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34,484 | 62033085f191d9ac03b1ba9fad8f6ab6828b78af | The three factors that have the most direct impact on a wine's condition are light, humidity and temperature . By . Sarah Griffiths . Italian scientists discovered that red wine (pictured) ages four times quicker when stored at home . It is often said that a good wine tastes better with age. But a new study has found that if it is stored at home, fast ageing can occur, which leads to a less tasty tipple. Italian scientists discovered that wine ages four times quicker when stored at home. In an experiment, red wine kept in conditions mimicking a dark room in a house was less flavourful and contained fewer healthy antioxidants than wine stored in a professional cellar. The two-year study found dramatic differences between wines depending on where the bottles were stored. Two hundred bottles of red wine were placed in a professional cellar at 15 to 17 °C (59-62°F) and another 200 were kept in conditions replicating a dark domestic room, between 20 and 27°C (68-80°F). Dr Fulvio Mattivi, of the Edmund Mach Foundation wine academy in San Michele all'Adige in Italy, said: ‘We discovered a relatively small difference in the temperature speeds up several chemical reactions associated with wine ageing and even promotes new reactions that are not observed at lower temperatures.’ ‘After six months under domestic conditions the wine in the bottle was approximately as “old” as a bottle from the same producer and lot stored for two years under cellar conditions. The house-stored wine was ageing approximately four times faster.’ He said that the wine stored in the dark room had fewer healthy antioxidants and less red pigmentation than the professional cellar versions - making it less flavourful. Wine is one of the few commodities that . can improve with age but it can also rapidly deteriorate if kept in . inadequate conditions. Scroll down for video . Red wine stored in conditions mimicking a dark room in a house, was less flavourful and contained fewer healthy antioxidants than wine stored in a professional cellar (pictured), according to the study . The three factors that have the most direct impact on a wine's condition are light, humidity and temperature. A wine symposium in San Francisco, organised by the American Chemical Society, heard that it is important where grapes are grown, as well as how wine is stored. Another study showcased at the event, showed that Argentinian wine produced from purple Malbec grapes had more ripe fruit characteristics, sweetness and higher alcohol levels than the same type of wine made in California, which was more bitter and had more artificial fruit and citrus aromas. Researchers looked at the chemical and sensory effects of different regions using 41 research lots of Californian and Argentinean Malbec wines. An abundance of low quality cork trees with thin bark may be ruining the quality of wine corks. The . reasons for the lower quality of trees, which has steadily declined for . 20 years, can be attributed to climate change according to a team of . researchers. The bark of . the trees, which grow in southwest Europe and northwest Africa, might . be being chemically changed by increased exposure to ultraviolet light . as a result of climate change. The . genetic study was led by Dr Rita Teixeira of the University of Lisbon . and shows how the £1.2 billion ($2 billion) cork industry is at risk. To . produce a good product, cork producers need bark at least one inch (25 . millimetres) thick - if the cork is too thin it will let air into the . bottle and ruin the wine. But . the trees, called Quercus suber trees, have undergone a drastic . decrease in quality to the point where there bark is now as little as . 0.1 inches (three millimetres) thick - just 10 per cent the optimum . level. There are several . factors like climate change, landscape changes and the dry seasons . getting longer that could be causing the decline,' Dr Teixeira from the . University of Lisbon told Live Science. ‘The change in bark quality may be the trees' way of adapting.’ Research led by University of Lisbon says the quality of wine corks is decreasing. They say this is due to thinning bark on the trees that produce wine corks, known as Quercus suber trees (pictured). They have seen a drastic decline in quality in 20 years, and thinner bark means the corks are worse at keeping air out of bottles . | In the experiment, 200 bottles of red wine were stored in conditions mimicking a dark room in a house, and 200 in a professional cellar .
Study found that wine stored in the 'house' aged four times faster, contained fewer healthy antioxidants and tasted blander than bottles stored in a cellar .
Experts from the Edmund Mach Foundation wine academy in Italy, said a relatively small rise in the temperature speeds up several chemical reactions .
These reactions have a large effect on wine ageing .
The three factors that have the most direct impact on a wine's condition are light, humidity and temperature . |
105,358 | 13db4393c418d49c67fa6e227077631260027142 | Wales will consider switching prolific Lions wing, George North, into midfield for their autumn Test opener against Australia, if Jonathan Davies’ shoulder injury rules him out. North has been in sensational form for Northampton in the early stages of this season – touching down four times during Saturday’s 34-6 Champions Cup demolition of the Ospreys. That took his try tally to eight in as many matches, but the 22-year-old may be asked to move from his preferred position out wide, as emergency cover. Although Wales are hopeful that Scott Williams and Cory Allen could be fit to face the Wallabies, they will weigh up the option of unleashing North through the middle, as they did against the same opposition last year. ‘George went there (centre) last year against Australia,’ said assistant coach Rob Howley. George North scored four tries against Ospreys in the Champions Cup match at Franklin's Gardens . Jonathan Davies injured his shoulder playing for Clermont on the Sunday and could miss the autumn Tests . ‘We think George isn’t a bad outside centre. He did okay on the wing as well on the weekend, which was fantastic to see. He was back to his Lions form. It is an option for us if we need to go there.’ That scenario will be pondered once the extent of Davies’ injury is known by head coach Warren Gatland and his assistants. Initial reports in France – where the Lions centre plays for Clermont Auvergne – suggested he may have dislocated his shoulder during the first half of Sunday’s win over Sale. Wales should have a clearer picture by Tuesday. ‘Jonathan had a bump on his shoulder and we are uncertain as to the extent of the injury,’ said Howley. ‘A scan has been organised. He obviously felt some pain and came off immediately. It is disappointing, but centre is a pretty attritional position now. It’s no different to other campaigns – we just have to get on and work with what we’ve got.’ Williams and Allen arrived in camp with hamstring and leg injuries respectively, but the Wales management believe they could be ready for the start of the autumn campaign. ‘Scott and Cory could potentially be fit for next week,’ said Howley. Head coach Warren Gatland has seen a number of his 34-man squad for the autumn Tests complain of injuries . Wales are hopeful that Scarlets centre Scott Williams could be fit to face Australia . Meanwhile, the Wallabies are prepared to summon controversial back Kurtley Beale to join their tour providing he proves his fitness – despite his latest disciplinary episode. The Waratahs player was suspended and then fined after being found guilty of sending an offensive text about a former member of the team’s back-room staff. Yet, it appears Beale once again has been forgiven by Australia and will be reintegrated soon. ‘Kurtley is back at home training,’ said defence coach, Nathan Grey. ‘He hasn’t played for a long time. We know he’s working hard, trying to get back up to speed with his physical condition and once he’s done that he will definitely be considered for selection. He could possibly join us on this tour once he gets back in shape.’ New Zealand fly-half Dan Carter expects to make a Test comeback against the USA on Saturday – putting him on course to face England at Twickenham a week later, after a year decimated by injuries. ‘I’m preparing to play that game,’ he said, of the sell-out fixture in Chicago. ‘I’m confident and the medical team are confident that I’ll be able to be selected. That’s what we’re targeting.’ Australia fly half and full back Kurtley Beale could be called into Australia's squad if he proves his fitness . Beale slips as he fails to kick a penalty against the British and Irish Lions in the first Test in June 2013 . | First choice centre Jonathan Davies injured himself playing for Clermont Auvergne against Sale Sharks on Sunday .
He will have a scan on his shoulder to determine the extent of the injury .
George North was used in the centres against Australia last year .
Warren Gatland's side face Australia on November 8 . |
28,639 | 5143e23fdb415da341215c56f73a1bbb302bff8d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:13 EST, 2 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:31 EST, 2 October 2012 . Neglected: Mr Hands was made to sit for hours in hospital after he feared he was having a stroke . An 80-year-old widower who raised thousands of pounds for a hospital has spoken of his anger at being left in a waiting room for most of the night after suffering from a suspected stroke. Charity worker Ron Hands, who has raised over £100,000 for his local hospital, phoned the emergency services after he woke in the middle of the night with a swollen face and his mouth drooping. Fearing he had suffered a stroke he called an ambulance and was taken to Bournemouth General Hospital, Dorset. It was here that Mr Hands was made to sit in a wheelchair in the waiting room for the majority of the night, as staff attended to a number of drunk patients before assisting him. Mr Hands, who worked tirelessly for 33 years to raise money for the hospital which had treated his wife before she died of pancreatic cancer, was left stunned with the way he was treated after arriving at the hospital. The retired hotel doorman, who resides in Southbourne, Bournemouth, said he was so distressed by the way he was treated he has written to the CEO of the hospital demanding pensioners be dealt with in a more considerate way. Mr Hands said he does not want any other pensioners to be treated the way he was and spent a sleepless night watching drunk people being seen to by staff at Bournemouth General Hospital, Dorset. He said: 'I was really scared. I’d recently had tests for deep vein thrombosis and my first thought was that I might have had a stroke.' Mr Hands was given a brief examination at the A&E department of the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, but was then left sitting in a wheelchair in the waiting room for four hours from 2.30am to 6.30am, when he was finally seen by a doctor. Giving: Mr Hands worked tirelessly for 33 years to raise money for the hospital which had treated his wife before she died of pancreatic cancer . 'It was horrible just sitting there on my own frightened about what was wrong with me,' said Mr Hands. 'The receptionist did come and offer me a cup of tea at about 5.00am, but other than that the only other people there were some girls who’d been on a hen night. 'One of their mates had something wrong with her eye and they were all a bit drunk. It wasn’t very nice.' Hours later, Mr Hands was eventually told that he probably had a dental abscess and was discharged with antibiotics and the promise of a letter to his GP. Former doorman at the town’s four star Royal Bath Hotel, Mr Hands started the Mary Hands Trust in 1989 after Mary, his wife of 33 years, died of pancreatic cancer. For the next 20 years he raised more than £100,000 for hospital equipment in the name of the trust. It is believed that at least £75,000 of that money helped pay for equipment, including a scanner at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital. Ron Hands (left) started the Mary Hands Trust in 1989 after the death of his wife Mary (right). For the next 20 years he raised more than £100,000 for hospital equipment in the name of the Trust . Mr Hands finally called a halt to his charity work in 2009 saying he was leaving it to the younger generation to continue the fundraising work. Sitting in his modest flat a week after his ordeal and looking through letters of thanks that he had received from the hospital over the years, Mr Hands said: 'I certainly don’t think I should have received any special treatment but it’s awful that anyone is put through this kind of thing. 'I’m not someone who makes a fuss and I’m certainly not a hypochondriac. I really was worried about what was wrong with me. 'Being left sitting there for hours in the middle of the night I was thinking "If my wife could see me now." It was hurtful.' Now Ron has written to Tony Spotswood, the Chief Executive of the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, outlining his ordeal and asking him to investigate. In a direct plea he has asked 'Please Mr Spotswood to save this happening again to other elderly patients I think that just a little more consideration for the not so able should be looked into.' There has currently been no reply from Mr Spotswood, whose organisation’s motto is 'Putting patients first'. | Ron Hands made to wait most of the night to be treated after he feared he was suffering from a stroke .
Hospital staff had attended a number of drunk patients before seeing to Mr Hands .
The charity worker has raised over £100,000 for the hospital which had treated his wife before she died of pancreatic cancer . |
20,799 | 3b033b24c6605241b22f4b1dd06d1bd214b30fc5 | Liverpool players had a double celebration on Sunday night as they threw a surprise party for Glen Johnson's birthday after victory in their Premier League opener against Southampton. Dressed in masks of the full back's face made specially for the occasion, Johnson was greeted by his team-mates Joe Allen, Brad Jones, Lucas Leiva, Philippe Coutinho, Sebastian Coates and Fabio Borini to try and frighten him for his 30th. And, considering his milestone birthday isn't until this coming Saturday, the chances are he won't have seen his colleagues' tribute coming. VIDEO Scroll down to see Confident Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool have an inherent belief . Will the real Glen Johnson please stand up? The Liverpool defender stands among his team-mates Joe Allen, Brad Jones, Fabio Borini, Sebastian Coates, Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Leiva all wearing lookalike masks . Milestone: Johnson, his wife Laura and their kids, stand in front of his birthday cake which marks the Liverpool defender's big 3-0 . Good times: Coates, Philippe and Aine Coutinho, Jones and Dani Lawrence and Borini and O'Neill among those posing as they join their team-mate's celebrations . Giving the attack some bite post-Suarez: Liverpool forward Borini poses for a snap with his girlfriend Erin O'Neill wearing a T-shirt of a dog baring its teeth . The happy snapper on the night was Borini's partner Erin O'Neill, who captured the key moments of the night on her Instagram account. The decision to hold it a week early came because Liverpool set to face Premier League champions Manchester City next Monday night. They already had something more to celebrate following their 2-1 win over Southampton. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring in the first half at Anfield following a sublime ball from Jordan Henderson, before Nathaniel Clyne equalised for the Saints just before the hour. All smiles: Suso (left) left Anfield happy with his partner (right) after Liverpool beat Southampton 2-1 on Sunday in the Premier League . Pretty in pink: Lucas Leiva's (right) wife Ariana (left) stood out for her bold colour attire after the Reds' victory . Baller: Philippe Coutinho (left) had a frustrating afternoon against Southampton but will play an integral role for Brendan Rodgers' side this season . Frustrated figure: Adam Lallana (left) had to watch Liverpool play from the stands after injury robbed the £25million signing from making his debut against his former club . Daniel Sturridge then scored the winner for Brendan Rodgers' side after 79 minutes to give Liverpool the perfect start to the new season. Johnson started the game in his less-favoured left back position, with new signing Javi Manquillo preferred on the right-hand side of defence. And elsewhere on Sunday night, Liverpool's Spanish stars headed out for dinner to celebrate the arrival of new signing Alberto Moreno from Sevilla. Manquillo, Suso, Jose Enrique were among those out with their respective wives and girlfriends at San Carlo restaurant to welcome Moreno to Liverpool. The left-back signed for the club for £12million over the weekend, and was at Anfield to watch his new side beat the Saints on Sunday . Dinner time: Enrique, Manquillo, Moreno and Suso among those out for dinner at San Carlo . Stepping out: New boy Alberto Moreno was also out with his girlfriend Lilia Granadilla . Spanish Armada: Suso (left), Moreno (centre) and Manquillo stroll through the streets with their partners . Cheery: As were left back Jose Enrique and his girlfriend Amy Jaine . Debutant: Manquillo was out after enjoying his first competitive appearance for Liverpool since he signed . Popular: The Spaniard was stopped by an autograph hunter in the street . Cheeky chappies: Suso and Jose Enrique stop for a snap as they enjoy their night . VIDEO Players still searching for form - Rodgers . | Liverpool players don Glen Johnson masks to celebrate his 30th birthday .
Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Leiva, Sebastian Coates, Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Brad Jones involved in the surprise .
Spanish stars Javi Manquillo, Jose Enrique, Alberto Moreno and Suso all head out for dinner .
Players also celebrating opening Premier League win over Southampton .
Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge scored as Reds won 2-1 at Anfield . |
257,867 | d9b618c54d370726a86fc21bf67114ff3b4eefa4 | Dallas (CNN) -- Federal, state and local authorities investigating the deaths of two Texas prosecutors executed a search warrant Friday afternoon at the home of a former Kaufman County justice of the peace, an FBI spokeswoman said. Katherine Chaumont told CNN that an FBI team was part of the Friday afternoon search at the home of Eric Williams. Williams last year was convicted of burglary and theft by a public servant, and was sentenced to two years' probation. Mark Hasse, chief felony prosecutor in the county, was gunned down January 31 outside the courthouse. Hasse prosecuted the Williams case. Hours after Kaufman County District Attornney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found dead March 30 at their Forney home, investigators met at a local Denny's restaurant with Williams, his attorney told CNN earlier this month. Investigators took swab samples from Williams' hand to test him for gun residue, Williams' attorney, David Sergi, said. Results were not made public by authorities but Sergi said the tests were negative. On Friday, Sergi released a statement saying that Williams "has cooperated with law enforcement and vigorously denies any and all allegations. He wishes simply to get on with his life and hopes that the perpetrators are brought to justice." Earlier this month, Williams told North Texas TV station KXAS he understood why authorities would want to meet with him after the McLellands' death. "If I was in their shoes, I would want to talk to me," Williams said. "In the investigators' minds, they want to check with me to do their process of elimination." Williams said he has cooperated with law enforcement. "I certainly wish them the best in bringing justice to this incredibly egregious act," he said. Williams told the station he has no ill will toward prosecutors, saying they were "doing their jobs." CNN's Carol Cratty contributed to this report. | Authorities search home of former justice of the peace .
Eric Williams last year was convicted of burglary, theft by a public servant .
Slain assistant DA Hasse prosecuted that case . |
253,785 | d47b91b5f5586b30fc92df9499fc8455fe071680 | (CNN) -- Kyoto, Japan's capital from 794 to 1868, is one of the biggest stars on the Japan tourism trail, recently voted "world's best city" by Travel + Leisure magazine readers. Is it deserving of the title? Definitely. Unless you're a traveler under the age of 12 and don't give a hoot about learning the correct way to whisk a bowl of matcha green tea, exploring ancient UNESCO World Heritage sites or counting how many torii gates there are at the Fushimi Inari-Taisha Shrine (10,000, for the record). When traveling to Kyoto with kids, the mutinous cries of "Not another zen garden, dad!" will inevitably ring out, threatening to derail that dream family vacation. This is when you need to hit the Toei Kyoto Studio Park -- or Toei Uzumasa Eigamura -- and spend an afternoon geeking out on some of the most familiar icons of Japanese pop culture, from samurais and geisha to "Dragon Ball" and "Sailor Moon." 'The Hollywood of Japan' First, you'll need to toss your Universal Studios fantasies out the sliding shoji screen door. There are no rides here. This theme park celebrates the best of Japanese film-making, filled with huge Edo-period (1600-1867) sets you can explore on foot -- preferably decked out in a funny samurai-style wig you rented in the costume shop near the entrance. Often overshadowed by its traditional cultural allures, Kyoto was called the "Hollywood of Japan" between the 1920s and 1960s, until its thriving film industry went into decline. In response, film-making leader Toei Studios Kyoto opened up parts of its sets to the public in 1975. Further development followed and the theme park grew in popularity among tourists. Today, many of Japan's "jidaigeki" period dramas are still filmed on these sets. On my recent weekday visit to the Toei Kyoto Studio Park, crowds were light and no TV shoots were taking place, but I was able to get a behind-the-scenes sample of what happens on a typical Japanese historical drama shoot at the park's Jidaigeki Show. More relevant to most foreign visitors, however, is the Anime Museum, filled with impressive displays, pictures and cells from shows produced by the Toei film company's animation arm, including "Kamen Rider," "Sailor Moon," "Dragon Ball" and "Super Sentai," on which the U.S. based its popular "Power Rangers" series. In addition to Toei's dozens of film-related displays, the park has live ninja and samurai shows, a Haunted House, Ninja Mystery House, Trick Art Museum, 3D theater, maze of illusions, science museum, indoor kids play areas and a lovely Japanese "ukiyo-e" woodcut print gallery. Haunting, but not horrifying . Given that the Toei film company is behind some pretty terrifying horror flicks, as well as the controversial cult classic "Battle Royale," I expect something a bit more grotesque than what awaited in the Haunted House. Still, it's pretty darn scary, in a slightly cheesy way. The sound effects alone left me fighting an urge to seek out an emergency "chicken" exit as I hissed aloud, "Why did I come in here?" (Expletive deleted.) An actor, playing the role of a bloodied "dead" body, popped up in silent reply. Next, bearing in mind the words of author Jarius Raphel -- "Ninjas don't wish upon a star, they throw them" -- I eagerly hit the Ninja Mystery House, where staff conducted a quick primer on the history of the cloaked assassins' residences before setting me free to get out of a fun maze of false walls and doors. Alas, no ninja stars were thrown. Over in the Trick Art Museum, quirky 3D anamorphic art and props made for a perfectly Instagrammable experience. As I was traveling solo, a staff member was kind enough to accompany me through the space and take photos with my camera, doing a fine job of stifling her cringes as I struck awkward, unconvincing poses. Though few would likely make a special trip to Kyoto to see the Toei Studio Park, it's definitely a kitschy and fun way to spend a few hours. Buy the kids a souvenir ninja costume with their own set of throwing stars and you might even earn yourself an extra day of zen garden exploration. Additional Toei Kyoto Studio Pak information . Many of the shows are presented in Japanese only, but inasmuch as they're highly visual, they're still worth watching. Park displays include English text, while staff give out English-language maps at the entrance. Toei Kyoto Studio Park has multiple restaurants throughout, which serve Japanese, Chinese and Western cuisine. Admission is 2,200 yen ($21) for adults. Some attractions require an additional charge. Toei Kyoto Studio Park, JR Uzumasa Station,10 Uzumasa, Hachigaoka-cho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto; +81 (0)75 864 7716 . CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However, CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy. | Kyoto was once called "the Hollywood of Japan" due to high number of films shot in the city .
Toei Kyoto Studio Park features Edo-themed sets, samurai/ninja shows and a scary haunted house .
Anime Museum highlights shows produced by Toei including "Sailor Moon," "Dragon Ball" and "Super Sentai" |
164,886 | 61344326ca197ad6f60945b830fb4b84a972c616 | Mark Cavendish's Tour de France is in the balance after a dramatic crash which ended the Manxman's dreams of wearing the yellow jersey in his mother's home town of Harrogate. Cavendish separated the acromioclavicular (AC) joint between his right shoulder and collarbone when he tumbled to the tarmac after colliding with Orica GreenEdge rival Simon Gerrans around 200 metres from the line. The 29-year-old had an MRI scan on the injury on Saturday night and will make a decision on Sunday morning as to whether to continue in the Tour with his Omega Pharma-QuickStep team. VIDEO Scroll down to watch the latest Tour de France videos including Wills and Kate . Nightmare start: Cavendish looks in distress as he is tended to after the crash . Is this the end? Cavendish later admitted that the collision was his fault after he tried to find a gap . Bad luck: Things don't look good for Cavendish after the crash . Agony: Cavendish is attended to by medical staff after falling 350 metres from the finish line in Harrogate . Killer blow: Cavendish's Tour de France could be over . Big bang: Cavendish was already holding his collar and shoulder immediately after the crash . Here we go: Cavendish's bike starts to move from beneath him after the collision 350 metres from the finish line . Ouch!: Cavendish goes down head first as the first stage had a hectic finish . Grounded: Cavendish rolls off his bike and looks hurt as other riders try to avoid him . Disheartened: Cavendish eventually made it over the line but was holding his midriff and looked in pain . Happier times: Cavendish at the start line with Kate Middleton . 'I'm gutted about the crash today,' Cavendish said. 'It was my fault. I'll personally apologise to Simon Gerrans as soon as I get the chance. In reality, I tried to find a gap that wasn't really there. 'I wanted to win today, I felt really strong and was in a great position to contest the sprint thanks to the unbelievable efforts of my team. Sorry to all the fans that came out to support - it was truly incredible.' After Cavendish tumbled to the tarmac, Marcel Kittel raced away to win the opening stage of the Tour for a second year running. Cavendish, who had been bidding for his 26th Tour de France stage win, had ridden gingerly back to the team bus holding his side before being taken away in an ambulance with his wife Peta Todd and two-year-old daughter Delilah following in a team car. For Cavendish, it was sad repeat of last year's opening stage - when Kittel beat a depleted field after Cavendish and others had been caught in a crash on the run into Bastia. Crossing the finish line: But Cavendish wouldn't have wanted it to end this way . Curse of Cameron: The Prime Minister reacts to Cavendish's fall in Harrogate . Flashpoint: Cavendish and Simon Gerrans come together as they sprint for the finish line . Down...and out? Cavendish shows all the signs of a man whose Tour de France dream could be over . Ceremony: The Duchess of Cambridge cuts the ribbon before the start of the 190.5km first stage . So it begins: The race leaves the start for stage one of the 2014 Tour de France from Leeds to Harrogate . Sprint star: Britain's Mark Cavendish is pictured before the ceremony signature prior to the start . Lining the streets: Fans gather at the start of stage one for Le Grand Depart of the 2014 Le Tour de France . And they're off! The pack of riders in action during the 1st stage of the 101st edition of the Tour de France . Good turn out: Thousands of cycling fans gather near the Stage 1 finish line in Yorkshire . 'He was very impatient,' he said. 'He wanted to win. He has already done this sprint 100 times in his head before. 'It's his home tour. He was very focused. Maybe too much. He was so sure to win that he probably made a mistake. 'Gerrans came next to him, slowed down, he wanted to get out, and (Mark) pushed him with his shoulder. Gerrans pushed back and, boom, they crashed.' A victory for Cavendish would have completed a dream day for British cycling fans, with Yorkshire laying on one of the more spectacular Grand Departs of recent years. More than a million fans had turned out to line the route of the 190.5km stage, which began with a long preamble from Leeds to Harewood House before continuing through the Yorkshire Dales and over the Buttertubs climb into Harrogate. 'It's an unfortunate way to end what could've been a dream scenario,' said Team Sky principal Sir Dave Brailsford - Cavendish's former boss. 'He's a great champion. He's done an awful lot for his country and we shouldn't forget that.' Wallies: A pair of Bradley Wiggans' fans reference the cyclists absence from the Sky team . On yer bikes! The race leaves the start for stage one of the 2014 Tour de France from Leeds to Harrogate . Nice day for it! Spectators and residents line the streets waiting for the race to go by . Rolling out: Riders in the 101st Tour de France cross the start line in front of thousands of spectators in Leeds on the 118-mile first stage to Harrogate . Greetings: Mark Cavendish (second left) shakes hands with Germany's Andre Greipel (right) ahead of the start as Alberto Contador of Spain (left) and Chris Froome of Britain (second right) look on . Head-to-head: Mark Cavendish talks to Chris Froome ahead of the departure from Leeds . Here they come: Cavendish and Froome lead the Grand Depart along the Headway in Leeds at the ceremonial start of the Tour de France . Cavendish's team had been well positioned entering the final kilometre before Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) launched a surprise attack. The sprinters' teams regrouped, though, before Cavendish's crash created chaos. Kittel powered away to the line ahead of Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp), adding to his four stage wins from the 2013 Tour. After a neutralised ride-out from Leeds to Harewood House, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry gave the Tour a royal send-off. The stage was listed as flat, but it was undulating all day in the rolling Yorkshire countryside. German Jens Voigt (Trek Factory Racing), the oldest man in the peloton at 42 and in his 17th Tour, was in the day's three-man breakaway and distanced Frenchmen Benoit Jarrier (Bretagne-Seche Environnement) and Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) on the second categorised climb, the Cote de Buttertubs. Voigt held a three-minute advantage with 70km of racing remaining and secured the polka-dot King of the Mountains jersey at the final climb of Cote de Grinton Moor before being caught by the peloton with 60km to go. Pace setter: Spain's Alberto Contador gestures when he rides in the pack during the ceremonial procession . Packed: Fans braved the rain on the streets of Leeds to get prime positions to watch the start of the race . | Cavendish almost failed to finish the stage after late crash .
He seperated his acromioclavicular joint as he tumbled 200m from the line .
He may not make the start line for day two in Yorkshire .
Collision with Simon Gerrans after looking to overtake in sprint .
And Cavendish admits his fall was his own fault .
Marcel Kittel takes the 118-mile first stage win in Harrogate . |
279,310 | f5daf509536bf65aa70ff2e6da8162180ccbe377 | Al Qaeda has released the latest edition of its English-language propaganda magazine advising would-be militants on how to torch parked cars and cause traffic accidents. The Islamist movement's most active branch Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, published the tenth edition of its glossy quarterly called Inspire on militant websites this month. Along with tips on terrorism, it also warns France to pull back from Mali and lists 11 public figures in the West, including author Salman Rushdie, who it says are 'wanted dead or alive for crimes against Islam' and carries articles commemorating 'martyrs' who have died for its cause. Issue 8 of Inspire magazine, released in 2011, was full of bomb-making tips and propaganda . AQAP, based in the impoverished, lawless state of Yemen, has previously plotted to bring down international airliners. It is seen by Western governments as a danger to oil-producing Gulf states and major crude shipment routes. In a section entitled 'open source jihad', the magazine gives tips on how to set fire to parked cars, including advice such as 'don't get petrol on yourself', and suggests spilling oil on road bends to cause crashes. An editorial in the magazine warned France to end its military intervention in Mali, citing the U.S. experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, which it said made 'them bite their fingertips in regret'. The magazine also called on militants to attack 11 public figures in the West, including Rushdie, whose 1988 novel The Satanic Verses was seen by many Muslims as blasphemous. Among others are Dutch politician Geert Wilders and Canadian-Somalian activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali, both strong critics of Islam, and U.S. pastor Terry Jones, who staged a public burning of copies of the Koran. Dangerous: The magazine contains tips on terrorism, including how to fire a gun . The magazine is published by the Islamist movement's most active branch Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP . The contents page of issue 8 shows the magazine carries a series of articles including a letter from the editor section . In a prominent feature, titled 'No Parking! Are There Any Safe Parking Lots Out There,' an author identified as Ibnul Irhab lays out step-by-step procedures for lighting multiple cars in the same, vacant parking lot ablaze, turning it into a massive explosion. 'The West should taste some burning. They should pay for bombarding and burning our Muslim brothers and sisters’ homes and our Holy (Koran). For burning down forests, plantations and houses, please refer to Issue 9,' the author writes. 'All you need is cooking oil, this tip-sheet says, to wreak havoc on a curvy highway. 'Today we have something new for you, VEHICLES. Vehicle are easy to torch. And the easy part is, vehicles need to be parked somewhere, right? How safe is that somewhere, especially in deserted areas? How much more safe will the West feel parking their vehicles, when they know they’re up for a TORCHING.' Propaganda: A page from issue 8 of Inspire, showing a 'convoy of martyrs' The issue also carried an article on remote control detonation, giving details instructions on how to set off a bomb . Irhab's specific instructions for carrying out the horrific plot include, 'find a deserted parked car,' 'avoid CCTV cameras or areas where people can see you' and, of course, 'pour the petrol on the vehicle(s), do not forget the tires. You can pour a line away from the vehicle.' Another terrifying feature titled 'Causing Road Accidents,' by an author identified only by the alias AQ Chef, outlines how, 'following simple instructions,' you, too, 'can carry out a lethal ambush.' 'There is no retaliation face to face, just place and vanish,' states the article, which painstakingly reveals how to grease windy roads with oil so thoroughly that cars slip off it and crash. AQAP has continued to publish the magazine four times a year, even after one of its main writers, 26-year-old Samir Khan, from North Carolina, was killed in a September 2011 drone strike in Yemen along with fellow contributor Anwar al-Awlaki. Writer: Anwar al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen, was killed in a drone strike . Several people in the U.S. and UK jailed for terrorist-related offences has been found in possession of the magazine. In December a young graduate whose brothers are . serving prison sentences for planning a terrorist attack on the London . Stock Exchange, was jailed for downloading Al-Qaeda it to her mobile phone. Ruksana Begum, 22, who has a first-class degree in accountancy, had two editions of Inspire, including articles such as 'Targeting the populations of countries that are at war with the Muslims'. Ms Begum's brothers, Gurukanth Desai, 30, and Abdul Miah, 25, were sentenced to 12 and 16 years respectively in February last year for their part in the plot. In October, the foreign student arrested over an . attempt to blow-up the New York Federal Reserve cited the publication as inspiration for his deadly plans. Quazi Nafis, 21, reportedly learned how to make a bomb from an . article in Inspire. One issue specifies how to create a . remote-controlled bomb with a list of ingredients and parts followed by a . photographic manual. Another issue suggested that a good way to forward the jihadist mission would be to mow down pedestrians in a pick-up truck. Handgun training and tips on being an 'urban assassin' are also included in the easily accessible terrorist magazine online. | Most active branch publishes detailed guide on militant websites .
It lists 11 public figures 'wanted dead or alive .
for crimes against Islam'
Along with tips on terrorism, it also warns France to pull back from Mali . |
17,719 | 323558ebb3c3a5eed440de7da37ead7bc09547f3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:51 EST, 16 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:57 EST, 16 April 2013 . A judge declared a mistrial Tuesday after jurors said they couldn't reach a verdict in the case of a mental patient who slashed a New York City psychotherapist to death with a meat cleaver. The defense didn't dispute that David Tarloff, 45, killed Kathryn Faughey in February 2008, but Tarloff’s attorneys claimed that he was so psychotic that he couldn't tell what he was doing was wrong. The Manhattan District Attorney's office said Tarloff carried out a deliberate plan and understood it was illegal. Cause for mistrial: The defense claimed that David Tarloff (left) was so psychotic that he couldn't tell that killing Dr Kathryn Faughey (right) was wrong . A judge declared a mistrial after jurors said they couldn't agree on a verdict in Tarloff's case . ‘Mr. Tarloff knew it was wrong to shove a knife into someone,’ prosecutor Evan Krutoy said during summations. ‘He's mentally ill and he's guilty of murder.’ Tarloff faced a life in prison if convicted. The district attorney’s office plans to retry the case. Tarloff told authorities he set out to rob Faughey's officemate, encountered her instead and thought she was evil. Tarloff envisioned getting $40,000 from the holdup to whisk his sick mother away to Hawaii. Dangerous mind: Tarloff told authorities he set out to rob Faughey's officemate to get enough money to take his mother to Hawaii, but encountered her instead and thought she was evil . It was the jury's 10th day of deliberations, which appeared to be very heated judging by the shouting coming from the jury room, the New York Daily News reported. Just before 11.30am, the jury panel passed a note to the judge saying that they cannot reach an agreement on a verdict and will remain deadlocked on all counts. 'I'm willing to say that we're finished,' Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Edward McLaughlin said in response before declaring mistrial. ‘It's very disappointing for us, but we will be back until we get justice in this case for our sister,’ said Owen Faughey, one of the victim's brothers who looked shaken by the outcome. ‘We'll do whatever it takes, and we will see justice, I'm sure of that,’ said another, Michael Faughey.Faughey, 56, specialized in helping people with relationships. She'd never met Tarloff, let alone treated him. ‘We're terribly disappointed that the jury could not reach a unanimous decision,’ said defense attorney Frederick Sosinsky. ‘We believe this was a very powerful case for a `not responsible' verdict, as rare as those verdicts might be.’ Tarloff, now 45, was diagnosed with schizophrenia during his college years. He has been hospitalized more than a dozen times, recounted seeing ‘Satan’ spelled out in his mind and the ‘eye of God’ on the kitchen floor. Innocent victim: Tarloff slashed Faughey 15 times, fractured her skull with a rubber meat mallet, seriously wounded her officemate when he tried to rescue her, and fled . According to court papers, the defendant viewed pieces of paper on the street as a special message from God. His brother testified that he once came to find Tarloff naked and throwing eggs on the wall. For years, his relatives tried unsuccessfully to get him to stay in mental hospitals or adult homes, but he left them. After his mother moved from the Queens apartment they shared to a nursing home in 2004, Tarloff became convinced she was being mistreated and determined to get her out. He hit upon a scheme to get the money: Hold up Dr. Kent Shinbach, the psychiatrist who'd had first him hospitalized in 1991, to get the doctor's ATM code, he later told authorities. Chilling confession: A jury saw Tarloff in this 2008 police interrogation video saying that he only wanted money . After making a series of phone calls to find out the location and hours of Shinbach's office on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Tarloff bought a cutlery set, a rubber meat-pounding mallet and rope. He set out with those and a suitcase of adult diapers and clothes for his mother. Faughey, who shared Shinbach's office suite, confronted Tarloff. He slashed her 15 times, fractured her skull with the mallet, seriously wounded Shinbach when he tried to rescue her, and fled. Tarloff was not in court Tuesday and the jurors were not in court. Several jurors left declining to speak to reporters. Residence: NYPD officers outside his Queens apartment on February 16, 2008 after matching bloody fingerprints at the crime scene to his prints . Manhunt: Police arrested Tarloff in 2008 at his Queens apartment building . A few jurors stopped to talk to Faughey's three brothers and three sisters who were in court. The family could be overheard thanking them for their efforts. Lawyers will be back in court May 21 for status update. | David Tarloff's attorneys claimed he was too psychotic to realize that killing Dr Kathryn Faughey was wrong .
In a 2008 police interview, Tarloff said he just wanted to get money to take his elderly mother to Hawaii .
Manhattan DA's Office plans to retry the case . |
249,885 | cf671b24c788dc04a5f00ea8470b67d2fb3fbb96 | (CNN) -- Few television specials capture the magic and fun of Halloween like the animated classic "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." In case it's been awhile, the 45-year-old hit follows Linus' quest to connect with the Great Pumpkin, a Santa-like gift-giver, in spite of everyone's biting disbelief. Meanwhile, like a little Rodney Dangerfield, Charlie Brown gets a lot more disrespect and more tricks than treats like only he can. As it has for the past 10 years, ABC will be broadcasting "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" at 8 p.m. Thursday October 27, making it just one of the tasty treats couch potatoes can anticipate. But all the offerings aren't cute and cuddly and for those looking for chills, there are a handful of scary choices that will have you screaming up a storm. Read on for more titles: . 'Truth or Scare' (Halloween marathon 3-7 p.m. Friday, October 28; repeating 1-3 p.m. Monday, October 31, The Hub): . Host Michelle Trachtenberg ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") goes deep to explore haunted houses, mythical beasts, and ancient legends around the globe in a scary bunch of "Truth or Scare" episodes that will delight the whole family. 'Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later' (8 p.m. Friday, October 28, AMC): . Get ready to scream when Michael Myers and Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) return for the series' seventh installment. The 1998 film is a part of AMC's annual "Fearfest." The festival of screams includes the third installment of "The Walking Dead" airing 9 p.m. Sunday, October 30. In it, a mob of hungry zombies continues to trap poor Shane (Jon Bernthal) in a school . 'Grimm' (debuts 9 p.m. Friday October 28, NBC): . Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli, "Turn The Beat Around") discovers he is a descendant of the Grimms, an elite line of profilers charged with keeping the balance between humanity and mythological creatures. In his first case, Nick must stop a big, bad wolf from killing girls in red. 'The Dead Files' (10 p.m. Friday October 28, Travel Channel): . Hosts Amy Allan and Steve Di Schiavi investigate a historic Florida hotel where the owners and guests have been tormented by frighteningly real visions. 'Possessing Piper Rose' (9 p.m. Saturday, October 29, Lifetime): . Rebecca Romijn ("Ugly Betty" and "X-Men") plays a woman who adopts a little girl. That's innocent enough, right? Too bad the little girl's deceased mom is a ghostly stalker. 'The Good Witch's Family' (9 p.m. Saturday October 29, Hallmark Channel): . Catherine Bell ("Army Wives" and "JAG") is back to charm more viewers. In the fourth installment of the Hallmark Channel's highest rated movie series, Cassandra (Bell) meets a woman who says she's a long lost relative. 'Bucket & Sinner's Epic Adventures' (9:30 p.m. Saturday, October 29, Nickelodeon): . In an episode titled "Epic Haunting," Bucket and Skinner's latest plan to achieve epic status has them spending the night in an infamously haunted house. 'The Simpsons' (8 p.m. Sunday, October 30, Fox): . Everyone's favorite animated family will kick off its 22nd annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode. The funny installment features three spine-chilling tales with sidesplitting nods to "The Diving Bell and Butterfly," "Avatar" and "Dexter." Expect equally creepy and fun episodes from "Family Guy" and "The Cleveland Show" later that night. 'The Sing Off' (8 p.m. Monday October 31, NBC): . The remaining a cappella groups continue to compete. But the haunted holiday twist has them singing spooky hits including "Werewolves of London" and "Ghostbusters." 'The Nate Berkus Show' (Monday, October 31, syndicated, check your local listings for times and stations): . Home guru Nate Berkus and HGTV's Dina Manzo, formerly of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," create the ultimate Halloween table top in time for the holiday. | 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,' there is also scarie .
"Halloween H2O: 20 Years Later" is just one of the offerings on TV .
The festival of screams includes the third installment of "The Walking Dead" |
215,734 | a33e02e8c2b409d2aba4c04862d9c03df28591aa | By . Australian Associated Press . The mother of a disabled man is pleading for serial rapist Patrick Comeagain to be moved from a small block of units where her son and other vulnerable people live. Comeagain was seen breaking into dance when he was released from a West Australian prison in June on a strict supervision order that included curfews and electronic monitoring. The Department of Corrective Services was forced to relocate Comeagain from a wheatbelt town to another town in Western Australia within days of him moving there over concerns for his safety, following an outcry from the community. Rebecca - not her real name - told Fairfax radio on Tuesday that Comeagain was living next to her son, who has a severe brain injury from a motor vehicle accident. Scroll down for video . The mother of a disabled man is pleading for sex offender Patrick Alfred Dennis Comeagain to be relocated, claiming he is living in an area where a large number of vulnerable people reside . Women, children and young men with mental illnesses also lived at the Department of Housing units, which were close to shops and a childcare centre, Rebecca said. Residents were not told Comeagain was living next to them and only found out when a neighbour recognised him from the news. 'We were all very, very concerned,' Rebecca said. 'One of the tenants is afraid to leave her unit.' Rebecca said authorities responsible for Comeagain initially denied he was living there and only admitted it when she persisted with her complaint. She said Comeagain had to live somewhere but needed to be moved to more appropriate housing. 'It's almost a time bomb waiting to go off,' she said. Comeagain has spent 14 years in prison, including time for raping a nine-year-old girl and two women . Comeagain was handed an indefinite detention order in October 2008 after spending most of his adult life - 14 years - in prison and claims to have sexually assaulted 41 people, including men, women and children. He had five episodes of serious sexual offending, starting in 1987 when he was 15. The victims were generally adult women, but five offences in 1994 were committed against a nine-year-old girl. He raped a woman five weeks after being released on parole and 37 days after that he raped another woman in her home. Comeagain was fined $1000 in August after he breached a condition of his supervision order that prohibited him from coming into contact with children. The 41-year-old was released from prison in June on a strict supervision order that included curfews and electronic monitoring . The offence occurred when Comeagain attended a family gathering where children were present. A WA Department of Corrective Services spokesman said the sex offender management squad continued to supervise Comeagain. He said Comeagain's address and location was suppressed by the court and therefore could not be communicated to third parties. Comeagain could be returned to custody if he breached a condition of his supervision order, the spokesman said. The 41-year-old's release into the community includes a strict 10-year supervision order on the man - requiring him to wear a GPS tracker, comply to a strict curfew and not to have contact with a child under the age of 16. In previous annual reviews of his dangerous sex offender status, it has been noted there had been very few occasions following his release from prison when Comeagain had not re-offended shortly after. | Residents are pleading for Patrick Alfred Dennis Comeagain to be moved from the block of units where they live .
They claim their building and area houses a number of vulnerable people including a disabled man and a young children .
The 41-year-old has spent 14 years in prison, six as a declared sex offender .
He was released in June on a strict supervision order that included curfews and electronic monitoring .
His first serious sex offence was committed when he was just 15 . |
285,367 | fdc8d4d120a35047a65e78776671c4aa80000e26 | It was once used to screen plays and films for children - but it's looking more like something from a horror movie now. This massive hall was built in the Slovak town of Cierna nad Tisou during the post-war Communist era but has since fallen into disrepair, having been disused for years. Hundreds of children used to fill the hall and watch left-wing propaganda on a big screen or as part of a play. Disrepair: The building was used as a theatre and cinema during the Communist era after the Second World War- but it's seen better days . All that remains: The stage that was once home to performances that promoted the Communist message . After . the communist regime failed and fell in the area, the building was never . used again . Shocking state: The hall probably needs more than a lick of paint . Meeting point: The hall once hosted talks between leaders from Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union . Dusty and smashed up seats . It was also used for social meetings - and even for talks between the leaders of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. Dusty, smashed-up seats now fill the spooky auditorium and the roof and walls are peeling and discoloured. Not really the sort of place you'd want to break out the pop corn in. A man takes photograph of an old, historical 3D carved stone above the screen inside the ruined vintage cinema . A dust and litter-strewn floor and broken seats are all that remain . Rear we go: The backside of of the ruined vintage theatre, which had its communist heyday in the 1940s . Black-and-white situation: A file photograph of the entry of ruined vintage cinema and theatre, taken in the 1970s . Slovakia . became part of Czechoslovakia in 1945, which came under the control of . the Communist Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union in 1948. It . remained locked into this geo-political arrangement until the Warsaw . Pact was disbanded in 1991. Slovakia became a sovereign state the . following year. Communist . films that might conceivably have been shown at the hall in Cierna nad . Tisou include 1946's The Stone Flower, Ballad of Siberia (1947) and . Cossacks of the Kuban (1949). The audience might also have been treated to Sergei Eisenstein's Ivan The Terrible. Those . wanting a feel for what it was like living in a communist regime might . like to see 2006's The Lives Of Others. The plot revolves around two . East Berlin secret police officers monitoring the city in the 1980s and . offers brilliant insight into the paranoia that seeped through society. | The hall was built in the Slovak town of Cierna nad Tisou in the 1940s, when the nation was part of the Warsaw Pact .
It was also used for social meetings - and even for talks between the leaders of Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union . |
91,916 | 023b234cf24e8f03e0153889aeb2d3290db53f0b | A Swedish slopestyle skier advanced to the men's finals on Thursday in Sochi despite losing his skis - and his trousers - at one point. Henrik Harlaut, who has not cut his hair in the past four years, posted an impressive 83.20 on his second trip, which was good enough to make the medal round, although he finished in sixth place behind an American trio led by Joss Christensen . He flashed a 'hang loose' sign after advancing and had no plans to cinch up his trousers for the finals. Hard landing: Henrik Harlaut moments before crashing during the men's ski slopestyle qualifying at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park. Both he and his trousers lost a losing battle with gravity . Wipeout: Harlaut suffered the embarrassment of losing both his skis... and his trousers, which were hanging dangerously below the waist in the first place . Ski spirit: Harlaut said he was has skied like that for 10 years and has no plans to change any time soon . Not a problem: Sweden's Henrik Harlaut gestures to the crowd after crashing . He lost his skis during his first qualifying run, forcing him to do the walk of shame back up the hill to fetch them, his blue tights evident as his suspenders fought a mostly losing battle to keep the pants somewhere in the vicinity of his waist. 'I don't find it difficult,' he said. 'I've skied like that the past 10 years. It's been (my style) for awhile. I'm pretty comfortable like that.' Per Kristian Hunder, a Norwegian skier, said: 'He's always been the most baggy. 'It's just his style. And people love it. We have a pretty wide stance. I guess we could all ski with our pants down to our knees.' Harlaut was a lot happier with his second run in the skiing final, where he finished sixth . Sweden's Henrik Harlaut competes in during the men's ski slopestyle qualifying at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park . Air time: When his trousers weren't causing him problems, Harlaut performed some impressive moves on the slopes . | Henrik Harlaut, 22, takes a tumble during qualifying but he recovers .
Finished sixth in the slopestyle skiing event . |
221,683 | aaf9e4c5d7d77ed7919f9a22dd943cbe0c516958 | David Cameron admitted that he suspects the recent devastating floods across the country were the result of climate change. He was asked yesterday about the extreme weather over the New Year which saw 60mph winds, torrential rain and tidal waves that left eight people dead and hundreds of homes under water. But his comments at Prime Minister’s Questions will infuriate some Tory backbenchers who do not accept global warming is affecting Britain’s weather. Scroll down for videos . Prime Minister David Cameron said lessons would need to be learned from the floods as Labour leader Ed Miliband called on the government to review cuts to flood defence budgets . Indeed, Environment Secretary Owen . Paterson, who is handling the flooding crisis, is regarded as sceptical . about climate change and green energy. The Prime Minister's acknowledgement that climate change could be a factor behind the wild weather came as forecasters warned a Siberian cold front could dump four inches of snow on the country and send temperatures as low as -11C next week. Mr . Cameron was responding to a question from Lib Dem president Tim Farron, . who said: ‘The science is clear that the extreme weather conditions . affecting our communities, including around the Kent estuary, are a . destructive and inevitable consequence at least in part of climate . change. ‘Given that you have . said this should be the greenest Government ever, will you now agree to . support carbon reduction targets so we can take real action to protect . people and property?’ Trying to make it through: A 4x4 drives down a flooded road next to the River Thames in Shepperton, Surrey . Destruction: The damaged promenade in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. A major cleanup operation is now underway . Pledge: Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who is regarded as a climate sceptic, has been under pressure over the government's response to the floods . The Prime Minister said, amid groans from his backbenches: ‘I agree with you that we are seeing more abnormal weather events. ‘Colleagues . across the House can argue about whether that is linked to climate . change or not. I very much suspect that it is. 'The point is that . whatever one’s view, it makes sense to invest in flood defences . . . it . makes sense to get information out better and we should do all of those . things’. On targets to . slash carbon emissions, which some Tory MPs say should be scaled back to . reduce the burden on household energy bills, Mr Cameron said: ‘This . Government is committed to carbon reduction targets. ‘We . worked with the last government to put the Carbon Act into place. 'It . wouldn’t have happened without our support. 'We also have the Green . Investment Bank up and running in Edinburgh and it’s going to be . investing billions of pounds in important green projects.’ Climate . scientists say no extreme weather event can be entirely blamed on the . changing climate, but the impact of greenhouse gases on the planet makes . extreme weather – such as floods and droughts – more common. December . was the stormiest month since 1969 because of an unusually fierce jet . stream, the band of fast-moving air which creates winter storms in the . U.S. and blows their remnants across the Atlantic. In a typical winter, . the jet stream travels at 100mph. This year it reached 230mph. The . Met Office predicts that wintry weather will replace the storms next . week. Spokesman Laura Young said: ‘Into the weekend and next week we . are going to see temperatures return to normal levels for this time of . year which will make it feel a lot colder and bring a risk of frost, . fog, and wintry showers.’ Bone breaker: A surfer near Newquay in Cornwall comes to grief in the huge swell . But some forecasters are predicting a . blast of icy air from Siberia after the weekend could bring up to four . inches of snow the part of northern Britain. Temperatures . could plummet to as low as -11C in the exposed north of the country and . -6C as far south as London, according to some predictions. The . dramatic change in the weather may be driven by a freezing front from . the Arctic moving steadily south over the next few days and meeting . warmer, wetter air currently hovering over the UK. Meanwhile, ministers have ordered a major review of the way the aftermath of the storms was handled, which will be presented to Parliament within a month. It will also examine whether planned cuts to the budget of the Environment Agency will undermine its ability to protect flood defences in future. Millions of people across the south of England have been told to prepare for more flooding this week, with rivers in Hampshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Surry, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and the Midlands on alert. Getting around: A father and daughter paddle through flood water in a canoe in Muchelney. The village had only just recovered from last year's flooding . There were 102 flood warnings and 181 flood alerts in place, although none of them were deemed severe, which would carry a danger to life. Labour has called on the government to publish a report by the end of this month giving a ‘full assessment of the future capability of our flood defences and flood response agencies, and whether the investment plans in place are equal to the need for events of this kind’. Labour leader Ed Miliband said: ‘Some people felt the response time was too slow.’ He demanded to know ‘why it took so long for the energy distribution companies to restore power to homes over the Christmas period and what steps do you believe can be taken to ensure that kind of things does not happen again’. | Hundreds of flood warnings and alerts placed across the country .
Prime Minister says lessons must be learned about emergency response .
Tells MPs he 'suspects' climate change is to blame for the devastation .
Labour demands a report within weeks on the impact of future budget cuts .
Weather forecasters warning Britain could be hit by Arctic blast next week .
Freezing weather front set to dump up to four inches of snow on the North .
Temperatures could plummet to -11C after the weekend .
Residents are told to prepare for more flooding over the coming days . |
213,352 | a04af8f26e85ee999c4e6fed28cfa91d344bbae6 | France's socialists were at the centre of a bitter anti-semitism row last night as a party grandee accused the Prime Minister of being 'under Jewish influence'. Roland Dumas, the 92-year-old former foreign minister, said Prime Minister Manuel Valls was pushing a Jewish agenda because of family ties, especially when using terms such as 'Islamo-fascism.' Mr Valls, who is married to a Jewish businesswoman, has been constantly speaking out against anti-semitism since terrorist attacks in January left 17 people dead, including four Jews. Scroll down for video . Manuel Valls with his wife Anne Gravoin who has placed him 'under Jewish influence' according to Mr Dumas . The French PM (right) has refused to be 'sullied' by responding to the insinuations of Mr Dumas (left) But Mr Dumas said Mr Valls 'has personal alliances that mean he has prejudices. Everyone knows he is married to someone really good but who has an influence on him.' Anne Gravoin, 49, Mr Valls's wife, is a high-profile entrepreneur, and also an accomplished violinist. Pressed to clarify his position on BFM TV, Mr Dumas was asked directly if Mr Valls was 'under Jewish influence', and Mr Dumas responded: 'Probably, I would think so'. Such a claim fits in with dark conspiracy theories about a Jewish establishment controlling politicians and the media. Distancing himself from such a view, a French Socialist party spokesman said Mr Dumas's statements were 'unworthy of a Socialist decorated by the Republic'. Mr Valls, in turn, said he would be 'sullied' if he was to reply, adding that Mr Dumas was 'a man with a known past and his remarks which have done no credit to the Republic for a long time.' Mr Dumas has, in the past, poured scorn on the official account of the terrorist attacks against America on 9/11 – September 11, 2001. French President Francois Hollande visits the Sarre-Union Jewish cemetery today in sombre mood after five adolescents were arrested in connection with the desecration of more than 300 tombs at the graveyard . Left to right: French Jewish central Consistory President Joel Mergui, Israeli ambassador to France Yossi Gal, Strasbourg and Bas-Rhin Grand Rabbi Rene Gutman and Mr Hollande at the Sarre-Union cemetery. The French president said the rise in anti-Jewish and Muslim acts threatened France's very foundations . Desecrated tombstones at the Sarre-Union Jewish cemetery in eastern France. More than 300 have been damaged at the graveyard near the northeastern French city of Strasbourg, leading to five arrests . French President Francois Hollande has said the rise in anti-Jewish and Muslim acts threatens the country's very foundations. He spoke today at a cemetery in Sarre-Union where more than 300 Jewish graves were desecrated over the weekend. Mr Hollande noted anti-semitism and acts against Muslims are both on the rise in France. He said anti-semitic acts doubled in 2014 compared with 2013, and acts against Muslims in just the month after the Charlie Hebdo attacks totalled the same for the entire previous year. The president called on French Jews to remain in France and not follow Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu's call for their mass emigration to his country. It came as five youths were arrested in Sarre-Union, in the Bas-Rhin department of eastern France, under suspicion of desecrating more than 300 Jewish graves. The grave stones were vandalised by being kicked over, or had Nazi Swastikas daubed on them in red paint. Mr Valls and French President Francois Hollande have been trying to reassure France's half a million Jews that the country is still their home after Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu issued a call for European Jews to move to Israel in the wake of Islamist attacks in Copenhagen and Paris. Tensions are still high in France after a hostage taking at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris on January 9 in which four Jewish men died. It came two days after jihadist gunmen stormed the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in the French capital, killing 12. | Roland Dumas, 92, causes uproar with his comments about Manuel Valls .
Former French foreign minister claims the PM 'has personal alliances that mean he has prejudices' because of his marriage to Anne Gravoin, 49 .
Ms Gravoin is a high-profile entrepreneur and an accomplished violinist .
Mr Valls said he would be 'sullied' if he was to reply to the socialist grandee .
Comes as five youths were arrested in Sarre-Union, eastern France, on suspicion of desecrating more than 300 graves at a Jewish cemetery .
Visiting the graveyard today President Francois Hollande said the rise in anti-Jewish and Muslim acts had shaken France to its very foundations . |
36,572 | 67a227ce95b3f6a199d3a4e72584c2063a9f6ed7 | Not happy: Tiger Woods criticized Golf Digest for running the faked interview . Tiger Woods has lashed out at a golf magazine which published a 'below the belt' fake interview with him. Woods described the parody piece in Golf Digest - which featured photographs of a professional lookalike - as a 'grudge-fueled piece of character assassination'. In the piece an outlandish parody of the champion golfer plays up to his worst stereotypes - and says the five best golfers of all time are all him. The article - entitled My (Fake) Interview With Tiger*, with the subtitle '(Or how it plays out in my mind) was written by respected golf journalist Dan Jenkins for the magazine's December 2014 issue. It includes segments where the fake voice of Woods waxes lyrical about his love of firing everybody close to him, and seems to have no idea who his longtime friend and ally Mark O'Meera even is. The comedy persona also takes on Woods's reputation for being a lousy tipper, and suggests waiters should 'get a better job'. Towards the end of the interview, pseudo-Woods also takes the unusual step of naming himself as all five entries in a list of the best golfers of all time. The character said: 'I rank me at Pebble Beach in 2000 first, me in the '97 Masters second, me at St. Andrews in 2000 third, me at Hoylake in 2006 fourth, and me at Bay Hill, Firestone, Memorial and Torrey fifth ... pick a year.' However, the real Tiger Woods failed to see the funny side of the piece, and tried to get even writing a blog post attacking Golf Digest's journalism. He began: 'Did you read Dan Jenkins’ interview with me in the latest Golf Digest? I hope not. 'Because it wasn’t me. It was some jerk he created to pretend he was talking to me.' He continued: 'All athletes know that we will be under scrutiny from the media. But this concocted article was below the belt. 'Good-natured satire is one thing, but no fair-minded writer would put someone in the position of having to publicly deny that he mistreats his friends, takes pleasure in firing people, and stiffs on tips- and a lot of other slurs, too.' Woods added that he and his agent have written to Golf Digest demanding an explanation - though editors of the magazine have already responded by reiterating that their article is a clearly-marked parody. 'Below the belt': Woods wrote an angry blog post about the non-interview, which was trailed on the cover (bottom center) | Woods lashed out at article in latest issue of Golf Digest magazine .
Was entitled My (Fake) Interview With Tiger* - but still drew player's anger .
In the piece a parody Woods talks about firing people and not paying tips .
Also says that he should be slots 1-5 in history's five best golfers .
Woods hit out at the portrayal as 'some jerk' who does not resemble him . |
272,058 | ec663f69f90df7ecf8835ec00e4bb7afd8909a85 | By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 07:11 EST, 22 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:14 EST, 22 November 2013 . A teenager who was bullied as a child after an agonising spine condition left her with a hunchback and severe limp has landed a job as a catwalk model. Zoe Blenkinsop, 19, from North Shields, Tyne and Wear, has suffered with scoliosis since childhood and was bullied throughout school because she had a lump which protruded from her back where her spine curved. She would spend hours practicing her poses and catwalk runs but struggled as her curved spine, which left her with a limp, shattered her confidence. Zoe Blenkinsop, 19, suffered from severe scoliosis - curvature of the spine - since childhood and was in so much pain she was unable to sit or stand up for long . When she was diagnosed with the condition aged 11, doctors said they could perform an operation to correct the problem but she would have to wait until she had finished growing at 18. And now, after undergoing the gruelling seven-hour operation, she is finally walking tall. Zoe said: ‘I was always so conscious about my back because there was such a huge lump sticking out from it. ‘I never allowed anyone to take pictures of me because I didn’t want them to see it. ‘In PE I would hide in a corner to get changed so that no-one saw it as I was already being bullied. ‘When I was told I could have the operation I was so happy but I knew I had to wait a long time for it.’ Zoe says her back was sometimes so painful it caused her to pass out and that she had to change for PE with her back to a wall so no one saw it . The curvature in her spine was so severe she had a hunchback and a limp, about which she was bullied . Zoe (pictured before her surgery) said: 'I used to look at everyone else in school and think about when I would be normal like them' In July 2011 Zoe was finally able to go ahead with the procedure and was in surgery for seven hours while surgeons fitted metal rods to straighten her spine. It took her a year to recover from the major surgery and she had to teach herself how to walk, sit and stand all over again. Zoe is now able to fulfil her dream of modelling and is no longer worried about what others think of her. She said: ‘I used to look at everyone else in school and think about when I would be normal like them. Zoe (pictured before her surgery) said: 'I was always so conscious about my back because there was such a huge lump sticking out from it' When she was diagnosed with the condition aged 11, doctors said they could perform an operation to correct the problem but she would have to wait until she had finished growing at 18 . Zoe had a seven-hour operation during which surgeons inserted metal rods into her spine to straighten it . ‘The pain would be horrible some days and I wasn’t able to sit or stand for a long time. ‘The only way to ease it was to lie down which was pretty embarrassing, I felt like an old lady. ‘Recovering from the operation took a long time and it was really hard. ‘I wasn’t allowed crutches as I had to be able to support myself, some days I would pass out with the pain but I kept going.’ Zoe says that since her surgery she no longer worries about what other people think of her . Scoliosis causes the spine to curve and affects about four per cent of the population. If left untreated, it can lead to fatal heart and lung problems and considerably damage mobility. Zoe had her first taste of modelling success when she stepped on to the catwalk for Newcastle Fashion Week. She said: ‘Modelling has always been a dream of mine but I never thought it was possible. Zoe had her first taste of modelling success when she stepped on to the catwalk for Newcastle Fashion Week . Zoe (in hospital after her operation) said: 'The pain would be horrible some days and I wasn't able to sit or stand for long. The only way to ease it was to lie down which was pretty embarrassing, I felt like an old lady' ‘I knew that standing and posing for shoots would be impossible and I would have been far too scared to walk down the catwalk with my limp. ‘I was in constant pain and couldn’t imagine having the lifestyle I have now.’ Zoe now hopes to take her modelling career onto the next level building up her portfolio with fashion shoots and one day hopes to walk the catwalks of fashion weeks worldwide. Deborah Waller, from Scoliosis Association UK, said: ‘Scoliosis is where the spine curves sideways and can also twist the spinal column, pulling the ribcage out of position. Zoe said that before her operation (left) she couldn't imagine having the lifestyle she has now (right) The surgery has left Zoe with a scar down her back but has dramatically improved the shape of her spine . ‘A few of the signs of scoliosis are uneven shoulders, an asymmetrical waist, tilted hips, or uneven shoulder blades. ‘Although many people have not heard of the condition, it is surprisingly common, with three to four children per 1000 needing specialist supervision. ‘It can develop at different times throughout life but the most common form appears during adolescence. ‘While there are around 2,000 scoliosis operations in the UK every year, surgery is not the right choice for everybody and whatever treatment decisions are made, it is important to be monitored by a scoliosis specialist.’ Scoliosis is the abnormal curvature of the spine in an S-shape. Signs include a visible curve in the spine, one shoulder or hip being more prominent than the other, clothes not hanging properly and back pain. Pain usually only affects adults with the condition. In most cases, the cause of the scoliosis is not known but it can be caused by cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy. In the UK, scoliosis affects three to four children out of every 1,000. It is also thought that as many as 70 per cent of over 65s have some degree of scoliosis. It is more common in women than in men. Most children with the condition do not require treatment as it is mild and corrects itself as the child grows. However, in severe cases the child may need to wear a back brace until they stop growing. Occasionally, a child needs surgery to straighten their spine. In adults, it is usually too late to treat the condition with a back brace or surgery so treatment revolves around reducing pain. Source: NHS Choices . | Zoe Blenkinsop, 19, had suffered from severe scoliosis since childhood .
She was in so much pain she was unable to sit or stand up for long .
Surgeons carried out a seven-hour procedure to use metal rods to straighten her spine - after the operation she had to learn to walk again .
She is now working as a model and is able to stand tall without pain . |
275,454 | f0dc17c13cc4d685bbc86cca551eb57ad6eff3b3 | (CNN) -- China plans to put laboratories in space, collect samples from the moon and prepare to build space stations over the next five years, according to an ambitious plan released this week aimed at putting the country on the global map for space exploration. China also plans to launch manned-vessels and freighters into space during the coming half-decade, according to a government white paper. The country's eventual goal in the longer term is a manned lunar landing. "With economic progress, also comes the need for scientific development and exploration," said Jiao Weixin, a professor at the School of Earth and Space Sciences at Beijing University. "By investing in space exploration, China wants to contribute and be a major player in the world on more than one level." The Chinese plans announced this week come as the United States has been scaling back its ambitions and funding for space exploration. Since 2003, China has made major breakthroughs in its space program, including becoming the third country after Russia and the United States to put a human in space. It successfully completed a spacewalk in 2008. In November, the successful automated docking and return of an unmanned spacecraft, Shenzhou-8, paved the way for the creation of China's future space laboratory. The spaceship blasted off from a launch facility in the Gobi Desert in northwest China, one month after the first space laboratory module Tiangong-1 was launched into space. China says its military-run space program will be used for peaceful purposes. But its activities have set off controversy in the past, like when it shot down one of its dead satellites in 2007, for example. That move alarmed some officials in the United States and other countries and raised concerns about the militarization of the space race. Some experts say a critical gap in Chinese-U.S. space relations is the absence of regularized talks on space security, which took place between Washington and Moscow during the Cold War. "In this regard, the Obama administration has made overtures at the military-to-military level," Clay Moltz, an professor in the Department of National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif., said in an e-mail response. "The ball is now in China's court to respond. How it responds may say a lot about its true intentions in space." Two more space docking missions are planned for 2012, with at least one of them manned. But despite the progress, some experts say China still has a long way to go in developing its space technology. "China is still catching up to countries that began their space programs in the 1960s," said Jiao. "It may be impressive to see what China has done in the past decade, but there is still a long way to go." The paper also says China will develop technology to monitor space debris, study black holes and develop small satellites for environmental and disaster monitoring and forecasting. | China's ambitious new plan comes as the U.S. scales back its own space ambitions .
China wants to launch space laboratories and collect samples from the moon .
Its eventual goal is to carry out a manned lunar landing .
China is the third country after the U.S. and Russia to put a human in space . |
243,659 | c762d976f661f6c8c94a64a2465b9e8f651d755b | Astronomers have found a deep azure blue planet orbiting a star 63 light years away -- the first time they've been able to determine the actual color of a planet outside our solar system, NASA and the European Space Agency said Thursday. The planet, known as HD 189733b, is a gas giant with a daytime temperature of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit where it possibly rains liquid glass sideways amid 4,500 mph winds, NASA says. The blue color comes not from the reflection of an ocean, as on Earth, "but rather a hazy, blow-torched atmosphere containing high clouds laced with silicate particles," NASA says. "Silicates condensing in the heat could form very small drops of glass that scatter blue light more than red light." The space agencies said astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope discovered the planet in 2005 but only now have they been able to use Hubble's observations to determine the deep blue color. The findings are in the August 1 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters. To deduce the planet's color, astronomers measured how much light was reflected off its surface. They used the Hubble's Space Telescope to look at the planet before, during and after it passed behind its star as it orbited. "We saw the brightness of the whole system drop in the blue part of the spectrum when the planet passed behinds its star," said Tom Evans of the University of Oxford, the first author of the paper. "From this, we can gather that the planet is blue, because the signal remained constant at the other colors we measured." The planet is only 2.9 million miles from its parent star, so close that it is gravitationally locked, NASA says. One side always faces the star and the other side is always dark. By contrast, Mercury, the closest planet in our solar system to the sun, is 29 million miles away from the sun at its closest. In 2007, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope measured the infrared light, or heat, from the HD 189733b. It showed day side and night side temperatures differ by about 500 degrees Fahrenheit, which should cause fierce winds to roar from the day side to the night side, NASA said. The atmosphere, the space agencies say, is changeable and exotic. HD 189733b is in a class of planets called "hot Jupiters," which are similar in size to the gas giants in our solar system but instead lie very close to their parent star, the European Space Agency says. "We know that hot Jupiters are numerous throughout the universe," the ESA said in a statement. "As we do not have one close to home in our own solar system, studies of planets like HD 189733b are important to help us understand these dramatic objects." Interstellar craft sees solar system's tail . Objective of 2020 mission to Mars: Seek out signs of life . Resistance futile for 'Trek' fans: Moon won't be named Vulcan . | It is the first time astronomers have determined the color of an exoplanet .
The planet is 63 light years away .
Temperatures reach as high as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit .
It possibly rains glass sideways in 4,500-mph winds . |
34,049 | 60c6fe58b0cb8700f7446ace23d3b1d20f8dec54 | Swansea striker Wilfried Bony returns to Anfield on Monday night, seven years after his first visit to Merseyside. Taking on Liverpool as the Premier League's top scorer in 2014 - having netted 20 times this calendar year - Bony will be keen to add to his tally against the club who rejected him. The Ivory Coast international spent two weeks on trial with Rafa Bentiez's Liverpool in 2007 but failed to impress and was not offered a contract. Swansea striker Wilfried Bony returns to Anfield on Monday, seven years after his first visit to Liverpool . Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez had Bony on trial in 2007 but decided against signing the young striker . Having failed to impress Liverpool, Bony earned a move to Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic later that year . Bony caught the eye of Premier League clubs after scoring 46 goals in 65 matches for Dutch side Vitesse . Wilfried Bony - 20 . Sergio Aguero - 18 . Yaya Toure - 17 . Wayne Rooney - 16 . Edin Dzeko - 14 . Daniel Sturridge - 13 . However, eventually earning a move to Europe with Sparta Prague, Bony proved his credentials in front of goal with the Czech giants before finally catching the eye of Premier League clubs with 46 goals in 65 league matches for Dutch Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem. Joining Swansea for £12million in 2013, Bony has since become one of the English top flight's most lethal marksmen. Having scored against Liverpool during the Swans' 4-3 defeat last season, Bony admits it was nice to find the back of the net against the club who decided against signing him as a teenager. Striker Bony scored on his return to Anfield during Swansea's 4-3 defeat to Liverpool last season . Bony is mobbed by his Swansea team-mates during the Premier League clash on Merseyside in February . Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Bony said: 'I scored there [against Liverpool at Anfield] last season and it was nice because I had been on trial there when I was younger. I was there for two weeks in 2007 when Rafa Benitez was the manager. 'They wanted to see what sort of a player I was and it was amazing as a young guy to get the chance to use facilities like that and to see a stadium like that. 'I remember sitting up in the stand there watching a game and I enjoyed the chance to go and play there because it was my first experience of English football. 'It is always nice to score at places where you have been and you were not able to make it. It's not that you have a particular point to prove, you always have a point to prove in football, but it is nice.' Bony admits it was 'nice' to score against Liverpool having failed to make the grade during his trial at Anfield . Now 26, Bony was in fact the subject of interest from Liverpool during the summer transfer window and how Brendan Rodgers' side could do with the Swans frontman they will come up against on Monday. Without last season's dynamic striking duo of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge - the former now a Barcelona player and the latter sidelined through injury - Liverpool have managed to find the net just 22 times this season. Compare that to the 44 goals the Reds had scored at the same stage of last season and it's not difficult to work out why they are struggling in mid-table. A summer move for Bony may have seen a much bigger total in Liverpool's 'Goals For' column but instead they will have to do all they can to stop 2014's top scorer. Liverpool have been interested in Bony in the past and the striker would surely improve the Reds' goal tally . Liverpool have struggled for goals this season without the partnership of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge . Having dropped goalkeeper Simon Mignolet - only to reinstate the Belgian following an injury to Brad Jones at Burnley on Boxing Day - Liverpool boss Rodgers will be desperate for his leaky defence to tighten up against the Swansea No 10, fully aware of the test that lies ahead for his backline. Bony will be relishing the opportunity to add to the 20 goals he has netted in the last 12 months; particularly against a defence struggling to keep goals out. It's his goals which have earned the striker plaudits but those who watch him week in, week out at the Liberty Stadium will tell you there is much more to Bony's game than just finding the back of the net. Built like a giant with tree trunks for legs, Bony has boasted a muscular physique since his early playing days - as seen during his time on the field in Prague - and uses it to his advantage. Frontman Bony leads the line for Swansea and provides a huge presence up front for Garry Monk's side . Bony holds off the challenge of Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph during Swansea's Boxing Day victory . At ease with his back to goal, holding the ball up for his Swansea team-mates and providing a huge presence as he leads the line, Bony - who has created 35 chances this year - would aide any team in the Premier League. Of course, having developed during eight years in Europe, Bony is a much improved player to the one that first visited Liverpool as a promising 18-year-old striker. However, now Bony is one of the Premier League's most potent attackers, it would make sense for Liverpool to make another beeline for the one that got away. Especially if the striker impresses during his latest Anfield audition. | Swansea City face Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday night .
Swans striker Wilfried Bony was rejected by the Reds as a youngster .
Ivory Coast international is the Premier League's top scorer in 2014 .
Click here for the Liverpool vs Swansea City team news, odds and stats . |
43,636 | 7b13a1d8b054439e6b23d0e4df8b590d37b24329 | According to reports in Spain Real Madrid have won the race to sign Cruzeiro midfielder Lucas Silva, who had also been linked with a move to Arsenal. News of Silva's arrival will delight fans at the Bernabeu after he revealed Madrid were one of his two favourite teams in Europe - along with Spanish rivals Barcelona. What kind of player is he? A very modern Brazilian – not a flair player but unflappable in the holding midfield role. He can dictate the pace of a game and organize a team. He has a great first touch and good awareness. And he’s only 21 so he has plenty of years ahead of him to adjust to European football. He also has a reputation for being level-headed and willing to learn and improve – essential if he’s to fit in at a big club and learn a new language. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Lucas Silva score 35 yard screamer for Cruzeiro! Real Madrid have . The 21-year-old currently plies his trade in the Brazilian top tier for league champions Cruzeiro . And he’s done well in Brazil? Cruzeiro have just won the league there and his consistent displays throughout the season were important in that success. He was named in the league’s team of the season at the end of the campaign. Price? Cruzeiro president Gilvan de Pinho Tavares has said he will not negotiate for anything less than £12million. He also knows there are several clubs interested with Real Madrid, Inter and Arsenal all keen. What’s his preference? He has been quoted as saying that his favourite teams in Europe are Madrid and Barcelona. But that answer may well differ according to who is asking. He has also said the European-based player he models himself on is Yaya Toure. After a consistent performances for his club the Cruzeiro man featured in the Serie A team of the season . Modelling himself on Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure Silva could be on his way to the Premier League . Does he get forward as well as Toure? He only scored three times last season for his club but he did score in the Under 20 Toulon tournament for Brazil against England last May. Brazil went on to beat France in the final and he was one of the stand-out performers. He is not as attacking a player as Toure but he doesn’t just sit; he brings the ball out from the back. Has he played for Brazil yet? He has moved up to the Under 23s and will step up to the senior team soon without doubt. He will definitely be part of the Olympic team at Rio 2016. He’s not the finished product though? Not by any means. Cruzeiro’s previous coach Celso Roth wanted to loan him out for experience and it was only when Marcelo Oliveira took over as manager that he became first choice. So another project for Arsenal if Wenger lands him then? Real Madrid seem pretty convinced they have him but who knows? It’s a long road to the first team at the Santiago Bernabeu. Arsene Wenger would certainly be able to offer him first team football sooner so that may persuade him to turn his back on Madrid and move to London. | According to Spanish press Lucas Silva has signed for Real Madrid .
Silva had been linked with a move to Premier League side Arsenal .
The 21-year-old Brazilian plays in a holding midfield role for Cruzeiro .
Featured in Brazilian Serie A team of the season after consistent displays .
Silva said he bases himself on Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure . |
278,113 | f44b0a2d303b725a7f5c82048d7423858e78e490 | By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 08:01 EST, 3 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:46 EST, 4 January 2013 . Chock full of planets: The lighter band of the Milky Way's edge is seen in the night sky over Exmoor . Our galaxy contains at least 100billion planets - approximately one for every star - and many of them could harbour life, a new study claims. Contrary to previous belief, the latest research by astronomers suggests star systems with planets are actually the norm across the cosmos. And the analysis only includes planets in close orbits around certain kinds of stars, meaning the massive estimate they have offered could yet be doubled. John Johnson, assistant professor of . planetary astronomy at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), . called the estimate 'mind boggling'. 'There's at least 100 billion planets in the galaxy — just our galaxy,' he said. Jonathan Swift, a postdoc student at . Caltech and lead author of the paper due for publication in . Astrophysical Journal, added: 'It's a staggering number, if you think . about it. Basically there's one of these planets per star.' Astronomers at Caltech made their . estimate by analysing planets orbiting a sun called Kepler-32 which, . they say, is representative of the vast majority of stars in our galaxy. That system, which was detected by . Nasa's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope, contains five planets, the . existence of two of which had already been confirmed by other . astronomers. The Caltech team confirmed the . remaining three, then analysed the five-planet system and compared it to . other systems found by the Kepler mission. The planets orbit an M dwarf star — also known as red dwarfs, this type accounts for about three-quarters of all stars in the Milky Way. The five planets, which are similar in size to Earth and orbit close to their star, are also typical of the class of planets that the telescope has discovered orbiting other M dwarfs, Swift says. Therefore, the researchers concluded, the majority of planets in the galaxy probably have characteristics comparable to those of the five planets. Habitable zones: These are the regions of space around a star where conditions are favourable for life as found on Earth. This Nasa graphic shows how the region is closer or further depending on the type of star . The region of the Milky Way where Kepler points: Each rectangle indicates the specific region of the sky covered by each CCD in Kepler's photometer. There are a total of 42 CCD elements in pairs, each comprising a square . Other teams of astronomers have . already estimated that there is roughly one planet per star, but this is . the first time researchers have made such an estimate by studying . M-dwarf systems. But their . analysis only considers planets that are in close orbits around M dwarfs . — not the outer planets of an M-dwarf system, or those orbiting other . kinds of stars. While Kepler 32 may not be unique, what sets it apart is its coincidental orientation: the orbits of the planets lie in a plane that's positioned such that the Kepler space telescope views the system edge-on. Thanks to this rare orientation, each planet blocks Kepler-32's starlight as it passes between the star and the Kepler telescope. By analysing changes in the star's brightness, the astronomers were able to determine the planets' characteristics, such as their sizes and orbital periods. This orientation offered an opportunity to study the system in great detail, and because the planets represent the vast majority of planets that are thought to populate the galaxy, the system also can help astronomers better understand planet formation in general. 'I usually try not to call things "Rosetta stones", but this is as close to a Rosetta stone as anything I've seen,' said Professor Johnson. 'It's like unlocking a language that we're trying to understand—the language of planet formation.' As a . result, they say, their estimate is conservative. In fact, says Mr . Swift, a more accurate estimate that includes data from other analyses . could lead to an average of two planets per star. M-dwarf systems like Kepler-32's are quite different from our own solar system. For one, M dwarfs are cooler and much smaller than the sun. Kepler-32, for example, has half the mass of the sun and half its radius. The radii of its five planets range from 0.8 to 2.7 times that of Earth, and those planets orbit extremely close to their star. The whole system fits within just over a tenth of an astronomical unit (the average distance between Earth and the sun) — a distance that is about a third of the radius of Mercury's orbit around the sun. The fact that M-dwarf systems vastly outnumber other kinds of systems carries a profound implication, according to Professor Johnson, which is that our solar system is something of a cosmic 'weirdo'. But although the planets in M-dwarf systems orbit close to their stars, it does not necessarily mean that they're fiery, hellish worlds unsuitable for life, the astronomers say. Indeed, because M dwarfs are small and cool, their temperate zone — also known as the 'habitable zone,' the region where liquid water might exist — is also further inward. Even though only the outermost of Kepler-32's five planets lies in its temperate zone, many other M dwarf systems have more planets that sit right in their temperate zones. The implications of a galaxy chock full of planets are far-reaching, the researchers say. 'It's really fundamental from an origins standpoint,' said Mr Swift, who noted that because M dwarfs shine mainly in infrared light, the stars are invisible to the naked eye. 'Kepler has enabled us to look up at the sky and know that there are more planets out there than stars we can see.' | Analysis only includes planets in close orbits around certain kinds of stars - meaning that estimate could yet be DOUBLED .
Astronomers at Caltech came up with the stunning figure from an analysis of data from Nasa's Kepler Space Telescope . |
191,412 | 83dd38a061d039ac667396b2d77041b756431e32 | By . Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 14:39 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:22 EST, 18 September 2013 . A high-speed chase that began in Miami-Dade County this morning following a double homicide ended in a violent crash and standoff in southwestern Broward County that left two others dead. The incident unfolded Wednesday morning in rural Broward County when officers went in pursuit of a man identified as Antonio Feliu suspected of gunning down a woman and her daughter. Miami television stations broadcast the chase, which started some time before 10am. The speeding SUV t-boned another vehicle, ejecting a female passenger, who died at the scene. Scroll down for videos . On the run: A suspect in a shooting was fleeing from police in this black Mercedes-Benz Crossover, doing 100mph on U.S. 27 in Broward County . Deadly: The Mercedes SUV t-boned a Mercedes sedan, causing a woman to be ejected from the car onto the roadway . Horrific outcome: The driver of the sedan died on the scene despite first responders' efforts . The suspect's smashed-up SUV came to rest in a grassy field and was surrounded by police . Shots rang out as authorities approached Feliu's vehicle and officials took cover as they assisted the dying victim on the ground in the grassy median, CBS News reported. Four SWAT vehicles surrounded the SUV and eventually officers found Feliu dead inside from what was described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The incident began unfolding at around 9.45am when officers responded to a report of shots fired during a domestic dispute at Southwest 189th Street and 123rd Avenue in Miami. Vivian Martinez, 51, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to NBC News. Her 28-year-old, daughter, Anabel Benitez, was airlifted to Kendall Regional Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Gunfire: Officers ran for cover after shots were fired inside the SUV . Standoff: Armed officers seen training their weapons on the heavily tinted Mercedes . Heavy machinery: Three armored vehicles carrying four SWAT teams in full tactical gear arrived on the scene and secured the SUV . Feliu reportedly fled in a black Mercedes-Benz Crossover, heading north on U.S. 27. He drove about 40 miles, at times doing over 100mph, before he slammed into a Mercedes sedan. Both vehicles spun out of control, with the impact ejecting the female driver from the black sedan onto the median. She later died from her injuries. The suspect's smashed-up SUV came to rest in a grassy field, where it was approached by several police officers with their weapons drawn. A chopper video of the incident showed the law enforcement agents running for cover after gunfire erupted inside the SUV. Tense moments: After an hour-long standoff, officers opened the driver's side and found the man dead inside from a self-inflicted wound . Bloody morning: The Miami shooting followed by the dramatic chase left three women dead . Four SWAT teams arrived on the scene in armored vehicles and surrounded the badly damaged Mercedes. At around 11am following an hour-long standoff, the officers opened the driver's side and found Feliu dead inside. Police have yet to determine the nature of the relationship between the shooting suspect and the mother and daughter gunned down in Miami. | Antonio Feliu identified as suspect who allegedly gunned down mother and daughter before leading police on high-speed chase .
Vivian Martinez, 51, was shot in Miami and pronounced dead on the scene, while her 28-year-old daughter, Anabel Benitez, died in the hospital .
Feliu's Mercedes-Benz SUV t-boned a sedan on U.S. 27, resulting in death of female driver who was ejected from car . |
211,812 | 9e4bc3974c1e800dad14f7cbf666abd14d84e27a | (CNN) -- These are tough times for hard-working families. Too many Americans are either unemployed or underemployed. Families are juggling bills they can't pay. Many believe they are working harder but only falling farther and farther behind. Worse yet, some Americans have given up looking for work altogether. According to the June unemployment report, the number of Americans actively searching for a job is at a three-decade low. Of those who found a job, nearly one in three had to settle for part-time work. So, it may be surprising to learn that more than 4.5 million open jobs went unfilled the month before. Although several factors contributed to these numbers, in this weak economy, many Americans are not equipped with the necessary knowledge and training for high-demand careers in the changing 21st century job market. Fifty-two percent of adults have not been trained with the literacy skills needed for success in the workforce. And two-thirds of Americans with disabilities do not participate in the workforce at all. The status quo isn't working. There are more than 50 workforce development programs spread across nine federal agencies meant to help people find meaningful employment. These programs are well intended, but unfortunately, even with a price tag of nearly $18 billion each year to taxpayers, very few have been evaluated to determine if the programs even work. Simply put: Our nation's job training system is overly complex and terribly failing those who need it most. That's why we are proud to support the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (H.R. 803) which renews our nation's workforce training laws for the first time in more than a decade. This overwhelmingly bipartisan bill, which passed the House earlier this week, will improve our nation's workforce development system, improve job opportunities for the underemployed, and, most importantly, help put millions of unemployed Americans back to work. In this stagnant economy, it is more important than ever that we create a system to prepare workers for 21st century jobs and help businesses find the skilled employees needed to grow a healthy economy. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act improves the workforce development system by eliminating 15 duplicative programs, empowering local boards to tailor training services to their region's specific needs, and supporting access to real-world education and development through on-the-job training. This bipartisan bill also aligns workforce development programs with economic development and education initiatives. Furthermore, it lets businesses identify in-demand skills and connect workers with the opportunities to build those skills. By demanding more effective and more accountable government programs, the act will reform the workforce development system in a way that will provide real results to those searching for jobs at a lower cost to taxpayers. The bill is a great example of what Congress can accomplish when both sides come to the table to work toward the common good. While it took a more than a year for the Senate to get on board, once implemented, the act will help Americans -- from recent college graduates to veterans to dads looking for work since the recession began -- find good-paying jobs that build a foundation for easier lives and more opportunities. So, what's next? The bill is headed to the President's desk because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid chose to finally work with Republicans. We hope he will do the same with dozens of other jobs bills collecting dust in the United States Senate. After all, while this legislation is a step in the right direction, there is much more work to do to build a healthy economy. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion. | Rep. Luke Messer, 11 other GOP members back Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act .
The act, they say, hopes to update job training laws and put millions back to work .
They say there are already more than 50 programs costing $18 billion each year .
The bill will eliminate 15 programs seen as duplicative and retool training needs locally . |
164,157 | 6049faba0fa3cc4845e6d7e59c8e44040eaabbc1 | By . John Stevens . UPDATED: . 20:56 EST, 6 March 2012 . An amateur rugby player has been jailed after he punched an opponent so hard during an on-pitch row over a tackle that he broke his jaw. Jack Weston struck teacher Ben Staunton twice in the head after a scuffle broke out during a heated local derby. Despite being in agony after the second blow, which he described as having a ‘ten out of ten’ force, Mr Staunton, 34, continued playing until the end of the game. Violence flares: Jack Weston (left) punches Ben Staunton in attack that left the 34-year-old teacher with a broken jaw during a match between Keynsham RFC and Oldfield Old Boys in Bath . Melee: Mr Staunton (pictured centre in the scrum cap) became involved in a scuffle after reacting angrily when he was tackled dangerously (Weston not pictured). Weston joined the fracas shortly afterwards . Only later was he found to have a broken jaw. On Monday Weston, 24, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and was jailed for six months at Bristol Crown Court. The players’ brawl happened as . Weston’s team Keynsham RFC took on rivals Oldfield Old Boys at their . Bath ground in a bad-tempered clash in November in the Bath Combination . Cup. Amy Jones, prosecuting, told the court . that it had been a ‘hotly contested’ match in which there were a number . of off-the-ball incidents. Surrounded: One player had his hand around Mr Staunton's face as the fracas ensued (Weston not pictured) Around 25 minutes into the second . half, violence flared when a penalty kick was awarded after an illegal . tackle on Oldfield substitute Mr Staunton, a teacher at Beechen Cliff . Boys’ School in Bath. Mr Staunton, who had been tackled in the air as he caught the ball, ‘reacted angrily’ and pushed a player away. He was quickly surrounded by four . opponents, one of whom he claimed had a hand around his face and another . who was ‘gouging’ his eye. Weston then ran into the fracas and . punched Mr Staunton twice in the face – the first described as ‘six out . of ten’ in force and the second a ‘full ten out of ten’. Brutal: Weston was jailed for six months after admitting grievous bodily harm at Bristol Crown Court . ‘Almost immediately I felt my teeth stinging,’ the teacher said in a statement read in court. ‘I remember looking at Mr Weston and he had taken a step backwards, he looked ready to go again.’ Weston was sent off by the referee and . Mr Staunton – who played in a second row position – received a warning . yellow card. Immediately after the incident a physio examined Mr . Staunton but found no fracture and allowed him to play on. Following the game, however, the . teacher’s pain worsened, forcing him to visit Royal United Hospital in . Bath where the court heard that an X-ray confirmed his jaw was broken. Andrew Banks, defending, said: ‘Mr . Weston has always said it was something that occurred in the heat of the . moment. It is something he bitterly regrets.’ He told the court how Weston, of . Bedminster, Bristol, apologised to the referee after the game but was . unable to find Mr Staunton to apologise in person. Mr Banks added that his client believed he had grabbed the player and punched him only once. Following the judge’s call for clarification, however, it was accepted that the referee saw two punches. Jailing Weston, Judge Carol Hagen told him: ‘I have no doubt you will never re-offend.’ Keynsham’s Paul Cooper, who was also . sent off during the match, was last month banned from playing for seven . weeks after being found guilty of making contact with the area around Mr . Staunton’s eye. | Jack Weston, 24, jailed for six months for attack after dangerous tackle .
Burly No 8 used ‘ten out of ten force’ to punch teacher Ben Staunton . |
99,785 | 0c8fba966b0a58c61541b916956e98bc2b6cd23b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 10:07 PM on 29th February 2012 . Helicopter gunships have opened fire on civilians in Syria, activists claimed, as the brutal crackdown on Homs rebels continued for a 25th day. The aircraft have flown over the beseiged Baba Amro region of Homs for the last two days - but it was the first time they attacked today. The rebel stronghold also faced heavy shelling as elite government troops tried to recapture it. Death: Syria's brutal crackdown on anti-regime activists has killed more than 7,500 people in the last 11 months, the United Nations has claimed . Rolling on: Syrian troops, captured on footage uploaded to YouTube, moving across the country . Helicopters opening fire have raised fears that there could be a full ground invasion, CNN reported. There were at least 23 deaths today, . including 11 in Homs, as the UN said over 7,500 people have been killed . in the Syrian uprisings. In Homs the Farouq Brigade of the Free . Syrian Army was trying to hold off the assault led by units of the . armoured Fourth Division, commanded by Maher Assad, the hardline brother . of President Bashar. Russia have upgraded a surveillance station based in Syria so that they will know if Israel attempts to attack Iran. The Russians are allies of Syria and recently used their United Nations veto to block a resolution condemning the crackdown on violence. The upgraded base - which now has new technology and extra staff- will now be able to monitor air traffic across the whole of Israel, the Washington Times reported. Previously it was only able to detect military movements in the north of Israel, as far south as Tel-Aviv. Now the radar also extends across Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia. Russia have based the radar system on top of a hill in southern Damascus. Ahmed, an activist who said he had just left Baba Amro, said the rebels in Homs will fight until the last man. 'We call on all Syrians in other . cities to move and do something to lift the pressure off Baba Amro and . Homs. They should act quickly,' he added. He also revealed that Homs, a symbol of opposition to Assad in a nearly year-long revolt, was without power or telephone links. The UN said almost 6,000 civilians and 1,500 army . defectors have paid the price for trying to oust President Bashar Assad . from power - with 2,000 of them killed in just the last eight weeks. Troops . earlier today advanced on a key rebel-held area in the central city of . Homs, where three Western journalists are still trapped by a government . assault that has raged for weeks. The forces appeared to be starting a ground operation to retake the area that has become a symbol of the uprising to oust the ruling regime. Government forces have been heavily shelling Homs, and particularly the rebel-controlled Baba Amr neighbourhood, for more than three weeks with tanks, artillery and rockets. Procession: Free Syrian Army members shout 'God is great' as they carry the coffin of a comrade in Idlib today . Brutal: Chained Syrian rebels are pictured being loaded into the back of a truck in Daraa . The announcement by a Syrian official of the new troop advance indicated a ground assault was beginning to recapture Baba Amr. A Syrian official vowed Baba Amr would be 'cleaned' within hours. Four . Western journalists - two of them wounded - had been trapped in Baba . Amr since last week, when two other foreign reporters were killed there . by a government attack. Yesterday, . Syrian rebels smuggled out Paul Conroy, one of the four journalists, . and whisked him safely across the border into Lebanon. Activists said 13 Syrians involved in the rescue operation were killed during it. The French government confirmed today that two French reporters remained trapped in Baba Amr, Edith Bouvier of Le Figaro and William Daniels. Bouvier and Conroy were wounded last week in the same attack that killed American journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik. Battle scarred: A woman holds her daughter on the balcony of her building damaged by Syrian troops in Idlib . Prepared: Syrian rebels stand in front of the remains of a burnt military vehicle belonging to Syrian government forces in Homs . The French Foreign Ministry demanded . that the Syrian regime ensure conditions that allow for the 'sure and . rapid evacuation' of the two French journalists, 'notably through an . immediate cease-fire in Baba Amr.' Dead: Marie Colvin was killed in an attack last week . 'France . is mobilised to accomplish the priority evacuation of its two citizens . blocked in Homs, in liaison with Syrian authorities,' as well as the Red . Cross and Red Crescent, ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said. He said . the government would not comment further for security reasons. Spanish reporter Javier Espinosa, who works for the major Spanish daily El Mundo, also remained trapped in Baba Amr, El Mundo said today. The paper said it had spoken briefly to him last night and he said he was 'ok'. The paper said it did not think Espinosa is injured and did not know where he is staying. Troops also entered the central town of Halfaya in the province of Hama, near Homs, after five days of intense shelling, activists said. They said the rebel-held town of Rastan, just north of Homs, was subjected to shelling and casualties were reported. Also today, China urged world powers to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria, as Beijing tries to bolster diplomacy while continuing to oppose any armed outside intervention in the conflict. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi broached the idea of assistance in telephone conversations this week with the head of the Arab League and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Algeria. Rescued: Paul Conroy was smuggled to Lebanon yesterday . China defied Western powers and the . Arab League by joining Russia to veto a U.N. resolution that outlined . plans to end the conflict and condemned Assad's crackdown on . anti-government forces. China . was concerned the resolution would pave the way for the West to . intervene and unseat an authoritarian government as it had in Libya. | UN claims 'well over 7,500 lives have been lost in Syrian uprising'
6,000 civilians and 1,500 army defectors pay price for trying to oust Assad .
Syrian troops today advance on key rebel-held area of Homs .
Three foreign journalists still stuck in the city . |
267,351 | e64060d95eede4e37e382cee5f4fb89f021c76a4 | By . Associated Press . and Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 14:01 EST, 29 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:13 EST, 30 December 2013 . The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a passenger who went overboard off a Royal Caribbean Cruises ship as it motored toward Puerto Rico. Company spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said Sunday that the captain of the Adventure of the Seas stopped the ship, turned around and alerted authorities after a passenger reported seeing the person going overboard late on Saturday. In a Sunday email, Martinez said footage of the incident was also captured by the ship's cameras. One passenger captured a shot of the coast guard searching for the missing passenger . The missing person's identity, gender and nationality have not officially been released but according to Cruise Law News, an announcement aboard the ship stated the passenger was a male in his mid twenties. According to an email sent to Cruise Law News from a passenger on board the ship, the captain got on the loudspeaker between 8:45 and 9:00 pm and announced that a 'man' had 'jumped' overboard. The passenger also wrote, 'I went on deck and witnessed the ship turning around. They launched life preservers with lights attached as well as two rescue boats. There were spotlights at first and brighter ones joined later. There was talk spreading throughout the shop that people had witnessed the pulling the spotlights out of the theater or ice rink.' When the U.S. Coast Guard assumed control of the search early Sunday, the cruise ship resumed its trip to Puerto Rico's capital of San Juan. The Royal Caribbean ship was finishing a seven-night trip and returning to San Juan. Passengers on board the ship have been posting updates on twitter . Passengers on board the ship continue to speculate about the event. Several passengers have been posting updates on facebook and twitter in regards to the search. Cruise passenger Jim Brooks wrote on facebook two hours ago, 'We're onboard now waiting to leave. Word is he intentionally jumped from his 6th deck balcony. Married with family aboard. During search there was what they thought was a sighting. Flare and life ring was deployed. Turned out to be a large fish.' The Mail Online spoke with Jared Spiegel, a passenger on board who recounted his memory of the event. Passengers look outside as rescue crews search for the body . 'I was sitting in the specialty . restaurant, Portofino. A bunch of the captains were eating with their . families including the Head Captain. All of the sudden, a message comes . over the screen and the captain runs out. Then another captain gets a . phone call and he leaves, ' he wrote. 'About 15 minutes later, they announced that a . man had jumped over board. I've heard it was off of deck six, possibly . an asian man and they told us it was a man in his mid 20s. Also, a rumor . going around the ship was that they had released flares signaling a . rescue but it turned out to be a large fish. We got in around 9 AM which . caused many people to miss their flights, ' he continued. Twitter user Barry Snyder wrote, 'What a night. Man Overboard really throws a wrench in a cruise #crazy #royalcaribbean #search #coastguard @ABC #AdventureOfTheSeas' According to Cruise Law News, nine days ago, a passenger disappeared on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas. According to cruise expert Dr. Ross Klein,there have been at least 219 persons overboard since 2000. | The captain stopped the ship after a passenger reported seeing a person go overboard late on Saturday .
An email from a passenger to Cruise Law News, claims that the captain announced that the passenger had 'jumped' overboard .
The gender, nationality, and age of the person overboard is not officially confirmed but some passengers on board described the person as 'male' and 'in his mid twenties' and 'Asian'
The Coast Guard continues to search for the body . |
145,997 | 48c63ee6a2de4b1687bcc27608d1b9678970415b | A budding young movie-maker who secretly film the unappetizing meals being served up at his elementary school has seen his results become an award-winning documentary. New York City public school student Zachary Maxwell, now 11, started filming his school lunches in the fall of 2011 because of a dispute with his parents about whether or not he should be allowed to take lunch to school. While his parents wanted him to eat the school’s lunches, which sounded appetizing on the school’s menu, Zachary wanted to prove that the menus weren't accurate. Scroll down for video . New York City public school student Zachary Maxwell started filming his school lunches to show his parents that they weren't nutritious . In the movie Zachary claims the school salads don't include the variety of ingredients that celebrity chefs such as Rachel Ray suggest they do . Find out more at yuckmovie.com . Over a six month period, Zachary sneaked a video camera into his school cafeteria and filmed his less-than-appetizing meals. With help from his father, those undercover reports were turned in a 20-minute film called ‘Yuck: A 4th Grader’s Short Documentary About School Lunch.’ ‘The city’s Department of Education says . that it’s committed to providing “delicious and nutritious meals . through their food service program.” But the lunch being served at my . school was nothing like what they were advertising on their website,’ says Zachary in the trailer for his film. The documentary has already won the budding young filmmaker, who goes by his first and middle names, several film festival awards and it is set to be screened at the Manhattan Film Festival next month. His project was almost derailed at one point after he was caught filming without his teacher¿s permission . Since the film's release, Zachary has been asked to serve as an adviser to the New York City Department of Education's Office of School Food and brings his school lunch from home . The film is highly entertaining and reveals Zachary to be a mix of guerrilla film-maker Michael Moore and healthy food crusader Jamie Oliver. In one clip Zachary talks about how the education department enlisted the help of celebrity chefs including Rachel Ray and Ellie Krieger to create appetizing healthy options, but then he shows the limp salads the school was serving which didn’t feature the ingredients the chefs had recommended. A spokesperson for the school board has . accused Zachary of doctoring footage by selectively serving himself . lunches that didn’t include certain elements. His project was almost derailed at one point after he was caught filming without his teacher’s permission. Zachary was instructed to delete the footage, but only pretended to, reports Manolith. Since his film was released, Zachary has been asked to serve as an adviser to the New York City Department of Education’s Office of School Food and nowadays he brings his lunch from home. The school board has accused Zachary of doctoring footage by selectively serving himself lunches that didn't include certain elements . | Zachary Maxwell wanted to show his parents that school meals weren't as healthy as claimed .
He secretly filmed his lunches over a six month period .
His dad helped edit his footage into the 20-minute documentary 'Yuck'
It has won plaudits and awards at numerous film festivals .
Zachary now takes his own lunch to school . |
128,781 | 32641055ad674aa82a2226c69ea147583fb1d190 | A man has filmed himself drinking three live goldfish in the latest shocking twist in the 'NekNominate' drinking craze. The yob - believed to be from Derby - drank the fish from a pint glass containing a disgusting concoction of cider, raw eggs, engine oil and his own urine. The RSPCA has spoken out against the 'horrible craze' after receiving numerous reports of people drinking live fish and posting the footage online. Sick: A man has filmed himself drinking a pint of filthy liquids with three live goldfish in it . Preparations: The man poured a pint of cider mixed with raw eggs and engine oil . NekNominate is a new trend which sees web users filming themselves drinking large amounts of alcohol and performing other outlandish stunts. It came under fire this week after two young men died in Ireland while participating in the craze. In the video of the man downing the goldfish, he can be seen smiling at the camera dressed in just a satin thong and a bow tie. Viewers praised the stunt, egging on the man in his quest to be deliberately outrageous. One wrote: 'Smashed it, knew you would come good, the fishes are your secret weapon.' Foul: The man urinated into the glass before putting three live goldfish in too . Another said, 'That should go viral, hats off mate, that's class,' while a third added: 'That's by far the sickest I've seen. Gagged watching it.' The RSPCA is investigating more than a dozen reports of animal cruelty from people who have watched video footage of goldfish being drunk by NekNominate participants. 'We are extremely concerned about this shocking new trend,' said wildlife scientist Nicola White. 'We have had quite a few similar cases reported to us in a very short space of time - but this could be just the tip of the iceberg as there's probably many more we have not been told about. 'Eating a live animal and posting of a film of it on the internet is not some light-hearted joke - it is unacceptable. It sends out a clear message that animal cruelty is OK as long as it is in the guise of entertainment. 'We urge people not to take part in this horrible craze and to report to us anyone who is taking part.' Praise: Other web users spoke in support of the man's antics, with one saying 'hats off' The NekNominate craze is thought to have originated in Perth, Australia, but thanks to social media it has since gone global. The hashtag 'neknominate' started trending in the UK in January 2013 and has since been growing in popularity around the world. The . concept of the game has been described by a user on Facebook as: 'Neck . your drink. Nominate another. Don't break the chain, don't be a d**k. The social drinking game for social media! #neknominate. Drink . Responsible'. The stunt is filmed then posted on the internet. One . popular video shows a bare-chested man emptying a bottle of beer down . the toilet before two friends lower him head-first into the porcelain . bowl to lap it up. Superintendent Gary Parkin of Derbyshire Police said: 'Drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short space of time can have very serious consequences. 'Social media is used for many different things, both good and bad, and clearly this is at the wrong end of the scale. Challenging each other to drink more and more, often different and stronger alcoholic drinks, will cause harm and damage. 'It is obvious from recent stories and incidents that people have lost control trying to better people they know either as friends or through social media and have ended up in A&E or, more tragically, have died. 'I would urge people to act with responsibility when drinking alcohol and avoid putting themselves in unnecessary danger.' Other NekNominate-related incidents to hit the headlines include a woman apparently riding into Tesco on a horse before downing a fizzy drink. However, some people have attempted to turn the trend on its head by using it to spread positive behaviour such as donating blood, rather than binge drinking. | Man dressed in thong and bow tie is filmed drinking sick concoction .
Posted video online and was praised by viewers over the stunt .
RSPCA is investigating more than a dozen reports of animal cruelty linked to 'NekNominate' craze which has claimed two lives . |
125,608 | 2e65d6169216defd6919aa786e661c12d093be6e | London (CNN) -- The release of a massive report on torture Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee has been accompanied by a strong statement by President Obama, who notes that it describes in detail "a troubling program involving enhanced interrogation techniques in secret facilities outside the United States" by operatives working for the CIA. This report -- we're talking about nearly 500 pages summarizing more than 6,000 pages of data and analysis -- will certainly refocus the world's attention on this sordid phase in recent American history. Obama acknowledged that his predecessors in the White House faced "agonizing choices" after 9/11, and they acted in ways meant to protect against future attacks by al Qaeda. Still, this new accounting of that period has raised protests from politicians on both sides of the aisle, but especially Republicans, who don't want to drag up painful memories of the Bush administration -- not in this, their finest hour. But it has also raised many questions demanding answers. I'm in London as I write this, and there is already a great deal of talk about this report in the press. Indeed, for many, troubling questions arise: . How could Americans have allowed their government to fly prisoners suspected of terrorist connections to "black sites" in Thailand, Morocco, and Poland, where, as the report describes, they were hideously tortured in the hopes of extracting information from them about future plots against the homeland? (And people did know that something like this could be going on, as reporters often described the existence of shadowy rendition programs without knowing the specific details.) Is this how tax dollars were best spent to protect Americans against future threats? Other questions swirl, but one seems especially relevant as we continue our necessary efforts to combat terrorism: Is torture an effective technique for getting reliable information? The report reviews 20 prominent cases that had been brought forth -- by intelligence officials and even alluded to by former President George W. Bush -- as examples of torture that worked, It concludes that none of this brutality resulted in useful information. This corresponds to what experts have suggested all along: Torture simply doesn't work and may actually be counterproductive in the fight against terrorism. The problem isn't with those who actually possess relevant information, it's with those who don't. Men being tortured will saying anything to stop the interrogator from drowning him or abusing him -- and some of the methods detailed in this report are truly horrific. Top intelligence and military officials clearly warned the government as early as 2002 that this brutality doesn't work. In fact, torture generates "unreliable information," as this report affirms; it produces information that requires fact-checking that soon produces more misinformation. As Lou Dimarco observed in 2006, in a useful book about the practice of torture during the Algerian War (1954-1962): "History offers no modern examples of the strategic effectiveness of harsh interrogation techniques, but it is replete with examples of the negative strategic effects such techniques have on the counterinsurgency force." There is the additional problem that American enemies can use the fact that we have tortured prisoners as an excuse to torture American captives. Indeed, one can't help but wonder if the fury unleashed by ISIS in Syria and Iraq has its origins at least partially in the dark history of American torture. As the poet W.H. Auden so memorably wrote: "Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return." A truly democratic society depends on the rule of law and respect for human rights; it is the most important baseline we have. When a nation gives in to illegality and brutality -- and torture is both -- it is degrading itself, opening doors and windows that will never be easily closed. Hitler and Stalin were famous for their methods. The United States must set a better example. In one of his first acts as chief executive in 2009, President Obama outlawed secret renditions and torture. This bold declaration was widely seen as a move that helped to restore the moral authority of the United States, which had badly suffered under the presidency of George W. Bush. Unfortunately, the Senate report is not the sort of thing most Americans will ever read, and already there has been a backlash by those who regard its publication as a partisan political move. No doubt they would rather spend their time and money on investigating what happened in 2012 in Benghazi, Libya, and how it came to be that Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was given some erroneous "talking points" before she went on Sunday morning talk shows to discuss the attack, that killed four Americans. I wish both Republican and Democrats could see that information like the Senate report is the lifeblood of American democracy. Transparency is all. This admission of torture will surely rile many in the Middle East and elsewhere. But isn't it ultimately a good thing for other countries to see that we hold ourselves to high standards of self-examination? We make mistakes, as all countries do. But we admit our mistakes. One last thing to consider: The new report confirms that President Bush was not directly briefed about the harshest techniques of torture before 2006, although Vice President Dick Cheney apparently attended meetings where these were discussed. So the question remains about whether we should actually try to punish those in the U.S. government who authorized or committed these repulsive and unlawful acts of torture. I would tend to agree with Anthony D. Romero of the American Civil Liberties Union, who wrote an article in The New York Times suggesting that however much the idea of torture turns his stomach, it's better for President Obama to pardon Bush and Cheney for these (my words) crimes against humanity. They will, of course, never be prosecuted anyway. But by granting them pardons, Obama would -- symbolically -- show the world that we recognize that torture is illegal as well as reprehensible, and those who authorized it "were indeed criminals." | Jay Parini: Senate report on torture raises troubling questions and controversy .
Among them: How could Americans, morally, have allowed government to torture?
He says torture is ineffective way to get reliable information; puts Americans at risk .
Parini: Democracy needs rule of law, respect for human rights, U.S. must reassert this . |
68,924 | c3739f48e1339a612659e494427e8bc5d75141a2 | (CNN) -- A federal grand jury in Phoenix has indicted the Fiesta Bowl's former chief operating officer on accusations of causing and then covering up illegal political contributions, lying to federal authorities and filing false tax returns. Natalie Wisneski, 47, was forced to resign in March after an internal investigation by the college football's Fiesta Bowl discovered the widespread misuse of bowl money. That probe widened into the brewing scandal. The nine-count indictment against Wisneski says she solicited campaign contributions from Fiesta Bowl employees for elections over several election cycles, and reimbursed the contributors with Fiesta Bowl funds. She then filed false election records and tax returns to hide the contributions, the indictment alleges. It says Wisneski had conspired with others from 2003 through 2011. Among recipients of the contributions were the re-election campaigns of Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl, Gov. Jan Breuer, and Rep. J.D. Hayworth. The contributions also included funds for McCain's presidential election in 2008. In addition, $10,000 was provided and covered up for the second-term inauguration of then-Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2007, the indictment alleges. The acting U.S. attorney for Arizona, Ann Birmingham Scheel, announced the indictment Wednesday in Phoenix. She stressed the investigation is ongoing. Fiesta Bowl CEO John Junker was fired by the bowl's board of directors in March, but the indictment of Wisneski is the first to result from the federal criminal investigation. The state attorney general's office is also investigating the case. | Natalie Wisneski is accused of steering Fiesta Bowl money to political campaigns .
Political contributors were reimbursed with Fiesta Bowl money, prosecutors allege .
The U.S. attorney for Arizona says the investigation continues . |
5,454 | 0f77635f2c3e988bbf98db4bd1ea249712809e79 | Russia may have access to American top secret intelligence and battle plans, the Head of the Defense Intelligence Agency announced on NPR on Friday. Lt.Gen Micheal Flynn warned U.S. officials that they should prepare for the worst case scenario following the Edward Snowden leak detailing the ins and outs of the U.S. surveillance network. Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden is seeking asylum in Moscow after following his information leak to The Guardian last year and the United States Intelligence committee can only assume that Russia already has some information from Snowden or that they are trying to obtain it. Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Michael Flynn warns of the likely possibility Edward Snowden leaked important information about U.S. security to Russia . 'If I'm concerned about anything, I'm concerned about defense capabilities that he may have stolen from where he worked, and does that knowledge then get into the hands of our adversaries — in this case, of course, Russia,' Flynn said. Flynn is worried about what else Snowden may know because he may have information about technology and weapons systems, operational capabilities, and intelligence capabilities, reports CNN. Re-vamping the U.S. surveillance network and changing military tactics is essential to national security but will be an arduous process. 'We really don't know' what Snowden's got, Flynn said. 'we have to assume the worst case and then begin to make some recommendations to our leadership about how do we mitigate some of the risks that may come from what may have been compromised,' he warned. He said that if Russia had U.S. intelligence, which they very well may, that it's very 'serious.' According to Flynn and and the Director of U.S. intelligence James Clapper, Snowden's leaks have already posed a threat to U.S. National Security. Former contract employee at the National Security Agency, Edward Snowden, is currently seeking asylum in Russia . The leak has caused the U.S. to lose critical information sources. 'What Snowden has stolen and exposed has gone way, way beyond his professed concerns with so-called domestic surveillance programs,' Clapper said back in January. 'As a result, we've lost critical foreign intelligence collection sources, including some shared with us by valued partners.' Terrorists who make it a priority to familiarize themselves with American intelligence agencies will be more prepared than ever to go under the radar. 'Snowden claims that he's won and that his mission is accomplished,' Clapper added. 'If that is so, I call on him and his accomplices to facilitate the return of the remaining stolen documents that have not yet been exposed to prevent even more damage to U.S. security.' Flynn chimed in and said, 'the greatest cost that is unknown today but that we will likely face is the cost of human lives on tomorrow's battlefield or in some place where we will put our military forces when we ask them to go into harm's way.' Russia has stirred up the battlefield recently and has stationed troop is in the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has currently stationed soldiers in the Crimea Peninsula of Ukraine in attempt to claim the Soviet region's independence . | Edward Snowden may have given Russian information about U.S. security that could threaten the nation .
Terrorists will be better able to study U.S. intelligence so that they can surpass it .
The U.S. will need to revamp its intelligence agency . |
96,635 | 0858c60fc3b5da440c00f89ea64d78b4ae779c84 | A leading Australian barrister whose wife was found buried upside down in a park grave was sensationally acquitted of her murder today. Lloyd Rayney, 50, was found not guilty of killing his estranged wife, Corryn, 44, after she returned to their home in Perth from her weekly dance class in 2007. During the three and a half month trial which has gripped the country, the Western Australian Supreme Court heard that Mrs Rayney, a former court registrar, had made threats to destroy her husband’s career and ‘take him to the cleaners’. Scroll down for video. Freed: Speaking outside court Mr Rayney said it was 'a terrible tragedy' and 'We still don't know what happened to Corryn' The defence did not dispute that the couple’s marriage was at a crisis point, but Mr Rayney denied any knowledge of what happened to his wife the night she disappeared. He had reported her missing after he said she had failed to return from her regular American-style bootscooting class. A week later her silver saloon car was found abandoned in a Perth beachside suburb. Detectives followed a transmission fluid leak from the car to Kings Park, in the centre of Perth, where they followed a sandy track through thick scrub. Pictured together: Corryn Rayney, right, had been at her weekly American-style bootscooting class on the night she died . Loyal: Lloyd Rayney, 50, arrives at court for a previous hearing, flanked by his daughters Sarah and Caitlyn. It was there that they discovered a . grave with Mrs Rayney’s body buried in a diagonal position with the head . in the lowest point. Forensic experts said this positioning . would have accelerated decomposition around the head and neck which, . according to the prosecution, deliberately masked the cause of death. A . name tag from a board game called Celebrity Heads was found some 200 . yards from the grave. On one side it read ‘The Queen’, on the other . ‘Lloyd Rayney’. Detectives carried out search warrants of the couple’s home and Lloyd Rayney’s phones were tapped. Police hunt: Mrs Rayney's body was found in scrub in King's Park, central Perth . Grim find: Police discovered a grave with Mrs Rayney's body buried in a diagonal position with the head in the lowest point . Detective . Senior Sergeant Jack Lee later named Mr Rayney as the ‘primary’ and . ‘only’ suspect but the defence team said the police had handled the . investigation in a single-minded and biased way. The defence lawyers even suggested that some evidence had been planted. Mr . Justice Brian Martin, QC - the judge who heard the sensational Peter . Falconio case in the Northern Territory and sentenced Bradley Murdoch to . 28 years jail for the Briton’s murder - said at the end of the Rayney . trial today that ‘I am not satisfied the accused killed the deceased.’ Sunshine city: The family lived in Perth, Western Australia . When Mr Rayney left the court there were chaotic scenes as he and his daughter were mobbed by the media. He said in a brief statement that it was concerning that the death of his wife remained unsolved. Referring to his daughters, he said: ‘It’s been five years since Sarah and Caitlyn have been without their mum. They haven’t been treated well by many people, but apart from that they still don’t know and we still don’t know, what happened to Corryn. ‘That is a terrible tragedy.’ Judge Martin said the police evidence had failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. He said he was satisfied Mrs Rayney had died in Kings Park and there was evidence suggesting the possibility of a sexually motivated attack. | Mr Lloyd Rayney, 50, found not guilty of killing his estranged wife, Corryn .
Body found in shallow grave after police follow leak trail through Perth .
Upside down position of her body accelerated decomposition .
'The Queen' and 'Lloyd Rayney found on name tags near the grave .
Mr Rayney: 'This is a terrible tragedy. We still don't know what happened...' |
7,018 | 13e074165b731151e2388b15d0fd2adf397cd3c2 | Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled for a Pennsylvania woman accused of violating laws tied to a chemical-weapons treaty when she attacked the other woman in a love triangle. The justices by a unanimous vote on Monday concluded the government overstepped its authority when prosecuting Carol Anne Bond, as part of the country's obligations enforcing a chemical weapons agreement. At issue was whether Congress may criminalize conduct -- under its treaty ratification power -- that is otherwise the domain of the states. Bond was given a long prison sentence in the federal system after being convicted of using potentially lethal chemicals against a romantic rival. She would have likely gotten a much shorter sentence under state law. The decision sends the case back to lower courts, which could vacate the conviction. The case of toxic love has soap-opera elements, but Bond's lawyers argued she was being treated like a foreign terrorist instead of someone caught up in an act of personal revenge against a friend. "The global need to prevent chemical warfare does not require the federal government to reach into the kitchen cupboard," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his narrowly framed opinion, "or to treat a local assault with a chemical irritant as the deployment of a chemical weapon." Beyond this fact-specific dispute, the case touched on larger concerns about the strength and purpose of the Constitution's 10th Amendment, designed to preserve state power. It is also a question roiling the current political debate, especially among tea party conservatives in this post-9/11, security-conscious environment. The court majority largely avoided those questions in its ruling. Roberts said the facts of the case limited their scope. "This exceptional convergence of factors gives us serious reason to doubt the government's expansive reading of the [law], and calls for us to interpret the statute more narrowly." Bond, a native of Barbados, lived outside Philadelphia and worked as a microbiologist. As a federal appeals court succinctly summarized the relevant facts in the case: "Bond was excited when her closest friend, Myrlinda Haynes, announced she was pregnant. Bond's excitement turned to rage when she learned that her husband, Clifford Bond, was the child's father. She vowed revenge." The woman, known to her family as Betty, struck back by stealing dangerous a chemical -- arsenic-based 10-chloro-10H-phenoxarsine -- from her company. She also obtained potassium dichromate over the Internet. Both substances in heavy doses can cause toxic, even lethal harm with very little physical contact. The 42-year-old then tried to poison Haynes some two dozen times over several months, secretly sprinkling small amounts of the chemicals on an apartment doorknob, car door handles, and a mailbox. While suffering no more than a chemical burn on her thumb, Haynes grew suspicious -- one of the chemicals was a bright orange powder. After getting little help from local police, in 2007 she called postal inspectors, who set up surveillance cameras. Bond was videotaped stealing mail and placing chemicals inside the mailbox and a car muffler, court records show. She was soon arrested. Bond admitted her guilt early on and claimed she never meant to kill Haynes, but only wanted to cause her "an uncomfortable rash." The defendant also said her friend's betrayal caused an "emotional breakdown" that made her respond in such a shocking fashion. Instead of being charged with simple assault, which may have gotten her six months to a year or two in state prison, Bond was indicted in federal court on two counts of mail fraud and -- the bombshell -- two counts of violating a federal law and international treaty on the possession and use of "chemical weapons." When a judge denied her motions to transfer the case to state court, Bond pleaded guilty and immediately appealed. She received a sentence of six years behind bars and nearly $12,000 in fines and restitution. She was released in August 2012. There are about 1,000 treaties signed by the United States currently on the books. Many academics and lawmakers had hoped the majority right-leaning bench will use this opportunity to delve further into the scope of the 10th Amendment, which states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." In the broader political context, a bipartisan sphere of Americans worry the federal government and Congress have been overly aggressive in staking claims to disputes they believe are best left to states, especially in the criminal arena. And it is not just felonies. Areas like gun ownership, zoning laws, environmental regulations, taxation, health care, and education standards all could be re-examined in the wake of this high court decision. While agreeing the prosecution of Bond was improper, three other members of the court-- Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito -- would have gone farther and said the court should decide whether the law was a proper exercise of federal power. "We have here a supposedly 'narrow' opinion which, in order to be 'narrow,' sets forth interpretive principles never before imagined that will bedevil our jurisprudence (and proliferate litigation) for years to come. The immediate product of these interpretive novelties is a statute that should be the envy of every lawmaker bent on trapping the unwary with vague and uncertain criminal prohibitions," said Scalia. He added that the majority "enables the fundamental constitutional principle of limited federal powers to be set aside by the President and Senate's exercise of the treaty power. We should not have shirked our duty and distorted the law to preserve that assertion; we should have welcomed and eagerly grasped the opportunity-- nay, the obligation-- to consider and repudiate it." Some of Bond's supporters argue that some federal prosecutions are novel and the penalties are often more harsh, creating conflict and confusion with local efforts to ensure public safety. They see Bond as an unexpected hero in the fight to return "the power back to the people." "The proposition that the Treaty Clause is a trump card that defeats all of the remaining structural limitations on the federal government is not a proposition that is logically defensible," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said when the case was argued in December. Bond had won an earlier Supreme Court appeal, with a unanimous ruling she had "standing," or legal authority, to pursue her claims in the courts. That allowed her to continue trying to have her federal conviction tossed out, which was the current issue before the justices. Her lawyers say she had been trying in recent years to repair her shaken marriage, and has come to terms with her husband's betrayal. The case is Bond v. U.S. (12-158). | Carol Anne Bond challenged her conviction on a federal chemical weapon charge .
She used poisons to try to get back at a woman who had an affair with her husband .
The case touches on the conflict between federal and state powers . |
228,243 | b388d293d424e65d1eba5c52234c1937ec3b496e | LeBron James showed how cool he really is after the NBA star took on the Ice Bucket Challenge - before nominating Barack Obama to be next. The Cleveland Cavaliers star was dared by Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant, actor Kevin Hart, former school team-mate Brandon Weems and Cavaliers DJ Steph Floss to pour a bucket of ice water over himself. James, who also nominates his sons Bryce Maximus and LeBron Jr as well as the President of the United States, shot the video on a boat while on holidaying in Greece. Challenge: LeBron James gets a bucket of ice water poured over his head and then nominates Barack Obama . Freezing: The NBA star also dared his children to take on the challenge in aid of the ALS association . No thanks: Obama doesn't fancy undergoing the challenge but promises to donate to the charity instead . Obama, however, decided against the challenge and promised to donate instead. The President is still being barraged by requests, though, with New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony the latest to send the dare. The Ice Bucket Challenge craze began in the United States with the intention of raising money for the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Association, and has seen the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Darren Fletcher, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo and Neymar give it a go. ALS, also known as Motor Neurone Disease, attacks the spinal cord and can lead to speech difficulties, muscle spasms and paralysis. It affects about 30,000 people in the US and 5,000 in the UK. Do you dare? Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge takes on the Ice Bucket Challenge and plenty others have too! | LeBron James does ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and nominates his sons Bryce Maximus and LeBron Jr, and President of the United States Barack Obama .
Cleveland Cavaliers player was dared by fellow NBA star Kevin Durant, actor Kevin Hart, former school team-mate Brandon Weems and DJ Steph Floss .
The Ice Bucket Challenge craze began in the US with the intention of raising money for the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Association . |
139,004 | 3fc20773b7d5e9bd9155d4fde86e1474d48ca844 | Ronald Koeman will be calling on the kids this weekend after injury and suspension decimated Southampton's squad. The club's best-ever top-flight start has been brought to an abrupt halt in recent weeks, with Tuesday's Capital One Cup loss at Sheffield United continuing an embarrassing run of form. That was Southampton's fifth straight defeat in all competitions and a result which has had repercussions far beyond denting confidence. Ronald Koeman looks on after his side lost 1-0 to League One team Sheffield United in the Capital One Cup . Dusan Tadic (left) is one of ten players who could be missing for Southampton's game against Everton . Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama will miss Everton's visit to St Mary's this weekend after being booked at Bramall Lane, while Florin Gardos is suspended after being sent off against the League One side. Those absentees compound a growing injury list, with Jay Rodriguez, Sam Gallagher and Jack Cork joined on the sidelines by Dusan Tadic and Jake Hesketh. As if that was not enough, Steven Davis and Graziano Pelle are doubts for a match in which Koeman will be relying on Southampton's much-vaunted youth system. 'Our approach is not different now because we lost the last five games,' the Southampton manager said. Defender Florin Gardos (centre) was sent off in Southampton's defeat in Sheffield on Tuesday . 'We know that if we have a lot of injuries, like we have, it is one of the philosophies of the club to bring in young players. 'Maybe we will play two or three young under-21 players this Saturday, maybe we will have three on the bench. This is one of the philosophies.' Harrison Reed and Lloyd Isgrove are among those academy graduates with a chance of making a first Premier League start this weekend. Jason McCarthy, Dominic Gape, Jake Flannigan, Sam McQueen and Ryan Seager are others vying for a place in the squad to face Everton, as Saints look to end their worst losing run of the 21st century. Italy striker Graziano Pelle (left) is another potential absentee for Koeman on Saturday against Everton . 'It's sometimes difficult,' Koeman said. 'The team was doing well after a good start to the season and after a few weeks disappointed about the results. 'Not the way we lost against Burnley or Man United but very disappointed about the way we lost against Sheffield, because that was the first time to be disappointed about the team to have the fight, the spirit, the aggressive play that we didn't show. 'Sheffield showed us how you have to deal and to beat a Premier League club when you are a League One team. That message, we need it for this Saturday.' | Southampton play Everton at St Mary's on Saturday in the Premier League .
Ronald Koeman could be without as many as 10 first-team players .
Koeman has a number of youth players vying for a place in his line-up . |
172,887 | 6bbf1bcefdd238d87bcc5317c2f05da2083f55a3 | New Liverpool signing Mario Balotelli spoke to the club's official website after moving to Anfield from AC Milan in a £16million deal on Monday. Mario, welcome to Liverpool Football Club. How do you feel to have signed for the club? I'm very happy. We've been talking about coming here and I'm happy to be here. Done deal: Liverpool signing Mario Balotelli poses with the shirt after switching to Anfield in a £16million deal . What attracted you to the challenge here at Liverpool? Liverpool are one of the best teams here in England. The football is very good here. It's a great team with young players, and that's why I came here. You've received an incredible reception from the fans here already. How has that made you feel? I didn't expect it because I've always been playing against Liverpool. Whenever I played against Liverpool, the fans weren't nice with me but that's normal - it's football! Now that I play for Liverpool, I can see the expectation in people. They're very happy and that makes me very happy at the same time. Unexpected: Balotelli admitted Liverpool fans weren't nice with him during his time playing for Manchester City . You've previously described playing at Anfield as a 'beautiful experience' to Fabio Borini. Did you enjoy playing at Anfield as an opposing player? No - but when I play with this team [at Anfield], it's going to be nice for sure. To play here for Liverpool excites me, but if you're an opponent it's difficult. For someone still so young, you have a lot of experience - can you use that to help what is a young team here at Liverpool? I maybe have a little bit more experience than other players - if I can help them, I'm happy to help them. Pen to paper: Italy international Balotelli has signed a three-year deal with the Reds worth £125,000-a-week . Liverpool are back in the Champions League after five years out, and you have got great memories of the competition; you were Inter Milan's youngest ever goalscorer in the tournament and you also won it with them in 2010. Are those experiences something you can bring to Liverpool to help in the Champions League this season? I always start a competition wanting to win it. We will see. I want to win another Champions League for sure, because the Champions League wasn't all mine, I was in a team. I want to take this team to the Champions League. You have been away from English football for around 18 months - how do you feel about coming back? I'm happy to be back because I left England and it was a mistake. I wanted to go to Italy but I realised it was a mistake. Regret: Balotelli admits it was a mistake to leave England when he left Man City for AC Milan in January 2013 . Do you feel English football suits you better? English football is generally better. English football is beautiful. We know you are going to take the No.45 for Liverpool. Can you explain the significance of that shirt? When I first played three or four games with Inter Milan, when I was young, I had No.45 because the numbers for young players were from No.36 to No.50. I took No.45 because I was joking that four plus five is nine - and I scored in all four games. It brings me luck and that's why I've always kept No.45. This deal has moved very quickly over the last few days, so has it sunk in yet that you are a Liverpool player? No. When I meet the team, start training with them and start my first game, I will realise. For now, I have just seen the city. Superstition: Balotelli insists wearing the No 45 shirt brings him luck on the pitch . How much are you looking forward to meeting your new teammates? I am going to meet them soon and I'm excited. Liverpool are in action tonight against your former club, Manchester City - are you going to attend the game? I'm going to be watching the game. I would love to play but I can't, so I'll support them from the stand. Finally, what are your ambitions here at Liverpool? What do you hope to achieve? As much as I can. New Liverpool signing Mario Balotelli was giving his first full interview since signing to the club's official website - www.liverpoolfc.com . | Mario Balotelli joins Liverpool in £16million deal from AC Milan .
Italy international will wear the No 45 shirt at Anfield and trained alone at Melwood on Monday .
The 24-year-old will earn £125,000-a-week at Liverpool and will watch his new side's clash with Manchester City .
Balotelli told Liverpool's official website: 'Whenever I played against Liverpool, the fans weren't nice with me but that's normal - it's football.'
The Italian added: 'I'm happy to be back because I left England and it was a mistake'
The striker claims Liverpool are one of the best teams in England . |
120,457 | 27ab077e8dd550e99e9bc509fbb029b4608e71bd | While the U.S. has always been a beacon of medical advancement for the world, American women today are expected to live shorter lives than their mothers. Two recent studies found that life expectancy for women have decreased the last two decades. Since these women are more likely to be unemployed or working low-wage jobs, researchers believe the new health care law may combat this backwards slide, but point out that it might not solve the underlying problem. 'Health care is far from the whole . story,' David Kindig, co-author of one of the studies, told the Atlantic. 'More and more people are beginning to realize that the . non-health-care factors are at least as important.' Backwards: Life expectancy rates among women have been worsening in about half of all U.S. counties. Above, red signifies the counties where the life expectancy rate for women is declining . Kindig was the co-author of a University of Wisconsin study . published in March which reported that for the last two decades, the mortality . rate for women had increased in half of U.S. counties, while the male . mortality rate only increased in 3 per cent. Kindig said he was so shocked by it's outcome, that he and his research partner went back and did the numbers again just to double check. Get the diploma: White, female high-school dropouts are expected to die five years before the previous generation . But their initial calculations were right and soon confirmed by a study by the University of Washington which found that female life expectancy either stagnated or declined in 45 per cent of U.S. counties between 1985 and 2010. The studies agreed that women were living shorter lives, but researchers still don't know what to blame. 'Clearly something is going on,' Kindig told the Atlantic. 'It could be cultural, political, or environmental, but the truth is we don't really know the answer.' There is a noticeable connection between where women live and how long they live. Kindig discovered this by coloring each county on a map according to whether female life expectancy had substantial improvement, minimal improvement or was worsening (colored red). The most troubled area for women . seems to be in the Southeast, where there is the highest density of red - . especially in the states of Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas and . Tennessee. The red travels . up to the Midwest states of Nebraska and North Dakota before tapering . out in the Pacific Northwest. The Northeast and Southwest are the areas . with the least amount of red. Other researchers have pointed out the role that education plays in female mortality rates. According . to a Health Affairs study published in August 2012, life expectancy . among white high-school dropouts has taken a dive in the last 18 years . and now these women are expected to die five years earlier than the . previous generation. The . only similar event in human life expectancy happened right after the . fall of the Soviet Union among Russian men, which has since been . attributed to alcohol consumption and a spike in accidental death rates. Poor, uneducated women may well be facing similar hardships after the Recession as post-Soviet men. Only . one third of female high-school dropouts are employed, and working low . income jobs or being unemployed all together can cause stress which . manifests itself in smoking or obesity. 'Life . is different for women without a high-school degree than it was a few . decades ago, and in most cases it's a lot worse,' said demographer . Jennifer Karas Montez. 'It's really just a perfect storm.' | Two studies found that life expectancy rates among women have been steadily falling in about half of U.S. counties .
According to a map by the University of Wisconsin, the states most affected are Kentucky, West Virginia, Arkansas and Tennessee .
The Southwest and Northeast are the areas least impacted by the trend .
The mortality rate is falling among white, high-school dropouts especially who are expected to die five years earlier than the previous generation . |
200,192 | 8f2bba2b199c70cadda5b617cd94f283627ae213 | By . Wills Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 14:19 EST, 4 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:48 EST, 4 November 2013 . A group of gypsies have taken over a school car park by setting up camp while staff and pupils were away over half term. Parents at Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community High School in Staffordshire were warned the unexpected guests could be there for some time, as staff try to resolve the issue with local authorities. In a statement issued to parents, the school said it had worked with police and Staffordshire County Council to clear the site before the start of the school week but had been unsuccessful. Unexpected guests: Travelers who have set up camp on a car park belonging to the Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community High School in Staffordshire . Traffic chaos: Congestion built up around the school from 8am as parents struggled to find somewhere to park . They said: 'Currently, there is a group of travellers camped on the school coach park, who arrived sometime during Wednesday night. 'Despite the school being closed for half term, the site staff alerted the school's Business Director and Headteacher. 'During Thursday, both the county council and the police were informed of the issue. 'The school has done everything in its power to resolve the situation but it is the county council who own the land and it is their responsibility to take further action. Unmoved: Staff at the school believe the caravans may not be moved for some time, despite efforts by the local council and police . In the way: The school day finished earlier at 3pm to avoid pupils clashing with the travellers . 'Unfortunately, following calls to the council and the police it is now seems that the issue with the coach park will not be resolved in the immediate future.' The school brought the end of lessons forward to 3pm to avoid clashes with pupils leaving neighbouring Cheslyn Hay Primary School. Teachers from both the schools were posted outside to supervise pick-ups and drop-offs. They added: 'Staff from both schools will be on duty at the front of school. These procedures will be in place until further notice. 'Both schools continue to work closely with the police and council to resolve the situation and to reduce the impact on the local community.' Alternative means: Officials were forced to shut the school car park and sent school coaches to the neighbouring leisure centre car park instead . Staffordshire County Council said it would take court action if the travellers did not move on of their own accord. Mike Lawrence, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Localism and local member for the area, said: 'The travellers have been asked to move from the two sites they are currently occupying at the car park of Cheslyn Hay School and on land at nearby Middle Hill. 'We do understand the concerns of residents particularly around parking at the school and would like to reassure parents that we are doing everything within our powers to resolve this issue swiftly. 'We are working with the police and in the meantime we are applying to the courts for a possession order to remove the travellers from the school car park and the nearby land, which is used as a bridleway, but hope they will leave the site without any further intervention from the courts or the police.' | Travellers set up camp at Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community High School in Staffordshire .
Staff issued a statement saying attempts to move the travelers had failed .
Coaches had to take children from nearby leisure centre to avoid clashes . |
230,346 | b649c5fcce023a4af9610264e709cb638a419a25 | Thinking about picking up a Wii U this Sunday when it goes on sale? Already have one preordered? Maybe you're planning to brave the lines in hopes of lucking out? It's not too late to change your mind, one way or the other. I've had a Wii U for the past week, and while I'm not allowed to tell you what I think about the system overall until Sunday, I've pulled together a list of points worth considering before you pull the trigger. It's pre-sold out, everywhere. Really. Visit the website of any major retailer that carries video games and you'll find the Wii U is either long gone or wasn't being pre-sold in the first place. The only way to guarantee a system, day one, is to purchase through an auction site like eBay or through retailers that allow third-party sales like Amazon. It's likely you'll pay dearly if you do, of course — from $400 or $500 to upwards of $3,000. You can always stand in line. Many retailers held units back to have on hand, day one, or simply didn't offer pre-sales. You'll want to check with your local stores for their launch day plans, but this is arguably the best route to nab a Wii U at launch if you didn't preorder and don't want to pay scalper prices. Nintendo says it should have plenty to go around. Not on day one, but Nintendo has publicly committed to having more Wii U units in stores during the first week than it did for the Wii six years ago, and it's doubled down on that claim by stating it'll replenish systems "much more frequently" during the holiday than it did for the Wii. The Wii U isn't just a Wii plus a DS. It may look like a Wii plus a DS, and it clearly shares second-screen DNA with the DS, but it's not a DS. The DS is about what you can do when you put a second screen right next to the first screen and both of those in a device that fits in your hands. The Wii U is about what you can do if you make one of the screens your TV, snap off the other, then let it wander. And it's not really possible for more than one person to play a DS, whereas multiple players (in the same room) are a key part of the Wii U experience. It's also more than just a souped up Wii. The Wii was arguably just a souped up GameCube with a motion sensor. The Wii U is much more than just a souped up Wii with a tablet controller. It still supports Wii-style motion controls, but its insides are totally different — either as or more powerful than (depending which developer you talk to) current-gen systems like the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. It's also the first HD-capable Nintendo console in the company's history, and so far I'm finding that makes a pretty big difference for the visual artistry, say, in a game like New Super Mario Bros. U. Initial game port fidelity varies, but this tells us little. Running visual comparisons of Batman: Arkham City, I found that while it looks great on the Wii U, the Xbox 360 version's textures tend to be sharper, especially when viewing distant objects. I've also noticed significant slowdown in the Wii U version of Epic Mickey 2 (it was only added as a launch title in early October). What does that mean? It's hard to say. Arkham City is a port of a year-old game that wasn't handled by the original developer. New systems can have steep learning curves, especially when it comes to ports. So while we're probably about to be inundated with visual and performance comparisons, I don't think they'll tell us much about what the Wii U can or can't do, long term. The games only support one Wii U GamePad. The Wii U comes with just one Wii U GamePad, and Nintendo isn't selling the GamePad as a separate SKU (not yet, anyway). There's been plenty of speculation about why this is, but regardless of the real reason, you'll want to be aware that wielding the GamePad is a one-person affair (though it's still possible for up to four other local players to tap into a supported game using Wii Remotes). According to Nintendo: "In the future, the Wii U console will support, depending on the software, two Wii U GamePad controllers." Both the Basic and Deluxe models come with an HDMI cable. And only an HDMI cable. You'd expect the Wii U to forego Component or S-Video, but game consoles usually include a low-end composite cable (red and white for stereo audio, the yellow connector pooling the red, green and blue video signals, which causes color bleed, creating a fuzzier image). Nintendo gets credit for being first to ditch composite entirely, which is kind of historic, since the composite standard came into existence back in 1954. The $350 Deluxe model is a significantly better deal than the $300 Basic model. NintendoLand, the Wii Sports-like showcase game that comes with the Wii U, sells for $60 standalone, so that it's a pack-in with the Deluxe model justifies the extra $50 alone. But the Deluxe also includes 32 GB of internal storage (the Basic only has 8 GB, and roughly 4 GB of that is earmarked for system data), a Wii U GamePad charging cradle, a Wii U GamePad stand and a Wii U console stand. Nintendo's so clearly aiming buyers at the Deluxe model, it'll be a wonder if they sell any Basic systems at all. The Wii U is backward compatible with the Wii. I can't confirm this yet, because the system update necessary to allow the Wii U to play Wii games hasn't arrived, but Nintendo says it's a sure thing. One feature the Wii U won't offer: visual benefits, say upscaling or post-processing, as Sony did for PS1 games on the PS2 and PS2 games on the PS3. According to Nintendo: "It's possible to play your Wii games on the Wii U, but no, we haven't announced anything about making any changes to those games in any way or changing how they would appear on the Wii U." It has no built-in achievement or aggregate scoring system. Love or hate gamer scores and achievements? You'll either love or hate the Wii U. While developers are free to include in-game achievements, Nintendo offers no overarching mechanism for tracking games you've completed or accomplishments within. A possible upside for achievement-lovers? If you're secretly tired of the compulsive, competitive achievement grind, the Wii U offers liberation — a chance to go back to playing games for love of the games instead of an arbitrary number. Wii U games are more expensive than Wii games. Wii games sold on average for $50. Wii U games will sell on average for $60. Nintendo's just playing catchup here, so it's hard to fault the company for raising prices. Just bear in mind that the total cost of owning a Wii U over time is going to be notably higher than it was for owning a Wii. The GamePad is also a TV remote. Nintendo places a TV button right on the Wii U GamePad. Press it, and a touchscreen overlay appears, allowing you to change the channel, bring up your TV guide, turn the power on or off, or adjust the volume, all without reaching for your TV's native remote. It's a modest convenience, but a convenience nonetheless. It's exactly as mobile (or not) as Nintendo says it is. Nintendo claims the Wii U GamePad works away from the base station up to 24 feet. That sounds about right, based on my tests. Your mileage will vary depending on what's in your walls, where you put the base station, what else you're doing (wirelessly speaking), etc. But 24 feet isn't a lot of space, range-wise, meaning the layout of your residence is going to determine whether you can play it in a separate room away from the main one. We still have no idea what the online experience is like. TVii, Miiverse, Nintendo eShop and Wii U Chat are all missing in action at this point, so we have no idea how they work, if they work or what they'll add to the bottom line. With a little luck, Nintendo will remedy this in time for us to talk about this stuff pre-launch, but it's entirely possible day-one reviews will be limited to commenting on the system and games only. Bear that in mind if you're interested in the online features — especially stuff like TVii — and awaiting impressions or verdicts. | Wii U, Nintendo's new gaming system, goes on sale Sunday .
At many retailers, the Wii U is either long gone or wasn't being pre-sold .
The Wii U is much more than just a souped up Wii with a tablet controller .
Total cost of owning a Wii U over time will be notably higher than for owning a Wii . |
167,835 | 65154d83b62cdc089bbf1a5b452f7b760516855e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:34 EST, 23 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:06 EST, 23 January 2013 . Susan Warren, who has been dubbed 'The Cleaning Fairy' for tidying up other people's homes without being asked, has been arrested again after police found her clearing snow from a homeowner's driveway in Ohio, police said. Warren, 53, was sentenced to one year of probation in November after she pleaded guilty to attempted burglary for breaking into another home, cleaning it and leaving a $75 bill for her services. Warren's latest brush with the law came Tuesday when someone spotted her and recognized her from her earlier break-ins, it was reported. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Not a 'clean' getaway: Warren was arrested after police found her shoveling snow from a homeowner's driveway without permission. A neighbor said a member of the neighborhood watch spotted Warren and called police to report the 'suspicious female,' Fox 19 reported. That person 'had called the police, saw the lady out there and recognized the lady as that lady who cleaned houses or whatever before,' the man said. Elyria Police soon arrived and learned that Warren was on probation for an earlier charge and took her into custody. Nice work: This is the driveway Warren shoveled without permission. She cleared it completely before being taken away by police. Warren was arrested on an outstanding warrant but not charged with the shoveling incident, the report said. In the earlier arrest, Warren told authorities that she was driving by the . house one day in May and decided she 'wanted something to do.' She broke in, washed some coffee cups, took out the trash, vacuumed and dusted inside the house. Then she left a bill written on a napkin that included her phone number. Cleaning intruder: Susan Warren pleaded guilty to breaking into a home to clean it . No reason: Warren said she was simply driving by the house and 'wanted something to do' so she let herself in and started cleaning the home . When police confronted Warren about the alleged early-morning break in, she told them she 'does it all the time.' Warren allegedly broke into the home in Westlake, Ohio after picking the house at random while driving down the street, she said. When the homeowners' 18-year-old daughter woke up to find the house had been cleaned, she assumed her parents had hired a maid, the victim Sherry Bush told WKYC-TV. Housekeeping bill: The Ohio woman left a handwritten note on a napkin which read 'I was here to clean' along with her name, address and '$75' 'There were some coffee mugs that my husband had out,' she said. 'She had washed them all. 'She wrote a note [on a napkin] and left it on the table, saying, "$75 I was here to clean", and left her name and number,' Bush said. Warren says that she owns a cleaning business and sometimes enters homes, cleans them and leaves a bill. FOX19.com-Cincinnati News, Weather . | Susan Warren, 53, was arrested after neighbor complained to police about the 'suspicious' woman shoveling snow .
Witness recognized Warren from previous cleaning break-ins .
Warren was sentenced to probation in November for breaking into a home, cleaning it and leaving a $75 bill for the resident .
Said she had previously cleaned other homes and never heard a complaint . |
58,662 | a6623ef948ce5736b468f4e4b3a8eb85048d5d28 | It is set to be a unique airport - one with no pilots. The US Army has awarded a $33 million contract to build the first drone airport at Fort Bliss in Texas. It will have more than a mile of runways for drones, along with a maintenance hanger to look after them. The 'Warrior' Gray Eagle drone will be one of two flown at the new airport. The Army’s largest drone, measuring 29 feet long, with a wingspan of just over 56 feet, it can operate for 36 hours at altitudes up to 25,000 feet, with an operating range of 200 nautical miles. The Gray Eagle, the Army’s largest drone, is a long-range, medium altitude system used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, attack, air support, IED detection and destruction, and as a communications hub. It can also be used to jam enemy communications, and is an updated version of the Reaper drone. Measuring 29 feet long, with a wingspan of just over 56 feet, . It can operate for 36 hours at altitudes up to 25,000 feet, with an operating range of 200 nautical miles. The airport, according to Defence Systems, will include a 150-acre unmanned aircraft launch and recovery complex at Fort Bliss for Grey Eagle and Shadow UAS. According to the official US Army documents, it will include 'A firm-fixed price construction contract for the construction of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) launch and recovery complex within restricted airspace. 'Primary facilities include Standard Design UAV Maintenance Hangar with associated maintenance shops, administrative space, storage space, 5-ton bridge crane, oil/water separator, aircraft container and forklift storage, UAV runway, taxiway, access apron, oil and hazardous waste storage buildings, vehicle storage facilities, organizational vehicle parking, and overhead protection/canopy.' The complex will include a 50,000-square-foot unmanned aircraft maintenance hangar and more than a mile of runways, aprons, and taxiways, according to an announcement from the company. Two types of drone will be used at the base - the Gray Eagle and Shadow. The runways will include a 5,000-foot runway for the Grey Eagle and a 1,000-foot runway for the smaller Shadow drone. The airport will be fenced and secured, and the Army said all operations will take place in restricted airspace. Plans for the new airport reveal a maintenance areas where drones can be stored and worked on . Fort Bliss, which hosts the 1st Armored Division, already accommodates a variety of ground vehicles, along with Apache and Black Hawk helicopters. Fort Bliss is located in El Paso, Texas . Fort Bliss, which hosts the 1st Armored Division, already accommodates a variety of ground vehicles, along with Apache and Black Hawk helicopters. It is also used to test military equipment, and for live fire tests and exercises. The Gray Eagle, the Army’s largest UAS, is a long-range, medium altitude system used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, attack, air support, IED detection and destruction, and as a communications hub. It can also be used to jam enemy communications, and is an updated version of the Reaper drone. Measuring 29 feet long, with a wingspan of just over 56 feet, . It can operate for 36 hours at altitudes up to 25,000 feet, with an operating range of 200 nautical miles. The smaller, catapult-launched Shadow is used for ISR, targeting and assessment. The catapult-launched Shadow is used for ISR, targeting and assessment. The aircraft can see targets up to 125 kilometers away from the brigade tactical operations center, and recognize tactical vehicles up to 8,000 feet above the ground at more than 3.5 kilometers slant range, day or night. It’s just over 11 feet in length, with a wingspan of 14 feet, can fly for up to six hours at altitudes of up to 15,000 feet. It lands by catching an arresting wire attached to disk brake drums. | Airport will have five miles of runways and large hanger space in Texas .
Will be situated near existing Fort Bliss base on 150 acre site .
Grey Eagle and Shadow drones will take off and land from secret base . |
89,189 | fd225aa35e70c695553861d323d56a660fd3cc3c | By . Emma Gritt and Emily Sheridan . PUBLISHED: . 20:26 EST, 29 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:50 EST, 31 December 2012 . They're hoping to prove the perfect partnership for the judges when Dancing On Ice starts next week. However, when it comes to off the ice, it appears that Samia Ghadie and Sylvain Longchambon's real-life partnerships aren't going quite so well. Coronation Street star Samia split from former co-star Will Thorp earlier this month following a two year romance, while Sylvain is also said to have ended his relationship with actress Jennifer Metcalfe. Growing close: Samia Ghadie and Sylvain Longchambon leave a London hotel together on December 12 after filming for the new series . Although Samia is getting all well with Sylvain, she is stunned by reports suggesting they are anything more than skating partners. A source close to Samia told the MailOnline: 'She isn't dating Sylvain and they haven't seen each other for three weeks. There has been no date, there is nothing going on between them.' However, a source close to the French professional ice skater revealed that Sylvain had been open with his current girlfriend, actress Jennifer, that he was developing feelings for his new co-star. The Hollyoaks beauty was said to have thought it just a phase, so was devastated when he called her on Friday night from France - where he had flown to for Christmas - to tell her that their two-year relationship was over. Working relationship: The pair hung out with their Dancing On Ice colleagues at a London hotel earlier this month . The source told the Sunday Mirror: 'When Sylvain first admitted that he had real feelings for Samia, she was gutted. 'It's been a difficult time but she thought it would pass. She has . been putting on a brave face for the audiences... he is a consummate . professional.' It is sure to be a difficult concept for Jennifer, who is currently . starring in pantomime, to accept as she and Sylvain met and fell in love . while working on the 2010 series. At . the time, their on-screen chemistry was impossible to ignore, with . Jennifer apparently inquiring as to his relationship status as soon as . they first met. Love split: Samia, pictured at the British Soap Awards in April, is said to have parted ways from actor Will Thorp after two years together . Handsome couple: Sylvain Longchambon and Jennifer dated for two years after finding love on the ice . Since . the end of the show, the couple have remained together, even moving in . together and happily posing at red carpet events until recently. It . is as yet unclear if Samia, best known as Maria Connor in Coronation . Street, shares the same chemistry with the handsome Frenchman. She . has been skating with the Olympic skater since October, and in an . interview with the Sunday Mirror's Celebs magazine, due to be published . next week, she gushes about him - but refuses to discuss Will. Hot stuff: Will Samia and Sylvain have good chemistry on the show? She tells the magazine: 'I've only . got good things to say. Sylvain is brilliant. He is so kind, patient and . thoughtful. I can see how you'd end up in a relationship with your . partner. You get to know each other intensely and there is a lot of . trust. 'They ask you what . you want in a partner and I said, someone nice, someone strong, someone . patient and someone with a good sense of humour, and he's got all that.' When . asked if she gets annoyed with him for leaving her with aching ribs . after training she says: 'No I couldn't, he's so lovely.' Ice queen: (left) Samia practicing for the start of Dancing On Ice in Manchester, and in costume (right) Samia had been throwing herself into skating practice after quietly splitting from Will in early December. Similarly, the Daily Star Sunday reports that friends of Samia claim she is seeing the French skater. They add that Sylvain and Jennifer . split after a 'rocky couple of weeks', at around the same time that . Samia and Will's union drew to an end. The . couple started dating in January 2011 - just a few weeks after Samia . left her husband Matthew Smith after six years of marriage. Lovers: Jennifer and Sylvain fell in love on the ice as they filmed the hit ITV show . In December 2010, Will - who played builder Chris Gray in the soap - had left his wife Samantha, mother of his two children. However, both Samia and Will insisted they didn't start dating until their marriages were over. At the time Samia and Will's romance was made public, Matthew - father of her daughter Freya - said: 'They have to live with what they have done... She's my wife. I love her.' Metcalfe's spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. | Sylvain Longchambon 'dumps Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe on Friday over phone'
French skater and Metcalfe's own relationship began after they skated together in the 2010 series .
Samia Ghadie and Coronation Street co-star Will Thorp break up 'by mutual agreement'
New series of Dancing On Ice starts on ITV next week, with Sylvain and Samia paired up to skate together . |
87,501 | f848bb26a7409c303e3fbbed09e1bb11e4ed0d94 | Kansas prosecutors have filed state-level murder charges Tuesday against the white supremacist accused in shootings that left three people dead at two Jewish community sites in suburban Kansas City. Frazier Glenn Cross has been charged with one count of capital murder for the deaths of 14-year-old boy and his grandfather outside the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City. Cross also faces one count of first-degree, premeditated murder for the death of a woman who was gunned down while visiting her mother at a nearby retirement complex. The capital murder charge carries the death penalty as possible punishment and Cross is being held on $10million bond. Scroll down for video . Precautions: Frazier Glenn Cross chose to wear a quilted sleeveless vest rather than clothes during his Tuesday court appearance . Charged: Cross, 73, now faces three counts of murder and is expected to have hate crimes brought against him following the triple homicide on Sunday at two Jewish facilities near Kansas City . The 73-year-old Vietnam War veteran is scheduled to appear in court at 1.30pm Tuesday in Johnson County District Court. Cross was arrested Sunday after shooting and killing three people at two different Jewish centers in Kansas City, Kansas. Cross is from southwest Missouri who founded the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in his native North Carolina and later the White Patriot Party. None of Sunday's victims were Jewish: . Dr. William Lewis Corporon, 69, and his grandson Reat Griffin Underwood, . 14, were at the community center for a singing contest audition, while . 53-year-old Terri LaManno was visiting her mother at the retirement . complex. The Southern . Poverty Law Center also monitors, to varying degrees, the activities of . hundreds of known white supremacists and anti-Semites at any given time. Federal authorities were . well-aware of the racist war vet, as were the SPLC and the ADL, who . sometimes was known as Frazier Glenn Miller. Familiar: Cross, seen during his arrest on Sunday and in the subsequent mugshot, was put in witness protection in 1987 in exchange for testimony on fellow KKK members . After a 1986 contempt-of-court conviction in North Carolina for operating a paramilitary camp, Cross went in hiding while free on bond and fled to Missouri. There, federal agents found him and several other men in a rural mobile home stocked with hand grenades, automatic weapons and thousands of bullets. Cross entered federal witness protection programs in 1987, according to The Wall Street Journal, and agreed to cooperate with authorities. It is not clear when the protection ended. Indicted on weapons charges and accused of plotting robberies and the assassination of SPLC founder Morris Dees, Cross served three years in federal prison but avoided a longer sentence in exchange for testifying against more than a dozen other KKK leaders. 'We were aware he was affiliated with certain hate groups,' FBI special agent Michael Kaste said at a Monday press conference. Federal prosecutors say there's enough evidence to warrant putting the case before a grand jury as a hate crime. Victims: Dr. William Lewis Corporan, and his grandson Reat Griffin Underwood (left) were at the Jewish Community Center for a singing competition while Terri LaManno (right) was visiting her mother at a Jewish assisted living facility. None of the victims were Jewish . Moving the case from state to federal prosecutors would likely mean tougher punishments if Cross is convicted. 'The motivation behind these attacks was a hate crime... He was trying to hurt someone based on race or ethnicity,’ FBI agent Kaste said at a Monday press conference. Before the shootings, Cross had been contemptuous of some of his like-minded allies' reliance on social media over violent confrontation. 'He felt it was easy to be a 'keyboard commando,' but that the only way activists will ever succeed is by going out on the streets,' said Devin Burghart, the vice president of the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights. History of violence: Authorities were aware of Frazier Glenn Cross (who also went by the name Glann Miller) since the early 1980s when he founded the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, seen here in 1984 . Racist: In recent years, watchdog groups were aware of Cross, seen here in an undated photo, and viewed him as a possible threat but because he had stopped posting as often, they became less concerned . Burghart said his group made a presentation on white supremacists to the Jewish Community Center in August, a discussion that included a description of Cross as an example of dangerous anti-Semitic figures in the region. It wasn't clear what, if any, steps were taken by the center to act on the information. The timing of the attack is worth . noting, as a group monitoring anti-Semitic attacks in the U.S. cautiously reported a sharp decline in such incidents less than two . weeks before this weekend’s attack. In . a report April 1, the Anti-Defamation League noted a 19 per cent drop . in anti-Semitic incidents last year compared to 2012, part of what the . group called a 'decade-long downward slide' and one of its lowest . tallies since it started keeping such records in 1979. | Frazier Glenn Cross has been charged with three counts of murder and separate hate crime charges are expected later .
The former KKK leader is the prime suspect in the Sunday shootings at a Jewish Community Center and retirement center that left three dead .
New reports reveal the government and anti-hate groups were aware of him and the threat he posed before the shooting .
Was put in witness protection in 1987 after he turned into an informant to avoid jail time when he fled the state on bail for a different charge .
A human rights group gave a presentation in August at the Jewish Center he attacked and named Cross as a dangerous anti-Semitic in the area . |
119,186 | 25f0f214dc137c8c3576e28f7c15b5d29b5844a1 | (CNN) -- Injuries from a bicycle accident could change a NASA astronaut's duties on Space Shuttle Discovery, the agency said in a statement. Mission Specialist Tim Kopra was injured in a bicycle accident Saturday, NASA said. The agency said he "will be OK," but did not release further details, citing medical privacy. But it said the impact the accident would have on Kopra's shuttle duties "is being evaluated." He is scheduled to be on the Discovery mission to the international space station, slated for February 24. Kopra was selected as an astronaut in 2000, has previously been aboard two shuttle missions, and spent one tour of duty on the international space station. | Astronaut Tim Kopra "will be OK," the agency says .
The agency is evaluating whether the accident will affect his shuttle duties .
The Discovery mission to the international space station is slated for February 24 . |
103,697 | 11c4eddbf77d357717d8d6ce472032464370bf9b | George Osborne is expected to abolish tax on pension payments which are passed to spouses when their partner dies, it emerged last night. Widows could receive a huge boost if the Treasury announces changes to annuities in the Autumn Statement next week. At the moment, a surviving partner pays tax on income payments which they receive from a joint life annuity. George Osborne (pictured) is expected to abolish tax on pension payments which are passed to spouses when their partner dies . This can swallow up to half of the original income their partner received before they died. But Mr Osborne is now expected to announce that these payments will be tax-free in the future if a spouse dies under the age of 75. The Chancellor has already cut death taxes for people who do not turn their pension pots into annuities – placing those who did take out an annuity at a tax disadvantage. The latest change would level the playing field for those who want the security of guaranteed income but do not want their partner to be penalised for doing so after their death. Sales of annuities have plummeted since Mr Osborne announced new pension freedoms in the Budget which meant ‘no one will have to buy an annuity’. But when he announced further changes to death duties on pension pots, it made annuities look even less favourable and alternatives more appealing. Critics said it had gone too far and now discouraged annuities, including joint life policies which ensure part of the income is passed on after death. The new changes, if announced next week, would make these kind of annuities attractive once again. Andrew Tully, of MGM Advantage (pictured) said the move would be 'fair' to annuity customers . It is understood there may be no tax to pay on the annuity payment where death occurred before the age of 75, bringing it in line with tax breaks being introduced on income drawdown schemes. For deaths after age 75, a dependant’s pension would be taxed as income, which again would bring it in line with other drawdown options. Drawdown allows customers to leave their pension fund invested while still taking an income from it, and will be available to millions more people over 55 as a result of the new pension reforms. Speaking of the anticipated changes to joint annuities, Andrew Tully, of MGM Advantage, said: ‘This would be a fair move for annuity customers and shows the Government recognises that annuities can still play an important part of a customer’s retirement strategy after April. ‘While people may well want to use the new flexibility offered, many will also want a level of certainty and security provided by an annuity to cover at least their basic needs.’ Pensions expert Tom McPhail, of Hargreaves Lansdown, said last night: ‘It is a logical harmonisation of the tax treatment. ‘A lot of the pensions industry was perplexed why the government had chosen to weight the death benefits tax away from guaranteed incomes in favour of riskier outcomes. ‘It is good that they have listened to the industry.’ Dr Ros Altmann, a pensions expert and economist, said such a change would be ‘relatively inexpensive’ for the taxpayer. | Widows could receive a huge boost if Treasury announces changes .
Currently surviving partner pays tax on income payments they receive .
This can swallow up to half original income partner received before death .
George Osborne expected to announce payments will be tax-free in the future if a spouse dies under the age of 75 . |
271,774 | ec07d03a897c5dfb5a320f731ae4f118c689546d | (Rolling Stone) -- John Mellencamp's 25th album, "No Better Than This," continues the thread of American archaeology that he began on "Trouble No More," a self-produced 2003 set of traditional songs and covers. But where "Trouble" was a first brush with history -- Mellencamp trying to make it come to him -- here he meets that history on its home ground. A set of old-school originals recorded in resonant settings (Sun Studio in Memphis; the First African Baptist Church in Savannah; a hotel room in San Antonio where Robert Johnson cut some classic sides), "No Better" shows Mellencamp channeling spirits and stepping into period styles. They fit him perfectly. Producer T Bone Burnett rides shotgun, and the duo keep it simple: an old Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder, a single vintage ribbon mic, a small group of empathetic players. They include ex-Tom Waits guitarist Mark Ribot; Jay Bellerose, whose rhythms shaped Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand; and stand-up bassist David Roe, who played with Johnny Cash at the end of his life. Mellencamp's songs show a writer still on a hot streak after 2008's Burnett-produced "Life, Death, Love and Freedom," arguably the singer-songwriter's best LP since his 80s heyday. He shoots for timeless here: Aside from an allusion to an answering machine on the Woody Guthrie-style "Thinking About You," these songs could have all been written 50 years ago or more. "Save Some Time to Dream" is a gentle folk sermon with a dash of existential doubt. The swinging "Right Behind Me" considers Jesus and the devil -- "both inside of me/All the time" -- with Miriam Sturm's jazzy Hot Club fiddle. Considering the title, Mellencamp has made a remarkably dark record. "No One Cares About Me" is about a guy out of work, ditched by his wife, mourning a father, a son and his only friend, over an old-timey hillbilly strut. The lead character in "A Graceful Fall," a stumpy waltz, is also penniless, "sick of life" and pondering the afterlife, "if there is really one." The dude in "Each Day of Sorrow" insists he would kill himself "if I weren't so afraid." But as usual, Mellencamp is at his best when he turns hardscrabble struggle into damn-the-torpedoes rock & roll. On the title track, a classic Sun Records "boom-chick-boom" romp, Mellencamp runs through a list of fantasies, some quite reasonable, before concluding that "it won't get no better than this" -- however relatively [expletive]-up "this" might be. Welcome to life in 21st-century America, ladies and gentlemen: Let's party like it's 1929. "No Better Than This" isn't a perfectly honed set. But Mellencamp has never sounded looser or easier on a record. The most indelible moments are straight-up funny. "Love at First Sight" imagines a relationship from back-seat grope through marriage, kids and subsequent disasters, before deciding it might be better to go home alone. And on "Easter Eve," a man and his 14-year-old son get hassled in a cafe, slash a [expletive] up, get thrown in jail, then walk off with the dude's grateful wife. It's musical storytelling for hard times: far-fetched, violent, sexy, played for laughs. It doesn't get more timeless, or American, than that. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | His 25th album, "No Better Than This," is musical storytelling for hard times .
Mellencamp has never sounded looser or easier on a record .
He's at his best when he turns hardscrabble struggle into rock & roll . |
169,293 | 670b3aab72b23079547a10e0b67e0796deb321cd | By . Aaron Sharp . PUBLISHED: . 06:44 EST, 26 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:27 EST, 26 September 2013 . A 15-year-old boy who committed suicide after he was targeted by bullies, was set to leave town with his parents in a bid to escape his tormentors. Todd Loik took his own life after enduring a constant stream of abuse from other kids both at his school and online, his heartbroken mom Kim Loik, said. She told how her son had become a victim . of cruel taunts ever since they moved to North Battleford in . Saskatchewan, Canada five years ago. Tragic: Tributes have poured in for the teenager who killed himself just 12 days before his 16th birthday . The situation had become so bad that single mother had decided to take herself and Todd back to their home town of Edmonton, Alberta, later this year. But before they fled the bullies, tragedy struck on the morning of September 9 when Kim found her son dead in his room after he had taken his own life. Bullied: Todd was targeted at home and in school . Speaking to the Canadian Press Kim told how Todd had received online taunts the night before he died, she said: 'I told him to go to bed and not worry about it.' Todd would not allow his mother to see the contents of his Facebok messages, but having now investigated the types of messages her son had been bombarded with, she said they were 'disgusting'. She continued: 'They have pages and pages of taunts and abuse. 'They were the nastiest things I've ever heard. I can't even repeat — some of the things were just disgusting.' Speaking of her son's character, she said she was unsure why Todd was the subject of such torment, saying he was 'just a normal kid who wanted to fit in'. According to his mother, the teenager wanted to become a welder and was excited about taking his driver's test on his 16th birthday which was 12 days after his death. He had even showed his mom pictures of his favourite car he hoped to drive someday, a classic Buick Skylark. Kim said the bullying started in the schoolyard but as her son got older, the insults came through his computer and phone. 'It was usually at night when it would happen. There was no peace.', she said. Todd was was a week into Grade 10 at North Battleford Comprehensive High School when he died. Shannon Lessard, a spokeswoman with the Living Sky School Division, said the school were not aware of the bullying as nobody had reported it. Kim Loik said she now wants justice, which includes a criminal charge against the bullies who tormented her child. Heartbroken: Kim Loik, above, wants Canadian politicians to introduce country wide anti-bullying laws . Action: A banner made by Todd's mother to promote the introduction of a Canada-wide anti-bullying law . She also wants laws across Canada which will protect the victims of bullying and their families. She said: 'It can't be province-to-province. It has to be one law preventing this from ever happening again to anybody. 'There's so many kids out there in pain and suffering that deal with this daily and they shouldn't.' Moving: A poem posted on Todd's tribute page by his mother . Kim has since set up a Facebok page in memory of Todd called 'Todd's safe haven'. Among the well wishing posts are some calling for a change in the way bullying his tackled in schools. One, from Leona Sterling, says: 'Hearts hurting for you and your family today. 'We have to do things differently. We must teach our children the value of every human. Todd's eyes are soft and gentle looking. May you find comfort in the gift he was to you.' Another posted: 'Heartfelt condolences to your family. Sending you light, love and strength. You are in my thoughts...may you be at peace now young angel.' Federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay tweeted about the incident, saying: 'More proof that cyberbullying must be addressed. #BullyingHurts'. Federal NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair also talked about the boy's death on Twitter, saying: 'Let's all work together to fight bullying and put an end to these tragedies.' Earlier this week, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall sent Loik an email offering his condolences. He told reporters Wednesday that the province is looking at anti-bullying initiatives, including an online forum where youngsters can report abuse. | Todd Loik was tormented at school and online by vile bullies .
His family were due to leave their home later this year because of abuse .
Victim's mom now wants country-wide anti-bullying law . |
63,066 | b327d99023f8e687246e6451f62927ba3361024b | It hasn't been a bad week for Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela. After scoring against world champions Germany and helping his Argentinian team to a 4-2 win in Dusseldorf, Lamela posted a picture on his Instagram account lounging on a speedboat near the Spanish party isle of Ibiza. In the picture, shown below, Lamela is stretched out on the front of the boat, with his girlfriend Sofia Herrero alongside him. VIDEO Scroll down to see highlights of Argentina's win over Germany . Instagram: Lamela took to social media to pose for his followers on a boat in the Balearic islands . Re-run: Lamela scored the second of Argentina's four goals in their win over Germany on Wednesday night . Goal: Lamela (left) slots the ball home to put Argentina 2-0 up in Dusseldorf . The 22-year-old was en route from the Spanish island of Ibiza to the smaller, more picturesque isle of Formentera to the south when he took to Instagram to pose for his 61,000 followers. Lamela scored the second of Argentina's four goals on Wednesday night, when the World Cup runners up faced winners Germany in a re-run of July's final in Rio de Janeiro. Argentina do not play again until they meet rivals Brazil in an international friendly on 11 October, so Lamela has some down-time before he returns to Tottenham for their trip to Sunderland on the 13 September. Prem: The Argentinian (right) holds off the challenge of Lazar Markovic (left) in Spurs' game against Liverpool . Jump: Lamela jumps over the challenge of Jordan Henderson on August 31st at White Hart Lane . | Lamela scored the second in Argentina's 4-2 win against Germany .
The friendly match was a re-run of July's World Cup final in Rio, Brazil .
Lamela is celebrating some time off with his girlfriend in Spain .
The pair were travelling to Formentera, an island just south of Ibiza .
The Argentinian's next match is likely to be for Spurs, away at Sunderland . |
180,403 | 758ac26f99cc9547d76482d734270323c19f6372 | Rapist: Frank Van Den Bleeken is to be put to death after a court granted him the right to euthanasia . A rapist and murderer is to be put to death in Belgium, despite the EU ban on the death penalty, after a court granted him the right to euthanasia. Frank Van Den Bleeken argued that he had no prospect of release because he cannot overcome his violent sexual impulses and wants to end years of mental anguish. Van Den Bleeken, 51, will commit medically assisted suicide at a prison in Bruges this week. A spokesman for Belgian justice minister Koen Geens told the newspaper De Morgen: ‘Euthanasia will indeed be implemented. The time has come.’ The ruling by the justice ministry allowing the death was the first involving a prisoner since the country’s euthanasia law was introduced 13 years ago. Van Den Bleeken, who has been in prison for nearly 30 years, said he preferred to die because there was no therapy for his condition in Belgium. The country is not the only one in Europe to provide a right to die but it has pioneered the use of the law beyond the terminally ill. Among cases that hit the headlines were those of deaf twins who were losing their sight, and a transgender patient left in torment by an unsuccessful sex-change. Jail: Van Den Bleeken, 51, will commit medically assisted suicide at a prison in Bruges (above) this week . It is also the first country to allow euthanasia for terminally ill children at any age. Belgium legalised euthanasia in 2002, the second country in the world to do so after the Netherlands, and logged a record 1,807 cases of euthanasia in 2013. Its strict conditions for a mercy killing include that patients must be capable, conscious and have presented a 'voluntary, considered and repeated' request to die. | Frank Van Den Bleeken wants to end years of mental anguish .
Will commit medically assisted suicide at jail in Bruges this week .
It comes 12 years after Belgium's euthanasia law was introduced . |
20,068 | 38f67685f56ec755bad4d1a91e28c26e0c93f7cb | NEW YORK (CNN) -- More than two years after her death, Carol Anne Gotbaum's children are expected to receive a $250,000 settlement from an insurance company on behalf of the city of Phoenix, Arizona, and its police department. Carol Gotbaum, shown in an undated family photo, died accidentally, a medical examiner said. The 45-year-old Gotbaum accidentally strangled herself while in police custody after behaving erratically in a terminal at Phoenix's Sky Harbor airport when she missed her connecting flight, according to both family and police accounts. Gotbaum, the stepdaughter-in-law of New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, was traveling alone and unescorted on her way to an alcohol rehabilitation center in Tucson, Arizona. Gotbaum's family had originally sought $8 million but subsequently reduced that to $5.5 million. They accused the city and its police department of negligence in leaving Gotbaum chained and unattended in an airport police cell. Her three children, all still under age 10, will be the beneficiaries of the settlement once it is approved by a New York surrogate court, whose duties are to deal with issues concerning the deceased. According to the Phoenix Police Department, its insurance carrier had spent $500,000 so far on the case and anticipated spending another $750,000 in litigation. It was a financial decision by the insurance carrier to settle in order to minimize further costs, the department said. Witnesses reported that Gotbaum may have been drinking on her flight and had been drinking heavily in an airport bar just before the altercation with police. She had missed her connection and was bumped from another one after airline personnel would not allow her to use a boarding pass given to her by another passenger. She grew incensed, threw her phone and started running down the concourse yelling, "I am not a terrorist," according to witness accounts. Police said they had no information regarding her physical or psychological state when they responded to a call from gate agents. In a security video she is seen struggling with officers as they drag her down a concourse. An internal police investigation and one by the city found that the police did not violate any laws. But Gotbaum's husband, Noah, filed suit claiming the officers were negligent in leaving her unattended in a disoriented state. | Carol Anne Gotbaum's children are expected to receive a $250,000 settlement .
Money comes from insurance company on behalf of police and city of Phoenix .
Gotbaum accidentally strangled herself while in police custody .
Woman was taken into custody after acting erratically at airport . |
129,536 | 33724cb829b92f312c9c14bde229639869b54914 | Jimmy Carr is one of thousands of wealthy Britons using an offshore scheme to pay a little as 1 per cent income tax, it was claimed last night. The comedian is understood to be the largest beneficiary of a Jersey-based accountancy arrangement said to shelter £168million a year from the taxman. He puts away £3.3million a year via the K2 tax scheme which, according to the Times, is used by 1,100 tax avoiders. And Danny Alexander today attacked the . rich who use tax loopholes to reduce their rate of income tax, . describing them as the 'moral equivalent of benefit cheats'. Wealthy: Jimmy Carr (left) is reportedly using an offshore bank account to pay just 1 per cent income tax. Danny Alexander (right) today described those 'who dodge the tax system as the moral equivalent of benefit cheats' The K2 tax scheme, a Jersey-based accountancy arrangement, is used by 1,100 people. It works by transferring salaries into a Jersey-based . trust, which lends investors back the money. As the loan can technically . be recalled, it is not subject to income tax. Jersey is self-governing, with its own financial, legal and judicial systems. It has no VAT in place and sets its own income tax. And low taxation is the reason why the affluent flock to the tiny island. Income tax is a flat-rate of 20 per cent. Britain, in contrast, charges top earners 50 per cent, although this will fall to 45 per cent next April. Jersey's s Goods and Service Tax (GST) - equivalent to the UK’s 20 per cent VAT - is also far lower at 5 per cent. But beyond that, non-residents have also benefited. An accountancy industry has thrived in what critics say is a lax regulatory environment – finance makes up 41 per cent of its economy compared to, say, 4 per cent for hospitality. But ‘tax havens’ worldwide, from Bermuda to Liechtenstien, have come under pressure to clean up their act as the cash-strapped U.S. authorities and EU governments try to claw back tax lost to avoidance schemes. Jersey rejects the criticism saying it is a ‘transparent and cooperative jurisdiction’. It calls the perception of it as a tax haven an ‘ancient myth’. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury told Sky News: 'It is vitally important that everybody pays their fair share of tax. 'People who dodge the tax system are the moral equivalent of benefit cheats and we are coming to get them.' K2 works by transferring salaries into a Jersey-based . trust, which lends investors back the money. As the loan can technically . be recalled, it is not subject to income tax. George Osborne used his budget in March to attack what he called ‘morally repugnant’ tax abuses and announced a raft of measures designed to stop them. Together with a general anti-avoidance rule, he aimed to increase revenues by £1billion over the next five years. Individual tax avoidance costs the economy £4.5billion out of £7billion lost in total every year, according to Revenue & Customs. Last night, HMRC maintained it was . extremely effective at shutting down such schemes. But, according to the . investigation carried out by the Times, those behind K2 are confident . they can continue to avoid the taxman. Roy Lyness, of Peak Performance . Accountants, which runs the scheme, told an undercover reporter on the . newspaper it was ‘a game of cat and mouse’. Jimmy Carr puts away £3.3million a year via the K2 tax scheme which, is used by 1,100 tax avoiders and is one of a number of tax avoidance practices . 'BREAKING. Jimmy Carr has added a final date to his 2012/13 tour. He's doing a gig in Jersey. Well I say gig, but it's more of a drop off.'Ian Hyland, Mail On Sunday columnist'Just read that shocking secret about Jimmy Carr in the Times. Never knew he was a comedian! #boom'John Prescott, former deputy prime minister'Please have your Jimmy Carr "tax" joke in by the end of the day to avoid a £100 fine.'Michael Legge, comedian'Maybe he should hide his jokes offshore #taxavoider'Andrew Bloch, Twitter user . He added: ‘The Revenue closes one . scheme, we find another way round it. It’s like a satnav. I’m driving to . Manchester, get a message saying there’s a smash at Stoke, press this . button to re-route. ‘That’s all we do with tax avoidance. The Revenue . puts a block in, we just go . round the block.’ K2 works by transferring salaries into a Jersey-based . trust, which lends investors back the money. As the loan can technically . be recalled, it is not subject to income tax. Mr Carr’s lawyers have confirmed his . membership of K2 but denied any wrongdoing and said that the scheme had . been disclosed to the relevant bodies in accordance with legal . requirements. He recently performed a comedy sketch lampooning Barclays, which has been criticised for tax avoidance. Playing a female bank clerk, he joked: ‘Why don’t you apply for the Barclays 1 per cent tax scam. ‘You . will need the world’s biggest, most aggressive team of blood-hungry . amoral tax lawyers. If you meet the criteria, you’ll pay 1 per cent tax, . like Barclays do.’ Nice ride: Jimmy Carr fills his Bentley with petrol . 'Largest beneficiary': The 39-year-old, who performed for the Queen at her jubilee (pictured), puts away £3.3million a year via the K2 tax scheme . Tackling avoidance: George Osborne used his budget in March to attack what he called 'morally repugnant' tax abuses and announced a raft of measures designed to stop them . According to Peak Performance, Mr Carr pays himself a salary of £100,000 before sheltering his remaining income - £3.3million – through the scheme. The 39-year-old, who performed for the Queen at her jubilee, owns his own company and makes much of his money from DVD sales and television appearances. Analysis of Mr Carr’s publicly available accounts shows that four out of five companies that he controls were set up by Blue Cube, part of the Peak Performance network of accountants that sells K2. Blue Cube says it offers ‘remuneration planning for directors of limited companies resulting in between 0 and 25 per cent tax’. The day after Mr Osborne’s crackdown, Mr Lyness assured his clients tax-saving opportunities were unscathed. | Comedian Carr is 'largest beneficiary' of scheme which shelters £168m a year from taxman .
Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, says rich tax dodgers are 'moral equivalent of benefit cheats'
He warns Government is 'coming to get them' |
89,746 | fee445f55878b7674ad50f96443871df7c8f9280 | (CNN) -- Aaron Hernandez, who already faces first-degree murder and weapons charges, could face even more trouble after a jailhouse fight last week. The Bristol County, Massachusetts, sheriff is asking that the former New England Patriots star face a simple assault-and-battery charge for allegedly punching a fellow inmate. Neither man was seriously injured. Sheriff Thomas Hodgson told CNN on Thursday the charge would be a misdemeanor. Hodgson said he filed a criminal complaint application with the Third District Court. Hernandez, 24, is aware of the filing, he said. The case is now in the hands of the district magistrate, who will decide whether there is probable cause for a charge to move forward. If so, an arraignment will follow, Hodgson told CNN. An attorney for Hernandez did not immediately respond Thursday to a CNN message. Attorneys have not responded to questions about the February 25 fight involving an unidentified inmate. Hernandez discussed killing in jailhouse calls . Hodgson last month said that jail officials will be looking at how the two inmates came into contact, because "no more than one inmate is supposed to be out at a time" in the unit where Hernandez is housed. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. Authorities have said that Hernandez and two other men picked up Odin Lloyd from his Boston apartment in a rental car shortly before Lloyd was found shot to death on June 17. Surveillance cameras then captured the rental car leaving the crime scene and Hernandez carrying a gun as he returned to his home minutes later, according to authorities. Hernandez sued by families of 2012 fatal shooting victims . CNN's Chris Boyette and Rande Iaboni contributed to this report. | Sheriff urges misdemeanor charges .
Authorities investigated jailhouse fight involving Aaron Hernandez .
Neither man was seriously injured in the altercation .
Former NFL star is being held on a first-degree murder charge in death of Odin Lloyd . |
152,661 | 5145c72c350f5d27519966fa89aac9830ab2befc | Paracetamol could make difficult decisions less of a headache. Some of the brain areas involved in physical pain are also involved in mental discomfort, researchers say. Taking pills designed to suppress physical pain could therefore also be used to reduce the anguish of situations that cause us psychological pain, such as spending money or selling possessions. Paracetamol could help to ease our anxieties and suppress our psychological pain, according to a new US study . The US researchers gave volunteers either two paracetamol or two placebo pills. Half an hour later – after the paracetamol would have had time to act – they were asked to choose between two puzzles that they would like to do. Normally, after choosing between two equally attractive things, we rationalise the decision by pretending we never really liked the one we rejected. This, say the researchers, makes the choice feel less painful. But when the volunteers were asked to rate the puzzles a second time, those given the paracetamol rated the rejected puzzle less harshly than the others. The University of Kentucky scientists said this suggests they found the initial decision less painful. Writing in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the scientists said it showed that the drug could take the pain out of decision-making . In a second experiment, the participants were given a mug and were told either that they could keep it or that it belonged to the university. They were then told they could sell the mug and asked how much they would charge. Those who owned the mug were expected to value it more highly – as we tend to find selling our possessions painful. But those who took paracetamol set the lowest prices. Writing in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the scientists said this shows that the drug could take some of the pain out of decision-making. ‘When people make decisions, they sometimes use words related to physical pain,’ they said. ‘People might say it “hurt” to sell their home, that they were “crushed” when they decided to withdraw money from their retirement investment portfolio earlier than they’d planned... ‘We propose that the pain of decision making is not a mere metaphor. If so, numbing them to physical pain should also numb them to the psychological pain involved in some sorts of decision making. ‘Making decisions can be painful but a physical painkiller can take the pain away.’ | Some parts of brain involved in physical pain also control mental discomfort .
Researchers say paracetamol could then be used to reduce patient's anguish .
Comes after a study into the drugs in the US by the University of Kentucky .
Suggest they could reduce pain in situations such as spending too much money or selling possessions . |
60,612 | ac4213070624020e25715bb2569e76adcf035029 | By . Emine Sinmaz . PUBLISHED: . 10:36 EST, 11 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:54 EST, 11 September 2013 . For years, it was the one that got away. But this 150-year-old halibut’s luck is finally over after it was caught off the coast of Norway, weighing a whopping 31 stone. The giant fish is 20 times the average weight for the species and could feed more than 500 people. What a whopper! The 150-year-old halibut, minus its head, with anglers Dean Robert (left), who landed the fish, and John Morrow . Quite a catch: Anglers in Hull - from left, Neil Cutsforth, Dean Roberts, John Morrow and filleter Rob Pinch - used the fish's colossal weight to estimate its age . The huge creature has been shipped to Hull, Yorkshire, where anglers have used its mammoth weight to estimate its age. Fish merchant Dean Roberts, who has landed the giant catch, said: ‘It’s a bit of a monster. ‘This one has got to be about 150 years old. It’s about a kilo for every year of growth and it weighs 27 stone, or 169kg, without its head. ‘It’s got away with not being caught for a very long time.’ Heavy load: The fish weighs 27 stone without its head, pictured, or 31 stone in all . Mr Roberts has already had a lot of interest from restaurants desperate for a fillet of the record-breaking fish and he is hoping to fetch more than £1,500 for the huge halibut. He said: ‘Halibut is a much sought-after fish. It’s mainly a restaurant commodity. A lot of big restaurants in London sell it.’ After it is processed and filleted by his buyer, a fish merchant in Fleetwood, it could fetch as much as £3,000. High price: Filleter Rob Pinch thinks the crew could get up to £3,000 for the fish once it has been processed . Mr Roberts, who co-owns fish merchant . Norstar, said: ‘All the fish we sell come from a sustainable source. This was caught on a hook and a line. 'The hooks are baited, they put . them over the side and a few hours later they bring them back in. 'It’s a . lot better for the environment and a better way of fishing.’ But despite its size, the huge fish is not quite as large as the largest halibut ever caught. In July, German Marco Liebenow caught a 37-stone whopper. It took 90 minutes to reel the 9ft long fish towards the surface, as it was too big to haul on to his small boat in Norway. The previous largest halibut was caught in 2010 by veteran German angler Günther Hansel, 70, who reeled in a 34-stone (220kg) monster, which was sold for £2,000. | Giant fish 20 times the average weight for species and could feed 500 .
Caught off the coast of Norway before being shipped to Hull .
'It's a monster,' says fish merchant Dean Roberts who landed it .
Could fetch up to £3,000 once processed and filleted . |
256,021 | d7673e5eb78c15ee14ffe7b3c40468b070a4702c | By . Kerry Mcqueeney . UPDATED: . 18:12 EST, 10 January 2012 . A senior NHS manger has received . almost £1 million in compensation for racial discrimination and unfair . dismissal after he was subjected to a 'breathtaking and callous' campaign of bullying . and harassment from colleagues. Elliot Browne, one of only a few . black senior managers in the NHS, was awarded a settlement of ££933,000 . by an industrial tribunal - one of the highest payouts awarded for . racial discrimination at work. A union official described Mr Browne's abuse as 'breathtaking and callous' and said he had never in his career seen such 'systematic intimidation and bullying of a single individual'. 'Breathtaking and callous': The Central Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust was urged to tackle a 'culture of institutionalised racism'. However the trust said it strongly believed that discrimination did not feature in Mr Browne's case . Mr Browne's 34-year career it the NHS . came to an end when he lost his job as a trust director in 2008 for the . Central Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. An employment tribunal in Manchester . ruled the 55-year-old was subjected to 'discriminatory treatment from . 2007 onwards', when he was repeatedly singled out and accused of . departmental overspending while other white directors escaped reprimand . for the same thing. The tribunal also heard that Mr . Browne claimed he has been harassed and verbally bullied because he was . black and was the only black director in the trust. The judge was told he was subjected to consistent abuse over a period of more than a year. Singled out: The hearing heard how the claimant (not pictured) became depressed, took time off work and needed psychiatric help . Mr Browne, an Afro-Caribbean grandfather-of-one, . had left school at the age of 16 and had worked his way up the NHS . career ladder from a junior lab technician to top managerial roles. The hearing was told how he was . accused of allowing his clinical services division to consistently . overspend, even though the tribunal ruled they were only relatively . small amounts compared to the total budget size. He . alleged that he was discriminated against over his department’s . overspending because he was black and that white directors had not been . reprimanded over their overspends. Mr Browne, who earned a management . degree while working for the NHS, was threatened with disciplinary . action and then dismissed from his £80,000-a-year job. The full hearing of the case, which . was held last year, heard how Mr Browne became depressed, took time off . work and needed psychiatric help. The judge was also told he was so unwell that he was unable to enjoy the birth of his oldest child's baby. Unite, Mr Browne’s union, called for the trust ‘to tackle its culture of institutionalised racism’. The tribunal awarded Mr Browne, whose health was ‘severely affected’ by his treatment in the workplace, a total of £933,115 for unfair dismissal, aggravated damages, and loss of earnings and pension. He had already received £71,415 from the trust. Speaking through his union Mr Browne - a former director at the trust - said: 'It is scandalous that this kind of behaviour and culture should exist in an organisation whose prime purpose is to care for others.' 'The systematic intimidation and bullying of a single individual was breathtaking and callous' A spokesman for the union added that Mr Browne did not wish to say any more on the matter. But Unite’s head of health Rachael . Maskell said: ‘Unfortunately, the case of Elliot Browne is not unique . within the NHS. Discrimination and harassment in the health service is . all too common from our experience as a trade union and needs to be . rooted out. 'NHS employers need to establish . comprehensive and effective training programmes and human resources’ functions so that there will be no repetition of this case. Dignity at . work needs to be a reality.' Unite . regional officer Keith Hutson said: ‘This is a well deserved outcome . for Elliot Browne. It reflects the pain, suffering and grief that he was . put through by his employer, Central Manchester University Hospital NHS . Foundation Trust. 'Hopefully this will act as a catalyst for his former employer to face up to their obligations in tackling the culture of institutionalised racism that they seem happy to endorse and that is underpinned by a cavalier attitude in their management style. 'The expenditure of almost a million pounds of taxpayers’ money could have been avoided, if this employer had just followed its own policies and procedures from the outset, instead of believing that NHS funds are there to defend the indefensible, rather than deliver patient care. 'The systematic intimidation and bullying of a single individual, the like I have never seen in my career as a union regional officer, was breathtaking and callous.' A spokesman for the trust said: 'As an organisation we take issues of any discrimination seriously. We strongly believe that discrimination did not feature in this individual’s case.' | Black director singled out for departmental overspending while white managers escaped reprimand .
Union calls for NHS trust to tackle its 'culture of institutionalised racism' |
173,076 | 6bfcf32365c8eb284550ea4efa2106fd8f8b7430 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:06 EST, 9 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:05 EST, 9 March 2014 . Britain won its first Paralympic medal on snow in 20 years as Jade Etherington and guide Caroline Powell scooped silver in Sochi. The pair, who a year ago had never even met, were doing only their third competitive downhill run together. It got Britain's Winter Paralympics off to a flying start and ensured that less than an hour into day one they had already exceeded their medal haul from four years ago in Vancouver. The pair became the first British women ever to win a Paralympic skiing medal, their rise all the more remarkable given how little time they had to build a partnership. Silver medallist Jade Etherington of Great Britain waves during the flower ceremony for the Women's Downhill . Jade and guide Caroline Powell wave during the flower ceremony for the Women's Downhill in Sochi . Joy: Brit Jade Etheirngton reacts after completing her run . Paralympic skiers Jade Etherington and James Whitley during a gala dinner to celebrate the team selections to compete at the Sochi . It was only last April that they first got to know each other, August they first skied competitively together and January this year they first competed as a pair in a downhill. The duo did not even get a training run on Friday because the session was cancelled, but 22-year-old Etherington, from Lincoln, said: 'I actually was really happy there was no training run, because personally I feel if you're going to be scared for your life you might as well get a result at the end of it.' And the Lincoln athlete did just that, finishing in one minute 34.28 seconds, 2.73secs behind Slovakian winner Henrieta Farkasova. She crashed as she crossed the line, but was unhurt, with the medal joy more than making up for the bruises. 'We had a good run despite my crash at the end. I think I was just so happy to go through the line that I couldn't stop in time. Jade Etherington (left) with her medal and guide Caroline Powell (right) at the presentation ceremony . 'I was aiming for the finish line, saying "go, go, go" and listening to Caroline. I hope I have done GB proud,' she told BBC Radio 5 Live. 'I was so happy I'd finished and then couldn't stop I was going that fast,' she said. Her . achievement drew praise from Prime Minister David Cameron, who Tweeted: . 'Proud of Jade Etherington, who won silver in the women's visually . impaired downhill in Sochi. #GoParalympicsGB.' Etherington, . who celebrates her 23rd birthday on Sunday, is visually impaired and . communicates with Powell down the course via radio. Ouch: Etherington crashed at the finishing line but was OK . Shocking: But fearless Etherington wasn't worried about any potential penalties . Sliding: Etherington's ski pops off as she crashes into the barrier at the finish . OK: People rush to help the skier, who was unharmed after the crash . Flying star: Etherington was back on her feet and on the podium with guide Caroline Powell (left) She admitted she was surprised by how quickly the duo had flourished. Powell, who is 19, added: 'It's basically a friendship so you have to build a friendship and that can take years. 'In our case we had to build it within a short space of time, but we were really honest with each other from the beginning. 'She taught me so much about guiding, I just went with what she said and it's worked. It's come together now and we're so happy.' And things should only get better over the coming week, with four more events to come, including the super-G, in which Etherington won bronze at last year's IPC World Championships, with a different guide. High praise: Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated Etherington on Twitter . Ace: Etherington, along with her guide Caroline Powell, managed a silver medal in Sochi . Birthday girl: The silver medallist will celebrate on Sunday . Job done: Etherington was delighted with her triumph and hoped she'd done Britain proud . Team-mate Kelly Gallagher and guide Charlotte Evans were also grateful for four more chances after they could only manage sixth place. Evans, who was in tears, said: 'I am the blubbering wreck, but our communication was awesome and we have no excuse. You can see my disappointment, but we will come back fighting.' Gutted: Kelly Gallagher was devastated after finishing in sixth . Disappointment: GB sit-skier Anna Turney crashed out on the 'bumpy course' Great Britain have not won a Winter Paralympics medal on since the Lillehammer Games in 1994. James Barker, Richard Burt, Matthew Stockford and Peter Young won individual bronze medals in alpine skiing categories. Sit-skier Anna Turney also suffered disappointment after crashing out on the 'bumpy course'. 'I think I got the line slightly wrong, it was so bumpy and I just popped out," said Turney, who was unhurt. 'I wanted to win, it just wasn't my day. It is challenging snow and it is bumpy in places, certainly where I crashed that was bumpy. Spectacular: American Tyler Walker crashed on the run later in the day and had to be airlifted to hospital . Ouch: Walker is carried down the slope by medical staff in Sochi . 'I don't think it was unsafe, but it was definitely challenging. This is an extreme downhill.' 'Everyone was like, 'It's so dangerous', but it's a downhill.' The course, which has come in for criticism in the build-up for its "slushy snow", did appear to deteriorate as the day went on, though. American Tyler Walker crashed spectacularly in the final event of the morning, the men's sitting, and had to be airlifted from the slopes. The 27-year-old cartwheeled several times, wrecking his monoski, before coming to a halt and being attended to by medical staff on the snow. Born: In Lincoln - March 9, 1991 . Events: Visually impaired slalom, giant slalom, Super-G, downhill . Honours: BRONZE medal in the Super-G at the 2013 IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships, SILVER in the Super-G at the Paralympic Test Event in Sochi, won first World Cup event in January 2014 with two downhill GOLDS in Tignes, SILVER in the downhill event at the Sochi Winter Paralympics . Etherington (pictured below back row, centre left) has been a member of the British . Disabled Ski Team's Development Squad since 2009. | Visually impaired skier crashes at finish line but picks up silver .
Jade Etherington, 22, failed to stop in time and slid into the barriers .
A delighted Etherington said: 'I hope I have done GB proud'
It's the first medal for GB in the first event of the Winter Paralympics . |
17,847 | 328cdf3d45dc757a0df8dde139f83d5b892e2174 | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 07:10 EST, 21 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:33 EST, 21 March 2013 . A little boy born without shinbones, knees or ankles is finally able to own his first pair of shoes after being fitted with special prosthetic legs with feet. Three-year-old Ted Johnson's new legs have feet - unlike his last few pairs. This week, he tried out his new blue fibreglass prosthetic legs for the first time on the basketball court at the Royal Children's Hospital, in Melbourne, Australia. Up and about: Three-year-old Ted Johnson tries out his new prosthetic legs with feet . He was born with without shinbones, knees or ankles due to a rare condition called tibial hemimelia . Scans while his mother Abbie was pregnant failed to reveal that Ted was suffering from the rare condition tibial hemimelia. This is . where there the tibia - the shinbone - is either partially or totally . missing at birth. The foot may also be deformed or may have additional . toes. Ted's condition . meant his parents, Abbie and Peter, were forced to take the agonising . decision to have his legs amputated when he was a year old. The youngster has previously been fitted with two other types of prosthetics, but this is the first set with actual feet. And . as soon as the new blue fibreglass legs were strapped on with Velcro, . he was on the move. His mother said: 'He's incredible - nothing stops . him. Rare: The condition means the tibia - the shinbone - is either partially or totally missing at birth . Now he has feet, Ted will be able to choose his first pair of shoes . 'We thought he might need a . frame to get around at first, so I can't believe how well he's doing. We're going shoe shopping tomorrow for the first time.' Prosthetist . Jim Lavranos, who made and adjusted each of Ted's three sets of legs, . said it usually took children up to three or four years to move through . the progressions of leg extensions. 'He's getting these much earlier than we'd normally do it, just because he's so confident and quick.He'll fly through these.' Most . legs affected by tibial hemimelia will look 'unusual'. It can occur . either in one leg or both legs, with 30 per cent of patients having both . legs affected. It is detected at birth, if not before. On the move: As soon as the new blue fibreglass legs were strapped on with Velcro, Ted was walking about . Tibial Hemimelia can occur either in one leg or both legs, with 30 per cent of patients having both legs affected . Treatment depends on the exact . form of the condition. For the mildest form, apparatus may be used to . lengthen the leg and improve the position of the foot. In more severe cases, amputation is often considered the best option, followed by the use of a prosthetic leg. Some . attempts at reconstruction using the fibula have been made, but rarely . provide a well functioning limb due to instability at the knee and . problems with the quadriceps (thigh) musculature. For more information, visit the Steps charity website here . | Ted Johnson, 3, was born without shinbones, knees or ankles .
Has the rare condition tibial hemimelia, where shinbone is missing .
Had to have his legs amputated when he was a year old .
Has had previous prosthetic legs, but this is the first time he's had feet . |
31,701 | 5a29d0a802a6b3e8425a7e1c68c73d5b18044ee4 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:56 EST, 14 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:21 EST, 15 June 2012 . A Powerball ticket sold at a Cedar Rapids grocery store this week is worth $241 million, but whoever bought it has yet to claim the jackpot, Iowa officials said today. The ticket, the state's biggest lottery winner to date, was sold at a Hy-Vee on Edgewood Road in Cedar Rapids. Store Director Jamie Franck was presented Thursday with the $10,000 bonus check the store receives for selling the winning ticket. 'I'm just hoping it was one of those customers that come in every single day or every single week making their purchases just thinking maybe today's the day,' Franck said at a lottery news conference. Location: The ticket, the state's biggest lottery winner to date, was sold at a Hy-Vee on Edgewood Road in Cedar Rapids, Iowa . 'And this might be their lucky day that they get to find out that they're a multimillionaire.' Franck said the store's bonus will go toward its bottom line and, because Hy-Vee is an employee-owned company, employees also will see some of it in their own bonus checks. The lottery terminal that printed the winning ticket had sold 692 plays for Wednesday night's drawing, said lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer. The winning ticket - matching the numbers of 7, 10, 14, 33 and 57, plus the Powerball number of 18 - beats the odds of 175 million to one to win, she said. It is the seventh ticket sold in Iowa to win the Powerball jackpot. Until this week, the most recent was a Fort Dodge couple who claimed a $200.8 million jackpot in October 2006. Iowa Lottery Chief Executive Officer Terry Rich said lottery officials encourage jackpot winners to consult financial or legal advisers before claiming such a big prize, and he pointed out that the identity of winners is public information. Is it you?: The Iowa Lottery website puts out an appeal for the winner to come forward . 'This truly is a life-changing amount of money and we want our winners to have the information they'll need as they make their decisions,' he said in the statement. 'Whoever has the winning ticket should sign it immediately if they haven't already done so for safe keeping.' Rich also said the winner should keep the ticket in a secure place until presenting it to claim the jackpot. If the ticket holder chooses to take a lump sum payout, the total will be $160.3 million before taxes. After taxes, a little more than $112 million. If the winner chooses an annuity option, payments over 30 years will total $241 million before taxes. The amount is the 15th largest Powerball jackpot won to date. | The amount is the 15th largest Powerball jackpot won to date . |
153,152 | 51e5b30b2460af6a81ab6178e19eadc27f205c45 | A 13-year-old girl suspected of stabbing a classmate to please the internet meme Slender Man told police she was 'excited' to kill her friend - because she thought it would help prove the horror character exists. Anissa Weier and friend Morgan Geyser, who were 12 at the time of the alleged incident, also told police different accounts of the horrific act when they were interviewed in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, Wisconsin. The pair are accused of knifing Peyten Lautner 19 times before leaving her for dead in the woods on May 31, 2014. She managed to save herself by crawling to get help from a passing bicyclist. Scroll down for video . Suspects: Morgan Geyser (left) and Anissa Weier (right) have been accused of stabbing their classmate in Waukesha, Wisconsin in a bid to appease the mythical Slender Man . Survived: Peyton Lautner (above) was stabbed 19 times in the woods on May 31, 2014. She managed to save herself by crawling out of the woods and flagging down a passing bicyclist . Harrowing: Morgan is seen with blood on her shirt during the interrogation (above) A video of the suspects' chilling interrogation was released by police last week. During questioning, the girls told officers they tried to kill the girl to appease the mythical character. One of them however said: 'I was excited because I wanted proof that he existed because there were a bunch of skeptics out there saying he didn't exist. 'I was afraid of what would happen if I didn't ... I didn't want to find out what would happen if we didn't.' According to NBC, one of the girls said the other told her they could become Slender Man's 'proxies' if they killed the victim . In the video of the interview, obtained by WISN, the girls both say they told Peyton they wanted to go bird watching, this after planning their attack on the school bus. 'People who trust you become very gullible,' Morgan told police. 'And it was sort of sad.' Anissa is more emotional during her interview, wiping away tears at one point. Anissa said at one point Slender Man would kill their families if they did not kill Peyton . 'We told her we were going to get help,' she told police about the moments after the two stabbed Peyton. ' 'But we weren't. We were going to run and let her pass away. So we ran.' The girls were running off to find Slender Man, and were later picked up walking along a highway off-ramp, and Morgan had a knife in her backpack. In the interrogation video, Morgan can also been seen with blood on her shirt, which she has photographed at one point. She also begins singing to herself at one point during the six-hour interview, and told police of her plan; 'You have no idea how difficult it was not to tell anyone. I knew we'd get in trouble.' When she described the actually stabbing, she said; 'It just sort of happened. It didn't feel like anything. It was like air.' Morgan and Anissa said they stabbed their friend to appease the Slender Man . As for Slender Man, Morgan described him as a man with 'tendrils that are very sharp.' 'I see him in my dreams,' she told police, . Anissa said in her interview that she did not have the same visions as Morgan, but knew she had to kill her friend for the Slender Man. 'I decided to go along, tag along, to prove the skeptics wrong,' she said. Then, when asked if she saw the Slender Man, she told police; 'Uh huh, after Morgan stabbed [Peyton].' She also revealed that Morgan said to her; 'I kinda sorta made a deal with Slender saying that if I didn't, if we didn't kill Peyton that he would, would either or could kill our families and everything we love.' The two girls are charged in adult court with attempted first-degree intentional homicide. If convicted, each could be sentenced to up to 65 years in the state prison system. Their attorneys want their cases moved to children's court where a conviction could send them to a secure facility until age 25. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren said he intends to issue a ruling in the case March 13. | Anissa Weier and Morgan Geyser have been accused of stabbing Peyton Lautner 19 times in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in May 2014 .
They told officers different accounts of what happened during interviews .
One of them is believed to have said they were afraid of what would happen if they didn't commit the horrifying act .
One girl told the other they would become Slender Man's 'proxies' |
83,346 | ec6e2e5a6cb7d452c1a0b05fd258821780d073f8 | It was a dramatic night of football at the Emirates as Arsene Wenger's side contrived to give away a three goal lead and draw with Belgian side Anderlecht. Arsenal were cruising after 58 minutes thanks to Mikel Arteta, Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but in the final 30 minutes crumbled and conceded three goals. Here, Sportsmail's Rob Draper gives his verdict on how the players performed on Tuesday. Arsenal (4-2-3-1) Wojciech Szczesny - 6 . Sharp enough early on to save Arsenal from falling behind. Calum Chambers - 5 . Beaten by Kawaya for the first Anderlecht goal. Looked a weak link. Per Mertesacker - 5.5 . Steady early on - but terribly weak to allow Mitrovic the equalising header. Per Mertesacker (right) tackles . Nacho Monreal - 5.5 . Never 100 per cent certain and exposed when he gave penalty away. Kieran Gibbs - 6.6 . A quieter game, but dependable. Consistently the best in the back four. Mikel Arteta - 6 . Great penalty - but early on there were large gaps in front of the back four. Mikel Arteta opened scoring for Arsenal with a chipped penalty . Aaron Ramsey - 5.5 . Endeavour is there but still yet to reach the heights of last season. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 7 . Excellent form. Great finish for his goal and always injecting pace and momentum. Alexis Sanchez - 8.5 . Superb. Involved in all three goals, never stops battling and a phenomenal finished. Alexis Sanchez shoots and scores Arsenal's second goal with a volley from 20 yards . Santi Cazorla - 6.5 . Busy and unerringly accurate. Rarely has a poor game. Danny Welbeck - 6 . Started brightly. Offers an outlet and troubles opponents, as he proved when he won his marginal penalty. Faded a little. Subs . Flamini 6 (for Arteta 63) Rosicky 6 (for Oxlade-Chamberlain 82) Podolski 6 (for Welbeck 82) Anderlecht (4-2-3-1) Proto 6; Vandenborre 6, Mbemba 6.5, Deschacht 5.5, Acheampong 6.5 ; Tielemans 6, Kjestan 6; Najar 7, Praet 6.5, Conte, 5.5; Cyriac 5.5 . Subs: Kawaya 7 (for Conte 46), Dendoncker 6.5 (for Mbemba 54), Mitrovic 7 (for Cyriac 62) | Arsenal's defenders had a poor game with Calum Chambers struggling .
Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are Arsenal's best players .
Aaron Ramsey made first start since September but was quiet . |
127,789 | 312dcdf1cad12eea32d6ff7b1b589a007eb902aa | Australian hurdler Michelle Jenneke showed she's in peak condition ahead of this season, judging by her latest video. The 21-year-old beauty leaves very little to the imagination as she stars in a warm-up film for entertainment site World Star Hip Hop, sporting minimal swimwear and fitness gear during the footage. Jenneke, who finished fifth in the 2014 Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles final, will set pulses racing once more after her she originally became an internet sensation two years ago. Australian hurdler Michelle Jenneke leaves very little to the imagination in her latest video . The 21-year-old stars in her own sexy warm-up special for website World Star Hip Hop . Filmed in Sydney, the video opens with Jenneke walking towards a pool in a sexy black bikini . Competing at the Junior World Championships in Barcelona 2012, she became a YouTube smash when she showed off her sexy warm-up dance moves and thus spawning internet memes. Jenneke's latest video was filmed in Sydney. Dubbed a 'Candy Special Feature' opens with Jenneke walking towards a pool in a sexy black string bikini. Ruffling her hair as she walks through a lavish backyard, the brunette beauty's toned stomach is on display in the swim ensemble. Just as the audience is treated to a quick glimpse of her cleavage, the next clip rolls in of Michelle in a more professional setting. Jenneke is seen sprinting up a set of stairs, sporting a white crop top and green boy leg shorts. The sportswoman wears a blingy necklace with the World Star Hip Hop logo during the video . With close ups of the stunner from every angle, there is no missing a glimpse of every curve . 1st place (100m hurdles) – 2010 Australian Junior Championships . 1st place (4x100m relay) – 2010 Australian Junior Championships (Australian record) 2nd place (100m hurdles) – 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, Singapore . 3rd place (100m hurdles) – 2011 Australian Championships . 5th place (100m hurdles) – 2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland . Her black and pink running shoes allow the athlete to progress throughout her training session with agility, and her hair is tied back so she can focus on her task at hand. The next scene shows Michelle back in the pool, emerging from the water in slow motion. As she uses her core strength, her abs are on show and the audience can see water dripping down her toned body. With close-ups of the stunner from every angle, there is no missing a glimpse of every curve. During a stretching workout session, the sportswoman wears a pair of sleek black mini shorts and gets her bottom muscles working with some squats. She also proudly does her famous warm-up dance, moving her hips side-to-side on the race track . In a white crop top and green boy legs shorts, the hurdler gets down to stretch during the video . She also proudly does her famous warm-up dance, moving her hips side-to-side on the race track. Getting back to the gym, Michelle puts on her game face as she performs a series of lunges and pull-ups in an intense workout. She also shows her versatility in the gym, putting on a pair of red hot boxing gloves. Coordinating with a matching scarlet crop top, not only does Michelle show off her fierce boxing skills, but also her ample assets as the camera zooms in. Featuring on World Star Hip Hop's online channels, it is no surprise an upbeat track is playing in the background. Getting back to the gym, she puts on her game face as she performs a series of lunges and pull-ups . During a stretching workout session, the sportswoman wears a pair of sleek black mini shorts . The 21-year-old hurdeler gets her bottom muscles working with some squats . Showing her appreciation for the brand itself, Michelle kisses a glitzy long necklace with a pendant in the shape of World Star Hip Hop's logo. This is one of a few projects the athlete has worked on in the last 12 months, with her own app Stretch! with Michelle Jenneke released last year. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia about the production of her app last year, she said: 'People very much like to have someone teaching them that they can relate to. It was all just me while we filmed.' Showing her appreciation for the brand itself, Jenneke wears a pair of briefs with the WSHH logo . A close up of the brunette's cleavage is clearly visible as she lifts some weights while in a red crop top . Jenneke became a YouTube smash when she showed off her sexy warm-up dance moves at the Junior World Championships in Barcelona 2012, spawning an internet meme and countless copy-cats . | Michelle Jenneke came fifth at the 2014 Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles final .
21-year-old stars in sultry warm-up video for World Star Hip Hop .
Jenneke became an internet sensation two years ago at the Junior World Championships in Barcelona 2012 . |
9,912 | 1c1ff3af98f96893b4dbcf8c3b98aa195cc25ea8 | The Capital One Cup final is just a few days away and MailOnline Sport has teamed up with Capital One, the credit card company and League Cup sponsor, to give you one last chance to be at Wembley this Sunday. To be in with a chance to win simply answer the following question: . Who scored the winner when Tottenham and Chelsea last met in the League Cup final back in 2008? a) Jonathan Woodgate b) Ledley King c) John Terry . E-mail your answer, along with your name, address and contact number to [email protected] to arrive by midday on Thursday, February 26. PLEASE NOTE: You must validate your entry with the words CAPITAL ONE CUP TICKETS in your subject box and state whether you support Chelsea or Tottenham. Manchester City lifted the Capital One Cup last season after beating Sunderland in the final . Capital One – the card in your corner. Visit facebook.com/CapitalOneUK for more information. Normal Associated Newspapers terms and conditions apply - the Editor's decision is final. 1 Open to UK residents aged 18 or over. Employees of Capital One (Europe) plc (“Capital One”) and their immediate families (defined for the purpose of these Terms as husband, wife, mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, or persons residing in the household of such employees), together with any other person involved in the administration of the promotion or anyone subject to a Football Banning Order are not eligible to participate. The Promoter reserves the right to verify the eligibility of Entrants and check their identity. 2. The winners will receive ONE PAIR of tickets to the Capital One Cup final at Wembley on Sunday March 1, 2014. The seats will be in either the section occupied by Chelsea or Tottenham fans, according to which team the entrant selects on their entry form. 3. There is no cash or other alternatives to the prize stated and no part or parts of the prize may be substituted for other benefits, items or additions. The winner must be one of the guests and the prize is not transferrable. 4. The prize includes two seats at the final only. Transport to and from Wembley and all other incidentals associated with the event (e.g. accommodation, food and beverages, match day programmes and merchandise etc.) will be the responsibility of the winner and guest and not the responsibility of the promoter or Capital One to provide. 5. In accepting this prize it will be necessary for the promoter to pass your personal data to Capital One (Europe) PLC, its agents and the Football League (the “Prize Providers”). This is to enable the Prize Providers to confirm your attendance at the Capital One Cup Final and issue you with the appropriate ticket and any match day information packs. The personal data shared will be: First Name, Last Name, Mobile Number, Email Address, - Address, Country of residence and Team Supported. 6. To accept this prize you agree to abide by the Football League’s Conditions of Ticket Sale (available at www.football-league.co.uk/ticketconditions) and Wembley National Stadium Limited’s Stadium Ground Regulations (as displayed at the Stadium and available at www.wembleystadium.com). 7. Entrants and their guest may be required to participate in publicity associated with this promotion. In accepting this prize you agree that your image may be captured whilst attending the event and used by Capital One, its agents and/or the Football League for promotional purposes . 8. Entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions by participating in this promotion. 9. The promotion is subject to Associated Newspapers Ts&Cs- editor's decision is final. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Chelsea face London rivals Tottenham this Sunday at Wembley .
We have four pairs of tickets to give away courtesy of Capital One .
To be in with a chance to win, answer the question below .
And remember to let us know who you support . |
127,964 | 31664e32d2598afb4c9e47f07da8f26529cb8c47 | By . Jenny Hope . PUBLISHED: . 18:30 EST, 15 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 18:30 EST, 15 January 2014 . Britain has been named as the gout capital of Europe with one in 40 people suffering the condition which commonly causes swelling and pain to the big toe . Our love of alcohol and reliance on junk food has made Britain into the country worst affected by gout in Europe, researchers claim. A record one in 40 people in the UK have been diagnosed with the painful arthritic disorder that famously afflicted Henry VIII – bringing the total number of patients with the condition to around 1.5million. Historically known as ‘the disease of kings’, gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis which has long been thought to be caused by an overindulgent lifestyle. A new study, published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, suggests 21st century diets are fuelling a surge in cases, with the UK ahead of Germany and Italy. However two-thirds of sufferers are still not being prescribed drugs for the condition – a statistic that has remained unchanged since the late 1990s, according to scientists. Lead researcher Dr Weiya Zhang, from Nottingham City Hospital, said ‘We are eating too much junk food. 'We are also drinking a lot of alcohol. All these things cause gout. ‘The prevalence of gout has risen in the past 16 years and is now the highest reported within Europe.’ ‘But it is curable, with the right drugs, and that is also something we are not doing very well at because gout is extremely painful if left untreated. Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis, with sudden onset of acute pain, redness and swelling in peripheral joints, most commonly the joint in the big toe. It is caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystals, which is related to high uric acid in the blood, and can be alleviated with urate-lowering treatment (ULT). The condition used to be rare among young people, but research suggests it is becoming more common with the obese getting it a decade earlier than healthy weight people. 'Despite being the commonest inflammatory arthritis the management of gout continues unchanged with just a minority of patients receiving ULT and new patients not being treated in a timely fashion,' Dr Zhang added. The study found wide variation in both the number of existing and new cases with the most occurring in Wales and the North East of England. Analysis of primary care records from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) between 1997 and 2012 found among more than 4.5 million eligible people almost 116,000 already had gout. Eating junk food and drinking too much alcohol are known to encourage the condition commonly known as 'the disease of kings' This is a prevalence of 2.5 per cent, . almost twice as high as previous estimates and topping Germany (1.4 per . cent) and Italy (around one per cent). Men . were significantly more likely to have been diagnosed than women, . mostly between the ages of 35 and 39 at a ratio of 11 to two. More than 7,000 new cases were identified giving an overall incidence of 2.26 per 1,000 person years, rising to 3.5 among men. They were highest for both sexes among those aged 80 to 84. During the study period the prevalence of gout rose by 64 per cent, increasing by around 4 per cent every year. Rates were around four times higher in men. The number of new cases rose by 30 per cent during this time, increasing by around 1.5 per cent each year. New cases were highest in Wales and the North East of England, and lowest in the East of England and Northern Ireland. Only a third of people with gout were getting urate-lowering drugs, a proportion that remained constant over 15 years, says a report online in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (must credit). In 2012, fewer than one in five patients was prescribed drugs within six months of their diagnosis, and only around one in four was still on treatment a year later. This rate was virtually unchanged since 1997, despite the publication of guidelines on optimal management of the condition. Patients got better at taking their drugs, with around four out of 10 doing so in 2012, compared with 28 per cent in 1997, but these figures suggests more needs to be done, said Dr Zhang. ‘It is apparent educational initiatives to improve practitioner knowledge, interest and standard of care of the only ‘curable’ form of inflammatory arthritis are urgently required’ he added. Rheumatologist Dr Tim Tait, medical trustee of the UK Gout Society said ‘We welcome this new data which reaffirms gout as a significant health problem. ‘The increase in gout is a result of a combination of factors - primarily an ageing population and a growing obesity problem in the UK.’ Researchers last month found gout may run in the family, partly because of genetics and also through sharing similar diets. | Around 1.5million people in the UK are affected by the condition .
Recent research suggests 21st century diets are fuelling a surge in sufferers .
Two thirds are still not being prescribed with drugs for the condition . |
39,923 | 70b17339b413a18fe87c1bbaf5188be9a4d4dd3a | Do you dream of having a white wedding, but despair at the lack of a man in your life to share the big day with? You're not alone - a new trend is cropping up in the Far East for solo weddings. As women become financially independent, they are putting off settling down with partners until later on in life. But they still want the all-about-me no-expense-spared party that comes with getting hitched, without actually having to tie the knot. Want to get hitched but don't have a man in your life? A Japanese company is selling 'solo weddings', where girls can experience the thrills of getting married without the need for a husband . Travel company Cera Travel in Kyoto, a city in southern Japan, has started a new service called 'Solo Wedding.' It lets single women enjoy all the fun and glamour of the day, including spending the honeymoon night in a fancy hotel. The two-day trip sees the clients get dress fittings, choose their own bouquets, get their hair and make-up done and even choose a man to accompany them for a photo shoot. The service started in June and is aimed at single, working women who have decided to pursue careers instead of follow the traditional Japanese route of getting married. The solo wedding arranges for clients to get dress fittings, choose their own bouquets, get their hair and make-up done and even choose a man to accompany them for a photo shoot . It is also being marketed at women who have been divorced but want to feel special again. So far ten women have taken up the offer, which costs around £1,700 ($2,750). A spokesman for the company said: 'It is a truly unique experience and one that we are very proud of. 'All the details are taken care of by wedding professionals and for those who don't want a traditional white wedding dress we offer our Geisha service, which sees the brides going on an historical photo shoot dressed up as Geishas.' After the big day, the women then head back to a 'honeymoon suite' Businesswoman Nagi Daisen, 43, said: 'I've been in a relationship for years but we've never got round to actually getting married. 'So I decided to do this for myself and it was amazing fun. 'I always wanted to wear a wedding dress and to be pampered like this and now I have been. It was great.' The honeymoon night does not include the model used for the photo shoot, although the company said the women mostly invited their boyfriends to join them in the honeymoon suite after the 'wedding' was over. | Japanese company started the service for career-women and divorcees .
It includes choosing a wedding dress and bouquet, plus hair and make-up .
Ladies can even choose a man to accompany them for a photo shoot . |
151,931 | 505a80fac9f5c8124fc99dfc2e1f9811c19390af | Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court for the third time this year has stopped the pending capital punishment of a Texas inmate, giving lawyers for the man more time to file their appeals. The justices on Tuesday issued an order granting a stay of execution for Cleve Foster, about 2 1/2 hours before his scheduled lethal injection. The Gulf War veteran was convicted along with another man of the 2002 murder of Nyanuer "Mary" Pal, a Sudanese immigrant he met at a Fort Worth bar. The court indicated it would need more time to rule on the inmate's claims of prior ineffective assistance of counsel, and related claims of innocence of the murder. This is the third time Foster, 47, has been granted a high court reprieve. His previous scheduled execution was stopped in January and April, once after he had already been given his last meal. His April procedure was to be the state's first execution using a new sedative, the first in the lethal drug cocktail. A nationwide shortage of sodium thiopental forced corrections officials to announce they would use pentobarbital, a barbiturate that has alternately been used to put animals to sleep. Foster's lawyers had challenged that change, saying Texas foisted the new protocols so late, with little time for legal or medical review. The state has since executed several inmates with the new drug mixture, without noted complications. Foster has blamed his co-conspirator for the murder. His lawyers in their Supreme Court appeal presented letters from three fellow inmates who said co-defendant Sheldon Ward told them he acted alone in Pal's murder. The state countered Ward's statements to a psychologist implicating Foster as the mastermind behind the killing. They also said DNA from both men were found in the victim. Texas has a planned lethal injection Wednesday. Lawrence Brewer, 44, was one of two white men convicted in the 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr., an African-American. That widely reported crime led to national movement to step up prosecutions and penalties for hate crimes. Brewer has no pending appeals. It would be the 11th execution this year in Texas, the most active death-penalty state. The current case is Foster v. Texas (11-6427). | Court grants Cleve Foster his third stay of execution .
The order came just 2 1/2 hours before the scheduled lethal injection .
He was scheduled to die for the 2002 murder of a Sudanese woman .
Court said it needed more time to rule on his claims of ineffective counsel . |
142,404 | 44288111716dc3bb0ec48a67371ffb696d6b7b32 | By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 15:27 EST, 9 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:26 EST, 10 July 2013 . Dustin Hoffman has described how dressing as a woman for 1982 film Tootsie made him realize he is 'brainwashed' about the typical notion of female beauty. In a 2012 interview that has resurfaced this week, the 75-year-old said that the movie opened his eyes to the unrealistically high expectations placed on women's physical appearance. Mr Hoffman told the American Film Institute that transforming into a woman who was not conventionally attractive made him realize he had spent a lifetime judging women by their looks. Scroll down for video . Emotional: In a 2012 interview that has resurfaced this week, Dustin Hoffman chokes back tears as he opens up about feeling 'brainwashed' about the typical notion of female beauty . Epiphany: The 75-year-old said dressing as a woman in 1982 film Tootsie opened his eyes to the unrealistically high expectations placed on women's physical appearance . 'I went home and started crying,' he recounted, explaining that he told his wife that he knew then that he had to make this movie. When she asked why, he responded: . 'Because I think I am an interesting woman when I look at myself on . screen. And I know that if I met myself at a party, I would never talk . to that character,' he confessed. 'Because she doesn't fulfill physically the demands that we're brought up to think women have to have in order to ask them out.' 'There's too many interesting women I have not had the experience to know because I have been brainwashed' The actor then choked back tears as he recounted the realization that he had at that time. 'There's too many interesting women I have. . . not had the experience to know in this life because I have been brainwashed,' he says he told his wife. The father-of-six, who has been . married to his attorney wife Lisa for 32 years, said that he asked to do . a make-up test before signing onto the film, because he wanted to make . sure he could make for a convincing woman. Unconventional beauty: The actor tears up as he says he took the role (right) 'because she doesn't fulfill physically the demands that we're brought up to think women have to have in order to ask them out' Tragic undertones: In the interview, the actor's voice trembles as he says that because of his epiphany, the lighthearted movie was 'never a comedy for me' When Columbia Pictures transformed him into the role, he confessed that he was 'shocked' to see that he wasn't more attractive. 'I said "Now you have me looking like a . woman, now make me beautiful,"' he recounts in the interview. 'I thought if I was going to be a woman, I would want to be as beautiful as possible' 'I thought . I should be beautiful if I was going to be a woman, I would want to be . as beautiful as possible.' When the make-up artists told him they couldn't make him any more conventionally attractive than they already had, that's when the actor had his epiphany. His voice trembles as he says that for that reason, the lighthearted movie was 'never a comedy for me'. Mr Hoffman was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in the film. | Dustin Hoffman starred in 1982 film Tootsie as an actor who dresses as a woman in order to find work .
He choked back tears in an interview as he explained that transforming into a woman who was not conventionally attractive opened his eyes to the unrealistically high standards placed on female beauty . |
116,752 | 22b8b4e00caf303a93a222e6a7b6379049df4097 | (CNN Student News) -- August 15, 2013 . On this page you will find today's show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, Maps pertaining to today's show, and a place for you to leave feedback. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. DAILY CURRICULUM . Click here for a printable version of the Daily Curriculum (PDF). Media Literacy Question of the Day: . Why do you think that some journalists are willing to potentially put themselves in harm's way to cover news stories? Key Concepts: Identify or explain these key terms or places you heard in today's show: . 1. Egypt . 2. natural born citizen . 3. performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) Fast Facts: How well were you listening to today's program? 1. Who is the current U.S. secretary of state? 2. What are the eligibility criteria for U.S. president? 3. Angela Merkel is the leader of what country? Discussion Questions: . 1. Why do you think the international community is so concerned about events in Egypt? 2. Why do you think that the Founding Fathers established the specific presidential eligibility criteria found in the U.S. Constitution? What is your opinion of these criteria? Explain. 3. Why do you think that performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) are illegal? Does hearing that an athlete has been accused of using PEDs affect your opinion of him or her? If so, how? If not, why not? 4. What information do you think world leaders might learn from interacting with citizens? How might a leader use this kind of information? CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show and curriculum. We hope you use our free daily materials along with the program, and we welcome your feedback on them. MAPS . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . Africa . Egypt . North America . Canada . Europe . Germany; Norway . FEEDBACK . We're looking for your feedback about CNN Student News. Please use this page to leave us comments about today's program, including what you think about our stories and our resources. Also, feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom. The educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well. Thank you for using CNN Student News! | This page includes the show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, and Maps .
Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
The Daily Curriculum offers the Media Literacy Question of the Day, Key Concepts, Fast Facts and Discussion Questions .
At the bottom of the page, please share your feedback about our show and curriculum . |
50,207 | 8e0025837484549aa76e0cb81d52316b3b4fb26a | By . Louise Boyle . and Associated Press . Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R. Barreras died on Tuesday in a San Antonio military hospital from wounds sustained during his most recent deployment in Afghanistan . The soldier from Tucson has died from wounds suffered during . an attack in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Thursday. Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R Barreras died on Tuesday in . San Antonio Military Medical Center, officials said. He had suffered . wounds earlier this month when his unit was attacked by enemy forces with small arms fire in Herat Province, . Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said. The 49-year-old was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th . Infantry, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division in Fort Bliss, . Texas. He became the top enlisted soldier for the battalion in March 2013. Soldiers from the battalion were deployed to Afghanistan in December. The 1st Armored Division, also known as 'Old Ironsides,' dates . back to before World War II. Barreras was part of the U.S. Special Operations Forces who rescued POW Jessica Lynch in April 1, 2003. Private First Class Lynch was seriously injured and captured when her convoy was ambushed by Iraqi forces. Her subsequent rescue thrust her into the media spotlight and was the first successful rescue of an American prisoner of war since Vietnam and the first ever of a woman. His vast number of awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with V device, Bronze Star with three oak leaf clusters and the Purple Heart with one oak leaf cluster. His colleague, Lt. Col. Edward Brady told The Army Times: 'Command Sgt. Maj. Barreras was my friend and battle buddy. 'I’ve spent more time with him than my wife since I’ve taken command. I believe that I was the luckiest battalion commander in the Army to have him as my command sergeant major.' He added: 'While every soldier in this formation is extremely saddened by his loss, his Bobcats are doing exactly what he would expect of us: continuing on with the mission and taking the fight to the enemy. This man would do absolutely anything and everything to ensure his soldiers came home safely.' In a statement, Representative Ron Barber, (D-Tucson), called Barreras a brave member of the United States Army. U.S. Army soldier and POW Jessica Lynch, 19, a member of the 507th Maintenance Company, arrives on April 3 on a stretcher at the Ramstein US Air Base in Germany after her dramatic rescue in Iraq . Jessica Lynch, seen in this undated photo, was captured in 2003 when her convoy was ambushed in Iraq (left). She was rescued by a U.S. Special Operations unit which included Sgt. May. Barreras . 'Command Sgt. Maj. Barreras's death is a reminder that . although the United States is winding down our combat role in . Afghanistan, we still have men and women who are placing themselves in . harm's way every day,' Barber said. 'I thank each one of them, as well . as their families, for their service and for their sacrifice.' Barreras is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. | Command Sgt. Maj. Martin R. Barreras died on Tuesday at .
San Antonio Military Medical Center .
He had suffered .
wounds earlier this month when his unit was attacked in Herat Province, .
Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said\ .
He is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son . |
254,035 | d4c5cb090af8ba06af96ef8e81e495c22705398a | By . Zoe Szathmary . A senior pastor at an Oklahoma megachurch - who happens to be a married father of five - resigned on Tuesday after he admitted to infidelity. Rev. Mark Crow of Victory Church stepped down 'after confessing to marital unfaithfulness,' executive pastor Rev. Dale Swanson said on Thursday in a statement to NewsOk. 'The Victory Church family and staff are praying for Mark, that the same grace we all experience and draw comfort from in our own spiritual journey, will be ever present in Mark’s transition to healing and wholeness,' he said. Unfaithful: Rev. Mark Crow, seen here on the cover of his book, resigned as Victory Church senior pastor 'after confessing to marital unfaithfulness' The happy couple? The Crows, pictured, have been married for over twenty years and are parents to five children . Swanson also said that Victory Church will offer resources to the apparently troubled reverend, citing his 'fractured relationships.' 'Mark will be focusing his full attention on his personal relationship with God, and beginning the process of bringing healing to the fractured relationships in his life and family,' he said. 'Victory Church is fully committed to providing the counselors and ministers who will guide him through the process of reconciliation with God, and ensuring the best possible outcome for this next season in his life.' Megachurch: Victory Church, pictured, was founded by Rev. Mark Crow and his wife, Pastor Jennifer Crow, in 1994 . Crow founded Victory Church in 1994 with his wife and fellow pastor Jennifer, according to its website. It now has operates five locations, including a branch in Lesotho. The couple are parents to five children and have been married for over twenty years, according to Pastor Jennifer's book 'Perfect Lies.' She also is a grandmother to three children, according to her page with Victory Church. On a separate website, Crow says she was 'miraculously healed' in 2003 after fighting multiple 'incurable' conditions and depression. Her Facebook page and Twitter, however, currently appear disabled, as does her husband's Facebook page and website. | Rev. Mark Crow stepped down 'after confessing to marital unfaithfulness'
Founded Victory Church with wife Pastor Jennifer Crow in 1994 . |
215,774 | a34a94063780a4b81fb1a83bf550905560683c62 | Sanford Rubenstein (left), seen here at a 2005 party in Miami, is accused of raping a 42-year-old woman. The woman pictured here is not his accuser . The New York Police Department seized 'biological evidence' and a sex toy from the penthouse apartment of Rev Al Sharpton's lawyer Monday as they investigate rape allegations against the 70-year-old civil rights attorney. Neighbors and friends, meanwhile, detailed a seedy lifestyle of frequenting strip clubs and using his limousine to pick up much younger women, according to the New York Post. Sanford Rubenstein maintains that he had consensual sex with the 42-year-old retail executive whom he took home after the civil rights leader's birthday party at the Four Seasons last Wednesday. He has not been charged with a crime. However, the woman has told NYPD detectives that Rubenstein took advantage of her when she was passed out drunk and incapable of telling him no. Rubenstein's lawyer Benjamin Brafman issued a statement to MailOnline refusing to comment on the Post's claims, 'even those I know to be patently false.' He also reiterated an earlier assertion that Rubenstein will be cleared by the police investigation and that he did not commit a crime. NYPD detectives searched the attorney's $7million penthouse apartment on East 63rd Street in Manhattan on Tuesday and reportedly collected 'biological evidence,' according to the Post. Cops also hauled away bedding, a mattress and a sex toy. The Post, quoting 'sources close to Rubenstein,' alleges a tawdry personal life that revolved around the constant pursuit of sex. One source told the newspaper: 'The guy’s hung like a cashew.' Another said: 'Every time I see him, he wants to tell me about his latest ménage à trois. It’s all about sex with this guy.' Neighbors say they often seen the septuagenarian lawyer with young women 'barely out of their teens,' according to the Post. One source says the Rubenstein is a regular at strip clubs. He reportedly spent to much time at high-end club Scores that all the strippers greeted him by name when he came in. He also reportedly paid an artist to paint a series of canvasses depicting the club - including a scene showing him getting a rub-down, the Post claims. Search and seizure: Detectives carried away several bags of evidence from Rubenstein's penthouse apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side . Rubenstein lives in the $7million penthouse apartment at the top of this East 63rd Street highrise on the Upper East Side . He currently haunts at a strip club in Hell's Kitchen that features muscled, tattooed strippers who are black or Hispanic and prefers women who are 5-foot-11 or taller, the Post claims. Meanwhile, attorneys representing the alleged victim said Monday they have 'devastating' information about the alleged crime. Sources familiar with the case have claimed that the 42-year-old woman, who works for Sharpton’s National Action Network, went home with the 70-year-old attorney willingly last week, and even had sex with him a second time the following morning. But attorney Keith White who represents the alleged victim has challenged these assertions, insisting that a crime had been committed. ‘There’s a lot of new information that will be devastating to Mr. Rubenstein,’ White told New York Daily News. ‘We want to give the district attorney a chance to take this information and do the right thing.‘ . White's partner, Kenneth Montgomery, accused Rubenstein and his legal team headed by Benjamin Brafman of trying to 'demonize' his client. Describing the 42-year-old as a mother and a pillar of the community, Montgomery said her 'world has been turned upside down.' Investigators suspect Rubenstein may have used an object to penetrate the 42-year-old woman during the alleged attack in his $7million Manhattan penthouse, making her bleed, sources told the New York Daily News. The anonymous accusation, which emerged Sunday, is at odds with the source close to Rubenstein, who said the alleged attack that night was in fact consensual, and that more sex followed in the morning. The claims came as investigators spent hours searching Rubenstein's apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side for evidence. On Monday afternoon, police removed a dozen evidence bags, among them one marked 'biological evidence.' They also carried a mattress out of Rubenstein's apartment. Close: The Rev Al Sharpton, center with Rubenstein to the left, has said there is no place for the alleged behavior - but avoided jumping to the conclusion that he is guilty . As part of the investigation, police reportedly set up a call between the alleged victim and Rubenstein, during which the woman asked the 70-year-old attorney, 'What happened last night?' The lawyer replied that they had sex but did not incriminate himself, a police source told the paper. He has not been charged with anything, though law enforcement sources suggested to the paper that are considering a third-degree rape charge, which means the victim was incapable of consent. Rubenstein is a well-known society figure in New York and has fought high-profile cases linked to the National Action Network, often over the actions of the NYPD. Sharpton also found himself drawn into commenting on the accusations today, telling a crowd: 'I don't care how close we are - if he's wrong, he's wrong.' Although he avoided choosing one side over the other, Sharpton said there is 'no place' for the alleged behavior, the New York Post reported. He said: 'We do not justify disrespecting women. Doesn’t mean you’re guilty, but it does mean if you are, ain’t no place for that in our community.' Rubenstein and his alleged victim were both at Sharpton's lavish 60th birthday party at the Four Seasons restaurant before they went home together, along with a third person, who later left. Other guests at the bash included New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York governor Andrew Cuomo, singer Aretha Franklin and director Spike Lee. A police source described the case as 'a classic he said, she said'. Law enforcement sources also described how Rubenstein was allegedly called by the victim, with police listening in, in an attempt to trick him into describing the encounter. Defense: Benjamin Brafman has been taken on as Rubenstein's attorney. Above he denies all allegations to waiting reporters . But, the source said, the call passed without incident and Rubenstein simply said that they two of them had sex. Rubenstein hit back at the claims Monday through a lawyer of his own - top New York attorney Benjamin Brafman. Brafman spoke to waiting reporters outside Rubenstein's apartment today denying any wrongdoing. He said: 'We do not believe he committed any crime whatsoever and are confident that when the investigation is completed no criminal charges will be filed'. The media-savvy Rubenstein currently represents the family of Eric Garner, who died after a police chokehold during an arrest in July. The case sparked protests and calls for change within the police department. He also represented the family of Sean Bell, killed in 2008 in a hail of police bullets. The city eventually settled with Bell's family for $7.5million. High-profile case: Rev. Herbert Daughtry, far left, Rev. Al Sharpton, second from left, and attorney Sanford Rubenstein, far right, escort Esaw Garner, second from right, the wife of fatal police chokehold victim Eric Garner, after a press conference August 21, 2014 . Rubenstein is a member of the National Action Network and has often stood arm-in-arm with Sharpton at protests. On Monday, Sharpton met with Garner's family and said he would discuss the Garner investigation at a rally on Saturday. Sharpton issued a statement on Sunday saying he was aware of the allegations. 'National Action Network and Rev. Al Sharpton has not been notified or advised by any official investigating authorities,' the statement read. 'The allegations as reported occurred at a private residence after a NAN event and had nothing to do with NAN nor Rev. Al Sharpton, therefore we have no comment at this time.' | Sanford Rubenstein, 70, accused of raping 42-year-old last week .
Went home with her after Sharpton's 60th birthday party in Manhattan .
But a source claimed sex was consensual - and happened again next day .
Investigators searched Rubenstein's Upper East Side penthouse Monday, removing dozens of evidence bags and a mattress . |
217,754 | a5ef81ccb3b19bf354b0a7be2c732ba7dc7cd93c | (CNN) -- Roma returned to the top of Serie A with a 2-1 victory at 10-man Parma on Saturday to keep the Italian title race on a knife edge. Champions Inter Milan, who reached a first European Cup final since 1972 in midweek, now trail by one point ahead of Sunday's trip to Roma's capital rivals Lazio. Claudio Ranieri's team, who face Inter in the Italian Cup final, bounced back from last weekend's 2-1 defeat by Sampdoria to revive their title hopes with two matches to play. Captain Francesco Totti opened the scoring in the fifth minute after showing great control to chest down Daniele De Rossi's pass and lob Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante. Totti also hit the post 10 minutes into the second half, and then the veteran striker's cross allowed Rodrigo Taddei to head the second goal with 15 minutes left as Parma -- employing four strikers -- pressed to equalize. Totti was also involved as 10th-placed Parma had Luis Jimenez sent off for the third time since his loan arrival from Inter in February, with the Chilean receiving a second yellow card for a foul on the 33-year-old with two minutes left. "I told my players to battle and then see if the ball would run for us. Last week it went against us but today it went for us," Ranieri told reporters. "I'm not thinking about Lazio but obviously if they play their part, tomorrow's game should be a tough one to win." Third-placed AC Milan almost certainly clinched qualification for next season's Champions League with a 1-0 win over Fiorentina despite being reduced to 10 men. Brazilian forward Ronaldinho netted the only goal from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after Mario Borriello was fouled, but teammate Massimo Ambrosini was sent off for a second bookable offense with two minutes to go. The victory was a boost for coach Leonardo, who was criticized by club president Silvio Berlusconi in midweek and faces an uncertain future. Milan moved nine points clear of fifth-placed Palermo, who travel to second-bottom Siena on Sunday, needing to win handsomely to redress a nine-goal inferior for-and-against ratio. Sampdoria, two points above Palermo, host bottom club Livorno. | Roma move one point clear of Inter Milan at the top of the Italian Serie A table .
Captain Francesco Totti inspires a 2-1 victory away to Parma, who have a man sent off .
Defending champions Inter travel to Roma's capital city rivals Lazio on Sunday .
Ten-man AC Milan consolidate third place with 1-0 victory at home to Fiorentina . |
255,084 | d62c9b476e9e34fddd765c92377fbcc40a14a540 | By . Amy Oliver . PUBLISHED: . 07:40 EST, 21 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:53 EST, 22 June 2012 . Paying for it: Berlin social services paid for bed and board, clothing and German lessons for Robin van Helsum aka 'Forest Boy' He cost Germany's social services department thousands after making them believe he had lived rough in a forest for five years. But now 20-year-old Robin van Helsum aka 'Forest Boy' may have to pay back as much as £16,000 in expenses that police racked up accommodating him for nine months. Berlin social services paid for bed and board, clothing and German lessons for the English-speaking Dutchman. They also gave him a staggering £200 a month in pocket money. Ed Koch, . spokesman for the district youth welfare office, told The Telegraph: 'We will file a suit for fraudulent . appropriation of youth benefits during the course of the week. 'We're going to . demand this money back. Whether we ever see it again, we don't know.' Van Helsum enjoyed Berlin's hospitality while maintaining the illusion he was a 17-year-old boy called Ray who had spent years living in the forest. His rouse was exposed when friends from his old school in his hometown of Hengelo recognised him on the news. His stepmother then positively identified him to police. It then emerged he had travelled to Berlin just days before re-inventing himself as 'Ray'. Friends said Van Helsum left home because of 'personal problems' and to 'start a new life'. But police warned that, if the incident proved to be a hoax, then Van Helsum could face a substantial legal bill for wasting police time. Police spokesman Michael Maass told Die Welt at the time: 'It was a really frustrating case and took up a lot of time. That will have to be paid for and that will eventually end up at his door.' 'It's not longer a joke. If the story is made up then he deliberately took us for fools, and he could be liable for the costs.' Outed: Van Helsum's real identity was exposed after friends from the Grundel School in Hengelo, the Netherlands, recognised his picture on the news . Props: Van Helsum enjoyed Berlin's hospitality while maintaining the illusion he was a 17-year-old boy called Ray who had spent years living rough in the forest . According to German news agency DPA, Robin VH was last seen in Hengelo on September 2, 2011, ahead of taking a trip to Berlin with a friend. This was just days before he appeared at the city hall as 'Forest Boy'. Berlin social services are also annoyed with the boy's manners after he failed to say thank you or apologise for the hoax. | Berlin social services paid for bed and board, clothing and German lessons for hoaxer .
He lived at their expense for nine month before being exposed . |
109,057 | 18956239908832c4baafe48c880286b59909c5aa | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 03:13 EST, 8 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:48 EST, 9 July 2013 . A Thai taxi driver has been charged with murder after allegedly hacking an American passenger to death who 'refused to pay a fare worth less than $2'. CCTV caught part of the fatal row in Bangkok, and shows a man — later identified as 32-year-old cab driver Chidchai Utmacha — brandishing a long blade, authorities said. Utmacha allegedly confessed to grabbing a 12-inch machete from his trunk and slashing Troy Lee Pilkington with it. Scroll down for video . The driver claims that Californian-born Mr Pilkington lunged at him and he was forced to stab him with the machete in self defense . But he claims he acted in self-defense . after the American charged at him after allegedly refusing to pay a 51 . baht fee - $1.60 - for his ride. Police Lt. Col. Teerayut Maiplaeng . said Pilkington, 51, had been living in Thailand for at least three . years and spoke Thai fluently, the NY Daily News reported. The driver claims that . Californian-born Mr Pilkington lunged at him and he was forced to stab . him with the machete in self defense. Horrific: A security camera caught grainy footage of the 32-year-old taxi driver attacking 51-year-old American Troy Lee Pilkington after he reportedly refused to pay his fare . Brutal: Driver Chidchai Utmacha used a machete to stab the expat after he didn't pay the $1.60 fare . Video footage from a surveillance camera captured part his ordeal, which took place Saturday on Bangkok's busy Sukhumvit Road. The footage shows the taxi driver swinging a machete as a man, identified as Mr Pilkington, flails his arms and tries to grab the driver. The two men then move out of the camera's view, and seconds later, the sword-wielding driver reappears in the frame as he flees the scene. Brutal: Chidchai Utmacha re-enacted the attack for police after he was arrested . Drive by: The police kept him handcuffed throughout the re-enactment as they drove him back on Sunday to the scene of the attack . Mr Pilkington, worked for US machinery company Caterpillar Inc. and had lived in Thailand for at least three years. The taxi driver told investigators that Pilkington accused him of rigging the taxi's meter and then stormed out of the cab while they sat in traffic. He claimed the American threw a cup of coffee at him when he asked for the money, after which he pulled the knife from his trunk and chased after Pilkington. Police identified the driver from the video footage and arrested him at his house on Sunday. Chidchai is facing charges of murder and carrying a weapon in public without reasonable cause. Mr Pilkington supposedly refused to pay the fare for his taxi in the Thai capital, after which the taxi driver pulled the knife out of his trunk and stabbed him . | Troy Lee Pilkington, 51, was stabbed to death in Bangkok .
Thai taxi driver allegedly killed him with a 12in machete .
American expatriate said to have been murdered over $1.60 taxi fare . |
121,423 | 28f1ef7455faca8006f1c79e04125a07b69a1e6a | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 07:22 EST, 6 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:15 EST, 7 March 2014 . Walkers can easily get lost in the Brecon Beacons even with the help of modern gadgets and GPS systems. And it seems prehistoric man also struggled to find his way around the Welsh mountainside as archaeologists have stumbled across a 4,000-year-old signpost. The Bronze Age rock art is the first of its kind to be found in the Brecon Beacons and its exact location is being kept secret to protect the site. A Bronze Age Sat-Nav? The rock art is the first of its kind to be found in the Brecon Beacons and its exact location is being kept secret to protect the site . The 4,000-year-old signpost lies in a secret location in the Brecon Beacons, south Wales. It is the first of its kind to be found in Wales, which is rich in Bronze Age sites. Experts claim prehistoric stone served as a way marker for primitive farming communities who lived in isolated farms which were just one or two small round houses of timber and stone - or in small villages of up to 30 people. The stone is marked with 12 cup marks to denote the area's geography. Cup marks were the most common later prehistoric rock art form in Britain and Europe, but their occurrence in mid Wales is rare. Although the rock, which has many . markings of different shapes and sizes in it, now lies flat, scientists . believe it stood up in the past and would have been used as a way marker . for farmers. The ancient standing stone has 12 hollow cup marks cut into the rock face to help travellers navigate the landscape thousands of years ago. The small wells are thought to have acted as markers for geographical features in the surrounding landscape to help people regain their bearings. Geologist Alan Bowring came across the ancient signpost last year while working on land owned by the National Trust. ‘I often find myself working and walking in remote locations and encountering hidden features in the landscape of south and mid Wales that few others will have seen,’ he said. Experts claim prehistoric stone served as a way marker for primitive farming communities. The ancient standing stone has 12 hollow cup marks (pictured) cut into the rock face to help travellers navigate the landscape . The Bronze Age rock art is the first of its kind to be found in the Brecon Beacons (marked) ‘But this chance discovery appears to be significant in our understanding of human cultural history in the region.’ Sensing it was unusual, he sought advice from national park archaeologist Natalie Ward, who has experience of recording similar artefacts in the north of England. Miss Ward said the discovery of the ancient marker was a ‘unique find’ in Wales. ‘There are lots of other rock art sites in Britain but they are mainly in Scotland and North England,’ she said. ‘But this particular formation with cut marks that are joined by connecting lines - there are only a handful of these sites in Wales. ‘The fact this could have once been an upright standing stone would make it unique in Wales.’ The National Trust’s own archaeological survey had already highlighted Bronze Age features in the area. Bronze Age people lived in isolated farms which were just one or twosmall round houses of timber and stone - or in small villages of up to 30 people. Geologist Alan Bowring (pictured) came across the ancient signpost last year while working on land owned by the National Trust. 'I often find myself working and walking in remote locations, and encountering hidden features in the landscape of south and mid Wales that few others will have seen,' he said . From the archaeological evidence available, cattle were the most important animals kept and barley and wheat the most important crops. Dr George Nash of the University of Bristol confirmed the standing stone is the first prehistoric rock engraved panel recorded in the Brecon Beacons. Dr Nash said that based on the shape of the stone and its engravings it was probably carved in the early to middle Bronze Age period, between 2,500 BC and 1,500 BC. Bronze Age farming communities lived in isolated farms which were just one or two small round houses of timber and stone - or in small villages of up to 30 people. An illustration of a larger village in the Outer Hebridean Western Isles is pictured . ‘We might have been able to predict a discovery of this kind considering the large amount of prehistoric ritual sites in the Brecon Beacons, but this is the first evidence of prehistoric rock art to be ever recorded here,’ he said. ‘There are no other later prehistoric standing stones within this part of Wales that are cup marked, making this one rather unique.’ He said the cup marks were the most common later prehistoric rock art form in Britain and Europe, but their occurrence in mid Wales is rare. There are many Bronze Age sites in Wales. This platform cairn in Conwy is a circular funerary monument built 3,000 years ago . | Standing stone is the first prehistoric carved rock recorded in the Brecon Beacons - and is thought to be the only example of its kind in Wales .
It has 12 hollow cup marks cut into the rock face to help travellers navigate the mountainous landscape 4,000 years ago .
Cup marks were the most common later prehistoric rock art form in Britain and Europe, but their occurrence in mid Wales is rare . |
243,007 | c68813e2bcf823120198074d6e53a63bfa932151 | Mystery has surrounded the death of Yuri Gagarin, the first man to journey into space . Yuri Gagarin made history in 1961 when, aged just 27, he became the first man to journey into space. His single Earth orbit on April 12 lasted 108 minutes and was one of the Soviet Union's most enduring Cold War victories. Seven years later, the Russian cosmonaut was killed in a crash during a training flight - an event that has been shrouded in mystery ever since. Among the conspiracy theories were that he was murdered on the orders of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev for an unspecified offence or disloyalty to the party; Gagarin had committed suicide; or that the plane had actually hit a UFO. Kremlin archives declassified in early 2011 concluded that his MiG jet had swerved to avoid a weather balloon, causing the plane to go into a tailspin and hit the ground, killing him instantly. But after 40 years of secrecy, the real cause of Gagarin's death can be revealed, courtesy of fellow cosmonaut Aleksey Leonov. Leonov, who was the first man to make a spacewalk, in 1965, had been part of an official committee set up to investigate the accident. More importantly, he had been there on that fateful day in March. And now, following the release of a . newly declassified report - which Leonov has been allowed to make public - . the 79-year-old can finally reveal the actual chain of events; something . he has wanted to do for 20 years. Seen here in 1963 are Yuri Gagarin (centre) with Soviet Communist Party First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev. Five years later, the Russian cosmonaut died in a crash during a training flight . Aleksey Leonov, who was the first man to make a . spacewalk, in 1965 (pictured), had been part of an official committee set up to . investigate the accident. More importantly, he had been there on that . fateful day in March when Gagarin's MiG went into a tailspin after apparently hitting a weather balloon, and crashed to the ground . 'That [original] conclusion is believable to a civilian, not to a professional - but in fact, everything went down differently,' Leonov told Russia Today. He explained that an unauthorised SU-15 fighter jet was flying dangerously close to Gagarin’s aircraft. Leonov said: 'In this case, the pilot didn’t follow the book, descending to an altitude of 450 metres. 'I know this because I was there; I heard the sound and talked to witnesses. 'While afterburning, the aircraft reduced its echelon [plane formation] at a distance of 10-15 metres in the clouds, passing close to Gagarin, turning his plane and thus sending it into a tailspin – a deep spiral, to be precise – at a speed of 750 kilometres per hour,' he told the Russian website. Leonov was well-placed to give such testimony. He had overseen parachute jump training at Chkavlovsky airfield, northeast of Moscow - from where Gagarin had set out. At this point in his career, Gagarin was Deputy Training Director of the Cosmonaut Training Centre and was starting out as a fighter pilot again (as he had been in 1960). After being allowed to make public his remarks after a newly declassified report was released, Leonov revealed that an unauthorised SU-15 fighter jet (file picture, above) was flying dangerously close to Gagarin's aircraft. It was this that caused his plane to go into a spin and crash . Above, a statue of Gagarin outside the British Council's headquarters in central London . Major Yuri Gagarin at a reception at Earls Court for the Soviet Trade Exhibition . Due to bad weather, Leonov had been awaiting official confirmation that exercises would be cancelled that day, March 27. He then heard a supersonic sound followed by an explosion seconds later. Reports of the calamity, near the village of Novoselovo, soon filtered back to the base. Leonov formed part of the State Commission investigating the accident - and after finally gaining access to it, he discovered a litany of distorted facts. Even though his comments had his name attached, they had been written by someone else. 'Marked here was a sonic spike, a blast, followed by one-and-a-half or two seconds of supersonic noise... So, when I looked at the copy, I suddenly noticed that it stated this noise interval to be 15 to 20 seconds long instead of the two seconds that I had reported. 'That suggested that the two jets must have been no less than 50km apart,' he told RT. Leonov knew that Gagarin's jet had plunged for 55 seconds at a speed of 750km, and made his own calculations. 'We used a computer to figure out a trajectory that would relate to this interval of 55 seconds. And it turned out to be a deep spiral. Now, a jet can sink into a deep spiral if a larger, heavier aircraft passes by too close and flips it over with its backwash. 'And that is exactly what happened to Gagarin. That trajectory was the only one that corresponded with all our input parameters.' However, there remains one further question - who was the other pilot? The man responsible for the death of Gagarin is still alive, aged 80, and in poor health. But as part of the deal of him going public, Leonov has been sworn to secrecy, and has promised never to reveal his identity. Yuri Gagarin as a student at Saratov Industrial College in 1955 . The 19 candidates selected for the Vostok-1 flight were all test pilots, unafraid of speed, and slight enough in build to fit into the tiny 2m-wide (6ft) capsule. The Soviet-era charm of Gagarin's humble roots may have favored him over others, including his backup Gherman Titov. Born in the village of Klushino, some 150km (95 miles) west of Moscow, Gagarin's father was a carpenter and his mother a milkmaid. The family was forced to live in a tiny mud hut when the village was burned down during the German occupation in World War Two. 'Yura (Gagarin) was a very quick learner. He assimilated everything new. His mind was stellar,' veteran Soviet space journalist Vladimir Gubarev said. Gagarin sung Soviet hymns during the last checks, strapped atop the 30m-high (98 ft) rocket that would blast him into space from the long-secret Baikonur cosmodrome on the Kazakh steppe. 'Poyekhali! (Let's go!),' he cried, in a phrase that has become synonymous with Gagarin in Russia. 'The most emotional moment was when we heard he was walking and waving; his arms and legs were whole. 'We understood in one sigh that our five to six years of hard work had paid off and we had achieved something huge,' veteran cosmonaut Georgy Grechko said. The United States responded 10 months later, when John Glenn made the first U.S. orbital flight. The Vostok 1 capsule and the spacesuit worn by Yuri Gagarin . | Original report: 'His MiG hit weather balloon, went into tailspin and crashed'
Eye witness Aleksey Leonov, first man to walk in space, reveals truth .
Leonov was part of Soviet probe into 34-year-old Gagarin's death .
Another plane was involved - at a much closer proximity to that suggested by the Kremlin - but pilot responsible, who is still alive, is granted anonymity . |
135,857 | 3bc00e778607dbed3f3eff7edf5e03cf0c1d4f6e | (CNN) -- In the heart of the bustling capital of Cairo, Egypt, a lone female taxi driver navigates her bright yellow cab through the unforgiving traffic. "I wanted to take this adventure, as I consider it an adventure, rather than an experience. Thank God, I believe it is a nice adventure so far and I feel happy with it," Inas Hassan Ali says. Ali is one of only eight female cab drivers in a city where the profession is dominated by men. "For me, it's a very normal job, and there is nothing wrong for women to try to join a field of work that we deem as male-dominated. I see nothing wrong with that if the woman has the required skills and abilities," Ali says. Female cab drivers started appearing in Cairo's streets only earlier this year. While some welcome the transition, Ali is facing many challenges. "Still the society is not used to such an idea -- that a woman joins a field of work that was only limited to men. And still there are some people who see it as strange. On the other hand, others get curious and wonder: how did you enter this area of work and why?" Ali says. One factor that makes it difficult for women to break into a male-dominated profession is the high rate of sexual harassment in the country. In a recent report, the Egyptian Centre for Women's Right (ECWR) concluded that 83 percent of Egyptian women and 98 percent of foreign women in Egypt have experienced sexual harassment in some way or another. "It's usual here in Egypt that women get subject to some minor acts when they drive a car. ... Some encourage and show support for me. Others act by trying to block my way to show they are more skillful drivers and to prove that it's a male-dominated job," Ali says. However for an enthusiastic Ali, the rewards of her profession move beyond gender politics. "I am most interested in making my clients best satisfied at the end of the trip, regardless of their gender, as the common impression is that women are bad drivers," she says. "To have both men and women as my clients and make them feel comfortable is the greatest success for me." | Inas Hassan Ali is one of only eight female cab drivers in Cairo .
She is proud of entering a male-dominated profession .
The job is not without challenges, Ali says .
Egypt has a high rate of sexual harassment of women . |
145,782 | 4881369584b37a80cae993a2ec9fc25430cae42e | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:42 EST, 8 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:22 EST, 9 October 2013 . Abu Anas al-Libi, a suspected al-Qaeda leader connected to the 1998 embassy bombings, is being held aboard a ship . After Delta Force commandos seized Abu Anas al-Libi in Libya this weekend, he was whisked away to a nearby U.S. warship, where he will be interrogated by the military until he is sent back to the West for prosecution. Al-Libi is the latest terrorist suspect to be held aboard American naval vessels that have become 'floating black sites' used to house so-called enemy combatants offshore so they can be pumped for intelligence information. After interrogators from the military and the CIA are finished, experts say, the suspects can then be transferred to the United States, where federal prosecutors and the FBI can take over and pursue charges in a civilian court. Questioning suspected terrorists aboard U.S. warships in international . waters is President Barack Obama's answer to the Bush administration . detention policies of sending enemy combatant to secret CIA 'black sites' or to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. President Obama, as a candidate, promised to end such policies. The strategy . also makes good on Obama's pledge to prosecute terrorists in U.S. civilian courts, which many Republicans have argued against. But it also . raises questions about using 'law of war' powers to circumvent the . safeguards of the U.S. criminal justice system. That's the pattern emerging with the recent capture of al-Libi, one of the FBI's most wanted terrorists, long-sought for his alleged role in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa. He was captured in a raid Saturday and is being held aboard the USS San Antonio, an amphibious warship mainly used to transport troops. It was in the Mediterranean to support the now-canceled strikes in Syria. Al-Libi is being held aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio, where he could be interrogated for weeks or months before being read his Miranda Rights . Experts say he likely is being questioned by CIA and military interrogators - along with lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice. After the interrogation, it is expected he will be sent back to the United States and read his Miranda Rights - including the 'right to remain silent.' He will be questioned again - this time within the bounds of federal law. By holding people in secret prisons, known as black sites, the CIA was able to question them over long periods, using the harshest interrogation tactics, without giving them access to lawyers. Obama came to office without a ready replacement for those secret prisons. The concern was that if a terrorist was sent directly to court, the government might never know what intelligence he had. With the black sites closed and Obama refusing to send more people to the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, it wasn't obvious where the U.S. would hold people for interrogation. And that's where the warships came in. On Saturday, the Army's Delta Force and Libyan operatives captured al-Libi in a raid. A team of U.S. investigators from the military, intelligence agencies and the Justice Department has been sent to question him on board the San Antonio, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press. The San Antonio was in the Mediterranean as part of the fleet preparing for now-canceled strikes on Syria last month. Al-Libi's sons show off the SUV from which their father was captured by Delta Force commandos this weekend. The troops reportedly broke out his window, pulled him into their black Mercedes and whisked him away . Al-Libi, who was indicted in 2000 for his involvement in the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Africa, was being held on the warship in military custody under the laws of war, which means a person can be captured and held indefinitely as an enemy combatant, one of the officials said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. As of Monday, al-Libi had not been read his Miranda rights, which include the rights to remain silent and speak with an attorney. And it was unclear when al-Libi would be brought to the U.S. to face charges. 'It appears to be an attempt to use assertion of law of war powers to avoid constraint and safeguards in the criminal justice system,' said Hina Shamsi, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union and the director of the civil rights organization's national security project. 'I am very troubled if this is the pattern that the administration is setting for itself.' The Obama administration publicly debuted the naval ship interrogation tactic in 2011 when it captured Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, a Somali citizen who the U.S. government said helped support and train al-Qaida-linked militants. Warsame was questioned aboard a U.S. warship for two months before he went to New York to face terrorism charges. He pleaded guilty earlier this year and agreed to tell the FBI what he knew about terror threats and, if necessary, testify for the government. The White House would not discuss its plans for prosecuting al-Libi. The Obama Administration is reportedly trying to avoid putting more terrorism suspects in the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba . 'As a general rule, the government will always seek to elicit all the actionable intelligence and information we can from terrorist suspects taken into our custody,' National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said Monday. The interrogators sent to question al-Libi are part the same group that questioned Warsame - the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group. The Obama administration created the group of interrogators in 2009 to juggle the need to extract intelligence from captured suspected terrorists and preserve evidence for a criminal trial. Under interrogation, Warsame gave up what officials called important intelligence about al-Qaida in Yemen and its relationship with al-Shabab militants in Somalia. Because those sessions were conducted before Warsame was read his Miranda rights, the intelligence could be used to underpin military strikes or CIA actions but were not admissible in court. After that interrogation was complete, the FBI stepped in and started the questioning over in a way that could be used in court. After the FBI read Warsame his rights, he opted to keep talking for days, helping the government build its case. Al-Libi's case is different from Warsame's in that he already has been indicted for allegedly conducting 'visual and photographic surveillance' of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi that was attacked in 1998. Warsame was indicted after he was questioned aboard the naval ship. The ACLU's Shamsi said it's a good thing that al-Libi was not being held secretly, as was the policy during the Bush administration. But, she said, al-Libi should be entitled to counsel and a speedy trial. While prisoners have a right to a speedy trial, there's no reason the U.S. needs to rush al-Libi to court. That's because in 2010 U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that the government could prosecute al-Qaeda suspect Ahmed Ghailani in New York, despite holding him for five years in CIA and military custody. Kaplan said the delay didn't violate Ghailani's speedy-trial rights because the government has the authority to detain suspects during wartime. Kaplan is also the judge in al-Libi's case. The Obama administration has said it can hold high-value detainees on a ship for as long as it needs to. During his confirmation hearing in June 2011 to be the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. William McRaven said the U.S. could keep a detainee on a ship for as long as it takes to determine whether the U.S. could prosecute the suspect in civilian court or whether the U.S. could return the suspect to another country. 'This situation, like the one with Ahmed Warsame two years earlier, is a hybrid model in which military detention under the laws of war is used to facilitate short-term interrogation, and then combined with civilian criminal prosecution in order to take the person off the streets for the long term,' said Robert Chesney, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law who tracks terrorism issues. 'The hybrid approach is not always available,' he said. 'But it can be the perfect approach in the right circumstances.' | Suspected al-Qaeda terrorist Abu Anas al-Libi was sent to the USS San Antonio for interrogation after he was captured in Libya .
Al-Libi's handling shows new pattern favored by President Obama of using warships as the sites for extended CIA and military interrogations .
It is believed al-Libi will be transferred to the U.S. and prosecuted in civilian courts after he is pumped for intelligence information at sea . |
129,885 | 33e5a83bbf9d8fe5cc09d65dd9b7f987b0571bdf | Rome (CNN) -- Judges in the trial of the captain of the wrecked cruise liner Costa Concordia agreed Wednesday to his request for a new examination of the ship, Costa Cruises spokesman Davide Barbano told CNN from inside the court. Lawyers for Capt. Francesco Schettino had asked the panel of three judges on Monday for permission to tour the ship's bridge and engine room as part of a defense strategy he says will prove Schettino was not the only person responsible for the disaster. The move could delay the legal process for months. INTERACTIVE: How ill-fated cruise liner was raised . Schettino's defense is trying to prove that the ship's watertight doors did not function properly, and that is the reason the ship sank, leading to the loss of 32 lives during the evacuation. A special team of divers will have to examine parts of the ship which are still under water, including the engine room and watertight doors. The liner, which crashed on the rocks off Giglio Island in January 2012, was rotated back to vertical last week after well over a year resting on its side. The unprecedented maneuver, called parbuckling, exposed a twisted mass of metal dotted with mattresses, passenger luggage and deck chairs on the ship's previously submerged starboard side. Now that the Concordia is upright, there can be further investigation of the captain's alleged mishandling of the ship. Defense lawyers for Schettino agreed with lawyers representing more than 200 civil parties against the captain, including Giglio Island and several passenger and environmental advocacy groups, in asking for a new examination of the ship. How cruise ship tragedy transformed an island paradise . Prosecutors are expected to argue that Schettino's decision to take the cruise liner off course is what caused the loss of life, not secondary mistakes or malfunctions. Schettino also argued Monday that Indonesian helmsman Jacob Rusli Bin's failure to understand his command to turn away from the rocks led to the crash. Rusli Bin and four others were convicted in a plea deal in July for their role in the disaster. A Florence court is considering the validity of those plea bargain agreements. | Judges agree to a request for a new examination of the Costa Concordia .
The decision could mean a delay of months in the legal process .
Capt. Francesco Schettino asked for permission to tour the ship's bridge and engine room .
Schettino's lawyers want to show that he was not solely responsible for the disaster . |
37,981 | 6b79de4838dfab3eebc370180c73350ef3a742a1 | By . Richard Hartley-parkinson . PUBLISHED: . 07:16 EST, 15 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:54 EST, 15 May 2012 . Fun-loving and mischievous: Tyler Whelan was killed after being kicked across a room and into a door, rupturing his abdomen . A 'wicked and controlling' man who murdered his 'fun-loving, mischievous' stepson has today been ordered to serve at least 17 years in prison. Elvis Lee, 34, was yesterday found guilty of murdering Tyler Whelan, five. Lee admitted he kicked and bit Tyler on the day of his death but denied murder. The boy's mother, Stephanie Whelan, 27, has been found guilty of failing to prevent his death and is due to be sentenced next month. The kick was so hard that Tyler flew two feet through the air hitting a door at his home in Paston, near Peterborough, rupturing his abdomen and slowly killing him. At Cambridge Crown Court today, Mr Justice Nicol sentenced him to life with a minimum tariff of 17 and a half years. He said: 'Tyler had been left in your care while his mother took two other children to school. 'His young life was cut tragically short. This has been a tragedy for his father, his mother and the rest of the family. Tyler was particularly vulnerable because of his age. He was only half your height and a quarter of your weight. 'I entertain the lingering suspicion you inflicted more blows than you have admitted and that may have been the reason Tyler said nothing to his mother when she returned.' A report published after the conviction found that key opportunities to protect Tyler were missed by authorities tasked with his care. It acknowledged that previous incidents in which the boy was hurt had been 'seen in isolation' with 'minimal attempts to link concerning patterns of injuries'. Michael Borrelli QC, mitigating, said Lee’s attack on Tyler on March 7 last year was not pre-meditated and was instead a loss of temper and 'act of spite'. Elvis Lee, left, was found guilty of murder while Tyler's mother, Stephanie Whelan was found guilty of allowing his death . He . said: 'My client was himself the victim of considerable violence as a . child. He lacked a real appreciation as to the consequences of what he . did because, despite the treatment he himself had been the victim of, he . had never suffered serious injury.' The trial heard evidence that Tyler suffered a number of 'non-accidental' injuries in the year before his death. But Mr Borrelli said his client had been cleared of cruelty and neglect allegations and should be sentenced on the basis that this was an isolated attack. In June 2010, a year before he died, Tyler was taken to hospital with a fractured leg. His mother said he had fallen up some stairs but paediatric registrars referred the case to social services over other bruising to his body. Children's services said there was no risk and his injuries were from a genuine accident. In September that year he was in hospital again after falling off a bike. Again social services were told about the incident and again they deemed it to be from a genuine accident. On February 2011 teachers raised concerns over what they thought to be a radiator burn. Tyler's mother said he was accident prone. He was taken to see a GP but there was no further action. Head of children's services at Peterborough City Council, councillor Sheila Scott said: 'It was a single violent assault that led to his death and the perpetrator has now been brought to justice. Malcolm Newsam, Executive Director of Children's Services, said: 'There were certainly missed opportunities when intervention should have been more rigorous.' A serious case review found it was not possible to say with certainty that Tyler's death was predictable or preventable. Mr Newsam added: 'Nonetheless the service we offered Tyler was not good enough and we offer our sincere apologies to his extended family for that failing.' Whelan, who lived in Paston but is originally from Wigan, and Lee, also from Paston, were each cleared of two counts of cruelty or neglect relating to their failure to seek prompt medical attention on previous occasions. In statement read outside the court on . behalf of Tyler's family yesterday, his father Shaun Harrison said: 'The last year . of my life has been unbearable. Tyler was a fun-loving mischievous little boy with a big heart and amazing smile. 'I feel lost without him in my life and I can't believe he has gone. It hurts me that I will never get the . chance to see him grow up and see the man he should have become.' A serious case review, compiled by the Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board and published after the verdict at Cambridge Crown Court, acknowledged failings by the organisations responsible for his care, including Peterborough Children’s Services. The report concluded that it was impossible to say that, had there been greater intervention, the tragedy would have been prevented. But the report said: 'Whilst it would . be very challenging to state with any conviction that the subject’s . (Tyler’s) death was either predictable or preventable, there were . certainly numerous missed opportunities when interventions should have . been more rigorous and incisive on clear occasions when there were . concerns about his safety at home. 'Additionally, there were some . occasions when initiatives were not taken to assess the levels of risk . to the subject when there was a procedural requirement to have done so. 'Even . if any of the missed assessment opportunities had in fact been taken . and completed in line with procedures, it could still not be said with . any certainty that they would have made a difference to the eventual . tragic outcome.' Superintendent . Simon Megicks, from Cambridgeshire Police, said: 'This was a wicked . crime in which an innocent five-year-old was murdered by a person who . should have been looking after him. Shaun Harrison, Tyler's father, watched in court as Lee was sentenced to 17 years in prison . 'Lee is a controlling and violent man who lost his temper and inflicted fatal injuries to Tyler. Whelan has been found to have allowed his death following these fatal injuries - Tyler deserved more from his mother. 'Every child has the right to be protected and feel safe in their own home and it is a parent’s responsibility to ensure this is the case.' In a statement, Malcolm Newsam, executive director of children's services at Peterborough City Council, said there were 'lessons to be learned' following Tyler's death. He added that these were consistent with previous Ofsted inspections which had found weaknesses in the council's procedures to safeguard children. Sheila Scott, the council's cabinet member for children's services, expressed regret for the 'terrible tragedy'. DS Simon Megicks described the murder as a 'wicked crime' in which an innocent child was killed by someone who should have been looking after him . She said that since last year the council had recruited an extra 25 social workers, reduced workloads and is now completing assessments of all vulnerable children in a 'timely fashion'. Mr Newsam said: 'There were certainly missed opportunities when intervention should have been more rigorous. However, sadly, it is not clear that even if we had completed this work to the required standard, that the outcome for Tyler would have been any different. 'Nonetheless, the service we offered Tyler was not good enough and we offer our sincere apologies to his extended family for that failing. 'We would like to reassure residents that Peterborough's children's social care department is unrecognisable now to what it was 12 months ago and we have made significant improvements to our services to vulnerable children. 'We appreciate that our actions since last summer cannot change what has happened in the past, but we can confirm that our services are now much more effective at protecting vulnerable children.' | Review finds 'numerous missed opportunities' in preventing boy's death .
Mother failed to prevent his death and will be sentenced next month .
Tyler Wheelan was kicked two feet across the room and died slowly .
Judge says he believes Elvis Lee inflicted more blows than he admitted . |
78,786 | df397eb154d8e93419b96199616a7725b902fe26 | On March 19, 2003, Iraq was invaded by an "alliance of willing states" headed by the U.S. and UK. My U.N. inspection team and I had seen it coming -- and I felt an emptiness when, three days before the invasion, an American official called me to "ask" that we withdraw from the country. While we were sad to be ushered out in the midst of a job entrusted to us by the U.N. Security Council -- one that we were doing well -- there was a certain relief in knowing we had all made it out safely. We had worried that our inspectors might be taken hostage, but as it turned out the Iraqis had been very helpful during our time there. So it was that a few hundred unarmed U.N. inspectors left Iraq, to be replaced by hundreds of thousands of soldiers who began an occupation that would have a horrendous cost in lives, suffering and resources. FULL COVERAGE: The Iraq War, 10 years on . I headed the U.N. inspections in Iraq at the time of the war 10 years ago. Today, I look again at the reasons why this terrible mistake -- and violation of the U.N. charter -- took place and explore if any lessons be drawn. Here are my thoughts. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, George W. Bush's administration felt a need to let the weight and wrath of the world's only superpower fall on more evil actors than just Afghanistan's Taliban regime. No target could have seemed more worthy of being crushed than Iraq's brutal dictator, Saddam Hussein. Sadly, however, the elimination of this tyrant was perhaps the only positive result of the war. The war aimed to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, but there weren't any. The war aimed to eliminate al Qaeda in Iraq, but the terrorist group didn't exist in the country until after the invasion. The war aimed to make Iraq a model democracy based on law, but it replaced tyranny with anarchy and led America to practices that violated the laws of war. The war aimed to transform Iraq to a friendly base for U.S. troops capable to act, if needed, against Iran -- but instead it gave Iran a new ally in Baghdad. WATCH NOW: Iraq's phantom WMD . The Bush administration certainly wanted to go to war, and it advanced eradication of weapons of mass destruction as the main reason. As Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz has since explained, it was the only rationale that was acceptable to all parts of the U.S. administration. The WMDs argument also carried weight with the public and with the U.S. Congress. Indeed, in the autumn of 2002 the threat seemed credible. While I never believed Saddam could have concealed a continued nuclear program, I too thought there could still be some biological and chemical weapons left from Iraq's war with Iran. If not, why had Iraq stopped U.N. inspections at many places around the country throughout the 1990s? However, suspicions are one thing and reality is quite another. U.N. inspectors were asked to search for, report and destroy real weapons. As we found no weapons and no evidence supporting the suspicions, we reported this. But U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield dismissed our reports with one of his wittier retorts: "The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Rumsfeld's logic was correct, I believe, but it was no excuse for the American and British governments to mislead themselves and the world, as they did, by giving credit to fake evidence or assuming that if weapons items were "unaccounted for" that they must exist. They did not exist. We inspected many hundred of sites, including dozens that had been suggested to us by various governments' national intelligence organizations. In a few cases we found conventional weapons -- but no weapons of mass destruction. The governments that launched the war claimed to be 100% convinced that there were such weapons, but they had 0% knowledge of where these weapons were. I am not suggesting that governments should ignore information coming from their billion dollar intelligence programs. Such information is indispensable and collected with many means that are not available to U.N. inspectors. However, I think one lesson from the Iraq war is that we should pay equal attention to the results of multimillion dollar international reports that are based on extensive professional inspections on the ground. In 2003, the alliance of willing states did not do that. After the war it was reported that I and several others in New York had had our offices bugged during this period. If I was bugged, as I find very likely, I regret that those listening in did not pay more attention to what I had to say. FAREED ZAKARIA: 5 lessons of the Iraq War . Fortunately, enough states did listen, and the U.N. Security Council was saved from green-lighting a war that was justified by false evidence. The political leaders who have been criticized as responsible for launching the war on false premises have asserted that they acted in good faith, and that interrogation of leading Iraqis showed that the regime planned to revive its weapons program as soon as sanctions disappeared. I am not questioning the good faith of the political leaders, but rather their poor judgment in bringing war and death to a country on flimsy grounds. On February 11 -- less than five weeks before the invasion -- I told U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice I wasn't terribly impressed by the intelligence we had received from the U.S., and that there had been no weapons of mass destruction at any of the sites we had been recommended by American forces. Her response was that it was Iraq, and not the intelligence, that was on trial. ARWA DAMON: Iraq suffocates in cloak of sorrow . And during a telephone chat with Tony Blair on February 20, I told the British prime minister that it would be paradoxical and absurd if a quarter of a million troops were to invade Iraq and find very little in the way of weapons. He responded by telling me intelligence was clear that Saddam had reconstituted his weapons of mass destruction program. At any rate, whatever view one took of the evidence of weapons, no one could believe in 2003 that prostrate Iraq was a threat to any other state. I cannot judge whether Iraqi prisoners were sincere when they talked about Saddam Hussein's intentions to revive weapons programs after the end of sanctions. They might have said what they thought their Western interrogators wanted to hear. Either way, the risk of a revived weapons program was remote and hypothetical -- and the U.N. foresaw a system of reinforced monitoring to continue in Iraq and to provide an alarm bell even after a lifting of sanctions. The most important lesson of the Iraq War, I think, has been that an overconfidence in military power has been replaced by an understanding that there are severe limitations on what can be achieved by military means. OPINION: Media's failure on Iraq still stings . Intervening swiftly with arms and crippling strikes might be easy for a great power, but achieving desired political aims is another matter and exiting may be hard -- the phrase "If you break it, you own it" comes to mind. Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq have been long and costly engagements with very mixed results. Since then prudence has held the U.S. back in the case of Libya and so far in Syria. Another important lesson is that today armed international interventions are likely to be condemned by much of the world unless they are clearly in self-defense or have been authorized by the Security Council. Iraq was neither. Unless we remember this going forward, I fear there is nothing stopping this kind of tragedy from being repeated. | Blix: Lead-up to war shows we must rely on international inspectors' reports .
War aimed to eliminate non-existent WMD, but ended up replacing tyranny with anarchy .
Blix: Invading a country is easy for great power, but achieving political aims is more difficult .
Blix: It is likely my U.N. office in New York was bugged in lead-up to invasion of Iraq . |
120,571 | 27d3e5c74961c763d3029671e50e1ab5e0b81d3b | By . Ruth Styles . For many women, pregnancy is a joyful time. But for Jenna, a mother-of-one from southern California, the experience proved to be tougher than she ever could have imagined. Instead of happily preparing for the arrival of her second child, Jenna, who was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder at the age of 12, was plagued with anxiety and paralysed by her fear of getting ill - a fear that left her a virtual recluse. Now the brave mother has appeared on TLC documentary, Pregnant and OCD, to reveal what living with constant anxiety while expecting is really like. Nerves: Jenna, pictured while pregnant with her second child, was left a virtual recluse because of OCD . 'My OCD was first diagnosed when I was about 12 or 13 years old,' she explains. 'My thoughts and worries are always there - they're constant. 'I have a fear mostly of illness, so I avoid going out for fear of picking up one of the illnesses that are going around.' As a result, Jenna spends most of her time at home and refuses to let her two-year-old son Dominic go to the park for fear of germs. 'We spend most of the days in the house,' she reveals. 'Most mothers love bringing their kids to the park but I think about the germs that are on [the slide] and that shoes have touched it. To me, the park represents a dirty place.' For husband Josh, Jenna's OCD and the impact it has on their son is a constant source of concern. Fearful: Jenna's fears include a terror of illness and of dirt, and as a result, she constantly washes her hands . Uncomfortable: Jenna, pictured with mother Gloria, was unable to enjoy her baby shower for fear of illness . 'The OCD is a lot worse [since she became pregnant] and it's really . stressful,' he explains. 'She's turned Dominic into a bubble boy and she doesn't really . want him doing anything. 'He doesn't understand what's going on in Mummy's head.' 'I would definitely say the . OCD has kept me in a prison,' adds Jenna. 'My thoughts and my fears that have to do . with OCD become much worse with pregnancy. 'I've pretty much confined myself to the house except for when I need to go out. I worry about diseases like the Swine Flu. I wash my hands too many times to count.' Although Jenna usually takes medication to control her symptoms, she refused to do so while pregnant - an attitude that also extended to the period spent breastfeeding when baby son Damien was born. 'Newborns are less protected so I worry . about all that stuff,' she explains. 'I don't want to breastfeed and take that . medication at the same time. Concern: Since becoming a mother for the second time, Jenna has vowed to start taking medication again . Frightening: Jenna's OCD has made her reluctant to allow interaction between her two young sons . 'The doctors say that lots of people do and . they're fine but I'm unsure.' Her OCD even has an impact on the interaction she allows between her sons, with Dominic regarded as a potential source of infection. 'When . Dominic is interacting with Damien, I don't really like him to touch . his face with his hands,' she admits. 'He might have germs on his hands.' Since having Damien, however, the mother-of-two has made it her mission to overcome the disease for the sake of her sons and has started a new course of medication - despite being fearful of the effect it could have on her children. 'I want to get better and I'm trying to,' she explains. 'I hope that when the medication starts working, I'm going to feel a lot happier and less anxious.' Normal: Jenna and husband Josh are desperate to give their sons as normal an upbringing as possible . 'When she was pregnant I didn't think it could get any worse than what it was before, but it has,' adds husband Josh. 'I hope Dominic and Damien will be able to do what other boys do and go . outside and get dirty and messy like little boys do.' 'I . don't want my boys to see the world as a place that's full of threats,' says Jenna. 'I . don't want them to worry about things like I do. 'I want them to see the . world as a good place and I just want them to be happy.' Jenna and Josh appear on Pregnant and OCD, tonight at 9pm on TLC . | Jenna, a mother-of-two from southern California, has OCD .
Stopped taking medication while pregnant for fear of harming baby .
As a result, her OCD became crippling and left her a virtual recluse .
Says she is trying to overcome condition for sake of her two sons . |
105,952 | 14a3d437a2a7f086cc52fcfb21a9eafeaa76c1a9 | Gentler: The treatment uses a hormone which is naturally produced in the body and therefore believed to be gentler on the body than the current IVF drug . Women desperate to become mothers could soon benefit from a kinder, safer form of IVF based on a ‘chocolate hormone’. Doctors at Imperial College London are perfecting a treatment that capitalises on the body’s own way of ripening eggs. They report that 12 babies have been born so far. This should spare patients pain and discomfort – and also cut the odds of potentially life-threatening complications. The new treatment uses a hormone called kisspeptin, which is naturally made in the body. It was discovered in the mid-1990s by researchers in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and is named after Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses. Kisspeptin is thought to trigger the ripening of eggs during normal pregnancies and so should be gentler on the body than human chorionic gonadotropin, a drug used in IVF at the moment. It is also broken down more quickly, which should also cut the risk of problems. Some 53 IVF patients were given the ‘chocolate hormone’ in the study and 12 babies were born. None of the women suffered from ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) which can cause nausea, vomiting and bloating. Three had ectopic pregnancies – a potentially fatal complication in which the embryo implants outside the womb – but that may have been a statistical blip, the Journal of Clinical Investigation reports. One of the babies is Owen Harper, whose doctors described the treatment as very promising. Baby Owen’s mother, Alison Harper, 31, of Hertfordshire, had experienced the discomfort of mild OHSS earlier. She said: ‘I went through several cycles of IVF previously but the one in the trial was the least uncomfortable – it was less painful and I felt less swollen.’ The hormone - kisspeptin - was discovered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and named after Hershey's Kisses . Research Professor Waljit Dhillo said: ‘Our study has shown that kisspeptin can be used as a trigger for egg maturation in IVF therapy. ‘It’s been a joy to see 12 healthy babies born using this approach.’ Some doctors said the trial was too small to be meaningful but Dr Mark Hamilton, a former chairman of the British Fertility Society, said the births are ‘very exciting’. | Found in Hershey, Pennsylvania, named after Hershey's Chocolate Kisses .
Uses hormone called kisspeptin which is naturally made in the body .
'Triggers ripening of eggs', should be gentler than current IVF drug . |
32,932 | 5d8e7163abdf93e00f6fd4be95e598ed9520da30 | By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 10:04 EST, 31 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:34 EST, 1 January 2013 . Flt Lt Des Smith in 1942 when stationed at RAF Ibsley. He has left money in his will to help restore the tower . A unique wartime control tower where classic film The First of the Few was filmed has been saved from ruin thanks to the legacy of a Spitfire pilot. More than 70 years after the movie starring David Niven and Leslie Howard was recorded at RAF Ibsley the dilapidated concrete building is to be restored to its former glory after wartime pilot Des Smith left thousands dedicated to the cause in his will. Then Prime Minister Winston . Churchill gave his permission for Ibsley to be used for the biopic which chronicles the true story of how two of the most remarkable men in aviation history - visionary Spitfire designer RJ Mitchell and his test pilot Geoffrey Crisp - designed a streamlined monoplane that led to the development of the Spitfire. But the film was shot while the tower was in use and work was constantly interrupted when real Spitfire . pilots had to scramble . But it was thanks to this that Howard was able to recreate scenes from the Battle of Britain from the first hand accounts of Squadrons 501 and 118 - which fought in the 1940 battle - and were based there. Some of the RAF pilots were even given small parts in the movie. Ironically, the base was just a few miles from the one-time home of Nazi propagandist the traitor William Joyce, nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw. He moved from the area in 1937 shortly before he left for Germany and began his notorious radio broadcasts. The RAF Ibsley Airfield Heritage Trust . has now secured a lease for the air base in Hampshire's New Forest and now . hope to preserve it forever by turning it into a museum using some of the money left in Fl Lt Smith's will. Before he died in 2010 aged in his late 80s, Fl Lt Smith recalled his time at Ibsley, which is near the town of Ringwood. Des Smith, pictured in 2010 back in the Ibsley control tower he fought to save for the nation, and where classic film The First of the Few was filmed . More than 70 years after the movie starring David Niven and Leslie Howard was recorded at RAF Ibsley the dilapidated concrete building is to be brought back to life . He said: 'I was posted to Ibsley just a few weeks after they finished filming The First of the Few in early 1942. 'There were three squadrons based there including 501, which was the one I was in. 'I . remember flying in and out of the New Forest during the war and I've . always lived locally so I've watched as the tower has become neglected. 'It . all looks a bit different now because gravel has been extracted from . the ground and that process has left lakes near the old air base. 'Although the tower is just a shell, the surroundings are beautiful with the lakes and trees. The First of the Few told the true story of two of the most remarkable men in aviation history - visionary Spitfire designer RJ Mitchell and his test pilot Geoffrey Crisp . A Spitfire pictured at RAF Iblsey, where three squadrons were based during World War Two . 'It is the only tower in the forest that it is possible to restore and we just hope that we can get it done. The Battle of Britain was the German air force's attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF from July to September 1940. It was one of the turning points of World War Two and prevented Germany from invading Britain. The battle began in mid-July with Luftwaffe concentrating on attacking shipping in the English Channel and attacking coastal towns and defences. From 12 August, Hermann Goering, one of the leaders of the Nazi regime, shifted his focus to the destruction of the RAF, attacking the many airfields and radar bases which had sprung up across the country during the war. Convinced that Fighter Command was now close to defeat, he also tried to force air battles between fighter planes to break British strength. However, Goering grew frustrated by the large number of British planes that were still fighting off his attacks. Luftwaffe switched tactics again and, on Hitler's orders, set about destroying London and other major cities. Eleven days later, on what became 'Battle of Britain Day', the RAF decimated the huge incoming Luftwaffe formations in the skies above London and the south coast. The tower, a so called type 518/40 'Watch Office with Meteorological Section' base, is similar . to about 50 others that were built for World War II but it was the only one . with concrete floors and balcony. The trust will now start . weatherproofing and carrying out structural surveys of the building in . the next few months, followed by refurbishment plans and a major . fund-raising campaign. The news has delighted Shirley Simmonds, president of the Ibsley Historical Group that has been campaigning for many years for the building to be saved. The widow of Battle of Britain pilot Flight Lieutenant Vernon Simmonds, who was also a driver at Ibsley in the war, said: 'At last it finally feels like something is happening. 'I'm absolutely delighted that this building will be given a new and useful purpose, telling future generations the story of RAF Ibsley, its squadrons and the many thousands of personnel that served there.' Roly Errington, chairman of the RAF Ibsley Airfield Heritage Trust, said: 'It is the last chance saloon for this building and if it gets much more damaged by rain it will be beyond saving. 'It is a unique building and was the first base that the Americans took over and was the place where they flew their first sorties from. 'To make it succeed it has to be about more than just rescuing a unique building from dereliction, we must also give it a sustainable future. 'We want to create somewhere for people to come and find out about RAF Ibsley and show them how a World War Two airfield would have operated. 'We intend to tell the stories of the people that lived around the airfield, and the impact it had on their lives. 'We want to restore the building as a tribute, from our generation, to the service personnel from Great Britain and around the world that served at Ibsley and, in particular, to those that lost their lives while stationed here.' 501 Spitfire squadron at RAF Ibsley in 1942. Some of those posted at Ibsley had bit parts and helped contribute to the film starring David Niven and Leslie Howard . The Ibsley Historical Group was formed in 1992 and consisted mainly of people who worked at the base. The RAF Ibsley Airfield Heritage Trust has been formed recently to concentrate on securing the future of the building. The airbase is surrounded by lakes because the area was used to extract gravel from after the war. | Pilot Des Smith vowed to restore RAF Ibsley to its former glory before he died in 2010 .
The film was shot while the tower was in use and work was interrupted when real Spitfire .
pilots were scrambled .
It is hoped the building will be turned into a museum telling story of World War Two airfields . |
121,324 | 28d66e38969da178c5097f8fc0ff3db04c92a86b | Boulder, Colorado (CNN) -- Heavy storms returned to northeastern Colorado on Saturday as rescuers scrambled to take advantage of breaks in the weather to continue reaching stranded residents. The rain Saturday extended eastward from southeast Denver, where the National Weather Service said 1.73 inches of rain fell in less than 30 minutes. The agency warned that El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, could endure more flooding because of heavy rain Saturday evening along a "burn scar" created by an earlier fire in Waldo Canyon. The rain Saturday evening spared Boulder County, scene of the most damage discovered so far. But officials said they received a forecast of up to 4 inches of rain for Sunday afternoon. Sheriff Joe Pelle said rain that heavy "could be devastating." Authorities are worried that any additional water on ground already soaked by up to 15 inches of rain will cause more flooding and dislodge mud and debris. At least four deaths have been blamed on the flooding. In addition, a 60-year-old woman was presumed dead after witnesses saw her being swept away by waters that demolished her home, said Nick Christensen, executive officer of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. Neighbors tried unsuccessfully to rescue the woman, Christensen said. Her body had not been recovered. The sheriff's office said that about 350 people were unaccounted for in Larimer County. That number jumped sharply Saturday afternoon as rescuers reached more empty homes. The sheriff's office lists such residents as unaccounted for until they are located elsewhere. In neighboring Boulder County, 231 people were on the "unaccounted for" list as of 7 p.m. MT (9 p.m. ET), said Gabrielle Boerkircher, spokesperson for the county office of emergency management. She said that number was fluctuating as some people were found safe even as the county received new requests to locate people. A surveillance mission carrying Gov. John Hickenlooper and members of Colorado's congressional delegation was diverted twice to pick up people waving to be rescued. After the officials' delayed arrival at a Boulder airport, U.S. Sen. Mark Udall said, "That dog and the cat and those seven people on those two helicopters didn't ask us whether we were Democrats or Republicans." And he promised a bipartisan push in Congress for federal aid for flood recovery. Hickenlooper said he spoke by phone with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who "was adamant that the $5 million that was released yesterday was just the beginning" of federal assistance. Experts from Vermont will arrive next week to share lessons learned about improved road-building in the wake of Hurricane Irene, the governor said. Hickenlooper said he saw many damaged roads with "not just the asphalt taken away, but the entire roadbed, and bridge after bridge missing." But he promised, "We're going to come back and rebuild better than it was before." Boulder County alone will need an estimated $150 million to repair 100 to 150 miles of roadway and 20 to 30 bridges, county transportation director George Gerstle said. The repair bill will be "10 to 15 times our annual budget," he said. Human toll . Evacuations continued Saturday, but were hindered by drainage issues and flooded roadways, he said. Many residents are isolated. "It's a sinking feeling," Sheriff Pelle said of knowing that emergency responders may not be able to reach everyone who needs help. The National Guard had rescued more than 1,200 people in Boulder County by Saturday afternoon, Lt. Col Mitch Utterback said. In Larimer County, there were 46 medical rescues on Friday alone, the sheriff's office said. Pelle said authorities have to be "realistic" about the chances that the death toll will rise as rescuers penetrate further into isolated areas. The four confirmed deaths included a woman who was swept away when she got out of her car Thursday in Boulder County. A man jumped out of the car to save her. Both drowned. Authorities recovered both bodies, Pelle said. Another body was found in a collapsed home in Jamestown in the same county. Rescuers recovered another body on a roadway in Colorado Springs in El Paso County. In Denver, rushing waters swept a man into a drainage pipe with his dog. Both were saved after traveling two blocks in the water, police said. Impact Your World: How to help in Colorado . President Barack Obama declared an emergency for Boulder, Larimer and El Paso counties, FEMA announced Friday. The declaration allowed FEMA to bring in four rescue teams, the largest ever deployment in Colorado, officials said. The clear skies allowed for an uptick in evacuations Friday and earlier Saturday. National Guard troops using "high-profile" trucks to wade through water evacuated 550 people from the Boulder County town of Lyons, CNN affiliate KUSA reported. It had been cut off since the flooding began Wednesday night -- without water or sewer service, in many cases without electricity. Emotional rescues . Melinda Villa was stranded in her apartment with her 1-month-old baby in the inundated town. She had no phone service, no water and was running out of formula and food. Then the National Guard arrived. "It just really felt like God came down and saved us," she said. Some had to rescue themselves. Catherine Smith and Mandy Stepanovsky lived in a part of Lyons that is accessible only by bridges. "When those became compromised -- one bridge completely blew out and the other one was very much impassible -- we started looking at other options," Smith said. So the couple decided to hike for 2 miles to safety -- with their 8-month-old toddler in their arms. Walking was the only way out. They hiked to Smith's brother's house, where they showered and ate a meal before the weather caught up with them again. A mudslide suddenly brought mud, debris and water through the house, Smith said. They were forced to run to higher ground. "It was terrifying," Smith said. Jonathan Linenberger described a Noah's Ark-style evacuation as he, his fiancee, four dogs and three cats greeted the National Guard truck. "We had to go (through) knee-deep water, at least. We had to wade our animals across into the truck to get them there," said Linenberger. "That was the first thing you can grab, your loved ones -- and that's what we have." The National Guard also was evacuating the entire population -- 285 people -- from the town of Jamestown by helicopter, CNN affiliate KCNC-TV reported. In Larimer County, Sheriff Justin Smith surveyed the heavily damaged Big Thompson Canyon by air Friday. Some people remain stranded in homes there, he said, "How we're going to get them out -- it's going to take a damn long time." However, he said the break in the rain allowed school buses to begin evacuating students who had been stranded at a school. HLNTV.com: 8 stunning Colorado flooding Twitter photos . CNN's David Simpson reported and wrote from Atlanta; Nick Valencia reported from Longmont, Colorado. George Howell reported from Boulder; and Ana Cabrera reported from Lyons. CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton, Ben Brumfield, Jack Hanna, Janet DiGiacomo, and John Branch contributed to this report. | NEW: Heavy rain on "burn scar" could cause more flooding in El Paso County .
NEW: Boulder spared Saturday evening but faces possibly "devastating" rain Sunday .
NEW: 231 "unaccounted for" in Boulder County, 350 in Larimer County .
Missing woman is presumed dead, in addition to four confirmed dead . |
197,803 | 8c04e8dfca9d13bb2c8c698f1968146ad833f26f | A young rising star. A keynote speech on the Democratic Party's biggest stage. Is it 2004 again? San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro gave the most significant speech of his political career on Tuesday night when he became the first Latino to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. "My grandmother didn't live to see us begin our lives in public service. But she probably would've thought it extraordinary that just two generations after she arrived in San Antonio, one grandson would be the mayor and the other would be on his way -- the good people of San Antonio willing -- to the United States Congress," Castro said in his speech, referring to his twin brother, Joaquin. "My family's story isn't special. What's special is the America that makes our story possible. "Ours is a nation like no other -- a place where great journeys can be made in a single generation ... no matter who you are or where you come from, the path is always forward." Comparisons to the 2004 Barack Obama are inevitable. The then-Illinois state Sen. Obama gave the same address in Boston, launching him onto the fast track for the presidential nomination four years later. Castro, 37, shrugs off the similarities and talk that he could eventually become the first Hispanic president. DNC speech to focus on Mexican American family experience . "Oh, I would be lying if I said that's not flattering. Of course it's flattering to anybody," he said last week from San Antonio. "But the biggest mistake I can make in this situation is to believe the press, to believe the hype." That humble response can be attributed to his modest upbringing. Castro's grandmother immigrated to Texas from Mexico as an orphan at the age of six. She taught herself to read and write in Spanish, eventually finding work in San Antonio as a maid and a cook. Castro's mother, Rosie Castro, learned a tough lesson at a young age while in school in San Antonio, where her teachers discouraged speaking Spanish. "They would charge us a quarter if you were caught speaking Spanish, and incidentally that's how much lunch cost," Rosie Castro said. "We were put down so often that the message was clear -- Spanish was a bad language that shouldn't be spoken." As a result, Julian Castro and his brother, Joaquin, grew up in a home where Spanish was rarely spoken. Neither speaks the language fluently. "I understand Spanish better than I speak it," Julian Castro admits. It was Rosie Castro who inspired Julian's political future. While in college she became president of the Young Democrats at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Out of college, she joined the Chicano movement, working with the "La Raza Unida Party" to fight for reforms beneficial to the Mexican-American community. In 1971, Rosie ran for San Antonio City Council and lost the race. Along the way, though, she took her sons to various community and political events where they witnessed battles for voting rights and an end to discrimination on city services. "I dragged them to every meeting, rally and voting booth," Rosie Castro said. "They helped me on different campaigns and handed out literature. I wanted them to realize it is your duty to be involved." Now, less than two weeks shy of his 38th birthday, Julian Castro, a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard's Law School, is the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city. At age 26, he was the youngest councilman ever elected in San Antonio. Joaquin Castro, who introduced his twin Tuesday night, is a politician in his own right -- currently running for the House of Representatives in a contest Democratic leaders expect him to win. "Since they were young, I imagined they would do great things," Rosie Castro said of her sons. A source familiar with Julian Castro's speech set the bar high for the San Antonio mayor, saying it was akin to Obama's career-making 2004 address. Castro himself says he'll focus on his own story of achieving the American dream. Who is the next Obama? He drew a link for those working to write their own success story, addressing what he said in an interview was the "clear choice that voters have in this election, and why the policies that President Obama has put forth make more sense to creating opportunity, bringing the middle class back, and assuring prosperity in the future." "We need to make a choice. It's a choice ... between a country where the middle class pays more, so that millionaires can pay less ... or a country where everybody pays their fair share. It's a choice between a nation that slashes funding for our schools and guts Pell grants ... or a nation that invests more in education. It's a choice between a politician who rewards companies that ship American jobs overseas ... or a leader who brings jobs back home," Castro said. "This is the choice before us. And to me, to my generation, and for all the generations that will come after us, our choice is clear. Our choice is a man who's always chosen us. A man who already is our president -- Barack Obama." The choice of Castro for the convention's keynote address is strategic in an election where the Latino vote will be key. Obama handily won the demographic's vote in 2008 over Republican John McCain and it will be pivotal for him to do the same in November. The Romney campaign also knows the importance of Hispanic voters. Last week's GOP convention in Tampa had no shortage of prominent Latino speakers, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American who was among those in consideration for Romney's vice presidential pick. Obama's advantage over Romney among the politically imperative demographic remains steady from previous months, with the president taking 61% to Romney's 29% of registered Latino voters' support in August, according to a Gallup survey. Romney's campaign has publicly identified a "magic number" for the Latino vote if the former Massachusetts governor has a chance of winning the election: 38%. McCain garnered 31% of the Latino vote in 2008. But Latino interest in the 2012 election appears to be lagging. Compared with the 2008 election cycle, Hispanic interest levels in 2012 are 10 points behind where they were in the previous election, according to an NBC-Wall Street Journal-Telemundo poll conducted in July. Amid the lagging support, the White House announced in June a bold new policy that halts deportations of some young immigrants who came to America illegally as children. The policy is a "temporary" measure that allows eligible immigrants to apply for work permits and deportation deferral for a two-year period. Castro acknowledges with a smile the strategy behind his prominent speaking role: "Obviously I'm young and I'm also Hispanic, two important groups in this election. And I'm confident that I can do a good job in articulating why President Obama ought to be the candidate that Americans select for the next four years." Since being elected in 2009, Castro has built a reputation as "a youthful and dynamic leader here in town," says Walter Wilson, assistant professor of political science at the University of Texas-San Antonio. "In a lot of ways, this speech is an initial test on the national stage," Wilson says, predicting that if Castro is successful at the convention, it gives the party a new confidence that he indeed is a rising Democratic star. "It's definitely a symbolically significant speech for the mayor. It sets the tone for where the Democratic Party thinks its future is headed," Wilson said. San Antonio Republicans are skeptical of Castro's broader appeal, with one San Antonio official calling him a "typical young, energetic liberal Democrat." He "believes in big government, tax and spend, and those type of things," said Steve Heinrich, treasurer of the Republican Party of Bexar County. George Rodriguez, president of the Tea Party of San Antonio, echoed those comments. "He's a tax-and-spend liberal. He does not represent all Hispanics, we're not all the same," Rodriguez said. Before his speech, the young mayor Tuesday appeared to be more nervous about using a teleprompter for only the second time rather than for the high expectations surrounding his address. "In the end, the American dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon, but a relay," Castro said. "Our families don't always cross the finish line in the span of one generation. But each generation passes on to the next the fruits of their labor. My grandmother never owned a house. She cleaned other people's houses so she could afford to rent her own. But she saw her daughter become the first in her family to graduate from college. And my mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, I could hold this microphone." Democrats to highlight Obama's tough decisions . | San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro delivers the convention's keynote speech Tuesday .
The rising Democratic star drew comparisons to 2004 speech by then-rising star Obama .
Castro touts his own story of achieving the American dream .
His prominent speaking role is strategic in an election where the Latino vote is key . |
235,623 | bd071511db65e7d9d82f639d5b362c4ede8d60f3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:34 EST, 14 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:37 EST, 15 May 2012 . A cast member of the reality TV show Swamp People has died after a fall on his boat. Assumption Parish Sheriff Mike . Waguespack said Mitchell Guist was pronounced dead at a hospital today. He had fallen while aboard his boat on the Intracoastal Waterway, near . Pierre Part in Louisiana. Scroll down for video . Outdoor life: Mitchell Guist died on the swamp in Louisiana today where he had spent his entire life . Loss: Mitchell Guist (pictured right) with his brother and fellow cast member of Swamp People, Glenn. Mitchell died on his boat in Louisiana today . Initial reports from deputies in neighboring St Martin Parish said that Guist was traveling on the waterway around 9am when he collapsed. The boat returned to a nearby landing in St Martin and Guist was taken to hospital. Cause of death had not yet been determined. Swamp People airs on the History Channel and features residents of Louisiana's Atchafalaya swamp country during alligator hunting season. The History Channel said: 'We are extremely saddened to report that our friend and beloved member of the 'Swamp People' family, Mitchell Guist, has passed away earlier today. On the bayou: Mitchell Guist died on his boat while out on the water today - cause of death has not yet been determined . Brothers: Mitchell Guist (left) and Glenn were raised and spent their lives in the Louisiana swamp lands . 'Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he loved. We appreciate your respect for the Guist family's privacy and hope you join us in sending our thoughts and prayers to his brother, Glenn, and the rest of the Guist family.' Glenn Guist is also a cast member on the show. The brothers were born and raised in the area and lived entirely off the land. | Mitchell Guist fell while out on the swamp in Louisiana .
History Channel said: 'Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he loved' |
39,549 | 6fb05bb407d72aab2339bab12042056d483b78b4 | By . Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 22:16 EST, 12 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:05 EST, 13 February 2013 . Politicians were joined by familiar faces of notable individuals at tonight’s State of the Union as elected officials picked key guests to bring to the speech. Relatives and victims of gun violence were the biggest group of guests, as family members of the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Aurora movie theater shooting were invited by 20 Congressman. Individuals from other segments of the population were invited to personify various points in President Obama’s address, serving as makeshift tea-leaves to tell what he feels were the key issues to drive home. NASA’s Bobak ‘mohawk guy’ Ferdowsi was invited by the First Lady, and singer Tony Bennett was a guest of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s after he starred in an ad promoting gun controls. First Lady: Michelle Obama last night invited key supporters of her husband's policy to join her for President Obama's State of the Union speech. Honoured guests included Nathaniel and Cleopatra Pendelton, left, and Dr. Jill Biden, right, with Apple CEO Tim Smith, third left, top row . Honored guests: The first three rows near the First Lady were chocked-full of individuals who represent various parts of the President's policy initiatives . 1. Sergeant Sheena Adams is a decorated veteran who earned the Combat Action Ribbon and Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal. Given the recent decision to lift the ban against women serving in combat roles, her long service in the military gave a pointed message. 2. and 3. The parents of Hadiya Pendleton are the guests of Michelle Obama. The First Lady got to know Nathaniel and Cleopatra Pendleton when she traveled to Chicago to attend the 15-year-old girl's funeral. First Lady Michelle Obama enthusiastically greeted those sitting around her before being serious throughout the speech, which went on for more than an hour. Emotional: Sandy Hook teacher Kaitlin Roig was seated next to Dr Jill Biden and rose to her feet during a portion where the President spoke about gun control . 4. Menchu de Luna Lopez is . a nurse at New York University Hospital who helped save 20 babies when . the power went out in the hospital following a power outage from . Hurricane Sandy. The superstorm came up early in the speech, as the . President directly attributed the devastating storm to global warming. 5. Dr Jill Biden sat two seats over from the First Lady, and her husband Vice President Hoe Biden was seated behind the President at the front of the room. 6. A key spot was given to Sandy Hook teacher Kaitlin Roig who saved the lives of her students by hiding them in a closet for the remainder of the massacre. The 29-year-old teacher spoke publicly after the incident about how she tried to keep them quiet and was reticent to open the door to emergency responders for fear that it was a trick by the shooter.7. Alan Aleman's inclusion appears to be a pure policy move as he was one of the first people in Nevada who were able to legally remain in the country following the passage of the President's immigration reform for the children of illegal immigrants. Adding to his attractiveness for the cause is the fact that he is a college student seeking a degree in biology and hopes to be a doctor. Second row: Economic themes and personal perseverance were present in the stories of these guests . 8. Small business owner Deb Carey represents an economic success story as she and her husband created the New Glarus Brewing Company in Wisconsin. They sold their home and rallied outside support to raise seed money and they now employ 50 full-time employees. 9. Apple CEO Tim Cook was invited by the First Lady and though he was never pointed out by name, his role in the national economy makes him a major player. The biggest allusion to his presence was Mr Obama's reference to the threat posed by cyber attacks. 10. President Obama frequently references his two daughters when talking about equal-pay policies. Tonight, however, he used Amanda McMillan, a woman who has filed a fair-pay suit against her former employers in Mississippi after she was not promoted for a higher paying job. Third row: Some of the causes that the First Lady has worked on throughout the first term- like support for military families and healthy eating initiatives- were highlighted by these guests . 15. Tracey Hepner is a co-founder of Military Partners and Families Coalition and her presence comes just days after the Pentagon announced extended benefits for the spouses of military members. Ms Hepner is married to Army Birgadier General Tammy Smith. Injured: U.S. Marine Sergeant Carlos Evans is a double amputee after losing both of his legs and a hand during his four deployments . 16, One of the youngest attendees was 12-year-old Haile Thomas, . who was invited because she helped start an organization that promotes . healthy cooking tutorials. Mrs Obama has largely based her agenda on . health initiatives like Let's Move, so the fact that she would include . someone related to the cause. 17. Energy independence is an item that the President has listed towards the top of his agenda, and Lee Maxwell represented the cause as he works as a wind energy technician. When he was called by the white House about the event, he was told that they were looking for middle class citizens influenced by the President's policies. 18. Another one of the First Lady's causes has been the support of military veterans, and Sergeant Carlos Evans (right) was invited accordingly. The U.S. Marine is a double amputee after losing both of his legs and a hand during his four deployments. 19. Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett is the rare political aide who made the cut and was able to sit within the prized three rows during the speech. 20. Though he looked bored at many points during the speech, Jack Andraka's mind is at work outside of the Capitol. The 16-year-old won $75,000 after inventing a test that detects the early stages of pancreatic cancer. Faces in the crowd: Michelle Obama and Dr Jill Biden were surrounded by the noted guests . Other special guests who were scattered throughout the audience: . In a similar vein, the NASA engineer who . became famous for his distinguishable mohawk during the Mars landing . will also be seated near the First Lady. Bobak Ferdowsi (below left) become . something of an internet sensation following the August landing and his . notoriety will lend credence to any space program mentions that Mr . Obama chooses to include. One of the oldest attendees is Desiline Victor . (below right), an 102-year-old woman who has a cause celebre since waiting in . line for three hours to vote. She has become somewhat of a symbol for . the movement and her attendance is clear that the issue will be . addressed. Happy to be there: NASA flight director Bobak Ferdowsi (left)was in the first row and 102-year-old Desiline Victor, who was made to wait for two hours to vote, was in the fourth (right) Guests related to the push for gun control measures: . Carlos Soto Jr., the younger brother of slain Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher Vicky Soto, is the guest of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro who represents a district in Connecticut near the site of the December massacre. Newtown chief administrator Pat Llodra was the public face of the aftermath from the shooting, and she is the guest of Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. Two local police detectives- Jason Frank and Dan McAnaspie- were invited by the state’s other Senator Chris Murphy. They were among the first responders at the tragic scene following the December 14 shooting. Teresa Hoover, a mother whose son A.J. Boik died in the Aurora movie theater shooting, is the guest of Colorado Congressman Ed Perlmutter. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and . her husband astronaut Mark Kelly are the guests of Democratic . Congressman Ron Barber and Republican Senator John McCain. Familiar faces: Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her husband astronaut Mark Kelly wore green ribbons in honor of the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting . Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi brought in an unidentified fourth grader who attends a different Newtown school. The child wrote a letter pushing for stricter gun control following the shooting. Though members of Congress and the . Senate are automatically invited, governors are not typically on the . guest list. Mrs Pelosi made a point to invite Maryland's Democratic . Governor Martin O'Malley since he has enacted strict laws against guns in his state. Singer Tony Bennett (below) attended the speech as a guest of Mrs Pelosi. Though his name is clearly more recognizable than a number of the others connected to the push for stricter gun control, the Grammy winner was featured in an ad supporting the cause. Singing his tune: Tony Bennett was a guest of Nancy Pelosi because he starred in an ad advocating for stronger gun control laws . Republican politicians bring some famous faces to the crowd: . Singer Ted Nugent (below) was a controversial invite since he has long-been critical of the Obama administration, regularly threatening the President in public statements. He is the guest of Congressman Steve Stockman from Texas, and as he is a prominent gun enthusiast, he will be a clear contrast to the many guest who are relatives to victims of gun violence who are pushing for controls. Notably, he chose to wear jeans to the ceremony. Unexpected: Singer Ted Nugent, who has been a long-time critic of President Obama was invited to the speech from a pro-gun Congressman from Texas . House Speaker John Boehner picked more crowd-pleasing guests, including Gail McGovern, the president of the American Red Cross, and Arthur Mola, the principal of the bilingual Sacred Heart School in Washington, D.C. Mr Mola will be sitting alongside two fourth graders- Laci Joseph and Henry Joseph III- who attend nearby St. Anthony’s Catholic School. Mr Boehner’s connection to the children is unclear. Paying tribute to his home state, Mr Boehner invited Ted Kremer, a former batboy for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team who has Downs syndrome. In an unexpected move, he also invited Jason Barlow who heads a local branch of the United Auto Workers union. Republicans have blasted unions and many gained points among voters by standing against the groups, as was seen in Wisconsin. | A wide selection of citizens who represent the President's policies were invited to be honored guests of First Lady Michelle Obama .
Congressmen from both parties also brought along relatives and victims of gun violence and many wore green ribbons to honor Sandy Hook school . |
99,588 | 0c519168d7dd080ed804248a96125e6bced3c675 | (CNN) -- To call "The Dark Knight Rises" "highly anticipated" at this point would be an understatement. The fervor for Christopher Nolan's third Batman film has been so intense, tickets were selling out in select theaters back in January, months ahead of its July 20 U.S. opening. With this being the third and final film in an acclaimed trilogy, each casting announcement and trailer clip has been thoroughly analyzed and discussed. And now, thanks to early reviews that have circulated on Monday, the fascination with "The Dark Knight Rises" has reached a new level. "Big-time Hollywood filmmaking at its most massively accomplished, this last installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy makes everything in the rival Marvel universe look thoroughly silly and childish," says The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy. "Entirely enveloping and at times unnerving in a relevant way one would never have imagined, as a cohesive whole this ranks as the best of Nolan's trio, even if it lacks ... an element as unique as Heath Ledger's immortal turn in 'The Dark Knight.' " A review from Todd Gilchrist at IndieWire's The Playlist says even more effortless than Nolan's filmmaking is the way the movie "fits into the summer's conversation about The Big Important Issues that are preoccupying us, even when we're walking into darkened theaters and asking only to be entertained." Set eight years after the events of 2008's "The Dark Knight," the latest installment finds Bruce Wayne/Batman (played to applause by Christian Bale) in seclusion. Gotham City not blames the caped crusader for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent. There's even been a drop in crime in Gotham City -- that is, until Tom Hardy's masked sociopath Bane rips into Gotham, leaving terror and death in his wake. With aid from Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle, who initially lures Bruce Wayne out of hiding with a burglary, Batman tracks down Bane only to find that it is going to take some doing to vanquish this villain. Gilchrist calls the film "A cinematic, cultural and personal triumph," adding that the story "is emotionally inspiring, aesthetically significant and critically important for America itself -- as a mirror of both sober reflection and resilient hope." Variety's Justin Chang notes that, "All in all, the picture impressively conveys a seething vision of urban anxiety that speaks to such issues as the greed and complacency of the one percent, the criminal neglect of the poor and oppressed, and above all the unsettling sense that no one and nothing is safe." HitFix's review from Drew McWeeny found that "The Dark Knight Rises" "more than fulfills the promise made by the first two films." "We may never see superhero films quite like these again, and that's fine," the review continues. "Whoever Warner Bros hires to reboot the 'Batman' films a few years from now, I wish you luck. The bar is as high as it could possibly be." Agrees Time magazine's Richard Corliss, "The most eagerly anticipated movie of summer 2012 was worth waiting for. ... The movie may not top 'The Avengers' at the worldwide box office, but it is a far, far better thing -- maybe the best, most troubling, assured and enthralling of all the superhero movies." | Early reviews for "The Dark Knight Rises" have arrived ahead of Friday's release .
The last movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy is being praised by critics .
Reviewer: "Maybe the best, most troubling ... enthralling of all the superhero movies" |
265,903 | e467bb123418a2c9fe57fae1d9990ce8d6da2bad | By . Andy Dolan . PUBLISHED: . 03:38 EST, 27 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:15 EST, 27 September 2013 . 'Upset': Dr Al Sattar, whose family were killed in a house fire, said his Muslim faith had been tested by the deaths of his family . A father whose wife and three children were killed in an arson attack yesterday said it was ‘God’s plan’ for them all to die. Brain surgeon Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar said his devout Muslim faith had ‘been tested’, but he was able to draw comfort from the belief that his family are now ‘in paradise’. His wife Shehnila, 47, daughter Zainab, 19, and sons Bilal, 17, and 15-year-old Jamil were killed when arsonists torched their home in Leicester when Mr Sattar was working away in Dublin. It is feared the family was mistakenly targeted in a revenge attack after the death of a man in the city centre the night before. Leicestershire Police have charged an 18-year-old man with murder over the fire. Further arrests have also been made in connection with the blaze. Yesterday, Mr Sattar said he is upset that he has still not been able to bury his loved ones two weeks after the tragedy. A second post-mortem examination on the bodies has been delayed until at least October 8. Mr Sattar, 52, whose religion encourages burial within 24 hours of death, said: ‘I am not angry but I am upset because I feel the post-mortem has been delayed. ‘I am happy because I know my family are in paradise.’ He said the last two weeks had been ‘extremely difficult’ for him, but added his faith in Islam had given him ‘strength’. ‘It was God’s plan to take the life,’ he said. ‘As a neurosurgeon I know we deal with life and death every day – so it was in my mind, something which is beyond your control.’ Devastated: Dr Al Sattar lost his sons Bilal Taufiq Sattar (left) and Jamal (right) and their mother Shehnila in the Leicester house fire . The hospital consultant and his wife . had moved to Ireland from Pakistan and were living with their children . in Dublin before the family decided to move to the East Midlands to give . their children an Islamic education. Mr Sattar remained in Dublin but commuted home three weekends a month. The . family planned to return to live in Dublin once the children finished . at school, and Mr Sattar, who is currently staying with friends in . Leicester, said the burials would take place in the Irish capital. He works at the neurological unit of Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital and privately at two clinics in the city. He . told Radio 4’s Today programme how he had briefly glimpsed his . fire-ravaged Leicester home on his return – but had no plans to return . there. The family were found dead in upstairs bedrooms after the fire at Wood Hill in Leicester . He said: ‘It was . very painful and I will not go to the house again. I have not been . inside and I don’t want to. It is just a house, not a home with a . family.’ The doctor said when he was told his entire family had died, he . ‘cried but did not collapse’. He . added: ‘Life and death is something beyond your control. It was an . extremely difficult time but my very strong faith has helped. We are all . going to die some time.’ He said he was ‘delighted’ that community relations had remained peaceful in Leicester since the fire. Kemo Porter, 18, from Leicester, has been charged with murder in connection with the fire. He . is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court on October 4. A 19-year-old . man was also arrested in connection with the deaths on Thursday and . remains in police custody. A . further seven men were arrested on Wednesday after warrants were . executed at several properties in the Leicester area. Six of those men . remain in police custody. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Shehnila Taufiq, 47, and her children Jamal, .
15, Bilal, 17, and Zainab,19 were killed in the house fire in Wood Hill, Leicester .
Husband and father Dr Muhammad Taufiq Al Sattar, was working in Ireland .
Police have charged a man with murder over house fire on September 13 .
Second post mortem examination due on October 8 .
Devout Muslim said God gave him strength to deal with deaths . |
65,971 | bb3b2761d6c1fd923bdfe5b2400a08609478a0d6 | Luiz Felipe Scolari delivered a stirring speech on the eve of the World Cup, declaring: ‘To all Brazilians, I want to say that the time has arrived. This is our World Cup.’ It was quite a statement of intent for a Brazil coach who has already publicly declared his belief that his team will win this tournament and so enable him to celebrate a second World Cup triumph in charge of the national team. But there was also an emotive speech in response to a question about the death of his nephew, who was killed in a car accident on Tuesday. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Neymar scoring an outrageous penalty with his standing foot . Dream maker: Neymar has said his side are motivated to make all Brazilians' dreams come true at the World Cup . Star-studded: (from left) Paulinho, Thiago Silva, Neymar and Willian train in Sao Paulo on Wednesday . Fun and games: Neymar jokes about with PSG-bound David Luiz as they prepare to take on Croatia . Light-hearted: Scolari and Neymar put on a relaxed front ahead of the opening match of the World Cup . Fan favourites: Brazil supporters cheer on their team through holes in the curtains surrounding the stadium . Final workout: (from left) Scolari, Paulinho, Luiz and Dante take a moment to relax during their last hit-out . ‘We have gone through difficult times . together,’ the former Chelsea manager said of his family. ‘But we know . that life goes and each one has a path to follow. I find my strength . form working with these players. Even when we are feeling sad we can . forget the sadness and see the beauty around us.’ Scolari . was joined in Wednesday night’s press conference at the Arena De Sao Paulo . by Brazil’s superstar, Neymar. He was reminded that not since Rivaldo in . 2002 has Brazil’s No 10 scored at a World Cup. Neymar . echoed his coach. ‘As Mr Scolari said, the time has arrived,’ he said. ‘All Brazilians, the whole world is waiting for this moment. In unison: Brazil forwards Jo (left) and Fred (right) go through their warm-up routine at Corinthians Arena . Team-mates: Chelsea's Oscar (left) and Ramires join forces for their country as they chase Cup glory . Weight of a nation: Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari speaks with Luiz and Paulinho ahead of their Cup opener . Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has decided to stay with Brazil's national team despite the death of his nephew in an accident two days before the opening match of the World Cup. Scolari attended the official FIFA press conference in Sao Paulo on Wednesday and did not travel to be with his family in southern Brazil, where 48-year-old Tarcisio Joao Schneider died in a car accident on Tuesday. Brazil plays Croatia at the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo on Thursday. Scolari said he was finding strength to keep working by seeing his players' dedication in their preparations for the World Cup. He says: 'Sometimes we have to deal with some difficulties, but you have to try to move on.' Asked . if he hoped to emerge as the star of the tournament, the 22-year-old . Barcelona forward replied: ‘I don’t want to be the best player in the . World Cup, or the best striker. I want to win the World Cup.’ At one . stage Neymar asked Scolari if he would be able to ‘sleep relaxed’ this . evening. In essence could he be certain of his place for Thursday night’s tournament opener against Croatia. ‘Professor, am I playing tomorrow?’ he asked. ‘I want to go to sleep relaxed.’ ‘Don’t worry,’ Scolari replied. ‘You can sleep easy.’ Neymar . added: ‘I thank God for everything he has given me and the honour of . working with Mr Scolari. I always saw him as a winner. I always try to . get as much as I can out of his experience. I hope I can get his winning . streak and we will win this World Cup.’ ‘I . am anxious but I am also extremely happy because many people would like . to be here. I hope we can help fulfil the dream of our nation, which is . to win the World Cup.’ Hail!: Real Madrid star Marcelo jokes around showing no effects of the pressure on Brazil to perform at home . Shine your shoes?: Marcelo ensures Paulinho's boots are spick and span as they enjoy a training run . Joker in the pack: Marcelo again, this time amusing Atletico Mineiro striker Jo . | Brazil coach Scolari has declared his team can win the World Cup at home .
Scolari says he finds strength in working with his players after the tragic death of his nephew in a car crash .
Neymar says his team hopes to 'help fulfil the dream of our nation'
No Brazilian in Neymar's No 10 position has scored since Rivaldo in 2002 . |
284,871 | fd251730b308c12c19e46e2c02e7fe0b6b558e9c | By . Lydia Warren . A decomposed body found off a rural road in upstate New York 30 years ago has finally been identified as belonging to an aspiring model who vanished as she headed to New York City. The body found by a hunter in Shelby, New York in October 1983 has now been identified as Shari Lynne Ball, a 20-year-old woman who disappeared after leaving Boca Raton, Florida. After the body was found, it was badly decomposed and could not be identified so was buried beneath a tombstone reading 'Jane Doe'. But cold-case investigators, working with local authorities, requested that the body be exhumed from its grave in October last year and compared with samples in the National DNA Database. Found: Shari Lynne Ball, pictured, vanished in 1983 as she traveled from Florida to New York to pursue a modeling career. A body found four months later in upstate New York has now been identified as hers . There was a match; Ball's mother had provided a sample in 2005, the Sun Sentinel reported. Ball was just 20 when she left her home in Boca Raton on June 27, 1983 and told relatives she was heading north to pursue a modeling career. Two days later, she called a friend from a truck stop in Ashland, Virginia - the last time anyone heard from her. Four months later, in October 1983, a hunter discovered a body in Shelby, Orleans County, New York - nearly 400 miles northwest of New York City, and more than 1,300 miles from her Florida home. But with the body so badly decomposed, she could not be identified, and Ball was declared legally dead in 1988, as her family continued to wonder what had happened to her. Police say they suspect foul play may have been involved in her death, but could not provide further details. Locator: A map shows the distance between where she was last seen and where her body was found . Investigators have traveled to Ball's mother's house to notify her in person that her daughter's body had been found, Lt. Kevin Reyes with the New York State Police told the Sentinel. 'It did give her closure in knowing that she does know exactly what has happened to her daughter... as opposed to it being a mystery,' he said. Records show that Ball's mother, Nancy, had first called police on the night she left before calling again in October 1983, saying no one had seen her daughter for months. But a report was filed saying no foul play was suspected because she was an adult who had left of her own accord. It also noted that Ball and her mother had difficulties in their relationship. Reyes said detectives will now try to establish a timeline of events leading up to her death and start interviewing people who knew her. 'Similarities': Christopher Wilder's name has been mentioned although not directly linked to the case, investigators said. Wilder was known as the Beauty Queen Killer for murdering beautiful women in 1984 . He added that the name of one serial killer had been brought up - Christopher Wilder, who became known as The Beauty Queen Killer, for killing and raping women in Florida in 1984, and one of his victims was raped and stabbed in upstate New York. He was killed in a confrontation with police in April 1984. 'The name has been brought up, but we have no evidence as of yet to link this individual to this disappearance,' Reyes said of Wilder. Ball was 20 years old, white, 5ft4, 100 . pounds, with hazel eyes and blonde hair and was also known to use the . name of Timmerman when she disappeared, police say. Anyone who knew her or who may be able to provide information is urged to contact New . York State Police at 585-344-6210. | Shari Lynne Ball, 20, disappeared in 1983 after leaving Boca Raton, Florida and telling her family she was going to New York to be a model .
She called from a truck stop in Virginia - but was never heard from again .
A decomposing body was found in upstate New York 4 months later but could not be identified, so was buried with the name Jane Doe .
Cold-case investigators exhumed it last year and discovered that it matched a DNA sample given by Ball's mother .
Investigators are now trying to piece together her last days . |
269,905 | e9900c3b37b1ca3c0a62d203670f7e0e5ac5da89 | Arrested: Margo Bronstein, 56, has been arrested on suspicion of killing three people and injuring nine others after ploughing into a crowd of churchgoers . Pedestrians were filing out of a church Christmas service when a car sped around other vehicles at a red light and plowed into the crowd before hitting another car head-on, police and witnesses said. Three people were killed, and several more were injured, California authorities said. 'Someone ran the red light, and bodies started flying. It was pretty horrible,' witness Marco Zonno told KNBC-TV. Within moments of the crash Wednesday night along California's famed Pacific Coast Highway, people were at the sides of victims lying in the street, said Mark Milutin, 26, who was in one of the cars stopped at the light. 'It was a very fast reaction,' he said. 'Two or three people were around each victim.' Margo Bronstein, 56, was arrested after the crash on suspicion of driving under the influence and vehicular manslaughter, Redondo Beach police Lt. Shawn Freeman said. Five children and eight adults, including the suspect and the other driver, suffered injuries including broken bones, abrasions and head trauma, Freeman said. Three people, Mary Anne Wilson, 81; Saeko Matsumura, 87; and Martha Gaza, 36, all of Torrance, later died, police said. At least two people remained in critical condition Thursday morning, Freeman said. Members of the crowd had just attended a Christmas program at St. James Catholic Church put on by students at the church's school. Casualty: A number of people are tended to at Redondo Beach in California, where a female driver ploughed into a crowd of people as they left a church's Christmas concert . Alan Wells, who lives in the apartment building at the corner, heard the crash and ran outside. 'I saw people lying all over the street, and people in the crosswalk were screaming and yelling,' he told the Daily Breeze. One boy who was struck was flung across the intersection, ending up beneath an SUV's tire, according to witnesses. 'The car is on the little boy. And we finally rolled it off the little boy. He had a little tie on. It was scary. It looked like he was in heaven at that point,' Michael Tovar told KTTV. The condition of the boy was unknown Thursday. St. James Msgr. Michael Meyers said church officials led prayers at the scene. The woman was driving a white sedan when she she ran a red light and ploughed into the group before colliding with another vehicle . Bronstein is being held on $300,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday. It wasn't immediately known if she has an attorney . One witness, Marco Zonno, told KNBC-TV: 'Someone ran the red light and bodies started flying. It was pretty horrible' The driver, Bronstein, had a perfect driving record but was restricted to driving a vehicle with hand-controlled brakes, an additional right-side mirror and adequate signaling device, according to DMV records . 'Nobody knew the condition of any of the victims so we simply went and prayed for each one and prayed over them and anointed them and just asked God's grace to be with them,' Meyers said. Bronstein was held on $300,000 bail and scheduled to appear in court on Friday. It wasn't immediately known if she has an attorney. Officials said they do not have information linking her to any prior arrests or DUI-related incidents. She had a perfect driving record but was restricted to driving a vehicle with hand-controlled brakes, an additional right-side mirror and adequate signaling device, according to Department of Motor Vehicle records. Scene: The tragic incident took place at the intersection between Pacific Coast Highway and Vincent Street . The DMV had no record listing her as handicapped, however. Milutin said the woman who hit the pedestrians, 'just looked completely out of it.' 'It was just a reaction I wouldn't have ever thought someone would have after a situation like that,' he said. A message seeking comment left at a phone number listed for Bronstein was not immediately returned Thursday. The crash comes three days after another driver now charged with drunken driving injured 11 people who were parked and looking at a holiday light display in the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra. Horrific: The crowd of people were struck as they left a Christmas service at St. James Catholic Church . Mourners placed flowers at a make shift memorial on Thursday near where the accident occurred . | Margo Bronstein hit group while heading north on Pacific Coast Highway .
Victims had just enjoyed Christmas service at church in Redondo Beach .
Bronstein was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence . |
3,896 | 0b3d317ab86c28ea7ab662d87bdc04d90df8ef60 | Madrid (CNN) -- A former chief of the Basque terrorist group ETA has been sentenced to 105 years in prison for ordering the assassination of a politician, according to a copy of the court ruling, made public Monday. It is the first sentence in a case involving ETA from the National Court, which handles terrorism cases, since ETA announced last month "a definitive cessation of its armed activity," raising hopes that decades of separatist violence may finally be over. The maximum that can be served in Spanish prison is 40 years, although courts often hand down a longer sentence for terrorist attacks. Spain has no death penalty. In the sentence issued last Friday but made public on Monday, the court ruled that Francisco Javier Garcia Gaztelu, whom Spanish authorities called the military chief of ETA when he was captured in 2001, ordered the assassination of a Basque Socialist politician, Fernando Buesa. Buesa and his bodyguard were killed in the Basque city of Vitoria in northern Spain in February 2000 when they walked past a vehicle that contained a hidden bomb that was exploded by remote control. Garcia Gaztelu, now 45, was sentenced to 30 years each for the killings of Buesa and his bodyguard, 13 years each for two people injured in the attack, and additional time mainly for damage caused by the bomb, the court said. The government, courts and police have said they will not halt the court cases pending against ETA operatives despite the outlawed group's announcement last month. Listed as a terrorist organization by Spain, the United States and the European Union, ETA is blamed for more than 800 deaths in its decades-long fight for an independent Basque state that it wants carved out of sections of northern Spain and southwestern France. ETA's announcement last month followed a recent push for the group to abandon violence permanently. That effort was led by international figures who include Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of Northern Ireland and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero termed ETA's announcement as being of "transcendental importance" and a "victory for democracy." "Ours will be a democracy without terrorism, but not without memory," Zapatero said, referring to 829 people killed by ETA and their families. The prime minister said that it would be up to Spain's next government -- which will be formed after parliamentary elections on November 20 -- to lead the peace process. | Francisco Javier Garcia Gaztelu has been in custody since 2001 .
He is found guilty of ordering the assassination of a Basque Socialist politician .
He is sentenced to 105 years, but can serve only 40 under Spanish law . |
202,248 | 91d93be3b673342de25184c67325fcf68bf74cb6 | (CNN) -- President Barack Obama has made it clear to Congress that if they will not work with him he will work around them. Before the State of the Union address, the president announced that he was increasing the minimum wage for workers under federal contract to $10.10 an hour. During the State of the Union, "wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do." Republicans predictably complained. Some warned that the president was embracing an unconstitutional set of tools that would violate the laws of the land. "We don't have a monarchy in this country," warned Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, "there's an executive branch and the legislative branch, and the president has to work with Congress to get things done." Though Obama has been far more timid in using executive power than President George W. Bush, many in the GOP suddenly have a legal problem with presidents going their own way. Most experts agree that what the president has done is squarely within the prerogatives accorded to presidents. There is a long history of presidents using executive power ever since the founding of the nation. The power of the office grew enormously over the course of the 20th century and presidents became increasingly comfortable using mechanisms such as signing statements and executive orders to achieve their goals. In December 1980, President Jimmy Carter used an executive order to protect 56 million acres of Alaskan wilderness from mining and logging. President Ronald Reagan used executive power to weaken federal agencies that were responsible for policies he opposed. President Bill Clinton used an executive order in 1995 to prevent the federal government from entering into contracts with companies that hired strike-breakers. In 2001, Bush enraged many Democrats when he restricted public access to the papers of former presidents. He also overturned many environmental regulations that Clinton had put into place. Environmentalists complained. Following the revelation of how many signing statements -- attachments to a bill in which a president can express concerns about sections that he believes to be unconstitutional -- Bush had used, Rep. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, explained that what the president was saying is "Congress, what you do isn't really important; I'm going to do what I want to do." Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, defended Bush, stating, "It is precedented and it's not new." Obama has lagged behind most presidents in making full use of his office. The average for number of executive orders for presidents since 1900 is 44 per year. Obama has averaged 37 executive orders -- less than Republican Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. But just because the president can take executive action, is it a good idea to do so? There are good reasons that Democrats should be leery about using presidential power to achieve their ends. Most important, the executive orders put into place by one president can be easily and quickly overturned by the next president. Killing policies that are put into place by Obama would not be extraordinarily difficult nor would it require the kind of long, protracted struggle that Republicans have engaged in with Obamacare, thus far unsuccessfully. When Clinton came into office in 1993, he reversed Reagan's executive order from 1984 that prohibited the use of federal funds to advocate abortion. In 2009, Obama revoked Bush's order restricting public access to presidential papers. Presidential power also deprives a policy of the fierce public debate and congressional vote that comes with legislation. Although the process of passing bills through Congress is usually very painful for a president, if successful a policy obtains a kind of legitimacy that rarely comes from executive action. This is evident from how durable the programs from the New Deal and Great Society, such as Social Security, the Civil Rights Act, and Medicare and Medicaid have been over time. Through legislative debate, supporters of a bill are forced to present their case and to persuade a sufficient number of representatives and senators to come to their side. Sometimes a president from one party can persuade some members from the opposition to vote for a bill, permanently putting their imprint on the policy. This was a powerful part of why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 gained such widespread legitimacy throughout the nation. Even when opponents lose, they are given their chance to say no and to explain to the public why they oppose an idea. By contrast, the process of issuing executive orders opens up policies to charges of illegitimacy in a way that are much more difficult to sell with laws passed by Congress. Equally important for a president, legislators go must go on record. When they do so in support of a bill the legislator becomes much more invested in the coming years in defending that decision. Opponents go on record as well, and when a policy turns out to be popular and successful this makes them much more hesitant to continue their attacks on a program. For decades, Republicans shied away from the kind of oppositional statements toward Medicare proposals uttered by Barry Goldwater and Reagan in the early 1960s for fear that voters would remember how they had stood firm against benefits that turned out to be enormously popular. Obama certainly would prefer to obtain legislation and the turn to executive power is a decision of last resort, one that realistically might be the only way he can achieve anything else in the next few years. But the strategy will come with some significant costs and Obama's legacy will remain fragile and vulnerable in the coming years. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer. | Julian Zelizer: President Obama promising to take action even though his agenda stalled in Congress .
He says Obama is doing what other presidents have done, but there are risks to reliance on executive orders .
Zelizer: Next president could quickly reverse Obama's policies, and lack of congressional support weakens them . |
100,521 | 0d7ede9f38ce4165a271befcec189fd0e810ec23 | By . Jason Groves . Home Secretary Theresa May faces questions from MPs over accusations that politicians, the police and even her own officials have suppressed allegations against powerful individuals for decades . Extraordinary new claims pointing to an Establishment cover-up of child sex abuse by senior politicians emerged last night. Home Secretary Theresa May faces questions from MPs over accusations that politicians, the police and even her own officials have suppressed allegations against powerful individuals for decades. Some 114 files ‘potentially relevant’ to child abuse are now known to have been lost or destroyed by the Home Office. And, incredibly, at least four specific allegations relating to child abuse in Home Office files were not passed to police for up to 35 years, officials have now admitted. The claims have only been handed over in the past 12 months. In an explosive intervention, former Tory Cabinet Minister Norman Tebbit said the evidence suggested there ‘may well have been’ an Establishment cover-up, beginning in the 1970s and 1980s and continuing to this day. ‘At that time I think most people would have thought that the Establishment, the system, was to be protected, and if a few things had gone wrong here and there, that it was more important to protect the system than to delve too far into it,’ Lord Tebbit said. The peer, who served in the Cabinet in the early 1980s, added: ‘That view, I think, was wrong then and it has been spectacularly shown to be wrong now because the abuses have grown.’ His intervention fuelled growing demands for a full Hillsborough-style public inquiry into a series of toxic allegations, including claims of abuse by the late Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith and allegations of paedophile activity at parties attended by politicians and other prominent figures at the Elm Guest House in Barnes, south west London. Mrs May – who yesterday remained silent on the scandal engulfing her department – will face a storm of criticism from MPs as she gives a statement in the Commons today. In other developments it emerged that former Tory home secretary Lord Brittan has been questioned by police over an historical allegation of raping a woman and a Labour peer is under investigation after 12 men made allegations of ‘horrific’ child abuse dating back decades. Police have also traced a child at the centre of the alleged Westminster paedophile ring. The unnamed businessman, in his 40s and based in the US, claims he was abused by a politician when he was eight. Mrs May will announce details of a . fresh review of her department’s handling of the affair by a leading QC, . but pressure for a public inquiry continued to grow, with 141 MPs from . all parties backing the call. In an explosive intervention, former Tory Cabinet Minister Norman Tebbit said the evidence suggested there 'may well have been' an Establishment cover-up, beginning in the 1970s and 1980s and continuing to this day . Labour . MP Tom Watson has launched a petition calling on the Prime Minister to . ‘make amends for historic failures’ by establishing a national inquiry . into allegations of organised child sex abuse. He said that ‘many survivors of child abuse believe they have been let down by the system of child protection in the UK’. The petition has already been signed by thousands of members of the public. Mr Watson said: ‘Thousands had nowhere to turn. Nobody listened and nobody helped.’ The Home Office launched a review last year to discover what had happened to a dossier of alleged paedophile activity handed to Lord Brittan by the late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens in 1983. In a statement last week, Lord Brittan insisted that it had been handled appropriately and that he had asked officials to investigate the claims fully. But a public letter written by the Home Office’s top civil servant Mark Sedwill at the weekend revealed that the review found dozens of files were missing. Of the 573 files recovered, 13 contained . ‘information about alleged child abuse’, including four involving Home . Office officials. Incredibly, only nine of the files – dated between . 1979 and 1999 – were ever handed to police. In other developments it emerged that former Tory Home Secretary Lord Brittan has been questioned by police over an historic allegation of raping a woman . Keith Vaz, Labour chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said he was shocked by the loss of files, which he said was on ‘an industrial scale’. Mr Vaz, who had opposed a public inquiry into the scandal, said he had changed his mind on the basis of the revelations. His committee will question Mr Sedwill tomorrow over the missing files. Tory MP Zac Goldsmith said the case for a public inquiry was now irresistible. He said: ‘The Home Secretary is going to have to think again. It is inconceivable that those files were all lost by accident – no one is ever going to believe that, whatever the latest review comes up with. We need a proper inquiry. It is possible that some of the revelations will be very ugly for the political class. But we may need that cathartic experience to clear the air.’ Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who last week called on Lord Brittan to reveal what he knew, said it was a scandal that the Home Office had not passed files containing potentially serious allegations to the police immediately. And he warned that senior figures in all three main political parties were still trying to prevent questions about past misdeeds by a small number of MPs and peers. He said Parliament may be on the verge of a ‘Savile-like scandal’. The Home Office declined to comment yesterday but Downing Street insisted the case for an ‘over-arching’ public inquiry had not yet been made. Alison Millar of the law firm Leigh Day, which is representing some of the alleged victims, said another internal Home Office review would not quell the growing public disquiet. ‘This cannot be another internal review held by those who may well be at fault,’ she said. ‘It will only fuel a growing suspicion amongst the electorate that there is a conspiracy over the abuse of children by those with great power.’ Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper warned the ‘review of a review’ announced by the Government was insufficient. In a letter to Mrs May she said: ‘Any stones left unturned will leave concerns of institutional malaise, or worse a cover-up, unaddressed.’ ‘To be relevant, and effective, any independent inquiry needs to create a safe environment for survivors of abuse to come forward so their voices can be heard. At the moment the allegations are so serious and go so far up in the Government, to make many survivors fear for their safety.’ Campaigners are calling for a ‘Hillsborough-style’ inquiry into historic allegations of child sex abuse. This would involve an independent board of experts similar to the panel that investigated the 1989 football disaster. Public inquiries have traditionally been led by one or more senior judges, as with the Saville Inquiry into the Bloody Sunday killings of 1972 and the Leveson Inquiry into press standards. More rarely they have been conducted by a panel of veteran Whitehall mandarins – for example the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War. But the Hillsborough Independent Panel, set up in 2010 to ensure the release of all documents related to the tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans died, was praised for being different. It was chaired by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, and the nine members included former BBC journalist Peter Sissons, a retired deputy chief constable, an ex-deputy chief medical officer and archive experts. Each brought specialist knowledge to the task of scrutinising more than 450,000 pages to uncover the truth about attempts to cover up police failings. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Home Secretary Theresa May faces .
questions about cover up from MPs .
114 files ‘potentially relevant’ to child abuse lost by Home Office .
Four specific allegations in files not passed to police for up to 35 years .
Police have traced a child at centre of alleged Westminster paedophile ring . |
263,336 | e1170adcf7a38674b9c2e58e3003fbef287aba18 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A Massachusetts man who has been responsible for a staggering 10 other car wrecks is in jail on vehicular homicide and other charges in the June death of a 20-year-old jogger. Haley Cremer had stopped to chat with a friend on the sidewalk when she was hit and killed by a speeding SUV allegedly driven by 44-year-old Jeffrey Bickoff. Bickoff was arraigned in Stoughton District Court Wednesday for the June 4 death of Haley Cremer, a student at Simmons College in Sharon, about 20 miles south of Boston. At the arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Debi Curley described how Bickoff's speeding Ford Explorer drove across a lane marker near the intersection of Hampton and Dogwood roads in Sharon and then 'struck and catapulted Haley 78 feet to her death' as she had stopped jogging to talk with a friend. Tragic: 20-year-old Haley Cremer was struck by an SUV allegedly driven by 44-year-old Jeffrey Bickoff . Excited: Cremer was a good student who just finished her sophomore year of college and was looking forward to starting her summer job at Lululemon . Responsible: Jeffrey Bickoff has been responsible for at least 10 vehicle collisions prior to allegedly hitting Cremer . Curley also says that Bickoff had consumed three liquor drinks before getting behind the wheel and that he should have been able to see Cremer before he hit her from a distance that is nearly the length of a football field. 'He drives between 45 and 50 miles an hour, claiming he wasn’t texting, . claiming he didn’t drop a cigarette, claiming that he wasn’t distracted, . yet we know that for 290 feet the defendant had visibility,' Curley . said, the Boston Globe reports. 'Yet he drove over the right fog lane onto a raised curb and . struck and catapulted Haley some 78 feet to her death — although he lost . the privilege of driving when his license was suspended,' she continued. In addition to the vehicular homicide, Bickoff also is charged with speeding, driving with a suspended license, and committing a marked lane violation. In addition to the 10 previous accidents, Bickoff also has nine speeding tickets on his driving record, the Globe reports. Bail: Bickoff's attorney says he is indigent and can't afford the $10,000 bail a judge is requiring to free him from custody as he awaits trial . Responsibility: Bickoff's attorney says his client is cooperating with police and that he feels horrible about what happened . Visibility: Prosecutors say Bickoff should have been able to see Cremer from 290 feet away before he allegedly hit her at this intersection . Judge Richard D. Savignano set Bickoff's bail at $10,000 cash and set a pretrial hearing for August 8. The paper reports that Bickoff's attorney says his client is indigent and it is unlikely he will be able to afford to bail himself out of jail. 'He took full responsibility and is just devastated by the whole situation,' Bickoff's court appointed attorney, Richard Comenzo told the paper. Cremer had just moved into an apartment in Sharon. Her uncle she was a good student and was excited about her summer job at Lululemon. 'This is a young woman who was undoubtedly going to make a remarkable . wife, a remarkable mother, and to have that taken away in such a . senseless, stupid loss, it shakes the boundaries of my faith,' her . uncle, Steve Litner, told the paper. 'I cannot make sense of it.' | Jeffrey Bickoff allegedly hit 20-year-old Haley Cremer as she was jogging on June 4 .
Cremer had stopped to talk to a friend when a Ford Explorer crossed a lane marker and hit her on the side of the road .
Prosecutors the impact sent Cremer flying '78 feet to her death'
Bickoff had consumed three liquor drinks before driving, prosecutors say .
Authorities say Bickoff should have been able to see Cremer from nearly 300 feet away .
Bickoff has been charged with vehicular homicide and other charges . |
158,623 | 590e43a5091e807f6990b9b6f7459b3cc8bd7a45 | By . Amanda Williams . A candle lit as part of the nationwide First World War centenary vigil sparked a flat fire forcing a man to jump from a first-floor window. The candle is believed to have set fire to a curtain in the flat in Cambridge, just after midnight on Monday night. The man, in his 30s, fell 12ft as he scrambled to escape the blaze, and neighbours called emergency services. A candle lit as part of the nationwide First World War centenary sparked a flat fire forcing a man to jump from a first-floor window from a flat in Cambridge . The windows of his flat and his neighbour's below were blown out, the rooms severely damaged by smoke and the fire burnt through the electrics - making them uninhabitable. Brian Foskett, 74, was sleeping in his flat below the fire until firefighters smashed his door down. The former jazz drummer said: 'I could hear this 'bang bang' and I thought 'hello hello' and I thought I must be in a bit of difficulty here with burglars. 'All of a sudden these firefighters were in my flat with their yellow helmets on and I'm there starkers. The windows of his flat and his neighbour's below were blown out, the rooms severely damaged by smoke and the fire burnt through the electrics - making them uninhabitable . The man, in his 30s, fell 12ft as he scrambled to escape the blaze, and neighbours called emergency services . 'I was freaking out saying 'what are you doing here?' and they said I'd better get out. It was a bit of fright.' He was strapped to a spinal board as a precaution but escaped with minor injuries. Mr Foskett said he spoke to his neighbour as he lay injured and added: 'He told me he lit a candle to mark the anniversary of the First World War and that's how it started.' The Royal British Legion invited the nation to turn off all their lights around 11pm on Monday apart from one to mark the centenary of Britain entering the First World War . The Royal British Legion invited the nation to turn off all their lights around 11pm on Monday apart from one to mark the centenary of Britain entering the First World War. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: 'Following a fire investigation, the most likely cause of the fire was accidental. 'It is believed a candle was lit on a windowsill and spread to curtains, which then developed and spread through the property.' | The candle is believed to have set fire to a curtain in Cambridge flat .
The man, in his 30s, fell 12ft as he scrambled to escape the blaze .
Royal British Legion invited nation to turn off all lights apart from one .
It was to mark the centenary of Britain entering the First World War . |
219,751 | a873cd31a82b014a8f9a94640f2e74804d50ca1b | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 04:20 EST, 24 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:01 EST, 24 September 2013 . A schoolboy who raped a six-year-old girl twice has walked free from court despite telling a probation officer 'I don't care' when asked how his young victim felt following her ordeal. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted forcing the girl to carry out a sex act on two occasions, Ipswich Youth Court heard. But during a meeting with a court official, who was compiling a pre-sentence report, the youth showed no remorse for his victim. No remorse: The 12-year-old boy walked free from Ipswich Youth Court, pictured, despite telling a probation officer 'I don't care how she feels' when asked about his victim . Prosecutor Simon Newell said the boy was asked what he felt about the impact of his crimes on his victim and replied: 'I don’t care how she feels.' District Judge Celia Dawson told him that she was not sending him to a secure youth offending unit because she did not want him to be in the company of ‘older and more sophisticated criminals’. The boy, who lives on the Suffolk and Norfolk border, was given a 12 month referral order and a 12 month restraining order banning him from contacting the victim or her family. He was also ordered to pay £300 in compensation to the girl, having admitted two counts of rape at an earlier hearing. The court heard that the boy’s parents took him to a police station when they heard about the sex attack allegations where he admitted what he had done straight away. 'I hope you are aware if you don’t change your attitude you may have very serious problems in the future.' District Judge Celia Dawson . Sentencing the boy, District Judge Dawson told him: 'I have read the report and of course it gives me some cause for concern because of your attitude to what you did. 'I hope in a way that is you trying to be brave and tough things out, and that when you start work with the Youth Offending Team you will begin to think about what you did, about how serious it was, and about how badly this has affected (the girl). 'I hope you are aware if you don’t change your attitude you may have very serious problems in the future. 'What you did was very, very wrong. Indeed you forced her to do something she did not want to do and didn’t understand.' A statement from the victim’s mother said the girl has been left frightened and very upset by what happened. The judge told the boy: 'That’s an awful thing. She’s only a little girl.' Share what you think . The comments below have been moderated in advance. shoecake, . Warrington, . 18 hours ago . he should be restrained from contacting her for life not 12 measly months! Linzi, . Glasgow, . 18 hours ago . Unfortunately I don't think this boy will change his attitude and he will have serious problems in the future! Malcolm, . Bournemouth, United Kingdom, . 18 hours ago . He should have been given a suspended sentence, which would not have been subject to early release, and a 20 year criminal record. ILOVETOFU, . Sydney, . 18 hours ago . how horrendous. this kind of sentencing sends the wrong message. lesley, . romford, . 18 hours ago . it shows how sex crime isn't taken seriously,that girl will be damaged mentally for the rest of her life counselling will help but it will still be there . hmmmmmm, . England, . 19 hours ago . I am speechless! What measures are put in place to change this boy, and to help the girl....oh stop him going to prison/detention centre and giving her money-says it all!! James4703, . Belfast, United Kingdom, . 19 hours ago . At 12 i was over 6 foot, id of been strung up if i had of done such a crime. judderman, . Northampton, . 19 hours ago . I see justice is done yet again. ? brookles, . Birmingham uk, . 19 hours ago . My mother got £500 compensation for being burgled £300 fine and s slap on the wrist is just not adequate. cass, . West Midlands, . 19 hours ago . British Justice ... what a farce. 12 month order to stay away from the family ! He should be banned for life! The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. | The boy told probation officer 'I don't care how she feels' when asked about victim .
The girl was left 'frightened and very upset' by her ordeal .
He was given a 12 month referral order at Ipswich Youth Court .
He was also banned from contacting the victim or her family for 12 months . |
252,795 | d3260d470be4fa0bef5af9d53b50532d37fdbc03 | Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev has been forced to publicly apologise for his slur against the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus. The International Tennis Federation came under fire from Martina Navratilova on Monday for failing to act after Tarpischev described the Williams' as 'brothers'. The Womens' Tennis Association responded swiftly to Tarpischev's remarks by banning him for a year and issuing a fine of 25,000 US dollars (£15,500). Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpischev has apologised to Serena and Venus Williams . Tarpischev faced a backlash after making the offensive remarks about Serena (left) and Venus (right) Tennis legend Martina Navratilova believes Tarpischev's comments were a form of bullying . Navratilova, however, claimed the ITF's silence on the matter was 'pretty deafening'. The 59-times Grand Slam champion added: 'Certainly this kind of bullying comment cannot be tolerated from anyone, but particularly from a high-up official in the tennis world.' ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti, however, has now responded and made it clear to Tarpischev such comments will not be tolerated. Ricci Bitti believes Tarpischev's apology and the WTA's actions are a sufficient punishment. Bitti said: 'The ITF was very disappointed when it learned that Shamil Tarpischev, long-time President of the Russian Tennis Federation, made derogatory remarks about the gender of Serena and Venus Williams. 'What Mr Tarpischev said was wholly unacceptable to the ITF and, when we learned of the issue, we encouraged him to apologise immediately. Serena Williams, pictured with with the US Open trophy, described Tarpischev's remarks as sexist and racist . Venus Williams, pictured in action during the US Open, has been sent an apology by Tarpischev . 'Mr Tarpischev has taken an important step by sending his apology to the ITF, the WTA and to the Williams sisters. 'Although Mr. Tarpischev assured us his comment was meant as a joke, we made it clear to him what he said is inappropriate in any context. 'We were especially disappointed as Mr Tarpischev has a long and distinguished career in tennis, serving as Davis Cup and Fed Cup captain, and fostering the growth of tennis in Russia, including the development of many successful men and women players. 'We hope his acceptance of fault in this matter, which includes the penalty assessed by the WTA Tour, will allow all of us to move forward.' | Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpischev has issued an apology to the ITF, WTA and the Williams sisters .
He called Serena and Venus 'brothers' in a TV interview .
Tarpischev has been banned for a year and fined £15,500 . |
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