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158,551 | 58f8a11c5aa437ce446cdcd7090ab2e514b1cda2 | They are known for being aggressive predators, willing to attack and kill humans. But as this picture shows, brown bears are also ever so slightly vain. This young bear was caught out gazing at its own reflection in a Finnish lake . Curious: This brown bear appears transfixed by its own reflection in a river in Kainuu, Finland . Vain: London-based photographer Sylwia Domaradska was hidden just yards away as the brown bear admired itself . Interested: The bear repeatedly stared at itself as it wondered around the lake . These . pictures show the brown bear repeatedly stooping to stare at himself, . unaware that photographer Sylwia Domaradska is hiding just yards away. She captured the pictures in Kainuu, eastern Finland, where there is almost 24-hour daylight during the summer months. The 37-year-old from London said: 'It totally felt like a dream. It was almost difficult to see where the reflections were starting. 'The bear turned up at around midnight. He came very quietly along the water's edge looking for food. 'It was a fairly young bear, perhaps two or three years old. He was very cautious as at this age he'd need to be careful about females with cubs, and older males. Impressive: With the stillness of the water and the woods around the bear, this image could be a painting . Funny: The photographer said the bear appeared to keep looking at his reflection as he made his way around the water's edge . Youthful: It is thought the curious bear is only about two or three years old . 'He seemed to look at his own reflection - as he stayed in the same place for a while.' Miss Domaradska said when the bear began moving around the edge of the lake he continued looking in. 'It really was quite amusing to see - and then he was gone,' she said. 'The conditions were absolutely perfect for this kind of image. On guard: The bear stands to attention as he plays on the water's edge . Bright: Despite it looking like the middle of the daytime, these pictures were actually taken close to midnight . Going home: After admiring himself for a while, the bear decides enough is enough and heads away from the lake . 'The reflections were perfectly still and the line between the reflections and actual trees being reflected created very little blur. 'I had actually gone out with the intention of taking a different image. I was hoping to see bears bathing and splashing in the water but instead, this happened. 'But it didn't turn out too bad, did it?' | Brown bear repeatedly stooped to stare at himself in Finnish lake . |
61,797 | af86a381ee1b9347c152619bbda905546dd8ceaa | Internacional have confirmed the signing of Manchester United flop Anderson on a four-year contract. United have cancelled Anderson's contract to allow the midfielder to join his hometown club in a deal understood to be worth £25,000 per week after tax. Anderson ended up costing United £25.7million after Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from Porto in 2007, and made a total of 181 appearances for the club during his eight years at Old Trafford. Internacional have confirmed the signing of Manchester United flop Anderson on a four-year contract . Anderson went back to his native Brazil to undergo a medical at Internacional on Monday before signing . United have cancelled Anderson's contract to allow the midfielder to join his hometown club . 2004-2006: Gremio (19 lg apps, 6 gls) 2006-2007: Porto (18, 2) 2007-2015: Manchester United (105, 5) 2014-2014: Fiorentina (loan) (7, 0) 2015-NOW: Internacional (0, 0) Anderson was back in his native Porto Alegre on Monday to undergo a medical before the signing was confirmed the day after by the Internacional's official website. They wrote: 'The Sport Club Internacional concluded on Tuesday (03/02) the procedures to announce the signing of midfielder Anderson. He signs four-year contract. 'The official presentation will be at 18 hours, in the conference room of the Beira-Rio stadium.' United had hoped Anderson would grow as a player but his time in Manchester proved disappointing. It quickly became apparent he would not feature in Louis van Gaal's plans. Anderson's final appearance for United was for their under-21 side as they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Leigh Sports Village in the U21 Barclays Premier League. On leaving United, the midfielder took to Instagram to say goodbye. 'Thank you so much to Manchester United It is truly the best club in the world, I love it so much and have enjoyed every year I have spent there,' he wrote. 'Thank you to all the team who work at United and especially all the boys, I have made some amazing friends, all of whom are great players and will continue to do great things. 'And one massive thank you to all of the fans, for your continuos love.. The best.' [sic] . Anderson's final appearance was for the under-21 side as they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Leigh Sports Village . | Anderson was in Porto Alegre on Monday to undergo a medical with hometown club Internacional .
The Manchester United flop's move to the club was confirmed on Tuesday .
The Brazilian has signed a four-year deal with Internacional which is understood to be worth £25,000 per week after tax .
Anderson's final appearance was for United's under-21 team as they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Leigh Sports Village in the U21 Barclays Premier League . |
129,793 | 33c7fa7505946b798fc433a0194e0bcc3cc09a47 | Mohamed Diame's £3.5million move to Hull City from West Ham is back on with Tom Cleverley set to choose Aston Villa over the Tigers. Diame has been pushed down the pecking order at Upton Park following the summer arrivals of fellow midfielders Cheikhou Kouyate and Alex Song. Diame joined the Hammers in 2012 after three impressive seasons with Wigan, and in January last year Arsenal were rumoured to be interested in the Senegalese midfielder. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Tom Cleverley score after a brilliant one-touch move . Transfer: Mohamed Diame's £3.5million move from West Ham to Hull City is back on . But his star seems to have faded, and a move to Steve Bruce's Hull now looks likely. Manchester United and England midfielder Cleverley is poised to join Villa in an £8m move. The United youth product was used consistently by both David Moyes and Alex Ferguson but his time at Old Trafford appears to be drawing to a close. New boy: The Hammers are looking to offload Diame after bringing in Alex Song on loan from Barcelona . United: After coming through the youth system at Untied, Tom Cleverley may be heading for the exit door . | Mohamed Diame move to Hull City is back on .
West Ham looking to sell him after signing Alex Song and Cheikou Kouyate .
Tom Cleverley could move to Aston Villa .
Manchester United midfielder would prefer move to Paul Lambert's side . |
1,934 | 0591e08f18606f9e16ce934a379d821c40227813 | (CNN)Just about every day on Facebook, I see posts by parents asking for advice related to their children. Granted, many of my friends are parents, but I imagine you see similar posts when you log on as well. And pretty much every time I read one, I wonder about the pluses and minuses of a world in which many parents now head to their social networks to make parenting decisions. Sure, getting advice on how to get a toddler to sleep through the night or how to deal with a fussy eater makes sense and seems relatively harmless. But is there something creepy about picking a baby name based on Internet responses or deciding on a punishment based on the opinions of followers? Last year, an expectant father created a website, NameMyDaughter.com, allowing anyone on the Internet to suggest and vote on a baby name for his daughter. 10 signs you might be addicted to your smartphone . Thankfully for his child, who was born in April, he and his wife reportedly did not go with the winning name of "Cthulhu." Instead, they chose the second place name, Amelia. My question: How is Amelia or any other child named by strangers online going to feel when they learn the origin of their name? "I am sure the child will be happy to know that her name was approved of by thousands of strangers she will never meet," said Vicki Hoefle, author of the book "Duct Tape Parenting: A Less is More Approach to Raising Respectful, Responsible, and Resilient Kids." "Can you imagine the outrage an adult would have if, say, a guy crowdsourced whether he should propose or not?" asked Hoefle, a mom of five who has spent the past two decades working with families on parenting. Asking not just your followers but random strangers to choose a name for your child is no doubt one of the more extreme examples of crowdsourced parenting, but what about deciding discipline based on social media responses or asking for help with deeply personal issues such as a child's depression or anxiety, or a case of bullying, or a child's exploration of sex? Replace the 'sex talk' with the 'tech talk'? In conversations over email with parents across the country, I found a real split in opinions about whether using social media to help parent is positive or inappropriate. Put mom of four Janeane Davis in the positive camp. She said that since many of us live far away from our parents and friends, "social media crowdsourcing is a quick way of getting a lot of opinions and ideas at one time." Davis, founder of the blog Janeane's World, said she only crowdsourced for her children once. "I asked people how they got their sons to behave better at home and school. I did get some good ideas. I tried one of them, and it worked," said Davis, who said she'd do it again. Louise Sattler, a mom of two grown children in Los Angeles, also believes crowdsourced parenting is OK in certain cases. "We use to call it getting advice during coffee klatches," said Sattler, a school psychologist, educational consultant and owner of a business providing sign language instruction. 28 web abbreviations parents should know . Pam Moore, host of the blog Whatevs, believes there is an age limit on when it's no longer OK to discuss a child's behavior on social media and ask for help regarding that behavior, even though she admits she's not quite sure what that key age is. "Whether it's tantrums in kindergarten or wetting the bed at age 9 ... I believe children still have the right to some privacy about their lives," said Moore, a mom of two who writes about motherhood, marathons and life in Boulder, Colorado. "I think that if you aren't sure whether to post something about your kid on Facebook, ask yourself how the child (and you) would feel if he or she ever came across it at the age of 12. If you wouldn't want him or her to see it on your timeline, then it's probably not a great idea to post it on Facebook." There are things that happen within the family that do not need to be aired in public, said Tracey Koch, a mom of two and nurse practitioner who works with teens in Lewiston, Idaho. Chances are, your teen has sexted . "I think you are risking your child essentially shutting down if you publicly discuss punishment over social media. The postings are too easily shared, and information spreads too widely." Beth Engelman, a mom of a 9-year-old in Chicago, agrees. She also thinks parenting by crowdsourcing, which can lead to a multitude of suggestions, can be overwhelming and make parents feel less secure about their own instincts. "I think the ease in which parents can go to social media often chips away at their confidence to trust their gut," said Engelman, co-founder of the blog Mommy on a Shoestring. "The more you are reliant on others to help you make decisions, the less confident you feel making decisions on your own." Another issue, said educational psychologist, consultant and parenting coach Lori Day, is when parents rely on social media, when they should instead be talking to professionals such as a teacher, pediatrician or child psychologist. Teen 'like' and FOMO anxiety . Day notes that people may too often view the advice of some followers and friends, especially popular bloggers who have a large digital footprint, as experts, when in fact they don't have any expertise on the issues at hand. "It's not necessarily about what your credentials are because you could be one of those really wise parents that has really good advice, but sometimes the way I see it articulated, it's almost as if the person is a psychologist and they're in positions that they really don't know about and they aren't educated on, they have no work experience on, and that gets me worried," said Day, author of "Her Next Chapter," a book about mother-daughter book clubs. "That's when parents really need to be seeking out professional help." Separated at birth, reunited on Facebook . Hoefle, whose newest book "The Straight Talk on Parenting" will be released in April, encourages parents to see themselves as "the true experts in their children's lives," not their thousands of friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. "By answering just a few questions, they can begin to see clearly the strategy that will work best for their children and one that they can actually implement to get the kind of long-term sustainable change they are looking for." When do you think crowd sourced parenting is a bad way to go? Share your thoughts with Kelly Wallace on Twitter or CNN Living on Facebook. | Asking for parenting advice via social networks can be harmless, but it can also be invasive, Kelly Wallace found .
Sharing disciplinary problems, emotional issues or developmental issues may be cause resentment for children .
"I believe children still have the right to some privacy about their lives," said parenting blogger Pam Moore . |
103,349 | 1143965e7725dc2b1c80ec08718df4b9958a0bfc | Student: Kevin Hayes, pictured, sued the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in Prince George's County Circuit Court for battering, hazing, false imprisonment and gross negligence. A University student has filed a $3 million lawsuit against a fraternity who he alleges beat him so severely that he was left with bruises on his buttocks. Kevin Hayes filed the lawsuit against Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in Prince George's County Circuit Court in Maryland for battering, hazing, false imprisonment and gross negligence during pledging. The Bowie State University student alleged that APA members Mike Ross, Keenan Goins and others punched, hit, slapped, body slammed and paddled him during the fall of 2013. He told WUSA-TV: 'It broke me down. It hurt. It was something that I had never experienced before.' At the time of the incident, Goins was a graduate student and Ross was not a student at the time, according to the lawsuit. Hayes said that he was told to attend five-to-eight-hour meetings, in which he had to learn chapter and fraternity information. However, he was beaten if any of the information was wrong. The junior college student said the punishments included Jewel Shockers (side slaps), Back Racks (back slaps), Fat Joes (chest slaps), as well as taking 'wood' (paddling). The pledges were also told to only wear specific colors and not to report what they were experiencing during hazing. However, after he gave a frat leader photographic evidence of the abuse, he was told there would be changes to the way pledging was carried out. But then things changed and Hayes said he was branded a 'snitch.'. According to the lawsuit, Hayes said that fraternity members threatened him and his mother, saying they would 'come by her house and see her.' He added: 'They said 'You're a snitch. Oh, you're always talking. We're never going to accept you. We're going to black ball you. Then they began to ostracize me.' Hayes told WUSA-TV: 'It broke me down. It hurt. It was something that I had never experienced before.' Bruise: The Bowie State University student alleged that this is the bruise, which has been blurred, left on his backside after APA members punched, hit, slapped, body slammed and paddled him during the fall of 2013 . Policy: Bowie State University said it has a 'stringent anti-hazing policy that is coupled with a strong anti-hazing education program.' The student said that he was ignored by other fraternity members and their friends. But his mother did not report the physical abuse to the police. Hayes' attorney Jim Bell, pictured, told WUSA-TV: 'They [the police] have a duty under Maryland law to keep him safe.' Hayes' attorney Jim Bell told WUSA-TV: 'They [the police] have a duty under Maryland law to keep him safe.' Maryland has strict anti-hazing laws which prohibit anyone from putting a student at risk of' serious bodily injury for the purpose of initiation.' In a statement, Bowie university acknowledged the lawsuit. It said: 'Bowie State University is aware of the the lawsuit filed today alleging an incidence of hazing by a fraternity on our campus. 'We understand that the university is not named as a party in the suit and we are not able to comment about any allegations cited in the suit,' the university said in a statement. 'Bowie State University has a stringent anti-hazing policy that is coupled with a strong anti-hazing education program. 'The university considers hazing to be indefensible and contrary to the interest of the university community. 'We work continuously with Greek and other student organizations to assure understanding that no activity that causes mental, physical or social harm will be tolerated.' However, the lawsuit alleged that school advisers never had anyone examine Hayes after the allegations were made. Hayes, is currently an executive member-at-large for Student Government Association for the 2014-2015 school year. He is also a member of the University of Maryland system's Student Council for the 2014-2015 school year. Hayes has been a member of the Maryland Army National Guard since 2013. | Kevin Hayes sued the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at Bowie State university .
Violence during hazing included back slaps, chest slaps and side slaps .
He said: 'It broke me down. It hurt. I had never experienced that before'
Maryland has strict anti-hazing laws which prohibit serious bodily injury . |
167,236 | 6448ec2fb93ee32664ffa093156ed9cb9de33d0d | By . Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 05:37 EST, 31 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:36 EST, 31 October 2013 . Accused: Pete Jacob Lara, 39, allegedly stole 125 gold crowns from corpses over the course of a year . A mortuary worker is accused of stealing 125 gold crowns from dead bodies he was supposed to be looking after at a California funeral home. Pete Jacob Lara, 39, a former apprentice embalmer at the Halley-Olsen-Murphy Funeral Home in Lancaster, allegedly carried out the macabre thefts over the course of a year, between June 25, 2012 and October 28, 2013. Prosecutors allege that he also took other items, including a cremation urn box and medallions used to decorate urn boxes worth more than $1,000. Lara went on, prosecutors say, to sell the stolen goods at pawn shops and jewelry exchanges. Lara is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday afternoon, charged with removal or possession of dental gold from human remains; grand theft by embezzlement – and one count each of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine. He also faces 23 counts of second-degree commercial burglary. If convicted as charged, Lara faces a maximum sentence of 19 years in state prison. Lara’s bail has been set at $510,000. The case remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Lara’s profile has been wiped from the funeral home’s website. Grim: The grisly thefts allegedly took place at the Halley-Olsen-Murphy Funeral Home in Lancaster (pictured) Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Pete Jacob Lara, 39, allegedly stole the crowns over the course of a year .
The former California embalmer also allegedly sold the items at a pawn shop . |
205,531 | 960f74fe07c39b461a86fd48d08f0f5ea9c40390 | A performance artist wound up in jail after pulling a fake penis out of his pants during a protest at a Miami art show. Kalan Sherrard, an 'avant-garde nihilist subway performer,' familiar to commuters on New York's L train, was with about 30 others protesting the wealthy at Art Basel when he reportedly tried to fight off police trying to get him out of the building. As they tried to remove him from the show, Sherrard decided this was the moment to yank out his surprise. Scroll down for video . Look at me: Kalan Sherrard, an 'avant-garde nihilist subway performer' was arrested after pulling a fake penis out on police during a protest at Art Basel in Miami . 'The unknown item was discovered to be a prosthetic penis sex toy,' according to a report from Miami Beach Police Officer Alex Delgado as quoted in The Miami Herald. 'The item was impounded.' The officers at first thought it might be a gun. He was charged with disturbing the peace and resisting an officer without violence. The Miami New Times reports that the altercation started at about 4 p.m. when Sherrard and his partner Maria Paz Valenzuela started a disturbance. He was playing with a balloon while she read a manifesto from the Art Basel site. Sherrard was screaming 'F--- Art Basel, F--- all you rich people.' The pair were part of a larger crowd wearing masks and protesting the wealthy. Despite Sherrard's years as a performer, police say they were still completely confused by what statement he intended to convey with the fake penis. 'It's like the chicken crossing the road question,' Detective Vivian Thayer told reporters. In an interview with New York magazine earlier this year, Sherrard said he performed because 'I think it has to do with being really bored of the world, sort of — both really bored and really interested.' On Thursday Sherrard was busted for 'disorderly conduct' and 'wearing a mask on the street' according ot court documents . Speaking to the Herald after his arrest, Sherrard claimed he was told by security officers he was dressed 'too artistically' to be in the event. After begging strangers for their clothing he claims to have gone on 'a very basic anti-world rant' before security and police took notice and engaged him. Both he and Valenzuela were released the next day after each posted $1,500 in bail . The Miami New Times notes that this was Sherrard's second arrest of the week. On Thursday he was busted for 'disorderly conduct' and 'wearing a mask on the street' according ot court documents. He wrote of that incident: 'Yesterday I was arrested for Dancing and Wearing A Speaking Costume, and imprisoned for 24 hours in Miami-Dade county's series of incarceratory complexes. 'It was a Kafkaesque nightmare of juggling and impossible echoes of choice, but in the end my friends and family came through and bounced me out. Thank you so much. Minus A Day, Plus the complete clarity of repose, withdrawl, meditation and disjuncture, incarceration unfailingly punctuating the entrenchment of white supremacy, privilege, and complicity. It is a spinning knife. 'In jail I remembered everything. I came back to myself.' | Kalan Sherrard, an 'avant-garde nihilist subway performer,' was with about 30 others protesting the wealthy at Art Basel when he reportedly tried to fight off police trying to get him out of the building .
He was charged with disturbing the peace and resisting an officer without violence .
Released after posting $1,500 in bail . |
171,993 | 6a9c3c0dbe3451f3394f4860e62ead6db486d080 | (CNN) -- Tiger Wood missed the cut at Quail Hollow in his first tournament since a disappointing showing at the U.S. Masters. A second round one-over 73 Friday left him level par 144 for the PGA Tour event, one outside the cut line. The former world number one was left to rue a routine four-foot birdie putt on his penultimate hole and he took 33 putts in total in a disappointing showing on the greens. Woods happier with swing ahead of return . It was only the eighth time in 267 starts as a professional that Woods will have failed to qualify for the final two rounds. "This is one of my favorite tour stops, and unfortunately, I'm just not going to be around for the last two days," he told gathered reporters after his round. Coming off a 40th place finish at Augusta after going into the first major of the season as favorite, Woods was also wayward off the tee. One drive on the par-5 fifth hole could not be found but Woods received a free drop after a ruling. Latest leaderboard from Quail Hollow . According to the official PGA Tour website a fan had reportedly pocketed the ball. While Woods struggled, fellow American Nick Watney charged into the clubhouse lead at 12-under after a superb second round 64 in North Carolina. Webb Simpson, second on last year's money list, was a shot back after a 68. World number two Rory McIlroy, playing his first event since the Masters, also prospered among the morning starters, shooting a four-under 68. It left the Northern Ireland star on six-under overall and still well-placed to claim the top seven place which would see him leapfrog England's Luke Donald to top spot in the rankings. McIlroy won the 2010 edition with closing rounds of 66-62 after just making the cut. | Tiger Woods struggles to second round 73 at Quail Hollow .
Woods misses cut at PGA Tour event in North Carolina .
Nick Watney sets clubhouse pace at halfway on 12-under .
World No.2 Rory McIlroy six shots back after a 68 . |
285,534 | fdfba1bf7609095dece1fcaa79d05b0bc838114e | A foster father who confessed to multiple instances of abuse against his disabled foster child is set to spend years behind bars. Dr. Dennis Sullivan faces a prison sentence of 43 months which was handed down on Friday, Forum News Service reported. The 51-year-old Benedict, Minnesota resident earlier entered a guilty plea on August 25 for attempted first-degree assault, according to the media outlet. Foster father: Dr. Dennis Sullivan faces a prison sentence of 43 months after he entering a guilty plea for attempted first-degree assault toward his 10-year-old foster child . On that day, Sullivan reportedly confessed to covering his 10-year-old foster son's mouth with his hand on June 17 after jamming a latex glove in his mouth, Forum News Service reported. The boy 'was blind, wheelchair-bound and severely mentally disabled,' the media outlet reported. The Associated Press reported that a criminal complaint said Sullivan's wife claimed to discover Sullivan together with the child, who was having trouble breathing. The complaint reportedly said that after the foster father tucked the glove into a pocket Sullivan's wife 'asked him what he was doing. Sullivan responded that he did not know.' Admissions: Sullivan reportedly confessed to the abuse during an August 25 session at Hubbard County District Courthouse, pictured . The complaint also said Sullivan's wife pressed her husband 'if this had happened before and he said "three more times" in the immediate past and he only "put his hand over (the child’s) mouth for one minute."' Authorities later apprehended Sullivan at a North Dakota mental health center, The Associated Press reported. Forum News Serivce said that 'During the investigation, Sullivan admitted to torturing the boy in the genital area a month before the June incident.' In June, The Park Rapids Enterprise reported 'an amended complaint states the man tied a shoestring around the boy’s scrotum May 17.' | Dr. Dennis Sullivan confessed to multiple instances of abuse against his disabled foster child .
He faces a prison sentence of 43 months and entered a guilty plea on August 25 for attempted first-degree assault .
Sullivan reportedly confessed to covering his 10-year-old foster son's mouth with his hand on June 17 after putting a latex glove in his mouth .
The boy is blind and uses a wheelchair .
When his wife found him, Sullivan allegedly said he tried covering the boy's mouth on three other occasions . |
120,054 | 2728d506378f97fed939e57029d460c2188feea0 | (CNN) -- David Cameron is in danger of becoming the Prime Minister who takes Britain out of the European Union by mistake. Cameron's looming confrontation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the European Union's principle of free movement of peoples could set off a chain reaction which sees Britain choose to exit the EU in a referendum Cameron has promised voters in 2017. Just a few weeks ago it appeared that miscalculations by Cameron might have seen the breakup of the United Kingdom. In the referendum granted to Scotland on its continued membership in the UK, he was widely criticized for agreeing to the wrong question at the wrong time, with no qualifying majority built in and with no participation rights for Scots living elsewhere in the UK. That the Scots in the end voted to stay was widely reckoned to owe far more to the intervention of former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown than to anything Cameron did. Now Cameron is under fire again for failing to do his homework, for entering battles he cannot win and for employing dangerous short-term tactics in the hope of averting further blows from the advancing United Kingdom Independence Party at a forthcoming Parliamentary by-election and in next summer's General Election. Cameron is a pragmatic Tory centrist who warned his Conservative party in 2006 that it had been losing elections because instead of talking about issues like the National Health Service and education, "we kept banging on about Europe." He was then -- and probably still is -- an advocate of continued British membership of the EU. But in order to win the support of the Euro-skeptic right wing of his party in the election that brought him the Tory leadership, Cameron made a promise to take the Conservatives out of the European People's Party -- the main center-right grouping in the European Parliament. That cynical exercise in "gesture politics" alienated Angela Merkel and other potential key allies in Europe. It also taught the Euro-skeptics that Cameron could be pushed around. The clever exploitation of Britain's "anti-politics" mood by UKIP in recent months has seen Cameron forced onto the back foot. Now he himself is constantly in the headlines, "banging on," as he used to put it, about Europe. The trouble is that he has chosen the wrong issues and made undeliverable promises which only strengthen UKIP's claims that mainstream parties are not to be trusted. He has pledged to renegotiate Britain's terms of EU membership before the promised referendum, but has failed to coax any European allies into an agreement on the specific reform issues that he has in mind. He vehemently opposed the candidacy of former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker as the new President of the European Commission, but found only Hungary willing to support him in what ended up being a 26-2 endorsement for Juncker. Angered by the new financial demand from the EU in its ten yearly accounting system for a further 2.1 billion euros ($2.7 bn), Cameron has huffed that he simply won't pay. He certainly deserves some sympathy on that issue: the timing could not have been worse for him politically. But there is no evidence that the EU's claim under the existing rules is illegitimate and Britain has always prided itself previously on obeying the rules of the club when others sought to bend them. The issue that UKIP has most successfully exploited is that of immigration, and now Cameron is running scared, making a lot of noise on a subject whose constant presence in the headlines can only benefit his opponents. Again luck has deserted him. The coalition government has made progress in curbing immigration into the UK from countries outside the EU. But Britain's swifter recovery than other European nations from the economic crisis has made it a magnet to EU citizens who see a better chance of work there than in their own countries. The Conservatives have not therefore been able to meet their pledge to reduce immigration to under 100,000 people a year. With few positive policies to offer, UKIP has made the immigration issue its own. So now Cameron is insisting that he wants an end to the basic EU rule on the free movement of its citizens between member nations. But again he is without obvious allies and raising expectations he cannot fulfill. Angela Merkel and some other leaders may be willing to help David Cameron curb exploitation of the benefits system by "benefit tourists" and the like. But there is no way, as Merkel is making clear, that she will agree to the ending of the basic EU principle of the free movement of its peoples between nations. If Cameron does somehow manage success of a sort at the next election and return at the head of another coalition government, he will do so as a leader pledged to alter Britain's terms of EU membership and pledged to an in-out referendum on Britain's membership. He will have made further fearsome noises on restricting immigration which his speech writers are even now desperately trying to cobble together. The problem: No one else in Europe is showing the slightest interest in altering those terms of membership, especially on altering the free movement of people. Cameron will try, and almost certainly he will fail -- with a serious prospect that a disillusioned British people, stoked up by his rhetoric as well as UKIP's, will then insist that they want out. And the only question remaining will be: which side will the previously pro-European Cameron then be supporting -- the Ins or the Outs? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. | David Cameron has pledged to renegotiate Britain's terms of membership in the EU .
A confrontation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel looms over the UK's demands .
Oakley: Cameron's miscalculations could see him lead the UK out of the EU by mistake .
Oakley: Cameron, a centrist Conservative, has backed himself into a corner with EU referendum . |
244,599 | c88ccbe380ee5b1682829dffcaca8fb505bb225f | As she natters over tea and cakes with other ladies in the village, Donna Smith looks just like any other pensioner. But incredibly Donna, 74, used to be a man called Donald. And five years ago, at the age of 69, he became the oldest person in the UK to undergo a full sex change operation. Reborn: Donna, 74, is now delighted that she is a woman after spending 69 years of her life as Donald, right . 'Most people have no idea I used to be a he,' reveals Donna, in her first ever interview, 'and some people might wonder why at such a late age I bothered to go through such a major operation. 'But I’m proof it’s never too late to change your sex. Being a woman is fantastic. Just knowing I will die as a proper woman has come as a huge relief.' Now Donna, who as a woman is still a virgin, has one more goal – she would love to meet a toyboy: 'Although I’m in my seventies most people comment I don’t look a day over 50. 'I’d love to have a male companion to grow old with, a man ideally younger than me, to share the rest of my life with.' Donna’s long and torturous journey to become female began early in childhood when as Donald Edmund Bodsworth she loved nothing more than to dress up in her mum’s high-heeled shoes. 'I loved to try her make up too,' recalls Donna, the middle of three children, 'but it caused endless upset in the family. 'My parents were horrified. Both of them would tell me off and although I regularly told them I wanted to be a little girl, they would just reply, "don’t be so stupid."' By the time Donna reached her teens she’d experienced terrible bullying at school. 'My nickname was querie,' she says, 'girls and boys were both wary of me and I had few friends. Also at risk: Charing Cross Hospital is one of several hospitals still at risk from the Shaping A Healthier Future series of reforms which are currently out to consultation . 'A few girls did fancy me but I didn’t fancy women at all. And then although I did fancy some men, I used to fantasise about being their girlfriend, not wanting them as another man. 'Meanwhile, dad, a man’s man, who was a bricklayer before he became a prison officer, tried to toughen me up by taking me onto building sites with him. I hated it so much I used to cry myself to sleep.' Consequently, at the age of 17, and having saved up some money by working in the kitchens of a local hotel, Donna left the Bedfordshire village where they lived and moved to London. But the prejudices just continued. 'I was so unhappy at home, I’d longed to get away,' she recalls, 'but the first few nights I ended up sleeping rough on the streets. Thankfully I then found the YMCA.' Donna found another job working in kitchens. But even there she didn’t fit in. 'People didn’t warm to me,' she says, 'the problem was my feminine side just came through all the time. By now I felt sure I was a woman trapped in a man’s body. 'Yet it was the 50s and it was shocking for a man to be feminine like me and absolutely unacceptable. Once I went out and literally got a good kicking just because a bloke took said I looked like a poof.' However, she was so worried that in . her early twenties she saw her GP. 'I told him I thought I’d been born . into the wrong body,' she said. He . referred her to Charing Cross Hospital’s Gender clinic where she was . seen by Dr John Randell, a pioneering doctor in transgenderism. Happy at last: Donna Smith is now living in the Lincolnshire coastal town of Mablethorpe . She says: 'For the first time someone understood what I was going through. Until then I’d felt a freak so it was a relief to know there were others like me.' After undergoing a barrage of medical and psychological tests, Donna was put on hormones. 'The idea was that the hormones would make me feel more feminine and because of that I would feel more comfortable within my body,' she says. Within weeks breasts had started to grow, her beard was less noticeable and her penis had started to shrink. 'But while I felt better about myself and happier inside, attitudes weren’t like they are today. These days I’ve read about people having a sex change and then turning up to work dressed as the opposite sex. 'Had I turned up to work dressed as a woman it would have been a national scandal. I’d have been instantly sacked.' And so a new life developed. 'I would dress as a man to go to work,' she says, 'and then when I got home put on my wig, a dress and make up.' Amazingly she even entered a beauty pageant for women. 'I always wore a lovely long blonde wig. I was so convincing I actually came third. Even then that no-one guessed anything was unusual about me – and in fact doing that beauty pageant gave me a boost – because I knew for sure then I’d been born in the wrong body.' But most of the time life was fraught with difficulty. 'I lived in fear of meeting someone from work and them recognizing me. Or, just as bad someone realizing I wasn’t actually a woman and marching me off to the police. Then everything had to be done under cover.' For the next twenty years Donna continued living as a man by day and a woman by night. By her early thirties she had also fallen in love with a man in his twenties and they began living together. 'We . lived together as husband and wife but to the outside world he was my . lodger,' she says, 'it was sad that we had to pretend to others we . weren’t a couple but society was not accepting as it is now. 'Just coming out as gay was almost unheard of let alone as a man living as a woman. In those days that was how it had to be.' However, . when Donna reached her late 40s he broke her heart. 'He left me for . another woman,' she says, 'it was terrible as I couldn’t even confide in . anyone about why I was so devastated.' By . now Donna had read about someone having a sex change and when she asked . her doctors they agreed she could have one – but there was a long . waiting list and she would have to live and work as a woman day and . night for several years before she’d qualify. Donna says: 'It was probably the hardest time because as a woman it was impossible to get a job. I couldn’t lie – work places always needed to see things like birth certificates and yet I couldn’t afford not to work either. 'Also as a man working I earned more than if I’d worked as a woman.' Although she managed initially to gain a job as a woman working in a factory, when that job ended she found herself working on the roads and then at Vauxhall motors in Luton. 'Working as a man meant I got so much more money,' she says, 'I had bills to pay so I ended up back in the old cycle of dressing as a man in the day and a woman at night. 'By now the hormones had made my breasts grow to a 44DD – it was agony as I had to flatten them with tight vests.' However, finally when Donna retired she was able to live properly as a woman and fulfil the criteria. 'After I retired at 65 I could live full time as a woman and finally at the age of 69 I got to the top of the NHS waiting list. 'I couldn't believe it - but for me it was better late than never.' And in June 2006 at Charing Cross hospital she finally underwent the five-hour surgery she’d longed for. The penis and testicles were removed and a vagina was formed. 'I remember the nurse waking up me up. She said, "You’re a Miss now” and immediately I put my hand between my legs. The thrill that I was so neat and flat was fantastic. 'It really felt as if I were being reborn, the start of a new life.' She moved to the seaside and today lives in a two-bed flat in Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, bought with redundancy pay from her job at Vauxhall. She says: 'A handful of people who’ve known me a long time do obviously know I used to be a man, but most people have absolutely no idea. 'The only thing I think people find unusual is I still have quite a husky voice when I speak. It’s strange because my body is so feminine – other women often comment for example on my legs, which are one of my best features. 'But being a proper woman has changed my life. I feel so much more confident – I have lots of friends who I have cups of tea with and chat with and I’m a great carer. 'I've always been a motherly sort of person and now I look after a 96-year-old lady who lives nearby.' Now there is only one thing left to do. 'The doctors tell me everything is in working order but I’ve yet to find my Mr Right,' she says, 'and meeting someone special would make my life perfect.' | Parents used to be horrified by their young son dressing up in high-heeled shoes and make-up .
Sex change operation left Donald feeling reborn as Donna .
Proud woman wants to meet Mr Right to make her life 'perfect' |
239,593 | c2322d037add30c43956b6e280a40736bf946fab | (CNN)He was an acclaimed film director. She, a 13-year-old girl, working on a modeling job in California. The decision by Roman Polanski to have sex with Samantha Geimer was one that continues to dog him nearly four decades later. "It was 1977 and I had a modeling job with Roman and at the very end of that he took advantage of me and made me have sex with him," Geimer said. At the time, Polanski pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sex with a minor. But the filmmaker fled the United States before he could be sentenced. Now, after a Polish prosecutor last month asked a regional court in Krakow to consider whether to extradite him to the United States, his case is being heard by a court there. Polanski appeared in court Wednesday to give evidence, following an opening statement from the prosecutor, court spokeswoman Beata Gorszczyk told CNN. The court was closed to the media Wednesday but will be open for any further hearings, she said. CNN's Polish affiliate TVN reported the hearing was later postponed until April. Part of the reason, TVN reported, was the arrival of new documents concerning the United States' attempt to have the director extradited from Switzerland in 2009. Many of the documents, which arrived on Tuesday, are in German, meaning that the Kraków District Court is obliged to translate them. Regardless of the Polish court's eventual ruling, the country's justice minister has the right to veto the decision. The United States called on Poland to extradite Polanski after the director, who survived the Nazi-German occupation of Kraków, attended the grand opening of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw in January. The now 81-year-old is subject to an Interpol warrant -- and has successfully avoided arrest and extradition from Canada, France, Israel, Thailand and Switzerland, where he was placed under temporary house arrest in 2009 before the Swiss refused the U.S. request the following year. On more than one occasion, his victim has called for the charges against him to be dropped. "Polanski went to jail for 42 days," Geimer said. "I never asked anyone to put him in jail for a day and in the scheme of things, from what I have been told, in 1977, 42 days would have been about average. "However, I think that was a lot, plus he was arrested again and went to jail for months again -- that's way in excess of anything he deserved." Polanski has also been vocal about the scandal. In the 2008 HBO documentary "Wanted and Desired," he explained his actions. "Well, I like young women, let's put it this way, and I think most men do actually," he said. While on the run, Polanski has continued to make films and win accolades, including an Academy Award for "The Pianist" and nominations for "Tess" and "Chinatown." The famed director has both French and Polish citizenship, and he is working on another movie in Poland, his parents' homeland, this spring. But yet again, he finds himself facing an attempt to have him returned to the United States to answer the decades-old charges. In October: Polish authorities interview Roman Polanski, decline to arrest him . CNN's Khushbu Shah and Artur Osinski contributed to this report. | Court is adjourned until April, delay partly due to documents that need to be translated .
Roman Polanski gives evidence at his extradition hearing in Krakow, Poland .
He is wanted for sentencing in the United States for having sex with a minor in the 1970s . |
239,322 | c1d78db4ba1dfdcc53665e06a2a4521e162339c0 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:37 EST, 3 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:06 EST, 5 November 2012 . The polling station at Hikkim, said to be the world's highest, is gearing up as residents in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh prepare to vote in the regional elections tomorrow. The small, green-roofed building is located in the Himalayas at some 15,500ft above sea level. Voters from three villages in the predominantly Buddhist area will cast their ballots at the Hikkim polling centre. Poll position: Two women on their way home after voting in the 2009 election at the highest polling station (green-roofed building) in the world, located in the Himalayas . 'The Hikkim polling station caters to the three villages of Komik, Langche and Hikkim and has 326 voters,' SS Guleria - senior official in Lahaul and Spiti district, close to the Tibetan border - told the BBC. The state government recently built a new road that winds its way up the mountain to these remote hamlets but the region can be cut off from the rest of the world for up to half a year due to heavy snowfall. Night temperatures in the area have already dropped to around -5C (23F). Votes for women! Local ladies proudly showing their ID cards as they queue to cast their votes in 2009 . Night temperatures in the area have already dropped to around -5C (23F) There's a school and Hikkim also boasts the highest post-office in the world, but there are no telephone lines. 'The election team is equipped with very . high frequency communication sets, including satellite phones, to . conduct polling on Sunday' Mr Guleria told reporters. In total, some 44million voters will be casting their ballots in these elections, at over 50,000 polling stations. Campaigning ended on Friday. Local residents said even though none of the candidates have scaled the mountain to visit them, they're still looking forward to the election. Top of the world: At 15,500 feet above sea level Hikkim is one of the highest settled communities on Earth . Wealthy: Congress nominee Brij Bihari lal Butail . Contesting an election has become a game for the moneyed class, and those who are without the 'cash power' can just dream. In a hill state like Himachal Pradesh where resources are meagre and infrastructure is poor, politicians are becoming rich and reaching the Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) without hurdles. According to an analysis by the NGO National Election Watch, more crorepati (ie those worth more than 10million rupees) politicians are contesting elections this time around compared to the last elections held in 2007. In the 2007 elections, there were only 16 per cent crorepatis contestants. This time they have registered a growth of 17 per cent, making 33 per cent candidates contesting for the Vidhan Sabha. Brij Bihari Lal Butail, who is the Congress nominee in the Palampur constituency, is worth Rs 169 crore, followed by Balbir Singh Verma, who is contesting the election from the Chopal constituency as an Independent, and owns property worth Rs 41 crore. Ram Kumar Chaudhary, who is the son of former Congress MLA Lajja Ram Chaudhary and is contesting from the Doon constituency on a Congress ticket, is worth Rs 36 crore. Congress's chief ministerial candidate Virbhadra Singh is the fourth wealthiest politician, and owns property worth Rs 33 crore. Rajinder Singh Rana, the former BJP spokesperson who has been expelled from the party for contesting the election against the party nominee from Sujanpur (Hamirpur) constituency, is worth Rs 22 crore. Kamal Patiyal, who was expelled by the Congress for contesting the election against the party nominee in Dharamsala is also a corepapti and owns property worth Rs 18 crore. Rajesh Sharma of Kangra and Dharamvir Singh of Kullu, both Congress rebels, also own properties worth Rs 18 crore each. Interestingly, there are 20 candidates whose property is priced below rs 1 lakh. Om Prakash of HSP from Baijnath constituency has declared the lowest assets, worth only Rs 2,000, followed by Rama Mahendra of HSP from Palampur with assets worth Rs 10,000 and Shiv Kumar of SP from Sarkaghat constituency with assets worth Rs 10,000. Seventy-nine out of the 445 (18 per cent) candidates analysed in the Himachal Pradesh 2012 Assembly Elections have not declared their PAN (income tax card) details. In 2007 elections, 169 out of 327 (52 per cent) candidates analysed had not declared their PAN details. This year too, three crorepati candidates, Vijay Jayoti (IND) from Kasumpti constituency, Tikender Panwar (CPM) from Shimla constituency and Vijay Kumar (SP) from Nahan constituency, have not declared their PAN details. | Hikkim polling centre is in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh . |
194,322 | 878da0ed20e7c6ce100a8eae4ca6775bc2362175 | In any totalitarian regime, if you upset the dear leader then you become a non-person – literally. Even if, as in the case of North Korea’s Jang Song Thaek, you are that leader’s powerful deputy and uncle. As these pictures show, the unfortunate Jang yesterday found himself erased from history, his image removed from previously published official photos and videos. North Korea has released images of the moment Kim Jong Un's uncle was dragged from a meeting by police following his dismissal from government for 'criminal acts that baffle imagination'. Scroll down for videos . Ousted: Footage allegedly of Jang Song-Thaek being dragged out from his chair by two police officials during a meeting in Pyongyang was aired on national television . 'Renegade dreamer': Insisting the recently-dismissed uncle, Jang Song Thaek, had failed to toe the Party line, the government, in an astonishingly frank and poetic revelation, said he had 'dreamed different dreams' Purge: The removal of Jang (left) is thought to be part of 32-year-old Kim's intention to surround himself with a younger cabal . In the originals he is seen cheerfully accompanying his nephew Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s despotic young leader. In the new versions Jang has been either cropped out of the image or digitally moved so that his face cannot be seen. The hermit state has reportedly . 'thrown the book' at Kim's former second-in-command, Jang Song Thaek, . accusing him today of a string of crimes including womanising, alcohol . abuse and 'living a depraved life.' Insisting . Jang had failed to toe the Party line, the government, in an . astonishingly frank and poetic revelation, said he had 'dreamed . different dreams'. Such a . public dismissal is extraordinarily rare for the hideaway state, which . normally goes to extreme lengths to keep its internal affairs secret . from the international community. Removed from film: It had already become clear that Jang (circled) was out of favour - his face was blurred out or he was completely hidden in a propaganda documentary featuring Kim Jong-Un, whereas previously his presence was obvious . And . within days of his dismissal, Jang was already beginning to be erased . from the country's history as a previously recorded documentary about . Kim was released with the disgraced statesman airbrushed out of every . scene. And to cap his public humiliation, state television reportedly aired footage of Jang being arrested by uniformed police officers during a high-profile meeting in Pyongyang in front of hundreds of stony-faced colleagues. Jang was said by South Korea's . intelligence agency last week to have been removed from the number two . position in the leadership, but there was no official confirmation of . this from the North at the time. Airbrushed out: In this still from documentary "The Great Comrade", re-broadcast on North Korean state broadcaster KCTV on December 7, Jang appears to have been completely airbrushed out from the original (top) Now it has come - and far more robustly than North Korean watchers had ever expected. 'Jang . and his followers committed criminal acts baffling imagination and they . did tremendous harm to our Party and revolution,' said the official . KCNA news agency. Issuing . the dismissal confirmation following a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, the agency said Kim Jong-Un was present and, despite family ties, . made it clear that Jang's behaviour made it imperative that his uncle . should be removed from office. The . news agency said that among Jang's indiscretions was mismanagement of . the country's finances. One of Jang's aides, holding many of his . secrets, recently defected to South Korean agents in China. KCNA said Jang had also been found to have indulged in 'womanising', corruption and abusing alcohol and drugs. Cropped out: In this grab taken from the documentary, Jang (circled) has been simply cropped out of the shot taken during a trip to a museum . Erased: In the original (top) Jang can be seen accompanying Kim on another official visit but in the edited version he is nowhere to be seen . 'Jang . pretended to uphold the party and leader, but was engrossed in such . factional acts such as dreaming different dreams and involving himself . in double dealing behind the scene,' said KCNA. 'Affected by the capitalist way of living, Jang committed irregularities and corruption and led a dissolute and depraved life.' It has not been revealed what Jang's punishment is, but the worst two sentences are death or life in a harsh labour camp. Family: Kim Jong-Un (right) was reportedly present at his dismissal and, despite family ties, made it clear the behaviour of Jang (left) made it imperative that his uncle should be removed from office . Womanising: KCNA said Jang (far right) had also been found to have indulged in 'womanising', corruption and abusing alcohol and drugs . News spreads: South Korean people watch a news program about the alleged dismissal of Jang Song-Thaek at a railway station in Seoul . Unconfirmed reports suggested Jang may already have been executed. The removal of Jang is thought to be part of 32-year-old Kim's intention to surround himself with a younger cabal. North Korean watchers suggest that the defection of Jang's aide recently has particularly angered Kim. Two other highly respected aides were shot down by a firing squad although just what they had done wrong has not been revealed. | Jang Song Thaek was accused of daring to 'dream different dreams'
Footage shows him being dragged from meeting by police in Pyongyang .
The footage was aired on national TV in humiliating public dismissal .
He is also accused of womanising, corruption, abusing alcohol and drugs .
His removal said to be part of Kim's plan to form a younger cabal around him . |
74,273 | d29cd91fe6de6f54fc424004c0ebdd1b3081ee22 | By . Riath Al-Samarrai . Follow @@riathalsam . Dark clouds in the ski and a rather formidable storm is heading towards Naomi Broady, who faces Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. Broadie indicated after winning her first-round match on Monday that she wouldn’t begin video analysis of the Dane until today. She might want to start cramming – or avoid the videos altogether. Wozniacki needed to return to the All England Club on Tuesday to resume her first-round tie with Shahar Peer, which was interrupted by rain on Monday with the former world No 1 leading 6-3, 2-0. What followed might prove intimidating for Broadie. They resumed at 30-30 in the third game of the second set Wozniacki promptly broke serve to lead 3-0. The next three games were rattled off in roughly 10 minutes, Wozniacki crushing the Israeli with her groundstrokes. The Dane, whose relationship with golfer Rory McIlroy ended recently, has slipped down the rankings. She is currently seeded 16th after a significant loss in form and has not gone past the second round here since 2011. Next up: Wozniacki takes on British star Naomi Broady in the second round . | Former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki beat Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-0 .
Wozniacki split with Rory McIlroy last month .
Plays Brit Naomi Broady in the second round . |
141,579 | 43161844fb5560e4a6352cb494e7a8782f97db51 | By . Louise Boyle . Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson launched another tirade against the gay community this weekend but saved a few potshots for Democrats. The reality TV star and evangelical preacher got cheers from a crowd at Alabama's Rock the South music festival on Saturday during a Q&A session with his son Alan. Dressed his typical camouflage gear, he told fans that his homophobic remarks were really just part of his Christian duty. Scroll down for video . Phil Robertson (left) and his son Alan answer questions during a Q&A at Rock the South in Cullman, Alabama on Saturday. The Duck Dynasty patriarch told the crowd his anti-gay remarks were because he was 'trying to help those poor souls find Jesus' According to al.com, Robertson, 68, said: 'I'm actually a nice man. … I'm trying to help those poor souls and turn them to Jesus.' He also saved some scathing remarks for Democrats. 'Get your tail down and vote and lets vote this ungodly bunch out of Washington,' he said at the end of his speech, as the crowd went wild, the Cullman Times reported. Robertson's remarks were relatively tame compared to previous public outbursts. In his now infamous interview with GQ in December, Robertson said: 'It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man's anus; that's just me. I mean, come on, dudes! ... It's just not logical.' He also likened homosexuality to bestiality. 'Everything is blurred on what’s right and what's wrong. Sin becomes fine,' he said in the interview last year. 'Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. 'Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men... Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers - they won't inherit the kingdom of God.' In hot water: Robertson, 68, was briefly suspended from Duck Dynasty last December following an interview . Despite A&E briefly dropping Phil Robertson from the show after the scandal in December, he has not kept quiet about his homophobic views. Robertson appeared at the Alabama festival alongside music acts Sarah Evans and Lynard Skynard. Even as the show has slumped in ratings nationally after Phil Robertson's anti-gay comments, the wealthy family behind the Duck Commander brand of game calls has remained influential. | The reality TV star and evangelical preacher got cheers from a crowd at Alabama's Rock the South music festival on Saturday .
He said: 'I'm actually a nice man… I'm trying to help those poor souls and turn them to Jesus'
He also encouraged the crowd to vote 'ungodly Democrats' out of Washington . |
207,957 | 993c56d48668f060f462f4fcd2703980983a0674 | (CNN) -- Eight years after troops in Afghanistan were outfitted with new uniforms, the Army is shopping for a different camouflage for its fatigues and equipment. The move to a different uniform comes after soldiers, many of them redeploying to Afghanistan, began voicing their criticism in the summer of 2009 of the "universal" camouflage pattern, introduced in 2004 and meant to be used in all types of battle environments. "They were saying that they didn't think the color selection was very effective for the terrain in Afghanistan," says Col. Bill Cole, the project manager for Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment. "Afghanistan's a really diverse country in geographical terms. There are lots of sandy desert areas, but it also has mountainous areas that you would see up in the Alps. It has green irrigated fields that look like Iowa in the summer. It's a very diverse environment and soldiers would often traverse these different areas in one patrol." The one-size-fits-all approach of the universal pattern wasn't working. Cole says the Army probably knew at the time that the universal pattern wouldn't be perfect for every environment, but didn't realize how much of a compromise it would have to make. Out of the negative feedback came a congressional charge for the Army to find a pattern that was "suited to the environment of Afghanistan." Testing began in 2009 and the Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) found that the universal pattern ranked "in the bottom 10" compared to the four backgrounds it was tested against. A different brand of camouflage called "MultiCam" ranked at the top in the testing, pushing the Army to quickly outfit soldiers with the new uniform pattern. Most soldiers in Afghanistan today are wearing the MultiCam pattern, which has more green and tan hues, according to Cole. Despite the positive results of the MultiCam pattern, the Army thought it could do even better, Cole says. The Army purchase, however, isn't about the latest design in camo fashion, but rather the color coordination and specific pattern placement manufactured by advanced science. "The direction that we got from the secretary of the Army and the chief of staff of the Army was, 'Yes, answer the congressional direction, but take a more comprehensive look at the Army camouflage need to operate anywhere in the world,'" Cole says. This time around, the Army is looking for a family of camouflage patterns that can be used across the globe -- one for the desert, another for a wilderness/jungle environment, and a third transitional variant for "places in the middle," Cole says. The patterns would be similar in design but different in color palettes. One leading camouflage designer is hoping his bid to create the family of patterns will be the winning one. When most people look at a military uniform, they probably see a bit of green here, some tan there and a splash of gray to finish it off -- basically, a mixture of colors with no obvious thought to placement or shape. But that perception couldn't be further from the reality of the science behind an advanced camouflage pattern. Although most detail of what goes into making a successful camouflage pattern is proprietary, Guy Cramer says he uses a mathematical equation, or fractal, to trick the eye into thinking it is seeing something else. "The brain will pick up shapes and it basically categorizes anything it sees," Cramer says. "It says that's a tree. I know what it is and ignore it. The brain does this in milliseconds. So we insert these fractal patterns into the camouflage so that the brain recognizes it and doesn't think what it's seeing is an anomaly. It basically sees the fractal as background noise. Something that belongs in the environment but doesn't need any extra attention." But camouflage as a science wasn't always so evolved, having started only about 100 years ago. Even during World War I, some units began the conflict in brightly colored uniforms, making them easy targets for the enemy. "It started as naturalistic observation, looking at zebra stripes and leopard prints in the wild and trying to figure out what their purpose was," says Dr. Timothy O'Neill, a camouflage expert advising the Army on the technical aspects of their search. "Very gradually over the years the focus shifted in military camouflage to how the human visual system works." Industry bids for the Army uniform project have been submitted and will be put to the test against current Defense Department camouflage patterns such as those already used by the Marines and the Navy. Cole says that, after extensive testing, his office should be able to present Army leadership with a recommendation by September 2012. Research is expected to cost less than $10 million and is covered under the existing budget, according to Cole. But he could not estimate how much developing the new uniforms would cost, saying it would depend on how quickly the new uniforms were given out. | "Universal" pattern is not conducive to the varied terrain of Afghanistan .
Army officials are looking for a family of patterns that can work in any environment .
Bids for the project have been submitted and will be put to the test .
A recommendation is expected by September 2012 . |
9,847 | 1bec91c73b7e2aacedb124de1c44198b85ffba9e | (CNN) -- "China is not on the Internet, it's basically an intranet. Everything is banned by the Great Firewall," says Sherman So, co-author of "Red Wired: China's Internet Revolution." Sherman So, author of "Red Wired," talks about China's online habits and Internet culture. With 338 million Internet users in June 2009, according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), China is no longer a niche market of the online industry. Chinese is the second most common language on the Internet, according to The Economist, and quickly gaining ground on English. As the former technology writer for Hong Kong's daily English-language newspaper, South China Morning Post, So has been following closely China's exponential Internet developments over the past decade. What inspired her to write "Red Wired" was the chasm in online culture on either side of China's carefully controlled borders. "The information gap between those who are from this part of the world and who know Chinese and those who are from another part of world and who don't is just so huge," observes So. "I've talked to lots of investors, analysts, visitors to Hong Kong, and they really don't know what's happening in China. They ask the silliest questions about China and the Internet." "Red Wired" tells the stories behind China's homegrown online start-ups, often overtaking dominant start-ups that have been successful in the West but which flailed after venturing into Chinese territory. One anecdote involves an advertisement by Baidu, China's most popular search engine, teasing Google China for not knowing Chinese. Google focused on high-end technology rather than Chinese linguistics. From 2002 to 2005, Google's Chinese site also suffered interference from the Chinese government, which redirected users to Baidu whenever Google's search results failed to comply with China's censorship rules. Although Google China has since learned the lingo and learned to cooperate with the higher order, it still trails Baidu with only 28 percent of the search-engine market share, compared to Baidu's 63 percent, according to a 2008 study by Analysys International. Conquering the Internet with Chinese characteristics . So what are the unique characteristics of China's Netizens? While 25.5 percent of the Chinese population is now online, CNNIC's 2008 statistics sketch a relatively coherent portrait of the mainstream majority of them: 67 percent are below the age of 30; 73 percent have only a high school education or lower; 33 percent are students; and 28 percent fall into the lowest income bracket of under $75 per month. Moreover, 78 percent go online at home and 42 percent log on at an Internet cafe. Once connected, 84 percent listen to music, 75 percent instant-message, 63 percent play online games, and only 57 percent e-mail. In short, for the vast majority of Chinese, Internet means play, not work. One could conclude that an Internet entrepreneur's target audience in China is teenage and twenty-something students, low-end consumers in search of entertainment with plenty of time to kill. Among the most salient of China's Internet start-ups are those that innovated on proven Western models by successfully adapting them to the Chinese market. Tencent, with a 77 percent market share of instant messaging services nationwide, is one of the start-ups that gets it. Tencent is now the largest Internet company in China. "What really made [Tencent founder] Pony Ma stand out is that he viewed his QQ instant messenger differently from other IM services such as MSN and Yahoo," says So. "They viewed IM as a two-way communication, so made it as efficient as possible. They targeted the high-end white-collar users, thinking they're rich, advertisers will love them, they'll buy additional services. "Ma thought differently. QQ was a community targeting low-end users -- kids, factory workers. They don't need efficiency, they come online to kill time, to be entertained, to talk with friends, not to do work." In a China where economic growth comes at different speeds, So believes that the Internet has leveled out the playing field. "The online population in China comes from very modest families," she says. "Forty percent go online at Internet cafes, which is the cheapest entertainment alternative you can find. It costs just 30 cents per hour. The poorest kid can afford that, and these Internet cafes can be found in the most remote regions. "So actually the Internet is flattening out this information gap, if not material gap, because even the poorest kid in China can go online and get information. And because of piracy, they can also download lots of stuff for free." Sea turtle power . Another recurring factor of success among Chinese Internet start-ups is their founders' extensive experience working in Silicon Valley before returning to China to launch their own business. A person who has returned to China from overseas is known in Mandarin as "hai gui," which sounds the same as the Mandarin words for "sea turtle." Such entrepreneurial returnees include Baidu's Robin Li, Sohu's Charles Zhang and Ctrip's James Liang. "Sea turtles bring in new ideas," says So. "Like what is a search engine?" "Robin Li was an engineer with a patent on search mechanism, and he wanted to build a Chinese search engine. He brought in the idea, the technology and the funding. While he was still working for Infoseek in Silicon Valley, he got $1.2 million from former executives of Inktomi. Then he went back to China and recruited students and teachers from Peking University, and he built Baidu in a year. "Finally [the sea turtle CEOs] go to the Nasdaq for IPO listing, because that is where the market really understands the Internet and can appreciate what they did." Likewise, China is growing from both foreign interaction and the new technological and political challenges of online culture and commerce. As the "Great Intranet" continues to expand and evolve, China continues to explore the fragile balance between censorship and control, and enterprise and innovation. | China counts 338 million Internet users, but only 25.5 percent of its population .
Majority of Chinese Netizens are low-end users in search of entertainment .
Internet in China has made information and popular culture accessible to all .
Chinese "sea turtles" bring back knowledge and resources from Silicon Valley . |
111,885 | 1c4b7d70793b77f75be6835f30ab830ebbd829f3 | An ABC News presenter has received a tasteless postcard from a viewer warning her she does not 'need to look butch to work on the ABC'. Presenter Virginia Trioli has shared the latest letter to criticise her appearance with her followers on social media - with the hashtag #herewegoagain. The handwritten letter, signed with the name James Jacobs-Wolfe, said: 'Just a little bit of artistic advice, toss out the horn rims, they make you look like a contestant on a make-over TV show. Scroll down for video . ABC host Virginia Trioli has received a postcard from one 'fan', who bluntly told her: 'Just a little bit of artistic advice, toss out the horn rims, they make you look like a contestant on a make-over TV show' Presenter Virginia Trioli has shared the latest letter to criticise her appearance with her followers on social media - with the hashtag #herewegoagain . 'You have a good face so why hide it? You don't have to look butch to work on the ABC. Your weather girl doesn't.' Trioli is not averse to sharing mail that focuses on superficial things with her 50,000 Twitter followers. She received an anonymous letter in October which she captioned 'Mails in #justagirlonabudget'. In the harsh letter, she was instructed that she should stop wearing 'blacks and browns' because they are 'very ageing'. Ms Trioli, is not averse to sharing mail that focuses on superficial things with her 50,000 Twitter followers . She received an anonymous letter in October which she captioned 'Mails in #justagirlonabudget'. In the harsh letter, Ms Trioli was instructed that she should stop wearing 'blacks and browns' because they are 'very ageing' The handwritten memo started off by saying: 'I watch you every morning,' and went on to tell Trioli she should change her glasses. 'Next the glasses ugh! Go for the light coloured frames, as with your dark eyes, black make you look "owlish". You will be very pleasantly surprised,' they said. The rude writer asked 'dare I say it, did you obtain your clothes from charity shops?'. ABC News presenter Virginia Trioli has shared a harsh letter on TwitterThe handwritten note says: 'You don't need to look butch to work on the ABC....your weather girl doesn't' Virginia Triolo sits on the ABC couch with co-presenter Michael Rowland . 'This letter is NOT meant to insult you but so that you look 40 not 60,' they add. She has spoken out about viewers' focus on female presenters' appearance in the past, and she's far from alone when it comes to receiving abuse on her attire. In October, Ms Trioli told the Guardian Australia that she often receives comments from viewers about her looks. Virginia Trioli with Olympic gold & bronze medallist Alisa Camplin at the Skinny Duck fundraiser . 'My reaction is just to be myself and not let it occupy a tiny bit of my time. I can’t afford for it to be a distraction, I have to get through three hours of live TV every day,' she said. In October 2013, Today host Lisa Wilkinson shared some of crude correspondence she has received about her looks in her Andrew Olle lecture. 'Who the heck is Lisa's stylist? Whoever it is has Lisa in some shocking clothes. Today's outfit is particularly jarring and awful... Get some style,' wrote Angela, a letter writer. In October 2013, Today host Lisa Wilkinson shared some of crude correspondence she has received about her looks in her Andrew Olle lecture . Wilkinson responded: 'Please feel free to send me a list of all the outfits you don't like out of the 200 or so that I come up with each year, and I'll see what I can do. 'Of course Angela, given that I am a journalist - and not a supermodel - it is important that anything I wear allows me to feel comfortable for three and a half hours on set or perhaps outside when we're on location.' She never heard back. | ABC News presenter Virginia Trioli has shared a harsh letter on Twitter .
The handwritten note says: 'You don't need to look butch to work on the ABC....your weather girl doesn't'
It goes on to say she looks like a contestant on a make-over TV show .
Ms Trioli has been the victim of harsh criticism in the past .
Last year she was told she should 'stop wearing black and browns' |
127,144 | 30599ba9fdbda71b251b9eadc5ef4edc60601be3 | (CNN) -- One of two men accused in a Canadian terror plot appeared to criticize the charges against him during a hearing Wednesday in Toronto, saying they were based on imperfect criminal law, not Islam's holy book. Chiheb Essegheier, 30, is accused in what authorities say was an al Qaeda-backed plot to target a passenger train. He waived the reading of the charges against him during the hearing Wednesday, telling Justice of the Peace Susan Hilton that "all of these conclusions were based on the criminal code; it was not the holy book." "First of all, my comment is the following, because all of those conclusions was taken out based on Criminal Code, and all of us we know that this criminal code is not holy book; it's just written by set of creations, and the creations, they're not perfect, because only the creator is perfect, so if we are basing our judgment ... we cannot rely on the conclusions taken out from these judgments," he told Hilton. "It doesn't matter in this court," Hilton responded. "You save that for another court, speak to your counsels, take their advice from there." The suspects planned to target a train crossing from the United States into Canada, according to a U.S. intelligence official and another government official. It was aimed at the New York-to-Toronto line that runs through Buffalo, another U.S. official said. Once the explosives went off, two of the officials said, the train would have careered off its tracks, causing major destruction. Instead, the suspects are behind bars after the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced their arrest Monday. Alleged co-conspirator Raed Jaser is "in a state of shock and disbelief," his lawyer John Norris said after his court appearance. He said his client is a permanent resident in Canada and has lived there for 20 years. "He is anxious to see the evidence that the (government) says that it has against him," Norris said Tuesday. Both suspects face charges of conspiring "to murder persons unknown ... for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group," court records show. Authorities have not released much detail about the men, including their nationalities or how long they'd been in Canada, beyond that they were not Canadian citizens. University of Quebec spokeswoman Julie Martineau said Essegheier has been a doctoral student at the school since 2010. He was a student at the National Institute of Scientific Research and was conducting research on nanosensors, which are used primarily for medical treatments or to build other nanoproducts, she said. The suspects watched "trains and railways in the greater Toronto area" and intended to derail a passenger train, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp., quoting "highly placed sources," reported that both had been under surveillance for more than a year. The FBI worked with Canadian authorities during the investigation, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. The terror plot, which a Canadian police official said on condition of anonymity wasn't linked to last week's deadly Boston Marathon bombings, was in its planning stages and not imminent. Still, the outlines are reminiscent of those found in a document seized during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The document indicated that al Qaeda members discussed as early as 2010 a plan to derail trains in the United States by placing obstructions on tracks over bridges and in valleys, a law enforcement official told CNN in 2011. No specific rail system was identified, according to the source. Authorities believe the suspects received "direction and guidance" from elements of al Qaeda in Iran, said James Malizia, assistant commissioner for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. There's no evidence that the Iranian government was involved, he said. Iran denies that al Qaeda has any presence within its borders. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told the country's state-run IRNA news agency that the allegation is "the most ridiculous thing" he has ever heard. Suspected Iran link in Canadian rail plot puzzles terror experts . Lawyer: Suspect in alleged train terror plot in 'shock' as new details emerge . Opinion: Canadians shouldn't be surprised about alleged terror plot . CNN's Gloria Borger, Pam Benson, Catherine Shoichet, Jack Maddox, Tim Lister, Wolf Blitzer, Steve Almasy, Paula Newton, Irving Last and Mayra Cuevas contributed to this report. | NEW: Charges not based on Islam's holy book, terror suspect says .
Chiheb Essegheier, 30, is accused of planning a terrorist attack .
Raed Jaser, 35, his suspected accomplice, appeared at a court in Toronto on Tuesday .
The two are accused of plotting to target a U.S.-bound passenger train . |
112,511 | 1d27d74b367ea0b1a5f8228b4187ef5ebd9ee56b | Viva Forever! The Musical set to open at the Piccadilly Theatre on December 11 . It's been four years since they reunited for their Return Of The Spice Girls tour. And following months of speculation whether or not they would join forces again, all five members of the Spice Girls got together in London today to announce details of a West End musical based on their songs. Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown and Geri Halliwell went back to where it all began - the St Pancras Hotel in London, where they filmed their Wannabe video in 1996. Scroll down for video . Reunited! (L-R) Melanie Brown, Melanie Chisholm, . Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham reunite for the Viva . Forever! launch at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London . Just like the hotel, which has since been restored and is looking a lot better these days, few would disagree the girl group are also looking much improved from their '90s heyday. The musical, entitled Viva Forever!, will tell the story of 'a beautiful, talented girl and her best friends who get swept up in the obsession of today's TV celebrity culture'. The musical 'charts her journey into the world of overnight fame and its impact on her relationships with her mother and the friends she thought she'd have forever'. Victoria, arguably the most successful financially since leaving the group, flew in specially from Los Angeles. Write caption here . Not a tracksuit or platform trainer in sight: The five-piece are fortunately a lot more sophisticated these days . Will you see the Spice Girls musical? Will you see the Spice Girls musical? Now share your opinion . Looking more military than 'Posh', the mother-of-four, 38, wore a black dress and peep-toe knee-high boots. However, while her former bandmates had wide smiles, Victoria kept her usual stony-faced demeanour. Mel B, 37, who looked far from 'Scary' in . a grey shift dress and spiked Christian Louboutin heels, had flown in . from her new home in Australia via LA. Geri, 39, . and Emma, 36, were going for girlie looks in short dress and killer heels, . with the ex-Ginger Spice appearing to be wearing the same Jimmy Choo . strappy sandals worn by the Duchess of Cambridge recently, albeit in . gold instead of silver. Back to where it all began: The group famously filmed the video for their debut single Wannabe at the same hotel in 1996 . On a budget: The Spice Girls in their Wannabe video when the hotel was out of use in 1996 . Mel C, 38, appeared to have left her Sporty Spice persona firmly in the past with a floaty white Ane maxi dress, which has also been worn by Karen Gillan and Kylie Minogue. The five women had joined forces to announce details of Viva Forever, a musical based on their songs and written by comedienne Jennifer Saunders and producer by Judy Craymer, the theatrical impresario behind the success of Mamma Mia! Speaking at the press conference, Craymer hailed the group: 'I loved what the Spice Girls did for women's confidence. There's something very empowering about them.' Saunders, who cameoed in their film Spice World, said: 'The second I knew this project was up for grabs I rang my agent and said I had to be involved.' All that hard work is going to pay off: Producer Judy Craymer and scriptwriter Jennifer Saunders . Well heeled: The girl group team up with Saunders and Craymer for a group photo . Viva Forever! is the latest 'jukebox . musical' to hit the West End - that use original songs as a basis for an . original storyline. While . Mamma Mia! (Abba), Thriller Live (Michael Jackson) and We Will Rock You . (Queen), have been a huge success, other musicals such as Our House . (Madness) have not been as popular. In the run-up to today's announcement, all five Spice Girls have been hinting on their respective Twitter pages. Fighting for attention: The press conference saw the five bandmembers jostling to speak . Very serious: Victoria looked miserable in comparison to smiling Emma and Geri . On Saturday, Victoria hinted: 'Big event next week, what should I wear?? 'Excited to be travelling to London tomorrow!!! packing!!!!' Mel B wrote this morning: 'Whoop whoop where my spice biatches at!!! Lovin ALL spice fans always!' Scary's time to speak: Mel B takes charge of the conference . Time has been good to them: Mel C, Emma and Mel B all look gorgeous in their demure ensembles . Over the past few years, Mel B has often hinted of a possible reunion for the girl group, but it is yet to come to fruition. However, Victoria was said to be against the idea because she is focused on her career as a fashion designer. In March, Mel C dismissed speculation they would reunite for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert: 'Not true. It was an honour to be asked (for the Jubilee concert), but not everyone is comfortable about doing it so we have to respect each other’s feelings about that.' Chatterbox: Mel B distracted the group as they pose up a storm . Providing all the laughs: Emma, Geri and Mel C were all seen laughing as Mel B appeared to tell a joke which Victoria didn't seem quite understand . Write caption here . While not directly addressing the . Spice Girls reunion speculation, Beckham said this year: 'I was never . going to be the best singer and it wasn’t my passion.' The . group's reunion today comes four years after their sell-out Return Of . The Spice Girls world tour, which ended prematurely after they cancelled . the gigs in South America, South Africa and Asia. During . their four years in the charts, they enjoyed nine No.1 singles and two . No.1 albums in the UK, including one No.1 single and album in the U.S. The musical is due to open at the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End on December 11. Last time round: The Spice Girls on their reunion world tour in December 2007 . Heyday: The Spice Girls at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York in 1997 . Iconic: Gery in her Union Jack dress at the 1997 Brit Awards . 1994 - The group are formed after responding to an advertisement in The Stage. 1996 - Their debut single Wannabe is released, going on to become a No.1 hit in 31 countries. 1997 - Geri famously performed in the Union Jack dress at the Brit Awards, where they go on to win two accolades. Later that year, starred as themselves in the critically-panned Spice World movie. 1998 - In May, Geri announces she is to quit the band, but the remaining girls are determined to carry on a four-piece. 1999 - Took an eight month break, reuniting in August for record their third and final studio album. 2000 - Following disappointing album sales of Forever compared to their first two discs, the four-piece go on hiatus to focus on their solo careers. 2007 - All five original members of the group announce their plans to reunite with a worldwide tour starting in December that year. 2008 - Cancelled several tour dates due to 'personal and family commitments'. VIDEO: Girl power! What do the five spices think of their new musical? | Viva Forever! The Musical set to open at the Piccadilly Theatre on December 11 .
Will tell the story of a wannabe singer and her best friends trying to find fame through a reality show . |
144,682 | 471bd8172a37b8a0e79aa32ae68754d13221cc18 | By . David Kent . Neymar's recovery from the back injury he suffered at the World Cup is continuing apace as the Barcelona forward takes a holiday with girlfriend Bruna Marquezine in Spain. The couple are relaxing on the beaches of Formantera as Neymar - complete with back support - completes his rehabilitation. Neymar . was ruled out of his country's dismal final two matches at their home . tournament after injuring his back in the quarter-final against . Colombia. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Neymar break down in tears revealing wheelchair fear . Bit of support: Neymar shows off the brace he is wearing as he recovers from injury . Chilling out: Neymar and his girlfriend Bruna are joined by a group of pals on a boat . Happy holidays: The couple were also spotted in Formentera, Spain . Fans' favourite: Neymar stopped by selfie hunters and well-wishers on the beach . Paddle: Bruna having a dip in the sea . His side went on . to be humiliated 7-1 against eventual champions Germany before limping . to a 3-0 defeat in the third-place play-off against Holland. Neymar . will link up with new striker Luis Suarez at Barcelona, with the . Spanish media reporting that he'll form a partnership with the . Uruguayan, with talisman Lionel Messi playing in the No 10 role. The forward signed for Barcelona last summer, where he went on to score nine goals in 26 La Liga appearances. Snapped: Fans stop to take pics of the superstar as he walks past . We're all in the same boat: Neymar and his crew go for a sail . All at sea: The couple head out to sea on their boat . Watch that back! Neymar looks unsure as he is snapped climbing out of the boat . | Neymar relaxes on holiday with girlfriend Bruna Marquezine .
The couple are in Spain as he continues recovery from back injury .
Set to link up with new signing Luis Suarez on his Barcelona return . |
228,575 | b3f70f43bb33764e42496a7d860820e1e029ec79 | (CNN) -- After an anxious three-month wait, residents of a northwest Alabama town that lost 18 residents and its business core to an EF-5 tornado learned Monday night that their largest employer will rebuild -- and may add jobs. The announcement by VF Corp. elicited joyous responses by Hackleburg, Alabama, residents -- many of whom honked their horns -- and on Facebook pages that had followed the developments. "It feels like the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders," said Hackleburg Police Chief Kenny Hallmark. The April 27 tornado leveled the Wrangler jeans distribution center and killed one employee. It also destroyed or damaged 31 of 32 businesses in town, wiping away most of the town government's revenue sources. Nearly 500 homes were damaged or destroyed. The new facility will be larger, more modern and could bring an additional 50 positions to the community -- for a total of approximately 200 employees, VF said in a statement. It also will have the potential to handle additional shipping capacity. The company, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, will break ground in the second quarter of 2012. Target date for completion is mid-year 2013. "Throughout the evaluation, Hackleburg remained our leading option based on multiple factors, notably a work force who has demonstrated a passion for their work and a commitment to our company," CEO Eric Wiseman said. "We are also grateful to the state of Alabama for the support and assistance it has provided. We are pleased to continue our longstanding relationship with Hackleburg and look forward to a bright future." Federal, state and local officials had conducted a full-court press, offering a range of incentives to VF Corp., including $300,000 from the town and Marion County, with millions more from the state. Town officials said Monday night Gov. Robert Bentley was crucial to the effort. Since the tornado, the majority of the displaced workers have been employed at company-owned locations in Hackleburg and, about 70 miles away, in Holly Pond, Alabama. The Holly Pond location will close once the new Hackleburg distribution center is open. No jobs will be lost because that facility was brought back on line to provide work to the displaced Hackleburg employees. The Hackleburg distribution center shipped pallets of Wrangler clothing to Walmart, Target and other retailers around the country. One of five Wrangler distribution points in the nation, the center was well-run and efficient, the company said in June while it was evaluating the site and other distribution facilities. But some of the town's nearly 1,500 residents had worried that Wrangler would not rebuild. Hackleburg's mayor had said the return of Wrangler was crucial for the town's recovery. "The morale boost it's given this town is unbelievable," Mayor Pro Tem Barry McCarley said after the announcement. Leaders had worried about possible layoffs, including in the police force, but Monday's development, the return of some businesses and donations -- including from a Native American tribe -- will brighten the economic outlook. Residents are hopeful the approximately 150 people who left town after the tornado will return. The Hackleburg tornado was one of 62 twisters and storms that swept through Alabama on April 27, killing 247 people. Hallmark and Keith Morrow, Hackleburg's only doctor, told CNN Monday night the announcement may eventually draw new employers and convince others that hadn't started rebuilding to do so. Nancy McCarley, who co-owns the Panther Mart convenience store, likened the excitement Monday night of residents in their 50s and 60s to kids on prom night. "People are smiling," she said. "It's just great, great, great." | The Wrangler jeans distribution center will rebuild and may add jobs .
It was destroyed during the April 27 tornado in Hackleburg, Alabama .
Officials had offered incentives to the parent company .
Decision called an unbelievable morale boost" for Hackleburg . |
217,071 | a50bd11a67a0a4f5f17a45f5da8c1148f5f98a28 | The U.S television show Homeland may not feature a Muslim storyline in its next season, it has been revealed. A new threat could be chosen in the fifth season ‘for creative reasons’ – and not because of the deadly attack on the headquarters of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris last week. Each of the first four seasons of Homeland have featured fictional Middle East terrorists and Muslim extremists. The U.S television show Homeland starring Claire Danes (pictured) may not feature a Muslim storyline in its next season, it has been revealed . But producers are considering moving away from the format and finding a new target for CIA case officer Carrie Mathison - played by Claire Danes - when the show makes a return to screens later this year. According to insidetv, the attacks in France last week will not play a part in deciding who the story’s next villain will be and will not prevent producers from tackling sensitive issues. Seventeen people, including journalists and police, were killed in three days of violence that began last Wednesday when militants burst into Charlie Hebdo's office during a regular editorial meeting and shot dead five of its leading cartoonists. David Nevins, the president of Homeland’s TV network Showtime, is reported by insidetv as saying: ‘I hope [the attacks are] not considered at all. ‘I really, really don’t want there to be any limitations. I don’t expect there will be. They never shied away from anything difficult. I want them to go right into the teeth of it again.’ Speaking at the Television Critics Association’s semi-annual press tour he said producer Alex Gansa would ‘not necessarily’ stay with addressing U.S. relations in the Muslim world. A new threat could be chosen in the fifth season ‘for creative reasons’ – and not because of the deadly attack on the headquarters of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris last week . He said no final decisions had yet been made and that writers may still opt to focus on the Middle East. In December, the Pakistani government hit out at producers of the Emmy-winning show over the portrayal of the country as a safe haven for Islamic terrorists. Diplomats condemned Homeland for depicting Islamabad, the setting of the show's fourth series, as a refuge for the Taliban with one official describing it as a 'disservice to the people of the US'. The fourth series of the popular show sees star Claire Danes portraying a member of the Central Intelligence Agency serving in Islamabad. Filmed in fact in Cape Town, the first episode sees a violent mob of local people beating another agent to death over a drone strike which killed a wanted terrorist hiding in a rural farmhouse. But Mr Nevins said this week: 'Some of the other sides [to Pakistan] the show brought up I think are also very defensible … It’s a very well researched show.' He added that the show was a work of fiction and that he was 'very defensive' of the rights of producers to 'tell difficult stories in difficult parts of the world.' | Producers may choose new threat for fifth season of U.S. show, Homeland .
It may not feature a Muslim storyline for 'creative reasons', network reveals .
Attacks on Charlie Hebdo in Paris will not play part in deciding new villain . |
41,916 | 762ebb8fb236149f9bb74456263e51987cd806b2 | By . John Hall . An RAF Harrier jump jet that was once used by the RAF in the Falklands is being advertised for sale on a second-hand car website. The 1976 Hawker Harrier GR3 has also been used by the RAF in Germany and Belize but was last flown in 1990. The plane has spent the past 22 years in a heated building at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire where it was used for instructional purposes. Stunning: The 1976 Hawker Harrier GR3 has also been used by the RAF in Germany and Belize but was last flown in 1990 . Up for grabs: An aviation firm bought the Harrier jump jet (left) late last year and is now selling it on Pistonheads (right) - a website and forum for car enthusiasts . Learning: The plane has spent the past 22 years in a heated building at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire where it was used to teach trainee pilots, engineers and mechanics . An aviation firm bought the jet late last year and is now selling it on Pistonheads - a website and forum for car enthusiasts. The Harrier is said to be in such good condition that Chris Wilson, who is selling the plane, believes it could easily fly again. Mr Wilson, a former Red Arrows engineer, is the boss of Jet Art Aviation in North Yorkshire. 'In my opinion this is the cleanest first generation RAF Harrier you will get. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity,' he said. 'This aircraft has been preserved incredibly well having never been kept outside. The condition is so good in fact that there is serious potential for a future return to flight project,' he added. Near-perfect: The Harrier is said to be in such good condition that Chris Wilson, who is selling the plane, believes it could easily take to the skies again . Cost: Chris Wilson spent £60,000 on parts, £500 on paint and £10,000 removing the plane from RAF Cranwell . Mr Wilson said that ideally the plane will be preserved, adding 'it would be nice if was bought by someone and loaned to a museum so the public could enjoy it.' He bought the Harrier from the MOD in 1990 as a 'surplus aircraft in an unrestored state'. He then spent £60,000 on parts, £500 on paint, £10,000 removing it from RAF Cranwell and 600 man hours working on it. The result is an amazing aircraft . which comes with the correct Rolls-Royce Pegasus engine, although is not . currently fitted to the aircraft. It is described as 'externally complete' while the interior has the original ejection seat installed. The plane, which flew combat air . patrols in the Ascension Islands in 1982, was also used in the Falklands . during 1983 as part of air defence. Power: The Harrier GR3 is a 47 foot long jet with a 25 foot wingspan. With a Pegasus engine, it develops a staggering 21,800lb of thrust . The plane described as 'externally complete' while the interior has the original ejection seat installed . It is being sold with a mass of documentation and paperwork dating back to when it was first flown in 1976. Harriers are one of history’s most iconic aircrafts. They were first introduced in 1969 and were used by the RAF until 2010. The Harrier GR3 is a 47ft long jet with a 25ft wingspan. With a Pegasus engine, it develops a staggering 21,800lb of thrust. The fighter jet, famous for its ability to vertically take off, was capable of 731mph. Mr Wilson said he wouldn’t like to go into what he expected the plane to sell for, but it is thought to be a six-figure sum. 'It is the best RAF GR3 Harrier you will buy. The Harrier is the best of British and everyone knows what it is,' he said. 'We don’t know how much it is worth so we’re inviting offers. It is worth what someone is willing to pay for it,' he added. The plane, which flew combat air patrols in the Ascension Islands in 1982, was also used in the Falklands during 1983 as part of air defence . History: Mr Wilson said that ideally the plane will be preserved, adding that 'it would be nice if was bought by someone and loaned to a museum so the public could enjoy it' Famous for their ability to . take-off and land vertically, Hawker Siddeley Harrier fighter jets were . introduced on April Fool's Day 1969. Despite being 46 feet long with a wingspan of 25 feet, the plane only has room for a single pilot on-board. The Hawker Harrier GR3 model has a single Rolls-Royce Pegasus 103 turbofan engine capable of speeds of up to 730mph. The . plane has a combat radius of 230 miles - which means it can travel on . missions several hours from its base without having to return for fuel. It is able to travel for 2,129 miles between two fixed locations when not laden with guns or missiles. An RAF Hawker Harrier GR3 modified to carry sidewinder air-to-air missiles flies over the Falkland Islands during the two-month war of 1982 . The plane also has the ability to climb to 40,000 feet in just two minutes and 23 seconds. In . terms of weaponry, the GR3 is equipped with two 30mm 1.18 inch ADEN . cannon pods within the fuselage and can carry a variety of unguided iron . bombs. It also has . four weapon stations under its wings and one under the fuselage, with 4 . Matra rocket pods with 18× SNEB 68 mm rockets and two AIM-9 Sidewinders . air-to-air missiles. In the Falklands War in 1982, 10 Harrier GR.3s of No. 1 Squadron operated from the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes. As . the RAF Harrier GR.3 had not been designed for naval service, the 10 . aircraft had to be rapidly modified prior to the departure of the task . force. Harriers were decommissioned by the RAF in 2011, to be replaced by the Joint Strike Fighter by the end of the decade. Axing . the Harrier is thought to have saved the Ministry of Defence about . £900million, and has reportedly led the loss of around 12,000 jobs in . the Harrier force. | 'Complete' 1976 Hawker Harrier GR3 was also used in Germany and Belize .
The plane was last flown in 1990 and has spent the past 22 years in storage .
Harrier jets are one of history’s best loved and most recognisable aircraft .
They were introduced by the RAF in 1969 and used until the end of 2011 . |
260,606 | dd754d6ec29f11f8cf3710662b62fb9bf417696c | (CNN) -- Two U.S. astronauts in space, and their support staffs on Earth, will keep working through the government shutdown that began Tuesday. But almost all the rest of NASA has been shuttered, just one of many federal agencies affected when the government shut down at midnight Tuesday because of Congress' inability to pass a budget. Many of those agencies took to social media and other online venues to share the news. Twitter was a popular choice for the messages. Among them? If an asteroid starts hurtling toward Earth ... well ... good luck. "In the event of government shutdown, we will not be posting or responding from this account," NASA's Near Earth Object Office tweeted from its @AsteroidWatch account Monday, just hours before the deadline in Congress. "We sincerely hope to resume tweets soon." The office is responsible for tracking and reporting asteroids that threaten the planet, like the 150-foot chunk of space rock that came closer to Earth than the moon in February. The office later noted that observatories, academics and other astronomers continue to monitor the skies. In all, about 18,000 NASA employees, or 97% of its work force, were furloughed on Tuesday. Among those still working will be astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Which may be just as well -- it's not like they could get away from the office even if they wanted to. NASA's Mission Control will also stay open to support astronauts Karen Nyberg and Mike Hopkins. "To protect the life of the crew as well as the assets themselves, we would continue to support planned operations of the ISS [space station] during any funding hiatus," reads a NASA furlough plan submitted last week. "Moreover, NASA will be closely monitoring the impact of an extended shutdown to determine if crew transportation or cargo resupply services are required to mitigate imminent threats to life and property on the ISS or other areas." Other NASA spacecraft, like the Curiosity Rover on Mars and the New Horizons craft hurtling toward Pluto, will be largely left to their own devices (literally) during the shutdown. The funding mess may be enough to have them all jealous of the Voyager 1 space probe, which was launched into space in 1977. Last month, NASA confirmed that the original Voyager left the solar system. Maybe the Voyager 2 probe, in protest of the impasse in Congress, will follow suit. | About 97% of the U.S. space agency is furloughed .
Space Station astronauts, Mission Control will stay on the clock .
NASA takes to social media to respond to shutdown . |
262,940 | e092fa4c13cb15b11e53dc9c15575645b4058516 | Misting machines were introduced on the fresh produce counters at Morrisons to create an impression of freshness. Everything from lettuces to loose tomatoes were constantly sprayed with fine droplets of water, giving the idea they had just arrived, fresh out of the ground. The resulting fog was part of the ‘retail theatre’ introduced by chief executive, Dalton Philips, who arrived from running a retail chain in Canada to spread a little magic over Morrisons and its sales. The misters keeping this asparagus fresh are soon to be a thing of the past at Morrisons . The machines are to go, despite having been installed in some 300 Morrisons supermarkets . However, it seems they were a little too fancy for customers of Morrisons, which has decided to pull down the curtain on this particular show. Mr Philips was ousted last month following a vicious campaign from an old guard of company executives, including Sir Ken Morrison, the former chairman and son of the founder of the chain. Traditionally, Morrisons, which was founded in Bradford in 1899, built the layout of its stores around the theme of a street market with green grocer, butcher and baker. The set-up appealed to customers in the north, where the brand is strong, who had a reputation for being careful with their money. Consequently, the decision to bring in the misting machines, which has since been copied by some other stores, was something of a surprise. Now, after spending a large sum of money installing the machines in some 300 of the chain’s supermarkets, the new management at Morrisons have decided to get rid of them. It is not a moment too soon for Sir Ken, who has long argued the machines highlighted how Mr Philips had alienated core shoppers, many of whom have switched to budget rivals Aldi and Lidl. One of Mr Philips’s biggest critics, Roger Owen, a former long-serving main board director, has been lobbying the company’s chairman, Andy Higginson, to get rid of the machines. ‘You don’t need misting. It is a waste of money, a waste of time and it does carry a risk unless you spend a significant amount on maintenance,’ he said. ‘I said one of the first things Andy Higginson should do is take it out, which he obviously has done and good on him. Former Morrisons chief executive Dalton Philips was ousted last month and now his misters are to go too . ‘If this is an indicator of his intention that he has already spoken about of getting the business back to its core values and core strengths, then this is a step in the right direction and a very, very visible one.’ Morrisons’ group retail director Martyn Fletcher told staff about the decision to dump the misting machines earlier this week. A spokesman said: ‘This move is about going back to basics, using simpler refrigeration techniques and Morrisons’ traditional strengths in fresh food management to ensure our vegetables stay fresh.’ Morrisons did not actually fare too badly in recent sales figures compared to rivals . The U-turn represents an end to what has been dubbed the ‘war of fog’ between Mr Philips and his detractors. The former chief executive has always proudly defended the misting machines, which were used particularly in the South East, where stores attract a more middle class shopper. He gave an interview to Retail Week last month saying: ‘I will refute until my last day about taking the stores upmarket, we did not do that. 'There are parts of the south of England which I think have benefitted from the slightly different assortment and I don’t regret that. ‘Misty veg is in our competitors now. The most important thing is whether our customers liked it or not.’ The misting machines were part of a radical make-over for the Morrisons chain carried out by Mr Philips, who became chief executive in 2010. He also introduced an online shopping service and began opening small convenience stores to tap into changing shopping habits. This week, industry sales figures were released suggesting his radical ideas were beginning to bear fruit, however the improvement came too late to save Mr Philips and his job. Figures from Kantar Worldpanel show sales were down by 0.4per cent over the past 12 weeks compared to the same period last year. This was the best performance by the chain for a year and much better than Asda and Sainsbury’s. | ‘Retail theatre’ was introduced by former chief executive Dalton Philips .
Mr Philips was ousted last month and the misters are now to go as well .
This is despite the fact Morrisons installed them in 300 supermarkets .
Brings to an end the ‘war of fog’ between Mr Philips and his critics, including former chairman Sir Ken Morrison, son of the chain's founder . |
33,745 | 5ffcfd5b1d323fa6ebbcbc481b2ce75e07f352f6 | What would you do if you went to the library in search of "The Adventures of Captain Underpants" for your child, or to re-read Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Beloved" only to find that the book had been pulled from the shelves because another patron objected to its content? It happens in the United States more often than many realize. At least 464 formal complaints were filed in 2012 seeking to remove books from libraries or schools, according to the American Library Association, a sponsor of Banned Books Week, which runs September 22-28. Its mission is to celebrate the freedom to read and highlight the pitfalls of censorship. Modern children's books help families explore diversity . The annual event started in 1982, the same year the Supreme Court ruled that students' First Amendment rights were violated when Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" and eight other books were removed from school libraries. Despite the legal precedent, schools and libraries still receive formal challenges to remove books from library shelves or nix them from reading lists to protect children from material some see as inappropriate. Just this month, a North Carolina school board voted to ban Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" based on complaints from the parent of an 11th-grader. The board is reportedly scheduled to reconsider its decision. The targets of challenges have changed over the years, but the reasons remain fairly constant, said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the ALA's deputy director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom. "Sexually explicit content and offensive language continue to be the main reasons," she said. The Office for Intellectual Freedom compiles lists of attempts to ban books in libraries and schools based on media reports and reports filed directly with the office, which means it documents only the complaints brought to its attention. For each challenge recorded, the ALA estimates there are four to five more that go unreported. For similar reasons it's also hard to pin down exactly how many challenges succeed. A book might be pulled without the public's knowledge, or a ban might be overturned when appealed by teachers, parents and students. Books from Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" series, which chronicles the adventures of two fourth-grade pranksters, were the most frequently challenged books in 2012, along with acclaimed bestsellers "Beloved," by Toni Morrison, "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini and "Looking for Alaska" by John Green. 'Bluebird': A boy, a bird and bullies . Most of the titles were making repeat appearances at the top of the list, owing to what Caldwell-Stone calls the"viral" nature of book challenges: A book is the target of a ban in one community, then someone from another community hears about it and makes his or her own challenge. So what do authors do when their books are targeted? We spoke to two authors whose books made the most-challenged list in 2012. A children's book 'we could stand behind' Justin Richardson is the co-author of "And Tango Makes Three," a children's book about Roy and Silo, a pair of male penguins who successfully hatched an egg at New York's Central Park Zoo. "And Tango Makes Three" was the fifth most frequently challenged book in 2012, the ALA reported. On whether Richardson thought "And Tango Makes Three" would be controversial: . "We did anticipate that there would be objections from some corners to our book. We never anticipated that we would become [one of] the most challenged book five years in a row." On how it changed the way they wrote the book: . "It encouraged us to write a book that we could stand behind. We chose our words very carefully in writing this book, and in part we chose them carefully because we knew there was a possibility that it would be challenged . "For example, there's no anthropomorphisation in the book, we never said Roy felt a certain way because we did not want to attribute anything to the penguins in the order of a human intention because that's something that could very easily be criticized, and fairly so, as reading our own agenda into the penguins' actions. That was one way the book was shaped in anticipation of criticism. "At the same time, you don't write books for critics, you write it for people who will benefit from it and enjoy it. Ultimately there will be many more of those people than critics. We were writing for young children who had families like those in the book. We also felt it was important to have our facts straight because one of the points people defending the book observed is that this is actually a true story. We visited the penguins and interviewed zookeepers and vetted it with Central Park Zoo to make sure we weren't misstating the true events." On how he and his co-author responded to attempts to ban the book: . "Every challenge is different. The first challenge that we heard of was the most disturbing, and that was because of the way it was handled. "A librarian had received a challenge about the book, and her response was to take the book out of the fiction section and place it into the nonfiction section because that section was much less frequently browsed. Naturally, we were extremely displeased and wrote a letter of complaint to the newsletter of the American Library Association. "Very shortly after that, or maybe as result of that event, librarians across the country and organizations who saw it as their charter to defend books got on the issue, and we were lucky to be championed by them, including the ALA, the Office for Intellectual Freedom, Pen American Center, and numerous local affiliates of the ACLU. When you know you have those organizations behind you and the United States Constitution in your corner, all of those challenges become less upsetting. "We've dealt with them in a number of different ways, but our preference is to let organizations and folks on the ground in the community to do their work so there's a local solution to the challenge. It's far better than having two New York authors call up a town and say 'Hey you're violating the United States Constitution.' We'd rather have a group of parents go to a board meeting and work this out. However, when a librarian has worked particularly courageously we'll send an e-mail to support her. "We've written school board members and let them know that there is a precedent and Supreme Court ruling on the subject. In each case where there's an open challenge, a school will go through the process where they appoint a committee or take it to the school board to investigate what the actions should be. You could look at them negatively and say there's a certain amount of reinventing the wheel because the legal precedent is quite clear. At the same time, allowing the school community to go through the process of figuring that out and debating it I think has an unquestionable value, and that's one reason we like to leave it to them." On how it affected his views on censorship: . "It's strengthened my appreciation for the importance of protecting the freedom to read. "I think we handle [public challenges] to books pretty well as a country. But I think there's a greater problem which is secret challenges to books and soft bans; when a school official objects to a book and checks it out and fails to return it, or when a school librarian reads news about a particular book and is afraid to order it for the library. That self-censorship is something that I don't believe we have an answer to." A novel that 'needed to feel uncomfortable' Jay Asher is the author of "Thirteen Reasons Why," a young adult novel about a teen who commits suicide and leaves behind audio recordings sharing 13 reasons she decided to end her life. "Thirteen Reasons Why" was the third most-challenged book in 2012, according to the ALA. On whether Asher thought "Thirteen Reasons Why" would be controversial: . "I was writing a book about issues that make most people uncomfortable, including me. That alone, I knew, could make it controversial. But these are issues people do experience. To emotionally reach people, I had to write my story honestly. But I also wanted the book to be available to as many people as possible, so I did write a slightly less-graphic alternate versioan of one scene. I let my publisher decide which to publish, and they correctly chose the more intense scene because readers needed to feel uncomfortable there to understand what the character was going through." On how he responded to attempts to ban the book: . "The times I've heard about challenges, there have been people in those communities defending my book. In one, there was a school board meeting to decide whether to remove my book from the library, and a parent read aloud one scene without context. It took a student at the school, stepping up to the microphone, to teach those adults about context. As a result, the book remained in the school. Other times, principals have concerns about my book being used in the classroom, and a teacher will contact me to see what I can do to help the principal make a decision. I send them e-mails from readers expressing what they gained from reading the book. I know why I wrote my book, and I know what readers are getting from it. I would have no problem attending a meeting if I thought it would help the decision makers be less afraid." On how it affected his views on censorship: . "Having spoken to thousands of teens since my book came out, I even more firmly believe that books dealing with these issues need to be written as emotionally honest as possible. Not only is it appropriate, it's responsible. If people are dealing with it, we need to talk about it. Otherwise, we contribute to the main reason people don't reach out for help. I consistently hear readers say my book was the first time they felt understood, which is sad. I'm sure many people around them would understand. If my book proves that there are people who get what they're going through, I'm honored. The very day I found out 'Thirteen Reasons Why' was the third most-challenged book, I received an e-mail from a reader claiming my book kept her from committing suicide. I dare any censor to tell that girl it was inappropriate for her to read my book. "If a parent feels their child shouldn't read a book, that's their prerogative." | "The Kite Runner," "Beloved," "Looking for Alaska" among most frequently challenged .
American Library Association: At least 464 complaints to remove books filed in 2012 .
Sexually explicit and offensive language most common reasons cited for challenges . |
84,914 | f0e1d88ccd5db1c1290f9bb5287e3c54d3b56d51 | (CNN) -- A 43-year-old Missouri man -- who told police he suffocated his 3-year-old neighbor with a plastic bag, then stuffed her body in the same bag and tossed her from a highway -- appeared in court Tuesday, but did not enter a plea. Shawn Morgan of Senath has been charged with first-degree murder. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 30. The girl, Breeann Rodriguez, was last seen on August 6, riding her pink bicycle with her brother outside their home in Senath. While authorities have found her bike, authorities continue to search for her body, Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff said. Sokoloff added -- and the Dunklin County court clerk's office confirmed -- that Morgan does not yet have an attorney. The August 30 court appearance will be a counsel status hearing, the prosecutor's office said Tuesday. According to a probable cause affidavit dated Saturday, police interviewed Morgan on Friday at the police department in Kennett, a larger community about 10 miles northeast of Senath. The suspect said that he spotted the girl standing on a ladder by the pool in his backyard, in Breeann's neighborhood. He told police that he grabbed the girl and carried her inside his house. There, according to the affidavit, the man "suffocated the girl with a white plastic trash bag, by holding it over her face and mouth. "Morgan states that he felt like it took an hour for the girl to die," the document adds. It says Morgan told police he put the girl's body into the same trash bag, and then drove to Missouri's Highway 164 and got rid of the body by throwing it over a railing into a floodway ditch. After returning home, Morgan said, he then dismantled the girl's bike and dumped it into another, related waterway, the document says. A bicycle was recovered there and identified by Edgar Rodriguez as belonging to Breeann, his daughter. Police said Thursday that they had found two training wheels similar to those on the girl's bike. In addition to murder, Sokoloff said in a statement Saturday that Morgan is charged with armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence. The suspect, who Sokoloff said has three children of his own, is being held at the Dunklin County Justice Center. Meanwhile, the approximately 1,800 residents of Senath -- a town in southeast Missouri's "bootheel" area, about 90 miles north of Memphis, Tennessee -- are trying to come to grips with what happened. Sharon Haddock, who raised two children on the same street as both the victim and her alleged killer, said Monday that she knew Morgan as "a little boy" and knew some of his family members as "very nice people." "It's just beyond belief that anybody ... could have done this, but now anybody on your street," she told HLN's Vinnie Politan. "You think you know your neighbors, but you don't know them as well as you think you do. I would have never dreamed this in a million years." Another neighbor, Estelle Floyd, said she had lived 89 of her 90 years always feeling safe. But that sense of security has been shaken, and she's still trying to make sense of what happened. "All these neighbors ... they'd do anything for anybody at any time," Floyd told HLN. "This was such a shock. ... It has touched the hearts of everybody in this town." CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | NEW: Shawn Morgan does not enter a plea in court Tuesday .
He is charged with first-degree murder .
The girl was last seen riding her bicycle with her brother .
Affidavit: Morgan tells police he suffocated the girl with a plastic trash bag . |
260,633 | dd7ce200ef22fa664c967e9db8e23f7c50dceaa8 | People off sick for more than four weeks could face a fitness-to-work test under a new crackdown on the ‘sick-note culture’. Family doctors would no longer authorise long absences from work, under new government plans reported in The Times. Instead they would pass their patients on for assessment by a private occupational health firm, it is understood. But asking GPs to refer the long-term sick for fitness-to work tests will reduce them to an 'arm of the benefits system', doctors have warned. British workers who are off sick for more than four weeks could face a fit-to-work test, which has already been piloted in 20 GP surgeries across the UK and is set to be rolled out nationwide (file picture) More than one million people take sick leave for more than one month each year - costing the economy more than £9billion. The programme of fit-to-work tests has been piloted in 20 GP surgeries since last month, through the company Health Management and is set to be rolled out nationwide in the coming months. Patients must agree to be referred to the company and would face an in-depth assessment of their physical and mental abilities. Those deemed fit for work would be given access to a range of treatment such as physiotherapy, counselling or help to manage debt and workplace bullying while they try to get back into a job. While the plans were welcomed by businesses who lose out from long-term sick leave, doctors have indicated they will strongly oppose them if they are compulsory. Lord Freud, the welfare minister told the newspaper that the scheme would help to cut the cost of sick pay and benefits. He said: ‘The introduction of the Fit for Work services is an important step in supporting employees, GPs, and employers to manage sickness absence better. ‘Providing support where it’s needed most will help to reduce the amount of time employees take off sick, which in turn will cut sick pay costs, improve economic output, and reduce the chances of people falling out of work and having to claim benefits.’ Welfare minister Lord Freud (pictured) said the test would help to cut the cost of sick pay and benefits and could help employers manage sickness better . Dr Maureen Baker, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'Enabling people to return to work is good for their long-term health. 'However, many patients require active support to be able to return to work. It must not become the job of GPs to police who is and who is not entitled to welfare support.' The British Medical Association, who have been in negotiations with ministers over the scheme, said it would boycott the plans if they forced people back into work. Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the BMA’s GP committee warned minister against bowing to ‘political pressure’ to be punitive. Dr Vautrey said it was ‘a myth’ that thousands of patients were gaming the system. He said: ‘If GPs feel that this is a helpful and supportive service with occupational advisers who are very much on the side of the patient and doing their best, then GPs will support it. ‘If they feel it’s somehow a punitive or lip-service arrangement without any meaningful support, or is seen as an arm of the benefits system to effectively drive people off benefits, then GPs will very quickly disengage.’ David Cameron warned three years ago that a sicknote culture in the workplace is acting as a ‘conveyor belt to a life on benefits’. He said at least one in five of the 300,000 people absent on long term sick leave should either have not been signed off in the first place or could go back to work. The Prime Minister said it was frustrating for GPs as well as business as doctors ‘want to focus on making people better, not spend their time policing the benefit system.’ The programme, if rolled out, stands to receive up to £34 million a year in a payment-by-results scheme. Lena Levy, the CBI’s head of labour market policy, said the medical profession and businesses needed to work together on long term sick leave. She said the CBI had previously called on the government ‘to encourage GPs to consider the service as a default option for those absent for four weeks or more and look towards mandating this in the future.’ | British workers off sick for more than four weeks could face fit-to-work test .
Scheme has been piloted in 20 GP surgeries across UK since last month .
Under government plan, doctors would no longer authorise long absences .
Patients to face assessment by private occupational health firm instead . |
172,085 | 6abb17674f80e28d947c225d09030bb9f2bdb9f8 | (CNN) -- A Muslim civil liberties group filed a lawsuit Friday against the federal government for allegedly violating the First Amendment rights of Michigan Muslims and violating a 1993 federal law that upholds the free practice of religion. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said U.S. border agents and the FBI infringed upon those rights with invasive questionings at the U.S.-Canada border. The group says Muslims have been detained, handcuffed and interrogated there without reason. "They put me against the wall, and he handcuffed me and he went throughout my body," one of the plaintiffs, Ali Suleiman Ali, told CNN affiliate WDIV. The group says the agencies violated the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which says the federal government cannot substantially burden a person's free exercise of religion. Agents allegedly asked "How many times a day to you pray?" "Do you pray your morning prayer in the mosque?" and "Who else prays in your mosque?" according to CAIR. "Invasive religious questioning of American citizens without evidence of criminal activity is not only an affront to the Constitution, but is also a waste of limited resources," CAIR-Michigan Executive Director Dawud Walid said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection responded Friday, saying that it "strictly prohibits profiling on the basis of race or religion." "In determining whether individuals are admissible into the United States, CBP utilizes specific facts and follows the Department of Justice's 'Guidance Regarding the Use of Race by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.' " The FBI declined to comment. CNN's Carol Cratty contributed to this report. | Civil liberties group says Michigan Muslims' First Amendments rights violated .
It cites "invasive religious questioning" at the U.S.-Canada border .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it prohibits profiling based on race, religion . |
175,639 | 6f5b534391861d77addd675d0b8bfe40521505a0 | (CNN) -- Golf's original bad boy John Daly has welcomed Tiger Woods back to the fray for this week's Masters tournament, insisting that the troubled world No. 1 "didn't kill anybody." On Monday, Woods gave his first open news conference since the scandal about his marital infidelities broke at the end of last November, fielding questions from the media for 40 minutes. The 43-year-old Daly, who has been married four times and has admitted his own problems with alcohol, gambling and his weight, said he was happy to see his fellow American ready to return to golf. "He handled it very professionally. I just wish he'd handled it a lot earlier then he wouldn't have had to put up with all the crap he's had to put up with," Daly told CNN. "I wish him all the best. I've always said the toughest major he's got is keeping his family together, but it looks like they're doing it." Woods confirmed on Monday that his wife Elin would not be attending the tournament, which is the first of the season's four major events. Two-time major winner Daly will not be playing at Augusta after losing his PGA Tour card and slipping down to 641st in the world rankings, but was selling merchandise and signing autographs outside the front gates of Augusta while Woods was holding court inside. "I was in the 12 Steps [for recovery from addiction], the eighth one is making amends to everyone you've hurt," Daly said. "He didn't have to do it with the media, but God bless him. It's tough what he's done, but the ones he needs to apologize to are the ones he has -- but he didn't have to do it to the media. "Everyone makes mistakes, I've made them, we're not the only ones who've made them. The true fans are going to come out and watch Tiger, they're used to seeing him win. That's what he's known for, is winning at golf, it's really none of our business what he does off the course. "The thing is, he didn't kill anybody, he didn't kill himself, there were no arrests or anything. Yeah he did some bad stuff, but that's between him and Elin, so I just wish him the best. We're just happy he's back." | John Daly welcomes troubled No. 1 Tiger Woods back to the fray for this week's Masters .
Woods held his first post-scandal open news conference at Augusta on Monday .
Daly, who has had his own marital problems, said Woods did not need to apologize to media .
He said Woods' toughest task would be off the course, keeping his family together . |
72,012 | cc224f06edd0893f54139b87d4ef8cac3bcd1bca | (CNN) -- Arthur was downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical storm on Saturday, as its sustained winds dropped to 85 mph, according to CNN meteorologists. Tropical storm warnings previously issued for Nantucket and Cape Cod have been discontinued. The first named storm of this hurricane season caused street flooding and knocked out power along the North Carolina coast. The area appears to have been spared from large-scale damage. The center of Arthur is forecast to pass over or near western Nova Scotia on Saturday while also bringing heavy rain to New England, CNN meteorologists said. The coast of Maine can expect 40 mph winds as Arthur passes. The hurricane center warns that potentially deadly rip currents can still form at beaches from the mid-Atlantic northward, even though Arthur may be far away. See Images as CNN crews cover Hurricane Arthur . CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report. | Arthur weakens to a post-tropical storm early Saturday .
Tropical storm warnings for parts of the Northeast are dropped .
Parts of New England can expect heavy rain Saturday . |
227,188 | b22d343afce54f4e76343de5b689b06b60501c0b | By . David Kent . and Steph Cockroft . Standing between police holding riot shields a heartbroken Argentine fan cut a lonely figure today as he waited to welcome his fallen heroes back from Brazil. Emotions were running high in Buenos Aires on Sunday night as Argentinian fans fought among themselves and started riots after their team lost the World Cup final. The chaotic scenes broke out after supporters witnessed their country lose 1-0 to Germany during Sunday night's clash. Scroll down for video . A young and heartbroken Argentine fan waits to welcome his fallen heroes back from Brazil . Argentina's fans play football as they gather to welcome their team outside the Argentine Football Association (AFA) A glum Argentine fan golds a replica trophy as he waits for the losing side to return home . A dejected little girl rests on her father's shoulder after last night's loss - which came after a goal from Germany's Mario Gotze in the 113th minute . Despite Argentina's defeat, a crown of fans greeted their national team upon their arrival back in Buenos Aires . Although they fell at the final hurdle, crowds were still enthusiastic as they made their best run in the tournament since 1990 . The loss - which came after a goal from . Germany's Mario Gotze in the 113th minute - ended what was Argentina's . best World Cup run for 24 years. But after the game, fans wearing the Argentina strip turned on each other in scenes of violence. Riot . police - several of whom were injured in the clashes - were also forced . to use tear gas and let off water cannons after rocks were thrown and . shop fronts were vandalised by a group of young men. Parents . with young children could be seen running down streets after police . tried to calm the scenes near the city's iconic Obelisk monument.[ . Thousands of fans had gathered there after the game to applaud Argentina's efforts but chaos soon broke out, leading to several fans being arrested. Scuffle: The Argentina fans appear to fight amongst themselves after the World Cup final on Sunday night . Argentine fans in Beunos Aires clash with police after the country's defeat to Germany in the World Cup final . Several fans were detained by officers who fired tear gas and used water cannons to restrain rioting fans . Police said more than a dozen officers were injured and many more were arrested as chaotic scenes broke out in the Argentinian capital after Sunday's game . The violent scenes, which erupted in the streets and public plazas in Buenos Aires, marred what was Argentina's best World Cup run in 24 years . There were also scenes of discontent between fans outside the Maracana Stadium in the city's capital, which were captured on film. Before the game, there had already been several protests outside the stadium by Brazilians, due to their 'anti-corruption' campaign against FIFA. Many thought the hosts' fans and Argentines would be fighting each other considering the hostile rivalry between the two. But most of the drama appeared to be between Argentines. The scenes broke out after families gathered peacefully at the Obelisk to applaud Argentina's efforts in the World Cup . The tear gas was used after rocks were thrown and shop fronts vandalised in the aftermath of the World Cup clash . Despair: Fans back in Buenos Aires watch the World Cup final defeat on the big screen . | Argentina defeated in World Cup final by Germany after goal in 113th minute .
Mario Gotze's goal ended what was Argentina's best World Cup for 24 years .
Chaotic scenes witnessed after fans gathered to celebrate in Buenos Aires .
But police used tear gas and water cannons after fans began to riot . |
79,454 | e13efa8a13604f3e65439f038c5e63346da53e73 | (CNN) -- Why would someone allegedly steal a pickup truck and guns in Montana and then go to the University of Washington area with Molotov cocktails and a bullet-resistant vest? Police say they're trying to figure that out. University officers arrested Justin Miles Jasper, a 21-year-old Nevada man, on Wednesday night after finding him near the Seattle school in a truck that had been reported stolen recently from a Butte, Montana, residence, campus police Chief John Vinson said Thursday. Investigators found Molotov cocktails, a ballistic vest and two allegedly stolen guns -- a scoped rifle and a shotgun -- in the truck's bed after getting consent to search it, Vinson told reporters. Vinson said he believed no ammunition was found. Investigators were trying to get a warrant to search the truck's cab Thursday, university police said. "We have no idea what his intentions were," Vinson said. "... We don't have any information that would suggest any type of attack, but this is an active, ongoing investigation." Prosecutors said Jasper also had detailed maps of three university campuses -- University of Washington, South Seattle Community College, and Seattle University -- in his possession, according to CNN affiliate KIRO. Bail has been set at $2 million for Jasper, CNN affiliate KING reported. Police said Jasper is not a University of Washington student and that they're trying to figure out whether he has any connections to the area, and why he was in Seattle. Police initially found him sleeping in the truck on campus on Tuesday, a day before the arrest, Vinson said. At the time, a check of the plate found nothing, so they sent him on his way. But on Wednesday, "the vehicle was entered as stolen from Montana," so officers looked for the vehicle and stopped it not far from campus at about 10:30 p.m., Vinson said. Police arrested the man on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle. Vinson said he had no reason to believe the university -- which he said had few students or staff heading into the Fourth of July -- is under any threat. But police still have questions. "Anytime that you have someone who has body armor ... long guns and also incendiary devices, that's a significant concern," said Jim Pugel, interim chief of the Seattle Police Department, which is helping university police in the case. The FBI also is assisting the probe, Vinson said. CNN's Amanda Watts and Jason Hanna contributed to this story. | University of Washington police arrest man on suspicion of driving stolen vehicle .
Police: Molotov cocktails, two stolen long guns, and a ballistic vest were in truck's bed .
Prosecutors say he had maps of three university campuses .
Truck, guns stolen from Montana residence, police say; suspect is 21-year-old man from Nevada . |
21,682 | 3da0d5e53d6c89ac442c54cc83a12ddeeed96e71 | By . David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:12 EST, 13 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:25 EST, 13 March 2014 . Donald Trump says he's the Republican Party's top choice to run for governor of New York, telling NBC's TODAY show on Thursday that 'Republican leaders want me to run so badly.' Trump is not running – at least not yet – but that hasn't stopped him from using the possibility as a launching pad to promote his business ventures and vent his political spleen. 'I think it can be won,' he said of the race to oust Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. But 'the Republican Party in New York is a mess,' Trump claims, giving him an easy out if the whole idea is a giant tease. Meanwhile, the multi-billionaire real estate tycoon has also left the door open for a presidential run, which some GOP insiders say would be a more logical salve for his ever-expanding ego. Scroll Down for Video . Donald Trump appeared on the TODAY show to promote his Miss USA pageant, but steered the conversation toward his political aspirations . 'There's no way "The Donald" would be satisfied with running just one state,' laughed a Republican operative in New Hampshire who declined to be named. 'And besides, can you imaging the great and all-powerful Trump living in Albany and giving up his Apprentice series? The mind boggles.' But Monroe County, N.Y. Republican chairman Bill Reilich told Capital New York on Thursday that Trump had 'spoken to me directly and told me that when he announces his candidacy [for governor], he's prepared to put $50 million in a bank account.' That amount would trump – pun intended – Cuomo's $33 million war chest. 'It takes some effort to amass this. That's occurring, as I understand it, now,' Reilich said. 'As soon as the filming of [The Apprentice] is complete, he's then going to focus toward the May convention.' Trump may have his sights set even higher. Clipping a microphone to his lapel has been a reliable prescription lately for an attack on the Obama White House, and few long-shot presidential candidates can command such a large stage to level his charges. '[Vladimir] Putin has eaten Obama's lunch, and therefore our lunch for a long time,' he said Thursday, complaining about a weak-willed White House that has let Russia run roughshod over parts of the old Soviet Empire. Trump is scheduled to appear at the April 12 New Hampshire Freedom Summit, . an event in the first-in-the-nation primary state that will showcase . more than a half-dozen potential GOP presidential candidates. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah will . speak, along with former Arkansas governor and Fox News host Mike . Huckabee, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Tennessee Rep. Marsha . Blackburn. His first formal appearance on the . pre-2016 Republican speaking circuit came a week ago at the Conservative . Political Action Conference. But . his message about unemployment and U.S. weakness abroad sputtered . beneath the weight of a headline-inducing gaffe in which he referred to . the 39th U.S. president as 'the late, great Jimmy Carter.' Carter is very much alive. Trump said Thursday on NBC that Republican leaders want him to run against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo 'badly' Trump was on the TODAY show to announce that the June 2014 Miss USA event, which will air on NBC, will be held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Trump owns the Miss Universe Organization. Miss USA is America's qualifying pageant for that global competition. He called the Pelican State's capital 'a place that really wanted us.' 'We had about 12 places that were fighting for the rights, and we just decided that's sort of the home of pageantry, it's sort of the home of the whole beauty thing. They're terrific people, and they're going to put on a great show.' 'Usually we go to Las Vegas. We never fail in Las Vegas,' he said. 'It's great, but we thought we'd move it.' Trump appeared alongside Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady, who announced that she intended to enter the entertainment industry after her reign is over. He has said he plans to decide whether or not to run for governor by the end of the week. | Trump could face a crowded Republican primary field but would have a huge advantage in name-recognition .
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo can run for a second term but hasn't formally announced his candidacy yet .
Some analysts are calling Cuomo's re-election a 'shoo in'
State Republican Chairman Ed Cox, the son-in-law of the late President Richard Nixon, hasn't ruled out running himself . |
239,954 | c2a3f1db6b2565e215121f3cc9f26e5d26b05f75 | Christopher Lee, 38, appeared in court last year after repeatedly lashing out at contractors who came to upgrade his kitchen and bathroom . A 29-stone 'martial arts expert' who refused an electrician access to his housing association home 'because his snake was scared' could now face eviction. Christopher Lee appeared in court last year after behaving aggressively towards contractors who came to upgrade the kitchen and bathroom at his home in Allerton, Liverpool. The court heard how one occasion he refused to let an electrician in to his home because he said that his pet snake was becoming unsettled. He was banned from being at home while further work was carried out on his property following the hearing at Liverpool Civil Court last February. But it is claimed that the 38-year-old has since refused entry to gas safety experts who needed to take annual meter readings at his home, which is owned by Liverpool Mutual Homes. Lee is also alleged to have intimidated several of his neighbours - and a change to his injunction order means that he could now face arrest if he acts in a threatening manner towards them. The court heard that his dog Matrix, a Belgian Shepherd, was a nuisance and would often bark and bare his teeth, as well as being off its lead in communal areas. Lee, who is unemployed, did not appear at the committal hearing at Liverpool Civil Court on Thursday when changes were made to the injunction order placed against him. The order already grants landlord Liverpool Mutual Homes the power to evict him from the property with just 48 hours notice. During the hearing at Liverpool Civil Court last year, it was heard how Lee kicked workers out of his house or refused them entry on a number of occasions. The court heard how the workmen had to form a human chain to stop Lee, a trained fighter, attacking them. One man said that he was too scared of Lee to appear in court last year. It was heard how, along with barring gas contractors, he has also continued abusing Liverpool Mutual Homes staff. The case was adjourned for a month while experts assess if he has any mental health problems. He has previously complained of having gout. Judge Graham Wood QC ruled that his capacity will now be independently assessed by a psychiatrist. A case management hearing will be scheduled in four weeks. Judge Wood said: 'The great concern I have is that the question of Mr Lee's capacity has been raised. Lee, who is unemployed, did not appear at the committal hearing at Liverpool Civil Court on Thursday this week where changes were made to the injunction order placed against him . 'If he is unable to understand the order or the conduct of court proceedings then that weighs heavily on my decision to limit the power of arrest. 'I will grant power of arrest for paragraph three of the order for threatening violence to the four neighbours who are witnesses and their family members. 'They must be able to proceed confidently and should not in any way feel threatened of intimidated - they are entitled to that amount of protection.' | Christopher Lee refused workmen entry to his Liverpool home .
Last year he was banned from being at home while work was carried out .
Recently he allegedly refused entry to engineers checking his gas meter .
He is also alleged to have intimidated several of his neighbours . |
150,491 | 4e8eed5986407d1014c8bfcee8bbec59525e6cca | A dementia sufferer was left locked on a bus for almost three hours after staff from the Alzheimer’s Society forgot to drop her off at home. The unnamed woman, believed to be in her 80s, had used the free shuttle service which takes patients with dementia from their homes to day care services. However, staff on board the bus forgot to ensure she got off the vehicle and she remained locked inside when it returned to the Middlefields depot in South Shields, South Tyneside. Stranded: A dementia sufferer was left locked on a bus inside this depot in South Shields, South Tyneside, for almost three hours after staff from the Alzheimer’s Society forgot to drop her off at home . She was eventually found by workers at the depot, after they heard her screams and shouts for help. The vehicle is thought to have been parked up by a worker from charity Alzheimer’s Society at around 4pm and the woman was discovered at 6.30pm. Even then her ordeal was still not over and she was not able to return home for another two hours because council staff had to be called to release her from the minibus. A council employee, who asked not to be named, said: 'She was screaming and shouting and she was really upset, crying and cold. 'She had been there for hours. If someone hadn’t have found her, she wouldn’t have lasted the night. If it was my mother or nana, I would be absolutely disgusted.' Locked in: The vehicle is thought to have been parked up at the depot by a worker from charity Alzheimer’s Society at around 4pm and the woman was discovered at 6.30pm. Two workers from the Alzheimer’s Society have been suspended while an investigation is carried out. The charity has carried out an initial report into what happened to the woman on Tuesday, November 4, but is continuing to investigate. 'Alzheimer’s Society takes the wellbeing and safety of everyone using our services very seriously,' said Alzheimer’s Society regional director Helen Foster. 'On this occasion mistakes were made that led to this very unfortunate incident. 'We have apologised whole-heartedly to the individual and their family that in this instance we fell below the standard of care and support that we usually deliver in the care of our vulnerable service users. “We are sorry for the distress that this has caused to the family. 'An internal investigation was launched immediately into the circumstances under which this incident took place and a full report has now been completed as a result. “Two members of staff have also been suspended. Strict and comprehensive protocols have been now been put in place to ensure the safety of individuals travelling home from our services in the future.' A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: 'From the moment we became aware of this incident, we took action and continue to take the matter extremely seriously. 'We have been in communication with the Alzheimer’s Society from an early stage and have urged them to identify exactly what went wrong on this occasion and to review procedures in consultation with our officers. 'Our priority is to ensure that users of services funded by the council are well looked after and safe. 'The council is considering what further action needs to be taken under the contract and we will be discussing that with the Alzheimer’s Society in the coming days.' | Woman in her 80s was using shuttle to take her home from day care service .
Staff from Alzheimer's Society did not ensure she got off the vehicle .
She was later found screaming for help at bus depot in South Shields .
Woman had to wait to be freed from the bus and got home two hours later .
Charity has apologised to woman and her family and launches investigation .
Two members of staff have been suspended, charity confirms .
Council is considering if any further action should be taken . |
180,783 | 7605ea8aeee280daaba2e2c7f281b65afe4636cc | The British scientist on the Rosetta Project who came under fire over wearing a shirt with semi-dressed cartoons while appearing on TV after the Philae landing, has apologised. Dr Matt Taylor spoke about the European Space Agency's mission to land a robot on a comet for the first time in history, while dressed in a colourful bowling shirt featuring scantily clad women. Soon afterwards, #shirtgate and slightly more humorous #shirtstorm, began trending on Twitter in response to the London-born father-of-two. Scroll down for video . Apology: Dr Matt Taylor appeared close to tears and was visibly upset he apologised for his choice of shirt following a furious online response . Today, during a Rosetta project briefing on the European Space Agency's YouTube channel, a visibly upset Dr Taylor addressed the internet furore and said sorry. 'I made a big mistake,' the 40-year-old, who has a PhD in space plasma physics from Imperial College London said. 'And I have offended many people. I'm very sorry about this.' Even before the landing, the Rosetta Project scientist caused a stir on the social network because of his unorthodox appearance, involving bright shirts and an array of body art - including a tattoo on his leg of the space probe landing on the comet, which he got in January. However, the 40-year-old's choice of a shirt covered in women in PVC and lingerie broke the online science network in ways Kim Kardashian's bare bottom could only dream of. Many vented their anger on Twitter, claiming that Dr Taylor's choice of shirt was sexist and particularly inappropriate as science is a field long dominated by men. Dr Taylor was comforted by a colleague during a Rosetta project briefing on the European Space Agency's YouTube channel . Criticised: British scientist Dr Matt Taylor upset the internet by wearing a shirt covered in semi-naked women after landing a robot on a comet . Online anger: Several commentators claimed that Dr Taylor's choice of shirt was sexist and particularly inappropriate as science is a field long dominated by men . Hot comet: During an interview about the landing, Dr Taylor branded the comet landing 'the sexiest mission there’s ever been' #shirtgate: Dr Matt Taylor, Rosetta Project Scientist, has caused a stir on Twitter because of his dress sense . Both men and women blasted Dr Taylor, accusing him of not caring about women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). 'I don't care what scientists wear. But a shirt featuring women in lingerie isn't appropriate for a broadcast if you care about women in STEM,' astrophysicist Katie Mack tweeted. She later added in response to a fellow tweeter; 'You think a shirt like this makes women feel welcome? I don't.' 'The fact that a scientist of any gender, but especially a man, would think it's a good idea to wear a shirt covered in naked women while representing a major space agency and a significant research project is appalling; and clearly, he had no idea that he was engaging in exactly the kind of casual sexism that drives women away from STEM, writer Susan Smith pointed out on XOJane. During an interview about the landing, Dr Taylor had branded the comet landing 'the sexiest mission there’s ever been. 'She’s sexy, but I never said she was easy.' Before the emergence of #shirtgate, Dr Taylor, a father-of-two and the son of a brick layer, praised on Twitter for being 'a proper cool scientist' and 'definitely not boring'. One Twitter user wrote: 'Dr Matt Taylor is what every scientist should look like - rad shirt, sleeve tattoos. Rad,' while another said: 'Matt Taylor causing thousands of people to choke on their cornflakes this morning.' The father-of-two from Manor Park in north east London now lives in the Netherlands with his wife Leanne and children Lily, 13 and Harry, 11. Dr Taylor studied at the University of Liverpool and Imperial College London, winning a PhD in space plasma physics . He has worked at the European Space Agency since 2005 and was given the top scientific job on the mission in the summer of 2013. The role was a real change from his previous job, which was studying the physics of the northern lights, The Guardian reported. On Wednesday's ESA's Rosetta probe released its Philae lander to attempt the first ever landing of a spacecraft on the surface of a comet. The separation was confirmed at 9.03am GMT, with pictures of Philae approaching the comet expected throughout the day before it lands on the surface at 3.30pm GMT. But the success of the mission now hangs in the balance after a thruster on Philae was found to be faulty. Mission controllers say there is a 50 per cent chance the cold thruster positioned on top of the lander will work, and without it, Philae will have to rely solely on harpoons to attach to the surface of the comet. The cold thruster was designed to push Philae closer to the comet. The scientist is so positive that the mission to land on the comet will be successful that he has already had the moment permanently etched on his body (pictured) To convince his new team of his dedication, Dr Taylor promised that if Rosetta woke up from its hibernation, he would get a tattoo to commemorate the event. This video shows the creation of the tattoo . Rosetta has chased comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko through space for more than ten years in what has been described as 'the sexiest, most fantastic mission ever'. After a four billion mile (6.5 billion km) journey, it is now positioned in an orbit 19 miles (30 km) away from 67P . | British scientist Dr Matt Taylor is the Rosetta Project Scientist .
He appeared on TV with shirt covered in scantily clad cartoon women .
Dr Taylor's shirt began trending on Twitter with #shirtgate and #shirtstorm . |
8,270 | 176629ed4c347856f63d69c51b02b157b1312c8b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:12 EST, 29 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:57 EST, 30 October 2013 . A second mystery barge has been discovered - this one docked in Maine, thousands of miles away from the ship spotted in San Fransisco Bay that has set the tech world abuzz. The vessel in Portland Harbor looks nearly identical to its cousin 2,700 miles away in California - four stories of shipping containers welded together atop a large flat barge. They are also both registered to the same mysterious Delaware-based corporation. The ships are widely believed to be owned by Google - built as prototype floating data centers that use ocean water to regulate the intense heat put out by the mass of servers. Mystery: This is the Maine barge that is thought to be part of a floating data center project by Google . This is the San Fransisco barge - which looks strikingly similar to the mysterious ship docked in Portland Harbor . Google has refused to comment on the vessels, though a 2009 patent filed by the company describes an environmentally-friendly sea-powered telecommunications and storage system that looks much like the vessels that have appears on both side of the continent. The Portland Press-Herald reports the Maine barge is docked at the city's Ricker's Warf. Contractors from local engineering firm Cianbro Corp. are installing high-tech equipment in the vessel, though workers said even they didn't know what the purpose of the ship was or who they were working for. Little is known about them, but they appear to have been registered by someone familiar with geek speak - and with a sense of humor. The structures are registered with a Delaware corporation as BAL0001, BAL0010, BAL0011 and BAL0100. In binary code used in computing, the numbers spell out "one," "two," "three" and "four." Currently, Nos. 1 and 2 are on the water in San Francisco and No. 3 is in Portland Harbor. Also, the Delaware company to which they're registered is called Buy and Large, a likely joking reference to "Buy N Large," the fictional mega-corporation in the 2008 Pixar film 'WALL-E.' The San Francisco barge is docked at Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay . Is this is? A 2009 patent filed by Google shows a water-borne data center . Possible: This large structure on a barge just off Treasure Island, between San Francisco and Oakland, could be a floating data center being made by Google . Google's patent describes 'a system includes a floating platform-mounted computer data center comprising a plurality of computing units, a sea-based electrical generator in electrical connection with the plurality of computing units, and one or more sea-water cooling units for providing cooling to the plurality of computing units.' 'The cutouts in the long walls of the containers, when they line up, they make hallways,' said Joel Egan, who designs similar structures. 'You could put all sorts of mainframes into the containers...It doesn't have enough windows for an office building' Now, CNET investigative reporter Daniel Terdiman claims the mystery construction site floating in San Francisco Bay could belong to Google, drawing on evidence from lease agreements, expert consultations and interviews with locals. He said putting data centers inside shipping containers, as he claims Google is doing, is already a well-established practice. While some commentators have criticized the reporter's evidence as circumstantial, experts say it's plausible that Google would build water-based data facility. Joel Egan, the principal at Cargotecture, which designs custom cargo container buildings, said the structure looks like a data center. 'The cutouts in the long walls of the containers, when they line up, they make hallways,' Egan told CNET. 'You could put all sorts of mainframes into the containers...It doesn't have enough windows for an office building.' Egan said that putting a data center on a barge would provide access to abundant water to help cool a large number of servers. Jonathan . Koomey, a Stanford research fellow and expert on data centers, said . companies such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, and Microsoft . have been installing specially built data centers in shipping . containers for some time because they're easy to deploy. This is an aerial view of the 'secret project' in San Francisco Bay . This is Hangar 3 on Treasure Island, alongside Pier 1, as seen in Apple Maps, before construction began . Plans? Sources say Google hopes to tow the completed structure from Treasure Island across the Bay to San Francisco¿s Fort Mason, where it would be anchored and open to the public . Meanwhile, KPIX 5 reports that Google is . actually building a floating marketing center at Hangar 3 for Google Glass, the cutting-edge wearable . computer the company has under development. KPIX 5 claims sources say Google hopes to tow the completed . structure from Treasure Island across the Bay to San Francisco’s Fort . Mason, where it would be anchored and open to the public. The media outlet also reported that construction on the site, near the San Francisco Bay Bridge, stopped several weeks ago because Google does not have a permit to park the barge on the waterfront. Construction on the site commenced last year, and the work is being shielded by a high security fence. Another theory is that Google is building a floating marketing center at for Google Glass, the cutting-edge wearable computer the company has under . | Experts speculate that Google is building a floating data center on a barge in San Francisco Bay .
Google patented the idea in 2009, but hasn't commented on the development .
Others theorize the Internet company is building a floating marketing center for Google Glass . |
74,755 | d3eb9dcf4cde8d5230fa42a4dee83a62c55f71f3 | Martin’s got the moves . Germany’s Martin Kaymer got in the spirit after his country’s World Cup win. Asked to sign an inflatable golf ball by a youngster, he dazzled a small crowd with his keepy-uppy skills, signed the ball then volleyed it back to the fan. Deutschland Uber Alles: Germany's Martin Kaymer showed off his football skills on Monday . Reed playing it safe . Rising American star Patrick Reed has good memories of the Wirral, having won the 2006 Junior Open at Heswall. Despite the scorching heat that summer, Reed played in his lucky waterproofs. He was wearing them again on Monday. Lean machine Clarke . The . Open lardy ranks have been depleted by the loss of Darren Clarke, who . is at least three stone lighter than at Muirfield in 2013. The Northern . Irishman has cut the carbs in his diet and been on a strict gym regime . for six months. Shedding the pounds: Ulsterman Clarke has lost three stone in the last year . Rose makes the top three . Golf rankings are calculated using finishes over the previous two years, and so change at a snail’s pace. Justin Rose’s leap from six to three on Monday was a rapid rise by the standards of the index. Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar and Jason Day were pushed below him as a result. The Open sticks to its roots . Whatever happens in Scotland’s independence referendum this year, it will not affect future allocations of Open venues. ‘The Open is golf’s most international major and will remain that way,’ said R&A spokesman Malcolm Booth. Three of the next four Opens will be in Scotland. Slipping down: Bubba Watson has suffered from Justin Rose's rise up the rankings . VIDEO Don't give up on Tiger - Watson . O’Meara out, Fisher in . Absent Americans are often a feature of The Open. Mark O’Meara withdrew this week, giving England’s Ross Fisher a spot. The 1998 winner has an elbow injury, while Steve Stricker is reducing his schedule and Charles Howell cited a ‘personal family situation’. | Martin Kaymer shows off his keepy-uppy skills in practice round .
2011 champion Darren Clarke has lost three stone in a year .
Ross Fisher has replaced injured Mark O'Meara in the draw . |
75,446 | d5f69cab24acc8b611db754c17ec7cad1a6c92b4 | A dead bobcat was cruelly hanged from a Tennessee high school's goalpost on Tuesday just days before a football game with a rival school. Students at Tullahoma High School, whose team is called the Wildcats, made the horrific discovery on Tuesday morning and notified a teacher who called Animal Control. The director of schools from the county, Dan Lawson, said that police were informed and animal control removed the cat from the school's field. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE . Hanged: A dead bobcat was mysteriously hanged from a goalpost at a Tullahoma High School in Tennessee . The Tullahoma High School Wildcats are scheduled to play Coffee County Central's (CHS) Red Raiders on Friday night and the macabre prank may be related to the school's heated rivalry, reported The Manchester Times. 'This isn’t what a rivalry is about and this is not what our school and our community are about, 'said CHS principal Dr. Joey Vaughn on Wednesday morning. 'This isn’t rivalry. This is mean. This is wrong and hateful. This does not represent our student body as a whole. We have great kids at our school and Tullahoma has great kids at its school.' Vaughn said he doesn't know who committed the act of animal cruelty but that there is an ongoing investigation to find the culprit. Bobcat hunting season doesn't begin in the area until November 21 and that it's unclear how the animal died. 'That is not a good way to treat a critter for a prank, that’s for sure,' said Doug Markham, from the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA). Rival schools: The Tullahoma High School (pictured) Wildcats got a gruesome surprise when they discovered a dead bobcat hanged from one of their goalposts just days before a game with the rival school . 'If we found out who it was and he or she killed it out of season they could be charged with hunting in closed season and they could face fines and court costs. They could lose their hunting license,' explained Markham. Despite the hateful incident, the game has not been cancelled between the rival schools. 'There have been various events throughout these years, but this week someone took a high school rivalry and took it too far. The actions of a few do not represent this community as a whole. At this time we do not know who committed this callous act or what their involvement with the rivalry is, but there is no place in our community or this world for these types of actions,' said Vaughn in a statement. Coffee County Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall also contributed to the heated discussion. 'Rivalries are good but this isn’t healthy,’ said McFall. ‘We can behave better than this. We will behave better than this.' | WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE .
Students at Tullahoma High School discovered a hanged bobcat on their goalpost on Tuesday morning and notified a teacher .
The director of schools from the county, Dan Lawson, said that police were informed and animal control removed the cat from the school's field .
Tullahoma High School's mascot is a wildcat and they are scheduled to play Coffee County Central high school tonight, just days after the incident .
'Rivalries are good but this isn’t healthy,’ said Coffee County Director of Schools Dr. LaDonna McFall . |
21,282 | 3c5c15e80b9ccace88c281a34033a433e8168123 | (CNN Student News) -- June 10, 2011 . Download the PDF map related to today's show: . • Hamburg, Germany . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Hi, everybody! I'm Tomeka Jones, and this is the first summer edition of CNN Student News! Where did E. Coli come from? JONES: Every week this summer, we'll be doing these special web shows. Today, we're talking about a story we covered toward the end of the school year: an outbreak of E. coli. That's a specific kind of bacteria. You can get it from contaminated food or water, and it can cause some pretty serious health problems. Officials say this outbreak is limited to an area around one city in Germany. So far, more than 20 people have died from the bacteria. Thousands of people have gotten sick from it. One of the big things officials are trying to figure out is where this E. coli came from. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is going to explain how scientists do that and what people can do to avoid getting sick. (BEGIN VIDEO) Dr. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It can be difficult sometimes to figure out exactly from where this came. You know, this is sort of a real medical investigation. They literally have to trace back from the farm to the fork all the different steps of these different foods. So, for example, bean sprouts being looked at right now. So far, 23 of 40 samples have come back negative. All that tells you is that, so far, they haven't found it. It doesn't mean that it wasn't there. And I can also tell you that sometimes you never get a clear answer as to exactly from where this bacteria originated. About 2,200 people infected; 60% of them women. 600 of them also got a very serious complication of this infection called HUS: hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Your blood doesn't clot as well. Your kidneys can start to fail. 70% of the people that developed that were also women. Unclear why that is. It could be that women are eating more of whatever the contaminated food was. For most people who get this infection, it's going to be a couple of bad days. Stomach cramping, stomach pains. They're not going to need antibiotics. But obviously, in a few people, as you're hearing about, the complications can be more severe. For the consumer, obviously, washing your hands, washing your food, not cross-contaminating your food: these are the things a consumer can do. But distributors, the manufacturers, the people who are getting this food to your table, they obviously have to take some responsibility here as well, in terms of making sure this food is free of contamination. (END VIDEO) E. Coli economic impact . JONES: The German government has been trying to control this outbreak and keep people from getting sick. One way is by putting out a warning about eating some raw vegetables. But that has a big impact on farmers. Fred Pleitgen looks at the economic side of this story. (BEGIN VIDEO) FRED PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a painful sight: case after case of ripe tomatoes thrown away. This produce marketer near Berlin says selling tomatoes has become all but impossible since the E. coli outbreak began. PETRA LACK, PRODUCTION MANAGER, WERDER FRUCHT: "Things are awful at the moment," the manager says. "We hope this won't continue for the whole harvest season. But if the government keeps telling people not to eat lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, nothing will change." PLEITGEN: German authorities are still warning not to eat those vegetables uncooked, and consumers seem to be heeding that warning. The company near Berlin says at one point, demand for tomatoes dropped to only five percent of what they normally sell. The folks here say, in total, they are going to have to destroy about 270 tons of tomatoes. That batch alone is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And keep in mind, these are perfectly fine tomatoes. But they simply can't sell them because demand has flatlined. German authorities still have not found the source of the deadly E. coli strain in northern Germany. Officials believe it may have originated in this sprout farm, but so far, there is no scientific evidence to back that up. Farmers all over Europe are suffering as fearful consumers are staying away from vegetables. At a crisis meeting in Luxembourg, where especially Spain criticized Germany for suggesting its cucumbers might be the source of the bacteria, the EU agreed to pay 150 million Euros in financial aid for the industry. SÁNDOR FAZEKAS, HUNGARIAN MINISTER FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: We have to pay compensation for the damages that they have suffered. We need a swift solution, and our commissioner came to our meeting with a set of proposals. PLEITGEN: Andre Becker would rather see his tomatoes on dinner tables than receive compensation for throwing them away. He oversees this green house, and the prime harvesting season is right now. Like so many others, he wants consumers to know his products are safe. ANDRE BECKER, HEAD OF PRODUCTION, HAVELIA VEGETABLES: "We work according to strict standards," he says. "We test the water we give to the plants, and we also tested for E. coli. The results were negative." PLEITGEN: The tomatoes have grown exceptionally well this year. But no matter how beautiful and ripe they may be, the workers here know they will probably go straight from the green house to here, to be thrown away and destroyed. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Werder, Germany. (END VIDEO) Promo . JONES: Like we said before, we're doing these special web shows over the summer. But how are you spending your summer break? You can tell us on our blog. Or better yet, send in an iReport. And you can do both of those on our web site: CNNStudentNews.com. Goodbye . JONES: That's gonna wrap things up for now. You can get more details on the E.coli outbreak or any other headlines at CNN.com. So make sure to check back next week for our next summer show. I'm Tomeka Jones. See ya later! | This week's summer show focuses on an E. coli outbreak in Germany .
Hear how scientists try to track down the source of these outbreaks .
Consider the economic impact that the outbreak is having on farmers . |
86,456 | f565fab609995c88d068079991af5b07faf811c3 | (CNN) -- Americans snicker over the sordid details of Rep. Anthony Weiner's Internet escapades. But they pity his wife, Huma Abedin. They see an accomplished and beautiful woman betrayed by her husband's Twitter posts. And she's pregnant? The details just get worse and worse. Abedin and other political wives before her have been forced to face the public flogging of their husbands, heightened in this case by the technological evidence that Weiner left behind and by the helpful testimony of his correspondents. Americans love to debate the role of the wronged political wife. What will Hillary Clinton, Jenny Sanford, or Newt Gingrich's wives (pick one) do? What should they do? Actress Julianna Margulies was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of "The Good Wife" on CBS. Will she ever leave her fictional cheating husband? To which author Laura Munson says, "Stop." Stop calling these women victims. Unless there are threats to her physical safety or financial security, only Abedin decides if she is a victim. (And she's not talking publicly.) When her own husband, suffering through a midlife crisis, threatened to break up their marriage to end his pain, Munson chose not to play the victim. Instead she planned a summer of joy for herself and her two kids -- and her husband when he wanted to join them. She gave him six months to work through his crisis. How did she stop herself from pleading with him or simply dumping him just to get it over with? How did she choose a third way? Munson, author of the memoir "This Is Not the Story You Think It Is," had recently committed to the end of suffering. After years of writing novels that weren't published, the death of her father, and therapy, she decided that she -- not anyone else -- would decide her own happiness. That included her husband. The same philosophy can apply to not-so-famous women facing infidelity or other crises that destroy their dreams and upend their lives. These crises can be opportunities to find your true calling, says Susan Piver, author of "The Wisdom of a Broken Heart." If you don't remember what makes you happy, imagine figuring it out and starting the seeds of a new life. (Again, this advice doesn't apply if you are facing threats to your safety.) Wait to make big decisions. If you're not facing financial ruin or the threat of violence, wait at least a few months for the pain and anxiety to settle down. In the fog of pain, people make rash decisions. One of Munson's friends was so unhappy in her life that she decided she had to get out of her marriage. She didn't realize she didn't really want out until she was gone. You need to figure out what you want. Focus on the present moment. When the crazy thoughts are going through your head about who did what to who, and why didn't you say that perfect comeback line, Piver suggests taking out a piece of paper and writing down five things that you notice are actually happening around you. They're usually pretty ordinary -- cars driving by, the dog barking, a child playing with dolls. Go a little deeper and notice three things a little more carefully. Write those observations down. That list, part of a group of exercises in her book, isn't ever as crazy as what's in your head. It can have a calming effect. Create something now. Take charge of your own joy. Munson didn't simply plan a summer of fun for her family. She thought deliberately about what she could do to make herself and her two children happy during their financially strapped summer in their Montana town. It was often as simple as taking three deep breaths or walking down the block. Sometimes she walked to a beautiful place or visited friends who helped keep the focus on herself, instead of trashing the husband. She turned on the sprinklers and watched her kids get soaked. She bought many tomatoes and canned tomato sauce. "Do something that is positive and nurturing to you," she says. Give up on the dream. Many people create a storyline or myth for their lives that says they will be powerful when they are pretty or handsome, skinny, married, a parent, or have the "right" job or salary. "If you're only powerful when it goes a certain way, then what happens when you lose your job?" asks Munson. Do you not matter anymore? Figure out the myths you tell yourself about your definition of success before you can move on. Look for your truth. Take some quiet time in prayer or meditation to get through other people's voices, and what the culture says about what your life should be like, to your essential truth. "The advice for anyone going through a trauma is to allow the sorrow and vision for what you thought life should be to dissolve and see what's left," says Piver. "You have all the knowledge you need to solve your problems inside of you." Choose your own feelings. It's incredibly hard to do, but Munson says it's essential. After all, we only truly believe other people's mean comments about ourselves when we think they're true -- that we're unlovable or fat or nagging or mean-spirited. "What if someone told you when you were 12 that nobody can make you feel mad, make you cry just by what they say?" she asks. "What if we had really understood that no one could make you feel emotionally anything?" Repeat after me: Those barbs are not necessarily true. Do not play the victim. You are only a victim in an emotional crisis if you choose to be. "When we get into reaction and escalating the drama, it only hurts us," says Munson. "There is a time and place for anger, but I want to powerfully choose those moments -- I don't want to feel like they're choosing me." | Author: Political wives can choose not to be victims when their husbands cheat .
Laura Munson wrote a book on her own refusal to suffer when husband wanted divorce .
She says don't listen to or believe the mean barbs others will toss your way .
Expert: A crisis can push you toward a true calling and more happiness . |
105,193 | 13b00d8fa303a04cc9fbd737fddd3708d1062a7a | The friend of a bigamist who pretended his first marriage was over claims he had also been duped after he was asked to be best man at both weddings. Mark Stapleton, 47, said he was 'shocked' to find out that friend of 20 years, Adrian Linham, had lied about divorcing his first wife and went on to marry another woman. The 43-year-old had been dating Hayley Totterdell for three years and secretly splitting his time between there and his marital home with loyal wife of seven years Liz, 37, near Bristol. Scroll down for video . Mark Stapleton (left) was best man at both weddings and claims friend of 20 years, Adrian Linham (right), had told him he divorced wife Liz two years before his new marriage . He told wife Liz he was working in Bangor, north Wales for his job as a scuba diving instructor but he was actually living just 16 miles away with Hayley. Mr Stapleton claims he was also tricked by Linham, who told him that his marriage ended two years prior to his second wedding, and only found out the truth on the day he went to court for bigamy. He told The Sun: 'I didn't know anything about his double life. He has managed to deceive everybody. 'I had asked him about Liz and he had given the impression it was all over. He was so happy when he married Hayley.' Adrian Linham married wife Liz in Weston-Super-Mare in 2007 before the couple honeymooned in Mexico . But after several years of marriage, Linham met Hayley Totterdell, who he then married at the same resort he had visited with his previous wife six years earlier . Linham has now been jailed for 18 weeks for bigamy - but new wife Hayley is sticking by her husband. Mr Stapleton has vowed that he will confront his friend once he is released from prison, after he was given no explanation. 'I've got a lot of unanswered questions. I'd imagine there will be some choice words added in there too,' he said. Liz knew nothing about their secret marriage in Riviera Maya, where they honeymooned following their wedding in 2007, until she saw photographs of her husband on Facebook. She received a letter from her mother-in-law saying she was sorry to see they had divorced and that Linham had remarried. Liz has spoken of the extent of Linham's lies after he was jailed for bigamy this week . She then went on to say that she had been on Facebook and seen Linham's wedding pictures to Hayley and hoped that his new marriage hadn't affected her too much. Liz then went online and found dozens of pictures of her grinning husband embracing his new bride - on the same beach where they went on honeymoon. Linham has two children from a previous partner and one with Liz, while Hayley has two children from a previous husband. Mother-of-one Liz said: 'I didn't think stuff like this happened in real life and I certainly didn't think it would ever happen to me. 'I genuinely didn't know what was going on. I never thought for a moment that he'd gone and married someone else. 'It has completely altered the way I look at everyone. I look at people now, who I have known and trusted for years, and think "can I really trust you?".' Liz and Adrian met at his brother's wedding in 2000 and became an item in July 2006 after he divorced his first wife. They got engaged in 2007 and married just months later at Rookery Manor in Somerset before jetting off to Riviera Maya in Mexico for their honeymoon. But throughout their relationship, Linham would stay at their marital home near Bristol less and less - sometimes coming home as little as once or twice a month. In spite of this Liz thought their marriage was still going strong and she gave up work to look after their daughter, now aged four. 'He would tell me he loved me every day and he'd say how he couldn't be without me,' she said. But she was shocked to discover that he had been leading a double life and had been seeing Hayley Totterdell for more than three years. Liz was aware of Hayley's existence but had been told she was merely the wife of Linham's psychiatrist. Meanwhile Hayley was blissfully unaware that Linham was already married and only found out about his previous marriage when he was arrested. They are believed to have got engaged in August 2012 after he proposed on the same beach where he honeymooned with Liz. Then, in May 2014, Linham told Liz he was going away for a longer stretch in Bangor to oversee exams - but actually flew back to Mexico for his wedding to Hayley. None of Hayley's family knew he was already married. After the wedding Linham returned to the UK and carried on living his double life as if nothing had changed. Liz only found out about the wedding three months later when she received a letter from Linham's mother, who she had not spoken to for a while. 'I got a letter from his mum on 21 August 2014,' she said. 'It said that she was sorry to hear Adrian and I had gotten divorced and that she hoped I was dealing with it ok.' Linham is believed to have got engaged to Hayley (pictured) in 2014, when he proposed on the same beach he and Liz had visited shortly after they were married in 2007 . Neither his not Hayley's family (pictured) were aware of his secret wife at the ceremony at the same resort later that year. Mark Stapleton (second right) was his best man at his second wedding to Hayley . She added: 'It was such a huge shock to me, I went on to Facebook and found the pictures pretty much straight away. 'I didn't read the whole letter - I tore it up into tiny pieces and threw it away, I had just picked out certain parts of the letter. 'Those parts of the letter are still whirling around in my head, especially the bit about "Mrs Hayley Linham" - she took his name.' Liz added: 'I called him to confront him but he yet again denied it - I just went into meltdown. 'He totally denied it and told me not to be so silly. But that was it - I haven't spoken to him since. 'It's just been like a total nightmare. I actually remember saying this is the kind of thing you'd read about in the newspapers and magazines.' Liz has since discovered the catalogue of lies which Linham told her in order to conduct his secret double life. She recalled how she waited at home all day one Christmas Day for Linham to return home only for him to arrive late in the evening. Linham told his wife he was away for work but was secreting living at his bride-to-be Hayley's house (pictured) - which is on the other side of Bristol from his marital home with Liz . It later transpired he had spent the day with Hayley before telling her his mother had died in order to duck out and return to his wife. He then returned home to Hayley, describing his mother's funeral in full detail - despite the fact she is still alive. In December 2013 Liz suffered a miscarriage at 7pm one evening but Linham left her by 7am the next morning to go and see Hayley. The love rat also tricked Liz into redecorating Hayley's second home in Swanage, Dorset - asking her to paint the bedroom, and her children's bedrooms, convincing her it was his boss' home. Liz said: 'I'd always known about Hayley but the way he'd speak of her was just "oh she's loaded, her and her husband have got more money than sense so I do as many jobs as possible at their house to rinse them". 'He even took me to Hayley's second home in Swanage on two separate occasions, the first time I actually helped him set up for a party he was throwing for her and the second time I helped him redecorate. 'I painted her bedroom and both of her children's bedrooms as he told me it was his bosses house and we could stay there if we painted.' Liz had no idea her husband was seeing another woman and believed their marriage was still going strong . Liz was so furious she reported his actions to the police and he pleaded guilty to one count of bigamy at North Somerset Courthouse in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on Thursday. Chair of the bench, Peter Searle, sentenced Linham to 17 weeks in prison and ordered him to pay £1,000 compensation and put into place a restraining order. He told Linham, who has two children from a previous relationship: 'The length of deception is nothing short of incredible. You have shown no remorse and have humiliated your wife.' Sue Baker, defending, told the court he admitted bigamy when he was arrested and intended to get divorced from his first wife when he returned from the wedding 'but he was putting the cart before the horse'. Linham has now begun divorce proceedings, the court heard. | Mark Stapleton was 'shocked' to discover his best friend was still married .
He claims he was duped after Adrian Linham assured him he was divorced .
Linham had been living a double life with wife Liz and girlfriend Hayley .
He secretly proposed to and married Hayley in Riviera Maya, Mexico .
Ceremony held on same beach he had honeymooned on with Liz, 37 .
First wife found out when her mother-in-law wrote to her about 'divorce'
She investigated and found husband's new wedding photos on Facebook .
Bigamist is now jailed for 18 weeks - but new wife is standing by him . |
139,338 | 4026f43bc21dbcbeda2d8abfc86972ea516546f1 | (CNN) -- Two children and one adult were killed Friday after a man with a painted face launched a knife attack at a children's daycare center in Belgium. Police look at a hearse parked in front of the childcare centre in Dendermonde where the attack took place. Officials said two adults and 10 children, some of whom were in a critical condition, were being treated in hospital following the attack in Dendermonde, 25 kilometers (16 miles) northwest of Brussels. "The guy just went crazy," local official Theo Janssens said, according to Agence France-Presse news agency. He was arrested an hour and a half afterwards, according to the Interior Ministry. Reports said he was trying to make his escape on a bicycle. The attacker entered the day care center in Dendermonde, about 16 miles northwest of Brussels, around 10 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) and began stabbing children and staff, the ministry said. Local journalist Bart Bekaert told CNN that the attacker's face was painted black and white. Hear Bekaert describe the attack » . "Witnesses say he looked calm. There was no security and he just walked straight in," he added. AFP reported that the man was not known to staff at the nursery. "You don't expect such acts happening in a daycare center," Dendermonde deputy prosecutor Jan Kerkhofs told CNN. "It is not like a prison so there are no bars on the doors or security systems." | 2 children, 1 adult killed in knife attack at creche, Belgian Interior Ministry says .
Three others reported seriously injured in attack in town of Dendermonde .
Attacker "had painted face," local journalist tells CNN . |
269,998 | e9ae43320a29cf4070ded74b6e4b260110b316ca | By . Reuters Reporter and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:23 EST, 11 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:04 EST, 12 April 2013 . Boasting Jay-Z today took a swipe at critics of his and wife's Beyoncé's recent trip to Cuba in a swaggering new rap song. The song, 'Open Letter' calls out the politicians who questioned the legality of the fifth anniversary vacation, which was approved by the Treasury Department, when the rapper says, 'Politicians never did s**t for me, except lie to me, distort history. They wanna give me jail time and a fine. Fine, let me commit a real crime.' The song also includes lyrics boasting of his friendship with President Obama, adding: 'Obama said, 'Chill you're going to get me impeached.' You don't need this s**t anyway, chill with me on the beach.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Fifth wedding anniversary: Beyoncé and Ja-Z pictured in Havana, Cuba as they strolled around the Old Town . Famous friends: President Obama campaigned with Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen last year prior to winning re-election . He also brags that he's a 'boy from the hood but got White House clearance.' Obama's press secretary, Jay Carney, insisted that the White House had nothing to do with approving the trip. 'I guess nothing rhymes with Treasury,' he quipped. 'Because Treasury offers and gives licenses for travel, as you know, and the White House has nothing to do with it.' When pressed by the reporter, Carney added: 'I am absolutely saying that the White House, from the president on down, had nothing to do with anybody's personal -- anybody's travel to Cuba. 'That is something that Treasury handles. It's a song. The president did not communicate with Jay-Z over this trip.' Jay-Z continues to rap in the song that, 'I can turn Havana to Atlanta ... ballin’ too much they try to jam you. 'Y'all must wanna start a revolution. Whenever I'm threatened I start shooting,' he continues. 'I'm in Cuba I love Cubans. This communist talk is so confusing, when it's from China the very mic that I'm using.' The track, which comes in under three minutes, was produced by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Jay-Z also addresses his recent . decision to sell his minority share of the Brooklyn Nets so that he can . open up a sports management company. I done turned Havana to AtlantaGuayabera shirts and bandanasEvery time you think they got me I switch the plannaBulletproof this, radio scannersBallin' 'til they ban usYou gettin' too much bread, they try to jam youBoy from the hood But got White House clearanceSorry y'all, I don't agree with y'all appearancePoliticians never did s**t for meExcept lie to me, distort historyWanna give me jail time and a fineFine, let me commit a real crimeI might buy a kilo for Chief KeefOut of spite, I just might flood these streetsHear the freedom in my speechGot an onion from Universal, read it and weepWould've brought the Nets to Brooklyn for freeExcept I made millions off it, you f***in' dweebI still own the building, I'm still keeping my seatY'all buy that bulls**t, You'd better keep y'all receiptObama said 'Chill, you gonna get me impeached'But you don't need this s**t anywayChill with me on the beachYa'll almost want to start a revolutionYou know whenever I'm threatened, I start shooting, barkCatch a body, head to HoustonI'm in Cuba, I love CubansThis communist talk is so confusingWhen it's from China, the very mic that I'm usingIdiot wind, the Bob Dylan of rap musicYou're an idiot, baby, you should become a studentOh, you gonna learn todayWhere the f**k have you beenThe world's under new managementThe new role model, f**k this Zoolander s**t . 'I . woulda moved the Nets to Brooklyn for free / Except I made millions off . you f***ing dweebs/ I still own the building / I'm still keeping my . seats / You buy that bulls**t, you better keep your receipts.' Jay-Z has signed Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano and New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz as his clients. NBA rules prohibit a partial owner from also representing players in negotiations. The trip to Cuba last . week was fully licensed by the United States Treasury Department, . according to a source familiar with the trip. After the power couple celebrated . their fifth wedding anniversary in Havana, Republican members of . Congress asked for information on what type of license they obtained. Their . arrival drew in huge crowds of local fans as they strolled hand in hand . through the city and posed for pictures with admiring Cubans. But the longstanding U.S. trade . embargo against Cuba prevents most Americans from traveling to the . island without a license granted by the U.S. government. However, Obama's administration has eased restrictions on travel to Cuba for academic, religious or cultural programs. In . a letter dated on Friday, U.S. Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and . Mario Diaz-Balart, asked Adam Szubin, director of the Office of Foreign . Assets Control, for "information regarding the type of license that . Beyoncé and Jay-Z received, for what purpose, and who approved such . travel." Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart represent districts in south Florida where there is a high Cuban-American population. "Despite the clear prohibition . against tourism in Cuba, numerous press reports described the couple's . trip as tourism, and the Castro regime touted it as such in its . propaganda," the letter said. Questions: Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (left) and Mario Diaz-Balart (right) contacted the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department, asking if the powercouple obtained the correct license to enter Cuba . 'We . represent a community of many who have been deeply and personally . harmed by the Castro regime's atrocities, including former political . prisoners and the families of murdered innocents.' The song drew criticism for its apparent endorsement of the as Castro regime. U.S.-Cuba Democracy PAC co-founder and director Mauricio Claver-Carone said rapper Ángel Yunier Remón Arzuaga was jailed last month in Cuba for protest lyrics against the Cuban government. 'It’s easy here in the freedom of the U.S. for Jay-Z to release a song full of bravado jabbing at his critics and President Obama, but in Cuba a young rapper Angel Remon Arzuaga, from the hip-hip duo ‘Los Hijos Que Nadie Quiso’ (‘The Unwanted Children’), is rotting away in prison for daring to criticize the Castro regime — that takes real bravado,' Claver-Carone told Politico. Taking in the sights: The RnB power couple are seen strolling through the streets and talking to locals in Havana . Jay-Z has decided to sell his stake in the Brooklyn Nets so that he can open up a sports management company and represent players . | Rapper and mogul released song, Open Letter, Thursday following outrage from politicians over trip licensed by the Treasury Department .
Republican members of Congress asked for information on what type of license they obtained .
U.S. trade embargo against Cuba prevents most Americans from traveling to the island without a license granted by the U.S. government .
Jay-Z also raps about his decision to sell his share of the Brooklyn Nets . |
89,009 | fc9e6bfdecb076619ae395956ee98747f39b8639 | TV personality Kate Humble has revealed that she never wanted children but loves her large family of animals. The forty-five-year-old nature presenter has also admitted that one of her greatest pleasures in life is dancing with her husband - fully naked. 'I never ever wanted kids,' Kate said. Kate Humble with one of her many furry friends . But the presenter's home life is far from quiet, with a house full of pets. She has three dogs, assorted . chickens, ducks, geese, 10 ewes and lambs. On her 117-acre farm she keeps more sheep and chickens, ducks, geese, goats and two breeding sows, which she admits she agreed to buy when she was 'a little bit drunk'. 'We usually get up at 6am to feed the . animals, but people with children think that's a lie in. And, although . you can't really ignore your animals, they don't bounce on your bed like . children,' she joked. Kate moved to Monmouthshire seven years ago with her husband of 22 years, Ludo Graham, 53. 'I've fancied Ludo since I was 16,' she told The People, and admits that the couple love to indulge in a naked dance. 'There's something joyous about it, and I . urge everyone to try it,' she said. 'My husband and I danced naked . in the middle of the desert in Jordan once. 'If you can't get your kicks . in that incredibly innocent, joyful way, then the world is not a good . place. It's my eccentric, barking mad way of getting closer to nature.' Left: Kate with husband Ludo Graham; Right: In presenter mode for BBC2's 'Lambing Live' The presenter, whose next trip is to Siberia to live with reindeer herders at minus 40 degrees, said she doesn't expect to win best-dressed presenter any time soon and joked that the worst dressed gong is more likely to come her way. She also revealed that her and her TV producer husband often run out of clean clothes and with the outdoorsy nature of her job, they share some very unglamorous moments. Kate divulged that during one intimate moment on a recent wedding anniversary, her husband discovered that she'd caught fleas. She'd spent the day sitting on the forest floor and her back was covered in spots from the little critters. She also had spiders lay eggs in her toe after a trip to Africa. The presenter went to A&E after her toe became painful and it turned out there was a big egg sac growing in her foot. Given the wild nature of her work, Kate feels no pressure to keep up with ‘autocutie’ presenters and newsreaders. She's previously admitted: ‘I’ve never been a dressy sort of person. I’m not interested in clothes and fashion. 'You want to look reasonable, but most of the time the programmes I do are not about me. I am a conduit for information, nothing more. ‘If I was there in a dress that shows half my t*** and most of my a***, it would be pointless.’ | The nature presenter reveals that children were never on the agenda .
The 45-year-old moved to a farm in Monmouthshire seven years ago with her husband of 22 years, Ludo Graham, 53 .
She also admits her and her husband love dancing naked in nature and urges everyone to give it a go . |
2,341 | 06d8caa4a0f92518d748e2c72bfc4ce6a5e378e3 | (CNN) -- A middle-aged woman walked into the emergency room of Phebe Hospital with a fever on the evening of June 23. Phebe was known as one of the best hospitals in rural Liberia, supported by the local government and international religious and academic partners. Phebe was especially known for its high-quality nursing care, serving as a training hospital for nearby Cuttington University, one of the country's few nursing schools. A few hours after arriving in the emergency room, the woman was admitted to the medicine ward with a list of potential infections -- all the usual suspects in Bong County: malaria, typhoid, sepsis. An epidemic had been raging for months in nearby Guinea, but Ebola was not considered as a possible diagnosis. After all, nobody at Phebe had ever seen a patient before with Ebola, and as the axiom goes in medicine, when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras. Certainly don't start imagining unicorns. The nurse who cared for the woman that night drew her blood and helped her to the toilet to urinate. When the woman began vomiting and soiled her sheets, the nurse cleaned up the mess, as nurses do all over the world every day. For a disease whose transmission depends on the direct contact of one human being with the body fluids of another, Ebola has no better customer than nurses. The other thing about nurses that the virus finds particularly helpful is they tend to work in shifts. Before the week was out, Bong County's first Ebola patient had died, and seven nurses caring for her had fallen ill. Six of them would also die in the coming weeks. The remaining clinical staff, watching their colleagues falling ill all around them, abandoned the hospital. When the patients saw what was happening, those well enough to walk out did just that. Over the ensuing months, the epidemic rippled across Bong. Hundreds of individuals were infected, and perhaps more importantly, basic social institutions also began to collapse. One by one, all three hospitals in the county shut down due to fear of the spread of the virus, followed by most of the primary care clinics. Women were left without midwives to deliver their babies, accident victims without emergency rooms to care with them. Next the primary schools closed, then the secondary schools, and finally Cuttington University. Guilty of Ebola until proven otherwise . Ebola is not just a disease of individuals but also one that infects society's most basic health and social welfare structures. As a disease that afflicts health care institutions, it is perhaps fitting that the most powerful weapon in the fight against Ebola is not a single drug or vaccine but instead a particular type of health care institution: the Ebola Treatment Unit, or ETU. On September 15, I helped International Medical Corps open the first ETU in Bong County. I have worked in many hospitals, both rich and poor, and have set up refugee camp clinics and trauma field hospitals in poverty-stricken and war-torn countries. But managing an ETU has been an entirely different experience. The primary goal of a hospital or clinic is to care for patients and, if possible, to save their lives. The primary goal of an ETU is to protect the lives of its staff. The secondary goal is to protect surrounding communities and resuscitate local health care systems by taking patients suspected of having Ebola out of their homes and hospital emergency rooms, breaking the chain of transmission. Caring for patients comes third on the list of priorities, though still remains important. After all, why would people go to an ETU if they did not think there was at least a chance that it would help make them better? During the week before opening our ETU, I can honestly say that I worked harder and slept less than during any other time in my life. The sheer number of details involved in the construction and management of this unique type of health care facility is almost endless. Ebola's $1 billion bill hits Africa's bright economic lights . First, a site had to be chosen, which has been a significant roadblock to the opening of other ETUs. Hospitals tend to be built close to the communities they serve; most communities, however, tend to want their ETU as far away as possible. Our ETU sits in the middle of a forest, 2 kilometers (more than a mile) down a rough dirt road, on the grounds of an old leper colony. Perhaps it is not surprising that the survivors of one of humanity's oldest and most stigmatized diseases would be among the few to welcome a treatment facility for one of the newest stigmatized diseases. Second, the design and infrastructure of the ETU had to be perfected, with separate spaces and wards designating different levels of risk, where staff members would know to take different kinds of precautions. A borehole was drilled and giant tanks erected to mix up the nearly 12,000 liters of chlorine required each day to disinfect the ETU and its staff properly. A giant incinerator was built to burn the vast amounts of infected waste produced by the facility safely. Third, supplies had to be purchased, both the normal kind present in any hospital, such as bed sheets and intravenous fluids, but also the expensive (and increasingly difficult to purchase) personal protective equipment. A single outfit of boots, gloves, suit, mask, hood, goggles and apron costs as much as $90, and at full capacity the ETU might go through 100 outfits a day. Ebola hospital overwhelmed by patients . Finally and most importantly, local staff had to be hired and trained to work in the facility. While a small team of expatriates working with International Medical Corps manages our ETU, more than 90% of the staffing remains local. During the week before opening our facility, I helped organize an intensive training for our first 50 staff members, including physician assistants, nurses, nursing aids, hygienists, sprayers, safety monitors, waste handlers, chlorinators, laundry staff and burial team members, to ensure they knew how to protect their health and the health of their colleagues while working in the ETU. Just 72 hours before our opening day, we had a checklist of almost 50 items, ranging from goggles to gravediggers, that we still needed to be able to begin admitting patients safely to the ETU. The pressure to open the ETU had been building for weeks as the numbers of cases of Ebola in the county began to skyrocket. Somehow, and I'm still not sure how, we made it happen. | Phebe Hospital in rural Liberia was abandoned after first Ebola patient infected staff .
All three hospitals and schools in Bong County shut down due to fear of Ebola .
The first Ebola Treatment Unit opened in Bong County in mid-September . |
56,240 | 9f5c9beb7554fabd45184490ebe8893adb762052 | (CNN) -- Hamburg have put one foot in the UEFA Cup final after a header from Germany winger Piotr Trochowski proved enough to give them a 1-0 win at Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen in the first leg of their semifinal. Piotr Trochowski celebrates the only goal as Hamburg took a major step towards the UEFA Cup final. Martin Jol's side scored the only goal of a pulsating match in the 38th minute when Trochowski, the smallest player on the pitch, rose superbly at the back post to head Guy Demel's right-wing cross past goalkeeper Tim Wiese. Both side had countless half-chances to score but Hamburg wasted the best of them on the hour mark when Bayern Munich-bound striker Ivica Olic broke through in acres of space, but fired his shot straight at Wiese. Hamburg's victory puts them on line for their first European final since 1983, when they beat Juventus 1-0 to win the European Cup. This was the second of four matches in quick succession between the north Germany neighbors -- who met each other in the German Cup last week and will play the return leg of the semifinal next Thursday before a Bundesliga clash on Sunday May 10. And the result was sweet revenge for Hamburg, who saw Wiese save three penalties in last week's shoot-out as Werder knocked their rivals out of the German Cup, also at the semifinal stage. The eventual winners will play either Shakhtar Donetsk or Dynamo Kiev in May's Istanbul final. | Hamburg in line for first European final since 1983 after defeating Werder 1-0 .
Winger Piotr Trochowski heads in the only goal of their UEFA Cup semifinal .
Eventual winners will face Shakhtar Donetsk or Dynamo Kiev in Istanbul final . |
186,244 | 7d3966132a9a063adf6638a7ad0318175119ecb3 | (CNN) -- Two superb goals from Arjen Robben sunk England at Wembley as the Netherlands secured a last-gasp 3-2 win in Wednesday's busy schedule of international friendlies. It was cruel on England's stand-in manager Stuart Pearce, who had seen his experimental side battle back from 2-0 down only for the Bayern Munich star to grab the winner in extended injury time. An entertaining game burst into life just before the hour mark as Robben surged forward and drove home a low shot past England goalkeeper Joe Hart. Less than a minute later and the 2010 World Cup runners-up were two ahead as striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar bravely headed home Dirk Kuyt's perfect cross from the right. Huntelaar, who replaced Robin van Persie at halftime, clashed heads with England defender Chris Smalling in scoring and both played no further part in the match. England had their chances to get on the score sheet and Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, who had replaced Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard midway through the first half, spoiled an encouraging performance by a bad miss from close range. But soon afterwards central defender Gary Cahill beat the offside trap to slot past Maarten Stekelenburg. Then in the lengthy stoppage time, substitute Phil Jones slipped in forward Ashley Young to score an unlikely equalizer. But Robben was picked out by Mark van Bommel and with Leighton Baines standing off him, he had time to curl a shot home, albeit through a slight deflection off Cahill. England had named an inexperienced team with Tottenham's Scott Parker as captain ahead of Gerrard, while Pearce giave international starts to young striker Danny Welbeck, his Manchester United teammate Smalling, Chelsea's Cahill and Everton leftback Baines. Pearce said after the match that he believed a replacement for Fabio Capello would be in place by Euro 2012. "I'm sure they'll go through the process of getting someone in place before the summer and if they don't, then they know they have got me available and all the planning is done," he said. Meanwhile, one of England's first group opponents in Euro 2012, France, scored an upset 2-1 win in Germany in a clash between two former world champions. It was the first defeat for Joachim Low's team in 11 games, but the home side were left depleted by injuries to regulars. A first-half goal by France's Olivier Giroud put the visitors on their way to a deserved victory. Giroud, the leading scorer in Ligue 1 this season for his table-topping side Montpellier, then set up substitute Chelsea's Florent Malouda for the second. Germany's Brazil-born striker Cacau scoring a late consolation for the hosts. "From our point of view, everything went well, I was pleased with the way we pushed forward and, of course, I'm very pleased with the win," Blanc, who took over from Raymond Domenech after their sorry 2010 World Cup campaign, told AFP. The United States enjoyed a notable 1-0 win over Italy with Fulham striker Clint Dempsey's second-half goal earning a fourth successive victory and another boost for new manager Jurgen Klinsmann. Dempsey came close to opening the scoring in the first half as he forced a fine save from Gianluigi Buffon, while Sebastian Giovinco tested U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard. Lionel Messi worked his magic again to help Argentina to a 3-1 win over Switzerland in Bern with a hat-trick. The Barcelona superstar scored twice in the final five minutes to secure victory after Xherdan Shaqiri had leveled his 19th-minute opener. World champions Spain thrashed Venezuela 5-0 in a late kickoff with Messi's Barca teammate Andres Iniesta putting the home side on their way with the opener. Manchester City midfielder David Silva added the second before Valencia striker Roberto Soldado staked his claim for regular inclusion with a hat-trick to round off a convincing win. | Arjen Robben scores superb double as Dutch beat England 3-2 .
Stand-in Stuart Pearce took charge of England in place Fabio Capello .
France stun Germany 2-1 in Bremen with Olivier Giroud scoring the opener .
Lionel Messi hat-trick as Argentina beat Swizerland 3-1 . |
86,626 | f5d9903831d2cdab3cacd938a93a5fa9f5faa073 | Schoolchildren were forced to evacuate a playground after a rampant squirrel caused havoc during breaktime. A teacher at Chater Infants School in Watford, Hertfordshire, had to herd the youngsters back into the safety of the building after an 'unusually aggressive' grey squirrel disrupted their afternoon playtime. One member of staff was even scratched during the encounter but fortunately no children were hurt in the incident. The unusually aggressive squirrel caused havoc at the school which was forced to evacuate its playground (stock pic) Headteacher Amrit Bal-Richards said they were monitoring the situation and the caretaker is being extra vigilant, but the squirrel has not been sighted again. She said: 'We did have an incident where we had a squirrel. 'It is very uncommon for a squirrel to be a little aggressive. It was a little bit tempered. We will be monitoring the situation and the caretaker is being extra vigilant. 'We talked to the children at an assembly the following day to say some times animals can be aggressive and a bit tempered and what to do if that happens.' Mrs Bal-Richards said it was procedure to take pupils inside if there is an issue to make sure they were safe. Staff at Chater Infants School in Watford, Hertfordshire (pictured) are keeping vigilant for the return on the furry menace . She said: 'We would obviously make sure if there was an issue around the children and they were becoming frightened, we do advise teachers take children back into the school and make sure they are safe. 'The incident was a couple of weeks ago, since then we have not actually seen the squirrel. 'As is the case with cats, dogs, rabbits when they do come into contact with a human, they do have sharp claws.' Squirrels can become aggressive if they feel they are being threatened or if they feel someone is trying to steal a food source. They often warn a threat by chattering their teeth as a warning towards whoever, or whatever, is in the vicinity. Mrs Bal-Richards added: 'Safeguarding children is paramount. It is uncommon for a squirrel to actually demonstrate aggressive behaviour but we are aware of the situation.' | Rodent has been terrorising teachers and pupils at Chater Infants School .
Children had to be taken back inside the school for their own safety .
One staff member was scratched during the encounter in Hertforshire .
Headteacher Amrit Bal-Richards said she will be vigilant for its return . |
87,083 | f71fe1249f34395921b4180f719d45964e05cb1a | By . Rob Waugh . UPDATED: . 11:13 EST, 30 January 2012 . Bungee jumper on Queensland's Gold Coast: Psychologists think that the reason we're so bad at second-guessing our future selves is that we can't predict our emotions when we're assessing risk . We've all seen it - when someone is cool and confident before an event, then when the 'moment of truth' arrives they go to pieces. Now psychologists think they understand why people are so prone to doing it - and how to avoid it. When we 'sign up' to do something, we don't feel the emotions we'll feel at the crucial point - and so we make bold decisions that we then regret. People are unable to imagine what it will be like to fail - called an 'empathy gap'. The courage that people summon is illusionary - and crumbles instantly when real emotions come into play. Scientists found that merely showing a video that caused fear or embarassment before asking someone to take a risk made them far more sensible. 'People frequently face embarrassing situations in everyday life, and the illusion of courage is . likely to cause us to expose ourselves to risks that, when the moment . of truth arrives, we wish we hadn't taken,' said George Loewenstein, the CMU's Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The scientists say that people can use this knowledge to avoid looking like idiots. 'Knowing that, we might choose to be more cautious,' says Lowenstein, 'Or we might use the . illusion of courage to help us take risks we think are worth it, knowing . full well that we are likely to regret the decision when the moment of . truth arrives.' In a series of three experiments, the researchers found that people overestimate their willingness to engage in embarrassing public performances. They also found that they could reduce this illusion of courage by inducing immediate emotions that effectively put them in touch with the fear they would experience. College students were asked if they would be willing to engage in a future embarrassing situation ¿ dancing to James Brown's Sex Machine in front of the class ¿ in exchange for a few dollars. They were very bad at assessing their reactions . 'We might think that we know ourselves . well enough to predict our own behavior in such situations,' said Leaf . Van Boven, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the . University of Colorado Boulder. 'But that knowledge isn't . sufficient to overcome the empathy gap — our inability to anticipate the . impact of emotional states we aren't currently experiencing.' In the first two experiments, college students were asked if they would be willing to engage in a future embarrassing situation — telling a funny story to their class in one study, and dancing to James Brown's Sex Machine in front of the class in the other — in exchange for a few dollars. Students were either asked outright or after being exposed to short films that aroused mild experiences of fear and anger. Students who did not view movie clips significantly overestimated their willingness to sing or dance. When they experienced negative emotions - fear and anger - as a result of watching the movie clips, students were much more accurate in predicting their own future lack of interest in performing. | People's guesses of future reactions are often wrong .
People can't imagine their future emotions .
Research using students asked to dance to James Brown's Sex Machine in public . |
261,467 | de9fa41ae109ac29777200e70d5b104fb042fe20 | (EW.com) -- For many, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" remains Steven Spielberg's most indelible film, holding a special spot in moviegoers' hearts. (I know it does for me.) But when the movie was re-released in theaters in 2002 to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Spielberg tried to fix something that was not broken and "updated" the movie's visual effects. He gave E.T.'s face a CG makeover, added back in a couple deleted scenes, and -- most controversially -- switched out the rifles held by police officers chasing down Elliott and his bicycle buddies with walkie-talkies. Fans cried foul. "South Park" mocked the decision. Last year, Spielberg himself even admitted he regretted making the changes, vowing that the Blu-ray release would just be the 1982 theatrical version of the film. And by gum, it's exactly that. As you'll see in the trailer for the 30th-anniversary Blu-ray edition of the film, out this October, those walkie-talkies are no more. While the Blu-ray won't have walkie-talkies, it will have two new bonus featurettes, one chronicling the day-to-day events of making the movie, the other a new interview with Spielberg reminiscing about the movie. Those two deleted scenes will be available separately from the cut of the film, and many of the bonus features from the previous DVD release of "E.T." will be available on the Blu-ray as well. See the full story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | In the 2002 re-release of "E.T." Steven Spielberg switched out the rifles held by the police with walkie-talkies .
Spielberg himself even admitted he regretted making the changes .
In the 30th-anniversary Blu-ray edition of the film, those walkie-talkies are no more . |
136,451 | 3c827aaee868312bf6b90985dc499e50daa48a7f | Mobile phones have become an unexpected threat to a rare breed of bird. A number of mobile apps mimicking the song of the elusive nightjar are diverting the birds from the nesting. Now, Dorset Wildlife Trust is launching an online campaign to raise awareness after several incidents were reported of visitors to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour using the mobile apps. A number of mobile apps mimicking the song of the elusive nightjar (pictured) are diverting the birds from the nesting . Visitors to the nature reserve have used apps imitating the unusual 'churring' call of the nightjar to attract the elusive birds so they can be photographed more easily. The app mimics the distinctive call of the male nightjar, and is usually the only way to know if the birds are about. Nightjars are usually 28cm long . Average wingspan: 60cm . Average weight: 83g . Can live up to 11 years . Protected in the UK . Migrate annually to UK from Africa in April-May . Found in England, Wales and Southern Scotland in summer . A large number of apps imitating the calls of over ,2000 both rare and common birds are available from iTunes and other mobile sites. Apps like Bird Songs from Google Android Apps include live field recordings, while iTunes has geographically-oriented apps that teach users the bird songs of over 2,000 local birds. Most of these apps are billed as educational, with little thought having been given to the negative effects they might have on mating and migratory birds. The trust is advising photographers not to use bird apps on any of its 42 reserves and signs have been put up on Brownsea Island to remind visitors. The nightjar is rare but enjoys a refuge on Brownsea Island where, like all nesting birds, it is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to intentionally disturb any nesting bird. In addition, Brownsea Island has special protection area status for the habitats it provides for birds. The nightjar arrives in the UK in April and May from their wintering grounds in Africa. It is a nocturnal bird that is usually only spotted at dusk in May or June, when male nightjars put on a demonstrative show of wind-clapping, flying in circles and calling repeatedly in hopes of attracting a mate. Brownsea Island Castle as seen from Poole Harbour, Dorset . Chris Thain, reserve manager on . Brownsea Island, said: 'The apps are becoming quite common, and are . great, but their use needs some guidance, I feel. 'I’m . sure visitors would be devastated if they realised the possible . disturbance they were causing to wildlife. We need to spread the word . that use of these apps is not suitable for nature reserves and can be . potentially harmful to sensitive species.' Tony Whitehead, from the RSPB, said: 'Repeatedly playing a recording of birdsong or calls to encourage a bird to respond in order to see it or photograph it can divert a territorial bird from other important duties, such as feeding its young. 'It is selfish and shows no respect to the bird. 'People should never use playback to attract a species during its breeding season.' | A number of mobile apps mimicking the song of the elusive nightjar are diverting the birds from nesting .
Visitors to nature reserves have used .
apps imitating the unusual 'churring' call of birds to lure them so they can be photographed .
The apps have now been banned by Dorset Wildlife Trust . |
243,448 | c71770c90cb20cd18a248d12a1721e8d76ab9149 | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 10:04 EST, 2 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:54 EST, 2 October 2012 . Pregnant Caley Thomas just presumed she had a stomach ache while giving her eldest daughter Madison a bath one night. So the Welsh 25-year-old from Greenmeadow, Cwmbran, was shocked to find herself in labour four days earlier than expected...and having to deliver the baby by herself on her bathroom floor. Baby Bobby: Caley Thomas, 25, with Bobby, the newest addition to her family, to whom she gave birth on the bathroom floor of her home in Cwmban, Wales. Miss Thomas - whose partner Steven Board, 27, was working late that night of 22 September - was bathing Madison, two, when she felt stomach pains. But within just 30 minutes she learned that it was not quite as simple as an upset stomach and had delivered her second child, Bobby, weighing 8lbs 6oz, alone, while a shocked Madison sat in the bath. The new mother-of-two said: 'I spent all day cleaning, and scrubbed the bathroom from top to bottom. Then when I was bathing Madison, Steve rang and I joked I might be having contractions because I had an upset stomach. 'Next thing I knew, my waters had broken, and by the time I rang Steve at 7.23pm, the baby had been born.' Happy family: Caley Thomas and Steve Board with their children Madison, two, and baby Bobby, one week. Miss Thomas said she had expected the birth of her son to be as painful as that of her daughter, but said there was no pain at all, just a stomach ache. She added: 'Steve, . the paramedics and the midwife all arrived at the same time a couple of . minutes later, and they cut the cord, checked us all over and said we . didn't even need to go to hospital. They couldn't believe it had . happened so quickly. 'Poor Madison had been in the bath the whole . time, and that kept me calm as I didn't want to upset her. She kept . saying, "I'll make you better, Mummy! I'll make you better!". 'And then when he was born, she said, "Thanks for my brother, Mummy. Thanks for the baby!".' Big sister: Madison Board, two, with her new baby brother, Bobby, who was born on the bathroom floor while she was having a bath. Father-of-two Mr Board said: 'I was working late. Whenever I'm working a later shift I always ring Madison to say goodnight. When I rang at 6.55pm, Caley was bathing Madison and said she had a bad stomach. She made a joke about it being contractions. 'Then at 7.08pm she texted me and said I should come home. So I left work straight away and headed for home. Then she rang and said her waters had broken. By the time I got halfway home she rang again and said he had arrived.' Miss Thomas added: 'We'd like to thank the two paramedics and Cath, the duty midwife, who all arrived really quickly. They were great!' 'I'll look after you, Mummy!' Madison, two, tried to keep her mother Caley calm as she gave birth to baby Bobby in the bathroom. Speedy birth: It took Caley Thomas, 25, just 30 minutes to give birth to baby Bobby, who weighed 8lbs 6oz. All together: Dad Steve Board and mum Caley Thomas with their two children, Madison and Bobby. | Caley Thomas, 25, delivered her own baby at home in Cwmbran, Wales .
She thought she had an 'upset stomach'
Bobby arrived four days early, after only 30 minutes, weighing 8lbs 6oz .
Concerned Madison, two, said: 'I'll look after you, Mummy!' |
283,288 | faf5b1b856a71afa9fdc7ef86b5aeef1189dcefc | By . Thomas Durante, Michael Zennie, Emily Davies and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 11:43 EST, 1 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:18 EST, 1 April 2013 . It's one of the most devastating injuries in the history of sports, but it's not keeping Kevin Ware down. The 20-year-old Louisville basketball star was back on his feet today, just hours after the horrific leg fracture that had his right tibia breaking through the skin in a stomach-churning moment. 'I'll be back next season,' Ware tweeted to his fans from his bed at Methodist Hospital in Indiana on Monday. Earlier, he was pictured sporting a leg cast, a pair of crutches and a Final Four hat. Scroll down for videos . Up and running: Kevin Ware was pictured in crutches and a Final Four hat hours after suffering the grisly injury . On the mend: Ware poses with Coach Rick Pitino, left, son Richard Pitino, right, and the NCAA regional championship trophy as they visited him in his hospital room on Monday morning . Doctors say that the surgery to repair the break was successful, and while his road to recovery is a daunting one, he should be able to play again. The Cardinals plan to leave for the Final Four in Atlanta on Wednesday night, and Louisville coach Rick Pitino said they expect to have Ware traveling with them. Ware is originally from New York City, but he moved to the Atlanta area before high school. Showing some leg: Ware posted a photo on Twitter of his surgically-repaired leg on Monday . 'He gets to go home, be with his family and be with us on the bench,' Pitino said. 'He's in very good spirits and anxious to get out of the hospital and get back with the guys. Through his Twitter account, Ware thanked his fans for their support and NCAA president Mark Emmert for visiting him in the hospital. He also posted a photo of his surgically-repaired leg as he laid in his hospital bed. Ware's girlfriend stayed with him overnight, and his mother and her husband arrived Monday. 'She just needed to see him this morning,' Pitino said. 'She was crying all night. Once she gave him a hug this morning, she was fine. Everything is good right now.' Ware's injury, which dominated social media on Sunday night, got the attention of everyone from famous athletes to celebrities. Television analyst Greg Anthony and even Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called him Monday to see how Ware was doing. Senior athletic director Kevin Klein tweeted that Ware will be hospitalized until tomorrow, when he's expected to re-join his team as they travel to Atlanta for the semifinal game. After the injury, which took place in front of millions of horrified TV viewers, Ware valiantly told teammates: 'Don't worry about me, win this thing' after he landed badly from a jump to block a three-point shot during the Louisville-Duke game on Sunday night. Pitino and the Louisville team were in tears and some even vomited as Ware screamed in pain and writhed in agony on the court. Pictures posted to Twitter show Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware recovering in hospital after suffering a severe broken leg in the game against Duke . Kevin Ware was pictured holding the Midwest region title trophy after his surgery on his broken right leg . Horrific: Kevin Ware, 20, screams with pain as trainers cover his leg following a crippling injury Sunday night during the Louiseville-Duke game . Hurt: Ware, 20, is comforted by teammate Luke Hancock after the horrific injury. He was quickly loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital . Inspiration: Despite unimaginable pain, Ware reportedly told teammates not to worry about him and to focus on winning the game . Trainers immediately covered the leg with a towel and . placed Ware on a backboard, then lifted him onto a stretcher. For television viewers, it was a terrifying sight that prompted many to express their sentiments on social media sites. CBS even stopped showing the replay, which was not seen inside Lucas Oil Stadium. But for Louisville players and coaches, it was far worse. Kevin Ware's break of the right tibia will go down in history as one of the most grisly sports injuries, but doctors agree that he will most likely be able to continue playing. Ware underwent successful surgery last night at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. In a two hour-procedure, doctors reset the broken bone and sewed up the wound from which the tibia had protruded. Fred Hina, Louisville's director of sports medicine, told USA Today that Ware's road to recovery will be a long one, but he should be able to play the game again. Dr Reed Estes, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said basketball players are prone to stress fractures in the tibia, the larger of the two leg bones, and that can weaken them. 'If these are not detected they can result in a full fracture, particularly if the landing mechanics are just right' after a jump, he said. Ware should be fine to play next season, he said. Dr Frederick Azar, head of the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, said Ware 'jumped pretty far horizontally and vertically, and he landed with a twist,' which puts so much torsion and stress on the bones they could have just snapped. He agreed with Estes' assessment that a stress fracture could have made Ware more prone to the injury. Guard Russ Smith said he didn't see . the play but heard the bone snap. And forward Chane Behanan, Ware's . closest friend, said the sight was almost unimaginable. Pitino, one of college basketball's top winners, thought he had seen just about everything in the sport until Ware's injury. Ware's teammates responded to the . shock of his loss by returning to the court with a vengeance. The second . half of the game saw Louisville dominate Duke - clobbering the Blue . Devils 85-63. School officials said doctors reset the bone and inserted a rod into the tibia during the two-hour procedure on Sunday night. A few hours later, his coach showed up at the hospital with a gift: The regional championship trophy. 'He was groggy, in good spirits,' said Rick Pitino. He added: 'He saw us win the trophy and was . crying and said it was all worthwhile. We didn't cut down the net, but I left him the . trophy.' Pitino said he and his son Richard, . who recruited Ware, spent the night in Indiana, along with the team's doctors. Louisville will play Wichita State in . the Final Four next weekend. The winner of that game plays for the NCAA . men's basketball championship. His teammates held up a jersey with Ware's name as they celebrated their resounding victory. After the game, Pitino . said: 'The bone’s 6 inches out of his leg and all he's yelling is, "Win the game, win the game" 'I've not seen that in my life. … Pretty special young man. He told NBC: 'We won this for him. We were all choked up with emotion for him. We’ll get him back to normal. We’ve got great doctors, great trainers. We talked about it every timeout, "Get Kevin home."' A haunting silence fell over Lucas Oil Stadium . in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the Elite Eight game was being played, . as fans waited for news of Ware's condition. The injury occurred with 6:33 left in . the first half as Duke's Tyler Thornton made a 3-pointer to get the . Blue Devils within 21-20. Ware tried to block the shot but landed on his feet awkwardly and his leg . buckled. The injury happened in front of the Louisville bench, and the Cardinals were overcome with emotion. Six inches of Ware's leg bone was left protruding after the injury and players including Russ Smith collapsed to the floor and were clearly crying as doctors attended to Ware. Sickened: Ware's teammates sobbed on the court after seeing their friend so badly injured during the game . Backing: After tweeting his support, legendary NFL quarterback texted Kevin Ware to offer 'anything he needed' In his shoes: Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who's recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the NFL playoffs in January, tweeted: 'Prayers up for Kevin Ware, his teammates, & family' As . Ware was being loaded onto a stretcher, the Cardinals gathered at . midcourt until Pitino called them over, saying that Ware . wanted to talk to them before he left. An outpouring of support has emerged for the injured Louisville guard, including from fellow athletes and celebrities. Former . Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, who famously sustained a . broken leg during a Monday Night Football game against the New York . Giants, tweeted, 'Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin . Ware.' Pitino wiped away his eyes as Ware was wheeled out, as did several of the Louisville players. If anyone knows what . Ware is going through, it's Theismann, whose career was finished when . he was brought down by Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, and his knee . drove into his lower leg bones. Theismann told NFL AM that he had texted Ware to offer 'anything he needed.' He said: 'The emotional part of it is . where I can maybe help walk him through it because I can tell him . everything that he's going to feel, I can tell him everything that he's . going to go through emotionally.' Current Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who's recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the NFL playoffs in January, tweeted: 'Prayers up for Kevin Ware, his teammates, & family.' He also got personal shout-outs from NBA stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Today show anchor Matt Lauer posted: 'Sounds like Kevin Ware's surgery went well. My thoughts are with him this morning. So hard to see something like that!' 'Worst thing I've ever seen on a basketball court,' tweeted Yahoo basketball analyst Pat Forde. Ware, . a native of the Bronx, New York, is a sophomore who has become a . force on the number-one-ranked Cardinals team during the NCAA . Tournament. Emotional: Despite being devastated by Ware's injury, the Cardinals took charge of the game during the second half, leading Duke by more than ten points . Even Rick Pitino, the hardened coach of the Louisville Cardinals, fought back tears as his player was carted away from the court . The Cardinals consoled each other as they struggled to come to terms with the graphic injury that witnessed in front of their bench . | Kevin Ware, 20, pictured on crutches and in a Final Four cap at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis .
He landed badly on his right leg during Louisville-Duke game .
Teammates sobbed and vomited after the accident in front of Louisville's bench .
Ware said 'Don't worry about me. Win this thing' before he was carted away .
Louisville clobbered Duke 85-63 and earned a trip to the NCAA Final Four . |
127,965 | 31669beb46924f6b4145ec3f174d4826fea69ee0 | By . Ruth Styles . Twisting her skirt nervously in her hands, it is clear that life for Mashid Rezai, from northern Iran, hasn't been easy - and that talking about it is harder still. Aged 11, she doused herself in petrol and set herself ablaze in a bid to avoid an arranged marriage to a man more than 20 years her senior. Now 36, she remains terribly scarred and was forced to flee to London to escape her father - a man so violent he beat his daughter in hospital as she recovered from her burns. Scroll down for video . Common: Mashid says child weddings are common in Iran and girls as young as nine are married off . 'Yes I resent the people who didn’t help me,' admits Mashid, who is too ashamed of her scars to be photographed. 'The people who should have loved me did not protect me. They hurt me for life.' Growing up in a remote village, Mashid says her childhood was a relatively happy one although she, her mother and her three brothers were all terrified of the family patriarch. 'My mother . was my father’s fourth wife,' she explains. 'He didn't have children with his other wives. My mother told me that all three of his previous wives ran away because he . beat them.' And his all too busy fists weren't just directed at his wife. 'I remember once he tied my hands and feet with . rope to a piece of wood and he and my mother beat me with another piece . of wood,' she remembers. 'They were angry with me because I had gone to the gate at the . front of our house to watch a wedding procession and they did not like . the families holding the wedding.' Despite the violence, Mashid says she was a happy child who enjoyed her studies at the village school and loved playing with her brothers. Scarred: Mashid was badly scarred by her suicide attempt and was reluctant to be photographed as a result . Shocking: Mashid's friend Zainab was, like this girl, aged just nine years old when she died . The area she grew up in, close to the city of Arak, was, she says, 'beautiful' and she had plenty of friends with whom to enjoy it, among them a girl named Zainab. With both of her parents working in the fields, Mashid was expected to take on the bulk of household chores and shared cooking duties with her mother. But the peace of her childhood was about to come to an end when Zainab, then just nine years old, was asked for by a much older man. 'She was very beautiful and tall,' remembers Mashid, her voice cracking slightly and tears welling up in her eyes. 'People noticed . her.' Desperate to escape the marriage being forced upon her, Zainab resorted to extreme measures. 'She burnt herself,' whispers Mashid. 'And she died.' Zainab's death would prove to have chilling consequences for her friend. Less than a year after her friend's suicide, Mashid's father announced that she too had been found a husband - despite the fact his daughter was just 11 years old. 'My mother came to me at home and told me that the next afternoon a man would come and ask me for my hand in marriage,' she explains. 'I asked her who it was and she told me the name of a man who lived in our village, who was married and had two children. I was only 11 years old and he was 35.' Mashid was distraught. 'I was crying,' she says as tears well up in her eyes once more. 'I told my mother that he already had a wife and children. 'I said I was only 11 years old. I told her I wanted to be a teacher, because I loved my teacher. But she insisted that I would get married to this man.' The girl ran to her teacher, hoping for help, but was told nothing could be done. Mashid then ran to hide in the mountains but, fearful of being eaten by a wolf, returned home and hid in an outbuilding. 'My parents found me and assumed that because I had returned home I was agreeing to the wedding,' she says. Remote: Mashid grew up in this remote part of northern Iran, the child of a farmer and his wife . Home: Mashid's family live in a village near the city of Arak in north western Iran . 1. Niger . 2. Chad . 3. Central African Republic . 4. Bangladesh . 5. Guinea . 6. Mozambique . 7. Mali . 8. Burkina Faso . 9. South Sudan . 10. Malawi . 11. Madagascar . 12. Eritrea . 13. India . 14. Somalia . 15. Sierra Leone . 16. Zambia . 17. Dominican Republic . 18. Ethiopia . 19. Nepal . 20. Nicaragua . Source: UNICEF . 'I . still couldn’t really believe that it was actually true, that it was . going to happen. But when I saw my family preparing food and setting out . tables, I knew really it was going to happen.' Desperate to avoid marriage and with her friend Zainab's example in mind, Mashid ran into the kitchen, took out a bottle of paraffin, doused herself in the contents and set herself ablaze. 'I was panicking,' she explains. 'I just wanted to . escape so I tried to kill myself. My father had lots of weapons and I . considered using them but I chose fire because I was following what my . friend Zainab had done. 'I poured some paraffin . on my skirt and I lit a match. My skirt caught fire. When I saw the . fire, it was intense and very real. I regretted it. I tried to put the . fire out with my hands. 'I tried to get out but I had shut the door and . it was difficult. I was panicking. The flame was raging and was burning . my face. 'I could see flames in my hair. I managed to get out into the . courtyard. A neighbour was on the flat roof next door. He saw me and . jumped down. I . don’t know what happened after that.' Mashid spent the next three months unconscious in hospital in Arak, although even that wasn't enough to spare her from the wrath of her father who was furious that his plans had been foiled and fearful for the family honour. 'I was screaming constantly every day,' she remembers of the months that followed. 'I . had open skin when they changed the bandages. 'On top of that my father . beat me for what I had done whilst I was at the hospital. Also once I . wet myself and my mother punched me in the face. They were so angry with . me.' When Mashid left hospital, it was to return to her parents' house after her former fiance rejected her because, as she reveals, he now saw her as 'dirty' and 'ugly'. At home, things went from bad to worse with her father becoming increasingly aggressive and even telling her that he wished she was dead. At risk: Mashid says she and other scarred women were attacked with stones and shunned in Iran . Help: Mashid eventually fled to the Iranian capital Tehran where she was taken in by a kindly surgeon . Source: International Centre for Research on Women . 'My . father was very aggressive,' she remembers. 'He told me I shamed the family and he was . embarrassed because of how I looked. 'I overheard my father saying he wanted me . to be taken to a hospital and killed with an injection.' Unable to bear the abuse, Mashid, by then aged 13, stole some money from her parents and escaped to Tehran where she went straight to hospital. A plastic surgeon there took pity on the child, eventually helping her to escape Iran and her violent father for good. Now living in London, Mashid remains terribly scarred but is starting to move on with her life, helped by the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation. Her family, however, remain in Iran and she hasn't spoken to them for more than 20 years. 'It was . dangerous for me to stay in Iran,' she adds. 'As burnt, scarred woman, I was . vilified. People attacked me. They insulted me, pulled at my clothing . and children threw stones at me. I was always scared. I had to run . away.' In London, at least, she has found some measure of acceptance and says she would even contemplate a relationship, even though her view of men remains coloured by her father's behaviour. 'I was so surprised when I first arrived [in London] because people did not point at me or throw stones at me,' she remembers. 'It was such a relief. 'Since being here, I have been trying to come to terms with what happened to me. I . want to study, which I didn’t have the chance to before. 'Then I want to . help girls and women at risk of early and forced marriage, so they . don’t end up like me.' As for her family, Mashid says she will never contact them and never wants to see Iran again. 'I can never return,' she continues. 'I can’t bear to. Everything bad that has happened to me happened there. I could not have a . moment of peace there. Even thinking of Iran means I cannot even have peace.' The Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation helps Middle Eastern women affected by honour violence and campaigns against FGM. For more information, see ikwro.org.uk . | Mashid Rezai, now 36, was 11 when she tried to commit suicide .
Set herself ablaze to avoid arranged marriage to much older man .
Violent father beat her as she lay recovering in her hospital bed .
Aged 13, she fled to Tehran and was taken in by a kind surgeon .
Forced to leave Iran because of her injuries and seek asylum in UK .
People would attack her in street and throw stones because of scars .
Says she hopes her story will help others in same situation . |
68,554 | c25fe6172af53afa0dc69416c7b838e5ccd89daa | (CNET) -- Verizon Wireless smartphone customers use 25 percent more data than AT&T iPhone customers, thanks in large part to new Verizon's new Android smartphones, a recent study indicates. Validas, a company that analyzes cell phone bills and usage for consumers and corporate customers, analyzed 20,000 consumer phone bills between January and May of 2010 and discovered that Verizon Wireless smartphone customers consume on average about 421 megabytes per month. Meanwhile, AT&T iPhone users consume roughly 25 percent less data, or about 338 megabytes per month. The full Validas report will be published on September 1. The comparison between smartphone data usage on Verizon's network and iPhone data usage on AT&T's network is important to note, because iPhone users have typically been viewed as the heaviest data users in the entire mobile market. The fact that Verizon is seeing a major uptick in data usage in the past six months, largely due to new Android smartphones, could be a key predictor of wireless data usage patterns going forward. If the trends continue, Verizon could see an explosion in data usage. So far, Verizon's network hasn't faced any major hiccups due to the onslaught of new data traffic. This is in contrast to AT&T's network, which, over the past three years since the iPhone was launched, has beencriticized for dropping calls and offering slower than expected data download speedson their iPhones in some parts of the country. "Verizon's network is holding up really well as it adds more data traffic," said Ed Finegold, chief analytics officer for Validas. "Verizon has always had a reputation for a solid network. And it looks like so far, it has been able to handle the additional traffic." As Verizon continues to sell more Android devices, the carrier will likely put its network to the test even further. Smartphone data usage started exploding for Verizon when the company launched its first Android phones in the fourth quarter last year, Finegold said. With more Android devices coming on the market in the next few months, it's likely that the volume of Android smartphones on Verizon's network will increase. That said, the total number of cell phone customers -- including those using feature phones and smartphones -- using Verizon data services is much less than the number of customers using these services on AT&T's network. For example, 71.2 percent of all AT&T cell phone subscribers, which includes users of smartphones like the iPhone as well as feature phones, use data services, while only 43 percent of all Verizon cell phone users subscribe to data services. Even though fewer Verizon cell phone subscribers are using data services, individually, they are consuming roughly the same amount of data each month as the average AT&T customer. AT&T cell phone subscribers, on average, consume 149.6MB a month. The average Verizon cell phone subscriber consumes about 147.2MB of data per month. When it comes to smartphones, usage patterns between AT&T and Verizon customers are also similar. But Verizon appears to have more power-users that fall in the midrange of data consumption. According to data analyzed by Validas, about half of AT&T's iPhone customers use less than 200MB of data per month. And about 47 percent of their iPhone subscribers use between 200MB and 2GB of data with about 90 percent of those customers using less than 1GB of data per month. This means that about 2.5 percent of AT&T's users consume more than 2GB of data per month. Hard-core data users . Verizon Wireless smartphone subscribers have similar usage patterns to those on AT&T's network. But where they differ is in the number of subscribers that are using between 500MB to 1GB per month of data. Verizon has twice as many of those customers than AT&T has, Finegold said. More than 11 percent of Verizon Wireless smartphone users fall into this category, versus just 5.6 percent of iPhone users. He speculates this difference is because Android users tend to be more hard-core data users, whereas the iPhone may be used more by casual users who like the phone because it's cool. "The iPhone makes much more of a lifestyle and social statement than an Android phone makes," Finegold said. "People interested in an Android are looking for horsepower." In an effort to keep iPhone data usage in check so it doesn't completely overwhelm its network, AT&T recently eliminated its all you-can-eat data plan. Instead the company offers two tiers of services. For $15 a month, new smartphone subscribers can get up to 200MB of data per month. And for $25 a month they can get 2GB of data. Verizon still offers its unlimited data plan. Company executives emphasized that point at the launch of the new Motorola Droid X earlier this summer. But executives have also said that Verizon will eventually move to a tiered pricing model. AT&T's new pricing only affects a small number of customers. But if Verizon were to adopt the very same pricing model, more of its heavy data users on Android phones would likely be affected. According to the Validas report, a little more than 4 percent of Verizon's smartphone users consume more than 2GB of data per month compared with only about 2.5 percent of AT&T's iPhone customers. Validas' analysis also clearly shows that heavy data users are primarily using AT&T and Verizon Wireless, while customers who tend to use less data, are subscribing to Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA. For example, about half of Sprint's cell phone subscribers, including smartphone customers, use data on Sprint's network. But the average usage is only about 133.4MB a month. T-Mobile only has about 22.3 percent of its cell phone subscriber base subscribing to data, and those consumers are only using about 120MB of data per month. Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile want a bigger piece of the data action, which is why the companies have been investing in next-generation networks. Sprint is partnered with Clearwire, which is building its 4G network across the country using WiMax. Sprint recently launched the first WiMax-enabled phone that can switch between its 3G network and the 4G Clearwire network. Sales have been strong, but the company has suffered from component shortages making the devices hard to get. The Validas analysis doesn't include the launch of this new phone, called the HTC Evo. So it will be interesting to note whether the launch of this device will significantly move the needle on data usage on Sprint's network. Meanwhile, T-Mobile is also trying to strum up more data usage on its network by upgrading its network to the next generation of 3G technology called HSPA+. But even with faster network speeds in some markets, Sprint and T-Mobile still lack the comprehensive coverage that AT&T and Verizon offer. The biggest problem for Sprint and T-Mobile is putting the right devices in the hands of the most prolific data users. "People who travel tend to be more mobile, and they also tend to be power users when it comes to mobile data," Finegold said. "They want to know that the coverage is there when they need it, and they're generally more willing to pay for that. So they are definitely higher value customers." © 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CNET, CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. Used by permission. | AT&T iPhone users consume 25 percent less data than Verizon Wireless customers .
iPhone users were typically viewed as the heaviest data users in the mobile market .
Verizon's network hasn't yet faced any major hiccups due to the onslaught of new traffic . |
277,151 | f31251c2870bf0b764f5a85eed97e4bdaaeff31f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:08 PM on 23rd July 2011 . A criminal complaint against two new . suspects describes in graphic detail the injuries suffered by a San . Francisco Giants fan who was beaten nearly to death outside Dodger . Stadium - including cuts to the victim's face and tongue. The charges filed Friday against . Louie Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30, were announced by Police . Chief Charlie Beck as he exonerated a man initially named as the prime . suspect. Sanchez and Norwood were charged with . one count each of mayhem, assault by means likely to produce great . bodily injury, and battery with serious bodily injury, all felonies, in . the attack on Bryan Stow. Brutally beaten: Mr Stow was punched and kicked in the head. Now two . more men have been arrested in connection with the attack which left him . in a coma . Both were being held on $500,000 bail after being arrested Thursday. Mr Stow, a 42-year-old paramedic, remains hospitalised in a serious condition from the attack after the Giants-Dodgers game on opening day, March 31. Mr Stow's family said in a blog post Friday that he appeared to mouth his last name and might have tried to give a thumbs-up. The complaint alleged both men personally inflicted great bodily injury on Stow, 'causing him to become comatose due to brain injury and to suffer paralysis.' Wanted: Police released sketches of the two men they believe to be the attackers . The mayhem count alleged that they 'did cut and disable the tongue, and put out an eye and slit (Stow's) nose, ear and lip.' Dorene Sanchez, believed to be the sister of Louie Sanchez, had been arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact then released. She was not charged. A message left at a number for the parents of Sanchez was not returned, and contact details for Norwood's family could not be found, the Associated Press reports. The arrests came two months after an emotional Mr Beck trumpeted the arrest of the initial suspect Giovanni Ramirez, who was never charged. Despite his exoneration, Ramirez remains jailed on a parole violation. For months, Mr Beck had steadfastly maintained his confidence that Ramirez was the right suspect. 'In policing, it's just as important to exonerate the innocent as it is to implicate the guilty,' Mr Beck said Friday at a terse news conference. 'I want to tell the world that Giovanni Ramirez is no longer a suspect in this case.' Beaten to a pulp: Father of two Bryan Stow . Mr Beck did not provide details of the evidence against the two men but said more details would be released Monday. 'The Los Angeles Police Department never gave up on this case,' District Attorney Steve Cooley said in a prepared statement. Earlier in the day, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing, said police have no forensic evidence against the latest suspects but they had made incriminating statements. Court records show Norwood was sentenced in 2006 to three years' probation and served 118 days in jail after pleading guilty to one felony count of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. In 2003, Louie Sanchez pleaded guilty to one felony count of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, and the following year he pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of carrying a loaded firearm in a public place. Despite those run-ins with the law, neighbours described the men as friendly, baseball-loving fathers. Neighbour Danyelle Dickson said Louie Sanchez and his family are quiet, friendly people, with whom she had exchanged greetings but had little other contact. She often saw Sanchez playing catch on the family's lawn with a woman and boy who she believed to be his wife and son. 'It's just a really nice family, a really quiet family,' she said. Sanchez also was charged Friday with two misdemeanor counts of battery stemming from a separate incident the same day as the beating. Meanwhile, Soledad Gonzalez, the mother of Ramirez, said she was upset about the arrest of her son in May. 'If you don't have any proof, why did you put the picture of him in public?' she asked at a separate news conference. 'That's wrong. There's a big, big mistake that they made.' She said her son would have to decide whether to sue the LAPD. 'We can live with them sending us a letter of apology,' said attorney Anthony Brooklier, who represents Ramirez. Mr Brooklier said attorneys plan to file a writ next week challenging the parole board's decision to keep Ramirez in prison for ten months after police investigating the beating found a gun in the house where he was staying. | Gruesome details revealed in criminal complaint .
Dodgers fans 'put out his eye,' police allege . |
163,913 | 5ffa9129e2f3bbca08fa6716e3e707572a66097e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Susan Adams has been given £20,000 from Arts Council Wales for her Go! Be A Bird! project, to find 'free flow narratives' Taxpayers are paying artists to tour Latin America, make mistakes and ‘grapple with the concept of thing-ness’ in projects denounced as a ‘ridiculous’ and ‘self-indulgent’ waste of money. Those receiving handouts from Arts Council Wales include dancer Gareth Clark, given £24,894 to ‘put himself in a place of contemplation and reflection’. Recently he walked across the 645ft Transporter Bridge in Newport – after which he reflected that he was ‘afraid of heights’. Writer Richard Gwynn has been given £25,000 to tour Latin American in search of ‘poets and wanderers’. He is posting blogs of his adventures. Artist Susan Adams has been given £20,000 for her Go! Be A Bird! project, to find ‘free flow narratives... whose meanings are less clear to her’. And painter Brendan Stuart Burns has been given £20,000 to stop teaching for 12 months, granting him ‘time to make mistakes’. The quango said he was ‘grappling with the concept of thing-ness’. Novelist Julian Ruck called the grants an ‘unmitigated scandal’ and ‘an exercise in pure self-indulgent impudence and unrepentant 'entitled arrogance’. Arts Council Wales defended the awards, insisting that the money would be ‘well used... to make a contribution to the development of arts’. | Arts Council Wales giving grants as a 'contribution to development of arts'
Novelist Julian Ruck called the Quango handouts an 'unmitigated scandal' |
13,173 | 256c7800c970d0d4a9db0b3b2434797bef3a08e1 | PETA claims to be the world's leading animal rights charity - but this shocking picture of garbage bags filled with dead cats has led to claims that the group is actually abusing animals rather than helping them. The photograph shows the interior of a dumpster outside a North Carolina supermarket, which reportedly contains a pile of garbage bags each filled with the dead cats. The picture is one of many photos that Nathan Winograd claims depict rampant animal abuse at the organization that took the felines in with the promise of finding them homes. Bloodshed: Piles of garbage bags containing dead cats are pictured outside PETA's Virginia headquarters . The photo was taken in 2007, when two PETA employees were charged with animal cruelty in connection to the dead cats, according to the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald. Veterinarians testified in the case that the cats found in the bags were found to be healthy before their deaths. In another photo provided by Mr Winograd, a 'pet-killing kit' that was found in the back of a PETA van is seen. Mr Winograd, the director of the No Kill . Advocacy Center, says that images such as this exhibit the horrific reality of pets that enter PETA's doors - and don't make it out. He claims that PETA has killed more than 29,426 animals in . the last 11 years. Winograd branded the animal rights group 'little more than a slaughterhouse' in a February blog post. Saddening: More than 1,0000 cats were euthanized by PETA last year, according to statistics from the Virginia Department for Agriculture and Consumer Services . In an emailed statement, PETA spokesman Ben Williamson said: 'Anyone who is shocked to learn how many animals have to be euthanized annually in the U.S. should ask themselves if they're spaying and neutering their own companion animals, adopting from shelters instead of buying from breeders and pet stores and demanding higher animal-care standards in their own communities. And more importantly, they should look at the photos of animals PETA U.S. served in the impoverished areas in the vicinity of its headquarters in Virginia.' Mr Williamson added that the euthanasia figures are distorted, and do not include the almost 10,000 dogs . and cats PETA provided with no-cost to low-cost sterilization . services, the number of animals delivered to large high-traffic . facilities for adoption, as well as counseling and preventive services. The organization has released a video of its own that examines the danger of no-kill shelters, which Williamson says turn away animals due to overcrowding. Watch video here . Euthanasia: This 'pet killing kit' was found by police officers in the back of a PETA van, according to Winograd . PETA told MailOnline last month that the animals they take in at the center are 'unadoptable.' In figures from the Virginia Department for Agriculture and Consumer Services last month, it was revealed that PETA killed nearly 90 per cent of dogs and cats placed in the care of the shelter at its headquarters last year. The charity, well-known for attention grabbing publicity campaigns such as the 'I'd rather go naked' anti-fur campaign, euthanized 1,647 cats and dogs last year and only placed 19 in new homes according to data submitted to the Virginia Department for Agriculture and Consumer Services. However, the figure that 89.4 per cent of euthanized animals is much higher than their own approximation that half of pets taken to shelters end up being killed. According to the statistics 1,110 cats and 733 dogs were handed in to the charity in 2012. 22 . cats and 108 dogs were transferred to another shelter, two cats and . three dogs were reclaimed by their owner while 1,045 cats and 602 dogs were . euthanized. Criticism: PETA, well-known for its hard-hitting adverts such as the one pictured, has come under fire for the number of animals it kills at its shelter in Norfolk, Virginia . Defense: The charity says euthanasia at its Virginia HQ shelter, pictured, is a 'necessary evil' as aside from those suffering they can't find homes for all the cats and dogs handed to them . 34 cats and 7 dogs were placed under a category entitled 'Miscellaneous.' The statistics have been promoted by a restaurant advocacy coalition called Center for Consumer Freedom, which has had numerous run-ins with the charity in the past. Justin Wilson, CCF's senior research analyst said: 'The animal rights group is talking out of both sides of its mouth – on one side preaching its animal liberation agenda, while on the other signing the death warrant of over 89 percent of pets in its care. It’s beyond hypocritical.' 'It seems PETA is more dedicated to . publicity stunts than to keeping the animals in its own care alive. It’s . the height of hypocrisy for PETA to demonstrate for the 'rights' of . rats and pigs, while killing tens of thousands of pets. It’s time that . the Commonwealth of Virginia finally reclassifies PETA’s pet shelter for . what it is – a slaughterhouse.' A PETA spokeswoman told MailOnline that they had no choice but to euthanize the animals. Well-known campaigns: The charity often uses celebrities for its hard-hitting campaigns. It was accused today of being more interested in 'publicity stunts than keeping animals alive' Campaigns: Among its many projects PETA encourages vegetarianism and veganism and is against animal testing . 'We . have a small division that does hands-on work with animals, and most of . the animals we take in are society's rejects; aggressive, on death's . door, or somehow unadoptable,' she said. 'CCF's goal is to damage PETA by misrepresenting the situation and the number of unwanted and suffering animals PETA euthanizes because of injury, illness, age, aggression, and other problems, because their guardians requested it, or because no good homes exist for them.' A later statement added: 'PETA . refers adoptable animals to the high-traffic open-admission shelters . where they have the best chance of being seen and finding a new home.' In a 2009 blog . the charity wrote about their opposition to 'no-kill' animal shelters . saying they often get filled and just have to turn animals away. It said in some cases euthanasia is a necessary evil and PETA is willing to do 'society's dirty work.' Sex sells: PETA often uses models in their campaigns. They hit out at critics of euthanasia at their cat and dog shelters yesterday saying it received many unadoptable pets . 'As long as animals are still purposely bred and people aren't spaying and neutering their companions, open-admission animal shelters and organizations like PETA must do society's dirty work. Euthanasia is not a solution to overpopulation but rather a tragic necessity given the present crisis,' it said. In response to the post, supporters of the charity were torn on the issue but many said a charity in its position on issues such as medical testing, the fur trade and as advocates for veganism should never allow the killing of healthy animals over a lack of suitable home. 'In my book, the only time it's acceptable to kill animals is the same as the only time it's acceptable to kill people: when their illness is painful and terminal.' 'Anything else is a speciesist double standard. As soon as I hear of a campaign to kill homeless people because it's 'more humane' then I might consider it an acceptable option for homeless animals too,' said one post. | Nathan Winograd, the director of the No Kill Advocacy Center, claims that PETA has killed nearly 30,000 animals in the last 11 years .
PETA says euthanasia figures are 'distorted,' and do not include the nearly 10,000 animals saved and put up for adoption . |
126,469 | 2f71fe0518935276b4ae806ef85e1b3bca3ec6a4 | By . Simon Peach, Press Association . Jack Wilshere should just have enough time to be fully-fit for the World Cup, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. This has been another stop-start season for the 22-year-old, with injuries restricting the midfielder to just 19 starts in the Barclays Premier League. Wilshere made a further five appearances from the bench, including his second-half appearance in Sunday's season finale at Norwich - his first match since breaking his foot nine weeks earlier. Making an impression: Jack Wilshere, at Arsenal's training ground today, will be fully-fit for the World Cup . Jack's back: The Arsenal midfielder played his first game in nine weeks in the win over Norwich on Sunday . His return is a welcome boost for Arsenal ahead of their FA Cup final appearance against Hull this weekend, although Wenger was coy when asked whether he was fit to start. However, the Gunners boss was more forthcoming when it came to Wilshere's World Cup chances after the midfielder was named in England's 23-man squad on Monday. 'How has he been this week? Good, he works hard,' Wenger said. We have a hard session today again and he progresses. He played 30 minutes at Norwich, that was planned, he came out well. 'I think if you ask me about the World Cup, he should just have enough time to be fully fit.' Facing the media: A smiley Arsene Wenger answers questions from the assembled media on Wednesday . The other Arsenal player called up by England this week was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The 20-year-old has not featured since Arsenal's 3-0 win at Hull on April 20 due to a groin that will need assessing before they take on the Tigers at Wembley. 'Everybody should be available who played in our last game at Norwich,' Wenger said. 'There's still some uncertainty about Oxlade-Chamberlain and Thomas Vermaelen, who was out for the last minute with five stitches in his knee. 'We'll know more about that tomorrow or Friday.' | Jack Wilshere played his first game against Norwich after breaking his foot .
Arsene Wenger was reluctant to say whether he'd start the FA Cup final .
Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain remains a doubt for the final against Hull . |
159,266 | 59e0b12e68fb7e759b2982698094ee66f1287528 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The contentious debate over so-called enhanced interrogation techniques took center stage Wednesday on Capitol Hill as a former FBI agent involved in the questioning of terror suspects testified that such tactics -- including waterboarding -- are ineffective. From left: Sens. Lindsey Graham, Sheldon Whitehouse, . Patrick Leahy and Dianne Feinstein listen Wednesday. Ali Soufan, an FBI special agent from 1997 to 2005, told members of a key Senate Judiciary subcommittee that such "techniques, from an operational perspective, are ineffective, slow and unreliable and harmful to our efforts to defeat al Qaeda." Soufan's remarks followed heated exchanges between committee members with sharply differing views on both the value of the techniques and the purpose of the hearing. Soufan, who was involved in the interrogation of CIA detainee Abu Zubaydah, took issue with former Vice President Dick Cheney, who has said that enhanced interrogation techniques helped the government acquire intelligence necessary to prevent further attacks after September 11, 2001. The techniques, which the Bush administration approved, are considered torture by many critics. Watch analysts discuss harsh interrogations and torture » . "From my experience -- and I speak as someone who has personally interrogated many terrorists and elicited important actionable intelligence -- I strongly believe that it is a mistake to use what has become known as the 'enhanced interrogation techniques,' " Soufan noted in his written statement. Such a position is "shared by many professional operatives, including the CIA officers who were present at the initial phases of the Abu Zubaydah interrogation." Soufan told the committee that within the first hour of his interrogation of Zubaydah, the suspected terrorist provided actionable intelligence. But once the CIA contractors took over and used harsh methods, Zubaydah stopped talking, Soufan said. When Soufan was asked to resume questioning, Zubaydah cooperated. After another round of more coercive techniques used by the contractors, however, Soufan said it was difficult for him to re-engage Zubaydah. One of four recently released Bush administration memos showed that CIA interrogators used waterboarding at least 266 times on Zubaydah and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the suspected planner of the September 11 attacks. "People were given misinformation, half-truths and false claims of successes; and reluctant intelligence officers were given instructions and assurances from higher authorities," Soufan testified. "I wish to do my part to ensure that we never again use these ... techniques instead of the tried, tested and successful ones -- the ones that are also in sync with our values and moral character. Only by doing this will we defeat the terrorists as effectively and quickly as possible." Watch as Soufan makes his case before the panel » . Soufan was hidden behind a protective screen during his testimony before the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. Staffers for the committee cited "documented threats" against him, noting his previous interaction with al Qaeda terrorists as well as his undercover work against Islamic extremists. Philip Zelikow, who was a top aide to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, repeated an accusation during the hearing that Bush officials ordered his memo arguing against waterboarding to be destroyed. The order, "passed along informally, did not seem proper, and I ignored it," Zelikow said. He said that his memo has been in State Department files and is being reviewed for possible declassification. Zelikow slammed the "collective failure" behind the government's adoption of "an unprecedented program of coolly calculated dehumanizing abuse and physical torment to extract information. This was a mistake, perhaps a disastrous one." He added that some "may believe that recent history, even since 2005, shows that America needs an elaborate program of indefinite secret detention and physical coercion in order to protect the nation. ... If they are right, our laws must change and our country must change. I think they are wrong." Watch Zelikow tell CNN's Kiran Chetry how U.S. leaders came to the wrong conclusions on interrogation policy » . Committee Republicans warned that the hearing ultimately could contribute to diminished national security. "As we harshly judge those who had to make decisions we don't have to make, please remember this: that what we do in looking back may determine how we move forward," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina. "And let's not unnecessarily impede the ability of this country to defend itself against an enemy who, as I speak, is thinking and plotting their way back into America." A top intelligence source familiar with the Bush administration's interrogation program was dismissive of Soufan's credibility as a witness. "It's puzzling that someone who questioned a single high-value detainee for just a few months claims to be able to talk about the value of a program that lasted nearly seven years after he was part of it," the source said. "Suffice it to say, there are varying accounts of the facts and circumstances surrounding the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah." Soufan wrote an op-ed in The New York Times in April arguing that there "was no actionable intelligence gained from using enhanced interrogation techniques on Abu Zubaydah that wasn't, or couldn't have been, gained from regular tactics." He said that "using these alternative methods on other terrorists backfired on more than a few occasions. ... The short-sightedness behind the use of these techniques ignored the unreliability of the methods, the nature of the threat, the mentality and modus operandi of the terrorists, and due process." While at the FBI, Soufan was involved with investigations of sensitive international terrorism cases, including the East Africa bombings, the 2000 attack on the USS Cole and the September 11 attacks. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, opened the hearing by accusing Bush administration officials of lying about the use of techniques that had damaged the country's standing in the world. Watch Whitehouse and Graham at the hearing » . "The truth of our country's descent into torture is not precious. It is noxious. It is sordid," Whitehouse said. "It has also been attended by a bodyguard of lies. ... President Bush told us America does not torture while authorizing conduct that America has prosecuted. ... Vice President Cheney agreed in an interview that waterboarding was like a dunk in the water, when it was used as a torture technique by tyrannical regimes from the Spanish Inquisition to Cambodia's killing fields." CNN's Pam Benson contributed to this report. | Committee Republicans say hearing could help diminish national security .
Ali Soufan: "People were given ... half-truths and false claims of successes"
Ex-FBI agent takes issue with Dick Cheney, who says such tactics helped U.S.
The techniques, OK'd by Bush administration, are considered torture by some . |
104,343 | 129fc79bbfdce4fc03a11eb2fcc27c57fa78e962 | New York (CNN) -- New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating whether New York utilities Long Island Power Authority and Consolidated Edison adequately prepared for and responded to Superstorm Sandy, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. On Wednesday, the attorney general's office subpoenaed LIPA and ConEd requesting information about what they did to brace their systems ahead of the storm and their management in its wake, the source said. The investigation, which began November 5, is examining whether ConEd, as a publicly traded investor-owned utility company, breached the Public Service Law, which requires gas and electric companies to "supply safe and adequate service." Honoré: Sandy recovery is stumbling . Schneiderman's office is questioning whether LIPA, which was created under the Public Authorities law, violated its legal obligations to ensure a safe and dependable flow of electricity. The attorney general is also studying disclosure statements LIPA made to bondholders regarding the ability of their power systems to weather severe storms, the source said. Elizabeth Flagler, a spokeswoman for LIPA, said in an e-mail to CNN, "We have reviewed the AGs subpoena and intend to comply with it in all respects." Joy Faber, a spokeswoman for ConEd, said the company is cooperating with the investigation. "We look forward to reviewing the company's storm preparations and response with the Attorney General and all interested parties," she said. On Tuesday, a lawsuit was filed by two residents, claiming LIPA and its partner, National Grid, committed "gross negligence, breach of contract, and fraud," according to attorney Ken Mollins, who is representing the plaintiffs. Also on Tuesday, amidst heavy criticism of his company's handling of the storm, Mike Hervey, chief operating officer of LIPa, said he would resign, effective at the end of the year. It's a hard slog back to normalcy . Scammers create fake websites for Sandy victims . Sandy amplifies struggles for low-income families . Map: See images of destruction, recovery across the East Coast . CNN's Randi Iaboni contributed to this report . | Long Island Power Authority and Consolidated Edison being investigated .
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office subpoenaed LIPA and ConEd .
Source: Office wants to know what they did to prepare and handle aftermath .
LIPA and ConEd have indicated they will cooperate with the investigation . |
276,653 | f269ae5a1ed568064c1a10563248be02643daff9 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:27 EST, 23 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:05 EST, 23 November 2012 . If a weekend in Las Vegas isn’t wild enough for Southern Californians, a Nevada entrepreneur is about to add five more hours of party to either end. Las Vegas Railway Express is one step . closer to bringing to life the X Train, a luxurious 'party train' complete with big screen TVs, recliners and two ultra lounges after striking an agreement with Union . Pacific Railroad last week. 'The whole idea is when you get on a train, you feel like you’re in Las Vegas,' said Michael Barron, president and CEO of the $100 million venture that hopes to launch its maiden voyage on New Year’s Eve 2013. 'It’s essentially a nightclub on wheels.' Scroll down for videos . More to come: An artist's sketch shows the planned interior of one of the X Train's two ultra lounges while transporting guests between Los Angeles and Las Vegas . Fun never stops: The idea is to provide riders with the feeling of already being in Las Vegas, with one lounge seen with slot machines in the far back, as well as game tables in the foreground . Tickets for the adults-only train would . cost $99 each way and include a meal and beverage, with plenty more . alcohol available for purchase. To keep ticket prices low, the company . would try to make money booking Las Vegas hotels and entertainment for . passengers. It would start in Fullerton, Calif. — . already home to an Amtrak station and part of Southern California’s . Metrolink commuter train network — and end in downtown Las Vegas. Tourists can’t get from Southern California to Las Vegas by rail alone, and Barron’s company isn’t the first to try and fix that. The much-talked-about XpressWest project proposes a high-speed train connecting Sin City to the region from which it draws 25 percent of its tourists. All ease: The president and CEO of the $100 million venture says his plan sympathizes with people who spend up to 40 hours gambling in Vegas and then drive seven hours back to Southern California . All aboard! Union Pacific Railroad gave a go ahead for the Las Vegas Railway Express' party train last week, seen here . But it’s a multi-billion-dollar proposal that would require setting new tracks, and it’s often panned as a 'train to nowhere' because the first phase would start in relatively obscure Victorville, about 100 miles outside of Los Angeles. The X Train proposal calls for an Amtrak crew aboard a 576-passenger train that runs at standard speeds on traditional tracks. A conditional agreement with Union Pacific, approved Nov. 16, will allow the company to use a rail line that’s currently limited to freight trains and hasn’t served passengers since Amtrak discontinued its Desert Wind service in 1997 due to low ridership. With initial plans for one trip a day on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday, Barron believes he can attract tourists weary of the weekend traffic gridlock and perhaps hung over from their weekend revelry. What's included: Riders would be given a meal and beverage with their $99 ticket with plenty more drinks available for purchase, a sports bar's sketch seen here . 'Sunday is horrific,' Barron said of the Interstate 15 corridor that links Las Vegas and its neighbor. 'So now you’ve been up for 40 hours gambling and you have to drive for seven hours — that’s just horrible. But people do it in spite of that!' John Lawson, who was in Las Vegas from Orange County for a few days over Thanksgiving, said he’d like the option of hopping on a train rather than braving bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way back. 'If you party really hard, it sucks driving back,' said Lawson, 28. Vegas visitor Christina Bojorquez, 25, said she’d have to weigh the cost of the train ride against other cheap options, including discounted flights and sharing the expense of driving to Vegas. 'For special occasions it would be good, but not all the time,' she said. Amenities: A possibly more quiet room is seen aboard the train which will take riders on a five-hour trip each way . Tom Skancke, a transportation consultant for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, pointed to the proposed trains and other alternatives to personal cars as options that could entice a new generation of tourists. A new Greyhound Express nonstop bus route between L.A. and Las Vegas launched earlier this month. 'These modes of transportation do appeal to a younger, more eco-friendly traveler,' Skancke said. 'This generation is more interested in passenger rail, transit and high-speed rail than previous generations.' There’s still work to be done on the X Train to get it running by late 2013. The sixteen cars the company has purchased need to be renovated, and a station needs to be completed in downtown Vegas. 'We’re four years and $12 million into it. It’s a lot of infrastructure building,' Barron said. 'This is a simple concept in discussion, but it’s complicated to do.' | Train would cost $99 each way and include a meal and beverage .
Additional alcoholic drinks would be available for purchase . |
247,731 | cc91100cf5f15cfa98dc43bae6abd218e64144a0 | (CNN) -- It's been the same story, 10 weeks running: Better luck next time, pal. Could Friday turn the tide for the twice-weekly Mega Millions drawing, which has rolled over 20 times now since the 45-state lottery generated a winner? As always, it's anybody's 1-in-259 million guess. Those are the odds of winning Friday's estimated $400 million jackpot. Although five tickets in Tuesday's drawing matched the first five numbers, netting $1 million each, none of the tickets purchased for Tuesday's measly $344 million jackpot matched all six numbers. Mega Millions estimates Friday's jackpot will be the fifth-largest in North America. And while it is a whopping big pile of money, Friday's projected jackpot wouldn't qualify to move into the ultra-tony neighborhood occupied by the record draw. That $656 million jackpot, won on March 30, 2012, was split by winning tickets in Illinois, Kansas and Maryland. The Mega Millions jackpot numbers will be drawn Friday at 11 p.m. ET. | The 45-state Mega Millions jackpot is up to an estimated $400 million for Friday's drawing .
No one has won the jackpot in 20 drawings .
If someone wins, jackpot would be the fifth-largest in North American history, lottery says .
The record? $656 million jackpot split three ways last year . |
261,100 | de286acee95a2f0700cb7ee39e5909663cd10fef | This time a year ago he was a welcome ray of sunlight in a dark winter of discontent for Manchester United. With pressure growing on David Moyes the form of Adnan Januzaj was one of few reasons to be cheerful for the sing-as-they-suffered Stretford End faithful. As the under-fire Scot searched for a winning formula (sound familiar?) the youngster signed from Anderlecht in 2011 for £300,0000, was one of only two players to play every game last January. Adnan Januzaj (right) has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal . Januzaj (left, with Marouanne Fellaini last week) is expected to be sent out on loan this transfer window . Adnan Januzaj has gone from being a central player at United to a peripheral figure in less than a year. 2013-2014 . Appearances: 35 Goals: 4 . 2014-2015 . Appearances: 11 Goals: 0 . The 2013 reserve team player of the year had earlier announced himself with a winning brace in a 2-1 win at Sunderland. Born in Belgium to Albanian-Kosavar parents, almost immediately a tug-of-war over his international allegiance was underway. Roy Hodgson declared an interest and United, wary of similar competition among rival clubs, quickly jumped in with a five-year contract. Officials at Old Trafford had serious concerns he may go the same way as Paul Pogba, who jumped ship to Italy to much dismay. Januzaj signed on the dotted line, pledged his allegiance to Belgium and seemed to get better and better. At the end of the season he could look back with pride on making 35 appearances, despite United's annus horribilis, and look forward to a place in the Marc Wilmotts' much-fancied squad at the World Cup. Januzaj (left) scores his second goal of the game for United in the 2-1 win over Sunderland last season . Januzaj is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring the winning goal against Sunderland . David Moyes (left) and Phil Jones (right) congratulate the manager after his performance against Sunderland . Then Louis van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford and it all changed. This season he has started and finished just two games. At the last count he has 27 minutes under his belt since the first week in November. Some have even claimed that he only stood out last term because he was in such a poor team and reckon his new teacher is not impressed. They are wrong and there is mitigation. Van Gaal, armed with an open chequebook, paid a British record £59.7million for Angel di Maria. The seemingly-immovable Wayne Rooney is now being deployed in midfield. Juan Mata is shining behind the strikers. It is a tough line to get to the front of. Van Gaal's preference for a three-man defence, with the added creativity deploying two wing backs brings, has also damaged the young playmaker's chances. And nobody would rule against further big-money arrivals in the summer – chief executive Ed Woodward has hinted at it more than once. As reported by Sportsmail, Januzaj is now expected to depart on loan during this transfer window. Januzaj (left) has only played 27 minutes of football this season under Louis van Gaal . Januzaj, pictured here playing for the Under 21s, has only made two top-flight starts this season . So where next? Moyes remains a keen admirer. In a recent interview with Four Four Two magazine the former United boss, rebuilding his career with Real Sociedad, compared Januzaj with Johan Cruyff, no less. The teenager may well be tempted to rid himself of that sinking feeling on the San Sebastian coast and Moyes has already revealed he will attempt to borrow reinforcements this month. A less physical competition such as La Liga, along with the increased time on the ball it allows, may well suit a player not noted for his physical presence. Van Gaal has always been keen on promoting from within and nurturing youth from his early days as a coach. Louis van Gaal has told Man United chief executive Ed Woodward that Januzaj is not in his current plans . But he has also shown he is not afraid of getting rid of homegrown talent to Premier League rivals – just ask Danny Welbeck. And in England there are likely to be other suitors. Everton are known to be admirers and the chance to link up with Belgium team-mates Kevin Mirallas and Romelu Lukaku may well turn the youngsters head. A switch to Goodison Park may also get the thumbs up from United pal Maroune Fellaini. The pair are inseparable and Fellaini will no doubt relay fondly tales of his time on Merseyside although he too will sing Moyes' praises. Seamus Coleman (left, in action against West Ham on Tuesday) is a target for Manchester United . For United, thought to be monitoring Seamus Coleman, lending Januzaj to Roberto Martinez may well go a long way to opening doors at Everton in their pursuit of the Irish right back further down the line. Wherever he goes, if he does at all (and knowing United's luck with injuries this season that is always subject to change), he will need to impress. What a difference a year makes. | Adnan Januzaj is expected to leave Manchester United on loan this month .
The 19-year-old has played 27 minutes of first-team football this season .
Under David Moyes last season he shone and made 35 appearances .
Click here for Manchester United transfer news . |
34,535 | 622652d45483d93de55e9cd79a6b3c427b80f35b | They are among the most fearsome creatures on earth, but this killer shark looks as though it is flashing a massive grin as it comes face-to-face with a daring photographer. Far from trying to rip 26-year-old cameraman Zach Ransom to shreds with its deadly knashers, it instead appears to pull a series of poses which reveal a somewhat friendlier side. Incredibly, the stunning pictures were taken my Mr Ransom without the safety of a protective cage. Jaws-dropping: A fearsome shark gets up close and personal with cameraman Zach Ransom - and appears to flash him a grin . Smile! The deadly creature flashes his pearly whites as snapper Zach tries his luck and gets ever closer . Poser: The shark strikes another grin for the cameras and is photobombed by a friend . The aquarist at Seaworld Orlando went under water with his friends at Little Bahama Bank in the Bahamas to get the incredible images. The area is a hotspot for tiger sharks, as well as species such as lemon shark and reef shark, allowing the divers to get up close and personal with the potentially dangerous animals. Mr Ransom, from Orlando, Florida, said: 'I've always loved the ocean since I was a child. I think most children start out with a love of sharks, dinosaurs and outer space - I just never grew out of it. 'I have been diving for 14 years now and most of that time has been spent in search of sharks. 'This location north of West End, Grand Bahama, is an incredible area with relatively untouched coral reefs and some of the healthiest shark populations on the planet. Daring: Zach got so close to the sharks he was able to touch them . Fearless: Zach, from Orlando, Florida, opted to go underwater without any protection from a cage . Surrounded: Zach is circled by three sharks hut is unmoved as he continues to take his incredible pictures . 'Sharing the water with such an immense and powerful creature is thrilling for sure but the experience is so much more than that. 'I feel completely calm and at peace in these situations. Sharks are amazingly deliberate and cautious in their movements and though a highly instinctual animal they still display curiosity with regard to the novelties in their world. 'Eye contact is an important part of being in close quarters with large sharks, when you break your gaze, they often decide it's safe to move a little closer. 'So to capture these moments with my camera and share them with the world in hope of possibly breaking some negative stereotypes, that is the payoff for me. 'And if I can play some minuscule role in preventing a species from going extinct in my lifetime then that is my purpose.' Zach argues that while activist groups, film makers and photographers are turning the tide in shark conservation, there is still more that needs to be done to protect them. That's more like it: This shark strikes a more traditional pose . Razor sharp: These teeth could do some serious damage but Zach was undeterred . Endangered: Some shark species have dropped by up to 90 per cent . Under threat: Every year between 20 and 100 million sharks are killed by fishing activity . He added: 'People flock from around the world to see African lions in their natural environment, however, none dare to leave the relative safety of the safari vehicle. 'This is of course due to an innate respect for the apex predator of the ecosystem. Thousands of people interact with sharks everyday unprotected, without incident. 'Lions are often revered and respected as beautiful creatures, iconic to the continent of Africa. As the apex predators of the ocean, sharks should be regarded with the same esteem. 'Every year between 20 and 100 million sharks are killed from fishing activity. As many species are slow to mature and may only produce one pup a year it doesn't bode well for long term population. 'Some species' populations have dropped 50-90% but in recent years many people have become aware of the plight that sharks face with regard to the fining industry and over fishing in general. 'Although the numbers are quite grim - I still have hope that it's not too late.' | Fearless Zach Ransom got up close and personal with fish in the Bahamas .
He went underwater without any protection in order to get the incredible snaps . |
171,689 | 6a360a50cf81685c7c4768c76abcdb6b8497fef7 | By . Bianca London . She recently won the coveted top spot on Maxim's Hot 100 list of the world's most beautiful women, so what's Candice Swanepoel's secret? The Victoria's Secret model, who isn't one to shy away from the occasional 'belfie' - that's bum selfie to anyone who has been living under a rock - has shared her beauty and fitness secrets with Vogue. Speaking to the fashion bible about her enviable physique, she said: 'Squats are the key! It's . definitely squats! They work for me. Scroll down for video . So THAT's her secret! Victoria's Secret model Candice Swanepoel has revealed that squats are what keeps in her enviable physique in check . 'If I've been on holiday and I feel . like I haven't done enough, even 10 make me feel better. You know what's . good - if you squat and when you come back up, you squeeze really hard. That works.' The South African-born model, who has fronted countless high fashion campaigns, also explained that wearing really strong sunscreen is what keeps her skin in tip-top condition. The 25-year-old also cites Bio Oil as a vanity bag essential and explains that she slathers it on after she's been for a dip in the sea. When it comes to make-up, the natural beauty prefers the pared-back look and only uses a slick of mascara and a pop of blusher, even opting to go bare-faced in the day. Natural beauty: Candice prefers to opt for the pared-back look and only uses a slick of mascara and a pop of blusher for a night out, preferring to go make-up free in the day . Although . not married, Candice has been dating Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli . since she was 17 and as a result, she's fluent in Portuguese. Swanepoel's modelling . career is going from strength to strength and she can . currently be seen draping herself over a rock, in a barely-there white . bikini, in a shoot for Maxim's June issue. She also recently appeared at Victoria's Secret's Bond Street store alongside marketing director Ed Razek. There, . they announced the 2014 fashion show will cross the pond from its . previous home in New York City to the capital at Earls Court on December . 2. Candice . will take to the runway in what promises to be a spectacular show in . front of a crowd of 2,500 in the Earls Court Exhibition Centre - no doubt ramping up the number of daily squats in preparation. Success story: Swanepoel, who found fame as a Victoria's Secret model, was recently named Maxim's hottest woman and can currently be seen draping herself over a rock, in a barely-there white bikini, in a shoot for the magazine's June issue . Big news: Victoria's Secrets Angels Candice Swanepoel and Adriana Lima, with Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek, announce that their Victoria's Secret fashion show will come to London this winter . | Candice, 25, swears by squats for keeping figure in check .
Loves Bio Oil and prefers to go make-up free on holiday .
Will walk Victoria's Secret runway in London this December . |
91,926 | 024026d1248e7b2e034deac103aa1b9dc53308ab | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 04:23 EST, 15 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:40 EST, 16 September 2013 . Two Coronation Street stars were caught in bed with two underage girls in a hotel room, it has been claimed. Police are probing the alleged incident in 2008 and have spoken twice to a witness, who told officers that he saw two actors from the ITV1 soap in a bed at 7am with two girls aged between ten and 12. The revelation of the Greater Manchester Police investigation comes just days after Michael Le Vell, 48, who plays mechanic Kevin Webster in the soap, was acquitted of child rape charges on Tuesday. Allegations: Two Coronation Street stars were caught in bed with two underage girls, it was claimed last night . A source close to the witness told The Sun on Sunday: ‘He didn't go to the police at the time because he's not one for fuss. He also moved in showbiz circles and was worried about losing work.’ Officers are now expected to speak to . hotel staff and look through CCTV footage - after interviewing the . witness for a second time last Wednesday, the newspaper reported. Cleared: Coronation Street actor Michael Le Vell, 48, was acquitted of child rape charges on Tuesday . A police spokesman told MailOnline: ‘On September 2, police received a complaint from a third party relating to an alleged incident that took place around five years ago. 'Greater Manchester Police has a duty to investigate all reports that are made to police and enquiries into this complaint are ongoing but are still at a very early stage.' A Coronation Street spokesman told MailOnline: 'We have no knowledge of this alleged incident.' Le Vell, who had an eight-day trial, met senior ITV producers on Thursday to discuss whether he will return to Coronation Street. He has been suspended from the soap for the past two years. His character, Kevin Webster, last appeared on screen in 2011, before supposedly flying to visit his sick father in Germany. Bosses are reported to be lining him up for a return to the Street next year. It would provide a major boost to viewing figures. It is understood Le Vell will be offered a one-year contract, though producers are keen not to sensationalise his sudden return. | Police speak to witness over alleged incident at 7am one morning in 2008 .
It's claimed two actors were seen with two girls aged between ten and 12 .
Revelation comes days after Michael Le Vell was acquitted of child rape . |
237,431 | bf4ca93bc390a5ee836d7f7c35f37894446e36d1 | She made her debut as a fresh-faced ingénue in a long-since departed British 'bodice ripper' drama when she was just 23. And as actress and producer Trudie Styler prepares to celebrate her 60th birthday next month, she admits there is a ‘paucity’ of roles in Hollywood for women over 40. The evergreen blonde, married to rocker Sting, has most recently produced movie hit Filth and in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, she says: ‘Look at George Clooney…I’m a huge admirer of his, but when he plays a leading man in a love story, his love interest is always 10 years his junior. Unfair: Actress and producer Trudie Styler says male stars like George Clooney will always have love interests 10 years younger - as Hollywood 'always wants to rose tint everything' Happy New Yorkers: Trudie Styler and Sting attend an opening night party for her new play, The Seagull, in New York in October . ‘Why not have an actress the same age . as him? Hollywood always wants to rose tint everything, but this . doesn’t even reflect real life. ‘In life, you see younger men and older women and the majority of marriages don’t have such a huge age gap as we're used to seeing in films.’ Oscar winner Clooney, 52, has appeared in movie hits over the past few decades with a string of female stars. In 2009's Up In The Air, he had a doomed romance with Vera Farmiga, now 40. While he . wooed Jennifer Lopez, now 44, in as Out of Sight, as well as Catherine . Zeta Jones, also 44, in Intolerable Cruelty, as well as Renee Zellwegger - now also 44 - . in Leatherheads. 'I’m . a very lucky woman and have been extremely fortunate in the way that my . life has been for nigh on 30 years, with my husband looking after me . beautifully...I . don’t have any room at all for any complaints, there will always be . detractors' And in real life, ladies man George's last three girlfriends have been much younger than him, with him dating Stacy Keblier, 34, Elisabetta Canalis, 35, and Sarah Larsen, 32 . Mother-of-four Trudie - who made her TV debut on 1970s period drama Poldark - adds: ‘My . daughter Mickey is an actress and I tell her women need to make their . own films, they should always be looking for stories to develop . themselves and go to acting class – not that she needs much prompting in . that! ‘It’s just important that actresses should realise that acting isn’t their only string. ‘We . see that for an actress in her early 40s, there is a paucity of roles, work does become thinner as opposed to what you are offered in your 20s . and 30s. ‘Leading women are being replaced by younger actresses.’ In . 2011, Trudie set up Maven Pictures alongside business partner Celine . Rattray, who won a Golden Globe – as well as an Oscar nod - for . producing 2010 hit The Kids Are All Right, starring Julianne Moore and . Annette Bening. And asked whether she felt helped or hindered by her . marriage to one of music’s most famous men – and a reputation that has . not always been so glowing, Trudie, who will celebrate her milestone birthday on January 6, replies: ‘It’s an interesting . question… . ‘The Trudie Styler that is spoken of is extremely privileged in life and feels that privilege. ‘I’m . a very lucky woman and have been extremely fortunate in the way that my . life has been for nigh on 30 years, with my husband looking after me . beautifully. ‘We love each other and we are loved by our children, I . don’t have any room at all for any complaints, there will always be . detractors, that's just the way of the world. On their wedding day: Sting and Trudie married in 1992 and renewed their vows this year . ‘We carry on with the work we believe in, there are . things you aspire to, and I want to give a voice to those who don’t have . a loud voice. ‘Those who don’t get out of the fractured rain forest . that I’ve been looking at since the 1980s in Brazil or the Ecuadorian . Amazon, who have had their rights taken away. Debut: Trudie Styler playing Emma Tregirls in Brit 1970s period drama Poldark . Maven’s most recent project was Filth, the big screen adaption of Scots writer Irvine Welsh’s novel, starring James McAvoy. The . movie has been nominated for five gongs at Sunday night’s British . Independent Film Awards including best actor for James, best supporting . actor for Eddie Marsan and best supporting actress for Shirley . Henderson. And obviously proud, Trudie says: ‘We’re looking at making . awards-worthy movies, it’s harder than making a $200million picture, . because we’re looking at a product of substance with ideas.’ Maven this year released Girl Most Likely, starring Bridesmaids breakout star Kirsten Wiig and with Trudie and Sting's daughter Mickey, 29, in a role. And . With Cate Blanchett – full of Oscar buzz for Blue Jasmine - signed up . to star in Cancer Vixen: A True Story, to be helmed by Julie Delpy, . alongside Amy Adams starring in an adaptation of Steve Martin’s novel, . Object of Beauty, Maven are making a name for themselves as producers of . strong female-driven films. Although setting up Maven has not been . plain sailing, Trudie says: ‘We want to encourage more and more women . and we want to tell them ‘we really want your business and take you . seriously.’ Nominated: Filth - produced by Trudie Styler and production partner Celine Rattray - is up for five gongs at the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday . Talented: James McAvoy and Eddie Marsan star in Filth, the big-screen adaptation of Irvine Welsh's novel . Female-driven: Maven Pictures this year produced Girl Most Likely starring Bridesmaids break-out star Kristen Wiig and Annette Bening . But with the success of Filth, Trudie laughs as she . admits: ‘Look at Filth – it’s quite misogynistic! I was in Lock, Stock . and Two Smoking Barrels and I like my bad boy movie movies. ‘And I really love Irvine Welsh and what he’s done for guilty pleasures, he makes us think and his novels provoke and stimulate. ‘It . is a modern tragedy that James is so brilliant in and I hope he will . garner laurels and win something this weekend and get a BAFTA nod. ‘The cast have done us proud, we’re very proud of Shirley and Eddie – and I’m very proud of it as I was so hands on with it. In October, Trudie made an acting comeback on Broadway in Chekhov’s The . Seagull and reveals: ‘I did get bit by the acting bug again, it was a . four-act Chekhov play and I don’t think I’ve played that kind of role . before, it was very challenging and ultimately very gratifying. Then: Sting and Trudie in the Eighties . Now: 32 years later, Trudie said 'I love him more each day' Advice: Trudie Styler says she has told her actress daughter Mickey to make sure she has more than one string to her bow. The pair are seen at the Girl Most Likely screening in New York in July . Accompanied by Sting at the opening night party in the city where the couple have made their home, Trudie told The Times they prefer living in the U.S. after being 'treated unkindly' in their home . country. She said: 'I don't want to criticise . my country but there are times I feel Sting and myself have been treated . unkindly. I feel much more relaxed here, not having to second guess . myself.' She added: 'Rock stars' wives have never been given an easy time. They weren't nice about Linda McCartney until she died.' Strong women: Oscar favourite Cate Blanchett has signed up to star in Maven Pictures' Cancer Vixen: A True Story, while Amy Adams will star in their adaption of Steve Martin's novel, Object of Beauty . And now Trudie is planning another theatrical jaunt, this time alongside her friend Sean Mathias, planned for next year. Written by the late British playwright Pam Gems,called Savage Love, Trudie says: 'It’s about an aging Arthur and Guinevere. Guinevere is on trial for her life for her adulterous, long-term affair with Lancelot and meanwhile, Arthur is living at court with all his bastard children, and she ain’t gonna take it lying down. So it’s a bit of a face-off and a portrait of their marriage, really. And it’s a very brilliantly written piece about women’s rights and relationships.' And with that, Trudie adds defiantly: ‘People will say what they want to say, but I don’t really answer my critics.’ | Actress and producer says there's a 'paucity' of roles for women over 40 - adding 'Leading women are being replaced by younger actresses'
In frank interview, Trudie admits to being 'very lucky' thanks to her 'privileged life' and her husband looking after her 'beautifully'
She admits: 'There will always be detractors, that's just the way of the world' |
64,100 | b608371deca585fba0dc86589580bd463cbcd8af | By . Simon Walters . PUBLISHED: . 20:49 EST, 15 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:49 EST, 15 February 2014 . 'Crush': Wendi Deng wrote that she missed Tony Blair and his charm, his body and his 'butt' Rupert Murdoch’s feud with Tony Blair over Wendi Deng flared up again last night after claims that the tycoon had bullied the ‘embarrassed’ Prime Minister into becoming godfather to his and Ms Deng’s daughter. In an investigation into reports that Mr Blair’s overnight stays with Ms Deng contributed to the Murdochs’ divorce, the Labour-supporting Guardian newspaper claimed: . Friends of Mr Murdoch last night hit back at the newspaper’s suggestion that he pressured a reluctant Mr Blair into becoming godfather to his daughter Grace, then aged eight, in 2010. ‘It doesn’t ring true,’ said one London-based confidant of the media mogul. ‘The christening was all Wendi’s doing, Rupert had virtually nothing to do with it.’ The source criticised the Guardian, saying: ‘It has made a lot of false statements about Rupert without bothering to check.’ Another Murdoch ally suggested Mr Blair may have had an ulterior motive for agreeing to become godfather: ‘He was raising money from Rupert for his causes at that time.’ Explaining the bitter rift between Mr Blair and News Corp boss Mr Murdoch, the Guardian said: ‘Hell hath few furies like a mogul who feels cuckolded by a man he had come to see as a true friend.’ It claimed Mr Blair was about to tell Mr Murdoch about one of his two overnight stays with Ms Deng at Mr Murdoch’s home in Carmel, California, in 2012, but held his tongue when Murdoch and Ms Deng’s daughters, Grace, now 12, and Chloe, now ten, entered the room. Feuding: Mr Blair and Mr Murdoch pictured together in 2008 . ‘He should have left, say friends, but didn’t and we’re no longer there to tell him not to be an idiot,’ said the Guardian. ‘He should have told Murdoch when next they met, but didn’t. In the loyalist version, the Murdoch girls burst in just as he was about to.’ The newspaper said Mr Murdoch believes the allegations are true. ‘And so do loyal News Corp colleagues and the four children from his first two marriages.’ The Guardian continues: ‘Though friends insist Blair and his wife Cherie are a contented couple (despite long separations she works as a barrister, does charity work and has other interests) or that she would not tolerate affairs, rumours have inevitably become attached to him.’ In an investigation into reports that Mr Blair's overnight stays with Ms Deng contributed to the Murdochs' divorce, the Labour-supporting Guardian newspaper claimed . The Guardian says a woman friend of Blair said: ‘He likes women around him, he’s rather flirty.’ The newspaper says his ‘friends seem to accept [his] assurances’ the allegations about Ms Deng are untrue, but adds money is the Blairs’ Achilles heel. ‘Blair stresses the need to fund and staff his philanthropic foundations, but his fondness for yachts, executive jets and Barbados holidays (“How much would I need to have a place like this?” he supposedly asked when staying at Cliff Richard’s home), is more apparent.’ The report follows the publication of a note in which Ms Deng wrote of her ‘crush’: ‘I’m so so missing Tony. He is so charming and his clothes are so good. He has such good body and he has really really good legs.’ It referred to his ‘butt’ and continued: ‘. . . and what else and what else and what else...’ The Guardian suggests Mr Murdoch, 82, could not keep up with Ms Deng, 45. ‘Rupert would be going to the gym at 6am just as Wendi was coming in from a party.’ It says Mr Blair’s enemies have a new joke: ‘Why did Blair betray a friend? Because he could.’ | Rupert Murdoch's feud with Tony Blair over Wendi Deng flared up again after claims the tycoon bullied the PM into becoming godfather to daughter .
Investigation into reports that Mr Blair's overnight stays with Ms Deng contributed to the Murdochs' divorce conducted by Guardian newspaper .
Mr Blair is ‘flirty’ – but wife Cherie would ‘not tolerate’ an affair.
Mr Murdoch’s four adult children share their father’s suspicions.
Mr Blair was about to confess to Mr Murdoch that he had seen his wife alone – but kept quiet when the Murdochs’ two daughters ‘burst in.’ |
75,726 | d6c1b21b169e077c4ece1ff56389a347df469592 | By . Deni Kirkova . Sarah Ferguson was spotted enjoying an evening out at celebrity hotspot Chiltern Firehouse with a glamorous group of friends last night. The Duchess of York, 54, paired her trusty pastel pink blazer with matching nude slipper shoes with pink piping for the girls' night out. She wore a short black dress featuring a flared drop hem with mesh strips, and carried a navy tote. Scroll down for video . Sarah Ferguson wore nude slipper shoes with pink piping to match her pink blazer last night . Fergie was joined by a couple of leggy pals as the group headed to Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone . Her auburn hair was down and loose in a relaxed wavy style and she wore soft makeup and understated jewellery. Her glamorous friends, meanwhile, both opted for tight, short dresses with lace detailing. The leggy pair shunned flats in favour of stiletto heel shoes for their night out at the infamous ex-firehouse turned celebrity magnet. A taxi dropped the trio off yesterday evening and a chauffeured car picked them up at around midnight. Sarah Ferguson was in New York earlier this week visiting daughter Princess Eugenie in her new home . Fergie chose her trusty pink blazer and a drop hem black dress while her friend opted for a short lace dress . 'Firehouse', . as it is called (or hashtagged) by those who dine there, is the latest offering from hip hotelier André . Balazs. Tony Blair, Orlando Bloom, Lily Allen and Kate Moss have all been spotted there - as well as Fergie's own daughter Beatrice. The Firehouse is part of Balazs' collection of luxury hotels which . include The Mercer in Soho, New York, Chateau Marmont in Hollywood and . Sunset Beach in Shelter Island plus The Hamptons. Sarah left the establishment hand in hand with one of her glam young pals . The 54-year-old looked like she'd had a good time at the night spot frequented by her daughter Beatrice . They were driven away in a chauffeured car from the venue owned by André Balazs . Starters include sea trout crudo, yellow mole, coriander (£11) and steak tartare, pine nuts, chipotle and Firehouse hot sauce (£12), while main courses include blackened salmon, sea kale, crispy skin and trout roe (£24) and pan-roasted chicken, charred leek heart, mustard tops (£26). The Duchess of York's girly night out follows a trip to New York earlier this week to visit her youngest daughter Princess Eugenie, who has just been made permanent in her new job in the Big Apple. Her proud mother took the first opportunity to fly out and congratulate her, as the pair were spotted hand in hand on a day out in Soho on Wednesday. The Duchess paused and hugged Eugenie in a heartfelt moment on the sidewalk. Sarah Ferguson visits her youngest daughter Princess Eugenie, pictured yesterday in New York . Sarah and Eugenie took a stroll and went for lunch at a French restaurant. The pair strolled along in short black summery dresses and had bare legs. Sarah's outfit featured white and pink accents and she comfy chose ballet pumps, while Eugenie opted for blue and tan accessories and wore block-heel sandals. Eugenie, . who was expected to return to Britain, has done such an impressive job . during a trial with online auction house Paddle8 that she will be kept . on for good, and her mother clearly couldn't be more delighted for her. She . has spent the past 12 months in America, and will now extend her stay, . with Paddle8 founder Alexander Gilkes describing her as a 'great asset . to the team'. Proud mother, the Duchess of York, hugs Eugenie tightly, shortly after she's made permanent in her new job . | Duchess of York, 54, enjoyed night out with two leggy friends last night .
Wore pink blazer and slipper shoes, pals chose heels and lace dresses .
Sarah was in New York on Wednesday congratulating Eugenie on new job . |
224,770 | af06fe169ace8d806278b10d707d08de99a45056 | Andrew Flintoff is poised to make a shock return to cricket after Lancashire announced they are in talks to bring back the former England all-rounder for their NatWest T20 Blast campaign. Flintoff has not played competitively in nearly five years and bowed out of the game in a blaze of glory by helping England regain the Ashes in 2009, with his retirement, due to a succession of injuries, officially confirmed the following year. But - as revealed by Sportsmail's Paul Newman earlier this month - his old county want the 36-year-old to return. Legend: Andrew Flintoff was pictured entering the Lancashire dressing room after a nets session last week . Iconic: The burly all-rounder dominated English cricket during the early part of the 21st century . Blaze of glory: Flintoff retired from cricket after England's Ashes series victory in 2009 . Flintoff has been training with the first-team squad and working with academy players this season, while earlier this month, the Red Rose tellingly refused to rule out the prospect of Flintoff ending his retirement. The chances of an imminent comeback are unlikely, with Lancashire beginning their T20 Blast campaign on Friday at Nottinghamshire, but Tuesday's announcement brings Flintoff a step closer to a surprise return. 'We are in talks with Andrew over possible involvement with the club during the NatWest T20 Blast campaign,' Lancashire said in a statement. Flintoff has embarked on a successful career in the media since retirement, featuring in a number of television and radio shows for the likes of Sky and the BBC. He also hit the headlines by making a brief foray into boxing in 2012, when he shed the pounds before beating American journeyman Richard Dawson in a poorly-received bout in Manchester. Small screen: Flintoff has gone on to become a TV personality after retiring from cricket . Dalliance: Flintoff also fought - and won - one bout as a professional boxer in November 2012 . | Andrew Flintoff has entered talks with Lancashire over return to cricket .
Former England captain and Ashes hero retired in 2010 .
All-rounder, 36, has carved out a career as a television personality . |
196,017 | 89afc55efbb2cc284dc9218f778a69fc0cb24d3c | By . Olivia Fleming . When 12-year-old Kayla Roncin, Central New Jersey's star player for Toms River Little League baseball team, blasts a home run she makes sure to chant 'girl power' as she makes her way around the field. But the first baseman, relief pitcher, spot starter and Toms River's best hitter won't have that chance for much longer. Kayla's baseball career has a . shelf life, so she is reluctantly starting to get used to her future sport: softball. 'I know she can keep up with those boys,' her mom, Linda Roncin, told The New York Post. 'I don’t understand, why can’t a girl play baseball? Why is it a big deal?' 12-year-old Kayla Roncin, Central New Jersey's star player for Toms River Little League baseball team, pictured with her mom, Linda, after a home run (courtesy of Asbury Park Press) Kayla, who stands tall at 5ft and 8in, has been playing baseball since she was five years old, when her father, Ray, signed . her up. Toms River manager, Pete Avallone, says even then she was better than 95per cent of the boys, and his son, Tyler, an outfielder for Toms River, agrees. 'People don’t expect a girl to be . playing baseball with a bunch of boys, and she’s one of the best on the . team,' Tyler explained. 'She definitely surprises people with everything she does -- . hitting, pitching and fielding.' Pete Avallone admitted that when he picked Kayla -- who has a personal pitching coach and . batting instructor -- for the team, her male teammates were initially 'shocked', but they quickly came around. 'People don't expect a girl to be playing baseball with a bunch of boys, and she's one of the best on the team,' said her teammate, Tyler. 'She surprises people with everything she does - hitting, pitching and fielding' Kayla, who stands tall at five feet and eight inches, has been playing baseball since she was five years old, when her father, Ray, signed her up . 'She’s treated no differently than the . boys on the team. They make fun of her and she gives it right back to . them,' he explained. However there are some players and coaches who laugh when Kayla walks onto the field - something that doesn't seen to rattle her, or her teammates. 'We’re happy, because we know for a fact . she will prove them wrong and show them how good she is,' Tyler said. 'I think that motivates her to do better and prove them wrong. When they . do that, we know she’s going to show them right up.' Pete Avallone admitted that when he picked Kayla for the team four years ago, her male teammates were initially 'shocked' - but they quickly came around . Toms River is one of six teams . in Bristol, Connecticut to make the Mid-Atlantic Regional -- . mainly thanks to Kayla. The fact she has just one more year left on the . field before she will transition into Junior League Softball makes her . 'sad', she said, but she knows she must 'move on'. 'This could be my last time around, so . I want to do the best I can. I really want to win it all so badly.' Kayla's family has already begun looking into high level fast-pitch travel softball teams for Kayla, despite their reluctance to have her quit baseball. 'I think you’re taking the biggest part of her away if she has . to [quit baseball],' said Linda. 'I can’t even, at this point, fathom that. She just . loves the sport. I can’t even tell you how much, and if she’s not . playing it, she’s watching it. That’s gonna be a really tough transition . for her.' Forty years ago, Little League Baseball allowed girls, for the first time, to participate in the world's largest organized youth sports program. A 1973 ruling by Sylvia Pressler, hearing examiner for the New Jersey Civil Rights Division, was upheld in the New Jersey Superior Court a year later, leading to Little League Baseball's admittance of girls into its programs. Until then, Little League regulations had prohibited girls from participating, and the World Series regulations even featured the clause: 'Girls are not eligible under any conditions.' Now, approximately 150,000 girls play in Little League Baseball, and ten girls have participated in the Little League World Series. However, there were only 859 girls playing high school baseball in 2010, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Chelsea Baker, a 17-year-old junior at Durant High School in Plant City, Florida, hopes to be the third girl to be chosen for a college baseball team this year. In 2011, Marti Sementelli, from California, received a combination academic-baseball scholarship to Montreat College, which is part of the NCAA, in North Carolina. And Ghazaleh Sailors, a junior pitcher and backup second baseman for the University of Maine-Presque Isle, is the only woman playing baseball in the NCAA in 2014. Miss Sailors was forced to switch high schools after enduring harassment from her baseball teammates because of her gender. She told The Bangor Daily News earlier this year: 'I’ve gotten death threats over the internet. That was pretty scary.' No woman has ever played in Major League Baseball. | Kayla Roncin, Toms Rivers' best hitter, will join Junior League Softball when she turns 13 - the cut-off for age Little League baseball .
No woman has ever been admitted into the Major Leagues, which has long been dubbed a 'boys club' |
137,026 | 3d414deefa6d6132455435a63ebf9d1c67305edd | Donald Sterling is expected to make a 'last-ditch' bid to remain in the NBA as officials gather today to discuss his expulsion from the sport. The disgraced LA Clippers owner is set launch a stiff legal challenge to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's vow to force him to sell the team. Mr Silver has already banned Sterling from the NBA for life and imposed a maximum $2.5million fine in response to alleged racist remarks about black players. Scroll down for video . Legal battle: LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, left, has reportedly instructed his long-time attorney Robert Platt, right, to fight moves by the NBA to force him to sell up over the racism scandal which has engulfed him . The scandal broke over the weekend when a celebrity news website released audio allegedly of Sterling criticising an ex-girlfriend for associating with 'black people', including stars such as Earvin 'Magic' Johnson. Now a source tells the New York Post that Sterling has instructed his long-time attorney Robert Platt to fight the NBA's moves to excise him from the sport. Mr Platt previously successfully defended Sterling against an lawsuit claiming racial discrimination brought by the Clippers' general manager Elgin Baylor in 2009. The unnamed source told NY Post reporters Fred Kerber and Josh Kosman: 'I think it will be one last-ditch effort for both billionaire Sterling and millionaire Platt.' Swift action: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during a press conference in New York City where he announced that the NBA is banning Sterling from the sport for life over the alleged racist remarks . The move comes ahead of a first . meeting of the advisory finance committee of the NBA board today, which . will review the next steps in forcing Sterling to sell the Clippers. Two . of the league's 29 other team owners, including the governing board's . chairman, have already said they expected to reach the three-quarters . majority vote needed to expel Sterling fully, a move unprecedented in . NBA history. According to . NBA bylaws, Mr Silver must present Sterling with a written copy of any . allegations within three days, and Sterling would have five days to . answer. A special hearing of . the Board of Governors, consisting of all the owners, would then be . held on a date no more than 10 days after Sterling's reply. But it now seems that Sterling, who bought the Clippers in 1981 for $13 million when the team was based in San Diego, will not go without a fight. If owners vote against him, is seems likely that he would seek a temporary restraining order which could lead to an injunction that would keep the case in court for years. Glamorous: The taped conversation is said to have recorded remarks made by Sterling to Vanessa Stiviano, a model of mixed African American and Mexican heritage with whom he has often been seen . Sterling was stripped of his seat on . the board as part of the lifetime ban for the 'deeply offensive and . harmful' racial views he was said to have expressed in audio recordings . released over the weekend. Neither . Sterling nor his representatives have commented on the tapes, in which a . voice said to be his is heard criticising a female friend for . 'associating with black people.' The . female friend was said to be Vanessa Stiviano, a 31-year-old model of . mixed African American and Mexican heritage who has often been seen by . Sterling's side. She has denied being the source of the recording. Ms Stiviano rollerskating: She has denied being the source of the recordings, which emerged at the weekend . Centre of attention: News of the recordings drew outrage from players, fans, politicians - including President Barack Obama - and sponsors, several of whom said they were cutting ties with the team . Mr Silver said on Tuesday that Sterling has acknowledged to the NBA that the recording was authentic but did not apologise for the remarks. News of the recordings drew outrage from players, fans, politicians - including President Barack Obama - and sponsors, several of whom said they were cutting ties with the team, even after the NBA moved to remove Sterling. The ban imposed on Tuesday prohibits Sterling from any ties with the Clippers organisation or the league as a whole and bars him from ever again attending NBA games or practices. Sterling, the longest-tenured of the NBA's 30 owners, also was excluded from any team business or player personnel decisions and was fined $2.5 million, the league's maximum monetary penalty. Asked whether Sterling, 80, could end up an absentee owner if the governing board declined to force a team sale, Mr Silver said: 'I fully expect to get the support I need from the other NBA owners to remove him.' | Donald Sterling has attorney Robert Platt to fight NBA's moves .
The sport is believed to be planning to force him to sell the Clippers .
He could apply for a restraining order and injunction to tie up the case . |
211,264 | 9d9661f8ec75ef54f49d7f0794e5f41bf6649262 | (CNN) -- The nation's best military fliers have had their wings clipped, thanks to the forced spending cuts imposed on the federal government this year. The U.S. Navy on Tuesday announced it was canceling all the air shows its Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron had scheduled for the rest of the year. The Navy action follows the Air Force's April 1 announcement that its Thunderbirds team would not perform again this year. "Recognizing budget realities, current Defense policy states that outreach events can only be supported with local assets at no cost to the government," said a statement Tuesday from the office of the Commander Naval Air Forces in San Diego. "This is one of many steps the Navy is taking to ensure resources are in place to support forces operating forward now and those training to relieve them." The Navy, Air Force and the rest of the federal government must deal with $85 billion in cuts for the rest of fiscal year 2013, which ends September 30, that were mandated by a 2011 agreement by Congress that raised the federal debt ceiling. Obama to propose changes to Medicare and Social Security . The cuts targeted agencies and programs dear to Democrats, such as education, and also went after Republican priorities, including the military. The Air Force had said earlier this year that air shows can cost bases $100,000. More than two dozen Thunderbirds performances scheduled for the rest of this year were cut, including an Asian tour. Air force fighter jets a casualty of budget cuts . The Blue Angels had 32 performances left this year. However, several of those, including one originally scheduled for this coming weekend at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas, had been canceled with the expectation that the budget cuts would force the Navy's hand. The Navy team had also canceled a performance set for MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, last weekend. The next performance still on the schedule would have been at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 22, part of the graduation festivities at the academy. The Navy said the Blue Angels will continue to train at their base in Pensacola, Florida, for when the budget crunch ends. "The Navy believes there is value in demonstrating the professionalism and capabilities of our Navy and Marine Corps Naval Aviation team, thus inspiring future generations of Sailors and Marines. The Navy intends to continue aerial demonstrations in the future as the budget situation permits," the service's statement said. FAA delays closures of 149 control towers . | Navy's Blue Angels had 32 shows left in 2013 .
Air Force's Thunderbirds lose more than two dozen shows .
Federal forced spending cuts lead to cancellations .
Air shows can cost bases $100,000, Air Force says . |
64,730 | b7d4b8380c877052f632ce3d8a3d3b0d712d7215 | By . Sean Poulter . Curbs on how much people can borrow may be needed to puncture a dangerous house price bubble, leading economists warn today. A . cap – suggested as a return to the historic level of about three times a . homebuyer’s income – would tackle rampant house price inflation, . especially in areas where young people and families are either being . priced out or forced to take on potentially crippling mortgages. The . need for curbs on lending has been raised by City economists on the . respected EY Item Club, who revealed that some home loans are back to . the dangerous levels seen before the financial crash. Curbs on how much people can borrow may be needed to puncture a dangerous house price bubble, leading economists warn today . Then, banks such as the failed Northern Rock approved mortgages equivalent to almost six times a couple’s income. But . with interest rates currently at record low levels, anyone borrowing . huge sums now will face soaring repayments if the rates start rising – . which has been predicted within the year. A cap ¿ suggested as a return to the historic level of about three times a homebuyer¿s income ¿ would tackle rampant house price inflation, especially in areas where young people and families are either being priced out or forced to take on potentially crippling mortgages . Andrew Goodwin, economic . advisor to the EY Item Club, said the Bank of England’s Financial Policy . Committee, which is responsible for ensuring the property market does . not overheat, may need to step in. He added: ‘The FPC should be looking . to limit income multiples.’ London house prices leapt by 11.2 per . cent in 2013, and 4.4 per cent across the rest of England and Wales. The . EY Item Club forecasts UK prices will rise by 8.4 per cent this year . and 7.3 per cent in 2015. | Need for curbs raised by City economists on respected EY Item Club .
'Some home loans back to dangerous levels seen before financial crash'
A .
cap would tackle rampant house price inflation, they added . |
276,429 | f22469c6885a6c91be7b4f3c5777d6e255342dba | A woman has been arrested for drunk driving through a town in the wrong lane - while dressed as Hello Kitty. Carrie Gipson, 37, was dressed as the Japanese cartoon character at 2am Sunday morning when police in Gorham, Maine, pulled her over. Gipson, wearing a frilly pink and white outfit with a white, cat-shaped face mask with a bow on top, was arrested when she refused to take an OUI test. Hello, officer: Carrie Gipson, pictured left in her police mugshot, was pulled over Sunday morning for driving in the wrong lane while dressed as Hello Kitty. The centerpiece to her costume is pictured right . She was taken to the Cumberland County Jail in nearby Portland, the Smoking Gun reported. A law enforcement source told MailOnline: 'She had a bad night'. Officers used the opportunity to remind drivers in the area that they will be especially vigilant for costumed drivers with Hallowe'en approaching. Original: Hello Kitty is a popular Japanese cartoon character. A float featuring the feline is pictured below in the New York Macy's Thanksgiving parade . | Carrie Gipson, 37, was pulled over at 2am Sunday in Gorham, Maine .
Refused an OUI test and was arrested after being stopped in cartoon outfit . |
39,393 | 6f4b1e390590a323707fd94573e7a247746d6581 | Taking the stand on Wednesday, the third day of the George Zimmerman trial, a friend of Trayvon Martin testified Wednesday about the final moments of the teenager's life, saying that Martin told her someone was following him. "A man was watching him," said Rachel Jeantel, 19, who was on the phone with Martin just before he was fatally shot. "He said the man kept watching him. He kept complaining that a man was just watching him." That man was Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch captain charged with second-degree murder for killing 17-year-old Martin in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012. He told police he was pursuing the teenager because there had been a rash of crime in the area. A confrontation ensued, and Zimmerman said he was forced to kill Martin in self-defense. Jeantel testified that as he neared the home of his father's girlfriend, Martin tried to lose Zimmerman. "And then he said, 'That N-word is still following me now,'" said Jeantel. "I asked him how the man looked like. He just told me the man looked 'creepy.' 'Creepy, white' -- excuse my language -- 'cracker. Creepy [expletive] cracker." Jeantel says she heard Martin talking to Zimmerman in the background of the call. "He said, 'Why are you following me for?' And I heard a hard-breathing man say, 'What you doing around here?'" said Jeantel. Jeantel also said she heard a bump from Martin's headset hitting something and "wet grass sounds." "I start hearing a little bit of Trayvon saying, 'Get off, get off!'" said Jeantel. Fast facts: Trayvon Martin shooting . She told the prosecutor that the screams for help heard on the 911 call made by a neighbor belong to Martin. But on cross-examination, defense attorney Don West read part of a transcript from Jeantel's deposition, in which she said she wasn't sure if it was Martin's voice or not. "It could be. Like I said, I don't know but it could be," said Jeantel, according to the transcript. "The dude sound kind of like Trayvon. Trayvon do got that soft voice and that baby voice sometimes, so it could be, I don't know." Jeantel admitted to West that she lied several times to Martin's family. She said she told them she was 16, not 18, because she wanted to be treated like a minor and have privacy. She also said she lied about not attending Martin's memorial service because she was in the hospital. The truth, she said, was that she was afraid to see the body. "You got to understand, you the last person to talk to the person and he died on the phone after you talked to him -- you got to understand what I'm trying to tell you," said Jeantel. "I'm the last person, you don't know how it felt. You think I really want to go see the body after I just talked to him?" Jeantel said. Jeantel appeared to get frustrated several times during the cross-examination, including one time when West suggested they could break until the morning so she'd have more time to review the deposition transcript. "No, I'm leaving today," Jeantel told the defense attorney as she looked over the papers. "Are you refusing to come back tomorrow?" asked West. The judge stepped in and asked West to keep the questions and answers to Jeantel's testimony. Earlier in the afternoon, jurors heard five other non-emergency calls Zimmerman made reporting suspicious people in his neighborhood. The defense wanted the calls to be thrown out, questioning their relevance, but the judge ruled they would be allowed in. Prosecutors had argued that the calls show Zimmerman's state of mind the night he shot Martin. In one of the calls, made on February 2, 2012, about three weeks before Martin's death, Zimmerman told the dispatcher he saw a black man walking around a neighbor's home. He said he also had seen this man walking around the neighborhood on trash days. "I don't know what he's doing, I don't want to approach him, personally," said Zimmerman on the recording. Opening statements: Expletives and a knock-knock joke . In another call made in October 2011, Zimmerman reported two "suspicious characters" who were "just hanging out, loitering" in his neighborhood. When the dispatcher asked if he can still see the suspects, Zimmerman said no because he "didn't want to attract attention" to himself. An eyewitness who also testified on Wednesday said she heard what sounded "like a boy" cry for help during the altercation that ended in Martin's death. Jayne Surdyka, Zimmerman's former neighbor, said she heard screams and opened her window to look out into the courtyard on the night of the shooting. Defense attorney West challenged Surdyka about what she heard that night, saying it is possible for a teenager to have a deeper voice and for a man to have a higher-pitched voice. "It sounded more like a boy to me," said Surdyka. Multiple times, Surdyka said she saw two men struggling on the ground, one on top of the other, but she couldn't discern who was on top because it was dark and rainy that night. Prosecutor Bernie De La Rionda played for the jury the 911 call Surdyka made the night of shooting. On the recording, Surdyka is heard crying and becoming hysterical. The 911 operator stayed on the phone with her to calm her down. Prosecutors also called Jeannee Manalo, another witness, to the stand Wednesday. Manalo testified that from her point of view inside her townhome, she could see two men struggling on the ground. She also said she believes Zimmerman was on top of Martin during the altercation and that she could see his hands moving. During cross-examination, Manalo said photographs she saw on the news of a younger Martin support her view that Zimmerman was on top during the altercation. Defense attorney Mark O'Mara asked her if she had ever seen recent photos of Martin. She said no but maintained that based on the photographs, the bigger person was on top, and Zimmerman seemed to be the bigger person. Before court recessed for the day, the defense told the judge it expects to need a couple more hours to question Martin's friend, Jeantel. Testimony is scheduled to resume Thursday at 9 a.m. ET. Opinion: What Zimmerman's all-female jury says . | The woman was on the phone with Trayvon Martin moments before he died .
Rachel Jeantel testifies that Martin told her a man was watching him .
Martin asked the man "Why are you following me for?" Jeantel says .
An earlier prosecution witness says she heard a "boy" cry for help . |
168,650 | 6627688a8700b0249cde56eb18b04ade16c8c1b2 | By . Michael Seamark . PUBLISHED: . 12:27 EST, 16 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:45 EST, 16 May 2013 . The BBC was forced to broadcast another grovelling apology for Newsnight yesterday after a flawed report on Help for Heroes. The programme, which accused the military charity of misspending its cash, was made by the same journalist and group of researchers responsible for Newsnight’s disastrous ‘investigation’ three months later which falsely accused Lord McAlpine of being a paedophile. That slur cost the BBC £185,000 in damages to the peer and almost brought down the corporation’s flagship TV news programme. The BBC has been forced to apologise for the Newsnight programme, presented by Eddie Mair (pictured) The BBC's editorial complaints unit said the report, by Angus Stickler (pictured), was 'misleading' and 'unfair' Last night Help for Heroes accused . the reporter responsible for the Newsnight attack on the charity, Angus . Stickler, and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism – with whom he . worked – of ‘shoddy journalism’. Mr Stickler resigned as chief . reporter of the now-discredited BIJ after the McAlpine scandal last . November implicating the former Tory Party treasurer in child abuse . claims. The BBC has now admitted that Mr . Stickler and the BIJ’s programme about Help for Heroes was ‘misleading’ and ‘unfair’ to the charity and the programme misrepresented the views . of Diane Dernie, the mother of badly wounded soldier Ben Parkinson. The Newsnight report screened last . August accused the charity – which was founded in 2007 and has raised . more than £150million – of being ‘too cosy’ with the Ministry of Defence . and subsidising Government rehabilitation buildings rather than . spending on everyday care for veterans. Help for Heroes co-founder Bryn Parry was interviewed on the programme, broadcast on August 9, 2012 . Mr Parry, who featured in a discussion after the report (left), said he and his wife Emma are grateful the BBC has admitted it got the 'story completely wrong' Former Army chief Lord Dannatt led a . barrage of criticism of the programme, saying the use of servicemen . quoted in the report was ‘a tragic abuse of them and a tragic abuse of . the truth’. He also raised fears that Newsnight . may have ‘seriously prejudiced’ the charity’s efforts to raise another . £63million for the recovery centres vital to helping wounded service . personnel. The charity’s co-founder and chief . executive, Bryn Parry, formally complained to the BBC, which insisted . days after the broadcast: ‘We stand by the programme and the high . quality of our journalism.’ Help for Heroes reluctantly decided . to take no further action at the time because it felt such a move would . distract from its principal task of helping wounded servicemen. Help for Heroes was accused of misspending funds in the Newsnight report . The BBC admitted it 'misrepresented' the views of Diane Parkinson, mother of wounded soldier Ben (pictured together) But when the McAlpine programme hit . the headlines in November – when Newsnight was already under fire for . dropping a report into disgraced DJ Jimmy Savile’s years of sex crimes – . the charity realised the same journalist and research team were . involved, and asked the BBC to examine its complaint again. The corporation said yesterday: . ‘Following an investigation by its Editorial Complaints Unit, the BBC . now accepts that its coverage was misleading and unfair to Help for . Heroes. ‘The BBC gave the impression that . Help for Heroes was responsible for shortcomings in the provision of . support to wounded veterans. 'The Editorial Complaints Unit found no . evidence to support this suggestion. ‘Although it was legitimate to report . the concerns of veterans, the BBC portrayed criticisms about overall . support by a number of agencies as specific criticisms of Help for . Heroes. 'This unfair impression was reinforced by our coverage of the . story in other outlets. ‘In addition, the Newsnight report . contained interviews with two contributors which were edited in a way . which misrepresented their views.’ Mr Parry said: ‘My issue has not been . with the BBC, my issue has been with Angus Stickler and the Bureau of . Investigative Journalism and what I feel was shoddy journalism. ‘The Newsnight report was a complete . shock to us, but an even bigger shock to the men and women we’re helping . to recover. The BIJ should now apologise.’ Mr Stickler said he stood by the . story ‘100 per cent’ and claimed the BBC investigation ‘failed to fully . and properly reflect the evidence put before it’. | BBC admitted the report on August 9, 2012, was 'unfair' and 'misleading'
Conceded views of contributors were 'misrepresented'
The charity had been accused of wasting millions of pounds, not supporting veterans or providing the best care .
Help for Heroes welcomed apology and said it was grateful BBC has admitted it got the story 'completely wrong'
Newsnight heavily criticised for bungled Lord McAlpine report . |
77,915 | dce18eab34a6b07668fea7b57fbdb9588f724d6f | A New York tattoo artist has died after he attempted to surf an elevator, according to reports. Tito Morales, 20, was unconscious when he was found wedged between the elevator car and the wall of the shaft at an apartment block in the Longwood neighborhood of the Bronx on Monday morning. Police told the New York Post that the man, who was heading to pick up some cigarettes after visiting his girlfriend in the building, might have been riding on top of the elevator to 'surf' it when something went wrong. Killed: Tito Morales, 20, was found wedged between an elevator car and the wall of the elevator shart in an apartment block in the Bronx in the early hours of Monday. He was pronounced dead at the scene . Morales tried to jump from the top of one elevator to another when he misjudged the distance and became stuck between the 18th and 19th floors, sources told Sky News. Emergency services were called to the grisly scene around 4am on Monday. They managed to pull Morales out from the shaft but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner will determine cause of the death and investigators are still trying to determine exactly how he entered the shaft. Other residents told the Post that the elevator was unreliable and often became stuck. About 30 people gathered to see the body being taken out of at the Adams Houses as friends and family hugged each other and sobbed, the New York Daily News reported. One woman was screaming, 'Mi niño! Mi niño!' ('My child! My child!') as others tried to calm her. Evangelita Presinal, 22, said she had . just visited Morales' girlfriend, Joann Sanchez, who lives with her two . children in the building. Humble: Morales, who loved tattooing, had just been visiting his girlfriend in the block when he was killed on Monday morning. Police sources said he had been surfing the elevator when something went wrong . Concerns: Other residents said that the elevators in the Bronx building, pictured, were always unreliable . 'I just came from her house. She's devastated,' Presinal said. 'He was just a humble person, stuck to himself.' She added that Morales, who went by the nickname 'Bebo', loved his work as a tattoo artist and had tattooed her brother. His Facebook page shows tattoos he completed on himself as well as numerous pictures of body art he completed on others. His older brother mourned the loss of Morales on his own Facebook page, writing: 'Feelin like iam in a dream... God wake me up when u readyy .. Please tell me u aint take my lil brother from mee !! ' | Tito Morales was found wedged between an elevator car and the elevator shaft wall at 4am on Monday and he was later pronounced dead .
Police are trying to determine exactly how he got into the shaft but a source said he had been surfing on top of the elevator .
Other residents said the elevators were always unreliable . |
1,949 | 059fd188e39fb5bcfb3c758b6843761025f6d332 | Qunu, South Africa (CNN) -- Ten days of mourning for South Africa's anti-apartheid icon and former leader Nelson Mandela will come to an end Sunday with his state funeral. After Tuesday's vibrant, if rain-drenched, memorial service, followed by three days of public viewing of the former president's casket in Pretoria, the burial will be a slightly more private affair. About 100,000 people have paid homage to Mandela in those three days, including 50,000 who came to pay their respects Friday, the South African government said. Here is how CNN expects events to unfold, based on information from the government and sources involved in planning for the funeral -- although plans may change because of weather, security and other factors. Return to the Eastern Cape . A military plane carrying Mandela's body flew Saturday from an air force base in Pretoria to South Africa's Eastern Cape province, where Mandela's ancestral village of Qunu lies. The family farm there will be his final resting place. President Jacob Zuma and other members of South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress, gathered to bid Mandela farewell from the air force base. "We will miss him. He was our leader in a special time," said Zuma. Mandela's casket, draped in the national flag, was carried by soldiers to the plane. Thousands of mourners lined the streets from Mthatha Airport, the closest to Qunu, as Mandela's remains were transported to the remote village where he spent much of his childhood. Traditional ceremony and vigil . Once at Mandela's house in Qunu, the military was expected formally to pass responsibility for his remains to his family. The South African flag draped over the coffin will be replaced with a tribal symbol of the Xhosa people, symbolizing the return of one of their own. At dusk, ANC leaders, local chiefs and the men in Mandela's family are expected to gather for a private night vigil, held according to the traditions of the Thembu community, his native clan, before a public funeral the next day. Villagers may gather outside the house to pay their respects. The coffin will lie in Mandela's bedroom overnight. The room overlooks the hills around Qunu and his grave site. Who's attending . Foreign leaders were encouraged to attend Tuesday's memorial service in Johannesburg. Nonetheless, dozens of international dignitaries are expected to make their way to the Eastern Cape for Mandela's funeral. The airport in East London, south of Qunu, will be used for their arrival and departure, with access closely controlled. Notable figures thought to be on the guest list include Britain's Prince Charles, TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and U.S. civil rights activist the Rev. Jesse Jackson. There's no doubting the global media interest. More than 4,000 journalists had been accredited as of Friday morning, with more expected, a government spokeswoman said. However, only the national broadcaster will be given access to the funeral, with other journalists in Qunu to be based at the Nelson Mandela Museum. The event will be broadcast to an audience of millions around the world. The funeral . A private family prayer service will be held Sunday morning at Mandela's home. The funeral will then be held in a huge white tent set up at the family farm. The Mandela family, President Zuma and Cabinet members will be present as well as local and foreign dignitaries. About 4,500 people are expected. The military will again be charged with draping Mandela's coffin with the flag. Members of the military will perform a salute, and the national anthem will be played. The burial . A group of family and close friends, expected to number about 430, will walk up to the grave site to bid a final farewell to the man many saw as the father of their nation. About 2 p.m. -- when the summer sun is high in the sky -- Mandela will be laid to rest in the rocky soil of his childhood home. The burial area has been especially built for him; some of Mandela's long deceased family members are already buried at the site. It will be, according to custom, a homecoming. His grave site is surrounded by rocky outcrops, hardy grass used for the grazing of cattle and bright orange aloe plants. The aloes are indigenous succulents that are hardy, drought-resistant, medicinal plants that bloom across the bushveld when all else is dry and dull. They can be seen as a symbolic floral gesture to a man whose life was filled with sacrifice and tragedy but who triumphed with a tenacity of spirit and hope in even the darkest of days. Security . With so many high-profile guests in South Africa for Mandela's state funeral, security has been a key concern. Zuma has authorized nearly 12,000 members of the South African National Defence Force to serve alongside the police force "to maintain law and order" during the funeral period, the presidency said. They are employed for 15 days, from December 6 to December 20. A tight military cordon is expected around the funeral site to assuage security fears. CNN's Robyn Curnow reported from inside the Mandela compound in Qunu, and Laura Smith-Spark wrote and reported in London. | NEW: Mandela's body reaches the village of Qunu, in South Africa's Eastern Cape province .
ANC leaders, local chiefs and the men in Mandela's family will hold a private vigil .
About 4,500 people will attend the funeral Sunday on the family farm .
The funeral service will be followed by a smaller burial ceremony . |
251,476 | d1826599164a3b96d92ff1cbb5da5951df0898ce | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A California food processing plant is voluntarily recalling up to 1 million pounds of roasted pistachio products that may have been contaminated with salmonella, the Food and Drug Administration announced Monday. Salmonella strains were found last week during routine test by Kraft Foods, one company that purchased the nuts. The nuts came from Setton Farms in Terra Bella, California, about 75 miles south of Fresno. They were largely distributed in 2,000-pound containers to food wholesalers who would then package them for resale or incorporate them as ingredients in other products, such as ice cream and trail mix. No illnesses have been linked to this case, said Dr. David Acheson, FDA's associate commissioner. But salmonella strains were found last week during routine test by Kraft Foods, one of about three dozen companies that purchase pistachios from Setton Farms, he said. Kraft notified the FDA on March 24. Setton Farms did not immediately respond to CNN requests for comment. Acheson emphasized that unlike the recent case of salmonella-tainted peanut butter, this recall was not prompted by an sickness outbreak, saying the decision was a "proactive" move. He said the FDA has received two recent complaints, from the East and West coasts, from people who say they became ill after eating pistachio products, but a link to Setton Farms has not been confirmed, he said. The FDA is advising consumers not to eat any pistachio products, but not to throw them out, either, because additional recalls are likely and having products that could be turned in would allow for easier tracing of contamination. The agency is setting up a Web site to update the public. Dr. Jeff Farrar, head of the California health department's food and drug division, said it's likely that the roasted pistachios will be found in a wide variety of products. He noted that Setton Farms is the second-largest pistachio processor in the nation. Raw pistachios are roasted to a temperature that should kill salmonella, Acheson said. Because the roasted products tested positive for salmonella suggest cross-contamination with raw products. Acheson added that the Setton Farms recall is related to the one announced Friday by Kroger, a grocery store chain with stores in 31 states. Kroger recalled Private Selection shelled pistachios from its retail stores because of possible salmonella contamination. Kroger, in a statement Friday, said no illnesses have been reported in connection with the product. In February, Kroger was among retailers that recalled peanut products tied to the Peanut Corporation of America, a Virginia-based company accused by the FDA of knowingly selling peanut butter and peanut paste that was contaminated with salmonella. PCA's peanut processing plant in Blakely, Georgia, is being investigated in connection with a salmonella outbreak that has sickened more than 500 people and has been linked to eight deaths. | The pistachios, mostly sold to wholesalers, came from Setton Farms in California .
Kraft is one of three dozen companies to purchase pistachios from Setton Farms .
No illnesses have been linked to this case so far .
Setton Farms is the second-largest pistachio processor in the nation . |
53,986 | 9908eb4df83cdbb3e2120e79867b09faa617dfef | (Budget Travel) -- If you book hotels online, it's time to face facts: Your favorite travel website probably isn't cutting it. In the past decade, some of the best-known travel sites have lost their fastball. They're not as smart and nimble as the new kids on the Web that now have tools for smarter comparison shopping, searches for smaller B&Bs and niche neighborhoods, and access to blocks of rooms reserved for its members. Before you try these, one word of caution: No single site is the be-all-and-end-of-all of hotel booking. We recommend using at least two search tools, such as your current favorite online travel agency and one of the hotel shopping engines we've named here, to max out your chances of nabbing the perfect room or upgrade. Happy shopping! BackBid . Best for: Travelers who like the idea of hotel owners competing for their business. What it does: Hoteliers often hold back a handful of rooms to sell to last-minute guests, but they don't always fill them. You can book one of these rooms as they're released by logging on to BackBid, which enables hotels to sell rooms to travelers who already have confirmed bookings at rival properties. How it works: Book a refundable reservation at a hotel through your favorite website, and then create a free account at BackBid. Forward the email with your confirmed hotel reservation to the site, and it will shoot your reservation details -- minus your credit card information -- to dozens of hotels at your destination. BackBid will then share with you any counter-offers rival hotels may make, such as a comparable room at a lower rate. DealBase . Best for: Travelers who want an independent source to vouch for the honesty of vacation package prices. What it does: Many hotels tout packages that include perks, such as valet parking and a spa treatment, claiming that the package prices represent deep discounts over buying the components separately. DealBase vets each package for its true value. How it works: Use DealBase to pick a hotel package at your destination, then click on the listing for a breakdown of the estimated costs of the package's components. (The site even publishes a list of the "worst" hotel deals.) Budget Travel: 12 elevators you need to see to believe . HotelSweep . Best for: Travelers who prefer staying at independently owned properties. What it does: Founded this year, HotelSweep lists more than 50,000 U.S. hotels, motels, B&Bs, and guesthouses, scraping listings off countless websites. (A British version, hotelsweep.co.uk, does the same thing for lodging in the United Kingdom.) One of the perks of the site is that it lists mom-and-pop properties -- places that generally aim to attract budget-conscious travelers, but are too small to afford the costs of being listed with multinational travel agencies. How it works: Punch your destination into HotelSweep's "direct hotel search" tool, and the site will fetch a quick-and-dirty list of properties, which you can sort by nightly rate or distance from a particular location. A Google Street View image of the property is provided, but it's up to you to take the next step and contact the managers and book a room. If that is too much work, HotelSweep also has a "live price comparison" tool, which is a standard booking engine powered by HotelsCombined.com, an Australian rival to Kayak, though it doesn't include all of the mom-and-pop listings that turn up in the "direct hotel search" tool. Hipmunk . Best for: Culture vultures and nightlife fans who want to stay in the buzziest neighborhoods. What it does: Previously a metasearch site for airfare, Hipmunk last year added hotels to its repertoire. One of its signature tricks is to allow a traveler to name his or her favorite interest, such as nightlife, shopping, and museum-hopping, and the site will filter its listings to only display hotels in neighborhoods with an especially high number of relevant venues, such as bars, boutiques, and museums. How it works: Run a search for a hotel like you would on any travel site, and Hipmunk retrieves real-time rates from booking sites, such as Orbitz, Getaroom, Hotels.com, HotelsCombined, and vacation rental platform Airbnb. Hipmunk also assigns an "ecstasy" rating to each hotel, based on an evaluation of the property's rates, amenities, and user reviews on TripAdvisor. Budget Travel: 15 food etiquette rules that might surprise you . Momondo . Best for: Travelers booking hotels overseas who have been disappointed by the selection on U.S.-based travel agencies. What it does: In 2010, Momondo, moved beyond being a flight metasearch engine and now lists hotels from major overseas hotel booking sites, such as Escapio and Hotelopia, which tend to be overlooked by U.S.-based travel sites like Expedia. It also includes an option to search for hostels. How it works: Like Kayak, you enter your search query, and the site draws up a list of rates from various online travel agencies and hotel sites. Room 77 . Best for: Travelers whose priority is a room with the most amenities. What it does: Room 77 is unique in researching room-by-room amenities and floor plans for hundreds of three- to five-star hotels in about 30 North American, European, and Asian cities. It then facilitates booking a particular type of room. How it works: Room 77 works like a typical hotel search engine, only it goes into much greater detail about the amenities available in individual rooms at hotels, such as what the view might be from any given window. Guests who book directly through Room 77 can take advantage of its free "room concierge" feature, in which it contacts hotel managers on a guest's behalf to request a room matching his or her preferences, such as "connecting rooms" and "distance from elevators." There are no guarantees, but the site claims that its customers have a high satisfaction rate with its concierge service. Budget Travel: 21 girl trips you absolutely love . Room Key . Best for: Travelers who prefer the consistency and quality control of U.S.-owned chain hotels, and don't want to be distracted with information about other places. What it does: Seven hotel chains -- Best Western, Choice Hotels (Comfort Inn, Quality Inn), Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo), Marriott, and Wyndham (Howard Johnson, Ramada, Days Inn, Super 8) -- are listing their rooms together in a new search engine. Unlike major online travel agencies like Expedia and Priceline, Room Key limits its selection to chains, eliminating most of the uncertainty about what kind of hotel you might end up with. How it works: Punch in your destination and travel dates and the site brings up a list of relevant hotels, which you can winnow down using the standard tools, such as distance, price, and star rating. When you decide to book, you're sent directly to a hotel owned website, where you'll need to enter your credit card number to book the room. Booking directly with the hotel cuts out the middleman and earns you customer loyalty points. YourRoomKey . Best for: Travelers looking mostly for American business-type hotels. What it does: Finds the cheapest rooms at major-brand hotels located at America's largest airports and financial districts -- and nearly nowhere else. How it works: This consolidator has access to rooms at a volume discount with major brands like Hyatt and Marriott at most major U.S. airports (especially Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.). By only allowing members to see deals, the site is able to offer rates much lower than major chains and websites with lowest-price guarantees offered to the general public. Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2011 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved. | Use DealBase to pick a hotel package and to get a breakdown of the estimated costs .
HotelSweep is best for travelers who prefer staying at independently owned properties .
Room 77 works like a typical search engine, only it goes into greater detail on hotel amenities . |
268,560 | e7de6389008925bd1538e67110a0c919b4efcf61 | By . Emily Crane . A Victorian plumber who received an entire hand transplant three years ago says the process was so successful he has almost forgotten he had no hands to begin with. Peter Walsh, 68, was the first Australian and oldest person in the world to receive the hand transplant back in March 2011. Despite his new hand remaining numb for two months following the nine-hour operation, Mr Walsh said he had adapted well and could now write, feed himself, and attach his prosthetic limbs. Scroll down for video . Peter Walsh, 68, was the first Australian and oldest person in the world to receive the hand transplant back in March 2011 . 'I almost forget I had no hands now,' he told ninemsn. 'I can do things for myself. A few things I can't do with one hand, like it's hard to put a coat on. Things like that I still (need a hand with). 'I can put both my prosthetic legs on… the hardest I find is to put my socks on.' Doctors were forced to amputate both of Mr Walsh's hands and feet back in 2006 after he was struck down with pneumococcal sepsis, a bacterial infection that saw him placed in an induced coma. Mr Walsh's new hand was numb for two months following the nine-hour operation at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne . Mr Walsh managed to write a letter with his new hand to the family of the donor last year after they made contact with him following the procedure . He woke from the coma to find his limbs dying in front of his eyes. Mr Walsh managed to write a letter to the family of the donor last year after they made contact with him following the procedure. He doesn't know how old his hand is but does know it belonged to a mountain climber. Before the operation at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, brain scans showed basically a blank area because he hadn't needed to use his hand for several years. But the same area has begun to 'wake up' in the years following the transplant. 'I've had two CT scans since and it improved both times,' Mr Walsh said. Doctors were forced to amputate both of Mr Walsh's hands and feet back in 2006 after he was struck down with pneumococcal sepsis . He woke from the coma to find his limbs dying in front of his eyes from the bacterial infection . | Peter Walsh, 68, was the oldest person in the world to receive a full hand transplant back in March 2011 .
His hand took two months to adapt following the nine-hour operation .
He wrote a letter to the donor's family last year after they made contact following his operation three years ago .
Mr Walsh had both hands and feet amputated in 2006 after developing a bacterial infection that saw his limbs die . |
133,432 | 388b8ce7a87ceeb0b2e0dd3a7fb0ca57d552204d | (CNN) -- An Iranian court has sentenced the so-called "blogfather" of Iran to 19½ years in prison, the semi-official Mashregh news website said Tuesday. Hossein Derakhshan was "convicted of cooperating with enemy states, making propaganda against the Islamic system of government, promoting small anti-revolutionary groups, managing obscene web sites and insulting Islamic sanctities," Mashregh reported. The 35-year-old Canadian-Iranian blogger and activist was also banned from journalistic endeavors and from joining any political parties for five years. Derakhshan was arrested on November 1, 2008, and is being held at the Evin Prison in Tehran, reported the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Hamed Derakhshan, Hossein Derakhshan's brother, was shocked when he discovered the news of Hossein Derakhshan's sentence from an online news report. "It targets exactly freedom of speech and expression. Maybe they are trying to make an example of him by giving him a heavy sentence," Hamed Derakhshan told CNN. The Derakhshan family will appeal Hossein Derakhshan's sentence. Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, condemned the sentence. "This is the longest sentence issued against a blogger in Iran, and it is solely because of his opinions and blogging. The sentence is meant to send a chilling message to the Iranian youth to stay away from the internet in practicing their freedom of expression," Ghaemi said. Derakhshan's blog, titled Editor Myself on i.hoder.com, gained worldwide notoriety. He got particular attention for helping other Iranians start their own blogs with step-by-step start-up guides published in Persian. Derakhshan also blogged on many political issues including freedom of expression, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israeli relations in the Middle East. In 2006 Derakhshan shocked his followers when he visited Israel on his Canadian passport. "He was reporting his trip minute by minute on his blog ... in both English and Persian. It was the first time that an Iranian was reporting the real life in Israel," Hamed Derakhshan said. Shortly before his imprisonment Hossein Derakhshan began writing in support of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "He felt Ahmadinejad was doing good for Iran. At that point many Iranian bloggers didn't like his ideas. He believed in the system. He did not believe it was perfect, but he thought he could work with the system and make it better," Hamed Derakhshan said. CNN attempts to contact Iranian authorities for comment were unsuccessful. | Hossein Derakhshan is 35-year-old Canadian-Iranian blogger .
Derakhshan convicted of anti-Islamic actions, cooperating with enemy states .
Derakhshan gained notoriety after being first Iranian to blog from Israel . |
118,545 | 2512b50e5c84ded807aa9d1bae8121d190925726 | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 15:53 EST, 23 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:09 EST, 26 November 2012 . When it comes to sport, former world number one tennis star Caroline Wozniacki is used to taking centre stage. But the 22-year-old was happy to take on the role of cheerleader today to support her golfer boyfriend Rory McIlroy during the second round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. The Danish athlete, who was accompanied by Rory's father Gerry McIlroy, brought a touch of glamour to the greens in a tight grey mini-dress with sheer black panels. Support: Rory McIlroy's girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki walks alongside his father Gerry McIlroy during round two of the DP World Golf Championship in Dubai . World number one McIlroy, 23, is in a three-way tie for the lead in Dubai with Luke Donald and Marc Warren. The Northern Ireland native has bounced back after being diagnosed with a sickness bug on Thursday night. McIlroy defied the overnight bout of illness to post a 67 for an 11-under-par total of 133 today. His recovery was put down to a cup of lemon tea from Miss Wozniacki. The golfer's girlfriend continued to display her devotion today, chatting to her boyfriend's father as they walked the fairways at the Jumeirah Golf Estates. Number one fan: Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki watched her golfer boyfriend Rory McIlroy play during the second round of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai . Miss Wozniacki walked barefoot down the fairways on the golf course in Dubai . The tennis player's boyfriend is vying for the top spot in the DP World Tour Championship . Day job: A former world number one tennis player, Miss Wozniacki can certainly hold her own when it comes to sporting achievements . | Danish tennis star is in Dubai supporting McIlroy during the second round of the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates .
Miss Wozniacki, 22, walked alongside her boyfriend's father Gerry McIlroy on the fairways . |
125,454 | 2e3223080958c815ab19090980067cbf23a3a12b | (CNN) -- Forget Disneyland! Costa Rica is the happiest place in the world, according to an independent research group in Britain with the goal of building a new economy, "centered on people and the environment." Costa Rica is known for its lush rain forests and pristine beaches. In a report released Saturday, the group ranks nations using the "Happy Planet Index," which seeks countries with the most content people. In addition to happiness, the index by the New Economics Foundation considers the ecological footprint and life expectancy of countries. "Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world and have the second-highest average life expectancy of the new world (second to Canada)," the organization said in a statement. They "also have an ecological footprint that means that the country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of ... consuming its fair share of the Earth's natural resources." The Central American country, tucked between Nicaragua and Panama, touts its lush rain forests and pristine beaches. Its president, Oscar Arias Sanchez, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for trying to help end civil wars in several Central American countries. This year's survey, which looked at 143 countries, featured Latin American nations in nine of the Top 10 spots. The runner-up was the Dominican Republic, followed by Jamaica, Guatemala and Vietnam. Most developed nations lagged in the study. While Britain ranked 74th, the United States snagged the 114th spot, because of its hefty consumption and massive ecological footprint. The United States was greener and happier 20 years ago than it is today, the report said. Other populous nations, such as China and India, had a lower index brought on by their vigorous pursuit of growth-based models, the survey suggested. "As the world faces the triple crunch of deep financial crisis, accelerating climate change and the looming peak in oil production, we desperately need a new compass to guide us," said Nic Marks, founder of the foundation's center for well-being. Marks urged nations to make a collective global change before "our high-consuming lifestyles plunge us into the chaos of irreversible climate change." The report, which was first conducted in 2006, covers 99 percent of the world population, the statement said. | Costa Rica beats out Dominican Republic as "happiest" place in world .
Independent British group claims Costa Ricans have world's highest life satisfaction .
Central American nation also praised for its environmental efforts . |
122,719 | 2a9c237ce6cbc71c1597baf7664dc11d9d469f96 | Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he would only point at his watch to influence match officials and opponents despite rarely being aware of how many minutes were left in a match for his Manchester United side to find a goal. Ferguson's United became famous for winning points in the closing minutes of matches in a timekeeping tactic which soon became labelled as 'Fergie Time'. Speaking on BT Sport's Clare Balding Meets, Ferguson said: 'Absolutely (other team's were frightened of it). That's why I used to go with my watch. Clare Balding (left) chats with former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for BT Sport . United boss Sir Alex Ferguson points to his watch during a Premier League match against Bolton in 2003 . Ferguson, seen here grabbing former Everton manager David Moyes' watch, has revealed that he would use the 'Fergie Time' tactic to influence the officials . - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer netted three minutes into injury time against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final to win the trophy for United. - A goal by Steve Bruce six minutes into stoppage time against Sheffield Wednesday gave Fergie his first title with United in April 1993. - In 2009 Federico Macheda scored the winner in the 93rd minute for United against Aston Villa in a thrilling 3-2 win in that ultimately clinched yet another league title for United. - Michael Owen bagged a truly memorable Old Trafford winner with his late striker against rivals Manchester City in 2009. City boss Mark Hughes was furious the six minutes of added on time. 'But I never looked at my watch. Honestly. I didn’t know how many minutes but it gets across to the opponents and the referee. It was just a little trick.' One of United's most famous late victories in recent years came in 2009 when Ferguson's side beat their 'noisy neighbours' Manchester City in an unforgettable derby with a Michael Owen goal deep in stoppage time to claim a 4-3 victory. City manager Mark Hughes was left bemused at how the referee had played six minutes of injury time when the fourth official had indicated there would be just four added at the end of the 90. Federico Macheda also announced himself to the Old Trafford crowd with a 93rd minute winner against Aston Villa in 2009. And, in so doing, calmed fears that the Red Devils might let a third consecutive title slip through their fingers. However, the Old Trafford club's most famous late goal came from the boot of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the Norwegian striker secured the 1999 Champions League title and the Treble in a 2-1 win against Bayern Munich. Ferguson's side were 1-0 behind before substitutes Teddy Sheringham and Solskjaer turned the game on its head in a matter of minutes. Ferguson celebrates United's last minute winner against rivals Manchester City on 2009 . Michael Owen (left) and Gary Neville celebrate the striker's late winner against City . Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored three minutes into stoppage time to clinch to Champions League title in 1999 . Ferguson (right) embraces Federico Macheda after the youngster's late goal against Aston Villa in 2009 . | Sir Alex Ferguson discusses Manchester United's infamous 'Fergie Time'
Ferguson's United were known for winning points late on in matches .
Former Red Devils boss claims opponents were frightened of injury time . |
237,850 | bfdb7cdaefc1224d7ef6ee72ad9169ead7974f93 | (CNN) -- From a country which brought the world brands like Sony and Toyota, there's another name that's crept quietly to global prominence. Hello Kitty, the moon-faced cat with a bow in her hair and no mouth. Shintaro Tsuji, CEO of Sanrio, famous for its Hello Kitty brand, speaks in The Boardroom. She's one of 450 characters developed by Japan's Sanrio Group, but she's by far most popular -- the embodiment of what's known in Japan as Kawaii, or the culture of cute. Her image adorns some 50,000 objects, from cute, of course, to downright crazy. But there's nothing cute about the numbers. Hello Kitty is responsible for more than half of Sanrio's billion dollar annual turnover. Her creator and founder of Sanrio is the effervescent 79-year-old Shintaro Tsuji. He told The Boardroom's Andrew Stevens what he thinks is the marketing secret behind a cultural icon. Tsuji: Selling something which people want to buy is one of the ways of doing business. But I thought, goods that I want are also something other people want. So we wanted to make goods which people want to send to somebody else as a gift. The idea is that goods are for social communication purposes and that has been accepted worldwide. In addition, to give Hello Kitty goods as a present is very thoughtful. Our three concepts of friendship, cuteness and thoughtfulness have been reaching out to people. It conveys the importance of being friendly. Such gestures are necessary for the Japanese nation. You care about other people by sending some gifts. Those concepts have been accepted worldwide. Stevens: My first question to you is Sanrio has developed something like 450 characters. Why it is Hello Kitty has stood out so much more than the others? What is the secret of its success? Tsuji: At first we were using characters which were created by outsiders, such as cartoonists or artists, but in this case we had to pay the royalty. So we decided to create our own characters. We hired many artists and asked them to create various characters. According to our own research, the most popular animal character was a dog then a white cat and the third one was a bear. Snoopy already existed as a dog character -- that's why we went for the second most popular character. We asked the artists to design a character based on a white cat. Stevens: Let me just ask you a question about your life, growing up. Reading your autobiography, you lost your mother when you were 13 years old. You went to live with your auntie. And you describe your life; your childhood, has been a quite lonely. How do you think that has shaped you in your business life? Tsuji: I felt that the most important thing in your life is to have someone whom you can open up your heart to and talk about anything; to have many friends whom you can talk with your heart is the most blessed thing in your life. Then I asked myself how can you make friends -- in what way people can make a friend with those people. That is not just to avoid behaving, which makes people uncomfortable. But do something, which makes people happy. In this way people can make friends. For example, when people are ill, you can say something to them, or when people did something for you, you say thank you to them. For those kinds of occasions, you send a small present rather than an expensive gift. It is important to show your appreciation since you are able to make good friends in this way. This idea has formed as a business. As a result, Hello Kitty was created. Hello Kitty has become known among everybody and it means that people are becoming friends. I am pleased with this phenomenon. Stevens: What, in your business career, is the most important lesson you think you've learnt? Tsuji: A good company means that, first of all, its sale increases each year and secondly it makes profits each year. This is what people call a quality company. But this is not my main concern. Obviously, a company shouldn't lose money. A company cannot contribute to a society easily. But for me, it is important to establish a company, which has a good reputation. Stevens: Much easier said than done, how do you remain true to your original ideas, though, because there are so many pressures from shareholders among other people to make those profits? Tsuji: The company shareholders actually say "Make more profits or dividends." But what I always say to them at the general assembly is that the shareholder should be someone who truly values my company and is proud of having my company's share. According to newspapers, there are companies which make a profit by polluting the environment or breaking laws. But this is not acceptable by our standard. I bet the company staffs want to have an increase in the wages. But I want my staffs to be proud of themselves, in particular, when their children ask them where they are working. In my view, that is very important. Stevens: What advice would you give to someone starting out their own company in 21st century? Tsuji: It is not only about making profits or establishing a huge corporation. A bigger country doesn't mean a better country. Having a larger military capacity doesn't mean a better thing. It will be ideal to establish a company which is a value to the world. It's not just about the money. So I would say "How about creating companies which people appreciate?" E-mail to a friend . | Shintaro Tsuji, CEO of Sanrio speaks to Andrew Stevens in The Boardroom .
Sanrio's most famous character is Hello Kitty, a moon-faced cat .
Hello Kitty is responsible for more than half of Sanrio's billion dollar turnover . |
87,859 | f94bedbcafb2a5f418712a29a603f714bf47e57a | This does not appear to be a sick joke. Architects have designed a pair of apartment towers in South Korea that are unbelievably reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks on New York's World Trade Centre. These incredible pictures show how Dutch architecture firm MVRDV somehow managed to design the eerie 260-metre and 300-metre towers next to each other, connected by a ‘pixelated cloud’. And in a good contender for quote of the year, a company statement insists they did not ‘see the resemblance during the design process’ for the buildings - due to be completed in Seoul in 2015. Madness: Dutch architecture firm MVRDV has designed a pair of apartment towers in South Korea that are unbelievably reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre . Plans: MVRDV designed a 260-metre and 300-metre tower next to each other, joined by a 'pixelated cloud' The luxury residential towers have . been named ‘The Cloud’, with one reaching 260 metres or 54 floors and . the other covering 60 floors over 300 metres. The total surface area is . 128,000 sq metres. The . ‘cloud' is housed in a 10-floor tall structure positioned halfway up the . structures, and the towers feature a fitness studio, pools, . restaurants, cafes and a conference centre. ‘MVRDV . regrets deeply any connotations The Cloud projects evokes (sic) regarding 9/11,’ a statement on the company’s website said, as it tries . to stem the outrage it has already caused. ‘It . was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did . we see the resemblance during the design process. We sincerely . apologise to anyone whose feelings we have hurt.’ Architectural team: Winy Maas, Jacob Van Rijs and Nathalie De Vries (left-to-right) are pictured in the Facebook profile picture of MVRDV . At night: The luxury residential towers have been named 'The Cloud', with one reaching 260 metres or 54 floors and the other housing 60 floors in 300 metres - and a total surface area of 128,000 sq metres . A statement on the company's Facebook . page added: 'A real media storm has started and we receive (sic) threatening emails and calls of angry people calling us Al Qaeda lovers . or worse.' 'A real media storm has started and we receive (sic) threatening emails and calls of angry people calling us Al Qaeda lovers . or worse' MVRDV . The company said . the Korean press did not report any resemblance to 9/11 and instead . 'hailed the project as a great innovation'. 'Basically the negative . connotations came from the USA,' it added. What makes this even more incredible . is how nobody at the firm spotted the resemblance to the Twin Towers. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon killed . almost 3,000 people. MVRDV is an award-winning firm based . in Rotterdam set up in 1993. It was featured in the New York Times three . years ago and has designed buildings in Cleveland, New Orleans and New . York. Seoul space: The 'cloud' in the middle is a 10-floor tall structure positioned halfway up the structures, and the towers feature a fitness studio, pools, restaurants, cafes and a conference centre . Harrowing: Smoke billows from one of the towers of the World Trade Center as flames and debris explodes from the second tower in this photo from September 11, 2001 . And in what could be . seen as a contradiction to the company’s statement, MVRDV spokesman Jan . Knikker told Dutch-language newspaper Algemeen Dagblad that the link to . 9/11 has in fact been made. 'It was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did we see the resemblance during the design process. We sincerely apologise to anyone whose feelings we have hurt' MVRDV . 'I must admit that we also thought of September 11, 2001,' he says, in a translation of an article on Friday from Dutch to English. 'But it is not intended association with the attacks.' In an interesting development it has been revealed ‘The Cloud’ will be built in the ‘Youngsan Dream Hub’, which is in part designed by the man behind the new World Trade Center complex. Daniel Libeskind also presented a plan for a revamped lower Manhattan after 9/11 - which is closely resembled by the new buildings by MVRDV, reported by the International Business Times. New Orleans: The house design for Hurricane Katrina survivors looked like the house was bent double from strong winds . This isn’t the first time that MVRDV has courted controversy after a disaster. Following Hurricane Katrina it designed a house for victims in New Orleans in association with Brad Pitt's Make It Right foundation, reported the International Business Times. But the house design threatened to outrage survivors as it looked like the property was bent double from strong winds. ‘Provocation is good, because it pushes people,’ MVRDV head Winy Maas told Metropolis at the time, before referencing the controversial director of Fahrenheit 9/11. ‘We need architectural Michael Moores.’ | Dutch architects reveal plans for apartment towers in Seoul, South Korea .
But they incredibly appear to look like World Trade Center exploding on 9/11 .
Company MVRDV says it didn't 'see resemblance during the design process' |
216,887 | a4cd74c5dfb528e1bca815b3441ba04699a85e7f | By . Jill Reilly . Romance blossoms in the most hostile environments and even losing their homes, jobs and in many cases loved ones can not stop couples from getting married in Jordan's largest refugee camp. Hundreds of weddings have taken place in Zaatari refugee camp since it opened in 2012 and is home to 127,000 people who fled the conflict in Syria. Adjusting to camp life is a harrowing experience and CNN correspondent Atika Shubert said she was overwhelmed by the sheer number of desperate people flocking from the Syria-Jordan border to Zaatari. But she also told how she was encouraged by the residents' dogged determination to turn the camp into a home. Romance blossoms in the most hostile environments and even losing their homes, jobs and in many cases loved ones can not stop couples from getting married in Jordan's largest refugee camp . Rowaida Abu-Zaid, is a mother of two and owner of Alma's Salon for Women which is one of three wedding dress shops set up inside the camp . 'I expected it to be more grim once I . got inside the camp,' she admitted when discussing her visit to the area earlier this month to make a documentary for CNN. Shubert was particularly surprised by the camp's main street, known as the 'Champs Elysees', which features 3,000 shops, restaurants and food vendors. And of course, three wedding dress outlets. 'I had heard it was a thriving city, but the hundreds of shops were outstanding,' she explained. The UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, is . trying to create a sense of normality in the camp by encouraging trade . and services and many people who have access to cash have set up shops. A hairdresser borrowed some money and bought a variety of colourful dresses which now hang proudly on the wall of her shop inside the camp which is open every day from dawn to dusk . Her most popular rental is the first one she bought which she has nicknamed the 'Good Luck' dress - it is adorned with crystals and has a large veil skirt . Atika Shubert has a facial at Rowaida's salon. It is profitable as at least ten weddings take place every week in the camp, according to the UN Refugee Agency . Shubert met Rowaida Abu-Zaid, a mother-of-two and owner of Alma's Salon for Women which occupys a small space in the sprawling camp. Rowaida fled the fighting with her husband and children and has lived in the camp, which is about eight miles from the Syrian border, for a year and a half. She was a hairdresser in Syria and her sister was a make-up artist, but she only came up with the idea of opening her own business when one of her clients suggested she rent out wedding dresses - it is profitable as at least ten weddings take place every week in the camp, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Rowaida borrowed some money and bought a variety of colourful dresses which now hang proudly on the wall of her shop which is open for business every day from dawn to dusk. More than 127,000 people have fled to the sprawling desert encampment since it opened in June 2012 . Thousands of people flock from the Syria-Jordan border to Zaatari to escape their war-torn homeland . In the summer Rowaida rents out four dresses a day and offers a wedding day package to customers which includes hair and make-up before they get married in one of the camp's many mosques. Rowaida has to be competitive as the other wedding dresses are rented out by her 'rival's for dinars (around £8). Her most popular rental is the first dress she bought which she has nicknamed the 'Good Luck' dress - the white garment is adorned with silver crystals and has a large veiled skirt. 'They (her customers) feel like home when they come here,' she explains. Several women refused to be filmed, but Rowaida was delighted to show off her business and Shubert reflected: 'I was really taken by her fearless attitude and candid views. 'She showed me how the simple act of applying lipstick is an act of resilience for the women of the camp.' But behind the glamour of the spa shops Shubert tells MailOnline that there is sometimes a darker reason for the high number of marriages in the camp. 'The sad reality is that families are getting their daughters married younger and younger for several reasons - it can be to another refugee with better prospects.' This is a point backed up by Rowaida who explains: 'The problem is even though they are . young their parents get them married because they are afraid about their . future. 'As in Syria there are alot of rape incidents, a lot of sexually assaulted woman that the parents have been worried about... and . want to get them married.' Many of Zaatari's children bear the physical and emotional scars of war . More than 1.7 million Syrian refugees have fled to nearby countries to escape fighting that began as protests against the government in March 2011 . More than 127,000 people have fled to the sprawling desert encampment . Shubert spent five days touring the camp and got first hand accounts of how many of Zaatari's 23,000 children bear the physical and emotional scars of war. She met six-year old Safah who survived a rocket attack on her family home in Aleppo, but was hit by a second rocket outside Damascus. When her father finally found Safah in hospital following the blast, he was distraught to discover his daughter's leg had been amputated. Now Safah, who was a bubbly child, spends her days in a wheelchair, watching as her identical twin sister dances and takes part in classes in the camp. More than 1.7 million Syrian refugees have fled to nearby countries to escape fighting that began as protests against the government in March 2011 and has degenerated into civil war with an increasingly sectarian dimension. And Shubert met dozens of Zaatari residents who all told her different, but equally heartbreaking stories of the lives they left behind in Syria. But they all share one thing in common, she explains: 'Every single Syrian refugee I spoke to said the same thing: if the war stopped today, I would be home tomorrow.' Atika’s documentary on Zaatari camp, ‘Life After War’, airs on CNN International, Saturday 22 February at 9.30am, 2pm and 9.30pm . To view an intteractive map of the camp click here . | More than 127,000 people have fled to the sprawling desert encampment .
Hundreds of weddings have taken place in Zaatari refugee camp .
Camp's main street features 3,000 shops, restaurants and food vendors .
Zaatari has three wedding dress shops which rent out dresses . |
264,551 | e2aab54202e8a717642f104f529bfd4f4104734e | By . Michael Zennie . PUBLISHED: . 07:01 EST, 29 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:56 EST, 5 September 2013 . George Zimmerman's wife says the couple's marriage is on the verge of ending and that she is going to have to 'think about' whether she will stay with him, as it is revealed he 'beat down' her self-esteem. Shellie Zimmerman, 26, stood by her husband throughout his lengthy murder trial and even admitted to lying to a judge about the couple's finances - a decision that led to her arrest. On Wednesday, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and community service. She also revealed that the couple hid out in a 20-foot trailer in the woods and lived in fear every night that one of the thousands of people who had threatened George's life would find them and kill them. Mrs Zimmerman refused to say whether she and George are still together - but that doesn't change her opinion on whether he murdered Trayvon. She said she always believed he killed the unarmed teen in self-defense. Scroll down for video . Personal strife: Shellie Zimmerman is preparing to file for divorce from her husband George . Strained relationship: Shellie Zimmerman (right), pictured here with her husband, George, on the opening day of his trial in June, agreed to sit down for a candid interview revealing details of her marriage after the acquittal . Troubled: Shellie, seen with George Zimmerman in court June 20, told reporter Christie O'Connor that the grueling trial put great stress on their relationship . Investigative journalist Christi O’Connor . spoke with Mrs Zimmerman in her first public interview since her . husband's acquittal on July 14. The interview aired this morning on Good Morning America. 'I can't tell you how many nights I've laid awake at night just thinking I wish to God these circumstances were different,' she said. Ms O'Connor told ABC News that George Zimmerman has 'beaten down' his wife's self-image. 'When I asked her why she was doing this, Shellie said, "I want to start my life back,"' Ms O'Connor said. 'George Zimmerman has beaten down her self-esteem. She has a moment in the spotlight. She wants everyone to know that she changed her life.' When asked whether she was still together with her husband, she refused to answer. Watch the full interview at Good Morning America . Shellie Zimmerman said she wants her life back now that her husband has been acquitted of the killing - though she's not sure whether that life will be with George . Tragic: Mrs Zimmerman expressed sorrow for the parents of Trayvon Martin, but said she still believes her husband killed the teen in self-defense . Later, she said wanted to have children. When the interviewer asked her, 'With George?' she responded, 'That's something I'm going to have to think about.' Mrs Zimmerman stood by her husband throughout lengthy criminal that sent them both into hiding when George became a symbol of racial tension. She appeared at every court hearing for him. And even now, she stands by his actions that night, when the neighborhood watch volunteer confronted a teenager he thought looked suspicious who was walking through his neighborhood. When asked if she thought George had targeted Trayvon and murdered him in cold blood, she he's 'not capable' that kind of behavior. 'That's not his way,' she said. Despite her presence at his court hearings, he was not in court Wednesday when she admitted to perjury when she lied about how much money the couple had raised on a website established for George's legal defense. Sybrina Fulton (L), mother of slain teenager Trayvon Martin, arrives with Trayvon's father Tracy Martin (R) and their son Jahvaris (C) at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech Wednesday in Washington D.C. 'By lying under oath, I let my God down, I let your Honor and the court down, I let my family and friends down, and, most of all, I let myself down,' she wrote in an apology letter. She received 100 hours of community service and a year of probation. She said she plans to do the community service at a Christian ministry. When asked if she wished her husband had been in court with her, she responded, 'I always want my husband's support.' Tens of thousands protested when he not arrested Trayvon's death in February 2012. Hundreds of other people issued death threats against George, Shellie and their families. The couple were forced to flee their home in a gated community in Sanford, Florida, and go into hiding. 'We have been pretty much Gypsies for they past year and half,' she said. 'We lived in a 20-foot trailer in the woods, scared every night that someone would find us and it would be horrific.' She also revealed that the couple's marital problem did not come as a result of her husband's killing of Trayvon, nor even from the hiding out. They began even before George Zimmerman became a household name. Mrs Zimmerman revealed that the night George shot Trayvon, she was staying at after her father's house because she and her husband had had a fight. She also expressed sadness for Trayvon's parents, who have been vocal in demanding George be sent to prison. 'I'm so deeply sorry for the loss. I can't even begin to understand the grief that a parent experiences when they lose a child,' she said. | Shellie Zimmerman says she at her father's house because she and George had had an argument the night that he killed Trayvon Martin .
Mrs Zimmerman said she will have to 'think about' whether she will stay married to him .
Interviewer reveals Zimmerman 'beat down her self-esteem'
Pleaded guilty on Wednesday to lying about her husband's finances and received community service and probation . |
259,734 | dc4831ef47b5cf1f9bc81df7702d327d9982333b | (Mashable) -- Wikipedia is just the latest in a long line of encyclopedias. In fact, encyclopedias have been around in some form or another for 2,000 years. The oldest, Naturalis Historia, written by Pliny the Elder, is still in existence. How do I know this? I looked it up on Wikipedia, of course. Is it true? Possibly. Ten years after its founding, it's hard to imagine what life was like before Wikipedia. When I was growing up, our family had a dusty set of encyclopedias that were at least 10 years old, which is fine if you're looking up dinosaurs, but not so good if you want to know, for instance, who the current president of the Congo is. But though the limitations of the old encyclopedias were obvious, they were authoritative in ways that Wikipedia is not. Mashable: 9 ways to get more out of Quora . Like most people, I'll take the tradeoff. I have no desire to go back to the days of printed Funk & Wagnalls. If someone would have told me back in 2001 that, within a few years, there would be a comprehensive, free online encyclopedia, I wouldn't have believed them. Why would someone do that? How? Origins . By now, we all know the story: Two Ayn Rand devotees, Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, created Wikipedia in January 2001. The founding can be traced to a post by Sanger entitled "Let's Make a Wiki" that was intended as a feature to Sanger and Wales's other project, Nupedia. Wiki, Sanger explained in the post, was derived from "wikiwiki," a Polynesian word for "quick." "What it means is a VERY open, VERY publicly editable series of web pages," Sanger wrote in the post. As often happens, the feature grew out of proportion with its original intent. Wales, who was originally against the idea of a Wiki, became a strong proponent of it, while Sanger, who became estranged from the project in 2002, now charges that Wales hogged the credit for the venture. Mashable: The future of the social media strategist . (Wales could not be reached for comment. To his credit, Sanger is mentioned as a co-founder on Wikipedia's entry about its founding.) Rooted in open source thinking, Wikipedia contributors began penning a voluminous number of entries (the site claims there are now 17 million such articles), which began showing up in Google searches, furthering the site's growth and notoriety. Meanwhile, a subculture developed around Wikipedia, with self-appointed guardians doing their best to make sure entries were accurate and free of vandalism. As an authoritative 2006 Atlantic article on Wikipedia noted, "A study by IBM suggests that although vandalism does occur (particularly on high-profile entries like 'George W. Bush'), watchful members of the huge Wikipedia community usually swoop down to stop the malfeasance shortly after it begins." 'Truth' on the internet . All of this made Wikipedia a pretty good reference, but one that you'd be wise not to take completely at face value. Wikipedia works best as an introduction to a subject. Since the articles usually cite references, readers can investigate further whether the claims are actually true. Despite this, Wikipedia soon earned a reputation for loopy reportage, an aspect best expressed in The Onion headline "Wikipedia Celebrates 750 Years of American Independence." Such criticism, though, has it backwards. Wikipedia is, in the best-case scenario, an antidote for the echo chamber of the web. After all, good luck finding "truth" on the Internet. Facts may be facts, but they're subject to so much spin that it can be hard to get a handle on what's objectively real. All the more reason why the idea of Wikipedia is laudable, albeit a bit impractical. Though Jimmy Wales could have made a fortune selling ads on the site, he decided to make the Wikimedia Foundation a non-profit charitable organization. Mashable: 6 web pioneers on what the future looks like . But someone has to keep all those servers running and pay those 50 full-time staffers, which is why Wales appeared in a ubiquitous banner ad on Wikipedia asking for donations. The site eventually collected $16 million. The future . Can Wikipedia sustain itself for another 10 years? As The Economist recently pointed out, the number of Wikipedia's English language contributors fell from 54,000 in March 2007 to 35,000 in September 2010, but here Wikipedia may be the victim of its own success. As the site gets more comprehensive, there are fewer entries that need to be written. One thing's for sure -- if Wikipedia ever does go away, it will be hard to believe it. After all, where will we go to confirm such a thing? © 2010 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger created Wikipedia in January 2001 .
Site is a very open, very publicly editable series of web pages .
Not authoratative source but good for introductions to subjects . |
180,216 | 7557ebfbfc29e51f216c57e901a0593c1bb10083 | Big Brother winner Helen Wood unwittingly led police to her firearms fugitive lover after he left the country for Cyprus and she then went there on holiday, a court heard. Louis Larsson, 29, was released halfway through a five-year prison sentence but then went on the run to the Mediterranean. But he was arrested after police followed Miss Wood, 27, to his hideout a year later, Bolton Crown Court heard. His ex-girlfriend won Big Brother 2014 last month vowing to use the £100,000 prize to put her past problems behind her. Scroll down for video . Manhunt: Big Brother winner Helen Wood unwittingly led police to her firearms fugitive lover Louis Larsson after she headed to Cyprus for a break at his hideout . She first came to public attention after allegedly sleeping with footballer Wayne Rooney in 2010 ahead of the World Cup in South Africa while his wife Coleen was pregnant. Larsson, who has also used the surname Kettle, was jailed in October 2010, after pleading guilty to possession of firearm parts and reactivation equipment. But after being released on licence, he went abroad in May last year, breaching the terms of his licence. Detectives finally caught up with him just under a year later, thanks to Miss Wood's holiday. Geoff Whelan, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant fled the jurisdiction and was arrested on an international arrest warrant in Cyprus in spring this year. 'Police followed his girlfriend Helen, who gained notoriety in Big Brother, and arrested him there.' Miss Wood won Big Brother 2014 last month vowing to use the £100,000 prize to put her past problems behind her . It is understood Miss Wood is no longer in a relationship with Larsson. He was arrested in Paphos in Cyprus in April 2014, after a joint investigation between Greater Manchester Police, Cypriot police and the National Crime Agency to track him down. Larsson was returned to HMP Forest Bank to serve the remainder of his five-year sentence and, yesterday, he was given a further 20-month sentence, to run alongside his current sentence, for two fresh charges of possession of ammunition, to which he pleaded guilty. These related to a raid at a house in Little Lever, in May, 2013, the same month that he fled the country. The court heard that police found a working cannabis farm inside the terraced house, although neither the defendant nor anybody else has ever been charged in relation to the discovery. Two rounds of ammunition were found on a shelf in the kitchen. They were found to contain all the ingredients to make ammunition and one fired while the other misfired. Other components, including bullets and casings, were found with Larsson's fingerprints on them. They had been ordered from an online dealer, who informed the police that Larsson had placed the order. Larsson was arrested in Paphos in Cyprus in April 2014, after a joint investigation between forces in the UK and Cyprus . David Bentley, defending, said Larsson had long been interested in military memorabilia and already has a job in the dental industry lined up for when he leaves prison. He said: 'Of the two that were recovered, one misfired, which was expected. 'One fired and the defendant showed a great deal of surprise that this occured although he accepts culpability.' Judge Timothy Clayson said: 'This sentence will not add to your current sentence but with convictions like this behind you, if you put so much as even the smallest foot out of line in the future in relation to firearms you can expect absolutely no mercy at the hands of the court.' Larsson was acquitted of three counts of conspiracy to possess firearms in July after he was accused of bringing firearms to The Lancashire Gunroom for its owner Cyrus Shahabi-Shack to sell. Larsson will not be released before April 29, 2016. Miss Wood was unavailable for comment. | Police found Louis Larsson, 29, after Helen Wood, 27, took break to Med .
Fugitive was released from prison but went on the run to Cyprus .
Detectives caught up with him a year later thanks to Miss Wood's holiday .
Former prostitute found fame after allegedly sleeping with Wayne Rooney . |
200,493 | 8f880f751ae3ad6c2b82bfe6072c8bec03ada63e | (CNN) -- Maria Sharapova returned to competitive singles after a near 10-month absence on Monday as she bids to prove her fitness for the forthcoming French Open in Paris. Maria Sharapova is hoping to prove her fitness ahead of the French Open in Paris starting on Sunday. The Russian defeated Italy's Tathiana Garbin 6-1 6-7 6-3 to book her place in the second round of the Warsaw Open claycourt tournament . Sharapova's world ranking has slumped from No.1 to No.126 during her absence from the court because of a shoulder problem that saw her miss three Grand Slam tournaments. The 22-year-old had to sit out last year's Wimbledon and U.S. Open and also failed to recover in time for the 2009 Australian Open. She has had to shelve comeback attempts but did appear in one losing game in the doubles tournament at Indian Wells in March. Sharapova, who has three majors to her name, broke her Italian opponent four times in a row in the opener, dropping her own serve once en route to the set. Garbin offered stiffer resistance in the second set although Sharapova wasted four match points at 5-3 and 40-0 up in the ninth game -- a seventh double-fault in the subsequent tie-break giving her rival a set point that she converted. Sharapova, playing with a bandage on her right shoulder, hit back from 3-1 down in the decider to seal victory in two hours and 35 minutes. The French Open begins in Paris on May 24. | Russian Maria Sharapova returns with win after near 10-month injury absence .
She defeated Italy's Tathiana Garbin 6-1 6-7 6-3 in Warsaw Open first round .
Sharapova hopes to prove fitness for French Open which starts this Sunday . |
202,601 | 924e1b6e46f9ba3b2ea8bfc2982835c6e86d2b2e | We climbed the stairs to the third floor, where Osama bin Laden died early in the morning of May 2, 2011. I stepped into the bedroom where he was killed and looked up at the ceiling, where you could still see the patterns of blood that had spurted from bin Laden's head when the bullet fired by a U.S. Navy SEAL tore through the terrorist leader's face. The height of the room was low for someone as tall as bin Laden, who was 6 foot 4. Outside the bedroom was a small terrace surrounded by a high wall. Overlooking the enclosed terrace were large and now broken plate glass windows that would have provided a lot of light for bin Laden during the day. In the bedroom in which al-Qaeda's leader finally was killed, I had expected a frisson of something; perhaps a sensation like exploring Hitler's bunker complex beneath the streets of Berlin at the end of World War II. Instead, I felt only a mild curiosity. On a shelf in bin Laden's bedroom was a box of Just For Men hair dye; in the final years of his life bin Laden dyed his hair and beard jet black to maintain a youthful appearance. I also noticed some medicines like ampicillin, ibuprofen, Nestle energy glucose strips, Amplicox (a penicillin) and Spasler P syrup, which has an antispasmodic effect on the muscles of the gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. I examined bin Laden's tiny bathroom, about the size of a closet, and noticed that he used a toilet that was really only a hole in the floor over which he had to squat to do his business. It's not the image that one usually associates with the world's most wanted man. Next door to the bedroom, which he shared with his much younger Yemeni wife, was bin Laden's study. Crude bookshelves lined the walls and another large window overlooked the enclosed terrace. It was here that bin Laden composed often mammoth memos to his key lieutenants as he sought to maintain some measure of control over his organization, which was now under intense assault by the United States and its allies. Some of these memos are being released on Thursday by West Point. * * * . In February I secured permission to enter Osama bin Laden's compound in the northern Pakistani city of Abbottabad, where he was killed and where he had lived for the last half-decade of his life; the first, and only, journalist to do so. I was escorted by officers of Pakistan's military intelligence agency, ISI, past checkpoints manned by armed soldiers who were there to dissuade the merely curious from approaching the compound. Arriving at the front gate of the bin Laden residence, we were joined by a Pakistani Army captain wearing a sidearm. He would be our escort. I had been instructed "no photographs." Clearly, this rule would be enforced were it to become necessary. We entered through the main metal gate of the compound, which opened onto an internal narrow street with high walls on both sides. We then turned right into a small field, around a third of an acre in size, where the residents of the compound grew crops. This field was enclosed by the compound's walls on three sides, and on one of the sides there was a small storage shack for the harvested crops. I could see burn marks on one of the outer walls of the compound where the tail rotor of a helicopter had clipped the wall and broken off. It was the stealth Black Hawk helicopter that had developed mechanical problems during the U.S. Navy SEAL raid that killed bin Laden. There were also burn marks in the field where the downed chopper was subsequently blown up by the SEALs as the raid was ending. On the other side of the compound were concrete feeding pens where the residents kept cows. Beyond that was a large garden where they grew vegetables such as cucumbers. In the vegetable garden there was a small "hujra" structure that functioned as a sitting room and that was littered with cardboard boxes for computer equipment. The bin Ladens also kept honeybees and rabbits. On the ground there were scattered cartons of Quaker Oats and large empty cans of Sasso olive oil. On one side of the compound was a self-contained, walled-off annex area. This is where bin Laden's trusted courier, Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, lived with his wife and four children. In this annex area was a simple garage where bin Laden's courier parked his white jeep and red van. Inside the courier's one-story house, all the rooms were small and simple. They consisted of a washroom with a shower, a kitchen, a bedroom and a storage room. Children's toys were scattered around the floors of this building and children's bikes were parked in the storage area. There were medicine bottles and cough syrup on shelves in the bathroom and a calendar in the kitchen that marked Ramadan eating and prayer times. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter . On the night of the raid, Pakistani officials found the courier's body lying just outside his bedroom and behind a locked grey door with windows that had been shot out. The courier was killed with two bullets to the chin and his wife, Mariam, was shot and wounded. The Pakistani intelligence official guiding me through the compound said there were no AK-47 bullets found at the scene and he therefore surmised that the courier had been taken by surprise and was shot before he could reach for his AK-47, which was recovered leaning against the wall of the Kuwaitis' bedroom. Leaving this annex area we passed through a metal door in an internal compound wall and came into a pleasant lawn area, in the middle of which was a small structure that was used by the residents as a sun room. Next to this was a water tank and a bread oven. Dominating the lawn was the three-story house in which bin Laden lived with his three wives and a dozen of his children and grandchildren. We entered the front door of the house. On the right was a study and on the left a bedroom. On the door of this room I saw graffiti, which turned out to be verses of the Quran. It was in this room where, after the raid, Pakistani officials found the courier's brother and his wife, both shot dead. Officials also found about a dozen children with their hands tied together in this ground floor bedroom. Deeper into the house was a kitchen and two sizable storage rooms. At the back end of the ground floor was a room where the bin Laden family would watch the sole TV in the compound. In this room was a gas heater that had an improvised exhaust system attached to it made from bits of sheet metal hammered together. At the back of the house was the stairwell. Blocking the way up the stairs was a massive yellow iron metal door that sealed off access to the upper two floors of the house. This gate had large blast marks on it where the SEALs forced their way through as they closed in on bin Laden. Halfway between the ground floor and the second floor, Pakistani officials found the body of Khalid bin Laden, bin Laden's 23-year-old son, who was shot and killed by the SEALs on the staircase. The SEALs shot to kill or wound most of the adults they encountered in the compound, killing four men, one woman and wounding two other women. Of the 11 adults on the compound (which included three of bin Laden's adult children: Khalid, 23, Mariam, 20, and Summiya,18) they shot seven of them. They did not shoot at bin Laden's two older wives. On the second floor of the compound were rooms for the older wives and for his various children and grandchildren. Their beds were made from plywood boards hammered together. As on the previous floor, there was an improvised system of metal pipes to remove the exhaust from a gas heater. In the kitchen of each wife's area there was a similar improvised exhaust system made from sheet metal to expel kitchen smells. The overall effect of all this was of a long-term but makeshift camping site and the overwhelming impression I had was one of squalor. Medicines for indigestion and other ailments littered the floor and there was a large amount of broken glass everywhere, testament to the intensity of the SEAL assault on the compound. This second floor had a terrace from which there was a lovely view of snow-capped mountains. From this terrace one could look down to an area where a guard dog was once tied and there was a coop for chickens. In the area where the chickens were kept I noticed several computer keyboards strewn about, presumably left there as the SEALs hurriedly carted off much of bin Laden's computer equipment. The image we have of bin Laden in his final years in Abbottabad is of an aging man with a graying beard watching old footage of himself; just another suburban dad flipping though the channels with his remote. And in the end, bin Laden died in a squalid suburban compound surrounded by his wives and children and far from the front lines of his holy war. | Peter Bergen was only journalist to visit place where bin Laden lived -- and died .
Bergen says the squalid compound seemed like a camping site .
Bin Laden's room still contained medicines and hair dye he used .
From this site, bin Laden composed memos in effort to control al Qaeda, Bergen says . |
265,437 | e3c7ba9f23a9d61b7d5469c066b347847a938ab3 | By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 19:14 EST, 21 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:33 EST, 22 November 2013 . A professor has teamed up with digital artists to create striking pictures of how Roman Britain would have looked 2,000 years ago. The CGI images include a Roman ‘motorway’ stretching from Exeter to London, a forgotten port and luxurious-looking barracks for the occupying forces. Another image of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, located in Hampshire, has been produced that paints a picture of a wealthy and bustling settlement. This CGI image shows the bustling Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, which was near Silchester in Hampshire. It used to be a wealthy town with public baths, an amphitheatre and temples, but failed to develop into a modern city like Chichester and London . The images have been produced to give historians a clear understanding about what settlements in Roman Britain looked like at their peak and how the invasion affected British architecture and culture. They form part of a new series on historical TV channel, Yesterday, which aims to bring Britain's lost Roman Civilisations to life. Dr Michael Scott, an assistant professor of Ancient History at Warwick University, used his expert knowledge to inform the creation of the images and show how Britain would have looked during Roman occupation. An image of a 160-mile road from Exeter to London, which was a 15 feet high and 85 feet wide, allowed vast numbers of Roman soldiers to march to and from London. The road is believed to have been built 15ft above ground level to 'show off' the power of the Roman Empire to the conquered Brits. The original road, which is one of the country's major Roman roads, was uncovered in 2011 after being found in Puddletown Forest in Dorset. An image of a 160-mile road from Exeter to London, which was a 15 feet high and 85 feet wide, allowed vast numbers of Roman soldiers to march to and from London. The road above ground level to 'show off' the power of the Roman Empire to the conquered Brits . Another image shows a huge Roman port and military base in Caerleon, South-Wales, which was found in 2011. It is just the second Roman port to be found in the UK after London and was known as Isca. The port was the headquarters of the Second Augustan Legion - one of four legions who invaded Britain during the reign of Emperor Claudius. It is located on the banks of the River Usk just north of the city of Newport and includes the main quay wall, as well as the landing stages and wharves where ships would have docked and unloaded their cargoes. A third CGI image shows the bustling Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, which was near Silchester in Hampshire. It used to be a wealthy town with public baths, an amphitheatre and temples, but failed to develop into a modern city like Chichester and London. The final image in the collection shows Healam Bridge in Yorkshire, which was a garrison base and the centre of Roman industry. This image shows a huge Roman port and military base in Caerleon, South-Wales, which was found in 2011. It is just the second Roman port to be found in the UK after London and was known as Isca . A Roman fort in the area was excavated in 2009 by a team of archaeologists as part of a £318million Highways Agency scheme to upgrade the A1 between Dishforth and Leeming in North Yorkshire. The fort and its surroundings were a hive of light industry, including a water-powered flour mill used to grind grain and produce food for the soldiers and is believed to have been extremely important, supplying those travelling north on the Roman road that the A1 eventually replaced. Dr Scott said: ‘The sites I examined for this project are fascinating locations for different reasons. ‘Some because they were small cogs in the machine that was Roman Britain and others because they were the very arteries and muscles that made Roman Britain possible. ‘It is thanks to the different devoted teams of archaeologists that have worked - and continue to work - on these sites that they have not been lost to history forever.’ Healam Bridge in Yorkshire was a garrison base and the centre of Roman industry. A Roman fort in the area was excavated in 2009 by a team of archaeologists as part of a £318million Highways Agency scheme to upgrade the A1 between Dishforth and Leeming in North Yorkshire . Adrian Wills, General Manager of historical TV channel, Yesterday, said: ‘The brand new series of RAIDERS OF THE LOST PAST focuses on the adventurers and archaeologists who put everything on the line to find lost cities, civilisations and treasure. ‘This amazing collection of pictures captures life in some of the most important and significant Roman sites in Britain, which were lost for thousands of years. ‘Thanks to the dedication and hard work of recent archaeologists, we now have a clear understanding of what each of these settlements were once like and how the Roman invasion of Britain affected our culture, architecture and even the way we think.’ The new series begins on Yesterday at 10pm this Friday evening. | The CGI images have been produced to give .
historians a clear understanding about what settlements in Roman Britain .
looked like .
Dr Michael Scott, an assistant professor .
of Ancient History from Warwick University, used his expert knowledge to .
inform the creation of the pictures .
An image of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum in Hampshire, paints a picture of a wealthy and busy settlement . |
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