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249,882 | cf6681001490f152e26481d893b1e8120e08e46a | A jam maker in a rural Romanian village is charging £300 a jar for her produce after Prince Charles gave it the royal seal of approval on a recent visit. Gerda Gerghiceanu, 63, lives in Viscri, where Charles owns a 18th Century Saxon home. After impressing the the heir to the throne, who accepted a free jar, she has upped the price because of a huge increase in demand for her preserve. Gerda Gerghiceanu, from the Romanian village of Viscri where Prince Charles owns a home, is selling jars for £300 after Prince Charles gave her produce the royal seal of approval . Jam fit for a King: Prince Charles accepted a free jar from his neighbour Mrs Gerghiceanu, 63 . The heir to the throne owns two properties in Romania and has a keen interest in the history of Transylvania . Mrs Gerghiceanu was even invited to the Romanian Cultural Institute in London to put on a dinner at a Transylvania festival attended by the Prince. She said: 'People have accused me of cashing in on the fact that Prince Charles tried some of my jam and liked it, and accepted a free jar, but in fact people are investing in the future when they buy my jam. Every time I sell a jar, I pay a local woodsman to plant five oaks in the local forest. 'I use only organic ingredients in my jam, because I don't know any other way. And I even cook the fruit organically because I use a wood stove fire from the local forest, and then fund the planting of replacement trees.' Known locally as Mama Gerda, Mrs Gerghiceanu says her special recipe has been handed down through her family for generations and is made of only natural ingredients. 'I include rose hips, strawberries and mirabelle plums, with everything being prepared on a reed bed. Something like this is worth investing time in,' she said. 'The jars that the jam is sold in are handmade by local glassblower, and the jars complete with contents are then stored in a specially made casket again made from locally produced oak trees.' Prince Charles' interest in Romania was sparked by his first visit to the country in 1998 and he has visited regularly since . After impressing the the heir to the throne with her jam, Mrs Gherghiceanu has upped the price because of a huge increase in demand for her preserve . Mrs Gerghiceanu was even invited to the Romanian Cultural Institute in London to put on a dinner at a Transylvania festival attended by the Prince, pictured meeting locals at a market . As well as the expensive 800g jam jars, Mrs Gherghiceanu and her husband Nicu also sell more reasonably priced homegrown fruit and vegetables, as well as poultry, pork and lamb. Prince Charles' last visit to Viscri came in May, when he met with Count Kalnoky Tibor, a descendent of Hungarian noblemen, when he was not sampling the jam. The heir to the throne owns two properties in Romania and has a keen interest in the history of Transylvania. The Prince said: 'Ever since I first visited Romania in 1998, I have been doing my utmost to ensure a sustainable future for the Saxon villages of Transylvania and their people.' Prince Charles' interest in Romania was sparked by his first visit to the country in 1998 and he has visited regularly since. He was said to be 'totally overwhelmed by its unique beauty and its extraordinarily rich heritage' after the visit. The Prince has a keen interest in the history of the area and was particularly moved by the plight of Saxon villages in Transylvania, which were built centuries ago by German settlers who were encouraged to go there to help withstand Tartar and Turkish invasions. Many of these settlements are now in decline because of mass migration to other parts of Europe, including Britain. Prince Charles owns both an 18th century Saxon house in Viscri (left) and a farmhouse in the village of Zalánpatak . Because of this, in 2006, he decided to buy and restore an 18th century Saxon house in Viscri, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Blue House, which he bought for £12,000, has blue limewash on the facade, against which are set olive-green shutters. Inside, the courtyard, partly cobbled, is planted with vegetables. A vine grows beneath the eaves. The furniture consists of old-fashioned painted chests and time-worn wooden benches. There are only three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen. He also bought a secluded farmhouse in the village of Zalánpatak, just yards from a forest, in 2010. The main cabin, heated by log fires and traditional ceramic stoves, has only three rooms. All the furniture - carved wooden beds, 19th-century chairs, an old oil lamp suspended from the ceiling, and an ancient radio - were restored by hand. Source: The Duchy of Cornwall. | Prince Charles accepted a free jar of Romanian Gerda Gerghiceanu's jam .
The 63-year-old is now selling her produce at £300 a jar after huge demand .
She was even invited to put on a Romanian dinner at an event in London .
Prince Charles owns a home in the same village as Mrs Gerghiceanu . |
109,567 | 193c017c17329258419166721930685920a015ab | 500 women are being trained and will help the Syrian National Defence force with security tasks . Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has recruited an army of women to guard checkpoints and carry out security checks in an attempt to plug the holes left by defections and casualties in his dwindling army. Up to 500 women have been drafted into the new paramilitary force known as the 'Lionesses for National Defence.' They have been in trained at a boot camp in Wadi al-Dahab in the Syrian city of Homs. They form part of the recently formed 10,000-strong National Defence Force (NDF), a key part of Assad's counter insurgency strategy, as the president desperately tries to regain control of the country's towns and cities. Decked out in army fatigues and armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, the women have also been seen guarding areas of Homs where the majority of locals are known to support the government's regime. Part of their role is to carry out security checks on veiled women. A grainy video uploaded four days ago to LiveLeak.com clearly shows at least ten women guarding a checkpoint in Palmyra, Homs. Abu Rami, a spokesman for the Syrian Revolution General Commission in Homs told The Independent: 'I was very surprised, it's the first time I have seen this. 'I think it is an excuse to make the Free Syrian Army kill women and then show the world as propaganda, but anyone with a weapon is a legitimate target.' One Homs resident told Al Arabiya: The sight of these girls is disturbing. A Syrian National Defence force woman who has just finished training, holds a rifle at the training centre in Wadi al-Dahab in the Syrian city of Homs on Monday . Decked out in army fatigues and armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, female soldiers have also been seen guarding areas of Homs where the majority of locals are known to support the government's regime . The women have become part of a new paramilitary force known as the 'Lionesses for National Defence' Syrian National Defence forces who just finished training, stand to attention at their training centre in Wadi al-Dahab . Girls guarding Gadaffi . The Amazonian Guard was the name given by Western journalists to an all-female elite troop of bodyguards responsible for protecting the former leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi. The group was formed in the early 1980s. Gaddafi reportedly employed female soldiers because he believed that an Arab gunman would have difficulty firing at women. Others believe it was just another aspect of the dictator's eccentricity and his fondness for young women. He would usually travel with 15 of his Amazonian Guards assigned to security or housekeeping. Prior to Gadaffi's death, reports emerged of him and other senior military commanders raping and sexually abusing the women. There were also reports that the women were forced to execute rebels or be killed themselves . 'They look like predators and treat every woman that passes by as if she’s a slave or a Jew in the concentration camp.” He . said he saw one female soldier push an elderly lady in the area of . Dawar Al-Muaslat in central Homs after forcing her to take off her . headscarf. It comes as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov . said today that there could be no peaceful resolution of the conflict . in Syria as long as opponents of President Bashar al-Assad demand his . exit from power and refuse to negotiate with his government. Lavrov's . comments at an annual news conference signalled no shift in the . position of Russia, which says Assad's exit must not be a precondition . for a deal to end 22 months of violence in which more than 60,000 people . have been killed. 'Everything . runs up against the opposition members' obsession with the idea of the . overthrow of the Assad regime. As long as this irreconcilable position . remains in force, nothing good will happen, armed action will continue, . people will die,' Lavrov said. Russia . has been Assad's most powerful foreign protector during the violence . that started with a crackdown on protests but has escalated into civil . war, vetoing three U.N. Security Council resolution aimed to push him . out or pressure him to end bloodshed. Russia . flew 77 of its citizens fleeing the Syrian violence to Moscow via . Lebanon on Wednesday but Lavrov said the situation in Syria did not . require a mass evacuation of Russian citizens. Speaking . of large-scale naval exercises Russia is holding in the Black Sea and . in the Mediterranean Sea, not far from Syria, Lavrov said the naval . presence was a positive factor. 'Of . course we have no interest in the Mediterranean region becoming even . more destabilised. And the presence of our fleet there is undoubtedly a . stabilising factor,' Lavrov said. The female soldiers, seen here parading at their training centre in Wadi al-Dahab, are expected to plug the holes left by defections and casualties in Assad's dwindling army . Syrian female soldier checks documents of a taxi driver in Wadi al-Dahab in the Syrian city of Homs . She then inspects the boot space of the taxi before letting the driver continue his journey . Syrian female soldiers preparing to guard checkpoints and carry out security tasks . VIDEO FEMALE SOLDIERS GUARDING A CHECKPOINT IN PALMYRA, HOMS . | Up to 500 women trained as soldiers for Assad's army .
They are decked out in army fatigues and armed with Kalashnikovs .
Critics say it is a propaganda tactic so rebels will be forced to kill women . |
188,890 | 80a5d07f46eaa7dc27f38c4a74fc67f905f399c1 | Andy Murray has avoided clear favourite Novak Djokovic in the group stages for next week’s season-end finale at London’s O2 Arena. The 27 year-old Scot, promoted to world No 6 in Monday's new rankings, was instead put in a group with Roger Federer, Kei Nishikori and big-hitting Canadian Milos Raonic for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Anyone would have wanted to be kept away from Djokovic on last week’s form in Paris, where he won every match in straight sets en route to the title, and Murray is certainly no different having now lost to him on seven of their previous eight meetings. VIDEO Scroll down to see the moment Andy secured his place in the ATP World Tour Finals . Andy Murray will be part of the eight-man field at the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London . Novak Djokovic . Stan Wawrinka . Tomas Berdych . Marin Cilic . Roger Federer . Kei Nishikori . Andy Murray . Milos Raonic . With the season’s eight top players on show – minus Rafael Nadal, who is having appendix surgery – neither group was ever going to be much easier than the other but Djokovic is certainly the man to beat, and will probably have to be overcome by whoever wants to win a week on Sunday. While it may be good to avoid Djokovic early on, things were partly evened up by the presence in Group A alongside him of world No 4 Stan Wawrinka, who is the one player to have seriously fallen out of form since the US Open in September. The Swiss, who also has half an eye on the Davis Cup final versus France that follows the O2 event, has gone 2-4 in that time and is struggling to rediscover the momentum that carried him to the Australian Open final in January. Not that Federer, who heads Murray’s Group B, is any pushover and he has a record of 14-1 since Flushing Meadows, his only loss being to Raonic in the Paris Masters quarter-finals last Friday. Murray (left) lost to Roger Federer in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this year . Novak Djokovic (right) lifts the trophy after winning the Paris Masters on Sunday as David Luiz looks on . The Canadian had been struggling before the last Masters event of the year, but reached the final in the French capital and has a record of 12-5 since New York. He and Nishikori were the last two players to qualify, with the Japanese – the first Asian-born player to make the year-end finals – getting them both across the line late on Friday night when he knocked out the final contender David Ferrer, who will be the on-site alternate along with fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. While Murray has a good record in general against tall big servers he is 1-3 versus Raonic but 3-0 against Nishikori. His longer standing record against Federer stands at 11-11. After winning three ATP titles in six weeks Murray ought to be feeling relatively confident. Regardless of the draw, the man to beat, clearly, is Djokovic, who seems to have been inspired by the recent birth of his son Stefan. Two players from each group go through to the semi-finals with the winners of the two pools playing the second-placed individual from the opposite side. Djokovic (left) is defending champion after beating Spaniard Rafael Nadal in last year's final at the O2 Arena . VIDEO I saved my best till last - Djokovic . | Andy Murray has been drawn in Group B along with Roger Federer .
Murray will also take on Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic at the O2 Arena .
Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic in Group A .
The season-ending showpiece begins in London on Sunday . |
162,024 | 5d7d629ccbebb6fdc2f0bf6bb577ae7ae4a5d259 | By . Gerri Peev . PUBLISHED: . 10:24 EST, 13 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:59 EST, 14 April 2012 . Ken Livingstone was accused by his own party of crying 'crocodile tears' after it emerged that a political broadcast that made him weep used paid 'supporters’ reading from a script. The Labour mayoral candidate wept at a screening of his advert featuring 28 unnamed Londoners spelling out why the capital needed Mr Livingstone back in charge. He had described the saccharine production as a 'real tearjerker'. Labour leader Ed Miliband even patted his shoulder to console the former mayor as he rubbed his eyes during the screening on Wednesday. Scroll down for video . Red-eyed: Ken Livingstone, Labour's London mayoral candidate, cried during a screening of his own mayoral promotional video on Tuesday but admitted they were paid and read from a script he had already seen . On camera: One of Ken's 'supporters' who brought tears to his eyes but it was revealed they read from scripts . Ken's army: The election broadcast featured Londoners who said they were behind the mayoral candidate . In reality, Mr Livingstone had seen . the film the night before, raising questions about why he was apparently . caught off-guard. Last night Labour admitted that the 'ordinary . Londoners' had actually been reading from a script. They were also paid expenses for their time after the advertising agency BETC hired people from the street. It is also believed one of the . 'actors’ is a paid-up member of the Labour Party. The advertisement was . created by film-maker Johnny Maginn of Mustard Films. At the beginning of the broadcast, Mr . Livingstone sits behind a desk and says: 'We’ve all seen party . political broadcasts before but this one’s a bit different. 'It’s a political broadcast on behalf of ordinary Londoners.’ While political parties regularly use . scripts for their advertisements, Labour supporters rebuked Mr . Livingstone for apparently pretending to cry. Shedding tears: Mr Livingstone rubs his eyes as party leader Ed Miliband looks on. Mr Miliband was seen patting the 66-year-old's back after he welled up . Overwhelmed: The Labour candidate for Mayor of London applauds with tears in his eyes as he views his own promotional video . The grassroots website Labour Uncut . concluded that either Mr Livingstone's tears were fake or 'he was moved . to tears listening to sweet words of flattery that he had practically . written himself'. Labour Uncut's associate editor, Atul . Hatwal, added: 'Whether it's tax avoidance, relations with the Jewish . community or crocodile tears, this election has virtually become a . referendum on Ken Livingstone. 'There's no space in the debate for policies or issues, just the one, overweening flawed personality.' The 'ordinary Londoners' were paid expenses for their time after the advertising agency BETC hired them . 'Come on Ken': The film shows a montage of people - none are named - urging Mr Livingstone to win . Labour supporter or actor?: Labour bloggers suggested that everyone in the film was in fact acting . Down in the mouth: Mr Livingstone, right, is joined on stage by an equally gloomy-looking Ed Miliband, and this latest gaffe could further damage his election campaign . A spokesman for Mr Livingstone said . those appearing in the 'party political broadcast are ordinary Londoners . who are backing Ken on May 3'. He added: 'No actors were used in the broadcast.' The campaign team confirmed that those who took part were recruited by the advertising agency and paid expenses. The 66-year-old's bid to win back the . London mayoralty from Tory Boris Johnson has so far been buffeted by . controversy. Mr Livingstone was plunged into a race row after saying . 'rich Jews' would not vote for him. The former MP was also damaged by . revelations that he paid himself through a limited company, potentially . reducing the tax on his income. Research for Taxation Magazine by . experts TolleyGuidance suggested Mr Livingstone paid nearly £78,000 less . tax during the three years to June 2011 by putting his income through a . private firm. | He is forced to admit that Labour activists were paid expenses to star in his own party political broadcast .
Mr Livingstone is already trailing Boris Johnson in the race for City Hall because of his alleged tax affairs . |
135,682 | 3b8d5712029f4c2dcf75fba54347551d20239bc7 | By . Eleanor Gower . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 16 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:50 EST, 16 January 2014 . He spent years appearing in patchy romantic comedies such as critically panned Fools Gold, How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days and Failure To Launch. But Matthew McConaughey celebrated a remarkable career turnaround on Thursday with his first Oscar nomination. The 44-year-old Texan-born star received a Best Actor nod for his powerful performance as AIDS campaigner Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyer's Club. Scroll down for video... The race is on: Matthew McConaughey, pictured at Sunday's Golden Globes, is up against four-time-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio after receiving a Best Actor Oscar nomination on Thursday . McConaughey shed 50lbs to play Ron . Woodroof in the film, based on the real-life tale of an AIDS patient who . began smuggling unapproved pharmaceutical drugs into Texas when he . found them effective at improving his symptoms. 'I’ve got a pretty full tank . of energy when it comes to what we did in this film,' he told The Hollywood Reporter in the wake of his nomination. 'I’ve got a lot of . stories to share. It excites me to share the . story each time I talk about it. There’s always a fresh subject. It . means something different to everyone.' His chances of scooping the big prize increased tenfold when he beat acting legends Tom Hanks and Robert Redford to win the Golden Globe for Best Actor In A Motion Picture, Drama on Sunday. In . the running: The five Best Actor nominees for the 86th Academy Awards . were announced by Chris Hemsworth and Academy President Cheryl Boone . Isaacs in Los Angeles on Thursday . Globe triumph: McConaughey gave an entertaining speech after winning his Globe . Role of a lifetime: McConaughey has received a slew of nominations during awards season for his role as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyer's Club . Now, many commentators believe he can beat four-time Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio to the prize at the prestigious ceremony on March 2. DiCaprio was first nominated back in 1994 in the Supporting Actor Category for What's Eating Gilbert Grape before receiving Best Actor nods for The Aviator in 2005 and in 2007 for Blood Diamond. Having scooped the Golden Globe for Best Actor in the comedy category on Sunday, DiCaprio will certainly provide stiff competition for McConaughey for his critically acclaimed role in Martin Scorsese film The Wolf Of Wall Street where he plays banker Jordan Belfort. Fourth time lucky? DiCaprio has been nominated for his role as banker Jordan Belfort in The Wolf Of Wall Street . Star turn: Christian Bale's performance as a 1970s con artist in American Hustle won his his second Oscar nomination . DiCaprio and McConaughey are up against Christian Bale for his role as 1970s con artist Irving Rosenfeld in American Hustle and Chiwetel Ejiofor as a free man sold into Slavery in 12 Years A Slave. Veteran actor Bruce Dern, 77, rounds off the Best Actor contenders for his part as eccentric father Woody Grant in Alexander Payne's road trip film Nebraska. As a first time nominee, McConaughey would normally be considered something of an outsider at the Oscars, but his Golden Globe win and Screen Actor's Guild nomination may give him the edge over DiCaprio who has not been recognised this year at the SAGs. Contenders: Bruce Dern and Chiwetel Ejiofor are nominated for Nebraska and 12 Years A Slave . Acclaim: Chiwetel was nominated alongside his 12 Years A Slave co-star Lupita Nyong'o, who will compete in the Best Supporting Actress category . Long career: Veteran actor Bruce Dern, 77, rounds off the Best Actor contenders for his role as eccentric father Woody Grant in Alexander Payne's road trip film Nebraska . In an interview with GQ . last year, McConaughey revealed he decided to make a change in his career around the time of his 2009 . film The Ghost Of Girlfriends Past - a critically panned rom com based loosely on a Christmas Carol. He . described the perception of him at that time as 'Outdoors, shirtless on . the beach, does a lot of rom-coms, girlfriend loves him, good-looking. It's like he rolls out of bed and shows up and makes it look easy.' Although he 'enjoyed himself' doing the rom coms, the Magic Mike star felt the need to 'shake . things up' in his acting career. He wanted, he said, to enjoy watching . his movies as much as he enjoyed making them. 'I wanted new . experiences,' he admitted. Cue . a two year acting hiatus which saw McConaughey go 'into the shadows,' concentrate on his personal life and children with wife Camila Alves and wait . for projects which would 'evolve' him as an actor. Panned: McConaughey appeared alongside Kate Hudson in rom com Fools Gold back in 2008 . Failure To Launch: The actor appeared alongside Sarah Jessica Parker in the 2006 flop . He returned in 2011 thriller The Lincoln Lawyer, a much darker film based on the crime novel of the same name. Male stripper film film Magic Mike was next, where McConaughey . would show off his famous six pack, and 2013 coming-of-age-drama film Mud . where he played a fugitive drifter. Then came Dallas Buyer's Club, a low budget movie which McConaughey had been pushing to make for a while. The rest is now history. 'I'm . in the clay in my career,' he told GQ. 'I'm turned on. I'm interested . in things. I saw Dallas Buyers Club. I liked it. I liked that guy. I . didn't catch you acting, McConaughey. I forgot that was you, . McConaughey.' Reassess: The star said he decided to make a change in his acting career after The Ghost Of Girlfriends past where he appeared alongside Jennifer Garner . Best Picture . 12 Years A Slave . American Hustle . Captain Philips . Gravity . Dallas Buyers Club . Her . Nebraska . The Wolf Of Wall Street . Philomena . Best Actor In A Leading Role . Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave . Christian Bale, American Hustle . Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf Of Wall Street . Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club . Bruce Dern, Nebraska Best Actor In A Supporting Role . Michael Fassbender, 12 Years A Slave . Bradley Cooper, American Hustle . Jonah Hill, The Wolf Of Wall Street . Jared Leto, The Dallas Buyers' Club . Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips . Best Actress In A Leading Role . Sandra Bullock, Gravity . Amy Adams, American Hustle . Judi Dench, Philomena . Meryl Streep, August: Osage County . Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine . Best Actress In A Supporting Role . Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave . Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle . Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine . Julia Roberts, August: Osage County . June Squibb, Nebraska . Best Director . Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity . Steve McQueen, 12 Years A Slave . David O. Russell, American Hustle . Martin Scorsese, The Wolf Of Wall Street . Alexander Payne, Nebraska . Best Original Screenplay . Dallas Buyers Club . American Hustle . Blue Jasmine . Nebraska . Her . Best Original Score . Gravity . Philomena . Her . Saving Mr. Banks . The Book Thief . Best Documentary Feature . The Act Of Killing . Cutie And The Boxer . Dirty Wars . The Square . 20 Feet From Stardom . Best Documentary Short Subject . Cavedigger . Facing Fear . Karama Has No Walls . The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life . Prison Terminal: The Last Days Of Private Jack Hall . Best Film Editing . Gravity . American Hustle . 12 Years A Slave . Captain Philips . Dallas Buyers Club Best Production Design . Gravity . 12 Years A Slave . American Hustle . Her . The Great Gatsby Best Costume Design . American Hustle . 12 Years A Slave . The Grandmaster . The Great Gatsby . The Invisible Woman . Best Make-up and Hairstyling . Dallas Buyers Club . Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa . The Lone Ranger . Best Sound Editing . Gravity . Captain Philips . All Is Lost . Lone Survivor . The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug . Best Sound Mixing . Captain Phillips . Gravity . The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug . Inside Llewyn Davis . Lone Survivor . Best Visual Effects . The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug . Iron Man 3 . Star Trek Into Darkness . The Lone Ranger . Gravity . Best Foreign Language Film . The Great Beauty . Broken Circle Breakdown . The Hunt . The Missing Picture . Omar . Best Animated Feature . Despicable Me 2 . The Croods . Frozen . The Wind Rises . Ernest & Celestine . Best Animated Short Film . Feral . Get A Horse! Mr. Hublot . Possessions . Room On The Broom . Best Live Action Short Film . Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me) Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) The Voorman Problem . Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have To Take Care Of Everything?) Best Adapted Screenplay . 12 Years A Slave . Captain Philips . Philomena . Before Midnight . The Wolf Of Wall Street . Best Cinematography . Gravity, Emmanuel Lubezki . The Grandmaster, Philippe Le Sourd . Nebraska, Phedon Papamichael . Inside Llewyn Davis, Bruno Delbonnel . Prisoners, Roger A. Deakins . Best Original Song . Alone Yet Not Alone from Alone Yet Not Alone . Happy from Despicable Me . Let It Go from Frozen . The Moon Song from Her . Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom . | Christian Bale an outside favourite for American Hustle .
Bruce Dern and Chiwetel Ejiofor round up the Best Actor category for Nebraska and 12 Years A Slave respectively . |
208,333 | 99b6aa1e04d27e5df57f82a3c2eedae3df9de194 | Michael Sam, an All-American defensive lineman from the University of Missouri, publicly revealed that he's gay Sunday, creating the possibility he'll be the first openly gay player drafted by the National Football League. "I came to tell the world I'm an openly proud gay man," he said in an interview with ESPN. He said he told his Missouri teammates in August and suffered no repercussions. He said he was surprised to discover many people in the media already knew he was gay. "I understand how big this is," Sam said in the ESPN interview. "It's a big deal. No one has done this before. And it's kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL." Sam also spoke about his sexual orientation Sunday to The New York Times, saying: "I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it. I just want to own my truth." Sam, at 6-foot-2 and 260 pounds, starred in college football last season. Besides being first team All-American, he was named the top defensive player in the Southeastern Conference, considered the nation's best league. Teammates named him the team's most valuable player. With those credentials, he's expected to be picked in the NFL draft in May. The Bleacher Report mock draft projected him to go in the late rounds because "athletic limitations including a lack of flexibility and a lack of optimal size are concerning." His agent said Monday that he does not think Sam's decision to acknowledge his sexual orientation will hurt his draft prospects. "I think, if anything, teams will look at it and see a guy who was honest and upfront instead of waiting until after the draft to potentially make his announcement," Joe Barkett told CNN. "Mike was forward, and he wants the team who drafts him to accept him for who he is." The NFL issued a statement on Twitter on Sunday: "We admire Michael Sam's honesty and courage. Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014." However, the NFL has made headlines on the issue of sexual orientation in the past. Last year, a University of Colorado player said an NFL team asked him if he liked girls and had a girlfriend. The NFL quickly said, "Any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline." Sam issued his own Tweet: "I want to thank everybody for their support and encouragement, especially @espn, @nytimes and @nfl. I am proud to tell my story to the world!" Sam's announcement comes as the federal government expands its recognition of same-sex marriages. Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department will issue a memo Monday that extends the federal government's recognition of same-sex marriages, even in the 34 states that don't consider it legal. Other athletes have come out as gay, but they didn't have Sam's profile. GLAAD, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy group, said Sam is "the latest high-profile athlete to come out as LGBT. Others include the NBA's Jason Collins, the WNBA's Brittney Griner, WWE's Darren Young, UFC's Liz Carmouche, MMA's Fallon Fox and Major League Soccer's Robbie Rogers." Of those athletes, Collins made the biggest media splash. He's not playing in the NBA this season. Praise poured in for Sam, who overcame a rough childhood in which one of his brothers was killed and others ended up in prison. Sam's head football coach at Missouri, Gary Pinkel, said: "We're really happy for Michael that he's made the decision to announce this, and we're proud of him and how he represents Mizzou. Michael is a great example of just how important it is to be respectful of others, he's taught a lot of people here first-hand that it doesn't matter what your background is, or your personal orientation, we're all on the same team and we all support each other." GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said in a prepared statement: "By rewriting the script for countless young athletes, Michael has demonstrated the leadership that, along with his impressive skills on the field, makes him a natural fit for the NFL. With acceptance of LGBT people rising across our coasts -- in our schools, churches, and workplaces -- it's clear that America is ready for an openly gay football star." | His agent says Sam's revelation will not hurt his draft prospects .
Michael Sam was an All-American lineman at the University of Missouri .
With his skills, he could be drafted by the NFL in May .
He'd be the first openly gay draftee in pro football . |
139,112 | 3fe692cddfd33a35cae169a05ed650b5b4d27998 | By . Associated Press . Arizona rookie John Brown caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Palmer with 2:25 to play to lift the Cardinals to an 18-17 win over the San Diego Chargers on Monday. In the night's other game, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Lions to a 35-14 victory over the New York Giants at Ford Field. Arizona had a big advantage in yards in the first two quarters but led only 6-3 through two field goals by rookie kicker Chandler Catanzaro. Decisive: John Brown scored a late touchdown to help Arizona Cardinals beat San Diego Chargers . San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers went 6 for 6 for 82 yards on a drive to open the second half and his six-yard pass to Malcom Floyd for the touchdown put the Chargers ahead 10-6. Jerry Attaochu blocked a punt to help set up that score, and later forced a fumble by Palmer which led to Ryan Mathews running 20 yards for a TD that put San Diego up 17-6. The Cardinals finally got a touchdown on a 10-play, 64-yard drive. Palmer scrambled and then tossed five yards to Stepfan Taylor to cut the lead to 17-12 with 12:30 to play. The two-point conversion try failed. After the ensuing kickoff, the Chargers appeared to be headed for at least a field goal, but a snap bounced off Rivers, and by the time he fell on the ball, San Diego was out of field-goal range. Streaking clear: Ryan Mathews scored a touchdown as San Diego build a 17-6 lead in Glendale . Comeback: Stepfan Taylor's touchdown got Arizona back into the game before they won it late on . The Cardinals took the punt at their 9-yard line with 6:50 to go and mounted the long scoring march that led to the winning score. The 11-play, 91-yard drive culminated with Palmer making a short lateral pass to Brown, who eluded tacklers and made it to the end zone. In Detroit, quarterback Stafford improvised brilliantly on two early touchdown passes to Calvin Johnson, leading the Lions to a comfortable win over the Giants in Jim Caldwell's first game as coach. Stafford also ran for a TD for Detroit, which intercepted Giants quarterback Eli Manning twice. It was a bright start for Detroit, which collapsed late last year and missed the playoffs, prompting the firing of coach Jim Schwartz. Playmaker: Calvin Johnson caught two touchdown passes as Detroit smashed the New York Giants . Eye catching: The Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders perform at the University of Phoenix Stadium . Stafford went 22 of 32 for 346 yards while Johnson had seven catches for 164 yards. Manning was 18 of 33 for 163 yards and a touchdown for the Giants, who started 0-6 last season and have started 2014 in similarly uncompetitive style. Stafford scrambled to his right and threw deep to Johnson on the game's first drive as New York's defensive backs collided, allowing the Lions' star receiver to jog into the end zone for a 67-yard touchdown. Later in the first, Stafford scrambled to his left, and then threw back to his right. Johnson made a diving catch in the back of the end zone for a 16-yard TD and the Lions were in control from then on. Â . | Monday results: New York Giants 14-35 Detroit, San Diego 17-18 Arizona .
Arizona come from 17-6 behind to beat San Diego Chargers 18-17 .
John Brown catches decisive touchdown pass with 2:25 to play .
Matthew Stafford led Lions to 35-14 win over New York Giants in Detroit . |
65,513 | ba039384771540a3ec861d29009cb686a8d50e35 | By . David Wilkes . PUBLISHED: . 09:10 EST, 24 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:00 EST, 24 October 2013 . They say an Englishman’s home is his castle – but billionaire businessman John Caudwell seems more intent on building an urban palace. For the mobile phone tycoon plans to turn two mansions in one of the most upmarket parts of London into a single dwelling the size of Westminster Cathedral. An ‘iceberg’ extension will be created by excavating beneath the existing properties to make space for a vast games room, swimming pool, sauna, kitchen, salon, media room, plant room and car park. Extension: John Caudwell wants to link the town house (left) to his mansion (right) via a 14,000 square foot subterranean extension . Mayfair mansion: John Caudwell's plans for a £250million mega home which will be created by linking his two existing central properties with a 14,000 square foot underground extension . Redevelopment: A cross section of the smaller Mayfair property with the new basement kitchen underneath marked up in the plans submitted to the council . It will be about 180ft long, stretching under each house and joining them beneath their gardens, which back on to each other in Mayfair. The result will be a massive single property of some 50,000 sq ft – a normal town house is about 4,500 to 8,000 sq ft, while other mansions in Mayfair are from 10,000 sq ft. The ‘iceberg’ extension alone will cover 14,000 sq ft. Once complete, the mega-mansion will have 12 bedrooms – there are five in each house already and the plans include two more in the underground extension. With property prices for super-prime homes in Mayfair at around £5,000 per sq ft, the finished home could be worth £250million. Mr Caudwell, 61, who is worth £1.5billion, bought the two properties last year for a total of £81 million and has submitted his plans to Westminster Council. The bigger of the two houses, built in 1877, is Grade II listed. At 22,000 sq ft, it has marble floors and a ballroom thought to be the largest of its type outside the Crown Estate. Super home: John Caudwell wants to link these two properties he owns in Mayfair with an underground extension which is not visible in this image submitted to Westminster Council . Extension: The new lower ground floor will feature a games room, kitchen, pool, sauna, changing room, media room, plant room and a car lift . In the 1960s it was a members club and, according to its history, was frequented by ‘dubious gangland characters’, footballers and celebrities. It was bought by Prince Jefri, brother of the Sultan of Brunei, in 1992 for a reported £18million. He spent millions decorating it and sold it to an investment group a decade later. Mr Caudwell grew up in a working-class background in Stoke-on-Trent and was a second-hand car dealer before forming Phones4u, which he sold in 2006 for £1.5billion. He is thought to be Britain’s highest income-tax payer, personally contributing more than £200million over the past five years. Super home: These photos sent to the council show a fireplace in a ground floor room in the property (left) and an oak-panelled entrance hall with a stone floor (right) Interior: A staircase and doorway in one of the two properties that are being knocked together (left). Billionaire John Caudwell who founded Phones 4u is planning the remarkable extension to his two central London homes . Yesterday a statement on behalf of Mr Caudwell said: ‘The new works are intended to reinstate its quality and make it a fitting Mayfair house. ‘The application... makes significant efforts to correct poor alterations and to reinstate elements of heritable significance. Mr Caudwell is also seeking minor alterations to the roof and the construction of an orangery.’ Iceberg homes, a trend among the super-rich, involve digging down below ground to create more space than traditional extensions. But they are controversial because of the inconvenience they can cause to neighbours during the building work. Mr Caudwell, who is divorced and lives with long-term partner Claire Johnson, may have a battle to get his plans approved. The annual number of iceberg extension applications in Westminster has more than doubled from 79 in 2008/09 to 181 in 2011/12 and local government chiefs are threatening a crackdown. Robert Davis, Conservative deputy leader of Westminster council, said recently: ‘It is about restricting developments akin to the decks of a nuclear submarine that are too large and cause real disruption for our residents.’ But leading Mayfair estate agent Peter Wetherell said: ‘It’s wonderful news that one of the biggest investors in Mayfair is British and the plans should be applauded. Some complain about iceberg homes because of the amount of work involved but there is also a lot of work when building new homes. ‘It is catching up with modern-day living and they are going to be restoring one of Mayfair’s finest homes.’ Billionaire: John Caudwell, 61, who sold his Phones4u business for £1.5billion in 2006, with his partner Clare Johnson . Another home: A Staffordshire mansion that Britain's biggest income tax payer John Caudwell owns alongside two Mayfair properties he is hoping to turn into one . Wealth: John Caudwell, 61, with his Bentley. The philanthropist started out as a used car salesman before founding Phones4U . Phone tycoon: Billionaire John Caudwell pictured in the 1990s with a selection of mobile phones which his company Phones4U had on sale at the time . With prime real estate in London's most upmarket areas in short supply and going for an enormous premium, the capital's billionnarires are increasingly going underground in their bid for a bigger house. The likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Nicole Kidman and Roman Abramovich have all extended underground. In the past the majority of homeowners have extended upwards over fears of causing permanent structural damage. But the trend for so-called 'iceberg homes' is growing. Ten years ago, the number of planning applications for basement extensions in Kensington and Chelsea was just 64. Last year, the number had soared to 307. However, extending underground comes at a premium. In August, multi-millionaire hedge fund manager Reade Griffith was order to pay £800,000 to create a huge two-storey underground basement below his two adjoining Kensington townhouses. He received the unprecedented levy from Kensington and Chelsea Council when he was granted planning permission for the extension, which houses a swimming pool, spa and 'treatment area'. One-off levies are not the only downside to extending underground. Goldman Sachs director Christoph Stanger had to apologise to his furious neighbours in Kensington last summer after his £1million basement excavation — built to fit a playroom, guest room, gym, wine cellar and cinema into his £7 million house — left cracks in neighbours' properties. However, despite the issues, the wealthy continue to dig underground. Estate agents Our Property says: 'The main reason basement conversions are really growing in popularity is because, unlike loft conversions, basements are normally closer to other communal areas and can be more versatile living spaces that suit modern lifestyles, not just extra bedrooms, bathrooms or studies.' | John Caudwell, 61, is planning a 14,000sq ft underground extension to link his two Mayfair mansions .
Billionaire started out as a used car dealer before he created Phones4u which he sold for £1.5bn in 2006 .
His new 'iceberg' mansion will be only slightly smaller than Westminster Cathedral once finished .
Mr Caudwell has submitted a planning application for the mega home to Westminster Council . |
200,950 | 90274ffacc626935f888cfc0918d58b78dafe59d | Supporters staged a mass walkout in the middle of Blackpool’s game against Cardiff on Friday night in a protest against the ownership of their club. Hundreds of fans chose to leave Bloomfield Road in the 53rd minute - the year in which the Seasiders won the FA Cup - to make it patently clear to the Oyston family that they do not have their support. There has long-running feud between the Oystons - comprising of 80-year-old owner Owen and his son, chairman Karl - and the fans. Blackpool fans staged a mass walkout in the 53rd minute of their team's match against Cardiff . Two fans hold up a sign which reads 'thieves' before making their way out of Bloomfield Road . Fans chanted 'we want Oyston out' as many of them left their seats at Bloomfield Road . One angry fan holds up a newspaper which he has fashioned to read 'we are thieves' Owen Oyston (left) was unmoved as the Blackpool fans staged the protest against the club's ownership . The latter argue the heirarchy have a total disregard for their customers and have taken money earned via winning promotion to the Premier League for their own means. The Bloomfield Road faithful also came together to flash the camera lights on the back of their mobile phones midway through the first half as well as releasing a number of black balloons. Blackpool actually took the lead shortly after the protest from their fans as former Stevenage striker Francois Zoko put the home side ahead in the 64th minute. Fans leave Bloomfield Road midway through a first half in which Blackpool took a one-goal lead . Blackpool fans protest against Chairman Karl Oyston ahead of the match against Cardiff City . Several banners could be seen during the game at Bloomfield Road . Home fans also flashed the lights on the back of their mobile phones during the first half . The mass shining of camera phone lights was one of several protests on Friday night . Blackpool security go to investigate a flare set off behind blackpool fans during the first half . | Blackpool fans walk out of Bloomfield Road during Championship clash against Cardiff .
Fans chant 'Oyston out' as they leave ground in 53rd minute .
Mass walkout becomes latest protest against club's ownership . |
27,783 | 4ebb1a318d3248878628a8541bc547818b5b7230 | Ukranian model Valeria Lukyanova, who lives her life as a 'human Barbie' has revealed she doesn't consume food or water anymore. Some have said she uses plastic surgery and Photoshop to create her doll-like image, but her impossibly thin waist could actually be down to not eating for weeks. The model, 23, has said she is now converting to 'Breatharianism' - training herself to live off only light and air. Scroll down for video . Minute! Valeria had indicated that her tiny waist was a genetic gift from mom, saying, 'My mother¿s waist is as narrow as mine - I inherited that from her' 'In recent weeks I have not been . hungry at all; I'm hoping it's the final stage before I can subsist on . air and light alone,' she has said. The model and singer's new vice, . Breatharianism, is a cult that believes food - and possibly water - are not necessary. A breatharian is said to be someone who never . eats or drinks as they can exist on 'cosmic micro-food', according to . the International Business Times. The practice is criticised as potentially . lethal pseudoscience, and several practitioners have reportedly died of . starvation. None have submitted themselves for comprehensive medical . testing. With her pinched waist, skeletal arms, . enormous coloured contact lenses, thick make-up and vacant expression, . Valeria believes she has become a living, breathing Barbie - something . she sees as the ultimate embodiment of perfection. All genes? The model, spiritual teacher and self-professed 'alien' says she has never had plastic surgery, except for a breast augmentation . She . has courted international controversy by turning herself into a human . doll, confessing she wishes to be considered 'the most perfect woman on . the internet'. Based on the photos on her social media accounts, Valeria is sporting an increasingly thin frame. This is not the first time that Valeria declared something unusual. She has said that she is a spiritual teacher and can speak with . aliens through light, she thinks that has the ability to time travel and has had out-of-body experiences. A VICE filmmaker travelled to Ukraine last summer to meet her. Valeria agreed to a documentary which focused on her spiritual and astral . theories, and her views on pre-Earth space. She revealed she . believes she is from another planet - possibly Venus, but she isn't . quite sure - but is adamant she isn't human. Valeria revealed has visited a psychiatrist about the voices in her head. While she says she has become the object of . hatred within some internet communities, away from YouTube and Tumblr, Valeria works in new age opera, while being supported by her construction-working husband who also acts as her manager. Breatharianism, is a cult that believes food - and possibly water - are not necessary . | Valeria Lukyanova, 23, has reportedly got slimmer due to not eating .
Has converted to Breatharianism - someone who never eats or drinks .
Model with doll-like proportions has 994,000 likes on her Facebook page .
Sees being a living Barbie as the ultimate embodiment of perfection .
Other unusual statements include that she can time travel and talk to aliens . |
113,224 | 1e23dd60261be78d29e5a2c4944fc0ad54dc409f | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 04:21 EST, 6 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:23 EST, 6 November 2013 . A mother has told how her painful skin condition left her feeling ‘trapped in a body she hated’. Vanessa Lawrence-French, 42, has had severe psoriasis since she was 18 and says the condition has had a devastating impact on her self-confidence. She says when she has a flare up of the condition she feels so self-conscious she avoids leaving her house. Vanessa Lawrence-French (pictured with her husband, Alan, and sons, Ethan and Damian) was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was 18 and frequently has severe flare ups of the condition . The primary school worker from Harrow on the Hill, in North West London, told MailOnline: ‘Society puts out this image that women have to be perfect, and when you are less than that it's hard.’ Vanessa, who has two children - Damian, eight, and Ethan, seven - was diagnosed with psoriasis when she was 18. “In my 20s and 30s I always blamed broken relationships on my psoriasis. I don’t think guys could come to terms with the fact I wasn’t ‘perfect’!” Indeed, a recent study conducted by Exorex, a . company which produces psoriasis treatments, revealed that a quarter of . people with the condition believe they have been dumped as a result. She believes the condition was triggered by the stress she experienced following the suicide of one of her school friends. When she first developed psoriasis, she had also just recovered from a severe throat infection. When she has a flare up of the condition it makes her so self-conscious that she avoids going out. The flare ups can last for up to three months . She said: 'Society puts out this image that women have to be perfect and when you are less than that it is hard' Even now, flare ups can be triggered by the strep B throat infections she is prone to. Vanessa still gets frequent flare ups of psoriasis - the most recent being last winter - which last for up to three months. She told MailOnline: ‘When I have a real flare up I have to cover up because I become quite self-conscious. ‘It affects my self-confidence and I don’t want to go out. I feel sorry for my children seeing me like that.’ She added: ‘Psoriasis is a horrid skin disease to live with, no matter what your age. ‘It is painful, itchy, can be unsightly and therefore impacts on what you wear, whether you swim, go to the beach, go to a beauty spa - it can really destroy your self-confidence and make you resent your own body.’ Vanessa was diagnosed when she was 18 (pictured) - she believes her first flare up was triggered by the stress she experienced after the suicide of a friend . Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin to develop. These patches are normally found on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back but they can appear anywhere on the body. Psoriasis affects about two per cent of people in the UK but the severity varies significantly - for some people it is just a minor irritation, for others it has a major impact on their quality of life. It is a chronic condition that usually involves periods of few symptoms followed by periods of more severe symptoms. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin to develop. These patches are normally found on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back but they can appear anywhere on the body . Vanessa said: 'It is very itchy but if you scratch the spots then they can bleed and become infected' Vanessa said: ‘It is very itchy but if you scratch the spots then they can bleed and become infected. ‘I try not to scratch in the day but sometimes I scratch in the night and wake up with blood on the sheets.’ She explained that during her last flare up, her skin became so painful she had to give up her hobby of running. She said: ‘I had to stop running completely because my skin was so painful. It was all over my body – my arms, my legs, my stomach, even my face.’ During her last flare up, her skin became so painful she had to give up her hobby of running . She added: ‘My husband, Alan, is very accepting. He is upset when I get upset but he is very good. ‘He comes with me to see the consultants and we agree on the line of medication together.’ She now has to take immunosuppressive drugs to control her psoriasis - the condition is thought to result from the increased production of skin cells which is related to a problem with the immune system. In people with psoriasis the immune system attacks healthy skin cells. She now takes immunosuppressive drugs to control her psoriasis - the condition is thought to result from the increased production of skin cells which is related to a problem with the immune system . The drugs mean that she is more prone to illness and infection. They . can also affect kidney and liver function so Mrs Lawrence-French has to . have a blood test every week to ensure the organs’ function is normal. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin to develop. These patches are normally on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back but they can appear anywhere on the body. Most people only have small patches but in some cases it can be much more severe. The patches can be very itchy and sore. Psoriasis affects about two per cent of people in the UK and it most often develops in adults under the age of 35. It is a chronic condition which usually involves periods with few symptoms followed by periods with more severe symptoms. It occurs when the body produces too many skin cells which results in a build up. It is thought to be caused by a problem with the immune system, it is also thought to have a genetic element. It is not contagious. There is no cure but it can often be treated effectively with creams. Source: NHS Choices . She now works with The Psoriasis Association to offer support to other people with the condition. She said: ‘I didn’t really know much about it when I was diagnosed – I didn’t have any help or guidance. ‘The Psoriasis Association are brilliant. They are a great source of support – I am happy to help them.’ The Exorex poll also found that four in ten people with the condition – which also affects Kim Kardashian and Cara Delevingne - feel their partner has found them unattractive because of their flaky skin. The poll also revealed that 16 per cent of sufferers have avoided going on a date, and 15 per cent will not go on holiday, for fear of having to bare all. One in six sufferers even claim psoriasis has held them back in their job. Miss Delevingne has suggested that she may quit the catwalk as a result of the condition and Kim Kardashian said she also feared her career would be over when she was diagnosed. The condition leaves 40 per cent of sufferers embarrassed, 22 per cent depressed and seven per cent suicidal, the survey of 950 patients found. | Vanessa Lawrence-French was diagnosed with the skin condition at 18 .
She has severe flare ups which last for up to three months .
The condition makes her skin very itchy and sore and has dented her self-confidence - when she has a flare up she avoids going out .
She has to take immunosuppressive drugs for the condition but they leave her vulnerable to infections and could damage her liver or kidneys . |
16,602 | 2f120b4b1dcca8b04e156e2169f37172d610b5b3 | Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- Nigerian authorities arrested 10 people believed to be gay men under a bill signed this week that bans same-sex marriages, a human rights group said. Police detained men in various states and have dozens of pending arrests based on perceived sexual orientation, according to Amnesty International. "Those arrested under this draconian new legislation must be released immediately and the charges against them dropped. Locking someone up for their sexual orientation violates the most basic human rights standards," Makmid Kamara, a researcher for the rights group, said in a statement Wednesday. Nigerian police spokesman Frank Mba angrily suggested no one had been arrested due to the new law. "I challenge Amnesty International to publish details of persons alleged to have been arrested in connection with the new anti-gay law, stating clearly when they were arrested, where they were arrested, the police station or department that carried out the arrest, etc.," Mba told CNN Thursday. "The new anti-gay law is primarily designed to prevent same sex marriages and unions in Nigeria. So far, (to the best of our knowledge) no Nigerian has come out to declare his intention of engaging in such an illicit union. Therefore, the question that naturally arises is: how can the police arrest 'suspects or offenders' not known to them or to the law?" In Bauchi state, Amnesty said an assistant commissioner of police confirmed that authorities had placed "a list of suspected gay people" under surveillance. The group said police arrested the men in Anambra, Enugu, Imo and Oyo states. "Reports that the police in one state are apparently drawing up lists of members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community to target are extremely worrying," Kamara added. Mba took issue with that claim as well. "Who is this assistant commissioner of police? Amnesty International should provide his name and designation. Without providing details of the sources of their stories, third parties like CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity or accuracy of such stories. The anonymity of the story raises a big credibility question. "Bauchi State Police Command alone has a total of seven assistant commissioners of police. There are hundreds of ACPs nationwide. Thus, without properly identifying the ACP in question, I will treat the story as mere fiction." President Goodluck Jonathan signed the bill Monday after parliament passed it last year, despite international pressure against it. It bans same-sex marriages and civil unions, and includes sentences of up to 14 years in prison for gay couples. The bill also forbids the operation of gay clubs, societies or meetings in Nigeria. The punishment for such acts is 10 years in prison. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joined the United Nations in condemning the bill. "This law dangerously restricts freedom of assembly, association and expression for all Nigerians," Kerry said. "People everywhere deserve to live in freedom and equality. No one should face violence or discrimination for who they are or who they love." U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concerns, saying he was alarmed by reports of arrests and torture. He said he fears the bill will lead to violence and discrimination. . Last month, the Ugandan parliament passed controversial legislation that would make some gay acts punishable by life in prison. President Yoweri Museveni has not signed it yet. Homosexuality is illegal in most African nations based on remnants of sodomy laws introduced during the British colonial era. The laws are perpetuated by cultural and religious beliefs. Punishments across the continent range from fines to years in prison. Last year, a Pew Research Center report found African and Muslim nations are the least accepting of homosexuality. Of the 39 countries surveyed, Nigeria was the most intolerant. At least 98% of respondents in the nation said homosexuality is unacceptable. CNN's Vladimir Duthiers reported from Lagos, and Faith Karimi from Atlanta. CNN's Nana Karikari-apau contributed to this report. | NEW: Police spokesman denies arrests, denounces Amnesty report as fiction .
Police also compile a list of people for surveillance .
At least 98% of respondents in the nation say homosexuality is unacceptable .
Homosexuality is illegal in most African nations . |
152,373 | 50ece53c6eed52c2ecd97e049a257b85e2c767db | A water company has replaced an Israeli-built meter in the home of a customer who objected to the 'repression of Palestine'. Caroline and Edmond O'Reilly asked Southern Water to replace the device because the manufacturers, Arad Technologies, are accused of 'profiteering' in the West Bank. The company has now agreed to install a second-hand appliance built by a different manufacturer. Pro-Palestinian campaigners claim the decision paves the thousands of other customers to object to the meters on ethical grounds. Campaign: Protestors in Brighton, including Edmond O'Reilly, pictured on the doorstep, and his wife Carloline, second left, persuaded Southern Water to remove an Israeli-made water meter after objecting to its use on ethical grounds . Mrs O'Reilly, of Brighton, East Sussex, said: 'The letter said they would be round to change my meter this week because of my concerns over its origin. 'I've now got a model that's been refurbished, instead of the new ones they've bought from Arad.' Mrs O'Reilly said her objection was based on the Israeli Government's alleged incursions on to Palestinian land and Arad's connections with the government. She said: 'Since 2000 the Israelis have systematically destroyed the Palestinian water supply infrastructure and Arad supplies the Israeli government. 'Should we turn a blind eye, we collude in supporting a system that is systematically discriminating against people who are powerless against a state that seems to be attempting to drive Palestinians out of Palestine.' Arad Technologies are said to have installed 3,200 water meters in settlement industrial zones in the West Bank. The Israeli company secured a £36 . million contract with Southern Water in February 2010 to provide meters, . meter reading services and data hosting services across Hampshire, . Surrey, Kent and Sussex. Contract: The Israeli company won a £36million contract to provide water meters, pictured, meter reading services and data hosting services for Southern Water across Hampshire, Surrey, Kent and Sussex . It recently announced plans to install 500,000 meters in homes across their region by 2015 in attempt to meet government targets to cut average water use from 148 to 130 litres per person per day by 2030. The cost of installing a meter costs the company up to £200 per house. A spokesman from the Palestine Solidarity Campaign said: 'Southern Water's offer of changing the meter paves the way for thousands of other people to have their meter changed if they wish. 'It costs up to £200 to change a meter. How many people are going to want their Israeli meter out? 'We will be flyering thousands of households across Sussex that are due to have an Arad meter installed as part of Southern Water's metering programme to let them know they don't have to have the Israeli-made device.' Southern Water said this was the first case of its kind since 2010 and that their decision did not reflect a blanket policy. A spokesman for the company said: 'A conclusion should not be drawn that this facility will be offered as an option to all customers. 'Every customer's complaint will be viewed on an individual basis so that appropriate decisions can be made. 'I stress that in three years we have received only about a dozen such requests from nearly 300,000 meter installations and only one request has been agreed. 'In one customer's case we have installed a second-hand conventional meter which was removed from another property in our area which now has the improved Arad meters.' | Caroline and Edmond O'Reilly complained to Southern Water over the meter .
They objected to manufacturer Arad Technologies 'profiteering' in Palestine .
Southern Water agreed to install an appliance made by a different company . |
162,749 | 5e6fb1cd0920643cf92e0f9cb35680c4d319aac0 | Coleraine, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- Two members of Jordan's paralympic team who use wheelchairs and a trainer accused of sexual assault won't be competing in the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The three members of the Jordanian team were arrested after two girls and two women in Northern Ireland filed complaints alleging sexual assault by the men, police said. The three have been released on bail in Northern Ireland after an embassy official promised they would be returned to face sexual assault charges. The two athletes and the trainer, meanwhile, were withdrawn from competition and have returned to Jordan, according to a statement released by the International Paralympic Committee. The Jordanian Paralympic Committee's president and board said it "would be inappropriate" for the athletes to compete in the games, which begin next week. "We have a zero tolerance on any misconduct and will continue to work closely with the Northern Ireland authorities to assist in their investigation. However, our focus is now preparing the remaining members of the team for competition, and we look forward to taking part in what promises to be a truly magnificent sporting event." The men, who were training at a sports complex in Antrim, 35 kilometers (22 miles) northwest of Belfast, are accused of assaulting the women and girls over a four-day period, beginning on August 16, police said. The men have denied the charges. Powerlifter Omar Sami Qaradhi, 31, has been charged with two counts of sexual activity with a child, one count of sexual assault against a woman and one count of voyeurism, according to charges read during a hearing in Coleraine, County Londonderry. Powerlifter Motaz al-Juneidi, 45, was charged with sexual assault against a woman. Trainer Faisal Hammash, 35, was charged with two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. A Jordanian embassy official said during the hearing that King Abdullah had been inquiring about the matter. She promised the men would return to Northern Ireland for future court appearances. A senior Jordanian government official denied reports that the King had personally intervened in the case, although the official said the monarch was "concerned" by the allegations. | NEW: Jordan's Paralympic Committee says it has "zero tolerance on any misconduct"
Two powerlifters who use wheelchairs and a trainer have been released on bail .
The men were in Northern Ireland training ahead of the Paralympic Games . |
185,029 | 7bb00d536a6f223d3e8b8da3cb555d512783e083 | (CNN) -- A five-week strike by a New York City school bus drivers' union is ending, with nearly 9,000 drivers heading back to work next week and some 150,000 students getting their rides to class again. The strike -- the first for school bus drivers in New York City since 1979 -- began after Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in a cost-cutting move, put nearly 1,100 bus routes worked by the union drivers up for bids. Michael Cordiello, president of the drivers' union local, said in a conference call Friday the union decided to end its strike after five current Democratic candidates for New York mayor pledged to "revisit the school bus transportation system" if elected. Drivers, who were demanding job security, will report for work next Wednesday morning, Cordiello said. For his part, Bloomberg said Friday, "I urged the union leaders to end the strike and made clear that the City would not be held hostage ... Tonight, they agreed." N.Y. mayor seeks ban on plastic foam containers . CNN's Rande Iaboni contributed to this report. | The strike was the first by school bus drivers in New York City since 1979 .
Some 150,000 students were affected by the five-week walkout . |
262,741 | e052ed84336af5195af4b893b20562e91c2c1627 | Furious parents have been banned from attending their own children's sports day for fear of causing their offspring stress. Staff at Kenningtons Primary Academy in Aveley, Essex wrote to parents saying the annual sports day would be for 'children only' and that parents should not attend the event. The letter from headteacher Miss Jo Sawtell said: 'Last year, we were not able to accommodate parents as the field was waterlogged and some of the activities took place inside. Parents at Kenningtons Primary School in Aveley, Essex, have been left stunned after they were banned from watching their children at the annual sports day (file picture) 'For lots of children, sports day is a very stressful occasion. This is invariably linked to being watched by a large crowd. 'All decisions are primarily taken with the interests of children at heart.' But Sue Wilkinson, a spokeswoman for the Association for Physical Education, criticised the decision. She said: 'We would like to see parents engage right across the educational spectrum. We would actively encourage parents to be part of their children's education.' Kenningtons Primary Academy. Headteacher Jo Sawtell says the decision has been made with the childrens' best interests at heart . A group of mothers are angry at being barred from the event, with some threatening to ban their children from competing. One mother, who did not wish to be named, said: 'Quite a few of us are upset about it. We are fuming. 'I have got friends who are teachers and they say they are crying out for parents that want to get involved. 'I did not realise wanting to get involved in the sports day would brand us bad parents.' She added: 'I am keeping my children off school that day and I know other mums that are. 'We will recreate their sports day if needs be. 'The letter says sports day is very stressful for children because of the crowds watching. "But they are inviting parents from other schools to see another sports day the next day - even though we are not allowed to our own kids' sports day.' Parents have organised a meeting to discuss the ban. | Request causes fury at Kenningtons Primary Academy in Aveley, Essex .
Head Jo Sawtell says decision taken with 'childrens' interests at heart'
But parents are angry and threatening to ban their offspring from competing . |
117,684 | 23f46681e82cada86750c21e4defce565caf4d1c | Huddled in a wheelchair, wearing just his pyjamas and a thin dressing gown, a filmsy blanket draped over him. Stranded, 'in agony', freezing and longing for a bite to eat. That was how 95-year-old Arthur Wilson was found, 10 hours after he was told he was to be discharged from Warrington Hospital after suffering from pneumonia. The great-grandfather, who was waiting to be taken back to his care home, was found in the 'freezing' discharge lounge, where he had been left all day. His daughters said they are 'outraged' after seeing their elderly father, who had been admitted two weeks earlier, sitting in his pyjamas covered with a single blanket. Arthur Wilson was found by his family 10 hours after he was told he was to be discharged from Warrington Hospital after suffering pneumonia. The 95-year-old was huddled in a wheelchair, wearing just his pyjamas and a thin dressing gown, with a filmsy blanket draped over him . Mr Wilson, who suffers Paget's disease - a painful bone disorder - had not been fed all day and was left 'in agony' from sitting in his wheelchair. His daughter Elaine Naylor, 61, an NHS worker, said: 'I was incensed and didn't realise how ill he looked until I saw the photo. 'The matron of the discharge lounge couldn't apologise enough but somebody should have realised he had been there a long time and organised something else. 'It's just about showing some compassion.' Mr Wilson was left waiting in the discharge lounge due to delays getting medication, which took from 9.40am to 12.20pm last Tuesday. Hospital staff then struggled to locate an ambulance to take the grandfather-of-four back to the Ferndale Care Home in Widnes, Cheshire - just 4.5 miles away. During his 10-hour wait, Mr Wilson, who hadn't eaten since breakfast, was offered a sandwich but refused it because he was on a puréed diet. His daughter Lynda Pennington, 63, said she was 'horrified' when she arrived at the hospital and saw how her father looked. She said: 'On Tuesday morning he was moved to the discharge lounge and he had to wait for his medication before he was able to leave. 'I didn't hear anything so at 3pm I phoned and they assured me he'd be home in the next couple of hours. 'When I phoned about 5.40pm and he was still waiting for an ambulance, I went to the hospital to bring him home myself. 'When I saw him he looked awful. All the windows were open and he was freezing cold so I asked for another blanket. The great-grandfather, pictured with his daughter Lynda Pennington, was waiting to be taken back to his care home when Mrs Pennington found him in the 'freezing' discharge lounge, where he had been left all day . Mrs Pennington and her sister Elaine Naylor, right, are 'outraged' after seeing their elderly father in such a condition. They are also 'disgusted' after discovering a 'do not resuscitate' order had been placed on his notes without his family being consulted . 'He hadn't eaten because he'd only been offered a sandwich and he can't eat that. They obviously hadn't checked his notes. 'I was told that if I wanted to drive him, then I'd have to sign a waiver so I suggested we booked a taxi instead. 'They said we could but argued we couldn't take the hospital wheelchair off the premises. 'I said it was ridiculous because I wasn't about to run off with it. Paget's disease disrupts the normal cycle of bone renewal and repair. It causes bones to weaken and become deformed. Bone pain is the most common symptom of the disease, and it often affects the pelvis or spine. The pain can be aggravated by lying down. The disease is caused by a problem with the process of bone renewal that results in bone being replaced at a faster rate than usual. It leads to enlarged bones that are weak and brittle. 'When the taxi arrived it wasn't one big enough to fit a wheelchair. I wasn't happy because they knew he needed one. 'In the end we had to lift him into the taxi and lift him out again at the other end. 'It took three people to help and my dad was screaming in pain. He'd been sitting down in a wheelchair all day, which he's not supposed to do and that had caused his bones to really ache. 'He was in agony and really distressed.' Mr Wilson, a former printer's assistant, finally arrived back at the care home at 7.45pm - more than 10 hours after he'd been moved to the discharge lounge. Karen Dawber, director of nursing for Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust told MailOnline: 'We take all complaints seriously and are currently investigating the issues that Mr Wilson's family have raised and have already implemented planned changes to our discharge lounge, which has now changed locations to make it more accessible to the main hospital. 'Our matron has spoken with the family and offered our apologies, which I would like to extend. 'I am very disappointed by the level of care Mr Wilson was offered in our discharge lounge. My expectations of compassionate care are quite clear to my nursing staff and in Mr Wilson's case these were not met. 'The member of staff, an NHS Professional, is no longer working for the trust as a result of not meeting our standards of care. A spokesman for Warrington Hospital said the trust is investigating the family's complaint . 'The discharge lounge offers patients the option of a chair or bed to relax and rest in during their stay and in cases of transport being delayed. Mr Wilson was offered the option of a bed, which he declined, preferring to sit in a comfortable arm chair. 'We offer refreshments and snacks to patients waiting in the discharge lounge and we have now taken practical steps to offer hot food to patients who have a longer than expected wait.' Kelly Jackson, head of patient transport service for North West Ambulance Service, said: 'We would like to apologise to the patient and their family for the delay in their transportation. 'We accepted the booking just after 1pm. Unfortunately, we were not advised by the unit of the time the patient would be ready to travel and an afternoon discharge was selected. 'We were also informed that the patient required a double crewed ambulance which caused a further delay in waiting for that type of transport to become available. 'We are sorry to the patient and their family for the distress the delay caused and would encourage the family to contact us further if they wish to do so.' | Arthur Wilson, 95, was left in the discharge lounge at Warrington Hospital .
He was wearing just his pyjamas and a dressing gown, draped in a blanket .
His daughters are outraged, claiming he was left freezing and in agony .
He suffers Paget's disease, a painful bone disorder, which means he should not be left sitting in a wheelchair for long periods of time .
Delay caused by medication hold-up and difficulty locating an ambulance .
His daughter Lynda Pennington was forced to take him home in a cab .
Ambulance service has apologised for the delay in transportation .
Hospital spokesman said the family's complaint is being investigated . |
115,489 | 210833c9ed034f1c23a69e4740481af9e1492692 | (CNN) -- Many have claimed to know the identity of the notorious Zodiac Killer, who terrorized northern California with a trail of unresolved murders in the 1960s. But their stories have not panned out. Now, a Louisiana man believes he has the definitive answer to the chilling mystery: Who was the crazed, elusive killer who wrote letters bragging about his conquests? Gary Stewart says it was Earl Van Best, Jr., his biological father, who died in 1984. "I believe for the first time in the history of this case that I have presented more evidence that has ever been presented on any one suspect," Stewart told CNN's Erin Burnett about his new book. The Zodiac Killer has been connected to five deaths between 1968-69. Though he was never caught, he gained notoriety by writing several letters to police and newspapers boasting of the slayings. He included swatches of bloody clothing as proof of his claims of killing as many as 37 people. Stewart's quest for dad . Stewart was born in New Orleans, abandoned as a newborn in a stairwell in Baton Rouge, and later adopted. About 10 years ago, when he was 39, his birth mother, Judy, contacted him for the first time. He then began his search for his biological father, whom both had not contacted since Stewart was abandoned. The vice president of a cleaning company in the capital of Louisiana recounted his decade-long search for his biological father, which ended with the discovery that Best was the serial killer. During the search, Stewart, who is married with a child, kept a journal that became the basis for the book, "The Most Dangerous Animal of All." A chilling wanted poster . At one point during his search, he was watching television when a 1969 "Wanted" poster from the San Francisco Police Department flashed on the screen. "And my heart stops. And I think I let out an audible scream, noise," he said. His son rushed into the room, his eyes transfixed to the television. "And he says hey, Dad, it's you. And I walked back to my office ... where I had the only photo I've ever had of my father, which I was told was an old DMV photo. But it turned out to be his 1962 mug shot for his rape of my mother. And I said, 'No, son, it's not me. It's my father.' " Revealing initials . Stewart said he reached his conclusion after years of research, including forensic experts comparing notes from the killer with his dad's handwriting on his marriage certificate. He said he also discovered his father's initials in cryptograms or ciphers the killer sent to newspapers. "The Zodiac Killer insisted to the police ... if you crack the cipher, you'll have my identity," Stewart said. They did, and they found the initials, but they still didn't know whom they belonged to, he said. The San Francisco Police Department said it will investigate the revelation -- the latest person claiming links to the killer. "It's an open and active case, so we don't comment," police spokesman Albie Esparza said this week. "But (it's) certainly something our homicide investigators will take a look at." Many past claims . Stewart is the latest in a series of people to make the claim that they descended from the famed Zodiac Killer. There's the self-proclaimed "Stepson of the Zodiac Killer," Dennis Kaufman, who has appeared on TV news and a crime show touting his deceased stepfather Jack Tarrance as the crazed killer. He said his stepfather's handwriting was similar to the killer's. There's Deborah Perez, who said she wrote some of the claims of responsibility for her father, Guy Ward Hendrickson, when she was 7 years old. Her half-sister called her claims lies. There's Steve Hodel, who says his father was a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle -- the paper to which the Zodiac Killer sent his mocking notes. His claim, too, was discounted. Whether Stewart's contention will hold true is yet to be seen. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report. | Gary L. Stewart says he discovered he was the biological son of the notorious killer .
He was watching television when a 1969 "Wanted" poster flashed on the screen .
His son thought it was Stewart, but he told his son it was his father .
"For the first time in the history of this case ... I have presented more evidence," he says . |
133,216 | 383c77a4a46fe2aaf7ddc492d8bfe0b06fd2c301 | (CNN) -- Rarely seen by outsiders, the daily life of a regional Taliban commander named Dawran and his militant fighters is dominated by extremes: love and war, attack and retreat, life and death. For nine days in October 2009, Norwegian journalist Paul Refsdal was behind the lines with the Taliban, embedded as no Western filmmaker before him. And he was there to witness firsthand the jarring juxtapositions in Dawran's life, at turns -- directing an attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan's treacherous mountains -- then hours later at home, a father playing with his children. To capture these intimate and unprecedented images, Refsdal risked his life to embed with Dawran and his fighters in Kunar Province -- the northeastern region where al Qaeda is active and Osama bin Laden was once rumored to be hiding. Q&A: Kidnapped by the Taliban . Refsdal said he doesn't know the number of militants under Dawran's command, but included in their ranks is another of Dawran's sons -- a boy 12 or 13 years old. The son carries a machine gun nearly as large as he is, Refsdal said. "For Dawran ... it's not something bad to send your ... son out to fight," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper, because Dawran believes that "... his son will come to heaven when and if he dies in this war." There are many different groups that make up the Taliban, and they are fighting for many different reasons. Dawran says he and his men joined the Taliban to drive out foreign forces from his district. "We fight for our freedom, our religion, our honor and we fight for our land," Dawran tells Refsdal. Commanding his forces from a house built of stone and clay, he says he relies on contributions to fund his operation. Firm casualty figures for both sides in the decade-long war are hard to come by. It's not known how many Taliban forces have been killed fighting U.S.-led coalition forces. According to the Pentagon, more than 2,200 coalition troops have died in Afghanistan since U.S. forces invaded in response to the 9/11 attacks. More than 1,400 Americans are among those coalition deaths. As he urges his fighters to battle, Dawran questions coalition motives. "For what purpose are they fighting us?" asks Dawran. "Are they oppressed? Have they been treated unfair? Are they living in a dictatorship?" Oppression is an accusation critics have aimed at the Taliban for decades. They rule their lives by an extremely strict interpretation of Islam. In places under their control, women shroud their faces and bodies in burqas and girls are forbidden to attend school. "There is nothing that Islam does not have the solution for," Abdul Rahman, a local Taliban judge, explains to Refsdal. "If a person cuts off another person's hand, then according to Islamic law, you have the right to retaliate and cut his hand off. It's the same with the ears, the teeth the eyes and the nose." The Taliban government ruled Afghanistan -- and gave safe harbor to al Qaeda terrorist training camps -- from the mid-1990s until 2001. Leaders refused to extradite bin Laden, prompting the U.S. invasion which toppled the Taliban government and made way for national elections. A decade later, Dawran's fighters march through Kunar's difficult terrain with heavy firearms and bandoliers of ammunition slung across their shoulders. Some wear traditional Afghan clothing and others dress in camouflage military fatigues as they trudge across canyons dotted with rocks, small trees and scrubby vegetation. As Refsdal films, Dawran directs an attack on U.S. troops, coordinating the operation by hand-held radio from a mountain perch overlooking a valley road hundreds of feet below. Eighty holy warriors are participating in this assault, Dawran says. They've taken positions in eight different places in groups of ten men each. "Attack, attack, with the help of God!" Dawran shouts into his radio. "You hit the vehicle, you hit it!" But did the fighters damage a vehicle or kill coalition forces as they thought? The answer seems to be no. Apparently, the attack wasn't even worthy of a report. CNN contacted coalition headquarters. A U.S. press officer searched through 1,800 reports from October 2009 and said, "To be clear: we have no reports of any Taliban attacks in that area during the timeframe given." As the attack ends, the sound of gunfire echoes across the valley, a plume of smoke rising in the distance. "Taliban are like most Muslim insurgents," said Refsdal. "When they have spare time, they read the Quran. They don't train. From what I could see from the firing they were not very accurate." He acknowledges that he expects criticism for being embedded with fighters trying to ambush coalition forces. "I understand that this is very emotional for people -- especially people in the armed forces," Refsdal told Cooper. "I'm a journalist, I just film what happened." The war has become "routine" for this band of Taliban fighters, said Refsdal. "They do an ambush and then spend the rest of the day sitting around gossiping on the radio. They sit, they drink a lot of tea and they have some games they are playing." One of the games is a simple rock throwing contest. Standing in a relatively flat clearing, the men square off to see who can throw heavy rocks the farthest. Most use a two-handed thrust-from-the-chest technique. In the end, the commander wins. "This is everyday life," Refsdal told Cooper. "This is the Taliban." One day, Refsdal notices Dawran is nervous about a suspicious plane flying over the Taliban fighter's hideout. The commander orders Refsdal to remain inside. Later, Refsdal hears gunfire. Dawran knocks at the door telling Refsdal to get out immediately. "Leave your things," the commander says. "Run." "We found an old abandoned shed and we slept there during the night" as the gunfire continued, said Refsdal. By daybreak Refsdal is told that a dozen people -- including Dawran's top lieutenant -- had been killed in a Special Forces raid. Refsdal finds Dawran "crying like a kid" over his lost men. Later, Dawran flees with his family, fearing for his life. Refsdal knows that the images he captured will be surprising to many -- and disturbing to some. But he feels confident that the images are authentic, not an attempt at propaganda. If the Taliban wanted to create propaganda, they would demonstrate a show of strength -- not their softer side, he said. "Showing them[selves] as humans, they don't understand any purpose of that." | Norwegian journalist Paul Refsdal embedded with the Taliban last year to capture daily life .
Rarely seen by outsiders, he saw plans for attacks as well as a home life of the Taliban .
Refsdal says he knows that the images he captured will be surprising to many, and disturbing to some . |
159,448 | 5a1b7f6eb27e2439eee2b158c6882a18bb2a87f3 | By . Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline . A beetle that appears the whitest shade of white to the human eye has been examined by scientists. Researchers say that the scales on the Cyphochilus beetle can scatter light better than any other animal or plant. They believe its reflective coating could be copied to make brighter computer screens and paints as well as whiter paper. Researchers say that the scales on the Cyphochilus beetle (pictured) can scatter light better than any other animal or plant, making it an inspiration to scientists looking to develop new reflective materials . The beetle has developed its extraordinary whiteness to blend in with the white mushrooms common in its native South-East Asia. Another species called Lepidiota Stigma has the same pigmentation. Animals use a rainbow of colours for camouflage, communication, mating and to control their temperature. Pigments in their skin absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others - giving them a colour. So to appear the whitest shade of white, the beetles reflect all wavelengths of light equally. To appear the whitest shade of white, the beetles reflect all wavelengths of light equally. They do this using a specially-adapted internal structure (pictured) to make a reflective coating . The ultra-white Cyphochilus use the geometry of a dense network of chitin - a molecule which is found everywhere from the shells of mussels to the structure of mushrooms – to reflect light. A magnified image of the Lepidiota Stigma beetle, which has the same pigmentation, is pictured . The Gaboon pit viper has ultra-black markings to help it blend into the forest floor. Its black scales reflect less than 11 per cent of light, according to Nerdist, making it the 'blackest' of creatures. The snake is also the heaviest viper with the largest venomous fangs. But scientists have engineered a material that is blacker than the snake. British Firm Surrey Nanosystems claims to have created the 'blackest' material last month. Vantablack absorbs all but 0.04 per cent of light that hits it to give it its ultra-black appearance. The material is made from nanotubes that are 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. The tubes are packed so tightly together that entering light cannot pass through them and gets 'lost' inside them. The material could be used by the military and the space industry. The ultra-white Cyphochilus uses the geometry of a dense network of chitin - a molecule that is found everywhere from shells to mushrooms – to do this. Scientists at Cambridge University have shown that the beetles have optimised their internal structure to produce maximum ‘white’ with minimal material and effort. Scientists likened them to a painter who needs to whiten a wall with a very small quantity of paint. Lead researcher Dr Silvia Vignolini, of the University’s Cavendish Laboratory, said: ‘Current technology is not able to produce a coating as white as these beetles can in such a thin layer. ‘The lessons we are learning from these beetles is two-fold. ‘On one hand, we now know how to look to improve scattering strength of a given structure by varying its geometry. ‘On the other hand the use of strongly scattering materials, such as the particles commonly used for white paint, is not mandatory to achieve an ultra-white coating.’ Co-author on the study, Dr Matteo Burresi, of the Italian National Institute of Optics in Florence, said: ‘These scales have a structure that is truly complex since it gives rise to something that is more than the sum of its parts.’ In recent years, many engineers have been turning to nature to inspire ‘new’ types of structures. Using technology perfected by the beetles, scientists hope to make paper, plastics and paints a brighter white. They also believe that white-light reflectors inside computer and TV displays could also be made whiter and lighter, according to the study, which was published in the journal Scientific Report. The beetle (pictured) has developed its extraordinary whiteness to blend in with the white mushrooms common in its native South-East Asia . Scientists at Cambridge University have shown that the beetles have optimised their internal structure (pictured) in order to produce maximum ‘white’ with minimal material and effort . | Cambridge University scientists say scales on the Cyphochilus beetle can scatter light better than any other natural device .
Its scales reflect all wavelengths of light equally to appear ultra-white .
Beetle uses dense network of chitin molecules to scatter light .
It produces white coating in a thinner layer than man-made techniques .
Beetle developed its white colouring to blend in with mushrooms in Asia .
Reflective coating could be copied to produce brighter screens and paint . |
171,814 | 6a5dec0f16621ffa921e5822462519dffcaf0e2e | By . Marie-louise Olson . PUBLISHED: . 17:50 EST, 24 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:56 EST, 24 November 2013 . Sexual escapades: Black Guerilla Family gang leader, Tavon White, allegedly had sex with four corrections officers inside the prison who helped him peddle drugs. He has pleaded guilty to the charges . Almost 30 Baltimore corrections officers have now been indicted on federal charges for working in cahoots with members of a notorious prison gang to peddle drugs, phones and sex inside the city’s jail. The new indictment this week adds 14 more officers to the group of 13 who were indicted in April, bringing the total to 27. The controversy reads like a script from the HBO crime drama, The Wire, but the US Attorney’s office for Maryland says it has gone too far for too long. ‘Correctional officers were in bed with BGF inmates,’ said U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein. One of the guards even had the name of the Black Guerilla Family gang leader, Tavon White, 36, tattooed on her wrist,. White had a sexual relationship with four female jail guards while he was incarcerated, according to an indictment. Another female officer reportedly had his name tattooed on the back of her neck. He allegedly fathered five children with the female guards, who were identified as Jennifer Owens, 31, Katera Stevenson, 24, Chania Brooks, 27, and Tiffany Linder, 27. Linde made her first appearance in April when she was eight-months pregnant with White's child and pleaded not guilty, according to WBALTV. Scroll down for video... Pregnant: Jail guard Tiffany Linde made her first appearance in April when she was eight-months pregnant with White's child and pleaded not guilty . He impregnated the three other women as well, all of whom helped him smuggle items into prison, according CNN. In January, White had been heard talking on a cell phone that had been smuggled in, saying, ‘This is my jail. You understand that? I'm dead serious. ... I make every final call in this jail ... and nothing go past me. ... Any of my brothers that deal with anybody, it's gonna come to me. Before (somebody) stab somebody, they gotta run it through me,’ White said, according to the indictment. White, who also goes by the name Bulldog, pleaded guilty to the federal racketeering conspiracy charges in August. The correctional officers were allegedly bribed to smuggle in drugs, cell phones and other prohibited objects, which they hid underneath their clothes, ‘inside body cavities’, such as their vaginas, and in sandwiches, the indictment said. The families of the inmates who weren't part of the gang had to pay protection money, authorities claim. 'My jail': White is heard saying on the phone that he runs Baltimore City's detention centre where he impregnated four correctional officers . TV material: The prison controversy is like a scene taken out of the police crime show The Wire, starring Dominic West, Larry Gilliard Jr., and Wendell Pierce . ‘Court documents allege the BGF members recruited correctional officers through personal and often sexual relationships, as well as bribes, and that some officers traded sex for money,’ the U.S. Attorney's Office said in its news release. Rosenstein's office said the criminal organization was enabling those involved to ‘make large amounts of money through drug trafficking, robbery, assault, extortion, bribery, witness retaliation, money laundering and obstruction of justice’. The investigation first came to light in April with the announcement of the first round of arrests. The Black Guerrilla Family (also known as the Black Family or the Black Vanguard) is a prison and street gang founded in 1966 by George Jackson and W.L. Nolen while they were incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, California, north of San Francisco. In all, 44 people have been indicted on federal charges. Twenty seven of them are Baltimore correctional officers, CNN affiliate WJZ reported. | The 14 officers join another 13 who were charged with the same in April .
27 Baltimore corrections officers in total have been indicted on federal charges for working in cahoots with notorious prison gang, Black Guerrilla Family .
Gang leader Tavon White, 36, had sexual relationship with four female jail guards while incarcerated .
He got all four pregnant, one of whom had his name tattooed on her wrist .
They were bribed to smuggle in drugs, cell phones and other prohibited objects, which they hid underneath their clothes and ‘inside body cavities’ |
271,399 | eb8a89962b31d6b76485b04efeb9dcfc29b997d6 | By . Wills Robinson . Berserk: Paul Stone, 48, was shot with a Taser by police after going on a rampage when neighbours found out he was dumping his own rubbish in their wheelie bins . A man was Tasered by police after going on a rampage when neighbours found out he was secretly dumping rubbish in their bins. Paul Stone, 48, filled other bins around the neighbourhood with the leftovers of his DIY projects because he had no place to put them himself. But his ploy was exposed after neighbours noticed their wheelie bins were overflowing so much bin men were refusing to empty them on health and safety grounds. After discovering Stone was responsible, one woman confronted him at his home in Melrose Street, Manchester. But he reacted by running at the 35-year-old Kathryn Harrison with a kitchen broom handle raised above his head before hitting her four times on the head, neck, back and left arm. When Janet Young, 52, came out of her nearby home to intervene, Stone then 'came at her', hitting her hip and threatening to fetch a hammer. By the time police arrived, Stone was brandishing a cordless drill with a nail sticking out of the end and began waving it at the officers. They were forced to used the 50,000 volt device to overpower him. Manchester Crown Court was told Stone, who lived alone, suffered from bipolar disorder and had an 'isolated life.' It emerged he had also taken another neighbour's wheelie bin and chained it up to his house. He admitted common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray during a hearing last Thursday and was jailed for 12 months. Scene: Stone carried out the three-hour attack Melrose Street in the Newton Heath Area of Manchester . Stone had been living at the rented property for 14 months before the three hour rampage on June 16. Retired builder Geoff Harold, 57, Miss Young's partner of five years, said: 'Stone was an absolute nightmare. He just used to scream and scream and talk to himself because he lived there on his own and we used to hear lots of drilling. 'I had been round to tell him to keep the . noise down but he held a hammer up to me and slammed the door in my . face. He is a nutcase but I was never scared of him. 'Police were trying to catch him out . but he had cameras and microphones installed on the premises so he would . be able to see them coming to the door before they could catch him. 'When . I spoke to the owner of the house, he invited me in and said "look what . he's done here" and he'd drilled a massive hole in the wall as though . he was trying to get something through here. 'Upstairs in the bedroom there is a big section of the ceiling missing. 'It's been a lot more quiet since he has been in custody. Janet will be glad to hear he is going to spend longer in prison.' Fatih Ozbaykondu, 32, restaurant supervisor said: 'One day I put the bin out, came back from work and the bin wasn't there. 'So . I walked up the street looking for it and realised my bin was chained . to this man's property with something similar to a bike lock. 'I knocked on the door and nobody answered but the next door neighbour came out and told me he was a bit strange. Threats: Police were forced to used the 50,000 volt device to overpower Stone, who was brandishing a cordless drill . 'I kept knocking because I wanted to ask him how he did it but he didnt answer so I just got some pliers, cut through the chains and took my bin home. I presumed he took the bin by mistake.' A third neighbour said: 'He was forever doing DIY at the house drilling holes into his wall for no apparent reason and being noisy. It seemed he was obsessd with DIY. 'The bins thing was the final straw. It's bad enough having all these wheelie bins anyway never mind having someone else fill them for you so they won't get emptied.' In court Stone claimed the attack had been a 'wake-up call' for him and would force him to deal with his obsessions. But Judge Richard Mansell QC told him: 'What's clearly been going on is that your, perhaps to certain people, slightly unusual behaviour at times has annoyed them. 'They have made it clear to you that they don't like the noise you make or the way you handle your refuse, and your illness affects the way you react. 'On this particular day you obviously boiled over and lost your cool. 'There's no excuse for running out of the house with a broom handle. People are entitled to live in their streets and go about their business feeling safe - you must avoid confrontation with your neighbours.' | Paul Stone, 48, was jailed for 12 months at Manchester Crown Court .
Ran at neighbours with a broom handle and hit a victim over the head .
Was holding a cordless drill when police arrived to overpower him .
Chained another person's bin to his home in a separate incident . |
148,666 | 4c3f7fbc4bbbf069ca6b075a5f16a1827000140b | By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 10:42 EST, 21 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:42 EST, 21 December 2012 . A British child molester who slipped through the hands of UK police because they did not have enough evidence against him has been sentenced to prison in Cambodia. But the one-year-jail sentence imposed on 71-year-old Reginald Blakely has outraged child protection groups in the south east Asian country, the previous haunt of notorious child sex abuser Gary Glitter. Child victim groups said the sentence was too lenient and would do nothing to deter other abusers of children in Cambodia. British Reginald Blakely, 71, has been jailed for one year in Cambodia, pictured, for abusing young boys . Blakely was arrested by British police, working with their Cambodian counterparts, when he returned to the UK in 2010, but he was released because there was not enough evidence to lay charges of child abuse against him. Since then, said Cambodian police, he has been back to the country five times, staying mostly in the city of Siem Reap, where he has since gone on trial. He took up a position as an English teacher, but child protection groups said he had ulterior motives. Cambodian police said they had footage, captured by surveillance officers, of Blakely approaching youngsters outside schools. Former pop star Gary Glitter, pictured, lived in Cambodia until 2002 when he was permanently deported to Vietnam due to suspected child sexual abuse . He was charged with molesting five boys aged between seven and 14 and was sentenced this week to two years imprisonment. But the court ordered him to serve only one year, the remaining 12 months being suspended. Blakely was also ordered to pay a fine of $US5000 and pay compensation of $150 to each of his victims. 'This sentence is far too lenient,' said Mr Samleang Seila, Cambodia's director for the child rights group Action Pour Les Infants - Action (Care) for Children. 'It won't do anything to deter other abusers of children.' Dozens of foreigners have been jailed or deported to face trial in their home countries since Cambodia stepped up its anti-paedophile push in 2003 in an attempt to wipe out its reputation as a haven for sexual predators. | Reginald Blakely charged with molesting five boys aged between 7 and 14 .
Sentenced to two years in prison but one year was suspended .
Child victim groups said the sentence is too lenient and will do nothing to deter other abusers of children in Cambodia . |
128,469 | 320410dd7e5d4d1ef92eb8b2faee98795aa8d598 | Jamie Durie is famous for his design skills and his jaw-dropping Sydney home which has just been put on the market does not disappoint. The TV presenter has put the one-off home on the market and it will go for a 'multi-million dollar price tag', according to listing agent Ken Jacobs, of Christie’s International. The spectacular white-washed home sits on a secluded hilltop on the edge of Bilgola and has everything to catch a buyers' attention from a whale tail inspired roof to an observation deck in the shape of a whale’s stomach. The 'sculptural masterpiece' is expected to fetch a multi-million dollar price when it is sold . Jamie Durie is an award-winning international horticulturalist and landscape designer . The 44-year-old award-winning international horticulturalist and landscape designer spent three years creating the home with acclaimed architect Walter Barda. The brochure describes it as an 'iconic piece of Australian design - this home will never be repeated'. One might wonder why Jamie would want to sell this little piece of heaven,but according to his publicist he is 'spending more and more time in the US' and wants to downsize to a smaller Sydney home, reports Daily Telegraph. The home boasts amazing ocean views from Long Reef to the central coast in NSW . The TV star, originally from Manly, has really showed off his design skills with this house . The outside of the home is just about as spectacular as the interior . The house has an 'open concept' with sunken lounge and stunning contemporary stone kitchen . Julia Tink, his public relations spokeswoman, said: 'This house is beautiful but it requires a lot of upkeep. 'He doesn't want to rent it out ... he is downsizing to something that is more manageable somewhere in Sydney.' The 614 square metre holding was bought in 2003 for $1.3 million, with architect Mr Barda then commissioned to build the four-bedroom residence. The observation deck is shaped like a whale's stomach to add more character to the home . It has only been on the market for a week and already gaining lots of interest according to the letting agent . The outside of the home is perfectly made for entertaining . Showing off the designer's skills the outside of the four-bedroom property is just breathtaking. The 44-year-old television presenter helped acclaimed architect Walter Barda in the bold design of this home, which took three years to create . Ken Jacobs, letting agent, told Daily Mail Australia the house had been on the market for a week and 'already received quite a bit of interest'. The bedroom boasts amazing 360 views to the ocean landscape . The observation deck from the top of the house looks out on the lovely coastal views . No element of design has been overlooked throughout the house . He added that 'you never know in those situations if these homes will get more because it belongs to a celebrity'. No public price guidance is being given but is expected to catch a multi-million dollar price tag. The home has its own private gym, pool, sauna, rooftop deck and yoga room overlooking the beach. Bill Eames, of LJ Hooker Avalon has the 3 Plateau Road, Bilgola Plateau listing with Christies International agent Ken Jacobs. The interior of the home is open-plan and flows from living area to kitchen . The house has its own private fitness area and yoga studio . Adding the next level of luxury the beach side home has its own sauna . This is the impressive floor-plan of the split level home . | The multi-million dollar Avalon home boasts superb sea views .
The one off design has a yoga studio, swimming pool and outdoor kitchen .
Jamie spent three years creating the home with architect Walter Barda .
The TV presenter is going to downsize after spending more time in the US . |
173,912 | 6d0a76eb9d1523232783f8103181f479529f1b4a | Tourists from around the world are flocking to a vineyard at the renowned location where the British TV classic Last of the Summer Wine was filmed. While the programme’s popularity helps, the real reason holidaymakers from as far as Argentina and Australia are visiting Holmfirth Vineyard is to witness a grape-growing miracle. Britain’s highest vineyard, located in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, manages to produce wine 840ft above sea level on vines that survive sub-zero temperatures. Holmfirth Vineyard is a draw for tourists as it manages to produce wine 840ft above sea level . It is achieving the feat as the UK wine industry gains credibility with experts and consumers around the world. Long the butt of French jokes, Britain has been recognised as a premium wine-producing region with more than 400 vineyards in England and Wales producing sparkling and still wines, an increase of 50 per cent compared with last year. Holmfirth Vineyard, which has a restaurant and holiday accommodation, is a home-grown success story. It is owned by Ian and Rebecca Sheveling, who met while studying design at university. Located in West Yorkshire, the vineyard uses hybrid vines which can survive sub-zero temperatures . Employee Dean Conway spreads heat-absorbing pebbles to help the roots thrive and reduce weeds . Ian went into manufacturing and Rebecca designed seats for Formula 1 cars, but they soon decided that they wanted to open a vineyard. In 2006 they bought an old sheep farm and the first vines were planted a year later. Luke Tankard, Holmfirth Vineyard’s general manager and winemaker, said people are interested in its novelty value. He said: ‘I think people want to satisfy their curiosity about how we can make wine on a hillside so high up. ‘When they arrive at the car park, they are hugely surprised. Their first reaction is what a beautiful view it is and then they say: “I didn’t know you could grow grapes up here.” They are amazed. ‘Sometimes the wind and rain is lashing down - we get more bad days than good weather-wise.’ General manager and winemaker Luke Tankard says people are interested in the vineyard's novelty value . Wine production at Holmfirth Vineyard has increased from 2,500 bottles in 2010 to 12,000 last year . Holmfirth Vineyard is drawing even more tourists after seven flats were built in a disused quarry last year. It is now listed alongside those other bastions of northern English viticulture – Driffield, York and Leventhorpe near Leeds. Luke said hardiness is the key to producing wine on the Pennine snow line. For the basic root stock it has selected hybrid vines which thrive in cool climates. Luke said: ‘These vines have to work a lot harder than normal vines, which just like to sunbathe. ‘Ours have to survive frost and attacks in the soil; they can survive temperatures of -25C. Owners Ian and Rebecca Sheveling purchased an old sheep farm and planted the first vines in 2007 . Bottles are sold for £14.99 each to the thousands of visitors who come from near and far . ‘We have turned a huge corner here, both in terms of the quality and the quantity of our wines. After two good summers our sugar and acidity levels are balancing out nicely.’ Holmfirth Vineyard grows several grape varieties, including Solaris, Seyval, Siegerebbe and Madeleine Angevine for white wines. Luke said: ‘The white Solaris wine is our most popular, it’s like England’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc - and it comes out at 12.5 per cent.’ With the rise in popularity the vineyard has grown its footprint to 7,000 vines over seven acres. When the winery was built in 2010 it harvested 2,500 bottles a year. This year the output topped 12,000 bottles which sell for £14.99 each. After being processed the grapes go into stainless steel fermentation vessels for up to six months . Brian Wilde (left), Peter Sallis (middle) and Bill Owen starred in the British sitcom Last of the Summer Wine . Before the wine is bottled the grapes go into a machine to remove the bitter stalk, which is recycled as compost. The grapes are then crushed with the skin and pips being used for pig food before going into stainless steel fermentation vessels for up to six months to develop body and character. Despite the frost, December has been a busy month for maintenance and pruning at the vineyard. Luke said: ‘We are expecting a cold winter, which won’t be much of a problem as the vines will hibernate. ‘But next year what we really want are sunny days with a little light rain at night.’ | Holmfirth Vineyard produces wine 840ft above sea level in West Yorkshire .
Vineyard uses hybrid vines which can survive sub-zero temperatures .
Wine production has gone from 2,500 bottles in 2010 to 12,000 last year .
Britain has been recognised as a premium wine-producing region . |
64,438 | b6f50ddc97ff91a805be2fde2ce06a83cdfcc3df | By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 06:49 EST, 17 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:44 EST, 17 July 2012 . Nigel French, 51, claimed he was waiting to clean the pool after a swimming lesson . A school caretaker is facing jail for spying on high school girls naked in the showers. Nigel French, 51, has been found guilty of attempted voyeurism after he drilled peep holes in the floor to watch the girls as they showered after a swimming lesson. The married father-of-two was caught out when a PE teacher spotted his feet and saw him on all fours in a storage room above the changing room. The teacher found a hole over the showers - with a ceiling tile moved to allow a better view. Eight more holes were discovered over the boys changing room at Pen y Dre High School in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales - which had previously been used by girls. Prosecutor Suzanne Thomas said: 'It was likely the holes above the boys changing room were done some years ago.' French, a former Scout leader and devout churchgoer, claimed he was looking for bats, even though there was no evidence of bats nesting in the school. The caretaker, who had worked at the school for 21 years, told police he was waiting for a swimming lesson to finish before cleaning the pool. He said: “Basically my only offence could be skiving. “I went up to the viewing gallery and I laid down facing forward, looking at the side of the pool, waiting for the lesson to finish. “I wasn’t spying on pupils in the pool because that would be wrong that would.” The court heard that French, who had around-the-clock access to the school and swimming pool, was often seen hanging around the pool's viewing gallery. The married father-of-two had worked at Pen y Dre High School (pictured) for 21 years . Colleague John Davies told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court how he found French among a stack of gym mats. He said: 'I saw part of his feet sticking out towards the back end and I wondered what was going on. 'I could see somebody was in a semi prone position. He pushed his head above the mats and then quickly ducked back down.' French, of Penydarren, Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, was found guilty of attempted voyeurism and will be sentenced next month. | Nigel French, 51, claimed he was looking for bats .
Married father-of-two was caught on all fours by PE teacher as he watched high school girls showering . |
145,859 | 489a560875f9c26294e3aa5124c2dc6ca11d864d | By . Fred Redwood . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 29 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:15 EST, 30 December 2012 . Ask any football fan or would-be WAG in the North where the top footballers live and you will get a quick answer – within the ‘golden triangle’ that lies between the towns of Alderley Edge, Knutsford and Wilmslow in Cheshire. For 20 years, football’s superstars have flocked to this patchwork of villages, 20 miles from Manchester and 45 miles from Liverpool. Many of them have bought homes from multi-millionaire developer David Hughes – the man who has helped make the term ‘footballer’s house’ part of estate-agent vocabulary. Top of the league: Multi-millionaire property developer David Hughes is selling his very own 'footballers house', complete with pool, helipad and 25 acres of land . David’s client list is impressive. His . very first footballer transaction was with Harry Kewell, who played for . Liverpool from 2003 to 2008, and since then he has sold mansions to, . among many others, Manchester United’s Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic . and Nani, and buy-to-let apartments to Manchester United manager Sir . Alex Ferguson and former captain Gary Neville. Yet the biggest star he . sold a home to, and the client he remembers most fondly, was the boy . from the back streets of Madeira: Cristiano Ronaldo. ‘People forget how young and naive Ronaldo was when he first arrived in Manchester,’ recalls David, sitting in the study of his enormous country house in Chelford, which is for sale at £15 million. ‘He was just 18, his English was poor and I remember he had a trusted friend – a waiter in Manchester – whom he made his financial adviser. 'My abiding memory of Ronaldo is calling in to see him in the leisure complex of the house I sold him. He and his friend were trying to make their own ice bath. They had bought an industrial-size ice-making machine and were trying to shovel ice into a plunge pool. Big player: The 'Arabian themed' dining room at Holly Tree House . Grand designs: The grand pool with skylights and tropical fish mural . ‘They had laid the wires from this machine across the wet floor and jammed the bare flex into sockets with bits of pencil. It was suicidal. Sir Alex Ferguson never knew how close he came to having £80 million worth of footballer go up in smoke.’ David’s involvement in property was originally little more than a casual punt. In 1997, he sold 25 per cent of his Allsports sports retail business for £19 million. The property market was booming, so he spent £400,000 converting Bollington Mill, near Prestbury in Cheshire, into mews cottages. When he sold these on for £800,000, he got a taste for the easy money to be made. David decided to specialise in the top end of the residential market, hitting on a formula that ideally matched young footballers’ tastes. He would buy a dated home on a good-sized plot in the golden triangle, knock it down and build another in its place. When he built the new home, he would create a huge extended basement. The homes all had underfloor heating and state-of-the-art sound, lighting and security systems. Leisure centres with saunas and cinema rooms were a ‘must’. Now David is selling his own home, Holly Tree House, which is a template for the footballers’ homes he’s sold. Indeed, he used it as a show house when he tried to interest cricket star Freddie Flintoff in buying one of his properties off-plan. True 'footballer's house': Holly Tree House, is located in an area of Cheshire known as the 'golden triangle' due to the high number of footballers who reside there . Every imaginable item of ostentation is on show: the white drawing room has enormous chandeliers, gold-leaf cornices and hand-made carpets, while the dining room, in royal blue and reds, has an Arabian feel to it. To most people it may seem wildly over the top but David reckons it is quite subdued, compared with the tastes of many of the stars. ‘Ronaldo ordered a bedroom in a mass of black satin from Portugal,’ he says. ‘On his bed he had three enormous cushions, one with a C, the second with an R and the third with a 7 – his initials and shirt number.’ Although the tastes of footballers match the stereotype, David is keen to contradict the image of their wives. ‘They are portrayed very unfairly,’ he says. ‘They are always very attractive but the ones I have met – notably Vidic’s wife and Patrice Evra’s – have been very quiet and charming too.’ There is wit in David’s house. In the pool, a mural creates the illusion of swimming off Richard Branson’s Necker Island. The 25 acres of grounds, which include a Japanese water garden, fishing lake, tennis court, golf tee and green and heli-pad, also hide deer which are, on closer inspection, made of stone. David lost his property business in the 2008 banking crash, but he still owns swathes of the ‘golden triangle’ and his reason for selling is unrelated to business. ‘I built this house in 1997 with my first wife and it still has her stamp on it,’ says David, who has been married to his present wife, Gill, for four years. ‘Now we are going to build the same house again – but slightly smaller.’ Jackson-Stops & Staff, jackson-stops.co.uk, 01625 540340 . | Multi-millionaire David Hughes has sold houses to Manchester's football stars and is now selling his own .
The house in Chelford, Cheshire comes with 25 acres of land and a helipad . |
189,627 | 818e97e5a2cabf099e6f398a8ab562590d0abc81 | By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 06:12 EST, 4 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:45 EST, 4 August 2013 . A relaxation of planning rules could see town centre shops converted into homes, as ministers accept that the thriving high streets of the past are unlikely to return. Rather than seeking to revive every street of boarded-up shops, planning minister Nick Boles suggested that councils should concentrate retail outlets in 'prime' locations and allow other areas to become residential. Following a report by retail guru Mary Portas, who was hired by David Cameron to find a way of reviving dying town centres, some £1.2million of taxpayer money was shared out between 12 towns for initiatives to inject new life into their traditional shopping high streets. Empty shop on high streets, such as here in Margate, one of Mary Portas's 12 pilot towns, could be converted into affordable homes (file photo) Retail consultant Mary Portas became a Government advisor on how to rescue the High Street, but many of her key recommendations have been ignored . But her key recommendations, which included cutting business rates and putting a brake on new shopping centres, have both been rejected. Mr Boles today said that planners most respond 'creatively' to shifts in the way today's consumers shop. Allowing redundant shops to be converted into homes could ease pressure on greenfield sites for residential developments. The planning minister said: 'People' s shopping habits are changing very fast as a result of the rise in internet shopping and changes in lifestyles and working patterns . 'We need to think creatively about how to help town centres thrive in this new era. 'We want to encourage local councils to concentrate retail activity into the prime shopping streets in the heart of their town centres and adopt a more relaxed approach to under-used retail frontages.' Planning Minister Nick Boles said councils need to think 'creatively' about how to revive flagging High Streets . Ms Portas expressed concern that councils would choose the 'easy option' of turning units into housing and said that losing the high street would be 'one of the greatest social crimes in our country.' Mr Boles also indicated that councils are to be encouraged to allow farmers to convert old agricultural buildings into homes. 'We want to make the best use of existing buildings in the countryside to meet the desperate need for affordable housing in rural communities,' he said. 'The more redundant barns that can be converted into homes for young families, the more we can protect green fields from development.' Earlier this week, a Chocalatier forced by soaring costs to shut his flagship shop warned that the British high street is almost dead. Simon Dunn, whose store was in Chancellor George Osborne’s constituency, says small businesses are being forced out as their profits are squeezed. He was left with £100 for himself ‘in . a good week’ after paying rent, business rates and wages, leading him . to warn: ‘Before long all that will be left on the British high street . is Tesco, Costa and charity shops – it’s just impossible for people like . me to keep our heads above the water.’ ‘I’m afraid independent traders on the high street just don’t have a chance these days in this tough current economic climate. ‘My . shop was in George Osborne’s constituency [Tatton]. He ought to know . the importance of independent businesses and try to do something to help . us. It’s the rising cost of everything that is affecting business . owners like me. ‘The sad part of it is that we’re not . the only business that’s having to do this. It’s a national problem . that is affecting every high street. 'On . a good week we were left with £100-a-week profit and it was just not . worth it. There seems to be no incentive to operate as an independent on . the high street these days. Chocolatier Simon Dunn warned that the High Street is nearly dead following the closure of his flagship shop in Wilmslow, Cheshire . ‘I have to turn over a certain amount just to keep moving, but if I go over that amount suddenly I find myself in a position where I can be taxed more. It’s as though business owners are punished for being successful.’ He will now concentrate on the business’s online operation. Ms Portas condemned the Government over a decision to allow Tesco to build a vast new supermarket on the seafront at Margate, one of her pilot towns, in June and accused the Government of 'paying lip service' to the idea of regenerating high streets. She has become an outspoken champion of . small retailers and fought to try and revive town centres ravaged by the . impact of large supermarkets. However, she has effectively been . overruled by the equally combative Eric Pickles, the Secretary for . communities and local government, who has approved the Margate scheme. The . new Tesco, which had been fought by local residents and traders, will . be a massive 82,000 square feet and sit on what is a key site on the . seafront. Councils will be urged to concentrate shops into a main retail area and convert empty units into homes (file photo) The news will confirm suspicions that . the original decision to hire Portas was more of a publicity stunt than a . genuine attempt to help struggling high streets. In April, Ms Portas accused the . former Tesco boss, Sir Terry Leahy, of talking ‘crap’ when he described . the rise of supermarkets as progress. She . said: ‘That's absolutely crap. What happens is that 50p of every pound . is spent on food. 'If you take that off the high street and put it into a . 40,000ft out-of-town store and you provide free parking and everything . under one roof, then you start to take away not only the food shops, but . also the chemist, the fashion shops, the butcher… you start to displace . the whole high street.’ A Treasury spokesman said: ‘Small businesses are the backbone of the British economy. ‘We know for many that times have been tough. The Government has focused what help we can give on small businesses.’ Small businesses have been hit by a double whammy of punishing business rates and a persistent reluctance from banks to lend to them, writes Matt Chorley, MailOnline's Political Editor. The economic recovery has continued since the start of the year - growth hit 0.6 per cent the three months to June, double the rate seen in the first quarter. But even with more customers willing to spend, many small firms are struggling to make ends meet. Latest figures show banks cut back lending to small business in 80 per cent of the country's 120 postcodes from 2011 to 2012. Only 22 towns and cities saw lending increase, despite government pressure on the banks to increase funding for struggling companies. Business Secretary Vince Cable said it was 'frustrating'. At the same time business rates charges imposed by councils on company premises wipe out a growing slice of any profits. The Federation of Small Business found one in 14 companies now spend more on business rates than on rent. With another rise in rates due in September, it is feared more companies could go bust. | Nick Boles said council should concentrate shops in 'prime' locations .
£1.2m was given to 12 towns to help high streets but many are struggling .
Key recommendations in retail guru Mary Portas's report have been ignored . |
231,837 | b82959348e86abc2bd45f8fa55c0ba60efe7617a | PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) -- Walking down a street in Cambodia's capital city, Phymean Noun finished her lunch and tossed her chicken bones into the trash. Seconds later, she watched in horror as several children fought to reclaim her discarded food. Phymean Noun is helping give Cambodian children a chance at a better life. Noun stopped to talk with them. After hearing their stories of hardship, she knew she couldn't ignore their plight. "I must do something to help these children get an education," she recalls thinking. "Even though they don't have money and live on the sidewalk, they deserve to go to school." Six years after that incident, Noun is helping many of Phnom Penh's poorest children do just that. Within weeks, she quit her job and started an organization to give underprivileged children an education. Noun spent $30,000 of her own money to get her first school off the ground. In 2004, her organization -- the People Improvement Organization (PIO) -- opened a school at Phnom Penh's largest municipal trash dump, where children are a large source of labor. Today, Noun provides 240 kids from the trash dump a free education, food, health services and an opportunity to be a child in a safe environment. Watch Noun and some of the children who attend her school » . It is no easy task. Hundreds of them risk their lives every day working to support themselves and their families. "I have seen a lot of kids killed by the garbage trucks," she recalls. Children as young as 7 scavenge hours at a time for recyclable materials. They make cents a day selling cans, metals and plastic bags. Noun recruits the children at the dump to attend her organization because, she says, "I don't want them to continue picking trash and living in the dump. I want them to have an opportunity to learn." Watch Noun describe what life is like for children at the trash dump » . Growing up during the Pol Pot regime, Noun faced unimaginable challenges. "There were no schools during Pol Pot's regime," she recalls. "Everyone had to work in the fields. My mother was very smart. She told them that she didn't have an education. That was how she survived. If they knew she was educated, they would have killed her." Noun's mother died of cancer when Phymean was 15. Phymean's sister fled to a refugee camp, leaving her young daughter in Phymean's care. "When my mom passed away, my life was horrible, " says Noun. "It was very sad because there was only my niece who was 3 years old at that time." Yet Noun was determined to finish high school. Watch Noun describe the hardships of life during the Pol Pot regime » . That dedication paid off, and after graduating she spent the next decade working with various aid organizations. "I tell the children my story and about the importance of education," she said. "I'm their role model." Some of the children who attend her school continue to work in the dump to support themselves and their families. Without an education, she said, these children would be vulnerable to traffickers or continue to be caught in the cycle of poverty. "We are trying to provide them skills that they can use in the future," Noun said. "Even though we are poor and struggling and don't have money, we can go to school. I tell them not to give up hope." Noun has even bigger plans for them. "These children are our next generation and our country depends on them. They are our future leaders." | Children are large source of labor at Cambodian capital's largest trash dump .
Phymean Noun quit her job to give them an education -- and a way out .
Today she provides 240 children a free education, food and health services . |
5,944 | 10dc14699e6ba6761821ee9a43ace10f2a70cddc | By . Tom Kelly . PUBLISHED: . 08:55 EST, 11 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:21 EST, 11 June 2013 . Amateur singer: Rumours flew around the school that Jeremy Forrest had written a song for the girl . A married teacher absconded to France with an ‘infatuated’ schoolgirl half his age as their four-month relationship was about to be exposed, a court heard yesterday. Jeremy Forrest, 30, pursued his ‘vulnerable’ pupil with ‘flirtatious texts’ in a ‘gross and long-term breach of trust’, a jury was told. He seduced her for sex at secret meetings at his house while his wife was out, in his Ford Fiesta and in budget hotels where they stayed as Mr and Mrs Forrest, it was alleged. Forrest also reportedly met the girl in a local crematorium. But this was no ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story, the court was told. When colleagues repeatedly warned Forrest against encouraging the girl’s ‘obvious infatuation’, he told ‘bare-faced lies’ and denied that anything was going on, Lewes Crown Court heard. He even telephoned the teenager’s mother to complain about the effect the ‘falsehoods’ could have on his career, the jury heard. But after police were tipped off, the couple fled to France in what was described as ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’. The court heard how the runaways spent a week in Bordeaux under false names and dyed their hair to avoid being detected. They were eventually found after eight days. The fact that the schoolgirl was ‘undoubtedly a willing participant’ in the alleged abduction was no defence, prosecutor Richard Barton said. He said: ‘This is not Romeo and Juliet. This is a 15-year-old with her own vulnerabilities and a 30-year-old teacher. ‘When parents send their children to school they quite properly expect those who teach their children to care for them properly. This is a case of gross and long-term breach of trust.’ Forrest began to pursue the relationship when his pupil was just 14, and while he was teaching at Bishop Bell Church of England school in Eastbourne, the court heard. Allegations: Forrest (pictured in Lewes Crown Court yesterday) began to pursue the relationship when his pupil was just 14 years old while teaching at Bishop Bell Church of England School in Eastbourne, the court heard . The teenager had confided to friends at the start of 2012 that she had a crush on Forrest and during a school trip to Los Angeles in February she had said she enjoyed seeing him in his swimming trunks. On the flight home, Forrest sat next to her and held her hand, apparently to help calm her during turbulence. The incident sparked gossip among other pupils, and two teachers spoke to Forrest to warn him to ‘keep his distance’. But he started exchanging messages with the girl on Twitter and later gave her his private mobile phone number so that they could text each other more ‘flirtatious, intimate and inappropriate’ messages in secret, the court heard. Pictures found on the schoolgirl’s phone included one of Forrest, apparently taken by himself, in his underwear, the court heard. It was also rumoured that Forrest, a keen amateur musician, had written a song about the schoolgirl, the court heard. The schoolgirl also began to turn up early to school to visit the teacher in his room, often with other friends to ‘provide cover’. Forrest started having sex with girl around the time of her 15th birthday, the court was told. She used to slip away from her home, telling her mother she was spending the night with friends, it was claimed. Going inside: On the flight home Forrest (pictured arriving at Lewes Crown Court yesterday) sat next to the schoolgirl and held her hand, apparently to help calm her during turbulence . But when confronted again by teachers . about their concerns, Forrest became upset, and cried ‘crocodile . tears’, asking why these ‘falsehoods’ were being spoken about him, the . court heard. He even . telephoned the schoolgirl’s mother, and in an ‘utter lie’ denied the . allegations, despite the fact he was having ‘clandestine meetings’ with . his pupil, the prosecutor said. After . police were tipped off about the relationship in September, an officer . and social workers went to the schoolgirl’s home and spoke to her . mother, who agreed to hand over her phone for analysis. When the schoolgirl heard what had happened, she immediately went to see Forrest and the pair made plans to run away. Mr . Barton said: ‘Earlier in the year, when they were in the beginnings of . their relationship, they had discussed running away together but only in . general and rather fanciful terms, in a sort of forbidden love. ‘Now it seemed a more realistic and tangible possibility.’ Trial: Jeremy Forrest (pictured yesterday upon his arrival at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex), 30, pursued the 'vulnerable' pupil for months, a jury was told . That . night the schoolgirl secretly packed a bag of belongings and took it to . school the following day. Forrest booked ferry tickets in his . name and the name of his wife. The . schoolgirl arranged to spend the night with a friend and Forrest later . turned up to pick her up looking ‘ashamed’, the court was told. He told . the girl’s friends that he was ‘very sorry that he had to take her . away’. On the way to Dover she phoned a friend and said ‘Me and Jezz are going north’ in an attempt to put anyone off their trail. Hearing: The fact that the schoolgirl was 'undoubtedly a willing participant' in the alleged abduction was no defence, prosecutor Richard Barton QC told Lewes Crown Court (file picture) in East Sussex . Minutes . after boarding the ferry, Forrest sent a final text to his wife saying: . ‘Don’t worry I’ll call you tomorrow’, before getting rid of his phone. He was later pictured on the ferry’s CCTV hand-in-hand with the . schoolgirl. After dumping . the car in Paris, they travelled by train to Bordeaux, south-west . France. When Forrest submitted a false CV to an English bar in the city, . the owner recognised him from online news reports and contacted Sussex . police, the jury was told. After . liaising with French officers, police set up a sting operation which . allowed police to arrest him as he arrived for a trial shift. The schoolgirl returned to Britain soon afterwards and he was later extradited home to stand trial. Forrest denies child abduction. The case continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Jeremy Forrest, 30, pursued 'vulnerable' pupil for months, court hears .
They allegedly had secret meetings at his house while his wife was out .
Also 'exchanged flirtatious, intimate and inappropriate text messages'
Couple fled to France on a ferry where they spent a week in Bordeaux . |
197,409 | 8b82b9f0ded3a26164277d8c50f7f5cb455e23e8 | By . Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 11:45 EST, 22 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:13 EST, 22 February 2013 . A Chinese businessman was so angry about a filthy river in his hometown that he made an equally dirty offer: daring a local official £21,000 to swim in it. Jin Zengmin posted photos of the garbage-filled river on his blog, making the offer to local environmental protection chief Bao Zhenming. It comes as China's environment ministry admitted the country is home to 'cancer villages' - clusters of hundreds of people who have developed the fatal disease. Pollution: The Daqubang river is turned orange by iron discharged from nearby factories in Haiyan . Accused: Local media has accused companies of pumping toxic waste into the groundwater supply . Dirty: Green duckweed floats on the surface of Hanjiang River, running through the city of Wuhan . Mr Zengmin had grown frustrated about pollution in Rui'an city in China's eastern province of Zhejian . He said on his microblog that a . rubber shoe factory has been dumping waste water into the river and that . the area had an exceptionally high cancer rate. The challenge, made on Saturday, reflects a growing frustration among the Chinese public over widespread pollution and lack of governmental action. It quickly inspired at least one other offer, with another post appearing on Tuesday on an online forum offering a 300,000 yuan (£32,000) cash prize to the environmental protection chief in the nearby county of Cangnan if the official swam in polluted rivers there. Grey skies: A woman wears a mask as she walks in front of the CCTV building in Beijing in January when a blanket of smog covered the city . A Rui'an government spokesman would not say whether Mr Zhenming would accept the challenge. But he said the bureau had contacted Mr Zengmin and will take some measures, including working with residents to clean up trash in the river and putting up signs warning against dumping. He also said that the public should shoulder responsibility in protecting the environment and that the environmental protection bureau welcomes public supervision and participation in cleaning up local rivers. China's booming economy has caused serious water pollution, with a number of high-profile industrial accidents along major rivers. Hu Siyi, vice minister of water resources, said that 20 per cent of China's rivers were so polluted that their water quality was rated too toxic for human contact and that up to 40 per cent of the rivers were seriously polluted. Last month, around nine tons of aniline, a chemical used to make polyurethane, leaked into a river in northern China. The leak wasn't reported for five days, and by then it had contaminated the water supply of a city in a neighboring province. The government made it startling 'cancer villages' admission in its five-year plan for tackling air pollution. The document reads: 'In recent years, toxic and hazardous chemical pollution has caused many environmental disasters, cutting off drinking water supplies, and even leading to severe health and social problems such as 'cancer villages'. Campaigners have long called for the authorities to recognise the problem of contaminated soil, water and air, and to support those affected. Ma Jun, one of the countries leading environmentalists, told The Telegraph: 'I do think this shows a positive development. The recognition of the existence of problems is the very first step and the precondition for us to really start solving these problems. Unhealthy: Children pose for photos on the fog-shrouded Tian'anmen Square in Beijing in January . Warning: Fumes pour from cars on the busy roads of Harbin, where residents were advised to stay indoors . 'Before there was always this tendency to play down or even cover up the issues. If that continues then all these problems with air, water, soil and groundwater pollution and their health impact could drag on for a long, long time.' The plan outlines a crackdown on the use and production of nearly 60 toxic chemicals and warns the country faces a grave situation in terms of pollution controls and policies to regulate the use of such substances. Cancer is already China's biggest killer, with one in four residents dieing from the disease following an 80 per cent rise in the mortality rate from cancer over the past 30 years. But experts warns lung cancer rates in particular are only going to get worse because of the air pollution. The capital Beijing and other large cities have had to cope with numerous onsets of toxic smog already this year, which has made the authorities look at the issue. Shrouded in pollution: Buildings are barely visible in Beijing because of the thick cloud of smog . Lung damage: Even a healthy activity like cycling can be problematic when there is little clean air around . But allegations in the local media that factories have been pumping toxic waste into the groundwater supply has forced this issue onto the public agenda as well. Mr Deng, who has encouraged people to post pictures of such pollution online, added: 'If things continue like this, we will all be doomed. If the issue is not properly solved, not only will it kill people but it will also drag down the entire healthcare system because of the number of cancer patients it causes.' Ma Jun, from the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs said more research is needed to establish a clearer link between 'cancer villages' and pollution, and said China should introduced precautionary measures similar to those used by the United States and Japan. He added the government is much more willing to be open about the issue than it has been in the past, and said it signals a shift towards greater transparency by the country's secretive authorities. | Jin Zengmin had posted the pictures of the river in Rui'an city on his blog .
He then made the unusual offer to a local environmental protection chief .
It comes as the government acknowledge the existence of 'cancer villages'
The clusters of cancer sufferers are thought to be caused by pollution .
Growing frustration in China about pollution and lack of official response . |
277,619 | f3a463b6e1d10238f1e12f1d75d286b1cbf50a55 | (CNN)Edward W. Brooke III, the first black man popularly elected to the U.S. Senate, who died Saturday at 95, and Stuart Scott, the groundbreaking ESPN sports anchor who died Sunday at 49, transformed their country's perceptions of racial identity in distinct ways. Both challenged expectations by just being black. The reactions to their deaths signify the passage of time that separates them. When news that Scott's valiant and public eight-year battle against cancer ended Sunday morning in a Connecticut hospital, many people, especially those who had been ESPN devotees in the 20 years of Scott's tenure at the network, shared the kind of intimate bereavement associated with losing a family member or a close friend. In contrast, Brooke, who had been living in Coral Gables, Florida, when he died and was roughly 40 years removed from his Senate tenure, seemed a figure from so distant a past that people needed to be reminded of who he was and why he was important. Indeed, in what some call the "Age of Obama," it's hard for many to imagine, much less recall, what a huge thing it was for Brooke to be elected a Republican U.S. senator from Massachusetts in 1966. The last two African American senators, Blanche K. Bruce and Hiram R. Revels from Mississippi, achieved their seats a century before the way other senators did, through a majority vote of their state legislature, whose rare indulgence of black plurality came about through post-Civil War Reconstruction. (Only after the 17th Amendment of the Constitution was enacted in 1912 were senators elected by a popular vote.) Nowadays, the fact that Brooke was elected as a Republican back then likely raises more eyebrows among those who can't remember that back in the early-to-middle 20th century, the GOP remained for many African Americans the "Party of Lincoln" and was considered more trustworthy than a Democratic Party still beholden to a Southern segregationist bloc of elected officials. Brooke's electoral triumph was part of the African American advancement in the 1960s. More than one black household in New England and elsewhere watched TV with swelling emotion the night of November 8, 1966, when Brooke accepted his victory as "the answer the world has been waiting for," proving that "the people of Massachusetts judge you on your merit and your worth alone." It was a great moment, mitigated by changes that were, by that time, beginning to overtake the Republican Party and the civil rights movement. The GOP was gradually pulling away from its "moderate-liberal" wing to which Brooke had invested his political identity, asserting harder conservative values. Brooke, who placed himself in opposition to radicals on both sides of the political spectrum, seemed to more radical black politicians at best a throwback and at worst, an "Uncle Tom" appeasing the white political establishment. Even so, Brooke, who was briefly considered a potential running mate for the 1968 GOP nominee Richard Nixon, became one of Nixon's unwavering antagonists when the latter proposed two Supreme Court nominees whose civil rights credentials he believed to be dubious. His was also a staunch, often lonely voice among fellow Republicans, supporting abortion rights and school desegregation. He was denied a third term. In later years, he was critical of his party's rightward trend and was gratified to have lived long enough to have seen his country elect its first black president -- who was, in turn, grateful enough to Brooke's pioneer steps to give him a presidential gold medal in 2009. Stuart Scott's breakthroughs were quite different from Brooke's. There were no racial barriers to break down at ESPN when he began working there in 1993. But television anchors, whether in network or cable, news or sports, were expected in those days to maintain a smooth, stolid deportment with some elbowroom for empty "happy talk" between story blocks. It didn't matter if the anchors were black or white; indeed, Bryant Gumbel was for decades the model for balancing serious news with glitzy gossip. ESPN, by the early 1990s, had stretched the parameters of anchor comportment with such idiosyncratic hipsters as the bombastic Chris Berman and the droll Dan Patrick. Scott gradually made himself stand out among these strong personalities by bringing an up-to-the-minute hip-hop inspired patter as capable of sampling and mixing fragments and phrases as any rap DJ. Those phrases became riffs that recurred with every highlight tape and the riffs themselves became catch phrases that circulated through the cultural matrix. Sing along with us now: "Cool as the other side of the pillow!" "And the Lawd Says You Got to Riiiiiise Up!" "Just Call Him Butter 'Cause He's On a Roll!" And, of course, the ever-present "Booyah!" that was always looming over the next home run, slam-dunk or touchdown pass like the rim shot off a drum set. It was a style straight out of black musical-theatrical tradition that Scott brandished on the airwaves with such slick, causally adorned elegance that even viewers who were total strangers to anything with the hip-hop label got cozy with both the style and the man over two decades. Throughout, Scott made it clear to viewers that while his style was rooted in black culture, he was cosmopolitan and broad-minded in his interests. The proud North Carolinian could speak with informed passion about the life and death of Dale Earnhardt one day and come back the next breaking down the elements of a Chicago Bulls' "triangle" possession with the concision of a world-class linguist. While some African Americans scoffed at the way he relied on slang and pop argot for his effects, even they never questioned his authenticity, either as a professional broadcaster or as a streetwise observer. He helped bring a new archetype to intelligent black style, making doubters and haters alike re-evaluate their misgivings about turn-of-the-century "Afro Pop" while inspiring younger minorities to reimagine possibilities in journalism, on- and off-screen. Brooke changed the country as a black man breaking barriers. Scott changed culture as a black man being -- unapologetically -- himself. We're all better off because of them. | Edward Brooke and Stuart Scott, two important African Americans, died .
Both challenged expectations of what it means to be black and paved way for others . |
48,021 | 878f88637b4d07db2f4da7166583dabb17eb57c1 | Brazilian forward Lima scored two opportunist goals to give champions Benfica a 2-0 away win over Porto in the first Portuguese Classico of the season on Sunday. The Eagles claimed their first away win over their great rivals in the league for seven years in a match which featured only one Portuguese player, Benfica's Andre Almeida, at kickoff. The Primeira Liga leaders went ahead against the run of play in the 36th minute when the Porto defence was caught out by a long thrown-in and the ball bounced in front of Lima who bundled it over the line from six metres. Lima reacts quickest to Fabiano's parry to put Benfica 2-0 ahead and seal the win away to Porto . The Brazilian forward celebrates after his first goal, following some terrible defending by home side . Lima was clearly delighted with his double, as Benfica extended their lead at the top of the table . Benfica extended their lead just before the hour when Porto goalkeeper Fabiano failed to hold Anderson Talisca's low shot and Lima snapped up the rebound. Porto dominated the opening half hour and Hector Herrera should have put them in front but shot wide from close range following a break down the left. The hosts were frustrated again on the half hour when Benfica goalkeeper Julio Cesar made a superb stop to deny Jackson Martinez. Martinez's unhappy evening continued after the second Benfica goal. The Porto fans created an intimidating atmosphere, but lost at home to Benfica for the first time in seven years . Yacine Brahimi (left) loses out to Benfica's Enzo Perez as the pair battle for the ball in midfield . Jackson Martinez shows his frustration in a game where he missed a great chance and had a goal disallowed . The Colombia forward had a goal disallowed for offside and then headed against the crossbar from close range when it looked easier to score. Benfica continued their recent dominance over Porto, having knocked them out of both the Portuguese Cup and League Cup last season on their way to a domestic treble. The win took Benfica, who have 34 points from 13 games, six clear of Porto and Vitoria Guimaraes, who drew 0-0 with Rio Ave. Fredy Montero scored a last minute equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw for Sporting Lisbon at home to Moreirense as they stayed a modest fifth with 24 points. | Lima capitalises on sloppy defending to make it 1-0 after 36 minutes .
Brazilian gets his second after half-time after Fabiano spills a shot .
Benfica move six points clear at the top of the Primeira Liga . |
142,473 | 4442be1b8c830037487e0e10241ee49d58f37477 | By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 06:00 EST, 1 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:35 EST, 1 March 2013 . A young mother and professional footballer has died aged just 21 after losing her three-year battle with ovarian cancer. Emma Mincher from Droylsden, Great Manchester - who played for Blackburn Rovers - was diagnosed with the disease the day before her 18th birthday in March 2009. Mrs Mincher, who defied experts by having two daughters despite being told she could not have children, had been given the all clear - but was told the cancer had returned late last year. Tragedy: Emma Mincher, who played professionally for Blackburn Rovers with her daughter Molly-Rae (left) and Lilly-Mae (right) has lost her battle with ovarian cancer . Talented: Mrs Mincher played as a winger for Blackburn Rovers women's team - making thirty appearances. Her former coach described her as a 'special talent' Happy Times: Mrs Mincher celebrates Christmas with her husband Stefan (left) and their two daughters . After undergoing surgery to treat the cancer, she was old she would never have children - but Amazingly, in June 2010, Emma and long-term partner Stefan discovered she was pregnant - and their first child Lilly-Mae was born the following February. Against all the odds, they had their second daughter Molly-Rae a year later. But tragically Emma was struck down again by the cancer shortly after Molly's birth - and she had to have further surgery and chemotherapy. The couple married last July at Dukinfield Town Hall, followed by a reception at the Etihad Stadium, the home of their beloved Manchester City football club. Married: Emma Mincher at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium with her husband Stefan on their wedding day . Emma received the all-clear again from doctors at The Christie Hospital in Manchester - but just weeks after the news their worst fears were realised when the cancer returned again in November. Emma decided against further treatment because she wanted to enjoy the time she had left with her young family. Special: Mrs Mincher's husband Stefan described her as an 'inspiration' to others . She defied a bleak prognosis to survive . her first Christmas with Molly-Rae, and even threw a joint birthday . party for her daughters on February 16. She died four days later at Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne. Mr Mincher said: 'Emma was an inspiration to so many; a hero, a fighter who never gave up, or complained about her illness. 'She continued to beat the odds, out playing in the snow with the girls as recent as the end of January. 'Lilly is still asking for mummy - and that's heartbreaking - but we will make sure that Emma is never forgotten and that they know how much she loved them.' Mrs Mincher, whose maiden name was McDougall, played for Fletcher Moss Rangers football clun and was studying at Manchester College before she signed for Blackburn Rovers in January 2008. The winger made thirty first-team appearances, scoring five goals, but had to stop playing when she became ill. Rovers Ladies manager Scott Rogers said: 'She was a special talent and it's a tragic shame that she has been taken from us too early.' | Emma Mincher had been given the all clear but cancer tragically returned .
Gave birth to two daughters after being told she could not have children .
Talented footballer played for Blackburn Rovers' women's team . |
180,744 | 75f858299e8af9d6ec7ccdb3025b3fc5768d7ecc | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 10:05 EST, 5 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:33 EST, 5 August 2013 . A neighbour of Tia Sharp's grandmother was today jailed for five months after being convicted of wasting police time by giving a false statement that he had seen her alive. Paul Meehan, 40, who lived next door to Christine Bicknell and her murderer boyfriend Stuart Hazell, had told detectives investigating the schoolgirl's disappearance that he saw her walk past his home. The bus driver told officers he was ‘100 per cent sure’ he saw her walk past the house in New Addington, south London, on August 3 last year - but the 12-year-old was already dead. In court: Paul Meehan (left), 40, who lived next door to Christine Bicknell and her murderer boyfriend Stuart Hazell (right), had told detectives investigating Tia Sharp's disappearance that he saw her walk past his home . At Croydon Magistrates' Court, Meehan was convicted of ‘causing wasteful employment of the police by making a false report’. Hazell was jailed in May for a minimum of 38 years for killing Tia, but the court heard there was no suggestion Meehan was in league with the murderer. Meehan remained impassive as the verdict was delivered. However, as the hearing adjourned he sat down and buried his head in his hands. The last confirmed sighting of Tia was on Thursday August 2 last year at 4.30pm. She was murdered at some point that night going into the following morning. On Monday August 6 as the missing 12-year-old's family were frantic with worry, Meehan told police he had seen her walk past him the previous Friday while he was in his garden. Emotional: David Niles (left), Natalie Sharp (centre) and Christine Bicknell (right), the mother and grandmother of Tia Sharp, weep at Croydon Magistrates Court where Paul Meehan was convicted of wasting police time . He gave a detailed and ‘vivid’ description of what she was wearing, the court heard, which delayed . police from interviewing Hazell earlier. 'He wouldn’t be the first or last person to derive some . satisfaction, however subconsciously, of playing the role of the last person to . see the victim of a homicide alive' Jocelyn . Ledward, prosecuting . But . police had spoken to Meehan about the case three times before he . finally said he saw her. He claimed that he ‘confabulated’ seeing her - . his brain mistakenly filled in the blanks in good faith. Jocelyn . Ledward, prosecuting, said Meehan had ‘deliberately lied’ possibly to . put himself in an important position in what was then a missing persons . inquiry. She said: ‘He wouldn’t be the first or last person to derive some . satisfaction, however subconsciously, of playing the role of the last person to . see the victim of a homicide alive.’ Tragic case: The last confirmed sighting of Tia Sharp was on Thursday August 2 last year at 4.30pm. She was murdered at some point that night going into the following morning . She added that Meehan had texted his wife about his police . dealings and that there was a ‘hint of him being puffed up’ by . the focus being on him. 'You basked to some degree in the attention your disclosure brought you' District Judge Karen Hammond . Meehan’s solicitor, David Healey, said his client - who has . one previous conviction for theft - has been suffering from depression since . his arrest. He said there was no medical or psychological evidence of . him wanting the attention. District Judge Karen Hammond said Meehan was unreliable. She said: ‘I am satisfied so that I am sure, that is to say, beyond reasonable doubt. The offence is made out. The verdict therefore can only be one of guilty.’ Jailing him for five months, she said: 'You basked to some degree in the attention your disclosure brought you.' | Paul Meehan, 40, lived next door to Christine Bicknell and Stuart Hazell .
Bus driver told police he saw Tia Sharp walk past South London home .
But 12-year-old had been killed by Hazell who was jailed for 38 years . |
180,764 | 760045df4315cdd568a2eaa272869d6a8d3b1c39 | Barcelona may have made the headlines for Lionel Messi's record breaking exploits over the course of the last week, but the Catalan club's arch rivals responded by making their own little piece of history Saturday. Real Madrid notched up a club record 16th consecutive victory in all competitions -- a run that stretches all the way back to the middle of September -- by overcoming a gallant Malaga 2-1 away from home despite having midfield-star Isco sent off late on. Karim Benzema stretched to tuck home Cristiano Ronaldo's cut-back after 18 minutes to put the reigning European champions on their way. Gareth Bale sealed the points late in the second half by racing clear of the Malaga defense and lofting the ball beyond Carlos Kameni. Isco was then sent for an early bath after earning a second booking for tripping up Samu Castillejo before Roque Santa Criz grabbed an injury-time consolation for Malaga with a looping header. The result stretches Real's lead atop of the La Liga table to five points, although Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia will be looking to reduce that deficit when they play tomorrow. All the focus after the game, however, was on the new club record. "We have achieved a record that demonstrates the work we have been doing," said midfielder Marcello in comments carried by the Real Madrid website. "But the goal we set ourselves is to win every game with humility, work and struggle." Real will now look to extend the record when they face U.E. Cornella in the Copa Del Rey on Tuesday. In the day's early La Liga fixtures, Athletic Bilbao ran out 2-1 winners away to mid-table Getafe while Espanyol had too much for Levante, running out 2-1 winners. Bundesliga . Bayern Munich's seemingly unstoppable march to a third straight Bundesliga title continued apace Saturday with a 1-0 victory away to Hertha Berlin. Arjen Robben's first half goal was enough to stretch Pep Guardiola's men lead atop the table to 10 points, although that could be reduced back to seven if second place Wolfsburg overcome Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen moved up to third with a 5-1 hammering of FC Cologne while unfancied Augsburg rose to fourth by overcoming struggling giants Hamburg 3-1. Fifth placed Schalke made up for their humiliating midweek loss to Chelsea by defeating Mainz 4-1 in Gelsenkirchen. In what was perhaps the game of the day in Germany, though, Hoffenheim edged out Hannover 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller. Ligue 1 . Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck early on at the Parc de Princes to give Paris Saint Germain a narrow 1-0 win over mid-table Nice. The Swedish striker lashed home from the penalty spot after 15 minutes and despite coming under pressure in the second half the Parisians held on for the win. The hard-earned result means reigning French champions have closed the gap on league leaders Marseille to a single point. Elsewhere in France Saturday, Monaco's stuttering start to the season continued with a 2-0 loss away to fourth placed Rennes. Goals from Aymen Abdennour and Ola Toivanen were enough to ensure Leonardo Jardim's side couldn't follow up their impressive Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the week. Further down the table Lens defeated Metz 2-0 while Caen and Montpellier drew 1-1. | Real Madrid set new club record of 16 consecutive victories .
Goals from Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale secure 2-1 win over Malaga .
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain both win in busy day of European football . |
225,341 | afcf8eb5673c2927cf46eb54a8e1d23b7f956fa9 | (CNN) -- Joann Killeen is president of the Killeen Furtney Group, the Los Angeles, California-based public relations firm that represented octuplet mom Nadya Suleman. Nadya Suleman had her octuplets through fertility treatments. Suleman, who underwent fertility treatment, gave birth to six boys and two girls January 26 in Bellflower, California. She already had six children at home. The Killeen Furtney Group recently stopped representing Suleman because of death threats that came in to the firm's office, Killeen said Monday on CNN's "Larry King Live." Following is an edited transcript of Killeen's conversation with King: . Larry King: When you did this show February 3, you were representing her. Now you're not. Why not? Joann Killeen: Well, Larry, the number of death threats that came into our office, both by e-mail and voice mail, we had to make a decision about what was in the best interests of our own personal safety and that of our firm. So we met with the police department on Friday. We filed a criminal report. We provided them with all the information with all the threats. And they told us that we should take this very seriously. Watch Killeen describe receiving threats » . King: Why you and not her? Killeen: Well, they've also threatened her. But the majority of the threats are coming to our office. I mean, Nadya doesn't have an e-mail account. She doesn't have a computer. So there's no way to reach her. So the closest thing they can do is come after me. And they have -- and just in painful, painful ways. King: How would do you characterize the nature of the threats? Killeen: Well, they've said to me that I should be put down like an old dog, I should be paralyzed, my client's uterus should be ripped out, she should be put on an island. I mean, Larry, I don't know what's happened with America, but they are really, really angry and letting me know what they think about this issue. King: Do you take special security precautions? Killeen: Yes, I do. Yes, I do. We have extra patrols on our street. ... We're very conscious. The police department has been absolutely wonderful to work with. They've given me a special number to call if anybody stakes out my house, as they have before. I've been followed by paparazzi. I'm not a celebrity, so it's a different position for me to be in. King: How did you inform Nadya that you were no longer. ... Killeen: Well, we talked on Friday. And she's had death threats, and I've had death threats. And she's very upset that someone would come after us and come after her. I mean she says: "I'm just a mom. I don't know why everybody is so upset. I'm just a mom trying to do the best job that I possibly can." Watch Killeen explain that no money has been made off the publicity » . King: Why do you think people are so angry -- crazy enough, angry to threaten killing? Killeen: Well, I think they are frustrated by a lot of things. When the news came out that Nadya was receiving some state disability from an injury and that she was trying to rehab and find a new career and go to school and she also had children at the same time, I think the taxpayers just absolutely flipped out and said, you know, we're paying for this and we're not getting our own fair share of government services. We pay a lot of taxes, the economy is bad, there's no jobs. They're angry. King: If you're getting threats, what do you imagine she's getting? Killeen: Well, and I've seen them, because, again, there's no e- mail account. So they're sending them to me. ... People will call my office and just say profanity on the phone. And with caller ID, I know exactly who they are. Others have sent handwritten notes to me with horrible words that I never would repeat on the air, Larry. And they even put their return address on them so -- as if I'm going to return that call. King: What about the stories that she's obsessed with Angelina Jolie -- even had work done on her face to look like her more? Killeen: You know, I asked her about that. And she just laughed. She said remember, with the octuplets, I put on 100 pounds -- a hundred pounds of extra body weight for my babies. So of course things are going to look a little different than they did when I first started. King: She does look like her. Killeen: Well, I think hair and makeup, you could probably look like anybody you'd want to look like. She has said to me she has not had plastic surgery of any kind. And so I have to believe what my client tells me to be factually correct. King: So the only reason you're out of this is threats on you and the firm, not because of any qualms with her? Killeen: Oh, no. Not at all. Larry, I just can't run my business and continue to do the things that I need to do for my clients with constant death threats and phone calls and interruptions. You know, I took on this account because I'm a mom and a grandma, and I wanted to help someone who needs help with the media. I did this pro bono. I've made no money. I have no intention of getting any money. And I think people need to realize I just did this out of the goodness of my heart to help a woman who didn't know how to work with the media. King: Does she keep in touch with the father? Killeen: The sperm donor? King: Yes. Killeen: They have a very limited relationship. He's not active in their life at all. King: Why are we mad at her? Killeen: That's a good question to ask America. If you look at the e-mails that are coming into my office, they're saying they think that she's worked the system. They think that she's been able to stay home and live off of the taxpayers and have these multiple children. She's not organized. She doesn't have any kind of structure, you know; isn't six children enough? She intentionally went out to get eight children. And, you know, remember, Larry, she worked with the same doctor for every [in vitro fertilization] attempt. Based on her history of six embryos implanted, she got one child. The doctor told her the most this last attempt would be would be either one baby or twins, at the most. So she was shocked, he was shocked. Nobody expected eight children. That's the big -- big misnomer here. Everybody thinks she went and ordered eight and she got eight. She didn't. King: Where does she go from here? Killeen: Well, I'm confident, as we continue to talk, that there are resources that are available to her, and she will collaborate with, you know, church leaders in her area. And hopefully the American public can get beyond their anger about her choices and her decisions and think about those eight little kids, Larry. You know, it's all about those kids. That's the whole reason why I took on this account, was to help the mom with those eight little kids. | President of PR agency says people have made death threats by phone, e-mail .
Doctor told mom to expect either one baby or twins, not eight, Joann Killeen says .
Angry people tell Killeen they think mom's able to stay home, live off taxpayers . |
231,678 | b7f4f328ce05f12bc2b602648f012a1a9bd2661f | JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- An undersea cable plugging east Africa into high speed Internet access went live Thursday, providing an alternative to expensive satellite connections. The cable links southern Africa to Europe and Asia. SEACOM, the cable provider company, opened its 17,000 kilometer submarine cable, capable of 1.28 terabytes per second, allowing the region true connectivity. Most Africans rely on expensive and slow satellite connections, which make the use of applications such as YouTube and Facebook extremely trying. "This is going to reduce the cost of doing business in Africa, within Africa and with international parties" said Suveer Ramdhani, SEACOM spokesman in South Africa. "The cable is as thin as a hair strand, and in one second it can download the same amount of data that 160 people use in a month." SEACOM, privately funded and 75 percent African owned, will provide retail carriers with open source access to inexpensive bandwidth. It has taken less than three years to complete the mammoth project, providing landing stations at South Africa, Kenya, Madagascar and other points along the east coast of Africa. But telecoms analyst James Hodge said that some of the more ambitious hopes for the system -- such as impacting the continent's socioeconomic problems -- will be long-term, and that initially it will be those already connected who will see the benefits. The launch was delayed by a month because of increased activity by pirates along parts of the African coast. Security teams were beefed up to protect the slow moving cable layers. Neotel, a South African communications network operator, is the largest SEACOM customer in South Africa and is the country's landing partner, providing both the coastal landing station and Johannesburg data center for the submarine cable. Neotel managing director Ajay Pandey is excited about the opportunities for growth presented by the SEACOM cable. "With this cable coming in, the pipe size opens up, so more and more people are able to get faster and better connectivity, hopefully at a lower price. It can't be more expensive than what it is today." SEACOM Chief Executive Officer Brian Herlihy added: "Turning the switch 'on' creates a huge anticipation, but ultimately, SEACOM will be judged on the changes that take place on the continent over the coming years." South Africa has been hobbled by high costs and extremely slow bandwidth, effectively keeping the country on an information back road rather then the superhighway. There is much anticipation and hope that the cable will ensure Africa keeps up with the developed world in Internet connectivity, providing greater speed, flexibility and, potentially, a complete socioeconomic transformation. Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said in his opening address: "It's the ultimate embodiment of modernity." His speech was beamed via SEACOM from a launch in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to the simultaneous launch in Johannesburg, South Africa. | Undersea SEACOM cable links southern and east Africa to Europe, Asia .
System provides cheaper alternative to satellite connections .
17,000 km cable capable of 1.28 terabytes per second .
SEACOM spokesman: This is going to reduce the cost of doing business . |
169,422 | 67392a6231c4d6716f67212636bb454fe147b0ca | Real Madrid completed a 9-1 aggregate rout of third tier side Cornellà thanks to an exhibition first half from James Rodriguez and Isco. Carlo Ancelotti’s team were already 4-0 up in the Spanish Cup round of 32 game and were able to field a weakened team with Cristiano Ronaldo watching from his VIP box with young son Cristiano Ronaldo Junior. The Cup holders also had 22-year-old third choice keeper Fernando Pachecho in goal and gave a rare start to frustrated Manchester United loanee Javier Hernandez. James Rodriguez gives Real Madrid the lead as the Colombia international lifts the ball over Cornella goalkeeper Alberto . James points towards team-mate Isco after the Spain midfielder played the pass through for the Colombian to open the scoring . Real Madrid players celebrate after James makes it 1-0 to Carlo Ancelotti's side in the 16th minute at the Bernabeu . Isco lifts the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper to make it 2-0 to Real Madrid with a similar finish to James's opener . Cornella' Alberto can do nothing to stop Isco's clever finish as the goalkeeper goes to ground to early . VIDEO Real Madrid in cruise control . Real Madrid: Pacheco, Arbeloa, Varane (Llorente 46), Nacho, Coentrao, Illarramendi, Khedira (Jese 57), Medran, James, Isco, Hernandez . Subs not used: Navas, Sanchez, Carvajal, . Goals: James 16, 34, Isco 32, Borja (og) 60, Jese 77 . Booked: Illarramendi 37 . Cornella: Aberto, Pere, Borja, Pelegri, Israel, David, Luis, Gomez, Oscar Munoz (Trujillo 56), Gallar, Boniquet . Subs not used: Segovia, Marti, Caballe, Garcia . But it was two first-teamers who stole the show. James scored after 16 minutes with a lob over Cornellà keeper Iñigo Alberto after being set-up by Isco. And the Colombian repaid the favour on 34 minutes with a stunning through ball that Isco scored from. Chicharito Hernandez was desperate to get in on the act in the first half but missed the perfect chance on the half hour when his effort from Fabio Coentrao’s cross was saved. He made amends moments later with a delightful flick on the edge of the area to set up James for goal number three. All this after Madrid had so nearly fallen behind. Captain for the night Alvaro Arbeloa clumsily bundled over Xavi Boniquet but the Cornellà forward picked himself up and blasted the penalty over the bar when the scores were still at 0-0. The Santiago Bernabeu was only a third full for the second leg despite Madrid have drastically dropped prices. Behind the South goal a huge banner read ‘no to violence, no to racism, one sentiment: Madridismo’ in response to the violence that preceded Sunday’s Atletico Madrid Deportivo match leaving one man dead. The rest of the stadium applauded when the banner was unfurled. Also greeted by huge applause was the return of Jese Rodriguez who injured his right knee eight months ago cutting short what was turning into an exception first season that could even have won him a place at last summer’s World Cup. Isco celebrates with James, who set up the goal with a perfectly weighted pass that split the Cornella defence . Javier Hernandez beats the keeper with a shot but the ball rebounds off the bar and bounces in off defender Borja Lopez . Jese Rodriguez returned to action following a nine-month spell on the sidelines and marked the occasion with a goal . The forward finished with a crisp strike low to the goalkeeper's right after being set up by Isco in the second half . Real Madrid fans showed their support for the returning Jese who suffered a serious knee injury last season . Jese finally came on in the 65th minute when Sami Khedria went off concused after clashing with Israel Delgado. Madrid made it 8-1 on aggregate when Borja Lopez put through his own net after Chicharito’s clever lob came back off the cross-bar – the United man so nearly get the goal he wanted but the last touch was definitely the defender’s. He had another chance shortly afterwards when Jese’s run and cross played him in but he just failed to make contact. Jese got on the scoresheet himself shortly after to mark his comeback in style. It was Isco – who else – who played the pass and the winger converted to celebrate his return after 258 days out of action and make it 9-1 over the two legs. | Real Madrid led third-tier Cornella 4-1 from the first leg of the round of 32 Copa del Rey clash .
Cornella missed a penalty in the 15th minute before James Rodriguez gave the hosts the lead moments later .
Isco and James added two more goals before half time as Real Madrid strolled towards their 17th consecutive win .
A Borja Loez own goal made it 4-0 before Jese Rodriguez completed the rout on his first appearance in nine months . |
166,522 | 6354f7d3c13cc4ac9361f11559411a6d860e9088 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 16:04 EST, 7 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:22 EST, 8 July 2013 . Douglas Dayton, the man who led the transformation of a family department store into retailing giant Target Corp., has died at the age of 88. Dayton's wife, Wendy Dayton, confirmed his death Sunday. She said the resident of Wayzata, west of Minneapolis, died Friday after a long battle with cancer. Douglas James Dayton was the youngest of George Nelson Dayton's five sons who took over the family's downtown Minneapolis department store from their father in 1948. Family business: Douglas Dayton (left) took over his father, George Drayton's (right) store, in 1948 . Target: The company has stores in 49 of the country's 50 states, as well as Canada and parts of India . Douglas Dayton started working in the family business after serving in an Army infantry division in Europe during World War II, where he was injured and received a Purple Heart. Having worked as a store manager, Dayton sensed the threat of discount retailers like Kmart. In 1960, he became the first president of Target, and within two years, the company had opened four Target stores in the Twin Cities suburbs. 'Target was the best job I had,' he recalled in a May interview with the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune. Humble beginnings: The first Target store was opened in 1962 in nearby Roseville, Minnesota . Dayton is the uncle of Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton. The governor issued a statement calling his uncle 'an extraordinary businessman, philanthropist, and leader of our family.' According to an obituary prepared by his family, Douglas Dayton left the Target presidency in 1968 and returned to help run the Dayton-Hudson department store parent company. That business eventually was consolidated into Target Corp. The company has expanded nationally and into Canada, and is now ranked No. 36 on the Fortune 500. The Dayton family has not been involved in its ownership or operations for a number of years. All things to all people: Target recently opened a new store concept, called CityTarget. The first stores were opened in July, 2012, in Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles . Most of the former Dayton's department stores in Minnesota are today operated by Macy's. Dayton left the company in 1974 and formed a venture capital firm. He retired in 1994 but remained active in a number of charitable and philanthropic groups. 'He and his brothers shared a common vision for improvement to the community, and to give back what the community had given them,' Wendy Dayton said Sunday. She said he focused his philanthropic efforts on expanding access to education and social justice, and to preservation of the arts and nature. | Douglas James Dayton took over the family’s downtown Minneapolis department store from their father in 1948 .
In 1960, he became the first president of Target, and within two years, the company had opened four Target stores in the Twin Cities suburbs .
Dayton is the uncle of Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton.
The governor issued a statement calling his uncle 'an extraordinary businessman, philanthropist, and leader of our family.'
There are now more than 1,800 stores across the US & Canada .
Target stores exist in every U.S. state except Vermont . |
114,423 | 1fa8226183d37fa889820c3e714818de5af71152 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A family were left devastated when their new puppy was taken from them and placed into quarantine after he was discovered to be an illegal immigrant with a fake passport. Little Milo had only been living with the Donkin family for three weeks when trading standards officers arrived to take him away. The five-month-old white Maltese Terrier was one of ten puppies imported illegally from Holland. Little Milo (pictured with owner Eleanor Donkin) had only been living with his new family for three weeks when trading standards arrived to take him away . The five-month-old white Maltese Terrier was one of ten puppies imported illegally from Holland . During a trip to the vets, Eleanor was told Milo hadn't had the right injections and that his passport looked false . The family had no idea there was anything wrong until they took the dog for a routine check-up and a vet noticed his passport looked false. Trading Standards officers were contacted and Milo was taken into quarantine, much to the despair of Eleanor, 16, who had convinced her mother Carolyn, 48, to buy the dog. Eleanor, from Hexham, Northumberland, said: 'I didn't think we would be coming home with a puppy but as soon as I saw him my heart melted. 'We'd spotted him for sale online and met up with the seller to have a tentative look. 'He was the last boy puppy left, and as soon as I saw him I knew I had to have him. 'We had no idea that there was anything wrong with Milo. He was such a loveable perfect puppy and I was so happy to have him in my life.' Milo was taken into quarantine after trading standards had been contacted, much to the despair of Eleanor who had convinced her mother Carolyn to buy the dog . Three weeks after Milo was taken, he was reunited with his family with all his jabs up-to-date . But sadly his brother and sister were not so lucky and had to be put down . 'I couldn't imagine life without my little ball of fur': Eleanor's family were forced to spend nearly £500 on Milo's quarantine after it was discovered that he had been illegally smuggled into the country from the Netherlands . Milo and his siblings were sold by John Graham, a furniture salesman from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, who brought them to England without their rabies injections, selling them off to unsuspecting families across the North East . During a trip to the veterinary . surgery, Eleanor was told Milo hadn't had the right injections and that . his passport looked false.. She was told to contact trading standards, who then ordered the dog to be quarantined costing £490. She said: 'I didn't consider for a second that it was anything wrong with him. They said he might have to be put down. 'I didn't want anyone to take Milo away from me but I knew I had to protect mum and I too. 'The day that trading standards came to take him away I made the man promise that I would get him back,' she added. Milo jumps for joy . Pet owners bringing their dog, cat or ferret into the UK are able to do so without placing it in quarantine so long as they meet the rules of the Pet Travel Scheme. This requires pets travelling in to or returning to the UK from an EU or non-EU listed country to have a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a pet passport or official third country veteninary certificate and tapeworm treatment (for dogs only). The owner must also be an authorised carrier and on an approved route. Those travelling from an 'unlisted' country however must ensure their pet has a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a blood test, an official third country veterinary certificate and tapeworm treatment (for dogs only). Again, those transporting the pet must be an authorised carrier and taking an approved route. Puppy smuggler Graham pleaded guilty at Bedlington Magistrates' Court to importing puppies into the UK from Holland in breach of the Rabies Order 1974 . The puppies were sold by John Graham, a furniture salesman from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, who brought them to England without their rabies injections, selling them off to unsuspecting families across the North East region. Graham pleaded guilty at Bedlington Magistrates' Court to importing puppies into the UK from Holland in breach of the Rabies Order 1974. Three weeks after Milo was taken, he was reunited with his family with all his jabs up-to-date. However, his brother and sister weren't so lucky and had to be put down. Eleanor said: 'I couldn't imagine life without my little ball of fur. We are delighted to have him back.' | Milo had been living with family for three weeks when he was taken away .
Was one of ten white Maltese Terrier puppies imported illegally from Holland .
He was reunited with family three weeks after being taken from them . |
78,153 | dd921d5b86ef7733ca81cb9143beafa7aab143cf | Major League Baseball umpire Dale Scott says he is gay, the latest such disclosure in sports. Scott has been a member of the big league staff since 1986 - meaning 29 seasons - and is a crew chief. He worked the World Series in 1998, 2001 and 2004. The 55-year-old told the website Outsports.com he married Michael Rausch in November 2013 and that MLB and the other umpires were aware of his sexuality. Scott said he made a deliberate decision to go public in a low-key manner. He had provided Referee magazine a photo of himself with Rausch going to last year's opening series in Sydney for an October story. The caption in the issue stated: 'He and his longtime companion, Michael Rausch, traveled to Australia for the 2014 season opener between the Diamondbacks and Dodgers.' In the game: Dale Scott, seen on June 5 calling out St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina after a play review, says he is gay and that he married his longtime partner in November 2013 . Scott said in a story posted by Outsports on Tuesday that 'My thought process was, is that there's a story about my career and how I got started in umpiring and they're talking to people I have known since junior high and it didn't seem right to have a whole story and pictures without a picture of Mike and I, someone who's been with me through this entire process. We met the October after my first year in the big leagues. 'Obviously, when I sent that picture to Jeff [Stern, Referee magazine's editor], I knew exactly what it meant. In a small way, this was opening that door in a publication that wasn't going to be circulated nationwide. It could be picked up, but it's not Time magazine. I made that decision to go ahead and do it because I felt it was the right thing to do.' He continued, 'I realized that it could open a Pandora's Box, but this is not a surprise to Major League Baseball, the people I work for. It's not a surprise to the umpire staff. Until Mike and I got married last November, he was my same-sex domestic partner and had his own MLB I.D. and was on my insurance policy. 'This is not going to be some huge flashing news to Park Avenue [MLB headquarters], but I also didn't want to be making some coming out story, some banner headline, because that's not how I operate. It's not a shock to MLB management because they're well aware of my situation and it's not a shock to the umpire staff. If it would have been, I don't think I would have done it.' Tough call: Scott is seen in a dispute with Texas Rangers' Ron Washington and Gerald Laird during an August 2008 game . Scott did not hear from anyone regarding the publication of the image showing him and his husband though he received congratulatory comments for the profile, Outsports reported. According to the website, Scott and Rausch first crossed paths when they were both at the same Portland gay bar in 1986. Scott told Outsports 'It's still a headline, look at Michael Sam. People scream at me because I'm an umpire. The last thing I want is people screaming at me because I'm gay. I'm an umpire who happens to be gay. I'm not trying to be some gay person who happens to be an umpire.' Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig praised Scott. 'To his friends and colleagues throughout the game, Dale is universally regarded as a class act,' he said in a statement. 'All of us at Major League Baseball are very proud of him, just as we have always been.' Scott's decision to go public follows that of others in sports. Basketball center Jason Collins became the first openly gay player in one of the major North American professional leagues in April 2013. He announced his retirement last month at age 35. Defensive end Michael Sam, the Southeastern Conference's 2013 co-defensive player of the year, came out in February. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams with the 249th pick in May, cut in August, signed by Dallas for its practice squad, then released by the Cowboys in October. Midfielder Robbie Rogers announced he was gay in February 2013 following his release from Leeds in England. He signed with Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy that May and has revived his career this year with a move to defender. University of Massachusetts junior guard Derrick Gordon became the first openly gay player in Division I men's basketball in April. He made his announcement on ESPN and Outsports. Other out professional players include WNBA stars Brittney Griner and Seimone Augustus and National Women's Soccer League players Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe. | Major League Baseball umpire Dale Scott says he is gay, the latest such disclosure in sports .
Scott has been a member of the big league staff since 1986 and has worked three World Series .
The 55-year-old has said he married Michael Rausch in November 2013 and that MLB and the other umpires were aware of his sexuality . |
16,278 | 2e29ff8c5c16199aa7dd6ae3b8d72ed5fc7f0283 | (CNN) -- A former supervisory FBI agent has been arrested and jailed on child pornography charges. Donald Sachtleben was taken into custody and charged Monday after a nationwide undercover investigation of illegal child porn images traded over the Internet. The 54-year-old resident of Carmel, Indiana, has pleaded not guilty and has a detention hearing in federal court Wednesday. A federal complaint alleges 30 graphic images and video were found on Sachtleben's laptop computer late last week when FBI agents searched his home, about 23 miles north of Indianapolis. The arrest was a result a months-long probe, said the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Joseph Hogsett. "The mission of our Project Safe Childhood initiative is to investigate and prosecute anyone found to (be) engaged in the sexual exploitation of children," Hogsett said in a news release. "No matter who you are, you will be brought to justice if you are found guilty of such criminal behavior." Sachtleben is currently an Oklahoma State University visiting professor, according to his online resume. He is director of training at the school's Center for Improvised Explosives, but all references to his work have now been removed from the university's website. There was no indication from the school as to whether it had suspended him. Calls to the university and his Indianapolis attorneys were not immediately returned. He had been an FBI special agent from 1983 to 2008, serving as a bomb technician. He worked on the Oklahoma City bombing and Unabomber investigations, according to his university biography. A separate LinkedIn profile filled out by Sachtleben says he is an "accomplished investigator with more than 25 years of experience in FBI major case management, counter terrorism investigations, bombing prevention, post blast investigations and public speaking." According to the criminal complaint, a federal-state joint task force had been investigating an Illinois man allegedly trading child porn images as far back as September 2010. That suspect was arrested in January, and a search of his computer reportedly led to Sachtleben, who was using the e-mail name pedodave69. According to the affidavit, an e-mail from that account was sent to the Illinois suspect last fall, along with nine images of child porn. "Saw your profile on (a file sharing network). Hope you like these and can send me some of ours (sic). I have even better ones if you like." Prosecutors say Sachtleben sent that e-mail. Sachtleben's wife was interviewed by agents during the execution of the search warrant and denied any involvement with child porn. She was not taken into custody. FBI officials in Washington had no comment on the arrest. If convicted, Sachtleben would face up to 20 years in prison on the charge of distribution of child porn, and an additional 10 years for possession. The Justice Department's Project Safe Childhood initiative was launched in 2006, leading to what federal officials call a more than 40% increase in the number of cases investigated. The project's website says 2,700 indictments were filed last year alone. The case is U.S. v. Sachtleben (1:12-mj-316). | Donald Sachtleben has a detention hearing in federal court Wednesday .
The arrest was a result of a months-long probe, a U.S. attorney says .
Police say he e-mailed child pornography pictures to another suspect .
As an FBI agent, he worked on the Oklahoma City bombing and the Unabomber case . |
208,991 | 9aa3ffaf7ebe15f0a03bc9d2713e31e5c2038896 | Sir Nicholas Macpherson, the most senior mandarin at the Treasury, has revealed that they will seek to play a 'critical role' in the referendum debate . Treasury mandarins are planning to issue a stark warning . about the economic perils of withdrawing from the European Union. In a move that has enraged Eurosceptics, officials are set . to publish a formal report in the run up to a referendum arguing that it will . damage Britain’s trade relations if the UK votes to leave in 2017. Sir Nicholas Macpherson, the most senior mandarin at the . Treasury, has revealed that they will seek to play a ‘critical role’ in the referendum . debate, just as the department has done in the argument over Scottish . independence. The Treasury produced a report arguing that a Yes vote in . Scotland would damage the economy. In a speech to the Mile End Group, a politics forum at Queen . Mary, University of London, Sir Nicholas said: ‘Just as the Treasury has played . a leading role in setting out the implications of Scotland leaving the free . trade area that is the United Kingdom, so would I expect it to play a critical . role in setting out the economic implications of the options of staying in or . leaving the EU, should there be a referendum on our membership in the next . Parliament.’ He signalled that the Treasury would argue that Britain . needs to be in the EU to benefit from free trade in the single market and deals . between the EU and other countries. ‘A belief in free trade links seamlessly the Treasury of . William Gladstone to that of George Osborne,’ Sir Nicholas said. ‘The Treasury . has always taken the view that the United Kingdom is a small country with few . natural resources. Its prosperity rests on trade. And the fewer the impediments . there are to trade, the more the economy will grow and the greater the . prosperity of the nation.’ A senior Government source made clear that the Treasury . would argue that Britain must stay in the EU and said Sir Nicholas’s views are . also shared by the Chancellor George Osborne. Asked if the Treasury will argue for the UK to remain, the . source said: ‘Absolutely. Sir Nicholas is of the view that while there are . aspects of the EU which need to be reformed it would not be in Britain’s long . term economic interests to go it alone. That is a view which is shared by the . Chancellor.’ The Tories have promised to hold a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU by 2017 of David Cameron is Prime Minister after the 2015 election . The revelations led Tory MPs to accuse the Treasury of . attempting to scare the public in favour of a ‘yes’ vote. Leading Eurosceptic Douglas Carswell said: ‘These comments . clearly show that Macpherson and the Treasury are not neutral players in the . debate about Britain’s future in Europe. ‘They are signed up members of the “yes” campaign already. In . some ways it is useful to know – because at least we will know who we are up . against in the referendum. ‘But in a way it is not surprising because it was Whitehall . grandees who took us into this wretched club in the first place.’ Bill Cash, chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, . criticised Sir Nicholas for speaking out. ‘I think it is extremely unwise for officials to make . remarks of this kind on sensitive issues of national importance,’ he said. The Treasury refused to comment. ‘Sir Nicholas’s comments . speak for themselves,’ a source said. | Sir Nicholas Macpherson reveals plan to argue against exit from Europe .
Treasury has produced warnings on the dangers of Scottish independence .
David Cameron promises to hold EU referendum by the end of 2017 . |
72,350 | cd18f3d5b2c946718be454f6e753959760d27a43 | By . Jenny Hope Medical Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 18:23 EST, 1 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:42 EST, 2 April 2013 . Bowel cancer rates among men have soared by more than a quarter in the last 35 years, new figures have revealed. But the rise among women is far lower, at around six per cent. A report from Cancer Research UK says reasons for the widening gap in disease rates between the sexes remains a mystery, although it is replicated in other countries. Bowel cancer is linked to lifestyle factors such as obesity and diets high in red and processed meat and low in fibre. But some experts believe the link with obesity seems to be stronger in men. Bowel cancer rates among men have soared by more than a quarter in the last 35 years, new figures have revealed . Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK after lung cancer. Incidence of the disease has climbed from 45 cases per 100,000 men in 1975-77 to 58 cases in 2008-10, a rise of 29 per cent, said the report. Over the same time period, rates for women have increased only slightly from 35 to 37 per 100,000. The biggest rise was seen among people aged in their 60s and 70s, who now account for 23,000 new cases each year. However, bowel cancer survival is improving, with half of all patients living for at least 10 years after being diagnosed. The figures are released to mark bowel cancer awareness month and the launch of a new campaign by the Bobby Moore Fund. Professor Matthew Seymour, from the University of Leeds, who is director of the National Cancer Research Network, said: ‘We know the risk of bowel cancer increases as we get older and, since we’re all living longer, it’s no surprise to see that the number of people getting the disease is rising. ‘But when we look at these figures and take people’s age into account, we still see that the risk of bowel cancer has gone up in men in the last 35 years. It’s important to find out what’s behind the rise and what we can do about it . ‘The good news is that, thanks to research, we have seen huge improvements in bowel cancer survival over the last 40 years. Smoking, an inactive lifestyle, heavy alcohol intake of more than 4 drinks a day also increase the risk of bowel cancer . ‘It’s this research that’s led to better drugs to treat the disease, improved surgical techniques, the use of more radiotherapy and the introduction of bowel screening to spot the disease earlier, when it is most effectively treated.’ Around 42,000 cases of the disease are diagnosed annually in England, including 18,500 in women and 23,000 in men. Three-quarters of cases are found in people aged 65 and over, and the increasing age of the population is a major reasons for rising rates. Smoking, an inactive lifestyle, heavy alcohol intake of more than 4 drinks a day also increase the risk of bowel cancer. Dr Julie Sharp, senior science . information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘Bowel cancer survival . rates have doubled over the last 40 years and our work is at the heart . of this progress.’ She said the newly introduced NHS . national bowel screening programme had played an important role by . picking up cancers early, when treatment is more likely to succeed. Stephanie Moore founded the Bobby Moore Fund in partnership with Cancer Research UK after her football star husband died of bowel cancer in 1993. To date, the fund has raised around £20 million for research and awareness projects. Mrs Moore said: ‘It’s good to see that despite the rise in incidence, bowel cancer survival is improving. However, it’s vital we continue to fund research to fight this disease as these new statistics show. ‘Bowel cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, after lung cancer. 'Finding a way to beat bowel cancer has been my goal for the past two decades and my hope is that by increasing awareness and helping to fund Cancer Research UK’s vital research, many more lives can be saved from this terrible disease in the future.’ The new ‘Make Bobby Proud’ campaign will encourage people to spread the word about the disease and raise funds. It is especially aimed at the football community, as men are more likely to suffer from bowel cancer. | But the rise among women is just 6 per cent, says Cancer Research UK .
The biggest rise was seen among people in their 60s and 70s .
Disease is linked to factors such a lack of fibre and too much red meat .
Some experts also believe the link with obesity seems to be stronger in men . |
80,029 | e2d7b14183783cf2903a7a625f42b8505fdc603f | (CNN) -- Perhaps, now the candidates will play nice. For all their insistence on how unlike they are from one another, the three U.S. presidential candidates share some noteworthy family connections, the New England Historic Genealogical Society has found. Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who has made his opposition to the Iraq war a linchpin of his campaign, is distantly related not only to President George W. Bush but also to another wartime leader -- former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Because of his shared ancestry with President Bush, Obama is also indirectly related to his rival on the Republican side, Sen. John McCain. McCain, it turns out, is a sixth cousin of First Lady Laura Bush. Meanwhile, Sen. Hillary Clinton, is related to beatnik author Jack Kerouac, Canadian Prime Minster Pierre Trudeau and Camilla Parker-Bowles, wife of Prince Charles of England. Clinton also shares ancestors with Grammy Award-winning singers Celine Dion and Madonna. The senator won a Best Spoken Word Grammy for the audio version of her book, "It Takes a Village." Rival Obama also snagged one in the same category for his book "The Audacity of Hope." Conservatives who sometimes accuse Democrats of being in bed with liberal Hollywood elites may have been handed one more round of ammunition by the Society's findings. Clinton, the Society said, is related to Angelina Jolie. And Obama is related to Jolie's boyfriend Brad Pitt. Watch a report on the candidates' family trees and other news » . The New England Historic Genealogical Society, founded in 1845, says it is the oldest such organization in the country. Members spent three years tracing the lineage of the candidates. Among its other findings: . McCain, the Vietnam War veteran who spent five years as a prisoner of war, descends from a long line of kings: Scottish King William the Lion, English King Edward I and French King Louis VII. Obama, the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, is "related to millions of contemporary Americans - perhaps even a significant percentage of the population," the researchers said. He is cousins with six U.S presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman and Gerald Ford. He is also linked to American artist Georgia O'Keefe, the Duchess of Windsor and two men who signed the Declaration of Independence. Most surprisingly, Obama -- the man who could become America's first African-American president -- is linked by ancestry to Robert E. Lee, who commanded the armies of the Southern slave-holding states during the American civil war. Bedfellows, it turns out, make for strange politics. E-mail to a friend . | New England Historic Genealogical Society studies candidates' ancestry .
Hillary Clinton is related to Angelina Jolie, Jack Kerouac and Madonna .
Barack Obama is related to Brad Pitt; John McCain shares a link to Laura Bush . |
119,181 | 25ef8140e4a435d64d7d6872fb237b102d1e65cf | It is the quirky new fitness craze that swept fitness studios across America at the start of last year. Finding popularity in the UK and Europe too, it is the newest yoga trend on the block - and its health benefits come highly rated. And now, AntiGravity Yoga has found itself a very famous fan in the form of Gwyneth Paltrow. The athletic actress has written a rave review of the practice on her blog and, if her svelte figure is anything to go by, it is working a treat. Famous fan: Athletic Gwyneth Paltrow wrote about her enjoyable experience of aerial yoga . AntiGravity Yoga, the brainchild of . acrobat and gymnast Christopher Harrison, involves a thorough workout a . few feet above the ground in a silk hammock that can close around the . person inside to form a peaceful pod. New . classes first launched around the USA and franchises have been set . up in Ireland and Italy and the UK. Speaking about her experience, 40-year-old Gwyneth wrote: 'We spent an afternoon in Richard Holroyd’s intimate studio that houses four AntiGravity Hammocks - basically a hammock made of silk that you can lie, hang, stretch in and more. Cocoon craze: Closing yourself off inside the hammock allows you to focus on your mind, body and spirit and Gwyneth Paltrow is a huge fan . 'At first, we just got used to being in the swing - part of what makes it so special is the sense of suspension. 'Then Richard showed us several moves with the hammock. In comparison to other yoga classes, the moves felt constructive without feeling like a chore.' Founder Christopher came up with the system while playing with hammocks on an Indian retreat in 1996. He continued to study yoga and . invented apparatus for his dance troupe using flying silk to help them . exercise and prepare for acrobatic displays. Christopher, 50, said: 'I'd been travelling all over the world performing and had put a lot of strain on my body. Newfangled dangle: Christopher Harrison's yoga class really took off in New York . 'But we discovered that hanging upside down in the hammocks helped to get all the kinks out. 'We put hammocks in our practice room and used them as part of our warm up. 'It was not only a beautiful apparatus for flying, but a great way to decompress our spine after long flights. 'The combination of yoga and the silk hammock was inevitable.' Less of a strain: The hammock helps take the weight off the spine and joints. Christopher Harrison developed his system after struggling to perform yoga poses on the ground because of wrist problems . Christopher struggled with yoga poses on the ground because of wrist problems but found his practice much more successful in the air. 'Using the hammock wasn't challenging on my wrists,' he said. 'I put one in my house, and me and my friends would find ourselves hanging around in it. Fitness fan: Gwyneth is a big fan of keeping fit . 'Inside the hammock, you close off everything around you and have awareness of mind, body and spirit. 'My mother wanted to exercise but she struggled because of a back problem. 'But she tried AntiGravity yoga and was successful.' He developed the system over the next ten years and now runs yoga classes 17 times a week from a Manhattan studio. 'AntiGravity Yoga has become so popular that there are already similar classes springing up in England,' said Christopher. 'We'd like people to come to a real AntiGravity class and find out about the original.' Hanging . upside down refreshes the body's systems, helps blood flow, and allows . everyone to try postures such as the headstand and handstand, he added. The . technique uses a fusion of around 40 per cent yoga with acrobatics, . dance, gymnastic moves, pilates and other disciplines and the flying . silk allows participants to travel and flow freely between postures. 'We've been working on developing the system for ten years and it is still evolving,' said the instructor. 'Now we have classes for pilates, for kids, for people with special needs. 'My mom can do it, everyone can do it. That was the most important thing to me, that it is inclusive.' Gwyneth . isn't the only celebrity to be relishing the rewards of the practice. Mariah Carey and The Made In Chelsea cast are fans too. | Gwyneth latest celebrity fan of fitness craze sweeping the globe .
Participants use silk hammocks to improve blood flow and stretch spine .
Can also form cocoons to find zen state .
Made in Chelsea cast and Mariah Carey also fans . |
272,182 | ec8be78c4263d8a973cd21be5cef0767a73d6436 | Former senator John Edwards launched a verbal attack on his mistress Rielle Hunter when he found out she was pregnant, calling her a 'crazy slut', his former aide testified today. Taking the stand for the second time, Andrew Young told the court Edwards was 'very angry and concerned' when he found out about the baby in 2007 and told Young there was only a one-in-three chance the baby was his. He also told the court about the intricate system of check writing used to hide funds given to Edwards my millionaire Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon, which he said 'felt and smelled wrong' even though he was assured it was all legal. Family support: Former U.S. Senator John Edwards arrives with his daughter Cate at the federal court house in Greensboro today for the second day of his trial . Second testimony: Andrew Young, left, the federal government's key witness in the criminal campaign finance case against Edwards, arrives at court today . It also emerged today that Edwards' secret weapon in the trial is his Harvard law graduate daughter Cate - . who was said to have been whispering legal advice in her father's ear . throughout jury selection and opening statements - in which the . prosecution called him a 'master manipulator'. When Andrew Young returned to the witness stand today, he said he worried about secretly using money from wealthy donors to support the former U.S. Senator's pregnant mistress during the candidate's 2008 presidential bid. 'It just all seemed crazy. It felt and smelled wrong,' he said. Young is the federal government's key witness in the criminal campaign finance case against Edwards, who failed to capture the Democratic presidential nomination. The former aide was granted immunity from prosecution for his testimony. Young told jurors how he coordinated three-way phone calls between himself, Edwards and Hunter to keep the affair secret from Edwards' wife, Elizabeth. Hunter also met up with John Edwards at hotels on the campaign trail, Young said. Hunter for a time worked as a videographer for Edwards' campaign, but she lost her job after Edwards' wife found out about the affair. Key witness: On his second day on the stand, Andrew Young, said Edwards assured him the money coming from wealthy donors was legal . Young said he and Edwards tried to . figure out where they could get money to support her and eventually . settled on heiress Rachel 'Bunny' Mellon, an Edwards admirer who is now . 101. Mellon had offered to help Edwards . with campaign expenses after he took a beating in the press for his . expensive haircuts. Young said he did not tell her the money would be . used to cover expenses for Edwards' mistress, who had threatened to go . public about their relationship. 'I told (Mellon) that we had a . non-campaign expense that would benefit Mr Edwards, and we needed her . help,' Young told the court. Cate Edwards is seen as the secret weapon in her father's trial . Mellon eventually wrote seven checks . totaling $725,000 to her interior decorator. The decorator then sent the . checks to Young's wife to co-sign using her maiden name, Young said. In the checks' memo lines, Mellon used descriptions such as 'chairs' and 'antique Charleston table', government exhibits showed. Edwards says he did not know about . the money from Mellon, but Young said the two men discussed seeking the . payments and whether the arrangement using the decorator and Young's . wife was legitimate for a presidential campaign. 'He said it was completely legal, that it was a non-campaign expense,' Young said. He has not yet discussed how other payments from campaign finance chairman Fred Baron came about. Edwards' defense is expected to go . after Young's credibility during cross-examination. During opening . statements on Monday, the defense said Young pocketed most of the donor . money and used it to help bankroll a $1.5 million home for his family. Young thought Edwards was his 'ticket to the top', the defense said. When things soured, he recruited others to testify against Edwards in the criminal prosecution, according to the defense. The defense also tried to undermine him yesterday by revealing that he had a one-night stand with another witness in 2007. Violation of federal law: Andrew Young pictured with his wife Cheri contacted three witnesses in the John Edwards criminal trial to ask about their possible testimony said the judge in the trial yesterday . Possible defence witness: Rielle Hunter, the former mistress of John Edwards, enters the federal courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, Thursday, August 6, 2009 with the pair's child Frances Quinn Hunter . U.S District Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles said that former Edwards aide Andrew Young slept with a young . campaign employee and also contacted three other witnesses in the past . two weeks to consult with them about their planned testimony. Prosecutors say Edwards, 58, . manipulated Young into soliciting more than $900,000 from two wealthy . donors to hide the affair and pregnancy, and avoid destroying his . campaign. John Edwards leaves the federal court house after his second day on trial, which is expected to last six weeks . They say Young was so dedicated to . Edwards that he agreed to falsely claim paternity of mistress Rielle . Hunter's baby at Edwards' request. According to the New York Post, Cate Andrews sat directly behind her father yesterday in the federal . courtroom in Greensboro, North Carolina. Edwards and his attorneys consulted . with her at least six times in the 45 minutes it took to whittle down 45 . jurors to the final 16, almost making her the fourth member of his . legal team. Cate was also active during Edwards . campaign for presidency in 2008. She temporarily gave up practicing law . after her mother Elizabeth died from breast cancer in December 2010. She now runs the Elizabeth Edwards Foundation, which provides educational opportunities to underprivileged children. The judge ruled that lawyers for Edwards . could mention the improper contact to . jurors in opening arguments on Monday, but barred them from using the term . 'witness tampering' or telling the jury that Young had a one-night . stand with one of the other witnesses in 2007. 'It wasn't just a marriage on the . line,' said prosecutor David Harbach. 'If the affair went public it . would destroy his chance of becoming president, and he knew it. ...He made a . choice to break the law.' The judge seated 12 jurors and four alternates Monday morning. The panel is . made up of nine men and seven women drawn from central North Carolina, the . state that elected Edwards to serve one term in the U.S. Senate. Each had already given Edwards' campaign the maximum . $2,300 individual contribution allowed by federal law. Edwards denies having known about the . money, which paid for private jets, luxury hotels and Hunter's medical care. Prosecutors will seek to prove he sought and directed the payments to cover up . his affair, protect his public image as a 'family man' and keep his . presidential hopes viable. Heiress: Bunny Mellon, right, is one of the wealthy donors who allegedly provided Edwards with almost $1million to cover up his affair . Motherly love: Edwards helps his mother Bobbie Edwards as they leave the federal court house today where she supported him in his trial . It is alleged as part of this, Young and his wife invited the pregnant . Hunter to live in their home near Chapel Hill and later embarked with her on a . cross-country odyssey as they sought to elude tabloid reporters trying to . expose the candidate's extramarital affair. Former aide Young later fell out with Edwards and . wrote an unflattering tell-all book, 'The Politician.' And just recently, Young and Hunter ended a two-year legal battle over ownership of a sex tape the . mistress recorded with Edwards during the campaign, agreeing to a settlement . that dictates that copies of the video will be destroyed. While Young is expected to be a witness for . the prosecution, the defense is likely to call Hunter to testify. After years of adamant public denials, . Edwards acknowledged paternity of Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, in 2010. The girl, now 4, . lives with her mother in Charlotte and is visited frequently by Edwards. And despite rumours Edwards and Hunter were looking to get married, a recent sighting reported to the New York Post claims the one-time secret romance is no more. The old flames were seen eating together at . Rooster's Wood Fire Kitchen in Charlotte where they often take their . daughter Frances Quinn, four, and apparently looked far from a couple in . love. A staff member at the restaurant said: 'They . didn't seem romantic. You would think that they were a married couple . if you didn’t know them. He sat across from her in a booth.' Hunter's publicist Rosemarie Terenzio confirmed the couple see each other often but not romantically. She . told the Post: 'No, she wasn’t ever engaged to him. They see each other . often. They raise Quinn together and they do so extremely amicably.' | Former Democratic presidential contender called a 'master manipulator'
Harvard law graduate Cate advising her father during trial .
He faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted over $1m donations 'to hide his affair from family'
Andrew Young testifies that Edwards told him the money was legal .
Was 'very angry' when he found out about Hunter's pregnancy .
Said there was only 'one-in-three chance' it was his . |
6,880 | 137faef4eabaf2e7c868efe835075e946b23927e | (CNN) -- Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz has set off a political firestorm in Pakistan with his claims that he was brokering an offer from Pakistan's civilian leaders to the Pentagon to unseat the leadership of the Pakistani military. Those accusations forced the resignation on Tuesday of Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani, who Ijaz says orchestrated this proposal, which was delivered in a unsigned memo in May to Adm. Mike Mullen, then-U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state that is home to a number of Taliban groups that attack U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan and also is home to what remains of al Qaeda's "core" organization. Haqqani helped smooth over many tense moments in the important U.S.-Pakistan relationship, including the shooting in January of two Pakistanis by CIA contractor Raymond Davis and the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in northern Pakistan in May. Ijaz has said that the offer to get rid of the leadership of the Pakistani Army was sanctioned by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. The story is an explosive one in Pakistan, where relations between the civilian government and the military leadership are often tense and the United States is deeply unpopular. Writing in the Financial Times on October 10, Ijaz explained that, "The embarrassment of bin Laden being found on Pakistani soil had humiliated Mr. Zardari's weak civilian government to such an extent that the president feared a military takeover was imminent. He needed an American fist on his army chief's desk to end any misguided notions of a coup -- and fast." Haqqani denies being involved in any such scheme, and Mullen says that while he did receive a memo that made this kind of offer-- delivered to him by Obama's former National Security Adviser James L. Jones -- he ignored it because it just didn't seem credible. According to Ijaz, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, Pakistan's powerful military intelligence chief, recently traveled to London to meet with him, where he "forensically tested" Ijaz's evidence, which consists of Blackberry messages between Ijaz and Haqqani. While the affair has already brought down Haqqani, a longtime critic of Pakistan's military establishment and a well-known figure in diplomatic and national security circles in Washington, it could also damage the country's civilian government. Haqqani's wife, Farah Ispahani, is President Zardari's spokeswoman and a prominent member of the governing Pakistan People's Party. The man at the center of it all . Who is Mansoor Ijaz, the Pakistani-American businessman at the center of this twisted tale? Born to a family of Pakistani immigrants in Tallahassee, Florida, Ijaz grew up in rural Virginia, the son of two college teachers. After getting an undergraduate degree in nuclear physics from the University of Virginia and an MA in engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the early 1990s Ijaz founded Crescent Investment Management, a New York investment firm. Crescent was politically well-connected. Ijaz's partner in the firm was retired Air Force Lt. General James Alan Abrahamson, who played an instrumental role in President Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative ("Star Wars"). Another Washington heavyweight, the former CIA director R. James Woolsey, was chairman of the board of Ijaz's publicly listed company, Crescent Technology Ventures PLC, based in London. In the mid-'90s, Ijaz gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Democratic Party, and hobnobbed with the Clintons at fund raising events. In 2003, journalist Richard Miniter, in a book titled "Losing Bin Laden: How Bill Clinton's Failures Unleashed Global Terror", relied on Ijaz as the principal source for the key part of his thesis, which concerned the five years Osama bin Laden spent in Sudan in the early and mid- 1990s. Miniter described multiple attempts Ijaz made between August 1996 and 1998 to interest the Clinton administration in improving relations with Sudan, as well as Sudanese offers to hand over intelligence on al Qaeda. In his account to Miniter and in later writings, Ijaz claimed to have helped draft a proposal for Sudan to provide intelligence on al Qaeda to the Clinton administration, and that Sudan had offered to arrest bin Laden. Clinton administration officials did not take Ijaz up on any of his offers to help because they viewed him as "a Walter Mitty living out a personal fantasy," according to Miniter. And the 9/11 Commission, which interviewed Ijaz, concluded that were was no "credible evidence" that the Sudanese had made any offer to hand over bin Laden. In a 2004 interview with Fox News about Iraq, Ijaz, in his then-capacity as a foreign affairs analyst for the network, made another sensational claim: Chemical warheads were being smuggled into Iraq for a potentially catastrophic attack against American troops. And to top it off, Ijaz strongly suggested that the whole plan was given the green light by hardline Iranian mullahs. The story had everything to attract attention -- Mad mullahs! WMD on the loose in Iraq! (At last!) And the threat of thousands of potential American casualties. Ijaz now concedes, "This was an erroneous report based on information I had received from a former intelligence official on the ground in Iraq. I did not second source this story." Ijaz also told CNN, "I have written over 170 op-ed columns, appeared over 200 times on television and have not once had a word of what I said retracted due to factual errors." (Ijaz has written one op-ed for CNN.com). Ijaz told Fox in 2003 that "eyewitness sources" placed Osama bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in Iran. Asked by host Brit Hume about the sourcing of the story, Ijaz responded, "I can just tell you that the source is unimpeachable. It is from inside Iran. These are eyewitness accounts." There was, of course, nothing to this story. Ijaz now says, "At the time I made it, I believed the source who had given the data to me." Described as a "U.S. nuclear proliferation and terrorism expert," Ijaz told the Gulf News newspaper in 2006 that Iran not only had a nuclear bomb, it was seeking to "duplicate them in large numbers before revealing their existence to the world." Five years later, Iran still does not have a nuclear weapon, but Ijaz asserted to CNN, "They had in my view then, and it remains my view now, at least one nuclear weapon stored in component parts." In August 2003 Ijaz told the British newspaper The Guardian that he had learned that the Bush administration had brokered a deal with Pakistan's dictator, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, not to capture or kill bin Laden so as not to cause unrest in the Muslim world. Ijaz told The Guardian "There was a judgment made that it would be more destabilizing in the longer term (if bin Laden were captured or killed). There would still be the ability to get (bin Laden) at a later date when it was more appropriate." Ijaz provided no evidence for this claim, and the idea that the Bush administration would do a deal to let bin Laden go free is ludicrous on its face. Ijaz told CNN "I stand by my comments, taken in full context, throughout that article." Peeling back the layers of the story . Pakistan's government and Pakistani and American journalists continue to look into story behind "Memogate." What is puzzling about all of this -- if the allegations are true that Ambassador Haqqani used Ijaz to propose a deal to remove Pakistan's military leaders to Mullen -- is: Why would Haqqani use Ijaz to do this? After all, Haqqani has many formal and informal contacts at the Pentagon, and Ijaz has a history of making sometimes exaggerated or erroneous claims, and his record as an unsuccessful freelance diplomat with Sudan in the 1990s is a matter of public record. Finally, if Haqqani was looking for a discreet back channel to the Pentagon, Ijaz turned out not to be the ideal messenger as he was the person who outed the whole affair in the pages of the Financial Times last month. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bergen and Andrew Lebovich. | Pakistan's ambassador to the U.S. resigns over memo to Adm. Mike Mullen .
Peter Bergen, Andrew Lebovich: Memo spoke of ousting Pakistan national security team .
A Pakistani-American businessman disclosed the events in an opinion article .
Authors: It's unclear why ambassador would use go-between to make the "offer" |
70,752 | c88e8aa531bc16c00cf5962b7b1a08e87c993151 | By . Katherine Faulkner . PUBLISHED: . 12:57 EST, 14 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:34 EST, 16 March 2012 . Hand pressed to her mouth in horror, her face is a picture of fear and concern. And little wonder – this is the moment Zara Phillips saw her jockey ex-boyfriend thrown from his horse at Cheltenham yesterday. The queen’s granddaughter could only . watch aghast from the royal box as Richard Johnson tumbled spectacularly . to the ground during his race. His horse crashed through the railings . and into the crowd, drawing gasps from thousands of bystanders. Worrying: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, left, and Zara Phillips, centre, reactin horror as Robert Johnson falls badly on Wishful Thinking on the second day of the Cheltenham Festival . Horrific: The jockey and horse collide into the barrier and photographers leaving Mr Johnson sprawled on the ground . Anxious time: Despite their stormy four-year relationship, Zara is clearly concerned about the condition of ex-boyfriend Robert Johnson . Concerned: The Duchess of Cornwall and Zara Phillips point following the horrific fall . Horrified: The Duchess of Cornwall can't hide her horror after Wishful Thinking fell at the Cheltenham Festival . Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was standing beside Zara and winced as the horse fell on to Johnson, crushing his left leg. The injured jockey was lifted into an . ambulance on a stretcher, in visible pain. He was taken for emergency . treatment and ruled out of the rest of the day’s races. Last night Johnson was said to be . recovering well, having suffered only a soft tissue injury. ‘He had a . lucky escape because it looked a terrible fall,’ a racing official said. ‘He is obviously shaken, but physically, he is in remarkably good shape.’ Tumble: Richard Johnson, Zara Phillips' ex boyfriend, begins to go down after Wishful Thinking falls after jumping a fence . Shocking: A photographer dramatically captures the moment Wishful Thinking buckles following a jump . Racecourse horror: This image shows how fortunate Wishful Thinking was not to have been seriously injured . Nasty: Mr Johnson clearly looks concerned as he falls at high speed during the Queen Mother Champion Chase . His horse, Wishful Thinking, was also said to be recovering. Zara and Johnson had a tumultuous relationship which lasted more than five years. They eventually split in 2003. Johnson, 34, had been riding in the . Queen Mother Champion Chase – a race beloved by the Royals. Camilla . backed the winner, Finian’s Rainbow, and was seen cheering in delight . when her horse came in first. Painful: Wishful Thinking and Richard Johnson fly into the inside barrier of the course . Injured: A photographer was left with a facial injury following the fall . Chaotic: Wishful Thinking is caught as Richard Johnson and a photographer lie injured on the floor. Mr Johnson fortunately suffered only minor injuries . The Duchess of Cornwall was also a . winner in the fashion stakes, leading the trend for faux fur on what was . an unusually chilly Ladies’ Day at the festival. She wrapped up against the cold in a chocolate brown hat with a broad fur trim and a teal boucle coat with a velvet collar. Zara, 30, wore a brown pillbox hat . trimmed with feathers and a rose corsage. She was joined at the races by . her husband, rugby player Mike Tindall. • The second day of the festival was . again marred by tragedy. Abergavenny and Featherbed Lane were both put . down after sustaining broken legs in the Coral Hurdle. Three horses died . on the opening day. Past and present: Zara Phillips is seen arriving at the Cheltenham Festival with husband Mike Tindall, left. She can be seen on the right with ex-boyfriend Richard Johnson in 2003 . | Richard Johnson fell badly on Wishful Thinking during the second day of racing at the famous event .
34-year-old fell as his former girlfriend of four years looked on in horror with the Duchess of Cornwall .
Horse and jockey both recovering well . |
277,708 | f3beec57e3d217debf220e44e117b324760053c5 | By . Lizzie Parry . PUBLISHED: . 12:50 EST, 7 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 02:12 EST, 8 February 2014 . Igor and Marek Marcin offered their unsuspecting victims the promise of a better life in the UK. But for 15 men who travelled from eastern Europe the reality was very different - they were forced to live in cramped conditions with other workers, and were given just a fraction of their wages. The brothers, from Slovakia, are today behind bars, after admitting trafficking men into the country. Igor Marcin, left, and his brother Marek, right, were jailed for trafficking men from eastern Europe into the UK, promising them a better life. Judge Jonathan Gosling told the pair they 'dehumanised' their 15 victims . Sentencing the pair, Judge Jonathan Gosling, said their exploitation was 'targeted and cynical'. He told them: 'In a word, these men were dehumanised.' Igor Marcin, 36, from Derby, was jailed for four years and four months while 40-year-old Marek, also of Derby, was given a three years and four month sentence. The Marcins preyed on vulnerable men, who were desperate of a better life. They offered their victims a good job, accommodation and food. But when their victims, who were of Slovak and Czech origin, arrived in Derby they found a very different reality. They were forced to live in the defendants' homes, sharing bedrooms and sleeping on mattresses on the floor, prosecutor Jonathan Spicer said. They were fed at set meal times but were banned from taking food from the kitchen at any other time. They had no access to the internet or post, and were allowed little or no social interaction with their fellow victims. The brothers took away their victims' identity documents and passports and forced them to open bank accounts, from which they gave them 'pocket money' of around £10 or £20, while they took the rest for themselves. The men had no access to their earnings, were not given bank cards or allowed any of the documentation relating to their accounts. Igor Marcin's wife Dagmar Marcinova, admitted fraud and theft and was jailed for 10 months. Marek's wife, Gabriela Marcinova, also admitted a charge of theft and was sentenced to eight months in prison . One victim was under the impression his wages were being held but would eventually be given to him, the court heard. Mr Spicer said: 'He understood his money was being saved for him by Igor so he did not question why he was only earning £20 a week.' One man was told he owed money to pay off the travel costs to the UK but the money taken far exceeded this cost. Benefits and tax credits were also claimed in the names of their victims, Derby Crown Court heard. Following the sentencing, one victim spoke out about his treatment and how the brothers had taken all his documents and most of his wages, leaving him with no means of escape. In a statement released through police Frantisek Ruzicka, 44, said he was brought to Derby from the Czech Republic and shared a room in a house in Cameron Road with three other men. Describing the conditions he lived in, he said: 'It wasn’t full of fleas but there were beetles. There were four of us in one room. 'I would wake up at 3am and you are being eaten alive by these flat beetles. You have got all these spots all over the place. At 6am, you are supposed to be getting up and going to work. 'I was working in a flower factory and you have bites all over the place and you want to scratch yourself but you can’t. The itching was terrible, I really couldn’t cope. 'They had all my documents so it was impossible to get work elsewhere. I was thinking of going back to the Czech Republic but I had no money so how could I?' Mr Ruzicka said he hopes his experience will encourage other people in the same situation to contact police. He added: 'Do not be afraid. Tell the police and police will deal with it. All those people who were in charge were arrested. 'They wanted a lot and now they have ended up with nothing.' The charges related to 12 men, but a total of 15 had been identified, between 2010 and July 2013, when the brothers were arrested. The men were made to work in a number of jobs including at car washes, as flower packers, and in food factories. The court heard more than £101,000 had been claimed in state benefits and tax credits by the Marcins, and a further £53,444 was stolen from the wages paid to the workers. The court also hear that on two occasions Marek Marcin assaulted one of the men when he complained about his circumstances. 'He was saying to him words to the effect: ‘Who is the boss?’ He was slapped round the face.' It was only when one of the victims plucked up the courage to go to the Salvation Army last April and tell them his story that the dire situation the men were in came to light. Judge Gosling told the brothers they had 'carefully selected' their victims. 'Their own description of their circumstances in Slovakia - leading rather lonely, aimless lives with scant family support - made them an easy target for your plan,' he said. The Marcins both pleaded guilty to offences under section four of the 2004 Asylum and Immigration Act. Igor’s wife Dagmar Marcinova, 38, who admitted fraud and theft, was sentenced to 10 months. She took money from one of the victim’s bank accounts and stole cash from another. Marek’s wife Gabriela Marcinova, 42, pleaded guilty to theft after stealing money belonging to one of the victims. She was sentenced to eight months. Both women walked free from court because they have already served half of their sentences since they were remanded in custody following their arrests last year. The two couples were arrested on July 15 by Derbyshire police officers, the National Crime Agency’s UK Human Trafficking Centre and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA), who visited several addresses across Derby. They found 12 victims of human trafficking at the houses. The men were taken to a special reception centre, set up by Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, the Salvation Army and the British Red Cross. A police spokeswoman said nine of the victims have returned to their home countries while three remain in the UK, being supported by police and specialist charities. The officer in charge of the case, Detective Inspector Emlyn Richards, today welcomed the sentence. He said: 'While we are obviously pleased that the Marcin brothers and their wives have been sentenced, the real success of this operation is that these victims are no longer being exploited. 'When they arrived at the reception centre and started to tell us what had happened to them, we were shocked by what we were hearing. 'They lived in cramped conditions, with just a mattress on the floor to sleep on, and were only receiving a fraction of what they were actually earning - around £15 to £25 for a full working week. 'Meanwhile, the Marcin family were driving around in high-value cars. The traffickers kept the men’s documents so they had no way of leaving. 'Some of the men had chemical burns where they had been made to work at car washes in just their slippers. 'The chemicals had seeped through the footwear and burnt their skin. One victim told of how he removed his own tooth because he was denied access to a dentist. 'We were also told of a man who had suffered constant earache but was denied medical treatment. 'To end the pain he was in, he perforated his own ear drum. 'Another victim told us how over several months he had managed to save about £55, which he intended to use to escape and buy a flight home. 'He returned from working one day to find his room had been searched and the money had been stolen.' GLA chief executive Paul Broadbent added: 'This was a shocking example of people driven by nothing but greed lining their pockets at the expense of the health, welfare and safety of men who were forced to work for them. 'It may shock the people of Derby to learn that the horrific practice of human trafficking is happening in their city. Regrettably, it comes as no surprise to the GLA because we know this can and does happen everywhere. 'The kind of organised criminal scam being operated by these two couples is typical of cases we are uncovering on a regular basis across the country. 'We will continue to work in partnership with the police, the NCA and all other relevant organisations to prevent the exploitation of vulnerable people and make sure offenders are convicted just like they were in this case.' | Igor Marcin and his brother Markek admitted trafficking men into the country .
They promised their victims a better life in the UK, complete with job, accommodation and food .
But the reality was cramped conditions, set meal times, no internet or post access, and no access to the money they earned .
Judge Jonathan Gosling said: 'In a word, these men were dehumanised'
Igor Marcin was sentenced to four years and four months in prison .
His brother Marek was given three years and four months behind bars .
Their wives were also sentenced to jail stints after admitting charges of theft . |
92,611 | 031c5670d2f8401a00408962ae4757ca2fb26d39 | By . Ray Massey, Transport Editor . PUBLISHED: . 16:01 EST, 4 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:40 EST, 5 May 2013 . In the unlikely event – as they say in safety briefings – that the entire flight crew of the new £250million double-decker Airbus A380 superjumbo were to be struck down by a dodgy prawn, then I’m your man. When that call goes up ‘Can anyone here fly this plane?’, I am fairly confident after spending a couple of hours in British Airways’ £10million scarily lifelike simulator at their London Heathrow Airport base that I might just have a fighting chance of a decent stab at it. And believe me, this looks, feels and performs just like the real deal – so much so that if you’re not a good flier and prone to airsickness, you may even feel a bit queasy at some of the more energetic manoeuvres. Scroll down for video . Ray Massey (left) takes the helm of the superjumbo A380 simulator, guided by BA's Richard Frewer . For my ‘cabin doors to manual’ moment I was under the wise and watchful gaze of BA’s senior development engineer Richard Frewer who is putting the world’s favourite airline’s own pilots through their paces on this very machine before their first of 12 A380s is delivered in July. before entering service in October. BA’s inaugural flight and regular service will be the ‘red carpet’ Hollywood route to Los Angeles – or ‘LAX’ to use the aviation jargon, which British screen star Gemma Arterton launched earlier this year. So what better place for my first try out. I have been in the cockpit of an A380 before – most notably for an hour or so with an Airbus test pilot team over the Gobi desert on an early Airbus ‘proving flight’ between Hong Kong and Frankfurt. But never before at the controls. And I am truly an untrained amateur. So here’s the scene. I am sitting with safety straps on in a straight backed supportive pilot’s seat inside the vast cockpit of this leviathan of the skies with – in the real world anyway – nearly 500 passengers behind me. Actress Gemma Arterton launched British Airways' 'Red Carpet Route' to LA earlier this year . The A380 flight simulator is designed to mimic the movements of the plane in flight . The Airbus A380 is a double-decker plane with room for 469 passengers . I am looking out through the wraparound cockpit window at the freakily lifelike but entirely computer-generated runway and control tower of Los Angeles International airport. Immediately in front, behind and above me is a vast array of illuminated buttons, lights, switches and controls. It makes the flight deck of the Starship Enterprise look like a piece of cake. To my left is arguably the most important piece of kit on this fly-by-wire plane – the joystick. It’s not child’s play. But I’d wager many children who irritate their parents by spending hours on their computer games with a force-feedback joystick would be better placed than many adults when it comes to being prepared for what happens next. We’re set up for take-off, so Richard instructs me push forward on the power. We rumble along the runway picking up speed as I wait to hit the magic 130knots. Stay calm. Concentrate. As Richard reads out ‘135’ I ease back on the joystick and the rumble retreats as we gently but powerfully take to the skies. We’re airborne. As we ascend for a minute or so and then level out the noise of the engines recedes and I take in the scene below. A lovely day, great views of LA and the coast. I take a lazy arc around the Hollywood Hills, then down to Santa Monica to wave at the ‘Baywatch’ branch of my Massey clan relatives. A light touch is needed to keep the plane from flapping all over the place from over-corrections. You’re a chauffeur not a jet fighter pilot. Experience of driving supercars and their speed-sensitive steering may help, however, to reduce the risk of the plane ‘boating’ back and forth. What goes up must come down so landing was next. Sweaty palms time. 'Your life will be safe in my hands': The Daily Mail's Ray Massey is confident his simulator experience means he could man a plane in an emergency . Richard helpfully provided all the settings. I had to guide it in keeping to the glide path, keeping it straight, and keeping it high – or low – enough. Eyes on the landing lights. Half red and half white is the ideal. A bit too far to the left and a tilt on the tiller. Steady as she goes. Nose up a bit. As you get closer the ground rushes up: three, two, one, a little clunk – hardly an angel’s footsteps – but we’re down. Relief and joy all round. For my next flight it was a night-time take off from New York’s JFK and an evening’s birds’ eye cruise around the skyscrapers of Manhattan – slightly disconcerting initially given the memories of the 9-11 tragedy. But once into my stride a loop past the Empire State building, the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge was fun. This time though the landing wasn’t. With an evil glint Richard programmed in some turbulence and a bit of cross-wind, just to test my mettle. I even had a couple of minutes white-out fog and cloud to try it on instruments only. As I vectored in and battled with the wind, my respect for real plots grew enormously. I landed. The plane did land back in the Big Apple, but let’s just say ‘touchdown’ doesn’t really cover it and I would not like to have been a passenger. Bear in mind this is not a static activity. This cockpit is inside a giant pod – a bit like the shuttle craft on Star Trek - held up on powerful hydraulics which react exactly to programed to conditions and to your flying. It really is rock’n’roll. Get it wrong and it bucks like a bronco. During the session we also simulated what in aviation is benignly termed a ‘loss of separation’ – or to you and me ‘a near miss'. Bad enough the sight of another plane shooting across your vision. The automated ‘TCAS’ collision avoidance system kicks in telling you ‘Descend, descend, descend.’ Actually it is so clever that the rival planes communicate electronically so that each is instructed to take opposing avoiding action that keeps them apart. The simulator is the latest of 16 which BA uses to train its pilots on all Boeing and Airbus planes in its fleet. This is the only A380 simulator and is not yet open to the public. But the others are available for private and corporate hire in a variety of packages at rates from £399 for an hour or £1,197 for three hours at www.ebaft.com. Curiously that’s about the same cost as a real long-haul return flight to the West Coast. Ray Massey took the simulated A380 on flights from Los Angeles and New York's JFK airports . BA is already taking superjumbo bookings for A380 flights from London Heathrow to Los Angeles from October 15 starting at £499 return in economy and £1,900 in Club World business. There are 469 seats in total of which 14 are first class ‘upstairs’. Actress Gemma Arterton said: 'It’s very exciting that A380 will be flying to Los Angeles. I think the red carpet route will be very popular.’ BA chief executive Keith Williams said: 'The A380 is a great aircraft that has been developed with huge amounts of British engineering ingenuity. London and los Angeles are two world-leading cities and we are proud to be the first airline to connect them with the A380.’ Flights to Hong Kong begin in mid November from £599 return in economy. Another thing to consider. It takes 18 months and £100,000 to train a commercial airline pilot from scratch, that’s once he or she passes the strict entry criteria, including no colour blindness. To make captain will take up to 12 years, and on some long-haul flights between 15 and 20. So back to my dodgy prawn in the cockpit scenario. What, I asked my tutor Richard, in the worst case ‘unlikely event’ is the one button on this vast cockpit dashboard that I should press if I really needed to get out of trouble? He pointed to a small yellow illuminated button at the centre. ‘Press that. That’s the autopilot. It’ll even land the plane for you,’ he said. See, I told you you’d be safe in my hands. Each Airbus A380 costs £250million, while the simulator alone is worth £10million . | Daily Mail's Ray Massey takes the helm of BA's Airbus A380 simulator .
British Airways start flights with the plane to Los Angeles in October . |
237,873 | bfe3b82e40e7160e67c489aadeab11f27a863404 | After a relaxing break at the Duchess' family home in sleepy Berkshire, the Royal couple's pace of life picked up considerably this morning after the Duchess went into labour. The Duke of Cambridge and his wife drove from their home in Kensington Palace without a police escort and Kate was tended to by doctors at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, central London about 6am this morning. The Duke of Cambridge was at his wife's side in hospital today after she went into labour, three days after the couple returned to London from their countryside retreat. Her last official engagement came last month when she joined other members of the Royal Family at the Trooping the Colour ceremony. Together: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in hospital in Paddington, central London hospital when Kate went into labour. The announcement was made this evening that their baby boy was born at 4.24 today . Hospital: Kate gave birth to a boy in the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington . Since then, she has been relaxing with . William and her parents, in an attempt to escape the oppressive heat of . the city during the recent period of unusually high temperatures. The Duke, who has temporarily been off duty from his role as an RAF rescue pilot, will take two weeks of paternity leave after the birth. Kate went into labour shortly before 6am today, and was rushed to the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, where William was born in 1982. The birth of the Royal baby boy, who will one day become the monarch, was via a traditional easel set up outside Buckingham Palace. The couple were apparently seen leaving the Middletons' £4.8million Georgian home in a Range Rover on Friday afternoon, with William at the wheel. Their car was also accompanied by a police escort and several plain-clothed Scotland Yard bodyguards, with an armed response unit posted outside the house. Event: The couple at the Trooping the Colour ceremony last month, Kate's last public engagement . Home: The couple rushed from Kensington Palace, pictured, where they live at about 6am this morning . The Duchess plans to return to her parents' home at some point in the next few weeks in order to recuperate from the birth. The 31-year-old, who is very close to her parents Michael and Carole, was said to be 'feeling remarkably well' during her stay at their house in the village of Bucklebury. Kate had a troubled start to her pregnancy, but the later months seemed to be much easier. After she was diagnosed with a condition similar to severe morning sickness, the Duchess was forced to reveal that she was pregnant earlier than she would have liked. She kept a low profile for several months, but during her middle trimester carried out a number of public engagements during which she appeared happy and healthy. Family: Kate's sister Pippa and brother James were at the Coronation Festival earlier this month along with their parents, but the Duchess did not attend . In total, Kate carried out 19 days of engagements during the six and a half months following the announcement of her pregnancy in December 2012. Her last solo event came on June 13 when she named a new cruise liner, the Royal Princess. Two days later, she stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside her husband and several of his relatives to watch the Trooping the Colour ceremony. On June 22, the Duchess opted not to attend the wedding of William's close friend Thomas van Straubenzee due to the risk she might go into labour. Another high-profile event which she missed was the Coronation Festival at Buckingham Palace on July 11, which was attended by her parents, her sister Pippa and her brother James, as well as numerous members of the Royal Family. She has since been able to enjoy a full month of rest, thanks to the arrival of her baby roughly on schedule. Anticipation: News crews and fans of the Royal Family have been gathered outside the hospital for weeks . News: The birth was officially announced on an easel set up outside Buckingham Palace . The calm of the past few weeks stands in stark contrast to the difficulties Kate experienced at the beginning of her pregnancy. The news that she would give birth was announced on December 3 last year, when she was admitted to hospital with symptoms of severe morning sickness. St James's Palace chose to reveal her pregnancy rather than risk it leaking out - even though she was only two months pregnant, while most expectant mothers wait until their 12-week scan to share the news. Doctors said she was suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, which can cause dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine. Soon after Kate's admission to hospital, prank callers from an Australian radio station tricked a nurse into revealing sensitive information about her condition. Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who put through the prank call, committed suicide later the same week, which apparently left the Duke and Duchess deeply saddened. Illness: William and Kate leaving hospital in December after she was treated for severe morning sickness . Inspection: The Duchess met a number of Scouts at Windsor castle during an event in late April . Kate made her first public appearance since the announcement two weeks after she left hospital, when she presented the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award to cyclist Bradley Wiggins. She and William spent Christmas with the Middletons in Bucklebury and did not attend church in Sandringham with the other Royals. With her health on the mend, Kate flew with her husband for a 'babymoon' on the Caribbean island of Mustique, staying in a £19,000-a-week luxury villa. However, the couple were disappointed when a number of foreign gossip magazines ran paparazzi photographs of her in a bikini displaying a slight bump. In January and February, Kate carried out just one public engagement in each month, but in March she under took five days of public royal visits. William and Kate also travelled to Switzerland for a friend's wedding in the ski resort of Arosa. During a visit to Grimsby, Kate seemed to let slip that she was expecting a daughter - however, at a St Patrick's Day parade she told a soldier they did not know the sex, but that she would like a boy and William a girl. Greeting: Kate talks to school children in Windchester after visiting a local hospice in late April . Solo: Kate's final appearance on her own came in Southampton last month when she named a cruise liner . In March, William and Kate visited the headquarters of Child Bereavement UK, exchanging hugs with bereaved parents and also meeting TV cook Mary Berry. The Duchess also joined the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Baker Street underground station to mark the 150th anniversary of the Tube. She was given a 'Baby on board' badge. In snowy conditions, she visited a Scout camp in the Lake District to join other volunteers who were being trained. During a two-day visit to Scotland in April, Kate disclosed she had taken up knitting ahead of the birth. 'I've been trying to knit and I'm really bad. I should be asking for tips,' she admitted. She also joined William and the Prince of Wales for a visit to Dumfries House in Ayrshire, where Kate was given a 'Princess Catherine' doll by a bystander and expressed shock at the size of its hair. As her pregnancy progressed, Kate was also working behind the scenes, choosing three more charities to patronise - SportsAid, the Natural History Museum and Place2Be, a mental health charity for schoolchildren. Precedent: The Prince and Princess of Wales holding William outside St Mary's in 1982 . It was not until late April when she was six months pregnant that her bump became truly noticeable as she carried out the National Review of Queen's Scouts at Windsor Castle. Dressed in a £1,065 blue patterned silk Erdem dress by Sophia Visconti, Kate visited Willows Primary School on the deprived Wythenshawe estate in Greater Manchester in late April, when she also attended an evening reception at the National Portrait Gallery in honour of The Art Room charity. At the Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, where the Harry Potter films were made, she duelled with William after being given her own wand. On April 29, the Duchess spent part of her second wedding anniversary celebrating Children's Hospice Week with a visit to Naomi House Children's Hospice in Hampshire, while William, an RAF search and rescue pilot, was on duty in north Wales. The couple enjoyed a trip to Oxfordshire in May to attend the wedding of close friends William van Cutsem and Rosie Ruck Keene. Kate joined the Queen for a garden party at Buckingham Palace and on June 4 gathered with the rest of the Windsors for a service marking the 60th anniversary of the Queen's Coronation at Westminster Abbey, before her final pair of engagements later that month. | Royal couple drove to St Mary's Hospital shortly before 6am today .
They arrived in London on Friday after a week with family in Berkshire .
Kate has been relaxing since her last engagement more than a month ago . |
54,535 | 9a75117842bdadd4ef8d26723eceb0b9e101eab5 | All appears placid in the imaginary world of Erehwon, 'nowhere' spelled backward, a $79 million fantasy city at a U.S. military base in Virginia. In long tunics and Bedouin scarves, men kick a soccer ball in front of the imaginary U.S. consulate. Women sit and eat. Arabic music rings from the market. A bicyclist waves as he rides toward a stone church and a mosque with a green minaret in the distance. But it won't be quiet for long. This is where the State Department trains agents for its most dangerous diplomatic posts. Scroll down for video . Role-playing attackers storm a fake US Consulate during a US Diplomatic Security Service High Threat training program held at a mock town named Erehwon, 'nowhere' spelled backwards, on a rural Virginia military base . The new recruits know the worst could come at any moment. They peer through the metallic sheen of the consulate windows as snipers stand guard on the roof. The agents scan a landscape complete with the convincing exteriors of a train station, governor's office, bank, apartment building and hospital. Danger could lurk behind any of them. Two years after the deadly attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, the Diplomatic Security Service — responsible for protecting some 100,000 Americans around the world — has dramatically expanded training. The prep course for high-threat embassies and consulates once ran for five weeks. Now it's 10. And in the final week, recruits drill alongside elite special agents and a Marine detachment, while trainers double as terrorists. Food and sleep are restricted. Explosions and paid actors playing the locals add to the experience. A member of the US Diplomatic Security Service covers the doorway inside a building during a simulated ambush . After the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, no one wants to take chances. A review ordered by then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton found security before the attack 'grossly inadequate.' It said U.S. security personnel 'performed with courage,' but faulted the agency for not having enough protection and for depending on unreliable Libyan partners. Has the situation changed? 'It has improved,' declares Paul Davies, who heads Diplomatic Security's high-threat training. Just a year ago, Davies was still in the field, leading agents and Marines in fending off an attack involving a truck bomb, militants with suicide vests and rocket fire targeting the U.S. consulate in Herat, Afghanistan. The assailants were killed, along with eight Afghan security guards. No Americans died. All diplomats were unharmed. The consulate is up and running again. To demonstrate improvements, the State Department invited The Associated Press to spend a day and a half watching preparations for the worst of scenarios. The AP agreed not to disclose the location of the training. A truck with an explosive is detonated on a street during the US Diplomatic Security Service High Threat training program . Despite the calm scene outside the fake consulate, the situation in Erehwon is uneasy. In the morning, indirect fire interrupted the dedication of a U.S.-funded subway project. Agents take out their rifles to escort the U.S. consul general to the local mosque. Four agents accompany him on foot. Two vans follow. An advance team waits at the mosque, where the consul general meets an elderly mullah. Suddenly, screeching tires are heard. A kidnapping has occurred. But there is no cause for immediate action to protect the consulate. 'It's very easy to get drawn into all the sexy stuff — the violence, the guns, what you see on TV,' says Lance Bailey, who served as a Diplomatic Security director in Afghanistan and is now chief of special operations planning for high-threat posts. 'But what we're really trying to develop, the core skill we're trying to build, is problem solving,' he says. Later, the agents are taking the consul general to dinner when an explosion occurs, leaving all three vehicles in the caravan inoperable. The pops and sparks of gunfire — blanks — from the trees come immediately. Participants playing the roles of anti-American demonstrators burn a effigy outside a fake US Consulate . This photograph made using a military issued nightscope, shows members of the US Diplomatic Security Service boarding a helicopter during a field exercise following a simulated ambush . Evacuation of the vans is a little slow. The agents throw smoke canisters. Concealed, they retreat with the consul general to a building nearby. One agent's gun jams. Others leave their radios in the vans. When the whistles of incoming mortars sound, only some crouch for cover. The commanding agent leaves his 'go bag' of ammunition and supplies in an evacuated room. Requests for additional forces are denied. But the team makes it to a helicopter pickup site in 'record time,' Davies says. The next morning resembles the Benghazi attack. This time, the U.S. prevails. Protesters converge, beating at consulate barricades. But the demonstration subsides when the mullah persuades people to go home. Military gear used by members of the US Diplomatic Security Service is seen inside the 5-story building that represents the US Consulate . This 5-story building represents a US Consulate, shown during a US Diplomatic Security Service High Threat training program . Then a pickup truck stops near a rear gate. The driver leaves. The truck explodes. Gunmen with assault rifles rush from behind the bank, firing on the consulate. From the other side of the building, mortar fire can be heard. Unlike Benghazi, however, the compound at Erehwon is well protected. Roof snipers return fire. A second wave of attackers arrives, and a suicide bomber blows a hole in the perimeter. Agents and Marines rush forward. The militants never make it inside the gates. Back in the operations center, evacuation is underway. The Defense Department deploys a helicopter. Reinforcements are on the way. After the drill, Davies congratulates his new high-threat-post recruits, then leads a review of their performance. Embassy security is now well funded and getting the right materials and personnel, he says. Coordination with military and intelligence is deepening. And, critically, agents are being trained to do more than drive limousines or guard flanks in a motorcade. 'We're preparing leaders,' Davies says. | The fantasy city named Erehwon - 'nowhere' spelled backwards is located at a U.S. military base in Virginia .
It cost $79 million to create the imaginary world .
This is where the State Department trains agents for its most dangerous diplomatic posts . |
255,769 | d70b0b2dddefc0497e92b7cc3b8d6aef4fa6ae2c | (CNN) -- I was in Atlanta when I first learned of a controversy over an inscription marking the new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington. The quote on one side of the granite "Stone of Hope" reads, "I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness." In an interview with The Washington Post, poet Maya Angelou argued that these were not King's exact words and that, out of context, they made a humble preacher look like "an arrogant twit." Angelou expressed no concern with 14 other quotations from King that appear on a 450-foot-long memorial behind his statue. By coincidence, this news found me as I began research for a book on the power of short writing. I've learned that we often use the shortest texts to express the most important messages, especially to honor and enshrine. Twitter did not invent short writing. From tattoos to gravestones to the base of monuments, we choose words with special care because we want them to last forever. In a short text, every word counts. But with concision can come the loss of context. The overwhelming impression of the new memorial derives, not from language, but from sculpture. Even small photos of the new statue make King look monumental. He stands 30 feet tall, strong and determined, arms folded, looking as if he just marched out of the huge block of stone behind him. Memorial to be dedicated Sunday . In the presence of such powerful imagery, why the argument over a single sentence? Angelou's concerns were echoed by other African-American scholars and leaders, who argued the 10 words on the monument base have been ripped from their original context and meaning. In a sermon at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church, just months before his death in 1968, King preached, "Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all the other shallow things will not matter." In context, the word "if" makes all the difference. Without that opening conditional clause, it does seem that King is embracing the role of drum major rather than acquiescing to it. I did not understand, until I visited Florida A&M University and other historically black colleges and universities, the importance of the drum major in African-American culture. The drum major is a white American icon, too, of course, flamboyant even by the strait-laced Midwestern standards of Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man." Translated by famous black college marching bands, as pictured in the 2002 film "Drumline," flamboyance transforms itself into soulful spectacle. To get a feel for the presence and status of drum majors, check out YouTube videos of auditions for that honored position. In addition to musical and leadership skills, the drum major must be able to strut, dance, spin, prance and perform backbreaking bends and splits -- without missing a beat. At the Poynter Institute where I work, marble plaques in a central garden offer students inspirational sayings. Famous writing teacher Donald Murray quotes the Roman poet Horace: "Nulla Dies Sine Linea," Latin for "Never a Day Without a Line" of writing. The engraver, not schooled in Latin, left out the word "Sine" (without), leaving us with dead-language gibberish that could be taken to mean the opposite of the original. "Oh well," I said when I saw the mistake, "at least it's not carved in stone." When we use the phrase "carved in stone," we denote something permanent, irreversible, unchangeable. But it ain't necessarily so. Ignoring my suggestion that we copy-edit the marble text with a magic marker, my boss ordered a corrected version of Murray's quote. Everything I've learned about the language of enshrinement suggests that the inscription on the King monument should be revised. It need not be changed right away or in a way that would embarrass those who chose the original. Any revision should grow from a desire to perfect for posterity a magisterial work that springs from the noblest intentions. I know of no written standards for historical inscriptions, but the unwritten ones could come down to these two: 1) Quotes from the dead should never be taken out of context; 2) Quotations should reveal the honored character in the proper light -- or a better light. The drum major quote fulfills neither of these standards. To restore most of the original context would require the addition of 12 short words: "If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that. ..." A tighter compromise could be "If you say I was a drum major, say. ..." At the very least, a single word added to the existing quote would restore a bit of King's intended meaning: "Say I was a drum major for peace. ..." Every writer I know has had an editor who, to save space, has cut a passage to the bone. Done well, the meaning can ring clearer with fewer words. Done poorly, something critical to the reader's understanding is left behind. The problem is serious enough when it occurs on paper or in pixels, even more serious when it's carved in stone. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roy Peter Clark. | Maya Angelou reportedly has objected to a quote inscribed on King momument .
Roy Peter Clark: The "drum major for justice" quote was taken out of context .
Clark says it's crucial to preserve meaning when words are excerpted .
King memorial will be dedicated Sunday in Washington . |
9,938 | 1c3183a6772d3d34ae0dac9e913d306273acfd77 | Tom Huddlestone is in his prime footballing years and has plenty of time left on the field - yet the Hull City midfielder is already plotting his future. The 27-year-old is desperate to move into management once he hangs up his boots and has started work early on achieving his coaching badges. Having previously completed his UEFA B coaching licence in the summer, Huddlestone is already more than halfway towards securing the A badge. Tom Huddlestone (right) has already completed his UEFA B coaching licence and is halfway to the A badge . The Hull City midfielder is determined to achieve his badges before he hangs up his playing boots . Quoted in the Daily Star, the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder said: 'Hopefully I've still got a few years left playing but it's better to have it. 'It's (coaching) something I would like to do in the future and I didn't have much planned in the summer, so it was ideal to get it started. 'It's easier to get the badges while you're still playing, rather than be out of the game for four or five years and suddenly decide you want to get them because a few of your ideas might have been lost. The 27-year-old is determined he has 'a few years left playing' yet but wants to plan for the future . 'While you still have fresh ideas and ways of playing, I think it's a good idea to get them done.' Huddlestone, who began his career at Derby County and also spent a season on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers, has represented England at every level from Under 16 through to the senior squad. He has not made an England appearance since 2012, however. The Nottingham-born midfielder has made 369 career club appearances, scoring 20 times. Huddlestone was booked during Hull City's 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield last weekend . | Tom Huddlestone has completed his UEFA B coaching licence already .
Hull City midfielder is also halfway towards achieving the A badge .
But the 27-year-old insists he has 'a few years left playing' yet .
Huddlestone believes it is better to get coaching badges while still playing . |
176,135 | 7005ca42bf522e804d69befe36351945741f90b5 | By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 08:30 EST, 16 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:50 EST, 16 October 2013 . Older sisters make better confidants than a parents, friends or relatives for teenage girls, a new study has found. In particular, adolescent girls going . through problems with romance, sex and other sensitive issues make . better choices when they have an older sister to confide in. Researchers from the University of . Missouri in America recorded conversations between volunteer family . members, talking about health, sex and their worries. Sisters like Kylie and Dannii Minogue are likely to have the same views and ideas, having grown up in the same environment, the study suggests . They found teenage girls were most open when discussing issues with an older sister while the older sister was the most useful in dispensing the right advice and guidance. In general girls tend to identify with other girls as they are most likely to have had the same types of experience, and so confide in them. However it may be easier with a sister than, for example, a friend, because they are likely to have the same views and ideas, having grown up in the same environment, the study suggests. In return, the older sister can give the best advice - whether it is about contraception to romantic feelings - because she will have been through it and made both right and wrong choices. The study, published in the specialist journal Family Relations, was led by Sarah Killoren, assistant professor of human development at Missouri University. She said: 'Our findings indicate that sisters play important roles as adolescent girls form ideas about romantic relationships and sexuality. It may be that Dakota Fanning acts as a role model to her younger sister Elle, who has also chosen to be an actress . 'Sisters are important communication partners when it comes to these sensitive topics.' The study suggests that older sisters should be included in family planning programmes aimed at teenagers, particular over issues like practicing safe sex. Conversations between sisters are more intimate and more likely to get to the root of an issue, said the researchers. Older sisters ask more pertinent questions, for instance, which in turn produces more revealing disclosures by the younger girl, they found. Additionally an older sister is much more likely to serve as a role model than a parent or friend, it added. Killoren said: 'Given their age, older sisters were more likely to have advice to share and have romantic relationships and sexual experiences from which their younger sisters can learn.' Having a role model also means learning from their mistakes, she added. 'Younger sisters frequently commented on their older sisters' negative experiences, such as teen pregnancy and abusive relationships, and made decisions to be different. 'Learning only from negative experiences could occur because younger sisters only consciously identify the experiences of their sisters that they do not want to repeat.' | Study by Missouri University was published in the journal Family Relations .
Found girls make better decisions if they have an older sister to confide in .
Most open when talking to their sister, and older sibling acts as role model . |
258,606 | dab1edbf69df5d56fab8746bd2d1180c6c781325 | Everyone has dreamed of living like a billionaire, but only a select few can afford the luxury. However one luxury travel company has made the lavish lifestyle more accessible by offering a tour around the world's best hotel rooms. Hurlingham Travel have organised a three-week holiday incorporating 10 of the globe's most expensive suites, and it could cost as little as £371. The trip takes in the world's best hotel accommodation, some of which costs as £25,000 a night. It includes the Royal Suite of the 7-star Burj Al Arab in Dubai, which comes complete with a butler and a solid gold iPad concierge service, and the two-story Sky Villa at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, which has a cantilever pool on the roof with a panoramic views of the strip. The trip also takes in Europe's largest suite The Villa La Cupola in Rome’s Excelsior, which has just undergone a renovation, and the Penthouse Suite in the George V in Paris, which has stunning terraces offering sweeping views of the city, including the Eiffel Tower. Travellers can also play the Grand Piano while gazing at the New York skyline from the Ty Warner Penthouse situated at the top of the Four Seasons Hotel, and catch a private helicopter ride across the Bosphorus in Istanbul to the The Sultan’s Suite at the Çirağan Palace Kempinski. The holiday, which has been put together by Hurlingham Travel, is available through to buy through luxury launch company VeryFirstTo for £359,000 up front, however AuctionWhatIDid is putting the trip under the hammer online for those with tighter purse strings, and the starting price is a measly £371. The final cost will include business class flights to every destination and accommodation at every hotel. Chris Woodcock, founder of the online auction site, said: 'During this relentless recession, a way to purchase products at a fraction of their price is going to be popular. Especially when that product is something reserved only for the rich and famous.' Marcel Knobil founder of VeryFirstTo said: 'No one has ever had the unadulterated pleasure of indulging in a trip of this nature before – I’m delighted that we can make it available to those with deep and shallow pockets.' Scroll down for video . Room with a view: The sky jacuzzi looking out from the two-story Sky Villa at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The private pool which reaches out over the roof has unprecedented views of the strip. It costs up to £25,000 to stay for a night. It also has a full bar, a sunbathing deck, pop-up plasma TVs, and a rotating king-size bed . Spectacular: The swimming pool outside The Presidential Suite at the luxury InterContinental in Hong Kong. Guests can relax in the water surrounded by candles in front of the stunning view. It costs around £10,000 a night to stay in the suite . Vast facilities: The suite, which has a stunning backdrop of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island, has five bedrooms, a gym and a sauna . Musical beauty: The Grand Piano in the Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons Hotel which looks out over the New York skyline. A one night stay costs around £20,000 . Dinner for four: There is a stunning backdrop while guests wine and dine in the luxurious hotel. It completes the 360-degree panaromic view which comes with the room . Bedtime reading: The lavish suite in New York comes with its own library and is surrounded by artwork . Sunset in Paris: Two people can enjoy a perfect romantic meal on the balcony of The Penthouse Suite in the Four Seasons George V, but it will set them back £15,000 a night . Comfort: After dinner, customers can venture into the bathroom, where they can still see the skyline of the French city while they relax in the tub . Italian indulgence: The jacuzzi in The Villa La Cupola in Rome's Excelsior. The lavish room is the largest suite in Europe and has just undergone a £5million refurbishment . Ceilings: The artwork surrounding the room creates an added sense of exclusivity in the suite which costs £16,000 for a one night stay . Deck: The balcony of the hotel has stunning panaromic views of the city and is perfect for sunbathing . Oriental style: It costs £15,000 a night to stay at The Ritz-Carlton Suite in Tokyo which has superb views of the Japanese city, including its iconic communications tower . Bath time: The ceramic tub in the two-bedroom Royal Suite in the Burj Al Arab in Dubai is built into an enormous luxury bathroom . Relax like a king: The luxury pink interior of the two-room suite at the Burj Al Arab. The bed is set up on a raised, carpet platform and has a step leading up to it . The suite has its own staircase, covered in gold and surrounded by a yellow-tiled floor . Landscape: The luxury hotel is 7 stars and stands on an artificial island 200m from the beach. A night's stay costs £13,000 . Hosting a party: There is room for 12 people to have dinner on the round table in the lavish suite . Turkish delight: The living room in the Sultan's Suite at the Çiragan Palace Kempinski. The surrounding windows look out over Istanbul and the Bosphorous river. The river comes with a 24 hour butler service and a night costs just under £10,000 . Classic furniture, carpets and curtains surround the sitting room, which leads onto a balcony where the stunning view can be experienced in full . Surrounded by silk: Once guests have taken in the view, they can return to the master bedroom, which is also adorned with fine furniture . Illuminated: The Atlantis Paradise Resort in the Bahamas which is a favourite of American celebrities . Style: A night in the luxurious Bridge Suite costs around 14,000 . Quintessentially English: The balcony of the Royal Suite at the Madarin Oriental London which looks out over Hyde Park . | Includes stays in the Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite in Dubai and the Two Story Sky Villa at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas .
Guests will stay for a night at Europe's largest suite, The Villa La Cupola in Rome's Excelsior .
Luxurious trip can be bought for £359,000, but is being put up for auction with the bidding starting at £371 .
Business class flights to every destination are included along with the accommodation at every hotel . |
225,961 | b09d5caea6b6a25fdd7b373edf2b3ef4f129246d | Jermain Defoe's first-half goal against Swansea on Saturday meant that the 33-year-old became the first player to have netted against all 20 of the current Premier League sides. Defoe joined Sunderland from MLS side Toronto FC during the January transfer window, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal, and there were concerns that the 33-year-old might be past his best. But in five games for Sunderland, the striker has notched two goals and his predator instincts in and around the box certainly do not appear to be on the wane. Jermain Defoe scores from just outside the box to give Sunderland the lead against Swansea on Saturday . Defoe's goal, just before half-time helped Sunderland to a crucial point at the Liberty Stadium . Defoe's goal helped Sunderland to a 1-1 draw at the Liberty Stadium as The Black Cats continue their battle against relegation. Saturday's result left Gus Poyet's men 14th in the table with 24 points, just four above the drop zone. Whether Sunderland manage to stay in the Premier League this season could very well depend on Defoe's goalscoring form. Defoe joined Sunderland from MLS side Toronto FC during the January transfer window . The 33-year-old striker has also played for Tottenham, Portsmouth and West Ham in the Premier League . | Jermain Defoe scored in Sunderland's 1-1 draw with Swansea .
The striker has now scored against all 20 current Premier League sides .
Defoe recently joined Sunderland from MLS side Toronto FC . |
95,342 | 0689471b0c2eaa665bc89b3c3c213966a146c380 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 02:47 EST, 30 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:18 EST, 30 July 2012 . A nine-year-old boy has died after falling from a window while on holiday. Tributes have been paid to tragic Matthew Hamer, who is thought to have died in the accident at the hotel where he was staying in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Matthew, of York, was a popular member of an under-nine’s cricket team. Tragic: Matthew Hamer, died after falling from the window of a hotel (not pictured) in Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur . His coach Alan Fletcher said: 'It is devastating news. 'Matthew was a good member of the under-nines team, he had been with us for three years and he was a smashing young lad. 'He never got up to any mischief, he listened to what he was told and got on with it. He tried really hard with his cricket and showed talent on the pitch. 'We understand he fell from a window or fire escape, though the detail is sketchy on precisely what happened.' The Foreign Office confirmed a British national had died in Kuala Lumpur but said it could not give further information as the death involved a child. Matthew’s mother Jane and father Keith, a university lecturer, are understood to still be in Malaysia. Neighbour Paul Burland, 46, said: 'We are going to miss him terribly. He was a lovely, friendly active boy. He was a close friend to our children, we are all very sad.' | Matthew Hamer, from York, died after falling from the window of a hotel in Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur .
Matthew’s mother Jane and father Keith, a university lecturer, are understood to still be in country . |
258,101 | da0c2e588fcd2f534d3646464456ec0436c17acf | By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 10:02 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:27 EST, 12 March 2014 . A woman who admitted posting nude photos of her husband’s new girlfriend online attacked a local TV reporter as she left court in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. In January Julie Ottaviani had hacked into her husband’s computer and cell phone and stolen naked pictures of his girlfriend which she'd then sent to the woman’s 14 year-old son. On Tuesday Ottaviani, 54, pleaded guilty to charges of corruption of minors and criminal use of a computer. Scroll down for video . Julie Ottaviani, who has admitted to posting nude photos of her husband's new girlfriend online, attacked a local TV reporter as she left court in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday . Julie Ottaviani lost her cool when Newswatch 16 reporter Bill Wadell approached her as she left court on Tuesday morning . On Tuesday Ottaviani, 54, had pleaded guilty to charges of corruption of minors and criminal use of a computer . As she left court, Ottaviani lost her cool when Newswatch 16 reporter Bill Wadell asked if she wanted to apologize for what had happened. Seeing red, Ottaviani first grabbed his mic and wrestled with him while family members attempted to convince her to let go. That scuffle ended but when Wadell again asked if she wanted to apologize, Ottaviani lashed out and hit him in the face with her purse as a family member tried to block the camera from seeing. ‘Get out of my face!’ she yelled, moments before being whisked away in a car. Hanover Township police are now investigating Ottaviani’s actions outside the court hearing, reports WNEP TV. When the reporter again asked Ottaviani if she wanted to apologize, she lashed out and hit him in the face with her purse as a family member tried to block the camera from seeing . Julie Ottaviani hit Newswatch 16 reporter Bill Wadell right in the face with her bag and police are now investigating her behavior . 'Get out of my face!' Ottaviani yelled at the reporter moments before she was whisked away in a car . Gary Ottaviani, the defendant's ex-husband, told police in January that someone had hacked into his email account and copied two nude pictures of his girlfriend he had sent to his email from his cellphone, police said. The man's girlfriend found out about the nude photos when Julie Ottaviani created a Facebook account under the name Chris Richardson. She then posted the pictures she obtained from hacking into her ex-husband's cell phone on Facebook and sent a friend request to her ex-husband's girlfriend's 14-year-old son, police said. The son then told his mother to take down the photos, but she was unable to as they were posted from the defendant's fictitious account, police said. Investigators went to Julie Ottaviani's home to inquire about someone hacking into her ex-husband's email address. In January Julie Ottaviani had hacked into her husband¿s computer and cell phone and stolen naked pictures of his girlfriend which she'd then sent to the woman¿s 14 year-old son . Ottaviani had told police that she had posted naked photos of her ex-husband's girlfriend online because she wanted the woman's children to hurt as much as her's did . She initially blamed her ex-husband, saying he did it to make it look as if she did, police said. After investigators asked her why the fictitious Facebook account was created in her house, she told police she wanted to get her ex-husband's girlfriend fired, police said. 'I wanted her kid to hurt as much as mine,' Julie Ottaviani told police. She also told police she sent out friend requests to friends of her ex-husband's girlfriend so that they can see what kind of person she really is, police said. Footage of Tuesday incident outside court was posted on YouTube by WNEP TV and a relative of Julie Ottaviani was quick to defend her. Corey Ottaviani accused the TV station of ‘brutally editing’ the incident and that the reporter had 'grabbed her first.' He said Julie Ottaviani had previously had a clean record, suffered from a 'severe mental disease' and had gone through a 'bad divorce'. Come on if you went through a bad divorce when they wer together for a very very long time. wouldn't it make you uneasy and on edge and after being mobbed up on unexpectedly lash out. Plus, he said, her purse had been empty. | Julie Ottaviani, 54, of Blakely, Pennsylvania, lost her cool when a local news reporter asked her if she wanted to apologize for her actions .
She has admitted to hacking her husband's computer and stealing naked photos of his girlfriend which she then sent to the woman's 14-year-old son .
'I wanted her kids to hurt as much as mine,' she told cops .
On Tuesday she pleaded guilty to charges of corruption of minors and criminal use of a computer .
Leaving court she tussled with a reporter, grabbing his microphone before hitting him in the face with her handbag .
She faces possible assault charges, although a relative has been quick to defend her actions and claim that she was 'brutally edited' |
43,097 | 799473f85512c0a0017b941e62f5e3db9d9e61ba | Arsenal are keeping an eye on Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina of Nice. Arsene Wenger is seeking competition for Wojciech Szczesny after No 2 goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski left for Swansea. Colombian connection: Arsenal are monitoring Nice goalkeeper David Ospina . Swanning off: Competition is needed for Wojciech Szczesny (L) after Lukasz Fabianski left for Swansea . The 25-year-old will play for Colombia at the World Cup in Brazil, with Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan in Group C. Ospina has been with Nice in Ligue 1 for six years, but the club are willing to sell for around £3million despite him recently signing a new deal. He has won more than 40 caps for his country. | Arsenal are monitoring Colombia and Nice goalkeeper David Ospina .
Gunners need competition for Wojciech Szczesny after No 2 Lukasz Fabianski left for Swansea .
Ospina will play at the World Cup and is available for around £3million . |
243,739 | c77cac27673fe840fc258fd48e7d1c4d60eac15b | By . Matt Barlow . Tim Sherwood admits the boardroom ‘silence is deafening’ at Tottenham and fears he will be ousted from his job in the summer. Chairman Daniel Levy was not at Chelsea on Saturday to see Spurs crashing to a 4-0 defeat which damaged their chances of returning to the Champions League, which seems to be Sherwood’s best way of somehow avoiding the axe. Levy has made no attempt to refute the popular theory that Holland boss Louis van Gaal is primed to take over after the World Cup and, caught up in the emotion of losing heavily, Sherwood said: ‘The silence is deafening, isn’t it? It’s up to Daniel. I didn’t know if he was at the game or not. Maybe he was travelling. VIDEO Scroll down to see Tim Sherwood's comments after the Chelsea match . Not good enough: Tim Sherwood was fuming after Tottenham's 4-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge . Not happy? Daniel Levy has been silent about the rumours involving Louis Van Gaal coming to the club . Chance: The Dutch manager has admitted a Premier League switch is appealing to him in the summer . ‘One thing I guarantee is that no one . cares more than me. I want the team to do very well and it hurts me when . they don’t. I’m afraid I need people in that dressing room to be . hurting like I am.’ Sherwood was appointed in December to replace Andre . Villas-Boas and handed his first chance to manage at senior level with . an 18-month contract, but appears resigned to becoming the eighth . manager sacked by Levy in 13 years. Sporting . director Franco Baldini’s future also appears in jeopardy after Spurs . lured former chief scout Ian Broomfield back to the club by hijacking a . proposed switch from QPR’s scouting team to Arsenal’s. Tottenham . insist Baldini, who arrived only last year, and Broomfield will work in . tandem but Levy seems determined to restructure again behind the scenes . at White Hart Lane. Sherwood is understood to have not been consulted . about Broomfield’s return. Despite . his inexperience, Sherwood has made it clear he has no desire to work . as assistant to a new manager but hinted for the first time that he may . be interested in a technical director’s role, a more powerful version of . his previous position as technical coordinator with added . responsibility for strategy through the club. ‘I feel I can do the No.1 job but I’d be no good as a No.2, I’m too opinionated. I wouldn’t want to do the job,’ said Sherwood. ‘There . is a place for a technical director, someone who sees the club from . bottom to top of the training field. There’s a definite place for that, . otherwise you get no continuity and end up buying seven or 10 players . every window and your turnover of players is too great.’ Chelsea players know how to win matches. There have been plenty of dives this season, the clearest from Ramires to preserve the Blues’ unbeaten home record, against West Brom. Others Jose Mourinho has admitted but still benefited from. On Saturday evening, Samuel Eto’o didn’t dive but played very cleverly for the decisive penalty, which Michael Oliver awarded after 59 minutes at Stamford Bridge. Eto’o gets ahead of defenders and then slows his stride to draw contact. This time, it was a small push from Younes Kaboul, which replays just about found. It was a soft penalty but not a wrong one from Oliver. He did very well to detect contact at full speed. However, he then decided Kaboul had denied an obvious goalscoring chance, so he dismissed him. As Eto’o did not have control of the ball and was not heading directly towards goal, I don’t agree with the red. Spurs could well have the card overturned. Not enough leaders: Sherwood casts an evil eye at midfielder Nabil Bentaleb at the end of the game . The . win against Spurs extended Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten record in the . Barclays Premier League at Stamford Bridge to 75 games. He has won 193 . points from a possible 225. If . there is friction behind the scenes, there was also friction on the . touchline at Stamford Bridge, where Sherwood clashed angrily with . Chelsea coach Steve Holland. ‘I . thought his comments were a little bit patronising,’ said Sherwood. ‘I’m not sure what he actually said, and to be honest I was in that kind . of mood to blow up with anyone so no hard feelings.’ The . Spurs boss was also unable to mask his feelings about his own players . after what he described as another ‘gutless’ disintegration to go with . 6-0 and 5-1 defeats against Manchester City and a 5-0 defeat at home to . Liverpool. ‘We lack something don’t we?’ said Sherwood when asked about his on-field leaders. ‘Capitulations are happening too often. ‘In . adversity, when things go against us, that’s when we go missing. You . either have that in you or you haven’t. We need to stand up and be . counted sooner rather than later.’ Spurs performed well for 56 minutes until Jan Vertonghen’s mistake gifted Samuel Eto’o the first. Then they fell apart. Younes . Kaboul was sent off after conceding a penalty for Chelsea’s second and . captain Michael Dawson pulled a hamstring and limped off. Defensive . problems loom ahead of Sunday’s North London derby. Dawson, . Vlad Chiriches and Etienne Capoue, who can play at the back, are . injured and Kaboul will be banned. The only senior centre-half available . is Vertonghen, who says he wants out if Spurs do not make the Champions . League and was responsible for sparking Saturday’s collapse and . culpable in the third scored by Demba Ba. Despondent: Aaron Lennon refused pushed Stefan Freund's hand away after the final whistle . Team spirit? The players were accused of not caring as much as their passionate boss . At . the end, few Spurs players acknowledged their supporters and when coach . Steffen Freund tried to usher Aaron Lennon towards them, Lennon pushed . Freund’s arm away and stormed down the tunnel. ‘They . should walk down there,’ said Sherwood.’I told them to go down there. You can understand their disappointment but those fans are disappointed . too and those fans are second to none. It’s important our players . acknowledge them.’ Mourinho . defended Eto’o against accusations that he played to win Chelsea’s . penalty and insisted football’s divers were not to be found at Stamford . Bridge. The Chelsea manager . did not name Luis Suarez but there was a sly dig involved as he tackled . the subject of deliberately trying to get opposing goalkeepers sent off. ‘We . had big opportunity in the second minute of the game when other players . with other shirts the players would go for a penalty and a red card for . the keeper,’ said the Chelsea boss. ‘Eden . Hazard doesn’t do that and he misses from a difficult angle. He tries . to go away from the keeper, while other important players in this league . they attack the keeper.. ‘You know the kings of the penalites,’ said Mourinho. ‘You know where they are and they’re not here.’ Easy: Chelsea ran riot on Saturday . Instead, . the Chelsea boss praised the predatory instincts of Eto’o, who is 33 . today,(MON) ‘Eto’o was brilliant,’ said Mourinho. ‘You can speak about . Vertonghen’s mistake but it was only Vertonghen’s mistake because Eto’o . is there. If Eto’o does not read the situation the defender or the . goalkeeper will get the ball. ‘He’s . not a 20 years old super-fast player like he was 10 years ago, so he . needs to be close to the goal, he needs his feet in the box and he’s . very intelligent in the way he moves. Eto’o . started against Spurs only because Fernando Torres was injured in the . warm-up and is likely to miss at least two weeks as Chelsea sprint clear . in the title race and attempt to reach the last eight of the Champions . League. Mourinho believes . the Champions League will play a part in the title race, but believes . both Manchester City and Manchester United can overturn their first leg . defeats in Europe. ‘They . lost at home, but can’t Manchester City win in Barcelona?’ said the . Chelsea manager. ‘No? Barcelona lost to Valladollid and lost at home to . Valencia. Why can’t they win? Why can’t Man United change that result . against Olympiakos? I think they can. I think they’re going through. Arsenal at Bayern, can they win 2-0 and go to extra time? Difficult, . probably the most difficult of the three but they can.’ | Tim Sherwood slammed his Tottenham team after the 4-0 defeat to Chelsea .
He says the silence from chairman Daniel Levy is 'deafening'
Louis van Gaal is reportedly being lined up as a new boss in the summer .
Tottenham players stormed off after the Stamford Bridge loss . |
141,060 | 4261a31c6ac42b414e6cac6f502a09609706baca | By . Sara Nelson . UPDATED: . 20:29 EST, 15 September 2011 . A passenger tried to open a plane door at 36,000ft claiming it did not matter because he was ‘on a flight simulator’. The 22-year-old man had to be wrestled to the ground by air hostesses and fellow passengers before being tied down with seatbelts. The flight from Majorca to Newcastle then made an emergency landing at Gatwick so he could be arrested. The drama unfolded as the 22-year-old man attempted to open the emergency doors of the Thomson flight at 36,000ft (file picture) A 28-year-old passenger, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It was dark but suddenly all the lights came on and all the air hostesses were shouting and we could see a man trying to open the emergency door. 'The plane started shaking. I thought it was going to go down. ‘His friends tried to pull him away from the door and he started punching them and saying 'It’s OK we are just on a simulator.' ‘Then another man came from nowhere and smacked him in the head.’ The mid-air drama started about 45 minutes into the early morning Thomson flight TOM1269 from Palma Airport on Wednesday. Lights in the cabin were dimmed and most passengers were sleeping or eating breakfast when cabin crew rushed to deal with the incident. Shaken: The McCallum family from Billingham, Teesside, told of their mid-flight terror, as a crazed passenger on their Thomson flight from Palma, Mallorca to Newcastle, tried to open the plane's door at 36,000ft . With help from other passengers the air hostesses managed to restrain the passenger and wrestle him into a seat. They then used around eight seatbelts to tie him up. Children were crying and passengers were panicking as the plane made its sudden descent. The passenger continued: ‘The plane went down really quickly, it was quite a dodgy landing. All our ears were popping. Then as soon as it came to a stop about six police officers ran on board and arrested him.’ After police took statements from passengers and the plane was refuelled, the holidaymakers were able to continue their return journey to Newcastle. Dan Alberts, 20, from Bensham, Gateshead, who was on the flight with a group of friends, said he heard one air hostess shout to the man that he could have killed everyone on board. The incident occurred on a Newcastle-bound flight which left from Palma, Majorca (pictured), yesterday morning. The pilot made an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport . He said: ‘We just heard a big bang and then he started going for the door. One of the girls I was with started having a panic attack and there were quite a few people crying. ‘There were a lot of kids on the plane screaming their heads off.’ Gavin McCallum, from Billingham, Teesside, was on the flight with his wife Sarah, 30, and children Freya, three, and Jack, two. The 35-year-old said: ‘It was terrifying. We didn’t know that he had tried to open the door until we landed and I’m quite grateful for that. ‘When we were on the ground and realised what had happened it was quite disturbing. ‘The cabin crew were fantastic. The pilot told me he had been flying for 20 years and that is the only time anything like that has happened.’ The man, of Ashington, Northumberland, was questioned by police on suspicion of endangering the safety of an aircraft. He was bailed pending further enquiries. A spokesman for Thomson Airways said: ‘We would like to reassure customers that it would not have been possible for this passenger to open the aircraft door while the aircraft was in the air. ‘We would also like to reassure our customers that incidents of this type are extremely rare.’ | 22-year-old man had to be tied up with eight seatbelts .
Newcastle-bound plane forced into emergency landing at Gatwick .
'There were a lot of kids on the plane screaming their heads off' |
265,128 | e3600fa2b7d5ec10c302bfd02219d6d8b52bb2db | By . Hugo Duncan Economics Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 18:20 EST, 5 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:22 EST, 5 November 2013 . Bolstered: The surprisingly robust pace of recovery in recent months is a boost for George Osborne . Britain's economy is growing at its fastest pace for 16 years, a report revealed yesterday. In a sign that the recovery is gathering pace, figures showed the dominant services sector had clocked up its best month since May 1997. It came as a report in Brussels predicted the UK would be the best performing major economy in Europe in 2013, 2014 and 2015 - outstripping even the mighty Germany. The European Commission said Britain has ‘exceeded expectations’ this year and added that ‘the outlook is quite bright’ having ‘improved substantially since the spring’. Combined with upbeat surveys on manufacturing and construction, the services sector figures fuelled speculation that the economy will expand by as much as 1.5 per cent in the final three months of the year. That would be nearly double the 0.8 per cent growth rate seen in the third quarter of 2013 and outstrip anything seen since the turn of the century. The surprisingly robust pace of recovery in recent months has bolstered hopes that the economy is finally on the mend in a boost for David Cameron and George Osborne. Michael Saunders, an economist at banking giant Citigroup said: ‘Britain is booming’. The strong growth could force the Bank of England to raise interest rates sooner than expected in what would be a blow to millions of borrowers but relief to Britain’s army of savers. Rates have been pegged at 0.5 per cent since March 2009 and the Bank has said there will be no increase until unemployment falls to 7 per cent or lower - something it said in August it did not expect until late 2016. But it is due to publish far more optimistic forecasts next week in a sign that rates could rise sooner than previously thought. Unemployment is currently 7.7 per cent. Positive outlook: The European Commission (pictured) in Brussels said Britain has 'exceeded expectations' this year and added that 'the outlook is quite bright' having 'improved substantially since the spring' George Buckley, UK economist at Deutsche Bank, said: ‘The Bank could well be swayed into bringing forward the point in time that the unemployment rate hits the 7 per cent threshold. We forecast unemployment to fall to 7 per cent by end-2015 at which point we expect a rate rise.’ Financial research group Markit yesterday said its index of activity in the services sector - which accounts for more than three quarters of UK output - rose from 60.3 in September to 62.5 in October. That was the strongest reading since May 1997, the month when Tony Blair became Prime Minister, and well above the 50 mark that separates growth from decline. Markit said that combined with strong reports on manufacturing and construction, October was the best month for the UK economy since the start of 1998. Push: The strong growth could force the Bank of England (pictured) to raise interest rates sooner than expected in what would be a blow to millions of borrowers but relief to Britain's army of savers . David Noble, chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, which compiles the report with Markit, hailed ‘a sparkling start’ to the fourth quarter of the year. Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said it put the UK on course for growth of 1.3 per cent in the final three months of 2013. But others were even more upbeat, with forecasting group Capital Economics and European banking giant ING predicting growth of as much as 1.5 per cent between October and December. The EC predicted growth of 1.3 per cent in the UK this year followed by 2.2 per cent in 2014 and 2.4 per cent in 2015 - outstripping Germany, France, Italy and Spain, the four biggest economies in the eurozone. | Britain's economy is growing at its fastest pace for 16 years, report reveals .
Dominant services sector has clocked up its best month since May 1997 .
European Commission says UK has 'exceeded expectations' this year . |
7,231 | 1480d69db8c6c542a48e9bb815020db5f9cf0fee | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:29 EST, 8 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:29 EST, 8 February 2013 . The next Lay's potato chip will taste like chicken and waffles. Or cheesy garlic bread. Or Sriracha, a hot sauce often used in Thai dishes. Lay's is letting potato chip lovers decide which one of the three will be its newest flavor. All of them will be sold at retailers nationwide starting next week. After trying them, fans have until May to vote for their favorites. The flavor with the most votes will stay on store shelves. New chip on the block: Lay's Thai-inspired Sriracha flavored potato chips, along with two other flavors - Cheesy Garlic Bread and Chicken & Waffles - will be sold at retailers nationwide starting in mid-February 2013 . But if the other two flavors sell well, they may remain in stores, too, said Ann Mukherjee, chief marketing officer at Frito-Lay. 'Who knows, we don't know what's going to happen.' she said. 'Our intent is to keep the one that people vote for.' It's the latest promotional stunt that tries to engage customers through social media and direct interaction, much as Hasbro's Monopoly did with its recent contest that ended with the addition of a cat game token and the demise of the iron. Lay's Chicken & Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread and Sriracha were suggested by three people through the company's 'Do Us a Flavor' campaign. A panel of chefs and flavor experts looked though about 3.8 million submissions and selected about 20 flavors to prototype. From there, the judges picked the three finalists. Mukherjee said that each dish was cooked in the test kitchen and compared with the flavored chip. Fans will have three ways to vote for their favorites. They can do it though Lay's Facebook page, by texting 'VOTE' to 24477 or through Twitter using the hashtags (hash)SaveChickenWaffles, (hash)SaveGarlicBread or (hash)SaveSriracha. The person who submitted the winning flavor will win $1 million, or one percent of the chip's 2013 sales, whichever is more. The runners-up will win $50,000. Although the new flavors are not supposed to hit stores until next Tuesday, some stores have started selling them. Fans have been posting images of the bags to social networks such as Instagram and Twitter. 'We started shipping them,' said Mukherjee. 'I think some of our retailers got excited and put it out on the floor earlier.' Lay's adds about one new potato chip flavor every year, said Mukherjee. Last year it launched the Lay's Classic BLT, made to taste like the sandwich. This is the first time in Lay's 75-year history that it has let U.S. consumers choose the company's next flavor. Lay's, which is a unit of PepsiCo Inc.'s Frito-Lay snack business, has held similar contests in other countries. Frito-Lay first tried such a contest in the United Kingdom for its Walkers brand in 2008. Fans came up with Walkers Chilli & Chocolate and Walkers Cajun Squirrel. Builder's Breakfast, which tasted like a full bacon, sausage and eggs breakfast, won. But the flavor has since been discontinued. Your vote counts: After trying the three new flavors, fans have until May to vote for their favorites . | Lay's is letting potato chip lovers decide which one of the three will be its newest flavor .
All of them will be sold at retailers nationwide starting next week . |
286,997 | ffdc7bca03f3554731599048f83fa79aa45e8884 | (CNN) -- Southwest of Toronto, in a satellite city called Mississauga, Ma Yansong's vision of a flowing, organic architecture halts the tedium of a relentlessly box-shaped cityscape. His two residential towers are alike in their sinuous curvilinearity -- which enraptured locals nicknamed "Marilyn Monroe" -- but were designed separately. The first tower was so beloved by Missisaugans, a second was commissioned and completed last year. Since winning this first big international commission in 2006, Ma's eight-year-old Beijing firm MAD has made a name for itself as a leading exponent of urban design that's both futuristic and respectful of nature. Their projects include breathtaking museums and towers in the Chinese cities of Harbin, Ordos and Tianjin, but Canada's Absolute Towers are Ma's favorite. He was only 30 years old when his design was commissioned. "I'd never built a building before, and that was a huge building. I had to figure out how to assemble my team, how to build a high rise. It was a surprise. I didn't know it was so complicated to make a building," he said. View a hi-res gallery of Ma Yansong's 'Great Buildings' Achieved with the help of Toronto architect Atilla Burka and structural engineer Sigmund Soudack, the first tower is 170 meters tall, with elliptical floor plates that twist at varying points depending on corresponding features in the landscape. Today, Ma says he's glad he didn't know how difficult it would be to execute his vision -- he might not have tried if he had. "I was so confident about what I proposed, because I was thinking about the city." The city appreciated it. "Architecture lives in Mississauga at long last," wrote one critic, who compared the building's sashaying, ribbed shape to the pleated, body-draping garments of fashion designer Issey Miyake. Another critic deemed it "sassy, sexy and irreverent toward the formal pieties of cereal-box skyscraper modernism", and a comeback to "Toronto developers who complain that they can't build and sell anything except the same boring stuff we've been seeing since the Second World War. "I didn't try to make it sexy, just not a box," Ma says. "I'm trying to express nature in big cities. I grew up in the old neighborhood of Beijing where you had a courtyard and trees. Actually, the whole of Beijing was a garden -- the Forbidden City -- and the lakes and gardens in the city center were all artificial," he said. Watch 'Great Buildings' on Connect the World . "I think that's a good pattern for future cities. There must be a way to combine the high rise and high density environment with nature. Maybe we can have our gardens in the sky. We can link different buildings in the sky, and we can have a waterfall in a high rise. It would be beautiful." The building Ma most wishes he had designed is the Salk Institute by Louis Kahn who, like Ma, studied at Yale. Located in La Jolla, California, the building was commissioned by the inventor of the polio vaccine, Dr Jonas Salk, who wanted to create a place where scientists could be inspired. Kahn designed two parallel buildings with protruding towers which afford space for study. The six-storey structures are separated by a light-filled, marble plaza with a central water channel leading out toward the Pacific Ocean. iReport: Your favorite buildings . The building's use of concrete is widely praised, but Ma says he particularly likes its relationship to its environment. "When people are in the central plaza, they feel so connected to nature, to the sky and the ocean, emotionally. I always imagine in 100 or 200 years, when people go there, they will feel the same," he said. "I went there two or three years ago for the first time. I arrived there at midnight so I had to climb into the place, and was guided out by security. "It was in the dark, so it looked different from the pictures -- everyone knows these pictures; you have the building on both sides and the ocean and sky in front -- but in the evenings, it's like a black hole," he says. "The end is a void and it's horizontal not vertical, so you don't feel you're small and helpless. When you're in that space you feel you're the center, and you can talk to your future." | Chinese architect Ma Yansong's favorite design is the Absolute Towers in Mississauga, Ontario .
Locals have nicknamed the twisting residential towers "Marilyn Monroe" on account of their sinuous curves .
The building he wishes he'd designed is Louis Kahn's Salk Institute in La Jolla, California .
Ma aims to combine high-rise and high-density environments with nature, he says . |
38,175 | 6bf0badf02f378c284538ba275ace5ecf324a7d1 | New York (CNN) -- The first major heat wave of the summer blanketed the U.S. East Coast on Wednesday with scorching temperatures that swept across the region. Hot air -- often in excess of 90 degrees -- stretched from Maine to North Carolina, with the highest temperatures hitting parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, according to the National Weather Service. "Very few areas are forecast to be below 90 degrees in the Northeast," said agency spokeswoman Susan Buchanan. 5 tips to survive extreme heat . States across the mid-Atlantic also had heat indices that reached 105 degrees, said the National Weather Service, which issued warnings and advisories across the region. Heat indices combine temperature and relative humidity to indicate how hot the body feels. New York City and parts of northeast New Jersey are expecting the heat index to reach even higher. Actual temperatures reached the mid-90s on Wednesday. "I wouldn't say this is highly abnormal," said meteorologist Rick Watling. "Having heat advisories or even warnings this time of the year is not too unusual." The National Weather Service advises residents to wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing, drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors. Young children and the elderly are especially at risk for heat-related injuries, the service said. Last year, it reported 206 heat-related deaths. In the past decade, heat has been the second-leading cause for weather-related fatalities, the service said. Zoo animals drown in Minnesota flooding . Cities across the Northeast designated cooling centers and have issued advisories in an effort to help keep residents safe, according to emergency management officials in several cities. "For the most part, they're places that are already open and they're designated for when the heat rises," said New York Emergency Management spokeswoman Judith Kane. "The centers are places like senior centers that will be open to the public. It's an effective way to get access to air conditioning if you don't have it." Residents are advised to call 311 or to go to their city's website online to find cooling centers and to get further information on how to keep cool as the heat rises. | "Few areas (will be) below 90 degrees in the Northeast," weather service says .
Last year, the weather service reported 206 heat-related deaths nationwide .
In the past decade, heat has been the second-leading cause for weather-related deaths . |
122,790 | 2ab575488a67bf8b3d53ff479fa0eaa14e748ec3 | (CNN) -- George Clooney 1, Daily Mail newspaper 0. The British newspaper's website deleted an article about Clooney, his fiancee, Amal Alamuddin, and her mother, Baria, on Wednesday, after Clooney said the article was "completely fabricated" and even "dangerous." The website subsequently apologized and said it had "launched a full investigation." The offending article came out on the Web on Monday and in print on Tuesday. While it is now missing from the Mail's site, rewritten versions of it still appear on hundreds of other sites -- a point that Clooney himself made in an unusual response to the Mail, published by USA Today on Wednesday morning. In order to rebut the article, Clooney had to repeat some of what it said. "The Daily Mail has printed a completely fabricated story about my fiancee's mother opposing our marriage for religious reasons," Clooney wrote in USA Today. "It says Amal's mother has been telling 'half of Beirut' that she's against the wedding. It says they joke about traditions in the Druze religion that end up with the death of the bride." None of that is true, Clooney said. Clooney, of course, is used to media misbehavior -- thinly sourced stories about celebrities of his stature are a daily occurrence, and "I seldom respond," he wrote. "But this lie involves larger issues," he wrote. "The irresponsibility, in this day and age, to exploit religious differences where none exist, is at the very least negligent and more appropriately dangerous. We have family members all over the world, and the idea that someone would inflame any part of that world for the sole reason of selling papers should be criminal." Later on, he suggested that the Mail had moved "into the arena of inciting violence." So was the Mail story completely made up? MailOnline, the Web division of the newspaper, said Wednesday that it was "not a fabrication"; rather, it was "supplied in good faith by a reputable and trusted freelance journalist." The Mail said the journalist "based her story on conversations with a long-standing contact who has strong connections with senior members of the Lebanese community in the UK and the Druze in Beirut." In other words, the journalist played a particularly bad game of telephone, repeating what one person was saying about what other people were allegedly saying about Clooney's future mother-in-law. "We accept Mr. Clooney's assurance that the story is inaccurate and we apologise to him, Miss Amal Alamuddin and her mother, Baria, for any distress caused," the Mail said in a statement. "We have removed the article from our website and will be contacting Mr. Clooney's representatives to discuss giving him the opportunity to set the record straight." What we know about George Clooney's fiancee . Photos: The women who captured George Clooney's heart . CNN's Joan Yeam contributed to this report. | Daily Mail said Clooney's future mother-in-law opposes his marriage on religious grounds .
Clooney responds in USA Today, calling the story "completely fabricated" and "dangerous"
The story was removed from the Mail's website, and the paper is investigating .
Clooney rarely responds to the media's stories about his personal life . |
209,767 | 9bac17773a5116612032cd6964e632b0b188711a | Port St. Joe, Florida (CNN) -- One by one, with a hand as steady as a surgeon's, Lorna Patrick removes eggs from a sea turtle's nest on a Florida beach. "If it falls, you probably killed the hatchling that's developing inside," said Patrick, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Patrick admits she holds her breath each time she takes an egg out of the sand and places it in the foam cooler. Sand is delicately placed in the cooler between and on top of each egg. Patrick uses the sand from the nest, which is located just a few inches from the beach's surface. This process is part of an unprecedented sea turtle relocation program. Moving sea turtle nests days before the eggs are to hatch has never been done before. It is also the first time that wildlife experts had to deal with oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. "Shy of letting the hatchlings swim in oil, it's our best alternative," said Sandy MacPherson, the national sea turtle coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service. "We're confident if they go into oil they're going to die." Patrick is working on the second sea turtle nest to be moved since the program started. Ninety percent of the United States' sea turtle population can be found on Florida's beaches, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is estimated that 700 nests can be found in the Florida Panhandle, an area vulnerable to the oil spill. "This is a huge relocation effort," said Thomas Strickland, assistant secretary of interior for fish and wildlife and parks. "As many as 50 to 100,000 eggs over the next six to eight weeks will be dug up." An average nest has anywhere from 100 to 120 eggs. Sea turtles come out of the water a few feet from the coastline and lay their eggs in the warm sand. Loggerhead turtle eggs, the type Patrick is handling, usually hatch within 60 to 70 days. The eggs are moved just over a week before they are expected to hatch. Wildlife officials want to keep the eggs in their natural environment as long as possible. "Through the eggs it's believed they actually connect to the landscapes where they were born," Strickland said. Once the turtles mature it is hoped that they will return to the original nesting area and the natural birthing cycle will continue. Once Patrick's two coolers are full, with the nest's 107 eggs, they will start a journey across the state. A special climate-controlled truck donated by Federal Express will deliver the eggs to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The coolers will be stored in a special NASA building that will be regulated to the warm summer temperatures to which the eggs are accustomed. Instead of the beautiful white sandy beach, the hatchlings will be born in the transport coolers. Once they break out of their shells, the warm blue Atlantic Ocean will be awaiting them. | U.S. wildlife experts are moving sea turtle eggs by hand to save them from the oil disaster .
Such a relocation effort has never been done before .
They are being taken from Florida Panhandle to Kennedy Space Center .
They will be stored in a special NASA building, then released into the Atlantic Ocean . |
222,803 | ac6cb995edcfd2bc6a8dfeb16ffbb4ae2c1ed678 | (Hong Kong) (CNN) -- The Australian women's basketball team and the Japanese women's soccer team flew in premium economy seats in their flights to Europe, while their male counterparts stretched out in business class. Nevermind that the women's Australian basketball team has won silver medals in the last three Olympics -- and the Aussie men have won none. And it also mattered little that the women's Japanese soccer team won last year's World Cup. The difference in how the women's teams traveled has sparked outrage and accusations of sexism. It prompted Basketball Australia to announce that it would review its travel policy "with the goal of ensuring there is equity between travel arrangements for the men's and women's teams attending future Olympics." That review, which was announced Friday, is expected to take about three months. Basketball Australia quoted Scott Derwin, its acting chief executive, in a statement explaining that each national team has discretion over how their funds are spent, including travel arrangements. "We should bear in mind that in fact, historically, more funding has been directed towards the Opals," Derwin said in the statement. The Opals refer to the Australian women's basketball team and the Boomers are the men's basketball team. The spokeswoman for Basketball Australia declined to comment when reached by CNN on Friday. In the statement released Friday by the organization, Derwin said: "But the simple fact is when a policy results in gender inequality, it's very clearly not the right policy going forward." The incoming chief executive officer of Basketball Australia, Kristina Keneally said in the statement, "In this day and age, there's just no excuse for men's and women's sporting teams to be treated differently when they both compete at the same world class level. "In fact, in this circumstance, the disparity is even more glaring when you consider that our women's basketball team is one of the best in the world - enjoying the number 2 spot in international rankings," Keneally added. Australia's Minister for Sport, Kate Lundy, agreed. "They shouldn't have to travel a different class because they're both world class," she said in a statement Thursday. While saying that travel arrangements are a matter for the national Olympic committee and the relevant national sporting organization, Lundy stated: "My view is that team travel should be equitable for our male and female athletes." The Japanese Olympic Council confirmed that the Japan Football Association upgraded its male Olympic team to business class and the female team to premium economy. It refrained from commenting on the matter. Japanese Olympic Council provides its country's Olympic-bound athletes with economy class tickets. It is up to each member association or athletes whether those seats will be upgraded or not. Japanese netizens were divided about the seating arrangements, with some saying the difference was unfair, while others said the economic reality is that the male team earns more money. Homare Sawa's Talk Asia Interview . CNN's Judy Kwon and Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report. | Women in Australian basketball team and Japanese soccer team fly economy .
The men's teams flew in business class to the Olympic games .
Difference in flights have sparked outrage over how women were treated . |
236,586 | be38f0b2bc20967ad7954a6786bd3a0ff3f78a48 | Danny Welbeck joined his Arsenal team-mates on Thursday for the first time since his £16million move from Manchester United as Arsene Wenger’s side trained at London Colney. Arsenal face Manchester City on Saturday afternoon at the Emirates after an international break that saw Welbeck take the plaudits for England’s 2-0 win in Switzerland. Welbeck scored twice for Roy Hodgson’s side in the Euro 2016 qualifier in Basle, giving hope to Gunners fans that he will be the man to lead the line with Olivier Giroud out injured. WATCH Scroll down to see 'Phil Neville: Welbeck was one of best signings this window' Danny Welbeck took part in his first Arsenal training session since joining the club from Manchester United . Danny Welbeck jokingly grabs Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere around the neck during Thursday's session . Danny Welbeck looked to enjoy his first training session since his £16million switch on deadline day . Danny Welbeck chats with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger during his first training session with the Gunners . Arsene Wenger and Danny Welbeck both had something to smile about following their brief chat . Danny Welbeck appeared to be settling in with his Arsenal and England team-mates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Calum Chambers and Jack Wilshere . It seems the 23-year-old has bedded in well with his new pals, pictured having a laugh and putting his arm around England team-mate Jack Wilshere. Welbeck should start against Manchester City for the vital Premier League clash, with Arsenal looking to start their season off well against the top four having stumbled against the big boys in previous years. Wenger revealed his deadline-day preference had been to sign Welbeck on loan rather than a permanent deal. Danny Welbeck watches on with Jack Wilshere, Yaya Sanogo (left) and Joel Campbell (right) Danny Welbeck smiles in his Arsenal training shirt ahead of the Gunners' clash with Man City on Saturday . Danny Welbeck watches on as defender Calum Chambers shields the ball from the former Man United striker . Wenger confirmed his initial priority was to secure a season-long loan with an agreement to buy next summer. That position is understood to have shifted when United insisted on a permanent transfer, with Tottenham also in discussions to sign the England striker. When asked if a loan move had been his primary intention, Wenger said: ‘With an option to buy, yes.’ Having spent his time at Old Trafford fluctuating between his preferred central role and positions put wide, Welbeck is now set to be played through the middle at Arsenal. Wenger said: ‘He arrived on Wednesday and he’s happy and confident of course because he scored two goals for England in a very important game and that can only boost his confidence. 'Welbeck is young, strong and a great finisher. He can improve here. ‘When you analyse his game you think he has the qualities to play through the middle. At Manchester United, where you had many big stars, and he is a player who is very versatile, he had to make room sometimes for players to play through the middle. Danny Welbeck completed his move from Manchester United to Arsenal on transfer deadline day . Aaron Ramsey limped off injured for Wales in their 2-1 Euro 2016 qualifier win at Andorra . 'But if you analyse in an objective way his qualities, I think he has the perfect style to play through the middle.’ Wenger added: ‘He has been questioned about that (his finishing), but the second goal (for England) gives you a good answer.’ 'Welbeck's best position is through the middle. He is happy and confident' Wenger has drawn criticism in some quarters for being in Rome on deadline day, but he said: ‘If I had not travelled that day, Welbeck would not be here. I'll explain that a bit later but the coincidence made that because I was on my way. Arsene Wenger (left) gets his message across to Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla on Wednesday . Danny Welbeck scored twice to help England to a 2-0 win against Switzerland during the international break . ‘If I stayed at home, Welbeck would not be here today. I will tell you that story one day but that's the truth. We are in 2014 and you can always be in touch with everybody even when you travel. The advantage of that day was I had to get up at 6 o'clock in the morning and I was available the whole day.’ When asked if Sir Alex Ferguson would have sanctioned such a deal, Wenger joked: ‘You should ask him. I met him by coincidence on Tuesday and Wednesday and I would like to keep that conversation to myself!’ Wenger added: ‘We sold Robin van Persie to Manchester United so that's a reciprocity that happened there. Arsene Wenger revealed that Theo Walcott is 'two to three weeks' away from being fully fit . Per Mertesacker (left) takes on Santi Cazorla during Arsenal training on Wednesday . 'When they bought (Radamel) Falcao they had to let somebody go and I was not aware at the start when I heard that he (Welbeck) could be available. It was quick because it was on the last day of the transfer window and I had no hesitation to do it.’ Arsenal expect to have Aaron Ramsey fit to face Manchester City on Saturday despite injuring his ankle for Wales against Andorra. Wenger said: ‘The first news is not bad. He will be assessed today (Thursday), he has a little chance to be available for Saturday. He had an ankle sprain, it's a minor one that's for sure. Will it be enough to be available for Saturday? We'll know today. ‘Mikkel Arteta and Kieran Gibbs are back in the squad and in normal training. Mesut Ozil had a knock and didn't play for Germany because he had a sprained ankle. He will be available as well.’ Danny Welbeck is expected to be given more chance to impress in his favourite central role at Arsenal . Danny Welbeck celebrates his second England goal against Switzerland with Rickie Lambert on Monday . Gary Neville admitted on Wednesday that he was stunned by Welbeck’s £16million sale from Manchester United to Arsenal. I have to admit I thought the Danny Welbeck sale was a strange one, but that’s just me. ‘Of all the prices paid this summer, there are right backs and left-backs galore who have been bought for £14m, £15m, £16m? ‘How have Arsenal got him [Welbeck] for £16m? I can’t work it out. It has helped out a competitor because Arsenal are the team they are fighting for fourth possibly. ‘I am struggling to work out the logic, I can’t understand it. It’s odd in two or three ways. | New Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck takes part in first training session .
Arsene Wenger believes Welbeck is a 'great finisher'
Arsenal boss claims he wouldn't have signed Welbeck on transfer deadline day had he not been in Rome .
Welbeck sealed £16million move from Manchester United .
Wenger reveals Aaron Ramsey could be available for Arsenal's clash with Manchester City on Saturday .
Theo Walcott is 'two to three weeks' away from joining full training . |
267,765 | e6cb20b55c414025bf76d461ada24777c9a63a93 | By . Nick Fagge . and Ben Spencer . and Tom Kelly . A Bulgarian Roma woman believed to be the real mother of the ‘blonde angel’ found in a Greek gypsy camp declared yesterday: ‘I want her back.’ Mother-of-ten Sasha Ruseva, 35, claims she did not sell Maria, now four, but was forced to leave her daughter with a friend in Greece as a baby because she could not afford the legal documents required to take her home to Bulgaria. But the Daily Mail can reveal that a woman of her name has twice previously been arrested for trying to sell babies in Greece – and on both occasions skipped bail. Scroll down for video . A DNA test has confirmed Sasha Ruseva a Bulgarian Roma woman is the mother of a mystery girl known as Maria, found living with a couple in Greece . Mother-of-ten Sasha Ruseva, 35, (children, left) claims she did not sell Maria (right), who is now four years old . Today the Mail tracked down Mrs Ruseva, who police believe will be shown by DNA tests to be Maria’s real mother, to an impoverished gypsy camp in Nikolaevo in rural Bulgaria where her family share a one-room home without running water. Her husband Atana Rusev, 37, has an albino gene in his family that may have resulted in Maria’s blonde hair and pale complexion. Five of the couple’s other children are blonde and closely resemble Maria. Mystery has surrounded the identity of the parents of the blue-eyed girl since she was discovered after police raided a Roma gypsy camp in central Greece last week. A couple who posed as her parents for four years to make money from her begging are believed to have bought the child for £850. Maria’s case attracted global attention, with thousands of calls from people who believe they may know her identity. Mrs Ruseva wept yesterday as she insisted: ‘I did not sell Maria, nor did I give her away. For the past four years I have never forgotten Maria. I pray for her every day. I want her back, I want her back.’ Mother-of-ten Sasha Ruseva, 35, whose children are pictured here, claims she did not sell Maria . A woman with the name Sasha Ruseva has twice previously been arrested for trying to sell babies in Greece . Mrs Ruseva, who was just 13 when she had her first child, said she was pregnant with Maria when she went to Greece to work as a field hand on a farm with her husband. She said her eldest daughter remained in Bulgaria to look after her other children but that arrangement stopped when she got married and wanted to move out, forcing Mrs Ruseva to return home. She claimed she could not bring Maria back with her as the Greek authorities required she pay ‘hundreds of euros’ for a birth certificate for her daughter, which she could not afford. She said: ‘I gave birth to Maria about four and a half years ago. I can’t remember the exact date. ‘I cared for Maria for seven months but I had to come back to Bulgaria look after my other children. ‘I left my daughter with my room-mate. She is also Roma. When I left Maria I asked the woman to send her to Bulgaria. But she hasn’t. I cannot remember her name, it was four years ago. ‘I missed Maria but I don’t have any money so I did not know what to do. I called the woman several times and I knew she was safe and well. I don’t know why she kept her so long, why they did not send her back to me. ‘I don’t have enough money to call the woman in Greece any more so I stopped trying to get in touch with her. I didn’t know what was happening with my child. But I have never stopped wanting her, she is my own flesh and blood.’ This is the family's one-bedroom home in the impoverished gypsy camp in Nikolaevo in rural Bulgaria . Mrs Ruseva, who was just 13 when she had her first child, said she was pregnant with Maria when she went to Greece to work as a field hand on a farm with her husband . Mrs Ruseva and her husband registered the birth of a child four years ago at a hospital in Lamia, an hour from the Farsala camp where Maria was found. Greek police think Maria may have been sold on by a baby-smuggling gang who offer newborns to childless couples for up to £22,000. It is believed that Maria was sold for a knockdown price because police were moving in on child smugglers in the area. Judicial records show that a Sasha Ruseva was arrested in early 2009 – the same period as Maria was handed to the gipsies in Greece – on suspicion of trying to sell a baby, but she skipped bail and escaped with the child. In January this year a Sasha Ruseva was arrested in Thessaloniki, close to the Bulgarian border, for the same offence. On that occasion a child was taken into care and the mother was charged but disappeared before a court hearing. Sotiris Koutsobelis, deputy mayor of Lamia, the town where Maria was born, told the Mail last night: ‘It seems that Ruseva has been selling babies all along.’ An ID card for a baby – the only documentation needed for it to be taken between Greece and Bulgaria – costs just 15 euros (£12.80). A man claiming to be Mrs Ruseva’s brother last night alleged she had sold Maria for 250 euros, contradicting her account. The man, who asked not to be named, told local radio: ‘We knew that my sister had a child in Greece, and gave it to friends there because it was impossible to support it, but she and her husband would see her quite often in Farsala. They still love Maria very much. She told us that the couple paid her 250 euros for the child.’ Judicial records show that a Sasha Ruseva was arrested in early 2009 - the same period as Maria was handed to the gipsies in Greece - on suspicion of trying to sell a baby . Greek police think Maria may have been sold on by a baby-smuggling gang who offer newborns to childless couples for up to £22,000 . Mrs Ruseva and her husband were arrested and questioned for a few hours yesterday morning by Bulgarian police as part of a joint operation with Greek officers. Mr Rusev said: ‘I never got any money for Maria. The police asked us questions about her, but we don’t know anything. We told them we want her back.’ He added: ‘I can’t remember all of my children’s names because there are so many of them.’ His brother said Mr Rusev has been ‘out of his mind’ since he first saw a picture of Maria on Bulgarian television two days ago and has barely stopped drinking since. The family survive on child benefit payments of £40 a month from the Bulgarian state and live on potato soup and homemade bread. Mrs Ruseva said: ‘Look at us, look at the place we live. We don’t have anything. We have only one bed. Three of the children sleep in it. The rest of us have to lie on the floor. ‘I don’t know how to pay for their clothes. That is why I send them to school dirty and without shoes or clothes. Look at me. Look at how dirty I am.’ DNA testing is being carried out on Mrs Ruseva and the authorities have collected information about her trips to Greece in recent years. Greek police chief Astelios Matziokas said: ‘This information is the best lead we have for finding Maria’s parents.’ Mrs Ruseva said: 'Look at us, look at the place we live. We don't have anything.' Greek police chief Astelios Matziokas said: 'This information is the best lead we have for finding Maria's parents.' Hristos Salis, 39, and Eleftheria Dimopoulou, 40, who posed as Maria’s parents, are in custody in Greece accused of child abduction. Maria’s case has spurred concerns about child trafficking within the Roma community, as well as accusations of racism towards them. In an episode apparently prompted by the Greek case, two blond, blue-eyed children were taken by police in Ireland from their Roma parents who had different physical characteristics. The girl and boy were returned to their families on Wednesday after DNA tests determined the children were rightfully theirs. | Sasha Ruseva claims she did not sell Maria, who is now four years old .
Says she was forced to leave daughter with friend in Greece because she could not afford the legal documents to take her back to Bulgaria .
But Daily Mail can reveal a woman sharing her name has twice been arrested for trying to sell babies in Greece - and skipped bail both times .
Police believe she will be shown by DNA tests to be Maria's mother .
Her husband, Atana Rusev, 37, has albino gene in his family . |
163,343 | 5f3623de7604d238598341c1631bbc05716caf6d | By . Richard Spillett . and Sara Malm . The life of a former Jihadist who became a double-agent for MI5 is set to be turned into a Hollywood blockbuster. Bourne Identity director Paul Greengrass is rumoured to be leading the project, based on Danish-born Morten Storm’s autobiography; Agent Storm: My Life Inside Al Qaeda and the CIA. Storm, 38, hit the headlines earlier this year with his non-fiction book, which follows his journey from a violent youth in Denmark via radical Islamism to life as a spy. Storm Bourne: Danish-born radical Islamist-turned MI5 spy Morten Storm is set to see his autobiography turned into a Hollywood movie . A member of a biker gang in his home country, Storm moved to Britain in the late 90s and converted to Islam. After falling in with controversial hate preachers such as Sheik Omar Bahri Muhammad in London and Luton, developed extreme jihadist views. Storm then moved to Yemen in 2001 and grew close to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki. As he became trusted by fundamentalists, he met shoe bomber Richard Reid and, at one point, was offered the chance to meet Osama Bin Laden. Spy game: The 38-year-old biker from Denmark converted to Islam after moving to Britain where he became raised and later moved to Yemen before becoming a double agent in 2006 . Under cover: While in Yemen and Somalia, Storm worked for CIA, MI5, MI6 and the Danish intelligence service . Game on: The film about Morten Storm is set to be directed by Brit Paul Greengrass, who is the man behind the Bourne-trilogy and Captain Phillips . In his book he reveals he turned his back on fundamentalists after he was prevented from travelling to fight in Somalia in 2006. He was stunned that he had been denied what he considered his fate and looked up 'contradictions in the Koran' on the internet in frustration. In an interview with BBC's Newsnight, broadcast last night, he said: 'Once I had researched the contradictions, I finally realised how misguided I was and what a danger my associates were for the free world.' He was later recruited by the CIA, MI5 and the Danish intelligence service, PET, as a double agent to inform on operations in Yemen and Somalia and prevent attacks in Europe. Storm's life is rumoured to be brought to the big screen by Paul Greengrass, director of the Bourne Identity spy-trilogy, The Guardian reports. Sony Pictures are said to have bought the rights to turn the book into a film after Greengrass took it to American producer Scott Rudin, who worked with him on the Oscar-nominated Captain Phillips. | Danish-born Storm radicalised in London and joined extremists in Yemen .
Became a double agent in 2006 and gave information to MI5 and CIA .
His life is set to be turned into film by the director for Bourne Identity . |
149,042 | 4cb4ca8755e108ee9bc84c83a26a62f2d1bb3f72 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:04 EST, 3 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:53 EST, 3 November 2012 . Cancelled: Dapper sport star Wiggins has ended his 'minor' investment in the scheme . Olympic gold medallist and Tour de France cycling hero Bradley Wiggins announced today that he has ended his involvement with a controversial tax-avoidance scheme. Critics rounded on the 32-year-old after The Mail On Sunday reported last week he was using a scheme named Twofold First Services, owned by a company based in the Cayman Islands. Wiggins stated 'I had a small investment in Twofold, following guidance from my professional advisers'. 'I had, however, claimed no tax relief of any amount in regard to this investment. Given the concerns raised about it, I have now instructed my advisers to withdraw me from the scheme with immediate effect.' A spokesman for Wiggins said at the time: ‘The vast majority of Bradley’s income is taxed at the standard and higher rate. The investment in Twofold Services involves only a small percentage of Bradley’s income. Bradley has paid, and will continue to pay, his fair share of tax.’ In an interview with The Guardian Wiggins went on to describe his frustration at the revelations of Lance Armstrong’s organised doping. He said: 'The anger is more: I’ve got to pick up the pieces. He’s still a multi-millionaire, and he’s not here to answer the questions. I can’t not answer them because I’ve got to go and race next year, and I hate talking about it.' The cyclist, who is hot favourite for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, said there was a price to pay for his success. He said: 'I wouldn’t say I wish I hadn’t won the Tour, but sometimes, especially with recent events, the Lance Armstrong stuff, I find it hard being the winner of the Tour and everything that goes with it.' Controversy: Critics rounded on the 32-year-old after The Mail On Sunday reported last week he was using a scheme named Twofold First Services, owned by a company based in the Cayman Islands . 'I wanted to be the winner for the . challenge of what the sporting event is about and how hard you can train . to do that, and I never wanted all the stuff that went with it.' He also revealed that he finds it difficult to cope with being recognised by fans when he is out with his family. He said: 'They ask your wife to take the photo, which is a bit rude. And after a while that becomes tiresome, especially when you’re having a pizza with your children, or you have to have a photo with somebody else’s kids while yours stand to the side.' 'There comes a point when I’ve got to start getting on with my life. It would be hard to live my life as it is forever.' Famous: Wiggins also revealed that he finds it difficult to cope with being recognised by fans when he is out with his family . In a Twofold-type scheme, an individual . could end up paying no tax at all, by investing around £100,000 yet . claiming tax relief on £1 million. This is achieved as each £100,000 is supplemented by a £900,000 loan taken out by the partnership. That money, after being paid to the farmer, is swiftly repaid to the bank. The accountants find a way to artificially ‘write down’ the investment to become a loss on paper, even though there was no cash loss. The original £100,000 goes to the advisers and banks in fees, but the partnership members claim they have made a loss of £1 million, which they set against their income. | Critics rounded on the 32-year-old after it emerged he was using a scheme named .
Twofold First Services .
'Given the concerns raised about it, I have now instructed my advisers to withdraw me from the scheme with immediate effect,' he said today . |
22,275 | 3f458d3f06c517a5442259eadd9cb7972225447b | Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano have become the latest Barcelona stars to appear in the club's countdown to Christmas YouTube video series. The Catalan giants have decided to call on the services of the first team players with just two days to go until Christmas Day. South American trio Messi, Suarez and Mascherano get into the festive spirit by donning Barcelona Santa hats while standing in front of Christmas trees. Barcelona trio Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez wore Christmas hats in the video . They are told to stare into the camera before Messi kicks things off by saying 'Happy Christmas'. Messi's fellow countryman Mascherano tells Barcelona fans to 'have a great year' before Suarez utters 'full of happiness'. The likes of Pedro, Ivan Rakitic and Neymar have appeared in previous '#NadalFCB' videos to celebrate the festive period. The three stars share a joke before having to record their Christmas messages . A film assistant displays a clapperboard with the details of Barcelona's latest Christmas video . | Lionel Messi has wished Barcelona fans a 'Happy Christmas'
Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano also recorded a festive message .
Neymar and Pedro among players who have starred in previous videos . |
88,776 | fbf41ef8b532f701604fa8cd46f0a18fdf8c2e42 | (CNN) -- In an op-ed column released Friday by The New York Times, Woody Allen blames Mia Farrow's malevolence over their breakup for a two-decade-old false accusation that he molested their adopted daughter, Dylan, when she was 7. The film director's opinion piece follows renewed allegations that were made last week by Dylan Farrow, who accused him in an open letter published by the Times of sexually assaulting her as young girl. "Not that I doubt Dylan hasn't come to believe she's been molested, but if from the age of 7 a vulnerable child is taught by a strong mother to hate her father because he is a monster who abused her, is it so inconceivable that after many years of this indoctrination the image of me Mia wanted to establish had taken root?" Allen writes in the Times. Dylan Farrow stood by her accusations in a statement responding to Allen's op-ed. "Once again, Woody Allen is attacking me and my family in an effort to discredit and silence me -- but nothing he says or writes can change the truth," she said. "For 20 years, I have never wavered in describing what he did to me. I will carry the memories of surviving these experiences for the rest of my life." The controversy dates back to 1992 after the revelation that Allen, then 56, was having an affair with Soon-Yi Previn, Mia Farrow's 19-year-old adopted daughter with composer Andre Previn. Allen and Soon-Yi Previn married five years later. Relatives take Allen's side . When Mia Farrow's 12-year relationship with Allen ended, the actress accused him of molesting Dylan, one of two children she had adopted with Allen. "Twenty-one years ago, when I first heard Mia Farrow had accused me of child molestation, I found the idea so ludicrous I didn't give it a second thought. We were involved in a terribly acrimonious breakup, with great enmity between us and a custody battle slowly gathering energy," Allen wrote. "The self-serving transparency of her malevolence seemed so obvious I didn't even hire a lawyer to defend myself. It was my show business attorney who told me she was bringing the accusation to the police and I would need a criminal lawyer." The charge triggered a child-custody battle, with Allen going to court to get both adopted children and Satchel, their biological son, who now goes by Ronan Farrow. But a police investigation of the allegations ended with no charges against Allen. At the time, Allen lashed out at authorities who handled the case and accused prosecutors of scheming to keep it open to influence his custody battle. Adopted daughter says Woody Allen sexually assaulted her . Even as the decades passed, the scandal permanently damaged Allen's image -- that of a neurotic but amusing schlub with a talent for slapstick and witty one-liners. He denied the accusations from Dylan and said his relationship with Farrow, which had been painted in storybook colors by the press, was not actually all that strong. However, the scandal has always been near the surface, and the open letter in The New York Times is one of a number of instances in recent months where the allegation has been raised. He did marry Soon-Yi Previn in 1997, and after the marriage came a slightly more public Woody Allen. The couple were the focus of a 1997 Barbara Kopple documentary, "Wild Man Blues," which portrayed a generally happy pair. Allen was also the subject of a 2011 Robert Weide film, "Woody Allen: A Documentary," which briskly addressed Farrow's allegations from Allen's point of view. In her open letter, Dylan Farrow admonished actors by name for "turning a blind eye" and for continuing to work with Allen. But in the opinion piece, Allen questioned whether Dylan Farrow wrote the letter of her own accord or was guided by her mother in writing the letter. "Does the letter really benefit Dylan or does it simply advance her mother's shabby agenda? That is to hurt me with a smear. There is even a lame attempt to do professional damage by trying to involve movie stars, which smells a lot more like Mia than Dylan," Allen wrote. In a November Vanity Fair article, Allen was condemned by Mia Farrow's children, especially Dylan. After that article's publication, a representative for Allen told CNN, "The article is so fictitious and extravagantly absurd that he is not going to comment." The article, Dylan Farrow's letter and Twitter postings by Ronan Farrow attacking his estranged father come as the 78-year-old director and his latest film -- "Blue Jasmine" -- are up for honors during Hollywood's annual award season. When the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave Allen a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes last month, his son tweeted: "Missed the Woody Allen tribute -- did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?" Dylan Farrow's letter appeared in Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's blog just hours before the Writers Guild Awards ceremony, for which Allen had been nominated for best screenplay for "Blue Jasmine." He did not win. Academy voters begin casting Oscar ballots on February 14. Allen and his cast are up for three Academy Awards, including best original screenplay for Allen, best actress for Cate Blanchett and best supporting actress for Sally Hawkins. CNN's Alan Duke and Todd Leopold contributed to this report. | NEW: Dylan Farrow stands by her accusations .
In 1992, Woody Allen's and Mia Farrow's 12-year relationship ended .
Allen, then 56, was involved with Soon-Yi Previn, Farrow's 19-year-old adopted daughter .
Farrow accused Allen of molesting Dylan, then 7, whom the couple had adopted . |
43,359 | 7a421752ba1cbc3f468992aacbaf62835dfb7c12 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:24 EST, 5 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:27 EST, 5 December 2013 . A brother and sister who have been jailed for carrying out bank heists with their father claimed that he gave them no choice but to take part. Hayden Catt, 21, was sentenced to a decade in prison last month while his 19-year-old sister Abigail Catt was give five years after they pleaded guilty to helping their father robbing banks in Houston, Texas last year. Their father Ronald Scott Catt, 51, was sentenced to 25 years today after accepting a plea deal. In an interview with 20/20, to be aired on Friday, the siblings revealed that their father recruited them for his bank robberies. Scroll down for video . Abigail Catt will spend five years in prison and her brother Hayden got a decade in prison for a Texas bank robbery which they said their father ordered them to . Prosecutors say the father is suspected of five bank holdups by himself before recruiting his children. The brother and sister said they had always noticed piles of cash around but it wasn't until the family had moved from Portland, Oregon to Texas last year that the truth came out. Hayden told ABC News: 'That's when he approached me and said, ''Would you be willing to do something to get some money, more illegal . than selling drugs?'' And I said, ''Yes.''' Hayden says he was sent to ask his 18-year-old sister to be the getaway driver. Abigail added: 'My dad sent my . brother to ask me. I mean, it was just…in some way, I . was led on, like, this is how I protect them, you know. And these are . the only people I have, so....' The siblings, who lost their mother to breast cancer when they were children, also told the ABC show of the adrenaline-pumping moment that they robbed the bank. Hayden . said that while they were grabbing the money from the vault he was . shaking so badly he couldn't get the cash in the bag, while Abigail said . her father kept having to remind her not to drive too fast as they fled the scene. On . October 1, 2012, two men entered the credit union on Cinco Ranch Boulevard . in Fort Bend dressed in orange traffic vests and dark sunglasses and . held up bank tellers at gunpoint. The younger man wore a fake mustache, while the older man sported a painter's mask. Abigail was waiting outside with the engine running to ensure a quick getaway. They made away with $50,000 in cash. Scott Catt was sentenced to 25 years in jail today for robbing at least five banks in Oregon and Texas, the latter with the help of his two children . Authorities . investigating the robbery linked the vests to those sold at Home . Depot and at a branch of the store 14 miles from the First Community . Credit Union they found stolen license plates that were linked to a car . used in a robbery in Harris County in August. In that robbery, the two male suspects wore painter masks and overalls as disguises. 'While . viewing videotapes at the checkout counters, they identified Hayden and . Abby Catt purchasing the vests with their father's debit card,' the . Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office said. 'Scott Catt was later identified purchasing a painter's mask.' The most important factor on the vests was the X on the back, which narrowed the search field. Sheriff's . deputies arrest Ronald and Hayden Scott Catt on November 9 at a Katy, Texas . apartment and later that day they apprehended Abigail. Following . interviews with the suspects, Fort Bend detectives notified authorities . in Oregon where Scott Catt was connected to a string of unsolved bank robberies. Glamorous Abigail Catt allegedly drove the getaway car for her brother and father as they robbed banks across Oregon and Texas . The . siblings pleaded guilty to participating in the October 2012 holdup of a . credit union in the suburban Houston community of Cinco Ranch. In an unusual move, Sheriff Troy Nehls allowed the siblings to briefly reunite in Fort Bend, Texas. In an emotional moment, Abigail told her brother that she did not blame him for anything and they said their goodbyes, knowing it would be years before they saw each other again. However with time served, teenager Abigail could be eligible for parole in 18 months. Their father blames his life of crime on his drink and drug habits. He told 20/20: 'A lot of bad choices…were made . under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. I'm paying the consequences, and I will pay…My children as well.' Two siblings who . pleaded guilty to helping their father rob a Houston-area bank last year . have received prison sentences. A Fort Bend County judge sentenced 21-year-old Hayden Scott Catt to 10 . years in prison on Thursday in Richmond, while 19-year-old Abigail Catt . got a five-year prison term. Both pleaded guilty to participating in the . October 2012 holdup of a credit union in the suburban Houston community . of Cinco Ranch. Their father, Ronald Scott Catt, is scheduled for trial Dec. 5. If . convicted of aggravated robbery, he could be sentenced to five to 99 . years in prison. Prosecutors say the father is suspected of five bank holdups by himself . before recruiting his son. Read More at: http://news4sanantonio.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/family-outing-robbing-banks-5761.shtml . Ronald Catt, 50, robbing the First Community Credit Union in Fort Bend on October 1, 2012 . In Facebook pictures Abigail Catt looks far from being a getaway driver in a bank robbery. She will be eligible for parole in 18 months . Ronald Scott Catt stands poses in a picture taken from his Facebook account while his partner-in-crime and son Hayden appears in a picture with an unidentified woman (right) | Hayden Catt, 21, was sentenced to a decade in prison last month while his 19-year-old sister Abigail Catt was give five years .
Their father Ronald Scott Catt, 51, was sentenced to 25 years today after accepting a plea deal . |
133,966 | 3933b37c31830584d97c0eaca3e46079ee8e87aa | Washington (CNN)Americans' view of the economy is increasingly dour -- though a majority expect things to turn around next year, a new poll shows. Just 38% of Americans believe the economy is in good shape, a CNN/ORC International poll of 1,018 adults, conducted Oct. 24-26, found. That's down from 42% in September -- and it could hurt Democrats' chances of holding onto the Senate in the Nov. 4 midterm elections. Wednesday's survey found that 62% rated economic conditions as "somewhat poor" or "very poor". The poll found that urban Americans have a rosier view of the economy, with 43% saying it's in good shape compared to 39% of those surveyed in suburban areas and 31% in rural areas. The bigger difference, though, is between the 55% of Democrats who say the economy is performing well and the 28% of Republicans who agree. Just 32% of independent voters say the economy is in good shape. "With the economy remaining the top issue on the voters' minds, the downturn in positive views of the economy could not have come at a worse time for Democrats," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. The downtick ends what had been a year-long trend of increasingly positive views of the economy. But a slim majority of those surveyed said they're confident things will improve, with 52% saying they believe the economy will be in good shape a year from now while 46% said it'll be in poor shape. The economy isn't the only measure of the country's mood ahead of next week's elections. A CNN/ORC International poll released Tuesday found that 68% of Americans say they're angry about the way things are going in the United States. It also showed that 36% of Republicans are enthusiastic about voting this year, while just 26% of Democrats say they are. That difference could be key in some House districts, and with control of the Senate on the line. | 38% of Americans say the economy is in good shape, a new CNN/ORC International poll shows .
That's down from 42% who said the economy was performing well in September .
Most predicted the economy will be in good shape a year from now . |
17,425 | 314fceb852ee4de06cd98a8f9d5e673c5e337a61 | The taxpayer paid £10,000 for a 20-foot snake called Albert to be restuffed by the Foreign Office. Despite insisting deep public spending cuts were ‘essential to the future of the country’, William Hague signed off on the extraordinary bill for the restoration of the 120-year-old anaconda. The reptile hangs in the library of the Foreign Office, but was found to be in ‘poor condition’ so a refurbishment was ordered. The Foreign Office insisted Albert the snake is a 'unique historical heirloom deserving of essential maintenance' A team from the Natural History Museum spent five weeks on the work, using an expensive X-ray CT scanning machine. The Foreign Office, which is cutting its budget by a quarter over four years, defended the work, saying the snake had not been restuffed for up to 50 years. The snake is thought to have been presented by a Bishop, in what is now Guyana, to the Colonial Secretary in the 19th century. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), exact names and dates are unknown but Albert was pictured in Whitehall building in 1892. Tonight Mr Hague was unavailable to . defend the £10,000 bill personally. Officials said he was hosting . Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on a state visit. But a FCO spokesman tried to justify defended the cost, admitting it was 'quite a bit of money but he is a very big snake'. He . added: 'We will not be constricted nor will we scale back in our . dedicated to preserving this historic national treasure. This will . preserve him for posterity. Foreign Secretary William Hague signed off the restuffing of the snake, which he complained was the only thing left in the Foreign Office library after being run down by Labour . 'Albert is a unique historic heirloom deserving essential maintenance to an appropriate standard after decades of neglect.' Responding to a Freedom of Information request by the Guido Fawkes website, the ministry added: ‘As a gift to the FCO, Albert is therefore regarded as an FCO asset. As such, the FCO is obliged to maintain its assets, and the work on Albert was essential maintenance. ‘It is believed that Albert was first re-stuffed in the 1960s or 1970s, but there are no records of how much it cost on that occasion. Certainly no significant maintenance has been carried out on him in the last 40-50 years. ‘Albert was never housed in a glass case, as is commonly believed. In moving him from his suspended position in the Ansell Library (a separate Library area to the old Home Office Library referenced above) to facilitate planned refurbishment to the area it was observed he was in poor condition. ‘A decision was taken to use this opportunity to carry out a refurbishment to ‘Albert’ including a safety check on the suspension fittings. The cost of the conservation and restoration work on ‘Albert’ was £10,000. ‘The level of detailed, delicate work in the restoration involved an intensive amount of care and attention from highly trained staff.’ In a speech last year Mr Hague criticised his Labour predecessors for stripping the Foreign Office library of its 6,000 books. He said: ‘It is ironic that the only object to survive the gutting of the library is a one hundred year old twenty-foot stuffed anaconda known as Albert, who remains suspended over the empty bookshelves, while the books from the period when such an unusual foreign gift found its way into the Foreign Office have been dismantled around it, and can never be reassembled. Officials said Albert had been photographed in the Foreign Office on Whitehall 120 years ago . ‘To my mind the fate of the FCO library is emblematic of a gradual hollowing out of the qualities that made the FCO one of our great institutions.’ In May 2011 Lord Jay of Ewelme, the former head of the diplomatic service, demanded to know what had become of Albert. Tory Foreign Office minister Lord Howell of Guildford, who is George Osborne’s father-in-law, told the peer: . ‘Albert, the 20-foot long stuffed anaconda, has graced the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) library for over a century. He remains proudly in place, just as he did throughout the noble Lord's distinguished career in the FCO, and continues to be held in great affection by FCO staff. ‘We have no plans for Albert other than to clean and stuff him from time to time.’ At some considerable cost, it turns out. The Foreign Office is one of the grandest buildings in Whitehall. Durbar Court is a glass roofed courtyard, originally occupied by the British Indian Office which is now part of William Hague's ministry . Foreign Secretary William Hague he bill for refurbishing Albert the snake was revealed in a Freedom of Information request to the Guido Fawkes website. It stated: . ‘Albert’ the anaconda was allegedly presented by a Bishop, in what is now Guyana, to the Colonial Secretary in the 19th century – exact names and dates are unknown. However, he appears in a photo from circa 1892, which means he has been in the FCO for at least 120 years. As a gift to the FCO, Albert is therefore regarded as an FCO asset. As such, the FCO is obliged to maintain its assets, and the work on ‘Albert’ was essential maintenance. It is believed that ‘Albert’ was first re-stuffed in the 1960s or 1970s, but there are no records of how much it cost on that occasion. Certainly no significant maintenance has been carried out on him in the last 40-50 years. ‘Albert’ was never housed in a glass case, as is commonly believed. In moving him from his suspended position in the Ansell Library (a separate Library area to the old Home Office Library referenced above) to facilitate planned refurbishment to the area it was observed he was in poor condition. A decision was taken to use this opportunity to carry out a refurbishment to ‘Albert’ including a safety check on the suspension fittings. The cost of the conservation and restoration work on ‘Albert’ was £10,000. The work was undertaken by the Conservation Team at the Natural History Museum, over a 5-week period, from 21 May to 26 June 2012. As nothing was known about previous work done on ‘Albert’, the conversation team at the NHM needed to use x-ray CT scanning, which is a costly procedure that required extensive data processing and a specialist to do the analysis. Also, the level of detailed, delicate work in the restoration involved an intensive amount of care and attention from highly trained staff. | Foreign Secretary called in a team from the Natural History Museum who spent five weeks with an X-ray machine restoring the reptile .
The snake has hung in the Foreign Office library for 120 years .
A spokesman admitted it was 'quite a bit of money' but insisted: 'We will not scale back in our dedication to preserve national treasure' |
90,502 | 006a092019f7c6c67088ea134ced1b1a7f544197 | (CNN) -- No advanced seat selection, no changes or refunds. Sound like Spirit Airlines? Nope. It's Delta Air Lines' new "Basic Economy" fare, part of the airline's new five-fare class of pricing starting March 1. No longer content to just offer first-class and coach-cabin seating, Delta is splitting its aircraft into five fare classes. Travelers who want more than "Basic Economy" will pay more -- Delta's not saying yet how much more -- although that's already the reality for many travelers. Passengers who are willing to pay to change their flights and check their bags -- so-called ancillary fees -- helped 26 passenger U.S. airlines turn a net profit of $12.7 billion in 2013, up from a profit of $98 million in 2012. Delta topped that list, collecting $1.67 billion last year: $840 million in reservation change/cancellation fees and $833 million in baggage fees. United Airlines came in second place with $1.38 billion in fees: $756 million in reservation cancellation/change fees and nearly $625 million in baggage fees. Delta hopes its new seating options will also be profitable. Note the options on the other end of the seating spectrum: The first-class cabin will be split into "First Class" for domestic routes and "Delta One" for long-haul international and certain cross-country domestic flights. The "First Class" fare includes "first to board" rights, preflight alcoholic drinks, snacks on flights longer than 250 miles and meals on flights longer than 900 miles. The "Delta One" elite first class fare includes access to Delta Sky Clubs, full flat-bed seats on widebody aircraft, in-flight bedding, chef-curated menus, noise-reduction headsets and more. In the main cabin, customers will have choice of the "Basic Economy" fare and two other fare classes. The "Basic Economy" bare-bones coach fares will be available on domestic routes, and they're already available in some areas where Delta competes with deep discounter Spirit Airlines. The "Main Cabin" coach fares on domestic and long-haul international flights will allow seat selection at time of purchase and flexibility for flight changes. On long-haul international flights, the fare will include alcoholic drinks, meal service and a sleep kit. The "Delta Comfort+" coach fare on all flights will include priority boarding and dedicated overhead bin space, alcoholic drinks, premium snacks, premium entertainment, up to 4 more inches of legroom and quilted seat covers. Travel enthusiasts are already debating the impact on the flying public. A three-way split in the coach question raises the question: "Will these new economy fares be lower than previously, because you're getting less?" asked George Hobica, founder of AirWatchdog.com. "Or will you get less for the same fare?" And who will guard that dedicated overhead bin space for "Delta Comfort+" travelers, Hobica asks. Already harried flight attendants trying to negotiate passengers in already crowded planes? Aviation journalist Jason Rabinowitz argues that not much will actually change at Delta. "The most interesting part of the (announcement) was a true definition of the new Basic Economy fare, which aims to directly compete with low-cost carrier Spirit," said Rabinowitz, Routehappy.com's data research manager. The routes the new fare is offered on are now clearly defined, but are still fairly limited." Travel blogger Christina Saull likes the simplified fare benefits chart but is troubled by that basic fare. "The lowest fare class doesn't allow advanced seat selection?" Saull asked. "For some people, that might not be a big deal, but for a frequent flier who studies seat maps to choose the best seat on the plane, that's a deal-breaker for me. That pricing structure seems Spirit-esque." | Delta's new fare structure will offer five in-flight experiences .
The bare-bones economy fare doesn't include advance seat selection or allow changes .
The fanciest first-class fare includes access to airline lounge and chef-curated menus .
The plan takes effect March 1 . |
51,709 | 926a5fb06274aa422e3feafd318d06f0291ebd37 | A massive underground ocean on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is as salty as the Earth's Dead Sea, it has been revealed. Nasa scientists analyzing data from the Cassini mission say the have firm evidence the ocean is probably an extremely salty brine of water mixed with dissolved salts. They say the density of the oceans mean they are are salty as the Dead Sea. Researchers found that Titan's ice shell, which overlies a very salty ocean, varies in thickness around the moon, suggesting the crust is in the process of becoming rigid. Nasa scientists analyzing data from the Cassini mission say the have firm evidence the ocean is probably an extremely salty brine of water mixed with dissolved salts. Using the Cassini data, researchers presented a model structure for Titan, resulting in an improved understanding of the structure of the moon's outer ice shell. Researchers found that a relatively high density was required for Titan's ocean in order to explain the gravity data. This indicates the ocean is probably an extremely salty brine of water mixed with dissolved salts likely composed of sulfur, sodium and potassium. The density indicated for this brine would give the ocean a salt content roughly equal to the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. It is believed the ocean is made of sulfur, sodium and potassium. The new results come from a study of gravity and topography data collected during Cassini's repeated flybys of Titan during the past 10 years. Using the Cassini data, researchers presented a model structure for Titan, resulting in an improved understanding of the structure of the moon's outer ice shell. The findings are published in this week’s edition of the journal Icarus. 'Titan continues to prove itself as an endlessly fascinating world, and with our long-lived Cassini spacecraft, we’re unlocking new mysteries as fast as we solve old ones,' said Linda Spilker, Cassini project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who was not involved in the study. The salt content allows the bathers to read while floating effortlessly in the Dead Sea, Jordan Valley. Experts say the underground ocean on Titan would be similar. Additional findings support previous indications the moon's icy shell is rigid and in the process of freezing solid. Researchers found that a relatively high density was required for Titan's ocean in order to explain the gravity data. This indicates the ocean is probably an extremely salty brine of water mixed with dissolved salts likely composed of sulfur, sodium and potassium. The density indicated for this brine would give the ocean a salt content roughly equal to the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. 'This is an extremely salty ocean by Earth standards,' said the paper's lead author, Giuseppe Mitri of the University of Nantes in France. 'Knowing this may change the way we view this ocean as a possible abode for present-day life, but conditions might have been very different there in the past.' Cassini data also indicate the thickness of Titan's ice crust varies slightly from place to place. The researchers said this can best be explained if the moon's outer shell is stiff, as would be the case if the ocean were slowly crystalizing, and turning to ice. This image provided by NASA is a recent photo from the Cassini spacecraft showing planet Saturn, and if you look very closely between its wing-like rings, upper left, reveals a faint pinprick of light. That tiny dot is Earth. Otherwise, the moon's shape would tend to even itself out over time, like warm candle wax. This freezing process would have important implications for the habitability of Titan's ocean, as it would limit the ability of materials to exchange between the surface and the ocean. A further consequence of a rigid ice shell, according to the study, is any outgassing of methane into Titan's atmosphere must happen at scattered 'hot spots' -- like the hot spot on Earth that gave rise to the Hawaiian Island chain. | Believed the ocean is made of sulfur, sodium and potassium .
Results come from a study of gravity and topography data collected during Cassini's repeated flybys of Titan during the past 10 years . |
203,229 | 9319a1ec4bb1b4823ac7e481307abef16e17449a | (CNN) -- Williams will revert to using Renault engines in the 2012 and 2013 Formula One seasons, restoring a partnership that led to the most successful era in the team's history. The Britain-based outfit won four drivers' titles and five constructors' championships with cars powered by the French manufacturer between 1989 to 1997, triumphing in 63 races. Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve all finished on top at season's end. However, Williams has not won a grand prix since 2004 and languishes in ninth place in the teams' standings this season with four points from eight rounds. The new deal will end a two-year association with Cosworth. "This reunites the F1 team with a leading car manufacturer and complements our new relationship with Jaguar," team principal Frank Williams told the Williams F1 website on Monday. Hamilton predicts 'best British GP ever' "At the same time, we are grateful to Cosworth: they have been a fair and reliable partner both on and off the track for the past two years and we look forward to working with them across our business in the future. "Our previous relationship with Renault was one of the most successful in Williams' history but we will not allow ourselves to dwell too much on the past. We must look to the future and continue to re-build our on-track reputation, which I am hopeful that today's announcement will help us to do." The partnership will include other marketing and business liaisons, and is expected to continue when the new turbo-charged energy-efficient V6 engines are introduced to F1 from 2014. "Together we produced racing cars that are recognized for their technical innovation, and it is still Renault's most successful period in F1 to date," Renault Sport F1 president Bernard Rey said. It means Renault will supply four of the sport's 12 teams from next year, along with world champions Red Bull, Team Lotus and the outfit it used to own, the renamed Lotus Renault.. "It puts us ahead of other engine manufacturers in terms of market share, but off track it will also enable us to further use Formula One as a marketing platform for our parent company, Renault, to try to bring a bit of this association to our fans and our customers worldwide," Rey said. "Williams has recently taken several important steps, both commercially and technically, to update its operations and we feel that this partnership is another important step in its rigorous plan." Meanwhile, Marussia Virgin Racing announced a new deal with McLaren on Monday that is intended to boost the struggling team's performance. The Britain-based Russian outfit, which is yet to earn a point in 2011, will have access to McLaren's Applied Technologies arm -- including facilities such as the team's wind tunnel, driver simulators and race strategy tools. Chief executive Andy Webb said the team had also bought out the F1 business of its former technical partner WRT, which was owned by ex-director Nick Wirth. "When we undertook our detailed review of the team in the first half of 2011, it was clear that our bold ambitions for the future would need to be matched with some equally bold steps towards achieving them," Webb told the Marussia Virgin website. "I am delighted that in a relatively short space of time we are now in the fantastic position of being able to make these two very important announcements, which will enable us to make some dramatic strides forward with immediate effect. "McLaren is one of the most prestigious and successful marques in Grand Prix racing history, with an enviable record of success over many years. We can benefit enormously from McLaren's far-reaching techniques and capabilities and I have no doubt that this partnership will see us take the technical steps necessary to make a significant leap forwards." | Williams to restore successful partnership with French engine manufacturer .
British team won four drivers' titles and five manufacturers' crowns with Renault .
It has not won a race since 2004, having used Renault engines from 1989 to 1997 .
Struggling Marussia Virgin Racing team announces new partnership with McLaren . |
60,119 | aacb6ac6fff0aa33292a62e387d474df0a8b9c93 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 04:19 EST, 4 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:30 EST, 4 January 2013 . The wife of imprisoned Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein is to plead guilty to conspiring to hide more than $1 . million in jewelry from federal authorities. Kim Rothstein, 38, along with her attorney Scott Saidel and friend Stacie Weisman, are all facing money laundering charges for attempting to conceal the jewels and plotting to sell them on. Her husband Scott Rothstein, once a high-flying attorney in Fort Lauderdale, is serving a 50-year prison sentence for fraud for his role in a $1.4billion Ponzi scheme. Kim Rothstein, left, the wife of Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein who was jailed for fraud, right, has been charged with attempting to hide more than $1million worth of jewellery from authorities . Emotional: Kimberly Rothstein, left, who insists she knew nothing about her husband's criminal dealings, walks out of the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after he was sentenced to 50 years in prison . The largest investment fraud in South Florida history involved investments in fake legal settlements where the returns came from the money that had been put in rather than from profit made from the scheme. Rothstein, wearing a striped, collared . blouse, spoke only once during Wednesday's court proceedings, . acknowledging that she was understood the change of plea hearing, reported the Sun Sentinel. Kim Rothstein's attorney acknowledged after the hearing that she will plead guilty on February 1 to the lone charge she faces which is a count of criminal conspiracy - the charge can carry a punishment of up to five years in prison. 'She has accepted responsibility for what she has done and is looking forward to moving on with her life and putting this insanity behind her," said David Tucker. Federal authorities seized the couple's palatial homes, fleet of luxury cars, cash, jewellery and watches in November 2009. Jailed: Scott Rothstein, pictured showing off part of his watch collection in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, put investments into fake legal settlements . Going, going, gone: Scott Rothstein's watch collection was sold at auction last year to recoup money for his victims . Two years later the Rothsteins had to . give up much of what was left of the couple's belongings to bankruptcy . lawyers attempting to recoup money for her husband's victims. Prosecutors . claim Kim Rothstein assured them they had everything but in fact she . and Saidel, 45, and Weisman, 49, 'knowingly took action to conceal . certain items of jewellery' and then attempted to sell a portion of . them. They are accused . of planning to sell the 12-carat diamond ring to Daoud and have Marin . sell off other pieces, according to prosecutors. Flashy: A stainless steel Chopard encrusted with 33 round full cut diamonds around the edge . Later, prosecutors said, Kim Rothstein . and her co-conspirators took steps to persuade Scott Rothstein to testify . falsely about the jewellery's whereabouts. One key piece was a 12-carat diamond ring that had become central to bankruptcy proceedings in the collapse of the Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler law firm. A local jewellery store that had sold the ring to Scott Rothstein was trying to find it, leading to a web of lies and deception that even included a false claim that the ring had been sold to a dead man, prosecutors said. The other pieces include five rings, including the 12-carat ring, an engagement ring and a wedding band containing 18 emerald cut diamonds. There are also 10 watches, among them a Rolex Daytona Cosmograph with leopard print design, a women's gold and diamond Piaget and a platinum and diamond Pierre Kunz. For sale: A frank Muller white gold, diamond and rainbow coloured Roman numeral marker wtach was part of the collection of jewellery sold off that belonged to Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein . Quite a collection: A Zenith yellow gold watch and a Audemars Piquet titanium watch engraved 'Especially made for Arnold Schwarzenegger' Historical: Scott Rothstein owned cuff links that once belonged to the 37th U.S. president Richard Nixon . The list also include five sets of earrings, four necklaces, two bracelets and a variety of gold coins, including 26 South African Krugerrands. Finally, there were a pair of pearl, diamond and sapphire cufflinks, more than $33,000 in cash, several silver pens and 50 1-ounce gold bars. Miami U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said: 'When a witness lies under oath or conspires to obstruct justice, the integrity of our system of justice is undermined.' Lawyers for Kim Rothstein said in a statement she takes 'full responsibility' for her actions but insisted she did not know about her husband's $1.2 billion scam. The statement continued: 'Kim welcomes the opportunity to put a very challenging time in her life behind her. 'Kim is a vibrant, diverse and deeply caring person who looks forward to being a productive citizen in the years to come.' She faces up to five years in federal prison for charges of money laundering, obstruction of justice and witness tampering conspiracy. Lavish: A cushioned mixed cut 6.75 natural ruby ring owned by the Rothsteins was also sold off . Complicated: A white gold Pierre Kunz watch with round black, 3 sub-dials, and moon phase function . Bling: A yellow gold DeBeers pendent set with diamonds and gems . Driving in the fast lane: A 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL 550 Roadster with just 4,834 miles on the clock . | Kim Rothstein, 38, facing money laundering charges for attempting to conceal the jewels and plotting to sell them on .
Facing charges with her attorney Scott Saidel and friend Stacie Weisman .
Husband Scott Rothstein is serving a 50-year prison .
sentence for fraud for his role in a $1.4billion Ponzi scheme . |
142,826 | 44b592c18ab6c5d395a1aee7f74436f1d971f2ba | A teacher has resigned after it was discovered she had rewritten her pupil's coursework to get them better grades. The unidentified woman was working at the Falconwood Academy in Bexley, south London, when she faked all of her 69 pupil's BTec science work. A whistleblower made the discovery last summer and raised the alarm with examining board Edexcel. Academy: A teacher at the Falconwood Academy in Bexley, south London, doctored her pupil's coursework . The school, part of the Harris Academy Federation, and Edexcel found the complaint was justified and the teacher was suspended, the Independent reports. She has now resigned. Carpetright mogul Lord Harris of Peckham set up the Harris Federation to take over some of the worst performing schools. Since 1990, it has taken over 27 schools in five London boroughs as well as most recently two schools in Thurrock, Essex. Multimillionaire businessman Lord Harris has donated money to the Conservative party after making his £200million fortune from his business. The Harris Federation employs around 2,000 staff and teaches 20,000 pupils at schools in Croydon, Southwark, Bexley, Merton and Bromley in London as well as in Essex. Daniel Moynihan, the federation's chief executive, said this case was down to a 'misguided' teacher. He said: 'This is the first time in all that stretch we've had anything like this. Multimillionaire: Carpetright mogul Lord Harris of Peckham set up the Harris Federation . 'We are determined that it won't happen again. The bottom line is that there was a single individual who was at best misguided in her desire to get students over the finishing line.' Sir Daniel, who is a former headteacher of the first school the federation established, added: 'The coursework submitted for a whole group of students wasn't their own. 'We're disappointed because this is a school we have taken from 17 per cent getting A* to C grades including maths and English to 61 per cent despite being surrounded by four selective grammar schools.' Harris Academy Falconwood was formerly the Westwood Secondary school and Westwood College. The federation took over the failing school in 2007 and also joined Harris Academy Greenwich to offer sixth form courses. The school is now writing to parents to explain what has happened and to offer pupils the chance to redo their coursework. All of the pupils that had their coursework rewritten by the teacher gained five A* to C passes in other subjects so the discovery has not affected the school's league table results. The Independent says it understands the fake coursework has not affected the students' plans to go on studying or start work. Harris Academy Beckenham was also under scrutiny earlier this summer after a whistleblower complained that its teachers had exaggerated coursework in the speaking and listening section of GCSE English. However in this case, exams regulator Ofqual cleared the academy of any wrongdoing. In a letter to the school, the AQA exam board said 'there was nothing heard that provided any evidence of malpractice'. Improved marks in the speaking and listening section were 'justified' the AQA said. In September, Harris Academy in Thurrock was ranked one of the best in the country. | Teacher worked at Falconwood Academy in Bexley, south London .
School part of Harris Academy Federation set up by Lord Harris .
Multimillionaire businessman Lord Harris is Tory party donor . |
107,751 | 16ea1dab4c7686aa25f437604ef89b70a8c3290d | (CNN) -- On Sunday, Ukrainians will go to the polls to elect a new president three months after the ouster of corrupt former President Viktor Yanukovych. We will be there in Ukraine to observe the elections as members of an International Republican Institute delegation, witnessing a vote that is an important step not only for the Ukrainian people's struggle for democracy, but for the entire region's hopes for long-term stability and democratic development. In the lead-up to this critical vote, pro-Russian separatists, taking their cues from an increasingly aggressive Moscow, have attempted to undermine the elections in parts of eastern and southern Ukraine through threats and violence. In Donetsk and Luhansk, separatist leaders announced they will not participate in the presidential elections, while heavily armed militia fighters seize control of election offices and government buildings. Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly called the election "a step in the right direction," but tens of thousands of Russian troops remain near the Ukrainian border, Russian intelligence forces continue operating in eastern Ukraine and Putin has been noncommittal about whether his government will recognize the outcome of the presidential vote. As other countries in the region can attest, Russian interference in territorial sovereignty is nothing new. Since 1992, long before Putin came to power, Russia has occupied parts of Moldova, and for many years Moscow fostered a breakaway rebellion on Georgian soil, which eventually led to war in 2008. Shortly before this year's Sochi Olympics, Russian forces used the pretext of security for the games to advance miles farther into Georgia, pledging to return to the ceasefire lines once the Olympics had ended. Instead, Russia's military has fortified its gains in Georgia and shows no indication of withdrawal. Putin understands that successful elections and a new government committed to democratic ideals and anti-corruption will have a ripple effect throughout the region, including Russia. In a recent interview, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said, "If they [Ukrainians] survive this crisis there will be a future for all the countries in the region that border Russia." That is why Putin has undertaken extraordinary measures to undermine Kiev's effort to solidify its status as a sovereign, independent, and democratic nation. To deter Putin's aggression, the United States must inflict immediate and serious economic consequences on Russia's financial, energy, and defense sectors. We must also expand and strengthen sanctions on Russian officials who were involved in the illegal annexation of Crimea. And Putin must know that additional acts of aggression will be met with even greater costs. The vast majority of Ukrainians -- like the citizens of so many countries in the region -- envision their future as a united democracy, free from foreign intervention and intimidation, and integrated with the rest of Europe. It is critical that Western nations support these aspirations through democratic assistance and economic development programs that support the new Ukrainian government as it enacts political and economic reforms to root out corruption, restore the rule of law and promote growth and prosperity for the Ukrainian people. The United States and our European Union allies must not allow Putin to continue to meddle in Ukrainian affairs and use the specter of military aggression to undermine the safety and liberty of millions of people seeking democracy in the region. It is our responsibility to stand with the Ukrainian people and their aspiration to live in a free and democratic society without fear of repression. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. | Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Rep. Peter Roskam are in Ukraine for the presidential elections .
They feel Russia's continued interference in the region undermines democracy .
Vladimir Putin has been deliberately seizing ground in Georgia and Ukraine .
They say the U.S. must not allow Putin to use force to meddle in Ukrainian affairs . |
117,656 | 23eb83c1e5e320f7f0d89eade24622e5da19179e | She has just been named the UK's top style icon and has barely put a Louboutin-shod foot wrong since launching her debut label six seasons ago. But can you tell the difference between Victoria Beckham's new budget line, VVB, and the high street copycats? Her new boutique will be opening in London this week, displaying Victoria Victoria Beckham dresses as well as accessories and denim. Scroll down for video . Striking gold: One of these dresses is £249 from M&S, but Victoria's design is almost three times as much . I felt so fabulously ‘Veebs’ wearing these gold dresses that I didn’t even feel absurd wearing sunglasses indoors – a look Victoria has been not-quite-perfecting since her Spice Girl days. I’m not sure how many non-famous people could get away with wearing a leather dress outside of my stomping ground of Soho, but this was definitely my favourite. Fit for a duchess: This lilac dress is a little demure for a girl about town, but Kate could pull it off . VVB’s crepe-silk lilac dress is so genuinely posh I can easily imagine the Duchess of Cambridge slipping into it for Royal functions. But it’s a little demure for a Girl Tottering About Town and the fabric was so delicate I creased it just by looking at it. Realistically, only someone with a ladies’ maid could rely on this dress as a wardrobe staple. For the red carpet: One of these almost-identical dresses is 27 times more expensive than the other . After years of red carpet events and premieres (darling) I thought I’d developed a serious case of expensive taste, so I was surprised to find I preferred the cheap dress to Victoria’s. Probably a good thing, because although I party with the stars, I don’t have the budget of one. A wag's whitemare: This ensemble feels a little Posh Spice circa 2006 when she was crowned Queen WAG . I did NOT feel very posh wearing Victoria’s bodycon white dress with a sheer panel. In fact, I felt like Posh Spice circa 2006, the year she was crowned Queen WAG at the World Cup for wearing outfits so skimpy that her boobs practically fell out. By comparison, the Jane Norman imitation felt almost luxurious. Both are the kind of dresses I’d expect to see worn on TOWIE – or at Aintree’s infamously naff Ladies’ Day. Loving the LBD: These little black dresses will make you feel a million dollars and could bag you a footballer . I felt a million dollars in this little black dress. So much so, I half-expected a multi-millionaire former footballer and national treasure to materialise and take my arm. Sadly, even this exquisitely made dress couldn’t work miracles. But if you want to bag a footballer, remember – VB did so in hotpants, not an LBD. Dinnerlady chic: Maybe Victoria thinks that this apron-inspired look will catch on? At the risk of getting myself struck off the guestlist for Victoria’s launch party, I think she has had a private chef for too long. She has clearly forgotten what a dinnerlady looks like, or maybe she thinks ‘Apron Chic’ will catch on. Then again, I doubt Veebs does much washing up – perhaps that’s why she didn’t notice her dress looks like a tea towel. Gold dresses: Left, VVB, right M&S White dresses: Left, Jane Norman, right VVB . Lilac dresses: Left, Hobbs, right, VVB Black dresses: Left, VVB, right, Hobbs . Red/ navy panel: Left, Dorothy Perkins, right VVB Grey dresses: Left, VVB, right M&S Collection . | Victoria Beckham's new boutique is due to open in London this week .
Her line Victoria Victoria Beckham has inspired high street copycats .
Can you tell the difference between her designs and the cut-price couture? |
34,930 | 6345185f20dba9300b62baa8ef88f7769b41a150 | A pensioner is being bombarded with angry telephone calls - after her number was mistakenly printed on a road closure sign. Construction firm Barratt Homes has erected a number of signs informing residents of road closures as building work starts on their 222-home development in Plymouth, Devon. But the phone number for Barratt's regional office is just one digit different to that of Laura Bradford - and they printed her number by mistake. Error: Laura Bradford, 78, has been bombarded with phone calls after her number was mistakenly printed on a road sign . Construction firm Barratt Homes has erected a number of signs with the wrong number in Plymouth, Devon . She estimates she has received over 100 calls from angry locals and drivers who have phoned to protest about the development and diversions. Mrs Bradford, 78, who lives alone in nearby Exeter, said: 'They want to get their facts right. I'm tired of giving people Barratt's number. 'What do I know about road closures or building sites in Plymouth? 'It's tiring actually because some days quite a lot of people call. It drives you mad. 'Luckily there is no one else to hear it because there are swear words sometimes. 'I could do without all this hassle. I've just had a big operation and it's the last thing I need.' Plymouth City Council controversially gave Barratt Homes the green light to build on former Ministry of Defence land at Hooe Lake in March, despite strong local opposition. Annoying: Laura Bradford estimates that she has received over 100 calls from angry locals . Bungling: Mrs Bradford, from Exeter, says she 'tired of giving people Barratt's number' The road is due to be closed for ten weeks from June 11. Turnchapel and Mount Batten Residents' Association chairman John Wheeler said: 'If closed means closed then I hope there is a contingency plan to ensure emergency services can get in to Turnchapel. 'Having seen the notice I immediately rang the number, which turned out to be a poor lady from Exeter. I also noticed the name Barratt had also been misspelled "Barrett". 'I hope this sort of attention to detail won't manifest itself in the quality of housing. 'People here fiercely opposed this development - and this kind of debacle does nothing but vindicate us and our concerns.' However, Barratt Exeter managing director Tim Larner said: 'We apologise for any inconvenience the closure of this private road may cause but it is necessary to complete the improvement works.' The council said it has no jurisdiction over the road because it was privately-owned. | Barratt Homes printed the number of 78-year-old Laura Bradford by mistake . |
115,649 | 213d681f7223445c1ed819e1d12817577fa0f94c | (CNN) -- Call David X. Cohen a nerd all you like, but never call him a geek. To the co-creator of "Futurama," the term "nerd" is a compliment. "I feel like with 'nerd culture,' [it sounds like] the nerds have triumphed," he said. 'Geek' has a negative connotation. I'd rather be called a nerd. I love being called a nerd." Back in 2003, this particular nerd couldn't believe it was all over for "Futurama." "When we were canceled by Fox, we thought that was it," Cohen recalled. "We really didn't have any expectations at the time. It was really emotional because we spent four years locked in a dark room working on the show. I went on with my life and wrote a couple of pilots." As the years went by, the network Adult Swim (a Time Warner property, along with CNN) started airing reruns of "Futurama" along with "Family Guy." "Family Guy's" ratings and DVD sales convinced Fox to give it a second chance, and the rest is history. "Futurama's" ratings were similarly high, and once "Family Guy" started putting feature-length episodes on DVD, a light bulb went off in Cohen's head. " 'Family Guy' blazed the trail with direct-to-DVD movies and got back on the air," he said. "We called Fox and told them every six months that, hey, 'Futurama' is even more fitting for direct-to-DVD." Finally, in 2007, fans had their "Futurama" back, in not one, but four direct-to-DVD movies. As a result of those sales, Comedy Central is starting a new season of the show on Thursday night. The first order of business: wrapping up what happened at the end of the last movie, when Fry, Leela, Bender and the rest of the crew were sucked into a wormhole. "Our first episode is 'Rebirth,' which is metaphorical but a surprisingly literal term -- our crew members are going to suffer some serious physical harm," Cohen explained. "Not for the squeamish, necessarily, but we will see the rebirth process as science has it in the year 3000." The most exciting new thing about this season of "Futurama," according to Cohen, is that it's, well, new. "I want to reassure our fans that this will be the real classic 'Futurama' back to its original form. They supported us, and we want to repay them." For fans who are probably wondering what happened between Fry and Leela, last seen kissing before that climactic trip, Cohen said their questions will be answered, all in good time: "We're going to be dealing with the surprising sci-fi consequences of that relationship." Former Vice President Al Gore will also provide his voice, once again, just in time for the holidays. "The holiday special's going to focus on the future versions of Christmas, Kwanzaa and 'Robanukah,' which Bender made up to get off of work. Gore will make his record-breaking fourth guest appearance," Cohen said. "We will have the classic pairing of Gore and Coolio, making his third appearance, playing Kwanzaa-bot." "Futurama" also has a big milestone to celebrate, thanks to that Comedy Central pickup: "We will have our 100th episode with Mark Mothersbaugh and Devo. Leela leads the mutant people who live under the sewers in an uprising against the surface people." iReporters love Futurama . So what kind of brain power does it take to write a show with so many jokes revolving around nerdy topics? "My master's degree [in physics and theoretical computer science] puts me in the middle of the pack -- we have had three science PhDs in our writers room, so no one is impressed with my master's degree," Cohen joked. "We do sneak in a high-level math or physics equation, and we know few people get them, but they are hidden in the background, and we'll reward a few viewers and hopefully make them lifelong 'Futurama' fans." One example of such nerdy humor will actually come to the forefront in the near future. "Our tenth episode of the new season is written by Dr. Ken Keeler, and it involves the characters switching minds, and it becomes very complicated due to the nature of this to work our way back to the original body, and requires solving a mathematical problem," Cohen explained. "Ken actually proved a theorem critical to resolving the episode. We're going to present a 'Futurama' theorem." Cracking jokes and breaking new scientific ground at the same time? Fans of "Futurama," nerdy or otherwise, wouldn't want it any other way. | Seven years after being canceled by Fox, "Futurama" is back -- on Comedy Central .
Co-creator David X. Cohen: "[Fans] supported us and we want to repay them"
Cliffhanger from the end of the direct-to-DVD movies will be resolved .
Former Vice President Al Gore plays himself for the fourth time . |
276,854 | f2a99e9da4f3bf012533cb6774a5f02ebbd681d1 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 12:17 EST, 16 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:54 EST, 16 April 2013 . Eight-year-old Jessica, with foster mother Carolyn, has become the first person to have her . life-saving oxygen supply transported in her toy luggage . An eight-year-old girl has become the first person to be given a life-saving oxygen supply in her toy luggage. Jessica has had her Trunki - a suitcase that can be ridden on or pulled along - specially modified to carry the life-saving cylinder. The eight-year-old suffers from cerebral palsy, pulmonary hypertension and chronic lung disease which means her blood quickly loses oxygen, threatening her with fatal brain damage. Current mobile oxygen supplies were too big for her, which meant her mother Carolyn Carey, 44, or another adult had to carry it in a rucksack. But thanks to Carolyn and the charity . Cerebra, which helps brain injured children and young people - Jessica . is as free as any other little girl to explore the world with her . bright pink life-saving luggage in tow. Ms . Carey said: 'The Trunki is bright pink and the other children don't see . it as something medical, it looks like a toy any of them would use. 'Jessica . used to have to stay with an adult or with me at all times because we . had the rucksack with oxygen in it, but now she's free to explore on her . own. 'She can use it at . school or out playing and when we go to hospital for an appointment, . she's off and in there before I've got chance to get out of the car. 'It's the only one in the country . like it. Cerebra have stabilised it and added a rigid handle instead of a . strap, but apart from that, it looks just like a Trunki.' Jessica . was born premature at just 27 weeks and has had cerebral palsy since . birth. She also suffers from weakness down her left side because of the . condition. Her foster . mother added: 'Without the oxygen Jessica loses energy quickly, she . becomes irritable and as her blood loses oxygen, it can lead to brain . damage. 'I wanted her to have the freedom of other girls, as [having an oxygen tank at school] was hard for her. 'When I looked for mobile oxygen carriers, all there were only adult ones, they only had two wheels and were too big.' A solution came when Carolyn contacted the charity Cerebra, where staff came up with the idea to specially modify the popular child's toy first seen on the TV show Dragon's Den. Jessica suffers from cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease which means her blood quickly loses oxygen, threatening her with fatal brain damage. Current mobile oxygen supplies were too big for her . Hope: Thanks to the charity Cerebra, Jessica is as free as any other little girl to explore the world with her bright pink life-saving luggage in tow . Jessica's foster mother Carolyn said: 'She used to have to stay with an adult or with me at all times because we had the rucksack with oxygen in it, but now she's free to explore on her own' Elaine Collins, from Cerebra, said: 'We . were working on design solutions to fulfil the brief set by Carolyn and . struggling to achieve something we could make by hand and within budget . that would enhance Jessica's life and give her something to be proud of. 'We then thought of Trunki and tried to modify one for its new use. 'Magmatic, the design team behind Trunki were very supportive of our work and very kindly donated lots of their products for any future conversions we were able to dream up. 'A product like this, which can give freedom and independence as well as enhance social inclusion, is a great thing. 'This is really important and in our designs we work especially hard to give the children something to be proud of, something to help them say "yes I am different, and yes, I am amazing.' | Eight-year-old Jessica needs oxygen from a tank to avoid brain damage .
Suffers from conditions such as cerebral palsy and chronic lung disease .
Current mobile oxygen supplies were too big, so her mum had to carry them .
Has now had her Trunki - a toy suitcase - modified to carry the cylinder . |
128,534 | 3218d393c0aa1527bc91e61e670a1d8bc586490a | By . Alasdair Glennie . First The Great British Bake Off spawned a cult ‘bingo’ game for soggy bottom lovers. Now the BBC is hoping to replicate the show’s success with a version for amateur gardeners - and has filled it with even more naughty innuendo than its predecessor. Starting next week, The Big Allotment Challenge will see nine pairs of green fingered contestants compete for the title of best grower by producing vegetables, fruits and flowers for a panel of experts. The BBC show will be hosted by Fern Britton, left, and judged Jim Buttress, Thane Prince and Jonathan Moseley . In the place of Bake Off’s Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, the new show will be judged by the Queen’s former gardener Jim Buttress, jam expert Thane Prince and floral designer Jonathan Moseley. Hosted by Fern Britton, it was filmed over six months last year and will follow the same format as the hit cookery show, where contestants are set a different challenge each week and attempt to avoid elimination. Mr Buttress supposedly provides much of the show's risque humour . But producers are hoping viewers will also appreciate its irreverent puns, following Bake Off’s lead. Bake Off spawned an internet craze in which viewers flocked to social networking sites to share the best catchphrases, including ‘soggy bottom’, ‘raise your game’ and ‘it’s got a good wobble.’ Many of the vegetable double entendres in the Allotment Challenge are even more risqué. In the first episode, viewers will hear Mr Buttress, 69, discuss the merits of some ‘good, erect stems’, a comment that produces muffled laughter from his fellow judges. Later in the show, Miss Prince advises a contestant on the correct pan to use for jam making, saying with a knowing look that it depends on ‘the thickness of your bottom’. Speaking before the show’s launch, Mr Buttress - who was superintendent of the Royal Parks for 25 years - admitted he deliberately inserted naughty puns into the show to liven it up. He said: ‘At the end of the day you’ve got to enjoy it. It’s got to be fun. That’s my motto in life. ‘And I’ve always been a great believer in just twisting it a little bit, because nobody gets hurt. It takes it away from being boring.’ The show’s executive producer Daisy Goodwin promised it will get even ruder as the series progresses. She said ‘You’ll enjoy episode six. Thane does utter the words “I’ve got wood in my mouth”’. She added: ‘Melons week was excellent. People got the giggles.’ Former This Morning presenter Miss Britton, 56, said it was a ‘tradition’ to slip rude jokes into otherwise innocent TV shows. The new show hopes to ride the same wave of enthusiasm that has made the Great British Bake Off, judged by Paul Hollywood, left, and Mary Berry, right, such a success . She added: ‘Jonathan (Moseley) was very naughty. His eyebrows were shooting up at some stages.’ It is Mr Buttress who is set to carve a role for himself as the gardening equivalent of Mary Berry on the show. He has been tending to flowers and plants since he was a ‘nipper’ and in a separate interview with the Radio Times, he opened up about his time as the Royal gardener. He said: ‘I was in charge of Hyde Park, St James’ Park, Kensington Gardens, Buckingham Palace and Clarence House. All the Queen Mum wanted was flowers, flowers, flowers. But when Charlie took over at Clarence, large areas were turned into an allotment because he’s a vegetable nut. He used to come and ask advice. Her Majesty took after her mother: more colour than veg.’ Asked if he was a prickly judge, he replied: ‘Someone said I was a cross between Ray Winstone and Paul Hollywood! I am just myself and I try to give lots of advice. I hope this is going to inspire people. No disrespect to makeover programmes but one minute it looks like a jungle and the next you could be at Chelsea Flower Show. That’s not gardening. Gardening is all: “Oh no, the greenfly’s got the roses,” or “Jack Frost’s destroyed the beans”. A lot of that happened and there were tears.’ The Big Allotment Challenge was filmed in a walled garden within the grounds of Mapledurham House in Oxfordshire last year. It will screen on Tuesday, April 15, on BBC2 at 8pm. | The Big Allotment Challenge sees nine pairs of contestants compete for the title of best grower .
It will be judged by the Queen’s former gardener Jim Buttress, jam expert Thane Prince and floral designer Jonathan Moseley .
It is said to have even more risque humour than the Great British Bake Off .
It will screen on BBC2 on Tuesday, April 15, at 8pm . |
102,504 | 10152179224f9186bbe65b75952e5eb1ed8efe66 | Sebastian Coe has questioned the nomination of former drugs cheat Justin Gatlin as one of the IAAF's athletes of the year and said he is convinced by research that steroid users can benefit from usage long after they are declared 'clean'. New findings from the University of Oslo states athletes who take anabolic steroids can retain the advantage of muscle development even decades later. Gatlin, from the United States, has run the three fastest times this year in the 100 metres, and the fastest times in the 100 metres and 200 metres ever by a man in his 30s. IAAF vice-president Seb Coe has questioned Justin Gatlin's nomination for the IAAF Athlete of the year . The 32-year-old 2004 Olympic 100m champion Gatlin tested positive in 2006 for excess testosterone and was banned for four years until 2010. Gatlin's nomination last weekend as one of the IAAF's male athletes saw another nominee, Germany's Olympic discus champion Robert Harting, asking for his own name to be removed. Lord Coe, an IAAF vice-president said he also had 'big problems' with the nomination. Speaking at the Securing Sport conference in London he said: 'The only thing I would say is that he is entitled to be competing. I'm not particularly comfortable about it. I think you'd be pretty surprised if I did sit here and was sanguine about that. 'I personally have big problems with that. Justin Gatlin (left) powers ahead during the IAAF Diamond League Athletics meeting at Lausanne in July . 'I have long since believed that, particularly anabolic steroids, but performance-enhancing, muscle-developing drugs, have a long-term effect. 'I don't wish to be dismissive about the Oslo research but I think anybody in the last 20 years that I've known in that world, particularly in sports physiology and biochemistry would tell you that's certainly the case. 'The effect is certainly not transient and we've seen that in the performance of athletes for some time.' Coe is also chairman of the British Olympic Association but he accepted there was no going back to the days of its lifetime ban for drugs cheats. Gatlin (right) attempts to chase down Usain Bolt as the American claimed bronze at London 2012 . 'I recognise legally and for all sorts of reasons that that particular train has left the station,' he said. 'A life ban, we know from all sorts of challenges, can't be upheld. 'We pushed very hard within the IAAF to get the WADA ban from two years back up to four years. 'I do think sanctions do have to take into consideration the extended effect that anabolic steroids, performance-enhancing drugs, can have on a career even when the athlete is 'clean'.' Coe added that he will stand for the presidency of the IAAF next year - current incumbent Lamine Diack has said he will step down. Coe said: 'I've always been clear, if I'm given the opportunity to shape the future of my sport, I will certainly take it. 'If there is a presidential election, I will want to stand for that.' Professor of physiology at the University of Oslo Kristen Gunderson and his team studied the effect of steroids on mice and believes that the same mechanism is at work in human muscles and that other performance-enhancing drugs would have similar long-term effects. Gatlin in 2006, the year he was was banned for a maximum of eight years by the US Anti-Doping Agency . Gunderson told BBC Sport: 'I would be very surprised if there were any major differences between humans and mice in this context. 'The fundamental biology of muscle growth is similar in humans and in mice, and in principle any drug that builds muscle mass could trigger this mechanism. 'I think it is likely that effects could be lifelong or at least lasting decades in humans. Our data indicates the exclusion time of two years is far too short. Even four years is too short.' Thirty-two-year-old American Gatlin served a four-year ban after appeal to arbitration and - after his return to the sport in 2010 - he ran the fastest 100 metres in the world in this year as he clocked 9.77 seconds to claim a dominant victory at the Memorial van Damme in Brussels last month. Dai Greene (centre) says Gatlin's phenomenal times this year suggest the steroids he took still have an effect . But British 400 metres hurdles champion Dai Greene said: 'He's over the hill as far as sprinting is concerned - he should never be running these times for the 100m and 200m. 'But he's still doing it, and you have to look at his past, and ask how it is still affecting him now, because the average person wouldn't be able to do that. 'Those are incredible performances. Not many people have run that fast separately, ever. To do it on a damp Friday night? I couldn't believe those times. 'It shows one of two things: either he's still taking performance-enhancing drugs to get the best out of him at his advanced age, or the ones he did take are still doing a fantastic job. 'Because there is no way he can still be running that well at this late point in his career. Gatlin celebrates winning the men's 100m sprint in Rieti, Italy in September to continue his superb year . 'After having years on the sidelines, being unable to train or compete, it doesn't really add up. 9.77 is an incredibly fast time. You only have to look at his performances. I don't believe in them.' The new data casts a further shadow over formerly-banned athletes such as Gatlin, his compatriot Tyson Gay and Britain's Dwain Chambers. In his defence, Gatlin's agent Renaldo Nehemiah said: 'Justin would have run these times, and faster, had his over-zealous (former) coach Trevor Graham not tried to get him there sooner than he would've naturally gotten there. 'So, what Justin is doing right now, I'm not surprised by that. 'His body is rested for four years, so he wasn't racing. And he was the talent that I always knew he was.' Hear more on 5live Track and Field, Tuesday 7 October, 20.30-22.00 . | Justin Gatlin nominated for IAAF athlete of the year .
Seb Coe uneasy about nomination considering new research .
University of Oslo research shows effects of steroids can be long-lasting .
Justin Gatlin was banned for taking drugs in 2006 but is in excellent form and has ran the fastest 100 metres in the world this year .
Dai Greene says Gatlin's current speed supports the new hypothesis . |
22,568 | 4010ec894de8cb4f7849bc8e213c4449e3dd586f | A Transportation Security Administration officer killed by a gunman at Los Angeles International Airport was shot 12 times, with bullets grazing his heart and piercing his bladder and intestines, according to an autopsy report released Friday. Gerardo Hernandez had more than 40 bullet fragments in his body from the Nov. 1 shooting, the Los Angeles County coroner's office said. He was in full cardiac arrest when he arrived at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Doctors tried to repair damage to his heart with an emergency surgical procedure and twice used electricity to stimulate his heart before resorting to 'internal cardiac massage,' the report said. Gerardo Hernandez, 39, was shot 12 times, with bullets grazing his heart and piercing his bladder and intestines, according to an autopsy report released Friday . Exploratory surgery in Hernandez's abdomen revealed massive injuries. He was declared dead 45 minutes after arriving at the hospital and nearly two hours after the shooting. Earlier in the week, the coroner's office released preliminary findings and said Hernandez, 39, died within two to five minutes of being shot. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter explained why the official time of death was much later than his office's finding, which was not included in the final report. Doctors were trying to 'bring him back,' he said. 'They were doing their damndest to try to save his life. Hats off to them,' Winter said. Police stand by the scene of the shooting on November 1. For 28 minutes after the gunman was apprehended, Gerardo Hernandez still lay on the ground as paramedics waited to enter the airport terminal . 'Honestly, I would hope that they would work on anybody if they're not sure. But he was gone.' Authorities have said Paul Ciancia, 23, had a vendetta against the federal government and was targeting TSA officers when he pulled a semi-automatic rifle from a bag and shot Hernandez. Two other TSA employees and an airline passenger were wounded before airport police shot Ciancia. The Associated Press previously reported that Hernandez lay on the floor for 33 minutes before he was rushed to an ambulance outside, even though Ciancia had been subdued within five minutes. The lack of quicker aid at the airport prompted the head of the TSA officers' union, J. David Cox Sr., to say he was appalled, and a local union official said a more timely response might have saved Hernandez's life. Shooter: Paul Ciancia, 23, allegedly targeted TSA agents for being 'unconstitutional'. He could face the death penalty if convicted of a federal murder charge . Several agencies are investigating the response to the incident, including whether paramedics should have been allowed into the terminal sooner to attend to the wounded. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating whether one of its officers improperly told other responders that Hernandez was dead when he checked on him five minutes after the shooting. Ciancia, who was released from the hospital this week, has been charged with murder. He could face the death penalty if convicted. | Gerardo Hernandez, 39, was fatally shot in the chest on November 1 .
Paramedics .
were forced to wait to treat him because the airport terminal had not been declared safe .
Shooter Paul Ciancia was in custody minutes after Hernandez was shot .
Investigation launched to see if more could be done to save Hernandez .
Autopsy results have shown the severity of his injuries and that he died 'within two to five minutes' of being shot . |
121,689 | 294959297ddd26d5f992358d077972eda7f0d702 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama will invoke God when he takes the oath of office January 20, despite a lawsuit filed by atheist and non-religious groups, according to an attorney for Chief Justice John Roberts, who will administer the oath. President-elect Barack Obama has asked to invoke the phrase "so help me God" at the end of his oath. The groups have sued in federal court to block any mention of God during the inaugural ceremonies. Roberts was among those named in the suit. However, Obama wishes to conclude the oath with the phrase "so help me God," Jeffrey Minear, an attorney and administrative assistant for Roberts, told a federal court in documents Friday. The Constitution mandates the exact language to be used in the 35-word oath of office: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Some chief executives have embellished the oath with "so help me God." It is not constitutionally required, unlike in other federal oaths. Historians have been at odds over whether George Washington established precedent by invoking the phrase on his own at the first inaugural in 1789. The Library of Congress Web site says he did. Most presidents have used the phrase. iReport.com: Your photos from the inauguration . Inaugural officials and presidents or presidents-elect usually coordinate behind the scenes on whether the judge or government official administering the phrase will invoke it. Michael Newdow, supported by several groups including the American Humanist Association, claims in his lawsuit that "so help me God" violates the constitutional ban on government "endorsement" of religion. He asked a federal judge to intervene and block references of God or religion in the formal ceremonies. The lawsuit also opposes the traditional invocation and benediction to be delivered by pastors invited by Obama. "There can be no purpose for placing 'so help me God' in an oath or sponsoring prayers to God, other than promoting the particular point of view that God exists," according to the lawsuit. The federal government revealed in its response that Obama wants to use the phrase. The declaration was apparently aimed at blunting Newdow's concession that Obama could add the phrase on his own but that Roberts or any government official should not force or prompt him to say it. Among those named in the lawsuit besides the 53-year-old chief justice are the Presidential Inauguration Committee; the Joint Congressional Committee on Inauguration Ceremonies and its chairwoman, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California); and the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee and its commander, Maj. Gen. Richard Rowe Jr. Newdow said December 31 that he did not name Obama in his suit because in addition to participating as a government official in the ceremony, Obama possesses rights as an individual that allow him to express religious beliefs. "If he chooses to ask for God's help, I'm not going to challenge him," Newdow said. "I think it's unwise." A decision from the federal judge is expected in the next few days. The high court ruled against Newdow in 2004 after he tried to block the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited at his daughter's Sacramento, California-area public school because it contains the phrase "under God." He argued the case himself before the justices, making an impassioned plea that the teacher-led pledge forces religion on impressionable youngsters and carries the stamp of government approval. | Court documents say President-elect Barack Obama asked to invoke God .
Groups are suing to block any mention of God during the inaugural ceremonies .
Many presidents have added the phrase "so help me God" at end of oath . |
246,321 | cacff856badbd3a6cbabd77eb9fafdcef91fd5da | (CNN) -- A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck early Friday in the Fiji islands region of the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, "a destructive tsunami was not generated, based on earthquake and historical tsunami data." The quake struck at a depth of 626 kilometers, or about 390 miles below the earth's surface, the Geological Survey said on its website. Its epicenter was 74 miles south-southwest of Fiji's Ndoi Island, 281 miles south-southeast of the Fijian capital, Suva, and 264 miles west of Nuku'alofa in Tonga, according to the U.S. agency's estimations. It happened just after 7:30 a.m. Friday, or 3:30 p.m. ET. Initially, it was reported as 7.2 magnitude. Besides the U.S.-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the Japan Meteorological Agency also did not release any tsunami warnings or advisories as a result of the quake. | The U.S. Geological Survey says its depth was 626 kilometers, or 390 miles .
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says a "destructive tsunami was not generated"
The quake's epicenter was estimated as 74 miles south-southwest of Fiji's Ndoi Island . |
128,604 | 322e7fe0c17c60bcf141b4d07ba2d962d07f3f19 | By . Daniel Miller . A brother and sister who were caught with 12 marijuana plants and eight seedlings inside their home have been jailed for a total of 30 years. Natalie and David DePriest received the harshest sentence which can be given for marijuana growing in the state of Missouri, where the maximum punishment for manslaughter is also 15 years. In 2011, a maintenance man entered the DePriests' home in the city of Farmington while they were out in order to fit a fire extinguisher and discovered what he thought was a pipe bomb on the kitchen counter. Jailed: Natalie, 36, and David, 34, DePriest were sentenced to 15 years in prison after police discovered 20 marijuana plants in their Missouri home . He took pictures of the device with his phone before informing the police who went round to conduct a search. Officers . discovered the plants inside a bedroom closet along with three pounds . of dried marijuana, a rifle which was a quarter inch shorter than the . legal limit, two legally-held pistols and two bulletproof vests. They . also found ledgers understood to contain sales records totaling up to . $8,000 a month. The 'pipe bomb' turned out to be harmless. The . siblings were accused of running a large drug-selling operation. David, . 34, had one prior misdemeanor drug charge dating from from 1999 while . Natalie, 36, had been charged with writing bad checks while she was out . on bail. Speaking from inside prison to the Huffington Post, Natalie, a former rep for Camel cigarettes, denied ever having sold any of the marijuana, insisting it was for personal use. She said: 'If we had thousands of dollars in pot sales, it must be buried somewhere. Because I’ve never seen it.' The . pair hired attorney Dan Viets - one of Missouri's leading marijuana . reform activists and head of the state's National Organization for the . Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) committee. Initially . they tried to fight the prosecution arguing that the police should not . have entered their home without giving them notice or obtaining a . warrant, but the motion was denied. Having spent all their money they decided to plead guilty in the hope of receiving a more lenient sentence. So . in November last year they admitted growing more than 5 grams of . marijuana and intending to distribute it. David also pleaded guilty to . owning an illegal rifle. The siblings denied running a large-scale drug dealing operation and insisted the marijuana was purely for personal use . However St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin, had warned them that if they took their case to court, he would request the maximum sentences allowed. Mr Mahurin claimed he had offered the DePriests' attorney Dan Viets a deal under which they woulf serve just 120 days in jail, before being released on three years of probation, but that he refused. He told the Riverfront Times: 'There were multiple offers made that would have had them released in 120 days. 'But they felt that marijuana should not be illegal and will be legal soon, so they refused. I don't know if it will ever be legal in Missouri, but in this case I have to follow the law.' Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Pratte sentenced them to 15 years on the cultivation charge and a further 15 years for intending to distribute, with the sentences to run concourrently. David, an aspiring gunsmith, was handed an additional seven years for owning the illegal rifle. Speaking at the hearing Judge Pratte said: 'The law is the law,' addding that he didn't 'care one bit' that most Americans believe pot should be legalized. As it is their first time in jail it is unlilely either of the pair would serve their full sentence. Mr Mahurin said he expected David to be freed after four years and Natalie to serve two and a half. | Natalie, 36, and David, 34, DePriest had 12 mature plants and eight seedlings .
They were accused of running a large-scale drug-dealing operation .
They denied charges but hired a marijuana-activist attorney to fight the case .
Prosecutor claims they turned down deal allowing them to serve 120 days . |
187,322 | 7e982c2c6d44781ecf00af2f1f86ed8f795ce215 | Hunting for clothes in busy shops can be a nightmare, while shopping online can be a bit hit-and-miss. Now eBay has fitted futuristic ‘magic mirrors’ in a popular designer shop in a bid to blur the line between physical and digital shopping - and to make finding the perfect outfit more fun. The ‘connected store’ in New York includes a shopping wall that shows video content to inspire customers on outfit choices. While interactive mirrors in the fitting rooms are used to order items and will even change the lighting so it’s more flattering. Scroll down for video . Future of shopping? eBay has fitted futuristic ‘magic mirrors’ (pictured) in Rebecca Minkoff's New York shop in a bid to blur the line between shopping in a store and online and make the experience more enjoyable . The online retailer has teamed up with Rebecca Minkoff to transform her shop in SoHo into a high tech shopping hub, with shops in San Francisco and Los Angeles to follow shortly. It features ‘connected walls’, which are mirrored displays showing video content designed to inspire shoppers. Users swipe through looks and touch the screen to ask store staff to fill dressing rooms with the clothes they like - and even order drinks. An interactive fitting room mirror then acts like a personal stylist and suggests matching accessories to go with an item of clothing that a shopper has in the room with them. Shoppers can also tap the mirror to change the lighting. The rooms use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to recognise all the items of clothing in the room and offer alternative sizes and colours that are available to buy. Interactive fitting room mirrors act like a personal stylist and can suggest matching accessories to go with an item of clothing that a shopper has in the room with them (pictured) App: The app allows shoppers to check in to a store so staff can see their personal profile and suggest clothes that they will like. Shopping wall: Shoppers can see inspiring digital content on huge mirrored walls and send clothes they like to a fitting room to initiate a digital styling session. Magic mirrors: Touch screen mirrors in the fitting rooms identify clothes in different sizes and colours that are in stock. It can hint at matching items too. Steve Yankovich, Head of Innovation and New Ventures at eBay, said: ‘If you bring five things into a dressing room and they don’t work, you might be tempted to leave a store. ‘But what if you could determine the availability of different colours and sizes and request them from associates while still in the dressing room? ‘The Connected Store’s fitting rooms will make that possible through smart surfaces that can even suggest entire outfits to try.’ Shoppers can mull over options by taking their selection with them in the form of images stored in a dedicated app. It allows consumers to build personal profiles of their favourite items, which can be purchased later. Using this technology, the shop can recognise individual customers, allowing staff to make personal recommendations, and track what people have brought. Mr Yankovich believes that the Rebecca Minkoff store is the first step in ‘big changes in retail’. The shop features ‘connected walls’ (pictured) which are mirrored displays showing video content designed to inspire shoppers. Consumers swipe through looks and touch the screen to ask store staff to fill dressing rooms with the clothes they like, and even order drinks . ‘Displays, video and connected touch walls can make seeing what products look like in actual use much more engaging and true to life [than mannequins].’ He explained that eBay’s aim is to turn a store in ‘your’ store . ‘eBay is building shopping experiences where consumers can notify a store that they are coming and the associates can have personalised choices available near a smart dressing room before they even arrive. ‘These white glove experiences are going to entirely shift consumer experiences.' Other shops have in the past experimented with technology in fitting rooms that have been used for everything from scanning a person’s body to find clothes that fit, to allowing users to have their chosen items delivered to their home so they don’t have to carry them. There is also a new generation of smartphone apps that put colour-matching and ‘digital stylist’ options in users’ hands no matter which shop they are in. While stores might be getting smarter, there is already a free app that lets shopper find matching clothes at different price points and in precise shades. The Snap ColourPop iPhone app lets users search for clothes and shoes in exactly the same colour as any object or inspirational landscape of their choice. Users of the app take a photograph of their chosen object using their smartphone camera and the app searches for clothes and accessories from 150 UK fashion retailers such as Net-a-Porter, Miss Selfridge and M&S, to find fashion items in exactly the same shade. The Snap ColourPop iPhone app lets users search for clothes and shoes in exactly the same colour as any object or inspirational landscape of their choice. On the left, a user photographs a sweet and on the right, the app suggests a dress in the same colour that a shopper can buy instantly from one of 150 stores . It does this using a specially developed algorithm that combs through over 120,000 products in seconds – depending on your internet connection – to find an exact, or close colour match. The app claims to match shades of colours as closely as possible to the original photo, which means it could prove a quick solution for people wanting to find perfectly matching shoes to go with the rest of their outfit, without being restricted to a single shop. When the fashion items found by the app are displayed, they can be filtered by clothing types, such as dresses or shirts and can either be purchased immediately or saved for later in a ‘wishlist’ which can inform shoppers if the price of the item drops. The app is the first commercial product to use visual search technology to help people shop and Jenny Griffiths, a 27-year-old computer scientist, believes it will change the way people buy clothes in the future. | eBay technology is embedded in Rebecca Minkoff's New York shop .
Interactive mirrors in fitting rooms can suggest matching items .
'Shopping wall' shows video content to inspire shoppers who can order items to be delivered to a fitting room - and even get a drink .
Retailer claims experiment is the first step in changing how people shop . |
50,556 | 8f0eea8db0ca8da8dcf72aa32f18e63e3236c724 | Danon Edwards, 33, of Syracuse, is accused of breaking a police officer's jaw after punching him at the scene of a traffic accident in May . A former marine who blamed wartime trauma after he was charged with attacking a police officer was a food service specialist who never left the country, it has been reported. Danon Edwards, 33, of Syracuse, is accused of breaking a police officer's jaw after punching him at the scene of a traffic accident in May. In court, Edwards' lawyer said his client's military service from 1999 to 2003 left him emotionally scarred and unable to work. His military records however show during his time in the Marines he was a 'food service specialist', Syracuse.com has reported. The Marines have said they have no records of Edwards being deployed overseas, according to the Associated Press. Authorities allege Edwards hit North Syracuse Officer Robert Florian several times following a four-vehicle crash, which Edwards was involved in. He appeared in court on July 8, where his lawyer Chris Gaiser said his service 'may have had an effect on his emotional stability', according to Syracuse.com. The judge, who had freed Edwards on $50,000 bail, ordered a mental health evaluation for the former marine. He is due to next appear in court on Friday. Last week it was reported that a U.S. Marine veteran jailed in Mexico on weapons charges for allegedly . bringing guns across the border had his first court appearance after . spending more than three months in a Mexican jail. Military records show during his time in the Marines, Edwards was a 'food service specialist' A Mexican judge ordered Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, 26, to remain behind bars as his case works its way through the Mexican legal system. Sgt Tahmooressi's lawyer told reporters it was unfortunate that his client has to remain behind bars, but that he feels the case is moving in the right direction. Attorney Fernando Benitez, told reporters that irregularities - specifically the fact that his client was not given consular services after his arrest for nearly eight hours - is grounds for a dismissal of the charges. | Danon Edwards is accused of punching officer at scene of traffic accident .
His lawyer told court his military service had left him emotionally scarred .
Military records show he was a 'food service specialist' and Marines have said they have no records of him being deployed overseas . |
39,938 | 70b9a03242f9f6838cbe00c9ab656a0cd31b844c | Brindisi, Italy (CNN)Conditions for the rescue of passengers off a ferry that caught fire in the Adriatic Sea could hardly have been worse. Strong winds, choppy seas and thick smoke pounded the efforts. In the end, at least 10 people died, the Italian coast guard said on Monday. But many more were saved -- 427 -- the coast guard said. Ute Kilger was one of those who survived. "We were wet and cold, and the rain was like needles," she said. "There was always these explosions and this feeling you have in your feet. It goes through your body." Talking to CNN in donated Red Cross pajamas, she stumbled over her words: "It was unreal, but I knew it is so real. This was really bad, to really know, it is real." The Italian coast guard earlier said that all remaining passengers had been evacuated from the vessel, with the boat's commander finally leaving the ship at 2:50 p.m. Monday. The coast guard said it was inspecting the ship and deciding how to transport it -- and where. The public prosecutor in Bari, Italy, said he had requested the seizure of the ship as part of a criminal investigation. Authorities are waiting for authorization from Albanian officials to release the ship, because it is in Albanian waters. Giuseppe Volpe, the prosecutor, added that the owner and the captain of the ship will be notified of the investigation. No charges have been filed. More than 400 passengers were traveling on the Norman Atlantic between the Greek port of Igoumenitsa and the Italian port of Ancona when the fire began, apparently in the ferry's parking bay. 'Dying of cold' In the first three hours of the fire, around 150 people were able to escape via the vessel's lifeboats. But when the ferry lost power, the electronic arms were unable to function, leaving the rest of the boats dangling uselessly by its side. After waiting for hours in rough conditions, one Greek man told Italian state broadcaster RAI TV that passengers were "dying of cold and suffocating from the smoke," and that their feet were burning from the heat of the flames. Helicopters with night vision equipment worked through the night to pull passengers off the ferry, one by one. An Italian navy medical team boarded the ship to aid passengers, some of whom had been suffering hypothermia and smoke inhalation, the navy said. The already cold conditions were worsened by the spray from tugboat hoses as authorities attempted to douse the flames. A freighter carrying 49 rescued passengers arrived at the port of Bari on Monday. Photos showed survivors wrapped in emergency foil blankets being carried away on stretchers. One man died after he jumped or fell into the cold water, authorities said. It is unclear how the other victims died. 'Prisoners on a burning ship' Dramatic cell phone images filmed by a passenger showed flames through shattered portholes, while a wider view released by rescuers showed a huge plume of thick, black smoke streaming from the stricken vessel. Many passengers were unable to reach the lower decks because of the heat, and the water below was so cold that jumping clear of the ferry was not an option. Sea surface temperatures had been around 14 to 15 degrees Celsius (57 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit), CNN meteorologist Tom Sater said, which would have limited the survival time in the water to six hours at most. Passengers told Greek and Italian newsgroups they had felt like "prisoners on a burning ship." It's not known how the fire started, but it is believed to have originated in the parking bay. A truck driver told the Greek news media that trucks filled with oil were "packed like sardines," their cargo scraping the ceiling, which could have set off sparks in rough seas to start a fire, he surmised. Greek authorities said the vessel's fire doors appeared to have failed, which allowed the flames to spread quickly. More on major ferry sinkings . CNN's Nima Elbagir reported this story from Brindisi, Italy. CNN's Dana Ford wrote from Atlanta. Journalist Barbie Nadeau reported this story from Rome. | Death toll rises to 10 after fire on ferry in Adriatic Sea .
All passengers evacuated; ship's commander leaves vessel .
More than 400 people had been on board stricken vessel . |
197,947 | 8c364f3702f04439fc81b2446f18edf5285e555a | In Joe Cross's own words, six years a go he 'looked like I'd swallowed a sheep.' The Australian was 'fat, sick and nearly dead' - he weighed 22 stone and was suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease that meant he was constantly dosed up on drugs. His daily diet consisted of pizza, pies and doughnuts - leaving him low on energy and on a fast track to an early grave. Scroll down for video . Juice convert: Joe Cross overhauled his diet and only drank juice for 60 days to get healthy . But when Joe entered his forties he decided it was time to turn his life around. He set himself the challenge of only consuming juice for 60 days to see if the healing power of fruit and veg could make him a new man. He told the MailOnline: 'I was sick and on medication that wasn't fixing me. I just wanted to get well and be healthy. I decided to see if I could change my life by completely by changing my diet and plying my system with nutrients. Then and now: Joe used to weigh 22st, left, and was in poor health before he 'rebooted' and lost six stone . 'For 60 days I would only drink . juice. Then for the next two years after that, I'd only eat foods . derived from plants (seeds, beans, fruits, veg and nuts) and no . animal-based or processed food.' The plan worked and Joe lost six . stone. Six years on, aged 47, he is now medication-free and has never felt . better. His daily diet continues to include a litre of juice a day along . with plant-based foods during the day and an evening meal that will . include animal and processed foods. He filmed his journey to create the award-winning documentary, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, that will air on Channel 5 on 10th July. The film has been a worldwide hit and has inspired many to follow Joe's lead with juicing now becoming a way of life for many. Celebrities including Rosie Huntington Whitely and Jessica Alba have accredited their physiques to a juice diet and John Lewis has seen a 130 per cent rise in sales of juicers in the past year. Celeb followers: Actresses Jessica Alba, left, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley are fans of the juice diet . Prep Time: 5 minutesTotal Time: 10 minutesServing Size: 16oz. (500 mls)Ingredients . Directions . Johnathan Marsh, head of buying for electricals at John Lewis, said: 'The juicing phenomenon is spreading fast across the UK. 'Juicing . is a huge trend for us this year and in response to high levels of . customer demand for juicers we have increased our stock holding by 10 . times compared to last year, and expanded our range.' However, Joe prefers to call his juicing plan a 'reboot' rather than a diet - and anyone can do it to improve their health. He said: 'During a reboot, you'll commit to consuming only fruit and vegetable juices for a period of time. Three days, five days, or 30 days, it's your choice! 'The goal is to help you break a cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle and simply enhance the quality of your diet by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables.' He added: 'If you're overweight and have tried everything then I would recommend consulting your doctor and then following the juice diet for ten days. 'You'll find you'll fall in love with fruit and veg and the way it makes you feel.' But Joe said a 'reboot' doesn't have to be 'all or nothing'. 'If you don't want to only have juice for a certain number of days then just try adding it into your diet instead. 'Having a litre a day of fruit and veg every morning will make you feel better and lose pounds. It will also fill you up so you feel satisfied and won't want to eat as much during the day,' he explained. Joe believes juicing is the easiest way to stock your body up on vitamins and the juices are easy to make - just wash, cut and blend. For those short on time, he recommends juicing in bulk at the weekend and then storing the juice in the fridge in an air-tight container so it's ready for you to drink every morning during the week. For more information and juice recipes visit www.rebootwithjoe.com . Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead will be broadcast on Channel 5 on 10th July at 8pm, watch the trailer below... | Joe Cross once weighed 22st and was in ill-health .
He 'rebooted' his life by following juice diet for 60 days .
He now weighs 16st and has never felt better . |
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