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268,335 | e790a291562faef6ef5860be98dcfcc92d632ac7 | By . Fred Redwood . PUBLISHED: . 16:00 EST, 13 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:00 EST, 13 April 2013 . Homes are now taking so long to sell in the sluggish housing market that sellers are trying all sorts of ways to move things along. Some entice buyers by including sit-on mowers in the fixtures and fittings. In Sandbanks, Bournemouth’s millionaires’ row, an ocean-going boat was recently thrown into the sale. In Kennington, outside Ashford in Kent, one couple – Ian and Anna Grant – have gone one stage further. The Grants have dreamed up a scheme where, if they find buyers for their own Grade II listed mill house, and those buyers are having trouble selling, they will buy their purchaser’s home themselves. Ambitious offer: Anna and Ian Grant, pictured outside their current home, are offering to 'swap' their home for a prospective buyer's . It sounds too good to be true but Ian, 82, who spent his working life in the motor trade, has clearly thought through every detail. ‘We’ll give slightly below market value for our buyer’s house to pay for estate agents’ fees and to cover the hassle of having to sell the house for them,’ he explains. ‘But what’s the matter with that? You wouldn’t expect to be given the full sale price of a car if you sold it to a garage in a part-exchange deal, so the same should apply to a house.’ Not surprisingly, there are some limits on the offer: the couple insist that any purchasers’ home they buy must be in saleable condition – and that it costs less than the mill house. Priced at £910,000 – and divided into two parts – the couple’s property is no ‘run-of-the-mill’ mill house. The main section, including six bedrooms, a sitting room, drawing room, dining room and kitchen, is an impressive Georgian home, with low ceilings, original open fireplaces, cornicing and superb views over the mill stream to the wooded gardens and grounds. Rural charm: The front of the six-bedroom Grade II listed home in Kennington near Ashford, Kent . Adjoining this part of the house is the second part of the property – what used to be the old mill building. This amounts to three rooms of bare space, each 30ft x 17ft, arranged above one another on separate floors. Ian used the ground floor room as a snooker room and the two others were Anna’s offices and studios. Although these rooms could be used by a future owner as, say, a gallery space, they are, to be blunt, scruffy. Anna says: ‘I can see people’s faces when I show them around. They stand there thinking, “What on earth can we do with this?” ’ The answer, the couple suggest, is to renovate this part of the house into a self-contained home. Alex Davies, a director at estate agents Hobbs Parker, believes this could be achieved for £50,000. Aren’t the Grants taking a bit of a gamble, volunteering to buy a house that is likely to be another ‘sticker’ on the market? Traditional interior: One of the bathrooms in the six-bedroom mill house property . ‘We don’t think so,’ says Anna, 76, who was a professional ballet dancer in the late Fifties before becoming an actress in the Sixties, once playing opposite Sean Connery in a television drama. ‘We have money to invest, and interest rates from the banks are so low that in the long term we are better off putting our money into property, thereby killing two birds with one stone.’ Anyone who suspects that this scheme has come about because the Grants are less than financially secure should think again. Anna recently sold her own business – dealing in the ingredients that make cosmetics – and she did well enough out of it to move into the couple’s new main home, which is a 15-acre estate outside Sittingbourne, complete with pet donkeys, dogs and pigs. Ian, a successful rally driver in his time, is also comfortably off. The couple also have a house in London and they have no pressing financial need to sell the mill house. Yet tough business people though they are, it is obvious that the mill house, which they bought 12 years ago, is very special to them. ‘We have had some marvellous garden parties here,’ says Ian. ‘Once we had a marquee and it was simply too hot for anyone to stay inside it, so the guests moved under the ancient chestnut tree and dipped their feet in the stream. We’d like others to get similar pleasure out of the old place.’ The Mill House is for sale with www.hobbsparker.co.uk, 01233 502222 and www.struttandparker.com, 01227 451123. | Six-bedroom Georgian mill house on the market for £910,000 .
Owners prepared to purchase a prospective buyers house to secure a sale . |
29,352 | 536b5bc65ff40204794392893dc298fc46147534 | This is the astonishing moment a group of frustrated tram passengers picked up and moved a Mini off the road after its driver blocked two trams when she parked it across tracks. The fed-up bystanders shifted the car after two trams were delayed for 15 minutes by the red Mini which had been left clumsily parked in their way. Incredibly, the female driver had left her motor illegally parked on double-yellow lines on the tram line in Nottingham at 11.10am yesterday. Dozens of people gather on the pavement after the parked vehicle (pictured) blocks two trams from passing . The group of passengers and bystanders then collectively lift the Mini off the tram tracks . It is lifted and then pushed out of the way of the trams, much to the delight of stranded passengers . Trams couldn't get around the parked vehicle, which was left sitting across the curb and sidewalk . The woman then failed to return to the car despite hundreds of people gathering near it. A group of passengers eventually decided to lift and move the Mini off the tramlines and out of the way when she showed no sign of appearing 20 minutes later. The red-faced driver eventually returned to her car from a nearby coffee shop shortly afterwards and was given a penalty ticket by a waiting Nottingham Community Protection Officer. She was then greeted by ironic cheers from the gathered crowds as she performed a U-turn in the road and drove off. Nottingham Trent University student Billy Taylor, 20, captured the moment the frustrated passengers moved the Mini out of the way. His video shows the tram blocked by the red car before the bystanders managed to wheel it onto the pavement. Mr Taylor, who is from Newham in London, said: 'The car was parked half on the pavement and half on the tram lines, and the tram was unable to get past. 'There was a long stand-off. The tram was beeping its horn and no-one came to get the car. The driver was given a ticket by a waiting Nottingham Community Protection Officer upon her return . 'It was about 11am and we waited for about 20 minutes before people got fed-up and started to move it. 'It did cause quite a lot of disruption because the people on the tram weren't allowed to get off, because they weren't at the stop. 'There was another tram behind it as well, so there were two trams stuck at one point. The driver turned up shortly after her car got pushed out of the way because I think someone had alerted her. 'She seemed quite calm and collected considering the dozens of people that were outside and the fact she was holding up this big tram. 'She drove off and did a U-turn in the middle of the road and everyone started cheering. 'She was a middle-aged woman, I think she was very embarrassed.' The stand-off between the Mini and tram even trended on Twitter under the hashtag #TramVSCooper, with hundreds of people posting comments. The incident even trended on Twitter under the hashtag TramVSCooper. Pictured is when the driver returned and did a U-turn in front of an amused crowd . Bystanders gave off an ironic cheer when the driver eventually returned and moved her car (pictured) One onlooker said the woman was heard telling the Community Protection Officer: 'I'm not from Nottingham. Tram operators Nottingham Express Transit said all of its services between the city centre and Phoenix Park and Hucknall were delayed for about 15 minutes. A spokesperson said: 'From around 11.10am all tram services between the city centre and Phoenix Park and Hucknall were delayed for around 15 minutes as a result of an unattended car blocking tram tracks in Goldsmith Street, just outside Nottingham Trent University. 'The illegally parked vehicle has since been removed and all services are now running as normal.' | Passengers exit blocked trams to collectively lift the vehicle off the tracks .
The driver eventually reappeared and was given a ticket by waiting officer .
She drove off to ironic cheers from the gathered crowd in Nottingham . |
129,825 | 33cedd386673856c734f93c7ce068a32283b62db | A criminal investigation has been launched in the case of Bobby Kristina, with police considering the possibility foul play may have been involved before she was found face down in a bathtub. According to TMZ the probe, said to be centered around her boyfriend Nick Gordon, began after authorities allegedly found suspicious injuries on the 21-year-old when she was hospitalized on Saturday morning. She remains in a coma in Emory University Hospital after she was found unconscious by Gordon and friend Max Lomas in her Roswell, Georgia home. The site reported that police are looking into claims there was an altercation between Bobbi and Gordon, who are believed to have a history of domestic violence, in the hours before the incident. Lomas also alleges that Gordon cleaned up blood in his house before paramedics and police arrived at the scene. Investigation: According to TMZ the probe, said to be centered around her boyfriend Nick Gordon, began after authorities found suspicious injuries on the 21-year-old when she was hospitalized . 'The odds are against her': Bobbi Kristina's cousin Jerod Brown wrote on his Instagram page on Thursday that 'doctors don't see any hope for change' in her condition as he called for prayers . Vigil: Gordon was pictured outside the North Fulton Hospital, where Bobbi Kristina was first taken, on Sunday . On Friday it was revealed that Bobbi could have been submerged in the bath for between 10 and 15 minutes before she was found. 'It seems like it might've been 10 or 15 minutes that she must have been alone,' Lomas' attorney Ashleigh Merhant told E! News. 'But we don't know at what point she actually ended up in the tub during that time.' Lomas found Bobbi Kristina after he went looking for her when a cable man knocked at the door, E! reported. When she did not respond, he went in and found her, his attorney said. She was rushed to hospital and her family has remained tight-lipped about her condition, but on Thursday, her cousin took to Instagram to provide friends a heartbreaking update. 'Though it seems the odds are against her,' Jerod Brown wrote, 'though doctors don't see any hope for change, though we might want to play detective and find out how she got there, though it looks impossible for her to stand again STILL PRAY FOR BK.' On Thursday, DailyMail.com learned that Bobbi's life-support machine was switched off. 'The plug on Bobbi Kristina has been pulled,' a police source said. It is possible for a patient to survive despite artificial assistance being withdrawn. Bobby Brown did not respond directly to the claims but slammed reports saying that the family were preparing to say goodbye to his youngest daughter. 'This is false, just as is the vast majority of the other reporting that is currently taking place,' he said in a statement on Thursday. Denial: Bobby Brown, pictured leaving Emory University Hospital on Thursday, has denied reports that the family is preparing for the worst. On Thursday, a police source said her life support had been removed . Staying positive: Brown, seen giving a 'thumbs up', has remained hopeful that his daughter will pull through . 'If we issued a statement every time the media published a false report regarding this matter, that's all we would be doing 24 hours a day.' The last official word on Bobbi's condition from the family came on Tuesday when they said in a statement that she was 'fighting for her life and is surrounded by immediate family'. On Thursday, he briefly told Access Hollywood that his daughter was 'good'. He appeared tired and his eyes were red as if he had been crying, the program reported. 'We're praying,' he added. Bobbi's 'devastated' grandmother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney, was also seen arriving at the hospital, according to Radar Online, having flown in from her New Jersey home. 'Cissy was so traumatized losing Whitney and the pain is still raw from that,' a source told the website. 'Watching Krissy in the hospital and in the coma is almost more than she can handle. This is almost too much sadness for her to bear.' Scene: Bobbi Kristina was found in the bathtub at this townhouse in Roswell, Georgia on Saturday morning . Meanwhile, Houston's mentor Clive Davis says he's been in touch the family and is praying for Bobbi. Davis said he's offered his support and and 'they're so grateful.' 'Of course it's heartbreaking to see the family go through this pain once again,' Davis said at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Houston died in 2012 and where he will hold a pre-Grammy gala Saturday. 'They just ask that the public respect their privacy.' Houston died in a bathtub from an 'accidental' drug overdose almost exactly three years ago, in tragically similar circumstances. Authorities found a dozen prescription drug bottles in her Beverly Hills Hotel suite and listed heart disease and cocaine use as contributors, but concluded that she accidentally drowned. Bobbi Kristina was found in eerily similar circumstances on Saturday morning. Questions still remain over what part drugs - if any - played in Saturday's incident; police reportedly found narcotics in the home during a second search last weekend. Police said she was found by her purported husband, Nick Gordon, and a friend, Max Lomas. Lomas' lawyer has since said he was the one who found Bobbi Kristina and started CPR. Missed: Bobbi's mother Whitney Houston, pictured together in 2007, died in a bathtub from an 'accidental' drug overdose almost exactly three years ago, in tragically similar circumstances . Bobby Brown spoke out earlier this week to correct reports that his daughter had married Gordon. Bobbi Kristina and Gordon were brought up like brother and sister after Houston took Gordon in when he was 12. But following her death, the duo announced they were in a relationship. Then last January the couple announced that they had got married, and Bobbi Kristina posted photos of their 'wedding rings' on social media. But on Tuesday a lawyer representing Bobbi's father released the following statement: 'We are currently investigating the events that led to the hospitalization of Bobbi Kristina.' 'To correct earlier reports, Bobbi Kristina is not and has never been married to Nick Gordon,' added Christopher Brown of Brown & Rosen LLC. Relations between Gordon and other family members have been rocky and he remains subject to a protective order barring him from being within 200 feet of Bobbi Kristina's aunt, Patricia Houston. | Authorities she may have ended up in the bathtub because of foul play .
TMZ reported the probe is focused on her partner Nick Gordon .
According to the site, police are looking into a possible altercation just hours before she was discovered on Saturday morning .
The pair are believed to have a history of domestic violence .
Reports suggest She could have been submerged for up to 15 minutes .
Her friend Max Lomas claims Gordon cleaned up blood from the scene in the aftermath of the incident . |
193,926 | 870a83743fa301ddae5ac656f0964b666d9546b2 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:15 EST, 11 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:47 EST, 11 July 2013 . The nuclear deterrent base in Scotland would be designated as sovereign United Kingdom territory under plans drawn up by the Ministry of Defence. The move comes amid warnings of the ‘enormous’ costs of trying to relocate the Trident missile system away from Faslane if Scotland breaks away from the rest of the UK. But David Cameron today moved to quash the idea, warning it was not a ‘credible or sensible’. One the move? One of the Royal Navy's Astute Class attack submarines sailing into the naval base on the Clyde . The future of Britain’s nuclear deterrent has become a key area of dispute in the run up to the referendum on Scottish independence next year. The submarines and missiles are housed at a naval base on the Clyde but the SNP wants rid of the system. Officials in Whitehall have been looking at alternatives to ensure Britain can maintain its at sea deterrent. Under the plan to reclassify Faslane, the base would be given the same status as the British sovereign military bases in Cyprus, the Guardian reported. A defence source said: ‘It would cost a huge amount of money, running into tens of billions of pounds, to decommission Faslane. Warning: Downing Street made clear that David Cameron did not think the plan was sensible . ‘Those costs would be factored into any negotiations on an independence settlement. The sovereign base area is an option. It is an interesting idea because the costs of moving out of Faslane are eye-wateringly high.’ The government has always officially insisted it is not working on alternative options for siting Trident because it expects Scots to vote to stay in the UK. Earlier this month Defence Secretary Philip Hammond warned that moving the base for the continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent would ‘cost a significant amount of money’. An MoD spokesman said: ‘No contingency plans are being made to move Trident out of Scotland. The scale and cost of any potential relocation away from Faslane would be enormous.’ However, Downing Street today insisted Mr Cameron would not support proposals to designate the Clydeside home of the Trident nuclear deterrent as sovereign United Kingdom territory. A Number 10 spokesman said that no such idea had been presented to Mr Cameron or to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, adding that it would not be a "credible or sensible" course of action. Scottish National Party defence spokesman Angus Robertson described the sovereign territory idea as ‘an extraordinary attempt by Westminster to bully Scotland’. Mr Robertson added: ‘Neither the people nor Parliament of Scotland want nuclear weapons dumped here, and we are clear that Trident would have to be removed as quickly as possible - only a Yes vote next September will empower Scotland to get rid of Trident, and the money saved will help build a fairer society and stronger economy. ‘A key argument for independence is that Scotland will no longer have to pay for nuclear weapons that we do not want. A No vote, by contrast, means a new generation of nuclear weapons on the Clyde for another 50 years.’ | Idea floated as a contingency if Scotland breaks away from the UK .
But Number 10 says it is not 'credible or sensible'
SNP accused Westminster of trying to bully Scotland . |
259,969 | dc9f16dcf6748aa78e3190c8c330e9291503f12d | By . Sebastian Shakespeare . Soon after Cressida Bonas attended her first official engagement with Prince Harry, shadowy ‘royal sources’ were quick to dampen expectations that it signalled an engagement announcement. However, I hear that the couple’s relationship has taken a more serious turn. ‘There is a family gathering to discuss an engagement,’ claims a member of Cressida’s large extended clan. ‘The announcement will be sooner than many people think.’ Scroll down for video . Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas at an event at Wembley Arena. A source close to Cressida claims the couple will be married and the announcement will be made 'sooner than many people think' While the secretive couple arrived to events separately in the past, at Wembley Arena they arrived together and were pictured cuddling in the crowd . One of the 25-year-old dancer’s close friends tells me: ‘Harry and Cressida will be married. It is all going ahead. It is just a matter of time.’ The daughter of aristocratic Sixties model Lady Mary Gaye Curzon and businessman Jeffrey Bonas was photographed cuddling up to Harry last month at the WE Day UK youth event at Wembley Arena, where he gave the keynote speech. While the couple have been secretive in the past, arriving separately at parties, this time they were happy to be photographed cuddling and displaying open signs of affection. The next day, she accompanied him to Twickenham to watch England play rugby. A source at Balmoral told me recently that the Prince was planning to take Cressida to the Queen’s Scottish retreat this summer. It would be her first visit and likely to involve a meeting with Her Majesty. ‘It is the talk of the estate,’ I was told. Prince Harry leaving at Arts Club after a boy's night out two days ago (left), while Cressida attends an Imax premier along with Princess Eugenie and her boyfriend Jack Brooksbank (right) The couple were also pictured together the next day gazing into each others eyes at Twickenham . According to a source, Cressida was initially reluctant to marry into Royalty, but has come around to the idea . Visits to the Queen’s 49,000-acre home in the Highlands are a rite of passage for any royal bride-to-be. Kate Middleton and her parents were invited to join Prince William on a private shooting party at Balmoral in October 2010. William and Kate’s engagement was announced the following month. Last October, Cressida was reported to have overcome her fears about marrying into the Royal Family. ‘Cressie is going to marry Harry,’ one of her friends told a broadsheet newspaper. ‘Harry never stops talking about marriage and children, and she’s now got used to the idea. The wedding is likely to take place next year.’ Cressida is thought to be visiting Balmoral this summer with Harry, a rite of passage for any future Royal bride. Kate holidayed there with William in 2010 and the marriage was announced a month afterwards . | Royal sources have downplayed the idea of another Royal wedding .
However a source close to Cressida says marriage is on the cards .
Member of Cressida's clan: 'Announcement sooner than people think'
Close friend: 'Harry and Cressida will be married. It is a matter of time.'
Cressida thought to be visiting Balmoral this summer. In 2010 Kate holidayed at Scottish castle before announcing engagement to William . |
232,991 | b9a5f4d54e37b8d9ee4144933f91cb766d3fb758 | A short-sighted woman is suing high street optical chain Optical Express for £1million claiming that laser surgery ruined her dream of becoming a policewoman. Stephanie Holloway, 28, spent £2,900 to improve her vision because her poor eyesight was preventing her from fulfilling her ambition to join the police, a court heard. But the procedure went disastrously wrong and has left her so sensitive to light she has to wear sun glasses in the shower, it was claimed. Scroll down for video . Stephanie Holloway (left) with her mother Heather Brace is suing Optical Express, as well as the surgeon who carried out the operation, Dr Joanna McGraw (right) She wears dark-tinted glasses almost all the time and her mother has to act as her guide when she goes outdoors, Central London County Court heard. She is suing DMC Optical Ltd, the company behind high street laser surgery chain, Optical Express, as well as the surgeon who carried out the operation, Dr Joanna McGraw. Her lawyers value her damages for pain, suffering and loss of earnings at £1million. Nicholas Yell, Miss Holloway's barrister, told the judge she was 21 and working as a buyer for an antiquarian books dealer when she decided to have the photo-refractive keratectomy procedure at the Southampton branch of Optical Express. Over the last few years, laser eye surgery has become a mainstream treatment for poor eyesight. A whole host of celebrities, including Cilla Black, Spice Girl Mel B, Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt, have had the operation. Laser eye surgery works by removing tissue from the cornea to change its shape. There are different types of laser eye surgery but LASIK - which stands for Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis - is the most common. The procedure involves applying anaesthetic drops, after which a small flap is made on the surface of the cornea using a hand-held femtosecond laser device. The vast majority of operations pass off with no ill-effects. There are many advantages: there is little or no pain, recovery is quick and both eyes can be treated at once. However, the cutting of the flap requires skill and in one to four per cent of cases, this can cause problems. The flap can be damaged or even lost; stray particles can get trapped under the flap; there is a minor risk of infection; there is even a small risk of penetration of the eye by the very fine surgical blade used to cut the flap, which could potentially cause blindness. The other problem is that, apart from being a doctor, no specialist qualifications are legally required to carry out laser eye surgery. He said: 'The procedure was intended to improve or correct her myopia. She wanted to join the police force.' Mr Yell said she was left with severe photophobia by the laser procedure in February 2008, which is an extreme sensitivity to bright light. It means she has to wear dark glasses the majority of the time. He added: 'She is in a considerably worse position than before treatment and is visually disabled.' He also said she had developed clinical depression as a result. Mr Yell went on to say there was a failure by Dr McGraw to properly explain the treatment to Miss Holloway and warn her of the risks. From the witness box, Miss Holloway, of Lee-on-Solent, in Hampshire, said she had lost her job in the antique books trade and could not find alternative employment because her vision was so impaired. She said: 'I was in a good position in my life. I loved to read and I loved to look at art. I was unaware of the risks and I was never told of any of the risks.' She went to explain that, post surgery, her eyes were so bad she couldn't cook for fear of burning herself and needed help to go outside and dress herself. But, Simon Cridland, representing Optical Express, put to Miss Holloway that she was clearly warned by Dr McGraw she risked being left with 'a very bad result' because of the type of eyes she had. He also claimed that Miss Holloway was exaggerating her post-operative visual difficulties. The hearing involving laser surgery that went wrong is being heard at Central London County Court, sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice (above) 'You were able to see sufficiently well in 2011, and now, to dress yourself,' Mr Cridland said, accusing her 'putting it on' and 'grossly exaggerating' her problems. Mr Cridland told the judge that video surveillance evidence 'entirely contradicted' her claims about the extent of her visual disability. Outside court, Miss Holloway's mother, Heather Brace, said: 'The laser eye surgery business is not properly regulated and anybody can walk in off the streets like my daughter and have their life ruined. 'Of course accidents happen, but people need to know the risks.' The hearing continues. | Stephanie Holloway, 28, spent £2,900 on laser surgery to improve her vision .
She wanted better eyesight so that she could join the police force .
But it went wrong and she now has to wear sun glasses in the shower .
She is suing Optical Express for £1million saying she was not told of risks .
But they say she was warned and was 'grossly exaggerating' her problems . |
164,563 | 60d0272d91c77cf86be54bfd2a8c8d74dea595a8 | A worrying study has revealed that annual total of gun deaths in the United States is catching up with the number who are killed in car crashes. The report published in the Annual Review of Public Health compares a number of figures, including traffic deaths as well as suicides and homicides involving a firearm. The total of those killed in a vehicle is still higher than those who die by a gun shot, but the gap between the figures is narrowing substantially and in 13 states it has already been overtaken. In California, Arizona, Montana, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and Colorado, the number of deaths by guns is higher than those killed by a car. Scroll down for video . A graph published in the Annual Review of Public Health reveals that gun deaths in the United States are getting gradually closer to those killed in car crashes . States on the west coast generally had a larger number of deaths resulting from gun violence or suicide than the total killed while in a vehicle . The study also highlights that there are far more firearm suicides than homicides . However in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Utah, gun suicides alone exceed the total in traffic deaths. According to the study titled The Epidemiology of Firearm Violence in the Twenty-First Century United States, these deaths cost the economy approximately $164.6 billion in 2010, around 1.1 per cent of the US GDP for that year. The suicide rate in Montana was 8.5 times that in New Jersey while the homicide rate in Louisiana was 9.5 times that in New Hampshire. However states with high rates of firearm homicide did not necessarily have had high rates of firearm suicide. Instead, states with both the highest and lowest rates of firearm suicide were among those with low rates of firearm homicide. Low-suicide, low-homicide states tended to be in New England whereas high-suicide, low-homicide states tended to lie in the rural Northwest. This graph highlights the correlation between suicides and homicides for every state. For example The suicide rate in Montana was 8.5 times that in New Jersey while the homicide rate in Louisiana was 9.5 times that in New Hampshire . States with both high-suicide and high-homicide rates were generally in the Southeast. Firearms were used in 69.6 per cent of all homicides that year (74.2 per cent among men and 52.4 per cent among women) and 50.9 per cent of all suicides (56.4 per cent among men and 31.2 per cent among women, for whom firearms ranked second after poisoning). The findings are also broken down into demographics, highlighting a wide variation of those involved. For example suicides are the cause of far more deaths than homicides. The figures peak for victims in their mid-twenties and gradually increase with age. Homicides on the other hand are more likely to kill people in their late teens and early twenties with the numbers going down with age. These figures show that gun-related homicides are more likely to involve people in their late teens and early twenties while decreasing with age, whereas firearm suicides increase gradually from a high point of people in their mid-twenties . Black males were revealed as the demographic most likely to be involved in a firearm-related homicide . The trend was the same when it came to women. However the scale is much smaller with just over seven deaths per 100,000 due to gun homicide whereas in men it is around 90 for every 100,000 . Young black men are the demographic with the highest rate of gun-related homicides while older white males have the highest rate when it comes to killing themselves with a gun. There is a similar trend for women. Firearm homicide death rates peak among black men and women ages 20 to 24.However there is a vast difference in the scale. Among black males that age, the rate is nearly 90 deaths per 100,000 people, while for black females, the rate is closer to seven deaths per 100,000. The author Garen J. Wintemute concludes that, despite the shocking figures, the trend of gun deaths has remained stable for the past decade. Homicides are decreasing but suicides are on the up. In 2012, 64 per cent . The summary reads: 'Further research on the nature and prevention of firearm violence is sorely needed. Fortunately President Obama has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to resume its work in the field. 'Evidence-based interventions may lead to substantial reductions in death and disability from this important public health problem.' This shows that white men are more likely to be involved in a firearm suicide and the number of deaths increases with age . White females are also more likely to kill themselves using a gun, however the total peaks with women in their late-40s to early-50s and then declines . This bar chart reveals that the United States is far ahead of other countries in the world when it comes to gun-related deaths, whether that is suicide or homicide. In comparison, the country has low levels of violence as a result of assault . | Report published in this year's Annual Review of Public Health .
In 13 states, gun deaths are already exceeding those killed in cars .
The rate of suicides alone is greater in five of those states .
Has been caused by a steady decline in the number of vehicle deaths .
Number of suicides is on the rise but homicides are declining .
Gun deaths cost the economy roughly $164.6 billion (1.1% of the GDP)
United States has a higher number of deaths by firearms than any other industrialized nation in the world . |
281,808 | f90db18f551d2ce6888efdb76b4966ece59b62c1 | Tottenham's Emmanuel Adebayor has blasted Yaya Toure and his Ivory Coast team-mates for trying to be heroes rather than playing together. The Togolese striker was hugely critical of a squad brimming with Premier League stars including Kolo Toure, Cheick Tiote and Wilfried Bony, as well as former Premier League stars Didier Drogba and Gervinho. 'I never trust them. They are the country that will always let you down,' said Adebayor speaking to Ghana SoccerNet. Let down: Emmanuel Adebayor (below) has blasted the Ivory Coast for not playing together . Blast: The Spurs striker said the team need to play together and not all try and be heroes . He added: 'How come for the last four or five years have they not won the African Cup of Nations? They have got the best striker in Europe in Didier Drogba. They have got the best midfielder today, Yaya Toure. You’ve got one of the best strikers in the league today, Wilfried Bony. You have all of those players. 'But the thing is, are they going to be collective enough? I don’t know. I am not an Ivorian. They will be talking, laughing and enjoying themselves but when the time comes, they will forget about their job.' Adebayor rates Nigeria's chances as the best among the five African nations, because they have the best 'concentration', while Ghana, whose squad is full of European players, much like the Ivory Coast, are over-reliant on Asamoah Gyan. Individual: Ivory Coast have not won the Africa Cup of Nations since 1992 despite having a number of stars . Best chance: Adebayor believes Nigeria have the best chance in Brazil because they are the most organised . Continuing his Ivory Coast criticism, Adebayor added: 'There’s no togetherness. Everyone wants to be the hero. 'Everybody wants to be the one to finish on a high so the folks remember them for what I have done, not for what we have done as a generation, nor for what we have done as team. 'Everyone wants to be like a hero and that is what is killing Ivory Coast.' | Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor has blasted Yaya Toure and the Ivory Coast for 'always letting you down' at the World Cup .
He said he 'never trusts' the Elephants to do well at the World Cup .
Adebayor says the team do not play together and forget about their jobs .
The Togolese predicts Nigeria will do the best of the five African teams in Brazil . |
16,406 | 2e8dc25ce05225fb30be93dcd85baf1349256570 | Half a point. That’s all it was. World No 1, and world No 3, played as a team over 36 holes. Half a point. Yet somehow, in the dwindling light of day one at Gleneagles, it felt almost like a win. Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia were the Ryder Cup’s marquee pairing. They were Paul McGinley’s banker, without equal in either team on current form. Yet standing on the 17th tee, they were two down with two to play, having already lost their morning session. Garcia was staring at the worst day of his life as a Ryder Cup player. He had been sent out morning and afternoon on nine previous occasions and had never drawn a blank. Now it was a real possibility. Rory McIlroy (right) and Sergio Garcia celebrate with a high five as the pair salvage half a point on Friday . Sergio Garcia (right) and Rory McIlroy managed to salvage half a point for Europe against their USA opponents . Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia weren't at their best for Europe as they took just half a point against USA . This shows why starting right is always a good idea! His shot at 17 was reasonable, then, but not exceptional. It made the green of the 194-yard par three, but with plenty left. Right to left, hole on a different tier. McIlroy, now playing the alternate shot, had it all to do. And, frankly, McIlroy hadn’t been doing much all day. He drained it. Possibly the putt of the day, due to its complexity. Dead centre, too. So Europe were still in the game, heading down the last. McIlroy, buoyed, took out his new prototype driver. The Nike Vapor. So called, one might suspect, because it had been a steaming nuisance all afternoon. And it was again. Yet it was US captain Tom Watson who said that golf was not meant to be a fair game, and here was proof of it. McIlroy went savagely right, but good fortune intervened, gave him a handy rebound off a pine tree and a lie for Garcia that was far better than deserved. He played his best shot of the round, perhaps of the day, a three-wood out of the rough to the back off the green. McIlroy sprinted across the fairway to celebrate. America, meanwhile, found sand at the front. They bogeyed, Europe got down in two to win the hole and the game was halved. Viewed dispassionately it was a poor return from Europe’s strongest pairing. In that moment, however, it was the catalyst for much rejoicing. When Phil Mickelson, five times a major winner, begins checking his green maps while standing over a three foot putt, it is fair to assume he is feeling a little tense. Even on the first morning of the first day, the Ryder Cup has that effect. It is no respecter of reputations, of grand slams, of world rankings. It plays by different rules. It makes heroes of less than stratospheric talents like Ian Poulter, and fools of all-time greats like Tiger Woods. So, really, the thought that McIlroy and Garcia would sweep all before them simply because they are better than just about everyone else here, is bunkum. Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia were in buoyant mood on Friday evening after the day's play had ended . Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia joke around in a Friday evening press conference after the day's play had ended . 7.35am: Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson v Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar . 7.50am: Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood v Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan . 8.05am: Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer v Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth . 8.20am: Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter v Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler . CLICK HERE FOR SPORTSMAIL'S VERDICTS OF SATURDAY'S EUROPE VS USA PAIRINGS . Sure enough, while Garcia turned the air blue on the 15th tee, he did not have the same impact on the board. Europe are in the box seat, leading 5-3 after day one, but McIlroy and Garcia’s contribution was as small as it could be. They lost the morning fourball to Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, halved the foursome with Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker. So much for the dream team, then. McIlroy was largely ineffectual, Garcia erratic. Even when put in good positions he failed to take advantage, and he left McIlroy in trouble too many times to mention. The 15th, when Garcia’s language captured his feelings as emotively as his grim visage, was a case in point. With the pair’s second shot, McIlroy could do no more than bludgeon the ball back onto the fairway. In his head, he was perhaps uttering a few colourful phrases of his own. If there was a hangover from the morning session, it was perhaps understandable. European golfers no longer choke on the last hole in Ryder Cups. At Medinah two years ago, 12 matches went down the 18th and Europe collected nine-and-a-half points from those encounters. So when Mickelson sank his tiddler winning putt after neither of Europe’s prime partnership had reached a par-five green in regulation three, it would have sent a disturbing and unfamiliar shiver through the home camp. Garcia had chipped worryingly from rough into a bunker, but by then McGinley had already named his pairings for the foursomes, with both men retained as a team. Had they bombed a second time it would have felt like a tactical error, even if Europe would still have had their noses in front. Sergio Garcia swings during Friday morning's defeat against USA's Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson . Rory McIlroy finds himself in a corner during Europe's loss to USA's Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson . Europe started Friday morning frustratingly but managed to claw their way back to earn a two-point lead . Without doubt, McGinley was looking to this duo as standard-bearers. Yet, largely, the standard was poor. Mickelson and Bradley were hardly bringing their A game either, as evidenced by their foursomes defeat later in the day. So the morning fourball was definitely a game Europe could have won had McIlroy, in particular, delivered even an approximation of the ability that has taken him to the pinnacle of golf’s rankings. Instead, America were allowed to clean up at the death. Europe led by a hole coming away from the 15th, but Bradley eagled the 16th and Mickelson did the rest. ‘Find McIlroy and break him,’ was the instruction of Paul Azinger, the last American captain to win the Ryder Cup — and the afternoon session showed how close Tom Watson’s players came to doing that. At the very least, it is hard to see how Garcia and McIlroy could have remained together at any stage on Saturday had they drawn a duck egg from close to 12 hours of golf on Friday. Not that Mickelson and Bradley are a weak unit. By the end of the morning session, they had become the first American pair since Larry Nelson and Lanny Wadkins in 1979 to win four Ryder Cup games straight. Yet the golf played on Friday did not have to be from the stars. High afternoon winds and higher anxiety saw to that and anyone expecting a masterclass from players of such pedigree would have left this corner of Perthshire sorely disappointed. Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy will not be paired for Saturday morning's fourballs in the 2014 Ryder Cup . AFTERNOON FOURSOMES SCORES . 1315: Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood vs Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar - Europe 2UP after 18 . 1330: Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson vs Hunter Mahan and Zach Johnson - Europe win 2&1 . 1421: Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia vs Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler - A/S after 18 . 1436: Victor Dubuisson and Graeme McDowell vs Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley - Europe win 3&2 . MORNING FOURBALLS SCORES . 0735: Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson vs Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson - Europe win 5&4 . 0750: Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer vs Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker - A/S after 18 . 0805: Stephen Gallacher and Ian Poulter vs Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed - USA win 5&4 . 0820: Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy vs Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson - USA 1UP after 18 . Far from an exhibition, the morning session in particular was more of a dust-up, a bundle in the playground. The match fluctuated because the performances fluctuated, and wildly. McIlroy played the first hole like the world No 1, and the second like a player 500 places his inferior. He made precious few interventions worthy of his reputation, winning the 13th and 15th holes, to take the game from two down to all square, but on both occasions with straightforward pars to American bogeys. Perhaps this was why, with so many great players struggling to find form, the residue of the last few days was forgotten. There was none of the predicted needle left over from the phoney war of words that invariably precedes this event. Was McIlroy still smarting over Mickelson’s jibe about his legal complications? It did not look like it. On the short buggy ride up to the ninth tee, the pair shared a back seat and Mickelson put his arm around the shoulders of his young rival, laughing. McIlroy smiled back. They were both probably in need of consolation at that point. The Ryder Cup does that to people. Unlike McIlroy and Garcia, as a contest, it does not do things by halves. Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy watch Phil Mickelson putt on the 18th hole to secure victory for the USA . Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia won't be paired on Saturday morning on day two of the 2014 Ryder Cup . Rory McIlroy wrote on Twitter that he thought it was a great afternoon session for the European team . | Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia take just half a point from the opening day .
Europe's Garcia and McIlroy lost to USA's Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson in the fourballs morning session on Friday .
Duo ended all square against Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler in foursomes .
McIlroy paired with Ian Poulter for Saturday's fourballs against USA's Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler on day two of the 2014 Ryder Cup .
Europe take a two-point lead into Saturday's play against USA . |
117,153 | 2342b4fb0b61360a1d4550931c257e691b1b8259 | A South African preacher made his congregation eat grass to 'be closer to God' before stamping on them. Under the instruction of Pastor Lesego Daniel of Rabboni Centre Ministries dozens of followers dropped to the floor to eat the grass at his ministry in Garankuwa, north of Pretoria after being told it will 'bring them closer to God.' His controversial methods have drawn criticism from thousands of people although members of his congregation swear by his methods - he is said to have claimed that humans can eat anything to feed their bodies and survive on whatever they choose to eat. A South African preacher made his congregation eat grass to 'be closer to God' before stamping on them . Under the instruction of Pastor Lesego Daniel of Rabboni Centre Ministries dozens of followers dropped to the floor to eat the grass at his ministry in Garankuwa, north of Pretoria . One woman claimed eating the grass stopped her having a sore throat, while another said it healed her after a stroke . The congregation were told eating the grass will 'bring them closer to God' The pastor's actions during the service prompted a series of online complaints . 'Yes, we eat grass and we're proud of it because it demonstrates that, with God's power, we can do anything,' Rosemary Phetha told South Africa's Times Live. The 21-year-old law student says she had been battling a sore throat for more than a year, but it was healed after she ate the grass. Doreen Kgatle, 27, of Ga-rankuwa, suffered a stroke two years ago. 'I could not walk but soon after . eating the grass, as the pastor had ordered, I started gaining strength . and an hour later I could walk again,' said Kgatle. Photos . on the Rabboni Centre Ministries Facebook page show the followers . eating the grass as well as Mr Daniel walking across them as they spread . out on the floor. Photos . that follow show dozens of people getting sick in the toilets - an image . of the bathrooms show women clutching their stomach, while the men are . vomiting in the sink. The pastor's actions during the service prompted a series of online complaints. Photos that follow show dozens of people getting sick . An image of the bathrooms show women clutching their stomach, while the men are vomiting in the sink . One . outraged commentator said 'Is this a scene in a movie...this can't be . real. God created animals to chew grass and made human beings to . dominate over animals. Any person who reduces human beings to animals is . definitely not of God.' While another person wrote: 'Why is he stepping on people? This is inhumane. Shocking.' The Times Live reported that during a service of at least 1,000 people in a marquee Daniel screamed 'sleep' and six people went to sleep. He ordered other congregants to slap and trample on them, tut the sleepers remain rigid and unresponsive until he ordered them to wake up. 'You can leave them like this for six months. I love this, I don't want to be bored. You can even make police go to sleep when they come to arrest you,' he said. Although Daniel has not responded to the backlash yesterday he posted on Facebook: 'God is at work and His people are testifying right now st the farm. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.' Although the pastor has not responded to the backlash he posted on Facebook yesterday: 'God is at work and His people are testifying right now' | Carried out under instruction of Pastor Lesego Daniel in Garankuwa .
Claimed that humans can eat anything to feed their bodies .
Photos that follow show dozens of people getting sick in the toilets . |
148,808 | 4c6df39f72409bae8be7b9c11b1cdc2b68b05354 | By . Bianca London . It was a stylish yet sombre affair at St. George's Church in London this afternoon as fashion's most powerful figures celebrated the life of the late Beatrix Miller. Beatrix, who passed away aged 90 in February, was editor of British Vogue between 1964-1986. Today's guests included American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, current British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, supermodel Twiggy, designer Jasper Conran and Bianca Jagger. Memorial: Anna Wintour attends a memorial service for former British Vogue Editor Beatrix Miller at St George's Church, who died aged 90 in February 2014 and was the editor of British Vogue from 1964 to 1986 . Other attendees included legendary photographers Terry O'Neill and Mario Testino. Miss Miller, as she was known to her employees, was born on in 1923 and began her journalistic career at The Queen, a British society magazine, where she started out as a secretary and worked her way up features editor. She relocated to New York in 1956, and joined Vogue as a copywriter. Fashionable friends: Current Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, left, who says she looks back to Miller's work for inspiration, attended the event, as well as supermodel Twiggy, right . Good friend: Grace Coddington, centre, creative director of American Vogue, dressed in a casual black outfit for the event . Later, in 1958, she returned to The Queen as editor - revamping it and transforming it into a glossy magazine aimed at young women, rather than the older socialites who had previously made up the readership. She landed the role of editor of British Vogue in 1964, where she worked tirelessly. The proof was in her final issue of the magazine; the largest ever at 470 pages. Miss Miller never married and her employees said she dedicated her life to Vogue. She retired in 1984 and joined forces with Terence Conran and Jean Muir to establish a think tank, which linked the government and fashion industry. Roll call of fashion's most famous faces: Bianca Jagger, former model and ex-wife of Mick Jagger, left, and Welsh designer Jasper Conran, right, also made an appearance . Her favourite snappers: Renowned fashion photographers Terry O'Neill, left, and Mario Testino, arrived at St. George's . Colourful outfit: Zandra Rhodes, CBE, English fashion designer, ensured all eyes were on her at the event, left, and Nicky Haslam, interior designer and socialite also made an appearance . She died on 21 February 2014. Opera director Patrick Kinmonth wrote for Vogue in her memory: 'Her permanent influence hangs over all of us like the smoke from her cigarettes: a strange and fascinating cocktail of intimidating school matron, hyper-dignified spinster, brilliant and imaginative headmistress, all electrified by a low threshold of boredom, a genuinely acute literary mind, and an almost total lack of interest and confidence in her own appearance. Legend: Miss Miller, as she was known to her employees, was born on in 1923 and began her journalistic career at The Queen, a British society magazine, where she worked as a secretary . 'But when she laughed her rare, shy, intimate, genuine laugh, she could be utterly captivating, even if her hair gave her grief and she had no interest in personally dressing the part of Vogue.' Current Vogue editor, Alexandra Shulman, added: 'I often look back at her Vogues for inspiration and of course because, like myself, her career was rooted in journalism not fashion. 'I find the most wonderful articles alongside the fashion images, so many of which are now so famous. She saw Vogue as a chronicler of a particular world and she did a wonderful job.' Finding fame: Her journalistic coup came when she landed the role of editor of British Vogue in 1964, where she worked tirelessly. The proof was in her final issue of the magazine; the largest ever at 470 pages . | Beatrix Miller died in February .
Was editor of Vogue between 1964-1986 .
Jasper Conran, Bianca Jagger and Mario Testino also attended . |
89,406 | fdc6cfd0d81f28d93f10bfa1c5e1b04e94f7e31d | (CNN) -- I'm proud to be Ukrainian. Born in America and raised in a bilingual home, pierogies, borscht and pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) were all staples in my life. So was Ukrainian school -- where I was taught history, culture, literature and grammar every Saturday morning for 13 years -- and Ukrainian scouts and Ukrainian dancing. It is nearly impossible to separate me from the culture. And I would never want that. That's what makes it so hard to see the images of escalating violence on TV among the Ukrainian people -- with whom I feel such a connection. To many of them, the protests are fueled by memories of Soviet control and fears that Russia will use its economic pressure to pull Ukraine back into its orbit. The oppression of the Soviet system is why my father fled the country 75 years ago, when he was only 18. He loved Ukraine but escaped Soviet rule to build a new life in America. Transplanting that Ukrainian identity into Parma, Ohio, was not always easy. And growing up in the Midwest, when I would tell someone I was Ukrainian, I was often met with a confused look. That was generally followed by, "So you speak Russian?" I can't blame them for making that assumption. After all, Ukraine was the second biggest country in the USSR. But there was no particular pride in that: Hatred of the Soviets runs deep among many Ukrainians. For my father, the flight from Ukraine -- with his two brothers, sister, father and mother -- was dangerous and difficult. He made his way to America via Germany during World War II. He survived the bombing of Dresden, and his family got separated. They eventually found each other once they all landed safely in the United States, but for a frightened interval, they had no idea whether the others were alive or dead. My sister, brother and I grew up riveted by my father's and uncle's stories about dodging the authorities to escape. My father told of avoiding soldiers as he walked among the dead after the bombing in Dresden; they had shoot-to-kill orders for anyone who might be looting. It was like listening to a live thriller or spy novel. My father may not have spoken English when he arrived in America, but he was determined. He mastered the language and went on to become a chief financial officer of Cardinal Federal Savings & Loan in Cleveland. He dreamed of the day Ukraine would become independent, as did my mother -- a Ukrainian born in America. Both died before they could see it. But I saw it. And in 1992, I traveled to the country on a Teach English program sponsored by a Ukrainian organization. It was a time when Ukraine was like the Wild West. The country had just elected a new president and was newly independent -- but many didn't really know what that meant. When I arrived in Kiev, I assumed everyone would speak Ukrainian and that I would fit right in. I was mistaken, as many spoke Russian. More alarming to me was when I realized I didn't know who to ask for help in finding a telephone. In America, it was easy. You just ask a cop. In Ukraine, there were many different uniforms -- not so easy. (Hint: Ask the old lady, or babushka -- works every time.) One thing was crystal clear: There was a thirst for the West. After years of oppression, my students wanted to learn everything they could from me about America. One young girl even said her dream was to go to Disneyland (whose isn't?) As a "homeland journey," for me it was at times a surreal experience. I was suddenly seeing all the things I had only learned about in books. (Swimming in the Black Sea was not something you just dreamed about in Ukrainian school!) Even more precious was when my sister and I traveled to Ivano-Frankivsk, the city of my family. My sister and I saw the school where our grandfather taught and the pond where our father and his siblings went skating. That my father and his family could leave such a place -- leave behind everything they knew -- and make a courageous leap of faith into a new country where they could not even speak the language filled me with admiration. I have never felt more grateful to them for making that trek as when I met some local Ukrainians who said they wished their families had done what mine did. That's when it really hit me that I could leave that country, but their lives were going to be much more difficult. As I watch the violent and deadly protests from afar, I think now about all these people. I see in the Ukrainians locked in confrontation the same national pride with which I was raised. They no longer want to leave. They want to have a strong independent nation. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Catherine Tymkiw. | Catherine Tymkiw is a proud Ukrainian-American, raised in traditions of parents' homeland .
Father fled Soviet oppression with family, settled in Midwest, instilled in her Ukrainian pride .
It's hard for her to see violence in Kiev, where protesters fear growing Russian influence .
Tymkiw, who visited Ukraine after independence, says nation today just wants to be free . |
203,155 | 930235c7d8fdc39837897e4aeffb8df63d154ff9 | When boxer Shannon Briggs barged in on Wladimir Klitschko's meal, it ended in humiliating fashion - with a glass of water over the head. Klitschko, 38, was tucking in to a bowl of food at an Italian restaurant in Miami, Florida when Briggs, who hopes to take on the Ukrainian in a title fight, arrived uninvited. Scroll down for video . Flashpoint: Wladimir Klitschko, left, takes matters into his own hands by pouring water over Shannon Briggs, right, after the 42-year-old had started eating his food . The 42-year-old was then filmed saying: 'What's up champ? I told you champ, wherever you go I go, champ. What you do I do, champ. I train champ, you train champ. Let’s fight, champ. In video footage of the incident, taken by an onlooker at the restaurant, Briggs then sits down opposite the current WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO champion before grabbing his food and eating some of it. 'What you eat I eat,' he is heard saying as he starts to eat Klitschko's food. 'I told you, everything you do I do. Thanks, champ.' Humiliation: A man wearing a yellow T-shirt arrives and grabs Shannon Briggs, left, before the boxer slips over, right, amid chaotic scenes in the Italian restaurant . At first, Klitschko appears calm and starts to pour himself some water. But seconds later, he can be seen tipping the contents over his rival's head, sparking chaotic scenes. Briggs then appears to knock the glass from his hand before knocking the food from the table, shouting: 'You pour water on my head? You pour water on my head?' A large man can then be seen arriving and grabbing Briggs, pushing him out of the restaurant. In the . struggle, Briggs loses his footing and slips over while his would-be . opponent in the ring looks at his hand as if it had been injured during . the clash. According to Fightnews.com, Briggs suffered a cut hand and foot. It . was the second time in a fortnight that Briggs had confronted . Klitschko. He recently squared up to the Ukrainian while he was at a gym . in South Florida and challenged him to a fight. Shannon Briggs, left, crashed into a news conference involving Wladimir Klitschko, right, in April demanding a title fight . Wladimir Klitschko, pictured training in Austria, poured a glass of water over Shannon Briggs in the latest clash involving the pair . Muscle man: Shannon Briggs has made repeated demands for a title fight against Wladimir Klitschko . Coupled: Hayden Panettiere and Wladimir Klitschko attend the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Menswear Fashion Week Spring Summer 2014 . In April, Briggs crashed into a news conference involving Vladimir Klitschko demanding a title bout. Not only is Klitschko heralded for his fighting, he's got his own collection of famous friends and family in tow. Klitschko is engaged to Hollywood actress, model, and singer Hayden Panettiere. Rumor has it that the couple of two years has a baby on the way. The 24-year-old blonde Nashville star flashed her baby bump on vacation in Sardinia in late June. Another little known fact is that Klitschko comes from a political family and his brother Vitali Klitschko is a Ukranian politiciant and the current mayor of Kiev. Like his brother, Vitali was once a heavyweight champion and he holds the second best knockout-to-fight ratio of any champion in heavyweight boxing history. Brothers: Ukrainian presidential candidate Vitali Klitschko is pictured on a screen during a discussion panel in Paderborn, Germany . | Video shows Briggs eating some of the heavyweight champion's food after turning up uninvited to a Miami restaurant .
Klitschko then pours water over former champion's head sparking chaos .
Drama between the boxers as caught on video as it unfolded .
Briggs wants title fight and the pair have already clashed at a gym . |
193,183 | 861a7f5980cd624ca67e4cd01ed1de275ffdfaaf | (CNN) -- With 25 million people in its path, Super Typhoon Haiyan -- one of the strongest storms recorded on the planet -- smashed into the Philippines on Friday morning. As the storm plowed across the cluster of islands in the heart of the country, casualties were reported, more than 100,000 people took shelter in evacuation centers and hundreds of flights were canceled. The storm brought tremendously powerful winds roaring ashore as it made landfall in the province of Eastern Visayas, disrupting communications with a major city in its path. With sustained winds of 315 kph (195 mph) and gusts as strong as 380 kph (235 mph), Haiyan was probably the strongest tropical cyclone to hit land anywhere in the world in recorded history. It will take further analysis after the storm passes to establish whether it is a record. As the monster storm spun toward the Philippines on Thursday, President Benigno S. Aquino III warned the nation that it faced a "calamity." Category 5 strength . Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, appeared to retain much of its terrifying force as it moved west over the country, with sustained winds of 295 kph, gusts as strong as 360 kph. Haiyan's wind strength makes it equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. Video footage from on the ground in the Philippines showed howling winds bending palm trees and whipping debris down deserted streets. Gov. Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte, a province in Eastern Visayas, said Friday morning that "all roads" were impassable because of fallen trees. He said it was too soon to gauge the level of devastation caused by Haiyan. "We don't know the extent of the damage," Mercaod said. "We are trying to estimate this. We are prepared, but this is really a wallop." The typhoon was forecast to churn across the central Philippines during Friday and part of Saturday before exiting into the South China Sea. The storm is expected to weaken slightly as it moves across land, but forecasters predict that it will maintain super typhoon intensity throughout its passage over the islands. A super typhoon has surface winds that sustain speeds of more than 240 kph for at least a minute, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Haiyan is so large in diameter that clouds from it are affecting two-thirds of the country, which stretches more than 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles). Tropical-storm-force winds are extending 240 kilometers from the typhoon's center. iReport: Heavy rains as Philippines braces for typhoon . 'Very real danger' The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Friday that one person had been confirmed dead as a result of the storm in the eastern province of Surigao del Sur. Authorities in Cebu said they were unable to establish whether a woman who was hit by a falling coconut tree in the north of the province was dead or injured. Neil Sanchez, a provincial disaster management official, said authorities had lost contact with the town where the incident happened. On Thursday morning, a day before the storm arrived, a 1-year-old child and another person died after they were hit by debris from a tornado in the southern province of Cotabato, authorities said. It was unclear whether the tornado was related to the approaching typhoon. Ahead of the typhoon's arrival, thousands of people had been relocated away from particularly vulnerable areas in Tacloban City, which is situated in a coastal area of the region that bore the initial brunt of the storm. Communications with Tacloban, which has a population of around 200,000, were disrupted after the typhoon struck. Video aired by CNN affiliate ABS-CBN showed streets in the city flooded with water and debris. In a speech Thursday, Aquino warned residents of the "calamity our countrymen will face in these coming days." "Let me repeat myself: This is a very real danger, and we can mitigate and lessen its effects if we use the information available to prepare," he said. Authorities have aircraft ready to respond, and officials have placed relief supplies in the areas that are expected to get hit, Aquino said. "The effects of this storm can be eased through solidarity," he said. Earthquake survivors vulnerable . Authorities have warned dozens of provinces across the country to be prepared for possible flash floods and landslides. About 125,000 people nationwide were moved to evacuation centers . Some of the most vulnerable people are those living in temporary shelters on the central Philippine island of Bohol. Last month, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the island, which lies close to the typhoon's predicted path. The quake killed at least 222 people, injured nearly 1,000 and displaced about 350,000, according to authorities. "This has been a quake hit area, for the past three weeks people are still experiencing aftershocks," said Aaron Aspi, a communications specialist in Bohol for the charity World Vision. "and at the same time these rains are giving them a really hard time." "Most of them are advised to evacuate to sturdy structures," he said. "But there are a few thousand displaced families in quake hit areas that are still staying in makeshift tents and now that the super typhoon is here it is really heart breaking to see them struggling." Aspi said many peoples' tents are drenched but they still too afraid to relocate to enclosed structures because of the aftershocks. Beach resort threatened . Another island in the storm's likely trajectory is the popular beach resort of Boracay. Some tourists there were cutting their vacations short to get away from the possible danger. Ross Evans, an aviation professional from Florida, said there was "a definite urgency and panic" among the long lines of holidaymakers waiting for boats to get off Boracay on Thursday. Speaking by phone before his flight to Manila took off, he said he felt "horrible" for those who may end up stuck in the storm's path. Evans said he and his travel companions, who are leaving the Philippines two days earlier than planned, "feel very fortunate to have the ability to make arrangements to be safe." Situated near an area of the Pacific Ocean where tropical cyclones form, the Philippines regularly suffers severe storm damage. An average of 20 typhoons hit the archipelagic nation every year, and several of those cause serious damage. In December, Typhoon Bopha wreaked widespread devastation on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. The storm, the most powerful to hit the country that year, is estimated to have killed as many as 1,900 people. CNN's Aliza Kassim, Karen Smith, Elwyn Lopez, Judy Kwon, Taylor Ward, Brandon Miller, Ivan Cabrera and Mari Ramos contributed to this report. | NEW: "This is really a wallop," says the governor of a typhoon-hit province .
NEW: Casualties are reported, but officials say it is too early to asses extent of damage .
The storm is one of the strongest ever observed .
People left homeless by a quake on Bohol island are among the most vulnerable . |
63,000 | b2f53eac1a52d02b254df8deee42670dd749799c | By . Associated Press . A widely-used germ-killing ingredient in soaps, deodorants and even toothpaste has been banned in Minnesota over fears that the chemical has a negative effect on users health and the environment. Governor Mark Dayton on Friday signed a bill to make Minnesota the first state to prohibit the use of triclosan in most retail consumer hygiene products. Triclosan is used in an estimated 75 per cent of anti-bacterial liquid soaps and body washes sold across the United States, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The federal agency announced last year that it would revisit the safety of triclosan and other germ-killing ingredients used in personal cleaning products. Making a move: Triclosan is used in an estimated 75 per cent of anti-bacterial liquid soaps and body washes sold across the United States but now Minnesota wants to ban its use . While triclosan hasn't been shown to be hazardous to humans, studies have raised concerns that it can disrupt hormones critical for reproduction and development, at least in lab animals, and contribute to the development of resistant bacteria. Action: Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill enacting the ban but it will not go into effect until 2017 . The Minnesota ban isn't due to take effect until January 1, 2017 but one of its lead sponsors, state senator John Marty, predicted Monday that the odds are good that most manufacturers will phase out triclosan by then anyway. Mr Marty, a Democrat, said other states and the federal government are likely to act, too. He added that some companies are already catching on that there's no marketing advantage to keeping triclosan in its products, citing how Procter & Gamble's Crest toothpaste is now marketing itself as triclosan-free. Critics including the FDA say there's no evidence that triclosan soaps are any more effective than washing with plain soap and water for preventing the spread of diseases. A University of Minnesota study published last year found increasing levels of triclosan in the sediments of several lakes, and that the chemical can break down in those waters into potentially harmful dioxins. Two months later, Dayton ordered all state agencies to stop buying hand soaps and dish and laundry cleaners containing triclosan. The American Cleaning Institute had urged Dayton to veto the new bill, saying triclosan has been thoroughly researched and shown to provide important health benefits. 'Instead of letting federal regulators do their jobs, the legislation would take safe, effective and beneficial products off the shelves of Minnesota grocery, convenience and drug stores,' Douglas Troutman, the trade group's vice president and counsel for governmental affairs, wrote in a letter to Dayton. ACI spokesman Brian Sansoni said Minnesota is the only state to enact a ban so far. He said it remains to be seen whether any individual manufacturers would go to the expense of reformulating their products just for the Minnesota market or simply stop selling them in the state. He said triclosan is an issue best regulated at the federal level. Key ingredient: While triclosan hasn't been shown to be hazardous to humans, studies have raised concerns that it can disrupt hormones critical for reproduction and development, at least in lab animals, and contribute to the development of resistant bacteria . Under an FDA rule proposed in December, manufacturers of anti-bacterial hand soaps and body washes would have to demonstrate that their products are safe for daily use, and more effective than plain soap and water. Otherwise, they would need to reformulate these products or remove anti-bacterial claims from the labels. The agency is still taking public comments on the proposal. Some manufacturers have announced plans over the last couple years to at least partially phase out triclosan. Procter & Gamble plans to finish dropping the chemical from its products this year. Johnson & Johnson plans to eliminate it from all its consumer products by 2015. | Triclosan is an chemical with antibiotic properties and is used in 75 per cent of all liquid soap and body washes .
No negative health effects have been proven for humans but lab testing hints that it could have detrimental effects on hormones and reproduction .
Certain products have already started advertising themselves as being triclosan-free .
Minnesota governor signed the bill into law but it won't go into effect until 2017 . |
247,013 | cba702be58ca4a8a5710f7ae350252857639dab2 | (CNN) -- England international footballer Steven Gerrard was found not guilty of affray by a court in his home city on Friday. England international Steven Gerrard was cleared by a court in Liverpool of affray. The jury at Liverpool Crown Court took a little over an hour to clear Gerrard of charges relating to a fracas in a nightclub bar in the north-western of England city on December 29 of last year. They accepted the Liverpool captain's version that he acted in self defense in punching businessman Marcus McGhee. The 29-year-old was the only one of the seven defendants in the case to be cleared after an incident which was described by judge Henry Globe as an "explosion of violence." Gerrard spoke of his relief outside the court. "Can I just say how pleased I am with today's verdict," he said. "I'm glad to put this case behind me and I am really looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating on my football now. "I would just like to say a big thank you to my legal team and to my friends and family and everyone at Liverpool football club for supporting me." His comments were met with a round of applause from a large group of fans of the Premier League club who had gathered outside the court, before he was ushered away. Gerrard was celebrating in the Lounge Inn in Southport, a suburb of Liverpool, after scoring twice his team's 5-1 win at Newcastle which took them to the top of the Premier League. Video footage, which was available to the court, showed the moment around 2.am in the morning when trouble flared. Gerrard apparently wanted to change the music on the CD player and the 34-year-old McGee said the football star had acted aggressively in trying to grab the device. In the fracas which followed, Gerrard admitted throwing three punches but said only one connected. He claimed, and his version was accepted by the jury, that he believed he was about to be attacked himself. "You did not start the violence, it was started by the violent elbowing of Marcus McGee in the face by one of your friends, John Doran," Globe said. "The victim's consequential actions of reeling backwards and then forwards and your actions in response to that movement forward has to be seen against that background," he added. Five other men have already pleaded guilty to affray and another admitted a lesser charge of threatening behavior. They will be sentenced at a later date. | England football star Steven Gerrard cleared of affray charge by Liverpool court .
Gerrard admitted punching 34-year-old businessman Marcus McGhee .
Jury accepted his version that he acted in self defense in nightclub brawl . |
153,328 | 521e9929fcf1f9bd9a677b05d4ada94dce235cd3 | Since March 2011, around 90 people are known to have set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet . By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 10:44 EST, 4 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:37 EST, 5 December 2012 . Martyr: Sangay Dolma betrays nothing in this picture of her plan to set herself on fire in the name of home and country . Peering thoughtfully into the camera, her mouth curved into the faintest of smiles, 17-year-old Sangay Dolma looks the picture of youthful promise. But by the time she took this photograph in the darkness of her bedroom, her plans were already in motion to travel to a Chinese government office building in eastern Tibet, douse herself in petrol and light a match. The only clue to her final act are the haunting words, scrawled roughly on her hand in Tibetan script: 'Tibet is an independent nation'. By then she knew this act of self-immolation . would be her last, so she left a will in an envelope, alongside this . picture, written in the form of a poem. At the head of the note, she wrote: 'Beloved children of the Snow Lion, sons . and daughters of the Land of Snows, warriors of the snow mountain, don’t . forget your are Tibetans.' She . became the latest of a string of young Tibetans to set fire to . themselves in the name of independence when she took her life in a ball . of flame on November 26. Since . March 2011, around 90 people are known to have set themselves on fire . in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. There were 25 in . November alone, according to campaigners. This . wave of self-immolations reveal . the desperation among Tibet's youth after 60 years under Beijing's . thumb and underlie a harsh crackdown in recent years by the Chinese . government any who dare question its sovereignty over the mountain . nation. Until her tragic and violent death, Sangay Dolma had been a nun at the Gonshul Nunnery near the Sangag Mindrol . Dhargeyling Monastery. She left a note with the picture, in Tibetan script, which included the words: 'Look up, Tibetans, look at the snow mountains. The snowland’s era has begun. And Tibet is free and independent' There she would have been well . schooled in Buddhist teachings, in particular its emphasis on . non-violence, even in the face of conflict. Indeed, the first of the five precepts that all Buddhists should follow is 'avoid killing, or harming any living thing'. Her death serves as a stark reminder . of the passion that fuels this spate of self immolations and . the lengths young people in Tibet are prepared to go in order to raise . awareness of their region's plight. She goes on with a call to arms to her countrymen to join her fight for a free Tibet. Sangay Dolma's name joins a rapidly growing list . of young Tibetans so angry at their Chinese rulers that they are willing to . make the ultimate sacrifice in a bid to draw the world's attention to their region's plight. Self immolations in Tibet have become so common that they happen on an almost daily basis. Already since Sangay Dolma's death, on November 26, nine Tibetans have followed suit as calls for an independent . Tibet continued to echo throughout the world, according to campaign group Free Tibet. In November, 25 protesters - aged . between 15 and 30 - set themselves on fire, following ten such cases in October. And on Sunday, 17-year-old Sangdak Kyab, set himself on fire near the Bhora Monastery in Sangchu County. He is believed to have survived and was taken away by Chinese police. The . first stanza reads: 'Look up, fellow Tibetans, look at the blue . twilight above, Like a heavenly tent of white mountain, My lama has . returned.' In the fourth . stanza, goes on: 'Look up, Tibetans, look at the snow mountains. The . snowland’s era has begun. And Tibet is free and independent.' In . the two closing stanzas, she pays tribute to the Dalai Lama and the . Panchen Lama, who has been missing since 1995, spirited away by the . Chinese government at the age of six after he was officially named the . reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama. 'His Holiness the Dalai Lama, when he . lived far away, he travelled around the world, praying for the end of . suffering of the red-faced Tibetans, and released us from darkness, at a . time when Panchen Lama is in prison, he looks out from his prison cell, . prays for "the dawn of peace and happiness in my land of snow".' She becomes the sixth person to set herself on fire in Tibet in as many weeks. The . Chinese government has sought to crack down on Tibetan dissidents . issuing a stern warning to the authorities of eastern Tibet to punish . all self-immolators and their relatives - and even those who send . condolences to bereaved families. It . said all government aid would be removed from the families of . self-immolators while development projects in communities that have been . home to such protesters would be cancelled. The . charity and campaign group Free Tibet says it has documented multiple . cases of collective punishment, imposed against the communities and . families were individuals have set themselves on fire, or were other . forms of protest have taken place. It says punishments have included . homes being ransacked, development projects which were planned for a . village cancelled and ‘public criticism’. Of . the 90 protesters who have set themselves on fire, the majority have . died of their injuries. Those who survive, are arrested and taken away. They are rarely seen again, say campaign groups. Stephanie Bridger, director of Free Tibet, said: . 'Tibetans from all walks of life, young and old, mothers, nomads, . students, monks and nuns are rejecting China’s occupation of their . homeland. Burning issue: Since March 2011, around 90 people are known to have set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet. In March this year, Tibetan exile Jamphel Yeshi, 27, set himself on fire during a protest in New Delhi . Tibet's spiritual leaders: Sangay Dolma paid . tribute to the Dalai Lama, left, and the Panchen Lama, right, who has been missing . since 1995 since he was named the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama aged six . 'Warriors of the snow mountain': Mount Everest as seen from the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet, China. In her poem, Sangay Dolma urges Tibetans to 'Look up at the snow mountains... The snowland's era has begun... Tibet is free and independent' 'China is trying to crush protest through arbitrary detention, collective punishment, communications blackouts, bribery and much more – this has only strengthened the resolve of the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom. 'Free Tibet is receiving reports of protests inside Tibet on an almost daily basis. These protests will only continue until each and everyone one of us stands with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and our Governments stop kowtowing to an unelected Chinese regime.' But it is also a moral and policy dilemma for Tibet's spiritual . leader, the Dalai Lama, and a new generation of exiled . politicians. The . Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 with hundreds of followers and they . set up base in Dharamsala, a town in the Himalayan foothills about 400 . km (250 miles) north of New Delhi. The . deaths raise theological questions about non-violence and highlight a . long-standing schism between the elderly Dalai Lama's softly, softly . approach to China and activists who want to fight for . independence. | Days after photo was taken, Sangay Dolma went to a Chinese government building, in eastern Tibet, doused herself in petrol and light a match .
In a note she wrote the words: 'Sons .
and daughters of the Land of Snows, Warriors of the snow mountain, don't .
forget your are Tibetans'
It is accompanied by a poem in praise of the Dalai Lama and a free Tibet .
Since March 2011, around 90 people are known to have set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet . |
280,700 | f7a57183d726948a8432a007c1ac315747bd9acd | Conman: Dr Yilkyes Bala was a conman who led the high life and was chauffeur-driven in a black Bentley . Posing as a member of the Nigerian Royal family, he mingled with diplomats, captains of industry and senior police officers. Dr Yilkyes Bala was chauffeur-driven in a black Bentley and hosted sumptuous dinners at the Dorchester to mix with society’s elite. But the supposedly flourishing businessman was in fact a criminal mastermind responsible for an ambitious immigration racket. Investigators . believe he helped more than 100 of his countrymen, including most of . his extended family, to enter the UK illegally under false and stolen . identities. At . the centre of the scam was a corrupt Home Office worker who sold him . genuine, but improperly issued, refugee passports for £1,500 each. Bala then used his network of security companies to give the illegal immigrants references and jobs. They . could then ‘hit the jackpot’ and obtain a National Insurance number, . giving them full citizen’s rights and access to State benefits. But the racket, which continued for up to 16 years, unravelled when the Home Office employee was caught out. This week . Bala, 55, was starting a seven year jail sentence from August 1st, after . a jury convicted him of conspiring to breach immigration laws. A . judge at Canterbury Crown Court said the charming fraudster was 'at the . hub' of a 'significant conspiracy' to beat UK border security. The . conviction is an embarrassment for those who mixed with Bala, including . the Nigerian Ambassador and senior officers at City of London Police. The charming conman referred to himself as ‘His Royal Highness Prince Yilkyes Bala Finok Tonglele PhD State Crown Prince’. He even carried an identity card claiming to be ‘prince of princes’ in the Nigerian Plateau State Council of Chiefs. Investigators . found he did not inherit the honour, but he claimed it was bestowed on . him later in life, and they have been unable to disprove this. Yilkyes Bala at an industry convention: The supposedly flourishing businessman had several companies which included Golden Shield and Mayfair and Knightsbridge Guarding . Deception: Yilkyes Bala poses outside the City of London Police Wood Street station, however, this week he started a seven year jail sentence . Bala travelled to Britain in the early 1980s before studying administration at Greenwich School of Management as part of a philosophy doctorate. He already . claimed to have a degree from the now-defunct Clayton University, in . Missouri, U.S., long suspected as a ‘buy-a-degree’ college. He . went on to set up a network of companies and claimed that at one stage . they employed 900 people across Europe, Asia and Africa. The . core business was supplying security guards to the construction . industry, including one firm based in Knightsbridge, Central London. His . companies, which included Golden Shield and Mayfair and Knightsbridge . Guarding, also provided alarm monitoring, VIP bodyguards and uniformed . guards for offices. Within two decades Bala, a father of six, was living in a £1.3million home in leafy Beckenham, South East London. He joined the Croydon branch of the Masons and sent his daughters to fee-paying Blackheath High School. But a huge investigation, which Bala claimed cost up to £10 million, unravelled his empire and exposed him as a ruthless conman. Accomplices: Bala's second wife Giwo Tonglele, 46, . left, was jailed for five years and Casmir Ekwuhga, 42, right, was jailed for four years for taking part in the conspiracy . Officials discovered a corrupt Home Office employee based in Croydon had improperly obtained more than 200 refugee passports. In genuine cases they are used as travel documents for those claiming asylum in Britain, often fleeing religious or political persecution. But the official was illicitly applying for them in the name of non-existent relatives of genuine refugees. At least 91 documents were posted to addresses linked to Bala, who ran the Armour Group chain of companies with offices across the capital. They were then used as the foundation for applications to remain in the UK as he and his accomplices ran rings around immigration officials. Those linked to Bala used every trick in the book to beat border controls, from urgent medical visas to travelling as domestic servants. Some were so shameless that they changed their names by deed poll back to their original identities within weeks of adopting the persona of a non-existent refugee. Among those given false identities so they could remain in Britain were Bala’s second wife and his brother. After his arrest, Bala boasted to officials that he was allowed up to seven wives, ‘and a few more on the side’. Investigators found his home stuffed with paperwork linked to his businesses, with documents in his garage filling two vans alone. Because of the complex web of his businesses it took the Home Office two years to prepare the case against him. The illegal immigrants caused chaos in Government systems once they had obtained their new identities. One man was uncovered by his fingerprints when he was caught drink driving on two occasions, first under his real name and then in a false one. In some cases, illegal immigrants had already failed to gain citizenship under one name so simply adopted a new identity to try again. Official company minutes for Bala’s security companies recorded the same people attending meetings under different names. Bala's second wife Giwo Tonglele, 46, was also convicted of conspiracy to facilitate illegal entry of persons into the UK and was jailed for five years. Their former employee Casmir Ekwuhga, 42, was jailed for four years for taking part in the conspiracy, holding a refugee passport illegally and using it to obtain a driving licence fraudulently.Jailing them, Judge Heather Norton said the scam was well organised. She said: 'These documents were created to order. Each one of you was involved in deceiving the immigration authorities. You were at the hub of the whole enterprise. 'The motive was simple.It was to provide identities for employees, relatives and friends. It was a significant conspiracy.' More than 100 illegal immigrants linked to the scam have been arrested, but only a small number are believed to have been convicted and deported. David Fairclough, of the Home Office, said Bala was brought to justice after a 'long, complex and painstaking investigation' and said the case should serve as a warning to others. | Dr Yilkyes Bala lived the high life and was chauffeur-driven in a Bentley .
But the 'businessman' was a criminal running an immigration racket .
Investigators believe he helped 100 of his countrymen enter the UK illegally .
A corrupt .
Home Office worker sold him refugee .
passports for £1,500 each .
Dr Bala, 55, received a seven year jail .
sentence from August 1st . |
58,470 | a5c7c96a4dfae72ea4492e3f25a47ab823b21351 | (CNN) -- Time is running out for congressional Republicans and President Barack Obama to strike a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. If the two parties can't come to an agreement before the end of the year, a combination of broad tax hikes and deep government spending cuts take effect . Experts warn of a new recession if Washington goes over the fiscal cliff. Here's a by-the-numbers look at the fiscal cliff and its impact: . The current situation: . $16.3 trillion -- The amount of the current national debt. 71% -- The percentage of every tax dollar going to support Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and interest on the debt. 2026 -- The year that all federal tax revenue could potentially go to supporting Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and interest on the debt, unless changes are made. Fiscal cliff talks still hung up on taxes . What the fiscal cliff will do: . January 2, 2013 -- The date that automatic tax increases and spending cuts will go into effect, unless a deal is reached. $7 trillion -- The total amount of tax increases and spending cuts included in the fiscal cliff, spread out over the next 10 years. $1.2 trillion -- The amount of deficit reduction possible over the next 10 years, with the fiscal cliff's spending cuts and tax increases. Democratic source: GOP calling for permanent extension of cuts for wealthiest 2% . $55 billion -- The amount expected to be cut from non-defense spending in 2013. This includes education, aviation safety and other programs. $55 billion -- The amount the Department of Defense will have to cut from discretionary spending in 2013. $500 billion -- The amount the Department of Defense faces in potential cuts over 10 years. Mother with autistic son worried what fiscal cliff could do to her family . 90% -- The percentage of Americans who will pay more taxes in 2013, if a deal on the fiscal cliff isn't reached. $2,000 -- Amount the Tax Policy Center estimates that middle class families will have to pay in additional taxes in 2013, if a deal isn't reached. Proposals: . $1.4 trillion -- The amount the White House has proposed in new tax revenues, to reduce the deficit. $800 billion -- The amount that the GOP has proposed to reduce the deficit, by enacting tax reform and eliminating some deductions and loopholes. Polls: . 49% -- The percentage of people polled who approve of President Barack Obama's handling of the fiscal cliff negotiations. 25% -- The percentage of people polled who approve of House Speaker John Boehner's handling of the fiscal cliff negotiations. Polls show Obama has more public support in fiscal cliff talks . 42% -- The percentage of people polled who disapprove of President Barack Obama's handling of the fiscal cliff negotiations. 49% -- The percentage of people polled who disapprove of House Speaker John Boehner's handling of the fiscal cliff negotiations. | $16.3 trillion -- Size of the current national debt .
January 2, 2013 -- Date that automatic tax hikes and spending cuts will take effect, unless a deal is reached .
$7 trillion -- Amount of tax increases and spending cuts included in the fiscal cliff, spread out over the next 10 years .
49% and 25% -- Americans surveyed who approve of the way President Obama and Speaker Boehner are handling the fiscal cliff, respectively . |
255,113 | d636693bc0070ea2b90f955f6f24269ad1f3579f | The chief prosecutor in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius today asked the court to place the double-amputee athlete under psychiatric observation after an expert said he had an anxiety disorder. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said he had no . other option but to ask for a study of Pistorius' mental health . following testimony by a psychiatrist, who said the Olympic runner's . anxiety could have shaped the way he responded to perceived threats. Judge Thokozile Masipa has not yet ruled on the request. It came after psychiatrist Dr. Merryll Vorster said . events during Pistorius' life, including the amputation of his lower . legs as a baby and his late mother's habit of sleeping with a gun under . her pillow, contributed to his 'increasing stress.' Scroll down for video . 'Traumatic assault': Pistorius was born without fibulas in his lower legs, leading to amputation at the age of 11 months . 'No option': Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said he had no other option but to ask for a study of Pistorius' mental health following testimony by a psychiatrist, who said the Olympic runner's anxiety could have shaped the way he responded to perceived threats . 'Overall, Mr. Pistorius appears to be a mistrustful and guarded person,' Vorster told the court. Testifying . for the defence about his . mental state, Dr Vorster said that because Pistorius had his legs . amputated at such a young age, it would have been impossible to . reason with the baby, making the pyschological scars much deeper. Pistorius was born without fibulas in his lower legs, leading to amputation at the age of 11 months. 'He was too young to understand why,' Vorster told the court. 'His mother could not have comforted him because . he was pre-language phase. It would been perceived as traumatic . assault. Alone: A forensic psychiatrist said that because the surgery was at such a young age, it would have been impossible to reason with the baby, making the pyschological scars much deeper . Tragic: Pistorius is on trial for murder after shooting and killing his girlfriend, 29-year-old law graduate and model, Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year . Pistorius has said . he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by mistake last year, fearing that . there was an intruder in his home when he fired through a closed toilet . door in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013. The prosecution says he . killed her intentionally after an argument. But . Dr Vorster said the Olympic athlete displayed 'escalating levels of . anxiety' through his life when she interviewed him this month. She said . she also spoke to members of Pistorius' family, some of his friends and . his agent. Pistorius' defense said at the outset of its case that it would show his feelings . of 'vulnerability' and his disability contributed to him shooting . Steenkamp. Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder and faces 25 . years to life in prison if convicted. Vorster's . testimony also dealt with what she said was Pistorius' fear of crime . and how, because he was a double amputee, he reacted to perceived . threats in a different way to other people. She noted Pistorius' mother, . who died when he was a teenager, slept with a gun in her bed and also . had a fear of being attacked in her home. Insecurity: The psychiatrist also said his parents' divorce when he was a child would have added to the 27-year-old's general feelings of anxiety and insecurity . Cross-examining . Vorster at the start of the eighth week of the trial, prosecutor Nel . asked if she was saying Pistorius had a mental illness and should . undergo a 30-day period of observation, and if he was changing his . defense to one of 'diminished responsibility.' Nel . also asked the psychiatrist if someone who was suffering from an . anxiety order of the kind that she had diagnosed in Pistorius, and also . had access to guns, would be a danger to society. Vorster said the . person would, indeed, be a danger. Talking . specifically about the shooting of Steenkamp, Vorster said Pistorius . was more likely to try and 'fight' what he thought was an intruder than . run away, because his disability meant it was harder for him to flee. Pistorius was on his stumps when he fired four times through the toilet . stall door with his licensed 9mm pistol, killing Steenkamp. Vorster . also said his parents' divorce when he was a child would have added to . the 27-year-old's general feelings of anxiety and insecurity. After . his parents split, Pistorius was brought up by his mother, who died of . cancer when he was aged 15. Pistorius has frequently spoken of his love . for his mother and the difficulty her death caused him. Pistorius competed against able-bodied spinters on carbon-fibre prosthetics, becoming one of the most recognised names in athletics. Besides a clutch of Paralympic medals, he reached the semi-finals of the 400m at the London 2012 Olympics. | Gerrie Nel says 'no option' but to ask for study into Pistorius' mental health .
Pistorius born without fibulas, leading to amputation of legs aged 11 months .
Court hears how 'traumatic assault' of amputation left him with anxiety .
Forensic psychiatrist: 'He was too young to understand why... His mother could not have comforted him'
She says fact that his mother slept with gun under pillow added to stress . |
160,109 | 5af15ef8c0fdeb7f3736e47b7316e11040815efb | By . Alasdair Glennie Tv Correspondent . The BBC has admitted overpaying one in eight of its employees and allowing the wage bill for junior staff to soar by £35million in three years. While the Corporation repeatedly boasts that it is cutting back on top-level salaries, new figures show it has simultaneously allowed its middle management to become increasingly bloated. Thousands of employees now earn more than they are entitled to under the BBC’s own pay grade system, leading to accusations it is allowing costs to spiral out of control. Confession: The BBC has admitted overpaying one in eight of its employees and allowing the wage bill for junior staff to soar by £35million in three years. Above, the Corporation's headquarters in White City, West London . Figures released under the Freedom of Information act show 2,164 of its 17,447 staff earn more than their pay grade allows. Critics suggested the practice of overpaying middle managers and more junior staff allows the Corporation to boast it is cutting senior posts while continuing to pay inflated salaries. Last night Tory MP Angie Bray, who sits on the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said the figures show the BBC is ‘never knowingly underpaid’. She added: ‘I honestly find it extraordinary that the BBC is breaking its own rules on pay. We had been led to believe it was only a handful of staff at the top who were being overpaid. Now it seems the rot runs much deeper.’ Surprised: Last night Tory MP Angie Bray said the new figures show the BBC is 'never knowingly underpaid' The BBC divides its staff into 18 pay bands. The top two, which include senior managers and top presenters, have seen their numbers slashed after director general Tony Hall vowed to cut the proportion of executives to around one per cent of the workforce. Between 2009 and 2013 the number of senior managers was reduced from 640 to 429, although a further 216 jobs need to go to hit the target. But the amount spent on lower levels has risen. The pay bill for employees on the rung . below senior management – known as ‘band 11’ – increased by a fifth to . £65.5million in the past three years. Of them, 61 per cent are given more than the salary ceiling of £73,888. The next rung down includes 1,325 staff, including many of the BBC’s on-air journalists. ‘Band 10’ cost the BBC almost £97million in 2012/13. Almost half of those were paid more than the agreed salary ceiling of £66,460. The BBC denied that it is simply reclassifying senior managers at a lower grade but giving them the same pay to artificially reduce executive numbers. A spokesman said those earning above their pay band were either ‘long serving members of staff’ or had a special ‘skill-set’. 'While these salary bands are internal guidelines only, we have consistently reduced the number of staff earning outside the guided amount since 2010 in these grades,' the spokesman said. 'However, there continues to be members of staff who possess a skill-set that commands a higher market premium than the guide for their grade.' | The Corporation has admitted overpaying one in eight of its employees .
It has also allowed wage bill for junior staff to soar by £35m in three years .
BBC has repeatedly boasted that it is cutting back on top-level salaries .
But thousands of employees now earn more than their pay grade allows . |
282,188 | f983a4aec62bf128b2b95b85be49bbbd24cc35c1 | By . Alex Greg for MailOnline . The third wife of beloved TV comic actor Phil Hartman, who shot him dead in a murder-suicide in 1998, wrote a venomous four-page letter to his former wife threatening to 'rip [her] eyes out.' For the first time since Hartman's death 17 years ago, the events leading up to his untimely death are being revealed in a new book, You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman. One episode related by Hartman's second wife Lisa Strain proved a terrifying portent of the fury that would see him die at the hands of Brynn Hartman. Tumultuous: Phil and Brynn Hartman were married for 11 years before she fatally shot him as he slept in 1998, then hours later shot herself . Volatile: Hartman's second wife Lisa Strain says that Brynn Hartman sent her a venomous letter telling her to stay away from Hartman and herself after Strain sent a card congratulating them on the birth of their first child . Strain sent a card to Brynn and Phil Hartman congratulating them on the birth of their son Sean Edward in 1988. In return, she received a hate-filled letter that shook her to her core. Brynn Hartman threatened Strain's life and warned her that if she contacted Hartman again she would 'rip my eyes out,' Strain told author Mike Thomas. Strain was so concerned she called Hartman and told him about the vicious letter. Hartman told her that he was partly to blame for the diatribe, because when Brynn has asked him if Strain had been his soul-mate, he said yes. She was horrified to learn that Hartman was aware of the letter - and had even been privy to an earlier draft version that was even worse. Beloved: Hartman got his start on SNL (seen left as Eugene with John Goodman in Anally Retentive Chef skit 1989); A new book documents the life and times of Hartman as well as his untimely death at 49 . She hung up on him and did not speak to her ex-husband again for two years. Ten years after that phone call, Phil Hartman was shot dead by his wife at the home they shared with their two children. Friends of the couple said the couple's confrontations in their sometimes-troubled marriage were fuelled by Brynn's temper and her problems with drugs and alcohol. A pattern emerged in which Hartman would withdraw into himself when Brynn worked herself into a rage, often going to bed and leaving her to cool down alone. That could be the scenario that took place the night Hartman was shot. His body was found in the couple's bed after Brynn pumped several shots into her husband's head. She drove to her friend Ron Douglas's house to tell him what had happened, but he didn't believe her until he saw Hartman's body in the bed. Douglas called 911 and as police were escorting the couple's two terrified children to safety, they heard a shot. Brynn Hartman had shot herself dead. Strain told The Courant in 1998 that Hartman was always a calming influence. They divorced in 1985 because 'we were both unable to do the work necessary to make a good thing better,' but remained friends, she said. 'He was a quiet man and a sensitive and gentle person.' You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman goes on sale September 23. | Phil Hartman's third wife Brynn Hartman wrote a vitriol-filled letter to his second wife Lisa Strain .
Strain had written the couple a card congratulating them on the birth of their first child .
Brynn threatened Strain's life and said if she contacted her again, she'd 'rip [her] eyes out'
Ten years after she sent the letter to Strain, Brynn shot Phil Hartman dead as he slept .
She shot herself dead shortly after . |
278,338 | f48ec3d18d7afe8e4ca5d84b240a07ae4acc81c1 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A 17-year-old skater has died after accidentally stumbling onto train tracks into the path of a train, police said. Tyler Bailey was 'partying' with four friends when he was struck near the Dundas Street underpass in Toronto, Canada about 7pm Monday. The teen's grief-stricken mother said she'd spoken to her son only moments before the tragedy. 'The last thing he said to me was, ‘Bye, mom, I love you’,' Shelley Bailey told Toronto Sun. 'That’s how we ended all our conversations. I’m just totally devastated, this doesn’t feel real.' Scroll down for video . Tragic: Skater Tyler Bailey, 17, was 'partying' with four friends by the train tracks when he was fatally struck by a train in Toronto on Monday night . The mother-of-three described her son as bright and happy: 'Ever since he was little, everybody that met him loved him so much.' Tyler's 20-year-old sister, Chantelle, said: 'My little brother was an amazing child and he did nothing but make people smile and laugh and make smiley faces.' Police, who described Tyler's death as 'avoidable', said he'd walked close to the tracks. His friends, seeing the approaching train, called for him to get out of the way, but he tripped onto the tracks and was hit. 'There was just no time for anyone to react,' Detective-Constable Stu Parsons, of the Traffic Services Division, said. A witness told the Toronto Sun she heard teenaged boys 'having a good time' on the tracks before the accident. 'They were being very loud and partying,' the woman, who asked not to be identified, said. 'I was actually quite scared for them because I knew rush hour traffic was coming.' Scene: Tyler Bailey was hit by a train under the Dundas Street West bridge, near Sorauren Avenue, in Toronto about 7pm Monday (bridge pictured) Tragic accident: Toronto police say Tyler Bailey died after being struck by a GO Train, ruling his death accidental . CBC News reported the GO Transit train left Union Station 6.50pm, about 10 minutes before Tyler's body was found. Tyler's friends remember him as an 'outgoing' person who loved to ride his scooter. He was a regular at CJ Skateboard Park and School, a skate park in Etobicoke. 'The kids loved him. He just - I don't know how to describe it,' friend Michael Punkris told Hamilton Spectator. '(Riding scooters) was his main passion. He just fell in love with it, trying tricks.' | Tyler Bailey was struck by a GO train in Toronto on Monday evening .
The popular skater was 'partying' with four of friends when he stumbled onto the tracks .
Police said the death was accidental . |
284,627 | fcca05fb9e69b44cbafbb91b2d6853ad4dafeee0 | Catching crooks is too hard, and home security's too soft. But one burglary victim discovered something just right for stopping a thief - his bed. Baffled Kevin Connolly found a would-be criminal dozing mid-raid in his guest room in Houston, Texas, when he got up to drive to the airport at 4am. The thief failed to wake up even when the homeowner switched on the light - only rousing himself when arresting officers dragged him from the bed. Just right! A Goldilocks-like thief was caught fast asleep in the spare bed of a house he was in the middle of stealing from (left). Police arrested a man named as 22-year-old Christopher Provazek (right) Mr Connolly said he woke up yesterday to find a bag missing along with a string of his possessions missing, including his MacBook Pro, iPad, guitar and even his dog's ashes. He told local news stations he went downstairs and felt cold air sweeping through the house, so he knew someone must have opened a window. He grabbed his gun and searched every room before finding, to his surprise, the placid thief curled up on the sheets. Police named the sleeping man as 22-year-old Christopher Provazek, and said dozens of Mr Connolly's possessions were on his porch - along with a half-drunk bottle of liquor. Victim: Homeowner Kevin Connolly made sure to take a few photos while police were on their way . Mr Connolly told click2houston.com he believed the thief may have made multiple trips before passing out in a booze-fuelled haze. Provazek reportedly said he'd been framed, to which the homeowner replied the 22-year-old was still wearing his jacket. Mr Connolly told the news station: 'I said "Hey buddy. Wake up, what are you doing here?" No response. I turned the light on and took a few pictures just for giggles. 'He told me he had been framed for the job and I reminded him that he couldn't have been framed because he was wearing my jacket'. Provazek was arrested and burglary charges are pending, according to multiple reports. Unassuming: The homeowner said he fears the thief made several trips to his house, pictured . | Kevin Connolly found thief fast asleep in his guest room in Houston .
His MacBook Pro, iPad, guitar and even his dog's ashes were all gone .
Police arrested dozy man and named him as Christopher Provazek, 22 .
They say the haul was found on his porch with half-drunk liquor bottle . |
248,941 | ce22cb5163e84fb86c1d1d1bf27ae98679dc9b6a | (CNN) -- With all the scary stuff happening in the world -- ISIS, Ebola, take your pick -- it wouldn't be surprising if audiences steered clear of horror. But in fact, they're doing just the opposite. Two of the most popular TV premieres in October were in the horror genre -- "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story," to be exact -- and one of those premieres rivaled the biggest comedy on TV. (That premiere was the season 5 start of "The Walking Dead," to no one's surprise, and it was right behind the viewership for the fall premiere of CBS' "The Big Bang Theory.") And the list of horror successes could go on. So what's behind our bloody fascination? There are a few theories. For one, the genre is an excellent antidote to boredom. It's obvious that the first thing viewers are looking for is "enjoyment of thrill," said Mary Beth Oliver, a Penn State professor of media and psychology. Watching a show in which your favorite character's survival is far from guaranteed can bring about anxiety, she says, but that's also part of the fun. "In a lot of horror films, the beloved protagonist ultimately gets away, if only for that particular episode or that particular movie in a series," Oliver said. "The anxiety we feel when we're watching the show is palpable, (and) when that protagonist escapes, even by only a hair, then that (anxiety) feeds into our joy at this person's survival. So we don't feel a little bit happy, we feel really happy. It's like watching a close sporting event; it's a lot more thrilling if your team wins after a really close game than after a landslide." And what if we're feeling anxious before we even sit down to watch a show? Something that's resonated with "Walking Dead" executive producer David Alpert is Chuck Klosterman's idea that zombies are a lot like email: "You kill one, and it's going to draw two more in its place," Alpert said. "I can work on my email all day, and at the end of the day, I might have more emails than I had when I started. ... You get this looming sense of dread that despite however hard you work, that it's only going to make more work for yourself. Ultimately, you're forced to rethink the way in which you live your life," he continued, not unlike one would have to if faced with a zombie apocalypse. "I say that kind of sarcastically, but it also has real resonance with me," Alpert said. "When my dad came home from work as a kid, he was done. Unless his office was on fire, no one was calling him. There was no email; no one expected you to respond. Technology has put us in a state where we're constantly reachable, which is great if you're looking to hook up or communicate, but the idea that you're constantly available leads people to expect you to constantly respond, and I think that leads to a heightened state of anxiety. Whether you want to call it globalization and economic fears coming off the economic collapse a few years back, I think we're looking at this situation where people have ... this real sense of unease." If that's the case, one could imagine that would make that payoff Oliver talks about even greater. Another part of it, says horror disciple and "Hannibal" showrunner Bryan Fuller, is that the genre lends itself well to a communal experience. "At the movies, part of the fun is going and sitting with the crowd and jumping in unison and hearing other people as frightened as you are and finding safety in collective fright," Fuller pointed out. Translate that experience to TV, especially in the era of social media, and watching a series that has a few jump scares, tension and "OMG" moments can make you feel like you're part of a massive viewing collective, even if you're the only one in front of the screen. It helps, too, that in horror, "the stakes are as high as they get," Fuller added. "It's life and death." The stakes were also pretty high for networks to air horror shows before series like "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story" proved to be audience magnets. Yet this current captivation with horror isn't just about scares and thrills. (And, it should go without saying, it's far from the first time we've had some great horror concepts on TV.) What the latest wave of genre-inspired series has been able to do is tap into the classic material in a fresh way and reimagine the methods for telling horror on TV. "When you talk about horror, often people think about the gore, the gross-outs, the jump-scares and the tension, and we have those," Alpert said. "But I don't think people stay for that. It gives you those great moments where you reach over to the other person sitting next to you on the couch and you have that (shocked) reaction, but the reason why you go back is because you care about what happens to the character." FX realized the appetite for horror shows when it took a chance on "American Horror Story" in 2011, the network's first foray into the genre. "Having a great concept and having Ryan Murphy's execution on that concept made us feel confident about it," said Eric Schrier, the president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. "I don't think we ever thought it would be the hit that is; the show's huge now, and it's grown over the years. It took a little bit of getting used to for audiences, but once they caught on, they became enamored with it." That adoration opened the door for Guillermo del Toro's gruesome vampire saga "The Strain" and, according to Fuller, for shows like his own "Hannibal." "I don't think NBC would have rolled the dice on 'Hannibal' if it weren't for the successes of 'The Walking Dead' and 'American Horror Story,' where they thought, OK, let's try our own brand of horror, which is different from those two but still in the same trough," the showrunner said. "As with any sort of pioneering show, it just takes one to ... expose the audience to the quality of horror storytelling." NBC isn't the only network eyeing horror; MTV just added an adaptation of the 1996 slasher "Scream" to its 2015 roster. But thankfully, instead of getting 12 "Walking Deads," we got the "Psycho"-inspired "Bates Motel" on A&E; "Sleepy Hollow" on Fox; "Penny Dreadful" on Showtime; and "Hannibal," an elegant but deadly psychological thriller that's amassed a rabid following. "Horror films have been one of the earliest staples of cinematic storytelling ... so it's been around as long as cinema has been around. All of those things have been in our vocabulary," Fuller said. Now, "all those classic tropes of genre that some would argue are too tired or too stale" are being given "fresh blood for a new audience, and really reinvigorating our taste." | Horror on television is drawing monster ratings .
The current wave is being credited with elevating the genre .
Shows like "The Walking Dead" and "American Horror Story" paved the way . |
175,648 | 6f5e38fc12dcec4aba8e9cb90b299aa9809af29f | A high profile member of FIFA's executive committee, has been provisionally banned from "football related activity" for 90 days, the world governing body said Monday. Sri Lankan Vernon Fernando Manilal has been suspended at the request of the Michael Garcia and Hans-Joachim Eckert, who chair the investigatory and adjudicatory bodies of FIFA's Ethics Committee. No details of his alleged trangression were released, but FIFA said the decision was based on an article in its Code of Ethics, "in order to prevent the interference with the establishment of the truth with respect to proceedings now in the adjudicatory chamber." The 63-year-old Manilal, who is a lawyer and businessman by profession, has represented the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on the influential executive committee since 2011. Manilal's eventual fate now rests with the Eckert's adjudicatory body, but he will be barred from attending the next executive meeting in Zurich later this month when further anti-corruption measures are expected to be announced. FIFA strengthened its ethics code after the suspension of former AFC chief Mohamed Bin Hammam, who challenged Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency and was also a member of the executive commitee. Manilal accompanied Qatari Bin Hammam on a trip to the Caribbean ahead of that election in June 2011. It was alleged bin Hamman offered officials, including former North American football chief Jack Warner, cash for votes, at a meeting in Trinidad. There is no suggestion Manilal was involved, but Bin Hammam withdrew 24 hours before the presidential election ballot after being provisionally suspended by FIFA. Manilal's ban means he cannot take play any part in the behind the scenes activity ahead of the AFC presidential elections in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on May 2. The AFC will be appointing a permanent successor to Bin Hammam and hoping to put a difficult period of governance behind them. Manilal, who is chairman of FIFA's Futsal Committee, launched the 2012 World Cup in that mini version of football in Thailand last December. He lists meeting Brazilian legend Pele and being elected to FIFA as his "fondest football memory" and is also a supporter of English Premier League giants Liverpool. | FIFA executive committee member banned for alleged breach of its ethics code .
Sri Lanka's Vernon Manilal Fernando handed initial 90-day suspension .
His fate will be decided by FIFA's ethics committee later this year .
FIFA has vowed to step up the fight against corruption after several high profile cases . |
31,421 | 59572c65c0695a5d5f9a950fc4d7cd603a5b1445 | Like twerking, Robin Thicke and the horse-meat scandal, glamping is so last year. Seriously. Look around you. You can barely move for luxury ‘camp’-sites where the ‘tents’ – if this is still the word – look and feel like a boudoir in the Palace of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV. Lovely. Comfortable. But scarcely the ‘Great Outdoors’. Meet the locals: Matt gets up close and personal with two new canine friends on his visit to Swedish Lapland . Onwards, into the snowy middle distance: Swedish Lapland is a great place to try a session of dog-sledding . On the other hand, the ‘Great Outdoors’ comes with its downsides. For every dew-tipped sunrise, there is a tent collapse that leaves you howling in the dark, or a squirrel dive-bomb attack which has you cowering in a corner. So what do you do if you want a bit of both – a few creature comforts, but also a sense that you are away on a grand adventure? Fredrik Broman, the marvellous mind behind the Aurora Safari Camp, thinks he has the answer. Authentic but cosy: Matt stayed in a lavvu tent - an Arctic tipi with creature comforts such as a log fire . Having cut his camping boots as a photographer and guide across Africa, he came up with the curveball idea of transplanting a traditional bush camping experience into his native environment of Swedish Lapland. The camp is situated a short drive from Lulea airport – far enough into the north of Sweden that, on arrival, I am greeted by a soon-to-be common sight: a spectacular, snow-blanketed village of the most idyllic, festive variety. Throw in suitably Arctic temperatures of -20°C, and the super-smiley faces of the locals who run the camp, and I am certain that I am about to enjoy the not-glamping-but-not-just camping experience I have been seeking. But first, we have to find the camp – which lurks in a place where no roads go. Love match: Matt enjoys another moment with man's best friend (left), and admires an ice sculpture (right) After decking me out in the finest layered snow gear (reindeer pelts come as standard), and warning me to keep an eye out for the area's many moose, reindeer, lynx and - gulp - the occasional bear, I am encouraged to hop aboard a snowmobile. Soon, we are barrelling along a narrow forest-blanketed snowpath into the night. As the wind picks up, a few more degrees freeze away, and my face begins to turn numb. Then we break out of the trees and bounce onto a frozen lake lit only by bright starlight and full moon above. Luckily for me (and the fingertips to which I've grown accustomed), we soon slow to a stop on the bank of a snow-clad island, and I spot the orange lights of the camp twinkling among the dense forestry. All paws forward: Matt headed out with a husky team - one of the must-do experiences of a trip to Lapland . Sunshine on the frozen plains: There are few more majestic sights in Sweden than a team of dogs in profile . I am shown to my ‘lavvu’ tent - an Arctic tipi complete with log fire, thick sleeping bag and sturdy bed. And a quick tour shows me the rest of the surprisingly eco-friendly camp – an indoor lounge; a mercifully canvas-enveloped flushable toilet; just a few other Lavvu tents, all set to a snooze-inducing 20°C; solar-powered ground lamps to guide you along the paths at night. Along with the camp’s other new residents, I head out for a short session of staring upwards, hoping to spot the Northern Lights. Then we retreat to the fire-warmed lounge and while away the night sharing travel stories with the camp's endlessly fascinating guides. As we do so, we munch on dried moose, Arctic char and Swedish cheese, and slurp a combination of warm lingonberry juice and throat-embalming red wine. A pause for a breather: Matt exchanges travel tales - as the huskies also take time out from their wild efforts . Ice ice baby: Matt has his own attempt at creating an frosty sculpture - a little more practice required, possibly . I trudge back to my tent and take a moment to soak up the serene surroundings and the unbeatable, incomparable silence. It is easy to see why rumour has positioned the camp as a magnet for world-famous celebrities. One local whisper has even mentioned Angelina and Brad – no doubt in search of the same things as us mere mortals. If you are looking for unpretentious, soul-soothing isolation, it does not get much better. One undeniably unusual sleep later (a small note of warning – the fire in your lavvu has to be tended, by hand, with pre-cut logs every two hours – otherwise, well, you will freeze), I wake to the sound of mushing, and the arrival of 'The Dog Whisperer'. Sixteen perfectly trained pure-bred Siberian huskies are at the camp's disposable – all of them friendly, approachable and happy-to-meet-you hounds. This will explain why, an hour later, I find myself spread-eagled on the icy surface of another frozen lake, having been comically clattered to the floor while attempting to fend off their affections. Let's see what's below the surface: An afternoon of endeavour carving out ice blocks with traditional tools . Looking up, seeing the lights: A stay at Aurora Safari Camp also means chances to see the Northern Lights . After dusting myself off and returning to camp, I am encouraged to spend the day's last few hours of sunlight carving ice blocks out of the lake using the time-honoured tools of saws and manual corkscrews. As the sun sets in the only way Lapland knows how – retina-dazzling shades of oranges and pinks, kaleidoscopically reflected by the ice and snow – and a few more logs are flung on the fire, I decide that, maybe, I am a camper after all. Taber Holidays (01274 875 199; www.taberhols.co.uk) offers an ‘Aurora Safari Camp And Sami Adventure’ in Swedish Lapland, from £1,975 per person. The price includes flights from London Heathrow to Luleå via Stockholm, transfers, the Sami Adventure, one night at the Aurora Safari Camp in a lavvu and three nights at the nearby Sörbyn Lodge – and is based on two sharing. The final night at Sörbyn can also be swapped for a night in the Treehotel in nearby Harads. Trips depart daily from 5 January until 31 March 2015. For more information on the region, see www.swedishlapland.com. | Swedish Lapland is a great place for those seeking snow-based adventure .
Aurora Safari Camp, near Lulea, is a mixture of glamping and the wilderness .
Guests can go sledding with husky teams, and gaze at the Northern Lights . |
58,184 | a4f505d3788a7945c39c0899cf117eb218608880 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:59 EST, 16 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:39 EST, 16 August 2013 . Case: Settlement negotiations are being held to divide up the $300 million estate of reclusive heiress Huguette Clark . Settlement negotiations are being held to divide up the $300 million estate of reclusive heiress Huguette Clark, with one month left until trial. A battle over her fortune is currently raging between her distant family and lawyer, doctor and former employees - the family are in line to . receive millions if a deal is struck. The heiress to a copper, timber and railroad fortune had no children and spent the last 20 years of her life living at Beth Israel Medical Center until she died in 2011 aged 104. After she died Miss Clark's will was . challenged by 19 of her relatives, who contend that she was mentally ill . and incompetent, the victim of fraud by her nurse, attorney and . accountant. Of the 19, 14 . admit they never met their reclusive aunt who shunned the trappings of . wealth in favour of a quiet and understated lifestyle. A . jury trial is scheduled to begin September 17 in Surrogate's Court in . Manhattan - Clark’s relatives are opposing the beneficiaries of her will . including a charitable foundation, a hospital, Clark's nurse, a . goddaughter, . attorney, accountant, doctor and several employees. In July papers filed in Manhattan Surrogate Court revealed disturbing allegations in the battle over Miss Clark's fortune. According to the papers seen by the New York Post, . the heiress was mumbling incoherently and unable to hold the pen when . she signed her $300million fortune away to her lawyer, doctor and . employees. War of wills: Huguette Clark's first document . was signed by her in March 2005 (left) before she made another will six . weeks later, right . Clark's relatives are opposing Bock's . motion that the will was properly executed and she knew what she was . doing when she signed it. Earlier this month it was revealed a . sensational new book is set to reveal the tragic, bizarre life of the . reclusive heiress Huguette Clark. Written . by a distant relative Paul Clark Newel Jr and Pulitzer Prize-winning . investigative journalist Bill Dedman, the biography offers tantalizing . details about the French-born multimillionaire who was fixated on . life-like dolls and building miniature castles - often splashing out . thousands of dollar to realize her visions. Family of fortune: Ms Clark, right, as a child in 1917 with her wealthy father and her sister Andree . One example of typical excess from the early . life of Miss Clark came when her mother sold a painting her daughter . took a deep dislike to in order to help a struggling musician. 'Madame . Cezanne in Red Dress' by Paul Cezanne terrified the young Huguette so . much so that she rarely stepped foot out of her bedroom once her mother . Anna E. Clark hung it in their 42-room, Fifth Avenue apartment, . according to the New York Post. According to the new biography, widowed Mrs Clark solved the problem in 1945 when acclaimed cellist Robert Maas came seeking her help. Maas wanted to form a string quartet but could not afford instruments. He told the wealthy widow of four rare Stradivarius violins languishing in a Manhattan store which could only be purchased as a group. Mrs Clark promptly snatched the Cezanne masterpiece from the wall and had her driver take her to an art gallery where she sold the painting and then paid $200,000 ($2.6million today) for the violins. The generous donation led to the formation of the Paganini Quartet, a renowned classical violinists which became famous the world over. Behind closed doors: Few people entered the 42-room home of the reclusive heiress which was filled with rare dolls . Such lavish spending became commonplace in the life of Huguette Clark, turning her adult-life into a strange place filled with childhood obsessions. She spent millions of dollars building up a collection of rare French and Japanese dolls. According to the Post, one of the few people who visited Clark at her apartments in the 1950s said that a long gallery was lined with dolls, each seated on its own sumptuous armchair. One of Ms Clark's few outings was to attend Christian Dior fashion shows in order to find clothes to dress her dolls. The heiress was also obsessed with building miniature models. A lover of Japanese culture, although she never traveled, Clark paid for someone to travel to Japan to photograph and note the specifications of the castles she wanted to build from the confines of her mansion. While she stayed at the hospital, her . three fabulous homes sat empty: the $100million Bellosguardo estate, a . $24million country house in Connecticut and a $100million co-op, the . largest apartment on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. She . inherited her wealth from her father, Montana Senator William Clark, . and his copper mines but regarded her great wealth as 'a menace to . happiness'. When she died two weeks shy of her 105th birthday the only people present at her burial were funeral home employees. | Huguette Clark, a reclusive heiress died aged 104, in 2011 .
Last will and testament .
stated copper fortune should not go to relatives .
But they could be in line to .
receive millions if a deal is struck .
Jury trial is to begin in September . |
139,553 | 4076be21d97c626d85d21aa21512b40224c021e1 | (CNN) -- With top lawyers refusing to represent them, the men accused of raping and killing a 23-year-old woman are expected to be formally charged Thursday at a New Delhi court. The brutal attack on the woman, who died from her severe injuries last week, has appalled and enraged many Indians, prompting widespread debate over the way the country handles sexual assaults and the treatment of women in Indian society. Numerous protests have taken place, new laws have been proposed and senior lawyers in the court district where the accused men are likely to be tried say they will not represent them. Police will submit charges against at least five of the accused men before a new fast-track court in Saket, a southern district of New Delhi, CNN affiliate IBN reported. It was unclear if the men would appear in the closed court session Thursday. A sixth male alleged to have participated in the attack is believed to be a minor and may appear before a juvenile court, but police were carrying out a bone marrow test to try to determine his exact age, IBN reported. The victim, whose name has not been released, died Saturday in a Singapore hospital, where she received treatment after being airlifted from New Delhi. The men are accused of assaulting the woman and her male companion on a bus in the Indian capital on December 16, robbing them of their belongings before dumping them at the side of a road, police said. The male companion was eventually discharged from a local hospital. Authorities plan to seek the death penalty for the accused, IBN reported, with many calls for the men to be hanged, including from the victim's family. If the sixth accused is confirmed to be a minor, he could be sent to a children's home for a maximum of three years, according to IBN. The 11 lawyers who make up the executive board of the Saket Bar Association on Wednesday vowed not to represent any of the accused assailants because of the nature of the crime. In addition, the bar association has appealed to its 7,000 members to also refrain from representing the accused, said the association's president, Rajpal Kasana. "We are not taking this case on the grounds of humanity," he said. The boycott by the bar association does not mean the accused will not have lawyers. Attorneys from other districts or ones appointed by the court will likely fill that role. Opinion: End culture of rape in 2013 . The call for local lawyers to avoid defending the accused is unprecedented, but justified because "everyone is emotionally attached to this case," Kasana said. Lawmakers are weighing a proposal to toughen the country's anti-rape law. Some have suggested a new law should be named after the woman, while others have said it's illegal to reveal her identity. The victim's father told IBN that he supported naming a new law after his daughter. "All I ask is that the law is the toughest it can be," he said. "The death penalty is compulsory for a crime so grave the assailants must be hanged. The courts must give these men the death penalty." Misogyny in India: We are all guilty . India's Supreme Court on Thursday will hear a petition asking it to suspend all lawmakers who face charges for crimes against women. The petition was filed in the aftermath of the brutal gang-rape, which sent thousands of outraged protesters to the streets for days. "This unfortunate episode has galvanized the nation," said Jagdeep S. Chhokar, an official with the Association for Democratic Reforms, which tracks political candidate's criminal records. Chhokar said six Indian state lawmakers are facing rape charges in unrelated cases, and two people in the federal parliament are also facing charges of crimes against women that fall short of charges of rape. The group says that in the past five years, political parties across India have nominated 260 candidates facing charges of crimes against women such as assault and outraging the modesty of a woman. | NEW: The accused men are expected to be formally charged in a New Delhi court Thursday .
The victim's father says he supports naming a tougher anti-rape law after her .
Bar association leaders in the district where it happened urge lawyers not to take the case . |
107,963 | 172efd39819f4c8772d795f54c94b3f89af6f0b9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:59 EST, 13 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:57 EST, 14 October 2013 . Run for your wife! A Finnish couple has earned cash, beer and bragging rights after taking out the 14th annual North American Wife Carrying Championship at Maine's Sunday River ski resort. Five-time world champion Taisto Miettinen and Reetta Sairanen won Saturday's contest, completing the 278-yard obstacle course in just over 48 seconds. Scroll down for video . Tough: Five-time world wife carrying champion Taisto Miettinen hauls his partner, Reetta Sairanen, both of Finland, at the 14th annual North American Wife Carrying Championship . Tough: Five-time world wife carrying champion Taisto Miettinen carries Reetta Sairanen through a tough water obstacle during the event's final heat at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry on Saturday . Powering over hurdles, ducking sand traps and pushing through a water hole alongside 50 other competitive couples, the dominant duo took home Sairanen's weight (89 pounds) in beer and five times her weight in cash ($445). Now they're set to compete in the World Wife Carrying Championship in Finland next year, according to Sun Journal. Miettinen has won the world championship five times, but with a different teammate. Asked the secret to wife carrying, Miettinen said, 'You must have power, you must be fast and you must have sustained strength...The woman’s weight, it is important.' South Paris' Jesse Wall and Christine Arsenault secured a place in the top three after setting the pace early in the race. Asked how they got into the sport, Wall said, 'I have a very little wife who said to me, ‘We’ve got to go try this, it will be a lot of fun.' Testing: Lee Jong Su, left, and Koo Ji Sung were one of several South Korean couples participating in Saturday's races. The teams were being filmed by a Korean crew for an upcoming television show . Marital bliss: Dave Castro carries his wife Lacey Castro of Alfred through the water obstacle. Despite the drenching, both were happy to participate in this year's event. The Castros were North American wife-carrying champions in 2009 . The tough participants hailed from the U.S., Europe and South Korea. The Korean teams were being filmed for an upcoming television show. The most popular method of carrying the woman, reportedly used by all winners to date, is called the 'Estonian' method. Wrapping the women's legs around the man's head and hanging upside-down behind them, Estonian-style apparently, is considered more comfortable than the classic piggyback or 'fireman' (over the shoulder). Intense: Jesse Wall carries his partner, Christina Arsenault, over a hurdle on the roughly 300-yard obstacle course at the North American Wife Carrying Championships . Romantic: Brendan Sweeney, right, surprised girlfriend Haleigh Brown with a marriage proposal at the end of their heat . | Finnish couple Taisto Miettinen and Reetta Sairanen have won the 14th annual North American Wife Carrying Championship .
They finished the 278-yard obstacle course in just over 48 seconds .
The pair won Sairanen's weight in beer and five times her weight in cash . |
11,716 | 214c075a42eb12033f2216eb80046a312355715c | Barcelona fans travelling to the match on the tram were given helpful information in Spanish — voiced by none other than City’s Argentinian full back Pablo Zabaleta. Zabaleta used to play for the Spanish city’s second team Espanyol, where he befriended and socialised with the young Lionel Messi. Luis's Ground Zero . Ideally, Luis Suarez would have chosen a stadium other than the Etihad at which to make his return to playing in England. The Uruguayan appeared twice for Liverpool at City’s ground last season, failed to score in either game and picked up a booking. He certainly put that right. Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta (right) battles Barca forward Neymar for possession . Luis Suarez appeared twice for Liverpool at Manchester City’s ground last season, but failed to score . Friends reunited . Few sets of players know each other better than these two. Five played together for Argentina in the World Cup final — Martin Demichelis, Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta, Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano. Neymar, Fernandinho and Dani Alves are Brazil team-mates, as are David Silva, Jesus Navas, Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta with Spain. There was one spectator sporting a rather snazzy line in headgear at the Etihad. Sir Alex Ferguson was visiting his old ‘noisy neighbours’ but seemed to be keeping his opinion on City’s performance under his hat... Sir Alex Ferguson was in the stands to watch Manchester City's clash with Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium . James hits the big time . Manchester City will hope the inclusion of James Milner in the starting XI will be a sweetener for the England player, who is out of contract in the summer. Milner is worried about not playing enough big games this season but here he was for the biggest so far, ahead of Fernandinho and new £28million striker Wilfried Bony, with Yaya Toure suspended. James Milner puts in a strong tackle on Barcelona's star midfielder Lionel Messi . | Pablo Zabaleta used to play for the Spanish city's second team Espanyol .
Luis Suarez failed to score at the Etihad twice last season while he was at Liverpool but more than made up for it on Tuesday night .
Martin Demichelis, Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta, Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano all played together for Argentina at last summer's World Cup .
Neymar, Fernandinho and Dani Alves are Brazil team-mates .
James Milner is out of contract with Manchester City in the summer . |
139,465 | 40567640322199bbb4e500888358ab20c6754549 | Former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw has announced that his cancer is now in remission. In February the 74-year-old journalism legend said he'd been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which attacks the bone marrow. But in a note to the NBC News staff he said the future is bright. Former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw has announced that his cancer is now in remission and he's beginning a drug regime to keep it that way . 'A year ago my future was more uncertain than I cared to acknowledge but now I face the New Year with very encouraging news,' he said. He will begin a drug regimen shortly to ensure the cancer stays in remission. Brokaw anchored the NBC news program from 1982 to 2004, and remains a special correspondent. In November, he was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Brokaw anchored the NBC news program from 1982 to 2004, and remains a special correspondent . He is also credited with the term 'The Greatest Generation.' 'I flew home reflecting again on how lucky we are that generation gave us the lives we have today," he wrote, NBC reports, "how my last year was a challenge but I was meeting it in world class hospitals with brilliant physicians, not in a foxhole in the Ardennes." The note was signed off: 'Happy New Year all. T Bone.' | Brokaw had developed a cancer that attacks the bone marrow .
Says he will begin a drug regimen shortly to ensure the cancer stays in remission.
Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in November . |
57,743 | a3aa91082778369f1676f10b8badcdd04024ef2c | By . Emma Reynolds . A teacher has been summoned to court and faces a £1,000 fine because her wheelie bin juts out just 12 inches beyond the boundary of her home. Alex Young, 47, is to appear at Stevenage Magistrates' Court after her local council said the grey plastic bin could present a hazard to drivers and disabled people. It said the bin could prevent grass from being cut - even though there is not a patch of green in sight around the rear of her three-bedroom home. Ms Young was also told that the bin's appearance could 'negatively impact on the street scene environment'. Facing a fine: Alex Young's wheelie bin juts out just 12 inches from the strip of wood that marks the edge of her property . The frustrated householder has attacked the move by Stevenage Borough Council as 'complete nonsense' and a waste of taxpayers' money. She pointed out that Stevenage Borough Council's own grit bins and concrete posts jut further into the road than her bin. It has told her to place the bin in the driveway that leads to her garage - but a frustrated Miss Young says it would then block access to her home. The teacher, who works at Hitchin Boys' School and offers private tutoring, says she has nowhere to put the solitary . bin other than on the raised concrete area behind her terraced house. She has accused the council of using bullying tactics to drag her into court. 'It is a complete and utter waste of taxpayers' money,' she told Mail Online. 'You have no idea how much stress it's caused me - I've since been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and one of the aggravating causes is stress. 'I have to be down there [at court] on a Monday afternoon and my students have their A-levels days later. I should be there helping my students and instead I'm arguing over a bin and having my time wasted. 'Sharon Taylor, the council leader, just got an OBE for caring about the people of Stevenage. It's appalling'. Miss Young, a widow since her husband died of motor neurone disease nine years ago, will plead not guilty at the hearing later this month. The charge brought under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 alleges that she failed in the 'placing of receptacles as required for the purpose of . avoiding a nuisance or detriment to the amenities of the area'. 'Obstruction and arson risk': Miss Young, right, says she has faced more than a year of stress over her bin since she was sent the first letter by Stevenage Borough Council on December 12, 2011, right . The council says the bin is on 'public land' and is an obstruction to the highway and to people who are visually impaired or use wheelchairs. Miss Young says the row goes back to 2011 when . she complained about the lid of her recycling box being damaged after it was left in the road by refuse collectors. On one occasion, her recycling was not . taken away after an empty Ben and Jerry's ice cream carton was found to . contain some plastic. She and her neighbours, a retired couple, found themselves having to get out of cars to move emptied boxes and wheelie bins. In the end, Miss Young asked the . council to remove the recycling bins and she has been using a . solitary grey wheelie bin for all her rubbish ever since. In December 2011, she received a Fixed . Penalty Notice from the council notifying her she had to pay a fine of . £100 for the 'Incorrect presentation of waste receptacles'. Their target: The council's letter says the bin could impede to grass cutting - even though there is barely a blade of grass to be seen on the quiet cul-de-sac . Inches out of place: The 47-year-old's bin has been labelled a potential hazard for disabled people and a blot on the landscape . She was told in the summer she could appeal against the fine, which she duly did, and then heard nothing more. Then, on December 20 2012, she came home to find a . letter telling her that she was to appear in Stevenage . Magistrates' Court on New Year's Eve over the issues with her rubbish, and could have to pay out up to £1,000. 'Because Christmas was coming up, I . couldn't speak to anyone at the council or the court. It came completely . out of the blue and gave me no time. 'I had lodged my appeal but then . heard nothing for months. I had made arrangements to go away for the new . year and the letter spoilt completely my Christmas and my holiday . because I was so stressed by it all.' On New Year's Eve, she managed to . contact the court and her case has been put back. She faces a two-hour hearing later this month. Stevenage Borough Council could not be reached for comment today. | Alex Young was told her bin could present a risk to disabled people .
Council say it could prevent grass cutting and create a blot on the landscape .
She could be fined up to £1,000 under the Environmental Protection Act . |
95,037 | 061d95afc39145f2632233781bc0d4fd565d4fa7 | By . Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 20:58 EST, 2 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 21:01 EST, 2 March 2014 . Nasa released a series of breathtaking 'Gravity' inspired photos in honor of the Oscar nominated film and of the 86th Academy Awards in Los Angeles tonight. Among the stellar snapshots in the series entitled, 'Nasa's Real Life Photos from Space' are pictures of spacewalks, the Hubble telescope, glimpses of the Earth's atmosphere, and space shuttles, reports Petapixel. The film is nominated for 10 academy awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Both 'Gravity' and Nasa's array of intergalactic images are truly out of this world. The bright sun greets the International Space Station in this scene from the Russian section of the orbital outpost . This close-up view of the eye of Hurricane Isabel was taken by one of the Expedition 7 crewmembers onboard the International Space Station (ISS) Silhouetted against the Earth, Atlantis flies into the rising Sun in this photograph taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station . Astronaut Steven L. Smith, payload commander, retrieves a power tool while standing on the mobile foot restraint at the end of the remote manipulator system (RMS) This unique photo of Australia from space captured by an Expedition 28 crew member features the International Space Station's Cupola and crew activity inside it, other hardware belonging to the station, city lights on Earth and airglow . Mission Specialist Bruce McCandless II, is seen further away from the confines and safety of his ship than any previous astronaut has ever been . View of Soyuz Spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS). Earth limb is visible in the background. Photo was taken during STS-127 / Expedition 20 Joint Operations . The winner of the 2011 SAVE Award is Matthew Ritsko, a Goddard financial manager. His tool lending library would track and enable sharing of expensive space-flight tools and hardware after projects no longer need them . Gemini 4 Ed White made the United States' first spacewalk on 3 June 1965 during the Gemini 4 mission . ackdropped by Earth's horizon and the blackness of space, the International Space Station is featured in this image photographed by an STS-134 crew member on the space shuttle Endeavour . Earth and its Moon are nicely framed in this image taken from the aft windows of the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1998 . Apollo 12 Pacific Recovery . Sitting in the life raft, during the Apollo 12 Pacific recovery, are the three mission astronauts; Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad . Astronaut Mike Fossum Transfers the Robotics Refueling Mission Payload During A Spacewalk . Close views of Paul Richards during an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the International Space Station (ISS). View STS102-346-021 is a crew pick selection . Expedition 29 Landing Russian support personnel work to help get Expedition 29 crew members out of the Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft shortly after the capsule landed with Expedition 29 . Expedition 27 Flight Engineer Cady Coleman peeks out of a window of the Soyuz TMA-20 spacecraft . This montage of three frames shows the Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft as it lands with Expedition 23 Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineers T.J. Creamer in Kazakhstan . Beautiful Earth and NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-71) as seen from the Russian Federation Mir Space Station . This photo of the International Space Station was taken as the joint complex passed over the southern hemisphere. The Soutern Lights can be seen on Earth's horizon and a number of stars are visible also . The thin line of Earth's atmosphere and the setting sun are featured in this image photographed by a crew member on the International Space Station while space shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) remains docked with the station . Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt at Night . From 220 miles above Earth . STS-125 Mission Specialist Andrew Feustel positioned on a foot restraint on the end of Atlantis' remote manipulator system moves the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) The city lights of Spain and Portugal define the Iberian Peninsula in this photograph from the International Space Station (ISS) View of Soyuz Spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS) Expedition 35 Flight Engineers Chris Cassidy (pictured) and Tom Marshburn (out of frame) completed a spacewalk to inspect and replace a pump controller box on the International Space Station . The Hubble Space Telescope in a picture snapped by a Servicing Mission 4 crewmember just after the Space Shuttle Atlantis captured Hubble with its robotic arm . Mission Specialist John Grunsfeld is positioned on a foot restraint on the end of Atlantis' remote manipulator system and Andrew Feustel (top center), mission specialist, participate in the mission's fifth and final spacewalk . Targeting Earth Photographs From Orbit Inside the Cupola, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, an Expedition 36 flight engineer, uses a 400mm lens on a digital still camera to photograph a target of opportunity on Earth some 250 miles below him and the International Space Station . | The film 'Gravity' is nominated for 10 academy awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress .
Among the stellar snapshots in the .
series entitled, 'Nasa's Real Life Photos from Space' are pictures of .
the earth from space and more . |
105,670 | 1445ab8ef4d661c3e125953f960b93802d446b5b | By . James Tozer . PUBLISHED: . 06:50 EST, 11 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:53 EST, 12 July 2012 . A father accused of killing his teenage daughter for dishonouring their strict Pakistani culture wept yesterday as he denied he was a murderer. Iftikhar Ahmed, 52, is accused of suffocating 17-year-old Shafilea with a plastic bag in the culmination of months of rows about her Westernised behaviour. Giving evidence yesterday, his barrister told him: ‘The prosecution say you’re a murderer.’ ‘I am not,’ the Pakistan-born taxi driver responded. Scroll down to watch home video of Shafilea . Tears: Iftikhar Ahmed is seen crying in 2004 after Shafilea's body is found. Yesterday he denied murdering his daughter alongside his wife Farzana Ahmed, pictured yesterday . Asked by Tom Bayliss, QC, how it felt . to stand trial accused of murdering his own daughter, he replied: ‘I . can’t believe it – it’s devastating.’ Ahmed and his wife Farzana, 49 – seen leaving court yesterday in handcuffs (above) – both deny murdering Shafilea. Ahmed, . who sobbed in the witness box, denied there had been any arguments on . the night Shafilea was last seen alive nearly nine years ago. He . said he had been the last one to go to bed apart from Shafilea, who was . downstairs ‘doing her homework’. The next morning, she had vanished, he . said, adding that they had assumed she had run away as she had done . twice before. Earlier in the trial, the jury heard from Shafilea’s younger sister, Alesha, that both her parents took part in a murderous attack that night – September 11, 2003. Victim: . Shafilea disappeared in September 2003 and her body was found on the . bank of the River Kent in Cumbria the following February . She claimed their mother began it by saying – in Urdu – ‘Just finish it here’, before picking up the plastic bag which her husband held in place until Shafilea went limp. Mrs Ahmed originally claimed no argument took place that night, but earlier this week she dramatically changed her account. She now says she saw her husband angrily hitting and punching Shafilea that night. The following morning, she says she asked her husband where Shafilea was, to which he allegedly responded: ‘If you care for your dear life and that of your children, don’t ever ask me this question again.’ Yesterday Ahmed was asked by his barrister how he felt about his wife. He replied: ‘I love her to bits.’ Asked if that had changed now she had altered her account, he answered: ‘No.’ Ahmed, giving evidence at Chester Crown Court, broke down as he denied ever having been violent towards his eldest daughter. Ahmed said the family had endured ‘constant attention’ from police and the media following Shafilea’s disappearance. ‘We never got any rest,’ he said, describing the coverage as ‘constant finger-pointing’. Of the impact of the trial on the family, he insisted: ‘We have been fighting to achieve justice for our daughter Shafilea.’ Shafilea’s body was found in February 2004, dumped beside a river in Cumbria. Her parents were charged with her murder after Alesha, now 23, came forward in 2010. The trial has also heard an account allegedly given by a third sister, Mevish, to a friend describing her father hitting Shafilea on the night of her disappearance. However, Mevish, now 21, told the court she had made it up. The trial continues. VIDEO: Home video of Shafilea at a family wedding in Pakistan in 2003... Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Iftikhar Ahmed denied ever hurting his daughter or murdering her .
This week his wife Farzana claimed she witnessed him beat Shafilea . |
67,581 | bfbc5228914c8e7f43597b5da97edab71848e090 | A Southern California man was found guilty Friday in the savage revenge slaughter and torching of his ex-girlfriend's family after the teen dumped him over religious differences. Iftekhar Murtaza, 29, stabbed, beat and slashed his ex-girlfriend's father and sister to death, slit her mother's throat and burned down the family's Orange County home in May 2007 - and now he faces the death penalty. Mr Murtaza was 'upset' after being dumped Shayona Dhanak, then 18-years-old, two months before brutally murdering her family because her parents threatened to stop paying her college tuition if she didn't leave him. Murderer: Iftekhar Murtaza is brought into Orange County Superior Court Friday to hear the guilty verdict . The cold-blooded killer was found guilty of two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one conspiracy count, but declined to convict on kidnapping and murder during a burglary charges. The trial's penalty phase begins December 2, prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. 'We're very pleased with the verdicts,' prosecutor Howard Gundy said, adding he was ready to move to the next phase. He declined to comment any further. Mr Murtaza's attorney declined to comment after the trial. Two of Murtaza's friends were previously convicted of the killings. Vitaliy Krasnoperov was sentenced to life in prison, and Charles Murphy Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced in December. Guilty: Mr Murtaza, left, listens to the verdicts between defense attorneys Julie Swain, center, and Doug Myers, right . Delusional: Prosecutors said Murtaza was hoping that after the attack, his ex-girlfriend would see him as a 'white knight' and come back to him. She allegedly broke up with him because she was Hindu and he Muslim . Dhanak's parents were practicing Hindus and told her Mr Murtaza and his Muslim family came from a line of 'beggars and servants'. From the outset of the trial, prosecutors claimed he planned the murder plot and paid a friend $30,000 to help him kill the teen's parents so he . could be with her. Mr Murtaza . said he went home after the break-up, took ecstasy and starting chatting . with a friend online about how he wished Dhanak's parents were dead. 'I didn't want to kill them,' he told the court, according to Fox News. 'It was just a figure of speech.' 'I was frustrated, I was upset,' he continued, 'I just wished they would accept me.' 'It's almost like I am not human to them, based on the family that I was born into.' Mr Murtaza said he repeated his wish that the Dhanaks would die or disappear to dozens of friends out of his sense of frustration and despair and that his relationship would be fine if not for them. The prosecution contended Dhanak wanted to end the relationship with the disturbed man because he had become controlling and violent. Inferno: This is all that was left of the Dhanka family's mansion in Anaheim Hills, California, which was burned down after becoming the scene of a double homicide . Alleged killer: Leela Dhanak testified how Iftekhar Murtaza, seen in this August photo, murdered her husband and elder daughter in a failed attempt to win over her younger daughter . Bloodbath: Autopsy reports showed Jayprakash Dhanak (left) suffered 29 stab wounds to his body, while a pathologist testified that Karishma Dhanak (right) was alive when her throat was slit and her body set alight . Leela Dhanak broke down on the stand as she talked about still hearing her spouse’s screams of terror in her sleep years later. Mrs Dhanak told the Orange County courtroom that she was attacked when she came home in May 2007 and fell unconscious. She was found on the front lawn of a neighbors property by police, who had responded to a fire at Mrs Dhanak's home. The woman woke up from a coma three weeks later to discover the family’s Anaheim Hills mansion had been burned, and her husband, 56-year-old Jaypraykash Dhanak, and eldest daughter, Karishma Dhanak, 20, killed. Last month, a pathologist testified that Karishma Dhanak was alive when her throat was slit and her body was doused with gasoline and set on fire. Autopsy results showed Jayprakash Dhanak suffered 29 stab wounds to his body. He also had his skull fractured, resulting in a fatal brain injury. Their bodies had been found in a park in Irvine about two miles from the University of California dorn where Shayona Danak lived. The scorned ex-boyfriend was interviewed by police within the days of the horrifying plot and was soon arrested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with a ticket to his native Bangladesh and more than $11,000 stashed in his luggage. So happy together: Mr Murtaza (left) tied the knot with fellow suspected murderer Marissa Star Bilotti (right), 20, in a 2011 jailhouse ceremony - the newlyweds were separated by a chain-link fence . During her testimony, Mrs Dhanak admitted she didn't particularly like Mr Murtaza, but had her daughter truly loved him, she would have supported the young couple. ‘She was too young to fall in love with any guys,’ she told the court. In June 2011, Mr Murtaza married 20-year-old suspected murderer Marissa Star Bilotti in a jailhouse ceremony after exchanging letters for five months. Ms Bilotti is charged with first-degree murder, burglary, and robbery. She faces 32 years to life in prison for helping a friend, Derek Christopher Adams, murder a man in 2010. | Iftekhar Murtaza, 29, was convicted Friday for the fiery attack on the Dhanak family in Orange County in 2007 .
Murtaza was found guilty of stabbing to death Jaypraykash Dhanak, 56, slitting the throat of his 20-year-old daughter, Karishma, and setting their bodies on fire .
Wife Leela Dhanak was stabbed in the stomach and had her throat slashed, but miraculously survived .
Mr Murtaza concocted the murder plot with two friends after Dhanka's youngest daughter, Shayona, broke up with him over religious differences .
Mr Murtaza married a 20-year-old suspected murderess in jail in 2011 after exchanging letters with her for five months .
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty . |
239,961 | c2a7158ac77951d9928173918af6d88443a62b95 | They have spent the last six years as rivals on the pitch and on the Ballon d’Or short-list yet we have never seen them sharing so much as a post-match conversation, much less swapping shirts. As Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo prepare to face each other when Argentina play Portugal at Old Trafford on Tuesday, Pete Jenson looks at the rivalry and asks: do they really despise each other or is there a begrudging mutual respect? Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo go head-to-head when Argentina play Portugal at Old Trafford . Unpleasant nicknames . In his book about Jose Mourinho’s three years at Real Madrid, Diego Torres wrote that some of the people around Ronaldo had taken to referring to Messi as ‘the dwarf’ whenever they discussed him. The term seems to have been applied to motivate Ronaldo and convince him that he was better than the four-times Ballon d’Or winner. What Torres never suggests is that the derogatory comment ever came from Ronaldo himself. In Guillem Ballague’s book Messi, Ronaldo is said to refer to the Barcelona player as ‘Cabronazo’ in the Real Madrid dressing room. The Spanish swearword is translated as a particularly colourful epithet in the English version of the book but could just as easily be rendered as ‘bastard’, which in the context of a psyched-up dressing room before a Clasico would be nothing out of the ordinary. Ronaldo denies ever disrespecting Messi, tweeting in midweek: ‘I have the utmost respect for all my professional colleagues, and Messi is obviously no exception.’ Messi trains with the Argentina squad at Manchester City's Carrington training centre . Brilliant for their clubs, Messi and Ronaldo have failed to deliver on the international stage . The wages war . Much of Ronaldo’s Messi-directed ire stems from his sense of injustice at not always being treated the same. At the 2012 European Footballer of the Year ceremony, Ronaldo was furious that then Barcelona president Sandro Rosell accompanied Messi and eventual winner Andres Iniesta to the presentation while Real Madrid president Florentino Perez stayed at home, sending low-ranking director Pedro Lopez in his place. Ronaldo at the time was also entering his fourth season at the club still with his original deal in place while it seemed Messi’s contract was being improved on an almost half-yearly basis. By September 2013 Perez had awarded Ronaldo a new five-year deal worth £17million a season putting him above Messi, whose deal was renewed at the end of the season to restore parity. Real Madrid forward Ronaldo and his girlfriend Irina Shayk . Barcelona forward Messi and his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo . The image . For years Messi came across as the shy, humble, boy wonder while Ronaldo was the brash poseur with the model girlfriend. But the image of both men has changed. Reporters at Portugal’s World Cup play-off win over Sweden in 2013 will never forget Ronaldo wandering through the press area with his then three-year-old son, Ronaldo Jnr, leading the way, telling the assembled media, ‘He never fails’ after his father’s goal had given Portugal a 1-0 lead. When Ronaldo stopped to answer questions there was a tug on the trouser leg from his son who had the media in stitches saying: ‘Let’s go, daddy, I am sleeping with you tonight?’ But while Ronaldo’s image has softened, Messi’s has hardened. A tax evasion case against him and his father is going through the courts. And he has been depicted as an at-times authoritarian figure in the Barca dressing room. It is claimed that after Real Madrid won 2-1 in Pep Guardiola’s last Clasico in 2012, the coach sought out Messi only to be dismissed by the player who told him: ‘What you should have done is pick a team to win, instead of what you did do.’ It is also said that Messi texted from the back of the team bus to Guardiola at the front criticising him for giving Zlatan Ibrahimovic Messi’s central-striking berth in one game in 2009. Ronaldo and Messi have not exactly swapped personas. It is still Ronaldo who steps out with Russian model Irina Shayk, and Messi is unlikely to become an underwear model anytime soon, but the pair are no longer quite at opposite ends of the personality spectrum they once were. Both are doting dads and both can be driven and dominating forces in the dressing room. Much of Ronaldo’s Messi-directed ire stems from his sense of injustice . Boy wonder while Ronaldo was the brash poseur with the model girlfriend . International let-downs . Another thing that unites them has been their failure to deliver on the international stage. Ronaldo went home after the group matches of this summer’s World Cup and was the subject of more headlines off the pitch than on it with constant concerns over his fitness and a bizarre topless model stalker, the Brazilian former Miss Bumbum, having to be banned from Portugal’s training sessions. Messi had a better tournament but was still unable to emulate Diego Maradona by winning the trophy as Argentina lost to Germany in the final. Both men will now probably finish their careers without a World Cup winners’ medal and both will understand the frustration of not being able to meet national expectations. Messi has been depicted as an at-times authoritarian figure in the Barca dressing room . An Old Trafford embrace? Will these shared sentiments help bring about a thaw in relations as they meet in relatively friendly circumstances on Tuesday? Or will club allegiances and their ongoing battle to stay ahead in the Ballon d’Or stakes, and in the all-time Champions League goals table, keep the cold war going until they both hang up their boots? The Messi-Ronaldo embrace will no doubt come one day. Tuesday might still be too soon. | Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo go head-to-head at Old Trafford on Tuesday .
Much of Ronaldo's Messi-directed ire stems from his sense of injustice at not always being treated the same .
Both players are doting dads and both can be driven and dominating forces in the dressing room . |
266,802 | e591585a890c2d174b309ce227b068c41b2fa1ff | By . Barbara Jones and Tom Goodenough . PUBLISHED: . 19:10 EST, 26 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:42 EST, 27 May 2012 . Kenyan police last night agreed to set up a task force to investigate the death of British aristocrat’s son Alexander Monson after protests from his family and allegations of a cover-up. Alexander, 28, died in mysterious circumstances after spending nine hours in a police cell following his arrest for smoking cannabis outside a bar near his mother’s home in the coastal resort of Diani, south of Mombasa. Yesterday, his friends gathered for a memorial service in the family garden overlooking a beach at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Mysterious demise: Alexander Monson, who died after being arrested for smoking cannabis in Kenya, with his mother Hilary Martin and sister Isabella . His father Nicholas, the 12th Baron of Monson, in his eulogy described Alexander as ‘a brilliant comet that blazed through the skies for 28 years’. Following the service, his family had intended for the former Marlborough College pupil's body to be cremated, although it was still unclear if this would be possible due to the likelihood of further autopsies. His family believes his life could have been saved if police had called for medical help when he collapsed last Saturday morning. Instead they allegedly took him to hospital and handcuffed him unconscious to a bed, telling doctors to treat him for a drugs overdose. Guests at Alexander Monson's memorial service cast flowers into the ocean in memory of the 28-year-old . Alexander Monson's family have called for an investigation into his death . Alex's father Lord Monson giving a reading at his son's memorial service, in which he described him as 'a brilliant comet that blazed through the skies for 28 years' His family, headed by Alexander’s father, has instructed lawyers to carry out an independent inquiry with a view to taking action against the police. A post-mortem examination carried out last week showed Alexander died from the result of ‘blunt force trauma’ – a blow to the head that led to swelling of the brain. His left hand was heavily bruised, leading pathologists to believe he may have been trying to defend himself, and there was bruising to his groin that suggests he had been kicked. Police had initially claimed the public schoolboy had suffered fatal complications relating to drug use after he was held under suspicion of smoking Bhang, a local variety of cannabis. Cover-up claims: Alexander's father, Nicolas, pictured with his ex-wife Hilary, has instructed lawyers to conduct an independent inquiry with a view to taking action against the police . Lord Monson, who travelled to Mombasa for his son’s funeral, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Whatever happened in that police station need not have led to Alexander’s death. It is clear he was attacked and we want this properly investigated. ‘His death is a terrible tragedy and a waste. However painful it is for us at this time, we are determined to find the truth and bring those responsible to justice.’ Monson also spoke of his devastation he felt after first hearing of his son's death: 'I was on holiday in Spain and I was playing a game of Scrabble when a friend rang me up and said: 'I have some appalling news to tell you: Alexander has died in hospital. Alex's father pictured with his new wife has spoken of his devastation at his son's unexplained death . 'As you can imagine I just couldn't believe it - I was in a state of shock. 'Then, when I arrived in Kenya, it was revealed to me that he had died from a blow to the head. 'Again, that was another great wave of shock.' Last night, the head of Mombasa’s Provincial Criminal Investigation Office, Ambrose Munyasia, said: ‘I am appointing senior officers to a special task force which will hold a thorough inquiry. A person has died in the arms of the police and we must investigate his death.’ A family spokesman said: ‘Everything points to an attack followed by a cover-up.’ | Post-mortem examination shows that former Marlborough College schoolboy died from 'blow to the head'
Police had earlier claimed Alexander Monson's death was a result of complications from taking drugs .
Family and friends turn out in huge numbers for memorial service and cast flowers into the Indian Ocean to remember him . |
284,256 | fc4769a986a0a59b9668e436d8682a20e248c634 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 12:09 EST, 22 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:38 EST, 22 January 2014 . An incredibly limber robo-ape that can clamber over obstacles, open doors and even drive a vehicle, has shown off its dexterity as part of a robotic challenge. U.S. scientists created RoboSimian to assist in dangerous situations from a nuclear meltdown to the aftermath of a bomb explosion so that humans no longer need to risk their lives in such perilous environments. However, in the meantime, the machine is competing in DARPA’s Robotics Challenge in Florida and has got through to the finals. Scroll down for video . U.S. scientists created RoboSimian (pictured) to assist in dangerous situations from a nuclear meltdown to the aftermath of a bomb explosion so that humans no longer need to put their lives at risks in perilous environments . RoboSimian has four dexterous arms that bend in many ways to support its weight, open doors and enable it to walk along like a spider. Two of its arms have three fingers to grip objects. The robot measures 5ft 5in (1.64m) when it . is standing up and weighs 238lb (108kg). It has 28 degrees-of freedom for . mobility and manipulation and folds into a relatively small volume. Humans . control the robot remotely using a normal computer monitor, keyboard and . mouse. The robot is designed to assist in dangerous situations such as nuclear meltdowns and the aftermath of bomb blasts. It . runs on batteries, which is useful in areas that have lost mains power. RoboSimian was built by Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Stanford University engineers with the intention of being stable and flexible, rather than fast. The robot has four dexterous arms that bend in an unusual way to support its weight, lift objects, open doors and allow the machine to walk along like a spider. It can bend them beneath itself to adopt a type of yogic pose. Two of the arms have three fingers to grip objects and open doors, which are essential skills in an emergency, as well as in the trials. To gain a place in the final, the robot battled 15 other teams to complete tasks including climbing ladders, clambering over obstacles, turning wheels and opening doors. Other more fiddly challenges include . removing debris, connecting a fire hose to a tap and breaking through a . wall, as well as driving an emergency vehicle, as it is envisioned these . robots could go to places too dangerous for humans. The incredibly limber robo-ape can clamber over obstacles like a spider (pictured), open doors and is designed to save lives, has shown off its dexterous skills as part of a robotic challenge . RoboSimian, which was created by engineers at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion laboratory (JPL) and Stanford University based in California, is controlled by humans from a distance. It is designed for stability, rather than rapid movement, which makes it more robust and reliable. The DARPA robotics challenge comprises eight tasks: Driving a vehicle, negotiating tricky terrain, climbing a ladder, moving debris, opening a door, knocking though a wall, turning a valve and connecting a hose . The robot has four dexterous arms that bend in an unusual way to support its weight, lift objects, open doors and allow the machine to walk along like a spider. It can bend them beneath itself to adopt a type of yogic pose (pictured) The robot measures 5ft 5in (1.64m) when it is standing up and weighs 238lb (108kg). It has 28 degrees-of freedom for mobility and manipulation and folds into a relatively small volume. It runs on batteries, which is useful in areas that have lost mains power. Humans controlling the robot use a normal computer monitor, keyboard and mouse, which the creators believe will make life easier in an emergency situation. The robot came fifth in DARPA’s competition - which was conceived following . the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan - and was beaten by robots that looked more human in appearance. Humans controlling the robot use a normal computer monitor, keyboard and mouse (top right), which the creators believe will make life easier in an emergency situation. Here, humans guide the robot through a series of doors, which it has to open . The robo-ape is competing in DARPA's Robotics Challenge in Florida and has got through to the finals by completing tasks such as removing debris from doorways (pictured) The highest scoring robot – with 27 points compared to Robosimian’s 14 – is called Schaft and was built by a team in Tokyo, Japan. The bipedal robot measures one-and-a-half metres tall and walks like a human and using its actuator, walking and stabilisation systems. The winning team will receive a $2million prize. Two of the arms have three fingers each to grip objects (pictured) and open doors, which are essential skills in an emergency, as well as in the trials . The robot came fifth in DARPA's competition and was beaten by robots that looked more human in appearance (pictured) | U.S. scientists created RoboSimian to .
assist in dangerous situations from a nuclear meltdown to the aftermath .
of a bomb explosion .
Robot is through to the finals of DARPA's Robotics Challenge in Florida, where it had to clamber over obstacles, remove debris and even drive a car .
RoboSimian was built by engineers at JPL and Stanford University and measures 1.64metres when it is standing on two legs and not crawling along . |
127,459 | 30be43940c39ad672e58607951108fdafcbc25a6 | (CNN) -- It was the picture of Jesse Matthew that made the father of slain Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington do a double-take. It was uncanny how much the suspect in the disappearance of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham resembled the police sketch of the man wanted in connection with the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman in Fairfax, Viriginia, in 2005. Police also linked that suspect to Harrington's case. Could it be the same man? Could it be the man behind the 2009 killing of their 20-year-old daughter, Morgan Harrington? "I told Gil this person might have been involved in Morgan's murder," Dan Harrington told Anderson Cooper Tuesday on CNN's "AC360." Harrington's comments came a day after Virginia State Police said there was a "new forensic link" between the Graham and Harrington cases. On Tuesday, a law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity told CNN that DNA evidence links Matthew to the death of Harrington. Almost from the beginning, after news of Graham's disappearance, Harrington's parents were struck by the similarities between the two cases. Authorities check unsolved cases for ties to Hannah Graham case . "Both Hannah's going missing and Morgan's abduction happened about the same time of year," Gil Harrington said. It also happened about the same time of night, and with some of the same circumstances, she said. The family of Morgan Harrington searches for answers . Harrington went missing after attending a Metallica concert in Charlottesville in October 2009. Her remains, including splintered bones, were found on a farm on the outskirts of the city in late January 2010. The last major development in the Harrington case came in 2010, when her slaying was connected to the kidnapping and sexual assault of another woman in Fairfax in 2005. That woman was able to provide police with enough of a description to make a sketch. Police at the time did not identify the woman who provided the description and said only that "forensic evidence" linked the two cases. It's that sketch and its similarity to Matthew that is the closest thing the Harrington family says they have to an answer as to who possibly was responsible for killing their daughter. "You don't get over it," Gil Harrington said. "But I do believe you get past it," and you can work to help others, she said. The priority right now, she said, is finding Graham. Graham was last seen September 13 in an area of Charlottesville known as the Downtown Mall. Police have asked owners of large parcels of property in surrounding counties to search their land and report back. Hannah Graham disappearance suspect questioned in 2002 alleged rape case . Investigators believe Matthew was the last person with Graham. He has been charged with abduction with the intent to defile in the case, and he is being held in jail in isolation, according to Charlottesville police. Police investigators have not publicly connected the dots except to say that the arrest of Matthew has given them a break in Harrington's case. Dan Harrington has a message for the man he believes killed his daughter: "I would like to say how could you take another person's life? How could you possibly be so awful to abduct someone and kill them? ... It's beyond understanding." Source: DNA in Hannah Graham case links to 2009 death; other cases studied . Watch Anderson Cooper . 360° weeknights 8pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here. | The parents of Morgan Harrington tell CNN they want to know who killed their daughter .
Jesse Matthew resembles a sketch of a suspect linked to another case, Dan Harrington says .
Harrington, 20 went missing in 2009, and her remains were found in 2010 . |
201,274 | 9099592ad9b5db6f4815be3ab33b891980d1f4e7 | Robot dinosaurs, Lego men and Spider-Man -- all could become Dubai's newest residents as the city is set to house a slew of new theme parks. On the roster is everything from big brands like Legoland and Six Flags, to new concepts set to make a splash. Literally in the case of Pearl of Dubai, slated to be the world's largest underwater park when it's completed (the tentative date is 2020, to correspond with the Dubai World Expo). Size is a theme for many of the parks on the list. One proposed project, IMG World of Adventure, hopes to usurp Ferrari World as the world's largest indoor theme park. It will include four zones, including The Lost Valley -- a Jurassic Park-themed segment -- as well as two zones dedicated to characters from Cartoon Network and Marvel Comics, respectively. "We want this park to be one of the center points in the future of Dubai," explains Adam Alexander Page, the vice president of marketing for IMG Group, the developer behind the project. "As such, you don't want to build something that won't get global attention, and if that means it's big, that's what you do. There's no point in building it small." What's in a name? Many of Dubai's developers plan to rely heavily on pop culture and name recognition in bringing people to their parks. This is especially true of the planned Dubai Parks, planned in an expanse 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Dubai International Airport. A theme-park conglomerate, Dubai Parks will house a Legoland, as well as a Bollywood-themed park and the Hollywood-themed Motiongate Dubai. "Movies have become the kind of entertainment that binds people, young or old, across the globe, because they all watch the same movies," notes John Gerner, a theme park consultant and the managing director at Leisure Business Advisors. "It used to be that if you were to develop a theme park, you'd take an indigenous theme unique to the area and build on that. Now, it's almost the opposite. You take an international concept known around the world, like Marvel." Thinking different . Aside from the financial incentives, developers cite Dubai's willingness to think outside the box as part of the appeal of setting up in the city. "Dubai has an overabundance of vision," says Patrick Douglas, the CEO of Reef Worlds, an underwater design company. Pearl of Dubai will be a five-acre underwater park with a Lost City of Atlantis theme. In addition to luring scuba divers and snorkelers, the underwater attraction will also act as a huge artificial reef, designed to attract and nurture aquatic life. "We're building for two clients: One has credit cards, the other has fins," jokes Douglas. When first pitching the sustainable tourism venture, he approached properties in the Caribbean, all to no avail. "I told them, we'd build these sites, they wouldn't have to put up any money up front, and if they happened to make money from them -- which we knew they would -- we could talk about a revenue share. We didn't get any traction," says Douglas. Dubai, however, was a different story. "They get it. They can conceive of it and they can produce it," he says. The Orlando of the Middle East? While Dubai is currently home to a handful of theme parks -- most notably Wild Wadi and Atlantis The Palm's Aquaventure -- the city has yet to establish much of a track record in the industry. Many projects announced prior to the 2008 crash were assigned to the scrap heap afterwards. "In our industry, there tends to be more announcements of theme parks than those actually built," warns Gerner. "It's a quandary for analysts like myself. Typically we look at new projects as a share of the existing market, so it's very hard to evaluate the potential for going into somewhere entirely new." Then again, building an entertainment industry from scratch isn't unprecedented. Gerner points out that Orlando, Florida was virtually unknown until the 1970s when Disney World moved in. "Dubai wants to become an international tourist destination for leisure, one that serves not just the greater region, but the entire world. Whether they'll be successful, that's a big question, but that's their goal," says Gerner. Read more: Building the new Louvre . Read more: Could your next burger be made of camel meat? | Dubai has plans for numerous large-scale amusement parks .
Legoland and an underwater theme park are two of those envisaged .
Developers chose Dubai as the Emirate aims to become premier tourist destination . |
161,026 | 5c2b925c6445a6fed5f1fcceb70b5f0505412ef2 | CLARENCE CENTER, New York (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday praised Beverly Eckert, the widow of a September 11 victim and a prominent post-9/11 activist, who was one of the passengers who died in a plane crash outside Buffalo, New York. Sean Rooney and wife Beverly Eckert in an undated photograph. "Beverly lost her husband on 9/11," Obama said, "and became a tireless advocate for the families whose lives were forever changed on that September day." A resident of Stamford, Connecticut, Eckert was the widow of Buffalo native Sean Rooney, who died at the World Trade Center. Obama's words underscored the shock and grief from friends, family and acquaintances over the news that Eckert was aboard the Continental Connection Flight 3407. The turboprop plane crashed Thursday, killing all 49 aboard and one person on the ground. "Tragic events such as these remind us of the fragility of life and the value of every single day. And one person who understood that well was Beverly Eckert, who was on that flight and who I met with just a few days ago," Obama said in brief remarks. Obama met Eckert at a gathering of September 11 victims' families on Friday. Valerie Lucznikowska, a member of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, said she, Eckert and another woman traveled to Washington for the meeting. Lucznikowska said Eckert asked Obama whether the group would have ongoing meetings with his administration. Obama said there would be, even though they wouldn't necessarily be with him. After the 2001 terrorist attacks, Eckert co-founded Voices of September 11, an advocate group for survivors and families. Eckert had a reputation as a strong campaigner of September 11 families, involved in protests leading to more land for a ground zero memorial, working on the September 11 Commission's Family Steering Committee and pushing for a victims' families compensation fund. She was traveling to Buffalo for a celebration of what would have been her husband's 58th birthday. Eckert planned to take part in presenting a scholarship award at Canisius High School that was established in honor of her late husband, who was an alumnus, according to the school's president, John Knight. Obama mentioned the scholarship plans in his remarks Friday. "In keeping with that passionate commitment, she was on her way to Buffalo to mark what would have been her husband's birthday and launch a scholarship in his memory. She was an inspiration to me and to so many others, and I pray that her family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead," Obama said. Lucznikowska, whose nephew died in the World Trade Center attacks, said she was "horribly saddened by this news." "I would very much like to honor her. She was truly a wonderful person. She was someone who was trying to make society better." Eckert backed Peaceful Tomorrows' effort to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and end the military commissions there, Lucznikowska said. The group elaborated on this stance in a signed letter to Obama, and Eckert gave a presidential aide a separate letter listing her own concerns, Lucznikowska said. Knight said Canisius High postponed the scholarship presentation, set to occur at noon Friday, for two students entering the high school next fall. He said Eckert also had been active in a capital campaign fundraising effort. "She struck me as a wonderful, beautiful person who clearly wanted to do something to remember her husband in a way that would have an everlasting impact on our community," Knight said. Gordon Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93 Inc., the plane that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, also expressed his grief. "We note with deep sorrow the passing of Beverly Eckert in the Buffalo plane crash. She was a 9/11 family member who brought to light issues of importance to all of us -- and to all Americans. We extend our condolences to her family and to all those who loved her. She will be missed." Jay Winuk, a September 11 organizational leader who lost his brother in the World Trade Center, said that although he did not know Eckert personally, "it is clear that she was a terrific advocate for the 9/11 family community." CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report. | President Obama says Beverly Eckert was "tireless advocate"
Eckert was the widow of a September 11 terrorist attack victim .
She was on way to Buffalo to mark what would have been husband's 58th birthday .
Eckert had co-founded advocacy group for September 11 survivors, families . |
83,427 | eca9a6e7f4836ff14eba416f46088b7b1981cb34 | Britain is preparing to reopen its embassy in Iran in a dramatic thawing of relations between the West and Tehran. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the circumstances were right to restore the embassy, closed in 2011 after it was ransacked by an angry mob, insisting: 'Iran is an important country in a volatile region.' In another dramatic development, US secretary of state John Kerry indicated that the Obama administration is 'open to discussions' with Tehran if the Iranians can help end the violence and restore confidence in the Iraqi government. Scroll down for videos . British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the circumstances were right to reopen the UK embassy in Tehran, as US secretary of state John Kerry indicated that the Obama administration is 'open to discussions' with Iran . The need for closer working with Iran comes amid the deepening crisis in Iraq, where jihadist militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) have seized several major cities. In a fresh worrying development, pictures have emerged of children taking up arms in Iraq against the Isis threatening to march on Baghdad. Images coming out of Iraq today show youths brandishing automatic rifles as they march with the militias forming in the capital to fight back against the forces of ISIS. The US has signalled it too could work with Iran in an extraordinary alliance to deal with the threat posed by the unrest in Iraq. Mr Hague spoke to Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday when significant progress was made on repairing relations. The Foreign Secretary stressed the ‘common interests’ with Iran, including stability in Iraq and in Afghanistan and tackling the drugs trade. Anti Shah rioters in Tehran attack the British Embassy in December 1978 . The British embassy in Tehran has long been the centre of tensions between the UK and Iran. In November 2011, under hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, Iran announced it was expelling the UK's ambassador in retaliation for British support for tougher sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear programme. Hundreds of protesters stormed embassy compounds two days later, smashing windows, torching cars, burning Union Flags, and chanting: 'The embassy of Britain should be taken over',' and 'Death to England'. The riots had echoes of an uprising in 1979 uprising when the pro-Western Pahlavi dynasty was deposed and replaced with a theocratic regime. In 1980, six Iranian gunmen took 22 people hostage at the Iranian embassy in London. After a stand-off lasting six days, elite SAS troops stormed the building killing five gunmen and arresting another. One hostage was killed and two were injured. It was eight years before the UK government re-opened its embassy in Tehran. The rapprochement was short lived with diplomatic ties being severed again in 1989 when Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill British author Salman Rushdie in retaliation for his controversial novel The Satanic Verses. It took a decade for the embassy to be reopened. Today he announced said the 'circumstances are right' to restore the diplomatic base after a significant thawing in relations over recent months. 'Our two primary concerns when considering whether to reopen our embassy in Tehran have been assurance that our staff would be safe and secure, and confidence that they would be able to carry out their functions without hindrance,' Mr Hague told MPs in a written statement. 'There has never been any doubt in my mind that we should have an embassy in Tehran if the circumstances allowed. 'Iran is an important country in a volatile region, and maintaining embassies around the world, even under difficult conditions, is a central pillar of the UK's global diplomatic approach... 'I have therefore now decided the circumstances are right to reopen our embassy in Tehran.' However, the UK remains concerned about Iran's nuclear programme and its sponsorship of terrorism. David Cameron later rejected the idea that the diplomatic rapprochement was connected to the crisis in Iraq. Speaking at a press conference in Downing Street, he said: 'Britain believes in and I believe in step by step building our relationship with Iran because we need to have proper dialogue with that country. 'We are having dialogue over the nuclear weapons issue and I think we should be having dialogue with it on issues of regional security,' the premier said. 'Obviously our relationship was at a low point after the appalling things that happened with respect to our embassy, but it is right step by step with a clear eye with a hard head, to rebuild that relationship. 'Now we would be doing that anyway irrespective of what is happening in Iraq, but I think what is happening in Iraq is certainly not a reason for not taking that step.' It came amid reports that Tehran is considering military support to the Shia-led administration in Iraq. Representatives of Iran and the Western powers met in Vienna to discuss international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. In the Commons yesterday, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said: ‘There is now an urgent case for ensuring an effective British diplomatic presence in Tehran to help co-ordinate discussions and to advance dialogue.’ Mr Hague said he had discussed 'a number of matters, including the situation in Iraq' with Iranian counterpart Mr Zarif. Britain has not had a diplomatic presence in Tehran since 2011, when an angry mob ransacked offices and carried away a royal coat of arms . The anti-British protests saw flags burned in the street outside the embassy in November 2011 . Mr Hague spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday to discuss taking further steps on improving bilateral relations . 'He said that there was a case for a further step forward in our bilateral relations. 'I have discussed that with him, and I shall have something more to say about our discussions imminently,' Mr Hague told MPs. 'However, our work on that is distinct from discussions on Iraq, which is partly why I shall address those separately.' Meanwhile, US secretary of state John Kerry has indicated that the Obama administration is willing to talk with Iran over the deteriorating security conditions in Iraq. The president announced last night that around 275 US military personnel could deploy to Iraq to provide support and security for the US embassy and its staff in Baghdad. Mr Kerry said in an interview with Yahoo! News that Washington is 'open to discussions' with Tehran if the Iranians can help end the violence and restore confidence in the Iraqi government. He said he would not rule out military co-operation, and a senior US official revealed American and Iranian diplomats have already discussed the Iraq issue during nuclear talks in Austria. Mr Kerry said: 'We're open to discussions if there is something constructive that can be contributed by Iran, if Iran is prepared to do something that is going to respect the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq and ability of the government to reform.' On military co-operation, Mr Kerry said: 'At this moment, I think we need to go step-by-step and see what in fact might be a reality. But I would not rule out anything that would be constructive in providing real stability, a respect for the constitution, a respect for the election process and a respect for the ability of the Iraqi people to form a government that represents all the interests of Iraq. 'We are open to any constructive process here that would minimise the violence.' But the Pentagon says it has no plans to co-ordinate with Iran on possible military action in Iraq despite Mr Kerry's comments about engagement with Tehran. In a sign of Iran's deepening involvement in the Iraqi crisis, the Associated Press reported the commander of the country's elite Quds Force is helping Iraq's military and Shiite militias respond to the insurgency. The Iranian general Ghasem Soleimani, has been consulting in Iraq on how to roll back the al Qaida breakaway group, according to Iraqi security officials. | William Hague to tell MPs of plan to return diplomats to Tehran .
Foreign Secretary emphasises joint interest in tackling ISIS militants in Iraq .
Embassy was closed in 2011 after it was stormed by an angry mob .
US also considering extraordinary alliance with Iran in face of Iraqi unrest . |
179,274 | 741ac532f26c078234fbec968f650a18e717d73e | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 16:07 EST, 11 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:08 EST, 11 July 2013 . A 14-year-old Florida boy who was given a slim chance of survival after he was crushed under a bus two months ago has made a miraculous recovery. Jerry Cunningham, from Pompano Beach, was running to hold a Broward County bus for his mother on May 10 when his arm got stuck in the door and the distracted driver dragged him along the road and then pulled him under the vehicle, which weighed 20-tons. The shocking incident, which was captured on surveillance video, left the eighth grader with fractures to his face, ribs and ankle and he was put in a medically induced coma. Doctors gave him a slim chance of survival. But, after two months in hospital, Cunningham is going home today. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO - WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Recovery: Jerry Cunningham, pictured, a 14-year-old Pompano Beach boy who was given a slim chance of survival after he was crushed under a bus two months ago has made a miraculous recovery . 'I always say my son is a miracle because he's alive and nobody knows how,' his father, Gerard Cunningham, said, according to the Miami Herald. The teen was rushed to Broward Health Medical center after the horrific accident. Cunningham said his prognosis was grim when he arrived. The next few days would be critical for the 14-year-old. 'After the fifth day he woke up. He opened his eyes,' his father said. 'That day the doctor said it's a 50-50 chance. So we've been waiting day by day.' On June 13, Jerry was transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital. 'On the second day that I was here, he called me Dad. On the second day he called Mom, Dad, so he started talking and I saw him, he walks, he laughs,' Cunningham said. Miracle: The teen, pictured, was given a slim chance of survival by doctors . Injuries: Cunningham, pictured left and right, suffered fractures to his face, ribs and ankle and he was put in a medically induced coma . Emotional: Jerry's father, Gerald Cunningham, pictured, became emotional talking about his son's recovery at a press conference . Jerry suffered a severe traumatic brain . injury and the damage to his left leg meant he couldn't put weight on. He had to be fed through a tube. 'He didn't know where he was, who he was, what was going on. He didn't know anything,' said Seema Khurana, director of pediatric rehabilitation at Jackson, according to the Miami Herald. After a week at Jackson, the teen was sleeping, answering some questions and had put weight on his foot. He was improving every day. 'He is a miracle,' she told the Sun Sentinel, adding that his parents have been at Jerry's bedside and at his therapies sessions every day, which has made a big difference. Cunningham makes his son a special breakfast every morning and quizzes him on the menu to help with his memory. 'That's part of the therapy. They do their part and I do mine,' Cunningham said. When he gets home, Jerry will begin . stage two of his recovery as an outpatient. This involves three sessions . of therapy a week and lessons with a teacher. He has already learned to walk again by himself, though he's still shaky and requires supervision. 'He's like a baby,' his father said. 'He's not a 14-year-old boy, but rather a baby that has to learn everything again.' His . memory, however, is the biggest deficit, speech pathologist Jennifer . Rey said. She said he was able to remember things right away, but . forgets after a few seconds. But his long-term memory remains intact and . doctors are hopeful his retention will improve. Jerry's . father became overcome at a press conference at the hospital on . Wednesday and thanked the medical teams who saved his son's life. 'The therapists and these people are miracle workers,' he said, almost in tears, 'excellent.' Before the drama: Cunningham is caught on one of the bus's camera running to catch up to the then-stationary bus . Stuck: This grab shows Cunningham catch up to the bus as the doors are closing . Help! Cunningham, pictured outside the bus, bangs on the doors after the vehicle takes off with his arm stuck inside . The shocking video captured the heartbreaking moment Jerry was run over by a 20-ton bus. In . the footage, the teen is seen sprinting to stop the bus as the vehicle . begins to move away from the curb. But the boy's arm gets caught in the . automatic doors, and the driver, who is distracted chatting to other . passengers, drags him along the road for a number of seconds and then . underneath the bus. According to the Sun Sentinel, the . tragedy took place at around 9 a.m. on May 10 in front of scores of . horrified passengers, and was filmed by the Broward County Transit bus's . security cameras, which cover eight angles. Two . of the angles captured the young boy as he gallantly ran towards the . bus for his mother. After he gets his arm caught, he is seen sprinting . for some seven seconds to keep up with the bus while banging on the door . for attention with his other arm. He then disappears out of sight. Tragic: Cunningham is pictured left running with his arm trapped in the bus door and right after he falls to the ground before disappearing from sight . Witnesses: The security camera shows passengers, right, as they scream at driver Reinaldo Soto, left, to stop . Horror: After the bus stops, the passengers and the driver get out to help the boy before calling 911 . One woman can be seen and heard on . the tape telling the diver, Reinaldo Soto, 55, that someone was running . for the bus then several people yell at him to stop because the boy's . arm was shut in the door. When he slips out of sight, several passengers scream and one woman is seen hitting Soto as the bus stopped. The driver and a group of passengers . then rushed off the bus to help the boy with his mother who, by that . point, had caught up with the bus. Soto is seen rushing back to his radio to call for help. Cunningham suffered fractures to his face, ribs and ankle and is in the pediatric care unit at Broward Health Medical Center, his family's attorney Elie Anidjar told the Sun Sentinel. Last month, transit officials said bus driver Reinaldo Soto, 55, a 12-year veteran with the Transit authority, would be suspended without pay for 15 days and demoted from bus operator to coach service attendant to clean and service buses, the Sun Sentinel reported. | Jerry Cunningham, 14, from Pompano Beach, Florida, got his arm stuck in the doors of the bus as it pulled away from the curb on May 10 .
Teen runs for about seven seconds alongside the moving bus but finally falls underneath, disappearing from view .
After two months, he is leaving hospital having made a 'miracle' recovery .
He is still working on his memory but can walk and talk after doctors said he had a slim chance of surviving .
The driver, Reinaldo Soto, was given a 15 day suspension and was demoted from driving a bus . |
278,039 | f433ccb5952b346f1c2d8753ac53f5db326db5fc | (CNN) -- Two airplanes came too close to one another while attempting to land at a Detroit airport, a federal official said early Saturday, days after another close incident involving three jets at a Washington, D.C. airport. A Delta flight from Phoenix was coming in to land Friday night at the Detroit Metro Airport as a small regional jet was trying to land, said Elizabeth Cory, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The two planes were separated by approximately two horizontal miles. Standard separation distance is three miles, Cory said, noting that an investigation is under way. CNN first learned of the incident from an alleged passenger who said he could see a regional jet below them from his cabin window. "Air traffic control was aware that they had a situation where separation was less than they would like," Cory said. Both pilots had visual contact with each other and neither plane was at risk of colliding with the other, she added. Friday's incident in Detroit comes a day after federal authorities acknowledged that three U.S. Airways-operated jets at Reagan National Airport came closer than they should have because of an air traffic control "miscommunication." Feds investigate 3 planes flying too close at DC-area airport . The incident occurred Tuesday afternoon when air traffic controllers were making adjustments for landing and departing aircraft because of bad weather. The Chautauqua Airlines flight came within 800 vertical feet and .82 nautical miles after takeoff of an arriving aircraft, identified as a Republic Airlines flight, authorities said. The third plane involved was another Republic Airlines flight, which was taking off and came within 2.07 nautical miles and 800 vertical feet of the arriving flight. "During the switchover of operations, miscommunication between the Tracon and the DCA tower led to a loss of the required separation between two regional jets departing from Runway 1 and a regional jet inbound for Runway 19," the Federal Aviation Administration said. "Tracon," or terminal radar approach control, is a reference to a regional radar facility. "DCA" is the International Air Transport Association code for Reagan National Airport. "At no point were the three aircraft on a head-to-head course," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The FAA is investigating and plans to take "appropriate action to address the miscommunication" of Tuesday's incident. "Such near misses and any operational errors are calls to action," Rep. John L. Mica, R-Florida, said after the Tuesday incident. "I'm asking our Aviation Subcommittee staff and FAA to thoroughly review what happened." Last year, an air traffic controller was suspended for failing to respond to two planes heading into National Airport after he fell asleep on the midnight shift. The two planes landed without incident. | FAA spokeswoman: A Delta flight from Phoenix was coming in to land Friday night .
A small regional jet was also attempting to land at the time, she says .
They were separated by two horizontal miles .
The standard separation distance is three miles . |
286,099 | feb75b4681cdd85f9c6ca7f53d31ed53a62b35ee | A six-month old baby girl has died from meningococcal disease in Adelaide and four other people have been diagnosed with the infection this month. A one-year-old, two-year-old, and two women in their 40s have been identified as the other four SA patients battling the disease. South Australia Health has issued a public health warning after the tragic death on Monday and a spike in cases of meningococcal, including 16 so far in 2014, compared to 17 at the same time last year. A six-month-old baby girl has died from meningococcal disease. This photograph show a baby with a meningococcal septicaemia rash . Chief Public Health Officer Dr Stephen Christley said that 'meningococcal infection numbers tend to be higher when there are more respiratory infections around, such as influenza'. Dr Stephen Christley, Chief Public Health Officer for South Australia Health, issued a warning about meningococcal disease on Thursday . 'As we have experienced increased numbers of cases in the past few weeks we're asking the general public to be aware of the symptoms of meningococcal disease and seek medical advice if necessary,' Dr Christley said. Around 10 per cent of the population carry the meningococcus bacteria around in the nose and throat of but it is usually harmless. Dr Christley issued a reminder on the symptoms, stating they 'may include fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and sore muscles, followed in some cases by a rash of red and purple spots'. 'Babies or young children with meningococcal infection may also be fretful, refuse feeds or be difficult to wake,' he added. People who are particularly at risk in SA will be given antibiotic chemoprophylaxis as a preventative measure. Meningococcal bacteria can cause meningitis, an infection of the membranes covering the spinal cord and brain, and septicaemia, an infection in the bloodstream . The infection can develop quickly and lead to serious illness or even death. Early diagnosis and emergency treatment with antibiotics are vital. Across Australia, over 250 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed each year. Most most cases are seen in infants, young children, teenagers and young adults but people of any age can be infected. Symptons 'may include fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and sore muscles, followed in some cases by a rash of red and purple spots' The infection can develop quickly and lead to serious illness or even death . In August, Daily Mail Australia revealed how a Sunshine Coast toddler, who was just 13 months old when he contracted the disease and spent two and a half weeks in a coma fighting for his life, has taken his first ever steps after doctors fit him with a new set of prosthetic legs. Brave little meningococcal survivor Finn Smith, now 22 months old, had to have both feet and one of his hands amputated after they were badly affected by bruising. Last month he went to his final fitting at Sunshine Orthopaedic Services in Nambour where prosthetist Dewet Heyns gave Finn his 'click clicks' - the nickname the toddler has given his new legs because of the clicking noise they make when he puts them on. On November 22 last year Sunshine Coast toddler Finn Smith was raced to hospital he was given antibiotics to fight the meningococcal, but all of his internal organs had shut down and he went into a coma for two and a half weeks . Finn Smith has made a remarkable recovery and now has new legs . Finn's mother Sarah Smith said she had to hold back tears as she watched him take his first steps forward with the aid of a walking frame. 'It just gives me that hope that he'll be able to do everything he would have been able to do before the illness,' Ms Smith said. Finn's new legs mark an important step in his recovery journey, but it has been a long nine months for his parents Sarah and Jason Smith. On the night of November 21 last year, Finn had been up all night with flu-like symptoms and every once in a while he would get the shakes. Finn calls the legs his 'click clicks' because of the clicking noise they make when he puts them on . The couple had an on-call doctor visit at 1am, who diagnosed him with a viral infection and told them to get him antibiotics in the morning. The next day during a car trip to Brisbane, they noticed three bruise-like dots on his forehead. They raced to the nearest hospital, which was seven minutes away at Redcliffe, and when they arrived Finn was admitted straight away. 'Within half an hour he was pretty much unrecognisable,' Ms Smith told Daily Mail Australia. Finn was crying tears of blood, blood was coming out of his mouth and his body had puffed up. 'The meningococcal had done its incubation time the night before,' she added. 'You don't know until the spots come out and once the rash comes out the damage is done - your little boy is fighting for his life.' | Baby girl died on Monday in Adelaide, SA .
A one-year-old, two-year-old, and two women in their 40s are also battling the disease .
SA Health have issued a warning after a spike in cases . |
113,166 | 1e127b65db55b66ccc8d290d3157e17abe9c81a2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:05 EST, 7 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:05 EST, 7 October 2013 . Missed: Reese Martin died after being given a drug that had been recalled, according to a lawsuit . The parents of a five-year-old who passed away after battling cancer have sued a drugs company, claiming he died after taking one of their products which had been linked to a nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak. Barry and Regennia Martin, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, have claimed that drugs from the New England Compounding Center played a key role in the July 2012 death of their son Reese. The drug, a muscle relaxant called Methocarbamol, had been recalled after inspectors discovered fungal and bacterial contamination in some of the NECC's products. 'Reese Martin, a minor, died as a result . of - in whole or in part - having a recalled product put into his . body,' alleges the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Knoxville, The Tennessean reported. In their complaint, they say that the drugs were given to Reese shortly before his death but that they only learned his death might be linked to the product in October. The nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak last year, believed to be linked to NECC drugs, led to the death of 64 patients. But the suit does not name NECC as a defendant as it has since filed for bankruptcy. Its owners and affiliated companies, Ameridose LLC and Medical Sales Management, have instead been named. Lawsuit: Barry and Regennia Martin, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, have claimed that drugs from the New England Compounding Center played a key role in the July 2012 death of their son Reese . Tragedy: Reese was at Children's Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga at the time of his death . There are several other lawsuits that have been filed against the NECC in this case; claims need to be filed within one year of the 'victims' becoming aware of possible liability. Reese Martin was a patient at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga when he died. 'Risk': Methocarbamol was recalled after inspectors found fungal and bacterial contamination . His cancer had been discovered after he apparently struggled to get over a cold and developed mouth ulcers. When it failed to clear up, he was sent for an ultrasound and the nurse found a tumor the size of a football on his liver, and he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. Reese was declared more than 95 per cent diseased and given a very low survival rate but in July the following year, he had just five per cent after chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. But at the beginning of 2012, doctors learned he had a brain tumor and gave him a zero per cent chance of survival, WRCBTV reported. He told the Make-A-Wish Foundation that . he loved trains and wanted to play in the snow, and numerous people and . businesses from the area made his wish come true in April 2012. But he lost his battle on July 5, 2012. 'He played hard, laughed often and loved completely,' his family said in his obituary. 'In his five short years, he filled each day with his favorite things – . toys, food, friends, girls and family. Trains, cars, fire trucks and . balls were his favorite toys.' | Reese Martin died in July 2012 after 2-year battle with cancer .
But his parents claim that a muscle relaxant played a key role in his death after it had been linked to a fungal meningitis outbreak .
Drugs had been recalled but outbreak killed 64 people across the U.S. |
26,244 | 4a67bb30917fb4fc3d0fd6eb9ab53935ebb3e626 | Series two of 'The Village', which begins next month, will have a far lighter tone and scenes of cocktail parties. Pictured is Harriet Kilmartin, played by Lucy Brown . It was so bleak it turned viewers off and was even dubbed a ‘rural EastEnders’. But those who tune in for the second series of The Village will be met with a far lighter tone and scenes of cocktail parties, outdoor sports and weddings. Series two, which begins next month, leaves the grim reality of World War I and moves into the roaring twenties where jazz and motor cars are making an appearance. There’s Harriet Kilmartin, played by Lucy Brown, behind the wheel in her leathers – a certain sign of changing times, for cars were a rarity back then and a female driver was almost unheard of. She is among the new characters for the second series, so too is a boxer named Ghana Jones – the first black character to appear. Then there’s Bert Middleton played by Tom Varey, whose family is at the centre of the period drama, laughing as his friends hoist him on their shoulders. And even stoic old John Middleton, the abusive drunk played by John Simms who beat his wife and sons, demonstrates a softer side as he gives a new-born calf mouth-to-mouth and tells Grace Middleton, played by Maxine Peake, ‘I love you’. Mr Middleton is now a dairy farmer, helped by his youngest – and only surviving – son, Bert, and while life remains hard it seems smiles are the order of the day. The bleak atmosphere of the first series was blamed in part on a particularly harsh winter experienced in the Peak District where the drama is filmed. But the second series saw much calmer weather as it was shot in the spring and summer. And it certainly makes for lighter viewing than series one, which was criticised for being too miserable and mocking ‘the Grim North’. Last year, episode one attracted 8.17 million viewers. But by the sixth and final instalment interest had dwindled and just 5.48 million tuned in to watch. The second season leaves the grim reality of World War I. Pictured, British soldiers firing a machine gun from behind a hedge in the snow in December 1914 . Scenes of grief, depression and violence and themes of alcoholism and canings in school amounted to a ‘miseryfest’ according to many commenting online. Taking to social networking site Twitter at the time one wrote: ‘The Village is depressing viewing for a Sunday evening. Not sure if I’ll tackle the next episode. It’ll all end in tears.’ Another posted: ‘Don’t think I can watch any more of The Village - want to end the week on a high not a low.’ And it seems the BBC has taken their comments on board. Highlights from the first episode of season two will include a jovial ‘man hunt’ in which Lord Kilmartin, played by Julian Sands, and his peers chase Bert Middleton over fields and through cobbled streets, offering him a prize of £5 if he can escape. And there is a boxing match in which men try to survive a round in the ring against boxer Ghana Jones, played by Daniel Ezra. Meanwhile the wealthy Allinghams, whose family represent the aristocracy, have moved to a grander house and episode one sees Edmund Allingham hosting a party for Lord Kilmartin, his political sponsor. Later on in the series viewers can expect to see some weddings. And gaggles of friends sharing beers and jokes in the local pub are not an uncommon sight. The Village is set in an unnamed Derbyshire village and was filmed in locations around the Peak District. Episodes are told through the eyes of Bert Middleton aged 100, looking back on his life. Speaking ahead of the series launch, writer Peter Moffat praised the rural landscape. He said: ‘The heartbreakingly beautiful countryside is the twenty ninth character in The Village and arguably it’s the biggest role. ‘The more time I spend up in Edale and around Hayfield and Glossop the more I love this rugged, beautiful, honest part of England and the more I understand how passionately people felt about it then and how much they care about it now.’ The Village is expected to be scheduled in a prime time Sunday night slot on BBC1. It will for six episodes, starting in August. | BBC drama 'The Village' was blasted for grim story lines by viewers .
Viewers were turned off by show's alcoholism, violence and depression .
But this series will be much lighter, with parties and weddings . |
20,124 | 3921af9e671d27b90ac00ca9d491fa90046120a4 | By . Frank Thorne . PUBLISHED: . 06:02 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:21 EST, 26 November 2013 . A world champion water-skier has died after crashing during a high-speed race on an Australian river. Sarah Teelow, 20, suffered serious spinal and head injuries when she came off her skis around five kilometres into a 121km race on Sunday. She is thought to have been travelling at around 80mph (130km/h). Scroll down for video . 'Smart, amazing girl': World champion water-skier Sarah Teelow has died aged just 20 after crashing at high speed during a race on an Australian river over the weekend . Yesterday, as she was surrounded by those . closest to her, including her parents and her mother's boyfriend, her . life-support machine at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney was . switched off. Devastated friends described vivacious blonde Sarah as 'a beautiful, smart, amazing girl'. 'I just can’t believe she’s gone,' said a close friend of the vibrant young athlete.' 'She was being towed by the boat she won the worlds in, with a crew she trusted. It was just a freak accident. She was an amazing girl.' Tragedy: Miss Teelow's life-support machine was switched off while she was surrounded by family . Miss Teelow - the daughter of two-time . world champion Tania Teelow - was left fighting for her life after she . hit the wake of another boat and crashed on the Hawkesbury River north . of Sydney in a 112km bridge-to-bridge race. Police are reviewing a video which shows . another speedboat travelling in the opposite direction, creating a . dangerous wake and contributing to her tragic fall. A friend who witnessed the fall said . her helmet filled up with water, keeping her head submerged for minutes. It is understood the fall broke her vertebrae. Ms Teelow went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated by paramedics after being moved to a nearby boat ramp. The . tragedy comes just two months after she was crowned champion in the . Formula 2 category at the World Water Ski Racing Championships in . Spain. Tania Teelow made . headlines in 2008 when she was involved in a high-speed water skiing . crash at Wiseman's Ferry north of Sydney that left her with a broken sternum, fractured vertebrae and other major injuries. Australian . Bureau of Statistics figures show that Teelow was the seventh . water-skier to die in an accident in Australia in the last five years. | Sarah Teelow hit another boat's wake during race on Australian river .
Her helmet filled with water which kept her submerged for minutes .
She was resuscitated by paramedics after suffering a cardiac arrest .
Her life-suppport machine was switched off while surrounded by family .
Tragedy comes two months after she was crowned champion in Spain . |
56,002 | 9ebe3261465072820dc0fa800b1a3cadf44f4476 | Manchester United have signed a kit deal worth a staggering £750million — more than twice as much as any of their European rivals. The world record agreement with adidas will run for the next decade and ends more than three years of tortuous negotiations. Remarkably, it comes after a season in which United failed even to qualify for Europe. But adidas are confident new manager Louis van Gaal will quickly guide them back to the summit of the European game because the German sports brand justified their huge outlay by predicting £1.5billion worth of replica shirt sales over the term of the contract, which will begin next year. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the unveiling of new Nike Manchester United kit . Final showing: Nike's ties with Manchester United will end after the coming season . No rewarding value: Nike will not renew their 13-year deal with United, and it comes following a season where the Red Devils dropped out of Europe for the first time since 1990 . Where it all began: Nike's relationship with United began in 2002, as David Beckham celebrates scoring a Premier League goal against Charlton . VIDEO Manchester United sign record shirt deal . This was clearly in response to Nike, who . did not take up their right to match adidas’s offer and continue a . partnership with United worth £30m a year for 13 years because they no . longer consider it value for money. The new deal, which would allow . United to buy a player of the calibre of Luis Suarez every year for a . decade, is a triumph for executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, who has . had a torrid time on the football front since taking charge at Old . Trafford a year ago. And it means United have at last beaten their arch-rivals Real Madrid, whose £31m-a-year deal is the next biggest in Europe. The terms of United’s new agreement allow them to bring in yet more millions from additional clothing and merchandising deals. The adidas contract relates only . to playing and training wear and is, in effect, a traditional kit . contract. The licensing from all the other United merchandising — from . posters to duvet covers — that Nike controlled reverts to the club. Winning combo: Manchester United won the Champions League in 2008 while supplied by Nike . Welcome back: Adidas are expected to take over from Nike in 2015 having last supplied United's kits in 1992 . Way back when: Bryan Robson, the Manchester United captain, wearing the three stripes of Adidas when shaking hands with Diego Maradona ahead of the 1984 European Cup Winners' Cup tie with Barcelona . Trio: Norman Whiteside, Bryan Robson and Frank Stapleton pictured in Adidas sweatshirts in 1986 . Real Madrid - Real’s agreement with adidas, which runs until 2020, was widely reported to be the most lucrative in world football before United announced their deal with the same firm. Barcelona - Barcelona announced in 2007 that their deal with Nike, initially signed in 2006, was being extended until the end of the 2017-18 season. The original contract was worth a minimum of £24million a year. Arsenal - This is the first season of Arsenal’s deal with Puma, which was announced in January as the biggest contract in both parties’ history. Chelsea - Chelsea and adidas signed a 10-year deal last June worth almost £300million. Man City - City switched from local firm Umbro to Nike last season in a six-year deal announced in May 2012. Liverpool - In January 2012, Liverpool announced a six-year agreement with American firm Warrior. The deal is reportedly worth £25million a year to the Reds. Warrior general manager Richard Wright said at the time: 'We are here to shake up the world of football.' Bayern Munich - Bayern Munich and adidas extended their collaboration beyond the 50-year mark with a new deal in 2011 that runs until 2020. Adidas also owns a stake in the club. England - The Football Association ended a 60-year association with Umbro by switching to Nike. A five-year deal to run from 2013 to 2018 was announced in September 2012. The figure was not made public but the FA described it as 'a substantial investment'.' NFL - Nike replaced Reebok as the official supplier of kit to the National Football League in 2012 in a five-year deal that is the most lucrative in US sport. And there is still an opportunity for United to do a further fashion brand tie-up, with Japanese company Uniqlo, who sponsor Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, understood to have been in talks. But once again the fans will be hit in the pocket. United’s Nike strip for the forthcoming season, featuring new sponsors Chevrolet, was officially released last week, with adults’ shirts costing between £50 and £60, and kids’ shirts going for £42. But they will already be out of date by this time next year, when there will be new home and away adidas jerseys to buy. United remain the best supported club in the world despite a woeful season under David Moyes. But for adidas to record their forecasted £1.5bn sales, United need to return to their glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson and a box-office signing or two would come in handy. United said on Monday: ‘Manchester United has reached a 10-year agreement with adidas for a global technical sponsorship and dual branded licensing deal for a minimum gurantee of £750m, subject to certain adjustments.' Adidas group chief executive Herbert Hainer, who had watched two of his company branded national teams Germany and Argentina contest the World Cup final, said: ‘We are excited to team up with Manchester United, one of the most successful and most loved football clubs globally . ‘At the same time, this collaboration marks a milestone for us when it comes to merchandising potential. We expect total sales to reach £1.5bn during our partnership.’ VIDEO Van Gaal to start work straight away at United . | World record kit deal is twice what adidas pay Real Madrid .
New deal will start at the beginning of 2015-16 season .
Kit giant claim they will make £1.5billion from shirt sales in decade .
Nike kit deal with United to end after 13 years . |
42,791 | 78a9b43b99d48ad137b092a6bc90918df03106be | By . Simon Tomlinson . Last updated at 2:11 PM on 23rd February 2012 . An eight-year-old girl was fighting for her life today after being shot when a gun brought into her school inside a classmate's backpack discharged. Washington youngster Amina Kocer-Bowman was in a critical condition in hospital after having surgery on a bullet wound in her stomach, authorities said. A fellow third-grade boy is being held at Kitsap County juvenile detention centre on suspicion of unlawful possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school and third-degree assault. Scroll down for video . Victim: Amina Kocer-Bowman was accidentally shot in the abdomen when the gun that was inside another student's backpack went off and hit her . Critical: Amina's mother was already on her way to pick her daughter up from school when she learned of the shooting, and shortly after that the 8-year-old girl was airlifted to a Seattle Hospital where she had surgery . Detectives believe the incdent at Armin Jahr Elementary in Bremerton, near Seattle, was accidental and are trying to establish how the boy got the gun. The Bremerton Schools superintendent's office said the girl was shot in the abdomen. KING-TV reported that her friends and relatives gave a 'thumbs up' signal to reporters as they left the Harborview Medical Center late yesterday. Lori Morsette, a friend of victim's family, said: 'She is a sweet little girl and I don't know what to do. I'm trying to be supportive for my friends, I'm trying to be there for them.' Horror: Kiomi Pavlock, 12, hugs her dad James as a friend shows her anguish over the incident. The school went into lockdown yesterday, but is expected to re-open today . Distress: Kiomi Pavlock (left) and another pupil (right) weep outside school as they collected by their parents . Distraught: Savannah Anderson, 13, hugs her little sister Kaylee, 10, after arriving in the school's gymnasium to take her home following the shooting yesterday . The school is in a quiet residential neighborhood about 20 miles west of Seattle, across Puget Sound. Fisher said officers and emergency crews were dispatched to the school around 1.30pm yesterday in response to a call that a student was shot by another pupil. The school went into lockdown immediately after the shooting, said Bremerton Schools spokeswoman Patty Glaser. Such procedures call for announcements to be made over the school's loudspeakers and for teachers to lock their classrooms, she said. Parents picked up their children later in the afternoon. Probe: The third-grade boy who allegedly brought the gun into school is being held at a juvenile detention centre on suspicion of illegally possessing a firearm and third-degree assault . Worried: A police officer offers reassurances to a pupil as the investigation into the shooting continues . Emergency: A police officer stands watch by the entrance to Armin Jahr Elementary School in Washington, where eight-year-old Amina Kocer-Bowman was shot when a gun discharged inside a boy's backpack . Armin Jahr Elementary has about 400 students, Glaser said. She said the school would reopen today and three counsellors would be available to talk to teachers, students and parents. 'Our plans at this time, school will continue as usual,' Glaser said. Many questions remained. Police did not immediately describe the gun involved. In the latest scorecard by the Brady Campaign, a national gun control advocacy group, Washington scored no points in the child safety category because the state does not require trigger locks for guns and lacks laws to prevent child access to firearms. 'Washington state is a loosely regulated state when it comes to firearms,' said Gregory Roberts, executive director of Washington Cease Fire, a Brady Campaign affiliate. Amanda Roth, a staff attorney for the San Francisco-based Legal Community Against Violence, said 27 states and the District of Columbia have some form of firearm child access prevention laws. Such laws can include requirements to use gun locks and criminal penalties for adults who allow children to get their hands on guns. WATCH VIDEOS HERE . Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . | Amina Kocer-Bowman critical after surgery on bullet wound to stomach .
Third-grade boy held over illegal gun possession and third-degree assault .
Detectives probe how Washington youngster got hold of firearm .
State doesn't require trigger locks or have laws against child access to guns . |
227,719 | b2d8ec7f7ccb5345f410d3081bf169b3118cc232 | We're all either guilty of it or have a friend who does it: oversharing on social networking sites. And it could be ruining your relationships offline. But while oversharing comes in many guises (the loved-up status updates, the endless baby/cat/food photos, the relentless check-ins), there's one method of keeping ePals abreast of your life that is driving us to all tears quicker than any other: the selfie. It's a method of communication on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter beloved of celebrities including Rihanna, Harry Styles, Cara Delevingne and Peaches Geldof. But sharing too many photographs of your own face or body on Mark Zuckerberg's media channel could be detrimental to your relationships with friends, colleagues and even your family, according to a British study. Bajan singer Rihanna can't get enough of the selfie, but has found herself in hot water after posting self-portraits in risque situations, such as half-naked in bed with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, or smoking suspicious-looking cigarettes . Young English model Cara Delevingne is famous for her selfies, most of which involve her dressing up in wacky fancy dress outfits, pulling silly faces and raising one of her legendarily bushy eyebrows . How the quantity and subject matter of the pictures you upload onto Facebook impacts upon your real-world relationships was researched at the University of Birmingham, the University of the West of England, the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, in a project appropriately titled Tagger's Delight. The researchers found that an increased level of sharing photos of the self prompted a decreased level of support - in terms of 'likes' garnered - from friends and colleagues. Peaches Geldof uses Instagram mainly to post photographs of her two babies, Astala and Phaedra, but occasionally she steps in for a slice of the action . One Direction star Harry Styles is always updating his Instagram feed with snaps of himself with bandmates, famous friends and adoring fans . Commenting on the findings that . excessive selfie-sharing may damage relationships, lead author of the . report Dr David Houghton, a lecturer in marketing at Birmingham Business . School, said: 'Our research found that those who frequently post . photographs on Facebook risk damaging real-life relationships. 'This is because people, other than . very close friends and relatives, don't seem to relate well to those who . constantly share photos of themselves. 'It's . worth remembering that the information we post to our 'friends' on . Facebook, actually gets viewed by lots of different categories of . people: partners; friends; family; colleagues and acquaintances; and . each group seems to take a different view of the information shared.' The study, fully entitled Tagger's . Delight? Disclosure And Liking In Facebook, also found that young women . were the most likely to find support in the form of 'likes' on Facebook. Older users and men received less support when they shared online. Young American singer Justin Bieber is the ultimate selfie-taker, and rarely a minute goes by in which we aren't informed what this chap is wearing, eating or doing . Mrs Orlando Bloom, model Miranda Kerr, has the sort of face most of us would probably be selfie-ing all the live-long day, were it ours instead... Supermodel Heidi Klum, pictured right with comedian Amy Poehler, is an ardent selfie-poster, probably because she enjoys having control over the camera and the editing room for a change . We've seen enough celebrity selfies on Instagram to last us well into the next millennium.... and it seems even they are tiring of their grinning mugs. So famous fans of the self-portrait snap have swapped faces for posteriors, and are currently enjoying a bit of a renaissance... in the form of the bottom-selfie. The belfie. Heidi Klum got the #belfie movement kick-started with this cheeky (sorry) picture of her beach bum . Well, if you had Rihanna's bottom wouldn't you do a #belfie? Heidi Klum and Rihanna have spearheaded the movement for posting photographs of sandy, bikini-clad bottoms on social networking sites, as Anna Hart of My Daily reported. Other illustrious fans of the rear-view shot include Kylie Minogue and Made In Chelsea's Lucy Watson. So... would you? Best pals Rihanna, left, and Cara Delevingne can't resist pinching each other's bottoms and then telling everyone about it on Instagram . Singer Kylie, left, and Made In Chelsea's Lucy Watson, right, show their Instagram fans how to recognise them if they're ever stuck behind them in a queue . | Facebook self-portraits are least popular method of sharing online .
University study Tagger's Delight found oversharing led to loss of intimacy .
'People don't relate well when others share photos of themselves'
Celebrities Rihanna, Cara Delevingne and Harry Styles love selfies .
And... Heidi Klum sparks rise of the 'bottom-selfie' (#belfie?) |
256,275 | d7b7847c558e4056c76e0c3d9bd6857cf11ab3c5 | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 03:46 EST, 18 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:50 EST, 19 April 2013 . A mother jailed for life over the death of her toddler son sobbed as appeal judges finally ordered her freedom today. Kimberley Hainey, 38, had been told yesterday that the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh was ready to overturn her conviction for murder. But that left judges with a problem - because Hainey had also been given a seven year prison sentence for trying to cover up the murder, a charge which included the words 'being conscious of your guilt.' Kimberley Hainey (right), 38, has had her conviction for murdering her toddler son Declan (left) quashed by appeal judges . Authorities said the Declan's body was mummified when it was discovered in March 2010 when he would have been 23 months old . The legal conundrum was solved today . when defence QC Edward Targowski asked permission to lodge a late appeal . against the charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. Advocate depute Andrew Miller replied: . 'The Crown does not oppose receipt of an additional ground of appeal in . relation to charge two and does not seek to resist the ground of . appeal.' Judge Lord Clarke said this was 'a proper exercise of your discretion.' He then told Hainey that in the circumstances the cover-up charge was also quashed, as well as the murder charge. A trial at the High Court in Glasgow . at the end of 2011 heard how the mummified body of little Declan Hainey . was found in a squalid flat in Bruce Road Paisley. The tragic tot should have been celebrating his fifth birthday yesterday (Wed) as his mum returned to court. Squalor in the flat in Paisley, Renfrewshire, where Kimberley Hainey lived with her son, Declan . Hainey's trial heard the toddler was left on his own in wet and dirty nappies at his home while his mother went out drinking with friends or stayed at her boyfriend's house for days at a time . The six-week trial at the end of 2011 heard how Hainey had kept family, neighbours and social services at arms' length, not allowing them to get close to the little boy . By the time doctors were able to examine the tot, it was impossible to tell how he died. Hainey was found guilty, by majority, . of wilfully ill-treating and neglecting him, failing to provide him with . food and drink and failing to seek medical attention. The charge alleged that Hainey had 'by . other means to the prosecutor unknown, caused unnecessary suffering and . injury to the health of said Declan Hainey, whereby he died and you did . murder him.' 'The court has come to the conclusion . that the conviction of the Appellant (Hainey) of the murder of her baby . son, Declan... must be quashed.' Lord Clarke . Hainey came to the Court of Criminal . Appeal in January seeking to overturn the conviction which earned her a . minimum sentence of 15 years. Defence QC Edward Targowski QC argued that crucial evidence heard by the jury was flawed. The lawyer questioned the claims . expert witnesses called by the Crown who said that tell-tale marks on . his bones were signs of malnutrition. The murder charge alleged that heroin . addict Hainey had abandoned her son for long periods of time without . food or drink while she partied, drank and took drugs. The jury heard how Hainey partied and . took drugs while her son lay dead in his cot. She even sold his clothes . and toys to buy heroin. They rejected Hainey's claim that she . had woken one morning to find Declan dead in his cot and had not . reported the tragedy because, as Mr Targowski explained: 'She simply . went into a downward spiral.' By the time tragic Declan Hainey's . decomposing body was found in March 2010 - just before his second . birthday - he had not been seen alive for eight months. A six week trial also heard how Hainey . had kept family, neighbours and social services at arm's length - not . allowing them to get close to the little boy. The jury were shown photos of rubbish, dirty clothes and nappies littering the squalid flat. Today, Hainey remained motionless as . Lord Clarke, sitting with Lords Mackay of Drumadoon and Drummond Young . quashed her convictions. As she was led back to the cells under the court room she began to sob. Hainey is expected to be released later today. | Kimberley Hainey, 38, was jailed for life after trial in December 2011 .
But today she can walk free after a court quashed her conviction .
Body of Ms Hainey's son Declan was discovered in March 2010 .
It was eight months after the toddler had last been seen alive . |
148,574 | 4c1edbbfe563bc7a39e1005220784dd723065e14 | Cash machines stopped working in rebel-held areas of Ukraine today and businesses no longer accepted credit cards after Kiev moved to shut down the banking system. The measures form part of the government's new strategy to suffocate Russian separatists after its costly military campaign has foundered. Authorities have also pulled funding for all state services such as schools and hospitals in the apparent hope the population will rise up against the insurgents. In the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, dozens of people were today queuing up in the biting cold outside banks around the city after the ATMs stopped functioning. Left out in the cold: People wait in front of a closed bank in the rebel-held Ukrainian city of Donetsk after cash machines were shut down by the Kiev government in a new strategy to isolate Russian separatists . Cut off: The vast majority of businesses said their credit card systems were no longer working in the city . 'I came here at 5am to start queueing up,' retiree Nina sai, as she waited outside a closed branch of Russian-owned bank Sberbank in the hope that it would open later in the day. Inside, tellers said that they had been ordered to stop operations yesterday by Ukraine's central bank. 'We received the order to close the establishment yesterday. 'There are no more money transfer here,' said Valery, a worker at state-run Oschadbank, which was open but not providing cash withdrawals. Ukraine's central bank yesterday ordered all banks to 'suspend' their operations in the rebel-held areas as part of a push by Kiev to isolate the separatist regions. The move followed a November 14 decree by President Petro Poroshenko that also pulled the plug on all social services, such as schools and hospitals, in the towns under insurgent control. In Donetsk, where shelling between government forces and rebels rumbles on in outlying districts, the vast majority of businesses said their credit card systems were no longer working. 'It worked for half-an-hour this morning but now it seems like it has finished,' said Pavel Yalanbenko, an employee at the Amstor supermarket in the city centre. Frustrated: A woman tries and fails to get cash out of an ATM after Ukraine's central bank ordered all banks to 'suspend' their operations in the region . Impasse: The central bank has said that banking services will only be restored when the areas come back under Ukrainian control, an unlikely scenario as the Kremlin-backed rebels have solidified their power . Only a small handful of hotels and shops said that they could still process card payments Wednesday. The central bank has said that banking services will only be restored when the areas come back under Ukrainian control, an unlikely scenario as the Kremlin-backed rebels have solidified their power. Over 4,300 people have been killed and some one million displaced by over seven months of brutal fighting between government forces and insurgents. However, if President Petro Poroshenko hopes to turn people in eastern Ukraine against the separatist leadership, evidence on the ground suggests the strategy may only be hardening their resolve. Donetsk retiree Georgy Sharov said: 'What Poroshenko is saying to us is: "You are no longer Ukrainians. You won't get pensions, you won't get social payments. 'When you croak, then we'll stop this war against you. But I don't want to go to Ukraine and beg for their mercy.' Could backfire: If President Petro Poroshenko hopes to turn people in eastern Ukraine against the separatists, evidence on the ground suggests the strategy may only be hardening their resolve . The lines have typically formed in front of cash machines belonging to state savings bank Oshchadbank, which handles pensions and social support payments. 'Even they don't always have money,' said Donetsk resident Sergei Smotovsky, standing outside a branch of the bank. 'The worst thing is that not only can you not get social payments. You can't even withdraw money that you earned, your salary.' Even though cash machines don't work, account-holders wait from early morning until lunchtime in the hope that bank workers will top them up, but the doors to the banks often remain firmly shut. Despite the unremitting fighting taking place across Donetsk and Luhansk, the two regions affected by the armed separatist conflict, large supermarkets are still reasonably stocked. Supplies come from other parts of Ukraine and customers often use bank cards to pay for shopping. Ukraine's government is now about to block bank cards, cutting off another means of sustenance. Hard-pressed recipients of state benefits have for months turned expectantly to the rebel government for cash. Crowds of pensioners and single mothers assemble daily before the separatist headquarters. When anybody in the crowd becomes especially vocal, one of the gunmen guarding the building rushes to bundle them away, accusing them of being 'provocateurs.' The brunt of the rage, however, is still directed at the Ukrainian government. 'Ukraine says Donetsk is Ukrainian territory, and yet they came here with tanks and weapons instead of paying pensions properly,' said Donetsk retiree Anatoly Visly. 'I am a disabled veteran and I haven't received my pension for three months.' Many pensioners have re-registered in towns outside rebel zones, meaning payments have still accrued to their accounts. The challenge for those people will now become making the monthly trip to banks in government-controlled areas, which can be costly and difficult, especially for the most infirm. Prospects for the rebels to set up a welfare system any time soon are bleak. Conflict: A Russian T-72 tank moves along a snow-covered avenue in the district of Kievsky in Donetsk, where shelling between government forces and rebels rumbles on . Over 4,300 people have been killed and some one million displaced by over seven months of brutal fighting between government forces and insurgents . Anna Kharzhevskaya, an official with the rebel social affairs and labor ministry, said separatist authorities have only a crude notion of how many people are eligible for social payments. Ukraine's government has been blocking access to state records and is trying to spirit away hard copies of databases still in rebel-held areas, Kharzhevskaya said. Separatist authorities say militiamen are under instructions to stop any unsanctioned removals of government records by Ukrainian authorities. Without a properly functioning tax system in place, there is no immediately obvious and transparent way for money to be raised. As a result, Kharzhevskaya said she could not estimate when her department would begin paying regular pensions. Things are even grimmer in the Luhansk region. Separatist command there is divided fractiously among the self-styled Luhansk People's Republic and an assortment of armed Cossack leaders. One Cossack commander, Pavel Dryomov, had to admit to rebel media that he had overextended himself in promising 500 hryvnia one-off payments ($35) to pensioners — grossly miscalculating the number of people who needed to be paid. 'We had no idea of that figure,' he said in a video interview. If hospitals are still working, it is in large part down to the sheer determination of the staff. Viktoria Lubintseva, director of Donetsk central hospital, said the government had stopped providing funding since the start of November, well before Poroshenko announced the cutoff of state support. 'Medicine is usually bought by the patients as we need different kinds of medicines to do operations,' Lubintseva said. 'Staff is working voluntarily because they sincerely want to help people, as their conscience dictates.' As state support and cash supplies dwindle, reliance is growing on outside aid. Some of it is coming from Russia, but there are also substantial supplies being provided by the charitable fund of billionaire Rinat Akhmetov, whose wealth is built on eastern Ukraine's vast industrial resources. Despite such help, many in eastern Ukraine plan to leave: 'It is impossible to live here,' Smotovsky said as he waited in vain outside the bank. | Ukraine government orders banks to 'suspend' operations in rebel areas .
Vast majority of businesses said credit card systems no longer working .
Comes after funding pulled from states services like schools and hospitals .
Part of new strategy to suffocate insurgency after military campaign failed . |
278,560 | f4d555b37f25dfe58ab7a20ba28f53dbb80be04c | (CNN)Jordan executed two al Qaeda prisoners before dawn Wednesday, following through on a promised strong response to the ISIS killing of pilot Moath al-Kasasbeh, a government spokesman said. Put to death were Sajida al-Rishawi, the Iraqi would-be suicide bomber whose release ISIS had previously requested, and Ziad Karbouli, a former top aide to the deceased leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the spokesman said. Al-Rishawi was executed for her role in a 2005 suicide bombing at a wedding reception in Jordan that killed dozens. Karbouli was sentenced to death in 2007 after he was convicted of acts of terrorism that killed one person, the plotting of more terrorist attacks and the possession of explosives, the Jordanian spokesman said. The executions come a day after video and stills appeared to show a Jordanian military pilot being burned alive while confined in a cage. CNN is not showing images of the killing, which triggered global condemnation and prompted immediate promises of retaliation and protests in Jordan, one of more than 60 nations involved in the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The 22-minute video begins with an attack on Jordan's King Abdullah II, suggesting he is to blame for what happened to the pilot, Moath al-Kasasbeh. A short time after the video became public, Jordanian military spokesman Mamdouh Al Amri said al-Kasasbeh was "assassinated" on January 3. His statement indicates the back-and-forth in recent weeks between Jordan and ISIS about a possible prisoner exchange to free the pilot took place after his death. Jordan repeatedly had asked ISIS to show proof that al-Kasasbeh was alive. "Those who doubted the atrocities committed by ISIS now have the proof," Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said on state TV. "Those who doubted Jordan's power will soon see the proof as well. (Al-Kasasbeh's) blood will not be shed in vain." In Amman and in the pilot's hometown, crowds hit the streets, calling for revenge. "With the blood and self," protesters chanted, "we are sacrificing ourselves for Moath." One demonstrator held a poster that read: "They burned our hearts, so let's burn their dens, and their prisoners in our prisons." Analysts have predicted the brutality of its latest video could come back to bite ISIS. "I think there's likely to be a backlash, particularly in Jordan," said Paul Cruickshank, a CNN terrorism analyst. "I think it's sort of going to rally support for King Abdullah and his participation in the anti-ISIS coalition." ISIS is known to be holding at least two Western hostages still: John Cantlie, a British journalist who has appeared in a number of ISIS-produced videos and an American woman who is a 26-year-old aid worker. "The propaganda factor, I think, is going to completely backfire on them and the reason I say that is: When was the last time you had a mob in the street of one of these Muslim countries that was not screaming 'death to America,' but in fact screaming, 'get revenge on ISIS,' which essentially means, team up with America," said Tom Fuentes, a CNN law enforcement analyst. "I think it's a huge mistake on the part of ISIS." ISIS has recorded the deaths of its captives before, then disseminated the brutal footage online as propaganda. What makes the Jordanian pilot's case different is that he hailed from a Middle Eastern nation taking part in the anti-ISIS military coalition. The manner of execution also is different. In previous ISIS videos, captives were beheaded. A masked man with a London accent, dubbed "Jihadi John," has appeared in at least six videos, standing near hostages. Sometimes, ISIS has threatened who it will kill next. At the end of its latest video, ISIS shows names and addresses of who it claims are Jordanian pilots. A reward is offered, and a voice says they are "wanted dead." "I think they're sending a clear message to the Arab members of the coalition, and certainly Sunni Muslims who may be engaged in the fight against ISIS, that this is the way they're going to be treated. They're going to be treated brutally, and in fact, maybe perhaps more brutally than other members of the coalition," said Juan Zarate, a former U.S. deputy national security adviser. Militants said they captured al-Kasasbeh after he ejected from his crashing F-16 on December 24, having taken part in U.S.-led coalition airstrikes near Raqqa, Syria, the de facto ISIS capital. Almost immediately, he became a major pawn for ISIS. The Islamist extremist group had taken hostages before. But it hadn't captured anyone from the U.S.-led military coalition who was actively fighting to defeat it. His capture got the attention of many in Jordan, including King Abdullah, who is a former helicopter pilot. Jordanian officials had talked openly about the possibility of swapping al-Rishawi, a jihadist imprisoned in Jordan, for al-Kasasbeh. That demand was made via Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, who also was taken captive by ISIS. Goto, like other hostages before him, was killed, according to a video posted Saturday, before any exchange could occur. Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command, said he's been in touch with the head of Jordan's armed forces about what he called ISIS' "savage murder." President Barack Obama said that the latest video, if authentic, is "just one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity of this organization." "It, I think, will redouble the vigilance and determination on the part of a global coalition to make sure that they are degraded and ultimately defeated," Obama said. "It also just indicates the degree to which whatever ideology they're operating off of, it's bankrupt." He met Tuesday with Jordan's king, who cut short a trip to Washington following the pilot's killing. The President's comments were echoed in a statement from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. "This horrific, savage killing is yet another example of ISIL's contempt for life itself," he said, using another common acronym for ISIS. "The United States and its military stand steadfast alongside our Jordanian friends and partners; Jordan remains a pillar of our global coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL, and this act of despicable barbarity only strengthens our shared resolve." According to the Jordan Times, an English-language newspaper published daily in the kingdom, al-Kasasbeh, 27, held the rank of lieutenant. One of eight children, he comes from Karak governorate and graduated from King Hussein Air College, the newspaper says. At the time of his capture, his father, Safi al-Kasasbeh, told the Jordan Times that his son was "a very modest and religious person" who memorized the Quran and "was never harmful to anyone." Safi al-Kasasbeh later demanded that Jordan do everything it could to free his son. "I firmly ask whomever has sent Moath to fight outside the borders of Jordan, on a mission unrelated to us, to make strong efforts to bring back Moath," he said. "Moath's blood is precious, it's precious and it represents the blood of all Jordanians." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described al-Kasasbeh as everything he says ISIS is not: "He was brave, compassionate and principled." "That he was murdered after his father's plea for compassion reminds all the world that this foe has no agenda other than to kill and destroy, and places no value on life, including that of fellow Muslims," Kerry said. CNN's Ed Payne, Ali Younes, Elwyn Lopez, Chandrika Lakshminarayan, Jason Hanna and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report. | Jordan executes Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad Karboul .
President Obama meets with Jordan's king after pilot's murder .
Analysts predict the brutality of its latest video could come back to bite ISIS . |
285,082 | fd67629ea46355e88281f19cc586d3190b96a40b | Brussels, Belgium (CNN) -- European Union leaders named Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the first "president of Europe" Thursday, edging out former British Prime Minister Tony Blair for a still-vaguely defined job. "I did not seek this high position, and I didn't take any steps to achieve it," Van Rompuy said in accepting the job. "But tonight, I take on this task with conviction and with enthusiasm." Van Rompuy, a 62-year-old, soft-spoken fan of Japanese poetry, will become the face of European Union and represent its 27 member nations at summits overseas. His conservative government took office in December 2008. The Belgian is "well known as a consensus builder," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who added the selection was unanimous. And Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission -- the executive arm of the EU -- called Van Rompuy's selection "a tribute to Belgium," the EU's host country. " I think the European Union also expressed its gratitude for the work of Belgium and the constant support that this country at the heart of Europe has given to our common project," he said. In his speech, Van Rompuy pledged to lead the EU through a process of "dialogue, unity and action." "A negotiation that ends with a defeated party is never a good negotiation," he said. "As president of the council, I will listen carefully to everyone, and I will make sure that all deliberations turn into results for everyone." The presidency was created by the European Union's Lisbon Treaty, which came into force this month after years of torturous negotiations. Van Rompuy will serve a two-and-a-half-year term, replacing the six-month presidency of the bloc that rotated among the heads of its member states. But while the EU prides itself on being a club of democracies, the process of choosing its new leader was far from transparent or open. The people of Europe are getting no say, not even through their parliamentarians. Van Rompuy's new job was announced after a closed-door dinner for the EU's heads of state and government. The Belgian defended the process, telling reporters the selection was made by leaders "who were all democratically chosen." "I was chosen on the basis of a treaty," he said. "The treaty stipulates the procedure. The treaty was democratically approved by 27 member states." The EU leaders also named Catherine Ashton, a British trade commissioner and member of the House of Lords, as the union's High Commissioner -- its equivalent of a foreign minister. Unlike Van Rompuy, who was chosen by leaders of the EU's member states, Ashton must be confirmed by the European Parliament. Blair, who led Britain from 1997 to 2007, is currently the EU's Mideast envoy. He had been the early favorite for the presidency in recent weeks -- but Brown, his successor, realized that he lacked support among key decision-makers for new post, a Brown representative told CNN earlier. According his backers, who at first included French President Nicolas Sarkozy, he was just the sort of world-renowned figure to win attention for the EU and enable it to exercise its weight in world affairs. One Indian official told CNN before the announcement, "If the EU chooses as its worldwide representative the prime minister of Belgium or Luxembourg, I am not sure our leaders will have the time to meet him." But others were soon arguing that Blair's support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and his close alliance with former U.S. President George W. Bush made him a divisive figure in Europe. And as the one man who might have been able to take Britain into the European single currency, he had not even attempted to do so while he was Britain's prime minister. Public backing from Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, a joke figure to much of Europe and another Bush ally, did not help. Brown had realized earlier that Blair did not have enough support among key decision-makers to snag the new post, a Brown representative told CNN earlier. CNN Political Contributor Robin Oakley contributed to this report. | Belgian PM Herman Van Rompuy appointed first "president of Europe," British PM Gordon Brown says .
Tony Blair ruled out after his successor as UK PM realized Blair had insufficient support .
President of EC will be first permanent chief of the European Council of Ministers .
Selection conducted by heads of state and government, not by Europe's parliamentarians . |
252,095 | d244c1b29c225930a88b353d2ba47678260bb1dd | On the run: Suspected cop-killer Eric Frein remains at large in the Poconos after a search Sunday failed to turn up signs of the self-taught survivalist . Authorities searching for suspected cop killer Eric Frein are believed to have found a handwritten note penned by the suspect. The letter, discovered as the manhunt for the survivalist sniper entered its fourth week, is being considered a confession, reports suggest. It details the the shooting of two Pennsylvania state troopers last month and then goes on to talk extensively about the escape, according to CNN. However the note doesn't reveal a motive and it doesn't seem to explain why he wanted to go on the run and hide out in the woods on the Monroe and Pike County borders. It wasn't clear where it was found, but sources told the station that the detail it goes into suggests it was written by the suspect. Frein, 31, is of killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and injuring Trooper Alex T. Douglass during an ambush at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove on September 12th. Since then, a number of agencies have been involved in the search, including the FBI and state police, but he has continued to evade capture. State police spokesman Trooper Tom Kelly issued a statement on Monday saying that he could not confirm the letter or any information provided by unnamed sources. It is not the first item that Frein has left behind since the search began. Police have found two pipe bombs at a campsite used by Frein and have found 90 rounds from a rifle of the type used in the ambush. They've also found tuna fish, ramen noodles and other food and clothing. This latest blow to the search for Frein comes following a possible sighting of the suspect on Sunday, that narrowed the search area to just a one square mile-and-a-half area. However Pennsylvania State Police spokeswoman Trooper Connie Devens said the identification was not positive. 'The search teams are following up on a possible sighting by law enforcement in the area from earlier this afternoon,' she said. 'And other teams that are searching in other areas of Price and Barrett Townships.' Scroll down for video . Discarded: Police recently found a campsite they believe was left behind by Frein in their three-weeks long search. They've also found cans of tuna fish, ramen, noodles and other food and clothing . Looking: A member of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, Police Special Operations Group, prepares to enter the woods on October 2 in the search for Frein. The 31-year-old has been on the run in the Poconos since September 12, when he shot and killed a state trooper and wounded another . Wanted: Frein was taught how to shoot a gun by his father, a retired Army major, and is a self-trained survivalist. Above, a wanted ad for the shooting suspect pictured above near a trail entrance in Canadensis, Pennsylvania . 'One of the things he seems to be surviving on predominantly would be cans of tuna fish and ramen noodles,' said Lr. Col. George Bivens. Bivens said seizing these supplies is crucial, as Frein does not appear to be trying to live off the land. 'I believe his food is running out and we've seized a big amount of it,' he said. Frein learned how to shoot from his father, who is a retired Army major, and is a self-trained survivalist. He is also a re-enactor with a special interest in Eastern European military and weapons. | Letter allegedly describes ambush and the elaborate escape that followed .
Sources said the detail of the letter suggested it was written by the suspect .
However it did not reveal a motive for the killings or why he wanted flee .
31-year-old has evaded capture in Pennsylvania woods for over three weeks .
State Police narrowed the search area on Sunday after a possible sighting .
However it did not lead to a positive identification .
Frein does not appear to be living off the land and police believe they have found and seized most of his supplies and ammunition . |
160,038 | 5ad920f95597b22f9ad2f7a39f231222a1c82a21 | A state prosecutor has been charged after biting a man's leg during a drunken fracas at an adult store, authorities said. Sarah Naughton, an assistant state's attorney for four years, was facing charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass after the attack on Saturday night. Naughton and a male companion both appeared to be intoxicated, according to police, and were asked to leave shortly after they entered Taboo Tabou in Chicago. Scroll down for video . On the other side of the law: Assistant state's attorney Sarah Naughton, is handcuffed after allegedly biting a store owner while intoxicated in Chicago . Hysterical: The 31-year-old lawyer abused the officers who were arresting her in Chicago . However, 31-year-old Naughton became . belligerent and bit a manager. According to authorities, her friend, . Bradley Gould, shoved the worker and made 'menacing gestures'. The store owner took the manager to a nearby hospital for treatment and he was later released. Police arrived and placed the lawyer in handcuffs. She began wailing loudly that she couldn't feel her hands because they were 'too tight'. She rocked . backwards and forwards on the curb, crying hysterically and at one point, called the arresting female . police officer: 'A f****** b**** w****.' Her behavior was captured on video by a passer-by. After being taken away in a police van, Naughton was charged and released on bond. Taboo Tabou owner Mark Thomas told ABC: 'My staff asked, ''Have you folks been drinking? Maybe you should come back when you're sober.''' Mr Thomas then said that Miss Naughton became enraged and started to tell them what she did for a living, pulling out a badge and adding: 'You can't do this to me...I'm a state's attorney.' Cook County spokesman Andy Conklin said Naughton had been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. It's was not immediately known if Naughton and Gould had legal representation and the results of toxicology reports were unknown. Carried away: Naughton is brought in by Chicago police and has since been suspended from her job . Shopping trip: Naughton was arrested after being kicked out off adult store Taboo Tabou on Chicago's North Side . | Sarah Naughton, 31, was filmed crying hysterically and abusing police officers as she sat on the curb outside Taboo Tabou in Chicago . |
162,633 | 5e44ee9d8b787685c83771aae62ebb9781a99fdf | For many first-time parents, all they want is for their child to be happy and healthy. Jade and Ross Morley were no exception when they welcomed their beautiful baby boy, Floyd-Henry, into the world in 2013. At five months old, the Morley's were given the news that Floyd-Henry had an extremely rare genetic condition called achondroplasia, commonly referred to as dwarfism. Scroll down for video . Jade and Ross Morley welcomed their beautiful baby boy, Floyd-Henry, into the world in 2013 . 'My mum actually knew something was wrong when he was born,' Jade told 60 Minutes. 'She held him just after he was born and she said, 'It's ok mate, we'll look after you',' she said. The Morleys, from Casuarina on the north coast of NSW, took little Floyd-Henry at five months old to see a specialist and received news that devastated them- Floyd-Heney had achondroplasia, a condition which affects 1 in 25,000 births. The doctor asked Jade if she had heard of the condition, and she said that she broke down crying at the question. 'I had [heard of it], I’d googled it. Short arms, short legs, and a big head,' Jade said. At five months old, the Morley's were given the news that Floyd-Henry had an extremely rare genetic condition called achondroplasia, commonly referred to as dwarfism . The Morleys, from Casuarina on the north coast of NSW, took little Floyd-Henry at five months old to see a specialist . They received news that devastated them- Floyd-Heney had achondroplasia, a condition which affects 1 in 25,000 births . 'Out comes straight away is achondroplasia. But then the word that’s the hardest to hear is dwarfism,' she said. The couple said the news devastated them, and made them question their relationship. 'You hold your breath and try and work it out in your head,' Ross told 60 Minutes. 'It made us question our own relationship. It’s so rare, it just happened and there was nothing we could have done,' Ross said. 'It made us ask whether we were meant to be together,' he said. 'It really threw us, especially at that time of our life when everything is meant to be so perfect.' Ross and Jade said that they were afraid for what the condition would mean for Floyd-Henry. '[We were afraid] that he was going to get picked on, or bullied, and that people wouldn’t accept him, that they would be ignorant and not understand,' Jade said. 'At the start I just wanted to hide him. I remember taking him to the shopping center and wanting to get a photo with Santa,' she explained. 'But then I said 'I cant do it, because they’ll see his little legs and head and wonder why',' she said. Ross and Jade said that they were afraid for what the condition would mean for Floyd-Henry . The couple said the news devastated them, and made them question their relationship . 'I wanted to be proud, but I was scared of what other people would think.' The Morley's found it difficult to explain to their friends and family the condition that Floyd-Henry had, and to show that they were still very much in love with their child. When Jade broke the news to one of her friends, she was saddened by the reaction and decided that she couldn't tell everyone in person. 'Initially it was a selfish thing,' Jade said. 'I thought it's too hard, we can't do it, we can't tell everyone,' she said. The Morley's decided to create a video that explained that Floyd-Henry had achondroplasia, in a way that was uplifting and explained exactly how much they loved him. They posted the video to Facebook, which explained how Jade and Ross met, fell in love, married, and had a 'beautiful baby boy'. The video explains that Floyd-Henry was diagnosed with the condition, which means he will be 'a shorty- a little man, a little legend'. Jade said in the video that the condition 'has possible complications and we will tackle these as a family as they arise.' 'At the start I just wanted to hide him. I remember taking him to the shopping center and wanting to get a photo with Santa,' Jade explained . The Morley's decided to create a video that explained that Floyd-Henry had achondroplasia, in a way that was uplifting and explained exactly how much they loved him . They posted the video to Facebook, which explained how Jade and Ross met, fell in love, married, and had a 'beautiful baby boy' 'If you have any questions about Floyd-Henry, please ask us and remember that we are learning too,' Jade said. The inspirational video has been shared and liked all over the world, and the Morley's said that they have been overwhelmed by the support they have received. 'Everyone just had such beautiful things to say about him, and our family, and how it would be great,' Jade said. 'We are happy to have a unique little boy who is alive and well...We can't wait to see our little man grow and progress,' said Ross. 'Just remember he’s just small that’s all,' he said. 'We are not sad because we have him with us today,' said Jade. The Morley's said that they are so grateful for the support they have received from their community, and the love that their friends and family have shown them. With Jade expecting twins in the middle of next year, the couple are excited to see what the future holds for Floyd-Henry and are excited to see him continue to exceed their expectations. | NSW couple Ross and Jade Morley were delighted when they welcomed their son Floyd-Henry into the world in 2013 .
At five months old he was diagnosed with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, which affects 1 in 25,000 births .
The couple were initially devastated by the news, and began questioning their relationship as well as fearing for their son's future .
After breaking the news to a friend, the couple decided to make a positive and affirming video to tell their loved ones about Floyd-Henry's condition .
Support and love has flooded in from all over the world, and the couple say they have been blown away by the reaction to the video .
They are now excited to see what the future holds for Floyd-Henry and their family . |
17,142 | 30931f7b1344350aabcc3a460cc98bc00326e5b5 | Ed Miliband has asked a group of his senior MPs to form an attack unit against Ukip, by branding them the heirs to Margaret Thatcher . Ed Miliband has asked a group of his senior MPs to form an attack unit against Ukip, by branding them the heirs to Margaret Thatcher. Amid growing fears about the party’s appeal to traditional Labour voters, he has asked Northern-based members of his team including shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper and energy spokeswoman Caroline Flint to head the operation. It is a sign of the growing panic within his party about Ukip – after Labour only narrowly clung on to one its heartland seats of Heywood and Middleton in a by-election last week, by 617 votes. The taskforce which also includes former minister John Healey and Jon Trickett, a close ally of Mr Miliband, was formed several months ago but will be stepping up its attacks in the coming weeks. Their slogan describes Ukip as ‘More Tory than the Tories’, and has already accused Mr Farage’s party of advocating a flat tax for everyone regardless of income and charging patients to use the NHS. Labour will apply this attack to other policies and also target Mr Farage personally as an ‘ex-Tory ex-banker’ and ardent admirer of Lady Thatcher - last year he claimed his party were ‘the true inheritors of Thatcher’ in the hope of putting off voters in deprived Northern seats. A source said this was working well on the doorsteps in former industrial areas being targeted by Ukip, but had not had enough time to make an impact before the by-election in Lancashire. Nigel Farage held his party’s conference in Doncaster, Mr Miliband’s constituency, last month and declared: ‘We are now parking our tanks on the Labour Party’s lawn.’ He declared last week that Ukip was ‘tearing vast chunks’ out of the Labour vote in traditional strongholds such as the north of England and Wales. In recent weeks, Ukip representatives have moved to the Left on several issues and been at pains to claim they would choose to keep the health service free at the point of use. Nigel Farage held his party’s conference in Doncaster, Mr Miliband’s constituency, last month and declared: ‘We are now parking our tanks on the Labour Party’s lawn.’ They also now oppose the so-called ‘Bedroom Tax’ on spare rooms in council homes and a trade agreement which would affect the NHS. The by-election scare prompted a change of tone about immigration within the Labour party. Mr Miliband and Miss Cooper both claiming publicly after the result that they understood people’s concerns about it and would take action to stop local people losing out on jobs and housing. But many within the party fear it could be too little too late, with Nigel Farage determined to pick up ‘left behind’ former Labour supporters at the next general election in seven months’ time. Labour had previously been content with polls showing that Ukip took far more votes from former Conservatives than former Labour voters. | The Labour leader has branded UKIP 'the true inheritors of Thatcher'
He's recruited shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper and energy spokeswoman Caroline Flint to head Northern operation .
Wants to personally target ‘ex-Tory ex-banker’ Nigel Farage .
But UKIP leader claims to be ‘tearing vast chunks’ out of the Labour vote . |
225,560 | b00e260411c0696b06a3d6e508fed16997f3db1f | (CNN)A bar owner arrives to find his bartender still drunk, sleeping on a floor littered with empty beer bottles and cans. The band arrives, carrying a beaten-up car door. The intoxicated bartender, struggling to consciousness, is incapable of walking a straight line, yet he takes to a tightrope strung across the bar to do tricks to impress the cute female vocalist. This isn't a a scene from a wild Cambodian bar. It's the opening act of "Khmer Metal," a show by the Phare Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap, the departure point for exploring dazzling Khmer archaeological sites such as Angkor Wat. After a day scrambling ruins in the sticky heat, most tourists spend their nights dining on Khmer barbecue while downing cold one-dollar beers on Pub Street. But increasingly, visitors are opting for a taste of contemporary Cambodian culture, everyday life and entertainment under the big top at the city's new circus. CNNGo in Cambodia . Performing arts wiped out by the Khmer Rouge . Seeing a circus in Siem Reap isn't such a strange idea. Carvings at temple ruins dating back as far as the 6th century vividly illustrate the country's circus tradition, depicting circus artists performing for ceremonies and festivals. In the 1960s, King Norodom Sihanouk encouraged a revitalization of the circus, only to see it die in 1975 when Pol Pot's brutal Khmer Rouge abolished all forms of art, culture and creative expression, and murdered artists. After the Vietnamese occupation sent the Khmer Rouge fleeing into the jungle, eight young Cambodians who'd been in a refugee camp on the Thai border decided to help rebuild their country by reviving the arts and culture scene. In 1994, the group established Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS), a "Beacon for the Arts," and opened a school for visual and performing arts, including circus skills, in a place that needed it most: poverty-stricken Battambang. Near the Thailand border, the small city was a magnet for repatriating refugees, including orphans, most suffering post-traumatic stress. PPS rescued disadvantaged children from the street, troubled homes and trafficking by providing free food, education, training and jobs. While the school is flourishing in Battambang, where some 1,400 students are enrolled, PPS decided to raise its shiny red big top tent and launch a program of shows starring students and graduates in Siem Reap. Cambodia's most popular tourist destination, Siem Reap had 1.24 million foreign tourists visit in the first seven months of 2013, making PPS's mission to reap profits and become self-sustainable more achievable. Mike's Burger House: Phnom Penh's In-N-Out-inspired fast food joint . Distinctly Cambodian show . Phare is no ordinary circus, but an edgy, alternative, down-to-earth, all-singing-and-dancing Cambodian circus in the tradition of Cirque du Soleil. A contemporary circus without animals, the cast of talented young Cambodian performers are accomplished in acrobatics, contortion, aerial ballet, balancing, tightrope walking, fire dancing, vaulting, juggling, music, dance, drama, mime and comedy. Their show, "Khmer Metal," about love, life and rock 'n' roll, is set over the course of one night in a crazy bar and it's edge-of-the-seat stuff. A cocktail-sipping customer in a miniskirt and high heels does an elbow stand on the table, folding her legs over her back and head with ease to shoot a bow and arrow at a balloon with her feet. A moneyed, muscle-bound customer in skinny white jeans, who has had his iPad stolen, takes to the bar, doing some impressive hand-balancing moves on beer taps to grab her attention. In between these daring feats and complex tricks, bar staff and customers break into choreographed dance numbers as the band performs Cambodian rock songs, incorporating an array of samples, from heavy metal to hip hop, traditional Khmer folk music to 1960s Cambodian pop. 10 meals every visitor to Cambodia should try . Show draws from folk traditions . While "Khmer Metal" is thoroughly modern in its setting and storytelling, the group's "Eclipse" show is steeped in tradition, drawing from folk stories, religion and popular beliefs to tell the story of a bullied hunchback, rejected by villagers, who seeks divine intervention from an angel-like Apsara, the celestial maiden who graces Angkor temple walls. Wearing the simple black garb of rural peasants and using few props, the artists perform elaborate acrobatics and audacious stunts, forming human towers to strike Apsara poses, doing somersaults in flight and executing an impressive aerial strap routine. In between acts, they do a spirited, high-energy dance to the upbeat rhythms of the traditional xylophone, guitar and drums. As clever as it is, it's ultimately uplifting fun, the energy and enthusiasm of the artists contagious. What also makes Phare special is that it's distinctly Cambodian -- the music, dance, settings, themes and stories provide an insight into Cambodian culture and everyday life difficult to experience scrambling about ruins -- or drinking beers on Pub Street. Phare Cambodian Circus . Tickets (adults/kids $15/$8) available for daily 7:30 p.m. shows from 7p.m. at Phare Cambodian Circus, Komay Road, Siem Reap and from local travel agents. Backyard Travel offers a two-day, behind-the-scenes Phare Circus Experience for $482 including rehearsals, dinner at Phare Café, the show, meeting performers afterward, a cruise to Battambang to visit the PPS school, meals, hotels and transfers. Photographs by Terence Carter . | Phare is an edgy, all-singing-and-dancing circus in the Cirque du Soleil tradition .
It was established in 1994 in Battambang to help disadvantaged kids .
The history of Cambodia's circus tradition dates to the 6th century .
Some 1,400 students are enrolled at the school in Battambang, a small rural city near the Thai border . |
99,758 | 0c881dcb02eaf70d154b33c10efbbc7016e3268c | Washington (CNN) -- Planned Parenthood can continue to receive Medicaid funding in Indiana, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal by the state on Tuesday. The justices let stand a lower court decision that had blocked patient reimbursement through Medicaid for health providers that perform abortions as part of overall medical care. That would include private groups like Planned Parenthood that fund its abortion care independently. Planned Parenthood said it served 85,000 patients statewide in 2011. Of those, 5,580 received abortions, but most were given basic reproductive health care, including contraceptives and health screenings. A federal appeals court last year permanently blocked enforcement of the Indiana law, ruling that Medicaid regulations clearly give program participants the power to select their own qualified health care provider. Indiana officials asked the Supreme Court to intervene, but the justices declined without comment. Medicaid is a nationwide health program for low-income patients that is funded primarily by the federal government but administered by the states. Federal law bans Medicaid funds to pay for abortions in most instances, but Indiana's law went further. The measure specifically blocked the Indiana Department of Health from signing contracts with any group performing abortions, with the exception of hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. The controversial law was allowed to go into effect in 2011 by a federal judge hours after it was approved by then-Gov. Mitch Daniels. In signing the bill, Daniels and other state officials said other options existed for Medicaid patients seeking reproductive health care. But the appeals court later weighed in and reversed it. There was no immediate reaction to the high court denial from current Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. But Planned Parenthood, which bills itself as the "nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate," applauded the move. "Over and over again, courts have said that states cannot block people from getting preventive health care at Planned Parenthood, and the vast majority of the American public agrees," said Cecile Richards, president of the nonprofit's Action Fund. The funding issue is not isolated to Indiana. Courts around the country have blocked similar laws aimed at Planned Parenthood in Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. But the group has experienced legal setbacks in Oklahoma and Texas. The high court cases are Planned Parenthood of Indiana v. Secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (12-1159); and Secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana (12-1039). | Justices let stand appeals court ruling that had rejected Indiana law .
Law sought to block Medicaid reimbursements if health provider also performs abortions .
Planned Parenthood says only a fraction of services related to abortion .
Medicaid is health care program for poor and disabled . |
62,768 | b24b23a251f18032605ac6fe91c3e9dc931e1e01 | (CNN) -- A new search for an American teen who went missing on a mountain in Ecuador turned up no clues, the teen's father said Friday. August Reiger has been missing since Sunday, when he went on a hike on a mountain overlooking the town of Banos. He was supposed to reunite with his family on the trail, but he was nowhere to be found. Ecuadorian authorities have been searching for him for days, and on Friday, they once again scoured the mountain where he was last seen. "There's nothing to tell, really," said his father, Chris Reiger. "We still don't have anything." Search crews that have canvassed the mountain will do so once again to make sure he is not there. Chris Reiger says the family hasn't ruled out the possibility of a kidnapping but adds that "none of this adds up. None of it." August Reiger, who was his class valedictorian, has experience traveling abroad, including in his mother's home country of Syria, his father said. "He's traveled so much before," Chris Reiger said. "We always went (to Damascus) every summer before the war broke out there. He's been to way more dangerous places than this." Family members say it appears he vanished without a trace after they split up during a hike in the mountainous area 100 miles south of the capital, Quito. Lira de la Paz Villalva, governor of Ecuador's Tungurahua province, said local authorities don't have any leads about what could have caused the teen's disappearance. August had just graduated from the Classen School of Advanced Studies in Oklahoma City, said Shannon Schmoyer, Reiger's father's cousin. The 18-year-old had asked his parents for a trip to a Spanish-speaking country as a graduation present, she said. Gallery: Missing children who were found . The faces of some of America's missing . | August Reiger has been missing since Sunday .
Another search was conducted Friday where he was last seen .
No signs of him have turned up . |
200,051 | 8f009bf70d9ce3b3c0d0d14fd0f8c53fb6a0284d | By . Rob Cooper . Updated: . 06:08 EST, 19 January 2012 . A baronet has won a legal battle with his own son over the sale of their £2.5million 13th century ancestral home. Philip Howard, 50, had claimed he was entitled to £1.5million from the sale of Corby Castle, which had been in the family since 1611. Mr Howard's father Sir John Howard-Lawson sold the Cumbrian castle in 1994 for £2.5million, along with its contents and a thousand acres of land. Victory: Sir John Howard-Lawson, 77, left has defeated his son Philip Howard, 50, in a legal fight over the sale of the 13th century ancestral home in Cumbria . Mr Howard claimed his father had no right to sell the property, originally built as a peel tower in the 13th century, as he had failed to comply with the terms of a will made in 1934. Philip Canning Howard, his great-great-grandfather, had dictated that in order to inherit Corby Castle, his heirs must change their surname to Howard and take up the family coat of arms within 12 months. Mr Howard claimed Sir John had failed to do this, so never validly inherited Corby Castle and should not have benefited from its sale. Ancestral property: Corby Castle had been in the Howard family since 1611 when it was sold off to an Irish businessman for £2.5million in 1994 with one thousand acres of land . A Howard family coat of arms. The inscription is Latin for 'Virtue Alone is Invincible' Lady Justice Proudman ruled in the High Court last year that Sir John had validly inherited the property. Yesterday . her decision was upheld by Lady Justice Arden, Lord Justice Richards . and Lord Justice Patten sitting in the Court of Appeal, who awarded Sir John £22,000 costs. Mr . Howard, a business consultant, claimed his father, 77, whose original . surname was Lawson, had 'forfeited' his right to inherit the castle in . 1961 by neglecting the terms of the will. But Sir John, who represented himself, insisted he had begun to use the name before the end of January 1962. The . baronet also claimed the family was forced to sell Corby Castle when . Philip Howard got into financial difficulties after taking on a major . part of the estate. However, the case is not over as Mr Howard has applied to take it to the Supreme Court. Corby Castle is reputed to be haunted . by a ghost known as The Radiant Boy, an apparition of a boy wearing . white with shining golden hair. Legend has it that any member of the . Howard family who sees the ghost will rise to a position of great power, . but will suffer a terrible death. The castle, six miles from Carlisle . on the east bank of the River Eden, dates from the 13th century and was . built as a tower house by the Salkeld Family. It was sold in 1611 to Lord William . Howard, the third son of Thomas Howard, the 4th Duke of Norfolk, who . added a two-storey L-shaped house to the original peel tower. The present façade was built for Henry Howard between 1812 and 1817. In 1981 the castle appeared in a BBC dramatisation of Wilkie Collins' The Woman . in White, starring Diana Quick. Lady Justice Arden said as she handed down her judgment that it was a 'very sad case' as the father and son had fallen out in a 'very bitter dispute'. The three judges agreed Mr Howard was trying to recover what he thought was his 'rightful inheritance' but that Sir John had 'sufficiently complied' with the terms of the will. They awarded £22,858 costs against Mr Howard. The Howard family have previously been embroiled in a royal scandal, when, in 1572, Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk, was beheaded for treason after scheming to marry Mary Queen of Scots. His third son, William, bought Corby Castle in Cumbria, in 1611, and for nearly four centuries it passed down through ten generations, reaching Sir John in 1961. The Howard and Lawson families were combined when Corby Castle passed to Philip Canning Howard's sole heir, his daughter Ursula. She married Sir John's grandfather, Sir Henry, the third baronet in 1899. It was bought in 1994 by Northern Irish businessman, Edward Haughey, Lord Ballyedmond, who uses it for corporate events and shooting parties. | Philip Howard, 50, claimed he was entitled to £1.5million after his father sold the property .
He argued his father had no right to sell as he had 'broken terms' of 1934 will .
Ancestral home had been in the family since 1611 . |
178,228 | 72bd7e434c944937912039c7cf79c07bd40241f4 | An angry father has taught his disgruntled teenage daughter a very public lesson in respecting one’s elders by shooting her laptop on camera and then publishing the video on her Facebook page. Tommy Jordan, of Albemarle, North Carolina, made the video after his 15-year-old daughter Hannah had apparently written a Facebook post complaining about all of the chores she has to do at home. She was also moaning about how difficult her parents made her life. But when IT worker Mr Jordan found the post he decided grounding her would not be punishment enough and made the video. Scroll down for video . Angry: Tommy Jordan, of Albemarle, North Carolina, reads out his 15-year-old daughter Hannah's grumbling Facebook post in which she complains about having to do chores at home . ‘That right there is your laptop’, he . says in a YouTube video, pointing a camera at a computer lying in a . patch of dirt on the ground. ‘This right here is my .45,’ he says, . moving a pistol into the frame. He cocks the weapon and shoots nine . rounds into the laptop. The video entitled ‘Facebook Parenting: For the . Troubled Teen’ is dedicated to his rebellious daughter. It’s also aimed at ‘all her friends on . Facebook who thought that her little rebellious post was cute, and for . all you parents out there who think your, you know, kids don’t post bad . things on Facebook’. He begins by reading out his . daughter’s post from a computer print-out, explaining ‘since you want to . hide it from everyone, I’m going to share it with everybody’. Aim: Mr Jordan gets out his pistol to shoot the laptop, left, which he has placed in the dirt and grass - before he starts to fire at it, right, shooting nine bullets including one from Hannah's mother . Mr Jordan mocks his daughter for . thinking her parents would not be able to see the post because of her . Facebook privacy settings, ignoring the fact that he works in IT for a . living. 'That right there is your laptop. This right here is my .45' Tommy Jordan . In the post, Hannah says she should be . paid for the chores she does around the home and attacks her parents . for overworking her. Mr Jordan laughs at this suggestion, pointing out what an easy life she gets in comparison to what he had to endure growing up. She moans about waking up at 5am and go to bed at 10pm. Then after about seven minutes addressing the camera to berate Hannah, he stands up and blows holes through the laptop. Irreparable: He shoots nine bullets into the computer, which he tells Hannah she will have to pay for as well . Winding up: 'I hope you've enjoyed your little fiasco' says Mr Jordan as he sits back down in front of the camera . He rounds off by saying: 'Oh yeah and . after that comment you made about your mom, your mom told me to be sure I . put one in there for her. So…that one's from her.' 'Maybe a few kids can take something away from this,’ Mr Jordan writes in the video description. ‘If you’re so disrespectful to your . parents and yourself as to post this kind of thing on Facebook, you’re . deserving of some tough love. Today, my daughter is getting a dose of . tough love.’ He said he found her hidden Facebook post while upgrading her computer. He completes his lesson by saying: . ‘You can have a new laptop when you buy a new laptop and when you pay me . back the $130 for the software I spent on yours. ‘I hope you’ve enjoyed your little . fiasco on Facebook. I hope it was worth all this.' The video has been . watched around 1.5million times since it was posted just two days ago. Mr Jordan has since written on Facebook that the attention has helped him and his daughter 'deal with it' and insisted Hannah is fine, saying they both laughed about the video going viral. But he admitted: 'I’ll agree that wasn’t a good example of me as a father. I had been reading that post again and again for about an hour, sometimes in tears, other times so mad my hands were shaking. 'I was trying very hard to be civil in my message,' Mr Jordan said, reported Fox News. 'I slipped in that and said a word I shouldn’t have. I deserve a little backlash for that, no doubt.' To my parents, . I'm not your damn slave. It's not my responsibility to clean up your s**t. We have a cleaning lady for a reason. Her name is Linda, not Hannah. If you want coffee, get off your ass and get it yourself. If you want a garden, shovel the fertiliser yourself, don't sit back on your ass and watch me do it. If you walk in the house and get mud all over the floor that I just cleaned, be my guest, but clean it up after you are done getting s**t everywhere. I'm tired of picking up after you. You tell me at least once a day that I need to get a job. You could just pay me for all the s**t that I do around the house. Every day when I get home from school, I have to do dishes, clean the counter tops, all the floors, make all the beds, do the laundry and get the trash. I'm not even going to mention all the work I do around your clinic. And if I don't do all that every day, I get grounded. Do you know how hard it is to keep up with chores and schoolwork? It's freaking crazy. I go to sleep at 10 o'clock every night because I am too tired to stay up any longer and do anything else. I have to get up at five in the morning, to get ready for school. On the weekends, I have to sleep with my door locked so my little brother won't come get me up at six. I'm tired of this bulls**t. Next time I have to pour a cup of coffee, I'm going to flip s**t. I have no idea how I have a life. I'm going to hate to see the day when you get too old to wipe your ass and you call me, asking for help. I won't be there. Signed, Your Pissed Kid, Hannah . See video here . | North Carolina father Tommy Jordan made hilarious video for Hannah, 15 .
Daughter apparently refused to do chores and complained about parents .
Destroys laptop with his .45 gun and describes it as 'tough love' for her . |
258,314 | da58dcc91e49d056ed5bff430c837f551a39b7a1 | (CNN) -- Any pedometer will count how much you've walked, but a good, connected mobile app can push, encourage and sometimes even shame you into putting down the milkshake, getting out of the beanbag chair and meeting a fitness goal. Sensors that record data about your fitness, daily routines, vital signs, weight or sleep habits have been around for years, but at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the spotlight is on devices that wirelessly sync data to the cloud and smartphone apps and how they use that information to effectively promote and maintain good health. Digital health tech is a booming area at CES this year with 210 booths in the section reserved for health technology companies. It's a mixed bag of activity trackers, health insurance companies, smart scales, disease management tools and sports gadgets. Wearable sensors have become smaller, cheaper and more powerful in the past few years. More recently, low-energy Wi-Fi and Bluetooth synching capabilities have made syncing to smartphones, cracking open a world of product possibilities. On the show floor, sensors popped up in watches, wrist bands, belt clips, underwear and bra clips, in-ear headphones, fitness equipment and adhesive patches you wear on your skin. Many device makers said it was only a matter of time before they show up in everyday clothes, maybe even in your body. Here are some ways health tech is helping people now: . Encouraging physical fitness . The biggest booths are for the fitness trackers. Pedometers, devices that count steps and distance, have been around for hundreds of years; they were first introduced to the U.S. by Thomas Jefferson. But recent technology has inspired a digital resurgence for the lowly pedometer, with tricked-out new devices that also track calories, how many stairs you climb and sleeping patterns. Fitness tracker company Fitbit unveiled its latest product, the Fitbit Flex, at CES. The $100 wristband comes in a variety of colors, is waterproof and has no display other than a tiny row of dots that light up. It automatically uploads data to your iPhone, Samsung Galaxy Note II or Samsung Galaxy S III every 15 minutes. Once synched, the data is displayed on the app or website as colorful graphs, your progress charted and goals outlined. The smartphone app acts as the hub for your Fitbit, as well as the company's Aria smart scale. If food is something you need help monitoring, you can keep detailed logs of your meals to calculate how many calories you've consumed. "It's not about the numbers, but how you can be motivated," said Fitbit's Woody Scal. Fitbit has integrated effective coaching and training tricks to keep users on track. For example, it can send encouraging or taunting text messages or e-mails and award badges, depending on what motivates you. It also acts as a little social network, letting you connect with and compete against friends. The teeny Fitbug Orb fitness tracker also records steps and sleep, but this round device is designed to fit into an assortment of holders, including a watch band or underwear clip. It also has an app and online coaching services but will only cost $50 when it comes out this summer. French company Withings debuted its newest smart scale at CES, the Smart Body Analyzer, which measures weight, body fat and your heart rate. A healthy home environment is important for health, so the scale tracks air quality, measuring Co2 levels and room temperature. The data is sent wirelessly to an iOS or Android device. The scale will be available in early 2013 and cost $150. Keeping kids healthy . Can video games be used to keep kids healthy? UnitedHealthcare, the largest health care provider in the U.S., thinks it's possible. According to the CDC, 17% of children and adolescents from 2 to 19 in the U.S. are obese. Investing in kids' health now and lowering that percentage could save all health insurance companies money down the line. UnitedHealthcare just launched a test program in three schools using a popular video game to encourage exercise. It partnered with the makers of "Dance Dance Revolution" on a gym-class friendly version of the popular dancing game. Up to 48 kids recreate the dances displayed on a large screen, while sensors in the wireless dance platforms record data about how well they are doing. The information is tracked over time and shared with the school, parents and the kid so everyone can see their progress. The idea is to make working out fun and gym class something to look forward to. "We want to get it into areas where there are limited options for physical activity," explained Robert Plourde, the vice president of innovation and research and development at UnitedHealthcare. The company is also working on an interesting beta project that turns an Xbox Kinect into a physical therapy coach. It counts reps and monitors the body's movements to ensure the exercises are being done properly. The GeoPalz ibitz PowerKey activity tracker and paired mobile app are just for kids. The $50 pedometer, counts steps as "keys," which are points that can be collected to win prizes on Amazon, unlock game levels and earn badges. Parents can check in on their kids' progress on their own smartphones. A headset that detects the brain's electrical activity is being used to improve children's mental health. NeuroSky's $149 Focus Pocus game, released last year, helps people with ADHD hone concentration and impulse control skills. Players don the a headset and place an attached sensor on their forehead, which can tell when they are concentrating or distracted. As they play the wizard-themed game, they are rewarded for focusing and completing tasks. Trials of the game saw improvement in concentration after a period of training. More recently, Puzzlebox used the same technology to power a toy helicopter. Less therapeutic and more just cool, the Orbit flies up when you concentrate and can drop back down when you break concentration. The product, which started as a Kickstarter campaign, costs $189 and will begin shipping soon. Monitoring the chronically ill and seniors . Some of the most promising developments in the health tech area are for people with chronic issues such as heart failure, Parkinson's, hypertension or diabetes. With the right sensors and apps, they can take a reading at home and transmit data to the cloud, where their doctors can monitor progress and look for red flags that they might miss during a short office visit. Ideal Life's connected systems include small devices that measure blood glucose, blood pressure, heart rates and oxygen saturation, and it has a scale specifically for congestive heart failure patients. At CES, the company announced it was teaming up with ADT on an integrated alert system. These remote health management services are appealing to hospitals, doctors and health programs because they can cut down on costly medical care by catching issues early and helping people avoid trips to the emergency room. But all that data being collected is valuable in other ways. Providers can amass the anonymous data for all patients to look for trends, assess programs and fine-tune treatment programs. Having an outsider be notified of changes in health is also helpful for senior citizens living on their own. Instead of the classic emergency buttons worn around the neck, sensors can alert care givers to anything out of the ordinary. They don't even need to be health sensors. Connected home systems such as Lowe's Iris can be programed to send a text message when a senior doesn't do a regular activity such as opening the fridge or turning on a light. A final smartphone-connected gadget for seniors (or anyone who takes a lot of pills) is the clever uBox. This round, functionally designed box reminds people when it's time to take their pills with a combination of beeps, blinking lights and smartphone reminders. If they've already taken the pill for that time period, the box remains locked so anyone who is forgetful or suffering from dementia won't take a double dose. The uBox will notify family members or health care providers if a dose is skipped. The company, founded by MIT engineers, is raising money on Indiegogo. | At the Consumer Electronics Show, there are 210 companies in the digital health area .
Sensors are smaller, cheaper and can transmit data about your health to smartphone apps .
New games and pedometers aimed at kids are the latest tools for fighting childhood obesity .
Sensors to monitor the health of seniors and sick people share data with doctors, family . |
32,377 | 5c10f5583d3a2e5c1e33fb5d3846df283a06b879 | One of Tiger Woods' front teeth was knocked out by a cameraman during a media scramble after his girlfriend Lindsey Vonn won another World Cup event in Italy on Monday. The golfer revealed the gap in his mouth as he congratulated the skier following her winning run in Cortina D'Ampezzo - her 63rd World Cup victory. He had hidden behind a skeleton-covered mask before surprising Vonn but it seems she was not the only one who didn't recognize the former world No. 1 - as the media promptly trampled him. 'During a crush of photographers at the awards' podium at the World Cup event in Italy, a media member with a shoulder-mounted video camera pushed and surged towards the stage, turned and hit Tiger Woods in the mouth,' Woods' agent Mark Steinberg said. Scroll down for videos . Missing something? Tiger Woods lost one of his two front teeth after a cameraman knocked it out on Monday before he congratulated his skier girlfriend Lindsey Vonn on her win at the women's World Cup in Italy . Unrecognizable: Woods hid behind shades, a hate and a scarf as he prepared to surprise his girlfriend . 'Woods's tooth was knocked out by the incident.' The identity and network of the camera operator is not known, nor is it clear what became of the tooth. Previous pictures of the golfer show the tooth that was knocked out was discolored. Vonn broke Annemarie Moser-Proell's 35-year-old record of 62 World Cup wins with a flawless run down the Olympia delle Tofane course, finishing 0.85 ahead of Anna Fenninger of Austria. Still wearing his mask, Woods weaved through the crowd unnoticed until he shared an emotional embrace with Vonn, who had no idea that the golfer was coming. 'No way!' Vonn exclaimed when she spotted him. 'I didn't think this could get any better than yesterday with my entire family here but now with Tiger here this is unbelievable,' said Vonn. 'I said, "I can't believe you came." And he said, "I told you".' Woods did not speak with reporters. Something to hide? Woods, who surprised Vonn after her win, covered his face with a mask on Monday . Cause for concern? Earlier photographs of the golfer show the front tooth was discolored. This image shows Woods during the 2011 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, Australia in November 2011 . Vonn tied the record of 62 victories when she won a downhill here Sunday. 'I'm so happy to have finished the weekend with win No. 63. My family and Tiger is here. It's a really, really special day,' she said. Vonn had been on track to shatter the record two years ago before a high-speed crash at the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria, when she tore two ligaments in her right knee. She attempted to return for Sochi but re-injured her knee in Val d'Isere, France, in December, 2013, requiring a second surgery. She is planning to compete through the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Vonn, 30, and 39-year-old Woods, who was married to wife Elin Nordegren for six years until reports of his infidelity emerged, have been dating for nearly two years. Surprise! Lindsey Vonn was overjoyed to see her boyfriend at the finishing line on Monday . Embrace: Woods, 39, barely removed his face mask to kiss his 30-year-old girlfriend of two years . Record breaker: Vonn became the most successful female in Alpine skiing World Cup history when she won the Super-G on Monday, her 63rd victory in the competition . | Woods was about to surprise Lindsey Vonn in Italy on Monday when an over-eager camera operator hit him in the mouth with his equipment .
One of his front teeth was knocked out in the incident and the golfer revealed the gap in his teeth as he congratulated Vonn .
Vonn, 30, has now won 63 World Cup titles - breaking Annemarie Moser-Proell's 35-year-old world record of 62 wins .
She was stunned when Woods surprised her in the finishing area . |
207,461 | 98a129ea9a8d44d013047ab20a2e1a8b5717fd06 | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 11:59 AM on 1st December 2011 . You can buy almost anything cheaply at Walmart stores - but one thing you don’t expect to find hidden inside new clothing is a syringe. A mother claimed her daughter was pierced in her finger and left foot by a syringe while putting on a new pair of pyjamas bought at a Georgia store. Five days later another Walmart shopper complained she was struck by a needle while looking at bras, Bartow County authorities said. Concern: Bartow County sheriff's officials are investigating reports of syringes found in new clothing purchased at a Georgia Walmart . ‘Anytime you buy clothing it's always best to check it and make sure there's nothing in there to hurt you,’ Sergeant Jonathan Rogers said. Walmart has done its own searches and found other syringes but no suspects have yet been identified, reported the Daily Tribune News. The woman pricked when she reached inside a boxed bra to ensure it was the right size was identified by local news sources as Patricia Headrick. ‘It's a waiting game right now,’ Mrs Headrick told WXIA. ‘I'm scared to death,' she said, adding that she is worried she could have contracted HIV. Scared: A Walmart shopper complained she was struck by a needle while looking at bras, Bartow County authorities said . ‘I don't know what's going to happen. I'm shocked that someone can do this to someone. It's mean. I don't understand why someone would do this.’ 'It's a waiting game right now. I'm scared to death. I don't know what's going to happen' Patricia Headrick . Syringes have been found inside clothing items on sale at the Walmart in Cartersville four times in recent days, reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The syringes have been sent to investigators for further tests. Mrs Headrick has gone for tests but will have to return for more in six months. Other items: A syringe was also found in a pair of Hello Kitty socks and a pair of trousers - but neither of those incidents resulted in any injuries . She paid $1,300 for medicine to avoid an illness, but claimed Walmart would not reimburse her until a criminal investigation had been completed. Walmart has not yet commented. The woman’s daughter pricked when putting on her pyjamas, who is 14-years-old, was treated at home. A syringe was also found in a pair of Hello Kitty socks and a pair of trousers - but neither of those incidents resulted in any injuries. | Teenager 'pierced by syringe while trying on pyjamas'
Another shopper struck by needle while looking at bras .
Four syringes found in total at Georgia Walmart store . |
219,845 | a891582decd26190f27bfc63e25b16d0451dfc53 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:02 EST, 23 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:30 EST, 23 November 2012 . Giving evidence: Mr Thompson will be questioned about what he knew of the allegations surrounding the disgraced TV presenter . Former BBC director-general Mark Thompson and current CEO of the New York Times company has flown in to London give evidence to an inquiry about an aborted investigation on Jimmy Savile's campaign of sexual abuse. Mr Thompson, who has just begun his new role, will give evidence about the shelved Newsnight inquiry to the Nick Pollard inquiry at hearings in the offices of Reed Smith in central London. Mr Thompson is expected to be quizzed about exactly what he knew about the allegations surrounding the disgraced television presenter. He is also expected to answer questions about a letter that was sent on September 6 to the Sunday Times, denying any part in suppressing the Newsnight film, the Guardian reported. Thompson has said that he did not intervene in Newsnight's Savile investigation, which he was first made aware of at a party a year ago. He asked about the status of the Newsnight film and said he was told by Helen Boaden, the BBC director of news, that because it had been dropped there was nothing to worry about, the Guardian reported. But after lawyers acting for him sent a letter to the Sunday Times in early September, threatening to sue the paper for libel if he was accused of editorial interference, critics say this implies that Thompson knew more about the Savile abuse allegations that he initially let on, the Guardian reported. Thompson says he verbally agreed to the . letter going out, but claims he does not recall reading it or cannot . remember if he was even shown it. But advisers to Thompson say the idea behind sending out the letter came from the BBC's press and legal departments, and that its purpose was only to deny that the director general had exerted any pressure on Newsnight to drop the Savile film, the Guardian reported. The scandal of Savile: The Pollard inquiry is looking into the handling of the Newsnight investigation . They say the letter was . suggested by BBC press and legal departments, and its aim was to deny . that the director general had pressurised Newsnight to drop the Savile inquiry and does not imply that he knew more than he had said. Pollard, the former head of Sky News, said the inquiry has received 40 written submissions and conducted 12 interviews so far, but has more to conduct. He later said he . had a 'chance meeting' with a journalist who mentioned the Newsnight . investigation into Savile, but said he had not been told any of the . details or the scale of the problem. The . firm's leading paper, The New York Times, has maintained its confidence . in the new chief following news that Mr Thompson's successor, George . Entwistle, the director-general of the BBC, had resigned on Saturday. Entwistle . took the blame for a news program on the BBC's Newsnight programme, . which aired a mistaken allegation that a former British senior . politician sexually abused a child at a care home. Despite the furore around allegations about the handling of the Savile investigation, Mr Thompson's new employer has maintained its confidence in the new chief following news that his successor, George Entwistle, the director-general of the BBC, has resigned. Entwistle took the blame for a news program on the BBC's Newsnight programme, which aired a mistaken allegation that a former British senior politician sexually abused a child at a care home. Entwistle's departure and his acceptance of responsibility for editorial decisions as director-general, adds pressure to any evaluation of Thompson's role at the BBC and whether he was ultimately accountable for the shelving of the Savile report. A BBC spokesman said: 'The Trust has asked that the letter be submitted to the Pollard Inquiry. It would be inappropriate to comment on matters that relate to legal advice.' The . firm's leading paper, The New York Times, has maintained its confidence . in the new chief following news that Mr Thompson's successor, George . Entwistle, the director-general of the BBC, had resigned on Saturday. Entwistle . took the blame for a news program on the BBC's Newsnight programme, . which aired a mistaken allegation that a former British senior . politician sexually abused a child at a care home. The . firm's leading paper, The New York Times, has maintained its confidence . in the new chief following news that Mr Thompson's successor, George . Entwistle, the director-general of the BBC, had resigned on Saturday. Entwistle . took the blame for a news program on the BBC's Newsnight programme, . which aired a mistaken allegation that a former British senior . politician sexually abused a child at a care home. The . firm's leading paper, The New York Times, has maintained its confidence . in the new chief following news that Mr Thompson's successor, George . Entwistle, the director-general of the BBC, had resigned on Saturday. Entwistle . took the blame for a news program on the BBC's Newsnight programme, . which aired a mistaken allegation that a former British senior . politician sexually abused a child at a care home. | CEO of the New York Times company will answer questions in the Nick Pollard inquiry . |
87,432 | f80aebe761ea76f539b72139ff1b660fffb39981 | By . Jon Rees . More than two million customers have saved a total of £400 million by switching from the Big Six energy firms to smaller, independent suppliers, figures reveal. Energy UK, which represents the energy industry, said that the rate at which householders switched from the big firms – EDF, British Gas, E.On, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE – to smaller providers had risen dramatically. In June last year, 36,876 customers swapped to small suppliers. That soared to 126,979 by November and remains high, with an average of just over 100,000 a month changing by the end of June. More than two million customers have saved a total of £400 million by switching from the Big Six energy firms to smaller, independent suppliers, figures reveal (file picture) In total, 2.05 million customers now get their energy from smaller firms, saving about £200 a year. The figures cover electricity switching only, but about 80 per cent of those who swap electricity switch gas, too. Last autumn, the leading energy companies put their prices up, while Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged to freeze prices for 20 months if elected next year. The Government responded by promising to slash bills by loosening environmental levies. These added more than £100 to the annual average dual fuel bill, which stands at £1,346, up from £819 five years ago. Ann Robinson, director of consumer policy at price comparison website uSwitch.com, said: ‘Small energy providers do benefit from lower costs and lower government levies. However, companies like First Utility has increased its market share above this and continues to offer the most competitive deals.’ Energy Secretary Ed Davey added: ‘We have almost trebled the number of small suppliers since 2010 and our reforms are making it easier and quicker for people to switch suppliers.’ | Millions save total of £400m by switching from Big Six energy firms .
Customers are switching to smaller, independent suppliers, figures reveal .
Just over 100,000 customers wee changing a month by the end of June . |
101,342 | 0ea37fb9aac2f4e27055805ea5ed5406b2d9cde9 | By . Jennifer Newton . Four boys on a school trip have unearthed a 4,300-year-old hair tress which is being described as one of the most significant recent archaeological finds in the UK. The boys, Joseph Bell, Luca Alderson, Sebastian Alderson and Aidan Bell, were on a local dig in Kirkhaugh, Northumberland, when they saw a glint of gold in the soil. To their astonishment it turned out to be an ancient hair tress and one of the earliest ever pieces of metal work to have been found in the UK. Scroll down for video . Schoolboys Aidan Bell, Luca Alderson, Joseph Bell and Sebastian Alderson with the intricate metal hair tress they found on a school trip . The schoolchildren, aged between seven and ten, had been on a dig arranged by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership's Altogether Archaeology project, when they stumbled across the treasure. The ornament may have been worn by a first-generation metal worker who could have travelled to Britain from overseas in search of gold and copper. The tresses are very rare and only ten finds have ever been made in Britain . Seven-year-old Joseph said: 'We were digging carefully in the ground and I saw something shiny, it was gold. 'Me and Luca started dancing with joy. It was very exciting.' The intricately decorated tress dates back to about 2,300 BC, a period known as the Copper Age, which is pre-Bronze Age . His friend, eight-year-old Luca added: 'When I first saw it I felt happy but I thought it was plastic. When I found out it was gold, I was very happy.' The intricately decorated tress, which dates back to about 2,300 BC, a period known as the Copper Age, which is pre-Bronze Age, was found in a burial mound alongside three beautiful flint arrowheads and a jet button. The boys went along to the dig, which took place at Randalholme Farm at Kirkhaugh, after taking part in an Altogether Archaeology project called Dreaming the Land, while at Alston Primary in Cumbria. During the project, the boys learned about local archaeology, which inspired them to attend the community dig. The ornament may have been worn by a first-generation metal worker who could have travelled to Britain from overseas in search of gold and copper . Sebastian, ten, said: 'We did some work on the Copper Age at school which was really interesting. 'But to take part in the actual excavation, and to find things, was awesome.' Aidan, also 10, added: 'We went to see the site before it had been dug up with our class. I can't wait to go back to school to tell everyone because they will never believe what we found.' The head tress, along with arrowheads and button, will now be analysed by specialists. Paul Frodsham, who leads the Altogether Archaeology project said: 'All archaeological sites are important in their own way, but this is exceptional. 'It can be regarded as marking the very start of mineral exploitation in the North Pennines, leading in due course to Roman exploitation of lead and silver, and eventually to the vast post-medieval lead industry for which the region is internationally famous.' | Boys were on a local dig in Northumberland when they saw a glint of gold .
Turned out to be an ancient hair tress more than 4,300 years old .
Ornament is very rare and only ten have ever been discovered in the UK .
Tress is the earliest ever piece of metal work to be found in country .
Dates back to 2,300 BC and was found alongside arrowheads and a button . |
66,016 | bb60b9ded2efedceca62fce65cb5fcb843b30848 | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The scar has faded over his left eye, but the fireworks injury that Tony Wittmann suffered when he was 17 taught him a lesson that he hasn't forgotten. Sparklers burn at temperatures up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1,100 Celsius). "Teenagers being teenagers, we were shooting bottle rockets at each other from about 200 yards away," he remembers. "One hit above my eye and stuck in my forehead and exploded." Emergency room doctors were able to stitch up the torn the tissue around his eye, but Wittmann was pretty shaken up. "I thought at first, 'I'm 17 and I'm blinded for life.' Once I calmed down, I realized I was OK, but it took all the fun out of the day." Wittmann, now a 42-year-old firefighter and paramedic in Shawnee, Oklahoma, uses the story to explain the dangers of fireworks to his young sons. "I try to tell them to learn from my mistake." Every year at this time, he and his colleagues expect to be sent on a fireworks emergency call. "Either a roof will be set on fire or someone will get burned," he said. "I don't think you'll ever get an injury-free season." Health Minute: Watch more the dangers of fireworks » . Unfortunately, that's true not just in Oklahoma, but in the rest of the United States as well. The Consumer Product Safety Commission keeps track of injury rates nationwide. Nancy Nord, the commission's acting chairwoman, says fireworks injuries are common. "Over 9,000 people are injured each year because of fireworks, on average seven people die," she said. The agency estimates that half the injuries occur among children. "Little kids love sparklers," Nord says. "But sparklers burn at temperatures up to 2,000 degrees [Fahrenheit], and sparklers are the biggest cause of injury for children under 5." Burns, lacerations and eye injuries are some of the most common injuries reported. Despite the risks, fireworks are more popular than ever. Bill Weimer, vice president of Phantom Fireworks in Youngstown, Ohio, says this is the busiest time of the year for sales. His company is the operator of the largest chain of fireworks stores in the country and expects to make 95 percent of its yearly sales between Memorial Day and July 4. Three years ago, The Wall Street Journal estimated the six-week revenue to amount to $100 million, a figure Weimer doesn't dispute. But along with increased profits, he contends, "Fireworks products are safer today than ever before. Most of the injuries unfortunately are due to misuse and abuse." He strongly encourages people to read the directions and follow the rules. "This product is wonderful family entertainment, but at the same time, you have to respect the fact that [fireworks] burn to function. ...Parents should watch their kids like hawks." That's part of the No. 1 safety tip from the Consumer Product Safety Commission: Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks. The commission also warns users to keep a bucket of water or hose nearby in case of fire, to light fireworks only on a flat surface away from structures and dry leaves, and not to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned. Experts also tell bystanders to be out of range before lighting fireworks. It's a rule Wittmann learned the hard way. "People don't understand you're dealing with explosives. Most people take them for granted. I know I did." E-mail to a friend . Judy Fortin is a correspondent with CNN Medical News. | Consumer Product Safety Commission: Over 9,000 fireworks injuries annually .
About half the injuries are among kids, commission says .
Burns, lacerations, eye injuries among most common injuries reported . |
8,488 | 17f54d13db71c16e215fe1887c5207c788b711b1 | (CNN) -- American Bill Haas claimed a one-shot victory in the Bob Hope Classic on the final hole to join his father as a winner of the tournament. The 27-year-old went into the final day in California a stroke behind the lead but was able to break clear of the pack with a flawless 64 to finish on 30 under par. Tim Clark, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson all finished tied for second place on 29 under. Haas led by two strokes after an fine start but the chasing pack reduced his lead and a birdie on 17 put him level with leaders Clark and Kuchar. He completed victory with a birdie four at the last hole after he struck a brave tee shot. Haas fired his approach at the last to within 27 feet and two putts were enough to seal a victory that matches the win his father - Jay Haas - secured at the same event in 1988. Haas, who was watched by his father, admitted the victory was even sweeter with a large family contingent present. "It's pretty special as I didn't know my dad was here. My dad and my brother and his uncle were there," Haas told the tournament's official Web site. "They knew they flew back from Hawaii last night, I thought maybe if I was in contention they might show up, but didn't see them until the end there. "It's not easy to win. I was so nervous coming down the stretch. I still don't know how I hit the shot on 18 - my hands were shaking." | American Bill Haas claimed a one-shot victory in the Bob Hope Classic on the final hole to join his father as a winner of the tournament.
Tim Clark, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson all finished tied for second place on 29 under.
Haas completed victory with a birdie four at the last hole after he struck a brave tee shot to match his father's win in 1988. |
8,125 | 16fb1298787bb260db79a2ec9d042c44709769b5 | By . Ben Ellery and Amanda Perthen . PUBLISHED: . 04:42 EST, 25 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:39 EST, 28 May 2012 . A devastated teenager told last night how her friend drowned after they leapt off a bridge and into a river hand-in-hand to cool down. Megan Simmons had no idea that her companion, Hussain Mohammed, was unable to swim – and battled in vain to rescue him from the Thames. The pair giggled together on Donnington Bridge in Oxford before taking the spur-of-the-moment decision to leap into the water. Tragic: Hussain Mohammed, 15, drowned after getting into difficulties when he jumped off Donnington Bridge in Oxford on Friday. His friend Megan Simmons, pictured being comforted by her mother Angela, battled to save him after they leapt into the River Thames together . Crouching on the bridge in front of flowers left in memory of Hussain, Megan, 16, said: ‘I had no idea he couldn’t swim. We jumped off the bridge for a joke. Once we hit the water he got into trouble and started screaming and panicking. I tried to help him but he was too heavy. ‘I managed to swim to the side and could still hear him screaming but no one could help him until it was too late. I’m stunned by the whole thing and can’t believe it’s happened.’ Megan’s mother, Angela Eldridge, said her daughter was deeply shocked. She added: ‘Megan has been up all night and so have I. She couldn’t sleep at all and was just sobbing. She and Hussain had been hanging out together all week. They weren’t boyfriend or girlfriend but were very close. ‘Megan and Hussain had been walking home from school together. Their route took them over the bridge and it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to jump in. ‘She’s devastated and I don’t think she’ll ever get over it.’ Hussain, 15, was celebrating winning a college place to study engineering just before the pair jumped into the river at about 8pm on Friday. Witnesses described seeing Megan emerging from the water immediately, but Hussain was struggling and shouting for help. Onlooker Kayleigh Robbins, 21, a volunteer sea cadet, was the first to jump in to try to help Hussain but when she was within touching distance he disappeared. About a dozen members of City of Oxford Rowing Club also dived in as emergency services launched a rescue attempt. Tragedy: Kayleigh Robbins (pictured) at the spot where 15-year-old Hussain drowned. The 21-year-old made several desperate attempts to find him . Fatal scene: Girls leave floral tributes on the bridge from which the pair jumped . Struggle: Onlookers jumped in to help the boy after watching him struggle, but were unable to pull him to safety. Emergency services spent two hours searching before he was located and pulled out . Firefighters searched for the teenager and a police helicopter was also used. After two hours, an unconscious Hussain was pulled from the water on to a rescue boat. He was taken to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he was pronounced dead. Megan was also taken to hospital for treatment. Yesterday, Hussain’s sister, accounting student Mehreen Akhtar, 28, said her brother had been ‘full of life’. Miss Akhtar, from the Cowley area of Oxford, said: ‘Hussain was always helping out around the house and would do anything for you. ‘He was full of life and cheeky and would constantly tease his four sisters. He had a permanent smile on his face and was a good brother. ‘Two days ago he was accepted to study engineering and was over the moon. It’s a disaster, the whole family is shocked. I saw my little brother leave home as happy as can be and a few hours later he was dead.’ Floral tributes at the bridge read: ‘RIP Hussain. Sleep tight. Gone but never forgotten.’ Another read: ‘I’m going to miss your smile.’ Detectives have appealed for witnesses. Last night Hussain’s parents were too upset to speak. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Hussain Mohammed got into difficulties after leaping into the Thames from a bridge in Oxford .
He had jumped into the water hand-in-hand with his friend Megan Simmons . |
265,239 | e3889641f5a0371e40ab07d6481305c3aab0e782 | Airbus has celebrated the certification of its newest jet with a breathtaking formation flight video featuring its test planes, which are being touted as the future of long-haul travel. The European aircraft-maker's newest wide-body jet is the A350 XWB - a long-range, twin-engine airliner, powered by two very quiet Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines. It's also the first of its kind to have both fuselage and wing structures made up of 53 per cent carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer, which helps its fuel efficiency. European aircraft maker Airbus is celebrating its latest jet certification with stunning formation flight video . Believed to be the future of long-haul travel, the Airbus A350 XWB is fuel efficient and boasts a wide body . Luxury in the skies: The twin engine airliner contains two Rolls Royce Trent XWB engines . The planes, worth £1.9bn, soared high above Toulouse, France, on September 29, near the Airbus headquarters in Blagnac, following their European EASA Type certification. The incredible footage shows five of the planes gliding through the air, carrying out a breathtaking formation display. Essentially, this certification means that the company will be able to make its first delivery - to Qatar Airlines - before the end of the year. The revolutionary planes will be able to carry 250 to 350 passengers in a three-class seating layout. The company's first delivery will be to Qatar Airlines, expected in December of this year . While the planes have currently only been certified in Europe, it's expected that the Airbus' US FAA certification will follow shortly. Airbus president and CEO Fabrice Brégier said: 'Accumulating more than 2,600 flight test hours, we created and successfully achieved one of the industry's most thorough and efficient test programs ever developed for a jetliner.' The stunning flight performance took place in Toulouse, France on September 29 . After this recent European EASA Type certification, the company believes a US FAA certification will follow soon . Lots to celebrate! To achieve EASA certification, the planes underwent more than 2,600 test flight hours . | Newest wide-body long-range jet has just achieved European certification .
First delivery of the new aircraft will be made to Qatar Airlines in December .
To celebrate certification, test planes performed spectacular formation flight .
£1.9bn plane is being billed as the future in long-haul travel . |
85,385 | f2307d5dbebce56b32c0f8824fa10bd15aa2e9e2 | By . Andrew Levy . UPDATED: . 17:13 EST, 1 September 2011 . Travellers at an illegal site in Essex have erected a second watchtower today as the battle lines are drawn in their fight against eviction. Residents at the Dale Farm site have also strengthened other parts of the site after they lost an 11th hour legal challenge yesterday to halt the eviction. The moves have heightened fears that there will be a violent outcome to the dispute, which has lasted for ten years. Look out: This second watchtower was constructed today by travellers at the camp as they tried to avoid eviction . Resistance: The Dale Farm travellers say that they won't go quietly if police move in and have begun to barricade the entrances in Crays Hill, Essex. Many locals fear the situation will turn ugly . Aerial photos of the site at Crays Hill also appear to show that large parts of the area are already unoccupied, sparking fears the travellers could end up being evicted only to move 50 yards down the road. One anarchist who has joined the travellers at the site said: 'There is no way we are leaving them here . to be attacked by the thugs who pass themselves off as bailiffs. 'Yes, we are preparing for battle and want here to be our fortress - What other option have these people been left with? 'A life in supermarket carparks is no future for these good people.' Earlier today, Basildon Council . leader Tony Ball made a last ditch appeal for the 1,000 or so travellers . to leave peacefully, and avoid the need for bailiffs to move in. Mr Ball said: 'I am making a final appeal to the residents to leave Dale Farm peacefully. 'I . would also ask any visitors to the site or anyone who truly has the . travellers' interests at heart to urge them to do this as well. Parked: On the day that travellers should be moving out of Dale Farm, Essex there is little sign of movement at the camp . Big issue: Dale Farm is the largest Romany Gypsy and Irish Traveller site in the UK . 'Direct action to clear Dale Farm is a last resort for the council and we take it reluctantly - but after almost 10 years of legal wrangling, the travellers have left us with absolutely no choice. 'This settlement has been illegally developed on greenbelt land. By doing this and failing to comply with various enforcement notices over a period of years, the travellers have broken the law. 'By taking this action we are not discriminating against the people on Dale Farm - we are treating them the same as we would any other resident in the local area who built on or developed greenbelt land without permission. 'We now have a difficult operation which we will carry out in a safe and lawful fashion. Protest: The residents of Dale Farm say the eviction is a massive waste of public money and that they will put up resistance if police try to force them out . Evictions: Resident Mary Flynn talks to reporters at Dale Farm where local authorities will be clearing their homes . Save our homes: Patrick Sheridan, aged seven, poses in his Power Rangers' outfit at the entrance to Camp Constant at Dale Farm where his family will soon be moved on from . 'We will continue to offer housing . assistance to those who may become homeless as a result of the clearance . and we will work closely with other agencies such as the NHS to provide . necessary support for the more vulnerable members of the community . during the operation. He added that action will only take place after the travellers have been informed of the date of the operation. For a number of months now the site – which the travellers bought . and then built on without planning permission – had already been . fortified in an attempt to deter forced removals. Officers believe these fortifications . are now being strengthened. There is barbed wire and scaffolding at the . perimeter and guarded gateways. High-pressure canisters have been stockpiled which could be detonated, causing serious injury or even death. Support: Actress Vanessa Redgrave arrives at the High Court for a last-ditch attempt to prevent evictions at the illegal traveller site at Dale Farm, Essex . Backing: Vanessa Redgrave speaks to the media at Dale Farm alongside traveller Mary Ann McCarthy, second left, and Dale Farm supporter Anne Kobayashi . Controversial cause: The actress commends a campaigner . Large tyres have been placed at . strategic points as barriers – although it is believed these will be . doused with petrol and set alight. Travellers had already threatened all-out war if anyone tried to evict them. An Essex police source said: ‘Up to . 2,000 people from 30 different groups could turn up, according to . intelligence from a number of sources including social networking . websites. ‘The residents of Dale Farm won’t be . able to control these groups. Some are getting worried about that. There . is anxiety that they have created a monster they cannot control. I . think some people will come to Dale Farm who will be intent on . violence.’ A traveller living on one of the . legal plots next to the farm said he feared that the protest could be . hijacked by the anarchists and other outsiders. ‘It’s your right to defend your home . but that’s not what these people are here for,’ he said. ‘I don’t want . them here and others think the same.’ The 50 who have already made their . way to the sprawling green belt site have set up their headquarters on a . plot referred to as Camp Constant. One is understood to have worn a . balaclava throughout a meeting with police to protect his identity in a . disturbing echo of the way troublemakers disguised themselves at the . student protests earlier this year and the recent countrywide looting . and rioting. Unconfirmed reports suggested UK . Uncut, whose members occupied Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly in March . as violent groups split from a peaceful march against cuts, could be . among them. Support: Miss Redgrave visits Gratton Puxton, far left, baby Caitlin Mcarthy and her mother at the site ahead of the eviction . Vanessa Redgrave with a traveller of the camp outside the High Court . Conservative MP Priti Patel, who . represents Withan in Essex, said: ‘This is yet another example of the . political Left encouraging law-breaking and shows they are out of touch . with all the local communities in Essex who have been affected by . illegal traveller sites. ‘We need to see strong action taken . to protect families living near these sites, not Left-wingers trawling . the bottom of the barrel to find spurious excuses for them to stay.’ Basildon District Council has spent . ten years trying to remove around 500 travellers from Dale Farm after . they settled beside dozens of legal plots. It ended up in the Court of Appeal . last year when 80 families on 52 plots were ordered to leave. The . council issued a 28-day notice to leave the camp which expired at . midnight last night. It said it would be ‘checking compliance’ in the . coming days. But police insiders fear that when . council-appointed bailiffs arrive it will either trigger bloodshed or . lead to a lengthy stand-off. Vanessa Redgrave, 74, the actress and . prominent Left-wing campaigner, was among supporters at the High Court . yesterday as the travellers made a last-ditch attempt to stop the . eviction. But the action failed. The case hinged on the treatment of . 72-year-old site resident Mary Flynn, who suffers from breathing . problems and uses an electric nebuliser. Mr Justice Kenneth Parker said Court . of Appeal proceedings, which considered human rights law and concluded . the council’s decision to evict was legal, was of ‘crucial . significance’. Miss Redgrave visited the camp on . Tuesday to praise the ‘strong, wise, warm and gentle community’ and say . she hoped ‘humanity would triumph’. Last stand: Supporters and residents of the Dale Farm travellers' site stand on the steps of The High Court as they challenge their eviction order . Fighting to stay: The local authority Basildon Council say they will clear the camp of illegal dwellings, despite pleas from the travellers . | 50 anarchists have already joined travellers at Dale Farm in Crays Hill, Essex .
Perimeter has been barricaded with barbed wire and gates are guarded . |
219,454 | a81140222a3c6e2323cb290f353d595686473491 | By . Claire Bates . PUBLISHED: . 05:01 EST, 12 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:54 EST, 12 February 2013 . A newborn baby's life has been saved after doctors 'froze' his body for four whole days. Edward Ives was born with just a five per cent chance of survival due to a condition that caused his rate to race twice as fast as normal. But he has made an amazing recovery after doctors rapidly cooled down his little body. Claire with her son Edward: He was on the brink of death are his heart started racing at over 300 beats per minute . Doctors cooled Edward's body from 37C to 33.3C . When Edward was born in August last year, he was diagnosed with a condition called Supraventricular Tachycardia. It caused his heart to race at over 300 beats per minute - compared to the usual 160 bpm. This reduced blood flow to his vital organs and left Edward on the brink of death. Then medics suggested they wrap Edward in a blanket filled with a cold gel and allow his temperature to drop from 37C to 33.3C. His mother, Claire Ives, 29, said: 'It was horrible to see him lying there freezing in nothing but a nappy. 'He was heavily sedated so didn't move much, and he was cold to touch - it looked like he was dead. 'All I wanted to do was scoop him up and give him a warm cuddle. I just had to keep reminding myself that it was saving his life.' The doctors at University College London Hospital cooled Edward for two days straight, allowing him to be brought up to a normal temperature when his heart beat slowed. But when his heart began to race once more, doctors again had to cool the little boy down for two further days. 'It was even worse the second time,' said Mrs Ives. 'I thought he was out of the woods but then his heart went into a bad rhythm again. I remember asking the nurse if he was going to die and she told me that he might. 'We just had to live minute by minute; we couldn't look ahead because we didn't know what the future held.' Edward's body was twice cooled over two days . Out of the woods: Although Edward could have further heart-racing episodes they are likely to be harmless . Mrs Ives first became suspicious that something was wrong when she was 35 weeks pregnant. 'I had one of those things where you could listen to your baby's heartbeat. I did it one evening and noticed that his heart was beating really fast. Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a heart condition featuring episodes of an abnormally fast heart rate. It often emerges during childhood. The heart will suddenly start racing, then stop or slow down abruptly. Episodes can last from seconds to days in rare cases. They may occur regularly, several times a day, or infrequently, once or twice a year. The heart rate may be as high as 250 beats per minute, but is usually between 140 and 180 (a normal adult heartbeat should be 60-100 beats per minute at rest). It's caused by abnormal electrical impulses that start suddenly in the . upper chambers of the heart, upsetting the organ's natural rhythm. It causes the heart muscle to contract so fast that it can't relax between contractions. This reduces the amount of blood being pumped . around the body, which can cause dizziness and shortness of breath. Episodes often happen for no obvious reason. However, they may be triggered by a . change in posture, exertion, emotional upset, coffee or alcohol. In the vast majority of cases, attacks of SVT are harmless, do not last long and settle on their own without treatment. SOURCE: NHS . 'I'm a nurse, so I knew it wasn't right, but I thought maybe the machine had been wrong, so I went for a lie down for a bit and then tried again. 'It was normal the next time but I was still worried, so I called the Lister Hospital. 'I was being scanned and all of a sudden the sonographer went off and came back with lots of senior members of staff. 'Before I knew where I was they'd told me that my baby was really poorly, and that I should ring my husband because they needed to deliver straight away. 'They told me there was a very high chance that he'd die. All I could think of was how I was going to tell my other children, Joscelyn and Hayden - they'd been so excited to have a baby brother. 'The doctors were all ready to give me a caesarean section when at the last minute they'd been told by doctors at Great Ormond Street to give me a medication that could slow the baby's heart beat.' Mrs Ives was on the medication for two days before being referred to Great Ormond Street. 'When we got to Great Ormond I went for another scan and then they took us into a room to explain what was going on. 'As soon as my husband Phillip and I walked into the room we saw a box of tissues on a side table. We knew then it wasn't going to be good news.' Doctors explained to the couple that . the cause of Edward's SVT was unknown, and the best thing to do would be . to deliver and treat him directly. Mrs Ives was transferred to University College London Hospital where Edward was delivered. 'It was three hours before I got to see him and he was hooked up to so many machines. It was just awful,' she said. 'Then . later that night doctors came up to tell me that he was in a really bad . way, and all they could do was try and shock his heart, and then cool . him down.' Welcome home: Baby Edward with parents Claire and Phillip and siblings Jocelyn and Hayden in London . Claire, who is a nurse, realised something was wrong after measuring her baby's heart rate in the womb . Doctors decided to cool Edward in order to slow his heart rate down and ensure his organs would not be deprived of oxygen. In total Edward spent four days wrapped in a blanket that lowered his body temperature, whilst also being shocked five times with a defibrillator, which is an electric current directed into his heart. It was on the evening of the fourth day of cooling that Edward's heart rate finally returned to normal. 'I couldn't believe it, I was absolutely overjoyed' said Mrs Ives. 'I wanted to be cautious, because I was aware that he could go into an abnormal rhythm again, but it was amazing.' Medics then began to warm Edward's body by half a degree every 12 hours, and the youngster slowly began to improve. 'As soon as his heart started beating normally everything began to improve. He'd been really puffy because his kidneys weren't working, but all of a sudden he looked like a normal baby again.' A month later, after being referred back to The Lister Hospital, Edward was finally allowed to return home to his family. 'When I walked through my front door with Edward in his arms, it felt like a dream come true. 'There had been so many times when we thought he'd never come home. It's just been wonderful.' Six-month-old Edward is now a healthy and happy baby, back at home with his family. SVT is caused by abnormal electrical impulses that start suddenly in the . upper chambers of the heart. They may be triggered by exertion or stress. Although it is possible Edward may have further heart-racing episodes, they will most likely be harmless and not last long. | Blood wasn't flowing efficiently to Edward Ives's organs .
Doctors shocked his heart with a defibrillator and wrapped him in a blanket filled with cold gel .
Medics warmed his bod by half a degree every 12 hours . |
135,961 | 3be90051f145c282e913edb358688ff3f426a9e0 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki voiced cautious optimism regarding the situation in Iraq Wednesday, noting greater stability and decreased violence as U.S. troops continue to cede control to their Iraqi counterparts. President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki talk Wednesday at the White House. "I have no doubt that there will be some tough days ahead," Obama said during a joint appearance of the leaders at the White House. "There are still those who want to foment sectarian conflict. ... But make no mistake, those efforts will fail," he added. The president said he is committed to moving forward with a pledge to remove all American combat brigades from Iraq by the end of August 2010, as well as all U.S. troops by the end of 2011. Al-Maliki promised the Iraqi government would step up its efforts to prevent a return of widespread sectarian violence. "Those who thought that the Iraqi forces [would] be incapable of imposing peace and security [have been] proved to be wrong," he said. Watch al-Maliki speak about "strategic friendship" with U.S. » . In addition to meeting with Obama, al-Maliki is scheduled to sit down with Vice President Joe Biden. He will also meet with the secretaries of State, Defense and Treasury, and with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Some foreign policy experts have expressed concern that as the United States pivots from Iraq to Afghanistan, Iraq and its problems will be ignored. Responding to that criticism, one senior administration official said this week, "Our goal is, in fact as we formalize the relationship, to concentrate on other areas," but he suggested that Iraq would remain a U.S. priority. Hours before the two leaders met, at least five Iranian pilgrims were killed and dozens more wounded earlier Wednesday in an attack northeast of Baghdad. The violence came a day after a spate of bombings left at least 22 Iraqis dead and about 150 wounded. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Dan Lothian contributed to this report. | President Obama restates goal of removing all U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 .
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki: Capable Iraqi forces have proven naysayers wrong .
At least five Iranian pilgrims die in attack northeast of Baghdad . |
22,619 | 403476d1b2f1ca55ad63970ecb74b987dd1930f1 | Village clubs have been pushed off a former barracks they used as a meeting place – for the Libyan army. Bassingbourn Barracks has hosted cadet groups, a golf club and a winter sports club since the last British soldiers left it last year. But the site is now set to host 2,000 Libyan troops for training before they are deployed back to the post-Gaddafi country. Quiet: Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire usually only hosts village clubs . It means local families who have come to rely on the facilities for their clubs will now have to find new homes. Despite the blow the Army has said the decision may well not be permanent and it would review the situation after the first round of training. The clubs based at the barracks have been barred from using the land for their usual activities since March, although the first Libyan soldiers will arrive at the end of 2013. Bassingbourn Golf Club has already decided to close as a result of the ban. Bassingbourn Snowsports Club, which has its own slope in the barracks and has been operating for decades, is in talks about buying its part of the site - but any deal will rely on them securing their own access. Club secretary Martin Middleton said: 'As we have yet to find out the purchase price and cost of alternate access and whether or not the club’s members think this is affordable, we share the concerns of the other clubs about the future use of the barracks.' Statebuilding: Libyan troops will train in Cambridgeshire before they are deployed back to the post-Gaddafi country . Colonel Alex Macintosh, commanding officer of the Cambridge University Officer Training Corps, said: 'The clubs that use the base were given notice when the project to train the Libyan personnel came upon us.' Adrian Dent, county councillor for Bassingbourn, said it was not known how long clubs would be barred from the barracks. He said: 'It is a big blow for the area.' The last British soldiers trained at the Army Training Regiment barracks passed out last summer.Since then the land has passed into the ownership of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). | Bassingbourn from the end of 2013 will be used to train 2,000 Libyan troops . |
129,800 | 33c8f41c9c1e20c19a099c2e80255ee6d82b37f7 | There have been a lot of ups and downs in the 50-year history of the programme, but few TV shows have held the same appeal as Match of the Day over the years. After Kenneth Wolstenholme left, I was lucky enough to get my chance and the thing that put me on the map was the FA Cup third round replay between Hereford and Newcastle. That match, with Ronnie Radford’s terrific goal, convinced people I could do the big games. Special goal: David Beckham scores for Manchester United against Wimbledon in 1996 . VIDEO David Beckham's wondergoal vs Wimbledon . Those were the halcyon days when 10 million people tuned in each week, but things have changed since then. We never used to see a replay — the only machine that the BBC had that was capable of doing them was used for horse racing! So Barry Davies and I would track the action with words and then a replay would be added after Grandstand. The other big change has been the logistics. We went from preparing for teams of 11 players with one sub to full squads of 18. I remember walking around grounds to commentary positions on camera platforms and it was all shoulder to shoulder, but the whole scene is now geared towards public entertainment and glamour. Legend: TV commentator John Motson covered top matches for over 30 years for the BBC . Special one: Motson enjoyed watching Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United . After around 1,500 games of commentary, it’s hard to pick out favourite ones — but there were always special players to cover. In the Premier League it was Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo, and before that people like Paul Gascoigne. The one game that does stick out was England’s 5-1 win in Germany and if you pushed me for a goal it would be David Beckham’s from the halfway line against Wimbledon. I was shocked by the sheer audacity of it and I got a very good view! | Motson's first game was famous cup tie between Hereford and Newcastle .
Legendary commentator has covered more than 1,500 games .
Motson says Beckham's audacious strike was best he's ever seen . |
9,709 | 1b7a3ee1c8f3db1fae5cac3787b22e586ec5fd8b | (CNN Student News) -- October 27, 2014 . This Monday, we tell you how some states are making their own travel rules concerning Ebola. We take you to the largest stadium in Britain. We define inversion and why it's an interesting idea for many U.S. corporations. And if you'd like to see how the K-9 unit of the Secret Service works, you'll have to stick around to meet Jordan and Hurricane. On this page you will find today's show Transcript and a place for you to request to be on the CNN Student News Roll Call. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show. ROLL CALL . For a chance to be mentioned on the next CNN Student News, comment on the bottom of this page with your school name, mascot, city and state. We will be selecting schools from the comments of the previous show. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call! Thank you for using CNN Student News! | This page includes the show Transcript .
Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
At the bottom of the page, comment for a chance to be mentioned on CNN Student News. You must be a teacher or a student age 13 or older to request a mention on the CNN Student News Roll Call. |
149,484 | 4d4c539d28552e8ee0a7141a5050bf47fa52d4dd | Half of babies are at risk of suffocating in their sleep because they are put in cots with unsafe bedding, blankets and pillows. Parents must be better informed, experts said today, after a study revealed 'too many babies' are still at risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sleeping with loose bedding or soft objects poses a risk of suffocation in babies, especially those under the age of one. Half of babies born in the U.S. are at risk of suffocating in their sleep because they sleep with 'potentially hazardous bedding', the American Academy of Paediatrics found (file picture) Although the use of blankets and other bedding has declined, around half of U.S. infants are still placed to sleep with 'potentially hazardous bedding', according to the study by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP). Experts investigated the type of bedding chosen by parents from 1993 to 2010, from the National Infant Sleep Position study. Blankets, quilts and pillows can obstruct a baby's airway and, if they become caught over a child's head, they can cause suffocation. The AAP advises parents to put their babies to sleep in a cot with no loose bedding or soft objects, including cuddly toys, under or over the infant. That is not to say babies should risk feeling cold in the night. Instead, experts advise using a firmly tucked in sheet, or a baby sleeping bag. Lucy McKeon, research and information manager at The Lullaby Trust said: 'We know the safest sleeping environment for a baby is on its back in a cot or Moses basket in the same room as a parent for the first six months of life. 'We advise parents not to use loose bedding, pillows, cot bumpers or have soft toys in the cot – this is because some of these items cause an accident risk and others increase the chance of SIDS occurring. 'This new study suggests parents are using loose bedding which is considered less safe than well-fitted blankets or a baby sleep bag. Experts advise babies are not put to sleep with any loose quilts, pillows, blankets or cot bumpers. The concern is the bedding can obstruct a baby's airways in their sleep (file picture) Parents are advised to remove any soft toys from a baby's cot before putting them to sleep, for fear of the toys suffocating the baby (file picture) Sudden infant death syndrome describes the unexpected death of a baby or toddler that is initially unexplained. Cot death was a term commonly used in the past. It has largely been abandoned, due to misleading suggestions that sudden infant death can only occur when a baby is asleep in a cot. Causes of SIDS may include accidents, infections, congenital abnormality or metabolic disorder. For those deaths that remain unexplained, experts believe there are likely to be undiscovered causes. SIDS statistics: . Source: The Lullaby Trust and Office for National Statistics . 'It's important that parents are given all the information about safer sleep so that they can make an informed decision. Evidence-based advice is available on The Lullaby Trust website, www.lullabytrust.org.uk.' Using a pillow has been shown to increase the chance of SIDS by up to 2.5 times, the charity said. 'A simple mattress in your cot with no loose bedding or bumpers is the safest sleeping place for a baby,' the trust advises. Although uncommon accidental suffocation is the leading cause of injury-related deaths in infants. While sudden infant syndrome deaths have declined in recent years, they still totalled around 2,000 deaths in the U.S. 2010. The suffocation rate doubled from 2000 to 2010, when around 640 infants died from accidental sleep-related suffocation, U.S. government data showed. Meanwhile, in the UK in 2012, 221 infant deaths were attributed to SIDS. The team of researchers found that over the 17-year period, the use of loose bedding did decline but remained a common practise. The rate of loose bedding use averaged around 86 per cent in 1993 to 1995, but declined to 55 per cent in 2008 to 2010. Teenage mothers were found to be most likely to use the dangerous bedding (83.5 per cent), while those babies born at full term were least at risk (55.6 per cent). The study also found the at-risk bedding was most likely used for infants who slept in adult beds, those put to sleep on their sides, or babies who shared a cot or bed with others. The authors concluded that while the numbers have improved significantly, babies are 'still being put to bed in an unsafe sleeping environment; about half still sleep with blankets, quilts, pillows and other hazardous items'. Study co-author Marian Willinger, a SIDS expert at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said these infant deaths 'are tragic and they're just not necessary'. The AAP said it is vital parents 'know and understand the risk factors associated with this dangerous practise in order to help reduce the number of sleep-related infant deaths'. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. analysed telephone surveys involving a total of nearly 20,000 parents. The study was published today in the journal Pediatrics. | Parents 'must be better informed' of the risk of sudden infant death (SIDS)
Study by the American Academy of Paediatrics found around half of U.S. infants still sleep with 'potentially hazardous bedding'
Teenage mothers were most likely to use 'dangerous' bedding, experts say .
Loose blankets, quilts, pillows and soft toys can obstruct a baby's airways .
Experts advise using a firmly tucked in sheet, or baby sleeping bag .
SIDS was the cause of 2,000 deaths in the U.S. in 2010, the study found . |
148,647 | 4c35d9049e6c934bee2c6eac9c48bf5a186b00e5 | David Gregory has signed up to appear on Yahoo! next month, it was announced Tuesday, just over two months after he was unloaded from NBC's much more high-profile Meet the Press amid historically dismal ratings. Gregory, 44, will join his fellow major network cast-off and former NBC co-worker Katie Couric for a midterm election night coverage show for the internet company. While Gregory has not joined Yahoo in any larger capacity, his appearance could mark a return to TV of sorts after spending the months since his NBC ouster doing paid speaking gigs. Scroll down for video... Back in the game? David Gregory will appear on a streaming Yahoo midterm elections special with Katie Couric on November 4--just over two months since his sudden departure from NBC . Surprise! Couric, who is also a major network cast-off, originally described her special guests on the Yahoo News Midterm Election Mixer as 'surprise' but her former NBC co-worker Gregory's name has since been revealed . The so-called 'Yahoo News Midterm Election Mixer' will kick off November 4 at 5pm and features other guests including 'Grover Norquist, Politico’s Mike Allen, CPAC’s Neera Tanden, strategist Jamal Simmons, David Swerdlick from The Root,' according to the website. Gregory left NBC in August after 20 years at the network and the move stunned many, if not for its ceremoniousness, then for Gregory's reported severance pay. According to The New York Post, Gregory walked away from his moderator job with $4 million and the promise he'd never bad mouth the network. His boss at the time said his ouster simply came down to ratings. 'The time had come for this to happen,' NBC News president Deborah Turness, told the New York Times. '[the] numbers just didn’t move.' 'Looking forward to it!': The old co-workers tweeted at each other in anticipation of the November 4 event . He'll join on election night a fellow television journalist who's also accustomed to less-than-savory departures from banner-name outlets. Katie Couric, who's hosted shows on all big three networks with varying degrees of success over the years, tweeted at Gregory on Tuesday to welcome him to her group of special guests and to remind viewers to 'Save the date.' Gregory tweeted back: 'Looking forward to it!' However, Gregory has said nothing else about his appearance on the show--and thus whether or not he's also looking forward to the job leading to something more. | The 44-year-old journalist quietly walked away from Meet the Press with a $4M severance following ratings slump .
Gregory will join Katie Couric for a midterm election night program on Yahoo .
He hasn't formally joined Yahoo but will guest with his former NBC co-worker . |
1,109 | 03243e4e9126816dfff2326476bd68b4cbf02d24 | Shamed former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was spotted leaving his home early this morning following his early release from jail yesterday. The ex-Tory communications chief was let out of Hollesley Bay, an open prison in Suffolk, less than five months into an 18-month prison sentence for phone hacking. He was seen driving his car bright and early this morning as he left his home in Kent, wearing a black coat and blue T-shirt. Coulson was seen walking his dog later this morning as he carried a stack of the national morning papers . Andy Coulson was earlier seen leaving his home in Kent this morning after being released from prison yesterday . A man and woman in a white van arrived at his home yesterday to fit him with an electronic tag, which he must wear as a condition of his early release. If Coulson fails to stay within the set vicinity of the monitoring device outside curfew hours then police will be alerted and he could be returned to prison. He was jailed on July 4 after being found guilty of conspiring to intercept voicemails at the now-defunct Sunday tabloid following an eight-month trial at the Old Bailey. The Ministry of Justice declined to comment on an individual prisoner but said inmates can be released under home detention arrangements before they have served half of their term. The ex-Tory communications chief wore jeans, a blue T-shirt and a black coat as he took a morning stroll . Today is Coulson's first full day of freedom after he was released from early from prison yesterday morning . A spokesman said: 'Public protection is our first priority. Only prisoners who pass a strict risk assessment can be released on home detention curfew (HDC). 'Offenders on HDC are subject to strict licence conditions and can be recalled to prison if they breach them.' Prisoners can be considered for HDC if they are serving a sentence of more than three months and less than four years and have served a quarter of their sentence. During his trial, a senior judge at the Old Bailey said that he had to take a 'major share of the blame' for the phone hacking at the News of the World, in which the voicemails of thousands of people were unlawfully accessed. A woman arrives at Coulson's home carrying a box labelled 'Special HMU' - containing the electronic tag he must now wear as a a condition of his early release . HMU: Home Monitoring Unit is unloaded from the back of a van by a man and woman at Mr Coulson's home . The victims included celebrities, politicians, the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and members of the royal family. When the defendant returns home from court or prison a supplier will attend the curfew address to install the monitoring equipment during curfew hours. They will fit a transmitter device, the tag, to the defendant - around their ankle. The supplier will also install a receiver device, the monitoring unit, in a suitable location in the property. The tag sends radio signals to the monitoring unit at frequent intervals, typically once every 30 seconds or so. The two devices are calibrated so that if the defendant leaves the curfew address the signal from the tag no longer reaches the monitoring unit. The monitoring unit stores the signals from the tag and transmits them to a monitoring centre staffed by the supplier’s employees. Source: Home Office guidance . Coulson, 46, initially spent two months in Category A Belmarsh prison, in south London, alongside terrorists and other dangerous inmates – longer than is usual for a crime such as hacking. He was then moved to Hollesley Bay, a minimum security jail in Suffolk. The 421-inmate Category D prison which is spread over 85 acres is often nicknamed Holiday Bay because of its sea views and easy-going regime. Coulson was housed in a cell in the prison's Hoxon induction unit which is also where shamed Tory Lord Jeffrey Archer served his sentence for perjury and perverting the course of justice following a News of the World sting. Other inmates said Coulson had been given a job in the prison as an education orderly which involved being a classroom assistant, helping to educate prisoners. Millionaire author Archer who was released in 2003 worked in the prison library. Many of the prisoners have jobs outside the prison in places like factories and charity shops, but it is believed that Coulson was considered too high-profile to work in the local community . There was a mixed response from prisoners about how well regarded Coulson was at the jail. Coulson appeared outside his home in Kent yesterday afternoon clutching a large bouquet of flowers . Coulson was picked up from Hollesley Bay open prison in Suffolk - five months into an 18-month sentence . One inmate said: 'Most prisoners just ignored him. What his newspaper did, hacking the phones of dead people, was bang out of order. There are plenty of criminals here, but we have some morals.' Another prisoner said: 'He was a fantastic chap who was always friendly and had the time to talk to anyone. He had a job in the classroom and he helped a lot of people. 'He had what was considered as quite a nice job in the prison. But it suited his skills. He was certainly was not given any special treatment. 'Apart from working, he volunteered as a mentor, helping individual prisoners to learn how to read and write. It was a pleasure to do time with him. 'He kept quite active and took part in a variety of sports including badminton. I wish him all the best for the future.' Coulson's sentence has been calculated under a complicated set of rules known as the Home Detention Curfew Scheme. The 46-year-old left Hollesley Bay, an open prison in Suffolk, yesterday and must now wear an electrnoic tag . This allows non-violent inmates sentenced to 18 months or more to spend the last 135 days or less at home, wearing a tag. In Coulson's case, his 18-month sentence was halved – as happens in all bar the most serious cases - then had the further reduction made under HDC rules. However, his ordeal will not be at an end when he leaves open prison. In August, prosecutors in Scotland announced he faces a series of perjury charges over the Tommy Sheridan trial. Coulson is alleged to have lied while giving evidence at the trial in December 2010. He is accused of knowing there was a culture of phone hacking at the News of the World while he was editor but denying it while on oath. Following his conviction in July, the Prime Minister apologised for hiring Coulson as a Tory spin doctor and, later, the communications chief at Number Ten. David Cameron said it was 'the wrong decision'. The former editor and his wife, Eloise Patrick, outside London's Old Bailey in June before he was convicted . | Andy Coulson jailed in July after conviction for conspiracy to hack phones .
Sentence followed costly eight month trial at the Old Bailey in London .
Ex-Tory communications chief left Hollesley Bay jail in Suffolk yesterday .
He was spotted in his car leaving his home in Kent early this morning .
One inmate said: 'Most ignored him. What papers did was out of order'
But another called him 'fantastic chap' for his work teaching other inmates .
He must wear electronic tag and have curfew as condition of early release . |
244,334 | c833955749f6e3852521881a3bbd9d7b4a3cd946 | (CNN) -- Police and fire officials in San Jose, California, are asking for the public's help to find the person responsible for setting roughly a dozen fires in the downtown area. Multiple fires were lit over several nights last week between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to San Jose police, which released a statement and sketch of the suspect. No one was reported injured. "These fires were very serious in nature and had the potential to cause serious injury or loss of life to both residents and firefighters," the statement read. Of the 10 fires set last week, five had residents inside when the blazes began, said Fire Capt. Christopher Murphy. Most were started on the outsides of the structures, which were downtown or south of downtown. Some structures were destroyed while others suffered minor to moderate damage. Eight of the 10 fires were set intentionally, while two remain under investigation, Murphy said. Firefighters responded Sunday to three more suspicious fires, which may have been set by the same suspected arsonist, CNN affiliate KGO reported. "We want to make sure people clear out anything that's flammable from their front yards, and we want to make sure everybody sees the sketch of the suspect," said San Jose Councilmember Sam Liccardo, according to KGO. "And we want to make sure that everyone who needs a fire alarm or batteries can get a fire alarm or batteries. We can supply it." A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the fires. In December: 550-acre fire in California's Big Sur even burns fire chief's home . CNN's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report. | About a dozen fires have been set in the downtown area of San Jose .
Police release a sketch of the suspect .
No one has been reported injured in the fires . |
244,769 | c8cc250c6a73e2005f3aa0416da693d19c968d50 | (CNN) -- Indian doctors have successfully removed a 1.2-meter rod from a 3-year-old boy after he was impaled on it at his grandparents' house. Indian doctors say Mehul Kumar is out of danger after operation to remove 1.2-meter iron rod. The Times of India reported that Mehul Kumar had fallen on the rod while playing on his grandparents' under-construction roof terrace in Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand state. The rod pierced through Kumar's body and he then fell to the ground, the newspaper reported. He was rushed to a nearby hospital and then taken to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Bariatu, six kilometers away. Dr. Sandeep Agarwal, the leader of the five-strong team of doctors who spent five hours operation on Kumar, told the Times the boy was out of danger. "We first removed the rod following which an operation was done to repair the vital organs that had been injured,'' he said. | Indian doctors successfully remove 1.2-meter rod from three-year-old boy .
Mehul Kumar impaled himself while playing on terrace at grandparents' house .
Doctors spend over three hours removing rod and repairing damage to organs . |
10,767 | 1e9e31930c9e0306fea27edb17909f5395656109 | A £17-a-head children's party themed around Disney's Frozen that left disappointed children in tears has today been branded a 'dangerous' and 'shambolic nightmare' by parents. Organisers have apologised after the DJ played children Right Said Fred's 'I'm Too Sexy' and an actress playing one of the film's main character Princess Anna showed too much cleavage. Upset parents say their children were 'barged and pushed' around in 'dangerously' overcrowded rooms and others were left 'hungry and crying' during and after the Disney-themed event. Parents have complained their children were 'barged and pushed' around in overcrowded rooms at the party (pictured) Parents also complained after DJs at the event played Said Right Fred's 'I'm Too Sexy' Mother Kathryn Marshall said her children were so squashed on the dance floor (pictured) they were unable to participate in many of the activities . Upset: Parents who took their children to a Frozen-themed party at Langley Park Sports and Social Club in Beckenham, have called the event a 'shambolic nightmare' after a series of blunders . The party, hosted by Perfect Kids Parties at Langley Park Sports and Social Club in Beckenham, south east London, has caused large numbers of complaints. Mother Jodie Wise-Steppel said: 'The whole event was shambolic. Sadly, the highlight was Anna's boobs literally spilling out of her top. 'The organisers were too greedy and didn't consider the consequences. 'Me and my children were barged, pushed and shoved.' Complaint: One mother said the actress playing the character Princess Anna showed too much of her cleavage at the event over the weekend . The chaotic event saw hundreds of adults and their children crammed into the venue, and the promised party lunch consisted of a small amount of sweets and other unhealthy foods, she said. Mrs Wise-Steppel added: 'The cake lady stormed out with her Frozen-themed cake. After just minutes, there wasn't any food left, and there weren't enough seats. 'I could have done a better job on the face painting. The staff were headless chickens all shouting at each other, and the sound system was like a two-year-old's karaoke machine.' Many of the disappointed parents slammed the events company on Twitter and Facebook, who have since deactivated their web accounts. One mother, who did not wish to be named, took her Frozen-mad three-year-old daughter to the event. She said: 'Last night I commented on Perfect Kids Parties Facebook page about the disappointment, as had others, but saw later that it was taken down as a page. 'I think it's not just a shame but at times bordered on chaotic and at worst could have been dangerous. 'All in all, my friends and I just left after 45 minutes, as our children, aged three and four had seen nothing, had no seat and missed the welcome cakes.' Kathryn Marshall took her five-year-old and seven-year-old daughters, but is now demanding a refund. She said: 'I was shocked at how badly planned and unsafe the event was. 'The kids were so squashed on the dance floor that they were unable to participate in any of the activities. 'We left after an hour with both girls crying. Not a great experience for something that cost us £35 and was supposed to be the highlight of our month.' She also slammed the choice of music after the DJ played inappropriate gay club anthem 'I'm too sexy' which includes the lyrics 'I'm too sexy for your party, no way I'm disco dancing.' Mother-of-two and part-time beautician Claire Jeffreys, 30, went to the expensive event with personal trainer partner Anthony Delamare and their two children. She said: 'We had such high hopes, but it was a massive let down. It was dangerous. There were too many people there and the kids were getting crushed. 'It was awful, really really dreadful - the kids were all packed in there like sardines in a can. We were all looking forward to it, but it was just a waste of time and money.' Party organisers were also criticised for playing songs such as Right Said Fred's (pictured) 'I'm Too Sexy' Perfect Kids Parties have vowed to change their ways after being swamped with complaints. A spokesman said: 'We have taken on board the honest feedback received from a minority of customers to make sure issues of parent overcrowding do not occur again and look forward to welcoming children to our future events. 'Children's safety is of paramount importance to us.' It's understood some parents have been contacted by Perfect Kids Parties saying it was considering their feedback and would respond to all queries within four days. | Parents say their children were left 'crying' after event over the weekend .
DJ played 'I'm Too Sexy' and Princess Anna actress wore a low-cut dress .
One mother said: 'The whole event was shambolic. Sadly, the highlight was Anna's boobs literally spilling out of her top'
Others were 'barged and pushed' around and there was not enough food .
Company apologises and promises problems will not happen again . |
54,862 | 9b6135020d9b3e388340df4511e799416a21f977 | Southampton are signing Serbia international Filip Djuricic on loan from Benfica. The 22-year-old has been on loan at Bundesliga side Mainz but his representatives are cancelling that deal to push through the move to Southampton. Ronald Koeman is keen to bolster his attacking options with Shane Long out injured with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Filip Djuricic (left), pictured playing in the Europa League against Tottenham, is joining Southampton on loan . Djuracic is currently on loan at Mainz in the Bundesliga, but that deal will be cancelled for Southampton . Djuricic, who can play as a forward, midfielder or left winger, played in Holland for Heerenveen before moving to Benfica in 2013 for £4.5m. He signed a five year deal with a release clause set at £32million. Celtic tried to sign him a year ago for £6million. He will join Southampton until the end of the season and links up with international team-mate Dusan Tadic. The Saints are currently flying in the Premier League, sitting pretty in third position, behind Chelsea and Manchester City. | Filip Djuricic is currently on loan at Bundesliga side Mainz from Benfica .
That is being cancelled so he is able to join Southampton on loan instead .
Ronald Koeman is keen to bolster his attacking options following injuries .
Djuricic can play as a forward, midfielder or left winger . |
170,103 | 6827f395546c9251fcf6732eedaca0b0ef0ddfe0 | (CNN) -- A New York facility says it's ready to care for Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old girl on a ventilator who was declared brain dead by doctors in California after tonsil surgery. "At this time we're named as the potential facility that Jahi and her family will be coming to, but we will know more details in a couple of hours, and we'll certainly be happy to let you know as we know," said Allyson Scerri, founder of the New Beginnings Community Center in Medford, New York. On its website, the facility bills itself as an outpatient rehabilitation center for patients with traumatic brain injuries and says it plans to open a long-term care facility. According to her online biography posted on the facility's website, Scerri worked as a hair stylist for 25 years and founded the facility after her father sustained a traumatic brain injury in a motorcycle accident. "We are aware of Jahi McMath's dire situation, and we are willing to open our outpatient facility to provide 24-hour care as an inpatient, long-term facility for Jahi with the required and appropriate medical staff that she depends upon," Scerri said in a letter included in court documents last week. Omari Sealey, Jahi's uncle, declined to comment on Scerri's remarks to CNN Sunday. He told CNN affiliate KGO Saturday that the family is closer than ever to securing the teen's relocation. "We're moving in the right direction," Sealey said. "We've had small victory after small victory, and it's all leading to the right direction." At a court hearing Friday, Jahi's family and hospital officials agreed on a protocol for the release of the girl to another facility, but didn't specify where or when she'd be transferred. By court order, Jahi will stay on a ventilator until 5 p.m. Tuesday. The teen was declared brain dead on December 12, three days after doctors removed her tonsils, adenoids and extra sinus tissue. As a fierce court battle unfolded between devastated family members fighting to keep her on the ventilator and doctors arguing she'd already died, the case has drawn national attention and fueled debate. Doctors and a judge have declared her brain dead and said there's no chance Jahi will come back to life. "Overall, unfortunate circumstances in 13-year-old with known, irreversible brain injury and now complete absence of cerebral function and complete absence of brainstem function, child meets all criteria for brain death, by professional societies and state of California," Dr. Paul Fisher, chief of pediatric neurology at Stanford University, said in a medical report on the case. Medical ethicists, meanwhile, say the high-profile case fuels a misperception: that "brain death" is somehow not as final as cardiac death, even though, by definition, it is. But family members have said they're holding out hope and want to transfer Jahi to another facility. So far the family has raised more than $47,000 on GoFundMe.com to move her. According to the site, more than 1,300 people have donated money in nine days. Scerri told CNN Sunday that the girl just needs to be given a chance to recover. "Her brain needs time to heal. It's a new injury," Scerri said. "We believe in life after injury, all of us here at New Beginnings have first-hand experience because we have a loved one that was in the same situation as Jahi." On Friday, the Alameda County coroner issued a death certificate for Jahi. The certificate, which still needed to be accepted by the health department to become official, listed December 12 as her date of death. Family attorney Christopher Dolan had accused the hospital of being "hell-bent" on ending Jahi's life. Jahi's family said last week that the hospital had "refused to agree to allow us to proceed" in transferring Jahi to a New York facility. The hospital denied the accusation. "We have done everything to assist the family of Jahi McMath in their quest to take the deceased body of their daughter to another medical facility," hospital spokesman Sam Singer said. CNN's Martin Savidge, Janet DiGiacomo, Greg Botelho and Elizabeth Landau contributed to this report. | A New York facility says it's willing to accept Jahi McMath .
Jahi McMath is on a ventilator and has been declared brain dead by doctors .
Her family wants to move her to another facility besides Children's Hospital Oakland .
The 13-year-old will be kept on machines through 5 p.m. Tuesday, under a court order . |
135,272 | 3af9f89f6a1f3b1c42a94336cab9a1272b1009c3 | Scottish viewers could lose access to some BBC programmes if they decide to leave the UK in this year’s referendum, the Culture Secretary warned yesterday. In a riposte to Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond – who has promised Scots would keep programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders under independence – Maria Miller insisted the Corporation belongs to the UK as a whole. The cabinet minister was asked at the Oxford Media Convention whether the BBC should shut down its Scottish transmitters in the event of a ‘Yes’ vote. Warning: In a riposte to Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond (left), Culture Secretary Maria Miller (right) insisted the Corporation belongs to the UK as a whole . She replied: ‘When it comes to voting in September I think we have to think what that vote is about. ‘It’s about whether or not Scotland wants to remain a part of the UK, and if the vote is they don’t want to do that then it’s actually a vote to leave the institutions of the UK and the BBC is one of those institutions.’ Mrs Miller said she could not yet give any detail on what television would be available in an independent Scotland. But she added: ‘I think it’s important that that principle is clear and that it is part of the decision making process when it comes to the referendum.’ TV favourites: Mr Salmond has promised Scots would keep programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing (left) and EastEnders (right) under independence . In November, the Scottish Government published a White Paper that promised a new Scottish Broadcasting Service – using the BBC’s assets in Scotland – would continue to air BBC programmes. 'It's about whether or not Scotland wants to remain a part of the UK, and if the vote is they don’t want to do that then it’s actually a vote to leave the institutions of the UK and the BBC is one of those institutions' Maria Miller, Culture Secretary . It said viewers would benefit from similar deals to those in force in the Republic of Ireland, where many BBC shows are screened on local channels. The White Paper said: ‘This will ensure that the people of Scotland will still have access to all current programming, including EastEnders, Doctor Who, and Strictly Come Dancing and to channels like CBeebies.’ Mr Salmond said a Scottish public service broadcaster would be ‘based on the existing staff and assets of BBC Scotland.’ 'We have to see': BBC director general Tony Hall refused to speculate on the future of the BBC in Scotland . Speaking at the same event, the BBC’s director general Tony Hall refused to speculate on the future of the BBC in Scotland. He said: ‘My view is we have to see. 'It is flattering for the BBC to be part of the Crown Jewels that people talk about around the Scottish independence vote' Tony Hall, BBC's director general . ‘It is flattering for the BBC to be part of the Crown Jewels that people talk about around the Scottish independence vote. But we will wait and see when the polls come through on September 18. ‘What I’m concentrating on the moment is that journalists who are covering the story have got my backing to be impartial and independent and to cover this campaign in Scotland, and really importantly in the rest of the UK, the best they can.’ | Alex Salmond promised Scots would keep shows such as EastEnders .
But Maria Miller says leaving UK would 'leave the institutions of the UK'
Salmond: Scottish PSB to be 'based on BBC Scotland's existing assets' |
21,304 | 3c704847138adf4ff5e52e9fd55f9cedd8487c6d | By . Sadie Whitelocks . Last updated at 6:26 PM on 6th January 2012 . A woman who was on the brink of death has told how she has returned to her pole dance-teaching day job after life-saving surgery. Kirstie Tancock, 22, was blighted by cystic fibrosis, which meant her lungs and digestive were clogged with thick mucus, making it difficult to breathe. And last June, just days before getting married she was rushed to hospital after she stopped breathing and turned blue. Head over heels with happiness: Having been told she was on the brink of death, Kirsty has undergone a double lung operation - and is now back in shape and fitter than ever . Doctors told her she was critically ill, but following a double lung transplant Kirstie, of Honiton, Devon, is able to return to work and says she 'can do routines I could never . do before'. She said: 'I have been building up my strength for a while and started using the pole again about three months post-transplant. 'Now I am nearly six months in and I am nearly back to full strength . and ready to get right back into it. 'My cardio has improved ten-fold from what it was before the transplant. I can do routines I could never do before.' Kirstie with her husband Stuart Tancook on their wedding day just days after she collapsed . Big day: On a cocktail of prescribed drugs, Kirstie managed to walk to the aisle but had to remain in a wheelchair for much of the day and had to be aided by nurses as she put on her wedding dress . Kirstie was diagnosed with . cystic fibrosis at birth, and took up pole dance teaching in 2007 as a way to improve her health and . fitness, before being forced to give it up after . falling ill. Despite her near-death experience Kirstie decided to through with her wedding and married her childhood sweetheart . Stuart, 26, at Hornbury Mill, a 19th century corn mill in Chard, Somerset, on June 16. She spent the night before her big day sleeping in a hospital bed, instead of the plush hotel she had booked, and was aided by nurses as she put on her wedding dress. On a cocktail of prescribed drugs, Kirstie managed to walk to the aisle but had to remain in a wheelchair for much of the day. In the meantime she was placed on the transplant list and doctors told her she would die unless . a suitable organ donor was found. Doctors told Kirstie she would die if she didn't find a suitable organ donor . After an anxious wait, Kirstie underwent surgery in July and had both of her lungs transplanted. Now her incredible turnaround is complete - and she is back in the gym taking her pole dancing classes. She added: 'After the transplant I had to learn to walk again. The . first time I went to the pole after transplant I could not get my feet . off the ground and I thought I really was back to square one. 'But . I was really shocked about how quickly I was able to progress. 'The . moment I was able to perform my hardest move, which is the twisted group . hand swing, I knew I had cracked it. 'It . felt amazing. I was so into pole before, that when I had to stop I . wrote a blog saying goodbye to it, as it was a piece of me. 'It really hurt that I could not do it any more. It is a big and important part of who I am.' Alongside . pole dancing Kirstie also works with the charity . LiveLifeGiveLife, helping with PR, fundraising and campaign initiatives to . promote organ donation. She also has her own pole dancing fitness . clothing range which she is looking to expand. Cystic fibrosis is a common inherited disease and affects over 8,500 children and young adults in the UK. There is no cure for the condition, but many treatments and therapies can make it easier to live with. It is only in severe cases, when the lungs stop working properly, that a lung transplant may be recommended. After undergoing a double lung transplant in July, Kirstie is re-launching her pole dancing classes . | Pole dancing teacher Kirstie Tancock was blighted by cystic fibrosis .
Days before getting married she stopped breathing, forcing her to quit job .
'It really hurt that I could no longer use the pole ', she says .
Double lung transplant has enabled her to return to work . |
229,833 | b5a25d754040e187a2a9b40b59a388dc11bf986f | Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta has been offered a new one-year deal and is keen to extend his career at the club. Arteta signed three years ago from Everton for £10million and his contract is due to expire at the end of the season, by which time the Basque midfielder will be 33. Arsene Wenger’s standard policy for players over 30 is to offer them no more than 12 months at a time but this will suit Arteta, who inherited the captaincy from Thomas Vermaelen in the summer. Mikel Arteta is likely to extend his Arsenal contract, which expires at the end of the season . Negotiations are open and are unlikely to be affected by another niggling injury which will keep the skipper out of action until after the next international break. Arteta, ruled out for a month after twisting an ankle in Besiktas in August, hobbled off with a calf problem during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham and faces another three weeks out. Aaron Ramsey pulled a hamstring in the same game and faces a month out, but there was a more optimistic medical bulletin for Wenger from Jack Wilshere, who hurt an ankle against Spurs but has been told there is no serious damage. The England midfielder has not yet been ruled out of facing Galatasaray in the Champions League tomorrow night. Meanwhile, Gunners striker Olivier Giroud is said to have agreed a new four-year deal at the Emirates, worth £80,000-week. Aaron Ramsey is expected to be sidelined for a month after picking up a hamstring injury against Spurs . Jack Wilshere could ease Arsenal's injury crisis by returning for Champions League clash with Galatasaray . Like our Arsenal Facebook page here. | Arsenal have offered Mikel Arteta a new one-year contract extension .
Spanish midfielder was named club captain after Thomas Vermaelen left .
Gunners standard policy is to offer players over 30 short-term deals .
Arteta and Aaron Ramsey will miss Champions League tie with Galatasaray but Jack Wilshere could return . |
271,044 | eb15d87e44843e046f188d722ed80cce06997f19 | PUBLISHED: . 08:54 EST, 12 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:30 EST, 12 January 2014 . Charlie Richardson, leader of the notorious 'Torture Gang', died in September 2012, but his last book is set to be released . One of London's most infamous gang leaders and rival to the Kray twins has revealed how he once bugged a Prime Minister and foiled a plot to expose 'saucy' pictures of Princess Margaret. Charlie Richardson, leader of the notorious 'Torture Gang', died in September 2012. But his own account of how he rose to be one of the capital's most feared and dangerous underworld criminals is set to be released this week. In it he claims that he helped a South African businessman bug the then British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. During a visit to Johannesburg Richardson writes that he helped with the plot to tap a phone conversation about a mining deal, so that he could bed the stunning wife of a South African spy by the name of Gordon Winter. He writes that he found out who cleaned the Prime Minister's office and bribed them to plant the bug on the desk in a scheme that involved a 'a willing cleaner, a bugging device, and sticky tape.' Richardson, a father of six, was one of the last of a generation of underworld faces from the 1960s who have passed into criminal folklore. His trial at the Old Bailey shocked the nation, as details of how his gang tortured and intimidated their opposition were revealed in shocking detail. While Richardson controlled large swathes of South London with his brother Eddie, the Kray twins held East London using similar techniques, and the gangs fought vicious turf wars. The book - The Last Gangster: My Final Confession - also details how Richardson was approached by actor Richard Harris who asked the gangster to ensure the 'safe receipt of some potentially saucy pictures involving the Queen's sister.' The photographs had fallen into the hands of another actor, John Bindon, who also had links to the criminal underworld. Gangsters Charlie Richardson (second right), Eddie Richardson (third right-holding face). Richardson controlled large swathes of South London with his brother Eddie, the Kray twins held East London using similar techniques, and the gangs fought vicious turf wars . Charles and Eddie Richardson pictured outside their Brixton scrap-metal yard. Their gang was claimed to have pinned victims to the floor with six inch nails and removed their toes with bolt cutters . Richardson, a father of six, was one of the last of a generation of underworld faces from the 1960s who have passed into criminal folklore. These photos were issued by Thames Valley Police when he escaped from Springhill open prison in May 1980 . Bindon was demanding £100,000 in exchange for the photos, but Richardson said that he persuaded him to take £5,000. He said he handed over the Irish actor Mr Harris in a south London pub: 'I never knew the full contents of that envelope. 'My actor pal walked briskly to the fire and threw the envelope into the middle of the flames. 'They were photographs, for sure, because I could see the outline of the prints as they twisted, turned and melted in the heat of the fire.' He added: 'Within seconds the photos - and the secrets of a princess - were gone.' Richardson was arrested on the day England won the World Cup in 1966 and his trial heard how he sought to extract information or money from his victims through, among other things, attaching electrodes to parts of their anatomy. The book - The Last Gangster: My Final Confession - also details how Richardson was approached by actor Richard Harris who asked the gangster to ensure the 'safe receipt of some potentially saucy pictures involving the Queen's sister' The photographs had fallen into the hands of another actor, John Bindon, who also had links to the criminal underworld. The envelope was then destroyed in a fire - along with details of its content . Richardson claims that he helped a South African businessman bug the then British Prime Minister, Harold Wilson in order to help with a mining deal . His gang were also claimed to have pinned victims to the floor with six inch nails and removed their toes with bolt cutters. Richardson always denied the crimes and said the details were simply used to help jail his gang, adding that he was imprisoned 'for nothing'. He received ten years for his part in the torture but became a minor celebrity in later life. Richardson escaped from an open prison in 1980 and fled to France, but he was arrested and returned to jail before being allowed out on day release in 1984. Following his release in 1984, Richardson sought to become a legitimate businessman, wrote his autobiography My Manor and had a cameo in a film of his life. | Charlie Richardson, leader of 1960s 'Torture Gang', died in September 2012 .
Memoirs - charting rise to gangland infamy- set to be published this week .
Claims to have bugged PM Harold Wilson for South African businessman .
He also says he recovered potentially saucy pictures of Princess Margaret . |
247,586 | cc65a05881d925fd566abac1dea7e95f426e2038 | Aiden Elmore has been jailed for 21 years after setting light to a block of flats, killing a 68-year-old man . A jilted boyfriend who killed a pensioner when he burned down a block of flats because he was upset about being dumped has been jailed for life. Aiden Elmore, 21, went on an arson spree just hours after his girlfriend Lauren Wellings, 17, broke up with him by text. He went on the rampage in Willenhall, near Walsall setting fire to gardens before pushing a blazing wheelie bin against a block of flats barricading the exit. Pensioner Victor Moore, 68, became trapped in the communal hallway of the building as the devastating blaze took grip - reaching temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees. The external doors were fused shut due to the heat and Mr Moore tragically died after being overcome by the heavy fumes on October 8 last year. Other locals were forced to jump from the flats to save their lives while one resident described the heat as though they were 'on top of a bonfire'. After igniting the blaze drunken Elmore - who had been drowning his sorrows over the split all day - set two more fires including one outside his ex-partner’s mother’s house. Elmore pushed wheelie bins up against patio windows before lighting them - but passing police officers spotted eight-foot-high flames before the fire could spread through the house. Police officers flooded the area on the lookout for the arsonist and at 4.10am a 'shaking and nervous' Elmore was arrested wandering along a nearby street. He claimed to officers he had burned his own tracksuit top bought by his ex as a Father’s Day gift and the flames had spread. But when confronted with CCTV evidence showing him igniting the bins he admitted being reckless but denied intending to harm anyone. Elmore went on a rampage in Short Heath near Walsall after a drinks and drugs binge. He set fire to the gardens before pushing a burning wheelie bin against the building, barricading the exit . Wolverhampton Crown Court heard Elmore, 21, went on the arson spree just hours after his then girlfriend Lauren Wellings, 17, dumped him via text message . After a four-week trial Wolverhampton Crown Court Elmore was found guilty of murder and two counts of arson with intent to endanger life by a jury. Judge John Warner told him he must serve at least 21 years behind bars before he is considered for release, adding that it was a matter of chance that more victims were caught in the blaze. He also handed the killer separate eight and 11-year sentences for each arson offence, to run concurrently. Passing sentence Judge Warner said Elmore had created . a scene of 'fear and panic' in which people could be heard screaming . and were forced to escape through windows. He told Elmore: 'Quite what your motive was for what you did remains a mystery to me. 'Only you know what your thinking was and you have not yet chosen to say. 'It was purely a matter of chance that Mr Moore was the only person to lose his life in that horrific fire.' Elmore, who was on . bail at the time of the murder in October 2012, smirked at members of . the public from the dock before the start of the sentencing hearing. Judge Warner commended the bravery of two gas engineers, a police officer and a member of the public who attended the scene. 'They went there in the course of their employment or they went there in a public-spirited effort to assist,' the judge said. 'On behalf of the community they deserve commendation for their actions that night.' In . a victim impact statement read to the court, an unnamed relative of Mr . Moore said: 'There are no words that will describe how my family feel . and he did not deserve to die in the way that he died.' Pensioner Victor Moore died as temperatures reached 1,000 degrees, after he became trapped in the communal hallway. Elmore had barricaded the exit with a burning bin . Detective Sergeant Mick Ross, from . West Midlands Police, said: 'Elmore had been drinking, taking drugs and . was emotional after separating from his partner. 'But his actions were a clear attempt to cause serious harm - and he will now spend the next 21 years behind bars. 'Elmore . positioned bins against doors, barring residents’ likely exit route and . forcing people to jump for their lives from windows. 'He . did the same again in Wychbold Close where only the brave actions of . police officers stopped the blaze spreading into the property; there . were young children at the address and the officers’ actions may well . have saved more lives. 'Elmore . made a determined effort to light the bins: CCTV showed him trying to . light the rubbish for around 20 minutes before it finally took hold. 'It’s . understood vengeance over the split led him to target the home in . Wychbold Close, but it’s still unclear why he sparked the fire that cost . Mr Moore his life.' Residents were forced to jump from their flats as one described the heat and situation as 'like being on top of a bonfire'. One woman was taken to hospital with a broken ankle after her leap to safety . During his trial the court heard how father-of-one Elmore had been dumped by his girlfriend Lauren by text three hours before his arson spree. Giving evidence she told the court: 'We were speaking quite a bit on the night. 'We were talking about getting back together. 'But at about 10.30pm I messaged him saying we were over for good.' Elmore, from Wolverhampton, then spent the night of October 8 drinking all night at a local pub. During the blaze, one woman was taken to hospital with a broken ankle having jumped from a window. Around 50 people were evacuated over fears of an explosion as several blazing bins had been placed near a gas main behind the maisonettes. | 21-year-old Aiden Elmore went on the rampage three hours after girlfriend Lauren Wellings split up with him via text message .
He set fire to gardens before pushing a burning wheelie bin against a block of flats barricading the exit .
Victor Moore, 68, became trapped in the communal hallway and died as temperatures reached 1,000 degrees .
Judge rules Elmore must serve at least 21 years behind bars adding it was only a 'matter of chance' that more people didn't lose their lives in the blaze . |
48,832 | 89dbbd41da4e0a908fbfff9f2bc43890d3f57625 | Chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick said the mix of resource, population and Government policy pressures was a significant factor in the 'rapid deterioration' in safety . Fights and assaults are a daily occurrence in the nation's prisons with unprecedented levels of violence, a damning report has warned. The chief inspector of prisons Nick Hardwick also found suicides behind bars are at a 10-year high. And he suggested that the rise in problems in jails could be linked to government reforms and spending cuts, a claim disputed by the government. In his annual report, Mr Hardwick said prisoners are increasingly clambering on to the netting between wing landings in an attempt to be moved to a safer prison. So-called incidents of height - described as 'a one person riot' - nearly doubled in 2013-14 to 1,007 from 591 in the previous year. Inmates climb on to the netting or railings in the hope they will be taken to segregation units and then 'shipped out' of the prison to a safer jail, where conditions appear better or where they will be closer to home, the report added. Mr Hardwick said the mix of resource, population and Government policy pressures was a significant factor in the 'rapid deterioration' in safety and increase in violence at prisons in the period. Elsewhere, the report said the number of assaults involving adult male prisoners increased by 14 per cent on the year before and was the highest for any year for which there is data. There was also a 38 per cent rise in the number of serious assaults. Mr Hardwick said: 'In all establishments there were fights and assaults almost every day.' But the inspector said 'of most concern' was the 69 per cent increase in the number of self-inflicted deaths from 52 in 2012013 to 88 in 2013-14, the highest figure in 10 years. Mr Hardwick said the deterioration in safety and rise in violence was set against a backdrop of £84 million cuts to public sector prison running costs and £88 million saved as a result of the closure of older prisons. In addition, planned staffing reductions involved in these changes resulted in a significant loss of more experienced staff as old jails closed. Meanwhile, the total prison population rose from 84,083 at the end of April 2013, which was 96 per cent of the usable operational capacity, to 85,252 at the end of March 2014, 99 per cent of the usable operational capacity. And ministers are pushing through a significant policy agenda, the inspector said, including Government plans to transform rehabilitation. Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said: 'The last year has seen the Prison Service manage major organisational change to create significant savings for the taxpayer - it has been challenging for staff and I thank them for their hard work and dedication. 'During this time we have always had enough staff to deliver decent and safe prison regimes, and this will continue to be our top priority. 'We remain committed to reducing violence and understanding the reasons for the recent rise in self-inflicted deaths. 'But this is a complex issue and the Chief Inspector has failed to provide any evidence to support his assertion that this is linked to the reforms made under this Government.' There was a 69 per cent increase in the number of suicides in prisons from 52 in 2012-13 to 88 in 2013-14, the highest figure in 10 years . A Prison Service spokesman said: 'There is no evidence to link staffing levels, or crowding levels, to the number of self-inflicted deaths across the estate. We always closely monitor any possible trends.' Responding to the Chief Inspector's report, a Downing Street spokeswoman told a regular Westminster media briefing: 'Our priority is keeping the British public safe and making sure our prisons are run in a safe and decent way. 'We will always ensure there are enough staff to deliver safe and effective prison regimes, and we will always keep looking at what more we could be doing. 'If you look at the facts and what prison staff have done in recent years, assaults are lower, numbers of positive drugs tests are lower, numbers of escapes from custody are lower, so we are making progress.' Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust, said: 'Safe and decent prisons are a mark of a civilised society. 'From the Chief Inspector's shattering, incisive overview it's clear that our deteriorating prisons are less safe and less decent than even a year ago.' | Nick Hardwick blamed cuts, rising numbers and reforms for problems .
Highlighted a 'rapid deterioration' in safety and increase in violence .
69% increase in the number of suicides to highest level in 10 years . |
40,332 | 71d91b5a77a53fcc7ffb7fb613ebd84c25b308a8 | A woman whose mother died of breast cancer is set to wear a different outfit every day for an entire year - with clothes bought from a charity shop. Caroline Jones, 46, from Harpenden, Herts., hopes to raise money in memory of her mother Mary Benson, 72, who passed away in October. The grandmother had suffered a long battle with breast cancer but passed away after two years of chemotherapy. Caroline Jones will wear a different charity shop outfit every day for a year to raise money for cancer research . Mary had volunteered in the Cancer Research UK shop in her home town for 13 years. And now her daughter Caroline has vowed to only where second hand clothes for the whole of 2015 - with a new outfit every day. The mother-of-three will take daily pictures of her outfits in a bid to rid charity shop clothes of their negative stereotype and inspire others to get involved. She said: 'Mum was a very stylish woman before and after her cancer. The fashion side of it really helped with keeping her spirits up. Mary Benson, 72, who passed away in October (right) worked in the Harpenden Cancer Research UK shop . Caroline, 46, from Harpenden, Herts., is putting her sense of style to good use with her charity shop challenge . She will take daily pictures of her trendy clothes to dispel any myths about charity shop clothes . 'We had a lot of fun together walking about clothes and trying on clothes. Fashion was something that tied us together. 'The reason I started doing this is because I wanted something to focus on this year and I wanted to do something for Cancer Research. 'I also want to get people wearing charity shop clothes and get people away from this stigma that comes with wearing charity shop clothes. 'Obviously there is a massive gap in my life now and I want to fill it with something positive.' She started 11 days ago and has already raised more than £1,200 - and shown off her great fashion sense . Caroline also volunteers as a window dresser at the shop and has been taking photos since New Year's Day . Caroline also volunteers as a window dresser at the shop and has been taking photos since New Year's Day. The mother who also runs a pop-up disco, said she wanted to celebrate her own mother's life 'through the fashion lens'. She has vowed not to buy anything new for the next 12 months with the only thing that is not charity shop bought being her underwear. Each bag of clothes donated to a Cancer Research UK shop is potentially worth up to £25 . Caroline admits she will wear some items of clothing more than once but promises that every day will see a new outfit. She added: 'Each bag of clothes donated to a Cancer Research UK shop is potentially worth up to £25 and even more if people sign up for Gift Aid. 'The shop has told me it is already getting new customers who have seen my page. 'People say getting my picture is inspiring them. 'And less than two weeks into her fundraising Caroline has already raised more than £1,200 for Cancer Research UK. A charity spokesman said: 'Caroline knows more than most the bargains that can be picked up from Cancer Research UK shops and she is encouraging others to visit. 'The shop in Harpenden is one of 570 shops in the UK and helps to fund the charity's ground-breaking work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. To donate to Caroline's cause please visit the Facebook page Knickers Model's Own or her fundraising website justgiving.com/knickers-models-own. Caroline admits she will wear some items of clothing more than once but every day will see a new outfit . | Caroline Jones, 46, from Harpenden, Herts, wanted something to focus on .
Will take pictures to rid charity shop clothes of their negative stereotype .
Mum-of-three celebrating her own mother's life 'through fashion lens'
Started 11 days ago and raised more than £1,200 for Cancer Research UK . |
232,609 | b92d5b2c853bc6545b9ff6e1d6b49b2dd5d492fb | Click here to see our brilliant Match Zone service which includes this heat map from Samuel Eto'o . Mexico’s Oribe Peralta ensured justice was done just as the Brazil World Cup was about to be hit with yet another refereeing scandal. Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan had risked mutiny inside Natal’s Estadio das Dunas by wrongly ruling out two legitimate Mexican goals for offside in the first half, both netted by ex-Spurs forward Giovani dos Santos. So he – and Fifa – would have been mightily relieved when Mexican domination was eventually rewarded after an hour when Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje pushed out a shot by dos Santos into the path of Peralta to grab the rebound. The result leaves Mexico favourites to qualify from Group A alongside Brazil whom they face on Tuesday in Fortaleza and the goal celebration of tracksuited Mexico coach Miguel Herrera – roaring like a lion as heavy rain lashed down around him – became an instant hit on the internet. Long wait: Oribe Peralta (left) gives Mexico the lead in the 61st minute . Ahead: Peralta wheels away in celebration after given Mexico a deserved lead in the Group A clash . Jubilant: The Mexico players celebrates the opening goal with the substitutes on the sidelines . Bad day: Giovani Dos Santos saw two seemingly fair goals disallowed during the first half . Mexico: Ochoa, Layun, Moreno, Marquez, Rodriguez, Aguilar, Guardado (Fabian 69'), Vazquez, Herrera, Giovani, Peralta (Hernandez 74'). Subs not used: Corona, Salcido, Reyes, Jimenez, Pulido, Ponce, Brizuela, Aquino, Pena, Talavera. Booked: Moreno . Goals: Peralta 61' Cameroon: Itandje, Djeugoue (Nounkeu 45'), N'Koulou, Chedjou, Assou-Ekotto, Song (Webo 79'), Mbia, Enoh, Moukandjo, Eto'o, Choupo-Moting. Subs not used: Feudjou, Aboubakar, Makoun, Bedimo, Fabrice,Salli, Matip, Nyom, N'Djock. Booked: Nounkeu . Referee: Wilmar Roldan Perez . Att: 39, 216 . More seriously, the performances of the officials will again be under the microscope following on from the opening game when Brazil were wrongly awarded a match-changing penalty against Croatia when Fred dived following a tussle by Dejan Lovren. If anything, the decisions made by Roldan and his assistants were even worse, if not ultimately costly. And Herrera made his displeasure clear despite his side’s victory. ‘We scored two clear goals in the first half - frankly the refereeing took them away. There was only one team controlling the ball. 'We could have scored more but we go into the next match with three points and very high spirits. The boys gave their souls on the pitch.’ Twenty thousand Mexican fans watched their team dominate a dismal Cameroon side who looked drained by a pre-tournament row over bonus payments that had delayed their arrival in south America. The only thing stopping Mexico and a handsome win in extremely wet conditions were the officials. Strike: The Mexican striker shoots and scores but his goal was disallowed . He's on! Dos Santos was clearly in an onside position as the cross came into the penalty area . Harsh: Mexico's coach Miguel Herrera (right) was right to feel aggrieved with several first half decisions . Hard luck: The Mexico players claim for a handball during a controversial first half . One to forget: Samuel Eto'o missed a glorious chance to give his side the lead in the first half . They ruled out dos Santos’ volley from Hector Herrera’s cross after 11 minutes when he replays showed he was level with two Cameroon defenders. And Herrera rightly went ballistic on the touchline after half-an-hour when Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting inadvertently flicked on a Mexican corner for dos Santos to score from close range – only for the linesman to wrongly identify Choupo-Moting as a Mexican and put his flag up for offside. Even so, Mexico should have been ahead anyway given their possession, and Rafa Marquez and Hector Moreno bizarrely got in each other’s way when left unmarked at a set-piece. In contrast, Cameroon looked a shadow of the team that thrilled the world at Italia 90 with Samuel Eto’o isolated up front. Winner: Herrera reacts to the final whistle as his team defeat Cameroon . Bad call: Dos Santos (right) puts the ball in the net again but the goal was disallowed due to an offside . Beaten: Mexico's second strike of the game was also controversially disallowed by the match official . Mexico were unlucky not to be ahead sooner, but they finally took the lead after a neat strike into an empty net from Oribe Peralta - Click here to find out more from our brilliant Match Zone service . This one counts: Mexico finally took the lead after this strike from Peralta (19) Still singing? Spectators sit under pouring rain as they watch the Group A match . Following the blunder that gave Brazil a winning start in Sao Paulo on Thursday, another decisive refereeing cock-up was the last thing the World Cup needed. So it was to Mexico’s credit they kept going in the second half to get the win despite the earlier poor decisions. Again, dos Santos was heavily involved in the breakthrough goal after an hour. The Villarreal player struck with his left foot and though former Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje showed great reactions to save, Peralta was positioned exactly where a fox-in-the-box should be. Dangerous: Former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song (centre) fouls Dos Santos . Wet: Dos Santos (left) challenges Alex Song in the rain at the Estadio Arena das Dunas . Defeat: The Cameroon players stand dejected after going down 1-0 against Mexico . The best-paid player in Mexican League history with America kept calm to slot home the rebound from eight yards and trigger huge celebrations among the majority of supporters in the stadium. In an instant, Peralta, who scored both goals for Mexico when they beat Brazil to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics, justified Herrera’s decision to start him ahead of Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez. And the coach shouted and waved his arms like a madman to celebrate, his joy instantly going viral around the world. Enough: Match referee Wilmar Roldan has a word with Cameroon's Maxim Choup-Moting . Chance: Hector Moreno (right) reacts after missing a chance as the Cameroon keeper looks on . Cameroon had a late chance to draw level but Benjamin Moukandjo failed to convert a header in injury-time, which would have been the greatest injustice of all. The Africans included Tottenham’s Benoit Assou-Ekotto and ex-Arsenal midfielder Alex Song but rarely looked like troubling Mexico, whose charismatic coach boasted before the tournament that El Tri are genuine World Cup contenders. Time to party: Mexico's players celebrates Peralta's crucial winning goal on Friday . Peralta, who scored both goals for Mexico when they beat Brazil to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics, was picked ahead of Hernandez for exactly that type of penalty-area finishing. The United man had to be content with a late came off the bench but as bare-chested Mexican supporters celebrated in the incessant downpour, there will be a major inquest in the Cameroon ranks. They were abysmal as if money disputes had affected morale. Their only genuine sights of goal in the second half came when Spurs defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto saw his deflected shot flash narrowly wide and Benjamin Moukandjo failed to convert a header in injury-time, but that going in would have been the greatest injustice of all. Battle: Stephane Mbia (left) controls the ball as Andres Guardado gives chase during the first half . | Oribe Peralta scores winning goal for Mexico against Cameroon .
Giovani Dos Santos scores two first half goals but both efforts are disallowed .
Samuel Eto'o misses golden opportunity to give his side the lead in the first half . |
20,336 | 39afc0d8fcf3dddcc5f1113fca9f3f65dc1b6f90 | Join Roland Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 10:30 a.m. ET Wednesday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. Roland Martin says journalists don't serve the public if they push rumors. (CNN) -- Two recent stories are a prime example of how important it is for the media to confront the reality of rumors in the age of the Internet. One week before comedian Bernie Mac passed away, text messages and e-mails were flying all over the country with reports that he had died. I was in New York, and friends and colleagues from Chicago, Illinois, to Dallas, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, were saying they knew for sure that the 50-year-old comedian was dead. The rumor mill was so hot that his publicist had to release a statement making it clear that he was not dead, which was subsequently published by the Chicago Sun-Times. What makes this story important is that it was left to the publicist and the family to decide to quash the rumor with the truth, and it was our job in the media to go with the news because it was the latest information made available regarding his condition. Then there is the "rumor" of an affair by former North Carolina senator and two-time presidential candidate John Edwards. The story was broken by the National Enquirer after months of digging. Ultimately, a source came forward and was likely paid for the information that blew the lid off of the story; the tabloid's editor said "you can assume" the Enquirer paid for it. The story exposed Edwards as a liar for contending for two years that such an affair never happened. There has been a lot of hand wringing about why a major media outlet wasn't able to verify the story and run with it. The heated discussions even reached the point where Charlotte Observer editor Rick Thames told PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" that since mainstream media no longer has the news cycle to itself, "When rumor arises, we're going to need to address it. And, unfortunately, we may need to address it before we can determine whether it's true or not because it's having impact, as it was in this case." Sorry, Rick, I disagree. The most fundamental aspect of being a journalist is that we don't traffic in rumor and innuendo. None of us serves the public if we are in the business of pushing unverified stories into print or on the airwaves just so we can keep up with a rumor that is out of control. Running with such rumors has far-reaching implications. Just check out this month's Vanity Fair, where Bryan Burroughs has a great story on the collapse of Bear Stearns. The investment bank's demise, some conclude, was all a result of baseless rumors suggesting the company had cash problems, even though it was sitting on $18 billion. The rumors kept going and going and when the story hit the airwaves, it spread like wildfire. In one week, Bear Stearns was no more, and former company executives are still trying to determine what killed the Wall Street behemoth. We should forget the nonsense about the competitive pressure to break the story. The rules are simple: Either you have the facts or you don't. If you do, you run with the story. If you don't, you leave it alone. The National Enquirer got the story because its reporters were able to confront Edwards as he was leaving the Beverly Hills Hotel room of the woman with whom he later admitted having an affair. Then the paper got its hands on what it said was a photo of the 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee playing with a baby the Enquirer said was the child of the mistress. With other major media outlets turning up the heat, Edwards admitted the affair in an interview with ABC's Bob Woodruff. No media executive should be pulling his or her hair out, trying to figure out why they chose not to spread the rumor. If they had, and the facts didn't support the rumor, then we would all look like fools and that would have angered the public even more. We have an obligation to stick with the facts, and nothing else. And no matter what a blogger, Web site or tabloid paper has decided to run with, the day we choose to alter our standards, our credibility and integrity will be shot. In the end, as former ABC News anchor Max Robinson said in 1988, that's all we've got. Nothing is worth losing that, even getting the scoop on an affair involving a candidate whose political career is likely over. Roland S. Martin is an award-winning journalist and CNN contributor. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith." Please visit his Web site at http://www.rolandsmartin.com/. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. | Mac, Edwards stories point out importance of confronting rumors, Martin says .
Martin says rules are simple: If you have the facts, run with the story .
Martin says journalists should stick to that, no matter what hits the Internet .
That's how journalists keep credibility and integrity, he says . |
263,106 | e0c7ec4dcaaebf15a969f5cb7be9b18e7460e8b3 | David Cameron was personally assured the West Coast mainline deal was secure, weeks before the government’s humiliating admission that the franchise competition was riddled with ‘unacceptable mistakes’. The Prime Minister intervened after a public appeal by Virgin Trains’ Sir Richard Branson, who faced losing the lucrative contract to rivals FirstGroup. But there are growing questions about why it was not until days before a High Court challenge that civil servants realised their computer models were wrong. Furious: David Cameron was assured by the Department for Transport that the decision to strip Virgin of the West Coast Main Line franchise was sound . In August Mr Cameron asked for checks to be made . on the winning bid and officials at the Department for Transport . insisted the £13bn FirstGroup bid was sound. However, just after midnight yesterday new Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin was forced to admit that civil servants working on the West Coast contract 'failed to take into account the effect of inflation on the bids or the passenger number increases needed to make them viable'. The revelation came ahead of a legal challenge brought by Virgin against the awarding of the contract to First. Mr McLoughlin's predecessor Justine Greening, who was in charge when the contract was awarded, is also understood to have sought assurances. The week before being moved to the Department for International Development, Ms Greening was told there were 'small but non-critical' errors in the contest and she ordered an investigation. Downing Street insists the model used by officials was 'incredibly complex' and it is 'totally unrealistic to expect ministers to have grasped that level of detail'. 'We feel very let down by it all,' said a source. However, ministers still face criticism for failing to insist on full checks being made, which could have established earlier that the model being used was wrong. In a television interview in August, Sir Richard declared that the only ‘who can really intervene to try to get some sense into the Department for Transport is the Prime Minister’. It is understood that Mr Cameron then asked the DfT to carry out a review of its calculations, but it returned the same response. Since then it has been established that the complex model was wrong. Public plea: Sir Richard Branson made a direct appeal to David Cameron to intervene in the decision to award the franchise to FirstGroup . The PM is now said to be furious about the handling of the multi-billion-pound franchise bid. A source said the revelation that the DfT had made serious errors had ‘gone down like a cup of cold sick’ in Downing Street. The decision to cancel the bidding process would cost £40million, but most observers expect the final bill to rise to well over £100million because of potential compensation claims from FirstGroup and the costs associated with a complete overhaul of the franchise system. Downing Street is firmly pinning the blame on civil servants. The DfT’s permanent secretary Philip Rutnam has suspended three civil servants, two of them senior, connected with the franchise bid. Ms Greening, and Theresa Villiers, who was rail minister before being promoted to Northern Ireland Secretary, both face criticism for failing to uncover the problems sooner. But a government source said: 'Even the harshest critics can understand that we have to rely on the advice we get. 'This is one of those rare occasions where you have to be a management consultant-type person who understands how the 500-column spreadsheet works.' FirstGroup was due to take over the franchise from Virgin Rail which runs services between London and Scotland from December 9. But just after midnight on Wednesday Mr McLoughlin scrapped the deal, laying the blame ‘wholly and squarely’ on civil servants. All change: The competition to run the West Coast Main Line, which runs from London to Scotland, has been cancelled . Today Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who chairs Westminster's powerful Public Accounts Committee, demanded sweeping changes to the way Whitehall is run. ‘It exposes in a very stark way that the present conventions on accountability between civil servants and ministers to Parliament and the public aren't working. ‘It's yet another example ... of where the civil servants themselves have not really captured and taken on the role that is expected of them in today's society.’ She said civil servants should stay in post for longer. ‘The way you climb the greasy pole in the civil service is that you change your job every couple of years,’ she said. ‘That's a disaster.’ Former cabinet secretary Lord O'Donnell, who retired last December, admitted the West Coast fiasco ‘does raise some issues about skills in the civil service’. He blamed ‘skills shortages’ and suggested higher salaries would need to be paid: ‘It's not that they're greedy, but pay is a measure of how much they feel they're valued.’ The Institute for Government's director Peter Riddell said the debacle 'goes to the heart of the civil service's credibility and reputation for competence’. He added: ‘At a time when relations between some ministers and some senior civil servants are already strained, the disclosures could hardly be more damaging.’ A Q&A about the West Coast rail franchise fiasco . The Government is also under growing pressure to launch an urgent review its £32billion High Speed (HS2) rail line from London to Birmingham. With the competence of DfT officials now in doubt, former Tory Cabinet minister Cheryl Gillan has demanded an ‘immediate review’ of the HS2 scheme while opponents say the revelation will bolster their legal challenge. Opponents of HS2, who have long argued the business case for the line does not stack up, have seized on the revelations as proof that the DfT has got its figures wrong. Ms Gillan, a former Welsh Secretary who left the Cabinet in last month’s reshuffle, has now written to Mr McLoughlin asking him ‘to urgently undertake a complete re-examination of the business case, a re-evaluation of the case for HS2 and the basis on which all decisions have been made by the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd’. Today the DfT insisted that specific flaws found in the bungled West Coast competition do not directly affect the HS2 case. But as the blame game continues every contract and project signed off by the DfT is under scrutiny. Joe Rukin, campaign coordinator for the Stop HS2 group, said: ‘We have been saying since the start that the passenger forecast which have been fabricated purely to support the case for HS2 are a work of pure fiction. ‘It may not be the same people who have fiddled the figures for the West Coast Mainline, but they have been using the same flawed methodologies to try and justify the case for HS2. ‘There are currently 45,000 people per day coming into Euston, but the DfT and HS2 Ltd have been saying that magically this will somehow get up to 146,000. It is and has always been pure fantasy. ‘We are confident that as the DfT prepare for the legal challenges on HS2 that they will find the same sorts of mistakes are endemic throughout the case for HS2. 'There is rapidly becoming only one option for HS2, to cancel the project as it stands, go back to the drawing board and come up with a genuine strategy for transport and infrastructure.’ A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: 'The technical flaws found in this rail franchise competition process have no bearing on the case for HS2 or the government;s commitment to continuing unprecedented levels of investment in Britain's railway network.' Yesterday Mr McLoughlin acknowledged his department had fatally miscalculated the risk attached to the rival projects. Mr McLoughlin said the decision to cancel the bidding process would cost £40million, but most observers expect the final bill to rise to well over £100million because of potential compensation claims from FirstGroup and the costs associated with a complete overhaul of the franchise system. | The Prime Minister intervened after public appeal from Virgin's Sir Richard Branson to look again at the decision to hand the franchise to FirstGroup .
Three civil servants suspended for 'unacceptable mistakes'
Debacle has 'gone down like a cup of cold sick' in Downing Street .
Three other franchise competitions have been suspended as doubts grow about the reliability of plans for a new High Speed line .
Former cabinet secretary Lord O'Donnell .
said civil service is suffering from skills shortage and that Whitehall .
must pay higher salaries for best staff . |
45,336 | 7fc5d9794a8cd1235c2914fd25d7b9941958ffc1 | Tragic: Alan Cartwright, pictured, was stabbed to death as he cycled along a north London street . The sister of a 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death as he cycled along a north London street with his friends has paid tribute to her brother who was full of 'laughter and joys.' Alan Cartwright was killed after being confronted by three men in Caledonian Road, Islington, London, on Friday evening. He managed to continue cycling a short distance after he was stabbed, but collapsed and died in the street shortly afterwards. The attackers stole two of the teenager's friends' bikes before they fled, police said. A murder probe has been launched and police are hunting for the three attackers. Alan's sister Cherrie organised a candlelit vigil for her brother on Saturday night, near to the spot where he was killed. She told Sky News: 'It's deeply affected all of us. 'He was every sort of personality you can think of, really, all wrapped in one. He had his moments, but he beat them with his laughter and his jokes and joys.' She said the family still knew little about what had happened to the teenager on Friday evening. Officers are currently analysing CCTV footage in the area for clues as to the identity of the teenager's attackers. A post-mortem is also due to take place. Friends took to Twitter to pay tribute to Alan, known by the nickname Little Al. One person posted on Twitter in tribute to the 15-year-old and said: 'So sad that another Islington kid taken so soon. Thinking of your family at this sad time.' Another added: 'Devastated isn't the word! RIP Alan.' Former EastEnders actor Brooke Kinsella, whose 16-year-old brother Ben was knifed to death in north London in 2008, said: 'Another young boy lost to knife crime, another family destroyed. Sickening, cowardly, senseless culture. Heart is weary #PutDownYourKnives' Ms Kinsella has been a prominent and tireless anti-knife crime campaigner in the wake of her brother's death. Tributes have been left at the scene, following the murder which took place at about 7.30pm on Friday. One handwritten note attached to a bouquet of flowers reads, 'we are lost for words for what has happened'. A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: 'At this early stage it is believed the victim was cycling north on Caledonian Road with friends when they were attacked, near the junction of Copenhagen Street, by three males who were walking in the opposite direction. Alan Cartwright was cycling with friends when he suffered a single stab wound and later collapsed and died . 'The victim suffered a single stab wound during the attack and two other members of the group had their bikes stolen. The victim managed to cycle further up Caledonian Road before collapsing. 'The suspects made off from the scene, continuing south down Caledonian Road.' Anyone with information is asked to contact police. Tributes: Candles, photographs and flowers were all laid at Caledonian Road, where Alan was killed . Touching: This handwritten note left in tribute said Alan's 'youthful spirit will live on forever' Scene: The teenager was killed after being confronted by three men on Caledonian Road, Islington, last night. Above, the road was closed as paramedics tried to save the victim's life . | Alan Cartwright was cycling with group of friends in Islington on Friday .
Group was attacked by three men and 15-year-old was stabbed once .
He managed to stagger a short distance and then collapsed and died .
Sister Cherrie described her brother as full of 'laughter, jokes and joys'
Two men stole bikes from the teenager's friends and then fled the scene .
Police have launched murder probe and are hunting for the three men .
Ex-Eastenders actress Brooke Kinsella paid tribute to the teenager . |
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