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160,068 | 5adfa6d1387c3ea21fa647dbf7f7b32c72046baf | By . Andrew Roberts . PUBLISHED: . 17:02 EST, 23 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:02 EST, 23 February 2013 . David Cameron, pictured at the Golden temple in Amritsar, described the killings as 'monstrous' but did not make a formal apology . It is 5.15pm on Sunday, April 13, 1919, in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in the Punjab. An open-topped motorcar pulls up near the Jallianwala Bagh, a seven-acre area of waste ground, and Brigadier Reginald ‘Rex’ Dyer steps out. He then attempts to bring an armoured car, with its machine gun, into the area, but is foiled because the street is too narrow. No matter, he orders his force of Indian and Gurkha troops to open fire into a peaceful crowd of local men, women and children who are listening to Gandhian speeches about non-violence. The shooting continues until the ammunition runs out and, in the words of the memorial there, the ground is ‘saturated with the blood of about 2,000 Indian patriots’. Then he calmly goes back to his headquarters, triumphantly successful in his premeditated plan to murder innocents in the name of the British Raj. That is the popular view of the Amritsar Massacre, sedulously promoted by the 1982 movie Gandhi and the one taught in India and in British schools today. It is the story of the vicious British Empire yet again killing thousands, out of what has been described as ‘imperial terrorism’. In 2005, in reviews of a biography of Dyer entitled The Butcher Of Amritsar, the massacre was variously described as ‘an unforgivable atrocity’, ‘state terrorism’, ‘a heinous crime’ and ‘the biggest and bloodiest blot on the generally benign record of British rule in India’. Yet the true story of what happened that day in Amritsar is far more nuanced and David Cameron, at the end of his trip to India last week, was quite right not to make a formal apology for it, merely reiterating what Winston Churchill correctly said at the time, that it was ‘monstrous’. For everything stated in my opening paragraphs above is either completely wrong or was certainly not what it seemed. In fact, according to a superb book called The Amritsar Massacre: The Untold Story Of One Fateful Day, by Nick Lloyd, a lecturer in defence studies at King’s College, London, which was published last year, it turns out that Dyer had no plans at all to commit a massacre, and that when he arrived he was expecting a much smaller crowd than the 25,000 who were present. He panicked when he realised his force of 90 men – including 40 without rifles – were outnumbered by 275 to one. ‘I realised that my force was small and to hesitate might induce attack,’ he later explained. ‘I immediately opened fire and dispersed the crowd.’ Anti-British feeling was at its highest since the Indian Mutiny in 1857. Only days earlier, huge mobs had killed five Europeans and as Lloyd remarks of the attacks elsewhere in the Punjab: ‘Far from being peaceful crowds, many of the rioters were armed with lathis [metal-tipped sticks], bill hooks and various other weapons, including swords and kerosene oil, which was used to burn government buildings.’ Brutal: A painting of British soldiers shooting civilians in Amritsar on April 13, 1919 . If a revolt had caught fire in the . Punjab, it would have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Indians . from all the main communities. As the half-million or so who died there . during Partition in 1947-48 remind us, the Punjab was a sectarian . tinderbox. In that context, 379 deaths – the casualty figure always maintained by the British – might be monstrous, as the PM has rightly said, but it nipped in the bud something that could have been calamitous. At that point, the British in Amritsar had only 75 armed and 100 unarmed constables with whom to control a city of 150,000 inhabitants. 'Distraught': Brigadier Reginald Dyer was in charge of British troops and ordered the massacre in Amritsar . Three days before the massacre, a mob had gone on a rampage in the city and three bank officials were lynched in their offices, their corpses burnt in the street. Two other officials were murdered, and an elderly female missionary, Miss Sherwood, was hauled off her bicycle, beaten to the ground and left for dead. Posters appeared which alleged that the British raped Indian girls in Amritsar and urged Indians to ‘dishonour’ and ‘clear the country of all English ladies’. Dyer feared that it might take little for ‘peaceful’ crowds such as the one in the Jallianwala Bagh – which was overwhelmingly made up of young men – to turn violent. Had Dyer premeditated a massacre, he would have brought more than 50 riflemen with him. Although the Jallianwala Bagh crowd had no firearms, many did have lathis and a concerted rush, which Dyer’s staff officer Captain Tommy Briggs feared might happen, could have spelt disaster. Nor is it true that Dyer wanted to use a machine gun but could not get it into the Jallianwala Bagh, as the myth-makers still insist. In fact, there was a Vickers machine gun in the armoured car that he knew he could have simply detached from its stand, since it was designed for dismounted use. Nor did Dyer use more than a fraction of the ammunition he brought with him: 1,650 rounds out of 9,000. What makes Dyer’s over-reaction understandable was his often-repeated warnings throughout the morning of April 13 that no demonstration could take place in a city that was declared to be under martial law, and that ‘all gatherings will be fired upon’. This proclamation was made three times in Urdu and Punjabi – languages understood by 90 per cent of the city’s inhabitants – at no fewer than 19 places by Dyer and a detachment of Indian and British troops. As they marched through the city, Dyer was spat upon by ‘bored, sullen and hostile’ groups of youths, who some of the troops felt were ‘so hostile that violence could have broken out at any moment’. Having never been to the Jallianwala Bagh before, Dyer did not know that it was walled in on three sides by the backs of houses, with a low wall on the far side. His view was further impeded by the dust thrown up by the 25,000 people present. ‘Dyer came to me all dazed and shaken up,’ a British administrator later recalled of that evening, ‘and said, “I never knew there was no way out.” ’ Accepted version: The depiction of the mass killings at Amritsar in the 1982 Oscar-winning film Gandhi . Massacre: British soldiers opened fire on around 25,000 peaceful protestors close to the Golden Temple in Amritsar . Although Dyer later claimed to have . undertaken the massacre to ‘save’ British India, Lloyd convincingly . explains that he had had no such idea in his mind that fateful . afternoon. As well as being ‘dazed and shaken up’ – hardly the response . of a soldier who had had murder in his mind – all the witnesses recall . how Dyer ‘was unnerved and deeply upset about what had happened’. One witness described him as ‘distraught’, and he told a friend six months afterwards: ‘I haven’t had a night’s sleep since that happened. I keep on seeing it over again.’ Gunfire: A painting depicts the moment around 50 British riflemen fired 1,650 rounds into a crown of Indian protestors . The Indian estimates of the number of the dead are wildly exaggerated, although Lloyd believes that the number given by the Hunter Inquiry of 379 is probably too low by 35 or so. It was certainly not in the ‘thousands’, however. And despite the depictment in the movie Gandhi, there were very few women and children present. A deputation of Indian merchants and shopkeepers soon after the massacre actually thanked Dyer for preventing looting, and he received many other such tokens of gratitude; the guardians of the Golden Temple invested him there as an honorary Sikh. If one wants to find examples of large-scale killing going on in Amritsar in the 20th Century, one might also look at Indira Gandhi’s 1984 storming of the Golden Temple, in which as many as 1,000 died. Because that was a massacre of Indians by Indians, it did not attain the condemnation that has attended Brigadier Dyer. So whose fault was this undeniable tragedy? Ultimately, of course, Dyer must take the blame for giving the order to fire, but the organisers of the banned meeting must share some of it too. They knew how febrile the atmosphere was, and had heard Dyer’s order not to congregate. Yet trusting in their non-violent saintliness, the Congress Party still called together a crowd of 25,000 people for a demonstration they knew to be extremely provocative. They irresponsibly and, in the event, suicidally went ahead, putting propaganda and politics before people’s lives. Instead of being criticised for their recklessness, the organisers have been hailed as heroes, while Dyer has been demonised. Commemoration: The Prime Minister lays a wreath at the memorial to the victims of the Amritsar massacre . Remorse: But Mr Cameron stopped short of apologising for Britain's role in the killings . | Brigadier Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on a crowd of 25,000 in Amritsar, Punjab, on April 13, 1919 .
British maintain 379 were killed - lower than the 1000 stated by India .
Anti-British feeling was at its highest since the Indian Mutiny in 1857 .
A revolt in the Punjab would have led to tens of thousands of deaths . |
125,505 | 2e42243958b76f590068c0a5952f0f16ea738073 | By . Jaya Narain . PUBLISHED: . 04:11 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 23:07 EST, 12 April 2013 . Sophie Dalzell, 19, refused to wear an ankle tag as she claimed it would interfere with her work as a soft porn model . An adult TV star convicted of vandalism was let off from wearing an electronic tag on her ankle – because it would ruin her on-screen work. Sophie Dalzell, 19, was placed on a curfew and ordered to wear a tag for eight weeks after failing to carry out community service. But when security firm G4S turned up to fit the tag she refused to let them put it on. She told them ‘appearance is everything’ on adult TV – and that she would be sacked if she turned up to work with a plastic tag on her ankle. Incredibly, when the presenter was hauled back to court, she successfully appealed against having the tag fitted after explaining it would compromise her career. Instead magistrates fined the glamour model £200 with £75 costs after she admitted breaching a community order. After the case the model, who has appeared topless in men’s magazines, said: ‘A tag on my ankle wouldn’t look very good. It’s an eyesore. Your appearance is everything. I’m still mad about the whole situation.’ Dalzell, of Manchester, added: ‘If I’d let them put the tag on, I’d have had no job and nowhere to live. I was doing adult channels, TV presenting. ‘I still don’t think it’s fair about the fine. I now want to get on with my life.’ Magistrates were told she no longer works in adult TV and has moved into modelling, photo shoots, hosting and other presenting jobs. Ms Dalzell was ordered to wear the ankle tag after she failed to complete a 100 hour community service order . She was first hauled before the courts . in March last year after she became involved in a row outside 5th . Avenue nightclub in Manchester. During a dispute with the male driver of . a BMW car, she slapped him in the face and kicked his car causing . damage. As well as ordering her to pay £150 . compensation, magistrates gave her a probation order and sentenced her . to do 100 hours of unpaid work in the community. But she breached the order by not . carrying out all the hours and on December 13, G4S staff turned up at . her flat with the tag. Matthew Wallace, defending, said: ‘The problem . was that at that time Miss Dalzell had a contract with an agency for TV . glamour modelling. She couldn’t do that with the tag on her ankle.’ Ms Dalzell claimed that the £200 fine was unfair and said she was 'mad' about the siituation . Dalzell initially denied breaching the . order when she appeared in the dock at Manchester Magistrates’ Court . wearing a black dress, false eyelashes, bright red lipstick and diamond . earrings. But she changed her plea to guilty . after telling the court a future trial date would conflict with a . modelling assignment she had in Ibiza. Magistrates told Dalzell it is essential she pays the fine within 28 days or she may face further legal repercussions. The former Adult TV star was ordered to pay a £200 fine along with £75 costs at Manchester Magistrates Court . | Sophie Dalzell claimed bracelet would interfere with work as TV chat girl .
She changed plea after hearing court date would clash with photo shoot .
Ms Dalzell dodged community service following criminal damage conviction and has also been let off from wearing the tag . |
189,710 | 81a97c6abc8f0de8e3eae202689e8c4587d39537 | By . Kieran Corcoran . Netherlands striker Robin van Persie has received the ultimate seal of approval after his 93-year-old grandfather joined in social media tributes to a stunning World Cup goal he scored. Van Persie, 30, made an astonishing leaping header to score for the Dutch national side against Spain in a group stage match on Friday. It was one of five goals scored against the defending champions, and is being heralded as one of the most impressive moments of the tournament so far. Scroll down for video... Still got it: Wim Ras, 93, took a photograph of himself re-creating his grandson's spectacular swan dive in the World Cup . Audacious: Robin van Persie, 30, scored the daring goal in a World Cup match against Spain last week . Flying leap: The impressive goal, one of five scored against defending champions Spain, is already being hailed as a definitive moment in the 2014 tournament . The goal has also prompted a tide of copycat photographs from fans on social media - including the striker's own grandfather, Wim Ras. Mr Ras took a picture of himself lying prone on his living room floor mimicking the pose, and later lavished praise on his grandson, who plays for Manchester United. In an interview with Dutch news outlet Omroep Brabant, he said: 'I thought it was a great landing. I have done gymnastics before but those moves are choreographed. Robin had just a fraction of a second to jump.’ He was hardly alone in his appreciation for the goal, which has inspired the #Persieing hashtag on Twitter. Joining in: The #Persieing trend is taking off on social media - with efforts such as this one from Dutch diplomatic staff in London . Followers who have uploaded an attempt of their own include seven staff from the Dutch embassy in London. The eventful game last Friday was Spain's leaviest loss in decades - and particularly galling after their triumph in the 2010 World Cup. The defending champions took an early lead after a dubious penalty but it wasn't long before the Dutch equalised and began their rout. The Dutch took revenge with two goals each for Van Persie and Robben and one by Stefan de Vrij. Spain have won the last three major football tournaments they have played in, wining the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 as well as the 2010 World Cup. Spain, also 2008 and 2012 European champions, took a 27th-minute lead through a Xabi Alonso penalty after Brazilian-born striker Diego Costa went down under a challenge from de Vrij, only for Van Persie to equalise brilliantly in the 44th minute. Sea of orange: Stunning goals from van Persie and Robben ensured an awful start to Spain's World Cup . I carrot believe it! A Dutch fan with a very home-made hat shows his delight in the stadium in Brazil . The Dutch forward stole in between Sergio Ramos and Jordi Alba to meet a searching Daley Blind cross with a powerful diving header that left goalkeeper Iker Casillas rooted. Moments before Van Persie's goal Spain missed a chance to double their lead when midfielder David Silva's cheeky chip was pushed wide for a corner. After the break the Dutch poured forward and went ahead after 53 minutes when Robben got on the end of another superb Blind lobbed pass before turning Gerard Pique and holding off Sergio Ramos to fire home from seven metres. The match opened up but in the Netherlands' favour with De Vrij stealing in on 64 minutes at the back post to convert a free kick after Van Persie put Casillas under pressure. It got worse for Spain as Van Persie added a fourth after taking advantage of a sloppy touch by Casillas to slot home in the 72nd minute and Robben stunned a raucous crowd as he toyed with the Spanish defence and Casillas before belting home in the 80th. The defeat was the heaviest yet for Spain under coach Vicente Del Bosque. Jubilation: Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal celebrates the Dutch equaliser with Robin van Persie . | Wim Ras pictured recreating grandson's goal-scoring leap in his living room .
Boasted 'I used to do gymnastics' while praising his athletic relative .
Tributes to RVP's World Cup goal against Spain on Friday are piling up .
Online copycats - including embassy staff - mimicked leap from 5-1 victory . |
79,579 | e1a6b051dce75e1e4b79675314f2646ccaf8be13 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:36 EST, 29 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:25 EST, 29 June 2012 . Georgina Blackwell is celebrating securing a First Class Honours law degree . She may be a young blonde beautician from Essex but Georgina Blackwell certainly does not live up to any of the usual stereotypes. Miss Blackwell first hit the headlines when, aged just 23 and with no formal legal qualification, took on one of the country’s biggest homebuilders in the High Court - and won. And that proved to be a turning point for the 26-year-old who had almost given up on a dream of becoming a lawyer to work in the family-owned salon in . picturesque Halstead, Essex, after her mum broke her wrist. After the stunning success against Bellway in 2009, Miss Blackwell was offered a law scholarship at BPP University in London. She is now celebrating again after securing a First Class honours in her law degree, the top grade possible. A delighted Georgina said: ‘Just over . two years ago I was working in the salon and I would never have dreamed . that I would complete a law degree and get First Class Honours. ‘If someone had told me that, I would not have believed them. ‘It all has happened too quickly, I . don’t feel as though I have had time to take it all in. The past couple . of years have been a complete whirlwind for me.’ The qualified beautician, who will . start training to become a barrister later this year, added: ‘I was . waiting for my results to arrive on e-mail and I must have refreshed the . inbox a thousand times before they arrived. ‘When I saw that I had got a First, I was running around the garden, screaming my head off. ‘The neighbours must have thought I . was completely crazy but I don’t care - I was just so relieved as I was . totally focused on getting a First.’ Georgina added: ‘If it had not been . for the legal battle against the developers, I am not sure I would have . been where I am today, so it was a blessing in disguise. ‘I would have still be in the salon, like I had been for the previous six years, and this might not have ever happened.’ Georgina Blackwell is as comfortable in the beauty salon as she is presenting complex legal cases before a High Court judge . Miss Blackwell, from Colchester, Essex . acted as a lawyer for her mum Sandra, in a bitter battle against . Bellway Homes after it had filled the garden next to their beauty salon . with scaffolding and debris. The beautician was dubbed ‘Legally Blonde’ after she secured an unlikely victory against the wealthy developers. She said her dad, Clive, 72, had been a massive inspiration for her. She . said: ‘Dad knew how upset I was when I could not take my original place . to study law, so when I phoned him and told him the news, he was so . happy for me and was choked up.’ Georgina’s . success means she has been lucky enough to secure a scholarship which . will pay for the majority of the £16,000 costs of her nine-month course . to become a barrister. Georgina had almost given up on fulfilling her dream of becoming a lawyer after ditching the chance to study law in order to work in the family's beauty salon to help her mother Sandra, right, who had broken her wrist . However, the costs of her commute into London from her home in Essex means that she will still be doing a part-time job to help fund the costs. And she said, time allowing, she will always be happy to help out her mum, Sandra, 55, at her salon, House of Beauty. Georgina’s legal journey started when . her mum bought a Grade II-listed 600-year-old home - a former school and . tailor’s shop - to set up her beauty salon. But . soon after moving in, Bellway Homes purchased an empty factory which . backed onto the salon’s garden with the intention of building 43 homes. Her . mum had been taken to court in July 2009 after she refused builders . access across her garden to demolish two factory walls which formed part . of Bellway’s Church View development. After . losing the case Mrs Blackwell was faced with losing her home and . business after spending £3,000 on legal advice and was ordered to pay . Bellway’scosts of £22,000 as well as a ‘five-figure sum’ in damages for . delays to the building work. Georgina Blackwell took on Belway Construction after they started demolishing their garden walls and building scaffolding over their garden in Halstead, Essex . After the original case, builders moved onto the garden and filled it with scaffolding. Bright-spark . Georgina sprang into action, checking deeds and documents to the house . and realised the right of access was only to reach one wall of the . factory not two. And despite coming face-to-face with . the developer’s top legal team, Georgina wowed the court with her legal . arguments and cross examination, going on to win the case. In . the High Court, Mrs Justice Proudman overturned the previous decision . and ordered Bellway Homes to pay Mrs Blackwell £75,000 compensation. Speaking after the original hearing, Georgina said: ‘I’m a blonde beautician from Essex. I think they underestimated me. Bellway put scaffolding in Mrs Blackwell's garden and began demolition, which was halted after they lost the court case . ‘They looked intimidating in their wigs and gowns, it was terrifying. I felt absolutely scared stiff by the huge courtroom and speaking in front of a high court judge but I got a surge of adrenalin and thought, ‘they aren’t going to intimidate me’.’ After hearing of the case, Peter Crisp, Dean of BPP Law School wrote to Georgina in November 2009, offering her a scholarship. She completed BPP’s two-year law degree programme, which started in May 2010 and finished last month. Georgina will receive her degree at an official graduation ceremony in London in November. | Georgina Blackwell had no formal qualification when she won a High Court battle with Bellway Homes in a bitter access dispute .
The 26-year-old had given up dream of studying law in order to help at the family-owned beauty salon after her mother broke her wrist .
But the unlikely success enabled her to go to university to study lawyer . |
44,527 | 7d8a2a582eed7b1cf25c6c52d9533a4a857fb219 | Editor's note: Daria Roithmayr is a law professor at the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, where she teaches on race and law. She worked for Sen. Edward Kennedy as special counsel on the Clarence Thomas and David Souter confirmation hearings. Guy-Uriel Charles is a law professor at Duke Law School where he is the founding director of the Center on Law, Race, and Politics. Daria Roithmayr says Sotomayor would add broader life experiences to the background of Supreme Court justices. No one was surprised when the subject of race dominated the public conversation during Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings. What was surprising was how unwilling both sides of the aisle were to talk about race openly. Republicans tried to argue that race should be completely separated from judicial decision-making. For their part, Democrats tried to minimize the importance of her race to her decision-making by focusing on her record, to show that her race had played no role in her decisions. Judge Sotomayor herself suggested that life experiences are an important part of the process of judging, but then sought to minimize the difference that those experiences might have made to a particular result. Most people understand that life experiences and racial identity do affect the decision-making process. But is this something to be lamented or celebrated? We think the latter. In this, the not quite post-racial era of Obama, scholars are developing new understandings of the connection between race, life experience and decisions. Researchers such as Scott Page and James Surowiecki are telling us that varied life experiences and ethnicity can improve the result when a group makes decisions together. At the University of Michigan, Page uses mathematical models to show not only that people's backgrounds make a difference in how they think, but far more importantly, that these differences are essential for good collective decision-making. As Page acknowledges, the relationship between life experience and decision-making is an empirical question -- a question of fact to be determined based on research. In some domains -- making decisions about the scope of anti-discrimination law or deciding on a health care policy -- we likely will see that broader life experience makes for better decisions. Surowiecki, who wrote "The Wisdom of Crowds," points out that a group will more often than not come to a better decision than the average individual, so long as the group includes a range of people with different life experiences and ways of looking at and solving problems. As Surowiecki notes, if the group has enough variation in the information that they bring to the table, their thought processes and their approach to solving problems, the group is more likely to come up with the right answer before an individual, even in some instances when the individual is an expert. The Constitution itself recognizes the importance of life experiences to legal decision-making. Defendants in the criminal process are entitled to a jury of their peers precisely because jurors bring to the process a collection of life experiences that will shape their understanding of the facts and the law. All-white juries are problematic in large part because we believe that the life experiences of jurors are an integral part of their collective judgment of innocence or guilt. We also are coming to understand that race is just one of several structural factors that affect a person's life experiences and life chances, together with economic security, gender, class and geography. These days, the best thinking on race focuses less on racial symbolism and more on understanding how race affects a person's life experiences and life chances -- her access to education, health care, economic and physical security, her experience with the criminal justice system, whether she grew up wealthy or in a public housing project. Thus, we understand that the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. for disorderly conduct after he opened his jammed front door might be a signal of existing racism in law enforcement. But the better way to understand his arrest might be to acknowledge that whether one thinks this is the symbol of continued racism in law enforcement or an officer trying to do his job, in general, Gates' race affects his life chances and life experiences. As an African-American, Gates runs a much greater chance of being arrested during his lifetime than does his white counterpart. We should also acknowledge the role that class plays in life chances -- Gates was able to summon with a simple phone call one of the best criminal lawyers in the country, an opportunity not available to most African Americans. Although we have not yet figured out the meaning of race in this supposedly post-racial era, we know that race still matters, even as we know that it does not matter in the same way that it used to. Democrats and Republicans should acknowledge that having a Latina on the bench will make a difference because it will improve the court's collective decision-making. Wise men and women with different life experiences are more likely to reach a result that is better, that is wiser and that is more just. In that vein, Sotomayor's life story -- in which a Puerto Rican girl from Bronxdale Houses grows up to attend Yale Law School and become a Supreme Court justice -- is a story that should matter to us all. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Daria Roithmayr and Guy-Uriel Charles. | Roithmayr, Charles: Race dominated the Senate hearing on Sotomayor .
They say research shows groups of diverse people make better decisions .
Having Sotomayor on court will widen life experiences of the justices, they say .
Roithmayr, Charles: We should strive for diversity of class, gender, geography . |
110,669 | 1aa65c63476a4be1bdd2a90baac076f737f6cc72 | By . Keith Gladdis And Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 18:27 EST, 3 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:35 EST, 3 January 2013 . David Gauke said he is 'pleased' with how things were going despite the confusion . Tory voters will be the hardest hit when child benefit is axed for higher earners. Figures obtained by the Daily Mail reveal that the Conservative heartlands in the South East will be the biggest losers when the changes come into force on Monday. Nine of the top ten constituencies where most letters have been sent out warning that families will lose the benefit are in Conservative safe seats in London and the Home Counties. The revelations will reinforce the concerns of some Tory MPs that the Government is gratuitously offending its own supporters with the raid on child benefit. Yesterday, the Treasury admitted more than 300,000 taxpayers – out of an estimated 1.2million who are affected – have not yet been informed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs that they are set to lose out. Despite the confusion, Treasury Minister David Gauke insisted he was pleased with the way things were unfolding. He insisted there is no obligation to contact people and said they could always get the information from the HM Revenue and Customs website instead. The Treasury has sent out 750,000 warning letters to families saying they could be affected by the cut and warning them that they have to complete a self-assessment tax form. But with just days to go before changes to the system on January 7, only 182,199 of those affected have opted out of receiving the benefit altogether, rather than fill in self-assessment forms. Yet Mr Gauke, Exchequer secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News that this was a ‘good response’ and ‘slightly more’ than expected. He said: ‘So far we are getting a good response – slightly more people have opted out of child benefit than we had expected and that suggests the message is getting across even though not everyone will have got a letter.’ But another 316,000 families, where one parent earns at least £50,000, may have no idea that they will be stripped of part or all of the benefit. At present, all parents with young children are given the benefit worth £20.30 a week for the first child and £13.40 for each subsequent child. For a couple with two children, it is worth £1,752 a year. But from Sunday, families where one parent earns between £50,000 and £60,000 will have the handout reduced. Families where one parent earns more than £60,000 will lose the benefit entirely. Unless parents opt to stop receiving the benefit entirely, those losing all or part of it will have to fill in a tax form. Of the 750,000 letters sent out the most – 169,000 – went to households in the South East, with another 132,000 to homes in London, 92,000 to families in the East of England and 62,000 to households in the North West. At the other end of the scale, just 13,600 were sent to homes in Northern Ireland and 18,000 in the North East. Two of the top ten constituencies with most people hit by the child benefit cut are home to Tory cabinet ministers, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in South West Surrey and Home Secretary Theresa May in Maidenhead. The constituencies of Jeremy Hunt and Theresa May are among those that will be most hit by the cut . The only non-Conservative seat in the top ten is Twickenham, held by Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable. The first constituency outside the south of England to appear on the list of 651 constituencies, in 30th place, is Altrincham and Sale West, near Manchester, which saw 3,080 letters delivered. At the bottom of the list is Glasgow North East, where just 110 homes received letters. Speaking about the households who have not yet received letters, Mr Gauke said HMRC does not have the information necessary to contact people whose circumstances have changed over the past year. Chuka Umunna said one third of recipients who will lose out on child benefit will not be told and will get a 'horrible surprise' The minister, who has previously accused critics of the child benefit cut of ‘fiscal nimbyism’, added: ‘HMRC doesn’t normally write to everybody, every time there is a tax change that affects them. If people haven’t received a letter, that doesn’t mean they can’t visit the HMRC website. ‘After Sunday, if people haven’t opted out then they’ll need to make sure they are in the self-assessment system.’ A Treasury spokesman insisted the cuts were necessary, adding: ‘We have always been clear those with the broadest shoulders should carry the greatest burden when it comes to balancing the nation’s books. ‘Those liable for the removal of child benefit fall in the top 15 per cent of earners and nearly half of the households affected by this change have a household income of more than £100,000.’ But Labour business spokesman . described it as ‘extraordinary’ that a third of current child benefit . recipients who will lose out this year will not be informed by HMRC and . are ‘going to get a horrible surprise’. He . added: ‘You’ve still got this ridiculous situation where if you are a . one-earner family where one person is earning £50,000 you lose all of . your child benefit, but if you’re a two-earner family where each of you . is earning, say, £40,000, a combined income of £80,000, you get to keep . your child benefit. This is an extraordinary state of affairs.’ | Families with one parent earning more than £60,000 will lose child benefit .
Those with one earner of £50,000 will see cut in the benefit from Sunday .
Tory voters will be the hardest hit by the changes .
Treasury admits 300,000 people have not yet been told they will be affected .
But Treasury Minister David Gauke insisted he was pleased with progress . |
10,308 | 1d45e639b121295ec03d8bc64a42351bee942a9d | Dougie Freedman is set to stay as Bolton manager despite the club's disastrous start to the season. Wanderers lost their sixth match out of nine this season on Saturday, 2-0 to Derby, and there were fan protests, people invading the pitch and songs calling for the boss's head. Bolton are 22nd in the Championship table and travel to second-bottom Fulham on Wednesday. Dougie Freedman is under pressure after Bolton's sixth loss of the season against Derby on Saturday . The bottom six of the Championship . And the club have indicated Freedman will be in charge at Craven Cottage by saying he will be at the pre-match press conference. Nobody from Bolton would comment further but the Scot told the Bolton News: 'I expect to be in charge when we go to Fulham. 'I understand I am in charge and have responsibility of a wonderful football club and I'm proud to be in charge of it. Right now we're getting it wrong. 'It's proven to be a harder job than I first thought when I walked in.' One fan invaded the pitch and started to ride the corner flag like an imaginary horse . Wanderers supporters called for Freedman's head during and after another miserable defeat . | Bolton 22nd in Championship after Saturday's defeat by Derby .
Dougie Freedman will still be manager against Fulham on Wednesday .
Bolton fans called for Freedman's head and some invaded pitch . |
159,891 | 5aadb65d043fde5963fcb392c02e736203ca2541 | (CNN) -- Top seed Novak Djokovic suffered a shock semifinal defeat to Fernando Verdasco on Saturday to end his hopes of avenging last year's loss to Rafael Nadal in the Monte Carlo Masters title match. While Nadal moved a step closer to his sixth successive triumph at the opening event of the European claycourt season in Monaco with a 6-2 6-3 win over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, world No. 2 Djokovic crashed to a 6-2 6-2 reverse against sixth seed Verdasco. "I wasn't moving well, I wasn't feeling well on the court -- it was a bad day," Djokovic told reporters. Verdasco, who has not beaten his compatriot Nadal in nine encounters, needed little over an hour and a half to overcome the Serbian, who had returned to form this week after a disappointing time in his past two hardcourt events in the United States. "I want to be the one to break Nadal's streak," Verdasco told reporters. "I tried to use my forehand well against Djokovic and make him really play. This will be my first final in Monte Carlo and I'm really excited." Nadal took only 76 minutes to reach his 49th final on the ATP Tour with a comfortable victory against 11th seed Ferrer. His last defeat at the Monte Carlo Country Club came as a 16-year-old against Guillermo Coria in 2003, and he has lost only six career matches out of 164 on his favored clay surface. Former world No. 1 Nadal has not won a tournament in 11 months after a year wrecked by injuries. But he now has the chance to equal the record of six Monte Carlo titles held by Englishman Reggie Doherty, who triumphed in 1897-99 and 1902-04. Nadal was happy to make it through to final after falling in the last four in his previous Masters events in Miami and Indian Wells. "I'm playing very well, I had a very good match today. The last two games, I was a little bit more nervous than usual because I lost two semifinals in a row," he told reporters. "But for the rest, I think I played a very, very complete match. It's great to start the clay season like this. I'm playing well and I'm very happy with my game." | Fernando Verdasco stuns top seed Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-2 in Monte Carlo semifinals .
Verdasco will face five-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final .
World No. 3 Nadal progresses with 6-2 6-3 win over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer .
Djokovic was beaten in final last year by Nadal, who has not lost there since 2003 . |
22,448 | 3fb87686c0a1ef052d6c4e8cbd3a637cc9b224c2 | By . Alex Gore . PUBLISHED: . 05:08 EST, 15 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:28 EST, 15 January 2013 . Aeroplane passengers can admire the view, keep up to speed with their flight's progress and find out what is going on 30,000ft below thanks to a new 'glass bottom' iPad app. The 'glass bottom jet' feature is accessed through inflight wi-fi from 10,000 ft and allows passengers to track their flight by watching a computerised image of the plane on their handheld device. Icons also appear on the ground below for users to access a range of interactive content - including Wikipedia pages, photographs and social network updates related to the landmarks and places they are passing overhead. Scroll down for video . Glass bottom: Delta passengers can keep track of their plane's progress through an new iPad app . World below: App users can access online content about places and landmarks they are passing overhead . The app has been launched by Delta Air Lines and gives iPad users the ability to book and check-in for flights and download their boarding pass onto the device. It also features destination guides and 'inflight entertainment' pages, which include suggested music, film and book downloads related to a passenger's destination. Glen Hauenstein, Delta's executive vice president for network planning, revenue management and marketing, said: 'Our goal is to simplify the digital experience across the touch points where our customers already spend their time by making their interactions with Delta easy and intuitive. 'The incredible functionality and innovation found in the new iPad app embodies all that we're doing to further improve the digital experience customers have with Delta. Up to speed: The app keeps passengers updated with how long they have left until landing . Inflight: Glass bottom content includes Wikipedia pages, photographs and social network updates . In the know: Travellers can access a wealth of information about their destination via the app . Beating boredom: The newly-launched app also offers suggestions for inflight entrainment . 'All of this represents the largest investment to delta.com and digital technology in more than a decade. 'Customers can rely on Delta to provide innovative tools throughout their travel experience that put them in control and give them the information they need, when they need it. 'We'll continue to provide new and interesting ways to plan, share and connect, so that traveling with Delta keeps getting better.' Delta, which has more than 800 wi-fi enabled aircraft in its fleet and around 160 million customers every year, has developed the app as part of the company's $140 million investment in technology. Come fly with me: Customers have the ability to book their flights using the iPad app . Check it out: Passengers can check-in using the app and download their boarding pass onto their iPad . | Passengers can follow plane's progress by viewing computerised image .
Icons appear below, giving users access to a range of interactive content .
It includes Wikipedia pages and photographs of the places below .
The feature is provided through inflight wi-fi from an altitude of 10,000 ft .
App also has check-in and booking options and destination guides . |
37,055 | 690ad97c8d5e7ca0b846050754cb608a27f9f831 | A family's pet dog has miraculously been found after he went missing in Central Australia for almost a decade. Donovan Baarda, who lives in Sydney, believed his beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Zippy, was gone forever until he received an email from the Alice Springs Veterinary Hospital, in the Northern Territory. They told Mr Baarda that Zippy had been hit by a car and was being treated for lacerations to his abdomen. Little Zippy the pet Jack Russell (pictured) turns up in Alice Springs ... 10 YEARS after he vanished from a moving car . Donovan Baarda, who lives in Sydney, believed his beloved Jack Russell Terrier, Zippy(pictured), was gone forever until he received an email from the Alice Springs Veterinary Hospital, in the Northern Territory. Vet nurse from Alice Springs Veterinary Hospital, Lee Blomfield, told Daily Mail Australia they tracked down Mr Baarda’s email through the national animal registry. ‘When Donovan told us he lived in Sydney we thought, “How is Zippy in Alice Springs when you are in Sydney?” He told them Zippy went missing about nine years ago after he jumped from his brother’s car while driving to Yuendumu, a remote town in Northern Territory. Mr Baarda said he searched everywhere for Zippy but had no luck. ‘I haven’t seen him for at least nine years,’ Mr Baarda told ntnews.com.au. Now, the chance for Mr Baarda to reunite with his long lost dog proved more difficult than it seemed. Ms Blomfield said Mr Baarda agreed to pay for Zippy’s medical bills, but hoped that the person who had been caring for him would come forward. A family's pet dog called Zippy (pictured) has miraculously been found after he went missing in Central Australia for almost a decade . That's a long way : A decade after Zippy, the pet dog, went missing in Central Australia he has been found and his original owner contacted. Zippy had been hit by a car and was being treated for lacerations to his abdomen . ‘Donovan didn’t want to disrupt his life. He knew he wouldn’t remember him at all. ‘If no one came forward he said he would organise for his ex-wife, who lives in Victoria, to take the dog.’ Luckily Michael Barry, from Alice Springs, saw an article online that included a picture of the injured Jack Russell Terrier. The article urged anyone with information to come forward. ‘That’s Jack!’ Mr Barry said. Mr Barry told Daily Mail Australia that he picked up ‘Zippy’ around nine years ago after dropping his daughter to school. ‘I asked a bike rider close by if he (the dog) was his and he said no, so I opened my door and he jumped in the car,’ Mr Barry said. 'Jack's been with us ever since.' Zippy went missing ten years ago after he jumped from the owners brother’s car while driving to Yuendumu, a remote town in Northern Territory. Zippy or Jack has been treated for his injuries and is expected to make a swift recovery . ‘Jack’, Zippy’s new name, was rushed to the Alice Springs Veterinary Hospital after a lady accidentally ran him over with her car nearly two weeks ago. He had been missing for a few days before Mr Barry discovered what had happened. ‘I started worrying and called the RSPCA every day but a vet told me sometimes old dogs wander off to die,’ Mr Barry said. Jack has been treated for his injuries and is expected to make a swift recovery. ‘I am taking him to the vet tomorrow to get his stitches removed,’ Mr Barry said. | Donovan Baarda believed he would never see his dog Zippy again after he jumped from his brother's car .
Nine years later, Mr Baarda received an email that said Zippy had been hit by a car and was alive .
Current owner Michael Barry said that he picked up ‘Zippy’ around nine years ago after dropping his daughter to school.
Zippy is also known as 'Jack' by his current owner . |
197,546 | 8bb13f9f1484095a1a34ba18110484e31c3ce608 | (Fast Company) -- On Tuesday, Amazon launched Instant Video, a streaming movie and TV service that features more than 5,000 titles. The long-rumored service is offered for no additional cost to members of Amazon Prime, the company's loyalty program, which gives customers all-you-can-eat free two-day shipping for a $79 annual fee, and already boasts millions of members. At $79 a year -- or $6.58 per month -- Amazon's new service is less expensive than subscriptions for Netflix and Hulu, which cost $7.99. Will Amazon's service have a big impact on the latter companies? To some degree, Amazon is now a competitor to Hulu and Netflix, but the competition is indirect. Hulu and Netflix more recently have focused on delivering fresher content to customers. Amazon Instant Video is more or less centered on longer-tail content. Fast Company: More about Amazon . "It's a mix--movies from Sony and Warner Bros. tend to be a little older, five to seven years, but we've got some more recent movies," says Cameron Janes, director of Amazon Instant Video. "You are not going to find day-and-date movies. You're not going to find brand-new movies in here because the movies are generally older." The same goes for television. "We don't have day-after-broadcast TV in our Prime offering," Janes says. What's more, in addition to offering newer content, Netflix also offers a much larger library, with an estimated 20,000 titles available for streaming, quadruple Amazon's offerings. In a letter to customers featured prominently on Amazon.com today, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos touted the new offerings, from March of the Penguins to The Dick Van Dyke Show. Of the 18 titles Bezos listed, 16 of them are also available for instant streaming on Netflix. Instant Video appears to be aimed less at Netflix and Hulu, and more at attracting new customers to Amazon Prime. When users search for a movie title online now, they'll will be peppered with benefits of the program. Searching for "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest," for example, non-members will see that they can buy the DVD for $15, not including shipping fees, or rent or buy the film via streaming for $3.99 or $11.99, respectively. However, if they become members of Prime -- for only $6.58 a month--they won't have to spend a penny on the film, since it's available on Instant Video. (And if they still want the DVD, there's always free shipping.) Those ramped up benefits might be enough to pull Amazon users over to Amazon Prime. But will it be enough to sway users into canceling their Netflx and Hulu subscriptions? It's too early to say. As Janes says, "We're just getting started." Copyright © 2010 FastCompany.com, a unit of Mansueto Ventures, LLC. All rights reserved. | On Tuesday, Amazon launched Instant Video, a streaming movie and TV service .
Amazon is now a competitor to Hulu and Netflix, but the competition is indirect .
Netflix offers a much larger library that quadruples Amazon's offering . |
82,407 | e99c80f7f3961025549bba080b3856d92e86965e | (CNN) -- On a sunny day at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena, California, in 1991, photographer Kirk Weddle was setting up to shoot what would become an iconic image in rock music. Spencer Elden was chosen from pictures of 12 babies to grace Nirvana?s "Nevermind" CD cover. Weddle's close friend, artist and designer Rick Elden, remembers that day well because he had brought his 4-month-old son to the pool for Weddle to shoot. Weddle had been tapped to create the cover for what would become Nirvana's breakthrough album "Nevermind." "We went to the same college together," Elden said of his friendship with Weddle. "We were tight buddies and we'd been through a lot together." To hear Elden tell it, the shoot was just another job in a long string of photo shoots for musical acts during his association with Weddle. "Keep in mind we shot the Temptations, and so many bands," he said. On the day of the Nirvana shoot, Weddle was said to be working on an idea dreamed up by the band's relatively unknown frontman, Kurt Cobain, Elden said. "Rumor had it that Cobain had the original concept of wanting to show a mother giving birth under water," Elden said. "but the compromise was to have a baby swimming under water. Or so that's what I was told." A dozen infants including Elden's first-born son Spencer were signed up for the photo shoot in the pool that week. On that particular day only Spencer was scheduled to swim for Weddle. Read more about what Spencer Elden is doing now . The boy was in good hands, said Elden, a certified lifeguard. And even at 4 months, Spencer was a good swimmer, he said. However, "if you don't pull them up, they will drown," he joked. "There's tricks to it: You blow in the kid's face and it creates a gag reflex. Infants have a gag reflex, as we all do. You hold him up really close to your face. You blow into him really hard. They gasp, and into the water they go." Weddle then shot just 18 frames, according to Elden. "We only had a half a second" before the shoot was over and little Spencer was plucked from the water. "Boom, boom, boom. End of story," he said. "We got paid $200." Years later, Spencer Elden, now a 17-year-old high school graduate, returned to that same Pasadena pool complex to compete as a swimmer and water polo player on the club team. Read how Nirvana changed iReporters' lives . He said he's still a pretty good swimmer. "I haven't been swimming as much lately as I'd like to, but I plan on starting swimming next summer," he said. | Dad of underwater baby on Nirvana album dishes details on 1991 photo shoot .
"If you don't pull them up, they will drown," joked dad, a certified lifeguard .
Photographer Kirk Weddle chose baby's photo from pictures of 11 other kids .
Actual photo shoot lasted only 18 frames, said dad. "We got paid $200" |
33,680 | 5fd16225762d92231f6921670ba5d1e195b1165e | Elisabeth Lorentz and Eric Holder from eastern France have married despite a French law banning unions between stepchildren and step-parents . It's a union that comes close to breaking the ultimate taboo. A woman yesterday tied the knot with her stepson - after fighting for months with French authorities for the right to marry. Elisabeth Lorentz, 48, finally married Eric Holder, who is three years her junior, in the parish church in the small village of Dabo in Alsace-Lorraine, north-east France. Although it's not quite an Oedipus complex, the complex story behind their marriage is nonetheless almost worthy of Sophocles - although there is yet hope it won't end in tragedy. Ms Lorentz met Mr Holder's father in 1989, when she was 24 years old. The couple had a daughter in 1997 - she is Mr Holder's half-sister, but also his goddaughter. Mr Holder also had a daughter at around the same time. Ms Lorentz married Mr Holder's father in 2003, but they separated three years later. Ms Lorentz told French media her former husband instigated the break up. 'I was not expecting it, it was a shock,' she said. 'I was an adult so I made do. But our daughter who was nine-years-old felt the separation very badly. She cried every day. 'That's when Eric was a great support for us and our relationship evolved.' Mr Holder, who says he did his best to comfort his half-sister, who is also is goddaughter and now his step-daughter, added: 'When my father left my mother, I felt abandoned. I knew how she felt.' With Mr Holder and Ms Lorentz's friendship soon developing into a love affair, it wasn't long before he proposed. But quickly they ran into trouble with French law, which prohibits all unions between stepchildren and step-parents - even former ones. The couple pleaded their case through the courts right up to the Elysee Palace, only to receive a signed letter from President Francois Hollande last year reconfirming that such marriages are banned. They finally obtained the right to marry from a local court in north-east France in June. The prosecutor's office opposed the decision but did not appeal. 'At last, it's the big day! I simply hope that our story will be useful to other couples in our situation, because I know there are some,' said Ms Lorentz. The couple hold up the signed letter from President Francois Hollande sent to them last year reconfirming that such marriages are banned . She has previously insisted that their relationship has been totally accepted by their family, including their children. 'Eric's father, who is also my ex-husband agrees perfectly our history. Our girls too. They have almost the same age and consider themselves sisters. We never differentiate between them. Moreover, they will both be bridesmaids at our wedding,' she told Le Républicain Lorrain. The ex-husband of the bride, who is also the father of the groom, was to be among the 100 or so guests at the civil and religious ceremonies in Dabo. 'He has always supported us,' Ms Lorentz said. | Elizabeth Lorentz broke up with the father of Eric Holder in 2006 .
Their relationship blossomed in the aftermath of the break-up .
But French law bans marriages between stepchildren and ex-step-parents .
Her daughter is his sister and also his goddaughter - and now stepdaughter . |
253,124 | d3a071eb0f5c5a1524654604c780448dfb5f5405 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:10 EST, 14 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:54 EST, 16 January 2014 . It might look like the plush inside of an enormous private jet but this stunning interior actually belongs to a British farmer's Land Rover. The iconic Land Rover Defender, which is a favourite of the Royal Family, is known for its basic interior and off-road capability. However, one mystery wealthy farmer decided he wanted the classic design with added luxury and spent £80,000 for an Essex-based firm to transform his vehicle. Plush: The interior of the iconic Land Rover Defender has been given a luxurious £80,000 makeover and now features foldaway tables, a drinks cabinet with crystal glassware, a fridge, dimmable mood lighting and built-in computers hosting Windows 8 . Luxury: Clive Drake, of Essex-based firm Carisma Auto Design which carried out the plush £80,000 makeover, said: 'Clients come to us because they know that we can achieve the impossible and deliver a vehicle to them that exceeds their expectations' The pimped up Land Rover, which was customised by Carisma Auto Design, has swapped its classic seats for swanky, quilted adjustable chairs . The farmer, who wanted to remain anonymous, got in touch with Carisma Auto Design, a firm experienced in converting and customising cars, which set about transforming the 4x4. The result is the Carisma Defender D1 - an £80,000 transformation of the trusty off-roader, which usually costs in the region of £20,000 to £30,000. It now boasts foldaway tables, a drinks cabinet with lead crystal glassware, a fridge, dimmable mood lighting, on-board computers with Windows 8, Bluetooth, wifi and a Bang & Olufson sound system. Ceiling and side panels have been finished in a matching quilt trim and the interior is made of Connolly hide. Clive . Drake, sales boss a the South East firm, said: 'Satisfying special and . unusual requests is a key part of our specialist skills and services. The pimped out Carisma Defender D1 now boasts foldaway tables and storage compartments, left, and the interior of the luxury vehicle has been made from rare Connolly hide . 'Clients . come to us because they know that we can achieve the impossible and . deliver a vehicle to them that exceeds their expectations. 'Trust me, we've been asked to incorporate some truly outlandish features, but we still manage to integrate them seamlessly into the vehicle's interior.' It has a 2.2-litre diesel engine which develops 122bhp, giving the Land Rover Defender a 0-62mph time of 14.7 seconds and a top speed of 90mph. The Land Rover Defender, similar to the one pimped out by Carisma Auto Design, is usually known for its off-road capability and sturdy outer exterior . The iconic Land Rover Defender is a favourite of the Queen, pictured here driving herself to the stables on the Sandringham Estate, Norfolk, in 2000 . | The iconic Land Rover Defender is a firm favourite of the Royal Family .
This pimped out version has been named the Carisma Defender D1 following its £80,000 makeover .
It has on-board computers, wifi, Bluetooth, a Bang & Olufson sound system, a fridge and foldaway tables .
It boasts a 2.2-litre diesel engine, can go from 0-62mph in 14.7 seconds and can reach a top speed of 90mph . |
185,827 | 7cac332b00cc112ebc302fbfd650bfca3cd66a61 | Garry Kasparov has revealed he believes Vladimir Putin to be a far bigger threat to the US than ISIS. The former world chess champion also accused the Russian leader of being 'the most dangerous man in the world'. Asked why he had issued such a stark warning, the political activist said that Putin 'plays poker while the rest of the world plays chess', warning that the Russian president's actions showed he had a tendency to try to call the world's bluff. Scroll down for video . Warning: Garry Kasparov claims Vladimir Putin is the 'most dangerous man in the world' He said Putin's next gamble would be to threaten to cut gas supplies to Europe and the former Soviet republics before the winter. Kasparov believes that the threat will be more than enough to force America and Europe to back down from their recent round of sanctions. In an interview with Yahoo News, the former grand master, 51, said: 'Putin is the most dangerous man in the world, a greater threat to the United States than the Islamic State.' And he attacked President Barack Obama for being too late in checking Putin's actions in Ukraine that eventually led to Russia annexing Crimea. Kasparov also slated European leaders, claiming that indifference to Putin's actions was similar to the complacency shown by leaders in the build-up to World War Two. He said it was hypocritical for the US and its allies to supply arms to Syrian rebels opposed to ISIS but to refuse to agree to similar requests from Ukraine. The 51-year-old also said the Islamic State militant group was simply a 'diversion' for the world to focus on. Garry Kasparov, above, believes Putin will threaten to cut gas supplies to Europe before the winter . But he said the sanctions imposed on Russia by the West would eventually work - but would only do so if they were left in place until at least March 2015. Kasparov believes Putin will use Russia's huge supply of natural gas as a bargaining chip ahead of what he dubbed the coming 'cold winter', threatening to shut down supplies to Europe and other former Soviet republics. Kasparov thinks that this threat could be enough to encourage an easing of penalties against Russia. He also believes Putin is telling his associates that the western governments 'will blink' and is simply calling the world's bluff – 'playing poker while everyone else is playing chess'. Kasparov, who once showed an interest in running for political office, said he now saw an uncertain future for Russia. 'We should forget about power in Russia changing hands throughout the election process. I'm afraid it will be not a very lawful process and it may eventually end up with the collapse of the country,' he said. | Former chess champion says Putin 'plays poker while the world plays chess'
Claims leaders are complacent about the threat from the Russian president .
Hits out at Barack Obama for not challenging Putin's actions in Ukraine .
Warns that Russia will threaten to cut gas supplies to Europe before winter . |
246,262 | cabbcad8490e9bb9d58223d3b14b308cee4b9833 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 10:02 EST, 12 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:20 EST, 12 September 2013 . Lawyer David Latham threw himself in front of a Tube train the day after he had warned a colleague he was going to kill himself . A partner at a top law firm who threw himself under a Tube train had warned a colleague he was going to kill himself the day before, an inquest has heard. Colleagues of David Latham, 58, a world-renowned trademark lawyer at Hogan and Lovells, had noticed he was 'inconsolable' as he worried over the fate of a big case. After weeks of sleepless nights, the father-of-three, from Kensington, west London, told a fellow partner that he was planning to kill himself but the remark was dismissed as a 'flippant comment'. The next day, on February 15 this year, Mr Latham jumped in front of a tube train in west London. His wife, Gillian Webb, told Westminster Coroner's Court more should have been done by his employers to help her husband. She said: 'If a person shows the signs as David clearly had, they should have something put in place to prevent such tragedies.' Ms Webb said Mr Latham's colleague only revealed his threat to kill himself after he had failed to show up for work the day he died. 'She said David came into the office and said I'm going to kill myself', she said. 'She said he went into the office and closed the door, which is normally lawyer-speak for "this is important".' Nicholas MacFarlane, another partner at the law firm, said Mr Latham was a 'perfectionist' who was beset with worries that a big case he was handling had come unstuck because of evidence problems. 'He was worried the whole thing would reflect badly on him', he said. 'He thought he had made a mistake and he was very concerned about that. Mr Latham was a world-renowned trademark lawyer at Hogan and Lovells . 'He definitely got very exercised about it, and I used the word inconsolable. However much we persuaded him that it wasn't important, he thought it was.' Mr MacFarlane said the threat to kill . himself had been dismissed as a 'flippant comment', but constant efforts . were made to reassure him the mistake did not matter and may not ever . have been discovered. He said: 'The firm is actively looking at how to give support to stressed lawyers. 'But not one of us said "my God, he is near to the edge of suicide". 'When he said he was going to kill himself, it was a flippant comment and unfortunately no one took any notice of it.' Ms Webb said her husband had complained of not being supported at work as the strain of the case took its toll. Westminster Coroner's Court heard how Mr Latham had struggled to sleep in the weeks before he jumped in front of a train . She said: 'The client had taken the stand and introduced evidence that wasn't in the affidavit, it had upset David and he had to go back and rewrite the affidavit and submit it to the court. 'He was very upset that it wasn't going to look good for him, but more importantly for the firm. 'I said you can't legislate for how people act on witness stand, it was out of his hands.' She said Mr Latham 'tossed and turned' at night for weeks, and had been on edge the night before he died during a Valentine's Day meal at Claridges. Mr Latham's wife Gillian Webb (pictured leaving Westminster Coroner's Court) told the hearing more should have been done by his employers to help her husband . His mobile phone received a steady stream of messages throughout the evening, she said, and he knew they were from work. 'He was looking at me, like this was supposed to be a nice meal but he knew it was communications coming through.' Ms Webb said the couple were planning to go on holiday in a week's time, and Mr Latham had promised to take her shoe shopping at the weekend before a night at the opera. But she added: 'He had trouble sleeping at night for several weeks. 'I saw him staring into space at times, and even the children noticed it at weekends.' She said she did not hear her husband leave the house early the next morning, and had no idea what he was planning. Coroner Jean Harkin ruled Mr Latham had committed suicide, after being satisfied that the balance of his mind was not affected when he died. 'It is clear that he was involved in a matter of work where he felt that he would be criticised and despite reassurances from partners and colleagues at work, he retained those thoughts', she said. 'At home he was greatly affected by events at work and felt unsupported. 'However, in evidence heard from Mr . MacFarlane, he was consistently reassured, and even leading counsel . reassured him that he hadn't done anything wrong and in any event it was . of no consequence.' She added: 'Mr Latham jumped in front of a train of his own accord. 'He was suffering from stress like . symptoms at work and he was deemed to be very worried about this case to . the point of being inconsolable, but that doesn't satisfy me that the . balance of his mind was affected.' Cambridge-educated . Mr Latham, who regularly featured in the Who's Who list of . International Trademark Lawyers, was made partner of law firm Hogan and . Lovells in 1988, just two years after joining, and ran the company's New . York office for many years. 'When he said he was going to kill himself, it was a flippant comment and unfortunately no one took any notice of it' - Nicholas MacFarlane, partner at Hogan and Lovells . The firm, with headquarters in London and Washington DC, has more than 2,500 lawyers working out of 40 offices around the world. In a statement after his death, colleagues described Mr Latham as an 'utterly charming man who was one of life's true gentlemen'. 'A likeable, modest man, David was not only an exceptional lawyer and consummate professional; he was also a great colleague, loyal partner and a friend to many at the firm', they said. 'He was one of the few people who could walk into a room and make sure he spoke to every person in it.' | David Latham had trouble sleeping for weeks as he worried about case .
The partner at Hogan and Lovells jumped in front of a tube train .
He had told a fellow partner he was going to kill himself the day before .
His wife told an inquest more should have been done to help him .
If you or a family member have contemplated suicide, contact The Samaritans on 08457 909090 . |
275,786 | f1427ef2ceb8347ae50a78c776a9911570067d61 | (CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed the referee "didn't let" his Real Madrid team win Tuesday's European Champions League semifinal second leg against archrivals Barcelona. Real could only draw 1-1 at the Camp Nou, losing 3-1 on aggregate after last week's controversial 2-0 defeat to Barca in Madrid which left both clubs facing charges from ruling body UEFA. It was the two teams' fourth meeting in 18 days -- clashes known as "El Clasico" -- and tensions between the clubs have become strained in that period, with allegations of foul play and racism being made. There was further controversy on Tuesday, when Real saw a 48th-minute goal from Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain ruled out by referee Frank de Bleeckere after Ronaldo was adjudged to have fouled Javier Mascherano. Barca held but go through to Champions League final . "Once again it was the referee that didn't allow us to dictate the outcome," Ronaldo, who became the world's most expensive player when he moved to the Bernabeu from Manchester United in 2009, told Real's official website. "We knew we could beat Barca, but the referee didn't let us. Higuain's goal was good. Pique pushed me and I landed on Mascherano. He didn't used to fall to the ground in England, but he's picked up the bad habit of doing it here like everyone else." Josep Guardiola's Barca took the lead on the night when Spain forward Pedro coolly converted after a pass from compatriot Andres Iniesta on 54 minutes. Real, without head coach Jose Mourinho after he was sent to the stands in the first leg, equalized through Brazil's Marcelo in the 65th minute following a shot from Angel Di Maria that rattled the post. Los Blancos were left frustrated after last week's first leg, when they felt Portugal defender Pepe was wrongly dismissed for a challenge on Dani Alves. Has the time arrived for change in football? "The referee in the first match took away our chances of playing the final," Pepe's fellow Portugal international Ronaldo said. "Whoever knows anything about football knows that Barcelona get preferential treatment. We knew something would happen. We knew that if we scored a goal that everything would be done to keep us from going through. "This isn't good for football. We should just stay home and allow Barcelona to play alone if things don't change." Guardiola has guided the Catalan club to the second final in Europe's premier club competition under his stewardship and a third in five years. Barca secured the first of three Champions League triumphs at London's Wembley Stadium in 1992, a match Guardiola played in, and will return to the rebuilt venue for the May 28 showpiece. "Taking into account what these players have come through, it's incredible," the 40-year-old told UEFA's website. "They just keep going and going. I give my thanks to every one of them; what they have achieved is beyond definition. We won our first European Cup in Wembley and now we are going in search of our fourth." Barca look likely to face Manchester United in a repeat of the 2009 final in Rome, after the English Premier League leaders defeated German outfit Schalke 2-0 in their semifinal first-leg tie on April 26. The two teams meet again at United's Old Trafford on Wednesday. "I'm not sure who we will face but I imagine it will be Manchester United," Guardiola said. "I think Alex Ferguson is always there, in the Champions League or Premier League, competing for titles. It would be an honor for me, a young coach, to reach the final against him." | Cristiano Ronaldo says referee did not let Real Madrid beat Barcelona .
Real lost 3-1 on aggregate to Barca in Champions League semifinal after 1-1 draw .
Madrid had a goal disallowed after Ronaldo was ruled to have fouled in the build-up .
Barca coach Josep Guardiola thanks his players for victory over their rivals . |
118,335 | 24c77b4143b527368e9243fa8512a248d2d26ba8 | Have you ever envisaged what your perfect stag do would look like? Most blokes would probably tell you that theirs would involve beer and football in some capacity - and to make it extra special they'd like to meet a one of their sporting idols. Well, an events company has come up with the ultimate stag do package which allows you to have a kickabout with Teddy Sheringham or Matt Le Tissier, for instance, from as little as £60 per person. Stag do website chillisauce.co.uk have joined up with Play With A Legend to allow grooms-to-be and their friends to play with or against one of their footballing heroes - and then spend time chatting with them over a leisurely pint! Dion Dublin and Darren Anderton (right) battle it out on the pitch during a stag do . A group of mates playing at Carrow Road with Norwich legend Darren Eadie (front row, third left) The stag do footballer idea was that of Perry Groves (back row, third left), who you can also hire . Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn, pictured on a stag and Teddy Sheringham, pictured while playing for West Ham United, could be on your stag do playing a match and having a pint with you too . More than 50 former football stars such as Sheringham, Le Tissier, Dietmar Hamann, Danny Murphy and Paul Merson are available to hire for the ultimate stag do experience. The 'Play With A Legend' experience is the brainchild of 49-year-old ex-Arsenal winger Perry Groves - who is one of the footballers available for your stag do - and sports journalist Josh Landy. A total of two-and-a-half hours can be spent with your chosen star (inclusive of the time for the match), ensuring you get at least an hour in the pub after your kickabout enjoying a couple of pints with Dion Dublin, Darren Anderton, Luther Blissett, David Howells or whichever football is present. The prices are split into three tiers, depending on the former professional, but the cost of a stag do for 21 people (two teams of XI if you include the ex-footballer of your choice) starts at around £60 per person (or £1,260 overall). Ex-Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson (left) and former Middlesbrough defender Ugo Ehiogu are available . Former Newcastle United midfielder Rob Lee (left, pictured against Partizan Belgrade) is available for hire . Cost varies depending on which ex-footballer you choose, the amount of players per side and the venue chosen. The likes of Sheringham and Merson cost approximately £3,250 to £3,500 overall (£155-167 per person) and other players will cost £1,500 (£72 a man) or £1,260 (£60 a man). Games can range from five-a-side (nine people) to 11-a-side (maximum of 28 people) with the greater number of players bringing the price down. Former Tottenham Hotspur star David Howells could be on your stag do, on which you get kit provided . Merson (left) with Perry Groves (centre), the brains behind the project, and Ray Parlour . In terms of venues, your bog-standard five-a-side pitch is perfectly acceptable - although matches have also been played at non-League venues and even at Norwich City's Carrow Road! As well as the hire of a football pitch for between 30 and 90 minutes (depending on location and the preference of the stag party), you'll also get a referee to officiate the match, a designated event organiser and two sets of plain T-shirts for your teams included in the price. It's better for you than just a day of drinking, at any rate. From £60pp you can play football with... Clayton Blackmore, Darren Eadie, Ugo Ehiogu, Tony Daley, Paul Davis, Lee Hendrie, Tony Dorigo, David Howells, Darren Huckerby, David May, Chris Perry, Steve Sedgley, Frank Sinclair, Neil Webb, Alan Wright, Noel Whelan, David Thompson, Kenny Sansom, Kerry Dixon, Micky Hazard, Gordon Watson, Alan Smith, Linvoy Primus, Rufus Brevett. Dietmar Hamann, Danny Murphy, Paul Merson, Ray Parlour, Matt Le Tissier, Teddy Sheringham, Clive Allen, Luther Blissett, Tony Cottee, Dion Dublin, Darren Anderton, Perry Groves, Matt Holland, Rob Lee, Jason McAteer, Pat Nevin, Chris Powell, Des Walker, Paul Walsh, Nigel Winterburn, Nigel Spackman, Mark Bright, Don Hutchison, Micky Gray, Graham Roberts, John Salako, Rob Jones, Dave Beasant. | 'Play With A Legend' stag do scheme offered by website chillisauce.co.uk .
From £60 per person (for an 11-a-side match) you can hire ex-professional footballers to play with you and enjoy post-game pints on your stag do .
Players include Teddy Sheringham, Matt Le Tissier and Paul Merson .
Three-tiered pricing depending on which of more than 50 stars you want .
Kits, pitch hire and a referee all included in price of package . |
13,110 | 2535beebabd40b6a766c857122cb607ad8b31009 | Everton midfielder Ross Barkley will return to first-team training at the beginning of next week after recovering from a knee ligament injury. Barkley is yet to make a competitive appearance for the Toffees so far this season as the 20-year-old was ruled out for up to eight weeks on the eve of the Premier League campaign. Everton boss Roberto Martinez, who has heaped praise on Barkley, has revealed his star midfielder will return to full training on Monday. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ross Barkley smash one in during an England training session . Everton midfielder Ross Barkley is yet to make an appearance for the Toffees so far this season . Barkley, pictured shaking hands with Roberto Martinez, could return to first team action in two weeks . Steven Pienaar - Hip/thigh injury . John Stones - Ankle/foot . Seamus Coleman - Hamstring . James McCarthy - Hip/thigh . Sylvain Distin - Knock . Kevin Mirallas - Hamstring . Ross Barkley - Knee ligament . Arouna Kone - Knee . Martinez, speaking to SkySports, said: 'On Monday we expect Ross, with the green light from the medical department, to join the group. 'Now it's a matter of getting him match fit and getting him up to speed. Ross has been working really well and I don't expect any setbacks. I expect Ross to have a real clear path to get his match fitness back. 'From Monday I want him to be part of it and in probably a couple of weeks we should be able to see Ross in the squad. 'His desire and hunger to be in the team is contagious, and that is something I want to have with the group. He'll be like a fresh, new player for us.' Barkley's return to training will come as music to the ears of Martinez - who is already without the likes of John Stones, Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy. England starlet Barkley played a part in England's three 2014 World Cup group games during the summer . VIDEO Stones faces four months out . | Everton ace Ross Barkley has recovered from a knee ligament injury .
England international Barkley was ruled out for up to eight weeks .
Roberto Martinez has praised Barkley's 'desire and hunger' |
29,158 | 52d234cac4526864f9decd3acfb874c5ff1b1d02 | New York (CNN) -- Facebook users now have two more ways to describe their romantic arrangements. In a gesture of inclusiveness aimed at the gay community, Facebook on Thursday added "In a civil union" and "In a domestic partnership" to its official list of relationship statuses. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but a gay rights group, which announced the change, cheered it. "By acknowledging the relationships of countless loving and committed same-sex couples in the U.S. and abroad, Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion for social media," Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation president Jarrett Barrios wrote in a statement. Barrios said that GLAAD and several other gay-rights groups met with the company to push for the change. The option is now available for Facebook users in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Australia, the group said. | Facebook has added "In a civil union" and "In a domestic partnership" to its list .
"Facebook has set a new standard of inclusion," GLAAD says .
Several gay-rights groups met with the company to push for the change, GLAAD says . |
44,787 | 7e428390600998ddc31b6199f6aa41f99a92376e | At the end of Arsenal's 1-0 win over Southampton on Wednesday, the spotlight focused on Arsene Wenger's strikeforce. How can he get Danny Welbeck to improve after missing a host of chances against Saints? How much longer can he rely on Alexis Sanchez to get Arsenal out of jail? Should he get Thierry Henry at the club as a coach, passing on his expertise, as soon as possible? Everyone, it seemed, had forgotten about one of the World Cup winners missing from Arsenal's ranks. Mesut Ozil watched Arsenal beat Southampton and gave his approval of the result by saying 'job well done' Mesut Ozil (centre) in action for Arsenal against Tottenham earlier in the Premier League season . Alexis Sanchez (right) fires past Fraser Forster (centre) of Southampton to win all three points for Arsenal . But playmaker Mesut Ozil watched his team break down Ronald Koeman's side and while the performance had plenty of room for improvement, the result got his seal of approval. 'Job well done' he put, alongside a picture of him watching the game wrapped up in a blanket as winter sets in across England. Ozil was ruled out of action for 12 weeks with a knee injury at the start of October and Arsenal will no doubt be hoping he can return to top form when he returns in the new year. | Injured Mesut Ozil watches on as Arsenal beat Southampton 1-0 .
Alexis Sanchez scored the decisive goal in the 89th minute for Arsenal .
Ozil was ruled out for around 12 weeks in October with a knee injury . |
239,392 | c1ef4363f1fe711aeac0e364b9b5ccfa1772ccc7 | By . Mark Prigg . A team of US university students have unveiled an audacious plan to become the fourth people in history to land a spaceship on the moon. The Penn State students say their project could even go one better - landing a craft that can take off and land at will, allowing it to explore the lunar surface easily. They hope to launch on a commercial spacecraft in 2015 - if they can raise enough money. Scroll down for video . How it will work -after launching on a commercial vehicle, the team hope to land on the lunar surface and send video and images from the surface . In December of 2015, the Lunar Lion lander will take off onboard a commercial launch vehicle. After cruising through space for five days, the spacecraft will land on the surface of the Moon, sending back high-res images and videos to Penn State’s mission control center. After this first lunar touchdown, the team will launch the Lunar Lion lander from the Moon’s surface and fly it to a second landing site. 'Moon missions take brains, and willpower, and usually the wealth of nations - until now,' the team says on its fundraising site. 'Brains are still needed. And willpower. Not nations, though. 'For the first time in history a group of students with a dream, a hell of a lot of support from their school, and your help, will land a spacecraft on the Moon.' The team are battling against far larget teams as part of a Google XPRIZE for the team to land on the moon. Once their craft has landed, they plan to beam back messages from supporters, while the craft will also be etched with the names of those who supported the project. 'When the Lunar Lion Mission Clock hits ZERO, the first bunch of twenty-something-student-rocket-scientists (along with professors, advisors, partners and pals) are going to launch a lander bound for the Moon. 'After it lands it’s going to take off again, fly for a bit, and then land again. 'This, too, is a FIRST. ' The Penn State/Lunar Lion lander as it would look on the Moon's surface . 'Some very serious math has been done to calculate just how long the Lunar Lion might last on the Moon. Since it will be engraved with or contain the names and messages of everyone who wants to help, the answer is important. 'Our lander will stand post for tens of millions of years. The Google Lunar XPRIZE, the largest international incentive based prize of all time, aims to do something we haven’t done as humanity since 1973 - safely land on the surface of the Moon. 'More than half of the world’s population has never had the opportunity to view a live transmission from the lunar surface,' say the organisers. The Google Lunar XPRIZE aims to create a new “Apollo” moment for this generation and to spur continuous lunar exploration with $40 Million in incentive based prizes. In order to win this money, a private company must land safely on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 meters above, below, or on the Lunar surface, and send back two 'Mooncasts' to Earth . The team is confident it can win the Lunar Xprize, awarded to the first non-government group to land on the moon. 'The launch date is set, the spacecraft design is complete, and at the moment, it looks like the Lunar Lion team might just win the Google Lunar XPRIZE by being the first non-government group ever to accomplish so technical a task.' The Penn students testing their design . The next step in the race is to build and test the lander prototype, the team say. In December of 2015, the Lunar Lion lander will take off onboard a commercial launch vehicle. After cruising through space for five days, the spacecraft will land on the surface of the Moon, sending back high-res images and videos to Penn State’s mission control center. After this first lunar touchdown, the team will launch the Lunar Lion lander from the Moon’s surface and fly it to a second landing site. 'We began planning the mission in January 2013 and will finish this phase by July of 2014,' the team says. An artist's impression of the craft in space . 'During this period, Penn State researchers will be moving from the design phase in the labs to building a prototype of the Lunar Lion to do descent, landing, and hopping tests on Earth.' Mission control will conduct flight operations from December 2015 to January 2016. During this period, we will reach out to the world and release stunning hi-res videos and photos to the public and publish details of the Lunar Lion’s achievements before we close out the mission, and our golden lander becomes the monument to all that we have together accomplished. | Penn State team hope to become 4th team ever to land a spaceship on the Moon .
Will send back video from the lunar surface - and replay messages from its backers .
Plan to launch in December 2015 - if they can raise enough money . |
180,367 | 75805d5f1f22bc6fcdff850c88a4fcce7dc3e17f | (CNN) -- As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton steps down from her job Friday, many are assuming she will run for president. And she may. In fact, five of the first eight presidents first served their predecessors as secretary of state. It hasn't happened in more than a century, though that may change should Clinton decide to run. After all, she has been a game changer her entire life. But before we look ahead, I think we should appreciate what she's done as secretary of state; it's a high profile, high pressure job. You have to deal with the routine as if it is critical and with crisis as if it's routine. You have to manage egos, protocols, customs and Congress. You have to be rhetorical and blunt, diplomatic and direct. As secretary of state you are dealing with heads of state and with we the people. And the president of the United States has to trust you -- implicitly. On the road with Hillary Clinton . Of all Clinton's accomplishments -- and I will mention just a few -- this may be the most underappreciated. During the election, pundits were puzzled and amazed not only at how much energy former President Bill Clinton poured into Obama's campaign, but even more at how genuine and close the friendship was. Obama was given a lot of well-deserved credit for reaching out to the Clintons by appointing then-Sen. Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state in the first place. But trust is a two-way street and has to be earned. We should not underestimate or forget how much Clinton did and how hard she worked. She deserved that trust, as she deserved to be in the war room when Osama bin Laden was killed. By the way, is there any other leader in the last 50 years whom we routinely refer to by a first name, and do so more out of respect than familiarity? The last person I can think of was Ike -- the elder family member who we revere with affection. Hillary is Hillary. It's not surprising that we feel we know her. She has been part of our public life for more than 20 years. She's been a model of dignity, diplomacy, empathy and toughness. She also has done something no other secretary of state has done -- including the two women who preceded her in the Cabinet post. Rothkopf: President Hillary Clinton? If she wants it . Hillary has transformed our understanding -- no, our definition -- of foreign affairs. Diplomacy is no longer just the skill of managing relations with other countries. The big issues -- war and peace, terror, economic stability, etc. -- remain, and she has handled them with firmness and authority, with poise and confidence, and with good will, when appropriate. But it is not the praise of diplomats or dictators that will be her legacy. She dealt with plenipotentiaries, but her focus was on people. Foreign affairs isn't just about treaties, she taught us, it's about the suffering and aspirations of those affected by the treaties, made or unmade. Most of all, diplomacy should refocus attention on the powerless. Of course, Hillary wasn't the first secretary of state to advocate for human rights or use the post to raise awareness of abuses or negotiate humanitarian relief or pressure oppressors. But she was the first to focus on empowerment, particularly of women and girls. She created the first Office of Global Women's Issues. That office fought to highlight the plight of women around the world. Rape of women has been a weapon of war for centuries. Though civilized countries condemn it, the fight against it has in a sense only really begun. Ghitis: Hillary Clinton's global legacy on gay rights . The office has worked to hold governments accountable for the systematic oppression of girls and women and fought for their education in emerging countries. As Hillary said when the office was established: "When the Security Council passed Resolution 1325, we tried to make a very clear statement, that women are still largely shut out of the negotiations that seek to end conflicts, even though women and children are the primary victims of 21st century conflict." Hillary also included the United States in the Trafficking in Person report. Human Trafficking, a form of modern, mainly sexual, slavery, victimizes mostly women and girls. The annual report reviews the state of global efforts to eliminate the practice. "We believe it is important to keep the spotlight on ourselves," she said. "Human trafficking is not someone else's problem. Involuntary servitude is not something we can ignore or hope doesn't exist in our own communities." She also created the office of Global Partnerships. And there is much more. She has held her own in palaces and held the hands of hungry children in mud-hut villages, pursuing an agenda that empowers women, children, the poor and helpless. We shouldn't have been surprised. Her book "It Takes a Village" focused on the impact that those outside the family have, for better or worse, on a child's well-being. As secretary of state, she did all she could to make sure our impact as a nation would be for the better. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile. | Donna Brazile: Clinton stepping down as Secretary of State. Maybe she'll run for president .
She says as secretary she expanded foreign policy to include effect on regular people .
She says she was first secretary of state to focus on empowering women and girls .
Brazile: Clinton has fought for education and inclusion in politics for women and girls . |
193,570 | 869422230012f0ad41b1598b8df11a2b28862fc0 | Dylan Hartley says Northampton's England contingent will depart for international duty content that Saints are still chasing silverware on three fronts. A 34-6 demolition of previously unbeaten Guinness PRO12 leaders the Ospreys at Franklin's Gardens on Saturday has kept alive hopes of progressing to the knockout stage of the Champions Cup. On the domestic front, the defence of their Aviva Premiership title has begun by claiming first place after six rounds ahead of the break for LV= Cup action. Dylan Hartley believes Northampton's England internationals are departing with the side in a healthy position . Hartley (right) was in action for Northampton as they won 34-6 against London Osprey's on Saturday . Northampton supply seven of England's 33-man squad named for the QBE Series against New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa and Australia, and Hartley reckons they can reflect on a satisfying start to the season. 'We're sitting at the top of the Premiership - which is nice - and our European campaign is still alive. We're in a good place,' Hartley said. 'We've got two weeks of the LV now and we've got some boys champing at the bit, some young players ready for a game.' One of those certain to start against New Zealand at Twickenham in a fortnight is Tom Wood, the blindside flanker who demonstrated his commitment to Saints by opting to play against the Ospreys over attending the birth of his third child. Tom Wood (above) missed the birth of his third child to play for Northampton in the game against Ospreys . 'Tom Wood's nose looks pretty b*****ed after that match!' Hartley said. 'His wife was in hospital expecting a child while the game was on, but he insisted on playing. 'His nose was spread across his face and he then ran to the hospital! 'Other than that, all the boys are in good nick and we're excited - it's a big series coming up and a huge game against the All Blacks to start it with.' Wales wing George North plundered four tries, the last of which was a stunning solo effort, to fire Northampton to an important bonus-point victory a week after they had left Racing Metro empty-handed. Stuart Lancaster (above) selected seven players from Northampton for his England international squad . A draw and then bonus point slipped from their grasp in Paris and Hartley admits the last of North's four-try salvo was vital. 'I was a bit worried towards the end there because, after not picking up something last week, five points was crucial for us against the Ospreys,' Hartley said. 'We had so many chances and the game was fully in our hands for 80 minutes. I was worried, but we got there in the end. George North saved the day.' | Hartley pleased that Northampton are chasing silverware on three fronts .
But they will lose seven players to the England squad for the Autumn tests .
Hartley said Northampton have youngsters 'chomping at the bit' for game . |
232,687 | b9497013204f5bb3190cb317d2223cae02c7a1dd | A U.S. couple cleared in the death of their 8-year-old daughter arrived home to Los Angeles on Thursday and reunited with family members following a legal battle that kept them in Qatar for nearly two years, including almost a year spent in jail. Matthew and Grace Huang arrived with smiles on their faces, according to The David House Agency, which represents them. 'Mission accomplished. Matt and Grace are in Los Angeles. They have not stopped smiling,' the agency tweeted. American couple Grace, center, and Matthew Huang, right, walk to their departure gate with U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, left, at the Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar . Family reunion: The David House Agency tweeted a photo of Matthew and Grace Huang embracing their sons and other relatives, saying it was a 'Glorious family reunion. If the Qatari prosecutors could only see this moment!' The agency later tweeted a photo of the couple embracing their sons and other relatives, saying it was a 'Glorious family reunion. If the Qatari prosecutors could only see this moment!' The Huangs gained international attention when they were arrested in January 2013 on charges of starving their African-born daughter, Gloria, to death. The couple, who are of Asian descent, had adopted Gloria in Ghana when she was 4 years old, and are the parents of two other adopted, African-born children. Throughout the case, the family's representatives expressed concern that there were cultural misunderstandings underpinning the charges against the couple in a nation where Western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are relatively rare. American couple Matthew, left, and Grace Huang, smile. The Los Angeles couple had been detained in the country after their arrest in January 2013, on murder charges following the death of their 8-year-old daughter . The Huangs spent nearly a year behind bars before their case was heard for the first time in November 2013. They were eventually convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison . An initial police report raised questions about why the couple would adopt children who did not share their 'hereditary traits.' Prosecutors said the couple denied food to their daughter and locked her in her room at night. The Huangs said Gloria suffered from medical problems complicated by an eating disorder that was the result of her impoverished early years in Africa. The Huangs spent nearly a year behind bars before their case was heard for the first time in November 2013. They were eventually convicted of child endangerment and sentenced to three years in prison. An appeals court judge overturned their conviction Sunday and said they could leave, but their passports were confiscated at the airport later that day. Their situation remained tense until the moment of their departure Wednesday, with Matthew Huang being detained for several minutes at the airport's passport control station as his wife watched in tears. The suspense encapsulates the twists and turns of a slow-moving case that became an irritant in otherwise close relations between the U.S. and Qatar, a key ally that hosts an important U.S. military air base. 'We feel relieved. We feel gratitude to the legal system in the state of Qatar, which after some time worked as a good legal system should,' said U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith, who accompanied the couple to the airport. The couple and their children moved to Qatar in 2012 after Matthew Huang was hired to work as an engineer as part of preparations for the 2022 World Cup. | Matthew and Grace Huang were detained in the country after their arrest in January 2013, on murder charges following the death of their 8-year-old girl .
The Huangs were living in Qatar when their daughter died .
They were imprisoned but later cleared of charges .
A delay in lifting a travel ban imposed on the couple was blamed on legal procedures .
Prosecutors alleged the Huangs bought daughter cheaply in Africa and starved her to death . |
196,878 | 8acfdc08fc9b7cd2d8da2c1956af1c7392161dfe | By . Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 16:33 EST, 31 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:49 EST, 31 August 2012 . What's the best way to erase an ex-lover from your life? As Victorian artist William Holman Hunt found, painting over her is a good start. His portrait of this pre-Raphaelite beauty (main picture) did not always feature the steady gaze of this striking woman with dramatic brows and a tumble of auburn curls. The new beauty: Fanny Waugh's face in the finished portrait . What lies beneath? A close inspection revealed the face of the artist's previous lover . Previous occupier: The painting used to feature Annie Miller before she was painted over . Some years earlier it was the face of the artist’s previous lover and model Annie Miller, above, smiling out from the painting. When she ended her affair with Hunt in 1859, the unfinished canvas lay untouched for years until Hunt fell in love with Fanny Waugh – the woman who would become his wife. That’s when he got the painting out, scraped off Annie’s face and replaced it with Fanny’s. The secret about-face is revealed in an X-ray released by Tate Britain, where the painting will go on display this month as part of the Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde exhibition. The X-ray was taken during routine . cleaning of the painting. Although Hunt removed Annie’s face all those . years ago, some remnants can still be seen thanks to the fact that he . originally painted on to a white background. Annie’s mouth is smaller than Fanny’s and she has a shorter, rounder nose and less defined jawline. Experts say, however, that the finished painting of Fanny still bears Annie’s hands and maybe even hair. Historians . believe Hunt had intended to marry Annie but she was fiercely . independent and enjoyed the company of other men too much. Dante Gabriel . Rossetti, who along with Hunt and John Everett Millais founded the . Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848, is thought to have also been her . lover. Hunt’s wife Fanny died in childbirth in 1866 – the year the portrait was finally finished. First lover: Annie Miller in a different painting by the artist . Hidden face: An X-ray showed she had been painted over . The painting, Il Dolce far Niente, also features a different background arrangement to the original draft, and the artist even sewed an extra piece of canvas on to make it bigger. In his memoirs, Hunt indicated that a third woman – a professional model known only as Miss Foster – also sat for the piece, but she is not discernible from the X-Ray. Curator Alison Smith said: ‘Hunt was a sincere and intense man. He was attracted to striking-looking women. He loved strong independent types. ‘When Annie left him, he was devastated. He was very jealous of her relationships with other artists and quite controlling. He put the unfinished portrait aside when it ended and took it up again when he had a new fiancée. ‘The painting's title means “It is sweet to do nothing“, so presumably she’s looking out at someone who is her lover. She’s dallying in front of her betrothed. ‘It’s a picture about acceptance, so it’s quite understandable that the artist would want to show the woman he wanted to spend his life with.’ The exhibition at London’s Tate Britain begins on September 12. | Secret revealed by an X-ray taken at Tate Britain . |
217,026 | a4fc76f7f8073767dfeac4f1c34b3a2ce693eb20 | A Spanish family who lost a memory card while on holiday in Scotland have been reunited with over 500 pictures of their holiday of a lifetime - all thanks to a Facebook campaign by a Scottish student. Barry Carruthers, 22, a drama student, said that the memory card had still worked and was filled with pictures of a family taken at Scotland's most iconic sights. In an ingenious move, he selected several and posted them on Facebook, illustrating the family's trips to iconic locations across Scotland, in hopes that someone online would recognise them. The family of four from Barcelona lost their camera while travelling throughout Scotland . From there, the message went global. Social media from Shetland to Hong Kong joined in the hunt for the family, even going so far as to contact American talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres on Twitter, in hopes that she'd spread the world. He said: 'This family had been everywhere, and done it all. 'They went to the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle, the Fringe, the Royal Mile, Knockhill Circuit, Ayr - you name it. Student, Barry Carruthers, found the memory card and posted photos online in an attempt to find the family . The social media campaign went viral and even Ellen DeGeneres was contacted via Twitter to help. Pictured: Eilean Donan Castle in the Western highlands . 'I've lived in Scotland all my life, and there were a few places I couldn't even identify.' After looking through the family-of-four's all-encompassing epic Scottish trip, Carruthers said he felt compelled to reunite the tourists with their photos. The pictures seem to feature a family of four, specifically two parents and their son and daughter, reportedly from Barcelona. The Spanish media have now confirmed that the family had gotten in touch with the student to claim back the pictures. Carruthers found over 500 incredible photos from the family's world travels on their memory card . Eventually, the manager of the Ibis hotel where the family had stayed in Edinburgh contacted Barry . The son then reached out and contacted Carruthers and arranged for delivery of the memory card . Local newspaper La Vanguardia said the family had been identified as Spanish because of the fact that one of the photographs shows the family pointing a red star in reference to the Catalan beer brand and there was another picture of the family next to the car driven by the Barcelona pilot Pepe massot. That allowed the manager of the Ibis hotel where the family stayed while on their trip to Edinburgh to identify them and contact Barry. Carruthers said: 'I have only spoken to the son of the family, but they are from the Catalonia area and the son studies in Barcelona. He is completely shocked. 'The guy from the hotel, Jamie got in touch with the mum after seeing the photos on Facebook and she's delighted.' The family had apparently lost their camera, and whoever found it must have dumped the memory card where it was then found by the student i front of a multi storey car park in Glasgow. | Family from Catalonia lost camera while travelling throughout Scotland .
Memory card was found by a Scottish student, Barry Carruthers .
Carruthers launched social media campaign to reunite the family with card . |
16,404 | 2e8c7640f410368d5349edfefa4028a7e20afc44 | By . Jaymi Mccann . PUBLISHED: . 06:25 EST, 24 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 24 May 2013 . A Nazi war tank that police found in a drug dealer's back garden was sold on eBay for more than £5,000. Officers came across the intimidating machine as they raided the property of David Barrett, 46, after he was jailed for his part in a huge heroin smuggling plot. Fortunately, the vehicle turned out only to be a replica of a German SDKFZ 222 'Helga' tank - which was used in reconnaissance missions during the Second World War. Shocking: Officers found the replica Nazi tank in the back garden of drug dealer David Barrett . Replica: The 'Helga' SDKFZ 222 was then sold on eBay by police for £5,000 . Nottinghamshire Police seized the 2.25 ton tank under the Proceeds of Crime Act and cashed in on their discovery by selling it on eBay for £5,205 in January. They also found other military memorabilia, £2,000 in cash and a luxury Breitling watch at Barrett's £200,000 home in picturesque Barton-in-Fabis. The tank - complete with turret and fake cannon -was sold earlier this year but its origins only came to light after a meeting between Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping and other senior officers on Tuesday. World War II: The vehicles were used by the Nazi's for reconnaissance missions . It emerged a confiscation order was . granted to seize £110,000 worth of assets from Barrett in September 2011 . after he was jailed for 13-years for conspiring to supply heroin and . amphetamine. Detective Inspector Andy Baguley, from Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'This is a reminder of how powerful the Proceeds of Crime Act can be. Convicted: David Barrett was jailed for 13-years for conspiring to provide heroin and amphetamine . 'It can be used to strengthen investigations and ultimately claw back the money and property held by those intent on a life of crime. 'By definition, the offence of money laundering will almost certainly have occurred where a theft or drugs transaction has taken place. 'Considering an additional money laundering offence allows us to access a whole raft of financial material, which could either support the prosecution of the original offence or provide an opportunity for a standalone charge where the original offence cannot be proven.' The eBay listing for the tank describes the vehicle as not being road legal, built on a 110 Land Rover chassis and with a turbo diesel engine. It adds: 'There is a single seat inside for the driver but there is a good amount of space inside for kit or additional soldiers. 'Externally could do with a repaint or a good clean. 'Internally is very good.' The Leichter Panzerspahwagen (Light Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle) were produced in Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1944. It was used by the reconnaissance battalions of the Panzer divisions and usually had a crew of three - including a gunner who manned a a 28 mm anti-tank cannon. | The 'Helga' tank was found in the garden of drug dealer David Barrett .
Officers came across the machine as they raided his home .
Police also found £2,000 in cash and a luxury Breitling watch .
It has since been sold by police on eBay for more than £5,000 . |
173,006 | 6be5749e79fbe91e62985dd8da480604385c0b2b | By . Daniel Martin and Claire Ellicott . PUBLISHED: . 16:01 EST, 18 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:56 EST, 19 May 2012 . Tory ministers have held meetings with Google an average of once a month since the General Election. The revelation of the extraordinarily close relationship increases concerns that the internet giant has the ear of the Government on a host of sensitive topics. Official records show that David Cameron has met Google executives three times and Chancellor George Osborne four times. Culture minister Ed Vaizey has met the firm no fewer than seven times while his Culture Secretary boss Jeremy Hunt – currently under pressure over his links to another media giant, News Corp – has held four meetings. The Tories' close relationship with Google goes back to David Cameron's first months as party leader. In 2006 and 2007, he spoke to the annual Google Zeitgeist conference (above) George Osborne has met Google executives four times; Culture minister Ed Vaizey (centre) has met them no fewer than seven times; and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt - currently under pressure over his links to another media giant, News Corp - has held four meetings with the web giant . In total, there have been at least 23 meetings between Conservative ministers and Google since June 2010. The links are so strong that in recent years at least three senior figures have moved between the Tories and Google. Links with media giants are a highly sensitive topic for the Tories. The current section of the Leveson inquiry into Press standards is focusing on the painfully close ties between Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and the Conservatives. Revelations have included the toe-curling text messages between the Prime Minister and the company’s former chief executive, Rebekah Brooks. In addition, a series of emails have lifted the lid on the close relationship between News Corp’s top lobbyist and Mr Hunt’s department during the company’s abortive attempt to take over satellite broadcaster BSkyB in 2011. Labour has also accused the Conservatives of going soft on online porn because of its close relationships with firms such as Google. Last month a Google executive caused outrage when she said it was the fault of parents if their children saw adult content online. The executive in question was Naomi Gummer, who until recently was Mr Hunt’s political adviser. Google was approached by the Tories to store patients’ records after the failure of Labour’s health IT scheme. And it has been repeatedly criticised for paying tax on less than a quarter of its UK income. In 2010 it generated £2.1billion here but locates its international operations in Ireland, where it can take advantage of the 12.5 per cent corporation tax rate. Along with many other media companies, Google is anxiously awaiting the Government’s long-delayed Green Paper for its proposed Communications Bill which will have major implications for digital media in the UK. Google has been repeatedly criticised for paying tax on less than a quarter of its UK income. In 2010 it generated £2.1bn here but locates its international operations in Ireland (above), where it can take advantage of the 12.5 per cent corporation tax rate . Last night Helen Goodman, Labour’s media spokesman, said: ‘Of course it is important for ministers to listen to business, but a meeting with Google every month does look like the sort of privileged access that small businesses can only dream of. ‘Ministers must disclose what they discussed. Did they challenge Google over their repellent tax avoidance, which was uncovered by the Daily Mail?’ The record of meetings, obtained from research into departmental websites, shows other Tory ministers to have met Google are further education minister John Hayes, universities minister David Willetts, policy minister Oliver Letwin and business minister Baroness Wilcox. Two Lib Dems – Business Secretary Vince Cable and Ed Davey, then an employment minister – have met the firm. The close relationship goes back to Mr Cameron’s first months as party leader. In 2006 and 2007, he spoke to the annual Google Zeitgeist conference. On the second occasion, Google picked up the bill for hotels and flights between London, San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles. Last night a spokesman for Google said: ‘It’s absolutely right that governments speak with companies about issues that affect their citizens. Links with media giants are a highly sensitive topic for the Tories. Leveson Inquiry revelations have included the toe-curling text messages between the PM and News Corps' former chief executive, Rebekah Brooks (above) ‘The British Government makes the list of those meetings publicly available – including the Daily Mail’s 34 meetings over the same period.’ Last night a Tory source said the Government was working with internet firms to install higher-speed broadband, to crack down on online porn, and to draw up a major Green Paper on communications, and that it was wrong to say Google had any special access because of Mr Cameron’s relationship with Steve Hilton. A Conservative Party spokesman said: ‘All these meetings have been properly declared and it is normal for relevant ministers to meet with a company of this size.’ Steve Hilton and Rachel Whetstone have been linked to Mr Cameron since 1992 . First it was Murdoch, now Tories 'get too close to Google' The number of meetings between Tory ministers and Google executives raises questions because of David Cameron’s close relationship with his oldest political friend Steve Hilton and his wife Rachel Whetstone. Mr Hilton was until recently the Prime Minister’s most trusted adviser in Number 10, and Miss Whetstone is global head of communications at Google HQ in California. The three met in 1992 when they worked together on John Major’s successful election campaign. Mr Cameron then became a Whitehall special adviser, alongside Miss Whetstone, while Mr Hilton set up his own consultancy firm. The three became lynchpins of the ‘Notting Hill Set’. Mr Hilton even became godfather to David and Samantha Cameron’s late son Ivan, and the PM is godfather to the Hiltons’ second son. It was Steve Hilton who persuaded Mr Cameron to run for the Tory leadership in 2005 after Michael Howard – for whom Rachel Whetstone was by this time working as chief of staff – stepped down. Mr Howard’s resignation prompted Miss Whetstone to join the private sector, and she got a communications job at Google. Mr Cameron took on Mr Hilton, who had been working for advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi, as chief strategic policy adviser, where he became known for his ‘blue sky thinking’ and came up with the idea of the Big Society. But questions soon grew over whether Mr Hilton’s wife’s position at Google was giving the internet giant too much influence on Conservative policy. Mr Cameron addressed the firm’s annual conference twice, in 2006 and 2007. Around this time he began to talk about encouraging patients to store their medical records with companies such as Google. The then Lib Dem health spokesman Norman Lamb, now a minister in the Coalition Government, said: ‘It leaves a nasty taste in the mouth that there are repeated references to Google, given the closeness of Team Cameron to that organisation, and it leaves concerns about commercial advantage.’ Mr Hilton moved with Team Cameron to Number 10 on the formation of the Coalition. Many of his policies were described as ‘bonkers’ by colleagues, and angered senior Lib Dems as well as civil servants. He wanted to slash protections for workers to help business, advocated ignoring EU laws and most recently called for the welfare budget to be slashed by a further £25billion. The arch-Thatcherite also wanted to sack two in three civil servants, and urged ministers to fly with ‘upstart’ Virgin rather than ‘fat cat’ British Airways. The shaven-headed son of Hungarian immigrants stood out in Number 10 as a result of his propensity to walk around shoeless and in a T-shirt, a get-up which caused Barack Obama to call him a ‘beach bum’. Mr Cameron and Mr Hilton spoke every Sunday and one insider said they were so close that he was the only person who could get the PM to change a policy within minutes. While Mr Hilton is an outsider in high society, Miss Whetstone had a privileged upbringing more akin to Mr Cameron’s. However, the relationship was not helped in the early 2000s by rumours of an affair with Viscount Astor, Samantha’s stepfather, before she got together with Mr Hilton. In March it was announced that Mr Hilton was to take up an academic post at Stanford University in California to be near his wife. He plans to return next year. Rachel Whetstone is not the only senior Tory official to have links to Google. Naomi Gummer, daughter of Mr Cameron’s Oxfordshire neighbour Lord Chadlington, worked with Miss Whetstone in Google’s public policy division and is still an executive there. She was previously an adviser to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt. Amy Fisher, Caroline Spelman’s special adviser since last year, did a stint at Google as a press officer with Miss Whetstone. | David Cameron has met web giant three times; George Osborne, four times .
In total, 23 meetings between Tory ministers and Google since June 2010 .
New embarrassment for Conservatives after NI debacle . |
139,638 | 4093277260f4095bff6a7afa0ec9c33b08750dcc | By . Ashley Collman . One unlucky Financial District worker lost their appetite for lunch on Tuesday, after ordering a wrap from a Chop't salad shop and allegedly finding a much unwanted ingredient packed inside - dead rodent. Pictures of the mouse or small rat, nestled in among lettuce and tomato, were posted to Twitter by two of the unnamed customer's co-workers. 'My colleague ordered a wrap and got a rat,' Forest Hills resident Steven Henderson tweeted earlier that afternoon. Unpalatable: A customer who ordered a salad wrap from the Chop't location in Manhattan's Financial District found this dead rodent inside . The Chop't Creative Salad Company location at 80 Pine Street has had an 'A' rating by the NYC Health Inspector as early as September. But the rat scare on Tuesday led the store to close for the day for a 'deep clean' Chop't founder Tony Shure confirmed to Gothamist. Mr Henderson and fa fellow co-worker have since deleted their pictures and tweets about the incident. hoping to 'put #ratwrap2014 behind' them. In an email to Gothamist, Mr Henderson said: 'I've had enough of this topic for one day. I saw your blog post. I've taken down the twitter post because it's caused quite the uproar and I need to get back to work.' The two co-workers involved declined to comment further. That's a wrap: The rolled sandwich was prepared at the Chop't location at 80 Pine Street, which was subsequently closed for a deep cleaning . | The wrap was allegedly ordered on Tuesday from the Chop't location in Manhattan's Financial District .
Colleagues of the customer then posted pictures of the dead rodent to Twitter .
The store at 80 Pine Street had an 'A' rating with the NYC Health Inspector as recently as September .
Chop't founder Tony Shure closed the location on Tuesday for a 'deep cleaning' |
29,524 | 53ed301546bac29bae89ecc2b0f34047d02a0fa5 | Sykesville, Maryland (CNN) -- It's the dirty little secret of the racing industry. Thoroughbreds who don't make the winner's circle, are injured or simply too old to race are discarded by their owners, auctioned off -- sometimes to the slaughterhouse. Now these horses are getting new lives. The twist? Prison inmates looking for their own second chances are helping save them. In the rolling hills of Carroll County, Maryland, is Second Chance Farm. Alonzo Pickett leads a horse to the pasture to graze. "Greek is a beautiful horse. I love him," says Pickett. "I think he's a gentle giant." The 7-year-old gelding came to the farm after a leg injury ended his racing career. Each year thousands of racehorses in the United States like Greek are sent to slaughterhouses and their meat sold overseas, according to the nonprofit Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. That's why the foundation funds programs in eight prisons across the United States to rescue these abandoned horses and train prisoners to "gentle" them so they can be adopted. The inmates also have duties beyond grooming the horses. They maintain the farm buildings and the grounds. Pickett, 44, figures he has spent at least 14 years of his life behind bars. It is his third prison sentence, this time for drug possession. "It could have been a lot worse," he confides. "A lot of guys that I grew up with ... are deceased." But Pickett maintains this will be his last time in prison and he thinks working with Greek as part of this program is what has changed him. "It gave me a chance to really evaluate who I am," he says. "Everybody thinks it's about the horses," says Gary Maynard, Secretary of Public Safety for Maryland prisons. Maynard saw the benefits of the program in other prison systems where he worked and brought it here. "It's really about the men that work with the horses and what changes they go through as they learn to care for an animal, as they learn mutual trust and self-respect." The bond between Pickett and Greek is evident as the inmate gently prods the animal for grooming and softly speaks to him. Pickett calls the bond they share a mutual support system. "I have a chance to face my obstacles head on and to overcome [them]," he says, and "[Greek] knows we are here for him ... [that] we love him." Conni Swenson worked with racehorses many years ago before coming to work for the Maryland Department of Corrections. She is the program coordinator for Second Chance Farm and says she daily observes the unconditional acceptance the horses have for the inmates as each come to trust the other. "They learn compassion. They learn patience," says Swenson. "If you have a 150-pound gentleman and you have a 1,200-pound horse and you need the horse to do something, you're not going to teach that horse to do it through brute force." There is a striking difference between the farm and the prison, where the inmates return each night. There are guards at the farm but no bars, no razor wire. Pickett notes the atmosphere of serenity at the farm, far from what he calls "negative conversations" at the prison. "You look at these grounds, the meadows, the horses grazing in the field," says Felicia Hinton, assistant commissioner, Maryland Department of Corrections. "It can only put gentleness inside of you," she says, smiling. It's her responsibility to make sure each inmate is ready to begin life outside the prison walls. "It gives them a sense of humanity," she says. Hinton calls the program an opportunity to change a life. Pickett agrees. He will be released from prison in just a few months. He plans to move to his grandfather's farm to care for his aging father. "If I could come out here and take care of Greek every day," he says, "then I can go home and take care of my father." Hinton considers that a measure of the success of the program. "Our responsibility is to send a man or woman out of prison a better person." As Pickett cleans and scrapes Greek's hooves, he speaks with pride about his time at Second Chance Farm. "I love the work and I love to know that I have a responsibility and they can depend on me for that responsibility being met." Swenson says she believes in each of the inmates who has gone through the program. She likes to quote visitors her favorite Winston Churchill passage, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." "That is absolutely true here," she says. "I see it every day." | Inmates care for horses as part of a pre-release plan in Maryland .
The horses come to the Second Chance Farm after race career ends .
Inmate says prisoners and rejected horses share a common bond . |
85,363 | f21c83b8c076a41a98f04c63283ed55c23e8c541 | Ally McCoist has received assurances about his immediate future from the Rangers hierarchy in the wake of Mike Ashley’s power play. Rumours McCoist could be facing the sack swept Glasgow on the day the new regime began to take shape - with Ashley's former managing director at Newcastle United, Derek Llambias, arriving in the city on Monday night ahead of talks with the Ibrox board. However, PLC chairman David Somers and football board chairman Sandy Easdale both spoke with McCoist to tell him to concentrate on a hectic schedule of fixtures. Rumours surfaced that Ally McCoist's job as manager at Ibrox was going to be under threat . McCoist (left) laughs with assistant manager Kenny McDowall (right) during training at Murray Park . Despite those words of comfort, speculation is likely to persist about his longer-term prospects. McCoist has lost an ally in former chief executive Graham Wallace, whose inevitable departure after opposing Ashley was confirmed yesterday morning. Other influential elements of the Rangers powerbase are believed to have a less favourable view of McCoist but he was given backing ahead of Tuesday's League Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone. ‘I received a couple of phone calls from the chairman and Sandy Easdale this morning, which was great,’ said McCoist. The 52-year-old prepares his squad for their League Cup quarter-final against St Johnstone on Tuesday night . The Rangers manager received a call form PLC Chairman David Somers (left) assuring him about his future . ‘The chairman was great. We had a 15 to 20 minute conversation – the majority of which will remain private – but he was kind enough to explain the board’s views and opinions on taking the Mike Ashley offer. ‘The two gentlemen didn’t need to phone but took the time to do so. ‘Sandy phoned basically to say much the same and to tell me to concentrate my thoughts totally on tomorrow’s game and indeed the upcoming fixtures.' Asked if he had any fears he could be facing the axe when those calls arrived, McCoist said: ‘No. And I don’t say that meaning to be blasé. Every manager knows how precarious the job is. Football board chairman Sandy Easdale (pictured) said the board have not got 'ideas to change the manager' ‘I genuinely thought two board members were phoning to give me an update on what has been happening.’ Easdale, who arrived at Ibrox on Monday to oversee a restructuring programme, added: ‘We have not got any ideas of changing the manager That’s not on the agenda.’ Fears had been expressed over Rangers’ ability to meet next month’s wages without any new finance and McCoist welcomed the £2 million loan from Newcastle United owner Ashley. ‘The news of Mike’s involvement is good news,’ he said. ‘I’ve said all along the club needs investment, so we’ve got it.’ Newcastle owner Mike Ashley (left) celebrates as his side beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday . Llambias is a close ally of Ashley and is expected to replace Wallace as chief executive, although he could initially be employed as a consultant. He was reluctant to answer questions at Glasgow Airport, but did laud the credentials of the Sports Direct billionaire, saying: '“Mike Ashley has got a great track record'. Meanwhile, Ashley's weekend move - which enables him to appoint two directors -has drawn the attention of the SFA. McCoist welcomed Ashley's much-needed investment and his involvement is 'good news' for the club . The governing body are writing to both Ashley and Rangers seeking clarification on the loan deal and how it may impact on the agreement signed back in 2012. That limited Ashley to a stake of no more than 10 per cent — he currently has 8.9 per cent — and imposed certain restrictions on his influence. The SFA will await responses before deciding if there has been any possible breach. | Rumours surfaced that Ally McCoist's position could be under threat .
Derek Lambias, former managing director at Newcastle, arrived in Glasgow on Monday night ahead of talks with the Ibrox board .
PLC chairman David Somers and football board chairman Sandy Easdale called McCoist to tell him to concentrate on upcoming fixtures .
Easdale said the board 'have not got any ideas of changing the manager .
Mike Ashley has loaned the club £2million as fears were expressed over Rangers' ability to meet next month's wages . |
269,668 | e9461c0efa0f797c7722b24006798b96909436a2 | By . Emily Crane . It's not the usual sleek and sophisticated style Crown Princess Mary is renowned for, but the Danish Royal still managed to looking stunning as she donned a traditional costume to visit a Greenlandic town on a summer holiday with her family. Australian-born Princess Mary and husband Crown Prince Frederick visited Qaqortoq, the capital of Southern Greenland, with their four children over the weekend as part of their seven day summer sailing cruise around the country. The Royal couple and their children - Prince Christian, 8, Princess Isabella, seven, and three-year-old twins, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent - charmed the crowd of local residents as they stepped off their yacht in the lively national dress. Australian-born Princess Mary and husband Crown Prince Frederick visited Qaqortoq, the capital of Southern Greenland, with their four children Prince Christian (right), Princess Isabella (left) and three-year-old twins, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent (middle) It's not her usual sleek and sophisticated style, but the Australian-born Princess still managed to looking stunning as she donned the traditional Greenlandic costume . The Royal couple and their children charmed the crowd of local residents as they stepped off their yacht in the lively national dress . The Royal couple dressed their children in traditional anoraks and kamiks as a throng a locals tailied behind them during the visit . Prince Christian sported a white anorak and a pair of black and white kamiks, while his sister Princess Isabella wore traditional eastern Greenlandic attire featuring a white anorak with red beading. But it was the adorable young twins who stole the show as Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent wore national costumes from northern Greenland, with the young Prince dressed in pants made from polar bear skin. Pants made from polar bear skin and boots made from seal skin are typical in North Greenland due to the colder climate. To this day, hunters use every part of an animal they catch - the meat is eaten and the skin is used for everyday clothing and the national dress. The Royal family, who wore the traditional outfits as a sign of respect for the Inuit culture, made their way through Qaqortoq on Sunday with a throng a locals tailing behind. They planted trees and the four children played about before boarding the royal yacht again. The family is half way through the sailing holiday around Greenland. Crown Princess Mary, pictured with Princess Josephine, donned the traditional dress while on a family summer holiday . Prince Vincent wore a national costume from northern Greenland, with the young Prince dressed in pants made from polar bear skin . Princess Mary planted a tree with the help of her three-year-old daughter as they family made their way through the town of Qaqortoq on Sunday . The Danish Royal family are halfway through a seven-day sailing holiday around Greenland . | The Danish royal couple visited Qaqortoq, the capital of Southern Greenland, with their four children .
Princess Mary and husband Prince Frederick donned national costumes as they stepped of their royal yacht .
They royal family are sailing around Greenland for seven days as part of a summer holiday tour . |
186,082 | 7cfafbd6a9498c8230f441b84609f1b69fcf6731 | By . Lucy Waterlow . and Ruth Styles . Simon Martin, 39, from Weston-super-Mare was still living with his parents when a chance meeting with a 69-year-old woman named Edna changed his life forever. 'I've never had any experience with any girl at all but I knew that I liked her,' he says shyly of the thunderbolt moment when he realised that this was the woman that he wanted to spend his life with. A decade on, Mr and Mrs Martin say they happier than ever and this morning, appeared on ITV's Lorraine to defend their age gap relationship. Scroll down for video . Happy: Simon and Edna Martin appeared on Lorraine to defend their unusual romance and 40-year age gap . 'Although because of the age, I tried to send Simon away, I was very glad he wouldn't go,' says Edna, now 78. Her husband adds: 'It was instant. Before we knew for certain, we decided to just . get together and find out if there was really something there. 'Neither of us wanted to upset the other one by making advances that we . thought might be unwelcome. 'Certainly in my case, I was definitely . scared I might make advances that were unwelcome. But we did find out . that we had something.' The pair also say their families had no problems with the unusual match with Simon telling Lorraine that Edna's son - who is older than he is - even calls him Dad. 'Yes he calls me Dad,' he chortled. 'He's 6ft-odd, while . I'm 5ft 3" so I look up to him and I get a pain in the back of my neck! Bless his heart!' 39 year age gap: Edna and Simon Martin couldn't be happier . Close: The couple held hands throughout the appearance and say they enjoy each day they have . Anniversary: The pair will celebrate the anniversary of the day Simon proposed on Valentines Day . The couple appeared ahead of new documentary She's 78, He's 39: Age Gap Love, which premiers tonight on Channel 5. In it, the pair open their home to the camera in a bid to prove that true love can overcome even the largest of age gaps. When the pair met, Simon was 30 and still living at home with his parents in Birmingham but his lack of success in love . all changed when he met Edna and bonded with her over his love of organ playing. They snuck . off from an organ recital to share their first kiss under the pier and . have been inseparable ever since. 'I . can't imagine being without Simon, he's the first thing I see in the . morning and the last thing I see at night,' Edna told filmmakers. And . both say the age gap 'doesn't affect things in the bedroom', with Simon . joking they are 'at it like rabbits.' He added: 'You have to have a . sense of humour about sex as it's a ridiculous thing anyway.' But despite their active sex life, there will never be children - something that Edna feared could have kept them apart. 'I told him to leave me because it would mean he couldn't have children - but thank god he didn't,' she said. Edna . needs a walking aid to get around and she said her lack of mobility can . be frustrating. But Simon says it doesn't bother him and he doesn't . notice the physical differences in their ages, nor worries that he could . face decades without his true love. Love: The pair say it was love at first sight for both of them and reveal they couldn't be happier . He . explains: 'I have physically disabilities which mean my body has aged . faster than someone else my age. So I will probably have a shorter life . span. We'll just keep going as long as we can.' In . the meantime, the couple are looking forward to the future and will be . celebrating the anniversary of Simon's proposal next week. 'We've got two anniversaries because we . got engaged on February 14th,' Simon told Lorraine, adding mischievously: 'As I . recall, I wasn't wearing a lot at that time!' She's 78, He's 39: Age Gap Love, tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm . Happy couple: Fitness fanatic Joan, 69, and her boyfriend Phil, 29, say age doesn't matter to them . While Edna and Simon's union may be unusual, it is not unique, as the Channel 5 documentary proves. Also to appear in the documentary is pensioner Joan Lloyd, 68, who has had a relationship with Phil Absolom, 29 for the past 18 months. The couple who live together in Abergele, North Wales, became an item after meeting via Facebook. Joan had been married to her husband, David, for 50 years and they had four children . together. When he died of cancer four years ago, he made her . promise to keep living her life to the full and not become a lonely . widow. She explains: 'On his death bed he told me to get new boobs and a lovely toy boy. He told me, "I'll . be looking down on you smiling, saying good for you Joan". He made me . write it down in front of him and sign it.' Joan fulfilled her husband's dying wishes by getting a breast enlargement and went online to seek a new man. She . said: 'I get on with young people so I wanted a toy boy. I was going . for someone who would make me laugh and not make me feel like I'm older. I went on Facebook and got 700 messages from guys but they weren't what . I wanted.' However, she was then contacted by Phil. He said: 'When I first saw picture I was attracted to her so I sent her a message and it started from there.' Joan said: 'I thought, he's gorgeous, I wouldn't mind him.' The couple went on a date and hit it off instantly. 'My legs were like jelly I thought, "he's the one I'm having,"' Joan recalls. Now she says they can't keep their hands off each other. 'We do a lot of kissing and cuddling. I do like having sex with him and he does as much as he can,' she said. 'I love him to bits and we get on so well.' Joan . said she likes to try and stay young for Phil by exercising daily and . using sunbeds as she believes a tan gives her a youthful look. She also likes to dress in 'sexy style clothes'. She explains: 'I like young stuff. People will say . you are too old to wear something like that leave it to the younger . people but that's not how I feel. I don't want to look like mutton . dressed as lamb but if I can dress young and it looks nice I'm me, I'll . buy it.' The pensioner . admits her desire to hold back the years is part insecurity over Phil . leaving her for a younger woman, particularly if he wants to start a . family. But he assured her: 'It costs half a million to bring up a kid today. Think what I could do with that.' She also found reassurance from his mother who was surprisingly content about her son dating a woman more than twice his age. 'I was insecure I kept thinking he would leave me. But I spoke to his mum . and she told me she had never seen him so much in love and that I . shouldn't worry,' Joan said. Phil added that his mother is happy he found Joan as he needs constant support because he has epilepsy. He said: 'My previous relationship . with girls my own age were terrible because they said they could handle . my epilepsy but deep down they couldn't. They would panic if I had a bad . fit. If I haven't met someone like Joan I would have been single for . the rest of my life. My mum is glad Joan looks after me.' | Simon Martin, 39, was still living with parents when he met Edna, 78 .
The couple have been together 10 years and say they're very happy .
Appeared on ITV show Lorraine to defend their age gap romance .
Simon says Edna's son, who is older than he is, calls him Dad . |
159,831 | 5a9cc74cd2d9ca1b614f83737e736550db196c1b | Michael Bay publicly blew off the critics who excoriated Transformers: Age of Extinction, and he's laughing all the way to the bank. Not only did the fourth film in the franchise win the domestic box-office for the second week in a row, but it has already surpassed Avatar to become the biggest box-office hit in Chinese history. After only 10 days in Chinese theaters, Age of Extinction has grossed more than $221 million—$46 million more than it has made in the U.S.—and it likely passed James Cameron's 2009 3-D adventure on Monday. EW: Critical Mass - Come for the Transformers, stay for the critics' zingers . The phenomenal success in China is no accident. Paramount and Bay paid special attention to the second-biggest and rapidly growing movie market after their last film, Dark of the Moon, grossed $165 million there. (In total, Dark of the Moon earned 69 percent of its total $1.1 billion haul abroad.) Giant Transformers exhibit opens in Macau . To gain greater access to Chinese theaters for Extinction, Paramount partnered with a China production company, cast Chinese actors Li Bingbing and Han Geng, shot scenes in China and Hong Kong—where the film premiered—and even sponsored a TV reality-show competition that awarded four small roles. The courtship paid off, with Transformers winning a prime release date in the Chinese marketplace, with few other big American movies opening against it or soon after it. EW: 'Transformers 4' sets up reality TV competition to cast extras and curry favor in China . According to the Los Angeles Times, the red-hot Chinese box office is up another 22 percent this year and is on pace to eclipse the U.S. market by 2018. In many of the dismal reviews of the film, critics sniffed at the moment where the action shifts to Mark Wahlberg's struggling inventor and the screen reads, "Texas, USA." As if there's another Texas. But Michael Bay didn't put that detail there for geographically-challenged Americans; it's there for the foreign audience he really made this movie for. See the original story at EW.com. | The film became the biggest box-office hit in Chinese history .
"Age of Extinction" has grossed more than $221 million .
Chinese box office is up another 22 percent . |
45,089 | 7f1f3e862b7927eaf3312d50e427226e02e8e1bf | (Coastal Living) -- Leave behind the mainland and sneak away to these heavenly hideaways. At Petit St. Vincent, 22 understatedly elegant stone cottages overlook the water. Petit St. Vincent, Grenadines . The fantasy: Your own sun-blessed, beach-fringed island in the Caribbean, with sailing, snorkeling and other pastimes available at your whim, and a staff to provide anything from meals to massages. The reality: At Petit St. Vincent, it's the same as the fantasy. Twenty-two understatedly elegant stone cottages, overlooking the water and open to the breezes, scatter across this 113-acre island. With rates starting at $675 a night, Petit St. Vincent qualifies as a splurge, but the price covers all activities and meals. Open November through August; 800/654-9326 or psvresort.com. The Inn on Peaks Island, Maine . Rocky, rustic, small-town New England floats languidly in Casco Bay, two miles from downtown Portland. Summer brings visitors seeking art galleries, nature and relaxation. In winter, you can snuggle up at the inn and enjoy the muted clang of buoys in the bay and the sharp scent of a wood fire. Six pleasantly furnished suites feature fireplaces, private decks and spa tubs. The Pub restaurant serves seafood and locally brewed beers year-round. A 20-minute ferry ride connects Peaks with the shopping, dining and nightlife of Portland. Prices range from $175 to $300; 207/766-5100 or innonpeaks.com. The Inn at Mama's Fish House, Maui, Hawaii . The handful of cottages that make up this hideaway rest under coconut palms on Maui's North Shore, just off the scenic Hana Highway. "Old Polynesia" decor and a low-key atmosphere mark it as a throwback to an era when Hawaii meant tropical exoticism, not real-estate opportunities. Coastal Living: More on Maui . A short drive west takes you to the town of Paia. A short drive east reveals the bright sails of windsurfers swooping just off Hookipa Beach. And simply staying put ensures the pleasures of lounging on the sand in front of your cottage or savoring the seafood at Mama's Fish House Restaurant next door. Rooms from $175; 800/860-4852 or mamasfishhouse.com. The Collier Inn, Useppa Island, Florida . In the early 20th century, northern tycoons made Useppa their winter playground. Today, anyone can share its still-genteel lifestyle at the posh Collier Inn. Seven antiques-filled suites recall the pre-Depression boom years when ad exec and developer Barron Collier held sway over most of Southwest Florida, and gentlemen in white suits competed civilly at croquet. The 80-acre island, accessible only by water and explored mostly by golf cart, contains neither cars nor roads. The Pink Promenade, a pathway of shells and pink sand, winds past banyan trees and tropical flowers. Prices range from $125 to $395; 239/283-1061 or useppa.com. Hotel del Coronado and Glorietta Bay Inn, Coronado Island, California . Technically Coronado is a peninsula, but it has been an island -- at least at high tide. And, true to island character, it feels like a place apart. The red-roof turrets and dormers of the 1888-vintage, beachfront Hotel del Coronado confirm it. Across the street, so does the Glorietta Bay Inn, which incorporates a 1908 Italian Renaissance mansion. Coastal Living: Southern California eateries . Rooms in The Del's rambling original building have more character, but the newer structures (especially the Beach Village cottages and villas) tend to offer nicer accommodations; 800/468-3533 or hoteldel.com. Rooms in the main resort range from $255 to $1,650; Beach Village accommodations range from $450 to $5,400. At the Glorietta, choose the mansion. Rooms start at $185; 800/283-9383 or gloriettabayinn.com. English Country Garden B&B, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia . Only the most spectacular scenery could draw tourists all the way to this remote Atlantic island on the eastern end of Nova Scotia. Cape Breton delivers; ask anyone who has ever driven the Cabot Trail along the coast of the ruggedly glorious Highlands. Accommodations tend to be comfortable but rustic -- except at English Country Garden Bed & Breakfast (at Indian Brook), which opts for comfortable and luxurious. The four rooms include a tiny, secluded log cottage with a porch overlooking a small lake. The breakfasts and the optional, reservation-only dinners are equally sumptuous. Rooms from $120 Canadian (about $98 US); 866/929-2721 or capebretongarden.com. Casita de Maya, Cozumel, Mexico . Don't confuse it with Cancún, the party-hearty spring break destination a few miles north. The laid-back Caribbean island of Cozumel attracts scuba divers and snorkelers, beach bums and honeymooners who prefer quiet togetherness. Coastal Living: Mexico travel tips . Tucked away next to the airport, of all places (but away from the flight paths, so jet noise does not intrude), Casita de Maya provides the perfect headquarters for a getaway. The four rooms, beautifully appointed in earthy colors, open onto a pretty little courtyard with a pool. Owner Dan Komorowsky and his staff can answer any question about the island and arrange expeditions. They also know when to disappear and give guests time for themselves. Rates from $59; 281/214-1122 or casitademaya.com. MacKaye Harbor Inn, Lopez Island, Washington . Like most out-of-the-way places, Lopez (north of Seattle in the San Juan Islands) attracts residents who want to do something different. As you meander the mostly flat roads, you'll encounter organic farmers and winemakers, cattle ranchers, artists and such establishments as the Love Dog Café and Vortex Juice Bar & Good Food. MacKaye Harbor Inn, in a huge restored farmhouse near the south end of the island, lends guests mountain bikes to explore. Of course, you'll want to be back at the inn in time for evening chocolates and spectacular sunsets. Rooms from $135; 888/314-6140 or mackayeharborinn.com. A Water's Edge Retreat, Kelleys Island, Ohio . A 19th-century limestone industry left this Lake Erie island (off Sandusky) with a 21st century legacy of grand Victorian houses. You can't miss this bed-and-breakfast, with its bright coral-and-aqua exterior. Despite the punchy paint job, the rooms are traditional and refined. Guest perks include onsite spa services and sailing trips on Lake Erie. Alas, the inn operates only April through October. But that does cover the summer tourist season, as well as the spring and fall, allowing a chance to catch sight of migrating raptors, waterfowl and songbirds. Rooms from $199; 800/884-5143 or watersedgeretreat.com. Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, Georgia . You probably don't vacation with an entourage that requires a 25-room mansion, but a century ago you might have -- if you were a Rockefeller. In the late 1800s, America's business elite began gathering at Jekyll Island each year for winter vacation. Some stayed in the extravagant clubhouse; others built grand holiday homes nearby. Coastal Living: What to pack for coastal Georgia . The Jekyll Island Club Hotel now occupies the clubhouse and several other historic buildings, including a couple of the cottages, keeping up the standards splendidly. You can wander the 240-acre Millionaire's Village and envision yourself in the Gilded Age. And you can play golf and tennis, cruise around the island by bicycle, inhale the fresh salt air on the beach, and ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Rooms from $149; 800/535-9547 or jekyllclub.com. Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright © Coastal Living, 2009 . | Suites at The Inn on Peaks Island in Maine feature fireplaces and spa tubs .
A restored farmhouse houses MacKaye Harbor Inn on Washington's Lopez Island .
Jekyll Island Club Hotel in Georgia was a retreat for the business elite in the 1800s . |
150,533 | 4e9c8f431ee76c0b1e7d3c4c43fade636e9fe4d6 | Diane Sawyer is in the final stages of securing an exclusive interview with Bruce Jenner during which the Olympic gold medalist turned reality star will discuss his intentions to transition to live as a woman, according to reports. Rumors about Jenner's desire to come out as transgender have intensified in recent months after he started making dramatic changes to his appearance including having his Adam's apple shaved, growing his hair long and wearing nail polish. The speculation intensified over the weekend when People magazine quoting a 'Jenner insider' as confirming that the rumors are true. Scroll down for video . Diane Sawyer is in the final stages of securing an exclusive interview with Bruce Jenner during which the Olympic gold medalist turned reality star will discuss his intentions to transition to live as a woman . 'Bruce is transitioning to a woman,' the family insider confirmed. 'He is finally happy and his family is accepting of what he's doing. He's in such a great space. That's why it's the perfect time to do something like this.' Jenner hasn't officially confirmed the speculation, but BuzzFeed reports that Sawyer and ABC News are close to securing the first interview during which he will discuss his life-changing decision. Bruce made the formal announcement to his large family last month which was filmed for a docu-series recording his journey from man to woman to be broadcast later this year. The reality show will air on E!, the NBC Universal cable channel that has broadcast Kardashian-based reality shows since 2007. The exclusive with 65-year-old Jenner would be a huge coup for ABC since E!'s corporate sibling NBC News would have seemed the more obvious choice. The former Olympic gold medalist has been pictured in recent months with manicured nails, smooth legs, longer locks and what appeared to be fuller lips . Not landing the Jenner interview has caused much strife in the news division, reports Buzzfeed. The former Olympic gold medalist has been pictured in recent months with manicured nails, smooth legs, longer locks and what appeared to be fuller lips. People's source revealed that the Kardashian-Jenner family has been allowed time to get used to the idea, and that they're slowly accepting his decision. 'He's being very smart about and also respectful about his transition,' the insider said. 'Instead of completely shocking everyone, his changes have been subtle, and his family has had the chance to slowly get used to his new looks and life.' 'He has come out to those closest to him... He's been through a dark period and is coming out on the other side,' added the insider. The transgender rumours began in 2013 shortly after he separated from his third wife Kris Jenner and moved into a Malibu beach bachelor pad . The transgender rumors began in 2013 shortly after he separated from his third wife Kris Jenner and moved into a Malibu beach bachelor pad. Stepdaughter Kim hinted at Bruce's transition last month when she told Entertainment Tonight: 'I think everyone goes through things in life, and I think that story and what Bruce is going through, I think he'll share whenever the time is right.' Bruce has six children from his three marriages - daughters Kendall, 19, and Kylie, 17, with Kris Jenner; sons Brandon, 33 and Brody, 31, with ex-wife Linda Thompson; and daughter Cassandra, 34, and son Burt, 36, with ex-wife Chrystie Crownover. And he has four stepchildren from his marriage to Kris: Kourtney, 35, Kim, 34, Khloe, 30, and Rob, 27. | Sawyer is close to securing exclusive chat with Jenner to discuss his intentions to live as a woman .
Rumors about Jenner's desire to come out as transgender have intensified after he started making dramatic changes to his appearance .
Told his large family last month and is being filmed for a docu-series recording his journey to be broadcast later this year .
The Jenner exclusive is a huge coup for ABC since E!'s corporate sibling NBC News would have seemed the more obvious choice . |
32,106 | 5b61e407e01856f861a9967908e592f8cabc0ed2 | By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 05:54 EST, 4 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:37 EST, 4 October 2012 . Hurtling through the air at incredible speeds just metres from the rocky ground, this is the adrenaline-fuelled, extreme sport of wingsuit flying from the point of view of its world champion. The jaw-dropping footage shows Espen Fadnes hurling himself off a mountain top as he takes to the skies above Chamoix, France, to show off his breathtaking skills. Espen, from Trondheim, Norway, together with Project Managers Goovinn.se shot the amazing video among the beautiful French Alps for short film 'Split of a Second'. Scroll down for video . Birdman: Wingsuit world champion Espen Fadnes takes to the skies above Chamoix, France, in an incredible new video . Soaring at more than 150mph, Espen used a GoPro camera attached to his helmet to capture the footage as he flew past the jagged rocks just a few meters below. He said: 'Wingsuit flying is my personal proving ground. It is a ground where there are no systems that’s limits me. 'It is me and only me that can shape my . path for what to risk, achieve sense and learn. 'It gives me great . pleasure, and increases my ability to face and embrace other parts of . life. 'When I charge that hard in flying, I use all my mental capacity. Over and over again I flew with a neck microphone system for recording my voice in free fall. Long way down: World Champion Espen Fadnes prepares to leap off the mountain top in Chamonix, France . Flight of fancy: Fearless Espen skims through a rocky valley just a few metres from the ground in a shot from the breathtaking new video . Close call: A still from the video shows just how close to the ground the wingsuit champ comes . Shooting the breeze: The fearless Norwegian soars above a photographer during his sensational flight . In a flap: Daredevil Espen Fadnes trusts his life to a few feet of fabric in his specially designed wingsuit . 'Every time I landed just to realize I yet again had flown down the mountain in total silence.' Espen's . wing suit allows him to travel in-flight in a 'three to one' scale, . meaning for every meter he travels forward, he travels three down. Made . of lightweight fabrics that give increased lift, he is able to fly with . incredible accuracy before deploying a parachute to bring him safely . back to earth. He said: 'Physical challenges have always appealed to me. 'I . think it's from my childhood. I was never the best at answering . questions in the classroom, but when it came to outdoor activities, I . was talented and it gave me a sense of being good at something. Back on terra firma: Espen, from Trondheim, Norway, with his specially designed wingsuit and helmet camera. His amazing flight was filmed for the new Split of a Second video (left) 'Throughout my life, I've always preferred things like climbing, skiing and base jumping over more academic stuff. In . that moment, when pushing off to jump, I never think about what's . coming next. The past doesn't exist. The Future doesn't exist. There's . only now.' Espen is . traveling to China later this month to take part in the World Wingsuit . League where he will compete against 16 other base jumpers from around . the world. | Footage taken from helmet camera of world champion flyer Espen Fadnes . |
32,395 | 5c1c92a46e53c0f8eacbe767d3b935f7c70d8125 | (CNN) -- Winning a gold medal is the pinnacle of any Olympic athlete's career, and most have to be happy for the chance to participate on sport's biggest stage. For Nicol David, however, time is running out. The Malaysian is the top-ranked women's squash player and a six-time world champion, but she has never competed at the Games. So, at the age of 28, she is trying to rectify the situation before it's too late. Squash has never been an Olympic sport, and it failed in its bid to be one of the 36 included at London 2012 -- and in Rio in four years' time, when its application was rejected while golf and rugby succeeded. However, David is fronting a campaign which aims to secure squash a place in the 2020 program and thus achieve her lifelong ambition. "After the world championships last year I was asked how much I wanted to be part of the Games," she told CNN. "I said I would trade all six of my world titles for just one Olympic gold medal. Every world title means the world to me, so that's how important the Olympics is in my heart." But, due to the way the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decides which sports enter the Games, the dreams of an athlete in another discipline must be shattered for David's to come true. In order to maintain the Olympics' prestige, and ensure it is still feasible for one city to host all of the events, the IOC will only introduce a new sport if an existing one is removed from the program. "You have a long list of sports trying to get onto the program because it is their one way to showcase their sport to the world," explains former IOC marketing director Michael Payne. "The IOC undertakes a very detailed technical analysis to understand the popularity of the sport, the number of players, infrastructure, TV, media and then finally takes a vote to decide which new sport is welcomed onto the program." There is one man who knows more than most what it takes to convince the IOC of a sport's Olympic worth. Mike Lee is the chairman of Verocom, an organization which has successfully overseen campaigns to bring the Games to Rio in 2016, the Winter Olympics to Pyongchang in 2018 and the FIFA World Cup to Qatar in 2022. Lee and his team also navigated a course which gained rugby sevens acceptance into the 2016 Games. In makes perfect sense, then, for Verocom to spearhead squash's Olympic bid. "You have to look in considerable detail at, not just the sport itself, what it might offer to the Olympic Games, what it brings to the Olympic program," said Lee, former director of communications and public affairs for London 2012's successful bid. "What do you offer to the Olympic experience? What is it your sport will do to enhance the Games, in a way which is also in line with the spirit and the values of the Games?" In a manner of speaking, squash has been sexed up in a bid to make itself more attractive to the IOC, making vibrant changes to the courts and apparatus. "The sport has worked very hard to innovate, to make it much more fan and broadcast friendly, from all-glass courts to the camera positions, to the use of a video review system and a white ball," he said. "They're now experimenting with glass floors. This is a sport that has moved itself considerably over the last few years. It has been on the basis of making itself more friendly to the spectators at the event or the viewers on television." A wide variety of sports are covered within the Games, from BMX to equestrian, catering to tastes and interests from all over the world. If squash is to enter the "greatest show on Earth," it will have to fend off fierce competition. "Softball and baseball, which came out of the Games for London, karate, roller sports, sports climbing, wakeboarding, wushu (a martial art) and the sport which comes out of the Games," replied World Squash CEO Andrew Shelley when asked about its rivals. "We've bid twice before. Whilst we weren't perhaps ready, we had a lot of very good advice from the IOC and we've learned a lot from them. "This time the process is very clear. There is one place available due to the taking out of a sport by the IOC after the Games in London. "Our sport is scrutinized and evaluated alongside all the other candidates. If we're fortunate, we come out on top at the meeting in Buenos Aires in 2013." Squash will hope to follow in the footsteps of rugby sevens and golf, which have been added to the program for the Games' South American debut in Rio. "Rugby sevens was looked at as a very professional campaign," Lee said. "One of the keys was how a tournament over two or three days would enhance the Olympic Games. "It's not difficult to stage, as long as you've got stadia. It doesn't have to be a rugby stadium, it can be played in many types of stadiums. It's something which is very attractive to young people and the party atmosphere which goes with it." So what would squash bring to the Games which is not already on offer? "Squash is a worldwide sport," Shelley said. "We have world champions from all continents and it is played in 185 countries. It is a sport we feel will add something to the Olympics, as well as being a great opportunity for our athletes. "There was an IOC official many years ago who told me, 'You've got to wait until the train comes into the station and stops. When it does, you've got to be ready.' We're ready, we're just waiting for the train now." Even if squash is given the green light in Buenos Aires next year, it may come too late for David to reap the rewards of her enthusiastic work. But, whatever the future has in store for her, she is determined to see squash elevated to the pantheon of Olympic sports. "It's a dream of mine to be part of the Games," she said. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get in there. I want to do whatever I can to get there and get squash in there as well. "Whatever happens, I'll keep working hard because I want to see squash in there someday. If it is not this time, hopefully the next time." | Squash is one of the sports bidding to be part of the 2020 Olympic Games .
Nicol David is a six-time world champion hope to compete for a gold medal at the Games .
Verocom are heading the campaign, having help Rio win the 2016 Games .
A decision on which sport will enter in 2020 will be made in Buenos Aires next year . |
13,875 | 27555934f183a97e20f3b544e0bbbf9326119746 | By . Will Stewart . PUBLISHED: . 12:48 EST, 9 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:06 EST, 9 August 2012 . Madonna was branded a 'slut' by a leading Russian politician . As one of the world’s most provocative pop stars, Madonna’s often on the receiving end of strong comment. But even she may be wincing today after one of Vladimir Putin’s right-hand men described her as a ‘moralising slut’. Paying the price for interfering with Russian politics, the star was told: ‘Either take off your cross, or put on your knickers.’ The attack on Twitter by deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin came as Madonna vowed to back gay campaigners during her concert last night in St Petersburg where there is a legal ban on promoting homosexuality to young people. Earlier the 53-year-old had offended the Kremlin by demanding the release of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot who face probable jail for an anti-Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral. Rogozin said on the messaging site: ‘With age, every former s. tries to lecture everyone on morality.’ While he didn’t use the entire word, the meaning was clear to all as the Russian word for ‘slut’ or ‘whore’. At her Moscow concert earlier in the week, Madonna scrawled the words ‘Pussy Riot’ on her back and sang ‘Like a Virgin’ wearing the punk group’s balaclava. There were calls for Madonna to face prosecution if she goes ahead with any kind of stunt in St Petersburg that could be construed as ‘homosexual propaganda’. Pink wristbands were to be distributed at the concert. ‘If this is the case, steps will be taken to open an administrative probe, and she will face a fine for violating this law,’ said one source in the St Petersburg legislature. Local law-makers this year enacted fines for those 'promoting homosexuality' to minors, equating it with paedophilia. Gay Pride marches are effectively illegal in the city. Russia legalised homosexuality in 1993 after the fall of the Soviet Union but only ceased to classify it as a mental disorder in 1999, and homophobic attitudes still run high in the country. Madonna wrote the words 'Pussy Riot' on her back in support of the girl group on trial for performing an anti-Putin song . Dmitry Rogozin (pictured left) told Madonna (pictured right) to 'take off her cross or put on her knickers' | He also told Madonna to 'take off your cross, or put on your knickers' after she vowed to back the gay community at her concert tonight .
The star has already outraged the Kremlin by calling for the release of an all-girl punk band who sang an anti-Putin song .
A spokesman for the Russian legislature has said she will face legal action .
Homophobic attitudes still run high in Russia where homosexuality was legalised in 1993 . |
270,595 | ea76d9cbe8fec00d852bb41a122d1fbd797cd8b6 | By . Jim Norton . With her stomach bulging and face straining, just lifting a weight seemed a struggle less than a month ago. But it seems Victoria Wood’s tough workout has certainly done the job as the much-loved comic looked sleek on the BAFTAs red carpet last night. The 60-year-old looked trim as she joined a host of TV celebs, including Emilia Fox and Patsy Palmer, just three weeks after she was spotted in London’s Hampstead Heath with a personal trainer. Trim: It seems Victoria Wood's tough workout has certainly done the job as the much-loved comic looked sleek while posing with Olafur Arnalds - the winner of the Original Music award for Broadchurch - at the BAFTAs . The BAFTA ceremony, which celebrates the best behind-the-scenes talent in British television of the past year, gave its Special Award to Strictly Come Dancing. While historical gangster epic Peaky Blinders received two Baftas. Broadchurch and Educating Yorkshire, two of the year’s most popular programmes, also came away as winners. Broadchurch won a Bafta for original music while Educating Yorkshire was rewarded for its editing. The divorced mother-of-two, who lives in a £3million house close to Hampstead Heath, has spoken of her lifelong struggle with her weight - beginning with a childhood eating disorder. The 60-year-old looked trim as she joined a host of TV celebs just three weeks after she was spotted in London’s Hampstead Heath with a personal trainer . Tough: With her stomach bulging and face straining, just lifting a weight seemed a struggle for Victoria Wood less than a month ago . Miss Wood, who has suffered from depression, once said: ‘I used to make my own food and ate on my own in my room. ‘I’d . eat from the minute I got out of school until I went to bed... I was an . obsessive eater. I used food as a drug, a distraction. I was on . slimming pills at 12.’ She added: ‘Food caused me the most anxiety. I used to eat non-stop. I ate if I felt lonely, tense or tired. Every question was met with the same answer: food. Sugar was my drug of choice. ‘It took me years to realise I had an intolerance to it and that there was a connection between sugar and my depression.’ She discussed her various failed diets and eating plans in 2004’s Victoria Wood’s Big Fat Documentary. | Much-loved female comic, 60, appeared at the BAFTAs last night .
She looked sleek while posing with television stars on the red carpet .
Three-weeks-ago Wood was pictured exercising on Hampstead Heath .
The mother-of-two appeared to be struggling to lift even a small weight .
She has previously spoken about her lifelong weight and fitness struggles . |
238,960 | c1599bbe98ec3d0035daeac79e82a8b497a40104 | By . Scarlett Russell . A child born with an ultra-rare genetic condition which has left her unable to speak only received the correct diagnosis after her mum researched her symptoms on the internet. Melissa Adams, 10, from Eccleston in Lancashire, was born with Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects just one in 25,000 people. But the youngster was only diagnosed at the age of three after her mother, Kathryn, spent years battling with doctors who insisted there was nothing wrong. Mother knows best: Melissa Adams, 10, left, has an ultra-rare genetic condition, Angleman syndrome, which renders her unable to speak. She was tested at two years old and finally diagnosed a year later . Pretty in pink: Melissa Adams, 10, pictured here, is a 'very happy girl and she has this excessive laughter which . gets us all going,' says her mother . Kathryn, 48, knew there was something wrong when when Melissa was just 12 months old. She tells Mail Online: 'Melissa was crying all the time. She couldn't lie on her tummy, wasn't sitting up and wasn't making any of the babbling noises babies normally make. 'Her head was very flat at the back too and she wouldn't feed or interact with anybody. 'She'd cling to me like a baby monkey. I knew something wasn't right.' Kathryn said she took her daughter to the doctors dozens of times but was always told there was nothing wrong and that she would eventually 'catch up.' Melissa, left, wasn't diagnosed with Angelman syndrome until she was three years old. The previous year her mother Kathryn, with Melissa right, insisted she was tested . Smiling baby: Melissa Adams pictured here as a baby in 2005. Melissa said that, from as young as 12 months old, Melissa wasn't hitting her development milestones . 'I was told countless times it was only a phase but my motherly instinct kicked in and I knew it wasn't,' says Kathryn. Melissa was eventually misdiagnosed as having autism when she was a two-year-old. 'I knew it wasn't autism,' says Kathryn, who is also mum to 13-year-old Jacob. 'They had made me feel incredibly paranoid when they didn't take me seriously and then they just stuck this label on her.' Determined to prove the doctors wrong and help her daughter, Kathryn started doing her own research on the internet. She typed in Melissa's symptoms Angelman syndrome appeared. The condition affects the nervous system, causing severe physical and intellectual disability. 'Although Melissa didn't tick all the boxes for it, she ticked most of them,' explains Kathryn. Melissa, pictured here, is now 10. When she was two years old her mother Kathryn managed to get her a referral to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool for a genetics test . 'I now know that was because Angelman syndrome covers quite a wide spectrum and Melissa has one of the rarest types.' She returned to her doctors but, again, felt like she was, 'banging my head against a brick wall.' 'Even with all the information out in front of them they still didn't think it was Angelman,' says Kathryn. 'One doctor even told me that Melissa was 'too pretty' to have it, which I found really quite shocking.' Kathryn finally managed to get her daughter a referral to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool for a genetics test when she was two years old. 'It had been a real battle to get doctors to take me seriously,' says Kathryn. 'The test was expensive so they were reluctant to refer her but I literally begged them.' The doctors even agreed to carry out a second test, after the first came back negative. 'But the second test proved I had been right all along,' says Kathryn. Kathryn, pictured her with daughter Melissa, along with friends and family, has now set up the Melissa Adams . Angelman Foundation in a bid to help raise awareness of the condition and raise funds to find a treatment or cure . Melissa was finally diagnosed at the age of three with Angelman syndrome and, just a few months later, was also diagnosed with epilepsy. She who has mobility issues which often cause her to stumble as she walks, . Kathryn, who lives with her husband Stephen, 52, a service engineer, said: 'I felt a real mixture of emotions when she was finally diagnosed. 'I was relieved that we finally had answers but I was also very upset because I knew Melissa would never grow up to enjoy a normal childhood. I . 'I knew she would never really get better and that was hard. 'At the same time I was also really angry that it had taken so long for a correct diagnosis and I felt like, if I hadn't persevered, she would have been stuck with the label that she was autistic.' There is currently no treatment for Angelman syndrome, although research into the condition continues. Kathryn, along with friends and family, has now set up the Melissa Adams Angelman Foundation in a bid to help raise awareness of the condition and raise funds to find a treatment or cure. Saints stars Mark Flanagan, Sia Soliola and Willie Manu all recently become ambassadors for the charity too. 'Melissa is now a very happy girl and she has this excessive laughter which gets us all going,' says Kathryn. 'But I suspect there are a lot of children who have been misdiagnosed because many doctors have never heard of the syndrome. 'If I hadn't done my own research, we would never be where we are today. I was angry they hadn't listened to me from the start.' To sponsor Kathryn for her skydive to raise money to help find a cure for Angelman, donate to the charity or find out more information, visit www.researchangelman.org.uk . | Melissa Adams,10, from Eccleston, Lancashire, was born with rare disorder .
Doctors dismissed it as a 'phase' and later claimed she was autistic .
Mother Kathryn, 48, found a diagnosis for Angelman syndrome online .
Doctors finally tested Melissa for it when she was two years old . |
114,007 | 1f18c96c501dd2cfb7edee141c4ea3a90ad76cae | If you are looking for a loan, serving your bank manager breakfast might just do the trick. A compound found in eggs makes people much more generous, new research suggests. Scientists say that tryptophan, an amino acid found in some foods, can change our behaviour. Psychologists from Leiden University in the Netherlands say that a compound found in eggs (stock image shown) can increase generosity. In their study tryptophan made volunteers donate more money. Tryptophan, which eggs are rich in, is an amino acid that is converted in the body into the feel-good chemical serotonin . In experiments they found that consuming a small portion of tryptophan - the equivalent of that found in three eggs - doubled the sum volunteers gave to charity. Eggs and other foods such as fish and milk are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted in the body into the feel-good chemical serotonin. The substance is also marketed as a food supplement called TRP. Psychologists from Leiden University in the Netherlands, writing in the Frontiers in Psychology journal, said: ‘For the first time, we investigated whether the administration of a compound contained in food such as fish, eggs, soy, and milk can promote charitable donating. Oxytocin is released in response to physical touch and is associated with maternal nurturing, social attachments, childbirth and sex. It is essential for healthy muscle maintenance and repair. The hormone is injected to induce labour and a new study claims it could one day be used to slow down muscle wasting in the elderly. Research has shown so far that it does not cause cancer when injected and could help old people recover from muscle injuries faster. Levels of oxytocin are high in children, but it is not known when levels of the hormone start to decline and how much is needed to maintain healthy tissues. Previous research found that administering oxytocin helped prevent the development of osteoporosis in mice. ‘Our study is the first demonstration that charitable donating can be enhanced by serotonin-related food supplements.’ The authors carried out an experiment on 32 men and women, in which half were given a powder containing 0.8 grams of TRP, and the others were given a harmless placebo powder. Each participant was given £7.50 ($11.25) for taking part in the research and asked whether they were willing to donate part of their financial reward to charity. Four boxes for Unicef, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and World Wildlife Fund were left on a table. When the psychologists counted the takings, they found that those given the TRP powder donated an average of 75p ($1.15), while those who received the placebo donated half as much. Just how a food supplement could have such an effect is not clear, but the scientists suggest the involvement of oxytocin, the so-called ‘cuddle’ hormone produced by women during breastfeeding and lovemaking. Need a bank loan? Perhaps you should make sure your manager has eaten eggs for breakfast. Just how a food supplement could have such an effect is not clear, but the scientists suggest the involvement of oxytocin, the so-called ‘cuddle’ hormone produced by women during breastfeeding and lovemaking . The researchers point to the closeness of the areas of the brain associated with serotonin and oxytocin. They wrote: ‘It may be likely that the willingness to donate money to a charity is modulated by the effect that serotonin exerts on oxytocin levels. ‘Our results support the materialist approach that “you are what you eat”. ‘The idea [is] that the food one eats has a bearing on one’s state of mind. The food we eat may thus act as a cognitive enhancer that modulates the way we deal with the “social” world.' Commenting on the research, Dr Adam Perkins, neurobiologist at King’s College London, said the study could be useful in prisons to encourage harmony among inmates. He said: ‘These results are interesting because they raise the possibility that dietary supplements containing TRP could be used to assist with boosting charitable attitudes and behaviour in the population.’ | Psychologists from Leiden University in the Netherlands say that a compound found in eggs can increase generosity .
In their study tryptophan made volunteers donate more money .
Tryptophan, which eggs are rich in, is an amino acid that is converted in the body into the feel-good chemical serotonin .
The scientists suggest the 'cuddle hormone' oxytocin may be involved . |
146,319 | 49345a2a4ee45c3be06a8c002f20f8eda03d515a | By . Stuart Fraser . Follow @@stu_fraser . It is not often that football does not dominate the front pages of Spain's national daily sports newspapers - but Rafael Nadal's historic ninth French Open triumph was the lead story on Monday. The Spaniard beat Novak Djokovic in the final at Roland Garros on Sunday to win his fifth consecutive title and his ninth since he was first victorious in Paris at the age of 19 in 2005. AS go with the headline 'Ninth Roland Garros - a tennis player for history'. Victorious: Marca lists Nadal's years of triumph in Paris, while French daily L'Equipe say 'Nadal's land' Champion: Mundo Deportivo rightly recognise Nadal as 'King of the Clay', while Sport hails Nadal as immortal . Marca lists his years of success at Roland Garros accompanied by the line 'Eternal Rafa' and hail him as a great player in Spain's sporting history. Mundo Deportivo understandably go with 'King of the Clay', while Sport recognises his ninth title with 'Immortal Nad9l'. Nadal also makes the front page of French national newspaper L'Equipe, who say 'Nadal's land'. Thumps up: Nadal bites the Coupe des Mousquetaires after beating Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday . Younger days: Nadal kisses the trophy after his first French Open triumph at the age of 19 in 2005 . | World No 1 Nadal won his ninth Roland Garros title in Paris on Sunday .
Nadal beat arch-rival Novak Djokovic in four sets .
It is Nadal's fifth consecutive French Open title . |
247,648 | cc772d56df92dfb7acb2e098a0a2b13996908318 | Two years ago, aged 18, Tom Pyle made an impulsive decision that has cast a shadow over his life ever since. On a whim he had a large tattoo inked onto his chest depicting two women's faces - one of them with skull-like features - with the wording: 'We must let go of the life we have planned so to accept the life that is waiting for us' scrawled between them. His shocked and devastated parents tried for months to convince him to have the design removed but it was only the negative reaction of his peers on a holiday that finally convinced him to begin laser treatment. Janet, pictured with Tom, was devastated when she discovered Tom had had the massive tattoo . Before: Tom had the tattoo depicting two women, one of whom appears mutilated, with the wording 'We must let go of the life we have planned so to accept the life that is waiting for us' in between them done on a whim . After: Tom is over half way through a course of intensive laser treatments to remove the massive tattoo . When Tom first expressed a desire to have a tattoo his parents Dave and Janet, from Sandhurst, Berkshire, were strongly against the notion. His mother Janet, 54, said: 'We told him there will come a point where you will regret it.' But despite discussing with Tom at length the permanence of a tattoo he had small designs inked both on his ribs and both his ankles. However, it was his third trip to the tattoo parlor where things went badly wrong. Janet only discovered her son had been inked with the massive design across his chest when she stumbled across a picture he had posted on Facebook. 'My first thought was "oh my God, they are absolutely awful",' she explained. 'We didn't understand why he would have chosen that image as it is so at odds with the Tom we know. Tom admits he didn't put much thought into the design, which he initially wanted smaller . 'It was grotesque. I found it disturbing and offensive as well as derogatory to women. One of the women looked like she had been mutilated. 'He is a caring, emotional boy who cares about what people think, and just so different from the image that tattoo portrayed. 'The quote suggested he had had a bad life, when in actual fact he has led a good, happy life. He was born so perfect and to me, now, I felt he was scarred, that he had destroyed his body. 'We were absolutely devastated. I cried constantly for about two weeks. I just couldn't bare to look at it and see what he had done.' Janet and husband Dave (left) were particularly upset as the design did not reflect Tom's character at all . It wasn't until he went on a summer holiday with his friends that Tom realised the impact of what he had done . And despite his outward bravado, Tom admits that he had his doubts about the tattoo almost as soon as it was finished. 'I had just strolled into the tattoo parlour and I saw a design and just picked it. There was no real thought involved. 'I initially wanted it smaller but they said it wouldn't be possible and I was so eager to have it done I just went with it. 'At the time all my friends were getting tattooed and I thought it was the 'thing' to do. We were all about to go on a lads holiday and we all wanted to be inked for the beach. 'The moment I walked out I was gutted. I was think "what on earth have I done". 'But obviously I had to pretend I was fine with it.' Although Janet and Dave begged their son to get the tattoo removed he insisted he like it and refused, despite his mothers obvious anguish. It wasn't until he went on a summer holiday with his friends that Tom realised the impact of what he had done. Dave and Janet, centre, with daughter Laura, 24, far left, were happywhen Tom (right) agreed to remove his tat . 'I got completely the opposite reaction of what I had expected on the beach. People were actually coming up to me and being like "what the hell is that on your chest?"' Tom explained. Receiving an increasingly negative reaction Tom began to come round to the idea of removing the tattoo, much to his mother's joy. 'I was overjoyed when he said he wanted it lasered. Just over the moon,' she said. However, Tom still had to undergo the agonizing removal procedure. Speaking of the Cynosure's PicoSure tattoo removal treatment sessions, which he is still undergoing at a leading London tattoo removal studio, The Reset Room, Tom, now 21, said: ''I can't decribe it, it is the worse pain I've ever experienced. 'It is like a red hot elastic band being pinged against you over and over and I could smell my own skin burning. But despite the pain of the treatments, Tom and mum Janet are delighted with the results, although Tom will still need several more sessions to fully remove the tattoo completely. 'The guy before my first treatment was a rugby player and passed out; but the pain is better than the tattoo,' he said. 'I felt really happy after my first treatment and am becoming even more determined to get rid of them as quickly as possible. I definitely won't be getting another.' When asked what advice he would give someone considering a tattoo Tom says: 'I'm definitely not against them all together. But I would definitely say think about it. 'Someone told me, put the design up on your wall for a year or two. If you still like it after that then you're probably ok.' | Tom was 18 when he had ink scrawled across his chest on a 'whim'
Mother Janet was horrified after finding out on Facebook .
Now undergoing 'agonising' laser treatment to totally eradicate it . |
174,035 | 6d3b5790cb1ff2411ad575161fe0967d34bf0f15 | When Prince George arrives in Sydney next Wednesday, diehard republicans will no doubt protest that he is just another over-privileged royal with no more right to reign over them in the future than a kangaroo. But, as I have discovered, the little fellow has rather more in common with the average Aussie than any of them could suspect. For I can reveal that through a horny-handed, sheep-stealing ancestor, he is related to hundreds, possibly thousands, of modern Australians. Thanks to his grandmother, Carole Middleton, the eight-month-old Prince can trace his roots to a 19th-century farm labourer from Kent, who was found guilty of stealing three lambs and handed the obligatory sentence — transportation to Australia. Will Kate's blood link to Australial help in the Royal Family¿s continuing battle against the republican movement there? Surely this new-found blood link will help in the Royal Family’s continuing battle against the republican movement, which maintains a powerful voice in the country and wants a head of state who is Australian and who lives in the country. It will also, perhaps, strengthen the arguments of those who support the idea of Prince William becoming Governor-General of Australia when the incumbent Sir Peter Cosgrove retires in five years. George’s ties to some of those who will flock to see him next week are the result of a human drama which, in microcosm, tells the story of the forging of Australia itself. After transportation from Kent, farm labourer Samuel Hickmott started his new life in the young nation, breaking rocks as a member of a chain-gang. It would take ten years to win his freedom. Hickmott had a son, Henry, who married Sophia Goldsmith, Carole Middleton’s great-great-great aunt. That name has survived the many decades in between to be borne by the Duchess of Cambridge’s uncle, Gary Goldsmith. (Though he has never been accused of stealing sheep, he attracted a certain infamy when he was exposed as having offered cocaine and prostitutes to a reporter at his Ibizan villa, Maison de Bang Bang.) Over subsequent years, the Hickmott family’s descendants spread through every state of Australia. It had been in December 1839 that Samuel and his brother, Thomas, were arrested on the Brighton railway and accused of stealing the three lambs. The brothers were no better and no worse than many members of the 19th century underclass, suffering a combination of insufficient work, poor health, undernourishment and the withering effects of the Industrial Revolution. Both had been to jail and the workhouse. Sophia Elizabeth Goldsmith Hickmott, is Kate's ancestor. She married Hnery Hickmott, son of Samuel Hickmott . Of course, they were breaking the law, but, for them, it was the only way of feeding their starving families. Samuel had four children by two wives, but both women had died. With farm work hard to find, he had twice placed the children in the Lamberhurst poor house. He and his brother Tom served short jail terms for vagrancy, but, in their defence, the pair were the last to be chosen for any work because they were not able to read or write. When the Hickmott brothers were arrested, they were at the end of their tether. They appeared at Maidstone Assizes on January 2, 1840, and an open-and-shut case was put to the judge. The brothers had stolen the lambs and the remains of the meat had been found in their houses. The prosecution, determined to get a conviction, produced the lambskins and the evidence of two local butchers. Thomas, of ‘a notoriously bad character’, was sentenced to be transported for life. His younger brother Samuel was sentenced to ten years’ transportation. But, effectively, that meant a life sentence — because convicts were not given a return ticket at the end of their sentence and rarely raised enough money to buy one. So, for the theft of three lambs, the Hickmott brothers were shipped to the other side of the world — Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania — with no hope of return. The 101-day journey across the high seas on the prison ship Asia was a living hell, and the brothers stepped ashore with great relief. But Samuel would spend the next ten years working on a chain-gang, breaking rocks and helping prepare roads on the island, 150 miles from the Australian mainland. There was never any hope of escape. While little is known of Thomas’s fate, the gruelling punishment did not break Samuel — far from it. Just over eight years after his conviction, he received a conditional pardon and was subsequently released. In a bullish mood, he sailed to South Australia, where he met up with one of his four sons, Henry. He had been just 15 years old when he had last seen his father. He’d pledged to meet up with him again and start a new life in the emerging country, and so took his young bride, Sophia Goldsmith, whom he’d met in Kent where her family were the Hickmotts’ neighbours. Even in the fetid steerage cabins, the journey aboard the migrant ship Emily, accompanied by its sister-ship named — appropriately, you might say — Kate, was more luxurious by far for the newlyweds than it had been for Hickmott senior. The couple arrived in Botany Bay on September 9, 1850, and prepared themselves for an exhausting trip across the vast continent to South Australia. The family tree, which Kate can trace back her Australian roots. The Duchess visits Sydney next week . Sophia Goldsmith was tall, dark and willowy. However, the marriage was not to last beyond its fifth year for, after producing three children, the youngest of whom was to rise to become a Member of Parliament, Sophia died. The Hickmotts — Samuel; his son Henry; and Henry’s son, Henry Edward — steeled themselves for rough times ahead. On his release, Samuel worked as a labourer, while his son Henry sweated it out in the local brickworks at Mount Barker, near Adelaide. The men were hard and they were ambitious. When the Australian Gold Rush began, all three travelled 300 miles south-west overland from Mount Barker to Clunes, near Melbourne, in the Victorian goldfields where father and son set to work all hours as miners, labourers and brickmakers. At the age of 72, after years of being toughened on the chain-gang, it is recorded that Samuel was still hard at work, helping build the family fortune — but his had been a supremely tough life and he died soon after. His son Henry and grandson Henry Edward moved to Charlton, in Victoria, where the rewards of their hard labour allowed them to buy a farm and set up a brick-making business. Eventually, Henry Edward became a successful building and roads contractor — and the Hickmott family was on its way. Forty years after his grandfather had left England in chains, Henry Edward was poised to become the MP for Pingelly. His mother, Sophia Goldsmith, had died soon after he was born, but her name lived on in his first child, whom he named Sophia. Kate's links to Australia can be traced through her mother Carole Middleton . A portrait survives of this Sophia which, pleasingly for Australians, is strikingly similar to her kinswoman, the Duchess of Cambridge. So, what of the Goldsmiths who remained in England? The carpenter father of the Sophia who had sailed to Australia hated the shame brought upon the family by his daughter marrying the son of a sheep-stealer. Sophia’s brother, John, meanwhile, was little more than a labourer and brickmaker for most of his life. His son, also John, did the same — as did the next generation’s male progeny, Stephen. For a century, while the Hickmotts slaved away to improve their fortunes in Australia, the Goldsmiths trod water socially and professionally. Only when Stephen’s son, Ron Goldsmith, broke the mould by becoming an engineer and builder did things begin to look up. Ron’s marriage to Dorothy Harrison, the decidedly upwardly mobile daughter of a miner from Hetton-le-Hole, Tyne & Wear, sparked a further move up the social ladder. It was an upward trajectory that’s ended with the extraordinary achievements of their daughter, Carole Middleton, in producing a daughter who has become mother to the future king of Britain and Australia. While the Goldsmiths were making their way in the world, Down Under the Hickmott clan had grown fast. Henry Edward Hickmott — grandson of the convict Samuel — and his wife Elizabeth had 12 children, and it’s the numerous descendants of this couple — and those of his sisters, Eliza and Emma, who make up the nucleus of what may wryly be dubbed ‘the Australian Royal Family’. These three siblings — Henry Edward, Eliza and Emma — were Prince George’s first cousins, five times removed. Though with each generation the cousinage becomes watered down, descendants of these three Hickmotts have a right to claim kinship with the future king. Today, they range from blue-collar workers through middle-class professionals to such well-known Australian figures as Brendon Grylls, an MP for Western Australia, and IT multi-millionaire Stanley Lewis. So, next week — though he won’t know it — Prince George will be among his people, his relatives. Support for the monarchy Down Under is at a 25-year high, and his presence will surely help the royals’ efforts to nurture the link between themselves and those we can now quite rightly call their Australian cousins. Who knows, one day George might get to meet all those rellies round the barbie. | Duchess can trace roots to farm labourer who was sent to Australia .
He was found guilty of stealing three lambs and handed the sentence .
Kate is due in Sydney next week as part of trip to Australia and New Zealand . |
283,820 | fbb61fffa173d94b78aa33d6cca4c3703afd36aa | Have you ever had that sinking feeling? Well Max Miller, a student from Northeastern University in Illinois, certainly came close to the murky depths as he experienced a titanic kayaking disaster. The amateur oarsman was filmed in a state of wild panic as his watercraft slowly started dipping below the surface of a weed-ridden river. 'Sarah help me, my kayak's sinking,' he wails to his friend, while pulling an array of tearful facial expressions at the camera. Scroll down for video . Sinking feeling: Max Miller, a student from Northeastern University in Illinois, experienced a kayaking disaster . Help! The amateur oarsman was filmed in a state of wild panic as his watercraft slowly started dipping below the surface of a weed-ridden river . Caught on camera: 'Sarah help me, my kayak's sinking,' he wails to his friend, while pulling an array of tearful facial expressions . However, Sarah appears to see the funnier side of things as she watches from a distance recording the debacle. At one point she urges Max to stand up on the river bed, while holding back giggles. But poor Max seems unenthused about the idea. 'No it's too deep,' he sobs. He gets even more agitated as weed sticks to his paddle and gets on his shirt. At that point, he hits his limit and tosses his paddle into the river. 'Oh my God, I don't know what to do,' Max pines. No sympathy: Max's friend Sarah appears to see the funnier side of things as she watches from a distance recording the debacle . Not at one with nature: Max gets increasingly agitated as weed sticks to his paddle and gets on his shirt . 'What do you want me to do? I don't know how to help you. You need to go to land and flip your kayak over,' Sarah responds. The footage then cuts to show Max submerged in the water wearing a life jacket with his kayak tipped upside down. He continues to dramatically flounder around, with his boat failing to correct itself. Sarah reassured YouTube viewers that Max escaped the disaster unscathed. To date more than 1.5million have watched him in action. Many have sympathized with his pain, however one commenter sarcastically remarked: 'Future Navy Seal in training.' Max was attempting to kayak on a river in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, when he ran into trouble last summer. This year, maybe it will be better to stick to dry land. Taking a dip: The footage cuts to show Max submerged in the water wearing a life jacket with his kayak tipped upside down . Online hit: To date more than 1.5million have watched Max in action, many have sympathized with his pain . | Max Miller, a student from Northeastern University in Illinois, was filmed in a state of panic as his watercraft started sinking in a weed-ridden river .
To date the video has been watched more than 1.5million times . |
91,077 | 01232bff2632084c1d2ed3203d56ea46b3a5eb7d | Hearts remain unbeaten at the top of the Scottish Championship after earning a 1-1 draw against Edinburgh rivals Hibernian. The Jambos' impressive league record appeared to be in danger when Jason Cummings fired the visitors into the lead midway through the first half. But his ninth goal of the season was cancelled out in style by Jamie Walker who grabbed a superb equaliser to ensure the derby clash ended all square. Jamie Walker wheels away in celebration after scoring the equaliser for Hearts against Hibernian . Walker is congratulated by his team-mates after his ninth goal of the season ensured Hearts nicked a draw . The outcome at Tynecastle means Hearts have still not lost a league match this season after 19 games. Unsurprisingly, Hibs named an unchanged side following their emphatic 4-0 win over Rangers, with Martin Boyle on the bench after joining on loan from Dundee. Hearts made two changes from the side who defeated Livingston, with Miguel Pallardo and Walker both drafted into the starting line-up. The visitors almost snatched the opener within seconds of kick-off amid a raucous atmosphere inside the Gorgie ground. A poor ball from Alim Ozturk was pounced on by Cummings but his 20-yard shot was straight at Neil Alexander and comfortably blocked by the Hearts goalkeeper. Their unbeaten record was under threat in the Edinburgh derby, until Walker scored just before half-time . Hibernian's Jason Cummings celebrates after putting the visitors one in front in the first half . Hibs were threatening again when they were handed a free-kick after Scott Allan was fouled by Morgaro Gomis. Liam Craig's low effort took an awkward deflection but Alexander did well to get down and smother. Hearts were not too far away when Walker picked out Danny Wilson from a corner and the skipper nodded just wide of the upright. But it was Hibs who sparked wild celebrations among the travelling support when they surged into the lead in the 24th minute. A lovely cross from Allan from the right picked out Cummings at the back post and he slotted home his third goal in as many games. Cummings then almost helped himself to another moments later, collecting unmarked from Lewis Stevenson only to nod just past the post. Walker (right), scorer of Hearts equaliser, challenges the Hibernian goalkeeper Mark Oxley . James Keatings (right) and Scott Robertson battle for the ball at Tynecastle on Saturday afternoon . Hearts tried to haul themselves back into the game but Walker succeeded only in smashing his shot into the side-netting. However, he was celebrating five minutes before half-time thanks to a fantastic ferocious strike from 25 yards into the top corner that left goalkeeper Mark Oxley with no chance. Buoyed by the leveller, the home side could have edged in front shortly after the restart but Adam Eckersley failed to keep his close-range header on target. Hibs fans then screamed for a penalty when Danny Handling went to ground under pressure from Pallardo but there was no spot-kick award from referee Steven McLean. Moments later, it was Hearts' turn to appeal, with Gomis and Walker both hitting the turf in quick succession but, again, the match official declined to point to the spot. Boyle was thrown into the action for his debut with seven minutes to go but it was fellow sub Callum Booth who was denied a late winner when his volley was cleared off the line by Callum Paterson. | Jason Cummings fired Hibernian into the lead in the first half .
If the visitors had held on, they would have ended Hearts' unbeaten record .
Jamie Walker scored his ninth of the season to equalise in the second half .
Hearts remain top of the Scottish Championship without a loss all season . |
2,338 | 06d6f7e0ec98dd99bf1058a23887055ddbdf4fea | The extraordinary number of foreign criminals hiding in Britain was dramatically revealed yesterday after police arrested more than 700 suspects travelling on our roads in just 48 hours. As a row raged over a report which showed the £1billion-a-year failure of successive governments to guard Britain’s borders, police launched the biggest-ever blitz on overseas offenders, rounding up 1,687 suspects in two days. Using number plate recognition technology to spot foreign-registered vehicles potentially associated with criminal activity, police stopped 2,304 cars, arresting 729 immigrants. They include gangsters and thugs wanted in their own countries for crimes such as human trafficking, robbery, fraud, drug smuggling, assault and domestic abuse. Scroll down for video . Police officers bash down a door as they conduct a raid on a property in Coventry yesterday . Raids across Britain in the past two days have netted more than 700 foreign criminals . One 28-year-old Czech fugitive wanted on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for 23 offences, including robbery, was spotted in Birmingham city centre. The automatic number plate recognition cameras also identified a 51-year-old Polish man in Smethwick, West Midlands, who is suspected of a £11,500 fraud. The week-long crackdown – involving 43 forces in England and Wales – has seen raids carried out targeting foreign criminals across the UK. Police also handed out 958 fines and cautions to overseas motorists for driving without a licence, insurance or tax and using rebated fuel, known as red diesel. West Midlands Police, which is co-ordinating Operation Trivium, gathered intelligence from 14 countries on their most wanted offenders in Britain. A list of 3,500 number plates associated with crime was distributed to traffic officers, who were instructed to pull over any matching vehicles. Meanwhile, 30 police officers from 14 European countries ran checks on the drivers on their own databases at a Birmingham control centre. A 24-year-old Polish man was arrested in Worcester just hours after an EAW was authorised for crimes including domestic abuse, assault and theft in his homeland. Suspected robbers, fraudsters and drug traffickers were all caught in the police raids . Police found another wanted man from Slovakia living in Handsworth, where he was running a human trafficking ring. In some cases, the offenders could be deported within ten days if they do not oppose extradition on an EAW. Others arrested for crimes committed in the UK could face trial in Britain, where a judge will decide whether they should be deported at the end of their sentence. Officers said the ‘show of strength’ had yielded an unprecedented number of arrests by turning Birmingham into ‘the headquarters for a European Union police force’. The crackdown came as ministers refused to name dozens of high-risk foreign criminals on the run for more than five years. A damning National Audit Office report has revealed that foreign offenders are able to walk into the country unchecked, commit new offences, then cheat removal on human rights grounds once their jail terms are complete. It claimed that 58 ‘high harm’ offenders – a category including rapists, killers and drug dealers – absconded after being released from prison. One in six of the 4,200 foreign criminals freed from jail have fled, and police routinely fail to check if arrested foreign nationals have a criminal record at home. The report prompted Paul Houston, whose daughter Amy was run over and killed by an illegal immigrant in 2003, to accuse politicians of having ‘blood on their hands’. But yesterday David Cameron stressed that 22,000 foreign national offenders had been removed from Britain since he entered Downing Street, adding: ‘We’re making progress, the buck does stop with me but I wouldn’t mind a bit of cross-party support for the actions we need to take.’ A Home Office spokesman said: ‘These people are the subject of ongoing investigation and we are determined to hunt them down and remove them.’ | More than 700 foreign criminals have been arrested across UK in 48 hours .
Comes after report showed successive governments failed to guard borders .
Number plate recognition technology used to spot vehicles of interest .
Immigrants arrested include gangsters, thugs, fraudsters and burglars .
Week-long crackdown has involved 43 police forces in England and Wales . |
25,111 | 472553cb59de35f4ef24819e4e65d7cbba40a630 | (CNN) -- An Illinois woman who left her mentally disabled daughter outside a Tennessee bar cannot be charged with a crime, police said Tuesday. Police in Caryville, Tennessee, said the daughter is 19 and not assigned to a legal guardian. "As terrible as it is, unfortunately there is nothing we can do," Assistant Police Chief Stephanie Smith said. "There is no doubt we need a law for mental health rights, but pending this investigation, we just don't know what else to do." According to police, Eva Cameron stopped at the Big Orange Bar in Caryville on June 28 when her daughter, Lynn, needed to use the restroom. The mother left Lynn by the side of the road and returned to her home in Algonquin, Illinois, according to Smith. "(Lynn) didn't know her age, she didn't know her address, she didn't know her phone number and she didn't even know her name," Smith said. Eva Cameron told the Northwest Herald newspaper in Illinois that she brought Lynn to Caryville because of its concentration of Baptists and because Tennessee has the "No. 1 health care system in the United States of America." Mentally disabled man says he was kept in nailed-shut closet . The young woman's identity was unknown until Caryville police received an anonymous tip on Monday, having released a picture and requested information from the public. At their request, Eva Cameron had a brief meeting with Caryville police on Tuesday. She signed a statement saying that Lynn Cameron was now a ward of Tennessee, officials said. "She basically said, 'I don't want her and I don't want to take her.' Then she got in her car and she left," said Smith. When reached later Tuesday by CNN, Eva Cameron said, "We understand she lost her ID card and that's how the situation has turned into what happened. She's already an adult. I just have to leave it at that." Eva Cameron would not answer further questions. Authorities took Lynn Cameron to a hospital, where she was discovered to have only a basic vocabulary of 30-40 words, according to Smith. A Campbell County Chancery Court order in the case described Lynn Cameron as a "severely disabled adult, suffering from profound mental deficits, and is unable to care for herself or her personal needs." According to the court, the mother stated "she could not and would not care for Lynn Cameron." Eva Cameron said that she has another disabled child and that caring for both was too much to handle, according to the Northwest Herald. Authorities said Lynn Cameron is being cared for at a facility in Roane County. When asked how the young woman is doing, Smith replied, "Lynn is doing fantastic." Adult day service: What you need to know . | Mother abandons mentally disabled daughter, 19, by side of road in Tennessee .
Authorities say there are no criminal charges that can be filed against mother .
Mother signed statement Tuesday saying that daughter is now ward of the state . |
38,388 | 6c897d5cc238411cd40f21ea952fc1d736ac780d | (CNN) -- It's no secret that corporate branding is big business. But in the age of social media, staying ahead of consumer conversations is an increasing challenge. Enter Randy Browning and his company, Blab. It works on predictive social intelligence -- identifying and predicting emerging topics and conversations before they trend on the internet. The company's propriety technology, aptly named Blab Predicts, gathers 100 million conversations a day, across six social networks and 50,000 news sources in real time. Seattle, Washington-based Blab then classifies those conversations into topics. Companies pay for the predictive data related to each topic. CNN spoke with Browning to find out more about Blab and the merits of using predictive technology. CNN: Give us an example of Blab and how it works. Randy Browning: So let's say you're an airline and you're going into spring break, and you've got a lot of business riding on flights into Florida. All of a sudden, there's a shark attack in Florida. And the news is something that's going to move from the news world into the blog world and start resonating with your target audience. Blab is able to tell that airline this is just a news blip it's going to last 12 hours and it's going to not go further than that, or this is going to be a big issue and it's going to be pervasive 72 hours out. So we are really truly a crystal ball, saying here's how people are going to be dealing with this story that's hitting the press right now. CNN: Why do companies need to predict conversations on social media? RB: There's been a fundamental shift in the way that marketers need to engage customers and it comes down to this: customers are happy operating in real time. I learn, I'm engaged, I'm excited about living my life in real time. But businesses are scared to death to operate in real time! Because when you're spending millions of dollars in media, you don't want to be in a reactive state. You don't want to say, "Hey, I'm caught off guard." What we do for them is we shift time. We say here's what will be resonating with your target audience up to 72 hours in the future. CNN: You say that you're the first company to do this kind of predictive social intelligence. What are the challenges of being an early adopter of new technology? RB: Every start-up has issues it has to overcome. With Blab, it was my background in advertising. I had a vision but I wasn't a technologist. So I couldn't get in my garage and start building this. I didn't have venture capitalist connections. So it wasn't about calling up a friend and saying, fund us without the proof. That was the barrier I had to solve in building Blab, bring the right founding technology team together, the right angel investors together who would believe in a vision. CNN: What advice do you have for others who are starting a business? RB: My advice for entrepreneurs is if you're driven by a passion and an industry understanding, do your research around financing and investing. That is key, that's the success to getting a company off the ground. And keeping a company going. | Blab predicts topics before they start trending .
It analyzes 100 million conversations a day, and 50,000 news sources .
More companies are seeing the value of engaging with customers in real-time . |
204,691 | 9502f3464e95d75ba53753291d1f39f82855048c | (CNN) -- At least this time, it won't be a surprise. Chatter heated up over the weekend that Beyonce will be dropping another secret album, and Amazon just gave fans even more reason to be hopeful. According to a product page on Amazon UK, "Beyonce Vol. 2," a four-disc import, will be released on November 24. Rumors started after a picture of a track list featuring collaborations with Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and Nicki Minaj circulated online, but while that may not exactly be credible, it is clear Queen B is planning something. In December, the superstar shocked and delighted fans with a straight-to-iTunes album that quickly went to the top of the charts. Whether the November surprise is a new album or an updated reissue of "Beyonce" remains to be seen. | NEW: Amazon UK lists the release on its website .
In December, Beyonce shocked fans with a secret album .
It's listed as part of a 4-disc package . |
216,295 | a4041337c9042890af47afa2c4bc3681a8de5d04 | Snow baby: Anna the fox has lived with Russian scientist Irina Mukhamedshina since she was a cub. She understands as many commands as a pet dog . Like any well-behaved pet, she understands words such as 'sit', 'stand up', 'lie down' - and knows her own name. But Anna is no ordinary domesticated animal. She is an endearing and impeccably mannered fox who has been trained to live alongside humans. The woman responsible for her unlikely transformation is Irina Mukhamedshina, a 22-year-old Russian scientist who adopted her and another fox called Elma from the Novosibirsk of Cytology and Genetics, which has studied how animals evolved from their feral ancestors to live alongside humans. She saw animals at the institute, . which began taming foxes in the 1950s and now has more than 50 . generations in its breeding programme, waggling their tails and . clamouring for human attention in the same way as dogs and wondered if . they could also be trained like them. Both her subjects were tiny cubs when they came to her but quickly grew into a companion that Irina views as halfway between a cat and a dog. 'I needed them to be young, because then I could use food motivation to train some basic commands,' Irina, an experienced dog trainer, told The Siberian Times. Her first task was getting the animals to come close to her, a process she found easy. After . this she moved on to basic commands, which took the foxes three weeks of 15 minute sessions . to master. They soon began to recognise their own names and would come to her for affection. Her . work attracted international fascination. A Japanese film crew recorded . Irina's work with foxes and were amazed at her achievements. She has now written an essay on her experiences and hopes to continue exploring the ways that foxes can be trained. Some . of the foxes, like Anna, have been sold to curious animal lovers. Others have been sold to fur farms because they are less distressed in captivity. She . said: 'Psychologically I understand them better now. Tamed foxes are . not quite like dogs, they are more in between dogs and cats in how they . respond to humans.' The Cytology and Genetics farm is in . Akademgorodok, the academic region of Siberia's largest city, . Novosibirsk. It is unique in the world as it has several hundred tamed . foxes. Its groundbreaking work began in the . 1950s, when Soviet biologist Dmitry Belyaev gathered foxes from fur . farms and bred the friendliest and least ferocious animals. He wanted to . test a theory by Charles Darwin that domestication physically changes . animals. By the mid-1960s, the foxes had gone . from wild to not fearing humans to actively seeking to befriend them. His team started to notice not only behavioural changes such as wagging . their tails and licking their human caretakers to show affection, . but also physical changes, such as spotted coats, floppy ears, and . curled tails. The effect has been dubbed the domestication phenotype. His . research drew the ire of Cold War politicians, who saw genetics as a . western science, and he was lucky to be able to continue his work until . his death in 1985, when it was taken over by Irina’s mentor Dr Lyudmila Trut. Scroll down for video . Redheads: Anna understands such basic commands as 'stand up', 'lie down' and 'sit' and responds to her own name when she is called . Pounce: Anna plays in the snow. She comes to humans for affection and is little different from any other pet . Experiment: Irina said that it was essential the foxes came to her when they were cubs so she could train them . Lie down: Training the foxes to obey basic commands took 15 minutes a day for three weeks, shocking Irina at how quickly the animals learned . | Young Russian dog trainer teaches rare tame foxes to follow commands .
Foxes can 'sit', 'stay' and 'lie down' at her direction .
The animals come from a unique facility that breeds domesticated foxes . |
38,906 | 6df35f64b19e0e3db231c5a9b641a66e15591dfe | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:04 EST, 19 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:04 EST, 19 May 2013 . Battler: Brave Jessica Vardy, with her mother Dawn, was given 10 months to live, but now she is on the road to recovery from a rare cancer . A little girl with a terminal tumour who was told she had just ten months to live is on the road to an amazing recovery after battling the rare cancer. Jessica Vardy, five, was diagnosed with a Rhabdoid tumour under her left armpit which had spread through her arm on Christmas Eve. Her parents had thought the mystery pain in her arm was a trapped nerve. But five months later, doctors finally revealed Jessie had a cancerous tumour - and predicted she had just 10 months to live. Only two children in the UK are diagnosed each year with the rare cancer, which usually spreads from the kidney or brain - prompting Jessie's grave prognosis. But the brave little girl has continued to battle the cancer and after months of chemotherapy, she is defying the odds and going from strength to strength. It has not spread to or from anywhere else in her body and the tumour has already reduced by 70 per cent. And doctors will operate to remove as much of the tumour as possible next month - before ongoing chemotherapy is hoped to destroy it altogether. Recovering: Jessica is described by her mother Dawn as 'our little miracle after fighting back against the cancer . Jessica's mum Dawn, 35, from Bishops Waltham, Hants, said: 'The pain of hearing the news that our daughter had a rare form of cancer, with little hope of survival, broke us to the core. Treatment: Jessica in hospital where she has had months of chemotherapy that have reduced the tumour by 70 per cent . 'You love your children more than anything and it was awful to know that someone you love so much could be taken away. 'But our little girl has defied the odds and we are astounded that despite her consultants' fears, her tumour is actually shrinking. 'To be even talking about surgery and physiotherapy is amazing - especially considering we were told she wouldn't survive the year. 'It made us value our family and our time that we have together, we appreciate it more and we don't take it for granted. 'It has been a reminder of those things that are important.' When Jessica left a summer fete with a mystery pain in her arm on the eve of her fifth birthday in July, Dawn thought she'd simply hurt it playing. But as her agonising pain worsened over the following months, her loving family - who thought she had trapped a muscle - were left baffled. They repeatedly returned to their GP as the pain killers did little to ease their little girl's suffering. But it was not until Christmas Eve that Jessica was finally diagnosed with a tumour. Dawn, who also has a eight-year-old son Josh, added: 'It got to the point where we were having her sleep in our bed as she was just in so much pain. 'I was told by doctors to give her pain relief medicine and to make sure she rested it. But when it got to Christmas Eve and she was still in agony, I just thought, 'I can't let her spend Christmas like this'. 'It was then a doctor noticed something wasn't right and told us it wasn't muscular and that we should take her to hospital straight away. Devoted: Dawn and Jessica. 'You love your children more than anything and it was awful to know that someone you love so much could be taken away, 'she says . 'They did an ultra sound and an MRI scan and that was when our whole world was turned upside down.' Jessica was immediately put on a course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy at Southampton General Hospital in Hampshire. Doctors have been amazed at how well she has responded to treatment. Her case is now being monitored by oncologists across Europe. Dawn added: 'Jessie is a walking miracle and she has been so brave too. She coped so well with the injections, the needles, the chemotherapy and even losing her hair. 'It's been so hard on us all but we are getting there - and that's mostly thanks to the inspirational strength our little miracle Jessie has shown.' Dawn's family and her friends are fundraising and have already raised £4,000 for the Piam Brown Ward in Southampton and Cancer Research UK. They will also run Race for Life in Winchester next month and the Great South Run in Portsmouth in October. To make a donation, visit justgiving.com/Dawn-Vardy1 . | Only two cases of Rhabdoid cancer in children are diagnosed every year in UK .
'Our little girl has defied the odds and we are astounded,' says mother .
Chemotherapy treatment has reduced the tumour by 70 per cent . |
253,395 | d3ff0c234ba418fc50aa116148cfb1d8f6f2fb50 | You won’t hear Tristram Hunt, Labour’s new education spokesman, trotting out Labour’s jibe that David Cameron is a ‘posh boy who doesn’t know the cost of a pint of milk’. Because the urbane and artfully tousled Hunt, 39, is every bit as posh as the Prime Minister. Fees at his alma mater, University College School in Hampstead, North London, are nearly £18,000 a year. It is a member of the ‘Eton Group’ of elite private schools and to get in you have to pass a gruelling exam. Ambition: Tristram Hunt, Labour's new Shadow Secretary of State for Education, interacts with pupils during a visit to a children's breakfast club at Richard Atkins Primary School in Brixton, London . Hunt went to Trinity College, Cambridge, the same college as his father, Baron Hunt of Chesterton, a Labour peer and Companion of the Order of the Bath. It was thanks to his dad’s Royal connections that Hunt was able to marry wife Juliet at Westminster Abbey, where William and Kate walked down the aisle. Add a commanding height of 6ft 3in, languid good looks that made him a TV success as the ‘Naked Historian’, and Peter Mandelson as a Labour ‘Godfather’, and it is not surprising he oozes charm and confidence. Yet, sitting in his cramped Commons study, Hunt begins the interview, his first since being appointed Shadow Education Secretary in Ed Miliband’s reshuffle, with a public apology. When Michael Gove launched his free schools revolution after the 2010 Election, allowing parents to set up new schools and breaking the stranglehold of teachers’ unions and town hall chiefs, Labour claimed it was a wicked plot to let middle-class parents set up elitist state schools where their pampered children studied Latin while council estate kids were condemned to ‘bog-standard comprehensives’. Days after becoming the newly elected MP for Stoke-on-Trent, excitable new boy Hunt called free schools a ‘vanity project for yummy mummies’. Partner: Mr Hunt's wife Juliet Thornback, who owns a successful homeware company could be a Labour 'SamCam' in the making . Now he wants to eat his words. ‘I regret those comments because I think any parents, be they yummy mummies or . . . ’ he searches for the male equivalent, ‘ . . . or faddy daddies, involved in the education of their children is great.’ Instead of mocking Gove, Hunt now wants to mirror him, by promising Labour’s own ‘parent power’ revolution in schools. He wants to bury the idea that Labour is in the pockets of teachers’ unions and Lefty town hall chiefs after the party’s pollsters discovered Gove’s policy is a vote winner. Labour’s schools will be called ‘parent-led academies’ (PLAs) – not free schools. But it’s a case of spot the difference. It is a highly significant moment. Miliband’s party conference speech, in which he vowed to freeze energy prices, was seen as a lurch to the Left, as was his decision last week to demote three Blairite members of his Shadow Cabinet. Yet the appointment of Blairite young gun Hunt, and ending attacks on ‘yummy mummies’ who set up their own schools, suggests ‘Red Ed’ is willing to steal the Tories’ clothing if he thinks it will win him votes. Like free schools, PLAs will be set up by local parents and teachers and will be able to set their own curriculum, decide teachers’ pay and have their own ‘ethos’. However, unlike free schools, PLAs will only be allowed where there is a shortage of school places; town halls will still be able to step in – though only in a crisis – and there will be curbs on ‘untrained’ teachers. Hunt says the checks will stop scandals such as the closure of the Muslim Al-Madinah free school in Derby following claims of discrimination against female staff and pupils. But make no mistake, PLAs are meant to be seen as ‘Labour’s free schools’. ‘There are lots of parents out there who want to set up schools,’ says Hunt. ‘What I am saying is if you want to do that when we are in government we will be on your side. There has been this perception that we would not be, and I want people to be absolutely clear that we are. I am putting rocket boosters on getting behind parents and social entrepreneurs. ‘We are not going to go back to the old days of the local authority running all the schools – they will not be in charge.’ Taunt: Mr Hunt has accused his opposite number Michael Gove of acting like Napoleon when it comes to education policy in Whitehall . Far from shutting down Gove’s ‘yummy mummy schools’ if Labour wins, Hunt wants more of them. ‘We will keep those free schools going. We aren’t in the business of taking them down. We have to clear up this question which has dogged Labour education policy since we entered opposition and since Michael Gove began his reforms, as to what we’d do. We just want to say, “You are setting up these schools, we are behind you.” ’ Hunt has praised the successful free school set up in East London by his friend, Peter Hyman, Tony Blair’s former No 10 aide. Would he let Hyman set up a primary school feeder to his existing secondary free school? ‘Yes.’ Even if it is a free school? He interjects: ‘We would be calling them parent-led academies.’ Will PLAs offer everything free schools have got? ‘Yes, but in an area of need, absolutely,’ Hunt enthuses. ‘The innovation, creativity, community engagement you see in the best free schools – great, let’s have more.’ Controversy: The new Shadow Education Secretary once referred to David Starkey as a 'gossip columnist' historian, prompting the academic to say Mr Hunt was more eye candy than IQ . To ram home the point, Hunt says he would happily send his three young children to a free school. Gove will argue that by giving town halls even a small role, Labour’s PLAs are not truly free but still enslaved to the Left-wing educational establishment he despises. Hunt counters by claiming that by running free schools from Whitehall, Gove is acting ‘like ‘Napoleon’. ‘When things go wrong at a free school it has to go straight to the Minister down the road like a Napoleon telling these kids what to do,’ he scoffs. Gove, the state-educated, adopted son of an Aberdonian fishmonger, loves to taunt ‘privately educated’ Hunt in private. ‘I get under Michael’s skin,’ he says. In return, he has called Gove ‘Blair’s bastard acolyte’ for claiming free schools are a continuation of Blair’s academies. Hunt once got under TV rival David Starkey’s skin, cheekily calling him a ‘gossip columnist’ historian, prompting Starkey to suggest Hunt was more eye candy than IQ. Teasing Tories for following Blair is a bit rich considering Hunt’s undying devotion. ‘Tony Blair was a great Prime Minister,’ he says. So is he the true heir to Blair, a future leader, as Labour admirers claim? ‘No, partly for psychological reasons,’ he reflects. ‘Tony had a messianic quality, a driven quality – not in that he was the Messiah!’ Hunt erupts with laughter, ‘but a driven, absolute inner eye. Am I the new Tony Blair? I don’t think that would be true.’ He would have you believe he is too cerebral for the ruthlessness of leadership. Or does the soft-spoken, self- deprecating demeanour mask the deadly ambition of other well-mannered public schoolboy politicians such as Blair and Cameron? Hunt’s Cameronesque qualities extends to his own ‘yummy mummy’ wife, Juliet Thornback, a Labour ‘SamCam’ in the making. Even more blonde and willowy than her husband, she co-owns the trendy Thornback & Peel homeware company whose first success was a designer handbag, just like Mrs Cameron, who designs handbags for her own upmarket label Smythson. B&Q it is not: Thornback & Peel wallpaper sells for £70 a roll and silk cushions for £55. Proud husband Hunt declares: ‘She is a very hard-working, successful small businesswoman worried about cash flow and big companies not paying their bills within 60 days – while raising three kids. I’m full of admiration for her.’ Dave says the same about Sam. As a rather grand commentator on constitutional affairs, Hunt has frequently doled out advice to the Royals. Indeed, if he did so to a camera lens outside Buckingham Palace he is more likely to be mistaken for Prince William than Ed Miliband. He laughs when I suggest he is probably one of the few who knows as much about Marxism as Miliband’s father, Marxist academic Ralph, did. Hunt wrote a highly acclaimed book about his hero, Friedrich Engels, who co-founded Communism with Karl Marx. While planting the seeds of a worldwide workers’ revolt from England, German-born Engels simultaneously indulged his passion for riding to hounds. Does English gent Hunt share Engels’s love of fox-hunting? Envisaging an embarrassing fall at his first fence, novice political chaser Hunt mumbles something vague about fox-hunting being ‘part of English culture’. It’s not a ‘yes’, though it might sound like it to a traditional Tory supporter tempted to vote Labour. On the other hand, an anti-bloodsports Labour voter might interpret it as ‘no’. Which is how Tony Blair won three elections for Labour. | Shadow Education Secretary Tristam Hunt wants to mirror Michael Gove .
Promises Labour’s own ‘parent power’ revolution in schools .
Was given more senior position in recent reshuffle .
Apologised for saying it was wrong for middle-class parents to set up schools . |
23,609 | 4308891cba1fed39adb6d924c901662420ed4213 | Hull City manager Steve Bruce admits Jermain Defoe is on his January wishlist. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker is understood to be open to a Barclays Premier League return from Major League Soccer's Toronto FC. But the 32-year-old's £68,000-per-week salary, which can potentially rise to £90,000 in his four-year deal with the MLS outfit, may pose a problem for Hull. Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe is understood to be open to a Premier League return . Hull City manager Steve Bruce admits Defoe is very much on his January transfer window wishlist . 'If he becomes available, which I believe he is, then we'd love to do something,' Bruce said after Hull's 2-0 win over Everton on New Year's Day. 'I think it might be too expensive but it's not a bad bit of speculation. 'There's always speculation. You ask any club in the bottom of the division about Defoe, all of us would say yes. Whether we can do it financially is another problem.' Defoe moved to Toronto for £6million from Tottenham last January, and the England striker with 55 caps has also been linked with Queens Park Rangers. Hull put 2014 behind them in spectacular fashion by beating a miserable Everton in a manner not properly reflected by the 2-0 scoreline. 'It's been probably our best performance,' Bruce said. 'We've seen glimpses of it but from the first minute to the 90th there was a determination that it was going to be our day. 'It was the most convincing. We deserved to win the game by a country mile.' Defoe applauds the Tottenham crowd during one of his final home games during his first spell in 2009 . | Jermain Defoe could return to the Premier League in January .
Hull City manager Steve Bruce: 'If he becomes available, which I believe he is, then we'd love to do something'
Defoe's £68,000-per-week wages could pose a problem for Bruce . |
278,058 | f43c241d06df754c9229683e8e402e445e53a247 | (CNN) -- Augusta National Golf Club opened its exclusive membership to women Monday for the first time in its 80-year history. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore will become the first women to join the Augusta, Georgia, club, Chairman Billy Payne said Monday in a statement. "These accomplished women share our passion for the game of golf and both are well known and respected by our membership," Payne said. The issue of its formerly all-male membership has long dogged the private club and has at times threatened to overshadow the Masters Tournament, among golf's most prestigious events. Celebration, surprise, humor after Augusta National admits first women . Women's rights activist Martha Burk put the issue in the spotlight in 2003, when she led a protest against the club and worked to put pressure on corporate leaders to withdraw their support for the organization and the Masters. On Monday, she declared victory. "My first reaction was, we won -- and we did," Burk said. "By we, I mean the women's movement and women in the United States, particularly those in business." She said continued pressure from women's groups and corporate interests forced the club's hand. Activists over the last decade "facilitated a couple of sex discrimination suits against corporations whose CEOs are (Augusta National) members," Burk said, but she did not name any corporations or individuals. Burk also pointed to the April controversy over the club's failure to admit IBM CEO Virginia Rometty, as it has past IBM leaders. Sponsoring the Masters usually guarantees membership to a company's officers. But Rometty had been ineligible because she is female. "We gave them a pretty big black eye in April when they dissed Ginny Rometty and did not allow her in the club as they had all of the males preceding her as CEOs of IBM. And I think they knew they could not sustain it," she said. At the time, White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama believed women should be admitted to the club. Payne declined to comment on the issue then, and is not talking about it now outside of the statement issued by the club, according to club spokesman Steven Ethun. In that statement, Payne said the decision marked a "significant and positive time" for Augusta National. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem lauded the decision. "At a time when women represent one of the fastest growing segments in both playing and following the game of golf, this sends a positive and inclusive message for our sport," Finchem said in a statement. He was far from alone in applauding Augusta National's decision. Mitt Romney -- the Republican party's presumptive presidential nominee who, in April, had said that he'd admit women if he were in charge of the club -- offered congratulations on Twitter to both his friend Rice and Augusta National. And Nancy Lieberman, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee who played parts of two seasons in a men's professional league, likewise cheered the move. "Congrts breaking thru #equality," she wrote on Twitter. "Slowly but surely lots of crumbs ad up to a cake," wrote another women's sports pioneer, Billie Jean King. Obama "welcomes the development" as well, Carney said Monday. "He thinks it was too long in coming, but obviously believes it was the right thing to do," the White House spokesman told reporters. The choice of Rice and Moore will ensure that women admitted to Augusta will be equals to their male counterparts, Burk said. "They have chosen two groundbreaking women, two very prominent women, who are clearly equal in stature to the other members who are, of course, all male," Burk said. "I think it would have been a mistake to choose a lower-profile woman and basically make that statement that, yes, we're letting women in but they're not really going to be equal with the men." Rice served under President George W. Bush as the first female national security adviser and the first African-American woman to hold the post of secretary of state. She also was on President George H.W. Bush's National Security Council staff and was a special assistant to the director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1986. Membership is the latest honor for trailblazer Rice . She grew up in humble beginnings in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, and rose to prominence in academia and international diplomacy. She has been on the faculty of Stanford University since 1981, has authored two best-selling books and is a member of various boards and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been awarded 10 honorary doctorates. Rice, who is also an accomplished pianist, said in a statement released through Augusta that she is "delighted and honored" to join the club. "I have long admired the important role Augusta National has played in the traditions and history of golf," she said. Moore is the vice president of Rainwater Inc., the investment firm founded by her husband, Richard Rainwater. Fortune magazine once named her among the top 50 women in business, and the University of South Carolina's business school is named in her honor. Augusta National admits one of 'toughest' women in business . She is also chairwoman of the Palmetto Institute, a nonprofit that says it is dedicated to producing "dramatic and sustained growth in the creation, distribution and retention of wealth for every person in South Carolina." Moore said she is "extremely grateful for this privilege." "I am fortunate to have many friends who are members at Augusta National, so to be asked to join them as a member represents a very happy and important occasion in my life," she said. Burk's protests against the club's policies made Augusta the focus of national attention beginning in 2002, when she wrote letters challenging the male-only membership policy at the club. The club's chairman at the time, Hootie Johnson, responded that admitting women as members would not be done "at the point of a bayonet." The next year, Burk organized protests to coincide with the Masters, which drew widespread attention. The uproar led Augusta National to decide not to have advertising for the CBS broadcast of the Masters in 2003 and 2004. In 2006, Burk was among a group of Exxon shareholders who accused the company of violating its discrimination policies by supporting the golf tournament. On Monday, the syndicated newspaper columnist and co-founder of Center for Advancement of Public Policy women's equity advocacy group said she hopes Augusta National's decision "cracks open that glass ceiling just a little bit further" for American businesswomen. At the same time, Burk called the development "just one small step." "(Corporations) need to be working toward parity in the halls of power; Augusta National is just one," she said. "It's an important one symbolically, but we have a long way to go." Augusta National no longer just a 'boys club' CNN's Edgar Treiguts contributed to this report. | NEW: Obama says decision was "too long in coming" but "the right thing to do," his spokesman says .
Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore become Augusta National's first female members .
Opting to admit women marks a "significant and positive time" for the club, its chairman says .
Women's rights activist Martha Burk declares victory, says pressure forced the club's hand . |
121,954 | 29a819c7283e04160db0234e444cfb99a27e8381 | Nigel Farage will take Ukip into an alliance with a host of extreme right wing parties, one of the EU's most controversial politicians has claimed. Anti-EU Dutch politician Geert Wilders said Mr Farage will ditch a promise never to work with France's National Front - led by Marine Le Pen. Mr Wilders and Miss Le Pen have joined forces to create a 'European Freedom Alliance'. Like Ukip, both are leading in the polls ahead of the crunch May 22 European Parliament elections. Europe's top far right politician Geert Wilders has formed a Franco-Dutch alliance with Marine Le Pen's Front National . Mr Farage has refused to join the alliance - and pledged never to work with the French nationalists because of their 'anti-Semitism and general prejudice'. But Mr Farage has refused to rule out working with Mr Wilders - despite the Dutch politican’s controversial views on Islam and immigrants, . Mr Wilders, who leads the Dutch Freedom Party, sparked controversy this year by joining in chants demanding 'fewer Moroccans' at a campaign rally. But the Dutch politician dismissed criticism of his behaviour - and insisted he could persuage Mr Farage to work with Miss Le Pen’s Front National. Marine Le Pen has overseen a boom in popularity for France's controversial National Front Party after taking over from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen . He told The Telegraph: 'I am optimistic that Mr Farage will have more room to work together than he does today after the elections. 'He is not excluding my party and there is still an opportunity but he is tougher on the Front National for now. 'I understand he is a politician but I hope after elections both Miss Le Pen, Mr Farage and myself will be able to work together. 'I respect Mr Farage a lot. I think he is a very charismatic and excellent politician I understand he has a lot of support. 'But I also respect Marine Le Pen a lot. She is a very charismatic leader as well doing well in the polls with almost the same message when it comes to Europe.' Mr Wilders said Mr Farage would join the far-right alliance after the elections - where Eurosceptic parties are expected to get a third of the vote across the Continent - because it would hand the anti-EU parties much more power. He said: 'I hope we can overstep our differences to represent the all the millions of people who elected our parties to be as strong as possible a countervailing power against all the Europhiles in Brussels. 'It is not helpful to have two leaders of two important parties [Mr Farage and Miss Le Pen] fighting publicly. I hope I can play a role in bringing them both together. I would like to work together very closely with Ukip and Front National.' Polls put the French Front National and Dutch Freedom Party in a strong position to form a far-Right bloc in the European Parliament. They are expected to end up with at least 38 MEPs from at least seven countries. The Austrian Freedom Party, Belgian Vlaams Belang, Italian Lega Nord, Slovak National Party and Sweden Democrats have all vowed to join the alliance. If the group does as well as the polls suggest, it would be entitled to over £2million a year in EU funds. But they would be in an even better position if Ukip's expected 25 MEPs were to sign up as well. Marine Le Pen (right) took over from her controversial father Jean-Marie (left) as France's top far right politician in 2011 . Mr Wilders said: 'The elections are historic because many Eurosceptic parties, in the UK, Netherlands and France, will have a very good result. 'If they are not the outright winners they will be second in many cases. That is historic. 'People are fed up. We want to decide who we invite into our country, how we spend our money for Dutch taxpayers, not to give it to Greece or Cyprus. 'We have to be masters again of our borders and budgets.” Nigel Farage shares a hatred for the EU with other far-right European politicians - but insists he will not join a formal alliance because of the Front National's alleged anti antisemitism . But Ukip has insisted that there will no alliance with Mr Wilders and Miss Le Pen. Ukip's Roger Helmer said on Twitter today: 'Memo to Gert Wilders: UKIP MEPs will absolutely not sit with Marine Le Pen's party. Ever.' A party spokesman added: 'Ukip has made it clear that the party will have nothing to do with Front National or any of its fellow travellers in their new group. 'There have been no contacts between Nigel Farage and Geert Wilders.' | Ukip has ruled out working with France's controversial Front National .
Nigel Farage claims Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration party is 'anti-Semitic'
But she is on course to win upcoming Brussels elections .
Le Pen wants to form a eurosceptic bloc to undermine Brussels .
Dutch MP Geert Wilders says Ukip will find a way to work with Le Pen . |
174,641 | 6e09f444c304840e7afa8139cc5b74ead7e625cb | (CNN) -- The main Pakistani Taliban extended a cease-fire deadline until April 10, the militant group said Friday. The move came two days after the group met with Pakistan officials and made demands. The cease-fire was initially agreed upon on March 1. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which has been waging an insurgency against the Pakistani government, said it is still awaiting a reply from the government regarding the demands, including the release of noncombatants. At least 19 Taliban noncombatants were released earlier on the directive of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, said Shaukatullah Khan, governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The release is a goodwill gesture that will help promote peace talks, Khan said, speaking at a seminar in Peshawar. The prime minister is supervising the talks process, which are going in a positive direction, according to Khan. In the first direct contact between the two sides, Pakistani government representatives met the Taliban for peace talks Wednesday in the tribal region of North Waziristan. The government team flew by helicopter from Peshawar to meet the Taliban negotiators at an undisclosed location, sources and state media said. TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told CNN the talks, which ended Wednesday evening, were held in a conducive environment. He said a consensus emerged on the exchange of noncombatants held by both sides. Sharif announced the peace initiative this year, but talks broke down last month in the wake of attacks by the Taliban. The militants, who are fighting for their austere version of Sharia law across Pakistan, have repeatedly rejected the country's constitution. Since taking office last year, Sharif faced mounting pressure to bring the violence under control. Journalist Zahir Shah Sherazi reported from Peshawar, Pakistan, and CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report from Los Angeles. | Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan's cease-fire with Pakistani government extended to April 10 .
Cease-fire was agreed upon on March 1 .
Militant group is demanding release of noncombatants .
Pakistani government officials met with Taliban this week to promote peace . |
202,050 | 919292c8c67f8505a85149fc5b6ed216de3c8bfa | Brave members of the public took a rare opportunity to walk across the iconic Sage Gateshead roof this weekend. Climbing to twice the height of the Angel of the North, the intrepid roof walkers carefully tread on the steel panel shell of the landmark building, situated on the south bank of the River Tyne, taking in the magnificent Newcastle and Gateshead quayside under beautiful blue skies. The unique 'Roof Walk Experiences' includes a behind the scenes tour of the famous music and arts venue designed by Sir Norman Foster, and continues through weekends in June. Brave: Members of the public walked across the Sage in Gateshead which is 120ft high . Fearless: Climbing to twice the height of the Angel of the North, the intrepid roof walkers carefully tread on the steel panel shell of the landmark building . Breathtaking: Once on top of the sage, the members of the public took in the views across Newcastle . At points the building is more than 120ft high - twice the height of the Angel of the North. There are 3,043 stainless steel panels on its roof covering 9,000 square metres, the equivalent to more than two football pitches. The Sage Gateshead contains three performance spaces; a 1,700-seater, a 450-seater and a smaller rehearsal and performance hall, the Northern Rock Foundation Hall. Structurally it is three separate buildings, insulated from each other to prevent noise and vibration travelling between them. On top of the world: The walkers marched across the Sage which is on the south bank of the River Tyne . Adventurous: The Sage Gateshead contains three performance spaces and stands 120ft tall . Daredevils: The unique 'Roof Walk Experiences' includes a behind the scenes tour of the famous music and arts venue designed by Sir Norman Foster . Such great heights: At points the building is more than 120ft high - twice the height of the Angel of the North . Daring: Brave members of the public take a rare opportunity to walk along the iconic Sage Gateshead roof . The gaps between them may be seen as one walks around inside. A special 'spongy' concrete mix was used in the construction, with a higher-than-usual air capacity to improve the acoustic. More public roof walks are available on June 1 and 2 and June 15 and 16. | The 120ft building is twice the height of the Angel of the North .
Climbers took part in a rare opportunity to walk over the building designed by Sir Norman Foster . |
84,174 | eeb9dee9c4a8459726ddee81f6a0fb2d88e4e992 | An electrician has been ordered to pull down the £10,000 security fence he built after he was burgled ten times in two months - because it might scare motorists. Graham Jaggar, 51, built the barrier after thieves relentlessly targeted his home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. But he now claims council chiefs have told him to remove the fence - because it could pose a hazard to drivers. Graham Jaggar has been ordered to pull down the £10,000 security fence after he was burgled ten times in two months - because it might scare motorists . He said: 'Over the last few years I've had around £30,000 worth of stuff stolen by these idiots, it's just a scandal. 'It's mostly been expensive tools from this house, which means I can't work, and building materials. 'They have also stolen model aircrafts worth a few thousand pounds and even my children's toys from the garden. 'From my old house, which I left because I thought I would be more secure in another property, I had a boat stolen, two cars, a motorbike and my daughters scooter. 'They have even stolen four or five wheelie bins - and one of them was full of rubbish. The boat had around £4,000 of work done on it. 'I reckon I have been bugled around 20 times over the past six years.' Self-employed Mr Jaggar built the six foot fence last year after his electrics business was threatened for months by the burglars. Mr Jaggar, 51, built the barrier after thieves relentlessly targeted his home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. But he now claims council chiefs have told him to remove the fence - because it could pose a hazard to drivers . He said the fence had been up for almost a year but the council contacted him a couple of months ago to tell him about the complaint and ordered that the fence is amended by January 7 . But now, he said a neighbour's complaint that it causes a blind spot has put his house at risk of being targeted again. He said he was given 'verbal planning permission' by a man from the council who has since left. He said: 'The fence means there is a very small blind spot, but there are hazards everywhere in the roads so all it takes is caution and common sense. 'It causes a brief blind spot, for the blink of an eye, when you come out of the junction. 'I've not had any burglaries since putting it up 12 months ago but now I might have to spend even more adjusting it. 'I could be left with a bill of thousands of pounds after changing the fence to what the council want. 'I can't take it down - I've been burgled so many times the insurance won't even pay out anymore. 'It's ridiculous and a scandal, why can't anyone use some common sense?' He added that the fence has been up for almost a year but the council contacted him a couple of months ago to tell him about the complaint and ordered that the fence is amended by January 7. Mr Jaggar estimates has now spent around £12,000 in total on security - including the fencing, CCTV, an electric gate, walls and bushes to protect his home . He claims his grandchildren are 'terrified' to visit the house for fear of burglars, added: 'They've given me two weeks to get it sorted, which is impossible at this time of year. 'It's so much hassle, someone is just being vindictive about it. It's going to cost a fortune and it would be an eyesore. 'I could plant ten foot conifers around this house and get away with it, there's no common sense whatsoever. 'I put this up about a year ago and had no trouble, so I don't know why neighbours are complaining now.' Mr Jaggar, who lives with partner Stephanie, 56, made the headlines in 2013 when a sign outside his property warning against thieves. He estimates has now spent around £12,000 in total on security - including the fencing, CCTV, an electric gate, walls and bushes to protect his home. He said: 'The council just won't see any sense. They have cocked up and I've been left to to cough up the costs - I need to protect my house. 'The fence also acts as a safety guard because so many children climb on the three foot wall it sits on and fall off, then I'm the one that gets the blame.' MailOnline has contacted Kirklees council for comment. | Graham Jaggar built the barrier after thieves relentlessly targeted his home .
But he now claims council chiefs have told him to remove the fence .
A neighbour has complained that the fence could pose a hazard to drivers . |
75,381 | d5b6f7a1277c61cb8f2d818a1520e2b6223b8b7b | By . Alasdair Glennie . PUBLISHED: . 10:39 EST, 9 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:41 EST, 9 September 2013 . Anti-sleaze campaigners claimed a victory for parents yesterday as watchdogs finally rebuked ITV for showing nudity before the watershed on one of its flagship reality shows. In a landmark judgment, media regulator Ofcom found the broadcaster broke official rules by showing a burlesque dancer’s naked bottom before the 9pm cut-off. It said ITV had crossed a ‘clear line’ by showing dancer Scarlet Cuffs stripping to just a feather boa and a necklace during an episode of Britain’s Got More Talent. Scroll down for video . Burlesque dancer Scarlet Cuffs peformed a striptease on Britain's Got Talent - to Ofcom's displeasure . The performer began her raunchy routine by turning her back to the audience and unzipping her gold dress . The episode was repeated three times . before the watershed – including at 1.30pm – and was seen by almost . 350,000 children under 15. It is the first time Ofcom has found . that Britain’s Got Talent or The X Factor has breached its code on what . can be aired before the watershed. The decision follows years of . criticism of its ‘toothless’ regulation of sexualised content and was . welcomed as a clear warning to ITV to tone down the content of its . flagship entertainment shows. Last year, Ofcom decided a similar . burlesque routine by BGT dancer Beatrix Von Bourbon was on the ‘margins . of acceptability’, while a series of raunchy performances on the X . Factor have failed to draw clear condemnation. As the routine progressed, presenter Stephen Mulhern was seen egging her on from the side of the stage . The bare necessities: As the singer's zip went lower, the denouement of her act became clear . Lower: The Britain's Got Talent audience whooped with delight as the dancer's dress fell to the floor . Covered by MailOnline, this is the shot that angered regulator Ofcom, who said it was unsuitable for children . Now campaigners have urged the . watchdog to fine broadcasters who allow offensive language, violence and . sex before the watershed. Vivienne Pattison of lobby group Mediawatch, . said she was delighted by the ruling, adding: ‘Ofcom put out guidance on . this well over a year ago, but broadcasters simply ignored it. Hopefully this decision will finally make them change their ways. ‘It is a victory for parents who are . concerned about what their children are being exposed to before the . watershed. Finally we have a clear signal that it has got to stop. ‘I want Ofcom to show its teeth by . hitting broadcasters where it hurts. I want to see it backing up its . words with real sanctions.’ Currently Ofcom does not have the power to . impose fines. Nevertheless yesterday’s ruling will be seen by ITV as a . serious rebuke. Scarlet Cuffs – whose real name is . Charlie Knight – first appeared on Britain’s Got More Talent on April . 13. The ITV2 spin-off programme shows footage and auditions not aired in . the main BGT competition. Aired at 8.35pm, the episode showed . Miss Knight, 31, appear on stage in a sequinned dress before singing . Disney hit The Bare Necessities to judges Simon Cowell, David Walliams, . Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden. She slowly unzipped her dress before . stripping completely, using only a feather boa to cover what remained of . her modesty before turning and wiggling her naked bottom to the . audience. In its judgment yesterday, Ofcom said that, although a series . of one and two-second shots of Miss Knight’s bottom were pixelated, the . measure was ‘of limited effectiveness’ and ‘did not sufficiently obscure . the performer’s naked buttocks’. Judges David Walliams, Alesha Dixon, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell were startled by the striptease . Judges Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden were astonished when Scarlet Cuffs' dress fell to the floor . It added: ‘The frequency and detail of . these images in context of a striptease in a burlesque act meant that . on balance they were not suitable for children.’ The episode was repeated three times, . at 5.30pm the following day and at 6.30am and 1.30pm on April 17. Ofcom . said the scenes were seen by a ‘significant child audience’ and . concluded the episode breached rule 1.3 of its code, which states: . ‘Children must…be protected by appropriate scheduling from material that . is unsuitable.’ Earlier this year, Ofcom decided not . to investigate Britain’s Got Talent after a risqué performance by . Jennifer Lopez drew complaints. In April last year, it did investigate . a routine by BGT dancer Beatrix Von Bourbon, which was aired at 8pm. But, despite the fact she partially revealed her buttocks, it decided . the act did not break any rules. And in 2011, Ofcom was criticised for . clearing ITV’s other flagship reality show The X Factor over lewd . performances by both Rihanna and Christine Aguilera. Tony Close of Ofcom said: ‘There is a . clear line in terms of what it is acceptable to broadcast before the 9pm . watershed. A striptease act broadcast at times when a significant . number of children were likely to be watching crossed this line.’ An ITV spokesman said: ‘We note Ofcom’s decision.’ Scarlet Cuffs is a singer and burlesque artist who describes her stripping routine as 'sing and fling' Show's over: The performer was brought a coat so she could cover up before the judges addressed her . | Scarlet Cuffs stripped while singing The Bare Necessities for the judges .
Shocked Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon .
Regulator Ofcom says showing a bare bottom before 9pm broke the rules .
ITV says they pixellated her bottom before showing on Britain's Got Talent . |
1,126 | 0333d8afcd55dbbb3c0b937a074e8d1ae8db6e70 | By . Jessica Jerreat . PUBLISHED: . 10:51 EST, 17 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:57 EST, 18 September 2013 . A businessman who took a gamble on a little known company in 1980 has been revealed as one of several billionaires who made their fortune thanks to Warren Buffett. Stewart Horejsi's family welding business had been struggling to fight off competition when he first bought 40 shares of Berkshire Hathaway Inc for $265 each. Friends had told him about Buffett, the company's chairman who he went on to model his life on, in a move that has propelled him up the rich list. Growth fund: Stewart Horejsi is now worth more than $1 billion thanks to an investment with Warren Buffett . The 75-year-old father of two is now a billionaire, with a bigger stake in the profitable company than that owned by Bill Gates, the world's richest person - and Buffett's bridge partner. Mentor: Billionaire Warren Buffett inspired Horejsi . He has 4,300 Class A shares of the Nebraska company, giving him a net worth of $1.1 billion, according to Bloomberg. However, the modest man has never appeared on an international wealth ranking. Horejsi's path to his billion-dollar empire began with a modest investment. In 1980 he bought 40 shares in Berkshire for $265 each - an initial investment of $10,600. Two weeks later he bought 60 more shares at $295 each and, a month later, spent $66,000 buying 200 shares at $330. This morning, the 4,300 shares he accumulated in Berkshire since 1980 were valued at $746 million. 'I kept running the [family] business, but I just kept buying Berkshire. I can’t really believe I put so much into one issue, though,' he said. Horejsi was so impressed with Buffett, he has followed several of the billionaire philanthropist's moves. In an interview with Wealth Estates he . said: 'Buffett is one of two people I’ve met in my life that within 60 . seconds of listening to him, you can feel an aura of integrity around . him. It’s very comforting.' When he was 43 Kansas welding supplier Horejsi took a year off to focus on his next move. He read books such as Adam Smith's The Money Game which helped he realize his best opportunity was to invest outside the welding world. 'It was a profitable business, but . companies took their money and bought more trucks,' Horejsi said. 'The . competition just grew.' Horejsi turned his attention to Berkshire, buying up more shares every time the market dipped. Island living: Horejsi has used part of his fortune to buy a luxury villa in Barbados . Low key: Despite his billions Horejsi has never appeared on international wealth rankings and says his biggest extravagance is flying by private jet . As well as investing in Buffett's venture, he also emulates the billionaire's lifestyle in other ways and has remained grounded, living a low-key life between his American homes . and a Barbados villa that has a 300-year-old palm tree in the front yard, according to Forbes. He admitted to the Phoenix Business Journal that his greatest extravagance was flying by private jet, but the Kansas University graduate remains committed to supporting his old campus and other education charities. Despite being a shrewd investor, Horejsi measures his own success in more personal terms, saying: 'If the people you want to love you, love you, then you are a success.' | Stewart Horejsi now owns $746m shares in Warren Buffett's company .
Welding company owner modeled himself on successful philanthropist . |
220,151 | a8f04a03aeb00258d4af8c5a9fecb2add85b1f0d | By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 06:03 EST, 9 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:17 EST, 9 May 2013 . The captain of a cruise ship carrying 136 passengers was left red-faced after managing to get stuck on a sandbank. The Lady Busum had landed on the beach near the small island of Trischen in Germany, but was left high and dry as the tide went out. The passengers had to wait for eight hours before rescuers arrived to take them home. Stranded: 136 passengers were stuck on the Lady Busum for eight hours after it managed became marooned on a sandbank . But the ship's crew had to remain on board and wait until the tide came back and they were then able to get the ship free under its own steam. A rescue worker said: 'Two passengers were rescued earlier due to medical reasons and were taken to land for medical treatment. It was an upsetting experience.' The boat was then sent into dock to check to see if it had been damaged by the incident. River police have launched an inquiry to work out what went wrong and how it was that the cruise ship ended up beached. Relief: Passengers were finally able to leave the cruise ship after a rescue boat arrived to take them home . | The Lady Busum landed on sand bank near small island in Germany .
Tide went out leaving boat stranded on the beach .
Rescue boat but 136 passengers were stuck for eight hours . |
227,455 | b280d738e32cbd6a6e124e7a4026925860f656ac | They are probably not the names of shows you would expect to see at the top of a complaints list. But Tom & Jerry, Blue Peter, Tweenies and Rastamouse are among the most complained about children’s shows that have ever been reported to the media watchdog. Figures released to MailOnline following Freedom of Information requests to Ofcom reveal an unlikely list of shows for young viewers which caused controversy over the past decade. Impressing a female cat: Tom & Jerry came top with 82 complaints relating to two episodes which were accused of glamorising the use of cigarettes and cigars in the cat and mouse cartoon . Cartoon complaints: In one episode Tom's tennis opponent was seen smoking a big cigar. The episodes Texas Tom and Tennis Chumps had aired on digital channel Boomerang in 2006 . Dr Ranjit Singh: The second-most complained about show was Get Well Soon on CBeebies, which attracted 65 complaints from viewers who claimed it breached 'generally accepted standards' Others in the top ten of these programmes were CBeebies show Get Well Soon, ITV1’s Bratz and My Parents Are Aliens and the BBC’s Children’s Party at the Palace. The figures measure the most complained about episodes that Ofcom has recorded in its history. Tom & Jerry came top with 82 complaints relating to two episodes which were accused of glamorising the use of cigarettes and cigars in the cat and mouse cartoon. But rather than being directly about the programme, most of the complaints were about Ofcom’s decision to actually investigate the cartoons. This included claims it had been over the top and it smacked of the ‘nanny state’. The row had been sparked by an original complaint that the portrayal had been inappropriate for children. The episodes Texas Tom and Tennis Chumps had aired on digital channel Boomerang in 2006. The scenes had shown Tom trying to impress a female cat by rolling up a cigarette. More than 200 complaints: In third place was the infamous case of the BBC airing an impersonation of paedophile Jimmy Savile on CBeebies in January 2013 - which led the broadcaster to issue an apology . Too much? Fourth on Ofcom’s list of most controversial children’s shows was Blue Peter, relating to scenes showing the execution of a goat, which was being slaughtered in Oman during a religious festival in 2007 . US show: Bratz (file picture) on ITV1 was fifth on the list with 13 complaints after it had contained the word ‘spaz’ in one of its episodes in 2006 which viewers branded 'deeply offensive' and 'derogatory' In the other episode Tom’s tennis opponent was seen smoking a big cigar. Ofcom, at the time, claimed the complaint had been resolved. The second-most complained about show was Get Well Soon on CBeebies, which attracted 65 complaints from viewers who claimed it breached ‘generally accepted standards’. This was relating to a discussion in November 2012 held by Dr Ranjit Singh on the MMR jab - with some viewers who disagreed with it complaining that the statements were misleading and harmful. However, Ofcom assessed the complaints and decided not to investigate. The BBC said at the time that it was ‘entirely appropriate to include MMR in the series to help demystify the actual process and combat any fears that young children may have about needles or injections’. In third place was the infamous case of the BBC airing an impersonation of paedophile Jimmy Savile on CBeebies in January 2013 - which led the broadcaster to issue an apology. Ofcom received 21 complaints - while the BBC had more than 200 - after showing a 2001 episode of the Tweenies featuring a character sporting a blond wig and a gold necklace, who did a convincing impression of the disgraced star’s Yorkshire accent. Fourth on Ofcom’s list of most controversial children’s shows was Blue Peter. But it was not due to the revelations about competition fakery in 2007 - and rather scenes showing the execution of a goat, which was being slaughtered in Oman during a religious festival in the same year. These sparked 14 complaints to the regulator, which said it had been ‘resolved‘. The show filmed the animal’s agonised death throes as part of coverage of a village preparing for its Eid ul-Fitr. US kids’ show Bratz on ITV1 was fifth on the list with 13 complaints after it had contained the word ‘spaz’ in one of its episodes in 2006 which viewers branded ‘deeply offensive‘ and ‘derogatory‘ and had been used as an insult. The TV watchdog once again said the matter had been resolved. Children's BBC show: Rastamouse, about a Rastafarian mouse, came under fire in 2011 for the way it ‘stereotyped black people’ and because of the ‘patois’ language used on the show . ITV show My Parents Are Aliens (file picture) had two entries in the top ten - for causing religious offence and concerns over bad language, and for sparking concerns about derogatory language about mental health . Children’s BBC show Rastamouse was in sixth, although it had the same number of complaints. Rastamouse, about a Rastafarian mouse, came under fire in 2011 for the way it ‘stereotyped black people’ and because of the ‘patois’ language used on the show. It attracted 13 complaints when the show first aired, but this led to 200 further complaints over the following months. ITV show My Parents Are Aliens had two entries in the top ten - at number seven for causing religious offence and concerns over bad language in 2006 and in ninth place for an episode in 2004 which sparked concerns about derogatory language about mental health among other concerns. These received ten complaints and nine complaints respectively. BBC1’s Children’s Party at the Palace, held in honour of the Queen’s 80th birthday in June 2006, had seen complaints after fake news flash confused people. The broadcaster had claimed a major incident had taken place during the live TV show from Buckingham Palace. This was revealed to be the pretend loss of the Queen’s handbag, which was meant to be part of the show. There were also complaints about Jonathan Ross’s presenting on the show. It attracted nine complaints and was eighth on the list.The BBC's then-head of television news Peter Horrocks later apologised for 'for anyone who was momentarily misled'. Sophie Raworth and Huw Edwards: BBC1’s Children’s Party at the Palace, held in honour of the Queen’s 80th birthday in June 2006, had sparked complaints after fake news flash confused people . Also in the top ten: Complaints were made about swearing on daytime MTV show My Super Sweet 16 in 2006 . Complaints about swearing on a daytime MTV show called My Super Sweet 16 from 2006 completed the top ten. Islam week on Newsround in January 2005 contributed to complaints about CBBC, which put it just outside the top ten, with eight complaints. In 14th place was Fireman Sam which sparked complaints after the show’s hero extinguished an electrical fire with water, which it was claimed sent out an ‘incorrect safety message’ to young children watching. Overall there have been more than 1,100 complaints about children’s programmes since Ofcom was formed in late December 2003. But the real figures for many of the show could be much higher. The figures do not include the complaints made directly to the broadcasters, which in the case of well-known channels such as BBC1, BBC2 and ITV, could see complaints in total being significantly more than Ofcom’s results. An Ofcom spokesman told MailOnline: ‘All UK broadcasters must adhere to the Broadcasting Code which sets standards for the content of TV programmes. We assess all complaints and programmes against the code. ‘The protection of under 18s from inappropriate material is a fundamental concern for Ofcom. There are clear broadcasting rules designed to protect children, which we actively enforce. ‘We recently issued new guidance on the TV watershed, warning broadcasters to be more careful about programmes they show before 9pm that could be unsuitable for children. ‘We constantly monitor audience attitudes and our research shows that the vast majority of adults believe the current level of TV regulation is about right.’ | Programmes feature in Ofcom top ten list of complaints since 2004 .
Others include Bratz, My Super Sweet 16 and My Parents are Aliens .
Tom & Jerry is top with 82 complaints over episodes with smoking .
But most complaints were about Ofcom's decision to investigate .
Other complaints relate to Jimmy Savile impersonation on Tweenies .
Goat slaughtered in Oman on Blue Peter also attracted complaints . |
197,019 | 8b00d13c08705b5abb0a59cd3aee7258898d36c9 | (CNN) -- A Penn State assistant football coach who reportedly told Joe Paterno in 2002 he witnessed a young boy being sexually assaulted in a shower won't be at Saturday's Nebraska game because of "multiple threats," the university athletics website said Thursday night. A graduate assistant at the time, Mike McQueary told a grand jury he had witnessed former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, now 67, assaulting the boy at the campus football complex. Questions over how university officials responded to reports of alleged abuse cost coaching legend Paterno and university President Graham Spanier their jobs. McQueary has been criticized for not calling police, but he has not faced any legal charges. According to a grand jury report, the graduate assistant entered a locker room on a Friday night in 2002 to stow away some sneakers. "As the graduate student entered the locker room doors, he was surprised to find the lights and showers on," the grand jury report stated. "He then heard rhythmic, slapping sounds." The assistant looked into the shower and "saw a naked boy ... whose age he estimated to be 10 years old, with his hands up against the wall, being subjected to anal intercourse by a naked Sandusky," the grand jury report stated. Read the indictment (PDF) (warning: graphic content) The graduate assistant reported the incident to Paterno, who in turn alerted Athletic Director Timothy Curley, Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said earlier this week. Kelly said the alleged failure of Curley and Gary Schultz, the university's senior vice president for finance and business, to report abuse claims to authorities "likely allowed a child predator to continue to victimize children for many, many years." Instead of reporting the incident to authorities, Curley and Schultz banned Sandusky from having children from the charity he founded, Second Mile, visit the football building, Kelly said. Sandusky's lawyer told CNN Thursday evening his client has already been tried in the court of public opinion. Sandusky, who faces child rape charges, disputes the 23-page grand jury summary of graphic testimony, said attorney Joseph Amendola. Penn State's new interim head coach carried a blunt message of solidarity for the alleged victims of sex abuse, firm confidence in his embattled players and a paean for Paterno. Tom Bradley, the longtime defensive coordinator for the team, faced a roomful of relentless reporters Thursday working to glean more details about a case rocking the sports world. Bradley didn't discuss the investigation, but he said he and his players were thinking about and grieving for the victims of the abuse and their families. "We all have a responsibility to take care of our children," said Bradley, a Johnstown, Pennsylvania, native who played for the Nittany Lions in the 1970s and has been on the team's coaching staff for 33 seasons. The university's board of trustees on Wednesday night fired Paterno, the winningest coach in major college football, and Spanier, effective immediately, a bombshell announcement that punctuated the gravity of the scandal. A beloved national figure for his success on the field and his focus on academics and civics, the 84-year-old Paterno has faced withering criticism over his response to the charges against Sandusky. Paterno reported the allegations to his boss. Pennsylvania's attorney general said it appeared Paterno had met his obligations under state law, but critics have said the coach should have reported the suspected abuse to police. That perceived lapse led to the coach's downfall. State Rep. Kevin Boyle, a Philadelphia Democrat, told CNN's Anderson Cooper he plans to introduce a measure aimed at ensuring that people who witness or learn of the abuse of a child report it to the proper authorities. "In light of the alleged child sex abuse scandal at Pennsylvania State University, it is clear that a loophole exists in our law," Boyle said in an earlier news release. "My legislation would close that loophole by requiring those who are aware of the abuse to report it to law enforcement authorities, rather than simply following an in-house chain of command." Boyle told "AC360" there was a deliberate "plot" by Penn State to cover up the allegations against Sandusky. Bradley wouldn't discuss his relationship with Sandusky, whom he once worked for. But he delivered high praise for Paterno, remarks reflecting the strong love and allegiance people across America have had for the coach. Paterno had a "dynamic impact" on many, and Bradley said he was "proud" to work for him. He said Paterno has "meant more to me than anybody except my father." Backers of the coach affectionately known as "JoePa" showed up angry Wednesday night after news of his firing. Hundreds of Penn State students spilled into the streets of State College in what started as an apparent celebration of Paterno, but it turned into a riot. The crowd tipped over a news van and decried the media in anger over Paterno's departure. Penn State's Daily Collegian newspaper reported that "thousands of students gathered at Old Main at around 10:30 p.m., chanting "f--- the trustees" and "we want Joe." "We stand united as students. We don't care what anyone else has to say. We want Joe," the Collegian quoted a student named Jimmy Gallagher as saying. The newspaper reported that people hurled rocks and lit a small fire. Police moved in to restore order amid dismantled lightposts, broken windows and the smell of gasoline, according to the Collegian. "Penn State does not need to be put in a worse light than its leaders already have," the Collegian editorialized. "The spotlight was on Penn State last night and we only drew more negative national attention to the Penn State name. The national media did not come for the students, but they stayed because we put on a show. The emotions brought on by the night varied from somber and respectful to angry and unlawful. This is not what Joe would have wanted." Gov. Tom Corbett decried the violence. "The eyes of the nation are on you," he reminded residents. "Please behave and demonstrate your pride in Penn State. Your actions speak much louder than your words." Bradley, noting the disturbances, said he isn't worried about safety on game day. Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said Thursday that while he expects fans of both teams to be respectful, he wants to be sure the environment for the visiting Cornhuskers is secure. "When you have more than 100,000 people in a stadium, it's probably impossible to conjure up enough officials, security people to absolutely guarantee what's going to happen," Osborne told Lincoln, Nebraska, radio station KLIN. "I just don't know how you do that. We will visit with them today and probably tomorrow and do everything within our power to make sure that there's adequate safety and security provided." Nebraska's chancellor, Harvey Perlman, also released a statement, and expressed sympathy for the alleged victims in the Sandusky case. "Looking ahead to Saturday's game, others will pour many issues into this football game," Perlman said in a statement. "Nebraska's participation in no way condones the conduct that has been alleged or makes a statement about the truth or falsity of the allegations." Speaking to about 15 students gathered outside his house late Wednesday, Paterno said it will take time getting used to his new status after more than 60 years of coaching. "A tragedy occurred, and we all have to have patience to let the legal process proceed," Paterno said in a written statement. "I appreciate the outpouring of support but want to emphasize that everyone should remain calm and please respect the university, its property and all that we value." Pennsylvania's U.S. senators, Pat Toomey, a Republican, and Bob Casey, a Democrat, announced that they were rescinding their support for the nomination of Paterno for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sandusky, who was arrested Saturday, is accused of sexual offenses, child endangerment and "corruption of a minor" involving eight boys, most or all of whom he met through The Second Mile, the charity he founded to help troubled youths, prosecutors said. Sandusky's involvement with The Second Mile provided him with access to "hundreds of boys, many of whom were vulnerable due to their social situations," the grand jury said. The former coach is said to have engaged in fondling, oral and anal sex with boys over at least 15 years, according to the investigative grand jury's summary of testimony. Sandusky served 23 years as defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions football team before retiring in 1999. Free on $100,000 bail, he has been accused of sexually abusing boys between 1994 and 2009. CNN's Dana Garrett, Sarah Hoye, Stephanie Gallman, Ed Payne, Samuel Gardner III, Jason Carroll, Jason Kessler, Laura Dolan and Kiran Khalid contributed to this report. | NEW: Assistant coach who reported one incident won't be at Saturday's game .
Sandusky tried in court of public opinion, his lawyer tells CNN .
Trustees dismiss president and remove Joe Paterno as head coach .
Interim coach says, "We all have a responsibility to take care of our children" |
152,579 | 51291ccb76ca1316641649e211a6808a3d1c2a9a | By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 07:24 EST, 4 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:30 EST, 4 November 2013 . Google is developing a reputation for ‘accidentally’ leaking images of its upcoming devices, and it appears to have done it again with what’s rumoured to be a new 8-inch tablet. Dubbed 'Nexus 8' by speculators, the tablet is shown in a promotional image on the firm’s Android Apps and Entertainment page and if the rumours are true, would make the tablet just 0.1 inches smaller than the iPad mini. It appears to be running Google’s latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system and is a slightly different shape than the current 7-inch, Nexus 7. The shots of the so-called Nexus 8, pictured, are shown on Google's Android Apps and Entertainment page. It has a different shape and smaller bezels than the search giant's current Nexus 7 device. An 8-inch tablet would more closely compete with Apple's 7.9-inch iPad mini . Google has a series of mysterious containers docked off the coast of San Francisco. One rumour claimed it was a research centre, while another said it was a showroom for Google products. A MailOnline investigation recently uncovered a second structure being built hastily at the top secret site. The huge structure is made up of shipping containers and looks set to be identical to the first. Another identical barge has been spotted on the East Coast in Portland, Maine. Such is the level of secrecy surrounding the project even members of the Coast Guard have been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements along with the teams of engineers and welders who have been working there. If Google is working on an 8-inch tablet it will compete more closely with the iPad mini which deliberately has a 7.9-inch screen designed to distinguish it from other smaller tablets on the market. Google announced its Nexus 5 handset last week with few surprising features. This was because images of the phone were leaked during a promotional video for Android KitKat back in September. The phone’s specifications were then leaked in an online manual, and the device later appeared on Google’s official Play Store alongside the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets all before the device was even officially unveiled. Rumours about a Nexus 8 emerged at the start of the year but died down after the firm released its Google Nexus 7 by Asus tablet in July. The picture of the so-called Nexus 8 on . the Apps and Entertainment page can’t be the latest Nexus 7 device . because it appears to have a slightly different shape. Rumours about a Nexus 8 emerged at the start of the year but died down after the firm released its Google Nexus 7 by Asus tablet in July, pictured. The bezels at the bottom of the leaked device are smaller than on the current Nexus 7. The Nexus 8 is also shown running Google's latest Android 4.4 KitKat operating system . It also has fewer bezels at the top and bottom of the device. These are the areas of the tablet where owners can comfortably hold the tablet without touching or interfering with the screen. The bottom bezel on the Nexus 7, for example, is much thicker than on the leaked images of the rumoured 8-inch model. The image was first spotted by a member called Britoid on The Verge Forums. Google doesn’t manufacture its devices; the phones are made by LG and the latest tablets have been made by Asus. Similarities with the Nexus 8 to the LG G Pad 8.3 tablet could suggest Google will ditch Asus and work with LG on its tablets, too. Google announced its Nexus 5 handset, pictured, last week after months of leaked images and specifications. It was the first device to run the new Android 4.4 KitKat operating system. The 4G-ready handset starts at £299 for 16GB or £339 for 32GB . The Nexus 7 by Asus, released in . July, has a seven-inch, 1980x1200 display, which at the time was the . world's highest resolution screen. It has a 5MP rear-facing camera . for the first time, and a faster 1.5Ghz processor compared to the . first-generation Nexus 7 device. Google's Nexus 8 is expected to be an upgraded version of the Nexus 7 but no other specifications have been announced. | The so-called 'Nexus 8' is displayed on the company's promotional Android Apps and Entertainment page .
It has square edges and what appears to be a hard shell rear case .
The bezels are smaller than on the Nexus 7, suggesting it is a new device .
Leak comes less than a week since Google unveiled its Nexus 5 phone . |
250,197 | cfcd2d1f09318b043427a91f4753257e6b8f9bc4 | From ballroom to ballet and tap, their years of training should stand them in excellent stead on the Strictly dance floor. The only trouble is, these are meant to be the professionals, not the amateurs. Viewers and experts have complained some of this year’s celebrity contestants have an unfair advantage over their rivals after it emerged five have previous experience. Scroll down for video . Pop star Pixie Lott, 23, trained in dance for eight years as a child at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts . Frankie Bridge had a rigorous dance training as a young girl and her mother was a ballroom dancing coach . The BBC1 show returned on Sunday with an average audience of 8.4million, easily beating the 7.1million who tuned in to ITV’s X Factor at the same time. As they were paired up with their professional dance partners, many of the celebrities – such as Judy Murray, 54, and Mark Wright, 27 - expressed nervousness at the months of gruelling competition ahead of them. But it seems some have more to be worried about than others. Pop star Pixie Lott, 23, is one of the most experienced, having trained in dance for eight years as a child at the elite Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London. Even before she joined the academy on a scholarship aged 11, she went to nightly dance lessons after school and learned to tap dance. Two years ago, she told an interviewer: ‘I had a double bedroom, which was decorated like a ballet studio. I loved dancing, so there were mirrors and a ballet bar on one wall. Dad even had a wooden floor laid so I could practise on my own.’ Fellow singer Frankie Bridge, 25, also benefited from rigorous dance training as a young girl. Not only was her mother a ballroom dancing coach, she was given classes at primary school and has spent much of her music career learning the choreographed moves in her pop videos. Meanwhile, presenter Caroline Flack, 34, and boy band star Simon Webbe, 36, have benefited from training on previous reality shows. Simon Webbe, who was in boy band Blue, benefited from dance training while on previous reality shows . Viewers and experts have complained some of this year’s celebrity contestants have more dance experience than others taking part, such as Judy Murray (pictured) Mr Webbe had a taster of the demands of Strictly training when he competed in the Christmas special in 2011, dancing the cha cha with professional Katya Virshilas. In 2010, Miss Flack trained with Strictly professional Kristina Rihanoff on another BBC show, called Dancing On Wheels, in which contestants were paired with dancers in wheelchairs. Finally, Casualty actress Sunetra Sarker, 41, is the daughter of a professional dancer and lists Indian dance as one of her hobbies. Some of the contestants have dismissed claims they are at unfair advantage, claiming they have not been specifically trained in ballroom dancing. Miss Lott has said her stage school training was ‘completely different’ to what she will be doing in Strictly, while Miss Flack said Dancing on Wheels was ‘more of a documentary style programme’ than a competition. However, one of the UK’s leading dance coaches told the Daily Mail that any previous experience – particularly as a child – will be a ‘significant advantage’ as the competition progresses. There is disquiet among Strictly Come Dancing fans after it emerged a third of this year's line-up of 15 contestants (pictured) have had previous dance experience . Former national dance champion Warren Bullock, who runs the Zig Zag Dance Factory said: ‘It doesn’t matter what kind of dance it is, if you’ve got any type of training it will help you do ballroom and Latin dancing. ‘Even if you only did ballet as a child, it will still have taught you how to move your body. These contestants will have a real edge over the others. If she’s been to the Italia Conti, she will have been trained to the highest level. She will be heads and shoulders over the others, especially over some of the older ones. ‘It counts for even more when you’ve been trained from a young age. That kind of dance education never leaves you’. Some viewers said it was ‘unfair’ that Strictly will pit trained dancers against complete beginners. Writing on Twitter, Hayley Douglas said: ‘Doesn’t it seem a bit unfair that Pixie Lott is competing on #strictly this year when she has ballroom dance training already.’ Luke Harrison added: ‘I’m calling frankie to win already. Seems a bit unfair to put someone in who’s been performing professionally since she was ten!’ And Tina Campbell said: ‘Has Caroline Flack got an unfair Xtra advantage?’ A BBC spokesman said: ‘Ballroom dancing is a specific discipline and none of our celebrities have had enough in-depth training to give them an advantage.’ | Viewers have complained that some of this year's contestants have an unfair advantage over their rivals as they have previous dance experience .
Pop star Pixie Lott, 23, trained in dance for eight years as a child .
Fellow singer Frankie Bridge, 25, also had dance training as a young girl .
The BBC1 show returned on Sunday with an average audience of 8.4 million . |
83,646 | ed4e4f3129e897b2921c62c682568da988825d14 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Residents in a Boston suburb were stunned recently when they opened their sewer bills to find that they owe astronomical amounts - some as high as $55,000 - that will take them decades to pay off. Initially many people assumed that there had been a clerical error, but now they have been forced to come to terms with the grim reality that under the terms of their property contracts they are liable. The problem impacts about three dozen homeowners and just as many businesses who are part of a development on Route 20 in Wayland known as Town Center. Wayland resident Mary Farley has been hit with a $55,000 sewer bill because they have to pay to use a $5.5 million waste water treatment facility . Residents in the Boston suburb of Wayland were stunned recently when they opened their sewer bills to find that they owe astronomical amounts that will take them decades to pay off . Part of the complex of stores and modern condominiums is a $5.5 million waste water treatment facility. It was built on an ‘enterprise zone’ which means that only those people hooked up to it must pay all the associated costs. ‘When you add up all the fees, we are looking at close to $55,000,’ Wayland resident Mary Farley told WBZ4. Another resident, Abhilash Barot, has been told he owes $23,000. The vast majority of homeowners in Wayland have individual septic systems and therefore only 75 uses have to pay the costs of the expensive new sewer system . All the people impacted claim that nether the developer nor the town ever explained that they would be subject to such huge bills. The developer claims that if owner's read the legal documents they signed when they purchased their homes it would explain that they are liable. Most residents say that if the 'hidden costs' had been explained they simply would never have bought the properties. The vast majority of homeowners in Wayland have individual septic systems and therefore don't use the expensive new sewer system. As a result the entire cost for the facility falls to about 75 users. One of those business owners hit with the huge costs is Jonathan Buchman, who believes that all residents in the town should share the cost because they use many of the amenities hooked up to the expensive system. Wayland resident Abhilash Barot owes $23,000 and says he wouldn't have bought his property if the hidden costs had been explained to him . Most of the impacted residents say they wouldn¿t have bought their homes if they'd known about the huge bills they would be hit with . ‘Their building, their police station, their fire station is on the system. The main town hall with all the offices is on the system,’ he said. Town leaders are looking for a solution according to Wayland's interim Town Administrator. 'Hopefully we will take some action that will provide some relief. I don’t know in what form, but some relief to those rate payers,' said Robert Mercier. The impacted residents have until July to pay their huge bills. Video: Home owners hit with $55,000 sewer bills . | Residents in the Boston suburb of Wayland were stunned when they opened their sewer bills to find that they owe astronomical amounts .
Their homes are part of the complex of stores and modern condominiums that also includes a $5.5 million waste water treatment facility .
It is built in an 'enterprise zone' which means that people hooked up to the facility have to pay all the associated costs .
The residents claim that nether the developer nor the town ever explained that they would be subject to such huge bills .
They have until July to pay their huge bills . |
67,729 | c022bad52bb1241f806f512b119e113f65376ccc | DUTCH GO MAN-TO-MAN WITH MESSI . Nigel de Jong was only just returning from injury, but clearly Louis van Gaal told him to take care of Lionel Messi. Whenever Messi came into De Jong’s midfield area, he was never more than a few yards from the striker, putting him under pressure. De Jong did well for an hour but man-marking is a dying art and I’m not sure there’s room for it in the modern game. To stay tight you have to forget about being in possession but that badly affects team shape. Scroll down for videos... Forward charge: Nigel de Jong tries to hold back Lionel Messi as the Argentine wizard tries to launch an attack . Head-to-head: Nigel de Jong against Lionel Messi was one of the important tussles of the match . VIDEO All Star XI: Lionel Messi highlights . GAME ROBBED OF ROBBEN . Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie were both quiet, but Robben in particular looked very isolated. He had just six touches in the first half and two of those were throw-ins. He has been one of the most exciting players to watch in the tournament so it was frustrating to see him far from his best. He improved in the second half but credit Argentina for keeping him quiet. Flying Dutchman: Arjen Robben is sent tumbling by a slide challenge during the ill-tempered semi-final . Hauled down: Arjen Robben is fouled by Martin Demichelis as he tries to break through into space . After Germany’s sensational win over Brazil, this game was disappointing. I thought Holland would do well thanks to their organisation, but Argentina were better than I expected. Both teams worked hard to deny the star men space and it led to a rather uninspiring game. It did not help that the referee let plenty of fouls go unpunished. That meant players could put in some tough tackles but still get away with it. Nasty: Georginio Wijnaldum raises his boot to Javier Mascherano after the Argentina man heads the ball clear, one of many moment of aggression in the match . 50-50: Daryl Janmaat and Lucas Biglia go for the ball at the same time, resulting in a tangle of legs . SPEEDY LAVEZZI LOOKED LIVELY . Most of the focus before the match was on Messi, but Argentina’s best attacking outlet was Ezequiel Lavezzi. I’ve been impressed with him at Paris Saint-Germain and his speed causes defenders problems. Lavezzi did well to find space between Daley Blind and Bruno Martins Indi on the Dutch left, but Argentina could not take advantage of the chances he created. Lunge: Daley Blind slides in on Ezequiel Lavezzi as Wesley Sneijder (right) watches on . Horizontal: Ezequiel Lavezzi appears to drop kick Stefan de Vrij (centre) and Dirk Kuyt (right) with the ball long gone . VIDEO Argentina scrape through to final . | De Jong performed an old-fashioned man marking job on Messi .
Messi's only touch inside the penalty box came in the shootout .
Robben looked very isolated and had just six touches before half-time .
Second semi-final failed to reach the heights of Brazil vs Germany .
Argentina's best attacking outlet on the night was Lavezzi . |
264,989 | e338d614cdb03d3b625914cb3aa194a3129f5a00 | By . Ray Massey . PUBLISHED: . 19:07 EST, 20 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:14 EST, 21 November 2012 . Ministers have pledged to close a ‘nonsense’ anomaly that has seen more than 5,000 children – some as you as 11 – banned from driving even though they are not yet old enough to legally drive. Alerted to the scandal exposed by their own figures, Ministers promised to act to crack down on what they admit is a serious threat to road safety. In total some 5,333 under-age driving offenders have been ‘banned’ from driving since 2009 - including five 11-year-olds - analysis of Government figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request to the DVLA by motoring magazine Auto Express. New figures: More than 5,000 under-age offenders have been banned from driving since 2009 (posed by model) Presented with the alarming data by Mailonline, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: ‘This strikes me as a nonsense and I will be talking to my colleagues at the Department for Transport about this.’ Roads Safety Minister Stephen Hammond said: ‘I agree that this sounds like nonsense and an anomaly. I will be looking at this urgently. ‘We are fully committed to keeping Britain’s roads among the safest in the world and this means taking a tough line on anyone who breaks the law regardless of age. ‘Young drivers already face sanctions – . under current legislation disqualifications are endorsable offences, . which means points can be carried onto provisional licences and used by . courts under the totting up system for future bans. Anomaly: more than 5,000 children have been banned from driving for motor offences before the age of 18 (picture posed by model) ‘I will take a careful look at . circumstances where very young drivers whose points or disqualifications . have become spent before they are eligible to drive to make sure they . are effectively dealt with.’ Nonsense': Justice secretary Chris Grayling said he would be talking to the Department of Transport about the 'anomaly' The AA said the law must be changed . so that most serious and prolific offenders should face an extended . driving test and be subject to social reports before they can take their . first test. And offenders banned for a period that goes over their 17th . birthday should not be eligible to take the test. AA spokesman Paul Watters said: ‘It is good that the government has been stirred to look at this. ‘I think the average motorist will be horrified by these figures. Motoring lawlessness is a real problem in this country, Thankfully only a . small minority of young people behave in this way.’ For the future he stressed: ’Prolific . and repeat child offenders should have these offences etched into . their driving record and have them taken into account should they ever . commit an offence after the age of 17. ‘The most serious offenders should . face an extended driving test and be subject to social reports before . they can take a proper test at 17. And offenders banned for a period . that goes over their 17th birthday should not be eligible to have a . licence unless they too take an extended test with social reports.’ Mr Watters added: ‘It might be better . for the original under-age bans to be suspended and subject to being . re-invoked – but not automatically – if the they re-offend after the age . of 17.’ The Ministry of Justice confirmed that currently young people convicted of driving offences will be subject to penalty points and disqualification even if they are not yet old enough to hold a driving licence, and that the bans come into force from the time they are imposed by a court, rather than from the age when the offender reaches driving age. | Ministers say it is a 'nonsense' anomaly that needs to be changed .
Safety Minister Stephen Hammond says they should be 'taking a tough line'
regardless of age.
5,333 under-age offenders have been 'banned' from driving since 2009 .
Figures show two children have caused death by dangerous driving .
Close to 400 were banned for dangerous driving while a further 470 were convicted for drink-driving, official Government statistics show . |
152,969 | 51b218c948bf98dcd0212591d9f062d4a52f3fb7 | London, England (CNN) -- Setting sail this weekend and want the latest information to help you along? Well look no further than your phone for everything you need. There is a wealth of data available through the thousands of apps on the market. But how do you know what is best for you? Joe White from AppAdvice says it's important to consider whether you will have cellular coverage on your journey to determine which apps you should use. "If it's a navigation app that requires GPS then you'll need to have good cellular coverage," White explains. "But there are other apps out there that can be used offline." Here's a list of some of the best apps to set sail to. 1. Navionics Marine, available for $9.99 . While this is one of the more expensive marine apps on the market, it is one of the most comprehensive and popular. "They were working with marine software before the iPhone was even invented," says White. There is a wide selection of Navionics apps to choose from for the region in the world you're after such as the U.S., Africa, and Asia, with more specific ones on offer as well including the U.K. and Holland. Features include information on tides, currents and winds. It also allows you to take a photo while cruising and send it to your friends. It will then show the image in Google Earth so they can see exactly where you were when you took it. Despite it being more costly, experts say it's a worthwhile investment. "They continuously update the app," says White. "So after you've bought it, they keep enhancing it." 2. Boating Suite -- Log Book and Expense Book, available for $6.99 . This is the ultimate app for mariners who are in need of organizing their boating admin. The Boating Suite app allows captains to track their expenses, log their fuel and keep records of maintenance. It also contains "to do list" and "shopping list" options to ensure there are no excuses for forgetting to complete the essential tasks for all your sailing journeys. 3. TideApp, available for free . "If you don't want to pay for a more fully featured application, take this app for a spin," says White. The TideApp is a simple to use application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, making it very attractive even to the less tech-savvy sailors. Tidal data is available for more than 4000 ports across the world and its features include sun and moon schedules. Developers say TideApp is far reaching, having been used in all seven continents. However like many apps on the market, a downside is that it requires network coverage to use. 4. The Weather Channel, available for free . If you're considering hitting the water, then a weather check is a must before heading out on your cruise. The Weather Channel app will give you all the forecast information you need to know. Developers pride themselves on having some of the most accurate weather information around. The app is regularly updated and with the free price tag , it is hard to go by. 5. What knot to do, available for free . For the Boy Scout in everybody, this app gives you a step-by-step guide on how to tie all the knots you need to know. "You can even enter the exact situation you're in and it'll tell you the knot to do," says White. This app is perfect for leisure sailors who may have forgotten what they learned at Scouts. 6. Find My iPhone, available for free . Do your friends and family want to keep track of you while you're setting sail? While this app is not designed specifically for sailors, it does allow for your loved ones to follow your journey. "This is can be used as an added safety precaution, a family member can find your location should something go wrong," says White. However he does emphasis that this app isn't without its downfalls for sailors. "It does require a network, so having a good connection is paramount." 7. Anchor Alarm, available for $7.99 . The Anchor Alarm app is handy to make sure you stay on course while anchoring for day or night. It allows you to set your boat's position to a point, if you stray too far from it, an alarm will sound. "The application remains active during use," says White. "We recommend that users plug their iPhone into a power source when running it." | Consider whether the app requires network coverage .
Navionics apps are some of the most popular on the market .
TideApp is simple to use and it's free . |
67,069 | be42a21256518f814dcd38b2e3c36232e81d9870 | In his characteristically blasé fashion, designer Tom Ford, 52, has announced his marriage to long time partner Richard Buckley, 66. 'We are married now, which is nice,' he simply said. The news came yesterday during a conversation with British journalist, Lady Kinvara Balfour, at London's Regent Street Apple store, during which he flashed a gold wedding ring to the audience. Scroll down for video . Wedding Bells: Tom Ford, 52, has announced his secret nuptials to former Vogue Hommes editor Richard Buckley, 66 . 'I know that was just made legal in the UK, which is great. We were married in the States,' he explained, giving no further details as to the where and when. Mr Ford went on to explain: 'I lost so many friends in college - I would say more than half of my closest friends. Richard, my partner of 27 years, had also gone through something also quite tough in his life.' The couple, who welcomed son Alexander, their first . child together, into the world in September 2012, met at a fashion show in 1986 and Tom . Ford has spoken openly of his instant attraction to the former Vogue . Hommes editor. Power couple: Out magazine was amongst the first to congratulate the newlyweds with a tweet earlier today . 'I went to a fashion show and this silver-haired guy was staring at me with these piercing water-blue eyes,' he told WWD. 'It scared me because I absolutely saw and knew my entire future.' The Texan-born designer, who was only 25 at the time, told Out magazine in 2011 that it was 'love at first sight' and that he decided he would marry Mr Buckley, then 38, 'in the length of an elevator ride,' following their whirlwind first few encounters. 'You can look at someone and feel . like you've known them forever,' he gushed. 'The first night I ever had . drinks with Richard, I felt I knew everything about him.' All these years: The couple, pictured in London last month at the premiere of Kick Ass, met in 1986 at a fashion show when Mr Ford was only 25 and Mr Buckley was 38 . For his part, Mr Buckley said: 'I couldn't imagine being without Tom now. I couldn't imagine what I'd be like if something happened to him. There's only one Tom for me.' Somewhat surprisingly, Mr Ford also admitted that when the power couple first met, he was 'pathologically shy' and his new husband, who was the editor in chief of Vogue Hommes International at the time, was 'very, very social and very talkative.' 'Richard is an extrovert, and I'm an introvert, but meeting us today you would think the opposite,' Mr Ford explained. Doting: Mr Buckley, pictured here with Mr Ford last month at LAX airport, has previously spoken of his devotion, saying he 'couldn't imagine' being without his partner of 27 years now . The couple started dating during the late Eighties, a time when AIDS was prevalent, particularly in the gay community, and tragically, both lost an estimated half on their friends to the disease. Mr Ford, who says the pair enjoyed three dates before having sex, has admitted that this 'enormous fear' affected their 'early sexual relationship.' Further tragedy hit when, just three . years after they moved in together (Mr Ford surprised his boyfriend with . a small Tiffany box containing a key to his apartment) Mr Buckley was . diagnosed with throat cancer. Despite being told it could be fatal, he pulled through and their luck changed for the better. The couple were overjoyed to announce the birth of their son in 2012 - believed to have been born via a surrogate. Speaking candidly to British GQ last year about their new found parenthood, Mr Ford said: 'I used to spend most of my time at home naked, but now we have a child it means we have a nanny and so I can't come downstairs naked and have a bowl of cereal in the morning.' And while we can only imagine how stylish and touching the nuptials must have been, Mr Ford has so far remained tight-lipped on any details of their big day. | Revealed the news yesterday in candid interview at London's Apple store .
Couple have a two-year-old son together, Alexander John Buckley Ford . |
57,530 | a30d72361012349afeab11e89b1428e29b8f7b5c | A woman was found inside a cardboard box, wearing nothing but a shirt outside a landfill after her margarita was allegedly spiked in a Texas night club. The Hispanic woman, in her 30s, was found outside the refuse site in the city of Irving after spending the evening at Angels Grill & Bar in Dallas. She was drunk and had trouble walking through the parking lot after leaving the club, police said, and vanished with a man she had met that night after a friend left her to get her car. Found in the morning: The unnamed woman was discovered by volunteers at this landfill in Irving, Texas, inside a cardboard box . When she came back five minutes later to take them home, both her friend and the man had vanished. She was next seen at the landfill site in Irving, nine miles away. While the woman cannot remember anything about what happened next, police believe she may have been raped. She took a rape test, but it was inconclusive, local station CBSDFW reported. Her name has not been released because she might be the victim of a sex attack. According to a CBS reporter, she believes that she was raped, after drinking a drugged margarita in the club. Volunteer workers at the landfill site found the woman, who only speaks Spanish, in the box around 9am the following morning. Night before: The woman believes a margarita she drank at Angels Grill & Bar in Dallas had been spiked . The man who found her said the she did not seem to be badly hurt, and apparently refused his first offer of help. He said: 'I lifted the box a little and saw a woman and immediately dropped the box. I then gathered my bearings and opened the box a little more and asked "Are you OK? Hello, are you OK?" Speaking to NBCDFW, he said: 'She was half-dressed with scuff marks on her knees, and she didn't have any shoes on.' Officers from the Dallas Police Department are continuing to investigate, and are reviewing footage from surveillance cameras around the night club. | Unnamed Hispanic woman in her 30s was found wearing just a shirt .
Had been dumped outside landfill in Irving, Texas, after night drinking .
Was last seen with man she had just met while friend went to get car .
Found at 9am by volunteer workers - and has no memory of previous night .
Woman reportedly believes her drink was spiked and that she was raped . |
257,204 | d8e079b10b3daa3ce8d52285fe59627139f9f9f1 | A small neighborhood in California have been left anxious and on high alert for an extremely dangerous snake that was let loose in the area. Authorities in Thousand Oaks say they became aware of the exotic animal after one resident, Norma Stull, reported seeing the snake attack her dog. The incident occurred on the 300 block of Rancho Lane on Monday night. Mrs Stull's daughter managed to get a photo of the snake, which has now been identified as an albino monocled cobra. Scroll down for video . On the loose: This photo - taken by a Thousand Oaks resident - shows the albino monocled cobra that is loose in the area . Although he was not bitten, Tiko was rushed to animal hospital with injuries stemming from the attack but has since recovered . Search: L.A. County Animal Control officers have been scouring the neighborhood since Monday in search of the snake . The dog, named Tiko, was taken to an animal hospital in a critical condition with injuries sustained when he tried to escape the attack. L.A. County Animal Control officers have been scouring the neighborhood since in search of the snake. At least five officers were on hand looking in bushes and shrubbery on Wednesday, according to ABC 7. Jules Sylvester, a professional snake wrangler, was also called in by authorities to appease locals. However Mr Sylvester said it would be hard to locate the cobra. 'It's mostly terrestrials, they stand on the ground,' he told ABC 7. 'But you wouldn't want to surprise it.' Residents of the leafy suburb have been warned to keep an eye on their children and be careful in areas they think a snake could hide . However Mr Sylvester said the search had been aided by one important factor. 'The good thing about it: He's pure white, so he'll glow in the dark, almost.' Residents have been told to keep a watchful eye on their children and to use common sense when in areas a snake may hide, such as pipes and under logs. The monocled cobra can be active at any time of day, but officials say it more likely to be seen in cooler times, such as the morning or evening. Anyone who sees the snake has been asked to contact Los Angeles County Agoura Animal Care Center at (818) 991-0071 or the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at (909) 899-0659. | Albino monocled cobra attacked a dog in Thousand Oaks on Monday night .
'Tiko' was left in a critical condition but has since recovered .
L.A. County Animal Control officers presume the exotic snake is a pet that escaped .
They have brought in a professional snake wrangler to help the search . |
221,587 | aad9843abd5d073fca9da466a9b2b2328bfe6308 | (CNN) -- IN FOCUS: Morocco's ambitious plans . The North African country is heading to the polls this week after suffering unrest earlier this year. The International Monetary Fund estimates unemployment in Morocco at 9% this year as the country is trying to diversify its economy and provide jobs. MME looks at how Morocco is using its geographical proximity to Europe to boost its economy and put itself on the global shipping map. FACETIME: Zahi Khouri, Chairman, Palestinian National Beverage Co. As the Palestinians continue with their statehood bid at the U.N., ongoing restrictions in the Palestinian territories have stifled economic growth. MME spent a day with Palestinian businessman and entrepreneur, Zahi Khouri, to see the challenges of doing business in the West Bank. Marketplace Middle East airs weekly at the following times (all GMT): . Thursdays: 1645, . Fridays: 0945, . Saturdays: 0715, . Sundays: 0615, 1645 . | The IMF estimates Morocco's unemployment figures at 9% this year .
Morocco's proximity to Europe combined with global shipping options could be the solution .
MME talks with Palestinian entrepreneur Zahi Khouri about doing business in the West Bank . |
282,729 | fa3391d2a8abcf50bbdd7e7f140d3cd55e3fc31f | Two of the off-season's longest-running transfer sagas were finally concluded when French international Samir Nasri signed for Manchester City, while winger Juan Mata agreed to leave Valencia for Chelsea. Nasri -- who signed for Arsenal in 2008 from Olympique Marseille -- signed a four-year deal, making him City's fourth big-money capture of the current transfer window following the arrivals of Gael Clichy, Sergio Aguero and Stefan Savic. "I think he is a fantastic player because he has technique [and a good] mentality," Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini told the club's official web site. "I know him from when he played for Marseille because I followed him when I was at Inter...but in the last four years in the Premier League he improved a lot and now I think he's a top player." The move took place a few hours before an injury-hit Arsenal met Udinese in a crucial European Champions League second leg qualification match. The Gunners take a slender 1-0 lead to Italy. If Nasri had played he would have been ineligible to appear in Manchester City's own Champions League campaign, potentially jeopardizing the move. "It's a big relief. It was a long, long negotiation," Nasri said in an interview, also with the club's official web site. "Now I am City player which is what I wanted from the start." "I was a little frustrated, I told the [Arsenal] manager [Arsene Wenger] I wanted to leave... Today is a big day for me. It is a new start." In west London, Chelsea announced that they too had signed one of Europe's most coveted wide players with the capture of Spanish international Juan Mata. The 23 year old -- who has already won 11 caps for the world champions -- trained with the squad and will be available for Saturday's English Premier League match against Norwich City. "Right from the first moment there have been good feelings all around me," Mata told Chelsea's official web site. "Valencia was a big club anyway but I have left to join a bigger club and it is all about the opportunity to win trophies and I have that here." | Manchester City has announced the signing of Samir Nasri from Arsenal .
It's the fourth big-money signing to join City this transfer window .
Meanwhile Chelsea sign Spain winger Juan Mata from Valencia .
Mata likely to make EPL debut against Norwich City Saturday . |
104,237 | 127c4a68ad7c89ecb306c171e0ee961da4ba415f | Graham Thorpe was the only Englishman to win on his 100th cap . On Friday, Ian Bell becomes the 12th man to play 100 Tests for England aiming to overtake Alec Stewart’s record by maintaining the best batting form of his life. Bell would need to play for another four years if he is going to surpass the ‘gaffer’s’ tally of 133 caps but, at 32, he is young enough and fit enough to do so if he can play a leading, responsible role in England’s brave new world. ‘I hope I can get there because I feel as though I’m batting as well as I’ ve ever done in an England shirt,’ said Bell at Headingley. VIDEO Scroll down for Cook, Anderson, Broad and Root look forward to Headingley . Arise centurion: Ian Bell is set to reach 100 Test caps, the 12th man to do so, against Sri Lanka . The Gaffer: Alec Stewart holds England's Test match record with 133 caps for his country . ‘Over the last few years I’ve started to understand what I needed to do to become a tougher cricketer and last year was probably the best I’ve played under that sort of pressure. Hopefully that’s just the start and I think there is more to come. ‘If I stay fit I want to play for England as long as I can. I love it. It was all I wanted to do as a kid and I’ve been very lucky to have been able to do it for so long. You don’t want to give that shirt up.’ This landmark seemed a long way away when Bell was dropped at the start of the last new era after England had been bowled out for 51 in Jamaica early in 2009. ‘There were times when I doubted I would get this far,’ admitted Bell. Turning point: Ian Bell was dropped after England were humiliated by the West Indies in Jamaica, 2009 . Unfinished business: Ian Bell did not want to spend the rest of his career playing county cricket alone . ‘That West Indies tour was the turning point. When you get dropped you ask questions of yourself.’ The answers he came up with saw him become a much more resilient member of the England side when he regained his place during the Ashes later that year. ‘I started to score runs when the team really needed them and that’s what I needed to do,’ said Bell, now England’s unofficial vice-captain. ‘Maybe in my early days I took the easy option too often. I remember the guys walking out at Lord’s at the start of that 2009 summer while I was at Edgbaston and I just had this feeling that I didn’t want to just play county cricket. I had unfinished business and when I got my next chance with England I didn’t want to let it go.’ In from the cold: Ian Bell regained his place at the 2009 Ashes and has not looked back since . Revenge?: Ian Bell is bowled out by Shamida Eranga in the 1st Investec Test match at Lord's . Bell credited the late Neal Abberley at Warwickshire and sacked England batting coach Graham Gooch as the biggest influences on his career outside his family. ‘I wish Neal could be here on Friday with me,’ said Bell. ‘He was somebody who got me to where I am now and Goochie is probably as close as I’ve come to the relationship I had with Neal. They saw the game very similarly and gave me a lot of honest feedback. It will certainly be nice to share a beer with Graham at some point.’ Of the previous 11 England players to play 100 times only Graham Thorpe was in the winning side on his landmark Test, and even he never played in another after his 100th cap against Bangladesh. Bell hopes to buck the trend. ‘This week is exciting and it’s about winning rather than my 100th Test,’ he said. ‘I will look back on four winning Ashes series and winning in India when I finish but I still think there are more special things round the corner.’ Buck the trend? Graham Thorpe was the only man to win on his landmark 100th cap . | Ian Bell will become the 12th man to reach 100 caps for England .
Alec 'The Gaffer' Stewart holds the record with 133 caps for England .
Bell was dropped after England were humiliated by the West Indies in 2009 .
Graham Thorpe was the only Englishman to win on his 100th cap . |
45,877 | 814a0c1ebadc2c1bdf1f0f79797db5674dbce4c7 | (CNN) -- Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong refiled a lawsuit Tuesday against the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in a bid to halt a doping case against him. One day earlier, a federal judge threw out Armstrong's original suit, blasting the seven-time Tour de France champion in a sharply worded ruling. In his brief order, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks wrote that the case was full of legally irrelevant claims "included solely to increase media coverage of this case" and stir up hostility toward USADA. He urged the cyclist to refile his lawsuit without "any improper argument, rhetoric, or irrelevant material." Like the original, the refiled suit asks the court to file an injunction against USADA by Saturday, the agency's deadline for Armstrong to agree to contest the charges or accept sanctions. It is substantially shorter than the original lawsuit, by about 55 pages. USADA has accused Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong maintains he has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and has said USADA and its CEO, Travis Tygart, are out to get a "big fish" to justify the agency's existence. "Throughout his 20-plus year professional career, Mr. Armstrong has been subjected to 500 to 600 drug tests without a single positive test," the refiled suit reads. It contends USADA "does not have the right to force him to arbitrate those charges without a valid, enforceable legal agreement to do so." The 40-year-old Armstrong faces a lifetime ban and could be stripped of his Tour de France victories if found guilty by USADA. Armstrong won the tour each year from 1999 to 2005, most of those for a team sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service. He retired twice from cycling -- first in 2005, for four years, and again in 2011. USADA is a quasi-government agency recognized as the official anti-doping agency for Olympic, Pan American and Paralympic events in the United States. In a June letter to Armstrong, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, the agency said it collected blood samples from Armstrong in 2009 and 2010 that were "fully consistent with blood manipulation including EPO use and/or blood transfusions." EPO, or erythropoietin, boosts the number of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the muscles. Armstrong has been dogged by allegations of drug abuse in recent years, with compatriot Floyd Landis -- who was found guilty of doping in the 2006 Tour de France, resulting in him being stripped of the title -- making a series of claims last year. Armstrong came out fighting in May 2011, in the face of fresh allegations made on CBS News' "60 Minutes" show by another American, Tyler Hamilton. In the CBS interview, Hamilton, who retired in 2009 after twice testing positive himself, says he first saw Armstrong use EPO in 1999. "I saw it in his refrigerator," Hamilton told the news program. "I saw him inject it more than one time like we all did, like I did many, many times." In February, Justice Department prosecutors said they closed a criminal investigation after reviewing allegations against Armstrong. They had called witnesses to a federal grand jury in Los Angeles, but they apparently determined they lacked evidence to bring a charge that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs. Armstrong has won two half-distance Ironman events this year, and he is suspended from World Triathlon Corporation competitions. The world championships will be held in October in Hawaii. He was a U.S. triathlon champion as a teenager. | NEW: Cycling champ Armstrong asks the court to file an injunction against USADA .
He refiles one day after a judge dismisses lawsuit .
The seven-time Tour de France winner faces doping charges .
He says he has never tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs . |
225,200 | af9bf5bbdb332138d78587c72b2ab0204c704bc5 | SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- A massive explosion has struck a highway overpass near the Indian-controlled Kashmir government's main building, injuring 17 people, according to police. A large bomb rigged to a highway overpass in Indian-controlled Kashmir exploded injuring at least 17 people. The blast hit a highway overpass near the Civil Secretariat, the region's seat of government, and its high court complex, senior police official M.B. Nathyeal said Wednesday. None of the injuries were serious, the attending physician at the hospital said. It is unclear if the explosion, which happened around 6 p.m. local time (1230 GMT), was the result of a car bomb or a pre-planted roadside bomb, Nathyeal said. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which damaged part of the highway overpass and shattered the windows of nearby buildings and vehicles. E-mail to a friend . | 12 people injured in an explosion near a highway overpass in Indian Kashmir .
Blast was near Indian-controlled Kashmir government's main building .
It is unclear if it was the result of a car bomb or a pre-planted roadside bomb .
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack . |
70,616 | c8373637e46009ad82881f07b9618e2de07bd58a | Nancy Dell’Olio is selling her own clothes in the hope of raising thousands of pounds for herself . She once claimed British women are afraid to be feminine and glamorous when it comes to their sartorial choices. Now Nancy Dell’Olio is lending them a helping hand – by selling her own clothes in the hope of raising thousands of pounds for herself. The former girlfriend of ex-England football manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is believed to have been living in a North London property owned by friends since losing her home earlier this year over alleged rent arrears. The lawyer, 53, is trying to put any money worries behind her by enlisting a series of leading fashion houses to donate items for her to sell alongside her own personal collection of dresses, shoes and bags at a cash-only auction being held today. Chanel, Hermes, Dolce & Gabbana and Christian Louboutin will all have items available at the event in Mayfair, with reductions of up to 50 per cent. Explaining her decision to downsize her wardrobe, a friend of Miss Dell’Olio said: ‘Nancy believes she is a stylish woman and once wrote an article attacking Kate Middleton’s dress sense. She feels this is a good opportunity for the public to buy a little piece of Nancy and raise money for her at the same time.’ Miss Dell’Olio split from Eriksson in 2006 and has since attempted to forge a career in entertainment, appearing on Strictly Come Dancing and taking a one-woman show to the Edinburgh festival. In May removal men were pictured taking her belongings from her £4million Belgravia home, only weeks after it emerged she was embroiled in a legal battle over alleged rent arrears of £20,400. Her landlord, British Virgin Islands company Pridelands, claimed in court it had served Miss Dell’Olio notice to leave in November 2013 but that she had refused to move out of the property. In an interview earlier this year Miss Dell’Olio denied any suggestion of financial hardship. She said: ‘It was always planned that I was leaving at the end of May. So it was my movers came to take my things. So you have to be precise. Everything was planned. ‘And I left when I was ready, when it was accordingly established to move.’ Asked if she owed £20,000, she replied: ‘I don’t think so.’ She added that she was not broke. Miss Dell’Olio’s last serious relationship, with the theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn, ended acrimoniously within a year of its starting in 2011. Eriksson is her most famous partner, but described her as ‘unbearable’ in his memoir and admitted to numerous infidelities during his relationship with her. | Dell'Olio lost her home earlier this year over alleged rent arrears .
She is hoping to raise thousands by selling her dresses, shoes and bags .
53-year-old has also got fashion houses to donate items for her to sell .
Sale will give the public a chance to own 'a little piece of Nancy' |
34,935 | 63476bbd7ec8e3616f81bf669b16b5f30dd6cc93 | Manchester City midfielder Jack Rodwell is at Sunderland's training ground ahead of his permanent switch to the Stadium of Light. Despite City’s lack of homegrown talent, Rodwell can leave the Etihad Stadium this summer after failing to make an impact on Manuel Pellegrini. Sunderland are in advanced talks with City over a move for the 23-year-old midfielder, who is set to pen a five-year deal. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jack Rodwell take part in Sportsmail freestyle . Disappointing: Rodwell has failed to fulfil his potential during a two-year spell at Manchester City . In-form: Rodwell impressed as a regular starter under David Moyes' reign at Everton . City value Rodwell, who signed from Everton in the summer of 2012, at £10million. And Rodwell is due in the north-east later on Monday to thrash out personal terms to join Gus Poyet’s side. Despite developing a reputation as one of England’s most promising midfielders, Rodwell’s career has stagnated at City. Stop-start: Rodwell has endured an up-and-down few years on the domestic and international stage . He played just 10 games for City last season as he found first-team football hard to come by at the Etihad. As well as this Rodwell has only started seven Premier League games for the champions since his move two years ago. But Poyet believes he can put Rodwell’s career back on track next season. | The 23-year-old is free to leave Manchester City this summer .
Rodwell played 10 times for the Premier League champions last season .
Sunderland are keen to strike a deal with City for the midfielder .
Rodwell is at Sunderland's training ground ahead of his move from City . |
114,631 | 1ff39b94973bb8d8ae400de3bf422b8549aa180f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 7:07 AM on 9th August 2011 . Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, who attempted to become the first person to swim . between Cuba and Florida without a shark cage, was forced to abandon her effort . early this morning - roughly halfway through her journey. Nyad was vomiting when she was brought aboard a boat at 12.45am, 29 hours after she jumped into the water on Sunday. 'I am not sad. It was absolutely the right call,' she said. Nyad, who is 61, struggled through ocean swells, shoulder pain and asthma . Monday before she was forced to give up the 103-mile swim. U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad poses for reporters before her attempt to swim to Florida from Havana, at dusk on Sunday morning . The swimmer flashed a victory sign at her well-wishers before performing a rendition of Reveille on her bugle, ahead of her challenge . She was hoping to become the first person to swim from Havana to Key . West without a shark cage. The challenge – which she also failed to . beat at the age of 28 – would have taken 60 hours. Tanned . and freckled from long hours training in the open seas of the . Caribbean, she seemed confident before starting off just before sunset . Sunday. She said the still air and shimmering water flat as a plate were perfect conditions for her attempt to make the epic swim. 'The adrenaline's flowing now,' Nyad said at a jetty in western Havana as she looked at the water. '... This is what I dreamed of: a silver platter.' She gave a heartfelt cheek-kiss to the commodore of the Hemingway Marina in Havana, who helped arrange logistics of the trip, changed into a black swimsuit and blue swim cap and showed off the goggles she planned to wear: light blue during the night for better dark vision and smoky charcoal tinted to protect her eyes from the blinding daytime sun. After an assistant greased her shoulders and armpits to prevent chafing in the salty water, Nyad played 'Reveille' on a bugle, thanked several dozen well-wishers who came to see her, then jumped feet first into the sea. Nyad said it has been a lifelong dream and she hoped would inspire people to live vigorously during their golden years. There she goes: The 166 kilometer stretch between Cuba and the South of Florida is expected to take three days . Instead of using a cage, Nyad will rely on divers and the deployment of an electronic boom to surround her with a current that is imperceptible to humans but is strong enough to keep most sharks at bay . 'Thirty-three years ago I stood on a beach close by here and looked out at a giant sea. ... Now I'm almost 62 years old and I'm standing here at the prime of my life,' she said. 'I think this is my day.' Nyad first had a go at this crossing back in 1978, when she swam inside a steel shark cage for about 42 hours before sea currents hammering her off course put an end to that attempt. The following year she set a world record for open-water swimming without a shark cage, charting 102.5 miles (165 kilometers) from the Bahamas to Florida, then retired from competitive endurance swimming. Still, she said the aborted Cuba attempt stuck with her all these years, and upon turning 60, she started thinking about a comeback. 'What if I went back and tried to chase that elusive dream of Cuba?' she said. 'And I started training and I found it was in my heart and it was in my body. ... It seems almost like a dream to me, but now it's real.' The sun sets as an assistance boat follows Nyad on her grueling route . The waters Nyad will spend the next 60 hours in are shark infested . In preparation she made 8- to 15-hour swims over the last two years off the Caribbean island of St. Martin. Australian swimmer Susie Maroney successfully swam the shark-filled waters from Cuba through the Straits and to the Keys in 1997, though she used a cage. Nyad's team is deploying an electronic boom to surround her with a current that is imperceptible to humans but is strong enough to keep most sharks at bay. Whitetip sharks are not deterred by the field, so divers will be standing by to gently discourage any of those who get curious - without harming them. For the record to have been considered . valid, Nyad had to make the swim without a wetsuit. Her crew were navigating, monitoring her health and providing nourishment. But she was not . allowed to touch the boat, nor can her helpers hold her, until she . emerges fully onto dry land. Five . support vessels carried 45 navigators, nutritionists, doctors, shark . wranglers and a film crew that has been documenting her story. She planned to stop every 45 minutes for 20-second hydration breaks - water, juice, sports drinks. Every 90 minutes she'd rest for two minutes and nibble on bread or a spoonful of peanut butter. By . day two she was drinking heated water and hot chocolate to ward . off hypothermia, a threat after so many hours at sea. Nyad . embarked on a northwest course aiming to arrive at a point in the Keys a . little east of due north, compensating for sea currents. She . called the attempt a 'symbolic moment' for increasing understanding . between the United States and Cuba, two nations torn by five decades of . animosity and mistrust. 'I'm under no delusion that my swim is going to make any new political ramifications,' Nyad added. 'But it is a human moment between the two countries.' | Absolutely the right call, Diana Nyad said . |
140,884 | 422ebc3396da6baef4cacfecc9bdb8035330bd0b | The trend for women to increase the size of their bottoms to look like US stars such as Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian is catching on in the UK as figures show more women are injecting fat into their bodies than having it removed. Annual figures out tomorrow from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) show the number of fat transfer procedures has overtaken the numbers having liposuction for the first time. Cosmetic surgeons say women are increasingly looking to boost their curves and rejuvenate saggy areas by having their own fat removed from one area and transferred into another – most commonly from flabby areas such as the thighs to their bottoms, breasts and face. Write caption here . The association’s surgeons also say scandals over defective PIP breast implants and controversy over fillers such as Botox are prompting women to seek options in which the body’s own fat supplies are used. Thousands of women have had the faulty PIP implants removed after it was found they could leak industrial-grade silicon into the body. BAAPS’ figures show a decrease in the number of women seeking breast-enlargement surgery in the past year. This has been attributed to the scandal. Normally, this number rises each year. Cosmetic surgeons say women are increasingly looking to boost their curves . Consultant plastic surgeon Michael Cadier, BAAPS President-Elect, said: ‘Fat transfer has been around for 70 years, but the techniques have got much better. It can be used around the whole body. We do occasionally get patients who have their bottoms enlarged in this way. ‘In my experience, they want to enhance their contours rather than get a massive bottom to mimic the US trend, but we do get people enquiring about that.’ The annual figures show the number of women having fat transfer procedures has risen by 13 per cent to 2,641, overtaking the number of liposuction operations (2,638) for the first time. Paula Andrews, 66, a cattery manager from Southport, Merseyside, had fat taken from her midriff and injected into her cheeks at the Sthetix Clinic in Liverpool. She said: ‘I felt sick when the surgeon suggested taking fat from just below my left rib and putting it into my face, but then I thought at least it wasn’t a foreign substance.’ Rajiv Grover, President of BAAPS, said: ‘The growth rates for surgical facelifting and other anti-ageing procedures showed a double-digit rise, despite the country’s double-dip recession. ‘Perhaps because of the turbulent financial times we’re experiencing, patients are looking for tried-and-tested procedures that will deliver a reliable and long-lasting result.’ | Trend for women to look like J Lo and Kim Kardashian is catching on .
Number of fat transfer procedures overtaken numbers having liposuction . |
228,493 | b3dae23150ed79de09acc4c7eea458ffe503ec84 | (CNN) -- Indonesia summoned the Australian ambassador Monday to voice its anger at allegations that Australia tried to listen into the phone calls of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Greg Moriarty. Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, "took careful note of the issues raised and will report back to the Australian Government," the Australian embassy in Jakarta said. Indonesia's objections stem from reports in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Guardian Australia that said Australian intelligence tracked Yudhoyono's mobile phone for 15 days in August 2009, monitoring the calls he made and received. The intelligence agency also tried to listen in on what was said on at least one occasion. But the call was less than a minute long and could not be successfully tapped, ABC reported. The two media outlets cited documents provided by Edward Snowden, the U.S. national security contractor turned leaker. "The Australian Government urgently needs to clarify on this news, to avoid further damage," Indonesian presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah tweeted. "The damage has been done and now trust must be rebuilt," he said in another tweet. Asked in parliament to comment on the reports, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, "all governments gather information and all governments know that every other government gathers information." "The Australian Government never comments on specific intelligence matters," he added. "This has been the long tradition of governments of both political persuasions and I don't intend to change that today." | Media outlets cited documents provided by Edward Snowden .
Indonesia says Australia "needs to clarify"
Australian PM says "all governments gather information" |
284,695 | fcdfc529573a50b3457e36b9dfcc82d35f6ae95d | (CNN) -- At the Eslam Ghalah crossing on the Afghan-Iranian border, millions of dollars have been spent by the international community to try to ensure that all goods and human traffic entering and leaving Afghanistan can be controlled and accounted for. But we found a very different reality. We had traveled from the city of Herat in out to Afghanistan's western border to film a story on the smuggling of weaponry to the Taliban from Iran - we wanted to get a sense of how much was being done to block the smuggling trails along the Iranian border -- an area of remote mountain trails and passes. The local security commissioner had insisted we take a police escort. Once we had finished filming at the official crossing I asked the commander of the detail if he knew where the main smuggling trail across the border was as I'd heard it was just outside of Eslam Ghalagh. He agreed to take us and we climbed back into our cars. Less then five minutes later we turned off the main road onto a dusty track. Another five minutes and the police car leading the way came to a halt - we were less than 10 kilometers from the official crossing and we'd arrived. It was the best known smuggling trail, but just one of many hundreds of trails that snake through the mountains here. Afghanistan's border with Iran is around 1,000 kilometers long. There is no doubt that it's one of the most difficult in the world to police. But all the Afghans we spoke to were adamant that while the Iranians are deadly serious about blocking the drug trade into Iran from Afghanistan, they are much less rigorous about the traffic in weapons in the other direction. And the sources we spoke with - Afghan, Taliban and Western - believe that is a matter of policy. But it's far from clear at what level in the Iranian government -- if any -- the arms shipments are organized or approved. For their part, the Iranians strenuously deny involvement in the smuggling. The Embassy in London told me: "These allegations are fabricated to pervert attentions from the problems and damage created by foreign forces in [Afghanistan."] . Getting people to talk about the smuggling on camera was almost impossible. It's no overstatement to say that many Afghans in Herat are scared of their powerful neighbor to the West. Nearly everyone who gave us information did so on condition of anonymity. Several of the officials we interviewed happily gave us access to their records and reports but as soon as the camera was switched on the stock response was that they were not authorized to comment. On our last day in Herat we finally were given access to the evidence store where the weaponry seized along the border was kept. The source helping us had to resort to locking us in his office after smuggling an Iranian mine out of the store room so we could film it. It was same kind as those used by the Taliban in roadside bomb attacks. Later that day, a very senior contact in the Afghan security services gave us access to the Afghan police's evidence file. Although the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan has made numerous statements about Iranian weaponry and training being provided to the Taliban the Afghan government has remained largely silent. In Herat the provincial authorities have spent the last two years filming every weapon haul they've intercepted coming over the Iranian border, photographing serial numbers written in Persian and establishing which models are produced in Iranian state armament factories. If the Afghan government decides to take up the issue with Tehran, they'll find all the evidence they need here in Herat. | Large network of trails used to smuggle weapons found at Iran-Afghan border .
Millions spent by international community on securing border .
Border is roughly 1,000 km long, making it difficult to police . |
9,813 | 1bd07544b8c155e4d8e9ffd3586cc97abd017300 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:05 EST, 31 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:19 EST, 31 December 2012 . Outgoing North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue has pardoned the Wilmington 10, a group wrongly convicted 40 years ago of firebombing a local grocery store after police shot a black teenager. Nine black men and one white woman were given prison sentences totaling nearly 300 years in the notorious Civil Rights-era prosecution that led to accusations that the state was holding political prisoners. Perdue issued pardons of innocence today, which means the state no longer considers the 10 - four of whom have since died - guilty of a crime. Wrongly convicted: The Wilmington 10, pictured in Raleigh in 1976, were given prison sentences totaling nearly 300 years in the notorious Civil Rights-era prosecution that led to accusations that the state was holding political prisoners . 'I have decided to grant these pardons because the more facts I have learned about the Wilmington 10, the more appalled I have become about the manner in which their convictions were obtained,' Perdue said in a news release. The three key witnesses in the case later recanted their testimony in the 1971 firebombing. Amnesty International and other groups took up the issue, portraying the Wilmington 10 as political prisoners. In 1978, then-Gov. Jim Hunt commuted their sentences but withheld a pardon. Two years later, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., threw out the convictions, saying perjury and prosecutorial misconduct were factors in the verdicts. 'We are tremendously grateful to Gov. Perdue for her courage,' said Benjamin Chavis, the former national . NAACP executive director who was in jail and prison for about five years . before his release. 'This . is a historic day for North Carolina and the United States. People . should be innocent until proven guilty, not persecuted for standing up . for equal rights and justice.' Pardoned: Outgoing North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue signs pardons on Monday to the Wilmington 10, a group wrongly convicted of firebombing a grocery store 40 years ago . In addition to Chavis, the surviving members of the Wilmington 10 are Reginald Epps, James McKoy, Wayne Moor, Marvin Patrick and Willie Earl Vereen. Those who have died are Jerry Jacobs, Ann Shepard, Connie Tindall and Joe Wright. Wright was the youngest, arrested when he was 16 years old. The Wilmington 10 were convicted in . October 1972 on charges of conspiracy to firebomb Mike's Grocery and . conspiracy to assault emergency personnel who responded to the fire in . February 1971. The . trial was held in Burgaw in Pender County after a judge declared a . mistrial the first time. A jury of 10 blacks and two whites had been . seated in the first trial when prosecutor Jay Stroud said he was sick, . and the judge declared the mistrial. At the second trial, a jury of 10 . whites and two blacks was seated. The . three key witnesses who took the stand for the prosecution recanted . their testimony in 1976. And the prosecutor, Stroud, became a flashpoint . for the Wilmington 10 supporters. Survivors: Connie Tindall, a member of the Wilmington 10, speaks at a news conference outside the State Capitol building in Raleigh in which the group called on Gov. Beverly Perdue to pardon them, in May . In November, NAACP state leaders said they believe newly uncovered notes show Stroud tried to keep blacks off the first jury and seat whites he thought were sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan. They showed the notes on a poster board, saying the handwriting on the legal paper appeared to match notes from other prosecution records in the case. At the top of the list of 100 jurors, the notes said, 'stay away from black men.' A capital 'B' was beside the names of black jurors. The notes identify one potential black juror as an 'Uncle Tom type,' and beside the names of several white people, notations include 'KKK?' and 'good!!' Stroud told the StarNews of Wilmington that he wrote the notes but declined to confirm that to the AP.'This conduct is disgraceful,' Perdue said of the notes. 'It is utterly incompatible with basic notions of fairness and with every ideal that North Carolina holds dear. The legitimacy of our criminal justice system hinges on it operating in a fair and equitable manner with justice being dispensed based on innocence or guilt - not based on race or other forms of prejudice.' | Outgoing North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue pardoned the group today, though four have already died .
Nine black men and one white woman were given prison sentences totaling nearly 300 years in notorious Civil Rights-era prosecution .
Three key witnesses recanted their testimonies and the prosecutor in the case was found guilty of misconduct . |
215,112 | a27c015b3272b67d402a71c91a8a1bdb7b8adf5e | Fenway Sports Group will underwrite the redevelopment of Anfield with an interest free £114million loan. Liverpool have confirmed that work will finally begin on Monday to increase the capacity of their stadium to 53,500, with the Main Stand being remodelled and an extra 8,500 seats being added. The project, which has been two years in the planning, will be completed for the start of 2016-17 season. Repayments to FSG – who took control of Liverpool in October 2010 after the doomed Tom Hicks-George Gillet reign – will be made from the extra £20m a year revenue the extra seating will bring, over a five-and-a-half year period. Liverpool Football Club will begin work on Monday on expanding the Main Stand at Anfield by adding 8,500 seats . From left to right, Ron Yeats, Roger Hunt, Ian Callaghan, Phil Thompson, Phil Neal, Alan Kennedy, Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Raheem Sterling and Jordan Rossiter attend an announcement of Liverpool's stadium expansion at Anfield along with manager Brendan Rodgers and managing director Ian Ayre . The Main Stand will have two new tiers added to take the capacity to over 53,000 by the start of the 2016-17 season . 45,522 - Anfield's current capacity . 58,800 - Anfield's potential new capacity . 8,500 - Phase one to extend the Main Stand . 4,500 - Phase two to extend Anfield Road end . £75m - cost of extension by 2016/17 season . £260m - cost of overall regeneration in Anfield . The estimated cost of the build is £75m with £39m going on costs. Steven Gerrard told Liverpool's official website: 'It's very exciting news that we have finally got around to extending Anfield. For me, it was all about staying at Anfield. As much as I like new stadiums, I'm more traditional and I like the old stadiums like the Camp Nou and places like this, where all the history and all the memories happen. 'There have been so many unbelievable nights and memories here, it would have been a shame to leave it all and for this to have become houses or apartments. 'Now that they are going to extend the stadium, it's going to become even bigger, better and noisier. Hopefully there are many more fantastic memories to come.' There are no plans to sell naming rights for Anfield but the new stand could be sponsored, with Liverpool having held initial talks with interested parties about a potential £10million agreement, which would work out roughly at £1million per season. The redevelopment of Anfield has been an enormous issue for Liverpool since the turn of this century, with Hicks and Gillett famously declaring when they bought the club from David Moores in February 2007 that they would 'have a spade in the ground' within 60 days. They had intended to build on a site on adjacent Stanley Park but their plans were doomed to failure, which is why this announcement is regarded by Chairman Tom Werner and Ian Ayre, the club’s managing director, as being a 'momentous day' in Liverpool’s history. Anfield is soon to be altered after Liverpool won permission from the city council in September . Liverpool's new Main Stand will be made up of three tiers and will include premium seating for Reds fans . 1. 75,731 - Old Trafford, Manchester United . 2. 60,362 - Emirates Stadium, Arsenal . 3. 52,405 - St James' Park, Newcastle United . 4. 48,707 - Stadium of Light, Sunderland . 5. 46,708 - Etihad Stadium, Manchester City . 6. 45,522 - Anfield, Liverpool . ‘It was just over two years ago that we said our preference was to stay at Anfield and here we are today announcing that the expansion is going ahead,’ said Werner. ‘We have made more progress in the last two years than in the last decade.’ FSG had considered building a complete new ground but, having explored a number of possibilities, they have favoured pursuing a project on the lines of how they redeveloped Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Werner added: ‘Having experience of expanding Fenway Park and being through a similar and very successful project of the Red Sox, everyone at FSG is extremely proud and excited to be part of the expanding of Anfield.’ Carillion are the construction company that has been entrusted with the task of building the Main Stand and Liverpool also have planning permission to redevelop the Anfield Road stand – which would add another 4,500 seats – in the future. But, as yet, there is no urgency to pursue that. Liverpool's current Anfield capacity is just over 45,000 seats - the sixth highest in the Premier League . The Main Stand (left) at Anfield will have an extra 8,500 seats added as well as corporate and hospitality facilities . The Kop end will be unaffected by the expansion, as will the Centenary Stand, which is opposite the Main Stand . ‘The football club for many years has been looking for a solution and although it has been a long time coming, under this ownership it has actually been a quick process,’ said Ayre. ‘We spent the first 18 months looking at a variety of solutions and decided staying at Anfield was the best. ‘It has taken two years to get where we are today where we have certainty. What we always said is we did not want to create any false dawns. Finding the right economic solution in the best interests of the club.’ A significant chunk of the new seats will go to corporate clients but, at a time when Liverpool supporters have been protesting about the cost of admission prices, Ayre has argued it is a necessity to supplement incomes if Liverpool are to keep pace with their Premier League rivals. ‘If you use the word “affordability” – I don’t think there’s a football club in the country who could afford to spend money on a new stand without the assistance of corporate hospitality,’ said Ayre. ‘It pays. It will probably pay two thirds or more of the payback of this facility and that is a fact of life. ‘You can’t find economic solutions that work in big new stadiums that don’t have corporate. We will still be some way behind the corporate hospitality numbers they have at old Trafford and probably around the same sort of level they do at Arsenal. It feels right for the model we have created.’ VIDEO Gerrard still influences games - Rodgers . When asked about his favourite Anfield memory, Gerrard said: 'I think personally, it would have to be the Olympiacos game or even the Chelsea victory with the so-called "ghost goal". 'From the outside, I think it would be difficult to pick one other memory because there's been so many from so many fantastic players and so many great sides. It's difficult to pick one. From my own point of view, it would probably be Olympiacos.' Steven Gerrard's famous goal against Olympiakos in December 2004, which took Liverpool through into the Champions League last 16 . Gerrard celebrates his 86th-minute strike at the Kop end and Liverpool went on to be crowned European champions in Istanbul . Luis Garcia scores the only goal of the 2005 Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in an all-English tie . Garcia celebrates his dubious goal as he is mobbed by John Arne Riise, Djimi Traore and captain Gerrard . | Construction work at Anfield will begin on Monday .
Liverpool plan to expand the stadium from current 45,000 capacity .
Phase one will see 8,500 seats and two tiers added to Main Stand .
Work will be complete in time for 2016-17 Premier League season . |
254,315 | d531fb701e526b79c169d12cbb602e6170dc5a5b | Fundraising site GoFundMe shut down a campaign supporting an Oklahoma cop accused of rape and stalking Tuesday in the face of criticism. Daniel Holtzclaw, 27, an Oklahoma City police officer, is behind bars at Oklahoma County Jail after being charged on multiple counts including rape by eight women. The fundraising page titled 'Justice for Daniel Holtzclaw' was set up by his sister Jenny on August 24 to help with his legal fees and states that Holtzclaw 'not only DESERVES but is required by the law to be given a Presumption of Innocence.' Scroll down for video . On the beat: Victims claimed Daniel Holtzclaw sexually assaulted them during traffic stops under threat of violence or arrest . The page gathered just over $7,000 but also attracted its share of critics, being shut down on Tuesday without an explanation from the company about what terms were violated. 'In the event that a campaign receives a high volume of complaints, GoFundMe will conduct an internal content review to determine the most appropriate course of action,' a spokesperson for GoFundMe told the Ann Arbor News. The company notably allowed two fundraising campaigns for officer Darren Wilson, who shot an unarmed teen in Ferguson, Missouri, to go forward. The campaigns have both stopped taking donations. The fight has moved over to the Facebook page set up for Holtzclaw, where the family has been 'deleting horrible comments,' it told CNN. The former college football player was put on administrative leave back in June after a woman claimed she was sexually assaulted during a traffic stop. According to the Daily News, the 57-year-old grandmother alleged that Holtzclaw ordered her to perform oral sex on him. Takedown: Holtzclaw is accused of sexual assault including forced oral sodomy, rape and stalking by at least eight women . Family: Holtzclaw's sister Jenny set up the GoFundMe page that has since been taken down, saying she received no explanation from the site . In the investigation that followed, Oklahoma City police located six other women, all African-American, that identified Holtzclaw in a array of offenses. An eighth woman came forward after his arrest. The Huffington Post reports Holtzclaw threatened arrest or physical harm against his alleged victims. According to Ann Arbor News, the judge originally ordered Holtzclaw held on a $5million bond, stating he conducted research on his victims before assaults. The bond was later reduced to $500,000. KOCO reports the investigation found Holtzclaw ran the names of victims shortly before the alleged assaults. Holtzclaw also ran the names the day after to see if the women reported him, according to investigators. On the 'Justice for Daniel Holtzclaw' Facebook pages, the family states 'the money that has been collected for Daniel’s defense is secure and we are currently exploring other options to use in order to aid in Daniel’s legal fees and bail' and that they're exploring other fundraising options. A post from September 3 on the Facebook page claimed the allegations against Holtzclaw are 'false.' | Daniel Holtzclaw, 27, is accused of rape, forced oral sodomy and stalking by at least eight women .
The fundraising page titled 'Justice for Daniel Holtzclaw' was set up by his sister on August 24 and shut down Tuesday after gathering over $7,000 .
The alleged victims include a 57-year-old grandmother who says she was forced to perform oral sex after a traffic stop .
Investigators claim the officer conducted research on his victims before each assault . |
214,661 | a1f020f351117f5ee40b2c6c589012b171b21fa1 | At least 22 people have been killed in three separate attacks in northeastern Nigeria since Friday, including 15 Christians shot Sunday inside a church, according to officials. The violence began early Friday when unidentified gunmen raided a village in Musari, in Borno state, killing five people, said Joint Task Force Lt. Col. Sagir Musa. JTF troops responded, and a gunbattle ensued. Three of the attackers were killed, and troops recovered weapons and ammunition. Musa declined to provide further details of the attack. Also Friday, gunmen with suspected ties to the Islamist militant group Boko Haram killed two people and wounded another in an attack in Maiha, in Adamawa state, according to Godfrey Okeke, Adamawa state commissioner. The attackers freed 35 inmates from the Maiha prison and set government buildings on fire, Okeke said. In Sunday's attack, gunmen entered a church in Chibok, also in Borno state, and killed at least 15 worshipers, said Mohammed Kana, a regional official for the National Emergency Management Agency. "Some of the people had their throats slit," Kana said, citing NEMA staff who responded to the scene. Sunday's violence comes six days after attackers raided two churches during Christmas Eve services, killing 12 people. Read more: 12 killed in attacks on two churches in Nigeria . In October, a report from Human Rights Watch addressed the violence plaguing northern Nigeria, particularly from Boko Haram. The group's name means "Western education is forbidden." It seeks to impose a strict version of Sharia law in the Muslim-dominated northern part of the country. "Suspected members of the group have bombed or opened fire on worshipers in at least 18 churches across eight northern and central states since 2010. In Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, the group also forced Christian men to convert to Islam on penalty of death," it said. It is not immediately known whether the group was behind the latest attacks. Read more: Nigerian activist keeps family legacy alive . | Fifteen Christians were killed Sunday at a church, emergency official says .
Seven others were killed Friday in two separate attacks in northern Nigeria .
The militant group Boko Haram has been blamed for recent religious violence . |
278,834 | f541308c2a64ba8d1dab64bd52c7d3b5d3fb5ecf | 'This is my daughter's nightgown and PJ shorts. Think we're ready to start sharing clothes yet?' Frankel wrote in the Instagram post . She caused quite a stir among her online followers when she posted a picture of herself wearing her daughter's tiny Hello Kitty pajamas on Instagram a couple of months ago. And now reality star Bethenny Frankel has felt the wrath of a Manhattan judge, who warned the mother that it's time to stop playing dress up as a four-year-old. 'No more pajamas!' Justice Ellen Gesmer warned Frankel's attorney, Allan Mayefsky in court. The judge yesterday said Frankel had used poor judgment by posting the photograph online in July, adding that the episode was 'ridiculous', Page Six reports. Frankel, 43, and estranged husband Jason Hoppy were at the Manhattan courthouse as part of their lengthy divorce proceedings. The Real Housewives star had tried to gain sole custody of her daughter but then settled after an embarrassing trial where she called Hoppy 'white trash'. Frankel's A-list lawyer Mr Mayefsky tried to explain his client's behavior by saying it was a joke, but Justice Gesmer responded: 'It's not a joke. Her child is not a joke'. The judge also said she was concerned the image would be on the internet well into the years when Frankel's daughter can read and see the post and responses for herself. The now-notorious photo showed Frankel wearing daughter Bryn's Hello Kitty pajamas with a ruffled pink top, shorts and matching slippers. 'This is my daughter's nightgown and PJ shorts. Think we're ready to start sharing clothes yet?' she wrote in the post. The photo provoked outrage, with many of her followers claiming that Frankel, who is the author of a book called Naturally Thin, was setting a bad example for her young daughter. One message read: 'Really don't think your sending your daughter a good message. She probably thinks wow my mom's a lot older than me and can fit my clothes, so I must be really big for my age.' ‘Starting a complex early for your daughter,’ another commenter added of the pic. Another message read: ‘I would just caution doing this as she gets more impressionable. She needs to develop a healthy self-image because she may not have all of your genes…and it won't be obvious to you, but it will look as though you are competing with her.’ Frankel defended herself on Twitter claiming that she was just joking and trying to please her daughter. Bethenny Frankel was spotted carrying her daughter, Bryn, to a ballet class in New York yesterday. Neither Frankel nor her estranged husband were in the courtroom for the discussion later in the day . Neither Frankel nor her estranged husband were in the courtroom for the discussion. Later, Frankel declined to comment. The mom rose to fame via reality TV, first as a contestant on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart and then on The Real Housewives of New York City. On the back of her celebrity she has written several books, including Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and The SkinnyGirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life. She also created the Skinnygirl cocktail company which she then sold for an estimated $100 million. Frankel has admitted to an unhealthy relationship with food in the past. In 2010, she told Redbook magazine that she 'used to get drunk and binge on everything in the deli, and then do a juice fast or starve, then do it all over again'. Bethenny Frankel and estranged husband Jason Hoppy has been engaged in lengthy divorce proceedings . | Judge said Frankel used poor judgment by posting the photo online in July .
She told Real Housewives star's attorney that her child is 'not a joke'
Photo showed Frankel, 43, wearing daughter Bryn's Hello Kitty pajamas .
Frankel and estranged husband Jason Hoppy were at Manhattan courthouse .
The couple have been engaged in lengthy divorce proceedings . |
234,441 | bb7e67f2c1aa365dd24ed7b0c347795c6b63abdd | A young woman chef at a leading restaurant was ‘groped’ and teased about her breasts by the all-male kitchen staff, an employment tribunal heard yesterday. Chloe Maisey, 19, claims she was ogled every day as she changed into her uniform at the restaurant of celebrity chef Stephen Terry, who was best man at Gordon Ramsay’s wedding. She also claims staff rubbed fish in her face, threw a mouse at her across the kitchen, shut her in a freezer and sprayed hot water over her. Hearing: Chloe Maisey, left, told a tribunal that she was suffered sexual discrimination at a restaurant run by Gordon Ramsay's best man, Stephen Terry, right . ‘I felt like they targeted me because I was the only girl in the kitchen,’ she said. Mr Terry, 47, a regular on TV shows such as the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, denies sex discrimination at his Hardwick restaurant in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, which is regularly named the best in Wales. Miss Maisey, who is pregnant, said she had been delighted to be made a trainee pastry chef for Mr Terry, who trained under Marco Pierre White and was awarded a Michelin star at the age of 25. Highly acclaimed: The Hardwick restaurant near Abergavenny, where Ms Maisey claims she was discriminated against . But she claimed it turned into a nightmare of sexual discrimination. ‘There were no female changing rooms, so I was forced to change in front of the male chefs every day,’ she said. ‘I would turn around and they would all be watching me. They stared at me constantly and made comments about my body. They called me fat and made comments about my boobs.’ She described how she was groped by saying: ‘A male colleague slapped my bum.’ The teenager said her male colleagues ‘intimidated’ her. ‘They told me I would get a job flipping burgers at McDonald’s if I did not do as they said.’ The chefs were referred to during the hearing only by their nicknames. None of the nicknames referred to Mr Terry. Miss Maisey, of Pontyclun, South Wales, also claimed male staff had poured salt and pepper into her hair and put earwigs into a saucepan to scare her. Claims: Ms Maisey, pictured at the hearing in Cardiff, left, said that at one point a male colleague slapped her bum. Pictured right is Stephen Terry, the owner of the restaurant, who denies the allegations . Telling how one colleague had shut her inside the freezer, she said: ‘He shut the lid on me and I could not get out. I was really scared and upset. I was so shocked he had done it to me.’ She claims she was deliberately burned on the arm with a hot tray and squirted with hot water from a hose used to clean the oven. ‘The water burned my back through my chef’s whites. It felt like my back was on fire. When I fell over, everyone laughed.’ Miss Maisey told the Cardiff tribunal: ‘There were no other female members of staff in the kitchen that I could turn to for help.’ Asked why she did not report the incidents to Mr Terry, she replied: ‘It was the first job I had been in and I thought that was what happened. ‘I did not know who to go to or who to tell. I was ashamed of what was happening to me and I did not want to tell anyone.’ She quit last August after three months. Her mother Pauline said her daughter called her after her last shift, adding: ‘She was distraught. It took me a long time to calm her down. She was hysterical.’ 'Distraught': Ms Maisey's mother said that her . daughter (above), who resigned from the position at The Hardwick last . August, said that on one occasion she was hysterical after returning . from work . Mrs Maisey said Mr Terry did not deal adequately with her complaints about her daughter’s colleagues. Mr Terry, who denies 21 allegations of sexual discrimination, said many of the alleged incidents were ‘banter’ among colleagues in a high-pressure kitchen. He added: ‘If she was so distressed about all these incidents then she could have told me about just one of them. But at no point ever did she tell me about any of these alleged incidents.’ The first he heard of any sexual discrimination was when Miss Maisey’s mother rang him. He said he asked her to put the allegations in writing but she never did. He said there had been more than 100 female employees at the Hardwick ‘and this is something completely new to us’. The tribunal continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Chloe Maisey, 19, claims she suffered discrimination at a restaurant in Wales .
She became trainee pastry chef at Hardwick restaurant in Abergavenny .
She told a tribunal the male chefs called her 'fat' and remarked on her boobs .
Ms Maisey also claims they threw a mouse at her and locked her in a freezer . |
237,424 | bf48b62a014ddabe6e1a1be8b797a6b2f3b0b9db | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:46 EST, 13 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:39 EST, 13 September 2012 . Coffee giant Costa has apologised to a mother who was thrown out for feeding her disabled son. Clair Walker was asked to leave after a customer complained she was put off her latte by 15-month-old Brayden being fed through a tube. Mrs Walker, 29, and her husband, Kenneth, 44, said they were told not to return to the Aberdeen shop after the incident on September 4. Unfair: Clair and Kenneth Walker say Costa coffee discriminated against their disabled son Brayden by asking them to leave the shop . Costa investigated after a friend of the couple posted about the incident on Facebook, prompting an angry reaction. The firm said it had apologised to the family and would deal with the member of staff involved. Staff asked Mrs Walker to leave the Bon Accord shopping centre cafe after a customer complained they 'could hear the wind in his tube'. She said: 'I felt the whole situation was disrespectful but I am pleased that Costa called me to apologise. 'I agree that this is a one-off, isolated situation, caused by one person and not Costa as an organisation.' Disability: Brayden Walker, 15 months, suffers from posterior urethral valves and needs 24-hour care . Brayden suffers from posterior urethral valves, a serious kidney condition, and needs 24-hour care. He is fed by a machine that administers exact quantities of milk and medication through a tube. Mrs Walker added: 'Brayden gets air through it when he feeds. 'The staff said it was making other customers uncomfortable and could we stop and leave. 'They said not to come back - I assumed that meant ever. 'Nobody bats an eyelid when a woman breast-feeds in public - but when you feed a child through a tube they’re outraged. 'I was sickened that someone could be so shallow.' In a statement a Costa spokesman said: 'We are able to confirm that we have now spoken to Mrs Walker, the lady involved, and sincerely apologised for the incident involving her family. 'We will deal with the staff member involved in line with our human resource procedures. We will reinforce our policies around disability to all Costa team members at the earliest opportunity. 'We will increase our focus on teaching staff how to deal better with sensitive situations whatever they may be.' The coffee chain was a partner in a scheme in 2009 that helped disabled people gain work placements and employment. Costa Coffee: Mr and Mrs Walker were asked to leave the branch in Aberdeen's Bon Accord shopping centre . Richard Hamer from Capability Scotland, a campaign group for the disabled, said: 'It seems the everyday lives of disabled children are too much for some people to stomach. 'Costa must take action to show they won’t tolerate such discrimination.' Aberdeen MSP Kevin Stewart said: 'Common sense and courtesy shouldn’t have allowed this.' The Equality and Human Rights Commission for Scotland said that it is possible to look into further action if the Walker family register a complaint. An EHRC spokeswoman said: 'In cases like this we would encourage Claire and Kenneth to get in touch with our helpline and we can assess the situation from there.' Enchanted: Last year's X Factor winners Little Mix look thrilled to meet little Brayden . | Customer complained of hearing 'wind in his tube'
Clair and Kenneth Walker were told not to return to the Aberdeen branch with son Brayden on September 4 .
Costa coffee has since apologised . |
146,409 | 495344b09214beda88b801b4e11ed97c84147e0a | By . Mike Dawes . Rafael Nadal sensed a changing of the guard despite giving Dominic Thiem a clay-court lesson in their second-round clash at the French Open. Twenty-year-old Austrian Thiem is one of the brightest talents in the men's game but he will know just how far he still has to go after a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 loss on Court Philippe Chatrier. Despite the ease of his victory, Nadal was hugely impressed by Thiem and said: 'I think that our generation is now on the way out. All smiles: Rafael Nadal celebrates a place in the third round of the French Open . Too good: The eight-time champion brushed aside his Austrian opponent in straight sets in Paris . '(Andy) Murray, (Novak) Djokovic, (David) Ferrer, and (Tomas) Berdych and . others, (Jo-Wilfried) Tsonga, as well, we have been here for a long . while. 'A generation is walking away and others will replace us. It will not come overnight, but it will come. 'I . think that this player has a huge potential and could be one of the . ones who's going to replace us. His tennis style is really good. What he . could work on is his footwork and how he moves on the court. That's . all.' Thiem really set tongues wagging earlier this month when he beat Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka in Madrid. That made him the youngest man to beat a top-three player since Juan Martin del Potro in 2009. Blip: Nadal fell a break behind in the third set but came roaring back to complete a straight sets win . Fist pump: The Spaniard celebrates his brisk victory on Court Philippe Chatrier . The . Austrian, who shares a coach with Ernests Gulbis, is determined to . learn from his experience, saying: 'It was a great feeling to play on . this court. 'I expected it, everything that came after. I knew that it's going to be the biggest challenge in my tennis career. 'It's . really important to play against these guys a lot, because it's more . important than every practice, I think. I hope I can take a lot with me . from this match.' Nadal's . only defeat at Roland Garros since he won the title on his debut in . 2005 came against Robin Soderling in 2009 and he is bidding to become . the first man to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires five times in a row. But the Spaniard's build-up, with losses in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome, put his status as favourite very much in question. Thiem . said with a smile: 'I think everybody wants this crisis, which . everybody says he has. I think there are only a few players who can hurt . him in this tournament.' Tricky: The 20-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem gave Nadal all he had but was outclassed . Nadal . has been open about the doubts that have crept into his mind since his . Australian Open final loss to Wawrinka but he gave himself high marks . for Thursday's performance. The Spaniard said: 'I think it was a dangerous match. I played the way that I would like to play.' Fourth . seed David Ferrer, who lost his first grand slam final to Nadal 12 . months ago, eased through with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Italy's . Simone Bolelli. There . was also an impressive victory for American Donald Young, who had never . won a match at Roland Garros before this year but knocked out 26th seed . Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3. The . 24-year-old hails from Chicago like 18-year-old Taylor Townsend, who at . her first grand slam posted one of the stand-out wins of Wednesday . against 20th seed Alize Cornet. Rolling on: Spain's David Ferrer plays a forehand during his straight-sets victory over Italy's Simone Bolelli . Reversing the slide: American Donald Young picked up his second win at Roland Garros against Feliciano Lopez . Young . said: 'I have known her since she was born. Her and her sisters, it's . more like a brother/sister type thing than friends because I have known . them forever. 'I've . seen her grow up and it's great to see her playing well and winning . matches. And to be at this level, it's awesome. I'm really excited for . her.' Young . next plays Wawrinka's conqueror Guillermo Garcia-Lopez while there were . also wins for French duo Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils, the latter . now preparing to meet fellow crowd-pleaser Fabio Fognini. On form: Home hope Gael Monfils celebrates his victory in three sets over German Jan-Lennard Struff . Meanwhile, . there will be a clash of the giants between 6ft 11in Ivo Karlovic, who . is playing the best clay-court tennis of his life aged 35, and 6ft 8in . Kevin Anderson. In . Friday's third-round matches, second seed Novak Djokovic has a . potentially tricky clash against Marin Cilic while Roger Federer meets . Russian Dmitry Tursunov. | Nadal booked his place in the last 32 at Roland Garros in straight sets .
The World No 1 thinks that his generations 'is now on the way out'
No 4 seed David Ferrer is through to the third round .
Donald Young, Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils also won .
Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer play their third-round matches on Friday . |
155,963 | 559c1348d2cf9cf87c5a876b21e1312f91508bdb | A graduate who held up a sign advertising his skills to commuters at Waterloo Station has landed his perfect position after his direct approach to job hunting paid off. Alfred Ajani, 22, feared he was getting nowhere after unsuccessfully applying for more than 300 jobs following his graduation in May. He got up early to intercept passing city workers at the busy London station last month, holding a sign saying: 'Marketing Graduate - Please ask for a CV'. His approach was well received by passing executives and one director who saw him has now signed him up. Scroll down for video . Determined job-hunter Alfred Ajani (centre) started work for recruitment firm, the Asoria Group, this week after one of the firm's directors walked past him as he handed out CVs in Waterloo Station last month . Alfred stood on the busy station concourse with a sign advertising his skills after failing to find a graduate position despite applying for 300 roles . Alfred, from south London, started in a marketing role at recruitment agency the Asoria Group yesterday and now works just yards from the spot where he once stood looking for a job. He said: 'The director walked past me when he saw me that morning, but later got in contact through [the website] Linked In. 'The company said they were looking for someone with out of the box ideas and so they were keen to get me in.' In recognition of the fame his stunt brought him, Alfred's new colleagues made special T-shirts with his photo on them to welcome him on his first day. He added: 'The job is one I wouldn't have got if I hadn't gone to the station that morning, so I advise anyone out there who is in the same position I was to think of more direct ways to speak to employers.' After his story was reported by MailOnline, his new colleagues printed T-shirts to welcome him on his first day . Thousands of commuters pass through Waterloo Station every day on their way to jobs in the City of London . Statistics show that almost half of recent graduates are now in 'non-graduate' or 'stepping stone' roles, such as bar-tending, and are struggling to get the positions they had hoped for. Alfred had always wanted to work in advertising, but after three years studying for his degree in the subject, was losing hope of ever joining the industry. In a last-ditch attempt to speak to potential employers, he went to Waterloo Station with an armful of CVs and was later inundated with offers. After months spent struggling to get an interview, he suddenly had a flood of offers and found himself able to choose his career path. He said: 'I knew this was somewhere I wanted to come and am really looking forward to the opportunity.' | Alfred Ajani applied for more than 300 jobs after graduating in marketing .
He tried different approach after growing sick of the crowded labour market .
22-year-old handed out CVs to city workers passing through busy station .
The result has seen him flooded with offers by impressed executives .
This week, he started work in a marketing position at a recruitment firm . |
213,653 | a0b47bfb7fb5369cc5d8cabb681ac11d67dd197e | (CNN) -- Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o will be seeking to win a record fourth African Player of the Year award after being named in the final shortlist of five for the 2009 title. The Inter Milan player will be up against 2006 winner Didier Drogba and the Chelsea forward's Ivory Coast teammate Yaya Toure, Ghana midfielder Michael Essien and Seydou Keita of Mali. Last season Eto'o helped Spanish and European champions Barcelona to an unprecedented treble of titles, along with his former clubmates Toure and Keita. The Inter Milan player also helped Cameroon to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, having missed out on the 2006 tournament in Germany. The 28-year-old previously won the award in 2003, 2004 and 2005, joining George Weah and Abedi Pele as the only players to have triumphed three times. Drogba and his clubmate Essien both also helped their countries to qualify for the World Cup finals, and won the English FA Cup with Chelsea as well as finishing third in the Premier League. Essien has finished in the top three every year since 2005, being runner-up to Frederic Kanoute in 2007. Last year, when he was hampered by injuries, was the only time that Drogba has not figured in the top three since 2003. Keita is the nephew of former winner Salif Keita. The award ceremony will take place on February 25 in Dakar, Senegal, a month after the African Cup of Nations takes place in Angola. | Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o in contention to win record fourth African Player of Year award .
Inter Milan player named in shortlist of five after his heroics with former club Barcelona .
He is up against former teammates Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita .
Ghana midfielder Michael Essien and 2006 winner Didier Drogba also in the running . |
246,520 | cb0a3d3e6427f8d438666f9cb790739f16897301 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 12:23 PM on 4th January 2012 . Benjamin Colton Barnes was discharged from the Army for misconduct after being charged with drunken driving and improperly transporting a privately owned weapon . Iraq War veteran Benjamin Colton Barnes was last stationed at a troubled U.S. Army base notorious for suicides and violence, it emerged today. The 24-year-old, suspected of killing a Mount Rainier National Park ranger after shooting four people in Seattle, was expelled from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington two years ago. Lewis-McChord has drawn national attention for . widespread problems with post-traumatic stress disorder among service . members returning from Afghanistan and from Iraq. In 2009 Barnes left it after being discharged from the Army for misconduct. He was charged with drunken driving and improperly transporting a privately owned weapon. Then on Monday the survival expert is believed to have gone on the rampage. He was eventually found dead face down in snow after police launched a manhunt for him. Police think he fled to the remote park on Sunday to hide after an earlier shooting at a New Year's house party near Seattle that wounded four, two critically . Authorities suspect he shot ranger Margaret Anderson later on Sunday, before freezing to death. A . year ago, the military newspaper Star and Stripes rated Lewis-McChord . as the most troubled base in the entire U.S. military, with multiple . criminal and military investigations under way into troops' behavior and . the quality of the medical and mental health care for service members . returning from the war. That . was before the base set a record for presumed suicides in 2011, with . 12, according to military statistics due to be released this month. Joint Base Lewis-McChord is one of the largest bases in the country, with about 100,000 military and civilian personnel. The Army directed base officials last . year to focus specifically on the mental health of members of the 5th . Stryker Brigade, which saw heavy action in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. Barnes served with a Lewis-McChord Stryker brigade, although officials said they didn't immediately know whether it was the 5th. It follows a series of reports about and incidents at Lewis-McChord. Passing out: A commissioning ceremony for Army cadets at the troubled Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington . The base set a record for presumed suicides in 2011, with 12, according to military statistics . Victim: Benjamin Colton Barnes (right) was said to have shot dead Margaret Anderson, a mother of two young daughters, at the national park near Seattle . Lewis-McChord, near Tacoma, 50 miles . south of Seattle, has seen numerous violent incidents, leading to . several charges and convictions of soldiers for serious crimes. These include: . In a paper for the Army War College last year, Army Colonel Ricardo Love reported that 'veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at an alarming rate'. A 2008 RAND Corp. study indicated that 18 per cent of all service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 had 'PTSD or major depression'. Only about half seek treatment, it said. 'Although Commanders are conducting tough and realistic training prior to deployment, the high number of returnees diagnosed with PTSD indicates we are not doing enough,' Love concluded. But the problem is especially severe at Lewis-McChord, which the Los Angeles Times profiled as 'a base on the brink' just last week. 'I can tell you that in the last two years, we have had 24 instances in which we contacted soldiers who were armed with weapons,' Bret Farrar, police chief in nearby Lakewood, told the newspaper. 'We've had intimidation, stalking with a weapon, aggravated assault, domestic violence, drive-bys.' The issues have come to widespread public attention after Lewis-McChord's heaviest year of deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, where 18,000 soldiers from the base served in between 2009 and 2010. Barnes is known to have had a troubled transition to civilian . life, with accusations he suffers post-traumatic stress disorder and was . suicidal. He was involved in a custody dispute . in Tacoma July, during which his toddler daughter's mother sought a . temporary restraining order against him, according to court documents. In seeking sole custody of the girl, she said Barnes was suicidal and 'gets easily irritated, angry, depressed and frustrated'. Undated photos . provided by police showed a shirtless, tattooed Barnes brandishing two . large weapons. The . woman said Barnes had numerous weapons in his home, including firearms . and knives, adding: 'I am fearful of what Benjamin is capable of with . the small arsenal he has in his home and his recent threat of suicide.' In November 2011, a guardian ad litem . recommended parenting and communication classes for both parents and . recommending Barnes be allowed to continue supervised visits with the . child, two days a week. That visitation schedule was to . continue until he completed a domestic violence evaluation and mental . health evaluation and complied with all treatment recommendations. Late Sunday police named Barnes the suspect in the New Year shooting incident which preceded the murder of the park ranger. On New Year's Eve, there was an argument . at a house party in Skyway, south of Seattle, and gunfire erupted, . police said. Four people in their 20s were reported injured, two . critically. Barnes was connected to the shooting, said Sgt Cindi West, . King County Sheriff's spokeswoman. Tragedy in the woods: The flag flew at half-staff at the entrance to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington after Ranger Margaret Anderson was shot dead . It is believed that the man had been . asked to leave after an argument over a gun. The man came back with a . weapon and opened fire on the crowd, according to police. Police believe Barnes headed to the . remote park wilderness to 'hide out' following the Skyway shooting. There were children present in the home at the time of the shooting. 'The speculation is that he may have . come up here, specifically for that reason, to get away,' parks . spokesman Kevin Bacher told reporters early Monday. 'The speculation is . he threw some stuff in the car and headed up here to hide out.' Mrs Anderson had set up a roadblock . on Sunday morning to stop a man who had blown through a checkpoint . rangers use to check if vehicles have tire chains for winter conditions. A gunman opened fire on her before she was able to exit her vehicle, . authorities say. Benjamin Colton Barnes is believed to have gunned down a U.S. Forest Service ranger after shooting four people at a New Year's Eve house party . Manhunt: Police released this picture of Iraq War veteran Benjamin Colton Barnes . Before fleeing, the gunman fired shots at both Anderson and the ranger that trailed him, but only Anderson was hit. Mrs Anderson would have been armed, . as she was one of the rangers tasked with law enforcement, parks . spokesman Kevin Bacher said. Troyer said she was shot before she had . even got out of the vehicle. Park superintendent Randy King said . Anderson, a 34-year-old mother of two young girls who was married to . another Rainier ranger, had served as a park ranger for about four . years. King said Anderson's husband also was working as a ranger elsewhere in the park at the time of the shooting. Loss: Park Ranger Ralph Davis reading a copy of the Tacoma News Tribune after his colleague Margaret Anderson was shot dead . On patrol: A park ranger on the lookout at Mount Rainier National Park where a body of Barnes was found face down in the snow . Scene of the crime: A police officer examines the car that the shooting suspect was driving at Mount Rainier National when he was stopped by Park Ranger Margaret Anderson . Mapped out: A board showing Pierce County Sheriff's search for Benjamin Colton Barnes . Mrs Anderson graduated from Westfield . High School, New Jersey in 1995 and fulfilled her dream of becoming a . park ranger, according to local newspaper the Westfield Patch. She met her husband through work and they married in 2005. The couple had two daughters, Anna, three, and one-year-old Katie. Adam Norton, a neighbour of . Anderson's in the small town of Eatonville, Washington, said the . ranger's family moved in about a year ago. He said they were not around much, . but when they were Norton would see Anderson outside with her girls. 'They just seemed like the perfect family,' he said. The town of about 3,000 residents, which is a logging community overlooking Mount Rainier, is very close knit, he said. 'It's really sad right now,' Norton said. 'We take care of each other.' Police have been in contact with . Barnes' family, trying to have them coax him to 'come to the police and . tell his side of the story'. The shooting has meanwhile renewed . debate about a federal law that made it legal for people to take loaded . weapons into national parks. The 2010 law made possession of firearms . subject to state gun laws. Bill Wade, the outgoing chair of the . Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, said Congress should be . regretting its decision. 'The many congressmen and senators . that voted for the legislation that allowed loaded weapons to be brought . into the parks ought to be feeling pretty bad right now,' said Wade. Remote: Mount Rainier National Park in Washington covers a vast area . Hours: The shooting occurred near the park's Longmire Ranger Station but took responders several hours to reach Margaret Anderson because of shots continually fired by the gunman . Wade called Sunday's fatal shooting a . tragedy that could have been prevented. He hopes Congress will . reconsider the law that took effect in early 2010, but doubts that will . happen in today's political climate. Calls and emails to the National Rifle Association requesting comment were not immediately returned on Monday. The NRA said media fears of gun . violence in parks were unlikely to be realised, the NRA wrote in a . statement about the law after it went into effect. 'The new law affects . firearms possession, not use,' it said. The group pushed for the law saying people have a right to defend themselves against park animals and other people. Bacher, the parks spokesman, said . surviving overnight in the open on Rainier is difficult, but not . impossible for a person with gear and skills. He added that authorities . wouldn't shed tears if Colton didn't survive. 'I don't think any of us would be sorry if he was not in a condition to fire on our searchers this morning,' Bacher said. | Louis-McChord set a record for presumed suicides in 2011 .
Military newspaper rated it America's 'most troubled'
Base profiled as 'on the brink' |
230,193 | b61509dde89f9e326f8b280e66e3fb9e457e1ba4 | By . Sara Malm . A boy was diagnosed with leukaemia during a visit to his optician after four doctors missed the symptoms in the space of two weeks. James Morley, 13, was repeatedly taken to doctors at the beginning of 2012 after his parents became worried he was uncharacteristically breathless, lethargic and suffering temperature spikes. Doctors kept telling his mother Pamela there was nothing wrong with him, and one even carried out tests. Blink of an eye: James Morley, 13, was turned away from doctors four times before his optician found a bleeding in his eye and prompted tests for leukaemia . It was not until James complained that he was seeing everything with a pink tint that Mrs Morley, 47, booked an appointment with an optician in her home town of Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. Optometrist Sunny Boyal found that James had a large haemorrhage and oedema (a build-up of fluid) on his left eye. Mrs Morley said: ‘As soon as I told the optician what James' symptoms were they said I must bring him down straight away.’ She told how the optometrist immediately referred James to King's Mill Hospital, in Mansfield, where the consultant confirmed the bleed and sent the young boy onto a paediatric ward. Diagnosis: The circled areas who the areas of the eye that caused concern when James saw the optician . There he was told he was suffering from a form of leukaemia and would need to be admitted to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. Mrs Morley said: ‘As soon as that doctor said something was not right I was singing hallelujah - I knew all along that something wasn't right and it had been so stressful to be told over and over that he was fine. ‘As a mother you instinctively know when your child has something seriously wrong with them. ‘All his life James had been so hyperactive; he was bouncing off the walls most of the time so we were worried about him when he suddenly changed and was out of breath, tired and getting temperature spikes.’ ‘I wasn't prepared to just accept the . doctors' word that James was fine. And it's lucky that I did keep . pushing for an answer - because the earlier you find the cancer the . better the chance of survival,’ Mrs Morley added. James . underwent a number of tests at the Queen's Medical Centre and was . eventually diagnosed with Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic . leukaemia - a rare illness in children. Cancer: James' parents watched their son go from 'bouncing off the walls' to becoming lethargic and breathless and were rightly convinced something was wrong . Mrs Morley said: ‘When James got his diagnosis it was a huge shock for the family, but thanks to Sunny we were able to catch the leukaemia in the early stages so were stayed positive.’ As part of James' two-year treatment, which included normal chemotherapy, he became the first child in the UK to trial the drug Dasatinib - which only became available for trial on children immediately after diagnosis. Even though James was the first child . in the country to take the drug, his parents didn't spend much time . worrying about the drug - instead focusing on the improved survival rate . from 55 per cent to 85 per cent. Mrs . Morley said: ‘Not much was known about the drug at the time, but we . were advised that it would improve James' chance of survival so didn't . think twice about it.’ Emma Astwood is the paediatric haematology consultant at Nottingham Children's Hospital. She said: ‘Acute lymphoblastic . leukaemia is the most common type of leukaemia, but Philadelphia . positive only accounts for three to five per cent of child cases. ‘It means the leukaemia is more difficult to treat than normal.’ happy ending: James, pictured at Queens Hospital Notting during his treatment, is now in remission . But after successful treatment James’ mother, his father Martyn and younger sister Adele, seven can look positively to the future. ‘Things are going well and he is classed as in remission now. He could relapse but we are carrying on with his treatment. It will be five years before he can be classed as in full remission. ‘Our experience really has opened my eyes to how important it is to make sure your children see an optician regularly - I didn't realise the kinds of conditions that they can pick up. ‘It's not an exaggeration to say that Sunny saved my sons life. ‘Sunny is definitely on a pedestal - he's a proper hero.’ James and his family have been supported by the charity when You Wish Upon a Star, which aims to grant the wishes and special VIP treats to children suffering from life threatening illnesses. | James Morley, 13, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2012 .
He was lethargic, breathless and suffering temperature spikes .
Despite a serious illness test, doctors told mother Pamela he was fine .
After four doctors turned him away his optician found a bleeding .
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
191,645 | 842a190ad256e41f42a42b626fdd1a22970fdfb3 | (CNN) -- She had many plans for the future: to go to college, start a career, meet the man of her dreams, raise a family -- when the time was right. Expert: "There's a big disconnect between pregnancy rates and what Latina families want and value." It was all cut off by an unexpected pregnancy. The baby became her life, consuming her energy and forcing her dreams to the back burner of her life. She is 19 or younger and Latina, and has had her first baby. It's not what she wanted. Nor did her parents, who are the greatest influence on her decisions about sex, according to a wide-ranging survey released Tuesday by experts on the Hispanic community in the United States. The survey also found that 84 percent of Latino teens and 91 percent of Latino parents believe that graduating from college or university or having a promising career is the most important goal for a teen's future. Somewhere along the way, the aspirations fail to match up to reality. The survey attempts to examine some of the reasons for the disparity and why Latinas now have the highest teen birth rate among all ethnic and racial groups in the United States. "There's a big disconnect between pregnancy rates and what Latina families want and value," said Ruthie Flores, senior manager of the National Campaign's Latino Initiative. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 53 percent of Latinas get pregnant in their teens, about twice the national average. After a period of decline, the birth rate for U.S. teenagers 15 to 19 years rose in 2007 by about 1 percent, to 42.5 births per 1,000, according to preliminary data in a March 2009 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. In 2007, the birth rate among non-Hispanic whites ages 15 to 19 was 27.2 per 1,000, and 64.3 per 1,000 for non-Hispanic black teens in the same age range. The teen birth rate among Hispanic teens ages 15 to 19 was 81.7 per 1,000. Of the 759 Latino teens surveyed, 49 percent said their parents most influenced their decisions about sex, compared with 14 percent who cited friends. Three percent cited religious leaders, 2 percent teachers and 2 percent the media. Watch more on the survey results » . Three-quarters of Latino teens said their parents have talked to them about sex and relationships, but only half said their parents discussed contraception. The survey also found that: . • 74 percent of Latino teens believe that parents send one message about sex to their sons and a different message altogether to their daughters, possibly related to the Latino value of machismo. • Latino teens believe that the most common reason teens do not use contraception is that they are afraid their parents might find out. • 72 percent of sexually experienced teens say they wish they had waited. • 34 percent of Latino teens believe that being a teen parent would prevent them from reaching their goals, but 47 percent say being a teen parent would simply delay them from reaching their goals. • 76 percent said it is important to be married before starting a family. Flores said it is crucial to understand the beliefs and attitudes that influence teen behavior in order to reduce the high rates of Hispanic teen pregnancy. The survey, co-sponsored by the Hispanic advocacy group National Council of La Raza, was an attempt to to do just that. She said that despite a rich culture and the growing influence of Hispanics in America, the Latino community disproportionately suffers from troubling social indicators. Consider that fewer than six in 10 Latino adults in the United States have a high school diploma. Latino teens are more likely to drop out than their non-Hispanic counterparts, and of all the children living in poverty, 30 percent are Latino. "Teen pregnancy is not an isolated issue," Flores said. "It's related to poverty, to dropout rates. That's going to have an impact on our national as a whole." Flores said 69 percent of Latino teen moms drop out of high school, and the children of teen mothers are less likely to do well in school themselves and often repeat grades. "That has a big economic impact," Flores said. It's an impact that is sure to be noticed. The nation's 45 million Latinos constitute the largest minority group in the United States with a growth rate twice that of the general population. That means by 2025, one-quarter of all American teens will be Latinos. | 53 percent of Latinas are pregnant by their 20th birthday, survey finds .
Survey: Most feel that college, career are key to their future .
Most teens in study believe that parents give conflicting messages . |
114,681 | 20036c9b669d0b2a5c82fafb999778d9c5fbf724 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:19 EST, 10 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:33 EST, 12 October 2012 . Authorities say a retired Chicago police detective shot and killed his son after mistaking him for a burglar. According to police, the body of 48-year-old Michael Griffin was found early Wednesday in the father's condominium on Chicago's Northwest Side. He had been shot in the head. The dead man's brother, Stephen Griffin, said the victim had been watching television with his sleeping father when he went outside. Michael Griffin was shot when he re-entered the apartment. Scroll down for video . Tragic: Authorities say a retired Chicago police detective shot and killed his son after mistaking him for a burglar . 'My brother was staying there, and last I heard they were watching the Jay Leno Show, and my dad fell asleep,' Stephen Griffin said to CBS. 'And I guess he assumed my brother was at home sleeping, and when someone came in the back door, he just naturally assumed it was an intruder.' When Michael entered the house, he was shot in the head, police said. At first, the family did not recognize the victim. Another brother who was staying at the home called Stephen and said 'something happened at dad’s house, that he shot an intruder.' 'At that time he didn’t know who he shot. Then he called me back and told me the bad news,' said Stephen Griffin, whose mother died in 1999, said to the Chicago Tribune. 'I’m just glad my mom wasn’t around to see this.' He was shocked by the revelation, adding that his 77-year-old father's senses 'aren't as sharp as they used to be.' Gone: According to police, the body of 48-year-old Michael Griffin was found early Wednesday in the father's condominium on Chicago's Northwest Side. He had been shot in the head . James Griffin was a police officer for 42 years serving as a homicide detective on the West Side, Stephen Griffin said. He retired in 1998. The father had allowed Michael to move in with him after he was having difficulties paying his own rent. The son had just moved in on Tuesday, Stephen Griffin said. 'It has to rip his heart right out of his chest.' Neighbor Jim Delaney . Stephen Griffin had to make the difficult phone call to Michael Griffin's 28-year-old daughter in Tennessee. 'It’s a tragedy,' said Stephen Griffin, 47. 'I’m still in shock.' Neighbors said the Griffin family was a quiet, police presence in the community. 'It has to rip his heart right out of his chest... it's sad,' neighbor Jim Delaney remarked to Fox. After the incident, James Griffin was treated for an undisclosed condition. So far, no one has been charged. This is the second time in as many months a father has accidentally killed his son. Connecticut teen Tyler Giuliano was shot and killed by his father Jeffrey in another case of mistaken identity. | James Griffin, 77, was a homicide detective for 42 years . |
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