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By . Arthur Martin . and Emine Sinmaz . and Ryan Kisiel . Their hate-filled rants on the internet encouraged violent scenes across the country at anti-Thatcher parties. And an investigation by the Mail has discovered that the organisers of the street parties include a young union firebrand, a former Unison branch secretary and committed anarchists. Members of various anarchist and socialist groups used the power of the internet to arrange disgraceful ‘Thatcher death parties’ in various British cities. Scroll down for video . Bryan Simpson, who sits on the executive council for Britain's largest trade union Unite, used Facebook to invite over 8,000 people to the street party in Glasgow on Monday . Law graduate Bryan Simpson, 24, who sits on the executive council for Britain’s largest trade union Unite, was the architect of a vile party in Glasgow. Using his Facebook account, he invited over 8,000 people to the street party on Monday night. More than 1,200 people signed up to the page to state they were going to the anti-Thatcher party. The Strathclyde University graduate later posted an image of himself and friends ‘celebrating’ the death of Thatcher by spraying champagne. He was a central figure at the party, joining a conga line and an impromptu dance after a piper turned up. Simpson, who comes from a respectable Glasgow family, was seen taping up a banner to a statue in George Square and punching the air, and chanting ‘Maggie, Maggie, Maggie – dead, dead, dead’. Mr Simpson later posted an image of himself and friends 'celebrating' the death of Thatcher by spraying champagne . Mr Simpson (left) was a central figure at the party in Glasgow (right), joining a conga line and an impromptu dance after a piper turned up . Meanwhile, a group called the Glasgow Anarchist Federation with which he is affiliated, published details of the anti-Thatcher party. A member of the anti-capitalist group wrote: ‘Thatcher is Dead – Party in George Square. 5pm.’ On another popular internet page, anarchist Ian Bone, 65, used his blog to tell his army of followers where the street parties were being held. ‘We’re happy to be described as . disrespectful. I am being disrespectful and I am glad of that. We are . rejoicing at her death, I don’t care about her family or her friends’ - Former Unison branch secretary Rahul Patel . Mr Bone published an image of Mrs Thatcher’s head being cut open by a meat cleaver. Next to the image he wrote: ‘The best cut of all.’ He also encouraged anarchists to meet at Trafalgar Square in London this Saturday to ‘rejoice’ at a ‘class war party’. Mr Bone claimed it would be the ‘best night out since the poll tax riot’. Neither Simpson nor Mr Bone were available for comment last night. In Brixton, more than 300 people began gathering on Monday afternoon chanting ‘Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead’. Former Unison branch secretary Rahul Patel, 54, led vile chants and boasted that he had organised the event through the Brixton Socialist Workers’ Party. He told the Mail: ‘We’re happy to be described as disrespectful. I am being disrespectful and I am glad of that. We are rejoicing at her death, I don’t care about her family or her friends.’ In Bristol, one group used a well-known anarchist website called Indymedia to urge its followers to ‘see the evil Tory off in style’. The internet posting told people to congregate in a particular street in the city on Monday night. Ian Bone, 65, used his blog to tell his followers where the street parties were being held . Organisers sent the message to thousands of activists using social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook. The anti-Thatcher party soon descended into violence. Elsewhere on the internet, Left wing agitators set up a page which said: ‘Margaret Thatcher is dead. This lady’s not returning.’ The authors, computer administrator Jared Earle and musician Antonio Lulic, wrote: ‘How are you celebrating? Let us know... or get to one of the parties near you on Facebook.’ They later told the Guardian newspaper their provocative website had led to them receiving angry Twitter messages from Thatcher supporters telling them to ‘watch their backs’. A group calling itself the Informal Anarchist Federation claimed responsibility for smashing the window of a charity shop in Brixton. Writing on the Indymedia website: ‘On the celebration of Thatcher’s death, we smashed a window of Barnardo’s ‘charity shop’ in Brixton using a concrete slab from a bin on the street. And it was easy. We would of done more if it weren’t for self-proclaimed pacifists violently attempting to arrest us. Police grapple with protesters as celebrations turned sour and protesters blocked the road in Brixton on Monday . Police turn up wearing riot gear as celebrations in Brixton turned sour on Monday . ‘This action was in solidarity with all migrants detained, deported and struggling to cross borders. Barnardo’s was targeted because they fund and administrate Cedars detention centre in Croydon. They detain children, families and individuals who merely seek freedom from poverty, persecution, murder, rape and other oppression the borders.’ Simpson, 24, sits on the executive council for Unite after being elected as a ‘young observer’. He has been involved in public disturbances before the anti-Thatcher party in Glasgow. He joined a mob that attacked the Tory Party HQ in protest at rising tuition fees in November 2011. Mr Simpson hurled a megaphone towards police officers during the violent disturbances at Millbank, Central London, in 2010 - but missed, hitting a fellow protester on the head. BBC cameras captured him, in red, as a police medic's cap is pulled off . He hurled a megaphone towards police officers during the violent disturbances at Millbank, Central London – but missed, hitting a fellow protester on the head. Simpson admitted affray last year. He received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. Mr Bone is a well-known rabble-rouser who regularly backs anti-establishment protests on his internet blog. At times he has written in gleeful terms about riots which have crippled parts of the country. His firebrand stance led him to be dubbed by one commentator as ‘the most dangerous man in Britain’. He publishes anarchist newspapers such as Class War, which, at its height, sold 15,000 copies a week. VIDEO 'Thatcher is dead' parties around UK. Some turned into violent protests .
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Law graduate Bryan Simpson was the architect of party in Glasgow .
Used Facebook to invite over 8,000 people to street party on Monday .
Meanwhile, Ian Bone, 65, used blog to tell followers where parties were .
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By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 08:50 EST, 22 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:35 EST, 22 April 2013 . The all-you-can-eat buffet has long been a dieter’s worst nightmare, but now researchers believe they have found the key to staying slim. Dr Brian Wansink, of Cornell University, in New York, believes dieters should take a small plate and then look at everything on offer before choosing what they want. He noticed that there are plenty of slim people at all-you-can-eat buffets so he decided to observe how they behaved in this situation. At a buffet dieters should take a small plate and then look at everything on offer before choosing what they want . He sent 30 observers to watch 300 people at 22 all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets across America. According to HealthDay, these observers estimated people’s Body Mass Index and then watched how they behaved around the food. This included noting where they sat in relation to the buffet, whether they used forks or chopsticks, and how many times they went up for more food. Dr Wansink told the website: ‘Skinny people are more likely to scout out the food. They're more likely to look at the different alternatives before they pounce on something. ‘Heavy people just tend to pick up a plate and look at each item and say, “Do I want it? Yes or no”.’ Slim diners are seven times more likely to take a small plate than larger ones are . The observers also found that slim diners were seven times more likely to take a small plate than larger ones were. They also noted that larger people sat, on average, 16 feet closer to the buffet than thin people and that they chewed their food for less time. ‘The interesting thing was that almost all of these changes were unconscious to the person making them,’ said Dr Wansink. ‘They essentially become habits over time.’ The news comes after it was revealed that, thanks to huge portion sizes and the prevalence of all-you-can-eat buffets, the average Briton gains 8lb in weight during a two week holiday to America.
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Dr Brian Wansink drew his conclusions after watching slim people's behaviour at an all-you-can-eat buffet .
Slim people were seven times more likely to take a small plate and were more discerning in their choices .
Larger people sat, on average, 16 feet closer to the buffet than thin people and chewed their food quicker .
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4e362ae66db6b4c6e3668d26513ca594ec902ef7
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By . Sophie Jane Evans . Horrified: Becky Livesey, 21, has spoken of her 'shock' after discovering photos from her Facebook page had been used to create fake dating profiles . A 21-year-old marketing executive has spoken of her horror after discovering photos from her Facebook page had been used to create fake dating profiles. Becky Livesey, from Blackburn, Lancashire, came across the stolen 'selfies' after an IT worker grew suspicious of a 'girl' he was speaking to online. They had been used on dating site Plenty of Fish and Facebook - alongside nude photos of other women. Ms Livesey then tracked down the culprit, radio producer Stuart Grant - before challenging him on networking site LinkedIn. She has now received a personal apology from Mr Grant, who works for Capital Xtra in London. Today, Ms Livesey said she was 'shocked and scared' to discover that her Facebook photos had been used to create fake dating profiles. She said: 'The IT worker said he had been chatting to a "girl" online and that her pictures were actually of me - and it went from there. 'I just felt shocked and, when I realised he had sent nude photos of other women from the neck down pretending to be me, I felt scared my reputation was on the line. 'Stuart Grant could have spoken to someone who thought it was genuinely me. It's quite scary to think someone can easily pretend to be me.' She said the unnamed IT worker had been chatting to a girl called Chelly on Facebook when he became suspicious and demanded proof that she was who she claimed to be. He asked for a photo of her holding up three fingers - and what he received was an image of Ms Livesey lying on her bed that had been clearly digitally altered . 'The picture he added the hands onto is actually my no-make up selfie I did for cancer awareness,' said Ms Livesey. 'They are not my hands - they're massive.' Scroll down for video . Fake: Miss Livesey came across the stolen 'selfies' after an IT worker grew suspicious of a 'girl' he was talking to online. Above, her photo is displayed on a fake Facebook account under the name 'Chelly Chaz Hume' Digitally altered: The unnamed IT worker asked the girl to take a photo of herself holding three fingers up to prove who she was - and he received this photoshopped image (right) in response. Left, the original photo . Culprit: He then told Ms Livesey, who tracked down the culprit - Capital Xtra producer Stuart Grant (pictured) The IT worker then traced the pictures back to their original source - and while doing so, came across a separate account using her pictures, in the name of Chelly Chaz Hume. He later searched for Ms Livesey's Facebook account and told her about the stolen photos, which are believed to have also featured on Plenty of Fish. Ms Livesey then tracked down the culprit and determined it was Mr Grant, before challenging him on LinkedIn. Apology: The marketing executive has now received a personal apology (pictured) from Mr Grant, from London . 'As soon as I connected with him, he sent me a huge message apologising. He admitted what he did and said sorry,' she said. I replied saying, "well done for being honest but you can't just pretend to be someone else just because you are a prat". 'Then he deleted his account. I'm so lucky that somebody drew my attention to what was happening.' Ordeal: Today, Ms Livesey said she felt 'shocked, scared and violated' after discovering the dating profiles . Mr Grant is believed to have met some of the biggest names in the music industry during his . career, including Alicia Keys, Neyo and Nicki Minaj. In his apology to Ms Livesey, the radio producer admitted he had 'made some very bad choices'. He wrote: 'What I have done is completely wrong and I absolutely should not have done this. 'I was caught up in a very bad place where my behaviour was wrong. It's a very long and tragic story and I let things go way beyond where they should. Warning: She has now made her profile on Facebook private - and is warning others to do the same . 'What I did was use some of your pictures and create a fake profile. I want to be absolutely clear on this point: It was wrong. I will never do it again. I should never have done it in the first place. 'I can promise with my hand on my heart, this has stopped. I have deleted everything and there are no more fake profiles, photos, or anything, in existence. I want this to be over for good. 'I know you don't know me but I hope you believe me when I say that my intention was not to hurt anybody. 'I was deeply in love with someone and behaved out of character and made some very bad choices. 'Using your photos was a horrible thing to do and I would feel pretty awful if someone had done it to me.' In a statement he added: 'I am incredibly sorry for my actions. I am ashamed, and understand that I've caused upset and therefore apologise unreservedly.' Ms Livesey said she had made her Facebook profile private following the ordeal - and is warning others to do the same. 'I now know how important it is to double check your privacy settings on social-networking sites,' she added. 'People might think it's my fault for having my pictures out there but I didn't realise. I always thought my profile was private but I'd never made sure. 'I hope this shows people how easy it is for people to steal your identity and that could be really dangerous, especially on dating websites. 'I feel really violated by it all and I worry that somebody will see me in the street and think I've been sending out naked pictures of myself.' Lancashire Police said the issue was a 'grey area' and it was not immediately clear whether any crime had been committed.
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Becky Livesey, 21, discovered her 'selfies' had been used on dating profiles .
Stolen photos were posted online alongside nude images of other women .
Marketing executive then tracked down culprit, Stuart Grant, from London .
Mr Grant, a radio producer for Capital Xtra, has now personally apologised .
Ms Livesey said she was 'shocked, scared and violated' by the discovery .
'I worry people will think I've been sending out naked pictures,' she said .
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449118078e4d72bc2062e665bca1d7a5812e837c
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(CNN) -- One day before the election, tensions are running high and poll numbers are being crunched every few hours. Nowhere is this truer than in Ohio -- the pathway to victory. So there was a collective gasp Friday when a last-minute directive from Ohio's secretary of state, a Republican, threatened to invalidate a number of provisional ballots. When the fate of the nation could hinge on a handful of votes, arcane state rules and local politicians' motives take on a new urgency. Earlier last week the Obama campaign complained to Wisconsin's attorney general about what it said was "willful misrepresentation" by the Romney campaign in the materials used to train Election Day poll watchers. At issue was whether people in Wisconsin with felony convictions could vote. (They can, once they complete their sentences, but the Romney documents had said they can't.) Given that this fact can be Googled in less than 10 seconds, one must conclude the Romney campaign was either grossly ignorant of election law or intentionally deceiving volunteers in an effort to swing the vote. Opinion: Vote, damn it! This election year is the culmination of years of Republican efforts to foment confusion and fear to keep certain Americans from voting. That is a subplot of this election, but one that will have massive consequences. In close and bitterly fought elections, there's far more at stake than who occupies the White House: Americans' belief in the integrity of our democracy hangs in the balance. These efforts are pernicious, pervasive and professionalized. In a recent New Yorker article, Jane Mayer profiled Hans von Spakowsky, a legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation who has been hyping the myth of voter impersonation fraud since 1998, despite mountains of evidence refuting his claim. (The Brennan Center for Justice has concluded that many more people are struck by lightning than commit in-person voter fraud.) Rep. John Lewis -- a civil rights hero who bled to get all Americans the right to vote -- describes von Spakowsky as waking up every morning thinking "What can I do today to make it more difficult for people to vote?" Spakowsky is a close adviser to True the Vote, a Houston-based organization funded by wealthy conservative donors that has led challenges against the registration of minority voters across the country. Because of these challenges, thousands of Americans who have voted reliably in the same place every year have had to attend formal hearings to defend their registrations or be disqualified from voting. The group has been so aggressive and so inaccurate in its work that Rep. Elijah Cummings has said it could "amount to a criminal conspiracy to deny legitimate voters their constitutional rights." The backbone of the voter suppression movement has been the national push to institute a labyrinth of voter identification laws. Thirty-three states have passed such laws since 2009. Opinion: What's really at stake in election 2012 . The result has been confusion and sloppy implementation as overburdened poll volunteers have had to memorize constantly changing regulations. Meanwhile, millions of Americans, including tens of thousands of seniors, will be disenfranchised because they don't have the required ID or they are simply confused by the laws. While advocates claim they are just trying ensure a fair vote, Pennsylvania's Republican House Majority Leader Mike Turzai infamously spilled the beans in June when he claimed the state's new voter ID law would deliver the state to Mitt Romney. Recent news reports suggest that if there is an actual attempt at systemic voter fraud, it's coming from GOP-affiliated groups. Meet Nathan Sproul: a longtime Republican operative paid $3 million by the Republican Party to register voters in five states this cycle. Evidence suggests Sproul's company, Strategic Allied Consulting, has been systematically encouraging falsifying signatures and having workers lie to voters. The GOP severed ties with Sproul's group when these allegations became public, but his relationships with the party and affiliated groups date back to 2004, and the allegations against him date back almost as long. A Google search turns this information up in a couple of seconds. Some American values do trump election victories if the choice between the two is laid bare. The American Legislative Exchange Council, the driver for much of the voter ID legislation, has faced a revolt of its corporate members as citizen consumers have expressed their outrage: Thirty-seven companies have left ALEC, including such high-profile names as Sprint, Nextel, and Entergy. Clear Channel has been forced to take down billboards making vague threats of legal action against voters in low-income and minority neighborhoods after a campaign by civil rights group Color of Change. And courts in Pennsylvania ruled that a new voter ID law cannot be enforced in this election after hearing from plaintiffs like 92-year old Vivian Applewhite, who showed she would be disenfranchised since she has no birth certificate. Regardless of who wins, if the election proves as close as it appears, it's likely that the demand for recounts and accusations on both sides will fly fast and furious. But this erosion of Americans' rights requires a clear and comprehensive solution -- universal legislation that makes it easier to vote for all Americans regardless of their circumstances. Our democracy depends on it. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ilyse Hogue.
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Ilyse Hogue: Ohio secretary of state's 11th-hour directive could invalidate provisional ballots .
She says it's part of GOP push to confuse election process to suppress certain voters .
She says GOP pushed through voter ID laws in 33 states on made-up claim of voter fraud .
Hogue: Systematic efforts to keep people from voting threaten entire democratic process .
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was one of several celebrities taking courtside seats for the anti-climatic ending to the men's tennis season at the ATP World Tour Finals. A packed audience at the O2 Arena in London had expected to see a classic between the world's best players - Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer - before learning that the Swiss was forced to withdraw with an unconfirmed injury. Mourinho stayed to watch a hastily arranged exhibition match that dragged British No. 1 Andy Murray away from his Playstation to play Djokovic in a first to eight game final. Hugh Grant (L), Will Young (C) and Jose Mourinho (R) watch the ATP World Tour Final in London . The Chelsea manager does not look too impressed after Roger Federer was forced to pull out of the final . World No 1 almost collided with the celebrities after being forced to leap the advertising hoardings . Hollywood actor Grant yawns after the intended final was replaced with an exhibition match . The Portuguese shared the front row with Hollywood actor Hugh Grant and pop star Will Young - and the group came closer to the action than expected after Djokovic almost collided with them after leaping an advertising hoarding in chase of the ball. As for the final, Murray managed to win more than the single game he had claimed in his final match against Federer but was still beaten 8-5 by the reigning world No 1. Djokovic came onto court ahead of playing Murray to receive the trophy, which was understandably a low-key occasion. Addressing the crowd, he said: 'Clearly this is not the way I wanted things to happen. I'm really sorry for Roger not being able to come to the court.' Djokovic was handed the trophy and will end the year as the No 1 ranked player in the world . Federer addressed the crowd to apologise for having to withdraw at such a late stage . Djokovic shares a joke with Andy Murray after dragging the British No 1 away from his sofa . The Serbian player throws a ball into the crowd after defeating Murray 8-5 in an exhibition match .
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Novak Djokovic won the ATP Tour World Finals after Roger Federer was forced to withdraw .
Jose Mourinho, Hugh Grant and Will Young were among stars in the crowd .
World No 1 defeated Andy Murray 8-5 in hastily arranged exhibition match .
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58733bf4d2489d1823a432b2f515f22fa835a88b
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(CNN) -- A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked same-sex marriages in Wisconsin, pending appeals. The same judge last week struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban. She did not stay her ruling then, allowing a number of same-sex marriages to proceed. "After seeing the expressions of joy on the faces of so many newly wedded couples featured in media reports, I find it difficult to impose a stay on the event that is responsible for eliciting that emotion, even if the stay is only temporary. Same-sex couples have waited many years to receive equal treatment under the law, so it is understandable that they do not want to wait any longer," U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote in her decision Friday. However, she added: "A federal district court is required to follow the guidance provided by the Supreme Court. Because I see no way to distinguish this case from Herbert, I conclude that I must stay any injunctive relief pending appeal." Crabb was referring to a Supreme Court case in which same-sex marriages in Utah were put on hold. Speaking about the judge's ruling Friday, Carl Tobias, a constitutional law professor at the University of Richmond, said that Crabb clearly felt constrained by the higher court. "That leaves Wisconsin couples married in the last week in legal limbo, like couples in Utah and Michigan who married after the bans were invalidated and before stays were issued," he said. Same-sex marriage is legal in 19 U.S states and the District of Columbia: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Worldwide, 16 other countries (and parts of Mexico) also have laws allowing same-sex marriage and domestic partnerships. Most of these are in Europe and South America. Fast Facts: Same-sex marriage . CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.
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A federal judge temporarily blocks same-sex marriage .
The same judge struck down Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage last week .
Friday's decision leaves married same-sex couples in "legal limbo"
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a239f814364fbef9464698489f1252fd050f0058
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By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 16:19 EST, 13 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:30 EST, 14 March 2013 . Almost 30 young children were found living in one room and sharing one broken toilet between them after an illegal care home for poor tribal girls was raided in India. Police officers and representatives from the Child Rights Commission found 29 girls, all aged between five and 14, living in squalid conditions in the home in Jaipur, the state capital of Rajasthan in the north west of the country. Police found more than 600 empty alcohol bottles and only rotten vegetables in a store cupboard at the Grace Home. Scroll down for video . Squalid: 29 girls, some as young as five were found living in a single room in an illegal care home in India . Rotting: Old vegetables were found in the home, along with dozens of liquor bottles and a broken toilet . The girls, who were put in the home with promises of education, food and care, were being looked after by a 14-year-old boy and were not allowed to contact their families, according to NDTV. The children, all from Christian families, were never sent to school and no teacher ever attended the home. The Child Rights Commission raided the home on Tuesday after parents complained when one child died and the building was surveyed by officers for a month. The man who ran the home, which was based in a two-bedroom rented house in the city, has been arrested by police. He reportedly owns a second home for boys in Jaipur from which 15 children have been rescued. Deepak Kalra, chairman of the Child Rights Commission told NDTV: 'They stay in the hall and study by themselves. The older children teach the younger ones. Illegal: 29 girls were found by police officers and representatives from the Child Rights Commission living in the home in Jaipur . 'There is no female warden or domestic help to take care of them and no registration papers.' According to Indian law, all children's homes in the country are meant to be registered with the government so that they can be monitored and authorities can ensure that residents are being properly looked after. Residents living close to the home . claim that they never saw any youngsters allowed out to play in the . garden or a park close to the building. The rescued children have been moved to different shelters and will be given medical check ups and counseling. Police are to investigate the source of the home's funding.
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29 children were rescued from the home in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Tuesday .
Police found 600 empty alcohol bottles and stores of rotten vegetables .
The group of girls were living in one room and sharing one broken toilet .
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b1c88944e5d3fe970dfd32a21b269b40f6881a38
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Fox News has made an on-air apology after a terrorism pundit described Birmingham as a 'no-go' area for non-Muslims. Steven Emerson, billed as an expert on terrorism-related issues, was described by Prime Minister David Cameron as 'a complete idiot' and widely mocked by Twitter users after informing viewers the city was 'totally Muslim' and was not visited by people of other faiths. Mr Emerson issued a string of apologies to British media outlets over his 'terrible, inexcusable error' during a broadcast last weekend and has also donated $750 to the city's children's hospital. Controversial: Steven Emerson (right), billed as an expert on terrorism-related issues, described Birmingham as a no-go area for non-Muslims . Fox News presenter Julie Banderas told viewers: 'Over the course of this last week we have made some regrettable errors on air, regarding the Muslim population in Europe, particularly with regard to England and France. 'This applies especially to discussions of so-called no-go zones, areas where non-Muslims allegedly aren't allowed in, and police supposedly won't go. 'To be clear, there is no formal designation of these zones in either country, and no credible information to support the assertion there are specific areas in these countries that exclude individuals based solely on their religion. 'There are, certainly, areas of high crime in Europe, as there are in the United States and other countries, where police and visitors enter with caution. 'We deeply regret the errors and apologise to any and all who may have taken offence, including the people of France and England.' Response: Fox News presenter Julie Banderas told viewers: 'Over the course of this last week we have made some regrettable errors on air'. She added the apology applies to 'discussions of so-called no-go zones'
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'Expert' Steve Emerson said the midlands city was 'totally Muslim'
Prime Minister David Cameron branded him a 'complete idiot'
Presenter Julie Banderas told viewers station had made 'regrettable errors'
Concerning the apology, she said: 'This applies especially to discussions of so-called no-go zones'
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5dd2ddc4ea9ecde2c6272802016b3270eff520b4
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Late night trickster Jimmy Kimmel was up to usual shenanigans on Thursday night's show turning his attention this time on a bunch of sucker fashionistas so desperate to appear on trend that they were willing to talk admiringly about labels they couldn’t possibly have heard off – because they simply don’t exist. New York Fashion Week took place this week at the Lincoln Center near Central Park and Kimmel sent along a young presenter to try and catch out some of the fashion forward attendees. Like lambs to the slaughter the hipsters spoke admiringly of their love for the work of George Costanza, Richardo Montalban and Joe Isuzu. It's called fashion look it up! These fashion forward hipsters were interviewed on Kimmel about made-up trends including wearing watermelons as headgear . An aspiring fashionista talks of her admiration for the supposed hot new designer - the Seinfeld character George Costanza . Surely they weren’t talking about the deeply unfashionable Seinfeld character, the Mexican actor famed for portraying Khan in Star Trek and the fictional spokesman for the Isuzu car and truck brand? The best of the bunch was the young man wearing everything black and too much foundation who spoke of his admiration for Eddie Munster. ‘Good aesthetic,’ said the goth of the werewolf boy from The Munsters, seemingly oblivious to just how much of a key influence the 60s TV character had been on his current image. Having humiliated one set of posers, Kimmel’s next trick was to ask his unwitting stooges if they had seen the runway show where model had worn watermelons on their heads. Video source Jimmy Kimmel Live . Eddie Munster, left, was the werewolf boy from The Munsters, the fashion fan above seemed oblivious to just how much of an influence the TV character had been on his look . The man in yellow claimed he was at the runway show in which male models had appeared with watermelons on their heads . ‘It's called fashion look it up!’ said one super serious fashionista with fierce green hair as he glared at the interviewer for daring question the creative integrity of the designer. Another dedicated follower of fashion was asked for their reaction to the models who wore dog poop on their heads as they strode down the runway. She was slightly disgusted by the idea, but preferred to speak of her admiration for the model for pulling it off. Even the ‘uniboot’ from French footwear designer Christian Louboutin won admiring comments even though wearers would be expected to hop along in the invented fashion item. Kimmel had begun the ‘Lie Witness News’ section by commenting how New York Fashion Week was really just an opportunity for designers to play a practical joke on the women of America with the outlandishness of some of the ensembles that they sent down the runways. Hop along: Two attendees give their impressions of how they might attempt to move in a Christian Louboutin ‘uniboot’
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A collection of fashion forward hipsters profess their love for the designs of George Costanza and Eddie Munster .
Kimmel's 'Lie Witness News' feature also includes witless fashionistas also willing to along with a uniboot and models with dog poop on their heads .
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851f5dd1531f8544e61705df4f1ec7a3a8a7daf8
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This is the frightening moment a three-metre Great White started trailing a surfer back to shore, just two weeks before another man lost his arm and hand in a nearby shark attack. Andy Johnston was out with a small group of surfers at West Beach near Esperance, south-east of Perth, on September 21 when people ashore spotted the dark shadow looming. Other surfers managed to clear the water onto a reef after people started to honk their car horns to warn of the approaching shark, but Mr Johnston opted to stay put. Andy Johnston was out with a small group of surfers at West Beach near Esperance, south-east of Perth, on September 21 when people ashore spotted the dark shadow looming . 'I'd rather try to hold my ground against it and not freak out and make a commotion,' he told the Esperance Express following his close encounter. 'If you're going to get chomped then you're going to get chomped - there's nothing you can do about it.' The photos showing just how close Mr Johnston came only emerged on Thursday - a month after his close encounter. Frits De Bruyn, who was on holiday in Western Australia at the time, was standing at a nearby lookout and managed to capture the drama. 'We were at a lookout and we saw a shadow in the water. It became evident it was shark and everyone started shouting. There was about a dozen surfers and paddle boarders in the water,' Mr De Bruyn told Daily Mail Australia. 'He followed him to shore for a bit... he was only a body-length behind him. 'The surfer went straight back out a few minutes after the shark swam away.' Other surfers managed to clear the water after people started to honk their car horns to warn of the approaching shark, but Mr Johnston opted to stay put . The photos showing just how close Mr Johnston came only emerged on Thursday - a month after the close encounter . The un-fazed surfer said he didn't even think the shark posed a threat, but admits if things had gone badly it would have been traumatic for anyone who witnessed the attack. 'It seemed just curious and I didn't want to give it a reason to chase me so I tried to behave casually and keep an eye on it,' Andy Johnston said. 'But I didn't know it came up quite so close as I was paddling into the wave to come into the beach with the other lads. 'If you're going to say a shark is a threat every time you see one, well that's not true. 'They're doing their thing and we're doing our thing. 'I probably have a higher risk of breaking my neck on that reef than the shark causing me harm.' While other surfers cleared the water, Andy Johnston remained still to 'not freak out and make a commotion' Two weeks after Mr Johnston's close encounter, Sean Pollard was attacked at nearby Wylie Bay, east of Esperance, on October 2. The 23-year-old lost his left forearm and his other hand at the wrist when he was mauled while surfing. Mr Pollard was dragged from the water where fellow beachgoers wrapped towels around his bleeding injuries. He was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital. Soon after, two great white sharks were caught and killed drum lines were deployed Western Australia's Department of Fisheries. The dead sharks were taken to Perth for research and Mr Pollard's surfboard was being examined by experts. Sean Pollard was attacked at nearby Wylie Bay, east of Esperance, on October 2 - just two weeks after Mr Pollard's close encounter . The 23-year-old lost his left forearm and his other hand at the wrist when he was mauled while surfing .
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Andy Johnston was surfing at West Beach near Esperance, south-east of Perth, on September 21 .
People ashore spotted the dark shadow looming and started to honk their car horns as a warning .
The surfers managed to clear the water onto a nearby reef but Mr Johnston opted to stay put .
Photos showing just how close Mr Johnston came only emerged on Thursday .
Two weeks later Sean Pollard was attacked at nearby Wylie Bay, east of Esperance, on October 2 .
The 23-year-old lost his left forearm and his other hand at the wrist when he was mauled by a shark .
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498c49b6f4ca49d59e959490f4b1c0bda42d7382
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A global travel alert issued Friday by the State Department warned al Qaeda may launch attacks in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond in coming weeks, a threat that prompted Sunday's closure of 21 embassies and consulates. The U.S. government's actions are in response to growing intelligence that shows a potential for attacks in Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East as well as North Africa, said U.S. officials who spoke to CNN on condition of not being identified. "The threat appears to be much worse than it has (been) in a long time," said a senior national security official in Yemen, where the government is "on high alert against possible attacks in the days to come." Various Western targets -- not just those tied to the United States -- are under threat, according to two U.S. officials. According to three sources, the United States has information that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula members are in the final stages of planning for an unspecified attack. One of the sources said that such preparations appeared to have increased in recent days with the approaching end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In particular, Sunday is Laylet al-Qadr, or the Night of Power, which is one of the holiest moments on the Muslim calendar. Said one U.S. official: "It all leads us to believe something could happen in the near future." Based on intelligence, U.S. officials said, there was particular concern about the U.S. Embassy in Yemen between Saturday and Tuesday. President Barack Obama -- who, amid regular updates on the situation, has directed officials to take all appropriate steps to protect Americans -- praised Yemeni President Abdo Rabu Mansour Hadi for his country's efforts following a meeting Thursday at the White House. Photos: Attacks on U.S. diplomatic sites . Still, it's unclear whether the apparent plot targets that Arabian nation or one elsewhere -- which is why the travel alert applies so broadly, and why embassies from Bangladesh to Libya are being closed. The expected time of an attack also isn't known, with the U.S. travel alert noting the threat extends through the end of August. "Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests," the alert states. "U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure." New York Rep. Peter King, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the information "the most specific I've seen." While the principal attention is on the Arabian Peninsula, he stressed to CNN's Wolf Blitzer that"we can't rule anything out." "We are focused on the Middle East, but it's a potential series of attacks that really could be almost anyplace," said King. 21 embassies, consulates ordered closed . The State Department made public Friday a list of 21 embassies and consulates that will close Sunday, which is normally the start of the work week in the countries affected. The 17 affected U.S. embassies are in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Yemen. The U.S. embassy in Israel will be closed as normal Sunday. See the whole list . Consulates in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also being shut down for the day. Embassies and consulates in the region typically close their doors or operate with minimal staff on Fridays and Saturdays. The shutdowns could extend beyond Sunday, a senior State Department official said. Retired Gen. James Mattis -- who until earlier this year was head of U.S. Central Command, responsible for a 20-country area that includes the Middle East -- said the decision to close the embassies shows the reality of the threat and the wisdom of U.S. policymakers. U.S. embassies have been targeted before in places such as Yemen, Turkey and Tanzania, he pointed out. Moreover, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is one of the terrorist network's most active and most destructive branches. "We have to remember that we're up against an enemy who kills indiscriminately -- whether it be women, children, diplomats -- and our embassies ... have been one of the targets," Mattis told CNN on Friday. "They are showing some proactive discretion here, making certain that we don't give the enemy an opportunity that we can deny them." Questions, concerns after Benghazi . House leaders have been briefed on the situation, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters, adding that the travel alert and embassy closings provided "some understanding of the seriousness of the threat." King, who has also heard such briefings, applauded the government's decision to close its diplomatic missions. "I give them credit," the Republican said of the Obama administration. "I think the government is doing exactly the right thing here." Such bipartisan agreement in Washington come at a time politicians are still pushing to seek answers regarding the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consular compound in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Since then, Republicans have been pressing President Barack Obama's administration for answers, with some accusing officials of covering up what happened in Benghazi and not doing enough to track down the attackers. Eight GOP lawmakers are asking that incoming FBI Director James Comey brief Congress within 30 days about the investigation. They say the administration's inquiry thus far has been "simply unacceptable," according to a draft letter obtained by CNN. Earlier this week, Vice President Joe Biden and senior State Department officials went to Congress to discuss embassy security. Biden also briefed congressional leadership, key committee chairmen and ranking members about the latest threat concerns, a source who attended the meeting said. Another official said the recent intelligence might not have warranted such a response before the Benghazi attack, given the political firestorm it created for the Obama administration. On Thursday, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the agency was taking the steps at diplomatic sites out of an abundance of caution. CNN found embassy attack suspect before FBI .
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The State Department issues a global travel alert on possible al Qaeda attacks .
Sources say al Qaeda is in final planning stages of unspecified plot .
Rep. King: Information is "specific," attacks "really could be almost anyplace"
Western targets, not just American ones, are under threat, officials say .
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Barcelona have confirmed that new £15million signing Thomas Vermaelen is still carrying a hamstring injury and will have to wait before he starts training with his new team. The 28-year-old was presented at the Nou Camp on Sunday after completing his move from Arsenal to the Catalan side and admitted he was not yet 100 per cent fit after getting injured during Belgium's 1-0 win over Russia in the World Cup, which meant the defender played just 29 minutes of football in Brazil. The former Arsenal captain added he hoped to 'start from zero' after missing most of last season with the Gunners due to a series of injuries but joins Barca as an injured player. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Thomas Vermaelen's Barcelona unveiling at the Nou Camp . New setting: Thomas Vermaelen is still injured after joining from Arsenal, Barcelona have confirmed . Thank you: The 28-year-old took to Instagram to thank everyone involved with Arsenal . Highlight: The Belgian defender lifts the FA Cup, ending a nine-year trophy drought for Arsenal . A statement from Barcelona said: 'Thomas Vermaelen injured his right hamstring during the World Cup in June. The player will undergo physiotherapy, and the evolution of the injury will determine when he returns to training.' Meanwhile, Vermaelen has used his Instagram account to thank the Arsenal fans for their support after leaving the club. 'After 5 years at Arsenal - and the last 2 years a proud captain too - it's time for me to move on.' he wrote. 'The club, the team, the fans, the manager, the staff and other employees, you all made me feel at home at both the training ground and the Emirates Stadium. 'It was a wonderful time and I feel blessed I've had the opportunity to be a part of such a great club. There have been so many wonderful games and experiences, with lifting the FA Cup as an absolute highlight. 'I would like to thank you all for your support, it was a huge honour to be a Gunner!' Strong relationship: Vermaelen passes the cup to Wenger, who praised his attitude throughout last season . Reign in Spain: Vermaelen spent five years at Emirates Stadium before switching to the Nou Camp . Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger returned the sentiment after Arsenal's Community Shield win over Manchester City, praising his former captain's attitude. The Arsenal boss said: 'Vermaelen behaved outstandingly last year - I am grateful for him and I wish him very well.'
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Centre-back fell out of favour last season and left for Barcelona .
Belgian defender says he was a proud captain and feels blessed to have been a part of the club in Instagram post .
Lifting the FA Cup last season described as 'an absolute highlight'
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Tributes have been paid to journalist and broadcaster Simon Hoggart who has died aged 67. Hoggart, who died yesterday, is perhaps best known as the long-standing host of BBC Radio 4's News Quiz until 2006. He was also a prolific writer, spending a lot of his career writing for the Guardian - including a long stint as its parliamentary sketchwriter. The writer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer several years ago but continued to work until recently, the Guardian reported today. Sketchwriter Simon Hoggart died yesterday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer . As well as his countless dispatches from Parliament and party conferences, Hoggart was the author of dozens of books. Referring to his time at the helm of the . News Quiz, his Radio 4 colleague Corrie Corfield said: 'Like to think . that somewhere rather special Simon Hoggart is now being told to get a . move on by Alan Coren, with lovely Linda Smith laughing.' Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said he wrote with 'mischief and a sometimes acid eye about the theatre of politics'. He . said: 'A daily reading of his sketch told you things about the workings . of Westminster which no news story could ever convey. He will be much . missed by readers and his colleagues.' Hoggart (right) with Alan Coren , who died in 2007, during their News Quiz days . Numerous notable figures from the media industry took to Twitter to express their condolences today. Radio host Jeremy Vine wrote on Twitter: 'Simon Hoggart was one of the cleverest and funniest writers in the newspaper world and also a lovely chap. RIP.' Newsreader Susanna Reid wrote: 'A truly charming, funny, intelligent - and kind man. Simon Hoggart, you will be missed.' Associate editor of the Daily Mirror Kevin Maguire wrote: 'Hugely saddened by the death of my friend Simon Hoggart. He was a kindly, thoughtful, witty & curiously shy man. RIP' Posing for News Quiz's 25th Anniversary Programme are show regulars (left to right) Alan Coren, Jeremy Hardy, Francis Wheen, Linda Smith, Simon Hoggart and Andy Hamilton . Conservative MP Michael Fabricant, a regular target of Hoggart's sketches, said: 'Such sad news. He teased me mercilessly but always kindly.' Hoggart, the son of literary critic and academic Richard Hoggart, grew up in Hull and then Leicester before joining the Guardian in Manchester. Despite being told his illness would kill him, he continued to work for three and a half years writing his final column just three weeks ago on December 19. However, last month his condition deteriorated and he was admitted to the Royal Marsden hospital. Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger said he wrote with 'mischief and a sometimes acid eye' He made it home to his family on Christmas Day and according to The Guardian visitors said he continued to sound off. Alan Rusbridger added: 'Simon was a terrific reporter and columnist – and a great parliamentary sketchwriter. 'He wrote with mischief and a sometimes acid eye about the theatre of politics. But he wrote from a position of sophisticated knowledge and respect for parliament. 'A daily reading of his sketch told you things about the workings of Westminster which no news story could ever convey. He will be much missed by readers and his colleagues.'
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Journalist, 67, passed away yesterday after long battle pancreatic cancer .
He was known to many as the host of Radio 4's News Quiz until 2006 .
Radio 4 colleague Corrie Corfield said: 'Somewhere rather special Simon Hoggart is now being told to get a .
move on by Alan Coren'
Death announced in today's Guardian - where he was a sketchwriter .
Editor Alan Rusbridger said he wrote with 'mischief and an acid eye'
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9e73c1295f990d263776b4bfca58c7c763c676da
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She's famous for her love of sport but the Duchess of Cornwall got a little more than she bargained for during a visit to the 4 Rifles at their Wiltshire barracks. Camilla, who was resplendent in a bespoke dark green wool coat, was being shown around the training gym when she was invited to join some of the soldiers in their boxing ring. Gamely, the Duchess, 67, climbed into the ring where she joked with soldiers before banging fists with one of the men. Limbering up: The Duchess of Cornwall hopped into the boxing ring with members of the 4 Rifles . Speedy exit: Camilla got into the boxing ring, spent a few minutes chatting, and then got out again (right) Back to safety! Smiling slightly, the Duchess clambers back out of the ring . She had been watching the men sparring and later met a group of boxers who had travelled to Colchester the previous night to take on fighters from the Parachute Regiment. Unfortunately for the Duchess, who sources describe as being 'passionate' and 'caring greatly' about the 4 Rifles, only one boxer, Rifleman Jack Brown, managed to win his bout. It was all so very different from the formalities that marked the beginning of the visit, which saw the Duchess, who is the battalion's Royal Colonel, greeted with a traditional bugle fanfare. She then inspected the soldiers who had lined up to wait for her to arrive before being shown into the training gym. Afterwards, the Duchess was given a tour of the battalion's formidable looking arsenal of armoured vehicles, including one of the controversial Jackal 2 cars. Nice work: On her way out, she gave one of the boxers a friendly punch on the glove . Meeting: The Duchess also met some of the boxers who had taken on men from the Paras the previous night . Not so good: Unfortunately, only one of the boxers from 4 Rifles managed to win his bout with the Paras . Nice work: One who did was Rifleman Jack Brown (not pictured) - much to Camilla's delight . In 2009, faults in the original Jackal caused a furore, leading to it being dubbed 'a mobile coffin' when it was discovered that the weak chassis made it vulnerable to improvised explosive devices. The new model, in which Camilla, along with Captain Louis Rountree, sat, is, according to the Ministry of Defence, considerably better protected and carries heavy and grenade machine guns. Camilla was also shown - and hopped into - a Warrior armoured vehicle, which resembles a tank and is armed with cannons as well as machine guns. Today's visit will be the Duchess' last to the troops' Bulford barracks, with the regiment set to be relocated to the Aldershot Barracks in Hampshire this summer. The imminent move proved a popular topic of conversation when the Duchess was taken to meet some of the soldier's wives and girlfriends, as well as some of the children. Formal welcome: Camilla's visit began with a bugle welcome outside the Ward Barracks . Inspection: The Duchess then inspected the men who had lined up to wait for her arrival . Formidable: The Duchess joined Captain Louis Roundtree and took a seat in an armoured Jackal 2 vehicle . Training: Captain Rountree is in charge of training and appeared to be intent on giving Camilla the basics . Arsenal: She and Captain Rountree then got inside a huge Warrior armoured vehicle . Camilla, a grandmother of six, including Prince George, looked particularly taken with some of the younger children and at one point crouched down so one of the little girls could show off her doll. The Duchess was also on the receiving end of a bunch of flowers, which were presented by Nancy Boswell, daughter of commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Carl Boswell. Today's visit comes in the middle of a busy period for the Duchess who is currently without husband Prince Charles, who is touring the Middle East. Tomorrow will see her visit a school, while Friday and much of next week will also see her back on her travels within the UK. Kind-hearted: The Duchess crouched down so a little girl could show off her doll while meeting families . At ease: The Duchess, a grandmother of six, including Prince George, looked at ease with the babies . Hello there: She even stopped to tickle one little boy's foot - much to his mother's delight . On her way: As she left, the Duchess was handed a pretty bouquet by the CO's daughter, Nancy Bothwell .
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The Duchess of Cornwall visited 4 Rifles at the Bulford Barracks .
Was shown around a training gym and gamely climbed into the ring .
Watched men sparring before enjoying a chat with the boxers .
Has been Royal Colonel of 4 Rifles for nearly a decade .
Sources say she 'cares greatly' about the wellbeing of the battalion .
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12,694 |
23fdc288c503d028709caf75a9cf63935ad77a24
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(CNN) -- While we officially celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" on November 24, celebrations of Darwin's legacy have actually been building in intensity for several years. Darwin is not just an important 19th century scientific thinker. Increasingly, he is a cultural icon. Darwin is the subject of adulation that teeters on the edge of hero worship, expressed in everything from scholarly seminars and lecture series to best-selling new atheist tracts like those by Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. The atheists claim that Darwin disproved once and for all the argument for intelligent design from nature. And that of course is why he remains hugely controversial. A Zogby poll commissioned by the Discovery Institute this year found that 52 percent of Americans agree "the development of life was guided by intelligent design." Those who are not scientists may wonder if they have a right to entertain skepticism about Darwinian theory. Read a leading Darwin proponent's view that evolution leaves no room for intelligent design theory . We are told that a consensus of scientists supporting the theory means that Darwinian evolution is no longer subject to debate. But does it ever happen that a seemingly broad consensus of scientific expertise turns out to be wrong, generated by an ideologically motivated stampeding of opinion? Of course, that does happen. Many ideologically driven crusades in science -- the earth-centered solar system and eugenics, for example -- survived long after supposed evidence for these ideas evaporated. And precisely the same thing is happening today in the ideologically charged field of evolutionary biology. Indeed, there are strong scientific reasons to doubt the consensus about Darwin's theory and what it allegedly proved. Contrary to Darwinian orthodoxy, the fossil record actually challenges the idea that all organisms have evolved from a single common ancestor. Why? Fossil studies reveal "a biological big bang" near the beginning of the Cambrian period (520 million years ago) when many major, separate groups of organisms or "phyla" (including most animal body plans) emerged suddenly without clear precursors. Fossil finds repeatedly have confirmed a pattern of explosive appearance and prolonged stability in living forms, not the gradual "branching-tree" pattern implied by Darwin's common ancestry thesis. There are also reasons to doubt the creative power of Darwin's mechanism of natural selection. While many scientists accept that natural selection can produce small-scale "micro-evolutionary" variations, many biologists now doubt that natural selection and random mutations can generate the large-scale changes necessary to produce fundamentally new structures and forms of life. For this reason more than 800 scientists, including professors from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale and Rice universities and members of various national (U.S., Russian, Czech, Polish) academies of science have signed a statement questioning the creative power of the selection/mutation mechanism. Increasingly, there are reasons to doubt the Darwinian idea that living things merely "appear" to be designed. Instead, living systems display telltale signs of actual or "intelligent" design such as the presence of complex circuits, miniature motors and digital information in living cells. Consider the implications, for example, of one of modern biology's most important discoveries. In 1953 when Watson and Crick elucidated the structure of the DNA molecule, they made a startling discovery. The structure of DNA allows it to store information in the form of a four-character digital code, similar to a computer code. This discovery highlights a scientific mystery that Darwin never addressed: how did the first life on earth arise? To date no theory of undirected chemical evolution has explained the origin of the information needed to build the first living cell. Instead, the digital code and information processing systems that run the show in living cells point decisively toward prior intelligent design. Indeed, we know from our repeated experience -- the basis of all scientific reasoning -- that systems possessing these features always arise from an intelligent source -- from minds, not material processes. Darwin's "revolutionary" legacy on display . DNA functions like a software program. We know that software comes from programmers. Information -- whether inscribed in hieroglyphics, written in a book, or encoded in a radio signal -- always arises from a designing intelligence. So the discovery of digital code in DNA provides a strong scientific reason for concluding that the information in DNA also had an intelligent source. Despite the consensus view that Darwin showed that "design could arise without a designer" there is now compelling scientific evidence of actual intelligent design in even the simplest living cells. The question of biological origins has long raised profound philosophical questions. Is life the result of purely material processes or did a purposive intelligence play a role? It's not surprising that such a worldview-shaping issue would illicit strong passions and disagreements. All the more reason to let the evidence, rather than a supposed consensus, determine the outcome of what is, in fact, a very legitimate and important debate about the Darwinian legacy. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Stephen Meyer.
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Stephen Meyer says there are scientific reasons to doubt consensus about Darwin's theory .
Meyer: Fossil record challenges idea that organisms evolved from a single ancestor .
Meyer: There is compelling scientific evidence of actual intelligent design .
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8c04e167ce0b7ed2497b77d18f9067e06d05fece
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Scott Quigg stayed true to his word as he defended his WBA super-bantamweight title against Stephane Jamoye in Manchester. The Bury man said he would floor the Belgian with a body shot and in the third round he put him down with that very weapon. Scott Quigg celebrates defeating Stephane Jamoye to reclaim WBA super-bantamweight title . Jamoye was unable to recover and the bout was called off, with Quigg sending the perfect message to domestic rival Carl Frampton. Quigg wants to meet Frampton - the new IBF holder - in a domestic grudge match and that will now be at the top of the agenda. Jamoye had already been roughed up by Quigg's work to the body in the opener and, despite a busier second, was done for in the third. Scott Quigg (right) floored Stephane Jamoye with a body shot at the Manchester Arena . 'I was happy with that, I went in there and systematically broke him down,' Quigg told Sky Sports 1. 'I knew he was tough to the head so I went to his body. That was the plan of attack. I broke him down.' On Frampton, he added: 'It's the fight I want next. If he wants to sit down in a room... If Carl doesn't want to sit down at the table... They're the fights I want and I want to test myself against the best.'
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Scott Quigg defended his WBA super-bantamweight title with third-round stoppage of Stephane Jamoye .
Bury man floored Belgian opponent with a body shot and he was unable to recover on Saturday night .
Quigg now wants to meet Frampton - the new IBF holder - in a domestic grudge match .
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b01865f6a01b99e1538ac6451d048e403ecdd401
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By . Jack Doyle . and Chris Greenwood . and Ian Drury . Taxpayers are shelling out nearly £10million a year so police officers and staff can do union work. Despite the financial squeeze leading to huge falls in police budgets, spending on union activity has shot up by 65 per cent in just two years, figures suggest. The vast majority of that money pays the salaries of representatives from the Police Federation, the embattled body rocked by a series of scandals over recent months. Spend: Despite severe police budget cuts, spending on union activity has shot up 65 per cent, figures suggest . The figures were uncovered by Tory MP Dominic Raab, who questioned last night why so much money was being spent on ‘trouble-making militants’. They were made public as the reputation of policing in Britain was struck by a series of further blows, including: . The revelations emerged in what is seen as a make-or-break week for the Federation, which begins its annual conference in Bournemouth. The Federation, which is still facing fallout from the Plebgate scandal, is under immense pressure to reform after a review found tens of millions of pounds were held in secret ‘number 2’ accounts by local branches without any oversight by senior officers. Insiders also came forward to condemn a . culture of bullying, credit card spending and political campaigning by . the organisation, while the Mail also revealed details of a ‘blitzkrieg’ strategy to halt Government reforms to pay and conditions. The figures were uncovered by Tory MP Dominic Raab, who condemned the increase as 'shocking' This week Home Secretary Theresa May will address the conference and is widely expected to deliver a tough message, as Federation members vote on reform proposals. Police minister Damian Green has said that if the Federation does not put its house in order the Government will change the law to enforce change. Last night Mr Raab condemned the increase in spending on staff. He said: ‘Taxpayers will be shocked to learn that their subsidy to the Police Federation has soared by two-thirds, at a time when front-line policing budgets are under pressure and the Federation’s reputation has been shredded. Taxpayers should not have to subsidise trouble-making militants.’ His figures showed the number of full-time police officers and staff engaged in full-time union activity was 238 in 2012/13, up from 174 in 2010/11. The total cost of police officers and staff engaged in union activity was £9,927,570 last year, up 65 per cent from £6,029,806 in 2010/11. The Federation represents the rank and file among the 130,000 officers in England and Wales. Police staff, who include PCSOs and administrators, are represented by other unions, including Unison and PCS. A Police Federation spokesman said: ‘Representatives are an important asset and contribute to the smooth running of forces. They deal with all employment issues at a local level and assist forces in dealing with grievances before they incur expensive legal costs.’
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Union activity spending up 65% despite drastic cuts to police budgets .
Figures come as reputation of policing in Britain is rocked by series of blows .
Damning report by MPs found nearly two-thirds court files were inadequate .
One in four people are not confident that police tell the truth, poll revealed .
A poll conducted by the Federation itself showed that one in four people are not confident that police tell the truth.
A damning report by MPs found that nearly two-thirds of files handed to prosecutors were inadequate.
The Public Accounts Committee said that files written by the police had ‘consistently worsened’ over recent years.
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(CNN) -- Vladimir Putin may not be the best defender of a free press, but the well-traveled former recruit of the KGB knows how things work abroad. In America, he has learnt, drawing attention to your point of view does not necessarily imply jailing or inflicting bodily harm to your dissenters but may be as simple as submitting an op-ed to the New York Times. That is exactly what happened on September 11, when the renowned peacemaker of Chechnya advised Barack Obama to "stop the language of force and return to the path of civilized diplomatic and political settlement" on the matter of Syria. READ MORE: Putin 1, Obama 0? This was a sweet topic of conversation and an interesting response to Obama's address to the nation the night before, but the Russian president also criticized his counterpart for having mentioned "American Exceptionalism" as a justification for using force or imposing its views on other sovereign countries. There, Putin may have a point. The American exception may be obvious to Americans, but it has always been a subject of conjecture for everyone else. Simple sense of superiority? Candid idealism? Cynical expression of self-interest? In the eyes of foreigners, the concept varied according to who in America mentioned it, when it was used, and what country, rich or poor, had to deal with it. Adding to the complication, the Americans may disagree on its meaning. Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio celebrity, immediately said that Obama had no idea what the American Exceptionalism is. Nevertheless, the president, on September 10, used its most classical Wilsonian definition, after describing the fate of gassed Syrian children. He meant that America has a heart of gold, and more than any other nation, the cruise missiles to prove it. Moral ambitions or pretentions, coupled with overwhelming force. A recipe for success, or, to say the least, disappointments. As a European child, I was raised in the epic of the GIs of D-Day crushing Nazis, but soon, in 1973, I noticed new kids had arrived in my school in a working class suburb of Paris. They came from Chile, sometimes with only one parent because the other one had been shot dead or was being tortured in Santiago. Their former president, I understood, was not to the liking of the American government of the times. As an adult, and a journalist, I could see the same post-Vietnam superpower set sail to Somalia at the request of public opinion and pack its bag at the first casualties, abandon the Rwandan Tutsis ( much like every western power) before making good on its promises against the Serbs. All this to say that American Exceptionalism was only rarely exceptional. The myth even took a fatal beating in Iraq under George W. Bush, and worse, was shamed by the nonsense of Guantanamo and the sordid exactions of the Baghram prison in Afghanistan. Barack Obama on September 10 had at least the courage to try to invoke the mythology. But the damage is done. An example: Human rights organizations, mostly born in the United States in the 1970s, focused back then their action on prodding the American government to use its power and influence to reform rogue regimes abroad. This is simply impossible today because of the terrible deficit of credibility of Washington in this matter. Now, these organizations have to build up their power by themselves, and multiply foreign bureaus at great cost to obtain results and try to save lives. The reactions to Putin's op-ed proves that he hit a nerve in the United States. The American Exceptionalism, understood as a sense of entitlement, superiority, uniqueness and sometimes immunity to any positive foreign influence is also shaken in the homeland. For long, I had been unable to discuss the tax system, the lack of universal health care, the humongous price of cable or the technology of washing machines without receiving a dreadful glare from American friends, followed by a fatalist and severe "that's the way we do things here." It is easier now. Good news, the American way seems to follow some of the ways of the world, much as the sacred and mythical "French model" meets reality. America, the new free society deemed exceptional by Tocqueville, was a pioneer in countless domains, like technology, education and justice, before suffocating and declining in its superb and often trivial isolation. Its values? The country that sent humans to the moon seems now, for the first time in decades, willing to temper ideologies to repair its bridges and roads. The Mecca of medical innovation tries to tackle its dismal public health problems. The birthplace of juvenile justice ended up locking its kids for life without parole. But the Supreme Court is slowly amending mandatory sentences to simply adapt to the mores of most developed societies, as the attorney general, for the first time, dares to take a look at the 2.4 million American detainees. A world record and a terrible American exception. Another sign of change? In the "Newsroom," the HBO series from 2012 by Aaron Sorkin, the main character, Will McAvoy, a disillusioned star anchorman, is asked "why is America the greatest country in the world?" His totally nostalgic and enraged answer paints the failed, or imaginary, good old times of American Exceptionalism: "We stood up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons, we passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors, we put our money where our mouths were, and we never beat our chest. The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore." But the rant was on TV. It made news, which is, whatever says Mr. Putin, a very good omen for America. The opinions expressed in this piece are solely those of Philippe Coste.
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Vladimir Putin's op-ed in the New York Times disputed the idea of American 'exceptionalism'
White House has ignored Putin's remarks but some U.S. lawmakers were outraged .
Coste: Things are changing and many Americans now dispute notion of 'exceptionalism'
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They fold up their uniforms, bid their colleagues farewell and return home from war. But for many veterans, their service continues to play a role in their lives long after they regain their civilian status. Now, a striking photo series has captured the dichotomous existence of men and women who formerly served in the US Army, Navy and Air Force. The Veteran Vision Project, created by photographer Devin Mitchell, aims to offer veterans the chance 'to speak without having to say something'. For each image, Mr Mitchell, a 27-year-old junior at Arizona State University, travels to a former serviceman's home and takes two pictures. Scroll down for video . Moving: This photo series, created by photographer Devin Mitchell, captures the dichotomous existence of US veterans. Above, Marine Corporal Brad Ivanchan, who lost both of his legs in 2013 after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan, stares at his reflection . Torn apart: Marine Corporal Daphne Bye and her now-ex-husband, Marine Staff Sergeant David Bye were both diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2001.They divorced last August after deciding it was no longer healthy for them to stay married. In this image, Ms Bye is seen holding a sign reading: 'PTSD. Divorcing but united' while Mr Bye peers at a reflection of the couple embracing in uniform . At home with her children: For each image, Mr Mitchell, a 27-year-old junior at Arizona State University, travels to a former soldier's home and takes two pictures.In one, the subject (such as Desarae Janszen, pictured) is dressed in uniform. In the other, they are in civilian attire . Striking: Major Patrick Lehmann, a former Army medical officer, hugs his partner as he looks at a reflection of himself dressed in uniform . Contrast: Adrienne Camille, an ex-expeditionary warfare officer with the Navy, dons a red dress and lipstick as she looks at her reflection . Affected: In this emotional picture, Brantley Hunt, who received numerous awards for his service including the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation and Achievement medals, is seen resting his hands against his forehead as his reflection shows him wearing a gas mask . In one, the male or female subject is dressed in uniform. In the other, they are wearing civilian attire. Then, Mr Mitchell digitally combines the two. And the results are incredible. In some photos, veterans are beaming joyfully at their reflections, embracing their children and kissing their partners. In others, the subjects are staring solemnly at their mirror image, clearly struggling to overcome the pain and suffering they encountered in war. One image shows Marine Corporal Brad Ivanchan, who lost both of his legs in June 2013 after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan. In his civilian half of the image, Mr Ivanchan is looking into his bathroom mirror, his prosthetics visible under his khaki shorts and his arms tattooed. In the other half, he is peering out of the mirror, a machine gunner dressed in his 7th Marine dress 'Charlies', the Washington Post reported. 'People connected with that picture because it showed something physical, visceral,' said Mr Mitchell, who posts his captivating images on Instagram. Another photo depicts Marine Corporal Daphne Bye and her now-ex-husband, Marine Staff Sergeant David Bye, who have a young daughter, Sophie. Overjoyed: Air Force veterans Ryan and Brittany Miller don uniforms and pose with their daughter, Kaelyn in this digitally-altered photo . Veteran: Mr Mitchell, who lives in Los Angeles and studies sociology remotely, started his project last August after brainstorming ways to apply for grad school. Above, Major Brian McLaughlin is pictured wearing two suits: A black civilian one and his Airborne Infantry suit . Dressed up: On a dedicated Kickstarter page, which he is using to fundraise for a photo book of his images, Mr Mitchell explains how he took just a few pictures at first. After posting the photos of veterans' 'double lives' to Instagram and Facebook, they quickly took off, leading to 'surprising' national exposure, he says. Above, Jennifer Marshall, a former Navy servicewoman, dons a black-and-red dress . A new life: Navy veteran Alejandro Bataille is pictured in uniform (left) and shaving alongside his partner (right) in this touching image . Serving for the US: 'As a result of this exposure, over the past seven months, I’ve had the honor of photographing many veterans from all walks of life,' Mr Mitchell writes on Kickstarter. 'The veterans who have participated have, in turn, helped me find even more candidates' Two lives in one: Mikael Thrash, a former Navy serviceman, looks at an image of himself dressed in a red suit while sporting his uniform . Glamorous: Jennifer Hope, who currently serves with the United States Navy, strikes a pose in a glamorous dress in her reflective image . Ms Bye and Mr Bye, who served in the battles of Fallujah in 2004 and 2007, were both diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2001. They underwent treatment for the disorder together, but divorced last August after deciding it was no longer healthy for them to stay married. In the image, Mr Bye is stood peering at their reflection, while his ex-wife looks at the camera, holding a sign reading: 'PTSD. Divorcing but united.' In the reflection, the couple are pictured embracing in uniform. 'When I saw Devin doing the project I was really excited. I figured why not,' Ms Bye said. 'When you’re in the military a lot of marriages break…and a lot of people don’t understand what the reason for it is and I thought it was important for me to say something. Single mother: Active Navy servicewoman Jennifer Morales holds her autistic young son as her professional persona observes the scene . New hair: Sergeant Darren F's hairstyle is noticeably different in his civilian life as it was during his time with America's Marine Corps . Different clothes: 'I’m very excited to get this project into photo book form so more people can see the amazing stories of these veterans,' says Mr Mitchell on his Kickstarer page. Above, Layla Webb, of the Navy, in her professional attire (left) and in her civilian dress (right) Married: Air Force veteran Tara Batesole grins at her cat while donning a wedding dress as her solemn-looking Army persona looks on . Posing: Casey Everett, who served with the Air Force, poses in blue underwear in his bathroom mirror (left) and in Army clothing (right) Biker: 'Over the past seven months, I’ve had the honor of photographing many veterans from all walks of life,' Mr Mitchell, who also captures images of active duty members, writes on his dedicated Kickstarter page. 'Above, Camilo Rocha, of the United States Army . 'I think it’s important for everybody to understand that even though we looked happy on the outside and that we truly did try for us and our daughter there’s only so much you can do when the issues are within yourself.' Mr Mitchell, who lives in Los Angeles and studies sociology remotely, started his project last August after brainstorming ways to apply for grad school. On a dedicated Kickstarter page, which he is using to fundraise for a photo book of his images, he explains how he took just a few pictures at first.After posting the photos of veterans' 'double lives' to Instagram and Facebook, they quickly took off, leading to 'surprising' national exposure, he says. 'As a result of this exposure, over the past seven months, I’ve had the honor of photographing many veterans from all walks of life,' Mr Mitchell, who also captures images of active duty members, writes. 'The veterans who have participated have, in turn, helped me find even more candidates. Shaving: Mikos Morrissette looks at himself shaving in Air Force uniform while donning a black leather jacket, silver watch and a cap . Serious and fun: Alyssa Boone and her sister Kayla pose solemnly in Air Force attire (left) and pull faces in their bedroom mirror (right) Photoshopped: Navy veteran Jeffrey Mounts looks out at his new civilian self, blonde Jazmine Rice, in this cleverly Photoshopped image . Longer hair: Buddy Watson has noticeably longer hair now that he has left his job with the Navy. He is pictured wearing a brown jacket . Army veteran: Mr Mitchell, who is not a veteran and calls his work 'artistic journalism', has no plans to end his inspirational project yet . Surgeon: 'As time changes, so might the photos and what they are reflecting. We can only wait and see', Mr Mitchell said. Above, former Navy flight surgeon Shannon Stacy is pictured (right) in her new land-based role and (left) in her Navy uniform, including a large helmet . 'I’m very excited to get this project into photo book form so more people can see the amazing stories of these veterans.' And Mr Mitchell, who is not a veteran and calls his work 'artistic journalism', has no plans to end his inspirational project just yet. He hopes to continue portraying veterans and current soldiers' bifurcated existence - including issues such as PTSD - through photography. 'I don’t interview them, all I ask is if they’re veteran and if I can come and take their picture,' Mr Mitchell said. 'This is an opportunity for people to speak without having to say something. As time changes, so might the photos and what they are reflecting. We can only wait and see.' The photographer, who has nearly 20,000 Instagram followers, has so far raised $4,915 of his $20,000 goal on his Kickstarter page. Explaining the project, he said: 'Veterans' intent is to amplify voices from moments of silence. Good, bad or disturbing, when it comes to this project, people will see what is really going on.'
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The Veteran Vision Project captures dichotomous existence of men and women who formerly served for country .
Created by photographer Devin Mitchell, it offers veterans the chance 'to speak without having to say something'
For each image, Mr Mitchell captures two pictures: One, of subject in uniform; the other, of them in civilian attire .
He then digitally merges pictures to produce single images, which have been shared tens of thousands of times .
Photos feature Brad Ivanchan, who lost both legs in IED blast, and couple who are divorcing after battling PTSD .
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(CNN) -- Just as President Barack Obama secured his re-election, a scandal jolted his national security team. The resignation of retired four-star general David Petraeus as CIA director over an extramarital affair followed by the investigation of the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, in relation to e-mail exchanges with a woman caught up in the Petraeus mess is just one of many dramas to unfold following a presidential re-election. Is Petraeus pillow talk a security threat? Here, we take a look at big scandals and controversies that plagued other presidents after voters re-elected them to the White House: . George W. Bush | HURRICANE KATRINA, 2005 . President George W. Bush won re-election in 2004, defeating Democrat Sen. John Kerry. The Republican was a wartime president after the 9/11 attacks and managed to secure a second term as commander-in-chief. Eight months after Bush's second inauguration, Hurricane Katrina destroyed parts of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 people. The Category Three storm made landfall on August 29, 2005, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and causing $108 billion in damage. Bush was asked to declare a federal state of emergency for the city before the storm hit but delayed acting for days, leaving many without any aid. A congressional report released in 2006 called the government response to the storm a "failure of leadership" that left people stranded when they were most in need. Bush left office at the end of his second term in 2009. Bill Clinton | MONICA LEWINSKY, 1998 . "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky," President Bill Clinton said with his wife, Hillary, standing by his side at a White House news conference. It was January 26, 1998, and several days earlier, news organizations began reporting the alleged affair between Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, a young White House intern. Clinton eventually acknowledged a sexual relationship with Lewinsky and became only the second president to be impeached by the U.S. House, which alleged perjury and obstruction of justice following a lengthy investigation by an independent counsel. However, the Senate acquitted him in 1999, and Clinton left office at the end of his second term two years later. Ronald Reagan | IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR, 1986 . President Ronald Reagan did not blink at fighting communism in Grenada and in Central America, but funding of anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua would lead to the worst scandal of his administration. The secret and rogue operation under the direction of the National Security Council's Oliver North used the proceeds from weapons sales to Iran to fund the Nicaraguan Contras -- despite a congressional ban on such funding. Ronald Reagan appeared on TV stating there were no "arms for hostages" deal but later admitted that there had been. Richard Nixon | WATERGATE, 1972 . The Watergate break-in triggered the slow unraveling of Richard Nixon's presidency. On the night of June 17, 1972, operatives of Nixon's re-election campaign broke into offices at the Watergate Hotel complex in Washington -- headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered a scandalous trail that led to the Oval Office and Nixon's resignation in 1974. Opinion: 5 things we've learned from Petraeus scandal .
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Scandal engulfing Petraeus has jolted Obama's national security team .
George W. Bush hurt by Katrina; Bill Clinton was impeached .
Reagan was dogged by Iran/Contra, and Watergate ended Nixon's presidency .
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By . Chris Greenwood . Complaints about the use of Tasers have been increasing as police gear up to put the controversial 50,000-volt devices in the hands of more officers. Among those who have complained are a 14-year-old girl, a ‘good Samaritan’ who was trying to help police, two cyclists and a man who said he refused to take off his underpants in custody. Critics said the complaints, running at the rate of one every three days, should make chief constables think even more carefully about expanding use of the potentially deadly weapons. Complaints: One complaint about the use of tasers is issued every three days. A 14-year-old girl is among those who have raised concerns . But rank-and-file police are hopeful they will soon receive Government backing for their bid to give every front-line officer access to a Taser. Figures obtained by the Daily Mail using Freedom of Information laws revealed that at least 399 complaints have been made about Tasers over the past three years. One came from a 14-year-old girl who was accidentally shot as officers tried to arrest a suspect in Nottingham. On Monday, the Mail reported that Tasers are used against children under 18 more than 140 times a year. In Lancashire, officers are investigating a case in which a man said he was tasered for refusing to take his pants off while in custody. A Devon and Cornwall officer was disciplined after tasering a man and then shocking him again after he was handcuffed and lying on the ground. In Lincolnshire, a man accused police of ‘excessive force’ after he was tasered while riding his bicycle, making him fall off. A similar incident took place in Humberside. A handful of forces paid compensation after confrontations involving Tasers. Durham police paid £4,000 to a man who said he was shot while trying to help officers catch a suspect. Under fire: 399 complaints have been made about tasers in the last three years. Critics claim those hit by tasers can suffer cardiac arrests, burns, and serious head wounds from falling . Of the 37 forces who responded to the survey, the vast majority of complaints, 151, were received by the Metropolitan Police, Britain’s largest force. Officials at the Independent Police Complaints Commission are concerned at Tasers being used in police custody, confined spaces and on vulnerable people. Simon Chesterman, the UK’s most senior officer responsible for Taser use, said the weapons have reduced the number of assaults on officers and made the public safer. But the West Mercia Deputy Chief Constable agreed that it is unacceptable to taser someone on a bicycle. He added: ‘I would never describe Taser as a risk-free option, but there are also risks to being hit with a baton or bitten by a police dog.’
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A 14-year-old girl and two cyclists among those who have raised concerns .
Police hope to get Government backing for every officer to carry taser .
399 complaints received about tasers in last three years .
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By . James Gordon . A defenseless Pit Bull squealed and gasped for air as her owner grabbed her by the collar and squeezed her throat shut. 21-year-old Asani Woods from Louisiana is now behind bars after he allegedly beat his pit bull unconscious with boxing gloves. According to sheriff's deputies, Woods was arrested after a video of the December beating was found on a cell phone belonging to a drug suspect, Johnny Dominick. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES AND VIDEO... Booked: Asani Woods, left, was booked on the charge of aggravated cruelty in dog's beating. Johnny Dominick, right, initially was booked on drug-related charges but later also was booked on the charge of being an accessory to aggravated cruelty of a dog . Before it all began: Tiger the pitbull was a loving and sweet dog before the brutal attack . Choke hold: Woods grabbed hold of the Pit Bull around its neck to cut off its air supply . Rage: Using boxing gloves, Woods begans to strike the dog around its head and force it into the garbage . Woods is accused of violently beating Tiger the pit bull because she made a mess in the kitchen. On March 26, authorities arrested 21-year-old Johnny Dominick on drug charges. When they checked his cell phone for evidence, they discovered the disturbing video. The video shows Woods choking the defenseless dogs as he held her by the throat, knocking her head against the wall and then forcing the pet into garbage. Woods appears angry and wears boxing gloves as he begins beating the dog with his fists. Jailed: Asani Woods was booked with aggravated cruelty in beating of his dog . Brutal: The dog is dragged across the floor by its neck towards the pile of garbage on the kitchen floor . Punished: Woods was seen beating the dog in the head and body as Tiger whimpered and cried during the attack . The pit bull yelped in agony in between blows to the stomach and head by a fist encased in a boxing glove and rapid kicks to her scrawny midsection. Although Tiger whimpers and cries out numerous times, she eventually appears to be unconscious. Investigators say after the female pit bull was knocked unconscious, Woods picked up the dog and hurled her across the room against the wall before smashing her to the floor. According to deputies, Woods claimed during questioning that he was 'disciplining his dog' after it created a mess in his kitchen. 'Yeah that was me. What you going to arrest me because I beat my dog because it sh*t and pi**ed all over my house?' he asked during his arrest. Woods claimed the incident happened in December and that Tiger survived the assault. Deputies say Woods later brought the pit bull to an animal shelter in January. Relentless: Woods picked up the dog before he smashed her to the floor . Excuse: Upon questioning, Woods said that he was disciplining his dog, which had created a mess in the kitchen . That shelter ended up euthanizing the dog because Woods allegedly told shelter employees that the pit bull was overly aggressive. Woods is charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal. Dominick, 21, is charged with principle to aggravated cruelty to an animal and a number of drug counts. Dominick, who allegedly recorded the incident is heard egging on Woods to continue the attack. St. Bernard Sheriff Jimmy Pohlmann said the 'video is very disturbing.' He said the abuse is brutal and he has never seen 'an incident such as this captured on video.' 'He thought it was no big deal and that law enforcement wouldn’t care about such an incident,' Pohlmann told reporters during a news conference. Out of it: By this point, the dog was unconscious . Pohlmann said the video was specifically disturbing, as the dog appeared to be defenseless: . 'You hear often times about pit bulls attacking individuals, you know, well, this is probably one case where you would like to see the pit bull defend himself, with such a brutal attack.' Although Woods denies he did anything wrong, he was arrested for beating his dog. He is currently being held in the St. Bernard Parish Prison on $100,000 bond. In addition to the drug charges, Dominick is now charged as an accomplice in the beating, as he filmed the abuse and failed to intervene. Dominick was released on Monday after posting $135,000 bond. Asani Woods denies beating his dog until she was unconscious. However, he contends that she deserved the punishment as she made a mess in his kitchen. Woods remains in jailed on $100,000 bail. A conviction on a charge of aggravated cruelty to an animal carries a prison sentence of one to 10 years. Behind bard: The dog survived the attack and was taken to the Westbank office of the ASPCA in January to be euthanized. The agency told authorities the owner had complained the dog was overly aggressive .
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Man put on boxing gloves and beat his dog unconscious .
Asani Woods, 21, was taken into custody in March when investigators found video of him savagely beating his dog .
Dog whimpers and cries throughout the attack .
Pit Bull was later euthanized .
Woods is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison on $100,000 bond .
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It has long been debated how cats went from running in the wild to becoming our domesticated furry friends. Researchers may have solved the mystery after analysing the genetic makeup of Egyptian cat mummies. The results of the study of DNA from the remains of ritually slaughtered animals found in tombs suggest that we have the people of Ancient Egypt to thank for our moggies and ginger toms. The Great Sphinx, a lioness with the head of a woman, shows the Ancient Egyptians' love for cats . Scientists at the University of California Davis published the study which points at the Egyptians as being the first cat breeders, The Sunday Times reports. In a paper published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, the team claim that in order to keep up with the demand of cats as sacrifices to the gods, the Egyptians had large catteries where felines were bred for slaughter. The research project, headed by Jennifer Kurushima, a scientist at the University of California Davis, said: ‘Modern cats can trace their genealogy to the time of the pharaohs. 'The Egyptians may well have been the first cat breeders, an important step in the domestication process of cats.’ Loved: As far back as Ancient Egypt cats were adored and the Egyptians even had cat goddesses to whom they sacrificed cats - the demand for animals to offer the gods led to the first catteries . The Egyptians revered cats and it is heavily featured in Ancient Egyptian art as early as 4,000 BC. They worshiped feline goddesses like Mafdet, the goddess for protection of dangerous animals, who was most commonly depicted as a woman with a lion or cat-head, and more famously Bastet, the cat goddess of beauty, women and fertility. It was to these two goddesses that the Egyptians sacrificed the ancestors of the modern domesticated cat more than 2,200 years ago. Popular: Cats have been domesticated pets for nearly 4,000 years . The aim of the study was to find genetic similarities between the mummified cats and modern cats and wild cats, to work out how long ago humans turned them into pets. Kurushima and team extracted mitochondrial DNA from three mummified cats found in tombs and compared it with samples from modern wild cats and domestic cats. Kurushima said: ‘Millions of cat mummies were offered and buried in areas throughout Egypt. ‘To supply the demand for votive offerings, catteries were established to raise large numbers of felines for slaughter.’ Cats have long been popular household pets not only for their cuddly fur and great companionship. Their vermin hunting skills led to cats becoming popular as pets in North Africa nearly 4,000 years ago, apart from a period of time in the Middle Ages when they were hunted alongside ‘witches’ and accused of being associated with the devil.
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Research suggest Ancient Egyptians were the original cat breeders .
Large catteries were set up to supply cats for sacrifice .
DNA from mummified cats show similarities with modern pets .
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f6fb2f9b9766174c5d89f03c72fc9d5b38d92e6f
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 03:57 EST, 12 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:50 EST, 12 September 2012 . David Cameron today warned that trade unions present a 'threat to the economy' as he prepares to call in the armed forces to fill in for striking public sector workers. But the Prime Minister faced claims that the strike-breaking idea will have 'serious consequences' for members of the armed forces and their families. Ministers are in talks with service chiefs about how troops could cover for fuel taker drivers, firefighters, immigration staff, train and tube drivers and prison officers. David Cameron told the Commons that the trade unions present a 'threat to the economy'. They hope to replicate the success of the military protecting the public at the London Olympics after security firm G4S failed to recruit enough staff. Union leaders have voted to explore the “practicalities” of a general strike for the first time since 1926. David Cameron told the Commons today: 'The trade unions do provide a threat to our economy. 'They threatened a strike to stop our fuel supplies, they threatened a strike to disrupt the Olympics, now they threaten a strike to wreck the economy.' He . said Labour had received £12m since Ed Miliband became leader 'from the . three unions who are now threatening a general strike' and said the party . should turn down future donations if industrial action goes ahead. The success of the military being called in to fill security shortfalls for the Olympics in London means they are to be put on standby to cover for public sector strikes. 'I do hope that these trade unions who are meeting and discussing this appalling idea of a general strike think again and think of the economy rather than their own self interest.' But there are concerns among the military about the practicalities of covering for walkouts, as the forces face pay and job cuts. Up to 17,000 jobs are due to be cut from the forces as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. Tory MP Penny Mordaunt, a member of the Commons defence select committee, today warned of the impact on members of the military and their families. Tory MP Penny Mordaunt said the strike contingency plans would have 'serious consequences' for troops and their families. ‘We have to keep the country going, . to keep public services running, but there are serious consequences for . armed forces in terms of both their rest time and their training,' she told MailOnline. 'The armed forces have a pay freeze and are having to look after morale in the face of massive reorganisation. ‘It is incredibly disruptive to the armed forces. I know they will rise to the challenge but one of the effects if you do have strikes – which will obviously be incredibly damaging for the country – is we are applying further stress on to these troops. David Cameron has held talks with Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, over how the military could be used in the event of widespread industrial action. ‘The use of the Armed Forces to step . in where there are strikes is a very political decision,’ former head of . the Army, General Sir Mike Jackson told The Times. ‘By general acclaim the Armed . Services were seen by the public to have done a pretty good job at the . Olympics. It had the additional bonus that the relations between the . Armed Services and the public have become stronger due to the job they . did at the Olympics.’ The last time Downing Street revealed the army was on standby to fill in for striking workers, when petrol tanker drivers threatened to walk out in March, it sparked panic buying and severe shortages. General Sir Mike Jackson (left) a former head of the Army, warned that a plan by Francis Maude (right) to use troops to cover for public sector strikes was a 'very political decision . Mr Maude added to the chaos when he told drivers: ‘As and when it makes sense, a bit of extra fuel in a jerry can is a sensible precaution to take.’ The need for contingency measures heightened yesterday after the TUC conference in Brighton voted to consider the practicalities of a general strike opposing the government’s austerity drive. Steve Gillan, leader of the Prison Officers Association, which proposed the idea, said there had to be a 'robust' response, adding: 'It does not mean we will have a general strike tomorrow, but we should have that in our armoury, because this Government is not afraid or embarrassed to do what it is doing to society. 'We need to make up our mind which direction we are going in, and we should not be afraid to to mention the words general strike." All members of the forces are to be put on seven days’ notice to cover for any emergency, The Times also reported. The army has previously been trained to use Green Goddess fire engines to step in when firefighters went on strike. Speaking during the Olympics, Mr Cameron praised the military’s role in providing security. ‘For the country's sake, I'm sure it was the right decision to call up almost more troops than we needed to make doubly certain that there wouldn't be any hiccups,’ the PM said. It is not thought that members of the armed forces will be asked to cover for all public sector workers in the event of strikes. In particular, walk outs by nurses, doctors or teachers. The National Union of Teachers has voted to go on strike over the 'erosion' of their pay and working conditions. Outgoing TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has tried to play down the threat of a general strike. Outgoing TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has tried to play down the threat of a general strike. 'It would have enormous industrial and political implications,' he said. A Government spokesman said: ‘It is disappointing that some union leaders insist on pushing for irresponsible and futile strike action which benefits no one. 'As we have said time and again, pension talks will not be reopened and nothing further will be achieved through strike action. ‘The Government took the tough decision to freeze public sector pay for two years, while protecting those earning under £21,000 by increasing their pay by at least £250 per year. ‘Pay restraint has helped to protect jobs in the public sector and support high quality public services. 'As always in the event of any industrial action rigorous contingency planning would be in place across all sectors to minimise the impact of any strike and to ensure that key public services remain open.'
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Ministers ask military chiefs to prepare to cover for prison workers, immigration staff and train drivers .
TUC votes to explore plans for first general strike since 1926 .
Labour under pressure for taking donations from unions threatening chaos .
Troops to be put on 'seven-day alert' to provide emergency response .
Government insists nothing will be achieved through walk-outs .
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By . Peter Allen In Paris . and Dan Bloom . Two French journalists have been killed hours after being kidnapped by suspected Al-Qaeda rebels in Mali. French president Francois Hollande has condemned the killing of Ghislaine Dupont, 51, and Claude Verlon, 58, who were covering elections in the volatile African state. Four gunmen struck at 1pm today in the northern town of Kidal, where the pair were seen being beaten before they were driven away in a 4x4 pickup truck. Dead: The bodies of French journalists Ghislaine Dupont, left, and Claude Verlon, right, were found 'riddled with bullets' today eight miles from Kidal, Mali, hours after they were kidnapped by suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen . The pair were beaten outside the home of a separatist leader. Pictured: Soldiers patrolling earlier this year . Both had been interviewing Ambeiry Ag Rhissa, from the Tuareg separatist group MNLA, on behalf of Radio France International (RFI) and were kidnapped outside his house. One source said their bodies were found riddled with bullets eight miles from the town, which was the birthplace of a violent uprising last year. Another source said the pair's throats may have been cut. Mr Rhissa said: . 'When they left, I heard a strange noise outside. I immediately went out . to see and when I opened my door, a turbaned man pointed a gun at me . and told me go back inside. 'I could not see how many men were there.' They had travelled to the town despite being warned not to by the French army, a defence official said. This week French President Francois Hollande, second from right, welcomed home four Frenchmen held captive for more than three years. From left, Marc Feret, Thierry Dol, Pierre Legrand and Daniel Larribe . French president Francois Hollande has condemned the killing, saying in a statement: 'The French president ... expresses his indignation over this heinous act.' Dupont . was a journalist 'passionate about her job and the African continent . that she covered since joining RFI in 1986,' bosses at her radio station . said in a statement. Verlon was 'used to difficult terrain throughout the world,' it added, and staff members 'are all in shock, profoundly saddened, indignant and angry'. France opened a judicial investigation into the kidnappings and deaths 'linked to a terrorist enterprise,' the prosecutor's office said. The French Foreign Ministry said intelligence services are joining with Malian authorities to shed light on the circumstances of their deaths. ‘The kidnappers were driving a Toyota pick-up,’ said local governor Adama Kamissoko, who added that all were heavily armed. French forces intervened in Mali in January against an Al Qaeda rebel army which President Francois Hollande feared was trying to take over the country. Although the force was initially . repelled, the extremists have regrouped, and intense fighting is still . taking place around the country. Francois Hollande. A statement said: 'The French president expresses his indignation over this heinous act' Last week four Frenchmen held captive by Al Qaeda terrorists for more than three years arrived back in Paris. Pierre Legrand, 28, Thierry Dol, 32, Daniel Larribe, 62, and Marc Feret, 46 were all captured in September 2010 during raids on a uranium mine near Arlit, northern Niger, where they were working for nuclear giant Areva. The Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) group claimed responsibility and there were always fears that the hostages would be killed. There have been claims since then that France paid more than £17m for the hostage release, although Mr Hollande vehemently denied this, insisting that his country does not negotiate with Al-Qaeda. Mr Hollande launched air strikes and sent hundreds of soldiers into Mali in January to drive back Al Qaeda rebels, saying they would use the West African country as a base for attacks on the west. The global intelligence company Stratfor estimates that al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, has carried out at least 18 kidnappings since 2003, raising an estimated $89m in ransom payments. There was no initial comment today from the journalists’ employer, RFI.
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Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon were interviewing separatist leader .
Kidnapped by gunmen at 1pm today then found 'riddled with bullets'
Days ago four Frenchmen held hostage for three years returned to Paris .
Kidnappings in the region have earned terrorists an estimated $89m .
French president Hollande condemns 'heinous act' of terrorism .
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98862220fce27fdda8d4e2cc22eb024f1429d966
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By . Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 22:48 EST, 18 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:25 EST, 19 February 2013 . Reform: Police Minister Damian Green will announce reforms for fast-track justice in cases for driving and shoplifting offences . Criminals are waiting so long to go to court because of ‘shocking’ delays in the justice system that they commit more crimes, the Police Minister will warn today. Damian Green will announce reforms for fast-track justice in cases for driving and shoplifting offences, which are usually tried in a magistrates’ court. He said the chronic inefficiencies in the justice system – with 44 per cent of criminal cases failing to go ahead on the scheduled day – would provoke a ‘national outcry’ in any other sector such as health. Mr Green puts ‘unforgivable’ delays in the system down to a ‘blame culture’ in which police, courts and the Crown Prosecution Service failed to take responsibility. ‘Nobody involved in the system finds it shocking, because that’s just the way it is. ‘Actually, with a completely fresh pair of eyes, this is shocking, this is not acceptable. Delay cause extra crime.’ Mr Green said drug addicts caught shoplifting to fees their habit receive no treatment while awaiting trial for up to six months, and may commit further crimes. 'The faster you can get it through, the more likely you are to have gone through the system, be put on probation and these days hopefully to be put on a drug rehabilitation programme which will stop you needing to shoplift in the first place', he said. 'That's a direct link between a more efficient system and a system that actually helps cut crime.' The failings in justice justice system today reminded him of those described by Charles Dickens in his novel Bleak House, he told the Daily Telegraph. Blame: Mr Green puts 'unforgivable' delays in the system down to a 'blame culture' in which police, courts and the Crown Prosecution Service failed to take responsibility . 'The world has moved on and got indescribably faster since the mid-19th century but some parts of the criminal justice system are not keeping pace,' he said. Mr Green is expected to call for longer hours of operation for magistrates’ courts to get through a backlog of cases, as occurred during the criminal cases that followed the London riots in 2011. However campaign groups have said this is not the best way to reform inefficiencies in the system, as some delays are down to waiting for the police to investigate cases. Mr Green said a new criminal justice board would be set up to get senior judges, the police, prosecutors and the courts talking to one another. He added that getting cases to court more quickly would encourage witnesses to come forward. Javed Khan, of Victim Support, said victims would welcome moves to 'reduce needless bureaucracy and time wasting' across the system.
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Damian Green will announce plans for driving and shoplifting offences .
44 per cent of criminal cases failing to go ahead on the scheduled day .
Police Minister said inefficiencies would provoke a 'national outcry' in other sectors .
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e0c066738cfeb5314f7b39797d4856aa9c1169fd
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The unemployed should be forced to take a job after no more than two years on the dole to end stop them spending a 'lifetime on benefits', Labour will say today. Rachel Reeves is challenging David Cameron to back Labour's plan for a jobs guarantee to limit Jobseekers Allowance to a year for under 25s and two years for older workers. In a letter to the Prime Minister, the shadow work and pensions secretary warned the country cannot afford leaving people 'stuck on benefits for years on end'. Scroll down for video . Shadow work and pensions secretary Rachel Reeves is challenging David Cameron to back Labour's plan for a jobs guarantee to limit Jobseekers Allowance to a year for under 25s and two years for older workers . Latest figures show the number of people claiming JSA stood at 867,700 in December, down from 1.6million in 2011 but still 90,000 higher than the pre-crash trough in February 2008. However, there are 133,200 people aged 25 and over who have been claiming JSA for two years or more, and 30,000 people aged 18-24 have been on JSA for over a year. Under Labour's plan, the government would force those on the scheme to take a job working 25 hours a week, paid at the minimum wage, for six months. The party hopes that four in five people would be kept on by employers in the job after six months. It would be paid for using £1.9billion raised through a levy on bankers' bonuses, although the Tories claim it would cost £2.5billion. There are 133,200 people aged 25 and over who have been claiming JSA for two years or more, and 30,000 people aged 18-24 have been on JSA for over a year . MPs will debate and vote on the proposal in a debate in the Commons today. In a letter sent to Mr Cameron, seen by MailOnline, Miss Reeves calls on the government to back the idea. She writes: 'Abandoning people to a lifetime on benefits is not only bad for individuals and their families, but bad for the economy, and bad for the taxpayer who foots the bill. 'With youth unemployment up over the past quarter, the need to tackle this issue and get people off benefits and into work is even more urgent.' She tells Mr Cameron: 'It's time to put an end to your government's rules which allow jobseekers to spend a lifetime on benefits without being offered a day's paid work.' She says the figures show that the number of over-25s on benefits for more than two years has risen by 224 per cent since 2010. 'By a one-off repeat of the tax on banker's bonuses and restricting pension tax relief on incomes over £150,000, the Government could fully fund a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee to ensure that anyone 25 and over receiving JSA for two years and over, and anyone under 25 who has been receiving JSA for over a year, would be offered a paid job that they will have to take or face losing benefits. 'This is a tough but fair contract, because as a country we simply cannot afford to continue wasting the potential of so many, leaving them stuck on benefits for years on end.' But a Tory party source said: 'Labour's sums don't add up. They are proposing yet more unfunded spending, meaning more borrowing and more taxes to pay for it. And Labour's bank tax is a short-term political gimmick that they want to spend at least ten times over. 'It's the same old Labour. Ed Miliband has no economic plan. Labour would put the recovery at risk, put jobs at risk and hardworking people would pay the price with a less secure future.' Tory leader David Cameron has promised to end jobless benefits for the under-21 as part of an ambition for full employment . Mr Cameron has set out a Tory ambition for 'full employment', claiming it means 'more of our fellow men and women with the security of a regular wage; it means you, your family and your children having a job and getting on in life'. The Conservatives have committed to banning under-21s from claiming benefits, with requirement that they are 'earning or learning'. 'No longer will you have the option of leaving school and going straight into a life on benefits', Mr Cameron said last year. In her letter to Mr Cameron, Ms Reeves says: 'You recently set out your aim for Britain to become a nation of 'full employment', but despite recent welcome falls in overall unemployment the number of people out of work (25 and over) and claiming benefits for over two years is 224 per cent higher than in 2010. 'I hope you will therefore support Labour and back a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee. It's time to put an end to your government's rules which allow jobseekers to spend a lifetime on benefits without being offered a day's paid work.'
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Shadow work and pensions secretary calls for time limit on benefit claims .
Labour would force unemployed to take paid work under jobs guarantee .
Would apply to under-25s after one year and older jobless after two years .
Labour says scheme would be funded by a levy on bankers' bonuses .
But Tories claim it would cost taxpayer £2.5billion to fund the jobs .
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98ac0b2d77ff7a57464b789a7ab5a84a9a23867b
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The parents of Kendrick Johnson, whose death this year created a mystery that has gripped a South Georgia town, held a rally at the state Capitol on Wednesday, a day after filing a complaint with the state about the handling of their son's body. The "Who Killed K.J." rally had several scheduled speakers, according to a news release from the Johnson family, but the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Joseph Lowery -- both of whom were slated to address the demonstrators, the family said -- never spoke. That didn't stop more than 100 protesters from assembling at the Capitol before noon. Johnson was found dead in a rolled-up gym mat at his high school in Valdosta, Georgia, on January 11. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted an autopsy and ruled the death accidental, but his family questioned the ruling and had his body exhumed for a second autopsy. At the second autopsy, it was discovered that his organs were missing and his body cavity was filled with newspapers, contrary to industry practice. The family's complaint, filed Tuesday with the Georgia Board of Funeral Service, a division of the secretary of state's office, alleges that Harrington Funeral Home mishandled Johnson's body and specifically accuses director Antonio Harrington of helping obscure the teen's cause of death. However, the funeral home's attorney, Roy Copeland, said in an October letter to CNN that coroner Bill Watson has already stated that "the accusations and innuendo regarding Mr. Harrington's involvement in the disposition of young Mr. Johnson's internal organs are baseless." According to "The Principles and Practices of Embalming," a sentence of which was included in an October letter Copeland sent to CNN, when the organs have been removed in an autopsy, the person handling the body should dry the cavity, "dusting it with hardening compound or embalming powder and then filling it with dry, clean sawdust or cotton mixed with a small quantity of hardening compound or embalming powder." Copeland conceded at a November interview that newspaper was not listed, but he added, "nor is it precluded as one type of foreign substance that may be introduced into a body for purposes of building it up for public display." Gov. Nathan Deal's office did not respond to questions about whether Deal had faith in the local investigation into Johnson's death or the subsequent GBI autopsy. Asked whether Deal would call for a special investigation, spokeswoman Sasha Dlugolenski said, "We have been told that the U.S. Attorney's Office is looking into the case. "This is such a tragedy, and we extend our deepest sympathy to this young man's family and friends. It is our hope that the U.S. Attorney's Office will be able to shed some light on the situation." Michael Moore, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, said in October that federal authorities would investigate the circumstances behind Johnson's death. The family's complaint alleges that when Johnson's body was exhumed for a second autopsy, "all of our son's inner organs, including his brain, were missing." CNN was the first to report the development in October. Harrington has previously told the family that the organs were missing when he took custody of the body after the GBI autopsy, and Copeland said last month that the funeral home "absolutely, positively" did not receive the organs. "There is no collusion between Mr. Harrington and any law enforcement. In fact, I'm appalled that anyone would even suggest that," Copeland told CNN. William Anderson, a pathologist hired by the Johnson family's attorney, further told the family "that our son was stuffed with newspaper. At no time did we ever authorize the removal of our son's inner organs for any purpose whatsoever," the complaint says. Harrington Funeral Home never informed the family the organs were missing, and the GBI said it replaced all of the organs after the autopsy, the complaint alleges. Harrington initially said "one or two organs might be missing," according to the complaint, but in an October 4 letter to the family's attorney, C.B. King Jr., Harrington said the organs had been "destroyed" and "discarded ... before the body was sent back to Valdosta," where the funeral home took custody of the body. "It is our belief that Mr. Harrington, at best, misled us as to the condition of our son's body, and at worse, is responsible for the removal and destruction of his organs, and, thus, desecration of our son's body," the complaint says. The family concludes by requesting an investigation and alleging that Harrington engaged in fraud by misleading the family into believing Johnson's remains were intact and "facilitated a coverup" that deprived pathologists of "the means by which to determine how he may have died," the complaint says. The funeral home has not commented to CNN in the past, but Harrington said in the October letter to the Johnsons' attorney that the prosector -- an agent who prepares bodies for pathological examination -- discarded the organs. The secretary of state's office confirmed receiving the Johnsons' complaint Tuesday, but would not comment. The Georgia Board of Funeral Service says all investigations are confidential, but after a formal hearing, several resolutions are possible: It can close the probe and take no action; it can issue a "letter of concern," which won't be made public; it can issue a public inspection report; or it can publicly or privately handle any violation with the funeral home.
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Rally at Capitol draws scores of protesters wanting answers about teen's death .
Kendrick Johnson was found dead in a gym mat at his high school in January .
Family demands investigation into why their son's body was stuffed with newspaper .
Family: Autopsy showed "all of our son's inner organs, including his brain, were missing"
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69cb3ebed31023837c97f0227715323e777ac4cd
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By . Leon Watson . The only film poster ever to show the Phantom of the Opera's unmasked face has sold for $200,000. The poster was printed in 1925 to promote the release of Universal Studios' film about a deformed composer who terrorises an opera house in Paris after falling in love with an opera singer. Swedish artist Gustaf Tenggren designed four posters ahead of the film's release but only one revealed the disfigured face of the Phantom. For sale: The 90-year-old film poster which is the only one ever to show the Phantom of the Opera's unmasked face . It shows the Phantom lurking in the waters of the catacombs waiting to pounce on the partner of his object of desire, opera singer Christine. It is the only poster ever made in which the Phantom's disfigured face is unmasked, and original examples are considered among the most rare film posters on the market. The poster which sold is one of only four in existence worldwide, one of which is held by Universal Studios themselves. It was once owned by Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage. The Phantom of the Opera musical touring the UK, and put on by the company Masquerade . The boat scene from the The Phantom of the Opera musical. Actor and actress not named. The 41ins by 27ins poster was sold at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, on behalf of a private collector. It was snapped up for $200,000 - $34,000 more than was estimated. Grey Smith, director of movie posters at Heritage, said: 'In the 1920s Universal were the kings of horror thanks to their success with The Hunchback of Notre Dame which starred Lon Chaney. 'In 1924 Carl Laemmle, Universal's president, was looking for a follow-up hit and turned to Gaston Leroux's novel The Phantom of the Opera. 'Chaney was cast again to play the disfigured composer who falls in love with, and then kidnaps, a rising opera star. 'Four designs of poster were made for the film but only one - the one we have for sale - gave a glimpse of the Phantom's face without his famous mask. 'It is regarded by collectors as by far the best Phantom of the Opera poster for that reason. 'Only three other examples of this poster exist worldwide so it is incredibly rare and hugely sought after. 'Its history is not clear but at some point in the 1990s it was bought by Nicolas Cage before being sold on again to another private collector. 'It is in incredible condition - the colours are as bright as the day they were printed. 'It is simply a glorious image that for collectors of film posters would be a key piece to their collection.'
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Poster printed in 1925 to promote release of Universal Studios' film .
Swedish artist Gustaf Tenggren designed four for the film's release .
But only this one revealed the disfigured face of the Phantom .
It was once owned by Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage .
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841295b26c5c7fe156b606b736aaedd2a7a8d9b0
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Washington (CNN) -- The rules for takeoffs and landings at Newark Liberty International Airport have changed after two planes came within yards of colliding last month, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. United Express Flight 4100, an Embraer ERJ-145 operated by ExpressJet, was cleared to take off on runway 4R at the same time United Airlines Flight 1243, a Boeing 737, was landing on the intersecting runway 29 on April 24. The 737 flew 135 yards vertically and 50 yards laterally from the smaller regional jet. "The FAA has investigated the recent air traffic incident at Newark and has taken steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future," according to a statement from the agency. Runway 29 is no longer used for arriving flights when planes are taking off on the intersecting runway 4R. In the April incident, on air traffic control radio captured by the website LiveATC.net, the tower can be heard telling the pilot of the 737 to "go around" and circle the airport. The controller told the ERJ to watch out for the larger plane on the right. "Yeah, we were putting the nose down, and, he was real close," the pilot responds. Close calls at Newark have happened before, including four in 2008, according to a Department of Transportation inspector general's report. In one instance, on January 16, 2008, a 737 from Continental Airlines (which has since merged with United) was at risk of hitting an Embraer 145 operating as Continental Express. It happened at the same intersection and involved the same type of aircraft as April incident, but the planes never got within a mile of each other. That case was attributed to a mistake by an air traffic controller. The National Transportation Safety Board will not make a determination of what caused the most recent incident until it releases its final report, which is expected to take months. United Airlines is working with the agency to investigate the incident, an airline spokeswoman has told CNN. CNN's Laura Dolan contributed to this report.
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The FAA changes runway rules at site of near miss at Newark Airport in April .
The aircraft were operating on intersecting runways during the April incident .
As a result, one of the runways will not be used for arrivals when the other has takeoffs .
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d218d9572cd8086e6e2070a76719565e59ba7018
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By . Emma Glanfield . Katherine Poxon, 22, pictured outside Leeds Crown Court, has been jailed for conspiring to unlawfully cause GBH to her husband Steven Poxon . A cheating wife who plotted with her lover to stab her husband to death so they could be together has been jailed for more than two years – but has remarkably been forgiven by her understanding husband. Katherine Poxon, 22, and her lover Stephen Swallow, 44, have both been jailed for the plot to attack Steven Poxon, which a judge said lacked ‘guile and sophistication’. Leeds Crown Court heard how the young mother nagged Swallow via text to ‘get the job done’, after her husband found out about their affair and threatened to take custody of their son. However, Mr Poxon has now forgiven his scheming wife - he attended court for the sentencing hearing and plans to reconcile with her when she is released from prison. Mrs Poxon of Pontefract, West Yorkshire, was described by defence lawyer Richard Clews as an ‘immature and silly girl, rather than a calculating and cold criminal’ as the court was told about her plan to brutally attack her spouse. The court heard how the Poxons' marriage had become unhappy prior to their split in December 2012. However, the pair reunited in spring last year, just before Mrs Poxon began an affair with 44-year-old Swallow. Swallow, of Featherstone, West Yorkshire, said he had known Katherine Poxon - who appeared in the dock wearing black shiny leggings, a checked shirt and bright pink trainers - for a few years before they began their affair. The two were arrested last September and had their phones seized by police officers, after Swallow admitted to his niece that he planned to kill Mr Poxon. Gurdial Singh, prosecuting, told the court Katherine Poxon sent her lover a series of texts before saying: ‘I hope you kill Stu [Steven] babe, then we can be happy. ‘You know if you come out tomorrow . will you and your mate do that thing for me? I would love for it to be . done so we can be together.’ She then sent him a text asking him to ‘get the job done’. Swallow . was later seen by a neighbour standing drinking outside the Poxon . family home in September last year, claiming he was ‘off to stab Poxon’ and pulling two knives out of his pocket. In . a statement to police, the neighbour said: ‘I was aware of the affair . that was going on. I was at home when I saw Swallow outside his house . mouthing off and drinking from a can of lager. ‘He said, “I’m off to go and stab him”, then he took two knives out of his pocket. ‘I calmed him down and told him to go back inside. He later thanked me for calming him down.’ Defending . Swallow, Robin Frieze told the judge his client was a ‘vulnerable’ person with previous convictions for theft and moderate violence, . fuelled by problems with drink and depression. Katherine Poxon, 22, left, has been forgiven by her husband Steven, right, despite conspiring with her lover Stephen Swallow, 44, to brutally attack her spouse . Stephen Swallow, 44, left, and Katherine Poxon, 22, right, were both jailed at Leeds Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiring to unlawfully cause GBH to Mrs Poxon's husband Steven in September last year . Mr Frieze said: ‘Poxon knew about his psychiatric problems and he thought she would support him, instead she said she wanted her husband dead so he said he would help her. ‘He said he wouldn’t have gone through with it although there were several occasions he left the house with a knife.’ Mr Frieze told the judge his client had later described Poxon as being ‘twisted’, that her marriage was ‘unhappy’ and that she was ‘angry’ with her husband for threatening to take away their son and wanted him to get him ‘out of her life’. In February, Poxon and Swallow pleaded guilty to conspiring together to unlawfully cause GBH. Stephen Swallow, 44, of Featherstone, West Yorkshire, was seen by a neighbour standing drinking outside the Poxon family home in September last year, claiming he was 'off to stab Poxon' Telling them they should be ‘thankful’ of the neighbour’s intervention, Judge Geoffrey Marson QC sentenced Swallow to three years in prison, while Poxon was jailed for 27 months. Turning to Poxon, the judge said: ‘This was not a sophisticated conspiracy, and I am aware your husband has forgiven you. ‘You are still very young and have no previous convictions.’ He added: ‘You lack guile and sophistication and Mr Swallow you are fortunate you have a supportive family who will allow you to stay with them when you are released from prison.’
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Katherine Poxon and Stephen Swallow admitted plot to harm Steven Poxon .
Poxon, 22, and Swallow, 44, pleaded guilty to plan to unlawfully cause GBH .
Leeds Crown Court heard young mother text lover saying 'get the job done'
She feared losing custody of her child after husband discovered her affair .
Poxon has since been forgiven by her husband and the pair have reunited .
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fe6f8263d746c9bff9607b8b1b7d5cf017bd7be0
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Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Dennis Gossard is fine with the enhanced security techniques at U.S. airports, and he said security agents are welcome to pat him down all they want if it keeps air travel safe. "They can pat me down for three hours if it's going to save someone's life," the 63-year-old Glendale, California, resident semi-joked Tuesday after flying into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Are you flying? Share your airport experiences . Not that security personnel tested his willingness. Gossard did go through a full-body scan at Los Angeles International Airport hours earlier but didn't get an enhanced pat-down. Neither, it seemed, did many people arriving in Atlanta on Tuesday. From the volume of the public outcry as enhanced measures have been rolled out at more airports this month, you might think Americans were getting groped right and left. But the Transportation Security Administration estimates that less than 3 percent of air travelers will receive enhanced pat-downs, which some travelers have called "groping" or worse. Less clear is how many are getting full-body scans, another enhanced measure that has drawn complaints of its own. But of the fliers to whom CNN spoke at Atlanta's airport Tuesday, most said they felt like air travel was business as usual. Of 35 people CNN interviewed at the airport's baggage claim areas in an unscientific survey, 28 went through only metal detectors at the airport they departed. Five underwent body scans, and two had enhanced pat-downs. Nearly all had flown into Atlanta on Tuesday; two were picking up passengers but had flown in the past week. Mary Lou Monaghan, 51, said she was subjected to metal detectors when she flew from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Atlanta on Saturday. But she said she'd be OK with submitting to advanced-imaging technology and pat-downs. "If it's what you have to do to be safe, then it's OK. Either that, or you just don't fly. You can drive if you want to drive," Monaghan said. Check the latest airport delays at the nation's busiest airports . The TSA has said the ramped-up use of full-body scanning and pat-downs is needed to stop nonmetallic threats, including explosives, from getting aboard planes and are meant to head off attacks such as the one allegedly attempted by Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab last Christmas. Authorities allege he had a bomb sewn into his underwear on a flight from the Netherlands to Michigan. About 400 body-scanning machines have been installed at 70 of the country's nearly 450 commercial airports. The TSA said there are nearly 2,200 security lines at checkpoints nationwide. Metal detectors are still the dominant screening technology, although the new scanners have been installed mostly at airports with high passenger volume. The TSA has not estimated what percentage of passengers are likely to receive body scanning, but the number will jump over the next year. By the end of 2011, the agency plans to deploy another 600 scanning machines, bringing the total to 1,000. Pat-downs are used primarily on passengers who set off either the body-scanning machine or metal detectors, and are guaranteed for travelers who opt out of body scanning. Critics of the scanners said they are too invasive -- showing more anatomy to security personnel than some may wish -- and possibly unhealthy, pointing to low doses of radiation used in one of the two technologies used by the machines. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said the radiation levels have been thoroughly tested and are "almost immeasurable, [they're] so small," and the TSA said a traveler is exposed to less radiation from one full-body scan than from two minutes of an airline flight. Critics of the pat-downs said they have become more aggressive and humiliating, coming too close to private areas. Public opinion polls seem to suggest more Americans favor the full-body scans over pat-downs. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Monday showed 64 percent of respondents supported the use of scanners, with 32 percent opposed. In the same poll, 48 percent said the new pat-down procedures are justified, while 50 percent said they went too far. In a USA Today/Gallup Poll of frequent air travelers released Tuesday, 57 percent said going through a full-body scan doesn't bother them. About 24 percent said it bothered them but didn't make them angry, and 18 percent said it made them angry. Forty-two percent said pat-downs didn't bother them. Waiting for his baggage at Atlanta's airport Tuesday after flying from Houston, Texas, Eric Fitzgerald said he didn't go through a pat-down or a body scanner. He said he's OK with body scanners in some cases, but not the hand pats. "I think the way they're patting down people is a little too blunt," said Fitzgerald, 31, of Sugar Land, Texas. Jerry Feldkamp, 73, said he just went through a metal detector when he prepared to fly to Atlanta from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But he doesn't like the idea of body scanning, citing radiation and privacy concerns. "They might go in the backroom and start laughing," the Dallas, Texas-area resident said of his concerns about security agents looking at images of his body. "But my main concern is it will give a lot of X-rays to you." Abbey Mayer, a 26-year-old legislative correspondent for a U.S. senator, said she received a body scan Tuesday at Washington's Reagan National Airport. "I don't mind them," she said. "If it's going to protect me from someone hiding something on my airplane, I'm fine with it." As for people's concerns that the images are too revealing? "You can't see my face, so I don't care," she said. Gossard's wife, Geri Gossard, did receive a pat-down at Los Angeles International. The agent asked her if she wanted the hand pat in a private room (she declined) and told her what she would be doing with her hands before she did it. "To me, it's fine. Just get it over and done with," the 63-year-old teacher said. Her husband, a football coach at Pasadena City College and a teacher, said the public is fickle. "If we get a [terrorist] incident tomorrow, then people will [complain] that people weren't patted down enough," he said. "If you want security, you've got to expect inconveniences."
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Of 35 passengers interviewed at Atlanta's airport, 28 went through metal detectors .
TSA has nearly 2,200 security lines at airports nationwide and 400 body scanners .
Polls show public is more supportive of body scanning than enhanced pat-downs .
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67,668 |
bff13195e12777d740c4da892c7d22e5a1879f8c
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By . Sophie Borland . PUBLISHED: . 13:42 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:37 EST, 2 August 2013 . Hospital bosses have hired a police sniffer dog to stop patients using illegal drugs on the wards. Coco the cocker spaniel was brought in to Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Foundation trust following concerns that drug dealers were preying on vulnerable patients. The 15-month-old dog is on duty at a base in Newcastle but can quickly be dispatched to any wards within the six hospitals run by the trust whenever staff raise the alarm. Smelling a rat: Sniffer dog Coco the Cocker Spaniel has been recruited by Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust to root out drug dealers targeting hospitals . Managers decided to hire a sniffer dog following reports drug dealers were hanging around in hospitals hoping to selling drugs to vulnerable patients. The trust treats 40,000 patients with mental health problems every year - some are addicts whose illnesses were caused by years of drug abuse. A dog’s sense of smell is more than 1,000 times as powerful than ours and the moisture on their noses helps trap tiny scent particles. Wide remit: Coco will be policing six of the trust's hospitals, including St Nicholas Hospital in Newcastle, pictured above . Coco underwent about eight week’s training with former police officer John McCarroll who is now also employed by the trust as her handler. Suresh Joseph, the medical director of the trust, which has hospitals in Newcastle, Sunderland and Northumberland, said: ‘She starts at 9am just like the rest of us. We like to pick up new ideas and run with them. ‘She’s a lovely dog. She is very energetic and lively and charming. ‘Drugs are everywhere in society and people can potentially bring drugs onto the wards. We’ve even had reports in the past of drug dealers hanging around our hospitals. ‘It’s very important for us to ensure our hospital environments are as safe as they can be and Coco is another tool in the box. ‘If there are any concerns or suspicions then staff get in touch with the security team and they send John and Coco along and she will do a search. ‘Drugs and mental illness don’t mix and we need to do everything we can. There is only a small proportion of incidents but they can have a huge impact on vulnerable patients.’ Coco has been working at the hospital for five weeks and bosses say they were inspired by a similar scheme at South West London and St Georges trust, which hired a sniffer dog two years ago. Managers at that trust say since Paddy - a springer spaniel - arrived the presence of drugs on the wards has been drastically reduced and violence has also gone down as he has a ‘calming’ effect. Figures show the number of assaults on staff fell from 368 a year in 2008/9, before Paddy arrived, to 217 last year. Potential sniffer dogs are selected from the litter when they are just eight weeks old and trainers’ check their sense of smell by getting them to hunt for hidden toys. Usually Spaniels, Border Collies, Labradors and German Shepherds are trained-up as they have particularly strong senses of smell, an instinct for hunting as well as being very athletic. The dogs live with their handlers -usually police officers - and have a career of between eight and ten years. Gary O’Hare, director of nursing and operations at the trust, said: ‘Coco and John have been an excellent addition to our staff teams and have already made a massive difference to the way we deal with the problem of illegal drug misuse across our services. ‘The safety of our patients and staff is our main priority and this scheme will ensure we can continue to offer a safe and supportive environment for those receiving treatment, whilst giving people the confidence to report anything they find suspicious, either in our buildings or anywhere in our grounds.’ Dozens of hospitals are flouting government guidelines by allowing ambulance-chasing law firms to tout for business on their premises. At least 40 NHS trusts – around a quarter of the total – are letting personal injury firms display posters and leaflets in hospital wards and A&E departments to encourage patients to sue. Some hospitals are receiving tens of thousands of pounds each, according to Sky News. This is despite Department of Health guidelines, issued repeatedly since 2004, warning that the practice must end. It says there is ‘no place’ for such advertising, which raises ‘false expectations of large compensation payouts for minor injuries or that directly or indirectly promotes the bringing of frivolous claims’. The adverts are blamed for fuelling the compensation culture which saw claims against the NHS rise 20 per cent last year. It emerged recently that the health service has had to set aside more than £20billion for future negligence claims. As recently as February last year, NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson told trusts the advertising was ‘unwelcome’ and ‘should not be supported’.
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Latest weapon in a hospital trust's fight against drug dealers is a spaniel .
Reports have been made that drug dealers are targeting vulnerable patients .
Coco will carry out her vital work at six hospitals in the North East .
She is equipped with a nose 1,000 times more sensitive than a human .
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180,665 |
75de8d253d871cd297f7e81decd8ae014e28d9c1
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By . Rachel Rickard Straus . PUBLISHED: . 11:04 EST, 7 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:22 EST, 7 November 2012 . Plan scuppered: Kim Collins staged a CSI style break-in to convince her boyfriend they should move house . A landlady sparked a huge police operation after binding and gagging herself in a staged ‘CSI-style' break in to persuade her boyfriend they should move house. Kim Collins was rescued by special officers and police dog team and a police helicopter was scrambled after a cleaner found her bound and gagged in the Big Club in Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside. South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court heard how Collins was tied to a chair with tape over her mouth, cable ties around her wrists and cuts to her arms and legs. She told the cleaner a masked man had woken her in the night, tied her up before snorting a bag of cocaine, emptying the safe and disappearing. But after detectives found holes in her story, she admitted to making the whole thing up to try to convince her boyfriend and business partner that they should sell the club and move away. Collins, from Boldon Colliery, claimed inspiration for the bizarre plan from watching CSI programmes. Paul Anderson, prosecuting, said: 'Last November, she called police to say she was receiving abusive letters at the club which threatened to kill her. 'They were sent for forensic tests but nothing came back, though she said the letters were still being sent. 'Then on June 17, the police were called by the cleaner, who said she had found Collins tied up with a bag of cocaine near her. 'Collins had told her that someone had been in the loft waiting for her.' Mr Anderson told the court that 12 officers went to the club and were told by Collins that the intruder might still be there. A police dog team and scene of crime officers were sent to the scene and a helicopter scrambled to the area. Mr Anderson added: 'She had cuts to her arms and legs and said the man had cut her and ran the knife across her body. 'She was taken to hospital for treatment. Scene of the made up crime: Kim Collins claimed a marked man had tied her up and emptied the safe at the Big Club in Boldon Colliery, South Tyneside . 'The defendant told the Major Crime Team that she had been asleep in bed when a man had come in and dragged her along the corridor to turn off the alarm and black out the security cameras before tying her up.' But investigations revealed that the alarm had been deactivated just 40 minutes before the cleaner turned up and CCTV from outside the club didn’t show anyone else entering. Her saliva was found on the cable ties that had been used to bind her wrists and a pathologist said the injuries could have been self-inflicted. The court heard that Collins found a bag of cocaine in the club the night before and put it in the safe with the intention of telling the police about it later. Ideas: Kim Collins said she was inspired by the television series CSI. Here in an episode of CSI: Miami Ryan (Jonathan Togo) is kidnapped and bound with tape . She said the masked raider had brought it as an excuse for having it in the club. Collins was arrested in September and admitted she concocted the tale because she wanted to leave the club. Mr Anderson added: 'She said takings were down and she wanted out. 'She said she wanted to show her partner how bad things were so that he would agree to sell up, and so started to send herself the letters. 'When that didn’t work, she came up with the plan to stage a break-in after watching CSI. Viewer: Kim Collins said she had come up with the plan after watching an episode of CSI . 'She said she cut herself, tied her legs together then used her mouth to tie the cable ties before putting gaffer tape over her mouth and waiting for the cleaner. 'More than £1,000 was spent on the investigation but it is harder to quantify what the total cost was including launching the helicopter and the man hours put in.' Collins pleaded guilty to wasting police time and possessing a Class A drug when she appeared at court today. David Forrester, defending, said: 'This lady clearly thought this was a good idea in the short term but hadn’t realised how the police would deal with it.' Magistrates adjourned the case until November 16 for Collins to be interviewed by a community psychiatric nurse and be interviewed by the probation service. She was granted unconditional bail until then. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Kim Collins was rescued by special officers and a police dog team after a cleaner found her bound and gagged at the club in South Tyneside .
Admitted she made the whole thing up to try to convince her boyfriend and business partner they should sell the club and move away .
Found with self-inflicted cuts on her arms and legs .
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34bf992df95d29d7cf77e8fa676686ef17402def
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By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 06:30 EST, 27 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:27 EST, 27 August 2013 . A fearless mother and daughter used a pair of salad tongs to capture an escaped red-eyed snake they spotted slithering along their garden wall. Bridie Denniss, 24, was enjoying a cup of tea in her kitchen with her mum Ann when she looked out of the window and saw the 3ft long snake. Brave Ann, 54, grabbed a pair of tongs from the kitchen draw along with a garden sack and went after it. Feisty: A fearless mother and daughter, from Weymouth, Dorset, captured an angry Californian King snake with a pair of salad tongs after finding it on the loose in their garden . The rancorous reptile started hissing, rattling its tail and even tried to bite them - but after a short struggle the plucky pair got the tongs around it and bundled it into the sack. It was then placed in a glass tank they used to used to keep geckos in. After checking with neighbours and asking friends on Facebook to see if anyone had lost a pet snake, Bridie contacted a pet shop and a member of staff came to collect it. The reptile was identified as an . albino California King Snake, which are common as pets but are known for . their feisty temperament. Bridie, . a mother of three from Weymouth in Dorset, said: 'We were having a cup . of tea as we do every morning and were sitting in my kitchen when I . looked out of the window. 'I could see something crawling along the wall and I told my mum it looked like a snake. 'When . she agreed we looked at each other for a second in disbelief and went . outside, we thought we had better catch it because it must belong to . someone. The angry snake tried to bite Bridie (left) and her mother Ann Denniss (right) but the defiant pair eventually grabbed it with the salad tongs and put it in the bin bag . 'She went inside and came back with a sack and a pair of salad tongs and I tried to scoop it up but it fell on the floor. 'My mum was running around saying "just grab it" but it started hissing, rattling its tail, and tried to go for my hand. Luckily I was wearing a garden glove. 'My children were screaming every time it did something. 'Eventually I managed to get it inside the bag and place it inside a vivarium I had at home, and we asked the neighbours if it was their pet snake. 'It wasn’t theirs so I put it on Facebook and contacted a pet shop, and a member of staff came along and collected it.' Pet shop manager Chris Hewlett said: 'It is an albino California King Snake. They are quite a common pet snake.' The snake will be looked after by the pet shop until its owner is found. California king snakes are non-venomous reptiles, commonly found in western United States and northern Mexico. It is also found in the wild in Gran Canaria, Spain, due to captive animals having been released on the island. California king snakes are smaller relatives of the common king snake and are one of the most popular species to be kept as pets. They are powerful constrictors and feed upon rodents, other reptiles, birds and amphibians. They are even known to hunt and kill other snakes, including venomous rattle snakes, which is why they are named 'King' snakes. They are largely impervious to the rattlesnake's venom, but not completely. Both species live in similar habitats, side by side; the King snake will only eat a rattle snake when the opportunity arises. King snakes are considered harmless to humans but if handled they often bite and females can excrete a nasty musk and faecal contents. The King snake is one of the most popular in captivity since it is easy to care for and can also be tamed. They can now be found in many different colours and patterns due to breeding.
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Mother and daughter Ann and Bridie Denniss, spotted the 3ft long snake in the garden .
They decided to catch it and grabbed some tongs, gloves and a bag .
The albino king snake tried to bite them but they eventually captured it .
King snakes are commonly kept as pets but no one has yet claimed it .
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146,436 |
495b513d84a0d081229c18b9ad15369fa9f20761
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A North Carolina race that encourages young women to dress like sexy schoolgirls was canceled by organizers, citing 'community controversy.' Sexy Schoolgirl 5K race organizers told Raleigh city officials on Thursday they were canceling the race. Young women dressed as sexy schoolgirls are seen in several images on the group's social media pages. The photos include captions like 'I don't sweat, I sparkle' and 'Friends don't let friends run sexy alone.' Family friendly? A Sexy Schoolgirl 5K scheduled to take place in Raleigh was cancelled by organizers on Thursday, who cited 'community controversy' The group's website encourages participants to 'pull up those knee socks, strap on those suspenders, and come join the fun!' The coed races, which do not have a strict dress code, are also normally followed by a pub crawl. Race participants must be 18 and older. Former Raleigh police captain Paula O'Neal criticized the race to town council members. O'Neal said 'I question the message that is being sent and endorsed by the City of Raleigh due to the increasing problem of rape and violence against girls in the schools and on college campuses,' The News & Observer of Raleigh reports. Other factors in the race's cancellation include 'a lack of early sign-ups and inadequate organization,' the paper said. The group's website says it partnered . with the MATHCOUNTS Foundation, which offers mathematics programs and . competitions for middle schoolers. Costume party: A Raleigh former police captain questioned the race, 'due to the increasing problem of rape and violence against girls in the schools and on college campuses' MATHCOUNTS, however, said in a statement that it distanced itself from the Sexy Schoolgirl 5K race after it was 'made aware of some of the materials that were designed by the race organizers to promote the race.' 'MATHCOUNTS has informed the race organizers that we do not want to be associated with this event, and that they should remove all reference to MATHCOUNTS from their website and marketing materials,' the organization said. 'Furthermore, we have informed them that we will not accept any donations made from the proceeds of this race. 'At this point, . multiple attempts to contact race organizers by MATHCOUNTS have been unanswered . and they continue to list us on their materials despite our formal request to . have it removed.' Bonner Gaylord, a member of the Raleigh city council, commended the race's cancellation on Twitter. 'Congratulations #Raleigh... We are officially NOT having a Sexy Schoolgirl 5k,' he wrote. Mary-Ann Baldwin, another council member, told MailOnline she was 'relieved' the race was cancelled. 'I didn't want to get in a war over this,' she said in an email exchange. 'You want to give people the freedom to express themselves and have fun. But I felt this went overboard. It sends the wrong message to young women and devalues them. 'The organizers did the right thing in canceling. But I hope they also do the right thing and run races for charity that are more inspired and respectful.' The group's website says races are planned for Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Tampa Bay, Florida.
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A Sexy Schoolgirl 5K race scheduled to take place in Raleigh was canceled by organizers on Thursday .
Race was canceled due to 'community controversy, lack of early sign-ups and inadequate organization'
Former Raleigh police captain Paula O'Neal questioned the races, citing 'the increasing problem of rape and violence against girls in the schools and on college campuses'
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102eb8311fc40d22bd42ad73d4db290c70c19bc5
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By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 03:32 EST, 21 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:15 EST, 21 March 2013 . It sounds like a scene from an episode of the popular and long-running cartoon The Simpsons. A defendant called Bart Simpson, appearing in court in front of a judge called Mr Burns. However, this isn't a fictional case but a real-life trial which took place at Warwick Crown Court this week. Bizarre: A defendant called Bart Simpson, appearing in court in front of a judge called Mr Burns at Warwick Crown Court . Company Director Barton Simpson, 56, stood trial in front of Mr Recorder Burns at Warwick Crown Court on Monday. He was spared jail after admitting that he carried a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver in his luggage while catching a flight at Birmingham airport in May last year. Mr Burns sentenced Simpson to a 12-month community order with 140 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay £800 costs. The defendant was flying to Croatia when he put his bag through an X-ray machine which detected the weapon. He told police the gun, which he inherited from his father, was a 'curio' and that he had forgotten it was in his holdall. Stars: Bart Simpson and Mr Burns are long-running characters in The Simpsons . Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting, said . Simpson normally kept the revolver at his home in Eccleshall, . Staffordshire and realised his mistake almost immediately. 'He put his hands to his face and hesitated before he then went through the personal metal detector,' the lawyer said. 'The reason he said he had it with . him, and there is no reason to disagree, was that he was having work . done on his flat while he was travelling and did not want it to come . into the hands of the decorator.' Mr Wilkins said Simpson had intended . to leave the gun locked in his car, but he was distracted because of . circumstances including the deaths of a friend and of his son, a serving . soldier. Mr Burns told Simpson: 'It was a very stupid thing you did. You must be punished for it, but I think you can be dealt with by way of a community order.' A court worker said: 'It's a bizarre . coincidence that Bart Simpson is actually on trial in front of Mr Burns . but it'll proceed as any other criminal case would. 'There were some eyebrows raised when the court list was published.' The fictional Bart Simpson is the main character in the popular, long-running animated television series The Simpsons. He is the eldest child and only son of Homer and Marge. Charles Montgomery 'Monty' Burns, often referred to as Mr Burns, is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He is the boss of Bart's father Homer.
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Barton Simpson appears before Mr Recorder Burns .
Admitted taking an antique gun into an airport .
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224,733 |
aefbd5336dd9994cab7f9610df89f26672463382
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By . Ashley Collman . UPDATED: . 02:46 EST, 10 July 2013 . A 35-year-old Florida man who was accused of killing and then eating parts of a homeless man in Connecticut was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. Tyree Lincoln Smith of Bridgeport will still likely spend the rest of his life locked up, but in a mental facility and not a prison. A three-judge panel found that while the prosecution proved Smith had indeed killed homeless man Angel Gonzales, the defense also proved that Smith hadn't committed murder per se because he was mentally ill. Insane: Tyree Lincoln Smith in court today, after receiving the judgement that he wax not guilty, but found insane . The decision was met with joy from family members of the victim. 'Justice has been served!' Talitha Frazier, sister-n-law of Gonzales yelled. 'I don't care where he serves the rest of his life as long as it's behind locked doors.' Earlier, Talitha had gotten into an argument in the courtroom with one of Smith's family members, distraught at the decision. 'Tyree, Tyree! I'm your blood, I'm your blood,' the man who would only identify him as a relative of Smith's said. 'I ain't saying he didn't do it, I know he did - but I'm his blood,' the man said. Justice: Talitha Frazier, left, sister-in-law of the victim Angel Gonzalez, right, was happy with today's outcome . Smith will be taken to Whiting Forensic Institute in Middletown, Connecticut until his next court date on September 9. Psychiatrists will then testify as to whether it's safe to send him back into the community - which is unlikely. 'We have to look at the big picture,' said Smith's lawyer Joseph Bruckmann. 'We can't overlook that he ate part of the man's brain and his eyeballs in a cemetery. 'The defendant was unable, as a result of a mental disease, a psychosis attended by command hallucinations, to control his conduct within the requirements of the law,' one of the judge's said. 'There have been two tragedies in this case,' said Bruckmann. 'The first was the senseless death of Mr Gonzalez, and the second is that Tyree Smith has been a tortured soul for many years. He's been tortured by voices for decades and now that he is properly medicated he is horrified he caused Mr Gonzalez's death.' In court: Smith at his arraignment in February 2012 . Smith was arrested last year and charged with murder over the killing of Angel Gonzalez, whose decomposed body was found on the third floor of an abandoned building in the town. Police in Bridgeport said Smith was . covered in blood when he told his cousin about the murder, after . developing a lust for blood he needed to satiate after eating a rare . steak. Caught: Smith's mugshot after he was found trying to escape to Florida . Gonzalez's body was found 39 days later by an inspector for a mortgage company. Smith came to the attention of authorities when his cousin contacted Bridgeport police about Gonzalez's slaying. She . told detectives that Smith had arrived at her house on December 15th, . 2011, and said he wanted to 'get blood on his hands' before going to the . abandoned home, where he used to live, according to an arrest warrant . affidavit. The next day, Smith returned to the cousin's house with blood on his pants, hands and an ax, the affidavit said. Police say he told his cousin he . had 'gotten his blood'. Smith . told his cousin, Nicole Rabb, that he killed Gonzalez with the ax and . beat the man's face and head. He said he then collected one . of his victim's eyes, 'which tasted like an oyster', and some of his . brain matter and consumed them in a nearby cemetery, washing it down . with sake, according to court documents. 'Tyree . told his cousin the blows to Gonzalez's head were so severe that he was . able to remove an eye from the man's head along with pieces of brain . matter and a piece of his skull,' the arrest warrant says. When he was arrested, Smith admitting seeing the body and said there were no eyes in it. He said he did not touch it, though. However, Smith admitted to the detectives that when his mother asked him if he killed the man, he confirmed that he had. Less than a month . after the killing, Smith was treated and released from St. Vincent's . Medical Center's Behavioral Health Services in Westport, Connecticut after being . discovered in a pharmacy bleeding from his wrist, which police said he . had slashed with a box cutter. He was eventually discharged and returned to Florida, where he was arrested on Jan. 23, 2012, and charged with murder.
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Tyree Lincoln Smith, 35, was found not guilty of the Dec 2011 murder, by reason of insanity .
He hacked homeless man Angel Gonzalez to death, and then ate his eye and parts of his brain .
Smith was arrested trying to flee to Florida in Jan 2012 and charged with murder .
The three-judge panel found that the defense proved he was insane at the time .
Smith is likely to spend the rest of his life in a mental hospital .
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239,522 |
c21ece61f00ad3b3a1f45b98948ee6f520fb0dfe
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:40 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:44 EST, 29 January 2014 . A New Mexico woman is accused of calling 9-1-1 to report that she saw a man with a gun walking into a convenience store on Sunday in a feeble attempt to get the police officer who had just pulled over she and her friends to turn his attention from them to the supposed gunman. Unfortunately for 22-year-old Savana Jimenez, her plan backfired and she was arrested before the officers bothered to check on her bogus report. According to authorities in Roswell, Jimenez and two friends were stopped Sunday morning for an unknown traffic violation. 9-1-1: Savana Jimenez is accused of falsely reporting that a man with a gun was walking into a convenience store . When the three were pulled over, the officer who made the stop noticed that the woman in the passenger seat - Jimenez - was fiddling with her phone as the officer was checking out the information of the driver. 'The officer noticed that these three females in the vehicle were . fidgety, acting kind of nervous and he saw one of them with a cellphone . on her lap, Roswell Police Public Information Liaison Sabrina . Morales told KRQE. Busted: The officer noticed Jimenez playing with her phone when he stopped her and her friends . The call Jimenez allegedly made to 9-1-1 went as follows: . Dispatcher: 'Where’s your emergency?' Suspect: 'Yes ma’am, I just saw a guy walk out with a gun at Allsups.' Dispatcher: 'Ok. He went into the store and he was carrying a gun?' Suspect: 'Yeah, he looked like he had one on the side and he was about to go in.' Dispatcher: 'Ok. So you never actually saw the gun you just think he had one?' Suspect: 'Bye.' Dispatcher: 'Hello?' Charges: Jimenez has been charged with obstruction. Her friends were not charged with any crimes . The officer - suspicious of the call to respond to a gunman at the convenience store - asked the dispatcher to trace the number of the person who reported the gunman. '[Jimenez's] phone lit up like it was ringing,' said Morales. 'She tried to hide it to conceal the phone.' Jimenez, authorities say, admitted that she made the story up in an attempt to get the officer to rush to the convenience store and leave her and her friends alone. Jimenez was taken into custody and charged with obstruction. The other two women in the vehicle were not charged with any crimes.
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Savana Jimenez called 9-1-1 when she and her friends were pulled over on Sunday .
She told the dispatcher that she saw a man with a gun walk into a convenience store .
The dispatcher and officer were both suspicious of the call .
Jimenez admitted that she made the false report in an attempt to get the officer to rush to the convenience store and leave her and her friends alone .
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59,713 |
a991b009f464424a40cf7ba510fac7d23b05b112
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(CNN) -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered a temporary deployment Friday of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. The order reflects President Barack Obama's efforts to secure the border, Schwarzenegger's office said. Last month, the governor praised Obama's proposal to deploy 1,200 National Guard personnel along the southwest border of the U.S. Of those troops, 224 would be deployed in California for up to one year. "The military forces deployed in support of this request will not be employed in a direct law enforcement role," Schwarzenegger's order said. The mission is scheduled to end on June 30, 2011. It's not the first time Schwarzenegger issued a general order directing California National Guard personnel to the border. In June 2006, the governor sent troops temporarily to support federal efforts to secure the border. Schwarzenegger's office has said the governor believes more Border Patrol agents are needed to reduce illegal border crossings, human trafficking and the influx of narcotics.
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Governor responds to Obama's call for more troops to U.S.-Mexico border .
The deployment is scheduled to end in June 2011 .
Governor's office says more personnel would support counternarcotics operations .
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d3e985e341794f53613c6670d95294bd300621ef
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By . Sportsmail . Liverpool geared up for Wednesday's pre-season game against Manchester City with a training session at Princeton University. The players were put through their paces at the Roberts Stadium in Princeton in front of a small crowd of Liverpool supporters. Brendan Rodgers' men will take on the Premier League title holders on Wednesday evening as they play their second game of the International Champions Cup. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Lazar Markovic eyes Premier League trophy . Warm-up: Liverpool players prepare for Wednesday's match against English champions Manchester City . Fitness: Lucas Leiva will be looking for a solid pre-season after spending much of last season out with injury . New boy: Lazar Markovic shows off the pace Brendan Rodgers has been raving about . After losing 1-0 to Roma last week, Liverpool enjoyed more success in Sunday's game against Greek champions Olympiacos. An early goal from Raheem Sterling was enough to give the English side victory in their opening game of the friendly competition that also includes Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Inter and AC Milan. Liverpool recently completed the signing of Dejan Lovren from Southampton - who, at £20million, is the most expensive defender in the club's illustrious history. The Croat is the third ex-Saints player to join Rodgers' men this season after Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana. Upon joining the club, Lovren said: 'I played there last season in front of the crowd singing, "You'll Never Walk Alone". That is something very special for every player, every sportsman and every fan. I can't wait to get started. 'I'm a player that will give 100 per cent and I want to show that to the supporters because they deserve to see players who give 100 per cent. I know it is going to be something special to play in front of the fans at Anfield and I can't wait.' Selfie service: Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard pose for photos with Liverpool fans . Pucker up: A fan sends a cheeky message to Liverpool captain Gerrard . Old guard: Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish and Robbie Fowler watch on as Liverpool's players train . Competition: With the signing of Dejan Lovren, competition for places is hotting up in Liverpool's defence . Snapped: Legend Robbie Fowler tries his hand at photography while the Liverpool players train . Squad: Brendan Rodgers has added considerably to his squad following the departure of Luis Suarez . Prove it: Raheem Sterling says the signing of Lazar Markovic means he cannot rest on his laurels . Leg-up: Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson and Sterling train ahead of tomorrow's match . VIDEO Markovic eyes Premier League trophy .
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Liverpool players train ahead of their match against Manchester City .
Brendan Rodgers' side beat Olympiacos 1-0 on Sunday .
Lazar Markovic trained with the Liverpool squad .
Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard pose for photos with fans .
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c38c3fffaaa6e0282cfabd31a703acff9f5f177f
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Arsenal have agreed a £3.2million fee with Nice for goalkeeper David Ospina. The 25-year-old starred for Colombia during the World Cup and will provide competition for Wojciech Szczesny. Ospina has turned down an offer from Valencia. Ospina was one of several goalkeepers to impress at the World Cup, helping Colombia to a quarter-final appearance against hosts Brazil. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Arsenal target Carvalho take out two players with one tackle . In demand: The Columbian keeper impressed in the World Cup . David Ospina will be serious competition to current number one Wojciech Szczesny . VIDEO Wenger with unfinished transfer business . Arsenal, meanwhile, have made a fresh enquiry for Sporting Lisbon's £35m-rated William Carvalho as they continue their bid to sign a defensive midfielder. It is believed that his club are holding out for an offer closer to the €45m release clause he has in his current contract. Target: Arsenal have been watching Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho . Arsenal have already signed Chilean star Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona .
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David Ospina starred for Colombia at 2014 World Cup in Brazil .
Nice goalkeeper will compete with Wojciech Szczesny for Arsenal's number one spot .
Ospina rejected the chance to join Valencia this summer .
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268,957 |
e8684d15138d763147d6963a1e414761f58ff90c
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By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 09:02 EST, 15 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:08 EST, 15 October 2013 . The study found that, unsurprisingly, the first great musical age is adolescence, which is defined by a short, sharp burst of 'intense' music . Plenty of teenagers might claim they will love One Direction forever or will never want to borrow a classical CD from their parents, but British scientists have found certain music genres are associated with five key stages in a human life. Music stays important to people as they age but what they listen to is chosen to suit particular 'life challenges' they face and meet social and psychological needs, the researchers said. They confirmed what may people have thought for a while - teenagers have little taste in music and what we listen to gets more boring as we grow older. Researchers at Cambridge University have identified five broad categories of musical taste during a person's life. They believe humans use music to experiment with identity and define themselves and then as a social vehicle to establish a group and find a mate, before using it to express their intellect, status and greater emotional understanding. The study suggests that unless people take the Who's advice and die before they get old, their taste in music will probably change to meet their social and psychological needs. Researchers said the study, published in the journal of Personality and Social Psychology, is the first to 'comprehensively document' the ways people engage with music 'from adolescence to middle age'. Using data gathered from more than a quarter of a million people over a ten year period, researchers divided musical genres into five broad categories they call the MUSIC model - mellow, unpretentious, sophisticated, intense, contemporary - and plotted the patterns of preference across age-groups. 'Intense' music, such as punk and metal peaks in adolescence and declines in early adulthood, while 'contemporary' music such as pop begins a rise that plateaus until early middle age. Dr Rentfrow said teenage years are often dominated by the need to establish identity and music is a cheap way to do this . These five categories incorporate multiple genres that share common musical and psychological traits - such as loudness and complexity. The study found that, unsurprisingly, the first great musical age is adolescence, which is defined by a short, sharp burst of ‘intense’ and the start of a steady climb of ‘contemporary’. ‘Intense’ music, such as punk and metal peaks in adolescence and declines in early adulthood, while ‘contemporary’ music such as pop and rap begins a rise that plateaus until early middle age. Dr Jason Rentfrow, senior researcher on the study, said: 'Teenage years are often dominated by the need to establish identity, and music is a cheap, effective way to do this.' ‘"Intense’ music, seen as aggressive, . tense and characterised by loud, distorted sounds has the rebellious . connotations that allow adolescents to stake a claim for the autonomy . that is one of this period’s key life challenges.' As 'intense' gives way to the rising tide of 'contemporary' and 'mellow', like R&B, in early adulthood, the next musical age emerges. Dr Rentfrow said 'these forms of music reinforce the desire for intimacy and complement settings where people come together with the goal of establishing close relationships' As ‘intense’ gives way to the rising tide of ‘contemporary’ and introduction of ‘mellow’, such as electronic and R&B, in early adulthood, the next musical age emerges. These two 'preference dimensions' are considered 'romantic, emotionally positive and danceable,' the researchers wrote. Dr Rentfrow said: 'Once people overcome the need for autonomy, the next life challenge concerns finding love and being loved – people who appreciate this "you" that has emerged.' 'What we took away from the results is that these forms of music reinforce the desire for intimacy and complement settings where people come together with the goal of establishing close relationships – parties, bars, clubs and so on. 'Whereas the first musical age is about asserting independence, the next appears to be more about gaining acceptance from others.' As people settle down and middle age begins to creep in, the last musical age, as identified by the researchers, is dominated by ‘sophisticated’ music, such as jazz and classical and ‘unpretentious’ tunes, such as country, folk and blues. As people settle down and middle age begins to creep in, the last musical age, as identified by the researchers, is dominated by 'sophisticated' music, such as jazz and classical and 'unpretentious' tunes, such as country, folk and blues . The researchers said both these dimensions are seen as 'positive and relaxing' with ‘sophisticated’ music indicating the complex aesthetic of high culture that could be linked to social status and perceived intellect, while ‘unpretentious’ echoes sentiments of family, love and loss – emotionally direct music that speaks to the experiences most will have had by this life stage. Dr Rentfrow said: 'As we settle into ourselves and acquire more resources to express ourselves – career, home, family, car – music remains an extension of this and at this stage there are aspects of wanting to promote social status, intellect and wealth that play into the increased gravitation towards ‘sophisticated’ music, as social standing is seen as a key life challenge to be achieved by this point. 'At the same time, for many this life stage is frequently exhausted by work and family, and there is a requirement for relaxing, emotive music for those rare down times that reflects the other major life challenge of this stage - that of nurturing a family and maintaining long-term relationships - perhaps the hardest of all.' Arielle Bonneville-Roussy from Cambridge’s Department of Psychology, who led the study, said: 'Due to our very large sample size, gathered from online forms and social media channels, we were able to find very robust age trends in musical taste. 'I find it fascinating to see how seemingly trivial behaviour such as music listening relates to so many psychological aspects, such as personality and age.' The study found that for many middle-aged people, frequently exhausted by work and family, there is a requirement for relaxing, emotive music for down times that reflect the other major life challenge of this stage - that of nurturing a family and maintaining long-term relationships .
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British scientists found tastes shift in line with 'key life challenges'
Teenagers like 'intense' music, while those in early adulthood opt for 'contemporary' and 'mellow' choices as they search for close relationships .
The study by the University of Cambridge, used data from more than a quarter of a million people over a 10 year period .
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164,618 |
60e18d35bc9591e91c5d687fafddc2f216d7b593
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Prosecutors Friday . were waiting for the results of a police investigation into the killing . of a burglar by an 80-year-old California homeowner who says he shot the . woman in the back as she fled his home and ran down an alley, the . district attorney's office said. Long Beach . resident Tom Greer, 80, told KNBC-TV that the burglar had said she was . pregnant and asked Greer not to fire, but he shot her twice in the back . anyway. An autopsy later found that Andrea Miller, 28, was not pregnant, said coroner's spokesman Ed Winter. Scroll down for video . Attack: Tom Greer said he shot a woman breaking into his home despite her claiming she was pregnant, but recent reports reveal she was not expecting a child . Gus Adams has already been charged in the death of Andrea Miller, who was breaking into Greer's home with him when the elderly resident caught the couple, resulting in Miller's death . 'Long . Beach police are still investigating,' said Sarah Ardalani, spokeswoman . for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. 'It's ongoing, . and so we're waiting at this point.' Prosecutors . filed murder, burglary, robbery and weapons charges against Gus Adams, . 26, a suspected accomplice of Miller. He was being held on bail of more . than $1 million. A court appearance initially set for Friday was rescheduled for next month. The . murder charge is possible because Adams is accused of participating in a . felony that led to a death, said Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell. Police . said Friday that Adams' mother, Ruby Adams, also was involved, and she . was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of robbery. They gave no . details on her alleged role or the evidence against her. McDonnell . said the homeowner came home around 9 p.m. Tuesday and surprised Adams . and Miller, who were trying to break into a safe. They assaulted him, . breaking his collarbone, before he was able to get a handgun, the chief . said. Police said he fired shots inside and outside his house. He reportedly told KNBC on Wednesday: '[Miller] says, "Don't shoot me, I'm pregnant, I'm going to have a baby,' and I shot her anyway.' Greer told NBC 4 he believes he was acting in self defense. He said when . the pair saw he was armed, they allegedly ran out of the house, but . Greer told the TV station that he fired on them, hitting the woman. Break in: Greer claims Miller and Adams assaulted him when he caught them and he was acting in self-defense . He . allegedly added he had no regrets about the shooting, telling KNBC: . 'When the time comes to defend yourself, you best do something.' Under . California law, homeowners have a right to protect themselves with . deadly force inside their homes and in the immediate vicinity - such as a . patio - if they feel they are in imminent danger of great bodily injury . or death, said Lawrence Rosenthal, a former federal prosecutor who . teaches law at Chapman University. But this . case enters a gray area because Greer, by his own account, chased the . burglars and fired at them outside his home as they were fleeing, . Rosenthal said. 'The problem here is that all . this happens very fast and his legal right to use force probably ended . just a few seconds before he did use deadly force,' Rosenthal said. 'So . the question is should you charge somebody on the basis of what really . was a series of split-second decisions when he's just been robbed and . physically assaulted?' McDonnell declined to say how many shots were fired or to confirm that Miller was shot in the back. No phone listing was available for Greer and he could not be reached for comment by The Associated Press.
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Autopsy reveals Andrea Miller was not carrying a baby when she was killed .
Miller was allegedly working with robbery suspect Gus Adams, now arrested for 'taking part in crime that led to Andrea Miller's death'
Homeowner Tom Greer claimed he discovered them attempting to rob them and shot Miller in self-defense .
Greer claimed Miller had begged for her life, telling him she was pregnant .
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146,990 |
4a11f94b5ec75e4c50dcdc404ee25b59672a9611
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While he awaits the next legal steps in the death of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, Jesse Matthew appeared in court Friday to answer charges on another case -- an alleged abduction, sexual assault and attempted murder from nearly a decade ago. During a brief appearance at the Fairfax County Courthouse in northern Virginia, Matthew only uttered two words -- "Not guilty" -- to all three charges related to the September 2005 incident. Judge Dennis Smith set a trial date of March 9. The trial is expected to last six or seven days. Authorities say that on September 24, 2005, a 26-year-old woman was returning from a grocery store in the city of Fairfax when someone grabbed her from behind and sexually assaulted her. "We saw her purse on the front sidewalk," said neighbor Stacey Simkins. "He had already dragged her behind our units to the dark pool area." The FBI would say later that "the offender was scared away by a passerby." It wasn't until last month that a Fairfax County grand jury indicted Matthew in that case. The October 20 indictment came two days after authorities found what turned out to be Graham's skull and bones on an abandoned property eight miles from where the University of Virginia sophomore was last seen. The 18-year-old Graham went missing before dawn on September 13 after being last spotted on several surveillance cameras in Charlottesville's Downtown Mall area. Surveillance video and other accounts led authorities to identify Matthew as the suspect in her disappearance. Matthew was taken into custody September 24 on a beach in Galveston County, Texas, about 1,300 miles away from where Graham was last seen. The victim in the 2005 case was able to provide enough of a detailed description to yield a police sketch. Years later, that information would link Matthew to the case of another missing young woman -- Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student who vanished in Charlottesville in October 2009 and was found dead a few months later. Prosecutor: Victim will fly from India to testify . At Friday's court hearing, lawyers for the 32-year-old Matthew waived the hearing of the charges against him. But according to the indictment in the 2005 case, he "did feloniously, willfully, deliberately, intentionally and with premeditation attempt to kill (the victim) in the commission of or subsequent to an abduction with the intent to defile." The woman now lives in India and is prepared to fly to the United States to testify in the upcoming trial, Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Morrogh told reporters Friday. "This is a difficult process for anyone, and for us to step back into her life so many years later (can be very difficult)," Morrogh said of the woman, who was 26 at the time of the attack. "I know that she is grateful ... I'm just so pleased that she is cooperating. And she has just been really a saint to me." In addition to the victim's potential testimony, the FBI also said it has DNA evidence in the case. Lawyer seeks sanity test for Matthew . One of Matthew's lawyers late last month tried to introduce a motion late seeking a sanity evaluation for his client. But a judge cut defense attorney James Camblos short, saying that motion could be filed and considered later, once a judge was permanently assigned to the case. Camblos wasn't in court Friday, and there was no mention then of another mental evaluation request. Matthew is charged with abduction with the intent to defile in the Graham case. He has not yet been charged in the 2009 case. Analysts say he may be tried first in Fairfax County, because authorities there have had more time to build their case, and they have potential eyewitnesses in addition to the DNA evidence. Speaking about the timing of the two cases, prosecutor Morrogh said that "on a personal level, I'd like to get it going thinking about my victim. ... On the other hand, I recognize the situation and I'm totally flexible. Whatever the right to do is, that's what we'll do."
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Jesse Matthew pleads not guilty to abduction, sexual assault and attempted murder .
His trial in that 2005 case should start in March; the alleged victim should testify .
Matthew also is charged in the case of Hannah Graham, who was found dead last month .
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99,151 |
0bb695984a2b552d55793af4f06ccd62062c3af3
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By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 05:32 EST, 6 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:32 EST, 6 December 2013 . An Indian man who allegedly murdered and dismembered his French wife in their Mumbai flat did it in a fit of rage after she refused to give him money to spend on his mistress, police say. Girish Kote allegedly beat his wife Madhuwanti to death after a row sparked when she refused to give him 20,000 rupees (£200) to spend on a girlfriend who worked in a nearby bar. Mumbai police say he has confessed to murdering the French national and cutting her body into three parts, which he wrapped in plastic and stored in their kitchen and bedroom. 'Confession': Police say showroom salesman Girish Kote told them he beat his wife to death and chopped up her body after they rowed when he asked her for 20,0000 rupees (£200) to spend on his girlfriend . Victim: The body of Kote's wife, Madhuwanti, above, was found in pieces in the couple's fridge and bedroom . Khote is alleged to have told . investigators that he had been having an affair with a woman who worked . in a beer bar and used to ask his wife for money to spend on his . mistress. But on Tuesday . afternoon, the day of the murder, it is believed that Madhumanti refused . to give him any more money and threatened to return to France, taking . their two-and-a-half-year-old child with her. Realising . all the property and bank accounts were in his wife's name and he would . lose everything if she left, Khote began hitting her and smothering her . until she was dead, police said. An . officer from Mira Road police station, north Mumbai, told NDTV: 'In a . panic, Khote called up his cousin and left for a nearby mall, leaving . Madhumanti's body in the bedroom.' Khote . is said to have bought knives, cotton, detergent and duct tape, before . returning home to slice up his wife's body and pack the pieces into . bags, two of which he stuffed in the refrigerator. He . kept a third segment in the bedroom of their apartment. Scene: The couple's flat on the 14th floor of Nakshatra Towers high-rise in Bhayandar, was searched by police . On guard: Police outside the couple's apartment block. Khote is said to have bought knives, cotton, detergent and duct tape, before returning home to slice up his wife's body and pack the pieces into bags . Anger: Locals react to news of the shocking case by running towards the door of the apartment block . According to . police, Kote was only arrested after he tried to call a taxi driver to . help him move the body parts. It is alleged that he called a driver who he was familiar with and told him what he had done. But . instead of agreeing to move the body, the driver called police who . rushed to the 14th-floor flat in Nakshatra Towers high-rise in the Bhayandar . and arrested the showroom salesman. According . to local sources, the couple had frequent fights over money. Police say . Khote has confessed to the crime, saying he only intended to beat her, . not kill her.
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Girish Kote allegedly beat his wife to death before dismembering her body .
Police say he confessed to killing her after they rowed over money .
He is said to have asked her for cash to spend on his girlfriend .
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165,073 |
61736d66ff5654c457bfba18ac2809080780dd08
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(Mashable) -- Can't wait until Friday to check out the latest installment of the "Harry Potter" film series? Well, if you have any knowledge of torrent sites at all, you should be able to view the first 36 minutes today, as a goodly chunk of the film has leaked online. The leak comes one day after the New York City premiere of the film. According to TorrentFreak, the beginning of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (the first installment of the two-part finale) is currently available on dozens of torrent sites. A quick search by the staff of Mashable proved this to be true. Statement from Warner Bros. Entertainment on leak . This news is sure to cause a frenzy among Potter fans -- TorrentFreak reports that "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" scored a spot on its "most pirated movies" list with nearly 8 million downloads last year. The book version of "Deathly Hallows" also leaked -- back in 2007. So why is the cinematic leak only 36 minutes long? TorrentFreak postulates that Warner Bros. Pictures feared a leak, so it limited the time of the screeners to ensure that the whole film didn't make it to the web. Seeing as how the clip has hit the internet mere days before the premiere, we doubt it will have a negative effect on box office sales come Friday -- unless, of course, those first 36 minutes are irrevocably horrible. The last time we saw a leak of this magnitude was probably that of "Wolverine," which leaked a month early last year yet was still a box office success. What effect do you think the "Potter" leak will have on opening night? © 2011 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.
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The beginning of the new "Harry Potter" movie is currently available on dozens of torrent sites .
Last year's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is one of the most pirated movies .
The book version of the new movie, which hits theaters Friday, also leaked back in 2007 .
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108,744 |
183aea0d18a9c878e306348037c11007e4497594
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Thoreau, New Mexico (CNN) -- Almost hidden in the spectacular red rock country of northwestern New Mexico is a tiny charity that educates and houses almost 200 Native American children and their families. The St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup, mostly survives on donations, which it promises to use wisely. The need is apparent once you step onto the grounds. And that's why mission executives agreed to work with one of the world's largest direct mail companies, which solicits donations for hundreds of nonprofit and charity clients in the United States. They wanted to raise as much money as they could. They signed a contract with Quadriga Art in 2008 and, according to internal financial statements, saw more than $9 million in donations flow in over a four-year period. But almost none of the money went to the mission. Instead, school officials acknowledge that the mission owes more than $5 million to Quadriga Art. And evidence suggests that several other charities also owe the company huge sums of money . It raises questions about how much of the billions of dollars Americans donate each year actually help the intended charities, something that the Senate Finance Committee is exploring as part of its ongoing investigation into another charity linked to Quadriga. On Tuesday, the committee issued questions to Quadriga officials to explore how the company raised money for the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, it said. In response, Quadriga said, it "volunteered" some information to the committee and will cooperate with the investigation. In addition to the Senate inquiry, attorneys general for New York and California are investigating Quadriga for possible fraudulent practices, sources say. The company has provided documents to New York investigators, multiple sources confirm to CNN. And sources say California officials have also requested documents from key Quadriga executives. The executive director of St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and School, Chris Halter, went to New York to meet with Quadriga officials after being contacted by CNN, sources said. In an e-mail, Halter wrote that the debt was the result of a "pilot program" that did not succeed. "In this effort Quadriga/Brickmill (Brickmill is an affiliated marketing services company) agreed to finance the mailings and bear the risk of any losses if the campaign did not succeed, " Halter said in that email. "Unfortunately, this project started just a month before the recession began and was not profitable. Accordingly, the mission negotiated with Quadriga/Brickmill to end the pilot project early and Quadriga/Brickmill concurred. As had been agreed, the mission now owes Quadriga/Brickmill nothing for this pilot project," Halter also told CNN. "Quadriga has helped enable the Mission to deliver water and food services and keep its school open during lean economic times by allowing the Mission to delay repayment of part of its bills on generous, no interest payment terms." But the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup, which has overall responsibility for the St. Bonaventure Mission, says it knew nothing of the debt until it was contacted by CNN. "We have serious concerns about that company," said James Mason, an attorney for the diocese. "And the fact that they reached out to an entity in our diocese and potentially would jeopardize these good services, educational and otherwise that are being provided." In an e-mail, Quadriga spokewoman Melissa Schwartz wrote, "Sometimes the program is successful, and sometimes it results in a net loss for Quadriga Art." She added, "We are proud of our ability to take on start-up organizations that do not have an email list, donor file or the money on hand that it takes to build a long-term, revenue-producing direct mail program." In a web video posted by Quadriga CEO Mark Schulhof to his company's clients, he did not address directly the question of state or Senate investigations. "Not once have we been fined; not once have we ever been charged," Schulhof said. "We get inquiries all the time from states" because forms are filled out incorrectly. Other charities . Internal financial documents show that at least 11 charities now owe the company millions of dollars, a result of direct mail campaigns failing to bring in enough money from donations to cover the cost of the campaigns themselves. In a statement, a Quadriga spokesman said the financial information was "grossly inaccurate" when it came to profit numbers. The company further stated that "a complete, independent, third party audit of Quadriga's financial information has indicated that Quadriga has not made any net profit on the accounts you list." Spokesmen for several Quadriga charity clients acknowledge that they owe the company amounts ranging from about $200,000 to millions of dollars. Leading the list of charities owing money to Quadriga is the Washington-based Disabled Veterans National Foundation. The Senate Finance Committee began investigating the foundation's tax-exempt status after a series of CNN reports broadcast in May. Florida investigators have been examining the foundation amid accusations of creating misleading representations in a direct mail campaign authored by Quadriga, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. Documents show that the Disabled Veterans National Foundation owes Quadriga more than $15 million. As part of their investigation, Florida officials say the foundation, which says it has raised nearly $70 million in donations since 2007, has also acknowledged an extraordinary payment to another charity. According to documents obtained under the Florida Public Records Law, the Disabled Veterans National Foundation agreed to pay $325,000 to a charity called the Disabled Veterans Life Memorial Foundation. A letter from the Memorial Foundation's chief operating officer, Rick Fenstermacher, says the payment was because of a "striking resemblance" between letters appealing for money on behalf of the Disabled Veterans National Foundation and similar letters mailed on behalf of the Memorial Foundation. "It appeared that our proprietary information and intellectual property rights had been violated," the letter stated. In the settlement agreement, Quadriga did not admit to any wrongdoing, and the veterans charity said the agreement "speaks for itself." The Disabled Veterans National Foundation also said the mailings in question were out the door before the settlement could be agreed upon. Despite the huge payment, nowhere in the Disabled Veterans National Foundation's mailings to prospective donors did it acknowledge that donated funds would be used to pay for a out-of-court settlement to another charity. The common denominator between the two charities is their direct-mail fundraiser, Quadriga. The memorial foundation, which plans to build a statue and memorial to disabled veterans on Capitol Hill near the Rayburn House Office Building, stopped using Quadriga in 2008, five months before the settlement agreement was reached. As for the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, it has embarked on an expensive new mailing campaign, launched after the Senate Finance Committee began its investigation. On behalf of the charity, Quadriga said, it sent 750,000 letters, each with a $1 bill enclosed, in an effort to raise more money. Roger Craver, a veteran of more than 50 years of direct-mail fundraising on behalf of nonprofits and charities, offered his opinion on the ethics and legalities of surrounding Quadriga and similar outfits: . "The fact that (that) company puts forth money for this purpose is not unethical per se. It's not illegal per se," he said. "But what is problematic is ... if the charity is promising to do something with the money that the donor sends and there's no money going to it ... if no money has gone to the charitable purpose, then that's fraudulent." "Big mistake" The CEO of another Quadriga client, a Los Angeles-based charity called Help the Children, said he had made a "big mistake" in signing a contract with the company. Roger Presgrove said he tried to cancel the contract a year after signing it but was unable to do so. He said Quadriga told him that Help the Children owed $285,000, and the charity couldn't pay it. Ultimately, the debt was whittled down to less than $200,000, Presgrove said, which was still money he did not have. Of the roughly $800,000 raised in donations by the Quadriga campaign, Presgrove said, his charity kept about $32,000: less than 5%. "So we had to take money out of our reserves to keep our programs going (to) fulfill what we said we would do. And in the meantime, we're the ones who are struggling, and they're the one who is doing extremely well." Asked whether he felt that Quadriga had "ripped him off," Presgrove replied, "Oh, yeah." But after CNN asked Quadriga for its reaction, Presgrove retracted his statements. Presgrove acknowledged that before he spoke to CNN, he e-mailed a Quadriga executive, saying that unless he was let out of his contract, he would go to CNN with his story. In less than an hour, a Quadriga executive agreed. "I think it is in everyone's interest to end this and move on," the executive wrote back. Despite his agreement with Quadriga, Presgrove granted an on-camera interview anyway. Two days later, CNN received a phone call from a Quadriga spokesman, and Presgrove himself wrote CNN, saying he wanted to retract what he had said. The Quadriga spokesman also said Presgrove's interview should be retracted because he had just undergone a medical procedure and was in no condition to answer questions. Quadriga claimed that CNN had "dragged" him to an interview. CNN disputes that assertion. Still later, Presgrove texted CNN, asking not to air the interview: "I have to get out of this contract and that was the deal. No interview and I'm out. Sorry." Watch Anderson Cooper . 360° weeknights 8pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here.
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Tiny New Mexico charity owes $5 million to direct mail firm .
That firm, Quadriga Art, is linked to a Senate committee inquiry .
The Senate is exploring how Quadriga raised money for one charity .
At least 11 charities owe Quadriga millions of dollars .
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205,205 |
95a1fffa4e1c619acaaad7bd0687839376ee861b
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The Gowanus Canal, long recognized for its extensive pollution, has been captured in a series of abstract photographs, offering a new perspective. Though photographer Steven Hirsch was raised in Brooklyn, it wasn't until 2010 he saw the canal with his own eyes, he told ABC in 2011. 'It was shocking and sad to see a waterway that should be teeming with life has become so polluted and such a blight to the community,' Hirsch told the channel. 'I can only imagine its horrendous condition in its heyday as an industrial center. I sat by the edge of the canal and made these photographs of the water’s surface on a bright spring day. The smell was so noxious I could only stay 20 minutes.' The photographs were taken off of the water's surface, Hirsch writes on his website. They show fragmented, colored swirls in the canal, making mesmerizing abstract shapes and figures. The Gowanus Canal was completed in the 1800s and used as a major waterway. Over time, the canal suffered from 'years of discharges, storm water runoff, sewer outflows and industrial pollutants,' the EPA says, and known pollutants include PCBs and coal tar wastes. In 2010 the agency added the canal to its list of Superfund sites. The canal was also long-rumored to be a dumping ground for the mafia, the Village Voice notes, and was even nicknamed 'Perfume Creek' and 'Lavender Lake' for its strong odor. Hirsch, who teaches at Pratt Institute, has a number of other art projects available for viewing on his website, including a photo series on Cherry Patch Ranch, an 'abandoned and haunted' Nevada brothel, as well as a portrait series with people who claim to have been abducted by aliens. Abstract: photographer Steven Hirsch has captured images taken off of the surface of the Gowanus Canal . Zig zags: the photographs show various colors seen in the highly-polluted canal . Cleanup: the Gowanus Canal was labelled a Superfund site by the EPA in 2010 . History: the Gowanus Canal was built in the 1800s and used as a waterway for New York City . Mystery: the mafia was even rumoured to use the Gowanus Canal as a dumping ground . Native New Yorker: Though photographer Steven Hirsch was raised in Brooklyn, he only saw the Gowanus Canal for the first time in 2010 . What's that? Hirsch's photographs capture polluted water in the Gowanus . Rock solid? The water seems to look like rocks in this photo . Trippy: Hirsch's work shows an array of unnatural colors in the water . Graphic content: stripes and strange shapes are seen in Hirsch's work . Polluted: the Gowanus Canal is part of the EPA's list of Superfund sites . Mesmerizing: strange colours are on display in this photograph . Is that a map? The colors in this photograph appear to look like continents . Captivating: more polluted water can be seen in this photograph .
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Photos taken by photographer Steven Hirsch show the extensive pollution in the Gowanus Canal .
Canal was completed in the 1800s and was a rumored dumping ground for the mafia .
In 2010 EPA added the canal to its list of Superfund sites .
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265,077 |
e3522246231dcc0134cf1089ec77c7d0672c693f
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(CNN) -- More than two million Americans have already cast ballots for president less than three weeks before Election Day with a substantial number coming in the battleground state of Iowa. The state, which holds six key electoral votes, is on pace to exceed the 1.5 million votes cast early in 2008 -- a trend that is not lost on either political party. While both parties are investing resources in early voting, Democrats' push to turn out voters -- and in particular young voters in Iowa -- could be paying off. Early numbers, which are updated daily, show that almost 20% more registered Democrats than registered Republicans have voted so far. Of the 463,219 early voting ballots requested in the state as of Thursday morning, 45% came from registered Democrats compared to 30% of registered Republicans. In voting, the early bird skips the line . Experts caution no direct link should be made between requests and how the vote might go. "We don't know if a registered Democrat will vote for Barack Obama and we don't know if a registered Republican will vote for Mitt Romney," said Michael McDonald, associate professor government and politics at George Mason University who specializes in elections. But return data coupled with polls that show a slight lead for Obama in Iowa, he said, can give us some clue. The electoral makeup in Iowa looks like it did in 2008 when Obama took the state by almost 10 points, according to McDonald. So far this year, 4% more Democrats have voted early than in 2008. Republican numbers have only risen by 1%. That's not enough for Romney if he wants to flip the state, McDonald said. "It's not just enough to recreate the 2008 electorate. Romney needs to have improvement," McDonald said. That's assuming that Election Day returns mirror 2008 as well. Romney's improvement might come naturally to Republicans in Linn County, Iowa, one of the Hawkeye State's most populous counties. Tim Box, the deputy commissioner of elections there, said Democrats are more naturally inclined to vote early and Republicans are more apt to cast ballots on Election Day. "If you paint it with a broad brush, a lot of Democrats vote absentee, Republicans go to the polls. They always start behind [in Linn County]," Box said. He also attributed the Democratic success to an organized effort to turnout early voters. Democrats, for instance, requested more satellite voting sites for early voting and staffed them more heavily than Republicans. There is some good news for Romney in the state since early voting requests and returns are slowly closing the gap between Republicans and Democrats, day-to-day monitoring shows. With some "hustling" and a push at the end, Romney could make a race of it, McDonald said. He could also change the game if he is able to turn out more Republicans on Election Day than the GOP did in 2008. John King: Who benefits from early voting? And while Iowa's electoral votes could be key to winning the White House, what is true of Iowa is not true of Ohio or of North Carolina, two of the 22 states that have begun early voting. "Each state is like a unique snowflake [when it comes to early voting]," said McDonald since the Constitution gives each state the right to administer their elections at a state level. What this also means is that with different demographics, Democrats and Republicans have different strategies for turning out early voters in each state with different results. What's also different is the way that states collect data, meaning that it is easier to infer conclusions from returns in states that report party registration, like Iowa. But in Ohio, where registration is required only in primaries, the parties rely on different indicators, like returns in key strongholds. Ohio touts early voting numbers . And there is encouraging news for both: In Hamilton and Franklin counties, two urban centers around Cincinnati and Columbus respectively, early voting shows heavy turnout in the areas that helped secure the state for Obama in 2008. The state is mailing absentee ballot applications to voters for the first time this year and McDonald said that could be affecting increased returns in rural areas, which are more heavily Republican. In rural areas of Ohio, absentee ballots sent to each registered voter in the state for the first time in 2012 also show increased turnout. In Cuyahoga County, the largest in the state and home to Democrat-heavy Cleveland, nearly 250,000 absentee ballots have been requested and some 80,000 have been returned. Those numbers strongly favor Democrats: 47,538 to 16,720. GOP officials say their absentee and in-person voting turnout in Franklin County is coming along nicely. Republicans account for 16.5% of registered voters there, but make up 28.6% of early voting activity so far. Still, McDonald said looking that the numbers now is "like reading tea leaves." It is also still too early to decipher returns in North Carolina, which began early voting on Thursday. If voting stays pace with projections from early voting experts, 5% to 10% more than the 30% or 130 million Americans who voted early in 2008 will have voted before November 6, according to early voting experts. Here's a look at the early voting returns so far and the dates that they began voting, according to state and county voting officials: . • California (October 8): The Golden State issued more than eight million ballots as of Wednesday, but just more than 81,000 -- or 1% have been returned. • Georgia (October 15): 120,032 ballots have been cast in person and 73,119 ballots via mail. There are still almost 100,000 mail-in ballots outstanding. Early voting began in Georgia on October 15. • Idaho (September 21): Did not return requests for data. • Indiana (October 8): More than 180,000 applications for early voting ballots have been submitted since the state began early voting. Of those, 118,000 have been returned. Indiana has in-person absentee voting. • Iowa (September 27): Of the almost 450,000 absentee ballots requested, more than half have been returned. Democrats lead the pack, requesting more than 200,000 ballots and returning almost 65% of those. Republicans requested almost 140,000 and returned just less than 60%. Ballots requested with no party affiliation or for other party affiliations total about 105,000 and 50% of those have been returned. • Kansas (October 17): More than 120,000 ballots were requested by the time early voting began. State officials say it's too early to tabulate an accurate representation of the ballots returned. • Maine (September 24): Almost 80,000 ballots have been requested, with 76,330 issued and 29,931, or almost 38%, returned. • Montana (October 9): More than a quarter million voters requested ballots. As of Wednesday, almost 40,000 or just under 15% of the ballots had been returned. • Nebraska (October 2): Of the almost 80,000 ballots requested, more than 50,000 have been returned. • North Dakota (27): Of the almost 40,000 ballots sent as of Wednesday, 15,252, or almost 40%, have been returned. • Ohio (October 2): 1.26 million ballots have been requested and just more than 280,000 or 22% have been returned by mail. That's almost 20 percent of the 5.7 million Ohioans who voted early in 2008. • South Dakota (September 21): Of the nearly 36,000 absentee ballots requested, 35,888 ballots have been sent out and 25,238 or 70% have been returned. • Tennessee (October 17): Already, 105,405 voters have cast ballots since voting began. • New Jersey (September 22): An accurate count of returned ballots will be available beginning next week. • Oregon (October 8): The state is one of the two that votes by mail only. Return data is not available until October 22. • Utah (October 9): Data collected at the county level was not immediately available. • Vermont (September 22): Data is collected at the county level was not immediately available. • Wyoming (September 27): Data was not available. CNN's Peter Hamby, Adam Levy and Robert Yoon contributed to this report .
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Of the two million ballots cast early, a quarter of a million were cast in Iowa .
Trends show registered Democrats voting early more than Republicans in Iowa .
Republicans could close the gap in Iowa with strong Election Day and early voter turnout .
Up to 40% of eligible voters could cast their ballots early in 2012 .
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(CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to send 2,000 additional troops to Ivory Coast, bringing the total mission there to more than 11,000 troops and police. The vote originally had been scheduled for Tuesday, but Security Council diplomats said it was delayed because Russia had objections to the "political" language in the draft resolution. U.N. officials requested up to 2,000 more peacekeepers in early January. The political standoff in the country has raised fears of a renewal of the bloodshed suffered after a civil war broke out in 2002. More than 25,000 Ivorians have fled to neighboring Liberia since the current crisis began, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reported last week. Meanwhile, the African Union on Wednesday blamed Ivory Coast's self-declared president, Laurent Gbagbo, for the failure of talks so far to resolve the crisis in the cocoa-producing West African nation. "There had been progress in the talks, but Gbagbo went back on his earlier agreement to remove the blockade leading to and from the Golf Hotel where (President-elect) Alassane Ouattara is staying," said a spokesman for Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the AU mediator. "Gbagbo has to step down to make way for Ouattara, who legitimately won the election," said Odinga's representative, Salim Lone, speaking for the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States. "The request to remove the blockade was because the AU argued that it's difficult to have discussions with a prisoner," Lone said. Ouattara is holed up in the hotel in Abidjan under the protection of U.N. peacekeepers. The United Nations has blamed Gbagbo's supporters for a string of attacks on U.N. vehicles and troops in the past week. An independent electoral commission declared Ouattara the winner of the country's presidential election in November, but Gbagbo, the incumbent, has refused to step aside. Odinga is now leaving Ivory Coast for Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali. He'll meet the heads of state of each country to discuss the Ivory Coast crisis, Lone said, denying that Odinga had "given up on ... finding a solution to the crisis. "He's still committed to the African Union and ECOWAS will to first and foremost find a peaceable solution to the crisis. Use of force will be a last resort," Lone said. The Economic Community of West African States has threatened to use "legitimate force" to remove Gbagbo, who met Monday with African Union mediator Odinga. Gbagbo's foreign minister, Alcide Djedje, said earlier this month that the peacekeepers are "complicit with the rebellion" and that the sitting government has "no more confidence in the U.N." The West African nation was wracked by civil war from 2002 to 2007, when a settlement left the country divided between north and south. The 2010 elections came with high expectations that they would open a new chapter in the country's history. CNN's Lillian Leposo contributed to this report.
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NEW: The United Nations votes to send 2,000 more troops was unanimous .
Envoy: The self-declared president reneged on a promise to lift a blockade of his rival .
Observers say Alassane Ouattara won the presidential election in November .
Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refuses to step down .
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Los Angeles (CNN) -- As the trial surrounding Michael Jackson's death gets underway, Las Vegas is about to make a revelation of its own: A Michael Jackson slot machine, to be unveiled next week. It's just a coincidence that the release of the Michael Jackson King of Pop slot game on Tuesday is occurring along with the trial of the performer's physician, Conrad Murray, who's charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death, said a spokesman for Bally Technologies. The Los Angeles trial, exposing stark details of Jackson's last moments, began this past week. With iconic images of his sequined glove and dancing shoes, the Jackson slot machine exemplifies state-of-the-art gaming, with a surround-sound chair that even vibrates to the pop legend's music, the manufacturer said. The machine also has four high-definition screens for wagering and displaying his videos such as "Beat It." A University of Nevada Las Vegas gaming analyst who reviewed the machine Friday predicted it is "going to be a popular game for a lot of people" -- though it is "unfortunate" that the game is being unveiled during the manslaughter trial, the analyst said. Another expert on Vegas gaming noted how slot machines are programmed to guarantee a return for casinos. "Slot machines generally speaking are the most profitable for the casino, and they are the most cynical in their design," said Marc Cooper, an associate journalism professor at the University of Southern California and author of "The Last Honest Place in America: Paradise and Perdition in the New Las Vegas." "That the manufacturers of these machines would extend the cynicism from math to popular icons should not be surprising to anybody," Cooper said. The Jackson game is being introduced Tuesday at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. Bally plans to show 150 games in total, with the Jackson slot machine among its top features, the firm said. Bally executives said Saturday that the timing was accidental. "We started the process about a year ago," said Mike Mitchell, vice president of game design at Bally, adding that's when the firm negotiated the licensing of Jackson's music and videos with several parties, including Jackson's family and estate. The game will be in casinos by early 2012, he said. Added Bally spokesman Mike Trask, referring to the manslaughter trial: "It's a sad story for everybody. No matter what you think of Michael Jackson and what you think of everything going on, there's no question that he was an amazing entertainer and he was an icon of American pop culture. It's going to be a fun and thrilling game that millions of players are going to enjoy playing all over the world." The game emphasizes an immersion experience in which players sit in a chair with Jackson's music piped into speakers behind the headrest, and the tunes are intensified with subwoofers and thumpers, said Bally video game designer David Schultz. The music list is composed of six songs: "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Smooth Criminal," "Bad," "Dirty Diana" and "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," according to Bally. The game is designed so that during bonus rounds, Jackson's sequin glove shows the player where to touch the screen to spin a gaming wheel, designed like an album, to try to win a credit, Bally spokesmen said. A celebrating Jackson also moonwalks across the screen and gives the player wild symbols, spokesmen said. The game targets people who grew up to MTV and recall Jackson's original videos, Bally executives said. "These were groundbreakers, and they still hold up," said Bally game producer Chris Guerrero about the Jackson videos. "It's amazing to watch them each and every time." Said Trask: "The person who was 18 when 'Beat It' came out is now 40 and now has more discretionary income and is excited about this game." The minimum bet is 40 cents, with a maximum of $4, Bally officials said. Because the game will be networked with other Jackson machines across Nevada -- a so-called wide-area progressive game -- the jackpots will start at $750,000 and extend into the millions, Bally officials said. Mitchell deemed the game a "blockbuster." "We think the Michael Jackson brand, along with the energy and entertainment value, combined with the jackpot, will give us a huge hit," Mitchell said. David G. Schwartz, director of the center for gaming research at University of Nevada at Las Vegas, said the game is being rolled out just as the global audiences are watching the televised manslaughter trial and learning the stark circumstances of Jackson's death. Jackson died at age 50 in 2009 of an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol, in combination with sedatives. "It's kind of unfortunate because there's people talking about the last hours of Jackson's life," said Schwartz, "but I don't think there's too much they can do about the timing of it because of the expo next week." Schwartz tested the game Friday at Bally's invitation, he said. "I've never seen anything that integrates that kind of video content right into the game," Schwartz said. "It's just a fun game because you basically got Michael Jackson, the music and the dancing that is part of the game. That's why I think it's going to be a popular game for a lot of people. "It has an 'immersive' aspect that is coming out in a lot of games now," said Schwartz, who reviews gambling trends for Las Vegas publications and on his blog and dgschwartz.com website.
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Bally Technologies Inc. will unveil next week Michael Jackson King of Pop game .
The release occurs as Jackson's physician is on trial for manslaughter .
The timing is coincidental, Bally executives say .
The slot machine features Jackson's videos and music .
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b0a9775b376d64cf91cf37423222743e40e6162b
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By . Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 19:07 EST, 27 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:11 EST, 28 December 2012 . A Utah family has adopted a four-year-old Down syndrome girl from Russia, just before President Vladimir Putin moved to ban U.S. citizens bringing the country's children to America. Heather and Jeremy Fillmore welcomed little Hazel into their home on Christmas Eve after fighting for almost a year to get her here. But they will be among the last of more than 60,000 American families to bring up a Russian child as their own as Russia signed a bill today outlawing the process. Putin's approval of the adoption ban will leave nearly 50 Russian children on the verge of adoption by U.S. families now stranded. Scroll down for video . Lucky: Heather and Jeremy Fillmore, left and right, welcomed little Hazel, centre, into their home on Christmas Eve just before the new ban on the adoption of Russian children by US families came in to force . The bill has angered Americans and . Russians who argue it victimises children to make a political point, . cutting off a route out of frequently dismal orphanages for thousands of . children. The measure is retaliation for the Magnitsky Act, legislation that calls for sanctions against Russian officials deemed . human rights violators, after Russia imprisoned lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who later died, after uncovering a £143million fraud. The bill's signing coincides with a Moscow court acquitting the only official charged with his death. The Russian-language hashtag 'PutinEatsKids' was trending on Twitter just minutes after Putin signed it. Unicef . estimates that there are about 740,000 children not in parental custody . in Russia while about 18,000 Russians are on the waiting list to adopt a . child. The law also blocks dozens of Russian children now being adopted by American families from leaving the country. Siblings: Hazel, 4, pictured right with one of her new siblings, is settling in well to her new home in American Fork, Utah. Critics say many other Russian children have been denied a similar future due to Mr Putin's decision . Bittersweet: While being thrilled to have Hazel, pictured right, the Fillmore's are heartbroken that Russia has finalized a ban on Americans adopting Russian children . The . US is the biggest destination for adopted Russian children - more than . 60,000 of them have been taken in by Americans over the past two . decades. The . U.S. State Department says it regrets the Russian Parliament's decision . to pass the bill, saying it would prevent many children from growing up . in families. Amnesty International Europe and . Central Asia director John Dalhuisen said: 'This bill is frankly a . childish response to the Magnitsky Act. 'The Duma should be focusing its efforts on how it can strengthen Russian civil society, not weaken it.' Preempting criticism of the move, Putin promised measures to better care for his country's orphans. 'I . intend to sign also a presidential decree that will modify the support . mechanisms for orphaned children ... especially those who are in a . difficult situation, by that I mean in poor health,' Putin said. Critics of the bill say the Russian authorities are playing political games with the lives of children. The U.S. State Department repeated its concerns over the measure. 'Since 1992 American families have . welcomed more than 60,000 Russian children into their homes, and it is . misguided to link the fate of children to unrelated political . considerations,' State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said in a . statement. Ban: Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured, has signed a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children that has raised tensions between Moscow and Washington . Ventrell added that the United States was troubled by provisions in the bill that would restrict the ability of Russian civil society organizations to work with U.S. partners. Children in Russia's crowded and troubled orphanage system - particularly those with serious illnesses or disabilities - will have less of a chance of finding homes, and of even surviving, child rights advocates said. It took about 11 months for the Fillmores to bring Hazel home from Russia. She arrived at Salt Lake City International Airport at 11pm on Christmas Eve. 'It's been tough, but worth it, and to have her here and be part of our family, it's now great,' Jeremy Fillmore told the Deseret News. 'We feel like we're complete and we're excited to have her.' Children with disabilities are placed into institutions when they turn five years old, and they are taken off a database of orphaned children, so it makes it almost impossible to find them a permanent home, the Fillmores said. At the institutions, the basic needs of the children are met, but they are given no education or attention, they said. They found Hazel through a website that advocates for children with special needs called Reece’s Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry. According to the newspaper, she was the second girl they adopted from Russia with the help of the website. Anya, who is now 7 years old, was adopted in March 2011. Nearly 50 children who were on the . verge of being adopted by Americans are expected to stay in Russia . despite the fact many of them have already been authorised by courts. 'We know a lot of families who have already been to Russia and have met their children,' Heather Fillmore said. Deep concerns: The U.S. State Department said it had 'deep concerns' about the welfare of more than 700,000 Russian children in orphanages, particularly those with disabilities like Hazel, pictured . Big brother: Hazel, 4, spent Christmas day getting to know her new family in Utah . 'You just don't know how, you feel like they're your children, and the thought of them being locked away in an institution for the rest of their lives is almost hard to even bear.' Fillmore told the Deseret News she fears for children with special needs.' 'It's just sickening,' she said. 'I don't even want to believe that it can happen because it's very personal to us. We know many families who are in the process to go to save these children from a horrible life. It just doesn't make any sense that the children are the ones that are suffering because of retaliation in politics.' Americans points to people like Jessica Long, who was given up shortly after birth by her parents in Siberia but was raised by adoptive parents in the United States and became a Paralympic swimming champion. However, the Russian authorities point to the deaths of 19 Russian-born children adopted by American parents in the past decade, and lawmakers named the bill after a boy who died of heat stroke in Virginia after his adoptive father left him locked in a car for hours. Putin reiterated Russian complaints that U.S. courts have been too lenient on parents in such cases, saying Russia has inadequate access to Russian-born children in the United States despite a bilateral agreement that entered into force on November 1. But Putin, who began a new six-year term in May and has searched for ways to unite the country during 13 years in power, suggested there were deeper motives for such a ban. Success: Jessica Long, pictured, was given up shortly after birth by her parents in Siberia but was raised by adoptive parents in the United States and became a Paralympic swimming champion . Winner: Long, pictured, won a gold medal for the women's 100m freestyle S8 swimming final at the London 2012 Paralympic Games . 'For centuries, neither spiritual nor state leaders sent anyone abroad,' he said, indicating he was not speaking specifically about Russia but about many societies. 'They always fight for their national identities - they gather themselves together in a fist, they fight for their language, culture,' he said. The banning of American adoptions plays on sensitivity in Russia about adoptions by foreigners, which skyrocketed as the social safety net unraveled with the 1991 Soviet collapse. Families from the United States adopt more Russian children than those of any other country.
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Hazel among the last of some 60,000 Russian children to grow up in U.S.
Now 50 Russian children on brink of adoption expected to miss out .
U.S families adopt more Russian children than those of any other country .
Unicef estimates that 740,000 children not in parental custody .
in Russia .
Only 18,000 Russians are on the waiting list to adopt a .
child .
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(CNN) -- Tsunami warnings were canceled for all countries Sunday, a day after a deadly 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile, forecasters said. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in its cancellation alert it was only advising governments, and "only national and local government agencies have the authority to make decisions regarding the official state of alert in their area and any actions to be taken in response." Despite the cancellation, Japan remained cautious. The nation's meteorological agency opted to downgrade the warning without eliminating it entirely. Its prior alert of "major tsunami" was changed to "tsunami." The quake struck Chile early Saturday, killing at least 300 people and prompting tsunami warnings and advisories along the Pacific. Chilean officials are expected to announce an updated death toll later Sunday. Full coverage of Chile quake . Japan experienced waves along its coast Sunday afternoon. It was the last nation a tsunami was expected to reach, according to the alert. No injuries were reported, but Japanese authorities advised tens of thousands of evacuees from coastal areas not to return home yet. The first tsunami -- a 4-inch wave -- hit the Pacific island of Minami Torishima, according to the Japanese meteorological agency. A few waves later, the tallest one yet at about 4 feet hit the Kuji Port in Iwate, the meteorological agency said. The northern part of the main island could be hit by a tsunami at least 9 feet high. Are you there? Share your photos, video with CNN . Sunday's alert was Japan's first major tsunami warning in more than 15 years, the agency reported. In 1960, a tsunami spawned by Chile's 1960 earthquake killed 140 people in Japan. In the U.S. state of Hawaii, the cancellation occurred nearly two hours after the first waves came ashore. Coast Guard crews said they had found no significant damage to ports or waterways as a result of the tsunami. But the tsunami center said some coastal areas may see small sea-level changes or unusual currents for the next few hours. The cancellation "does not mean it is now safe to resume normal activities or re-enter evacuated shoreline areas," the tsunami center said. It said that county civil defense agencies and local police departments would make those determinations. "There was no assessment of any damage in any county, which is quite remarkable," said Gov. Linda Lingle. "It's just a wonderful day that nothing happened and no one was hurt or injured." Check out the world's biggest earthquakes since 1900 . In Chile, tsunami waves came ashore along the coast shortly after the earthquake, U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Victor Sardina said. The largest was 9 feet near the quake's epicenter, Sardina said. On the island of Juan Fernandez -- 400 miles (643 km) off Chile's coast -- a large wave killed six people, Provincial Governor Ivan De La Maza said. At least 11 people are missing. Navigational buoys in Ventura County, California, got minor damage as a result of a 2-foot surge and waves, according to the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. CNN's Kyung Lah contributed to this report.
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Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancels alert for all nations .
Tallest wave to hit Japan measures 4 feet .
Initial tsunami waves from Chilean quake reach Japan .
First wave strikes Minami Torishima .
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The 10 most expensive signings of this year will cost their buying clubs a combined £1.2billion in fees and wages, with the staggering figures only going to get larger. But it’s not always the eye-catching numbers or stellar names which make interesting transfer business in January or the summer. Here, Sportsmail takes a look at 10 players who could conceivably move on in 2015 and some clubs who would do their utmost to land them. Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid to Manchester United (£120m+) It’s been made patently obvious by Manchester United that they are willing to spend even more money than was splurged last summer in the wake of David Moyes’ disastrous spell in charge. Angel di Maria wasn’t exactly cheap, but luring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford would cost an astronomical fee, blowing the £86million Real Madrid paid for Gareth Bale’s out of the water. Ronaldo looks as if he’ll return to Manchester at some point – the two parties have been unashamedly making eyes at each other – and with the release of added funds by Ed Woodward, this isn’t beyond the realms of possibility, particularly if Real won everything this season. Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) has publicly declared his love for Manchester United before . Alex Song – Barcelona to West Ham (£15m) Does he owe anything to West Ham? Maybe not, but there’s no doubting that a hugely impressive six months on loan has seen Song’s stock rise markedly. The central midfielder had looked spent at Barca – a spare part, even making a gaffe when the Catalans won La Liga by thinking he was being asked to lift the trophy with captain Carles Puyol, and not cancer survivor Eric Abidal, despite only appearing fleetingly. But the way in which he’s ran games since August suggests there is far more to come and it’d be encouraging if he signed a deal with the Hammers, especially given they are ready to move into the Olympic Stadium (and that Song has been consistently asked about that by the club’s in-house media team). West Ham midfielder Alex Song (right) has proved a hit at the club since joining on loan from Barcelona . Gareth Bale - Real Madrid to Manchester United (£118m) Could Bale imitate his childhood hero Ryan Giggs and become an Old Trafford favourite? The Wales international has set the world alight at Real Madrid having helped the Spanish giants to win the Champions League, Spanish Cup, UEFA Super Cup and, this month, the Club World Cup during his short time at the club already. The 24-year-old has scored a staggering 33 goals in 66 games for Carlo Ancelotti's side since his move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of last year, providing 24 assists in that time too. However, despite his form 54 per cent of Real supporters revealed that they would be happy for the club to accept a bid in excess of £118m for their Galactico in a survey conducted by AS.com. Bale dazzled during his Tottenham career and his qualities would provide Manchester United with one of the most potent attacks in world football. Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal has refused to discuss reports of making a world record move for the Real star, but United aren't adverse from spending heavily as they look to return to the summit of English and European football. Gareth Bale (centre) has scored a staggering 33 goals and provided 24 assists during 66 games for Real . Fernando Torres – Chelsea to Atletico Madrid (£8m) Come back to what you know, Fernando. Atletico would surely embrace his return. Torres needs something to reignite a career that will – if he goes on at this rate – only be remembered for the barren years rather than the electrifying devastation he previously caused. His league record at Chelsea (after they paid £50million for him, let’s not forget) was a goal every five games. While on loan at AC Milan it’s one in 10. The weight of expectation appears to have become too much since leaving Liverpool almost four years ago, and Torres looks as if he needs familiar surroundings safe in the knowledge that he’s adored by thousands. Fernando Torres (left) is currently on a two-year loan at AC Milan after a nightmare stint at Chelsea . Sami Khedira – Real Madrid to Arsenal (£13m in January – free in July) There is a conundrum for Arsene Wenger here. Does he wait and see, try and organise a pre-contract agreement with the German, or go all guns blazing next month and lodge a bid? It’s clear Arsenal are keen – and that Khedira’s future at the Bernabeu is suspect at best. Couple that with their obvious need to bolster in the middle of the park and this is a no-brainer. Khedira is one of the best in the world in front of the back four and his capture would represent a show of ambition that has severely lacked at the Emirates for years. Tick him off and the Gunners are only a goalkeeper, two defenders and a striker short. It’d be a start, at least. Sami Khedira (right) has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the past and is available on a free in July . Charlie Austin – QPR to Tottenham (£12m) No other English striker has scored more goals in the Premier League than Austin up until now and he’s the sort of poacher many are crying out for. None more so than Spurs, who’ve struggled going forward since Bale upped sticks to Madrid in 2013. Roberto Soldado hasn’t kicked on as Andre Villas-Boas, Tim Sherwood or Mauricio Pochettino would’ve hoped and it’s time to offload. Austin wouldn’t come cheap – thanks in no small part to the fact he’s homegrown – but is a gamble worth taking. The old adage is that if a striker knows where the net is it doesn’t particularly matter what division he plays in is certainly relevant where the 25-year-old is concerned; his record has been exemplary for years. It’s worth noting that Austin’s earned QPR 10 points this campaign. QPR striker Charlie Austin scored a hat-trick as they came from behind to beat West Brom 3-2 on Saturday . Paul Pogba – Juventus to Manchester United (£30m) Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest mistake was definitely allowing Pogba’s situation to escalate to such an extent that he decided it’d be best to leave Old Trafford. Not too many walk out of the exit door of their own accord – Pogba must be commended for that – but the lure of Manchester United under a new regime, from top to bottom, could be all the persuading the Frenchman needs to return. United themselves have missed the sort of driving force in midfield that Pogba brings and, now 21 but with a full two seasons under his belt at Juventus, they’d be signing a more refined product. Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba (left) has flourished at the club since leaving Manchester United . Petr Cech – Chelsea to Juventus (£7m) Does Cech, at 32, want to sit on a bench? No, and he’s said as much. Would Chelsea want to allow the Czech a move to another Premier League club? No, because he’s still too good. So it presents the goalkeeper – who has been the standout stopper in England since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2004 – with a decision to make. He has never played in any of the other major leagues in Europe and may want to try his hand elsewhere. The rejuvenated Juventus could offer him an attractive way out, but there’d be a fair few from Spain and Germany who wouldn’t mind a look as well. Chelsea stalwart Petr Cech has found first-team opportunities hard to come by this season at the club . Marco Reus – Dortmund to Manchester City (£30m) Manchester City are getting to grips with the rigours of Financial Fair Play nowadays and will look at Reus as the sort of major signing they need to make in order to supplement an attack which does at times lack in behind Sergio Aguero. They are probably one player short in that area in terms of consistently threatening the top teams home and away. The stumbling block, of course, is any interest from Spain but the opportunity to test himself in an infinitely more competitive league should sway Reus’ decision. Either way, it’d make a refreshing change if he didn’t move straight to Bayern Munich. Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus would provide another dimension to Manchester City's potent attack . Ashley Cole – Roma to Crystal Palace (loan) The loan spell Cole enjoyed at Selhurst Park in 1999 kick-started the left back’s career at Arsenal and if Palace were able to pull this off it’d be quite the coup. Cole has made just 11 appearances for Roma – and none since the middle of November – while an immediate return to the Premier League could appeal, even if the noises are that he’s enjoying life in Italy. Going back to a club who’ve done so much for Cole’s career would be heart-warming, even if it were only until the end of the season. Ashley Cole enjoyed a successful loan spell at Crystal Palace during the formative years of his career .
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Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a return to former club Manchester United in the past .
54 per cent of Real fans would allow Gareth Bale to move to United .
Barcelona's Alex Song has flourished on loan at West Ham this season .
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By . Jessica Jerreat . A California fire chief, wanted for the murder of his 26-year-old girlfriend, may have used an escort service to help him escape. Orville 'Moe' Fleming has been on the run since Sarah June Douglas was found stabbed and strangled in their Sacramento home on May 1. The 55-year-old may have used from the same escort service he met Miss Douglas through to get help to escape, investigators say. Scroll down for video . Victim: Sarah June Douglas was found stabbed and strangled in the home she shared with Orville Fleming, who she met on an escort site . Police believe that Fleming, who had been dating Miss Douglas for two years, had continued to use the escort website after her death. It is though that he picked up someone he had met on the site just moments after Miss Douglas was stabbed, before fleeing. 'We have information . that [Fleming] has most likely reached out to someone in the community . of [Redbook],' Sergeant Lisa Bowman told CBS. 'If he can commit such a heinous and violent murder in the way that he did, we're concerned for the public.' A state-wide manhunt is underway to find Fleming, who is suspected of murder after the victim's sister identified his voice during an argument she heard during a call to Miss Douglas on the night she died. Miss Douglas had confided in her mom and sister that her relationship with Fleming was troubled on the night she was murdered. Manhunt: Police are looking for Orville Fleming, who is suspected of killing Sarah Douglas . Attacked: Sarah Douglas had confided in her sister that she planned to end her relationship with Fleming just hours before she was killed . The former escort called her sister, Stephainie, just after midnight on May 1 to say: 'That [SOB] left the gas on. I think he's trying to kill my birds.' She was then heard saying: 'Whoa, you scared me' before a man the sister later identified as Fleming was heard arguing with her. Stephanie Douglas said she then heard her sister scream, before the line went dead. Police believe Miss Douglas had met Fleming through an escort agency she worked at two years ago. Her profile on the site she used to work for listed her rates as $300 an hour and said she would meet clients around the Sacramento and Bakersfield areas, the Sacramento Bee reported. Fleming's estranged wife, Meagan, has claimed that Miss Douglas had demanded that she pay off her husband's debts for her escort services. Wanted: Fleming is the primary suspect in the stabbing death of Sarah Douglas . Veteran: The lone suspect is a 24-year veteran firefighter that has risen to the rank of battalion chief . Ms Fleming told KXTV the young woman had demanded $1,500 and claimed to have a sex tape of her husband. 'She . said to me and my daughter, if your husband doesn't pay, your husband . will go to jail, and I have a sex tape with him,' Ms Fleming said. In November, Ms Fleming had a restraining order made against Miss Douglas. The former escort had been living with Fleming in the Sacramento home where her body was discovered on May 1. Grieving: Loved ones gathered in front of the suburban Sacramento home . Sad days: A memorial in front of the home Douglas once shared with Fleming . Her . sister had dropped round that morning after becoming concerned when she . couldn't reach Miss Douglas after hearing the argument over the phone . the night before. When police entered the home at about 9am that day, they found blood in the laundry room and a bloody towel in the bathroom. When . they entered the master bedroom, they found Miss Douglas face down on . the floor, with a sheet wrapped around her neck. Blood was spattered . across the walls and floor. Fleming has not been seen since the stabbed and strangled body of Miss Douglas was discovered. On . Thursday, he was fired from his $130,000-a-year job with with the fire . service because he had failed to turn up for work for five days. Search: Police have started a state-wide manhunt for Fleming, who is believed to be armed and dangerous . Help: Fleming allegedly reached out to an escort service shortly after the murder of his girlfriend . 'This has nothing to do with the . allegations or the potential criminal charges. It is simply because he . has not shown up for work for five consecutive work days,' Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant, said. 'Like any . employee who does not show up, they are separated from the state.' A state-wide manhunt is in force to try to find Fleming, who authorities have warned could be armed with two pistols. He also has access to keys that he can use to unlock gates to fire trails across California. He . is known to frequent the Sierra Mountains, Santa Cruz Mountains and the . Yosemite Valley, Sacramento County sheriff's Sergeant Lisa Bowman said.
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Sarah Douglas, 26, was found strangled and stabbed to death .
Orville 'Moe' Fleming was named as main suspect after victim's sister recognized his voice during terrified call from Douglas .
55-year-old had met Douglas through escort website two years ago .
State-wide manhunt is underway as police warn suspect is armed .
Fleming's estranged wife claims Douglas approached her last year to demand that she pay off her husband's escort bill .
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(CNN) -- Airport layovers can be the most gruesome leg of a journey. But airports are increasingly getting wise to the needs of their passengers, offering a range of amenities from swimming pools to yoga studios and even a golf course. Last year, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport decided it wanted to become "the healthiest airport in the country, if not the world," according to spokeswoman Cynthia Vega. They started by ensuring every one of their restaurants had a low-fat, "healthy heart" option. Next, they introduced a 700-meter walking path and opened a yoga studio free for passengers to use. "You know what it's like being trapped in the airport. You can only eat so much food or read so many magazines," says Vega. "There is an inherent stress that goes along with traveling. This is a good way to shake it off." Increasingly, airports are becoming more and more defined by their amenities. Hong Kong International is known by many golfers for its nine-hole course, visitors to Seoul can take a spin on the ice skating rink at Incheon Airport, while travelers can take in an art exhibit or a classical piano lesson while on layover in Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Read more: Airport dating: Love at first flight? Arguably, Singapore's Changi Airport spearheaded the trend back in the mid-1990s, when it introduced a rooftop swimming pool and free internet terminals. In recent years, Changi has continued to innovate, implementing a 24-hour complimentary movie theater, free gaming rooms as well as foot massage and napping stations. Two of their more off-beat recent additions include the world's largest kinetic sculpture and an indoor slide. "Passengers' demands have changed considerably over the years," notes Ivan Tan, a spokesman for Changi. "The airport is no longer an inconsequential stop along the way, but a destination on its own." Though the modern airport is often compared to a shopping mall, Curtis Fentress, the architect who designed Incheon Airport and is currently overseeing the $1.5 billion modernization of Los Angeles Airport, finds it would be more accurate to view it as a mini city. "While it's true there is more shopping than ever in today's airports, there's also more dining, more entertainment, and more culture," he says. "For those who travel constantly, airports are the new hometown." Delta Airlines have been particularly keen to upgrade the airport experience at their terminals. To date, they've invested $1.2 billion in their new terminal at New York's JFK airport (set to open in May), and $160 million to spruce up their LaGuardia presence. According to Gail Grimmett, the senior vice president for Delta in New York, their aim is to make traveling more comfortable, but also, to provide a taste of the city beyond the airport walls. To accomplish this, Delta threw out all the fast food outlets that are often de rigueur, and replaced them with restaurants helmed by the New York City culinary elite, including alumni from such notable city venues as Balthazar, Morimoto and the Brooklyn Brewery. "We wanted to provide a true New York experience," she explains. Read more: A new generation of airport hotels . The airline has also been a leader in using technology to upgrade the passenger experience. At both their LaGuardia and JFK terminals, Delta has introduced iPads at departure gates and in a handful of restaurants. Passengers can use the devices to read the paper, or order food and retail goods directly to their seats. "When you walk through the airport, the whole vibe is different," notes Grimmett. "Even on days when it's raining, or flights are delayed, there's such a sense of serenity, because we've given people what they want while their waiting: good food, a comfortable place to sit, and the ability to plug in and do work." Grimmett notes that since adding these features, Delta's customer satisfaction scores "have skyrocketed." Of course, it was only a matter of time before other airports followed suit. Dallas Fort Worth was one of the first airports to create a mobile app that can help users find a parking space, check out the nearest concessions, and use GPS to map the closest stores and food outlets. "We're a really user-friendly airport, which is a challenge, given we're huge; we're the size of Manhattan," says Vega. The upgraded experience is just as beneficial for the airports, whose income is increasingly made up of cash pulled in from retail, food and any other source not directly related to flight. Fentress figures that within a few years, "the majority of airport revenue will be non-aeronautical." Tell us what your favorite airport are, and why, in the comments, below.
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Increasingly, airports are being defined by their amenities .
Golf courses, movie theaters, art galleries can be found at international airports .
Passengers at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport can stretch in a yoga studio between flights.
At LaGuardia, Delta have installed restaurants helmed by New York's culinary elite .
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3613ce0e2c8e28bd76c2ab95476e70452d43fef5
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By . Alasdair Glennie . He has presented Countryfile for 25 years. But to many, including Prime Minister David Cameron, John Craven will forever be remembered best for his children’s TV roles. Mr Craven first found fame in the early Seventies when he presented the BBC’s first children’s news programme John Craven’s Newsround. Icon: David Cameron told former Newsround presenter John Craven 'I grew up on you' when they met . He was with the show from its inception in 1972, even after it dropped his name until 1989. His subsequent ubiquity during the 70s and 80s on kids TV- also presenting items on other shows, such as Multi-Coloured Swap Shop and Saturday Superstore – appears to have left an indelible mark. The 73-year-old Yorkshireman was awarded the OBE in 2000 for services to rural and children’s broadcasting, and the Baird Medal in 2002. In 2011, he accepted a Children’s BAFTA award for Newsround. He revealed: ‘When I met David Cameron, he came straight up to me and said, ‘I grew up on you.’ I thought, Really? Am I that old?’ And it’s not just the PM, Mr Craven adds: ‘But I also remember being on a plane and a hostess approached me and said, ‘I’d just like to thank you for being part of my childhood.’ ” In 2009, Mr Craven’s former colleague Miriam O’Reilly, 57, was sacked from Countryfile when the show moved to Sunday evenings on BBC1. It re-launched with younger presenters Julia Bradbury, 43, and Matt Baker, 36. Miss O’Reilly later sued the BBC for age discrimination and was awarded a £150,000 payout. Veteran: Mr Craven (left) was an icon for children throughout the 1970s before he moved on to Countryfile . Asked whether she was right to sue the corporation, Mr Craven replied: ‘Yes, if she felt that she’d been badly treated then of course she was right to take them on.’ However, he insisted he was right not to get involved in the dispute himself, adding: ‘It got very unpleasant and for the team it was an unhappy time. ‘I didn’t get involved because I’m not management, I’m just a hired hand. When you’re in the front line as a presenter, the easiest thing for a new manager to do when they come in is get rid of you and bring in a new face and that’s always been the case. ‘I’m incredibly lucky because I’ve survived about 12 different series producers on Countryfile.’ Mr Craven, who lives in a small village in Oxfordshire, said he thinks of himself as a ‘country person’, but said: ‘I know I’ll never be fully accepted. But I like to think, as we try to prove on the show, that there’s room for everyone in the countryside.’ Praise: He praised the countryside show for its dedication to promoting rural affairs in a balanced way . Praising Countryfile for its balanced approach to reporting rural affairs, he added: ‘There was an idea that you weren’t a true country person unless you believed in hunting. I don’t believe that to be true. I think there are a lot of country people who don’t agree with hunting.’ In a wide-ranging interview with the Radio Times, Mr Craven also warns a growing appetite for Western food in Asian countries could create a shortage in this country. The 73-year-old presenter said people in India and China increasingly like to eat the same foodstuffs as us, meaning we may find it hard to import what we need. And he urged the UK to produce more of its own food instead of buying it from abroad. He said: ‘Food security is incredibly important now. We produce about 60 per cent of our own food; we need to produce much more because the Asian countries, India and China especially, are wanting our kind of food now, particularly wheat and all the basics. ‘And whoever has the most money will get what they want.’
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John Craven has been approached by Prime Minister praising his work .
Even air hostesses have told him he shaped their childhood in the 1970s .
Started as Newsround presenter until 1989 before moving to Countryfile .
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2767cce1234908d2827b2dea539cfcbfd7011137
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By . Ellie Zolfagharifard . and Victoria Woollaston In Barcelona . PUBLISHED: . 05:20 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:16 EST, 26 February 2014 . Mozilla has broken the smartphone price barrier with a prototype for a $25 (£15) device aimed at the developing world. The smartphone, created in partnership with Chinese low-cost chip maker Spreadtrum, will be able to run simple apps and make use of mobile internet. Analysts claim it would appeal to the type of people who currently buy cheap ‘feature’ phones who are locked into long contracts to subsidise the cost of smartphones. The smartphone, created in partnership with Chinese low-cost chip maker Spreadtrum, will be able to run simple apps and make use of mobile internet . The prototype could allow Mozilla to have an early lead in a market that is increasingly being targeted by mobile device manufacturers. The Firefox OS device, however, should be judged at a lower-end standard, said Mitchell Baker, chair of the Mozilla Foundation at a press conference. ‘Imagine the phone in your pocket is a feature phone. Imagine, when you go buy one of these devices, that every euro is precious to you,’ Mr Baker said. ‘Looking at the richness and power we're able to offer to this market, you'll be astonished. Then imagine where we can go from there.’ As well as the prototype low-cost smartphone, Mozilla launched several high-end models, including the Huawei Y300 (pictured) Huawei has launched its first Firefox OS smartphone today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Dubbed, the Huawei Y300, the 4-inch handset runs Firefox OS v1.1, features a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon 8225 processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB storage, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front camera. The device seems to have the same basic specifications as its earlier Android smartphone. The company did not give a concrete timeline, though there are reports of a release in the next couple of months. Final pricing is also yet to be confirmed. Other brands are expected to make similar announcements over the next couple of days at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. ‘These solutions expand the global accessibility of open web smartphones to first-time and entry-level smartphone buyers by reducing the time and cost required for handset makers to bring these devices to market,’ said Spreadtrum in a press statement. Jay Sullivan, Mozilla’s chief operating officer, told MWC that Mozilla plans to add 12 markets in Asia, Latin America and Africa this year to the 15 markets it entered by the end of last year. Individual partners are expected to release the dates of availability for each market. ‘We are about bringing people online,’ Mr Sullivan said during the introduction. A spokesman for Mozilla told MailOnline that Firefox is able to run so well on low-end handsets with because it 'cuts out the middle man.' He said he expects phones to become even cheaper and the specifications to increase as more people adopt the Firefox OS. At last year’s MWC, 18 wireless carriers supported the development of an open mobile operating system by Mozilla to build out a range of cheaper smartphones. In addition to the $25 (£15) smartphone, Mozilla also launched several high-end models, including devices from Huawei and ZTE.
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Smartphone created in partnership with Chinese chip maker Spreadtrum .
Device will be able to run simple apps and make use of mobile internet .
Other brands are expected to release similar phones over next few days .
Mozilla has also launched several high-end models, including devices from Huawei and ZTE .
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8f4a8b5c3b7c7fb01ac7c8756e2a305a18324d0b
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Washington (CNN) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao wrapped up his visit to the U.S. capital Thursday, telling an audience of American business leaders that Beijing is seeking closer ties and greater trust with the United States on a range of issues. He sought to assuage concerns about China's rising economic and military power, declaring that his country "will never seek hegemony or pursue an expansionist policy." The Chinese leader was unapologetic, however, about Beijing's position on the politically sensitive status of Tibet and Taiwan, calling it a matter of Chinese territorial integrity and a "core interest." We are building "a socialist country under the rule of law," he asserted. He said relations between Washington and Beijing need to be governed by a belief in "equality" and "mutual respect." Hu made his remarks at a luncheon hosted by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the U.S.-China Business Council, and several other organizations. Earlier in the day, Hu traveled to Capitol Hill, where congressional leaders used the occasion to raise strong concerns about Beijing's commitment to human rights and economic issues such as the protection of intellectual property. Hu met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, among others. Neither man attended Wednesday night's White House state dinner in honor of the Chinese leader. Earlier in the week, Reid called Hu a "dictator" -- a word that was later recanted by his spokesman. Reid refused to answer CNN's Dana Bash when she asked him what he expected "to accomplish with a man you called a dictator." Boehner noted that concerns related to tensions on the Korean peninsula also were raised during Thursday's talks. We had "a good meeting," Boehner said. "I would hope that the dialogue on all of these subjects would continue." Disagreements over human rights -- including China's treatment of imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo -- were "raised very strongly," according to Rep. Howard Berman of California, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "I would not indicate there was great engagement ... other than a general recognition by the president of China that they have a ways to go," Berman told reporters. On Wednesday, Hu met with President Obama behind closed doors at the White House for several hours as top officials from both countries worked to address issues tied to the global economic crisis, international security, the environment and human rights. Obama administration officials used the president's meeting with Hu to highlight economic progress between the two countries, announcing Beijing's approval of $45 billion in new contracts for U.S. companies to export goods to China. The contracts will support an estimated 235,000 American jobs, according to the White House. The two leaders acknowledged continuing differences on human rights, but pledged to keep working on the matter in a "frank and candid way," according to Obama. Human rights remains a touchy subject in China, as censors in the Asian nation made clear during Hu's visit by blacking out CNN's news broadcast each time the topic of human rights was mentioned. Even when Hu spoke about human rights, it was blacked out. Censors also blacked the network out in China whenever a CNN report mentioned or showed video of Liu. Footage of anti-China protesters near the White House was similarly blacked out. Obama has nevertheless hailed Hu's visit as a chance to lay a foundation for the next 30 years of Sino-American relations. "At a time when some doubt the benefits of cooperation between the United States and China, this visit is ... a chance to demonstrate a simple truth," Obama said Wednesday. "We have an enormous stake in each other's success. In an interconnected world, in a global economy, nations -- including our own -- will be more prosperous and more secure when we work together." Hu declared the relationship between the two powers to be one of "strategic significance and global influence." Under "new circumstances, and in the face of new challenges, China and the United States share broad common interests and important common responsibilities," he said. "China and the United States should respect each other's choice of development path and each other's core interests." The formal state dinner for Hu on Wednesday evening was the third such occasion of Obama's administration. Among the 225 dignitaries who attended were former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright, George Schultz and Henry Kissinger; Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer; actor Jackie Chan; Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire; and designer Vera Wang. Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang provided entertainment after the dinner. The last White House state dinner for China was in October 1997, when Clinton welcomed President Jiang Zemin and his wife, Wang Yeping. While Hu was at the White House, he joined Obama in a meeting with key business leaders. The list of corporate executives taking part in the discussion included Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, HSBC's John Thornton, Intel's Paul Otellini, Motorola's Greg Brown, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer, GE's Jeff Immelt and Boeing's Jim McNerney. Hu later met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden at the State Department. He was scheduled to head to Chicago on Thursday after the meetings on Capitol Hill. During a news conference with reporters Wednesday, Obama said he had received a promise from Hu to establish a more "level playing field" for U.S. trade. China's currency, Obama said, remains undervalued -- a key factor in America's trade imbalance with Beijing. The two countries need to develop a "win-win situation as opposed to a win-lose situation," he said. Hu conceded that key differences remain over economic policy, but he promised that Beijing would continue making attempts to resolve those differences. Obama noted that he and Hu agreed on the need to reduce tension on the Korean peninsula and prevent further provocations from Pyongyang. A Korean peninsula with no nuclear weapons remains a key goal for both leaders, Obama stressed. Obama also defended his administration's decision to engage with China despite differences over hot-button issues such as human rights. Obama said that "China has a different political system than we do" and is at a "different stage of development." "I have been very candid with President Hu about these issues," he told reporters, and "occasionally, they are a source of tension." Hu defended his country's human rights record, arguing that "China recognizes and also respects the universality of human rights." At the same time, he said, it is important to account for "different national circumstances." "We will continue our efforts to improve the lives of the Chinese people" and promote "democracy and the rule of law," he said. But Washington, he indicated, should respect the principle of "noninterference" in domestic affairs. CNN's Alan Silverleib, Ben Rooney, Tom Cohen and Aaron Smith contributed to this report .
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Hu Jintao tells business leaders China is not pursuing an expansionist policy .
Congressional leaders discuss human rights and economic issues with Hu .
The session follows Hu's meeting Wednesday with President Obama .
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(CNN) -- Mainstream America was supposed to get to know Jenni Rivera in the coming months, but not like this. Not because of her tragic death in a plane crash at just 43 years old. The Mexican-American singer, who died in Mexico on Sunday, had recently signed a deal with ABC to star in a sitcom about a single mom with quirky parenting skills who juggles family and business: a reflection of her real life. It would have been a chance for the country to get to know a remarkable superstar and woman who was talented, refreshingly down to earth and even inspiring. Rivera had a big voice, a big personality and an undeniably big presence, whether she was onstage, belting out songs about heartache in traditional Mexican dress or a sexy leather outfit, or off it, talking openly about her personal struggles and success. She was a luchadora, or fighter, who had overcome considerable personal strife, and she drew on her strength to climb to the top of a Latin music genre dominated by men. She started out in music as a young mother and eventually became a mogul who sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including 1.2 million albums and nearly 350,000 digital tracks stateside; sold out venues like the Staples Center in Los Angeles and had a bilingual TV show, a radio program, several businesses, a foundation for battered women and millions of followers online. Fans and our readers -- Latina magazine first put her on the cover in May 2011 -- connected not just to her background as the daughter of immigrants who made something of herself, but her openness: She was neither perfect nor pretended to be so. She once brawled with a fan, but later made amends and invited the fan to an all-expenses paid trip. She had run-ins with the law and rocky relationships: She was married three times and was divorcing former Major League Baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza at the time of her death. "I'm not faking it in any way," she told us last year about her life as reflected in her show, "I Love Jenni," which aired on the Latino-aimed bilingual cable network mun2, adding that she wanted fans to "see the human being behind the celebrity name, the lights and sold-out concerts." Instead, Latino journalists like me are left to introduce her to a larger audience by writing about her in the past tense. Hearing the news of her death on Sunday, I couldn't help but think of another star, Tejano singer Selena, who was poised to make an impact on American culture when she was killed 17 years ago. In both cases, we not only mourn the artist, but the moment, the lost opportunity to have one of us tell his or her own story beyond songs. But at least we'll always have those. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Damarys Ocaña .
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Damarys Ocaña: We mourn the death of rising Mexican-American star Jenni Rivera .
Ocaña: She overcame strife to reach the top of a Latin music genre dominated by men .
She was talented, down to earth and inspiring, Ocaña writes .
Ocaña: We mourn the lost opportunity to have Latina tell her story .
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b5894dec4089e5dd00e732dbc240aa4d00d5589c
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An ex-Playboy model says her mother-of-two friend lost a custody battle over her children because female judges 'are the girls in high school who never got that guy' and want 'vicious payback' over good-looking women. Bridget Marks, 48, believes there is a lot of 'bias' in the courts against 'pretty women who marry or are involved with wealthy men'. She spoke out after her friend Lisa Mehos, 39, lost her two children, aged four and six, in a bitter custody battle with her financier husband Manuel Mehos last year. 'Payback': Former Playboy model Bridget Marks, 48, (left) says there is a lot of 'bias' in the courts against 'pretty women who marry or are involved with wealthy men'. She spoke out after her friend Lisa Mehos (right) lost custody of her two children following a bitter custody battle with her financier husband . The judge said she 'deliberately' lied about her pill and alcohol use during the hearings which was a key factor in coming to her decision. Mrs Mehos is now appealing the decision, with her attorney's claiming she has been sober for more than three years and has admitted making mistakes in the past. The appeals court will issue a ruling in the coming months. Mrs Marks similarly lost a custody battle over her twin five-year-old daughters in 2004 when a female judge determined that she coached her children to say their father sexually abused them. Speaking to the New York Post outside a Manhattan court of appeals last week, she said: 'You walk in and you've got the blown-out hair, the nice clothes, the pretty children and the fairy book, and that makes them angry. 'In a way, it becomes a vicious payback for the guy they didn't get in high school. I pray the justices read the record carefully and see this is a good mother.' According to The Post, Mrs Meho's lawyer Tom Shanahan told the appeals panel that Mrs Mehos' two children are effectively being raise by nannies while their father runs Green Bank in Houston. Eleanor Alter, the lawyer for Mr Mehos, reportledy said her client is a 'loving and capable and honest person' compared to his ex-wife, whose life is 'chaos on every level.' Battle: Her ex-husband Manuel, pictured, had argued that her abortion after their divorce showed her up as a hypocrite when she said she wanted to be with her children on Easter Sunday. Justice Lori Sattler (right) ruled in March 2014 that the drugs use endangered her children, citing one example from 2012 where she passed out and her son, then two, ran around without pants or a diaper . Response: Mrs Marks, who lost her children in a custody battle 10 years ago, claimed that if you walk into a court looking pretty with your 'hair blown out', it makes a female judge 'angry' Mrs Mehos divorced her banker Manuel, or 'Manny' in 2011, and claimed she started taking antidepressants after the split. But subpoenaed records showed she had actually been reliant on them since she married her husband in 2006, according to the court ruling seen by the New York Daily News. It revealed that she has been prescribed drugs, including Xanax and Valium, by 28 different doctors since 2008 . She would allegedly even pick up prescriptions from two different doctors on the same day. Justice Lori Sattler ruled in March 2014 that the drugs use endangered her children, citing one example from 2012 where she passed out and her son, then two, ran around without pants or a diaper. She also admitted to having sex with a friend a year after her marriage to Mehos, then 59, came to an end. The fling resulted in her being pregnant and having an abortion. Fabrication: The judge said Mrs Mehos lied about her problems with pills during the hearings which was a key factor in coming to her decision . Speaking to the New York Post in 2014, a devastated Mrs Mehos said: 'I’m divorced. I’m not Mother Teresa! I feel like I’ve been beaten up and raped. I had sex with someone I knew for 20 years, and I’m somehow this terrible, bad parent!' She now only sees her children on Mondays and alternate weekends. 'It just breaks my heart. They're so confused,' she said. In 2013 Mr Mehos was arrested and accused of battering his wife but charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence after he claimed her black eye was from a Botox injection.
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Bridget Marks was at a Manhattan court supporting her friend Lisa Mehos .
Mother-of-two lost her children, aged 4 and 6, after a bitter custody battle .
Her banker husband Manuel said she had a pill and alcohol problem .
Marks, now 48, says judge's decisions are a form of 'vicious payback'
She believes that there is bias in court against 'pretty women'
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53a68510d1f744bbc2f2b13d80c7850cd8c9ac1a
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Detectives believe they have finally unravelled the identity of 'The Man who fell to Earth' onto a suburban street near Heathrow Airport, thanks to a British woman in Switzerland. It was three months ago the man, an African in his 20s or 30s, plummeted 2,500ft to his death from the undercarriage of what is believed to have been a British Airways plane landing from Luanda, Angola. He hit the ground in Portman Avenue, East Sheen, a wealthy street beneath the flightpath, with only some rudimentary possessions, small change and, crucially, a mobile SIM card in his pockets. Stowaway from Mozambique (right) worked for Brit in South Africa (1) before heading home (2). He was found with money in pockets from Botswana (3) and also headed through Zambia (4) before catching a plane in Angola (5) and falling near East Sheen . Grim: The stowaway's body landed in a suburban street near Heathrow Airport . His identity had been a mystery but . after a pain-staking trawl for information that led them to the woman in . Switzerland, police now believe they know who he is, according to The . Independent. Key: Police made breakthrough after tracing a woman who used to employ the man as a housekeeper. She recognised this tattoo which says ZG, the initials of his nickname . They are not . yet releasing his name publicly but say the victim - referred to as The . Man who fell to Earth in a poem left at the spot where he died - was . from Mozambique. The . breakthrough came when they trailed information found on the SIM, which . opened them up to a world of information about his life. Among . the several Botswanan and Zambian numbers on his Angolan-registered . phone was that of the British-Swiss woman, who had sent him a message . saying: 'I need a favour.' After . several failed attempts at contacting her, the intrigued woman . responded to detectives' messages and told them their description . matched that of the man she had employed as a housekeeper in South . Africa in 2010. Unprompted, she then described a tattoo on his arm bearing the initials ZG, which was his nickname. After 2010 it is thought the man had . travelled across Africa, through Botswana and Zambia in search of work, . before crossing the border into Angola and making the decision that . would ultimately cause his death - to move to England. When detectives . arrived at the scene on September 9, they initially thought they were . dealing with a violent crime. But the man's injuries and a witness's report of a thump at 7.42am changed the course of the investigation. It was at precisely that time that BA flight 76 from Luanda had passed overhead. It . is thought the man managed to clamber aboard the aircraft by evading . security at Luanda Airport under the cover of darkness, and then . escaping the attention of pilots during pre-flight checks. British Airways maintain there is 'no direct evidence' he was on their flight but police are certain this was the case. It . is almost certain the man would have been dead by the time he fell to . earth - temperatures would have fallen to as low as -60C during the . 4,000-mile flight.
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Detectives identify man who plunged to earth .
Traced British-Swiss woman who employed the Mozambican as housekeeper .
The man, in his 20s, said to have dropped from BA flight from Angola .
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104,897 |
135566626531f3a6ffa3c0368940ee0f3fe4c620
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(CNN) -- A politically active Marine who has questioned President Barack Obama's authority said Thursday that he is facing administrative discharge proceedings over his comments. Sgt. Gary Stein, who founded the Armed Forces Tea Party, said his commanding officer at Camp Pendleton near San Diego has accused him of violating a catch-all military justice provision against conduct endangering "good order and discipline." He is also accused of violating a Department of Defense policy limiting the political activities of service members. Stein came under scrutiny from Marine officials after saying he would not obey Obama's orders. In a January 26 post to the Armed Forces Tea Party Facebook page, Stein called Obama a liar. Two days later, he said the president is "the 'Domestic Enemy' our oath speaks about." In a March 4 posting, he questioned Obama's birth certificate. Another discussion on the site in March said he would refuse to obey orders given by Obama. He later clarified to say he meant illegal orders, which he has explained as orders such as sending the military to Syria without congressional approval. "The allegations drummed up against me are no more than an agenda by the Marine Corps to use me as an example," Stein said in a statement posted to his page. "If I am guilty of anything it would be that I am American, a freedom loving Conservative, hell bent on defending the constitution and preserving Americas greatness." He noted that the opinions he expressed were his own, saying, "I have never spoken on behalf of the Marine Corps or in uniform." Appearing on CNN on Thursday morning, he called the charges a "PR thing." "They have to make some sort of stand with this," he said. A Marine Corps spokesman confirmed Thursday that Stein's commanding officer had chosen to address the allegations through "administration action" after he had received the results of a preliminary inquiry into the case. While the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the free speech rights of ordinary citizens, a Defense Department rule prohibits service members from engaging in some forms of political activity. Among the prohibited activities are publishing partisan political articles or serving in an official capacity with a partisan political club. Stein has said that has carefully followed the Defense Department directive. He said Thursday that his unit has known about his off-duty activities since he joined the outfit eight months ago. He also said a similar investigation two years ago found that he had done nothing wrong and officers at the time told him he could continue running the site so long as it carried a disclaimer. The Facebook page notes that it does not represent and is not affiliated with the military or government. About 18,000 people follow posts on the page. Comments Tuesday on the page were largely, but not entirely, supportive of Stein. "Gary Stein I stand behind you 100%. Keep up the good fight," one poster commented. "Like it or not Obama is the Commander in Chief and this Marines job is to protect him Right or wrong," another poster said. Stein is not the first service member to face controversy over comments about Obama. In 2010, a military court sentenced Army Lt. Col. Terrence Lakin to six months in prison and removal from the military over his refusal to deploy to Afghanistan. Lakin argued that Obama was not born in the United States and therefore was not legally president, making his orders illegal. CNN's Adam Levine contributed to this report.
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A Marine who criticized Obama is facing administrative discharge proceedings .
Sgt. Gary Stein says he's accused of violating "good order and discipline"
He's also accused of violating a Defense Department rule against some political activity .
He calls the allegations a "PR thing"
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100,340 |
0d48ba464f3ace0f7e0991e5bf671caa65e00279
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By . Elliott Bretland . Follow @@EllBretland . Boxing legend Mike Tyson has revealed Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx is set to play him a new film about his life. The former heavyweight champion has claimed Foxx will playing him at various stages of his life using CGI. According to reports, Foxx, having previously impersonated Tyson in the past, has asked the 46-year-old for help as he trains for the role. Scroll down for video... And... action! Mike Tyson is set to have a biopic made of hiis rise and fall as world heaveyweight champion . Separated at birth? Jamie Foxx (L) is set to play Mike Tyson using CGI effects in the film . Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Tyson said: 'Me and Jamie Foxx are in discussion, and we gonna do it. 'Within a year to 18 months, we're going to do the Mike Tyson story and he's going to portray me, and now they have this new animation; because you know Jamie's pretty much my age so he can't portray me but they have this new system.' Speaking to the Live Show with Kelly and Michael in May, Foxx said: 'I got a chance to hang out with Mike when Mike was at his height and I watched [him] go from his height to where he is now and talked to him about doing his story. I think that story would be fantastic.' American film director Martin Scorsese will also be involved in the film, Tyson has claimed. Back to the drawing board: Former heavyweight champion has also had a cartoon series produced .
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Mike Tyson has revealed Jamie Foxx will play him in a movie of his life .
Oscar winner will play former world heavyweight champion using CGI .
Tyson also claimed that Martin Scorsese will be involved in the project .
The 46-year-old has had an animated cartoon series made of him .
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180,841 |
761a4357e90eb26684e6d3bda8f0afc768ec799c
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(CNN) -- Anne Malver, then 11, thought she was heading to the trophy store with her gymnastics coach. Instead they ended up in his apartment -- and, she said, she ended up naked as he "forced himself inside of me." She screamed out -- in pain, and for him to stop. "He wouldn't," she recalled. "And I'll never forget the words he whispered in my ear at that time: 'This is what you want. This is what all the girls want.'" Malver is not alone, as several of Doug Boger's ex-elite young gymnasts -- speaking to CNN decades later, now as a group of adults -- detailed similar, graphic allegations of sexual and physical abuse. Besides an initial "no comment" in a phone conversation weeks ago, Boger did not return repeated phone calls or e-mails from CNN, nor did he respond to a knock at his door. But in an interview earlier this year with CNN Denver affiliate KCNC, he defiantly insisted that those accusing him are all lying. "I was not abusive to them," said Boger, now in his 60s. "I didn't do anything wrong." He was acquitted by a jury in 1982 on child abuse and battery charges, after two young athletes in his Pasadena, California, gym accused him of wrongdoing. The parents of two of the ex-gymnasts who are now alleging abuse by Boger helped finance his defense during that trial. One was the family of Julie Whitman, a star gymnast who was on USA Gymnastics' Junior National Team in 1983-1984, according to that organization's website. She said that Boger "was somebody that my parents trusted." Another, Charmaine Carnes, recalled how her father referred to Boger as an "adoptive son" in messages sent out to family and friends before Christmas. Her parents did not know, she said, that Boger was physically abusing her -- and how that turned to sexual abuse when she was 8 or 9 years old. "I would ride with him in a car to a meet," Carnes recalled. "He'd be tickling me at a stoplight or something of that nature, and his hands would reach down and go into my privates." Some days at the gym, Whitman said, could be "fantastic, and other days it was kind of a living hell." The intent was to produce world-class athletes -- like Sabrina Mar, who won the 1985 U.S. Nationals and 1987 Pan American Games all-around titles -- by pushing them to their limits, with the ex-gymnasts claiming Boger sometimes used physical force to make a point and exert his authority. Carnes, for instance, pointed to a cigarette burn on her finger that she said came from Boger. And Mar described how "he used to grab you by your neck and he would pin you up against the wall. And basically just choke you." Several remembered Boger standing over them, as they were on all fours -- sometimes kicking them in the stomach, at other times poking them with a toothpick he was known to chew on in his mouth. "Girls would be sobbing, crying," recalled Malver. Boger wasn't Kimberly Evans' coach, though she was a regular at the gym because her sister was one of his students. She remembered being 13 and heading with him to his apartment -- she thought to pick up some equipment, until she felt his hand "around the back of my neck, really hard" and she sensed "something good wasn't going to happen." "And I was right," Evans said. In a different incident, Kathy Riordan, daughter of former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, recalled seeing a teammate, naked and running out of Boger's bed during one road trip. She told her father, who called the teammate's parents -- only to be told that they "wanted to keep it quiet." "But I did bring Doug Boger down to my office," Richard Riordan said. "And he denied everything." Most parents had no idea what was happening, partly because they'd signed a waiver that barred them from attending practices. By talking now, these women -- now in their 40s and 50s -- say their main focus is not necessarily to bring more charges against Boger. Rather, they want to make sure that no other girls, from here on out, have similar stories. Whitman began spearheading the effort after, about six years ago, she discovered that Boger was "still coaching." "I just kept seeing his name and seeing his name and I thought to myself, I can't let this man continue coaching," a tearful Whitman recalled. In 2008, she contacted USA Gymnastics President Steve Penny, who encouraged her to speak to her former teammates. Several of them ended up writing letters detailing alleged abuse, spurring an official investigation one year later. "The biggest challenge with this particular case was that it happened 30 years ago and, not only that, he had been acquitted," Penny said. Boger maintains some support -- including from Aubree Balkan, whom he coached at the World Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2009. "I obviously don't want to believe it, but all I can share is the good experience I had," said Balkan, adding that she neither witnessed nor experienced abuse. USA Gymnastics concluded its investigation in 2010 by putting Boger on its permanently ineligible coaches list. That means he cannot coach at a USA Gymnastics member gym, though he still can at a non-affiliated gym. And he did just that, at a facility in Colorado Springs owned by a coach once convicted of a sex offense involving a gymnast. "That really made me angry, made me livid," said Mar. "That someone like that, with such a history of abuse can still be able to coach in this field of gymnastics." Today, Balkan says that Boger is no longer coaching -- adding that, with that, she's not sure what his critics are trying to accomplish. But his accusers say that's not the point. "This is about a group of women who want no more harm coming to any children for the sake of becoming a competitive athlete," Malver said. CNN's Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report.
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Women claim gymnastics coach Doug Boger physically, sexually abused them .
They decided to speak now, decades later, hoping that he won't coach again .
He did not respond to CNN, but has claimed that his accusers are lying .
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a86c1101492269dcad3eaed2b15d039869a1f868
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If you have ever wondered how common your birthday is, look no further. A U.S. graduate has produced a series of charts revealing how birthdays rate against each other. The graphs, created from federal government data, show that most American babies are born in the late summer, while the least are delivered on major holidays. Scroll down for video . Revealed: A U.S. graduate has produced three charts revealing how birthdays rate against each other. They show that most American babies are born in late summer, while the least are delivered on major holidays . Perhaps unsurprisingly, September 12, 18, 25 and 26 - which are all around nine months after the holiday season - were found to be the most common days for births. They helped make up a total of 12,250 children born per day in the summer, compared to just 11,390 in the winter. This contrast in numbers is widely believed to be due to the cold weather experienced during the winter months, which encourages more people to stay indoors and spend cosy evenings in. University of Viriginia student Dan Lin produced the charts using data from 1994-2003 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) records, before posting them to Reddit. Celebration: Unsurprisingly, September 12, 18, 25 and 26 - which are all around nine months after the holiday season - were the most common days for births. A total of 12,250 children were born per day in the summer . Interesting: Public holidays - including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and the Fourth of July, as well as the February 29 - were ranked as the least-likely days for births. But Valentine's Day was popular . They show that public holidays - including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and the Fourth of July, as well as the February 29 - are the least-likely days for births. While February 29 is understandably rare as it comes around only every four years, the cause for the fewest birthdays on holidays is likely due to fewer cesarean sections being carried out. Most public hospitals in America refuse to schedule c-sections on national holidays - with the exception of emergencies - while many private hospitals will arrange fewer. Reddit users have also speculated that some doctors may deliberately induce a pregnancy so the birth occurs on a more convenient day. Standing out: University of Viriginia student Dan Lin produced the charts using data from 1994-2003 CDC records. Strikingly, the day with the most American births was found to be September 9, 1999 - or 9/9/99 . Despite the apparent lack of births of public holidays, Valentine's Day and Friday the 13th were ranked among the most common for deliveries, with an average of 12,210 and 11,210 respectively. Strikingly, the day with the most American births was found to be September 9, 1999 - possibly due to a high number of parents wanting their child to have a 9/9/99 birth date. While July, August and September appeared to be the most popular months to give birth, Tuesday was ranked as the most likely day for newborn deliveries. Sunday was the least likely day to give birth, with just 7,780.
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Three charts were created using CDC data by American graduate Dan Lin .
September 12, 18, 25 and 26 found to be the most common days for births .
Total of 12,250 births per day in summer, compared to just 11,390 in winter .
Contrast believed to be due to cold weather during winter months, which encourages more Americans to stay indoors and have cosy nights in .
Interestingly, public holidays ranked as the least-likely days for deliveries .
These included Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day and July 4 .
Most public hospitals in America refuse to schedule c-sections on holidays .
But Valentine's Day and Friday the 13th listed among most common days .
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211,340 |
9daca83241b1adfb35d1b879723eebe06d17b82c
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Bethany Mota is only 18-years-old but thanks to the wild popularity of her videos about shopping she's more popular online than Vogue magazine and has her own national branded line of clothing and jewelry. The Northern California teen is turning a hobby she started at 14 into a million dollar phenomenon before she's even moved out of her parents house and it's all thanks to YouTube. 'Hi. I'm Bethany. I'm a Youtuber,' she writes on one of her many social media accounts. 'My viewers are my besties and I love them bunches!' Scroll down for video . Popular girl: Bethany Mota is only 18 and still lives with her parents but her YouTube celebrity is so huge it has won her fashion lines and more Instagram followers than Vogue, Cosmo and Glamour magazines combined . Teen sensation: Mota won her internet celebrity by creating a popular YouTube channel as part of the 'haul video' craze where girls show off their shopping hauls on camera and upload the results . And those followers love her back--all five million of them. Bethany is the queen bee of a craze called 'haul videos' on YouTube and they're exactly what they sound like they are. It's where girls record a play-by-play of their shopping mall 'hauls' and then post them for the teenaged world to see on YouTube. The teen's Instagram account, where she posts photos of herself, her cloths and her meticulously decorated bedroom when she isn't making YouTube videos watched by the hundreds of thousands, has over 2 million followers--more than Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Cosmo combined. Fashion line: Mota has so many millions of fans that mall staple Aeropostale now offers a line of clothes and jewelry bearing her name . Banking on her: The casualwear chain is hoping that teen girls across America who don't already know her name will soon be wearing t-shirts and backless sweaters that bear the 'Motavator' label. 'Whenever I have free time I love to just lay in my bed and watch YouTube videos, watch movies,' she told says. 'Just basically do nothing.' Nearly five million people follow her YouTube channel. Mota is so popular that teen-centric mall staple Aeropostale has branded an entire line of clothes and jewelry with her name. The casualwear chain is hoping that teen girls across America who don't already know her name will soon be wearing t-shirts and backless sweaters that bear the 'Motavator' label. According to Business Insider, Mota began her march toward teen fashion domination after coming up against school bullying. 'I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I didn’t want to leave my house,' she said, and that she turned to YouTube as a 'kind of an outlet for me to be myself.' Despite her growing success, Mota is still largely an online celebrity as opposed to a red-carpet walking source of magazine gossip. Which means you won't be catching the teen in a tabloid any time soon. In fact, you're more likely to catch her hanging out alone in her childhood room watching fellow YouTube stars. 'Whenever I have free time I love to just lay in my bed and watch YouTube videos, watch movies,' she told Business Insider. 'Just basically do nothing.' The Aeropostale gig isn't even her first partnership. The bubbly teen has worked with JC Penney and Forever 21 in the past. And despite it all, she manages to stay grounded. 'I don't want to do something unless it feels organic,' she said. 'True to me, who I am and what my channel represents.' 'I don't want to do something unless it feels organic,' Mota said. 'True to me, who I am and what my channel represents.'
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Bethany Mota is a mogul in the making whose personal videos are on the road to becoming a fashion empire .
The 18-year-old has her own branded fashion line at teen-centric mall staple Aeropostale .
More people follow her shopping 'haul' channel on YouTube than Lady Gaga and she has more Instagram followers than Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, and Cosmo combined .
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143,590 |
45aee59102ca07a6f95bf0bc5ea0cd7f793436c1
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By . Daily Mail Reporter and Ap Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:35 EST, 16 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:26 EST, 16 July 2013 . A Pennsylvania mom was convicted yesterday of charges that she neglected her 6-year-old twins, one of whom was found wandering the streets alone while covered in bruises and feces. A Washington County jury found 26-year-old Roxanne Taylor guilty of all the charges filed against, including four counts of child endangerment, and one . count each of aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, . unlawful restraint and false imprisonment. Monster mom: Roxanne Taylor was convicted yesterday of charges that she beat and starved her six-year-old twins . Taylor's 6-year-old son was found by a passerby wandering the streets alone after he escaped from his locked bedroom in Taylor's home through a window. When the passerby found the boy, he was covered in feces and bruises, and weighed a scant 30 pounds. When police went to Taylor's home, they found the boy's twin sister, also covered in bruises and feces. According to police, the 6-year-old twins still wore diapers. Throughout the home, police found feces and insects everywhere. Additionally, there were locks on the children's bedroom doors, as well as on the refrigerator and their toy chest. Taylor told authorities that she kept locks on the doors because she was a heavy sleeper and didn't want the children wandering through the house at night. Victims: when authorities found Roxanne Taylor's 6-year-old twins, they were covered in bruises and feces . Bruises: Taylor told jurors she's a 'good mother' Taylor reportedly testified in her own defense last week, explaining to jurors that the children's being underweight was the result of them being 'picky eaters,' and that she's a good mother. The father of the two children also was criminally charged for their neglect and abuse. Edward J. Buckholz, 34, pleaded guilty last month and will be sentenced in September by Judge Katherine Emery. Taylor also is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
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Authorities also found feces and insects all over Roxanne Taylor's home .
Taylor was convicted on multiple counts of abuse and neglect .
The children's father also has been convicted of abusing the children .
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225bdff07eba6ecb0ff0506cff0e76f0b8670068
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If your smartphone is attached to your hip, your blood flows like a Twitter feed and you're fairly certain your eyes permanently see through an Instagram filter, then maybe it's time to disconnect for a bit? A new summer camp aims to help adults take a break from technology for a weekend of being a kid again. "Camp Grounded," a retreat brought to you by the folks at The Digital Detox, takes place this June near Anderson Valley, Calif. (about two to three hours north of San Francisco). This four-day "summer camp for adults" in a 1970s-style Boy Scouts camp atmosphere brings together 232 campers who must follow some special rules: no technology use, no cell phones allowed and no talking about work. "We really hope people reconnect with themselves," said Ben Hanna, a partner at The Digital Detox. "So many people now don't understand their relationship with technology, but they do know something's wrong with how often they feel the need to check their phone." Campers get to stay in open-faced cabins, eat in a dining hall and can participate in tech-free activities including archery, capture the flag, arts & crafts workshops, pillow fights and yoga. "Part of what we want to do is give people this ability to kind of dive deep into something that they haven't really done," Hanna told Mashable. Compared to camp for kids, sneaking out at night is actually encouraged at Camp Grounded. Hanna said campers can wander through the woods to discover a "magical nightlife." "You never really know what you're going to come across," he said. "It might be a jazz quartet inside of a dancing school bus ... We're going to have a bunch of bonfires and musicians up there and stuff as well." It is a drug- and alcohol-free event, and the camp will have medical personnel and a camp phone on site for emergencies. See Also: Vacationing Americans prefer giving up booze to mobile devices . Hanna says this sold-out June 14 to 17 event has attracted people from all over the world, including people in the tech community like CEOs and venture capitalists. But at camp, everyone will use nicknames and attendees can't ask each other their ages, so everyone is really "just another camper," Hanna said. Though there is currently a waitlist, they plan to hold another session in the future, since demand has been so high. Hanna, a former tech industry whiz himself (he has worked at Couchsurfing.org), said The Digital Detox regularly holds other monthly device-free retreats, as well as device-free events that have a "phone check" (like a coat check). But with Camp Grounded, it's the largest retreat they've done so far, according to Hanna. "When you were a kid, your life was not dominated by the technology that it is now," he said. "We want to take people back to that easy state of living where their only concern is 'what's the next activity that I'm going to right now and what's going to be the next fun thing?'" Could you survive a tech-free weekend on a "digital detox?" Or would it be too difficult for you to disconnect? Share your thoughts on this concept in the comments. This article originally appeared on Mashable .
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A new summer camp invites adults to unplug .
At Camp Grounded, cell phones, computers and work talk are banned .
Organizer: Many "know there's something wrong" with their tech relationship .
June camp in California is sold out, with others on the way .
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fdb45b55621c4d1e813cce49e53f7e729bd4cf4e
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(CNN) -- He has yet to compete at the Olympics, but the eyes of the world will be on Oscar Pistorius if he is selected for London 2012. Born with a congenital abnormality, he had both his legs amputated below the knee at 11 months of age, but that has not stopped him competing at the highest level. The South African runs on specially-adapted carbon-fiber artificial limbs, earning him the nickname "Blade Runner" and the tag of "fastest man with no legs." After winning a legal battle to let him race against able-bodied athletes, the 25-year-old has become one of the most recognizable and popular figures in the world of sport thanks to his inspiring performances on the track. Pistorius certainly is fast, holding the world records in his T44 disability category from 100 to 400 meters, and he has won four Paralympic gold medals. His times enable him to compete internationally against able-bodied runners, and he reached the 400m semifinals at the 2011 world championships in Daegu. He also helped South Africa to the final of the 4x400m relay but was controversially omitted for the medal race. His teammates took silver and -- because he ran in the earlier rounds -- Pistorius was awarded a medal, becoming the first disabled athlete to achieve that feat at a global championships. Early years . Pistorius came from what he describes as a "sports-crazy family, pretty much obsessed with sport" and did not allow his disability to restrict his activities. At school in Gauteng Province, he was a keen rugby player and also competed in a wide range of sports from water polo to tennis and even triathlons. A knee injury curtailed his rugby career and he turned to track and field in 2003, quickly discovering a real talent for sprinting. Just a year later and still only 17, Pistorius won gold over 200m at the 2004 Athens Paralympics in a world record and also took bronze in the 100m, beating athletes with lesser disabilities. Using the Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon-fiber limbs, specially adapted by Icelandic company Ossur, it was the start of his journey to global stardom. Legal affairs . Pistorius began to compete in able-bodied competitions, at first in South Africa, but then abroad. "I was starting to run times which allowed me to compete internationally on the able-bodied circuit," he said. But as he got quicker, it brought Pistorius into dispute with the IAAF, the world governing body of athletics, which ruled his artificial limbs gave him an unfair advantage and barred him from the circuit. Employing a top legal team, Pistorius took his case to the Court of Arbitration in Sport, which overturned the ban in 2008. However, he did not reach the Olympic qualifying standards for Beijing, where he took part in the Paralympics. "Since it was proved my prosthetic legs give me no advantage, I have developed a very good relationship with the IAAF," he said. Training regime . Pistorius' success is not only down to his talent, it owes much to a grueling training regime under coach Ampie Louw. Getting up at 5 a.m. at their base in Pretoria, Pistorius puts in up to three and a half hours each day, on occasion more, in preparation for a major championship. He also has a strictly-controlled diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, plus plenty of fish and protein to aid recovery. Pistorius reports "no injuries" coming into the all important year of 2012. Sporting heroes . Pistorius has been an inspirational figure around the world with his exploits, while his own sporting heroes both come from track and field: Britain's former 110m world record-holder Colin Jackson and Namibian sprinter Frankie Fredericks. Jackson has become a "great friend and mentor" for Pistorius, who has made many trips to the UK in recent years. "Frankie Fredericks has always been my icon, and someone who has achieved as much as he has is special," he said of the former world champion and four-time Olympic silver medalist. 2012 ambitions . Pistorius aims to run at both the 2012 London Olympics and the subsequent Paralympics in the British capital. He is targeting four gold medals in the Paralympics, repeating his Beijing triple in the 100, 200 and 400m, and hopefully earning success in the South African 4x100m relay team. And in the Olympic Games? "To try to repeat my achievement in Daegu to reach the semifinals of the individual 400m." Having already achieved the qualifying standard with a time of 45.20 seconds in Gauteng earlier this year, Pistorius is well on the way to achieving selection and will also be pressing for a place again in the South Africa's 4x400m relay squad. Sporting philosophy . Pistorius sets himself high standards, retaining values that were instilled in him from an early age: "My family always said if you start something, you finish it." With so much already achieved it is easy to forget he has many years of competition potentially ahead of him, but when Pistorius does eventually retire he wants to have left nothing on the track. "To look back and know every season I did my best. That I gave it my best with no regrets."
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Oscar Pistorius is preparing for both London Olympics and Paralympics .
The "Blade Runner" competes at the top level against able-bodied athletes .
South African has four Paralympic golds and several world records .
The 25-year-old runs on specially-adapted carbon-fiber artificial limbs .
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228,313 |
b39eecfc9da1840abd8e379915b5bf3ec5c6da70
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(CNN) -- The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said authorities Friday took a fourth person into custody in their ongoing investigation into domestic terrorism. The RCMP said its Integrated National Security Enforcement Team executed a search warrant in Ottawa and took one person into custody. No charges have been filed. Earlier Friday, a Canadian government source close to the investigation said the three men arrested previously "are not card-carrying members of al Qaeda but they follow in the movement and show common trends." RCMP Chief Superintendent Serge Therriault said Thursday the three suspects are Canadian citizens living in Ontario -- Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, 30, of Ottawa; Misbahuddin Ahmed, 26, of Ottawa; and Khurram Syed Sher, 28, of London. The name of the suspect arrested Friday has not been released. Alizadeh faces three charges: conspiracy, committing an act for a terrorist group and providing or making available property for terrorist purposes. Canadian federal prosecutor David McKercher told CNN the three charges carry maximum sentences ranging from ten years to life in prison. Ahmed has been charged with conspiracy, but he could face more charges, according to his defense attorney. Ian Carter told CNN he met with Ahmed for half an hour. Asked how the suspect was feeling, Carter said, "He is in shock." Ahmed is married and has a 7-month-old daughter. Sher also is charged with conspiracy, officials said. The RCMP said the three suspects were arrested under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act, passed in 2001. Therriault said that a yearlong investigation found that in addition to forming part of a terror cell, the suspects possessed schematics, videos, drawings, instructions, books and electrical components designed specifically for the construction of improvised explosive devices. He said authorities seized more than 50 circuit boards designed to remotely detonate IEDs. In addition, Therriault said, investigators have grounds to believe Alizadeh is a member of and remains in contact with a terror group with links to the conflict in Afghanistan. One reason the arrests happened when they did, the investigator said, was to prevent Alizadeh from providing financial support for weapons that would be used against coalition forces and Canadian troops in Afghanistan. The three suspects represent the core of the domestic terror group, Therriault said, but the ongoing investigation could result in more arrests. There are no related arrests in the United States, a federal law enforcement official told CNN. The official said there is no clear link between the Canadian suspects and the United States. Therriault said he could not confirm whether there was a direct link to the United States. A Canadian government source close to the investigation told CNN the United States is not the focus of the investigation. U.S. counterterrorism officials said they consider the arrests an internal Canadian matter. CNN's Laura Dolan contributed to this story.
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Four suspects are in custody as part of a domestic terror investigation .
Three suspects arrested earlier this week allegedly had material to make IEDs .
U.S. officials say there's no clear evidence of a link to the United States .
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By . Alex Finnis For Mail Online . Disgusting: The live maggot Amanda Cooper found crawling across her Tesco Value potatoes . A disgusted mother got more than she bargained for when she opened up her tin of Tesco Value potatoes - only to find a live maggot crawling inside. Teaching assistant Amanda Cooper was preparing dinner for her children Aidan, 12, and Abby, 10, when she saw the bug wriggling across what was supposed to be their meal. Ms Cooper, 33, bought the 15p tin, which had a sell-by date of March 2017, from a Tesco Express store near her home in Cambridge. 'It was horrible,' she said. 'When you buy a tin of something which has been processed in what you think is a clean environment, you expect to get just what you want. 'It put me right off. It was a Saturday afternoon sausage and broccoli dinner, just something easy for a Saturday. 'I buy the tin occasionally to back up my cupboards, just to have as a staple. 'In the end they just had the sausage and broccoli. I kept schtum about it until after we had eaten, but when Aidan saw the tin he was absolutely horrified.' Ms Cooper returned the tin to the store, was given her money back and told told that someone would be in touch. 'I was happy with the way they dealt with it in-store, but I am really put off buying any tinned stuff now, and I won't be shopping in Tesco any time soon. 'When you buy lettuce or fresh food you wash your salad as you might get little things there where it's straight out of a field into the shop, but when you have got something processed that has been tinned it opens all sorts of questions.' Put off: Ms Cooper says she is now wary of buying tinned food and will not be shopping at Tesco again soon . A Tesco spokeswoman said: 'We set ourselves high standards for the quality of the food we sell and were disappointed to hear of this incident. 'We have contacted our supplier to investigate and our customer service team will update Miss Cooper with the findings.'
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Amanda Cooper, 33, planned to feed the potatoes to her two children .
But opened up the 15p tin to find the bug crawling across them .
Had her money refunded, but says she has been put off tinned food .
The teaching assistant says she will not be shopping at Tesco again soon .
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A brave young girl who has battled leukaemia since 2010 is set to enjoy her first Christmas without cancer in three years. Ruby Orr, seven, was diagnosed in February 2010 after suffering from a cold and leg pains. She underwent grueling chemotherapy sessions to try and rid her body of the disease. The creative youngster from Manchester took to customising shoes to cheer herself up during her treatment and even set up her own business. Christmas joy: Ruby is now in remission from leukemia. She was given the all-clear in May this year . Ruby and her mother Vanessa (pictured in Christmas 2011, left) are looking forward to enjoying the festivities without worrying about treatment. Ruby (right) in December 2010 . Ruby enjoyed a trip to Lapland thanks to the When You Wish Upon a Star charity . Ruby has now been in remission since May and is relishing the chance to enjoy many . festive firsts - such as swapping Christmas cards with her class mates. Her mother Vanessa, 42, said: 'She's looking forward to it so much and as a family it's been the Christmas we've been praying for. 'It will be the first Christmas in . three years Ruby's not been in chemotherapy and we can't wait to see her . enjoying herself and having the Christmas she deserves. 'The little things, like having . Christmas cards to open from all her friends at school, mean so much to . her because it's stuff she hasn't been able to do before. The schoolgirl from Denton, is also fit enough to hold a birthday party for the first time since starting her treatment. 'She's having a chocolate-themed . birthday party with all her friends next week, which she's incredibly . excited about, and it's wonderful to see her have all these things to . look forward to because she's been so brave,' Mrs Orr said. Ruby, pictured at Christmas in 2010, lost her hair due to chemotherapy treatment . Ruby with the shoes she decorated worn by Suzanne Shaw in the Christmas pantomime Cinderella . Ruby and mother Vanessa with a chocolate cake for her sixth birthday . Ruby now has a check-up with her doctor every three months. She first won the hearts of the nation after starting her own shoe-making business. Her diamante-encrusted creations proved so popular with . family and friends that she set up a small business called Ruby . Slippers. She even designed a pair for singer Suzanne Shaw to wear in the pantomime Cinderella last year. But despite being back to full health, Ruby hasn't lost passion for her crystal creations. She recently auctioned two canvasses of Manchester footballing heroes Wayne Rooney and Mario Balotelli for £600 in aid of Wish Upon A Star. The charity took Ruby to Lapland to meet Father Christmas last year along with dozens of other children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
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Ruby was diagnosed in February 2010 after suffering from leg pains .
She underwent gruelling treatment for more than two years .
She is now looking forward to celebrating her first cancer-free Christmas in years .
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e3d045aa2aafb312b752d01d3c27eb54004d7f06
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Ray Mabus, the U.S. Navy secretary, has spent more than a full year of his five-year tenure on overseas travel, racking up more than 930,000 miles on trips that cost the taxpayer more than $4.7 million. Mr Mabus, the former governor of Mississippi, has taken at least 40 trips outside the U.S as of July 2014, meeting officials and visiting sailors and Marines in more than 100 countries — travel he said is critical to his job in furthering U.S. and Navy interests abroad. The inspector general investigated after receiving a complaint about his travel and cleared him of any wrongdoing, Mr Mabus said. Keen traveller: Ray Mabus listens as Todd Merchant of the U.S. Navy explains how a computer adjusts biofuel consumption while aboard the USS Chaffee off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, in July 2012, . His 373 days on the road contrast however with those of Army Secretary John McHugh, who took fewer than half the trips at less than half the cost over the same time period. According to data obtained and compiled by The Associated Press, Mabus' flights cost $4.6 million for fuel, maintenance and crew. Mabus also spent about $116,000 on hotels, meals and other costs. The Army leader's trips totalled 126 days and cost about $2 million for the flights. He spent under $33,000 for hotels, meals and other personal expenses on his 18 trips. Mr Mabus' entourage includes a security officer, military assistant, policy advisers and a public affairs officer — about seven people in all. Their per diem travel costs would approximate Mabus' and could add as much as $700,000 to the total costs of the travel. Mr McHugh travels with up to 10 staff, so the per diem expenses could total more than $300,000. The travel costs come amid deep budget cuts across the Defense Department, including widespread efforts to slash headquarters spending, downsize the Army and Marine Corps, and cut back on acquisition programs, training and other costs. Those cuts, said Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, make it 'even more important that senior leaders scrutinize their travel and make sure that the travel they're doing is essential.' Mr Mabus is so proud of his travel he even has a mileage ticker on his Navy website, showing he has traveled 932,129 miles as of this week. Of the 325,000 sailors and nearly 190,000 Marines, as many as 100,000 are serving in nearly 100 countries around the world. And, he said, negotiating issues such as basing ships in Rota, Spain, is more effective face to face. 'You could do that in a phone call, I guess. You could send them a note,' he said.'I don't think they take it nearly as seriously if you're not sitting across the table from them.' He noted that a female sailor on a stop in Hawaii complained to him that she felt she had no future as a nuclear officer because women couldn't serve on nuclear submarines. That conversation, said Mr Mabus, led to his finalizing plans to allow women to serve on the subs. 'I think the return on investment for my travel has been phenomenal,' Mr Mabus said. 'In terms of the progress we've made with countries like Singapore, Spain, Gabon, Palau, Japan — in terms of advancing America's interests, in terms of advancing Navy interests, in terms of the work that we do together and the benefits that come from that — I think the return on investment has been huge.' This picture of the US Navy website shows a mileage counter, right, of Navy Secretary Ray Mabus travels . Secretary McHugh oversees an Army of more than 508,000 active-duty soldiers, including more than 130,000 in over 150 countries. He said he tries to go where large concentrations of soldiers are as well as countries where there are national security issues. 'I think a lot about the balance between the responsibilities of being here and the requirement to get out,' Mr McHugh said. 'If someone were to ask me, have you traveled too little or too much — I'd say too little. I don't think you can ever be briefed in the Pentagon in a way that provides you an accurate perspective the way you can just seeing it on the ground for 10 minutes.' In May, McHugh stopped in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania after a company of soldiers participated in military exercises last spring. He said he'd planned to visit only one of those countries, but the State Department advised him to visit all three. According to data provided by the Army, McHugh has traveled to 29 countries, including seven visits to Germany, a frequent refueling and crew rest stop. He's been to Afghanistan four times and Iraq three times and he's made three visits to South Korea, where the Army has had a permanent presence since the Korean war. Mr Mabus had visited 107 countries as of July, including stops at major Navy homeports such as Singapore, Bahrain, Italy and Japan, as well as Africa, where piracy and terrorism have been persistent problems. He's also traveled to Greenland, Iceland and Norway — including a snowmobile safari on the tiny island of Svalbard. The Arctic has become a key national security issue, as melting ice caps are opening up sea lanes and spurring competition for oil and gas deposits. The Navy is developing plans to increase communications, harden ships and negotiate international agreements so nations can better track traffic in the Arctic. Mr Mabus' most frequent destination — 12 stops — was Afghanistan, where thousands of Marines have served. But Spain is also a favorite with nine visits, including five times between May 2013 and June 2014. He said he was in Spain so often because of plans to base four U.S. naval destroyers there as part of the new anti-missile shield. Mabus was there when the first ship arrived in February, was the U.S. representative for a funeral there in March, then was back again in June. But he has also travelled to a number of tiny islands like Kiribati, Sao Tome, Palau, Micronesia and Tonga, as well as landlocked countries where there is little Navy or Marine presence. Lined up along his Pentagon windows are six large glass jars filled with sand he's collected from World War II battlefields he's visited. Mr Mabus' trips also provide fodder for a series of photography books he has self-published. The books sell for up to $220 each, according to the website. But Mr Mabus said he hasn't earned any money from the books since becoming secretary. He said many photographs were taken prior to his Pentagon job, while others were taken during his Navy travels. In a statement, his staff said the photography doesn't interfere with his official duties.
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Ray Mabus's 373 days on the road contrast with Army Secretary John McHugh, who took fewer than half the trips .
Mabus so proud of his travel he has a mileage tracker on his website .
Travel costs come despite deep budget cuts in the U.S.
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By . Associated Press . The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas 50 years ago changed the way the media worked for decades to come. On November 22, 1963, a transformative live, global TV news event took place and the idea was born of broadcasting live from the scene, having an anchor for the coverage and letting the images do the talking. It swept an industry without a playbook for covering a breaking story of such magnitude and utterly changed how people receive their news. Scroll down for video . President John F. Kennedy slumps into the arms of his wife Jackie, immediately after he was shot as his motorcade made its way through Dealey Plaza on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas . For four days, starting with gunfire in Dallas, Texas, and ending with Kennedy's funeral procession in Washington, major U.S. TV networks went live with wall-to-wall coverage, suspending commercials. Other live TV news events followed, and the next time networks devoted as much time to commercial-free news broadcasts came with the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. 'The Kennedy assassination became the template for coverage,' said Bob Schieffer, who 50 years ago covered the event for the Fort Worth Star Telegram and is now a veteran broadcaster with CBS. 'We were working in one of the worst moments of the nation's life back then and we didn't know what to make of it, much like what happened on 9/11,' he told Reuters. The technology was primitive in 1963, but the idea was born of broadcasting live from the scene, having an anchor for the coverage and letting the images do the talking when possible. Some of the tasks were daunting, such as moving studio TV cameras that weighed hundreds of pounds into places such as Dallas police headquarters and stringing heavy cables up a wall and through the police chief's office. Texas Governor John Connally (foreground) adjusting his tie as President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie prepare for their tour on November 22, 1963 of Dallas, Texas . By the time the White House confirmed Kennedy's death just after 1:30 that Friday, 45.4 percent of U.S. homes with a television had their sets in use, according to ratings agency Nielsen. On Monday, soon after the caisson carrying Kennedy's coffin arrived at Arlington National Cemetery, 81 percent of U.S. homes with a television had their sets in use, one of the highest TV ratings in U.S. history, Nielsen said. Mourning and a sense of loss were visceral, with a survey at the time saying about two-thirds of Americans watching the events fell ill or felt emotional distress. Newspapers and radio were the main sources of news the day before the assassination, but the pendulum had swung. 'This is when America became a TV nation,' said Patty Rhule, a senior manager of exhibits at the Newseum, a museum for the news industry in Washington. In 1950 only 9 percent of U.S. households had television. By 1960 it was 90 percent, and the telegenic Kennedy family was part of the draw. New York news papers on the 50th Anniversary of the Kennedy assassination: His death changed the media for decades to come . The look of TV changed as well as the technology. At the time of the assassination, NBC and ABC anchors broadcast from studios that slightly resembled living rooms. Yet the enduring video image is of Walter Cronkite reporting on Kennedy's death for CBS, which moved its camera to the newsroom - a decision that seemed to increase the authority of its broadcasts and which others would follow. Instant replay, a technology CBS planned to roll out a few weeks later for the Army-Navy college football game, made its national debut when Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot suspected assassin Lee Harvey Oswald dead in the basement of the Dallas police building. Japan's first satellite TV broadcast carried news of the JFK assassination. The initial plan was to receive a prerecorded message from Kennedy. Instead, Japanese learned of his death. 'The fact that the tragedy was brought live into people's houses made for compelling viewing, no matter where you were,' said Gary Mack, curator of The Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, housed in the former Texas School Book Depository from which Oswald shot Kennedy. Army cadets during the commemorative wreath-laying ceremony for the former United States President John F Kennedy, on the 50th anniversary of his death at the JFK Memorial Park and Arboretum in New Ross, Co Wexford . 'TV networks realized it was so much easier to connect to people and also that they now had to be prepared to cover everything,' said Mack, whose museum is the main holder of documents and artifacts surrounding the assassination. Reporters were given far more access than is imaginable today, walking up to the body of the president at Parkland Hospital, where he was taken. They camped out with police, demanding Oswald be paraded before them. Much was caught on camera, surprising many viewers with the rawness of how news was put together. After Ruby shot Oswald, the first murder broadcast nationally on U.S. television, Dallas police mostly ended the 'perp walk' for cameras. American officials generally started to keep the media at a greater distance, with many other governments following suit. Cynicism also grew in the public, with many asking if the official version of Oswald acting alone were true. The Vietnam War, race riots in U.S. cities as well as the assassinations of JFK's brother and civil rights leader Martin Luther King further disillusioned many Americans in the 1960s. 'From that weekend, we began to question everything in the country,' said Schieffer, 'even things that we had taken for granted.'
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On November 22, 1963, the idea of broadcasting live from the scene, having an anchor for the coverage and letting the images do the talking, was born .
Major U.S. TV networks went live with wall-to-wall coverage, suspending commercials for four days .
The next time networks devoted as much time to commercial-free news broadcasts came on September 11, 2001 .
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9cf1b56a75fe499f242d10eb841119d4dbea845b
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:00 EST, 16 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:41 EST, 16 November 2013 . Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller has lost custody of a baby boy the mother claimed he tried to make her abort. A Manhattan court overturned an earlier family court decision on Friday, and ruled that the nine-month-old baby should not have been sent to live with the skier in California. Miller has been locked in a custody dispute with his former lover Sara McKenna, since their son was born in February. Overruled: Bode Miller with his son. A Manhattan court ruled that the baby should not have been sent to California to live with his father . McKenna, a former marine, had previously claimed that the skier had suggested she have an abortion. according to the New York Daily News. When she first told Miller of the pregnancy, he texted her: 'U are going to do this on your own.' Moving on: Sara McKenna moved to New York while pregnant . The 35-year-old . skier later pushed for joint custody, and a judge ruled that McKenna . must return to California for the case, forcing her to give up her . studies at Columbia University in New York. A family court referee at an earlier hearing had described McKenna as 'reprehensible' for moving to New York while pregnant. After a short fling with Miller, the former Marine had moved to New York to study at Columbia under the GI Bill. The 27-year-old has applied for temporary custody of the baby, which she named Samuel. She claimed that when the couple met through a dating website, Miller had said he wanted a large family with her. McKenna revealed the couple had sex only twice . - and that Miller failed to use protection as he assumed she was ready . to get pregnant, she said. 'You have to agree to have four of my babies,' Miller had texted McKenna, she told the New York Daily News. After . they met in California, they went their separate ways, and she said he . was reluctant to continue a relationship because he wanted a large . family, and she did not. But a few weeks later, they arranged to meet in Florida - and a second tryst led to her becoming pregnant with Samuel. Olympic skier Miller fathered the child with Sara McKenna after the couple met on a dating webisite . Loss: Bode Miller, with wife and volleyball star Morgan Beck. The couple had a miscarriage in January . 'He never offered to use a condom,' McKenna said. 'He assumed I was ready to get pregnant.' While pregnant, she moved to New York - and Miller, who has five Olympic medals, married volleyball player Morgan Beck. Beck and Miller married in October 2012 and announced they were expecting a child, but Beck had a miscarriage in January. Days after the devastating . news, Miller filed court documents to gain joint custody of his son with . McKenna. Video Source TeamUSA.org . Fling: McKenna, left and right, dated Bode Miller for 3 . months in 2012 when she lived in San Diego . Baby Bode: McKenna discovered she was pregnant after a short relationship with Miller . Miller sought to force a . judge to get McKenna to move back to California, so he could have . a relationship with the child. He also sought to have the boy's last name changed to Miller on his birth certificate. At a hearing earlier this year, the lawyer representing McKenna said it is too late for Miller to try to seek joint custody. 'If . you look at the texts [messages] from Bode Miller to my client, he . wanted nothing to do with the baby,' attorney Kenneth Eiges said. Her lawyer also defended his client's decision to live in New York saying it was 'her right'.
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Court overturns ruling saying child should live in California with Miller .
Sara McKenna dated Miller in San Diego for three months before becoming pregnant and moving to New York .
Mother claims gold medalist asked her to have an abortion .
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38d889de41729074b6d8f1a355f56a22b5191dee
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El Arish, Egypt (CNN) -- Clashes intensified Wednesday in Egypt's North Sinai as Egyptian forces launched aerial strikes on militants in response to a series of attacks by masked gunmen on military checkpoints. Egyptian army Apache helicopters fired rockets at armed militants, and there were numerous casualties, said Gen. Ahmed Bakr, head of North Sinai security. State-run Nile TV reported that aerial strikes killed at least 20 in the port town of El Arish. The assault came after masked gunmen launched six simultaneous attacks in North Sinai early Wednesday, wounding five security officers and a civilian. The targets included five security checkpoints and a military cement factory, he said. Egypt's military leadership, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, issued a statement Wednesday saying that the operation targeting "armed terrorist elements" in Sinai "has accomplished this task with complete success." Two security sources who did not want to be identified because they are not authorized to speak to the media told CNN that militants are concentrated in Jabal Al Halal in mid-Sinai. They are armed with rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft guns and other weapons, including landmines, the sources said. Security forces had failed in previous attempts to enter what is referred to as "Al Halal Mountain," the sources said. But air assaults, which began Tuesday night and were continuing Wednesday, killed many of the militants, they said. Still, land mines and the potential for ambushes made it difficult to enter the area using ground vehicles, they said. Khaled Fouda, the governor of Southern Sinai, declared a state of emergency in all state sectors in the province, including a reduction in the number of tourist buses in order to ensure vehicles servicing tourists will be guarded. A political shakeup occurred amid the violence. The state-run Middle East News Agency said the governor of Northern Sinai was sacked and a new general intelligence agency head chosen after his predecessor received an "early" retirement. The violence, which comes days after another attack in Sinai, is a foreign policy test for Egypt's new government and its president, Mohamed Morsy, a former longtime leader in the Muslim Brotherhood's political movement, over its relations with Israel. Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood and many other Egyptians abhor Israel and its peace treaty with Egypt. Israel, which borders Sinai, raised concerns about terrorism in the region after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year. Morsy's "response to this crisis will provide the first real evidence of his oft-stated commitment to foreign diplomats that he will respect Egypt's international agreements, that is, maintain the peace treaty with Israel," said Robert Satloff and Eric Trager, analysts with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a Washington-based think tank. Egypt's president condemns deadly attack in Sinai . They wrote that assessment a day after 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed and seven wounded when assailants with semi-automatic weapons and hand grenades stole two armored vehicles from Egyptian forces and tried to enter Israel. The attack, which took place Sunday near the Rafah border crossing, prompted Egypt to block hundreds of smuggling tunnels into the Palestinian territory of Gaza, Bakr said. The Egyptian government shut the Rafah border "indefinitely" after the attack. Israel blamed militants associated with the group Global Jihad for the Sunday attack. Egyptian military officials called the assailants "enemies" of the nation, while the Muslim Brotherhood said the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad was behind the killings. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Israel has handed over the charred remains of six assailants to Egypt, and the remains have been transferred to the Forensic Department in Cairo University for DNA tests in an attempt to identify the perpetrators, according to State TV. A source close to the Egyptian military operation in northern Sinai who did not want to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media told CNN of coordination between Egyptian and Israeli authorities to permit the use "of combat helicopters and hundreds of additional troops in the demilitarized zone on the Egyptian side." "According to the Camp David Accords, both sides must agree before allowing additional troops on either side of the borders. Israel agreed to allow Egypt to move hundreds of additional troops into the Sinai Peninsula for the second time since the January 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak," the source said. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned last month during her visit to Egypt that the desert border between Israel and Egypt could become an "operational base" for jihadists if security is not maintained. In an interview with CNN, Clinton said the problem was discussed during her meetings in Egypt and Israel. There is "the potential of jihadists and terrorists taking up an operational base in Sinai," Clinton said in the interview. "We think this is a dangerous situation for both Egypt and Israel. It is also dangerous for Americans. We have Americans who are part of the multinational force that observes the continuation of the monitoring (of the) Camp David Accord. We have Americans in the Sinai. We've had a few concerns about their safety." Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula in the 1967 Six-Day War and returned the land to Egypt after the countries signed a peace treaty at Camp David in 1979. Since Mubarak's ouster, "terrorists have worked continuously to manufacture tensions between Egypt and Israel, attacking the gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan 15 times and launching a deadly cross-border raid on Israel last August that catalyzed a near-crisis in bilateral relations," Satloff and Trager said. Satloff and Trager said Morsy "has sought to cover his bets" on the Sinai issue. "On the one hand, he issued a strong declaration condemning the attack, vowed to catch and punish the culprits, and traveled to El Arish with Field Marshal Muhammad Hussein Tantawi to assess the situation himself. On the other hand, he also permitted his Muslim Brotherhood colleagues to issue a venomous statement blaming Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, for the attack and warning Egyptians to beware of those trying to sabotage the revolution." But they said a "responsible leader, one who wants international support to bolster his flagging economy, cannot play childish games that pander to the worst instincts of Egyptian public opinion. Indeed, any serious effort to prevent terrorist infiltration in Sinai requires coordination with Israel, which -- even if kept in the shadows -- cannot proceed in an environment of public vilification." The paper said that, in light of the Sunday attack, Egypt should make improvements in its Sinai presence and realize that the United States sees Sinai "as an essential aspect of Egyptian-Israeli peace." A failure to improve security on the peninsula could trigger an overall reassessment of the U.S. military assistance package, with an eye to updating this 1980s-era relationship for the current environment. "Last year, under an annex to the treaty with Israel, Egypt was permitted to move an additional seven battalions into the Sinai. Yet these forces are reportedly underequipped and have avoided patrolling terrorist hotspots," the paper said, referring to the violence in El Arish and Rafah. "Moreover, according to reports, Egypt's security presence along the border with Israel is dangerously deficient -- so much so that Israeli patrols are occasionally obliged to provide food and other essentials to their Egyptian counterparts." CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
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Dealing with Sinai is a foreign policy test for Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy .
Strikes come after attack by gunmen wound five security officers and a civilian .
Apache helicopters from the Egyptian army fire rockets at armed militants; at least 20 killed .
The violence comes just days after another attack in Sinai that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers .
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83b1e011adcb0a50694e5f22b07ec6a99b41eff1
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The holodeck was a refuge for countless stressed crew members on the USS Enterprise, allowing them to escape the isolation of space. Now researchers in the US are hoping to bring Star Trek-style technology to future long-duration space missions in an effort help astronaut's keep their sanity. The 'Virtual Space Station' will act as a source of refuge for astronauts, as well as a computerised therapist that will check on their mental health through a series of programs. Escape plan: The system will use Oculus Rift, the virtual reality headset that Oculus VR is developing, with the addition sounds and smells that could help change an astronaut's mood . Dartmouth College's Digital Arts Leadership and Innovation lab, or Dali, is currently creating the technology for the system with funding from Nasa. The system will use Oculus Rift, the virtual reality headset that Oculus VR is developing, with the addition of sounds and smells that could help change an astronaut's mood. It will 'trick the brain and make people feel as if they are in a variety of beautiful and calm settings, such as with their family at home or strolling on the beach,' Darmouth Professor Lorie Loeb said. For instance, an astronaut's virtual reality program could include photos and video of their spouse and children, images of a beach, sounds of waves crashing, odours of saltwater and suntan lotion and a fan to simulate ocean breezes. The holodeck was a refuge for countless stressed crew members on the USS Enterprise, allowing them to escape the isolation of space. Now researchers in the US are hoping to bring this Star Trek-style technology to future long-duration space missions in an effort help astronaut's keep their sanity . Houston, we have a problem: The system is designed to take care of an astronaut's mental health and prevent arguments on board long duration missions to the outer solar system . 'We will use state-of-the-art virtual reality technology to help with the effects of isolation,' added Nook Harquail, the lead Dali designer and project manager on the project. Imagine a miniature robo-surgeon sliding into your body through an incision in your stomach. Once inside, the robot can expertly manoeuvre its way around the abdominal cavity, which has been filled with gas to make more room for work. It can then perform procedures such as an emergency appendectomy or perforate a gastric ulcer. This is the scenario being explored by Nasa in the hope that risky surgical operations in space will someday become a routine matter. Working in collaboration with Virtual Incision in Lincoln, Nebraska, the space agency has developed a prototype of a remotely-operated fist-sized robot doctor. The 0.9lb (0.4kg) has two arms fitted with tools to hold, cauterise and suture tissue, while its head is a small video camera.The camera feed is sent to a control station, where a human surgeon operates it using joysticks. 'While this work is in an early phase, the minimal invasiveness of this approach could enable its use in remote locations such as on a moon or Mars colony,' researchers wrote in a technical paper on the prototype. 'We're building all the new technology for this project and doing the interface and interaction design work from scratch. 'Dali lab is porting the existing content to a JavaScript game and creating both the content and framework for the virtual reality component. 'People have long thought that virtual reality can be therapeutic in addition to being used in gaming and entertainment.' To upgrade the existing content, the Virtual Space Station system has been delivered for testing at the Hi-Seas (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) Mission 3 which is starting today in Hawaii. A team of six members will spend eight months in simulated Mars habitat – double the length of the previous longest Hi-Seas mission. The Dartmouth team also plans to test the system in Antarctica, which is used as an analogue to long-duration spaceflights due to its isolation, length of stay and team composition. The current Virtual Space Station system includes a suite of multimedia programs, including self-guided training on conflict and stress management. The program also offers a six-session, self-administered depression treatment program guided by psychologist Mark Hegel, a professor at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine and a co-investigator on the project. Astronauts currently have audio and video access to psychologists only when communication links are available. On longer missions like those to Mars, transmission delays will make real-time therapy problematic. Computer-based treatment offers an autonomous way to address these important problems. The latest system allows astronauts to seek help confidentially on their laptops and monitors their mental health and conducts therapeutic sessions. The program is designed for astronauts, but it could also be adapted to treat people on Earth. For instance, it could be used in rural areas where clinical help is limited or non-existent. The program is designed for astronauts on missions to places such as Mars (artist's impression pictured), but it could also be adapted to treat people on Earth .
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The 'Virtual Space Station' will act as a source of refuge for astronauts .
It will use Oculus Rift virtual reality headset as well as sounds and smells .
It is being tested on the Hi-Seas simulation in Hawaii which begins today .
The latest system also allows astronauts to seek help confidentially on their laptops and monitors their mental health with a virtual therapist .
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Editor's note: This story is part of Eileen Ogintz's Taking the Kids series. Follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. (Tribune Media Services) -- No one cares that the water is cold. The kids splash at the lake's edge, play on the small sand beach as older, daring ones splash in the water and peddle kayaks, rowboats and paddleboats. Our pup eyes them all curiously. Lake Placid, New York -- home to two Olympics -- is that iconic old-fashioned vacation spot that works as well for 21st-century families -- and their pooches -- as it did a century ago for families and millionaires who came here to the Adirondacks with their family and friends. With 6 million acres, Adirondack State Park is the largest state park in the United States, larger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier and Grand Canyon national parks combined. It boasts more than 3,000 lakes and 2,000 miles of hiking trails and offers kayaking, canoeing, fishing and mountain biking. (The Whiteface Downhill Mountain Bike Park features 27 downhill and cross-country mountain bike trails that run between the ski trails, through streams and woods.) Lake Placid, a town where everyone seems to be an athlete, or at least an outdoors enthusiast, has only 3,000 residents, but that number swells close to 10,000 in summer. Main Street overlooks Mirror Lake and it's lined with ice cream and coffee shops, all variety of restaurants (sushi, Mexican, steaks, a brewery, even a creperie, some with outdoor patios) and stores selling New York state maple syrup, local chocolate, antique ski posters, local wines and cuddly stuffed moose. Families stroll up and down Main clutching kids' hands, pushing them in strollers, hanging on to dogs, picnicking in front of the lake at the outdoor band shell. (Simply Gourmet is the spot for first-rate sandwiches and cookies for your hikes and picnics.) "The kids love it because it's so safe we can let them go out on their own," said Louise McEachran, here with a group of young freestyle skiers from Ontario who practice their tricks by jumping into an icy pool at the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex. (You can test your mettle at the Olympic Sports Complex and ride a wheeled bobsled, or check out the view of the Adirondacks from the top of the 26-story Olympic ski jump. Come July 4 and watch the 50th annual ski jump competition. "Whatever the season there is something for the kids to do," adds Suzanne Boger, an attorney from Saratoga Springs, New York, who comes here often -- winter and summer -- with her two kids, husband and two dogs. We meet them hiking and splashing in Lake Placid along the Peninsula Trails that run for miles. Our puppy, Trooper, happily joined in. "Even when the weather is bad, there are things to do." (Bowling anyone?) There's even some Civil War history when you visit Abolitionist John Brown's farm and gravesite. But what sets this place apart -- besides the natural beauty and Olympic history, as if that weren't enough -- is how genuinely friendly people are. It couldn't be more kid friendly, Boger said. Pooch-friendly too. We learn that first-hand at the 166-room Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, which has an idyllic location on Mirror Lake (smaller than Lake Placid and ideal for young families). The Holderied family has run the Golden Arrow for more than 30 years, attracting families who return again and again. "We love the family-style management and the kids loved pretending to work behind the desk," said Lisa Tinker of New Jersey. Her family visits twice a year -- winter and summer. Besides having fun, the kids might learn a thing or two about vacationing greener. The resort is the first, and so far only, one in the United State to achieve 5 Green Leaf Rating from the Audubon Society for its green initiatives. There are small touches like the paper shopping bags in each room to encourage guests to recycle cans and bottles. There is an allergen-free floor, bamboo flooring, a blooming green roof and sand, even small-framed placards placed around the hotel pointing out the green features. (Kids are invited to take a "green quiz," getting a Mr. Green coloring book, with suggestions on what they could do at home to be more earth friendly (recycling one aluminum can conserves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.) "We want kids especially to realize they can help," says Jenn Holderied, the youngest of the three siblings now overseeing the hotel, which was first bought by their parents, who spearheaded the green initiatives. "The things you can do aren't difficult," she says. "Our goal is to get people thinking about it." That extends to the resort restaurant, Generations, where the family is set to harvest dinners, inviting farmers to showcase their wares. Eventually, Holdleried, the mom of two young children, hopes families will be able to visit the area farms and see first-hand where the food on their plates came from. Some families who come here might prefer a cabin or condo, though, and there are certainly plenty to choose from at every price point. If you're coming with grown kids and want a laid back but luxurious respite -- or want to feel like you were one of those millionaires from a century-ago, check out the 30-roomLake Placid Lodge, which was rebuilt after a fire to resemble a traditional Great House. The Lodge, however, doesn't welcome kids under 12 (unless you book the entire place), but will pamper your dog. The Mirror Lake Inn touts itself as summer camp-plus. It's located on a lake with swimming, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. But there's also a spa, three gourmet restaurants and, they promise, serenely comfy beds. The Summer Savings Package starts at $299 per couple per night and kids are free. Book two nights by June 21 to take advantage of this special rate and also receive a $50 resort credit. The Whiteface Lodge on the other hand has got everything a family could want. Though not on the lake, it maintains a private beach a half-mile away with the requisite canoes, kayaks and more. This is the kind of place that offers the convenience of deluxe condos in the woods with the amenities of a first-class resort. (Look for deals with substantial resort credits.) There's a big heated pool, fitness center and spa where even tweens can get massages or facials with mom. There's an old-fashioned two-lane bowling alley, tennis courts and a stocked pond (yes, they even supply reels and bait), an ice cream parlor and game room equipped with everything from fooseball to pool to Ping-Pong. Make s'mores every night in front of an outdoor fireplace, watch movies in the theater downstairs or just stargaze. Parents will appreciate that the Whiteface Lodge also offers complimentary organized activities for kids as young as three and this summer Whiteface has expanded its activities to outdoor programs for tweens and young teens. How about learning orienteering with the Adirondacks as your playground? "It may be touristy," laughed Suzanne Boger. But then she gestures across the spectacular lake, with Whiteface Mountain in the distance. "There are plenty of places to get away from the crowds." With the kids -- and your dog, of course. (For more on Eileen's visit to Lake Placid, read her trip diary at http://www.takingthekids.com/ and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.) © 2010 EILEEN OGINTZ DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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Lake Placid -- home to two Olympics -- is an iconic old-fashioned vacation spot .
With 6 million acres, Adirondack State Park is the largest state park in the United States .
Lake Placid has 3,000 residents, but that number gets close to 10,000 in summer .
Lake Placid has a variety of resorts to choose from, including some dog-friendly choices .
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(CNN) -- When Mississippi attorney Tim Holleman was approached by furious community officials in Gulfport to stop BP and its contractor from dumping tar balls and oil-stained byproducts into a local landfill, he sent out an e-mail asking if there were alternatives to deal with the waste. At least five companies replied, offering possible ways to reuse or recycle the oily waste -- an option that BP has yet to implement in its cleanup efforts of what scientists now say is the largest accidental release of oil into water in history. Instead, tar balls, oily sand and vegetation, and soiled gloves and suits from the thousands of temporary BP workers who've been working to clean up beaches along the Gulf of Mexico are being dumped in landfills along the Gulf Coast. BP has collected close to 40,000 tons of "oily solid" waste from the cleanup activities. All the dumping has sparked enough consternation among the community in Harrison County, Mississippi, where the Pecan Grove Landfill is based, that the board of supervisors there even passed a resolution this summer not to accept BP waste. Residents there worried that the estimated 1,200 tons of oil-tainted byproducts dumped at the landfill would contaminate its soil and water. "We're left to deal with it 15, 20 years later if and when this landfill has a problem. BP is long gone, and we're stuck with the problem. Nobody is going to say I'm sorry," Holleman said. But if the solid waste is not dumped, where can it go? Waste Oil Collectors Inc. of Gautier, Mississippi, was among those who wrote back to Holleman, describing a process in which the oil waste can be shredded into uniform bits and then heated to 2,500 degrees in a kiln. That recovers energy from the waste and breaks it down into mineral components, some of which can be used in asphalt. Another local engineering firm proposed the use of a sand agitator, which "cooks" and separates sand from the tar balls collected on beaches. The two products are then further processed, turning the emulsion into a recycled sand product that can be returned to the beach, while the oil product can be accumulated, sold and reused. Bobby Knesal, owner of the firm, is partnering with several other companies and hopes to bring the agitator to the Gulf Coast. "This is a technology that's not new to the oil industry," he said. "It's what they do every day, but they've never done it on a volume of a sand beach." Knesal said he is waiting for state environmental officials to tell him to what extent he must treat the processed sand before it can be returned to the beaches. Others say their products have been tried and tested and are good to go. Russell Markesberry, president of Hydra-tone Chemicals, also got in touch with Holleman and proposed the use of a coconut oil-based detergent that can be sprayed to clean booms or oil washed ashore on beaches and marshes. The organic compounds in the detergent bond with the oil and form a biodiesel fuel that can be resold, he said. The rest of the detergent combines with seawater and can be drained into an industrial waste treatment plant, where it biodegrades in a month. Booms can then be redeployed. Holleman said he has forwarded the proposals to representatives from BP and from Waste Management, the Mississippi company that owns and operates the landfill, but they fell on deaf ears. "I didn't get a response from them, that's part of the problem," he said. The bigger problem, Holleman said, is how BP has been dealing with the oil waste from the very start. Dumping the waste in landfills is the "least preferred" option under a series of disposal methods outlined under the 34-page waste management plan from Unified Command, the federal agencies overseeing the cleanup efforts. The "most preferred" option is to reduce the generation of waste in the first place, something BP and Waste Management said they have tried to do. Following that comes "reuse," "recycling" and "treatment." Last on the list is "dispose." "It is a priority ... to implement recycling and reuse for the generated waste," the plan states. "As far as we've been able to determine, they jumped right to the least preferred method of disposal rather than looking at alternatives that don't leave it in the landfill, that don't need to be dealt with in the next 20 years," Holleman said. Dumping is the easiest and cheapest way of dealing with the waste washed ashore. Holleman said that based on estimates he received, dumping the junk in landfills costs about $35 to $40 per ton, while recycling can cost twice as much. Knesal's soil agitation and recycling technology has a $60 per ton price tag. After several rounds of talks with Holleman and county officials, BP and Waste Management agreed last week to stop putting oil waste into the Pecan Grove landfill. Oil that has already been dumped into the landfill will remain there, and the oil in the staging areas will remain in large trash bins for now. BP said it agreed to stop dumping "not because the material is hazardous but because of community sensitivity to the issue," spokeswoman Perry Hatcher told CNN. The oil giant says it is looking at ways to recycle and reuse the oil and equipment from the cleanup. Oil recovered from water has been used "as it would be originally used," and the "process wasn't so much recycling as recapturing product," Hatcher said. She said various recycling options are "being explored for any other waste that would not be used directly as it would have been originally." Mike McAnulty, BP's waste management coordinator, said the company is evaluating an option to process tar balls so they can be used to make asphalt. He also said BP is finalizing plans to use a centrifuge technology to spin out oil and water from absorbent booms so the remaining material can be used to make plastics. "It's only lately that we had the quantity of that type of waste to execute the test on a larger scale. So we're really ahead of the curve on that one," he said. Then there are regulatory hurdles the company needs to clear. "We have heard concerns that there could be adverse effects on the asphalt due to possible dispersant and residual volatiles still in the tar balls," said Amy Graham, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. There is concern too that sand transported with the oil is too "round" for constructing roads. Professor Ralph Portier, a bioremediation expert at Louisiana State University, said the cleanup efforts could benefit from better planning. Instead, responses from the government and BP seem "reactive" instead of "proactive." "Because they're reacting to one of the largest spills ... and they had sheer volume and they had to do something with it. They couldn't just let it sit in containers along U.S. Highway 90," he said of BP burying the oil waste. It could have been worse if the oily waste was left unattended, Portier said. "It's not sitting in a coastal area that when we have a tropical storm come ashore ... all the material is being blown all over Biloxi, Mississippi, for example. So those are pragmatic things, it's more reactive than it should be, but at least it is pragmatic." U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Scott Carr said the priority of the incident response has been stopping the oil flow and cleaning up the beaches. "From the incident standpoint, [recycling the waste] was not the top of the list three weeks ago," he said. BP insists that it had been looking at various "green" options "since very early in the incident." "It's really the complexity of identifying first which options are reliable and then looking at the regulatory framework and where you can likely employ those," McAnulty said. "And then actually running a pilot test and then having a test of sufficient duration to demonstrate that the technology works." He declined to say when recycling options will be implemented. For now, Harrison County officials are claiming victory over their efforts to stop BP from filling up the Pecan Grove site.
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BP and landfill operator agree to keep waste in staging area .
Several methods to reuse and recycle the waste were proposed .
Recycling the waste can cost up to twice as much as disposing of it .
BP says it is still evaluating and testing recycling options .
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An exclusive hotel has banned alcohol and pork after being taken over by a Middle Eastern businessman who wants to run it ‘in accordance with Sharia law’. The strict Islamic policy was imposed without warning this week at London’s Bermondsey Square Hotel – where the bar and grill was previously run by Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace. Staff said the new rules were swiftly implemented on Tuesday on the orders of the new Muslim owner, forcing waiters to tell disgruntled guests that much of the menu was no longer available. Scroll down for video . London’s Bermondsey Square Hotel (pictured) has banned alcohol and pork after being taken over by a Middle Eastern businessman who wants to run it ‘in accordance with Sharia law’ Diners were denied dishes that used only traces of alcohol – such as beer-battered fish, a pudding with ‘drunken cherries’ and rum ice cream. Drinkers were offered only non-alcoholic beer and elderflower cordial. Forced to improvise, chefs are now trying to source chicken and beef sausages instead of pork varieties for breakfast and have replaced the popular hog roast with rabbit terrine. The £220-a-night hotel is believed to be one of the first in the country to introduce the strict Muslim policy but staff say the changes have caused business to plummet, with many reservations cancelled. Several fear for their jobs unless the hotel – previously voted the UK’s trendiest place to stay and where Gordon Ramsay once filmed a show – is marketed for a different clientele. An IT consultant, who has been a regular at the hotel, said: ‘A group of us were meant to be meeting in the bar and they said: “We can’t serve alcohol any more.” 'When I contacted the manager to ask why, he told me that the new owner wanted it to be a Sharia law hotel. Under Sharia law, you can’t make a profit from alcohol.’ The guest said he would no longer book the hotel in future, adding: ‘They’ve got to be careful. It’s been quiet and this is almost the death knell.’ The strict Islamic policy was imposed without warning this week at London’s Bermondsey Square Hotel – where the bar and grill was previously run by Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace (pictured) On community website london-se1, a poster called Drgreenmark2 said customers were ‘kicking off’, adding: ‘Who on earth believes a “dry” hotel and restaurant is going to work in central London, never mind Bermondsey square? This is not Saudi Arabia!’ Gavin Smith posted: ‘I’m a teetotaller but think the no alcohol and no pork policy is too prescriptive. What next? Are guests in the linked hotel going to be asked to provide marriage certificates if they want a double room? Are same-sex couples going to be refused entry?’ The change was so swift that the hotel’s website and menus have not yet been updated and the venue still bills itself as the place to stay for ‘party people, foodies and fashionistas’. Menus for the GB Bar and Grill still offer full English breakfast with sweetcure streaky bacon and Cumberland sausage, and roast pork belly with black pudding. The restaurant boasts of ‘signature British dishes’ but even the children’s option of sausage and chips will now have to be changed to meet the new policy. The hotel website also continues to boast of champagne receptions, its ‘inviting cocktail bar’ and is illustrated with pictures of guests drinking beer. Customers calling to make reservations are warned they will not be allowed to order beer, wine or spirits because the hotel is under ‘new management’. However, they can buy alcohol from outside and drink it in their rooms. Several staff at the hotel did not know the new owner’s identity and had been told only that he was from the Middle East. Some were puzzled by the new policy at such short notice as the hotel does not have a significant Muslim clientele and the food is not halal. Nearby restaurants said they saw a surge in business when customers walked out of the hotel’s grill on Tuesday. The Village East Brasserie said it had 12 extra diners who specifically asked: ‘Do you serve alcohol because the hotel we are staying in doesn’t?’ Masterchef judge Wallace, who ran the hotel bar and grill until last year, said last night: ‘It doesn’t bother me what the owner wants to do. ‘It’s his religious point of view not to serve alcohol and pork and I respect that. I stay at the hotel and if I want to drink I go elsewhere.’ The hotel was also the setting for Channel 4’s Hotel GB in 2012 when Gordon Ramsay, Mary Portas and Gok Wan competed to run the venue for charity. It was voted the trendiest in the UK by TripAdvisor in 2010 and rock stars are among those who have sampled its 80 designer bedrooms, which include loft rooms overlooking London’s skyline. Robert Holland of Bespoke Hotels, which has operated the hotel since it opened in 2009, said decisions were made to change ‘some elements of the business’ ‘These are in the best interests of the future of the hotel,’ he said. ‘We always have, and continue to, welcome guests of all shapes, sizes and denomination.’ Bespoke Hotels also operates the La Suite West hotel in Bayswater, West London, which does not serve alcohol and has a vegan restaurant.
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Strict Islamic policy is imposed at London's Bermondsey Square Hotel .
Bar and grill at hotel previously run by Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace .
New Middle Eastern owner wants to run it 'in accordance with Sharia law'
Drinkers were offered only non-alcoholic beer and elderflower cordial .
Diners denied dishes that used traces of alcohol such as beer-battered fish .
Nearby restaurants said they saw a surge in business when customers walked out of the hotel’s grill on Tuesday .
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By . Jessica Jerreat . PUBLISHED: . 12:40 EST, 11 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:16 EST, 11 October 2013 . A 62-year-old zookeeper died this morning after an Asian elephant called Patience charged at him in her enclosure as he fed her. John Phillip Bradford, elephant manager at Missouri's Dickerson Park Zoo, had been with two other keepers in the animal's barn at about 8.45am when the incident happened. It is not yet known what caused the 6,000lb elephant to attack her keeper, who had worked at the zoo for 30 years. Tragic: Senior zookeeper John Bradford was killed by a charging elephant . However, the elephant had a history of aggression, which is why Mr Bradford was accompanied by other keepers while in her enclosure, according to ABC News. 'The elephant charged at him,' city spokesman Cora Scott said, adding that police were interviewing his co-workers to try to find out what happened. Mr Bradford, who had worked with the animals for 25 years, died of his injuries before medical assistance arrived. He had no immediate family but his brother, who lives in a different state, has been notified, according to KOLR10. Assistant zoo director Mike Crocker said in a statement: 'This is very sad day for the zoo family, as well as our community as a whole.' The zoo has not said what will happen to Patience, who has lived at the popular attraction since 1990. Last week the zoo had to euthanize Connie, another of its elephants thought be be 50 years old, because she had lost nearly 1,000lb through kidney disease, according to NBC News. Risks: John Bradford, pictured in 2010, talked of the dangers of working with large animals . Attack: Patience was being fed when she charged at John Bradford in her barn . Mr Bradford had previously spoken of . the dangers involved in working with elephants, saying in 2010: 'There's . an inherent risk in working at a zoo.' He . added: 'If the situation calls for it and an animal is in need with . direct contact with keepers, we assess the situation and determine if . it's an acceptable risk or not.' The . veteran zookeeper had explained that a safety barrier helped protect staff . from coming too close to the animals, but added that there will still . times when they needed to get close. He added that when keepers first noticed aggression among their elephants when a calf died. One of Mr Bradford's colleagues had also said in a radio interview last year that working with elephants could be tricky. Keeper Lee Hart said: 'They're always trying to see how much . they can be mischievous and, due to the large size, it makes them . extremely dangerous.' Devoted: John Bradford had worked with the elephants at the Missouri zoo for 25 years . Open: Dickerson Park Zoo was still taking visitors on Friday, hours after their zookeeper died . He added: 'If you put yourself in a bad spot in the barn or in the yard you just potentially, you know, put yourself in harm's way.' Police are investigating the details of the incident and have been interviewing staff. The zoo was open on Friday, although the elephant enclosure was off limits.
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John Bradford had worked at Missouri zoo for 25 years .
Elephant had history of aggression, city spokesman says .
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Kano, Nigeria (CNN) -- Tuesday's explosion at a soccer viewing center in northeastern Nigeria claimed the lives of several men and young boys watching the Brazil-Mexico World Cup match. There are conflicting reports of the number of people affected by the blast. An updated number is expected later on. A hospital source said Wednesday that 21 people were killed in the explosion and another 27 were injured. The source from Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital in Damaturu spoke on the condition of anonymity, because he was not authorized to speak to the media. "All the victims are young men and boys. They sustained burns, ruptured tissues, shattered bones," he said. A police official placed the death toll lower Wednesday, saying 10 people had died. The hospital spokesman said its count was based on the number of bodies delivered to the facility's morgue. The incident occurred on the outskirts of Damaturu, in Yobe state, the sources said. The explosives had been concealed in an abandoned motorized rickshaw outside the center. "Our men have deployed to the scene, but it's too early for us to give details, said Yobe state police Commissioner Sanusi Ruf'ai. Volatile northeastern Nigeria is the home of the Boko Haram group, the militant Islamists who abducted scores of schoolgirls in April. A Yobe police official in Damaturu told CNN the extremist group had distributed leaflets to the viewing centers in three different languages warning them not to open during the World Cup. Maina Ularamu, a local official in Madagali, in Adamawa state, also confirmed to CNN that people in the town -- which has been the target of previous Boko Haram attacks -- had been warned against watching the soccer matches. "Letters have been distributed to viewing centers in Adamawa state warning people not to gather to watch the World Cup games," she said. "We suspect these letters to be from Boko Haram. People are very afraid and are not leaving their homes." According to a police official, "This is Boko Haram's area of operations." To try to combat the growing threat from the militants, the Nigerian government placed Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states under a state of emergency last year. CNN's Nima Elbagir and Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report.
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NEW: Up to 21 reported killed in Yobe state; blast blamed on explosives on rickshaw .
NEW: Militants warned viewing centers not to open during the World Cup, police official says .
NEW: "This is Boko Haram's area of operations," official says .
People were watching the Brazil-Mexico World Cup match at the time .
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By . Aap . A Sydney kindergarten teacher who was returning from her German homeland on the doomed Malaysia Airlines plane has been described as 'the most selfless person'. Gabriele Lauschet has been identified as NSW's sixth victim on flight MH17, which crashed in Ukraine. The 47-year-old was flying back to Sydney for the new school term at the German International School in Terrey Hills. Ms Lauschet had taught at the school for 15 years. Scroll down for video . German-born, Sydney-based kindergarten teacher Gabriele Lauschet (right) has been identified as NSW's sixth victim on flight MH17 . In March Ms Lauschet had become engaged to another staff member at the school, Andreas Schaaf, after she proposed to him. The couple lived together with her adult son Tim, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Friends and colleagues were shocked to hear of her death. 'There are no words to describe your loss dear Gaby, you sure brighten many lives on your path and will do for years to come. You leave us love and respect for life. Will miss you immensely,' Joel, from Sydney, wrote on Facebook. In March Ms Lauschet had become engaged to another staff member at the German International School, Andreas Schaaf, after she proposed to him . 59908 . 143802 . 60651 . 71425 . 29443 . 'Shocking, can't believe she will not be in school on Monday. Will miss her greatly,' wrote Gudrun Daniels. Antje Eildermann wrote: 'I so agree with all of you. She touched and brightened my/our life, the most selfless person I ever got to know.' The new school term starts on Wednesday. The teachers' planning day has been cancelled and staff have been offered support and counselling.
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Gabriele Lauschet, 47, was returning from her German homeland .
Ms Lauschet has been identified as NSW's sixth victim on flight MH17 .
She was flying back to Sydney for the new school term at the German International School in Terrey Hills .
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Editor's Note: Jack R. Nerad is Executive Editorial Director for Kelley Blue Book and kbb.com, and co-host of "America on the Road," heard on more than 300 radio stations. In the 1980s he served as Editor of Motor Trend magazine. Nerad is the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hybrid and Alternative Fuel Vehicles," published recently by Alpha Books. Jack Nerad says bankruptcy would drive car buyers away from GM and imperil suppliers. (CNN) -- The events of the past week have been unprecedented in the auto industry and in the annals of American business. As the events have unfolded, there is the strong implication from the administration's automotive task force that Chapter 11 bankruptcy, followed by restructuring and "cleansing" of General Motors' balance sheet, is a potential scenario in the ongoing efforts to keep the giant automaker alive. GM's new chief executive, Fritz Henderson, acknowledged as much on CNN Sunday. "You can't rule options off the table. So you basically say we will spend time to try to get it [done] outside of bankruptcy. But if we can't, we're not going to compromise our goals. We're going to get it done inside our bankruptcy. Our preferred approach is still to do it outside, but you can't rule out going in." Over the past few weeks pundits of all stripes have appeared on financial news networks suggesting that entering Chapter 11 is GM's only way to future viability. "Get on with it," they say, and save us the agony. It is the only way, they argue, General Motors can get relief from its immediate cash-flow issues, tear up or substantially modify its union contracts, dump unnecessary brands, close plants and "right-size" its operations. But those pundits who propose Chapter 11 fail to acknowledge that General Motors is a consumer-facing company whose success or failure is in the hands of millions of average Americans. This group will decide to buy or not buy General Motors vehicles based on what they know, hear and even feel about GM's future. As talk of imminent bankruptcy swirls in the press, the news they hear about General Motors certainly is not reassuring, as they consider which brand to buy. How does that manifest itself in the car-buying public? We at Kelley Blue Book asked 500 potential new-vehicle buyers a string of related questions that yield answers to that multi-billion dollar question. Their response is telling. Asked "How likely would you be to buy a car from General Motors if they were to go bankrupt," 42.1 percent of new-vehicle buyers said they were either "not at all likely" or "not very likely" to do so. Even with a warranty guarantee from the federal government, consumers are not very enthusiastic about considering a GM purchase. Such a guarantee only moves the needle about three percentage points with 39.8 percent saying they were either "not at all likely" or "not very likely" to purchase a GM vehicle in such a situation. Asked, "How likely would you be to buy a car from General Motors if they were allowed to keep operating but had to renegotiate their contracts and agreements with suppliers and laborers?" the responses changed. Given that scenario, only 31.6 percent of new-vehicle buyers said they were either "not at all likely" or "not very likely" to purchase a GM vehicle, and they were out-numbered by the 41.5 percent who said they were either "very likely" or "extremely likely" to do so. While one must keep in mind that consumers don't always do what they say they are going to do, the import of this is clear: Bankruptcy puts a damper on consumer confidence and vehicle demand. There are other reasons to question the wisdom of a Chapter 11 filing as well. Beyond its potentially chilling effect on consumer demand, there is a domino effect on the supplier community. Many GM vendors have operated for years on ever-declining, razor-thin margins and are heavily dependent on GM for cash-flow. If that cash-flow ceases for even a relatively short period of time it could well send many of those suppliers into bankruptcy and force others simply to close their doors. The likely bankruptcies of supplier companies would have a ripple effect through the entire American vehicle manufacturing industry, causing hardships for the healthier companies as well. Further, while a "quick-cleanse" bankruptcy is contemplated, it is very difficult to imagine that the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of one of the largest industrial companies in the world would not take a year or more to unravel, rather than weeks or months. And if GM languishes in bankruptcy it is hard to imagine consumers flocking to buy its new vehicles. Nor is it likely the government would subsidize those operations through the potentially lengthy proceedings. The implications of the pronouncements made by President Obama and the auto industry task force indicate clearly that they believe a figurative hammer is needed to move the stakeholders -- the United Auto Workers union, pensioners, bondholders and creditors -- to accept settlements that are, at best, unpalatable to them. The threat of bankruptcy is that hammer. But the question should be asked: Is the hammer the task force is holding over the head of the GM stakeholders in an effort to get concessions, the same hammer that will drive away consumers and require the federal government to make larger and larger cash infusions or see GM founder? So while some toss out the idea of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy as being a magic elixir for GM, which has found itself trapped in an unprecedented credit crunch and a sharp recession, we have to believe that bankruptcy is a bankrupt idea. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jack R. Nerad.
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Jack Nerad: Some argue that a quick bankruptcy is best course for GM .
He says bankruptcy will reduce sale of GM cars, even with government warranty .
Nerad says GM suppliers could be driven into bankruptcy by such a move .
He says bankruptcy is being used as a hammer for GM to get concessions .
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Six people died after a train slammed into a vehicle early Saturday evening in southern Italy, the nation's official news agency reported, citing investigative and other sources. Photos taken in Rossano showed the Fiat Multipla impaled against the front of the train -- mangled and largely unrecognizable -- as firefighters walked along the track. A rescuer described the scene as "appalling," according to the official ANSA news agency. The crash occurred around 5:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. ET) near Rossano, which is about 300 kilometers (185 miles) southeast of Naples and 280 kilometers northeast of Reggio Calabria. The Fiat was struck and dragged 600 meters before it and the train finally came to a stop, ANSA reported. All those killed had been inside the vehicle, with ANSA citing reports that at least some of them were Romanian migrant workers who had been picking clementine oranges in the region. The area near the crash scene has been cordoned off, as the investigation continues to determine what happened.
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The train hit a Fiat Multipla near Rossano, the official ANSA news agency reports .
Six people -- believed to be migrant workers -- in the Fiat were killed, the report adds .
The train dragged the vehicle about 600 meters before coming to a stop .
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(CNN) -- "127 Hours" isn't just the name of James Franco's Oscar-nominated film, it also could describe the length of time he waits before delving into a new career. Musical producer; college lecturer, bar owner; Walmart greeter -- which of these titles won't Franco be adding to his résumé in the coming months? If you guessed Walmart greeter, you're right -- for now. "I'm doing it because I love it," the star has said of juggling so many jobs. "Why not do as many things I love as I can? As long as the work is good." Considering all the occupations he holds, it's tempting to blame Franco for the country's unemployment problem. He's absolutely everywhere these days, and just about the only place you won't see the 32-year-old Oscar nominee/host's squinty, smirking face is on a milk carton. Yet, as true Franco-philes know, it wasn't always this way. After gaining attention in the 1999-2000 TV series "Freaks & Geeks," Franco embarked on a career as a "serious actor." He shunned the limelight, nabbed a Golden Globe for the "James Dean" TV movie, appeared with Robert DeNiro in "City by the Sea" and headlined a string of little-seen dramas, including "Tristan & Isolde" and "Annapolis." "It was death," he has said of his career path at the time. "I didn't want to act anymore. It was death doing the things I was supposed to be doing. I couldn't make those movies anymore. ... I had the conversation with my manager like, 'If this is what it's gonna be, I can't do this anymore.' So, it wasn't like the answer was, 'Hey! Go do a bunch of crazy stuff!' I had to figure out how to change what I was doing. I had to figure out that I had to believe in my own taste. Not believe in what you should do. Believe in what I liked and it's OK." Apparently, those likes included books, bongs and bedpans: Franco went back to college, made the 2008 stoner comedy, "Pineapple Express," and took a role on "General Hospital" as serial killer Franco. The soap-opera gig was an unheard move for a successful film actor -- seriously, can you picture Christian Bale doing "All My Children"? -- but by 2010, you'd be hard-pressed to define Franco as a film actor anyway: He was modeling in a wet T-shirt for a Gucci fragrance ad, had made a documentary about "Saturday Night Live," published the short-story collection "Palo Alto" and unveiled the sex-and-violence-themed performance-art piece "The Dangerous Book Four Boys" at a New York gallery. Then, shortly after unleashing those whoppers, Franco pulled out the really big guns and fired off a new string of head scratchers. He premiered a "Three's Company" art installation at Sundance -- while wearing a Suzanne Somers wig, no less -- and is now turning the old sitcom into an off-Broadway play and a movie. He's hosting the Oscars and also hosting the after-party! At his new bar! Where he'll sing! He's returning to "General Hospital," writing and directing three screenplays, and he'll appear on Broadway in "Sweet Bird of Youth." And wait ... he's producing a musical at Yale and will be both the subject and instructor of a Columbia College Hollywood course on film editing. You heard correctly: He. Is. A. College. Course. While Franco has been criticized -- and even skewered on "Saturday Night Live" -- for his mindboggling multitasking, that may be exactly what he wants. After all, an artist's job is to inspire debate and discussion, and Franco -- much like Lady Gaga, minus the telephone hats, platform boots and meat dresses (for now) -- certainly keeps the public talking as well as guessing with his every move. "Some people say, 'Yeah, that guy will do anything. What's he going to do next?' But it doesn't mean that I don't believe in the projects that I'm doing," he has said. "You can do the crazy projects. Just be smart about it." Well said, Franco. Now could you tell me which aisle home goods are on?
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James Franco is adding musical producer, college lecturer and bar owner to résumé .
Actor first became known for his role in "Freaks & Geeks" TV series more than a decade ago .
Franco is nominated for an Academy Award for best actor in "127 Hours"
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After a chaotic match on Sunday, Chelsea and Manchester United meet again just three days later in Wednesday's Capital One Cup clash at Stamford Bridge. The referee is Lee Mason. Mark Clattenburg has referred to an 'extraordinary incident' in his match report from Sunday's explosive game at Stamford Bridge. The FA are set to review video evidence after launching an investigation into claims referee Clattenburg racially abused Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel during Blues' 3-2 defeat by Manchester United. The specific incident referred to by Clattenburg remains unclear but referees submit them on matters that may require FA intervention. The police could also yet become . involved after the lawyer behind the mooted black players' breakaway . union, Peter Herbert, made a written complaint to the Metropolitan . Police Service (MPS). Chelsea made a complaint to the Premier League after Mikel stormed into the referee’s room to demand an apology after claiming Clattenburg made a racist slur when he booked the midfielder in the 76th minute. One of Chelsea’s Spanish stars is also involved after players claim they heard Clattenburg refer to him as ‘a Spanish t**t’. Spaniards Fernando Torres, Juan Mata and Cesar Azpilicueta all played against United. It has also emerged that Clattenburg has been stood down from this weekend's Premier League action. Scroll down for video . In the spotilight: Mark Clattenburg, leaves his home near Newcastle on Monday . Grabbing a lift: Clattenburg jumped into a car with fellow ref Michael Oliver . The FA and Premier League could ask Sky TV for footage from the 20 camera angles used for the big live matches to help confirm whether Mark Clattenburg made an inappropriate or racially aggravated comment. Premier League refs wear microphones, which means evidence from Michael McDonough and Simon Long — who both ran the line — and fourth official Michael Jones may prove crucial. A statement from the Professional Game Match Officials read: 'We believe that, with any football match, the focus should not be on the officials but on the players and the game itself. 'Mark Clattenburg is one of the elite referees in world football and, in these circumstances, the intense level of scrutiny would detract from the match and be unfair to the clubs and the supporters of both sides.' The FA will now request all footage from Sky Sports from the game. While not all are recorded, they should help confirm whether Clattenburg made an inappropriate or racially aggravated comment. An FA statement read: 'The FA has begun an investigation relating to allegations made following Sunday's fixture at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Manchester United. The FA will make no further comment at this time.' Premier League referees also wear . microphones, which suggests evidence by Michael McDonough and Simon Long . — who ran the line — or fourth official Michael Jones could be crucial. However, these discussions are not recorded — meaning it could come down to one man's word against another, like in the John Terry and Anton Ferdinand race row. Accused: Clattenburg is alleged to have racially abused John Obi Mikel (right) during Chelsea's defeat . Dispute: Mikel complains to Clattenburg as his side slump to defeat at Stamford Bridge . Herbert, in making his complaint to the MPS, wrote: 'The Society of Black Lawyers wishes to record the incident that took place at Chelsea FC as a racial incident according to ACPO [Association of Chief Police Officers] guidelines. 'Although this matter may be investigated by the FA it is appropriate that the MPS independently see if a racially-aggravated offence has occurred.' It is understood the police had received the letter on Monday night but it was by no means certain an investigation would follow. Chelsea, United and anti-racism group Kick It Out all refused to comment on the unfolding story on Monday morning. However, . the Blues did confirm they had decided against holding a press . conference on Tuesday to preview Wednesday night's Capital One Cup clash . with United. Lee Mason is the referee for that meeting. Chelsea made the official complaint at 7.45pm on Sunday night, but Clattenburg had already been confronted by then. Chief executive Ron Gourlay, with Mikel and manager Roberto Di Matteo, . demanded an apology during stormy scenes in the referee’s room. Clattenburg refused and Chelsea decided . to take the incredible action of launching an immediate complaint to the . Premier League, via match delegate Nick Cusack, over his language. According to sources close to the players, they are willing to make statements to the FA’s disciplinary committee this week. Marching orders: Referee Mark Clattenburg showed two red cards to Chelsea players on Sunday . Marching orders: Branislav Ivanovic was sent off (above) while Clattenburg struggled to contain both sides . A club spokesman said: ‘We have . lodged a complaint to the Premier League match delegate with regards to . inappropriate language used by the referee and directed at two of our . players in two separate incidents in today’s match. The match delegate . will pass the complaint to the FA.’ Clattenburg . was pictured leaving his home near Newcastle on Monday morning before . getting into a car with fellow official Michael Oliver. The incidents occurred on the day Chelsea threw support behind the Kick Racism Out of Football campaign. Players from Chelsea and United — with the exception of United’s Ashley Young — wore One Game One Community T-shirts in the warm-up. John Terry, serving a four-match ban for . racially insulting Anton Ferdinand last October, wore a Kick It Out . badge as he watched from the sidelines. Rio Ferdinand, fined £45,000 for his ‘choc ice’ tweet, also ended his feud with Ashley Cole when they shook hands before the game. But all that was forgotten amid dramatic scenes nearly two hours after the final whistle. Tough time: Clattenburg was given a hostile reception by the Chelsea fans as he left the field . Home players heard the alleged . comment to Mikel and will back up his story. Clattenburg said he would . co-operate with any inquiry. Professional . Game Match Officials, the body which represents Premier League . referees, released a statement which read: ‘PGMO is aware of the . allegations and they are being treated with the utmost seriousness. Mark . will co-operate fully and welcomes the opportunity for the facts to be . established.’ Prospect, the referees' union, said . in a statement: 'Prospect is committed to helping to eradicate racism in . football and in society generally. In the context of that commitment, . Prospect is offering full support to Mark Clattenburg in relation to the . allegations made against him. 'It . is now important that the allegations are fully investigated through . the proper process as quickly as possible. We will be making no further . comment at this stage.' Winner: Javier Hernandez scores Manchester United's third goal . Meanwhile Gordon Taylor has urged the Football Association to deal with Chelsea's accusations against as quickly and fairly as possible. Taylor, head of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), is wary of the fact that the most recent row concerning racism in football - that involving Blues captain Terry - dragged on for almost a year before he was banned by the FA, and he does not want this case to go on for such a long period of time. 'We've got to learn the lessons of the last 12 months,' Taylor said. 'This is extremely serious for the referee involved so that's why it's important that it is dealt with in the most thorough manner and as quickly, efficiently, and transparently as possible.' Taylor thinks conversations between officials should be recorded to help any cases that come up in the future. 'The PFA have never been against that (recording what is said),' he said. 'That could be an aid for clarity over what exactly has happened in those situations.' VIDEO: Did referee abuse black Chelsea player? See the John Obi Mikel incident here...
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FA ask Sky Sports for video evidence from the incidents .
Clattenburg accused of aiming racist slur at John Obi Mikel .
Referee also claimed to have directed insult at another Blues star .
Official is stood down from this weekend's Premier League rota .
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By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 07:10 EST, 22 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:42 EST, 22 January 2014 . This video shows the dramatic moment an Audi driver drove on the wrong side of the road so they could get over a level crossing before the barriers came down. Seeing the red flashing lights, the motorist sped up along the road with a pedestrian dodging out of the way to avoid being hit. As the first barriers come down, the driver weaves across the road and onto the tracks before swerving back onto their side of the road and driving off. Scroll down for video . Reckless: An Audi driver, seen approaching this level crossing, risked lives by speeding across the train track as the barriers come down . Danger: The unnamed driver ignores the flashing red lights, which indicate the barriers will come down to allow the train to pass . Risky: The lights were flashing for more than 15 seconds, but the daredevil speeds up to risk their life by swerving in a high-speed manouevre . The moment was captured on CCTV at the Mount Pleasant level crossing in the Northam part Southampton, Hampshire. The footage has been released by Network Rail as the organisation continues with a nationwide programme of closing level crossings. Sharon Vye-Parminter safety director for the Network Rail and South West Trains Alliance, runs the railway in Hampshire. She said: 'We are committed to improving safety on what is already a very safe railway and we are always looking at ways to make level crossings safer. 'However, as this footage shows, there are still people out there who are prepared to put lives in danger. Foolish: A queue of motorists are seen to sit in shock as they witness the motorist rush past them at a high speed in Southampton, Hampshire . Video nasty: The moment was captured on CCTV at the Mount Pleasant level crossing in the Northam part of the city . 'Closing level crossings is one way that we can reduce to the risk to the railway, but we also need the help of the public.' Nine level crossings in Hampshire and Surrey have been closed since 2010 while audible alarms, which announce when a train is approaching, have been fitted at eight crossings. The work is part of Network Rail’s nationwide crossings improvement programme, which will see 10 per cent of the country’s crossings closed by April. Warning: The footage has been released by Network Rail as the organisation continues with a nationwide programme of closing level crossings . The organisation says closing the crossings will reduce the overall risk level posted by crossings by 25 per cent. The 130 million pounds programme has also seen some crossings fitted with red lights to dissuade motorists from jumping lights. A total of 100 new level crossing managers have been employed and footbridges have been erected to replace 38 crossings. And another 500 crossings are set to close in the next five years, with a full list expected to be announced in April.
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Motorist caught on camera weaving between the red and white barriers .
Unnamed driver ignored flashing light warnings at Southampton crossing .
CCTV footage released by Network Rail, which is closing level crossings .
Organisation warns drivers are putting lives in danger by ignoring signals .
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c0485da54c6f05da0b8c51e5396be6abeb2cda23
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By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 19:24 EST, 10 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:49 EST, 11 March 2013 . Setting out her plans: Theresa May has used a speech to sketch out a broad platform for power . Theresa May used a speech setting out her political philosophy to make an extraordinary overture to another leading contender to succeed David Cameron. The Home Secretary’s colleagues had expected her to use a weekend rally to try to dampen speculation about her leadership ambitions. Instead she sketched out a broad platform for power ranging far beyond her Home Office brief. As well as proposing a new industrial and economic strategy just days before the Budget, Mrs May suggested she wants to allow those running free schools and other public services to make a profit. That is a key demand of Education Secretary Michael Gove, who has been tipped as a potential leader but has said he does not have the ‘right sort of character for the job’. She vowed the next Tory manifesto would include a pledge to tear up Labour’s Human Rights Act and said she wanted to examine pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights, which has been blamed for preventing the removal of terror suspects. Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary and one of the most senior women in the Government after Mrs May, yesterday backed her as a potential leader, saying she had ‘fantastic credentials’ for the top job. The Home Secretary, hailed as ‘Britain’s Angela Merkel’ by her allies, has become the focus of intense speculation amid rumours of unrest on the Tory benches. Sarah Wollaston, the MP for Totnes who is not one of the ‘usual suspects’ for discontented criticism of the Prime Minister, wrote yesterday on Twitter: ‘Inner circle still look far too posh, male and white and Cameron is running out of time to fix it. Mrs May used her speech to the ConservativeHome conference to declare her loyalty to David Cameron, but it is understood that she considers Boris Johnson - another potential leader - to be 'faintly ridiculous' ‘I am a Cameron loyalist but he needs to change his inner circle which just seems to be telling him what he wants to hear.’ 'Fantastic credentials': Maria Miller gave her support for Mrs May as a potential leader . Mrs May will not challenge Mr Cameron, and used a speech to Tory faithful at a ConservativeHome conference to stress her loyalty to him. But friends say she is a ‘realist’ setting out her stall in case of defeat in 2015 and Mr Cameron’s departure. She is understood to regard Boris Johnson as ‘faintly ridiculous’ and is determined to prevent him ever becoming leader. One MP was said to have been approached on Friday afternoon by a fellow member and asked if he would support a future leadership bid by Mrs May. A hard core of around 25 malcontents is considering a push for a leadership contest if this month’s Budget and local elections in May go badly. In her speech, Mrs May insisted that ‘getting a majority Conservative government, led by David Cameron, is vital in 2015’. But she suggested she was not convinced the Prime Minister had done enough to persuade voters that the Tories are prepared to take on ‘elites’. Tory MP Conor Burns said it had been ‘refreshing to hear a frontline Conservative speaking of what an unencumbered Tory government would do differently and mean it’. He added: ‘As I’m well known for my loyalty to Lady Thatcher I’m far from opposed to female leaders.’ Tim Montgomerie, editor of ConservativeHome, said comparison with German chancellor Merkel was apt: ‘Here you have two women who are quite unfussy, quite straight talking and also well known for competence.’ Former Tory Cabinet minister Michael Portillo said he had been guilty of ‘underestimating’ Mrs May. Britain's Angela Merkel? Comparisons have been made between Mrs May and the German Chancellor . Here is what the woman hailed by her supporters as Britain’s answer to Angela Merkel said ... and what she meant: . Theresa May: ‘Today’s event is all about a choice of leadership – between David Cameron and Ed Miliband.’ What she meant: Mrs May is confident enough to open with a teasing joke that nods to speculation about her own ambitions. TM: ‘It’s often said that politics is about public service, and of course it is. But to me, it’s about much more than that. Politics is a passion.’ What she meant: The Home Secretary is sometimes branded bloodless and lacking in empathy. Here she challenges that view. TM: ‘Getting a majority Conservative government, led by David Cameron, is vital in 2015. We’re going to have to fight hard.’ What she meant: Mrs May pledges loyalty to Mr Cameron but suggests she is ready and waiting should he lose in 2015. TM: ‘The next Conservative government will scrap the Human Rights Act and we should also consider our relationship with the European Court of Human Rights.’ What she meant: In a deliberate overture to the Tory Right, Mrs May looks forward to Tory rule – without Lib Dem vetoes. TM: ‘A future Tory government should go further in increasing the number of charities, companies and co-operatives that deliver frontline services. If allowing those organisations to make a profit means we have a more diverse supply side and better outcomes, that is something we should consider.’ What she meant: In perhaps the most radical section of her speech she floats the idea of allowing businesses and other groups to run new free schools to make a profit – a key aim of Michael Gove. Mrs May appears to be trying to forge an alliance with the Education Secretary. Mrs May's words appeared to suggest that she wanted to form an alliance with Michael Gove, left, while she also made an implied rebuke to David Cameron over his handling of NHS chief Sir David Nicholson . TM: ‘We need to think about ... taking on trade unions that are resistant to change and speaking up when people have been let down by big bureaucracy, like the appalling absence of care at Mid-Staffordshire Hospital. It also requires taking on vested interests in the private sector.’ What she meant: An implied rebuke to Mr Cameron for standing by Sir David Nicholson, the head of the NHS, in the wake of a report into the Mid-Staffs scandal. More broadly, Mrs May appears to be sketching out her own ‘underdog Conservatism’. TM: ‘We need to expand our nascent industrial strategy. We should pursue a relentless campaign to support entrepreneurs and wealth creators – like granting generous tax exemptions for start-up businesses.’ What she meant: A remarkably bold economic and industrial policy just days before George Osborne’s Budget. Evidently she does not think the Treasury has done enough to boost growth or help business.
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Vows that next Tory manifesto will pledge to tear up Human Rights Act .
Receives support from fellow minister Maria Miller .
Stresses loyalty to David Cameron but set her stall out to become leader if the PM loses the 2015 General Election .
Understood to think Boris Johnson is 'faintly ridiculous'
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(CNN) -- A Delaware pediatrician pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 471 felony counts in the alleged child abuse of his patients, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice. Dr. Earl Bradley, 56, was arrested in December on charges that include rape, sexual exploitation of a child, endangering child welfare and assault. Bradley, who had a practice in Lewes, Delaware, is accused of victimizing 103 children -- all girls except for one boy. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden has said the charges are based on "video and digital evidence" seized from Bradley's home and medical practice in December. Bradley also has medical licenses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida. Authorities have said they have contacted officials in those states. The next step in the proceedings is a case review May 17, according to Kerry Angell, a spokeswoman for the Delaware Department of Justice.
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Dr. Earl Bradley faces 471 felony counts, a state justice department spokeswoman said .
Bradley, 56, is accused of victimizing 103 children .
Delaware AG said charges are based on seized "video and digital evidence"
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(CNN) -- Brandi Fernandez, interim district attorney for Kaufman County, is a very capable and competent prosecutor, one of the Texas county's top elected officials says. Fernandez, who was the top assistant before Mike McLelland and his wife were slain in their home, has worked for the department for the past nine years. County Judge Bruce Wood called her a very capable attorney. Fernandez has earned a reputation as a tough opponent for defense lawyers. "She definitely knows what she's doing," Wade Gent, a criminal defense attorney from Kaufman told CNN Dallas affiliate WFAA. "For the most part, she's by the book, no-nonsense and will do the job. I have no doubt she is capable of handling the pressure; Brandi is very experienced, very dedicated." Another defense attorney told the Dallas Morning News that Fernandez was a "beast." "She strikes fear in some people's hearts," Eric Smenner told the paper, adding that she was tougher to negotiate plea deals with than other prosecutors, but that compromise wasn't impossible. Fernandez, 42, was the lead prosecutor in a case against a member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, the Kaufman Herald reported in August. James Patrick Crawford was found guilty on six charges in connection with what the paper called a gang-related shooting in 2011. She has worked at the DA's office since 2004, according to a bio released by the agency. She was picked by the late McLelland to be the first assistant district attorney when he took office in 2010, a post she also held from 2004 to 2006. Before that, Fernandez was an assistant district attorney for the 106th Judicial District Attorney's Office in north Texas. Fernandez graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in 1996. She was a member of the board of barristers and national mock trial team. She will serve as interim DA until Gov. Rick Perry picks a successor.
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Brandi Fernandez has worked for Kaufman County for nine years .
She was first assistant district attorney when picked to fill position of fallen DA .
County official calls her very capable .
Defense attorney tells newspaper she is a "beast"
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China may ban Facebook, but not its co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who stunned an audience of students in Beijing by speaking in fluent Mandarin. He did not explicitly discuss the social media site ban during his Q&A at prestigious Tsinghua University, but an indirect reference drew laughter from the audience. Zuckerberg, whose company has long sought to enter the Chinese market, highlighted that Facebook already helps some Chinese companies in foreign markets. Scroll down for video . Fluent: Mark Zuckerberg speaks Mandarin during a dialogue with students as a newly-appointed member to the advisory board for Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management in Beijing, China . Zuckerberg married Priscilla Chan in 2012, and set himself the goal of learning Mandarin in 2010 . 'Speaking of China, I have a more difficult question for Mark, which I hope will not get me fired. What are Facebook's plans in China?' asked the forum facilitator and Facebook employee Wei Xiaoliang. 'We are already in China,' Zuckerberg said in Chinese, to more laughter. 'We help Chinese companies gain customers abroad.' 'We want to help the rest of the world connect to China.' Zuckerberg married Chinese-American Priscilla Chan in 2012, and set himself the goal of learning Mandarin in 2010. He said that he wanted to learn the language partly because his wife's grandmother only speaks Chinese. 'Priscilla and I decided to get married, so I told her grandmother in Chinese, and she was very surprised,' Zuckerberg said. He said China is a great country and hopes that learning the language will help him learn its culture. 'The Chinese language is difficult, and I speak English, but I like challenges,' Zuckerberg said. Applause: The audience cheered when Zuckerberg spoke Mandarin during his 30-minute chat . He said that he wanted to learn the language partly because his wife's grandmother only speaks Chinese . Beijing promotes Internet use for business and education but bans material deemed subversive or obscene and blocks access to foreign websites run by human rights and Tibet activists and some overseas news and social media sites. On China's social media, many microbloggers noted the irony that Zuckerberg's famous creation is blocked in China. Designer David Wang, in an interview in downtown Beijing, said he would be happy if Facebook was allowed across the so-called Great Firewall of China. 'Because now we have to use software to jump the Wall if we want to access Facebook,' he said. Zuckerberg visited Beijing this week as a newly-appointed member to the advisory board for Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management. Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company is planning to open 25 retail stores in China within the next two years, according to Sina.com. The technology giant currently has 15 outlets in the country and earns around 15 per cent of its revenue in Greater China, Cook said. He said: 'We're investing like crazy in the market," Cook said on the call. "When I look at China, I see an enormous market where there are more people graduating into the middle class than any nation on Earth in history.' Coming soon? Facebook is currently banned in China but Zuckerberg's performance has been seen as a sign by some that that may change . He met Tuesday with Tsinghua President Chen Jining to discuss cooperation in education, according to a statement by Tsinghua. Zuckerberg's Chinese pronunciation was far from fluent and some native speakers said it was a 'challenge' to understand him. But he was able to maintain intelligible conversation for a half-hour and the students responded with warm cheers for his effort and laughter at his humor. Li Qin, a computer programmer from the eastern city of Hangzhou, said in an online chat that she could barely understand Zuckerberg's Chinese. 'It was a challenge for Chinese listening comprehension. But even though Facebook cannot enter the Chinese market, Mark is still making a fighting effort to learn,' she said. 'It was quite a funny scenario.'
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Mark Zuckerberg said he wants to help the world connect to China .
Facebook CEO spoke in fluent Mandarin during Q&A at Beijing University .
He has been made a member of the advisory board at Tsinghua University .
Zuckerberg married Priscilla Chan in 2012, whose family speak Chinese .
He wanted to learn Mandarin so he could ask her grandmother's permission .
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A couple who were reported missing by police have been arrested for speeding through suburban streets and crashing into motorists - with their newborn son on board. Ashley Groizard, 20, and Michael Holman, 32, sparked a police search after disappearing with their son from the Hunter Valley in NSW, and were found by authorities after being involved in a car crash over 600km away in Warwick, Queensland. The three-month-old boy was taken to hospital following the incident, while his parents appeared in the Warwick Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Groizard and Holman faced charges relating to driving and drug offences including evading police, wilful damage, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possessing a dangerous drug, and driving under the influence of drugs. Scroll down for video . Ashley Groizard, 20, leaving Warwick Magistrates Court on Wednesday after being charged with multiple offences including driving under the influence of drugs . The Abedare couple were assessed by a mental health worker following their arrest on Tuesday night. Both Groizard and Holman were found to be suffering from indications of psychosis and paranoia, and have been ordered by the court to submit to psychiatric testing, reported Australian Regional Media. The couple were allegedly under the influence of methylamphetamines when they allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road over the speed limit, rear-ended a vehicle, ran several red lights and hit a motorist at 8pm. Officers found the vehicle at the scene, at the intersection of Dragon and Bracker St. Holman was allegedly aggressive toward the motorist and police, Warwick Patrol Group Acting Inspector Stewart Day said. Groizard with her three-month-old son who was in the car at the time of the alleged car crash . Holman (left) and Groizard (right) were reported missing by family, sparking a public appeal my NSW Police . 'The male passenger alighted from the vehicle with a cricket bat and (allegedly) damaged the other vehicle,' he said. 'When police arrived he threatened to assault police and officers drew their tasers and told him to stop. He did and the tasers weren't used.' The alleged car crash victim said the pair started honking her and began tailgating her vehicle 'aggressively', before rear-ending her, causing her vehicle into a tailspin. 'My car spun and at one point I was facing them - I could see them and the car was still spinning and then they drove off,' she told Australian Regional Media. 'I was scared but at the same time I was just glad I was OK.' The unidentified woman expressed concern for the family, and said that when she later heard sirens she was worried they might have injured themselves or other motorists. 'I just wondered who they had crashed into now and hoped they hadn't hurt some family just trying to get home,' she said. 'And I hoped they were OK too - I didn't want them to get hurt either.' NSW Police launched a public appeal on Tuesday to find the pair and their three-month-old son, after being reported missing by family on Monday. Both Groizard and Holman have been told to remain in police custody and the couple will appear before the Warwick Magistrates Court again on November 10. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Ashley Groizard and Michael Holman were reported missing with their 3-month-old son by family, sparking an appeal by NSW Police on Tuesday .
The couple were found after speeding through a Queensland suburb and crashing into a vehicle .
The couple were under the influence of drugs and had more stashed in car .
They have been ordered to sit for psychiatric testing by Magistrates Court .
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69655fc2f82fcdb2f4b9007e742a15361b6cd091
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The future of transport is self-driving cars, says GPS inventor Bradford Parkinson. The famed inventor, military hero and former boy scout, told CNN that advances in the use of GPS mean that the technology could not only emerge in the next few years, but is already being road tested by companies such as Google. "I think (the future) leads to robotic cars. I think there will come a time when you go down the highway and you don't have to have your hand on the steering wheel at all. It'll be a combination of GPS, radar and other sensors." If there is anyone who should know about the future of GPS, it is Brad Parkinson. The former air force colonel was an integral member of the team that invented GPS technology. While he is now a professor emeritus at Stanford University in California, in the 1980s Parkinson headed up the GPS program run by the U.S. military. "When I invented the system I was a United States colonel," says Parkinson. "I was in the air force and had a PhD in aeronautics from Stanford, and a master's degree from MIT. I'd been testing inertial navigation systems for three years in my past and I had taken digital controls at MIT." The development of GPS was the product of a military program called 621B. Parkinson had the idea that satellites could be used to help find and track targets to make weapon deployment more accurate. "I had flown combat, I understood the value of precision weapon delivery, I understood that it would be a humane use of a bomb if you could hit what you want to hit and not hit a mosque, hospital or school." Initially, the military was resistant to the idea, says Parkinson. "The air force didn't want it because first of all they thought we couldn't necessarily do it and secondly they are used to their old ways. And their old ways were, in essence, carpet bombing, it was very sad." Fortunately Parkinson found some powerful allies who helped drive the program forward. At a critical moment in the fledgling technology's development, Malcolm Currie, a physicist and U.S. Navy officer, introduced Parkinson to General Kenneth Shultz, whose personal interest in the program kept the research of GPS alive. Today, as well as being used by the military, geolocation is an indispensable civilian technology -- it can be found in car navigation systems and almost all smart phones. According to Parkinson, there are myriad possible uses for GPS that are yet to be explored, but one of the most immediate applications will be the integration of GPS technology into self-driving cars, which he believes will help bring down the incidence of road accidents. "The most dangerous thing in an automobile is the driver. Usually because of distractions or because he doesn't understand how slippery the road is. I'm saying GPS can absolutely be the key and cornerstone ... This is really exciting. "In the United States we kill 40,000 people a year on the roads ... What can we do to help them? I contend that automatically guided cars are going to help. It will include cooperation between cars; I will know where the next car is going and will be able to sense how good the friction is on the road, I can sense whether my tires are slipping. I can do all that in an integrated single package, so I think where this is going is robotic automobiles." Self-driving cars are currently being trialled by companies such as Google, whose driverless car is reputed to have already competed 400,000 miles of testing -- further than most motorists will travel in a lifetime. "As Google has already demonstrated, robotic cars are already here," says Parkinson, "but the version that they are using is far too expensive and cumbersome to be a practical product for general use." As with most new technologies, Parkinson anticipates a 'trickle down' effect whereby cutting-edge experiments being done at the top level will gradually be incorporated into everyday vehicles. "Many of the elements of robotic driving are already being installed by leading manufacturers. For example, radar systems that measure the distance to the car that is ahead and begin slowing if the condition is hazardous. There is already a product that truck drivers can install in order to sense adjacent vehicles." In September 2012, California legalized self-driving vehicles. The new law obliges the California Department of Motor Vehicles to draft regulations for autonomous vehicles by the beginning 2015, meaning robot cars are unlikely to become available before that point. Experts predict that the first self-driving cars may be on the roads by 2016.
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GPS is being integrated into the new technology of self-driving cars .
Robotic cars are already being tested on roads by companies such as Google .
California has legalized self-driving vehicles .
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Two days before a series of shootings in Canada's capital, the nation's national security agencies elevated their alert level in response to specific threats from ISIS – the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham – and a confirmed jihadi car attack that killed one soldier and injured another. Martin Couture Rouleau, a 25-year-old Muslim convert, mowed down the military men in a parking lot after lying in wait for them for two hours. Canadian Police shot him dead after a high-speed chase. In Ottawa on Wednesday morning, a gunman killed a Canadian soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial; minutes later police reportedly chased him in the the halls of Parliament where he fired dozens more shots, injuring three people. The parliamentary sergeant-at-arms shot the assailant dead. It's unclear whether the attack was related to ISIS or the larger global Islamist movement. A friend of Rouleau, the homicidal driver who died Monday, told reporters that he had acted in response to an October 13 ISIS directive calling on its foot soldiers to mount attacks 'in every country that has entered into the alliance against the Islamic State.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . The RCMP has been on elevated alert since Monday when a Muslim convert deliberately ran over two soldiers, killing one of them . The gunman killed a soldier at Canada's War Memorial . 'The citizens of crusader nations should be targeted wherever they can be found,' the group wrote in its glossy magazine, 'Dabiq.' The friend told The Toronto Star that 'he wanted to be a martyr. ... The caliphate called all the Muslims on earth to fight. He listened to what they had to say and he did his part here.' The directions Rouleu followed did not name Canada as a specific country where Islamists should mount attacks. But it did call it 'very important that attacks take place in every country that has entered into the alliance against the Islamic State. ... The citizens of crusader nations should be targeted wherever they can be found.' Separately, on Sept. 21 ISIS released a video message that singled out Canada and three other nations. 'If you can kill a disbelieving American or European – especially the spiteful and filthy French – or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way however it may be,' the message read in an English translation. The same video urged Muslims to 'strike their police, security and intelligence members, as well as their treacherous agents.' That command let the Ontario Provincial Patrol to put all its officers on high alert. A bulletin to its personnel warned that 'this demonstrates clear intention to target, kill and decapitate frontline officers and that prior planning was involved.' Indications of potential terror ties surfaced on Twitter in the hours following Wednesday's attacks in Canada. Fox News reported that a translation of one tweet reads: 'soldiers of #Islamic_state who are everywhere around the globe [have] declared war on the coalition countries.' America's neighbor to the north found itself in the ISIS crosshairs shortly after agreeing to participate in the multinational anti-terror coalition. Shops in downtown Ottawa, Canada were on lockdown throughout the morning as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police secured the crime scene and interviewed witnesses . White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday that the White House wasn't in a position to classify the shootings as terror-related . Canada raised its terror threat level just two days ago after a jihadi ran down two soldiers – killing one – and then was shot and killed by police following a high-speed chase . Martin Couture Rouleau reportedly brandished this knife when he got of out his car after flipping it on a Canadian highway . Canada, alongside dozens of other countries, is participating in the U.S.-led effort to cripple ISIS in Iraq. Just 24 hours ago six fighter jets left the province of Alberta en route to Kuwait, where . Six Canadian warplanes departed for the Iraq combat mission Tuesday as this country joins the air campaign against Islamic State militants. The CF-18 Hornets will be directly involved with offensive strikes in Iraq. In the U.S. on Wednesday, the FBI quickly directed field offices to raise their threat levels. Canada's embassy in Washington, D.C. was locked down. And President Obama had a brief phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 'Obviously, we're all shaken by it,' Obama told reporters later in the day. 'But we're going to do everything we can to make sure we're standing side by side with Canada during this difficult time.' 'It's very important I think for us to recognize that, when it comes to dealing with terrorist activity, that Canada and the United States have to be entirely in sync,' Obama said, speaking from the famed Oval Office. But he cautioned that 'we don't have enough information yet' to determine the motive behind the deadly shooting. 'So as we understand better exactly what happened, this obviously is something that we'll make sure to factor in the ongoing efforts we have to counter terrorist attacks in our country.' Obama visited the Canadian parliament just weeks after his first inauguration in 2009. He noted Wednesday that the news hit him personally. 'I'm very familiar with that area and am reminded how warmly I was received,' he said, 'and how wonderful the people there were.' Asked if the Ottawa attacks were an ISIS operation, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters that he was 'not in a position to render judgment' on the 'tragic situation.'
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The RCMP already had Canada on elevated alert because of a fatal jihadi attack just two days earlier .
On Monday a Muslim convert deliberately ran over two soldiers, killing one of them; his friend said he was following ISIS's call to arms .
The terror group's propaganda messages have called on members to 'kill a disbelieving American or European ... or an Australian, or a Canadian'
Witnesses on Wednesday described a short, overweight man with long hair wearing a dark jacket and an 'Arabic' scarf .
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2d56b6e8984b895a83509b4c747222a78a5e010b
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Brendan Rodgers insists Liverpool will remain an attractive destination for the game’s top players even when they lose one of their biggest stars. Liverpool’s manager was determined to move on this Thursday by drawing a line under the story of Steven Gerrard leaving, stressing it was time ‘to concentrate on football’ when asked about his captain’s revelation that he would have stayed had a contract been offered last summer. What Rodgers did recognise, however, is that 34-year-old’s move to LA Galaxy leaves a void on and off the pitch. One ramification is that he will never be able to use the line ‘come and play with Steven Gerrard’ again when making a big sales pitch. Brendan Rodgers believes Liverpool is still an attractive proposition for the top players . Steven Gerrard's departure to LA Galaxy was confirmed on Wednesday and he will join in July . Jordan Henderson (right) is in line to replace Gerrard as Liverpool captain next season . Rodgers, though, is refusing to lose heart and he maintains Liverpool have a duty to be competing at the top end of the market. ‘We have to have confidence that in the time I have been here, there have been some outstanding players who have come,’ said Rodgers. ‘But there is no doubt we need to replace that quality, either through some young players getting an opportunity or our players stepping up to the mark. ‘But (it is) also (about) bringing in that quality. Time will tell on that. It has been difficult and over the last couple of years, some of our top players have gone out. No one knows that more than me. The likes of Suarez leaving and Carragher going in the first year. Mario Balotelli (left) controls the ball during training at Melwood on Thursday morning . Rodgers is keen to draw a line under Gerrard's summer departure and push for a top-four finish . ‘They were fantastic players. Steven is going to move on. I want to work with that level of player. As a coach and manager, I enjoy working equally with the stars and the world-class talent as I do with young players so I am not purely one who needs to work with young players. ‘If you speak with the elite and world-class players, they will say they enjoyed working with me. But for us it is something that needs to be done. This is Liverpool - we have to be in the running for the world’s best.’ Yet even with Gerrard, Liverpool have found it difficult to woo big names and in the last two years, for one reason or another, they have missed out on Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Willian and Henrikh Mkhitaran. They struggle to complete deals but Rodgers says Liverpool’s name still appeals. ‘We have to believe it can be done,’ said Rodgers. ‘Last season after nearly winning the league and playing a game that excited people, we were in a great position to attract a level of player. The team has changed but the great name of Liverpool is still the same. Balotelli and Mamadou Sakho (left) share a joke at the training session on Friday . Daniel Sturridge touched down at Heathrow airport on Thursday (right) after posting a selfie while flying . ‘It is still a big attraction for players. Hopefully we can still keep moving forward and come the end of the season, we will be in the Champions League having won something as well. You have to keep working to find the players who’ll make you the best you can be.’ One positive for Rodgers is that he should soon be able to call on Daniel Sturridge again. The England international has returned from undergoing intensive rehabilitation in the United States and it is hoped he will be available ‘towards the end of January’. ‘We have to trust the work he has done,’ said Rodgers. ‘It has been very good and when he comes back he hopefully sustains his fitness.’ Meanwhile, Dr Zaf Iqbal, Liverpool’s first-team doctor since 2010 has left his post abruptly. No reason has been given for his departure.
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Liverpool have missed out on a number of targets in recent seasons .
Brendan Rodgers says Liverpool need to replace the quality of Gerrard .
The Liverpool boss is still hoping to secure Champions League football .
Daniel Sturridge is in line to return before the end of January .
Click here for more Liverpool news .
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In style: When Paul McCartney's wife Nancy Shevell, emerged from the crystal clear Ibizan waters this week, she was wearing a long-sleeved, 'rash vest' Beachwear that banishes bingo wings, sucks in middle-age spread like super-strength Spanx and protects a delicate decolletage from the ageing rays of the sun sounds like the answer to every woman over 40’s prayers. But while it may also sound a little too good to be true, when Paul McCartney’s wife Nancy Shevell, emerged from the crystal clear Ibizan waters this week, she was wearing one of these magic garments — a long-sleeved, patterned ‘rash vest’. These vests, also known as ‘rashies’, were originally invented in the Seventies to stop surfers chafing their skin on their surfboards, but have recently become a must-have on the beach for women who want to protect their skin from the sun, while also covering their wobbly bits. The vests, which are usually made out of Spandex, nylon or polyester, are proving incredibly popular with celebrities of a certain age, with actresses Nicole Kidman, Courteney Cox and Minnie Driver, Madonna and supermodel Elle Macpherson all pictured in them on the beach. I’m thrilled that the A-list are finally following my lead, for I’ve been sporting rash vests for almost 20 years — and getting odd looks from strangers on the beach for decades as a result. As an Aussie, I’ll do anything to protect my skin, but still love to be in the sunshine. My British friends, as they lie on the beach in blazing heat with just factor 10 on, laugh at me sitting under an umbrella in my factor 50, hat and obligatory rashie. I’ll have the last laugh, though. For nothing — not divorce, depression, recession — destroys a woman’s looks more than the sun. It is our worst enemy, yet few born in these milder climes seem to really understand the damage it does, even in short bursts. It's a cover up: Nicole Kidman (left) hardly braves the beach without one and proves modesty can be sexy, while Courtney Cox (right) was pictured in 2007, aged 43, in a baggy rashie with nothing underneath . Surf chic: Sporty supermodel Elle Macpherson, a fellow Aussie and a big fan of rashies, takes full advantage of one of their perks - they enable you to stay warm in the water for hours . For proof of this look no further than Nancy Shevell, who at 53 has the smooth skin tone of a woman half her age. And now her secret is out. She’s a sun-shunner. While many women delude themselves that slathering on a bit of factor 20 will protect their pale skin from the sun while splashing around in the waves, Nancy obviously knows better. Whether on holiday each summer at Smith’s Beach, on the south-west coast of Australia, or in the Mediterranean, or even in the chilly sea off Suffolk, I wouldn’t get into the water without a rashie. All white: Madonna (left) stepped out on the beach in France in 2012 wearing far more clothes than she ever does on stage, and Minnie Driver (right) has also been photographed wearing a rashie while enjoying the sun . In fact, I wouldn’t get out in the full holiday sun for more than 10 minutes without my rashie. Unsurprisingly, with its searing heat and ozone holes that make the sun especially fierce, rash vests were invented in Australia, where they have been popular for years. And the Aussies, with their love of anything that ends in a rising inflection and an ‘eee’, dubbed them rashies. (They make great pressies at Chrissie for the relies — or great presents at Christmas for the relatives). Now they’re used for sun protection in . water sports such as windsurfing and canoeing, or just having fun in . the waves. Not sloshing your child in factor 50 and wriggling them into a . rashie before they hit the beach is akin to child abuse there. In . the Seventies they only came in Lycra, made as they were for super-fit . surfers with washboard stomachs, but now you can get them in slimming . Spandex (yes!). They usually . provide a sun protection factor of 50+, which prevents burning, plus UV . filters, to stop the ultra-violet rays that cause ageing and DNA . damage. You can even buy them with factor 100. Extreme, even for me. No . longer built for boys, they’ve become more stylish, in patterns and . bright block colours, and are cut in a way which is more flattering to a . woman’s figure. And it’s . not just because they protect you from the sun that we Aussies — and the . A-list — wear them. For a good rashie can be a woman’s best friend. I . swear they can take a stone off you, in all the right places. The good ones suck you in like a corset. Middle-aged tummy disappears and, worn over a good swimsuit with a bit of support in the bra, they turn a tubby torso into Jessica Rabbit-esque curves. Is it any wonder middle-aged women love them? As well as hiding those giveaways of middle-age — untoned upper arms and a thickening waist — rashies also prevent other signs of ageing. They protect the areas most vulnerable to sun damage – the neck, décolletage and, in some versions, hands. The skin is so thin there, it’s the first to wrinkle and get covered in horrible sun spots, which are all too often early signs of skin cancers. And those parts really show a woman’s age. Once you’ve fried them in oil in the sun for years, they never recover. That’s why rashies need to be almost up to your chin and reach your fingertips, as perfectly demonstrated by Madonna, who stepped out on the beach in France in 2012 wearing far more clothes than she ever does on stage. At 53 she was covered by a white rashie, matching trousers and a baseball cap — in stark contrast to the topless toyboy she was with. She also got it right by wearing a bosom-supporting swimsuit underneath, which completes the hourglass look — unlike Courteney Cox, who was pictured in 2007, aged 43, in a baggy rashie with nothing underneath, looking like she was breast-feeding quadruplets. Fair-skinned Nicole Kidman hardly braves the beach without one, and proves that modesty is every bit as sexy as flashing the flesh.She doesn’t need any help tucking in that tummy, so often opts for a light-weight fabric and sporty style, paired with sleek bikini bottoms. Sporty supermodel Elle Macpherson, a fellow Aussie and a big fan of rashies, takes full advantage of one of their perks — they enable you to stay warm in the water for hours. They act like a wetsuit and trap a thin layer of warm air between your body and the rashie, keeping out the cold and enabling keen surfers like Elle to stay in the waves as long as they like. And think of all the extra exercise you can get surfing and swimming while your bikini-clad sisters are fleeing the water after ten minutes with goose bumps to bake themselves old and wrinkled in the sunshine. But while these celebrities might make rashies look chic, they aren’t for the faint-hearted. Getting into — and out of — them is pure pantomime, like trying to squeeze into a surgical glove. For the most flattering look they have to be skin tight, which means dragging it over your head, wriggling your arms down the slim tubes of sleeves, hoiking it up under your arms then stretching it down over a tummy that’s usually overindulged on holiday. I have to admit getting out of it isn’t a ladylike process, either. I usually get stuck half-way through, have to cry to my boyfriend for help, then adopt the half-brace position as he peels it off, along with a cascade of wet sand. Yet, despite these indignities, ladies of a certain age should bear in mind that there is nothing like a rashie to take inches off the waist and years off the decolletage — just remember to pack a man with a sense of humour to peel you out of it.
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Long-sleeved 'rash vests' a hit with stars like Madonna and Nicole Kidman .
'Rashies' invented in the 70s to stop surfers chafing on their surf boards .
Made out of Spandex, nylon or polyester, they help protect from the sun .
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09a76ca95871f8d2c1132960690ab736910b1a0b
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(CNN) -- A US Airways plane blew a tire during takeoff Thursday evening at Philadelphia's airport, an airline spokesman said, with witnesses recalling seeing the plane "bounce" before screeching to a halt. Citing initial reports, US Airways spokesman Todd Lehmacher said the commercial airliner's pilot decided to abort takeoff after the tire issue. Philadelphia International Airport tweeted, and photos indicate, that the plane's nose gear collapsed. Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said two women from the plane were transported to the city's Methodist Hospital, one with a minor injury and the other with a minor illness. "This is a good time," Ayers said, referring to the response and the fact things turned out as well as they did. "It worked out alright." Flight 1702 was scheduled to take off at 5:50 p.m. and arrive in Fort Lauderdale about three hours later, according to US Airways' website, though Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said the incident took place around 6:25 p.m. Watching from a nearby plane, Dave Olinger said, "I saw the plane come down with its landing gear (hitting) the ground abnormally hard and it bounced back into the air. Then it continued to try to land and it went out of my view as I saw a massive cloud of dust come up from behind it." A witness in an airport terminal, posting to the online travel community FlyerTalk.com, reported seeing the plane "bounce twice on takeoff." Firefighters spotted smoke coming from one engine, but no fire. Philadelphia Fire Department Deputy Chief Gary Loesch said crews sprayed "a protective foam blanket" around where "hydraulic fluid ... was leaking from the front landing gear," saying this was only done as a precaution. Images from the airport afterward showed the plane pitched forward, but otherwise upright, and surrounded by flashing emergency vehicles. One showed the plane at a standstill as some people left from an emergency slide and others got out on the wing. "So my plane just crashed," tweeted one apparent passenger. A short time later and minutes before taking a selfie at the scene, she added, "I almost just died." The 149 passengers and five crew members who had been aboard the Airbus A320 quickly got off, then were moved about 400 yards away into a field, according to Loesch. They were surrounded by police and fire vehicles to block the wind, with women and children getting into these vehicles to stay warm in temperatures hovering around the freezing mark. "Most people were complaining about being cold," Loesch said. Departing and incoming flights at the Pennsylvania airport were temporarily halted. Some of them resumed around 6:55 p.m., Peters said, though one runway remained closed for some time after that. The incident caused significant travel headaches, and not just for those on Flight 1702. The airport noted there were departure delays of about one hour, with airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica saying arrival delays stretched up to two hours. According to Joe Taney, the vice president of operations in Philadelphia for American/US Airways, Flight 1702 passengers were bused to the terminal and taken to one of the airline's Admirals Clubs, which is typically for "preferred members." They remained there for some time, before they could collect items they had left on the plane. Another aircraft was arranged to take them to Fort Lauderdale. That plane hadn't left by 10:30 p.m., though it was supposed to head out soon. "There's maybe a couple that chose not to go, which is fine ...," Taney said. "But overall the majority of people are choosing to go on that extra (flight)." CNN's Aaron Cooper and Kevin Conlon contributed to this report.
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NEW: Fire commissioner: 1 went to hospital with a minor injury, 1 with a minor illness .
NEW: After the evacuation, passengers complained about the cold, fire official says .
US Airways Flight 1702 was leaving Philadelphia's airport, destined for Fort Lauderdale .
Airline spokesman: It blew a tire on takeoff, leading to passengers' evacuation .
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