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208,173 | 9980782ddf1f854e4f64614da0e0ac09c3510d20 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:14 EST, 20 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:58 EST, 20 February 2014 . A ninth-grade student at a North Carolina high school has died less than 24 hours after being diagnosed with a rare, but deadly bacterial infection. Officials at East Chapel Hill High School have said they believe the unnamed 14-year-old boy died on Wednesday from Meningococcal disease. It is a bacterial infection that is caused by the same bacteria that can cause Meningitis and blood infections. Officials at East Chapel Hill High School have said they believe the unnamed 14-year-old boy died on Wednesday from Meningococcal disease . Concerned parents have received a letter from school officials that the boy may have been infectious on Feb. 11, 12, 17 and 18. ‘If a person is infected, symptoms usually start within three to four days of exposure but can take as long as 14 days to begin,’ the school said. The boy presented the first symptoms on Tuesday, said the Orange County Health Department. ‘It’s not airborne. It doesn’t live for a long time on door knobs and other hard surfaces,’ Orange County Health Director Dr. Colleen Bridger told WTVD. A dark purple rash may appear in the later stages of Meningococcal disease . Signs and symptoms of meningococcal include: . If infected, symptoms usually start within three to four days of exposure but can take as long as 14 days to begin . ‘Kissing somebody, drinking after . somebody, smoking the same cigarette as somebody, those types of things . are what we worry about when we think about transmission.’ The student is thought to have died from a blood infection known as meningococcal septicemia. Signs of meningococcal septicemia include fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, chills and muscle aches, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A dark purple rash may appear in the later stages of the infection. Signs of meningitis include fever, headache and stiff neck. The Center for Disease Control recommends that all 11- and 12-year-olds be vaccinated against meningococcal disease. It’s unclear whether the student received the vaccine. The Orange County Health Department has advised people who were in close contact with that student to take antibiotics to prevent the infection. The school said the spread of meningococcal disease in a classroom setting is rare. | Unnamed pupil at East Chapel Hill High School was diagnosed Tuesday and was dead just a day later .
Meningococcal disease is caused by the same bacteria that can cause Meningitis and blood infections .
People who were in close contact with student have been advised to take antibiotics to prevent infection . |
82,769 | eab325f1f007e19419670ceefc8c0c739e229371 | David Ferrer extended his perfect career mark against Andreas Seppi to easily get back to the French Open's fourth round a year after reaching the final. The fifth-seeded Ferrer improved to 7-0 against Seppi, 15-0 in sets, by beating the 32nd-seeded Italian 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-3 at Roland Garros on Saturday. Ferrer, who has lost a total of 26 games through three matches, will face No. 19 Kevin Anderson of South Africa for a place in the quarterfinals. Anderson advanced when Ivo Karlovic retired after one set Saturday. On his way: David Ferrer reached the fourth round of the French Open by beating Andreas Seppi . Losing streak: Seppi has lost seven games in a row against Ferrer and never beaten him . In 2013 at Roland Garros, Ferrer reached his first Grand Slam final before losing to Rafael Nadal. Seppi is 1-50 in his last 51 matches against opponents ranked in the top 10. Eyes on the prize: Ferrer was a losing finalist at Roland Garros in 2013, missing out against Rafael Nadal . In form: Ferrer's opponent in the fourth round will be Kevin Anderson who beat Ivo Karlovic of Croatia . | David Ferrer, a French Open finalist in 2013, reaches fourth round .
Spaniard will play Kevin Anderson for place in quarter-finals .
Ferrer continued his unbeaten run against Andreas Seppi to seven games .
The fifth seed has also won 15 straight sets against Seppi . |
46,816 | 83e5d929528dfbdfddaf7280321d20651494b9ad | CANTON, Georgia (CNN) -- Meet Kaden, bomb-sniffing dog in training. Jeff Schettler coaches handlers on how to work with detection dogs, including Kaden, far right, in the field. His name, a Gaelic word meaning "little battle," is fitting for the energetic 12-pound puppy with a perky tail that curls like a cinnamon bun. At 4 months old, Kaden is a playful, black- and white-coated basenji being schooled at Georgia K9 National Training Center. Once fully trained, he will assist federal and local police officers as well as private corporations in nosing out deadly explosives at schools, airports and public events. His detective skills can potentially save thousands of lives in an era where law enforcement agencies are aggressively fighting against drugs and terrorist attacks. "Think about a scenario like the 1996 Olympic bombings," says Kaden's trainer Jeff Schettler, a cheery man who has coached hundreds of dogs to sniff out bombs, drugs, missing people and corpses since the mid-1990s. Demand for these detection canines -- including bomb dogs such as Kaden -- has surged as homeland security and drug crackdowns become a bigger priority for government and law enforcement. The North American Police Work Dog Association says 35,000 dogs are trained to do detective work in the U.S. The association estimates up to 10,000 dogs have been added since the September 11, 2001, attacks. Watch three detection puppies in action » . Official records of training puppies to work as detection dogs date back to the early 1900s in the U.S. In more recent years, police departments realized a dog's nose was a valuable asset. Dogs possess impressive olfactory abilities -- some breeds more than others. For each drop of odor detected by a dog, the human nose would require 1,000 to 10,000 drops of odor, veterinarians say. Can your pooch be a detection dog? » . Other animals may have smelling skills that rival a dog's, such as pigs nosing for truffles in France or honey bees that can sniff out TNT particles, but veterinarians say dogs are the most controllable and sociable for their human handlers. Police dogs remain the most affordable and reliable solution to solving crimes that require scent detection, police officers say. Trained dogs can track down cocaine camouflaged inside car seats. They can find children who have mysteriously vanished overnight. Detection dogs can even weed out pest-infested apples and oranges accidentally left in suitcases at airports. "They are a growing aspect of law enforcement," says Jim Watson, secretary at the North American Police Work Dog Association and a handler for decades. Earlier this month, investigators were baffled during the international manhunt for George Zinkhan, a former University of Georgia professor accused of fatally shooting his wife and two other people. Two weeks into the search, two cadaver dogs, a German shepherd named Circe and an Australian shepherd named Madison, arrived. Within 10 hours, the dogs picked up the scent of Zinkhan's remains in a shallow pit hidden in a thick forest. Once the dogs neared the suspect's body, they gave their handlers personalized signals. Circe barked excitedly. Madison lay down. Trainer Jeff Schettler explains Kaden is an unlikely candidate for police work. Basenjis, a breed that originated in central Africa, are usually used as hunting or show dogs. There are only two other trained police dog basenjis recorded by the North American Police Work Dog Association. Most trainers in the police dog world dislike experimenting with new dogs, preferring to stick to breeds with a proven track record. Most law enforcement agencies rely on Belgian Malinoises and German shepherds for detection work because of their protective yet friendly personalities, but labs, bloodhounds and beagles also can be used. "We're not trying to fix anything," Schettler says. "We're trying to enhance it." Schettler points out some of Kaden's advantages: The dog's weight will peak at about 25 pounds, enabling him seamlessly to sift between cramped luggage and lockers. Kaden is barkless because basenjis have an oddly shaped larynx, ideal for quiet searches. On a recent rainy Saturday morning at the Georgia K9 National Training Center, little Kaden undergoes testing. Passing the exam depends on his whiffing talents. Upon the instructor's command, Kaden's pencil-thin legs playfully trot along the damp grass to an oversize wall scattered with dozens of holes. His instructor has hidden black gunpowder wrapped in pantyhose in one of the holes. If Kaden's nose sniffs out the gunpowder, he will immediately sit. Kaden begins on the left side, quickly taking a zigzag pattern from one hole to another. His pace is methodical, a sniff for each hole. Soon he slows, pauses, inhales again and then sinks his tiny hindquarters to the ground. "What a good boy," coo several of Kaden's trainers, stroking his sleek fur and rewarding him with one of his favorite treats, torn bits of venison jerky. As Kaden nibbles on his treat, Schettler admits there are drawbacks to training basenjis. Basenjis don't have a furry coat to endure cold weather like a German shepherd. Basenjis are also a highly independent, stubborn breed with personalities similar to cats, making them difficult to train. Kaden's personality, however, is contrary to most basenjis. He was culled from a litter in Atlanta at 7 days old because of his unusual sociability with humans. "At eight weeks, he was in the airport going up to people and running around like he owned the place," Schettler says. Training detection dogs such as Kaden often begins during puppyhood so imprinting scent differentiation becomes innate, handlers say. Puppies are selected based on breed purity, confidence, sociability and temperament. In any training program, there are doggie dropouts. In those instances, the puppies become pets. On the job, dogs can suffer from on-site injuries, such as mild sprains and bruises. Some dogs have even been killed when a bomb explodes or buildings collapse. As police dogs age, health problems such as arthritis can send them into early retirement. A work dog's career typically spans about seven years, instructors say. Different breeds specialize in certain detection jobs, says Joseph Morelli, a canine handler for the Connecticut State Police. Morelli says he relies on Labrador retrievers for arson cases. German shepherds at his school are saved for patrolling or drug cases. "People are really starting to see how useful these dogs can be," says Morelli, who has started to train dogs from neighboring states in recent years. "We're really seeing our program take off." | Police dogs can nose out explosives, drugs, bodies and missing people .
Kaden, at 4 months old, is training to become of the the few basenjis bomb dogs .
Training usually begins in puppyhood so handlers can imprint skills .
About 35,000 police dogs work in the U.S., group says . |
14,597 | 2967641262c0a414a66dae3d42411b9dbafba42b | By . Hugo Gye . Last updated at 12:37 PM on 15th November 2011 . Inflation fell slightly today, but remained far above the Government's target thanks to yet another increase in energy bills. The Consumer Price Index rate of inflation was five per cent for October, down from 5.2 per cent in September, according to the Office for National Statistics. The Retail Price Index rate, which is more closely linked to the costs of home ownership, fell to 5.4 per cent from 5.6 per cent the previous month. The fall in inflation reflects last month's 'price war' between major retailers, which saw them aggressively cut food and petrol prices in an attempt to compete with each other. Bank of England: Inflation remains well above the Bank's target of two per cent . Despite the fall, CPI is still more than double . the target of two per cent, meaning that the governor of the Bank of . England will have to write an explanatory letter for the eighth . consecutive quarter. The high inflation was driven by energy prices once again as increases from Npower came into effect, following previous rises from British Gas, SSE, Scottish Power and E.ON and ahead of a similar move from EDF this month. Heavy discounting from food retailers - including the UK's biggest supermarkets, which have been engaged in an aggressive price war - has slightly eased overall prices. But the figure was still high enough to trigger a letter of explanation from Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King to the Chancellor - his eighth quarter in a row and 13th in total. Sir Mervyn, who will be at Buckingham . Palace today to be formally knighted by the Queen, has previously . forecast inflation to surpass five per cent before coming down rapidly . over the next year. Both CPI and RPI have remained fairly high over the last couple of years . The . Bank is expected to slash its forecasts for growth and inflation in its . quarterly inflation report tomorrow, as a raft of key indicators suggest . that the economy might head into reverse. The . weaker growth outlook is likely to push down the inflation projection - . but this will be slightly offset by the impact of the £75billion round . of quantitative easing unleashed in October. However, good economic news came . today as it was announced that both France and Germany had seen . significant rises in GDP during the third quarter of 2011. Sir Mervyn King: The governor must write a letter to the Chancellor explaining the high rates . Sir Mervyn said the Bank is now faced with the possibility of inflation undershooting the two per cent target due to 'substantial risks around the global economic recovery and the implications of a further slowdown in the world economy for the UK.' Germany's economy grew by 0.5 per cent from July to September, while France's grew by 0.4 per cent in that period. In the UK, gas and electricity bills applied the most significant upward pressure on the overall rate of inflation in October, rising 1.4 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively over the course of the month. In total, energy bills have risen by 19.9 per cent over the last year as they have driven stubbornly high levels of overall inflation. Food prices had the most significant downward impact to the change in CPI between September and October as they fell 0.9 per cent. The ONS said 'significant and . widespread discounting by supermarkets' pushed prices down, as well as a . strong harvest for certain products. Vegetable . prices fell 2.4 per cent, fruit eased 1.6 per cent, milk, cheese and . eggs dropped 1.2 per cent and meat edged down 0.7 per cent. Tesco triggered a price war with its rivals in October with its £500million Big Price Drop campaign. Competitors . soon responded with their own schemes, including Sainsbury's Brand . Match campaign, while Asda slashing prices at the petrol pumps. This made shop price inflation fall back markedly to 2.1 per cent from 2.7 per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium. Price cutting: Heavy discounts from major supermarkets has contributed to October's fall in inflation . There were signs of further relief as Debenhams launched its annual five-day pre-Christmas promotion with £200million savings with price cuts of up to 40% in stores and online. BRC director general Stephen Robertson said it was a sign retailers were responding to households' severely strained budgets. He said: 'With consumers' budgets under severe pressure, competition between retailers has intensified. Supermarkets are cutting their already thin margins even further to hold down shop prices in the face of rising energy and property costs.' A six per cent fall in air fares and a slight 0.4 per cent dip in petrol pump prices also helped bring the overall CPI rate down. The average price of petrol was £1.34 in October, the lowest since July. The cost of air travel could rise again, however, as airlines are hit by the high price of fuel. Budget . carrier easyJet warned today that its fuel costs were set to rise by . £220million, having already increased by £100million over the last year. Fall: Air fares went down by six per cent between September and October, but may rise as easyJet forecasts a hike in fuel prices . Today's data was published as Prime Minister David Cameron faced a damaging Commons revolt by Tory backbenchers over rising fuel prices. A Treasury spokesman said: 'Whilst price inflation eased slightly in October, the Government recognises that these are difficult times for households as prices continue to be affected by conditions in the global oil and gas markets. 'The Bank of England has forecast that inflation should fall rapidly over 2012 but, in the meantime, the Government is taking action to help consumers with current high costs, including cutting fuel duty and freezing council tax.' Labour Treasury spokesman Owen Smith said: 'Families and pensioners are really feeling the squeeze because the VAT rise and the Government's failure to act on soaring energy prices are pushing up inflation. 'With Britain now having the highest inflation of any EU country except Estonia, it's time out-of-touch ministers started taking some responsibility and took action now. 'Reversing January's VAT rise temporarily, as part of Labour's five-point plan for jobs, would ease the squeeze on families and help to kick-start our flatlining economy. It would cut petrol prices by 3p a litre and give a couple with children an average boost of £450 a year.' TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said high prices meant families were facing a tough Christmas. He said: 'The small ease in inflation will provide some comfort for families but until wages keep up with prices, people's real incomes will continue to deteriorate.' However, most economists said the figures were likely to represent the start of a marked downward trend in the rate of inflation. Vicky Redwood, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said: 'Fingers crossed, October's drop in inflation should mean that we have now passed the peak in inflation. The start of 2012 should see inflation begin to fall back sharply and we think that it will be below the 2% target within a year.' | CPI was 5.0% in October, RPI was 5.4% .
Aggressive discounting on food and petrol outweighs another rise in energy prices . |
219,142 | a7a44175bd8f5204d4915c6d020524f1bf1721c7 | Toyota has revealed its latest supercar concept - after giving it a virtual test drive in a computer game. The firm used Sony’s Gran turismo game to tweak the design for its latest supercar, called the LT-1 before unveiling the real-life version at the North American International Auto Show. Toyota even used the game to sell the concept car to the car firm’s boss. Scroll down for video . The real-life version of the car unveiled at the 2014 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) - after being test driven and tweaked in the Gran Turismo game . Every aspect of the car can be seen in the virtual version - even down to the lights, and the handling is expected to be identical to the final version of the concept car . Gran Turismo is one of the longest running driving game series, and this year celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2013, having first appeared internationally in 1998. The multi-award-winning franchise has been the most successful ever for PlayStation, and in 2013 more than 70 million copies were sold worldwide. Various version of Gran Turismo have been created for PlayStation, PlayStation2, PlayStation3 and PSP (PlayStation Portable). ‘We collaborated with the Gran Turismo team to develop a virtual FT-1 and it was used as a tool to pitch the concept to Akio Toyoda,’ said Calty Design Research Studio Chief Designer Alex Shen, who was responsible for the car’s look. ‘Before reviewing the physical model, he drove the FT-1 on Fuji Speedway in GT6. ‘He gave us a thumbs up when he finished his virtual lap faster than his best time in his own LFA in real life.’ The firm also plans to make the car available to all players of the game for free from today. ‘Thanks to the amazing capability of the Gran Turismo game engine, gamers can enjoy a very real simulation piloting the ultra-high performance FT-1 on the tracks it was designed to master,’ said Kevin Hunter, President of Calty Design Research. The car’s interior features a fighter jet inspired heads-up display positioned above the steering wheel and projected out ahead of the driver to keep the eyes focused on the road. 'On the exterior, ‘Function-Sculpting’ was our key term to imagine the FT-1 design,' explained Hunter. 'We wanted it to look as if it was beautifully sculpted by the wind while providing functional cooling to optimize aerodynamic performance…it gets your heart racing just looking at it.' ‘The deeply sculpted intakes and outlets have sexy, curvaceous surfaces and transitions,’ said Hunter. ‘This was our approach in creating ‘beautiful solutions to manage dirty air.’ The FT-1 also has a glass window to showcase the engine. The firm has not yet revealed the specs for the concept car, but says it will be the 'ultimate enthusiast's car'. Polyphony Digital, the firm who created the game, said it was a dream come true to test a real concept car before it was made. ‘It’s always been a dream of ours to have our automotive partners use Gran Turismo in exciting new ways,’ said Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo and President of Polyphony Digital Inc. a virtual version of Toyota's FT-1 concept car was created in Sony's Gran Turismo computer game so designers could tweak it before deciding on a final version, pictured . a virtual version of Toyota's FT-1 concept car was created in Sony's Gran Turismo computer game so designers could tweak it before deciding on a final version, pictured . The car was also modeled in higher resolution in GT6, Sony's latest version of its highly successful game . The FT-1 as it appears in Sony's Gran Turismo computer game . | Car unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show after being driven virtually .
Toyota worked with game makers to create a virtual version of the LT-1 .
Will be made available to players for free to test . |
120,493 | 27b8308f68718284cbdeec43dd0a2ab7b7e5f851 | English teenagers are among the best in Europe at solving practical problems, a league table revealed yesterday. The nation’s 15-year-olds came 11th in the world in a new test – ahead of their peers in the United States and all other European countries except Finland. The results are welcome news following England’s demotion from the top 20 nations in maths and reading. However Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong, which all have strong academic records, did better. The rankings, based on a test taken by 85,000 pupils across 44 jurisdictions, show that English teenagers are better at solving real-life problems – such as adjusting a thermostat or selecting the cheapest rail tickets – than they are at tackling academic subjects. England is one of only a handful of countries where teenagers are better at problem-solving than maths, reading and science. Boys did slightly better than girls in the test - a reversal of the picture seen in national GCSE exams taken a year later . Boys did slightly better than girls, in a reversal of the picture seen in national GCSE exams taken a year later. Experts said the finding suggested GCSEs may be ‘unfair’ to boys. The OECD, which produced the league table, insisted the difference in performance between boys and girls was not statistically significant. The computer-based 40-minute test was the first of its kind run by the OECD, which regularly examines pupils’ performance in richer nations. Pupils in England scored 517, against an OECD average of 500. Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland didn’t take part. The highest score was achieved by Singapore, with 562. Outside East Asia, the highest marks were achieved by Canada, Australia and Finland, with England coming 11th. ‘In England, students perform significantly better, on average, in problem solving than students in other countries who show similar performance in mathematics, reading and science,’ the OECD report said. ‘This is particularly true among strong performers in mathematics, which suggests that these students, in particular, have access to learning opportunities that prepare them well for handling complex, real-life problems.’ A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘Our young people are strong in problem-solving. This is a skill we should build on.’ | Results based on a test taken by 85,000 pupils across 44 jurisdictions .
Boys did better than girls in reversal of the picture seen in GCSE exams .
Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Canada and Australia all did better .
However Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland didn't take part .
It follows England's demotion from the top 20 nations in maths and reading . |
39,320 | 6f1c1b6e2be7cb0a7bbe478d184de2107b492770 | If an HIV biomarker is present in minute concentrations, it causes tiny gold nanoparticles to clump together in an irregular pattern that turns the solution blue . A test for HIV that is 10 times more sensitive and a fraction of the cost of current methods, has been developed by British scientists. It uses nanotechnology to give a result that can be seen with the naked eye by turning a sample red or blue. Developed by scientists at Imperial College in London, the technique offers the promise of better diagnosis and treatment in the developing world. Research leader Molly Stevens, said: 'Our approach affords for improved . sensitivity, does not require sophisticated instrumentation and it is . ten times cheaper.' Simple and quick HIV tests that . analyze saliva already exist but they can only pick up the virus when it . reaches relatively high concentrations in the body. 'We . would be able to detect infection even in those cases where previous . methods, such as the saliva test, were rendering a 'false negative' because the viral load was too low to be detected,' Stevens said, after . the research was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. The test could also be reconfigured to detect other diseases, such as sepsis, Leishmaniasis, Tuberculosis and malaria, Stevens said. Testing is not only crucial in picking up the virus that causes Aids early but also for monitoring the effectiveness of treatments. 'Unfortunately, the existing gold standard detection methods can be too expensive to be implemented in parts of the world where resources are scarce,' Stevens said. Research leader: Molly Stevens said she is planning to work with not-for-profit global health organisations to distribute the new sensor . According to 2010 data from the World Health Organisation, about 23 million people living with HIV are in Sub-Saharan Africa out of a worldwide total of 34 million. The virus is also spreading faster and killing more people in this part of the world. Sub-Saharan Arica accounted for 1.9 million new cases out of a global total of 2.7 million in the same year, and 1.2 million out of the 1.8 million deaths. The new sensor works by testing serum, a clear watery fluid derived from blood samples, in a disposable container for the presence of an HIV biomarker called p24. If p24 is present, even in minute concentrations, it causes the tiny gold nanoparticles to clump together in an irregular pattern that turns the solution blue. A negative result separates them into ball shapes that generate a red color. The researchers also used the test to pick up the biomarker for Prostate Cancer called Prostate Specific Antigen, which was the target of previous work that Stevens did with collaborators at University of Vigo in Spain. That sensor used tiny gold stars laden with antibodies that latched onto the marker in a sample and produced a silver coating that could be detected with microscopes. Stevens and her collaborator on the new test, Roberto de la Rica, said they plan to approach not-for-profit global health organizations to help them manufacture and distribute the new sensor in low-income countries. | HIV sensor is 10 times more sensitive and a fraction of the cost of current methods .
If virus is in blood sample makes tiny gold nanoparticles form irregular patterns, which changes colour of fluid to blue .
If no virus present solution turns red . |
256,114 | d786b20246e0c976d1b753b9bc34e4e7193e0526 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:10 EST, 29 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:41 EST, 29 August 2013 . The UK could launch a military strike against Syria without the support of the United Nations, government legal advice released today claims. Downing Street published the official legal position suggesting Britain would not breach international law if it launched ‘military intervention to strike specific targets with the aim of deterring and disrupting’ further use of chemical weapons. And the government released an intelligence report – likened to the so-called Iraq dodgy dossier – which claimed it is ‘highly likely’ that the Syrian regime was responsible for a chemical attack in Damascus on August 21. Scroll down for video <!-- br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;} --> . Legal advice: Prime Minister David Cameron leaves Downing Street for the Commons debate on Syria . David Cameron had hoped to secure the backing of the House of Commons for imminent military action in a crunch vote tonight. But Labour leader Ed Miliband has refused to back the government, setting seven different conditions which would need to be met before the opposition would support an air strike. MPs have been recalled to Parliament to debate the UK response to the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian people. Mr Miliband wants the government to pursue any action through the United Nations, but both Russia and China have vowed to veto any UN resolution backing military action. Ahead of this afternoon’s debate, Number 10 released its legal position insisting Britain could legally go it alone and support the United States in a targeted strike to act as a deterrent for future use of chemical weapons. Justifiable: The two-page legal position insists . Britain could carry out a targeted military strike against Syria . without securing a UN resolution . The legal advice states: ‘Previous . attempts by the UK and its international partners to secure a resolution . of this conflict, end its associated humanitarian suffering and prevent . the use of chemical weapons through meaningful action by the Security . Council have been blocked over the last two years.' It argues that if Russia and China continue to block action through the UN Security Council there would be 'no practicable alternative' to the use of force to 'deter and degrade the capacity for the further use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime'. It adds: ‘In these circumstances, and as an exceptional measure on grounds of overwhelming humanitarian necessity, military intervention to strike specific targets with the aim of deterring and disrupting further such attacks would be necessary and proportionate and therefore legally justifiable. ‘Such an intervention would be directed exclusively to averting a humanitarian catastrophe, and the minimum judged necessary for that purpose.’ As the main party leaders briefed . their MPs on their return to Westminster for the emergency recall of . Parliament, six RAF Typhoon jets were deployed to Cyprus to protect UK . interests and sovereign bases. The . Prime Minister yesterday battled desperately to get a consensus for a . missile attack, but was forced by Mr Miliband and Tory rebels to allow . UN inspectors time to report on last week’s chemical weapons atrocity. Top brass: Chief of the defence staff, General Sir Nick Houghton (L) and Defence Secretary Philip Hammond arrive for a cabinet meeting at Number 10 . Cabinet: International Development Secretary . Justine Greening, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Home Secretary . Theresa May were briefed on the latest developments in Number 10 today . But a three page dossier from the Joint Intelligence Committee made clear that the Assad regime was responsible for the chemical weapons attack last week in which 350 died. The JIC found there are 'no plausible alternative scenarios to Assad's regime being behind the attack and has given the Prime Minister full access to 'highly sensitive' intelligence. It could not, however, come up with a 'precise motivation' for the attack. It concludes: ‘It is not possible for the opposition to have carried out a chemical weapons attack on this scale. ‘The regime has used chemical weapons on a smaller scale on at least 14 occasions in the past. ‘There is some intelligence to suggest regime culpability in this attack. These factors make it highly likely that the Syrian regime was responsible.’ Cabinet ministers were briefed on the latest intelligence this morning, ahead of the Commons debate. A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘The judgment of the Joint Intelligence Committee is that a chemical weapons attack did occur in Damascus last week; that it is highly likely that the Syrian regime was responsible; that there is some intelligence to suggest regime culpability; and that no opposition group has the capability to conduct a chemical weapons attack on this scale. ‘Ministers agreed that it is fundamentally in our national interest to uphold the longstanding convention on chemical weapons and to make clear that they cannot be used with impunity. ‘Any response should be legal, proportionate and specifically in response to this attack and everyone around the Cabinet table agreed that it is not about taking sides in the Syrian conflict nor about trying to determine the outcome.’ Here is the full text of the Joint Intelligence Committee assessment of the Syrian chemical weapons attack, followed by a letter from Jon Day, chairman of the JIC, to the Prime Minister:JIC assessment of 27 August on Reported Chemical Weapons use in Damascus . A chemical attack occurred in Damascus on the morning of 21 August, resulting in at least 350 fatalities. It is not possible for the opposition to have carried out a CW [chemical weapons] attack on this scale. The regime has used CW on a smaller scale on at least 14 occasions in the past. There is some intelligence to suggest regime culpability in this attack. These factors make it highly likely that the Syrian regime was responsible. Extensive video footage attributed to the attack in eastern Damascus (which we assess would be very difficult to falsify) is consistent with the use of a nerve agent, such as sarin, and is not consistent with the use of blister or riot control agents. There is no obvious political or military trigger for regime use of CW on an apparently larger scale now, particularly given the current presence in Syria of the UN investigation team. Permission to authorise CW has probably been delegated by President Asad to senior regime commanders, such as [*], but any deliberate change in the scale and nature of use would require his authorisation. There is no credible evidence that any opposition group has used CW. A number continue to seek a CW capability, but none currently has the capability to conduct a CW attack on this scale. Russia claims to have a 'good degree of confidence' that the attack was an 'opposition provocation' but has announced that they support an investigation into the incident. We expect them to maintain this line. The Syrian regime has now announced that it will allow access to the sites by UN inspectors. There is no immediate time limit over which environmental or physiological samples would have degraded beyond usefulness. However, the longer it takes inspectors to gain access to the affected sites, the more difficult it will be to establish the chain of evidence beyond a reasonable doubt. From Jon Day, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee to the Prime Minister: . SYRIA: REPORTED CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE . Following the widespread open source reports of chemical weapons (CW) use in the suburbs of Damascus in the early hours of 21 August 2013, the JIC met on 25 August to agree an assessment. At a subsequent meeting on 27 August we met again to review our level of confidence in the assessment relating to the regime's responsibility for the attack. The JIC's conclusions were agreed by all Committee members. The final paper informed the National Security Council meeting on 28 August, at which I provided further background and a summary of the most recent reporting, analysis and challenge. The paper's key judgements, based on the information and intelligence available to us as of 25 August, are attached. It is important to put these JIC judgements in context. We have assessed previously that the Syrian regime used lethal CW on 14 occasions from 2012. This judgement was made with the highest possible level of certainty following an exhaustive review by the Joint Intelligence Organisation of intelligence reports plus diplomatic and open sources. We think that there have been other attacks although we do not have the same degree of confidence in the evidence. A clear pattern of regime use has therefore been established. Unlike previous attacks, the degree of open source reporting of CW use on 21 August has been considerable. As a result, there is little serious dispute that chemical attacks causing mass casualties on a larger scale than hitherto (including, we judge, at least 350 fatalities) took place. It is being claimed, including by the regime, that the attacks were either faked or undertaken by the Syrian Armed Opposition. We have tested this assertion using a wide range of intelligence and open sources, and invited HMG and outside experts to help us establish whether such a thing is possible. There is no credible intelligence or other evidence to substantiate the claims or the possession of CW by the opposition. The JIC has therefore concluded that there are no plausible alternative scenarios to regime responsibility. We also have a limited but growing body of intelligence which supports the judgement that the regime was responsible for the attacks and that they were conducted to help clear the Opposition from strategic parts of Damascus. Some of this intelligence is highly sensitive but you have had access to it all. Against that background, the JIC concluded that it is highly likely that the regime was responsible for the CW attacks on 21 August. The JIC had high confidence in all of its assessments except in relation to the regime's precise motivation for carrying out an attack of this scale at this time - though intelligence may increase our confidence in the future. There has been the closest possible cooperation with the Agencies in producing the JIC's assessment. We have also worked in concert with the US intelligence community and agree with the conclusions they have reached. Jon Day . | Downing Street releases legal advice clearing the way for British strike .
Dossier says only Assad regime could carry out Damascus attack .
Six RAF Typhoon jets deployed to Cyprus in 'contingency planning'
Deputy PM Nick Clegg is 'wrestling' with decision to support military action . |
242,090 | c5512ede60a1b0a6188c8779d95c9c1a7af8aea4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:01 EST, 16 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:43 EST, 17 January 2013 . Steve Wright's weekly BBC 2 programme has been ruled to have breached the corporation's guidelines . It is the gentle Sunday morning radio show that encourages its listeners to phone in with heartfelt dedications for their loved ones. But fans of Steve Wright’s weekly BBC 2 programme were surprised to discover their romantic messages were not getting through…because it was pre-recorded. Sunday Love Songs has been ruled to have breached the corporation’s guidelines by failing to explain music requests made during the show would not be broadcast the same day. The audience was told to phone in ‘any time’ with romantic song choices and messages, without an explanation the show’s script was finalised three days earlier. It meant some listeners wasted time and money on calls when their requests had already missed the cut off point. They also spent time listening for their messages when there was no chance they would be included on the show, broadcast between 9am and 11am every Sunday. The BBC Trust’s editorial standards committee said the failure to inform listeners properly breached guidelines on accuracy and interacting with the audience. It upheld a complaint by a listener who only discovered the show was not live when it was announced a reference to entertainer Andy Williams had been recorded before his death. The show is recorded on Fridays, but the playlist and script are decided each Thursday, meaning requests made after that point could not be considered for the next show. An answerphone message to callers only made this clear after they had already left a request. The BBC amended the on-air and phone messages to make it clear dedications would be considered for future programmes rather than the one being broadcast at the time of the call. The BBC Trust has upheld a listener complaint ruling the show breached Corporation guidelines . But the committee ruled the updated message still breached accuracy guidelines because it was not made clear requests would have to be made before the Thursday deadline to be included in the Sunday show. The committee found the fact the show was presented ‘as live’ despite being pre-recorded was not a breach of editorial guidelines. It added the BBC did not intentionally mislead its audience, saying: ‘the problem was essentially one of clarity.’ A BBC spokesman said: ‘In light of the Trust’s findings on clarity for people leaving dedications for the programme, we have revised the wording in order to ensure the process is absolutely clear for listeners.’ Steve Wright is best known for presenting Radio 1’s Steve Wright in the Afternoon The veteran DJ, 58, moved to Radio 2 in 1996. | The BBC Trust’s editorial standards committee said the show breached guidelines on accuracy and interacting with the audience . |
111,424 | 1bac5cd75f19e95a2806364a89465f21c4f060c4 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:03 EST, 22 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:37 EST, 22 November 2012 . Samantha Gordon, 9, is too fast for boys to catch her on the football field, earning her the nickname Sweet Feet and now the cover of a Wheaties box. The young sensation, who goes by Sam, joins the likes of Michael Jordon and Tiger Woods to become the first female football player to star on the cereal packaging - a cultural icon well known for featuring prominent athletes on its exterior. The mini quarterback told ESPN: 'One of my goals was...I wanted to prove that girls can play, it's not just a boy's sport.' Scroll down for video . Star athlete: Samantha Gordon, 9, is too fast for boys to catch her on the football field, earning her the nickname Sweet Feet and now the cover of a Wheaties box . What started as a way to keep up with . her big brother, Max, turned Sam into a star player in her local, . all-boys football league in Utah, becoming one of the fastest children . in the Salt Lake City area ‘Gremlins’ league. She explained: 'I usually play . soccer, but after practices I would go and pick up my brother and I . would do the speed drills with them, and then most of the time I was . beating members of his team. 'So I thought, "Hey maybe I could play too". And then I tried out and made it on the team.' Great heights: The mini quarterback told ESPN: 'One of my goals was...I wanted to prove that girls can play, it's not just a boy's sport' Role model: The young sensation joins the likes of Michael Jordon and Tiger Woods to become the first female football player to star on the cereal packaging . Fearless: Weighing not even 60lbs, Sam is playing in a team of much bigger boys including a boy who weighs more than 150lbs . A video posted online by her father, Brent Gordon, last week showed her play . highlights, and it quickly went viral as people continue to be amazed at what the . young, fearless girl can do - and she has only been playing for a year. Excited but humble about her new found . fame, she said: 'I think it's really great. My mom told me it's a real . athletic breakfast, and Michael Jordon was on it for a long time. So I'm . really proud to be on the Wheaties box.' 'Sweet Feet': Nine-year-old girl Sam Gordon has become one of the fastest children in her local football league in Utah . Weighing not even 60lbs, Sam is . playing in a team of much bigger boys including a boy who weighs more . than 150lbs. Also proud to be a role-model for athletic girls everywhere, she said: 'To do all this stuff as girl is a once and a life time opportunity.' She added: 'I don't think [the boys] tease me at all, but I think sometimes they get a little embarrassed though. '[The best is] being the girl out there, and to be scoring on the boys and the boys be like, "Ding it, I just got beat by a girl". Her coach Chris Staib was quoted by Yahoo!Sports saying: ‘She could cut and follow blocks like a college football player.’ Asked about the authenticity of the original video, he said: ‘Oh it's real. That's her. I was there for all of that.’ Despite being so much smaller than all the other players, Mr Gordon said Sam is used to playing rough. He said from his office in Idaho: ‘I . started her out in soccer at four-years-old and we would play out in the . yard and my son's friends were pretty aggressive and rough. ‘She could really handle a lot of the . physical play. There were some games where she'd fall down and just keep . going. She would get kicked in the face, kicked in the gut and just . keep going.’ Star player: Sam Gordon, center left, pictured in action has earned teh nickname 'Sweet Feet' from her teammates after becoming one of the fastest kids the Salt Lake City 'Gremlins' league had ever seen . Remember the name: Sam Gordon's coach Chris Staib say the 9-year-old - who doesn't even weigh 60lbs - can 'cut and follow blocks like a college football player' Mr Gordon said that Sam told her: ‘Some kids, right before the contact, they stop. ‘I don't. I just hit 'em.’ He said: ‘That's not something I taught her.’ Asked whether she thinks girls should be able to play in the NFL, she said: 'I think they should, I dunno if they'd try out, but I think they should be able to.' Mr Gordon said it took her some time to adjust when she first started playing. He said: ‘She had a little bit of a struggle. ‘The . team lost a couple of games. Since she was the primary ball carrier, . she felt a lot of pressure to win. She felt blame for losing. In action: Sam Gordon, center in white, leaves the the boys in her wake as she scores another touchdown. She started playing football as a way play with her big brother . Breakaway: Sam (far right in white top) outruns the other players on the field featured in her play highlights video which has gone viral online . To keep up with her big brother: Sam (centre) started playing to keep up with the boys and so can handle the physicality of the game as well as outrunning most players on the field, some two years older than her . ‘With Sam, I keep questioning myself. Am I trying to make it something it's not because I'm her dad? I asked my brother, “OK, am I just being a crazy dad here? Or is this really cool?”’ Sam did admit however that soccer is her favourite sport. She revealed with delight: 'Abby Wambach tweeted me and she said, "Hey, you can come to one of our games or practices." 'So my dad and I are going to fly out to Phoenix and go one one of their practices and games!' VIDEO: Sam has been stunning onlookers with her impressive footballing displays . | Sam Gordon, 9, has become one of the fastest children in her local football league just a year after she started playing .
Weighing not even 60lbs, she fearlessly tackles male players up to 150lbs . |
3,933 | 0b5750efa4aa7e2a39866ed95b5e17c836e6afc0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:09 EST, 19 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:43 EST, 19 March 2012 . Support: A series of leaked emails reveals Asma al-Assad's support for her husband . Asma al-Assad, the British-born wife of the Syrian president, told a friend in a leaked email that she was the ‘real dictator’ in the family. Mrs Assad, 36, appears to show no misgivings about the regime’s brutal crackdown against dissenters, according to the latest extracts from her private emails. She praises a speech by her husband for conveying a sense of being ‘very strong, no more messing around.’ And she even makes light of the president’s reputation, joking in one exchange with a friend about domestic relations: ‘As for listening - I am the REAL dictator, he has no choice.’ Mrs al-Assad is often portrayed as an unwitting partner to her husband as he conducts a campaign of violence against many of his own people. But the string of emails sent to her husband as well as friends and family members, shows she is, in fact, fully behind his policies. In one message to a family friend she refers to a speech her husband had made describing it as 'very strong, no more messing around'. And she even changed the wording of a viral joke email, to make fun of the people of Homs - the city at the centre of the uprising where the United Nations estimates thousands have been killed. She had received the email - with the subject line 'Student who obtained 0% in exam' - from her husband. But before she forwarded it on to her father and two other family members she changed the wording to read: 'A really bright Homsi student'. In another email her father, Harley Street cardiologist Dr Fawak Akhras, compared the Syrian government's assault on Homs to Britain's reaction to the riots last summer. Mrs Assad, who has three children, grew up in leafy Acton. Although Muslim, she went to a Church of England school, where friends called her Emma. After studying computer science and French literature at King’s College, London, she worked as a banker at JP Morgan in the Nineties when she started secretly dating Bashar, the nerdy former eye doctor being groomed to succeed his despotic father in Syria. Bashar took power in 2000 amidst hopes he would relax the regime and dismantle the network of security forces. But despite many promises, there have been few real changes. The collection of around around 3,000 emails from the private accounts of the couple were obtained by opposition activists who have released them to the media. In one sent to her husband on December 28th she shows she is fully aware just how serious the threat to his regime had got. 'If we are strong together, we will overcome this together .... I love you.' 'We will overcome this together': Despite the killing and oppression of his own people, Bashar al-Assad's wife is standing by him . Although they do not use each others' real names, experts say they are certain the emails are genuine and that the true identities are beyond reasonable doubt. Other emails revealed how, as the fighting in Syria raged, Mrs al-Assad was mainly concerned with how to get around international sanctions that prevented her from shopping online. ‘I am absolutely clueless when it comes to fine jewellery,’ she wrote to her cousin while awaiting a delivery of gold, onyx and diamond-encrusted necklaces being made for her in Paris. In another email she oragnises a delivery of new furniture through a Dubai shipping company. Meanwhile in Syria government forces clashed with gunmen in an upscale neighborhood of the capital Damascus - home to embassies and senior officials - in one of the worst confrontations in the tightly-controlled city center in the country's yearlong uprising. The pro-government reports said the clash left three 'terrorists' and a member of the security forces dead. It said one of the attackers was captured and three security troops were wounded. Shocking violence: Syrians have been left reeling after several bomb attacks in the country's capital . Damascus . Investigators inspect the blast scene outside a damaged building following a car bomb in Syria's second largest city of Aleppo . Shocking violence: Syrians were left reeling after the dramatic blasts at security buildings in the heart of the troubled country's capital Damascus. Damascus has been largely free of the daily shootings and deaths reported across the country since the uprising against Assad began in March last year. But the capital has witnessed several major bomb attacks targeting security facilities, most recently on Saturday. The government blames 'terrorists' for the bombings but the opposition says that the regime itself may be carrying them out to discredit the uprising. The new fighting shows that rebels can still strike in the heart of the capital despite successful government offensive in the past weeks in the suburbs of Damascus, in the central city of Homs and the northern region of Idlib. Supplies: Rebels of the Free Syrian Army, who have sought refuge in the . mountains close to Al-Janoudia village, in Idlib province in northern . Syria, pass food and other supplies to comrades across a river . Defiant: Syrian rebels have set up check-points and road blocks in the north of the Idlib region . Syrian authorities claim the opposition is made up of 'terrorist' groups carrying out a foreign conspiracy. An activist in the capital said the Monday morning clashes occurred near the Political Security Directorate building. He said the clashes were followed with raids by security forces who were searching for the attackers. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has a network of activists throughout Syria, said 18 of Assad's troops were wounded in the clashes. It described the clashes "as the most violent of its kind and closest to security centers in Damascus since the revolution began." The rebel Free Syrian Army, which includes thousands of army defectors, have claimed responsibility in the past for attacks against regime forces. The group's leader, Col. Riad al-Asaad, refused to comment on the fighting in Damascus when contacted by The Associated Press by telephone. "This is a sensitive military matter that we cannot comment about," he said from Turkey. On Saturday, three suicide bombings in Damascus killed 27 people. Two of them also targeted government security buildings. On Sunday, an explosion killed two and wounded 30 in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria's largest. Arms deliveries to Syria surged almost 600 percent from 2007 to 2011 compared with the previous five years, a leading think tank said on Monday, with Russia supplying the bulk of the country's weapons. The report underlined how Moscow has continued to supply Syria with firepower while the United States, European Union and others have imposed arms embargoes in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's bloody crackdown on unrest. World powers have been unable to stop more than a year of bloodshed in Syria, a country that sits on the fault lines of several regional and ethnic conflicts. Recent army gains against rebel positions have not succeeded in quelling the violence and no negotiated settlement is in sight. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)said Russia had supplied 78 per cent of Syria's weapons imports during the past five years, contributing to a 580 per cent increase in the volume of arms imports by Syria. 'The transfer of arms to states affected by the Arab Spring has provoked public and parliamentary debate in a number of supplier states," said Mark Bromley, senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. 'However, the impact of these debates on states' arms export policies has, up to now, been limited.' Global arms transfers in the period rose by almost a quarter. The five largest importers were all Asian states, with Asia and Oceania accounting for 44 percent of purchases, followed by Europe at 19 percent, the Middle East at 17 percent, the Americas 11 percent and Africa 9 percent. India was the world's single largest importer of arms, accounting for 10 percent of the total, followed by South Korea, Pakistan, China and Singapore. China, the largest recipient of arms during the previous 2002-2006 period, fell in the rankings due to increased domestic production. SIPRI uses a system which attempts to measure volume rather than the financial value of weapons transfers. It does this by using a methodology which intends instead to represent the transfer of military resources. | Asma al-Assad, 36, joked about the people of Homs as troops slaughtered thousands in rebel-held city .
Tells her husband: 'If we are strong together, we will overcome this together .... I love you'
Fighting reported in upmarket district of Damascus following bomb attacks . |
62,105 | b06fda36f5ea82e780240113082605dc6e10ec42 | By . Jessica Jerreat . PUBLISHED: . 12:37 EST, 20 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:58 EST, 21 July 2013 . One week after George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the death of teenager Trayvon Martin, people have started to gather for nationwide rallies to press for federal civil rights charges against the former neighborhood watch leader. Beyonce and Jay Z joined the Florida teenager's mother as she spoke to crowds in Manhattan alongside the Reverend Al Sharpton. The case has become a flashpoint in separate but converging national debates over self-defense laws, guns, and race relations. Scroll down for video . High profile: Trayvon's mother Sybrina Fulton, third from left, was joined by Beyonce, Jay Z and the Rev Al Sharpton . Star support: Beyonce and Jay Z join a Justice for Trayvon rally in New York . Connection: Celebrity couple Beyonce and Jay Z say as parents they can understand the pain of the verdict . The Rev Al Sharpton's National . Action Network organized Justice for Trayvon rallies and vigils outside . federal buildings from noon in at least 101 cities, from New York and . Los Angeles to Wichita in Kansas and Birmingham, Alabama. On Saturday morning he told supporters in Manhattan he wanted a rollback of stand-your-ground self-defense laws. 'We are trying to change laws so that this never, ever happens again,' he said. 'We have the strength to wipe our tears away. Last Saturday we cried. This Saturday we march.' Trayvon's mother, Sybrina Fulton, also spoke at the New York rally, telling the crowd: 'Today it was my son. Tomorrow it might be yours.' Emotional: Trayvon's mother Sybrina Fulton is joined by her son, Jahvaris, left, and the Rev Al Sharpton . Speech: Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, tells crowds in Miami he will continue to fight for his son . Rally: Crowds gather outside the federal courthouse in Miami as part of a nationwide response to the verdict in the George Zimmerman case . She added: 'Of course we are hurting. Of course we are shocked and disappointed, but that just means we have to roll up our sleeves and continue to fight.' Ms Fulton, her son Jahvaris, and the Rev Al Sharpton joined the rally as it marched to One Police Plaza at noon, where they were joined by Jay Z and his wife Beyonce, according to the New York Post. Although they did not speak at the rally, the Rev Al Sharpton told the crowd: 'Jay Z told me, "I'm a father. Beyonce is a mother". We all feel the pain and apprehension - the laws must protect everybody, or it doesn't protect anybody.' He added: 'We do not come from hate, we come from love of children,' according to the Huffington Post. Beyonce had shown her support for the case last week, asking for a moment of silence at a concert after the not guilty verdict was recorded. While Trayvon's mother was in New York, the dead teenager's father took part in a Miami rally on Saturday morning, according to NBC News. Support: People march through Oakland, California, as part of the Justice for Trayvon rally . Verdict: George Zimmmerman, right, was found not guilty in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, left . Debate: The rallies, including this one in Los Angeles, were organized to call for civil liberty charges to be brought against Mr Zimmerman . Wide spread: Philadelphia residents took part in the day of action . Campaign: In Austin, Texas, crowds marched while carrying banners . United: In Salt Lake City residents gathered outside the Wallace Bennett Federal Building for the rally . Tracy Martin told supporters outside Miami's federal courthouse: 'I vowed to Trayvon, when he was lying in his casket, that I would use every ounce of energy in my body to seek justice for him.' He added: 'I will fight for Trayvon until the day I die. Not only will I fight for Trayvon, I will fight for your child as well.' The Rev Sharpton and other supporters want the Justice Department to pursue federal civil rights charges against Mr Zimmerman. He told the rally on Saturday: 'They will not say that was the young man killed in Sanford. They will say that was the young man who helped change the laws in the United States of America.' Former Governor Eliot Spitzer, who attended the New York rally, said: 'Regardless of how you view the legality of the verdict in isolation, justice here was denied. An innocent young man was shot and killed and that is a tragedy.' Protection: Eight-month-old Tyleigh Gould in Florida was one of many children taken to the rallies as parents voiced concern at the trial verdict . Presidential backing: At the New York rally a woman holds a sign of President Obama, who said he could have been like Trayvon Martin . Icon: Members of the crowd wore hoodies or held up packets of Skittles in reference to Trayvon being shot as he returned from buying the candy . National outcry: Rallies were due to be held in about 100 cities across the U.S. including Midland, Texas . Attorney General Eric Holder announced this week that the department would investigate whether the Hispanic neighborhood watch man could be charged under those federal civil rights laws, which would require evidence that he harbored racial animosity against Trayvon. Most legal experts said it would be a difficult charge to bring. Mr Holder added that the shooting demonstrated the need to re-examine stand-your-ground laws nationwide. The Rev Jeffrey Johnson told about 200 people in Indianapolis that the rally was about making life safer for young black men. Continuing protests: Posters announcing a future rally for Trayvon Martin in New York . United in cause: 8-year-old Anthony Simbler, left, and dentist Nicole Ray, right, wear similar suits that unite them in their cause for justice for Trayvon, though they protested today in separate cities (Simbler in Chicago and Ray in Miami) Father and son supporters: Ulysses Diaz, holds his son, Armani Hinton, as they listen to a speech at a rally in Las Vegas. The Rev Johnson said there were still endangered by racial profiling, and he compared Mr Zimmerman’s acquittal to that of four white officers in the beating of black motorist Rodney King in 1992, according to the Boston Globe. '‘The verdict freed George Zimmerman, but it condemned America more,' the pastor who is a member of the board of directors of the National Action Network, said. On Friday President Obama said it was still common for black men to ‘'be followed in a department store' while shopping or to walk down the street and 'hear the car doors lock'. He added that he had experienced both scenarios before he rose to social and political prominence. Network: The rally in Miami was one of many held on Saturday, to mark a week since the not guilty trial verdict . Change: The trial has led to calls for renewed debates on Florida's stand your ground law . Mass action: Large crowds gather in Atlanta, Georgia, at one of the Justice for Trayvon rallies . Protest: A young girl joins a protest outside a Philadelphia court house . | Day of action calls for civil liberty charges to be made against Zimmerman .
Tracy Martin tells Miami crowd 'I will never stop fighting for my son - and yours'
Teenager's mother speaks alongside the Rev Al Sharpton in Manhattan . |
247,456 | cc38606cbd1cdd41ca47eb5a408636f92c964231 | When Luke Cameron decided to do a good deed every day for a year, he could never have anticipated how much it would change his life. The 26-year-old from Cheltenham made the decision after a close family friend died from cancer in 2013. He started writing a Good Deed blog and logged every kind gesture he made on the site, which has now amassed thousands of followers. Scroll down for video . Luke Cameron (left) started his daily good deed challenge last January in memory of family friend Maura (right), who passed away in October 2013 . The kind actions range from taking out the rubbish for his elderly neighbour, to baking lemon drizzle cakes and sending them round to his friends and family. He has also bought countless meals for strangers at places like McDonald's and even paid for a person's petrol just because they were stood next to him in the queue at the station tills. In total, Luke estimates that he has spent £3,000 in the last 12 months on good deeds, despite the fact that he was only earning the wage of a part-time shop worker. He said: 'In a world of taking selfies with your "besties" and Instagramming pictures of your new handbag and Rolex watch, we forget to think about anyone else but ourselves. 'Our generation has forgotten to care about others, because we are too self-obsessed to even care what others are going through.' In total, Luke estimates that he has spent £3,000 in the last 12 months on good deeds, including buying meals for strangers that he meets in restaurants . But while many people have been inspired by Luke's blog, he has also been on the receiving end of sceptical responses. Luke said: 'The majority of people love it. I have my haters, but that's a given really. I try not to dwell too much on other people's opinions. 'Most people to begin with didn't understand why I was doing what I was doing and became very reserved about me helping them. 'Scepticism was rife among my monetary good deeds and some people questioned my motives and others thought I wanted something in return.' Luke decided to do a year of good deeds after a good family friend passed away in October 2013. He said: 'Maura was like a mother to me. She was hands-down the most incredible and inspirational woman I will ever meet. 'When a neighbour needed food, she gave her last potato. When a friend needed money, she gave her last pound. 'She gave her whole life selflessly helping others around her and at her funeral over 4,000 people queued for 3 hours to get in and pay their respects.' Luke now keeps a sweet bucket on his desk, for people to grab a quick snack. He also spent an evening putting kind messages on colleagues' desks . Luke used his love of baking in a good deed - he made lemon drizzle cakes and set them to friends and family. He also bought a bunch of flowers for a friend who had received some bad luck . Last December, Luke decided that January 1 would be the day that he kick-started 365 daily good deeds. He began with some small gestures - on New Year's Day he said 'Happy New Year' to a woman serving his coffee in a Tesco cafe. On the second day, he bought food and drink for a couple of homeless people in his local town centre. A few days later, he handed over some spare change to a lady who didn't have enough coins at the parking meter. Since starting his challenge, Luke also entered a competition run by Utility Aid to win the job of National Philanthropy Manager, a.k.a The Nicest Job In Britain. His Good Deed challenge convinced the organisers that he was the right man for the job and so, for the whole of 2015, Luke will be paid to travel the UK and assist 45 different charities. Since starting his challenge, Luke also entered a competition run by Utility Aid to win the job of National Philanthropy Manager, aka The Nicest Job In Britain . Luke doing one of his good deeds - he realised a customer in his shop had left their mobility scooter in the rain, so brought it inside and wiped it down . He has also decided to extend his challenge for another year and claims the experiment has completely changed his life. He said: 'I think I have healed myself by helping others. 'It really changes your perspective on life when you help people. You become so much more grateful for what you have. 'I did this purely to help people as a social experiment. I wanted to see how helping others for a year can really help yourself. 'I've gone from working part time in a shop to now the national philanthropy manager where I am making my life's work about helping others and I've raised thousands for charity.' Luke also created Cards For Kindness - a pack of cards with good deeds that include: 'Tell your mum you love her,' and 'Tell a stranger they look beautiful.' The cards cost £5 for a deck and 25 per cent of each sale goes to the British Heart Foundation. Good Deed 345: . One of my colleagues is on crutches after snapping his Achilles Heel. So today I grabbed his lunch for him and took it to his desk so he didn't have to hobble around getting it. Good Deed 341: . I baked a load of mini lemon drizzle cakes today and sent them around to friends and family. Good deed 258: . A small but helpful deed today. Carried down my elderly neighbour's trash. Bin day tomorrow. Good Deed 256: . I was with a colleague today, explaining about doing good deeds. She was a little skeptical about the whole thing, so while she was away from her desk, I left the money for her lunch. Maybe I can change her opinion of random kindness. Good Deed 244: . Today I helped somebody in need. I stopped my car on the way home as there were a couple with a map. I gave them directions to the centre of town. They were very grateful . Good deed 242: . While walking the dog, I noticed a load of litter over the field at 7am - clearly the morning after the night before. It was a few glass bottles and shredded cans. So I carefully picked them up and disposed of them. Good Deed 221: . I got up at 5.30am to help a friend move house today. I hired a van yesterday and drove around two hours to Exeter to load up and remove everything from a 3 bedroom house. | Luke Cameron started his daily good deed challenge last January .
26-year-old from Cheltenham created project in memory of a close friend .
Deeds include buying meals for strangers and doing chores for the elderly . |
36,816 | 685abc7f51cad6577266a504d8874aa009190fde | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:50 EST, 16 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:05 EST, 16 August 2013 . An apparent al Qaida Twitter account which asked followers for PR ideas has been suspended after social networkers bombarded it with mocking tweets. Security analyst J.M. Berger urged his followers on the site to hijack a hashtag allegedly used by terrorists to canvass suggestions for 'media ops'. Social networkers responded with a barrage of satirical advice which included the proposal that al Qaida should release a film entitled Dude, Where's My Car Bomb? A Twitter account asking for ideas on how to spread extremist ideas was bombarded with mocking tweets . Another user suggested: 'More cats in online video releases'. Mr Berger launched his trolling' crusade earlier this week when he alerted followers to an arabic hashtag being used to 'solicit ideas' for a public relations campaign and urged social networkers: 'You should all send some.' One user responded: 'al Qaida the movie: Dude, where's my car bomb?' Another wrote: 'Open up a fast food restaurant called Jihad Joes' while social networker Mike Doran suggested al Qaida's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri should 'start "Martyrdom", AQ's brand of exclusive fragrances'. Several suggestions made reference to the pornography allegedly found at Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan after he was killed by US navy Seals in 2011. Chris Forewit wrote: 'My suggestion for al Qaida's woes: sell Osama's porn collection on eBay.' Security analyst J.M. Berger urged his followers on the site to hijack a hashtag allegedly used by terrorists to canvass suggestions for 'media ops' Other ideas included the suggestion from Calum Roberts: 'Jihadist's Got Talent: Western infidels vote for their favourite jihadi acts' and Herschel Jacobson's advice: 'More cats in online video releases.' Mr Berger - whose own ideas included advising al Qaida to 'auction off the cabinet Osama bin Laden filmed his videos in front of' - later praised Twitter users for their work. 'Nicely trolled everyone, but keep it up,' he wrote, telling followers that their tweets helped to 'crowd out a sincere but dumb AQ idea'. He later added: 'Thanks guys, couldn't have done it without you.' A Twitter spokesman said the micro-blogging site would not comment on individual accounts. A note on the Twitter profile alleged to have introduced the PR hashtag read: 'Sorry, that user is suspended.' | Security analyst urged others to hijack hashtag allegedly used by terrorists .
Social networkers responded with barrage of satirical advice . |
74,620 | d38aff2c05f74a698c2042fda383c23cd0a6e074 | (CNN) -- Mexico is set to return to the Formula One calendar after an absence of more than two decades, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed. The Mexico Grand Prix, along with races in New Jersey and South Korea, were included on the provisional calendar for 2014 only to be axed last December. But after last year's false start, the country now looks set to host its first F1 race in 23 years. "I'm happy to announce we've concluded an agreement to have a race in 2015," Ecclestone said, the sport's official website reported. "Don't miss this race!" The race will be run at a refurbished 4.421-kilometre Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City. A date has yet to be finalized. Tavo Hellmund, organizer of the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas and co-founding partner of the new Mexican Grand Prix said he was "delighted" a deal had been reached. "Ever since Bernie and I began working on a race at Austin, it's been a dream of mine to help Formula One return to Mexico," said Hellmund. "This announcement has therefore been years in the making, but we've gradually been able to assemble all the right pieces. I'm absolutely delighted," he added. Force India driver Sergio Perez, one of two Mexican drivers currently on the grid, also hailed the news. "The return of F1 to our country is a sign that the Mexican state can achieve anything." Perez wrote on his official website. "It's a great opportunity to show the world what Mexico is and what we are capable of achieving. We're big and when we have the same tools as our competitors, we are the best in the world." His compatriot and Sauber driver Esteban Gutierrez also tweeted his approval. Perez was two years old when Britain's Nigel Mansell won the last F1 race in Mexico in 1992. Mexico hosted official F1 racing for eight years between 1963 and 1970. The race was taken off the calendar for 15 years before returning in 1986. Read more: Latest news from 2014 F1 season . | F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone says race will take place in Mexico next season .
Last F1 race in Mexico was held in 1992 .
Mexican driver Sergio Perez says award is "sign that Mexico can achieve anything" |
42,233 | 7733e8717a94bd845dcd51509881108dca6d1821 | (CNN) -- World No.1 Victoria Azarenka lived up to her to billing with a tenacious three set victory over Maria Sharapova to reach the U.S. Open final against 14-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams who dispatched Italy's Sara Errani in two sets late Friday. Azarenka recovered from a set and a break down to win a grueling battle against the Russian third seed after two hours 42 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium Court at Flushing Meadows. The Belarus star had continuously pressed on the Sharapova service in the decider and finally made the breakthrough in the 10th and final game. A first match point was saved by 2006 champion Sharapova, but reigning Australian Open champion Azarenka worked another opening with more determined play to win the match 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. "To come back was pretty difficult because Maria is a terrific fighter," she told Sky Sports after her win. "I just had to try to stay focused and when I had the opportunity I had to set it up," she added. Azarenka will take on Serena Williams in the final after the American made fast work of her semi-final defeat of Italy's Sara Errani. Williams knocked out underdog Errani in just over one hour, 6-1, 6-2. "I just try first set to be a bit more on the defense, to receive a bit more far away, and play her high balls and try to make that game -- then was not so good, so I changed and try to be a bit more aggressive," said the 25-year-old Errani. "In any case, it was very difficult," she added. Wiliams is the only player left in the women's 2012 singles draw not to have dropped a set, matching the record of men's defending champion Novak Djokovic. In last year's U.S. Open, Williams beat Azarenka in the third round, 6-1, 7-6 (5). The fourth seed has a 9-1 head-to-head advantage against the Belarussia over the course of the careers, including wins in the 2012 Wimbledon and Olympic semifinals. "I don't have anything to lose," said Williams. "I feel like I'm going up against I personally think the most consistent and the best player this year, being Victoria Azarenka... it will be a good challenge for me." Earlier, there was a popular home win in the men's doubles as the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, won a record equaling 12th grand slam title as they beat Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek 6-3 6-4 in the final. The Bryans also took gold in the Olympic doubles for the United States. | Victoria Azarenka into final of U.S. Open for the first time .
World No.1 Azarenka beats Maria Sharapova 3-6 6-2 6-4 .
Serena Williams defeats Italy's Sara Errani 6-1, 6-2 .
Contest will be Williams' sixth U.S. Open final . |
34,246 | 6150bc4da9e5c75a9cc9bd0f8ef58d632ee8d0c9 | Madonna has been accused of 'betraying' the family of her adopted daughter Mercy - as they issued a desperate plea to be allowed to see her. The grandparents of Mercy James have accused the star of cutting them out of her life and failing to meet a promise to keep her close to her roots. They also attacked 'white foreigners' for taking children away from Africa. Saxon Maunde, grandfather of Mercy James who was adopted by Madonna in 2009, told MailOnline: 'Nobody has told me a thing about Mercy being in the country or about her welfare since she left us. 'She has my blood flowing in her veins. It is preposterous that I am not made aware of anything regarding her development.' The 69-year-old, who ekes out a living selling pots from a roadside stall, added that Madonna had, 'broken my heart and hearts of my family members,' saying that, 'she has shown no humanity at all towards us.' 'Betrayal': The grandparents of Mercy James, pictured in the straw hat with Madonna on her visit to Malawi yesterday, have accused the star of reneging on a promise to let them see her . Regrets: Saxon Maunde, Mercy James' grandfather, told MailOnline he bitterly regrets agreeing to allow Madonna to adopt his granddaughter . Thriving: Mercy James, pictured yesterday on her visit to Malawi, was adopted in 2009 by Madonna after a High Court agreed that the star did not need to be resident in Malawi for 18months prior to becoming a parent, but her family are upset that they have not seen her since . Bitter: Mercy's 69-year-old grandfather, who ekes out a living selling pots from a roadside stall, told MailOnline that the first time he heard Mercy James was in the country was via MailOnline and in newspaper reports . Saxon Maunde originally backed Madonna's bid to adopt his granddaughter because he believed she would get a good education, and convinced his reluctant ex-wife to agree the adoption papers. But today, as Madonna visits Malawi with Mercy James, he said he bitterly regrets his decision and accused Madonna of kidnapping a child of Africa. He said: 'White foreigners who decide to take our children away from Africa have no understanding of our culture. 'They don't realise that in our African families each one has a responsibility to the others. If a half-brother or half-sister does well, they share their fortunes with all of the others. 'A child like my granddaughter Mercy, if she succeeds in her career, she is expected to share that success with all of us. That is how our extended family system works.' Because of that system, he believed Mercy was being given the chance of a lifetime to travel to America for her schooling and would then return to help her family in Africa. 'I worked for a household years ago where a foreign lady took one of the children to be educated and brought up abroad, and that child came back as a doctor and improved the lives of every member of the family. That is what persuaded me to let Mercy go. 'Now I see that all she meant was that she would bring her here on holiday, stay in an expensive lodge for foreigners, and cut us – her real blood family – out of her life. That cannot be the right way to do things. No foreigner has the right to interfere in our culture like this.' His thoughts were echoed by his ex-wife Lucy Chekechiwa, also 69, who fears she may never see her granddaughter again. 'I am now old and sickly,' she said. 'I don't want to die before seeing my daughter.' Chekechiwa and Maunde's teenage daughter died days after Mercy's birth and so the family placed her at the orphanage because they could not take care of her. A tearful Chekechiwa said: 'We planned to take her back when she reached the age of six when she could eat solid food. But we were told a rich lady wanted to adopt her. We resisted at first but government officials convinced us this was good for Chifundo's future. We never thought we will not see our daughter again. Maunde says he now bitterly regrets signing the papers that allowed the 56-year-old pop star to adopt Mercy, whose teenage mother Mwandida, died days after giving birth. 'By putting a distance between Mercy and me and members of my family, she is being extremely unfair. Madonna, pictured with children Mercy James and David Banda yesterday, both nine, who she adopted from the African nation, has already helped to fund 10 schools in the country and her charitable efforts are not yet finished . Visiting Malawi: Madonna brought Mercy James to Gumulira village, about 80 km (50 miles) from the Malawian capital Lilongwe in April 2010 but Mercy did not see her family then . 'Please let us see our daughter': Saxon Maunde, Mercy James' grandfather, pictured over the weekend, just wants to see his granddaughter . Poverty: The grandfather of Mercy James, Saxon Maunde, pictured this weekend, ekes out a living selling pots but is not looking for any handout from Madonna, he says he simply wants to see Mercy . Anger: David Banda, Madonna's first adopted child, saw his father on a visit to the orphanage where he used to live during the visit to Malawi last week . 'We are extremely poor, but we do not need her money,' he added. 'A simple acknowledgement that we exist, that we are humans with feelings and that we do not wish to be disconnected from our child will be enough. 'What has happened to our family should be a lesson to anyone who may be approached by Madonna with promises to make lives of children better.' His guilt is compounded because it was he who convinced his reluctant family to let Mercy go. His now estranged wife, Lucy, fought to keep Mercy as a court battle raged over her fate four years ago. Lucy said: 'I didn't want her to go but as a family we had to sit down and reach an agreement and we agreed that Mercy should go. 'The men insisted that Mercy be adopted and I won't resist anymore. I still love Mercy. She is my dearest.' Now Maunde says he made a mistake when he facilitated Madonna's adoption of Mercy some four years ago. He has never accepted money from Madonna and is not looking for any - he says he simply wants to see his daughter. 'We did not donate our child to Madonna. We let Madonna have our child because we were told she is a philanthropist who would help give her a good education. 'What is the point of us wanting Mercy to get a good education and a good life if in the end she does not help her relatives?' With her adopted children Mercy James and David Banda, also nine, the Material girl has been visiting the east African nation to see the efforts of her charity Raising Malawi, first hand. Her 14-year-old son Rocco Ritchie also joined them on visits to schools and hospitals in the country where she funds a number of orphanages, including Home of Hope in the western border district of Mchinji where she adopted David, and Kondanani Children's Home in the southern tea-growing district of Thyolo. On Friday the pop legend met with Malawian President Peter Mutharika at the country's State House and later announced her plans to build 300 schools across Malawi. She also found time for David to visit his father Yohande, who farms tomatoes and maize in the central border district of Mchinji. Looking to adopt again? Madonna, centre, poses for a picture yesterday with children in Kasungu, about 150 kilometers north of the Malawian capital Lilongwe . Charity work: Madonna poses for a picture with children in Kasungu yesterday, about 150 kilometers north of the Malawian capital Lilongwe, where she has been working since 2006 with her non profit organization, Raising Malawi . Forgiven: Madonna had her 'VVIP' status restored by Malawi after being called 'arrogant' by the country's president in April last year. Yesterday she played with her daughter Mercy as the girl's family issued a plea to see her . 'You have grown so big,' Banda senior told his son as they bonded over a game of football. Banda, who has since remarried and has another son, brought his son some gifts, including groundnuts and onions, in keeping with Malawian custom. But the news of this visit has only added to the heartbreak for Mercy's grandmother. 'Why do they always take the other child (David) to his people and not Chifundo to us,' Chekechiwa asked, using her Malawian name which translates to Mercy. 'What's the difference? Is it because the other one is a boy why my daughter is a girl?' She added that she fought to keep Mercy as a court battle raged over her fate five years ago. After protracted legal wrangling Madonna was allowed to keep Mercy, who she spotted during a visit to an orphanage with her then husband Guy Ritchie in 2006. Mercy's uncle, Peter Baneti - who also signed off Mercy's adoption papers in 2009 - said he was not sure whether or not he regretted signing off the papers. He said: 'I met Madonna in court and she assured me she would be bringing back my niece every other two years. Was she lying to me? This was in court. 'Government officials are my witness for they were translating our conversation.' Baneti, a tobacco farmer, said he doesn't know how to explain the situation to the family. He said: 'They are all looking to me for answers because I am the one who signed the papers. What should I be telling them?' Baneti also said that Mercy has a lot of cousins who want to see her - but are confused by her new life of luxury. He said: 'We tell them they have a cousin who is living oversees with a famous rich woman. They wonder why this famous rich woman should allow them to live in abject poverty while their cousin is living big. 'This is not good for Mercy herself. What will she think when she discovers her people are wallowing in poverty?' A representative for Madonna had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication. | Mercy James' grandparents say they are desperate to see their little girl .
They accuse star of betraying promise to keep her close to her roots .
Grandfather: 'She has my blood flowing in her veins, I want to see her'
'White foreigners who take our children have no understanding of our culture'
Discovered Mercy was in Malawi thanks to MailOnline and newspapers .
Madonna 'is giving Mercy good schooling but we want to see her' |
218,777 | a73372261ab211c61eee79bab0f9aab3eaacace3 | By . Ashley Collman . Two junior hockey league players were arrested this week on child pornography charges stemming from an illicit meeting with a 15-year-old girl in a Minnesota hotel room. On Monday, Lincoln Stars players Thomas Ryan Carey and Brandon Nicholas Smith, both 19, were charged with use of a minor in a sexual performance as well as possession and dissemination of child pornography. A 15-year-old girl from Moorhead has accused the two men of videotaping her having sex, and then sending the video to several friends. Off the ice and into court: U.S. Hockey League players Thomas Ryan Carey (left) and Brandon Nicholas Smith (right), both 19, have been handed child pornography charges after allegedly filming a 15-year-old girl having sex in a motel room last February . The unidentified victim says she connected with Carey, who attended her school, on Facebook about a week before he played a hockey game in town. On Valentine's Day, the victim and a girlfriend met with Carey and his hockey friends at the local Days Inn motel after a game against the Fargo Force. The victim told police detectives that she had sex with Carey in one of the motel rooms, while Smith was present. Two days later, she started receiving text messages from other hockey players and girls saying 'nice video'. She suspected Smith took video of the tryst and confronted him, but Smith said it was Carey who took the video. Scene of the crime: The alleged incident with a 15-year-old girl took place on Valentine's Day at this motel in Moorhead, Minnesota . On camera: The unidentified victim says she slept with Carey (pictured), but didn't know she was being recorded. She says Smith was in the motel room at the same time . Carey subsequently sent the victim the footage which showed her nude and a male body part. Different story: Carey says the girl slept with Smith as well and agreed to be filmed . Detectives subsequently interviewed both men in Nebraska. Smith stuck by his story and said it was Carey who took the video of his liaison with the victim. But Carey said it was his friend who did the videotaping during his interview. Carey told investigators that both he and Smith had sex with the girl and that she was agreed to the film. Smith at first denied sending the video to anyone other than Carey, but later admitted he sent it to one Moorhead High School student. The victim's female friend, who accompanied her to the motel that night, also talked with investigators and says she too received the video. A hockey player in Pennsylvania said he received an image of Smith and the victim and told her the photo was 'going around' Both were handed the felony charges on Monday and will return to Clay County District Court on July 10. Carey's defense attorney Jade Rosenfeldt says they plan to fight the allegations. 'This is not the type of case for which the child pornography statues were intended, and as more information comes to light it will be apparent that this is a case involving consensual behavior and consent to photos and videos being involved,' she said in a statement. Both young men have been suspended from their team pending the legal investigation for violating the U.S. Hockey League code of conduct. Their status on the team will be decided once the legal process is over. Out of the game: Both men have been suspended from the Lincoln Stars pending the legal investigation. Their team pictured above . | U.S. Hockey League players Thomas Ryan Carey and Brandon Nicholas Smith, both 19, were charged on Monday .
A 15-year-old girl says she slept with Carey in a motel last February, and that the tryst was recorded and sent to several other people .
She says Smith was in the room at the time .
Both men have been suspended from their team pending the legal investigation . |
928 | 02a2af5abc2c9b140b8ded1f73daf85fb75ed1e0 | Alastair Cook will be 30 on Christmas Day and should be able to celebrate his landmark birthday as England's World Cup captain. After a 'hell of a year', though, he will be taking nothing for granted as the selectors consider - as they have promised - all aspects of England's 5-2 defeat in Sri Lanka as part of their scheduled series review, before announcing a 16-man tri-series squad on Saturday. Cook conceded after the margin of his fifth successive one-day international series defeat was confirmed on Tuesday as 5-2, by an 87-run trouncing at Colombo's Premadasa Stadium, that he has no 'divine right' to be selected to lead the team to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand early next year. Alastair Cook has endured a horrible series as England captain this winter in Sri Lanka . He can be encouraged, however, by England and Wales Cricket Board managing director Paul Downton's strong hint that - despite his 'miserable' run of form - he is highly likely to retain the gig. For Cook, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - because however England fare down under, with or without him, it is hard to envisage him being back for much more with his sheet-anchor skills in a fast-developing format. Downton also described 2014 as a 'traumatic' 12 months as he reflected on his tenure - which began at the start of January, as England were completing their unexpected whitewash Ashes defeat. One crisis after another followed, the messy aftermath of the Ashes including the sacking of Kevin Pietersen and resignation of coach Andy Flower. As Cook and Flower's replacement, the returning Peter Moores, tried to forge a 'new era', the captain especially endured the most taxing of summers as calls for his resignation started to wane only once England turned round their Test fortunes en route to a 3-1 win over India. After Tillekaratne Dilshan's century had helped to inflict England's final defeat of 2014, Cook said: 'It's been a hell of a year. Cook has consistently failed with the bat at the top of the order in one-day internationals . 'We haven't won a lot of games, and there's been a big change in personnel. 'It's certainly been a year of transition - from 15 months ago, when we were winning the Ashes at home, to what's happened. 'It's been a year you wouldn't expect, but England have found some outstanding cricketers as well.' Among them, perhaps most prominent are Moeen Ali and Gary Ballance - the latter palpably unlucky to be omitted from England's ODI squad in Sri Lanka and, even now, a plausible outsider to make the final 15 for that World Cup. Others, such as pace-bowling pair Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan, have made late surges for central roles at the global tournament - while Joe Root alone excelled himself amid the inconsistency elsewhere from the tourists. Asked to identify where England struggled most, Cook said: 'One of the hardest things was taking wickets up front - so Sri Lanka, most of the time, had a good base to get going from. 'The one game we did take early wickets, we won. 'Also, batting at the right rate without losing wickets. 'We were scoring at a good rate, but we weren't good enough to do it and keep wickets in hand.' England are still searching for that successful ODI formula, with the bat especially, which others seem to have hit upon first. Suranga Lakmal celebrates as Sri Lanka enacted a humiliating series win against England . Many key figures within the game have called on England to call time on Cook's captaincy . Scoring at a winning tempo, without a damaging risk factor, is a balance they find difficult to strike. Cook, however, is not above learning from others and adapting to effect improvement. 'The way Sanga [Kumar Sangakkara] and Dilshan played in particular, they've obviously taken the right options - good enough to hit the boundaries, and stay in. 'We've been hitting the boundaries, and not staying in.' As for his own continued lack of productivity at the top of the order - 119 runs in six innings at an average of 19.83 and strike rate of 67.23 - he knows much, much better is required. He said: 'There's not many players who've been at the top of the game for long periods and haven't had tough moments. 'There's no one, I don't think... maybe Bradman is one. 'Everyone has really tough moments, as a batter particularly, because it's a hard game. 'You're playing against the best players in the world, week in week out, at the top of the order. 'It's very easy sitting watching... it's harder walking out and doing it.' | England lost against Sri Lanka in the ODI series this winter .
Alastair Cook has consistently failed with the bat at the top of the order .
But he looks set to keep hold of the captaincy before the World Cup . |
17,496 | 3187d3be47e6de87eacb2b440d0f213abccf050d | If you thought airport security was bad enough – be warned that it’s about to get a whole lot tougher. New covert scanners designed to detect radioactive ‘dirty bombs’ and DIY biological weapons are to be introduced in airports disguised as queue barriers. The latest technology - the workings of which remains a secret - look like typical barrier poles which are linked together by roll-out ribbons, used to guide queuing passengers through departure lounges into security. Security controls at airports have been stepped up in the last decade, with body scanners, such as this one in Germany's Hamburg airport, showing full body images . The scanners are among a display of the latest new security equipment being showcased at the week-long Farnborough International Air Show where organisers have created a realistic mock-up check-in security zone and departure lounge containing the new devices. It is the latest technology – much of it still secret – developed to help combat the anticipated growing terror threat in the run up to the London 2012 Olympics and beyond. The airport security stand allows the show’s expected quarter of a million visitors to experience a practical ‘walk-through’ test of new technology from the moment a passenger arrives at check-in to deposit hold luggage before going through security with or without carry-on hand baggage. The radiation detectors are an example of some of the most sophisticated technology to be developed for security purposes. They scan unwary passengers for traces of radioactivity to deter attacks from a ‘dirty bomb’ whose contamination effects could last for years. The radiation detection unit sits near the top of the 3ft high 2.5 inch diameter pole, just beneath the roll-out extendable belt mechanism. The battery to power it sits in the weighted base. It can send warnings wirelessly via wi-fi to a central control unit. Poles can be linked via wi-fi to track a suspect emitting radiation. The poles can also be hard-wired in using an Ethernet cable from under the floor. Full body scans are now a common addition to security controls at international airports . The time taken to detect and identify radioactive traces on people or in packages can range from a few seconds to 20 to 30 seconds, depending on the type of radioactive isotope being checked. The covert barrier-pole detectors, called ‘Stride’, are produced by security firm FLIR which is also responsible for the mock-up airport lounge in which they feature. Publicity material for the devices notes: ‘The covert movement of special nuclear material or weapons into populated areas represents possibly the greatest threat to the security of our world. ‘Identification systems are required to effectively detect and deter this threat. They must recognise the presence or movement of radioactive materials across borders.’ A Farnborough International Air Show spokesman said: ‘These disguised poles or bollards monitor passengers for traces of radiation, scanning them for nuclear material, components or weaponry . ‘The main risk is radioactive materials which may be used to contaminate an area or combined with conventional explosives to create a so-called ‘dirty bomb.' He said the scanners detect and nuclear or radioactive material which might be used to make a so-called dirty bomb which could shut down an airport and contaminate it for years. Once they detect radioactivity an alarm goes off on the central control centre. Steve Williams, business development officer for FLIR said: 'The poles can alert security forces to the fact that someone is carrying traces of radioactive materials through an airport. Working together, they can also track them.' He said the sensors are so sensitive they can even tell whether a person has had radiation treatment, such as in a hospital, to potentially eliminate them from suspicion. Technology to combat a potentially deadly biological threat is also on display on the FLIR stand. Aerosol detectors monitor the airport’s air for airborne biological threats such as anthrax, plague bacteria, smallpox viruses or deadly ricin poison. If detected, the system immediately shuts down the air conditioning system and seals of rooms and lounges to contain the toxic threat and prevent it spreading across an entire airport or being carried onto planes while decontamination takes place. Also on show in the mock-up airport security lounge are: . The lounge also includes a special ‘command and control’ centre which collects data and images from all the scanners, cameras and radar detectors, giving overview of whole airport security. There are even details of new hi-tech cameras mounted on the perimeter of airport and even in the sky on planes monitoring the ground below. Full-body scanners were introduced in 2010 and now the next-generation of scanner are being showcased at Farnborough . The Farnborough International Airshow spokesman said: ‘Airport security and immigration issues are back at the top of the agenda as unprecedented numbers of visitors will descend on London for the Olympic Games over the next few weeks, testing airport security systems to the maximum. ‘The very latest cutting edge detection and surveillance technology, due to be installed at major airports around the world in the coming years, will be on show this week at Farnborough. These innovations will shape everyone’s experience of air travel for years to come.’ All such devices undergo testing by government authorities before being approved for use in UK airports. More than 250,000 people are expected to attend the Farnborough air show including airline and aircraft industry bosses, space agencies such as NASA and European Space Agency, military, and the general public at the weekend only . It also marks the UK debut of a mock-up of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Space Ship 2 which aims to put civilians into space. The show runs until Friday for trade visitors and is open to the public on Saturday and Sunday. Details at www.farnborough.com . | The pioneering equipment is one of many security devices being showcased at Farnborough International Air Show .
Hidden inside queue barriers, it would set off an alarm if nuclear or radioactive material is detected .
Smart camera scans the area looking for suspicious faces or movements .
Hand luggage scanner checks for explosives, dangerous liquids, drugs and new portable scanners take a swab from skin or bags to check for traces of suspect materials.
Archway detector seeks out metal and can ‘sniff’ for other suspect .
Hand held scanners – sometimes dubbed ‘wands’ to detect explosives or the materials which go into liquid bombs. |
101,500 | 0ed3cca84640555325912d17697eecf164481527 | Veteran defender Frank Sinclair admitted he is happy to have left management behind to focus on his playing career... at the grand old age of 43! Sinclair resigned from his player-manager post at Conference North side Colwyn Bay – after just one win in 13 games – but returned to the pitch on Saturday for fellow seventh tier side Brackley Town. The former Chelsea defender played the full 90 minutes during the Northamptonshire club's 1-0 win against Harrogate Town on Saturday and Tuesday night's one-all draw with North Ferriby United. Frank Sinclair, former Jamaican international, was player-manager of Conference North side Colwyn Bay . Sinclair celebrates with Roberto Di Matteo after scoring for Chelsea in the League Cup Final at Wembley in '98 . 'It's an opportunity to forget managing and coaching.' Sinclair told BBC Sport . 'There is a chance to coach at the youth set-up with a League club. And it will probably do me some good as I will have time to reflect. 'I didn't take him seriously so I rang him and he was very serious. They have a few injuries and suspensions so he wanted me to help out. 'I haven't been playing that regularly but have kept myself fit and I know I can do a job and help the young lads.' Sinclair (left) holds the Coca-Cola Cup in 1998 with captain Dennis Wise (centre) and Di Matteo . Sinclair (right) also played for Leicester City, pictured with Emile Heskey in the 1999/2000 season . Sinclair appeared for Jamaica in the 1998 World Cup and played nearly 500 games in the Premier League and Football League for Chelsea, Leicester, Burnley and Huddersfield. But, he left Colwyn struggling in 15th and just five points above the relegation zone. 'The last couple of months have been very stressful and I wanted to give the club an opportunity to get someone with different connections and ideas,' he said. 'It didn't go well and it wasn't just down to form. Vital players were out with injuries and we had to play some reserves.' | Frank Sinclair was player-manager at Conference North side Colwyn Bay .
After one win in 13 matches, he resigned from the non-League post .
Last weekend, he returned to the pitch for seventh tier side Brackley Town .
Former Chelsea man Sinclair says he was happy to be back playing . |
45,173 | 7f51c9f16208526052b7f726915aedbc72dc72c4 | An Indian woman was clawed by a tiger in the first known case of its kind - because it had no teeth to bite with. Tigers usually kill by biting the neck, but the 34-year-old woman was clawed to death in the rare case. It is believed the tiger's teeth had fallen out or were not functional, according to findings published in the Legal Medicine Journal. A Royal Bengal tiger clawed a woman in India to death in the first known case of its kind. File photo . The woman had been collected collecting tendu leaves in the Bramhapuri forest when the Royal Bengal tiger pounced. Others attempted to distract the tiger by throwing stones when they heard the woman's cries, but she had already received fatal injuries. An autopsy revealed multiple fatal and non-fatal injuries caused by tiger claws - while characteristic injuries due to the tooth impacts were absent. The tiger itself was found dead the next day around four kilometres from the scene of the attack. Its paws matched prints taken near the scene and it had no functional teeth. It is believed the tiger had been hungry and saw the woman as easy prey. India is home to more than half of the 3,200 tigers believed to be left in the wild in the world. Their numbers are also dwindling fast because of deaths at the hands of poachers, who target the creatures for their skin, bones, teeth and claws. Tiger numbers are dwindling fast in India as poachers target them for skin, bones, teeth and claws. File photo . | The 34-year-old woman was attacked by a Royal Bengal tiger in India .
An autopsy revealed injuries caused by claws but tooth marks were absent .
The tiger was found dead the next day - with no functional teeth . |
141,040 | 425c5cbca572aec82e73b180cf61625979ee1c2f | By . Anna Sanders . PUBLISHED: . 15:01 EST, 14 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:19 EST, 14 June 2013 . A mother pleaded for help finding her 9-month-old baby who has been missing over two weeks as his father failed to report him missing. Amy Warney called for the public's assistance in locating her son Levon Wameling, who was last seen May 29 by his father in Utica, N.Y. Though police say Levon's father is still not being treated as a suspect, Jevon Wameling, 27, waited nearly two weeks to report his son missing, according to the The Utica Observer-Dispatch. 'I would like to ask anybody that's out there if you know where he is, or if he's alive or dead, just please call the Utica police Station so I can just put him to rest,' Warney said through tears at a news conference Thursday. 'Just please, don't be scared. Just if you know anything, just please contact somebody.' Missing: Police in Utica, N.Y., are searching for missing 9-month-old Levon Wameling . Grief: Amy Warney, left, asked the public to help find her baby, right, 'dead or alive' Delayed: Levon Wameling was reported missing by his grandparents on Tuesday, two weeks after anyone last saw him . Levon's grandparents reported him missing Tuesday to the Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara, who immediately notified police, according to WKTV. After his son was reported missing, Wameling told police Levon disappeared two weeks earlier when Wameling left the baby unattended on the front porch wearing nothing but a diaper. Wameling said he left the baby alone while was trying to get back into his home after locking himself. Police said Wameling came forward only after Levon's mother asked where her child was. 'Here’s the thing, we have a problem with what he says,' Utica Chief Mark Williams said at a news conference Thursday. 'Here’s a guy that waited two weeks to come forward. He doesn’t bring it forward to the police, but brings it forward to his parents. Instead he goes to an attorney's office. I think actions speak louder than words.' On Friday, a state police helicopter hovered over the neighborhood where Levon was last seen, according to WKTV. State police K-9 units continued to search the neighborhood, walked to sniff streets and other wooded areas, but the dogs' efforts were hampered by bad weather, The Observer-Dispatch reported. Happy: Jevon Wameling, seen here with his son Levon, was the last person to see him before the baby went missing in May . In addition to state and local authorities, the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office have assisted in the search effort. Williams told CNN that the father's delay is only making it harder for them to find the child. 'When you have a missing child, there's all these difficult cases,' he said. 'But when you're two weeks behind, it's nearly impossible.' Despite the father's 'suspicious' behavior, authorities' focus has been to find Levon. 'We obviously have very grave concerns about the child. First and foremost, is where this child?' Utica Police Sgt. Steve Hauck told YNN. 'We need to know what happened. Wherever the evidence leads us is where we're going to go. If we find a crime was committed, then we're going to take appropriate steps to bring that person to justice. But right now, our biggest concern is finding this child.' Though he is not a suspect, police said they are are treating Wameling as a 'person of interest'. 'The last we left it with the father he asked for an attorney and no longer wanted to speak with us,' Williams told CNN Friday. Manhunt: Along with the public's help, investigators with six agencies have contributed to the search for Levon Wameling . Tragedy: Amy Warney, seen with Levon right, was in drug rehab while her baby was staying with his father . Levon was staying with his father while Warney was at a drug rehabilitation facility, police said Friday. 'As far as she knew, the child was being cared for by Jevon and was doing fine,' Hauck told The Observer-Dispatch. Levon's father has a criminal history. Wameling was charged with resisting arrest, escaping police custody and harassment in May 2010 after being arrested for allegedly possessing metal knuckles, according to WKTV. In 2009, he was convicted of marijuana possession. Neighbors told the station the cops were called to Wameling's home on a 'weekly basis' because of screaming. Search: K-9 units and helicopters have been used to try to find Levon Wameling . Police are asking residents in the neighborhood where Levon went missing to search their backyards. 'I think that, more than anything, it’s a starting point,' Hauck told The Observer-Dispatch. 'It makes no sense to start out broad and make the search smaller. It makes the most sense to start small and go bigger.' Police say that they have a lot of leads. Levon has brown eyes, black hair and he is bi-racial, according to his missing poster from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Anyone with any information is asked to call Utica Police at 315-735-3301. | Levon, 9 months old, was last seen by his father Jevon Wameling in May .
Jevon had custody while Levon's mother Amy Warney was in drug rehab .
Jevon waited two weeks to tell someone his son was missing .
Six agencies have been searching for signs of Levon for three days . |
42,085 | 76bd98248737472cbbb0cbe07d1486131ebc079a | (CNN) -- French President Francois Hollande voiced anger Wednesday over the confession by his former budget minister that he had a secret Swiss bank account, and affirmed that the man had not been shielded from justice. Jerome Cahuzac resigned as minister in March, two months after prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation into suspected tax evasion. It was not until a meeting with the investigating judges on Tuesday that he finally confessed he held the undeclared Swiss bank account, a statement on his blog said. Hollande said Cahuzac had made an "unforgivable mistake" that was an insult to the country. "Yesterday I was both stupefied and angry when I was informed of Jerome Cahuzac's confession to the judges," the president said. "He misled the highest authorities of the country: the head of state, the government, the parliament, and through it the French people as a whole." Hollande said the full truth will be established. "The judicial system will play its role to the end and with complete independence," he said. "I hereby affirm that Jerome Cahuzac did not benefit from any protection apart from that of the presumption of innocence. And he left the government at my request from the moment a judicial inquiry started." Hollande vowed that steps will be taken to bolster the independence of the judiciary, to help it "fight mercilessly" against conflicts of interest. He also promised tougher penalties for any elected officials found guilty of fraud or corruption. The claims against Cahuzac, which he repeatedly denied, first came to light in a report by French investigative news website Mediapart in December. The website obtained a recording of a conversation in which Cahuzac supposedly told one of his aides that it worried him to have an account in Switzerland, as UBS was not the most discreet bank. 'Spiral of lies' The scandal dominated the headlines of French newspapers Wednesday. Newspaper La Liberation plastered one word, "Indigne," or "Unworthy," across its front page, below a close-up image of Cahuzac. It asks whether after "months of lies," his confession could now trigger a political crisis. The scandal is particularly embarrassing for the Hollande government because it has vowed to crack down on tax evasion through foreign bank accounts. In his statement, Cahuzac apologized to Hollande, the government and the French people "for the damage I have caused." "I was caught in a spiral of lies and I took the wrong path. I am devastated by remorse," he wrote. "To think I could avoid facing a past that I wanted to consider as resolved was an unspeakable mistake." Cahuzac said he had met with the two investigating judges Tuesday to come clean and will now "face reality." He had held the bank account for about 20 years but had not paid into it for about 12 years, the ex-minister wrote. He said he had given instructions for the total sum held in the Swiss account -- about 600,000 euros ($770,500) -- to be transferred to his bank account in Paris. Hollande appointed Bernard Cazeneuve to serve in Cahuzac's place following his resignation last month. READ MORE: French budget minister resigns . READ MORE: France's Hollande wants 75% tax on rich . READ MORE: Opinion: Why Hollande must show clearer leadership . CNN's Charles Pellegrin contributed to this report. | Francois Hollande says he is "stupefied and angry" about Jerome Cahuzac's confession .
Cahuzac admitted having an undeclared Swiss bank account after months of denials .
The former budget minister is being investigated for suspected tax evasion .
"Cahuzac did not benefit from any protection," Hollande states . |
34,249 | 615244abad9cd1d5b00b4991427e3977f5e72b31 | By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 05:23 EST, 3 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:08 EST, 3 March 2014 . Accused: David 'Scott' Lemley allegedly had sex with a severely mentally handicapped woman on several occasions . A Baptist pastor has been arrested for allegedly raping a disabled woman who has a mental age of a seven-year-old at her father's request. David 'Scott' Lemley, 43, is accused of raping the woman, 20, on several occasions because his wife was bedridden with a debilitating illness, according to arrest documents. The alleged victim's father is said to have offered up his daughter to the pastor, of New Harmony Baptist Church, Baton Rouge. She reported the attacks to police who . arrested her father in November. He remains in East Baton Rouge Parish . Prison on a variety of sexual offenses. But detectives on Saturday also detained Lemley on one count of aggravated rape. He is being held in Parish Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail. The victim could not provide investigators with exact dates of the alleged rapes. Lemley, who denies the charges was first questioned about the claims late last year, insisting that the alleged victim 'is known for making up stories for no reason,' a detective wrote in the warrant, according to The Advocate news website. Documents also say that Lemley failed to turn up for an arranged lie-detector test on December 6, last year. Lemley . was also booked on a count of theft of a motor vehicle on Saturday. He is accused . of giving away a car, that he was meant to be repairing for someone, to a member of his church. Claims: David 'Scott' Lemley, 43, who was arrested for aggravated rape, is a pastor at New Harmony Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pictured . The car was then sold for about $250 in early February for scrap, arrest documents . show. Lemley's wife has defended him against what she claimed are 'false charges'. Kim Lemley said her husband was advised by the couple’s attorney, Carson Marcantel, not to attend the polygraph test. Mrs Lemley, who also works at the church, also said the car theft accusations against her husband were false. She added that she had resolved the dispute with the person who made the complaint. Mrs Lemley said the couple has worked at the church for several years and that church services for Sunday morning were scheduled as usual. 'Our church is taking care of itself,' she said. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | David Lemley, 43, is accused of raping a mentally disabled woman, 20, .
Her father allegedly told her to have sex with Lemley on several occasions .
Alleged victim has a mental age of seven, according to arrest documents .
Lemley is pastor at New Harmony Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, .
Wife of Lemley defended her husband against the 'false charges'
He is being held in custody in lieu of $75,000 bail, records show . |
116,139 | 21e89732277499da6cf46bda12e6576d70ad4a01 | A judge who praised burglars for their 'courage' before letting a serial offender walk free from court is facing an official investigation as David Cameron waded into the row. Judge Peter Bowers took the astonishing decision not to lock up Richard Rochford after saying that prison ‘very rarely does anybody any good’. ‘It takes a huge amount of courage, as far as I can see, for somebody to burgle somebody’s house,’ he told Rochford. ‘I wouldn’t have the nerve.’ Scroll down to see the interview . Ruckas: David Cameron used an interview on ITV this morning to attack a judge who freed a burglar, admitting that he has been burgled twice and the crime showed 'cowardice' Judge Bowers (left) faced heavy criticism for his decision not to lock up Richard Rochford (left) Rochford, 26, who could have been . jailed for two-and-a-half years, was instead handed a suspended 12-month . prison term. ‘I’m going to take a chance on you,’ the 67-year-old . judge told him. The comments sparked a wave of anger . from victims and campaigners, and prompted criticism from the Prime . Minister, himself a victim of two burglaries, and Rochford’s own mother. Several complaints have been made to the Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) which has launched an investigation. If the complaints are upheld, Judge Bowers could face disciplinary action. Sentencing: Rochford was given a suspended 12-month jail sentence at Teesside Crown Court . On ITV’s Daybreak programme, Mr . Cameron said he had not read the full details of the case but added: ‘I . am very clear that burglary is not bravery. Burglary is cowardice. Burglary is a hateful crime. People sometimes say it is not a violent . crime, but actually if you have been burgled, you do feel it was . violence. ‘I have a very clear view about this, . which is burglary is a despicable and hateful crime. People who . repeatedly burgle should be sent to prison.’ Tory MP Philip Davies criticised the . judge in the Commons, saying: ‘How can we ensure that idiots like that . do not remain in the judiciary?’ Rochford himself said last night said . he did not consider himself brave. The burglar said: ‘I feel bad for . what I did. It won’t make up for what I’ve done but I am sorry. ‘I don’t think burglary is a . courageous thing to do. I felt awful about it, to be honest, but I can . barely remember even doing it. I was on 60 to 70 valium tablets a day at . the time.’ Even Rochford’s mother failed to agree . with the judge. Caroline Whitehouse said: ‘To say what the judge said . is out of order. You don’t call a burglary courageous. I’m ashamed of . what he’s done. The judge shouldn’t have said that because it causes so . much trouble. It’s not courage – I think it’s wrong, it’s low to burgle . someone.’ Rochford admitted to a burglary spree . in February. The offences were his first burglary convictions, although . he was cautioned for burgling a home at the age of ten. He has . previously been jailed for three years for arson. | Richard Rochford was facing a two-and-a-half-year jail term .
Judge Peter Bowers admitted he could be 'pilloried' for his controversial decision to free him .
'It takes a huge amount of courage as far as I can see for someone to burgle somebody's home,' he said .
PM admits he has been a victim of 'despicable and hateful' crime .
'I’m very clear, burglary is not bravery, it’s cowardice. People who repeatedly burgle should be sent to prison,' he said . |
86,643 | f5e29618e732ce51f57853f8622872246077d35f | Fishing is known to be a sedentary sport but four men in the Northern Territory have given it a dangerous twist. Risking their lives, the fisherman decided to try and reel in sharks to the shore using a simple rope and a lump of fish as their bait. The bizarre tug of war game that ensued, filmed at a bay in the Cobourg Peninsula, 350 km east of Darwin in the Northern Territory, has been posted on YouTube. Four men went fishing for sharks on the Cobourg Peninsula, 350 km east of Darwin in the Northern Territory . Bull sharks are aggressive and are thought to be responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks but the men did not seem bothered. They laughed and joked as they chucked the lump of fish attached to a rope into the water. ‘I’ve got a nibble... here we go,’ shouts one of the men as the rope starts to thrash around. ‘You still got it,' he says reassuring the man holding the rope. The fisherman attached a lump of fish to a thin rope and flung it in the water just metres from where they stood . As a shark took hold of the bait a man cried 'I've got a nibble' and held on tightly . A wrestle ensued as the shark thrashed around in the water and the men tried to pull it to shore . But the rope came away clean with no sign of the fish or the shark . During their numerous attempts in the full-length video the rope comes away clean with no sign of a shark or the fish. 'You've just got to keep walking backwards while it’s shaking its head,’ another man says, implying he’s a bit if an expert. They continue their mission laughing as one man gets dragged into the water and another runs in to back him up. Meanwhile, their friend tries to sneak up to a shark in the shallow water and grab it with his bare hands. Fortunately on this trip the biggest injury they suffered was just a case of bad rope burn. Bull sharks are aggressive and are thought to be responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks . One of the men was dragged into the water by the shark . | Four men filmed trying to pull sharks onto the shore in Northern Territory .
They used a rope and lump of fish to try and catch the sharks .
'I've got a nibble,' one of the men shouted . |
142,804 | 44af1b2c1d8b11e6f5181b21f739ef1a3009a462 | By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 09:11 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:00 EST, 25 July 2013 . A cruise ship that charges passengers $5,000 a week for a 'world class' culinary experience has been caught storing meat unrefrigerated in crew cabin sinks and trolleys stacked high with blue cheese, milk and eggs in staff corridors. Disgusted employees, fearing for their health and the health of passengers, anonymously alerted the Centers for Disease Control to the conditions aboard the Silversea Shadow by sending in photos of piled up food sitting for hours everywhere but the ship's galley. The tip prompted a surprise health inspection by the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program on June 17, when the ship was docked at Skagway, Alaska. Scroll down for video . Ship: The Silversea Shadow, pictured, has been caught storing meat unrefrigerated in crew cabin sinks and trolleys full of blue cheese, milk and eggs in staff corridors . Gross: Anonymous crew members took photos of raw meat, pictured, that they were forced to store in crew cabin sinks at potentially hazardous temperatures . Horrified officials discovered there . was an 'organized effort to physically remove' more than 15 trolleys . stacked high with food and cooking equipment each night into some 10 . crew cabins - each sleeping two or three people - to avoid inspections. One . staffer, working a 40-day contract as a pastry chef on the Silversea . Cruises-owned vessel, claimed he was forced to sleep in a cabin with two . other crew members and a trolley full of salami and unrefrigerated blue . cheese to avoid health inspections. Adriano Colonna told CNN he was so repulsed, he refused to eat the food being served to passengers. Silversea . boasts in advertisements and on its website of serving up world class . cuisine aboard its line of luxury cruise ships, that hold around 300 . passengers. Trolleys: Some 15 trolleys of food, including cheeses and deli meats, were stored each night in staff cabins to avoid inspections . But the VSP disagreed, giving the Shadow a damning score of 82 in the inspection when anything under an 84 is a fail. In its scathing report, the officials said 'dry foods, spices, canned foods, cooked foods, milk, raw meats, pasteurized eggs, cheeses of all types, baking goods, raw fruits, raw vegetables, and a variety of both hand held and counter model food equipment, pans, dishware and utensils' were piled up and stored in some 10 crew cabins, each sleeping two to three workers. It said foods such as cheeses, sliced and full pieces of deli meats and raw pork were all stored at potentially hazardous temperatures on the deck, and even on and under the beds of crew members. Kitchen equipment including knives and a large meat slicers were found hidden under blankets in the cabins. Equipment: Kitchen equipment including a large meat slicer and kitchen knives were discovered hidden under blankets and beds in crew cabins . World class: The company boasts of offering a world class culinary experience, but at least two people aboard the ship became sick presumably from the food, pictured, aboard . The company told CNN that the liner was 'deeply disappointed' by the score and that the result of the inspection was an anomaly, as they're used to getting grades in the high 90s. The spokesman refused to say who gave the command to hide food in cabins or whether anyone was fired. On the VSP's website, it inticates at least two cases of diarrhea among staff on the ship, no doubt caused by eating the hygienically kept food. But despite the abysmal score, all the VSP inspectors could do was pour chlorine liquid over the discarded food to prevent it from being used. They do not have the power to slap the liner with a fine or stop the ship sailing. Silversea simply has to submit corrective action statements for deficiencies. | Health officials conducted a surprise inspection of the Silversea ship Silver Shadow at Skagway, Alaska on June 17 .
Came after disgusted employees revealed they were forced to hide 15 trolleys worth of food in their cabins every night 'in order to avoid inspection' and took photos of raw meat sitting in a sink .
The CDC released a damning report about the ship, but it does not have the authority to fine the company or stop it sailing .
Passengers pay $5,000 a week and are told they will receive a 'world class' culinary experience .
Silversea Cruises claims the abysmal inspection results are a 'deeply disappointing' anomaly . |
22,045 | 3e912c3edcc13a78d9754796b7790113f0ea4c67 | A coachload of schoolchildren was taken 80 miles in the wrong direction in the middle of the night after a driver misspelt their destination by just one letter. The driver accidentally typed Towyn into his satellite navigation system, then promptly drove to the village near the seaside resort of Rhyl in north Wales. Unfortunately, his sleepy passengers had hoped to wake up in Tywyn, near Cardigan Bay in west Wales. The Llew Jones International coach, like the one pictured above, was returning from Paris . The blunder occurred when the coach swapped drivers at Shrewsbury towards the end of a 13-hour journey following a trip to Paris. Parents of the 37 pupils aged 11 to 14, from Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn, were left waiting to collect their children for an extra two hours on Tuesday morning. Sue Williams, whose daughter Sian was on the coach, said: ‘The teachers and the kids all fell asleep on the bus and when they woke up they realised they were going a different way to what they normally know.’ The teachers and children were taken to Towyn in north Wales instead of Tywyn which is 77 miles away . Mrs Williams added: ‘They ended up in Towyn, and then took an extra hour and a half to get back home, to the correct town. ‘I'm not happy at all by what happened, especially because Sian suffers from travel sickness and so do a few other kids.’ The driver took the pupils and teachers to Towyn, Conwy, before delivering them to Tywyn, Gwynedd, above . Cllr . Louise Hughes, whose daughter was also on the trip with 36 other . pupils, said: ‘I was very annoyed by what happened. I am glad they all . got back safely. ‘Delivery drivers make the same mistake and people ring, saying, “We can’t find you, we’re in Towyn”. It happens all the time.’ ‘It . really was a ridiculous mistake to make. I don't understand how the . driver could have got it so wrong, there is a 77-mile difference between . both towns, they are in different counties and have a completely . different spelling.’ The group of 37 pupils spent five days in Paris, pictured, on the school trip (file picture) A . spokesman for Llew Jones International said: ‘We have spoken to the . driver of the coach and he was clearly instructed to go to Tywyn in . Meirionnydd. ‘He had then inputted the wrong town into his sat nav and took the passengers to Towyn, near Rhyl. ‘The driver is not from the area, and the situation will now be dealt with in a disciplinary hearing. | He typed in Towyn instead of Tywyn, which is on a different coast .
Pupils and teachers faced two-hour detour at the end of 13-hour trip .
Bus company has apologised and driver faces disciplinary hearing . |
123,770 | 2c04bafffc4bd39c8f4791ad7964dcdfd05bc31e | By . Tim Shipman . PUBLISHED: . 16:49 EST, 19 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:13 EST, 20 August 2013 . Painful: Prime Minister David Cameron has been suffering from backache . David Cameron has injured his back, forcing him to cancel plans to hunt deer during his Scottish holiday. The Prime Minister has had a painkilling injection after suffering a protruding disc in his spine. In an interview on the remote Hebridean island of Jura, where Mr Cameron and his family were on their third summer holiday, he said his ‘phenomenally bad back’ had been a ‘bore’. It has stopped him from doing his favourite activities including stalking deer – which involves crawling through the heather rifle in hand – and waterskiing. Mr Cameron, who was once credited with killing two stags with one shot, denied that he had given up deer-stalking to placate animal rights groups, calling it ‘probably one of the most defendable’ field sports. But said he was unable to do it on Jura, where he was staying on a 20,000-acre estate owned by his wife Samantha’s stepfather Lord Astor. ‘I’ve got a phenomenally bad back so I don’t really think I’ll be able to crawl,’ he said . The interview was apparently designed to show a Prime Minister at ease with himself. But Tory MPs privately expressed concerns that openly discussing his interests in hunting, riding and fishing would do little to combat the charge from some critics that he is out of touch with ordinary voters. ‘Another masterstroke from the man of the people,’ one MP remarked. Mr Cameron left Jura yesterday, after the interview, and travelled to Oxford for treatment. Scroll down for video . Pleased to meet you: Mr Cameron feeding a pony on holiday . The Prime Minister tweeted: ‘I’ve been treated for a bad back/protruding disc at Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre today. The staff say all will be back to normal very soon.’ The Camerons then journeyed on to Cornwall for the final leg of their holiday. Aides said no specific incident had caused Mr Cameron’s bad back but that it had ‘developed over time’. Mr Cameron, 46, said: ‘When you get into your mid-40s stuff like this starts to happen.’ In the interview with BBC Scotland, Mr Cameron said he enjoys activity-based holidays. He joked that he liked horse-riding but ‘not bare-chested’ like Russian premier Vladimir Putin. ‘I walk, I like fishing, I like going for a run. 'I’ve caught some sea trout here but we’re not talking Moby Dick,’ he said, adding that he occasionally swims in the sea while in Scotland. The picturesque island of Jura, where Samantha Cameron's stepfather owns a large estate . ‘It’s not actually as cold as some people think. But when you get out you need to get in a hot bath pretty quick.’ The Prime Minister said he is still ‘effectively in charge’ of the UK while on holiday – even in the remoteness of Jura. ‘I always think that you’ve got to be in contact, you are effectively still in charge,’ he said. ‘I check my BlackBerry, I contact the office, but I can do that and then say, “It’s holiday time, it’s children time”.’ | Mr Cameron is on the island of Jura in Scotland on a 20,000 acre estate .
The remote island is reachable only by a 20-minute ferry ride .
He is unable to have an active holiday because of his bad back . |
28,667 | 5160554edc89ffa86dae4af9c2178a17f19cbdd5 | A man hired to repaint a 193-foot super yacht owned by Google founder Larry Page is suing the billionaire on claims he suffered horrific effects from unsafe conditions at the California work site. Painter James Grupinski claims he was made to work 12-hour days in confined spaces with inadequate ventilation where he was exposed to noxious vapors form fiberglass products provided to him by his employers. According to court documents obtained by Courthouse News, Grupinski says at one point his employer gave him a highly toxic paint stripper to use, one which had been yanked from store shelved a decade before. Dangerous conditions? Painter James Grupinski (left) claims he was made to work 12-hour days in confined spaces with inadequate ventilation where he was exposed to noxious vapors form fiberglass products provided to him by his employers. He's suing those employers and Larry Page for the illnesses he says he continues to suffer . Displeasure boat: Grupinski was hired to repaint thew 193-foot super yacht owned by Google founder Larry Page . Grupinski claims he used the product in unventilated conditions under threat of termination and soon passed out below deck, where he was found bleeding from the eyes, ears and anus. When asked to take him to the hospital, his boss, ID'd as Heidi from HF Interior--a company also named in the suit along with one called Modern Mud--then told him to 'drink some milk' and 'stop being a baby' according to the suit. Per court documents, Grupinski has suffered ever since from seizures, COPD, neurological problems and even early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Grupinski's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Page and his family can enjoy breakfast on deck before retiring to the white couches of the living room, which has a movie projector mounted on the ceiling . The yacht has plenty of room for entertaining with a big dining room table and ten bedroom suites . Grupinski is seeking unspecified damages in the personal injury suit. The massive pleasure boat, for which Page paid $5 million in 2011, first set sail in 1999. 'Senses Georgetown', as it's been dubbed, features a helipad, gym, multi-level sun decks, ten luxurious suites, a crew of 14 and interior design by famed French designer Philippe Starck. Page, who is worth an estimated $30 billion, bought the boat from New Zealand brewing heir Sir Douglas Meyer. Page's toy is actually dwarfed by those owned by other high-tech moguls, such as Paul Allen and Larry Ellison. Allen's 'Octopus' comes in at 415-ft in length, while Ellison's 'Rising Sun' is 454-ft long, with both costing more than $200m. The living room is bigger than many New York City apartments and features a projector for movie nights on the high seas . If the jacuzzi is full there is plenty of room for a soak in the deep master bathtub . | James Grupinski says he was left to work in unsafe conditions and denied safety equipment while painting the Google mogul's 193-foot pleasure boat . |
36,475 | 6766ce6434df00cae9d021e67af25770e70360be | By . Alex Greig . A New Jersey Walmart customer has become the owner of a number of fish she purchased after discovering a dozen dirty fish tanks filled with dead and dying fish at her local store. Donna Lohmeyer was with her young grandson when the pair went to look at the live fish at the Flanders Walmart outlet. Instead of happily swimming pet fish, Lohmeyer and her grandson came upon a nightmarish scene. Cruel: Fish were left to die in tanks without filtration or light in freezing temperatures . 'Most [of the fish] were dead, and rotting in the tanks... Many were still swimming — starving, freezing, choking on foul water full of ammonia and algae,' Lohmeyer told Mendham-Chester Patch. She says there was no power or filtration in any of the tanks, but they were still full of fish. Other customers in the live pets section of the store told Lohmeyer that the power had been off for more than a week.The water temperature in the tanks was 64 degrees, she said. Neglect: Other customers said the power had been off for more than a week and the tanks were full of dead fish . The disgusted customer asked to see the store's manager and was told he was unavailable. She then asked to see the pet department manager, who was 'on break.' After waiting more than an hour, Lohmeyer purchased the remaining 'least sick' fish to rescue them from the putrid tanks. Mendham-Chester Patch contacted Walmart's head office in Arkansas and was told the store had stopped selling live fish 'months ago.' Training: Walmart says it will retrain workers in the Flanders store in how to correctly care for live fish . Patch responded with pictures taken by Lohmeyer's daughter Dina of the tanks in their local Walmart. Walmart representative Kayla Whiting finally responded after receiving the pictures, saying, 'This is unacceptable.' 'There are protocols in place that were not followed, and associates [in the pet department] will be retrained immediately,' she told Patch. No Walmart staff members have been punished for the incident. | Donna Lohmeyer went to look at the live fish in the pet department of her New Jersey Walmart with her grandson .
She was horrified to discover they were shrouded in darkness and full of dead and dying fish .
The water was cloudy and freezing cold .
The power and filtration systems had been off for more than a week .
A Walmart representative said the store had not followed protocol .
No one was reprimanded for the neglect .
Lohmeyer bought any remaining fish that weren't too sick and took them home . |
178,209 | 72b714f86f6b766aeb73852a041154baefff19e8 | By . Alex Greig . PUBLISHED: . 12:32 EST, 17 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:21 EST, 17 July 2013 . When Margaret Pabst Battin's husband Brooke Hopkins broke his neck in a cycling accident and became almost completely paralyzed, she had to face her ideas about a person's right to die in a devastatingly personal way. As an international leader in the euthanasia movement, the Professor of philosophy and bioethics at the University of Utah has written 'wheelbarrows full' about the right to death for terminally . ill and seriously injured people. Battin's husband, Brooke Hopkins, was 66 at the time of his accident . in 2008. He was cycling down a hill in City Creek Canyon in Utah when . he collided with another bicycle and somersaulted in the air, severing . his spinal cord when he landed on his neck. A question of life or death: Brooke Hopkins is prepped for surgery in 2010 as Peggy Battin and son Mike look on . Expert: An authority on the ethics surrounding death, Battin is now facing her own husband's choice to die . One year earlier, he . had updated his living will to include the clause that should he suffer . an illness or injury that left him in a vegetative state, he didn't want . any treatment that 'would serve only to unnaturally prolong the moment . of my death and to unnaturally postpone or prolong the dying process.' But . emergency services didn't know about this will, and Brooke Hopkins was . kept alive until he reached the hospital where he was placed on a . ventilator, thus saving his life and creating for himself and his wife . the ultimate quandary: life or death. Battin, 72, who is known as Peggy, traces her interest in assisted suicide, euthanasia and the right to a dignified death back to her mother's painful and difficult death of liver cancer when Battin was 21. 'A person should be accorded the right to live his or her life as they see fit (provided, of course, that this does not significantly harm others), and that includes the very end of their life,' she has written in one of her nearly 40 journal articles on this subject. The terrible injury of her husband of 30 years hasn't changed Battin's core belief in self-determination, but it's revealed complexities in the issue she wasn't prepared for, not least her own unwillingness to let go of her beloved husband and his reluctance to leave her when he knows she doesn't want him to. Beloved: Brooke Hopkins has continued to teach, read and write prodigiously after his devastating accident . There's also decoding what Hopkins really does want. Before his accident, Hopkins was a gregarious, fit, adventurous outdoorsman with a passion for the English romantic poets. He has a doctorate from Harvard and worked at the University of Utah as an English professor. 'At parties he was the one who ate the most, drank the most, talked the loudest, danced the longest,' a friend told The New York Times. Now, Hopkins has good days and bad days. One bad day in 2012 resulted in the drafting of his 'Final Letter' when his pain became unbearable. 'Pain eats away at your soul,' The New York Times reports he wrote on July 28, 2012, using his voice-recognition software to dictate the letter to his loved ones. 'For many years since the accident I have been motivated by a deep will to live and to contribute to the benefit of others in my small way. I think I have done that. And I am proud of it. But as I have told Peggy over the past few months, I knew that I would reach a limit to what I could do. And I have arrived at the limit over the past couple of weeks.' Advocate: Two of the books Margaret 'Peggy' Battin has written on the subject of assisted suicide . For Peggy Battin, helping her husband . to hasten his death when there's a chance that he might have changed his mind later is a fear that often overrides what . Hopkins tells her at any given moment. Making a decision that cannot . be undone must be weighed with her own intuition of what Hopkins may . feel in the future. Death and dying: Peggy Battin has had to face the realities of her scholarly explorations since her husband's accident . Battin . told The New York Times that there have been times she's taken Hopkins . to the hospital when he became ill and he later told her she did the . right thing, despite indicating on other occasions he wants no medical . intervention. She doesn't . believe her husband has yet made the decision to die, but rather his . occasional desire to end it all is dependent on pain he might be . feeling, or influenced by medications he's taking. In . 2012, following his Final Letter, Hopkins became seriously ill with . pleural effusion, or liquid in the chest cavity, and had trouble . breathing. Despite his indication prior that he was ready to die, Battin . rushed him to the ER. Battin told The New York Times that she'd discussed with her husband the kind of death he wanted, and this delirious, uncomfortable state was not how he wished to go. New pain management medications were administered, and now Hopkins says he thinks of his hospitalization with pleural effusion as having a 'happy ending.' On good days, Hopkins can do the things that give his life meaning: teaching, writing, reading and interacting with his loved ones. His living will states that he was not to be assisted with sustenance and hydration, but Hopkins can no longer eat and is fed through a tube, and the once-active professor is trapped in his wheelchair, with an army of helpers to attend to his physical needs. Battin still believes in people's right to choose when and how we die, but her experiences with her husband have shown her is that each individual case is rife with diverse and conflicting issues. 'What has changed,' she told The New York Times, 'is my sense of how extremely complex, how extremely textured, any particular case is.' According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Hopkins and Battin are writing a book about their experiences in the wake of Brooke Hopkins' accident. Peggy Battin has continued to advocate for people who want to die and for legislation for doctors to be able to 'hasten death' in the terminally ill (for which there is provision in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont so far). Brooke Hopkins, now 71, has again expressed a wish to die, according to The New York Times. He has planned his death for the spring of 2014, when he will be finished teaching his latest course, on Don Quixote. Only time will tell whether he, and his wife Peggy, will make that choice. Peggy Battin and Brooke Hopkins wrote in their last blog entry to date: . 'This story doesn’t end, and it . doesn’t need to be a tragedy. It’s . still a story of love, even if it’s love under trial. It doesn’t end as long as we’re here to . write it, and it isn’t a tragedy if we can keep from letting ourselves think . so. But we’re also aware of the . knife-edge we walk all the time, when the story could end not because we didn’t . have anything more to say, but because we weren’t here anymore to say it.' | Margaret Battin is a bioethicist and leader in the right-to-die movement .
Her husband Brooke Hopkins suffered a broken neck and became paralyzed in 2008 .
Since then, the couple has personally faced the issues Battin has long hypothesized about .
Hopkins has said he would like to die in the spring of 2014 . |
92,505 | 02fa46b13b591b200f0d1d0b9e81aee29114afbb | By . John Stevens . Perched perilously on a lorry axle, two migrants make a desperate attempt to get into Britain. The pair were filmed by hidden night-vision cameras as they clung to the underside of the Dover-bound lorry in Calais. French Channel ports are seeing a surge in asylum seekers trying to make it to the UK, with hundreds of Syrian refugees among those living in squalid camps awaiting their chance. Dicing with death: A night vision camera catches two men attempting to sit on the axle of a lorry to get into the UK . BBC cameras captured the moment the two migrants clambered on to a British lorry under cover of darkness. Migrants often wait for a truck to stop at a junction before climbing underneath. Gangs can be seen on the road leading to the port as lorries approach. This truck was stopped for the migrants’ safety once they were picked up on camera, and French police were called. Its driver Clive Mills said: ‘I would never have known they were on there. I didn’t see them get on. I was looking in the mirror, looking down the road to pull out – it’s just frightening. Something somewhere has to change because you can kill people.’ The men were asked if they realised the danger they were exposing themselves to, and one replied: ‘Yes, but I have to go there. This country is not good to live in, we have to go to England.’ French charity workers say four migrants died in one week earlier this month as they attempted to get to Dover. Calais, which became a magnet for UK-bound refugees in the mid-90s following the war in Kosovo, is again attracting hundreds of migrants who want to cross the Channel. Many are Syrians, some of the estimated 2.1million who have fled fighting in the country. Britain is the preferred destination for many because of its global language and generous benefits. Strife in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Eritrea has seen a rise in migrants attempting to enter the UK illegally . Risky: The men risked life and limb by clutching the lorry's axle . Immigration Minister James Brokenshire . said yesterday: ‘There have been indications of an increase in the . number of people trying to get to the UK through the Channel ports. That . in part is because of ongoing conflict in the Middle East and North . Africa.’ The resurgence of the Calais problem follows closure of the huge Sangatte refugee camp in 2002 and the removal of a massive squat near the ferry terminal in 2009. The deputy mayor of Calais warned last year that Britain was a target for Syrian refugees, with gangs charging migrants more than £10,000 each to smuggle them to the UK. Cameras installed by the BBC have captured men running towards trucks and climbing beneath the vehicles, with drivers oblivious to their actions . Asylum seekers hide in a truck in the hopes of crossing the Channel, near the harbour of Calais in 2009 . Migrants in Calais. Many of the men and women are fed by charities . | The two men were captured on a night vision camera at the French port .
Fortunately the lorry was stopped before they were hurt .
Calais has become a magnet for migrants bound for UK . |
265,770 | e439b1c45939858d9e1662641b6823dcd010d352 | A pretty pot plant might make a clinical work space feel more personal, but new research has revealed that office plants do so much more as they can help staff be more creative and productive, which could ultimately result in promotion. At work, humble houseplants have been proven to aid concentration, increase productivity and boost staff wellbeing by 47 per cent, according to a study undertaken at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. The results showed that allowing staff to make design decisions in a workspace enhanced with office plants can increase creativity by 45 per cent and boost productivity by 38 per cent. The results from the study show that allowing staff to make design decisions in a workspace enhanced with office plants, can increase creativity by 45 per cent and boost productivity by 38 per cent . The study, designed by the Identity Realisation research group at the University of Exeter, in association with Indoor Garden Design, compared people’s effective output across different types of business space. A total of 350 visitors to the horticultural show were asked to measure their creativity, happiness and productivity in four differently designed work environments in a series of 90 experiments. The researchers believe their findings demonstrate that plants are not unnecessary elements of business environments and add weight to other studies, which indicate plants increase psychological comfort and business performance. Previous studies have shown plants improve health, happiness and productivity . Psychologist Dr Craig Knight from the University of Exeter said: ‘We have previously shown that designing your own workspace improves health, happiness and productivity. ‘It was time to go a step further and see whether the principle can also be applied to creativity and indeed whether the very act of designing the workspace can be used effectively. ‘Results at the show demonstrated how creativity can be increased by 45 per cent through improving the psychological well-being and design of a working environment. ‘The results from the Chelsea Flower Show experiment indicate that plants, in a well-designed and personalised office environment can boost business effectiveness through improved staff productivity and creativity. ‘This gives company managers a real incentive to share control of office space with their staff and create meaningful, less didactic and more grown up space.’ Plants have previously been proven to have positive effects in hospitals, where patients with pot plants close by said they experienced less pain, anxiety and tiredness, while houses with plant-filled rooms contain between 50 and 60 per cent fewer bacteria than other rooms without plants. Monique Kemperman from The Joy of Plants, said: ‘Scientific studies have demonstrated that we can see a marked improvement in air quality alone, just by dotting a few common houseplants around a room. The organisation wants to encourage everyone in the UK to add a houseplant to their home and office and claims it will make a ‘significant’ impact to people’s quality of life on a daily basis. At work: Houseplants are proven to aid concentration, productivity and reduce sick days, according to the TNO Quality of Life study. In schools: Having plants in a classroom can boost the learning potential for students, according to the Royal College of Agriculture. In hospitals: Hospital patients with plants in their room have less pain, anxiety, and fatigue, take significantly less pain medication, have lower blood pressure and heart rates, and are happier with their recovery rooms than patients without plants, researchers from Kansas State University said. In homes: Plant-filled rooms contain 50-60 per cent fewer airborne moulds and bacteria than rooms without plants. They literally suck out chemicals in the air that could be linked to colds, breathing problems and even cancer, according to the Stennis Space Centre. To the environment: Nasa said houseplants can remove up to 87 per cent of air toxins in 24 hours. To our health: Indoor plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 per cent, according to the University of Agriculture in Norway. | Scientists from the University of Exeter found plants aid concentration, increase productivity and boost staff wellbeing by 47 per cent at work .
They conducted a study at this year's Chelsea Flower Show to compare people’s effective output across different types of business space .
The researchers found allowing staff to make design decisions in a leafy workspace can increase productivity by 38 per cent . |
263,956 | e1de38e8584139c7705ebecb9bcbd8758a338011 | Washington (CNN) -- A National Security Agency program for collecting phone and Internet communications of suspected security targets outside the United States has the potential to infringe on the privacy rights of U.S. citizens, according to a report released Wednesday by an independent government review board. The NSA's Section 702 program is still lawful, "valuable and effective" in protecting national security, according to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PDF), which noted that "no evidence of intentional abuse" was found in the program. However, "certain aspects of the program's implementation raise privacy concerns," according to the report. The large scope of that collection of Americans' information that is supposed to be off-limits -- and uncertainty about the amount of information being gathered -- "push the program close to the line of constitutional reasonableness." Despite procedures to minimize collection of domestic and Americans' communications at home and abroad, the government doesn't know precisely how much data and content of Americans' communications is being collected, the report says. The Section 702 program is derived from a section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that was amended in 2008 and gave the attorney general and the director of national intelligence the authority to authorize "surveillance conducted within the United States but targeting only non-U.S. persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States." Even though the 702 program isn't aimed at collecting domestic communications or those of Americans abroad, "incidental" collection of such data does occur, according to the report. The board expressed concern over the use of "about" collections -- those that lead to a person who may not be involved to a suspect communication -- "and the use of queries to search for the communications of specific U.S. persons within the information that has been collected." Among the board's conclusions was an affirmation that the "core" of the 702 program -- that is, narrowly defining those subjects targeted as non-U.S. citizens living abroad and submitting to Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court rules and oversight -- "fits within the 'totality of the circumstances' standard for reasonableness under the Fourth Amendment, as that standard has been defined by the courts to date." The report lists 10 recommendations for strengthening privacy protections, such as revising the criteria for selecting targets for intelligence-gathering, limiting FBI use of Section 702 data, using more advanced "upstream" filtering technology to protect communications that are off-limits and requiring the government to supply random samples of targeting decisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court when reapplying for certification of the Section 702 program. The nation's top intelligence official praised the report, but civil liberty advocates said the board failed to make effective proposals to protect privacy rights. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a statement that the report "confirms that Section 702 has shown its value in preventing acts of terrorism at home and abroad, and pursuing other foreign intelligence goals." "We take very seriously the board's concerns regarding privacy and civil liberties, and we will review the board's recommendations with care." Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law said the board "has failed to fulfill its responsibility here, which is to ensure that counterterrorism policies safeguard privacy and civil liberties." "The collection of Americans' phone calls and e-mails without a warrant is unconstitutional," Goitein said, "regardless of whether they are communicating with their next-door neighbor or a suspected terrorist overseas." "The Board made a critical point that has often been overlooked in the NSA debate: that privacy is a human right protected under international law," said Faiza Patel, also with the Brennan Center. She added that the issue "is much larger than simply the implementation of the directive and the Board should take it on directly and expeditiously." "We urge Congress to recognize the gaps and shortcomings in the Board's recommendations," Patel said, "and provide a more meaningful level of privacy protection for Americans and foreigners alike." The independent panel began reviewing NSA surveillance at the requests of Congress and President Barack Obama last year. The requests stemmed from media reports on two NSA programs that were based on the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The first report, released in January, centered on the program implemented under Section 215 of the Patriot Act (PDF), in which domestic telephone metadata (i.e., call records) are collected in bulk. India summons U.S. diplomat over report of NSA spying . Report: NSA collects millions of facial images per day . Telecom firm pushed back on NSA data collection, papers show . CNN's Bill Mears contributed to this report. | NEW: Privacy rights advocate says review board "failed to fulfill its responsibility here"
Report: NSA's Section 702 program is still lawful, "valuable and effective"
However, "aspects of the program's implementation raise privacy concerns," report says .
Report: People not involved in communications could be exposed to abuses . |
179,989 | 750b3ccd0fc5713f45d842e7a10729798286adfb | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute TV ad, which ran simultaneously on broadcast and cable networks at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, is muscle-flexing that has little precedent, a campaign advertising expert said. Sen. Barack Obama aired a 30-minute campaign ad Wednesday night. "It's evidence, if you needed any, that the Obama campaign has more money than there is ad time left to buy," said Evan Tracey, director of the Campaign Media Analysis Group. "This is flexing the muscles." Tracey estimates that it will cost the campaign "in the $4 to 5 million range -- at a minimum, $3.5 million." But, he said, spending the money is a "no-brainer" for the Democratic presidential hopeful. "The strategic brilliance of this for Obama is that he is going to consume about 24 hours of the news cycle," Tracey said. "It boxes [John] McCain in, takes the oxygen out of the room." In the carefully produced infomercial, Obama laid out his plans for the economy and for bringing an end to the war in Iraq. It also featured stories of struggling families in swing states such as Ohio and Missouri and included testimonials from high-profile supporters, including Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. iReport.com: What do you want to ask Sen. Obama? Obama's Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, was not mentioned, nor was the GOP. The spot ended with a brief, live Obama address to a rally in Florida, another hotly contested state in this year's campaign. "I'm reminded every single day that I am not a perfect man," he said. "I will not be a perfect president. "But I can promise you this: I will always tell you what I think and where I stand. I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you when we disagree. And, most importantly, I will open the doors of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again." There was so much buzz surrounding the infomercial -- which was announced about two weeks ago -- that on Tuesday, Time magazine's Mark Halperin put the ad's two editors on his daily list of the "five most important people in American politics not running for president." Watch more on the Obama campaign ad buy » . Those editors, Erik Smith and Mark Putnam, were "still in an edit room" cutting the 30-minute piece Tuesday when he published the list, according to Halperin, Time's editor-at-large and senior political analyst. The ad ran at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox, BET, TV One and Univision, the Spanish-language network, six days before Election Day. CNN declined to run the spot, and talks between ABC and the Obama campaign fell apart. "We were approached by the Obama campaign and declined their request," said Sal Petruzzi, senior vice president for public relations of Turner Broadcasting, CNN's parent company. "We did not want to pre-empt our programming lineup with a 30-minute spot. We would rather use our air to continue to cover the campaign, candidates and issues like we always do, from all points of view with the best political team on television." An ABC spokeswoman declined to comment about the network's talks with the Obama campaign. "As a matter of policy we don't comment about clients with whom we are doing business," said Julie Hoover of ABC. The Obama campaign has bought advertising on ABC in the past, she said, "but they did not buy the half-hour." Obama taped an interview Wednesday with ABC's Charles Gibson, which is to run Thursday, his campaign said. A source familiar with ABC policy suggested the network had offered the Obama campaign a different time slot. "Hypothetically, we would have offered them equivalent time," the source said. "We don't have to give them the exact slot they are asking for." Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said ABC had ultimately offered Obama the slot he wanted, but the campaign turned it down. "By the time they agreed, we had already committed our resources," Burton said. The Obama campaign reported last week that it had raised a record-shattering $150 million in September. Obama has outspent McCain by a huge margin, according to CNN's consultant on ad spending. Between the time the two candidates clinched their party's nominations in the spring and October 25, Obama spent more than $205 million on TV ads. McCain spent more than $119 million, according to TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group. The McCain campaign launched an ad Wednesday attacking Obama for his 30-minute special. "Behind the fancy speeches, grand promises and TV special lies the truth: With crises at home and abroad, Barack Obama lacks the experience America needs," the ad said. The timing of Obama's informercial pushed back the start of a World Series game, provoking a jab from McCain during a Wednesday afternoon appearance in Florida. "It used to be that only rain or some other act of God could delay the World Series," he said. "But I guess network executives figured an Obama infomercial was close enough." The Obama campaign did not ask that the game be delayed, said a spokesman for Fox, which broadcasts the World Series. "They asked Fox to buy the air time," the spokesman said. "Fox went to our partner, Major League Baseball, and asked if it would be OK to delay the game to take this important political advertisement. They agreed." MLB's willingness to delay the fall classic for a political ad shows how very unusual the Obama TV spot is. "Ross Perot did it in 1992, but it wasn't this close to Election Day, and now you have a very different media consumption environment. You didn't have the cable then," Tracey said. "There is no precedent for this sort of an ad this late in the race." CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand and CNN Entertainment's Rachel Wells contributed to this report. | NEW: Obama ad features stories of struggling families, high-profile endorsements .
NEW: Obama discusses plans for economy, bringing end to Iraq war .
NEW: On ad's timing, McCain says it used to take "act of God" to delay World Series .
McCain launched an ad attacking Obama for his 30-minute special . |
117,297 | 237a9899f0cee78bcf37980dbc5422f6020f821a | A drug-resistant 'superbug' that is notoriously difficult to treat has been discovered in the waters where Rio de Janeiro's Olympic sailing events will be held. Scientists have warned of a danger to swimmers from the contaminated water, with the so-called KPC enzyme being notoriously difficult to treat. Those who come into contact with the bug can require hospitalization, or in some cases, become carriers of the micro-organism, researchers claim. Scroll down for video . Sailors of the Finn class compete during the first test event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Guanabara Bay in August . The Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Brazil's most respected health research institute, said it had discovered bacteria that produce the enzyme in water samples taken from various spots along the Carioca River, Rio de Janeiro. Among the spots is where the river flows into the city's Guanabara Bay, site of the 2016 sailing and wind surfing events. Bacteria with the KPC enzyme are difficult to treat. However, the institute said no instances of infection resulting from the contaminated water have yet been detected. The study's co-ordinator, Ana Paula D'Alincourt Carvalho Assef, said: 'The illnesses caused by these micro-organisms are the same as those caused by common bacteria, but they require stronger antibiotics and, sometimes, can require hospitalization. 'Since the super bacteria are resistant to the most modern medications, doctors need to rely on drugs that are rarely used because they are toxic to the organism. 'Carriers can take these resistant bacteria back to their own environments and to other people, resulting in a cycle of dissemination,' said the institute, which is affiliated with Brazil's Health Ministry. Small boats sit on the polluted shore of Guanabara Bay, across the bay from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . Pictured is Guanabara Bay where the 'superbug' was discovered, with Rio de Janeiro's famous Sugarloaf Mountain towering above it . With some 70 percent of sewage in the city of 12 million going untreated — and flowing, raw, into rivers, onto beaches and into the Guanabara Bay — the state of water quality has been a major worry ahead of the 2016 summer games. In their Olympic bid, organizers pledged to slash by 80 percent the amount of sewage and garbage that's pumped into the bay daily, but critics insist little has been done. Water quality tests still show sky-high levels of fecal matter throughout much of the bay, and authorities have a near-blanket standing recommendation against swimming on any of its beaches. Flamengo beach, where the super bacteria was discovered, is among the Guanabara Bay beaches considered unfit for swimming. The beach, which is adjacent to the Gloria Marina, the starting point for the Olympic sailing events, is also to be the viewing area for the events. Ben Remocker, a former member of Canada's Olympic sailing team who represents athletes in two sailing disciplines, called the findings 'serious for our athletes.' Garbage lies on the banks of the badly polluted Guanabara Bay . Olympic Games organisers have pledged to slash by 80 per cent the amount of sewage and garbage that is pumped into Guanabara Bay (pictured) on a daily basis . 'We're going to be troubled by this,' he said, adding he didn't think the possible health risks would dissuade sailors from taking part in the games. 'I think the sailors are probably going to cross their fingers they aren't going to get sick.' The super bacteria were discovered in three out of five samples taken from along the course of the Carioca River. It's not entirely clear how the bacteria may have gotten into the river. 'The first point in which we detect its presence was... after the river passes through areas with homes and hospitals,' Assef said. Organizers of the Rio games declined to comment, saying they would have to look into the findings before responding. | Scientists detect drug-resistant bacteria in Rio's Olympic sailing waters .
Those exposed to the enzyme it produces can require hospitalization .
Researchers say swimmers could become carriers of the micro-organism .
Rio's water quality has been a major concern for 2016 games organisers .
About 70 per cent of the city's raw sewage is pumped into the water . |
50,155 | 8ddb277519d888d6e36c2f93ce8fc4d4429b8166 | Manchester City will go head-to-head with Bayern Munich in a £20million-plus battle for Germany winger Marco Reus at the end of the season. While Reus’s club Borussia Dortmund are adamant he will not be allowed to leave in the January window, they are resigned to losing him next summer because of an escape clause in his contract. The 25-year-old’s deal runs until 2017 but has a release clause enabling him to join any club who meet Dortmund’s asking price of £19.5m. VIDEO Scroll down to watch three of Marco Reus's best goals for Dortmund . Borussia Dortmund are resigned to losing Germany international Marco Reus (left) in the summer . Reus trains with his Dortmund team-mates in what could be his final campaign with the club . Reus has a £19.5m escape clause in his contract, which has alerted a host of Premier League clubs . Manuel Pellegrini's Man City are confident of winning the chase with the offer of a £200,000-per-week deal . Bundesliga champions Bayern are prepared to match it, but so are City. And Manuel Pellegrini’s club are confident they can outbid their rivals on the wage front by putting together a package worth in excess of £200,000 a week. Liverpool and Manchester United have also been linked with Reus, who has won 23 caps for his country. But City believe they are in pole position to lure him to the Barclays Premier League and are hopeful that increasingly strained relations between Bayern and Dortmund will deter the winger from switching to Munich. Pep Guardiola watches from the sidelines as Bayern Munich defeat Dortmund 2-1 on Saturday . Reus celebrates scoring against the Bundesliga champions, who have a history of signing Dortmund stars . Mario Gotze (left) and Robert Lewandowski have both moved from Dortmund to Bayern in recent seasons . VIDEO Bayern Munich 2-1 Borussia Dortmund . Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp last week blasted Bayern Munich's conduct for admitting interest in Reus and claims their comments could come back to bite them. The Bundesliga champions have riled Klopp this week after Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge talked openly about a move for Reus. Earlier this week Rummenigge told Bild: 'We know in Munich that Reus has a lot of quality. For us a young German national player of such quality is interesting. But I do not want to cause unrest in Dortmund.' In response Klopp told Bild: 'In a period where both teams are at the top, it's fun to reply to any questions,' adding that he knows 'nothing of what is going on right now' regarding Reus' contract situation. One thing is for certain, the German ace is hot property with the likes of City, Arsenal and Liverpool all closely monitoring every move from now until January. | Marco Reus has a £19.5m release clause in his Borussia Dortmund deal .
Manchester City and Bayern Munich will fight to sign him next summer .
City are preparing a £200,000-per-week deal for the Germany international .
Manchester United and Liverpool have also been linked with the winger . |
191,006 | 835ce4172fd716ea3a220ecd5d8fafdff9a71a46 | (CNN) -- Barcelona will be without influential midfielder Andres Iniesta for most of the decisive run-in to the end of this season as the Catalan side seek to retain their Spanish and European titles. Iniesta had only just returned to Josep Guardiola's team last week as a substitute for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Arsenal, and then also came on in the 2-0 win at Real Madrid, but has suffered another injury blow in training after tearing a calf muscle. The 25-year-old Spain international could be out for up to a month, Barcelona's Web site reported on Tuesday, meaning he may not be fit to return until the club's final domestic league match against Real Valladolid on May 16. "Andres Iniesta suffered the injury during training and doctors have diagnosed a total rupture of the right femoral biceps muscle," the club's Web site said. Iniesta is set to miss the Champions League semifinals against Italian champions Inter Milan on April 20 and 28, but may return for the final on May 22 in Madrid if Barca progress that far. Barcelona lead Real by three points with seven matches to play ahead of Wednesday's home clash with Deportivo La Coruna, while their title rivals travel to Almeria on Thursday. Barca will again be without injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the Sweden international is expected to return to training before Saturday's local derby at Espanyol, the club's Web site reported. Meanwhile, Sevilla's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League suffered another blow with a 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Valladolid on Tuesday night. Sevilla stayed in fourth place on goal difference from Mallorca, who travel to struggling Zaragoza on Wednesday. Valladolid remained second from bottom despite giving former Spain coach Javier Clemente victory in his first home match. Clemente has earned four points from two games since taking over as Diego Costa headed the opening goal four minutes before halftime and fellow striker Manucho scored the second eight minutes after the break. Juan Cala pulled one back from long range with seven minutes left, but Sevilla fell to a ninth defeat from 16 away games this season. Getafe claimed seventh place from fellow Europa League Villarreal with a 3-0 victory in Tuesday's late match. On-loan striker Miku netted twice, scoring either side of a free-kick from Mane as all three goals came in the second half. Goalkeeper Diego Lopez gifted Miku the 56th-minute opener, and he pushed Mane's 25-yard strike onto the post and slowly over the line with 18 minutes left. Tenerife stayed in the third relegation place, one point above Valladolid, despite registering a first away win this season, 2-0 at mid-table Sporting Gijon. Roman Martinez and Alejandro Alfaro scored in the final 20 minutes to put the islanders just two points behind Malaga, who travel to Osasuna on Wednesday. | Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta ruled out for up to a month with a calf injury .
Spain star may not be fit to return until final match of domestic season on May 16 .
He will miss both legs of Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan this month .
Fourth-placed Sevilla suffer shock 2-1 defeat at relegation-threatened Valladolid . |
214,742 | a20531dd5a90cb4f7e844e2d58d8e1d25d8ae121 | By . Spencer Matthews . I've done the best job of my life this week. I had to stand around in an Aladdin's Cave-like warehouse in south east London whilst several beautiful women sprayed body oil all over me. Eight hours straight of female hands roaming all over my body - rubbing lotion, teasing hair, stroking and undressing me - all for the sake of art. Well, all for the sake of my 2015 calendar anyway. Yes, I know it seems strange to be talking about next year already when we are barely into Spring but they do things well in advance these calendar people. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . This week Spencer got dirtied up for his 2015 calender shoot . In the video below you can see me being petted (not heavy) by a number of beautiful stylists and make-up ladies - to get me all oiled up and dirty. I'm well aware that they were there to do a job, but nevertheless I enjoyed the attention. That said, four weeks ago when I was given the date for this shoot I was more than a bit concerned. I was not in great nick, I'd let myself go a little bit with some pretty full-on partying and was looking decidedly lumpy and I knew that Signature Calendars and photographer Ruth Rose would want me in little more than my boxer shorts for most of the day. So I hit the gym hard and had quite a bit of help from my will power in a bottle - Forza T5 Super Strengths diet supplements. Spencer had great fun being man-handled by the women on set during his shoot . Spencer went for a mean and moody look for his calender but was happy to lark around when the cameras weren't on him . If you are going to turn around weight-loss and toning quickly you have to be pretty committed. Gym at least every other day - hour-long high intensity sessions. I went to Shaun Stafford at City Athletic in London. Go hard or go home - there's no point just standing round the gym watching other people. Push yourself, get it done, and then feel good about yourself afterwards. Ok, I'll admit I felt pretty sick a few times when I first started, but one or two T5s in the morning helped with an energy boost, and then one in the afternoon to stop snacking. Eating clean is another big must - 3 or 4 low or no carb meals a day and nothing after 7pm, and cut down on the booze and late nights (OK, I wasn't great at that). In total I dropped 12lbs in four weeks and ta-da - now I don't look to bad in a tight vest, pretending to be docker working hard down the shipyards. Spencer was sprayed with body oil to achieve his sweaty look . | Spencer traveled to an East London studio for his calendar shoot this week .
The shoot lasted eight hours and involved a lot of body oil .
Spencer dropped 12 pounds in four weeks to look fit in front of the camera . |
249,915 | cf6e2aa37a0f9b40a11e8867941f22b07d30299a | By . Nathan Klein . Australian brothers Liam and Chris Hemsworth have appeared on-screen together for a mock sequel to the viral YouTube clip Charlie Bit My Finger. The skit, filmed exclusively for US talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, features the Hemsworth siblings in an action-packed spoof sequel to the original video - set 30 years later. Hollywood A-listers Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks also feature in the two-minute dark clip, directed by Batman's Christopher Nolan. Scroll down for video . Angry: Australian Chris Hemsworth plays the enraged older brother of 'Charlie' in the mock sequel to the YouTube clip 'Charlie Bit My Finger', which has more than 670 million views online . Sorry: Liam Hemsworth plays an apologetic 'Charlie' in the spoof, begging his older brother to forgive him for biting his finger 30 years ago . Mum: Meryl Streep plays the Hemsworth's mother in the spoof, telling Chris' character to 'let it go' Hollywood actor Tom Hanks stars as the Hemsworth's father, and warns Liam's character that his brother is 'coming for him' The original Charlie Bit My Finger video, which shows a young boy squealing hilariously as his baby brother painfully chomps on his index finger, has more than 670 million views on YouTube. The viral clip generated hundreds of copycat videos, with many trying to recreate the scene with their own siblings and friends. Nolan's 'Bitman Begins' clip, which aired in the US two days ago, has already got almost 700,000 views. The spoof video starts with Chris Hemsworth sitting in an armchair, still devastated over the imagined incident from 30 years ago. 'He was my brother...and we were inseparable,' he said, before comparing the two to Biblical characters Cain and Abel. 'His teeth were like razors.' A British accented Meryl Streep, playing Hemsworth's mother, pleads for Chris to 'let it go'. But Chris retorts: 'I will find him...and I will destroy him.' A hooded Tom Hanks holding a flaming torch is then shown warning Liam that Chris is 'coming for him' while dramatic music plays. Sibling rivalry: The Hemsworth brothers appear on camera for the first time in this fight scene in the hilarious spoof of YouTube video Charlie Bit My Finger . Brotherly love: The spoof video ends with the Hemsworth brothers lying in a pool of blood after they fall from a city rooftop . The original: The clip Charlie Bit My Finger has been watched more than 670 million times on YouTube, and started hundreds of copycat videos . The music escalates and the video then cuts to the brothers chasing each other on top of a city rooftop. When they come to a stop, Liam pleads that 'he was only a child' when the incident occurred - but Chris angrily replies that his younger brother was 'an animal', before holding up his mutilated left hand. After lunging at each other the pair then end up on the ground below in a pool of blood - with Chris delivering a hilarious line that people who have watched the original clip will understand before the credits roll. Brothers in arms: Actors Liam Hemsworth (left) and Chris Hemsworth, pictured at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscars Party, star in the spoof video 'Bitman Begins, directed by Christopher Nolan . Chris shot to fame after securing the lead role in Thor, which screened in 2011. Liam was recognised internationally after playing Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games films. This video is the first time the Hemsworth brothers have appeared together on camera. | Australian brothers Liam and Chris Hemsworth star in new spoof video .
It is a mock sequel to the viral Charlie Bit My Finger clip on YouTube .
The skit was filmed for US talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Hollywood's Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks also star in the two-minute clip .
The original video has been watched more than 670 million times . |
234,293 | bb4e1cd3e5fb3f27362f4654c3baaacaa0da5a67 | (CNN) -- Friend or foe? The first corner of the Canadian Grand Prix Sunday could settle the state of the fractious relationship between Mercedes rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg pipped his English stablemate to pole position by just 0.079 seconds in qualifying at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve to set up a sizzling start to the race. Facing the media in Montreal after his Monaco fallout with Rosberg, Hamilton said the spat was "done and dusted". He explained: "We spoke after the race and just like friends we have our ups and down, we've known each other a long, long time." It was Rosberg who did the talking on track Saturday, eking out extra pace on his final timed lap round the tricky, temporary circuit on the Ile Notre Dame. The German, who leads Hamilton by four points in the Formula 1 world championship, set a quickest time of one minute, 14.874 seconds. "I'm very, very happy it all worked out," Rosberg told reporters. "It's been a fantastic day and the best position for tomorrow." Hamilton, who was upset after being unable to set his potentially quickest time in Monaco because of an error by Rosberg on his final lap, appeared to lock up as he chased down his teammate's leading time in Montreal. Asked by reporters if it would be another tight race between himself and his teammate he said succinctly: "I would assume so, yes." Red Bull's reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel defied expectation to finish third with a brilliant final lap. "I tried to take more risks and it worked," said Vettel, who out-qualified his teammate Daniel Ricciardo for just the second time this season. "I kept it going until the end so all in all a good result and the maximum we could do. "I'll try and stay as close I can to those two and maybe get some tow. If we have the chance to attack them then we'll go for it." The Williams, powered by the dominant Mercedes turbo engine, performed well in Canada to show signs of finally coming good on its pre-season promise. Valtteri Bottas will line up for the Canadian Grand Prix in fourth ahead of his teammate Felipe Massa and Ricciardo. | Nico Rosberg takes pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix Sunday .
Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton finishes 0.079 seconds slower in second .
Hamilton predicts another close race with Rosberg after tense Monaco Grand Prix .
Red Bull's world champion Sebastian Vettel lines up third . |
248,766 | cde3609d76a9852be4bad8457f27762c1581618c | By . Laura Collins . The sister of the Indian diplomat accused keeping her maid a ‘virtual slave’ has hit out against critics’ claims that her sibling is a ‘rich elite poster girl of privilege.’ In an impassioned defence of her sister Devyani, 39, Sharmistha Khobragade has revealed: ‘She is receiving hate mails from unknown random people accusing her of ‘using slave labor’ and being a rich elite poster child of privilege.’ She said: ‘More than the public . humiliation she has been through, these accusations which attack the . very core of her value system are causing her deep pain and anguish.’ Scroll down for video . Viified as a 'rich elite poster child of privelege' but diplomat Devyani Khobragade is 'just another working mother' according to her sister Sharmistha . The Indian government reacted with outrage over the treatment of its Deputy Consul in New York who was arrested on charges of visa fraud, strip-searched and held in a cell with sex workers and drug addicts before posting $250,000 bail. But according to her sister: ‘The hate mail and the unfair accusations are far more likely to break Devyani’s spirit than anything else.’ Impassioned Defence: Dr Khobragade's sister Sharmistha has refuted claims that her sister is a 'poster child for privelege' Sharmistha broke her silence in a lengthy Facebook posting in which she rebutted the allegations made by Dr Khobragade’s maid, Sangeeta Richard. She hit back at the presentation of her sister as ‘a rich elite poster child of privilege, used to having servants at her beck and call, an exploiter and a hypocrite for talking about women’s rights.’ But Dr Khobragade’s background is certainly one of considerable comfort and academic ambition. Born and brought up in Mumbai, her father, Uttam is former magistrate and retired IAS officer and her uncle, Dr Ajay M Gondane is Indian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea. She studied medicine and qualified from the Seth GS Medical College and King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai but abandoned it to enter the Indian Foreign Service in 1999. She is proficient in English, Hindi, German and her mother tongue, Marathi. But it was neither family precedent nor her own undoubted abilities that secured Dr Khobragade her place in the IFS. Instead it was the fact that she is a Dalit – or Untouchable – which allowed her entrance to the IFS on the India’s quota system for ‘Schedule Castes', according to surprising reports in India. A total of 7.5 per cent of all jobs in the IFS must go to members of Scheduled Castes. The system was established with the aim of helping social mobility in an otherwise rigid culture of cast discrimination. Dr Khobragade's treatment was raised in India's parliament, the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday when Bahiyan Samaj Party leader, Mayawati accused central government of 'reacting late' because of the diplomat's low caste. Raised in a culture where inequity is keenly felt and plainly seen, Dr Khobragade’s campaigning on issues of equality is, according to her family, neither posturing nor hypocritical but, instead, profoundly personal. Allegations of keeping her maid a 'virtual slave' have struck to the very core of Dr Khobragade's value system . Had she been used to ‘having servants at her beck and call,’ her sister claimed: ‘Devyani would have taken servants each time she was posted abroad. ‘But she did not take a servant when she was unmarried and without children. The actual fact is that Devyani is happiest when she does not have servants around.’ Today, as a working mother to two daughters, now 3 and 6, ‘this is not an option for her.’ United front: Dr Khobragade's brother, Shashank, has also posted a spirited defence of his sister . An attack on Indian sovereignty: Dr Khobragade's father, Uttam, above has described America's treatment of his daughter as an attack on his nation . Sharmistha said: ‘I am concerned with whether she (Devyani) has mistreated, defrauded or exploited another human being in any way. The answer to this is a resounding, “no.”’ She claimed that Richard was paid ‘whatever Devyani had promised her.’ She explained: ‘A sum of Rs30,000 was paid into Sangeeta’s husband’s bank account in India monthly. In addition to this, according to the $9/hour contract, Devyani paid Sangeeta several hundred dollars each month in New York, in cash at her request.’ According to Sharmistha: ‘Sangeeta had two large comfortable rooms to herself in a well-appointed apartment with all modern facilities and a separate entrance.’ She ate the same food as the family, she had ‘complete discretion in managing the house’ and was ‘allowed to pace her work as she wished.’ In a glowing account of Richard’s working conditions she added: ‘She was allowed to come and go as she pleased, having the house keys, metro pass and the option to take taxis at Devyani’s expense.’ She added: ‘We was provided with a mobile phone, had bought an iPad which she often used for Facebook and could communicate with whomever she wished whenever she wished, in India or New York.’ 'The hate mail and accusations are far more likely to break Devyani's spirit than anything else,' -Sharmistha Khobragade . According to Sharmistha, Richard was welcomed as a member of the family and forged a close bond with the girls for whom she largely cared. In return she left ‘without any warning or notice,’ she said, and ‘without even leaving a good-bye not for the girls who were so fond of her.’ She claimed that Dr Khobragade offered to pay for Richard’s flight back to India if she was unhappy with her role and that when ‘she faced Devyani across a negotiating table,’ Richard told her: ‘I will not go back. Why will I go back? I know that if I go back I will never be able to come back to the US.‘So who exploited whom? Who used whom?’ By her own admission Sharmistha did not witness any of the scenes she so keenly described. But, she said: ‘I know most of this from Devyani and from my father who did visit her in the November 2012- June 2013 period.’ Unjustified: Strip searches are required of all suspects in the US but it is seen as outrageous- especially for women- in India . Demonstrators in Bhopal, India burn pictures of President Obama as they protest the arrest of Devyani Khobragade . Dr Khobragade’s brother, Shashank, posted his own comment describing the ‘US behaviour as arrogant and inhuman.’ Speaking to MailOnline Dr Khobragade’s father, Uttam, revealed that he planned to travel to New York to be with his daughter. Describing the sequence of events as ‘shocking’ he said: ‘She’s a brave girl. She has not done anything wrong. I myself was a magistrate for seven years. She has not done anything that warrants her arrest.’ And though Sharmistha spoke of her sister’s sense of personal betrayal, her father insisted: ‘The whole of India feels that it is not an attack on Devyani, it is an attack on Indian sovereignty.’ Additional Reporting by James Tapper in New Delhi . | Devyani Khobragade's sister claims hate mail and allegations could break her sibling's spirit .
Dr Khobragade's arrest in New York on allegations of visa fraud has sparked an international furor .
Maid claims she was paid below minimum wage and kept 'a slave'
Mother-of-two, Dr Khobragade studied medicine, her father is a former magistrate and uncle is Indian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea .
She is from the lowest Dalit - or 'Untouchable' - caste and got her job through a quota system .
Infighting sees party leader accuse Indian government of 'reacting late' because of her caste .
Dr Khobragade's father says 'US attack' on his 'brave daughter' is an attack on Indian sovereignty . |
87,326 | f7c348e02c1b84e9a41fe961b4b6660975a8ead9 | (CNN) -- Uganda's parliament adjourned Friday without acting on a bill that would have made engaging in homosexual acts a capital offense, leaving the future of the widely condemned bill uncertain. Though parliament's mandate ends May 18, next week has been reserved for the swearing in of new members. Friday's lack of action on the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill means that the issue will not be discussed this session. The bill has been condemned internationally since October 2009, when it was introduced. In addition to proposing the death penalty for certain gay acts, it proposed requiring anyone aware of violations of the bill to report them to the authorities within a day or face criminal sanction, said Human Rights Watch. The bill would have criminalized "promotion of homosexuality," the organization said in a written statement. That would have jeopardized the work of promoters of human rights, it said. The bill or an amended version of it could be presented in the next parliament, which is expected to open in June, Human Rights Watch said. But by then it would have to return to the beginning of the legislative process, the organization said. "Today marks the end of a chapter in the fight to protect the rights of the LGBT community in Uganda but the struggle isn't over yet," said Graeme Reid, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Program at Human Rights Watch, "There's a real danger we might see this bill remerge in some form." Amnesty International released a statement expressing relief over the lack of action on the bill, which proposed life in prison for marriage by same-sex couples. "We are relieved that the Anti-Homosexuality Bill was not passed into law today," said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International's deputy director for Africa. "This bill would have institutionalized the discrimination, including harassment and arbitrary arrests, that LGBT people in Uganda already face." In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner on Thursday condemned the proposed bill as "odious." He added that both President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "publicly said it is inconsistent with universal human rights standards and obligations." Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in Africa, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism. In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison, according to rights activists. | The future of the widely condemned bill is uncertain .
The bill would jeopardize the work of rights activists, Human Rights Watch says .
If presented in the next session, it would have to start the legislative process anew .
The U.S. government has described the bill as "odious" |
153,661 | 529281abf69318bae60c3a34891ff75a5ed8a68b | Liverpool is always very special to me because of John, and I love London, of course. But now I have added Folkestone to my list of special places. It's very surprising to me! I was invited to visit because I have artworks in the Folkestone Triennial 2014. I thought I was coming to a sleepy little town, but I found this amazing energy, so much activity - a kind of spiritual rising. It's not just a beautiful place; it also has an incredible history linked to the First World War.A . A new vision: Yoko Only gazes across the waterfront in Folkestone on her first visit to the Kent port-town . I went to pay my respects at the new Memorial Arch, and I think it's so powerful. It was dedicated by Prince Harry in August to the fallen soldiers and nurses who walked down Remembrance Road to the harbour to go to war. There are crocheted red poppies on the railings lining the road, and it's very moving. All the artworks from the Triennial are placed around the town, and they are part of daily life, instead of being a show in a museum. So you see them when you're shopping or walking on your way to work, it's very casual. Folkestone is a town that wants the world to know that it likes art, that it is sensitive to art, and I wanted to promote that idea. I am invited to art events around the world, but I wanted to go to Folkestone because I believe in localisation, and I wanted to wave the flags for them. Bright and beautiful: Folkestone shows its arty side in the studios, galleries and shops of its Creative Quarter . I made Earth Peace, one of my installations, to acknowledge the debt owed to those who died in the wars of the last century. The words are on a billboard by the railway station, and on a flag at the Grand hotel. There is also a light spelling out 'Earth Peace' in Morse code. I wanted to acknowledge the soldiers who died in the First World War. I saw old photos of them in a wonderful exhibition, Folkestone During The War, organised by the local History Society. I had gone to the Folkestone Library to see my other installation, Skyladder 2014, and when I went up the stairs I discovered the exhibition. I learned that, during the First World War, the people of Folkestone took in 115,000 Belgian refugees who arrived by boat and were welcomed and treated very well. It was much more than double the population - how did they manage? That was quite something in those days. I found it moving. In fact I was welcomed here myself once before, in 1966. It was the year I met John, and I came to the Metropole Arts Centre for what they now call performance art. It was very avant-garde and I didn't think anybody would understand it, but people here showed me smiles, and that was a sign for me. There is something special about a town by the water. The sea air is very good for your health. John's Aunt Mimi used to live at the seaside. When John became halfway successful, he bought a beautiful house for her at Poole in Dorset, overlooking the ocean. As a child in Japan, I had a very special situation, because my mother had a summer house at the seaside in Kamakura. Now I live in New York, but Manhattan is an island, surrounded by water. In Folkestone, there is a wonderful fish restaurant, Rocksalt, where I had a fabulous squid lunch. The setting by the harbour is amazing. Pretty persuasion: Yoko praises Folkestone for its 'amazing energy', and says it could 'cleanse your spirit' Over lunch we were discussing the fact that the guy who designed the CND peace sign, Gerald Holtom, is buried near here. He must have an incredibly strong vibe, and with all the vibrations of the other beautiful people I thought: 'No wonder!' I went there to give energy and it was the other way round! I got a lot back. It was a spiritual exchange, extremely positive, and it made me happy. Visit Folkestone… it could cleanse your spirit. Yoko Ono was talking to Nina Myskow. The Folkestone Triennial 2014 (www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk) runs until November 2. | Widow of John Lennon visited the town for the Folkestone Triennial event .
Painter and artist says she thinks the town has 'this amazing energy'
Folkestone is currently staging an exhibition about the First World War . |
40,148 | 714bbc1a0634677b0c2315f4fa3b750b1572bf30 | By . Daily Mail Reporters . PUBLISHED: . 00:55 EST, 10 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:56 EST, 10 July 2013 . Arrest: Laura Elizabeth Whitehurst, 28, allegedly had sex with three high school students . Laura Whitehurst, the former high school teacher accused of having sex with her students and giving birth to one of their children, pleaded not guilty to the charges against her in court on Tuesday. Whitehurst, who was arrested and charged Monday, was arraigned by video inside the San Bernardino Superior Courthouse. ‘She's a clean-cut American girl sitting in jail, so she's having a hard time, but she will be OK,’ her defense attorney, James Gass, said. The former Citrus Valley High School teacher was wearing a green jail jumpsuit, an indication that she was being held in protective custody. The defendant sat quietly and only spoke to answer the judge's questions. Whitehurst, 28, has been charged with 41 felony counts of unlawful sex acts with a minor, which include 30 counts of unlawful sex with a minor and 11 counts of oral copulation of a person under 18, according to court records. ‘The first 30 counts are basically sex with a minor, or an underage person. And then the other remaining counts are oral copulation with a person under the age of 18. There are three named victims in this case,’ prosecutor Melissa Rodriguez said. Whitehurst, from Redlands, California, was arrested last week after the mother of the boy - now 17 - reported their alleged year-long relationship and subsequent birth of their child to police. The Citrus Valley High student is believed to have been present at the birth. She met him while acting as his adviser at the school. Since then, two more former students have come forward to claim they had a sexual relationship with Whitehurst. If convicted, she faces up to 29 years in prison. Her bail was increased from $25,000 to $750,000 in light of the recent allegations. She told investigators she and the father of her child began having sex at her apartment after a Disneyland trip in 2012. Another victim was a 14-year-old freshman during the time of their alleged relationship. 'The victim, now 20, told police that he and Whitehurst had sex in her classroom before school, as well as at her apartment and in her car,' a police news release stated. The latest victim to come forward said . he was 16 when he had sex with Whitehurst when she was his English . teacher at Redlands High School. With child: Whitehurst, 28, gave birth to a baby last month who was allegedly fathered by a student, aged 16 . The victim, who identified himself to NBC4 as . 22-year-old Michael Cooper, said the class had been told to write about . their dreams and afterwards, Whitehurst told him she had dreamed of . kissing him during a school field trip. 'I didn't have anything to say . really,' he said. 'I was like, "Oh really, that's crazy," and a couple . of days later, we ended up actually kissing.' He . said that they kissed in her classroom and two weeks later, she invited him to her apartment and . he spent the night. They . continued to have sex a few times a month but he said he never felt as . if they were in a relationship, but when they contacted each other, they . both knew what was going to happen, he said. 'When . it happens, you're kind of like, . all right, this is pretty badass,' he said. 'You know, my teacher is . into me. I was 17 and I was having a good time is what it was. 'I didn't feel like a victim; I'm not . scarred for life or anything. To be honest, I had a . good time when it was going on.' 'Former flame': Michael Cooper, now 22, said he had sex with the teacher when he was just 16. He said that she told him she had dreamed about kissing him and they later had sex at her home . 'Lovers': Images show Cooper, then 16, and Whitehurst, then 23, at the time of their 'relationship' in 2007 . But . in spring 2008, he said he stopped returning the teacher's messages and . calls as he had a girlfriend and had started to feel guilty. They . eventually broke the relationship off amicably, he said. He added that he did not get preferential treatment in class because of their relationship. Cooper . has filed a police report but told authorities he does not wish to . press charges. He told NBC4 that he wanted to share his story to . encourage other victims to come forward. Whitehurst said that they had a . relationship 'but not to that extent', Redlands police Detective Natasha . Crawford said during a phone interview. According to the Redlands Police . Department, Whitehurst's underage lover - with whom she had a child - was 16-years-old during their . year-long relationship, which allegedly started last summer. 'Bad teacher': Whitehurst, left in a yearbook picture, allegedly had sex with three teenage students . The . mother of the alleged victim, who is now 17, became . aware of the affair between her son and his teacher and notified the . Redlands United School District, which in turn contacted police. Whitehurst gave birth to a child June 18, and police say her former student is the father. Since her arrest last week, Whitehurst had been placed on administrative leave. ‘Nothing is as important to us as the safety of our students and the District takes this arrest very seriously. 'We are fully cooperating with police in their investigation of this matter,’ Assistant School Superintendent Sabine Robertson-Phillips said. The educator graduated from Redlands East Valley High School and taught English to sophomores at Citrus Valley, where she was also a Link Crew adviser and a Compact Careers Club adviser. In 2010, Whitehurst was also an assistant soccer coach. She previously was a volunteer soccer coach for American Youth Soccer Organization in Redlands. The news blog PE.com reported that Whitehurst's father, Dale Whitehurst, has served as principal of Brywn Mawr Elementary and Moore Middle schools in Redlands. He also worked as assistant principal at Redlands Easy Valley high School. Safe space: Whitehurst taught English to sophomores at Citrus Valley high School, where she was also a Link Crew adviser and a Compact Careers Club adviser . | Laura Elizabeth Whitehurst arrested last and released on $25,000 bail .
Her baby was allegedly fathered by 16-year-old student she advised .
He was said to be at the hospital when the baby was born .
Second 'victim was 16 when they had sexual relationship in 2007 after she told him she had dreamed about kissing him'
Third 'victim was just 14 when they had sex in her classroom and car'
Faces up to 29 years in prison .
Pleaded not guilty on Tuesday . |
16,505 | 2ed35d12a31042d51e48eca276d2c0c54ab6a5b6 | A lump of fat the size of a double decker bus has been discovered clogging a London sewer. The Fatberg, described as 15 tonnes of festering food mixed with wet wipes and a host of other disgusting ephemera, was found blocking pipes under Kingston in south London. The revolting mass caused sewage flows through the pipes to be reduced to five per cent of normal capacity and was created by people pouring cooking oils down the drain and flushing sanitary products. Scroll down for video through the sewer . Screen grab from CCTV footage of a giant 'fatberg' discovered in a sewer under the streets of Kingston in south London. It was described as the size of a double decker bus . The blockage was so critical it threatened to blast untreated sewage through manhole covers onto the streets of one of the leafiest London boroughs. Engineers who found the colossal blockage of congealed fat said they had never seen anything like it. Gordon Hailwood, waste contracts supervisor for Thames Water said: 'We've never seen a single, congealed lump of lard this big clogging our sewers before. 'Given we've got the biggest sewers and this is the biggest fatberg we've encountered, we reckon it has to be the biggest such 'berg' in British history. Rivers of filth: If workers hadn't cleared the mass, raw sewage could have spurted out of manholes across the whole of Kingston . 'The sewer was almost completely clogged with over 15 tonnes of fat. 'If we hadn't discovered it in time, raw sewage could have started spurting out of manholes across the whole of Kingston.' The blockage was discovered after residents in nearby flats complained they couldn't flush their toilets and repairs could take six weeks to complete. Workmen used a high-pressure jet of water to blast away the massive blockage over 10 nights. Mr Hailwood said homes and businesses need to change their ways, and when it comes to fat and wipes people need to 'bin it, not block it'. | Repugnant mass of congealed rotting fat and other sickening waste found .
Sewage workers have never seen the likes of the mass - as big as a bus .
It could have sent sewage surging onto the streets of south London . |
284,127 | fc1f450eb68f003db633bf5a6797cb8b39bbed94 | Gareth Bale sustained a bloodied nose on Tuesday night after being caught in the face during Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Ludogorets in the Champions League. The Welshman had to be substituted after taking a hit on the nose as defender Georgi Terziev put in a forceful challenge during the Group B clash. Falling to the ground, Bale looked down at his hands as blood dripped down from his face and on to the Bernabeu pitch. Gareth Bale was left bloodied after being caught on the nose during Real Madrid's vcitory over Ludogorets . Bale took the full force of Georgi Terziev's arm as the Ludogorets defender challenged the Welshman . The Real Madrid forward fell the floor and immediately held his face following the challenge . Bale appears slightly dazed as blood drips from his nose and on to the Bernabeu turf . Bale holds his hands out and looks to the ground as blood drips from his nose . Blood pours out of Bale's nose as players from both sides tended to the injured Madrid star . Bale holds a towel to his nose in a bid to stop the flow of blood as a physio tends the Real Madrid player . Bale was withdrawn with seven minutes remaining as Real Madrid claimed a 4-0 victory on Tuesday night . The 25-year-old looked dazed holding a towel to his face in a bid to stop the flow of blood as Real Madrid physios tended to the injury. The former Tottenham forward was eventually withdrawn in the 83rd minute of the match. Spanish giants Real made it six wins from six in this season's Champions League, topping the group - above Basle, Liverpool and Ludogorets. The victory also saw the current La Liga leaders secure their 19th straight win courtesy of goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Bale, Alvaro Arbeloa and Alvaro Medran. Carlo Ancelotti's men travel to league strugglers Almeria on Friday night before taking on Valencia after the winter break on January 4. Head here to Like MailOnline Sport's Facebook page. VIDEO Real form surprising Ancelotti . Bale celebrates his goal in traditional style by forming a heart with his hands after doubling his side's lead . Real Madrid's first team stars applaud their fans after qualifying for the next stage of the Champions League . | Gareth Bale was forced off during Real Madrid's win over Ludogorets .
The Welshman was sustained a bloodied nose after being caught by defender Georgi Terziev .
Spanish giants progressed having won all six of their Group B matches . |
211,049 | 9d519752df7a40450aaeb50fd30b1deea95ccce7 | By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 21:59 EST, 12 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:24 EST, 13 May 2013 . It will be a very lucky pair of hands who gets to tinkle on these ivories. Because this instrument is the oldest surviving grand piano in the country. It was handmade in London by Americus Backers in 1772 and was owned by the first Duke of Wellington. Play it again! Americus's design is the blueprint for the modern grand pianoforte . It will be returned to the home of its former owner, the first Duke of Wellington, at Hyde Park Corner in central London . It has now been returned to Apsley House, in London, where it will be played during a concert called 'The Duke of Wellington's Music of the French Wars' later this month. It is the only known fortepiano by Backers existing today and has previously been on loan to the Russell Collection in Edinburgh. The hammer mechanism is truly a breakthrough in design, Michael Cole, an instrument restorer and maker from Prestbury in Gloucestershire said. Simple and reliable, it has withstand the test of time because of its unique advantage over others made in the same period. The piano built in London by renowned piano maker Americus Backers in 1722 and formally owned by the first Duke of Wellington has been returned to Apsley House . In tune: It has been returned to Apsley House where it will be played during a concert entitled 'The Duke of Wellington's Music of the French Wars' Its design allowes users to adjust it and maintain its mechanisms through a series of set-off screws, easily accessible by removing the nameboard. Americus Backers is often lauded as the father of the English grand pianoforte style. He brought the hammer striking action for keyboard instruments from his master, Gottfried Silbermann’s, workshop in Freiburg, Germany to England in the mid-18th century. Unlike other former students of Silbermann, who built square pianos with Silbermann’s method, he built into a grand harpsichord case and added two tonal effects – una corda and damper lift – activated by pedals built into the dedicated trestle stand, again his original innovation. Americus Backers is often lauded as the father of the English grand pianoforte style . Music professor David Owen Norris playing the oldest surviving English grand piano before going on display at Apsley House . Americus Backers is often lauded as the father of the English grand pianoforte style . This new innovation transformed English music prompting composers and musicians to consign the plucked string harpsichord and its music to history. Americus’s design is the blueprint for the modern grand pianoforte. The grand Aspley building was to the Duke of . Wellington after his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo, the interior of . the house has changed very little since the days of the Iron Duke. The house boasts one of the finest . art collections in London, with paintings by Velazquez and Rubens as . well as a wonderful collection of silver and porcelain. A massive nude statue of Napoleon is considered to be one of the most treasured pieces of the museums. | Once owned by the first Duke of Wellington .
Will be played in concert about the French Wars . |
110,358 | 1a45dafdf30a5a9ed7adb637f368f2832593d32d | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In what a U.S. military official calls an "inadvertent encounter," a Chinese submarine hit an underwater sonar array being towed by the destroyer USS John McCain on Thursday. The USS John S. McCain, left, anchored at the port of Incheon 40 km west of Seoul, Korea in March 2004. The array was damaged, but the sub and the ship did not collide, the official said. A sonar array is a device towed behind a ship that listens and locates underwater sounds. The incident occurred near Subic Bay off the coast of the Philippines. The official, who declined to be named because the incident had not been made public, would not say whether the U.S. ship knew the submarine was that close to it. However, the Navy does not believe this was a deliberate incident of Chinese harassment, as it would have been extremely dangerous had the array gotten caught in the submarine's propellers. The Navy has complained in the past that Chinese vessels, including fishing boats, have deliberately tried to disrupt U.S. naval activities in international waters near China. In one widely publicized incident in March, five Chinese vessels maneuvered close enough to the USNS Impeccable to warrant the use of a fire hose by the unarmed American vessel to avoid a collision. The Navy later released video of that incident. | The array was damaged, but the sub and the ship did not collide .
Navy does not believe it was a deliberate incident of Chinese harassment .
Navy has complained of Chinese vessels disrupting U.S. naval activities . |
87,411 | f7fc41084d05ee2bd3f57908f145350c439241d9 | By . Joel Christie . Police say their thankful no one else was hurt following a murder-suicide in Los Angeles on Friday night, after seven children witnessed the shootings. The incident occurred after a man 'had drunk five or more beers' and started arguing with his common law wife at their apartment in Panorama City. The man called his friend and said he was going to kill himself, according to NBC Los Angeles. Then, as the friend was hurrying over to the apartment on the 8700 block of Tobias Street, he received a text from the man, who said he intended to kill his wife as well. Scene: A man shot and killed his common law wife in front of seven children and then turned the gun on himself at this address in Panaroma City, Los Angeles, on Friday night, police said . As the friend arrived at the scene, he heard yelling and then gunshots. Police said the man shot the 41-year-old victim at least once and then tried to shoot himself. 'At that point, the (19-year-old) daughter’s boyfriend pushed the gunman out of the apartment,' LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon told NBC. 'The gunman then turned the gun on himself once again, this time killing himself with a shotgun blast to the head.' The victim and the gunman shared only one of the seven children that were present at the time a 10-year-old son. However the woman's 13 and 16-year-old sons, a pregnant 19-year-old daughter, and the daughter's one, three and four-year-old children. 'Tragic as this is, it could have been so much worse,' Lt. Vernon told NBC. 'It's lucky no one else was killed or wounded in that crowded apartment, either on purpose or by accident, thanks in part to the boyfriend.' | Murder-suicide occurred Friday night in Panorama City, Los Angeles .
Man killed common law wife in front of seven children, one just 12-months-old . |
225,841 | b06e21043c095c6a2d364c416e748f1ed0c6a317 | Villagers in southern China are suffering a crippling disease causing their hands and feet to slowly deform, twist out of shape and erupt with blisters – leaving doctors baffled. The bones in their limbs seem to be twisting, and in some cases, painful pustules are also appearing on their skin. Some of villagers affected have been suffering from the disease for years and have been left unable to work because of their painful joints. Villagers in southern China are suffering a crippling disease causing their hands and feet to slowly deform, twist out of shape and erupt with blisters . Many of the villagers have been left unable to work because of their painful joints . Many of the villagers have sought medical help, but doctors are baffled as to what is causing the symptoms . Medics sent to the village, in the Yalong township, southern China, identified 20 people suffering from the bizarre disease . The most popular theory is the villagers could be suffering from rare condition called Kashin-Beck disease, also known as ‘Big Bone Disease’. This is a disorder which causes sufferers to slowly develop stiff, deformed joints and shortened limbs. They become short in stature due to the death of growth plates of bones and joint cartilage. It usually occurs in children. Occurring in China, Siberia and North Korea, it is caused mainly by lack of the elements iodine or selenium in the water or food. Although toxic in large amounts, small amounts of these elements is vital in humans for a healthy functioning body. Treatment for the disease alleviates the symptoms but cannot cure it. Chinese and Russian orthopaedists have carried out surgery on deformed joints, and physical therapy can help with moving and joint pain. Medics sent to help the villagers have been left stumped, but the most popular theory is they could be suffering from rare condition called Kashin-Beck disease, also known as ‘Big Bone Disease’. Occurring in China, Siberia and North Korea, it is caused mainly by lack of the element selenium in the water or food. Although toxic in large amounts, a small amount of selenium is vital in humans for a healthy functioning body. Health workers sent to help the villagers, in the Yalong township, on the outskirts of the city of Hechi in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, identified 20 people suffering from the bizarre disease. In most cases it is the men in the village who are affected, although there are also some women with the condition. Health care worker Doctor Li Wu, 41, said: 'In many cases this doesn't only just look bad, it also significantly affects the person's ability to work. 'For people in a rural community who have to carry out a lot of manual work it is a disaster.' For example, Luo Guiyu, 38, can now only do light housework after first discovering she was suffering from the problem 12 years ago. She said many of the villagers had sought medical help but nobody knew what was wrong with them. She said: 'Many of my neighbours have been to different health centres and hospitals but nobody seems to know what the problem is, although it's great that the experts have now come here to try and get to the bottom of it.' Doctor Wu and his team have been carrying out tests on the water and on the food that the villagers have been growing in the hope of confirming that it is Kashin-Beck disease the villagers are suffering from. There is no cure for Kashin-Beck disease, but surgery or physical therapy can help with the symptoms. However, tests are still being carried out and the experts say it is too early to say whether the rare condition, usually found in children, is definitely the cause. They are hoping they will be able to prevent further outbreaks and offer some alleviation to those already infected. Medics have been left stumped as to what is causing the symptoms - but the most popular theory is they are suffering from a rare form of Kashin-Beck syndrome, caused by a lack of the element selenium in the water . Luo Guiyu, 38, can now only do light housework after first discovering she was suffering from the problem 12 years ago. Many of her neighbours have visited hospitals and medical centres with no luck, she said . | Villagers in south China are suffering twisted bones, sore joints and blisters .
Medics sent to help identified at least 20 people with the bizarre disease .
Some have suffered for years and cannot work due to joint pain .
Currently, doctors say they do not know what is causing the symptoms .
One theory is they are suffering from rare condition Kashin-Beck disease .
This is caused by lack of elements selenium and iodine, but there's no cure .
Health workers are currently testing water and food in the area . |
228,104 | b35d2bfdcdfa6c75ef6155efcfa03df44f4cd9f5 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:58 EST, 6 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:54 EST, 7 October 2013 . Pippa Middleton was all smiles as she arrived at Heathrow's Terminal 5 Airport with her boyfriend Nico Jackson after a weekend of shooting pheasant and partridge in Edinburgh. The sister of the Duchess of Cambridge was photographed chatting on the phone as she walked through the arrivals lounge with her suitcase. The socialite looked autumnal sporting a grey knitted jumper and camel coloured cape coat. Pippa Middleton arrives at London's Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 with her boyfriend Nico Jackson . Pippa Middleton arriving at Heathrow's Terminal 5 wearing a cape with her boyfriend Nico Jackson . Pippa Middleton spent the weekend shooting grouse on The Drum Estate in Edinburgh which belongs to her former boyfriend Billy More-Nesbitt . Over the weekend Pippa, a well-known fan . of the sporting life, was pictured grinning broadly with her friends . after what looks like a successful day’s at the sprawling Drum Estate in . Gilmerton, south of Edinburgh. The front row consists of partridges, the middle row has hen pheasants, while the back line comprises cock pheasants. The . photograph was posted on the picture-sharing website Instagram . yesterday by a user called John Greig, whose page is publicly available . for anyone to view. Shoot: Pippa (third left) poses with the party, including Charlotte More Nisbett (far left) and 50 birds . Fair game: Pippa Middleton was photographed at a bird shoot just south of Edinburgh . He apparently posted the image just hours after the shoot. It . is believed the shoot may have been organised by Charlotte More . Nisbett, the husband of Billy More Nisbett, whose family own the estate. Earlier this year, Pippa grabbed the headlines after she went on a boar and deer hunting trip in France. | The sister of the Duchess of Cambridge flew in to Heathrow's Terminal 5 .
Her boyfriend Nico Jackson walked alongside her as she chatted on phone .
The 30-year-old had enjoyed a weekend away at Drum Estate in Edinburgh . |
262,269 | dfb3dfae0645addcdb649878e88f6376d2df03ae | Brunswick, Georgia (CNN) -- The investigation into the shooting of a baby in Brunswick, Georgia -- a crime that's grabbed national headlines -- has taken yet another turn with the arrest of a local politician. The arrest stemmed from a verbal exchange between Brunswick City Commissioner James Henry Brooks and the family of one of the teen suspects in the slaying during the suspects' first court appearance on Monday. According to his attorney, Brooks told the family of De'Marquise Elkins, 17, that they didn't have to talk to police. "What he was trying to do, at the point and time that he was approached here at the courthouse, was just tell these folks you have a right to remain silent," Brooks' attorney Alan Tucker told reporters Friday. Brooks is a distant relative of the Elkins family, his wife, Alicia Brooks, told CNN. She did not know exactly how they are related. The 59-year-old commissioner was charged with influencing a witness and obstructing law enforcement in an investigation, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office said. Brooks was arrested Thursday, posted $5,000 bond and left jail Friday afternoon. Tucker said his client was not trying to interfere with the investigation. "I don't know why he spoke with the Elkins family other than the fact that they are constituents of his," the attorney said. "The public defender's office put a statement out earlier in the week, and I think that there were many people in the community who maybe thought that these two young men had not committed the crime with which they are charged with, and evidence has come to light and the gun was found." Under the terms of his bond, Brooks is not allowed to have any contact with the victims, witnesses, potential witnesses or investigators involved in the investigation of the murder of 13-month-old Antonio Santiago, who was killed March 21. The child's mother, Sherry West, has said that two teenagers came up to her in the street in broad daylight. One pointed a gun at her and told her that if she didn't give him her money he would shoot her and shoot her baby. West said that the teen fired at her, hitting her in one leg and barely missing her head. The teen, she said, then shot her baby in the face. Elkins and Dominique Lang, 15, have been charged with murder. Elkins' mother, aunt and sister have also been arrested on various charges alleging that they have hindered the investigation. The sister, 19-year-old Sabrina Elkins, was arrested on an evidence tampering charge, the Glynn County Sheriff's Office said. She was named in a grand jury indictment, released Wednesday, accusing her of helping her mother get rid of the gun authorities say was used to kill the child. Authorities did not reveal her alleged role in disposing of the gun, which police found in a pond 2.3 miles from where the baby was shot. Baby's death marks second time mom loses a son to violence . Sabrina Elkins "was part of that, and that's the most I can answer of that question right now," Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said Thursday. The grand jury also indicted Elkins' mother, Karimah Aisha Elkins, 36, and aunt, Katrina Latrelle Elkins, 33, on charges of making false statements or writings, among other things. Elkin's mother, Karimah Aisha, and his sister, Sabrina, made their first court appearance Friday and were ordered held without bond, according to Ron Corbett, the Glynn County's undersheriff. None of the women is accused of involvement in the shooting itself. The same grand jury that indicted the women also named De'Marquise Elkins and Lang as being involved in the shooting, prosecutors said. Elkins is accused of malice and felony murder, along with other charges. Lang is accused of felony murder. Although Lang is a minor, CNN is identifying him because he is charged as an adult and media in the community have been naming him since his arrest. Investigators are looking into the possibility of a gang tie to the shooting, Doering said. "That's being explored, whether a gang involvement was part of this," he said. "And that's all that I can say right now." Doering declined to say whether more arrests were possible as the investigation continues . West gave this account to police about the shooting: . One of the boys pointed a gun at her and said, "'Give me your money or I'm going to kill you and I'm going to shoot your baby and kill your baby.'" The boy tried to grab her purse and opened fire when she told him she had no money. One shot hit her in the leg and one grazed her head. The boy then shot the child. West tried to resuscitate her son as bystanders called 911 for help. Mom to teenage son accused in baby shooting: 'I love you' CNN's Chelsea J. Carter, Joe Sutton, Victor Blackwell, Paul Caron and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report. | NEW: The mother and sister of a suspect have been ordered held without bond .
The city official is related to the family of one of the murder suspects, his wife says .
Attorney: James Henry Brooks wasn't trying to interfere with investigation .
Two Brunswick, Georgia, teenagers have been charged with murder . |
140,744 | 41fb889ae49933c4dc0369422edbf2672443c022 | By . Lillian Radulova for Daily Mail Australia . William Thoms was born with profound hearing loss in his right ear and moderate hearing loss in his left . William Thoms is just like every other little boy. His mother says he 'loves to make noise'. But only two years ago, the three-year-old could barely hear a thing after being born with profound hearing loss in his right ear and moderate hearing loss in his left. Despite the long battle ahead of him, in which he has to attend weekly speech therapy classes and audiologist appointments, his mother Penelope from Caste Hill in New South Wales, told Daily Mail Australia that her son was lucky. 'We look at his hearing impairment as fortunate because he was born with it and we can help him at a young age,' Mrs Thoms said. William is one of an estimated 3.5 million Australians who have some degree of hearing loss, according to Australian Hearing. Mrs Thoms first found out about her son's problem within the first week of Williams birth when the hospital performed a number of Statewide Infant Screening - Hearing (SWISH) tests that brought back poor results. The three-year-old was fitted with a hearing aid and a cochlear implant before his first birthday . He's now starting to sing along to his favourite songs and is communicating with others perfectly for his age . 'It was a bit of a shock,' Mrs Thoms said, due to having no family history of similar problem. 'We kept wondering "what kind of life is he going to have?"' But before he turned one, William was fitted with a hearing aid on his left ear, and by the time he was nine-months-old he underwent surgery to receive a cochlear implant. 'With the implant and hearing aid, he can hear like a normal child. The second we had it switched on – 10 days after the operation - we could tell there was a great improvement,' Mrs Thoms said. 'He could hear all these different sounds, like planes overhead, so it was quite a fascinating process to watch,' His mother, Penelope Thoms, said of her son after he had his cochlear implant (pictured) Mrs Thoms (pictured) said the devices allow him to hear like a regular person and that her son has to have weekly speech therapy where he 'learnt how to speak from scratch' Source: NIDCD and Connect Hearing . 'Because he could already hear from his left ear through the hearing aid, we thought there would be not much of a reaction and it was a subtle reaction at first where he just had a curious look about him, but then after a week or two at home you really started to notice the difference. 'He could hear all these different sounds, like just our movements across the floorboards and planes overhead, so it was quite a fascinating process to watch him become aware of all these sounds.' But it all can get a little bit too much for a little fellow, Mrs Thoms revealed, as she described a time that William refused to wear both his hearing aid and implant attachments. 'He would break down and throw a tantrum because he didn't want to have anything on his head and that was very hard because he changed completely. He was very snappy and negative and would get upset often because he couldn't hear. 'And then we just persevered one day and kept putting it on until he got used to it. William is one of an estimated 3.5 million Australians who have some degree of hearing loss, according to Australian Hearing . 'We checked with his audiologist and it might have been something emotional he was going through because he didn’t have any ear aches and there was no sign of infection.' Now, little William is more than happy to have his full hearing and only takes off his aids when he’s tired or feeling unwell, but according to his mother, that won't last. 'It's going to come; the day when I'm getting him in trouble for something and he just turns them off and says "But mummy, I didn't hear!".' The organisation is promoting Hearing Awareness Week, August 24-30, in which they hope to inspire the thousands of people with untreated hearing loss to seek help. Through Hearing Awareness Week, Australian’s can get free hearing checks with Australian Hearing . | Three-year-old William was born with profound hearing loss in his right ear and moderate hearing loss in his left .
Before his first birthday, he was fitted with a hearing aid and a cochlear implant .
Over three million Australians have some degree of hearing loss according to Australian Hearing who are promoting Hearing Awareness Week . |
115,986 | 21b2dba06fbbfc3cac63ccae3552869f1f9d8907 | 1960 Maradona is born . Maradona (L) and Kusturica (R) arrive at the screening of 'Maradona', Cannes International Film Festival 2008. 1971 Scouted age 11 for the junior team of Argentinos Juniors . 1976 Makes his professional debut aged 15 . 1977 Makes his full international debut for Argentina aged just 16 . 1979 Scores first international goal and wins the junior World Cup . 1981 Transfers to Boca Juniors for $1.96m. 1982 Plays his first World Cup for Argentina, scoring twice, but also getting sent off. Afterwards he is transferred to Barcelona FC for a then world record $9.81m. 1983 Wins the Spanish Cup with Barcelona . 1984 Transfers from Barcelona to Serie A Napoli for another record fee of $13.54m. 1986 Captains Argentina to World Cup Victory, scoring two goals against England on the way, the first, the infamous "Hand of God" and the second an incredible 50 meter run voted "Goal of the Century" in a 2002 FIFA poll. 1987 Helps Napoli to their first Italian title . 1990 Hit by paternity suit after World Cup final defeat by West Germany . 1991 Fails a drugs test and is banned for 15 months. Leaves Italy in disgrace. 1992 Makes his comeback at Sevilla in Spain . 1993 Heads back to Argentina with Newell's Old Boys after disagreement with Sevilla . 1994 Sent home after failing drugs test at the World Cup in the U.S.A. 1996 Books into a clinic for drug addiction. 1997 Announces retirement from football aged 37 after failing another drugs test . 2000 Collapses with heart problems . 2002 Moves to Cuba to try and combat drug addiction . 2004 Rushed to hospital after another collapse . 2005 Maradona hosts his own talk show, interviewing Pele on the opening night . 2008 Emir Kusturica's documentary "Maradona" is shown at the Cannes Film festival . | Maradona was scouted for Argentinos Juniors when aged 11 .
Captained his country to World Cup victory in 1986 .
Has battled with drug addiction and health issues in recent years .
"Maradona" documentary shown at Cannes Film Festival, May 2008 . |
117,358 | 238dd8d713617281d5bd3a1e1fa5650c22c432e6 | A Saudi diplomat and his Yemeni aide were killed Wednesday in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, according to a senior official at the Saudi Embassy there. The diplomat, named as Khaled al-Onizi, and his assistant were shot dead in an attack on their vehicle near the Saudi official's residence in Bait Zabatan district, a suburb of the capital near Hadda district. Saudi Arabia is not yet accusing anyone over the attack, "but this was planned and a group of gunmen were involved in the killing of the Saudi official," according to the senior Saudi official, who asked not to be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media. Saudi diplomat kidnapped in Yemen . The diplomat was an official in the Saudi military section of the Sanaa embassy, he said. At least five gunmen in a 4x4 truck chased the victims' vehicle for about five minutes, the Saudi official said. More than 20 shots were fired in the victims' direction. The Saudi official's vehicle flipped as the driver tried to escape, he said. The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents to shake Yemen. Saudi diplomat shot dead in Bangladesh . In October, a security official with the U.S. Embassy in Yemen was shot dead in his car on his way to work in Sanaa. Yemeni security officials said that killing, which was carried out by men on a motorcycle, bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda. Yemen's security forces have been battling al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which has been blamed for numerous attacks in the country. Al Qaeda gained strength last year after taking control of several towns in south Yemen. The militant group benefited from political unrest sparked by the Arab Spring uprisings that led to longtime Yemeni ruler Ali Abdullah Saleh stepping down from power in exchange for immunity from prosecution. | A Saudi diplomat has been shot dead in Sanaa, a senior Saudi official says .
The diplomat and his Yemeni aide came under attack from several gunmen, he says .
More than 20 shots were fired at their vehicle as they fled, the official says .
Saudi Arabia is not yet accusing anyone over the attack . |
142,837 | 44ba278b0a6fdccd6bacc3e37549f9c1a68c2a53 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Salvadoran immigrant suspected in the 2001 slaying of Washington intern Chandra Levy told at least two people he killed her, according to an affidavit filed in the case. Ingmar Guandique is serving a 10-year sentence for two assaults in the park where Chandra Levy's body was found. Ingmar Guandique, 27, also kept a magazine photo of Levy in his prison cell, stated the affidavit detailing evidence supporting a warrant for his arrest for first-degree murder. Guandique is in prison in California for two assault convictions. Guandique boasted of his ties to the violent Salvadoran gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and told witnesses that he was known as "Chuckie" -- the name of a demonic doll in a series of horror movies -- because he had a reputation for "killing and chopping up people," the affidavit states. D.C. Metro police and federal prosecutors released the affidavit on Tuesday, announcing they would charge Guandique with first-degree murder in the Levy case. He has not been charged with any other slayings. Watch the police announce arrest » . The affidavit revealed that Levy, 25, fought for her life, scratching her attacker on his face and giving him a "fat lip." Guandique said he received the injuries in a fight with his girlfriend. But the girlfriend later told police that while Guandique struck and bit her at times, she never hit him, the document says. Guandique is serving concurrent 10-year sentences in connection with attacks on two other joggers in the park during the summer of 2001. He told probation officials the attacks were motivated by robbery, but no valuables were taken from either victim. Guandique was arrested after the second attack -- exactly two months after Levy's slaying. D.C. Metro police began to take a hard second look at him in 2008, the affidavit shows. He has repeatedly denied to authorities that he killed Levy, and his public defenders have cautioned against a rush to judgment, citing what they called flaws in the investigation. The affidavit details a case built largely on circumstantial evidence collected over the eight years since Levy disappeared, apparently while jogging along the Western Ridge trail in Washington's Rock Creek Park. It portrays Guandique as an opportunistic attacker who came up behind female joggers, grabbing them as they were tiring and becoming winded. The affidavit includes highlights from interviews with a dozen witnesses, who are not identified by name and are instead given numbers. One witness, who frequently exchanged letters with the suspect, told police Guandique had told him as early as 2003 that he killed a young woman in the park. During a taped 2008 phone conversation with the witness, "Guandique acknowledged that he had told W9 about the 'girl who's dead,''' the affidavit says. Another witness told police that Guandique said he and two male teenagers were sitting on a bench in a park smoking marijuana laced with cocaine when a woman with dark, thick hair jogged by. The witness said Guandique thought she "looked good" and told the two teens that he was going to "get her." Guandique told the witness that the three followed her along a path, then grabbed her and forced her off the trail. When she started screaming, he grabbed her by the neck and choked her to death, so that other people in the park would not hear her cries for help. It is not clear from the affidavit whether the two teens Guandique said were with him actually exist. Police have said no other arrests are imminent, but the investigation is continuing. Timeline of Levy's disappearance » . Levy's skull was found in the park on May 22, 2002 -- more than a year after she disappeared. A search turned up other remains, as well as clothing later identified as hers strewn down the side of a ravine. Her running shoes were unlaced. He clothes were turned inside out, the pants knotted in tight restraints around her legs. "It appears that Guandique wanted Ms. Levy naked and incapacitated," states the affidavit, signed by D.C. Metro Det. Todd Williams. Also among the witnesses are two women who were attacked in Rock Creek Park during the summer of 2001, along with a woman who narrowly escaped her attacker at about 2 p.m. on May 1, 2001 -- about the same time Levy is believed to have been jogging in the park. All three identified Guandique from photographs as the man who stalked them in Rock Creek Park. "I do not doubt that he purposely stalked me as a hunter tracks his prey," one of the victims told police, according to the affidavit. The other victim described him as "a bold and practiced attacker," the affidavit said. "He waited until he thought I was fatigued from jogging up a hill and purposefully selected a secluded spot right next to a deep ravine. I fear for other women who may appear to be more vulnerable than I did." Guandique also allegedly described his methods to one of the witnesses in whom he confided, according to the affidavit. "Guandique said he would hide on a dirt path and wait for the girl to walk by. He would then lasso the girl around the neck and tie her hands and feet together behind her back to prevent her from scratching or kicking him," the affidavit quotes the witness as saying. It continues: "After the girl was tied up, he would rape her. Guandique admitted that he did not always know whether his victims were still alive at the end of the attack, but that it did not matter, because they would be eaten by the animals, like coyotes and vultures." Police visited Guandique at a federal prison in California in November, according to the affidavit. They found him to be heavily tattooed, with multiple MS-13 gang tattoos, as well as "Chuckie" tattoos and a devil tattooed on his head. One tattoo on his back depicts the "Chuckie" movie character holding a knife, according to the affidavit. Guandique learned last week from media reports that he would be arrested in the Levy murder case and, according to a witness, responded with an expletive. "They got me now. What am I gonna do?" the witness quoted Guandique as saying, according to the affidavit. He vowed that he was not "going to go out alone," telling the witness he planned to set a fire with a battery and tissues, then use a homemade handcuff key to escape. He said he would kill the detectives with "shanks," or weapons made in prison. A search of his cell on February 26 turned up the items he described to the witness, the affidavit says. They included an AA battery, several tissues, a toenail clipper fashioned into a sharp piece of metal, and a device made of a razor blade. Authorities said Guandique will be brought to Washington in the next 45 to 60 days and formally charged, ending a chapter in one of Washington's most notorious cold cases. Although the case's notoriety was fed by news reports linking Levy to a married congressman, U.S. Rep. Gary Condit's name does not appear at all in the affidavit supporting the case against the man police want to charge with her murder. | NEW: Affidavit says suspect kept a magazine photo of Chandra Levy in prison cell .
NEW: Witnesses say suspect known as "Chuckie," like demonic movie doll .
An arrest warrant for Ingmar Guandique was signed Tuesday .
Levy disappeared in May 2001; her body was found a year later . |
261,623 | ded442323118f357e558fb44368fbdb1016657f2 | (CNN) -- After moving from New York to Virginia Beach five years ago, Jennifer Herzog started noticing something odd when exiting grocery stores. Her hands and forearms felt hot, looked red and were swollen. After a few errands, she identified the irritant: plastic bags. "There are some plastic bags that do it, and there are some that don't," Herzog said. "All grocery bags pretty much are bad." She started noticing other irritants, too: She began to have a similar response to fragrances as she had to plastic bags. Now, when she hugs someone wearing certain perfumes or colognes, her face turns red and swells. Dermatologist Joseph Fowler says skin reactions to fragrances and perfumes are common, but to have a reaction from finished plastic products like plastic bags is extremely rare, though not undocumented. "There are a bunch of chemicals in plastics that can cause an allergy, usually when they're in the raw material state, and the unfinished products," said Fowler, co-author of a medical textbook on dermatitis, or inflammation of the skin. "But because the chemicals in finished products are bound so tightly, it's awfully hard for them to penetrate to the skin and set off the allergy." Then again, the finished products may not be the real problem. A reaction to plastics like Herzog's may have more to do with residue from the manufacturing process than the plastic itself, says materials science expert Andrew Dent. "There are additives to make the plastic bags easier to process that manufacturers are putting on the outside surfaces," said Dent, vice president of materials research at Material ConneXion. "That could also be the problem." Others may react with redness and swelling to plastic bags, but they don't necessarily have an allergy. A condition called dermographic urticaria, in which the skin becomes inflamed from scratching or rubbing, is far more common, Fowler explains. For those with the condition, carrying heavy bags from the grocery store could be enough to cause a reaction. Herzog, however, has developed allergies to some chemicals in plastics and perfumes, her doctor tells her, as well as to seasonal allergens like pollen. Her doctor explained that allergies to just about anything can develop at any time. "I don't understand how it just comes out of nowhere, because I never, never had issues," Herzog said. She wonders whether things could just as suddenly get even worse for her or for people she knows. It's a notion she's confronted with not just in her personal life but also at work, in the catered food she arranges for groups of children and preteens at big events. Despite being 28 years old, Herzog has worked in the food and beverage industry long enough to see a dramatic increase in the number of children with food sensitivities, she says. She wonders whether people are generally becoming more sensitive to things. "It's amazing how many allergies these kids have. It's insane. We're preparing more special meals than regular meals. Which is weird, because then when you do adult functions, you maybe have like one or two allergies. The chefs are becoming very well-versed in this now." Herzog's observations have some backing in peer-reviewed medical studies. The latest numbers -- now two years old -- draw from 40,000 children in the U.S. and reveal that 8% of those under the age of 18 have food allergies. That's twice the number estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data collected in 2007. Dr. Ruchi Gupta, who led the study finding the 8% figure, says that's probably a conservative number, in part because her team discounted reports by parents when the symptoms sounded more like a food intolerance, such as to gluten or lactose, than a true food allergy. Although Gupta and the CDC used parent surveys to make their estimates, hospital records show a similar upward trend. U.S. hospitals discharged about 4,135 children with diagnosed food allergies each year between 2001 and 2003. For the period from 2004 to 2006, that average annual number jumped to 9,537, according to the CDC. "Food allergy among children in the United States is becoming more common over time," states the CDC website. Whether food intolerance to lactose and gluten is also increasing is harder to determine, in part because the conditions often go undiagnosed. As the medical community grapples to understand the problem and what can be done about it, businesses have had to adapt and accommodate. "It's a matter of life and death, especially with children. Six or seven years ago, you'd just say, 'Sorry, that risk is too much to take. I (would) suggest they bring something with them, or they don't come,' " said Jennifer Delaye, president of the International Caterers Association. "Now, today, it's a standard way of doing business. Entire menus are designed around that." | "There are a bunch of chemicals in plastics that can cause an allergy," Dr. Joseph Fowler says .
Reaction to plastics may have more to do with leftover residue from the manufacturing process .
Food allergies among children in the U.S. becoming more common, the CDC says . |
33,067 | 5deafdfeecf7ba7767ad08e6b1318b7647990412 | (CNN) -- Loose airline seats. Flights that are delayed or canceled. The shifting blame game of who's responsible for American Airlines' ever-growing problems. At the end of the day, travelers want to get from Point A to Point B safely and on time. They don't want to worry that their seats might come loose or that management and labor can't seem to get along. American Airlines and any other company that can't fulfill its core mission on a regular basis, whether it's safe and efficient airline travel or safe peanut butter or cynanide-free Tylenol, may not be long for this world. Clumsy fliers spilling Diet Coke and coffee on plane floors and seats, causing "gunked-up" seat-locking mechanisms, hardly seem to constitute a root cause. American Airlines says spilled soda, coffee helped cause sticky moments . "These are solvable problems,"says Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, who wrote about the mid-1990s turnaround of Continental Airlines in "Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End." 11 witty and sage airline 'gunk' retorts . "You have to take the right operational and strategic moves. You have to rebuild confidence. But it's by acting very quickly, not by a nice note to customers." Troubled companies can be turned around, says Kanter, if executives take specific steps to address their problems and move forward. Add your own suggestions for how American Airlines can keep or earn your business in the comments below. Admit what's broken and fix it . There's no doubt that American is having problems with its seats. However, Kanter says that's probably just the most obvious problem. "The company needs to admit the facts publicly, put them on the table fully and take responsibility at the very highest levels of the company," she says. And it's probably not just the seats. "This is a quality failure of a massive kind and has to signal other quality problems," she says. "The situation is always worse than you think. There are a lot of other things that have deteriorated that you don't know about. You have to be digging deeper because I bet there have to be other things going on." Who still wants to fly American? Turn to employees for solutions . Any solutions must include pilots, flight attendants and mechanics, says Kanter. It's often the front-line employees who really understand what's wrong and can brainstorm the solutions to these problems. It may be too hard to get current management to turn to employees for solutions, when employees are rightly or wrong being blamed for so many of the problems. "These antagonisms have been building for many years," says Kanter. "In a turnaround, it's management that has to change because they'll never regain the trust of employees." Spend money on the core business . With limited money to spend, "the airline must shift investment away from things that are not directly related to passenger and (front-line) employee experience," says Kanter. "If that means some corporate staff need to have smaller departments, so be it. They should immediately shift company resources to people delivering the product and those experiencing it." You need happy front line employees to deliver a good product to your customers, she says. And in the case of an airline, that product needs to be safe. "Every day people are deciding whether or not to board that plane and every day they can make different choices. The American board and top management need to take this incredibly seriously." Many of you fly American Airlines frequently. What would you tell American or any airline to do to keep your business? What basic requirements do you have? What extras would you like, and would you pay for them? If you prefer another domestic or foreign airline, please share specific experiences. | American's problems can be fixed if management wants to make changes .
The airline must convince passengers that its seats are safe and its planes will arrive on time .
Employees are the likely source of most solutions to the airline's problems . |
1,462 | 043add67723641923208222f5d3af59ae127efa7 | Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said wants to hit better-off homeowners with the mansion tax in the next financial year . Labour has asked the Treasury to start drawing up plans to levy its mansion tax on 100,000 expensive homes from day one of regaining power. Despite a revolt from some Labour MPs over the annual levy, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said he aimed to hit better-off homeowners in the next financial year. Although it is unusual for a tax to be introduced in the course of a financial year, Mr Balls said he wanted to start raising money from the rich in order to plough it into the NHS as quickly as possible. He said Treasury officials were already working on the proposals, in line with the civil service practice of making plans to implement the policies of parties that could win a forthcoming election. Labour and Liberal Democrat plans for a mansion tax had been in doubt after George Osborne’s dramatic reform of stamp duty at the Autumn Statement, which have made buying a home worth £1million or more far more expensive. Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable said his party would stick with its policy of an annual levy – but suggested it may have to be amended following the Chancellor’s changes. Labour opponents of the party’s own mansion tax scheme have also stepped up their campaign to persuade Mr Balls to shift his position. But the Shadow Chancellor insisted in an interview with the Independent: ‘Saving the NHS will be at the heart of our first Budget. I would like to see that revenue coming in in the first year of a Labour government, before the end of the financial year. We will have to see the practicalities.’ Mr Balls denied charges could be imposed retrospectively. ‘A charge is paid in that year on the valuation on a date in that year. No one will have any doubt about our intentions,’ he insisted. The Coalition has sought to undermine Mr Balls’s pledge to raise £2.5billion for the NHS through a combination of the mansion tax, a levy on tobacco firms and reducing tax avoidance by hedge funds by announcing its own £3billion boost. Critics also pointed out that revenues from these measures were unlikely to start flowing in until the middle of the next Parliament. However, Mr Balls said Labour could legislate for the mansion tax to start in the following financial year of 2016-17 ‘as a backstop’. Labour’s mansion tax will be about £3,000 a year for homes in the £2million to £3million bracket. Experts say an average charge of £11,000 a year will need to be levied to raise the £1.2billion a year Labour predicts. The Conservatives claim it will be extended to cover cheaper properties. | It is unusual for tax to be introduced in the course of the financial year .
But Ed Balls wants to plough money back into NHS as quickly as possible .
Comes as Labour opponents step up campaign to change Mr Balls's mind .
Labour's mansion tax plans in doubt since George Osborne's stamp duty reform . |
262,334 | dfcea613e6484569971c8bd741912b4a5acb89b7 | By . Olivia Williams . PUBLISHED: . 08:04 EST, 20 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:44 EST, 20 February 2013 . A young family narrowly escaped their burning car when it burst into flames while they were driving - then exploded seconds later. Stuart Tasker, 26, and his wife Luesa, 23, were travelling back from a friend’s house in Lincolnshire with their young children Amili, two, and 11-week-old Ayda-Mai when they began to smell burning. Tattoo artist Mr Tasker today described the terrifying ordeal, which his newborn daughter Ayda-Mai . managed to sleep through. Fireball: Stuart Tasker took pictures of his burning Ford Escort in Sleaford, Lincolnshire after he and his family only narrowly escaped from it unharmed . At the scene: The Fire Brigade had to extinguish the burning family car that was left as a charred wreck after the explosion . As they pulled up at traffic lights in Sleaford on Sunday afternoon Amili started screaming from the back seat. He said: 'We had only driven about 200 yards when we could smell something burning - like when you get a hair in a hairdryer.' Mrs Tasker turned around to see flames coming from the back inches from her daughter's legs. The couple managed to free their two young girls from their car seats and rushed away as fire engulfed the vehicle. They turned back to the flaming wreckage of their Ford Escort to see it explode just 10 seconds later. The Tasker family: Stuart and Luesa Tasker with their young children Amili, right, and Ayda-Mai, left . Mr Tasker was full of praise for his wife, saying: 'I've got to say my wife was amazing because she could have just froze. But she was just like The Hulk and ripped the belt off my youngest and got her out.' 'We turned around and the car just exploded into a fireball. We were inches from certain death.' Shocking pictures taken by Mr Tasker show the remains of their charred vehicle. 'Looking back at the pictures afterwards, it brings home the terrifying reality of what happened.' Wreckage: The burnt out Ford Escort that Stuart and Luesa Tasker and their children escaped with seconds to go . Rescued from the backseat: Quick-thinking parents Stuart and Luesa Tasker managed to save their two young daughters from their burning car . | Stuart and Luesa Tasker rescued their daughters with seconds to spare .
Ford Escort burst into a fireball without warning in Lincolnshire .
Baby Ayda-Mai managed to sleep through the whole ordeal . |
114,189 | 1f50bfbeba9ac28d5314d6b733af4e1ae187cda9 | By . Richard Spillett . Council leader John Burden is among the delegation going on a publicly-funded 'fact-finding' mission to US theme parks . A council has been slammed over plans to send nine of its bosses on a £15,500 'fact-finding' trip to a string of Florida theme parks - at taxpayers’ expense. The team from Gravesham District Council in Kent will visit Disney World, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando over four days at Easter. The trip is being organised by . developers London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) as the council prepares . for the arrival of the £2billion Paramount theme park in Swanscombe, Kent in 2018. The officials going on the trip . include council leader John Burden, planning boss Cllr Jane Cribbon and . communities boss Cllr Andrea Webb. Tory . opposition Cllr John Cubitt and shadow planning boss Cllr Robin . Theobald are also packing their bags, along with four senior council . officers. Organisers . said the delegation will benefit from seeing similar-scaled projects . and hearing about the development and running of a 'global attraction'. But . critics question why the group cannot get the same benefits from . visiting a theme park closer to hand - such as Disneyland Paris. Communities boss Andrea Webb (left) and planning chief Jane Cribbon (right) are joining council leaders on a the trip to three US theme parks . As well as visiting Disney World in Florida (pictured), the group from Gravesham council will be taking in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando . Cllr . Jeremy Kite, leader of neighbouring Dartford District Council, said: 'I . must say, I think it’s an unusual thing for them to be doing. I can’t . see the benefit with it at this time. 'I haven’t been invited and I wouldn’t go if we had been. If you’re going to do this sort of research, I think there’s places closer to home. 'You’ve got Euro Disney across the Channel and other places in Europe which are easier to get to. It seems like an interesting use of taxpayers’ money and not one I’m going to follow.' But Cllr Burden, who is going on the trip, said: 'The programme for this visit is extremely busy being packed with serious business discussions which should provide invaluable insights into the issues surrounding the development of a truly global attraction on our doorstep. The visit comes ahead of the planned £2billion Paramount theme park on the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent . Critics say the council could have saved the taxpayer thousands by visiting Disneyland Paris . 'It is entirely right the council examines all these issues fully and we are grateful to LRCH for facilitating these meetings with key people and communities which have had direct experience of facing and overcoming those challenges. 'This is the biggest development project in Europe and has global significance. The impact it will have is life-changing for everyone in the area and possibly far beyond. 'We have to get this right and prepare to be in a position to inform the discussions yet to come.' It is hoped LRCH will reimburse the authority the cost of the trip during the planning process. A council spokeswoman said: 'The council expects the cost of the visit (£15,441 approximately) will be met from the costs to process the planning application with this trip enabling the team to focus on the project specific questions that will need to be resolved by the applicant in due course for a scheme that is outside the normal planning parameters for any council.' The new £2billion Paramount theme park is being planned as a rival to Disneyland Paris. It will create up to 27,000 jobs and transform an 872-acre brownfield site in the Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent. Developers plan to build a huge £2billion Hollywood-inspired resort in Kent. Film giant Paramount Pictures has given permission for its name to be used for the proposed development on the Swanscombe Peninsula. Developers hope the project – which would be built on the site of a former cement works near Dartford - will open in 2018. It would be located near Ebbsfleet International station, which is on the Eurostar route between London and Paris. The 872-acre site - nearly twice the size of the Olympic Park in Stratford - will feature Europe’s largest indoor water park, rollercoasters, cinemas, theatres, hotels and live music venues. The site's developer, London Resort Company Holdings, estimates that the project would create up to 27,000 jobs in the area. Announcing the plans in 2012, project leader Tony Sefton said: ‘Our vision is to create a world class entertainment destination, the first of its kind in the UK.' Paramount Pictures films include the Madagascar franchise (pictured). A similar entertainment resort is due to open Spain in 2012, which will feature a Titanic Experience and rides based on Mission Impossible, Star Trek and War of the Worlds. | Council staff heading to Disney World and Universal Studios in Florida .
Taxpayer to cover £15,000 cost, which may later be passed on to developer .
They claim the trip will prepare them for a new theme park planned for Kent .
But critics say they could have saved money by going to Disneyland Paris . |
126,762 | 2fde1fea4ee429aab2fb662cabd974381b0b7f07 | Buster Douglas, whose defeat of heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson ranks as one of the greatest upsets of all time, said that his motivation for the fight stemmed from his mother's belief in him. Mr Douglas, who was a heavy underdog against Mr Tyson, said that his mother Lula Pearl had told him she thought he could win before she died of a stroke three weeks before the fight. Mr Tyson, heavyweight champion of the world, was 37-0 at the time and favored at 42-1 odds to crush his opponent when they faced off in Tokyo, Japan. Six-foot-four-inch Mr Douglas knocked him out in the 10th round. Scroll down for video . Buster Douglas, 29 (center), shocked the world when he knocked out heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in the 10th round of a Feb 11, 2015, fight . Mr Tyson (left) was favored to win the Tokyo, Japan, fight by odds of 42 to 1, and few believed in Mr Douglas (right) besides his own mother . Mr Tyson, a soft-spoken but ferocious 5ft10in fighter, was thought to be tuning up for his match with Evander Holyfield, whose ear he would later bite in his most notorious fight. When the Associated Press reminded Mr Douglas that few believed in him, he talked about his mother and said, 'Yeah, but she did.' 'I believed in myself and that I had the ability to do that. It's something that my mother instilled in me at a very young age: You can do whatever you want,' he said. Mr Douglas shocked the world when he won the fight despite still grieving the loss of his mother. Someone from the crowd told the young man to win the fight for Ms Pearl right before the match. Mr Tyson struggled to get up after being knocked down in the tenth round, but was unable to before ten seconds expired . 'He planned on doing a lot of things for her after this fight coming up. He was always thinking of her,' Mr Douglas's trainer and maternal uncle J.D. McCauley said in an obituary for his sister before the Tyson match. The 29-year-old hung in the ring with the shorter Tyson during the opening rounds by fending him off with his jab. However Mr Douglas's Cinderella story was almost ended prematurely when he was knocked down late in the eighth round. 'He ended up catching me with a good shot. When I got up off the ground, I knew I had to get back on focus, on point, with what I was doing,' Mr Douglas, now 54, said. He retaliated by dominating the ninth round as Mr Tyson suffered with a swollen left eye. Mr Douglas was knocked down in the eighth round (left), but was able to get back up and dominate the rest of the fight . Mr Douglas knocking his opponent out one minute and 22 seconds into the 10th round with a quick combination of what he called 'four terrific shots'. Though Mr Tyson's camp would dispute the result later based on the timing of Mr Douglas's eighth-round fall, the young man from Columbus, Ohio, had accomplished the impossible and handed the champ his first professional defeat. Mr Douglas's reign as the world's top heavyweight didn't last long, however, and he was knocked out by Evander Holyfield in a Las Vegas fight eight months later. He earned $7million from the unsuccessful defense, enough to live on comfortably. His body began worsening, and he almost died in the mid from a diabetic coma after allegedly ballooning to 400lbs. He also suffered from depression, according to ESPN. 'I was distraught. I was just in a shell. No one could understand my plight. I lost my best friend, my mother. I had really no one to turn to,' the fighter said. After being hospitalized he lost weight and made a comeback attempt in the late 90s before retiring from professional fighting in 1999 with a record of 38-6-1. Now slimmer and in middle age, Mr Douglas lives outside of Columbus. He trains young boxers five days a week and also spends time with his four sons and wife Bertha. The coach said that he has only run into his opponent once since their match, a few years ago in Cincinnati. 'It's not like we sat down and talked about it and (became) friends, anything like that. He was still kind of short (with me). So I didn't push it any further,' he said. The heavyweight said that he has watched the fight on video more than 50 times, though he likes to watch it alone, according to The Japan Times. 'When I just have time to myself, I pop it in and check it out,' he said. 'The thing about it is the emotions that I was going through at the time,' Mr Douglas added. Mr Douglas, now 54, lives outside of Columbus, Ohio, and teaches boxing to kids five days a week . The fighter earned $7million from his unsuccessful title defense against Evander Holyfield and moved back near his hometown . At one point Mr Douglas's weight neared 400lbs, but the boxer slimmed down before a comeback in the late 90s and now teaches the sport . | Mr Tyson favored by 42-1 when he faced Mr Douglas on Feb 11, 1990 .
Mr Douglas's mother Lula Pearl had died shortly before the fight in Japan .
Knockout in the 10th gave title to Mr Douglas, who then lost it in October .
Fighter almost died from diabetic coma and suffered from depression .
Heavyweight now coaches boxing and raises family near Columbus, Ohio . |
7,443 | 15184d469e78b3a357b4281a2aeb80e947341dd2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 02:17 EST, 7 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:03 EST, 7 November 2012 . About a dozen Sandy victims taking shelter in a Brooklyn high school came down with a contagious stomach virus. Mayor Bloomberg said John Jay High School will be closed on Wednesday as the school is shut down and sanitized, NBC New York reports.'The school will be thoroughly cleaned and then reopened,' Bloomberg announced. Shut down: John Jay High School in Brooklyn is being closed and sanitized after about a dozen storm victims came down with a stomach virus . None of the sickened storm victims became severely ill and the cleaning is being done as a precaution, he said. An additional 47 New York City schools will remain closed to students on Wednesday. Those students will need to report elsewhere. Thousands of New York residents headed to shelters as Sandy ravaged coastal and lower-layer regions of the tri-state area. The majority of New York City schools reopened on Monday. Members of the Army National Guard Unit Fox 250 from the Teaneck Armory deliver emergency drinking water to the Hoboken Homeless Shelter to aid victims from Hurricane Sandy . Hurricane Sandy destroyed large parts . of the coast on October 28 and 29, leaving more than two million . without power in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New . Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island and . Virginia. Whole cities have were flooded and an estimated $50 billion in damage was caused. Traffic on New York's iconic Brooklyn Bridge was bumper to bumper this, as this picture shows, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Only cars with three or more passengers will be allowed to cross says Mayor Bloomberg . | Storm refugees taking shelter at John Jay High School in Brooklyn came down with a contagious stomach virus .
The school will be closed on Wednesday for precautionary cleaning .
An additional 47 New York City schools will remain closed to students on Wednesday . |
87,537 | f860e2273052d0cb7b9482b62ac367be8d14d767 | Starting piano lessons before the age of seven may turbo-charge the brain. A study found that learning to play a musical instrument seems to strengthen the brain – with the biggest benefits found in those who began lessons while still very young. The researchers said: ‘Early musical training does more good for kids than just making it easier for them to enjoy music. Beneficial: Starting piano lessons before the age of seven may turbo-charge the brain, a study has found . ‘It changes their brain and these brain changes could lead to cognitive advances as well.’ The Chinese researchers studied the brains of 48 men and women aged between 19 and 21. All had done at least a year of music practice, with some starting as young as three. Parts of the brain key to language, planning and time management appeared to be stronger in those who started younger. Positive: Researchers found that learning to play a musical instrument seems to strengthen the brain - particularly in those who began lessons young . Plus regions involved in hearing sound and in self-awareness were bigger. The finding held true even when the number of years spent practising was taken into account, the Society for Neuroscience’s annual conference heard. The researchers, from Beijing Normal University, said that some of the brain regions impacted by music develop rapidly early in life. Research released last week revealed that music lessons aren’t wasted, with adults who hadn’t played an instrument since childhood benefiting from practice put in decades earlier. The US study showed that the more years that adults had spent practising an musical instrument in their youth, the faster the cells in their brains responded to sound. Faster processing of sound should help keep hearing sharp into old age by making it easier to make out a conversation over background noise, or to hear clearly while talking on the phone. All instruments, from the piano to accordion helped equally. Other studies have shown that learning a musical instrument can boost IQ, make it easier to pick up new languages and interpret the emotions of others. But while music lessons in general seem to be beneficial, it is thought that those who enjoy learning an instrument reap the biggest benefits. | Learning to play an instrument strengthens the brain, a study has found .
Biggest benefits are found in those who began music lessons in childhood .
Chinese researchers studied the brains of 48 men and women . |
22,877 | 40f28f91a64b094f7d39b9000bffd1e658ddab9f | PUBLISHED: . 16:49 EST, 18 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:53 EST, 18 May 2012 . When Adrian and Emma Bradbury found out they were expecting their first child, they couldn’t wait to tell everyone. But they wanted to do something different from the usual phone call or email. And so they invited family and friends to see their baby scan projected on to the white cliffs at Eastbourne in East Sussex. Telling the world: Adrian and Emma Bradbury invited family and friends to their 'portrait gallery' as they projected the 20-week scan of their child on to the Eastbourne cliffs . Previously, the couple had projected their 12-week scan on to the side of the Towner Art Galley in Eastbourne and sent photographs of the event to their loved ones. This was such a success that they projected their 20-week scan on to the cliffs, the walls of medieval Pevensey Castle and the Martello Tower in Clacton-on-Sea. Mr Bradbury, 30, a ceramic tiler, said: ‘We were really excited when we found out we were going to be parents and we wanted to do something different to tell people that Emma was pregnant – something we could always tell our child. ‘With the help of a friend, we went down to the art gallery one night and used a projector to put the image on to the wall. ‘We kept it up for an hour and it attracted a lot of attention from passers-by. 'Even the cleaner inside the art gallery came outside to see what the fuss was about. ‘Afterwards, we loaded the photograph on to Facebook and all our friends loved it. It made it even more special for us.’ Proud parents: The 12-week scan of Adrian and Emma Bradbury's baby projected on to an art gallery wall in Eastbourne . The Towner Art Gallery – which was unaware of Mr Bradbury’s plans – is considering an exhibition of the couple’s photographs and projections and has already offered the unborn child membership. The Bradburys used a generator to project the scan on to their chosen surfaces, choosing areas open to the public. Mr Bradbury said he was inspired to make the extravagant announcement after his wife, a 27-year-old beautician, started a baby diary. He added: ‘It’s a great way of capturing how we felt about the scan at that time instead of hospital scan photo paper which we may lose in 15 years. ‘Once we have saved enough money, we are going to have a 4D scan and do something artistic with it on a larger scale, but we are keeping that under wraps for now.’ There has been a boom in US-style pregnancy announcements such as ‘gender reveal parties’, where expectant parents announce their child’s sex by cutting into a white cake to reveal pink or blue sponge. | Emma and Adrian Bradbury show 20-week image at Eastbourne seafront .
Also Pevensey Castle and the Martello Tower in Clacton-on-Sea . |
15,544 | 2c2b450d99c84ca5ff32dbc6a36b24abbacfcbaf | (CNN) -- Charmaine Jackson can tell you what she ate on any date for the past five years. She can tell you how much she exercised, what kind of mood she was in, how much water she drank -- even if she watched television while mindlessly munching away. All she has to do is flip through the pages of her 14 journals. The reason she began her daily record keeping was simple -- she wanted to lose weight and keep it off. It may sound extreme, but it paid off. Since she began keeping journals, Jackson is half the person she used to be -- going from 260 to 130 pounds. "(Journaling has) really helped me get an idea of what my behaviors are, what my patterns are, how I can make change for myself for good," she said. "You wouldn't see it unless you look at it over time and you really get a chance to see this worked and why." 7 weight loss myths (sort of) debunked . 'It made me be honest with myself' Jackson, 53, who lives in suburban Atlanta, said she didn't pay much attention to her gradual weight gain over the years. "I really didn't see it was sort of a mindless eating," she said. Stress from work factored in, she said, and she often had a quick bite whenever she had time. "I'd make dinner and then after everything was done ... I would be by myself for a little bit and I'd have the TV (on) and I would just want to wind down," Jackson said. That's when she would start munching on chips or crackers. "I wouldn't even know how much I was eating. It just went on. ... I just couldn't stop myself." Sorority girl drops 107 pounds . Her breaking point came when she was laid off from her marketing job in 2007, she said. "That really made me say, 'OK, I gotta do something about my weight, now's the chance,' " she said. Jackson did what many people do -- she joined a gym. However, she found exercise alone was not enough, and she soon turned to record keeping. Despite holding bachelor's and master's degrees in nutrition, she had not been keeping track of her food and beverage intake. "I felt very ashamed to say, 'I have the background and the knowledge, but yet here I am at 260 pounds,' " she said. "I was like the hairdresser who doesn't have good hair." Journaling, however, turned out to be a game changer for Jackson. "That's when the weight started to come off because I had already started exercising a little bit and that sort of triggered the whole exercise, eating, trying to sleep more ... trying not to stay up late and watch TV and really trying to track my moods," she said. She was able to identify when she was mad or sad, and wanting to eat more. "It was my truth serum," Jackson said. "It made me be honest with myself." Other factors, not just calories . "(She) is great proof of the benefits of self-monitoring in the weight loss and management process," said Dr. Jessica Bartfield, a bariatrician at Loyola University Health System who sees both surgical and nonsurgical patients battling their weight. Team loses 400 pounds for Winter Games . "The easy answer to weight management is calories in, calories out," Bartfield said. "But there's actually a lot of other factors that affect how much you're eating." Bartfield said other factors include a person's hydration, sleep duration, sleep patterns and emotions. She asks many patients to rate their hunger and thirst while they are eating. "(Journaling) helps them recognize where they might be missing out and skipping meals, or going too long in between meals and therefore leading to overeating at subsequent meals," she said. "For example, it's a very common pattern that people tend to skip breakfast. They don't eat until lunchtime, and then they may overeat at that meal or overeat at dinner." Bartfield added, "Once you start writing that down -- what you're eating and the timing of the food -- you begin to pick up on some of these patterns that can be changed." Studies in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine also support the benefits of journaling, although weight loss in both studies was modest. However, Bartfield said modest weight loss is "underappreciated." "A lot of patients that I see come in with very high weight loss expectations and very few people say that their goal is only 5% to 10% of their body weight," she said. "Actually, that amount of weight loss has been shown very clearly to have considerable health benefits, including preventing future disease, reducing current diseases that are associated with obesity and helping patients decrease the number of medications they're on." She added, "That's actually my first goal for all patients -- modest weight loss, or simply 5% to 10% -- and I think that every pound counts." Many times, Bartfield said, journaling is "the No. 1 goal we start working on" with patients. And the year's best overall diet is ... 'Road map' to success . An alternative to pen-and-paper journaling could be an application on your smartphone, said Marisa Moore, registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Either way, Moore said she thinks of a journal as a "personal road map" to weight loss, healthier eating and behavior change. "Regardless of whether you're eating something healthy or not, you're forced to think about it. When we look at mindful eating practices, it's about being aware," she said. "Using a food journal helps you to become more aware of what you're doing." For Jackson, mindful eating practices are a way of life. "It's saying, 'I owe this to myself.' I need to be responsible for me and take care of me, and that's something I never did," she said. She has no plans to stop journaling but said she may soon begin record keeping online. "Now it's part of my daily habits, like brushing my teeth," she said. Do you have a weight loss story to share? Submit it to iReport. | Charmaine Jackson has gone from 260 to 130 pounds in five years .
She credits food journaling for helping her achieve her weight loss .
Studies and experts support journaling as a weight loss goal . |
4,086 | 0bc6d09f934f3428a873fc9140c36ee955d18716 | Lurking deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico is a species of squid that wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi thriller. The Mangapinna squid, sometimes referred to as the bigfin or long-arm squid, is around 26ft in length with thin elastic tentacles thought to be between 15 to 20 times larger than the squid’s body. Adult bigfins have never been captured or sampled but rare video footage recorded by the Shell Oil company reveals their alien-like behaviour. Scroll down for video . The giant squid, pictured, was caught on camera in the Gulf of Mexico. It has elastic tentacles thought to be 15 to 20 times longer than the squid's body and the total length is around 26ft. Its ten appendages are often held at right angles to the body, or mantle, which gives them the appearance of having elbows . Mangapinna squids were first discovered . in 1907 but it wasn’t until 1988 that the first footage was filmed off the . coast of Brazil. A squid spotted in 2000 was thought to . have been around 23ft long and more recent sightings have estimated . lengths of 26ft. The arms and the tentacles of the . Mangapinna squid are the same length and look identical. These ten appendages are also often held at right angles to the body, or mantle, . which gives them the appearance of having elbows. Very little is known about the feeding behaviour of these squid. Scientists believe that bigfin squid feed by dragging their arms and tentacles along the seafloor, and grabbing organisms off the floor. They may however simply use a trapping technique, waiting passively for prey to bump into their arms . The footage was captured using a remotely operated underwater vehicle known as an ROV. Shell Oil, along with other companies, uses the vehicles to study the water around its oil rigs and this particular recording was filmed in the Gulf of Mexico in the Perdido Area of Alaminos Canyon. The rare sighting of the squid was discovered at a depth of more than 7,800 ft back in November 2007. Shell oil has a rig located 200 miles off the coast of Houston, Texas. Mangapinna squids were first discovered in 1907 but it wasn’t until 1988 that the first footage of the bizarre creatures were caught on camera by a submersible off the coast of Brazil. Ten years later a Japanese submersible called Shinkai 6500 filmed another long-armed squid in the Indian Ocean south of Mauritius. The majority of other sightings have been in various canyons in the Gulf of Mexico. A . squid spotted in 2000 was thought to have been around 23ft long. However, more recent sightings have estimated lengths in excess of 26ft. Aside from their overall lengths, the . arms and the tentacles of the Mangapinna squid are the same length and . look identical. Squids traditionally have two shorter arms and eight . longer tentacles. These ten . appendages of the Mangapinna are also often held at right angles to the . body, or mantle, which gives them the appearance of having elbows. Shell oil uses remote-controlled vehicles to study the water around its oil rigs and this particular recording, pictured, was filmed in the Gulf of Mexico in the Perdido Area of Alaminos Canyon. The rare sighting of the squid was discovered at a depth of more than 7,800ft in November 2007 . The . arms and tentacles are said to stretch up to 20 times longer than the . mantle while the fins are larger than other species and in some . sightings were around 90 per cent as big. It . is thought the squids use their long arms to grab or trap food along . the floor of the ocean, although this has never been seen in action. The footage was captured using a remotely operated underwater vehicle known as an ROV. Shell Oil, along with other companies, uses the vehicles to study the water around its oil rigs and this particular recording was filmed in the Gulf of Mexico in the Perdido Area of Alaminos Canyon, pictured . Aside from their overall lengths, the arms and the tentacles of the Mangapinna squid, pictured, are the same length and look identical - squids traditionally have two shorter arms and eight longer tentacles . Adult specimens of the Mangapinna squid, pictured, have never been captured or scientifically sampled but it is thought their long appendages are used to trap food on the ocean floor . | Footage of the 26ft long squid was filmed in the Gulf of Mexico .
Mangapinnas are known as bigfin squids because of their long tentacles .
These tentacles can stretch up to 20 times longer than the squid’s body .
It is thought the long appendages are used to trap food on the seafloor . |
215,357 | a2c3fd381b885186846006401636b850a041e897 | By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 05:00 EST, 28 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:28 EST, 29 May 2012 . Widespread confusion over the hosepipe ban has led to parents being reported to water companies by their neighbours for filling up their children's paddling pool. Water suppliers are investigating reports of people using hosepipes to fill paddling pools - which can hold hundreds of litres of water - during the recent heat wave. The hosepipe ban currently covers about half of England and anyone convicted of flouting it faces a fines of up to £1,000. Banned: Paddling pools, can hold hundreds of litres and water companies are investigating reports of people using hosepipes to fill them during the heatwave (file pic) It has meant that few children in the South East have been able to enjoy splashing around in their paddling pool since the ban came into force. Seven water companies across southern and eastern England, serving about 20 million people, have introduced the hosepipe bans, which came into place April 5. All of the companies allow customers to fill up paddling pools using hand-held containers such as buckets, but not using hosepipes. But warnings have arisen from campaigners saying it can be difficult for the public to interpret rules and this could lead to them being unintentionally flouted. Campaigners at hosepipeban.org.uk, have taken a critical view of the need for the ban. They accused the water companies of 'totally confusing the general public' and said they have been 'receiving a lot of questions regarding the filling of domestic swimming and paddling pools.' Seven water companies across south and eastern England, serving about 20 million people, have introduced the hosepipe bans, which came into place April 5 . South East Water, which covers supplies to parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire, said that 'the vast majority' of their customers have been compliant, but they have had reports of rule flouts. 'We have received a small number of reports of individuals not adhering to the current essential restrictions on hosepipe use. In these cases, we wrote to the customer about the seriousness of the drought and have not had to take further action as people comply with the ban.' Veolia Water commented: 'We have not taken action against any of our customers and hope that this situation will remain. Family affair: A mother and father walk their little ones down to the beach at Southsea, Hampshire as they all enjoy a paddle . Keeping cool: Georgia, 8, and Evie, 3, Marriott enjoy an ice cream during the hot weather in Heacham, Norfolk . 'Our experience during the last drought is that most customers who were reported to us for using a hosepipe, were either covered by an exception, or were not fully aware of the rules of the ban. They said it was 'very unusual once we have sent a letter reminding people of the restrictions that the individual involved continues to break the ban.' Thames Water, which covers parts of Greater London, the Thames Valley, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Kent said they have had a 'handful of calls and sent a few reminder letters, but we are not in the process of prosecuting anyone.' Seven water companies across south and eastern England, serving about 20 million people, have introduced the hosepipe bans, which came into place April 5. The following water companies allow you to fill, top up or maintain a paddling pool using a hand held container directly from a tap (not filled by a hosepipe): . Anglian Water . Sutton and East Surrey Water . Thames Water . Veolia Water Southeast . Veolia Water Central . South East Water . Southern Water . Covering customers in Kent and Sussex, Southern Water said: 'Since the restrictions came into force we’ve had calls from a handful of people calling to clarify the legislation. A small number of these calls have been to tell us that people may not be adhering to the rules. 'In these cases, we would write to the customers to remind them of the restrictions.' The company added that had not 'had to take any further action.' Similarly, Anglian Water, which covers much of the east of England said: 'We've had a handful of complaints as the weather has been hotter over the weekend.' The water company stressed they 'were not looking to catch people out,' and were hoping to work with customers. On internet forums discussing the hosepipe ban, water customers vocalised their confusion: . One user wrote: 'So have I understood this correctly .. You can’t fill/top up a childs paddling pool using a hose, but you can do it buy using ‘hand held containers’, so buckets then? Is this not going to use the same amount of water anyway?? Another disgruntled customer wrote: 'So how is filling a pool with a bucket less wasteful than using a hose pipe surely you spill more using a bucket and who is going to know how i filled it up anyway?' Legislation is in place for prosecution, but during previous hosepipe bans it has never come to this. The hosepipe ban is expected to stay in place throughout the summer. The weekend was the hottest of the year so far and thousands of people took the opportunity to spend a few hours at the seaside. The Met Office reported unbroken sunshine with roads to coastal resorts clogged with extra traffic. Thronging: Crowds descend on Blackpool beach yesterday morning. Forecasters say the hot, dry weather will remain for today, before breaking on Tuesday, when temperatures are likely to drop as rain returns . Three girls relax in bikinis in deckchairs in Brighton and enjoy ice creams to cool down . Thronging: Crowds descend on Blackpool beach yesterday morning. Forecasters say the hot, dry weather will remain for today, before breaking on Tuesday, when temperatures are likely to drop as rain returns . But according to the latest forecast it was too good to last - for the South East at least. The Met Office today issued a severe weather warning for the area saying people can expect potential torrential rain and claps of thunder combined with a steamy top temperature of 28C. The rest of the country will be cooler than yesterday but dry a Met Office forecaster said adding that the thundery weather will head to the Midlands and Northern Ireland tomorrow. Elsewhere it will be sunny but cloudy but further north it might be wise to pack a jumper as the temperature is set to plummet to 14C. It's due to be more unsettled on Wednesday across much of the country and cooler with temperatures in the low 20s for most parts. At least there's some good news for the upcoming Jubilee weekend: it's going to be dry for most places. Met Office forecaster Steven Keates said weekend temperatures would be 'not too exciting' but 'pleasant enough'. | Confusion over how water restrictions apply to paddling pools .
Hosepipe ban currently covers about half of England and anyone convicted of flouting it faces a maximum £1,000 fine .
Hosepipe ban is expected to stay in place throughout the summer .
Hottest weekend of the year so far according to forecasters . |
119,799 | 26d4d3f3e9310a9fa48ed6535913e59ffe48bac9 | In Memphis there's only one person called "the king:" the late Elvis Presley. But this weekend, the city had two princes -- William and Harry. The grandsons of the Queen of England visited Memphis to see their friend, Guy Pelly, tie the knot with native Memphian Elizabeth "Lizzy" Wilson, CNN affiliate WREG reported. She's the granddaughter of the man who founded the Holiday Inn chain. Her new husband is a London nightclub owner. On Saturday, royal fans lined the road leading to the the Memphis Hunt and Polo Club, where the wedding was held, to catch a glimpse of the princes. "I'm a big Prince Harry fan!" Darla Chapman told WREG. "I'm single! I heard he's single!" Alas, the princes came in through a different entrance, so Chapman and the others never got a chance to see them. But the young princes got out a good bit in Memphis. On Thursday, they dined at the Rendezvous, one of the city's best-known barbecue restaurants. Dressed casually in jeans, they dashed inside as security held back the commoners pressing for a look. On Friday they paid a visit to Presley's home, Graceland, the Memphis version of Buckingham Palace. "It was pretty awesome," local Nicholas Pegues said of the visit. "A once in a lifetime event!" Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas call it quits after two years . | The princes' friend, Guy Pelly, married Memphis resident Elizabeth "Lizzy" Wilson .
They attracted a crowd when they dined at the Rendezvous restaurant .
On Friday, the princes paid a visit to Graceland, Elvis Presley's home .
The wedding was held Saturday at the Memphis Hunt and Polo Club . |
48,730 | 8992121255e7311bfa8aa92e4940074339fab02f | (CNN) -- New York City has seen a jarring last-minute twist in the race for mayor, in which the current mayor, Michael Bloomberg, may have given a crucial boost to the person he would probably least like to see succeed him in City Hall. Bill de Blasio, who surged into the lead among the Democrats running for mayor, has been campaigning for months as a progressive bent on governing in a way that alters or reverses many of Bloomberg's cherished policies -- starting with de Blasio's proposal to raise taxes on households earning $500,000 or more per year. De Blasio, who is married to a black woman, has also made a series of campaign ads that include his biracial teenage children. Bloomberg, in a magazine interview, dismissed de Blasio's campaign as "class warfare and racist." Asked to explain the inflammatory charge, Bloomberg said de Blasio is "making an appeal using his family to gain support. I think it's pretty obvious to anyone watching what he's been doing. I do not think he himself is racist. It's comparable to me pointing out I'm Jewish in attracting the Jewish vote." The comment is, on its face, questionable. Click here and look at the videos for yourself. If de Blasio is using his telegenic family to good effect, it's no different from what candidates have been doing for centuries. If the comment was intended to halt de Blasio's momentum, it surely failed -- and appears to have backfired -- with the most relevant audience, the active Democratic base likely to turn out on primary day. In fact, within hours of publication of the mayor's remarks, de Blasio was using the dust-up as part of a fund-raising appeal to supporters. Gov. Andrew Cuomo sided with de Blasio as well. "The comments that were reported clearly are out of line and have no place in our political discourse," Cuomo told reporters. "There's plenty of substantive issues to be discussing without raising unnecessary and inflammatory topics." The dust-up is more than just an ill-timed misstatement by Bloomberg. It may also illustrate his frustration and impatience after months of bashing by the Democratic mayoral candidates. A self-made billionaire who is the wealthiest person in New York, Bloomberg does not suffer fools gladly. "Hizzoner has a few choice words for you if he doesn't like your policy idea, but his words of choice are usually variations of dumb and stupid," the Daily News noted earlier this year. "Mayor Bloomberg has the unlovely habit of hearing all sides of a question -- for about 60 seconds, when he trots out his personal thought-stopper: 'Let's get serious,'" columnist Richard Brookhiser noted in 2005. "This means that he is serious, you are not. He is smart, you are dumb. He has billions, you do not." Keep in mind that this bracing assessment by Brookhiser comes from a nationally known conservative who was explaining why he intended to vote for Bloomberg. This is not a warm and cuddly mayor. But New Yorkers are looking for someone who is more empathetic: In a recent poll, 65% of New Yorkers said they want the city to move in a different direction. And a comparable percentage said that an endorsement from Bloomberg would have no effect or make them less likely to support a candidate. In addition to swallowing that tough reality, Bloomberg has recently encountered setbacks that foreshadow the dropping of the final curtain on his administration at the end of the year. Over Bloomberg's strenuous objections, federal courts have appointed monitors to oversee hiring in the city's fire department (which is currently 3.4% black) and to reduce and restructure the police department's use of stop-and-frisk tactics. The normally toothless City Council overrode two Bloomberg vetoes to create an NYPD inspector general and to make it easier for citizens to sue if they think the police have illegally profiled them. De Blasio championed virtually all of the lawsuits and legislation that led to additional oversight of Bloomberg's agencies, and specifically campaigned on his opposition to Bloomberg. And de Blasio's call to tax the city's wealthy -- with the proceeds used to pay for pre-kindergarten and afterschool programs for children -- is anathema to the mayor, who called the plan "about as dumb a policy as anyone could think of." That sort of dismissive comment means one thing coming from a billionaire at the helm of city government. But if, as expected, de Blasio finishes first in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, it will signal something else entirely: the tolling of the bell making clear that the 12-year reign of Michael Bloomberg is, unmistakably, coming to a close. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Errol Louis. | Errol Louis: In interview NY Mayor Bloomberg called de Blasio's campaign "racist"
His comment that de Blasio using mixed-race family in campaign backfired, Louis says .
He says de Blasio campaigns to upend many Bloomberg policies, mayor likely chafing at this .
Louis: If de Blasio wins primary, it will signal Bloomberg's 12-year tenure truly coming to close . |
249,560 | cefa590b6968fb76195710814ec603f313684dfd | Majuro, Marshall Islands (CNN) -- After showing signs of improvement, Jose Salvador Alvarenga's health has deteriorated. Alvarenga, who said he was lost at sea for 13 months, returned to a hospital Thursday to be intravenously fed, said Christian Clay-Mendoza, a top Mexican trade official. "Doctors say he's severely dehydrated and low on vitamins and minerals," he said. Alvarenga, an El Salvadoran who had been living in Mexico, washed ashore on the Marshall Islands eight days ago. Earlier this week, his condition improved enough that he was released from a hospital. Doctors said Alvarenga's limbs have started to swell, and they can't seem to keep him hydrated. But he did manage to leave the hospital briefly Thursday to make a few comments to the media. Bewildered by all the cameras, he thanked the government and people of the Marshall Islands for their care and friendship. After his minute-long remark, officials whisked him back to the hospital. Plans for his repatriation to El Salvador on Friday have now been postponed due to his health. Official: His story 'is probable' Alvarenga's claims have garnered widespread skepticism about how he could survive for 13 months adrift on the Pacific. But from what officials can tell, they have no reason to doubt him. "The investigations into Mr. Alvarenga's story so far have been substantiated," said Phillip Muller, the Marshall Islands' foreign affairs minister. Clay-Mendoza said Alvarenga was an undocumented worker in Mexico. But "what he has said to us about his identity, so far, has been true." "We've had contact with his family in El Salvador, and they have corroborated his story," the Mexican official said. "Now we are trying to contact his boss at the fishing co-op he belonged to in Mexico, but so far everything he's told us has jibed. The main question now is how long was he at sea?" Clay-Mendoza said "it's probable" Alvarenga really did get lost at sea starting in December 2012. He said the boat was reported missing in 2012. If Alvarenga's story proves true, the trip across the Pacific would have taken him across roughly 6,600 miles (10,800 kilometers) of open ocean before ending in the Marshall Islands, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia, in the northern Pacific. Officials: 'We gave up' trying to figure out how long castaway was adrift in Pacific . The other man . Alvarenga says he set off on a fishing trip from the port of Paredon Viejo, Mexico, near the southern coastal city of Tonala. He said he and another man intended to spend a day trying to catch sharks, but they were blown off course by winds and then got caught in a storm, eventually losing use of their engines. Bellarmino Rodriguez Beyz, the owner of Alvarenga's boat in Mexico, identified the fishing partner as 23-year-old Ezequiel Córdova. Alvarenga said that four weeks into their drift, his companion died of starvation because he refused to eat raw birds and turtles. Eventually, he threw the body overboard. "What else could I do?" Alvarenga said. Living on faith and fish . A grieving family . Back in the Mexican village of El Fortin, Córdova's family is inconsolable. More than a year after the young man went missing, his mother is grieving his death. "The pain is so great, I can't explain it," Córdova's mother said. "Losing a child is the hardest thing to bear in life." Córdova's brother said the 23-year-old took care of his family -- and that's why he became a fisherman, in hopes of earning a better livelihood. "My brother was kind, he was responsible for my mother," he said. "In fact, he worked in the sea because of her. He wanted to improve himself. He didn't want to be poor, like us." The fishing cooperative that Córdova and Alvarenga belonged to has about 45 boats, Rodriguez said. The fishermen make about $150 a week. But the waters near Paredon Viejo are notorious for the dangerous winds that can blow fishermen away. Now that Córdova's mother knows her son is dead, she wants answers. "As a mother, I demand the authorities allow me to talk to the survivor," she said. "Only in that way will I know what happened, and what he did with the body of my son. I deserve to know the truth. " Meanwhile, Córdova's bedroom, scant with just a blanket as a headboard, remains untouched. Just the way he left it more than a year ago. This teen was adrift at sea for 26 days . Suzanne Chutaro and Jack Niedenthal reported from Majuro, Marshall Islands; Holly Yan reported from Atlanta. CNN's Nick Parker and Jethro Mullen also contributed to this report. | NEW: The mother of the dead fishing partner demands to speak with Alvarenga .
Jose Salvador Alvarenga said he was lost at sea for 13 months .
He has returned to a hospital due to dehydration and malnutrition .
Alvarenga said he had to toss his companion's body overboard after he died . |
264,359 | e2641902e40cd57a74814e0edfdd2eac38a214fc | A Russian fighter jet made multiple, close-range passes near an American warship in the Black Sea for more than 90 minutes amid escalating tensions in the region, it was claimed today. The Russian Fencer made 12 passes and flew within 1,000 yards (900 meters) of the USS Donald Cook Navy destroyer on Saturday, U.S. military officials claim. The U.S. warship issued several radio queries and warnings using international emergency circuits but the Russian aircraft, which was flying at about 500 feet (150 meters) above sea level, did not respond. Scroll down for video . Growing tensions: The U.S. military has claimed a Russian fighter jet made multiple close-range passes by one of its navy ships, the USS Donald Cook, in the Black Sea on Saturday . Communications: The USS Destroyer Donald Cook, pictured at the Constanta shipyard in the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta on Monday, attempted to contact the jet but got no response . 'This provocative and unprofessional Russian action is inconsistent with international protocols and previous agreements on the professional interaction between our militaries,' said Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. The fighter appeared to be unarmed and never was in danger of coming in contact with the ship, said the officials. The passes, which occurred in the early evening there, ended without incident. A second Russian fighter jet flew at a higher altitude and was not a concern, said Warren. A U.S. military official also said that a Russian Navy ship, a frigate, has been shadowing the U.S. warship, remaining within visual distance but not close enough to be unsafe. The official was not authorized to discuss the incident publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity. Warren said that he is not aware of any official communication or protests by the U.S. to the Russians about incident. Allegations: A U.S. military official described the action by the fighter jet as 'provocative and unprofessional' Official meetings: Romanian President Traian Basescu, left, boards the USS Donald Cook on Monday . The USS Donald Cook has been conducting routine operations in international waters east of Romania. The ship, which carries helicopters, was deployed to the Black Sea on April 10, in the wake of the Russian military takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region and ongoing unrest there. U.S. military officials have said the deployment is part of an effort to reassure allies and partners in the region. Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov on Monday called for the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping troops in the east of the country, where pro-Russian insurgents have occupied buildings in nearly 10 cities. The gunmen are demanding more autonomy from the central government and closer ties with Russia. The West has accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest. And European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg Monday to consider additional sanctions against Russian officials because of Moscow's annexation of Crimea. The USS Donald Cook warship was deployed to the Black Sea in the wake of Russia's annexing of Crimea . Armed: Two U.S. Navy technical staff check a two barrel gun on board of the USS Donald Cook warship . The USS Donald Cook is now in port at Constanta, Romania. Romanian President Traian Basescu visited the ship Monday and said a second U.S. Navy warship - a frigate from the Navy's Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea - is also heading to the Black Sea. 'My visit to the ship is symbolic, which first of all shows our respect to our NATO allies' reaction who have strengthened their presence in the Black Sea after Russia's annexation of Crimea,' said Basescu, who is a former ship captain. He said the Russians 'had created a circle of fire around the Black Sea.' The U.S. frigate, which has not yet been identified, is expected to arrive in the Black Sea in the next two weeks. According to a U.S. military official, the frigate is likely to replace the USS Donald Cook, which is expected to return to the Mediterranean Sea. | Russian Fencer made 12 passes over the USS Donald Cook on Saturday .
U.S. warship issued several radio queries but the jet didn't respond .
Action has been described as 'provocative and unprofessional' |
89,269 | fd6202cd9692544f8af1a77671a0627d70b36eff | By . Reuters Reporter . The agency that oversees development in the San Francisco Bay in California has begun a formal investigation into the construction of a secretive Google Inc barge on an island in the bay. The probe, which began in the past week, will examine what permits are needed to build the barge and whether the owners of the Treasure Island pier where the vessel is moored have the proper permits, said Larry Goldzband, the executive director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. 'We want to make sure that the permits that are used by the owners of the pier actually allowed for construction to happen,' Mr Goldzband told Reuters on Wednesday, referring to what he described as 'a preliminary and formal enforcement investigation.' Under investigation: City officials began looking into the barge's permits after the Coast Guard requested changes to its design . Google officials informed Mr Goldzband in a recent meeting that they are in the process of making changes to the barge's design which have been requested by the U.S. Coast Guard. Jason Tama, a Coast Guard commander, said he could not comment on any specific cases, but noted that it was standard practice for the Coast Guard to inspect new construction to ensure that safety, security and environmental protection regulations are met. Changes to vessels are a common part of the process, he said. Google did not return requests for comment. The barge, which is made of steel shipping containers stacked four-stories high, has stirred intense speculation about its purpose since its existence was first reported in October. Google, the world's No.1 Internet search engine, has kept mum on what it intends to use the barge for. Documents submitted to the Port of San Francisco in August describe an 'artistic' technology exhibition space. Shrouded in mystery: Construction materials are see outside a hanger adjacent to a barge Google had built with four levels of windowed shipping containers at a pier on Treasure Island in San Francisco . A report in the San Francisco Chronicle on Monday, citing documents that Google submitted to barge builder Turner Construction Co, refer to a 'floating retail store.' A floating retail store might raise questions with the conservation and development commission, which issues permits for vessels that are moored in one spot for an extended time. The current investigation is focused on the construction of the barge, rather than its future use. The probe, which should take a few weeks, will look at who owns the pier, who uses it and for what purposes, said Mr Goldzband. Bay Ship and Yacht Co has a lease with Treasure Island for Pier One which ran until November 30, according to documents provided to Reuters by the Treasure Island Development Authority earlier this year. The director of the development authority was not immediately available on Wednesday. Bay Ship and Yacht Co could not immediately be reached for comment. Mr Goldzband would not speculate about what kind of action might result if it was determined that there was a violation, but he said that the commission has the power to levy fines as well as to issue 'cease-and-desist' orders. | Google shrouded the barge in secrecy as it was built earlier this year in San Francisco Bay .
The Coast Guard requested Google make changes to the barge's design .
City officials are now looking into the matter . |
148,040 | 4b6d802324f9ee10fcae5656d597d100a592a963 | Slimy: An enormous infestation of millipedes could have caused a crash between two trains in Western Australia. This is a file picture of a black Portuguese millipede . An enormous infestation of millipedes could have caused a crash between two trains in Western Australia. The crash happened when a train arriving into a station at Clarkson, 25 miles . north of Perth, slammed into a stationary one. It resulted in six passengers being treated for stiff . necks following the crash on Tuesday. But it has since emerged that the crash could have happened after hundreds of Black Portuguese millipedes were found squashed in a slippery mess on the track. 'Millipedes are one of the factors we are going to take into account,' David Hynes, spokesman at the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia, said. 'What happened in previous instances is trains which were travelling at speed have gone over an infestation, crushed them and made the tracks slimy. 'The train loses traction and the train has slipped.' Hynes said. The millipedes are attracted to moist environments and are seen as invasive pests at high population levels. In 2009, thousands of them overran 1.2 miles of track, causing train delays and cancellations near Melbourne in southeast Australia. The black Portuguese millipede is native to Portugal and was accidentally introduced into Australia where it has since become an invasive pest. The millipede has flourished in Australia because of a lack of natural predators. They are most often seen in moist conditions, which creates lots of food. They have also been known to enter homes. Huge numbers of millipedes were crushed crossing the railway tracks at Tallarook, central Victoria in March 2009, causing train cancellations due to the disturbance of signalling equipment. | A train arriving into a station near Perth crashed into stationary one .
Hundreds of Black Portuguese millipedes were found squashed on the track .
Six passengers treated for stiff .
necks following the crash . |
13,327 | 25ddcab1f93e6e74bc21fe80486b237886070893 | Yaya Toure has again thrown his future into doubt by claiming he doesn't know if he will still be a Manchester City player next season. But manager Manuel Pellegrini was quick to dismiss talk of a transfer at a press conference on Friday, insisting the 31-year-old was fully committed to the club. The current African Player of the Year joined the Premier League champions from Barcelona back in 2010 and has enjoyed considerable success at the Etihad Stadium. Yaya Toure has claimed that he doesn't know if he'll be a Manchester City player next season . The former Barcelona man was talking to CNN while on international duty with the Ivory Coast . Toure gives his acceptance speech after winning the 2014 African Player of the Year award . But over the last year the relationship between player and club has appeared strained, with the Ivorian reportedly unhappy by City's forgetfulness with regards to his birthday. And while that incident was dismissed by all involved, Toure has again made some telling remarks regarding his situation. When asked by CNN if he wanted to stay at the club, he said: 'That's a big question and that's an easy question as well, and you have an easy answer... we'll see. 'I don't know (if I'll stay). I'm at City. City is a great club where I've achieved lots of things.' Toure endured a difficult year off the pitch after his brother Ibrahim tragically died and the Ivorian said that, despite his success with the club, 2014 had been 'a horrible year'. Toure celebrates after scoring for City against Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium . City manager Manuel Pellegrini said Toure was totally committed to the club . French full backs Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna train ahead of the match against Arsenal, their former team . One ex-Gunner who won't be involved is Samir Nasri, who has picked up an injury ahead of the clash . Strikers Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic arrive at training on Friday . Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany (left) and winger Jesus Navas (right) in training on Friday . David Silva, arguably City's most important player this season, trains ahead of the Arsenal clash . | Yaya Toure revealed he isn't sure if he will be at Manchester City next year .
The Ivorian midfielder joined the club from Barcelona back in 2010 .
Toure said he just wanted to be happy after 'a horrible year'
Click here for Manchester City transfer news . |
64,243 | b67000331204602ed9ae9844d1c6e51992bc3394 | (CNN) -- LinkedIn employees seem to love their boss. Jeff Weiner has claimed the number one spot in Glassdoor's latest survey of highest rated CEOs at large companies, getting a perfect 100% approval score from his staff. The LinkedIn boss was followed by Ford Motor's Alan Mulally and Edelman's Richard Edelman, both with 97% approval. Each year jobs and career website Glassdoor collects feedback from U.S.-based employees, in which they anonymously say what they think of the way their boss is leading their company. To be considered for the survey, chief executives at U.S.-headquartered large companies had to receive at least 100 approved reviews, according to Glassdoor. Click through the gallery above to see 2014's top 10 CEOs. READ THIS: The wit and wisdom of Bill Gates . INTERACTIVE: Career tips from business leaders . This story was amended to reflect a data error in Glassdoor's initial list which did not include John E. Schlifske. You can read more about Glassdoor's reason for this error here. | Glassdoor has released its latest list with CEO approval ratings .
LinkedIn boss Jeff Weiner has been named the highest-rated boss . |
161,028 | 5c2ba3e38423528576d08369e90f9668a005cd92 | By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 11:31 EST, 2 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:38 EST, 5 December 2012 . It may look like a gravel pathway - but this grey stretch of road is actually the world's longest trampoline. The rubber runway was installed as part of Russian art exhibition Archstoyanie 2012 - and lets visitors bounce along the full length of the road. The trampoline measure an impressive 170ft long - the same length as 13 double decker buses. Scroll down for video . As part of the 2012 Archstoyanie festival in Nikola-Lenivets, Russia, experts have created this gargantuan trampoline installation called Fast Track in a forest . Measuring nearly 170 feet, the bouncy road is thought to be the world's largest trampoline . The creators of the bouncy 'runway' have called it Fast Track . Visitors to the exhibition have been bouncing the length of the star exhibit since it was first installed last month. The space of the festival, as a creative laboratory, builds a territory of experiments in different spheres of art, but foremost in architecture. The Park provides a rare opportunity for Russian and foreign architects to act like artists by allowing them to create on the 'Archstoyanie' ground. Estonian design firm Salto have created this huge trampoline installation . Visitors to the exhibition have been bouncing the length of the star exhibit since it was first installed last month . The performance art work by Andrei Bartenev was called 'Kiss of the Tree' The central theme for this festival was Signs of Movement, here participants dressed in green body suits take part in a piece of moving art . The festival also features a number of weird and wonderful structures including this giant triumphal arch on the border between the forest and an empty field. The arch walls contain thousands of small traps for sunlight . The park and its space allow for much more opportunity than in an urban context. Festival curator Anton Kochurkin said: 'The festival got a new quality level and is ready to outgrow the annual format. 'Here, on the ground, only useful things take root, the things which are necessary for this place and for the people who protect the place and master it gradually. 'On the territory of 'Archstoyanie' there remain objects in accordance to the spatial idea of the Park. 'Of course, art has no practical value but the task that we are working on is to extend the chain where the peace of art becomes irreplaceable, connected with the processes which take place on the area.' | The 'road' has been a hit with visitors since it opened at the Archstoyanie festival .
It is the same length of 13 double decker buses and made from reinforced rubber . |
155,509 | 54ffd6b029e3534ccb13dfd6a738bde2f6103a21 | A surge in child sex abuse cases reported to Victoria Police shows the problem is no longer being swept under the carpet, political leaders say. The number of cases reported annually in Victoria surged 43 per cent in the five years to the 2013/14 financial year. There was also a 90 per cent increase in cases where a parent was the alleged perpetrator. A surge in child sex abuse cases reported to Victoria Police shows the problem is no longer being swept under the carpet, political leaders say . 'I think those figures reflect, on the advice that I have, an increased reporting rate and I welcome an increased reporting rate,' Victorian premier Denis Napthine told reporters on Saturday. 'The increased awareness of child sexual abuse is bringing to the fore cases that were under the carpet, behind closed doors.' Opposition leader Daniel Andrews said it resulted from a new 'culture of extra reporting, courage, transparency, and people feeling safe to come forward and report those despicable crimes'. A justice system overhaul was also needed, Mr Andrews said, and Labor would hold a royal commission into family violence in 2015 should it win the November state election. Fairfax, which published the figures, has also reported concerning trends observed by police and support services. They are seeing more cases of children instigating sexualised behaviour at primary schools, men pretending to be boys online so they can trick girls into exchanging explicit photos, and sexual abuse of girls after arranged marriages. Victorian premier Denis Napthine told reporters that figures reflect an increased reporting rate which is welcomed . The number of cases reported annually in Victoria surged 43 per cent in the five years to the 2013/14 financial year . ere was also a 90 per cent increase in cases where a parent was the alleged perpetrator . | Child sex cases reported in Victoria has dramatically increased by 43% in five years .
There is a 90% increase in cases reported where a parent was the alleged perpetrator .
Political leaders welcomes the increased reporting rate . |
210,649 | 9cd34bb6e256c6e64b9e62437e04cbda84ffe332 | By . Kate Lyons For Daily Mail Australia . Police are interviewing a 28-year-old Gold Coast man in relation to the death of a woman who fell from a balcony early this morning. The woman fell from a 13th floor unit in a block of flats in Surfers Paradise at 2.20am and police are treating the death as suspicious. The victim, believed to be in her mid-twenties, is yet to be identified. A woman has fallen to her death from a 13th storey apartment in Surfers Paradise . Police will speak to a Gold Coast man this afternoon after a woman fell to her death from his balcony early this morning . A resident of the apartment block surveys the scene below, where police investigators are still based . Police say there was a disturbance at the unit before the woman fell, but the man who lives at the unit was not there when police arrived. The woman's body has remained at the crime scene as officers carry out their investigations. Fifteen minutes after the incident, firefighters were called to the same block of flats to investigate a 'gas hazard'. A Queensland Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman says its crews carried out atmospheric testing. 'But that matter is now in the hands of police,' she said. Police have been conducting investigations at the scene and are appealing for anyone who may have CCTV, camera or mobile phone vision of the Avalon Apartment building around the time the woman fell, to contact Gold Coast Police or Crime Stoppers. The woman is yet to be identified but police are treating her death as suspicious . There was a disturbance at the apartment before the woman fell, but when police arrived at the apartment the man who lives there was not present . The woman's body remains at the scene as officers complete their investigation . Police and scientific officers are based at the scene where they are carrying out the investigation into the woman's death . | A woman, believed to be in her mid-20s, fell to her death from a Surfers Paradis apartment this morning .
Police are interviewing a Gold Coast man in relation to the death .
There was a disturbance at the apartment before the woman fell . |
94,139 | 0502d87d697c0c9f2f0b1788fa908c209099d1ac | It could be the ultimate diet - all the benefits of going to the gym, in a drink. Nestle has revealed it is developing 'exercise in a bottle'. It hopes to create a drink or pill that burn fat in the same way that a workout does. Nestle believe it can create a food that mimics the fat burning effect of going to the gym . Scientists at the Nestle's Geneva HQ say they have identified how an enzyme in charge of regulating metabolism can be stimulated by a compound called C13. The researchers looked at how the master regulator of the body's metabolism, an enzyme called AMPK, is controlled at the molecular level. The world's biggest food company, Nestle is better known for KitKat candy bars and Nespresso capsules, . Scientists at the firm's Geneva HQ say they have identified how an enzyme in charge of regulating metabolism can be stimulated by a compound called C13. The findings were published in the science journal Chemistry & Biology, and are a potential first step in developing a way to mimic the fat-burning effect of exercise. The goal is to recreate the effect of exercise in a pill or drink. It will initially be aimed at people with limited mobility due to old age, diabetes or obesity, Kei Sakamoto, the scientist who oversees research on diabetes and circadian rhythms at Nestle, said. His group of researchers looked at how the master regulator of the body's metabolism, an enzyme called AMPK, is controlled at the molecular level. 'AMPK is a key protein in every single cell in your body and is naturally activated by exercise. 'It monitors your energy status, like a fuel gauge in a car, and tells you to fill up when your energy is low,' Professor Sakamoto said. AMPK's role is important as energy is needed for all the key physiological processes in the body, from secreting a hormone to moving a muscle and even brain function. The findings were published in the science journal Chemistry & Biology, and are a potential first step in developing a way to mimic the fat-burning effect of exercise. 'Our research has revealed new knowledge about this master switch. 'In some conditions, such as diabetes, the body doesn't respond properly to insulin and muscle cells reject the message about their need to take up glucose. 'However, even under such medical conditions, AMPK can find an alternative way and take up glucose in muscle,' Prof Sakamoto said. 'Ideally, we'll be able to develop products that will help promote and augment the effects of exercise. He cautioned, however, that no product would ever simply replace exercise. 'Exercise has so many different effects – a cognitive role and physiological function – we'll never be able to mimic all those effects in a single product,' he said. Ed Baetge, Head of the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, said it was key to understand how to apply the basic knowledge. 'The next stage is to identify natural substances that can influence this molecular mechanism. The goal is to recreate the effect of exercise in a pill or drink. It will initially be aimed at people with limited mobility due to old age, diabetes or obesity. 'This could lead to the development of new dietary approaches with targeted effects on the body that, like exercise, could help in addressing metabolic problems and maintaining a healthy energy balance,' he said. Naveed Sattar, a professor of metabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, told Bloomberg points out others have tried to develop fat-burning products before, to no avail. 'A successful attempt in producing metabolic-assisting foods that mimic exercise would be marvelous -- the holy grail,' Sattar said by telephone. 'But there's no such thing as a free lunch. So far no such product has ever passed clinical trials.' | Will use chemicals to recreate the effects of a workout on the body .
Will be aimed at those with limited mobility due to age, diabetes or obesity .
Firm better known for its food brands such as KitKat and Nespresso . |
201,418 | 90cc09d9837e110cf993cead4fccc9442395def6 | When seven people got free meals at a Cardiff diner by completing its challenge of eating a 69oz mixed grill in only one hour - the owner decided to beef up his menu to defeat his customers. Restaurant boss Paul Stevens has created an entire menu of 40 different Man Vs Food mega-meals. Father of one Mr Stevens, 53, beefed up his Desperate Dan-style cuisine to include a giant 96oz rump steak, a 6 ½ pound ‘baby’ burger weighing more than a sack of potatos, ‘suicide’ chicken wings covered in hot chilli sauce and a selection of giant desserts. Scroll down for video . Tucking in: Diners at Sizzle and Grill in Cardiff tackle a 'baby Burger' Filling: The diner's pancake stack wouldn't leave you much room for seconds . Hunger game: The two-foot-long Po Boy, which comes with a meat or fish option . He even serves up scorpion, ants, meal worms and Kangaroo testicles. Inspired by the U.S television programme Man vs Food, Paul, he claims to have the only restaurants in Britain providing an entire menu catering for food challenges. He has even bought the brand name Man vs Food Limited. Twenty stone Mr Stevens, who runs Sizzle And Grill in Cardiff, South Wales, said: ‘We don’t think anything on our menu is weird - we just started to introduce a cow pie that the Dandy character Desperate Dan eats and we have a proper bowl which is two-foot in diameter. Meaty: The baby burger comes with cheese, bacon, onion rings, chips and a little salad . Wed alert: The Sizzle & Grill Steak House is popular with stag parties . ‘What we do know that it is very rare to have a whole menu dedicated to Man vs Food challenges. The only thing we do not do is starters because that would be too much. ‘We even cater to vegetarians and have a Kids vs Food challenge. There is an even sign outside that says our place is ‘the home of Man vs Food'. ‘One party pre-ordered our suicide wings and I made them aware of how hot they were - but they added another ten portions. The more you tell them not to do it, the more they want to. ‘I am not sure why I do it. It is certainly fun watching people do them but it is also heart breaking as well. Sometimes people get 45 minutes into a challenge and it looks like they are going to do it but then they hit the wall. ‘One guy had 15 minutes left and about 2 bites left. He just could not do it and it would have saved him £60.’ Mr Steven's 69oz mixed grill challenge consists of a steak, two pieces of gammon, five pork chops, half a chicken, four sausages, two eggs, mushrooms, peas, a side salad and a bowl of chips. But amazingly one diner managed to complete the meal in 22 minutes. Speedy: One customer managed to eat the Mixed Grill in just 22 minutes . The menu has since progressed to include dishes such as a £29.99 Orgasma Burger; a tower of five steak burgers, five chicken burgers, with 15 other layers of salad, onion rings, chillies, mushrooms and ham. All the burgers, bought from the butchers next door to the restaurant are freshly made daily with a mixture of minced steak, cracked black pepper, caramelised onion and no other additives. The Po boy - a two-feet long sandwich - comes in meat or fish whilst diners have the chance to down 75 chicken wings in 30 minutes or a giant sausage sandwich called The Widowmaker. Desserts include a six litre bucket of ice cream and a giant banana split featuring six bananas. So far the cooked-to-order 96oz steak at £69.00 and the £34.99 6 ½ pound double cheese Baby Burger are to yet be eaten within an hour. The full spread: The biggest dishes that Sizzle & Grill serve up . It's safe to say that your hunger will dessert you if you manage to finish Sizzle & Grill's serving of ice cream . Food for thought: Mr Steven's menu was inspired by the U.S television programme Man vs Food, with the show's former presenter Adam Richman pictured . Tall order: The restaurant's Burger Tower (left) and kangaroo testicles (right), which may be a little bit hard to stomach for some . Orgasma Calories: 12,000Ingredients: A tower of five Steak Burgers, five chicken burgers, cheese slices, lettuce, tomatoes, onion rings, bacon, thinly sliced ham, a few chillies, mushrooms, side salad all in a warm ciabatta bun and chips. Mixed grill Calories: 4,000Ingredients: A steak, two pieces of gammon, five pork . chops, half a chicken, four sausages, two eggs, mushrooms, peas, a side . salad and a bowl of chips . Po Boy Calories: 3,700 Ingredients for meat option: A two-foot sandwich with melted cheese top and bottom filled with lettuce leaves, spicy slaw, layer of ham, mixed peppers, grated cheese, sliced steak, and mushrooms and topped with a sticky barbeque sauce, served on large plank with a bowl of chips. Fish option: A two-foot sandwich with melted cheese top and bottom filled with lettuce leaves, spicy slaw, battered calamari rings, wait bait, crayfish and prawns, and topped with a seafood sauce, served on a plank with a bowl of chips. The King Wing Challenge is another that has defeated customers. Mr Stevens added: ‘The 69oz mixed grill was probably one of the hardest challenges but although I sold nearly 3000, seven people completed it in the hour set - the quickest in 22 minutes.’ ‘I myself cannot get near those meals. I am quite a large person myself and we have found that it’s the slight people who can complete the challenges. The large people just can’t do it. ‘Apparently there is scientific reason for that. Fat people have more fat so their stomach cannot grow and expand more. I don’t know if that is true. ‘We do a lot of stag parties and team bonding exercises coming from all over the place. More and more parties are coming in to attempt the challenges together. A dozen will try the challenge and of course the rest of the party are egging them on. ‘Obviously it is very noisy. We are now doing less regular steak meals because if you have a group in attempting a challenge, screaming and shouting at one end and you have a table of two next to them making eyes at each other. It doesn’t work and so we have had to change our menu because of it.’ Along with giant portions, the 54 -over restaurant also offers a selection of creepy crawly delights and exotic food challenges. Mr Stevens said: ‘We found that exotic meats are getting very popular with crocodile, kangaroo, ostrich, zebra and python often chosen. We also serve ants. We are getting really busy with the ants. 'Stags really like them. Scorpions, ants, and meal worm, all are kept in the fridge at the back so as not to scare the children. ‘Last week a customer asked for Gerbil as apparently it is a delicacy in Peru. We didn’t do it however because it would be too hard to come by and I think quite a lot of people might be disgusted by it. ‘People often question me about it not being healthy. It probably doesn’t help that we do a Kids vs Food Challenge too as we do a lot of children’s parties. We do get a lot of abuse for it but we just want to cater for everyone. HeftyL Mr Stevens' 96oz steak, which takes up an entire plate . ‘Our Po Boy can be done with quorn so it will cater for vegetarians. We wouldn’t turn anyone away. Now and then someone will come in and they will say "you should not be doing that". We just say "it’s the customer’s decision and we don’t force anyone to eat anything". ‘We are a little bit different from other places that do these challenges as we use quality food. What we have found is that if customers do not eat it all we are asked to put it in a doggy bag. If it wasn’t of good quality why would they take it home?' The Kids vs Food challenge consists of a milder version of the adult ghost chilli Suicide Wing Challenge, a small hot dog and four two oz burgers, which they call a Quadruple Bypass. Seven Suicide wings are laced with Naga Bhut Jolokia in a smokey paprika and honey sauce measuring a stagger 1,578,548 in Scoville heat units. Tabasco Red Pepper sauce registers at 2,500 Scoville units on the scale invented by American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville in 1912. | Sizzle And Grill in Cardiff, South Wales, serves up 40 different mega-meals .
Owner Paul Stevens was inspired by U.S TV show Man Vs Food .
Menu now beefed up after seven people completed a mixed-grill challenge .
They had to eat a 69oz mixed grill in one hour - one did it in 22 minutes . |
216,042 | a3afd342d449854d5a6e5291d4742d52fa10dd72 | These are the homes that take weird and wonderful architecture to the next level. They aren't your average Australian square abodes with four walls and a door - in fact one is shaped like a cloud and another a yellow castle. But they certainly do stand out from the rest. The Cloud House was built in Fitzroy on the northern fringe of Melbourne's CBD in 2012 . The Cloud House was created by award-winning architects McBride Charles Ryan . The Cloud House in Fitzroy, on the northern fringe of Melbourne's CBD, was created by award-winning architects, McBride Charles Ryan in 2012. It's actually an addition and renovation to a double-fronted Edwardian house built almost a century ago. The award-winning property is currently home to a couple with two young children. It's actually an addition and renovation to a double-fronted Edwardian house built almost a century ago . The award-winning property is currently home to a couple with two young children . It has three clear areas that separate the house, including a red box in the centre with a kitchen and a cloud-shaped extension for entertaining . The red box-centre kitchen separates the the classic Edwardian frontage from the cloud-shaped extension for entertaining . It has three clear areas that separate the house - the classic Edwardian frontage, a red box in the centre with a kitchen and a cloud-shaped extension for entertaining. While the Cloud House might put you in a dream-like stance, feast your eyes up the yellow castle in Dural, north-west of Sydney. The bright yellow home is situated on two hectares of property and is shaped like a castle, complete with conical rooftops. This yellow castle in Dural, in Sydney's north-west, is now on the market . The bright yellow home is situated on two hectares of property and is shaped like a castle, complete with conical rooftops . The property, which has been architecturally designed in a circle, features a 21 metre infinity pool, large opening glass skylights, dome ceilings and a rooftop garden. The yellow castle with three bedrooms and two bathrooms is currently on the market through Elise Lau at McGrath Castle Hill. The castle-like property has been architecturally designed in a circle . It features a 21 metre infinity pool and a spectacular roof top garden . The home boasts large opening glass skylights that span the vast light filled living room . The property features two bathrooms, including this colourful ensemble . The three bedroom home also has an expansive circular games/recreational room with fireplace . It also boasts an array of alfresco entertaining areas and gardens . | The Cloud House in Fitzroy in Melbourne was created by award-winning architects McBride Charles Ryan in 2012 .
It's a renovation to a double fronted Edwardian house built a century ago .
The three bedroom yellow castle is situated in Dural, north-west of Sydney .
Castle is complete with conical rooftops, infinity pool and rooftop garden . |
100,527 | 0d80dccab81aebe6d4dde5d67bf31a3b98bb9573 | (CNN) -- Does the David Petraeus extramarital affair pose a threat to national security? The scandal reinforces the risks of age-old intelligence-gathering landmines -- be careful what you say and where you say it. But analysts doubt national security was compromised. "Petraeus' potential exposure to blackmail, and the dangers associated with the use of nonofficial e-mail accounts that he needed to keep the affair secret, made this a potential national security issue," said Stephen Biddle, a professor of political science and international affairs at The George Washington University. Petraeus probe includes top general in Afghanistan . "The FBI concluded that this was only potential, and that no meaningful security breaches had actually occurred, but the affair created a risk that could have been exploited in the future." Petraeus resigned last week from the head of the CIA after admitting an affair with a woman later identified as his biographer, Paula Broadwell, 40, a fellow West Point graduate who spent months studying the general's leadership of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The revelation came during an FBI probe of another matter, and it led to the shocking fall of the celebrated and revered four-star Army general, who once ran the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The affair came to light during an FBI investigation of "jealous" e-mails reportedly sent by Broadwell to a U.S. Central Command volunteer named Jill Kelley, a government source familiar with the investigation told CNN on Monday. Timeline of the Petraeus affair . Kelley received the worrisome e-mails in May, an official said, describing the messages as along the lines of "stay away from my guy," but not explicitly threatening. According to a source with knowledge of the e-mails, the messages accused Kelley of untoward behavior with some generals at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, where Kelley did volunteer work. The e-mails detailed the "comings and goings of the generals and Ms. Kelley," said the source, who declined to speak on the record because of sensitivity of the investigation. Among those believed to be referenced in the e-mails was Petreaus. Because parts of Petreaus' schedule were not public, the e-mails raised questions about whether the sender of the e-mails had access to his private schedule or other sensitive information. Kelley, 37, and her husband Scott released a statement saying they have been friends with Petraeus and his family for more than five years, and asked for privacy. Opinion: Petraeus adultery no big deal . Robert Baer, a CNN contributor and former CIA operative, said the situation is troubling because Petraeus could have innocently told Broadwell secrets he shouldn't have in casual conversation. Also, in a speech at the end of October, Broadwell suggested the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, took place because the United States was housing Libyan prisoners there -- a theory, she noted at the time, that had not been vetted yet. The claim by Broadwell has since been discounted by administration officials. Baer said it's rare in a relationship that a person wouldn't cross the line and say things he or she shouldn't have said. But "my gut is there's nothing there," he said, and that Petraeus didn't say anything he shouldn't have to Broadwell. Opinion: 5 things we've learned from Petraeus scandal . Nevertheless, he said, the "potential is big here for policy and security implications." "It's a spy agency's worst nightmare," he said. "They've let an outsider in, which is always a terrible error." As for the morality of the situation, Baer said extramarital relations do happen when the Army and the CIA go to war. The Petraeus affair: A lot more than sex . "I would be more worried if he were asexual," Baer said of Petraeus. "It shouldn't distract from his legacy." Retired Gen. James "Spider" Marks, for whom Broadwell once worked and who knows Petraeus, said he doubts security protocols were breached despite what seems an unlikely indiscretion on the part of Petraeus. A senior U.S. intelligence official said an extramarital affair by a CIA officer is not automatically considered a security violation. Analysis: Will national security scandal create national security risk? "It depends on the circumstances," the official said. The official also said Broadwell did not have a security clearance from the CIA. Another official said Broadwell, who is an officer in the Army reserve, did have some kind of security clearance and that there are no issues with Broadwell having unauthorized access to classified information. "I do not know how she got that information," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, referring to Broadwell's October speech. "We should find out." Panetta makes first comments on Petraeus' affair . Feinstein said she would investigate why the FBI investigation that uncovered the extramarital affair did not notify oversight committees about its investigation into Petraeus after the bureau determined he was having a secret and risky extramarital affair. Fran Townsend, a former Bush Homeland security adviser and CNN national security contributor, agrees the situation lends itself for the potential that security would be breached. "Is there the potential? Yes of course. I think there's no indication that there's a problem here. There's no indication this involved classified material from him to her." She also said she thinks that Broadwell is "playing the journalists' game." "If she's in an intimate relationship with the CIA director, he's not her only source." And, she might have heard the October remarks, made at the University of Denver, in passing from someone else. Kurtz: How Petraeus courted the press . As investigators try to determine who said what to whom, it might end up as a "he said, she said." And as a result, nothing will be firmed down or resolved. "I worry about the distraction that this now becomes for Congress and the media," Townsend said. Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director and CNN contributor, said there are always potential worries about having appropriate relations and the potential of spies. In this situation, Petraeus is "very experienced" and knows about security clearances. Broadwell has scores of military contacts and is an author and academic. But what if someone burglarized her house, for example, and found classified information there. Could she be blackmailed? "That's the worry," he said. Petraeus letter: 'I showed extremely poor judgment' | David Petraeus had affair while CIA chief .
Could secrets have been passed casually?
Experts doubt serious breaches, but worry about potential exposure to blackmail .
Ex-CIA agent: "It's a spy agency's worst nightmare" |
57,875 | a3fa826c0cfff813828f04002bf9698ca5ba4a16 | Police say they have discovered the remains of as many as four dead infants in a storage locker in the central Canadian city of Winnipeg. Winnipeg Const. Eric Hofley said Tuesday concerned employees at the storage locker company called police Monday and, once inside, police found what appeared to be the remains of up to four infants. He says the remains were so decomposed, it's not clear if police are dealing with three or four bodies. Scene: Police made the gruesome discovery at this U-Haul storage facility in Winnipeg late Monday night. The bodies of several dead babies were found . DisturbingC: oncerned employees at the storage locker company in northwest Winnipeg called police Monday. Once inside, officers found what appeared to be the remains of the babies . He says victims appear to be 'very, very young' and most likely newborns. Autopsies were being conducted. He says police are talking to a few people, but the remains don't appear to be linked to any infants that have been reported missing. The incident occurred at the U-Haul storage facility in the Winnipeg suburb of West Alexander. Hofley told reporters on Tuesday that in his 14 years as an officer he has never experienced anything like this, describing the scene as 'very disturbing', according to CBC News. The station were also reporting that the female owner of the locker was being interviewed. Investigation: The U-Haul storage locker facility, which was cordoned off by police tape, was cleared Tuesday . There are no suspects in custody. 'It’s just too early in the investigation to say exactly what has transpired here,' Hofley said. Homicide investigators have been contacted. However the case remains in the hands of child-abuse specialists. Police said they will have an update on the case Wednesday. | Gruesome discovery made late Monday night at a U-Haul facility in Winnipeg .
Remains were extremely decomposed .
Police are unsure whether there are three or four bodies .
Described the infants as 'very, very young'
Owner of the locker is being interviewed . |
43,817 | 7b9855b5e053a07b24c0297af575ea54c0b5b8b2 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Lily Allen is being sued for more than £100,000 by a former tour manager who claims she broke a contract so that an American company could run her money-spinning comeback tour. EC1 music, whose director is Alex Nightingale, son of Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale, filed High Court papers after the singer joined US firm CAA, claiming she was told it could ‘generate higher gross fees’ than EC1. EC1 Music, which had worked with Miss Allen since 2007, alleges that in May 2012 Miss Allen and Mr Nightingale agreed EC1 would manage a tour spanning 2013 and 2014. Scroll down for video . Lily Allen (pictured) is being sued for more than £100,000 by a former tour manager who claims she broke a contract so that an American company could run her money-spinning comeback tour . EC1 music, whose director is Alex Nightingale, son of Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale, filed High Court papers after the singer joined US firm CAA, claiming she was told it could ‘generate higher gross fees’ than EC1 . Months later, the singer announced she was pregnant, and is alleged to have told EC1 to continue with tour plans for 2014 and 2015. EC1 booked venues but soon after, Miss Allen allegedly told the firm she was joining CAA. Mr Nightingale argues he is entitled to compensation for the ‘very large amount’ of work carried out, adding there was no break clause in their agreement. A spokesman said Miss Allen’s lawyers ‘will be defending the matter vigorously’. Mr Nightingale was not available for comment. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Lily Allen is being sued for more than £100,000 by a former tour manager .
EC1 music filed High Court papers after the singer joined US firm CAA .
The company, whose director is Alex Nightingale, alleges that in 2012 the singer agreed EC1 would manage a tour spanning 2013 and 2014 . |
187,589 | 7eee4dd022ad340867488109f75f51e8bc6cb390 | By . Alexandra Klausner . The brother of Sochi Olympic skeleton silver medalist Noelle Pikus-Pace along with his three children were finally found today after going missing while on an Idaho camping trip near the Gospel lakes over the weekend. Jared and his children were found walking near mountains about an hour away from their campsite. They were unharmed other than bravely sporting some poison ivy and mosquito bites. Noelle Pikus-Pace posted an update on her Facebook just 15 minutes ago saying that Saturday morning after camping for the night, her brother and his children aged five, seven, and nine went fishing a couple of miles from their campsite and got lost after a fellow camper misdirected them. A miracle: Noelle Pikus-Pace's(right) brother, Jared Pikus (left), and three of his children were found . yesterday walking along this road in Idaho . Spotted: This is the road in Idaho hours from Jared Pikus Pace's campsite where he was found walking with his three kids . Off the map: Noelle Pikus-Pace posted this map of her brother's approximate location near the Gospel Lake in Idaho where she believes he went missing . 'They kept going thinking it would be around the bend. Night came so he used the raft that they had with them and slept beneath it. They drank water from a snow stream and he said he bribed the kids to keep moving forward with a bag of jolly ranchers that he had in his backpack. The terrain was very rocky and steep. He said the kids were amazing,' wrote Noelle. Rescue crews first started looking for Jared Pikus-Pace and his children on Sunday morning after they didn't return home on Saturday afternoon, reported NBC. Pikus and his family were last seen by camper on Saturday in a non-hikeable area of the campground. Jared has a wife at home along with three more children, including a very young baby. Noelle called upon others to help find her brother and his family on her Facebook account today. Her first post read, 'PLEASE say a prayer! My brother, Jared, and 3 of his kids went camping Friday and were supposed to come home yesterday morning. Search and rescue found their vehicle but can't find them! They are in northern Idaho. His wife is at home with their other 3 kids including a very new baby. Please say a prayer for them and those looking for them!' Later in the day Pikus took to her social media accounts again and even posted a map of her brother and his family's approximate location. Found: Sochi Olympic skeleton silver medalist Noelle Pikus-Pace's brother, Jared Pikus (top left), was rescued with his three children today after going missing on a camping trip in Idaho . Swift as silver: Noelle Pikus-Pace won the silver Sochi Olympic medal for skeleton, a sport in which a person rides a sled face down at very high speeds . Her prayers were answered: Noelle asked friends and family to pray for her missing brother who was found with his three children today out of harm's way . 'Search and rescue are still looking for my brother and his three little kids. This is where they are. They have helicopters and teams searching. They found their SUV and campsite. Still no sign of them. He was supposed to be back yesterday afternoon. Please keep them in your prayers! I'll keep you updated,' wrote Noelle Pikus-Pace. Noelle feared for her brother's life because she heard that the terrain around the Gospel lakes is very rough. 'They said the terrain is pretty rough in the area. He went fishing with the kids at one of the Gospel lakes but they didn’t take a boat. They have life jackets and usually fish from the lake side, Pikus Pace told NBC. 'My husband, kids and I just spent a few days with them and were making our way home (stopping along the way). We were in Burley, about 6 hours south of their home and are now driving up there,' said Noelle. Noelle asked friends and family to prayer for her brother and his family and thankfully her prayers were answered and her brother and his family are out of harm's way. | Jared Pikus-Pace, the brother of Sochi Olympic skeleton silver medalist Noelle Pikus-Pace, was found today .
Jared along with three of his six children were found walking on a road after they got lost while hiking near the Gospel Lake on Saturday .
Jared and his three children aged five,seven, and nine are alive and in good health .
Jared had to bribe his children to keep walking with a bag of jolly ranchers and they drank water from a snow stream .
Jared has a wife at home and is a father of six children including a very young baby . |
240,034 | c2be21f6d3170b20e2ae5f2a8a5cc570ee45e9d6 | New York (CNN) -- New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, who received a 162-game doping suspension, Friday withdrew his lawsuits against Major League Baseball, Commissioner Bud Selig and the players' union. In the lawsuits, Rodriguez had sought to get a Manhattan federal court to throw out the record-setting penalty. Notices of dismissal in the lawsuits were filed Friday in Manhattan, meaning the player will accept the suspension and sit out the 2014 season. There was no immediate comment from Rodriguez's attorneys or his spokesman, Ron Berkowitz. In a statement, Major League Baseball said: "We have been informed that Alex Rodriguez has reached the prudent decision to end all of the litigation related to the Biogenesis matter. We believe that Mr. Rodriguez's actions show his desire to return the focus to the play of our great game on the field and to all of the positive attributes and actions of his fellow Major League Players. We share that desire." The Major League Baseball Players Association said in a statement: "Alex Rodriguez has done the right thing by withdrawing his lawsuit. His decision to move forward is in everyone's best interest." In one of the lawsuits, filed in October, Rodriguez had alleged that MLB and Selig "engaged in tortious and egregious conduct with one and only one goal ... to destroy the reputation and career of Alex Rodriguez." The lawsuit had claimed that in its investigation of Anthony Bosch and his Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in Miami, MLB engaged in vigilante justice to prove that Rodriguez was using performance enhancing drugs. Rodriguez has said that the investigation, which was supposed to stay private, has permanently harmed his reputation and ensured that he will never again secure any endorsement contracts. Did Rodriguez expose doping secrets? The lawsuit included had claimed that MLB went around collective bargain agreements to make an example of Rodriguez and to "gloss over Selig's past inaction and tacit approval of the use of performance enhancing substances in baseball and to secure his legacy as the savior of America's pastime." Major League Baseball arbitrator Fredric Horowitz last month upheld most of Rodriguez's 211-game doping suspension, keeping him out of the 2014 regular season and the postseason. It was the most severe punishment in baseball history for doping and a highlight of baseball Commissioner Bud Selig's recent high-profile crackdown on performance-enhancing drugs. The suspension will not only cost Rodriguez $25 million in salary, but it also further clouds the groundbreaking career of a player who'll turn 40 in the 2015 season. Rodriguez, one of 14 players suspended in the Biogenesis scandal, was the only one who appealed his suspension. Though he was suspended in August, Rodriguez played out the 2013 season because of the appeal. CNN's Adam Reiss contributed to this report. | Alex Rodriguez withdraws federal lawsuits seeking to overturn doping suspension .
Notices of dismissal were filed Friday .
The Yankees slugger received a record 162-game suspension for alleged steroid use . |
226,347 | b1169e4b71b930860b9289871bff0b97a6ab301f | (CNN Student News) -- April 6, 2012 . Download a PDF map related to today's show: . Colorado State University; Santa Cruz, California; Augusta, Georgia . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. | The daily transcript is a written version of each day's CNN Student News program .
Use this transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News . |
60,299 | ab5bae0e91e7066142c8eb7633cd611a13cf0035 | By . Stuart Woledge . PUBLISHED: . 15:37 EST, 12 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:52 EST, 13 September 2013 . Support: Archbishop Dr Barry Gordon said it made 'no theological sense' to oppose women bishops . Women will be allowed to become bishops in Wales’ Anglican churches following a landmark vote that will surely put pressure on the Church of England to follow suit. Members . of the Church in Wales’ 144-strong governing body voted through the . proposals at a meeting in Lampeter, near Cerdigan in west Wales, earlier today. Supporters and women’s rights groups called the decision long overdue, arguing the exclusion of women from the top roles made the church less relevant in modern society. Wales has now joined Scotland and Northern Ireland in opening their doors to the ordination of women bishops, leaving just the Church of England opposed to the idea. The issue was hotly debated at the Church of Wales’ governing body meeting in the University of St David. The vote needed a two thirds majority from three of the Church in Wales’ 'houses' - Laity, Clergy and Bishops. Laity voted 57 for and 14 against, with Clergy backing the move 37 to 10. Bishops’ vote was unanimously in favour of the plan. Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said it made 'no theological sense' to continue opposing the ordination of women as bishops when the church already ordained them as deacons and priests. It is the second time in five years it had faced the issue. A previous proposal was defeated in 2008 by just three votes. The Bill was proposed by the six diocesan bishops of the Church in Wales. Canon Patrick Thomas of Christ Church, Carmarthen, said: 'I’m happy with Bishop Wyn but would be just as happy with Bishop Wynona.' Nigel King, stewardship officer for the Diocese of Swansea and Brecon, added: 'Do we really care whether the bishop has external or internal plumbing?' Canon Jenny Wigley, from Radyr, Cardiff, said the Bible itself says there should be no differences between people. 'It’s Christ-like people that the church chooses as bishops and I hope and pray that the Church in Wales gives an unqualified and unreserved yes to the Christ-like qualities of our women priests alongside our men,' she added. However, Father Ben Andrews, from Barry, said it could be difficult for some people to stay in the church if women bishops were allowed. He said: 'The bishop’s role is to hold the diocese together, and for those of us who in good conscience cannot accept the sacramental ministry of a woman bishop means we cannot be in communion with that bishop. 'We are told we have an honoured place within the church but that place is going to be difficult if not impossible for us to stay and remain. Christ-like: Cannon Jenny Wigley argued there were no differences between people in the Bible . 'There may come a time when it is impossible for me to function as a priest in the Church in Wales.' Dr Elliott King, Swansea and Brecon, said the church should not feel it has to do what secular society says. However, unlike democratic political elections, the Church in Wales takes all views into account in making its decisions. And one contentious microcosm of debate was what level of protection should be afforded to those who fiercely objected to the plans. Calls had been made for changes to the Church in Wales’ constitution for priests who did not want to be led by a woman, which would have prompted a second vote at a later date. Some argued that allowing greater room for objectors by going to a second vote later in the year could avert a division opening up in the church. However, those in favour of going to a straight yes/no vote - where any decision would come into effect within one year - said the matter needed to be resolved now. Passionate: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is in favour of women bishops . The decision to allow women to be ordained as bishops in the Church of England was narrowly defeated last year. The matter went before the Church of England's General Synod's governing body in November. Despite it being approved by the House of Bishops and House of Clergy, the proposition was rejected by the General Synod's House of Laity. As with the Church in Wales, each house needed a two thirds majority in favour for the vote to be approved. In the House of Laity, 74 voted against with 132 in for. Had another six members voted in favour, the motion would have been passed. Archbishop of Canterbury the Rt Reverand Justin Welby is firmly in favour of the ordination of women bishops and had been looking at dissolving the General Synod and holding fresh elections. But In July the General Synod voted in favour of looking at the matter again by 319 votes to 84. The General Synod is unlikely to vote on the matter again until 2015 at the earliest. | The Church in Wales' three houses were overwhelmingly in support .
Archbishop said it made 'no theological sense' to oppose women bishops .
Church joins Scotland and Northern Ireland in allowing women bishops .
Just the Church of England now remains opposed to the idea . |
139,698 | 40a7c5f3ee520d18b3c263e7f9488c67754f550f | By . Lizzie Parry . A father who allegedly abandoned his two children in the wreckage of a car crash after they were seriously injured, has been arrested by police. Detectives believe Umbar Ali was driving a Vauxhall Zafira, which was involved in a collision with an Alfa Romeo in Bradford, West Yorkshire on Saturday night. Two children, aged two and four, were discovered by police officers in the Zafira alone. They were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Accident: Two children, aged two and four, were left in the wreckage of a Vauxhall Zafira following a crash in Manningham, Bradford. Police investigating launched a hunt for Umbar Ali, 39, believed to be the father of the children and driver of the Zafira, who allegedly fled the scene . Officers believe Ali, 39, from Bradford is the father of the youngsters. The accident happened in Queen's Road at the junction with Valley Road, Manningham, at around 9.30pm. Ali is thought to have fled the scene, sparking a manhunt. A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: 'We can confirm a 39-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident.' He said the man has been detained on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Officers had been concerned that Ali may have been injured in the accident and could require treatment in hospital. Two people in the Alfa Romeo, aged 34 and 32, were freed from the vehicle by firefighters and taken to hospital with suspected spinal injuries and a broken collar bone. A fire service spokesman described the collision as a 'fairly high-speed impact'. One woman is understood to have suffered a broken collarbone in the accident. Firefighters called to the scene of the crash, cut the roof from the Alfa Romeo to free the female passenger and male driver. A fire service spokesman said the man was suffering from suspected spinal injuries. The road was closed for about three hours after the crash. Inspector Joanne Field, of West Yorkshire Police's Western Area Roads Policing Unit, has urged anyone with information to contact the unit on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Arrest: A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said a 39-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of an accident . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Umbar Ali hunted by police after an accident in Manningham, Bradford .
Police believe he fled the scene on Saturday evening .
39-year-old allegedly left his two children seriously injured in the wreckage .
The driver and passenger of the other vehicle were also seriously injured .
Detectives were concerned Ali could have been injured and need treatment .
Man, 39, arrested on suspicion of failing to stop at the scene of a crash . |
245,723 | ca0e1cd46e3dae2613e05fadf3c9a5a9ba681903 | (CNN) -- Family and friends of 16-year-old Daniel Parmertor, one of three students killed in an Ohio school shooting, said their final goodbyes Saturday as he was laid to rest. "I just can't believe what happened. He was honestly the sweetest person I've ever met. He's such a good person and I can't believe he's gone," said Parmertor's friend, Gabby Cveljo, CNN affiliate WEWS reported. Funeral services for the slain student were held at the Church of St. Mary in Chardon, Ohio, the network said. Mourners marched silently to the church, carrying the American flag. Others had signs with hearts and stood outside, wrapped in blankets against the cold. Parmertor was killed this week when a lone gunman opened fire on students in Chardon High School's cafeteria. Two other students were hospitalized and another was grazed by gunfire. The shooting rocked the school and the community of 5,100 people about 30 miles east of Cleveland. Authorities say T.J. Lane, 17, is charged him with three counts of aggravated murder, two of attempted aggravated murder and one of felonious assault. The latter is related to the student who was grazed by a bullet. Prosecutor David Joyce filed charges against Lane on Thursday in juvenile court. The defendant's next court appearance will be Tuesday, and a hearing scheduled for March 19 will discuss a motion to transfer his case to an adult court. Lane's friends have said that the teen had a troubled childhood. His parents had both been charged with domestic violence against each other, according to court documents. His father also served prison time for assaulting a police officer and was charged in an assault on another woman. "I think there's a lot of kids that go through things like that. That doesn't give them the right to kill other people," said Bob Parmertor, Daniel Parmertor's grandfather. "No one has the right to shoot other people because they've had a rough life." | NEW: 16-year-old Daniel Parmertor is remembered as sweet, a good person .
Funeral services for him were held on Saturday .
Mourners carried American flags and signs with hearts .
A gunman opened fire on students this week in Chardon High School's cafeteria . |
74,556 | d356126643d9026604bc1c756f4c1d2e457b71e6 | By . Gerri Peev . PUBLISHED: . 18:02 EST, 15 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:20 EST, 16 August 2012 . Britain's 20 most wanted tax fugitives who have conned the exchequer out of a staggering £765million been named and shamed in an FBI-style government campaign. HM Revenue & Customs has unmasked the tax cheats in a bid to help hunt them down, issuing photographs and profiles on a new website from this morning. The most wanted are all tax criminals who have absconded after being charged with a crime or during trial. Wall of shame: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) most-wanted list of 20 alleged tax-dodgers . Some are hiding in Britain while others have fled abroad to countries including Switzerland, South Africa and Pakistan. It is the first time the Revenue has published photos of tax dodgers who are on the run in this way.Ministers are unapologetic about the crack-down, saying that tax evasion and fraud has cost taxpayers around £10 billion a year. Gordon Arthur, 60, left, believed to be in the US since 2000, suspected of . illegally importing cigarettes and alcohol and failing to pay around £15 . million in duty. Hussain Asad Chohan, 44, right, believed to be in Dubai. Convicted in his absence and sentenced to 11 years for his part . in fraud worth around £200 million, which included importing 2.25 tonnes of . tobacco . Zafar Baidar Chisthi, 33, left, thought to be in Pakistan, found guilty for his part in VAT fraud worth around £150 million. Cesare Selvini, 52, right, thought to be in Switzerland, is wanted for smuggling . platinum bars worth around £600,000. David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary, said: ‘The Government is absolutely committed to tackling tax evasion and fraud. ‘These criminals have collectively cost the taxpayer over £765m and HMRC will pursue them relentlessly. ‘We hope that publishing their pictures in this way will enable members of the public to contribute to the effort to catch them.’ Nasser Ahmed, 40, left, believed to be in Pakistan or Dubai, was convicted in 2005 for his role in VAT fraud worth around £156 . million. He fled before verdicts were given. Olutayo Owolabi, 40, right, believed to be in the UK, was convicted in January . 2010 for 27 charges linked to tax credits and money laundering. The estimated cost to the . taxpayer was £1 million. Malcolm McGregor McGowan, 60, left, believed to be in Spain, was found guilty of illegally importing cigarettes . worth around £16 million into the UK. Leigang Liang, 38, right, believed to be in the UK, was convictedfor illegally importing tobacco from China, costing taxpayers £2.6 million. The government has spent £900 million to the Revenue’s enforcement team to try and recover an additional £7 billion in lost tax revenue each year. Criminals include tobacco smuggling gang leader Leigang Liang, whose shadowy network illegally imported 650 kg of harmful counterfeit tobacco, 300,000 cigarettes and five tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco from China. His actions are estimated to have cost the taxpayer £2.6 million. He has been sentenced in absence to seven years prison . Mohamed Sami Kaak, 45, left, thought to be in Tunisia, is wanted for smuggling . millions of cigarettes into the UK between March 2005 and September 2006 and . evading around £822,000 in duty. Yehuda Cohen, 35, right, thought to be in Israel, is wanted over VAT fraud worth . around £800,000. John Nugent, 53, left, thought to be in the United States, was accused of putting . in fraudulent claims for duty and VAT worth more than £22 million. Vladimir Jeriomin, 34, right, thought to be in Russia or Lithuania, was part of a . gang that made false claims for tax repayments costing the . taxpayer £4.8 million. Tax fraudster Darsim Abdullah was part of a 12 man crime group that laundered up to £4million a month from crime. He absconded before he could be convicted and is believed to have fled to Iraq. His fraud is estimated to be worth £24 million. Nasser Ahmed has been missing since 2005. He is believed to have fled to Pakistan or Dubai after ripping off taxpayers to the tune of £156 million for a large-scale VAT fraud. Cesare Selvini is wanted for smuggling platinum bars worth around £600,000. He failed to turn up court when his case came up in Dover eight years ago and is believed to be in Switzerland. Wayne Joseph Hardy, 49, left, now believed to be in South Africa, was convicted of manufacturing tobacco products and not paying . duty worth £1.9 million. : Dimitri Gaskov, 27, right, thought to be in Estonia, allegedly smuggled three . million cigarettes into the UK using computers. He fled before trial at Ipswich Crown Court. Adam Umerji - aka Shafiq Patel, 34, left, thought to be in Dubai, was jailed for 12 years for VAT fraud and money laundering that cost the taxpayer £64 million. Darsim Abdullah, 42, right, believed to be in Iraq, was convicted for being part of a money laundering gang that processed £1 . million to £4 million per month. Olutayo Owolabi is still believed to be at large in Britain after being convicted for 27 offences relating to tax credits and money laundering. Sixteen tonnes of raw leaf tobacco were smuggled into Britain by Wayne Joseph Hardy. The fugitive and others sourced a tobacco manufacturing and rolling machine.They have dodged tax worth around £2 million. Hardy is believed to have fled to South Africa. Timur Mehmet, 39, left, believed to be in Cyprus, is wanted over a £25 million . VAT fraud. Emma Elizabeth Tazey, 38, right, is believed to be in America, wanted for illegally importing cigarettes worth £15 million . Sahil Jain, 30, left, believed to be in the UK, was arrested over alleged VAT . fraud worth around £328,000 but failed to appear at the Old Bailey. Rory Martin McGann, 43, right, believed to be in Northern Ireland or the Republic . of Ireland, is wanted for alleged VAT fraud worth more than £902,000. Emma Elizabeth Tazey and Gordon Arthur are both wanted for a £15 million rip-off involving cigarettes and alcohol. They are believed to be in America. Large-scale VAT fraudster Zafar Baidar Chisthi is thought to have absconded to Pakistan after ripping of taxpayers to the tune of £150 million. He was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for conspiracy to defraud the public purse and one year for perverting the course of justice in his absence. The pictures are available on HMRC’s Flickr page at www.flickr.com/hmrcgovuk. | HMRC releases mugshots of Britain's most prolific tax dodgers .
Some are hiding in Britain while others have fled abroad . |
132,435 | 3743ca78dfcfc304dacbdf46d77c1bd6a5de3f2b | London (CNN) -- Britain cut all financial ties Monday with Iran over concerns about Iran's nuclear program, the first time it has ever cut an entire country's banking sector off from British finance, the British Treasury announced. The move comes days after an International Atomic Energy Agency report highlighted new concerns about "the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program," the Treasury statement said Monday. The IAEA's governors approved a resolution last week expressing "deep and increasing concern about the unresolved issues regarding the Iranian nuclear program. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and has called the U.N. watchdog's report "unbalanced" and "politically motivated." "The IAEA's report last week provided further credible and detailed evidence about the possible military dimensions of the Iranian nuclear program," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement. "Today we have responded resolutely by introducing a set of new sanctions that prohibit all business with Iranian banks." U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will "outline new steps the United States is taking to increase pressure on Iran" on Monday afternoon in Washington, the State Department said. The United States will name Iran, as well as its central bank, as a "primary money-laundering concern" but will not place sanctions directly on the central bank, a senior Treasury Department official told CNN. The Obama administration plans to impose fresh sanctions against Iran's petrochemical industry, diplomatic sources familiar with the plans said Friday. U.S. sanctions already prohibit American companies from doing business with Iran. The British sanctions underline "the severity of the government's concerns about Iran's activities," the statement issued by Britain's chancellor of the exchequer said. All British credit and financial institutions must end their business relationships and transactions with all Iranian banks, their branches and subsidiaries by Monday afternoon, it said. "Iran's activities that facilitate the development or production of a nuclear weapon pose a significant risk to the national interests of the UK and countries across the region," it said. "Iranian banks play a crucial role in providing financial services to individuals and entities within Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as companies carrying out proliferation activities require banking services." The chancellor's statement said other "partner countries" will make similar announcements about banking sanctions against Iran. "We believe that the Iranian regime's actions pose a significant threat to the UK's national security and the international community," Chancellor George Osborne said. "Today's announcement is a further step to preventing the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons." CNN's Alex Felton, Jill Dougherty and Elise Labott contributed to this report. | British companies must end all banking ties to Iran by Monday afternoon .
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to outline new steps U.S. is taking to pressure Iran .
The IAEA raises "deep and increasing concern" regarding the Iran's nuclear program .
Iran calls U.N. watchdog's report "unbalanced" and "politically motivated" |
79,194 | e078c2e1c560e8dccc8343efbab75f63465f3a44 | David Cameron vowed to crush Ed Miliband’s ‘1970s-style socialism’ yesterday as he put tax cuts, enterprise and opportunity at the heart of an election campaign to reprise the Tories’ defeat of Neil Kinnock. The Prime Minister condemned Labour’s ‘damaging, nonsensical, twisted economic policy’ and scoffed at what he called ‘Red Ed and his Blue Peter economy’ – saying it would heap ruin on Britain. In an annual conference speech shorn of policy gimmicks and rhetorical flourishes, he repeatedly asked voters to allow the Conservatives to ‘finish the job’ of turning Britain around. Scroll down for video . Fighting talk: Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to crush Ed Miliband's '1970s-style socialism' yesterday at the annual Tory conference . Land of opportunity: Cameron vowed to put tax cuts and enterprise at the heart of the Conservative election campaign . In other developments on the final day of the Tory conference in Manchester: . In his speech, the Prime Minister claimed the ‘land of hope is Tory’ while ‘the land of despair was Labour’. But in an echo of the 1992 election campaign, the last time the Tories won power outright, Mr Cameron signalled a relentless focus on Labour’s lack of credibility on the economy – attacking both Mr Miliband and Ed Balls. He spoke of wanting to create a ‘land of opportunity for all’ – an echo of slogans used by Margaret Thatcher in 1987 and John Major in 1992. Vow: Mr Cameron signalled a relentless focus on Labour¿s lack of credibility on the economy ¿ attacking both Ed Miliband and Ed Balls . Hope: In his speech, the Prime Minister claimed the ¿land of hope is Tory¿ while ¿the land of despair was Labour¿ . The Conservatives have already announced that fuel duty is likely to be frozen until the election and pledged to introduce a £1,000 transferable tax allowance for married couples. Mr Cameron pointed out that the Government had also cut taxes for 25million basic-rate taxpayers by raising personal tax allowances. And in an indication that the Tory’s next manifesto will pledge to raise the tax allowance still higher, he declared: ‘We’re Tories, we believe in low taxes. And believe me – we will keep on cutting the taxes of hard-working people.’ 'We're Tories, we believe in low taxes. And believe me – we will keep on cutting the taxes of hard-working people.' David Cameron . Tory strategists believe Mr Miliband made a major blunder in his speech last week by shifting decisively to the Left, proposing 1970s-style price fixing in the energy market, state seizures of undeveloped land and penalties for businesses who fail to take on trainees. In his 50-minute address, Mr Cameron said Labour had comprehensively lost the economic argument and it was clear to all that the economy was ‘turning the corner’. He said: ‘There was a time when I’d look across to Ed Balls and he was shouting his head off, screaming that the economy was flatlining with such glee. 'But recently, it’s gone a bit quiet. Could it be because there was no double dip and the economy’s growing?’ Key note speech: Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha wave to crowds following his address . Mr Cameron said the last government had left behind a ‘casino economy meets the welfare society meets the broken education system’. Business, he pointed out, had already created 1.4million new jobs since the last election and must be helped, not deterred. ‘Profit, wealth creation, tax cuts, enterprise: these are not dirty, elitist words – they’re not the problem, they are the solution, because it’s not government that creates jobs, it’s businesses. ‘You don’t do this job to be popular. You do it because you love your country. I do the best I can.' David Cameron . 'I know that bashing business might play to a Labour audience. But it’s crazy for our country.’ Mr Cameron said he knew voters were asking whether the ‘struggle’ of the past few years of austerity had all been worth it. He said: ‘Here’s the honest answer: the struggle will only be worth it if we as a country finish the job we’ve started.’ To abandon deficit reduction now would throw away ‘all the progress we’ve made’, the Prime Minister insisted. ‘How did they [Labour] get us into this mess? 'Too much spending, too much borrowing, too much debt. And what did they propose last week? ‘More spending, more borrowing, more debt. Reprise: Mr Cameron's speech echoed a 1987 speech from then PM Margaret Thatcher . History repeating? The Tories last won an election outright with a similar sentiment - one that saw John Major's Conservatives beat off a challenge from Neil Kinnock's Labour Party . 'They have learned nothing – literally nothing – from the crisis they created.’ He dismissed Mr Miliband’s promises to cut the cost of living as ‘all sticking plasters and quick fixes’. Acknowledging spending cuts had been unpopular, Mr Cameron added: ‘You don’t do this job to be popular. You do it because you love your country. I do the best I can. 'Labour have learned nothing – literally nothing – from the crisis they created.' David Cameron . 'And for me it comes back to some simple things – country first, do what’s decent, think long-term.’ It was not enough simply to clean up Labour’s economic ‘mess’ and pay off the deficit, he said, the Conservatives wanted to ‘build something better in its place’. The Conservative leader also sought to march onto centre-ground territory, where his party has traditionally found it difficult to make inroads against Labour – promising to drive industrial regeneration in the North of England and positioning the Tories as the true defenders of the NHS. Listening: (left-right) Michael Gove, Theresa May, and George Osborne listen intently to Mr Cameron's speech . Support: William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Jeremy Hunt applaud following Mr Cameron's speech . After the scandal of the Mid-Staffordshire hospital trust, where hundreds of patients died, the Conservatives would take no lectures from Labour on the NHS, he said. He even praised the ‘noble calling’ of social work – promising to get more top-flight graduates into the profession. And the Prime Minister sought to assure Tory troops that he is fighting for a majority Tory government, not another power-sharing administration with the Lib Dems. John Cridland, head of the . Confederation of British Industry, said Mr Cameron had ‘sent out a . strong message about how vital British business is to the future . prosperity of people across the UK’. But Labour vice-chairman Michael Dugher said: ‘There’s a cost-of-living crisis and he’s got nothing to say about it. ‘Rather . than standing up for hard-working people he has always puts a . privileged few first, prioritising a tax cut for those earning over . £150,000 while everyone else pays more.’ Mr Cameron was joined by wife Samantha on stage as his audience gave him a standing ovation. The . pair left the auditorium to the sound of Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop . Thinking About Tomorrow, used by Bill Clinton during his successful . campaign in 1992. Focus: The Conservatives are already turning their attention towards the next election . Job done: Walking hand-in-hand with wife Samantha, David Cameron looks pleased with his speech as he shakes the hand of a supporter . Margaret Thatcher was the greatest peacetime Prime Minister Britain ever had, David Cameron said yesterday. Conservatives this year ‘said goodbye to one of our team,’ he told a packed hall at the party conference in Manchester. He hailed the achievements of the late Baroness Thatcher, who died in April this year. Greatest: Margaret Thatcher memorabilia on sale at this year's Tory Party conference . Mr Cameron said: ‘Margaret Thatcher made our country stand tall again, at home and abroad.’ He went on to list some of her many achievements: ‘Rescuing our economy, giving power to our people, spreading home ownership, creating work, winning the Cold War, saving the Falklands.’ He also revealed how he had sat next to her at dinner once and had been very nervous to speak to her. Mr Cameron asked her about her record and told how she had been ‘totally charming’ and had ‘put me at ease’. But when he asked the Iron Lady what she would do differently if she had her time in government again, she replied: ‘You know, I think I did pretty well the first time around.’ Mr Cameron added: ‘We can all agree with that and we can all agree with this – she was the greatest peacetime Prime Minister our country has ever had.’ | The PM scoffed at what he called 'Red Ed and his Blue Peter economy'
Voters asked for chance to 'finish the job' of turning Britain around .
He described the prospect of a Labour Government as a 'land of despair'
Echoing Major and Thatcher, Cameron spoke of 'land of opportunity for all'
The under-25s may be stripped of state benefits unless they ‘earn or learn’
Mr Cameron conceded it was a mistake to ignore grass-roots opposition and force through gay marriage laws .
Lord Heseltine branded Ukip ‘racists’ and warned Tories to scrap ideas of an electoral deal. |
133,193 | 3835e7bf71485c74528d4e2d78ce302b3eae0797 | South Africa goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa has been shot dead in Johannesburg. The 27-year-old skippered his club side Orlando Pirates in their 4-1 win against Ajax Cape Town on Saturday night, and was pictured looking happy with girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, a South African pop star, earlier on Sunday. But the South African police service say Meyiwa was fatally shot when armed men broke into the house where he was staying later that day. VIDEOS Scroll down to watch . Senzo Meyiwa's girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, a South African singer posted this picture with him on Sunday, hours before he was shot dead . Wayne Rooney and Meyiwa swap shirts after a pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Orlando Pirates in 2008 . Rooney and Meyiwa shake hands after the Vodafone Challenge match in Durban in 2008 . Kelly Khumalo arrives holding a baby at her home in the township of Vosloorus following the death of Meyiwa . Investigators interview locals in the township of Vosloorus, where South Africa captain Meyiwa was shot dead by intruders . Police investigators stand outside a house in Vosloorus following the death of the goalkeeper . Senzo Meyiwa (right, playing for South Africa) was shot dead on Sunday, police have confirmed . Meyiwa posed with his opposite number's shirt after meeting 'my hero Iker Casillas' last year and said 'sometimes dreams come true' The goalkeeper last played for his club on the Saturday evening, the day before he was shot, and had recently captained his country . The South African goalkeeper has played for Orlando Pirates since 2006, becoming first choice for the club in 2012. In 2008 he swapped shirts with Wayne Rooney when Manchester United played the Pirates in a pre-season friendly in Durban. In 2013 his performances in the African Champions League were nothing short of exceptional. He kept seven clean-sheets in 16 games, helping the Pirates to the final. Since making his debut in 2013 against Swaziland, Meyiwa won six caps for South Africa, the most recent coming this month, as captain. During the current Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign Meyiwa has played all four games for South Africa, without conceding a single goal. In September he was made captain of the national team in the absence of Itumeleng Khune. Meyiwa poses with his pop-star girlfriend a week ago, in a picture she posted on her Instagram account . The South African police took to Twitter to break the news, breaking protocol to inform the South African people of the keeper's death . The police account emphasised their desire to bring the killers to justice, after suspects fled the scene . Police reported that two men entered the house where Meyiwa was shot, where an altercation took place, while one waited outside. The South African goalkeeper was reportedly shot before all three suspects fled on foot. He was declared dead on arrival at hospital. On Monday morning police arrived in the township of Vosloorus, where the incident occurred, and started asking questions. A statement on behalf of South African sports minister Fikile Mbalula read: 'We have already interacted with the president of SAFA, Dr Danny Jordaan, Dr Irvin Khoza at Orlando Pirates as well as the father of Senzo Meyiwa. 'We humbly encourage all individuals who have any information on on the whereabouts of these thugs to co-operate fully with the police on the urgent apprehension of these shameless individuals. 'We urge the police to leave no stone unturned in apprehending the thugs as a matter of urgency. Our society will never be at peace until the suspects have been arrested and been brought under the wrath of the country's legal system. 'We would like to convey our heartfelt condolences to Senzo Meyiwa's family, his club, Orlando Pirates, the nation and the entire football and sporting fraternity.' Mbalula added: 'The death of Senzo Meyiwa has robbed this country of an icon and a legend in the making.' Police are offering a reward of 150,000 Rand (£8,500) for any information leading to the arrests of the suspects. Meyiwa's club, Orlando Pirates, released a statement expressing 'sadness' at his 'untimely death'. 'This is a sad loss whichever way you look at it - to Senzo's family, his extended family, Orlando Pirates and to the nation', commented the chairman Dr Irvin Khoza. The club will hold a press conference on Monday morning. Players from rivals Kaizer Chiefs were at the hospital on Sunday evening. The South African captain posted two pictures from international duty with Bafana Bafana from their recent games in the Congo . Meyiwa had been in superb form for both club and country recently, leading Orlando Pirates to last season's African Champions League final, including a superb performance against TP Mazembe during which he saved two penalties. Since breaking into the national team last year, he claimed the No 1 spot in the absence of Itumeleng Khune, and was made captain in September. During the current Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign Meyiwa played all four games for Bafana Bafana,without conceding a single goal. South Africa's head coach Ephraim Mashaba said: 'Since he took on that (captain's) role, we never had issues with the team and staff. 'We never had issues with players coming to us after that. 'He had that personality that meant that he could easily diffuse a situation. 'I spoke to a lady earlier, from last week in fact. Where he heard she was building a house. He gave her money to carry on. 'Senzo was not just a goalkeeper. He was a peacemaker. That's the biggest thing I remember about him. 'A good guy like Senzo will never just vanish. His spirit will live forever.' On Saturday night he was in goal for his club in a 4-1 victory over Ajax Cape Town, only conceding from a penalty. WATCH the game that made Senzo Meyiwa a star of African football as he saves two penalties against TP Mazembe . Meyiwa tweeted this picture with his South African team-mates earlier this month including the message #teamspirit . Kevin-Prince Boateng was among the stars of world football to pay his respects to the goalkeeper on Twitter . Doncaster midfielder Dean Furman, a team-mate of Meyiwa for South Africa, said he was 'beyond devastated' at the news. Furman tweeted: 'Beyond devastated at the loss of our captain and friend Senzo Meyiwa. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this terrible time'. Ghana and Schalke midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng also took to twitter to send his condolences. Boateng wrote 'TRAGEDY!!! R.I.P Senzo Meyiwa. My condolences to his family and friends.' South African seamer Vernon Philander said on Twitter: 'My thoughts and prayers goes out the family of Senzo Meyiwa. May you find the comfort in the Lord during this difficult time. RIP.' Meyiwa had become an important player for South Africa after impressive displays for Orlando Pirates over the past few years . The Pirates No 1 played a crucial role in his club reaching the 2013 African Champions League final . The South Africa goalkeeper poses with fans at a shopping Mall while on a break from international duty . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Senzo Meyiwa was declared dead on arrival at hospital after being shot .
Police 'break protocol' to announce death of 27-year-old on Twitter, and promise to bring killers to justice .
Meyiwa had captained South Africa earlier this month in games against Congo .
Orlando Pirates release a statement expressing sadness at untimely death .
Doncaster midfielder Dean Furman, an international team-mate, says he is 'beyond devastated'
Police have offered a reward of around £8,500 for any information .
Investigators went into Vosloorus township on Monday morning to try to find out what happened . |
59,703 | a98a2d1ac2f19e18b53e29cbe584ee616590bd76 | Earlier today it was reported that Britain could be heading for a winter strewn with power cuts as an extreme cold snap heads the country’s way. But one company has a solution to at least let you see clearly during an outage with a light bulb that uses a battery to keep itself on. In the event of a power cut it will automatically switch to battery power to keep shining for up to three hours, during which time one would hope the power had returned. Scroll down for video . A lightbulb made by Litonics Ltd in Wales could let people see in blackouts. Called iViTi On (shown) it has an in-built battery that lasts for up to three hours. It charges when power is up and the light is on as normal. But when the power goes it automatically switches to battery mode . The product is called iViTi ON and uses technology invented by Litonics Ltd in Knighton, Powys, Wales. ‘iViTi ON automatic switching has the single aim of ensuring that users are not left in the dark should the electricity supply fail,’ the company writes on their website. Today experts warned that Britain must brace itself for power shortages if the country is hit by a severe winter. After a rush to close coal-fired power stations to meet green targets, a deep freeze means mothballed oil and gas power stations could have to be restarted and factories paid to shut down to preserve power. Business leaders warned that for too long, the UK has failed to plan properly to keep the lights on, as the National Grid revealed the average gap between supply and demand will be just 4.1 per cent - the narrowest in eight years. The National Grid report said the country will be eating into its most basic reserve power if there is extreme weather. The appliance operates similarly to existing light bulbs until it detects the power is gone, when it automatically switches to battery operation. This enables it to stay on independently for up to three hours until the power returns. And it can also distinguish between a power cut and someone just flicking the light switch, so people will easily be able to turn it off if needed. The 600mAh battery charges automatically when the power is up and the builb is on as normal. And no additional wiring is required - the bulb can be screwed straight into an existing fitting like a regular bulb. It’s also energy friendly, consuming just eight watts of power, but it shines with the brightness of a regular 60-watt bulb - measured as 850 lumens to 800 lumens for the latter. The company expects to begin selling the light bulb at the end of the year, but there’s no word yet on how much it will cost. 'This innovative new product is set to take its place among other "standard" safety products within the home such as smoke detectors, CO detectors and intruder alarms,' the company adds. ‘iViTi ON automatic switching has the single aim of ensuring that users are not left in the dark should the electricity supply fail,’ the company writes on their website. Pictured are residents of New York during a power cut caused by Hurricane Sandy on 31 October 2012 . The lightbulb can discern between a power cut and someone flicking the switch. The bulb screws into a regular light fitting and needs no additional wiring. And it can shine with the brightness of a regular 60-watt bulb - despite using only eight watts of power itself. Shown is a cutaway with the battery inside . | Lightbulb made by Litonics Ltd in Wales could let people see in blackouts .
Called iViTi On it has an in-built battery that keeps it shining for up to three hours during a power cut .
It charges when power is up and the light is on as normal .
But when the power goes it automatically switches to battery mode .
It can discern between a power cut and someone flicking the switch .
The bulb screws into a regular light fitting and needs no additional wiring .
And it can shine with the brightness of a regular 60-watt bulb - despite using only eight watts of power itself .
It will be released later this year but no price has yet been announced . |
97,577 | 09995799152f7498fc357d0623f7839c98a1c978 | By . Alasdair Glennie . PUBLISHED: . 02:53 EST, 9 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:47 EST, 9 August 2013 . The BBC has called in external auditors to widen the search for excessive severance payoffs made to its senior executives, it emerged last night. The corporation’s director general Tony Hall told staff in an internal email he has ordered KPMG to look at deals made to departing staff prior to 2010 to get to the bottom of the severance pay scandal. The National Audit Office is investigating the files of 90 senior managers handed golden goodbyes in the past three years to see if they breached contractual limits. Questions: The BBC is under pressure over the scale of severance payments to senior managers . Its devastating report found the BBC handed its staff £369million over eight years, but only looked in detail at the most recent cases. The KPMG review means even more high-profile deals could come under scrutiny, including a £500,000 payoff to former BBC1 controller Peter Fincham in 2007. He resigned in disgrace after he was criticised for making false claims about doctored footage of the Queen. Lord Hall has already asked for a ‘detailed briefing’ into his payoff, although the BBC has not yet confirmed whether it will publish what he is told. Another historic payoff likely to come under the spotlight is a six-figure sum handed to Lesley Douglas, a former controller of Radio 2 who resigned over the ‘Sachsgate’ scandal involving Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. Police: Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley has written to Tory MP Rob Wilson to confirm fraud squad officers are gathering evidence covering BBC pay-offs . Many BBC staff on lower salaries are understood to be furious at the high severance payments. In his email to staff yesterday, Lord . Hall tried to boost morale, saying: ‘I know this issue has provoked a . very strong reaction from many of you and I understand why you feel that . way. Lord Hall was yesterday accused of attempting to keep an internal inquiry into one controversial payoff secret. He ordered workers to brief him verbally about a deal to award former BBC1 controller Peter Fincham £500,000 in 2007, meaning that the results would not be published. He is now reportedly reconsidering his decision after being asked whether the BBC was trying to prevent the release of information which could embarrass them. A BBC spokesman said: ‘The format of the presentation of the information is yet to be confirmed.’ 'It is worth saying however that severance pay in general was part . of an attempt to reduce senior management numbers, and in the process we . did save £35m which went back into programme-making and will continue . to do so at a rate of £19m a year as we move forwards. ‘However, it is clear this was not . done in accordance with best practice – that is why we have already . tightened up procedures and also why we will not contemplate this level . of payoff in the future, even though senior posts will continue to . decline in number.’ Yesterday, it was revealed the . Metropolitan Police are assessing whether to investigate BBC staff over . allegations of misconduct in public office as a result of the scandal. Lord Hall said he had ‘not had any approaches from the police on this . matter’. A BBC spokesman would not comment on which specific deals KPMG is likely to look at. Findings will be published on September 9. Former BBC Director General Mark Thompson . LUCY ADAMS . BBC director of human resources. Appointed June 2009, salary £320,000.The . BBC’s human resources chief, who is still in her post, approved all . compromise agreements over £75,000. In September, she approved a . £680,400 payment to former chief operating officer Caroline Thomson. MARK THOMPSONFormer director general. Left in September 2012, salary £670,000.He . personally approved some of the most controversial payments in the . report including £866,288 to an unnamed ‘departmental director’. LORD PATTEN . BBC Trust chairman. Appointed April 2011, salary £110,000. The . former Tory Party chairman approved the controversial £470,300 pay-out . to BBC director-general George Entwistle, double what he was entitled . to. The Trust also approves the remuneration strategy for members of the . BBC’s executive board. MARCUS AGIUS . Former BBC non-executive director. Left in November 2012, salary £47,000.The . former chairman of Barclays resigned from the bank over the Libor . interest rate fixing scandal. He chaired the BBC’s executive . remuneration committee, which was responsible for signing off severance . payments for executive directors. ZARIN PATEL . Chief financial officer. Appointed 1998 due to leave this Friday, salary £322,000.The . outgoing finance chief of the BBC was jointly responsible for signing . off, with HR chief Lucy Adams, severance payments exceeding £500,000. | Tony Hall reveals the National Audit Office is 'back at the BBC'
Scotland Yard tells Tory MP officers are examining fraud complaint .
Decision will be made on whether to launch full criminal investigation .
Reading East MP Rob Wilson asked for probe into severance payments .
A quarter of managers received more money than they were entitled to . |
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