack which derived from the mining days, the county has long been associated with the humble pasty. But a historian has now threatened to upset the applecart by claiming to have found proof the traditional pasty was actually invented elsewhere - in the rivalling county of Devon. Marketed as a savoury snack which derived from the mining days, Cornwall has long been associated with the pasty. However, a historian has thrown a spanner in the works after claiming it actually came from Devon . Dr Todd Gray claims four lines of texts in records dating back to the 16th Century prove the ‘world’s first pasty recipe’ was born in Plymouth, Devon – fuelling an ongoing food war between the two counties which already clash over the correct way to make a cream tea. He claims to have made the discovery after scouring the historic Audit Book and Receivers Accounts in Plymouth for clues as to the origin of the food. He said one piece of text from records in 1509, refers to the financial cost of making a pasty and the recipe used - some 236 years before there was any record of pasties in Cornwall. Traditionalists claim the pasty was originally made as lunch for Cornish tin miners who were unable to return to the surface to eat. They were able to hold the pastry by the folded crust so the dirt didn’t touch the rest of their food, then discard that section afterwards. Devon pasties tend to have a crimped crust running along the top and are oval in shape while Cornish pasties are semi-circular with a thicker crust running along the curved edge of the pasty. The term 'Cornish pasty' was given protected status by the European Commission in 2011. It states that only pasties made in Cornwall from a traditional recipe can marketed as a 'Cornish pasty'. The Cornish Pasty Association applied for the special status, saying it wanted to protect the 'quality and reputation' of the pasty. The Protected Geographical Indication status means 'genuine' Cornish pasties are stamped with a special logo. The text, which says 'Itm for the cooke . is labor to make the pasties', is said to be proof the West Country snack . originated from Plymouth, which is separated from Cornwall by the River . Tamar. He said that while the intriguing text . suggests inventors were using venison from the Mount Edgcumbe estate . just across the Tamar Valley in Cornwall, it proves the pasty actually . originated in Devon. He said the first reference to pasties he . could find at the Cornwall Record Office was dated 1746 - more than two centuries after the records were logged in Plymouth. The findings have been published in a book - The Plymouth Book of Wonder – which features a collection of 100 ‘quirky and fascinating nuggets’ designed to attract visitors to the city. It has sparked a war of words between the two counties, which continue to dispute which way around cream and jam should be spread on the traditional cream tea. Jo Hartop, of the Cornish Pasty Association, said: ‘We produce the traditional Cornish pasty. ‘The historical books say that the pasty originated in Cornwall, but obviously there is lots of information out there. ‘If you talk to consumers, which is what matters the most - they say it originated in Cornwall.’ Dr Todd Gray claims to have found proof the traditional pasty was actually invented in Plymouth, Devon with records from the city, dating back to 1509 (above), apparently referring to the financial cost of making a pasty . Some Devonians claim the evidence is conclusive that the pasty - which makes Cornwall more than £60 million a year – originated in Plymouth. However, Nigel Eadie, owner of the Original Pasty House in Plymouth, conceded that pasties would always be more closely associated with Cornwall. He said: ‘Everyone would associate the origins of a pasty with Cornwall - it’s a Cornish pasty. ‘There are variations in terms of the styles that are made in Devon. ‘I don’t think it’s a big problem, it’s not really going to affect people’s decision about whether or not to buy a pasty. ‘It’s an interesting fact that will make the book even more fascinating if you’re living in Plymouth. ‘It’s a nice little feather in the cap of Plymothians to say that really the pasty actually originated in Plymouth.' The Cornish claim the jam should be spread first on the scone, while those in Devon claim cream should always come first . A battle has raged for years over the origins of the cream . tea, with both Devon and Cornwall claiming to be the real birthplace of the . tradition. And while the dispute continues to wager on, both counties remain . divided over the ‘right’ way to load up the quintessentially British afternoon . treat. In Devon, the scone is split into two and loaded with large . helpings of locally-sourced clotted cream before a dollop of jam is placed on . top. Meanwhile, the Cornish believe the proper way to serve a . scone is to first spread the jam before finishing it with a blob of clotted . cream. The age-old debate has rumbled on for years, with both . counties attempting to justify their method as correct. Some say the Cornish way helps the cream stay on without . sliding off, while Devonians defend their method by claiming it allows more . cream to be spread on the scone. | Historian claims records from 1509 prove pasty came from Plymouth, Devon .
Cornwall has long been associated with savoury snack since mining days .
Dr Todd Gray now claims the 'world's first pasty recipe' originated in Devon . |
193,004 | 85e46673302af81d54b73cc5f68e5a5972d703eb | (CNN) -- The man Chilean authorities accuse of sparking a wildfire that has consumed more than 31,000 acres of a national park said Sunday that he is innocent. "It is very important to me to say that this wasn't me (who started the fire). They dropped the case on me," Rotem Zinger told Israeli army radio. The 23-year-old Israeli national said he was surprised by the way the case against him has unfolded. "I was not explained what I was accused of. I did not give a testimony. I did not confess. Things rolled out the wrong way through mistranslation. I never intended to admit the blame," he said. Zinger is accused of lighting a fire in a prohibited area of the protected Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chile, regional prosecutor Juan Agustin Melendez said. Prosecutors also accuse him of making the situation worse by not reporting to authorities that the fire got out of his control. If convicted, Zinger could face a fine and 41 to 60 days in prison, Melendez told CNN Chile. Zinger will be required to stay in the region during an investigation, the prosecutor said. Authorities will be looking into what caused the wildfire for months, Melendez said. Fierce flames have kept investigators from reaching the location where the fire started, he added. The wildfire has been burning since Tuesday. Hundreds of firefighters are battling the blaze, but authorities have said they don't know when the fire will be under control. High winds stoke the flames for most of the week, though rains in the area Saturday gave firefighters some help. "We could be talking about a week. We could be talking about a month or more," said Hugo Knockaert, chief of fire management for Chile's National Forest Corporation. CNN's Guy Azriel, Claudia Dominguez and CNN Chile contributed to this report. | "Things rolled out the wrong way through mistranslation," Rotem Zinger tells Israeli radio .
The 23-year-old is accused of sparking a 31,000-acre wildfire in a Chilean national park .
A prosecutor says the suspect could face a fine and prison time .
Authorities have said they don't know when the fire will be under control . |
96,839 | 089fc60e6560cc4d40e57dc836ae454f973a370b | By . Rebecca Pocklington . and James Tozer . PUBLISHED: . 06:07 EST, 19 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:47 EST, 19 February 2014 . The master bedroom alone is one-and-a-half times the size of a typical new house. But if you’re still worried about finding space to stretch out, relax – there are four more bedrooms to choose from, excluding the staff quarters. As for the price of this rental property, if you have to ask, you definitely can’t afford it at £65,000 per month, or £780,000 a year. But, while they are full of praise for its fine furnishings, there is one thing the lettings agents omit to mention. Audley House has a serviceable two-limousine garage – but its next-door neighbour but one is a monstrous multi-storey car park. Audley House is a six-storey home, spread over 8,346 sq/ft, and has four reception rooms, five VIP bedroom suites, a family kitchen, a gym and private walled gardens . The stunning six-storey home is ready for tenants to move in tomorrow - if they can stump up the cash . London's Audley House (left) comes fully furnished with a huge inventory list of luxurious furniture, fixtures and fittings (right) and is 'ready for tenants to move in tomorrow'. Worth around £35,000, the stunning home is available for a rental price of £15,000 per week - which equates to £65,000 per month . That's not in the ad: From the exterior shots in the advert, you'd never know that two doors down there is a concrete multi-storey car park . Peter Wetherell, managing director of . Wetherell, said: 'Taking into perspective that a client could have . assets of £500 million or £1 billion, spending £720,000 per annum to . rent a mansion in Mayfair is literally pocket change.' Tenants . will have to pay £15,000 a week to rent the £35million London mansion, . on top of £125,000 a year for bills including council tax, gas and . electricity, water bills,TV licence and security. A five year contract means handing the private landlord £3.9million. Just like with a run-of-the-mill rental, interested parties will have to fork out a six week deposit and the first month's rent if they want the home. On this occasion it means paying the landlord £150,000, which is only slightly less than the £167,000 average price paid for a home in England and Wales. The property, which can be rented immediately, has been kitted out with antique crystal chandeliers, grand fireplaces . and bespoke furniture. It also has comfort cooling, restored period . features and state-of-the-art security and audio/entertainment . technology are incorporated throughout. The tenant will have to pay a staggering £780,000 over 12 months for The Grade II listed Georgian home - enough to buy a pleasant family home in London . Just like with a run-of-the-mill rental, interested parties will have to fork out a six week deposit and the first month's rent if they want the home - and a five year contract means handing the private landlord £3.9million . Audley House, which sits in the corner of Audley Square in Mayfair, London, has been kitted out with antique crystal chandeliers, grand fireplaces and bespoke furniture . The mansion has comfort cooling, restored period features and state-of-the-art security and audio/entertainment technology are incorporated throughout . There are two further reception rooms, one styled with Ralph Lauren wall fabrics and the other with the finest silk wallpaper . The grand entrance hall has hand painted silk wallpaper, restored original ceilings and a sweeping 'Scarlett O'Hara style' staircase. There is a luxuriously appointed private passenger lift with access to all floors. On the ground floor is a magnificent 14-16 seater formal dining room with antique chandelier and mirrors. The walls are paneled in flush velvet and there is a large reception room dressed with period paintings and cosy oversized sofas and feature chairs. There are two further reception rooms, one styled with Ralph Lauren wall fabrics and the other with the finest silk wallpaper. Mobile phone tycoon John Caudwell and his long term partner Claire Johnson who are behind the luxury Mayfair rental . The building is owned by billionaire entrepreneur John Caudwell, whose extravagant taste in homes came to light last October, when he proposed linking two Mayfair mansions by a 14,000 square ft underground extension. For many, £250 million is a giant fortune, but for Caudwell, who made his fortune by building an immensely successful telecom company over 20 years, it's essentially tipping money. Caudwell, born into a working-class family in Stoke-on-Trent, he started his empire in 1987 with his brother when he made an early bet on the world's booming industry of mobile phones. He bought 26 phones from the U.S. and sold them to British plumbers and businessmen for thousands each. In 1993 he founded the service provider Singlepoint, before selling the brand, which had gained 1.9 million contract customers, to Vodafone for $650 million. He used the profits to build his empire further by piling money into his handset store, Phones4U. He sold the majority stake in Phones4U in 2006 for $2.8 billion, and the remaining stake in 2011 for $272 million. Caudwell claims he is Britain's biggest income tax payer and refuses to use offshore tax havens like Jersey or Monaco like many other British billionaire entrepreneurs. The estate agent marketing the mansion on Wednesday described the rental as 'pocket change' to the sort of people interested . The grand entrance hall has hand painted silk wallpaper, restored original ceilings and a sweeping 'Scarlett O'Hara style' staircase . The bedrooms are all decorated in different coloured decor to keep the theme of the property throughout - and with plush leather and velvet, it is luxurious from floor to ceiling . The floorplan of Audley House includes four reception rooms, five VIP bedroom suites, family kitchen, gym and private walled gardens . It also has comfort cooling, restored period features and state-of-the-art security and audio/entertainment technology are incorporated throughout . There is a luxuriously appointed private passenger lift with access to all floors . The walls are paneled in flush velvet and there is a large reception room dressed with period paintings and cosy oversized sofas and feature chairs . It has been kitted out with antique crystal chandeliers, grand fireplaces and bespoke furniture . With twin bed, doubles, and suites, there is enough room for a family to move in and live spaciously . The six-storey home also has a gym equipped with all the mod cons - in stark contrast to the luxury in the rest of the home . The grand entrance hall has hand painted silk wallpaper, restored original ceilings and a sweeping 'Scarlett O'Hara style' staircase. On the ground floor is a magnificent 14-16 seater formal dining room with antique chandelier and mirrors (right) Location of Audley House in Mayfair, London, which is one of the most expensive rented properties in Britain . Audley House in Mayfair, London, . comes complete with five VIP bedroom suites, seven bathrooms, four . reception rooms, a walled garden, and one parking space. But it is just one of many expensive properties in the area. A flat in One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, London, is at £45,000 per week: . It has five bedrooms, a dining room seating 10 comfortably, a media room, a large family kitchen and several bathrooms. It is divided into two wings, the five bedrooms being found in the city wing, with all the living and reception spaces in the park wing. A house in Brick Street in Mayfair, London, at £30,000 per week: . It has seven bedrooms, six reception rooms, seven bathrooms, a spa and sauna and a cinema room. This property covers around 16,500 square foot and has been completely refurbished. A Penthouse flat at Wellington Court, 116 Knightsbridge, London, is at £25,000 per week: . It has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, four reception rooms and a gym. It has around 8,000 square foot of lateral living space along with a roof terrace, a massage room, a guest cloakroom and a staff kitchen. A house in Church Road, Wimbledon Park, is at £15,000 per week: . It is a five-bedroom detached house with two reception rooms, a dining room, kitchen with open-plan breakfast room, utility room, two walk-in-wardrobes and a garden. It sits next to The All England Tennis Club, and has a basement with indoor pool and gym, a spacious triple-aspect garden and off-street parking. A Penthouse apartment in Chelsea Harbour, Chelsea, is at £10,000 per week: . It has three bedrooms, one kitchen, two balconies, a study and a gym. Set within a riverside development, it is equipped with mod cons including an outdoor plasma TV on one of the balconies. | Audley House in Mayfair, London, has a master bedroom one-and-a-half times the size of the average new UK home .
The six-storey home, spread over 8,346 sq/ft, is worth around £35million - and you can rent it for £15,000 per week .
It has four reception rooms, .
five VIP bedroom suites, family kitchen, gym and private walled gardens .
The tenant will still have to pay council tax, gas and electricity and water bills along with their TV licence .
With security fees included, the bills come to £125,000 a year on top of the rent .
Mansion owned by billionaire businessman John Caudwell, mobile telecom entrepreneur and founder of Phones 4U . |
53,464 | 97a43b1ffc79705787410b9f5983a64df8da6144 | Anthony Joshua will go head-to-head with Kevin Johnson at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of a fight on January 31 that will be AJ’s biggest test so far. Tyson Fury is on the horizon for next summer, but AJ faces a big challenge here. It’s been outstanding to watch him destroy all his opponents so far. We all knew he was good but no-one quite expected him to be so devastating that after 10 fights he wouldn’t have reached the fourth round. VIDEO Scroll down for Eddie Hearn: Anthony Joshua will be first to stop Kevin Johnson . Anthony Joshua, pictured beating Michael Sprott in the first round, face his biggest test against Kevin Johnson . Joshua's rise so far has been meteoric and the 25-year-old's proven he's ready for the big time . Johnson is sure to give him that test. This is a guy who has never been stopped in 36 fights – he is seriously durable. He has been in with Vitali Klitschko, Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora – none of them could stop him. He also has a bit of a mouth on him and is a great character, which will be a new challenge for AJ. He will be called all sorts in the build-up and it will be interesting to see how AJ handles the hype. Personally, I expect Anthony to stop him inside the distance and do what other big heavyweights failed to do. It’s amazing that within 10 fights AJ is already the most popular heavyweight in the country. We have already sold 6,000 tickets for his fight at the O2 Arena and the fight is nine weeks away. Johnson has never been stopped in his 36 fights, including this one against Vitali Klitschko (right) England's Dereck Chisora (right) couldn't stop the incredibly durable American either . We are moving towards the inevitable, which is a fight with Fury and the other top domestic fighters. It's going to be great times for British boxing. I watched the main event from the show at the ExCel at the weekend and I have to say Fury-Chisora was one of the dullest heavyweight fights I have seen. With the fight starting well past midnight and many missing their transportation home, boos rang out after only a few rounds as the crowds started to disperse. Fury is a great character and a quality fighter but do you really see him coping with Anthony’s power, speed and work rate? Do you not think Anthony would have blasted Chisora out of there far earlier? People ask if AJ is ready to fight Fury but, to be honest, is Fury ready to fight AJ? I believe this is a fight that will bring both men to new levels in terms of financial rewards. It's a numbers game and these numbers add up. A heavyweight clash between AJ and heavyweight title contender Tyson Fury may happen in 2015 . Fury and Chisora's fight at London's Excel was one of the dullest heavyweight fights I have seen . While Chisora didn't come out for the 11th round, AJ would have got him out of the ring earlier . I’m currently planning the next move for Tony Bellew after he got his revenge over Nathan Cleverly. We all expected fireworks and unfortunately the main event just didn’t live up to it. But Tony did what he had to do and now has a great future in front of him – I’m in talks with both Marco Huck and Yoan Hernandez about cruiserweight world-title fights with Tony. The rest of the division know that he sells. The numbers from the weekend were very good and that makes him commercially attractive to all of them. Cruiserweight world title fights against Marco Huck or Yoan Hernandez could be on the cards for Tony Bellew . The next move for Bellew is being planned after he did what he had to do to beat Nathan Cleverly (left) At the moment, it looks like his next fight will be for a world title in the spring. We are already in discussions with Huck, the WBO champion from Germany, and I can reveal we are also talking to Hernandez, the Cuban who has the IBF belt. We have seen the city of Liverpool get behind Tony and I am in talks about putting on a fight for him at Goodison Park. The question is whether we could get one of the world champions to fight over here. From that point of view, Hernandez seems more willing to travel, so we’ll wait and see how it pans out in the next few weeks. I can reveal here that I am close to securing a world title rematch for Paul Smith against Arthur Abraham. Hopefully it will all be finalised in the next few days. Smith lost a hugely contentious points decision in the first fight in September and now he will likely have his second chance in Berlin on February 21. A Paul Smith-Arthur Abraham rematch is likely to be confirmed for February 21 in the next few days . The fight that shifted the tickets on Saturday was Billy Joe Saunders versus Chris Eubank Jnr. The fight was close and competitive but technically it was poor, with Saunders winning by a couple of rounds. When your dad is telling everyone that you’d beat Gennady Golovkin and that you’re the best since Sugar Ray Leonard, you are already in a no-win situation. Billy Joe Saunders celebrates his points victory over Chris Eubank Junior at the Excel on Saturday . The Saunders (right) and Eubank Jnr bout was close and competitive but technically it was poor . Those claims have put Eubank Jnr in an awkward position as, to be honest, he looked like a talented novice. In the ring it was a bit strange. When he really needed direction from his corner, there was none. I thought he could have been better served because clearly he is a talented fighter. If he started quicker and put more pressure on from the early rounds, I think he would have got the win. Billy Joe will now go on to fight for world honours, but you have to respect Eubank Jnr – he took a huge risk for short money. Forgetting the noise around him, he is a talented fighter and I'm sure he will come again. When your dad is telling everyone you’re the best since Sugar Ray Leonard, you are in a no-win situation . Eubank Jnr throws a big right, which Saunders manages to evade, in his defeat but he will come again . I flew to LA last week to speak to Al Haymon about making a number of huge fights and also about staging fights in the US. The talks were extremely productive and I should have some exciting news on that front soon. The always popular Prizefighter series returns to Sky Sports this Saturday and you can expect fireworks from this exciting line up. Eight lightweights battle it out for the £32,000 first prize - it's a fascinating line up with experienced former domestic champs Gary Buckland and Stephen Foster Jnr the favourites - look out for the lively young Irishman Jono Carroll who is all action! Also on the bill one of our top young fighters Martin J Ward takes on Maxi Hughes in a super-featherweight eliminator. It's a cracking little fight - we have high hopes for Ward and expect him to shine bright. | Kevin Johnson will try to rile Anthony Joshua at Wednesday's conference .
I back unbeaten Joshua to be the first man to stop the American .
Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora was the dullest heavyweight fight I've seen .
Talks have started to have Tony Bellew's world title fight versus Marco Huck or Yoan Hernandez at Goodison Park .
Details nearly finalised for Paul Smith-Arthur Abraham Feb 21 rematch .
Chris Eubank Jnr looked like a talented novice but he'll come again . |
282,436 | f9cfe20f532bfe779fc131a0054addc67703f285 | TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The young woman who last weekend emerged as a powerful symbol of opposition to the Iranian government embraced life in many ways, but there was little about her that would have led her friends to predict she would become a martyr, one of them told CNN. Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, enjoyed music and was looking forward to learning how to play the piano. Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, rose to prominence within hours after a crudely shot video documenting her final moments was uploaded to the Web shortly after she died Saturday from a single gunshot wound to the chest. "It's heartbreaking," President Obama said Tuesday in Washington, referring to the video of the woman the world has come to know simply as Neda, which means "divine calling" in Farsi. "And I think anyone who sees it knows there's something fundamentally unjust about it." Since Saturday, the Iranian government has sought to minimize the impact of her death, but one of her friends on Tuesday described her to CNN in an attempt to inject life and context into what has been -- for much of the rest of the world -- just a few seconds of powerful, if grainy, video. Much about her remains unclear, but here is what CNN has learned from at least one source: . The second of three children, Neda lived with her parents in a middle-class neighborhood east of Tehran. She was a happy, positive person. Though she studied philosophy and religion at the Azad Islamic University, she was more spiritual than religious. She also loved music. She once studied violin but had given it up and was planning to take up piano next. She had just bought a piano, but it had not yet been delivered. Her demeanor was typically calm, even serene, but she had a quirky, playful sense of humor. A friend recalled that once, when Neda was visiting her friend's house, she picked up a white Teddy bear, took off her big, purple-studded earrings and put them on the bear. Then she removed a necklace from around the neck of a friend and put it around the bear's neck, taking delight in the bear's transformation. She liked to travel, having visited Turkey three months ago with a tour group. And she believed in human rights, her friend said. See gallery of Neda and the effect of her life » . That may have explained why she was at an anti-government demonstration in Tehran on Saturday afternoon. After being stuck in traffic for more than an hour inside a Peugeot 206 -- a subcompact with a poorly working air conditioner -- Neda and a family friend decided to get out of the car for some fresh air. Shaky video captured on a cell phone shows her walking with the man, a teacher of music and philosophy, near an anti-government demonstration. The two are near where protesters were chanting in opposition to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose calls for an end to anti-government demonstrations have sparked defiance across the nation. Neda, wearing a baseball cap over a black scarf, a black shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes, does not appear to be chanting and seems to be observing the demonstration. Suddenly, Neda is on the ground -- felled by a single gunshot wound to the chest. Several men kneel at her side and place pressure on her chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "She has been shot! Someone, come and take her!" shouts one man. By now, Neda's eyes have rolled to her right; her body is limp. Blood streams from her mouth, then from her nose. For a second, her face is hidden from view as the phone camera goes behind one of the men. When Neda's face comes back into view, it is covered with blood. Then, the teacher pleads with her by name. "Neda, do not be afraid, do not be afraid," he repeats. Another man curses as the first man begins to wail. "Somebody come and get her in a car and take her away!" a voice pleads. She was taken to a nearby hospital and, within a day, she was buried at Behesht Zahra, the city's largest Muslim cemetery, on the outskirts of the capital. A friend of hers interprets the fact that her body was released so quickly as a tacit acknowledgment by the government that the killing was carried out by government forces. That theory is supported by the fact that Iran's strict gun-control laws mean private citizens cannot carry firearms, the friend said. Since her death, public displays of mourning for Neda have been prohibited, the friend said. A gathering of about 60 people at a mosque was broken up by members of the Basij, the pro-government vigilantes blamed for much of the violence against demonstrators, according to New York Times columnist Roger Cohen, who observed the incident. iReport.com: Share your views on unrest in Iran . Neda's family has not been allowed to post a black banner of mourning outside the family's house, the friend said. Yet Neda's influence may not diminish soon. Under Muslim tradition, the seventh and 40th days after someone dies are devoted to mourning and reflection. | Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, was the second of three children from middle-class family .
Friend said she was happy, serene, spiritual -- with a quirky sense of humor .
Neda once played the violin but gave it up; she wanted to learn to play the piano .
In her last moments, she's seen observing a protest when single bullet hits her . |
218,814 | a73cb273a06bb1fd6ee455451c00382ac009460a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:38 EST, 3 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:55 EST, 3 November 2012 . The polling station at Hikkim, said to be the world's highest, is gearing up as residents in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh prepare to vote in the regional elections tomorrow. The small, green-roofed building is located in the Himalayas at some 15,500ft above sea level. Voters from three villages in the predominantly Buddhist area will cast their ballots at the Hikkim polling centre. Poll position: Two women on their way home after voting in the 2009 election at the highest polling station (green-roofed building) in the world, located in the Himalayas . 'The Hikkim polling station caters to the three villages of Komik, Langche and Hikkim and has 326 voters,' SS Guleria - senior official in Lahaul and Spiti district, close to the Tibetan border - told the BBC. The state government recently built a new road that winds its way up the mountain to these remote hamlets but the region can be cut off from the rest of the world for up to half a year due to heavy snowfall. Night temperatures in the area have already dropped to around -5C (23F). Votes for women! Local ladies proudly showing their ID cards as they queue to cast their votes in 2009 . Night temperatures in the area have already dropped to around -5C (23F) There's a school and Hikkim also boasts the highest post-office in the world, but there are no telephone lines. 'The election team is equipped with very . high frequency communication sets, including satellite phones, to . conduct polling on Sunday' Mr Guleria told reporters. In total, some 44million voters will be casting their ballots in these elections, at over 50,000 polling stations. Campaigning ended on Friday. Local residents said even though none of the candidates have scaled the mountain to visit them, they're still looking forward to the election. Top of the world: At 15,500 feet above sea level Hikkim is one of the highest settled communities on Earth . Wealthy: Congress nominee Brij Bihari lal Butail . Contesting an election has become a game for the moneyed class, and those who are without the 'cash power' can just dream. In a hill state like Himachal Pradesh where resources are meagre and infrastructure is poor, politicians are becoming rich and reaching the Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) without hurdles. According to an analysis by the NGO National Election Watch, more crorepati (ie those worth more than 10million rupees) politicians are contesting elections this time around compared to the last elections held in 2007. In the 2007 elections, there were only 16 per cent crorepatis contestants. This time they have registered a growth of 17 per cent, making 33 per cent candidates contesting for the Vidhan Sabha. Brij Bihari Lal Butail, who is the Congress nominee in the Palampur constituency, is worth Rs 169 crore, followed by Balbir Singh Verma, who is contesting the election from the Chopal constituency as an Independent, and owns property worth Rs 41 crore. Ram Kumar Chaudhary, who is the son of former Congress MLA Lajja Ram Chaudhary and is contesting from the Doon constituency on a Congress ticket, is worth Rs 36 crore. Congress's chief ministerial candidate Virbhadra Singh is the fourth wealthiest politician, and owns property worth Rs 33 crore. Rajinder Singh Rana, the former BJP spokesperson who has been expelled from the party for contesting the election against the party nominee from Sujanpur (Hamirpur) constituency, is worth Rs 22 crore. Kamal Patiyal, who was expelled by the Congress for contesting the election against the party nominee in Dharamsala is also a corepapti and owns property worth Rs 18 crore. Rajesh Sharma of Kangra and Dharamvir Singh of Kullu, both Congress rebels, also own properties worth Rs 18 crore each. Interestingly, there are 20 candidates whose property is priced below rs 1 lakh. Om Prakash of HSP from Baijnath constituency has declared the lowest assets, worth only Rs 2,000, followed by Rama Mahendra of HSP from Palampur with assets worth Rs 10,000 and Shiv Kumar of SP from Sarkaghat constituency with assets worth Rs 10,000. Seventy-nine out of the 445 (18 per cent) candidates analysed in the Himachal Pradesh 2012 Assembly Elections have not declared their PAN (income tax card) details. In 2007 elections, 169 out of 327 (52 per cent) candidates analysed had not declared their PAN details. This year too, three crorepati candidates, Vijay Jayoti (IND) from Kasumpti constituency, Tikender Panwar (CPM) from Shimla constituency and Vijay Kumar (SP) from Nahan constituency, have not declared their PAN details. | Hikkim polling centre is in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh . |
218,936 | a7613e61e4e066dd075a56c6ae9c6b232546b32f | By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 09:34 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:12 EST, 5 September 2013 . The parents of a teenage couple who ran away ten days ago are desperately searching for the 13 and 14-year-old and today have begged them to come home or at least make contact. The Isabella County Sheriff’s Department . says Jayden Thomas, 13, and Braxton Wood, 14, were last seen on Monday, August 26, in Clare, Michigan. Braxton took his mother's Ford Explorer. Since then, neither family have heard anything from them. Both sets of parents said the young couple's relationship had grown too serious too soon. They were said to have been very upset at the news they would be going to different Michigan high schools, which they would have started this week. Jayden's mother also revealed that she told her daughter she no longer supported the six-month relationship. She ran away some time later. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Missing: The Isabella County Sheriff's Department says Jayden Thomas, 13, and Braxton Wood, 14, were last seen on Monday, August 26 in Clare . Missing: Jayden, right, is described as 5' 3" tall and weighs about 120lbs. She has blonde hair and hazel/blue eyes. Braxton, left, is 5' 8"s tall, weighs 125lbs and has blonde hair and blue eyes . Vehicle: The teens are believed to be driving a 2005 black ford explorer which belongs to Braxton's mom . Brandon's father, pictured with his mother Sarah Kiley, said: 'It's like a nightmare. You don't know what to do, where to go or who to call' Kelly Drinkwine said: 'It's like they fell off the face of the earth. No one can find them. 'She wrote a message for me in lipstick on the mirror saying, "I love you so much, stay happy and beautiful". 'They are two babies trying to take on the world. There are mean, horrible people out there. Just come home, baby. Just come home.' She said their six-month relationship was too serious and Jayden said she could not live without Braxton. 'That's when I felt I had to bring my daughter back to reality. The day she left I told her I no longer supported their relationship.' Brandon's father Ed Wood told WZZM13: 'It's like a nightmare. You don't know what to do, where to go or who to call.' Braxton's mother, Sarah Kiley. 'They can't live on their own. They are 13 and 14 years old. They didn't want to do anything but be with each other. It was pretty intense for a 14-year-old. Sarah told ABC: 'We looked around the house and realized Braxton was missing and we still didn't comprehend it because Braxton hasn't had driver's training. He is a young 14, so no drivers' experience whatsoever.' She said she became concerned when the two of them started alienating friends so they could spend all their time together. 'They didn't want to hang out with friends. Their focus was each other and that's pretty intense for 14-year-olds,' Kiley said, adding that her son did not take the news they were going to different high schools very well. 'Braxton told us he was heartbroken. We thought that they had cooled and not seeing each other anymore,' she said. Jayden's mother Kelly Drinkwine said: 'It's like they fell off the face of the earth. No one can find them. They are two babies trying to take on the world. There are mean, horrible people out there' Broke: Their parents believe they only had approximately $80, a video game console, a coin collection and other items that could be sold for cash . Appeal: The missing posters circulated around the area for the teens who have been gone for ten days . Jayden is described as five feet, three inches tall and weighs about 120lbs. She has blonde hair and hazel/blue eyes. Braxton is five feet, inches inches tall, weighs 125lbs and has blonde hair and blue eyes. Their parents believe they only had approximately $80, a video game console, a coin collection and other items that could be sold for cash. West Michigan private eye Mike Cook is part of the team trying to find the teenagers. 'Trying to find these two has been a little bit more difficult than any of us would have thought,' he said. 'They are 13 and 14-years-old, boyfriend and girlfriend. It's our impression they have not made contact with anyone. 'We know they have been in western Michigan. We know they have been throughout central Michigan. 'The last area we know for sure is the Mt Pleasant area, but it's been a few days since we've had a good solid lead of where we knew they were.' He added that the teens have likely run out of money and will likely start 'doing things you don't want to see kids do to make money'. Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. | Jayden Thomas, 13, and Braxton Wood, 14, were last seen on Monday, August 26 .
Only had $80 between them and some sellable items .
Parents do not know why they would run away but said the six-month relationship was 'too serious'
Said they could not live without each other .
Jayden's mother told her on the day she ran away that she didn't support the relationship . |
50,931 | 901e2e21d271320f233e3d400003d420caeef715 | Chelsea inflicted Maribor's first defeat in nine Champions League games this season with a show of strength at Stamford Bridge. Didier Drogba scored his first goal since his return to the club from the penalty spot after Loic Remy's opener. John Terry added a second before the break before a Mitja Viler own goal and two strikes from Eden Hazard put the icing on a big win. The only bad mark on the night for the Blues was an injury to Remy - likely leaving veteran Drogba to start against Manchester United on Sunday with Diego Costa also suffering from injury. CHELSEA (4-2-3-1) Petr Cech - 6.5 . Had little to do on his return to action in place of Thibaut Courtois. Went the right way for Agim Ibraimi's penalty but could only watch as it rebounded away off the post. Petr Cech makes his point known to a team-mate as Filipe Luis looks on during Chelsea's 3-0 win . Branislav Ivanovic - 6.5 . Got forward as usual and won the penalty for the first of Hazard's double. Kurt Zouma - 6.5 . A simple start to his Champions League career. Zouma dealt well with what was thrown at him, particularly in the air, but bigger tests are to come. John Terry - 7 . Untroubled at the back so was free to play his part at the other end. An assist was followed by a goal as he galloped up-field to knock in Cesc Fabregas' cut-back. John Terry was delighted to score his first Champions League goal of the season to make it 3-0 to Chelsea . Filipe Luis - 7 . With Maribor fielding two full-backs down the right flank, Luis had plenty of chance to get forward. Did brilliantly to evade a challenge and cross for the Viler own goal. Cesc Fabregas - 7 . A class act again in midfield - linked up brilliantly with Hazard especially for Terry's goal. Another assist in blue. Nemanja Matic - 7 . Provided a solid base but gave away a penalty before Viler hit the post. Nemanja Matic takes control of the centre of midfield up against Maribor's Agim Ibraimi . Willian - 7 . Mourinho has asked him to improve his end product. Came close by hitting the bar and was constantly a danger. Oscar - 7 . Looked dangerous again after an impressive performance at Crystal Palace but no goal this time. A goalscorer at Crystal Palace this weekend, Oscar tries to perform some acrobatics up against Marko Suler . Eden Hazard - 8 . Two late goals capped an impressive performance - Hazard was everywhere and Maribor struggled to get to grips with him. Loic Remy- 7 . Good effort for the goal but pulled up lame and now likely to miss trip to Old Trafford. Eden Hazard celebrates scoring his side's sixth goal in their third group game of the season . VIDEO We are playing with confidence - Mourinho . SUBSTITUTES . Didier Drogba - (for Remy, 16 mins) 6.5 . Emotional moment with his first goal back at Chelsea but still not quite the presence he once was. Nathan Ake - (for Fabregas, 60 mins) 6 . Replaced Fabregas in midfield and looked confident. Good pass for Hazard's second. Dominic Solanke came on as a substitute for Oscar to make his debut on 73 minutes . Dominic Solanke - (for Oscar, 73 mins) 6 . Made some smart runs but not enough time to make an impact. MANAGER . Jose Mourinho - 7 . Gave the kids a chance and will now look forward to a tough trip to Old Trafford. Jose Mourinho gave Dominic Solanke his debut and also brought on Nathan Ake in the second half . MARIBOR (4-4-2) Jasmin Handanovic - 5, Petar Stojanovic - 5, Aleksander Rajcevic - 5, Marko Suler - 5, Mitja Viler - 5, Ales Mejac - 6, Ales Mertelj - 5, Zeljko Filipovic - 6, Damjan Bohar - 5, Agim Ibraimi - 5, Marcos Tavares - 5 . SUBSTITUTES . Dare Vrsic - (for Viler, 57 mins) 5, Luka Zahovic - (for Ibraimi, 68 mins) 5, Jean Philippe Mendy - (for Tavares, 72 mins) 5 . MANAGER . Ante Simundza - 5 . REFEREE . Danny Makkelie (Holland) - 6.5 . | Eden Hazard's two goals crowned a superb showing against Maribor .
Chelsea's defence had little to do - leaving them to run forward .
John Terry scored and Branislav Ivanovic won a penalty . |
115,232 | 20b3ef021a2a3cb43645127946c61f48e4b94475 | (CNN) -- Loyda Rodriguez says she can still remember the day her daughter was taken. What began as a simple walk home from a shopping trip more than five years ago became a nightmare, she says. "November 3, 2006, is when they stole my daughter," she told CNN Thursday. "I had left to go shopping. When I came back, I did not realize that a woman was following me. When I entered my house, my daughter stayed on the patio, and that was when she was taken." But that account is not what she has told other news organizations in describing what happened that day. In 2008, she told ABC News a woman appeared in her backyard and grabbed her out of her arms, while she was trying to enter her house. Last year, the Associated Press reported that Rodriguez felt someone tug at her daughter as she tried to enter her home, and then turned to see a woman get into a waiting taxi, along with her young daughter. And the El Periodico newspaper reported that Rodriguez said she left her daughter on the patio with other children while she went to deal with clothes on the terrace. Reached Friday by phone, Rodriguez told CNN she does not remember telling ABC or anyone that the girl was snatched from her arms. She said she's given multiple interviews on the case, and stood by what she said earlier -- that she left the girl outside after returning from a shopping trip. It all happened in about two minutes, Rodriguez said. Now, the 7-year-old girl is at the center of an international custody dispute. She is a child with two identities, in two countries, with two sets of parents who claim her as their own. In Missouri, they call her Karen. In Guatemala, she is known as Anyeli. Guatemalan authorities say Anyeli was snatched from Rodriguez and sold to an international adoption agency. Last year, a Guatemalan judge ruled that the girl belonged with Rodriguez and not with her adoptive U.S. parents. The Guatemalan government suspended adoptions in 2007 after authorities found multiple cases of falsified birth certificates and paperwork, as well as alleged thefts of babies. This week, the U.S. State Department weighed in on the case of the 7-year-old girl, saying a U.S. state court would have to decide whether the girl should return to Guatemala, because when the incident happened, the two countries had not yet signed an international treaty dealing with abducted children. "Our view remains that, at the time, this appeared to be a legitimate adoption. So again, our preferred course of action would be for any claims to be pursued in the state courts of the United States," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. Rodriguez told CNN she was devastated by the news. "I feel very sad, and I am still suffering, because I had hope that the United States would respond to me and would return my daughter. ... I do not know why they are unfair, because I have my rights, because I am her real mother," she said. In Guatemala at least 10 people have been charged with human trafficking in connection with the case of this adoptive girl. So far, two of those people have been convicted, and the others are awaiting trial. That's more than enough proof, Rodriguez says, that her daughter should come home. "There is very important evidence, which revealed that she was stolen from me, and DNA evidence proves that I am her real mother," she told CNN. However, a source with knowledge of the case told CNN that while Rodriguez's DNA matches the DNA of a child brought to the embassy in Guatemala, there is no evidence the child in question in the United States is the same child tested at the embassy. Also, questions have been raised about whether the person presenting the child at the embassy was, in fact, Rodriguez's sister, which casts doubt on the kidnapping story, the source said. Guatemalan authorities say the adoption agency falsified documents to make the girl eligible for adoption, something that the adoptive parents in Missouri apparently didn't know. Rodriguez says she now hopes to go to court in Missouri to get her daughter back. The adoptive parents were unavailable for comment, referring CNN to their lawyer in Washington, who declined to comment. Last year a family representative said the adoptive parents would "continue to advocate for the safety and best interests of their legally adopted child. They remain committed to protecting their daughter from additional traumas as they pursue the truth of her past through appropriate legal channels." | The mother has given various accounts of how the child disappeared .
The 7-year-old girl is at the center of an international custody dispute .
The U.S. State Department says the case should be settled in U.S. state courts . |
239,238 | c1bdae8cbbd8cad919de3ecba5a3d40fe3424991 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:43 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 13 March 2014 . A federal judge Wednesday dismissed charges against an Indian diplomat whose New York arrest and strip search spurred an international scandal. A ruling filed today said Devyani Khobragade, India's former deputy consul-general, had diplomatic immunity when she was indicted on charges of fraudulently obtaining a work visa for her housekeeper and lying about the maid's pay January 9. But the ruling leaves open the possibility prosecutors could bring a new indictment against her. The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan hasn't commented on its plans. Scroll down for video . Cleared: A federal judge dismissed charges against Devyani Khobragade, 39, saying she had diplomatic immunity when she was indicted on charges of fraudulently obtaining a work visa for her housekeeper . Khobragade's attorney, Daniel Arshack, said she feels the rule of law prevailed. ‘The law requires that any prosecution brought against an individual with diplomatic immunity must be dismissed, Arshack said. After . being indicted, she complied with a Department of State order to leave . the U.S. in January. The Indian government then asked Washington to . withdraw a diplomat from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. The U.S. complied. Prosecutors accused Khobragade of making Sangeeta Richard, her housekeeper and nanny, work 100-hour weeks at a salary of just over $1 an hour, far below the legal minimum U.S. wage of $7.25 an hour. They argued that the indictment should stand because Khobragade did not have diplomatic immunity either when she was arrested, or now given that she has left the country. New life: Khobragade's attorney said the mother of two is now working for India's foreign affairs ministry in Delhi . U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin said, however, Khobragade had that immunity on January 9 when the indictment was issued, having the day before been named a counselor to India's mission to the United Nations. ‘Even if Khobragade had no immunity at the time of her arrest and has none now, her acquisition of immunity during the pendency of proceedings mandates dismissal.’ she wrote. ‘The government may not proceed on an indictment obtained when Khobragade was immune from the jurisdiction of the court.’ She also lifted Khobragade's bail and said open arrest warrants based on the indictment must be thrown out. Khobragade is now working for India's foreign affairs ministry in Delhi, said her U.S. lawyer.Federal prosecutors have not said whether they will seek a new indictment. Back home: Devyani Khobragade is pictured with her father, left, as she arrives back in Delhi in January . ‘As the court indicated in its . decision, and as Devyani Khobragade has conceded, there is currently no . bar to a new indictment against her for her alleged criminal conduct, . and we intend to proceed accordingly,’ said James Margolin, a spokesman . for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan. In . January, Khobragade, 39, told an Indian newspaper about her ‘immense . stress’ at leaving behind her daughters - aged seven and four - in New . York along with her husband, who is a U.S. citizen and works as an . academic. ‘I wonder if I will be able to ever reunite with my family, my husband, my little kids. I miss them,’ she told The Sunday Express at the time. Khobragade was charged by a federal grand jury in Manhattan earlier this year with visa fraud and making false statements in a case that has triggered an outcry in India. She was accused of fraudulently obtaining a work visa for her New York City housekeeper. The indictment said Khobragade had made multiple false representations to U.S. authorities, or caused them to be made, to obtain a visa for a personal domestic worker. Khobragade, 39, was accused of exploiting her . Indian-born housekeeper and nanny by paying her well under the U.S. minimum wage . Philip Richard, the husband of housekeeper . Sangeeta Richard (pictured), filed a court petition in New Delhi saying . that his wife was being worked from 6am to 11pm every day by diplomat . Devyani Khobragade . She planned to bring the worker to the . United States in September 2012 when she worked at the Consulate General . of India in New York, according to the indictment. Khobragade, . 39, India's deputy consul general in New York, has maintained her . innocence to accusations that she claimed to pay her Indian maid $4,500 . per month but actually gave her far less than the U.S. minimum wage. Her . arrest sparked outrage in India after revelations that she . was strip-searched and thrown in a cell with other criminal defendants . before being released on $250,000 bail. In . a letter to the judge, prosecutors said there was no need for an . arraignment because Khobragade had 'very recently' been given diplomatic . immunity status to leave the United States. Devyani Khobragade was arrested December 2013 after being accused of lying on a visa application for her . housekeeper and paying her only $3 per hour . | Devyani Khobragade left the U.S. in January after being charged with visa fraud in trying to obtain a work visa for her NYC housekeeper .
Her husband, a U.S. citizen, and two daughters - aged seven and four - remain in New York .
Federal judge ruled Wednesday that the 39-year-old embassy official had diplomatic immunity at the time of her indictment .
Khobragade's attorney said his client feels that rule of law prevailed . |
243,939 | c7bdce516e34234d4567a07eb82fc2d83f9000dd | (Coastal Living) -- Until recently, only soldiers could take full advantage of this place. They got to wander the bluffs above the Pacific, with unforgettable views of rugged cliffs, hidden beaches and a sea-green bay rimmed by mountains. The Golden Gate Bridge anchors one leg on the Presidio's shores. Today, everyone can see the Presidio up close. And they can do something former residents of the army barracks could never imagine -- stroll a few steps for café au lait or a Swedish massage. The area brims with lively, new restaurants, distinctive architecture and the same panoramas once reserved for gunmen perched in their sky-high batteries. The makeover has been a work in progress for years. The Spanish first developed the military post in 1776, and in 1846 the U.S. Army moved in. In 1994, the National Park Service took over, and the Presidio slowly became green space in San Francisco's front yard. Almost twice the size of New York's Central Park, the 1,491 acres of sprawling eucalyptus forests and waterfront blot out urban bustle. "It's so peaceful and serene. It's hard to believe you're in the heart of the city," says the Presidio Trust's Dana Polk, the park's administrator. CoastalLiving.com: Restaurants in San Francisco's Presidio . To begin your tour, grab a map at the visitors center (located at the former Officer's Club). Hidden treasures -- a breathtaking golf course, secluded beaches -- are scattered among the park's nooks and crannies. The Golden Gate, which anchors one leg on the Presidio's shores, is probably the park's most famous site, but the Victorians, Mission Revivals, and 470 other historic military structures rank a close second. Coastal defense batteries dating from the late 1800s dot the shoreline. Twenty-four miles of hiking and biking trails wind through sun-dappled woods and edge sea cliffs. Baker Beach, and its in-your-face view of the world's most photographed bridge, is perfect for picnics. But be warned: The northern end of the beach is also popular for clothing-optional sunbathing. For top-notch (clothed) people-watching, wander former airstrip Crissy Field's waterfront promenade. CoastalLiving.com: California's Coastal Parks . In the most recent phase of the Presidio's transformation, businesses have been moving into its historic spaces. The meticulously preserved structures, with terra-cotta roofs and creamy stucco exteriors, now house hip eateries and other draws, including a spa. More restaurants are on the way. Tom Bensel plans to open his popular French bistro, Left Bank, in the Presidio this spring. "Where else can you drink a glass of organic wine in an old airplane hangar?" he asks. Even George Lucas pays rent here. A 3-foot statue of Yoda guards his film company's headquarters. If the Jedi Master doesn't put a smile on your face, this should: Walking among the aromatic cypress and drifting fog, remember that until a few decades ago, only soldiers had it this good. Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright © Coastal Living, 2009 . | The Spanish first developed the Presidio in 1776 .
In 1846 the U.S. Army moved in .
Recently businesses have been moving into its historic spaces . |
100,101 | 0cf83c28985e9efe58f9c52d58c596dabc73f317 | By . Snejana Farberov . Politics as usual: Tito Jackson Jr, mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, claims he was punched in the face by a rival's 80-year-old father outside a polling station . A small-town New Jersey mayor claims he was punched in the face by a political rival's octogenarian father after voting in Tuesday's election. Tito Jackson Jr, the mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, has filed a complaint with the local police accusing Salvatore Trotta of assaulting him outside the polling station. ‘I cast my vote, he was waiting by my car, he shook my hand and wouldn't let go of my hand,’ Mr Jackson told PolitickerNJ. Jackson, a Democrat, and Mr Trotta got into a shoving match until the elderly man punched the mayor in the face. Trotta, 80, is the father of Tina Trotta, who is running for a city council seat against a crop of candidates supported by Mayor Jackson. Ms Trotta is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit asking the borough of Bogota to replace dozens of trees that had been chopped down to make way for a parking lot. Following the incident, Jackson, who is married and has a daughter in her early 20s, said that his much older opponent did not beat him up, but delivered a single blow to his face. ‘He took my phone out of my hand and punched me,’ Jackson summed up. ‘I'm not hurt. My face is a little swollen.’ However, Salvatore Trotta presented his own version of events differing from the mayor’s. Rivalry: Jackson's attacker is the father of Tina Trotta, who is running for city council against a crop of candidates supported by the mayor . The 80-year-old claimed that he struck Mayor Jackson in self-defense outside the polling place. Mr Trotta explained that he approached Jackson, the two men shook hands, and he asked the mayor if he had cut down trees in a parking lot. In response, the mayor allegedly told Trotta: 'Your daughter is nothing but a money-hungry piece of s***.' Some more words were exchanged, after which Trotta claims Jackson shoved him. ‘He jumped all over me. I went back two feet,’ said Tina Trotta’s father, who worked in the securities industry until his retirement. Violent encounter: Mayor Jackson, who is married (pictured left), says he was ambushed by Sal Trotta next to his car and struck in the face, leaving it swollen . The 80-year-old man says he plans to file his own complaint with police accusing Mayor Jackson of assault. Tito Jackson was appointed last November and is now seeking the Democratic nomination for a one-year term to continue as mayor. | Tito Jackson Jr, mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, filed a complaint accusing Sal Trotta, 80, of assaulting him .
Trotta is the father of Tina Trotta, who is running for city council seat against candidates backed by the mayor .
Mayor Jackson allegedly told Sal Trotta his daughter was 'nothing but a money-hungry piece of 's***' |
260,441 | dd40f82d93966aad51bcf33050f7c346322d39e7 | By . John Mcdonnell . Last updated at 3:57 PM on 5th July 2011 . Amanda Knox's best friend is so convinced of the innocence of the convicted murderer that she has moved to Italy to be by her side. Madison Paxton has spoken candidly about her regular visits to her 'confidante' in jail and revealed that they sometimes can do nothing but 'hug and cry'. Knox is serving 26 years in jail for the brutal knife murder of British student Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found semi naked and with her throat cut. Close: Madison Paxton, left, is now working as a newspaper photographer in Italy after moving from Seattle to be near to her best friend Amanda Knox (right), who is serving 26 years for murder . Victim: English student Meredith Kercher was found murdered in November 2007 . After her conviction in December 2009, . Knox wrote to Paxton to tell her of her plans if her appeal was . successful - 'ride my bike through Seattle, get married, have children'. But if her appeal was unsuccessful, Knox said she planned to 'get a few degrees, work as a translator', Paxton revealed. Last November, Paxton, 24, moved 5,000 . miles from Seattle to Italy to be close to her friend, and she now has a . job as a photographer on a local newspaper. In an interview with Grazia, Paxton revealed that Knox is keeping busy in jail by studying foreign languages, singing in a choir and learning to play the guitar - but she often breaks down. 'On Amanda's down days there's little I can do. We just hug, cry and thank each other for existing.' She also told how despite Knox, nicknamed 'Foxy Knoxy', receiving 'bundles' of letters of support and marriage proposals from strangers, there is a 'stigma' attached to being friends with the convicted murderer. 'Strangers have spat in our friends' faces and I've received abusive Facebook messages,' Paxton said. Real life: Amanda Knox is led into court in December as she continues to fight for an appeal to prove her innocence in the murder of British student Meredith Kercher . Fictional portrayal: Hayden Panettiere stars as Amanda Knox in the controversial TV movie that has upset everyone involved in the case . Graphic: 'Meredith' lies helplessly on the floor as she is attacked in the TV film portrayal . Lawyers for Amanda Knox are battling to block a TV film about the murder of Meredith Kercher being shown it Italy before the American exchange student's appeal later this year. Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy was broadcast in the U.S. in February, despite legal objections, but now there is a fight on to stop distribution of the film, which sees Heroes actress Hayden Panettiere portraying Knox and playing an active part in the terrible events. In the disturbing footage, Meredith is seen being held down on the floor by Knox's former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who was convicted of murder with her and Rudy Guede, who was found guilty at an earlier trial. Knox's lawyers claim the film amounts to 'character assassination' of their client and Sollecito, and have even asked for the trailer to be removed from YouTube. The trailer opens with a scene of Knox at home in Seattle surrounded by her father Curt and mother Edda Mellas as they give her a champagne send off as she begins a year abroad in the Italian town of Perugia. It then cuts to her meeting Sollecito at a concert and shows the start of their relationship before switching to a police chief who tells a press conference: 'This was a sex game... Amanda orchestrated the attack.' He then adds: 'Under the angel face, she is capable of anything.' The film, which has been slammed as 'horrific' by Meredith's parents, was shot in Rome during October and November after officials in Perugia denied filmmakers access. Paxton also revealed how the guards in the prison where Knox is being held seem 'sympathetic' towards her plight. 'They sometimes give us chocolate as we chat,' Paxton said. Knox was found guilty after a . year-long trial, but in recent weeks there has been growing unease over . the strength of the evidence used to convict her and fellow accused . Raffaele Sollecito, 27. Last . week a DNA report drawn up by two independent experts said that DNA . found on a 30cm kitchen knife recovered form Sollecito's flat 'could not . be attributed with certainty to Meredith Kercher.' The . report went on to say there was a serious possibility that evidence had . been contaminated and that proper internationally recognised procedures . when collating and examining evidence had not been followed. Knox was given the news by fellow inmates at Capanne jail, near Perugia, after they saw the revelations on television. Clapping and cheering, inmates crowded round her - with many also embracing her and telling her it was only a matter of time before she was released. Knox's appeal will resume at the end of July. The damning report does mean chances of her being freed on appeal have risen significantly, although its claims must still be discussed in court and any decision is unlikely until the autumn. 'I hope more than anything that come September we can be roommates... But first we must prove she didn't kill her last one,' Paxton said. Meanwhile, lawyers for Knox have launched a legal bid to block a TV film about the murder of Meredith Kercher being shown outside the U.S. to prevent it scuppering the pending appeal. Partners in crime: Rudy Guede, left, and Knox's . boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of the killing of . Kercher along with the American . It has been claimed by lawyers that the film, which stars Hayden Panettiere as Knox, amounts to 'character assassination' of Knox and Sollecito, who is also appealing his murder conviction. A third defendant, small-time drug dealer Rudy Guede, an immigrant from the Ivory Coast, was also jailed in connection with the brutal killing. He was handed a 30-year sentence - later cut to 16 years - for murder and sexual violence following a fast-track trial in October 2008. | Madison Paxton now working as newspaper photographer in Italy .
Jail guards 'sympathetic' to Knox's plight, says friend .
Knox's lawyers try to block distribution of film about Kercher murder . |
59,239 | a82a5030f6464e885a24c164e950e31a9b05a630 | (CNN) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fired Vice Premier Qadri Jamil "due to his absence from office without notice," state television reported Tuesday. Jamil had carried out "unauthorized meetings abroad without coordinating with the government," the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said. A senior State Department official said that U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford met Saturday with Jamil in Geneva, Switzerland. "We meet lots of Syrians of all political backgrounds," the official said. "We're not going to give a list, but we do regularly meet Syrians with direct contacts with the regime in Damascus." He added, "We are clear: There is no military solution for either side. There needs to be a political negotiation for a new, transitional governing body chosen by mutual consent with full executive powers." Jamil represents the Popular Front for Change and Liberation, which is part of the "internal opposition" formed by the government of Bashar al-Assad as part of a series of superficial measures intended to mollify its critics over the last two years. The announcement came on the same day the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem met with U.N. Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi and discussed efforts to hold an international conference on Syria in Geneva. "Minister al-Moallem affirmed that Syria will participate in the conference on the basis of the Syrian people's exclusive right to decide upon their political future and choosing their leadership, rejecting any form of foreign interference, and having the dialogue in Geneva be between Syrians and led by Syria," SANA reported. CNN's Roba Alhenawi contributed to this report. | Vice Premier Qadri Jamil met with the U.S. ambassador to Syria on Saturday, official says .
He's accused of having "unauthorized meetings abroad" without government coordination .
Jamil represents the Popular Front for Change and Liberation . |
126,256 | 2f300b6af8dbb42cd06e32155e36fa45e8bb04c7 | The judge made the award to show ‘the courts and society’s . disapproval of the racial slurs’. By . Charles Walford . Last updated at 4:07 PM on 13th January 2012 . Don Lorenzo has been awarded damages for the physical and racial abuse he suffered at the hands of police . A former roadie for The Clash who was called a ‘f****** n***er’ as he was viciously assaulted by a group of policemen has won more than a year’s wages in damages. The judge said he made the award to Don Lorenzo, a Rastafarian, to show ‘the courts and society’s disapproval of the racial slurs’. Mr Lorenzo , 58, suffered cuts and bruises to his entire body in a 23-hour ordeal that happened outside his home and even in a police station after he was arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. The incident in 2007, in which up to 19 officers were involved, left him with carpel tunnel syndrome in his wrists which ended his career as an African drummer. Now in his case against West Midlands police a jury found in his favour following a six-day trial at Birmingham County Court. The judge, Recorder Adrian Jack, awarded the former freelance drummer - a roadie for rock legends The Clash, who sang the hit I Fought The Law And The Law Won - damages totalling £17,000 - including £5,000 in aggravated damage. He also awarded Mr Lorenzo 100 per cent of his costs estimated in the region of £50,000 against the Chief Constable of the West Midlands. Mr Jack also pointed out that Mr Lorenzo’s ‘extreme distress’ was ‘excacerbated by the racial abuse received on arrest’. After the award his solicitor Nick Turner said: ‘I’ve dealt with some cases of assault by police in my time, but this is tinged with terrible racism and leaves an awful taste in the mouth. ‘An innocent father was dealt with in a deplorable way and that was partly to do with the colour of his skin. ‘The case against the police was black and white and the jury rightly found in Mr Lorenzo’s favour.’ On November 20, 2007, Mr Lorenzo’s teenage daughter called the police falsely alleging he’d hit her when he arrived home in Edgbaston, Birmingham, accompanied by the caretaker for his block of flats. His daughter Kaya, now 20, had no marks on her and Don thought the police would tell her off for wasting their time. But . instead began a 23-hour ordeal with him being racially abused and . assaulted numerous times by police officers, the court was told. Bruised: Mr Lorenzo was put through a 23-hour ordeal after officers were called to his house by his daughter . Mr Lorenzo with his daughter Kaya, 20. He expected the police to tell her off for wasting their time as they responded to her report of an incident that never happened . He was punched in the mouth several times, kicked and dragged down five flights of stairs from his fifth storey home and then when taken to Bournville Lane Police Station - where he was assaulted again, the court heard. After his victory in court Don said: ‘All along I realised what was going on and that my action was against all the odds. ‘I am a realist and I knew that there was just me saying that 19 police officers were wrong. ‘I was acquitted in the criminal courts and this case was no different. The police officers have been shown to be racist. ‘They were shown to have called me a f***ing n***er when I was on the floor outside my home. ‘They continually racially abused me as they dragged me down the stairs. But justice has now been done with the jury finding in my favour and the judge awarding substantial damages.’ Mr Turner added: ‘The costs for bringing this claim are expected to be in the region of £50,000 on each side - that’s a bill of £100,000 for the British taxpayer. ‘There should be no place in society for racists, to find them in the police force is absolutely sickening. ‘Whilst . the Metropolitan Police appear to be learning the lessons of the . Macpherson Report they are clearly very hard of hearing in the West . Midlands. ‘This was a . very highly violent, racist assault by officers of the West Midlands . force on a UK citizen with Afro-Caribbean heritage and it was compounded . by his false imprisonment for more than 23 hours. ‘It . is astonishing that the police have never once apologised for their . actions - particularly with the damages being fixed so close to the . conviction of Gary Dobson and David Norris for the murder of Stephen . Lawrence when abhorrent racism is so prominent on our agenda as a . society.’ West Midlands Police requested leave to appeal. The force could not be reached for comment. Dan Lorenzo was a roadie for British rock band the Clash, whose members, pictured from left to right, were Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones . | Don Lorenzo was beaten after police were called to his house by his daughter .
The judge made the award to show ‘the courts and society’s .
disapproval of the racial slurs’. |
95,973 | 0769673ed1e3b29af671f2b65e0a9a43ec9d9f58 | By . Adam Crafton . Follow @@AdamCrafton_ . When Louis van Gaal leads his team out for the first time at Old Trafford against Valencia on Tuesday evening, we should receive a clear indication of the players that will form a central part of the Dutchman's plans at Old Trafford in the opening weeks of the season. With the likes of Anderson, Nani and Marouane Fellaini already cut adrift, Sportsmail identifies five players hoping to seal a place in the starting line-up for the visit of Swansea when the Barclays Premier League kicks off this weekend. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Van Gaal wants reinforcements . Home bow: Louis van Gaal takes charge of Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time on Tuesday . Warm welcome: Van Gaal has overseen a successful pre-season but much tougher challenges lie ahead . Danny Welbeck . Van Gaal's 3-5-2 system will bring a welcome end to the days where Welbeck would be expected to do a shift in the wide positions. His opportunities will now come through the middle and nobody should underestimate how important that is for the England forward. There was credence to the reports that Welbeck was considering a move towards the end of last season. He has always been a little sensitive to the microscope being placed over his goalscoring return when defensive priorities have been emphasised so much by previous managers David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson. Welbeck recorded a good return of 11 last season but only scored three after the turn of the year. If he is to flourish centrally, Van Gaal will need to count on Welbeck to hit 15 this season. With Robin van Persie still returning to peak condition after his World Cup exertions and doubts surrounding the future of Javier Hernandez, an eye-catching performance on Tuesday should see Welbeck seal his place in the starting line-up on Saturday. Point to prove: Danny Welbeck (left) must show he can fit into a side with Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney . Ashley Young . After a truly disappointing 18 months, Young's renaissance under Van Gaal has been nothing short of remarkable. Ineffectual and frustrating under Moyes, Young has been reenergised in the left wing-back position and looks likely to now be retained by the Dutchman. On the evidence of this summer, most United followers will agree with that decision and that would have been unthinkable at the end of last season. Nonetheless, it is still expected that Luke Shaw will be the first-choice option in the position but with Van Gaal making clear his doubts over the 19-year-old's fitness just a couple of weeks ago, Young could yet have the chance to start when the Premier League returns this weekend. Renaissance: Ashley Young (left) has enjoyed an impressive pre-season after struggling under David Moyes . Darren Fletcher . With Michael Carrick suffering a serious injury in pre-season, an opportunity has emerged in the midfield positions for Fletcher, who was outstanding in pre-season match against Real Madrid. Finally, after a debilitating bowel disorder that - as he admitted - left him one make-or-break procedure away from retirement, Fletcher appears to be back to his best. Still only 30, a fit and dynamic Fletcher has much to offer to United and his courage has only increased his popularity among the Old Trafford support. The Scot only made 12 starts last season and Moyes, it is understood, would have been open to the idea of selling him if United received the right offer this summer. That would now appear unlikely under Van Gaal, with Ander Herrera the only arrival in central midfield and Fletcher demonstrating his credentials so clearly in the USA. VIDEO Van Gaal wants reinforcements . Back in favour: Darren Fletcher could have a key role to play in the Manchester United midfield this season . Tom Cleverley . The scapegoat for many of United's ills last season, Cleverley certainly appears more relaxed and content under the leadership of Van Gaal. The 25-year-old captained United in the States against Roma and he is determined to make it work at Old Trafford. At varying points, Ferguson, Moyes, Roberto Martinez, Gary Neville, Roy Hodgson and Ryan Giggs have all seen things they admire in this player and Van Gaal, also, sees a place for Cleverley in his squad. He will know that he must add more goals to his game and that he must bring greater control to the United midfield. Last season, he came up a little short - but then again, who didn't in a red shirt? With Carrick injured - and Fellaini and Anderson on their way out - Cleverley must shine this season. Getting stuck in: Tom Cleverley's career stalled last season and he must prove he can fulfil his potential . Shinji Kagawa . The Japanese playmaker has performed only in fits and starts in his two seasons at Old Trafford, although he would argue that he has been forced out of his favoured position behind the forwards and onto the left-wing all too often. Failed to score in 30 appearances under Moyes last season but Van Gaal appears to have seen something and Kagawa will act as back-up behind Juan Mata and the emerging Adnan Januzaj in the hole this season. If Mata is fit, he will start on Saturday but a classy performance from Kagawa at Old Trafford on Tuesday may cause Van Gaal a headache ahead of his first Premier League game this weekend. Last chance? Shinji Kagawa has yet to perform at his best after two years at Old Trafford . | Manchester United play Valencia in their final pre-season friendlyon Tuesday .
Louis van Gaal leads his side at Old Trafford for the first time .
Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young just two players with a point to prove . |
215,925 | a3878b3db49dc26d4c5ef4dde25678c022e6fb53 | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 09:02 EST, 30 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:25 EST, 30 October 2013 . Popular building game Minecraft already lets users create their own worlds, but a new 3D gaming map now lets them explore the whole of the UK and build new settlements in their virtual back gardens. Minecraft Britain was built using Ordnance Survey maps of the UK as a base and was constructed using 22 billion building blocks from the game. It covers the equivalent of 86,000 square miles of mainland Great Britain and the surrounding islands and each block represents 50 square metres. Ordnance Survey used 22 billion blocks from the popular building game Minecraft to create the 3D interactive map of mainland UK and its surrounding islands. The OS Minecraft world covers the equivalent of 86,000 square miles. This image shows the Minecraft version of Stonehenge in Wiltshire . This is how the Stonehenge landmark in Wiltshire looks in the real world . To help players navigate the interactive world, Ordnance Survey has also published a list of coordinates to various UK markers, including Stonehenge in Wiltshire. The map was built using OS OpenData - maps and mapping tools that Ordnance Survey lets developers use to develop alternative maps. Minecraft was created in 2009. At the start of the game, a player is put into a 'virtually infinite . game world.' They can then walk around different terrains, including mountains, forests and caves. Players can also fly up in the air for a birds-eye view of the landscape. Players are given blocks and tools to build towns and cities. As a player progresses they can earn advanced tools and building blocks in different materials. The game was initially made for the PC but there are now Xbox 360 and mobile versions available. For each 100 x 100 km grid square, developers from Ordnance Survey used height information for various buildings and landmarks. The left-hand image shows the Minecraft version of Snowdonia, while the right-hand image shows how the North Wales mountain range looks in real-life. Because the height of many buildings and landmarks in the UK is taller than Minecraft's built-in height limit, developers scaled them down so they would fit . Minecraft launched in 2009. At the start of the game, a player is put into a 'virtually infinite game world.' They can then walk around and build towns and cities. The game was initially made for the PC but there are now Xbox 360 and mobile versions available, pictured . Players need a licensed copy of Minecraft and around 5GB disk space on their PC. The world covers approximately 3.6GB uncompressed and needs a minimum 4GB of memory. To install the map, players should download the Minecraft-GB.zip archive . Unzip the archive to a temporary location. Open the readme.html file in a browser and follow the installation instructions. They then loaded images of all UK locations from the OS VectorMap District files. Each 20 x 20 pixel region of the map was analysed so the developers could select the correct colour, material and size of block. The raw height data was stored in metres, meaning the developers were scaled down to fit within the 256-block height limit in . Minecraft. Ben Nevis, for example, has a height of around 2,500 metres and this was converted into 128 blocks high. Ordnance Survey said in a blog post: 'Although this exaggerates the . real-world height, it preserves low-lying coastal features such as . Bournemouth's cliffs, adding interest to the landscape.' Developers used diamond blocks for motorways, emerald blocks for A roads and pumpkin blocks for B roads. Water, forests and built-up areas were created using the standard water, leaves and brick blocks. Following . this, groups of 32 x 32 chunks called regions were created and assembled together. Ordnance Survey said the whole process took around seven hours. The River Thames in East London is pictured. Ordnance Survey said the whole mapping process took around seven hours to complete. Each 20 x 20 pixel region of the map was analysed so the developers could select the correct colour, material and size of block . These images show a birds-eye view of Minecraft London with the River Thames flowing through the centre, left, and a satellite view of the same area of the Thames, right. To help players navigate the interactive world, Ordnance Survey has published a list of coordinates to various UK location, available inside the game . | Ordnance Survey used 22 billion blocks from the popular building game .
The 3D interactive map covers mainland UK and surrounding islands .
Each block represents 50 square metres and the map covers the equivalent of 220,000 square kilometres . |
173,584 | 6ca236ec0b3d0967013e8c1bb0da84a7769e05b9 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- A new space race is officially under way, and this one should have the sci-fi geeks salivating. Lift to space: This is a NASA interpretation of what a space elevator may look like. The project is a "space elevator," and some experts now believe that the concept is well within the bounds of possibility -- maybe even within our lifetimes. A conference discussing developments in space elevator concepts is being held in Japan in November, and hundreds of engineers and scientists from Asia, Europe and the Americas are working to design the only lift that will take you directly to the one hundred-thousandth floor. Despite these developments, you could be excused for thinking it all sounds a little far-fetched. Indeed, if successfully built, the space elevator would be an unprecedented feat of human engineering. A cable anchored to the Earth's surface, reaching tens of thousands of kilometers into space, balanced with a counterweight attached at the other end is the basic design for the elevator. It is thought that inertia -- the physics theory stating that matter retains its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force -- will cause the cable to stay stretched taut, allowing the elevator to sit in geostationary orbit. The cable would extend into the sky, eventually reaching a satellite docking station orbiting in space. Engineers hope the elevator will transport people and objects into space, and there have even been suggestions that it could be used to dispose of nuclear waste. Another proposed idea is to use the elevator to place solar panels in space to provide power for homes on Earth. If it sounds like the stuff of fiction, maybe that's because it once was. In 1979, Arthur C. Clarke's novel "The Fountains of Paradise" brought the idea of a space elevator to a mass audience. Charles Sheffield's "The Web Between the Worlds" also featured the building of a space elevator. But, jump out of the storybooks and fast-forward nearly three decades, and Japanese scientists at the Japan Space Elevator Association are working seriously on the space-elevator project. Association spokesman Akira Tsuchida said his organization was working with U.S.-based Spaceward Foundation and a European organization based in Luxembourg to develop an elevator design. The Liftport Group in the U.S. is also working on developing a design, and in total it's believed that more than 300 scientists and engineers are engaged in such work around the globe. NASA is holding a $4 million Space Elevator Challenge to encourage designs for a successful space elevator. Tsuchida said the technology driving the race to build the first space elevator is the quickly developing material carbon nanotube. It is lightweight and has a tensile strength 180 times stronger than that of a steel cable. Currently, it is the only material with the potential to be strong enough to use to manufacture elevator cable, according to Tsuchida. "At present we have a tether which is made of carbon nanotube, and has one-third or one-quarter of the strength required to make a space elevator. We expect that we will have strong enough cable in the 2020s or 2030s," Tsuchida said. He said the most likely method of powering the elevator would be through the carbon nanotube cable. So, what are the major logistical issues keeping the space elevator from being anything more than a dream at present? Massachusetts Institute of Technology aeronautics and astronautics Professor Jeff Hoffman said that designing the carbon nanotube appeared to be the biggest obstacle. "We are now on the verge of having material that has the strength to span the 30,000 km ... but we don't have the ability to make long cable out of the carbon nanotubes at the moment." he said. "Although I'm confident that within a reasonable amount of time we will be able to do this." Tsuchida said that one of the biggest challenges will be acquiring funding to move the projects forward. At present, there is no financial backing for the space elevator project, and all of the Japanese group's 100-plus members maintain other jobs to earn a living. "Because we don't have a material which has enough strength to construct space elevator yet, it is difficult to change people's mind so they believe that it can be real," he said. Hoffman feels that international dialogue needs to be encouaraged on the issue. He said a number of legal considerations also would have to be taken into account. "This is not something one nation or one company can do. There needs to be a worldwide approach," he said. Other difficulties for space-elevator projects include how to build the base for the elevator, how to design it and where to set up the operation. Tsuchida said some possible locations for an elevator include the South China Sea, western Australia and the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. He said all of those locations usually avoided typhoons, which could pose a threat to the safety of an elevator. "As the base of space elevator will be located on geosynchronous orbit, [the] space elevator ground station should be located near the equator," he said. Although the Japanese association has set a time frame of the 2030s to get a space elevator under construction -- and developments are moving quickly -- Hoffman acknowledges that it could be a little further away than that. "I don't know if it's going to be in our lifetime or if it's 100 or 200 years away, but it's near enough that we can contemplate how it will work." Building a space elevator is a matter of when, not if, said Hoffman, who believes that it will herald a major new period in human history. "It will be revolutionary for human technology, and not just for space travel. That's why so many people are pursuing it," he said. "This is what it will take to turn humans into a space-bearing species." | Japan group has more than 100 engineers trying to design a space elevator .
Carbon nanotube would be used as a wire to lift the elevator into space .
Western Australia and the Galapagos Islands are potential locations for base station .
Group sets the 2030s as a target to begin construction, although it could be later . |
94,070 | 04ef318b7a6da59cbec78431379663b380068e82 | By . Laura Topham . Professor Gordon Carlson said: 'Patients could have better recovery and survival if more specialised centres like ours existed for treating them' A quarter of patients who develop a digestive complication after surgery needlessly suffer ‘a harrowing death’ due to an NHS postcode lottery, a leading surgeon has claimed. Approximately 600 people suffer acute intestinal failure in NHS hospitals every year, leading to 150 deaths, according to NHS surveys. The condition usually occurs as a result of an operation on the abdomen, such as removal of a cancer or even after appendicitis, leading to parts of the gut unexpectedly failing. This triggers a cascade of complications, resulting in the need for intensive care. Later, patients may be discharged home but require drip-feeding and full-time personal care. Yet everyone who had surgery for the condition at the National Intestinal Failure Centre in Salford, Greater Manchester, has survived in the past three years, indicating that deaths are avoidable. ‘Whether or not you die of this complication is a postcode lottery,’ says Professor Gordon Carlson, consultant surgeon at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. ‘Often patients will succumb quite quickly, but others have months of harrowing illness, and one patient was in hospital for two years. It’s a horrible situation. ‘Patients could have better recovery and survival if more specialised centres like ours existed for treating them. At the moment there is a one in four chance of a slow, painful and undignified death if you develop this problem. Our success rates show this need not be the case.’ The Salford team claim their success rate is due to a large, dedicated staff, with one consultant surgeon and two nurses to every five patients. Rates of intestinal failure are rising steadily, due to the ageing population having more complex surgical procedures. More patients survive life-threatening illnesses but are then left debilitated. While exact figures do not exist, acute intestinal failure is estimated to affect about ten people per million. Some 600 people are in hospital with the condition at any one time. The Salford team (Salford Royal Hospital pictured) claim their success rate is due to a large, dedicated staff, with one consultant surgeon and two nurses to every five patients . The National Intestinal Failure Centre treats around 220 patients at home, fed via drips, and between 20 and 25 in hospital at any one time, or about 75 a year. The staff also includes dieticians, physiotherapists, pharmacists and psychologists. Its treatment advances have attracted international recognition and were presented at the annual President’s Meeting at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. There is one other intestinal failure centre in the UK, at St Mark’s Hospital in Harrow, West London. Treating people in such centres could also reduce costs as most patients have been in hospital for many months. ‘Although patients are often in hospital with us, that represents the end of the treatment process, and they’d otherwise be in hospital longer somewhere else and they require a significant cost and huge effort to treat,’ says Prof Carlson. The other intestinal failure centre is at St Mark's Hospital in Harrow . ‘One patient had been in hospital for two years and the average is usually some months – plus it’s not unusual for them to have had a large number of operations before they come to us which have failed to address the problem.’ The human intestine. Approximately 600 people a year suffer from acute intestinal failure in NHS hospitals . A 2008 review of treating intestinal failure recommended a network of intestinal failure centres be set up. But that has not happened. Prof Carlson adds: ‘If you live near an intestinal failure unit you are more likely to get referred to one.’ One reason for the Salford’s centre’s low death rate is the low level of infection. ‘The ability to look after a central feeding line put into a patient’s heart over a prolonged period without it getting infected is crucial – nationally ten per cent used will lead to an infection, but in our unit there has not been a single infection in 15 years in any of our patients. ‘The condition is very serious but the size of team needed to get the patient through that is just not available everywhere. ‘It’s not that different to doing transplant surgery: you wouldn’t go to your local hospital for a heart transplant, you’d go to a specialist centre.’ He says: ‘The ideal would be patients able to access that level of support and expertise within 100 miles of their own home rather than travelling from all over the UK to our centre.’ One patient saved by the Salford unit is retired salesman Paul Pringle, 65. A routine removal of a cancerous polyp in 2006 left him in hospital for nine months with intestinal failure. He developed pelvic abscesses and peritonitis, then an open wound in his stomach. The married father-of-two from Lancashire was eventually transferred to the Salford centre and saved by a complex, 16-hour operation that removed the damaged bowel and filled in the stomach holes by taking tissue from his legs. A spokesman for NHS England said: ‘Commissioners are currently working with clinical experts to ensure that services across the country reflect the national standard and deliver the best possible services for all patients with these conditions.’ | Prof Gordon Carlson consultant at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust .
National Intestinal Failure Centre, Salford, one of two centres for condition .
Prof Carlson called for more specialised centres to care for patients . |
40,215 | 718034644f961cce08533d47b4e926c9b00cb591 | The devastated girlfriend of Real World star Ryan Knight, who was found dead on Thursday, has opened up about her grief via social media. Makenzie Jauer, a 21-year-old student originally from Texas, wrote a message on Instagram, pouring her heart out. TMZ report that 29-year-old Knight - who appeared in MTV's The Real World: New Orleans - died following a night out partying with friends on Wednesday. Inconsolable: Makenzie Jauer, the girlfriend of The Real World Star Ryan Knight, paid tribute on Instagram after he was found dead at 29 following a night of partying, according to reports . Happy memories: Seen here in a snap posted four months ago with the message: 'This was such a fun day. I would do anything to be back there right now' A close friend reportedly told the site that he was found dead by his friends on Thursday morning. TMZ also report that several close friends of Knight claim he had taken some pills but did not specify what kind, while another friend claims he had 'choked on his own vomit'. The website claims that no cause of death was found following an autopsy on Friday morning, and therefore will not be determined until the toxicology results come in. TMZ alleges that Knight's father said the late star had stomach pains in the two days before his death, but that police found no clear signs of injury. Kissing couple: Another cute snap here shows the couple sharing a kiss on the beach . His and hers facials: Six months, Makenzie shared this fun picture, writing: '23 days without you is way too long. Who am U supposed to do facials mask with?' 'Me and my boyfriend': Seen her just one month ago . On Thursday, his girlfriend posted a heartbreaking message, accompanied by some photos of them pulling goofy faces to the camera. She wrote: 'I love you Ryan Knight. I am heartbroken, confused, hurt and most of all mad. The pain I am feeling now will never go away. 'You mean more to me than you will ever know & I never thought that I would spend a day without you. Every second with you was full of love and laughter. You were the brightest light in every room.' She went on: 'You taught me not to care about what other people think and you made me understand that being myself was okay. Thank you for being inappropriate at the worst of times and making me laugh until I cried. Young love: Makenzie uploaded this snap five months ago, noting that she had just picked him up from the airport . Twitter tributes: Knight's MTV co-stars took to social media to pay their respects . 'Thank you for loving me unconditionally even though I snored and drooled on you in my sleep. You had the sweetest soul and I will never forget that. I always called you "my sweet angel" and now you truly are. Love you forever, MEK.' Other co-stars from The Real World also took to social media to pay their respects, including his ex-girlfriend Jemmye Carroll who thanked her followers for their kind words. She added: 'Words will never be enough to justify the connection we shared and the pain I will forever feel. RIP.' Worryingly, Knight's last tweet on Wednesday was simply a message that read: 'You used to mean a lot.' Worrying: Knight's last tweet on Wednesday, just hours before he was found dead . Tragedy: Knight - pictured here in September 2013 in New York - had reportedly taken some pills just hours before his death and chocked on his own vomit, according to friends . The news comes just weeks after fellow Real World Star Diem Brown passed away after a long battle with cancer aged 32. Knight recently changed his Twitter profile picture to a snap of himself and Diem. The pair did not star together on MTV's The Real World, however, Knight did appear on The Challenge alongside Diem. Following The Challenge, Diem did make a name for herself as an entertainment reporter after and their paths crossed on the reality television circuit. He was known as a bit of a villain on the reality show, and Knight himself jokingly put his Twitter bio as: 'Sooooo I'm the a**hole'. Gone too soon: Fellow MTV reality star Diem Brown - who tragically died earlier this month at the age of 32 after a battle with cancer - is seen here with a picture of Ryan . Paying tribute: Knight's ex-girlfriend Jemmy Carroll tweeted on Thursday . Remembering: Knight's ex Jemmye posted this collage of pictures to her Twitter account on Thursday . | Makenzie Jauer poured her heart out on social media after shock death .
Ryan Knight was found dead on Thursday after partying the night before .
Reports he had 'taken some pills' and choked on his own vomit .
No cause of death has been found following an autopsy, according to TMZ .
Was friends with MTV star Diem Brown who died of cancer this month . |
235,638 | bd0ae060cc953b3b0c602827e5934aaf81f7e836 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:58 EST, 12 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:01 EST, 12 June 2013 . A 200-pound sculpture of a pink bulldog has been reported missing in West Hollywood following last weekend’s gay pride parade. The hard-to-miss sculpture of a bulldog wearing sneakers on its front paws and a water bottle on its back is the work of Belgian artist William Sweetlove. Six of his bulldog sculptures – three pink, three red - were placed on the Santa Monica Boulevard median strip last week ahead of Sunday's parade. Ruff justice: A 200-pound sculpture of a pink bulldog has been reported missing in West Hollywood following last weekend's gay pride parade . The pink pooch was stolen early Monday and authorities believe someone attending the festivities may have taken it as a memento. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies reviewing CCTV footage from nearby stores in the hopes of tracking down the dognappers. Organizers have declined to estimate the value of the statue. ‘We don't want to encourage anybody to steal the other five,’ Andrew Campbell of the West Hollywood Economic Development Division told the L.A. Times. Women ride a float at the 43rd L.A. Pride Parade on June 9 in West Hollywood, California . Belgian artist William Sweetlove is offering a frog statue worth $1,600 as a reward to the person who leads authorities to his missing pink bulldog . ‘Maybe somebody didn't realize they were stealing artwork.’ Sweetlove is so eager to have his sculpture returned that he is offering a frog statue worth $1,600 as a reward to the person who leads authorities to the bulldog. The sculptures carry an ecological message, the dogs are wearing shoes and carrying drinking water in preparation for impending changes to our climate. The boulevard installation is scheduled to remain in place until the end of September. Organizers have put up these fly posters in the West Hollywood area as they attempt to track down the missing statue . | Belgian artist William Sweetlove had one of his sculpture stolen in the hours following Sunday's gay pride parade in West Hollywood . |
129,184 | 32f299592330e6e897c1323d99b57d492847443b | By . Toni Jones . PUBLISHED: . 10:50 EST, 26 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:47 EST, 26 September 2012 . Prince Philip dubbed it 'bloody daft' and critics say that the idea of debutantes presenting themselves to the aristocracy is outdated and elitist, but for certain sections of British society the Queen Charlotte's Ball is the ultimate summer event. Dubbed the 'crowning event of the London Season' the guest list is hand-picked with care: only young women from the richest families are invited to the September ball where, after months of careful preparation and spending over £2500 on each ticket, the young debutantes are able to show off their skills in poise and elegance. In the past debutante balls were seen as a rite of passage for the young women of the upper classes, an opportunity to introduce themselves to society and seek out a potential suitor, but for today's debutantes the Season is seen as an opportunity to wear a designer gown, party their way around Europe, and do a little something for charity. Debutantes Maria Austin, Amelia Simmons, Sophie Bonello, Zoe Rawson, and Georgina Riddle (L-R) attend a dress-fitting for Queen Charlotte's Ball in central London . Queen Charlotte's Ball was introduced by King George III in 1780 as a way to celebrate his wife’s birthday, and a huge cake was one of the highlights. Up until 1958, young debutantes used to be presented to the Queen at . Buckingham Palace, until Prince Philip pointed out . that it was ‘bloody daft’. Today the 'daft' debutantes, all aged between 17 and 20, follow the traditional Queen Charlotte's cake in to the ballroom where the girls perform special curtsies to the nine-tier-high gateaux before being judged on their posture, elegance and pace by the room. The event involves meetings with aristocracy, etiquette classes, and charity fund-raising, and the 'deb of the year' is chosen according to 'who has worked hardest’ during fund-raising activities throughout the season and shown the most enthusiasm (she is usually the prettiest too, although that is not an official judging requirement). The debutantes, all hand-picked girls from rich backgrounds, rehearse their entrance to the ball dressed in couture gowns . Debutante Alice Palmer is told off for walking too fast by former debutante Patricia Woodall as she rehearses. The girls make a grand entrance walking in one by one and are judged on their posture, elegance and pace . Brunette Talitha Piggott was named Debutante of the Year at Queen Charlotte's Ball on September 14, 2012 . The young women spend months preparing for their dramatic entrance in to the ballroom and go to several dress fittings to make sure their couture gowns cling perfectly. Prior to the event older debutantes are on hand to guide and critique the girls on their dress, dancing and pace around the ballroom and on the day an army of professional hair and make-up artists are on hand to make sure that the girls are glowing, setting off perfectly coiffed up 'dos with diamond studded tiaras and precious jewellery. And on the night, once the deb of the year award has been handed out - this year Talitha Piggott won the accolade - the girls are free to dance the night away with their families, friends and the handsome male guests, dubbed the 'Debs' delights'. Debutante Rebecca Cliffe collapses giggling in the spacious ladies' after practising her waltz in the ladies toilets . Debutante Ella Venables is taught to waltz by a well-dressed guest in the spacious ladies' toilets as the event gets under way . The ball coordinator helps up debutante Zoe Rawson who has just started studying geography at Edinburgh University and is travelling to Dubai, New York and Shanghai over the coming year for a string of debutante events . Dress designer Dana Kruszynska with one of her heavily embellished designs for the debutantes and among rails of tulle covered gowns . Maria . Austin, 20, studies drama and theatre studies at Royal Holloway, and . would like to either become a classical actor or go into business . development and says that she was attracted to take part in the London . Season partly because of the work the girls do in charity fundraising. Ms . Austin said: 'A lot of my friends went over to Malawi and Cambodia and . did something worthwhile, and I wanted to have the chance to give . something back a little bit, so I was really interested in the charity . side of it.' Debutante Eli Miansarow compares evening dresses with fellow debs Lucinda Royden (left) and Alice Palmer in their hotel suite . The traditional Queen Charlotte's cake is wheeled into the ballroom and as part of the event the girls perform special curtsies to the nine-tier-high creation (left) meanwhile a hairdresser fits a tiara on debutante Eli Miansarow during last minute preparations . Behind the glamour: Debutantes Sophie Bonello, Amelia Simmons and Isabella Simmons (front L-R) undergo hair and makeup preparations . Debutante Jenny Ward changes during early preparations for the ball and formal white gloves are seen laid out next to a list of names behind-the-scenes . Debutante Isabella Simmons, dressed in floor length black velvet, dances with one of the male guests, known as "debs' delights" | Historic ball for the aristocracy introduced by King George III in 1780 .
18 women aged between 17 and 20 are hand-picked by an organising committee .
Girls waltz in front of a nine-tier-high cake in honour of George III's wife Charlotte . |
143,945 | 4626c83c668ca5c77f0052bf8d57a7fec49d782b | By . Adam Shergold . PUBLISHED: . 07:32 EST, 19 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:51 EST, 19 November 2012 . Many of us spent hours of our childhood playing in a treehouse - but how often did your parents allow you to sleep in it? Well, now you can make up for it, thanks to a unique hotel in Sweden. The Treehotel, located near Harads, a town in the north of the country about 40 miles south of the Arctic Circle, is about to open its largest tree room yet. In fact, it will be the biggest in the world. Tree top design: An artist's impression of the new 'Five Leaf Clover' room at Treehotel in Harads, northern Sweden . All natural: A view of how the inside will look in the new treehouse, with spectacular views of the surrounding pine forests . The Five Leaf Clover, designed by Finnish architect Sami Rintala, is 53 square metres and weighs 20 tons. It is attached to half-a-dozen pine trees six metres above the ground. Inside, it can house up to six people in three bedrooms, and even comes with conference facilities for 12 people. Guests reach the room via a two-storey high staircase. The Five Leaf Clover, due to open on December 20, is just the latest tree room at the hotel, which boasts beautiful views of the tall pine forests around the Lule River. The Treehotel is far enough north to offer spectacular glimpses of the Northern Lights at certain times of the year. Ample space: The 20-ton 'Five Leaf Clover' room - the world's largest - will sleep up to six people in three bedrooms and also includes conference facilities . Other quirky rooms at the hotel include 'The Bird's Nest' - a cabin completely camouflaged by thatch and branches only accessible by a retractable staircase. Another one is 'The UFO', a space-age metal capsule on two floors which sleeps four people. The Treehotel also has Pensionat serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a 1930s-1950s setting, as well as offering internet, television, restaurant and bar. Hidden in the forest is an eight-person 'Tree Sauna' complete with a hot tub and relaxation area. Groundbreaking: Plans of the new room, which is just the latest uniquely-designed accommodation at the Treehotel . Speaking about the new room, Treehotel CEO and co-founder Kent Lindvall said: 'Treehotel always strive to push limits with our environmental work, architecture and engineering. 'The Five Leaf Clover is clear evidence of this as nothing remotely similar has ever been done before.' A night at the Treehotel costs 3300 Krona (£306) for one person and 4400 Krona (£408) for two people, inclusive of breakfast. Camouflage: The Bird's Nest room, suspended above the forest floor, is totally encased in branches and foliage . Space age: A view of the UFO room, a capsule on two floors which can sleep four people . Lofty: The Cabin Room at Treehotel, suspended high amongst the pine trees and offering great views of the Lule river . Luxury designs: Inside the Cabin Room, which features Sweden's characteristic design and functionality . | The 'Five Leaf Clover' room at Treehotel, near the remote northern Swedish town of Harads, 40 miles south of the Arctic Circle, opens next month .
Weighing 20 tons and sleeping up to six people, it is attached to half-a-dozen pine trees and suspended above the forest floor .
It offers spectacular views of the Lule River pine forests and even the Northern Lights . |
101,618 | 0ef875885ad3c2b0b46d8da5cce1a8b263c3b73b | By . Lizzie Parry . Attack: Former BMX champion Christopher Mahoney was spared jail after punching his ex-girlfriend in the face breaking her jaw in two places . A former BMX champion who broke his ex-girlfriend's jaw in a brutal attack as she pushed their child in a pram has walked free from court as a judge noted his 'competitive spirit'. The ex-British champion, formerly ranked sixth in the world, was described as a 'callous and controlling bully' by the mother of his child, Michelle Prescott. But standing in the dock at Liverpool Crown Court, Mahoney - a successful tattoo artist - was fighting back tears, his bottom lip quivering as he was sentenced for the attack. Visibly upset, Mahoney was sentenced to 12 months behind bars. But the judge suspended the sentence for two years, sending the 33-year-old free from court with a warning that if he commits any further violent offences he will be jailed. Recorder William Waldron QC told the court: 'Perhaps in keeping with some of those who have a competitive spirit you were used to having your own way.' The court heard that Mahoney had visited Miss Prescott's home to visit their two-year-old son in October last year. The couple had been in a four-year relationship, but she described him as 'a bully, callous and controlling', the court heard. Their relationship broke down in August last year. Mahoney 'did not take it well', but made arrangements to visit his son regularly. On October 27, when he called at Miss Prescott's home in Pemberton, Wigan, to pick up their son, but instead lashed out. He told Miss Prescott he did not want to take their son, and when questioned as to why, the court heard he claimed he did not have to give a reason, and began slamming doors. She rang her sister, concerned at his erratic behaviour, and while she was on the phone Mahoney tried to push his son away in the pram, prosecutor Christine Redmond told the court. 'She (Miss Prescott) tried to stop him, grabbing the pram and he punched her with an upper cut with his right fist making contact with her left jaw leaving her in real pain,' Ms Redmond said. 'She was still on the telephone at the time and was screaming and her sister said she would come round.' Jail: Mahoney, 33, (left) received a 12-month prison term suspended for two years. Recorder William Waldron QC (right) sent the former BMX champion free from court with a warning that if he commits a further violent offence he will face time behind bars . Doctors at Manchester Royal Infirmary told Miss Prescott and her family that the blow to her face had fractured the right hand side of her jaw in two places, through referred force. Miss Prescott, who has three older children, had to undergo surgery to insert metal plates and was in hospital for three days. She has lost her sense of taste, leaving everything tasting of cardboard, has numbness in her lower lip and has had to move home with her parents. Mahoney sent her a text apologising but in a Facebook message to a friend said that she had deserved the assault. Kevin Liston, defending, said that RampParks have an ongoing interest in Mahoney and his BMX talents. He added: 'He gives ongoing assistance to younger riders and there is clamour for him to return to competition.' Confession: Mahoney, pictured arriving at Liverpool Crown Court, with an unnamed woman, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm . The judge, Recorder William Waldron, QC, said that Mahoney had been a sportsman of considerable ability. Mahoney claimed not to be able to recall the incident but the judge told him he believed that was 'a lack of memory through convenience'. He said he had left his victim both physically and emotionally scarred and he was only suspending the sentence because it had been an isolated incident of violence which he had admitted. He also has no previous convictions and had been on medication for depression at the time. 'It is said you are not only remorseful but regretful and ashamed and so should you be for what you did that day,' added Recorder Waldron. He placed him under supervision for 12 months, imposed a restraining order and ordered him to pay £100 victim surcharge. Mahoney, from Wigan, had pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm. | Christopher Mahoney lashed out, hitting his ex-girlfriend across the face .
Michelle Prescott's jaw was broken in two places by the force of the blow .
33-year-old former bike champion flew into a rage when he collected his son .
Mahoney grabbed the pram, but when she tried to stop him he punched her .
The left cut hit the left side of Miss Prescott's face leaving her in 'real pain'
Mother-of-four had to undergo surgery to insert metal plates in her face .
The BMX champion pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm .
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for two years .
Recorder William Waldron QC said: 'Perhaps in keeping with some of those who have a competitive spirit you were used to having your own way' |
64,858 | b82f239033aad797fffe38a26f85e32033e82bdf | (CNN) -- By day, tens of thousands turned out in cities across Egypt -- demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, calling for major economic and political reforms and, in multiple spots, bloodily clashing with police forces. By night, with the security forces seemingly disappeared, some had stepped back to mourn those killed, treat their wounds or gather strength. Other citizens, meanwhile, gathered whatever weapons they could find as they banded together with friends, family and neighbors to protect their communities from roving bands of looters. "There's no army, no one to prevent (theft and chaos). They disappeared," said one man from a Cairo suburb on Saturday night, who united with friends, cousins and neighbors to protect their property. Closer to the capital's center, as well as in Alexandria and Suez, the main events earlier Saturday were turn-outs by tens of thousands of demonstrators. For the fifth straight day, they held up signs and shouted for an end to Mubarak's 30-year reign, unsatisfied with his newly shuffled government. "What's happened to our president?" said one woman in Cairo, wearing a black veil. "We don't want him (because) he's responsible for all this." But her anger was tempered by satisfaction that people had turned out, in such large numbers, to express their views after decades of silence and suppression. "I am happy," she said. "I feel yes, we can change." In Alexandria, protests have gained strength during the course of the week. Throngs chanted Saturday, "We want him out, we want him gone, Mubarak has to go." One demonstrator told CNN's Nic Robertson that Mubarak, after an early Saturday speech signaling his intent to reorganize his government but stay in power, was trying to challenge demonstrators. He said his decision to implement a curfew, which extended from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., was irrelevant and suggested that the opposition is only getting stronger and bolder. "He cannot order us, he's not the president anymore," the man said. "He wants to calm us down by saying he will stay. That is not calming us down." There were also tears Saturday, the result of mounting casualties from sporadic confrontations between demonstrators and police. At one point, the body of a man, apparently killed while trying to approach the Interior Ministry, was carried through the streets, wrapped in an Egyptian flag. Also in Cairo, a mosque was turned into a makeshift clinic. There, a handful of men came in with wounds from what appeared to be rubber pellets fired by police, they told CNN, . And at least 31 people were killed in Alexandria, Egypt, hospital authorities told CNN. Besides civic discontent and violence, general lawlessness was also pervasive -- especially in areas outside the city centers, which were largely free of any police or military presence. Looters, some sporting swords and riding motorcycles, had infiltrated numerous public and private buildings. While there were reports of a large gun battle Saturday night, they largely went unbothered by security forces, though not as often by residents. Fires could be seen in several Cairo neighborhoods, set by people paying no heed to the government-imposed curfew. People also continued to roam the streets, in what was in some ways one of the quietest nights since the protests began earlier this week. An increasing number of residents, fearful given the apparent absence of any official security apparatus, had taken matters into their own hands. They worked together to set up barricades around some streets. Many -- including the wife of CNN senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman -- handed out clubs, kitchen knives and whatever other implements they could find to trustworthy men and teenagers who could help ward off looters. This sense of community and desire for protection was evident early Sunday outside the famed Egyptian Museum, home to King Tut and other milllenia-old relics of the nation's storied past. Army tanks surrounded the museum, with some soliders standing inside its garden. In front, mostly euphoric civilians stood arm-in-arm -- in solidarity with the military and in defense of some of Egypt's greatest treasures. Still, there was also ample evidence of chaos and destruction. Numerous police stations had been burned and ransacked. And private businesses also were hit, including several shops in an upscale Cairo neighborhood. Residents said they were worried about possible anarchy and prisoners escaping from jails. Others told CNN they worry that the chaos is President Hosni Mubarak's strategy -- that all the crime could turn people against the protesters, and build favor for the government security forces to restore order. Shereif Abdelbaki, a resident of Cairo, said he saw people burning cars and taking parts from a junkyard. He said the police had withdrawn or were otherwise occupied, while the Army was downtown, leaving community members to work together or fend for themselves to protect property. "We have all become vigilantes," he said. "Basically, it's like the Wild West. Where is the security?" CNN's Ben Wedeman, Nic Robertson, Mary Rogers and Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report. | NEW: Civilians stand arm-in-arm in front of tanks to protect famed Egyptian Museum .
Protesters turn out in droves for a fifth day, demanding President Mubarak's ouster .
Casualties mount, too, in Cairo and Alexandria, after demonstrators clash with police .
Still, police are largely absent in many areas, contributing to widespread looting . |
94,982 | 060e2e8576a0fbce3a828e5deee8f186d23f7872 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:54 EST, 5 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 03:20 EST, 6 January 2014 . It's a bona fide industry that is, officially, only five days old - but represents hundreds of millions of dollars. As Colorado comes close to closing out the first week of its 'green rush', with recreational marijuana stores legally allowed to sell the drug from January 1 under revolutionary new state laws, official sales figures and profit margins have started rolling in. 'Adult use' pot is projected to be a $208 million industry in Colorado this year - on top of the $250 million projected to be spent on medical marijuana, Betty Aldworth, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association, told CNN. One business alone, the Lodo Wellness Center in Denver, which is described as a 'boutique' marijuana store that is cash-only, recorded $10,000 in sales in the first few hours of Wednesday. Don Andrews (center) - owner of the LoDo Wellness Center in Denver, which recorded $10,000 cash in the first few hours of sales on Jan. 1 - talks with out-of-town customers out front of his store . Customers wait in line to enter LoDo Wellness, which by noon had given out more than 600 entrance tickets on the first day of retail sales of marijuana in Colorado on Wednesday, January 1, 2014 . While the owners, married couple Donald and Linda Andrews - who started the store in 2000 as a medical marijuana dispensary, foreseeing the substance one day becoming legal - told CNN they made more in one day than they would normally in one month. Although not divulging the figure, the pair said they served about 1,000 customers, with the majority buying an eighth of an ounce, priced between $40 and $50. The estimated total sits around $50,000 for day one. In all, about $1 million in business was done at about 35 pot shops on the first day of marijuana's legalization in Colorado, Aldworth estimated, giving each an average first day earning of $28,000. While that business is unlikely to continue, with people flying in from all over the country, as well as Canada and Australia, to be among the historic first to buy legal weed, pot shop owners are looking to increase their number of plants several-fold. All business must grow their own marijuana, under the laws. All plants are grown indoors, and the law limits to six the number of plants grown under each light fixture. An employee radio frequency tracking tags - required by law - to pot plants maturing inside a grow house at 3D Cannabis Center. Almost all businesses are looking to expand the number of plants in response to skyrocketing sales . Garrett Sellars, 21, shows an edible to Ashly Carius, 21, both of Oklahoma City, as the shop at LoDo Wellness Center . Marijuana and cannabis-infused products are displayed for sale at Medicine Man marijuana dispensary in Denver . The Medicine Man dispensary in Denver, the largest in the state, has 5,000 plants, meaning an operation of over 830 lights, and are looking to triple their plant stock to 15,000. Evergreen Apothecary in Denver served 400 customers on opening day and now plans to increase its plants from 2,000 to as many as 24,000. 'This is unquestionably a tremendous growth industry,' Aldworth said. 'There hasn't been an opportunity like this in American history in quite some time. 'The tech boom had an impact on the American economy, but I think this could rival it. 'We're not creating a market out of nothing. 'We are just shifting it from the underground market.' Nationwide, government-regulated marijuana is projected to double this year, to $2.3 billion from about $1 billion last year. A customer excitedly enters the LoDo Wellness Center in Denver . That 2013 figure came solely from medical marijuana sales in more than a dozen states. Several states are creating the growth. Colorado and Washington are the first two states with legalized recreational marijuana, and Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada and Oregon will allow medical cannabis shops to open in 2014. Washington's recreational weed will go on sale later this year. Pot promises to be such big business that advocates are planning voter initiatives for legalizing recreational use in several other states by 2016. | Stores reporting $10,000 in sales in first few hours of Colorado's marijuana legalization .
'Adult use' pot projected to be a $208 million industry in the state in 2014 .
About $1 million made across 35 pot shops in Denver on 'Green Wednesday', January 1, with an average of $28,000 each .
Businesses now trying to triple their plant stock to keep up with demand . |
179,421 | 744e79e41d1eb229bac5a3563fde6c6989247464 | This is the heartwarming moment an affectionate 40ft mother whale and her curious calf popped up to say hello to tourists who showered them with hugs and kisses. The friendly mother rose to the surface just in time to make these holiday snaps ones to remember. Guests were amazed when the friendly grey whales drifted up to the boats. The images were captured by photographer Justin Hofman off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Scroll down for video . Affectionate: A tourist kisses a grey whale off the coast of Baja California in Mexico . Stunned: Shocked tourists were amazed when a 40ft mother whale and her calf rose to the surface . Spectacular: A grey whale pops up in front of tourists off the coast of Mexico to make this a snap to remember . Mr Hofman, from California, USA, said: 'This is the most amazing wildlife encounter on the planet. 'It's impossible not to smile and laugh at these incredible whales. 'There are lots of grey whales that are friendly and seek out contact, not just one individual.' He added: 'It's a very powerful experience when a whale is looking into you. 'The number one comment I hear afterwards, besides that they feel so weird and rubbery, is that people say the whale looked right at them. Give us a kiss: The 30-tonne whaled loved the attention from tourists off the coast of Baja California in Mexico . Having a whale of a time: A woman leans over the side of the boat to touch one of the whales . Popped up to say hello: The friendly mother rose to the surface with her curious calf . Underwater: The incredible photos were taken by photographer Justin Hofman . Friendly: Mr Hofman said it was a 'powerful experience' when a whale looks back at you . Magnificent: The friendly mother whale was happy to pose for photographs with her new friends . Playful: A fish eye view of a grey whale swimming between boats off the coast of Mexico . Once in a lifetime moment: The heart-warming photographs were captured by photographer Justin Hofman . The whales were pleased to meet the tourists who were shocked by their warm friendliness . No fear: The ocean tourists were photo-bombed by this 30-tonne whale which was happy to pose for photos . 'People walk away fundamentally changed after an experience like this.' Grey whales migrate more than 5,000 miles from their summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Okhotsk seas of the Arctic. They use the relatively warm waters off Mexico to give birth, mate and nurse their newborns. The naturally curious species has made a dramatic recovery since it was nearly hunted to extinction in the early part of the 20th century. | Images captured by photographer Justin Hofman off the coast of Mexico .
Grey whales migrate to warmer waters to give birth and mate . |
2,863 | 085eb98cbbfd50ea74e96821630b0dc71d80907c | By . Jeff Powell . Follow @@jeffpowell_Mail . One of the secrets of Frank Maloney’s success – although not the biggest secret as it turns out - was that he was one of the lads. A cheeky South London chappie and a tough-nut Millwall fan, he invariably celebrated his triumphs as manager of world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis by enjoying a night out with the boys at one or other of those flesh-pots which are euphemistically known as gentlemen’s clubs. The loyalty which is bred into most working-class road warriors was also fundamental to Maloney’s solid relationships with Lewis and all the boxers in his stable. Ecstasy: Maloney (right) as Frank, reacts after managing Lennox Lewis (left) to the World Heavyweight title in 1997 . Living a lie: Maloney (left, last year) admitted she has felt trapped in a man's body since she was a child and (right) with a young Lewis in 1989 . Winner: Maloney (front centre) celebrates after Lewis (arms raised) beat Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock for the Commonwealth heavyweight title at Earl's Court in 1992 . Belting: Maloney (right) with Lewis after the Londoner beat Gary Mason to win the British heavyweight title . Maloney was both a promoter and manager and the boxers he has worked with include... Lennox Lewis . David Price . Rendall Munroe . John McDermott . David Haye . Julius Francis . Jon Lewis Dickinson . They trusted him, they felt safe confiding in him and some of them over-achieved because his belief in them never wavered. He managed and promoted them with a passionate machismo, fighting their corner as fiercely as they battled in the prize ring. So no, I did not see this coming and I will be surprised if anyone else did outside the very immediate family circle. Frank – or Kellie as she now wishes to be known – is a good pal, an entertaining dinner companion, a boxing brain worth picking and will remain so. The Mental Midget – as dubbed by legendary US promoter Don King during one of their feuds – always has been a character larger than that diminuitive stature. Now that the Union Jack suit worn while working the corner of Lewis and David Haye on big world title fight nights has been exchanged for female attire that figure will become one of bizarre fascination, also. Maloney’s effervescent sense of humour will help cope with the curiosity, however morbid, and once the shock at the sex change has subsided she will chuckle along with the inevitable jokes which are already rife on the social media, . The major concern will be the fall-out for those three beloved daughters from two marriages. Glove story: Maloney is best known for managing Lewis, who rose to become world heavyweight champion . As for Kellie, nee Frank, the hide of a rhino developed in the concrete jungle of prize-fighting should deflect even the most wounding of the barbs. Maloney was derided at first for bringing Lewis back to his London birthplace from Canada,the country where he had spent most of his formative years and for which he had won his Olympic gold medal. The mood in Britain changed as Maloney’s prediction that he was bringing home this country’s first world heavyweight champion for more than a century began to look accurate. So persuasive was Maloney that the Americans began to believe in Lewis, also. So firmly that Riddick Bowe – the same Big Daddy who had dethroned the great Evander Holyfield - preferred to dump his WBC belt In a dustbin rather than defend that cherished, linear title in London. During their 12 years together Maloney guided Lewis onwards to the undisputed world championship and Lennox the Lion is still the most recent heavyweight to hold that distinction. Maloney’s negotiating skills allied to the exceptional power and natural talent of Lewis generated one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the British ring. Their friendship survived their professional split in 2001. Click here to read about Kellie Maloney's decision . Maloney guided Haye to his first world title, at cruiserweight before the Hayemaker took his swing at the heavyweight division, and also helped Scott Harrison and Paul Ingle to similar glory. There were dozens of British champions and Maloney looked to be on the brink of helping another domestic heavyweight to a world belt until David Price suffered consecutive stoppage defeats by American Tony Thompson . Maloney had been against Price rushing into that re-match and soon after, last October, the retirement announcement came: ‘I’ve fallen out of love with boxing and no longer feel I can continue to give it my best efforts.’ Now we know there were other demons haunting one of the most popular personalities in the hardest game. Perhaps, as Maloney retreated with greater frequency from the family house in Kent to a second home in Portugal, we might have suspected some kind of identity crisis. Smile: Maloney (right) with British cruiserweight Jon Lewis Dickinson following his victory over Shane McPhilbin in 2012 . Team: Maloney (right) with promoter Frank Warren (left) and their client Scott Harrison in 2003 . The power of three: Maloney (right), Warren (left) and the king of the promoters, the controversial and outspoken American Don King . But, no, there was not even an inkling of trans-sexual feelings, gender re-orientation or hormone treatment in preparation for an operation. Not in this corner. Nor so much as a hint of uncomfortable behaviour at public or social occasions. When Maloney was voted Promoter of the Year by the Boxing Writers’ Association of America - perhaps the most important of several individual accolades – I was invited to New York to make the presentation and he was saluted with affection by many of the biggest names in the sport in the US. The majority of what Maloney called ‘my special bond’ with such domestic champions as Julius Francis, the late James Oyebola, Rendall Munroe and Graham Earl - ‘they gave me some of my favourite nights in the ring’ - survived a heart attack five years ago. Now, as this 61-year-old attempts to begin a new and very different life, more support is likely to be forthcoming from the tough world of boxing than Kellie Maloney might imagine at this moment of revelation. | Frank Maloney announced that he is becoming a woman, Kellie .
Dubbed 'the Mental Midget' by Don King, Maloney has always been a larger than life character .
Guided the likes of Lennox Lewis and David Haye to titles . |
163,988 | 601081f063ef3db34555ca645de03e26ccb8eaa9 | (CNN) -- Investigators expanded their search into Texas Monday for a 7-year-old girl who was reported missing after her mother was found dead in Oklahoma Sunday night. Authorities also are trying to find the dead woman's estranged husband, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The girl -- Aja Daniell Johnson -- was reported missing from Geronimo, Oklahoma, late Sunday, the bureau said. Her mother, Tonya Hobbs, 37, was found dead inside a parked RV Sunday night, the bureau said. Hobbs and her daughter were visiting Hobbs' estranged husband, Lester William Hobbs, at his sister's home, the bureau said. Lester Hobbs, 46, and Aja are missing and are presumed to be in Hobbs' car, said investigators who issued an Amber Alert to try to find her. Lester Hobbs is not Aja's biological father, police said. Texas authorities also issued an Amber Alert, Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Lisa Block said. Authorities believe Hobbs has connections to Rockport, Texas, and the alert was issued preemptively, she said. Tonya Hobbs and her daughter were last seen Saturday night. Authorities did not say how Hobbs died, but the bureau said investigators believe someone killed her. The RV belonged to Lester Hobbs, and was parked at his relatives' home, Richard Goss, agent in charge of the state bureau of investigation's Lawton, Oklahoma, office, told reporters Monday. Hobbs' relatives became suspicious Sunday after they did not see Tanya Hobbs or Aja, and one of them pried open the door and discovered Tanya Hobbs' body, he said. Lester Hobbs and Aja were gone, Goss said. The Hobbses were separated, but apparently Tanya Hobbs was visiting Lester Hobbs in an attempt to reconcile, Goss said. The couple had been together for about five years. A medical examiner was performing an autopsy, the bureau said, and police want to question Lester Hobbs about the death. He and the girl are believed to be traveling in his car, a white 1992 Toyota Paseo with Oklahoma tag number 577-BPW. The two-door car has no hubcaps, and the rear passenger window is covered in plastic, the bureau said. The Comanche County, Oklahoma, Sheriff's Office said Aja has a medical condition that requires medication. "Our main concern at this time is to find the little girl," Sheriff Kenny Stradley told reporters. "We know that she does need some medication," and authorities were checking leads regarding that, he said. He did not specify Aja's medical condition. Goss said Lester Hobbs has an extensive criminal history but did not elaborate. The Sheriff's Office said he had prior felony convictions. Lester Hobbs was supposed to appear in court in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, on a DUI charge, Goss said, and did not appear, so a warrant has been issued for him. Aja's biological father was awarded emergency custody of her in November, according to Oklahoma County District Court documents obtained by CNN affiliate KWTV of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At a hearing, Tonya Hobbs -- identified as Tonya Dunkin in the documents -- and the girl's father, John Johnson, agreed that she would have supervised visitation with Aja and keep the girl away from Lester Hobbs, the documents said. Aja is 4 feet tall and weighs 59 pounds, Goss said. She has brown eyes, and her hair is brown with the ends dyed black. Lester Hobbs is about 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The agency released a picture of him and said he has a mustache but no longer has a goatee. Geronimo is about 12 miles south of Lawton, Oklahoma, in the south-central part of the state. | NEW: Amber Alert issued as authorities extend search into Texas .
7-year-old was reported missing after mother was found dead Sunday night .
Authorities seek mother's estranged husband, say she, girl visited man at his sister's home .
Man, girl believed to be traveling in a white 1992 Toyota Paseo . |
92,819 | 0362dfdcdb30c0136625b5099de6783276ab818f | By . Paul Donnelley . A farmer has been cleared of manslaughter following the death of a walker in an attack by his bull. Paul Waterfall had denied manslaughter by gross negligence after Roger Freeman was attacked as he walked with his wife on a footpath across the farmer’s land in 2010. Prosecutors said a bull belonging to Farmer Waterfall attacked and killed 63-year-old Mr Freeman and that the farmer had known the animal posed a ‘deadly risk’. Mr and Mrs Freeman, who were married for 42 years, were experienced ramblers . Mr Waterfall had denied knowing the bull was aggressive or that it posed a risk to members of the public. A jury of eight men and four women took just over two and a half hours to find the 39-year-old dairy farmer not guilty following a four-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court. There were sighs of relief today from family and friends of the farmer. Following the verdict, Judge Gregory Dickinson QC told the court: ‘Whatever the verdict, I have no doubt all the jury felt enormous sympathy for Mrs Freeman and for family and friends. Write caption here . ‘I express my sympathies and condolences to the family, who have been through a horrible ordeal.’ The judge also criticised the time it took to charge Mr Waterfall following the incident. The farmer was charged last year following Mr Freeman’s death four years ago. Judge Dickinson said: ‘I struggle to understand how it took so long as to come to a decision to charge. ‘The Crown Prosecution Service should look very carefully at the history of this case to find out what lessons can be learned.’ Mr and Mrs Freeman were walking the 15 miles from Nottingham to Loughborough when the incident took place in this field in Stanford-on-Soar on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire border . The judge also said the case questioned the importance of leaving health and safety issues to self-regulation. Mr and Mrs Freeman, who were married for 42 years, were experienced ramblers and were walking the 15 miles from Nottingham to Loughborough when the incident took place around 4.30pm on November 12, 2010 in Stanford-on-Soar on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire border. The couple, who had seen cattle in the field, carried on walking on the public footpath across Mr Waterfall’s field when Mr Freeman was attacked. The court heard the farmer’s bull, Moonriver Zac Pi, was in the field with a number of cows of different breeds. Paul Waterfall's farm in Stanford-on-Soar on the Nottinghamshire/Leicestershire border. His bull Moonriver Zac Pi was later put down . Prosecutors claimed it was the bull who attacked Mr Freeman, charging at him and tossing him in the air, and stripping him of his walking clothing. Mrs Freeman, from Glen Parva, Leicestershire, told police she believed a bull with 12in horns attacked her after she tried to defend her husband from the animal. However the trial heard the bull, known as Zac, did not have horns. Zac was put down after the attack on Mr Freeman. Giving evidence during the trial, Mrs Freeman said she was no longer sure the animal that attacked her and her husband had horns. Mrs Freeman, then 67, survived the attack by climbing over a fence and flagging down a passing motorist. The last thing she remembered hearing her husband say as he called on her to get help was: ‘I’m sorry my baby, I can’t get us out of this,’ she told Nottingham Crown Court. Paramedics found Mr Freeman’s body in the field. He was wearing only his boots and underwear. A post-mortem examination revealed he suffered broken ribs, shoulders and upper arms, and fractures to his vertebra. Mrs Freeman had to undergo surgery for chest and abdominal injuries. Mrs Freeman needed hospital treatment for abdominal and chest injuries. Mr Waterfall told the court he had thought of Mr Freeman and his family every day since the fatal incident. The father-of-two denied that Zac was aggressive and said it would have been culled if it had shown aggression. After today’s hearing, Mr Waterfall declined to comment out of respect for the Freeman family but said he was relieved the case was over . | Roger Freeman, 63, was experienced rambler and been married for 42 years .
Freemans walked on public footpath in farm on Notts/Leics border .
Mrs Freeman said bull with 12" horns attacked her husband .
Bull Moonriver Zac Pi which had no horns put down after attack .
Farmer Paul Waterfall denied knowing bull was aggressive or public danger .
Judge criticises CPS for length of time it took to bring case to court . |
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