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180,381 | 7584b67811756847d8cdce0d52c69b04bbec3217 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 8:08 AM on 19th September 2011 . A sacred tree which came back to life after it was nearly destroyed by vandals must now be replaced - thanks to trophy hunters who have broken off its new shoots. The Holy Thorn Tree in Glastonbury Somerset - which can trace its roots back 2,000 years to the death of Jesus - had its branches hacked off in December last year. It miraculously started to grow new shoots earlier this year and made a fragile recovery over the summer. Hacked off: The Holy Thorn in Glastonbury, Somerset. The sacred tree's fragile recovery from an attack by vandals has been put at risk by trophy hunters . But some of the new growth has now been removed and locals suspect trophy hunters will use them to try and grow their own holy tree. The tree was also damaged by ribbons tied around the trunk and coins and other items that have been shoved into the bark. Well-wishers have even poured honey, Guinness and cider around the roots, causing further damage. Local councillor John Coles, a former Mayor of Glastonbury, said it will be replaced with a new one grafted from the original branches which were hacked off. 'People don't realise the damage they are doing. I am forever removing these ribbons because they block sunlight to the trunk,' he said. 'We've had people pulling things off - the new growth and bark on the trunk. We think it would have survived if it was just left alone. 'There is still life in the trunk but we doubt that it will ever recover. It is very sad but we think the best thing is to replace it.' Green shoots: The embattled tree can trace its history back 2,000 years . The new tree has been grafted by experts at Kew Gardens and is likely to be planted nearby to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee next year. It could be monitored by a CCTV camera to prevent a repeat of the damage caused to the current tree, Mr Coles added. Experts have verified that the felled tree - known as the Crategus Monogyna Bi Flora - originated from the Middle East. Christian legend dictates that Jesus's great uncle, Joseph of Arimathea, came to Britain after the crucifixion 2,000 years ago bearing the Holy Grail - the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper. He visited Glastonbury and thrust his staff into Wearyall Hill, just below the Tor, planting a seed for the original thorn tree. Barren: Botanists from Kew hope to plant another tree carefully grafted from the old one nearby . Oliver Cromwell's Roundheads felled the tree during the English Civil War, when Parliament waged a vicious battle against the Crown. However, locals salvaged the roots of the original tree, hiding it in secret locations around Glastonbury. It was then replanted on the hill in 1951. Other cuttings were also grown and placed around the town - including its famous Glastonbury Abbey. | Replacement likely to be planted to mark Queen's Diamond Jubilee next year . |
77,280 | db1d4c0663e01b109e39733dfee260852e508734 | How was Valentine's Day for you last year? Did you both snuggle up at the end of the evening, luxuriating in each other's arms, whispering sweet nothings? Or did it end in a huge, stonking row with both of you on your sides, staring stonily at opposite walls? Valentine's day is one of the two days in the year that couples argue the most, this is because we are often left disappointed, here Tracey Cox explains why he's not living up to your expectations . If it's the latter, you're not alone. Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve are the two nights of the year couples are most likely to argue. Why? Expectations are high - and men and women's idea of romance are streets apart. Make this Valentine's run smoother by seeing things from a different perspective... 1. HE DIDN'T SEND FLOWERS TO WORK . Why is it infinitely better for a huge, expensive bunch of flowers to arrive at the office rather than be delivered in person by him? The show off factor, of course. Everyone wants to look like the most adored person in the office and what if everyone except you got sent flowers? Good reasons why he didn't: . From being low on funds to feeling intimidated by the way you look there are plenty of reasons why he isn't conforming to your idea of the perfect Valentine's date . 2. HE DIDN'T BOOK THE RIGHT RESTAURANT . There are three Valentines' choices that go down well. Dinner in your 'special' restaurant - where you met or he proposed or something else significantly romantic happened. Dinner in the hottest place in town (so you can boast the next day) or dinner somewhere expensive. His 'Let's give V-Day the finger and head to the local pizza joint!' suggestion does not go down well. Good reasons why he didn't: . Tracey says that it's important to bear in mind that his definition of romance isn't necessarily yours . 3. HE DIDN'T TELL YOU HOW FAB YOU LOOKED . Your hair's blow-dry glossy, you spent two week's salary on your dress, your shoes are so high, your little toe's already throbbing - and all he says after a quick once-over is 'Hi! Happy Valentine's Day.' Would it kill him to say 'You look better than Rosie Huntington-Whiteley - on a good day'? Good reasons why he didn't: . 4. THE PRESENT DIDN'T COST ENOUGH . 'It's the thought that counts' might apply when it's your five-year-old niece lovingly pressing an old sweet wrapper into your hand for Christmas. But a hell of a lot of women think the more money he spends, the more he loves them. Good reasons why he didn't spend up big: . 5. HE WASN'T AFFECTIONATE ENOUGH . You're smack bang in the middle of a packed restaurant, surrounded by tons of couples who are all over each other. He's not even holding your hand across the table or playing footsie. Why he isn't: . 6. HE DIDN'T SAY ROMANTIC THINGS . On every other day of the year, he's always coming out with the cutest, nicest comments about how much he adores you. On the day when he's supposed to, nada. One strained 'I love you' and that was that. Why he didn't: . 7. HE DIDN'T PROPOSE . You're checking your Champagne glass, digging around in the chocolate fondant with your spoon, eyeing off his jacket pocket to see if it's bulging. Where is he hiding that damn ring? Why he didn't: . It really doesn't mean he doesn't love you, if he doesn't make a fuss on Valentine's Day. Some guys are just conscientious objectors to the concept and, let's be honest here, it takes little effort to call and order a bunch of red roses. There are infinitely better ways to express love and his definition of romance isn't necessarily yours. One of my all time favourite research statistics is the study where men in long-term relationships were asked to do something romantic for their wives. Forty percent washed her car! I rest my case. For inspired Valentine's Day ideas on what to buy, see Tracey's gift guide suggestions for him and her. | Valentine's Day is one of the two nights a year couples argue the most .
This is because we have massive expectations and are left disappointed .
Tracey Cox explains exactly why he might make mistakes this Saturday .
Because you work with women who date bankers and if he can't compete, he figures you'd prefer his more modest bunch handed over privately.
Because he baulked at paying a delivery fee that's tripled for one day of year.
Because it seemed more practical to give them to you himself, since he was seeing you that night.
Because it's excruciating to have to sit there and look loving and say all the right things in a restaurant he feels comfortable in, let alone one where he's terrified he'll pick up the wrong fork.
He can't afford it.
He figured cooking a meal for you himself was more special.
You seriously do give Rosie a run for her money and he's suddenly paranoid he's not good-looking enough for you.
He clocked you've gone to a lot of effort to look good and worried the present isn't right/expensive enough/you're upset because he didn't send flowers to work.
He actually prefers you in your old skinny jeans and a T-shirt. You don't seem like you 'all done up'.
He can't afford it and can't justify hiking up the credit card even higher when he's likely to need it for important things. Like rent.
He secretly suspects you're a gold digger and wants to test whether you're with him for his money by not being extravagant.
He didn't have a clue what to buy so procrastinated - and ended up in Paperchase half an hour before you were due to meet.
He's inwardly cringing at how forced everyone else looks.
He feels that if he follows suit, he'll look forced. Or clichéd. Or just plain stupid. Besides he can feel you turning into Ms Frosty Pops and he's scared he'll be rebuffed and look even more idiotic.
He feels so self-conscious in this environment, he's scared he'll laugh.
See above. Surrounded by all the cheesy hearts and pink balloons and red roses, he's already suffocating in sentiment.
He thinks anything he says will seem disingenuous - that he's only saying it because he's supposed to.
He resents being told to do something romantic on a certain day of the year just because society dictates it.
He didn't think you'd want to share your anniversary with millions of other couples.
He's planning on doing it somewhere private and more meaningful than in front of a room full of strangers.
You've only been dating two months. |
257,769 | d995e107aace0abde80e5d3c85ddc036fe8b572c | By . Pete Jenson . Follow @@petejenson . The Copa del Rey second leg was marred by a cigarette lighter being thrown at Cristiano Ronaldo as he headed for the tunnel at half-time but, on the pitch, the Portuguese striker had the last laugh. He scored two penalties, the second won by Gareth Bale, as Madrid beat Atletico 2-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate to go through to the April 19 final. Going in at the break at the Vicente Calderon, a yellow cigarette lighter flew through the air and hit the Portugal captain on top of his head. Bouncing clear: Sergio Ramos (right) hasn't realised that the lighter has struck Cristiano Ronaldo in the head . Incoming: The yellow lighter can be seen hurtling through the air towards Ronaldo's head . Oblivious: Ramos (centre), Xabi Alonso (right) and Ronaldo are entirely unaware as the missile is thrown . Hitting home: The lighter lands on top of Ronaldo's crown with some force . Withdrawal: Ronaldo was taken off in the 75th minute for wonderkid Jese . Atletico Madrid: Aranzubia, Miranda, Insua, Alderweireld, Javi Manquillo (Juanfran 46), Diego (Adrian 46), Mario Suarez, Raul Garcia (Gabi 61), Rodriguez, Sosa, Koke . Subs not used: Godin, Turan, Bounou, Ruben Mesa . Booked: Miranda . Real Madrid: Casillas, Sergio Ramos (Nacho 46), Arbeloa, Daniel Carvajal, Varane, Xabi Alonso, Modric (Casemiro 67), Bale, Illarramendi, Isco, Ronaldo (Jese 75) Subs not used: Pepe, Benzema, Di Maria, Lopez . Booked: Arbeloa, Illaramendi, Ronaldo . Goals: Ronaldo 7 (pen), 16 (pen) Ronaldo was walking off alongside . team-mates Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso, who showed concern as the . striker clutched his head after impact. The missile was thrown from a section of the home support as players from both sides passed down into the tunnel. Bale, meanwhile, emulated David Beckham by reaching the Spanish Cup final in his first season at Real Madrid. Beckham’s . first and only cup final in Spain was against Zaragoza which Madrid . lost 3-2 in extra time despite the then England captain scoring with a . first-half free-kick. Bale’s . first final is more likely to be against Barcelona who lead Real . Sociedad 2-0 after the first leg and meet on Wednesday night in San . Sebastian. The Wales winger has already . passed Beckham’s first-season goals and assists tally. In the 2003-04 . season Beckham scored seven goals, Bale has 11. Beckham’s . assist count in the league was up to eight in the 32 games he played; . Bale has only played nine full matches for Madrid but has nine assists. The £86million man was brought down in the box by Emiliano Insua and Ronaldo scored from . the spot doubling Real Madrid's lead on the night after the Portuguese . forward had won and dispatched the first penalty. Painful: Ronaldo clutches at his head after the lighter bounces away as the players make their way down the tunnel . Money shot: Ronaldo (left) celebrates with Gareth Bale after opening the scoring . Pick that one out: Ronaldo and Real Madrid were off to a flyer at the Vicente Calderon . Milestone: Bale has reached a Copa del Rey final in his first season in the capital - like David Beckham (right) Dani . Aranzubia pushed a Bale free-kick round his post in one of Real . Madrid’s best second-half chances but the tie had been won a week . earlier in the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid reaching the cup final also means Ancelotti repeats Jose Mourinho’s feat in his first season in charge of Real Madrid. Mourinho also met Barcelona in the final and won his first trophy thanks to an extra-time header from Ronaldo. Madrid’s . two goals in the Calderon took Ancelotti closer to another of . Mourinho’s milestones. Real scored 100 goals under the current Chelsea . manager in just 42 games but Ancelotti’s Madrid have now scored 98 in . the Italian’s first 37 matches. Ronaldo hit a shot straight at Aranzubia to just miss out on his hat-trick and was substituted midway through the second half. Cutting in: Real playmaker Isco nips across to try and prevent Raul Garcia getting his shot away . Surge: Bale looks up as he tries to carve out an opening in Madrid . Almost there: Ronaldo spurns his opportunity to bag yet another hat-trick for Los Blancos . Words of wisdom? Bale talks to Ronaldo during the match against bitter rivals Atletico . Atletico . Madrid could now face punishment from the league for the missile thrown . at the Real Madrid striker, although the precedents for action being . taken against clubs in such circumstances will not encourage those who . want tough action. Diego Simeone’s side will now concentrate on the league, the Champions League and getting back key injured players. They . had full back Javier Manquillo taken to hospital with a cervical sprain . after falling on his head and twisting his neck after jumping for a . header with Ronaldo who was booked. In the first leg last Wednesday, Real . left back Marcelo and his young son were reportedly targeted with racist . taunts from the travelling Atletico fans as the Brazil defender warmed . down following the ill-tempered game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Giant leap: Ronaldo beats Miranda (left) and Emiliano Insua in an aerial battle during the clash . Raging: The Atletico fans are on their feet after Ronaldo nets from the penalty spot . | Real Madrid striker hit in the head during 5-0 aggregate victory .
Ronaldo had netted twice from the penalty spot to give Real 2-0 lead .
Portugal star substituted in 75th minute for youngster Jese .
Real face Barcelona or Real Sociedad in Copa del Rey final . |
71,862 | cbbaf7578e9ededdc10af31f438df9e9f8b1dafe | There’s a brave flash of red lipstick and a touch of blusher for the occasion, but no amount of make-up can disguise the pain on Nilam Hindocha’s face. Her world is in ruins. It is three years since her beautiful daughter Anni Dewani was kidnapped and shot dead in South Africa on her honeymoon, a murder so compelling in its terrible details. Few cases have been more exhaustively examined, to the continuing distress of the Hindochas. And this is what has driven Nilam to defy the effects of a long battle with cancer and make a painful journey from her home in Sweden to London, where Anni’s British bridegroom Shrien Dewani is fighting extradition, accused of arranging her murder. Scroll down for video . Stress: Grieving Nilam Hindocha says she feels sorry for her son-in-law who is suspected of arranging the murder of her daughter Anni . Nilam, 62, is giving her first account of her family’s ordeal because she is driven by a desperate need to know what really happened to her daughter. Without the answer, she says, a corrosive mix of sorrow and suspicion will surely kill her too. It is all the more remarkable, then, that she can sympathise with the plight of the chief suspect, who remains in a secure mental hospital with post-traumatic stress and depression. ‘I feel sorry for Shrien,’ she says. ‘He is my son-in-law and he is as ruined by this as we are. He is ill, and I have sympathy with him. His life is broken for ever. ‘But he will get the chance to get better. What about my Anni? What about her life?’ ‘I believed Shrien was truly in love with my daughter,’ she continues. ‘I just need him to tell me what happened. If he cannot, I will never, ever get over this. ‘I’ve lost my beautiful daughter. Unless he tells me the whole story – this stress is killing me.’ Today there is no communication between the Dewani and Hindocha families. Last week they appeared in court together for the latest round of Shrien’s fight against extradition, but the mutual animosity was hard to disguise. Suspect: Shrien Dewani is facing a murder trial in South Africa but is fighting extradition on mental health grounds . Tragic: Beautiful Anni Dewani was murdered on her honeymoon . It is a sad end to a 40-year . friendship between the families, struck when part of the Hindocha clan . settled in Britain after Idi Amin’s 1972 purge of Ugandan Asians. Meanwhile Anni’s side of the family settled in Sweden. It . had seemed appropriate when in 2010 two good-looking children – . 30-year-old Shrien, a millionaire businessman, and Anni, 28 – were . married in a lavish £200,000 ceremony in Mumbai. As the world now knows, the happiness . was short-lived. The Hindochas had only just returned to Sweden when . they received the phone call from Shrien saying Anni had been kidnapped. Ill-fated: Shrien and Anni Dewani married in 2010 . ‘We hadn’t even unpacked,’ recalls Vinod Hindocha, Anni’s 64-year-old father. ‘Dewani called me and said, “Dad, I couldn’t take care of your daughter.” I said, “Shrien, she’s not dead. I’m coming, we’ll pay them whatever they want and we’ll get her back.” ‘But he just said it again, “I could not take care of your daughter.” ’ As if he knew her fate already.’ Mr Hindocha got the next flight to South Africa, but during a stop-over in Amsterdam was told the nightmare news that Anni had been found, dead, in an abandoned taxi. The circumstances of her death seemed strange from that first call. According to Dewani, Anni had wanted to see ‘the real Africa’ so they hired a taxi driver to take them to Gugulethu township, a dangerous suburb of Cape Town where their car was hijacked at gunpoint. To this day, Anni’s mother cannot understand why her daughter would have wanted to go to such a place. ‘Shrien knew that area was not good,’ Mrs Hindocha says. ‘No one really goes there at night. They were staying in Cape Grace Hotel and she would have loved the nightlife around there. She would never have recommended they go to Gugulethu in the middle of the night.’ When Dewani was named as a suspect by South African authorities, Nilam and Vinod were shocked. ‘How can you ever think that about the man you gave your little baby away to?’ asks Mr Hindocha. But the South African police had no such doubts. They accused Dewani of paying the couple’s taxi driver, Zolo Tongo, to arrange for a hitman to kill his new wife and make it look like the work of violent criminals. Their car was hijacked at gunpoint. Dewani claims the criminals let him and Tongo go, before driving off with his bride. Anni was never seen alive again. Tongo told South African police he had been approached by Dewani and asked to organise the killing. His 25-year sentence for murder was cut by seven years in return for this testimony. South African and British Police began a new line of enquiry in 2011 after Leopold Leisser, a German male prostitute, claimed Dewani had paid for sex sessions with him. Family: Anni Dewani's mother Nilam Hindocha (left) and Shrien Dewani's father Prakash (far right) attend court for his extradition hearing . He also said Shrien, who made his money through the family care home business, had told him he needed to find a way out of his engagement, but could not do so easily for fear of being disowned by his family. Dewani strenuously denies these accusations and says he is not gay. Anni took a year off between finishing university and finding a job to care for her mother following the discovery that Nilam had cancer of the uterus in 2006. Thankfully, she is now clear of cancer, but the side effects of the treatment continue to plague her. ‘The doctors say she should not have any stress,’ says Mr Hindocha. ‘But every day is a stress for her with this case. Shrien’s lawyer is always saying, “his health, his health, his health”. Has she thought of our health?‘ . Meanwhile, the case grinds on. At Westminster magistrates’ court last week, Dewani’s defence team asked for a six-month adjournment, arguing Dewani’s recovery could be irreparably damaged if he was extradited. Shrien remains at a secure Bristol mental hospital and did not attend the hearing, being deemed mentally unfit. Chief magistrate Howard Riddle will rule on the case later this month. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Nilam Hindocha speaks as son-in-law fights extradition over murder charges .
She said not knowing what happened to her daughter is 'killing her' |
22,473 | 3fc9e7d87e22c000c1c32e6ff1e5e0105ff80340 | A mysterious object launched by Russian military is being followed by Western space agencies over fears it could be part of a Kremlin project to kill satellites. Object 2014-28E, which was tracked over Guatemala on Monday night by N2YO, has been making unusual movements according to amateur observers. The Financial Times reported that it has been moving towards other Russian space objects and is now being monitored by Norad - the U.S. Military's space defense command. Scroll down for video . Mysterious objects: Object 2014-28E, which was tracked over Guatemala on Monday night by observers N2YO, has been making unusual movements according to amateur astronomers . The object had originally been classed as space debris, propelled into orbit as part of a Russian rocket launch in May to add three Rodnik communications satellites to an existing military constellation. There are theories that it could be a civilian project used to pick up 'space junk' or could be a method of fixing broken orbiters. However Russia did not declare the launch, prompting concerns it could be part of another objective. Some believe that with the deterioration of West-Moscow relations and the revived interest in space weaponry, this could make strategic sense. The anti-satellite program launched under Stalin - known as Istrebitel Sputnikov - was closed down in 1989. Patricia Lewis, research director at think-tank Chatham House, told the FT: 'It could have a number of functions, some civilian and some military. One possibility is for some kind of grabber bar. 'Another would be kinetic pellets which shoot out at another satellite. Or possibly there could be a satellite-to-satellite cyber attack or jamming.' However she added that: 'It would be odd if space were to remain the one area that [militaries] don’t get their hands on.' Space race: Russia became the first nation to launch a satellite into oribit, with Sputnik 1 in 1957 . Russia became the first nation to put a satellite into orbit with the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957. But the United States first put a man on the moon in 1969 and Russia has not yet done so. In 2007, two of Sputnik's heirs, Voyagers 1 and 2, are headed towards the edge of the Solar System after 30 years in space. Six years later, they announced that they would be sending an unmanned probe to the Moon by 2015. The craft, called Luna-Glob, or Moon-Globe, will be carried by the first rocket to blast off from a new facility that Russia is building in its far eastern Amur region. The claims come the same week that Philae attempted to land on the surface of a comet. Rosetta's craft captivated the world when it touched down, but went into hibernation mode late on Friday when its primary battery ran out of power. Earlier this month, the International Space Station had to fly higher as to avoid Chinese space junk floating in orbit. Russia has a number of satellites in the solar system, and has over ambitious space projects in the pipeline - including sending an unmanned probe to the Moon by 2015 . | The mysterious object was tracked over Guatemala on Monday night .
Amateur observers have been following it as it moves across the sky .
Russia did not declare the launch, prompting fears of its objective .
Other theories are it is clearing up space junk or fixing other satellites . |
211,603 | 9e07be726bad053e363f02e9d5e8dd97884d6da0 | By . Charlie Scott . Follow @@charliefscott . A debut goal from Andy Robertson sealed an impressive win for Hull against Stuttgart on Sunday and meant Steve Bruce's side finished their run of pre-season games unbeaten. Roberton doubled Hull's lead in the 12th minute at the Mercedes-Benz Arena with a cute finish from a tight angle, after David Meyler had profited from some poor goalkeeping minutes to put Bruce's team ahead minutes before. Bosnia-Herzegovina international Vedad Ibisevic hit back for the Bundesliga hosts just before the break, but it was Hull that dominated the game in Germany and should have perhaps won by more. On the scoresheet: Andy Robertson doubled Hull's lead in the 12th minute on his debut for the club . Stuttgart (4-2-3-1): Ulreich; Klein, Schwaab, Rudiger, Rausch (Ferati 46); Gruezo (Romeu 46), Gentner (Kvist 78); Harnik (Leitner 62), Didavi, Maxim (Werner 62); Ibisevic . Subs not used: Kirschbaum, Haggui, Niedermeier, Sararer, Holzhauser . Goal: Ibisevic 39 . Hull (3-5-2): Harper (Eldin Jakupovic 46); McShane, Maguire (Chester 82), Figueroa; Rosenior (Bruce 87), Meyler (Snodgrass 61), Quinn (Livermore 87), Boyd (Huddlestone 87), Robertson (Sagbo 70); Ince (Brady 61), Jelavic (Aluko 61) Subs not used: Davies, Long, Elmohamady . Goals: Meyler 6, Roberton 12 . Attendance: 23,500 . The victory was the perfect preparation for Hull ahead of the Premier League season, with QPR first up for Bruce and his side at Loftus Road on Saturday. They made the perfect start at the Mercedes-Benz Arena as Meyler and Robertson struck inside 13 minutes to put them two goals ahead. Meyler made the most of some woeful goalkeeping by Stuttgart's Sven Ulreich to smash home the opener, before Robertson netted on his first start for the club when he reacted quickest to score from a tight angle after Nikica Jelavic's effort had been kept out. Tom Ince shone alongside Jelavic in an attacking role for the visitors, though he will be frustrated not to have troubled the scorers after passing up two decent chances. Steve Harper pulled off a fine stop to keep out Ibisevic's penalty towards the end of the half, but he could do nothing about the striker's sweeping finish from 20 yards six minutes before the interval. Opening the scoring: David Meyler had earlier put Hull ahead after pouncing on a Sven Ulreich error . Bright display: Tom Ince played well but should have scored for Steve Bruce's side at the Mercedes-Benz Arena . In the second half Ince wasted another glorious chance to score while Paul McShane failed to beat Ulreich with two attempts after finding himself rather uncharacteristically inside the opponents' penalty area. Robert Snodgrass, who replaced the goalscorer Meyler with half an hour to play, was the final Hull culprit as he blazed off target from a promising position. | David Meyler opened the scoring on six minutes and Andy Robertson, a summer signing from Dundee United, doubled their lead shortly after .
Bosnia-Herzegovina striker Vedad Ibisevic pulled one back for Stuttgart but not before he had a penalty saved by evergreen goalkeeper Steve Harper .
Hull end pre-season, which included four friendlies and two Europa League qualifiers, without having lost a game .
They start their Premier League campaign against QPR on August 16 . |
131,092 | 3585373af9dbed198bad4c207b390ef0ae00ce75 | As the future of their show lies in doubt, the Duck Dynasty clan are still making millions thanks to their megabucks Walmart merchandising deal, MailOnline can today reveal. The Robertson family has a merchandise empire that is estimated by Forbes to be worth about $400million - and their deal with Walmart makes up around half of this. And today, as Walmart refused to comment on the future of their relationship with the TV family, just one glimpse at the chainstore's website shows fans are flocking to buy Duck Dynasty merchandise amid the furor over patriach Phil Robertson's homophobic comments. Meanwhile, MailOnline can reveal a publicist from A&E DID accompany Phil to his interview with GQ magazine -but was NOT there when he made his incendiary comments. Off air: A&E network have suspended Duck Dynasty patriach Phill Robertson from the hit show following his homophobic comments in GQ magazine . Best Seller: Duck Dynasty products have sold out on the Walmart website following Phil Robertson's explosive comments . Out of stock: Walmart has a multi-million merchandising deal with A&E networks for Duck Dynasty. It's believed to be worth nearly half their $400million merchandising empire . Walmarts sells a huge array of Duck Dynasty merchandise- from T-shirts to camo bedding, posters, watches, toy trucks, camo chairs, clothing, jewellery and even bottle openers. Today, as Phil Robertson's close-knit family insisted they would not film the hit A&E show without him following his suspension by the network, fans tweeted they were rushing to Walmart. However, others pointed out that this support merely puts more money into A&E's pockets as well, with one tweeting: 'Loving that Tea People are rushing to Walmart to Duck Dynasty swag in protest of A& who OWNS the merchandising.' Another added: 'I better rush off to Walmart and buy up all the Phil Robertson merchandise 'cuz it's gonna be a collectors item one day.' Another tweet read: 'Your stores may look quite vacant when you pull down the Duck Dynasty merch. May want to double down on the Honey Boo Boo.' A Walmart spokeswoman declined to comment. Family support: The Robertson clan have threatened to quit the hit-rated show. In a statement, they said: 'As a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm' Close-knit: Phil Robertson and his wife Kay have spawned the Duck Dynasty clan that have made A&E network millions . Empire: Walmart sells everything you can think of for Duck Dynasty fans - from bedspreads to watches and bottle openers . Walmart announced at their annual shareholders meeting that the best-selling item of apparel for both men and women this year was the reality show's T-shirt, according to Forbes. Forbes writer Claire O'Connor said: 'When I was down in Arkansas for this Walmart meeting, you really do marvel at the amount of people who are wearing these Duck Dynasty T-shirts and hats. 'There are kids pajamas, there is camo bedding and you probably won't be surprised to hear that they sell Duck Dynasty prayer devotionals.' This also includes the No. 1 country album on Billboard for the month of November, Duck the Halls. She added that even though Walmart had dumped Paula Deen over her racism row, it was 'still early' with regards to Duck Dynasty, saying: 'I think for this demographic, anti-gay rhetoric is not considered as much of a huge sin as racism. 'The ball is in Walmart's court. They are going to have to make some sort of decision on this. The only way this retail empire will be at stake is if Walmart decides they are not going to sell these items anymore and I really cannot see that happening. Other smaller brands will probably wait for Walmart to take the lead on this.' Meanwhile, a source revealed a publicist from Duck Dynasty was there when Phil was interviewed for the January issue of GQ. Support: Fans are still buying Duck Dynasty merchandise . Collectors: Fans joked about snapping up Duck Dynasty gear . Jokes: Walmart's deal with the Robertson clan is said to be worth nearly half their $400million merchandising haul . However, the interview took place in . several locations and the publicist did not accompany the GQ journalist . and Phil when they went for a ride on ATVs. The source said: 'A&E sent . a publicist for the duration of the interview, but she was not there . for the 'anus v vagina' comment. But to be honest, Phil was making . similar comments throughout the interview and it's not like he wouldn't . have said it in front of her. 'It was just that they were riding ATVs and the publicist was not there for that specific moment.' This . means that A&E would have been aware of the sentiment of Phil's . interview - and could have been pre-warned of the scandal that erupted . when he called being gay a sin, adding: 'It seems like, to me, a vagina . -- as a man -- would be more desirable than a man’s anus. 'That’s . just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to . offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: . It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.' As A&E today remained quiet, it was reported the network still plans to make hay from the show. TMZ reported that Duck Dynasty is taking over A&E's Christmas schedule. The network will air four separate rerun marathons of the show in four days - from December 22 until 25, totalling 33.5 hours of airtime. Following Phil's suspension from the program, the Robertson family released a statement reading: 'We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E's decision. 'We want you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith in God and our belief that the Bible is His word. While some of Phil’s unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse, his beliefs are grounded in the teachings of the Bible. Phil is a Godly man who follows what the Bible says are the greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Prayers: Willie Robertson's daughter Sadie tweeted her thanks . Phil would never incite or encourage . hate. We are disappointed that Phil has been placed on hiatus for . expressing his faith, which is his constitutionally protected right. 'We . have had a successful working relationship with A&E but, as a . family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch . at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means . for the future of Duck Dynasty. Again, thank you for your continued . support of our family.' And Phil remains backed by his family, . with his grandson John Luke - son of Willie - tweeting: 'What has this . country come to? Unbelievable.' As his sister added: 'Thank you for all . the prayers. It means a lot to the family.' Brother: Sadie's brother John Luke said his grandfather's suspension was 'unbelievable' | MailOnline can reveal a show publicist did accompany Phil Robertson to interview - but was NOT there when made his damning homophobic comments to GQ magazine .
However, sources say Phil made similar comments 'throughout interview' so A&E WOULD have been fully aware of the general tone of the interview .
Robertson family are sticking by patriach Phil - and are refusing to film TV hit without him . |
69,994 | c674bd461e416bfeaea2153c36f00d7ff4a66fa2 | By . Zoe Szathmary . PUBLISHED: . 21:31 EST, 24 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:20 EST, 25 November 2013 . Thorson, seen here in a March 2013 mugshot, was recently sent back to jail after an 'alleged probation violation and for failing to appear in court' Jilted lover Scott Thorson has revealed shocking details of his relationship with Liberace -- and is now back in jail 'for an alleged probation violation and failing to appear in court', TMZ reports. Prior to his arrest on Wednesday, Thorson described in an interview for 'Oprah: Where Are they Now?,' the lavish lifestyle he enjoyed as Liberace's lover. 'Although we had our differences, we had more good times than bad times. Well, I mean it was a wonderful life. I was 16 years old, I was walking around with all these jewels -- you know, a million dollars worth of jewelry, 30 cars. I had more mink coats and diamonds than Elizabeth Taylor had,' he said. In the video, Thorson also described how he received plastic surgery to resemble a young Liberace at his lover's request. 'It was amazing, the resemblance afterwards -- the same chin, it was just amazing,' he said. Thorson also alleged in the interview that Liberace introduced him to using drugs. 'When it got out of control, he just decided that he was going to discard me like a piece of trash. Cut off my credit cards, cut off all the cash,' he told the special. Thorson later sued Liberace for palimony, the video adds, and is believed to have received $95,000 in a settlement. Thorson, left, seen here with former lover Liberace, right, in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1982, said 'I had more mink coats and diamonds than Elizabeth Taylor had' Thorson, seen here in this file photo with Liberace, underwent plastic surgery to look like a younger version of his lover . 'The reason why I sued Liberace was because he threw me on the streets and I had nothing. He called me a disgruntled employee. That I was a street hustler, that I was liar. That there was never a sexual relationship. That I was nothing but a gold digger. And I was just a young kid.' Thorson was booked on Wednesday, TMZ reports. He had been on probation for a burglary and ID conviction from earlier this year. He also faced a drug violation in September but received a rehab sentence, the website adds. Thorson, the Associated Press reports, was forced to reside in Washoe County as a result of a determination by probation officials. His lawyer, David Houston, told the Associated Press in September 'He was living in what I would refer to as a drug-infested area. If you put enough stress on an individual and make things seem helpless you do get a certain result - in this case a relapse.' Prior to his September arrest, Thorson had spent time at the famous Moonlite Bunny Ranch Brothel, under the supervision of owner Dennis Hof. 'Scott is the dysfunctional son that I never wanted but I am willing to still help him out. He has an addiction problem and needs constant supervision to beat his problem,' Hof told The National Enquirer. 'I partially blame the courts for his ongoing problem -- they refused to allow him to stay with me at the Bunny Ranch which is a clean, drug-free sober environment.' Hof also told The National Enquirer that 'as soon as they put him back out [in] Reno he was surrounded by temptations that will always get the best of him.' Thorson is seen here in a handout photo provided by after his arrest for violating the terms of his probation when he failed a drug test September 5, 2013 in Reno, Nevada . | 'I had more mink coats and diamonds than Elizabeth Taylor,' ex-lover Scott Thorson says .
Claims Liberace introduced him to drugs, then 'cut off' credit cards after things got 'out of control'
Thorson sued Liberace for palimony after he says he was called a 'liar' and a 'street hustler'
Thorson was arrested on Wednesday for an alleged probation violation and failing to appear in court .
Thorson had been staying at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch Brothel under supervision . |
167,927 | 6532c973d6dbf599a70a509936327367b189568c | David Beckham’s plans to bring a Major League Soccer team to Miami are moving in the right direction despite claims from the league’s commissioner that the process ‘can’t go on forever’. Beckham revealed almost a year ago that he would exercise his option to become the owner of a new MLS franchise in Miami, but has since had two plans for a 25,000-seat stadium rejected. ‘The reality is that everything if progressing very well,’ said a spokesperson for Beckham Miami United on Wednesday. Former England captain David Beckham poses with wife Victoria at the London Theatre Awards last month . Beckham poses with Brazilian legend Pele ahead of the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina . Former England captain Beckham unveils his plans to bring a franchise to Miami earlier this year . ‘Miami is still David's No 1 choice and it will happen. The fans and the people of Miami are behind us and we hope to announce some positive and exciting news soon.’ Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, had earlier refused to discuss whether Beckham's option could be switched to another city, said: 'It is a private discussion and relationship as it relates to the specific option and I am not going to get into those details, but by all means this is not something that can last forever.' The MLS board of governors will hear a report from the league's expansion committee on Saturday and Garber indicated that they would aim to make some decisions on new franchises in the first half of 2015. The league will grow to 20 teams in 2015 with the addition of New York City FC and Orlando City FC followed by Atlanta and a second LA-based team in 2017. Garber said MLS is looking to add at least three more clubs by the end of the decade and that he recently held talks with groups from Minnesota, Sacramento and Las Vegas. 'We have also been in discussions with San Antonio, El Paso and St. Louis, they are just not as far along for the next round,' said Garber. Beckham in his pomp for Manchester United and England - he made 115 appearances for his country . The commissioner said, however, that Miami remained a goal for the league -- but only if the right venue is found. 'I believe Miami can become a great MLS market if we can put the pieces in place,' said Garber. 'The (Beckham) group continues to work to try and find a stadium solution that they believe will put them in a position to succeed. That is a difficult process and it is one that they continue to work hard on.' Although politicians having blocked Beckham's two proposed waterfront venues, Garber says he won't be putting direct pressure on elected representatives to help the former England and Manchester United star. 'We are not putting pressure on anybody. What we do is we communicate to the public and their representatives what is necessary for us to be successful and ultimately ensure that David can exercise his option in Miami. 'They are well aware of it now and there is not much more really that we can do now and we are not asked to do much more.' | Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, says process 'can't go on forever'
Beckham had two plans for a 25,000-seat stadium rejected in the summer .
But Miami remain No 1 choice for former LA Galaxy and England captain .
Spokesperson for Beckham Miami United says MLS team 'will happen' |
21,859 | 3e1abb88d32872ac0db1b88a85e54df8f65621b0 | Berlin (CNN) -- Police arrested three Chinese nationals after authorities uncovered about 100 snakes, 70 tortoises and 20 neon-colored frogs in their hotel room in western Germany, according to a police spokesman. The discovery was made Friday after a hotel employee found a snake on a stairway and alerted authorities, said Cologne police spokesman Stefan Kirchner. The guests were arrested on suspicion of illegally importing the animals, he said. "After paying several thousand euro for deposit, they were released on Friday evening," added Kirchner. The creatures have since been relocated to Cologne city zoo. | Three Chinese nationals arrested after 100 snakes were found in their hotel room .
Authorities also found 70 tortoises and 20 neon-colored frogs .
The guests were arrested on suspicion of illegally importing animals . |
191,688 | 8439a331331cb8cd0be0c8b8552525e51cb10295 | Chicago (CNN) -- The headline in the Chicago Tribune left no one in any doubt. "Obama Solid in Illinois." The latest polls are clear -- President Barack Obama will carry his home city and state and scoop up its 20 electoral college votes in his battle for re-election by a large majority. Illinois will vote Democrat, as it has for the past five elections. Obviously Chicago is amongst the last places to get an unbiased opinion on this year's presidential race. This is the absolute heart of Obama country. It is the place where Obama lived and taught law. The city where he started his political life, first elected to the state legislature then, in a few short years, honing his policies for national office. Full coverage: CNN's Election Center . Illinois is where he announced his run for the presidency. Four years ago, in Chicago's Grant Park, the new President-elect Obama delivered his victory speech in front of tens of thousands of screaming supporters. So if this mid-western city is so firmly in the Obama camp, why am I here? What can I hope to learn from a place so biased they should just weight his vote rather than count it? It is the perfect place to start my American Quest. See more: American Quest in pictures . Chicago is the third largest city in the U.S. Here, the buildings rival New York's in size and beauty. The hardy mid-western people play on the national stage. Chicago is a confident, muscular city whose people need none of the tinsel show-and-tell of the west, nor the power posturing of the east. Boeing, McDonald's, United Airlines and Kraft foods are some of the global companies headquartered in the metropolitan area. Here, they make things. Early today, as I stood by the Buckingham Fountain, just yards from where Obama addressed his adoring base four years ago, the city was at its resplendent best. Debate analysis: Biden, Ryan slug it out . A crisp breeze blew in from Lake Michigan and a rainbow appeared in the fountain's spray, forming a perfect arc over the magnificent skyline. Chicago was putting on a show of contended bravado. By starting here, we gauge how the faithful view their man, before we delve into those parts of the country where the doubters, naysayers and downright critics live. This American Quest will take us from Chicago to the swing states of Iowa and Colorado. We will sojourn in the strong Romney state of Utah, home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, whose followers are known as Mormons. And we will end up in California, a state which even though it will almost certainly vote Democrat, we can learn much of the trends for the future. Five States: Two Swing. Two Democrat. One Republican. Austan Goolsbee was head of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers and is now a professor in Chicago's prestigious Booth School of Business at The University of Chicago, where Obama taught law. He told me we will find many different types of economies as we travel by rail to California. Read more: The 25 funniest tweets about the VP debate . Some states, like Illinois, with its wide variety of industries, have rebounded strongly from the recession. At 9.1% unemployment, it is above the national average and amongst the worst in the country. But the state's mainstay, Chicago, has bounced back. A diverse economy across services and manufacturing has helped insulate it from the severest bite of the economic chill. As we travel across America, Goolsbee points out that we will see how the rise in commodity prices has benefited other Great Plain states like Iowa, which should benefit the president in this swing state. Then we will head to Colorado, which Goolsbee calls "ground zero" in the White House race because of its mixture of new business and old. This is where the economy is being reborn through new business like health care and technology. Map: Voices from around the world . But more depressingly, out of the window of our train we will see neighborhoods in Nevada built with more optimism than pragmatism, now abandoned to economic fate and foreclosure. More than half the state's homeowners are "underwater," owing more to the banks than their properties are worth. We will end our journey in California. Lively. Maverick. Trendsetting -- and amongst the most diverse states socially and economically. The Golden State's manufacturing and high tech industries will warrant close inspection. This journey is more than just about "the economy, stupid" although that is by far the single biggest concern. Expect issues of birth control, same sex marriage, gun laws and more to be on our menu. And throughout we will return to the comfort of our Amtrak train, to muse on our findings as we cross these United States. When I asked him what he thought of our plan to cross all of these states by rail, Goolsbee said he thought we were crazy. Personally, I can't wait to see all this for myself. | CNN's Richard Quest is traveling across the U.S. for American Quest, which will air from October 29 .
He has started in Chicago -- the heart of President Barack Obama country .
By starting in Chicago, Quest will understand how the faithful view their man .
Quest will travel across the U.S., through five states: Two Swing. Two Democrat. One Republican . |
73,161 | cf8118e4f97f126351537cb6811614b82f45562c | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 08:25 EST, 3 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:55 EST, 3 January 2014 . A lawsuit has been filed against Facebook claiming the social-networking site is systematically snooping on private messages to mine data that it sells to advertisers. Matthew Campbell from Pulaski County, Arkansas, and Michael Hurley from North Plains, Oregon, argue that Facebook has ‘systematically violated consumers’ privacy by reading its users’ personal, private Facebook messages without their consent’. The suit claims that the messages are scanned if an address to a third-party website is included in the message. Lawsuit: Two Americans are suing Facebook for allegedly spying on private messages and profiting from the data mined . This link is then analysed to build a profile of the user, it argues. According to the suit, independent security researchers have discovered that Facebook analyses users’ private messages not to aid their transmission, but to ‘mine… data and profit from those data by sharing them with third parties, namely advertisers, marketers, and other data aggregators’. Users, it reasons, 'are likely to reveal facts about themselves that they would not reveal had they known the content was being monitored'. Facebook, it says, is in violation of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. It adds that Facebook has cloaked these activities from its users, but ‘is candid about these activities in its technical guidance for web developers’. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: His social-networking site boasts more than one billion users worldwide . A Facebook spokesperson said: ‘We continue to believe the allegations in this lawsuit have no merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously.’ Computer expert Graham Cluley said: ‘I don’t see anything necessarily wrong in principle with online services automatically scanning messages between individuals, and examining the links that they are sharing. ‘Indeed, if Facebook’s security team didn’t have such systems in place I would believe them to be disturbingly lax in their duty of care for users. ‘After all, if you didn’t properly scan and check links there’s a very real risk that spam, scams, phishing attacks, and malicious URLs designed to infect recipients’ computers with malware could run rife.’ | Facebook says the allegations 'have no merit' and has vowed to defend itself .
The lawsuit claims Facebook has violated the Electronic Communications Act . |
15,983 | 2d4c55735d9291bc7bd57fb1a8ec8468bcf9ed55 | The Army fell short of its recruitment target in 2014, despite the Ministry of Defence's £30million spending on TV adverts. It has also emerged that up to a third of the Army's top brass will be cut in a command 'revolution'. The MoD splashed out £14.5millon on Royal Navy commercials, £6million on the Army and £8million on the Royal Air Force. But despite the lucrative campaign, only 6,000 people signed up to the Army last year - falling shy of the 10,000 it needed. Big spenders: The Ministry of Defence spent £30million on TV adverts for the armed forces in 2014 . Revelation: The TV ad figures were revealed after a parliamentary question by Labour's Kevan Jones . Failure: espite the lucrative drive to attract recruits, only 6,000 people signed up to the Army last year - well shy of its 10,000 target. The TV advert figures were revealed after a parliamentary question by Labour's Kevan Jones. It has also emerged that up to a third of the Army's top brass will be cut. The plans by General Sir Nicholas Carter, the new head of the army, will see many of the army's 500 colonels and 200 brigadiers axed. The changes will be in place from April and are designed to reduce bureaucracy and make the force more professional. It follows revelations in Parliament that another 20,000 cuts to soldiers are also in the pipeline. Sir Nick Harvey, a former defence minister, told MPs last week that the Ministry of Defence had drawn up secret proposals which would see another 20,000 troops axed. Under an Armed Forces shake-up, ministers are already cutting the strength of the regular Army by 20,000 to 82,000. They are also planning to double the part-time Territorial Army – now called the Army Reserve – to 30,000 by 2020. But the further cuts would reduce the army to just 60,000 regular soldiers. As well as axing senior officers, General Carter wants to see 'more professional' senior officers which are trained to be loyal to the army rather than to their regiment. Recruitment drive: The MoD splashed out £14.5millon on Royal Navy commercials (right), £6million on the Army (left) and £8million on the Royal Air Force . He also wants to end obligatory two-year job rotations, allow career breaks for women to have children that do not affect the chance of promotion and also introduce performance reviews with more honest feedback. The plans have been set out after decades of weak leadership where commanders are rarely held to account, according to more than a dozen former senior and more junior officers interviewed by The Times. They added that bureaucracy takes precedence over common sense and people are not encouraged to take risks. One defence official told The Times: 'It is the revolution.' Gen Carter's Army Command Review will bring sweeping changes across the whole army. However, General Rupert Smith said it may not go far enough. Streamlining: Plans by General Sir Nicholas Carter (left) will see many of the army's 500 colonels and 200 brigadiers axed, while former defence minister Sir Nick Harvey (right) has drawn up secret proposals to cut 20,000 troops . 'Revolution': Under an Armed Forces shake-up, ministers are already cutting the strength of the regular Army by 20,000 to 82,000 . He said: 'The [Army] may have improved itself, but it won't make any difference if it isn't put in an improved centre or joint arrangement.' A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said last night: 'The Army Command Review is the next step in the development of Army 2020. 'It builds on the delegated model that Defence has implemented as a result of Lord Levene's report on Defence reforms. 'It will ensure that the Army's command structure and its staff are best placed to meet future challenges in an agile, imaginative and effective manner.' | £14.5million spent on Royal Navy ads, £6million on Army, £8million on RAF .
But the Army only recruited 6,000 in 2014 - falling short of its 10,000 target .
Plans by General Sir Nicholas Carter will now cut top brass by up to a third .
Will mean many of the army's 500 colonels and 200 brigadiers will be axed .
'Revolution' is an effort to raise professionalism and reduce bureaucracy . |
39,094 | 6e7786527dc7fa29341af02d6474308899625b3b | PUBLISHED: . 17:19 EST, 13 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:20 EST, 13 May 2013 . Oprah Winfrey may be one of the richest Americans, but after a string of recent real estate investment losses she might consider keeping her billions in the media business. The lady billionaire’s most recent hit came as her company sold retail space that once contained her Oprah Store at a loss of more than $1 million. The sale comes after the company’s closing of the store itself, which was shuttered just after Oprah signed off the daytime airwaves for good in 2011. Fizzle: Oprah Winfrey knows how to make money in media, but the billionaire has taken more than one fat loss in the real estate game . The space, which sat just across from the talk queen’s Harpo Studios in Chicago, cost the company $1.98 million, but it ultimately sold for only $875,000, according to the Chicago Tribune. The Oprah Store sold Oprah logo-emblazoned designer wear from ‘Oprah’s Closet’ and gave proceeds to charity. The law firm that orchestrated the sale said the space is set to become a meditation center. This is not the first time an Oprah-backed real estate investment brought a big loss. Last summer, Ms. Winfrey sold an eight-bedroom co-op unit in Chicago’s Streeterville neighbourhood for $2.75 million, a unit for which she paid a whopping $5.6 million in 2006. Loss: around $3 million. Ouch: The Oprah Store in Chicago closed after Winfrey's talk show ended in 2011. The space was recently sold at a $1 million loss to her company . Ooohm: The store sat just across from Oprah's Harpo Studios in Chicago. It will now become a meditation center . Oprah, by the way, never even moved into the place. These are two sharp blows to the media savvy businesswoman, ones that followed the mightiest of blows: when her much anticipated OWN Network hit airwaves to disappointing numbers. But since the network’s dark first days, things have begun to look up and Oprah may yet redeem her juggernaut status among TV types. Repeat: The Oprah Store, pictured, was just one of her real estate flops. She sold a Chicago condo in July at a $3 million loss . The Oprah Winfrey Network—its full name—has been gaining steam since landing an exclusive first interview with shamed cyclist Lance Armstrong. And Forbes reports that Discovery Channel, which partnered with Oprah on the OWN venture, has confidently reported that the cable network could be in the black by the end of 2013. Oprah is currently the only African American billionaire, with a reported worth of $2.8 billion. Hope: Things may be on the up for Winfrey, though. The OWN network, which tanked initially, is showing marked improvement and her partners at Discovery Channel say it could be in the black by the end of 2013 . | The Queen of Daytime took an even bigger loss last summer when she sold a Chicago co-op she never even moved into for $3M less than she paid in 2006 .
Her billions also took a hit after her OWN Network debuted with meager ratings, but things look like they may be looking up for the media maven . |
35,870 | 65db5feaa38ae3a717e3e398c5df1bf348fc455f | Connor Watts was at an office leaving party when he got drunk and passed out on his train home . A teenage insurance worker had to call police to get rescued after he passed out in a train toilet on a drunken night out and woke up in a deserted depot. Connor Watts, 19, had gone for drinks at an after work leaving party on Thursday before taking his normal route from London Cannon Street to his home in Gillingham, Kent, at around 11.30pm. But on the journey back he started to feel ill and went to the train toilets to be sick where he ended up passing out. After more than two hours he woke up and went back to his seat in the carriage where he sat for about 20 minutes before realising he was the only person on the train and it wasn't moving. Mr Watts was due to change trains at Dartford, Kent, to meet his connecting train to Gillingham, but because he had been in the toilet he missed it and ended up locked in the train at Dartford's depot. The teenager, who is currently doing temp work at Howden Insurance Brokers, said: 'There was quite a big group of us that had gone out for a leaving do to a bar called Agenda. 'I'd had quite a long day and had been up since 5.30am for work. I was also drinking on empty stomach, which wasn't a good idea. 'I remember getting the 11.40pm train and going into Tesco to buy a spicy wrap, but I didn't realise it was so spicy so I went to the toilet on the train and then I was sick and must have passed out. 'I came round but didn't realise I'd passed out so I sat on a seat and I was still feeling a bit ill. I wasn't really paying attention and sat there for about 20 minutes and then I realised we weren't moving and I was the only one on the train.' He explained that he looked outside and although it was dark he could see other trains parked up and worked out he was in a depot. He posted on Twitter the next morning about his night out, telling his 489 followers that he woke up 'trapped on a train' He explained that when he woke the train lighting and heating was still on and it took him 20 minutes to realise it wasn't moving anywhere. He was left with a £40 taxi bill to get back to his home in Gillingham . A picture of the depot looking down the side of the train (left) that Mr Watts took as he got off the train . 'The train I was on still had its lights on and the heating on so I think that's why it took me a while to realise. 'When I tried the door it was locked so I called the police and just said I was stuck on the train. They sent someone who works there to come and let me off. 'He found it quite funny and was laughing and said something like 'at least you've got a story to tell everyone tomorrow'. 'He said they normally check the train but I think it was because I was in the toilet, but they should check them really. It could have been a different story.' The Southeastern rail worker let him out a side gate at the depot and Mr Watts, who lives with his mother, walked back to the train station where he made attempts to call a taxi. 'I knew that most people would be asleep so I didn't bother ringing my mum and the people I had been out with all live in London so I tried calling a taxi. 'It took me a while to eventually get one and it cost me £40 to get home. I didn't get back until 4am and luckily I had booked the next day off otherwise I would have been up again at 5.30am.' Mr Watts said this is the first time something like is ever happened but didn't feel embarrassed by the situation and decided to share what happened on his Twitter page. A spokesperson from the British Transport Police said: 'We were contacted at around 2.15am on Friday, 20 February, by a passenger who had fallen asleep on a train and woken up in a depot in Dartford. 'Officers contacted colleagues from Southeastern, who attended the depot and escorted the man from the train.' They added that it is quite rare for police to get a call of this nature unless a crime has been committed but that they were happy to help in this situation. Connor Watts, left, on a recent night out with friends, says this is the first time anything like this has happened to him. He had fortunately booked the next day off work after getting home at 4am . Michelle Ulyatt, from Southeastern Railway, said: 'Our control centre received a call from British Transport Police in the early hours of Friday 20 February to advise that a passenger was still on board one of our trains at Dartford sidings. 'We contacted the passenger to reassure him and advise that a member of staff was on the way to unlock the train and assist him. Our station team escorted him from the train. 'Our station staff check all trains that terminate at Dartford station before they proceed to the sidings or run to the depot at the close of service. 'We are currently investigating why we did not discover the passenger on board on this occasion and will put in place learning points required as a result of this incident.' This map shows the route that Connor Watts should have taken, starting at London Cannon Street Station and ending at Gillingham in Kent, but after passing out in the toilet he ended up at Dartford depot station . The depot is about a five minute walk from Dartford Station, where Mr Watts had to walk down a road, past a Wickes store, across a bridge and back to the station where he waited for a taxi to take him home . | Connor Watts, 19, had gone for drinks with colleagues for after work party .
He started to feel ill on his train journey home from London to Gillingham .
Insurance worker went to the train toilet where he was sick and passed out .
Woke up later and realised he was only one on train and it was stopped .
Mr Watts was locked in so rung police who sent train worker to let him out .
He had ended up at Dartford train depot and had to get a £40 taxi ride back . |
17,318 | 310926f3a1a4ef492d5484468621331376a84947 | This incredible photograph shows the moment a one-year-old girl who lost her arms and legs to meningitis learns to crawl. Harmonie-Rose Allen became a quadruple amputee shortly after taking her first ever steps. Doctors told her parents Freya Hall and Ross Allen their only daughter had one of the worst cases of the virus they had ever seen. Harmonie was given a one in ten chance of survival and spent her first birthday in intensive care as her limbs were removed in a series of operations. Doctors were also forced to remove the tip of her nose and warned her parents she could suffer long-term vision and learning problems. Harmonie-Rose Allen, aged one, is learning to crawl again, after losing both her arms and legs to meningitis . The youngster's plight touched the hearts of thousands of people who have already raised £100,000 to help her cope with life without arms or legs. Her family say she is facing the challenge with remarkable good nature - as these first photos show. Last week Harmonie opened the first door of her advent calendar, with the help of her mother, and has even been painting her own Christmas card with the help of a special attachment. Her mother Miss Hall, 20, said: 'She has such a strong character and it is beginning to come back now - she knows what she wants. She has got her smile back. 'Ross and I are extremely proud of Harmonie. She has come so far and fought so hard to be here with us. 'We will make her life as amazing and fulfilling as we can. She's our perfect little princess and she will always be perfect. 'To be told that she had 10 per cent chance of survival and to be here now is incredible and means so much to us how hard she's fought. 'I don't know what I would do without her.' Brave Harmonie-Rose Allen opens the first door of her advent calendar, with the help of mother Freya Hall . She is now beaming again after the killer bug struck 10 days after she walked for the first time in September. Her parents feared she wouldn't survive to enjoy Christmas with them . Despite the ordeal she has faced, the toddler is finally smiling again. Medics warned her parents she had a 10 per cent chance of surviving when she fell victim to the killer bug in September - just 10 days after taking her first steps. Three months on and the family are preparing to spend Christmas in hospital. Miss Hall, 20, said: 'She has such a strong character and its beginning to come back now, she knows what she wants. 'She has got her smile back. Ross and I are extremely proud of Harmonie. She has come so far and fought so hard to be here with us. 'We will make her life as amazing, and fulfilling as we can. She's our perfect little princess and she will always be perfect. 'To be told that she had 10 per cent chance of survival and to be here now is incredible and means so much to us how hard she's fought. 'I don't know what I would do without her.' Harmonie-Rose's parents Freya Hall and Ross Allen first noticed something was wrong when she woke in the night coughing and soon developed a tell-tale rash. Doctors told the couple their daughter had a 10 per cent chance of surviving, preparing them for the worst . Meningitis Research Foundation estimates that there are around 3,400 cases of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia every year in the UK and Ireland. This means that every day nine people become ill with the diseases. With one in ten people dying, a death will occur almost every day. A further two people will be left with life-altering after effects as severe as brain damage, deafness and multiple amputations. Meningitis vaccines offer excellent protection, but they are not yet available for all forms. So it's vital to know meningitis symptoms and what to do if you suspect someone has meningitis or septicemia. Symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia: . Other signs in babies: . Septicaemia can occur with or without meningitis. Not everyone gets all the symptoms and they can appear in any order. Source: Meningitis Research Foundation . The couple first noticed something was wrong with Harmonie-Rose in September, when she woke in the night coughing and unable to breathe. They took her to the Royal United Hospital in Bath but doctors could not find anything seriously wrong and she was sent home. But the next morning Harmonie-Rose turned blue and they took her back to the same hospital. Following an assessment they were told it was just a virus and were again sent home. But hours later Harmonie-Rose became floppy and lethargic and they rushed back to the hospital, where a rash was spotted. Within four hours, the toddler's body was covered with the purple rash, leaving her parents lost for words. Miss Hall, a full-time mother, said: 'She had a cold for about a week before we took her to the hospital but she was also teething. 'She was still happy and playing right up until we took her to the hospital the second time. 'We saw the spot on her nose and it did not go away, the nurse acted very fast and within seconds her room was filled with doctors and nurses. 'Every time we looked at Harmonie she was becoming covered with more purple like bruises. 'Harmonie was then taken to adult intensive care and we did not hear from them until about four hours later. 'When we walked in to see Harmonie I could have fainted. 'She was asleep and was more covered in the rash than before, this was when we realised it was really severe. 'The doctors told us she would lose the tip of her nose and that was only if she survived. 'He told us he was very worried about our little girl and that she may not survive, my whole life was turned upside down within a second I was so angry and upset. 'The rash was literally covering her from head to toe, it was purple and a dark purple. 'Gradually the whole of her arms and legs were purple; they weren't just dots anymore, they had changed the colour of Harmonie's skin.' The brave toddler, pictured with her mother, fought the bug, but doctors were forced to amputate her arms and legs, as well as the tip of her nose. She has undergone 10 operations but is now out of immediate danger . Friends and family have helped raise more than £100,000 for the Help4Harmonie appeal to help pay for the one-year-old's future rehabilitation, hydrotherapy and adaptations to her home . Harmonie-Rose has undergone more than 10 operations and is now out of immediate danger, but her mother says she still faces a number of challenges on her road to recovery. Since the youngster's diagnosis, friends, family and members of the public have been raising funds to help Harmonie. To date the Help4Harmonie appeal has raised more than £100,000, which will be used for rehabilitation, hydrotherapy and home adaptations. Her mother added: 'The support has really helped and it's overwhelming. People from all over the world are supporting Hope4Harmonie. 'Life will never be easy for Harmonie but knowing we have this kind of support fills me with warmth that Harmonie will lead as normal life as possible.' Anyone wishing to donate to the cause should visit her Just Giving page here. | Harmonie-Rose Allen, 1, was struck by a bout of meningitis in September .
She fell ill with the killer bug just 10 days after walking for the first time .
Doctors warned her parents their daughter had a 10% chance of surviving .
She fought the disease but medics were forced to amputate both her arms and legs as well as the tip of her nose .
She has undergone 10 operations but is finally on the road to recovery .
After opening an advent calendar last week, she is now learning to crawl .
Fundraising appeal has raised £100,000 to help fund future care .
Her mother Freya Hall, said: 'She has such a strong character and its beginning to come back now. She has got her smile back' |
235,868 | bd54ff9ec0337f4363f60c5839f5f19e21dc0531 | (CNN)President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has proposed the dissolution of Argentina's domestic intelligence service, as the country deals with the fallout from the mysterious death of a federal prosecutor who accused its leaders of a criminal cover-up over Argentina's deadliest terror attack. Kirchner has sent a draft bill to the country's parliament which, if passed, would mean the Secretariat of Intelligence (SI) is replaced by the Federal Intelligence Agency. In a taped statement aired Monday night on national TV, Kirchner said the service had "not served the interests of the country." The body of Alberto Nisman, a special prosecutor investigating the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, was found inside his apartment on January 18 -- the day before he was due to testify before Congress about his claims. The previous week, he had filed a report alleging that the President, foreign minister and other officials conspired to cover up Iran's involvement in the bomb attack, which killed 85, in exchange for an oil-and-grain-for-meat deal. Nisman died of a gunshot wound to the temple. A gun and a shell casing were found near his body and the apartment was locked from the inside. At first glance, a suicide. But the untimely death raised suspicions immediately. Then investigators looking into his death said there was no gunpowder residue on his hands, as would have been expected, and a locksmith who let Nisman's mother into the apartment told reporters that anyone could have opened the lock. Kirchner, who initially called Nisman's death a suicide, soon reversed her thinking and called it "the suicide (that I am convinced) was not a suicide." However, while Fernandez does not believe that Nisman took his own life, she still insists that his allegations against her government are false. Nisman was not a hack with an agenda against the President, but a naive investigator who was used by others who fed him false information, Fernandez said. Nisman's report promised to provide evidence "of the existence of a sophisticated criminal plot, deliberately conjured to cover up and provide impunity to the Iranians accused in the investigation of the attack" of the Jewish community center in 1994. The 289-page report makes its case based on tapped telephone conversations between representatives of Argentina and Iran. CNN's Michael Roa, Shasta Darlington and Margot Haddad contributed to this report. | Argentina's President proposes dissolving the Secretariat of Intelligence .
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner says it has "not served the interests of the country"
Nine days ago, prosecutor who alleged a criminal cover-up died in mysterious circumstances . |
86,521 | f59365f98e181e8e830abff0c39b815192931357 | Missoula, Montana (CNN) -- A federal judge on Friday denied a motion to dismiss a murder case against a Montana newlywed bride accused of murdering her husband by shoving him off a cliff at Glacier National Park. The ruling followed a surprise appearance on the witness stand by Jordan Linn Graham, who faces first- and second-degree murder charges in the death of her 25-year-old husband, Cody Johnson. In his decision, U.S. District Court Judge Donald W. Molloy criticized the prosecutors for what he described as "trial by ambush," but said the case will proceed to trial on December 9. Graham, 21, wearing a purple sweater and blue jean blouse, took the stand to testify that doubts about her marriage had escalated into a physical altercation during a trail hike. "We went on a little stump part and we were in the middle of an argument and he thought I was going to run away," said Graham. "Cody had grabbed me and I thought he was going to push me down," she said. "My first instinct was to get him off." Graham was indicted last month on charges she intentionally pushed her husband to his death in an angry rage. Her federal public defender Michael Donahoe has asserted in court documents that his death was an accident. Donahoe also accused the government of misconduct related to a series of interrogation interviews the FBI conducted. The part time nanny has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges including making false statements. She remains under house arrest. During her 15 minutes of testimony, Graham accused FBI agent Stacey Smiedala of making her uncomfortable by placing his hand on her knee during an interrogation. "He held me for five minutes," she said. In cross examination, federal prosecutor Kris Mclean showed Graham an affidavit she signed about that unrecorded interview, which lasted an hour and 20 minutes: . "Under oath you said, 'During the entire time I was in the room by myself with Agent Smiedala, he never took his hands off my knee,'" McClean said, seeking to underscore the time discrepancy between her testimony and her signed affidavit. "Yes," she replied. "I guess to my knowledge I did not know it was going to be translated in that manner." In his testimony about interrogation methods, agent Smiedala denied physically touching Graham's leg, saying he only tried to verbally console her after she broke down in tears after confessing. In a case that has gained national attention, Graham did not initially report the incident. She told local detectives that Johnson had vanished in a dark vehicle the night of July 7 with unknown friends. On July 11, according to an affidavit, Graham led a group of friends and relatives to a popular spot in the park called "The Loop," where they discovered Johnson's body. Only after a FBI agent Smiedala showed her a surveillance photo of the couple entering the gates to Glacier National Park did Graham change her story and confess to pushing him off the ledge. "She began to cry and I told her, "I am glad you have been honest," the agent said. A polygraph was never conducted and Graham was released until a grand jury indicted her last month. Prior to her interrogation, Graham had signed a polygraph examination consent form and waived her right to remain silent without an attorney. Defense attorneys claimed failure to record the first hour and 20 minutes of the interrogation violated state law. Two subsequent interviews were recorded in which Graham allegedly cited the death as an accident and that she acted in self-defense. Judge Molloy said he would rule on the admissibility of her unrecorded statements at a future date. Prosecutors have theorized that Graham blindfolded her husband before pushing him to his death and then lied to cover up the crime, according to motions filed by the defense. Donahoe, the public defender, has criticized prosecutors for labeling Graham a sociopath, accused them of distorting statements she made, and contended they recorded only those segments of interviews that bolstered the government's case. Donahoe said federal attorneys have not disclosed any evidence of the premeditation alleged in the first-degree murder charge except for mentioning during a recent telephone conference that "the government now believes Jordan placed a blindfold on Cody before pushing him off the ledge," court documents show. The theory is tied to a "piece of cloth" found near Johnson's body that investigators have sent for DNA analysis, according to court documents. The case is being prosecuted in federal court because the incident occurred in a national park. | Judge denies motion to dismiss murder charges against Jordan Linn Graham .
Despite what judge calls "trial by ambush," case will go to trial on December 9 .
Graham admitted she pushed her husband off a cliff, but claims it was self-defense .
FBI agent denies Graham's claim that the touched her during an interview . |
190,503 | 82a3799090db99bdf611599094170b85bd4eee4e | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 12:38 EST, 6 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:48 EST, 6 March 2013 . Peter Chapman took to Facebook to rant after he received slow service in a Costa Coffee in Dorchester, Dorset . A Conservative councillor is being urged to resign after he branded coffee shop staff 'bone idle bitches' who 'needed a good beating'. Peter Chapman took to social networking site Facebook to complain after he received slow service in a Costa Coffee. He posted a message slating the members of staff at the branch in Dorchester, Dorset. His message read: 'Terminally slow (and bad) service from the bone idle bitches at Costa Dorchester today, they all need a good beating.' Visitors to his personal Facebook page were horrified by his remarks and are now urging Mr Chapman to resign from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council. Mr Chapman, who has been a councillor for five years, has since tried to back-track from his comments which he said were made in jest. He said: 'My Facebook status is private and that comment was not made in public.' But a local womens' rights group has branded the comments as 'terrible'. Toni McKee, chairman of Women's Action Network Dorset, said: 'I think this is absolutely terrible and there are no grounds for even joking about something like that. 'We are working so hard to break the perception that domestic violence is acceptable, so it is shocking that someone in a public position should say something like this. The councillor made the comments about the staff in the Costa in Dorchester, Dorset . 'I think he should step down.' Gemma Stephenson, assistant manager at the Costa Coffee shop in Dorchester, said the remarks were 'shocking'. She added: 'It's not a nice thing for anyone to say, and definitely not something a councillor should be saying.' Alison Moore, president of the Chamber of Commerce in Dorchester, said: 'I do not know the man but he should consider apologising. 'I can understand the frustration when you are in a queue and it's busy but that is a really unacceptable thing to say and I'm quite shocked. 'If it was a genuine mistake then he should think about how he might be able to repair the damage.' | Women's group horrified by Peter Chapman's comments .
Others urge him to resign from Weymouth and Portland Borough Council .
Mr Chapman says his comment was not made in public . |
38,220 | 6c12e4c74e817f2b7f64ac9512731bdd950a2925 | (CNN) -- Rory McIlroy has apologized after putting his need for more competitive golf action ahead of a planned humanitarian visit to Haiti next week -- and said his caddy had played a big part in the decision. The world No. 2 was due to visit Haiti on Monday and Tuesday in his role as a UNICEF ambassador following the end of this weekend's PGA Tour event in Houston. He first went to the Caribbean country in 2011 to meet people affected by the devastating earthquake the previous year. However, following his second round at the Houston Open the two-time major winner decided that he would add the Texas Open to his schedule in order to hav more time on the course ahead of the Masters at Augusta starting April 11. "Unfortunately, I have had to postpone my planned trip to Haiti, with UNICEF, due to a change in my playing commitments," the 23-year-old said in a statement issued on his behalf by UNICEF Ireland. Leaderboard: Follow the final round at Houston . "I am a strong supporter of UNICEF's work and I was privileged to be given the opportunity to visit Haiti, with UNICEF, nearly two years ago. We are currently looking at dates to reschedule my trip and I look forward to visiting Haiti very soon."Â . McIlroy has struggled to repeat his dominance of last season, when he topped both the U.S. and European Tour money lists and won his second major at the PGA Championship in August. After the long-awaited news of his reported $250 million switch to Nike equipment was finally confirmed, he missed the cut in Abu Dhabi in January and was knocked out in the first round of the WGC Matchplay in Arizona in February. Later that month, he controversially walked off the course at the Honda Classic in Florida, saying both that his wisdom tooth was causing pain and that he was frustrated by a flaw in his swing. His decision to miss last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational raised eyebrows given his lack of tournament golf, and Tiger Woods' victory allowed the 14-time major winner to regain the world No. 1 spot from his young rival. McIlroy made the cut at Redstone, but three bogeys in his last six holes saw him fade to a tie for 48th after Saturday's third round -- which left him nine shots behind leaders Bill Haas and Stewart Cink. After his one-under-par 71, McIlroy explained that his caddy J.P. Fitzgerald had convinced him that he needed extra tournament play in San Antonio next week. "(It was) something I hadn't thought about until basically after I finished yesterday," McIlroy said on the PGA Tour website Saturday. "J.P. was the one that mentioned it to me. He said, 'If you just play a few more rounds, I think you're going to be ready.' I didn't really think about it too much and sat down, had some lunch, started to think about it and I texted him and said, 'I don't think this is a bad idea.' "Probably took me an hour or two to sort of think about it and decide about.'' McIlroy has not had much tournament play this year, and he acknowledged that he is feeling "rusty." "I just feel like I'm playing well, I'm hitting the ball well. Everything feels good," he said. "It's just about playing a bit more competitive course and getting a little sharper. I feel a little rusty out there at times. I think the more rounds I play, the better it will be for me going into Augusta." Cink is looking for his first victory since the 2009 British Open, but he and Haas were just one shot ahead of a group of four players -- and another nine were a stroke further back, including former major winners Louis Oosthuizen, Angel Cabrera and Keegan Bradley plus ex-world No. 1 Lee Westwood. Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson was five shots adrift, having moved up the leaderboard with a 67 as he seeks his second Houston victory. | McIlroy pulls out of planned trip to Haiti to play more tournament golf ahead of the Masters .
Northern Irishman will play Texas Open next week before heading on to Augusta National .
World number two has struggled with his form in 2013 following big-money equipment switch .
He goes into final round in Houston nine shots behind the leading duo . |
275,135 | f069c2eac5d9226016ab361c3c2aae9b737ea015 | When it comes to getting ahead at work, it seems many women lack the confidence to ask for a pay rise or a promotion. Despite an increasing success in the corporate world, a survey has found the glass ceiling still looms with nearly a fifth of women (17 per cent) believing it's impossible for a woman to reach senior management. The research also found that more than a third (36 per cent) of women aren't climbing the career ladder because they aren't confident to ask their bosses for more. Over a third of women said their lack of confidence stopped them from asking for a promotion or pay rise . According to the study, which was carried out by O2, this lack of self-esteem is stopping women workers from asking for the promotion or pay rise they feel they deserve. Further highlighting this crisis in confidence, luck was by far the biggest reason attributed to success. Qualities such as skill, hard work, talent and ambition hardly featured in the responses of the 2,000 women polled. Management consultant, Emily, 27, who used to work in Westminster, knows how it feels to struggle with confidence. 'I only realised my confidence was holding me back when a more junior male colleague asked for a double promotion, which would have put him above me, whereas I hadn’t even thought about going for the job myself. He didn't get it, but it was a wake up call.' Despite women's increased success in the corporate world, the dreaded glass ceiling still looms with nearly a fifth of women (17 per cent) believing it's impossible for a woman to reach senior management . Emily puts her lack of self-esteem in the workplace down to the male-dominated environment she worked in: . 'Often, I would be the only woman in meetings and male colleagues would be making laddish jokes and I would be ignored and spoken over. 'I thought it meant I didn’t have a valid or valuable contribution. It drained my confidence.' In response to the findings, O2 is launching Breaking the Boardroom: A Guide For British Businesses . Despite women often displaying self-doubt at work, they still dream big. Nearly a third of women said they aspired to be the CEO (28 per cent) or on the board of a company (35 per cent). However, when asked about their own career, a third (32 per cent) revealed that it had failed to meet their expectations. Poor quality line management (33 per cent), a lack of effective training and development programmes (22 per cent), and negative office politics (28 per cent) were the main reasons women felt hindered their progression. Half (48 per cent) of women polled also believed all the decision-makers in their company are male. In response to the findings, O2, in association with the CIPD, The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, is launching Breaking the Boardroom: A Guide For British Businesses on how to support female leaders of the future. Along with insights from 2000 working women, the guide incorporates insights from O2, the CIPD, and a coalition of contributors made up of senior businesswomen from a range of roles and industries including IT, law and engineering. The guide provides advice to businesses of all sizes looking to implement their own programmes to help women reach leadership roles. Christine O'Brien, partner at Baker & McKenzie LLP who contributed to the guide, said: 'We're dealing with a proportion of the population with a genuine disability – an acute lack of confidence. 'This is the single biggest obstacle that women face.' Ann Pickering, O2's HR director and board member, added: . 'Our research shows that, while the diversity debate has moved on outside of the office, not enough women are actually seeing this progress at work. 'If we're to achieve sustainable and long-lasting change, we can't just look at women already at the top - we need to focus our efforts on women at every level, creating a strong pipeline of female talent across British businesses.' | Survey finds striking lack of confidence in British women in the workplace .
A third of women said they dreamt of being the CEO or board member .
But 32% say their careers had failed to meet expectations . |
110,642 | 1a9ce42a7e1f34dbadab6a5f0d0c139aebc0e37e | (Wired) -- Samsung emailed, tweeted and blogged Monday about a May 3 event in which reporters are being invited to "come and meet the next Galaxy." At this shindig in London, we expect Samsung to unveil the Samsung Galaxy S III -- though where this smartphone sits in Samsung's larger handset ecosystem isn't entirely clear. The Galaxy S III would be the successor to the Galaxy S II, which was never a single phone, but rather a lineup of devices with varying internal specs and exterior designs for different countries and carriers. Shoot, even the S II's display sizes varied, with both 4.3-inch and 4.5-inch screens. And while the Galaxy S II has been the flagship Samsung Android device for AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, the nation's largest carrier, Verizon, has avoided the S II altogether. Instead, Verizon has gone all-in with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the first handset to boast the Android 4.0 operating system. By all accounts, the Galaxy Nexus is currently Samsung's best Android phone, its single-carrier limitation notwithstanding. But what will happen when the Galaxy S III is released? This question, too, is complicated by the 5.3-inch Galaxy Note, which has been a surprise hit for Samsung. More than 5 million Galaxy Note units have shipped worldwide -- and this is a phone that runs on the horribly antiquated Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). With Samsung making so many phones for different markets, carriers and countries, it's difficult to figure out just where the Galaxy S III will reside in Samsung's line-up, says Ross Rubin, executive director of the NPD Group market research firm. "Samsung is producing a number of of high-end smartphones with leading-edge specs and, yes, that does make it tough to figure out which one their flagship phone is," Rubin told Wired. "But Samsung is one of the few companies out there that can make a lot of different phones with different functionality, geared toward different markets, that can all be considered flagship phones somewhere." Regardless, when the Galaxy S III is unveiled, the smartphone will be worthy of flagship status for at least a few carriers, Rubin said. "The idea behind the Galaxy Nexus is to provide a pure Google Android experience," he said. "The Galaxy Note, which has the largest screen size of any handset in a major U.S. carrier portfolio, is clearly about maximum screen real estate and the S-Pen for notes, annotation and drawing. Each device has its trade offs and Samsung is trying to have something out there for most anyone." Rubin says the Galaxy S and S II have been about reaching as many consumers as possible, and the S III will likely be that type of phone as well, Rubin said. "The reason there are so many versions of the Galaxy S II, and the Galaxy S before it, is because the Galaxy S line is about establishing a high-end baseline and having broad carrier reach," he said. "The whole point is to sell as many of those phones as possible, so what they're going for is top-of-the-line specs, but also mainstream consumer needs." Carolina Milanesi, a Gartner analyst, says Samsung should be less worried about where the S III lives in its broader line-up than how it stacks up against the S II, which hit U.S. shores last fall. Conventional wisdom says the Galaxy S III will have a 4.7-inch screen, quad-core processor, an 8+MP camera, 4G connectivity and (of course) a custom, Samsung-skinned version of Android 4.0. The Galaxy S II had almost-as-large screens, a dual-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and 4G data support. "If the Galaxy S III is just like the Galaxy S II, but with slightly better specifications, then I think Samsung will have a tough time selling it as differentiated product," Milanesi said. "If that's what Samsung releases, the question will be, Can Samsung do what Apple does so well, with a refresh of an existing phone?" She makes a compelling point: When you compare the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 4S, Apple's hardware specs are remarkably similar. In effect, Apple's most successful phone launch ever was built on the back of an extra CPU core, an improved camera, and a clever voice-recognition system with natural language comprehension (Siri). "Samsung's brand is not Apple-strong yet," Milanesi said. "I don't know if Samsung will ever reach that emotional level for the brand from the consumer standpoint. And that's what makes this question of 'Will the Galaxy S III be a big flagship phone?' so tricky. The Galaxy S II already has what most consumers are looking for from an Android phone." Samsung's best chance at making the Galaxy S III a success would be introducing a ground-breaking new technology, she said. "I don't think phones can get that much thinner, and I don't think they need to get much bigger," Milanesi said. "If Samsung can release a phone with a flexible display, something they've been experimenting with for awhile now, then they'd be far ahead of the curve. If they don't do something like that, they might have a hard time getting enough people to see the Galaxy S III as a truly differentiated product." Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2011 Wired.com. | The Galaxy Nexus is currently Samsung's best Android phone .
When the Galaxy S III is unveiled, that phone will be worthy of flagship status .
Conventional wisdom says the Galaxy S III will have a 4.7-inch screen and a 8+MP camera . |
186,431 | 7d7fedd0e093d8946136c35e9e979dfd3dfdb952 | With their golden age behind them Spain get ready to go again on Thursday night in Paris against Didier Deschamps’ French team. With Xabi Alonso and Xavi Hernandez recently retired and the horror-show memories of losing to Holland and Chile in Brazil still fresh in the mind can they rebuild in time to be a force at France 2016? We answer some key questions. What is the mood like in their first game since the World Cup failure? Melancholic. Wednesday morning’s papers were full of the team photos of the last Spain side that played in the Stade de France. David Villa, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Gerard Pique, Alvaro Arbeloa, Victor Valdes and Nacho Monreal all started in that crucial World Cup qualifier that Spain won 1-0 last year but will not be on the pitch when the game kicks off on Wednesday. Villa, Xabi and Xavi have all retired and will be impossible to replace. Pique’s self-confessed dip in form and fitness will also create a huge problem if it continues because there are no central defenders on the horizon. VIDEO Scroll down to watch a new look Spain team train ahead of France friendly . Retired: Spanish trio Xabi Alonso, David Villa and Xavi have all decided to hang up their boots . Jumping for joy: Chelsea striker Diego Costa is expected to lead the line for Spain . Sounds grim, maybe Vicente del Bosque and Roy Hodgson need to swap squads for a couple of games so Spanish fans can get things back into perspective? Well exactly. Group stage elimination was hard to take after winning three tournaments on the bounce and some all-time greats have since quit, but still if you look at Spain’s proposed starting line-up you would probably say that eight of the 11 would walk into the England team. Hart, Cahill and Sterling might keep out Casillas, Albiol and Pedro. But Alba, Ramos, Azpilicueta, Koke, Busquets, Fabregas, Silva and Costa would all make Roy’s cut. So it’s not all doom and gloom; what’s the grand plan? Del Bosque has the same dilemma he had before the World Cup. He does not want to betray the short-passing game that gave the team its unprecedented success but some of the team’s most important players actually play a slightly more direct game. And he needs to recognise that. Selection dilemma: Vicente del Bosque must decide who will fill the boots of Alonso and Xavi . Warm up: Spain's stars were put through their paces in a pre-match training session . Players such as? Centre-forward Diego Costa, his Chelsea team-mate Cesc Fabregas, and his former Atletico Madrid team-mates Koke and Raul Garcia all favour a slightly more direct approach. But Spain are not going to start playing like Chelsea or Atletico Madrid? There is still a big Barcelona influence with Pique, Alba, Iniesta and Busquets integral, but Del Bosque can’t watch videos of Fabregas setting-up Costa to score every weekend in the Premier League and not want to incorporate that into his new Spain side. A big Barça presence still then, but also a big Premier League one? Very much so and if Casillas’ World Cup form were to continue and he were to lose his Real Madrid place then Spain would look to a new number one – probably Manchester United’s David de Gea. Adding a Premier League keeper to the names of Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Silva and Costa would mean almost half the team would be based in England. Competition: Man United goalkeeper David de Gea will be hoping to dislodge Real Madrid's Iker Casillas . Down to the nuts and bolts then: what formation will Del Bosque play? Who are the undroppables? And where are the doubts? It seems 4-3-3 will be system with Costa at centre-forward, Ramos at centre-back and Busquets in centre-midfield, the three players its hardest to see being left out. Silva and Pedro are expected to play either side of the Chelsea centre-forward and Koke and Fabregas either side of Busquets. Andres Iniesta and Thiago Alcantara will both need to come back into the equation when fit again. Defensively Del Bosque is desperately looking for alternatives to Pique and could try both Barcelona’s Marc Bartra and Athletic Bilbao’s Miquel San Jose on Wednesday. Azpilicueta and Alba will be pushed by Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal and Atletico Madrid’s Juanfran at full-back. And that just leaves Casillas trying to get back to his best but under pressure from De Gea. Will it be enough to see them reign again? It will be enough to see them challenge again. Matching the team that had Villa, Carles Puyol, Xabi and Xavi as its spine will be much more difficult. | Spain take on Les Bleus in a friendly at the Stade de France .
Vicente del Bosque will be unable to call on the services of Xavi, Xabi Alonso and David Villa .
David de Gea will be hoping to dislodge Iker Casillas as Spain's No 1 . |
78,383 | de29445349cceda41c01466e5f219029c3ad5111 | By . Guy Aspin And Simon Peach, Press Association . Steven Lewis eked past Luke Cutts in an all-English jump-off to secure pole vault gold at Glasgow 2014. Having won bronze in 2006 and bagged silver in Delhi four years ago, the 28-year-old completed the Commonwealth set on a sunny night at Hampden Park. The British champion's jump of 5.55 metres - 27cm shy of his personal best - proved enough after a tense clash with countryman Cutts. Patriotic: England's Steven Lewis claimed Commonwealth gold in the pole vault at Hampden Park on Friday . Rising high: The Englishman produced a wonderful final jump to secure the Commonwealth title in Glasgow . Clear: Lewis pipped compatriot Luke Cutts (pictured) to gold with a jump of 5.55m . Neither managed to clear 5.60m in their three allotted leaps, so the gold was decided with a jump-off. Having both again failed to clear 5.60m, the bar was lowered five centimetres and, having seen Cutts fall short, Lewis managed to secure gold - the perfect response to losing lottery funding at the end of last season. Time out: Lewis lies on the track and takes a rest in between jumps during the men's pole vault final . Title: Lewis won bronze in 2006 and silver in 2010 but he can now call himself the Commonwealth champion . | Lewis jumped 5.55 metres which is 27cm shy of his personal best .
The jump was enough for the British champion to win gold at Hampden Park .
Neither man managed to clear 5.60m so the gold was decided in a jump-off .
Both failed at 5.60m again before bar lowered to 5.55m and Cutts fell short . |
57,255 | a23b9e4ef5a577e3ec435c0801b8526bd4c33657 | Cristiano Ronaldo took to the training field with some lunges ahead of Tuesday's highly anticipated international friendly between Portugal and Argentina. Ronaldo got limbered up as he joined his Portugal team-mates for a training session at Benfica's Stadium of Light. The European goalscoring record holder shared some words with Portugal coach Fernando Santos before what promises to be another great showdown between the world's two best players. Cristiano Ronaldo warmed up with some lunges before Portugal's training session on Sunday . The Real Madrid star will want to be in peak condition when he meets his arch rival Lionel Messi at Old Trafford . Ronaldo shares a brief word with Portugal manager Fernando Santos at the training session in Lisbon . The Portugal captain takes a bit of a break mid-session but there will be no time for rest on Tuesday evening . Lionel Messi's Argentina geared up for the international match-up by training at Manchester City's Carrington headquarters. The Barcelona superstar and his international team-mates hit the training pitch in Manchester to continue their preparations for their game against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. Manchester City's own Sergio Aguero and Martin Demichelis were also present for the session at their club's training complex. The Argentina side leave their hotel in Manchester city centre to travel to Manchester City's training complex . Fans hold up a Barcelona shirt printed with Messi's name and scramble to get photographs with the star . One young fan gets up close as he is held up to get a special picture with the Barcelona and Argentina forward . Lionel Messi and his Argentina team-mates trained at Manchester City's Carrington base on Saturday . Former Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez returned to his old club's training ground with Argentina . Messi, who has been the centre of attention in England, looked relaxed as he trained at Carrington . There was also a return to Manchester for former City striker Carlos Tevez, who also played for rivals Manchester United. United's £60million winger Angel di Maria also trained at Carrington, as did former Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano. Argentina headed north to Manchester after coming from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 at Upton Park on Wednesday night. Anas Sharbini gave Croatia the lead in the 11th minute in east London, but second-half goals from Aguero and Messi earned the World Cup runners up victory. Messi trains alongside Manchester United's £60million signing Angel di Maria at Manchester City's base . Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero looked well at home at Carrington during Argentina's training session . Manchester City's Martin Demichelis jokes with Di Maria (left) as Tevez trains ahead of the Portugal clash . Javier Mascherano, who played at West Ham and Liverpool, was also back on English soil for the session . | Cristiano Ronaldo joined team-mates at Lisbon's Stadium of Light in preparation for friendly international .
Argentina trained at Manchester City's headquarters before clash .
World Cup runners-up will take on Portugal at Old Trafford on Tuesday .
City's Sergio Aguero and Martin Demichelis trained at their club's base . |
126,701 | 2fca1d4f6782815c689ddf45455961a4a17bc334 | By . Amelia Proud and Eleanor Gower . PUBLISHED: . 20:57 EST, 27 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:30 EST, 28 July 2012 . Heartbroken Robert Pattinson is still 'not ready' to talk to girlfriend Kristen Stewart, but instead wants to have a 'man to man' chat with Rupert Sanders, the director who she was caught cheating with. The devastated British actor has moved out of the Los Feliz home he shared with Kristen after incriminating photographs showing Kristen and Rupert together were released on Tuesday. 'Rob wants to have a man to man chat with Rupert to find out exactly what happened between him and Kristen,' a source told Radar. Man to man: Robert Pattinson is said to want to talk to director Rupert Sanders following his fling with Kristen Stewart . 'Kristen has already betrayed his trust . by cheating, so he can't be sure that she will tell him exactly what . went on between her and Rupert. Rupert has a wife and a family to save, . so Rob feels like he has nothing left to lose and would be honest with . him.' Sanders, 41, is married to model and actress Liberty Ross and they have two children together. The inside source told the website that Robert, feels 'doubly betrayed' because he 'trusted' Rupert as the director of Kristen's film Snow White and the Huntsman. 'Rob really was blindsided by this and he's going through the typical stages of being cheated on,' the source said. As they were: All was well for Robert and Kristen Stewart as they appeared together at last weekend's Teen Choice Awards . 'He . was hurt and heartbroken, then angry and p****d off, and now he just . wants answers. He feels like he needs to know exactly what happened, how . far it went and how many times, so he can figure out if this is . something he can move past. 'He's not ready to talk with Kristen, it's too painful, so he's going to Rupert.' Even if Robert doesn't want to see or hear from Kristen, the pair will be reunited at the premiere of the final instalment of the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn Part 2, in November. Kristen released a statement saying: 'I’m deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I’ve caused. 'This . momentary indiscretion has jeopardised the most important thing in my . life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love . him, I’m so sorry.' However, Radar's insider said that recent events had Robert 'questioning Kristen's apology.' They said: 'Rob just doesn't know who or . what to believe right now .And he'll do whatever it . takes to find out the truth.' Fling: Kristen, pictured with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders in May, has apologised for her 'momentary indiscretion' with the married 41-year-old . Out: The actor is understood to have pack his bags and left the LA home they share . It was reported yesterday by The UK Mirror that the 26-year-old British actor ‘couldn’t believe what . he was hearing’ when Kristen told him the fling was just a ‘one off.' The newspaper's source added: ‘Rob . is devastated and deeply hurt. They spoke on the phone and he said . “You’ve completely humiliated me. All the trust has gone."' It's . unclear exactly when Robert found out about the 22-year-old's affair . with the Snow White and the Huntsman director, who has two children with . British model Liberty Ross. Kristen . and Rupert were photographed in the throes of passion on July 17 but . the images did not surface in the media until two days ago. And . while Kristen and her married director paramour have both issued . grovelling apologies for their exposed affair, Robert has remained . resolutely silent. Keeping her secret: The pair enjoyed a night out in Hollywood on July 19... two days after her tryst with the director . The source told the Mirror that he was ‘furious ‘ Robert who demanded Kristen apologise and she agreed. 'Robert wanted the world to know that he hadn’t done . anything wrong and that she had made a fool of him publicly,' said the insider. Should Robert Pattinson forgive Kristen Stewart for cheating? 'He still can’t fathom why she cheated. Kristen is begging for another chance. Robert is undecided.' The couple were last seen in public at the Teen Choice Awards together on July 22 looking like a decidedly happy couple. But fellow attendees back stage at the ceremony detected some tension between them away from cameras, with a source telling the New York Post: . 'Rob and Kristen were having a long and intense conversation backstage, . and he looked miserable, heartbroken and humiliated. She was pleading.' The actor made his feelings regarding . infidelity clear in April, telling Vanity Fair: 'There's a thing I've . never got: That is, why do people cheat?' He explained that while he 'can . understand the impulse' to cheat, he doesn't comprehend 'how you can . keep two relationships going at the same time for long.' Life imitated art: The couple are in love onscreen too, as Edward and Bella in the Twilight Saga . Taking direction: Kristen and Rupert seen chatting in between takes on the set of Snow White And The Huntsman . Married with children: Ruper Sanders is married to model and actress Liberty Ross and they have two children . 'I'm not the casual-affair kind of . guy,' he said. 'If I choose to be with someone, it's because I really . want it. When I have a relationship, I'm 100 percent into it.' The star has not emerged since details of the dalliance hit the press. Us Weekly detailed the liaison, with a source saying Rupert was 'all over' Kristen. Another source added they 'would only take a . break [from kissing] when they thought someone was walking by.' A photographer followed Kristen from her Los Feliz home and . when the actress pulled into the parking lot of a deserted building and . Rupert got into her car. The source explained: 'It seemed like they couldn't get enough. Kristen . was sitting up with her back against the driver's-side window, and this . guy was kissing her entire body.' The pair left when they thought they were being watched and drove to an . area near the Hollywood sign and Kristen appeared 'swept up in the . moment' as they kissed and cuddled outside the car. While the area they were in was quite deserted, they were disturbed by . some dog walkers and each time 'as soon as they heard a voice, they . would split up and walk in opposite directions'. Meanwhile, . the young heartthrobs new movie The Rover has been given the green . light by Screen Australia, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Set . in the Australian desert, The Rover is a futuristic western that 'tells . the story of Eric (Guy Pearce), who has left everything, everyone and . every semblance of human kindness behind him, as he’s forced to join an . injured gang member, Rey (Pattinson), to hunt down Rey’s gang after they . steal the last of Eric’s possessions.' Before the drama: Liberty was seen posing up with Kristen, as well as . Charlize Theron and Lily Cole, at the London premiere of the movie last . month . Showbiz roundup! R-Patz 'humiliated', Michelle's flag-chic & J'Taime Madonna . | 'Devastated and angry' about tryst with married British director .
Relationship hangs in the balance after her grovelling apology .
Source 'not sure' if three-year romance can recover .
Robert and Kristen last pictured together on Sunday .
It is unclear exactly when the actor was told about affair . |
61,738 | af5c2996790a46c742a9c728798af7711d28d209 | By . Mike Dawes . England's Scott Fitzgerald made an early impression in the welterweight division at the Commonwealth Games after wobbling St Lucia's Ron Bastien inside the first five seconds of the opening round. The Preston man rammed home a left hook which sent his opponent reeling backwards into the ropes, and fired the same shot early in the third to score a conclusive stoppage win. Fitzgerald said: 'It is great to get in there and when I knocked him down early it gave me confidence. I looked for it a bit too much to begin with but in the end I got him.' But there was disappointment for the first home nation boxer Lewis Benson, who dropped a split decision to Bowyn Morgan of New Zealand. Benson was wobbled by a left hook midway through round two and despite a gutsy display he could not do enough to haul back the points deficit. Cruise: England's Scott Fitzgerald (right) got off to a flying start in the welterweight division in Glasgow . Cut above: Fitzgerald was too good for his Saint Lucian opponent Ron Bastien . Northern . Ireland's Michael Conlan, meanwhile, insists he will throw away his . Commonwealth Games medal if it is any colour other than gold. The . Olympic bronze medallist shrugged off a head cut to claim a unanimous . verdict over Mathew Martin of Nauru in his opening bantamweight bout. Conlan's . face was left streaked in blood after the third-round head clash but . the small zigzag cut is not expected to compromise his future in the . competition. Conlan . said: 'Gold at the Commonwealth Games would rank up there with the . Olympics because it would mean winning a competition instead of . finishing third. Wobble: Fitzgerald knocks down Bastien during their fight at Glasgow's Emirates Arena . Aiming high: Northern Irishman Michael Conlan (left) will accept nothing less than gold in Glasgow . 'Gold . is the only one I want - I don't want silver and I don't want bronze . and I will throw them away if I do get them. On my day if I come in in . the right frame of mind nobody is going to beat me. Everybody has their . off days, but I'm not going to have an off day at these Commonwealth . Games.' Conlan . was predictably too strong for the 19-year-old from the tiny Pacific . atoll, and would have marked his opener down as a useful work-out but . for his final round cut scare. The . Belfast man opened up in round two, clattering two right hands which . forced standing counts and left the referee on the brink of stopping the . contest. Despite . an increase in cuts since world governing body AIBA voted to abolish . headguards for men in the wake of the London Olympics, Conlan maintains . it was probably the right decision. He . added: 'I loved fighting with the headguard but cuts are going to be . dangerous when you turn professional so you're better off learning now. Boxing is just going to have to get used to it.' | Scott Fitzgerald beats Ron Bastien in opening welterweight bout .
Preston man secures unanimous win at Emirates Arena .
Northern Ireland's Michael Conlan shrugs off head cut to beat Mathew Martin .
Conlan insists he only wants gold and will throw away silver or bronze . |
81,090 | e5d3598e605ea2b76f3825627cc940953bc1dee1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:31 EST, 19 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:13 EST, 20 November 2013 . A Florida congressman today pleaded guilty to cocaine possession after allegedly buying the drug from an undercover agent in Washington D.C. in a sting operation last month. Congressman Henry 'Trey' Radel, 37, was sentenced to one year of supervised probation and fined $260, which will be paid to a victims' compensation fund. 'Your honor, I apologize for what I've done,' Radel told the judge as he appeared in District of Columbia Superior Court. 'I hit a bottom and I realize I need help.' After the cocaine allegations emerged on Tuesday, Radel admitted in a statement that he is also battling alcoholism that 'led to an extremely irresponsible choice'. Scroll down for video . In court: Rep. Henry 'Trey' Radel, is pictured leaving court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor drug possession charge. He has been sentenced to a year of supervised probation and a $250 fine . The judge sentenced him to the . probation while he undergoes treatment in Florida, but if he violates . the probation he will have to serve 180 days in jail. If he completes . it, he won't have a conviction on his record. 'I am so sorry to be here,' he added. 'I want to come . out of this stronger and I intend to do that, to be a better man, a . better husband and continuing serving this country.' He . was targeted in the sting operation on October 29 after a suspected . drug dealer who had been arrested in a separate drugs investigation told . agents that the politician was one of his customers. Drug Enforcement Administration and . FBI agents then set up the undercover drug sting, and Radel and a friend allegedly . met an undercover agent outside a restaurant at Dupont . Circle. According to an account provided by authorities to the Washington Post, Radel asked the friend and the agent to go with him to his home but the undercover agent declined. Radel bought 3.5 grams of cocaine, worth around $250, from the agent in his car, the account said. Afterwards officers stormed the vehicle and Radel invited the officers back to his apartment to discuss the incident. When they arrived they allegedly found a vial containing cocaine, the Post said. Caught: . Radel apologized to his wife Amy and son Henry, pictured, and his constituents in . Florida after he was charged with cocaine possession following a sting . operation on October 29 . Remorse: Radel (pictured with his son) said he was addicted to alcohol and would be seeking treatment . Agents did not cuff him but he was informed him that he would be facing criminal charges related to the purchase. The charging document states that Radel 'did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally possess a quantity of cocaine'. House Speaker John Boehner has not asked Radel to resign and said the issue is a matter for the courts. 'Members . of Congress should be held to the highest standards, and the alleged . crime will be handled by the courts,' Boehner said through a spokesman. 'Beyond that, this is between Rep. Radel, his family and his . constituents.' Radel, a former talk show host and reporter who represents a Florida district including Fort Myers, Naples, and Cape Coral, has not participated in any House votes this week. He is married to Fox4 anchor Amy Wegmann Radel and they have one son, Henry Jude Radel IV, who was born in 2011. Scene: He allegedly bought drugs from an undercover agent at Dupoint Circle in D.C. (pictured) last month . He identifies himself on his Twitter . profile as a 'Hip Hop conservative' and 'lover of #liberty,' and his . Twitter account has remained active in the past few weeks, including on . the day of the bust. The . GOP favorite posted to Facebook on Tuesday evening: 'I'm profoundly . sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the . people of Southwest Florida. 'I . struggle with the disease of alcoholism, and this led to an extremely . irresponsible choice. As the father of a young son and a husband to a . loving wife, I need to get help so I can be a better man for both of . them. 'In facing this . charge, I realize the disappointment my family, friends and constituents . must feel. Believe me, I am disappointed in myself, and I stand ready . to face the consequences of my actions. 'However, . this unfortunate event does have a positive side. It offers me an . opportunity to seek treatment and counseling.' Figure: The freshman Republican, pictured in July, was a reporter and radio host before he was elected . Two days after the incident, Radel shared a photograph online showing him with his family as he wore a Buzz Lightyear costume for Halloween. In . an interview earlier this year with Roll Call, Radel said his favorite vacation spot was . Cartegena, Colombia - an expensive coastal city in a country notorious . for cocaine trafficking, ABC reported. He appears to be the first sitting . member of Congress charged with a drug offense since former Rep. Frederick Richmond of New York was convicted in 1982 on charges of tax . evasion and drug possession. Florida Republican Party Chairman Lenny Curry said he was disappointed in Radel but glad that he was seeking help. | Radel, 37, was sentenced to a year of probation as he appeared in D.C. Superior Court this morning .
He bought a small amount of cocaine from an undercover agent in Washington D.C. on October 29 .
Agents targeted him after his suspected dealer, who was arrested in a separate drugs operation, said Radel was one of his customers .
Radel, who was elected in 2012, posted Facebook apology to wife, young son and Florida voters, saying he was receiving treatment .
He revealed in the statement that he is struggling with alcoholism which 'led to an extremely irresponsible choice' |
229,731 | b5811bbad98d7921ee07bf8842b187ade5a3bd2c | author] . PUBLISHED: . 16:12 EST, 29 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:12 EST, 29 March 2013 . Jenna-Louise Coleman plays Clara Oswin Oswald . When it comes to wooing women, the Doctor might do well to take a leaf out of Matt Smith's book. While the lovestruck Time Lord struggles to develop a deeper relationship with his new travelling companion Clara Oswin Oswald in the new series that starts this week after locking lips with her in the Christmas Special, Matt won over the actress who plays her with a simple blend of kindness and enthusiasm. Or, as the actress who plays Clara, Jenna-Louise Coleman, puts it, 'He totally blew me away. I'd worked on all these carefully prepared ideas and accents for my audition, but everything just went out of the window when Matt started to talk and move around in the rehearsal room. He was like a hurricane, full of fantastic ideas and spontaneity. He started playing different characters I could bounce off and made me feel as if he were auditioning himself, he got so into it. 'I remember thinking how fantastic it would be if I actually got the part, how great it would be working with Matt. And that's exactly what's happened. Matt's the perfect leading man and sets such a lovely tone on set, making the atmosphere wonderful. There's really not much more you could ask for in your co-star.' In typical Doctor Who fashion, Jenna's introduction to the series has been anything but straightforward. She made her debut in an episode last September, playing a character called Oswin Oswald who was trapped inside a Dalek. Then she reappeared in last year's Christmas special as Clara Oswald, a Victorian barmaid who met an unfortunate end. Her 'third entrance', as she calls it, sees her playing Clara in the present day, now a governess in a London suburb to two children who've lost their mother. 'She meets the Doctor when he turns up on her doorstep dressed as a monk, so that's her first impression and I had to treat it as a completely clean slate. But this is the Clara, or at least the essence of her, that you'll see from now on,' says Jenna, 'for the rest of the current series and into the next one too. And after that? Who knows...' Matt Smith and Jenna-Louise Colema look set to hike up the on-screen chemistry in the new series of Dr Who . The big question, of course, is how far their fledgling romance that began with that Christmas kiss will go. Jenna's not about to spoil it for the fans (although she does refer to the Tardis as 'a kissing booth' in this week's episode), but reveals Matt Smith was keen to stoke up some chemistry between them. Once she'd landed the part, he suggested she watch some classic Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy movies such as Woman Of The Year and Without Love that made much of the sexual frisson between the two actors. 'He thought they'd be useful in understanding the rhythm and pace of a relationship between a male and female lead, and they were. He also suggested I watch some Indiana Jones films - which I'd never seen before - because the main character's always accompanied by various women on his adventures.' Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy famously had an off-screen affair, but that won't be happening with Jenna and Matt. The lantern-jawed actor may have recently revealed he's single again after his on/off romance with model Daisy Lowe ended and he hasn't been slow in paying Jenna compliments, describing her as 'hot' and 'stunning-looking on screen'. Doctor Who with Jenna-Louise Coleman as Clara and Matt Smith as The Doctor in the Christmas special . But Jenna's been in a relationship with Game Of Thrones star Richard Madden for the past couple of years, and when the cameras aren't rolling she and Matt seem more like conspiratorial friends than anything else, a couple of mates enjoying being involved in one of TV's most popular shows. They take particular delight in welcoming guest stars to Roath Lock, the studios in Cardiff where the show is filmed. Matt's introduced Jenna to a game called The Uncomfortable Touch, where he greets a guest on their first day on set with what might be deemed an over-familiar display of affection - a hand on the arm, shoulder, perhaps even bottom, just to gauge their reaction. This kept Matt and Karen Gillan, the Doctor's former assistant Amy Pond, amused for hours. Some people though, reveals Jenna, are exempt. 'There were no liberties taken with Dame Diana Rigg when she turned up for an episode later in the series, Matt and I just watched her from afar, fascinated by the dynamic between her and her daughter Rachael Stirling, who also plays her daughter on the show.' Jenna-Louise says filming Dr Who is always enjoyable, 'even when it's soggy' Rubbing shoulders with dames was the last thing on her mind when Blackpool-born Jenna, now 26, began her career as Emmerdale's Jasmine Thomas, a part she landed at the age of 19 and continued in for almost five years. After a stint on BBC1 drama Waterloo Road, the role of cheeky Cockney maid Annie Desmond in Julian Fellowes' Titanic brought her to a wider audience. But it's Doctor Who, with its loyal fans ('Although I can honestly say I haven't received a single love letter or marriage proposal since I joined,' says Jenna) and the almost iconic status his assistants assume, that will cement her in the nation's consciousness. After a pretty gruelling schedule she's now putting the finishing touches to the current series before taking a well-earned rest this summer while Matt Smith travels to Detroit to film his role in the Ryan Gosling movie How To Catch A Monster. Then it'll be back to work for the star-studded 50th anniversary special, which is rumoured to have lots of old doctors on board and due to be shown in November. 'It's been tough at times,' admits Jenna. 'The third episode in this current run, called Cold War, is set on board a Russian submarine and marks the return of the classic Doctor Who monsters the Ice Warriors. Before every take in that episode they'd come and spray us with water, so we were soaking wet for two weeks. 'But Doctor Who is always hugely enjoyable, even when it's soggy. There's a scene in tonight's first episode where the doctor comes revving out of the Tardis on a motorcycle and he and Clara travel across London. I'm sitting there with my hands around Matt's middle, riding across Westminster Bridge on a motorbike with the Houses Of Parliament in the background and thinking, "This is fun, this is really good fun."' Jenna-Louise Coleman with Jeff Hordley in Emmerdale in 2006 . The most difficult thing about the job, she says, is trying to keep the vow of secrecy that's a prerequisite for anyone involved with the show - something Jenna got an early taste of when she first went for the part and was forced to throw friends and family off the scent by telling them she was auditioning for a TV comedy in Cardiff. 'I've had to learn to say a lot - because there's so much interest in Doctor Who - without giving anything away. It's the nature of the programme. It's based on surprises and reveals, so the last thing you want to do is give away anything that might spoil it for the viewers. 'All I can say is that the Doctor sees Clara as a work in progress and a subject of both endless fascination - and frustration too,' she says. 'There's nothing the Doctor hates more than an unsolved mystery and Clara Oswald is exactly that. He won't stop until he finds out the truth about her. And that could take a while.' Doctor Who, tonight, 6.15pm, BBC1. | Coleman replaces Karen Gillan's Amy Pond as Clara Oswin Oswald .
Matt Smith has a novel idea to stoke up the sexual chemistry . |
189,247 | 8111b59e5a8a264f7d1d8a6f85f3df6bad4b99c7 | Thousands of patients needing urgent medical treatment could have their conditions diagnosed remotely by doctors using Skype video calls under proposals to close and downgrade Accident and Emergency departments. Under plans seen by The Mail on Sunday, patients suffering from potentially serious symptoms such as chest and abdominal pains, pneumonia and fractures will be sent to walk-in centres to see GPs rather than go to casualty wards. But because the centres are staffed by less qualified medics, advice could come from specialist colleagues at a separate A&E ward using Skype calls. The astonishing proposal is among those being considered by the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is planning to centralise emergency services in the region. Scroll down for video . The walk-in centres are staffed by less qualified medics, advice could come from specialist colleagues at a separate A&E ward using Skype calls . The plans mean there could be only one A&E department for more than 600,000 people across Shropshire, Telford, Wrekin and Powys. Campaigners warn it is ‘like death is being built into the system’. The draft proposals, contained in official documents lodged within the July board minutes of the CCG, also say: . The proposals are the latest planned cuts to casualty units up and down the country, and come despite a new independent report insisting A&E provision needs to expand to meet rising demand for services. The Mail on Sunday has been fighting for two years to save A&Es from closure. The latest threats mean there are now 18 units across England facing the axe. Gill George, from the Shropshire Defend Our NHS campaign group, said: ‘This is terrifying and means a death sentence for a lot of people. In a rural area, the idea of centralising everything – with already long travel times to get to A&E – is mad. ‘But there’s got to be a clinical risk in diagnosing patients over Skype because you lose so much crucial information if it’s not done in person. It’s scary they’re building risk – and possibly death – into the system.’ The region currently has two A&E departments – at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and at the Princess Royal in Telford, both district general hospitals. The ‘Future Fit’ programme is examining three options – locating a single A&E at either the Royal Shrewsbury or the Princess Royal, or building a new single A&E at a site between Shrewsbury and Telford. This means patients will have up to travel an additional 18 miles – around 30 minutes – for A&E services. The CCG is considering how many UCCs will be needed. David Wright, the Labour MP for Telford, said: ‘Residents are extremely concerned to yet again see a review of A&E at a time of large-scale growth in the town. We want to see full, 24-hour A&E services at our hospital and this process brings massive uncertainty.’ The current A&E service is already under pressure and paramedics were forced to wait eight hours, 11 minutes with patients outside a hospital recently because of a shortage of beds. But the ambulance service is also struggling and was fined £2.6 million after failing to meet strict eight-minute targets to reach seriously ill patients on time – one critically ill six-week-old baby had to wait 41 minutes for paramedics. The plans come as a joint report by the respected Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation found the ‘obvious answer’ to dealing with the A&E crisis ‘might appear to be increasing the capacity of A&E’. A spokesman for Shropshire CCG said: ‘Doctors and health professionals believe one single emergency centre in the area supported by UCCs is the safest way to treat the most seriously ill patients.’ | Proposals by Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group to close and downgrade Accident and Emergency departments .
Patients with potentially serious complaints will be sent to walk-in centres .
Plans mean there could be one A&E department for more than 600,000 people across Shropshire, Telford, Wrekin and Powys .
A&E could be ‘ambulance only’ – so walk-in patients would be diverted to an Urgent Care Centre (UCC).
Unwell or feverish children would need to go to an UCC rather than A&E – but the report acknowledges that ‘not all GPs and generalists have [the skill set to treat them]’.
Paramedics may have to decide on the scene whether patients need to go to hospital or an UCC. But the report also says studies have found paramedics cannot ‘safely and accurately’ predict this.
Patients who have attempted suicide, are suffering from potentially life-threatening deep vein thrombosis, and children having a wheezing fit would all be brought to UCCs.
UCCs will be dealing with more serious cases, so staff will need specialists on the rota or ‘timely access’ to them via Skype. |
236,184 | bdbc1b9909fa9df78cfd0725ca371efe79a03b74 | The easy thing to do would have been to let someone else step up. With time ticking by and a game slipping away, Adam Lallana knew exactly what was at stake when Liverpool won a corner. This was their last chance to salvage a point against Arsenal and the wrong delivery would have been greeted with a mix of derision and exasperation by the Kop. Those without sufficient mental strength would have been inclined to pass on such responsibility. Adam Lallana's corner is headed home by Martin Skrtel as Liverpool rescued a point against Arsenal . Lallana has been under pressure since his big-money move to Liverpool this summer from Southampton . Lallana, however, did not flinch. He ended up delivering the perfect set-piece, inviting Martin Skrtel to thunder in a header and secure a 2-2 draw. If the centre back’s goal on Sunday has the potential to change Liverpool’s season, the assist could be vital for the man who provided it. Things have not been straight-forward for Lallana since his £23.7million summer switch from Southampton. He has sat out big games, nursed injuries and struggled for form but his persistence and determination cannot be questioned. The evidence was there for all to see last Sunday when it mattered. ‘When you’re not playing well and results aren’t going well, it’s easy to hide and not want the ball,’ said Lallana. ‘But that’s where you have to work through because eventually it will click. Something good will happen, you will gain confidence and you’ll have a good impact.’ Skrtel celebrates with Lallana as the stoppage-time goal provided Liverpool with some momentum . Having beaten Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup, Liverpool are trying to put together a string of results . Lallana celebrates with Raheem Sterling after the winger scored against Bournemouth last week . Few would dispute that Lallana, who has been playing with broken ribs, would benefit from a change of fortune; they would also find it difficult to argue with the fact he has looked a different player since Brendan Rodgers reverted to a 3-4-3 formation and let Liverpool attack once more. There have been signs over the past fortnight that, perhaps, Liverpool are about to leave behind the form that made their autumn so wretched. The atmosphere at Anfield was certainly lifted by the manner in which they attacked Arsenal from the start. A shortage of confidence, undoubtedly, had been an issue for Liverpool’s players — not just Lallana — but they now have a prime opportunity to start building momentum, given their festive fixture list begins on Boxing Day against Burnley at Turf Moor and includes home dates with Swansea and Leicester. ‘I think we’re getting a bit of confidence and rhythm in our game,’ said the 26-year-old, who celebrated his first wedding anniversary on Christmas Eve. The England midfielder celebrates his first Liverpool goal, against West Brom in October . It has been a difficult start to life at Anfield for Lallana, but he is beginning to show why he cost so much . ‘We’re causing teams problems, so we can gain belief from that. The lads were lacking a bit of confidence. ‘That comes with disappointing results. Anyone in the game will tell you that you have these points in your career when you have got to show a bit of bottle, where you’ve got to go looking for the ball. We’ve had that and it’s about keeping on going into work, wanting to come back strong. ‘There’s been a lot of talk in-house that we have to stick together as a squad. When you’re not playing well, everyone will be up against you, wanting you to slip up. So it has been about us sticking together. We know we have character and a great dressing room.’ What Lallana says also works in Liverpool’s favour is the presence of Rodgers, the manager who was so desperate to sign him. Liverpool’s group may have been stung by criticism but Rodgers has ensured they have not lost focus. Brendan Rodgers has been criticised after his side's slow start to the season following last year's success . Lallana insists his manager has been fantastic and believes Liverpool can still have a good season . ‘He’s been fantastic with me and the group as a whole,’ Lallana explained. ‘I’m sure he’s found it difficult as well. You cannot always ignore what people write and say. But it’s about sticking together and that’s what he’s mentioned — we stick together no matter how many people have their opinions. ‘There are reasons (Liverpool are not fighting for the title like last year) and people might not like the reasons but it’s up to us, step by step, to gradually get back to where the lads were last year. Over the last couple of games I think we have found a system to suit and that’s credit to the manager.’ In Rodgers' new 3-4-3 formation Lallana is starting to rediscover his superb form from Southampton . Will 3-4-3 be the key to Liverpool staging a revival in the new year? Lallana will not make any bold declarations but he is quick to point out that the season, come May, might yet be judged as a triumph, given the avenues that are open. ‘We’re in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup (against Chelsea) — I can’t wait for that,’ said Lallana. ‘We’ve also got a good run of games coming up in the league, where, if we put in performances like we did against Arsenal, we’ll have a strong chance of picking up points.’ | Adam Lallana has struggled since £23.7million to Liverpool .
But midfielder played crucial role in 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday .
Lallana believes recent performances demonstrate new confidence .
Former Southampton star says Brendan Rodgers has been 'fantastic'
Livepool travel to Burnley on Boxing Day . |
108,846 | 1856b07e7df6729c1baad50703d42ff110137470 | (CNN) -- A gunman intended to assassinate a U.S. representative when he opened fire outside a Tucson, Arizona, supermarket Saturday, killing six and wounding 12 including the congresswoman, the local sheriff said hours after the shooting. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was in critical condition late Saturday after surgery for a single gunshot wound to the head. The dead included a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, authorities said. One suspect was in custody immediately after the shooting, and investigators were "actively in pursuit" of a second man whom they believed may be involved in the attempted assassination, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Saturday night. Two people tackled the suspected shooter, stopping a spray of bullets from what federal and state law enforcement sources described as a 9mm Glock outfitted with a 30-round magazine. Dupnik said the suspect in custody is 22, but declined to name him. An Arizona law enforcement source and a federal law enforcement source, meanwhile, identified the suspect as Jared Lee Loughner. The suspect was being held in the Pima County jail, Dupnik said. He was expected to appear in court Sunday morning, . Dupnik said investigators are not convinced that the suspect came to the supermarket alone. He said investigators were looking for a man seen near the suspect. Authorities did not know whether the person they sought actually had any connection with Loughner, a law enforcement source told CNN. Authorities have a piece of evidence that indicates this second individual was in close proximity to the store, the source said, but declined to elaborate. Investigators were trying to interview witnesses to determine if there was a connection between the two men, the source said. That source also said authorities were seeking search warrants for a residence and for a vehicle in connection with the suspect in custody. The attack happened about 10 minutes after the start of a previously scheduled constituent meeting outside a Safeway grocery store. Although U.S. Capitol Police said there was no evidence of a broader threat involving federal officials, the agency said in a statement it had advised other members of Congress to take "reasonable and prudent precautions regarding their personal safety and security." The House Sergeant at Arms also said "it is essential" that lawmakers contact local police to register their home and office addresses. Tucson Police Chief Roberto Villasenor said his department had secured the homes and offices of some unnamed federal officials as a "precautionary measure." At a news conference, Dupnik said the shooter moved towards the crowd and began firing. It was unclear if he said anything or who was shot first, Dupnik said. An employee of a nearby business, Jason Pekau, said he heard 15 to 20 shots. Two people tackled the gunman, who still had ammunition remaining, Dupnik said. Police recovered a 9mm Glock Model 19 handgun believed used in the shooting, according to senior law enforcement sources. The weapon had a 30-round magazine, according to a federal law enforcement source briefed on the investigation. "He probably would have shot other people had he not been tackled," Dupnik said. Five people, including Chief Judge John Roll of the U.S. District Court for Arizona and Gabe Zimmerman, a Giffords staffer, died at the scene. The sixth victim, a 9-year-old girl, was pronounced dead at a hospital. Giffords, 40, was shot once in the head at close range, authorities said. She underwent surgery at University Medical Center in Tucson and was listed in critical condition. Authorities said all of the victims have been identified, but declined to release additional names pending notification of relatives. President Barack Obama sent FBI Director Richard Mueller to help coordinate the joint investigation, which federal authorities stressed did not appear to have any connection to terrorism. Dupnik said the suspect has had contact with law enforcement in the past in which he made violent threats, but he declined to say against whom. "All I can tell you is there's reason to believe this individual may have a mental issue," Dupnik said. Nate Gray, special agent in charge of the Arizona office of the FBI, said the investigation was proceeding as a joint local and federal effort. "The FBI and the Pima County Sheriff's office are working together on every aspect of this joint investigation and we are utilizing all resources necessary to make sure those responsible are brought to justice," Gray said. Giffords' press secretary, C.J. Karamargin, said he was unaware of any recent threats against Giffords. Dupnik said two incidents occurred in 2010 involving Giffords, including one in which a gun fell out of a constituent's pocket during an angry town hall meeting and another in which windows at her campaign office were broken out. Authorities said they did not know the motive for the shooting -- the suspect was not talking and had invoked his right against self-incrimination, Dupnik said. Giffords staffer Mark Kimble told CNN affiliate KGUN that the congresswoman did not have any security with her Saturday morning, which was not unusual for her. "She wants to be as accessible to the people who elected her as possible," Kimble said. Dr. Peter Rhee of the University Medical Center said that Giffords had been moved to intensive care from surgery and said he was "very optimistic" about her recovery. "I'm about as optimistic as it can get in this situation," he said during a brief news conference at the hospital Saturday afternoon. He said the next 24 hours will be key for determining the extent of her recovery. Dupnik reiterated Rhee's prognosis Saturday evening. The staffer who died, Gabe Zimmerman, was in charge of community outreach in Giffords' Tucson office, Karamargin said. He was engaged to be married. Giffords, a Democrat, was first elected in 2006. She has served as chairwoman of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee and also holds seats on the House Science and Technology and Armed Services committees. She won her third term in a closely contested race against a Tea Party-sponsored candidate and was one of three Democratic legislators who reported vandalism at their offices following the March vote on health care reform. She is married to Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, a NASA astronaut who is scheduled to lead a space shuttle mission to the International Space Station. Roll was a 1991 Bush appointee to the federal bench. The chief judge for the U.S. District Court for Arizona, he was originally from Pennsylvania. Colleagues and admirers of Giffords and Roll reacted quickly to the shooting. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said the attack was committed by a "wicked person who has no sense of justice or compassion." "Whoever did this, whatever their reason, they are a disgrace to Arizona, this country and the human race, and they deserve and will receive the contempt of all decent people and the strongest punishment of the law," he said. Obama called the attack an "unspeakable tragedy." "We do not yet have all the answers," he said. What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society." House Speaker John Boehner said he was "horrified" by the shooting. "An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve," he said. "Acts and threats of violence against public officials have no place in our society." Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts issued a statement decrying the shootings and the loss of Roll, whom he called a "wise jurist who selflessly served Arizona and the nation with great distinction." "Chief Judge Roll's death is a somber reminder of the rule of law and the sacrifices of those who work to secure it," Roberts said. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said an incident like this could have a chilling effect on the frequent weekend listening post sessions many members of Congress have with their constituents. "It does give you pause," Pingree said. CNN's Jessica Yellin, Susan Candiotti, Jeanne Meserve, Dana Bash and Nick Valencia contributed to this report. | NEW: Investigators are "actively pursuing" a second suspect in shooting .
A congressional aide, a federal judge and four other died in a shooting outside supermarket .
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was wounded along with 11 others .
A suspect is in custody; law enforcement sources identify him as Jared Lee Loughner . |
229,949 | b5c5aaf9d8bd512bd49986a940010c4240014a64 | (CNN) -- Sports fans may have been deprived of another chance to see Lionel Messi stake his claim to be considered the greatest footballer of all time after Barcelona failed to progress to the final of the Champions League. But far from the bright lights of Munich's Allianz Arena, in a quiet corner of England, another athlete was busy rewriting the history books. Humans have been selectively breeding racehorses for 300 years, always in search of that elusive specimen of equine perfection who can redefine our idea of what might be possible on four legs. In Frankel, we may have found it. In action for the first time since last October in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, for his trainer, Henry Cecil, it was a chance to show the world that his colt had overcome a leg injury sustained on Newmarket gallops, news of which had sent shockwaves throughout the racing world. Brutal beauty . For his jockey, Tom Queally, it was a chance to prove that the four-year-old Frankel was a more mature, calmer beast than the Frankel of last season, without losing any of his domineering physicality or brutal beauty. For Frankel, it was first blood in a senior campaign that could see him elevated to the ranks of the best Thoroughbreds ever to grace a racetrack. Sent off at odds as short of 1-4 -- meaning a $4 bet would earn you just $1 -- the undefeated son of Galileo was always going to have to be at this best to overcome a field that included Aiden O'Brien's improving colt Excelebration (who surely would be considered a superstar in his own right had he not had the misfortune to be racing in the same era as Frankel). As expected, the pacemaker Bullet Train (a half-brother to Frankel) set a strong early gallop, with Frankel tucked in second place. All-devouring stride . But when Queally pulled the pin with three furlongs to go, it felt more like a coronation than a contest, Frankel's all devouring stride putting more and more distance between him and a somewhat subdued Excelebration, who finished five lengths back. The victory means Frankel extends his unbeaten run to 10 from 10. His next appearance is likely to be the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, when he will face some of the best milers in Europe. After that, Cecil has indicated a step up in trip will be the next logical step, to see if Frankel can reproduce his devastating form over distances of up to a mile and a half. Such is Frankel's superiority over his rivals that Queally rarely has to ask him to hit top speed (indeed, far more familiar is the sight of the hulking colt taking a strong hold as Queally tries to restrain him). The result is the Frankel has not run a race to trouble the handicappers since his devastating performance in the 2,000 Guineas last year. In spite of that, Frankel has a Timeform rating of 143, the third-highest of all time, behind the great Sea Bird II (145) and Brigadier General and Tudor Minstrel (both on 144). Black Caviar showdown? Is there a horse in the world who can push Frankel to the kind of performance that would see him take his rightful place at the top of the all-time list? An Australian mare by the name of Black Caviar may have something to say about that. She will also be at Royal Ascot, although she will run in the sprinter's Diamond Jubilee Stakes. Such is the clamor in the racing world for a Frankel-Black Caviar showdown, billionaire owner Sheikh Fahad al Thani has offered a purse of $1.6 million if they both line up for the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, a race that Frankel won last year. Cecil has indicated he would love to see the two best horses in the world face each other, although Black Caviar's trainer, Peter Moody, remains cautious about exposing his mare over Frankel's preferred distance of a mile on the undulating Goodwood track. Whether or not the equine 'battle of the sexes' ever materializes, the racing world has one more season to savor the exploits of the giant bay with the white star before his career follows its inevitable trajectory towards the breeding shed. A horse like Frankel doesn't come along every day. Enjoy him while you can. | Frankel races to 10th win in 10 races with victory at Newbury .
Wins Group One Lockinge Stakes by five lengths .
Four-year-old Colt rated one of the great racehorses of all time .
Clamor for head to head with Australian champion Black Caviar . |
62,710 | b2296c90374e8c175ec266b44a4d3e59b12a4c5b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:23 EST, 22 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:56 EST, 22 January 2014 . Scroll down for video . A female assistant principal who abruptly resigned after a former student accused her of sexual abuse is facing fresh allegations from a second victim. Police said the second person came forward after a YouTube video was posted online in which a now 28-year-old mother confronts Andrea Cardosa, a school administrator in Alhambra, California, and former Riverside teacher. Jamie Carrillo posted the video last Friday where she can be seen calling Ms Cardosa at her office. Andrea Cardosa has been accused by a former student of sexually abusing her when she was 12 years old . Jamie Carrillo confronted a teacher on the phone last week whom she alleges sexually abused her when she was 12 years old. She said that she did so as she did not want the woman, who is still a teacher, around other children . Ms Carrillo said that the teacher (pictured right) took her on out of town trips and made her feel 'special' The now 28-year-old mother said that she made the video post as the statute of limitations has run out for her to be able to prosecute and that she didn't want Cardosa around other children. In the call, she tells the woman, who identifies herself as Ms Cardosa, that she did something terribly wrong at Chemawa Middle School in Riverside 15 years ago. Cardosa replies: 'Yes, and I regret it.' Ms Carrillo then asks what the woman would do if a student told her that she was having a sexual relationship with a teacher to which she replies that she would involve law enforcement. She asks: 'So how is that any different from what you did when I was at Chemawa Middle?' To which the alleged molester answers: 'It's not.' The 28-year-old alleges that her former teacher abused her when she was a student at a California high school . Ms Carrillo alleges that she was just 12 years old and a player on the school basketball team when the abuse started . Ms Carrillo goes on to tell her alleged attacker that she has children of her own and that her former teacher's actions ruined her life and that she is 'disgusting'. When she hangs up the phone, Ms Carrillo shows that she made the call on the screen and reads out the number. She says: 'And I’m shaking like a leaf... not even an ''I'm sorry.'' Or anything. Just that she regrets it.' Alhambra Unified School District Superintendent Laura Tellez-Gagliano released a statement saying the YouTube link was emailed to the school and they passed it to the Alhambra Police Department. Ms Cardosa, who was named by Ms Carrillo in the, has stepped down from her job. She had worked at the school for four months, according to officials. Ms Carrillo's lawyer questioned whether Chemawa Middle School investigated Ms Cardosa who reportedly met the young girl when she coached her at basketball. Ms Carrillo alleges that the coach kissed her in the locker room and put her hand down the then 12-year-old's pants. The former student then claims Ms Cardosa, who is believed to have been in her mid-twenties at the time of the alleged assaults, organized out of town trips so that she could have sex with the underage girl. At a press conference on Monday, Ms Carrillo said that she expected others who had allegedly been abused by the teacher to come forward. The 28-year-old told KTLA: 'Everything was stolen from me. She just completely manipulated me into thinking that I needed her and I wanted it.' The 28-year-old mother posted a YouTube video last Friday where she confronted the woman who allegedly sexually abused her in middle school . | Jamie Carrillo .
posted video last Friday where she confronted her alleged teacher .
rapist Andrea Cardosa about the alleged assault 15 years ago .
Cardosa was recently working as assistant principal at Alahambra Unified School district in California for 4 months .
Miss Carrillo said she was just 12 and at Chemawa Middle School in Riverside when Cardosa allegedly first kissed her in the locker room .
She told alleged attacker .
that she has children of her own and that her former teacher's actions .
ruined her life and that she is 'disgusting' |
232,278 | b8c55d836e41fe310871d1a061e10d0d1b60b18c | A man who got so fat he couldn't fit on the London Underground has shed an incredible 16st in just 10 months. At the beginning of 2014 Andy Butler, 33, weighed 28st and was so worried his enormous frame would get him stuck in a rush hour crush he'd get up to travel to work three hours early - to make sure he could fit on the London underground. Having conquered bulimia in his twenties, the pharmaceutical worker would starve himself of treats before gorging on them - and watched his weight balloon to dangerous levels. Scroll down for video . Andy Butler lost an 16st in weight this year, dropping from 28st (left) to a healthy 12st (right) in 10 months . But after he contemplated ordering a taxi to take him on a 100 metre journey last Christmas, he realised things had gone too far - and on January 1, He bought £150 worth of healthy food, started walking every day and ten months later has lost a whopping 16st. Newly trim Andy, who now lives in Liverpool, said: 'At my heaviest I'd go to work at 6am instead of 9am so nobody saw me on the tube. 'I was so self-conscious of people staring at me out of breath or sweating - or worse, me not being able to fit in the carriages. 'When I moved to London in 2012, I broke up from a long-term relationship and piled on ten stone in a year. 'I'd hole myself up in my room and gorge on about 10,000 calories a day. 'I was in a vicious cycle where I wouldn't go out because I was ashamed of my size so I'd spend my time eating.' Andy had had an unhealthy relationship with food since he was 15, when a throwaway insult left him devastated. Andy, pictured left half way through his amazing weight loss, lost 5st 10lb on his regime of healthy eating and daily walks, before deciding to pay privately for a sleeve gastrectomy to lose the remaining weight . He became very aware of his figure and as soon as he ate something, would rush upstairs to vomit. Despite overcoming bulimia in his twenties, he would starve himself for days at a time, convinced that would maintain a healthy weight. Eventually, he would cave and eat one small thing before the floodgates opened and he would devour anything he could. Andy said: 'There was no set pattern to my eating routine. 'Takeaways were the norm for me, because they didn't need cooking so there was no time to talk myself out of them. 'I would swallow the food as quickly as possible in a desperate attempt to finish it all before I was full. Andy suffered with bulimia in his adolescence but has managed to finally overcome them and is now happy with his body . 'To compensate, the next day I would skip meals but then the pattern would start again. 'I would see people eat whatever they wanted, but pretend I was full. 'Then, when I got home, I would eat five times as much if I had eaten earlier on.' At his heaviest, Andy tipped the scales at 30st, but when he moved home he decided to seek counselling. Andy says: 'My surgeon was exceptional and played a massive part in changing my life. One evening he tried to walk around his block, but after getting halfway he considered calling a taxi. He powered through, and feeling ridiculously proud managed to walk two streets the following day. On his new regime of healthy eating and daily walks, he lost 5st 10lb by March and explored the possibility of surgery. He plumped for the stomach reduction surgery, rather than the cheaper gastric band, paying £9,000 to have it done privately . The operation, a sleeve gastrectomy, reduces the size of the stomach by 75 per cent and removes the part that produces the hormone that makes you hungry. Andy explains: 'I rejected the idea of having it on the NHS as I didn't want people judging me as another fat person getting a free operation. 'I was in the right frame of mind to have the surgery and went for it. 'Because of the exercise I was reasonably toned and wasn't left with a huge excess of skin. 'The surgeon, Mr Li, was exceptional and they played a massive part in changing my life. 'I've lost a further 10st and I'm no longer buying my clothes from plus-size stores. 'I can get both of my legs into just one of old trouser legs!' Alan Li, Consultant Bariatric Surgeon at the Spire Murrayfield Hospital in Wirral, Cheshire, said: 'Andy is a model patient, one who has been more motivated than most to lose weight. 'It is a very successful procedure and while it is expensive at about £9,000, in the long term it can save you money. 'One of our patients put what she used to spend on food in a glass jar and found that over four years she had saved £20,000. 'Weight loss surgery is not a vanity issue or a cosmetic issue, it is a health issue. 'It reduces your risk of Type Two diabetes by 90 per cent and of high blood pressure by 70 per cent and that has a huge impact on your need for healthcare and on your quality of life.' Video courtesy of Realize . | Andy suffered with bulimia in his teens and comfort ate throughout his 20s .
At 28st would commute to work 3 hours early to ensure he could fit on tube .
He struggled to walk even 100 metres .
Began healthy eating regime and daily walks, losing 5st 10lb .
Then decided to pay privately for weight loss surgery, losing another 10st . |
177,643 | 71fabd9ccf3429ddd7a70172c1b86c10fad47600 | Fans attending Sunday's Super Bowl in Arizona will face tight restrictions on what they can take into the stadium as a huge security operation swings into action to protect the biggest annual U.S. sports event. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson met top local law enforcement officials in Phoenix on Wednesday and will visit the University of Phoenix stadium in nearby Glendale, where the Seattle Seahawks will play the New England Patriots for the National Football League championship. Ticket-holders are being told to get there early for a rigorous security screening procedure that will involve metal detectors and a pat-down search. Big wait: Ticket-holders are being told to get there early for a rigorous security screening procedure that will involve metal detectors and a pat-down search . Federal security officials have said U.S. agencies are unaware of any specific or credible terrorist threat against the Super Bowl, where the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks will play against one another . Deadly shootings in Paris and the recent arrest of suspects in Belgium, Greece and Germany have heightened fears of more attacks around the world, and social media accounts linked to Middle East militant groups have carried a number of threats to attack high-profile U.S. events. Federal security officials have said U.S. agencies are unaware of any specific or credible terrorist threat against the Super Bowl. Johnson echoed that on Wednesday. At a news conference, NFL Chief Security Officer Jeffrey Miller said: 'Most items cannot be carried into the stadium.' Only clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags measuring 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, or 1-gallon freezer bags, will be permitted, as well as small clutch bags 'approximately the size of a hand,' he said. Coolers, backpacks, computer and camera bags, and all other kinds of luggage are prohibited, as are bottles and beverages including alcohol, camcorders, food, fireworks, Frisbees and umbrellas, according to an NFL list. Exceptions will made for medically necessary items, after an inspection at a specially designated stadium gate. 'While the level of security is high, there should only be a moderate inconvenience for our fans: a very small price to pay,' Miller said. Debora Black, chief of the Glendale Police Department, said that while most people viewed the Super Bowl as an exciting finale to the football season, others saw the event as a target. 'We are confident that we are prepared to identify and protect against any threat,' Black said. 'While the world is focused on the (Phoenix-area) Valley for this week, we have been focused on this week for over a year.' Super Bowl security officials acknowledge the NFL championship game represents a high profile target on a world stage but are unaware of any specific credible threats against Sunday's showcase . Over 4,000 private security personnel will be deployed and the almost 3,000 member Phoenix police force will be on Super Bowl duty . Super Bowl security officials acknowledge the NFL championship game represents a high profile target on a world stage but are unaware of any specific credible threats against Sunday's showcase. 'There is no specific credible threat,' said Johnson, who has appointed a 'federal coordination team' to work with local, state and federal agencies to ensure safety of fans, players and other workers associated with the Super Bowl. 'I'm confident we will have a safe and secure and successful event.' Sunday's game has been given a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) 1 rating, the same as in previous years, except for the year after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, when a higher level was declared. But security will be tight and visible around Super Bowl-related events as well as during the game itself. All fans will pass through metal detectors and pat downs. Over 4,000 private security personnel will be deployed and the almost 3,000 member Phoenix police force will be on Super Bowl duty. Nuclear device sniffing teams will be deployed and a network of Bio-Watch detectors will be set up to provide a warning in the event of a biological attack. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release it had held special cyber-security and anti-sniper training sessions. A U.S. official said the Transportation Security Administration, which is responsible for screening airline passengers, will add screeners and checkpoint lanes at airports. Federal air marshals, 'behavior detection officers' and dog teams will help to secure transportation systems in the area. 'We will be ramping it (security) up on Sunday, there is no doubt about that,' said Federal Coordinator Matthew Allen, the DHS point of contact for planning and support. 'I have every confidence the public safety agencies that represented in the planning process are going to have their best and brightest out there this weekend and we will have a very safe Super Bowl.' | Fans attending Sunday's Super Bowl in Arizona will face tight restrictions on what they can take into the stadium .
Ticket-holders are being told to arrive early for a rigorous security screening procedure that will involve metal detectors and a pat-down search .
Federal security officials have said U.S. agencies are unaware of any specific or credible terrorist threat against the Super Bowl .
Over 4,000 private security personnel will be deployed and the almost 3,000 member Phoenix police force will be on Super Bowl duty .
Nuclear device sniffing teams will be deployed and a network of Bio-Watch detectors will be set up to provide a warning in the event of a biological attack . |
15,816 | 2cea8ccb6ca9574fec46ec3c908d4964bf310a58 | By . Rob Waugh . UPDATED: . 05:08 EST, 8 February 2012 . Scientists have sequenced the genome of an extinct group of humans which spread around the world 100,000 years ago, using a small fragment of a human finger bone found in a cave in Siberia. The new, high-resolution genome scan will allow scientists to study how present-day humans evolved from our ancestors. It was sequenced from DNA extracted from a tiny sample - 10mg - of fossilised finger bone. The entrance to Denisova cave in Siberia: The scientists sequenced the genome from 10mg of fossilised bone . Along with the Neanderthals, the Denisovans are the closest extinct relatives of modern humans. ‘We hope that biologists will be able to use this genome to . discover genetic changes that were important for the development of modern . human culture and technology.These changes enabled modern humans to leave Africa and . rapidly spread around the world, starting around 100,000 years ago’ says Dr. Svante Pääbo of the Max Planck Institute. The genome represents the first high-coverage, complete . genome sequence of one of our ancestors. Its creators describe it as 'a leap in the study of extinct . forms of humans.' The researchers had previously sequenced the genome at a lower resoulution using the fossil. The earlier genome allowed researchers to find, for instance, that present-day inhabitants of New Guinea have 4.8 per cent Denisovan DNA. This tooth, thought to have come from a five to seven-year-old child, was found in the same cave, and was the first evidence of the existence of Denisovans - now thought to be a crucial 'key' to tracing man's evolution . The new technique allowed the researchers to sequence every position in the Denisovan genome 30 times over, a far more detailed scan, according to a paper published in the journal PLoS One. ‘The genome is of very high quality’, says Dr. Matthias . Meyer. ‘We sequenced it so many times . that it has fewer errors than most genomes from present-day humans.' This level of resolution . was sufficient to establish the relationship of Denisovans to Neandertals and . present-day humans, but often made it impossible for researchers to study the . evolution of specific parts of the genome. The now-completed version of the . genome allows even the small differences between the copies of genes that this . individual inherited from its mother and father to be distinguished. The Leipzig group has now made the entire Denisovan genome sequence . available for the scientific community over the internet. The genome is also expected to reveal new aspects of the history of Denisovans . and Neandertals. 'We want to make it freely available to everybody already . now’ says Pääbo. ‘We believe that many scientists will find it useful in their . research’. The finger bone was discovered by Professor Anatoly . Derevianko and Professor Michail Shunkov from the Russian Academy of Sciences . in 2008 during their excavations at Denisova Cave. Human occupation at the site . is thought to have started up to 280,000 years ago. The finger bone was found in a layer which has . been dated to between 50,000 and 30,000 years ago. | Discovery could help understand evolution of modern humans .
Extinct group our closest relatives along with Neanderthals .
Genome sequenced at higher resolution than before .
Genome 'more detailed' than most scans of present-day humans . |
138,214 | 3ebc7a61d4b4e44573c726e30023d4ca02a40913 | A man dressed as The Joker entered a Florida movie theater on . Wednesday, sending a chill down the spine of moviegoers in the wake of the deadly . Aurora, Colorado shootings. The 21-year-old, Christoper Sides, showed up at the Premiere . Movie Theater in Melbourne, Florida, with his hair dyed bright . pink and black and white make-up painted on his face - after James Holmes evoked . the Batman villain when he allegedly shot dead 12 people in a Colorado movie theater . on July 20. Fearing Sides' bizarre appearance, the theater management called police but he was found with no weapons and did not make any . threats. Joker: Christopher Sides smiled at cameras and seemed amused by the attention as he was arrested . He was arrested though on a warrant for failing to show in . court for a drugs charge. Sides smiled at cameras and seemed amused by the attention . as he was arrested. He is being held Brevard County Jail and is said to be . cooperating with officers. According to investigators, he provided no explanation for why . he had done up his hair and face to look like the character played by the late . Heath Ledger in the 2008 film, The Dark Knight. Off to jail: The 21-year-old was found with no weapons and did not make any threats. He was arrested on a warrant for a prior charge . He had . purchased a ticket to see The Expendables 2 but later was seen pacing outside the theater, . causing alarm. Christopher Sides, 21, gave no explanation for his bizarre appearance . Local news reported that Sides had been involuntarily . committed for mental health issues three times in the last three years. Former neighbors described Sides as odd but seemingly . harmless, though he did create trouble in the trailer park community where he . lived before he was evicted. ‘I didn't think he was that type [to be violent] but I knew . he was weird,’ a former neighbor Trina Kitchen told WFTV. ‘He dressed like a female. He walked around like a girl,’ she added. Another resident claimed Sides left behind a kinky assortment of items after he was evicted. ‘I cleaned this unit out and there were sex toys in here and . everything, so he was weird,’ his former neighbor David Springer said. Another resident described him as having violent tendencies. ‘He was very unstable, swinging samurai . swords. He's had a lot of confrontations with a lot of the neighbors,’ said . former neighbor Joe Astrologo. But yet another neighbor called Sides misunderstood. ‘He was never a violent person, just an exhibitionist is the best way to put it . liked the attention,’ the neighbor said. James Holmes (left) evoked the character of The Joker, played by Health Ledger (right) in the 2008 film The Dark Knight, in the deadly rampage at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado . Neighbors described Sides as odd but seemingly harmless. Neighbors said he dressed like a girl (left) and just wanted attention . | Christoper Sides showed up at a movie theater with bright pink hair and makeup resembling the Batman villain .
Alarmed movie goers alerted theater management as he paced outside .
21-year-old made no threats and was found with no weapons .
Florida man has history of mental illness . |
173,771 | 6cdd3734f8c8b61a310a283d40a8e3d20256b1e3 | A CVS customer was stuck in a Missouri store Sunday evening after it shut down with her still inside. Alyssa DeGraff, of Kansas City, went to a south Kansas City pharmacy around 9:45pm to buy gummy vitamins, KCTV reported. 'My life is so strange, only this would happen to me,' DeGraff said in an interview with the affiliate station, revealing that she 'Kind of took my time meandering the store for a while. I was there for about 30 minutes.' Scroll down for video . Stuck: Alyssa DeGraff, pictured, was stuck inside a south Kansas City CVS on Sunday. While trapped she posted a selfie showing the garage doors pulled down in front of the store entrance . She headed to the register at approximately 10:15pm, KCTV reported. 'There's nobody at the cash register and so I start looking around the store, I can't find anybody, I start calling out and then I walk up front and see the garage door is pulled down,' she told the affiliate station. She also explained 'I started panicking when I realized my phone was at four per cent because I wasn't sure who to call first.' DeGraff dialed 911 after she could not successfully get in touch with the CVS corporate offices, KCTV reported. While inside the store, DeGraff took a selfie showing her standing in front of the locked front entrance and posted it to Instagram. The caption said, 'Welcome to my ridiculous life I'm LOCKED IN CVS.' Freed: Police along with two CVS managers got DeGraff out of the store at approximately 11:30pm Sunday . She explained her decision to answer a phone inside the store, telling KCTV 'I'm going to answer this, what the heck, and it ended up being CVS general security alarm system that had been silently triggered by me.' Police along with two CVS managers got DeGraff out of the store at approximately 11:30pm, the affiliate reported. DeGraff was able to buy her gummy vitamins and filed a complaint with CVS, telling the news outlet, 'Honestly I think the whole thing is hilarious. I'm not that mad or upset.' Police inquired about closing procedures at CVS, she also said, and the managers of the store offered no comment to KCTV. The web page for the CVS branch DeGraff visited says the store is open from 8am to 10pm on Sundays. The CVS store in question declined to comment to MailOnline for this story. | Alyssa DeGraff went to a south Kansas City CVS around 9:45pm to buy gummy vitamins .
She headed to the register around 10:15pm - and realized the store had shut down with her still inside .
DeGraff posed up for a selfie marking her dilemma. She was freed after calling 911 around 11.30pm . |
96,637 | 085994f456c9d3676508bc84d7e6c75bd518eed0 | (CNN)Abror Habibov, 30, operated kiosks at malls along the East Coast. He sold kitchenware and repaired mobile phones, according to a complaint unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Last fall, Habibov hired Akhror Saidakhmetov, 19, to work at kiosks in Savannah, Georgia; Philadelphia and Chesapeake, Virginia. Abdurasul Juraboev, 24, a Uzbekistan native and legal permanent U.S. resident, worked at the Gyro King restaurant in Brooklyn. He asked his boss whether he could leave this weekend because he was traveling. Until their arrests Wednesday in connection with an alleged failed attempt to join ISIS in Syria, Saidakhmetov and Juraboev appeared to live the mundane lives of ordinary Brooklyn immigrants. They also appeared careless in planning their alleged plot. One man, for instance, showed up at U.S. Homeland Security offices to apply for a travel document, authorities said. They sometimes communicated online because they believed it would be harder for authorities to trace. Juraboev allegedly discussed assassinating President Barack Obama, according to the complaint. But he told an FBI agent that he "currently does not have the means or an imminent plan to do so." Juraboev and Saidakhmetov, authorities said, planned to embark on the journey to Turkey on Wednesday. Read the criminal complaint against trio . One of them discussed the possibility of hijacking a commercial flight to Turkey and diverting it "to the Islamic State, so that the Islamic State would gain a plane," the complaint said. They also talked about joining the U.S. military in order to attack soldiers. Juraboev and Saidakhmetov were arrested in New York; Habibov in Florida. They face charges that include attempting and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, the complaint said. "This is real," New York Police Commissioner William Bratton told reporters. "This is the concern about the lone wolf inspired to act without ever going to the Middle East or the concern of once they get to the Mideast, acquire fighting skills, capabilities and then attempting to return to the country." Saidakhmetov was arrested Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport attempting to catch a flight to Turkey, authorities said. Juraboev, who was to catch a later flight, was arrested at his home in Brooklyn. Habibov, who Bratton said "helped organize and finance" the operation, was in Jacksonville, Florida, when he was picked up. In addition to threats against Obama, the suspects allegedly talked of killing U.S. law enforcement officers. Juraboev allegedly mentioned planting a bomb at Coney Island if ordered to do so by ISIS. An FBI intelligence bulletin to state and local law enforcement urged officers to be vigilant for not only recruits, but people who may want to carry out attacks. "These individuals highlight the continued interest among U.S.-based violent extremist to support designated terrorist organizations," the bulletin said. Outside federal court in Brooklyn, attorney Adam Perlmutter, who represents Saidakhmetov, said his client will plead not guilty if indicted. "This case really makes us question the federal government's approach ... to young Muslim men in America," he told reporters. "They are very ham-fisted tactics. There is no attempt to intervene, to speak, to explore, to understand. There's just the rush to prosecution, to arrest, and to conviction." The arrests come at the same time that a federal jury in Brooklyn hears testimony in the trial against a Pakistani man allegedly involved in a separate al Qaeda conspiracy to carry out attacks in New York and Europe. In the case against the three Brooklyn men, court documents said two of them posted parts of their plans on an Uzbek-language website, believing that the communications would be harder to trace. Saidakhmetov is from Kazakhstan and a legal permanent U.S. resident. Habibov, who is from Uzbekistan, was in the U.S. legally but overstayed his visa, police said. Authorities began trailing them in August 2014. The three men lived in Brooklyn. Saidakhmetov and Juraboev were to appear in Brooklyn federal court later Wednesday; Habibov in federal court in Jacksonville. The names of lawyers for Habibov and Juraboev were not immediately available. In a conversation recorded by authorities, Saidakhmetov said that if he was unable to get travel documents to Syria, "I will just go out and buy a machine gun, AK-47, go out and shoot all police," according to the complaint. Saidakhmetov told an informant that carrying a gun in the United States was legal. "We will go and purchase one handgun ... then go and shoot one police officer," he is quoted as saying, according to the complaint. "Boom ...Then, we will take his gun, bullets and a bulletproof vest ... then, we will do the same with a couple of others." He said, "Then we will go to the FBI headquarters, kill the FBI people." In a written statement in the Uzbek language, Juraboev allegedly speaks of killing Obama for "Allah" but notes he doesn't have the means to do it. "I also want to fight and sincerely become a martyr under the Islamic Caliphate," he states, using another name for ISIS. On his journey, Saidakhmetov allegedly "proposed finding an excuse to gain access to the pilot's cabin and diverting the plane to the Islamic State, so that the Islamic State would gain a plane," the complaint said. In November, Juraboev and Saidakhmetov also expressed interest in joining the U.S. military in order to pass information to ISIS about American airstrikes against the terror group, the complaint said. When Juraboev said he was skeptical that Saidakhmetov "could stay calm and avoid trouble in the military, (Saidakhmetov) responded that he could always open fire on American soldiers and kill as many of them as possible." In another conversation, Juraboev allegedly criticized Saidakhmetov's plan to join the military, saying that "leaving for Syria would be the most feasible choice." In intercepted online communication, Juraboev said his parents were in Uzbekistan. "Sometimes they worship and practice Islam, sometimes they do idolatry," he said, according to the complaint. "My sisters are uncovered, lack knowledge of a religion. I wish they knew at least how to cover themselves up." At one point, Juraboev called Obama "an enemy Of Allah," and says, "I will execute Obama." On February 21, Juraboev sent his employer a text message: "Brother I want to leave my country next weekend. Because I have some problem. Is it possible or not? Sorry!" Saidakhmetov allegedly told a confidential informant that he intended to wage jihad in Syria but that his mother -- fearful that he would do so -- took his passport. The suspect then said he would try to get his passport back by telling his mother that he was traveling to Uzbekistan to visit relatives. On February 2, Saidakhmetov brazenly appeared at the Department of Homeland Security offices in Manhattan and filled out an application for a travel document and had his photograph and fingerprints taken, the complaint said. Saidakhmetov and a confidential informant at one time watched videos of ISIS training camps in Syria, the complaint said, adding that Saidakhmetov said he was going to "become a Mujahid on the path of Allah" in war-torn Mideast country. The complaint said Saidakhmetov on February 19 purchased a round-trip ticket for $571 to travel from New York to Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday. He was to return on March 31. In Brooklyn, the travel agent who sold him the ticket on February 19 said Saidakhmetov picked the cheaper flight with a connection in Kiev, Ukraine, rather than paying $900 for a direct flight to Turkey. "There was nothing out the ordinary about the transaction or him," said the travel agent, who asked not to be identified. Saidakhmetov purchased the ticket using a New York State ID. His flight on Ukraine International Airlines was to depart at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Saidakhmetov had earlier told the informant -- who he believed was traveling with him -- that if detected at the airport he would "kill a police officer and use the officer's gun to shoot other law enforcement officers." Young people are featured in the ISIS propaganda, including a recent video showing boys in camouflage and ISIS bandanas learning hand-to-hand combat. The militants have repeatedly promoted videos using high-level production techniques to celebrate their brutality. A short mash-up clip in September played like a trailer for an action movie, with slow-motion explosions and flames engulfing American troops. "There's no question what we're combating with ISIL's (U.S. government acronym for ISIS) propaganda machine is something we have not seen before," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told CNN. "It's something we need to do a lot more work on. We are seeing 90,000, I think, tweets a day that we're combating." CNN's Yon Pomrenze, Jason Caroll, Connor Ryan, Shimon Prokupecz and Evan Perez reported from New York, and Ray Sanchez reported and wrote from New York. | FBI foils alleged plot by two men to join ISIS; a third allegedly helped finance the journey .
Suspects talked about carrying out attacks in the United States, complaint says . |
229,108 | b4a9422c43194a6931e8f0146a9747232dcbf410 | An aborted theatre tour of the cult Sky Sports programme Soccer Saturday is still the subject of legal action more than two years after four shows were cancelled. Entertainer Mike Osman, a close friend of Soccer Saturday regular Matt Le Tissier, arranged the abandoned roadshow. He continues to pursue presenter Jeff Stelling for breach of contract. Presenter Jeff Stelling is being pursued for breach of contract over a Soccer Saturday theatre tour . Osman claims to have lost £250,000 after dates in Liverpool, Newcastle, London and Birmingham were cancelled following successful shows in Southampton and Bournemouth. It is claimed ticket sales suffered after Stelling failed to fulfil promises to promote the show. It is believed the marathon legal row has strained relationships on the programme, with Osman also said to have contracts in place with Phil Thompson, Charlie Nicholas and Paul Merson, as well as Le Tissier. Osman said: ‘These things take a long time to resolve but I’m not giving up.’ Sky Sports are aware of the dispute but say they are not involved, even though the roadshow used the official Soccer Saturday brand. Mark Clattenburg has not taken charge of a Premier League fixture since October 25 . Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg looks still to be paying the price for going in his own car to an Ed Sheeran concert after a match — and taking a call from manager Neil Warnock en route — rather than leaving in the official transport. Clattenburg, a Champions League referee and widely regarded as one of the best in England, was stood down for one match at the time. But he was on Championship duty last weekend, then relegated further to fourth official in midweek and next Saturday. The conspiracy theory is that referees’ chief Mike Riley favours other elite officials, including Michael Oliver, who received no reprimand after his fiancee Lucy May travelled in the officials’ vehicle this season. A source said Oliver asked permission. MCC have appointed Gerald Corbett to succeed Oliver Stocken as chairman next October. Corbett, who had a torrid time as CEO of Railtrack, has chaired six public companies including Britvic and Betfair. But even though he has been an MCC member since 1995, he has not served on any of the Lord’s committees that would have given him some knowledge of the lunatic fringe who have disrupted the ground renovation. Corbett, whose cricket career peaked when he beat the Westerleigh prep school bowling record of F1 legend James Hunt, said: ‘I’m used to arriving from planet Mars but getting my feet under the table pretty quickly.’ Ticketmaster have given assurances about the sale of 2015 Rugby World Cup tickets . Ticketmaster, who are supply partners with England Rugby 2015, have given assurances about not selling Rugby World Cup tickets on their controversial online secondary sites. But that didn’t stop Ticketmaster-owned Get Me In offloading a counterfeit pair of VIP tickets for the Chisora-Fury boxing show last Saturday for £5,000, with the unfortunate buyers stopped at the gate. Robertson on Coe team . Former Minister for Sport Sir Hugh Robertson will be part of Lord Coe’s campaign team in his bid for the IAAF presidency. Robertson’s know-how from his spell in the Foreign Office with responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa will be utilised to unlock doors in the chase for more than 200 votes. Sir Hugh has yet to decide whether to stand for his Faversham and Mid Kent seat at the General Election next year, but currently has time on his hands to be of significant help to Coe. However, the biggest diplomatic issue for Coe might be keeping the peace between his two warring communications and strategic chiefs Jackie Brock-Doyle, a close adviser over London 2012, and bid specialist Mike Lee, who runs Coe’s PR for the IAAF presidency. It’s safe to say Lee and Brock-Doyle, who surprisingly attended the Lee-organised launch of Coe’s manifesto, do not like each other. Spurs, who already have an influential female board presence in combative executive director Donna Cullen, have chosen QPR finance chief Rebecca Caplehorn to replace MLS-bound Darren Eales as director of football administration. | Entertainer Mike Osman taking legal action over abandoned roadshow .
Jeff Stelling being pursued for breach of contract .
Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg still paying price for Ed Sheeran .
Spurs appoint Rebecca Caplehorn as director of football administration . |
140,913 | 42386be25a889d893ae2a87447aeccb633db3ee6 | House Speaker John Boehner has been afforded no rest after the passage of the fiscal cliff bill. He has been forced to put down a revolt by conservatives furious about the $620billion in tax hikes he pushed through the House. He has also been subjected to withering criticism from Republicans in New York and New Jersey - including Governor Chris Christie - for failing to bring a bill with $60billion in Hurricane Sandy to a vote. President Barack Obama, meanwhile, has been vacationing on the sunny beaches of Hawaii - leaving Washington just hours after the deal made it through Congress on Tuesday night. The White House released a series of . year-end photos of the President on Wednesday. The first picture in the . series was of shot of a jubilant Obama frolicking in the warm Hawaiian waters. Scroll down for video . Shaky ground: House Speaker John Boehner faces an uncertain political future following wranglings over the fiscal cliff and further criticism for not pushing a vote on a Sandy relief bill . Wish you were here! This photo of President Barack Obama frolicking in the waves of Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii on January 1, 2012 was released on Wednesday . It's a sneaky move that could be interpreted as twisting the dagger in the embattled Boehner, who is in the midst of fighting for political life in chilly Washington. Boehner appears likely to be re-elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives when the 113th United States Congress is sworn in at midday on Thursday. While some conservatives had said that 20 or more House Republicans were prepared to mount a challenge to Boehner, no one has been willing to step forward as a rallying figure - an indication that the position is in some ways one of the most difficult and thankless in politics. Boehner's job as Speaker had been under threat after just 85 members of his Republican caucus voted for a fiscal cliff deal that 151 opposed and nearly all Democrats backed. Most ominously, his own leadership team publicly split from him over the vote with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy opposing the bill. Embattled: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said today the John Boehner had refused to take his calls last night over the $60bn Sandy relief bill which is desperately needed in his home state . To add to his woes, Boehner - who faces re-election as Speaker on Thursday - had been lambasted by New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, for failing to bring to a vote a $60billion relief bill for those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Governor Christie denounced the 'disappointing and disgusting' spectacle of fiscal cliff manoeuvrings that showed a 'callous indifference' for the people of New Jersey. Christie said on Wednesday: 'I called the Speaker four times last night after 11.20pm and he did not take my calls.' But Boehner was able to placate his House Republicans, most notably the outspoken Representative Peter King of New York, by promising to bring the hurricane relief bill to a vote at the beginning of the new Congress. At one point during the fiscal cliff negotiations, Boehner had been overheard on the House floor saying: 'Am I having a nightmare, or what?' Boehner took the highly unusual step of voting personally for the Senate bill that had passed overwhelmingly in the other house - just as Speaker Schuyler Colfax was portrayed as doing in the movie Lincoln in voting for the 13th Amendment and the end of slavery. Tough talk: Paul Ryan voted for the fiscal cliff deal because it was in the interest of the American people . In another indication of a bitterly divided party, the bill pitted another two top Republican prospects for the 2016 White House race against each other. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida voted no and Representative Paul Ryan, the 2012 vice-presidential nominee, voted yes. According to Republican sources, Cantor and McCarthy voted against the bill even though they had earlier pressured rank-and-file members to support it, while Ryan - another so-called Republican 'Young Gun' in the House - was expected to join them but changed his mind at the last minute. Ryan later said in a statement: 'Will the American people be better off if this law passes relative to the alternative? 'In the final analysis, the answer is undoubtedly yes. I came to Congress to make tough decisions - not to run away from them.' The influential conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer said on Fox News on Tuesday that it was 'possible' that Cantor's opposition to the bill 'is the prelude to a challenge Thursday', when the new Congress elected last November convenes. Krauthammer said: 'It would be naked to do it at this late hour as a result of the split over this vote. Look, there are a lot of conservatives in the Republican caucus in the House who hate the bill and for good reason. 'This is a complete surrender on everything. The ratio of tax hikes to spending cuts is 40 to 1, rather than one to one or one to two or one to three. So, I mean it's a complete rout by the Democrats.' Via Twitter, Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker and 2012 presidential candidate, stated that Republicans had been engaged in 'a two month dance of defeat and surrender'. Disaster: Boats are seen in a yard, where they washed onto shore during Hurricane Sandy, near Monmouth Beach, New Jersey after the storm lashed the East Coast . Long road to recovery: Robert Connolly, left, embraces his wife Laura as they survey the remains of the home owned by her parents in Breezy Point, New York during Superstorm Sandy. There has been a delay on $60bn relief for those affected . Donald Trump chipped in, also via Twitter: 'I am a Republican... but the Republicans may be the worst negotiators in history!' Multiple accounts of the fiscal cliff negotiations revealed that Boehner appeared to lose his composure on a number of occasions, most notably when he told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the top Democrat on Capitol Hill, to 'go f*** yourself' during a White House meeting. Christie's broadside against Boehner was also notable because he singled out Cantor as having done his best to bring the Hurricane Sandy bill to a vote. But Cantor's apparent attempts to get the fiscal cliff bill passed make him an unlikely rallying figure against Boehner, at least in the short term. Erick Erickson, a leading conservative figure, used his RedState blog to dismiss the votes of Cantor and McCarthy, saying: 'His was opportunism, not courage.' | Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy voted against fiscall cliff bill that Boehner supported but they will back him in today's vote .
Boehner had to placate north-eastern Republicans after New Jersey Governor Christie said fiscal cliff manoeuvrings showed a 'callous indifference' to those in his state . |
260,033 | dcb5d84c2bd6f4753b5e203e6fb28cb1b4477fc0 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 07:43 EST, 13 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:34 EST, 13 November 2013 . Christopher Eagles has been jailed for two years after he chiselled away at a wall to make a hole which he used to steal £10,000 of gold and pottery . A burglar chiselled his way through the wall of a jewellers shop before making off with £10,000 of gold and pottery. Christopher Eagles, 50, spent hours making the two ft hole in the nine inch thick brick wall at the back of Church Street Gold in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. But the prolific burglar, who has 50 previous convictions, was caught after detectives recognised him from CCTV. He has now been jailed for two years after admitting the burglary in June. Owner Paul Wood, 48, from Stoke-on-Trent, said the shop was 'totally trashed'. He said: 'I came into the shop in the morning and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was in shock. 'There was a hole in the wall of my office which had been chiselled away and clearly was how he got in. 'It . would have been a tight squeeze - only enough room for someone quite . small. I thought at first they must have sent a child in. 'The . shop was totally trashed, with glass and bricks everywhere. I couldn’t . understand it because I have good security - bars on the window and CCTV . in every room.' Eagles had spent the hours before the raid chipping away at the external wall, which was accessible by an alley way and had created the hole as a way to sneak into the jewellers. He stole £10,000 of gold jewellery, porcelain and pottery from the jewellers and caused significant damage during the break in. Police later found some of the stolen . pottery displayed on the mantlepiece at the house of Eagles’ heroin . addict girlfriend, Victoria Walters. Eagles chiselled away at the wall of the jewellers to create this hole which he then used to steal the gold and pottery . Eagles spent the hours before the raid chipping away at the external wall . Mr Wood said: 'I was in shock for days after the raid. 'He had stolen cash from the office, jewellery, figurines, and smashed open a safe in the back room. 'Watching the CCTV footage back, I saw him go up to the cameras and turn them all away. He didn’t try to break them though or steal the hard drive so I handed it over to the police straight away. 'I’m glad they have both been jailed, but they will be out before I know it and I fear they will come after me again. 'It has cost me thousands of pounds to repair the damage, and although I did get some of the items back, the psychological impact has been the worst. 'One of my staff left shortly afterwards, . which may have been for the best. I would rather if they come back that . none of my staff have to suffer.' Owner Paul Wood has said he has been left in fear following the burglary in June . Eagles chipped away at the wall so he was then able to enter the shop from this alleyway . Mr Wood said he has now been left in fear . after the burglary, which happened in June. He said it has taken him . four months to return the shop back to normal. Eagles was jailed for two years at Stoke-on-Trent Crown court after admitting the burglary. Judge Paul Glenn, said: 'The property was stolen in a professionally-executed shop burglary committed by Christopher Eagles. The police then recovered items of high value, almost the entire haul from the burglary.' Jailing Walters for 12 months for handling stolen goods, the judge said: 'You and Eagles plainly planned to make a significant amount of money had you not been caught with the property.' | Christopher Eagles spent hours before raid chipping away at jewellers' wall .
He used the hole to sneak in and steal £10,000 of gold and pottery .
Shop owner has said he has been left in fear after the burglary .
Eagles was jailed for two years after admitting the burglary .
His girlfriend Victoria Walters jailed for 12 months for handling stolen goods . |
239,965 | c2a7fd97050f3bfbb42465226c94ab01bf6930c6 | A woman in her 20s somehow escaped unharmed when her car somersaulted off the road and into a pensioner's living room as he sat watching the National Lottery with his wife. Shocking pictures show the the damage caused when the white Mini Cooper ploughed into the front of John and Pamela Clifford's £400,000 property in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, on Wednesday night. The woman driver, who miraculously only suffered minor injuries, had somehow managed to travel 200 yards from the roadside to the house, smashing through a garden wall and even flattening a tree on the way. The white Mini Cooper ploughed into the front of the £400,000 property in Sutton Coldfield but, incredibly, neither the driver of the elderly couple who lives inside were seriously hurt . The motorist, in her 20s, was taken by ambulance to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, as a precautionary check-up but had suffered only minor injuries . The driver had travelled 200 yards from the roadside, through a garden wall and into the house, leaving Mr Clifford's door lying on the ground and debris piled up in front of the property . Homeowner Mr Clifford, 76, said his house shook from the force of the devastating impact, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. Mr Clifford, a grandfather-of-four and part-time supply teacher, said he was 'just inches' from the destroyed wall, adding: 'We might not have won the lottery that night but in a way I think our luck was in because we could quite have easily been killed.' He added: 'I was standing there checking my lottery numbers but none of them came up. 'The next thing I know there's a car smashing through my home. 'I just heard a massive crashing noise which sounded like an explosion - like a bomb going off. 'The whole of my house shook and shuddered from the force of the impact so I went outside to see what was going on. Mr Clifford described the toilet wall as being 'completely trashed' and said he had 'popped in there moments before' the Mini Cooper came hurtling into his house . After leaving the road, the car carried on and ploughed through a wall before narrowly missing a block of flats next to the Clifford house and then finally coming to rest when it hit the home . 'I saw this woman standing on top of her car, which was on the side, just in absolute hysterics. 'She didn't seem injured which was incredible really. I don't even know how she got out the vehicle. It was a total wreck. 'The young lady had managed to travel about 200 yards from the road, across an area of lawn and on the way she even flattened a pretty big tree. 'I don't know how that didn't stop her but she's carried on and ploughed through a wall before narrowly missing a block of flats next to us. 'She's then smashed into our house. Looking at the impact, which is pretty high up she's hit the wall while in mid-air. 'That just makes it even more incredible that she wasn't injured and I'm pretty lucky to escape without a scratch as well.' Reflecting on just how incredibly lucky he was, Mr Clifford said: 'If it had been seconds earlier or if I was standing a few inches to the left I wouldn't be here to tell the story.' John Clifford, 76, stands outside the house he has lived in with his wife Pamela for 39 years, which has now had thousands of pounds worth of damage caused to it . Speaking about the driver who caused all the damage Mr Clifford said: 'She didn't seem injured which was incredible really. I don't even know how she got out the vehicle. It was a total wreck.' Sutton Coldfield Fire Station tweeted a dramatic image in the aftermath of the smash - which completely destroyed the porch of the house and left the inside of the property clearly visible. The front door could also be seen lying amid rubble and the smashed-up vehicle on its side with it's airbags deployed. Meanwhile, the motorist, in her 20s, was taken by ambulance to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, as a precautionary check-up. Mr Clifford said: 'The toilet wall was completely trashed and I had popped in there moments before the impact. 'But where I was standing when the car hit was a matter of inches from the wall - there was dust and rubble everywhere. My house was showered in bricks. The car caused carnage as it knocked down a tree on its way across the road, seeminlgy somersaulting through the air and landing in Mr and Mrs Clifford's Sutton Coldfield house . 'If it had been seconds earlier or if I was standing a few inches to the left I wouldn't be here to tell the story. 'God knows what had happened if my wife had not gone up to bed early to read as well, she would have been in the direct line of impact.' Mr Clifford has lived at the property with his wife Pamela, 75, a retired library assistant, for 39 years. He said he now expected the cost of the damage to run into thousands after his patio, front wall and downstairs toilet wall were completely destroyed. The pensioner, who has two grown up sons Peter, 48 and Paul, 50, added: 'We're still waiting on the insurers but it's going to be a lot of money. 'The front door has gone, the patio had been demolished and there's just a gaping hole where anybody can see into our lounge. 'We need to get something done because out house is completely exposed. 'I just have no idea how the woman managed to travel so far from the road, somersault her car through the air and walk away with barely a scratch. Bricks from the house walls were left strewn along the ground outside, ending up on Mr Clifford's car along with dust and dirt thrown up from the car's impact . An out-of-date tax disc could be seen on the Mini Cooper car after it ploughed into the house and was left lying on its side, with its owner walking away surprisingly unhurt . An oxygen mask could be seen discarded in the driveway of John and Pamela Clifford's house after fire crews, police and paramedics attended the scene at 10.30pm . 'She is a very lucky lady and so are we. 'The damage is bad but we have escaped with our lives.' Emergency services were called at around 10.30pm to find the detached house and car severely damaged. A West Midlands Police spokeswoman said: 'We were called by the ambulance service to Thorn Hill Road at around 10.30pm last night following reports of a car in collision with a house. 'Officers dealt with the collision and it is believed that there were minor injuries caused to the driver. 'The driver was spoken to at the scene and enquiries into the circumstances around the collision continue.' A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said emergency crews spent an hour working at the scene. He added: 'Both the homeowner and driver were lucky to escape the incident with minor injuries.' A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: 'Two ambulances, a paramedic and a rapid response vehicle attended the scene at around 10.30pm. 'The patient was not seriously injured but was taken to Good Hope Hospital for a check up as a precautionary measure.' | White Mini Cooper travelled 200 yards, smashed through a garden wall and into living room of house .
Pensioner couple were watching the National Lottery to see if their numbers came up when car crashed through wall .
Crash left front door lying amid the dirt and rubble while toilet and living room walls were demolished by the impact .
Driver somehow escaped unhurt after her car somersaulted through the air and was left lying on its side .
Couple say thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to the home they have lived in happily for 39 years . |
45,969 | 817b1f80e7098d111b36d91a17bd57a935237ead | Remarkable drone footage has revealed the extent of devastation wrought on Sergey Prokofiev International Airport in eastern Ukraine. Separatist forces now claim to have taken complete control of Sergey Prokofiev International Airport after a series of battles with pro-government forces over the fiercely contested complex. The airport has been closed for months, but it has symbolic value for both sides and has become the main flashpoint in the fighting even as prospects for a new round of peace talks have dimmed. Scroll down for video . Crater holes mark the ground and debris lies scattered across the complex after months of intense shelling . The airport, which includes a now collapsed control tower and multiple hangars, is left decimated . The roof of the complex is riddled with holes after separatists took complete control of the site . Nestled in the snowy and barren landscape is a plane hangar left in ruins after the bloody clashes . The footage reveals the airport now sits completely gutted, with blast craters and shell damage covering almost every section of the site. Prior to yesterday, government troops held a tenuous grip on the airport, even though the complex, which includes a multi-storey control tower and extensive outbuildings, is only a battered shell after nine months of conflict. Separatist organisation Donetsk People’s Republic made an online statement yesterday in which they claimed that 'today, we can speak about control over the territory of Donetsk airport and its surroundings', the New York Times reported. A Ukrainian presidential adviser, Yuri Biryukov, said separatists had launched a full-scale attack on the airport to try to dislodge government forces. Meanwhile, representatives from Ukraine and Russia, separatist leaders and officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe had been tentatively due to meet in the Belarussian capital, Minsk, yesterday to try to get a peace effort and ceasefire back on track. But the meeting of the so-called 'contact group' did not get off the ground, despite calls from Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. One rebel official, Denis Pushilin, left Minsk saying he did not know when a further attempt to hold talks would be scheduled. In a report highlighting the collapse of health care in Ukraine's eastern regions, the Geneva-based World Health Organization has put the death toll from the nine-month conflict at more than 4,800. The terminal of Sergey Prokofiev International Airport is left in pieces with a collapsed roof . Pictured are the remains of the airport's control tower, which is believed to have collapsed in recent days . Footage from inside the airport shows trees have been left shredded following the shelling . A soldier carries water across an open space inside the airport, which is now under separatist control . Separatist forces take shelter inside a gutted plane hangar following a rebel attack on the site . Ukraine, Russia and separatist leaders agreed in Minsk last September on a 12-point peace blueprint for scaling down the conflict, including through a ceasefire. But the accord was flouted from the start, with each side blaming the other. Kiev says 200 soldiers have been killed since the truce theoretically came into force in early September. Kiev accuses Russia of failing to comply with the agreement to withdraw Russian fighters and military equipment from the east. Despite what the West and Kiev say is incontrovertible evidence, Moscow denies its troops are involved in the conflict. Ukraine's parliament voted on Thursday to rotate Ukrainian front-line troops and resume partial conscription after a security official said Russian forces had sharply increased military activity in the east. Russia reacted to this on Friday saying the move could undermine peace efforts. 'Any action related to military preparations does not help the process,' Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. 'We will hope that all this... does not lead to a renewed military confrontation.' | Drone footage reveals the gutted remains of Donetsk international airport .
Separatist forces now claim to control the site after days of heavy fighting .
The airport has been a flashpoint in the fighting despite ceasefire talks .
It has been closed for months but has symbolic value for both sides . |
20,660 | 3a9b742d749ecc379c4c67e399c23545207a399e | And the winner is... well, nobody. That seemed to be the only result after two Indian beauty queens aiming to impress visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both ended up looking like losers. One because she hosted the gathering after claiming to be Miss India Australia 2014 when she wasn't, and the other because, although she was Miss India Australia 2014, the confusion meant she missed out on the opportunity to host the lavish event herself in Sydney for India's leader. Mr Modi is the first Indian leader to visit Australia in 28 years. The Herald Sun reported that the claws were out between the two battling beauties, Rashi Kapoor and Phalguni Kataria, after Australian Football League multicultural ambassador Ms Kapoor hosted a get-together for the Indian Primer Minister as Miss India Australia 2014 when the title actually belonged to Ms Kataria. Miss India Australia 2014, Phalguni Kataria, felt hard done by at not being asked to host a special event in Sydney for visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi . Ms Kataria said she was devastated at missing out on the opportunity to host the event and 'utterly shocked someone else is claiming to be Miss India Australia'. While Ms Kapoor said it was all just a simple misunderstanding. Ms Kapoor said she usually went by her title, Miss India Global, and it was the Indian media that was at fault for the mix up. Miss India Australia 2013, Rashi Kapoor, blamed the Indian media for the misunderstanding . 'I would never portray myself as something I am not. They got confused and I didn’t want to correct them. It was an event for the Prime Minister, not me,' she told the Herald Sun. 'I actually won Miss India Global in 2013. That’s what my trophy says.' But Ms Kataria said: 'That (Miss India Australia) is my title. I worked hard for it.' Ms Kataria was 'utterly shocked someone else is claiming to be Miss India Australia' 'I had thought that it would be me who would be asked to host the Prime Minister, like Miss India USA had done in America. 'I cannot believe that someone else can just step in and do it and take this honour from me.' Miss India Australia organiser Reena Koak believed it was unfair Ms Kapoor was portrayed as the 2014 titleholder as Ms Kataria now held the crown. Ms Kapoor said she usually went by the title of Miss India Global, although this was disputed . Ms Kapoor was crowned Miss India Australia in 2013, but it was claimed she currently held the title of Miss India Melbourne, not Miss India Global. Organiser Anamika Srivastava admits that a printing error may have resulted in the wrong titles appearing on Ms Kapoor’s sash and trophy. Despite the fact she had been already told by organisers that she could no longer use the title. Ms Kataria believed there should be no confusion over who is Miss India Australia 2014 . | Rashi Kapoor blamed the Indian media for the embarrassing mix up .
'I would never portray myself as something I am not,' said Kapoor .
Miss India Australia organiser believed Kapoor acted unfairly .
2014 titleholder Phalguni Kataria was 'devastated' at not hosting the event . |
218,858 | a74b5ecc89b6bdde0d7138b0dee1649764fd71f2 | (CNN) -- Hot air balloon rides at Egypt's popular tourist destination of Luxor are set to resume Wednesday, according to a statement on the Egyptian Civil Aviation Regulatory Commission's (CARC) website (Arabic). President of the CARC, Mohamed Ibrahim Sherif, confirmed balloon flights would restart, the Egypt Independent reported. Hot air balloon rides were banned in Luxor after a February 26 accident that killed 19 tourists. Preliminary investigations suggested that gas canisters aboard the balloon exploded, causing it to plummet about 1,000 feet (300 meters) to the ground. It was the world's deadliest hot air balloon accident in at least 20 years. Read more: Balloon crash kills 19 . Sky Cruise, the company involved, remains banned from operation pending further investigation. All Ultramagic N-425 balloons, the model of balloon in the accident, are also still grounded, according to a translation of the statement. In addition, hot air balloons in operation will be subject to inspection and companies will have to follow new mandatory regulations. Read more: How safe is hot air ballooning? According to the statement, all pilots, engineers and ground crew will need to undertake hazardous situation and extra safety training. Passengers will also be required to sign liability documents stating they understand they are flying at their own risk. Read more: Balloon disaster 'blow' for tourism . Luxor is among Egypt's top tourist draws. Visitors go to see ancient temples and tombs, and travel sites often recommend hot air balloon trips. Balloon rides offering panoramic aerial views of the Nile River and the ancient temples of Karnak and Hatshepsut are a popular tourist attraction in Luxor, about a nine-hour drive southeast of Cairo. Read more: Vacationers recall glorious balloon rides . Qin Xie contributed to this report. | Flights set to resume Wednesday, according to statement .
Balloon flights grounded since tragic February accident .
Luxor is among Egypt's top tourist draws . |
37,084 | 691f17ea2d3b039de8829afe3d0a7c79ac01aaaf | Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama is vowing to act on his own due to House inaction on immigration reform that proponents say could help address a wave of undocumented kids crossing the border from Mexico. But there are limits to the power of his pen. Yes, the President can send National Guard troops to the border as some House Republicans insisted at recent congressional hearing on immigration. No, the administration can't put immigrant kids "on a bus like we normally do and send them back down to Guatemala," as Alabama Republican Rep. Mike Rogers suggested. The children have arrived in droves after fleeing violence and poverty in Central America and are seeking "permisos" or a pass to stay in America. Thousands are being held in detention facilities as the Obama administration tries to figure out what to do. And while Obama promises "a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress," Speaker John Boehner and other House Republicans criticize him for being "intent on going it alone with executive orders that can't and won't fix these problems." Boehner has said he intends to sue Obama over how he's used his executive authority to bypass Congress. Beyond the political back-and-forth, there are some things Obama can and cannot do by way of executive action on immigration. What he can do . 1. He can tweak and fine tune existing guidelines on who to prioritize and prosecute in deportation hearings. 2. Obama can dispatch more border patrol agents as well as members of the National Guard. 3. And Obama could opt to continue a program for some who were brought to the United States as kids. It is important to note that this program allows them to temporarily stay in the country and work or attend school. It is not a path to legalization. 4. The President could also continue a practice in some states of using ankle bracelets or weekly mandatory check-ins with immigration officials as an alternative to detention. 5. And he could move to increase the amount of free legal assistance to immigrants in deportation hearings. "If the transfer of resources involves moving judges down to that area so they can process the caseload and more asylum officers to conduct interviews with these children then we're in a zero-sum game," said Kamal Essaheb, a policy attorney National Immigration Law Center. "Those resources are being taken away from other areas. We would welcome Congress appropriating more money so everyone can get their day in court and a quick day in court." What he can't do . 1. The president can't bar people from applying for political asylum. Those guidelines are set by the United Nations Refugee Convention, which the United States has signed, said Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration attorney and professor at Cornell University Law School. 2. And no, the President can't increase the number eligible for green cards because their spouses or parents are U.S. citizens. Such matters are set by law. Though some immigration advocates have argued spouses and children shouldn't count toward 140,000 limit on employment-based green cards, whether the President can make that kind of change unilaterally is murky territory. 3. Obama also can't just eliminate judicial review for people ordered deported — such a move would violate the Constitution. 4. Nor can he just load up all undocumented immigrants on a bus and deport them without some sort of legal hearing. That type of action also would violate the law. "The Constitution says that all persons have due process rights in the U.S. whether they are from another country or the U.S.," Yale-Loehr said. 5. And, for those hoping for (or fearing) a blanket executive action legalizing all undocumented immigrants, no the President can't do that either. There's a law for that. "There are constitutional limits on what the president can do. We have a tripartite government system. The Congress enacts the laws; the President implements the laws," Yale-Loehr said. "The President cannot create an immigration policy willy-nilly, whole cloth. He cannot create an immigration law. He has to get Congress' approval to change an immigration law. " Navarette: The right fate for immigrant kids . Crossroads of hope and fear: Stories from a desert bus station . | Beyond political rhetoric, there are limits on Obama's powers on immigration .
The President can prioritize who gets deported, putting violent criminals at the top of the list .
He cannot, as some in the GOP want, put immigrant kids on buses bound for Central America .
In many cases, the President does have to work with Congress in crafting immigration reforms . |
52,750 | 958fc98c5c72381ac9167640907a5b5f84306da5 | By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 05:40 EST, 31 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:30 EST, 31 May 2012 . A teenager today told of the terrifying moment she clung to the side of a car ferry to stop herself being sucked under it to her death. Vicky Redfern stepped onto the narrow ledge on the outside of the vessel after a the engine of the speedboat she was on stopped working and the boat drifted into the side of it near the millionaire's playground of Sandbanks in Dorset. With the speedboat at risk of capsizing, the 18-year-old sat on the 10-inch wide shelf and desperately held on to it for fear of falling into the water and being dragged under the 100ft-long ferry. Lucky escape: Vicky Redfern in front of the Sandbanks chain ferry which she had clung to for dear life to stop her being sucked under to her death after getting stuck on the outside of the vessel . Perilous passage: This picture shows where Vicky ended up (bottom right) after stepping off her speedboat following a collision with the ferry and the narrow ledge she shuffled along before clambering through a hatch . Precarious: Vicky was stuck on the 10in-wide ledge for around five minutes until a passing lifeboat managed to alert ferry staff, who opened the hatch . When staff on the ferry were alerted to her plight, they opened a hatch and Vicky carefully stood up and shuffled 30ft along the ledge that was 2ft above the water. After she reached safety, a passing lifeboat threw a line to speedboat owner Robert Hodges, who remained on board the broken-down craft, and pulled it away from danger. Vicky had been on a day out in Poole Harbour, Dorset, with friend Phil Hodges, 19, and his dad Robert when the incident happened. Phil had just got off at a slipway on the Sandbanks peninsula to use the toilet before the engine of the 18ft boat seized and it drifted helplessly on the current towards the ferry. Robert, 48, told Vicky to jump onto the ledge along the side of the Sandbanks chain ferry as there was a risk the suction from it would have swallowed the boat up. Imminent danger: Her friend's father Robert Hodges told Vicky to jump onto the ledge along the side of the ferry as there was a risk the suction from it would have swallowed the speedboat up . 'Potentially nasty incident': An RNLI spokesman said Vicky was extremely lucky to escape because the choppy conditions that day made it far easier for her and the speedboat to be dragged under . Vicky, who is waiting to join the army, said: 'We stopped to let Phil off but then another boat came along and needed to get where we were. 'We started the engine up and moved out the way but then it stopped working and the current pushed us into the side of the ferry. 'Rob told me to climb onto the ferry and hold onto the side in case the boat flipped over. 'I knew if I stayed on the boat I could have got sucked under the ferry but I was trying not to think about it otherwise I would have panicked and been in even more danger. 'I pushed myself up onto the side and sat there and drew my knees to my chest. I grabbed hold of the ledge either side of me to make sure I didn’t fall in. Crisis: The collided with the Sandbanks chain ferry as the larger vessel travelled across the entrance of Poole Harbour between Sandbanks and Studland . Drama: The engine on the speedboat broke down near the wealthy Sandbanks peninsula (pictured) which left the craft drifting on the current towards the ferry . 'Luckily after about five minutes an RNLI lifeboat passed by and they got the ferry staff to open a side hatch for me. 'I got onto my feet and turned around so my back with to the water and held onto a railing above my head and shuffled sideways until I got to the door. 'It was a big relief when I stepped onto the right side of the ferry and I was even more pleased to see Rob being towed to safety.' Robert, an engineer from Poole, said: 'I got Vicky out onto the side of the chain ferry because I was worried the current and suction would make the boat flip up and she would fall out. 'It all happened so fast. I was just pleased that everyone was okay and came away with no injuries.' A spokesman for the RNLI said: 'The boat was perilously close to the ferry. 'It could easily have been sucked under as the conditions out in the harbour were rough and choppy. 'It had the potential to be a nasty incident and they were extremely lucky we just happened to be passing.' The incident happened at about 6pm last Friday. | Vicky Redfern, 18, stepped onto vessel as speedboat was at risk of capsizing .
Gripped tight on 10in-wide shelf until ferry crew were able to open a hatch .
Then shuffled along the 30ft ledge as lifeboat pulled speedboat from danger .
'I grabbed hold of the ledge either side of me to make sure I didn't fall in' |
16,617 | 2f1c1fa0c8202248255f55e52deab6e921e1aec1 | A British woman charged with stalking and shaking down New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said he got her phony identification to use in getting an abortion after she became pregnant with his child. Mr Cashman's spokesman Chris Giglio said on Wednesday that the allegations amount to 'more fiction' from a woman already facing stalking, perjury and other charges. 'When I informed Mr. Cashman that I decided to terminate the pregnancy he demanded that I provide him with two passport size photographs so he could obtain a fake ID,' Louise Neathway, who also goes by Meanwell, claimed in papers filed Monday in a Manhattan civil court according to the New York Post. Abortion aid: Louise Neathway, 36, seen in court on charges of extortion and stalking has accused Yankees boss Brian Cashman of making her a fake ID so she could have an abortion . Mr Cashman returned to her, she claims, with an ID that showed her with the name 'Rosalita Gonzalez.' The accusations made without an attorney come as a prelude to a possible lawsuit, although it's yet not clear whom she might sue. She is currently facing criminal charges of stalking Mr Cashman and extorting thousands of dollars from him, harassing her ex-husband and another man and lying to a grand jury. She has pleaded not guilty and is jailed on Rikers Island on a $300,000 bond. Accusations: Prosecutors say Neathway stalked Cashman and got him to pay her $6,000 by threatening to damage his reputation . The Manhattan district attorney's office says Ms Neathway deluged Mr Cashman with calls and text messages, demanded money for a medical procedure and threatened to harm his reputation if he didn't pay. In response, he paid her $6,000, according to a court complaint. She was arrested in February. '[Mr Cashman] provided emotional support and was quite decent to me in the days after the procedure,' she wrote adding that he 'seemed to struggle with his religious convictions in opposing abortion yet being party to a pregnancy that was terminated.' Ms Neathway, a 36-year-old medical sales worker originally from Britain, said in the sworn statement she filed Monday that she and the then-married Mr Cashman were friends for about six years before they began a nine-month affair in April 2011. When told she was pregnant with his baby in June 2011, Cashman said he wouldn't participate in raising the child, she said in the document. Pregnancy scare: Ms Neathway emailed Cashman a photo of an ultrasound, pictured, telling him to pay for her 'abortion' or she would go to the press with the affair . She said she decided on an abortion, and he then insisted on providing her a fake ID. 'He also took care in finding a clinic to provide the abortion service and car service for me on the day of the procedure,' she said in the papers, which she filed without a lawyer. She's been in the process of changing lawyers in her criminal case. While prosecutors accuse her of barraging him with phone calls, Ms Neathway said her phone records show she got more than 100 calls from him between mid-December and the end of January. Mr Cashman's wife of 16 years filed for divorce in February. The couple with two children had been separated for a year, according to a person familiar with the family, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the matter. In March Neathway was also indicted on a second count by the Manhattan court for harassing an ex-boyfriend, Wall Street banker Thomas Walsh. Promises: On a drunken night together at the Louise Neathway's apartment, Cashman allegedly bragged to her that he could use his power as Yankee's manager to help her in her custody battle . Mr Walsh had a protection order against Neathway after she bombarded him with text messages in the wake of their split, according to the New York Post. The case took another twist in March when photos emerged that allegedly show Mr Cashman drinking at a bar with the woman he claimed is his stalker - before sneaking out of her apartment the following morning. Surveillance photos obtained by the Daily News appeared to show the Yankees general manager leaving Ms Neathway’s New York building at 5.41am after the couple spent a night together. Ms Neathway claimed the pictures of the pair enjoying a meal together at a Manhattan restaurant were captured on January 19 – just twelve days before she was charged with harassing and stalking the Yankees manager. The New York Yankees team has vowed to stand by Mr Cashman as the embarrassing . stalking case continues to make headlines. Secret meetings: This picture allegedly shows Brian Cashman meeting Louise Neathway in her hallway at 7.31pm on January 19 . Having a giggle: This surveillance image seems to show Cashman and Neathway enjoying food and drinks together just twelve days before her arrest . The trove of emails sent to Mr Cashman . and his lawyer by Ms Neathway, who claims she had an affair with the . father-of-two and allegedly blackmailed him for $6,000, were obtained by . the New York Daily News. Neathway allegedly bombarded Mr Cashman . with emails and even attached an ultrasound scan of their alleged unborn . to one of the messages. 'What Brian Cashman has done to me is . both incomprehensible and unforgivable,' Ms Neathway reportedly wrote in an email . sent with the scan on January 29. 'I am going to the press and . informaing [sic] them of the preganacy [sic] and the abortion. And . everything else,' she writes in the typo-littered message, reported the Daily . News. 'So you can have a . little gloat at my agony here is my ultra sound picture. . . I guess its . ok for me to just push this aside right? Men!!!' Prior accusations: Cashman is not the first man to accuse her of stalking and making threats . Second sting: Cashman's wife has since filed for divorce requesting joint custody of their two children and share in their $3.7 million Darien mansion with this latest sting being his second affair during their marriage . Ms Neathway, . in a separate email sent a day later, threatened to make Mr Cashman’s life . hell unless he paid for her 'abortion'. Prosecutors said Ms Neathway harassed Mr Cashman with hundreds of . text messages, and demanded he give her $15,000 to pay for an . unspecified medical procedure. She . allegedly threatened to contact the press and his family with claims . that would hurt his personal relationships and professional standing, . according to a court complaint. Mr Cashman made two payments, one for . $4,000 and another for $2,000. Mr Cashman moved out of the family mansion . after Ms Neathway was charged with stalking and harassing him. Mr Cashman is the latest in a line of men . who claim she has tormented them with death threats, phone hacking . and lies about miscarriages and abortions, court records and former . friends claim, according to the Post. | Louise Neathway, 36, is currently jailed on stalking and extortion charges .
Alleged to have harassed a second boyfriend as well . |
98,174 | 0a65e0b7ece0412758404dd39403b3c1b785b9c2 | By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 10:21 EST, 19 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:18 EST, 19 March 2013 . It is an offence that in some countries could spawn a full-scale airport security alert. But a South Korean woman was stopped at Guangzhou Airport in China after she tried to smuggle dozens of tadpoles past customs officials... in her mouth. The bizarre encounter began when guards noticed the woman had a bottle of liquid in her hand luggage as she tried to board a plane home. A tad too far: The woman was only caught with the tadpoles when she drank the liquid containing them rather than throw it away. But guards grew suspicious when she refused to swallow . Following international flight rules to the letter, the guards told the woman to drink the liquid or throw it away. Opting for the former, the unnamed woman swilled the liquid in one attempt. But when the beady-eyed officials noticed she had not swallowed, they demanded she spit it out into a bucket. Upon doing so, dozens of tiny frog young rushed from her mouth to the horror of passengers and guards alike. When confronted about the bizarre plan, she said she had been given the tadpoles by a friend and did not want to lose them. Leapfrog security? The woman, from South Korea, was attempting to smuggle the tadpoles home through customs at Guangzhou Airport in China . Unconvinced, the guards made her throw the poles away before boarding the plane. It is not the first time a passenger has attempted to smuggle live amphibians through airport security. In 2011, two Japanese men were arrested . at Los Angeles International Airport after attempting to smuggling more . than 50 live turtles into the U.S in cereal boxes. The . men, both from Osaka, were arrested at LAX as part of a . investigation into live animal smuggling known as 'Operation Flying . Turtle'. The pair had . hidden turtles and tortoises in snack food boxes inside a suitcase. They were charged in a two-count criminal complaint . that alleges one count of illegally importing wildlife into the United . States, a smuggling offense that carries a statutory maximum penalty of . 20 years in federal prison. Both were jailed for 21 months and seven months respectively. | The woman, from South Korea, was stopped at Guangzhou Airport in China as she returned home .
Guards noticed a bottle of liquid in her hand luggage and asked her to throw it away or drink it .
She chose to drink it but officials grew suspicious when she refused to swallow and spat out dozens of tadpoles . |
132,806 | 37bbecbfc8a01b352786f3eebe6db22d07a41b8a | (CNN) -- The body found in a creek near Indianapolis is not missing Indiana University student Lauren Spierer, a medical official said Tuesday. Forensic tests found no link to Spierer and have determined the body belongs to an African-American female, said Alfarena Ballew, chief deputy coroner for Marion County. Officials believe the decomposed body had been in the creek for about two and a half weeks before it was discovered on Sunday. Bloomington police have been searching for Spierer, a 20-year-old sophomore, since June 2, when she was last seen leaving a sports bar after a night out with friends. In mid-June, police found possible new clues to Spierer's disappearance -- images of a white pickup caught on a security surveillance video. But they ruled out a connection. Officials have received thousands of tips, but none so far have yielded anything concrete. In late June, hundreds of volunteers searched a 10-mile area in Indiana in an event called "Find Lauren Day." Spierer's mother was at the event and thanked the volunteers even though they were not successful. Charlene Spierer described her daughter as a sweet, bubbly girl. "Perhaps it was a terrible accident that happened and we can deal with that," Charlene Spierer said in late June. "What we can't deal with is what we don't know. So information is the most valuable thing we need right now." Officials still don't know how the body ended up in Fall Creek. Ballew said her office will use DNA evidence and dental records to help identify the woman and make a determination about how she died. CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report. | Forensic tests confirm body found in creek is not Lauren Spierer .
The 20-year-old Indiana University sophomore disappeared June 2 .
Investigators have not been able to make any progress .
The coroner's office will use DNA and dental records to identify the body . |
259,169 | db7aa3549a4107e126009ac6a6dd914f11789fdc | When the rest of us are steering clear of danger, Mike Hollingshead is seeking it out to document some of the the most extreme weather Mother Nature can throw at us. Storm chaser Hollingshead, from Nebraska, goes in search of tornadoes, supercells, lightning bolts and other natural phenomena throughout the United States' mid-west where extreme weather wreaks havoc. The 38-year-old drives about 20,000 miles every year trying to find and shoot weather patterns that can rip up crops and blow houses away. These images, from lightning strikes in South Dakota's Badlands to the supercell that produced a record volleyball-sized hail stone, are the incredible fruits of his labour. Scroll down for video . Mike Hollingshead risks his life chasing storms through the mid-west of the United States to capture images such as these two lightning bolts . A massive bolt of lightning strikes in the distance over the colourful Badlands National Park in southwestern South Dakota . A supercell, the name given to a thunderstorm with a rotating updraft, approaches this church in Nebraska . A UPS driver races out of the way of a periolously close supercell in McCook, Nebraska . Hollingshead says this supercell produced world record eight-inch hail stone on July 23, 2010, in Vivian, South Dakota . The rush he gets is, understandably, immense. 'Seeing a supercell take on other worldly structures has its own way of amazing you,' Mike says. 'You can't believe you are seeing moisture take on such shapes and power.' Hollingshead speaks matter-of-factly about the risks associated with his job as he recalling a moment when storms collided and lightning bombarded the town of Valentine in Nebraska's north near the South Dakota state line. 'At first it wasn't that great to look at, but the lightning frequency was almost scary - It was probably averaging a bolt to the ground every second,' he says of a supercell formed near the Black Hills of South Dakota. 'As it was crossing the interstate it began to look a bit more angry. Then a huge nasty hail core bomb formed. It really looked like an upside down bomb went off over the interstate. It was just a white wall of hail and looked especially nasty on the radar too. A supercell merges with other storms to produce high winds and hail near Valentine, Nebraska . A menacing supercell circles over less green pastures in Nebraska, as captured by storm chasing photographer Hollingshead . Tennis ball-sized hail and flooding rains came from this terrifying cloud cover in Beloit, Kansas . The Storm Prediction Center says supercells are usually thunderstorms, but not always, that 'contain updrafts that rotate about a vertical axis'. This rotating updraft means they can 'overcome the self-limiting mechanisms that bring demise to regular storms'. Destructive winds, huge hailstones and tornadoes can come from supercells. 'Most strong to violent tornadoes are associated with supercells,' says the SPC. 'As it entered the town of Valentine it got cut off by a new storm firing right next to it. As I drove through town the most intense barrage of lightning bolts was peppering the town. It was especially frightening to the northeast side of town.' In a bid to get the perfect shot, Mike tests the limits of Mother Nature to the point he is sometimes at her mercy. As was the case here. 'It wasn't scary until right after I took the picture of the two lightning bolts,' he recalls. 'I was trying to get those lightning shots knowing I was running out of time to bail south before that gust flung east over the highway. 'I thought I had enough time to snap some and then zoom south really fast. But no, that thing came racing over the highway much faster than it had been doing all along. 'Suddenly I was in very strong outflow winds buried in rain and hardly able to stay on the road as the winds push me east. But the possible tornado could have been in there, so I didn't have much choice in slowing down.' A black 'summer supercell' contrasts with the bright green field below in this 2014 shot taken in Missouri . Mammatus clouds, formations that are seen beneath other clouds, and a curved lightning bolt decorate the pink and purple Nebraska sky . A tornado that Hollingshead says came 'from a tornadic supercell' approaches in York, Nebraska, back in 2011 . That's not snow but enormous hail stones on the ground and plummeting down in the Black Hills of South Dakota . | Mike Hollingshead, 38, drives about 20,000 miles every year trying to find and shoot extreme weather .
These images taken throughout the United States' mid-west include lightning, supercells and tornadoes .
Hollingshead, from Nebraska, recalls moment he captured twin lightning bolts in Black Hills, South Dakota . |
69,779 | c5ca9853bef758ab87a38c390326297616521fe8 | 'Harry Kane reminds me of a young Thomas Muller,' Owen Hargreaves said on BT Sport before the game. Perhaps an ambitious claim at this early stage of his career, but that a young Englishman is being compared to a World Cup-winning German is testament to Kane's progress this season. His stats are impressive. 15 goals in all competitions this term, second only to Sergio Aguero in the Premier League standings, and level with Arsenal's star man Alexis Sanchez. Harry Kane's main battle against Manchester United came against centre-back Paddy McNair (left) Kane (left) takes a shot at the United goal, but it is a simple save for Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea . Fifty Tottenham appearances, 20 goals. And now a chance to impress against Manchester United. Louis van Gaal's side are a team on the up, but have struggled with injuries defensively this season. Against Spurs on Sunday, they started with Phil Jones, Paddy McNair and Jonny Evans. A British back three for an English forward to attack. And attack he did. It took just six minutes for him to make an impact, nearly threading the ball through to Ryan Mason after brushing McNair off with ease. The game was quiet for large spells. Nobody was outstanding, and it finished goalless. Nevertheless, Kane was impressive, as always. There was a moment midway through the second half that summed up his performance. He was anonymous at times, but worked hard behind the scenes. Kane once again battles past Northern Irish centre-back McNair (right) during Spurs' game against United . The 21-year-old Englishman did not set the pitch alight, but his work behind the scenes is very effective . Drifting into the midfield, the 21-year-old Englishman intercepted a United pass, knocked the ball to a team-mate and drove into the opposition half. They lost the ball, and two minutes later Kane was back repeating the same task. This time, he nicked the ball from a United man and took the ball with him, bursting through a gap in the midfield. He wasn't creating chance after chance as he sometimes does, but instead working hard for his team in a deeper area of the pitch. When Spurs are attacking, Kane is the main man. When they are on the back foot - as they were for large parts of Sunday's game - the Englishman drops in and fights to regain possession for his team-mates. Hugo Lloris (centre) took the plaudits after a number of impressive saves, but Kane was a close second . Robin van Persie had a golden opportunity to put United ahead, but Frenchman Lloris was equal to it . As with the early chance, Kane was the provider for a Spurs attack late on in the match. A golden opportunity to win it, in fact. He did what he does best, running at the United back-line with speed and power. Cutting inside, he could have shot, but instead threaded a deft ball through to Mason. It was blasted over the bar, but gave a glimpse of what Kane can do. He is from the same east London borough as former England captain David Beckham. Roy Hodgson will be watching his progress closely, and at just 21 there is a strong possibility Tottenham's star turn will become a stalwart in the England ranks too. Hugo Lloris rightly took the plaudits after a brilliant goalkeeping display, but Kane was there again, discreetly going about his business. He tirelessly worked for 90 minutes without ever being outstanding. Quietly efficient - exactly how the German team are routinely described. Perhaps that Muller comparison isn't far out, after all. | Owen Hargreaves described Harry Kane as 'like a young Thomas Muller'
He worked extremely hard off the ball against Manchester United .
Kane has scored 15 goals in all competitions this season already .
The Englishman was not outstanding against United, but his work behind the scenes was quietly efficient . |
274,376 | ef5effbad377af5be980da625a855a435406adab | Diego Simeone has been given an eight-game ban after being sent off for tapping the fourth official's head during Atletico Madrid's Super Cup win over Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Argentine was sanctioned with four games for slapping the fourth official on the back of the head after his first-half dismissal, two for protesting, one for applauding the decision and another for giving instructions to the team from the stands. The Atletico manager cut an animated figure at the Vicente Calderon and was punished 25 minutes in by referee Fernandez Borbalan for laying hands on Antonio Santos after a heated exchange. VIDEO Scroll down for Diego Simeone: I had three yellow cards against Real last season . Punished: Diego Simeone has been given an eight-match ban for tapping the fourth official on the back of the head during Ateltico Madrid's Super Cup win over rivals Real on Saturday . Heated exchange: Diego Simeone gives the fourth official his opinion during the Super Cup second leg final . Pat: As the fourth official walks away from the Atletico Madrid manager, Simeone pushes his hand to his head . On my head: Antonio Santos gets a tap to the back of his head for his troubles on Friday night from Simeone . Reaction: The fourth official was not amused and referee Fernandez Borbalan sent off the Atletico boss after . Frustrated: The Atletico manager leaves the touchline (left) but gives an ironic thumbs up (right) afterwards . Alan Pardew knows a thing or two about being punished for laying hands on match officials. The Newcastle boss was sent to the stands, given a two-match touchline ban and fined £20,000 for pushing linesman Peter Kirkup during a 2-1 win over Tottenham in 2012. That didn't calm Simeone down, though, as the 44-year-old paced back and forth in the terraces and witnessed his side beat Real 1-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate. Before leaving the touchline, Simeone instructed the home faithful to get noisier as they tried to keep Real quiet. That hot-headed approach made its way on to the pitch, as Real midfielder Luka Modric was sent off for a second yellow card in the dying moments. The game between the Madrid and La Liga rivals saw a total of eight yellow cards as the Spanish referee took a no-nonsense approach to the hefty challenges flying in on Friday night. The game was settled by a Mario Mandzukic goal just two minutes in as the new signing made an instant impact since making his move from Bayern Munich as a replacement for Diego Costa. Earned: Mario Mandzukic celebrates with the Super Cup trophy after beating Real 1-0 on Friday night . Feel good? Atletico earned the bragging rights over their noisy neighbours Real ahead of the La Liga season . Team: Atletico gather for pictures in front of their home crowd at the Vicente Calderon on Friday night . Uninspired: Cristiano Ronaldo couldn't help Real produce a comeback as they lost 2-1 overall after two legs . Gutted: James Rodriguez scored in the first leg against Atletico but could not add to his tally in the second tie . | Diego Simeone given eight-match ban for tapping fourth official on back of head following heated exchange during Atletico Madrid's Super Cup win .
Referee Fernandez Borbalan sent Simeone to stands 25 minutes in for action .
Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and Co fail to inspire Real to comeback . |
271,443 | eb95afde6cce099e0162a4382ce6b83cf3709f16 | A grandmother from Kent has completed a gruelling 1,460 mile run across South Africa for charity. During the ultra run, Mimi Anderson, 52, had to pull on her trainers every morning for 32 consecutive days and run through challenging terrain. Her journey followed the Freedom Trail, an off-road route starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Paarl, just outside Cape Town. Mimi was joined on the epic journey by Australian ultra runner Samantha Gash, 29, and their route took them over mountains, across rivers and through private game reserves full of wild animals including leopards, rhinos and wildebeests. Two generations united in one cause: Mimi Anderson, 52, left, and Samantha Gash, 29, ran 56 marathons back to back for charity . Epic journey on foot: Aided by a support crew including Steve Young, centre, the pair had to navigate their own route along the Freedom Trail in South Africa . Along with a support crew, the pair had to navigate their own way to complete the challenge that involved running a total of 56 marathons back-to-back. Speaking after completing the 32-day run, Mimi told MailOnline how difficult it had been thanks to the conditions. She said: 'There are sections along the route where tracks simply don't exist, so we would find ourselves going through thorn bushes, crawling in the undergrowth and at one point even walking down a river as it was easier than trying to trudge through seven feet high thick reeds. 'During the first week we climbed to the highest point along the route of 2,700m above sea level, the wind was so strong that we nearly got blown off our feet, but the views from the top were worth the long tough 8k climb up, it was like standing on top of the world. 'At one point we got to the top of a very high hill and it looked as though the only way down was to fly. Thankfully we discovered an extremely rocky, very steep decent down to the valley floor, in places we were on our bottoms in order to continue down.' She added: 'On the last day it took us six hours to do 10k, the terrain was nothing but rocks, very steep ascents and decents, climbing down waterfalls to get back down to the river, fighting our way through dense undergrowth and finishing with a very steep climb out of the valley, again at points having to use our hands for help.' Gruelling: The challenge involved scaling mountains and running on uneven terrain. Pictured with Mimi, centre, and Samantha, right, is another of their support crew, Callum Stowell, left . Mimi is no stranger to distance running having completed ultra races including the Marathon Des Sables, Badwater Ultra and Comrades Marathon (she did 'the double' at the latter two by turning around and running the route back as soon as she finished). She also holds the World Record for the fastest crossing of Ireland on foot and fastest time run by a female from Land's End to John O'Groats. But despite her many accomplishments, Mimi said her latest challenge was 'one of the hardest things she has ever done.' Speaking about why she wanted to do it, she said: 'Running an average of 80km per day for 32 days isn't something to be taken lightly and technical running isn't my forte. 'But I believe that in order to grow as a person we all need to do things that take us way out of our comfort zone, each time pushing just that little bit further – this project will push me further than I have ever pushed myself before, in many ways.' Super gran: Mimi has previously run the double Badwater in soaring temperatures in America's Death Valley among her other achievements . Pushing limits of endurance: Mimi, pictured taking part in the Badwater Ultra, said the 1,460 mile run across South Africa was her toughest challenge yet . Mimi and Samantha put themselves though the long-distance run with the support of NGO Save The Children Australia in order to raise money for girls and women in South Africa. So far they have raised 40,494 Australian dollars (£22,000). 'Both of us felt that if we were to take on a challenge as big as this we wanted to raise money to help South African girls and women. Samantha is 29 and I'm 52, two women, two generations and two pairs of legs supporting others,' Mimi said. They are aiming to raise awareness and funds to set up of a social enterprise business in the Free State of South Africa that will employ a dozen South African women to make re-usable sanitary pads in order to keep girls in education. The pair were shocked at how many girls are missing out on school because of a lack of adequate sanitary products. Mimi explained: 'Once they reach puberty, one in three South African girls miss out on four or five days of school per month because they cannot afford to buy sanitary pads. Instead they stay at home and use anything from old rags and rolled up newspapers - anything they can get their hands on. Eventually they drop out of school altogether.' The grandmother-of-three said thinking of the charity kept her pushing on when the going got tough during the run. Despite the gruelling nature of the event, she was delighted to finish without sustaining any injuries. She said: 'Luckily for me I had no real issues apart from a small blister on my left foot, my 52 year old body held up really well!' Donations to Save The Children can still be made at https://donate.savethechildren.org.au/FreedomRunners . | Mimi Anderson, 52, ran 56 marathons back-to-back .
She had to pull on her trainers every morning for 32 consecutive days .
Followed the Freedom Trail in South Africa .
Path crossed over mountains and through rivers .
Raised £22k for charity so far . |
181,354 | 76c60b89a59300cb2a7378c898417a7ca68535fc | Diane Kruger and Kristen Stewart come 2nd and 3rd . Suri Cruise came 9th and Duchess of Cambridge was in top ten . By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 11:56 EST, 13 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:57 EST, 14 November 2012 . Just like Tatler's Little Black Book list or the Forbes Rich List, InStyle's annual Best Dressed chart is a hotly contested list, with editors and fashion writers agonising over who should land the top spot. . And this year, the title of InStyle's best dressed woman was awarded to Hollywood actress Emma Stone. The 24-year-old pipped Kristen Stewart, Cheryl Cole and even the Duchess of Cambridge to the top spot. Actress Emma Stone has topped InStyle's best dressed list for 2012 . Stone's Hollywood glamour and classic red carpet gowns impressed the fashion critics . The list, compiled by the InStyle's fashion team, features 50 of the most stylish women on the planet and saw Spider Man's leading lady receive great fashion plaudits for her dazzling red carpet looks. In close second position came Diane Kruger, while sultry vampire Kristen Stewart took third place. Lady of the moment Kristen Stewart came third in the list with A-lister Diane Kruger coming second . Flying the flag for the British were style icons Alexa Chung, Victoria Beckham, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Moss and Florence Welch, all securing five of the top ten places. Youngest to make the list was Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' six-year-old daughter Suri Cruise, who came in at number nine. No stranger to best dressed lists, the budding fashionista is a regular poll topper in both child and adult categories. Young style icon Suri Cruise polled in at ninth place thanks to her mother Katie's fashionable outfit choices . Chart topper of the past Cheryl Cole only made it to 42nd place this year but style icon Kate made the top ten . Cited as mixing Gap and Zara with Marni and Roger Viviers, the six year old is praised for knowing her fashion. Also making the InStyle list was Pixie Geldolf who came 23rd. One-time chart topper Cheryl Cole made it to 42nd place and Emma Watson took 48th. Doing it for the boys were David Beckham and Ryan Gosling whose suited and booted looks often please their fans . Men to make the list include David Beckham, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Robert Pattinson and Eddie Redmayne. Eilidh MacAskill, Editor of InStyle said: 'From Emma Stone to Frieda Pinto, Instyle's top 50 best dressed women, men (and little girls) each have a very individual inspirational style.' 1. Emma Stone . 2. Diane Kruger . 3. Kristen Stewart . 4. Alexa Chung . 5. Kate Bosworth . 6. Victoria Beckham . 7. The Duchess of Cambridge . 8. Kate Moss . 9. Suri Cruise . 10. Florence Welch . To read the top 50 Best Dressed list in full, see the December issue of InStyle on sale now. Twitter #BestDressedList2012 . | Diane Kruger and Kristen Stewart come 2nd and 3rd .
Suri Cruise came 9th and Duchess of Cambridge was in top ten . |
150,147 | 4e20bf34d3dd61657604b4821cc34c3588e2f2e8 | (CNN) -- President Barack Obama should use the breathing space provided by the fiscal-cliff compromise to address some of the issues that he shelved during his last term. One of the most urgent is child farm labor. Perhaps the least protected, underpaid work force in American labor, children are often the go-to workers for farms looking to cut costs. It's easy to see why. The Department of Labor permits farms to pay employees under 20 as little as $4.25 per hour. (By comparison, the federal minimum wage is $7.25.) And unlike their counterparts in retail and service, child farm laborers can legally work unlimited hours at any hour of day or night. The numbers are hard to estimate, but between direct hiring, hiring through labor contractors, and off-the-books work beside parents or for cash, perhaps 400,000 children, some as young as 6, weed and harvest for commercial farms. A Human Rights Watch 2010 study shows that children laboring for hire on farms routinely work more than 10 hours per day. As if this were not bad enough, few labor safety regulations apply. Children 14 and older can work long hours at all but the most dangerous farm jobs without their parents' consent, if they do not miss school. Children 12 and older can too, as long as their parents agree. Unlike teen retail and service workers, agricultural laborers 16 and older are permitted to operate hazardous machinery and to work even during school hours. In addition, Human Rights Watch reports that child farm laborers are exposed to dangerous pesticides; have inadequate access to water and bathrooms; fall ill from heat stroke; suffer sexual harassment; experience repetitive-motion injuries; rarely receive protective equipment like gloves and boots; and usually earn less than the minimum wage. Sometimes they earn nothing. Little is being done to guarantee their safety. In 2011 Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis proposed more stringent agricultural labor rules for children under 16, but Obama scrapped them just eight months later. Adoption of the new rules would be no guarantee of enforcement, however. According to the 2010 Human Rights Watch report, the Department of Labor employees were spread so thin that, despite widespread reports of infractions they found only 36 child labor violations and two child hazardous order violations in agriculture nationwide. This lack of oversight has dire, sometimes fatal, consequences. Last July, for instance, 15-year-old Curvin Kropf, an employee at a small family farm near Deer Grove, Illinois, died when he fell off the piece of heavy farm equipment he was operating, and it crushed him. According to the Bureau County Republican, he was the fifth child in fewer than two years to die at work on Sauk Valley farms. If this year follows trends, Curvin will be only one of at least 100 children below the age of 18 killed on American farms, not to mention the 23,000 who will be injured badly enough to require hospital admission. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries. It is the most dangerous for children, accounting for about half of child worker deaths annually. The United States has a long tradition of training children in the craft of farming on family farms. At least 500,000 children help to work their families' farms today. Farm parents, their children, and the American Farm Bureau objected strenuously to the proposed new rules. Although children working on their parents' farms would specifically have been exempted from them, it was partly in response to worries about government interference in families and loss of opportunities for children to learn agricultural skills that the Obama administration shelved them. Whatever you think of family farms, however, many child agricultural workers don't work for their parents or acquaintances. Despite exposure to all the hazards, these children never learn the craft of farming, nor do most of them have the legal right to the minimum wage. And until the economy stabilizes, the savings farms realize by hiring children makes it likely that even more of them will be subject to the dangers of farm work. We have a responsibility for their safety. As one of the first acts of his new term, Obama should reopen the child agricultural labor proposal he shelved in spring of 2012. Surely, farm labor standards for children can be strengthened without killing off 4-H or Future Farmers of America. Second, the Department of Labor must institute age, wage, hour and safety regulations that meet the standards set by retail and service industry rules. Children in agriculture should not be exposed to more risks, longer hours, and lower wages at younger ages than children in other jobs. Finally, the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration must allocate the funds necessary for meaningful enforcement of child labor violations. Unenforced rules won't protect the nearly million other children who work on farms. Agriculture is a great American tradition. Let's make sure it's not one our children have to die for. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Cristina Traina. | Cristina Traina: Obama should strengthen child farm labor standards .
She says Labor Dept. rules allow kids to work long hours for little pay on commercial farms .
She says Obama administration scrapped Labor Dept. chief's proposal for tightening rules .
She says Labor Dept. must fix lax standards for kid labor on farmers; OSHA must enforce them . |
193,704 | 86c0c1e5aa08ce388426c2bdd287c921c85c8af9 | By . Sunni Upal . Follow @@RSUpal . The San Antonio Spurs beat the Miami Heat and the sweltering heat at the AT&T Center in a bizarre first game of the NBA Finals that saw LeBron James leave with cramp. Due to an air conditioning failure, it was an uncomfortable evening for the players and fans, and James couldn’t last the course as he was benched for the final few minutes. Instead, it was San Antonio who finished the stronger on a 31-9 run to record a 110-95 victory in game one of the NBA Finals rematch from last season. Feeling the Heat: LeBron James sits on the sidelines after cramping up during Game 1 . Sore one: LeBron James reacts after cramping up against the San Antonio Spurs during Game One . Blow: James walks toward the locker room near the end of the fourth quarter after a leg cramp . The Spurs, helped by 21 points and 10 rebounds from Tim Duncan, outscored Miami 36-17 in the fourth quarter to pull away. James, who finished with 25 points, said: 'After I came out of the game, they kind of took off. It was frustrating sitting out and not be able to help our team.' Spurs point guard Tony Parker started the game despite injury fears, and he scored 19 points with eight assists. Manu Ginobili once again led San Antonio’s impressive bench output, scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds. 'It was tough on both teams,' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. 'They were pretty dead. We tried to get guys in and out... it was really hot out there.’ Almost there: San Antonio Spurs forward Tiago Splitter goes for the basket against James (left) Reach: Ray Allen of the Miami Heat goes to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs . For Miami, Dwyane Wade chipped in with 19 points, but their hard work was undone by a fats finish from the Spurs to turn the game around. The Heat had led 78-74 heading into fourth and were 86-79 ahead with 9:38 remaining after a four-point play from Chris Bosh. But it was San Antonio who had the last laugh to strike first in the series. 'Obviously, tonight we would've loved to have him in there to finish the game, but we've got to finish the game better,' Wade said. Game two takes place in San Antonio on Sunday. On top: Tim Duncan scored 21 points and 10 rebounds for Spurs as they took an early lead . Top man: Dwyane Wade (left) chipped in with 19 points for the Heat but it was ultimately futile . | San Antonio Spurs take 1-0 lead over Miami Heat in NBA Finals .
LeBron James leaves with cramp during after air conditioning failure .
Spurs finish on 31-9 run and 36-17 fourth quarter to pull away .
Tim Duncan scores 21 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio .
Game two takes place in San Antonio on Sunday . |
146,344 | 493b6150991c818bc9052ef5a7f6c8808310033e | Read a version of this story in Arabic. Eddie Ray Routh was crying, shirtless, shoeless and smelling of alcohol when police caught up with him walking the streets of his hometown of Lancaster, Texas. His family didn't understand what he -- a Marine veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder -- was going through, he told the officer last September 2, according to a police report. He had a simple message that was as much a plea as it was a complaint: I'm hurting. That visit -- which came after Routh, angry that his father was going to sell his gun, left the house and threatened, his mother told police, to "blow his brains out" -- prompted him to be placed in protective custody and sent to Dallas' Green Oaks Hospital for a mental evaluation. Six months later, the 25-year-old Routh is in custody once again -- this time in a central Texas jail, facing murder charges in the deaths of America's self-proclaimed most deadly military sniper ever as well as the sniper's friend. He is on a suicide watch and under 24-hour camera surveillance, Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant said Monday. Should vets with PTSD, mental illness still have access to guns? And he's already run into further trouble, becoming aggressive with guards in his cell after refusing to give up a spork and dinner tray Sunday night, according to the sheriff. So who is Eddie Ray Routh? Bryant has said Routh was in the Marines for four years, though it is unclear how much of that time, if any, was in combat zones. Shay Isham, a lawyer appointed by a judge Monday morning to represent Routh, said his client spent roughly the last two years in and out in Veteran Affairs medical facilities for treatment of mental issues. His personal history and psychological make-up has come under the spotlight after the bloodshed Saturday. It was then, officials say, Routh killed two men on a gun range located in a remote part of the Rough Creek Lodge and Resort's vast 11,000 acres. This was, Bryant said, after Routh's mother "may have reached out to" one of the victims -- Chris Kyle, author of the best-selling book "American Sniper" -- "to try and help her son." The suspect was "a troubled veteran whom they were trying to help," said Craft International, a company founded by Kyle, who since retiring from the Navy in 2009 had sought to assist ex-troops with PTSD. Why might Routh have killed these men? He "is the only one that knows," Erath County Sheriff's Capt. Jason Upshaw told reporters on Sunday. "I don't know that we'll ever know," Upshaw said. Victims hailed as dedicated, caring patriots . No one else saw the shooting of Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, according to Upshaw. It occurred sometime after 3:15 p.m. (4:15 p.m. ET) Saturday, when all three men together entered the expansive resort in Glen Rose, some 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, and headed toward a gun range. Marcus Luttrell told CNN that Kyle, his friend, had gone to help Routh get "out of the house (and) blow off some steam." Another Kyle friend, former SEAL sniper program instructor Brandon Webb, explained that a range was a "familiar environment" for "military guys." Around 5 p.m. Saturday, a hunting guide alerted authorities Kyle and Littlefield's bodies had been discovered "lying on the ground, covered in blood," according to Routh's arrest warrant, which was posted on CNN affiliate WFAA's website. By then, Routh had taken off in Kyle's black Ford pickup, stopping first at his sister's house about 70 miles away in Midlothian. There, he told his sister and brother-in-law what he had done, telling them he had "traded his soul for a truck," the arrest warrant said. He set off again. How the violent mentally ill can buy guns . Police finally caught up with Routh near his home in Lancaster, about 15 miles south of Dallas, around 8 p.m. Saturday. Despite a swarm of law enforcement, he managed to speed off in the truck -- but after spiking his tires, authorities were able to detain him without a scuffle by 9 p.m., Bryant said. The story got intense, widespread attention in large part due to the victims, especially Kyle. While serving as a sniper in Iraq, the Navy SEAL wrote he personally had 160 confirmed kills from a distance of up to 2,100 feet -- more than any other U.S. serviceman, in any conflict. This helped led Iraqi insurgents to nickname the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Texan "the devil" and put a bounty on his head, he said. In interviews promoting his book, Kyle offered no regrets, . "I had to do it to protect the Marines," he told Time magazine a year ago. "You want to lose your own guys, or would you rather take one of them out?" After his retirement from a decade's service in the Navy, Kyle became a businessman, a reality TV personalty, a supporter of fellow vets, an avid hunter and an outspoken opponent of gun control. He leaves behind a wife and two children. His new ventures included joining other former SEALs in starting Craft International, a security company with the motto "Despite what your momma told you, violence does solve problems." He also helped established the FITCO Cares foundation, a charity that helps U.S. war vets "who have survived combat but are still fighting to survive post-traumatic stress disorder," the group's website said. Thousands pledged to toast him and Littlefield on Monday night, and hundreds expressed condolences on Kyle's Facebook fan page. "Chris, thank you for your service; not only to the country you loved, but also to your fellow warriors that needed a helping hand," one woman wrote. "Rest in peace brave hero, patriot and warrior. You are missed." The Facebook page also included a tribute to Littlefield, who the page's administrator wrote "felt deeply about the values of family, compassion, friendship and loyalty, and was equally as passionate about his love of God and country." "Chad, thank you for your love for your country, the dedication to your country and your love for life," a woman said. "God has brought another angel home." Chris Kyle, America's deadliest sniper . Correction: Earlier versions of this report incorrectly described the military background of Chad Littlefield, who was killed with Chris Kyle. Littlefield was not a veteran. CNN's Ed Lavandera, Josh Levs, Susan Candiotti, AnneClaire Stapleton, Barbara Starr, Emily Smith and Nick Valencia contributed to this report. | Routh told his sister he'd killed two men, "traded his soul for a truck," an arrest warrant says .
The ex-Marine faces murder charges in deaths of veteran Chris Kyle and Kyle's friend, Chad Littlefield .
Routh's family called cops in 2012; he was mad because his father planned to sell his gun .
The 25-year-old told police he had PTSD, was hurting and his family didn't understand . |
90,457 | 005fa39d1665154d8ccf04654ad8309c5e2c2f1c | By . Peter Campbell . PUBLISHED: . 19:10 EST, 1 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:11 EST, 1 February 2013 . Google is being sued by dozens of customers in Britain who claim it secretly monitored their computers and phones. More than 100 Apple product users are seeking compensation in a lawsuit over claims the internet giant tampered with security software in order to access their personal information. Some claimants said they felt as if they were being ‘stalked’ after they were bombarded by phone calls and emails advertising clothes, magazines and bank loans connected to the websites they had visited on their iPhones, iPads and laptops. Compensation claims: Google is being sued by customers who claim it secretly monitored their computers and phones . Campaigners say up to ten million people may have fallen victim – and believe the lawsuit against the search engine could become one of the biggest in British legal history. One claimant, Marc Bradshaw, said he checked instructions on Google’s website to stop it collecting data from his iPhone. ‘Then it emerged Google had worked around the privacy setting,’ Mr Bradshaw, an IT expert, said. ‘They tried to argue it was a programming error. But this was not an accident.’ Google has previously offered guarantees it would not collect data from those using the Apple internet browser, Safari. But the company harvested details of websites users had visited so they could bombard them with ads, it is alleged. Stalked: Some claimants said they were bombarded by phone calls and emails advertising clothes, magazines and bank loans connected to websites they had visited on their iPhones, iPads and laptops . The case is the latest in a string of concerns over the secretive company, which made £2.6billion in the UK in 2012. It emerged that Google had harvested data from millions of homes with its Street View cars, which were photographing virtually every road in Britain. The data included passwords and bank details. The company has also been condemned as ‘immoral’ for slashing more than £200million from its UK tax bill in 2011 by pushing revenues offshore. It is thought that the latest problem may have affected anyone using an Apple computer or an iPhone or iPad to surf between September 2011 and February last year, as well as anyone who has downloaded and used the Safari browser in that time. Privacy campaigner Alex Hanff said the case has ‘the potential to become the largest ever group action seen in the UK’. A similar case brought against Google in America last year resulted in it being fined £14.5million and reprimanded by the US Federal Trade Commission. The law firm handling the case, Olswang said it had been ‘inundated’ with requests to join the action. ‘The biggest thing we want is an explanation from Google,’ said partner Dan Tench. He said the version of Safari launched in 2011 blocked ‘cookies’ – the name for devices that track the use of internet pages. ‘Google had a bit of code put in which subverted that protection. Users had what lawyers call a reasonable expectation of privacy.’ Google makes more than 95 per cent of its money from selling advertising space at the side of its own search results. Companies can pay a premium to have their adverts targeted at those who are more likely to be interested in their products. Google holds data on people’s past web activity, from which it can infer a vast amount of personal information, including interests and disposable income. This results in users being bombarded with adverts on the back of previous web activity. Google refused to comment. | More than 100 Apple product users are seeking compensation in a lawsuit .
Campaigners say up to ten million people may have fallen victim . |
9,684 | 1b683c371b93916db1ff9995e6100a5cd93cb3c0 | By . James Chapman . Lee Rigby's family have fought hard to stop Far Right groups co-opting his name for their causes . Speaker John Bercow is being accused of protecting a Left-wing ‘quango queen’ responsible for letting an extreme-Right party use butchered soldier Lee Rigby’s name in this week’s elections. Sources revealed that Jenny Watson, head of the Electoral Commission, offered to resign after Britain First was mistakenly allowed to use the description ‘Remember Lee Rigby’ on voting slips for Thursday’s European polls - which fall on the first anniversary of his death. The approval given to Britain First - a breakaway group of former BNP activists which describes itself as a 'patriotic resistance frontline' – to adopt the slogan has appalled MPs and Fusilier Rigby’s family. But by the time the blunder had been spotted, it was too late to amend ballot papers. Government sources revealed that Mr Bercow refused to accept Miss Watson’s resignation over the fiasco. The Commission – the country’s elections watchdog -- is answerable to Parliament via a committee headed by the Speaker. ‘Bercow has protected Jenny Watson,’ said one. ‘This is a dreadful episode and ultimately, she is in charge of the body that it responsible for it.’ Lyn Rigby, the murdered soldier’s mother, has said she is heartbroken that the group has been allowed to attempt to hijack his death for its own ends. Britain First applied to use seven slogans in the European elections and four were rejected, but the one relating to Fusilier Rigby was approved by the watchdog. After a damning report on the Electoral Commission’s handling of the affair, Miss Watson apologised and said it ‘should never have been permitted’. The commission's director of party and election finance Peter Horne’s resignation was accepted rather than hers. He ‘remembered thinking that it was distasteful but not sufficient to cause offence’, according to an independent investigation. The commission’s staff were found to have they failed to consider the need to protect public safety, morals and the rights and reputations of others. The watchdog has now agreed to introduce new rules over the descriptions political parties can use at the ballot box. Fusilier Rigby, from Greater Manchester, was murdered as he returned to his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London on May 22 2013, in a crime that horrified the nation. He died of multiple stab wounds. Two men, Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, were found guilty of his barbaric murder after a trial at the Old Bailey. Adebolajo was given a whole-life term and Adebowale a minimum of 45 years in jail. Conservative MP Gary Streeter, chairman of the Speaker’s committee on the Electoral Commission, said: ‘Jenny Watson did offer her resignation. The Speaker and the Speaker’s committee agreed that the right thing to do was not to accept it. ‘We were mindful that the person directly responsible for the error did resign, and also that there are very big changes coming up in the electoral system coming up in the next few months and a referendum in Scotland. ‘It is all terribly distressing. Jenny Watson did speak to each member of the family personally but it won’t alleviate their distress.’ Commons Speaker John Bercow is said to have protected Electoral Commission boss Jenny Watson . Geraint Davies, Labour and Co-operative MP for Swansea West, said the oversight was so grave that he believed Miss Watson should have quit. ‘It is completely unacceptable for Lee Rigby’s memory to be sullied by any political party, let alone one with views as odious as the BNP splinter group Britain First,’ he said. ‘The Commission’s decision to place Fusilier Rigby’s name alongside this racist and Islamophobic party on ballot papers is simply inexcusable.’ Cabinet Office minister Greg Clark said it was sickening that anyone should attempt to make political capital out of Fusilier Rigby's murder. ‘The whole country will be outraged that the memory of Lee Rigby should be abused in this way, and our heart goes out to his family, friends and colleagues,’ he added. Miss Watson once headed the now-defunct Equal Opportunities Commission as well as working for the Left-wing campaign organisation Charter 88 and the gender equality group The Fawcett Society. She faced calls to resign from the Electoral Commission in 2010, after presiding over chaos which led to hundreds of voters being turned away from general election polling stations. Police had to deal with queues as the voting deadline passed in Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, parts of London and Surrey. The head of the Electoral Commission insisted the situation would ‘never happen again.’ An Electoral Commission spokesman said “On April 29 the chair of the Commission, in advance of the independent investigation concluding, offered her resignation which the Speaker’s committee did not accept. At the time the Speaker’s committee had not yet received or considered the report from the independent investigator. Once it had considered the report, the committee concluded that there were no grounds for the chair of the Commission to resign.’ | Britain First will use the slogan 'Remember Lee Rigby' on ballot papers .
lectoral Commission gave permission for its use in European election .
The official body has now issued an apology for the decision .
Jenny Watson, head of the Electoral Commission, offered to resign .
But Commons Speaker John Bercow is said to be protecting her . |
115,748 | 216100698bf718be9a84d894bf61e264bb15df96 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:02 EST, 11 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:33 EST, 12 March 2014 . Too young: OHL player Terry Trafford, 20, was found dead in his truck in a Michigan parking lot after disappearing eight days earlier . Police have found the body of Saginaw Spirit hockey player Terry Trafford, who disappeared eight days earlier after being disciplined by his team. Michigan State Police informed team officials of the discovery Tuesday afternoon, the team said in a statement posted on its website. Trafford, 20, a Toronto native, was last seen about 9.30am March 3 at the Dow Event Center, the Ontario Hockey League club's home arena. 'Our deepest condolences are with Terry's family and his friends both in Ontario and Michigan,' the Spirit said in the statement. 'Terry played on our team and was a member of the Spirit family for the last four years and he will be missed.' State police Lt. Brian Cole told The Saginaw News and WJRT-TV Tuesday that a trooper found a man's body in an SUV similar to the one that Trafford operated outside a Walmart store in Saginaw County's Saginaw Township. 'One of our troopers was patrolling the parking lot, observed a vehicle which appeared to match the description of the vehicle that the missing player was last seen driving,' Cole told WJRT. 'He observed a deceased male inside the vehicle.' Tragic end: Police gather in the parking lot of Saginaw Township Walmart, where an officer came across Trafford's body in his 1995 GMC Sierra . Signs of trouble: Trafford's girlfriend Skye Cieszlak (pictured left and right) said that he 'was devastated' and possibly suicidal after the team sent him home for breaking the rules . Overcome with emotion: Cieszlak, who had dated Trafford since 2010, collapsed to the ground after the discovery of his body . Police did not indicate a cause of death. Cole said a state police crime lab was called to the scene. Cole told The Associated Press that Trafford was considered a 'voluntary missing person.' Cieszlak, 21, said her boyfriend was devastated and said that he won't be allowed to rejoin the team . Spirit President and General Manager Craig Goslin told The Saginaw News that the center was sent home 'for a violation of rules.' SI.com reported that the OHL player was caught February 22 smoking marijuana while on a road trip. Trafford wasn't permanently cut from the minor league team but would 'have to change his behavior and make some adjustments,' Goslin said. In his four seasons with Saginaw, Trafford made 29 goals and 49 assists. He had eight goals and 24 assists this season. Skye Cieszlak, 21, told the newspaper that . she and Trafford have dated since 2010 and that he 'was devastated' after the team sent him home 'for partying on a road trip.' Cieszlak . said Trafford, who had been battling depression, sent her a text . message Sunday that said, 'his life was over and that he didn't want to . do it anymore.' Before . Trafford turned up dead in his 1995 GMC Sierra, Cieszlak tweeted: 'I . catch myself screaming at you and crying for you at the same time.' Disciplined: The 20-year-old hockey player, who had a history of depression, went missing March 3 after he was sent home for smoking marijuana . Saginaw Spirit teammate Gregg Sutch tweeted about his late teammate: 'Always known for being a prankster in the room, sometimes he drove you up the wall, but no matter what, you loved Traff.' Tuesday evening, the Saginaw Spirit announced that the team had postponed Wednesday's game due to the 'tragic passing' of Trafford. | Saginaw Spirit center Terry Trafford went missing March 3 after he was sent home for violating club rules .
His girlfriend of four years said the OHL player sent her text message saying 'his life was over'
State trooper found 20-year-old's body in his 1995 GMC Sierra parked in Saginaw Township . |
150,293 | 4e5272775d15d2d3e5c4e641cc1b195262094325 | A lorry driver narrowly escaped serious injury when the cement mixer he was driving was swallowed up by a massive sinkhole that appeared in the road. Adam Zubarev, 47, had been heading to a building site in the city of Voronezh in western Russia's Voronezh Oblast when he suddenly came to an abrupt stop after the ground collapsed underneath him. He said: 'I was travelling pretty fast when suddenly I felt the truck bump as if it had hit something and come to a stop, which sent me flying forward. I had absolutely no idea what had happened but then it started lifting in the air and suddenly I was looking at the sky. I opened the door and jumped out as quickly as possible and realised that almost the entire lorry had vanished into a hole in the ground.' Scroll down for video . The massive cement mixer was swallowed by the sinkhole in Voronezh, western Russia . Driver Adam Zubarev said he had been driving quite quickly when he suddenly felt a bump . The truck was filled with quick-drying concrete which hardened as soon as the vehicle's drum stopped turning . What is more, the cement mixer was filled with quick drying cement that because it was no longer turning had started to harden, and by the time rescue workers had arrived with a crane it was impossible to save the load. He said: 'It was a shame, I reckon the load would have gone some way towards filling the hole although it was pretty big.' Police spokesman Jaroslav Yefremov said: 'The truck which was a "Kamaz" cement mixer vanished into a hole in the ground at the point with the road runs alongside the river outside the Marksimir shopping centre. The road had only just been repaired so it's a mystery as to how this happened.' Driver Victor Bayshevfell shot this footage just as the truck vanished into the ground before police and engineers sealed off the street said that it had caused traffic chaos later as vehicles were diverted to allow emergency services to try and pull the badly damaged cement mixer free. In total it was in the ground for almost two days. Yefremov said: 'We couldn't risk putting up a crane until we had tested the rest of the ground to make sure there weren't any other surprises.' The truck was stuck in the hole for two days while engineers tested whether more of the road was at risk . Eventually the truck was removed although engineers are baffled as to why the road had failed . | Adam Zubarev was driving his cement truck when the road collapsed .
The back of the truck sank into the hole shooting the cab into the air .
Zubarev said he was driving quite quickly at the time when he heard a bump .
It took two days to remove the stricken truck from the hole . |
161,133 | 5c4f493cc183ce4fb9be65a28fc903f206a33a88 | Washington (CNN) -- North Korea's missile maneuvering has raised the question of how the United States should respond, with some in Congress calling for shooting down anything that goes up. The issue gained new urgency on Thursday with the disclosure that a Pentagon intelligence assessment suggested North Korea may have developed the ability to fire a nuclear-tipped missile at its foes. It was the clearest acknowledgment to date by the United States about potential advances in North Korea's nuclear program, and came amid heightened concerns over recent threats by Pyongyang of attacks against South Korea and even U.S. territory. At a background briefing on Friday, a Republican member of Congress called the assessment of possible nuclear missile capability old news that first came out in 2011. However, the legislator said even a remote chance that a North Korean missile could be carrying a nuclear warhead means the United States should intercept it instead of waiting to find out. 5 things we still don't know about North Korea's nukes . Hawkish Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, endorsed such a response earlier this week, saying that if North Korea launched a missile, "we should take it out." "It's best to show them what some of our capabilities are," McCain told Foreign Policy's The Cable in remarks that his office confirmed as accurate. Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee this week that the United States has the capability to shoot down a North Korean missile. While U.S. officials do not specify, a combination of sea and land-based defense systems could be used to intercept a North Korean missile. The Pentagon has announced plans to increase radar detection and land-based missile defense capabilities in Asia in coming months and years. Under questioning by McCain, Locklear advised against automatically intercepting any North Korean missile, saying the United States also had the ability to determine its trajectory and destination before making a decision to bring it down. Nuclear North Korea unacceptable, Kerry says . "We should have a sense of where it's going to be aimed," Locklear said. "If we don't, it doesn't take long for us to determine where it's going and where it's going to land." To CNN's Fareed Zakaria, an automatic response to shoot down any North Korean missile would be "precisely the wrong" approach. "It would be a kind of silly tit-for-tat that would escalate in an entirely unpredictable manner," Zakaria said this week. "I think it would be a kind of hot-headed response, when what we need right now are calm and steady nerves." However, the congressional Republican at Friday's briefing said shooting down any North Korean missile would send a strong message that the United States had limits to its patience in dealing with Pyongyang, and would also demonstrate the ability to counter-act such provocative and potentially catastrophic steps. A declassified portion of the Pentagon intelligence report concluded with "moderate confidence" that North Korea had the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon with a ballistic missile, though the reliability was believed to be "low." The White House made clear Friday that the government doesn't believe North Korea has the capability mentioned in the Pentagon document, with spokesman Jay Carney telling reporters: "It is our assessment that North Korea has not demonstrated the capability to deploy a nuclear-armed missile." Carney's comment was similar to a statement by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who concurred with a Defense Department response that "it would be inaccurate to suggest that the North Korean regime has fully developed and tested the kinds of nuclear weapons referenced in the passage" of the Defense Intelligence Agency assessment made public on Thursday. Clapper, the nation's top intelligence official, also said the information from the DIA assessment was "not an Intelligence community assessment." Opinion: Why I fled North Korea . "Moreover, North Korea has not yet demonstrated the full range of capabilities necessary for a nuclear armed missile," Clapper's statement concluded. The GOP member of Congress described Clapper's statement as carefully worded and noted the final sentence indicated North Korea was on its way to nuclear missile capability, even if it had yet to prove it could execute a successful launch. Carney offered a similar assessment Friday, telling reporters that North Korea had demonstrated nuclear capability and missile capability. "While it might sound simple, it is not surely simple to take the next step," Carney said. "But make no mistake, the North Koreans have thus far demonstrated a desire to continue along this path." Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday in South Korea that despite the DIA assessment, it would be inaccurate to suggest North Korea can launch a nuclear-armed missile. "Obviously they have conducted a nuclear test, so there's some kind of device," Kerry said in reference to three underground nuclear weapons tests by North Korea since 2006. "But that is very different from miniaturization and delivery and from tested delivery and other things." North Korea has unleashed a torrent of dramatic threats against the United States and South Korea in recent weeks, including the possibility of a nuclear strike. Any missile launch by North Korea would be a "huge mistake," Kerry added as a warning to the nation's young leader. "If Kim Jong Un decides to launch a missile, whether it's across the Sea of Japan or in some other direction, he will be choosing willfully to ignore the entire international community, his own obligations that he has accepted, and it will be a provocative and unwanted act that will raise people's temperature with respect to this issue," Kerry said. The United States was prepared to enter into talks with the North, but only if Pyongyang was serious about negotiating the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, according to Kerry. "North Korea will not be accepted as a nuclear power," he told a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. U.S. officials say China is growing more concerned about the North's provocations, but it also is closely watching Washington's latest military moves in the region. The GOP legislator at Friday's briefing said China has the ability to quickly impact North Korea, which depends on Beijing for aid to keep it solvent. In particular, China could cut off black market supplies of fuel and food across North Korea's northern border, or shut down an oil pipeline between the countries, the legislator said. CNN's Barbara Starr, Jill Dougherty, Jethro Mullen and Michael Pearson contributed to this report. | Sen. McCain says show the North Koreans we can stop whatever they send .
GOP legislator: Even if remote, any chance of a nuclear missile requires shooting it down .
White House: North Korea lacks nuclear missile capability, but it's trying .
Fareed Zakaria calls automatically downing any missile the wrong approach . |
20,898 | 3b533a063bda444712d84fd6cba687ad52e85cb0 | Thousands of rail passengers face Christmas chaos over the busy festive holiday period - and are even being advised not to use a main London to Scotland line – as engineering works cause closures and severe disruption. Repair work on the West Coast main line means it will be shut between Euston station in London and Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire after the last trains on Christmas Eve until Monday December 29. It will also be closed between Stafford and Crewe after the last trains on Christmas Eve until Sunday 28 December. Disruption: The West Coast main line will be shut between Euston station in London and Hemel Hempstead . Rail bosses say the now almost traditional Christmas repair closures are vital as work continues on ‘improvements’ in the Watford area and between Stafford and Crewe. To minimise disruption Network Rail and the Virgin Trains and London Midland train companies are advising passengers to avoid the West Coast main line and use alternative routes. The news comes just days after Sir Richard Branson and transport group Stagecoach – which together run the West Coast train operator - last week controversially won the £3.3bn franchise to run the rival East Coast line and means another unwelcome headache for ministers. Jim Syddall, acting route managing director for Network Rail, said: ‘There is never a good time to carry out this type of work and we have liaised closely with the train operators to plan for it to take place at a traditionally quieter time on the railway. ‘We apologise for the inconvenience caused but the work is essential to improve the network and maintain reliable services for the millions of passengers who travel on the West Coast main line every year.’ Another stretch of the West Coast line will be closed between Stafford and Crewe . Travellers are facing a number of disruptions over Christmas and the new year as Network Rail carry out a major engineering programme . The disruption will affect services out of a number of main London stations, including London Bridge, where there will be a 16-day part closure for work involving the £6.5bn Thameslink programme. From December 20 to January 4, Southern and Thameslink trains will not call at London Bridge and cross-London Thameslink Bedford-Brighton trains will not return until 2018. From December 22 to Christmas Eve some Southeastern Charing Cross services will not call at London Bridge in the morning peak. Paddington will also be affected. Engineering work taking place between Southall and Slough, west of London, means some lines will be closed from 5pm on Christmas Eve until the end of December 28. There will be a 16-day part closure at London Bridge for work involving the £6.5bn Thameslink programme . Services will also be affected by engineering work is taking place between Slough and Reading West/Tilehurst in Berkshire from December 29 to January 3. On the weekend of December 27/28 buses will replace trains between Ascot and Aldershot due to engineering work, and there will be disruption between Luton and Sutton and between Blackfriars station in London and Sevenoaks in Kent from December 27 to January 2. On December 27/28 engineering work taking place between Edge Hill and Earlestown/St Helens Central is closing some lines in north-west England, while buses will replace Arriva Trains Wales trains between Shrewsbury and Hereford from December 27 to 29. Other areas where engineering work is scheduled over the holiday period include Birmingham New Street and between Cambridge and Ely in East Anglia. BA has 267 flights scheduled on Christmas Day and 37,000 turkey dinners planned for customers . One train company running trains on Boxing Day, and for the second successive year, is Chiltern Railways which will be operating services between Bicester North and London. The Southeastern and ScotRail companies will also be running some services on Boxing Day this year and Gatwick Express and Stansted Express trains will operate as well. Michael Roberts, director general of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators and Network Rail, said: ‘Building a better, safer railway is something we do every day but major holidays are when significantly fewer people travel, and the industry has been working more closely than ever this year to ensure that disruption to passengers is minimised and people are kept on trains wherever possible. ‘Fewer than three per cent of services will be on replacement buses this Christmas, and a number of operators will be running services on Boxing Day in response to passenger demand. ‘Rail staff will be working around the clock through the Christmas break to lay new track, renew signals, repair bridges and build new platforms, to deliver more and better services for Britain.’ Meanwhile, it appears more people are preparing to jet abroad over the holidays, as British Airways expects record numbers. National Express is doubling the number of coach services on Christmas Day as bookings increase . The airline said it will be transporting 2.7 million passengers from December 12 to January 5, including 129,000 on December 19, its busiest day. BA has 267 flights scheduled on Christmas Day and 37,000 turkey dinners planned for customers. And it should come as no surprise that the most popular destinations are mostly warm ones – Dubai, Barbados, New York, Australia and Barcelona. Ryanair is carrying more than 3.5 million passengers between December 20 and January 6, an increase of half a million compared to last year, and its most popular destinations at the Algarve in Portugal, the Canary Islands, Cologne and Prague. On the roads, National Express is doubling the number of coach services on Christmas Day and operating a near-normal service on Boxing Day. The company said that advance bookings for the period December 1 to January 4 were 7 per cent up on the 2013/14 festive period. | West Coast main line will be shut between Euston and Hemel Hempstead .
Another stretch will be closed between Stafford and Crewe .
Affected passengers are advised to plan trip on alternative routes .
There will be a 16-day part closure at London Bridge . |
268,628 | e7f486b3c8bc1da1c6853389e9024b4f438aa866 | A pediatric nurse accused of molesting a six-week-old boy who was born prematurely allegedly sent indecent photos of the baby to a counselor. Michael William Lutts, who is also a foster parent, brought the infant to his home on August 4 and texted Stephen Schaffner, saying 'Hey I have a baby for us', court documents show. Lutts, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente care group, sent several images and videos of a sexual messages to Schaffner, a counselor from Greensboro, Maryland. Pediatric nurse Michael William Lutts (right), 50, allegedly molested a baby and sent pictures to counselor Stephen Schaffner (left), 34 . Schaffner, who was charged yesterday with conspiracy and nine counts of sexual exploitation of a child, replied with messages including, 'That's hot' and 'nice pic'. Lutts sent the images and messages to Schaffner, 34, immediately after being granted care of the baby and the two made plans for the nurse to abuse the child, according to federal prosecutors. Lutts, 50, was arrested in August and is charged with sexual molestation. Court documents read: 'It was the object of the scheme to employ and use [the infant] to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct.' Schaffner was a licensed clinical counselor in Maryland until his permit was suspended in June, prosecutors said. He had previously worked as a counselor in Arizona, Fox 5 reported. He will face between 15 and 30 years in prison for each count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors said arrests were made following an investigation of an email address of someone who was allegedly distributing child pornography. Lutts was identified as a recipient. FBI agents later searched Lutts’ home and found a cell phone that allegedly included the text messages, photographs and videos. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Pediatric nurse Michael William Lutts was foster carer for a 6-week-old baby .
He allegedly molested the boy and sent the images to Stephen Schaffner .
Schaffner, a counselor, allegedly sent texts saying, 'That's hot' and 'nice pic'
He was charged yesterday with nine counts of sexual exploitation .
Lutts was arrested in August and is charged with sexual molestation . |
172,741 | 6b8f1b1009bfe77b2f84020e6651b1f89f18fded | ‘The other day, a coach of a big team was knocked out of the Cup and he was saying, “Very good, now we can focus on other competitions”. If I lose against Bradford I won’t say that. I say, “It’s a disgrace” ~ Jose Mourinho on Friday . Click here to read the full story . Jose Mourinho slammed ‘disgraceful’ Chelsea after they crashed to a humiliating defeat against Bradford City, as four of the Premier League’s top six crashed out of the FA Cup. The Blues boss admitted his side should be ‘ashamed’ after letting a 2-0 lead slip as they fell victim to a famous FA Cup giant-killing against the League One side. Eight-time winners Tottenham Hotspur were turned over 2-1 at home by Leicester and Premier League high-flyers Southampton lost 3-2 to visitors Crystal Palace. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho can't hide his frustration during the 4-2 defeat to Bradford on Saturday . Mourinho looks pensive on the Stamford Bridge touchline during the dramatic 4-2 loss to League One Bradford . Premier League champions Manchester City were stunned 2-0 at home by Middlesbrough to complete an unbelievable day of FA Cup drama. For Chelsea, the loss ends their hope of a quadruple and piles even more pressure on the club ahead of their Capital One Cup semi-final second-leg clash against Liverpool on Tuesday. ‘I feel ashamed, I think the players should feel exactly the same as I feel,’ said Mourinho. ‘I repeat the words I used yesterday in the press conference, if we lose, it is a disgrace. Is this one of my worst ever results? Yes. But this is the beauty of football, of the . FA Cup. In not many sports is it possible that the best team and the best players lose against a team with complete different potential. This is the beauty of the FA Cup. ‘In the history of this competition, this happens to every team now and again, for me it is the first time, for Chelsea it doesn’t happen a lot and it is unacceptable to lose against a team from a lower league. ‘If I was a you (a journalist), I would be very critical with Chelsea, with the manager and players. But the other team don’t deserve that we forget them and we focus on the negative Chelsea. They also deserve such an impressive result. I could find in my bad feeling with the game and with the result space to be happy for them.’ Bradford boss Phil Parkinson was unsurprisingly in better spirits than his Premier League counterparts. Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson is congratulated by Mourinho having masterminded a shock win . Chelsea's £200million men were sunk by a supermarket shelf stacker who was plucked from non-league obscurity for the princely sum of £7,500. James Hanson was the only member of the Bradford City squad at Stamford Bridge to have cost the club a fee when he joined the League One side from Guiseley in 2009. The rest of Phil Parkinson's parade of heroes were stitched together by a mixture of free transfers and low-key loan deals. In contrast the total cost of Jose Mourinho's shocked stars clanged the £200m mark. Even £99m of talent on the bench alone could not rescue Mourinho from the most embarrassing moment of his managerial career as the Bantams proved worth their weight in gold. CHELSEA . PETR CECH: £7m . ANDREAS CHRISTENSEN: trainee . KURT ZOUMA: £12m . GARY CAHILL: £7m . CESAR AZPILICUETA: £6.5m . RAMIRES: £20m . OSCAR: £25m . JOHN OBI MIKEL: £4m* . MOHAMED SALAH: £11m . DIDIER DROGBA: free . LOIC REMY: £8.5m . Subs: Cesc Fabregas - £30m, Nathan Ake - trainee, Eden Hazard - £32m, Thibaut Courtois - £5m, Willian - £32m, John Terry - trainee, Ruben Loftus-Cheek - trainee . TOTAL COST: £200m . * plus compensation . BRADFORD . BEN WILLIAMS: free . STEPHEN DARBY: free . RORY McARDLE: free . ANDREW DAVIES: free . JAMES MEREDITH: free . BILLY KNOTT: free . GARY LIDDLE: free . FILIPE MORAIS: free . ANDY HALLIDAY: free . JAMES HANSON: £7,500 . JON STEAD: loan . Subs: Alan Sheehan - free, Billy Clarke - free, Francois Zoko - loan, Mark Yeates - free, Jason Kennedy - free, Christopher Routis - free, Matthew Urwin - free . TOTAL COST: £7,500 . The Bradford squad celebrate their famous FA Cup fourth round win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday . ‘It has put Bradford on the map again,’ he said. ‘It’s only slightly sinking in. When we were on the pitch celebrating at the end it did feel a bit surreal, that we’ve come to the league leaders and scored four goals. ‘It’s a great feeling and will be remembered in Bradford for a long time but the rest of the country as well.’ Mourinho left key men Nemanja Matic, Diego Costa and Branislav Ivanovic out the squad, while Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard and John Terry were on the bench. But the Portuguese said: ‘The team I selected is a good team and the only player that came from the youth team is Andreas Christensen, he did well. ‘We didn’t lose because of Christensen. The kid did his job very well. The other players have to be ready to play for Chelsea, ready to play any game. ‘If they cannot play against a team from the Championship, League One or League Two, what do we do? ‘It is the same team that played against Watford in the last round and we won. The players that played — we are not speaking about a team of kids. I think the selection was good enough, more than good enough.’ Mourinho insisted Andre Schurrle’s omission from the match-day squad was down to a back injury. The German has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge before the transfer deadline and his no-show fuelled talk of an imminent switch. Chelsea's players are left dejected after Bradford stage a stunning comeback from two goals down . Striker Jonathan Stead wheels away in celebration as his Bradford team-mates rush to congratulate him . Chelsea keeper Petr Cech dives in vain to try and stop Stead's 41st minute effort but comes up short . Bradford manager Phil Parkinson (right) and his players and staff celebrate their third goal . | The Blues led League One side Bradford 2-1 at half-time in the FA Cup .
However Chelsea conceded three in the final 15 minutes to lose 4-2 .
The shock FA Cup fourth round defeat ends Chelsea's quadruple chances . |
173,443 | 6c754ae08bc2b1a71dda0b50889d860adcc98353 | Nato would not be able to stop a Russian invasion of Eastern Europe because of years of military cuts, one of Britain’s top generals has warned. General Sir Richard Shirreff, who stepped down from his post as Nato deputy supreme commander earlier this year, said the military alliance needed to rearm if it was serious about defending itself in the future. Asked about the crisis in Ukraine, he said: ‘The reality is that Nato would be very hard pressed and they would find it very difficult to put into the field, at sea or into the air the means required, particularly on land I would assess, to counter any form of Russian adventurism.’ Scroll down for video... General Sir Richard Shirreff (left) and the Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen (right) have called for the military alliance's armed forces to be modernised . His remarks came after the Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen revealed that the organisation will deploy forces at new bases in eastern Europe for the first time, in response to the crisis in Ukraine. The move is an attempt to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from causing trouble in the former Soviet Baltic republics, according to Mr Rasmussen. He said the organisations's summit in Wales next week would overcome divisions within the alliance and agree to new deployments on Russia's borders – a move certain to trigger a strong reaction from Moscow. He also outlined moves to boost Ukraine's security, ‘modernise’ its armed forces and help the country counter the threat from Russia. During the Cold War the Soviet Union had a buffer zone of 'Warsaw Pact' allies, separating its border from the capitalist world . Russia has become increasingly concerned over the growing strength of Nato, which has spread east . His former colleague General Shireff, speaking on BBC Newsnight last night, said Nato needed urgent investment. He said: ‘Certainly western Europe would not be able to defend in my view against Russia without significant support from the Americans. ‘Nato would find it really difficult to get a division (20,000 people) out of the door in quick time. ‘Because certainly in western Europe what we have seen progressively is a dismantling of military capability.’ David Cameron will host next week's Nato summit in Wales amid warnings over Russian aggression in Eastern Europe . He accepted that advocating rearmament would be unpopular, but added: ‘It is a message our political leadership need to take home and listen to and act on if they are serious about ensuring that Nato has the means to defend itself in the future. ‘If Nato is serious about this, it is going to have to rearm, it is going to have to rebuild capability. European nations are going to have to put their hands in their pockets to spend more money on defence.’ Currently just four out of the 28 members spend more than the minimum target of two per cent of GDP on defence. Asked about the situation in Iraq, Sir Richard stressed the threat posed by IS, formerly known as ISIS or ISIL, had to be eradicated. He told the programme: ‘The first priority is to protect but ultimately the priority must be to eradicate IS as an external threat because of the potential impact on the Middle East ... but also its potential impact if its incubus is allowed to survive ... on our external security. There is (also) a very clear issue as far as internal security is concerned.’ When questioned about whether this meant siding with President Bashar Assad in Syria, he replied: ‘There can be no eradication of IS as a threat without a regional approach. ‘IS is operating and has spread into Syria and therefore there is likely to be or inevitably going to be a need to sit down and talk to difficult bed fellows, bad people. ‘It is one thing to say that we are going to deal with it, but you have to back up your words with actions and therefore in my view we should rule out nothing. ‘We must apply all the levers of power, political, diplomatic, economic and of course of military, but above all we need to establish the international political will to deal with this.’ | General Sir Richard Shirreff said Nato needed to rearm to counter Russia .
Comes after Nato said it will deploy forces at new bases in eastern Europe .
Move comes ahead of next week's Nato summit in Wales over Ukraine crisis . |
97,642 | 09b223f3b49ff2c5537c4218890228b92de98461 | A 24-year-old North Carolina woman is accused of smuggling marijuana inside a prison in her 4-year-old son's pants. Mother Jenifer Lynn Patterson of Fairmont was charged this week with providing drugs to an inmate, the Fayetteville Observer reported. Patterson provided the marijuana to her 24-year-old boyfriend Cody Lambert, the Columbus County Sheriff's Office told the newspaper. Mother: Jennifer Lyn Patterson was charged this week with providing drugs to an inmate, Cody Lamber . Lambert was in jail serving a nearly three-year sentence for being a felon in possession of a gun, Detective Kevin Norris told the Fayetteville Observer. Lambert has been charged with being an inmate in possession of marijuana, Norris said. Norris also told the news outlet that two children that were with Patterson when she went to the prison Sunday have been handed over to the Department of Social Services. 'It was caught on video,' he told the Fayetteville Observer of the smuggling. The alleged smuggling took place at Columbus Correctional Institution, sheriff's office spokesman Chief Deputy Bobby Worley said. Worley confirmed to Daily Mail Online that Lambert was tipped off by Patterson as to the marijuana's location - and that she left the room and escorted one of her children to the restroom. Worley confirmed that Lambert gave the 4-year-old boy a hug and got the marijuana out of his pocket in that timeframe. It was not clear if Patterson had a lawyer. Scene: Patterson allegedly tried to smuggle the drugs at Columbus Correctional Institution . | Jenifer Lynn Patterson, 24, of Fairmont was charged this week with providing drugs to an inmate .
Patterson provided the marijuana to her 24-year-old boyfriend Cody Lambert, the Columbus County Sheriff's Office has said .
Lambert was already in jail serving a nearly three-year sentence for being a felon in possession of a gun . |
255,566 | d6c8a0d6e6dad7ad033754ccac1eaec77ea44c29 | A toxicology report shows former Titans kicker Rob Bironas had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit for driving in Tennessee when he died in a one-vehicle crash. Testing released Friday by the Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office shows Bironas had a blood alcohol level of 0.218 percent. Tennessee's limit for driving under the influence is 0.08 percent. The toxicology report also says a low level of Diazepam or Valium also was detected, but at a level so low to have a 'negligible effect' according to a release. The autopsy report finalized Friday shows the 36-year-old Bironas died of blunt force trauma after his SUV went off the road and crashed into a line of trees Sept. 20, and 911 calls described Bironas as chasing people and trying to run them off the road before losing control of his 2009 Yukon Denali near his home. Deadly: A toxicology report shows former Titans kicker Rob Bironas had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit for driving in Tennessee when he died in a one-vehicle crash. Couple: Bironas is seen here with wife Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of Terry Bradshaw . Accident: Bironas' SUV went off the road and crashed into a line of trees in September . Staff from the medical examiner's office and Nashville police's traffic unit supervisor briefed Bironas' family on the results late Friday afternoon. Police said in a statement after the crash that there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs at the scene, and the investigation is continuing. Family and friends said at his funeral Sept. 25 that they would remember Bironas for how he lived and not the final 30 minutes of his life. Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw in June. She's the daughter of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw. His wife called 911 before learning he had crashed because she thought he had gone to bed for the night and then couldn't find him in their home. From Louisville, Kentucky, Bironas played nine seasons with the Tennessee Titans, and he was the fourth most-accurate kicker in NFL history, connecting on 85.7 percent of his kicks (239 of 279). He made a franchise-record 11 winning field goals during his career before being released in March. Bironas' father, Larry said in a statement published by The Tennessean 'We appreciate the hard work of the local authorities to help us begin to answer the many questions we have had surrounding the death of our son. Successful: Bironas played nine seasons with the Tennessee Titans, and he was the fourth most-accurate kicker in NFL history . The autopsy report finalized Friday shows the 36-year-old Bironas died of blunt force trauma . Rachel Bradshaw called 911 before learning Bironas had crashed because she thought he had gone to bed for the night and then couldn't find him in their home . 'Today we learned that Rob had been drinking, and got behind the wheel. This is something he didn't do as a rule. We don't know why he made that choice this time. Rob made a mistake, and he paid the ultimate price. We appreciate the outpouring of support, care and concern showed to us by Rob's friends, the NFL, and the Nashville community. We appreciate your respect for his mother and me, his siblings, his son, and his wife as we grieve.' Before his death, Bironas allegedly targeted other drivers on the road, The Tennessean reported. The newspaper reported on a 911 call, in which a woman said 'He is dangerous, he is drunk or something. He tried to start a fight with us.' 'My husband ran down there to see what is going on. I just want to tell the police there is something wrong with him. He is dangerous, he is drunk or he is on drugs. There is something wrong with him. He gave us a mean look. We don't even know him, and he tried to run us off the road.' College student Connor Fraley told The Tennessean Bironas verbally and physically threatened him and his fellow vehicle occupants. Fraley told the newspaper 'His window was down, and we pulled up and I said, "Hey man, just a heads up, something's burning from your exhaust. Your exhaust smells horrible, just wanted to let you know." 'He looked over at me and said "I'm going to kill everybody in your (expletive) vehicle. It was so random, so bizarre I was like, "What?" And he said the exact same thing again.' Fraley also claimed '[Bironas] tried to sideswipe the vehicle and missed us by a foot.' | Titans kicker Rob Bironas had a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit for driving in Tennessee when he died in a one-vehicle crash .
Bironas had a blood alcohol level of 0.218 percent - and the state limit for driving under the influence is 0.08 .
The autopsy report finalized Friday shows the 36-year-old Bironas died of blunt force trauma after his SUV went off the road and crashed into a line of trees Sept. 20 .
911 calls described Bironas as chasing people and trying to run them off the road before losing control of his 2009 Yukon Denali near his home . |
28,692 | 51723532be1c1b651f9dff62234d8035c985283f | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Drivers are to be given an extra time to avoid getting hit by fines when their parking ticket runs out. Traffic wardens have been told to allow up to 10 minutes ‘grace’ after a ticket has expired before slapping a penalty notice on windscreens. The new rules are aimed at curbing over-draconian parking fines used by town halls to raise extra cash from motorists, with CCTV cars banned from enforcing rules on on-street parking. Traffic wardens will be told to allow an extra 10 minutes for drivers to return to their cars before slapping a penalty on the windscree . The announcement marks a new front in ministers’ pledge to end the war on the motorist. Many drivers complain of returning to their moments after their ticket has run out to find an over-zealous traffic warden has already hit them with a fine. Critics say concerns about penalties for parking could be forcing some people to abandon town centres in favour of out-of-town complexes where parking is often free. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: ‘Popping to the shops should be simple and pain free. ‘Slapping people with hefty fines is akin to criminalising shoppers and makes high streets or parades no-go zones for drivers. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles accused town halls of 'criminalising shoppers' ‘By making 10-minute grace periods mandatory we can bring common sense back to parking on the high street and ease every traffic warden's finger off the ticket trigger.’ The rules are expected to come into effect in the autumn, and will mean that a driver who pays to park for an hour will effectively have up to 70 minutes before they will be fined. The AA welcomed the move to limit the ‘ticketing on an industrial scale’ which has hammered hard-pressed motorists. Ministers have also ordered an end to the use of CCTV spy cars to enforce on-street parking. Official figures show councils which use CCTV cameras to enforce parking rules raise £49.35 per household each year, compared with £5.69 per household in council areas which do not have them. The Local Government Association has heavily criticised government plans to ban the use of CCTV cameras, with parking wardens only allowed to film if vehicles break the rules. But Mr Pickles said: ‘CCTV spy cars can be seen lurking on every street raking in cash for greedy councils and breaking the rules that clearly state that fines should not be used to generate profit for town halls. 'Over-zealous parking enforcement and unreasonable stealth fines by post undermine the high street, push up the cost of living and cost local authorities more in the long term. 'Today the Government is taking urgently needed action to ban this clear abuse of CCTV, which should be used to catch criminals, and not as a cash cow.' If drivers are unable to buy a ticket because meters are out of order they will no longer be fined. Controversial CCTV spy cars will also be banned from being used to target parked cars on an 'industrial scale' There will be a new right for local people to demand a review of charges and yellow lines in their area. Parking penalty charges will also be frozen until the election. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: 'These measures will deliver a fairer deal for motorists, ensuring that parking enforcement is proportionate, that school children are protected and buses can move freely, and that key routes are kept clear.' | A period of grace to be given for motorists to return to their parked cars .
Tory minister Eric Pickles accused town halls of 'criminalising' shoppers .
CCTV spy cars will not be allowed for patrolling on-street parking . |
258,165 | da1d9dbc648a2a93ee1a319714e784d8cb9bddc9 | By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 08:09 EST, 3 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:13 EST, 3 September 2013 . A four-year-old girl has become a Hollywood star on the day she starts school for the first time. Little Olivia Konten-Sloman landed a starring role in the new Richard Curtis romantic comedy About Time, which opens today. However, Olivia had more important things to worry about than glittering premieres and autograph-hunters - she went to 'big school' for the first time on Tuesday. Olivia Konten-Sloman from Barry in South Wales became a Hollywood star on the first day of school after staring in the new Richard Curtis film 'About Time' Olivia in a scene in 'About time' with co-stars Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson . Flame-haired Olivia is appearing at cinemas across the country alongside Hollywood stars Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy. But she won’t be able to see the film herself - because she is too young to view a 12A-rated movie. Proud parents Jenny and Lloyd told how Olivia landed the part just two weeks after joining a children’s model agency. Jenny, 32, said: 'We get a lot of compliments about Olivia’s hair and how pretty she is so we enrolled her with a model agency. 'Two weeks later she got called for an audition in London in front of Richard Curtis. 'Olivia was only about two-and-three-quarters at the time and she sang Richard a little song - There’s a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden - she had learned at baby ballet. Olivia was more excited by her first day at All Saints Church in Wales School in her home town of Barry, South Wales, than appearing in a major blockbuster . Four-year-old Olivia had to audition in front of famed director Richard Curtis, pictured here with About Time star Bill Nighy . 'They liked her striking features, the red hair and her tan skin. 'We were thrilled when she got the part but we didn’t realise how big the film was going to be.' But . Olivia was more excited by her first day at All Saints Church in Wales . School in her home town of Barry, South Wales, than appearing in a major . blockbuster. She was dressed in her new school clothes and with her pink rucksack ready for the school run at 8am. Despite being a member of the cast, Olivia will be unable to watch the film she appears in as About Time is rated 12A . Jenny said: 'She was first to go in to school and was very excited. 'There were no tears from her at the school gates - I was the one crying!' About Time, written and directed by Curtis, stars Bill Nighy, Rachel McAdams and Domnhall Gleeson. Olivia took to being on set and meeting Hollywood stars like a professional . Gleeson plays Tim, who discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life . Little Olivia spent two weeks filming alongside the Hollywood stars and was given her own trailer. There . is a lot of waiting around on a film set but Olivia coped with the long . hours like a professional - even when one of the leading actors kept . getting their lines wrong. Teacher Jenny said: 'Rachel was lovely and spent time chatting with Olivia - she was very caring and aware she was working such a little girl. 'Anyone else would have been daunted but because she is so young Olivia took it all in her stride.' The film is goes on general release across the UK today but parents Jenny and Lloyd said Olivia won’t see the film until it comes out on DVD. Jenny said: 'Lloyd and I are going to see the film on the first night but Olivia will be with the babysitter because some of the scenes aren’t appropriate for a four-year-old. 'We will show her the parts she is in when the DVD comes out. 'We have told Olivia she is going to be on the TV and famous but I’m not sure she really understands.' The proud parents said Olivia enjoyed acting in the film but it is too early to say whether she will continue her film career. Lloyd said: 'When she was doing the filming, she seemed to enjoy it and was keen to do more. 'We are not pushy parents, but just want to be supportive.' | Olivia Konten-Sloman was cast in new romantic comedy 'About Time'
Not even three when she was given the role by director Richard Curtis .
Stars alongside Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy and Domnhall Gleeson .
Won't be able to watch the film herself as it is rated 12A .
Olivia was more excited about starting school than being a star . |
247,270 | cc008609b3cbd814f6ab68e7deee505cac10f755 | By . Chris Parsons . PUBLISHED: . 03:58 EST, 24 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:14 EST, 24 April 2012 . Dramatic CCTV footage has been released showing the final moments of a groom-to-be who was stabbed at his engagement party while breaking up a fight between his brothers and a restaurant. Newly-engaged Antonio Lacertosa was fatally stabbed with a butcher's knife after a melee outside a Staten Island bar last month. His alleged killer, Albanian Redinel Dervishaj, was captured on camera in a heated violent row outside the bar which saw him being thrown over a car by one of Lacertosa's party. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Scuffle: CCTV captures the beginning of the brawl between the groom-to-be's party and staff at the Espana restaurant in Staten Island in the early hours of March 17 . Ugly: As the brawl intensifies, a man, thought to be Redinel Dervishaj, is thrown over the top of a car bonnet . Chase: Dervishaj flees down an alleyway and is pursued by Lacertosa's party shortly before the fatal stabbing . Street cameras outside Espana Restaurant in Annadale, Staten Island, captured the large fight outside the bar, before Dervishaj disappears down an alleyway. Less than a minute later, having chased after the restaurant worker, Lacertosa is seen staggering from the alleyway clutching his side after being knifed. Dervishaj learned earlier this month he would not be indicted on murder charges, after a New York Grandy jury ruled he had acted in self defense. Lacertosa's family branded the decision a 'gross injustice', especially in light of the newly-released CCTV footage. A separate CCTV camera, installed in the alleyway, shows the ensuing row, and how seconds later, Lacertosa (top) staggers from outside the building clutching a stab wound to the chest . Stunned onlookers watch as Lacertosa collapses in the street, having been stabbed with a butcher's knife . His family said in a statement they were 'mystified' that the District Attorney’s office was unable to secure an indictment against the 35-year-old Albanian. Lacertosa's mother Linda told the New York Daily Post the new footage proves 'unequivocally' that Dervishaj and restaurant owner Ridi Zeneli were the 'aggressors and protagonists' in the scuffle which led to Lacertosa's stabbing. She said: 'We will live forever knowing that there was no justice in this case but we know that Anthony is in a better place.' Killed: 27-year-old Antonio Lacertosa was fatally stabbed while celebrating his engagement but a grand jury found it was in self-defense . Proposal: Antonio Lacertosa proposed to his girlfriend Bridgette in December . Mr Lacertosa was celebrating his September engagement to 24-year-old Bridgette Schneider outside a Staten Island restaurant when the deadly scene unfolded. Defense attorney Thomas Reilly argued Mr Lacertosa's party had become rowdy and were confronted by Dervishaj and restaurant manager Ridi Zeneli when seen urinating on the Espana Restaurant and Lounge's exterior. According to Mr Reilly, surveillance video showed 'my client getting beaten, thrown over a car. Violent past: Redinel Dervishaj was arrested in Illinois after a manhunt by New York police, but will not face murder charges . He then runs to his own car to escape and is chased down by six guys who are throwing bottles at him.' From there Mr Reilly said they dashed back into the restaurant after fleeing down an alley. Inside, Dervishaj grabbed the knife that would be used to stab Mr Lacertosa, fatally. Three days after the March 17th murder, Dervishaj was detained in Palo Hills, Illinois by the local authorities working in tandem with the New York City Police Department. Dervishaj has a violent past, police records show. In 2007 he was shot in the arm after brawling with Albanian mobsters. Planning now for a funeral instead of a wedding, Mr Lacertosa’s fiancée, Bridgette, has since been too distraught to talk. A photo on their wedding website shows a smiling Mr Lacertosa with his arm around a beaming Bridgette. The couple, who met at Tottenville High School, were shopping for a house in the neighborhood, Mr Lacertosa’s brother said. The brother added that Mr Lacertosa was 'a good kid. He carried this whole household.' Tragic: The scene outside Espana restaurant in Staten Island after the killing, with the alleyway from which Lacertosa staggered pictured on the left . | Antonio Lacertosa stabbed with butcher's knife after street row at his engagement party .
'Killer' Redinel Dervishaj will NOT be charged with murder after jury made self-defense ruling . |
59,028 | a77fb98e35d60ddd8d5a9257f3dcef0df4efa0cd | Supermarket giant Morrisons is sparking a major fuel war by slashing a record 15p off a litre of petrol for anyone spending £60 in store. The petrol discount is the biggest ever offered in the UK, and comes a month after rival Tesco gave customers 10p off petrol when they spent £60. As the cost of oil soars, thousands of campaigners are preparing for a landmark day of action to demand lower fuel tax ahead of next month's budget. Slashing prices: The discount offered by the supermarket giant is the biggest ever in the UK and will be welcome news for drivers . Fairfuel UK is organising a mass lobby of Parliament to combat what it calls an 'absolute crisis', with Chancellor George Osborne planning a 3p-a-litre increase in fuel duty in August. Richard Lancaster, Morrisons marketing director, said: 'We know how tough it is for our customers. This deal will help them in these tough economic times. 'Nobody has ever knocked this much off a litre of fuel before. This will make a real difference for our customers.' The announcement from Morrisons will be welcome news for families returning to the school run this week after the half-term holiday. It is likely to trigger a rush by other supermarkets to offer fuel deals in an effort to compete. Asda slashed pump prices by 2p a litre in November, and it proved to be one of the few supermarkets that defied typically poor sales for retailers over the festive period. Road rage: Soaring oil prices and a planned rise in fuel duty could lead to protests like the 'Go Slow' demonstration of last May . But a spokeswoman for the supermarket said today: 'Discounted petrol that’s dependent on buying overpriced groceries, is a fuel’s paradise.' Diesel prices reached a record high last week and crude oil hit its highest sterling price of £77.20 yesterday. The average forecourt price is now . 143.05p a litre – meaning it costs more than £100 to fill up the . 70-litre tank in a typical family car. The rising cost of crude oil is the key factor behind the soaring price of petrol. The biggest influence on prices at present are: . The price of diesel in the UK rose to an all-time high this month as speculators drove up crude oil prices and refineries failed to keep up with British demand. Petrol prices are also on the rise, hitting 135.39p a litre last week, just shy of the 137.43p record reached in May last year. Motorists are paying £20.50 more than just two years ago to fill their cars with petrol – a punishing 26 per cent rise. Morrisons said that customers who take part in their 'Fuel Britannia' deal and spend £50 on fuel should receive savings of well over £5. The vouchers will be issued from February 23 to March 4 and drivers will be able to claim the discount at Morrisons petrol stations until March 11. Paul Watters, head of public affairs at the AA, welcomed the news about the Morrisons discount, saying: 'It always takes supermarkets to step into the fray and push prices down. 'Anything that keeps the other forecourts on their toes is a good thing. 'This is excellent news at a time when diesel prices have reached a record high and will bring some relief to motorists - but it may only be short term depending on which way oil prices go.' Fuel duty: How the average tank of petrol and diesel breaks down . But Mr Watters warned that there is often a disparity between petrol prices in 'supermarket towns' and 'non-supermarket towns', such as Bedford and Luton or Margate and Canterbury, with costs varying by as much as 5p per litre. Fairfuel UK will confront MPs on March 7 along with struggling motorists, taxi firms, catering companies and car companies including the RAC. Peter Carroll from Fairfuel UK said: 'This is an absolute crisis in the history of the nation. Enough is enough. The current fuel prices are killing the economy and stunting growth. 'The Government has to cut fuel duty to create jobs and stimulate growth to start getting the deficit down.' The RAC and Fairfuel UK will meet treasury minister Chloe Smith on Tuesday and are releasing a report on fuel duty on the same day in connection with the Centre for Economics and Business Research. Mr Carroll said the report will call for a cut in fuel duty of at least 5p per litre. He said the group saw off rises of around 9p per litre last year. | Diesel prices reached record highs of 143.05p a litre last week .
It now costs more than £100 to fill up the .
70-litre tank in a typical family car .
Thousands of campaigners to lobby MPs at Parliament on March 7 .
Chancellor threatening 3p rise in fuel duty . |
75,136 | d5049d31ae9dfea8386074e04e92faab05271e54 | TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday tried to allay Iranian fears over a planned U.S.-Iraq security pact, saying his government would not allow Iraq to become a launching pad for an attack on its neighbor. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, greets Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday. "Iraq today doesn't present any threat as it used to be in the times of the former regime," al-Maliki told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a Sunday meeting between two leaders, according to a statement from the prime minister's office. "Today's Iraq is a constitutional state based on the rule of law, and it seeks to develop its relations with the regional countries based on cooperation and mutual respect," al-Maliki said. Earlier, Iran's state-run news agency IRNA quoted the Iraqi leader as saying that "Baghdad would not allow its soil to be used as a base to damage the security of the neighboring countries, including Iran." His remarks come as the United States and Iraq are trying to reach a bilateral agreement on how long the U.S. military will remain in Iraq and what role it will play in Iraq's security. But al-Maliki media adviser Ali Hadi said negotiations between Iraq and the United States are in their "very early stages" and were not part of Sunday's talks. Watch Ahmadinejad and al-Maliki sit down for talks » . "The treaty is purely an Iraqi-American treaty. The Iranians have nothing to do with it," Hadi said. "We will not discuss the progress or the key elements of agreements or disagreements with them because this is an Iraqi issue." The proposed U.S.-Iraqi pact has triggered street protests in Iraq, where many suspect the deal could lead to the establishment of permanent American bases, a long-term presence of U.S. troops and a weakening of Iraqi government control over those troops. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose militia was the target of a U.S.-backed Iraqi clampdown in Basra and Baghdad recently, has called for weekly protests against the agreement. Al-Maliki and Ahmadinejad met Sunday afternoon, with Ahmadinejad calling on Iraq's neighbors and the United Nations to help restore security and stability to Iraq, IRNA reported. And al-Maliki thanked Ahmadinejad for his call for an end to longstanding U.N. sanctions against Iraq that date back to the 1991 Persian Gulf war. Iran has long called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, which the United States invaded in 2003. Meanwhile, the United States has accused Iran of arming and training "criminal" Shiite militias in Iraq and of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, allegations the Iranians deny. It is al-Maliki's third visit to Iran since he became prime minister more than two years ago. The two countries, which are neighbors, both have Shiite Muslim majorities, and al-Maliki's ruling coalition is dominated by Shiite religious parties long backed by Iran. Adnan Pachachi, a leading Sunni Arab member of Iraq's parliament, told CNN he wanted al-Maliki to call on Iran to stop supporting armed factions in Iraq. "I think this has to stop," Pachachi told CNN. "I hope that Mr. Maliki will make it absolutely clear that Iraqis of all parties, of all sectarian origins and ethnic origins, are strongly opposed to Iran's attempt to interfere in Iraq's affairs." Pachachi, a former foreign minister, said al-Maliki's predecessor, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, allowed Iraq's security forces to be dominated by sectarian and ethnic militias, and that U.S. troops should remain until those influences are weeded out. "In the long run, it is in the interest of the United States to have a secure Iraq and armed forces and security forces of Iraq with undivided loyalty and allegiance to the state and not influenced by sectarian affiliations or party loyalties," he said. | Iraq's prime minister in Iran trying to calm fears over any U.S.-Iraq security pact .
Nuri al-Maliki visiting Tehran, where he is meeting with top officials .
Al-Maliki says Iraq will not be used as a launching pad for U.S. attacks on Iran . |
106,194 | 14f870239069f12a63888551f4eac0dbf1196750 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- Oh, Jules Verne or Peter Benchley, where are you, great writers of deep-sea monsters? For the second time this week, Southern California has seen a rare sea beast washed ashore, far from home waters. This time, it's a saber-toothed whale, better known to live in deep Alaskan waters than in the warm surf of tourist-choked Venice Beach in Los Angeles where it stranded Wednesday. In an extraordinary way even for scientists, the carcass of the nearly 15-foot and 2,000-pound whale was intact -- except for a couple of fresh bite marks from sharks. The whale, a female, apparently was barely alive when it came ashore -- a highly unusual sight because beached whales are often badly decomposed or badly eaten by marine life, a local biologist said. "It was really humbling and sad to see such a majestic creature stranded this way," said Heather Doyle, director of the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. She rushed down the beach on her bicycle to witness the rarely-seen animal after staff naturalist Brittany Corona happened upon a crowd surrounding the whale on the sand. Such a sighting of the whale up close in California "is a once in a lifetime opportunity," she added. Giant eyeball washes up on beach . Just three days earlier, another rarely observed species -- a sea-serpent-like animal called an oarfish -- was discovered dead at Catalina Island off the Los Angeles coast. Oarfish hide in the deep ocean. The one found in the island's Toyon Bay was so big -- 18 feet long -- that it required 15 people to hold it chest-high in a trophy photo taken by the Catalina Island Marine Institute. "They're so rare and unusual looking," Jim Dines of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles said of the oarfish and the saber-toothed whale. "They are like sea monsters, and people really pick up on that." Are their deaths freak events prompted by global warming? "I think it's just really a coincidence," Dines said. "It's too early to tell. If we were to see a whole bunch of these animal strandings, that would give more evidence of something going on." Added marine biologist Jose Bacallao of the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium: "I'm not going to speculate on any wackiness, but I will say you have years of temperature changes and we have had warmer waters.... I'm not saying the water temperature brought that whale or the oarfish here, but it's still a pretty amazing sight to see." Dine is also a mammalogist who performed a necropsy on the whale shortly after it was found Wednesday. His examination showed no signs of trauma such as being hit by a ship and no signs of disease or parasites, Dine said. The female whale also didn't have any food in her stomach -- aside from ingested plastic or nylon that wasn't enough to kill her, Dine said. The carcass did show two or three fresh wounds from cookie-cutter sharks, whose name comes from how their bites leave a round wound that cuts through skin, blubber and muscle, Dines said. But those bites weren't mortal wounds, he said. In fact, the whale had several dozen scars from such bites, which are common in the species, he added. Dines is waiting on testing results of tissue samples to determine a cause of death. Though the animal's death is unfortunate, scientists such as Dines are excited about its discovery because so little is known about the deep-water animal that lives in the north Pacific. Its strandings typically occur in Alaska or Japan. Its last stranding in southern California was 15 years ago, Dines said. "There is some speculation that they do migrate in the winter, but it's not certain how far (south) they go," Dines said. It's the adult male whale that grows sabertooth-like teeth, used for combat against other males for dominance in breeding, Dines said. The females don't grow the saberteeth. The species is also known as the Stejneger's beaked whale. As a whole, the front of the species' face resembles a goose beak, Dines said. "It's creating a lot of excitement in the media and the public, but the scientists are just as excited about this because it's a rare opportunity to study the natural history of these kinds of animals that are so rarely observed, even by marine specialists," Dines said. Discovery makes a splash: The rarest whale . Though the plastic found in the whale's stomach didn't cause its death, the material's presence in marine life is a growing concern. "Certainly, pollution of plastics in the ocean is a huge concern and causes I don't know the number of deaths of marine animals," Dines said. The discovery of the two animals also occured as Manhattan Beach paddle-boarder Mark Durand captured on his helmet camera a video of an 8-foot great white shark swimming underneath him and grazing his board this week. The series of events has heightened public interest in what lurks within Los Angeles' coastal waters, scientists said in interviews Thursday. What now becomes of the two magnificent sea monsters? Dines took several tissue samples of the whale, and its skeleton will be placed in the museum's collection of 4,000 marine specimens, used for research and exhibition, he said. The 15-foot-long whale is just a little bit short of the 18 feet common for females in the species. As for the oarfish, its 18-foot length was too big for one freezer, so scientists cut it up into small pieces and froze them, said Jeff Chace, program director of Catalina Island Marine Institute. Researchers will later boil off the flesh and reconstruct the skeleton, using photographs taken during the dissection of the deep-sea serpent. Study: Spiders had ancient big-clawed relatives . CNN's Casey Wian, Jack Hannah and Dottie Evans contributed to this report. | A saber-toothed whale from the Alaskan deep sea washes ashore in Los Angeles .
Its carcass is intact, giving tourists at Venice Beach and scientists a rare sighting .
Earlier this week, a rare oarfish that was 18 feet long is found at a coastal island .
Scientists can't say whether the rare animals' strandings are because of global warming . |
117,053 | 231ae6ebb8f09f14f549220b0a62c740d3c4575e | Education Secretary Michael Gove last night stepped into a bitter race row raging over an inner-city school’s plan to open its own boarding school in an affluent rural area. The top-performing Durand Academy in Stockwell, near Brixton, South London, wants to transport 600 youngsters to a site with stunning views over the South Downs every Monday morning for lessons and bring them back on Friday evenings, free of charge. It says the scheme will provide them with ‘an Eton-style experience’ and help keep pupils safe from drugs and knife crime. Row: A disused school in the town of Stedham, West Sussex, is earmarked to be filled with boarders from London's Durand Academy, causing fury among residents who fear an influx of ethnic pupils will cause social problems . Apple of his eye: The academy, in Stockwell, is one of the best in London and is a favourite of education secretary Michael Gove . But the plan has been fiercely criticised by people living near the site – a disused boarding school in the quiet village of Stedham, West Sussex. They have raised concerns about the number of black and Asian students and claimed that youngsters would need to be searched daily for drugs and weapons. They have also accused Durand’s ‘super-head’ Greg Martin – who has been described as a ‘hero’ by Mr Gove – of ‘spoiling a tranquil place’ by ‘bringing Brixton to the countryside’. But last night Mr Gove's spokesman hit back and attacked those ‘trying to obstruct an inspirational project’. His intervention came after a local Tory county councillor expressed fears about the number of ethnic minority students who would attend the school. John Cherry, 73, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Ninety-seven per cent of pupils will be black or Asian. It depends what type of Asian. If they’re Chinese they’ll rise to the top. If they’re Indian they’ll rise to the top. If they’re Pakistani they won’t. ‘There are certain nationalities where hard work is highly valued. There are certain nationalities where they are uncertain what this hard work is all about. ‘If the children are not allowed out of the site then it will make them want to escape into the forest – it will be a sexual volcano. ‘Has anyone asked whether these children want to be plucked from their natural surroundings? They have never done boarding before, so they won’t know how it works. Shock: Durand Academy chief Greg Martin has described the attitude of residents as 'shocking' but has vowed to press on with the scheme . ‘The trauma of taking the children out of their natural surroundings is going to be considerable.’ He added: ‘Stockwell is a coloured area – I have no problem with that. To be honest, I would far rather Durand took over a secondary school in London rather than shoving everybody here.’ Anne Reynolds, chairman of a steering group which has been set up in the area to fight the plans, also questioned whether inner-city children would feel comfortable in such a rural environment. She said: ‘It might raise tensions in their community. Their peers might say, “Why have you been chosen to go to a special, smart school in West Sussex but I haven’t?” ‘The whole thing is a massive experiment and I think it will be disastrous. There’s no evidence it will increase their attainment levels. When you’re a teenager, isn’t it too late to start appreciating the countryside? I don’t know if it’s the right environment.’ At a public meeting in the nearby village of Milland, where actor Hugh Bonneville has a home, one unnamed resident said: ‘You must be wary because you are talking about students who will have to be searched daily for weapons and knives.’ Chichester MP Andrew Tyrie is also ‘extremely unhappy’ with the way the project has been handled and has written to Mr Gove asking him to rethink the idea. Mr Martin, Durand’s director of education, last night described some of the comments from residents as ‘shocking’ but vowed to press on with the scheme. It is hoped the boarding school will open next year. He said: I’ve heard a few comments made about pupils escaping and I said I’m not building a prison. ‘It’s sad but it makes us want to fight harder for it, and when this councillor sees the hard work and commitment from ethnic minorities I’m sure he will change his tune. ‘At the moment, so many children are leaving our school well educated only to be utterly failed by the secondary system. ‘We want to get pupils away from hanging around the streets of Brixton and Stockwell, where we have stabbings and a constant threat of trouble. It will be very hard to maintain a negative view when you see students working hard and contributing. You will soon realise these are frankly nothing more than baseless prejudices.’ A spokesman for Mr Gove said: ‘Durand has a superb record of helping some of our most disadvantaged pupils achieve brilliant results thanks to a rigorous curriculum, great teaching and sky-high expectations for all pupils. ‘Durand’s boarding school is a bold experiment and a chance to give inner-city youngsters a truly world-class education.’ And leading black Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng urged locals to drop their opposition to the plan. Mr Kwarteng, whose parents came to Britain from Ghana and who was educated at Eton, said: ‘This school is a very good idea. ‘Obviously, the locals will have some concerns about it, but we have to give these children the chance to get a good education and a well-run boarding school in the English countryside is a perfect way to do that. Opposition: Local Tory councillor John Cherry is aghast at Durand's plans to move to West Sussex . ‘If the school is a success, as I am sure it will be, it will be a great credit to the pupils, teachers and the local community itself. When that happens everyone will wonder what all the fuss was about.’ Durand is a primary school that has been rated as outstanding by schools watchdog Ofsted. But staff and governors are so concerned about standards at local secondary schools that they used the proceeds from Durand’s leisure and student accommodation business to buy St Cuthman’s School, a Grade II listed building, for £3.4 million in 2010. They want to open it as a boarding school for pupils aged 13 to 19. Mr Martin has said the idea stemmed from a desire to keep youngsters away from the ‘stabbings and constant threat of trouble’ in South London. It secured a £17 million handout from the Government to help finance the project. As an academy, Durand is outside local authority control, meaning it runs its own budgets and can even change the length of terms and the school day. St Cuthman’s, which occupies 20 acres in an area of outstanding natural beauty, used to be run by the local county council for children with special needs but closed in 2004 and has remained empty since. At his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference in 2011, Mr Gove backed the idea of opening the boarding school. He also praised Mr Martin as a ‘hero’ after for transforming Durand. | Top-performing Durand Academy in Stockwell wants to open boarding school in Stedham, West Sussex .
But neighbours aghast and say ethnic minority students will cause problems .
They fear influx of weapons and think local forest will be turned into a 'sexual volcano'
But education secretary Michael Gove hits back and slams them for blocking 'inspirational' project . |
93,453 | 04301b0e01e2eacc9f636f59e5f70bd4a71a85c0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:49 AM on 21st December 2011 . Change of plea: Sami Samir Hassoun will admit to dropping a backpack he thought held a bomb into a busy street's trash bin near Chicago Cubs' home ground Wrigley Field . A Lebanese immigrant will admit to dropping a backpack he thought held a bomb into a busy street's trash bin near Chicago Cubs' home ground Wrigley Field. Sami Samir Hassoun, 23, also talked about poisoning Lake Michigan, bombing a landmark skyscraper and assassinating the then Mayor of Chicago. He initially pleaded not guilty to charges that he received a fake bomb he believed was real from undercover FBI agents last year. But attorneys have now told a federal judge he will plead guilty under an agreement worked out with prosecutors - a deal experts say may reflect the enormous odds he would face a trial. At a hearing in Chicago, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman set a date of February 14 for Hassoun to change his plea. But neither side offered details about exactly what charges he would plead guilty to, and government and defence attorneys declined to comment after the hearing. Hassoun has a strong incentive to reduce his potential prison time via a plea deal. A conviction on just one of the charges against him - attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction - carries a maximum life prison term. Target: Hassoun dropped a backpack outside Wrigley Field, the home of Chicago Cubs . Legal expert Karen Greenberg said suspects in terrorism cases have one overwhelming incentive to cut a plea agreement and to avoid taking the case to a jury: They almost never win at trial. Greenberg, a director of the Centre on National Security at Fordham Law School in New York, said: 'And there's a very realistic chance of a very high sentence after trial. You just can't play around.' According to her centre, out of 42 defendants charged with using or attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction since the September 11 attacks, there has been just one acquittal. A total of 15 defendants have been convicted, five had the charge dropped and 21 of the cases are still pending. Another expert said federal authorities also like to avoid a trial when possible, in part from fear that revelations in court could inspire copycats or inadvertently aid would-be terrorists honing their own plots. Claims: Out of 42 defendants charged with using or attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction since the September 11 attacks, there has been just one acquittal . Michael Fagel, a professor who teaches about homeland security at Northwestern University, said: 'Maybe the same methods can be used again or terrorists can learn from another guy's mistakes.' Defence attorneys have described Hassoun as gullible and prone to wild boasts - but as having no links to extremists. They also told reporters last year they would explore the possibility of using the trial defence that Hassoun was duped by federal agents. A point of contention in recent filings was a defence request for the government to release the identity of an informant who tipped off authorities about Hassoun. That informant befriended Hassoun while at least two FBI undercover agents also got in touch, posing as co-plotters. The defence claimed the informant would have been a key figure at trial because they allege he at one point threatened Hassoun not to back out of the plot. Prosecutors say there is no evidence of any such threat and that identifying the confidential source would open him up to reprisals. While the pressure to cut a plea deal is heaviest on the defence, Greenberg said prosecutors often do not want to see their investigations subject to scrutiny. She said legitimate questions have been raised in this and other cases about whether there was some element of entrapment by federal agents. The jailed Hassoun, a one-time bakery worker, did not appear at Tuesday's hearing. He has shown up at earlier hearings - occasionally lifting his shackled hands to blow kisses to his mother on a spectators' bench. According to prosecutors, Hassoun waffled about his plans, allegedly talking about profiting monetarily and another time broaching the idea of poisoning Lake Michigan or assassinating then-Chicago Mayor Richard M Daley. While it was harmless, prosecutors have said the device planted by Hassoun near Wrigley Field appeared ominous - a paint can fitted with blasting caps and a timer. Hassoun was deadly serious about the plot and it was 'not a matter of talk or bravado', prosecutor Joel Hammerman told a judge shortly after Hassoun's arrest last year. | Sami Samir Hassoun, 23, caught in FBI sting .
Had also talked about poisoning Lake Michigan .
To change plea to guilty in February, says attorney . |
226,243 | b0f795d71f277592d1f1cfd27890d1db82b285ae | By . Scarlett Russell . PUBLISHED: . 08:03 EST, 17 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:30 EST, 17 March 2014 . A devoted couple have become Britain's oldest newlyweds, with a combined age of 180. Lovestruck Charlie Winter, 91, and Daisy Pike, 89, met at a bus station in their hometown of South Molton in Devon nine years ago. They were so smitten they missed their buses, deciding instead on an impromptu date at a fish and chip shop. Charlie Winter, 91 and Daisy Pike, 89, are Britain's eldest couple to get married, with a combined age of 180. Daisy Pike, 89, walks down the aisle with new husband Charlie Winter, 91, in St Mary Magdalene Church in Devon . Lovebirds Daisy Pike, 89 and Charlie Winter, 91 on their wedding day reception on Sunday 16 March. With a combined age of 180, they are Britain's oldest newlyweds . Lovestruck Charlie Winter, 91, and Daisy Pike, 89, met at a bus station in their hometown of South Molton in Devon nine years ago. War veteran Charlie has been nagging . former nurse Daisy to be his wife ever since, though she’s refused to . rush into marriage too early. Until last December. A . fall left her in hospital, where doting Charlie sat by her bedside and . popped the question once again. This time, she said yes. The pair wed on Sunday at St Mary Magdalene Church in South Molton. Daisy, still recovering from her fractured leg, used a walking stick to shuffle down the aisle before they exchanged vows sitting down. Charlie Winter, 91, proposed to Daisy Pike, 89, last December and the couple married on Sunday 16 March . Charlie and Daisy have each been married twice before but have never had children. They celebrated their nuptials with a reception for 60 guests at their local pub. Daisy said: 'He'd asked me lots of times but there in the ward with all our friends around us I couldn't help but say yes. 'He said the words but was unable to get down on one knee because of his old age. 'He's always giving me flowers and paying me compliments - he's an old romantic. 'We're just in love and that's it. Madly in love to tell the truth. We love to go on walks and to the beach together.' Daisy worked as a nurse at the North Devon Infirmary from 1960 until she retired in 1972. Charlie was stationed in Burma during . World War II and took part in the key battle of Kohima before returning . to civilian life as a lorry driver. He . retired at 59 but says he didn't meet the love of his life until he . arrived at Barnstaple bus station almost a decade ago and spotted Daisy. Britain's oldest newlyweds Daisy Pike, 89, and Charlie Winter, 91 in their Devon home. The couple met nine years ago but she refused his marriage proposals until last December . And they say romance is dead! Britain's oldest newlyweds Daisy Pike, 89, and Charlie Winter, 91, say getting married is, 'about one word - love' Charlie said: 'Daisy was wearing a lovely red coat, we were both having a cuppa when our eyes met across the canteen. 'We both missed our buses, went for fish and chips and got to know each other. 'I still call her my little red coat.' The couple enjoy travelling and, over their nine years together, have holidayed in Portugal, the Netherlands, Weston-super-Mare, Blackpool, Snowdonia. They are now planning a honeymoon in Bournemouth in June. Romantic Charlie added: 'As far as I'm concerned getting married is about just one word - love.' | Charlie Winter, 91 and Daisy Pike, 89 from South Molton met nine years ago .
She accepted his proposal in December as she lay in hospital after a fall .
They tied the knot on Sunday at St Mary Magdalene Church in Devon . |
163,486 | 5f64fbd15f96931bfb1fc83ce1756059aff28929 | More than 500 surgeries could close in England over the next year because so many GPs are about to retire, senior doctors warn. The Royal College of GPs says that thousands of patients will have to travel to the next town and waiting times at these practices will rise further. Figures from the college identify 543 practices where more than 90 per cent of the GPs are over 60 and likely to retire imminently. But there is a severe shortage of younger doctors to replace them as the career becomes unpopular. More than 500 surgeries could close in England over the next year because so many GPs are about to retire, senior doctors have warned . Earlier this week David Cameron promised everyone would be able to see their family doctor seven days a week by 2020, as long as the Tories are still in power. But senior GPs warned that the plans would not work as there are too few doctors to man surgeries at weekends. Tomorrow college president Dr Maureen Baker will warn that in future practices will have to ‘close their doors’ to patients. Addressing its annual conference in Liverpool, she is expected to say: ‘Every practice closed is a loss to a local community. ‘Not only do patients lose out, but it piles more pressure on neighbouring practices, swelling patient lists already bursting at the seams. ‘With a growing, ageing population, not to mention a baby boom, we need to increase capacity in general practice, not take it away. If this was a business it would be expanding to meet demand – not shutting down services.’ Figures from the college identify 543 practices where more than 90 per cent of the GPs are over 60 and likely to retire imminently; the problem has been worsened by younger GPs quitting to work abroad or re-training in different careers . Normal retirement age in the NHS is 60 but the average for GPs is 59 as many leave early due to the demands of the job. The problem has been worsened by younger GPs quitting to work abroad or re-training in different careers. GPs say they are not being given enough money by the Government to deal with the demands of a rising, ageing population. Some surgeries are so overwhelmed they have begun striking patients off their lists to ease the pressure. Last week Dr Baker admitted waiting times to see a GP were a ‘national disgrace’. Today she will compare GP services to a ‘dam’ that protects hospitals from becoming ‘flooded’ with patients. She will say: ‘So far much of the damage to the dam wall has been hidden from the public – they see the flooding downstream in accident and emergency departments and in hospital pressures, but they haven’t been aware that GPs, nurses and practice teams have been absorbing that pressure by trying to do more and more with less and less. ‘But if we let that situation continue we will see whole chunks of the dam fall apart when practices have to shut their doors.’ Earlier this week Steve Field, of the Care Quality Commission, warned that some surgeries were putting patients at risk due to basic failings. He said standards at 2 per cent of practices – equivalent to 160 surgeries nationwide – were ‘very worrying’. | At 543 practices 90 per cent of the GPs are over 60 and soon to retire .
The problem has been worsened by younger GPs quitting to work abroad .
Waiting times to see a GP have been slammed as a 'national disgrace' |
189,871 | 81da9a0348452b19a97dcef0f4f28177ce5dc01b | Allegations of a chemical weapons attack carried out by the Syrian regime last week have heightened tensions internationally. There's been tough talk from Western leaders and a flurry of activity by the United States -- all of which seem to suggest that a military strike against the regime could be in the offing. But through it all, Syria seems to retain the support of some good friends. Why do Russia, Iran and China continue to support a regime that's accused of slaughtering tens of thousands of civilians in the 2-year-old civil war? Here's why. Who wants what after chemical weapons horror . RUSSIA . Why it cares: . Two main reasons: One has to do with economics; the other with ideology. a) Economics: Russia is one of Syria's biggest arms suppliers. Syrian contracts with the Russian defense industry have likely exceeded $4 billion, according to Jeffrey Mankoff, an adjunct fellow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Russia and Eurasia Program. He noted the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimated the value of Russian arms sales to Syria at $162 million per year in both 2009 and 2010. Moscow also signed a $550 million deal with Syria for combat training jets. Russia also leases a naval facility at the Syrian port of Tartus, giving the Russian navy its only direct access to the Mediterranean, Mankoff said. b) Ideology: Russia's key policy goal is blocking American efforts to shape the region. Russia doesn't believe revolutions, wars and regime change bring stability and democracy. It often points to the Arab Spring and the U.S.-led war in Iraq as evidence. Russia also doesn't trust U.S. intentions in the region. It believes humanitarian concerns are often used an excuse for pursuing America's own political and economic interests. "Russia's backing of (Syrian President Bashar) al-Assad is not only driven by the need to preserve its naval presence in the Mediterranean, secure its energy contracts, or counter the West on 'regime change,'" said Anna Neistat, an associate program director at Human Rights Watch. "It also stems from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's existential fear for his own survival and the survival of the repressive system that he and al-Assad represent. In Putin's universe, al-Assad cannot lose because it means that one day he, Putin, might as well." What it's saying: . Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov insists there's no proof yet Syria's government is behind the chemical weapons attack. And any plans to strike Syria would challenge provisions of the U.N. charter, the ministry said. The ministry accused Washington of trying to "create artificial groundless excuses for military intervention." On Wednesday, Russia walked out of a U.N. Security Council meeting where Britain was expected to pursue a resolution to authorize the use of force against Syria. "The West handles the Islamic world the way a monkey handles a grenade," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin tweeted. Why it matters: . Russia is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. It has the power to veto Security Council resolutions against the Syrian regime and has done so repeatedly over the past two years. So, if the United States and its allies are relying on a U.N. mandate to greenlight a military strike, they may be waiting a long time. Chemical weapons in Syria: How did we get here? IRAN . Why it cares: . Iran and Syria are bound by two factors: religion and strategy. a) Religion: Iran is the world's most populous Shiite Muslim nation. The Syrian government is dominated by Alawites, a Shiite offshoot, and the rebels are dominated by Sunnis. That connection has bound them for quite a while. Iran counted on Syria as its only Arab ally during its eight-year war with Iraq. Iraq was Sunni-dominated. The last thing Iran wants now is a Sunni-dominated Syria -- especially as the rebels' main supporters are Iran's Persian Gulf rivals: Qatar and Saudi Arabia. b) Strategy: For Iran, Syria is also a strategically key ally. It's Iran's main conduit to the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, the proxy through which Iran can threaten Israel with an arsenal of short-range missiles. In 2009, the top U.S. diplomat in Damascus disclosed that Syria had begun delivery of ballistic missiles to Hezbollah, according to official cables leaked to and published by WikiLeaks. So, it's in Iran's interest to see al-Assad's regime remain intact. Western intelligence officials believe the Islamic Republic has provided technical help such as intelligence, communications and advice on crowd control and weapons as protests in Syria morphed into resistance. A U.N. panel reported in May that Iranian weapons destined for Syria but seized in Turkey included assault rifles, explosives, detonators, machine guns and mortar shells. Ayham Kamel of Eurasia Group believes the Iranians must be alarmed that the tide is turning against al-Assad. "Iran probably has excellent information regarding Assad's position. That information would make clear that Iran is increasingly likely to lose its only ally in the region, greatly reducing its strategic reach," he said. What's it saying: . Iran has cast events in Syria as part of a much broader ideological battle. It's a "war between the front of hegemony and the front of resistance," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said. Iran's position, as outlined by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and new President Hassan Rouhani, is that the Syrian government is a victim of international plots. Iran believes the West and almost all Arab countries are in cahoots in an effort to implement regime change in Syria. Iran says the main objective of this plot is to make the region safer for Israel. This week, Zarif warned of "graver conditions" in Syria is attacked. "If any country attacks another when it wants, that is like the Middle Ages," Zarif said Wednesday. Why it matters: . Many believe Iran is Washington's greatest threat in the region, especially with its nuclear potential. It's unclear how Iran might respond if Syria is attacked. But the rhetoric certainly has been ominous. "Starting this fire will be like a spark in a large store of gunpowder, with unclear and unspecified outcomes and consequences," Khamenei told Iranian Cabinet members this week. "The U.S. threats and possible intervention in Syria is a disaster for the region and if such an act is done, certainly, the Americans will sustain damage like when they interfered in Iraq and Afghanistan." What justifies intervening if Syria uses chemical weapons? CHINA . Why it cares: . China's relationship with Syria is more nuanced. Some say it wants to maintain its financial ties. It was ranked as Syria's third-largest importer in 2010, according to data from the European Commission. "Beijing's renewed interest in Damascus -- the traditional terminus node of the ancient Silk Road ... indicates that China sees Syria as an important trading hub," according to a 2010 report from The Jamestown Foundation, a Washington-based research and analysis institute. But there's a bigger factor at play. China has said foreign countries shouldn't meddle in Syria's internal affairs -- and perhaps for good reason. China has had its own share of international controversies over its policies with Tibet as well as allegations of human rights violations. Finally, China doesn't want to reprise what happened with Libya. It abstained from a U.N. Security Council resolution on that one, clearing the way for a NATO military intervention in Libya. "It was rather disappointed with the payoff," said Yun Sun of the Brookings Institution, writing in the East-West Center's Asia Pacific Bulletin. "Neither the West nor the NTC (Libyan National Transitional Council) showed much appreciation for China's abstention." So, he says, China has "formulated a far more sophisticated hedging strategy" when it comes to Syria. "Rather than siding with either Assad or the opposition and standing aside to 'wait and see,' Beijing is actively betting on both." What's it saying: . China said it is firmly opposed to the use of chemical weapons and supports the U.N.'s chemical weapons inspectors. It also said it wants a political solution for Syria -- though some say hopes for such an ending have waned. "A political solution is always the only realistic means to resolve the Syria issue," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Like Russia, China also walked out of Wednesday's U.N. Security Council meeting where Britain planned to pursue a resolution on Syria. Why it matters: . China is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. And like Russia, China has repeatedly blocked sanctions attempts against the Syrian regime -- leading to a perpetual stalemate at the U.N. body to take any serious action on Syria. 'Red line' debate: Chemical weapons worse than attacks? | Russia has sold billions of dollars in arms to Syria .
Iran is the most populous Shiite Muslim nation; al-Assad is Alawite, a Shiite offshoot .
China said it still wants to see a political solution in Syria . |
62,694 | b221e4c6d406f91cb680b726b382b5a6c06041e4 | (CNN) -- Police arrested another teen Thursday, the sixth suspect jailed in connection with the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl on a northern California high school campus. Jose Carlos Montano, 18, was arrested on charges of felony rape, rape in concert with force, and penetration with a foreign object, said Richmond Police Lt. Mark Gagan. Montano was arrested Thursday evening in San Pablo, California, a small town about two miles from the city of Richmond, where the crime took place. Montano, who was held in lieu of $1.3 million bail, is accused of taking part in what police said was a 2½-hour assault on the Richmond High School campus. Police said as many as 10 people were involved in the rape in a dimly lit back alley at the school, while another 10 people watched without calling 911. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but was released Wednesday. Four other teenage suspects were arraigned Thursday on charges connected to the rape. Cody Ray Smith, described by the court as older than 14, pleaded not guilty to charges of rape with a foreign object and rape by force. Two other juveniles, Ari Abdallah Morales and Marcelles James Peter, appeared with Smith at the Contra Costa County Superior Court, but did not enter a plea. The court described Morales as younger than 16, and did not give an age for Peter. All three juveniles, who wore bulletproof vests at the hearing, were charged as adults. A fourth person, Manuel Ortega, 19, appeared separately without an attorney and did not enter a plea. He did not wear a protective vest. Another person, Salvador Rodriguez, 21, was arrested Tuesday night, but he was not in court Thursday. | Another arrest made in gang rape outside California school .
Investigators say up to 20 people took part or stood and watched the assault .
Four suspects appeared in court Thursday; three wore bulletproof vests . |
200,018 | 8ef658276ec824ed0a36274534b77fb1056d3a99 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Southwest Airlines will pay $7.5 million to settle complaints that it flew unsafe aircraft, and the fine will double unless the airline completes additional safety measures within a year, federal regulators announced Monday. The FAA found Southwest operated jets on nearly 60,000 flights without performing certain mandatory inspections. The Federal Aviation Administration originally recommended more than $10 million in civil penalties in 2008 after finding Southwest operated 46 of its Boeing 737 jets on nearly 60,000 flights without performing mandatory inspections for fatigue cracks in their fuselages. FAA documents obtained by CNN found that in some cases, Southwest aircraft flew for 30 months after government inspection deadlines had passed. A congressional panel concluded the planes were "not airworthy," and two FAA whistle-blowers said agency managers let the airline conduct the safety checks on a slower schedule to avoid disrupting flights. The Dallas, Texas-based airline said it was happy to have settled "all outstanding issues with the FAA." "This settlement with the FAA will allow us to focus on safety going forward, rather than on issues that are now behind us and that have already been addressed," Southwest Airlines said in a written statement. CNN's Mike M. Ahlers contributed to this report. | Fine will double unless airline completes additional safety measures within a year .
FAA found Southwest flew 46 jets without checking for fatigue cracks in fuselages .
FAA documents: Aircraft flew for 30 months after inspection deadlines passed .
Southwest happy to have settled "all outstanding issues with the FAA" |
43,861 | 7bb9df5f6ac52d1e82ba5c4118745f353c527349 | He was born weighing less than a bag of sugar and smaller than his father's hand. But Jett Morris' parents were simply relieved he was alive, having been told he would never survive and they should abort him. When his mother Mhairi's waters broke at just 20 weeks, doctors advised the pregnancy was 'non- viable - and prepared her for a termination. But she and husband Paul defied doctors' advice - and believe had it not been for their determination, Jett - who is thriving and recently celebrated his first birthday - would not be here today. Tiny: Jett Morris was born prematurely at 25 weeks weighing just 1.4lbs - having survived for five weeks in the womb after his mother's waters broke. Doctors had repeatedly advised her to have an abortion . Happy: Jett's parents believe had it not been for their determination and decision to ignore doctors' advice, he would not here today. Despite being born so early, doctors say the one-year-old is perfectly healthy . Jett was born prematurely at 25 weeks weighing just 1.4lbs - having survived for five weeks in the womb after his mother's waters broke. But his parents say that before this, they were constantly pressured by medics at East Surrey Hospital to end the pregnancy. They claim staff gave them just five minutes to come to terms with a termination. However Mrs Morris refused - convinced her unborn baby was healthy - and five weeks later he was born. The 34-year-old said: 'They didn't see him as a child yet, they just called him a 'non-viable foetus'. It was cold and I was devastated. 'I was in the early pregnancy unit and no-one from paediatrics came to talk to me about my other options. 'But I'd just had a 20 week scan and everything was perfect and finding out it was a boy made it very hard to accept a termination. 'The doctor said "You have to have a termination because there's nothing we can do".' She added: 'I understand doctors have to tell you the worst case scenario and be blunt, but no two people on this Earth are exactly the same and doctors didn't even give Jett a chance. 'When he came back in and Paul and I had talked we told him I wouldn't be going into theatre and the doctor looked at his watch and rolled his eyes at me, as if I was wasting time. 'I said to Paul "we have to get out of here".' Mrs Morris suffered preterm premature rupture of membranes - where the waters break before the pregnancy reaches full term. Agony: After he was born, Jett (with his father, Paul) suffered with chronic lung disease and jaundice - which he quickly recovered from after his lungs and organs developed. He was finally allowed home on March 5 - almost three weeks before his original due date . Heartbreak: Jett's mother, Mhari, said: 'When my waters broke at 20 weeks they didn't see him as a child yet, they just called him a 'non-viable foetus'. It was cold and I was devastated' Complications: Mrs Morris had suffered preterm premature rupture of membranes - where the waters break before the pregnancy reaches full term . She was later diagnosed with placenta praevia - where the placenta forms underneath the baby and can cause bleeding and infection. She was told she was likely to go into labour within 48 hours and the baby would die. But days later she still hadn't given birth and was allowed to go home to Crawley, West Sussex. Twelve days later she started bleeding and was rushed to hospital. But with the local trust only equipped to deal with children born after 28 weeks, the couple had to travel 80 miles to a hospital in Portsmouth. Doctors there warned their son could be brain damaged and would probably die at birth because his lungs would not be developed. However Jett defied the odds and came out kicking and wriggling on December 6, 2013 - and even let out a small 'squeak' before being rushed to an incubator. He suffered with chronic lung disease and jaundice - which he quickly recovered from after his lungs and organs developed. He was finally allowed home on March 5 - almost three weeks before his original due date of March 24. Though Jett has two small holes in his heart it is not thought they will ever cause a problem for him and and he was taken off an oxygen machine in May. Strong: Though Jett has two small holes in his heart it is not thought they will ever cause a problem for him and and he was taken off an oxygen machine in May. Preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes happens in expectant mothers who are less than 37 weeks pregnant. Most women will go into spontaneous labour within 24 hours of rupturing their membranes. But six per cent of women do not go into labour within 96 hours. The earlier into the pregnancy the rupture occurs, the less likely it is that the onset of labour will be within a specified time period. The condition affects six to 19 per cent of preterm pregnancies and occurs in two per cent of all pregnancies. The condition is associated with 40 per cent of preterm deliveries and can lead to high morbidity and mortality. Risk factors for the condition include smoking, previous preterm delivery, vaginal bleeding and lower genital tract infection. An expectant mother may describe feeling a 'popping sensation' of a 'gush' with continuous watery liquid draining. A woman will be taken into hospital immediately and admitted in many cases for the at least 48 hours. In most cases delivery should be considered at 34 weeks. It is recommended that women diagnosed with PPROM should not exceed 96 hours after their membrane has ruptured. The risk of maternal and foetal infection increases the longer the time between membrane rupture and the onset of labour. Source: patient.co.uk . Mrs Morris, who runs a children's boutique with her 36-year-old husband, added: 'We have a happy outcome but I worry that other mothers could have had an abortion when their babies might have survived. 'I was given such a bleak outlook that I kept thinking "he's not supposed to be healthy" and was waiting for something to happen, but it never did.' She claims she was forced to Google her options rather than being given any by medics - and now hopes her story will be seen by other pregnant women doing the same thing. Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust's Chief Executive Michael Wilson said staff were working with Mrs Morris to resolve her concerns about her treatment. He said: 'From June 2013, while Mhairi was with us, it's our opinion that she received high quality clinical care and was provided with information about the range of options available to her in her circumstances, as well as having these options discussed in detail. 'The team who cared for her pulled out all stops to keep both her and her child safe throughout her high-risk pregnancy and following this, we transferred her to a more specialist hospital so that she received the best possible care for her condition. 'We are delighted that over a year on, both mother and son are healthy and well. 'As a Trust, we strive to learn from all the feedback we receive from our patients to continually improve our service. 'We have only very recently learned of her concerns as no complaints were raised earlier - had they been, we would have been in touch with her directly and looked into what had taken place. 'We are now working closely with her and her family to understand what happened in detail.' | Jett Morris' mother's waters broke just 20 weeks into the pregnancy .
Doctors declared pregnancy was non-viable and advised she have abortion .
But Jett's parents defied doctors' advice and Jett was born at 25 weeks .
Weighed just 1.4lb - less than a bag of sugar - and had lung problems .
He is now thriving and his parents have been assured he is healthy .
They now fear other parents are wrongly being told to have a termination . |
58,167 | a4e97dfa53163d840d0ac6bffba522a068554526 | Erik Lamela's astonishing rabona strike was one of the best goals Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino has ever seen. Some had written off the club-record £30million signing after a disappointing, albeit injury-interrupted, first season with the north Londoners. Lamela is, though, at last beginning to show glimpses of his undoubted quality under the tutorship of former Argentina international Pochettino. Erik Lamela's astonishing rabona strike put Tottenham in control against Asteras Tripolis . Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino seemed unimpressed by Lamela's goal at the time . The attacking midfielder has yet to find the consistency his compatriot desires but impressed against Asteras Tripolis, scoring a brace as Spurs won the Europa League clash 5-1. Lamela's second of the Group C encounter was an impressive volley from an acute angle, but the first was one of the finest goals ever seen at White Hart Lane - a rabona strike from the edge of the box. 'One time I scored one goal like that myself,' Pochettino said, laughing. 'You will find it on YouTube. 'No, it was a very big goal, a great goal, an unbelievable goal. I am happy for him and it helped us to get the three points. Maybe it is the best [by one of my players ever]. Probably.' Pochettino gives Lamela a pat on the back after his goalscoring exploits . Replays of the goal led to oohs and aahs from the Spurs faithful, yet Pochettino sat motionless on the bench when the strike went in. 'I never show emotion,' he said, offering an explanation. 'No, I show emotion at home and show it in my bed. 'It is true, I am a manager that tries to be calm every time during the game. 'Sometimes I am very disappointed and angry, but I enjoy more after the game rather than during the game.' Harry Kane marked his return to the side with a hat-trick in the Europa League romp . That anger includes the performance of his side in the closing stages of the match. Harry Kane, fresh from netting his first hat-trick for Spurs, had to don the goalkeeper's gloves for the final minutes after Hugo Lloris was sent off for bundling over Tasos Tsokanis. The resulting free-kick from Jeronimo Barrales squirmed through Kane's grasp - a frustrating end to what had been for large parts an impressive display by Spurs. 'It was okay,' Pochettino said. 'I am happy for the result, 5-1, and disappointed with the last five minutes because we gave the possibility for them to play one v one with our 'keeper. Kane ended the game between the sticks after Hugo Lloris saw red late on . 'We need to manage better the game. I am disappointed with the last five minutes but after that happy with the result. Our objective was to get the three points and it was done. 'I think that Hugo's behaviour was correct. Unlucky because it was a red card but I am not happy with the last minutes because our line defensive was very high. 'We gave the possibility to play in behind our defensive line and at 5-0, with three minutes before the end of the game, we were not ready and focused in that action. 'We gave them the possibility to play well one v one with the keeper and for that I am not happy.' | Lamela bagged a brace in 5-1 Europa League romp against Asteras Tripolis .
Harry Kane hammered a hat-trick then ended the game between the sticks .
Mauricio Pochettino hails Lamela's 'unbelievable' first goal . |
205,268 | 95b74835290a296be3e6438583200fd695fcf948 | By . Emma Glanfield . Urban foxes can usually be found roaming the streets, scampering around in a desperate search for the odd scrap of food. It's not often they venture further than rubbish bins or hedgerows and their fear of humans usually keeps them tucked away until nightfall. However, one couple were in for an unexpected shock when they discovered one had sneaked into their home before cosying up in an upstairs bedroom. Scroll down for video . Sarah Preddy and her partner Colin Linton were shocked to find an urban fox had entered one of their bedrooms at their home in Romford, Essex . Sarah Preddy, 49, and partner Colin Linton, 55, were relaxing at their home in Romford, Essex, on Sunday when their nine-month-old chocolate Labrador, Molly, alerted them to the fox in their house . The pair were shocked to discover the adult fox had somehow entered their home and made its way upstairs in the dead of the night . Sarah Preddy, 49, and partner Colin . Linton, 55, were relaxing at their home in Romford, Essex, on Sunday . when their nine-month-old chocolate Labrador, Molly, alerted them to the . unusual intruder. The pair, . along with Ms Preddy’s stepsons, James, 26, and John, 24, were shocked . to discover the adult fox had somehow entered their home and made its . way upstairs in the dead of the night. Ms Preddy, a freelance consultant, said her partner donned gloves and rake before trying to coax the animal out of the bedroom. She said: ‘The dog jumped up off the bed and went to the bedroom door looking really distressed and making weird noise, which we thought was a bit odd. ‘My partner opened the door and Molly flew across the landing towards the spare room. We couldn’t believe it when we opened the door and saw the fox was calmly sitting in the corner on the bed. ‘Colin was a bit of an action hero covering himself in a mac and gloves holding a rake to try to coax it out of the bedroom. It was quite a shock.’ The couple managed to capture the moment the fox was ushered down the stairs on video, with footage showing it staring at the family before quickly running off. Ms Preddy: ‘We didn’t know how to get rid of it and I actually think it was sick, which was the scary thing. ‘It wasn’t acting in a normal way and was covered in mange, which can get passed on so it wasn’t nice. The couple managed to capture the moment the fox was ushered down the stairs on video, with footage showing it staring at the family before quickly running off . ‘I phoned the RSPCA and it took forever to get through to someone but when I finally did we were told to block off the rest of the house and wait for it to saunter downstairs. ‘It took about an hour to leave but it could’ve taken all day which is a horrible thought.’ She said her adult stepsons were both in their bedrooms with the doors closed when the fox was discovered but said she ‘dread to think what could have happened’ if her seven-month-old grandson had been staying at the house. However, son James, 26, managed to make light of the situation and quipped: ‘When I said I was hoping to wake up with a fox in my bedroom this weekend, I didn’t mean literally.’ The family have been plagued by foxes in the past and now feel like ‘prisoners in their own home’ because they can’t leave their doors open anymore. Ms Preddy said: ‘Urban foxes are always so disgusting and manky and we’ve had problems with them before fouling everywhere. The couple spent over an hour trying to coax the fox out of their home but eventually it decided to run off . The family have been plagued by foxes in the past and now feel like 'prisoners in their own home' because they can't leave their doors open anymore . ‘I grew up in the country and they are a different breed of animal there. ‘I think we’re going to a real epidemic because the problem is just getting worse, which is very scary. ‘Now we can’t leave the patio doors open and feel like prisoners in our own home. ‘I am completely freaked out and haven’t been in the spare room since because the thought of going where the manky, mangy creature has been all over the duvet makes me feel sick.’ An RSPCA spokesman said: ‘It is unusual for foxes to enter homes as by nature they will tend to avoid human contact. ‘In the rare instances when they do venture into a home, it is likely they are attracted to food which has been left out.’ | Labrador dog alerted family to fox sleeping in bedroom at Essex home .
Couple spent over an hour trying to coax the urban animal out of the house .
Family now 'feel like prisoners in their home' after being plagued by foxes . |
8,322 | 17876b0593d6315a66e6b809a996cfea9937428b | Woolly mammoths could roam Earth again, according to one eminent scientist who believes frozen DNA from newly discovered frozen mammoths could be the key to the species' resurrection. Stem cell scientist Sir Ian Wilmut who is best known for cloning the world's first mammal, Dolly the sheep, thinks modern techniques could be used to create a replica of the prehistoric animal. While he believes the ancient animal could be re-introduced to the world - an idea reminiscent of Jurassic Park - there are ethical dilemmas. Stem cell scientist Sir Ian Wilmut who is best known for cloning the world's first mammal, Dolly the sheep, thinks modern techniques could be used to create a replica of a woolly mammoth like Yuka (pictured) who is on display in Japan having been pulled from the Siberian permafrost . Sir Ian said told The Guardian: 'I've always been very sceptical about . the whole idea, but it dawned on me that if you could clear the first . hurdle of getting viable cells from mammoths, you might be able to do . something useful and interesting.' 'I think it should be done as long as we . can provide great care for the animal. If there are reasonable prospects . of them being healthy, we should do it. We can learn a lot about them.' The source of viable mammoth cells could come from a number of frozen bodies discovered in the Siberian permafrost in recent years. The source of viable mammoth cells could come from a number of frozen bodies discovered in the Siberian permafrost in recent years. Here you can see frozen tissue and blood . The giant beasts lived in the late Pleistocene period, tens of thousands of years ago. Their numbers were thought to have fallen across North America and on mainland Eurasia around 10,000 years ago, probably as a result of hunting by our ancestors as well as a changing climate. Just last month,the most complete body of a woolly mammoth was recovered and captured the science community and the general public's imagination about the possibility of seeing the giant creatures walk Russia's plains again. The baby mammoth, called Yuka, lived around 39,000 years ago and her body is currently on display in Yokohama, Japan, where visitors can see her incredibly preserved fur and tissue. The baby mammoth pictured lived around 39,000 years ago and her body is currently on display in Yokohama, Japan, where visitors can see her incredibly preserved fur and tissue . Samples from the little mammoth have been sent to laboratories in South Korea and Russian researchers hope to clone her. Interestingly, Sir Ian told the newspaper he is not terribly optimistic about the scientist's chances as there are many technical challenges. Writing for academic publication The Conversation, Sir Ian said in order to clone a mammoth, hundreds of thousands of eggs from closely related species such as the Asian Elephant and plenty of healthy mammoth cells would be required to even stand a chance of achieving the scientific feat. Mammoth cells are needed that still have their DNA intact, but they degenerate quickly as the snow and ice that has kept them preserved for so many years melts away. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, involved DNA sequencing of a large number of mammoth remains found across northern Eurasia and North America . Sir Ian wrote: 'By the time you've got a bone sticking . up in the sunshine, it's effectively too late. You need to get it . straight out of the deep freeze, as it were.' The process of cloning also requires a female - in this case probably an Asian elephant - to provide eggs and carry a baby, which would be part created using a cloned embryo, but elephants themselves are rare. Sir Ian believes it is 'inappropriate' to collect 500 eggs from the animals when they themselves are at risk of extinction. He suggests that the best way to create a woolly mammoth is to re-programme good quality cells extracted from frozen mammoths using modern stem cell techniques. Sir Ian suggests the best way to create a woolly mammoth like Yuka, whose foot is pictured, is to re-programme good quality cells extracted from frozen mammoths using modern stem cell techniques . The cells - if they exist - could be transformed into different types, including sperm and eggs, which could create a new mammoth life. The technique has already been used to give birth to mice. Sir Ian thinks it could be 50 years before the technology is developed enough to create a woolly mammoth, but at least the time frame could give scientists a chance to work out if the idea is a good one, in order to avoid a disastrous scenario reminiscent of Jurassic Park. Scientists are reportedly concerned that a 'modern' mammoth would not be able to adapt to cold conditions, when its mother lived on hot, dry plains. They also worry that the science must be developed enough to create friends for a mammoth very quickly in order to care for the animal's welfare. However, none of these concerns will matter if scientists cannot get good quality cells from bodies of frozen mammoths and while Sir Ian says the prospects of reintroducing the mammoth to the Earth is 'fairly unlikely' he thinks there is a chance. Heaps of mammoth bones found piled up at the foot of a cliff were initially thought to be the results of Neanderthals driving the creatures over the edge . | Sir Ian Wilmut said the best way to create a woolly mammoth .
is to reprogramme good quality cells extracted from frozen mammoths .
But he thinks cloning a mammoth presents many technical challenges and ethical dilemmas .
The Scottish scientist believes the best source of viable cells could come from the bodies of frozen mammoths discovered in the Siberian permafrost .
It could be 50 years before the advanced stem cell technology is available to create a woolly mammoth . |
60,923 | ad1422ecae7902aaa17dff25db6a547f3b82a64e | Organizers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have been set a tight deadline by FIFA to explain how conditions are improving for migrant workers on the various building projects associated with the hosting of football's showpiece competition. The world governing body are demanding a "detailed report" by February 12 with "information on specific steps" being taken to improve the situation. FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke wrote to Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Thursday to request the assurances. Concerns over the welfare of migrant workers in Qatar was highlighted by an Amnesty International report last year, which reported on widespread abuse. It prompted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to describe the conditions as "unacceptable" and he raised the issue with the Emir of Qatar on a visit to Doha last November. FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger has been given the responsibility to monitor any progress and has held a series of meeting with human rights and labor organizations, including Amnesty and the International Labor Organization (ILO). "We are currently in the middle of an intensive process, which is exclusively aimed at improving the situation of workers in Qatar," Zwanziger said in a statement released by FIFA. "Ultimately, what we need are clear rules and steps that will build trust and ensure that the situation, which is unacceptable at the moment, improves in a sustainable manner." The Qatar World Cup 2022 Committee was not immediately available for comment. Zwanziger is due before the European Parliament on February 13, the day after the deadline for Qatar to report, in a hearing over workers' rights in the Arab emirate. The executive committee will also receive an update at its March 20 and 21 meeting. "FIFA firmly believes in the power of the World Cup in triggering positive social change in Qatar, including improving the labor rights and conditions of migrant workers," it added. Since Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup it has been dogged by various controversies, with FIFA still to decide on an actual date for the competition. Acute summer temperatures in Qatar have led to fears over safety for players and spectators and Valcke told a French radio station earlier this month that he favored a winter World Cup with a November start. FIFA's official position is that a final decision will be made in December 2014. | Qatar given deadline over conditions for migrant workers on 2022 World Cup .
FIFA want detailed report by February 12 .
Amnesty International report last year highlighted the situation .
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said at time it was "unacceptable" |
63,952 | b58fe3a457c9985479a4cdfb04a1761cb57aa5c0 | (CNN) -- The Georgia company whose peanut products have been blamed for a nationwide salmonella outbreak shipped some products even though they had tested positive for the bacteria and no other tests indicated they were safe, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The FDA confirmed Friday the Peanut Corp.'s Blakely, Georgia, plant shipped tainted product without retesting. Previously, Peanut Corporation of America had said it shipped products only after subsequent tests on them came back negative. Items made with its peanut products have been linked to more than 500 cases of illness, including eight deaths. The agency said the company's management told FDA inspectors last month during an inspection of the plant that they shipped products that first had tested positive for salmonella, but only if they later had tested negative. But, it said, "FDA determined that certain information provided by PCA management during the inspection was not consistent with the subsequent analysis of the company's records." As a result, the agency amended its report Thursday. "In some situations the firm received a positive salmonella test result, followed by a later negative result, and then shipped the products," said the FDA report, which was included in an e-mail to CNN. "In some other situations, the firm shipped the products [which had already tested positive] before it had received the [second] positive test results." Watch Senate hearing on food safety amid peanut recall » . In some cases, it said, "no additional testing appears to have been done." No one from the company returned a call seeking comment. Federal authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into the company. | Government confirms PCA shipped salmonella-tainted product without further testing .
PCA had said it shipped products only after subsequent tests returned negative .
FDA: Data provided by company "not consistent with the subsequent analysis" |
73,715 | d10948fc7eda029e59576a1d587c4bcf25cd4430 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 14:22 EST, 29 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:06 EST, 29 November 2012 . Madonna’s iconic conical-bra corset has fetched over £30,000 at auction. The green silk costume designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier sparked a bidding frenzy at the Christie’s sale in south-west London. The final purchase price, including the buyer’s premium, was £32,450 - more than double the pre-sale estimate of £15,000. Valuable assets: A Christie's employee looks at a couture corset designed by Jean Paul Gaultier for Madonna. It sold for £30,000, double what was expected . The 54-year-old wore the outrageous garment to perform three songs, including her hit Hanky Panky, on her 1990 Blond Ambition tour. A black Lycra two-piece that she wore to sing her hit ‘Vogue’ went for £16,250. The highest price raised at the pop culture sale was the £43,250 paid for a 1947 painting of American actress Ava Gardner. A whip used by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones trilogy fetched £20,000, while a flamboyant pearl white sleeveless jumpsuit worn by Mick Jagger for the Rolling Stones’ U.S. Tour in 1972 fetched £20,000. Glitter: Madonna's bra, a mermaid outfit worn by Katy Perry and Jagger's jumpsuit all sold for big money . Covered all over with silver metal poppers backed by transparent sequins, the jumpsuit was designed by Ossie Clark. Another Indiana Jones prop, a manuscript book known as the ‘Grail Diary’ raised £18,750. An award for the Apple Records album Mind games presented to Beatle John Lennon went for £16,250. Mick Jagger's white jumpsuit by Ossie Clarke (left) and a whip wielded by Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones were also up for auction . A prop from hit movie Skyfall - a stone-effect plaque to the ancestral home of Daniel Craig’s James Bond - went for six times its pre-sale estimate at £8,750. Elvis Presley's 1960s Fender guitar and microphone went for £8,750 while his 1971 gold Mathey-Tissot watch raised £8,125. A Pirates of The Caribbean compass went for £6,875; a mermaid costume worn by Katy Perry £2,000; and a pair of Bono’s rimless Emporio Armani sunglasses £1,125. Pop singer Katy Perry's mermaid costume went under the hammer for £2,000 . | One of the most memorable costumes in pop history sells for double the amount expected .
Jean-Paul Gaultier creation worn on groundbreaking Blond Ambition tour .
Other memorabilia auctioned included Indiana Jones' whip and a guitar owned by Elvis . |
281,423 | f888fb67b5fe37ed5c632288a7ac8df84fe4b16e | Sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250% this year alone . Hairy Bikers knocked E.L James off number one bestsellers lists . Jamie Oliver is Britain’s second biggest-selling author since records began – with total book sales of £126m . From Nigella Lawson's food porn bibles to silver fox Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry baking up a storm on The Great British Bake Off, cooking has never been cooler. But while sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250 per cent this year alone, one in 10 Brits admit to never even opening the ones they buy. Half say that they own more than four books but only pull them off the shelf when they need to make ‘something special’. Although sales of cookbooks are on the rise, one in ten of us admit to never even opening them . And a time-poor five per cent claimed . that while they own a mountain of cookbooks, they don't spend any time . in the kitchen at all. But despite the fact their spines remain unbroken and their recipes untested, it transpires that these beautifully designed, mouthwatering reads are beginning to eclipse other bestsellers. The diet cookbook from The Hairy Bikers, for example, has aroused enough interest to knock Fifty Shades Of Grey off the bestsellers lists. Jamie Oliver is now the second most valuable author of all time, missing out to just J.K Rowling . But despite half of Brits showcasing impressive cookbooks on their shelves, findings reveal that the meals most regularly cooked are traditional classics like spaghetti bolognese (60 per cent), meat and two veg-style roast dinners (54 per cent) and sausage and mash (48 per cent), with only a handful of Brits regularly taking on more exotic dishes such as Thai curry (16 per cent) or paella (10 per cent). The nation's favourite cuisines ranked as Italian (20 per cent), Indian (18 per cent), British fish and chips (17 per cent) and Chinese (15 per cent), however, only 30 per cent of those polled had tried to cook one of their favourite cuisines at home - and a naughty one in ten lied to friends about trying a certain cuisine or ingredients. With the help of celebrity chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Nigella Lawson, sales of celebrity cookbooks have soared by 250 per cent . The Great British Bake Off has become a firm favourite in the nation¿s homes . And it isn't just cookbooks . that are drawing in cooking aficionados, over a quarter of British . foodies admit to tuning in to at least two food programmes a week, with . Masterchef and Great British Bake Off being firm favourites in the . nation’s homes. Not that the nation's TV addiction is rubbing off on their domestic ambitions: despite immersing themselves in celebrity cook books and TV shows, when quizzed on how long they spend preparing and cooking meals, 78 per cent said they managed to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner in less than 30 minutes. 1. JK Rowling . 2. Jamie Oliver . 3. James Patterson . 4. Terry Pratchet . 5. Jacqueline Wilson . 6. Dan Brown . 7. John Grisham . 8. Richard Parsons . 9. Bill Bryson . 10. Delia Smith . 11. Julia Donaldson . 12. Danielle Steele . 13. Stephenie Meyer . 14. Patricia Cornwell . 15. Martina Cole . 16. JRR Tolkien . 17. Bernard Cornwell . 18. Ian Rankin . 19. Nigella Lawson . 20. Alexander McCall Smith . Jason Gissing, co-founder of Ocado, who . carried out the research, said: 'We know that Brits love to buy all of . the latest celebrity cookery books and enjoy watching recipes being . created on TV, but many of us just don’t have the time to recreate . delicious meals for ourselves.' Ocado also predicts that cookbooks are set to . be a staple stocking filler this festive season, including the new . titles from Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Heston Blumenthal. Jamie Oliver was recently named as Britain’s second . biggest-selling author since records began – with total book sales of . £126 million. The . Essex-born television chef and school meals campaigner, who has sold . more than 10 million cook books, is ranked second only to Harry Potter . author J K Rowling. Father-of-four Oliver, 37, who is famous . for his ‘Pukka’ catchphrase and whose bestsellers include The Naked . Chef and Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, is joined on the bestseller list by . some of his culinary rivals. Delia Smith is in tenth place, Nigella Lawson is ranked 19th and Gordon Ramsay is towards the bottom of the chart at 45. Together, the four chefs account for a tasty 40 per cent of all the cook books sold in Britain since records began in 1998. | Sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250% this year alone .
Hairy Bikers knocked E.L James off number one bestsellers lists .
Jamie Oliver is Britain’s second biggest-selling author since records began – with total book sales of £126m .
Despite our passion for cookbooks we stick to traditional classics like spaghetti bolognese, 'meat .
and two veg' roasts and sausage and mash . |
174,030 | 6d37c7af05f4ef4f3506db780e0f5161ddfe4cad | By . Jonathan McEvoy . The most outlandish theory hanging in the moist heat of Kuala Lumpur was that Bernie Ecclestone is staging one of the cleverest heists in a career of clever heists by talking down the sport he spent a lifetime transforming. The theory goes that he is criticising the lack of noise from the new V6 engines because he wants the value of Formula One to fall. He will then orchestrate the purchase of the majority share in the business at a reduced price and remain in charge for the rest of eternity. His willing accomplice, so the conspiracy runs, could conceivably be Dietrich Mateschitz, the Red Bull owner, a fellow billionaire, friend and recent critic of the quieter engines. Centre of attention: Bernie Ecclestone, in Malaysia this weekend, could be staging a heist of the sport . Stunning plot: Ecclestone, who turns 84 in October, has been critical of this year's quieter engines . Formula One's current majority owners, CVC, could then wash their hands of Ecclestone before a German court reaches a verdict later this year on whether their octogenarian billionaire chief executive bribed a German banker called Gerhard Gribkowsky the last time the sport was sold, in 2005. According to the script, Ferrari, who possess a veto on these matters, would be induced onside, Ecclestone would stay in overall control and Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner would be tutored to take over if the old boy ever actually died. Fanciful? Perhaps. After all it could be doing no more than stirring up controversy - in this case about something he fervently believes in, namely engine noise. Consiparcy: Dietrich Mateschitz (left) would be Ecclestone's willing accomplice while Christian Horner would be tutored to take over when the 83-year-old passed, according to the outlandish theory . It is an old tactic of his that has made the Formula One soap opera rival Coronation Street with its cast of heroes, lunatics, cheats and Machiavellis. But everything that happens in Formula One has a reason behind it. And Ecclestone talking down the product he sells is like Del Boy telling you the video recorder that's fallen off a lorry won't switch on. So, maybe, the buying it back story is not so mad after all. Anyway, in his usual spirit of mischievousness Ecclestone said he would like to get the noise levels up, adding: 'I wish I could get it up.' He is 84 in October. On a day when Mercedes' Nico Rosberg finished practice at the top of the timesheets to reinforce their status as favourites to win the Malaysian Grand Prix tomorrow, Ecclestone was hearing for real what the fuss was all about - the engines - for the first time. He had previously only heard them in the Ferrari factory and on his television set at home a fortnight ago during the staging of the season-opener in Melbourne. Here he declared them 'slightly better' than he had imagined - a result, to a degree, of the grandstand opposite the garages providing improved acoustics. That was about as generous as he got. On track: Nico Rosberg, who won in Australia, was fastest in practice for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix . Did you hear that? Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton drives past the Force India pit-wall on Friday . He said: 'Mr Ong, the Singapore promoter, is here and he told me that if the public don't like the engines then they will definitely stop hosting the race. 'Ron Walker in Australia is not happy. The Americans are not happy. Here, they are well down on public tickets. People go to F1 races for the atmosphere and the noise. I am not happy with what we have but we have to deal with it. 'I asked Stefano Domenicali (the Ferrari team principal) if anything can be done about it. He said he would ask his engineers but it is probably too late now. I said we should get the engineers goldplated PlayStations and send them to a desert island to play with them instead of building engines that are great pieces of equipment we don't need.' Steady: Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was third in the timesheets on Friday . Horner agreed that the sport is in need of an image makeover after the fallout from Melbourne - naturally enough as it was his driver, Daniel Ricciardo, who was disqualified for an alleged breach of the fuel-flow pressure. He said the rules were too complex for easy digestion by fans. He instead argued that the rule on fuel-flow pressure (of all tedious things) should be done away with and teams allowed to use their 100kg of fuel any way they liked. The sagacity of his suggestion was reinforced by the fact that Ricciardo's new sensor failed during practice, underlining Red Bull's belief the equipment being used by the FIA is not reliable. They will argue as much at an appeal hearing on April 14. Their form yesterday was encouraging: their world champion Sebastian Vettel was third fastest, a place ahead of Rosberg's team-mate Lewis Hamilton and a place behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen. So will Red Bull again defy the FIA if they believe the sensor is at fault? 'Hopefully, we can agree something with the FIA that is sensible', said Horner non-commitally. | Theory cites Bernie Ecclestone wants the value of F1 to decrease .
Ecclestone and Dietrich Mateschitz would then purchase majority share, with the 83-year-old supremo remaining in charge of Formula One .
Red Bull's Christian Horner would eventually be tutored to take over .
Ecclestone wants the noise levels of this year's cars to increase .
Horner claims sport is in need of makeover following Melbourne fallout . |
210,202 | 9c3919e61565a8129f18cc261fdaa6200418a609 | French fighter jets had to accompany a hijacked Ethiopian Airlines plane into Geneva airport because the Swiss air-force only work during regular office hours, it has emerged. An Ethiopian Airlines co-pilot - named locally as Hailemedehin Abera Tagegn - hijacked the plane bound for Rome and flew it to Switzerland yesterday, after threatening to crash it. When the plane landed the 30-year-old Ethiopian escaped from the cockpit down a rope and asked to seek asylum saying he wasn't safe in his own country. However, today it was revealed that it was Italian and French pilots who were scrambled to escort the plane into land and the Swiss played no part in the mission. The Swiss pilots were alerted to the problem at 4.30am but are only operational in normal office hours - not before 8am. Scroll down for video . Escape: A rope can be seen hanging from the window of the cockpit where the pilot fled yesterday after landing in Geneva airport after being escorted by fighter jets . Distressed: A family member of Hailemedhin Abera, 31, has said the co-pilot had been upset for the past month over the death of his uncle . Reddit user OK3n has posted an account of the hijacking from inside the plane, in which he says Abera told passengers 'sit down, put your masks on, I'm cutting the oxygen' The passenger then says he was left for six hours to ponder his fate while cabin crew walked around giving out drinks and trying to keep everybody calm . He said the attendants didn't give out any information on what was happening, but could be seen crying . A Swiss airforce spokesman Laurent Savary told AFP: 'Switzerland cannot intervene because its airbases are closed at night and on the weekend. It's a question of budget and staffing.' The Boeing 767-300 aircraft with 202 . passengers and crew on board had taken off from the Ethiopian capital, . Addis Ababa, and landed in Geneva at about 6am local time with just 20 . minutes of fuel remaining. The plane circled around Geneva until the co-pilot, who had worked for the airline for five years, had no criminal record and was declared medically sane, heard a direct response about his requests for asylum, it has been reported. Geneva airport chief executive Robert . Deillon told reporters that the co-pilot, . took control of the plane when the pilot left the cockpit. According to Sky News, passengers said . the pilot repeatedly demanded the co-pilot open the cockpit door but the . hijacker refused and threatened to crash the plane if the pilot carried . on. ‘The pilot went to the toilet and he (the co-pilot) locked himself in the cockpit,’ Mr Deillon said. The man "wanted asylum in Switzerland",' he said. ‘That's the motivation of the hijacking.’ Precaution: Geneva Airport was temporarily closed when the hijacked plane landed . Unusual approach: A graphic from a tracking app showing how the plane circled over Geneva . An Ethiopian man smuggled a pistol onto a plane and hijacked a Lufthansa flight going from Frankfurt to Addis Ababa in 1993. He demanded it be flown to the U.S. because he was denied a visa. In June and April 1994, Ethiopian Airlines suffered two hijackings at the hands of passengers who demanded to be flown to Europe, according to the Aviation Safety Network, which tracks aviation hijackings and other incidents. In 1995, an Ethiopian man trying to avoid being sent back home used a knife from a food tray to commandeer an Olympic Airlines jet just before it landed in Athens, Greece. Police overpowered the hijacker with no injuries to any of the 114 people on board, according to AP reports. Also that year, five armed men seized an Ethiopian Airlines jetliner and demanded the plane be flown to Greece and then Sweden. It was instead diverted to Al Obeid, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) west of Khartoum, Sudan. In 1996 a flight from Ethiopia to Ivory Coast via Kenya was seized by hijackers who then demanded to be flown to Australia. That flight ran out fuel and crashed off the island nation of Comoros, killing 125 people, according to the Aviation Safety Network. In 2001, five military pilot trainees wrested control of a plane during a flight from Bahr Dar, in northwestern Ethiopia, to the capital Addis Ababa and demanded to be flown to Saudi Arabia. The plane didn't have enough fuel so it landed in neighboring Sudan, according to AP reports. In 2002 two passengers armed with small knives and an explosive device attempted to hijack a domestic flight but were shot and killed by in-flight security, the Aviation Safety Network reported. The . hijacking began over Italy, Switzerland's southern neighbour, and two . Italian fighter jets were scrambled to accompany the plane, Mr Deillon . said. The co-pilot himself . alerted authorities to the plane's hijacking, officials added - though . passengers on the plane were unaware it had been hijacked. After landing . in Geneva, the co-pilot exited the cockpit using a rope and turned . himself in to authorities. Police escorted passengers one by one, with their hands above their heads, from the taxied plane to waiting vehicles. Geneva . prosecutor Olivier Jornot said Swiss federal authorities were . investigating the hijacking and would press charges which could carry a . prison sentence of up to 20 years. Geneva airport was initially closed to other flights, but operations resumed around two hours after the hijacked plane landed. ‘We hope everything will return to normal in the afternoon,’ Mr Deillon added. The flight apparently began emitting a 'hijacking code' as it flew over Sudan and this was picked up by aviation site Airlinereporter.com. It tweeted in the early hours of Monday morning: 'Ethiopian Airlines’ Flight 702 Squawks “HiJacking” for Reasons Unknown.' It reported that this beacon, known as a '7500', cannot come from a glitch. The website said that the co-pilot kept the plane in the air over Switzerland and France until his asylum request was mentioned. Ethiopian Airlines is owned by Ethiopia's government, which has faced persistent criticism over its rights record and alleged intolerance for political dissent. Human Rights Watch says Ethiopia's human rights record 'has sharply deteriorated' over the years. The rights group says authorities severely restrict basic rights of freedom of expression, association, and assembly. The government has been accused of targeting journalists, opposition members, as well as the country's minority Muslim community. | Flight ET702 made an unscheduled landing in Geneva on Monday morning .
Swiss police said the hijacker of the Rome-bound flight had been arrested .
French fighter jets escorted plane as the Swiss airforce works office hours .
The co-pilot took control of the plane when the captain went to the toilet .
He locked himself in the cockpit and threatened to crash the plane .
He climbed out of a window and descended by a rope when he landed .
Hijacker asked for asylum in Switzerland - said he wasn't safe in Ethiopia . |
176,557 | 709524a72c1d41449bf67572eff85de944a55b8e | (CNN) -- Three hostages were rescued from the headquarters of the Discovery Channel in Silver Spring, Maryland, Wednesday afternoon after police shot and killed the man who was holding them, officials said. The hostages were unharmed, said Police Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department. The suspect, identified by a law enforcement official as James Lee, earlier was in communication with authorities. A number of devices in backpacks that Lee held have to be rendered safe, Manger added. Manger said hostage negotiators negotiated for almost four hours by phone with Lee while police officers watched and listened to Lee on the building's surveillance system. "At times during the negotiations, he was calm, but I wouldn't call him lucid. The conversation was indicative to me he was dealing with some mental issues," he said. iReport: Are you there? Send us news, videos . Manger said the three hostages were lying on the ground, but were not otherwise constrained. He said Lee mainly dealt with the hostage negotiators and did not communicate with the hostages. "He stayed on point with his issues with Discovery," Manger said. At one point, one of the hostages moved, drawing Lee's attention, Manger said. Lee pulled his gun and aimed it at the hostages, and it was at that point that a sniper inside the building took the shot that killed Lee, he said. Another police official, Capt. Paul Starks, said the decision to shoot the gunman was made after authorities heard a gunshot or explosion go off in the area. As the police moved in, the hostages were running out, he said. Police believe, at least initially, that Lee was acting alone, Starks said. During the negotiations, Lee exhibited a "range of emotions," Manger said. At times he was agitated and at times he was calm, but he never strayed far from his grievance against Discovery, he said. According to a police spokesman, the suspect entered the building's main entrance "wearing what appeared to be metallic canister devices on his front and back. He also pulled a handgun out and was waving a handgun." According to Manger, Lee may have fired a shot when he entered the building. The three hostages held inside were a security guard and two other males, he said. iReports: On the scene | More photos . Discovery Channel spokesman David Leavy said company officials were familiar with Lee, who had protested at the network in 2008, but the company "did not take his threats or demands seriously." During the standoff, fewer than 10 Discovery Channel employees remained in the building "for a while, to assist law enforcement on navigating the building and the infrastructure and then we were all evacuated about an hour, 90 minutes into it," Leavy said. He added, "Our hope and expectation is that tomorrow morning we will be open for business and we will be making great TV again." Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Kevin Frazier said that before employees return to the building, authorities would search it for possible bombs. Lee was linked to a manifesto that was posted on the internet, a source close to the investigation told CNN. The angry manifesto repeatedly refers to humans as "filth" and demands that the Discovery Channel "stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants." "Civilization must be exposed for the filth it is," the 1,149-word statement says. Starks said during the situation that Lee was making some demands, and that the suspect had "concerns" with Discovery Communications. A person at One Discovery Place, the channel's headquarters, called police about 1 p.m. to report a man with a gun and possible explosives, said Angela Cruz, a police spokeswoman. The area was evacuated, she said. A day care center inside One Discovery Place was emptied, and the children were moved temporarily to a nearby McDonald's restaurant, authorities said. Witnesses said some of the children were in cribs on wheels, and that people pushed the cribs out of the building to safety. iReport: Photos of cribs being moved . Most of the 1,900 employees of the building were evacuated, but "a few" apparently remained on the upper floors, Manger said during the standoff. Lori Rorke told CNN that she was on the second floor when she and her co-workers heard about the man. "When we first heard the news, we heard that the gunman was mobile and we were told to go into locked offices," she said. "We were really panicking, then trying to keep it under control." But, she said, fellow workers carrying BlackBerry devices seemed to know what to do, and led her out of the building via a route that avoided the lobby. Street view of Discovery Channel headquarters . Lee was linked to the online screed, which said in part, "Humans are the most destructive, filthy, pollutive creatures around and are wrecking what's left of the planet with their false morals and breeding culture." The writer blasted immigration, farming, weapons of mass destruction, automotive pollution, "and the whole blasted human economy." He demanded that the Discovery Channel broadcast daily prime-time shows devoted to "solutions to save the planet," perhaps in a game-show format, insisting, "Make it interesting so people watch and apply solutions!!!!" Many of the writer's comments were directed at "the media," saying, "You can reach enough people. It's your responsibility because you reach so many minds!!!" Who is James Lee? "The world needs TV shows that DEVELOP solutions to the problems that humans are causing, not stupify the people into destroying the world. Not encouraging them to breed more environmentally harmful humans," the manifesto says. "These are the demands and sayings of Lee," the manifesto concludes. Aaron Morrissey, the editor-in-chief of the web publication DCist, said he came across James Lee's anti-Discovery Channel manifesto in 2008, when Lee was planning to hold a protest against the channel. Discovery programming and the hostage incident . The 2008 protest, he said, "was not that well attended." A month or so later, Lee was arrested near the building on littering and disorderly conduct charges, Morrissey said. The littering charge stemmed from Lee's throwing money into the air, he said. According to court records, a man with the same name and age as Lee was found guilty in 2008 of disorderly conduct. James Lee was acquitted of littering in the same case, according to Montgomery County, Maryland, Circuit Court records, said Eric Nee, a senior assistant state's attorney. Lee's two-year supervised probation ended August 18, records show. Because of the 2008 incident, a judge had warned Lee that year not to come within 500 feet of Discovery Communications, according to Maryland's Gazette newspaper. More coverage from CNN affiliate WJLA . Lee spent nearly two weeks in jail following his arrest and several days being evaluated by state psychiatrists, he said. ''I told them my idea of saving the planet," Lee was quoted in the Gazette. ''They couldn't find anything wrong with me." Lee said he began his crusade to save the planet after being laid off from his job in San Diego and reading ''Ishmael," a novel by Daniel Quinn about a gorilla that tells a man what it is like to live in captivity in a world where humans exploit natural resources. More coverage from CNN affiliate WUSA . Lee said he then felt an ''awakening," watched former Vice President Al Gore's documentary ''An Inconvenient Truth," and decided he had been doing too little to protect the environment. CNN's Mike Ahlers, Charley Keyes, Carol Cratty and Brianna Keiler contributed to this report. | A police sniper shoots James Lee after Lee aims a gun at hostages, police say .
Three hostages are unharmed, officials say .
Devices in backpacks held by Lee have to be rendered safe, police say .
A Discovery spokesman says the company knew of Lee, did not take his threats seriously . |
104,548 | 12e574903a7ebc2afe9a879d06f38e4bde59f080 | A man claims he has only 100 orgasms before he loses his ability to get an erection forever. The 34-year-old, known only as ‘RLS’, says doctors have diagnosed him with a rare condition which means each time he ejaculates, scar tissue will form in his penis. Eventually, the build up of scar tissue will mean he will no longer be able to achieve an erection, he says. He claims he has seen a range of doctors who are unable to explain the cause of his condition. A man claims doctors have said he only has 100 orgasms left before he loses his ability to get an erection forever. He apparently has a condition where hard scar tissue forms in his penis each time he is aroused, which will eventually make it impossible for his penis to become erect. Posed by model . They have called it ‘idiopathic fibrosis of the corpora cavernosa’ – which essentially means unexplained fibrous tissue - hard, scar tissue - forming in the penis. However, doctors have told MailOnline that while fibrosis – the build up of scar tissue – in the penis which leads to impotence is possible, it would be impossible to predict the exact number of orgasms a man would have before his penis ‘stopped working’. In a post on the website BroBible, RLS, who lives in the U.S., said he has now seen the ‘full battery of experts’ and specialists. He said: ‘Basically, there’s a reservoir in your penis that fills with blood when you have an erection. 'In my case, every time I get one, it causes an autoimmune reaction [where the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy tissue by mistake] which causes a scar tissue build-up in the reservoir. ‘Ultimately, the scar tissue will make it impossible to ever get [an erection] again.' He has apparently been told he is the first case anyone has ever seen - and has left doctors baffled. Fibrosis of the penis is a symptom of a rare condition called Peyronie’s disease, which usually affects men over 40 years old – although it can happen to men of any age. A thickened area or one or more hard lumps form in the shaft of the penis. As a result, it can become curved, and men can experience pain during an erection, or are sometimes unable to get one. Doctors do not exactly what causes Peyronie’s disease, but it has been linked to an injury or repeated blows to the penis, and is associated with low testosterone levels. But RLS says these explanations don’t apply to him. The man says he has not worn briefs or experienced an injury to his genitalia, so doctors are baffled as to what is causing the build up of scar tissue . He says he doesn’t wear briefs or use saunas, and has experienced no blunt force to his genitals - and so his case has baffled doctors. In his post, RLS says he has now accepted he will eventually lose his ability to get an erection, after trying every therapy possible. He said: ‘I’m 34 years old and I have a finite amount of real, working, orgasm-capable erections remaining. They estimate I have about a hundred nuts left.’ Despite trying every conceivable therapy and medication available, nothing works, he says. Therefore, he says he has been through the ‘five stages of grief’ and accepted he will be impotent in future. But while he is able to accept his fate, he says he still doesn’t know how to cope with it. He has to refrain from masturbation, and feels he needs to be selective with women. He said: ‘Lately, I’m terrified of sex itself. I slept with one woman since the diagnosis, but when she wanted to go for a second round, a wave of incredible panic swept over me. ‘I burst into a cold sweat and my chest felt like it was gonna cave in on itself. ‘Since then I’ve been chaste as a nun, but I toss and turn all night with crazy, disturbing sex dreams, and now I’m worried that I’ll lose a nut to a wet dream.’ He is now searching for others that might be suffering from the same condition, and wants to start a dialogue about how men can cope with the knowledge they might be impotent in the near future. But doctors contacted by MailOnline said they were sceptical about RLS’ diagnosis. Professor Raj Persad, a consultant urologist at Bristol Royal Infirmary, said he was not convinced. He told MailOnline: ‘“Idiopathic” means “unexplained”. There are conditions like fibrosis which makes blood flow to the penis impossible. ‘But there are lots of causes of fibrosis, such as trauma. ‘There would always be a cause of fibrosis in such a young man, and doctors should be able to find it. ‘It sounds like his problem is either psychogenic, or he’s suffering from Peyronie’s disease.’ Another urologist told MailOnline it would be ‘impossible’ to predict how many times a man with fibrosis could ejaculate before suffering erectile dysfunction. And Dr Ian Eardley, a consultant urologist at Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust and a spokesperson for The Urology Foundation, said RLS’ diagnosis sounded ‘implausible’. He told MailOnline: 'You can get fibrosis and scarring, usually caused by blood flow problems to the penis. ‘But it wouldn’t stop him ejaculating as that’s a different mechanism. ‘Blood flow isn’t related to usage – fibrosis wouldn’t be made worse by sex, in fact it might improve. ‘There is blood flow through the penis all the time. 'Therefore it's difficult to conceive why getting an erection would cause an autoimmune reaction to blood, when it’s flowing through the penis all the time. ‘Ejaculation and erection are two separate mechanisms. If you get fibrosis you may lose an erection. There are men with fibrosis who can climax and ejaculate but they can’t get an erection. ‘It’s possible he has Peyronie’s disease, but that’s normally in much older men and it’s very rare. 'However there is a theory that Peyronie’s disease has an autoimmune function.' | U.S. man, 34, known as RLS, says his condition has baffled doctors .
Each time he has an erection, it causes a reaction where scar tissue forms .
Eventually the scar tissue will make an erection impossible, he says .
Now he avoids masturbation and has to be selective with women .
Wants to open up dialogue about how men can accept sexual dysfunction . |
273,588 | ee67be3f1831692c65cbaef375079e96e99ed32f | By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 06:41 EST, 2 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:54 EST, 4 February 2013 . A van driver was handed a £200 fine for not displaying a No Smoking sticker on his new vehicle four times more than if he'd been caught actually puffing at the wheel. Freddie Beasley, 28, from Cleankill Environmental Services had just picked up the brand new van from a garage when he was pulled over in a joint police and council operation to clamp down on 'dodgy vehicles. Mr Beasley, who does not smoke, was warned that lighting up in company . vehicles was illegal and that he would have been fined £50 if he had . been caught taking a drag behind the wheel. Fuming: Company boss Paul Bates with the £200 fine handed to one of his drivers for not displaying a no smoking sign on a brand new vehicle . Clipboard-wielding . council officers then, however, spotted that he didn't had a 'no . smoking' sticker on his gleaming van and he was given an on-the-spot . fine of £200. Mr Beasley tried to explain that he had only just picked the new van up from a workshop where workers had painted the Cleankill logo on the side and that he was driving it back to the firm's HQ in Surrey. The law states that any 'company . vehicle' must have a no smoking sign - meaning that if he had been in . the van with no logo he wouldn't have been fined as it would have been . considered a 'personal van'. Yesterday Mr Beasley's boss Paul Bates said he was 'fuming' at the fine. He . said: 'Let this be a warning to anybody that drives a company van...we . have just been fined £200 for not displaying a no smoking sign in one of . our vans. Offence: Mr Beasley had failed to display a no-smoking sign in the brand new van . 'All our vans normally have them, but this was a new van we have only just had sign written, and was driven by somebody who doesn't smoke - but try explaining that to Haringey Council! 'The irony is that if our technician had been smoking he would have been fined four time less, just £50. 'There was no warning or caution - it is absolutely ridiculous and at a time when small business like ours are having a tough time financially.' The operation - run by Haringey Council, police and bailiffs - was called 'Operation Stop It' and was aimed at cracking down on 'unlicensed waste carriers' - fly-tippers - and other vehicles guilty of 'environmental crime'. Bosses at Haringey Council said that 95 vehicles were stopped outside the Wickes DIY store in Haringey last Friday. Among those stopped included six people driving vehicles in such a bad state they were seized by police, one man arrested for possessing drugs, one for stealing a disabled badge and several fly-tippers. They also doled out 12 £200 fines for not displaying 'no smoking signs' in company vehicles and two £50 fines to people caught smoking inside company vans. Cllr Nilgun Canver, Cabinet Member for the Environment at Haringey Council, said: 'We will continue to work closely with our partners in the police and the courts to tackle illegal activity around vehicles, especially looking out for unlicensed waste carriers that are responsible for so much dumping in our borough. 'We will continue to protect those workers who are forced to sit in smoke polluted environments because their employers don't comply with the law which bans smoke in company vehicles.' | Non-smoker Freddie Beasley had just picked up the new van from a garage .
Pulled over in a joint police and council clamp down on 'dodgy' vehicles .
Council officers then spotted that he didn't had a 'no smoking' sticker . |
170,107 | 682977fdb7e1013f3dbfc909ccbc743a2ab93a76 | GITARAMA, Rwanda (CNN) -- What does Macy's have to do with healing from genocide? Nothing and everything. Iphigenia Mukantabana sits with Jean-Bosco Bizimana, her family's killer, at her home after church. Fourteen years after Hutu extremists killed between 800,000 and 1 million people -- mostly Tutsis -- in a devastating slaughter, Rwandan women are weaving peace baskets for sale at Macy's in the United States. Not only does the work bring them a regular salary, the business is also fostering reconciliation between victim and perpetrator. Iphigenia Mukantabana, a master weaver, sits in front of her house in Gitarama -- an hour from the capital, Kigali -- making beautiful baskets with her friend Epiphania Mukanyndwi. In 1994, Mukantabana's husband and five of her children were hacked and clubbed to death by marauding Hutu militias. Among her family's killers was Jean-Bosco Bizimana, Mukanyndwi's husband. "In my heart, the dead are dead, and they cannot come back again," Mukantabana said of those she lost. "So I have to get on with the others and forget what has happened." Forgetting and forgiving everything she lost, everything she witnessed. "Women and girls were raped, and I saw it all," she told CNN. "The men and boys were beaten and then slaughtered. They told others to dig a hole, get in, then they piled earth on top of them, while they were still alive." Watch Mukantabana say how she survived » . Yet today, Mukantabana shares her future and her family meals with Bizimana, the killer she knew, and his wife, her friend Mukanyndwi. Bizimana did spend seven years in jail. He then went before a tribal gathering, part of a return to traditional ways by the new government in 2002 with Rwanda's justice system unable to cope and process hundreds of thousands of imprisoned perpetrators. The government decided that the master planners and worst perpetrators would face formal justice. But lower-level killers were allowed to publicly confess and apologize to the families of their victims at gacaca courts, where elders would hear grievances and decide on the punishments. "In the gacaca court, I told them how we killed our fellow men, and I asked for forgiveness in front of the court, and the whole district was there," Bizimana said. "The people who died in this very area -- I knew all of them because they were our neighbors." Watch Bizimana describe how he killed Tutsis » . He places blame squarely on the extremist Hutu government at the time and on vile radio broadcasts that urged on the killers during the 100-day slaughter. "They were giving instructions all the time that was from the government, and so we thought it as the right thing because we were getting this instruction from the government," Bizimana said. He showed where he and a Hutu mob had killed 25 people, including members of Mukantabana's family, a few yards from where he had just shared lunch with her. "We used machetes, hoes and wooden clubs," he told CNN. Mukantabana admits that it was difficult to forgive. She said she did not speak to Bizimana or his wife for four years after the killings. What put her on the road to healing, she said, was the gacaca process. "It has not just helped me, it has helped all Rwandans because someone comes and accepts what he did and he asks for forgiveness from the whole community, from all Rwandans," she said. Bizimana said he did just that. "You go in front of the people like we are standing here and ask for forgiveness," he said. But despite his confession and apology, Mukantabana said, reconciliation would not have happened unless she had decided to open her heart and accept his pleas. "I am a Christian, and I pray a lot," she said, the pain etched in the lines on her face and around her sad eyes. But the basket business also played a key role in forging forgiveness and reconciliation after the horror. "We knew how to weave baskets," Mukantabana explained. "It helped unite Rwandans in this area because they accepted me as the master weaver, and I could not say, 'I am not taking your basket' or 'I am not helping you because you did something bad to me.' " See photos of the women who have learned to forgive » . Macy's sold the first "peace baskets" in 2005, and officials say the deal generates between $300,000 and $400,000 a year. A Rwandan weaver can earn about $14 per week -- a king's ransom in a country where so many live on less than $1 per week. The international project is a far cry from 1994, when the United States, Europe, the United Nations and the rest of the world turned away while the genocide went unchecked in Rwanda. "They didn't care; they were totally indifferent," Rwandan President Paul Kagame told CNN in his office in Kigali. He said the world thought Rwanda "was just another bloody African situation where people just kill each other and that's it." Watch Kagame explain why he sought reconciliation » . Today, Rwanda is an African success story. It has one of the fastest economic growth rates in the region, one of the lowest crime rates and the lowest rate of HIV-AIDS. About one-third of Rwanda's cabinet are female ministers, and 48 percent of parliamentarians are women -- the highest anywhere in the world, according to the United Nations. The country looks squeaky clean thanks to many local and national programs, including a mandatory policy that sees even government ministers participate in clean-up once a month. Plastic bags are banned. The international business community praises Rwanda's good governance and the absence of official corruption or graft. Kagame is credited not just with turning Rwanda around, but with being the driving force behind rejecting revenge. "We were in danger of having another genocide," he said. "People were so badly aggrieved they could easily have turned on those they thought were responsible for this and actually killed them in another wave of killings. But that did not happen," he said. "We said building a nation is the most important thing." Now no one talks about Hutus or Tutsis, he explained. "There is Rwanda, there are Rwandans, and the common interest we have for a better future for this country is more important than any other interest." In Gitarama, Bizimana said, "It hurts my heart to see that I did something wrong to friends of my family, to people who we even shared meals with," he said. "I am still asking for forgiveness from the people I hurt." Amazingly, many seem to have forgiven. | Basket weaver's husband, five children were hacked and clubbed to death .
One of killers was neighbor, caught up in hatred of Rwanda's genocide .
But now, victim and perpetrator share lunch, forgiveness and a future .
President Paul Kagame says Rwanda is healing, moving beyond 1994 genocide . |
144,312 | 46a077a22b309856c642a8efc5e5f3756f26849c | British soldiers have returned to Iraq to train Kurdish fighters in using heavy weapons as the fight against ISIS intensifies. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the 'small specialist team' will be based near the Kurdish capital of Irbil in northern Iraq after their deployment was approved by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. While in the war-torn region, the troops will train the Kurdish peshmerga forces to use the heavy weapons supplied to them last month. Kurdish peshmerga forces, who are set to receive training in firing weapons by British forces being sent to Iraq . The peshmerga forces are said to be overrun in northern Iraq and have had weapons supplied to them in their fight against ISIS . It comes five years afer the last combat troops left Iraq after British forces invaded in 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein. According to the Sunday Times, the troops will come from the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, who are based in Cyprus. They also reported that Briain has sent 61 tons of machineguns and ammunition to the Kurds. It is thought they will teach the Kurds how to fire the powerful L1A1 12.7mm machine gun. The peshmerga forces are said to be overrun in northern Iraq and last month failed their first major test on the battlefield last month, when ISis militants overran their positions . The powerful L1A! 12.7mm heavy machine gun, which British troops will train peshmerga Kurds how to use . Defence Secretary Michael Fallon approved the deployment of the ground troops, who will be based near Irbil . A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: 'The Government has previously made clear its intention to provide training to the Peshmerga as part of the continued effort to assist in the fight against Isil (ISIS). The SAS used the world's most powerful sniper rifle to halt ISIS killers in Iraq, it has been reported. It is thought that the SAS team used the AW50 weapon to shoot at a lorry taking militants to a undefended Iraqi village. According to the Daily Star Sunday, the troops feared they were going to target vulnerable civilians so decided to deploy the gun. The first shot is said to have hit the truck's engine, which split in two. And when the jihadists tried to flee in a second vehicle, they destroyed that too. The AW50 is described as a high-calibre, long range weapon, capable of taking out enemies from extreme distances. 'The Defence Secretary has approved the deployment of a small specialist team of non-combat Army trainers which is now in the Irbil area providing instruction on operating, employing and maintaining the heavy machine guns that were gifted by the UK last month.' It is also believed that a number of special forces are also operating in the region as part of efforts to track down those responsible for the beheadings of four hostages including David Haines and Alan Henning. It comes as RAF Tornado fighter-bombers have been taking part in US-led bombing raids ISIS, for a fortnight. But there is strong resistance among politicians to any ground troop involvement in fighting against the Islamist group, which controls a vast swathe of Iraq and neighbouring Syria. The news of British troops being sent back to Iraq comes after other western countries including the United States also began training Kurdish peshmerga forces. It is thought that ISIS militants have overru around a thrid of the country. More than 100 instructors from Germany, Canada, Australia and United States are now on the ground in Iraqi Kurdistan, teaching the region's peshmerga forces how to use the new weapons. It has been reported that the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia and Czech Republic have also sent weapons to Kurds. | MoD confirms a 'small, specialist team' will be based near Kurdish capital Irbil .
Will train Kurdish peshmerga forces to use heavy weapons supplied to them .
Reported the troops will be from the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment .
Comes five years after the last British combat troops left Iraq . |
270,134 | e9daf0c004bc87ac83dbd9982677c804f1693ed7 | By . Emma Glanfield . These photographs may appear to show a magnificent display by the world-renowned Red Arrows – but in reality they reveal remote control replicas which have been made by a father and son ‘stunt pilot’ duo. Steven Bishop, 52, and son Matthew, 25, have wowed audiences around the world with their quarter-scale aircrafts which cost £10,000 to make and are powered by a small jet engine. The BA Hawk 22s replicas, which took around twelve months to make, are flown from the safety of the ground by remote control. Scroll down for videos . Steven Bishop, 52 and his son Matthew, 25, from Telford, Shropshire, spent around £10,000 and 12 months building the remote control replica BA Hawk 22s, pictured . The Bishops have become world-renowned stunt pilots - from the ground - and have mesmerised audiences with the remote control Red Arrows planes, pictured . Mr Bishop, from Telford, Shropshire, said the orginial Red Arrows daredevils have even been mesmerised by the 113 inch long replica models. He said: ‘I started building model aircrafts when I was around six-years-old but it was all very different then. ‘You had one control and were expected to do all the flying with that. ‘On the BA Hawk 22s - which are flown by the Red Arrows - we have 18 different controls on a number of channels so there can be a lot to take in. ‘People are always really impressed and sometimes can't even tell the difference from the real thing. ‘At one airshow the Red Arrows couldn't fly because of the weather so most of their crowd came by to watch us. The Red Arrows replicas are identical to the real planes and have been flown at air shows around the world. Mr Bishop, from Telford, Shropshire, said the orginial Red Arrows daredevils have even been mesmerised by the replica models . The real deal: The father and son modelled their remote control planes on the real Red Arrows, pictured here returning to their base at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire in August 2011 . Steven Bishop and his son Matthew spent approximately one year building the remote control replica BA Hawk 22s, which are the exact planes flown by the Red Arrows . Steven Bishop said: 'At one airshow the Red Arrows couldn't fly because of the weather so most of their crowd came by to watch us. It was quite incredible - after the show we noticed that some of the actual pilots had come by to watch the show' ‘It was quite incredible - after the show we noticed that some of the actual pilots had come by to watch the show. ‘Our popularity has grown incredibly since we started and we now get invitations to fly from around the world. ‘We've recently been invited to Korea to fly so that should be exciting.’ He added: ‘People love the Red Arrows, they're a British institution and people from all over the world want to see them - and if they can't get the real thing that's where we step in.’ Despite being regarded as one of the best radio controlled formation flying teams in the world Steve and Matthew, pictured building one of the planes, only practice when flying at shows . The father and son have become well-known for their miniature Red Arrows planes which have a wing span of 100 inches and weigh around 25kg . The remote control aeroplanes are flown from the safety of the ground. Their popularity as quickly helped Steven and Matthew Bishop become one of the best radio controlled formation flying teams in the world . The Red Arrows replicas are incredibly life-like and even have a little dummy sitting in the cockpit acting as the pilot. The remote control planes have often fooled people across the world who have mistaken them for the real Red Arrows . Despite being regarded as one of the best radio controlled formation flying teams in the world Steve and Matthew only practice when flying at shows. Mr Bishop added: ‘It's hard to find the time to get out with the planes so we tend to use the shows to fly. ‘It is very difficult but the fact that we're father and son means we know how each other thinks. ‘I normally lead so I shout out instructions then we pull off the stunts together.’ A Red Arrows plane, pictured at the Farnborough Airshow in 2008, can reach speeds of up to 600mph . THE REAL RED ARROWS: . THE REMOTE CONTROL REPLICAS: . | Steven Bishop and son Matthew spent around £10,000 and twelve months building the BA Hawk 22s replicas .
The aircrafts, which measure 113 inches in length, are flown from the safety of the ground using a remote control .
Audiences across the world have been mesmerised by the miniature planes which are identical to the Red Arrows . |
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