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90,201 | 000efdbb001fd19666b37456e239c78c52908655 | In case you get bored of cracking a thirst-quenching beer with a purpose-made bottle opener - you could always mix it up by using a chainsaw. A fair dinkum Aussie bloke has mastered the fine of art of knocking the top off a bottle of beer with his high-powered cutting tool which he very proudly had his mate film and post on YouTube. Decked out in singlet top and cargo shorts, the barefooted and tattooed man was full of confidence and bravado as he approached the stubby with the revving chainsaw. Scroll down for video . An Aussie bloke instructs his mate on how to hold the beer bottle in preparation for the big moment . One second it's there (left) and the next second the beer bottle top disappears (right) His mate, who was filming the footage while holding the beer, wasn't quite so convinced there would be a successful outcome. 'What do you want me to f*****g do?' he asked while nervously laughing. 'Hold it like that,' the chainsaw-wielding friend instructed before adding 'I told you to open the f*****g stubby!' Still not entirely convinced the camera man tried to talk his mate out of the outrageous stunt. 'It's a dumb idea bro,' he said still uncontrollably cracking up. The well-deserved reward - necking the bottle of beer within seconds after his thirsty work . But as cool as a cucumber, his pal approached the bottle in an unexpected delicate fashion and seamlessly pops the top of the bottle with great precision. The camera man instantly went into complete hysterics from relief as his cocky mate casually steps back still revving his inventive and extra powerful new bottle opener. Extremely in awe and unable to stop laughing from disbelief, his mate passes him the well- deserved brew which the man downs in a matter of seconds. Opening bottles of beer - is clearly thirsty work. Clearly not camera shy the dare devil shows his delight at his stunt by revving his chainsaw in the air . | An Aussie bloke uses a chainsaw to open a bottle of Corona .
The tattooed man with was full of confidence and bravado .
But his mate wasn't so sure as he filmed the stunt while holding the beer .
His pal seamlessly pops the top of the bottle with great precision .
Then he proudly downs the well-deserved beer within seconds . |
17,828 | 3282913fc6d91eb760ef8edf6bb9c51353d13c7c | By . Katy Winter . Two mothers who became best friends when their babies were born on the same day have repeated the double act two and a half years later. Claire Ottaway and Michelle Noble got chatting when they were in neighbouring hospital beds in Scarborough Hospital, North Yorkshire, after having boys Ben and Henry on March 8, 2012. And last month they were back alongside each other as they gave birth on the same day - July 30 - for the second time at odds of 270,000-1. Best friends Claire and Michelle from Scarborough with their sons both born on 8 March 2012, and daughters both born on 30 July 2014 . Evie Ottaway (left) and Isabel Noble, both born on the 30 July 2014 within hours of each other . Big brother Ben Ottoway meets newborn sister Evie (left) and Henry Noble with baby sister Isabel (right) This time teacher Claire, 33, had daughter Evie who arrived at 10.11am by elective C Section weighing 6lbs 6oz. Michelle’s daughter Isabel was born just under two hours later at 12.06pm weighing 6lbs 4oz. Claire, who is married to B&Q worker Rob, 32, and also has son Jake, five, said she was delighted to have shared the birth date with Michelle, 29, again. She said: 'I was actually supposed to have Evie a week later but doctors decided they ought to get her out earlier and brought it forward to the same birth date as Michelle. We just couldn’t believe it. 'It is so lovely that we have been able to share this whole journey together. 'When we first had Ben and Henry I was able to offer Michelle loads of advice because I’d already done it before with Jake. 'But we couldn’t believe it when we both fell on pregnant again at the same time. 'This time we’ve been able to share the whole pregnancy together, being at the same stages, with morning sickness and bloating and tiredness, together. Claire, left, had daughter Evie who arrived at 10.11am while Michelle, right, had daughter Isabel just under two hours later at 12.06pm . 'We have really helped each other through.' Claire and Michelle first met in March 2012 when they found themselves side by side in Scarborough Hospital in North Yorkshire. Michelle’s first son Henry arrived first on March 8 at 4.07am weighing 7lbs 20z and Ben - Claire’s second son - followed at 9.46am, weighing 8lbs 5oz. The two women, who live in Scarborough, swapped numbers and kept up their friendship at post-natal groups. They then started meeting every Monday and have continued to do so every week since. Second time around, occupational therapist Michelle and husband, electrical supervisor Tom, 28, learned they were expecting again at the end of 2013. Claire and Rob Ottoway with son Ben and daughter Evie (left), and older son Jake(centre) and Michelle Noble with son Henry and daughter Isabel (right) Michelle told Claire straight away but Claire managed to keep her happy news to herself until her three month scan. Michelle said: 'It was so exciting to be pregnant together, but to give birth again on the same day - what are the chances of that? And we both had the same sex children. 'It was good because I did not know what I was having so my newborn clothes were all neutral. 'When I had a little girl, Claire, who knew what she was having, gave me a pink babygrow to put Isabel in. 'The hospital were so good with us, they let us stay in the beds next to each other. They were chuffed for us because they’ve never seen anything like this before. Big brother Jake Ottoway (centre) oversees his siblings Ben and Evie (right) who were born on the same days as Henry and Isabel Noble (left) 'It was so lovely to be in hospital with a great friend. We helped each other through times of worry and never got bored. We are besties. 'And now our children are going to be good friends too. 'The boys already get on great together, they both like the same things, they are both mummy’s boys and quite placid, and we have so much fun together. 'They reached milestones, such as walking and talking at relatively the same time, and it was great to share those moments. 'It is lovely that this will keep on going and we will be raising our families together. 'We have decided in future we will have to combine birthday parties. 'Although now, I have decided I’m not going to have any more children so if Claire decides to have any more she is on her own.' | Claire had Evie at 10.11am while Michelle had Isabel at 12.06pm .
Pair met in 2012 when they had sons on the same day . |
207,924 | 99338ed42dd9328f174f5a1503d52a1c4ccdb109 | Robin van Persie admits he cannot wait to start playing with the raft of world class signings that have arrived at Manchester United this summer. In an unprecedented recruitment drive, Louis van Gaal has spent over £150million to bring in six new players - Luke Shaw, Ander Hererra, Marcos Rojo, Angel di Maria, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao - as the club look to return past glories. 'I can't wait to go and train and play with the world-class players we have signed - wow!' Van Persie told the club's official website while training with the Holland squad in the Austrian Alps this week. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Leroy Fer slams in a thumping volley during Holland training . Dutch courage: Robin van Persie is confident 'wow! sigings can reverse Manchester United's fortunes . Alpine retreat: Van Persie is away on international duty training with the Holland squad in the Austrian Alps . 'That feeling, that we are going to perform well, has only got stronger after the buying of players over the last weeks. I find it very exciting, the arrival of all those new players.' The 31-year-old is confident the new arrivals can help turn around United's dismal start to the season, which has seen them yet to win a Premier League game and crash out of the Capital One Cup to lowly MK Dons. Deadline day signings Blind and Falcao could make their league debuts against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday alongside Rojo, who has finally been granted a work permit . Take a bow: Radamel Falcao is expected to make his United debut after a cameo for Colombia against Brazil . Big bucks: Record signing Angel di Maria starred in Argentina's 4-2 destruction of Germany last week . Tall order: Louis van Gaal has been charged with returning former glories after a dismal start to the season . You can like our Manchester United Facebook page here . | Robin van Persie is excited by Manchester United's new signings .
Louis van Gaal has brought in Luke Shaw, Ander Hererra, Marcos Rojo, Angel di Maria, Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao .
Dutchman believes they can help Red Devils recover from dismal start . |
88,313 | faabe4e3f09a968357a72e9bd8e18390c991b1d1 | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . PUBLISHED: . 12:18 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:04 EST, 12 March 2014 . The world's most important astronomical authority has slapped down a bid to hawk the names of Mars' craters, saying the red planet is not up for sale. The move came after Colorado-based crowdsourcing site Uwingu said the public could name craters on its map of Mars for a fee. 'Such initiatives go against the spirit of free and equal access to space, as well as against internationally recognised standards,' said Paris-based International Astronomical Union (IAU). The world's most important astronomical authority has slapped down a bid to hawk the names of Mars' craters, saying the red planet is not up for sale . 'Hence no purchased names can ever be used on official maps and globes.' Founded in 1919, the IAU holds the official mission of naming all planets, satellites, comets and asteroids in the Solar System. The topographical features of Mars, named after the Roman god of war, for instance, carry Latin names like 'mons' for mountain and 'planitia' for plain. In half a century, the union has named only a thousand of the estimated half-a-million craters on Mars -- each decided in a cautious vetting process. The move came after U.S crowdsourcing website Uwingu said the public could name craters on its map of Mars for a fee . Craters less than 62 miles (100km) in diameter are named after towns on Earth with fewer than 100,000 people. Craters . wider than this are named after late planetary scientists. Using that . scheme, a large crater might someday be named after Carl Sagan or Eugene . Shoemaker. One, for . instance, has been named after Hal Masursky, a geologist who spent his . career at Nasa studying lunar and planetary surfaces and the best places . for landing. Large craters wider than 37.5 miles (60km) have been named after deceased scientists, explorers and writers who have added to Martian lore. Smaller ones carry the names of Earthly cities with populations of fewer than 100,000. Uwingu said the money generated through its scheme, launched two weeks ago, will be used as 'grants for space researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs in this time of government cutbacks'. Prices start from $5 to (£3) with cost increasing based on the size of the crater. Those who purchase a name will have it listed on Uwingu's database, which also includes monickers already given by the IAU. The purchase only gives rights to the entry in the database, not to the crater itself. The IAU said the public can get involved in naming of craters when a space agency or the discoverer of a new feature or object asks for ideas. 'Once you've completed the checkout process, your name is accepted,' says the website. 'And unless it's later found to be profane, pejorative, or otherwise offensive (in which case it?ll be removed), it'll remain approved.' In an article posted Monday on the specialist website The Space Review, Uwingu's founders -- planetary scientists Alan Stern and Mark Sykes -- said 7,000 craters had been named by people in 78 countries in 10 days. The IAU said the public can get involved in naming when a space agency or the discoverer of a new feature or object asks for ideas. 'This was the case for Nasa's's Magellan Venus mapping mission launched in 1989: the public was invited to offer names of women who had made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their fields, for the names of Venusian craters,' it said. 'A more recent example was the naming of the two most recently discovered satellites of Pluto in 2013, which was the result of a public vote.' The moons were named after a many-headed guard dog, Kerberos, and an underworld goddess, Styx, in Greek mythology. Uwingu's founders said 7,000 craters had been named by people in 78 countries in 10 days . | The move came after Uwingu said the public could name craters for a fee .
Prices started from $5 (£3) with cost increasing based on the size of crater .
In just 10 days, 7,000 craters had been named by people in 78 countries .
But the International Astronomical Union has now said 'no purchased names can ever be used on official maps and globes' |
7,195 | 1461d5fae736202e232f8733681042dbdbe289a8 | Passengers stranded for hours on a freezing subway train during a 2010 blizzard are getting $2,500 from New York City's transit agency. The settlements were reached with 38 riders who sued the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. They were among some 500 passengers aboard A train that was trapped by two feet of snow. Some passengers stranded for hours on a freezing subway train during a 2010 blizzard are getting $2,500 from New York City's transit agency. Pictured: One of the passengers talks of his ordeal in 2010 . Passengers sat on the train for 10 hours without food, water or heat. 'When I think about it now, I can't believe it happened in New York City,' said Agnes Hui, one of two-dozen plaintiffs named in the biggest among a number of lawsuits. 'It was horrific,' she told the New York Daily News. Passengers on the stranded train said their frantic cellphone calls to 911 and the MTA did not result in any action - or even helpful information. With frost developing on the subway windows inside, passengers spent the night huddled together in one of the five cars to create some body heat, they said. One woman resorted to a makeshift toilet - outside between subway cars. Others urinated or defecated in the car filled with riders, some standing for hours because there wasn't enough room, according to the complaint. Passengers on the stranded train (pictured in 2010) said their frantic cellphone calls to 911 and the MTA did not result in any action - or even helpful information . Several passengers (pictured) had to be hospitalized after finally being rescued from the Manhattan-bound train, which was stuck on the tracks between the Aqueduct and Rockaway Boulevard stations . Several others had to be hospitalized after finally being rescued from the Manhattan-bound train, which was stuck on the tracks between the Aqueduct and Rockaway Boulevard stations. One rider developed bronchitis, another pneumonia. 'When the train was finally moved, the passengers were off-loaded at the next stop, in the freezing cold, with about three feet of snow on the ground,' the plaintiffs said in their lawsuit. Aymen Aboushi, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, tells the Daily News, the goal of the suit was to ensure it did not happen again. MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz called it 'a fair settlement for all parties involved.' Among measures the agency adopted after the storm was a customer advocate to ensure riders' well-being on stuck vehicles. But Hui, who was returning with her daughter from JFK Airport after a flight was canceled, said it 'was really maddening the MTA never apologized.' The blizzard was part of a mammoth blizzard that stretched from Florida to Maine. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration was criticized for its slow response to the foul weather and its aftermath (file photo 2014) More than 2 feet of snow fell on some parts of New York City, combined with strong winds that led to a massive transportation gridlock. Hundreds of buses were stuck on streets, commuter trains were frozen onto tracks and major airports closed. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration was criticized for its slow response to the foul weather and its aftermath. Streets went unplowed for days, and cars, buses and other vehicles were stranded. Bloomberg acknowledged the response was not good enough. | Settlements reached with 38 riders who sued Metropolitan Transportation Authority .
500 passengers aboard A train that was stopped by two feet of snow .
Passengers spent the night huddled together in one of the five cars to create some body heat, they said . |
56,389 | 9fc43733e2077e0356a296342e6f824f14c4afe2 | Control: Sir James Munby said foreign nations should decide the fate of their own children . Judges and social workers were yesterday warned that they must not seize control of the lives of foreign children. No court can order a child from Europe to be taken from their parents or given up for adoption, said Britain’s most senior family law judge, Sir James Munby. Overseas authorities should always have a say in cases involving their nationals, and the future of foreign children must be decided by courts in their own country, he said. Judges and social workers must no longer keep their decisions secret or try to gag foreign media either, he added. Sir James, the president of the Family Division of the High Court, laid down rules for judges dealing with such issues as he handled the case of a 12-year-old boy from Slovakia. The judge said the Slovak boy - whose . case has been heavily reported by newspapers in Bratislava - should live . with an aunt. Slovak authorities were closely involved in the case. It comes six weeks after the scandal over Alessandra Pacchieri, an Italian mother who was forced by a British judge in the secretive Court of Protection to undergo a compulsory caesarean. Miss Pacchieri, 35, who suffers from bipolar disorder, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act after suffering a breakdown at Stansted Airport during a short visit to Britain. In secret court hearings, a Court of Protection judge ordered that she undergo a compulsory caesarean, and a family court judge in Chelmsford overruled her pleas and ordered that her baby daughter should be adopted in this country. Last month Sir James rejected an application by Essex social workers forbidding British and Italian newspapers from naming Miss Pacchieri. He said that the attempt to deny her a right to speak out in public was ‘an affront to humanity’. Miss Pacchieri may now be named in public, while the name of her baby being brought up in Essex, and her adoptive parents, remain secret. The case of Miss Pacchieri and the future of her baby have yet to be finalised by the courts. But yesterday in the similar case of the Slovak boy Sir James laid down a series of rules for judges ‘in a wider context’ which he said courts must follow in future. Sir James said: ‘To seek to shelter in this context . behind our normal practice of sitting in private and limiting the . permissible flow of information to outsiders is not merely unprincipled; . it is likely to be counter-productive and, potentially, extremely . damaging. Controversial: Several decisions have been made by the Court of Protection, which sits mostly in secret and presides over cases involving mental health issues or people deemed unable to decide for themselves . ‘If anyone thinks . this an unduly radical approach, they might pause to think how we would . react if roles were reversed and the boot was on the other foot.’ He added: ‘It is one of frequently voiced complaints that the courts . of England and Wales are exorbitant in their exercise of their care . jurisdiction over children from other European countries. ‘The . number of care cases involving children from other European countries . has risen sharply in recent years and significant numbers of care cases . now involve such children. Abuse: There has been a sharp rise in care cases coming to British courts (photo posed by model) ‘It . would be idle to ignore the fact that these concerns are only . exacerbated by the fact that the UK is unusual in Europe in permitting . the total severance of family ties without parental consent. 'The outcome . of care proceedings in England and Wales may be that a child who is a . national of another European country is adopted by an English family . notwithstanding the vigorous protests of the child’s non-English . parents. 'It is one of the frequently voiced complaints that the courts of England and Wales are exorbitant in their exercise of their care jurisdiction over children from other European countries.’ The judge said children must live in Britain for British courts to hold sway. For a family judge to act, foreign authorities must be permitted in court and kept fully informed, he added. He said English courts should allow European judges to decide on the lives of children who live mainly in their countries, and English judges should make declarations that they have no jurisdiction in such cases. Sir James also condemned efforts by social workers and courts in England to silence foreign newspapers. ‘As a general principle, any attempt by the English court to control foreign media, whether directly or indirectly, is simply impermissible,' he said. 'For the courts of another state to assume such a role involves an exercise of jurisdiction which is plainly exorbitant, not least as involving interference in the internal affairs of another state. 'What would we think, what would the English media think, if a family judge in Ruritania were to order the Daily Beast to desist from complaining about the way in which the judicial and other state authorities in Ruritania were handling a case involving an English mother?' | High Court family judge Sir James Munby spoke out in case of Slovak boy .
He said attempts by social workers to gag media were 'impermissible'
It comes after Italian mother was given forced caesarean in secret case . |
158,885 | 596a37e3c0b35a0bf97903ab5d9f21fd2625968b | (CNN) -- The U.S. government for the first time has provided legal notice that it plans to prosecute a defendant using information gathered by a controversial National Security Agency surveillance program. The Friday notice to lawyers in a terror case against Jamshid Muhtorov is significant because it allows the defendant to have court standing to challenge the program and its use in his prosecution. Previous legal challenges to the program failed because they couldn't prove the warrantless surveillance was used in a prosecution. The government has used such surveillance information for investigative purposes before, but without public notification, according to U.S. officials and lawmakers who have come to the defense of the NSA. But civil liberties groups have pushed the Justice Department to publicly disclose any use. Friday's announcement is expected to trigger a constitutional challenge that could land in the U.S. Supreme Court. The program is authorized under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which has become the subject of scrutiny since disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Court records show that federal investigators monitored phone calls and Internet activity by Muhtorov. "The government intends to offer into evidence or otherwise use or disclose in proceedings ... information obtained or derived from acquisition of foreign intelligence information conducted pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978," Friday's court filing said. Muhtorov has been charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Muhtorov, who resided in Aurora, Colorado, was taken into custody in January 2012 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. He is a refugee from Uzbekistan and is accused of planning to travel overseas and fight on behalf of the Islamic Jihad Union, authorities said. The IJU, a Pakistan-based extremist group with an anti-Western ideology, opposes secular rule in Uzbekistan and seeks to replace the regime there with a government based on Islamic law, the U.S. Justice Department said. Government officials say the IJU is known for conducting suicide attacks in Uzbekistan. The group has also claimed responsibility for numerous attacks against coalition forces in Afghanistan, a Justice Department statement said last year. Muhtorov allegedly has sworn allegiance to the IJU, stating that he was "ready for any task, even with the risk of dying," the department said. However, Muhtorov has not been linked to any plots or attacks on targets inside the United States, the statement said. Muhtorov also uses the names Abumumin Turkistony and Abu Mumin, authorities said. | Feds say for first time it will use NSA surveillance against a criminal defendant .
A terror suspect will now have legal standing to challenge controversial NSA program .
Previous legal challenges to program failed because they didn't have standing .
Terror defendant is an Uzbekistan refugee accused of aiding Islamic Jihad Union . |
26 | 001adf6209be103cb198b8599f236b4d5760a5fe | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:44 EST, 10 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:29 EST, 11 October 2012 . A Florida woman said she was humiliated by local police as she accused them of hogtying her, parading her around topless and bashing some of her teeth out during her arrest last year. Ashleigh Davis, of Ocala, Florida, said she found herself on the wrong side of the law in April of last year at the Leesburg Bikefest after she and another woman were having an argument. When police asked her to leave, she reportedly refused, and was bound by her hands and feet by officers from the Leesburg Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Humiliation: Ashleigh Davis can be seen laying topless in the middle of a holding cell, surrounded by several male officers . Damage: Davis said her teeth were cracked after one of the officers slammed her head into the floor . Speaking out: Davis says she deserved to be arrested, but not the brutality she claims to have suffered . The 32-year-old said that while she was being detained, her bikini top fell off, and officers whisked her away topless in front of onlookers. Davis told the Palm Beach Post: '[Officers] handcuffed my hands to my feet and then took a tie and tied it around, then carried me like a suitcase and threw me on the back of a golf cart.' Busted: Davis was given a green sweater for her booking photo . She told the paper that she suffered further shame at the Leesburg Police Department, as she laid nearly naked on the floor of the police station holding cell while a group of officers laughed at her. Davis said that the abuse didn’t stop there, as one of them allegedly smacked her face against the floor and chipped some of her teeth after she had bitten him. She told the Post: 'I just remember him grabbing me from behind, my hair and [covered my mouth] and then I try to bite, and then they grabbed me by the back of my head and slammed my face down.' She admits that she probably deserved to be arrested, but that the officers she dealt with were way over the line. Davis was charged with two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence and disorderly intoxication, and is serving probation in the case. She claimed that she had filed a complaint against the officer, days after her arrest. Her attorney, Stan Plappert, told WESH.com: 'I think they should have sensitivity training. You would think that they would know that, "hey, I have a topless woman or a nearly naked person. I need to do something to cover them up, to give them some dignity."' Davis added: 'I don't want this to happen again. I want people to be treated the way we’re supposed to be treated, and yes, I'm paying for what I did, and I want them to pay for what has happened to me.' Embarrassment: A surveillance video from the Leesburg Police Department shows Davis - who was topless - curled up on the floor . Bust: Davis was charged with two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence and disorderly intoxication, and is serving probation in the case . | Ashleigh Davis, 32, arrested last year after a fight with another woman .
She claims she was hogtied and paraded topless by officers as she was arrested . |
152,165 | 50ace516cc395ccd0f264061ead7f70dcee023f1 | By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 11:18 EST, 18 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:45 EST, 18 July 2013 . Tesco chiefs made an ‘unreserved apology’ in court after one of its flagship stores was plagued by rodents. Mouse droppings were found on the shop floor and on bakery packaging at Tesco Metro in Covent Garden, central London - where 55,000 shoppers flock each week. Inspectors found what they described as a ‘super mouse’ in one of the food crates. It was much larger than a standard mouse because it had been gorging on protein. Disgusting: A large mouse, sitting on a crate of food at a Tesco store. The retail chain's chiefs made an 'unreserved apology' in court after dead mice and droppings were found throughout the store . Food waste was also discovered across the store’s warehouse and storage areas, while the floors were covered in grease and dirt. Staff also failed to fix doors, pipes and loose ceiling tiles allowing mice to enter fridges and food crates at the Bedford Street store. Health inspectors also found dead rodents in the dairy section in the store warehouse which provided a ‘large risk of contamination’ to food, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard. Customers alerted Westminster City Council after spotting mice scurry across the shop floor on 23 March last year. Vile: A food crate containing raw meat and mouse droppings at the store . Tesco chicken pieces that mice have gnawed on and covered with their droppings . Environmental health officers warned staff there was a mice infestation, but the janitor was left to clean the store before a second inspection three days later. Health inspectors then had to issue an emergency hygiene prohibition notice and close the store when they found that virtually no progress had been made. ‘During the inspection of the premises a number of breaches of food hygiene regulations were uncovered,’ said Paul Sharkey, for Westminster City Council. ‘The first visit by an environmental health officer was after a complaint was made by a member of the public about a mouse being sighted on 23 March 2012. A food crate with a mouse in it. The officers ordered the store, one of the capital's busiest, to close under emergency measures . ‘A further complaint was received from a member of the public on 26 March about pests in the store. ‘As this was the second complaint within five days, it was decided to visit the store again and see what progress had been made. ‘Two officers spoke to the store manager who said cleaning work had not been completed and that Rentokil should have been called which had not happened. ‘The officers then inspected the bakery and found a large number of mouse droppings on plastic storage boxes and 17 mouse droppings where pastry was kept. ‘Food debris was also found in the bakery on top of shelves. ‘There was poor pest proofing with the suspended ceiling often used by mice in the building as ‘runways’. The horrid discoveries continued in the warehouse and kitchen areas, the court heard. Mr Sharkey added: ‘The floor of the kitchen was very dirty. No cleaning had taken place since the first inspection three days before. ‘In the dairy area one of the officers was overcome with a strong smell of decomposing pests in the unit. In the dairy area one of the officers was overcome with a strong smell of decomposing pests in the unit . ‘Mouse droppings were found on packaging of items in the bakery and on plastic containers. ‘Given the density of the mouse droppings, the officers decided that there was a large risk of contamination in the fridge. ‘There was clear gnawing of other packaging and pieces of raw chicken had been eaten. ‘There was multiple mouse droppings on the chicken.’ Mouse droppings and food waste were also discovered across the store's warehouse and storage areas, while the floors were covered in grease and dirt . The officers ordered the store, one of the capital’s busiest, to close under emergency measures. A random inspection two days later had to be abandoned because mouse droppings were still found in the store’s shop and basement floors, the court heard. Mark Watson, representing Tesco, said: ‘I make an unreserved apology on behalf of the company for the conditions of the premises and the offences that arose from these premises. ‘Its 3,100 stores do generally maintain very high standards.’ He added: ‘There was in the aftermath a full review of management structures and maintenance staff. ‘The store manager was replaced and full retraining of all staff took place.’ District Judge John Zani was shown pictures taken by health inspectors in which live mice could be clearly seen in certain snaps. He said the store’s failing of the third health inspection proved that it had not put its customers first. ‘On a further inspection environmental health officers had to be sent away - a store that had 55,000 customers a week,’ he said. ‘If I were a member of the public I wouldn’t be bothered or concerned if it was the local manager’s fault. ‘If I contracted food poisoning there is no point saying: "I’m sorry - that manager wasn’t very good and has been replaced". ‘That manager was good enough to be employed by Tesco as of that date.’ Judge Zani could have fined Tesco up to £30,000 but decided his powers were insufficient and sent the case for sentence at Southwark Crown Court. The Tesco Metro in Covent Garden, central London, has 55,000 customers a week . Council health inspectors also found mice on the shop floor and droppings were also left behind the pick ‘n’ mix counter and next to the crisps shelves. A plastic bag used to cover a drainage pipe on the shop floor had also been gnawed away which meant mice were free to roam the stores while customers were shopping. The court heard Rentokil had first identified the mouse infestation in January 2012 yet little had been done by store staff to get rid of the rodents. Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, employs around 300,000 people in over 3,100 stores in the country. The supermarket chain, which was recently embroiled in the horsemeat scandal, has been fined three times since 2008 for breaching food hygiene practices at stores in Cardiff, Ipswich, and Towcester, Northamptonshire. Tesco will face sentencing at Southwark Crown Court at a later date after pleading guilty to six counts relating to food hygiene offences at the Bedford Street store. Judge Zani could have fined the supermarket a maximum of £5000 on each of the six offences but a judge crown court will have greater sentencing powers. | Health inspectors discovered the rodents and droppings at busy Tesco .
Raw chicken had been gnawed on by mice and floors were filthy .
Officials also found dead bodies of pests in the dairy area . |
27,234 | 4d3abebec27a2d5b66a08e75833dc4a65d75b12f | By . Ellie Zolfagharifard for MailOnline . Getting large equipment into space is no easy feat. At nearly £14,000 ($23,400) to send a kilogram into orbit, it's expensive, and room is always limited. To deal with the problem, Nasa has turned to the ancient art of origami, in the hopes of getting larger solar panels into space. These solar panels could someday be used in the form of an orbiting power plant that harvests energy from the sun and beams it back down to Earth. Scroll down for video . Nasa's solar array has a diameter of 8.9ft (2.7 metres) when folded and 82ft (25 metres) when unfurled. The design, which looks like a flower blooming, was created by Nasa mechanical engineer, Brian Trease . After two years of research, the space agency has come closer to that goal by creating a solar array with a diameter of 8.9ft (2.7 metres) when folded and 82ft (25 metres) when unfurled. The design, which looks like a flower blooming, was created by Nasa mechanical engineer, Brian Trease. Mr Trease partnered with researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, to pursue the idea that spacecraft could be built using origami folds. Sending the solar arrays up to space would be easy, Mr Trease said, because they could all be folded and packed into a single rocket launch, with 'no astronaut assembly required.' Shannon Zirbel, a student in mechanical engineering at Brigham Young University, unfolds a solar panel array that was designed using the principles of origami. These solar panels could someday be used in the form of an orbiting power plant that harvests energy from the sun and beams back down to Earth . Panels used in space missions already incorporate simple folds, collapsing like a fan or an accordion. One technique that has been used for an origami-inspired solar array is called a Miura fold invented by Japanese astrophysicist Koryo Miura. When you open the structure, it appears to be divided evenly into a checkerboard of parallelograms. With this particular fold, there's only one way to open or close it: Pull on one corner and the whole thing is open with only a tiny amount of effort. Mr Miura intended this fold for solar arrays, and in 1995 a solar panel with this design was unfolded on the Space Flyer Unit, a Japanese satellite. Despite this test, the technology is still in its early stages. But now, with an emphasis on small satellites and large structures, Mr Trease says arrays inspired by this fold could see renewed usefulness. Solar power has had a difficult start on Earth thanks to inefficient panels and high costs. But in space, scientists believe it could transform the way we generate energy. Now, the space-based solar power – once merely the stuff of science-fiction – could be available sooner than expected if Japan has its way. Within 25 years, the country plans to make space-based solar power a reality, according to a proposal from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa). The agency has outlined its plans to create a 1-gigawatt commercial system for space-based solar power, which would provide about the same output as a nuclear power plant. In a recent IEEE article by Susumu Sasaki, a professor emeritus at Jaxa, outlined the agency’s plans create a 1.8 mile long (3 km) man-made island in the harbour of Tokyo Bay. The island would be studded with 5 billion antennas working together to convert microwave energy into electricity. The microwaves would be beamed down from a number of giant solar collectors in orbit 22,400 miles (36,000 km) above the Earth. 'The fact that we're going both bigger and smaller may open up domains where it may be relevant again,' Mr Trease said. The fold that Mr Trease and colleagues used is not a Miura fold, but rather a combination of different folds. Mr Trease's prototype looks like a blooming flower that expands into a large flat circular surface. Mr Trease envisions that foldable solar arrays could be used in conjunction with small satellites called CubeSats. And he says the origami concept could be used in antennas as well. It could be especially appropriate for spacecraft applications where it's beneficial to deploy an object from the centre, outward in all directions. Origami was originally intended for folding paper, which has almost no thickness, so Mr Trease and colleagues had to be creative when working with the bulkier materials needed for solar panels. 'You have to rethink a lot of that design in order to accommodate the thickness that starts to accumulate with each bend,' he said. The art has been the subject of serious mathematical analysis only within the last 40 years, Mr Trease said. There is growing interest in integrating the concepts of origami with modern technologies. 'You think of it as ancient art, but people are still inventing new things, enabled by mathematical tools,' he said. Brian Trease (pictured), a researcher at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, holds a prototype of a solar panel array that folds up in the style of origami. 'You think of it as ancient art, but people are still inventing new things, enabled by mathematical tools,' he said . | Prototype solar array has diameter of 8.9ft (2.7 metres) when folded .
But when unfurled, the solar array is around 82ft (25 metres) wide .
It looks like a blooming flower that expands into flat circular surface .
Nasa envisions that foldable solar arrays could be taken into space using small satellites, called CubeSats, to create a huge orbiting power station . |
231,747 | b80d63bacde156dda2c9af991cbf95bf60376e07 | Marijuana is the most used illegal drug worldwide but addiction to legal painkillers kills the most people, according to new research. Scientists found that cannabis was used more than cocaine and heroin in the first ever study of world-wide drug use. But experts from the University of Washington found that opioid painkillers such as vicodin, oxycontin and codeine caused more than half of the estimated 78,000 drug-related deaths worldwide. Study: Scientists have found that marijuana topped the list of most used illicit drugs worldwide, but prescription painkillers accounted for more than half of the estimated 78,000 drug-related deaths around the globe in 2010 . The study, which did not include data on ecstasy and hallucinogens, also found that men in their 20s are most likely to abuse drugs, with the highest rates of abuse found in Australia, the UK, Russia and the U.S. The research, which was published in The Lancet, found that the rate of drug-related deaths in countries that take a hard-line against illicit substance abuse was much higher than in states where the policy is to wean people off drugs by using methadone clinics and needle exchange programmes. Theo Vos, from the university's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and senior author of the study, said that although his team had few concrete numbers and had to rely on modeling techniques, the results still prove that there are drug problems in most parts of the world. Professor Vos added that people tended to abuse drugs produced close to home: cocaine in North America, amphetamines and opioids in Asia and Australia. The lowest rates of drug abuse were in Asia and Africa. New problem: Researchers warned that prescription drug abuse has only been a problem in the U.S for the past decade . Abuse: While cannabis is the most popular illegal drug used, the study found that people are more likely to use drugs made closer to home, for instance people in North America are more likely to abuse cocaine (file picture) Michael Lysnkey, of the National Addiction Centre at King's College London, who co-authored an accompanying commentary warned that prescription drug abuse in the U.S only appears to have become problematic in the last decade and warned that health officials will need to address the issue. He said: 'It's possible in another 20 years, patterns will again change in ways we can't predict.' In a related study, scientists also found that mental health and drug abuse problems including depression, schizophrenia and cocaine addiction kill more people worldwide than AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes or road accidents. In some developing countries such as India, attempts to stop AIDS have slowed drug abuse as they focus on helping people kick their addictions, according to Vikram Patel, of the Centre for Global Mental Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Worrying: A separate study found that mental health and drug abuse problems including depression, schizophrenia and cocaine addiction kill more people worldwide than AIDS, tuberculosis, diabetes or road accidents . He recommended an approach to drug use similar to current controls on tobacco. He said: 'A decriminalized drug policy could potentially transform the public health approach to drug use. 'The enormous savings in the criminal justice system could be used to fund addiction treatment programs.' The results of the study were published as the the U.S Government confirmed that it will not sue the states of Colorado and Washington to stop them from legalising marijuana. Instead of trying to reverse the legalisation following a vote in November, the justice department said that it will try and focus on stopping underage access to the drug and keeping drug cash from criminals. As well as the two states which legalised the drug asap, 20 other states allow the drug to be used for medicinal purposes. Marijuana is still banned by federal law. | Prescription painkillers caused more than half of the estimated 78,000 worldwide drug-related deaths in 2010 .
A study by the University of Washington found that drug users most likely to use substance produced close to home . |
181,860 | 777a17fd373e476404b4f84c8133f511d66c4d26 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . In the alien invasion movie Independence Day, the spaceships which obliterate Earth's great cities emerge from vast storm clouds just like these. So it's fitting, then, that these portentous swirling supercells appeared over Roswell, New Mexico, near the U.S. military's secret Area 51 base, where it is widely believed a UFO crashed in 1947. Jody Miller, from California, tracks down extreme weather conditions like these, risking life and limb to photograph what are incredible examples of the power of nature. Scroll down for video . An enormous supercell in the shape of a UFO looms over Roswell, New Mexico, close to the secret U.S. military site Area 51 . The humongous storm extends across the whole sky, which is cast a deep portentous grey by the extreme weather forming in it . The rotating updraft of the supercell appears reach down to the earth. This, in some circumstances, is where tornadoes can form . Jody Miller, from California, tracks down extreme weather conditions like these, risking life and limb to photograph them . A small, lonely structure is dwarfed by the storm cloud as it rolls overhead in the New Mexico desert . The pictures were taken one afternoon in June, as a fierce supercell loomed over the state of New Mexico. Supercells are particular types of thunderstorms that have a rotating updraft. This is also known as a mesocyclone. Of the four classifications of thunderstorms (supercell, squall line, multi-cell, and single-cell), supercells are the overall least common and have the potential to be the most severe. They can occur anywhere in the world under the right conditions, but they are most common in the Great Plains of the U.S. as well as the plains of Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil. The storms they spawn can cause hail, flash floods, barrages of cloud to ground lightning and even tornadoes - and pose extreme perils for people and aircraft. Mr Miller has been chasing such storms for two years. Forks of lightning crackle inside an enormous supercell looming over homes in Roswell, in these photos taken on June 7 . The sun sets behind turbulent storm clouds over the desert, with what appears to be a severe storm brewing in this supercell . Supercells can occur anywhere in the world under the right conditions, but they are most common in the Great Plains of the U.S. and in the plains of Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil . This road leading towards the heart of the storm looks like a route into oblivion . He said: 'Everyone thinks that storm chasing is scary business. If you are in the company of a trained meteorologist, as I was, you are in good hands and I never felt any danger. 'Although it looks as though we are right underneath the storms they are still miles away and we watch them pass by from "photogenic" vantage points.' The 63-year-old added: 'Having said that, one should never try it alone and always rely on a good meteorologist to guide him or her near storms of this nature, as they are indeed violent and do wreak damage on the areas that they pass directly over. 'Most of these storms pass over uninhabited areas but when they do hit towns and cities the results can be tragic - and often are.' | Supercell storms like these can cause tornadoes, hail storms, flash floods and barrages of lightning .
They are usually found over the Great Plains of the U.S. or the plains of southern Brazil and Argentina . |
36,541 | 678d0cb88f109b163f3e9ea395463f5e27ea6f53 | A two-year-old boy has died at the home he shared with his mother and her partner. Liam Fee was found by the emergency services after a neighbour heard a woman’s screams coming from the flat on Saturday evening. Police are investigating his death, which is being treated as ‘unexplained’ – but said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Scene: Police outside a house in Fife, Scotland, where a two-year-old boy was found dead . Door-to-door: Police, who are treating the death as 'unexplained', were in the area on Sunday carrying out their investigation . Liam lived with his mother Rachael . Fee, her lesbian partner Nyomi Fee and his seven-year-old twin brothers, . JJ and Matthew, in the three-bedroom flat in Thornton, Fife. Gillian . McCusker, a friend of the couple, saw them taking Liam to the shops in . his pushchair at around 4pm, four hours before the alarm was raised. Miss McCusker, 35, said: ‘He seemed perfectly fine. They all seemed OK. The twins said hello and Liam smiled at my son. It’s horrible to think . that was the last time he’d be seen alive. It is such a tragedy.’ Parents: Rachel Fee, Liam's mother, and her life partner Nyomi Fee . Another . neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I heard a woman’s . crying coming from the flat. She sounded hysterical. Then the police . arrived.’ Local residents later saw Rachael leaving in a police car with one of the twin boys. Police . last night said no one had been arrested or detained in connection . with Liam’s death. A post-mortem examination is yet to be carried out. Uniformed officers maintained a highly visible presence outside the flat yesterday and carried out door-to-door inquiries. Forensic experts also spent several hours at the property on Saturday night. Floral tributes and soft toys were left on the grass outside the flat by neighbours. The . two women both came from Tyneside and struck up a relationship with . each other after Rachael split up with the father of her three sons. The couple moved to Scotland about two years ago. They . took part in a civil ceremony in Fife a year ago and Rachael changed . her name from Telfer to take Nyomi’s surname. The boys also began using . the name Fee. The couple . told friends that Liam suffered from autism. JJ had to use a wheelchair . after being diagnosed with an infection in his lower leg and foot. But . the two women enjoyed a lively social life and often held parties at . their privately rented flat, where they also kept nine snakes, two dogs . and several pet rats. Property: The two women are said to have enjoyed a lively social life and often held parties at their privately rented flat . Tragic: An ambulance was called to a home in Donald Crescent, Fife, last night. Police are treating the death as unexplained . Neighbours had complained about loud music coming from their home. Superintendent . Dougie Milton of Police Scotland said: ‘This is a tragic set of . circumstances where, sadly, a two-year-old boy has lost his life. ‘We are undertaking a thorough investigation and working with and supporting the immediate family. ‘It would be unfair at this time, and not right, to speculate on the cause of the death.’ A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal. | Liam Fee was found by the emergency services in Thornton, Fife .
A neighbour said she heard screams coming from the flat .
Child lived with his mother Rachael .
Fee, her lesbian partner Nyomi Fee .
Police investigating the death are treating it as 'unexplained'
Detectives say no one has been arrested in connection with the incident . |
196,252 | 89fabdf11439d1588d5b4ad399050803819ad954 | Severe turbulence caused injuries to seven people aboard United Flight 15 as the plane headed towards Honolulu on Saturday, officials said. Rain and winds up to 60 mph buffeted the Hawaiian islands over the weekend, causing trouble for at least six other flights, though all landed without incident. NBC News reports that 'sudden turbulence' affected the inbound United Flight, injuring seven, five of whom were transported to the hospital. Sudden turbulence: Wind gusts over Hawaii caused turbulence for United Flight 15 and diverted several others (file photo) Four crew members were taken to the hospital, along with a teenage girl with a head injury and nausea. The other flights were set to arrive in Maui, but had to be rerouted to Honolulu due to poor weather, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation. Hawaii News Now reports that the islands of Oahu and Kauai were under a high wind warning up until Sunday, with wind gusts of 59 mph reported in parts of the state. On Friday, 2,000 residents of Temple Valley, Punaluu, and Kaneohe had lost power due to the storm. Authorities from the Honolulu Fire Department also noted blown roofs, downed trees and reports of downed power lines caused by severe wind. 'The gutter is being torn apart off of our roof and a carport,' said Kaneohe resident, Tanya Fitch. 'I have a huge banana plant I had to support it with ropes and boards and stuff so it doesn't fall over and get snapped. It's just been bad really bad.' Passing storm: By Sunday, most high wind warnings were lifted for the island, after gusts of up to 60 mph tore roofs off homes and pulled down power lines . A firefighter was reportedly taken to Queen's Medical Center in serious condition with back and hip injuries, after being caught by wind while repairing a blown roof. While on the roof, a gust blew a tarp that had been laid down, carrying the firefighter into the air and dropping him back onto the roof. | Two other crew members were injured but declined being taken to the hospital .
A teenage girl was transported with a head injury and nausea .
Hawaii was struck by wind gusts of up to 60 mph over Friday and Saturday .
Residents reported power outages, fallen trees and downed power lines .
A firefighter responding to a blown roof was seriously injured . |
133,256 | 384b884970ebac4157a9a9537ece990e5848839f | A grainy sonar image captured off an uninhabited Pacific island could show the remains of Amelia Earhart’s doomed plane which disappeared in 1937. The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) say the latest evidence could be a step closer to finding out the mystery behind her disappearance. Earhart, then 39, was on the final stage of an . an ambitious around-the-world flight along the equator in a twin-engine . Lockheed Electra when she and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared. The image was captured off an uninhabited tropical island in the southwestern Pacific republic of Kiribati and showed an 'anomaly' at a depth of 600 feet in the waters. Discovery: A grainy sonar image captured off an uninhabited Pacific island could show the remains of Amelia Earhart's doomed plane which disappeared in 1937 . Aim: The purpose of the expedition was to test the hypothesis that the Earhart aircraft, after landing on the reef at Gardner Island (now Nikumaroro), was subsequently washed over the reef edge, broke up in the surf, and sank . Location: The anomaly is in the catchment area at the base of the second cliff . 'What initially got our attention is that there is no other sonar return like it in the entire body of data collected,' Ric Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR, told Discovery News. 'It is truly an anomaly, and when you're looking for man-made objects against a natural background, anomalies are good,' he added. TIGHAR have spent years investigating Earhart's . last, fateful flight and now according to their researchers, a sonar image shows a strong return from a narrow object roughly 22 feet long oriented southwest/northeast on the slope near the base of an underwater cliff. This ties in with a theory that Earhart . was able to put her aircraft down safely on the reef, but it was washed . off the edge before aircraft searching for her were able to spot it. Analysis: A graphic shows the area looked at by TIGHAR team . Area: A map showing an aerial view of the distance between the debris field and the Bevington Object- seen in a 1937 photo taken by British Colonial Service Officer Eric Bevington . High tech: Tools utilised by TIGHAR included a multi-beam sonar hull-mounted onto an expedition vessel . Nikumaroro, uninhabited in Earhart's . time, and a mere 3.7 miles long by 1.2 miles wide, is about 300 miles . southeast of Howland Island. The holder of several aeronautical records, including the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air, Earhart had set off from New Guinea to refuel at Howland Island for a final long-distance hop to California. In what turned out to be her final radio message, she declared she was unable to find Howland and that fuel was running low. Several search-and-rescue missions . ordered the next day by then-president Franklin Roosevelt turned up no . trace of Earhart or Noonan, who were eventually presumed dead at sea. Enduring riddle: American aviator Amelia Earhart, posing by her plane in Long Beach, California, in 1930, disappeared while flying over the Pacific in 1937 . Fate: The Electra taking off from Oakland Airport at Alameda, California, on the first leg of her proposed world spanning flight . Nikumaroro Island: Researchers will scour the island for clues and crash debris . TIGHAR are operating under the hypothesis . that the duo survived the crash, reached Gardner Island - which was . then a British possession and now known as Nikumaroro - and managed to . survive there for an unknown period of time. TIGHAR believe that some key components of Earharts aircraft- . such as the heavy Pratt & Whitney engines may still be left. Last year they returned to the island again equipped with a multi-beam sonar array mounted on a ship to construct a map of the underwater topography off the western end of the atoll. They also used a Autonomous Underwater Vehicle to collect data along the west end of Nikumaroro, as well as a Remote Operated Vehicle capable of reaching depths of 3,000 feet, which produced hours upon hours of high-definition video. Missing: Earhart and Fred Noonan, left, before they set off on their doomed flight. Right: Earhart as a young pilot . Celebrated: Earhart posing in Southampton after completing a successful flight across the Atlantic Ocean . But their recent expedition faced a number of technical problems coupled by the atoll’s difficult environment. When the search failed to turn up dramatic and conclusive evidence proving that Earhart perished on the island, some media outlets were quick to declare the $2.2million mission a failure. But on reflection the team realised they had found an 'anomaly' in the vast data they had collected. Discussing the discovery on their website this week, they wrote: 'The better a piece of evidence looks, the harder you have to try to disqualify it. So far, the harder we’ve looked at this anomaly, the better it looks. Maybe the anomaly is a coral feature that just happens to give a sonar return unlike any other coral feature on the entire reef slope. Discovery: This bottle of St Joseph's lineament was found on a desert island in the area Amelia Earhart is believed to have crashed on an ill-fated voyage around the world in 1937 . Clue: This hunk of glass is from a bottle of Campania's Italian balm made in 1933 . Amelia's freckles: Reassembled jar fragments (left) found alongside other artifacts on an island have been found to resemble a freckle ointment (right) possibly used by Earhart . Cosmetic: One of the substances found on the island was identified as rouge from the early 20th century . 'Maybe it’s a sunken fishing boat that isn’t mentioned in any of the historical literature. Maybe it’s the boat nobody knows about that that brought the castaway nobody missed who died at the Seven Site. Maybe it’s pure coincidence that it‘s the right size and shape to be the Electra wreckage.' Sustaining the search are clues worthy of detective story, including items from the 1930s previously discovered on the island such as a jar of face cream, a penknife blade, the heel of a woman's shoe and a bit of Plexiglas - all believed to belong to Earhart and her plane. Skeletons of birds apparently cooked over a campfire have also contributed to the mystery, and settlers who reached Nikumaroro after 1937 have spoken of the existence of aircraft wreckage. Conspiracy theories about Earhart's final moments have flourished for years. One contended that Earhart was held by Japanese imperial forces as a spy. Another claimed she completed her flight, but changed her identity and settled in New Jersey. Earhart's story - as well as her mysterious demise - have captivated America for decades. She has been portrayed on the big screen by A-List actresses like Diane Keaton, Amy Adams and Hillary Swank. Intrigue: In her day, Earhart was extremely popular, but her mysterious death has kept that fame alive 75 years later . The most widely accepted theory is that the aircraft ran out of fuel and ditched in the sea. There have been several searches by many different professionals eager to solve the mystery, but none have been proven. Another popular theory is that they landed on the island of Nikumaroro in the Pheonix Islands, 350 miles southeast of Howland Island and fended for themselves for several months until they succumbed to injury or disease. Improvised tools and bits of Plexiglas that are consistent with that of an Electra window were found on the island. A few theorists reckon that she Earhart was spying on Japan and had been captured and executed. This theory has been discounted by the American authorities and press. A rumour claimed that she was one of many women sending messages on Tokyo Rose, an English-language Japanese propaganda station designed to attack the Allies' morale. An Australian aircraft engineer said he found a map that showed Earhart and Noonan may have turned round to try and refuel but crashed before getting to an airstrip. The most whacky theory is that she was still alive and had a different identity. A woman from New Jersey successfully sued for $1.5m in damages from the author of a book who pursued this theory. | Famous aviator disappeared as she attempted an around the world flight .
TIGHAR have spent years investigating Earhart's last, fateful flight .
Image showed an 'anomaly' at a depth of 600 feet in the waters . |
85,603 | f2ca5443999c10d66306022814b1f12476d52c54 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Waitrose was named best supermarket by Which? for 'performing consistently highly in-store and online' Staff at Waitrose and John Lewis were celebrating a double victory last night after the employee-owned stores were named the best in their fields. The firms, which form the John Lewis Partnership, were crowned best supermarket and best retailer respectively in the annual awards from consumer group Which? recognising excellence in products and service. It is the second year running that John Lewis has won best retailer. The consumer group said Waitrose took the . title for 'performing consistently highly for its in-store and online . offerings'. Best customer service went to cosmetics firm Lush, Bosch won best home appliance brand and Giffgaff was best telecom services provider. Apple was the best computing firm, Samsung offered the best audio- visual products and Panasonic was named best photography brand. Mazda was named best car manufacturer. Two new financial categories this year saw First Direct take best banking brand and NFU Mutual named best insurance services provider. Which? group chief executive Peter Vicary-Smith said: 'The Which? awards celebrate the very best of business in the UK, each year recognising those companies and individuals that consistently deliver for consumers. 'Good businesses are crucial to building a stronger and more sustainable economy, and Which? will continue to highlight the firms getting it right.' John Lewis, which is part of the John Lewis Partnership with Waitrose, won best retailer in the set of awards for the second year running . CBI director general John Cridland said: 'Businesses of all sizes, in all sectors and in all regions of the UK are the driving force behind our economic recovery, delivering growth and more jobs. 'They do this by providing excellent products and services that customers want and we should shout about their successes. 'I’m delighted to be able to support the Which? awards to celebrate some of our leading consumer-facing businesses.' | Consumer group said the supermarket performed 'consistently highly'
John Lewis, from the same partnership as Waitrose, crowned best retailer . |
70,606 | c82e25e16c6d738c8d0cb90bd6edfc021eb11a24 | By . Allan Hall . PUBLISHED: . 11:14 EST, 6 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:17 EST, 6 December 2013 . Europe’s biggest brothel spanning nearly 20,000 square feet, costing £3.8million and employing nearly 100 working girls is poised to open in Germany. Building work is already underway on the ‘mega bordello’ as it has been dubbed in the German media as prostitution continues to flourish in the country where the world's oldest profession has been recognised since 2001 as a legal one too. But for many residents of the city on the border with France, the house of ill repute is one too many in a community already overflowing with sex parlours. Red light alert: Building work on the brothel in Saarbruecken is under way . The centre-left SPD mayoress, Charlotte Britz, is apprehensive of the social strains on the city, stating: ‘Prostitution has assumed unbearable proportions here.’ And bemoaning the labyrinthine planning regulations in her homeland, she said: ‘Businesses like this find it is easy to get permission. In fact, it is easier to open a brothel in Saarbruecken than it is a chip shop.’ She is calling for the state government to introduce a higher sex tax that would at least pay dividends back into city coffers. Employer: It's thought that around 100 prostitutes will work at the hangar-style brothel . Tentatively named Paradise Island, the aircraft-hangar style building is expected to employ at least half its staff from the Polish, Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian prostitutes already operating in other sex establishments in the city. Saarbruecken became a magnet for eastern European working girls when the EU expanded its borders in 2007. There are over 1,000 registered sex workers in Saarbruecken, which has a population of 170,000 (stock image) There are over 1,000 registered sex workers in the city of 170,000 and probably three times that many working under the radar. Much of the custom comes from France where official attitudes to prostitution are not as relaxed as in Germany and the laws governing it more complex. Huge number of new customers from the nearby cities of Nancy, Metz and the many small towns in-between are expected to break for the border when Paradise Island opens its doors in January 2014. Thomas Blug, media officer of the state of Saarland in which Saarbruecken sits, is deluged with media enquiries from newspapers around the world - both about the size of the brothel and the social tensions it is creating. ’It is not only about Saarbruecken,’ he says, flustered. ’This is also a European problem.’ Juergen Rudolf, who owns a chain of mega-brothels in Germany, and who is politely referred to in newspapers as 'King of the Knocking Shops', is behind the latest project. He took full advantage of Chancellor Schroeder's government decision back in 2001 giving legal rights to prostitutes to access health, insurance and pension benefits so long as they paid into the tax system. ‘This will be a great place for men to relax,’ he said, preferring to paint a picture of an establishment more in line with a gentlemen's club than an industrial-scale sex factory. But prostitute activist groups representing many of the 400,000 registered hookers in the country, say that pimps and enforced prostitution, particularly among migrants, continues to thrive and that efforts to register prostitution have largely failed. Saarbruecken residents are fearful of a rise in street crime and violence when the new bordello opens. They are also mourning the loss of their city's once enviable reputation for fine dining and a laid-back way of living. | The brothel, being built in Saarbruecken, will employ nearly 100 working girls .
The controversial business spans 20,000 feet and will cost £3.8million . |
260,436 | dd40020526e3b6e26ac52b652c495c880211fdd8 | By . Mail Online Reporter . A student tragically drowned in a city centre river just weeks after posting a Facebook message to his girlfriend about his 'best year ever'. Christopher Taylor, 21, was spotted in the River Avon in Bath at around 4.10am last Thursday, and officers quickly arrived at the scene. They called out to Christopher, but he was swept under the water. Christopher Taylor died in the River Avon in Bath in the early hours of January 23 . A search was launched with trained divers, and the body of the talented young sportsman was pulled from the swollen river a few hours later. Avon and Somerset police said: 'Police officers attended and were able to communicate with the man but were unable to get him out before he went under the water again.' Chris, who was studying Chemistry at the University of Bath, and was a keen tennis player, had posted a Facebook message just weeks before his death about having the 'best year ever' with his girlfriend Jessica Palmer, 20. He wrote: 'Well, that’s 2013 done and dusted...and as gay as it sounds, I’ve had the best year ever with my Jessica Palmer...I love you.' Chris also posted happy pictures of himself in a tuxedo with Jessica in front of a Christmas tree and more pictures of themselves on a weekend trip to Bristol. His grieving family, from Southport, Lancashire, paid tribute to him as 'a wonderful son and brother'. They said: 'Chris was a talented sportsman who lit up every room he walked into. The River Avon in Bath has been the scene of a number of tragic deaths . 'His death has left us completely devastated.' Mr . Taylor’s death is the fourth river fatality in the city in recent years . following those of University of Bath student Kharunigan Jayanatham, . graphic designer Casper Flagg and Bath Spa University student James . Bubear. Last year, an 850-yard fence was installed along a stretch of the river to improve water safety. The fencing was one of the recommendations of a safety review carried out following the tragedies. An inquest will be held. | Christopher Taylor was spotted in the River Avon in Bath at 4.10am .
Police and parademics rushed to the scene, but he was swept under water .
He'd just posted message on Facebook about his 'best year ever'
He'd messaged his girlfriend Jessica Palmer saying 'I love you'
It's the fourth river fatality in recent years . |
746 | 022d4e6fd13f93714cbcc9126922bc1516c2e1b2 | By . Sarah Griffiths . Most football fans dream of scoring the winning goal in a stadium packed full of thousands of cheering fans and now they can – in a miniature stadium in their garden, at least. The Kansas City-based company that built the London 2012 Olympic Stadium is offering to make miniature fully-functional sports stadiums that can mimic any major sport stadium in the world. The personalised ‘multisport’ stadium can seat up to 100 spectators and features wraparound video screens that can display an illusionary backdrop of choice – including cheering supporters – to make wealthy sports fans feel like they are playing in a professional stadium. The personalised 'multisport' stadium can seat 100 spectators and features wraparound video screens that can display an illusionary backdrop of choice - including cheering supporters - to make wealthy sports fans feel like they are playing in a professional stadium . However, such technology comes at a cost and a bespoke stadium will cost around $30million (£18.3million). Populous, the architects firm that built the London 2012 stadium, Wembley and the new Yankee stadium said the playing field can be up to 50-yards-long and will be surrounded by 20-foot LED screens, able to beam images of an array of famous stadiums to suit the sport being played. Ryan Sickman, an engineer and associate principal at Populous, said players and spectators will feel 'enclosed' in the environment, meaning a fan could play an FA Cup final at Wembley or make a touchdown at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Populous, the architects firm that built the London 2012 stadium, Wembley and the new Yankee stadium said the playing field can be up to 50-yards-long and will be surrounded by 20-foot LED screens, able to beam images of an array of famous stadiums to suit the sport being played . Amazingly, the pitch will be able to transform between different types of sports field markings at a flick of a switch. Fibre-optic lighting can be embedded in the ‘FieldTurf’ artificial turf system to transform the playing field from a rugby pitch to a baseball diamond instantly. A professional-grade sound system can channel the sounds of a chanting football ground, the polite clapping from a cricket match or even allow someone to commentate on the game. Fibre-optic lighting can be embedded in the 'FieldTurf' artificial turf system of the personal stadium to transform the playing field from a rugby pitch to a baseball diamond instantly. The architects behind the luxurious venture built the London 2012 stadium (pictured) Ryan Sickman, an engineer and associate principal at Populous, said: ‘We're not creating a stadium for thousands of people - this is a custom premium environment for a select number of people. ‘Wind, snow, and rain machines add even more authenticity to the playing and viewing experience and we can even design the stadium with a retractable roof so weather is not a concern. ‘Locker rooms with showers can also can be included - the possibilities are endless.’ Ryan Sickman, an engineer and associate principal at Populous, said players and spectators will feel 'enclosed' in the environment, meaning you can play an FA Cup final at Wembley (pictured) or make a touchdown at the home of the Dallas Cowboys . | The Kansas City-based company is offering to make fully-functional .
sports stadiums that can mimic any major sport venue in the world .
The personalised ‘multisport’ stadium can seat up to 100 spectators and features wraparound video screens that can display cheering supporters .
Populous' bespoke stadium will cost around $30million (£18.3million) |
50,233 | 8e171fcd51481ec5aad43a0c40d927e06eb8a4cd | Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey declared the 'age of entitlement is over' while slashing family payments and medical benefits in the Federal Budget on Tuesday. But less than a week later it has been revealed he submitted an expenses claim for $50,000 after hiring a celebrity chef to cater an event in Washington D.C. where he wined and dined G20 executives. Chef Shane Delia's services were paid for with Australian taxpayer dollars at the April 10 event, where up to 60 finance ministers and central bank governors from G20 nations sat down to a top-shelf menu of barramundi, Victorian Wagyu beef and WA truffles, the Sunday Telegraph reported. The Treasury department even paid for Mr Delia to fly business class and covered the cost of transporting truffles from Australia to Washington D.C. A 'eucalyptus ice' dessert was also served at the event. Scroll down for video . A spokesman for Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey, pictured here delivering his first budget in Parliament on Tuesday, described the $50,000 dinner as 'excellent value for money' But Mr Hockey denies the $50,000 tender to 'provide professional chef for Washington event' was a slap in the face to taxpayers, with a spokesman from his office saying the event proved to be 'excellent value for money'. 'Shane Delia was engaged by the Treasury to deliver a working dinner for the finance ministers and central bank governors at the April Washington G20 meeting,' the spokesman told the newspaper. 'His contract included costs of the dinner, travel to Washington and accommodation. 'We believe Shane's involvement in the Washington meeting provided excellent value for money, given he created a long-lasting impression in the minds of a group of global economic leaders.' Delia runs Maha, a Middle Eastern restaurant on Bond St in Melbourne's CBD, and hosts his own cooking show, Shane Delia's Spice Journey, on SBS. It comes days after Mr Hockey delivered the first budget of the Tony Abbott Government and promised the 'age of entitlement' was over, as he announced a $7 charge for GP visits and thousands of public service job cuts among a raft of tough new initiatives. University students face a double whammy of financial pain after a major shake-up of tertiary education funding was announced . University students have been vocal about the Coalition's budget after a major shake-up of tertiary education funding left young learners facing a double whammy of financial pain. From 2016 universities will be allowed to charge what they like while the government's contributions will drop. The higher education loans program will also become less generous, with graduates made to start repaying the loans once they earn $50,638 from mid-2016, almost $700 less than now. | Joe Hockey's department paid $50,000 for Shane Delia to cater G20 dinner in Washington .
Delia was flown in business class and his menu included barramundi, Wagyu beef and truffles .
Treasury department says it was 'excellent value for money'
Revelation comes days after tough budget tightened purse on families, public sector jobs and university students . |
48,588 | 891fcc446fa065b2794ae250d907bf49cadd8a81 | A 35-year-old Nebraska man who is a registered sex offender allegedly forced a female victim to sign a 'slave contract' before torturing her, burning her with cigarettes and lighters and forcing her to drink urine every day. Nicholas Allen Talbot, of Lincoln, wrote 'PROPERTY OF NICK' on the woman's arm in black marker and told her she 'only had rights the master gave her' after forcing her to sign the contract, which he said was legal. Police arrested Talbot after the victim - a 32-year-old woman described as 'sweet' and vulnerable' - told her pastor and his wife. She claims Talbot has been abusing her for almost 10 years, according to The Journal Star. Sick: Nicholas Allen Talbot, of Lincoln, Nebraska, has been charged with domestic abuse after allegedly enslaving and torturing the 32-year-old victim for almost 10 years. He previously served three years in prison for sexually assaulting a child twice in 1998 . However she did not speak out because Talbot threatened to kill her family and made her believe the police were part of his 'gang'. That is until Monday, when she finally confessed to her pastor, Rev. Kathy Gouin at Lincoln Foursquare Church, and another woman at the church. She showed the women her wounds. There were four to six burn marks on the woman's spine that were black, where Talbot had extinguished cigarettes, the victim told police. Then there were burns on her right buttocks, which Talbot had done with a lighter. A similar bruise was found on her right breast, where Talbot had put the tip of a heated screwdriver on January 15. The woman also told investigators Talbot forced her to drink his urine once or twice a day. Rev. Goun said the woman's wounds were 'horrific'. She said she has known the woman through church for about a year and that she had volunteered to take food to the poor. 'She’s very sweet and innocent,' Gouin said. 'She’s a vulnerable young woman. 'She’s very innocent and believes people.' Talbot is a registered sex offender. He served three years in prison for sexually assaulting a child twice in 1998 and for forgery, according to Nebraska Department of Correctional Services records obtained by The Journal Star. He was charged with domestic assault on Tuesday and bail was set at $25,000. He remained behind bars Wednesday. | Nicholas Allen Talbot, 35, of Lincoln, was charged with domestic assault .
Allegedly enslaved and tortured the 32-year-old victim for 10 years .
Woman confessed what happened to her to her pastor this week .
Said Talbot would burn her with lighters and cigarettes .
He also made her drink urine once or twice a day . |
49,762 | 8cad6ab064e8c301595813f9d05c9c4785664f9a | Ancient marine algae fossils may provide clues about how today’s microscopic oceanic organisms will respond to climate change. Warming waters affected the growth and skeletal structure of ancient algae, and scientists hope the findings will deepen their understanding of how life will adapt as Earth's temperature rises. Coccolithophores, a type of marine algae, are prolific in the ocean today and have been for millions of years. Researchers found that warming waters affected the growth and skeletal structure of ancient algae. This image shows a scanning electron micrograph of fossil coccolithophore species, Coccolithus pelagicus. The fossil is from New Jersey and is around 56 million years old . The single-celled plankton produce calcite skeletons that are preserved in abundance in seafloor sediments after they die. Although they are microscopic, their numbers makes them key contributors to marine ecosystems and the global carbon cycle. For instance, a build up of skeletons contribute to massive structures such as the White Cliffs of Dover. A study by the University of Southampton has revealed that the growth of coccolithophores is stunted as oceans become more acidic, because of an increase in atmospheric carbon monoxide. Researchers did not look at the number of algae that may have been affected, so cannot deduce whether changes in their size due to climate change, did, or may, have had an impact on the oceanic food chain. The study, published in Nature Communications, looked at preserved fossil remains of coccolithophores from a period of climate warming and ocean acidification that occurred around 56 million years ago. This time is known as the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). It offers a long-term view of coccolithophore response to ocean acidification. Scientists already know that warming waters and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels lead to the acidification of the oceans, which kills off coral (pictured). This study gives experts another organism to study and look for warning signs of damage . Dr Sarah O’Dea, from Ocean and Earth Science said: ‘Our results show that climate change significantly altered coccolithophore calcification rates at the PETM and has the potential to be just as significant, perhaps even more so, today. ‘Ultimately then, it is the factors that influence where species live, their abundance, how fast they grow and their ability to adapt to environmental change that is likely to control future coccolithophore calcite production.’ The study investigated two key ancient coccolithophores - Coccolithus pelagicus and Toweius pertusus - both of which are directly related to species that dominate the modern ocean. It found that calcification rates of C. pelagicus and T. pertusus halved during the PETM because the environment influenced their growth. The response of each species was different, and involved intervals of slowed growth in C. pelagicus and an overall reduction in the size of the skeletal components in T. pertusus. However, there was little evidence for any response to ocean acidification, other than perhaps a slight thinning of C. pelagicus coccoliths. Dr O'Dea told MailOnline that smaller and thinner skeletons may mean that algae may be easier prey, but no evidence of this has been found. A larger question, which the study does not answer, may be that if the creatures have smaller skeletons, animals up the food chain may get less calcium by eating them, which is needed to contract muscle, transmit messages through nerves and releasing hormones - as well as strengthening bones. Fish are losing their survival instinct as the world's oceans become more acidic because of climate change, a study released earlier this year claimed. The research confirmed laboratory experiments showing that the behaviour of reef fish can be seriously affected by increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the ocean. Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is absorbed into ocean waters, where it dissolves and lowers the pH of the water. Fish are losing their survival instinct as the world's oceans become more acidic because of climate change, a study released earlier this year claimed. A stock image is pictured . The study was the first to analyse the sensory impairment of fish from carbon dioxide seeps, where pH is similar to what climate models forecast for surface waters by the turn of the century. The pH of normal ocean surface water is around 8.14. The study examined fish from so-called bubble reefs at a natural CO2 seep in Papua New Guinea, where the pH is 7.8 on average. With today's greenhouse gas emissions, climate models forecast pH 7.8 for ocean surface waters by 2100, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Experts from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta showed that fish's sensory systems are impaired by ocean acididication in the laboratory. 'They can smell but they can't distinguish between chemical cues,' biologist Danielle Dixson said. Acidic waters affect fish behavior by disrupting a specific receptor in the nervous system, called GABAA, which is present in most marine organisms with a nervous system. When GABAA stops working, neurons stop firing properly. Coral reef habitat studies have found that CO2-induced behavioral changes, similar to those observed in the new study, increase mortality from predation by more than fivefold in newly settled fish. Fish can smell a fish that eats another fish and will avoid water containing the scent. In Dr Dixson's laboratory experiments, control fish given the choice between swimming in normal water or water spiked with the smell of a predator chose the normal water. But fish raised in water acidified with carbon dioxide chose to spend time in the predator-scented water. | Scientists from the University of Southampton have studied coccolithophores - a type of ancient algae - that are still prolific today .
Growth of coccolithophores is affected as oceans become more acidic .
Study investigated ancient Coccolithus pelagicus and Toweius pertusus .
It found that calcification rates of C. pelagicus and T. pertusus halved during the a period of climate change around 56 million years ago . |
74,340 | d2cb83a1fde031e2169be253876fc0addb9b52db | It is not every day you see a man walking around a cathedral square with a smile on his face and a full-grown sheep on his shoulders. Sinister-looking black-clad riders dance stallions on their hind legs in the middle of a 20,000-strong crowd. The bravest or most foolhardy revellers dash forward to touch the horses' hearts for luck. The annual fiesta of Sant Joan in the ancient city of Ciutadella, on Menorca's west coast, features many bizarre rituals. Strangers fuelled by pomada, the local version of gin and bitter lemon, pelt you with hazelnuts (it's a sign of love, apparently). Peace and quiet, pictured: Menorca revels in quiet coves, little beaches and turquoise seas . If you jump three times over a bonfire, you can turn a bad year into a good one (useful in the Spanish economic climate). When it comes to celebrating the summer solstice, Menorca is the place to be. Sant Joan is the Catalan name of St John the Baptist and we're celebrating his June birthday, although the fiesta has much older pagan origins. Horseplay: The festival of Sant Joan is a major tradition on Menorca, with equine stunts to the fore . Menorca is the poorest and least known of the Balearic islands. We all know about Mallorca with its many hotels and reputation, in places such as Magaluf, for alcohol-fuelled package tour excesses. Ibiza has the coolest clubs and celebrity second-homers such as James Blunt, Liam Gallagher, Jade Jagger and Elle Macpherson. Mellow little Menorca is the Balearics' shy relation, positively introverted in comparison with its neighbours - and all the better for it. At last, I've found a holiday destination in the western Mediterranean that is almost entirely unspoilt by 60 years of mass tourism. The first charter flights landed here in 1953, but when you arrive by air in the capital, Mahon (or Mao in Catalan) nowadays, it comes as a welcome shock to see that almost the entire island is made up of fields and woodland, with just two small cities and a few pods of white villas scattered around the coastline. In 1993, UNESCO declared the island one of the world's 400 'biosphere reserves'. Curiously, the Menorcans have Generalissimo Franco to thank for this. In retribution for the little island's Republican stance during the Spanish Civil War, the fascist dictator spent the next 36 years denying Menorca access to public building funds. As a happy result, it escaped the high-rise concrete epidemic that blighted the mainland costas. A quaint sort of calm: The Menorcan capital Ciutadella sits prettily on the west coast of the island . Menorca is just half the size of the Isle of Wight. In the middle lies El Toro, a 1,000 ft hill with a church, a Franciscan convent and tremendous views. To the east lies Mahon with its deep natural harbour, imposing Georgian buildings and narrow cobbled alleyways. In the west, you can glimpse Ciutadella. The varietyof buildings in Mahon reflects the list of invaders, including Turkish pirates, who have invaded and occupied its streets down the centuries. Our own Admiral John Byng was executed by firing squad for losing Menorca to the French in 1756. Georgian architecture apart, our legacy was gin - distilled to this day by Xoriguer on the harbour in Mahon. Busy resorts like Cala Galdana, Arenal d'en Castell and Punta Prima have enough activities to satisfy even the most lively, though for the first couple of days I found it hard to choose between flopping by the pool and basking on the sands. Most of the best beaches, such as Cala Macarella, Son Saura and Cala Pregonda, are tucked away in isolated coves along the 116-mile coastline. The Camí de Cavalls, an ancient bridleway, encircles the island, and can be explored on foot, by bicycle or, naturally, on horseback. Take a walk with me: Ciutadella is an inviting place for an evening meal or a gentle stroll when dusk falls . Menorca bears the brunt of winds sweeping in from the Atlantic and Fornells, on the north coast, which is the best place for sailing and windsurfing. It is also an attractive town with boutiques, a craft market and restaurants. Inexpensive Sa Taula (+34 619 432 291) has folk music and tapas such as courgette carpaccio, along with mussels poached in port. The seafront in Fornells has plenty of fish restaurants and you might consider spending €40 to €60 (£31-£47 on a feast of caldereta de langosta, a spicy lobster stew. Fishermen used to eat this at sea because lobster was the only seafood that had no commercial value. These days, sadly, the lobster in question may be sourced from Cornwall or Cardigan Bay, so I'd recommend a short trip along the coast to the bistro El Castillo (+34 971 35855) at Addaia for the finest fresh fish, at more reasonable prices. For a romantic off-season break or a full-on family beach holiday, unspoilt Menorca is hard to beat. Sovereign Luxury Travel (0843 770 4526, www.sovereign.com) offers seven nights at the four-star Audax Spa and Wellness Centre in Cala Galdana from £569 per person half-board, including Gatwick flights, airport lounge access and transfers. | Menorca is smaller and far less developed than its big neighbour Mallorca .
It owes its lack of sprawl to General Franco, who held a grudge against it .
The old city of Ciutadella, on its west coast, is one of the main attractions . |
76,292 | d85b6f625e9e57efaa1e3c21e626dd25e3414758 | (CNN) -- Sir Philip Green is the retail king of Great Britain, but can his empire of clothing stores conquer the U.S.? The launch of his flagship Topshop store in New York was delayed and coincided with the height of recession two years ago, but the self-made billionaire still believes he can crack America. "There's nothing I have seen that tells me we can't get this brand to work in America," says Green. Green's Arcadia Group has over 2,500 outlets in the UK, including affordable fashion chain, Topshop, and employs over 44,000 staff. His transformation of Topshop from cheap high street shop to a fashion-forward brand has grabbed the attention of supermodels, fashionistas and the queen of fashion, U.S. Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour. A good combination to grow a brand in the U.S. "Philip has a larger than life personality... (He) has been very successful in attracting attention for Topshop," says Wintour. "Asking Kate Moss to design a collection that really put the spotlight on Topshop in a way that hadn't before, so that was a very smart move." The supermodel is no-longer connected to the brand, but the New York store has weathered the recession and built up the brand despite some misgivings from Green himself. "Being honest, would I rather be a hundred meters further north in Broadway? Yes, I would," he says. "Is it the furthest south a retailer has taken on that's never traded in America? Did we take a site that was horrid, did it have risk in terms of where it is, how far down SoHo it is, getting people to come down there?" They may be rhetorical questions, but despite the calculated risks Green and his Arcadia Group remains an emerging player in the U.S. retail scene where so many British companies have tried and failed before: a common joke in the rag-trade says that the only way to make a small fortune in America is start with a large fortune. "It is a bit of a gamble because it's such a sophisticated market, but the risks are worth the rewards," says Isabel Cavill from Planet Retail. "The U.S. is still the largest retail market in the world." Cavill cites the lack of brand awareness, too rapid expansion and badly thought out partnerships with U.S. chains as typical reasons why British and other foreign brands have failed to make much of a dent in the U.S. Last year profits of Arcadia Group were more than healthy -- around $440 million in 2010 -- but faced with the U.S. market, "we are a pimple in terms of one brand, in terms of scale, of what the size of the opportunity could be," Green says. "Naturally if we want to build a global business, we have got to develop so I think from an investment strategy, from size of the marketplace, from what I think we need to do with the brand, (we need) to move the needle as they say." Doubling the size of Topshop sounds a big ask, he says, but "there's good acceptance of the product, there's good acceptance of the brand, there's work to do but I think we've got a shot." Opening new stores in other big cosmopolitan cities in the U.S. is the immediate plan; one that Wintour believes would be successful. "The American retail market is different from the British one," she says. "Philip doesn't take unnecessary risk but with everything being so positive in the States and the economy picking up, I'm really hopeful that he'll expand across the country. "America is a more casual country (than the UK). You go outside of the more fashionable cities you tend to see a lot of jeans and sweatshirts, it's less responsive to what Topshop stands for. "I'm confident that with Philip's expertise he will conquer the United States the way that he has conquered Britain." | British retail billionaire Sir Philip Green aims to make his fashion brand big in the U.S.
Editor-in-chief of American Vogue thinks Green will be successful where many others have failed .
Green's Topshop has a flagship store in Manhattan with expansion plans to other U.S. cities . |
112,872 | 1da4055c3420e8151f9d0e11c2cd9938db0025f9 | Relief etched on their face, these African immigrants say goodbye to their inflatable dinghy, and hello to the reassuring sturdiness of the a Coast Guard boat. Spanish officials say Coast Guard vessels from southern Spain and Morocco have rescued 27 migrants on four inflatable dinghies in the Strait of Gibraltar in the last 24 hours. Officials said some of the migrants trying to reach Spain from Morocco jumped into the sea when the two countries' rescue vessels approached them Monday. They were desperate to be picked up by the closer Spanish boats that would take them to Europe - instead of back to North Africa. One man raises his hands to the sky, while another makes a phone call . Saved: A would-be immigrant is helped to get on board a Spanish emergency services boat off the Spanish coast . Smiles: The men were relieved at the end of their drift - but whether they will receive asylum is a different story . Each year thousands of suspected illegal immigrants from Africa risk their lives trying to reach Europe on small, flimsy boats. Spanish . authorities said their vessels took 19 sub-Saharan men and two women to . the port of Cadiz in southern Spain. Some were suffering from . hypothermia. Whether they will find a new home on this side of the Mediterranean is not known. The six others were picked up by Moroccan rescuers and taken to Tangier. It . is believed that the men are all from sub-Saharan Africa and were on . the final stages of an epic journey which saw them cross the desert on . their way to the Moroccan coast. RELATED ARTICLES . Previous . 1 . Next . Navy patrol in Gibraltar showdown as British boat forces... Pictured: Dramatic moment huge chunk of Jurassic coastline... Share this article . Share . DM.later('bundle', function(){ . DM.has('p-22', 'Rotator', { . pageSize: 1, . pageCount: 1.0, . activeClass: 'active', . rotate: false . }); . $('#p-22 .share').on('click', function() { . DMS.Facebook.postToFB('related'); . }); . }); . The . Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain and Morocco by around nine miles - a . ferry ride between the two continents takes roughly 35 minutes. Due to its location it is one of the key smuggling routes for illegal immigrants crossing into Europe. The Moroccan navy intercepted four inflatable boats carrying sub-Saharan would-be immigrants accross the Strait of Gibraltar . A would-be immigrant prays after boarding the boat of the Spanish emergency services in the Strait of Gibraltar . A member fo the Spanish emergency services helps one of the men aboard the ship . The Spanish emergency services patrol the seas and keep an eye out for inflatable boats carrying sub-Saharan immigrants . Officials said some of the migrants trying to reach Spain from Morocco jumped into the sea when the two countries' rescue vessels approached them . Close: The Strait of Gibraltar separates Spain and Morocco by around nine miles . | Migrants began to swim towards Spanish Coast Guard when they realised a boat from Morocco was also coming to rescue them . |
71,444 | ca7f03c0e4357baf5847d7f6e49aa40fe3f4a7ab | Embattled Cabinet minister Maria Miller today insisted she will pay capital gains tax on the sale of the £1.4million house part-funded by the taxpayer. The Culture Secretary faced fresh questions about her finances as it emerged she stopped claiming expenses on the south London home just as parliamentary officials were demanding MPs sign a declaration that they would pay any capital gains tax incurred on future sales. Mrs Miller bought the house almost 20 years ago, claimed expenses on it for four years and sold it for a profit of more than £1million in February this year. Culture Secretary Maria Miller has vowed to pay capital gains tax on her house sale as the row over he expenses refuses to go away . Mrs Miller’s position in the Cabinet has become increasingly precarious after she was forced to apologise to the Commons and pay back £5,800. David Cameron has refused to sack her, despite a poll showing 78 per cent of people think Mrs Miller should be fired. Last week the independent standards commissioner Kathryn Hudson said Mrs Miller had overclaimed for expenses on her mortgage by £45,000. But in a dispute about the rules at the time, Miss Hudson was overruled by MPs on the Commons Standards Committee which said she need repay only £5,800. Mrs Miller caused further outrage with a 32-second apology to the comments, after she was criticised for her attitude to the year-long inquiry into her claims. 1996: Bought double-fronted Victorian terrace house in Wimbledon, south-west London, for £234,000 . 2005: Elected Conservative MP for Basingstoke . 2005-2009: Claimed £90,718 in expenses on the property . 2007: Increased the mortgage for a second time to £575,000, with taxpayers meeting the cost . 2009 April: Stopped claiming expenses . 2009 May: Commons officials wrote to MPs demanding they sign a declaration agreeing to pay capital gains tax on second homes . 2010: Became minister for Disabled People . 2011: Started claiming expenses on renting a property in her Basingstoke constituency . 2012: Joined Cabinet as Culture Secretary . 2014: Sold London home for £1.47million, a profit of £1.236million . When the expenses scandal broke in 2009, several MPs were accused of ‘flipping’ the declaration of their second home in order to avoid capital gains tax. Sales of a main home do not carry capital gains tax, but it is levied at 28 per cent on profits made on second homes. It was legal for MPs to declare one property as a second home for expenses, but as a main home for tax purposes. In May 2009 Parliamentary officials wrote to MPs asking them to sign a declaration that they would pay any capital gains tax due. But weeks before Mrs Miller instead stopped claiming for any expenses on the Wimbledon property she shared with her parents. She later designated the London house as her main home and from 2011 claimed expenses on a property in her Basingstoke constituency. A spokesman for the Culture Secretary said: ‘This is nonsense. It is well documented that Maria stopped claiming any accommodation allowance at all in April 2009. The sale of the Wimbledon property in February, falls in a tax year that has not yet been assessed. She will of course deal with the matter in accordance with HMRC rules and pay any tax that is due.' Aides deny Mrs Miller ‘flipped’ her designation in order to avoid capital gains tax, noting that she stopped claiming expenses on the London house five years ago. However, the row has reignited public anger over the expenses scandal and fuelled calls for her to be sacked. Former Conservative chairman Lord Tebbit became the most senior Conservative to call for her to go, writing on the Telegraph website that her ‘arrogant’ handling of the scandal had revived voter anger over MPs' expenses and adding: ‘The best way out of this is for Mrs Miller to resign.’ A poll by Survation for the Mail on Sunday found that large majorities of voters believe she should forfeit her Cabinet post (78 per cent) or be sacked as MP for Basingstoke (68 per cent). This is the house in Wimbledon, south London, which Mrs Miller owned for 19 years, claiming expenses to pay the mortgage for four years, before selling it for £1.4million . Dream home: This is Maria Miller's new £1.2million converted Tudor barn in Hampshire, bought after selling her family home in Wimbledon for £1.4million . Mrs Miller's husband Iain was seen outside the couple's home in Hook, Hampshire today, but there was no sign of the minister . Expenses watchdog Sir Ian Kennedy, chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, said it was time for MPs to stop ‘marking their own homework’ and give Ms Hudson the final say in standards investigations. And Labour's shadow leader of the Commons Angela Eagle promised a shake-up if the party wins next year's election: ‘We need a system which commands public confidence, and what we have at the moment clearly doesn't do that. Prime Minister David Cameron had vowed to stand by Mrs Miller and refused to sack her but his judgment was came into question from other Tories . ‘We need reform so that people have faith that MPs are properly held to account. David Cameron has failed to act but Labour won't let this failing system go unreformed.’ But Standards Committee member Geoffrey Cox warned that handing the right to sanction MPs to an external regulator could raise constitutional issues, as the watchdog could have the power to change the shape of a government - particularly in times of a narrow majority - by handing down a lengthy suspension or even expulsion from the Commons. Mr Cox told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour: ‘Anybody who has the power to expel a Member of Parliament from the House of Commons has an enormous power to alter governments, to change the shape of political history. ‘I think what the critics of the current system have to answer is if external regulation is going to be introduced, who is to do it, and to whom is that person or regulator to be accountable?’ While MPs are accountable to the electorate through the ballot box, in the case of an independent regulator ‘the only conceivable possibility would be to hand it to a court’, said Mr Cox. ‘That would involve real problems, constitutional problems, of the separation of powers. I'm not at all sure the judiciary would want to have the powers,’ he said. And the Torridge & West Devon MP added: ‘Nowhere in the world - certainly in no major democracy - has there been complete external regulation.’ | Culture Secretary is facing calls to quit over her expenses claims .
Ordered to pay back £5,800 and apologise to the Commons after inquiry .
Questions raised about capital gains tax on sale of Wimbledon home .
Bought it in 1996 and claimed expenses from 2005-09 when scandal broke . |
91,521 | 01bbfe0c7614526f049d702e9e788434af11dc2b | Power couple: Zara Phillips and husband Mike Tindall . Scroll down for video . With no HRH to her name – and no state funding to match – she’s the royal who has had to make her own way in the world. Now it can be revealed just how well Zara Phillips has managed – with a little help from her rugby playing husband, of course. By capitalising on her royal background, the Olympic silver medal-winning eventer rakes in an estimated £1million a year from sponsorship. And with her husband – former England rugby captain Mike Tindall, who earns a six-figure sum every year – Miss Phillips has made a small fortune from property and letting deals. And then there are the lucrative celebrity magazine shoots. Most recently they sold the first pictures of their baby, Mia Grace, for an estimated £40,000. Last year, Zara and her husband sold their five-bedroom home in Cheltenham for £1.27million, having bought it for £800,000 in 2009, making a profit of nearly £500,000. They have now moved into a property on Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park estate, where Zara has stables and trains her horses. It is not known whether they own the cottage or pay any rent for it. Tindall himself still owns a £400,000 three-bedroom flat in a Georgian terrace in the centre of Bath, which he rents out for around £1,500 per month. And he owns a £300,000 three-bedroom flat in Dubai, which he also lets. Experts suggest that it could treble in price by 2020, leaving him with a £600,000 profit should he choose to sell. Tindall, 35, earns a salary at Gloucester Rugby Club, where he is a player-coach, and for his roles as an ambassador for brokers UFXMarkets and Artemis Fund Managers. He also has a company, Kimble Trading, of which he is the sole director and shareholder, which had £257,000 in the bank in 2008 and has made a relatively modest £197,000 over the last five years. He owns a quarter-share in racehorse Monbeg Dude, which has won £120,000 in prize money and is worth more than £200,000, and he has invested bonuses earned during the height of his professional success on the stock market. However, it is his wife who is the breadwinner. Experts believe Zara’s status as a royal triples her worth to between £300,000 and £500,000 a year per sponsor. The most significant deal is with outdoor clothing line Musto, which could be worth up to £800,000 a year . The Queen’s granddaughter was paid a six-figure sum to lend her name to video game Howrse, in which players own, train and compete on a virtual horse . More controversially, however, she has become the first royal to sign a deal with an online gaming firm. The Queen’s granddaughter was paid a six-figure sum to lend her name to video game Howrse, in which players own, train and compete on a virtual horse. Zara is also an ambassador for Rolex and Land Rover and has worked for Samsung, the Magic Millions horse sale in Australia, as well as the same fund managers as her husband, Artemis. Simon Rines, of the International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, said: ‘There simply isn’t anyone else like her and her royalness, for want of a better word, is a unique selling point.’ A spokesman for the couple was contacted about this article but did not offer any comment. | Olympic silver medal-winning eventer rakes in estimated £1m a year from sponsorship .
Couple sold first pictures of their baby, Mia Grace, for about £40,000 .
Sold their five-bedroom home in Cheltenham for £1.27m, having bought it for £800,000 in 2009 .
Tindall, 35, earns salary at Gloucester Rugby Club, where he is player-coach, and is ambassador for brokers UFXMarkets and Artemis Fund Managers .
Zara is paid six-figure sum to lend her name to video game Howrse, in which players own, train and compete on a virtual horse . |
41,326 | 7489e5508a244a471df039cd719212848f721be9 | Washington (CNN) -- Federal aviation officials are telling airline and airport executives that they are working to minimize any disruption from imminent government budget cuts to passenger airline service, but warn the mandatory belt-tightening will impact air traffic overall. At a meeting in Washington on Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would give priority to 77 "core" facilities -- large airports and their related air traffic control centers, which it did not identify. But the agency would reduce staffing system wide and would likely close 238 control towers at less busy airports. Those towers handle 5.8 percent of all commercial air traffic, the FAA said. Opinion: Cuts too deep? No, not deep enough . "It was clear at the meeting that the brunt of the cuts were at the cost of general aviation (private and business aircraft), and the agency even recognized that," said Melissa Rudinger of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a group representing private pilots in Washington. The Transportation Department faces about $1 billion in budget cuts through the end of the fiscal year unless Congress acts by Friday to avert them. The cuts are part of a political impasse affecting spending across the government. Much of the agency's austerity will hit the FAA, which employs about 15,000 controllers and oversees traffic at more than 400 airports used by commercial airlines, business jets and private pilots. Large airports will also be impacted. All FAA employees have been told they may be furloughed at least one day every two weeks, inevitably meaning that aviation facilities will have fewer controllers. While the cuts would inevitably reduce the number of operations -- take-offs and landings -- the FAA said it would maintain the highest level of safety. The impact would be greatest at the nation's small- and mid-sized airfields, the FAA acknowledged. The 238 control towers facing possible closure met a criteria established by the FAA: They have fewer than 150,000 operations a year and fewer than 10,000 commercial airline operations. Opinion: Cuts will turn off voters GOP is courting . Of those towers, 189 are "contact towers," operated under FAA supervision by independent contractors. The remaining 49 are staffed by FAA controllers. FAA officials said it would consider removing a tower on a case-by-case basis if advocates could justify a change. But any towers spared from closure would have to be off-set by cuts elsewhere, they said. Most of the changes would occur at the start of April, and would ratchet up over a period of months. The first furloughs would begin April 8, according to a meeting participant. If a tower is closed, operations at those airports would continue. But controller operations would be shifted to other facilities, or to the pilots themselves, who would radio their intentions to take off, land, and maneuver on the ground. Ground operations could present the biggest danger to pilots, since it would remove from service controllers who are trained to look for conflicting movements on the runways and taxiways. Critics say the FAA failed to consider important factors when compiling its list of towers, including whether the towers were also used for military operations and for search and rescue missions. FAA officials also said Tuesday it would suspend development of its NextGen navigation system so it could reassign employees to control towers. And it would suspend its redesign of airspace -- an ongoing program to make the area around airports more efficient. The FAA also said budget cuts would force it to cut back on maintenance and repairs at "non-core" facilities. Only power, voice and navigational systems would be fixed at those facilities, the FAA told the industry executives. Rudinger said while the FAA disclosed a few new details about its plans to deal with forced spending cuts -- known in Washington as sequestration -- it was "certainly not as much detail as we were looking for going into the meeting." Participants in the meeting questioned whether the FAA is making the smartest cuts. ''Clearly they have to make the cuts," Rudinger said. "What's unclear is how they came up with them. There hasn't been any transparency in the process." More spin than solutions as spending cuts near . | The Federal Aviation Administration met with airline and airport executives .
FAA oversees the nation's air traffic system for airlines and private flights .
Plans include closing some control towers in less busy areas .
FAA employees have been told they may be furloughed as part of cuts . |
150,886 | 4f148174aadc42328ed8268572cad22ea9d73fd0 | Clearwater, Florida (CNN) -- Casey Anthony broke into tears Monday as a judge read potential jurors the indictment accusing the Florida mother of killing her 2-year-old daughter and then lying to law enforcement authorities. The emotional display came during the first day of jury selection in the trial of the 25-year-old Anthony, who is charged with capital murder in the death of her daugher, Caylee. She also faces six other charges, including aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and misleading law enforcement. Monday's proceedings occurred in a Clearwater, Florida, courthouse, about 100 miles southwest of Orlando where Caylee's grandmother first reported her missing in 2008 -- weeks after the girl was last seen, and five months before her body was found. Authorities moved the proceedings there hoping to draw from a jury pool that was less likely to have seen and been influenced by the intense media coverage surrounding the case. They kept the site in Pinellas County location secret until Monday morning, hoping to minimize the media rush in the area from which citizens will decide Anthony's fate. Once jury selection is complete, the jurors will be transported back to Orlando's Orange County for the trial, which is now scheduled to start May 17. The major question posed Monday by Orange County Superior Court Chief Judge Belvin Perry Jr. to the 66 jurors who came before him was whether they'd be able to remain sequestered in Orlando for up to eight weeks for the trial. More citizens will be called into court Tuesday and perhaps beyond. "Our system of justice depends on people like you willing to serve," the judge said. "You are being asked to perform one of the highest duties of citizenship." Of those called Monday, 45 were excused. The 21 who were not -- 14 men and 7 women -- will be called back Wednesday. Perry allowed the dozens of men and women to go home for various reasons. Many cited financial hardship -- saying they or their family would suffer if they couldn't work for two months. Others said they had to take care of loved ones. One man said he was active-duty military, about to ship out to Alaska for his U.S. Coast Guard responsibility. Monday was the first phase in the jury selection process. The other phases include asking jurors, one by one, for their take on the death penalty, which Casey Anthony would be eligible for if convicted on the murder charge. Lastly, the jurors will be quizzed on their knowledge of the case and other positions -- including if they have an opinion, prior to the trial, on Anthony's guilt or innocence. Throughout the selection process, Perry can weigh arguments from members of Anthony's legal team and state prosecutors and decide to exclude certain men and women from the jury pool. Besides winnowing down the jury pool, Perry also issued several decisions Monday that were all setbacks for the defense. That included denying Anthony's lawyers motion for more time to prepare for the trial, as well as questioning whether there was enough racial and ethnic diversity in the potential jury pool gathered in Clearwater. Perhaps the most significant ruling came when, in a written order, Perry determined the jury can consider evidence about an alleged "decompositional" odor coming from Casey Anthony's trunk, and hear from certain expert witnesses. The defense had knocked the analysis as unreliable and too closely tied to the FBI, suggesting it could be prejudiced against their client. The judge conceded the Anthony trial could be the first time the "chemical signature of the odor of human decomposition or the identity of the volatile chemical components of human decomposition" might be considered during a trial in Florida. Still, he wrote, "The expert's testimony will assist the jury in understanding the evidence and in determining facts in the case." In Session's Michael Christian contributed to this report. | NEW: Of the 66 potential jurors called Monday, 45 are excused .
NEW:The judge rules evidence on "decompositional" odor can be considered .
Jury selection is secretly moved to Clearwater, 100 miles from Orlando .
Casey Anthony is accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee . |
264,348 | e261be545bc96268aa92858293867a4f046300cc | (CNN) -- "Slow and steady wins the race" may be the moral of a children's tale, but the adage didn't hold up over the weekend in the case of Clark the tortoise vs. California police. The 150-pound tortoise decided to make a break for it in Alhambra, California, on Saturday. But he was no match for local police, who found the creature wandering the streets east of Los Angeles. "Almost had a pursuit!" the Alhambra Police Department wrote on its Facebook page. "It took two officers to take this guy into custody," they explained -- because of the creature's weight. Handcuffs, they joked, weren't an option. In short order, police say, Clark was reunited with his family. Locals chimed in on Facebook, most celebrating Clark's safe return. One woman claimed she saw the tortoise while he was on the lam "eating grass and leaves and moving at a fast clip." Others made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle jokes. But the Alhambra Police Department shut those down, writing that Clark "did not respond to 'Michelangelo,' 'Leonardo,' 'Raphael,' or 'Donatello.'" It's not the first time the police department has taken a walk on the wild side. The department encountered a man riding his horse through town on July 30. And on August 1, officers stopped another man who went for an evening jog in the nude. When officers asked the naked man what he was doing, they say, he told them he'd taken a pill and "decided to go for a run." Alhambra Police did not speculate whether drugs played a role in Clark's decision to lead them on a low-speed chase. Chicago: A man walks into a bar ... with a tiger . | Clark, a 150-pound tortoise, was spotted wandering the streets of Alhambra, California .
Police say it took two officers to corral the tortoise; handcuffs not an option .
Clark was returned to his family, leaving cops with lots of material for Facebook jokes . |
273,773 | eea4f72fd949dc9e998c09dd72c52089e871804a | (CNN) -- Virender Sehwag was the star with bat and ball as he offered India a glimmer of hope as they bid to win the third Test and level the series against Sri Lanka. The batsman completed his 21st Test century soon after the start of play on Thursday morning after India resumed on 180-2 in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 425. And after half centuries from VVS Laxman and Suresh Raina had helped India to 436 all out, Sehwag took two wickets to reduce Sri Lanka to 45-2 at the close and heap pressure on their middle order. Sehwag quickly passed the hundred mark in the first session but fell soon after for 109, caught by Chanaka Welegedara off the bowling Suraj Randiv. Sachin Tendulkar made 41 before he was caught behind by wicketkeeper Mahela Jayawardene off the bowling of Lasitha Malinga. Laxman then added 56 and Raina made 62 before they were both removed by Ajantha Mendis. Abhimanyu Mithun and Amit Mishra both added valuable runs to see India past Sri Lanka's total before Randiv removed both players to bring an end to the innings. Sri Lanka were unable to negotiate the final session without losing a wicket as both opening batsman fell to Sehwag. Tharanga Paranavitana was caught behind by captain MS Dhoni before Sehwag snagged Tillakaratne Dilshan thanks to a catch from Murali Vijay. Sri Lanka will resume on day four just 34 runs ahead of their rivals, with eight wickets remaining. They lead 1-0 in the three match series. | Sri Lanka reduced to 45-2 in their second innings against India .
Hosts lead by 34 runs with eight wickets remaining in third Test .
Virender Sehwag takes two late wickets to offer India hope of victory .
Sri Lanka lead the three match series 1-0 . |
38,982 | 6e23df3576bb9ae204b4951c4e2dc224ae3e5889 | This is the mother who murdered her young son then set him on fire when he struggled to learn the Koran off by heart. Pictured for the first time, Sara Ege, 32, leaves court today preparing to face life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder. Ege, 32, used a stick to beat her seven-year-old son Yaseen 'like a dog' when he couldn’t recite passages from the Islamic holy book. Murderer: Sara Ege, pictured for the first time, beat her son Yaseen to death with a stick before burning down the house . A . court heard the beatings were so brutal he died from his injuries and . his mother tried to burn the body to destroy the evidence. Fun-loving Yaseen was originally thought to have died in a tragic accident in the house fire. But a post mortem examination showed Ege had been beating and abusing her little boy in the months leading up to his murder. Prosecutor Ian Murphy said: 'When the smoke had cleared it emerged that Yaseen was dead before the fire had started. 'He had suffered significant abdominal injuries that were the cause of his death. 'There were multiple injuries including fractures which were non-accidental. 'Sara Ege made no attempt to seek the medical attention he so obviously needed. 'He clearly suffered terribly. She started the fire to hide what she had done.' In a police interview Ege told officers she was trying to teach her son the Koran but he was not very good. Beaten: Yaseen Ali, seven, was beaten by his mother for failing to learn parts of the Koran by heart . University graduate Ege said: 'I was getting more and more frustrated, if he didn’t read it properly I would be very angry - I would hit him. 'We had a high target, I wanted him to learn 35 pages in three months. I promised him a new bike if he could do it. 'But Yaseen wasn’t very good - after a year of practice he had only learned a chapter.' Cardiff Crown Court heard Ege and her taxi driver husband Yousef, 38, had enrolled Yaseen in advanced classes at their local mosque. They wanted him to become Hafiz - an Islamic term for someone who memorises the Koran. Ege told the court: 'Memorising the whole of Koran is a great reward for the whole family. 'It brings honour and increases the standing of the whole family in the local community.' But mischievous Yaseen preferred to play with his friends and got behind with his studies. The schoolboy was coming to the end of a three-month trial period at the mosque and Ege was keen for him to impress his Imam. The court heard Ege become more and more frustrated with her son’s inability to learn the passages he needed to. She told officers: 'I was getting all this bad stuff in my head, like I couldn’t concentrate, I was getting angry too much, I would shout at Yaseen all the time. A sketch shows Sara Ege sitting in the dock at Cardiff Crown Court. She has been found guilty of her son's murder today . 'I was getting very wild and I hit Yaseen with a stick on his back like a dog. 'He would be doing his work and wouldn’t complain and I would hit and hit him more and more. 'He was a good boy but I used to get angry and he wouldn’t even stop me or say anything to anyone.' The court was told how Ege would hit Yaseen with a stick, a hammer, a rolling pin and a slipper as well as repeatedly punching him. In the months after Yaseen’s death Ege told her GP she had been told to kill him by Shaitan - an Islamic name for the devil. She said: 'It is Shaitan - it is the devil which is telling me to do all these bad things. 'I have become so harsh, I even killed my own son.' Ege told her doctor she felt '100 per cent better' after her seven-year-old son died. Notes . kept by her GP record her as saying: 'It is like something has been . released. For three or four months I have not been normal. 'Voices told me to hit Yaseen and then hit him more and more.' Police . and the fire service were called to the family’s home in Pontcanna, . Cardiff, in July 2010 after a blaze ripped through the top floor. Yaseen was pulled from the blaze by firefighters who fought to revive the schoolboy. At first Yaseen’s death in the fire was treated as a tragic accident. But a post mortem examination discovered Yaseen was dead before the blaze began. Pathologists found multiple injuries on Yaseen’s body including broken ribs, a fractured arm and a fractured finger. Funeral: Cardiff Crown Court has heard Ege grew increasingly frustrated with her seven-year-old son . Tragedy: Ege hit her child with a hammer, a rolling pin and a slipper as well as punching him repeatedly . Barbecue lighter fuel was found on Ege’s clothing when she was arrested after the post mortem examination. Ege initially denied murdering Yaseen and burning his body to hide what she had done. Later she said she burned her son’s body after discovering he had died in the house and panicked. Her story changed again when she admitted beating little Yaseen in the months leading up to his death and burning his body to hide the injuries. Ege's husband Yousef Ege pictured outside Cardiff Crown Court. The five-week trial heard Mr Ege would drive Yaseen to mosque for his Koran practice before and after school. He said he had never seen his wife raise a hand against Yaseen . But Ege finally retracted all her previous confessions and told police they had all been lies. She said her husband and his family had threatened to kill her and her family is she didn’t take the blame for her son’s death. Her husband denied causing or allowing the death of a child by not stopping his wife’s beatings of Yaseen. The five-week trial heard Mr Ege would drive Yaseen to mosque for his Koran practice before and after school. He said he had never seen his wife raise a hand against Yaseen and that she was a 'perfect mother'. He told police: 'The last time I saw my son he looked fine. 'He was very happy and had written out a list of things he was going to do in the summer holidays.' Ege was found guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice by burning little Yaseen’s body. Her husband was cleared of causing or allowing the death of a child by failing to protect him. The jury returned unanimous verdicts after eight hours of deliberation. As the verdict was read out Ege broke down in the dock, holding her head in her hands and crying. Her husband showed no emotion as he walked free from court. Ege’s parents, who had travelled from Hyderabad in India, sat in the public gallery quietly as the jury returned. Judge Justice Wyn Williams told Ege she faces a term of life imprisonment . But he said he would determine a minimum sentence in the New Year after a medical report had been completed. Sara Ege remains in medical custody at the Llanarth Court Hospital in Gwent, South Wales. Scene: Police and firefighters rushed to the family home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, after the blaze broke out in July 2010 . Mr Ege’s solicitor said outside the court: 'He would like to thank everyone for the support they given him.' The lawyer was asked if Mr Ege had any thoughts for his wife but he refused to answer before the two men got into a waiting car. Police and the Crown Prosecution Service paid a tribute to 'bright and friendly' Yaseen. Speaking outside court Detective Constable Kim Roche said: 'Throughout this investigation we have heard many tributes to Yaseen. 'Quiet, hardworking, bright, well-behaved, obedient, respectful, polite and smiley are just some of the words used to describe him. 'It is a tragedy that such a promising young life was taken and those that loved him most will not be able to see him grow up to be a young man.' District Crown Prosecutor Deborah Rogers said: “The deeply tragic nature of this case has been all too apparent to anyone that has followed this trial. 'We should not forget that at the heart of the case is the loss of a bright and friendly young boy who had his whole life ahead of him.' | Sara Ege is facing life sentence after being found guilty of murder .
Seven-year-old Yaseen was beaten 'like a dog' if he couldn't recite passages .
Originally thought fun-loving boy died in house fire but he died from beatings and his mother then tried to burn the body to destroy the evidence .
Sara Ege, 32, used stick to abuse her boy in months leading up to murder .
Ege earlier told officers she had been frustrated her son could not learn 35-pages of Islamic holy book in three months, saying he 'wasn't very good'
Mother told GP she was told to kill him by Shaitan - Islamic name for devil . |
7,143 | 143ade0ff699f8a62abe4e14a7014fc8fbe57676 | By . Josh Gardner for MailOnline . The pregnant wife of a Missouri crop duster pilot killed in a tragic plane crash has revealed that, just before his death, her husband heard their unborn baby's heartbeat for the first time. 'I'm so thankful for that,' said LeAnn Malone, whose husband Hollis Malone died August 20 while doing the work he loved. The 29-year-old pilot also left behind a 2-year-old son named Rylan when he died in the west Tennessee tragedy. Tragic: Hollis Malone (right) died in a crop duster crash on August 20 and left behind his pregnant wife LeAnn (left) Without a father: Malone also left behind his 2-year-old son Rylan (center) The fourth generation pilot and his wife had just announced LeAnn's second pregnancy when he died just a day after listening to his new baby's beating heart. Over 2,000 people attended Malone's funeral, which LeAnn told KFVS is a testament to what a great man he was. 'He was the most loving caring, would do anything for anybody, full of life,' she said. She also said he died doing what he loved. 'Being a pilot is in his blood, he's a fourth generation pilot, and he had every intention of Rylan being a fifth generation,' Malone said. Unknown causes: Officials have not yet determined the cause of the west Tennessee crash . Born to fly: Malone was a fourth generation pilot who friends and fmily said had crop dusting 'in his blood' Investigators have yet to uncover a cause of the crash, which occurred in the community of Bible Hill. 'I wish I would have talked him out of going into crop dusting at times, but I didn't want to hold him back from his dream,' Malone told KFVS. 'And I wanted to be supportive - but I knew how dangerous it was.' Regardless of what happened, a mourning wife must now deal with the loss of the family's breadwinner as she prepares for the birth of their baby. Malone had no life insurance, so friends and family have started a GoFundMe page in hopes of helping his family financially. 'If Hollis touched your life in even the smallest way I just ask that you would consider a donation in his name,' the page reads. Hoped his son would become a pilot: LeAnn Malone says their son Rylan loves planes as much as his father did . | Hollis Malone died in a crop duster crash on August 20 .
The fourth generation pilot left behind his pregnant wife LeAnn and their son Rylan, 2 . |
95,299 | 067acda6a5f99123093535af9df168359ea2dea9 | By . Madlen Davies For Mailonline . Exposed midriffs made a big comeback this year, with celebrities such as Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora regularly showing off their toned stomachs at awards ceremonies, music videos, nights out and regular ‘selfies’ on Twitter and Instagram. But as a result doctors say increasing numbers of young women are seeking treatment to remove thread veins from this newly exposed area. Experts at Dr Newmans Clinic, a network of thread vein removal clinics based across the UK, have reported a 20 per cent increase in women undergoing treatment on thread veins in the ‘subcostal margin’ – the area between the edges of the ribs, down to the soft abdomen. Scroll down for video . Exposed: Rita Ora often rocks a crop top to concerts and award ceremonies, as well as posting pictures of her toned stomach on Instagram . Washboard abs: Cara Delevingne is a fan of the high waisted trousers and crop top look that has been so popular this summer . Thread veins are often associated with heavy drinking, but experts say they can be caused by a myriad of factors, including too much sun, hormones and pregnancy, a genetic predisposition or an underlying skin condition such as rosacea. Women often have a genetic predisposition to suffering from thread veins on their midriffs, doctors say. Patients are usually very fair skinned and redheads are even more likely to have them. Dr Peter Finigan, medical director at Dr Newmans Clinic said demand for vein removal from the midriff area has soared this year. He said: ‘Whereas the top two most common areas women have thread veins treated are on their faces and legs, recently we have seen a sharp rise in the number of 20-40 year old women coming in with concerns about thread veins in the subcostal margin, and this area is now the third most common part of the body for treatment.’ Soaring numbers of young women are seeking treatment for thread veins found on their midriffs . ‘Many patients tell us they feel self-conscious wearing a bikini or crop top if they have thread veins in this area – which usually appear in a ‘belt’ of tiny, vertical red lines.’ Other celebrities who are fans of the exposed midriff include Emma Watson, Cheryl Cole, Cara Delevingne, and Abbey Clancy, who just weeks ago posted a ‘selfie’ of herself in her Calvin Klein underwear and boasted a picture perfect midriff. The women seeking treatment are becoming increasingly younger than their usual clientele, Dr Finigan added. He said: ‘Interestingly, the patients we have treated for this area over the last 12 months have been getting younger, with the majority aged between 20 and 30-year-old.’ He continued: 'We do also treat older women up to the age of 40, but patient numbers tend to fall after this age. 'This could be down to older women preferring not to bare their midriff, or perhaps becoming more body confident as they get older.' | Doctors report a 20 per cent increase in women in the UK having thread vein removal treatment from their midriffs .
Is now most common area for removal of thread veins after face and legs .
Rising numbers of women aged 20- 30 are undergoing treatment to feel confident donning a crop top or hitting the beach, say experts . |
185,009 | 7ba9cc6f45b6049d52fd2189fa6e9de569c331f6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 18:13 EST, 17 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:13 EST, 17 December 2012 . History of drug abuse: Steroids were found in the room where Garrett Reid, pictured, died from an accidental heroin overdose . A probe into the fatal heroin overdose of Garrett Reid, the oldest son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, revealed there were steroids discovered near his body on the day he died, a Pennsylvania prosecutor said on Monday. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said that anabolic steroids were found in the room where Garrett Reid was staying when he overdosed on heroin on August 5 during Eagles training camp. Reid was helping the team's strength and conditioning coach at the time of his death. Morganelli said there was no evidence that Reid was giving the steroids to any Eagles players, and that investigators could not determine if the drugs were for Reid's own use or for distribution. He showed little appetite for a deeper probe. 'The issue of steroids, it's an illegal substance in Pennsylvania law. It has probably more significance in the sports world. But since it did not appear to be related to his death, we're not pursuing that any further,' Morganelli said. Morganelli said in October that investigators found 47 syringes and 65 needles . in Reid's gym bag, many of them unopened. Also found were spoons and 19 vials of an unknown liquid. Eagles Chairman Jeffrey Lurie called the news of the steroids disappointing, and noted that neither the organization nor the players were aware or involved with anything related to steroids. 'It's clear the conduct in which he apparently engaged runs counter to the values and principles mandated for everyone associated with our organization. We have spoken with the league office and have pledged our full cooperation with their requests should there be any,' Lurie said. 'While we remained saddened by the tragic end of a young man's life and know how hard this must be for the entire Reid family, we are extremely confident that Garrett's actions were unknown to those around him and did not involve our football team.' Coach: Garret Reid is the son of Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, pictured during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday . Reid's body was found in his dorm room at Lehigh University in Bethlehem. The coroner said the 29-year-old died of an accidental heroin overdose. Lehigh University police were called to the dorm room around 7:20am on August 5, arriving after Eagles team physician Dr Omar Elkhamra had tried to revive him with a defibrillator. Investigators searching his room found a used syringe and spoon, along with a gym bag filled with dozens of syringes and needles, many of them unopened, as well as 19 vials of an unknown liquid. Testing revealed the vials contained four types of anabolic steroids, Morganelli said. But said he did not have any evidence that Reid was distributing steroids to players. Asked how aggressively his office and Lehigh University's police department pursued the question, Morganelli said: 'Lots of interviews were conducted by the police. And I can't go into all of them, but all I can say is that we could not provide any evidence or substantiate that anybody in the Eagles organization was involved in this, or whether or not this was for his personal use. It was just undetermined.' Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, center, is embraced after the funeral for his son Garrett Reid on Tuesday August 2, when some 900 people attended . Britt Reid, center left, is embraced after the funeral for his brother Garrett who had a long battle with drug addiction . He acknowledged the quantity found could have been intended for distribution, 'but what I'm saying is I have no evidence of that, that there was any distribution by Mr Reid, either here or anywhere else.' The prosecutor said he had not been in touch either with the NFL or the Eagles organization. In a statement, Andy Reid said he was 'confident that my son's decisions did not affect our football team in any way.' 'I cannot apologize enough for any adverse appearances that my son's actions may have for an organization and a community that has been nothing but supportive of our family,' the Eagles coach said. It wasn't clear if Reid had steroids in his system at the time of his death. Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek did not immediately return a phone call. Once the corner determined that Reid had succumbed to heroin, investigators focused on learning who had supplied him with it, combing through Reid's phone records to see who he was calling and texting before his death. But Morganelli said that probe ran into a dead end. 'It cannot be determined whether Mr. Reid obtained heroin here in the Lehigh Valley or brought it with him to training camp from elsewhere,' Morganelli said, adding that Lehigh University police has closed the investigation. Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli announces his findings in the death of Garrett Reid, saying it was an accidental overdose of heroin . 'I don't want to be that kid who was the son of the head coach of the Eagles, who was spoiled and on drugs and OD'd and just faded into oblivion,' Garrett told a judge in 2007. His dad is being hugged, center . Reid seemed to have rebounded from a long struggle with drug abuse that at times jeopardized his father's job. He was sentenced to nearly two years in prison for a 2007 high-speed car crash that injured another driver. Police said Reid was high on heroin, and they found the drug and more than 200 pills in his car. More recently, exercise and training had become his passion and he aspired to make it a career. At the time of his death, he had been helping strength and conditioning coach Barry Rubin. But an autopsy revealed his body showed signs of chronic drug use. Reid's younger brother, Britt, has also struggled with drug use and was arrested on the same day as Garrett in 2007 after a road-rage incident. Police discovered weapons and drugs in Britt Reid's vehicle. He now works as a graduate assistant coach at Temple. Some 900 people attended Garrett Reid's funeral. | Garret Reid was found dead on August 5 during Eagles training camp .
His cause of death was ruled a heroin overdose - and 47 syringes and 65 needles were found near his body . |
217,933 | a62664243dc3ae8cf6a7d91dcc3d12b71c12827a | A British woman has found a way to help a convicted murderer on death row see the world - she superimposes his face on pictures of famous landmarks. Kate Hughes, 29, from Liverpool, has been writing to Texan inmate Robert Pruett, whom she believes has been unfairly convicted of murdering both his neighbour and a prison guard, every week since March. By Photoshopping images of Pruett's head on to popular tourist sites, Miss Hughes has been helping her unlikely pen pal feel like he's travelling the globe. Kate Hughes is helping her death row pen pal Robert Pruett see the world from his prison cell by sending him images of his face Photoshopped on to famous landmarks, like this one of the The Sydney Opera House . After seeing American convict Robert Pruett (right) on a BBC documentary in March this year, care worker Kate Hughes from Liverpool (left) found his prison address online and wrote to him the very same night . The senior care assistant, who lives with her mother, has already 'transported' Pruett to Australia, Italy and the Isle of Skye in the hope of providing him with some escapism from his life in prison. She has created pictures of Pruett in front of sites including the Vatican in Rome, the Sydney Opera House and the Liver Building in Liverpool. Miss Hughes said: 'If somebody had told me five years ago I would have been writing to a man on death row, I would have said,"'Yeah, whatever". But times have changed for Miss Hughes, who now says she feels like the convicted murderer is a lifelong friend. The senior care assistant created superimposed pictures of Pruett at sites including the Vatican in Rome . Says Miss Hughes: 'I got the idea to do the first picture after he wrote and mentioned he'd always wanted to visit the Isle of Skye and I used an editing app to show him standing in front of a harbour on the island' 'I was so shocked about how much we have clicked. I feel like I've known him forever and he's told me he sees us as really good friends,' the Photoshop whiz explains. Miss Hughes, who says she prizes herself on being 'a good judge of character', had an inkling her mother would disapprove of the friendship, despite being convinced of her convicted murderer's innocence. 'Even though I knew he was innocent, I didn't say anything to my mum at first about writing to him.' Luckily for Miss Hughes, her mother was more understanding than she had imagined. 'She's been really supportive since I told her - she can see he's not a bad person. I am lucky to have her support, but even if she was against it, it wouldn't affect my friendship with Robert. I am nearly 30, after all. 'Some of my friends do worry about me writing to someone who's in jail for murder, but I'm not in any danger.' A Photoshopped picture of Robert visiting Liverpool, where Miss Hughes herself is from . Pruett with his favourite band Radiohead: Says Miss Hughes: 'This was much harder to make as you have these rock stars and then a white-faced convict in the middle in his boiler suit' Says Miss Hughes of the man on death row: 'Robert isn't in a dark place any more. He is a really positive person and is quite happy in himself.' 'He loves every minute of life. He tries to love the now, tries to be as happy as he can be. He loves to have a laugh, so I always put silly stories or memories in my emails. 'In one, I told him about getting attacked by a spider that day - just daft things like that. Despite having virtually travelled the globe together, Miss Hughes and her convict have never met in the flesh, but the Liverpudlian is hoping that moment will come. 'He says he really wants to meet me and I can't wait to meet him. I think when we meet face to face, it'll be just the same as writing to each other. We've got loads to talk about.' Miss Hughes learnt of 34-year-old Pruett's criminal background, when she saw his story on BBC documentary Life And Death Row. Left: Pruett superimposed onto a London bus; Right: Miss Hughes in action writing to her pen pal . He was jailed in 1995 at the age of 16, convicted for the fatal stabbing of a neighbour in Harris County, Texas. Then four years into a 99-year sentence, Pruett was found guilty of murdering a prison guard who was repeatedly stabbed with a sharpened metal rod, and given the death sentence. Miss Hughes said: 'We never talk about his case, because when I write to him I want to take him out of that reality. 'We just chat like normal pen pals do about music, films, funny memories and places in the world we would love to see. 'The only difference is that he'll never get that chance to see them. At least with the pictures I make, he can imagine himself there. 'I got the idea to do the first picture after he wrote and mentioned he'd always wanted to visit the Isle of Skye and I used an editing app on my mobile phone to show him standing in front of a harbour on the island. 'He wrote back to say he loved it so in my next letter I attached a photo of him superimposed on top of a double-decker London bus, as he'd talked about visiting the city. 'I've done pictures of him with his favourite band Radiohead too, although that was much harder to make as you have these rock stars and then a white-faced convict in the middle in his boiler suit.' Miss Hughes is also campaigning for her pen pal to be retried after doubts were expressed over his convictions. Pruett, above, was jailed in 1995 at the age of 16, over the fatal stabbing of a neighbour in Harris County, Texas, then four years into a 99-year sentence he was convicted of murdering a prison guard . A collectiom of Pruett's letters written from his prison in Texas to Miss Hughes in Liverpool . Pruett's father, who admitted killing the neighbour, testified to say his son did not take part in the murder and two fellow inmates who testified against Pruett over the death of the prison guard were given reduced sentences. His execution date was originally set for May last year at the Polunsky Unit prison. But, with the support of the Texas Innocence Project which fights for wrongfully convicted prisoners, he received a stay of execution so further DNA testing could be carried out. She said: 'After watching the BBC documentary, and doing my own research, it's clear there isn't a scrap of evidence against Robert. 'From the first moment, I just knew he wasn't guilty, so I took it upon myself to write to him and let him know.' Pruett (right) is serving 99 years in a Texan jail for two murders, but Miss Hughes (left) is convinced of her new friend's innocence . 'Now I've got to know him, I'm even more convinced that he didn't commit these crimes,' she says. 'I am very passionate about Robert's case. I haven't stopped thinking about it. If we could just get his sentence reduced or get him off death row, it would be a huge triumph. 'An innocent man is going to die and I want to make people realise that he has not done anything wrong. There is not even a pinhead of DNA against him. He just wants a retrial to prove he is innocent.' Pruett is currently compiling an online journal about his incarceration where entries are published for him via a friend in Switzerland. He writes: 'Being on death watch and knowing you could be soon executed is intense and there are ups and downs to it, but you don't have to be overwhelmed by it all. Staying present is the key.' | Kate Hughes, 29, from Liverpool, writes regularly to prisoner Robert Pruett .
Pruett, 34, is behind bars for murdering his neighbour and a prison guard .
Miss Hughes placed her pen pal in Rome, on a bus and with Radiohead . |
231,540 | b7c7bc9d91bb701f47d2b42cca7dd0807e79f0cc | (CNN) -- The Pentagon has revolutionized warfare during the past decade, making unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, a staple of modern combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. A USAF technician at Creech Air Force Base, checks Hellfire missile attachments on a Predator. Remotely-controlled drones, such as the Predator and the Reaper, have allowed the U.S. military to spy on and attack enemy combatants without putting their own forces at risk, thereby making UAVs a must-have. "The real advantage of unmanned aerial systems is they allow you to project power without projecting vulnerability," says USAF Lt. Gen. David Deptula at the Pentagon. But as USAF commanders try to provide enough pilots to take charge of drones, many are considering another aspect of the warfare revolution -- the psychological impact on those controlling the vehicles. As Dr. Kory Cornum, a USAF colonel, explains: "Whereas we have thousands of years of data on what it's like to go to war really, we only have a few years of data on what it's like to go to war virtually. And so we don't have really enough data." Pilots are now dealing with something never experienced before -- a rapid transition from intense combat to home comfort, often in less than an hour. Some describe it as a version of post-traumatic stress disorder, often more associated with soldiers directly in harm's way. Peter Singer, an adviser to U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign team and author of "Wired for War," described one encounter with a frustrated non-commissioned officer. "She actually banged the table, saying: 'No one is paying attention to this issue of PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] among my men and women, no one's paying attention to it," Singer says. "And she talked about a scene where they were flying a drone above a set of U.S. soldiers that were killed and the drone was unarmed at the time and they couldn't do anything about it. They just circled above and they watched U.S. soldiers die in front of them." Watch the debate about the impact of UAVs on pilots » . USAF fighter pilots like Major Morgan Andrews remotely control drones from Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. Less than an hour after targeting he'll be back in suburban Las Vegas, his drive home more physically dangerous than the combat mission he has just undertaken. Commanders at Creech say that if there is stress, it comes from relentless around-the-clock shift work. Andrews says that like any good pilot he has learned to compartmentalize his life, using his commute to and from work to transition. "I think about work, I think about what happened," Andrews explains, "what I could've done better, anything I maybe did wrong that I could've done differently, how could I do it better next time. I just kind of go through it and usually, by the time I get home, I've sorted it all through my mind and stick it away in a file and go on with life." For Andrews, fighting from Nevada more than outweighs the drawbacks of long overseas deployments, allowing him to enjoy life at home with his family and friends. Cornum adds that the drive home is more of a blessing than anyone realized. "It does give you some amount of time, as opposed to if you lived on base and you could literally walk out of war and into your house," he says. "I don't know if 30 minutes is enough. But it gives you time to decompress." But conducting remote warfare, as Cornum explains, brings with it stress that vary from those usually experienced by troops. "The big difference is that when you are actually deployed, you are with all your battle buddies who are experiencing the thing 24/7. Whereas when you go home, you go home to your family, to your neighbors, who are not in the battle all the time. And that's good and bad." | Robotic warfare allows pilots to control armed vehicles without risk to themselves .
Military experts are now looking at the psychological impact this may have on pilots .
Pilots now transition from battlefield to home environment in less than an hour .
Some pilots welcome operating from the U.S. rather than being deployed overseas . |
31,900 | 5ac6cd5dc6219deab3f0cda93ea390e01ccbfd42 | (CNN) -- A disastrous blunder by England goalkeeper Robert Green cost his side victory as they drew 1-1 with the United States in their Group C opener in Rustenburg on Saturday night. England were leading 1-0 through a fourth minute Steven Gerrard goal approaching halftime when Clint Dempsey sent in a weak shot from just outside the penalty area. Maradona's Argentina beat Nigeria . It appeared to be a routine save for Green but astonishingly he let the ball slip through his grasp and despite a despairing dive saw it trickle into the net. England captain Gerrard gave his side a dream start after he latched on to a neat pass from Emile Heskey to beat Tim Howard in the U.S. goal with ease. Fabio Capello's men were holding onto their lead comfortably enough, aside from a scare when Jozy Altidore connected with a Landon Donovan cross to send his header wide, until the fortunate 40th minute equalizer. The second half saw England press for the winner and Heskey was sent clear by Aaron Lennon but shot straight at Howard. Wayne Rooney also sent a shot narrowly wide and cleverly set up substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips for a chance from the left side of the penalty area which he sent straight at Howard. But English hearts were in their mouths as Altidore outpaced Jamie Carragher, who came on for the injured Ledley King at halftime, and bore down on goal. This time Green came to the rescue, parrying his effort against the post to partially redeem himself for an error which will live long in the memory. There was no masking the disappointment in the England camp at the final whistle. Catch up with CNN's twitter.buzz . "The idea tonight was to win the game, but unfortunately we have let a poor goal in and we couldn't go on and get the winner," Gerrard told ITV Sport. "The target now has got to be seven points." England's next game is against Algeria in Cape Town on Friday with the United States taking on Slovenia in Johannesburg. Capello would not confirm if he will stand by Green for a game which now takes on added significance. "Sometimes a forward misses a goal and sometimes the keeper makes a mistake, this is football. The second half he played very well," said the Italian. | England and United States draw 1-1 in their Group C opener in Rustenburg .
Steven Gerrard gives England the lead after only four minutes .
A goalkeeping error by Robert Green allows Clint Dempsey to equalize for U.S. |
131,615 | 362cea350e7f94b1875ac10984341c486be85e88 | Washington (CNN) -- A federal appeals panel on Wednesday temporarily blocked a lower court ruling that halted enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning openly gay and lesbian soldiers from the military. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals gave the government the delay it sought in challenging a federal judge's order last week to stop enforcing the policy around the world. "The order is stayed temporarily in order to provide this court with an opportunity to consider fully the issues presented," said the appellate panel's ruling, which gave parties in the case until October 25 to file further documents. CNN iReport: Please share your thoughts on don't ask, don't tell . Aubrey Sarvis, an Army veteran and executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said the appeals court panel's ruling "means that 'don't ask, don't tell' is once again on the books, and is likely to be enforced by the Defense Department." "Gay and lesbian service members deserve better treatment than they are getting with this ruling," Sarvis said. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Campaign also expressed disappointment and called for an end to "don't ask, don't tell." Earlier Wednesday, the Obama administration filed an emergency request with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the military from allowing openly gay troops from serving, putting itself in a strange position. In effect, the administration wants to continue barring gays from the military even though it ultimately favors repealing "don't ask, don't tell." "They are in a very bizarre position, frankly, of their own making," CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said. On Wednesday, the White House referred all questions about the issue to the Department of Justice. The administration filed a motion Tuesday asking U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Phillips to stay her order last month that banned the enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. When Phillips denied the request, government lawyers took their case to the 9th Circuit on Wednesday. In court documents filed in San Francisco, California, the administration argued that "don't ask, don't tell" should remain intact for now. The administration argued that changing it abruptly "risks causing significant immediate harm to the military and its efforts to be prepared to implement an orderly repeal of the statute." Toobinsaid the administration would like Congress to deal with the issue on a political level and doesn't want the courts to take it on unilaterally. A measure that would repeal the policy after a military review and approval from the president, defense secretary and Joint Chiefs chairman has passed the House and awaits action in the Senate. By battling the legal challenge to the existing law -- a traditional practice of the U.S. government -- the administration is trying to buy time to implement the repeal process worked out with military leaders and contained in the legislation before Congress. If the 9th Circuit eventually overturns Phillips' ruling and Congress does not take any action, "don't ask, don't tell" could be back. "And the Obama administration would be responsible for that," Toobin said. Meanwhile, spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said Wednesday that the Defense Department "will continue to obey the law, and we will abide by the terms of the court's injunction unless and until the injunction is stayed or vacated." The Log Cabin Republicans, plaintiffs in the case that Phillips ruled on, said Wednesday that the group remained fully committed to defending this worldwide injunction because it is what is best for all service members. "While we are disappointed with the court's ruling granting a temporary administrative stay, we view the decision as nothing more than a minor setback," said Dan Woods, a partner in the law firm White & Case who is representing the group it the case. "We didn't come this far to quit now," he said in a statement, adding that the group expected the appeals court to uphold the lower court injunction against "don't ask, don't tell." The Pentagon has already begun advising recruiting commands that they can accept openly gay and lesbian recruit candidates, according to Smith. The guidance from the personnel and readiness office was sent to recruiting commands Friday, Smith said. The recruiters were told that if a candidate admits that he or she is openly gay and qualifies under normal recruiting guidelines, the application can be processed. Recruiters are not allowed to ask candidates if they are gay as part of the application process. Christian Berle, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, said there have not been any incidents of consequence the administration feared would occur. "The armed forces continues to move along and succeed because it is the greatest military in the world," Berle said. Dan Choi, an infantry officer who was discharged under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, turned in paperwork Wednesday to re-enlist in the Army. He said the Obama administration ought not to lift a finger to defend discrimination. "They should walk their talk," Choi said after re-enlisting. The Obama administration has said it needs more time to work with the Pentagon to repeal the policy, blasted by critics as blatantly discriminatory. "This president has made a commitment, and it's not a question of whether that program, whether that policy will change, but when," Obama adviser David Axelrodsaid. "We're at the end of a process with the Pentagon to make that transition, and we're going to see it through." The arrangement worked out with the Pentagon includes a military review of how to make the transition work, which is to be completed in December. After that, Obama, the defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs chairman would have to certify that the plan won't harm the combat readiness of U.S. troops. Obama and White House Press Secretary Robert Gates have repeatedly stressed the need for an orderly transition from the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in order to deal with myriad issues including barracks arrangements and benefits. Speaking to a mostly young audience at the MTV, BET, CMT town hall meeting last week, Obama reaffirmed that the "policy will end and it will end on my watch." "I agree with the basic principle that anybody who wants to serve in our armed forces and make sacrifices on our behalf, on behalf of our national security, anybody should be able to serve," he said. At the same time, Obama said, "it has to be done in a way that is orderly," and he insisted that congressional action is needed because Congress passed a law that prohibits the president from unilaterally changing the policy. CNN's Adam Levine, Dan Lothian and Tom Cohen contributed to this report. | NEW: ACLU, service members group express disappointment .
Appellate panel says it needs more time to make a final decision .
Defense Department says it will obey the law as set by courts .
The administration favors repealing the policy, but not abruptly . |
282,999 | fa94ea5c8f8d72ba458177e83d2e5acd8b0a15d2 | Waukesha, Wisconsin (CNN) -- Approval ratings -- and the events that led to the most difficult political year of his presidency -- mean very little to President Barack Obama's daughters. They are more concerned, he said, with their teenage pursuits. "When we sit down at the dinner table, they have some awareness of what's going on. And we have great conversations although mostly it's about history more than about what's going on right now," Obama told CNN in an exclusive interview airing Friday. "But it's true. Look, they're teenagers. They're fully absorbed with their lives, what's going on at school." Still, the girls have managed to meet a great number of people who will have a place in history. That includes the former Pope, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. It was Obama's first year in office, when he took his daughters -- Sasha and Malia -- with him to the Vatican. "Sasha was still pretty young at the time," Obama said. "...They see the Sistine Chapel, and they're going through the various chambers. Each time she'd see somebody dressed up in the cloth, she'd say 'Is that the pope? Is that the pope?' How 'bout that guy over there?'" His answer: "No, no, you'll know when it is finally the Pope." Obama doesn't know if the girls will be with him when he meets the new leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, later this year. "I have been really impressed so far with the way he has communicated what I think is the essence of the Christian faith, and that is a true sense of brotherhood and sisterhood and a true sense of regard for those who are less fortunate," Obama said. Asked if he might have some advice for the Pope on setting expectations a little lower, the president laughed. "My suspicion is based on what I've seen of him so far, he's a pretty steady guy. I don't think he needs any advice from me on staying humble." Pope Francis may not need any help with that from the President, but Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman might. Sherman's rant following the Seahawks' win over the San Francisco 49ers, a game that earned him a spot in the Super Bowl, caused a brouhaha after he declared he was the best. He was ultimately fined more than $7,800 for unsportsmanlike conduct after he made a choking sign at 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick. "My sense is he's taking a page out of Muhammad Ali's playbook, which is, I think he said explicitly, this is a good way to get attention. In fact, Ali said he got his schtick from wrestlers he used to watch," Obama said. "...So I think it's part of the tradition 'let me get some attention.' Obviously, it's worked. I suspect he's going to have a lot more endorsement contracts and more jersey sales after that." CNN gave the President two options of competitions that we wanted him to weigh in on: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vs. Vice President Joe Biden for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination or the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Denver Broncos in Sunday's Super Bowl. "I think it's going to be a lot like the Seahawks-49ers game. I think it's going to come down to the last play," Obama said. "...I'm not going to pick because I don't want to offend any of the great cities participating." OK, so if he's not going to pick in the Super Bowl than what about Clinton versus Biden? "I'm too smart for that," the President said. Jake Tapper reported from Waukesha, Wisconsin; and Chelsea J. Carter wrote from Atlanta. Watch The Lead with Jake Tapper weekdays at 4pm ET. For the latest on The Lead with Jake Tapper click here. | President Obama said his daughters are more concerned with teenage pursuits .
"They're fully absorbed with their lives, what's going on at school," he said .
Obama said Pope Francis appears to be "a pretty steady guy"
The President thinks the Super Bowl is going to come down to the last play . |
276,580 | f2533b7ff07cbf39f31cf67ca6e2b67271bf8036 | By . Ashley Collman . Robert Downey Jr's son Indio was arrested yesterday after cops found him with cocaine, echoing his father's very public struggle with drug addiction in the 90s. The 20-year-old was riding in a car in West Hollywood Sunday afternoon when an L.A. County Sheriff's deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and found the illicit drugs. Law enforcement officials told TMZ that Indio was riding in the car around 2pm, near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and La Cienega, when a police officer drove up alongside the vehicle and noticed a passenger smoking something out of a pipe. Scroll down for video . Bad inheritance: Robert Downey Jr's son Indio (left) was arrested Sunday afternoon after L.A. cops found him in possession of cocaine. Father and son pictured above in August 2011 . The Sheriff's deputy pulled the car over and conducted a search, finding Indio in possession of cocaine. The Iron Man star's son was booked in L.A. County jail and released early Monday morning on $10,250 bail. Downey has since issued a statement, thanking the police for their intervention, while expressing the belief that his son can be a 'recovery success story instead of a cautionary tale.' 'Unfortunately there’s a genetic component to addiction and Indio has likely inherited it. Also, there is a lot of family support and understanding, and we’re all determined to rally behind him and help him become the man he’s capable of being,' the 49-year-old actor said. This isn't the first time Indio has gotten in trouble for drug abuse. In October 2013, the National Enquirer reported that Indio had been admitted to a rehab facility for prescription pill abuse. At the time, Indio's mother Deborah Falconer, told the magazine that her son's problem was not that bad. 'He was not addicted,' she said. 'He was taking one pill a day.' Sources close to the family told TMZ that Indio has been in and out of treatment facilities for years, and that his father has been deeply involved in getting him help. 'Because of Robert's own struggle he's very much in tune with his son's sobriety. And that has really helped Indio,' one source said told the outlet. The sources said Downey partly feels guilty for his son's suffering, since he too knows what it's like to be an addict. Downey and Falconer had their son in September 1993, and Indio grew up as his father struggled to stay away from marijuana, cocaine, heroin and prescription pills. Falconer and Downey split in 2001, after she became frustrated with his multiple trips to rehab and jail. Drug addict father: Indio is the son of Downey and ex-wife Deborah Falconer (left). He was born in September 1993, just before his father's drug use spiraled out of control. Downey and Falconer split in 2001. Pictured above in June 2007 . Rehab: Indio is pictured above performing at a book store in Venice, California in 2011. Two years later, his parents admitted him to a rehab program for abusing prescription pills . Family business: A 12-year-old Indio appeared with his father in the 2005 film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang . Downey abused drugs for most of the 90s, and was even jailed in 1999 for missing a court-ordered drug test. During one court hearing in 1999, Downey told a judge that he had been a drug addict since age 8, when his fellow addict father started supplying him with marijuana. In a 1988 interview, Downey said he grew up in a house where there was 'always a lot of pot and coke around'. 'When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how,' Downey said. Downey finally got clean in 2003, when he dramatically threw all of his drugs into the ocean following a life-changing trip to Burger King. He told Empire magazine that he was driving in a car full of 'tons of f***** dope' when he stopped at the fast-food chain to get a bite to eat. 'I have to thank Burger King,' he said. 'It was such a disgusting burger I ordered. I had that, and this big soda, and I thought something really bad was going to happen.' So he drove to the beach and unloaded his stash, vowing to end the dangerous habit. Rock bottom: Robert Downey Jr is pictured leaving court in 2001, after pleading no contest to charges of being under the influence and in possession of cocaine. Two years later, Downey got sober for good after a life-changing trip to Burger King . It was also around that time that he met future-wife Susan Levin, who was producing his film Gothika. Downey proposed to her in November 2003, but Levin only agreed to go through with the marriage if the actor became sober for good. Downey then started therapy, entered a 12-step program, took up meditation and started the martial art Wing Chun Kung Fu and described kicking drugs as like coming out of a '20-year coma'. 'The old saying is true – behind every good man there's an incredible woman. I owe a huge amount – if not all – of my success to Susan. We make a great team, and all that luck I spoke about, that's Susan,' he said. Since getting clean, Downey has experienced a career comeback, starring in such films as Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes and Tropic Thunder. Downey and his son have worked together as actors before, when a 12-year-old Indio played a younger version of his father's character in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Like father, like son: Robert Downey Jr is pictured after his November 2000 arrest for drug possession . 1971 - Robert Downey, Sr starts supplying his 6-year-old son with marijuana . 1991 - Robert Downey Jr with girlfriend Sarah Jessica Parker because of his drug issues . May 1992 - Marries actress/singer Deborah Falconer after 42-day courtship . September 1993 - Birth of Indio Downey . April 1996 - Arrested for possessing heroin, cocaine, and unloaded handgun while speeding down Sunset Boulevard . May 1996 - While on parole, a high Downey trespasses on neighbor's home and is found passed out in one of the beds. Sentenced to three years probation and compulsory drug testing. 1997 - Misses court-ordered drug test and spends four months in L.A. County jail . 1999 - Misses another court-ordered drug test and spends the next year in California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and state prison in Corcoran, California . 2000 - Released early from prison on $5,000 bail and goes on to secure celebrated role on Ally McBeal . Thanksgiving 2000 - Arrested at Palm Springs spa after police search his room and find Downey under the influence of a controlled substance and in possession of cocaine and Valium . 2001 - Splits with Falconer, who gains custody of Indio . April 2001 - Officer finds Downey wandering barefoot in Culver City and arrests him on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs. Tests show he had cocaine in his system . July 2001 - Pleads no contest to Palm Springs charges, and avoids jail time. Is sent to rehab instead and put on three-year probation . January 2003 - Appears in film The Singing Detective, after friend Mel Gibson pays his insurance bond for the movie. July 2003 - Downey achieves sobriety . August 2005 - Marries film producer Susan Levin . February 2012 - Son Exton Elias Downey is born . October 2013 - Indio Downey sent to rehab for prescription drug abuse . | The 20-year-old was riding in a car Sunday afternoon that was pulled over by Los Angeles police .
An L.A. County Sheriff's deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and found Indio with cocaine .
The Iron Man star's son was arrested, and later released on $10,000 bail .
Robert Downey Jr also struggled with substance abuse, and was jailed in 1999 after missing a required drug test . |
58,841 | a6e82ad3bcb5c2cc36b8c5e20b9fe8201634e23a | (CNN) -- A 1997 Cadillac plowed into a parade crowd in Virginia on Saturday, injuring dozens of spectators and leaving others pinned underneath the car. The accident injured up to 60 people, with 10 hospitalized, but none of the injuries appeared life-threatening, CNN affiliate WJHL reported. Rescuers lifted the car to free people trapped beneath it after the accident in Damascus, said Bill Nunly, the town's police chief. A medical condition caused the driver participating in the parade with hikers to lose control and plow into spectators, WJHL reported, citing Pokey Harris, an emergency management coordinator with Washington County. It was unclear what condition it was, and the driver was not identified. Revelers and trail blazers were filing down a street in the town near the Tennessee state line to celebrate the Appalachian Trail when the sedan veered off the road. It "then moved into the hiker parade, where it started striking hikers," Nunly said. It also crashed into other vehicles. Hikers and rescuers dashed after the car to stop it. "The doors were open; people were able to make entry inside," Nunly said. Timothy Tabat was in the right place at the right time. "I reached back and grabbed the handle for the driver's side rear door, jumped into the car, and put the car into park," he said. Then the crowd that had pursued the large car lifted it up to free those pinned underneath it. Of those injured, at least five or six were "trauma victims," an emergency dispatcher said. The accident occurred during the Hiker Parade at the annual Trail Days festival, which honors the famed hiking trail. Dalton Thomson told CNN affiliate WCYB that he was pushed out of the way of the oncoming car by a hiker. "We all looked back. There were hikers on top, hikers under the car," he said. "It was unreal." CNN's Chelsea Carter, Janet DiGiacomo and Jennifer Moore contributed to this report. | Bystanders run after the car, enter it and stop it .
The crowd lift up the Cadillac to free people trapped underneath it .
WJHL: Driver has a medical emergency before losing control of the car .
Accident occurs during the Hiker Parade at the Trail Days festival . |
42,841 | 78d56fd6aa73532115c2f31e98a3ccd0bfe46320 | Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone has agreed a two-year contract extension at the Stadium of Light. The deal comes despite the arrival of Costel Pantilimon, the towering 6ft 8in Romanian who's been Joe Hart's No 2 at Manchester City. Mannone dismissed claims this week that he had handed in a transfer request following the signing of Pantilimon. Bring it on: Vito Mannone has signed a two-year contract extension despite the arrival of Costel Pantilimon . Healthy: Sunderland's Mannone says he welcomes competition for his Black Cats starting spot . Rival: Reports in Italy suggested that Mannone was unhappy at the arrival goalkeeper of Costel Pantilimon . Suggestions . came from Mannone's native Italy that he was unhappy following the . Black Cats' capture of Pantilimon earlier . this month and their impending battle for Gus Poyet's No 1 spot. However, the 26-year-old, who . established himself as a firm favorite with the club's fans last season, . is in no mood to move aside. He said in . a statement: 'I don't know where this false speculation is coming from, . but I want to let supporters know that there is absolutely nothing in . it. 'I have not asked for a transfer and I have no intention of doing so. Why would I? 'I . love Sunderland and the Sunderland fans. I enjoyed last season and am . looking forward to next season, and hope we can reward the fans by . winning something.' Safe hands: Mannone starred for Sunderland as they avoided relegation and reached the Capital One Cup final . High ball: Manchester City's former second-string keeper stands 6ft 8in . Sunderland's . out-of-contract keepers Keiren Westwood and Oscar Ustari left at the . end of the season so reinforcement of that area was no surprise. Mannone welcomed competition for his starting spot. He said: 'I welcome the arrival of another goalkeeper at the club. All big clubs need cover in all positions. 'The . manager told me some time ago that he would be bringing someone else in . because two keepers were leaving, but he also told me I am his number . one, and that's good enough for me.' | Sunderland's Vito Mannone has rubbished claims he gave the club a transfer request .
Reports in Italy suggested he was unhappy about the Black Cat's signing of fellow goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon on a four-year-deal .
Mannone has released a statement revealing his desire to stay . |
15,128 | 2af9f3585e0b91f87d78431b7a2f861d6512a376 | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 11:09 EST, 23 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:20 EST, 23 July 2013 . Tragic: Paul Franklin Dart, pictured right with friends, was trying to calm down the gunman when he was shot in the head . A married army veteran was shot dead in front of his wife and stepson during an annual family rafting trip on Saturday after a relative urinated on the river bank, enraging the landowner. James Robert Crocker, 59, confronted the group of family and friends with a 9 mm handgun after they stopped for a quick break at a gravel bar in Meramex, and one of the revelers walked into the woods to relieve himself. After a brief altercation over whether the gravel bar was private or public property, Crocker shot Paul Franklin Dart, 48, in the head from just a few feet away, as his wife Loretta and her son Josh Kling, 24, watched in horror. Dart, a union carpenter from Robertsville, died in an ambulance on the way to hospital less than five hours after setting off on the annual trip the group had organized every summer for the past five years. 'I watched him be shot in the face and fall down,' Loretta Dart sobbed in a telephone interview with The St. Louis Dispatch on Monday. 'I watched my husband bleed to death. He was a wonderful man. He didn't deserve this.' Crocker told police the shooting happened after he accused the group of trespassing on his land and they claimed the gravel bar was public property, leading to a dispute. The laws in Missouri are extremely vague about property rights along streams and rivers and who can legally access them. Crocker said during the altercation, one of the men, although not Dart, approached him with rocks in his hands so he fired. 'I just shot the one closest to me,' Crocker said, according to police. Authorities on Sunday charged Crocker . with second-degree murder. He was being held on Monday in lieu of $650,000 . bail at the Crawford County Jail. Scroll down for video . Charged: James Robert Crocker, 59, pictured, confronted the group of family and friends with a 9 mm handgun and shot dead Paul Franklin Dart, 48, after they stopped for a break at a gravel bar in Meramex . Horror: Paul Dart, pictured, was shot in the head in front of his wife Loretta, pictured left, and died on the way to hospital . Friends: Paul Dart, pictured center with his wife Loretta and niece, left, went on a floating trip every year in the same area . Loretta Dart told the Dispatch that the group set off on their outing on the Meramec River at around 9:30 a.m. and stopped at the gravel bar at around 2 p.m. She said it wasn't long before Crocker approached them with the gun, telling them all to get off his land. She claims he waved his weapon around, firing shots into the air and into the ground near her husband and her cousin, who was the one who had urinated. According to the Dispatch, the gunman told a detective that men were yelling at him 'stating that they weren't going to leave and that the gravel bar was public property.' Kling said Crocker told him: 'I have the power here. I have the power,' to which he replied, according to his mother, 'put that gun down and we'll see who has the power.' As the argument escalated, Loretta Dart's cousin picked up at least one rock and, in an effort to diffuse the situation, Paul Dart stepped between the two men. Confusion: The laws in Missouri are extremely vague about property rights along streams and rivers and who can legally access them . Refreshments: The group were floating in the river, pictured, when they stopped on the gravel bar around 2 p.m. 'My husband tried to calm the guy down,' Loretta Dart said. 'He went to the guy's arm to try to stop him, but the guy jerked back and popped him in the face.' A friend and neighbor of Crocker, Herb Smelser, said the 59-year-old appeared in the front yard of his home with the right side of his face, neck and torso splattered with blood. 'I just shot a guy down at the river,' he told Smelser, according to the Dispatch 'This is his blood. You better call 911.' He said Crocker was a courteous, hardworking man but was ferociously territorial about his property. In recent months, he had become increasingly irritated by people urinating, drinking and partying on the gravel bar. The Missouri Conservation Department said property rights on the river were a complicated aspect of Missouri law and, typically, the question was answered on a case-by-case basis by county prosecutors. 'This is an area of Missouri law still up in the air,' the spokesman added. Harry Styron, a lawyer from Ozark, Missouri, and an expert on property rights along streams and rivers, said such cases were extremely confusing. 'They are difficult to interpret,' Styron said. 'You are on private property, but you have a right to be there if it's a navigable stream and as long as you are on a gravel bar that is submerged during parts of the year, because it's part of the stream bed.' He added, that despite the confusion: 'It obviously doesn't have anything to do with people shooting people. We don't have a stand-your-gravel-bar law yet.' | James Robert Crocker, 59, shot Paul Franklin Dart, 48, in the head from just a few feet away at around 2 p.m. on Saturday .
Dart and his family and friends stopped at a gravel bar at the bottom of Crocker's property for a break during an annual floating trip .
Crocker approached with a handgun and told them to get off his land but the group refused, claiming it was public property .
The argument escalated and Crocker shot Dart as the unarmed man was trying to calm him down .
The laws in Missouri are extremely vague about property rights along streams and rivers and who can legally access them . |
179,562 | 747db9937feb91118bad01b2cd96faae35e316ee | (CNN) -- Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar has gone from scapegoat to national hero in the space of two World Cups and is hoping that the wave of emotion which both he and his teammates rode to secure a penalty shootout triumph against Chile will see them past the stern test provided by Colombia in the quarterfinals Friday. Cesar, who was held responsible for a blunder in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as his side went out to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, made two superb saves in the shootout as Brazil won its last 16 clash in a nail biting finale in Belo Horizonte. Several players, captain Thiago Silva and star player Neymar included, showed outward signs of emotion during the course of the match against Chile but Cesar told CNN that it was a natural reaction given the pressure of hosting the competition. "We were in a situation where we could have been eliminated from the round of 16 in a World Cup in Brazil, so not only did I get emotional, but so did some of the other members of the team," he said. "We know the importance of winning this World Cup in Brazil, not only for ourselves, but for our families, and especially for the fans. "We don't know when Brazil will have another opportunity to host a World Cup, so I think we need to take advantage of this opportunity," added the 34-year-old. Despite his 84 caps, Cesar has had his critics and in the buildup to the World Cup finals spent an unhappy spell at English second-flight team Queens Park Rangers, before being farmed out on loan to MLS side Toronto. His place in the Brazil team appeared at risk, but Cesar credits coach Luiz Felipe Scolari with sticking with him despite his difficulties. "I think it's the primary reason why I'm here today. Eight months ago he gave an interview saying that regardless if I was playing or not, I would playing at the World Cup. So this is something that gives you peace of mind," he added. Whether that peace of mind extends to the clash with Colombia and the prospect of preventing their goalscoring sensation James Rodriguez from adding to his competition leading tally of five goals is another matter. Rodriquez scored twice -- his first probably the goal of the tournament -- in his side's 2-0 last 16 win over Uruguay and Cesar admits he will be difficult to stop. "James is a player that has been amazing everyone. I think that the World Cup gives players the opportunity to showcase their work to the world and I think James is making the most of it," he said. "For now, though, I hope that against Brazil, he can halt his continued progression as a player until after the tournament has ended, because Brazil has to win." Brazil has its own trump card in Barcelona's Neymar, who has impressed Cesar with his mature performances despite carrying the hopes of a nation. "You see a 22-year-old in his first World Cup in Brazil taking to the pitch as if he were playing with his friends in the street. In my opinion, that's his biggest strength," said Cesar. "He's just like any other guy and I think his family is the main reason why he has accomplished so much, and yet remained humble. I think he's a fantastic kid." The last eight clash in Fortaleza could well hinge on which of the young superstars can put their imprint on the proceedings, while Cesar will be hoping to avoid the sort of error that haunted him during his last appearance at this stage of the competition four years ago. | Julio Cesar was Brazil's hero in penalty shootout win over Chile .
Saved two penalties as hosts reached last eight .
Brazil faces Colombia for place in semifinals Friday .
Cesar wary of Colombia star James Rodriguez . |
182,106 | 77c83c05adb09f4ea8c1292338ab63444090f0cc | Swingers on the hunt for excitement are spreading sexually transmitted infections by taking part in drug-fuelled orgies, new research claims. A Dutch study found almost half of older swingers admitted taking illegal substances to boost their prowess in the bedroom and keep multiple partners satisfied. As well as erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra, they are also using cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), GHB, laughing gas, cannabis, poppers, speed, LSD and lysergic acid to help them perform - at levels similar to gay men. Scroll down for video . Researchers found 13 per cent of swingers - with an average age of 45 - had chlamydia or gonorrhoea . However, their unsafe sexual practices are putting them at increasing risk of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B, experts warn. The researchers, writing in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, say swingers should be targeted with the same health advice as other at-risk groups. These people are known to engage in high risk sexual behaviour such as having multiple sexual partners, group sex, and unprotected sex, but there is little data on their use of drugs and what impact that has. Over-45s have previously been found to wrongly believe they had a low risk of catching a sexually transmitted infection (STI). But there is little data on swingers who have recently been classified as an emerging high risk group for STIs. The researchers therefore set out to assess the prevalence of drug use among swingers and its link with high-risk sexual behaviour and STIs. In the first study of its kind, they studied 289 men and women with an average age 49. These people said they were swingers and had visited a STI clinic from 2009 to 2012 in South Limburg, The Netherlands. For the study, they filled out a questionnaire on their sexual and drug use behaviour while swinging, over the preceding six months. The researchers then looked for a link between sexual behaviour, drug use and STI diagnoses including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B. More than three quarters of swingers reported recreational drug use - including alcohol, Viagra (pictured) and illegal drugs . They found 13 per cent of patients - with an average age of 45 - had chlamydia or gonorrhoea - similar to the rates among gay men and young people. Dr Laura Spauwen, of South Limburg Public Health Service in Geleen, The Netherlands, said: 'High-risk sexual behaviours are common among swingers. 'By definition, swingers are also involved in concurrent sex as they have overlapping partnerships over a fixed period of time.' More than three quarters of swingers reported recreational drug use - including alcohol and use of Viagra. Drugs were also frequently used in combination - especially the combination of GHB and MDMA. In men, a combination of MDMA and erectile dysfunction drugs was frequently seen in men. 'Since swingers are involved in lengthy sexual acts with multiple partners, male swingers use erectile dysfunction drugs to maintain while using other drugs,' explained Dr Spauwen. She noted eight per cent of the women reported recreational use of Viagra, for which the effects are unknown. The results also showed that a quarter of the male participants had been with male swing partners in the last six months. And more than half of those surveyed - both men and women - had group sex in the same period, with half of them not using condoms. Half reported having six or more sex partners over the preceding six months - and had not used a condom during vaginal sex. There was no differences in sexually risky behaviour between men and women . Dr Spauwen added: 'Swingers - at least those attending our clinic - are a generally older group. 'The prevalence of drug use observed among swingers in this study is very high and comparable with what is observed in men who have sex with men.' Half of swingers interviewed reported having six or more sexual partners over the preceding six months - and had not used a condom during sex . | Dutch study found half of older swingers admitted taking illegal substances .
Half had six or more partners in past six months but not used condoms .
13 per cent of patients - with an average age of 45 - had chlamydia or gonorrhoea - similar to the rates among gay men and young people .
Swingers 'should be given same health advice as other at-risk groups' |
281,012 | f807022a63790cd759da005dffdb2806ec525f5c | By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 05:53 EST, 26 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:34 EST, 26 July 2013 . Councillors in a seaside resort are hoping to ban naked events over fears the charity fundraisers are scaring away families. Clacton-on-Sea in Essex has been the venue for a sponsored skinny-dip and a nude bike ride in the past few weeks, with many locals saying the fun events livened up the area. But the leader of the district council is now stepping in and attempting to block any further naked get-togethers in order to protect the town's 'image'. Protest: Dozens of cyclists took to the town's roads to demonstrate against the dangers of riding bikes . Last month, more than 100 people stripped off and went for an early-morning dip in the sea on a Clacton beach to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care. And on Saturday, around 35 naked cyclists took to the town's roads in protest against the dangers faced by bike riders - and the organiser plans to hold the event again next year. Peter Halliday, Conservative leader of Tendring District Council, railed against the nude events and vowed to stop them happening again. 'Clacton is a traditional family seaside resort and in my opinion people riding around on bikes with no clothes on does nothing to enhance our image - in fact it harms it,' he said. Leave your clothes behind: The swimmers were raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care . Good-natured: But local councillors have criticised the events because they are not family-friendly . 'They did not apply to use land under our responsibility so there was little we could do other than work with other agencies on a bit of a damage-limitation exercise. 'However, I now want to get together with the police and others round the table and come up with a plan to put a halt to naked events in our area before it all goes too far.' Linda McWilliams, the councillor responsible for health and safety, added: 'I will certainly be bringing this matter up with the police and will suggest that we investigate what we can do in the future to prevent a repeat of what we have witnessed this summer.' The council singled out the cycle ride as being more damaging than the swim, as it took place in the town centre during the middle of the day. But Robert Brown, the organiser of the bike protest, insisted he was making an important argument and pledged to attract up to 100 cyclists to next year's event. Good fun: The nude events are said to have gone down well with most locals despite the controversy . Intrusive? Officials are worried the nudity has driven away tourists from the town's beaches . 'The event was to protest against car culture and the idea of riding naked is to highlight the vulnerability of cyclists,' he said. 'Being naked in public isn't an offence in itself. 'Similar events are held in towns and cities around the world and across the UK in places like Brighton, Portsmouth and London. 'The London event attracts thousands of people and benefits shops and traders in the area.' The 47-year-old, who is also hoping to break the world record for the largest ever naked fun run, continued: 'There were more people in favour of our event than against it. We got a huge cheer as we rode down the High Street.' An Essex Police spokesman said: 'There has been a precedent from similar events held in Brighton and London in the past and it was deemed that there were no legal grounds to prevent it going ahead.' | Clacton-on-Sea hosts charity skinny-dip and nude bike ride through town .
But officials in Essex resort are worried nudity will drive away visitors . |
167,375 | 6476fc260185aa895747ac2dbb90191666fd0910 | (CNN) -- He works with the precision and concentration of a surgeon because, well, he is one. But in the basement workshop of Kirk Withrow's Birmingham home, the stakes are much lower. The ear, nose and throat doctor has what he calls a slightly "obsessive" passion for making things out of other things, chief among them, guitars from cigar boxes. A patient with a sinus infection introduced him to the instrument during his residency at the University of Alabama Birmingham about 11 years ago and gave him his cigar box guitar. He's been hooked ever since. "There's a certain element of liberation to it. You're not bound by the rules of what you can get at the store," said the 33-year-old married father of two. "You have the ability to change the things you don't like and make them to your liking... you're pretty much just limited by whatever you can think of." In the past decade, he has created dozens of cigar box guitars, most of them 3-string, acoustic and electric, though the latter takes more time, he says. He has recorded albums and occasionally plays shows and festivals, though he claims he's not that great and reckons the appeal lies in watching some guy a play homemade instrument. His manual dexterity and steadiness from being a surgeon helps him shape and fret guitar necks, he said. But most of his day job is figuring out what do do and how to avoid surgery, exercises in problem-solving that translate well to making guitars from colorful, wooden boxes from local tobacconists and liquor stores. "Surgery isn't as hard as it looks. It's all the thinking and preparing for surgery that takes work," said Withrow, a cheerful Southerner with the muscular build of a rock climber -- another hobby. "That's what I like about my job and making cigar box guitars. It's all problem-solving and innovating." His obsession makes him part of a small, eclectic group of musicians, crafters and weekend warriors, whose enthusiasm recalls a culture imbued by poverty, when homemade instruments were made out of necessity. The earliest known proof of a cigar box instrument comes from an etching of two Civil War Soldiers at a campsite, one playing a cigar box fiddle displaying the brand "Figaro," according to CigarBoxGuitars.com. Copyrighted in 1876, the etching was created by artist Edwin Forbes, who worked for the Union Army. Cigar box guitars and fiddles, along with other homemade instruments, such as jugs and washboards, figured heavily in the rise of American jug bands and blues in the early 20th century, since most performers could not afford manufactured instruments. The Great Depression continued the trend when manufactured instruments were beyond the means of most, but cigar boxes, broom handles and a few wires from the screen door were available to mostly everyone. The modern revival is a likely tangent of the DIY culture, especially among fans of Delta blues and Appalachian music, which evoke a tinny sound that comes through on acoustic cigar box guitars. Online communities such as Cigar Box Nation host discussions among enthusiasts, whose passion extends to other homemade instruments such as ukeleles, diddley bows, mandolins, even violins. As with most obsessions, Withrow's takes up the basement level of his home, which is a workshop and shrine to the hobby. An area near the garage door contains the electric bowsaw he uses to shape the wooden necks and a workshop inside the garage contains the typical wall of assorted tools in various shapes and sizes. He claims to keep most of his guitars in rifle cases that fill the shelves because their shape makes them too awkward for guitar cases. Even the bathroom contains a draftsman's table for drying wood and linoleum print cuttings, another hobby of his. Withrow keeps the guitar his patient gave him in his musical man-cave, among other homemade guitars, a mandolin and a curious-looking stand-up bass known as a washtub bass (or "gut bucket") for its key component. His creations start at $100 on etsy, but he insists he's not out to make money. "I absolutely don't want to make them to support myself. Once you switch from making something because you feel like it to doing it because you have to it takes away from it," he said. "My main goal is to make them so they play very well. It's more about the process of doing it. I learn something new every time so I'm constantly reinventing." | Patient gave Alabama surgeon his first cigar box guitar more than 10 years ago .
Kirk Withrow's basement is a workshop, shrine dedicated to making cigar box guitars .
Homemade instruments emerged in 1930s, when people couldn't afford "real" instruments .
Modern revival fits in with DIY culture . |
141,357 | 42c8f31c0912997b05ec97280fdff2b67f10faa0 | Tokyo (CNN) -- The decommissioning of four reactors at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant will likely take more than 30 years to complete, according to a report by Japanese officials. The draft report, released by Japan's Atomic Energy Commission of the Cabinet Office on Friday, said the removal of debris -- or nuclear fuel -- should begin by the end of 2021. "We set a goal to start taking out the debris within a 10-year period, and it is estimated that it would take 30 years or more (after the cold shutdown) to finish decommissioning because the process at Fukushima would be complicated," the report states. Last month, the plant's owner -- Tokyo Electric Power Company -- said engineers might be able to complete the cold shutdown of damaged reactors by the end of the year. Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday that operators of the plant "are now confident that the so-called cold shutdown will be achieved by the end of the year." Temperatures in the three reactors where meltdowns occurred in the wake of the historic March 11 earthquake and tsunami have already been brought down below 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit), but the company has to maintain those conditions for some time before declaring the reactors in cold shutdown, Tokyo Electric spokesman Yoshikazu Nagai said in October. Experts have said it will take years -- perhaps decades -- to fully clean up the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Hydrogen explosions blew apart the No. 1 and No. 3 reactor housings, while another hydrogen blast is suspected to have damaged the No. 2 reactor. Fires believed caused by heat from the No. 4 spent fuel pool damaged that unit's reactor building. The atomic energy commission's report noted it took 10 years to remove nuclear fuel after the 1979 Three Mile Island disaster in the United States. The commission predicted removing fuel at Fukushima would require more time, because the extent of the damage was more severe. But the timetable doesn't address plans for dealing with the radiation released into the wider environment from the Fukushima disaster, said Timothy Mousseau, a radiation ecologist at the University of South Carolina. Mousseau told CNN International's "Prism" on Wednesday that scientists "are just now starting to get a handle" on the amount of radioactive material released by the disaster. "What's important to realize is there's a very large environmental problem that needs to be addressed head-on," he said. "At the moment, there's very little in the way of scientific research being done to determine what the scope and the time frame will be for dealing with the remediation of these effects in the coming years." Mousseau said volunteers collecting data around the country are finding "quite a bit of radiation," while contaminated water released into the Pacific will take some time to be fully dispersed and diluted. The plume of radioactive particles that spewed from Fukushima Daiichi displaced about 80,000 people who lived within a 20-kilometer (12.5-mile) radius of the plant, as well as residents of one village as far as 40 kilometers to the northwest. The government has yet to determine when those evacuated can return to their homes. In mid-October, an IAEA team praised the country's efforts to decontaminate the area, but urged Japanese authorities "to avoid over-conservatism" in the effort. Japan's main strategy has been to scrape off the top 5 centimeters (2 inches) of topsoil from contaminated areas -- a plan the IAEA found could produce "huge amounts of residual materials" -- but it is conducting a variety of tests in different areas, the report concluded. CNN's Matt Smith contributed to this report. | NEW: Expert says "a very large environmental problem" remains beyond the plant .
IAEA chief says "cold shutdown" can be achieved by the end of 2011 .
Government officials say the removal of nuclear fuel should begin by 2021 .
The panel predicts it will take more than 10 years to remove nuclear fuel . |
70,302 | c74e983d24450ed9c4ba3a97e345bba707d26853 | Every new car sold in Britain will have to have a ‘black box’ device fitted to track drivers’ movements from next year, under plans being imposed by the European Union. Despite serious concerns about privacy and cost, UK ministers admit they are powerless to stop the Big Brother technology being forced on motorists and car makers. The Government believes the gadget, designed to help emergency services find crashed vehicles, will add at least £100 to the cost of vehicles without providing significant safety improvements. The technology contains a mobile phone-like SIM card designed to transmit the vehicle’s location to emergency services. An SOS button near the dashboard allows drivers to call 112 quickly. But officials complained the scheme could be used by police or insurance companies to monitor motorists’ every move . Officials also fear the scheme, known as eCall, could be used by police or insurance companies to monitor motorists’ every move. The European Commission has ruled that by October next year, all new cars and vans sold across Europe must be fitted with the technology, which contains a mobile phone-like SIM card designed to transmit the vehicle’s location to emergency services in the event of a crash. But The Mail on Sunday has seen official correspondence from the Department of Transport showing the UK’s opposition to the policy, which could lead to the ‘constant tracking’ of vehicles. In a letter to MPs, Transport Minister Robert Goodwill writes: ‘The basis for our opposition is that costs to the UK outweigh the benefits. Concern: Official correspondence from the Department of Transport shows the UK's opposition to the policy. Transport Minister Robert Goodwill (pictured) claims the costs of the device to Britain 'outweigh the benefits' ‘Unfortunately, there is very little support for the UK position and no possibility of blocking this legislation. We are working with other member states to minimise the potential burdens on manufacturers and the potential cost to consumers. ‘With regard to the rules on privacy and data protection, other member states have expressed similar concerns to us, about the potential for constant tracking of vehicles via the eCall system.’ Emma Carr, of civil liberties group Big Brother Watch, said last night: ‘Motorists will not be comfortable forcibly having a black box installed which is capable of recording and transmitting their exact location when they are driving.’ From March 2018, every new car sold in the EU will legally have to be equipped with eCall technology. This will consist of a 'black box' that detects a crash and automatically calls the emergency services for help. Car manufacturers, including BMW, already include the technology in their latest models (i3 pictured) Some car manufacturers, including BMW and Volvo, already include eCall devices in their latest models. An SOS button near the dashboard, linked to a SIM card, allows drivers to call 999 quickly. And if airbags are deployed it automatically sends a text message to emergency services with the car’s location – as well as its unique vehicle ID number. Voluntary take-up has been low across the industry so the EU ruled all new car models must include eCall from October 1, 2015. Motorists will be unable to switch it off and it will be tested in MoT checks. The EU Parliament voted it through last month and a draft of the law is due to be published next week before it is agreed by the EU Commission. Britain is trying to push back the deadline by two years. The UK also hopes the new text will include assurances on the privacy risks of eCall, which were highlighted in a European Parliament legal report earlier this year. The study said manufacturers will want to include ‘value added services’ for the SOS devices, such as sharing the data with insurers and recovery firms. A separate study by the EU Data Protection Supervisor warns of the ‘potential intrusiveness’ of eCall given that it operates on the same basis as mobile phones and ‘potentially enables the constant collection of the vehicle’s geolocation’. It urges ‘stricter safeguards’ against ‘unlawful’ use of personal data. Brussels insists eCall will save 2,500 lives a year by speeding up emergency services response times. | Under EU plans, every new car sold in UK will have a 'black box' device .
Gadget contains a phone-like SIM card which tracks drivers' movements .
Designed to help emergency services find vehicles in the event of crash .
Government believes the device will add at least £100 to the cost of cars .
Officials also fear it could be used by police to monitor motorists' moves .
But ministers admit they are powerless to stop Big Brother technology .
All new car models will have to include 'eCall' device from October 2015 . |
82,141 | e8d1e8f36cb45086c23422aad1aa71f746f99872 | By . Graeme Yorke . Birthday boy Rafael Nadal hit back from a set down to turn his quarter-final against David Ferrer around completely and keep his hopes for a record ninth French Open title alive. On the day after he turned 28, Nadal was slow to come out of the blocks and deservedly lost his first set at Roland Garros this year as Ferrer nudged in front. Almost every facet of Nadal's game was below par at that point, but he awoke from his slumber and struck back in blistering fashion to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-1. On the march: Rafael Nadal continued his incredible form at the French Open . Kneesy does it: Rafa Nadal sealed his spot in the semi-finals of the French Open after blitzing his compatriot . Powerhouse display: After losing the first set, Rafa Nadal was relentless in his pursuit of victory . In the . early stages Ferrer's impressive shot variation caused problems for . Nadal, but he used the anger from losing the opening set to fuel a . complete turnaround. Nadal will face Andy Murray in the semi-finals after the Wimbledon champion's win over home favourite Gael Monfils. The . world number one made 12 unforced errors in the first seven games, to . Ferrer's five, and that made it all too easy for his compatriot to gain a . foothold in the contest. Ferrer, . who hit 13 winners in the opening set and had plenty of joy from forays . to the net, broke Nadal early on before the Spaniard responded . immediately. At . that point many would have expected Nadal to kick on, but he continued . to struggle before Ferrer made him pay by claiming the first of two . break points to clinch the set. Last . time the two met Ferrer beat Nadal in straight sets at the . quarter-final stage of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo, so . it was not too much of a surprise that he was proving such a tricky . customer. Working up a sweat: Ferrer won the first set but was steamrollered by the defending champion in a repeat of last year's final . Hard work: Ferrer was given a ruthless examination by a relentless Nadal . But in the second set Nadal came out with renewed purpose and never looked back. His . frustrations were epitomised by a furious smash close to the net to set . up a break point in the third game, which he duly converted with a . pin-point backhand down the line. Nadal's . trademark pace and power began to give Ferrer the run-around but he . still had opportunities and let a break point slip at 3-2. Nadal was ruthless in clinching the second set, serving the final game out to love to tie the match.That . mean streak carried over into the third set as Ferrer began to buckle . under the sheer ferocity of Nadal, who raced into a 5-0 lead to serve . for the set. With . the world number one now finding top form he made no mistakes, with no . unforced errors throughout the third set, once more holding serve to . love to take the lead. Ferrer . had started to look like a broken man at that point, going 3-0 down in . the fourth set, before crafting two break points to give himself a . glimmer of hope. After . letting one slip he made no mistake to end an 11-game losing streak, . but Nadal broke back immediately and then won the next two games to win . the match at a canter. | In a repeat of last year's final, Ferrer won the first set 6-4 and an epic encounter beckoned .
But Nadal stormed back, dropping just five more games in the match, winning the second set 6-4, the third 6-0 and the fourth 6-1 .
After seeing off his fellow Spaniard, Nadal will face Andy Murray in the semi-finals on Friday . |
87,585 | f8864ce2b223d47463ce7ce42338bdbdace3bbf0 | Former minister David Mellor was taped calling a taxi driver a 'sweaty, stupid little s***' but his rant at two foreign security guards was deemed not to be racist. The millionaire Tory was alleged to have launched into an expletive-laden tirade at a Polish guard protecting his home at St Katherine Docks in Wapping, East London. He was accused of having wagged his finger in the face of the security worker and suggested 'people like him' should not be working there, according to The Sun on Sunday. The newspaper later accepted that Mr Mellor was not racist towards guards. Former minister David Mellor was quizzed by police . The story emerged hours after he issued a grovelling apology for his foul-mouthed rant at a taxi driver, saying he would stick to water at 'celebratory lunches' from now on. The former Secretary of State for National Heritage was questioned under caution on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence on March 26 last year. He was not arrested and after Crown Prosecution Service advice, no charges were brought. Mellor issued a grovelling apology for his foul-mouthed rant at a taxi driver after he left Buckingham Palace following his partner Lady Cobham being awarded a CBE (together above) The millionaire Tory allegedly launched into an expletive-laden tirade at a Polish guard protecting his luxury home at St Katherine docks in Wapping, East London. A spokesman for the Met said: 'A 64-year-old man from Tower Hamlets was interviewed under caution by police under suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence on 26 March 2013. 'He attended an East London police station by appointment on May 23. He was not arrested and after Crown Prosecution Service advice, no charges were brought.' Last week, Mr Mellor was secretly recorded berating a cab driver after a visit to Buckingham Palace with his partner Lady Cobham, who had just been awarded a CBE. The 65-year-old barrister and radio presenter could be heard asking the taxi driver: 'Who are you to question me?' before yelling: 'I don't want to hear from you, shut the f*** up. Smart-a**** little b******.' He said: 'I've been in the Cabinet, I'm an award-winning broadcaster, I'm a Queen's Counsel — you think that your experiences are anything compared to mine?' Mr Mellor's career as a minister was ended by scandal including an affair, reported in the Mail in 1992 . But Mr Mellor, who was forced to abandon his ministerial career after an affair in 1992, made an on-air apology. 'I can't think what possessed me to lose it with that cabbie the way I did,' he said. 'OK, I had a case but I threw it away by the way I spoke and I'm really, really sorry about that and I especially want to apologise to you, our listeners for trying your patience and risking my own credibility with you by speaking the way I did. 'Anyway, it's water for me at the next celebratory lunch, I've definitely made that decision. 'Ironically, I'm one of London taxis' best customers and I thank a lot of them for speaking up for me, like Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association who said and I quote 'I've picked him up myself. He's actually a very nice guy. 'Despite everything he's said, he's not a bad guy. Unfortunately for him he got recorded.' 'Well there's a career in broadcasting awaiting you, Steve, because I couldn't have put it in a more succinct way myself, so I thank you for that. 'I would like to show my appreciation for the London cabbies that I have used for 40 years by making a substantial donation to their Christmas appeal for underprivileged kids.' The former politician has previously flown into rages at chefs and a border guard. On one occasion he told a terrified chef he should 'do his £10-an-hour job somewhere else' during a foul-mouthed outburst at staff of a restaurant near his home, it is claimed. He is said to have launched the rant - during which he called the chef a 'fat b******' - at workers in the establishment just a stone's throw from his plush riverside home. Mr Mellor, who was known as the Minister for Fun, was famously caught cavorting with mistress Antonia de Sancha in 1992. He now lives in a 19th century listed building in exclusive St Katharine's Dock, London, with his partner Penelope, Viscountess Cobham. Servoca, the firm which looked after security at the flats at the time of the incident was not available for a comment. David Mellor has not commented on the incident. | It was claimed he swore at a Polish and Nepalese guard for 10 minutes .
Police quizzed him, but he was not arrested and no charges were brought .
Newspaper which published claims later accepted Mellor was not racist towards guards .
Since the original publication of this article, we have been asked to make clear that the Sun on Sunday accepted that David Mellor was not racist towards the guards. |
24,221 | 44bdf9ea03053c651e1c8678685b37da85d9d963 | By . Paul Thompson . PUBLISHED: . 10:52 EST, 3 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:59 EST, 3 October 2012 . Under investigation: Teacher Courtney Speer, 31, has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student in her school parking lot . A teacher has been accused of having sex with a 17-year-old student in her school parking lot. Courtney Speer, 31, is also alleged to have had sex with the teenager at her home after striking up the illicit relationship. She resigned from her job as an English teacher at Bryant High School in Bryant, Arkansas, on Monday after police began investigating the allegations. Speer is due to hand herself into police today to face four counts of sexual assault. Police said the 17-year-old victim said his first sexual encounter was with Speer in the high school parking lot in her car in June. He told investigators they had a total of four encounters, including one occasion at her home. Sgt Todd Crowson said: 'He told them of four occasions, four encounters he had with her at the Bryant parking lot, high school parking lot in her car. 'She was actually scheduled to come in and speak with the investigators today. She did retain an attorney and the attorney did contact the investigators and advise them that he would have her there first thing in the morning to turn herself in.' Police said they don't know if more students are involved but Lt Kevin Russell with Benton Police said more charges could be coming from both departments. He added: 'To hear this about a teacher who is in a position of trust over students, it is not just from a law enforcement perspective but from a parent's perspective, it is kind of disheartening.' In Arkansas, Sexual Assault is a class-A felony and carries a sentence of between six and 30 years in prison. | Courtney Speer is also alleged to have had sex with teenager at her home .
She resigned from English teacher job at Bryant High School in Bryant, Arkansas, on Monday after police began investigating the allegations . |
227,523 | b29ac5c789deffb0995432e473ba34dd49020802 | By . Nick Pisa . UPDATED: . 12:26 EST, 4 August 2011 . With his country facing ruin, Berlusconi might have been able to take his attention from women for just a short while. But it seems that even in parliament, the 74-year-old tycoon-turned-prime minister can't resist being a ladies' man. Berlusconi was pictured smiling broadly as he flirted with the attractive member of parliament Michaela Biancofiore yesterday. Flirting: Michaela Biancofiore playfully squeezes Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's chin at the Parliament in Rome yesterday . Tender: Close friend Ms Biancofiore, 40, gently lays her hand across Berlusconi's chest moments before his speech on the country's economy . Blonde Ms Biancofiore, 40, gently placed her hand on Berlusconi's chest as she leaned in closely to whisper into his ear words of encouragement. As Berlusconi began to giggle, the Italian foreign office minister tenderly squeezed his chin. Ms Biancofiore, a member of Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party, has been a long term friend of the flamboyant prime minister. Last year she was on hand to comfort him after he was hit in the face with a metal and plaster statue of Milan's Gothic Cathedral in January 2010. Berlusconi attended her 40th birthday shortly afterwards and seemed very amused when he presented him with a cake showing a picture of the pair of them on the campaign trail. Ms Biancofiore is one of a coterie of extremely attractive female MPs who Berlusconi has promoted, giving them plum positions in the Italian parliament. In an interview, she claimed that he had 'nurtured her politically.' It's not the first time Italy's leader has been caught enjoying female attention during stuffy Parliamentary debates. In June the renowned ladies' man was pictured having an intimate chat with Tourism Minister Michela Vittoria Brambilla. Flashback: In June Mr Berlusconi enjoyed an intimate chat with Tourism Minister Michela Vittoria Brambilla . While the lower chamber of deputies discussed crucial finance issues, Ms Brambilla sidled over to Mr Berlusconi and began whispering something in his ear. The pair held hands during their hushed conversation, which left them both smiling. Yesterday's romantic exchanges came as Berlusconi told parliament that Italy needed an 'immediate action plan' to relaunch growth amid concerns of a debt crisis. Italy - which is the third largest economy in the Eurozone is facing a financial meltdown much the same as its neighbours across the Mediterranean Greece. But even during the economic crisis the prime minister has reportedly hosted more of his infamous bunga bunga parties. Thrilled: Berlusconi is delighted with the attention from blonde Ms Biancofiore . According to Italian media reports 20 women were seen entering Berlusconi's villa at Arcore last Sunday in a fleet of cars with guests not leaving until 2am. The women are said to have 'used more caution' than normal when entering the villa so as not to attract attention although the identity of the women was not known. Berlusconi, 74, is embroiled in allegations that dozens of showgirls were paid to attend the bunga bunga parties - which is said to refer to a crude after dinner sex act - at his luxury villa. He is currently facing a charge of of having sex with an underage prostitute after it emerged one of the guests at the parties held last year was at the time just 17 years old. The new allegations of sex parties came as Berlusconi today tried to reassure Italians 'there was nothing to be worried about' as the country's stock market continued to plunge. Berlusconi, spoke out at a press conference following a crucial meeting between the government, employers' associations and unions in a bid to stop Italy from spiralling towards a Greek style debt crisis. The meeting took place a day after the media tycoon turned politician had given a speech to parliament to calm fears that the country was heading for default. Speaking at a press conference in Rome after the meeting he said: 'I want to tell the Italians there is nothing to worry about. Don't be frightened off the markets, keep your share certificates in your drawers. 'My speech of yesterday was not towards the stock exchange but to Italians, I wanted to reassure them and tell them not to sell their stocks if they have investments.' However as he spoke the Milan stock exchange - despite a jump of 1.81 per cent when it first started trading, slumped 300 points or just over 1 per cent in the time that he spoke. Binga bunga girls: Berlusconi is facing charges that he paid to hav sex with Moroccan belly dancer Karima el Mahroug when she was 17 . Berlusconi, who had failed to convince economists, newspapers and opposition politicians tried to remain upbeat - even after he was accused of lacking 'punch' in giving his speech. He said: 'I don't think the crisis will get any worse - we should not allow ourselves to be frightened by the spreads because interest rate rises are only a fraction of the relative costs. 'The markets are only reacting to what the papers are saying but the markets are reacting for their very own different reasons and politics is not one of them.' Bank clerk's son Berlusconi then added: 'I am the son of a father who had a long experience on the stock exchange and he said markets were like a broken watch - twice a day they give the right time the rest of the time they are wrong.' Berlusconi spoke after the country's bond markets slumped, causing its borrowing rates to touch a record high on Wednesday but he stressed Italy could still over come the crisis despite question marks. Women: Prostitute Nadia Macri, left, claims that she took part in drug-fuelled sex parties with Berlusconi, while underwear model Noemi Letizia, 18, entertained the prime minister at her birthday party . He added Italy and its economy were solid and that markets and speculators were to blame and the meeting was to agree a six-point plan to rescue the economy. These included balancing the budget by 2014, reduce the cost of government, increase deregulation and privatization, unblock investments, cut red tape simplify government administration and act to boost the labour market. However Berlusconi's hopes were not met by economic experts - Michele Boldrin, an lecturer at the University of Washington, said: 'Only a strong government can calm the markets. 'He insists that the markets are wrong and that his government has done its duty - well in that case either the markets are run by imbeciles or we can see who is really to blame from their reaction.' Italy's national debt is currently running at 120 per cent of GDP at a trillion pounds - and last month an austerity package of 80 billion Euros worth of cuts was introduced. Berlusconi also insisted that cuts would be made to MPs salaries and perks - Italian politicians are amongst the highest paid in Europe with a salary of around 19,000 Euro a month. According to employers and unions, belt-tightening measures now needed to be accompanied by creating the conditions for economic growth and Berlusconi said his government would create jobs with new infrastructure projects. Despite urging from employers and unions for immediate or at least swift action, the government said it intended to present measures in the first weeks of September. This was greeted with disbelief by some union representatives who said that given the seriousness of the situation the country should not wait six weeks until after MPs returned from their summer holidays. Opposition parties also remained unconvinced by Berlusconi - who is currently involved in four trials - and repeated calls for him to resign immediately. Leoluca Orlando from the anti sleaze Italy of Values party, said: 'The European central bank is dismissing his hypocrtical optimism. While he tells the world everything is OK, (Jean Claude) Trichet says differently. 'Everyone knows that Berlusconi tells lies on a massive scale and the markets know that his government is not to be trusted and is not solid - he should do something truly patriotic and resign before Italy sinks with him.' | Italian prime minister shrugs off financial crisis as Michaela Biancofiore squeezes his chin .
Country's borrowing rates reach record highs and stock market plummets . |
112,086 | 1c93a22e7dfec2ffd8262ed362769ef0b8a43702 | (CNN) -- They might make you punch the air or bring a tear to your eye: this month on the Screening Room, we've picked our top ten life-affirming moments from the movies. Our number one: Jimmy Stewart discovers life is sweet in "It's A Wonderful Life" From heartwarming classics to instant blockbusters, these are the on-screen scenes that never fail to fill you with joie de vivre. Don't agree? Think we've missed one? Post your comments to the Screening Room blog and we'll publish the best. Read other CNN viewers' favorite life-affirming movie moments, and tell us yours >> . 1. It's A Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." Perennial Christmas favorite "It's A Wonderful Life" sees habitual do-gooder George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) pulled back from the brink of despair by wannabe angel Clarence. As Bailey embraces his life with joy, it's his friend's final sign-off that draws a sentimental tear from even the most stone-hearted viewer. 2. Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick, 1960) After the battle, Crassus (Laurence Olivier) promises to spare the rebel slaves' lives if they give up Spartacus (Kirk Douglas). In a stirring response, knowing that they are condemning themselves to death by crucifixion, they each rise with a cry of "I am Spartacus!" One moment's freedom has never tasted so sweet. 3. Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942) A tense frisson of resentment ripples through Rick's Bar as the boorish Nazi officers strike up in patriotic song. But a command from Lazlo (Paul Henreid), a nod from Rick (Humphrey Bogart), and a rousing chorus of the Marseillaise sees the hated occupiers put firmly back in their place. 4. The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont, 1994) In the harsh conditions of Shawshank Penitentiary, Andy (Tim Robbins) seizes an opportunity to lock himself in an office and broadcast a Mozart aria over the PA system. The heavenly voices shine light into the darkest depths of despair, bringing humanity to a place where there is none. 5. Saving Private Ryan (Steven Spielberg, 1998) "James -- earn this. Earn it." As the gunfire pauses, Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) implores Private Ryan (Matt Damon) -- and, by proxy, us -- not to waste a drop of life: the greatest of gifts is too precious to be frittered away. 6. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) Roy the replicant's deep humanity comes to the fore as his last moments slip away. Rutger Hauer's lines on life's fleeting nature -- "lost in time like tears in the rain" -- are both provocative and poignant: has he become more human than the people who seek to hunt him down? 7. American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999) "It's hard to stay mad when there's so much beauty in the world." Kevin Spacey's closing speech inspires us to look at the world around us with fresh eyes, from the flaws in our loved ones to plastic bags caught in the wind. 8. Silent Running (Douglas Trumbull, 1972) "Take good care of the forest, Huey." Renegade botanist Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) blasts the world's last remaining plant life into deep space, with only a robot to tend to it. A timely reminder of how one man's actions can preserve life and hope. 9. Dead Poets' Society (Peter Weir, 1989) Mr Keating (Robin Williams) inspires his young charges to seize the day and throw off the shackles of their privileged yet stuffy school. We challenge you not to feel a lump in your throat when Todd (played by a young Ethan Hawke) and his classmates stand on the desk in spirited tribute to their disgraced teacher. 10. Victory (John Huston, 1981) "Come on lads, we can win this one!" Ludicrous yet rousing, "Victory" pitted plucky British footballers, led by Michael Caine and fortified by Pele and Sly, against a dastardly German team in a high-profile game that's weighted against them. Their plot? To escape during half time. But who wants to flee midway when there's a match to be won? "Victoire! Victoire!" chant the crowd. Don't agree? Think we've missed one? Sound off and read others' thoughts in the Screening Room blog. E-mail to a friend . | Films full of life-affirming moments include "Casablanca," "Silent Running"
"It's a Wonderful Life" tops list from "The Screening Room"
List by no means complete; send us yours . |
58,255 | a52e6ae8d862a15b49293e8da40fb52d184bbcc7 | (RollingStone.com) -- "One of the things that made Walt and Skyler fall in love with each other was that he has a brilliant mind and so does she," says Anna Gunn of the character she plays on "Breaking Bad" -- leaving no doubt that she, for one, sees unlikely drug lord Walter White and his increasingly horrified wife Skyler as equals. It's not just talk: Gunn's the finest female foil for a male antihero on television right now, turning in a quietly crushing performance as an intelligent, independent woman slowly getting sucked into the gravitational maw of her husband's monstrousness. That conflict has led to her stunning breakdown on this week's episode -- and to Skyler joining the growing number of women characters on major TV dramas singled out by furious fans. Was Skyler's car-wash meltdown her crawlspace moment? Yeah, I think that's a pretty fair way to look at it. It's obviously the first time that anybody has seen her break like this. She just snapped. Walt's complete obliviousness to her emotional state in recent episodes had to have played a part in why she finally broke down. He used to be more attuned to her, if only to be a more effective liar, but now it's like he's on another planet and she's completely alone. She is. And she's more terrified than she's ever been in this whole thing, because she doesn't know what he's capable of. In playing these early episodes, whenever he comes into a room that I'm in, there was a feeling of me wanting to move as little as possible, wanting to breathe as little as possible, almost like you're prey and you know somebody's looking at you through the crosshairs. That was the feeling of it: "Maybe if I don't make any sudden moves, maybe if I don't speak too loudly, he won't do anything." Why do you think it was Marie who provoked her breakdown? I thought that was really clever. Despite the humorous side of their relationship -- well, humorous to the audience -- where Marie nitpicks and pokes at her sister all the time, I don't think Marie means to do that. They both really love each other. Betsy [Brandt] and Vince [Gilligan] and I have discussed this: "Where's their family?" You never hear about the rest of the family, the mom and dad, at all. We made the assumption that we did not have a particularly happy or easy childhood, and that led to the two of us sticking together, because they're very close. For actors, you've gotta sometimes fill in your backstory. At least that's what I did, very specifically -- that I needed Marie, and I love her, and I know she doesn't mean ill. But Skyler has not been able to let this stuff out to anyone -- only her divorce lawyer. It's been building up in her so much that at this point she's like a pot about to boil over. Marie just happened to push her buttons that day. And both because of the closeness of their relationship, and because of who Marie is and how she expresses herself by rattling on . . . on that particular day, there's not one more thing Skyler can handle, not one more thing she can take, so she just blows her top. By the end of the episode, I started wondering for the very first time if Skyler would resort to violence to escape her situation. What is her escape route at this point? This is what is stressing her right now. During the last couple of seasons it's like, "Do I want to run away with the kids? Do I turn him into the police? What do I do?" It's a constant wheel that turns in her head. When she realizes that he was responsible for Gus Fring's death, that's the bottom falling out of her life. When she walks out and she sees Junior watching Scarface and they're quoting the movie together, in light of everything else that's happened, it's so quietly horrifying to her that all she can do is turn around and walk back to her room. She knows that there's no saying, "Walt, please don't do that." They're past that. She's also in a state of depression at this point, a sinking-into-yourself where the feeling is, "I don't really want to try. Why bother? Why bother doing anything?" But, within that, there's still really desperate wheels turning. I don't think she cares about herself anymore -- she's just thinking, "How can I keep my kids safe?" She does not have the answer, but she's definitely looking for it. And you know what? She'd do anything to ensure that. She is desperate enough to do anything. There's been a backlash against Skyler, something she has in common with women characters on a variety of big dramas about men who tend behave much worse than they do. Do you have a sense of why this happens? Does it faze you at all? Some of it is still the double standard in our society -- that it's more acceptable for a man to be this antihero badass doing all these things that break the law or are really awful. People watching want to be Walt, or they identify with him. He doesn't have to answer to anybody. He does what he wants. There's a fantasy element to that, I think. I also think that in some ways, there's kind of a sexism to it, honestly. Sometimes . . . [pauses] I've been told particularly, how do you say . . . non-flattering or just really vicious -- you could use the word vitriolic -- angry stuff about Skyler, or about other female characters on other shows. The hatred and the vitriol and the venom and the nastiness and the attacks are so personal sometimes that it feels like, "Oh gosh, OK, I get that you don't like Skyler, you like Walt, you're on his side, but it just feels different." I don't feel like that stuff would be written about a male character. Honestly, Skyler is sometimes the biggest impediment to Walt doing whatever he wants. For the people who love Heisenberg, who love the badass Walt, when Skyler says, "No, you shouldn't do that," they're like, "What is her deal!? What's wrong with her?" [Laughs] I can understand that. I can. But having looked at articles that cite other female characters being attacked like this, I find it disturbing just in terms of a cultural phenomenon. I'm not saying everyone who's into the show and has an opinion is like that, but I feel there's an element of that in there, and it's an interesting gender issue. I'm glad that people are talking about it. I caught up with "Breaking Bad" in a huge Netflix binge, and spending that much time in that world messed me up, emotionally. How do you feel at the end of shooting a season? Pretty much the same way. [Laughs] After we shoot certain scenes, I feel like I need to take a shower. A long, hot one. I've got about a thirty-minute ride home from the studio to where I live in Albuquerque, so that ride is important. Music is selected carefully to help me shed it. Sometimes in watching the episode, I will start to feel, in my body, the way I felt when I was filming the scene. Like at the end of Episode 2, where Walt climbs in the bed next to Skyler -- I felt this feeling of [makes gagging sound] in my body, the same feeling that was going on during the filming it. I can't watch it too close to bedtime. See full story at RollingStone.com. | Anna Gunn plays the wife of a drug lord on "Breaking Bad .
There has been a backlash against Gunn's character Skyler White .
The actress says some scenes can be emotionally taxing . |
189,526 | 816cf8ea1d3a2da2a0f1304455ca63566e815892 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A retired black cop has told of how he managed to infiltrate a branch of the Klu Klux Klan in Colorado in the 1970s, becoming so respected he was voted into a leadership position, with other members believing he was a white supremacist. Ron Stallworth was an investigator for the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1979 when he answered a newspaper ad placed by a new KKK group, who were looking for local members. Writing about the experience in a new book, Black Klansman, Stallworth explains how the hate group not only made him a member, but voted to make him the chapter's leader after only one year. 'So they took a vote, they took a unanimous vote and they wanted Ron Stallworth to become the leader of the Ku Klux Klan chapter because he was quote loyal and a dedicated Klansman," Stallowrth told Salt Lake City's ABC 4. Scroll down for video . Undercover agent: Ron Stallworth managed to become a member of the Ku Klux Klan in 1979 while working as an undercover investigator, conducting most of his work on the phone and then sending in a 'white cop' when he needed . The Klan trusted Stallworth with their plans to commit crimes, and threaten African Americans by burning crosses, something he put a stop to three times during his investigation. Official: This membership card was signed by then-Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, David Duke . Ron Stallworth was an investigator for the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1979 when he infiltrated the KKK . Stallworth said the unlikely undercover mission first started when he spoke to a recruiter over the phone and convinced the man he was white. Posing as an angry racist, Stallworth explained he felt victimized by minorities and sprinkled his speech with racial slurs. When it came time to meet face-to-face, he sent a 'white cop' in his place. 'They never once picked up on the fact that they were talking to two distinct voices,' Stallworth said. Stallworth said he spent about a year gaining the trust of the local hate group's leaders, who told him of planned cross burnings and other intimidation activities. Stallworth said he foiled at least three cross burnings during his time with the organization by being able to tip off police as to where and when they were occurring. Watch more of the interview at Pikes Peak Library District TV . A member of the Ku Klux Klan salutes during American Nazi Party rally at Valley Forge National Park September 25, 2004 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. A new book by Ron Stallworth shares some of the hate group's inner workings . Stallworth has just released a book about his undercover experience, called Black Klansman . 'One of the things I'm most proud of is no black child, no child period ever had to wake up to a burning cross,' he said. Stallworth had many phone conversations with then-KKK Grand Wizard David Duke, whose signature was on Stallworth's official KKK code of conduct card. Once, Duke boasted about how his klan would never be infiltrated by a black man under his watch, Stallworth told NBC News in 2006. 'And I asked him why. He said, ''I can always tell when I'm talking to a black man because they pronounce words and letters a certain way'',' Stallworth told NBC. 'And he said, ''I can tell that you're a pure-blooded white man, because you don't pronounce your words in that manner''.' 'And from that point on, I started pronouncing those words in that manner just to play with him.' Ku Klux Klan leader Frazier Glenn Miller was caught with his pants down in the back of a car with a black male prositute, who was dressed as a woman, in the 1980s, it was recently revealed . Its the second embarrassment in as many weeks for the KKK, after another past grievance came to light recently. It surfaced that Ku Klux Klan leader Frazier Glenn Miller was caught with his pants down in the back of a car with a black male prositute, who was dressed as a woman, in the 1980s. Miller was an 'avowed white supremacist, anti-Semite, anti-homosexual' was the founder of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. | Ron Stallworth worked his way into a local chapter in Colorado Springs in 1979 .
He did most of the correspondence over phone and mail .
Would change his voice and add racial slurs to be convincing .
When needed in person Stallworth would send a 'white cop' friend who would impersonate him .
Was able to stop numerous cross burnings and activities of intimidation . |
223,977 | ae030ff81b58f3e1e69c7635f1b6eb6b1e91d5cc | A zombie cat who 'rose from the dead' and could now be worth a fortune will not be returned to its owner after 'new information' emerged about his burial. Bart, a black and white cat from Tampa, Florida, was run over and then buried - but then returned to the home of his shocked owner Ellis Hutson in Florida. He was taken to the Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service where he had his eye removed and jaw repaired. He is expected to recovery fully and was scheduled to return home to Hutson in the coming weeks - until the center announced this weekend it was not happy to return him. Scroll down for video . A 'zombie cat' who was run over by a car only to inexplicably return from the dead five days later will not be returned to his owner after 'new information' emerged about his burial . Bewildered: Bart's owner, Ellis Hutson, left, was shocked to see his pet return, but the Humane Society of Tampa Bay 'does not intend to return Bart to the Hutson family' 'Recently we have learned new information about Bart's home environment and the circumstances leading up to his burial,' the center's statement read. 'Therefore, the Humane Society of Tampa Bay does not intend to return Bart to the Hutson family. 'We are prepared to fight for the best interests of this cat.' The news of his amazing survival made headlines across the world - and Bart may soon be as famous - and financially rewarding - as Grumpy Cat. Ellias Hutson previously told ABC News he was devastated when he had to bury the animal. Bart, a black and white cat from Tampa, Florida, had an eye removed and jaw repaired by the Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service on Tuesday . He is expected to recovery fully and was scheduled to return home to his owner in the coming weeks - until the center announced this weekend it was not happy to return him . He said he was shocked after Bart showed up back at home five days after an apparently fatal accident. Unable to afford to fees for Bart's operation, Hutson had then reached out to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Through the Save-A-Pet Medical Fund they were able help cover costs of surgery on brave Bart who had been through quite an ordeal. Hutson had found his pet in a pool of blood in the street, not moving, after a collision earlier this month. Zombie cat: Bart, pictured above waiting for surgery, was run down by a car in Tampa, Florida, and buried - but apparently returned from the dead after five days . Unable to afford to fees for Bart's operation, owner Ellis Hutson had then reached out to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay . 'Living dead': The cat boasted gruesome injuries after his return, and has had surgery to remove his eye . Whence he rose: Bart was buried in this shallow hole not far from his home . Vets were baffled by Bart's mysterious survival - but Hutson believes his revival may be the doing of his brother and playmate. Speaking to local news station Fox13 about the strange happening, he suggested that Bart's friend may have gone looking for him and clawed him out of his resting place. He said: 'We have two cats and they play together all the time and they roam around with each other. 'He might have went looking for his brother and dug him up - but I have no idea'. Life after death: Bart has been given surgery to repair his broken jaw, and is seen above recovering . The mystery deepened when Hutson revealed that he was so upset by his pet's apparent demise that he did not bury Bart himself - but asked his friend David Liss to do the deed. Liss said he had no idea how Bart could have been alive. He told Fox13: 'I looked at it, and I looked at it, and I didn't see the chest moving up and down or anything and I said, 'you know, well look at the blood, it's dead.'' Experts believe Bart rose from the grave not long after being buried there - but was scared so stayed away from home for several days. | Bart was buried - but returned home five days later, still very much alive .
He had surgery to have his eye removed and jaw repaired .
He was meant to return home, but this weekend circumstances changed .
Tampa Bay Humane Center says it has 'new information about Bart's home environment and the circumstances leading up to his burial'
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT . |
214,411 | a1a751494ccf385ff98f7a58fa572ff780265088 | The ability to show kindness to animals is known to be a sign of good character. And the man in this video proves himself to be a decent guy - after rescuing a squirrel from a dog. William Benton, from Alfreton in Derbyshire, is seen lifting up the frightened animal after he witnesses his pet pooch trying to pick up the tiny mammal. Distressed: Mr Benton found the baby squirrel who was the source of unwanted attention from a dog . During the video, Mr Benton rubs the squirrel and comforts it while keeping a close watch over his dog which attempts to bite the baby squirrel. During the video Mr Benton can be heard saying: 'I won't hurt it, I'll try and see if I can get it to go up the tree.' Moments later the dog tries to get close to the squirrel and the man says: 'No, leave it, don't dare touch it. Hey, don't dare bite it.' Cute: Mr Benton places the baby squirrel on a rug as he comforts it and looks after it . Mr Benton then brings the baby squirrel to a tree and he encourages it to run up the tree . The baby squirrel prepares to climb the tree after Mr Benton took it away from the dog . Shortly afterwards Mr Benton can be seen comforting the squirrel once again and he then places it on the tree. He says: 'It's nice that is, it's a nice little squirrel.' Mr Benton then places the squirrel on a tree trunk, telling it: 'Go on up, you're not very old are you? That's it you go climb up there. Go a bit further, go and find mum.' Thankfully the squirrel makes a full recovery and at the end of the footage it can be seen crawling slowly up the tree. | William Benton finds baby squirrel after he his dog tries to pick it up .
Kind passerby is seen in video rescuing and comforting it .
Mr Benton then brings squirrel to tree and watches him climb to safety . |
248,250 | cd383a92267486a9d5a7d865a0d5fe95b940d50c | Roy Hodgson insisted he will not quit as England manager despite admitting he was 'devastated' after his side's 2-1 defeat to Uruguay at the World Cup. The result leaves the Three Lions bottom of Group D with zero points and needing Italy to win their two remaining matches and hope they can beat Costa Rica themselves on Tuesday. And, after Luis Suarez scored twice for the South Americans, Hodgson said: 'I don't have any intention to resign. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Suarez's emotional dressing room message to wife and kids . On the brink: Roy Hodgson watches on as England slump to a 2-1 defeat . Deadly: Uruguay striker Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring the winner against England . Clinical: Uruguay striker Luis Suarez heads past England keeper Joe Hart . VIDEO Uruguay elated as England sit on the brink . 'I've been really happy with the way the players have responded to the work we've tried to. 'I'm bitter disappointed, of course, but I don't feel I need to resign, no. 'On the other hand, if the FA think I'm not the right man to do the job... 'We believed we could do enough to get a result in this game. Having worked so hard to get back to 1-1 I believed we would go on to win the game or at least draw, so to concede the second goal is an unbelievable blow. I don't really know what to say at this time. 'We are more then disappointed, we're devastated. 'It was a goal we don't expect to concede. Long goal kicks with the type of players we have in the team, we deal with them. 'I thought we would go on possibly to win the game and certainly I didn't think we would lose the game at that point. 'We had been in control for such a long time. After the first five minutes (of the second half) we got back on track. We've been near their goal so many times, but it doesn't matter how many times you get near the other team's goal, it matters how many times you put it in the back of the net and we haven't done that enough.' On Suarez, he said: 'He scored the two . goals. The first goal in particular was exceptionally good, Cavani's . chip and his pulling away to the back post and the cleverness of his . header I thought was really top, top play. The second one I thought he . was a bit fortunate, but when he got himself through he made no . mistake.' So close: Rooney shot straight at the goalkeeper when he found space in the penalty area . How did he miss? Wayne Rooney powers his header against the bar from point-blank range . Tussle: England's Steven Gerrard challenges Edinson Cavani of Uruguay . | England lost 2-1 to Uruguay after Luis Suarez scored twice for the South Americans .
Roy Hodgson's side have now lost two out of two this World Cup campaign .
Questions will no doubt be asked of the England manager, however Hodgson has remained defiant and adamant he will not quit his job .
Hodgson said: 'I don't have any intention to resign'. |
142,539 | 4457f778c195ee2ad562176e98971f4085bd8eab | A Thomas Muller penalty in front of a virtually empty Luzhniki Stadium gifted Bayern Munich the win against CSKA Moscow in this Champions League tie. UEFA forced the match to be played behind closed doors as punishment for racists chants by the Russian champions' fans during the game against Viktoria Plzen last December. The lack of atmosphere did little to distract Bayern, though, as Mario Gotze drew a foul from Mario Fernandes in the box and Muller did the rest from 12 yards. Thomas Muller gifts Bayern Munich their 1-0 lead against CSKA Moscow in front of a virtually empty stadium . CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev dives right as Bayern's Muller lifts the ball down the centre of the net . Muller gave Bayern Munich the important lead in front of a virtually empty Luzhniki Stadium on Tuesday night . CSKA Moscow goalkeeper Akinfeev looks disappointed after Muller scored for Bayern Munich on Tuesday . Bayern Munich celebrate taking the lead against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League Group E match . VIDEO Bayern made to work - Guardiola . CSKA Moscow XI: Akinfeev, Mario Fernandes, Vasili Berezutski, Ignashevich, Shchennikov, Alexsei Berezutski, Tosic (Efremov 78), Natcho (Doumbia 66), Eremenko, Milanov, Musa . Subs (not used): Chepchugov, Nababkin, Bazelyuk . Goals: NONE . Bookings: Eremenko . Bayern Munich XI: Neuer, Benatia, Dante, Alaba, Robben (Rafinha 81), Lahm, Alonso, Bernat, Gotze (Shaqiri 77), Muller, Lewandowski (Pizarro 90) Subs (not used): Reina, Boateng, Rode, Hojbjerg . Goals: Muller (Pen, 22) Bookings: Lahm, Benatia . Referee: William Collum (Scotland) 'Football is a question of atmosphere and emotion,' said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge before the match. 'But there will only be a handful of officials and journalists. I feel sorry for the fans, some of whom haven't missed a single Bayern away match in 25 years.' Those very supporters are sure to be content with Pep Guardiola's side keeping their 100 per cent intact in Group E, however, even if they were forced to watch it on television. And ensuring their second Champions League win started with two of Germany's 2014 World Cup heroes. Gotze, who scored the only goal of the summer's final in Brazil against Argentina, was hacked down in the box by his name-sake Fernandes as he cut inside. That allowed Muller, the World Cup silver boot winner for Germany, to finish in typical fashion to gift Bayern a 1-0 lead after 22 minutes. The 25-year-old, up against Igor Akinfeev, slotted the ball high down the centre of the goal as the CSKA goalkeeper dived to the right. It wasn't all comfortable for Guardiola, though, as CSKA were left to rue two wonderful opportunities to draw level before the break. Ahmed Musa, with a burst of pace to skip past Mehdi Benatia, found himself one-on-one with Manuel Neuer. Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich wins a header during the Champions League Group E match . Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich escapes the challenge of Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow on Tuesday night . Mario Gotze runs with the ball after being brought down for a penalty in the 21st minute against CSKA Moscow . The Bayern goalkeeper stood tall and blocked the shot before Zoran Tosic, looking for the ball to settle, saw his rebound go up and over the bar with the goal begging to be scored. Xabi Alonso, the Bundesliga's new record holder for the most touches in a single match, was largely kept as quiet as those in the Moscow stands during a tense first 45 minutes. The former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder touched the ball 204 times against FC Koln on Saturday, meaning he was in possession on average every 26 seconds, but the 32-year-old couldn't find that same rhythm in a lifeless stadium. In the second half, though, Bayern showed more intent to put the tie to bed. The German club, sitting in the same group as Manchester City and Roma, were the ones looking likely to score next. Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso runs with the ball and escapes Roman Eremenko of CSKA Moscow . Alonso broke records in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich previously and kept his play to a high standard . Bayern Munich's Muller escapes Georgi Schennikov of CSKA Moscow amid the Champions League match . CSKA sat back and parked the bus, allowing waves of Bayern attacks to commence. Substitute Xherdan Shaqiri almost put the final nail in the coffin after being set up by Philipp Lahm, but goalkeeper Akinfeev did well to smother the shot before it was made 2-0. Tickets for the tie being unavailable did little to deter those desperate enough to watch the action at the Luzhniki Stadium, though. A select group of Bayern supporters rented an office in a nearby skyscraper to get a bird's-eye view of the pitch, and took to Twitter to show off their cunning plan. In the end, those fans' efforts were rewarded with one goal via Muller, but Guardiola will be happy enough with an away win that moved the Bundesliga giants top of Group E. Fans desperate enough to see the match rented an office in a skyscraper to get the only view available . Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola looks on during the Champions League match against CSKA Moscow . Bayern Munich manager Guardiola and his staff during the virtually empty Champions League match . | CSKA Moscow vs Bayern Munich at Luzhniki Stadium played behind closed doors as Uefa punish Russian champions' fans following racist chants .
Bayern take lead in 22nd minute through Thomas Muller from penalty spot .
Pep Guardiola's men secure second Champions League win in Group E .
Bayern fans rent an office in a nearby skyscraper for a bird's-eye view . |
90,979 | 01024cacca84941966c3bd1ab4ce7dd5cc286c2a | Alexis Sanchez propelled Arsenal to victory against Stoke in the Premier League on Sunday with another outstanding display. Here, Sportsmail's Sami Mokbel details how every player performed. ARSENAL (4-2-3-1) DAVID OSPINA – 6.5 . Had very little to do on his first Premier League start, but dealt with everything competently. Davis Ospina had a quiet afternoon between the sticks replacing Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal . MATHIEU DEBUCHY – 6 . Facing another spell on the sidelines, this time with a shoulder injury after collision with Arnautovic. PER MERTESACKER – 6.5 . Looks so much more comfortable with Laurent Koscielny next to him. More like his old self. LAURENT KOSCIELNY – 7 . Arsenal look a safer outfit with him in the side. Excellent header for the opener. Laurent Koscielny (left) celebrates with Oliver Giroud (right) after heading Arsenal into an early lead . NACHO MONREAL – 7.5 . Battled on after taking a blow to the head in collision with Crouch. A comfortable display. FRANCIS COQUELIN – 6.5 . Doesn't have the quality to make the holding midfield position his own but more than did a job. TOMAS ROSICKY – 7 . Great to watch on this form. Intelligent and disciplined performance from the Czech midfiedler. Tomas Rosicky (second right) is denied a goal by a good save from Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic . ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN – 7 . The England man was dangerous throughout and kept fulfilled his defensive duties. SANTI CAZORLA – 7 . Was the victim of some rough treatment by Stoke but kept coming back for more. ALEXIS SANCHEZ – 9 . What more can you say? They signed him for £30million. What's he worth now? Alexis Sanchez was in sensational form throughout Arsenal's win over Stoke, and found the net twice . OLIVIER GIROUD – 7 . Kept Stoke's back-four occupied with his physical presence on his return from suspension. SUBSTITUTES . HECTOR BELLERIN - 6.5 (on for Debuchy 12) Slotted in comfortably at right-back. THEO WALCOTT - 6 (on for Oxlade-Chamberlain 67) Missed a great chance, but valuable minutes. Theo Walcott (second right) replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) as he continued his injury comeback . MESUT OZIL - 6 (on for Giroud 73) Massive boost for Arsenal to have the German back. 6. ARSENE WENGER – 7 . Will be more than satisfied with the way his side stood up to Stoke's physical approach. STOKE (4-2-3-1) ASMIR BEGOVIC – 5 . A miserable afternoon for the keeper summed up by Sanchez's free kick that crept passed him. RYAN SHAWCROSS – 5.5 . Imposing physically but couldn't deal with Arsenal's clever movement in front of him. PHILIPP WOLLSCHEID – 5 . Welcome to the Premier League. Has just arrived in England from Germany – will be wondering why. Defender Philipp Wollscheid (right) endured a difficult afternoon against Arsenal on his Stoke debut . ERIK PIETERS – 4 . Chased shadows as Arsenal went for the jugular. Hauled off at half-time. STEVEN N'ZONZI – 5 . Would have fancied his chances against Coquelin and Rosicky. It didn't turn out that way. GEOFF CAMERON - 5 . Had a torrid afternoon trying to deal with the movement of Arsenal's attacking quartet. GLENN WHELAN – 5 . Huffed and puffed bought couldn't stem the flow of Arsenal's attacks. Glenn Whelan (right) of Stoke tries to steal possession from Arsenal's Oxlade-Chamberlian (left) JON WALTERS – 5 . Grafted as you would expect, but had minimal impact in the attacking quarter. BOJAN KRKIC – 5.5 . Some nice touches but not the former Barcelona forward's best day. MARKO ARNAUTOVIC – 5 . Horrific nudge on Debuchy led to his injury. Little impact on the game apart from that. PETER CROUCH – 5 . Typically physical display but Mertesacker kept his impact down to a minimum. Peter Crouch (centre) loses out after a challenge with Arsenal defender Koscielny (right) SUBSTITUTES . MARK MUNIESA - 5 (on for Pieters 46) – Couldn't halt Arsenal's momentum. STEVE SIDWELL - 5.5 (on for N'Zonzi 46) – Brought on to keep things tight in midfield. It didn't really work. STEPHEN IREAND - 5 (on for Bojan 73) – Came on when the game was already over. MARK HUGHES – His attempts to ruffle Arsenal with an physical approach failed miserably. 5 . MAN OF THE MATCH: Sanchez . | Alexis Sanchez scored twice as Arsenal ease to 3-0 win over Stoke City .
Laurent Koscielny opened the scoring the Arsenal after six minutes .
Click here for Sportsmail's MATCH ZONE analysis from the game . |
279,655 | f6483f9105a8047b179e4900758fff214d0d0dce | Pretoria, South Africa (CNN) -- Oscar Pistorius needs to undergo mental health examinations, the judge in his murder trial ruled Wednesday, putting a halt to the proceedings after nearly two months of testimony. The very unusual move throws the trial into confusion. How long's the trial delayed? We don't know yet. Judge Thokozile Masipa will formally issue her ruling on Tuesday. By that time, she should know who will do the evaluation of Pistorius and when and where it will take place. At that point, it should be somewhat clearer when the trial will resume -- if it does at all. How long will the evaluations take? A minimum of 30 days. Will Pistorius have to live in an institution? Judge Masipa hopes he will not. She said she did not intend to "punish the accused twice" by putting him in a situation where he had to be locked up, and asked if he could be evaluated as an outpatient. Pistorius should learn the answer on Tuesday. Neither side believes he's mentally ill, so what's this all about? The defense team put a psychiatrist, Dr. Merryll Vorster, on the stand to testify that Pistorius suffers from "generalized anxiety disorder." The disorder means he has "excessive" concerns about security, and that he felt threatened even when, objectively, he was not, she testified. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel seized on the psychiatrist's testimony, arguing that if the defendant's mental health is even potentially an issue in the trial, he needed to be referred for expert evaluation. The defense is not arguing that mental illness played a role in Pistorius shooting and killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, so they opposed the motion. But after considering the question overnight, Masipa granted the prosecution request. Was Nel's push for tests a total surprise? What's his strategy? Yes. It's incredibly unusual for the prosecution -- rather than the defense -- to argue that a defendant might have defense of insanity. Nel seems to be placing a high-stakes bet that experts will disagree with the evidence of Dr. Vorster. How will finding on mental state affect the trial? The expert panel evaluating Pistorius has three options. They could find that Pistorius was mentally incapacitated when he shot Steenkamp, which would end the trial immediately in a verdict of not guilty by reason of mental illness. That would lead to the athlete being committed to a mental institution until he is ruled not to be a danger. The doctors could also find that he had "diminished responsibility" at the time he killed Steenkamp. In that case, the trial would resume, and the experts' finding would be taken into consideration during sentencing if he is found guilty. The third possibility is that the experts could disagree with the defense psychiatrist and say that Pistorius' mental health is not an issue at all. If that happens, Vorster's testimony could be disregarded. The experts might not all agree with each other, and lawyers on either side could disagree with the experts' report, leading to any number of possible outcomes. If there is any dispute, the final decision about what to do with the experts' report lies with the judge. Is this good or bad for Pistorius? It all depends on what the mental health experts decide. If they agree with Vorster or find he was incapacitated, that will help Pistorius. In one respect, though, the ruling is not to his advantage: It pushes off the end of his trial, leaving him in legal limbo at least another few months. | A surprise order for mental testing for Oscar Pistorius raises questions for his trial .
Testing will last at least 30 days, pushing off the end of the trial .
A prosecution move for mental observation is very unusual .
How the move affects Pistorius and the verdict depends on what experts decide . |
211,750 | 9e34bc5a54eb6cebae951387641e33b41414aeb2 | This kitten might have just proved wrong the long-debated myth that all cats hate water. Diego, a Bengal cat, was filmed swimming for the first time at a beach in New Zealand. While this may leave many confused, no one was more shocked than Diego's owners who were in utter disbelief when their pet began to tread water. Scroll down for video . This kitten might have just proved wrong the long-debated myth that all cats hate water. Diego, a Bengal cat, was filmed swimming for the first time at a beach in New Zealand . While this may leave many confused, no one was more shocked than Diego's owners who were in utter disbelief when their pet began to tread water . The video has recently been viewed and shared by thousands of viewers . The video shows the cat as it appears to be testing the water. 'He's crazy, he's in the water,' the man said as he held onto the cat's leash. Diego then decides to go for a swim as the water becomes deeper. The owners are evidently amused and stunned by their pet's new-found talent. 'He's swimming! He's swimming! He's swimming in the water,' they yelled. 'He's doing doggy paddle! 'He's actually swimming. He doesn't even look concerned about it.' The video has recently been viewed and shared by thousands of viewers. It was however filmed back in 2011 and uploaded on YouTube by owner Michelle Holmes. | Owners were shocked when their pet kitten began swimming .
Diego, a Bengal cat, was on a leash as it paddled through the water .
The video has been viewed and shared by thousands and viewers . |
109,676 | 195f86c7e673f7331081ef202c5b9ac9a0d26ee1 | By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 08:32 EST, 14 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:32 EST, 14 January 2014 . An obese mother-of-three lost half her body weight and dropped eight dress sizes after swapping unhealthy eating habits for a healthy meal plan. Maria Doherty, 46, who once tipped the scales at 22st, struggled to climb stairs, and was on the cusp of diabetes, shed 10 stone and turned her life around after getting a wake-up call about the consequences of her unhealthy diet. Today, weighing in at 11st and having taken up long-distance running, she says her experience should encourage anyone who fears they are too overweight to begin living healthily. Maria pictured in 2002, once tipped the scales at 22st and struggled to climb stairs as doctors warned her she was on the edge of diabetes . Maria has now dropped an amazing 10 stone from a size 28 and 22st (left) to 11st and a fit size 12 (right) She said: 'I never imagined I would get this far. Now I love my life. I feel as if there’s nothing I can’t do.' Maria saw her weight steadily increase due to her habit of choosing unhealthy, high calorie options for evening meals. She said: 'My weakness was junk food. I would always sort out dinner for the children and wait until later to arrange my own meal, by which time it was easier to order a takeaway. 'I would only have one square meal a day. I tricked myself into overeating at that meal because I wasn’t sure how long it would be until I ate again.' Maria was ordered to wear a blood pressure monitor by doctors concerned about her deteriorating health . Maria's size increased in tandem with her age and while at age 16, Maria was wearing size 16 clothes by the time she reached 18, she could only fit into size 18. By the time she was 40, she wore size 28 clothes and weighed 22 stone and found her weight was beginning to seriously impact her well-being. In late 2009 she was ordered to wear a blood pressure monitor by doctors concerned about her deteriorating health. She said: 'I was in the first stages of diabetes, and there was talk of putting me on blood pressure tablets permanently. It was a wake-up call. Maria's weight slowly increased through out her teens and by the time she was 40 she was a 28 and suffering as a result of her size . 'I was challenged by everything I did. Walking upstairs left me red-faced and struggling for breath.' By 2010 Mrs Doherty’s sons had left the family home and she had the opportunity to undertake an intensive exercise regime. She said: 'I was daunted. I thought I was too far gone to lose weight - that my health was too damaged. My goal was to get down to a size 20 and shed three or four stone. 'I cleared out the cupboard of all my unhealthy snacks and started eating three times a day.' Maria, pictured at her wedding in November 2003, says her husband and two sons were very supportive during her weight loss . Before beginning her weight loss journey, Maria an office manager, rarely ate breakfast, and binged on fatty foods at either lunch or dinner time. Her new healthy lifestyle involves a typical breakfast of a grain bar or cereal, followed by salad for lunch and pre-prepared calorie-controlled meals such as baked salmon for dinner, with apples for snacks during the day. She said: 'There were times when I had real cravings, but as people complimented me for losing the weight, it spurred me on.' She was encouraged in her efforts by her husband of ten years Dave, 47, who works as a design engineer, and her sons Ian, 26, Christopher, 23 and Stephen, 20. Maria shows off her incredible transformation holding up her old size 28 trousers, having now lost 10 stone . She said: 'Dave was fantastic. He adores me as I am but knew I was losing weight for the right reasons.' After the first week of her new diet Mrs Doherty had lost 9lbs. Ten months later, she had lost an impressive 5st. She . said: 'I realised that if I didn’t exercise, the excess skin would just . hang, so I started visiting the gym four times and week and found a . personal trainer.' Keiron . O’Donnell, her personal trainer at the Shaw Hill Leisure Club in . Chorley, surprised her in August 2011, when she was 14st, by announcing . that he had entered her for the London Marathon. She . said: 'I was petrified. I thought: ‘I’m 45 years old, I’ve abused my . body for so many years, how on earth can someone who was on the brink of . diabetes even consider running a marathon?’ 'I was terrified I would have a heart attack - I wasn’t aware that your heart regenerates if you look after it.' Maria proudly holds an award commemorating her London Marathon achievement, after completely the race in just under 5 hours 10 minutes . Maria is now healthy and happy, and running has become a huge part of her life. She hopes her transformation will inspire others who feel they are too unhealthy or overweight to make changes . She ran the race in 2012 raising £3,000 for the Carer’s Trust, completing the course in just under 5h10m. Today Maria, of Chorley, Lancashire weighs 11st and is a healthy size 12 but is still careful to visit the gym regularly and maintain a healthy diet. She said: 'It felt amazing to have achieved so much and have raised so much for charity. I would like my next big race to be the Venice marathon. 'In my wildest dreams I never imagined I would be smaller than I was when I was at school. 'The world is my oyster, but I need to be vigilant. I need to be careful about my eating habits and avoiding yo-yoing in weight. 'To anyone worried that their lives are too unhealthy for them to do anything about it, if they’re worried they’ll never be able to change, I would say ‘anything’s possible’. A slimming club and friends can be useful for giving you support. 'I never would have believed I could this far, but I’m proof that if you stick at something, you can achieve your goals.' | Erratic eating and penchant for junk food saw her weight steadily rise .
By the time she was 40, she wore a size 28 and weighed 22st .
Got out of breath climbing stairs and was on edge of diabetes .
Doctors were also considering putting her on blood pressure medication .
Health worries were a wake up call and Maria overhauled diet .
Began exercising and dropped 10st. Now weighs 11st .
Ran London Marathon in 2012 raising £3,000 for the Carer’s Trust . |
2,344 | 06dbca7c58e251d1b1bc4e6416a5515820a189bb | Baby Gammy and his mother have moved into a new house paid for using part of the $250,000 raised for his family through public donations. About half of the money raised was spent on the three-bedroom house, leaving $120,000 to cover 10-month-old Gammy's future medical and living expenses, said charity Hands Across The Water. Charity founder Peter Baines said the family needed a new home because their previous one-bedroom unit was too run-down for Gammy, who still suffers from a lung condition. Scroll down for video . Baby Gammy and his mother Pattharamon 'Goy' Janbua moved into a new house, 100km south of Bangkok . Almost half of the $250,00 raised was spent on the three-bedroom house, where the pair will live with Goy's husband, grandparents and two other children . 'He was recently back in hospital for six days prior to them moving into house,' Mr Baines told Daily Mail Australia. 'We took advice from Down Syndrome Australia who said the environmental conditions of where the kids live are important. 'They're more susceptible to illness, colds, and virus than children who do not have Down syndrome so they need to live in a cleaner, healthier environment that's why we were keen to see them moved.' Earlier this year Goy and Gammy found themselves at the centre of an international row over the ethics and legality of surrogacy when it emerged Gammy's Australian parents David and Wendy Farnell abandoned him in Thailand but took home his healthy twin sister Pipah. Before moving into the new home Gammy was in hospital for six days due to a lung infection . Goy and Gammy pose with Nom Manochantr, general manager of Hands Across The Water in Thailand . Child protection officials in Western Australia are still conducting an 'extensive and rigorous' assessment into the welfare of Pipah, the West Australian reported. Pipah recently returned to Australia after a trip to China with Mrs Farnell for her mother's funeral. WA Child Protection Minister Helen Morton said officers have yet to make a decision about whether she can stay in the care of her father David Farnell, a convicted child sex offender. 'The department was fully aware of her travel and was supportive of her taking time to grieve and spend time with her family,' Ms Morton told the West Australian. 'While this specific case is still subject to an ongoing thorough assessment, I can assure you that much has happened behind the scenes.' The family needed a new home because their previous one-bedroom unit (pictured) was too run-down for Gammy, who still suffers from a lung condition . The family plans to do some alterations at the front of their new house to set up a noodle shop, similar to the one they used to run at Goy's grandparents nearby house (pictured) Child protection officials in Western Australia are still conducting an 'extensive and rigorous' assessment into the welfare of Gammy's twin sister Pipah, pictured with David and Wendy Farnell . The house for Gammy's family was purchased and is being held under a trust in the name of Hands Across The Water, which is managing the family's money on behalf of his Thai surrogate mother Pattharamon 'Goy' Janbua. 'This way we guarantee the safety of the house so the family can't sell it or use it for any means that are inappropriate,' Mr Baines said. Gammy, Goy, and Goy's husband, grandparents and two other children moved into the home earlier this month. Mr Baines said Gammy was now much healthier and has gained a lot of weight. He added that the family plans to do some alterations at the front of the house to set up a noodle shop, similar to the one at the front of Goy's grandparents' house where Gammy sometimes stayed. Hands Across The Water founder Peter Baines visited the family earlier this month to assess their situation and needs. Pictured: Goy and her three children . Mr Baines described Gammy as: 'a strong little boy who certainly appears healthy and full of life' 'That's not out of necessity, because we're paying them more than enough in a monthly allowance,' he said. 'It's just a way for Goy to be productive and earn an income.' The house is in the same neighbourhood as the family's previous residence, in an industrial area about 100km south of Bangkok, where they also ran a small shop selling salads and noodles. Mr Baines said $250,000 was raised for Gammy through the Go Fund Me website, but the company took $10,000 in fees. 'We made approaches and asked if they could discount that and they said no,' he said. Three people, who wish to remain anonymous, originally set up the Go Fund Me page to raise $25,000 for Gammy. Media outlets picked up the details of that fund when the story started gaining worldwide media attention, and when the amount of money donated became too much for them to handle they asked Hands Across The Water took step in and manage it. Mr Baines said: 'we anticipate the original donated funds being sufficient to see Gammy into early adulthood' Earlier in the year, Hands Across The Water administered $20,000 towards Gammy's medical costs, including moving him from a public to a private hospital, when he was suffering from a lung infection . | Family move into new three-bedroom house paid for by public donations .
About $120,000 is left over to cover the 10-month-old's future expenses .
The family needed a new home because their previous house was too run-down for Gammy, who still suffers from a lung condition .
The house was purchased and is being held under a trust in the name of charity Hands Across The Water . |
175,596 | 6f4a3f840e28da42c6275e3ed480ffe18ece1403 | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 04:13 EST, 13 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:58 EST, 13 February 2014 . Mugshot: Justin Bieber is fighting to stop the release of an embarrassing clip of him peeing in his jail cell after his January 23 arrest . A legal motion by Justin Bieber's attorneys to block the release of video footage that reportedly shows him urinating in a jail cell has been revealed. The images were taken by cameras inside a Miami police station after the 19-year-old was arrested for DUI. Miami police have already released one video of the pop star's arrest, in January, showing him getting a pat down at the station. But Bieber is afraid of a more embarrassing video which shows him urinating and his lawyers have asking the court to block the video from being released because it shows his ‘private parts’. Documents state that the 19-year-old . singer was captured by cameras ‘in various states of undress which show . intimate personal parts of the defendant's body’. The . papers say that various media outlets have requested the footage and . ask Florida County Court to order a stay on all requests of the teen in . state custody to prevent 'irreparable harm'. A source who . has viewed the video told TMZ: 'Justin is seen several times stumbling . around while he was taking his tests. As if he had a problem with his . balance ... [the video] also shows Justin taking his various tests and . eventually taking a piss. 'The . stumbling and going to the bathroom is obviously reason enough for his . attorneys to request it be sealed ... If I was trying to paint a picture . that my client was innocent ... I wouldn’t want a video of him . stumbling around and looking out of it to go public either. This isn't the first time that Beiber has been caught urinating in an inappropriate place. The . singer was filmed last year peeing in a mop bucket at New York City . restaurant - for some reason saying 'F*** Bill Clinton' at the end of . the clip. The video . released last week shows Bieber being frisked by Miami police after he . was taken in for CUI, drag-racing and driving with an invalid license on . January 23. Below: Papers filed by Bieber's lawyers requesting the blocking of video tapes of him . Motion: The papers filed by Bieber's lawyers asking the Florida County Court to block requests for footage of the star that shows his 'intimate personal parts' Controversial: Miami police have already released a video of Bieber getting a pat-down at a police station - these documents were filed in the hope that all the videos will be blocked . The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office is expected to make a decision on the 19-year-old's fate in around a week . Behind bars: Footage shows Justin Bieber being frisked by Miami police after being taken into custody on January 23 . Complying with orders: Putting on a typically confident display, the 19-year-old singer can be seen strutting around as he follows the officer's orders . Legal woes: It has since been claimed he was under the influence of prescription drugs, including Xanax, and marijuana at the time of his arrest . Appearing . rather peeved by his arrest, the troubled Canadian pop star's entire . body was patted down by cops as he was forced to comply with their . orders. Leaning on a table . as the police officer gets to work at the task in hand, the Baby . hitmaker seemed to be taking his time as he meandered around the area. Wearing . a dark hoodie, baggy black shorts and red trainers, the teen heartthrob . is told to remove his shoes as the search takes place. Although . the police officer in question seems to be paying close attention to . searching Bieber, they found nothing on him after the frisk took place. However, . it has since been claimed he was under the influence of prescription . drugs, including Xanax, and marijuana at the time of his arrest. Later . tests revealed his blood alcohol level was below the limit for drivers, . but at the age of 19, the young star is still two years underage. Bieber . told police after the arrest that he had been smoking marijuana and had . taken a prescription drug, claiming that his mother gave him the . medication. The singer could now be charged with felony vandalism after allegedly pelting his neighbour's property with eggs last month. The . Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has sent the case to the . district attorney, with officers strongly recommending prosecution on a . more serious felony charge after an estimated $20,000 in damages was . caused. Fast and furious: The singer, right, was caught drag-racing through a residential area in his yellow Lamborghini . Lt. Dave Thompson . told TMZ: 'I went to the D.A.'s Office today with the paperwork, and I . want a felony. Of course I want a felony.' The . website had previously posted a video purportedly taken in the middle . of the attack, which occurred in the upmarket Calibasas area, in which . the pop star seems to be heard taunting his neighbor. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office is expected to make a decision on the 19-year-old's fate in around a week. It . comes hot on the heels of his party pal Lil Za being charged with three . felonies in connection to a raid on Justin's $6million mansion last . week. It has been reported . L.A. County D.A. has charged the rapper with two counts of felony . possession of a controlled substance, and another relating to breaking a . jail telephone. Police made . the charges after they had initially been called to Justin's house . following the egg pelting incident. If found guilty he could face up to . nine years in prison. Za, . real name Xavier Smith, was arrested earlier this month when drugs, . believed to be Xanax and Ecstasy, were found at the mansion. Police arrive to raid Justin Bieber's Calabasas mansion after Los Angeles law enforcement executed a felony search warrant . Bieber has also been accused of abusing a flight attendant on a private jet until she was forced to hide in the cockpit. The . troubled teen singer and his entourage were also said to have smoked so . much marijuana on a flight between Canada and New Jersey that the . pilots were forced to wear oxygen masks. Bieber . his father Jeremy, 38, and ten friends travelled on the leased jet to . Teterboro airport ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday and were allegedly . so verbally abusive towards the female flight attendant that she refuses . to work for him again. Despite . several warnings, the singer and his father Jeremy would not stop . verbally abusing the flight attendant, and she eventually hid in cockpit . with the pilots to avoid Bieber and his entourage. According to an official report, the Bieber men were 'extremely abusive' towards the flight attendant. 'The . captain of the flight stated that he warned the passengers, including . Bieber, on several occasions to stop smoking marijuana', the official . report of the incident, obtained by NBC News, reads. 'The . captain also stated he needed to request that the passengers stop their . harassing behavior toward the flight attendant and after several . warnings asked the flight attendant to stay with him near the cockpit to . avoid any further abuse.' In addition to his pending criminal case in Florida, Bieber has another case pending in his native Canada. Last week he turned himself into Toronto authorities after being charged with assault on a limo driver. Flying high: Bieber and his father allegedly smoked weed on a private plane they took to the Super Bowl . Meanwhile, . it has been reported by PageSix that Bieber's waxwork has been taken . down after fans had continued to touch the figure. A . source told them: 'With no ropes or barriers to stop them, thousands of . fans have had their photographs taken with him since then — but it has . taken its toll.' TMZ . reported that the fight began when Bieber asked for the music to be . turned up. The driver obliged, but not as much as Bieber was hoping, so . he apparently stuck his hand through the partition to do it himself. The . driver swatted his hand away and then it allegedly erupted into a . full-on smack fest as Bieber hit the driver in the head multiple times. While . Justin has grown increasingly close to his father in the wake of his . legal woes, Patti Mallette - who raised the star as a single mother - . has admitted she has little control over her son's behaviour. She . told Access Hollywood Live: 'I've just gotta let go a little and let . him make some of his own decisions. He's growing up. He's 19. He's not . my baby. Of course I pray for him and encourage him.' | Miami police have already released footage of the pop singer being frisked at the station after his January 23 arrest .
A second clip allegedly shows the 19-year-old peeing in his holding cell .
His lawyers are trying to block the video's release since it shows the singer's 'private parts'
Papers filed to Florida County Court argue that releasing footage of the teen could cause 'irreparable harm'
Bieber is facing charges of DUI, drag-racing, and driving with an invalid license . |
133,531 | 38ae61b74a6fcefcd9a3fa82bebf64fff030ae87 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 07:58 EST, 27 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:01 EST, 27 March 2013 . Locked up: Kosovan Jeton Lama has been jailed for eight years after raping a young investment banker in broad daylight in the City of London . A Kosovan refugee raped a young investment banker in broad daylight in the City of London, a court has heard. Jeton Lama, 25, stalked the 23 year-old woman as she walked home near St Paul’s Cathedral on the morning of Remembrance Sunday last year. She tried to fight him off and run to her flat but was dragged back to the doorway of a pub in an alleyway. Lama threatened to rape and kill her before forcing her to perform a sex act on him in full view of a CCTV camera. He then calmly walked off to buy a doughnut and a newspaper before getting a tube train home. Detectives arrested him three days later after tracking the use of his Oyster Card and managed to match his DNA to the scene of the attack. The victim has still not told her family what happened and said in a statement to the Old Bailey of her shock at being attacked in the street by a complete stranger. ‘Before that evening I was in a good place, I was young and happy and in some ways I feel it has changed me. ‘I am left always looking over my shoulder. I have never felt more afraid in my entire life. Sometimes it seems like an ugly horrible nightmare. ‘I tried to think what I have done wrong but I know I didn’t do anything wrong. I think maybe I should have continued walking along the main road but it never occurred to me in those moments that something like this would happen.’ The victim had only recently started a new job and was on her way home from a Saturday night out with friends at around 7am on Sunday 11 November last year. Lama followed her off the bus at St . Paul’s and started pestering her as she turned into Ludgate Hill, . telling her how he liked her hair. ‘He simply wouldn’t leave her alone as she was walking along,’ said prosecutor Neena Crinnion. ‘She was making it quite plain to him she wasn’t interested in engaging with him. She was becoming increasingly frightened and she was telling him to leave her alone but he was persisting in following her.' Horrific: The 23 year-old woman was followed by her attacker as she walked home near St Paul's Cathedral, pictured, on the morning of Remembrance Sunday last year . At one point Lama grabbed her but the victim shouted at him ‘don’t touch me, leave me alone’.She then tried to get away from him down Carter Lane but he ran after her and grabbed her, putting his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming. Lama told her: ‘If you scream I’m going to kill you. I just want to have sex with you. Stop screaming, you bitch. I’m going to f*** you so hard and then kill you.’ She tried to covertly ring 999 on her phone but he told her to put away the phone and started kissing her and groping her body under her skirt. In a desperate attempt to escape she pretended she would take him to a quiet place nearby in the hope of getting help from someone on the main road. But when he realised she was trying to trick her he pushed her into the doorway of the Rising Sun pub and demanded she perform a sexual act on him. 'I have never felt more afraid in my entire life' Following the attack, he then walked off down Ludgate Hill to . buy a doughnut and a newspaper from a newsagent before getting . the tube at Temple station. Detectives were later able to get a DNA sample from the scene. Lama was arrested on November 14 after detectives worked out his normal route of travel and stationed officers along the route. He pleaded guilty to rape in January this year and his letter of apology to the victim was given to the judge. Sentencing him to eight years in prison, judge Sasha Wass QC said: ‘The victim was a hard working, intelligent and successful, young and happy woman. Her life will never be the same again as a result of what you did to her. ‘She made it absolutely clear she had no desire to have anything to do with you. What happened to her was the worst nightmare of every woman. ‘The entire episode has been seen on CCTV and the police should be applauded for their detective work in swiftly apprehending you.’ Lama, of Pimlico, southwest London, came to the UK as a child asylum seeker in 2003 and was taken in by a foster family in Linconshire. In February last year he was fined £600 for assaulting his then girlfriend in Brighton by punching her in the face. | Jeton Lama stalked the woman as she walked near St Paul’s Cathedral .
She tried to fight him off but she was dragged into the doorway of a pub .
Lama threatened to kill her before forcing victim to perform sex act on him .
'I have never felt more afraid in my entire life' says victim .
25-year-old attacker has been jailed for eight years . |
9,918 | 1c25cbf612d030c70a60c90afebf4e02ba33f804 | By . Oliver Todd . Follow @@oliver_todd . Besiktas are hoping to finalise a move for Chelsea striker Demba Ba after agreeing a fee of around £8million. The Turkish club's president Fikret Orman has confirmed that they have negotiated a deal for the 29-year-old for slightly lower than Chelsea's £10million asking price. Ba has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge after a season spent as third choice behind Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres, and with Diego Costa's £32million arrival imminent. VIDEO Scroll down to see Demba Ba training hard in the gym . Frustrated: Demba Ba often cut a dejected figure at Chelsea having not played much football . Leave that way: Jose Mourinho issues instructions to Ba during training at Cobham last week . Crucial: Demba Ba (centre) scores for Chelsea against Liverpool in April during a 2-0 win . 'Demba Ba is an excellent player,' Besiktas president Orman said. 'We have been in talks with Chelsea for a long time over bringing him to Istanbul. 'Talks are ongoing. Chelsea initially wanted £10 million for Ba but we have negotiated a price we are happy with. We'll tell the media once the final deal is done.' Ba spent much of last season as Chelsea's third choice option up front but had a decent end to the season, scoring game-winning goals against Paris St Germain, Swansea and Liverpool. Everton have shown interest in Ba but he now looks set to move to Turkey, having already posted an image of Besiktas fans on his Instagram account earlier this summer. Chelsea signed Ba from Newcastle for £7million in January 2013. He also spent time at West Ham and Hoffenheim before moving to Stamford Bridge. Goodbye: Demba Ba poses for a photo with John Terry at Chelsea's training ground on Monday . Cheerio: Jose Mourinho deemed Ba surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge . Instagram: Ba posted this image of a Besiktas fan banner accompanied by the caption: 'Without seeing you, ya rassoullallah we love you! Sans te voir, ya rassoullallah nous t'aimons! ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿' | Istanbul club confirm they have reached a price agreement for Ba .
Ba was behind Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres for Chelsea last season .
Everton and Newcastle have shown interest in a move for the striker .
Ba is now expected to move to Turkey for around £8million . |
125,600 | 2e62336a88e1f0404a5a7dae6e0c2fbdd0d58745 | Protestors clashed with riot police in France last night after gay marriage was legalised following months of fierce debate. Within hours of the decision to allow gay couples to wed, a protest near Paris's Invalides complex of museums and monuments turned violent with officers working late into the night to restore calm. Protestors pelted police with glass bottles, cans and metal bars, and officers responded by firing tear gas into the crowds. Trouble: Security guards scuffle with anti gay marriage protestors as the practice was legalised by politicians in France yesterday . Violent protests: Demonstrators light flares and square up to riot police with the Eiffel Tower in the background following the decision yesterday . Prepared: Riot police guard the National Assembly yesterday as lawmakers decided to legalise gay marriage in France . Opposition: Those opposed to gay marriage converged on Concorde Square in Paris, but protests soon turned ugly . The issue appears to have galvanized the country's faltering right, which had been ripped apart recently by infighting and their election loss to President Francois Hollande. France is the 14th country - and the largest - to legalise gay marriage. Justice minister Christiane Taubira said the first weddings could be as soon as June following the 331-225 vote in the Socialist majority National Assembly. Opponents of the law say France is not ready to legalise adoption for same-sex couples, and polls show a country sharply divided on the issue. Victory: Pro gay marriage protestors wave rainbow flags as the news breaks that politicians had voted in favour of gay marriage . Celebrations: Those in favour of gay marriage celebrate the decision in Paris yesterday . Victory: French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault congratulates family minister Dominique Bertinotti, right, as justice minister Christiane Taubira, left, looks on, after lawmakers approved a bill legalising same-sex marriage . Mr Ayrault celebrates with Mrs Taubira: She said the the first weddings could be as soon as June after the 331-225 vote in the Socialist majority National Assembly which passed the new law yesterday afternoon . Thousands of police mobilised ahead of the vote, taking up positions with water cannon outside the French parliament, preparing for duelling protests around the National Assembly building and along the Seine River. Earlier in the day, there appeared to be more police than protesters outside the Parliament building on Paris' Left Bank, but that calculation soon shifted as night fell and thousands gathered to protest the bill. The protest dwindled to a few stalwarts shortly before midnight, when the violence began among a few hundred demonstrators including some who carried signs saying 'Socialist dictatorship' Claire Baron, 41, a mother of two, said that she 'will oppose the bill until the end.' She said: 'I'll keep going to the protests, I don't give in. The bill is not effective yet, the president of the Republic must listen to our voices. 'We are here to defend family values. Children need a mum and a dad.' France is the 14th country to legalise gay marriage, and today's vote comes a week after New Zealand - with very little controversy - allowed same-sex couples to wed. The extraordinary security was put in place to protect the National Assembly in Paris following large and at times violent protests in the months leading up to this afternoon's vote. Mrs Taubira and interior minister Manuel Valls address members of parliament: Opponentssay France is not ready to legalise adoption for same-sex couples, and polls show a country sharply divided on the issue . In recent weeks, violent attacks against gay couples have spiked and some legislators have received threats - including one sent a gunpowder-filled envelope. One protest against gay marriage ended in clouds of tear gas earlier this month with some demonstrators fighting police and damaging cars along the Champs-Elysees avenue. But while some were outraged at the passing of the new law, others took to the streets to celebrate. 'I feel immense joy, gigantic joy,' said 39-year old Sylvain Rouzel. 'At last, everyone has the same rights. This is huge. France was lagging behind. We had to wait 14 years after the civil union to finally obtain the right to get married, with equal rights for everyone. I feel great.' Paris' openly gay mayor, Bertrand Delanoe, was among the crowd of hundreds gathered for the street celebration in the Marais, the city's historic gay neighborhood. The highly controversial new law also makes it legal for gays and lesbians to adopt children, and ban the words 'mother' and 'father' from all official documents. The new law had been expected pass comfortably in the Socialist-controlled legislature. Demonstrators against gay marriage face riot . police in Paris on Sunday: Riot police were deployed outside the French . parliament today as lawmakers prepared to vote to make it the 14th . country to legalise gay marriage . Anger: The extraordinary security was put in . place to protect the National Assembly following large and at times . violent protests by those who oppose legalisation in the months leading . up to this afternoon's vote . When President Francois Hollande initially promised to legalise gay marriage, it was seen as relatively uncontroversial. But . the issue rejuvenated the country's conservative movement and brought . together the far right, the Catholic Church and many French families . from the countryside. It had even sparked physical scuffles between right and left wing MPs during debates in the National Assembly. Unpopular: The change in law promised . by Francois Hollande (pictured) has brought together the far right, the Catholic . Church and many rural French . The new law states that 'marriage is a union of two people, of different or the same gender', and it swaps all references in the civil code to 'mothers and fathers' to simply 'parents'. Now it has passed, opposition parties have pledged to challenge the law in France's highest court, the Constitutional Council. And if that fails, they hope public hostility will pressurise Mr Hollande into not signing it into law, just as former president Jacques Chirac backed down from signing an employment law that was voted by parliament in 2006. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, head of the French Catholic Church, was also leading his own campaign to stop the law, warning followers that gay marriage could lead to legalised incest and polygamy in society. He told the Christian's RFC radio station: 'Gay marriage would herald a complete breakdown in society. 'This could have innumerable consequences. Afterward they will want to create couples with three or four members. And after that, perhaps one day the taboo of incest will fall.' Legalising gay marriage was one of Mr . Hollande's key manifesto pledges, but less than a year later, observers . say he has been surprised by the scale of public opposition to the . measure. There has also a . been a sharp rise in the number of homophobic attacks in recent weeks, . and several initially peaceful protests have degenerated into violence. The . law also comes amid a poll showing Mr Hollande has become the most . unpopular president in five decades - with a personal approval rating of . just 25 per cent. No to homophobia: Pro-gay marriage protesters at . a counter demonstration also held on Sunday. The new law will also allow gays and lesbians to adopt and ban the words 'mother' and . 'father' from official documents . Divisive issue: Although President Hollande's . Socialist party is expected to carry this afternoon's vote by a . two-thirds majority, polls show half of the French population are . opposed to gay marriage . His first 11 months in office have been blighted by a catalogue of political, economic and personal crises as he finds himself unable to control either the public finances or the wayward antics of First Lady Valerie Trierweiler. Millionaires have been fleeing France in fear of a proposed 75 per cent tax on all earnings over one million euros. The French equivalent of the UK's Confederation of British Industry, called MEDEF, has warned the president that France risked becoming 'the poor man of Europe' over his 'disastrous' economic policies. And his problems then culminated this month with revelations his own budget minister Jerome Cahuzac had been hiding up to €20million in a secret bank account to dodge taxes. Political observer Thierry Kutlay said: 'I don't think he ever thought running France would be so hard. In the face of such fierce opposition to so many of his other policies, he will be a brave man to sign gay marriage into law.' | Half of French voters are against allowing gays to marry, polls show .
But the Socialists are expected to carry the vote with two-thirds majority .
Vote comes after months of at times violent protests by opponents .
Anti gay-marriage protestors clashed with riot police in Paris .
Officers were pelted with glass bottles, metal bars and cans .
Police fired tear gas into angry crowds near Paris's Invalides complex . |
196,790 | 8aa8d3d042356a88d25ee6fb13347184858fe770 | (RollingStone.com) -- Britney Spears announced today that her new album, due March 15, is titled "Femme Fatale" -- but the superstar singer and her Los Angeles producers are still choosing songs and determining the final direction of the overall sound. "It's not done," Dr. Luke, co-producing the album with longtime Britney collaborator Max Martin and Montreal dance-pop songwriter Billboard, tells Rolling Stone. "We're in the middle of it right now. It's a little bit fluid right now. I can't even say at this stage what songs for sure are making it and what songs aren't. We're working with a lot of producers and overseeing it with her A&R and record label and management and trying to make something cohesive." RollingStone.com: Britney Spears' life in photos . The album, of course, will contain "Hold It Against Me," co-written by Dr. Luke, Martin and Bonnie McKee, the hot songwriter who penned Katy Perry's "California Gurls" and Taio Cruz' "Dynamite." Spears' new single made its debut on the pop charts in mid-January at No. 1, before dropping to No. 6 last week. Originally, Dr. Luke and Martin, the Swedish songwriter behind some of Spears' biggest hits, including "...Baby One More Time," planned to give the song to Katy Perry. "We might have played it for her, but it definitely wasn't a Katy Perry record," Dr. Luke says by phone from Conway Recording Studio in Los Angeles. "We had it for a while. I wanted to make sure it didn't sound like everything else I've done. I brought it into Billboard, and he just killed it. It can be hard in the verse, and the bridge is super, super hard, but the chorus is super-pop. You can play that chorus acoustically on a guitar and it's still going to sound great." RollingStone.com: Rob Sheffield's four-star review of "Hold It Against Me" Top 40 radio stations continue to spin "Hold It Against Me" in regular rotation. "It feels like a really obvious, easy-to-listen-to first single," says John Ivey, program director for KIIS in LA, which played the song once an hour the first day it came out. "You hear all those little parts that are so Britney -- 'here's the video-breakdown-dance part of the song.' That's what my listeners love about her." Although her 2008 album Circus sold fewer than 2 million copies, not a huge number given Spears' history of blockbuster sales, retailers have high hopes for the March release. "[Circus] ended up doing well, but we were a little cautious about it -- a little tense comeback issues were going to be relevant," says Mark Hudson, music buyer for Trans World Entertainment, who predicts the new album could sell 500,000 copies in its first week. "But this time around, her stock is higher." RollingStone.com: Britney Spears lets loose for the cameras . Dr. Luke also noted that he and Martin, the executive producers, plan on working on several songs directly in addition to "Hold It Against Me." He also confirmed Bloodshy (who co-produced Spears' classic "Toxic") and Benny Blanco (who worked on Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" and Perry's "California Gurls") were among several big names who would make production appearances. So far, Spears has dropped by the LA studio two or three times to lay down her vocals. "Britney's really fast," Dr. Luke says. "She gets it done." Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone. | Britney Spears and producers still choosing songs for new album .
Spears announced album, due March 15, is titled "Femme Fatale"
Top 40 radio stations continue to spin "Hold It Against Me" in regular rotation . |
113,013 | 1dda506d043c384ce5faec552520636c40b9493c | Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has ruled the federal government may not deny funds from its global anti-AIDS program to organizations that refuse to actively oppose prostitution. In a 6-2 decision on Thursday, the justices determined the policy requiring fund recipients adhere to a larger message about fighting disease and its root causes was not directly related to the "core" mandate of the AIDS program. Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the opinion for the majority, said the 2003 law violated the First Amendment. The ruling tosses out the policy. The case was closely watched by many U.S.-based non-governmental organizations that distribute financial and other assistance overseas. The decision comes as the justices work toward wrapping up a busy term, likely next week. Among the big issues yet to be resolved: affirmative action in college admissions; federal enforcement of the Voting Rights Act; and the politically blockbuster constitutionality of same-sex marriage. The court next meets in public session to release decisions on Monday. Looking at the case decided on Thursday, the Leadership Act was designed to "make the reduction of HIV/AIDS behavioral risks a priority of all prevention efforts." In addition to promoting abstinence, monogamy, counseling, and the use of condoms, the law sought to use U.S. funds to "educate men and boys about the risks of procuring sex commercially" as well as finding ways to help "commercial sex workers" themselves get out of the business. Federal money came with two conditions, including the "Policy Requirement"-- a ban on "assistance to any group or organization that does not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking." Several groups objected to what they called a "loyalty oath," including the U.S.-based Alliance for Open Society and Pathfinder International. Roberts said the policy could not be sustained. "The (requirement) compels as a condition of federal funding the affirmation of a belief that by its nature cannot be confined within the scope of the government program," he wrote. "In doing so, it violates the First Amendment and cannot be sustained." Explaining further, Roberts noted in most cases "if a party objects to a condition on receipt of federal funding, its recourse is to decline the funds." But the ruling concluded the law improperly prevented aid recipients from disavowing the the government's wishes when spending its own money. "The (requirement) goes beyond preventing recipients from using private funds in a way that would undermine the federal program. It requires them to pledge allegiance to the government's policy of eradicating prostitution," Roberts wrote. The anti-prostitution pledge in the law would still apply to organizations based outside the United States receiving U.S. funds. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented. Justice Elena Kagan had earlier recused herself from the case, because she had supervised the government's legal response when she was the Justice Department's Solicitor General under President Obama from 2009-2010. Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, said there is "no place for discrimination" today. "Discriminatory policies like the anti-prostitution pledge keep us from ever getting ahead of HIV," Sippel said. The case is Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International (12-10). | Law aimed to make reducing HIV/AIDS behavioral risks a priority of prevention .
U.S. law conditioned funding on pledge to oppose prostitution .
Chief Justice John Roberts said the policy violated the First Amendment .
Some groups called the requirement a "loyalty oath" |
2,624 | 07ad7a243a3d31903916186687286d38a572944e | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 13:18 EST, 11 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:21 EST, 11 July 2012 . Wept: Jaqueline Jossa, as Lauren Branning in EastEnders, was sat in the public gallery at the Old Bailey today and cried as she watched her father receive his sentence . The father of EastEnders actress Jacqueline Jossa has been jailed four years for stealing nearly £500,000 of taxpayers money. John Jossa, 58, abused his position as head of finance at Enfield Council in north London and created false invoices and lied about his wife working for the council and paid money into her account. Miss Jossa who plays Lauren Branning in the hit soap wept as she witnessed her father pleading guilty to three offences of dishonesty of for fiddling with council expenses. Mr Jossa siphoned off a total £491,088.35 into his own account over a period of four years between 2006 and 2010. His 19-year old daughter, awarded best newcomer at this year's National Television Awards, sat in the public gallery with her mother and other sister as he received his sentence at the Old Bailey today. Jossa, pretended his wife had worked for the council and paid more than £42,000 into their account when no such work had ever been done. He also fiddled with invoices from . recruitment firm Adecco, creating fake ones and processing genuine ones . that had yet to be signed off following its work for the council - . directing more than £448,000 into his pocket. The . court heard that he invested most of the money into investment schemes . but fell victim to boiler rooms scams that promised high returns but . ended up losing all of it. When Enfield council launched a court action against him only £25,000 was recovered. Jossa was made redundant in 2009, but is alleged to have stolen the money between 2006 and 2010. Despite the massive fraud he collected over £170,000 in redundancy. Sentencing . Judge Nicholas Cooke QC said: ‘How on earth a person with a shred of . decency thinks he's entitled to it when he steals half-a-million from . his employers that shows criminally distorted thinking. Jailed: John Jossa was sentenced to four years imprisonment at the Old Bailey today after siphoning off money from Enfield council into his own account . On the subject of Mr Jossa, of Bexley, becoming a victim to fraud himself, he added: ‘In addition to being fully dishonest, he's a fool.’ Jossa pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining money by deception and two counts of fraud at an earlier hearing. Judge Cooke said: ‘I have to sentence you for three offences of dishonesty by a fairly sophisticated fraud. Miss Jossa was snapped enjoying herself at the premiere of Magic Mike last night on the evening before her father appeared in court . ‘You . have taken £491,000 odd of funds of no doubt hard-pressed local . authority. Knowing that you had done that, you accepted another £170,000 . odd by way of payment on termination of your employment at that same . local authority. ‘The vast . majority of all that money is now gone. All that court proceedings . brought by the London Borough of Enfield has been able to recoup as . about £25,000 described as a drop in the ocean. ‘The prospect of further recovery on behalf of local residents is bleak. ‘You . continue to receive a local authority pension. How long that may . continue and whether anything can be done about that is not a matter for . me.’ Judge Cooke said Mr Jossa was a man focused on greed and added that Mr Jossa’s senior position within the council represented ‘a gross breach of trust’. ‘Your offending will have real consequences to local residents in terms of reduced services or a decline in payments for those that live in the area. ‘You have embarrassed the vast majority of hard working, and compared to your salary, lowly paid local government employees. ‘It was not your money, it was local residents money.’ Earlier his defence barrister Avtar Bhatoa said the ‘genesis of this offending goes back to April 2006’ when his client's ‘salary was failing to service his debts.’ | John Jossa, father of EastEnders actress Jaqueline Jossa stole money from Enfield council .
He lost most of the money when he himself defrauded whilst investing it and only repaid £25,000 . |
2,238 | 0689b77badc0cd6372fd3bf28d94b0ad1ac21c2f | By . Wil Longbottom . Last updated at 5:03 PM on 17th August 2011 . Italy's highly-paid footballers are threatening to strike over new taxes being brought in on those earning more than 150,000 euros. Supercuts brought in by Silvio Berlusconi's government to avert a financial crisis in the country would see a 10 per cent tax hike on Italy's higher earners. Thousands of villages popular with tourists during the summer months could also virtually disappear after the government announced it cut the cost of bureaucracy by consolidating municipalities with a population of less than 1,000. 'Solidarity tax': AS Roma's Francesco Totti during a preseason game in Valencia, Spain. Serie A stars could go on strike over tax hikes on those earning more than 150,000 euros . That would mean towns including Portofino - a favourite haunt of Hollywood A-Listers Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones - and the Lake Como town of Laglio, where George Clooney has a home, would be legally abolished. Portofino has a population of only 479 during the winter as tourists travel elsewhere, while Laglio has just 957 people living there. The proposals have sparked a storm of criticism in Italy as the country attempts to clean up its public finances to avoid becoming the next victim of the debt crisis. The start of the Serie A - Italy's top football division - is already in jeopardy because of a contract dispute. Tourist hotspot: Portofino, on Italy's Mediterranean coast, is one of thousands of towns that could virtually disappear under plans to axe bureaucracy . Lifestyles of the rich and the famous: Kylie Minogue walking with her stylist in Portofino earlier this week. The town is popular with celebrities . Players have threatened to strike if an agreement is not signed before the start of the season on August 27, but the Gazzetta dello Sport has estimated the new 'solidarity tax' would cost teams around 50 million euros each. AC Milan vice president, Adriano Galliani, said the players should pay, not the clubs. He told the Corriere della Sella: 'Those making 90,000 euros will have to pay it, I don't see why those who make millions shouldn't do it. 'Otherwise, as far as I'm concerned the players can go on strike for the rest of their lives.' AC Milan is owned by Prime Minister Berlusconi, whose government approved the measures. Most top players, especially foreign stars, negotiate their net income upon joining a team, and it is then up to the club to handle their fiscal obligations. Abolished? Lagio, on the shores of Lake Como, where U.S. actor George Clooney owns this home, is another town which could disappear under the municipality merger . This was allowed under the old collective agreement, but the new one - which has not yet been signed - leaves it up to players alone to pay their taxes. The conflict between the players and the league has been going on since the last collective agreement expired in June last year. Two strike dates were set during the last season, both of which were avoided with last-minute verbal agreements. The supercuts will affect 8,100 municipalities across Italy. Around 29 of the country's 110 provinces will also disappear, along with more than 50,000 jobs. Celebrity haunt: George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis enjoying a bike ride in Laglio. The pair split two months ago . The cuts are aimed at saving a total of 45.5 billion euros over the next two years. Italy's debt in around 120 per cent of its GDP and the cuts aim to balance its budget in 2013. Other measures in the cuts include raising the pension age for women to 65, more tax on cigarettes and MPs switching to economy flights. Capital gains tax will also increased from 12.5 per cent to 20 per cent. The CGIL - Italy's largest trade union - has threatened to call a general strike against the austerity measures. Susanna Camusso, the union's general secretary, told The Australian: 'Once again it's the weakest who are being hit and those who pay taxes. 'We will confront this budget head on: a general strike.' It comes as global stock markets . largely fell as hopes of strong action in the euro zone against the . escalating sovereign debt crisis faded. The . FTSE 100 closed 5331.60, down .49 per cent but lost 0.7 per cent by lunch time to 5,319.12, by which time there had been practically no movement on the Dow, which stood at 11,386. Stocks . around the world lost headway after Germany announced disappointing . growth figures of just 0.1 per cent for the second quarter of this year. There was good news in Belgium, however, after it revealed a 0.7 per cent increase in GDP for the second quarter. The country has been run by a caretaker government for the last 15 months, meaning it has been unable to enact austerity measures despite a public debt level of nearly 100 per cent of GDP. Divisions between the Dutch-speaking and francophone regions have blocked the creation of a government since June 2010. Rudi Thomaes, head of the federation of Belgian enterprises, told the FT: 'Part of the explanation of why the Belgian economy is still strong is that we are late in introducing measures of fiscal consolidation.' | Those earning more than 150,000 euros a year face 10% tax hike .
Villages with a population of less than 1,000 could be consolidated to cut costs .
But 'government-less' Belgium bucks the trend with 0.7% increase in GDP . |
101,255 | 0e7ef6102bb74d5f7df551e7196ffd297a1fffaa | By . Aaron Sharp . PUBLISHED: . 04:45 EST, 15 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:19 EST, 15 October 2013 . Convicted: Hussain has macular degenerative disorder and can only see a for few feet . A registered blind man led police on an 85mph car chase through a city centre in the dead of night a court heard. Mulazum Hussain, who can only see for a distance of a few feet, refused to stop for officers when they signalled for him to pull over at 3.30am, sparking the five-mile high-speed chase. The visually impaired driver sped over roundabouts, ignored signs and bollards and was going so fast that his Vauxhall Corsa left the ground at one point and did a 360 degree spin. The 21-year-old also went through several red lights in a bid to escape. A second police car was needed to bring Hussain to a halt as he raced the through the Handsworth and Attercliffe areas of Sheffield. The driver even tried to ram a police car after he had been boxed in but he was eventually forced to give up. After he had been blocked, Hussain tried to trick officers into believing that he wasn’t driving the vehicle, using his short sightedness as an excuse. As traffic police approached the car, he moved into the passenger seat and claimed his cousin was driving, although officers had only seen one person inside. Sheffield Crown Court heard how he told police; ‘It wasn’t me driving. I can’t see. I’m blind.’ Route: during the five mile chase, Hussain hit speeds of 85 mph and even performed aerial jumps to try to lose police . Hussain suffers from macular degenerative disorder so he can only see a few feet in front of his face. At the hearing on Friday, he admitted dangerous driving and driving with no insurance and was jailed for nine months. Recorder . Jeremy Barnett told him; 'You pleaded guilty to the most awful piece of . driving. It was highly dangerous, aggravated by you being only . partially sighted.' Guilty: Hussain admitted dangerous driving and driving with no insurance at Sheffield Crown Court, above . | Mulazum Hussain, 21, can only see a few feet because of eye condition .
Visually impaired driver refused to stop for officers in Sheffield at 3.30am .
He reached speeds of 85mph and even did a 360 degree spin . |
2,193 | 06653ab87654152700722b5071383976631f37ee | It was undoubtedly the most engaging weekend of the Premier League season so far and the 40 goals to fly in came within a whisker of breaking records. Defenders seemingly under little pressure - most notably Sunderland's Santiago Vergini - thrashed through their own net to aid already swashbuckling attacking oppositions up and down the country. Rather cruelly, it was a sight to behold. An average of four goals-a-game was just three short of the most scored during a 10-fixture set in the 20-team era. Graziano Pelle scored twice as Southampton thrashed Sunderland 8-0 at St Mary's this weekend . Saints were helped on their way enormously by the barbaric own goal of Black Cat Santiago Vergini . The weekend was three goals shy of February 2011's 43-goal record (as Cheick Tiote scored vs Arsenal) Tiote netted a late equaliser as Newcastle battled back from four goals down to draw 4-4 against Arsenal . Louis Saha heads home as Everton beat newly-promoted Blackpool 5-3 at Goodison Park on February 5, 2011 . Matchday 8 - 40 goals . Matchday 7 - 27 goals . Matchday 6 - 26 goals . Matchday 5 - 32 goals . Matchday 4 - 30 goals . Matchday 3 - 32 goals . Matchday 2 - 23 goals . Matchday 1 - 26 goals . That came in February 2011, with Everton, Arsenal, Newcastle and Wigan all scoring four goals or more on the Saturday as the weekend totalled an astonishing 43. The Toffees knocked five past gung-ho Blackpool after coming back from 3-1 down at Goodison Park. Events at St James' Park were even more surreal as the Gunners - home and dry four goals to the good at the break - somehow conspired to only leave the North East with a point. Cheick Tiote rifled in a stunning 87th minute equaliser to finish one of the most dramatic afternoons in British football. Roberto Martinez's Wigan had got in on the act, edging a seven-goal thriller with James McCarthy netting twice from midfield. The clashes on that weekend - February 5/6 - were far closer than some of the thumpings handed out this time. James McCarthy wheels away in delight on scoring for Wigan against Blackburn on the same afternoon . Sergio Aguero scored all four goals as champions Manchester City beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 on Saturday . VIDEO Aguero one of the best strikers in the world - Pellegrini . Steven Caulker follows the ball in after scoring an own goal during QPR's last-gasp defeat against Liverpool . Harry Redknapp's side had looked like taking all three points after Eduardo Vargas' late goals off the bench . Southampton dazzled as much as Sunderland were dismal at St Mary's - Graziano Pelle notching two as Dusan Tadic pulled the strings for Ronald Koeman's side. Helped drastically by Vergini's moment of madness and Liam Brudcutt's bundled own goal, of course, but Saints offered reasons to believe they are capable of continuing their early promise. Four-goal Sergio Aguero had earlier swept Tottenham aside at the Etihad Stadium in the 4-1 win while Everton comfortably beat Aston Villa 3-0. Taking into consideration what had preceded it, the four swings in the final moments at Loftus Road as Liverpool somehow overcame QPR was as predictable as it was stunning. It meant - when taking Sunday's matches into consideration - that there were eight more nets bulging than any other matchday this campaign. | Southampton thumped Sunderland 8-0 at St Mary's on Saturday .
Manchester City had earlier beaten Tottenham 4-1 thanks to Sergio Aguero .
It almost beat the 43 goals scored in February 2011 .
That record stands from the inception of a 20-team league in 1995 .
Everton, Arsenal, Newcastle and Wigan all scored four times that weekend . |
271,060 | eb1a6cf858f80e7cdf5623afb127b60394c6d178 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 10:16 EST, 23 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:56 EST, 23 October 2012 . A peeping tom has unwittingly revealed his identity after he allegedly set up cameras to record female roommates undressing in their bedrooms and using the toilet. Michael Stephen McKenny, 42, was arrested on Thursday after the women found the cameras in their home and police viewed the footage - where he appears to be seen angling the lens. McKenny had watched the women at their shared condo in Ellicott City, Maryland for four months, police said. Unwitting: Michael Stephen McKenny, 42, was allegedly captured on his own camera which he set up in two women's apartment in Ellicott City, Maryland . Fright: Michael Stephen McKenny, 42, was arrested and faces up to 40 years in jail after reportedly gaining access to the apartment and setting up cameras in bathrooms and bedrooms . Police said McKenny used to reposition the lens several times a day and even wiped down the area around the camera to make sure there were no footprints. He knew both women and allegedly stole a set of keys, had them copied and then returned them without the pair noticing. Police have refused to reveal further details about his relationship to the women to protect their identities. The 42-year-old has been charged with multiple counts of burglary and video surveillance, Sherry Llewellyn, from Howard County Police Department, told MailOnline. McKenny has not yet entered a plea but is being held on $100,000 bond and could face up to 40 years in prison. Creepy: The man allegedly checked the cameras several times a day and wiped the area clean of footprints . Adjustments: The cameras were angled so that they captured the women using the bathroom and undressing, according to police . | Michael Stephen McKenny, 42, 'stole keys from woman and made a copy'
He allegedly entered the apartment several times a day to adjust lens . |
146,786 | 49d1aadbe0e4f05c03f261808189f79e43ae83a4 | (CNN) -- The eyes of a child see things differently than an adult. It's an idea that intrigued four young women in college. "If you could give a child a camera, they could tell a reality in a way that a foreigner, or even an adult, could not," co-founder Angela Francine Bullock says. Several years later, they turned that idea into a way to help children around the world and founded the nonprofit 100cameras. The concept is simple. 100cameras staff members travel to countries armed with cameras. They partner with a local organization serving children in the community. For the next few weeks, they teach the children how to take photographs. Then they set those children free to capture their world and post the photos online. For the kids, sharing their life with the rest of the world is a reward in itself, but 100cameras goes one step further. The photographs are available for sale, and 100% of the profits go back to the children's organizations. Dramatic pictures show power of photography . It's about "addressing poverty from the inside out, instead of the outside in," says Bullock, who is now the company's Public Relations Director. "We partner with a local organization that is on the ground. They know the local needs ... and they know the best ways to serve these children and their families." The group's first mission was to an orphanage in Sudan. The photographs were so powerful, they decided to turn their New York apartment into an art gallery, moving furniture into bedrooms, and invited anyone they knew. "From there we said we have to do more, and that's been our mindset ever since. We always just need to do more." says Bullock. View our photo galleries on CNN Photos . Since that 2008 trip to Sudan, they have brought their cameras to Cuba and taught kids in New York. In October, they are making the journey to India. What was once a side project for a group of friends now has almost 20 members and recently hired its first full-time employee. Photographs from these trips have brought thousands of dollars to the children's organizations. Bullock says they have a lot of freedom as a small group to address each community's needs individually. "That's the great part of our model. We get to have the conversation with the organization and ask, 'What do you need?'" In Sudan it was lifelines, like food and medicine. In New York it was educational needs, after-school learning and computers. Cuba's greatest need was humanitarian aid like food and medicine, but the community also needed a center where the children's parents could be taught business classes. More from Impact Your World . 100cameras raised $17,000 for the Sudanese orphanage. It was used for critical maintenance to get a truck running that brings in food and medicine. The money was also used to build a fence that keeps them protected from violence of rebel forces in the region. The staff says they are overjoyed by the fact that these kids are creating their own success. Bullock says, "It's really exciting for kids there to see these changes and to feel an ownership in that." The goal is to have their cameras stretch around the globe, and for the impact to continue to be both economic and personal. "We want as many kids as possible empowered with the idea and concept that their perspective matters. To know it's their work that can create change in their own communities." For more information visit 100cameras.org . | 100cameras travels to areas in need to teach photography to children .
The photos children take are posted online for sale to benefit their organizations .
The nonprofit has traveled to Sudan, Cuba and New York, will be going to India later this year . |
176,157 | 700d9d446d84f442cadd82f1f4b14895e87a6d4e | (CNN) -- In July 2000, Bill Elliott and his wife, Muriel, were woken up by a knock on the door at 4 a.m. "I heard the knocking and I thought, 'Oh my God, my son is dead.' I just knew. And then I heard (Muriel) scream and that nightmare became a reality," says Bill. Nearly a third of all U.S. traffic-related deaths in 2010 -- more than 10,000 people -- involved alcohol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their son, John, was killed by a drunk driver while driving home to celebrate his mother's birthday. A few months later, Bill and Muriel Elliott started an organization to keep people from getting behind the wheel drunk. Called the Ensign John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers, the goal of the organization is to register a million designated drivers. The name comes from John's experience at the Naval Academy. During his senior year, John was selected by his peers to be a HERO (human education resource officer.) "They saw him as a great leader who made them laugh and saw the humor and the positive in everything," says Bill. The Elliotts wanted to carry that theme into the campaign. "Out of our heartbreak, we wanted to do something to honor our son, and that was an expression of his positive nature," says Bill. "John represents all victims and all the people whose lives we are trying to save, and I think he would've liked that." The HERO Campaign message is simple: Be a HERO. Be a designated driver. Bill says the group has "a serious mission and a serious goal which can be achieved by people doing the right thing and appealing to the HERO in everybody. The HERO campaign is active in seven states and partners with law enforcement, schools and local businesses. Billboards, decals and magnets are used to get the message out. "People see the billboard, they see sticker on the car, they go into a bar and they see the poster on the wall, and they're going to say, 'What is this HERO campaign?' " It's a simple reminder, says Bill: "Who's your driver tonight? Who's your HERO tonight?" The group holds annual events like the HERO Walk and the HERO Golf Tournament. Last year over 2,000 people walked on the boardwalk in Ocean City, New Jersey, to show their support. "It's really something that's captured the support of the community, because everybody has the same reaction when I talk about that knock on the door. That is the knock you never want to get," says Bill. The Elliotts hope that because of their message, other families will be spared from hearing that knock on the door at 4 a.m. | Bill and Muriel Elliott started a campaign to honor their son, killed by a drunk driver .
The HERO Campaign hopes to persuade more people to use designated drivers .
The HERO Campaign is in seven states and partners with law enforcement, schools, bars .
CDC: Nearly a third of all U.S. traffic-related deaths in 2010 were alcohol related . |
25,505 | 4839db922c2a0a67dfe86a6e35831826e9f4453e | (LifeWire) -- First comes love, then comes marriage -- or at least that's how the saying used to go. An increasing number of heterosexual couples have been shacking up without plans for a trip down the aisle. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are raising four children together. Pitt has said the couple won't consider marriage until same-sex couples have the right to wed. According to a 2003 U.S. Census Bureau report on families and living arrangements, 4.6 million U.S. households were occupied by unmarried couples of the opposite sex. That's up from 2.9 million in 1996. "People don't question, 'Why did you get married?' They only ask you, 'Why haven't you gotten married?' " points out Marion Willetts, an associate professor of sociology at Illinois State University. "I think a lot of people feel if you were really serious about your partner and your relationship, then you'd get married." But from what Willetts has found with the life partners she's spoken to, that is simply not true. "They're in this for the long haul," she says. "This isn't just some convenient thing or trial marriage. They're just as committed to their relationship as married people." While Census data doesn't identify couples who have sworn off marriage, Willetts has followed this group in a study of 83 couples she's surveyed over the past few years for her current research, tentatively titled "Union Quality Comparisons between Heterosexual Licensed Domestic Partners and the Legally Married." According to her research, it's not just 20-something social idealists who decline to get married. Willetts has interviewed octogenarians in committed relationships who are not planning to tie the knot. In fact, according to a 2003 AARP survey of 3,500 single Americans aged 40-69, just eight percent cited finding someone to marry as their reason for dating, while 49 percent said they were looking for someone to talk with or do things with -- in other words, a companion. As the prevalence of unmarried couples rises, more companies and state and local governments are providing a range of domestic partner benefits. Some, like New York state, require that medical benefits be extended to both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Other states, like Illinois extend such benefits only to same-sex partners. Why do some couples opt for long-term companionship instead of legal marriage, like movie actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who have been together since 1982? Alison Hatch, 30, a part-time instructor and doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Daniel Welch, 31, an elementary school teacher, cite reasons both social and political. "We are philosophically opposed to marriage for a few reasons, but mostly because we do not feel as though we can in good conscience enter into an institution that actively discriminates against gay and lesbian couples," says Hatch, who has lived with Welch for four years. "It is our belief that it is inherently discriminatory to grant social benefits to some couples and exclude others." Actor Brad Pitt told Esquire magazine in October 2006 that he and actress Angelina Jolie -- with whom he is raising four children -- have declined to consider marriage until same-sex couples have the right to wed. Partners choose not to marry for other reasons. Hatch, whose dissertation examined 48 committed heterosexual couples choosing to not pursue legal marriage, has spoken to people who feel marriage is a patriarchal institution. Some are against the intertwining of church and state in marriage. There also are emotional reasons why committed couples choose to stay unwed. "I think that a lot of people like the kind of organic nature that your relationship takes on when you decide not to marry," says Julie Bluhm, 31, a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based clinical social worker and a board member of the Alternatives to Marriage Project, a national nonprofit organization advocating equality for unmarried people. "It's almost a deeper appreciation of their relationship and the privacy of it." Being unmarried was not necessarily an obstacle to parenting for a small group of couples in Willetts' research. In a study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family in November 2003, two of 23 couples Willetts surveyed had children biologically related to both partners, though several couples had children biologically related to one partner -- typically the result of a previous marriage. Of the two couples, one pair had been living together for over 15 years and did not encounter any legal issues concerning their children by not being married. Said Willetts, "They expressed to me that everyone -- including their children's friends -- had just assumed they were legally married anyway." E-mail to a friend . LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. Jocelyn Voo is a freelance journalist and relationships editor at the New York Post. | It's not just 20-something social idealists who decline to get married .
AARP survey shows many older adults looking primarily for companionship .
Some couples cite discrimination against gay and lesbian couples as reason . |
16,245 | 2e13246379d37f221f980dae9c00df4f6ebd45f5 | (CNN) -- A racially-charged word with many meanings may be at the root of a dispute between two sports rivals that reaches far beyond the soccer field, analysts say. Manchester United's Patrice Evra, who is black, says the word Uruguayan Luis Suarez shouted repeatedly during a match last month was a racial slur. Evra demanded that Suarez be held accountable for the controversial exchange, which erupted as authorities investigate other accusations of racism in soccer. Suarez, a striker for Liverpool, hasn't specified what he said, but he argues that it wasn't offensive. "I didn't insult him. It was only a form of expressing myself. I called him something his own teammates from Manchester call him," Suarez said, according to the Uruguayan newspaper El Pais. British media reports have suggested Suarez used the Spanish word "negrito." If that's the case, whether Suarez's remark was racist is a complicated question that doesn't have a black-and-white answer, according to scholars who've studied race issues in Latin America. Leading figures call on soccer chief to step down . "It's about questions of translation or context," said Mark Sawyer, director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Politics at the University of California Los Angeles. The word's literal translation is "little black man." But generally, negrito is not considered a racial slur in Latin America, Sawyer said. In fact, it frequently has a positive meaning. "It's often a term of endearment," he said. But what the word means also depends on where -- and how -- it's said. "In Puerto Rico, it has one meaning. In Cuba it has a slightly different connotation and in the Dominican Republic it has a slightly different connotation," said Jorge Chinea, director of the Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit. Blatter a controversial figure . Chinea said his mother and stepfather, both of whom were light-skinned, frequently used the word. "When they talked as a couple, my mother would say, 'negrito, I love you.' ... I grew up listening to those expressions commonly being used by a lot of people in my community in Puerto Rico. And it was never associated with any color," he said. After he moved to the United States in the 1960s, Chinea said, the word took on a different meaning. Many of his acquaintances used racial nicknames, he said, but there was no harm intended. "It was always more like a quick way of acknowledging the distinctiveness of that person in a very friendly way," he said. But Chinea said one of his Cuban colleagues in graduate school who employed the word drew criticism. "When he used it and other people heard it, people came to me to complain. ... In the United States, it sounds offensive to some people," Chinea said. In Uruguay, the meaning is clear, said U.S. radio talk show host Fernando Espuelas, who originally hails from the South American country. "It's not a slur whatsoever," said Espuelas, whose show often addresses racism in the Latino community. "It's a term of endearment. You definitely would not use that if you were angry. It would sound ridiculous." Blatter comments spark Twitter storm . Several scholars said the word's meaning could be connected with complicated racial politics in different Latin American countries, which each had unique historical experiences with colonization and the slave trade. Uruguay, Chinea noted, has a smaller population of African descendants than some other Latin American nations. In 2006, about 9% of the population declared "Afro or black" roots, according to Uruguay's National Statistics Institute. "If I were of African descent and someone from that part of the world was to use the word toward me, I would probably think twice about what the intentions are, whereas if the person who was saying it was from Cuba you'd probably take it as a joke. And if you said it to a Puerto Rican, they'd just love it," Chinea said. Using the word negrito to describe U.S. President Barack Obama got a Honduran government official into hot water in 2009. Then-Foreign Minister Enrique Ortez was forced to resign after he called Obama a "negrito who does not know where (the Honduran capital of) Tegucigalpa is." But analysts said without hearing exactly what Suarez shouted in the October football match, or how he said it, it's impossible to know what he meant. "It's a very interesting case. It will be interesting to see if the English Football Association actually consults experts on this," Sawyer said. "If you want to charge someone with racism or making a racial slur, the person should at least have the intent of making a slur. It's not necessarily clear that Luis Suarez had that intent." The association said Wednesday that it was charging Suarez, but did not provide details about what transpired. "It is alleged that Suarez used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behavior towards Manchester United's Patrice Evra contrary to FA rules," the association said in a statement. "It is further alleged that this included a reference to the ethnic origin and/or color and/or race of Patrice Evra," the statement said. Liverpool said in a statement that the club expects Suarez to request a personal hearing on the issue and "remains determined to clear his name of the allegation made against him by Patrice Evra." In a post on his Facebook page shortly after the October match, Suarez said the accusations of racism upset him. "I can only say that I have always respected and respect everybody," he said. "We are all the same. I go to the field with the maximum (enthusiasm) of a little child who enjoys what he does, not to create conflicts." Evra, in an interview with France's Canal Plus, said evidence would support his claim. "There are cameras. You can see him say a certain word to me at least 10 times. There is no place for that in 2011," he said. Issues of racism have repeatedly surged on the soccer field in recent years, despite efforts to combat it. Chelsea and England captain John Terry is at the center of a investigation by London's Metropolitan Police and the English Football Association after allegedly making racist remarks to Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during an October game. Former Brazil defender Robert Carlos walked off the field during a Russian league match in June after a banana was thrown at him from the stands, while the Malaysian Football Association was forced to apologize to Chelsea in July when their Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun was subject to racial slurs during a pre-season encounter. But FIFA president Sepp Blatter told CNN this week that he believes there is no on-field racism in the sport. "Maybe one of the players towards the other, he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one. But also, the one who is affected by that, he should say, 'It's a game.' We are in a game. At the end of the game, we shake hands, this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination," he said. Blatter's comments provoked an immediate response from some players, including Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand, Anton's brother. "Your comments on racism are so condescending (it's) almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?" he wrote in a Twitter post. Blatter later took to Twitter to explain his comments, posting: "Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, things are said and done on the field of play which are wrong. This does not mean that, in general, there is racism on the field of play. Football unites people more than it divides them." CNN's Chris Murphy contributed to this report. | Patrice Evra accuses Luis Suarez of using a racial slur .
British media reports suggest Suarez shouted the Spanish word "negrito"
Experts say what that word means depends on when -- and how -- it's said .
"It's often a term of endearment," one scholar says . |
11,537 | 20cdc056661b0b69183331658a1b8de8e3859b7f | (CNN) -- The scene of some of the bloodiest fighting from the First World War will be commemorated by this year's Tour de France. A hundred years after the start of the global conflict and the first battle of Ypres, the Flemish town will host stage five of cycling's blue-riband event. During World War 1 there were three battle at Ypres, with over 900,000 British, French and German casualties. It is a nod by Tour organisers to a conflict that had a major bearing on the race. For four years -- from 1915 to 1918 -- the race was cancelled while some of its first overall victors lost their lives in the war, namely Francois Faber, Octave Lapize and Lucien Petit-Breton. The modern-day focal point for Ypres violent past is the Menin Gate, completed in 1927, and a memorial to the British and Commonwealth soldiers that lost their lives in what today is a relatively sleepy town with a population of just 35,000 people. "We of course cannot forget them. The Tour is also a moment of collective remembrance," said Tour director Christian Prudhomme. From a racing perspective, the stage could have a significant impact on the race as it boasts nine cobblestone sections along part of the route of the classic day race Paris-Roubaix, often referred to as "the Hell of the North". The last time the Tour visited sustained periods of cobbles during the 2010 race, it resulted in a litany of crashes and the exit of some notable Tour contenders, namely Frank Schleck. When defending Tour champion Chris Froome was asked to come up with is ideal Tour route last week, he admitted he wanted plenty of time trials and no cobblestones. Revelation of this 2014 route -- starting in the UK town of Leeds and finishing in Paris -- was not quite the antithesis of the defending champion's dream Tour but there was a sense organisers were perhaps trying to halt the British hegemony and a possible hat-trick of British winners after Bradley Wiggins success in 2012. The route boasts just 33.5 kilometres against the clock -- the smallest amount for 80 years. That said, it comes on the penultimate stage, thereby giving Froome one final throw of the dice should he have a deficit to make up. More precariously lying in wait is the aforementioned cobblestones. Prior to the route announcement, Froome had said: "What worries me about cobbles are the crashes, the mechanical problems. A mechanical problem in the wrong moment of the race when things are kicking off could lead to you losing the Tour. "I'm not a big fan of that. It's the unknown factor that worries me about the cobbles." More positively for Froome is the volume of mountainous terrain scheduled for the route. This summer, he showed he was comfortably the best climber in the field, so the 2014 race's five mountain-top finishes should play to his strengths. This year, the Alps first lies in wait, some of it familiar territory for Froome, including La Planche des Belles Filles, scene of his first stage win in the Tour. Arguably the toughest terrain, however, is the Pyrenean stages that follow. For the second time in the race's history it will begin in Britain, this time in the county of Yorkshire, the Grand Depart (the official start of the race) taking place in its major city Leeds. Froome's defence of the yellow jersey, handed out to the Tour leader, is likely to come notably from this year's runner-up Nairo Quintana as well as Italian Vicenzo Nibali and former winner Alberto Contador. Sprinter Mark Cavendish will be hoping to add to the British success on home soil by winning the first stage in Harrogate where his mother lives. | Route for 2014 Tour de France is unveiled at glitzy ceremony in French capital Paris .
Ypres to be remembered 100 years after start of World War I with stage start .
Defending champion Chris Froome wary of the cobblestone nature to the route .
Just one 33.5-kilometre time trial on this year's very mountainous scheduled route . |
37,241 | 69863a24d4c75b2b0dc69fa71d4142558e6212eb | Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has taken to Instagam to heap praise on former Reds youth team coach Hugh McAuley, who has been credited with helping the midfielder during his younger years. Gerrard uploaded a snap of himself alongside McAuley with the caption: 'Still a big help and massive support for me this fella. 'Been with me since 1988. Love catching up with him #Hughiemc #lfc #coach #friend.' Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard poses with former Reds academy coach Hugh McAuley . McAuley has been credited with helping Gerrard's progression into a world class midfielder . Former Liverpool duo Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen were also trained by McAuley . Former Liverpool winger McAuley helped the likes of Gerrard and Robbie Fowler progress into England regulars during his time at the Reds' Centre of Excellence. McAuley was handed an integral role at the club by Kenny Dalglish, who gave him the task of working with Liverpool academy's nine to 14-year-olds. He made an instant impact at Anfield by guiding a Liverpool side, which included Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher, to their first FA Youth Cup in 1996. Gerrard missed Liverpool's penalty shootout against Besiktas on Thursday night as the midfielder remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. The 34-year-old is set to miss Liverpool's Barclays Premier League showdown with Manchester City on Sunday. Gerrard has missed Liverpool's last four games due to a hamstring injury . Liverpool were eliminated from the Europa League on Thursday with Dejan Lovren missing the final penalty . | Steven Gerrard has thanked Hugh McAuley for helping him in his career .
McAuley coached the likes of Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen .
The former Reds coach helped Liverpool claim their first FA Youth Cup .
Gerrard missed his side's Europa League defeat due to a hamstring injury . |
67,375 | bf259fb50880970b551f668245c0a76a77abe819 | Starbucks has announced that it will offer a delivery option on its mobile app in select areas of the U.S starting next year. The Seattle-based company declined to provide more details, but has been pushing to get people to use its app as a way to build customer loyalty. It also previously said it plans to let customers across the country place orders ahead of time on their smartphone by next year, an option intended to get people in and out of stores quicker. 'We are playing offense,' CEO Howard Schultz said in explaining the various steps the company is taking to adapt to changing customer habits, including their move toward online shopping and away from brick-and-mortar stores. An even easier caffeine fix: Starbucks has announced that it will offer a delivery option on its mobile app in select areas of the U.S starting next year . The delivery plans for the second half of 2015 were announced by Schultz during a conference call Thursday discussing the company's fiscal fourth quarter results. For the period ended September 28, Starbucks reported sales that rose but fell short of Wall Street expectations. Global sales at established locations rose 5per cent, including in the Americas and Asia. Starbucks Corp. is pushing aggressively into different areas as it faces more competition from fast-food chains serving specialty coffees. To boost sales of food in the afternoon, for instance, it has been revamping its sandwiches and adding new offerings like a grilled cheese sandwich that's warmed up in an oven. This summer, Starbucks also launched its Fizzio soda drinks in the Sunbelt. But Wells Fargo analysts said in a note this week that their checks at a dozen stores in six states suggested the drinks aren't performing up to expectations so far. In a phone interview, Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead said the soda drinks are doing 'exactly what we expected it to do,' but that a national launch isn't planned for 2015. In a previous interview, Alstead had said he expected the drinks to be in much of the U.S. by the upcoming summer. Playing offense: Starbucks Corp. is pushing aggressively into different areas as it faces more competition from fast-food chains serving specialty coffees . Alstead said Starbucks is instead focusing on growing its tea business. He said tea accounted for a 'high single digit' percentage of sales last year, and that the company expects it to reach 'well into the teens' over time. For the quarter, Starbucks earned $587.9 million, or 77 cents per share. Not including one-time item, it earned 74 cents per share, which was in line with Wall Street expectations, according to FactSet. Revenue came in at $4.18 billion, short of the $4.24 billion analysts expected. For the current quarter ending in December, Starbucks expects its per-share earnings to range from 79 cents to 81 cents. Analysts expected 83 cents per share. The company expects full-year earnings in the range of $3.08 to $3.13 per share. Shares of Starbucks were down 4per cent at $74.04. | Starbucks is 'playing offense' after reporting disappointing quarterly sales on Thursday . |
63,006 | b2f9797218f84e936284ab5390aef13f545893d0 | (CNN) -- A Colorado woman told authorities she was using Facebook in another room when her infant son drowned in a bathtub, according to an arrest affidavit. Shannon Johnson, 34, was arrested January 11 on one count of child abuse by knowingly and recklessly causing a death, said Jennifer Finch, community relations director for the Weld County District Attorney's Office. If convicted, the Fort Lupton resident could face a sentence of 16 to 48 years, Finch said. "This is an extremely tragic incident," Undersheriff Margie Martinez told HLN's Jane Velez-Mitchell. According to the Weld County Sheriff's Office affidavit, the child died on September 20, 2010. The infant, not named in the affidavit, was 13 months old, according to CNN affiliate KUSA. The autopsy listed anoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest and drowning as the cause of death. Johnson said she put the child in the tub in the morning after he ate and played, according to the affidavit. The water was a little higher than normal, it added. Court documents indicate the infant had been treated for a seizure about a month before his death. "The Defendant admitted that she was on Facebook playing a game called Cafe World, checking on friends' status and sharing videos, in the living room, while [the infant] was in the bathtub," according to the affidavit. The woman checked on the infant once and found him playing. After about three more minutes, "she didn't hear [the boy] playing, she went in to check on him and saw him sideways with his face in the water," the affidavit states. The boy was later airlifted to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to authorities. Johnson told investigators that starting two weeks before the incident, she would leave the boy alone in the tub, according to the affidavit. Asked why, she said "she started doing this when he really wanted to be left alone; he was a very independent baby. She also said she knew what it was like to be told no, she didn't want her baby to be told no and didn't want him to be known as a mama's boy." She acknowledged leaving the infant alone "was so stupid," according to the affidavit. Johnson's mother told investigators she had spoken with her daughter about leaving the child in the bathtub, but the defendant couldn't recall the conversation, according to the affidavit. A search of the residence showed a laptop on a couch in the living area, according to the affidavit. The screen was showing a Facebook page. Johnson was being held Tuesday on $100,000 bond, according to Finch. A bond hearing is scheduled for January 31. A phone number for Johnson's residence did not work Tuesday. A call to the Weld County Public Defender's office was not immediately returned. CNN's Phil Gast contributed to this report. | Shannon Johnson is accused of child abuse by causing a death .
According to arrest affidavit, Coloradan admitted to being on Facebook .
Infant son drowned in bathtub . |
226,051 | b0ba768ba78633fbf9e41dc667e06c191cd77d08 | By . Jonathan Block . The makers of Honey Maid graham crackers have come up with a . unique response to anti-gay backlash by some against its commercial featuring . two gay dads and their family. They printed out the negative comments and . turned them into a piece of art that spells out ‘Love.’ On March 10, Mondelez International, which manufactures the . popular crackers under the Nabisco brand, launched its ‘This is Wholesome’ advertising campaign. The commercial . features several different kinds of American families,including biracial . and gay ones. The commercial, which has more than 4.7 million hits on YouTube, . starts off with the two dads huddled over their baby feeding a bottle. It then . cuts to the two men walking. Following, that it features other families doing everyday . things while enjoying Honey Maid crackers. Scroll down for videos . Two dads feed their baby in a commercial for Honey Maid graham crackers that drew an anti-gay backlash . At the end of commercial, the dads pose with their baby and son holding boxes of Honey Maid crackers . Honey Maid manufacturer Mondelez received some negative comments in response to the ad . At the end of the 30-second . spot, the two dads are again seen, this time in front of their house, posing . with their baby and their other young son. A tagline accompanying the YouTube video reads, ‘No matter how things change, what makes us . wholesome never will.’ Since the ad ran, the comments . Mondelez has received have been overwhelmingly positive. ‘Beautiful commercial,’ one commenter wrote. ‘A . family is a family no matter what. Awesome job, Honey Maid. This is what the . world is, people will just have to accept that and open their minds to it. It's . a wonderful thing. Love is love.’ However, the . company did receive a fair share of negative comments. ‘Nothing like exploiting the gay community for some . advertising and $,’ another person wrote. ‘Keep your advertising where it belongs.’ In confronting the backlash, Mondelez on Thursday ended up . releasing another video, where the negative comments are used in a creative . way. The commercial shows some of the negative comments the company received. It then shows two female artist rolling up tightly copies of the comments and then gluing them together. Mondelez's creative response to the backlash was to spell out the word 'Love' in script using rolled up pieces of paper with the negative comments . The 'Love' paper sculpture of negative comments is greatly outnumbered by the scrolls of paper with positive feedback to the Honey Maid commercial featuring two dads . The camera pans away, showing the the rolled up pieces of . paper have been placed on the floor to spell out the word ‘Love’ in script. But Mondelez didn’t stop there. The commercial goes on to . say that the company received ten times as many comments in support of the . original spot than negative ones. It then shows,in slow-motion, the scrolls of . paper with the positive comments surrounding the ‘Love’ paper sculpture to demonstrate the overwhelmingly positive response. At the end of the video, a tagline reads, ‘Proving that only . one thing matters when it comes to family.’ It then cuts to the 'Love' paper sculpture. ‘Awesome reply to trolls!,’ one person commented. 'I don't . even eat graham crackers, but I think I might buy a box this weekend.’ ‘I . don't have enough thumbs to like this,’ wrote another. ‘I want 100 more.’ Mondelez isn’t the only food company to use non-traditional families . in commercials. Last year, cereal maker General Mills received backlash . after airing a Cheerios commercial featuring . a biracial family. However, the positive feedback was so overwhelming . that General Mills used the family again in a commercial it made for the Super . Bowl earlier this year. Honey Maid graham crackers have been around since 1925 when the Pacific Coast Biscuit Company introduced them . | As part of its 'This is Wholesome' campaign, Mondelez International launched 30-second commercial featuring different families, including gay and interracial ones .
Although the company received negative responses from some consumers, positive comments outweighed them more than 10-fold .
Mondelez released a new commercial addressing thebacklash by having two artists create a paper sculpture spelling out 'Love' with rolled up printouts of the negative comments .
The video response also showed that the number of positive responses far outweighed the negative ones . |
19,205 | 36656209b8cb3639c426afc5dccab293745c1571 | By . Chris Pleasance . In March 2011 the world watched in horror as a powerful earthquake rocked Japan, before a deadly tsunami swept ashore, washing away any boats, cars, homes and people unfortunate enough to be in its path. But while the initial reports of 19,000 dead shocked viewers around the globe, that news would soon be superseded by the terrors to come from the then-unknown town of Fukushima as its nuclear power plant was overcome by floodwater before going into meltdown. Now, nearly three years on from the natural disaster, a very unnatural catastrophe is still unfolding in the central prefecture while the villagers who used to live around the plant are still suffering. Scroll down for video . Fallout: There is still a 12-mile exclusion zone in place around Fukushima which contains hundreds of bags of radioactive soil which cannot be removed due to opposition from those outside . No way back: Some 22,000 former residents of Namie (pictured) are being allowed back to their homes, but can only go once a month and cannot stay overnight . Cleanup: In December Tepco, the company which owns the Fukushima plant, announced it had reached a state of 'cold shutdown' allowing a cleanup operation to begin . In total 80,000 people were evacuated because of the disaster as a 12-mile 'no go zone' was put in place around the stricken facility. Tepco, the owner of the plant and Japan's largest power company, insist that the situation is under control and announced in December that the plant is now in a state of 'cold shutdown' allowing a cleanup operation to start. As a result of that operation exclusion zone lines may be redrawn, allowing some former residents of the towns around Fukushima to go home. In the town of Namie more than 20,000 former residents are allowed to visit their homes once a month with special permissions but are not allowed to stay overnight. In the town of Futaba residents were once so proud of their nuclear plant that they erected a sign . across the promenade saying the technology made them prosperous. Now . their town lies in ruins. These temporary housing structures were erected for workers at J-Village, a soccer training complex now serving as an operation base for those battling Japan's nuclear disaster . Long process: The clean-up involves moving 400-tonnes of uranium and is expected to take a year. Only after this is completed can areas such as this hospital - pictured with wheelchairs outside - be repopulated . Contaminated: After the cleanup exclusion zone lines will be redrawn allowing some people to move home, however others may need to wait five years to find out if they can go back . But they are the lucky ones. Some other residents may have to wait five years before they will know if their . houses are safe, others may have to wait a decade, and a few many never . be allowed to return. The Tepco cleanup operation involves moving 400 tonnes of uranium from a storage tank inside reactor number four of the plant to a safer location. It is expected to take a year, and is an extremely delicate process as the highly volatile fuel is prone to reigniting. While the work has proceeded without incident so far, past leaks of contaminated water, an initial attempt to downplay the disaster, and continuing secrecy about the site have lead many to be wary of Tepco's handling of the many problems to come from the catastrophe. Destroyed: It has been nearly three years since tsunami waves swept these defences aside and flooded the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing a meltdown . Unstoppable: The devastating wave was caused by a 9.0 earthquake, the most powerful ever to strike Japan, and killed nearly 19,000 people as it swept ashore . Pride: Decades ago, the citizens of Japan's Futaba town took such pride in hosting part of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex that they built a sign over a promenade proclaiming that atomic power made their town prosperous . For example, within the exclusion zone hundreds of bags filled with radioactive soil lie piled up next to road and fields because opposition from those outside the zone means there is nowhere to move them to. Across the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the US state of California is also concerned about the effect of the disaster as water contaminated with radiation is expected to start washing up soon. The exact amount is unknown, and Tepco say there is no way to accurately measure how much has leaked away. Even after the nuclear cleanup has finished, it will be just the beginning for anyone who decides to move back, as the devastation caused by the tsunami has still not been repaired after people fled. Abandoned: Tomioka town is another which falls inside the exclusion zone, put in place to try and contain the world's worst atomic crisis in 25 years . Devastated: Once the nuclear clean-up has finished, it will be just the beginning for former residents of towns like Tomioka, who must then repair their homes . | Nearly three years after the tsunami which caused a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima the fallout continues .
In December the power plant was said to be in a state of 'cold shutdown' meaning the cleanup can begin .
Now 400 tonnes of uranium rods must be moved out of damaged reactor four to a safer location .
After that is done some people evacuated from the 12-mile exclusion zone may be allowed to return home for good .
In the meantime residents of some of the less exposed towns are allowed home once a month, but cannot stay long . |
159,926 | 5aba8e5772e7520b297a28c4b039226ebf8450c2 | New York (CNN) -- A Wisconsin woman who said she agreed to cook and clean for a man she met on the internet in exchange for a free place to stay allegedly ended up as his sex slave, prosecutors said Wednesday. The 27-year-old woman met New York resident John Hopkins on the website Craigslist before spending nine days trapped in his apartment, where she claims she was repeatedly raped, according to a district attorney's statement. The woman -- whose name has not been released -- was treated for injuries at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. The details of her condition are not clear. Authorities charged Hopkins with rape, assault, forcible touching and unlawful imprisonment, arresting him at his Brooklyn apartment on Saturday. He is currently being held on $350,000 bail. The woman claims that she was looking for work in New York and found an advertisement that Hopkins posted on Craigslist, listing a room for rent, according to the complaint. The pair agreed that the woman could stay rent free if she cooked and cleaned for Hopkins, who then paid for her airfare to New York on February 4, 2011. Upon arriving at his apartment, Hopkins allegedly told the woman that she was going to be his slave, the complaint said. The woman claims she was repeatedly raped between February 4 and February 12, and was also tied with a rope, gagged and handcuffed to a radiator, it said. On the ninth day, she said she managed to call her mother and alert her of the alleged abuse. Police found the woman bruised and bound in Hopkins' apartment, according to the district attorney statement. Authorities said the victim was shaking and had marks on her body, according to the complaint. Hopkins is expected to appear in court Friday for a preliminary hearing. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison. | A woman who agreed to cook and clean for free rent allegedly ended up a sex slave .
The woman met John Hopkins on Craigslist .
She says she was repeatedly raped .
Hopkins is currently being held on $350,000 bail . |
121,127 | 2892a73691ff389cfda7b1a835e35ac3ce3b093b | (CNN) -- A Catholic priest, a rabbi, an evangelical minister, a Sikh, a Greek Orthodox archbishop and two Mormon leaders walk into the Republican National Convention. It sounds like the beginning of a joke. But the Republican Party's decision to invite representatives from all of these faiths to speak at this week's convention, but to exclude a Muslim-American imam, is anything but funny. The Republican Party has a problem with Muslims. Of course, American Muslims can take some solace in the fact that we are not the only minority group that the Republican Party hardly welcomes. Let's be honest, if you don't like Muslims, blacks, gays, immigrants or other minorities, which political party would make you feel most comfortable? Sure, some Republican officials are minorities, but a recent Galllup survey found that 89% of the Republican Party is white. To be clear, I don't believe that most rank-and-file members of the Republican Party hate Muslims. The problem is that certain Republican leaders have stoked the flames of hate toward American Muslims, and other minorities, as a political tool to motivate people to support their cause. For example, recently Rep. Michele Bachmann -- along with four other Republican House members -- asserted that the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated the U.S. government. Bachmann, who is in a tough re-election battle in her redrawn congressional district, even "named names" by claiming that Secretary Hillary Clinton's top aide, Huma Abedin, and Rep. Keith Ellison were connected to the Muslim Brotherhood. Although Republican Sen. John McCain publicly denounced Bachmann's baseless allegations, just a few weeks later, Republican Rep. Joe Walsh escalated the fear-mongering. Walsh, who is in a tight race with Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth, told constituents at a town hall meeting in the Chicago suburbs that there are radical Muslims living among them who are plotting to kill them: "One thing I'm sure of is that there are people in this country -- there is a radical strain of Islam in this country -- it's not just over there -- trying to kill Americans every week." Walsh even claimed that this Muslim radical was in his district: "It's in Elk Grove. It's in Addison. It's in Elgin. It's here." And let's not forget that during this year's Republican presidential primaries, Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain told voters that American Muslims want to impose Islamic law in America. It's a truly astounding task when you consider that this would require the 2.6 million Muslims in the U.S. to overpower the other 300 million Americans and implement an Islamic legal system. Obviously, this assertion is not based on facts, but to politicians desperate for votes, facts don't matter. This type of rhetoric has yielded two distinct consequences. First, it can be seen in the attitudes of Republicans who have been poisoned by the anti-Muslim voices in their party. A recent poll found that 62% of Obama voters view American Muslims favorably, but only 34% of Romney voters shared that positive outlook. Even more alarming is that fear-mongering by politicians can create an environment that inspires violence against the people being demonized. It sends a message that these people are "others" and not truly Americans like the rest of us. For example, within a few weeks of Bachmann's comments, a suspicious fire destroyed a mosque in Missouri. And days after Walsh's warnings that Muslim terrorists were living in the Chicago suburbs, a homemade acid bomb was thrown at an Islamic school, pellet gunshots were fired at a mosque, and Muslim headstones at a cemetery were defaced with anti-Muslim graffiti, all in the Chicago area. It's impossible to know whether these hateful acts were related to the remarks, but the climate created by fear-mongering does not encourage tolerance. Getting back to this week's Republican Convention: The Republican Party should be applauded for including so many faiths, especially the Sikhs, who number about 200,000 Americans and whose community was targeted by a hate-filled gunman who killed six people in a place of worship. But excluding Muslims sends a message that American Muslims are not part of the fabric of this country. That is wrong. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus still has time to correct this mistake. He could invite a Muslim-American imam to be a part of this week's convention. That would send a clear message that the Republican Party is truly welcoming of all major religions practiced in the U.S. It also would send a message that there is no place for hate in the GOP against any American minority group. It's now up to Preibus to show whether the Republican Party stands for inclusiveness or division. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah. | Dean Obeidallah: Leaders of many faiths to speak at RNC, except, glaringly, an imam .
Some Republicans spread hate against Muslims and immigrants for political gain, he says .
Obeidallah: This fear-mongering creates an environment that inspires violence .
He says RNC Chairman Reince Priebus should ask a Muslim-American imam to speak . |
114,494 | 1fbde5df0194533c97f32d926fc54a43d4fa2b22 | (CNN) -- Alabama authorities on Wednesday released a rough timeline of a gunman's rampage in the southern part of the state on Tuesday. All times are Central Daylight. Glass from a door is broken at a True Value Hardware store in southern Alabama. Before 3:30 p.m.: Michael McLendon, 28, fatally shoots his mother, Lisa White McLendon, and her four dogs and sets fire to her Kinston, Alabama, home. "We knew that he liked guns," said Kenneth Smith, a neighbor of McLendon's. "Every couple of weekends or so we could hear gunshots out in his backyard. Just bam, bam, bam. A lot of shooting." About 3:45 p.m.: McLendon takes rampage to nearby town of Samson, Alabama. He kills 5 people on his uncle's porch, including 3 relatives and the wife and child of a sheriff's deputy. "My reaction is, my neighbors got shot, my friends got shot, something's wrong -- go check if there's anybody alive," said neighbor Alina Knowles, who rescued the 3-month-old daughter of Deputy Josh Myers from the porch. "I ran over there to see if there were any survivors, heard the baby, picked her up," she said. "What I saw, there were no words for it. There is no describing what I saw." "This is a very tight-knit neighborhood. All the neighbors around here are a family," said Myers, father to Corrine Gracy, 18 months, and husband to Andrea Myers, 31, both victims of the shooting. "Every day she was up on the porch talking with neighbors just like they were family to us. She hardly knew anybody here to have enemies," he said. "She was a super mom, Corinne Gracy was the sweetest thing in the world. I don't even know how to comprehend what's going on." After 3:45 p.m.: McLendon fatally shoots his 74-year-old grandmother, who was standing in the doorway of her home next door. "The whole community is still in shock," Samson Mayor Clay King said. "I personally know everyone that is involved, both the shooter and the victims. And that makes it more difficult to have to deal with." Before 4 p.m.: McLendon drives east on Highway 52, killing two and injuring two others while he fires into businesses and vehicles. "We were all frightened," said Sandy Morris, who owns a hair salon in Samson. "I mean, we had never in our life had anything like that to happen." 4:01 p.m.: McLendon fatally shoots a man traveling in a vehicle on Alabama 52. Alabama state trooper Mike Gillis receives report of a person shooting at people in Samson, and proceeds toward Samson on Alabama 52. 4:06 p.m.: McLendon opens fires on police pursuing him, wounding Geneva Police chief Frankie Lindsey. "The response was very quick. He was intercepted in Geneva by one of our officers, and then the chief of police arrived at the scene. Both of those received fire from the assailant. The chief of police was nicked in the arm, not very seriously," Geneva Mayor Wynnton Melton said. 4:17 p.m.: McLendon kills himself after exchanging gunfire with police outside Reliable Products in Geneva. "Within minutes, shots were heard from within Reliable Metal and law enforcement officers found him dead from what are believed to be self-inflicted gunshots," Cpl. Steve Jarret said. | Alabama authorities release rough timeline of deadly shooting rampage on Tuesday .
Firefighters find body of Michael McLendon's mother in burning house at 3:30 p.m.
At 4:17 p.m., McLendon kills himself after exchange of gunfire with police .
McLendon's relatives, wife and daughter of sheriff's deputy among the dead . |
170,705 | 68f5a1f278f81d12c888e3db8923c07138fc60ac | On Wednesday, when New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. told his staff that he had dismissed executive editor Jill Abramson, he cited an "issue with management in the newsroom" and said he wouldn't get into the details. On Saturday, he concluded that he had to -- and he sent a detailed 475-word statement to the press that listed Abramson's shortcomings. The unsparing statement came after days of news reports that questioned whether Abramson was the victim of sexism. Allies of Abramson told The New Yorker that she had spoken up after finding out that she'd been paid less than her predecessor in the job, Bill Keller. On Saturday, Sulzberger acknowledged that her firing had been "cast by many as an example of the unequal treatment of women in the workplace." "Rather than accepting that this was a situation involving a specific individual who, as we all do, has strengths and weaknesses, a shallow and factually incorrect storyline has emerged," Sulzberger said. He asserted that her total "pay package" -- not just her salary, but stock and other compensation -- "was comparable with Bill Keller's; in fact, by her last full year as executive editor, it was more than 10 percent higher than his." Then he listed what he said were the management issues that led him to abruptly replace her with Dean Baquet, who had been managing editor for news. The statement came as a surprise because until Saturday, it appeared that both sides had agreed not to speak publicly about her departure. "Jill is an outstanding journalist and editor, but with great regret, I concluded that her management of the newsroom was simply not working out," Sulzberger said in the statement. "During her tenure, I heard repeatedly from her newsroom colleagues, women and men, about a series of issues, including arbitrary decision-making, a failure to consult and bring colleagues with her, inadequate communication and the public mistreatment of colleagues." Sulzberger said he "warned her" that she "risked losing the trust of both masthead and newsroom" if she did not improve. "She acknowledged that there were issues and agreed to try to overcome them." The Times reported earlier this week that Abramson had retained a consultant to "help her with her management style." Sulzberger said "it became clear, however, that the gap was too big to bridge and ultimately I concluded that she had lost the support of her masthead colleagues and could not win it back." He did not specify when this became clear. He reportedly met with Baquet and listened to concerns about Abramson earlier this month. Through a spokeswoman, Sulzberger declined a followup interview request on Saturday. Abramson has not responded to interview requests since Wednesday. Her daughter -- who has used Instagram to communicate about the shakeup at The Times -- wrote on Friday, "The story isn't over, not even close." Opinion: Was Jill Abramson fired because she is a woman? | New York Times publisher dismissed executive editor Jill Abramson on Wednesday .
News reports afterward questioned whether Abramson was a victim of sexism .
On Saturday, Arthur Sulzberger Jr. gave more details in a statement to the media .
Among terms used: "... arbitrary decision-making," "public mistreatment of colleagues" |
12,614 | 23bf742e02175190170b685795b2c58971d08f99 | (CNN) -- It'll be firecracker hot in the Southwest on the Fourth of July, but the Southeast and Ohio River Valley will be so drenched that floods are possible. Meanwhile, the Northeast will get a reprieve from storms that left knee-deep flooding in some areas. "The most widespread showers and thunderstorms on Thursday will be from the central Gulf Coast northward into the Ohio River Valley," the National Weather Service said. "There is a slight risk of excessive rainfall/flash flooding across much of the Southeast through Wednesday." As the wet weather system moves up toward the Midwest, the relatively cool temperatures along the East Coast will give way to more summer-like conditions in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. As temperatures sizzle, fireworks even more risky . Still sweating in the West . But the East Coast warm-up will have nothing on the oppressive heat wave scorching the West Coast. While the Pacific Northwest will get some relief, "extreme heat will continue across the Western states, especially the Southwest," the weather service said. Cities in California, Nevada and Arizona have already suffered through heat topping 120 degrees in the past few days. The heat was so torrid in Idaho that Boise residents could bake cookies without an oven. CNN affiliate KTVB placed a pan of chocolate chip cookie dough on the dashboard of a car. Within a few hours, the cookies were fully baked -- and even overcooked. Forecasters in Las Vegas noted that a similar heat wave in 2005 killed 17 people. They urged neighbors and relatives to check on those most susceptible to heat-related illness -- children, the elderly and the chronically ill. Relief and trouble in Arizona . The extreme heat continues to wreak havoc for firefighters trying to stop Arizona's Yarnell Hill wildfire, which has scorched more than 8,400 acres, about 13 square miles of land. By Wednesday afternoon, the fire was 8% contained. Officials estimated the blaze might not be contained until July 12. The fire killed 19 members of an elite firefighting squad on Sunday when fierce, erratic winds whipped flames in different directions. Parched land from Arizona's drought has added fuel to the fire. The possibility of thunderstorms this week could drizzle much needed rain over the fire. But storms could also bring two serious dangers: wind gusts of up to 20 mph and lightning, the suspected cause of the inferno. CNN's Tina Burnside and Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | NEW: Fourth of July will be either hot or wet for two regions of country .
NEW: Extreme heat will continue in Southwest, but rain will drench Southeast .
The Pacific Northwest will get a break from blazing temperatures .
Arizona's massive wildfire could get rain, but also wind gusts and lightning . |
284,573 | fcb30cd36718de08ef54e75c06a417d1fbb9390c | The flu epidemic is raging across the country with 36 states reporting high levels of the outbreak, according to authorities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a national flu epidemic on Tuesday as this year's, virulent mutated strain, the H3N2 virus, swept from coast to coast. The Midwest and southeast of the country were being hardest hit with cases. The CDC said the flu vaccine currently on the market doesn't prevent that strain's spread. Between October 1 and December 20, CDC figures show that 15 children have died from the virus and four in the week before Christmas. Scroll down for videos . The flu epidemic was raging across the country with 36 states seeing high levels of the outbreak . Six children in Tennessee have died this year from the flu, according to the state's Department of Health and so far East Tennessee Children's hospital has seen 442 children with flu this month. On Monday, Anne Arundel Medical Center in Maryland announced that an increased number of patients were coming to the hospital and visitors would be limited. Other Maryland hospitals including Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Northwest Hospital in Randallstown and Johns Hopkins, also put precautions in place, according to CBS. Delaware has seen nearly ten times the number of flu cases this year compared to the same time period last year. Fever, chills . Cough, sore throat, runny nose, . Muscle aches . Headache . Fatigue, . Nausea . Source: CDC . The Delaware Division of Public Health says there were 632 reported flu cases through December 20. For the same time period last year, there were just 70 flu cases. Health officials say the uptick reflects earlier influenza activity being reported throughout the country. Those particularly at risk are those over 65 and younger than four. Across the nation, 2,500 people have been hospitalized because of the growing crisis. According to the CDC, data from 122 U.S. cities showed deaths from influenza and pneumonia exceeded the national baseline and is at the epidemic threshold of 6.8 per cent. About 90 per cent of flu cases so far this year have been the virulent H3N2 sub-type, the CDC reported. Another state hit hard has been Minnesota, where health officials have made it clear to parents that this year's flu strain is particularly strong. The flu has proved fatal to children with no apparent underlying health problems and statistics from the Minnesota Department of Health have revealed that in some parts of the state up to 50 per cent of students have been absent in December while battling the illness. Shannon Zwanziger, a 17-year-old senior at Owatonna High School in Minnesota died at the Mayo Clinic in early December from the flu. Initially falling ill with a fever and sore throat, Shannon deteriorated at home and her heart stopped beating while she was in her mother's arms after being sick for one week. Despite the paramedics and best efforts, she passed away. The CDC admitted earlier this month that the vaccine does not protect well against the dominant strain, H3N2. That strain tends to cause more deaths and hospitalizations, especially in the elderly. 'Though we cannot predict what will happen the rest of this flu season, it's possible we may have a season that's more severe than most,' said CDC director, Dr Tom Frieden. Shannon Zwanziger, 17, from Minnesota, passed away in early December after contracting the flu . CDC officials think the vaccine should provide some protection and still are urging people to get vaccinated. Flu vaccine effectiveness tends to vary from year to year. Last winter, flu vaccine was 50 to 55 per cent effective overall, which experts consider relatively good. Among infectious diseases, flu is considered one of the nation's leading killers. On average, about 24,000 Americans die each flu season, according to the CDC. Nearly 150 million doses of flu vaccine have been distributed for this winter's flu season. Current flu vaccines are built to protect against three or four different kinds of flu virus, depending on the product. The ingredients are selected very early in the year, based on predictions of what strains will circulate the following winter. The ingredients always include a Type A H3N2 flu virus. The most severe flu seasons tend to be dominated by some version of that kind of flu bug. The three most deadly flu seasons of the last 10 years — in the winters of 2003-2004, 2007-2008, and 2012-2013 — were H3N2 seasons. Ineffective: A man receives a free flu shot from a Walgreens employee during a free flu shot clinic at Allen Temple Baptist Church on December 19, 2014 in Oakland, California . In March, after the H3N2 vaccine strain was vaccine production was underway, health officials noted the appearance new and different strain of H3N2. 'This is not something that's been around before,' Frieden said. But health officials weren't sure if the new strain would become a significant problem in the United States this winter until recently, they said. Lab specimens from patients have shown that the most commonly seen flu bug so far is the new strain of H3N2. Specifically, about 48 percent of the H3N2 samples seen so far were well matched to what's in the vaccine, but 52 percent were not, the CDC said. An official with one vaccine manufacturer — GlaxoSmithKline — emphasized that about half the samples do match the strain in the vaccine. He also noted flu seasons can sometimes involve a second wave of illnesses caused by a different strain. 'We're at the very beginning of flu season, and it's quite possible different strains will predominate,' said Dr. Leonard Friedland, director of scientific affairs for GSK's vaccines business. | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a national flu epidemic on Tuesday .
The flu vaccine currently on the market does not prevent spread of mutated strain of H3N2 virus .
Fifteen children have died since October 1 and four before Christmas Day . |
46,586 | 8346e4455c19955bf0892a29763053424d50bdaa | A high-altitude avalanche Friday killed 12 Sherpa guides and seriously wounded three in the single deadliest accident on Mount Everest, officials said. Four others are missing, said Madhu Sudan Burlakoti of Nepal's Tourism Ministry, adding that six people were injured in total. A group of about 50 people, mostly Nepali Sherpas, were hit by the avalanche at more than 20,000 feet, said Tilak Ram Pandey of the ministry's mountaineering department. The avalanche took place just above base camp in the Khumbu Ice Fall. The climbers were accounted for, Pandey said. "Rescue teams have gone ... to look for the missing." Before Friday, the deadliest single-day toll was from an accident in May 1996, when eight climbers disappeared when a huge storm hit. Their tragic story was chronicled in Jon Krakauer's bestselling book "Into Thin Air." Everest by the numbers . Readying for the climb . Between May 15 and 30 is usually the best window for reaching the 29,028-foot peak. Climbers and guides had been setting the ropes for the route, acclimating to the climate and preparing the camps along the route when the avalanche hit Friday, said Gordon Janow with Alpine Ascents International in Seattle. Climbers arrive in April to acclimate to the altitude before heading toward the summit of the world's highest mountain. Ethnic Sherpas acts as guides for the mostly foreign clients. Busiest season . The spring climbing season is the busiest of the year. About 334 foreign climbers have been given permission to climb Everest over the next couple of months, with an estimated 400 Sherpas helping them, mountaineering official Dipendra Poudel said. Until the late 1970s, only a handful of climbers reached the top each year. The number topped 100 for the first time in 1993. By 2004, it was more than 300. In 2012, the number was more than 500. The deadliest year on Everest was 1996, when 15 people died. Another 12 climbers were killed in 2006. Climbers, widow recount deadly traffic jam on Everest . On top of the world in 1963 . | Four people remain missing, Nepal Tourism Ministry official says .
The deadliest year on Mount Everest was 1996, when 15 people died .
More than 300 climbers have been given permission to tackle Everest this spring .
About 400 Sherpas will help them make the grueling ascent . |
163,702 | 5fb436d714af841e966be116526171ba60d394c7 | (WIRED) -- Got a few grand to spare for a $3,000 phone? Yeah, we didn't think so. Nobody does -- and that's a problem for the makers of luxury phones, such as Motorola, Bang & Olufson, LG and Vertu. Vertu makes phones starting at $6,000 and going up in price. After years of chasing the ultra-wealthy with exclusive devices that carry designer logos and promise craftsmanship from materials such as sapphire and stainless steel, luxury phone makers are now pulling back. "The culture has shifted away from conspicuous consumption, so if you are going to have a super expensive product this may not be the time for it," says Avi Greengart, research director for consumer devices at Current Analysis. Motorola has already gotten the memo. Earlier this week, the company reportedly canceled the Ivory E18, a device tentatively priced around $3,000. The phone had met with lack of interest from telecom carriers. Motorola declined to comment. If that sounds like an obvious outcome, perhaps it shouldn't. In the last few years, luxury phones had turned into an attractive new business, as designer houses rushed to get a foothold in the tech sector. Prada collaborated with LG to launch two LG Prada phones in Europe and Asia. Last September, Samsung launched the M75500 Night Effect phone, which carried the Emporio Armani insignia. A month later, Motorola offered a $2,000 phone, called the Aura, which was fashioned out of stainless steel and sported a 62-carat sapphire crystal lens. And then there's Vertu, a company that makes true luxury phones, the cheapest of which costs about $6,000. The recession put a spoke in those plans. And it's not just the 401Ks of middle-class Americans that have been in peril. In Russia, many newly-minted billionaires saw their fortunes slip away with falling oil prices. By the first quarter this year, the U.S. economy had shrunk 5.5 percent. Even 50 Cent has complained about losing more than a few Benjamins on the stock market. And just like that, the crystal dominoes started to fall. Last October, Bang & Olufsen, whose phones retailed in Europe for more than $1,500, shuttered its cellphone business as it decided to trim its costs and get out of non-profitable ventures. Motorola is the latest to pull back its luxury line. Luxury phones have never been a big phenomenon in North America, says Greengart. Their manufacturers have had better luck in emerging markets. But now even in those countries, where once 8 percent GDP growth seemed conservative, wealthy consumers are feeling the pinch. "Super expensive, bling bling phones are big in markets where conspicuous consumption is a way to tell your countrymen you have arrived," says Greengart. "But now, it's a very different economy for everyone." Many of the troubles that the uber-expensive phones face are because they are created by companies whose main expertise is in targeting a mass market, says Frank Nuovo, former chief of design for Nokia and current head of Vertu. "I didn't start this business to soak the phones in diamonds and jewels," says Nuovo. "The concept is same as a fine watch or a fabulous car. To be a true luxury product, you have to look at making something that doesn't have an 18-month shelf life." True luxury, as Nuovo defines it, doesn't apply to a mere $2,000 phone: A Vertu device, soaked in platinum, can run up to $70,000. The company's one-off phones, designed in collaboration with luxury jewels house Boucheron, cost even more. Nuovo may have inadvertently hit on the real problem with luxury phones: Phones are still a very feature-driven products. They are products where the rapid advances in technology can rend older models obsolete very quickly. "Phones aren't like a handbag where the fundamental utility remains the same and the design changes all the time," says Greengart. But Nuovo isn't convinced. "Take watches and cars," he says. "They all run the same but everyone has a unique way of delivering them stylistically. We can do the same with phones." Despite the bumps on the road now, Nuovo says the luxury phones will bounce back and find an audience. "It is no different than a fine watch or a car," he says. "If you take people who value something that is made extraordinarily well there will always be a group interested in it." Vertu is determined to prove that. It will launch its latest handset the Carbon Fibre Ascent Ti in August. The phone is made of high-gloss carbon fiber and has a sandblasted titanium surface. The price tag? $9,800. Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT! Click here! Copyright 2009 Wired.com. | The luxury phone market is in decline because of the recession .
Uber-high-end phones are more popular outside the U.S.
Vertu makes luxury phones that start at $6,000 and go up in price .
Some phones pair with designer brands or are made from rare materials . |
168,692 | 66391469fda3ee9a8d59f50ab9caf282143f67da | Father Benedict Groeschel has sparked outrage claiming it is often boys who seduce priests in religious sex abuse cases . A friar has sparked outrage after claiming it is often the boys who seduce priests in religious sexual abuse cases. In an interview with the National Catholic Register, Father Benedict Groeschel of the conservative Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, said he did not believe a priest found guilty of sexual absuse should go to jail if it was his first offence. He even went on to describe disgraced Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky as a 'poor guy'. Father Groeschel, an influential voice in the American catholic community, has written several books and appears weekly on a religious television network. He said: 'People have this picture in their minds of a person planning to [be] a psychopath. 'But that’s not the case. Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster — 14, 16, 18 — is the seducer.' He added: 'Here’s this poor guy Sandusky it went on for years. Interesting: Why didn’t anyone say anything? Apparently, a number of kids knew about it and didn’t break the ice. 'Well, you know, until recent years, people did not register in their minds that it was a crime. It was a moral failure, scandalous; but they didn’t think of it in terms of legal things.' 'If you go back 10 or 15 years ago with different sexual difficulties — except for rape or violence — it was very rarely brought as a civil crime.' Asked to clarify his commenst he went on to suggest that most of these 'relationships' are heterosexual in nature, which historically have not been thought of as a crime. He said: 'If you go back 10 or 15 years ago with different sexual difficulties — except for rape or violence — it was very rarely brought as a civil crime. Nobody thought of it that way. 'Sometimes statutory rape would be — but only if the girl pushed her case. Parents wouldn’t touch it. People backed off, for years, on sexual cases. I’m not sure why. 'I think perhaps part of the reason would be an embarrassment, that it brings the case out into the open, and the girl’s name is there, or people will figure out what’s there, or the youngster involved — you know, it’s not put in the paper, but everybody knows; they’re talking about it. 'At this point, any priest, any clergyman, any social worker, any teacher, any responsible person in society would become involved in a single sexual act — not necessarily intercourse — they’re done. 'And I’m inclined to think, on their first offense, they should not go to jail because their intention was not committing a crime.' But Father Groeschel's comments immediately prompted a string of angry posts. 'Poor guy': Father Groeschel suggested disgraced Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky was a victim . One anonymous writer raged: 'Those comments on abuse make me shiver. I really really hope he doesn't actually think the way he explained things in those answers. 'Jerry Sandusky is a monster and the image people have in their mind when his name comes up is that of an evil pervert committing unspeakable acts on an innocent 10 year old in a shower.' Another wrote: 'Comments like this about pedophilia take the biscuit. I am disgusted at what I have just read. 'How dare this prominent priest accuse abuse victims of acting as seducers! You can NEVER justify or condone pedophilia. It is a disordered and depraved act. God forgive you for your comments!' Siginificantly The National Catholic Register is a publication affiliated with the disgraced Legion of Christ religious order. The legion, which in 1995 helped saved the National Catholic Register from closing, was involved in one of the most damaging Catholic sexual abuse scandals of recent times. Its former leader, the Rev. Marcial Maciel, who had close links to Pope John Paul II, had been investigated for a string of sexual abuse claims since the mid 1950s. In 2005, the Vatican was dragged into disrepute after it emerged Maciel had been abusing seminarians for year. New York State-based Groeschel founded the Trinity Retreat, which hot the headlines in 2006 after it emerged priests accused of sexually abusing children, were being given the option stay at the retreat under supervision. | Father Benedict Groeschel described Jerry Sandusky as a 'poor guy'
He said priests found guilty of abuse should not go to jail if it is their first offence . |
116,040 | 21c515ed28d25a2940f7d4b0518e02e691c66678 | One in four homeowners say they will be in financial trouble when interest rates rise, according to research. A study found seven per cent believed they would be in ‘serious difficulties’ if their mortgage repayments increased, while 20 per cent would be in ‘slight’ financial trouble. The report, published by the Building Societies Association and the Money Advice Trust, also found that a fifth will be forced to cut back on essentials like clothing and food, while two-fifths will spend less on holidays and eating out. One in four homeowners said they would be in financial trouble when interest rates rise and seven per cent believed they would face 'serious difficulties' in making repayments . The study found 12 per cent will have to work longer hours to keep up with repayments and six per cent will have to move to a cheaper property. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, has signalled that the base rate, frozen at a historic low of 0.5 per cent since 2009, could be ‘beginning to increase by the spring and thereafter rising very gradually’. While the Bank says any rise would be ‘gradual and limited’, research shows that many who took out their loans when interest rates were low may struggle to meet higher monthly repayments. Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, said: ‘After all these years, mortgage-payers are in for a big financial shock when interest rates begin to rise. ‘For many, that shock will be too much to absorb – and there is a real risk that we will see a surge in unmanageable debt problems as a result. ‘Our message to borrowers is clear – interest rates will rise and that day is coming soon, so now is the time to prepare. ‘Draw up a budget, speak to your lender, and if you do find yourself struggling to repay, seek free debt advice as early as possible.’ The YouGov poll surveyed more than 2,000 mortgage borrowers. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, has signalled that the base rate, frozen since 2009 could be 'beginning to increase' by spring . Paul Broadhead, head of mortgage policy at the Building Societies Association, warned that ‘many consumers are only used to a low rate environment’. He said: ‘These results indicate the sensitivity of people’s monthly spending to changes in general household expenditure, indicating that as mortgage rates rise this could have a significant impact on economic recovery. ‘Whilst most mortgage rates are not linked quite so directly to the base rate as they used to be, rates will rise as it increases.’ While some homeowners said they planned to work more hours to earn extra money if rates rose, Mr Broadhead said this ‘may not be within their control’. He added: ‘Our advice to those concerned about interest rate rises is to start thinking about how they will manage the increased costs.’ The study found 12 per cent will have to work longer hours to keep up with repayments and six per cent will have to move to a cheaper property . This month, two members of the Bank’s rate-setting committee voted for a second time in favour of a base rate rise. Martin Weale and Ian McCafferty said the Bank needed to act now in order to pre-empt wage and inflationary pressures ahead, but were out-voted by the other seven members of the Monetary Policy Committee. It is thought the Bank will wait until it sees stronger signs of wage growth before increasing the rate. The pay rise for the average worker increased by just 0.7 per cent over the last year, less than half the current rate of inflation at 1.5 per cent. Tory MP Mark Garnier, who sits on the Treasury select committee in the Commons, recently suggested a premature rise in interest rates would be a catastrophe for millions of families. He said: ‘There is definitely a feeling now that interest rates will start to rise. When the day comes there will be households holed below the water line, and they will be in trouble. ‘The problem is that there is a huge amount of household debt in the country. People have forgotten that 0.5 per cent is an emergency level of interest rates. It is not normal at all. ‘If you are a saver, rising interest rates are fantastic. If you are a borrower it is bad news and for those that are already struggling, or close to struggling, raising interest rates will be a catastrophe.’ With rates tipped to rise, some homeowners might find it's worth paying the charge to leave a mortgage deal early in order to lock in to low interest offers for the longer term. There are some decent five or even six year fixes currently available, which will enable you to make the most of manageable rates, despite the predicted hikes. In many cases the difference in repayment costs will balance fabourably against the fees charged by your old lender. There . are hundreds, if not thousands, of options out there, so, as well as . doing your own research, this is an occasion to search out expert . opinion from a good mortgage broker. First, read Mail Online's award-winning money section This is Money's regularly updated What next for mortgage rates? This outlines the current state of the market and highlights the current best buy deals. Then also check the top mortgage deals on offer currently in our best buy mortgage tables, or click through by using our helpful table (right). You should now be armed with some knowledge about what is on offer and you can use our True cost mortgage calculator to compare how different deals stack up. You should also talk to a mortgage broker. There is no obligation to go through with their recommendation and so . they may not end up actually arranging the mortgage for you, but they will be able to explain your options and . help you to find the best deal. Go a broker who offers advice from the whole market. Avoid . brokers who offer a restricted service based on products from a limited . number of lenders, and don't just simply go to your bank - unless you . get lucky, you will be unlikely to find the best deal this way . This . is Money has a carefully chosen partnership with mortgage broker London . and Country. We have picked them because they offer a good service, . with no upfront fees. Find about more about London & Country's fee free mortgage advice here. - Amy Andrew, This is Money . | Seven per cent of homeowners would face 'serious difficulties' in rate rise .
Bank of England governor signalled rates would increase by spring .
Mortgage payers are told they could be in for a 'big financial shock' |
254,548 | d580335baad82bfe48669b88e5747959d4e95508 | A couple with a combined weight of 45st shed nearly half their bulk after being told they would be dead in a few years if they carried on overeating. Joanne Richards and Barry Ricketts had both been overweight since childhood and were dubbed Fatty Jo and Big Baz by school bullies. The pair were both so unfit they struggled to get round the house they shared in Stourbridge in the West Midlands. Miss Richards even stored her clothes downstairs because she could not make it up to their bedroom to get changed. 'Before' (left) and 'after' (right) holiday snaps of Joanne Richards, 31, and Barry Ricketts, 43, from Stourbridge, West Midlands, show their incredible transformation . The 31-year-old tipped the scales at 24st 5lbs and wore a size 32, while her long-term partner Mr Ricketts, 43, was 21st and wore a six XXXL trouser. It was not until Miss Richards' periods stopped and they were both warned that their size was putting a strain on their bodies, that the couple, paired up to lose weight. 'I was told I would die by the time I was 40 if I kept going the way I was,' Miss Richards says. 'I couldn't believe how bad we'd got and knew it was now or never to lose weight. It had to happen.' Left: Joanne Richards, 31, weighted 24st 5lbs and Barry Ricketts, 43 was 21st; Right: Joanne lost 13st 7lbs and now weighs 10st 12lbs and Barry lost 7st 5lbs and reached his goal weight, 13st 9lbs . 'I was told I would die by the time I was 40 if I kept going the way I was,' Miss Richards says . She started gaining weight when she was nine and was bullied because of it. She said: 'The kids at school called me Fatty and Big Jo. I should have lost weight but I comfort ate instead. I snacked on crisps and chocolates, and on my way home I'd stop in the chippy. 'Before long I was on a takeaway a day.' By 25, Miss Richards weighed more than 20st and her health was suffering. She said: 'I huffed and puffed everywhere I went but it didn't stop me eating.' In 2008, Miss Richards' partner moved in and after a hard day's work, they found it easier to grab a pizza or Chinese than prepare a healthy meal. Miss Richards said: 'I made sure our son, Josh, ate healthily, but Barry and I continued to eat junk. Miss Richards ditched the takeaways and in March 2012 she joined her local Weight Watchers class. She said: 'I was taught how to follow their healthy eating plan, find healthy alternatives and eat smaller portions' Miss Richards with son Josh before (left) and after (right) she dropped weight. She says: 'He'd want to go for a walk or play football and we'd make excuses. It must have hurt him to always hear "no"' 'Soon, being overweight not only affected our health but our relationship with Josh too. 'He'd want to go for a walk or play football and we'd make excuses to avoid anything energetic. We were so unfit. 'It must have hurt him to hear "no" all the time.' Then in November 2011, Miss Richards' periods stopped and she was told it was because of her weight. A dietician said losing 13st would improve her health, and suggested a gastric band. She said: 'At first I thought it was a great idea, an easy way to lose weight. Mr Ricketts before, (left), and after (right) his transformation: He offered to show his support by eating the same low-calories meals as Joanne then joined Weight Watchers too . 'But I'd always loved food and when I realised it would mean I would never be able to eat properly again, I said no. 'I didn't want to lose weight so fast I was left with saggy skin, too. So I decided to try and lose weight on my own.' Miss Richards ditched the takeaways and in March 2012 she joined her local Weight Watchers class. She said: 'I was taught how to follow their healthy eating plan, find healthy alternatives and eat smaller portions. My group leader was full of tips.' Feeling encouraged following her first class, Miss Richards decided to walk to her mum's house three miles away to get some exercise, but things didn't go to plan. 'It should have taken me an hour, but it took me four,' she said. 'I'd always thought I was young so I was healthy, but I kept stopping because my knees and feet hurt. Miss Richards (left, after her weight loss, and right, with son Josh before she shed the pounds) even used to store her clothes downstairs because she couldn't make it up to the bedroom to get changed . 'I got out of breath and suddenly realised just how unfit I was.' Mr Ricketts offered to show his support by eating the same low-calories meals as her. Then when he saw her lose half a stone a week, he joined Weight Watchers too. Mr Ricketts said: 'I'd always thought I could eat what I liked – massive curries, all-you-can-eat carveries. 'I had a huge appetite and would only stop when my stomach hurt. I didn't care how I looked. Eating made me happy. 'But my health was suffering too and I realised someone of my size could have a severely reduced mortality and I wanted to live to see my son grow up. 'So I decided to lose weight as well. I'd always thought it would be hard work and I'd never be a normal size. I guess I'd accepted my lot.' Mr Rickards (left, before his diet, right with son Josh) lost 7st 5lbs and reached his goal weight, 13st 9lbs . But the couple spurred each other on, and as the weight fell off, they even started exercising. 'We went for walks together, to the gym twice a week, and swimming,' Miss Richards said: 'I wouldn't have dared do any of that before. I would have been too embarrassed to walk around in a swimsuit, and too unfit.' They also went on bike rides with Josh, now 11, and walked their dog, a Lurcher. Miss Richards said: 'Suddenly we had all this energy to keep fit, which kept the weight off.' In early 2013 she even took part in two walking marathons. While her partner – who had lost 7st 5lbs and reached his goal weight, 13st 9lbs – ditched his XXXL trousers for slim, medium jeans. Later that year Miss Richards also launched her first slimming class. After losing 13st 7lbs and weighing 10st 12lbs, she wanted to help others. Miss Richards, who's now a size 12, said: 'I love seeing my members reach their goals. 'I'm really pleased I didn't turn to surgery to lose weight, and did it with Barry. 'Doing it as a couple helped us keep going. I couldn't have done it alone. 'We can do so much more with Josh now, too, which is great.' Mr Ricketts added: 'We're so much happier now, how we look and feel. 'Losing weight has brought us all closer together.' | Joanne Richards, 31, weighed 24st 5lbs and Barry Ricketts, 43 was 21st .
The couple share a house in Stourbridge, West Midlands with son Josh, 11 .
Joanne lost weight by eating healthily and cutting portions .
Inspired by her transformation Barry decided to join her .
Joanne lost 13st 7lbs and now weighs 10st 12lbs .
Barry lost 7st 5lbs and reached his goal weight, 13st 9lbs . |
194,950 | 885cfab2a40caa42b0dc30cf02114c0c2f7b01db | By . Charles Walford . UPDATED: . 08:05 EST, 14 January 2012 . Cassie McCord died after she was hit by a car being driven by Colin Horsfall . A teenage girl was mown down by an elderly motorist days after he refused to surrender his driving licence to police despite failing an eyesight test. Cassie McCord, 16, was on her way to college when 87-year-old Colin Horsfall’s car ploughed into her. CCTV images showed how Horsfall’s red Vauxhall Astra veered on to the pavement and narrowly missed two pedestrians before regaining the road, then mounting the pavement again a few yards further on, hitting Cassie. She died from severe head injuries the next day and Horsfall, a bachelor, died three months later, having never recovered from injuries he sustained in the crash. The tragedy happened in Colchester three days after the pensioner drove into trees when he missed the entrance to a petrol station. Police discovered he could not read a car registration from 20 metres – the legal minimum. They advised him not to drive while his details were sent to the DVLA but were not able to seize his licence. A coroner yesterday recorded that Cassie was unlawfully killed and Horsfall’s death was an accident. The hearing in Chelmsford was told that police were called to a Tesco petrol station in Highwoods, Colchester, on February 4 last year after Horsfall’s first accident.PC Daniel Bellingham did an on-the-spot eye test which revealed he could see only 16.2 metres – about 53ft. Scroll down for video . Colin Horsfall was caught on CCTV veering onto the pavement moments before he killed Cassie McCord in Colchester, Essex . The 87-year-old narrowly avoided hitting pedestrians as he mounted the pavement. Moments later he knocked down Cassie . The officer drove him home to nearby Rowhedge and spent two hours trying to convince him not to drive again while he submitted details to the DVLA. He said: ‘Mr Horsfall asked if he was permitted to drive. I told him he would be better off not doing so but he asked me again directly if he was allowed.’ Horsfall drove into Colchester town centre on a shopping trip on the morning of February 7. Witness Adam Hart, who works in a bookshop, was being dropped off by his wife. He said: ‘A red Vauxhall Astra mounted the pavement. It went back on to the road then went back on to the pavement and collided with two girls.’ Mr Hart said his wife had thought it must . have been a fugitive being pursued. ‘The car seemed to be going . incredibly fast, especially considering it was on the pavement. I didn’t . see any brake lights.’ Paramedics tend to Cassie after she was knocked down. She died the following day in hospital . Cassie's mother Jackie (left) paid tribute to a 'bubbly, vibrant girl', while many pople left flowers at the scene . Cassie’s family have urged the public to support a campaign set up in her memory.Her mother, Jackie, has launched a petition calling for a change in the law in the wake of the death of her daughter (pictured). Mrs McCord says no-one else should go through a tragic loss as a result of a legal loophole. Cassie's Law is campaiging for the Government to give police new powers to seize a driving licence if they consider the driver unfit. It would then be down to the DVLA to decide whether the licence is returned or revoked. Mrs McCord said: ‘I feel as frustrated as the police that they were not able to hold on to Colin Horsfall's licence. 'If they had been able to do so my daughter would have been alive today. I urge everybody to support Cassie's Law and we will carry on until there is a change in the law.' So far about 10,000 people have signed the petition and Mrs McCord hopes to lobby the Government later this year to change the law. Cassie, who was studying five AS . levels at Colchester Sixth Form College and hoped to become a lawyer, . was pinned against a shop front. The teenager, who lived with her . mother Jackie and brother Sam, 20, was taken to hospital where her . life-support machine was switched off the next day. Horsfall, a retired shipwright, died . on May 13, having never recovered from the injuries he sustained in the . crash, which a police investigator put down to ‘unintended . acceleration’. Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said: ‘The manner of his driving was extremely reckless.’ Horsfall had no family members at the inquest and his brother Terry, 74, declined to comment. Mrs McCord, a job centre manager, said . the family were still trying to come to terms with their loss, adding: . ‘Cassie was a much-loved, vibrant, bubbly girl.’ She used the hearing to call for . support for a campaign she has launched, supported by police and her . local MP, for the law to be changed so that police can seize the car of . someone unfit to drive. She has already collected 10,000 signatures. ‘Colin Horsfall was a selfish man,’ she said. ‘He knew he was unfit to drive but that didn’t stop him. I . feel as frustrated as the police that they were not able to hold on to . his licence. If they had been able to, Cassie would be alive today.’ Sergeant Kevin May, of Essex Police’s . serious collision investigation unit, added: ‘I totally support Cassie’s . Law. We can seize the car if there’s someone driving without insurance. Why can’t we do so for someone who is unfit to drive?’ Road Safety Minister Mike Penning . said police already have the power to arrest any driver who poses a . threat to himself or others and cases can be fast-tracked to courts . which can withdraw licences. But he admitted: ‘There is scope for the existing legislation and systems to offer more protection.’ Floral tributes at the scene where the car veered onto the pavement and hit Cassie . Horsfall never recovered from injuries sustained in the crash and died in hospital three months later . The red Vauxhall Astra smashed into Cassie and pinned her against a wall . | Colin Horsfall, 87, had been stopped after a minor accident but did not give up his licence .
Three days later he killed Cassie McCord when he veered off the road .
CCTV shows him moments earlier clipping a building after driving on the pavement . |
230,493 | b678440dd2f1cd357ce50a86a5a208ddc10b715c | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 10:52 EST, 9 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:33 EST, 9 July 2013 . A teenager has found photographic success using the most unlikely of models - bugs he found lying around his parents’ house. Francis Prior makes humble house insects look more like cartoon drawings after mastering the art of the extreme close-up. The 19-year-old amateur photographer uses a special macro lens to capture the tiniest of details, many invisible to the human eye. Francis Prior makes humble house insects, like this ant (pictured) look more like cartoon drawings after mastering the art of the extreme close-up . The 19-year-old amateur photographer uses a macro lens to capture the smallest of details invisible to the human eye, like the mesmerising eyes of this jumping spider . After rounding up dead insects such as this moths from every corner of his parents' home in Halewood, Liverpool, Francis sets them up in his insect studio . After rounding up dead spiders, flies and beetles from every corner of his parents’ home in Halewood, Liverpool, Mr Prior sets them up in his insect studio. He takes the detailed shots of the insects using his Canon 550D digital SLR camera. Using homemade photographic equipment he created from household objects, he sets about painstakingly capturing every micrometre of the insects on camera. Mr Prior has devised a way of fixing the insect just 0.1 milimetre from his camera lens. The incredible images can feature up to 100 shots layered on top of one another, and each one takes up to six hours to produce. They can be magnified 40 times before losing any picture quality. Using homemade photographic equipment he created from household objects, he sets about painstakingly capturing every micrometre of the insects on camera - like this black ant's antennas . The incredible images can feature up to 100 shots layered on top of one another. A Horsefly is pictured . The photographs, such as this one of a moth, can take six hours to produce . Mr Prior, a biology student at Aberystwyth University in Wales, said: 'Two years ago I bought a digital SLR camera and was keen to learn how to use it properly. 'I came across other people doing macro photography and I was just blown away. 'I spent months researching the technique but because I was on such a tight budget I decided to build my own equipment.' Francis Prior is fascinated by tony details of insects. Right is a photo of midgy flies wings at twenty times magnification and left, a drone fly's eye at the same magnification . Details of a dance fly (left) and green speckled bush cricket (right) in all their technicolour glory . His decision to photograph insects is born from his love of nature as a child. He said: 'Sometimes I go looking outside for insects to be models but often I just look around the house for spiders and flies. 'I have always appreciated nature and when I was younger I wanted to be a vet. 'Nature is beautiful but there are so many amazing things that you can’t see with your own eyes. 'By taking time to come face to face with a spider as it gazes up at you with its eight wondrous eyes, you can only wonder what else there is to see past our limit of vision. These macro images unlock a whole new world that you wouldn't otherwise be able to see, said Francis Prior. Pictured is a millipede . Macro camera lenses allow photographers to capture every tiny hair, as seen on this hoverfly . Mr Prior said: 'The best bit is sitting back and appreciating the image and studying the detail.' Pictured is a wasp . 'These macro images unlock a whole new world that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. 'Each photo can take around six hours to set up and shoot but the end result makes it all worthwhile. 'The best bit is sitting back and appreciating the image and studying the detail. 'I don’t do this for money - I just do it to show people how amazing nature can be.' This is the head of an shield bug. Mr prior takes his photos to show how amazing nature is . The Macro lens captures every part of a horse fly's eye at ten times magnification . Even the ugly mealworm looks incredible up close thanks to Mr Prior's meticulous approach to photography . | Francis Prior photographs household insects using a special macro lens to capture the tiniest of details .
The 19-year-old photographer sometimes layers 100 shots on top of one another and each photo takes around six hours to produce .
He rounds up dead insects and beetles in his parent's house in Liverpool and uses homemade photographic equipment to take the creatures' pictures in his makeshift studio . |
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