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On July 4, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI traveled to Sulmona for his second visit to venerate the relics of his long-ago predecessor, Pope and St. Celestine V, who died in 1296. Few predicted then that just a few years later, Benedict and Celestine would be locked together in history as the two popes who retired, theoretically voluntarily, because of their age. Here is what Celestine wrote: "We, Celestine, Pope V, moved by legitimate reasons, that is to say for the sake of humility, of a better life and an unspotted conscience, of weakness of body and of want of knowledge, the malignity of the people, and personal infirmity, to recover the tranquility and consolation of our former life, do freely and voluntarily resign the pontificate." Compare that to Benedict's statement: "In today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter." When Pope Benedict went to write his letter of resignation, there can be little doubt that he turned to Celestine's example, the "papal bull" (official letter) from 1294 that affirmed the right of the pope to resign and the legal canons that followed codifying the practice. For the Catholic Church, those 13th-century words stand as relevant and legally valid. Celestine was an interesting fellow, and his life, short papacy and long legacy offer some examples for us as we absorb the surprise of Benedict's resignation. Stanley: Why pope will be remembered for generations . Celestine himself had quite the surprise in July of 1294, when a group of religious and lay Catholics ascended to his mountain retreat and informed him that the Sacred College of Cardinals had just unanimously elected him as the new pope. Celestine, born Pietro del Murrone, was a Benedictine ascetic who spent most of his religious life seeking isolation as a hermit in Abruzzo, but he emerged as a consensus candidate when the cardinals could not agree on any of the usual suspects. The choice was a disaster. King Charles of Anjou (and Naples), a powerful ruler of the era, tried to use him as a pawn to gain legitimacy over Sicily. Celestine created new cardinals without due process, gave the same title to multiple people and in general seemed to have trouble saying no. Elected in July at 79 and crowned in August, he resigned the papacy in December. Ten days later, his chief lawyer and likely author of the new papal bull permitting resignation, Benedetto Gaitani, became Pope Boniface VIII. Boniface eventually imprisoned the now ex-Pope Celestine and kept him under close watch until he died two years later. Celestine's legacy, in some ways, became even more interesting than his life. Boniface spent his early career undoing all of Celestine's acts and trying to restore the papacy to political prominence. But within a few years of Boniface's death in 1303, Pope Clement V, his successor, moved the papacy to Avignon, France, repudiated Boniface and quickly began canonization proceedings for the soon-to-be St. Celestine. What does this have to do with Benedict? Did his two visits to Celestine's tomb and words of admiration for the saint, hermit and pontiff convey a secret message that Benedict was contemplating retirement? Are the parallels even stronger than Celestine and Benedict being the two popes to resign on account of age? Historians regard Celestine's claim of "personal infirmity" with considerable skepticism, focusing instead on "the malignity of the people" and pressure from his eventual successor as the real reason for his unprecedented resignation. Opinion: Huge challenges await next pope . For Benedict XVI, the line, "shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith" stands out to me. What are these questions of deep relevance? Benedict was speaking of a shaken world (the Latin version makes this clear), but is he perhaps shaken too by his time on the throne of St. Peter? Each reader may well imprint his or her own issues onto the mind of the aging pope. Is he concerned about the ongoing, devastating revelations about pedophilia in the Catholic Church and related coverups? The "Vatileaks" scandal and the corruption it alleges? Does he just believe that the Catholic Church will need new leadership to face the challenges ahead? Or are his concerns more personal? Like Celestine, is he seeking "tranquility" and a quiet path to his final days? I doubt we'll ever know more than we do right now. Pope Benedict XVI's legacy is likely to be heavily contested in the years to come. Particularly since his election, Benedict has stood as the symbol on which those discontented with the direction of the church focus on their ire. Others, concerned about the changes of Vatican II -- the council convened in 1962 that transformed so many Catholic practices -- see in the current pope and his allies an attempt to restore the older, traditional church that they love. Celestine's legacy, likewise, depended very much on the eye of the beholder. Ascetics revered him, seeing him in a true divine pontiff in contrast to the infernal anti-popes that followed. Petrarch, the great Italian poet, took a neutral stance, suggesting that Celestine was just embracing his true gifts of solitary contemplation. Dante, on the other hand, condemned Celestine for his cowardice, writing, "che fece per viltade il gran rifiuto / Who made through cowardice the great refusal." (Dante, Inferno, Canto IIi 60). How will our poets, prophets and people come to see Pope Benedict's resignation? To even begin to answer that, we will need to see who emerges from the basilica when the white smoke rises above St. Peter's Square. | David Perry: Pope Celestine V, from 1296, and Pope Benedict XVI both resigned . He says Benedict likely turned to example of Celestine, who codified pope's right to resign . Does Celestine's reference to "malignity" of people find echo in Benedict's resignation letter? Perry: Some guess pope is fleeing scandal-plagued church; others think he seeks tranquility . | f14a593e23f90f2971e3f567834f5f2c9902781a |
It may seem hard to believe that such an unusual looking animal has remained hidden for so long. But scientists have only just discovered a new species of elephant shrew – or round-eared sengi - in the remote deserts of south western Africa. While it is the smallest known member of the 19 sengis in the order Macroscelidea, the small creature is in fact genetically more closely related to an elephant than a true shrew. Cute: Scientists have discovered a new species of elephant shrew - or round-eared sengi (pictured) - in the remote deserts of south western Africa . The Etendeka round-eared sengi, or Macroscelides micus, was found in a remote part of the Namid Desert in south western Africa. It is the smallest of all elephant shrews or sengis. The animal is the third new species of sengi to be discovered in a decade. It has rust-coloured fur, a large, hairless gland on the underside of its tail and lacks dark skin pigment. Genetic analysis showed important differences between this specimen and close relatives. Sengis are restricted to Africa and despite their small size, are more closely related to elephants, manatees (known as sea cows) and aardvarks than they are to true shrews. The Etendeka round-eared sengi, or Macroscelides micus, was discovered by scientists from the California Academy of Sciences. It is the third new species of elephant shrew to be found in the wild in the past decade. The diminutive animal is smaller than other sengi and has rust-coloured fur, a large, hairless gland on the underside of its tail and lacks dark skin pigment, according to the study published in the Journal of Mammalogy. Its unusual appearance attracted the attention of experts Jack Dumbacher and Galen Rathbun, who noted it looked different from any museum specimens they had encountered. Elusive: The Etendeka round-eared sengi, or Macroscelides micus (pictured) was discovered by scientists from the California Academy of Sciences. It is the third new species of sengi to be found in the wild in the past decade . Mapped: Found in a remote area of Namibia, on the inland edge of the Namib Desert (mapped) at the base of the Etendeka Plateau, scientists believe this new species went undescribed for so long because of the challenges of doing scientific research in such an isolated area . Genetic analysis showed important differences between this specimen and close relatives. Together with experts from the National Museum of Namibia and the Republic of Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism, they scoured museums for similar animals and conducted more genetic tests, before confirming that they had found a new species. ‘The differences between this and all other known species are very subtle,’ said Dr Dumbacher. ‘Genetically, Macroscelides micus is very different from other members of the genus and it’s exciting to think that there are still areas of the world where even the mammal fauna is unknown and waiting to be explored.’ Elephant shrews are restricted to Africa and despite their small size, are more closely related to elephants, manatees (known as sea cows) and aardvarks than they are to true shrews. Nimble: The diminutive animal is smaller than other sengi and has rust-coloured fur, a large, hairless gland on the underside of its tail and lacks dark skin pigment . Found in a remote area of Namibia, on the inland edge of the Namib Desert at the base of the Etendeka Plateau, scientists believe this new species went undescribed for so long because of the challenges of doing scientific research in such an isolated area. Yet it is precisely this isolation and the unique environmental conditions in the region that have given rise to this and other endemic animals. ‘With only about a dozen new species of mammal discovered in the wild each year, it is amazing that the Academy has been involved in describing three new sengis in the last decade,’ said Dr Rathbun Research Associate. ‘There are new and exciting insights into biodiversity awaiting discovery, even in a group as familiar as mammals.’ | Scientists from the California Academy of Sciences discovered Macroscelides micus in the remote deserts of Namibia, south western Africa . It's the third new species of sengi - or elephant shrew - to be found in the wild in the past decade . Creature has rust-coloured fur and is smaller than other elephant shrews . Scientists compared it to other elephant shrews and analysed its genetics to confirm it is a completely new species . | f7a23772ea70e7d9b77be8aeceefdd4967973dc2 |
By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 09:03 EST, 10 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:05 EST, 11 April 2013 . From the first film that you saw with the love of your life to the movie you laughed at so hard you cried with your best friends ... many of life's moments can be mapped out through the films we have seen. A new survey has revealed our movie timeline: from the first movie people want to share with their children, to films that help overcome a mid-life crisis. And the results show that we are relying . on the best of British in times of need with Love Actually, Bridget . Jones’ Diary, Kate Beckinsale and Colin Firth all coming out tops. Love Actually was voted the film that showed people what love really was, made them believe in love, and the film that can help you get over a break up . Iconic British romantic comedy Love Actually was voted the film that both inspired people to get over a break-up and to find love. The film's poignantly honest portrayal of love in all manner of scenarios and comic situations (think Hugh Grant dancing through ‘Downing Street’ to Girls Aloud) prompted voters aged 20- 30 to vote it the film that showed them what real love is (21 per cent). The survey revealed that comedies . clearly do more than raise a laugh too as American Pie (for men) and Bridget . Jones (for women) were deemed the top ‘coming of age films’ which . helped people move from adolescence to adulthood. Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice set so many female hearts fluttering that he was voted the best celerity crush moment for the role . Mamma Mia!, the film based on the stage musical using the songs of Abba is credited with helping people get over a mid-life crisis . The cinematic classic It’s a Wonderful . Life was voted the film that showed those who are over 30 the true value . of family, receiving 22 per cent of the vote, while the all-singing, . all dancing Mamma Mia based on Abba songs was voted the film that . inspired people to get over their mid-life crisis. The cause of the mid-life crisis? Possibly seeing British beauty Kate Beckinsale . don a leather cat suit in Van Helsing, she was voted the biggest celebrity . crush moment for men with 14 per cent of votes. A . young Colin Firth rise from the lake in clinging wet shirt in Pride and . Prejudice swung it for the ladies with 24 per cent voting him their . biggest celebrity crush as Mr Darcy. Kate Beckinsale in Van Helsing wears leather for most of the film so it is little surprise she is the biggest celebrity crush moment for so many . E.T. The Extra Terrestrial was voted the most inspirational rites of passage movie for children, with 28 per cent of the vote, while the film that inspired voters to grow from an awkward teenager into an adult was Billy Elliot. Universal Pictures launched the poll as part of their invitation to the nation to create their own movie timelines, chronicling their lives through the movies that matter the most. The movie timeline voted for by the public lists inspirational DVDs and Blu-rays that have helped us get through significant milestones including our awkward teens, heartbreak and midlife crises amongst others . Youth (0-10 years old)• Inspirational rites of passage movie for children – E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (28%)• Film that inspired you to grow from an awkward teenager – Billy Elliot (20%)Teens (10-20 years old)• Biggest celebrity crush moment for men – Kate Beckinsale in Van Helsing (14%)• Biggest celebrity crush moment for women – Colin Firth 24% in Pride and Prejudice • Film that helped turn me from a boy to a man - American Pie (13%)• Film that helped turn me from a girl to a woman – Bridget Jones’ Diary (16%)Early Life (20-30 years old)• Film that inspired me to get over a breakup – Love Actually (18%)• Film that showed me what love is – Love Actually (21%)• Inspirational style moment in film – Blues Brothers (17%)Married Life and Beyond (30 years old +)• Film that inspired me to find love – Love Actually (21%)• Film that showed me the value of family – It’s A Wonderful Life (22%)• Film that inspired me to end my midlife crisis – Mamma Mia (16%) | Love Actually voted as the ultimate inspiration to help with heartbreak . Mamma Mia named as the film that can inspire the end a midlife crisis . Colin Firth as Mr Darcy is the biggest celebrity crush for women . Leather clad Kate Backinsale in Van Helsing takes the title for the men . | 2422bccae750b0d2bd277f871b99e880d1652572 |
By . Phil Vinter . PUBLISHED: . 07:30 EST, 14 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:53 EST, 14 May 2012 . Dozing air passengers face the prospect of being rudely awakened by someone talking loudly on their mobile phone after Virgin Atlantic became the first British airline to permit calls on board flights. While the news may be warmly welcomed by businessmen and others for whom it is important to keep connected at all times, anti-noise campaigners claim the decision is 'crazy'. Passengers flying between London and New York on Virgin's new A330 Airbus will be able to not only make calls, but also to send and receive text messages, emails and have web access via GPRS. Taking off? Passengers flying between London and New York on Virgin's new A330 airbus will be able to not only make calls, but also to send and receive text messages, emails and have web access via GPRS . Business class passengers will be able to enjoy the longest beds in the modern cabins . The facility will be offered throughout the cabin and there will be no restrictions on when the facility can be used - although Virgin say that at the moment limited bandwidth means only ten people can make calls simultaneously. The service is not permitted during . take-off or landing, and American laws mean that it has to be turned off . around 250 miles from US airspace. Val Weedon of the anti-noise action group Noisedirect said the organisation receives a steady stream of complaints from people annoyed by mobile phone users on trains and coaches and was against the decision to expand permitted usage to aeroplane flights. She said: 'Noise is noise and the . impact is no different in any situation. Noise is a trigger for stress. The heart rate increases and it can cause to all sorts of health . problems. There have been lots of studies finding links between noise . and stress. 'In such a confined space as an . aircraft it could be very annoying. While we are not totally against it . in principle, during certain parts of the trip, such as overnight when . people want to rest, it should definitely not be allowed.' The executive bar where passengers will be able to joy a glass of champagne . It will cost £1 per minute to call aboard the flight and 20p to send a text. Virgin Atlantic said the system was aimed at business travelers needing to make an urgent call to the office or for people wanting to get a message home. Steve Griffiths, Chief Operating Officer . at Virgin Atlantic said: 'Many people . will have experienced that moment when you’re about to take off on a . 10-hour flight and you need to send an important message to the office, . or even reminding a family member to feed the cat! 'It’s also quite . fun to call home and say 'Guess where I am' – not many people would . think you’re travelling at 35,000ft above the Atlantic Ocean.' The system works using a small telecommunications base station called a piccell. A picocell is low cost and typically the size of a ream of A4 paper. It acts as a miniature mobile telephone tower communicating with mobile phones within the aircraft and relaying the signals to either satellites or a land-based system. Communication between the picocell and the rest of the telephone network is on separate frequencies. There is no interference with the aircraft's equipment as is the case with on–board phone systems already on many commercial aircraft. Interference is reduced because both the picocell's and the phones' output power can be reduced to very low levels. It will also feature on the airline’s . Boeing 747 planes, which are currently going through a £50 million . refurbishment. By the end of 2012, nearly 20 aircraft will provide the . service. The announcement comes as Virgin . Atlantic officially unveils its new aircraft – the Airbus A330-300, . which is part of a £100m investment and features a redesigned First . Class cabin with a ‘technology hub’ to connect a smart phone, USB or . tablet device. AeroMobile, which is part-owned by Panasonic are partners with Virgin Atlantic on the project. Passengers will be billed for the international roaming charges and the service is currently offered to customers with 02 or Vodafone networks. The system offers the equivalent of . having a telecomms base station on the aircraft - called picocell. It's . new British designed technology that doesn't interfere with the . avionics . A spokesperson for AeroMobile said: 'Increasingly people want to stay in touch wherever they are - on land, sea or air. 'We're offering British designed technology around the world to keep people connected.' | Noise is a trigger for stress says anti-noise campaigner . Facility to be offered throughout cabin at 35,000ft . Plan to have 20 aircraft for mobile phones by end of year . Calls to cost £1 a minute and text messages 20p a text . Also to feature on Boeing 747s . System offers the equivalent of . having a telecomms base station on aircraft . | 378f777cca28d3acbac274285ea9b580eb5ce95f |
By . Neil Sears and Vanessa Altin . PUBLISHED: . 06:58 EST, 4 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:28 EST, 5 June 2013 . A British boy was left critically ill in a Turkish hospital as doctors fought to save his legs - after he was crushed by a careering car during a holiday stroll. Mark Lalor-Smith, ten, was rushed to intensive care at the Akdeniz University Hospital in Antalya to be treated for severe injuries after the out-of-control car crushed him against a wall on Monday. He is understood to be on his way back to Britain for more specialist treatment. Mark Lalor Smith (centre) has reportedly lost his legs after being involved in the horrific accident . Harrowing amateur video footage of the aftermath of the horror crash, played on a Turkish website, shows young Mark laying prone in the road while his distraught father Julian and mother Sara cradle him in their arms. A female British voice can be heard shouting threats at the driver responsible for the horror crash, while Mr Lalor-Smith, 54, a senior civil servant on the Isle of Man, tends to his son. In the video Mark is lying immobile while a pool of blood spreads beneath him. The sun is shining, but tears and cries of anguish fill the air as the family desperately seek help, imploring passers by to phone an ambulance. Mark had set out for a holiday walk in the sunshine with his parents and twin siblings, Terence and Courtney, 11, to get from their hotel in Fethiye in Antalya on the Mediterraean coast, to a nearby restaurant. According to eye-witness Ugur Etiman, the car driver responsible lost control and crashed into a van before spinning into Mark and slamming him into a wall. Mrs Etiman said the scene was ‘horrible’ and described Mark’s legs as ‘torn’. A passing Danish tourist administered first aid to Mark at the scene. Mark was rushed to the local Lokman . Hekim hospital in Fethiye (pictured) where he was stabilised before being . transferred 125miles to the regional university teaching hospital on . Turkey’s south coast . Mark was rushed to the local Lokman Hekim hospital in Fethiye where he was stabilised before being transferred 125miles to the regional university teaching hospital on Turkey’s south coast. A spokeswoman for the Akdeniz University Hospital confirmed: ‘Mark is currently in intensive care. He’s suffered extensive injuries to both legs but the doctors are currently trying to repair his arteries and restore blood supply to his feet. 'They are doing everything they can to repair the damage and save his legs. It’s too early to say the outcome. ‘His parents, Sarah and Julian are with him and are in constant contact with the doctors about his progress any decisions about amputation will be made in consultation with them.’ The family declined to comment. But Turkish video footage last night showed Mr Lalor-Smith and the rest of the family pacing up and down nervously in the hospital where young Mark is being treated. And on Mrs Lalor-Smith’s Facebook page – which is covered with happy photographs of the family together – she makes clear that they had happy holiday experiences in Fethiye in the past. She had last October written to an American friend living in Fethiye, saying excitedly ‘Just looking at flights for next year!’ Among Mrs Lalor-Smith’s friends is an instructor at a surf school in the town. Idyllic: But the family's holiday in Fethiye turned into a nightmare following the horrific accident . He and his family live in Foxdale on the island. On an internet profile Mr Lalor-Smith says he and the family enjoy walking their four West Highland Terriers, and that his is a committed member of the leadership of his church. Last night Isle of Man Home Afffairs minister Juan Watterson said: 'Julian is a popular officer within the department of home affairs - and our thoughts and prayers are with him.' Fethiye is a popular resort on Turkey’s south west coast. Known as part of the so-called Turkish Riviera, it has been increasingly thronged by British tourists over the last decade. Just 30 mins from the resort airport of Dalaman the population of the original fishing port swells from its 70,000 residents in the winter to hosting more than half-a-million visitors each summer. The majority of tourists are British followed by Russian and Sweden – with many Brits loving the climate so much that they have recently bought property in the town, developing British ex-pat enclaves in suburbs such as Calis Beach and Hisaronu. Olu Deniz bay, the poster beach of Turkey is ten miles out of Fethiye. But the town has seen its fair share of tragedy involving the Britons that flock there each summer. In Aug 2009 British tourist John Kirkham disappeared while walking the famous Lycian Way – a Roman route from Fethiye to Antalya. His body was discovered months later where he had fallen into a dried up river bed. And the following year in July 2010 little Cerys Matthews, nine, who was holidaying in Fethiye died in a white water rafting tragedy. Despite the tragic holiday deaths many Brits have been surprised and impressed by the excellent standard of care provided by the Turkish emergency services – particularly the paramedics and state of the art hospitals. | Boy, named as Mark Lalor Smith, 10, pinned against the wall by car . Youngster was on holiday with parents and siblings in town of Fethiye . | 7316f50972981272b15af49e085d86bb1b047d85 |
By . Margot Peppers . PUBLISHED: . 13:55 EST, 27 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:30 EST, 28 February 2013 . On tonight's episode of TLC's My Strange Addiction, a 27-year-old woman shares her obsession with her stuffed toy lamb. Ever since Audrey received the lamb as a gift five years ago, she has been unable to function without it, even bringing it to the gym with her when she works out. 'The lamb is my best friend,' she says in a trailer for the TLC show. 'I take it with me everywhere I go.' Scroll down for video . Obsessed: On tonight's episode of TLC's My Strange Addiction, 27-year-old Audrey has been unable to function without her stuffed toy lamb for the past five years . Special bond: Audrey played with toys as a child, but none ever made her feel the way the blue lamb does . Audrey says she played with stuffed animals as a child, but nothing ever compared to how she feels about this blue lamb. 'The lamb just sort of spoke something to me that no other stuffed animal ever has before,' she explains. And it's not just the typical human-toy relationship for Audrey. 'I think the lamb and I share a . spiritual connection,' she says. 'When I am looking into the lamb's . eyes, I feel a sense of comfort and peace. I can just feel all the . stress floating up and away.' Fun in the sand: She even takes her toy to the playground. 'The lamb loves to be outdoors,' she says . Pals: The lamb is Audrey's best friend. 'He is really just carefree and adventurous and awesome,' she gushes . Doing exercise: In one shot, Audrey is seen working out on a treadmill with her lamb tucked into her fanny pack . The video sees Audrey smiling as her toy rides on the merry-go-round. She takes it to a playground, reads it bedtime stories, brings it for a walk on the beach and even pretends to feed it. In one shot, Audrey is seen working out on a treadmill with her lamb tucked into her fanny pack. And . although her sister Ansley calls her relationship with the lamb . 'strange', Audrey maintains: 'He is really just carefree and adventurous . and awesome.' Tonight's episode also features a girl who is addicted to eating deodorant. Nineteen-year-old Nicole, whose obsession began two years ago, now consumes 15 sticks of deodorant a month. More than a toy: 'I think the lamb and I share a spiritual connection,' Audrey says. 'When I am looking into the lamb's eyes, I feel a sense of comfort and peace' Toy pet: Audrey treats the lamb like a real animal, petting it and even feeding it cucumbers . Her addiction is so extreme that it has taken over her life. 'When I wake up in the morning I want deodorant,' she says in a trailer for the episode. 'After each meal I want deodorant. When I’m stressed out, I eat deodorant.' Even in her sleep, Nicole can't shake her cravings. 'In the middle of the night, I wake up out of my sleep and I want deodorant,' she explains. Nicole uses the cap to scoop it out from the stick like a spoon, then chews and swallows it. And she buys specific brands of deodorant because she prefers the ones with a 'richer taste.' Bizarre craving: Also featured on tonight's episode is 19-year-old Nicole, who is addicted to eating deodorant . Odd behavior: Nicole uses the cap as a spoon and scoops out chunks of deodorant to chew on and swallow . 'It’s really soft,' she says. 'It feels like it melts in my mouth. It has its own unique taste.' Nicole first developed an urge to . taste deodorant when she was four years old. But two years ago, her . cravings turned into a full-fledged addiction. She admits: 'I take deodorant with me everywhere I go, because I never know when I’m going to crave it.' Nicole also uses spray deodorant to satisfy her addiction, which she says she likes even better because the residue doesn't get stuck in her teeth. Unstoppable urge: Nicole also uses spray deodorant to satisfy her addiction, and says she even likes this version better because the residue doesn't get stuck in her teeth . Particular flavor: She buys specific brands of deodorant because she prefers the ones with a 'richer taste' 'The first time I did it, it made my . tongue really numb for a couple of hours,' she says of using aerosol . deodorant. 'But I just love the taste.' Other bizarre addictions from the series include a woman who can't stop eating cat hair, a man in love with a car, and a couple with an unshakable penchant for coffee enemas. VIDEO Woman, 27, who cannot live without her beloved stuffed toy . | Tonight's episode of My Strange Addiction also features a 19-year-old girl obsessed with eating deodorant . | 63b7ff23933dd638703040cc330fbbd815a153ff |
Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez used "coded messages" in jailhouse calls to discuss the killing of Odin Lloyd, Massachusetts prosecutors said in court papers. Hernandez, 24, is being held on first-degree murder and weapons charges in the shooting death last year of his friend Lloyd. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. In court papers filed Thursday, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office asked a state court to order the Sheriff's Office to turn over recordings of jailhouse calls and records of the people who visited Hernandez since the former tight end was arrested in Lloyd's killing in June. Prosecutors said Hernandez used coded messages when discussing with friends allegations that he planned the June 17 killing of Lloyd in a North Attleborough, Massachusetts, industrial park, where Lloyd was found shot to death. Hernandez's lawyers moved to quash the request, calling it a "fishing expedition." "There is absolutely no basis to provide the Commonwealth with access to all of the defendant's recorded phone calls, past, present, and future," his attorneys, Michael Fee and Jamie Sultan, said in their court filing. Those who have visited Hernandez included his fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, and cousin, Tanya Cummings Singleton, both of whom face charges in connection with the Lloyd homicide, the court papers said. "Both of these co-defendants have been charged as accessories in the underlying offense of murder on the theory that they provided assistance to the defendant after the commission of that offense," Bristol Assistant District Attorney Roger L. Michel Jr. wrote in a court papers requesting the tapes and records. Michel wrote that in jailhouse phone conversations Hernandez discussed "matters directly relevant to the circumstances surrounding the murder of Odin Lloyd; viz: the defendant's subjective belief about his criminal liability; his use of coded messages to communicate with persons outside of jail; related prior offenses; inculpatory denials of ownership of a vehicle connected with the investigation; the extent of his control over persons charged as accessories; other matters relating to his codefendants, including their whereabouts and likely criminal liability.'' Both detainees and people they call are warned by the jail that their conversations are recorded. Authorities have said that Hernandez and two other men picked Lloyd up from his Boston apartment in a rental car shortly before he was found shot to death June 17. Surveillance cameras then captured the rental car leaving the crime scene and Hernandez carrying a gun as he returned to his home minutes later. | Defense attorneys move to block request for Aaron Hernandez's jailhouse calls . The former NFL star is being held on first-degree murder charge in death of Odin Lloyd . Prosecutor says Hernandez used "coded messages" while discussing killing during calls . He has pleaded not guilty to the charge stemming from the June killing . | aaae9a1e6945724709e41f3d2787412ef2d5efe5 |
Wigan are in talks over a possible £3million move for Terrence Boyd. The 6ft 2ins USA international was born in Germany and plays for Rapid Vienna. He scored 20 goals in 38 games for the Austrians last season and Uwe Rosler wants him to spearhead Wigan's Championship promotion challenge. Boyd was included on Jurgen Klinsmann's 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup but did not make the final cut. American boy: Wigan are chasing US international striker Terrence Boyd and are willing to pay £3m for him . | Wigan want US striker Terrence Boyd to spearhead their attack . Uwe Rosler has entered talks ahead of a possible £3m move . Boyd currently plays for Rapid Vienna and scored 20 goals last season . Boyd failed to make the final cut for the USA World Cup squad . | 5def801272deadff82399dade11c118ddab89d6f |
(CNN) -- Harry Kewell scored a dramatic extra-time winner as Australia beat holders Iraq 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup in Doha Saturday. The former Liverpool star struck with three minutes left of added time to deal a hammer blow to Iraq's title defense. The Socceroos will now take on Uzbekistan for a place in Saturday's final in Qatar. Kewell, who now plays for Galatasaray in Turkey, headed a cross from Matt McKay past Iraqi goalkeeper Mohammed Kassid to settle a tense encounter. Victory was sweet revenge for the Australians, who were beaten 3-1 by eventual winners Iraq in the group stages of the competition four years ago. Chances were few and far between in the first half of normal time, although McKay and Kewell came close just before the break. But in the second half, the Lions of Mesopotamia started to roar and Emad Mohammed hit the post with Mark Schwarzer beaten. Into extra-time, it was Australia who looked the more likely to make the breakthrough with Sasa Ognenovski nearly scoring with a spectacular overhead kick. Penalties were looming though when 32-year-old Kewell cropped up to score the vital goal to send Holgier Osieck's men through. "We showed great character in this game. It was delightful for the coach to watch." he told AFP. "Basically, we should have done it in the regular 90 minutes. Iraq played better in extra time." Meanwhile, South Korea beat Iran 1-0 in in the later quarterfinal, again after extra-time, to set up a last-four meeting with Japan. South Korea dominated for most the match but created few clear-cut chances at the Qatar Sport Club stadium. However, a goal from South Korean midfielder Bit Ka Ram Yoon in the 105th minute was enough to knock out the three-time champions. Both semifinals are scheduled to take place on Tuesday. | South Korea score in extra-time to beat Iran 1-0 in Asian Cup quarterfinals . Harry Kewell scores only goal of the game as Australia knock out 2007 champions Iraq . Kewell heads home winner with three minutes left of extra time in Doha . Australia to face Uzbekistan in semifinals; South Korea to meet Japan . | 133af2e94b1d774f121147774bb2c1b6b0f6e525 |
These are the amazing scenes when a wildlife photographer in Russia thought he was about to get some unbelievable images of a female bear and her cubs on the banks of a river. The unnamed photographer is equipped with a wide-angled and long lens - which is even covered in camouflage. The bear and her three cubs walk just a few feet in front of the photographer as he captures images on both of his cameras. However, Andrey Kireev, 44, from Moscow, was volunteering in South Kamchatka Wildlife park, when he spotted the potential danger. While the first photographer concentrates on the bears in front of him, he is completely oblivious to the second bear approaching from behind. Fortunately, the second bear was not interested in the photographer who survived the potentially fatal encounter unscathed. Scroll down for video . The unnamed wildlife photographer is completely engrossed in the large female bear and her two cubs who are playing by the water side . The bears had just emerged from the treeline on their way to the edge of the river in the South Kamchatka Wildlife Sanctuary . The three bears take a rest on the river bank just a foot from the water while the photographer continues to document proceedings . Yet, while he concentrates fully on the bear and her three cubs in front of him, the photographer is completely unaware of the new threat . He grabs his smaller camera as the bear and her three cubs close in at the South Kamachatka Wildlife Sanctuary, pictured . The photographer raises his camera to capture some unbelievable images of the three cubs who are only an arms' distance away . He looks completely relaxed as he captures the interesting family scene at the Russian wildlife reserve . | A wildlife photographer thought he got as close as possible to a family group of bears at a Russian wildlife reserve . The family unit was photographed as it walked from the woods over towards the water's edge . However, the photographer was completely oblivious to the second adult bear as it approached from behind . Luckily for the unsuspecting photographer, the second adult bear was uninterested in him and walked away . | d0a306f2a4d865548468daf9104af7737f0937ae |
By . Alex Finnis for MailOnline . The customised Captain America chopper Peter Fonda rode in 1969 classic 'Easy Rider' came to symbolise the counter-culture movement of the 1960s, and riding it has been described as like 'going out with Marilyn Monroe. Now, the iconic stars-and-stripes Harley-Davidson is going up for auction, and is expected to fetch between $1million-$1.2million, because it is the only one which remains from filming, and was used in the famous climactic scene, in which Fonda is thrown from the bike. The seller is Michael Eisenberg, a California businessman who once co-owned a Los Angeles motorcycle-themed restaurant with Fonda and 'Easy Rider' co-star Dennis Hopper. Scroll down for video . Michael Eisenberg sits on the customized Captain America chopper Peter Fonda rode in 'Easy Rider', which is now expected to make more than $1million when he sells it at auction next month . The bike is the only one remaining from filming and is one of the most recognisable motorcycles of all time . Peter Fonda riding the Harley-Davidson as Wyatt in 1969 counter-culture classic 'Easy Rider' Mr Eisenberg bought it last year from National Motorcycle Museum and Dan Haggerty - perhaps best known for his roles in the 'Grizzly Adams' TV show and movies - who was in charge of keeping the custom-designed bike humming during the 1969 movie's filming. The gleaming panhead chopper with chromed hardtail frame is accompanied by three letters of authenticity. One is signed by the National Motorcycle Museum, where it was displayed for 12 years. Another is from Fonda and a third from Haggerty. The bike features a forward-angled front wheel and handlebars, fishtail exhaust pipes and a teardrop-shaped gas tank where the protagonists stashed their cash. It was designed with input from Fonda who insisted on it being decorated with the American flag. The bike features a forward-angled front wheel, fishtail exhaust pipes and a teardrop-shaped gas tank . The gas tank was where the protagonists stored their cash in the film, and is signed by Fonda himself . The bike was a central part of the film, which was about two drug-using bikers who went on a cross-country journey from Los Angeles to New Orleans to discover the real America . 'Easy Rider' (1969) is a classic road film about two drug-using, long-haired bikers, Wyatt (Fonda) and Billy (Hopper), who go on a cross-country odyssey from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of personal freedom and easy money. Four motorcycles were created for the movie, but only one is known to have survived. It was used in the final scene, when Billy is shot by a redneck, and Wyatt is blown from his bike while rushing to get help after the gas tank is shot. The film ends with the flaming bike set in the middle of the deserted road. 'Three of the motorcycles were stolen, even before the movie was released, which was a sign of the overwhelming power that these motorcycles had,' said Haggerty. 'They were never recovered.' The bike is being sold by auction house Profiles in History both online and at its California galleries . The chopper's fishtail exhaust pipes are just one of its distinguishing features which make it so valuable . Wyatt (Fonda, left) and Billy (Hopper, right) tear down a stretch of deserted road in the 1969 film . The Profiles in History auction house in Calabasas, California is filled with Hollywood memorabilia . After the film was finished, Hopper told Haggerty to keep it. Haggerty rode it often, an experience he likened to 'going out with Marilyn Monroe'. Parting with it was like having a 'child finally getting married and moving away and starting a new life on their own', he said. That new life was at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, run by a friend of Haggerty's. When the museum decided to sell it last year, Mr Eisenberg jumped at the chance to buy it. An 'Easy Rider' fan since childhood, Mr Eisenberg ran the Thunder Road House in West Hollywood with Fonda and Hopper in the 1990s, until it burnt down due to an electrical fire. For years he had wanted to buy the bike from Haggerty, and then the museum. 'I always wanted to own it,' he said. 'But once it sunk in that I actually had it, then I realised how important it was.' He added: 'The public needs to see it. It's that iconic. It needs to be on a podium.' Eisenberg said he plans to donate 'a significant amount' of the proceeds to the American Humane Association to honour Fonda's involvement with the organization. The auction is being held by Profiles in History online and at its galleries in Calabasas, California on October 18. The chromed 1,200-cc V-twin engine of the Captain America chopper is still in excellent shape . Mr Eisenberg believes the bike is so special that it needs to be on a podium for the public to see . | The classic stars-and-stripes Harley-Davidson is up for auction next month . It is the only one remaining from the four made to film the 1969 movie . Was used to film the iconic final scene in which Fonda is flung from the bike . Being sold by a California businessman who owned a restaurant with Fonda . | cc69ed6470f74d07e4526be1a1e25b38a174d3a0 |
By . Ap Reporter and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:05 EST, 21 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:23 EST, 21 October 2013 . Two of the three women held captive for a decade in a Cleveland house . are collaborating with a Pulitzer Prize-winning team of Washington Post . reporters for a planned book about their ordeal. In a . statement issued Monday, an attorney for Amanda . Berry and Gina DeJesus said they will work with the Post's Mary Jordan, a . Cleveland native, and her husband and fellow reporter, Kevin Sullivan. No meetings with publishers have been scheduled, although interest would . likely be based on the popularity of another kidnapping survivor's . memoir, Jaycee Dugard's A Stolen Life. Victims: Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus have agreed to write a book about their terrible ordeal . Hometown: Cleveland native Mary Jordan will write the book about the women kidnapped by Castro . Negotiations for the . book will be handled by Washington-based attorney Robert Barnett, whose . clients have included President Barack Obama and Amanda Knox. 'Many . have told, and continue to tell, this story in ways that are both . inaccurate and beyond the control of these young women,' said James . Wooley, the attorney for Berry and DeJesus. 'Our clients have a strong . desire for privacy, but it is a reality that confronts them every day. Gina, Amanda and their families have decided to take control and are now . interested in telling the story of what happened to them.' Wooley . said in his statement that he had known Jordan for years and contacted . her about the project. Jordan told the AP during a recent interview that . she was drawn to the 'resilience' of Berry and DeJesus and was eager to . help them tell an 'amazing story of overcoming adversity.' Monster: Ariel Castro was found dead in his prison cell last month after apparently hanging himself . In 2003, she . and Sullivan won a Pulitzer for their series about the Mexican criminal . justice system. Berry, DeJesus and Michelle Knight were all 20 . or younger when they were kidnapped between 2002 and 2004 by Ariel . Castro, a former school bus driver. They were rescued from Castro's . house on May 6 when Berry broke through a screen door and called 911. Investigators said the women were bound, repeatedly raped and deprived . of food and bathroom facilities. House of horrors: The three women were held in this house (right) for nearly 10 years . Castro was sentenced Aug. 1 to . life in prison plus 1,000 years after pleading guilty to 937 counts, . including kidnapping and rape, in a deal to avoid the death penalty. He . hanged himself in his cell in September. | Castro victims Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus will help write book about their abductor . Pullitzer Prize-winning journalist Mary Jordan will write the book . | 710e4516dba4dc2eb78f4782618f7ec750ce6058 |
(CNN) -- The Illinois Supreme Court's recent decision to permit the televising of trials in the state's circuit courts brings to mind another question of television in a court: the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court will soon hear oral argument -- the fascinating, highly informative back-and-forth between the justices and the lawyers before them -- in a monumental case that will determine the constitutionality of the government's new health care plan. Everyone is interested. C-SPAN has asked the justices for permission to televise the extraordinary five-and-a-half hours of oral argument (most cases get just one hour) scheduled for March 26 through 28. But the Supreme Court, despite numerous requests and even proposed congressional action extending over several decades, has never permitted television. The justices fear the presence of cameras would tarnish the court's dignified proceedings. But bear in mind that the Supreme Court doesn't try cases, so there's no danger of uncorking sensational trials like those of O.J. Simpson, Casey Anthony or Michael Jackson's doctor. That's not the issue. Chief Justice John Roberts told the annual conference of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals last June that he worries how cameras might affect both lawyers and judges. He was asked, "Do you worry that judges might ask even more questions?" "I do," he replied emphatically. He added, a bit defensively: "We are the most transparent branch of government." He also questioned whether televising congressional sessions has enhanced them. In fact, there's lots of experience to point to, and the precedents are clear: television would not impair the Supreme Court's dignity or its proceedings. Two-thirds of the state supreme courts admit cameras to their oral arguments. Two federal appellate courts have allowed them. They're standard in the Supreme Court of Canada. Most of these courts have welcomed cameras for years without adverse consequences, effectively dispelling the vague worries of the justices in Washington. The Illinois Supreme Court, for example, began experimenting with TV cameras as early as 1983, according to its press secretary, Joseph R. Tybor. It now provides its own videos of oral arguments and posts them daily. It's routine and unobtrusive. Three small, silent cameras mounted in the Springfield courtroom are operated remotely by state employees in the basement of the court building. Similarly, New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals, first authorized TV coverage in 1987, and since 2009 all oral arguments have been covered and posted in the court's archive, according to Gary Spencer, the court's public information officer. Coverage is provided by just two small cameras mounted on window sills at the sides of the court room, operated remotely from a studio in the basement. "Our experience," Spencer said, "is that it has not caused any problems. The more the public can learn about what leads to a decision, the more willing they are to accept it." When the Supreme Court of Arkansas was considering television coverage, one of its justices, Robert L. Brown, undertook his own survey and found that "state supreme courts have blazed a significant technological trail." He wrote, in 2007, in the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process: "The public's response, according to those state supreme courts that provide those video broadcasts, borders on the exuberant. . . [N]o state that currently provides video of its oral arguments cites grandstanding as a problem." Justice Brown quoted the then chief justice of the California Supreme Court, Ronald M. George, as telling him that its videos provided "the best P.R. you can imagine." Arkansas two years ago became the 34th state supreme court to admit cameras. Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco commented in the Journal of Appellate Practice and Process about his court's long experience on-camera that both judges and lawyers "have acted with the civility and decorum appropriate to a federal appellate courtroom, by and large resisting the temptation to play to the television audience. . . My own experience with cameras in the courtroom has been overwhelmingly positive." In Canada the proceedings of the nation's Supreme Court have been televised since the mid-1990s. Four fixed cameras, mounted high on the walls of the courtroom in Ottawa, face the bench and the counsel's podium. When a judge asks a question, she pushes a button that both opens her microphone and focuses a camera on her. "Our judges are proud of it," said Andres Garin, executive legal officer of the Supreme Court of Canada. "There's no downside. It has not been disruptive. There's no playing to the camera." Of course, if the U.S. Supreme Court should allow television, but then finds that its presence is deleterious, the justices could always reverse their own decision. They've done it before. Americans visiting Washington stand in line for hours to see the Supreme Court in action, but there's limited space inside the ornate courtroom. However, it should be noted that the court has taken recent steps to better inform the public: it publishes transcripts of each oral argument later that same day, and each Friday it releases audio recordings of all oral arguments that week. Still, the justices should welcome television coverage, not only of the coming health care case, but of all their oral arguments. Even in this digital age of 24/7 access to almost everything, television news still reaches more people. A survey reported in January by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that "television remains the most widely used source for national and international news -- 66% of Americans say it is their main source of news." TV coverage would greatly enhance public understanding of the court and its work. If the justices decide soon, unobtrusive cameras can be mounted in the courtroom in time for the historic health care oral argument in March. Then they'll be available for future cases as well. Good for the court, good for the country. Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Joe Mathewson. | Joe Mathewson: Supreme Court should follow other courts, televise its arguments . He says a good start would be to show oral argument on Obama health care law . Mathewson: Cameras haven't disrupted the proceedings of other courts . Televising court sessions would be good for the country and for the court, he says . | b8091078331922954672f68fcfd2b5da3ae96077 |
Their diaries are stuffed with exclusive engagements – and their bank balances are almost as overflowing. But according to the glamorous cast of ITV’s latest reality series, life isn’t as sweet as it sounds. The six stars of Ladies of London claim their attractiveness actually makes it harder to succeed in a ‘man’s world’. Scroll down for video . Ladies of London: Caroline Stanbury, Marissa Hermer, Juliet Angus, Caprice Bourret, Annabelle Neilson and Noelle Reno . The series follows the high society exploits of British socialites Annabelle Neilson and Caroline Stanbury and American expats Caprice Bourret, Juliet Angus, Marissa Hermer and Noelle Reno. In the first episode, Miss Bourret – who classes herself as British – insists: ‘I find England still to be a man’s world. In this country, and especially if you’re good looking, it’s almost a detriment.’ The show was a hit when it was aired in the US earlier this year, and began on ITVBe last night. So just who are these ladies who lunch? 1. PRINCE ANDREW’S OLD FLAME . Caroline Stanbury, 38, was born into the Vestey family – worth an estimated £600million – and grew up hobnobbing with the royals. She owns a 12,000 sq ft home on the Wentworth Estate in Surrey, where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have stayed. It boasts a swimming pool and six or seven bedrooms – ‘I really haven’t counted’. Upper-class glam: Caroline Stanbury, 38, is rumoured to have dated Prince Andrew and Hugh Grant . Miss Stanbury runs Gift Library, an elite gift service, and is married to investment banker Cem Habib, with whom she has a seven-year-old daughter and three-year-old twins. She is rumoured to have dated Prince Andrew, as well as Hugh Grant and footballer Ryan Giggs. How she sees it: ‘British women can be quite stuck-up, but American women, it’s kind of drummed into them to be these Stepford wives.’ On her fellow ladies: ‘Noelle and her hat, totally unnecessary [at polo]. She looks totally out of place.’ 2. THE QUEEN OF THE PARTY SCENE . Marissa Hermer, 32, is a director at Ignite Group, owned by her husband Matt. The group includes nightclub Boujis, a royal favourite. Mrs Hermer moved to London in 2008 and is known for lavish parties that feature in magazines such as Tatler. She has two young sons. How she sees it: ‘A lot of society girls were not interested in me… [until] they found out my husband was Matt Hermer.’ On her fellow ladies: ‘When you go out with Juliet you buy tickets to the Juliet show.’ 3. THE HOLLYWOOD SOCIALITE . Juliet Angus, 38, is a fashion PR consultant and aspiring TV personality. She has children aged four and two with husband Gregor, an advertising executive. The family, who employ a nanny and a make-up artist, moved to London from Hollywood three years ago, leaving behind friends including Leonardo DiCaprio and Lindsay Lohan. How she sees it: ‘The Brits are so serious, I just wanted to turn to them and say lighten up.’ On her fellow ladies: ‘Noelle’s idea of a future husband is one with lots of money in his pocket.’ Queen of lace: Caprice Bourret, 42, runs a lingerie empire and is believed to be worth £17million . 4. THE LINGERIE DESIGNER . Caprice Bourret, 42, is a model and businesswoman who owns lingerie company By Caprice. She moved to England from America in 1996 and now lives in London with her partner, multi-millionaire financier Ty Comfort, 45. She is believed to be worth £17million. Last year Caprice gave birth to a son – less than a month after having a baby by a surrogate mother. How she sees it: ‘No one goes to polo to watch polo. You go there to drink and socialise. Duh.’ On her fellow ladies: ‘Caroline is someone who will be so nice to you and then turn round and absolutely annihilate you.’ 5. THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL ARISTOCRAT . Model Annabelle Neilson, 45, was the long-term muse and close friend of the late Alexander McQueen. She is from an aristocratic family and is the ex-wife of financier Nat Rothschild, while her former boyfriends include Lord Edward Spencer Churchill, son of the Duke of Marlborough. Miss Neilson, who describes herself as ‘more rock and roll than posh’, counts Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Richard Branson among her friends, lives in Chelsea and is worth an estimated £13million. How she sees it: ‘The Americans are dressed like they’re going to have tea at Buckingham Palace, not the polo.’ On her fellow ladies: ‘The way I look at them is like three dogs. Juliet is an overexcited terrier, Noelle I see as a mutt you pick up from Battersea dogs home. ‘And Marissa is one of those pampered poodles with shaved stuff and little buns all over her. And she’s probably pink.’ McQueen's muse: Annabelle Neilson, 45, lives in Chelsea and is worth an estimated £13million . 6. THE WEALTHY FASHIONISTA . Noelle Reno, 30, is a former model and the co-founder of cashmere fashion brand Degrees of Freedom. She has also teamed up with fashion designer Zandra Rhodes for a clothing line called Z. Miss Reno followed her ex-fiancé Matthew Mellon – who is Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon’s ex-husband – to London at the age of 20 and decided to stay in the city, even when they broke up. It was through Mr Mellon that she met current fiancé, former property tycoon Scot Young, who at the time of filming was in the midst of a bitter divorce battle with his ex-wife Michelle. Miss Reno is worth an estimated £6million. How she sees it: ‘We’ve been trying to marry for four years but hasn’t happened because of [Scot’s] divorce … I’m not going to wait around until I’m 35.’ | Ladies of London hits the UK after running in the US this summer . Follows life of six socialites from Britain and America in London . Show stars lingerie queen Caprice and Prince Andrew's ex-girlfriend . | 5c02cd2d440b6cd760658f5af7a30546cc8e9341 |
By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 11:55 EST, 23 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:27 EST, 23 April 2012 . Guilty: Former Iceland Prime Minister Geir Haarde was today convicted for failing to hold cabinet meetings as the economy collapsed . The former Prime Minister of Iceland has been found guilty of negligence over the country's 2008 financial collapse. Geir Haarde, 61, was convicted for failing to hold emergency cabinet meetings as the economy went into meltdown. But he was cleared of three other more serious charges and will avoid jail. Haarde was the first world leader to face prosecution in connection with the global banking crisis. More than £3billion was lost by British savers, councils and charities when the banks collapsed. The UK government is still trying to claw back money through the courts. Haarde led the Icelandic government between 2006 and 2009. He smiled and shook hands with supporters after the judgment was announced today. The 15 members of the Landsdomur, a . special court founded in 1905 to deal with criminal charges against . Icelandic government ministers, returned a 500-page verdict, but only a . brief summary was announced in public. His expenses for defending the case are to be met by the Icelandic state. Haarde, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, could have faced up to two years in prison. After the verdict, he said: 'In my opinion and let me say this clearly, I believe the majority of the judges have succumbed to political pressure in the case and decided to offer the prosecution a small consolation price to justify this low and costly process. 'The count of which I am found guilty has nothing to do with the origins of the financial crisis or the way I dealt with it.' He said he was considering appealing to the European Court of Human Rights on the conviction. 'I am found partially guilty for not discussing the financial situation in the markets frequently enough at cabinet meetings in the period leading up to the crisis in the period leading up to the crisis in 2008,' he said. Smiles: Despite being found guilty, Mr Haarde, pictured today with his wife Inga Jona Thordardottir, was found not guilty of three more serious charges and avoided jail . 'This is obviously a purely formalistic charge. It has nothing to do with the banking crisis as such. 'I can tell you that I have always found this charge to be even more ridiculous than the others.' Haarde originally faced six charges, but two were dismissed in October. Iceland's banking sector ballooned to nine times the nation's annual gross domestic product in a decade of boom, before collapsing under the weight of debt in October 2008. The country's three main banks collapsed in a single week. Haarde was convicted of failing to take the initiative to ensure 'a comprehensive and professional analysis of the financial risk faced by the state because of the risk of financial crisis.' He was cleared of malfeasance, of neglecting to act to reduce the size of the banking system, of not making sure that national bank Landsbanki's Icesave interest accounts in Britain were transferred to a subsidiary, and of failing to produce better results from the government's 2006 report on financial stability and preparedness. At the wheel as the economy collapsed: Geir Haarde, pictured here with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2008, was put on trial over the country's 2008 financial crisis accused of negligence . Testifying in March, Haarde said neither he nor financial regulators knew the real state of Icelandic banks' precarious finances until they collapsed. 'The bankers did not realize that the situation was as dire as it was,' Haarde said. 'It was not until after the crash that everyone saw it coming.' The special court included five supreme court justices, a district court president, a constitutional law professor and eight people chosen by parliament. Haarde, the former leader of the Independence Party, became a hated symbol of the bubble economy for Icelanders who lost their jobs and homes in the crash. He testified that the size of the bank would not have been a problem if not for their recklessness and a worldwide squeeze on credit, which also brought down major banks in the United States and Europe. | Geir Haarde could have faced two years behind bars . Former leader said he is considering appealing to European Court of Human Rights . Special court finds him guilty of one out of four charges . Haarde is the first leader in the world to face prosecution because of the banking crisis . | 2f16e5228a0ba6bdd655ee2dec6a8a7cd6a6b430 |
By . Thomas Neal . As she strides purposefully through an African forest in leopard-print Wellingtons, Essex girl Rachael Murton is pursued by six excitable elephants. Together, the lumbering animals weigh a combined 500 stone, but Chelmsford-born Rachael retains her composure. For these young orphaned elephants, this devoted young British woman is their surrogate mum, and each wants to be first for a cuddle. Tenderly, these colossal beasts — years from being fully grown — raise their trunks to 33-year-old Rachael's face, seeming to wrap her in an embrace. Scroll down for video . Dedication: Rachael Murton, who runs The Lilayi elephant nursery close to Lusaka in Zambia, with one of the young orphans she cares for . Drink up: The baby elephant guzzles down a couple of litres of milk. Their mothers usually suckle them until they are two or three . When adult females are killed for their tusks, their babies quickly become emaciated because they need maternal milk to grow until the age of two or three . A biology graduate who left the UK after university, Rachael has dedicated her life to saving baby elephants left without their real mums by poachers killing indiscriminately for ivory and bush-meat in Zambia. Not only does she nurse the severely traumatised animals back to health, she is also on 24-hour call to mount dangerous rescue operations to bring abandoned elephants to safety. 'I've always loved animals and I left my white stilettos in Essex,' jokes Rachael, who came to Zambia in 2008 after working on animal conservation projects around the world. She manages the Lilayi Elephant Nursery, the only orphanage of its kind in southern Africa, for anti-poaching organisation Game Rangers International, which has links to the International Fund For Animal Welfare. The orphanage, near the capital Lusaka, performs a vital role in a country where ivory poachers who sell tusks to dealers for the Far East market are unlikely to be arrested. When adult females are killed for their tusks, their babies quickly become emaciated because they need maternal milk to grow until the age of two or three. I nose you: An affectionate 'kiss' for Rachael from one of the youngsters she has nursed back to health . Pinpoint accuracy: Acupuncture treatment restored feeling to Suni's leg . It's a family affair: The orphan elephants are gradually reintroduced into the wild when they are well enough and quickly find comfort and friendship as part of a herd again . Forlorn and confused, the orphans are shunned by their herds because their weak state means they are more likely to attract lions . Stepping out: Rachael dons her leopard-print boots to lead the parade . Rachael, who studied at Royal Holloway College, near Egham, Surrey, is the woman park rangers turn for help . Forlorn and confused, they are shunned by their herds because their weak state means they are more likely to attract lions. Without human intervention, orphaned elephants would quickly die. Rachael, who studied at Royal Holloway College, near Egham, Surrey, is the woman park rangers turn for help, even going up in a microlight on one dramatic rescue when two baby elephants came close to plunging over Victoria Falls. Until 2012, when the orphanage was opened, she was based in the bush, living without modern conveniences for many months of the year. Her passion to help was fuelled after she found two-year-old female Suni, who was attacked with an axe when her mother was poached. Rachael and her Zambian keepers now dote on the young elephant who had horrific injuries. To save Suni's limp leg, Game Rangers International commissioned a special metal boot so she can walk. She also has acupuncture. The Lilayi orphan herd also includes young bull Zambezi, who has an astonishing rescue story. A barman at a safari lodge spotted what he thought was a rather portly guest splashing about in the swimming pool. Looking closer, he realised it was actually a one-month-old baby elephant. Separated from his mother, he was desperate for water and had tumbled into the pool as he tried to drink. Once sufficiently recovered, the orphans will be returned to the wild in Zambia's Kafue National Park. In this gigantic wilderness the size of Wales, they are initially kept safe from harm in a controlled area. But eventually they will be free to roam with the herds. While the international ivory trade continues to kill thousands, it is left to brave animal lovers like Rachael to pick up the pieces. She makes a formidable ally for the elephants. ■ To donate to IFAW, please visit ifaw.org/united-kingdom . Once sufficiently recovered, the orphans will be returned to the wild in Zambia's Kafue National Park . In this gigantic wilderness the size of Wales, they are initially kept safe from harm in a controlled area . Chelmsford-born Rachael is the surrogate mum of the baby elephants, and each wants to be first for a cuddle . Without human intervention, orphaned elephants would quickly die . Rachael's passion to help was fuelled after she found two-year-old female Suni, who was attacked with an axe when her mother was poached . The elephants roam in Zambia's Kafue National Park, a gigantic wilderness the size of Wales . Kafue National Park is the oldest and largest of Zambia's national parks . | Rachael Murton cares for baby elephants left without their mums by poachers killing indiscriminately . The Chelmsford-born biology graduate carries out dangerous rescue operations in the African bush . She manages the Lilayi Elephant Nursery, the only orphanage of its kind in southern Africa . | c86253dfb385d00ff8cc687128dc4c8fd6c767fb |
By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 14:38 EST, 16 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:51 EST, 17 June 2013 . If ever it looks like we might be getting a bit above our station, we can always rely on our siblings to pull us back down to earth. And that is exactly what happened to this young showboating lion as he showed off his athletic prowess in front of his less than impressed brother. The play fighting pair were spotted by photographer David Jenkins, at the Antelope Park in Zimbabwe. Monkeying around: A lion looks casually at photographer David Jenkins at the Antelope Park in Zimbabwe as his brother attempts to climb a tree above him . Where do you think you're going? A lion bites the end of his brother's tail, pictured left, before jumping up on to the tree himself to try and knock his brother down . As he climbs the tree, effortlessly shinning up the trunk with his powerful claws, his brother looks out across the landscape, perhaps not as eager to show off. But then it seems he has had enough of his playmate getting all the attention as suddenly, he springs to catch him by the tail. Big cat fight: The lion bounds up the tree after his brother who has found refuge in the branches . On the purr-owl: The lion ends up back on the ground after losing his grip - but is determined not to give up . Going, going, gone: The lion finally shows his brother who's boss after managing to tackle him to the ground . Unable to pull him back down with his jaws alone he joins him on the tree trunk. Then the games really begin, with the lions playfully tussling with each other as they engage in a battle of strength. But in the end, gravity always wins, and the pair soon fall to the ground, where they continue their play fight in earnest. | The tussling pair were spotted at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe . Lion wrestles his brother to the ground as he shows off for photographers . | e2d006ea0262c3a34cb99c112d90745c0c5bcd51 |
A new and potentially more accurate test for prostate cancer is being trialled across the UK. The new multi parametric (MP) MRI scans could give accurate and detailed images making it easier to identify whether or not a patient has prostate cancer. The new scans could also predict the size of a tumour and how aggressive it is. The trial is testing whether the use of these advanced MRI scans can detect the condition, without the need for painful and invasive biopsies. Currently, men with suspected prostate cancer have a blood test to see if a higher level of protein - known as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) - is found. A new and potentially more accurate test for prostate cancer is being trialled across the UK. Multi parametric (MP) MRI scans can give accurate and detailed images making it easier to diagnose cancer, without a biopsy . If the protein is found, they are referred on for a transrectal ultrasound (Trus) guided biopsy. This procedure involves using an ultrasound probe to guide a needle through the walls of the rectum and into the prostate gland to take samples to be analysed. It is performed under local anaesthetic. However, a spokesman for Southampton General Hospital, one of the centres trialling the new technique, said the current test is invasive but not always accurate. He said: 'As the ultrasound cannot always reliably identify the disease, it can miss some cancers or lead to over-diagnosis, frequently resulting in unnecessary surgery. 'However, the latest imaging technology, known as multi parametric (MP) MRI, can produce accurate and detailed scans that could make it easier to identify whether or not a patient has cancer and, if so, the specific size, position and aggressiveness of it. To protect against prostate cancer, take a lover - or 20. Men who sleep with multiple women are almost a third less likely to develop the disease, according to Canadian research published in October. Researchers found men who have more than 20 notches on their bedpost slashed their risk of prostate cancer by 28 per cent. And the study also revealed that men who have slept with more than 20 women reduced their chances of getting the most aggressive tumours by 19 per cent. Celibacy, on the other hand, doubles the risk of the disease. 'This could enable clinicians to either rule out the need for further testing or, if cancer is found, give a clearer understanding of which part of the prostate is affected.' At the moment, all men with raised PSA or an abnormal feeling prostate are advised to have a biopsy. But many will not have cancer. Most will be suffering another condition which raises PSA levels in the blood, such as enlarged prostate. Tim Dudderidge, a consultant urological surgeon at Southampton General Hospital, said these biopsies miss some cancers, and falsely diagnose others, leading to unnecessary treatment. He said: 'These biopsies can miss cancers in some areas of the prostate which the needle cannot reach, or pick up tiny traces of cancer that might be slow-growing and harmless. 'This leads to men having unnecessary surgery to remove the prostate gland.' Mr Dudderidge is now working with colleagues at another nine sites across the country to recruit 700 men with suspected prostate cancer for the study by October 2015. He said: 'If, as we think, the study shows us that (MP) MRI can accurately identify those who have cancer and those who don't, it will truly revolutionise diagnosis for men with prostate cancer. 'It will mean those with a negative scan will avoid undergoing potentially painful and invasive biopsies, while those with positive scans will benefit from their specialists having much greater detail of their cancer at the earliest possible stage.' Prostate cancer, which mainly affects men over 50, is the most common type of cancer in men with around 37,000 new cases diagnosed in the UK every year. Currently, prostate cancer is diagnosed with a painful and invasive biopsy which involves using an ultrasound probe to guide a needle through the walls of the rectum and into the prostate gland. Here, cancerous cells are pictured under a microscope . | New technique being trialled uses multi parametric (MP) MRI scans . These could give accurate and detailed images to identify prostate cancer . Could also ascertain the cancer's size, location and aggressiveness . Currently men undergo test to see if a higher level of protein PSA is found . They are then sent for an invasive biopsy involving a rectal needle . Isn't 100% accurate; missing some cancers and falsely diagnosing others . Nine centres across the country recruiting men for study in October 2015 . | 04b580f765130667e39f92f48a3f0f2b58687b8f |
(CNN) -- From the Epic of Gilgamesh, composed in Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago, to Evan Almighty -- Hollywood's 2007 take on the Noah's Ark story -- floods and their catastrophic effects have long provided inspiration for storytellers. As global warming provokes increasingly severe weather events, however, the gap between art and life is fast narrowing, with apocalyptic flooding scenarios now as common in reality as in the imaginations of Hollywood scriptwriters. Recent flooding in the UK, for example -- the worst for 60 years -- left some 30,000 people homeless and the insurance industry facing over £3 billion ($6 billion) in payouts. Torrential rains in India, Nepal and Bangladesh have caused even greater misery, claiming hundreds of lives and displacing an estimated 20 million civilians. In the U.S., meanwhile, New Orleans continues to suffer from the ravages of 2005's Hurricaine Katrina, with much of the city still empty and uninhabitable two years after the deluge. With low-lying areas around the world increasingly susceptible to flooding -- this at a time when population growth has necessitated the construction of more and more homes in such areas -- the question of how to balance the need for housing with the dangers of rising water levels has never been more pressing. In the Netherlands, where half the country lies below mean sea level and flooding has long been a fact of life, construction and engineering company Dura Vermeer has come up with a novel and, when you think about it, obvious solution to the problem: houses that float. "These type of homes offer a good way of dealing with the effects of climate change," Dura Vermeer spokesman Johan van der Pol told CNN. "Unlike normal houses, they are extremely flexible when it comes to flooding, able to deal with a sea level rise of up to five metres. "In a country such as Holland, where flooding is a serious problem, this sort of technology could have an extremely important role to play." The company has developed two variations on the same theme: a floating house which, as the name suggests, sits permanently on the water like a boat; and an amphibious house that stands on dry land but, in the event of floods, is able to rise with the water. Both employ a large hollow concrete cube at their base to provide buoyancy, and are "moored" in pairs to huge steel piles to keep them anchored in one place, the piles enabling them to withstand currents as strong as you would find on the open seas. Water and electricity are brought in through flexible pipes that have been adapted to bend and move with the swell of the water. In every other respect they look and feel like normal homes -- albeit up-market designer homes -- with split-level accommodation, wooden balconies and clapboard exteriors painted cheery shades of yellow, green and blue. "The steel piles mean that residents experience no horizontal, side-to-side movement," explains van der Pol. "Although there is a small amount of vertical, up and down movement, most residents say they find the feeling quite enjoyable. "These houses not only offer protection against floods, but also great quality of living and low environmental impact." So far Dura Vermeer has built 46 such water-friendly units - 14 floating and 32 amphibious - at Maasbommel, on the banks of the River Maas in Gelderland province in the centre of the country. The technology and design -- the latter provided by Dutch architectural firm Factor Architecten -- took three years to develop, although obtaining a government green light for the project took considerably longer. "After the disastrous floods of 1995 the Dutch government laid down strict rules forbidding the building of houses beside rivers. "We had a lot of discussion with them and eventually those rules were adapted to allow for the construction of suitable housing at fifteen separate river locations, of which Maasbommel is one. "Our philosophy is that you can look at water as a threat, but also as a challenge and a commercial opportunity. Combining water and housing is the obvious way forward in countries such as the Netherlands." Floating buildings are certainly not the only way of achieving such a combination. Dura Vermeer is also developing what they term "dry-proof" and "wet-proof" houses, the former designed to prevent water intrusion, the latter to actually allow it. "The idea with wet-proof houses is that all the essential rooms -- living room, kitchen, bedroom - are on the upper floors," explains van der Pol. "In the event of a flood you open the doors and allow the water to enter the non-essential lower rooms, which have been specially designed to resist water damage, with waterproof plaster and specially adapted electrics and plumbing. "It is how houses in Holland always used to be built." If there are a number of technological options, however, it is the idea of a floating house, one that can withstand rising water levels by literally rising with them, that has attracted the most interest, both within the Netherlands and from countries with similar flooding issues. "There have been enquiries from around the world," says van der Pol. "We are now working with companies in the Far East, Asia, America and elsewhere in Europe, although we ourselves will only be building houses in Holland." The houses are certainly not being touted as an alternative to conventional flood defenses such as dykes, levees and river barriers. Nor are they cheap, their starting price of 260,000 euros ($310,000) meaning that, in terms of mass construction, it is only the world's more affluent nations that will be able to afford them (although as van der Pol points out, developing countries such as Bangladesh tend to use materials other than concrete to build houses, so probably would have much use for these type of structures anyway.) In Europe, the U.S, and Canada, on the other hand, such buildings could well become the norm, with Dura Vermeer and a number of other Dutch companies already exploring the possibility of entire cities built in this manner. With scientists predicting sea-level rises of up to 110 cms (43 inches) by 2100, and catastrophic weather events becoming ever more common, the floating house could be the only realistic way for people to continue living in low-lying areas without fear of losing their homes, possessions and even lives to flooding. As Dutch Housing Minister Sybilla Dekker recently put it: "You cannot fight water. You have to learn how to live with it." Or in this case, float on it. ............................................. Are floating houses the answer to rising sea levels? Would you live in a floating home? Share your views and read others' thoughts in the Just Imagine forum. | Dutch company develops range of floating and amphibious houses . Homes built on air-filled concrete cubes that rise with floods . Entire floating cities now being planned . | 756e59c722cbd90199cc22fd67a4547558ba59b9 |
A Sudanese woman sentenced to die for refusing to renounce her Christianity gave birth to a baby girl in prison Tuesday, her lawyers said. Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, 27, delivered her baby at a women's prison in Khartoum, but her husband was not allowed to be present for the birth, sources told CNN. They asked not to be named for safety reasons. Ibrahim was convicted of apostasy, or the renunciation of faith, about two weeks ago while she was eight months pregnant. A Sudanese lawyer filed an appeal last week to reverse the verdict by the lower court. She is in prison with her 20-month-old son, but Sudanese officials have said the toddler is free to leave any time, according to her lawyer, Mohamed Jar Elnabi. Her husband, Daniel Wani, is a U.S. citizen who uses a wheelchair and "totally depends on her for all details of his life," her lawyer said. The appeal . The appeals court in Khartoum will issue a ruling on the case in the next week, but it will first ask the lower court to submit the documents it used to make the ruling, according to her lawyer. Once that's done, it will issue a case number, he said. "We will continue checking with the appeals court, but Inshallah (Allah willing) ... the appeals court will reverse the sentence and set her free," he said. Christian or Muslim? Ibrahim says her father was a Sudanese Muslim and her mother was Ethiopian Orthodox. Her father left when she was 6, and she was raised as a Christian. The court had warned her to renounce her Christianity by May 15, but she held firm to her beliefs. Sudanese Parliament speaker Fatih Izz Al-Deen said claims that Ibrahim was raised as non-Muslim are untrue. She was raised in an Islamic environment, and her brother, a Muslim, filed the complaint against her, according to Al-Deen. The complaint alleges that she went missing for several years, and her family was shocked to find out she married a Christian, according to her lawyer. However, because her father was Muslim, the courts considered her one too, which would mean her marriage to a non-Muslim man is void. Attempts to contact Sudan's justice minister and foreign affairs minister for comment were unsuccessful. 100 lashes . In addition to the death sentence, the court convicted Ibrahim of adultery and sentenced her to 100 lashes. The Parliament speaker has said the verdict is not final and will go through all the judicial stages to reach the constitutional court. Worldwide condemnation . Rights groups and foreign embassies worldwide condemned the verdict. "The fact that a woman could be sentenced to death for her religious choice, and to flogging for being married to a man of an allegedly different religion, is abhorrent and should never be even considered," said Manar Idriss, Amnesty International's Sudan researcher. Katherine Perks with the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies said the verdict goes against Sudan's "own constitution and commitments made under regional and international law." Foreign embassies in Khartoum, including those of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, urged the government to reverse course. In past cases involving pregnant or nursing women, the Sudanese government waited until the mother weaned her child before executing any sentence, said Christian Solidarity Worldwide spokeswoman Kiri Kankhwende. Opinion: Why marrying for love should never mean death . | Meriam Yehya Ibrahim, 27, gave birth in prison . Sources: Her husband was not allowed to attend the birth . Ibrahim was convicted of apostasy . | 3f5ee39e54ae19171d0c52f0d9a6c1206d6d7225 |
An eleventh grader in Texas was thrown in jail - just for missing school. However, honour student Diane Tran, 17, is no lazy truant. In fact, she's quite the opposite. Since her parents divorced and left her and her two siblings, she has been the sole breadwinner and works two jobs to keep the family afloat. Scroll down for video . Devastated: Diane Tran, 17, has a criminal record and spent a night in jail after being charged with truancy. She works two jobs to support her family . Abandoned: Her parents divorced 'out of the blue' and left Tran and her two siblings to fend for themselves . Ms Tran said she works a full time job, a part-time job, and takes advancement and dual credit college level courses at Willis High School. '[I take] dual credit U.S. history, dual credit English literacy, college algebra, Spanish language AP,' she says of her impressive academic workload. However, the high-achiever cannot devote as much time as she would like to her schooling as she often misses an entire day, reports KHOU. Ms Tran says that her parents divorced 'out of the blue,' leaving her and her two siblings to fend for themselves. 'I always thought our family was happy,' she said. Now, it's up to Ms Tran to support her siblings, who include an older brother at Texas A&M University and a younger sister who lives with relatives. Honour student: Tran works a full time job, a part-time job and takes advancement and dual credit college level courses at Willis High School near Houston, Texas . Harsh: Judge Lanny Moriarty also ordered Tran to pay a $100 fine but others are asking that he shows leniency on the school girl . Local authorities are using Ms Tran's case to crackdown on truancy. Judge Lanny Moriarty ordered the exhausted student to pay a $100 fine and spend 24 hours in jail as a lesson. According to Texas state law, students who are absent from school without parental consent for three days in a four-week period or ten or more days in a six-month period are subject to prosecution. Parents of children who miss excessive amounts of school may also be prosecuted. 'If you let one [truant student] run loose, what are you gonna' do with the rest of 'em? Let them go too?' asked Judge Moriarty. He had warned her last month to stop missing her classes. Ms Tran's employer at the Waverly Manor wedding venue, where Tran works during the weekend, suggested that the authorities should 'help [the family], don't harm them'. Ms Tran also works full-time at a dry cleaners. Her co-worker and classmate Devin Hill told the network how hard her friend works. 'She goes from job to job, from school, she stays up 'til 7 o'clock in the morning to study' she said. On the homepage of the school's website, there is a warning to students to be vigilant about their attendance. 'Should a student have multiple unexcused absences and a pattern of failing to attend school regularly, the law is clear that the matter becomes the jurisdiction of the court system,' it states. However, locals are arguing that Ms Tran's case is unique and should be treated with more leniency. Ms Tran, in the meantime, is worried this could mar her future ambitions - she one day hopes to become a doctor. Watch the video: . | Diane Tran, 17, thrown in jail for one night because of repeated absences from school . Honours student has been working two jobs to keep family afloat since parents' divorce . Has been taking advanced placement and college courses in addition to jobs and missed school due to exhaustion . Spent the night in jail for truancy . | 73b35b603453031f34f1d4f9660e5c8c04f2be5d |
By . Snejana Farberov . A disgraced Florida pharmacist sentenced to 30 months of house arrest for his role in a large-scale pill mill operation has requested to have his sentence cut short saying that at 551lbs, he is already confined to his home. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra on Monday rejected the plea submitted by 70-year-old Steven Goodman, writing in his opinion that the painkiller-pushing pharmacist had been spared prison time only because it would have proven too difficult to care for him in a correctional facility. Goodman, of Treasure Island, was sentenced in August 2012 for distributing more than a million prescription pain medications like oxycodone to clinics operated by the twins Jeffrey and Christopher George. Heavy burden: Former Florida pharmacist Steven Goodman, 70, pictured in August 2012 around the time he pleaded guilty in a mill pill case, has asked a judge to reduce his 30-month house arrest sentence saying he is too big to go outside . The siblings are currently serving prison terms of more than a dozen years each for flooding several cities in South Florida with illegal pain drugs. Judge Marra said during Goodman's sentencing two years ago that the Florida prison system cannot accommodate someone so large, SunSentinel.com reported. Weighing more than a quarter of a ton, Mr Goodman gets around in a wheelchair, cannot dress himself or bathe without assistance, and there are no beds in penitentiaries that could support his bulk. Goodman's lawyer, Edward Page, described his client's house arrest as 'both unnecessary and futile' because his weight problem and poor health already confine him to his bedroom. In his request for a reduced sentence, the attorney argued that the 70-year-old man has a wide array of grave medical issues, including heart disease, an incurable lymph condition and sleep apnea, which would likely end his life in the next six to 12 months. 'Each day may be one of his last,' Page wrote in his 10-page plea. The lawyer also pointed out that Goodman cannot fit in a car and suffers from an acute fear of falling that effectively confines him to his home. Since his sentencing, the ailing 550-pound man has remained largely indoors. He did, however, venture outside to attend his own wedding ceremony when he married Judith Bartell. Edward Page asked Judge Marra to shave the last seven months off his client's sentence so that he could visit friends and family in Ohio to say goodbye. Double trouble: Twins Christopher (left) and Jeffrey (right) George are currently serving 14 years and more than 15 years in prison, respectively, for operating illegal pain management clinics . But the judge seized upon the lawyer's argument, questioning how the largely immobile, morbidly obese man who has a fear of falling and cannot fit into a car would be able to journey from Florida to Cincinnati for a family reunion. Steven Goodman was one of about 32 people indicted in 2012 as part of 'Operation Oxy Alley.' According to prosecutors, the George brothers operated and managed four pain management clinics, which distributed about 20million oxycodone pills over the course of two years to the tune of $40million in profits. The indictment stated that the twins hired doctors who agreed to write prescriptions for controlled substances without any regard for medical necessity. In January 2012, Jeffrey George, then 31 years old, was sentenced to 15-and-a-half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to racketeering conspiracy. His brother, Christopher, also pleaded guilty to racketeering and is now serving a 14-year sentence. | Steven Goodman, 70, has been sentenced to 30-month house arrest for distributing more than a million oxycodone pills . The former pharmacist was indicted in 2012 as part of 'Operation Oxy Alley' along with more than 30 other suspects . Christopher and Jeffrey George are serving 14 years and more than 15 years in prison, respectively, for operating illegal pain management clinics . Goodman's lawyer argued his obese client suffering from acute fear of falling and multiple ailments could die any day . | 7a61483d8a8be8956fd9871f436eb7b5e8046b6f |
Police have arrested a man in connection with arson attacks on four mobile phone and local radio transmission masts last week – the latest in a wave of attacks apparently perpetrated by a group or individual dubbed the ‘Bristol Unabomber’. The Mail on Sunday revealed two weeks ago that an ‘eco-terrorist’ anarchist group calling itself the Earth Liberation Front/Informal Anarchist Federation has claimed responsibility for about 50 attacks in the Bristol area over the past four years. They include earlier burnings of phone masts and vehicles belonging to local politicians and government agencies, the disabling of signal cables on two railway lines and the complete destruction by fire ten months ago of the Avon and Somerset Police firearms training centre, at a cost of £18million. A man has been arrested in connection with a wave of arson attacks on mobile phone masts serving the O2, Vodafone, T-mobile and EE networks across Bristol . Each time those responsible have struck, they have issued statements on the ‘Indymedia’ and ‘325.nostate’ websites, justifying their actions as part of a war on the British state and capitalist society. The attacks last Monday night on masts serving the O2, Vodafone, T-mobile and EE networks conformed to the usual pattern. According to the anarchists’ statement, they were timed to coincide with the World Cup, ‘to show our complicity with the insurgent fighters in Brazil as they answer massive dispossession and militarised slum clearances for the opulence of the games with street battles and arson’. The statement added: ‘It should be remembered that the enthralling spectacle… is staged to make the rich yet more money and to distract us from our daily humiliations.’ Police said the four attacks were probably linked, and that a 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of four counts of arson. He was released on police bail while inquiries continue. Avon and Somerset Police said the four attacks were probably linked, and that a 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of four counts of arson . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Man arrested in connection with arson attacks on masts across Bristol . Masts affected were serving 02, Vodafone, T-mobile and EE networks . Attack apparently perpetrated by group dubbed the 'Bristol Unabomber' | 212959e2611cea0a35af18c2c039000f9f840d3e |
Teen star-turned-bad girl Miley Cyrus has shocked the world again, this time appearing in the form of a twerking Michele Bachmann, mocking the federal government shutdown on Saturday Night Live. Miley's skit featured the 20-year-old pop singer dancing in skimpy clothing in parody of her new song, 'We Can't Stop' - portraying the conservative Tea Party politician for a video titled 'We Did Stop The Government.' SNL castmember Taran Killiam played House Speaker John Boehner and pranced around with Cyrus in his tightie-whiteys and a white wife-beater shirt. Scroll down for video . Twerk it: Miley Cyrus, left, plays Michelle Bahmann while SNL castmember Taran Killam showed off his moves as House Speaker John Boehner on Saturday Night Live . Miley sang lyrics like 'If you're not ready for healthcare can we get a hell no, cuz we're gonna keep it shut down, DC is a closed town' Offensive? Miley didn't skimp on the raunchy dance moves, even though she was portraying a vocal social conservative Congresswoman . They are both singing lyrics like ‘this is our House, this is our rules and we did stop (the government)’ and 'if you're not ready for healthcare can we get a hell no, cuz we're gonna keep it shut down. DC is a closed town.' The former presidential candidate Bachmann was involved in a scandal earlier this week when Iowa state Senator Kent Sorenson resigned after a special investigator found it likely he violated ethics rules by taking money from political entities connected her, and then denying he'd done so. Conservative: Miley looked more conservative than usual in the all black outfit as she parodied Michelle Bachmann . She won't stop twerking: Miley wowed with two impressive musical performances on Saturday Night Live but her sketches mostly fell flat . Democrats say Speaker Boehner and his Republican colleagues in the House forced government shutdown in an attempt to defund ObamaCare, the health care law passed almost entirely by Democrats in 2009. The controversial music video parody shows Cyrus and Killam twerking wildly with tongues out, the new Miley Cyrus look, and throwing dollar bills around the room. Elephants are featured throughout in the shape of costumes and statues, representing the Republican party. But the show didn't stop there. Riding the Republican: Hall is seen sitting on top of a 'Republican' in the controversial video. Cyrus can be seen leaning over in the middle . Making fun with politics: Miley appears in the video dressed as Republican Congresswoman Michele Bachmann - a conservative member of the Tea Party caucus . 'We can do what we want': The two sang about shutting down the government while putting on raunchy dance moves . A big lick: Cyrus gives a doll that looks like Abraham Lincoln a big slobbering lick . Earlier on SNL, during her monologue, Cyrus appears on stage, saying: ‘I don’t apologise for my VMA . performance. If I owe anyone an apology is the people who make the . bottom halfs of shirts.' She says her performance generated 'a lot of letters from angry mothers, turned-on fathers'. Cyrus adds that she also got a complaint from the inventor of the giant foam finger. ‘There will be no twerking tonight. I used to think it was cool but now that white people are doing it, it seems kinda lame.’ Cyrus also offers some information on her former teen image. Monologue: Cyrus appears on stage and says she will not apologise for her VMA performance . ‘I can give you an update on Hannah Montana… she was murdered.’ Cyrus starts her appearance on the SNL show in the green room getting ready, wearing the controversial onesie outfit she wore at the MTV VMAs, held in August in Brooklyn. She is joined by singer an SNL cast member playing Robin Thicke, who performed with her on stage at the VMAs. He walks in and says, ‘What’s up kid, are you ready to start grabbing at my junk while I half sing?’ Tongue action: Cyrus starts her SNL performance in the green room where she is practicing her now signature tongue movements . Strokes: Cyrus tells her 'past me', aka Hannah Montanah, that she sticks out her tongue because she is having 'tiny strokes' Robin Thicke look-alike: SNL cast member, Hall, appears as the pop singer who Cyrus performed with at the VMAs . Excited: Miley appeared happy and relaxed as she took to the stage for her big night . The teen star then says she sticks her tongue out all the time because she is having ‘tiny strokes’. An actor portraying Will Smith appears, saying: ‘My family and I are so excited to see you perform tonight. I just hope it’s G-rated. They are shocked by anything remotely sexual.’ Cyrus ends her green room appearance saying she is only 20 years old and needs the ‘freedom to grow up and make mistakes’. ‘And no matter what happens, I promise to always stay true to old Cyrus.’ | The former teen star, 20, appears on the popular NBC show and delivers a shocking and entertaining performance . She twerks in music video parody of her song, We Can't Stop, pretending to be Michelle Bachmann . SNL cast member, Taran Killam, prances around with her pretending to be Speaker John Boehner . The controversial video parody shows Cyrus and Hall riding Republicans and cutting open 'elephants' Cyrus says she will not apologise for her performance at the VMAs . She joked she got 'a lot of letters from angry mothers, turned on fathers' after that show . She also quipped that Hannah Montana was 'murdered' | bb0b171e04729c4791f58c923072a2fa96aecfe0 |
By . Sophie Jane Evans . A Birmingham school at the heart of an alleged Islamist plot to take over state institutions allowed students to express 'positive views' about terrorism, it has been claimed. Park View School in Alum Rock, which is under investigation over the 'Trojan Horse' plot, allegedly failed to challenge children's opinions about the 7/7 and 9/11 atrocities due to 'cultural sensitivity'. It also reportedly advised staff not to bring soldiers into the school for visits, while one employee allegedly spoke of wanting an 'Islamic state', according to the British Humanist Association. Allegations: Park View School in Alum Rock allegedly allowed students to speak 'positively' about terrorism . Assembly: The school reportedly failed to challenge some children's opinions about the 7/7 and 9/11 atrocities because of 'cultural sensitivity'. Above, an assembly to prepare pupils for Ramadan is held at Park View School . The allegations were made by 'several' of the maths and science academy's former employees, who have only recently chosen to make them public, said the Association. Other claims against the school include: . Humanist: Pavan Dhaliwal, the British Humanist Association's Head of Public Affairs, said it is 'vital' that all state schools 'foster an environment inclusive of every child' regardless of religion . The Association, a charity promoting a secular state and equal treatment regardless of religion, said some of the allegations dated back to 2011. However, the whistleblower who made contact at the time decided not to press for action, it said. Former Park View employees subsequently contacted the charity in January this year - resulting in contact with the original complainant. The Association said the findings of its own investigation into the school's RE . teachings were passed to the Department for Education and Ofsted on . January 31. Park View Education Trust, which runs the school in Alum Rock, has defended the institution, saying its curriculum 'makes clear that the basis of all sexual relationships is informed consent'. It added that claims that male pupils were informed via a worksheet that wives had to give sex to their husbands were 'categorically untrue', while the school has not yet received any complaints in relation to the Creationism acccusations. Inquiry: On Wednesday, the names of 18 schools at the centre of the alleged 'Trojan Horse' plot were revealed in a list by Birmingham City Council. Above, one of the schools, Gracelands Nursery School in Sparkbrook . Under investigation: The allegations came to light earlier this year. Above, Adderley Primary School in Saltley . The trust has not yet commented specifically on allegations that it failed to challenge some children's opinions about terrorism. Pavan . Dhaliwal, the Association's Head of Public Affairs, said: 'It is vital . that all our state schools teach a broad and balanced curriculum, . actively contribute to community cohesion and foster an environment . inclusive of every child, parent and member of staff, regardless of . their religious or non-religious beliefs.' Three . separate investigations are currently under way over claims that hardline Islamists are seizing control of government bodies, segregating male and female pupils and banning sex education. One school is even being investigated over . allegations that the al Qaeda-linked Muslim preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, . who died in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011, was praised in . assembly. Allegations: One of the schools allegedly . praised al Qaeda-linked preacher Anwar al-Awlaki (left) in assembly. Right, Sir Albert Bore, council leader, said Ofsted would likely not . publish its final inspection reports until May . The inquiries are being carried out by Ofsted, the Government and Birmingham City Council. On Wednesday, the names of 18 schools at the centre of the allegedly plot were revealed in a list by the city council. As well as Park View, they include Gracelands Nursery school in Sparkbrook and Golden Hillock School in Sparkhill. Request: Three separate inquiries are currently under way into the 'Trojan Horse' plot. Ofsted inspections are being carried out at the direct request of Education Secretary Michael Gove . They also feature Adderley Primary School, Highfield Junior and Infant School, Nansen Primary, Alston Primary School and Saltley School and Specialist Science College, all in Saltley, Birmingham. Earlier this week, Sir Albert Bore, council leader, said Ofsted was not intending to publish its final inspection reports until 'the first or second week of May'. He added that he has not yet seen the draft version of the inspection reports, which have been carried out at the request of Education Secretary Michael Gove. The . council’s investigation is being headed by former headteacher Ian . Kershaw, who is sifting through about 200 concerns raised since the . alleged 'Trojan Horse' plot emerged. Park View Education Trust said in a statement: 'Park View Academy has a clear curriculum policy which governs the teaching of all subjects within the school. 'Our . sex and relationships education (SRE) is taught in single sex groups . and makes clear that the basis of all sexual relationships is informed . consent. 'After . a lesson that took place around 2011 it became clear to the school that . boys had misunderstood a historical reference to do with cultural . expectations of sex within marriage. 'As soon as the school became aware that this was the case it took immediate action and held a special assembly for Year 10 boys to make it clear that sex without informed consent is rape. 'The allegation that boys were informed via a worksheet that wives have to give sex to their husbands is categorically untrue. The . teaching of Creationism in Science is not school policy. 'Without . having received any complaints in relation to the allegation that . Creationism has been taught it is very difficult for us to comment . further. 'Had we received a complaint we would of course have investigated it fully.' MailOnline has attempted to contact the school regarding allegations that it allowed students to express 'positive views' about terrorism. | Park View School allegedly let students speak 'positively' about terrorism . Reportedly failed to challenge pupil's opinions about 7/7 and 9/11 attacks . Also apparently advised staff not to bring soldiers into school for visits . Claims made by ex-employees, according to British Humanist Association . Many have been denied by the maths and science academy in Alum Rock . Comes days after 18 schools at centre of alleged plot were named in list . Institutions include Gracelands Nursey School and Golden Hillock School . Among 25 schools under investigation by Ofsted over 'Trojan Horse' plot . Creationism and intelligent design were taught by at least one science teacher. Worksheets handed to Year 11 male students said that a woman must obey her husband. Sex education lessons contained the message that 'wives are not allowed to say no'. The school held Islamic instead of Christian collective worship, with students segregated based on gender. Some male teachers expected boys to be sat at the front of the class and girls at the back - and ignored female students when they wanted to answer a . question. A teacher told pupils that females belonged in the kitchen and another . agreed when a pupil commented 'women should not be allowed to drive'. Some girls were forced to wear a headscarf and female members of staff . and pupils were treated as inferior by male Muslim staff. Girls were not allowed to take part in PE or sport activities with boys because it made male Muslims 'feel uncomfortable'. | ba91f660eb3e2fd28ca2d68cb77e0aadc863bbca |
Editor's note: Audrey Kurth Cronin, a professor at the U.S. National War College and research associate of the Changing Character of War program at Oxford University, is the author of "How Terrorism Ends: Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns" (Princeton University Press, September 2009). This article represents her views only, not necessarily those of any U.S. government agency. Audrey Kurth Cronin says recent events have raised new concerns about terrorism and al Qaeda. (CNN) -- President Obama entered office hoping to displace the global war on terrorism with a new age of engagement, thereby replacing fear with hope and relinquishing terrorism as the centerpiece of U.S. foreign policy. Yet terrorism is once again in the center of the bull's-eye for Washington policymakers. The war in Afghanistan is at a watershed. Having been relatively neglected in favor of the intervention in Iraq, the administration must now decide whether to recommit to a full-fledged counter-insurgency, perhaps with an additional 40,000 U.S. troops on top of the more than 60,000 already slated for the conflict. Alternatively, some argue for a strategy that focuses on the original problem -- of al Qaeda and its extremist associates rather than more ambitious state-building. The former would appear to be more costly and perhaps a slippery slope to a protracted war that might not be winnable; the latter could be ineffective in halting the potential resurgence in an unstable region of an al Qaeda threat to the United States and its allies. Meanwhile, in the past few weeks it seems clear that the United States has foiled a series of terrorist plots that collectively constituted the gravest threat to the American homeland since 9/11. Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year-old Afghan immigrant, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in New York, while a Jordanian has been arrested, accused of attempting to destroy a Dallas, Texas, skyscraper. In addition, charges have been made against three men in North Carolina for plotting to attack a Marine Corps base and another man has been charged with conspiring to blow up federal buildings in Illinois. Is al Qaeda resurgent? Is the United States under threat because of the failure to capture or kill Osama bin Laden? Americans need to take a deep breath, because the answer to both questions, while requiring some caveats, is no. Al Qaeda is facing more negative trends than what international forces are facing in Afghanistan, although it is always possible that U.S. missteps could rekindle the extremist terror narrative and organization. Similarly, killing bin Laden will not end al Qaeda, but neither will his fugitive status sustain it. To answer the question of how al Qaeda will end, we can draw upon decades of experience with how other terrorist campaigns have fizzled out. The history of terrorist groups points to various ways they may decline and end: the destruction of leadership, failure to transition between generations, achieving their stated cause, negotiating a settlement, succumbing to military or police repression, losing popular support and transitioning to other malignant activities such as criminality or war. Not all of these pathways are probable for every group, and they are not all relevant to al Qaeda. For example, it is clear that al Qaeda will not end if Osama bin Laden is killed. Groups that have ended this way such as Japan's Aum Shinrikyo or Peru's Shining Path have been hierarchical, reflecting to some degree a cult of personality and lacking a viable successor, none of which describes al Qaeda. It also will not die out between generations, as did many of the left-wing groups of the 1970s. Al Qaeda has transitioned beyond its original structure and is a multigenerational threat. Likewise, achieving the cause or reaching a negotiated settlement does not apply to al Qaeda. Groups that have achieved their ends have had limited goals. Al Qaeda seeks maximalist goals: Using violence to mobilize the global Muslim community, throw off the influence of the West, eliminate support for Arab regimes and establish a new world order (sometimes called a Caliphate) is hardly realistic. The remaining pathways deserve greater scrutiny. Although the campaign against al Qaeda has yielded gratifying results, the limits of driving the core into hiding and reducing its capacity to operate have been demonstrated. Democracies find it hard to sustain policy of repression at home or abroad, as it can undermine civil liberties and strain domestic support. American use of military force signified Western resolve, killed al Qaeda leaders and prevented attacks, all of which were vital; but force alone cannot drive this group to its end. A loss of popular support has ended many terrorist groups, and it is a plausible scenario for al Qaeda. Support can be compromised through miscalculation, especially in targeting, and popular backlash. The Real Irish Republican Army and India's Sikh separatists come to mind. Or a campaign can fail to convey a positive image or progress toward its goals, which amply applies to al Qaeda. While the group continues to be dangerous, the faltering popularity of this campaign with most Muslims provides clear evidence of this dynamic underway. For instance, a Pew Global Attitudes Project poll released in September showed a remarkable drop in support for suicide bombing and Osama bin Laden in key Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Jordan. In Pakistan, whereas some 41 percent approved of suicide terror attacks five years ago, that number has fallen to a mere 5 percent today. Finally, groups can transition from terrorism to other kinds of violence, escalating to insurgency or even conventional war, for example -- especially if there is state sponsorship. Some argue that this may already have happened in the case of al Qaeda and link the current debate over Afghan strategy to this concern. In this regard, it is counterproductive to consider al Qaeda as a global insurgency. This concept bestows legitimacy, emphasizes territorial control, encourages our enemies to join forces and puts the United States into an us-versus-them strategic framework that precludes clear-eyed analyses of the strategies of leverage that are being used against the United States and its allies. In short, if we are thinking about classic pathways to the end, the secret to undermining this campaign is not "winning hearts and minds" but enhancing al Qaeda's tendency to lose them. More terrorist attacks will be attempted and a few will no doubt succeed in parts of the world, conceivably even in the United States. But it makes a significant difference whether such attacks are undertaken by a few recruits without proper training or support or by those who have managed to visit an al Qaeda training camp in a safe haven with full support. Thus far, the trends are heading in a favorable direction. Even in its diminished state, al Qaeda and its franchises remain armed and dangerous. This group can still hurt us. But appreciating how terrorist campaigns actually end offers the greatest promise for removing ourselves from the strategic myopia that currently grips much of Western counter-terrorism efforts and for clarifying our political objectives. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Audrey Kurth Cronin. | Audrey Cronin: Terror arrests and Afghan debate make it seem al Qaeda is gaining . She says the reality is that the terror group is losing support . Cronin: U.S. should encourage the disillusionment with al Qaeda in Muslim world . | e629246d63589a187ee09a74a3f7580f07219359 |
The first potato genetically modified to resist blight may soon be grown in Britain. It was engineered in a three-year project that saw genes from a wild South American potato inserted into a normal Desiree. Scientists say it is fully resistant to blight, caused by the organism Phytophthora infestans, which destroys up to half of British crops in a bad year. Revolution: Professor Joanthan Jones, who led the three-year study, with the two crops which were combined . The disease was responsible for the Irish famine of 1845 and remains potato farmers’ greatest enemy, costing them £60 million a year. However, critics say tampering with genes in crops to create ‘Frankenfoods’ could damage natural ecosystems and affect human health, and insist shoppers would never knowingly buy GM products. The results of the latest research, published today in a Royal Society journal, show 100 per cent of non-GM plants in a trial were infected by blight, while the new variety was fully resistant. Boiling with anger: Will GM spuds soon be in shops? The researchers, at the Sainsbury Laboratory in Norfolk, hope to use the technology on the Maris Piper potato, which makes up 15 per cent of the British market. Desirees make up 2 per cent. Consumer fears have so far kept genetic engineering out of British farming. No GM products have ever been commercially grown in this country, and only one – a pest-resistant maize – is authorised for cultivation in Europe. Currently all GM foods have to be labelled, but meat, milk and eggs from farm animals fed on GM products do not, and campaigners are worried about political pressure to accelerate research in the field. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has warned that Britain risks becoming the ‘museum of world farming’ if it does not embrace the technology. But Emma Hockridge, head of policy at the Soil Association, said: ‘There is no market for GM potatoes in the UK. ‘Growing any GM potatoes in the UK could lead to contamination in the supply chain, resulting in massive loss of markets for UK farmers.’ Liz O’Neill, director of the GM Freeze campaign group, said: ‘Experience shows that the UK doesn’t want GM in its shopping basket and British farmers are far too smart to grow something they can’t sell, so just who is this new potato being developed for?’ The campaign group GeneWatch UK accused the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, which funded the trial, of wasting taxpayers’ money. Dr Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, said: 'There are blight-resistant non-GM potatoes already on the market. Why waste money, take unnecessary risks, and end up with a product that no one wants to eat?' Dr Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, said: ‘There are blight-resistant non-GM potatoes already on the market. Why waste money, take unnecessary risks, and end up with a product that no one wants to eat?’ But Professor Jonathan Jones, who led the research, said: ‘This is the first peer-reviewed report of a GM trial conducted in the UK in which there was clear benefit of the trait – in this case disease resistance – illustrating the potential of the technology.’ It would stop farmers having to spray crops, and Professor Jones hopes to ‘replace chemical control with genetic control’. He said the GM crops would produce three times more potatoes than normal varieties. Scientists are now studying ways to thwart future attacks by blight that becomes resistant to the new variety. Before the potato can be planted commercially and sold to consumers in the UK, it will have to pass notoriously laborious EU tests for toxicity, allergic reactions and the risk of contaminating other crops with modified genes. | Genes from South American potato were inserted into normal Desiree . It was 100 per cent resistant to blight, which caused Irish famine of 1845 . The disease still kills half of all British crops in a bad year . GM supported by government but campaigners fear risk to human health . | 51a7c3b5656028dee73bd7ca40a120878a12dad8 |
By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 03:39 EST, 31 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:58 EST, 31 July 2013 . They have been created to make you think and laugh. From a young boy appearing to control an aeroplane from the ground, to a man using a running machine in a wide, open park, these quirky pictures certainly bring a smile to your face. The conceptual photographs are the work of New York-based photographer Zack Seckler. Quirky: These conceptual photographs are the work of New York-based photographer Zack Seckler, who manufactured each scene to make people think and smile . Funny: Some of the photographs show ridiculous situations while others are a play on words. This image shows a young boy about to fill up his tiny jeep with petrol . Surreal: This man runs on a jogging machine in the middle of an empty, wide open park . Some of the photographs show ridiculous situations while others are a play on . words. Some are just completely random and surreal. The pictures show a variety of different scenarios. One has a group of people looking out of a safari jeep while a gorilla sits perched on top. Another has a young boy reaching for a petrol pump for his tiny child-like jeep. Other pictures just appear to be completely surreal and quirky. Light-hearted: A couple pose for a picture, as a plastic carrier bag with a smiley face blows across them . Humorous: A group of people on safari eagerly look for wild animals, completely unaware that a gorilla is sat perched on their vehicle . Random: A lion sits in wait below a road sign warning about crossing antelope . One shows a young boy lying on a large, empty beach with a shark fin attached to his back. In another image, a woman is taken aback by the power of her tiny hairdryer, which completely blows her hair to one side. Writing on his website, the photographer described how he approaches his work. 'Photography is my expression of the things I love in life. Beautiful places. Wonderful moments. Things that make me laugh.' Fun: Mr Seckler says that photography is his expression of things he loves in life, including 'wonderful moments' and 'things that make me laugh' Odd: The upper body of a man appears perched over a fence, with a pair of shoes appearing as though they belong to him below . Unique: This man appears to wrestle a bear onto his living room wall . The photographer explains that he loves pouring himself into his projects, and adds that the 'act of creating is intoxicating'. His website features four different subjects under which his work features. As well as the 'humour' section, which these photographs feature under, there is also 'lifestyle', 'landscape' and 'personal'. Different: This young boy sits on a beach looking out to the ocean, with a shark fin seemingly on his back . Passionate: The photographer, who is based in New York, says the 'act of creating is intoxicating' Bizarre: A monkey sits in a barren tree in the middle of a desert . Mr Seckler has won numerous awards for his work dating back to 2007. He has also worked for some of the world's biggest companies, including Bank of America, Procter & Gamble and Gap. On his website, he says 'working with great people and creating excellent images' is what ' it’s all about'. Click here to visit more of Mr Seckler's work. Creative: The photographer said that he loves pouring himself into his projects . Surprised: This tiny hairdryer appears much more powerful than the woman expected . | Conceptual photographs are work of New York-based Zack Seckler . 'Photography is my expression of the things I love in life' says Seckler . | 4e87b3fe508f9c92c0ea871a9f267fdb8a000974 |
It began with secret texts to untraceable phones. Meetings took place in seedy bars, dark alleys, gas stations. Actual documents came in packages without notes, without return addresses. You would think the secrets being passed dealt with national security, organized crime or the corruption of high public officials. Nope. The secrets these whistleblowers began telling CNN last summer dealt with the deplorable treatment, or lack of treatment, of American veterans. But why all that secrecy? Employees of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, from all across the country, told us people who speak out face retaliation that could end their careers and permanently harm their family's finances and futures. Today, the Office of Special Counsel announced details from VA whistleblower cases illustrating just how true that fear at the VA has become. The OSC announced it is now looking into allegations of reprisals against 37 employees from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The OSC said it has received the complaints from employees at VA facilities in 19 states. And the complaints run the gamut -- from allegations of retaliation for disclosing improper scheduling practices to retaliation for exposing other threats to patient care. "Receiving candid information about harmful practices from employees will be critical to the VA's efforts to identify problems and find solutions," said Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner. "However, employees will not come forward if they fear retaliation." Lerner's staff recently blocked disciplinary actions against three VA employees after they "disclosed wrongdoing." Lerner's staff says the VA agreed to hold off on the proposed discipline. This will allow the OSC to further investigate the reprisal claims, they said. In the just the past fiscal year, the Office of Special Counsel has fought the punishment of 14 VA employees who had been retaliated against for being critical of the agency. VA doctors scared to talk . Last fall, six doctors in Columbia, South Carolina and Augusta, Georgia, came forward to describe to CNN how delayed colonoscopies and endoscopies had led to the death of as many as 20 veterans. None would appear on camera. None would even allow us to quote them. But they begged CNN to tell the story. One doctor would meet only privately in an unpopular, seedy restaurant where he felt certain no one would recognize him. Another doctor only met with us and spoke in a dark, outside location where no one could see him. Another doctor asked us to only speak through a third-person intermediary, providing documents that could not be traced but that could be authenticated to provide us reliable sourcing. Code word: 'Tender Vittles' On background, CNN began conversing with one of the doctors who was so frightened of retaliation that he asked that we text him on a private, untraceable cell phone using coded language. And he asked that any phone calls or e-mails had to start with the words "Tender Vittles," as a way to identify it was "safe" to move ahead with him. Several of the doctors, we were told, had tried to tell administrators of their concerns that patients were being harmed by delays and that some had died or suffered serious injuries. But we were told those doctors were treated harshly by administrators who did not want to hear of the complaints. All the doctors confirmed to us that VA officials had posted warnings in the hospital's halls and elevators that no VA employees could speak with the media or divulge details of what went on inside the hospital. The warnings, the doctors said, included details about laws that could be violated and penalties that employees could face, including financial reparations and even jail time, if they were to speak out publicly, and if the hospital suffered financial losses as a result. In Arizona, more fear and dread . Just like the fear in Columbia and Augusta, the source in Phoenix was scared to trust us. We were told to meet at a bar in a strip mall 20 miles outside of downtown. No cameras, no notes and the pounding rock music was so loud, it is doubtful even a hidden microphone would have worked. But it was here we heard the entire story of the secret list in Phoenix. The employee would not allow us to use a name, a position, even a length of service. And we are deliberately leaving out his/her gender. The VA employee remains scared to this day, but everything said inside the seedy bar has proved to be true. A fatal wait: Read the original Phoenix story that started it all . The secret list, the destruction and the cover-up through intimidation had been in place for more than a year. It wasn't secret to anyone inside the Phoenix VA. But what this employee was telling us was the other "not-so secret" secret -- about what happened to anyone who spoke against the administration. Sharon Helman, the now ex-director of the Phoenix VA, had a common retort to any naysayer who complained, we were told: . "If you don't like it here, let me buy you a Seventh Street bus pass." The bus stop was right under the sixth-floor window of Helman's office. Germaine Claro, a whistleblower who worked under Helman at the Edward Hines Jr. VAMC outside of Chicago, says, "There's a lot of fear, employees are scared to step up when they see things that are negligent ..." Claro says when the news broke in Arizona surrounding secret lists and Helman, no one was surprised. "It's something that is regular business, nobody is shocked that it's in the news, in fact people are relieved that finally people, employees are being heard, that this is a huge problem." We heard the same thing from other whistleblowers as they came forward in Texas and Colorado. Brave doctor goes on the record . Most of the credit goes to a whistleblower who wasn't afraid to speak -- and speak forcibly. Dr. Sam Foote admitted to us back in April, in his first on-camera interview, that the only reason he was coming forward so publicly was because he had finally retired, lined up all his government retirement benefits and felt the VA could not retaliate at that stage. He had blown the whistle on the secret list months before, but no one on the inside reacted. A token investigation in December by the Office of the Inspector General did not end the practice of hiding veterans waiting for care. Foote had been labeled a troublemaker by the Phoenix VAMC administrators. And even in the middle of his very public interviews on CNN, a whisper campaign tried to discredit his facts and his honor. Suddenly we were getting calls from inside CNN, from fellow reporters, editors and even anchors who had been contacted telling them our reporting was wrong, the numbers were off, Foote was a troublemaker and not to be trusted. It was always the same: anonymous sources who were trying to discredit Foote and discredit CNN's reporting. Now a report has made it official: The Office of Special Counsel is investigating the great lengths allegedly taken to silence those who would expose a scandal this Department of Veterans Affairs had been successfully hiding for years. Political Ticker: Senate reaches deal on VA bill . Were bonuses tied to VA wait times? Here's what we know . | Employees tell CNN they wanted to speak out about problems for a long time . They say a management campaign of intimidation and fear kept them silent . A retired doctor from the Phoenix VA was able to speak -- and blow the lid off the story . Office of Special Counsel is looking into allegations of reprisals against 37 people . | 4ba37106ffb09842c766a5649b1f52f678a69710 |
(CNN) -- As a Muslim American, I didn't think anything could shock me when it comes to anti-Muslim bigotry. But I have to give it up for Oklahoma state Rep. John Bennett, a Republican, who has set a record for the vilest anti-Muslim comments yet. What makes Bennett's comments so alarming is that they weren't directed against Islamic terrorists such as ISIS, but rather against Muslim Americans, people like my family, friends and me. A few weeks ago, Bennett posted on Facebook using his account "State Representative John Bennett" that Christians should be "wary" of Muslim Americans: "The Quran clearly states that non-Muslims should be killed. Arab is the ethnicity, not Muslim or Islam. Be wary of the individuals who claim to be 'Muslim American.' Be especially wary if you are Christian." Despite calls for Bennett to apologize for inciting hate against Muslim Americans, he instead escalated his campaign of bigotry. On Monday, Bennett held a public forum with more than 100 constituents in a Western Sizzlin' steakhouse in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. There, Bennett provided his supporters with something other than steak -- a big helping of hate. According to the Sequoyah County Times, Bennett told the audience that Muslims are a "cancer that must be cut out of the American society." He added that the goal of Muslims is "the destruction of Western civilization from within." But here's where Bennett's comments truly become bone chilling. Bennett, a military veteran, issued what some could interpret as a call to arms: "I'm not advocating violence against anyone ... but I am not going to stand back and allow them to let Islam take over this nation." So how did the audience at the Western Sizzlin' respond to Bennett's speech? With a standing ovation. How do you explain to a Muslim American child growing up in Oklahoma that a room full of people cheered when an elected official called you a cancer who must be cut out of America? On Tuesday, Bennett appeared on a local news program to answer questions about his comments. Did he apologize? Nope, instead he doubled down with the remark, "Muslim Americans who subscribe to Islam are just as bad as ISIS." In reality, Muslim American organizations across the nation, including one in Bennett's own state, have publicly denounced ISIS and condemned their actions as not only being horrific but as also being un-Islamic. Could Bennett's comments lead to violence against Muslim Americans? I think so. Also sharing my concern is Adam Soltani, the head of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). Soltani explained to me that Bennett's remarks had crossed the line "from inflammatory rhetoric to a call to violence that might incite people who might not know any better." In fact, Soltani's CAIR chapter has urged the Muslim American community in Oklahoma to take precautions after recent hate crimes were committed against Muslims in New York City. Now, saying Bennett is simply an anti-Muslim bigot wouldn't be fair. He's so much more. For example, last month when the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer was in the news, Bennett took to Facebook to express his anger. Was he upset the police shot an unarmed black teenager? Nope, he was livid that the Obama administration had sent representatives to "this thug's funeral" (referring to Michael Brown) and to Nelson Mandela's, but didn't do the same when certain famous white people had died. Bennett also wrote sarcastically that the police officer who shot Brown could never be innocent because he's a "WHITE COP!" (His capitalization.) And in July, after a federal appeals court struck down Oklahoma's constitutional amendment barring gay marriage, Bennett stated that he was "angry" with the decision and vowed to fight, "to retake our freedoms from this overreaching federal government." To Bennett, gay Americans having the freedom to marry is somehow depriving him of his own freedom. The real story though isn't a hateful elected official. We have all seen that before. The bigger development was the reaction of Oklahoma's religious and social justice groups to Bennett. Instead of dividing the community, Bennett had brought together Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups as well as organizations like the NAACP and the ACLU to stand together at a press conference to denounce Bennett and demand an apology. Rabbi Vered Harris of Oklahoma City's Temple B'nai Israel told me, "I respect people of all religions, or no religions, who abide by America's core values of tolerance and respect. It's unfortunate that Rep. Bennett does not." I also spoke with the president of the Oklahoma Chapter of the NAACP, Anthony Douglas, who said it was too late for Bennett to apologize, it was time for him to resign. Douglas, a Vietnam veteran, commented that Bennett is "promoting hatred and possibly even violence against Muslim Americans with his comments and there's simply no place for that from our elected officials." Bennett is running unopposed in this November's election. However, maybe the good people of his district will write in another candidate to replace him. Bigotry is a "cancer that must be cut out of the American society." A step towards achieving that dream would be defeating John Bennett on November 4. | A state representative from Oklahoma said Muslims are a 'cancer' in American society . Dean Obeidallah says the official has been responsible for other hateful rhetoric . He says that the response of the religious community in denouncing Bennett is encouraging . | 4d8fa5f1125f6e2640c3b03c6b97722709009ad0 |
Nearly 100 people, most of them "terrorists," were killed in an attack last week in China, state media reported Sunday. A total of 37 civilians were killed, and police "gunned down 59 terrorists," Xinhua reported, bringing the death toll to 96. A gang wielding knives and axes attacked civilians, a police station and government offices and smashed vehicles in a restive region, according to Xinhua. Cars were vandalized, and some were set ablaze. The "organized and premeditated" attack took place Monday in the northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. There have been numerous attacks in the region, where tensions are simmering between Uyghur Muslims, a Turkic people, and Chinese Han people. A Muslim separatist group founded by militant Uyghurs has been blamed for terrorism in the region, the Council on Foreign Relations explains. Xinhua said the "mastermind" behind the attack Monday "had close connections with the terrorist organization," known as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. In May, China launched a terrorism crackdown after a series of explosions in an open-air market killed dozens in Xinjiang. Many of the victims were elderly people, Xinhua reported. "This is a despicable and outrageous act of violence against innocent civilians, and the United States resolutely opposes all forms of terrorism," White House spokesman Jay Carney said at the time . Some Uyghurs have expressed resentment toward China's Han majority in recent years over what they say is harsh treatment from Chinese security forces and Han people taking the lion's share of economic opportunities in Xinjiang. Amnesty International said Uyghurs face widespread discrimination, including in employment, housing and educational opportunities, as well as curtailed religious freedom and political marginalization. | 37 civilians and 59 "terrorists" died in the attack, China says . The strike was "organized and premeditated," China says . Numerous terrorist attacks have taken place in the Xinjiang region . Attacks are blamed on Muslim separatist group . | a03bc5906d6f5b476d6f3b06ffccd57b21ff4e67 |
TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A U.S. Marine based on Okinawa has been arrested in connection with the reported rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl, the island's police force said Monday. Police said the assault was reported Sunday night in the Chanton entertainment district on Okinawa, a major hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific. The 38-year-old American was arrested shortly after the report, police said. The Marine was not identified, and there was no immediate comment from the service on the allegation. Previous criminal cases against American troops have triggered widespread protests by Okinawans since 1995, when three American servicemen were found guilty of raping an Okinawan schoolgirl. Under U.S.-Japanese military agreements, the U.S. government has custody over service members suspected of crimes while on duty. In addition, the U.S. military is not required to turn over those accused of crimes until an indictment is issued. E-mail to a friend . | Marine, 38, arrested after report of the rape . Previous cases against U.S. troops have triggered protests by Okinawans . In 1995, three servicemen were found guilty of raping an Okinawan schoolgirl . | a2d484b982cee067aa8a63caa2d3cf3de05d6040 |
By . Neil Ashton . Follow @@neilashton_ . When the English obsession with Andrea Pirlo turns to the ‘panenka’ penalty he scored against Joe Hart at Euro 2012, England’s keeper can’t remember a thing. Perhaps it is better that way. It was in Kiev, with England leading 2-1 in the shoot-out at the Donbass Arena, when Hart raised his arms and stuck his tongue out at the Italian as he took aim from 12 yards. Hart guessed to his right and the great Italian clipped his penalty down the centre of the goal. Soon enough, England were heading home. ‘I’ll never regret how it was, I saw it as the best way for us to win the shoot-out,’ said Hart. Cheeky: Andrea Pirlo executes a clever chipped 'panenka' penalty over Joe Hart at Euro 2012 . Life through a lens: Hart leads his team-mates as England arrive at their hotal in Manaus before re-facing Italy . ‘I don’t think there was personal vengeance from him and there certainly wasn’t any from me. He did what he thought he needed to do for his country and I did what I thought was best for mine. 'I couldn’t even tell you what I did. But it felt right at the time. It obviously wasn’t.’ Now a two-time Premier League winner with Manchester City, these are good times for Hart, 27, and he has come to appreciate the demands of playing at the highest level. ‘I want to do well for this team and this nation,’ he added. ‘A lot of time and effort has gone into it and the more you’re involved the more you realise that it is more than football. It means an awful lot to a lot of people. Through his paces: Hart trains at the Urca military base in preparation for the ultimate test against Italy . 'A lot of money has been invested and a lot of time and care, from me personally, has gone into this. I want to make it all worthwhile.’ At the last World Cup, in South Africa, Hart became increasingly irritated with the Italian coaching staff who appeared to be calling him ‘John’. Fabio Capello was the main culprit and Hart admitted: ‘I did take offence about that, but I’ve calmed down. Since then I’ve been called “John” by a lot of Italians who know me — I think it’s just how they talk. It was just a mispronunciation.’ Loggerheads: Hart (second left) admits frustration over his relationship with ex-boss Fabio Capello (left) A goalkeeper’s life is a fragile one and there have been times this season when City’s keeper has been under fire. But he finished the campaign well, and added: ‘It means a lot to have your club and country behind you. ‘I’ve got to keep working hard because potentially I could go through another bad patch again.’ | Joe Hart has no regrets over the Euro 2012 penalty shoot-out . England keeper wants to make all the World Cup preparation worthwhile . Hart became irritated at Fabio Capello's staff calling him 'John' | bed6132adb17e9903403ee6515222114afac4d87 |
A Saudi blogger underwent the first round of 50 lashes in public while shackled in chains for 'ridiculing Islamic religious figures'. Raif Badawi, who co-founded the Free Saudi Liberals website, was arrested in 2012 and sentenced to 1,000 lashes and a decade in prison for insulting Islam on his online forum. The start of his corporal punishment began after prayers today outside the Al-Juffali mosque in the city of Jiddah, which has earned the grisly nickname 'Chop Chop Square' as the site of executions. Raif Badawi, who co-founded the Free Saudi Liberals website, underwent the first round of 50 lashes in public . Reports from the scene said Mr Badawi arrived at the mosque in a police car and had the charges read out to him in front of a crowd. He was then made to stand with his back to onlookers and whipped, though he remained silent throughout the ordeal. In a statement, Amnesty International said: 'He was removed from a bus in shackles and brought to the public square in front of the mosque. 'Surrounded by a crowd made up of the public and a number of security officers, he received 50 consecutive lashes on his back. 'The whole ordeal lasted around 15 minutes. Afterwards he was put back in the bus and taken away.' The rest of the sentence would be carried out over a period of 50 weeks, the rights watchdog group said. A whip, a leather strap or a long cane can be used to carry out floggings in Saudi Arabia, according to corpun.com, a website dedicated to the study of corporal punishment. 'Sometimes the lashes are confined to the buttocks, more often it seems they are spread out from the neck to the ankles, and usually with the prisoner simply lying face down on the ground. 'In one or two reports the offender was said to be tied upright to a post,' said corpun.com. A whip, a leather strap or a long cane may be used to carry out floggings in Saudi Arabia (pictured) Mr Badawi was publicly flogged today as part of his jail term for 'ridiculing Islamic religious figures' The sentence was widely condemned by human rights groups. Said Boumedouha of Amnesty International said: 'The flogging of Raif Badawi is a vicious act of cruelty which is prohibited under international law. 'By ignoring international calls to cancel the flogging Saudi Arabia's authorities have demonstrated an abhorrent disregard for the most basic human rights principles.' Mr Badawi was arrested in June 2012 and prosecuted for offences including cyber crime and disobeying his father. Following his arrest, his wife and children left the kingdom for Canada. The prosecution had demanded he be tried for apostasy, which carries the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, but a judge dismissed that charge. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a fine of 1 million Saudi riyals ($266,666) and 1,000 lashes last year after prosecutors challenged an earlier sentence of seven years and 600 lashes as too lenient. Yesterday the US tried - but failed - to convince Riyadh to cancel the sentence of 1,000 lashes. Badawi's lawyer Waleed Abul-Khair was sentenced in July to 15 years imprisonment and barred from traveling for another 15 years after being found guilty by an anti-terrorism court of 'undermining the regime and officials,' ''inciting public opinion' and 'insulting the judiciary.' Saudi Arabia's legal code follows sharia law. Judges are trained as religious scholars and have broad scope to base verdicts and sentences on their own interpretation of religious texts. | Online activist Raif Badawi publicly flogged outside Jiddah mosque today . Underwent round of 50 lashes in front of crowd while shackled in chains . Mr Badawi was found guilty of cyber crime and ridiculing Islamic figures . He was sentenced to 1,000 lashes in total and a decade in prison . The rest of the sentence will be carried out over a period of 50 weeks . | 82ef4187b5e7f17fe56323a7b405ca5fdccd174e |
Midwives have been given the green light to take the main role in performing abortions. New Department of Health rules say for the first time that midwives and nurses may ‘participate in the termination’. The controversial guidelines were last night condemned by MPs and anti-abortion campaigners. Crossbench peer Lord Alton said: ‘It is . particularly perverse that midwives, who do the beautiful work of . helping babies into the world, will now be called upon to end the lives . of children they might otherwise work to save.’ Main role: New Department of Health rules say for the first time that midwives and nurses may 'participate in the termination' (file picture) Tory MP Fiona Bruce said the new rules would ‘allow abortions to be administered by nurses or midwives instead of doctors’. She added: ‘This is a clear liberalisation of abortion law which people do not want. Moreover, I do not believe that it is what Parliament intended.’ Under previous guidelines, midwives and nurses could undertake ‘certain actions’ in helping to terminate unwanted pregnancies. 'Lliberalisation': Tory MP Fiona Bruce said the new rules would 'allow abortions to be administered by nurses or midwives instead of doctors' But the new rules go much further and state clearly that a ‘nurse or midwife may administer the drugs used for medical abortions’. The new guidance, which also rules out abortions carried out on the grounds of the sex alone, comes at a time of controversy over abortion law, which allows nearly 200,000 terminations to be performed in England and Wales each year. About a fifth of pregnancies end in abortion. The 1967 law which governs abortion says that two doctors must approve the termination and the procedure must be conducted by a doctor. In 1981, the courts gave approval for nurses to be involved, and Whitehall guidance restated the principle in 1999. But the new rules for the first time say that a doctor needs only to approve and begin a termination. The bulk of the procedure can be carried out by nurses. The move follows pressure from the Royal College of Nursing and abortion providers, who believe the law should be changed to allow nurses full control of abortion induced by drugs or some other techniques. Labour MP Jim Dobbin, the co-chairman of the all-party Parliamentary Pro-life Group, said: ‘We simply cannot trust the Department of Health on abortion. ‘They take every opportunity to make life easier for the abortion industry, even on legally contentious grounds. The Abortion Act is crystal clear that a qualified doctor is the only person able to perform an abortion. Pregnancy: A file photograph of an ultrasound of a seven-week-old foetus. Under previous guidelines, midwives and nurses could undertake 'certain actions' in helping to terminate unwanted pregnancies . ‘Not satisfied with this, the department is now making nurses and midwives accomplices to the tragic taking of innocent human life. We are looking at a judicial review to challenge the legality of this appalling decision.’ Pro-choice organisations say that over the past 20 years nurses have taken over many of the clinical functions once reserved for doctors and so the law should be liberalised to allow them to take over the lead role in abortion. 'This is a clear liberalisation of abortion law which people do not want. Moreover, I do not believe that it is what Parliament intended' Fiona Bruce, Conservative MP . Ann Furedi, chief executive of the biggest abortion provider, BPAS, said: ‘We think nurses are the best people to deliver early abortions. Abortions should be carried out by people who are clinically qualified to do it, including nurses.’ The Department of Health said the new guidelines made no difference to the law and merely clarified the existing rules. Dr Michael Scott, a consultant psychologist and critic of abortion law, believes the new guidance is designed to free up funds in the NHS. ‘Nurses would be cheaper than doctors,’ he said. ‘One can see that from a purely economic point of view, the Government is moving in that direction.’ Dr Tony Cole, chairman of the Medical Ethics Alliance, added: ‘Midwifery is one of the most life-enhancing fields in the whole of medicine and to ask midwives to carry out these death sentences is obscene. It is a betrayal of what midwives are for.’ | New rules state midwives and nurses may 'participate in the termination' They say nurse/midwife 'may administer drugs used for medical abortions' Lord Alton: 'Midwives will end lives of children they might otherwise save' MP Fiona Bruce: 'A clear liberalisation of abortion law people do not want' | 7ada1ab3350a078e194d9f7bc980382b7ea8b090 |
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday threw its weight and pocketbook behind the federal investigation of a California slaughterhouse where CNN exposed issues surrounding one of the biggest meat recalls in years. The latest congressional action authorizes $1 million in additional funding to "provide for a swift completion" of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's probe into the Rancho Feeding Corporation. Federal investigators have said they believe the Petaluma, California-based company bought diseased dairy cows and processed them when government inspectors weren't there. After the cows were killed, employees would hide the warning signs of cancer by trimming off diseased parts, using a fake stamp of approval or even replacing the heads of sick cows with ones from healthy animals. That all contributed to the February recall of nearly 9 million pounds of meat as well as a criminal investigation, according to sources familiar with the probe. A federal law enforcement source has told CNN that charges against Rancho's former owners -- the plant has since been sold -- have been decided. But that decision has yet to become public. And in the plant where it all went down, a government inspector and a Rancho foreman were involved in an inappropriate romance, according to documents obtained by CNN. A USDA spokesman said last month that the department "is conducting a thorough investigation into personnel issues related to this case." Yet Reps. Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson, two Democrats from California who spearheaded Wednesday's action in the House, criticized what they characterized as the limited information federal investigators have so far provided in the case. The extra $1 million funding "will help ensure that the inspector general, the office tasked with ensuring the integrity of USDA operations, has the support it needs from Congress to do its job and ensure that the food supply is safe," according to a news release. "Many of my ranching constituents are facing serious financial losses and they can't get any information from (the) USDA about what happened," Huffman said on the House floor. "We have more information from CNN than we have gotten from (the) USDA -- this is completely unacceptable," said Huffman, whose district includes the now-defunct Rancho plant. How 9 million pounds of bad meat got in food supply . | The House OKs $1 million for a USDA investigation of a California slaughterhouse . Authorities recalled nearly 9 million pounds of meat from there in February . A congressman says investigators have been too slow to make information public . "We have more information from CNN than ... from the (the) USDA," he says . | 3ba6113eaf9df237a3bb6ca5c409c741f9348401 |
This brave climber was clearly not put off by the threat of frostbite as he scaled an icy mountain to pose completely naked at its peak. Despite freezing temperatures, intrepid Dan Arkle climbed Crib Goch near Snowdon, North Wales, in the depth of winter and shed his clothes in the snow to embrace the dawn totally starkers. The 35-year-old photographer tackled the icy mountain by torchlight, using an ice axe and crampons to reach the highest ridge, before stripping off. Cheeky: Dan Arkle climbed Crib Goch near Snowdon, North Wales, in the depth of winter and shed his clothes to embrace the dawn totally starkers . Brave: The 35-year-old photographer tackled the icy mountain by torchlight, using an ice axe and crampons to reach the highest ridge . Starkers: The climber said he was worried about getting frostbite... and not just on his feet . Casting off everything including his hiking boots he then traversed the knife-edge peak and posed for these cheeky pictures. He had driven from his home in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, through the night to reach Snowdonia, before climbing the mountain alone, eventually arriving at his destination, 3,028ft above sea level, by sunrise. Mr Arkle said: 'One of the reasons people go into the mountains is for a feeling of awe at being surrounded by powerful and elemental forces. 'I wanted to highlight how weak and vulnerable humans are in such a place without modern technology and protective equipment. Highest peak: Mr Arkle drove from his home in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, through the night to Snowdonia and climbed the mountain alone to reach his destination by sunrise . Fully dressed: Mr Arkle in his usual climbing gear . 'It was surprisingly mild at just below zero with no wind which is a good job as I was worried about getting frostbite and not just on my feet. 'I walked a few hundred yards naked until my feet got too cold, it felt very free to not be weighed down by my usual equipment and to feel the snow crunching between my toes. 'There was a huge sheer drop to each side so I needed to go very slowly and carefully.' | Dan Arkle braved freezing temperatures to climb Crib Goch, near Snowdon . Photographer reached mountain summit before stripping off . Climber, 35, said he worried about frostbite... and not just on his feet . Artist wanted to highlight human vulnerability without modern technology . | 8a2c4701b2366098b72ada7550943098981b627c |
Madrid (CNN) -- The Las Vegas Sands Corp. finally made it official: Madrid will be the site of its next multibillion dollar casino and hotel complex and not Barcelona, which just hours before the announcement said it would build its own, smaller gambling resort. "Barcelona is an outstanding tourism destination and choosing Madrid over Barcelona was not an easy selection," Las Vegas Sands chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson said in statement late Friday in Las Vegas. Spaniards have dubbed the project "EuroVegas" and news media have focused almost daily headlines on the fierce competition between Madrid, the nation's capital, and Barcelona, the second-largest city, to win the project. The battle came amid the nation's deep economic crisis, with an unemployment rate of more than 24% overall and more than 50% for Spanish youth. The Las Vegas Sands project promised to generate up to 250,000 jobs, reports say. Plans indicate the project would be an approximately 18 billion euros ($22 billion) development with 12 hotels including 36,000 rooms, six casinos and three golf courses to be built over a decade. But Las Vegas Sands Corp. would provide only up to 35% of the equity, and the company said the final size of the project, its specific location in Madrid and financing options still need to be determined. Spain is in the process of receiving up to a 100-billion euro bailout from European authorities for some of the country's weakest banks, which ran up huge debts when the decade-long property boom crashed. Even at the healthiest banks here, credit is still tight. Critics of the gambling complex say it's the wrong kind of development model for a country trying to pull out of recession. The hotel and casino jobs, critics say, would be mainly low-skilled and low paying, besides attracting organized crime to Spain, which is already one of the world's top tourist destinations. Earlier Friday, the Catalan regional government, whose capital is Barcelona, announced its own gambling resort, called Barcelona World, to be built near the city around an existing amusement park. Barcelona World would be a 4.5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) investment, with six hotels and six casinos, enough to generate 20,000 jobs, about a fourth of the investment of EuroVegas in Madrid. Weeks ago, Las Vegas Sands indicated it would say in early September whether it had chosen Madrid or Barcelona for the project. A Madrid opposition politician Tuesday got a jump on his adversaries in the Madrid regional government and the Las Vegas Sands Corp. announcing that he was certain the casino resort would come to Madrid. That set off several days of official denials and no comments. On Thursday, Catalan officials in Barcelona revealed that their offer to host the Las Vegas Sands project expired on August 31. And it came down to Friday, with Catalan officials first, and hours later the Las Vegas Sands Corp., announcing their gambling resorts for Barcelona and Madrid, respectively. Adelson, a major donor to the Republican Party, has built Las Vegas Sands Corp. into a leading global developer of gambling, entertainment and convention resorts. The company has The Venetian and The Palazzo gambling resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, and has expanded into Asian markets, with the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. On Macao, through its majority-owned subsidiary Sands China Ltd., it has the Venetian Macao and Sands Macao properties. | "Barcelona is an outstanding tourism destination," official says . Spaniards have dubbed the project "EuroVegas" The decision comes amid the nation's deep economic crisis . | c6c07b261db0ea936ba151fb4d79c2fa5f1a42d6 |
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israel approved construction permits for more than 550 settlement units in East Jerusalem, officials said, escalating tensions with Palestinians amid negotiations. The city council committee Wednesday evening approved issuing the construction permits, which is considered the last stage before building of settlements can start. "The local planning and building committee had dealt with request of private enterprises to approve building permits for 386 units in Har Homa, 136 units in Neve Yakov and 36 units in Pisgat Zeev for plans approved years ago," the Jerusalem municipality said in a statement. The areas are considered disputed, with settlements illegal under international law. A member of the municipality council rejected the plans. "I oppose to this annexation for new buildings, what Israel and the municipality are doing is constructing unilaterally without consultation with anyone," said Pepe Alola, who also serves as chairman of Meretz party. An Israeli settlement watch group described it as another blow to peace efforts. "It's a shameful decision for a government that seeks a solution for a two-state solution would choose to issue so many permits for settlements units in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. This is not the first time ... just another development of making a solution for Jerusalem much more difficult," said Lior Amihai, deputy director of Peace Now. Palestinian officials said it will sabotage ongoing talks between the two sides. "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately sending a strong message to the United States, Europe and the rest of the world that he has no intention of adhering to international law and the will of the international community," said Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestinian Executive Committee. In July, U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry engaged Israelis and Palestinians to start a nine-month negotiation process that will lead to a framework on future agreements. As the April deadline nears, efforts have not yielded any agreement. Israel seized Jerusalem in 1967 and later annexed the city unilaterally, a move the international community does not recognize. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be part of their future state in any final status negotiations. Israel considers Jerusalem its "eternal and undivided " capital. | Under international law, new settlements in the disputed area are illegal . Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be part of their future state . Israel considers Jerusalem its capital . | c252db6c6d05fafddce112a1fb0e5c0d53676504 |
(CNN) -- "The Walking Dead" returns for a fifth season on AMC Sunday, and fans have been waiting since March to find out the fate of Rick Grimes and many of the survivors. Last season ended with the group having discovered a place called Terminus, which was anything but the sanctuary they were led to believe it was. The residents of Terminus quickly locked them in a train car, but Rick was determined to make an escape with his friends. CNN spoke with executive producer Gale Anne Hurd about what's to come on one of TV's most popular (and secretive) shows. CNN: The survivors were in a lot of danger at the end of the season. Do things move at a quick pace as the season begins? Hurd: You can get a sense of the pacing and the scope from the promos that we've released. We've never left our group of survivors before, in such perilous circumstances. We pick up pretty much where we left off, which is also new for us. CNN: They're in a new situation with Terminus. Are we going to see a lot of changes this season? Hurd: Yes. The prison has been left behind. They've been on the road. Some are still on the road, like Carol, Tyreese and Judith. Beth seems to be in jeopardy as well. We have multiple strands of stories that we're telling in different settings. CNN: Can we expect a big body count coming up? Hurd: Sadly, this is a world in which we tend not to make it to the end with the same characters intact. We can't imagine that this season will be any different. CNN: We've had a lot of human threats lately, as opposed to the walkers. Is that going to continue? Hurd: It is the zombie apocalypse, and the loss of society, civilization, and law and order has enabled all of this to take place. They find themselves in that world, and they have to adapt or die. We see the journey that each character takes, they're all different as to how they adapt, and how they can reconcile the terrible things they've done. Or perhaps they turn evil as the Governor did. CNN: Is there a particular character we should keep an eye on this season? Hurd: As always, Rick goes through a great number of changes, and has over the season. Last season, he threw down a gauntlet, saying that the people of Terminus had no idea who they're dealing with -- which is quite a threat considering that they're locked in a train car. But it shows that he's embraced the mantle of leadership that he tried to throw off in the previous seasons. Carol's journey has been incredibly remarkable, and it will continue to be so. CNN: Five seasons in, are there things that continue to surprise you about this world? Hurd: Robert Kirkman's underlying comic book continues to surprise me, and it's an inspiration for all of us who work on the show. In some ways, we hew closely to it, in others we vary greatly. But it's also something of a road map for us. AMC grabs 'Walking Dead' companion series pilot . | Season five of top-rated "The Walking Dead" returns Sunday . Most of the survivors were in danger, having been locked up in a train car at the end of season four . Executive producer Gale Anne Hurd "can't imagine" that it won't be a deadly season . | 8350e9183f3b122630b383cfee2f1ec8d0049ea4 |
(CNN) -- Devender had a crush on Lalita. She was so pretty. He'd take long looks at her during class. When she left school, Dev would ditch just to watch her walk down the hall, push the doors open and glide away. He thought about telling her all the time. But he was too scared. He liked her so much. High school is intense everywhere in this world. India is no different. One day, Dev saw his chance. He approached Lalita's brother. Please give this to your sister, he said, and handed the boy his number. And he waited. Nothing. "I was tortured," he said. "The girl I liked most wasn't calling me. I didn't have her number. I wanted to tell her, 'Lalita, I love you.' " Days went by, and his mobile rang. Hearing her voice stunned him silent for a minute. "Devender, are you OK?" she asked. And they talked, as kids do, sweet and nervous. Pretty soon, they were in love. Eventually, Dev got the courage to tell Lalita that he just couldn't be without her. Will you marry me? he asked. She said yes. But she knew it would never be that simple. Lalita and Dev are from different castes, he from a lower one than she. Lalita knew that her parents would be furious and that they were working on finding someone for her to marry. But she told them anyway, still holding onto hope that they might understand. They didn't. 'Honor' crime: Why just kissing a boy can trigger murder . "You will spoil your name!" her parents shouted. Her father threatened to kill them both, and he hit Lalita. "I was disturbed ... listening to (these) words," she said. "The day my father came to know, that night he hit me and tortured me." The 22-year-olds sat side by side today and recalled what they believed was their only option. "We decided we will die, because we don't have any other way," Lalita said. Then, one afternoon, they caught a popular television talk show featuring an unlikely band of former lawyers and activists who've made it their mission to help doomed lovers. India's Love Commandos, formed in 2010, give couples food, shelter and protection if they run away from their disapproving families. The group has more than 11,000 volunteers across the country who provide legal assistance, man 24-hour help lines and, in some cases, even marry desperate couples. "We have far too many problems in India to worry about someone choosing to love another," said founder Sanjoy Sachdev, who married his wife because he chose to. "How can society object to love relationships?" he asked. "Our young boys and girls have rights. India has become the country of killers of love. "Every couple that approaches us is under so much pressure, so much stigma, where they feel they may be killed any minute." So-called honor killings have surged in India over the past few years, with victims defying traditional Hindu customs. Many of the deaths have been those choosing to marry outside their caste. At least five couples were killed in 2010. But that figure doesn't begin to show what human rights experts say are likely hundreds of reprisals. There are no official figures on honor killings, because they often go unreported or family members pass them off as suicides or natural deaths, according to Human Rights Watch. India's supreme court has issued notices to the national government and several states to protect couples, yet in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh provinces alone, an estimated 900 honor killings occur annually, according to a 2012 report by the U.S. State Department, citing reports from nongovernmental organizations. The Love Commandos stand a chance of accomplishing what officials have failed to do, said Meenakshi Ganguly, the Southeast Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "There isn't a social worker network available to these young people who feel really isolated, so this group could be doing a wonderful thing," she said. The spike in honor killings is partly a result of India's changing cultural norms and a generation fighting to keep things the same. "There's more television, more kids are going to college and blurring the social lines, so that people have a chance now to find a partner for themselves," Ganguly said. Dev and Lalita started their relationship and fostered it through calls on mobile phones. They imagine they'd never have even met if it weren't for them both attending the same school, because they lived in villages that were miles apart. She and Dev called Love Commandos, who are sheltering them in an undisclosed location. When CNN visited Lalita's family to try to get their side of the story, her grandfather shouted that there was no point. Lalita is "as good as dead" to them, he said. She knows she can't go home. Dev says that her family has filed complaints against his with local authorities and that his family and a friend who helped them have been jailed. But the two married, with Love Commandos' help. The group helped them craft a letter to their families, letting them know. They are thinking about the future. Dev said he's going to make sure that Lalita continues going to school. They are happy, they said, and have no regrets. "We are both fine," Lalita said. "If society thinks otherwise, let them." Why do honor murders still happen? CNN's Sumnima Udas and Tim Schwarz contributed to this report. | Volunteers help couples who, because of caste differences, aren't allowed to be together . Expert: Some who've resisted arranged marriage have been victims of honor killings . Young lovers Dev and Lalita ran away, and the Love Commandos helped marry them . | 48561cccdbad967ac61492c12513fa083490cd75 |
(CNN) -- What turns a few cases of disease into thousands? Sometimes Ebola, or cholera or other infectious diseases, emerge and are brought under control, but the current Ebola crisis in West Africa continues to grow. What makes the critical difference in quickly controlling an outbreak? Luck plays a part. Where the first cases emerge, what the weather is like, the coincidence of holidays and migration can all make a difference in how quickly disease spreads. Biology also matters, including the unexpected evolution of pathogens and the level of prior exposure and immunity in populations at risk. Health infrastructure is important too. Countries that invest little in health -- including training health personnel and public health surveillance and diagnostic capacity -- will struggle to mount a rapid and effective response. Bad luck and lack of investment in health are hard to address once a disease starts to spread. However, a lot depends on how governments respond to the first cases that pop up -- and denying or minimizing the early cases is one of the worst things a government can do. Indeed, restricting health information and imposing controls on the media breed mistrust and impede an effective response. Another potential obstacle, which might seem counterintuitive, is quarantines. Ebola cases first appeared in West Africa five months ago, and so far, there have been more than 4,784 confirmed or suspected cases, and more than 2,400 deaths, according to the World Health Organization. As cases first emerged, the lack of information about the disease and suspicion of the government led to rumors that the reports of Ebola were created by the government to secure -- and embezzle -- aid. Although Ebola is not transmitted by water, fears spread in Liberia that the government was poisoning wells to increase the number of cases. In Guinea, on August 29, people rioted when a market was sprayed with disinfectant they believed was infected with the Ebola virus, with more than 50 injured. People attacked health workers and the hospital in Guinea's second largest city, Nzerekore, shouting: "Ebola is a lie!" Then quarantines were imposed. Following an attack on an Ebola treatment center in West Point, a populous neighborhood in Monrovia, Liberia's capital, the government reportedly ordered a quarantine of the entire peninsula. The incidence of Ebola was reportedly no higher in West Point than anywhere else in the city, but Information Minister Lewis Brown said the neighborhood was quarantined because of its density and the potential for political violence. The quarantine was abandoned after 10 days, but Brown declared it a success because it changed attitudes -- increasing awareness of the severity of the disease. Isolating a community as punishment for not trusting the government neither fosters trust nor effectively limits transmission. During the quarantine period, the price of basic goods like food, water, coal, soap and phone cards doubled. The cost of rice tripled, to 90 cents a cup. Early on, there were violent clashes between security forces and angry residents trying to leave. A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot, and four other residents were wounded. In addition, residents who could afford it bribed security forces to get out, while others fled by swimming away or escaped when security was lax. Access to routine health care inside the quarantine zone was limited and there were reports of pregnant women desperate for help. Meanwhile, on September 6 in Sierra Leone, government officials announced a three-day quarantine to facilitate detecting cases through house-to-house searches. Yet detecting Ebola cases is not necessarily straightforward, and Sierra Leone doesn't have sufficient capacity to hospitalize everyone it may identify. Doctors Without Borders issued a statement that "lockdowns and quarantines do not help control Ebola as they end up driving people underground and jeopardizing the trust between people and health providers. This leads to the concealment of potential cases and ends up spreading the disease further." So what can be done? Education and social mobilization campaigns that explain Ebola and facilitate community participation in the response are key. Social support and home-based care can increase trust and ensure that voluntary isolation measures are respected and people who are sick can be safely cared for at home. Efforts to ensure that survivors are not shunned and stigmatized are also important, and survivors, who are immune from reinfection, can play an important role in the response. In other words: Ensure that the Ebola response respects human rights. Access to health information and treatment, involving the community in the planning and response to the epidemic, making sure that restrictions on liberty and movement are imposed only when they are strictly necessary -- these are all human rights principles that are codified in international treaties. Of course, respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights is not a magic bullet to stop a disease in its tracks. But, as we've seen in the current Ebola outbreak, failing to implement a response in line with human rights principles can increase the risk that a small outbreak will become a much larger one. | Outbreak of Ebola has claimed more than 2,200 lives, according to WHO . Lack of info and suspicion of government made outbreak worse, says Joe Amon . Education campaigns are key to limiting outbreak, he says . Amon: Responses that violate human rights principles can increase risk of spread . | 7332e524a2ae82628f46154f739f5d6f57977e26 |
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 22:15 EST, 30 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:33 EST, 31 December 2013 . A Hawaii woman whose last name is 36 characters long has finally gotten the whole thing to fit on her driver's license and state identification card. Janice 'Lokelani' has a surname that consists of 35 letters plus an okina, a mark used in the Hawaiian alphabet. She received her new license and ID after her campaign to get her full name on the cards prompted the state Department of Transportation to change its policy to expand the number of characters that can appear. Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele, 54, said Monday that she's happy she was able to help fix the problem of identification cards lacking sufficient space for long names. Incomplete: Janice Keihanaikukauakahihulihe'ekahaunaele shows her old Hawaii drivers license that lacked the space for her full name . 'Now, in the state of Hawaii, we are no longer second class citizens because of the length of our name,' she said. Hawaii driver's licenses and ID cards previously had room for names totaling up to 35 characters. The new policy allows 40 characters for last names, 40 for first names and 35 for middle names. Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele got the name when she married her Hawaiian husband in 1992. He used only the one name, which his grandfather gave him after it came to him in a dream. Ms Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele - who got her name after marrying in 1992 - said that her name had many layers of meanings including 'one who would stand up and get people to focus in one direction when there was chaos and confusion, and help them emerge from disorder'. She said it can also mean 'When . there is chaos and confusion, you are one that will stand up and get . people to focus in one direction and come out of the chaos.' The woman said her husband, who died in 2008, had similar issues with documentation. She said: 'He always had problems with trying to get people to use his whole name. 'They would chop it up into smaller pieces.' Hawaiian home: Keihanaikukauakahihulihe'ekahaunaele at her home in Ocean View, Hawaii . Married name: This 2008 photo provided by Janice Lokelani Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele shows Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele (right) and her husband Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele in Kamuela, Hawaii . Under . the old policy, Hawaii County issued . Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele her driver's license and state ID . with the last letter of her name chopped off. And it omitted her first . name. She told news media . about the issue earlier this year after a policeman gave her a hard time . about her driver's license during a traffic stop. She told BBC World: 'The policeman looked at my licence and saw I had no first name. 'I told him it is not my fault that my licence and state ID are not correct and I am trying to get it corrected. 'He then told me "Well, you can always change your name back to your maiden name." 'This hurt my heart.' Ms . Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele said that the officer's attitude . upset her because he was being 'disrespectful of the Hawaiian people.' What's in a name? Janice 'Lokelani' Keihanaikukauakahihulihe'ekahaunaele's name is 36 characters and 19 syllables . She . said: 'Over the last 22 years I have seen... the culture of Hawaii . being trampled upon and this policeman treated my name as if it was . mumbo-jumbo.' Last month, the state Department of Transportation announced it expanded the character limits. Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele is now hoping to get the Social Security Administration to allow more characters on its identification cards. The agency's cards have two lines for names. The first line has 26 spaces for first and middle names while the second line has 26 spaces for a last name and suffix. | A new policy will allow Janice Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele, 54, to get her full name printed on her ID card . Hawaii driver's licenses and ID cards . previously had room for names totaling up to 35 characters. The new . policy allows 40 characters for last names, 40 for first names and 35 . for middle names. Janice's last name alone is 36 characters . | 49d1aadbe0e4f05c03f261808189f79e43ae83a4 |
A tatty Mini, which spent 20 years languishing in a garage and doesn't even start, has set a new world record after it sold for £31,000. The dinky Austin Mini Cooper S's engine doesn't work, there are paint defects on the car's bodywork and it doesn't have an MOT or tax. But despite its shabby appearance the iconic British motor was snapped up by a keen collector for almost four times its pre-sale estimate of £8,000. Collector's car: This tatty Mini, which spent 20 years languishing in a garage and doesn't even start has set a new world record after it sold for almost four times its pre-sale estimate . Experts are thanking the entirely 'original features' of the almond green and white car for helping achieve the huge price - and say the result makes it the most expensive Mini Cooper S ever to sell at auction. Matt Whitney, head of classic cars at . Dorset-based auctioneers Charterhouse, said: 'The sheer originality of . this car is what makes it so unique and valuable. 'Minis like this simply don't come on to the market much any more - they are incredibly rare. I would think there are fewer than a dozen of these cars existing in the world today.' Shabby chic: despite its shabby appearance the iconic 1966 British motor broke the record when it went under the hammer for £31,000 in Dorset . Boys' toy: All the car's features are original from the 1275cc engine with twin carburettors to its two-tone interior trim and body panels. It has the ultimate spec for a Mini . The Mini was made in 1966, seven years after the model was launched by the British Motor Corporation. It had just three registered owners and 75,000 miles on the clock. Its last owner, a doctor from Leicester, bought the car in 1968 and drove it until 1993 when he covered it up and left it in his garage after replacing it with a Peugeot 205. Although it needs £2,000 spending on it . just to make it roadworthy, the Mini could be worth even more than its . enormous selling price once the work is complete. Car collectors showed great interest in the battered old Austin Cooper S - bidding went through the roof and set a world record . The . Cooper model, a collaboration with Formula One and rally car . manufacturer John Cooper Cars, debuted in 1961 as a performance version . of the popular car. Richard Bromell of Dorset auctioneers Charterhouse, who sold the Mini Cooper for a record-breaking £31,000 . The Mini Cooper S was an even more powerful model released in 1963 featuring a souped up 1275cc engine. As well as being sold to the public, it was popular on the race track and won the famous Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965 and 1967. Mr Whitney adds: 'All of its features are original from the 1275cc engine with twin carburettors to its two-tone interior trim and body panels. It has the ultimate spec for a Mini. 'The last owner bought it in 1968 and stored it in a garage for 20 years. 'That said, it needs a complete recommission because currently the engine doesn't work, it needs new brakes and the bodywork needs attention. 'It would cost about £2,000 to get it back on the road, and the market for an iconic car like this is only going one way - and that's up. 'There was a fierce bidding war between collectors who were set on getting their hands on this car. We knew it was a special car but it wildly outsold our estimated price.' Auctioneer Richard Bromell added: 'This was not a mint condition car by any means - it has been used well. 'Lots of people were shocked when bidding went past the £16,000 mark. The final price is a world record for a Mini Cooper S sold at auction.' | It needs new brakes, it has paint defects and no MOT or tax . People were shocked when bidding went past the £16,000 mark . It's £2,000 to get . it back on the road, but the market for a car like this is 'up' | 6ac717897e3f75299c15e053412a123e3a50b6d0 |
(CNN) -- What Syria asserts is Israel's launch of two air strikes on Damascus last week presents a marked and dangerous escalation of that country's involvement in the Syrian war. Israel's intervention -- if confirmed -- also shows how the conflict has mutated from a political uprising to an internal armed struggle, and now to a regional war by proxy fiercely fought on Syria's killing fields. (Israel has a policy of refusing to confirm or deny attacks attributed to its military.) The confrontation in Syria has become more complex, more perilous, and more difficult to resolve. The Syrian struggle has not only spread into Syria's neighbors, like Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Turkey -- but has also become a battlefield wherein Israel and Iran are challenging each other. There is also a fierce geostrategic rivalry unfolding in Syria between Sunni-dominant Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, a rivalry invested and fuelled with sectarianism. A real danger exists that this complex conflict in Syria could escalate into a region-wide battle involving Syria's major allies -- Iran and Hezbollah, and Israel, other regional powers, and the Western states. Israel's alleged deepening involvement in the conflict also changes the dynamics of the political struggle in Syria in two ways. It puts the armed opposition on the defensive, because it shows them that they and Israel are indirectly battling the same enemy -- the Assad regime. And it reinforces President Bashar al-Assad's dominant narrative: that the struggle in Syria is not internal, that this is not about a domestic coalition striving to replace authoritarianism with democracy -- but rather this is a wider conspiracy spearheaded by Israel and its regional allies and Western powers. The Syrian official media has already portrayed Israel's bombings as an attempt to shore up the armed opposition and reverse the balance of power in its favor. Although the Iranian leadership has repeatedly stated that it would come to the aid of Syria if it is attacked by Israel, it is unlikely that Iran or its partner Hezbollah would retaliate directly against Israel's possible strikes. Both Iran and Hezbollah would like to avoid a regional conflict in which Israel and its allies would have the upper hand. Opinion: Is Obama failing on moral leadership? What Iran and Hezbollah would most likely do is deepen their involvement in Syria's shifting sands. In an emotional speech last week, Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah top leader, stressed that al-Assad's allies will not allow Syria to fall. Now Hezbollah and Iran would become more determined than ever to prevent the removal of al-Assad from power. Bluntly put, the recent escalation of hostilities will not only prolong the deadly conflict in Syria, but has now made it an open-ended war by proxy -- one with major potential repercussions for regional and international security and peace. Israel's major goal appears to be the establishment of a red line in Syria, whereby no advanced weapons reach Hezbollah -- its archenemy in Lebanon. Israel's primary audience was Hezbollah and Iran. Israel is taking a calculated gamble that neither Syria nor Hezbollah would risk retaliation. Obama: 'Do not foresee scenario' of American boots on ground in Syria . There is a risk of miscalculation that could trigger a bigger clash. Given the risks and the dangers of a region-wide conflict, one would hope that the great powers -- particularly the United States and Russia -- would assume their historic responsibility and reach an understanding that begins the process of putting an end to the deadly struggle in Syria that has killed more than 70,000 Syrians, according to the latest United Nations estimate, and caused a humanitarian disaster. More than two years after the breakout of the Syrian confrontation there does not seem to be a military solution. It is a long war of attrition with no end in sight. Neither internal camp seems to have the means to deliver a decisive blow. Only a political solution will put an end to the shedding of Syrian blood and prevent the unthinkable: a region-wide conflict that would have catastrophic consequences. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Fawaz A. Gerges. | Gerges: Israel's alleged involvement changes the dynamics of Syrian struggle . Iran stated it would aid Syria if it is attacked by Israel, but it is unlikely it would retaliate directly . A political solution will put an end to the bloodshed and prevent a region-wide conflict, he says . | a3e4215728596e3b93dcc4d3e2fb75e962436210 |
By . Andrew Magee . Brazil 2014 has become the World Cup of 'Supersubs' - with goal after goal being scored by replacements. The World Cup has come to life and, with so many late goals, it has been as exciting a tournament as anyone can remember - and even sub goalkeepers have contributed to the entertainment after Tim Krul's cameo in Holland's 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Costa Rica. Here, Sportsmail takes a look at some of the best and most important goals from substitutes so far. Subs: Even replacement goalkeepers have been the talk of the World Cup in Brazil . HARIS SEFEROVIC (Switzerland 2-1 Ecuador) Trailing Ecuador 1-0 at half-time, Ottmar Hitzfeld brought on Mehmedi, who equalised straight after the break. Hitzfeld repeated the trick when he brought on Haris Seferovic, who scored the winner three minutes into injury time. Leaving it late: Haris Seferovic scoops home a late opener for Switzerland in a 2-1 win against Ecuador . JOHN BROOKS (Ghana 1-2 USA) Clint Dempsey scored one minute into the USA’s campaign. Andre Ayew equalised late on, but then, with four minutes left, substitute Brooks headed in from a corner to make himself an all-American hero. Case for the defence: John Brooks looks in a state of shock after scoring the winning goal against Ghana . MAROUANE FELLAINI (Belgium 2-1 Algeria) Belgium boss Marc Wilmots used his subs effectively in Brazil. Losing 1-0 to Algeria, he brought on Fellaini, who equalised with a header off the bar, and Dries Mertens, who smashed home the winner with 10 minutes left. Level: Marouane Fellaini (centre) headed home for Belgium against Algeria . KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR (Holland 2-1 Mexico) The Dutch trailed Mexico with two minutes to go in their last-16 encounter. Wesley Sneijder equalised, but it was substitute Huntelaar who buried a penalty in the last minute of injury time to send Holland through. Super sub: Klass-Jan Huntelaar celebrates scoring Holland's winner against Mexico . MEMPHIS DEPAY (Australia 2-3 HOLLAND) After thumping Spain in their opener, Louis van Gaal’s Holland were struggling against an Australia side inspired by a thunderous Tim Cahill volley. But substitute Depay saved the day with a late long-range strike. Comeback complete: Holland substitute Memphis Depay scores from outside the box to make it 3-2 . ANDRE SCHURRLE (Germany 2-1 Algeria) In another cagey last-16 game, Andre Schurrle came on at half time. After a goalless 90 minutes, Schurrle’s sublime flick opened the scoring before he helped set up Mesut Ozil to put Germany into the next round. Goal: Andre Schurrle of Germany scores his team's first goal against Algeria . Joy: Schurrle celebrates after scoring the first goal against Algeria in the World Cup . ROMELU LUKAKU (Belgium 2-1 USA) In one of the games of the tournament, Wilmots again changed the match. He threw on Lukaku for extra time and the striker set up his side’s first and scored the second to send them into the quarter-finals. Replacement: Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku unleashes an exquisite finish against USA . | Brazil 2014 has been the World Cup of the substitute scorer . The tournament has been one of the most exciting in living memory . Sportsmail takes a look at some of the best and most important sub goals . | 12afe0e2460993a2ea90bb53fd886974a08989f7 |
(CNN) -- Over the years, it seems that just about every format imaginable has been used for debates between presidential candidates. Lecterns. Chairs. No chairs. Tables. No tables. Open stages to walk around on. Moderators working solo, like Jim Lehrer at this year's first presidential debate and Martha Raddatz at the vice presidential debate. Moderators with panels of reporters. Questions submitted by the audience. Questions submitted by viewers at home. Town halls, like the one that will be moderated by CNN's Candy Crowley on Tuesday. Yet, 52 years after the first televised presidential debate, there still often seems something stilted and dry about some of them (but not all: witness last week's high-energy vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan). Frequently, though, the staffs of the people running for the presidency negotiate the ground rules so fussily that the debates can at times feel like some sort of candidates' cotillion. So what if, for one debate some year, it was agreed to try the one format that has not been tested? The debate would still be 90 minutes in prime evening time. The proceedings would still be telecast live on all the networks. There would still be an audience in the auditorium. But there would be no moderator, and no panel of questioners. There would be no subject matter agreed to in advance. There would be no rules. None. At the top of the hour, the two candidates would come out onto the stage. There wouldn't even need to be an announcer making an introduction. And then. ... It would be up to them. They would have 90 minutes to talk to the audience, and to each other. To argue, and try to persuade, with no referee. It just might be fascinating. Their staffs, as campaign staffs will do, would have prepared them and would have come up with tactics for each of them to take over the debate. And you can bet that the two candidates would fall back on those rehearsed tactics. For about 15 minutes. But then they would realize that, with 75 or so minutes left, they had better figure out a way to talk about things with each other, and with the nation. It would be like when people get stuck in an elevator together: They talk because they have to. They may feel that they have nothing in common, but now they're here. In the elevator suspended between floors, there's no one but the two of them. Surprising things can be said and learned. There's no blueprint. No script. If a presidential debate of this sort were to be attempted, the audience in the auditorium, and at home, might find out some things about the candidates they would never discern in a tightly formatted, moderated debate, or in a standard-issue stump speech. And the candidates might find out a few things about each other -- maybe even find some unanticipated common ground. Funny things can happen in an elevator that isn't going anywhere. Some of what unfolds might have little to do with the specific words that are spoken. Is one of the candidates overbearing and selfish in how he uses the time -- does he refuse to let his opponent get a word in? That would be a good thing for the voters to know. Is one of the candidates lighthearted and easygoing as he deals with the empty minutes in the company of the person he is running against? That would be instructive to see. Who's the leader? Who heats up? Who is unflappable? There are, after all, occasions when presidents meet one-on-one with powerful foreign leaders, with no one to guide the conversation. This might be a good approximation of that -- presidential candidates unplugged, on their own, with no escape hatch. (Or the debate might instead turn out to be an approximation of a pro-wrestling cage match, in suits and ties instead of trunks.) Of course, once candidates took part in one debate with this format, they and their staffs would undoubtedly devise a way to screw it up for the next time, to make it bland and suck all the life out of it. But for one night -- that first night it was tried -- it just might make for great, riveting viewing. Or -- let's be candid -- it might turn out to be an utter flop, like the announcerless National Football League telecast that took place in 1980, when NBC Sports, as an experiment, put on a regular-season game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins with no announcers or commentators -- just the sights and sounds of the action. The post-game consensus was that it wasn't such a splendid idea at all. But two candidates, stuck in the presidential-debate elevator, depending on their own wits, intelligence and deeply held beliefs to carry the night? With just the two of them to figure it all out, and the entire nation watching? There is at least a chance that it could develop into one of the most spontaneous and illuminating evenings of politics ever televised. There's only one way to find out. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene. | Bob Greene: Presidential debates have tried all kinds of formats . He suggests a debate between two candidates -- with no moderator . Voters would see how candidates deal with unpredictable situations, he says . | 564e606d511be815dfa6087c04dd84c2230e59ef |
Speaking to the nation after Congress reached a deal to reopen the government and temporarily raise the debt ceiling, President Barack Obama said we are "Americans first" and need to put partisan interests aside to get things done. But can we? The recent shenanigans do not bode well for the future. The resolution of the shutdown always hinged on whether House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, would defy the tea party hard-liners in his party and allow a vote on a bill that a majority of Republicans did not support. What have we learned about Boehner's leadership, or lack thereof? We are already hearing two extreme viewpoints. Rep. Raul Labrador and other staunch conservatives and tea party members gave him kudos. Boehner's job as speaker of the House seems safe, at least for now. But others in the Republican Party, and outside of it, say Boehner needs to grow a spine to stand up against the tea party caucus and Sen. Ted Cruz, the ultimate architect of the shutdown fiasco of 2013. Such differing views about the role Boehner played and how he led his troops reflects the exact polarization that produced the fingernails-to-the-chalkboard tension that caused the shutdown face-off in the first place. GOP, Boehner take shutdown hit in new CNN poll . In press conferences and TV appearances, Cruz and House tea party members said time and time again that they were doing what the "American people" asked them to do. They talked about those who cheered on the government shutdown to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. But polls say most Americans disapproved of the Republican tactics and did not want the government to shut down over Obamacare. These Americans give a historically low disapproval rating to Republicans and the tea party in particular. Those same numbers give Obama and the Democrats confidence in saying they are the ones who are actually listening to the American people. The problem for Boehner as a leader of a fractured caucus is that he is listening to only a small but loud fraction of the American electorate. The voices of this America are vengeful if they don't get their way. And their leaders were clearly able to compel Boehner to rebuff the other more mainstream and moderate America that seeks compromise and resolution. So did Boehner display good leadership? For his tea party caucus, yes. For the country, no. And yet, going to the mat for the tea party might enable Boehner to push them hard to avoid this destructive path next time. It might give him the backbone he will need to stand up to them in the coming months and listen to the other "America" that represents more reasonable middle-of-the-road voices. These also happen to be a majority of the country -- Republicans, Democrats and independents. They are the voters that decide presidential elections and are precisely the ones the tea party is alienating. A defeated GOP wants to unite, move on, fight another day . The bigger problem for moderate and pragmatic Republicans is that the tea party doesn't care about the Republican Party's shrinking White House prospects. But it does care about its own and about keeping control of the House of Representatives. This could be enough to get the tea party to rethink its strategy. Americans have had it. The most recent CNN poll shows 54% of Americans think it is a bad thing for the country that the GOP controls Congress. For the first time ever, polls show 60% of voters are ready to boot all of Congress out -- including their own representatives. While many strategists believe the House is still safe for Republicans, a recent Public Policy Polling survey, conducted by the Democratic pollster for MoveOn.org, a liberal activist group, suggests that the Democrats in competitive Republican districts are ahead. And Democrats need only to flip 17 districts to gain control of the House. There are 17 districts held by Republicans that Obama won in 2012. There are 17 districts held by Republicans where Obama lost by 2 points or less. These are districts where because of Boehner's poor leadership anti-tea party backlash could help Democrats win seats. Boehner's leadership will soon be tested yet again -- on immigration, the farm bill and the budget, the three issues that Obama says he will push in the remainder of his term. He can choose to be a strong leader for the tea party, or be a strong leader for the country, truly work with Obama and the Democrats, and help heal the battered image of his party and of Washington. He can seal his fate as a true leader, or as the captain of the Titanic. | Maria Cardona: Shutdown resolution hinged on whether Boehner would defy tea party . She says Boehner's job appears safe, but some question his leadership . She says he seems to ignore interests of Americans in favor of tea party, a losing proposition . Cardona: Boehner must lead if he wants to save GOP House districts that appear vulnerable . | 923d7a7f1f92a1469e0b9401b7b8c68948fc485b |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:52 EST, 18 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:26 EST, 18 October 2012 . Celebrities Katie Price and Amanda Holden have been given an 'ugly makeover' with a hilarious new phone app. The UglyBooth is designed to give those iPhone users who are insecure about their looks a boost - by showing them how bad it could be. Using a photograph, the programme rearranges the face to produce hilarious results. Hilarious results: Katie Price pictured before, left, and after, right, the UglyBooth treatment . Ugly: The app has distorted Amanda Holden's perfect complexion and delicate button nose beyond recognition . Those with perfect complexion suddenly find they're covered in spots and dainty features are enlarged while the eyes are brought closer together. In these hilarious pictures, glamour model Katie Price looks a far cry from her usual preened self. And Peter Crouch certainly wouldn't have landed beautiful wife Abbey Clancy if he was really given this 'ugly' transformation. Celebs Gordon Ramsay, Peter Andre, Darcey Bussell and Gemma Arterton also look almost unrecognisable in the shots. And Formula One hunk Jenson Button would no doubt cringe if he caught sight of his 'ugly' self. Even David Cameron, Nick Clegg and the Countess of Wessex have been given the 'ugly' treatment with the new app, which costs 69p. Mashed up: Would Abbey Clancy gone for Peter Crouch if he looked like his UglyBooth equivalent? Distorted: Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay cares about his looks. He wouldn't want to see this . Spotty: Celeb hunk Peter Andre wouldn't get close to many mysterious girls looking like this . Clumsy: Would Darcy Bussell scaled the heights of ballet superstardom with a face like the one on the right? Uglyfied: Gemma Arterton's model good looks have been completely destroyed by the app . Not so hunky now: Formula 1 hunk Jenson Button looks like a cartoon character after the UglyBooth treatment . The photo can be shared via text, email, Facebook or Twitter so you can share the makeover with friends - if you dare. The app, which can also be downloaded on iPod touch and the iPad, comes from PiVi & Co, the makers of the popular FatBooth and AgingBooth. Released on October 17, it is already proving popular. One user, Eric Guzman, said: 'Hilarious. It makes even the best looking celebrities look hideous. LOL great app!' A PiVi & Co spokesman said: 'The inspiration was to provide an easy to use app that let the user instantly have fun with it. 'We are the team behind AgingBooth and FatBooth. 'And, as with our other booths, simplicity of use and realism of the result were our top priority.' They say politics is showbusiness for ugly people: But this makeover of David Cameron takes the biscuit . Eyes too close: Would anyone have voted for Nick Clegg's party if he looked like this? Horrific: The Countess of Wessex has been distorted beyond recognition . Seen better days: Labour MP John Prescott is made to look worse . | UglyBooth for the iPhone rearranges photos with hilarious results . Made by the same developers behind FatBooth and AgingBooth . | a79a1a8e622fe19a873bd5bc1e773e483d69d8c9 |
Burglars who break into country homes can expect to be shot at by their victims, a judge warned yesterday. Judge Michael Pert QC spoke out after a lawyer demanded leniency for a career criminal who he claimed had been blasted with a shotgun in ‘a form of summary justice’. The judge replied: ‘If you burgle a house in the country where the householder owns a legally held shotgun, that is the chance you take. You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.’ Burglars: Joshua O'Gorman, left, and Daniel Mansell, right, who were . both jailed yesterday after they were shot by the owner of the house they . were trying to steal from . The case reignited the debate over the rights of homeowners to defend their properties from intruders. Daniel Mansell, 33, and Joshua . O’Gorman, 27, were sentenced to four years in prison following the . masked raid on the cottage in Welby, near Melton Mowbray, . Leicestershire. Their victims, Andy and Tracey Ferrie, were arrested after Mr Ferrie opened fire on the pair during the midnight break-in. They were held on suspicion of causing . grievous bodily harm and spent 40 hours in custody before prosecutors . decided they had acted in ‘reasonable self-defence’ and lifted the . threat of charges. The couple emigrated to Australia on . Monday amid fears of a revenge attack. Cannabis addict Mansell was shot . in the right hand while O’Gorman was shot in the face during the . incident earlier this month. Andy Ferrie and his wife Tracey: Both were held for 40 hours after Mr Ferrie shot two burglars with a shotgun as they tried to raid his country home . Both men were out of prison on licence when they struck at the Ferries’ 200-year-old rented home. Judge Pert backed householders’ rights . to defend their home from intruders, telling Mansell and O’Gorman: ‘I . make it plain that, in my judgment, being shot is not mitigation. 'You cannot come to court and ask for a lighter sentence because of it.’ He spoke out after Andrew Frymann, . defending O’Gorman, suggested his client’s ‘near death experience’ should be ‘taken into consideration’ by the judge when sentencing. Mr Frymann said O’Gorman had suffered . serious facial injuries including permanent scarring. He added: ‘He was . shot – without any warning or foresight – in the face with a shotgun. 'This is a form of summary justice or punishment which I submit should be taken into consideration.’ Leicester Crown Court yesterday heard . Mansell and O’Gorman fled empty-handed from the cottage and were . arrested hours later when they went to hospital for treatment. 'Their injuries were clearly visible . as they stood in the dock. Mansell – who has a tattoo reading ‘Big Man’ on his neck – wore his arm in a sling, and O’Gorman has a scar from his . right eye to his ear. Alan Murphy, prosecuting, said the . Ferries were woken by the sound of breaking glass as the raiders forced . their way into their home with a garden fork handle. As they made their way downstairs, Mrs . Ferrie, the registered keeper of the shotgun, handed the weapon to her . husband. Mr Murphy said: ‘Mr Ferrie described seeing three men in the . hall or kitchen wearing some form of face coverings. ‘One of the men was reaching into a drawer that held a number of knives. As a result Mr Ferrie fired his shotgun.’ The farmhouse in Welby, Melton Mowbray, where Andy tried to defend his home from intruders by using his shotgun . Mr Ferrie, 35, who owns a motorhome repair business, then called the police, and he and his 43-year-old wife were arrested. O’Gorman had 16 previous convictions . involving 27 offences. He was on licence at the time he broke into the . cottage, having been released early from a 14-month prison sentence for . dangerous driving. Mansell has eight previous convictions . involving 19 offences. He was freed on licence following a conviction . for causing grievous bodily harm. Mansell and O’Gorman, both of Leicester, admitted burglary with intent to steal. Last night Mrs Ferrie’s mother, Hazel . Towell, 63, said the couple had moved to Perth in Western Australia . because they feared for their safety. Police are pictured searching the ground for clues at the remote house near Melton Mowbray. O'Gorman was shot in the face and Mansell was hit in his right hand during their attempted burglary . The retired cashier, from Burton, Staffordshire, added: ‘They’ve moved as far away as possible. The fear was real enough for Andrew . and Tracey to stay in a different hotel every night until they flew to . Australia on Monday. They felt safer if they moved around.’ Tory MP Alan Duncan spoke in defence . of the Ferries, his constituents, while the couple were in custody. Yesterday he welcomed the judge’s robust comments. ‘Three cheers for the judge,’ he said. ‘Justice has been swift in this case and draws a clear distinction . between the culprits and the victims.’ Two other men, aged 23 and 31, who . were also arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary, are set to . answer police bail next month. The burglars pleaded guilty to the burglary. The judge said their injuries could not form part of their sentence or defence . Forensic officers arriving at the home after Andy Ferrie, and his wife Tracey were arrested in September . | Burglars were injured after homeowner fired his legally-owned shotgun . Judge said injuries could not form part of sentence or defence . Pair, both from Leicester, were sentenced to four years in prison . | 224c834281bc7a437e59da9ddd0740f2521d46e2 |
(CNN) -- YouTube has a new boss and she has a "healthy disregard for the impossible" -- according to Google CEO Larry Page. In that case, 45-year-old Susan Wojcicki has quite the job ahead of her. Not least of which, trying to work out how the video-sharing giant should display advertising on its website -- and get online viewers to watch it. Before she was head of YouTube, Wojcicki was senior vice president of advertising and commerce at Google -- the company, which instead of trying to compete with the popular video-sharing website, decided to buy it for $1.65 billion in 2006. Ok, so apart from disregarding impossible things, what do we know about the highest-ranking woman at Google? Tip: there's your first clue. Google started in her garage. Cast your mind back to 1998. Steve Jobs had just introduced the world's first iMac, the internet still had a dial-up tone, and a couple of computer-savvy Stanford University students were setting up a search engine in Wojcicki's Californian garage. Those students were Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and their search engine would eventually become the multi-billion dollar global technology company we know today: Google. She's part of the Google dynasty. Since she first rented her garage to Brin and Page to help pay her mortgage 16 years ago, Wojcicki has been deeply rooted in the Google Dynasty -- yep, such a thing exists. She was the 16th person they hired and is married to fellow Google executive Dennis Troper. Her younger sister Anne married Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and her teacher and journalist mother Esther has consulted the company on education issues. She was four months pregnant when she joined Google. Wojcicki's friends told her she was crazy when she left her job at Intel to join the start-up company while pregnant with her first child. Today, Wojcicki says it was one of the best decisions of her life. Family remains incredibly important to the mother-of-four, who always tries to be home in time for dinner and tells colleagues not to contact her between 6pm and 9pm when she's with her children. As a kid she wanted to be an artist. "In some ways I think that's what actually led me to technology," Wojcicki told Makers.com. "I thought: 'This is like a new way of making things.'" One of three sisters, her father is Stanford University physics professor, Stanley Wojcicki, and her mother is journalist and educator, Esther Wojcicki. Susan is also a huge supporter of girls in technology -- you can read her open letter on the subject here. She's behind Google Images and Google Books. When Wojcicki joined Google in 1999, she became the company's first marketing manager, later leading the initial development of high-profile projects like Google Images and Google books. As senior vice president of advertising and commerce, she was responsible for the company's advertising products -- accounting for 87% of its revenues in 2012. And when Google bought YouTube eight years ago, she was right behind it -- which seems all the more fitting, considering her new position. | Meet Susan Wojcicki: the new head of YouTube . Rented her garage to Google founders back in 1998 . Helped start Google Images and Google Books . Mother-of-four makes sure she spends every evening with family . | d8d3a9c331f91b3da303fd534f22ffc685d1a5d3 |
By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 17:31 EST, 21 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:02 EST, 21 November 2013 . Mourners are to be fined £147 if funerals go on longer than their allotted 40 minute time limit at a council-run crematorium. North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple will add the additional charge to the cost of a ceremony if the time between the hearse arriving and the last mourners' cars departing exceeds 40 minutes. Devonshire funeral director David Williams says that the fine is 'not morally defensible', and has been added without warning. Fine: North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple will add the additional charge to the cost of a ceremony if the time between the hearse arriving and the last mourners' cars departing exceeds 40 minutes . He said: 'It is not nice - we were annoyed about it because it came through on our invoice. 'They had just snuck it on, no-one was ringing us up saying the service over-ran. 'And if the service is shorter than expected, the crematorium does not give money back to families. 'A funeral is not like a kids’ birthday party. 'People are distressed but they are just saying "You have 40 minutes, get in and get out", It’s not right. Mr Williams added that funeral directors are losing money because they do not wish to impose the fines on customers. He said: 'Funeral directors have been paying the charge rather than putting it on the bill, but it means our fees might have to be increased to cover it. 'It would be horrendous for us to put it on the bill. How can you justify that to the families? Controversial: Devonshire funeral director David Williams says that the fine is 'not morally defensible', and has been added without warning . 'They have just paid £2,000 and then we give them an extra fee.' Martin Williams, procurement and services delivery manager at North Devon Council which runs the crematorium, explained that funerals are booked in 40 minute slots. Services should last 30 minutes, allowing an additional 10 minutes for mourners to come and go. But he said that services can be extended by an additional 30 minutes if prearranged. He said: 'It is the funeral director’s responsibility to assess the bereaved family’s needs and book the appropriate length of service accordingly.' He added: 'All funeral directors were informed of these changes by letter before they were introduced. So far the council has only received complaints from three funeral directors out of a total of 81 in the area, according to Mr Williams. | North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple introduced the fine in April . But local funeral directors have been paying the fee themselves . David Williams says it is 'too horrendous' to add fine to mourners' bills . | 28d86ce70e29aa9ff471c2ac11666a5d8bd48570 |
By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 21:17 EST, 20 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:28 EST, 21 October 2013 . Engineer Saad al-Hilli was gunned down along with his wife and mother-in-law . A key witness in the case of the father gunned down with his wife and mother-in-law has claimed he saw a 4x4 vehicle with UK number plates heading towards the crime scene around the time of the killings. The anonymous French forestry worker also said he saw a man on a motorbike in the lay-by near Lake Annecy where Saad al-Hilli, 50, his 47-year-old dentist wife Ikbal, and her elderly mother Suhaila al-Allaf were killed last September. Iraqi-born Mr al-Hilli's eldest daughter Zainab was shot, beaten and left for dead - but survived. Her four-year-old sister Zeena lay hidden under her mother's corpse and was only discovered eight hours after the murders. In a BBC Panorama documentary to be aired this evening, the local man explains that he passed the parking area as he went down a quiet mountain road just minutes before the shooting. He says that the motorbike was white and black, with panniers on either side, and the rider - who investigators have suggested may have been the shooter - was dressed in black from head to toe. Minutes later he passed another vehicle going up the mountain, while colleagues told him they saw the motorbike further up the road and spoke with the rider, describing him as a man with 'a bit of a beard'. 'The car was a BMW 4x4, X5, grey metallic, in good condition, clean, it looked pretty new,' the forestry worker said. A witness claims he saw a 4x4 vehicle with UK number plates heading towards the crime scene around the time of the killings . 'It was a right-hand drive, English. I . didn't get much of a look at him but the driver was slightly bald and . he had dark skin, no glasses.' French . police had previously played down reports that they were looking for a . black Mitsubishi Pajero 4x4 with British number plates in relation to . the shootings. Mr al-HIlli's 53-year-brother older brother, Zaid al-Hilli, was arrested in June on suspicion of orchestrating the shootings to settle a family feud and is due to answer police bail on Wednesday. Zaid al-Hilli has strenuously denied any involvement and accused the French authorities of ignoring details . He has strenuously denied any . involvement and accused the French authorities of ignoring details that might reveal the intended target was a local cyclist also found . dead at the scene. Investigators have repeatedly stated . that they believe Sylvain Mollier was in the wrong place at the wrong time . when he was shot dead on September 5, 2012. But this month a close friend of the late Mr Mollier told the local Essor newspaper in Annecy: ‘One day he told me that he had to be careful when he walked down the street, that he feared he would be shot.’ Mr . al-Hilli, a father of one who works as a payroll manager and lives in . Chessington, south-west London, said he was willing to take a lie-detector test to prove his innocence. Following the killings, speculation was rife about a dispute between the al-Hilli brothers over their inheritance. Zaid, a widower, has admitted there were tensions over the £825,000 home in Claygate, Surrey, where the satellite engineer and his family lived. The older brother was left his mother's 50 per cent stake in the property after she died from a heart attack in 2003 and claims Saad began demanding that share of the property in 2011. After his brother allegedly pinned him to a bed, the two did not speak again except through lawyers. He claims that in 2011 the matter drove a wedge between them when his brother began to demand that share of the property 'there and then' and pinned him down during a row in October that year. The two men never spoke again except through lawyers, but Mr al-Hilli has denied claims that he had threatened to kill his brother. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Saad al-Hilli, 50, his 47-year-old dentist wife Ikbal, and her elderly mother Suhaila al-Allaf died in Lake Annecy, France, last September . French forestry worker says he saw grey BMW and a man on a motorbike . Mr al-Hilli's eldest daughter Zainab was shot and left for dead but survived . Her four-year-old sister Zeena lay hidden under her mother's corpse . Mr al-HIlli's brother, Zaid, was arrested in June on suspicion of orchestrating the shootings to settle a family feud and is due to answer police bail . He strenuously denies any involvement in killings . | 7babf3937d7fee994b1a2b910bd114998bcd0278 |
By . Reuters Reporter . and Daily Mail Reporter . Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Thiago Silva was arrested after . barricading himself in his south Florida townhouse following threats to . kill his estranged wife and others at a local martial arts gym, police . said on Friday. The Brazilian-born light heavyweight fighter was captured in a SWAT . team operation on Thursday, when officers subdued him with a Taser after . he refused to comply with their commands, the Broward County Sheriff's . Office said. Silva, 31, was charged with two counts of attempted murder, . aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and obstruction without . violence. Scroll down for video . Captured: After a tense standoff in which UFC vet Thiago Silva barricaded himself in, he was taken down by SWAT officers . Consequences: Silva was charged with two counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and obstruction without violence . A judge on Friday downgraded the attempted murder charges to . aggravated assault with a deadly . Busted: According to police, Silva had threatened to have his wife killed . weapon and ordered Silva to be held . without bail, deeming him to be a flight risk and a danger to his wife. Attorney Scott Saul said his client was presumed innocent. 'He is one of the premier professional fighters,' Saul said in court. 'It is hard for this man to hide.' Meanwhile, a spokesman for the mixed martial arts promotion company . that Silva joined in 2007 said on Friday the organization was ending the . relationship. 'The Ultimate Fighting Championship has terminated the contract . of Thiago Silva, effective immediately,' spokesman Dave Sholler said in . an email. Silva's arrest followed run-ins in recent weeks with police over . alleged verbal and physical threats to his wife, Thaysa Silva, from whom . he has been separated since 2012. Police said Thaysa Silva called them on . Wednesday, alleging that Thiago had sent her a text message reading:: . '...you're going to die, I'm going to hire someone to kill you and I'm . going to move my girlfriend in the home,' NBC Miami reported. Brawler: Despite a winning record in the octagon, UFC officials said Silva will never fight in their organization again . Threatened: Wife Thaysa Silva claims her estranged husband wanted her dead . Police said Thiago Silva drove to a ju-jitsu gym in suburban Fort . Lauderdale on Thursday and threatened to shoot everyone inside if the . owner, who dates Silva's wife, did not come outside. The gym owner emerged to protect Thaysa Silva, he told police, then . quickly ran back inside the building, locked the doors and called 911. Police caught up with Thiago Silva as he returned home. While . attempting to convince him to surrender, Silva 'gave them the middle . finger ... and went inside the residence,' according to the affidavit. Scene of the crime: Silva allegedly drove to this ju-jitsu gym and threatened to shoot everyone inside if the owner, who dates Silva's wife, did not come outside . Silva won 16 UFC bouts and lost three. After testing positive for . marijuana in 2012, he agreed to a six-month ban from the sport and . entered a drug rehab program, according to UFC owner Zuffa LLC. Legacy: Silva had a 16-3 record in the UFC, agreeing to a six-month ban in 2012 after he tested positive for marijuana and entered a drug treatment program . UFC fighters use an eclectic form of fighting called mixed martial . arts. The brutal technique combines boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and . karate, often leaving fighters' faces swollen to the point of being . unrecognizable after a bout. Over the past decade, the fights have gone from an underground sport . to a full-fledged phenomenon attracting major advertisers and coverage . on prominent sports television networks. | Wife Thaysa Silva claims her estranged husband sent her threatening texts, promising to kill her . UFC officials say he'll never fight in their organization again . Silva faces two counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and obstruction without violence . | 8193940a131d7935e79224e8fb7bed6025700206 |
By . Mike Jaccarino . PUBLISHED: . 15:08 EST, 6 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:08 EST, 6 January 2013 . The Widower: Thomas Sapienza formerly worked as a laborer for the City of Lawrence's DPW in Lawrence, Massachusetts . A Massachusetts municipal worker says he is going to sue his former employer because the city fired him after he requested time off to comfort his terminally-ill wife during her final days. Thomas Sapeniza of Lawrence, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb, was reportedly initially granted unpaid leave to care for his spouse of eight years, Heather, who was stricken with brain cancer. However, by the time of Heather's death on Jan. 3 at the age of 40, Sapienza had already been sacked from his post with the city's Department of Public Works, for whom he toiled as a laborer. 'Heather couldn't even have the peace during the last 30 days of her life knowing that her husband could have a job to go back to,' Michael Sweeney, an ex-elected official in Lawrence told WHDH.com. Making matters worese, Lawrence officials apparently filled Sapienza's one-time position through political patronage. Now responsible for widower's former duties is a one-time Massachusetts state official who reportedly not only has no experience as a laborer, but is currently incarcerated. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . The Widow: Heather Sapienza died Jan. 3 after a battle with terminal brain cancer . Jose Santiago, a former state representative, was arrested Saturday for violating a restraining order. 'They confirmed that the arrest warrant was still active and he was taken into custody,'Lawrence Police Chief John Romero told the Channel 7News and WHDH.com. 'He was brought back here to the station and was charged with violation of a restraining order.' Sapienza's lawyer reportedly feels Santiago’s credentials were lacking from the start. The former rep not only has no laboring experience but his driver’s license is currently suspended, attorney Ellen Shimer-Brenes told WHDH.com. The City: Sapienza requested unpaid leave to care for Heather - and was initially granted some unpaid time after he exhausted his sick and vacation days . Happier Times: Tom Sapienza did not qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act because he hadn't worked a sufficient number of hours with the city . Heartless: The City of Lawrence said 'no' to Sapienza's request for unpaid leave - and eventually canned him from his post . Insult Added to Injury: The city apparently filled Sanpienza's former post through political patronage . Fighting Back: Sapienza is preparing to file a reverse discrimination suit against the city, as his attorney says this never would have happened if Tom was a minority . But Sapienza, now mired in debt, is fighting back by reportedly preparing a soon-to-be-filed reverse racial discrimination lawsuit with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. 'We firmly believe that if Tom Sapienza was Hispanic and not white that he will have a job to come back to with the city of Lawrence,' Shimer-Brenes reportedly said. The Massachusetts station phoned the DPW, as well as City of Lawrence officials, but received no return calls. Sapienza reportedly used up his vacation and sick time in caring for Heather and then requested unpaid sick time to be with his wife during her final days. The one-time municipal laborer reportedly did not qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act because he had not worked the requisite number of hours. WHDH-TV - . | Tom Sapienza is preparing a reverse discrimination lawsuit against Lawrence, Massachusetts . Lawyer says this never would have happened if Sapienza was Hispanic or black . Heather Sapienza died of brain cancer Jan. 3 . Man's former job filled through apparent political patronage . Ex-state rep who now holds post reportedly never worked as a laborer, has no driver's license...and is currently in jail . | fb5a801c0e038376141ba15da96cf3617f118b76 |
Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -- Brazilian police have arrested three people suspected of killing at least two women, eating parts of their bodies and using their remains to make stuffed meat pies sold in the northeastern town of Garanhuns. The three suspects -- 51-year-old Jorge Beltrao Negroponte, his wife, Cristina da Silveira, and his mistress, Bruna da Silva-- were arrested Wednesday and have confessed to the crimes, the police said on local television. Interviewed behind bars, Negroponte told SBT Television that he followed the instructions of voices in his head. "I did certain things for purification, to protect people and deliver them to God," he told SBT on Sunday. He confirmed that he and his two companions ate the flesh of the women "to purify them." Police said the suspects lured the two young women to their house by offering them jobs as a nannies. Authorities were first alerted to the situation when the suspects tried to use the credit card of a woman who had disappeared. According to Folha de S. Paulo newspaper, a 5-year-old girl living with the suspects showed the police where they could find the remains of the bodies. The remains of two women were found buried in the backyard of the house, police said. Police said they believe the girl is the daughter of another woman who disappeared in 2008. According to the newspaper report, Negroponte's wife was known in the town for her meat pies. During the police deposition, she said she stuffed them with human flesh and sold them to neighbors, schools and hospitals. Police believe the number of victims could be greater than 10. | The suspects are accused of killing two women and using their remains to make meat pies . The suspects confessed to the crimes, police tell national TV . "I did certain things for purification to protect people and deliver them to God," one says . | 7277dafcbe301d18c6f2cb24ac22242a3c95c1ec |
Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- I pitied the other tourists at the car rental lot at the Los Angeles airport: The sight of two Englishmen in their mid-30s sinking uncertainly into a white Mustang convertible is not pleasant. The car was not a natural fit for us. It was very low to the ground and had a mystifying set of buttons. This meant 20 minutes of painstaking trial and error as we grappled with how to work the roof, as if trying to break the Enigma code. But as alien as the muscle car was, it was vital to this trip to California, which was essentially to reclaim lost youth in an early midlife crisis. My companion and I had lived in Los Angeles after leaving university and were curious to see how it had changed. We then planned to drive along the coast to San Francisco, taking in some of California's wine-growing regions. This invited unkind comparisons to the movie "Sideways," which sees aging college friends on a road trip drinking wine and navigating disaster. L.A. has some features that can deter tourists: It lacks a natural focal point, is dominated by roadways and has an abundance of depressing motels and fast-food joints. It also has Venice, a pocket of urban bohemia that has acted as a cultural center for decades. Developed in 1905 by tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney, the area derives its name from the canals built to drain off the marshland. It was conceived as a family beach resort but fell into neglect. As real estate prices dropped, the area began to attract an eclectic mix of people. This instilled that bohemian DNA into Venice, which served as a rallying point for the Beat generation in the 1950s and remains an important artistic center. 10 top road trip apps . Much of Venice has hardly changed. The chaotic beachfront boardwalk is alive and well: Tattoo artists, head shops and fortune-tellers hawk their wares to a stream of human traffic, even in winter. We stayed in a free-wheeling art deco style hotel that looked like it had not changed in 40 years. Elsewhere, there are signs of inevitable gentrification. The memory of Venice's developer is preserved in Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a mile-long artery and focal point for residents and local businesses. I walked down the palm-lined street every day when I lived in Venice and always enjoyed its offbeat charm. It was a relief to see the hipsterish local coffee bar Abbot's Habit was still dosing the population and exhibiting local art. But around it, stylish galleries, boutiques and swanky condos now give the road a feeling of imposing wealth, resembling New York's Chelsea district -- certainly the chic end of Boho-chic. The neighborhood has become safer and cleaner, said Joshua Woollen, owner of Urbanic Paper Boutique. Gang-related activity has dropped, and "what you have now are some of the most influential, creative, progressive and cutting-edge people living within a couple mile radius in one small beach community," Woollen said. "When my wife and I first moved to Venice over 13 years ago, Abbot Kinney felt like a ghost town," he said. Perhaps the most dramatic change was seeing the property where I once lived in harder times. Once a teeming human zoo of chancers and borderline personalities, the three houses have been divided and sold. The rough neighborhood is now transformed into a quiet and sunny residential street. I would happily move back. Feeling considerably older already, we began the "Sideways" leg of the journey. Channeling the film, the car's top was lowered and we took off along the ravishing Pacific Coast Highway. Hugging California's coastline for 655 miles, the road offers the serenity and endless vastness of the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop. The terrain changes as you head north, taking in plains, craggy headlands and lush green hills that tumble down into the sea. All our heightened expectations were met and rewarded. An hour after leaving Los Angeles, we reached Santa Barbara County. Long overshadowed by the Napa region farther north, Santa Barbara was put on the wine tourist's map by the release of the Oscar-winning film in 2004. Its influence was immediate. "Its timing created a tsunami of interest," says Jim Fiolek of the Santa Barbara Vintners Association. "Recognition in not only Santa Barbara County, but wine in general, more specifically, Pinot Noir, which flourishes in Santa Barbara." With mountain ranges running horizontally across the county, Santa Barbara channels ocean air into its valleys and has a cool climate. This geographical oddity makes it a natural home for Pinot Noir grapes, which can ripen too early in warmer temperatures. As one "Sideways" character explains in loving tones: "It's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked-away corners of the world." At first, the region struggled to cope with the surge in interest generated by the film: Tasting rooms were hastily built on vineyards, leading to a jump in sales. By 2008, wine makers were selling directly to customers some eight times as much as they were selling in 2000. Santa Barbara is a natural target for a day trip from Los Angeles and has the inevitable "Sideways" tour guide for visitors, which generated geekish excitement. We took in a few gems: The Day's Inn motel boasting a looming windmill and mock Tudor facade; Ostrich World, which gives you the bizarre opportunity of feeding hungry flocks; and a vineyard which features in one memorable scene. I am far from an oracle on wine, but it's not hard to enjoy the distinctly civilized process of tasting. Visitors to Kalyra Winery gather at a bar featured in the movie and pay $10 to taste eight wines. They can be a mix of red and white and each measure gives the drinker several sips. At the vineyard, we sampled Grenache, Pinot and a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cab Franc. Tastings are also an inducement to buy bottles, which start at around $15 and provide estates with their main source of profit. Our final destination was on a grander scale altogether: the Napa and Sonoma valleys north of San Francisco. Here, you get the idea of a real industry geared around global exports as much as local sales. There are some 400 wineries in the region, so the visitor can feel overwhelmed on first arrival. We opted to plan our itinerary on the discerning basis of which vineyards offered two-for-one tasting deals. Most tourists are not averse to sampling wine in the morning, and our first stop took us to Buena Vista, which claims to be the oldest winery in the region. Revealingly, it has been recently taken over by a French brand. The scenery around the valleys is reliably lovely year-round. In fall, the countryside turns a languid golden color, with neatly ordered rows of vineyards set off by the surrounding hills. Driving slowly in the late autumn sun was almost a religious obligation, despite the ensuing tailbacks. On my return flight, I resolved to plan a series of similar midlife crises for years to come. | Two Englishmen in their thirties hit the road in a Mustang convertible . The pair are exploring California wine country a la "Sideways" The trip spans the countryside and coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco . | 9a655e0badb2638006ebcde943f323b4ee6b973d |
Dozens of child sex offenders are still walking the streets because police refused to arrest them, according to a whistleblower, . Sara Rowbotham has accused police of putting a cap on the number of child sex offenders they arrested for raping and abusing young girls. The veteran social worker, who was responsible for gathering the main evidence in the 2012 Rochdale child sex abuse case, said that as a result dozens of sex offenders were still walking the streets preying on children. Dozens of child sex offenders are still walking the streets preying on children because police did not arrest them, whistleblower Sara Rowbotham said (file picture) Miss Rowbotham said limited resources and manpower during the investigation meant police had let sex offenders slip through the net. She said because police bosses became obsessed with convicting just nine perpetrators they left dozens free to continue raping and abusing young girls. ‘It’s very shocking but there are dozens of child sex offenders still on the streets because they put a cap on the number of people they would arrest,’ she said. ‘In the end this was just a tiny proportion of the number of offenders raping and abusing children and they were allowed to escape. ‘But not only did they cap the number of offenders but they also put a ceiling on the number of victims they would interview and proceed with.’ Her explosive comments will stun Greater Manchester Police whose Police and Crime Commissioner yesterday launched a report highlighting the massive problem of child sexual exploitation. The report highlighted 13,000 cases of child sex abuse in the last six years but revealed that only 1,078 offenders were convicted. Commissioner Tony Lloyd has vowed to go back and review cases where victims have made sex abuse allegations. Nine men, including these eight, were jailed for a total of 77 years for rape and trafficking after they preyed on girls as young as 13-years-old . But Miss Rowbotham, a social worker in Rochdale for more than 13 years, said the police were still doing far too little to combat on-street grooming. She said: ‘It’s still going on. The same perpetrators are still out there because police put a ceiling on the number of arrests. The actual number of suspects is huge but the number of victims is equally large. ‘They are still having to deal with the trauma of that on a day-to-day basis knowing no-one has ever been brought to justice for abusing them.’ In 2012 nine Asian men were jailed for a total of 77 years for rape and trafficking after they preyed on girls as young as 13, plying them with drugs, alcohol and money before passing them round the group for sex. A subsequent report said the girls were allowed to fall into the hands of Pakistani grooming gangs because police and social workers may have been scared of seeming racist. The whistleblower said she was still disappointed that no one has been held to account for their failings and she was disappointed with the results of a report led by MP Ann Coffey. The MP said the child sex abuse cases in Rochdale, Rotherham, Derby, Oldham, Oxford, and Peterborough were a ‘deafening wake-up call’. A report by MP Ann Coffey found that recent child sex abuse cases were a 'deafening wake-up call', but the whistleblower said she was disappointed with action taken following its publication . She has proposed measures aimed at improving arrest and conviction rates of child sex offenders in Greater Manchester. These included a review of cases marked ‘no further action’, new initiatives led by children themselves and more training for public sector workers to recognise grooming. But the whistleblower said she was still disappointed no one has been held to account for their failings and was disappointed with the results of the Coffey report. She said: ‘The victims deserve their evidence to be taken seriously. I referred dozens of cases to the police that I know were never acted upon.’ Miss Rowbotham, who fought for a Serious Case Review and was commended for her work by the Home Affairs Select Committee, was made redundant in February. Ian Hanson, chairman of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said: ‘It is grossly unfair that both the organisation and our police officer members collectively are singled out and blamed by some for what is a failure of the whole system. ‘We expect officers to build relationships with victims in the most difficult circumstances imaginable in a fraction of the time where often the education and social care system has failed to do so. Only when we understand the whole problem and the challenges involved will society start to deal with those issues.’ Detective Superintendent Jonathan Chadwick said: ‘Operation Doublet was launched in the aftermath of Operation Span in 2012 to investigate all outstanding historic allegations of child sexual exploitation in Rochdale from the same era. ‘This investigation has examined massive amounts of material held by all agencies and provided support to a large number of victims as well as arresting a significant number of offenders. ‘Doublet remains an on-going investigation with a large number of investigative staff deployed in building relationships of trust with victims and dealing with those responsible through the criminal justice system wherever possible.’ | Dozens of child sex offenders are still walking free, whistleblower says . Sara Rowbotham accuses police of 'having a cap' on the number of arrests . Child rapists and abusers are still preying on children, she has claimed . She says police chiefs became obsessed with convicting just nine men . Meanwhile many more were 'allowed to escape', Miss Rowbotham said . | daee3bef0cf328ab30da3a34af6f74a552413e51 |
(CNN) -- In the latest volley between the federal government and states pushing anti-illegal-immigration laws, the Obama administration announced Thursday it was establishing a new hotline for immigration detainees who feel they "may be U.S. citizens or victims of a crime." The 24-hour-a-day, 7-days-a-week hotline is part of a "broader effort to improve our immigration enforcement process and prioritize resources to focus on threats to public safety, (on) repeat immigration law violators, recent border entrants, and immigration fugitives while continuing to strengthen oversight of the nation's immigration detention system and facilitate legal immigration," a news release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said. The new measure was launched by the Department of Homeland Security to ensure detained individuals "are made aware of their rights" or "properly notified about their potential removal from the country," according to the release. The hotline number is 855-448-6903. A new "detainer" form -- which includes Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese and Vietnamese translations -- also is part of the new policy. The detainer -- or notice to detain -- form is official paperwork giving law enforcement the authority to hold a person in custody for a time. Administration to lower number of troops on Southwest border . "The new form allows ICE to make the detainer operative only upon the individual's conviction of the offense for which he or she was arrested," the release said. Immigration rights advocates told CNN there "has long been a need for more accountability and oversight of the issuance of immigration detainers." "The ACLU and other advocates identified four native-born U.S. citizens who were held unlawfully in custody through immigration detainers in Los Angeles County. One of these citizens was held for two days because of an immigration detainer despite repeatedly telling officers that he was a U.S. citizen," Laura Vazquez, immigration legislative analyst for the National Council of La Raza, told CNN in a statement. The council is a national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization. CNN attempted to get reaction on the new policy from the attorneys general in Alabama and Arizona -- two states viewed as having among the most strict immigration reform laws -- but were unsuccessful. An official in the Alabama attorney general's office said Thursday officials had no comment. The move by DHS comes just before the beginning of the new year, when new immigration laws in Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia will require businesses to enroll in the federal E-Verify program to ensure employees are eligible to work in the United States, according National Conference of State Legislatures. E-Verify is a controversial program designed to check a prospective employee's citizenship or immigration status. Supporters say it helps businesses avoid unintentionally hiring illegal immigrants. Critics complain that it is expensive to operate, pushes undocumented workers further underground, and is not always accurate. CNN's Josh Levs contributed to this report. | A new federal hotline is set up for immigration detainees . The line is for detainees who "may be U.S. citizens or victims of a crime" Meanwhile, new immigration laws are set to go into effect in some states on January 1 . The new laws require businesses to verify immigration status of workers . | 2c5d99fc887fbf75e21d68b5f4711fc363e2b530 |
By . Lillian Radulova . Five people were stranded on a rocky island off Australia's central Queensland coast for nine hours before being winched to safety by a rescue helicopter. The group of three men and two women, wrote an enormous 'SOS' message on a nearby sandbank after their boat's anchor broke, leaving them stranded on the island. One of the five people rescued, Keswick Island resident Lyn Forbes-Smith, spoke to The Courier-Mail about the ordeal.Scroll down for video . SOS: Five people were found off the Queensland coast by helicopter after a SOS sand message was noticed on Monday afternoon . She explained that the group had come to terms with the idea that they would have to spend the night stranded on the island, but were confident that friends at home would raise the alarm once they did not return at a set time. 'We had reef walkers on thankfully, but we had no food, water, cream, no hats, not much at all,' Mrs Forbes Taylor said. 'We just looked for the highest ground, we looked for rocks where five of us could huddle together because we didn’t really want to separate, and we wanted to be out of the wind as best as possible.' Queensland Water Police were alerted to a possible emergency when they noticed a six metre boat abandoned and floating between Brampton and Cockermouth islands on Monday afternoon. Rescued: The two women and three men were left stranded after their boat anchor malfunctioned, stranding them on the rocky island they had stopped at to explore . Helicopters rescue crew noticed the SOS message after assisting water police in their search for occupants of an abandoned boat that had been found . After being unable to find the boat's passengers, they contacted the RACQ-CQ Rescue helicopter to help assist in the search at 2:15pm (AEST). It was at this point, more than three hours later, that the rescuers spotted the SOS message at nearby Wigton Island, where the boat's occupants had originally anchored their vessel in order to go ashore exploring before its anchor faltered, stranding them. The five people were found soon after their message and were lifted off the island via the rescue helicopter and taken to the RACQ-CQ base at the inland Queensland city, Mackay. The group had left Keswick Island at 8am for a snorkeling expedition before anchoring their boat on a sand bar near the rocky outcrop. After setting out to explore the rocky island, the group noticed their boat drifting away in the rising tide but were unable to retrieve the vessel which was traveling fast on the tide. Lost at sea: Queensland Water Police were alerted to a possible emergency when they noticed a six metre boat abandoned and floating between Brampton and Cockermouth islands . With their mobile phones and sun protection left on the departing boat, the group could only head for high ground and wait. 'Just as we got over to the rocks one of the boat co-owners … turned back and could see that the boat had shifted,' Mrs Forbes-Smith said. 'We knew the sandbar would go under but we were fairly confident that the tide wouldn’t have taken over the rocks,' Mrs Forbes-Smith said. Boats were not used in the rescue due to the island being inaccessible because of the shallow waters at the time of rescue. Safe and sound: The boat occupants were lifted off the island via the rescue helicopter and taken to the RACQ-CQ base at the inland Queensland city, Mackay . Aside from some minor sunburn, the boats occupants were confirmed to be safe and in good health after their rescue despite the long ordeal. It was only just over a week ago that a group of three fisherman also required rescuing via chopper off the Mackay coast on April 14. The men, aged 20, 28 and 69 suffered minor injuries after their 15 meter trawler hit the Trogolby Reef, leaving them to spend five hours in the water waiting for help. Rescue teams believed the fishing boat lost control due to the high winds caused by Cyclone Ita. | Three men and two women were stranded after their boat's anchor broke . Water police began search after finding their abandoned boat adrift . Five people were found by helicopter after SOS sand message was noticed . The event marks the second helicopter rescue in the area in under 10 days . | c098e8c826ed6ffc54b3fc27f16aa596d0da16e6 |
By . Mail online Reporter . New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and wife Brittany have welcomed their first baby daughter to the world with a proud parent announcement on Twitter. Brees posted an image of himself beaming and holding the newborn Tuesday morning. 'Spent the early morning of our new baby girl!' he wrote. 'Brit and she are happy, healthy, and doing great! Gods greatest gift!' New arrival: This photo released by Drew Brees shows the New Orleans Saints NFL football quarterback holding his new baby girl Tuesday . Brees missed practice Monday to make sure he could be present for the birth . The pregnancy was announced this summer. The couple already has three boys in the family: Baylen, Bowen, and Callen. Son Baylen . has already been in the limelight, taking center stage in a famous . picture of with his father celebrating New Orleans' win at Super Bowl . XLIV in 2010. Son Baylen has already been in the limelight, taking center stage in a famous picture of with his father celebrating New Orleans' win at Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 . The image, as his father acccepted the MVP award and Lombardi Trophy, appeared in Sports Illustrated. Brees has joked about having a vascetomy with such a large family. WDSU writes that Brees fatherly responsibilites kept him from practice Monday as the family readied for the new arrival. This is Brittany and Drew Brees' fourth child and first daughter, causing the quarterback to joke it might be time for a vasectomy . 'I was there to catch the snap, so to speak,' he joked at a press conference. The baby girl - who's name has yet to be announced - was born at exactly 7:43 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The couple will announce the name once an official birth certificate is available. | Still unnamed baby girl joins brothers Baylen, Bowen, and Callen . Brees missed Monday practice to be there for daughter's birth . Daughter born at exactly 7:43 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces . | a1fcff0519291278bdc2e99ad9d271296548bbf1 |
By . Paul Donnelley . Tough boots saved a bricklayer’s feet when a 10-ton bus ran over them. Doctors told Robert Phillips, 27, that they would have had to amputate them both, if his steel toe caps had not withstood the weight of the packed rush-hour single-decker. His left tibia and fibula snapped, and his ankle twisted 180 degrees, leaving his left foot back to front. Accident: Robert Phillips was walking from work when he was hit by a single decker bus. His left tibia and fibula snapped, and his ankle twisted 180 degrees, leaving his left foot back to front . But the feet themselves were completely unscathed, thanks to his super-strong size nines, even though the wheels went over them both. Mr Phillips was walking home after his father dropped him off when the accident happened at 4.30pm on 12 February. An Arriva bus ran over the toes of his right foot and his lower left leg and foot, knocking him to the ground at a pelican crossing near the corner of Bangor Road and High Street, close to his home in Johnstown, Wrexham, North Wales. Homebound: Robert Phillips has a special cage built around his left leg to protect it and is unable to leave the house for fear his wounds might become infected; with the pair of boots that saved his feet. The manufacturers have sent him another pair . He fell against railings and landed on the road in front of the bus. Its front wheels went over him but stopped with just inches to spare before the rear ones crushed him. ‘A woman driver put a blanket over me and I was taken to Wrexham Maelor Hospital. I was there for six hours but my injuries were so severe they sent me to University Hospital of North Staffordshire at Stoke-on-Trent.’ Lisa Valentine, 23, of Ruabon, Wrexham, was on the scene moments after the accident.She said: ‘When I went out there was a lad lying on the floor and he was screaming. Damaged: The left windscreen of the Number 2 Arriva bus was cracked when it hit bricklayer Robert Phillips . Police closed the road last month in Wrexham when bricklayer Robert Phillips was hit by a bus that ran over his feet but left them unscathed because of his steel toe-capped boots . ‘He was in pain and he was getting gas and air from paramedics before they put him in the ambulance. ‘It looked like he had broken his leg. ‘The windscreen of the bus was smashed but he was lying at the back so I’m not sure if he was dragged by the bus.’ Mr Phillips has had a series of four operations so far, and doctors say it will be at least 15 months before the bones heal. ‘My tibia and fibula broke, my ankle was smashed to pieces and the whole left foot spun round 180 degrees,’ he said. Blues and twos: The scene of the accident when bricklayer Robert Phillips was hit by a bus as he walked home from work . ‘The doctors say I’m very lucky to have my feet. If I hadn’t been wearing steel toe-capped boots I would have lost them for sure. Thankfully they withstood the weight of the bus. ‘My feet don’t have a mark on them. I always wear proper work boots. I pay extra to get good ones, Scruffs, which are strong and comfy.’ Mr Phillips, who lives with girlfriend Stacey Roberts, 21, and son Evan, two, was discharged on March 3. He’s now on crutches but can’t leave his home because the open wound is prone to infection.He has a metal cage built around it, which will be replaced in future operations. ‘I don’t let it get me down,’ he said. ‘I’m very happy to be here at all, and to have my legs and my feet is a bonus.‘The docs said it was only thanks to medical advances in the last 10 years that they were able to save my leg.’ Mr Phillips was in such pain after his accident that he was twice given ketamine, a horse tranquilizer and used illegally in nightclubs. ‘I was tripping and talking gibberish,’ he said. ‘It was horrible.’ Emergency: Robert Phillips was in such pain after being hit by a bus as he walked home from work that he was given the horse tranquiliser ketamine . Mr Phillips wrote to Scruffs Workwear, the firm that made his boots, and told them they had saved his feet. They are sending him a new pair. Spokesman Chris Mellor-Dolman said: ‘All of our products are put through rigorous safety tests, and we’re not surprised that they stood up to a ten ton bus. Our gear is usually more at home on a work site, but it just goes to show that they can play hard too.’ A spokesman for Arriva Bus Midlands, which operates the service, said: ‘We are pleased to hear the good news regarding Mr Phillips and we wish him a speedy recovery following the incident in Johnstown.’ | Robert Phillips, 27, was walking home from work in Wrexham when he was hit by the bus . Left ankle twisted 180 degrees leaving his foot back to front . Pain was so terrible doctors gave him a horse tranquilizer to ease it . Injuries expected to take at least 15 months to heal and he is not allowed to leave house for fear of infection . Wrote to bootmakers to tell them what happened and is being sent new pair . By a strange coincidence Mr Phillips’s father Nigel, 52, wasn’t so lucky with his boots. They failed to withstand the pressure in a forklift truck accident back in 1985. The toecap caved in, crushing half his right foot and he had to have it amputated. He managed to return to work though, as a roofer. | e0d0e8d47594807d5665e81b845b59dfb1b5fec3 |
(CNN) -- From baby deliveries to unexpected deaths, Mike Bowes, a 911 dispatcher from Quincy, Massachusetts, has handled a wide range of emergency calls. Emergency dispatcher Mike Bowes received a call that his home was in flames Monday night. But Monday night, the 44-year-old received an unexpected call from his neighbor: His own house was on fire. The 911 call came in about 10:45 p.m. Monday, a little more than an hour before Mike Bowes' shift ended. My neighbor's house just blew up, the caller said. "What's the address?" Mike Bowes asked patiently, just as he did with every emergency call for the past 11 years with the Quincy Police Department. The caller frantically relayed the address, Bowes' home address for 20 years. "It was shocking," Mike Bowes said. "I thought she was kidding. It's a long shot. I mean, what's the chances it will be your house?" Out of 90,000 people who reside in Quincy, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, Mike Bowes' was the home in flames, and he had answered the emergency call. Thoughts raced through his mind: Are my parents OK? Are the neighbors safe? What about my stuff? Following procedure, Mike Bowes transferred the call to the fire department. Soon, dozens of calls about the fire from other neighbors began to pour into the control room. Watch Mike Bowes talk about the fire » . One of the callers was his mother, Elizabeth Bowes, 68. She and her husband, Donald Bowes, 72, had escaped unharmed. About 10:45 p.m., Elizabeth Bowes was reading a novel in the kitchen when she heard the explosion and saw flames shoot through the kitchen window. She ran to wake her husband in a first-floor bedroom. There was also a landlord living in upstairs. Firefighters arrived within minutes and helped her to safety. Within five minutes of receiving the call, police escorted Mike Bowes to his home. He could see the fire light up the dark sky from afar. Anxious neighbors gathered in the park nearby. He was relieved to find his parents together on the sidewalk. "My parents are alive; my neighbors are alive," he said. "It's an inconvenience, but we'll get through it." In another coincidence, one of the first firefighters to arrive on scene was Mike Bowes' cousin, Tom Bowes. Tom Bowes, a firefighter for the past eight years, scrambled into the house to salvage old albums with wedding and baby photos amid the flames. But everything else -- the clothes, electronics and furniture -- were destroyed. No one was injured in the fire, and firefighters have yet to determine what caused the blaze. They say it started in the garage, about 15 feet from the home. Mike Bowes says his job prepared him to deal with the challenging circumstances. Bowes and his family are living in a hotel, and local police officers and firefighters have donated clothes and money. "A lot of people think dispatchers are strange because I've been joking about what happened," he said. "I say, 'If I'm not laughing, I'll start crying.' This is what I have to do." | Massachusetts dispatcher answered neighbor's call about burning home . Three other people in home escaped uninjured . He says his dispatch experience with crises helps him cope with losing a home . | 51a949d13dde24dbba2546100af13df1f1845179 |
A video showing a mother from Trinidad and Tobago whipping her 12-year-old daughter with a belt for sharing sexually explicit photos of herself on Facebook has gone viral, sparking a national conversation in the island nation about corporal punishment. Last Sunday, a video was posted on Facebook showing Helen Bartlett, a mother of four from Point Fortin, beating her sobbing daughter while hurling profanities at her. The six-minute clip, which depicts Ms Bartlett raining blows on the 12-year-old girl, who whimpers in pain and cowers from the belt, has been shared more than 43,000 online. Scroll down for video . Public shaming: Helen Bartlett (right), a mother of four from Trinidad and Tobago, shared a video online showing her beating her 12-year-old daughter for inappropriate behavior . Unsettling: The six-minute clip shows the mother whipping the girl with a belt as she whimpers in pain . Discipline or abuse: The clip has gone viral on social media and sparked a public debate about corporal punishment . The unsettling clip has left viewers divided, with some people justifying the mother's actions, while others calling it child abuse. On Wednesday, Bartlett’s daughter and her older sister uploaded another video in response to the controversy, expressing support for their mother. Looking into the camera, the two girls said Bartlett was a good mother who wanted to protect her child from teenage pregnancy, or worse. When Helen Bartlett was interviewed by a local radio station earlier this week, the woman declared she was 'prepared to go to jail' to set her wayward young daughter on the right path, Trinidad Express reported. Asked if she regretted her actions, Ms Bartlett, who has three girls and a boy, said she stood by her mode of discipline, but she was sorry that the video intended to shame her 12-year-old has gained such notoriety. Ms Bartlett explained that since the girl's father, a police officer, left them, the child has been unmanageable. The single mother added that she has exhausted all avenues trying to keep her daughter on the straight and narrow, including seeking counselling for her. And according to Ms Bartlett, the 12-year-old's father has been of no help, telling the girl that he wanted nothing to do with her. No alternative: Ms Bartlett later explained that her daughter has been acting acting since pre-school, and that she has exhausted all avenues trying to set her on the right path . Defiant: The single mother said she is prepared to go to jail for meting out corporal punishment to her wayward daughter . What sparked the brutal beating last Sunday in the Bartletts’ apartment was a salacious text message exchange between the 12-year-old girl and a boy her age, who was trying to convince her to have sex with him. After the mother read the messages, she accessed her underage daughter's Facebook profile and discovered photos of the girl posing 'seductively' in her underwear. Helen Bartlett explained that while her child is pretty and intelligent, she has a low self-esteem and is susceptible to peer pressure. Her worst fear is that if the 12-year-old continues down this road, one day she is either going to come home pregnant, or will end up dead on the streets. On mom's side: The 12-year-old came out in defense of her mother, saying in a counter video that she knows Bartlett loves he dearly . ‘I stand firmly by my decision. I will go to jail for it,’ the woman said. ‘I know people are saying the authorities should charge me for abuse.’ Asked about her daughter's state of mind following the release of the controversial video, Ms Bartlett said the girl was coping 'unexpectedly well.' In her response video, the daughter said she knew her mother loves her dearly, and she reassured the viewers that has no intention of killing herself because she loves herself 'too much.' The girl has not been to school since the video went viral, and her mother said she has been preparing her for potential bullying and mockery from her classmates. Defending Helen Bartlett's old-school brand of discipline, her older daughter explained in her counter video that with their father not around anymore, there is no male figure in the family to set her out-of-control sibling straight. ‘The road my sister was heading down was teenaged pregnancy,’ she said. ‘She saw this as a way she could stop it. My sister has learnt her lesson.’ Speaking out for the first time since the incident, the 12-year-old at the center of the firestorm said: ‘I am very sorry for bringing shame on you and the family. I know you love me dearly. And I love you dearly, too.’ The girl then appealed to other children her age, urging them to watch the video of her beating and learn from it. Extreme measures: The mother stated that she decided to teach her daughter a lesson so that one day she wouldn't come home pregnant or end up dead . ‘You are a special piece of God’s puzzle,’ the girl said. ‘And don’t let what happen to me happen to you also.’ The incident sparked a heated public debate in Trinidad and Tobago over the issue of corporal punishment, and whether Helen Bartlett’s actions displayed in the video crossed the line. According to Jamaica Observer, Trinidad and Tobago's Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development has weighed in on the issue, calling on parents to use 'non-physical forms of discipline.' | Facebook video shows Helen Bartlett, a single mother of four from Trinidad and Tobago, disciplining her daughter with a belt for six minutes . Bartlett's daughter and her older sister later posted counter video defending mother's actions . Ms Bartlett explained in an interview that her daughter has been acting out since pre-school because her father had left . Woman saw photos of the girl in underwear on Facebook and read sexually charged text messages exchange between the 12-year-old and a boy . | 01353dd09b28e2f9075a5d17b76b274247e1379f |
By . Ronnie Esplin, Press Association . Scottish flyweight Reece McFadden claimed he looked into the eyes of Charlie Edwards and knew his confident quest for Commonwealth Games gold would continue following their battle at the SECC. The 19-year-old from Forgewood had beaten the world's top amateur flyweight Andrew Selby on Friday night, saying afterwards: 'This gold is mine. This gold is my medal', before going on to say that he would beat Charlie Edwards next. In a classic Scotland versus England last-16 clash in front of an enthusiastic crowd, Croydon boy Edwards, fighting for the first time after getting a first-round bye, had to fend off the hometown fighter in the first round and did so at times with some assurance as punches were exchanged but after three pulsating rounds, McFadden was given the unanimous decision. Confident: Reece McFadden has the flyweight Commonwealth title in his sights after beating Charlie Edwards . The verdict did not impress the Englishman, who said: 'It is what you expect. Now he is the golden boy. 'I am not one who says I got robbed but I really thought I won it, I thought I did enough but that's the way it goes, we are in Scotland.' However, McFadden claimed his take on a boxer's body language again confirmed the decision. Going all the way: McFadden takes a punch from Edwards but after beating him he wants to win gold . He said: 'I knew I beat those two boys by them looking away. When my eyes were constantly on them they were looking away, looking at the referee, not wanting to know. 'That's when they are beat. I have noticed that with guys who have beat me or given me my toughest fight, they look at me square on, right at me. 'Those two boys didn't do that. But it doesn't matter if you stare at my eyes, I am still going to beat you anyway because I am the fittest I have ever been in my life and I am ready for a gold medal.' Vocal support: Edwards thought McFadden benefitted from the support of the partisan crowd . Expanding on his view of the decision, Edwards said: 'It is what it is, you are in Scotland, you are in his back yard, with all that crowd cheering. 'I thought I won but in front of this Scottish crowd I would have had to done a right number on him. 'I thought I won but that's the way it goes, it is boxing. You get that all over the world, wherever you go, in everyone's backyard they (the local boxer) always get a bit of help. But I am a good sportsman. Good luck to him.' Coming out on top: McFadden celebrates his brilliant victory in the last-16 bout . | 19-year-old believes he will win the gold on home soil . He is already confident of win over next opponent Charlie Edwards . Win over Andrew Selby came in controversial circumstances . | e45a03e16a5c6c17c7c971c5c67d4c6bcd988f2d |
By . Eddie Wrenn . PUBLISHED: . 06:14 EST, 18 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:35 EST, 2 October 2012 . Archaeologists who are digging for the remains of the real-life Mona Lisa have found a female skeleton - but sadly they do not believe these are bones of Leonardo da Vinci's muse. Researcher Silvano Vinceti, leading the digs under a former convent in central Florence, believes the body he has found is that of a woman who lived decades after Lisa Gherardini, the woman many experts believe sat for da Vinci's iconic painting. So far the team - who have been criticised in some corners for their methodology - have discovered four remains under the convent. An archaeologist digs away at the floor of the medieval Convent of Saint Ursula in Florence, where the skeleton was discovered . The convent was the burial site of Lisa Gherardini, wife of the wealthy Florentine silk merchant Francesco del Giocondo, who modelled for Leonardo Da Vinci . Bodies were buried one on top of the other at the convent - so the team will keep digging, and reaching further back in history. Vinceti told reporters: 'The ledgers . kept by the nuns of this convent tell us that, presumably, the remains . exhumed today are those of Maria Del Riccio, a wealthy woman who (died) in 1609.' But he added that he hoped 'Mona Lisa's' bones 'could be right here'. Lisa Gheradini, was the wife of a . rich silk merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. In Italy the Mona Lisa . is known as La Gioconda. Muse: The enigmatic Mona Lisa has intrigued millions . Most . modern historians agree that the lady depicted in the Mona Lisa was . Lisa del Giocondo, who became a nun after her husband's death. She died . in the convent on July 15, 1542, aged 63. An archeological team began digging at the abandoned Convent of Saint Ursula last year. They first had to dig through thick concrete, laid down ahead of plans to turn the convent into an army barracks. If they do find the body of Lisa . Gherardini, the team hopes to extract her DNA to confirm her identity - . comparing it to the DNA of her two children buried elsewhere. Then they will use facial reconstruction techniques to compare her face to that of the iconic painting. However some researchers have . criticised the research, saying the pace of the expedition means error . may be made - such as the team not mapping out where bones and other . items are found, ruining evidence such as the spatial relationships . between different bodies. LiveScience quoted University of North . Carolina anthropologist Kristina Killgrove, who said: 'Although the . excavation is being carried out in a professional manner, Vinceti’s . quest to dig up the "real" Mona Lisa is not grounded in scientific . research methodology. ;The news media’s breathless coverage . of it threatens to signal to the public that archaeologists are . frivolous with their time, energy and research money.' Resting place: The courtyard of the Saint Ursula convent in Florence, where archaeologists have been digging . | Research team aims to keep digging beneath convent in central Florence in hopes of finding da Vinci's muse . | 741e75da8dfef9e8cf9ce3b38b0373e69e73876f |
Madrid, Spain (CNN) -- Authorities on Thursday ordered the closure of a restaurant for repeatedly violating the nation's tough new anti-smoking law, the first such shutdown in Spain, officials told CNN. The owner of the restaurant -- El Asador Guadalmina near the popular southern Mediterranean resort of Marbella -- earlier this week defiantly told Spanish media he would not pay a nearly $200,000 fine for allowing clients to smoke in his locale, despite the new law which prohibits smoking in all indoor bars and restaurants. "This restaurant has been in non-compliance since the law began," said a spokesman for Spain's national health ministry. "From what we know, this is the first case in the country" of a restaurant closure order. Health inspectors made two visits to the restaurant Thursday, the first time leaving an order to close the establishment and the second time accompanied by two police officers, CNN affiliate Cuatro TV reported from the scene. But restaurant owner Jose Eugenio Arias dug in his heels, telling a throng of reporters outside the restaurant on Thursday, "No one is going to close my business. I will fight 'til the end. I'm using my constitutional rights as a citizen and I'm not going to be run over by this dictatorial, Marxist, terrorist government." The restaurant remained open Thursday evening before the Spanish dinner hour, and some clients could be seen smoking inside. But the CNN affiliate's reporter on the scene said local authorities were not willing to wait much longer and warned they could send the police to shut the locale. Even before the new smoking law took effect January 2, the restaurant posted signs reading, "As a private business, making use of what we understand to be our rights, this law will not be applied in our establishment." The signs went on to accuse Spain's Socialist government of using the new law as a "smoke screen to cover up seven years of massive destruction in Spain," apparent references to the country's deep economic crisis and to the two terms of the elected government. The restaurant owner, Jose Eugenio Arias, has since formed an association called Reform or Be Ruined, trying to build support among other bar and restaurant owners for non-compliance with the law. The law puts Spain in line with the strictest European countries, Britain, France and Italy, which prohibit smoking in all enclosed public spaces. The Spanish government says most of the nation's bars and restaurants are complying with the ban. Many have added to their outdoor terrace space, or put in outdoor heating, so that clients can step outside for a smoke, where it is allowed. Arias told Cuatro TV in an interview earlier this week that he had no intention of paying the nearly $200,000 fine, and he vowed to fight any attempt to limit his decision to permit clients to smoke in his restaurant. Arias has 15 days to appeal the administrative order to close his restaurant, the Andalusia health department spokeswoman said. | The restaurant's owner has vowed to defy the law . He says he won't pay nearly $200,000 fine . The closing of the restaurant would be the first in Spain, an official says . | 6438588ebccd1691a0f0e3391b529d64b3102026 |
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:58 EST, 18 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:38 EST, 18 June 2012 . A mother, whose son said Sandusky raped him in the basement of the coach's home, testified today that the boy's laundry was often short of underwear. She was the last to speak for the prosecution as defense lawyers for the former Penn State coach brought their first witnesses in his sexual abuse trial. The . woman said her son told her that Sandusky called him late one night . after the first round of charges were filed in November, asking if he . would be a character witness. One month later, prosecutors brought charges against Sandusky, alleging he had forced anal sex with the boy at his home in Pennsylvania. Defense begins: Jerry Sandusky arrives at the courthouse today to start the second week of the sexual abuse trial in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania . The . woman said her son's laundry, which she did two or three times a week, would often be short of underwear and he . would claim he had thrown it away because he had an accident. She said: 'I always wondered why he . never had any underwear in the laundry. There was never any underwear, . any socks... that was odd to me.' On cross-examination she told Sandusky's attorney Joseph Amendola: 'He would tell me he had an accident and threw them out. 'All the time, his stomach always hurt. [He] couldn't use the bathroom right.' Last week . the teenager, now 18, said Sandusky forced him to have anal sex that made him bleed. The woman wept as she told the court that she felt responsible because she had encouraged her son to go to the coach's house while she was working two jobs to support the family, according to philly.com . The boy first met Sandusky at the age of 12 through the Second Mile charity, which the coach founded to provide help for troubled youngsters. Over the next four years, the witness said her son began to have health problems and get into trouble at school. The mother said the boy became emotionally closed off and didn't want to spend weekends at the coach's house. Few friends: The first two defence witnesses, former assistant Penn State football coaches Booker Brooks (left) and Dick Anderson leave the Centre County Courthouse after testifying . Prosecutors withdrew one count against Sandusky today saying the statute he was charged under did not apply at the time of the alleged illegal contact. That leaves 51 counts involving ten alleged victims over a 15-year span. Sandusky, whose November arrest led to the firing of Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno, has denied wrongdoing. A former Penn State assistant coach . who worked with Sandusky testified today that he and other members . of the football staff were present when Sandusky brought young boys . into the team's showers. Dick . Anderson, the first witness called by the defense after prosecutors . rested their case, said he never witnessed anything inappropriate. 'If . Jerry would bring someone in with The Second Mile, they had been . working out, for whatever reason they came in, it was not uncommon ... with the other coaches in the shower as well,' Anderson said. Anderson also testified that it was not unusual for him to be in the showers with younger boys at the YMCA. During his testimony, Anderson said Sandusky had a 'wonderful reputation' in the community. 'He was well thought of in every regard,' Anderson said. He also testified about the busy schedule Penn State coaches kept. Preparations: Defense attorney Joe Amendola stacks boxes to take into the Centre County Courthouse . In their questions to prosecution witnesses, the defense has sought to show how the stories of accusers have changed over time. The defense says witnesses were prodded and coached by investigators and prosecutors, that some are motivated to lie by the hopes of a civil lawsuit jackpot, and to paint Sandusky's interactions with children as misunderstood and part of a lifelong effort to help, not victimize, them. Defense attorney Joe Amendola pressed the accusers for dates and locations, details of their involvement with the kids' charity Sandusky founded, arrests or drug problems, contacts they had with Sandusky in the years since the alleged abuse ended and the terms of representation deals with civil lawyers. At least six said they told incorrect or incomplete stories in early contacts with police, and three testified that some of the details only came back to them in recent years. | Woman wept on the stand as she told court she encouraged her son to go to Penn State coordinator's house from the age of 12 . Fellow Penn State coaches were first witnesses for defense today . | 494b7eb1e38e9af40b7bfdd0f2a34a49588c10b4 |
In his glory-filled years as a Manchester United player you knew what you were going to get with Rio Ferdinand. Few central defenders were as comfortable on the ball while the former England captain also knew when to find Row Z. Ferdinand could read the game a step or two ahead and had an iron will to win. He's not a Manchester United player anymore though so what, if anything, will have changed as he returns to Old Trafford to face his old employers for the first time. At 35 he's no spring chicken and with his new boss Harry Redknapp well into the numbers needed for a free bus pass, we thought the pair would be up for a game of bingo - and you can play along too. Below is a list of things that could or should happen when Ferdinand goes up against some familiar faces on his old stomping ground, just tick them off as and when they happen. You can like our Manchester United Facebook page here . 1 - Ferdinand applauds both sets of fans . This one's your starter for 10. Away fans always get a clap, during the warm-up and at the end of the game, simply for making a lot of noise. But Rio's remembered fondly at the Theatre of Dreams so expect the home fans to show their appreciation and him to return the favour. Rio Ferdinand is guaranteed to be doing a fair bit of clapping at Old Trafford this Sunday . 2 - All aboard the banter bus I . There will be a moment in this clash where Ferdinand flies into a former team-mate. Rooney could get riled and Fletcher might get fiery. But expect them to pick themselves up, dust themselves down, shake hands and have a laugh about it in a 'why I oughta' sort of way. 3 - All aboard the banter bus II . Tunnel hugs and handshakes will be the order of the day as the teams prepare to walk out at the corner of the pitch. It's not Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira you know. Don't rule out a high-five or two. Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney will be on different teams in the same tunnel this time at Old Trafford . 4 - Long shot . QPR aren't expected to have much to cheer and Rio Ferdinand goals are rarer than hens' teeth. But if he does find himself in the wrong box and manages to ripple the net, he won't celebrate. No, no, no. It's the 11th commandment after all. 'Thou shalt not rub their noses in it.' Or something like that. 5 - Other people's goals are different though . If some other QPR player had to fire one in, well, that's a different matter entirely. And Ferdinand only knows one way to enjoy a goal. Expect him to be pictured head and shoulders above his team-mates, hands resting on a pal's shoulders, screaming at the fans. We've seen this celebration from Rio Ferdinand many times over the year . Rio Ferdinand had many happy times in the home dressing room at Old Trafford . 6 - Easy mistake to make after all these years . Even if Ferdinand does this one for a giggle, it counts. Walking into the wrong dressing room. 7- Fergie who? Now it's me and you . At some point Ferdinand and Redknapp, the new man(ager) in his life will get together and enjoy that special moment only a boss and his big player can enjoy. A cuddle or a handshake (Harry's not a high-fiver) both count. 8 - Choon . Big players + big reputations + big salaries = MASSIVE headphones. Look out for Ferdinand getting off the bus with the cans on. And there's a bonus point if it's confirmed he's listening to the Duran Duran classic Rio. It's unlikely Rio Ferdinand is listening to Duran Duran but you never know . 9 - Rio who? If a United new boy, signed after Ferdinand's departure, steps out of line or on Rio's toes, expect the squaring up but without the happy ending (see No 2). Rio Ferdinand has never been scared to stand his ground against opponents . 10 - You didn't need to get me a card . It won't be one with 'welcome back' written on it. Tick this one off if the ref dishes out a red or yellow to Ferdinand. With Man United expected to launch wave after wave of attacks, Rio Ferdinand could well pick up a card . 11 - All aboard the banter bus III . Mascots love the limelight these days, the furry rascals. If Fred the Red and Ferdinand have anything to do with each other, put a line through No 11. Fred the Red will be on hand to welcome Rio Ferdinand back to his old stomping ground . 12 - You never know... If Ferdinand keeps out Falcao, Rooney, Van Persie and Co it really will be the game of his life. He picks up the champagne for Man of the Match, after a 1-0 QPR win in which he scored with a bullet header, and announces he's available for England again. Rio Ferdinand won 81 caps for England before retiring from international football . | Rio Ferdinand returns to Manchester United with QPR on Sunday . The defender spent 12 years at Old Trafford before leaving this summer . He is expected to get a warm reception from the home fans . But he could be in for a tough afternoon up against Radamel Falcao and Co . You can play our game of Ferdinand bingo during the match . | 8626e62660d07428fcc305eff290a0a627fa1abb |
The colour of their shirts was symbolic and befitted the sombre occasion, matador red being replaced by funeral black. Spain may have rounded off a demoralising few weeks with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Australia in Curitiba but there was little appetite for fiesta, no sense that they had achieved some kind of consolation. This, after all, was the end of an era. From the line-up that had no place for those luminaries Xavi or Iker Casillas to the solemn trudge David Villa made to the touchline and the blank expression on Vicente del Bosque’s face at the final whistle, it felt like the time had come to say goodbye to those who have so entertained. VIDEO Spain bow out on high . Something to cheer: Fernando Torres celebrates his goal with Xabi Alonso . Opener: David Villa's first-half goal set Spain on their way to an easy win . At the double: Chelsea striker Torres makes it 2-0 to Spain after the break . Clincher: Juan Mata sealed the win with a third goal late on . Australia: Ryan 6: Spiranovic 6, Wilkinson 5.5, Davidson 5.5, McGowan 6: Bozanic 6 (Bresciano 72mins), Jedinak 7, McKay 6: Oar 6, Leckie 5.5, Taggart 5.5. Subs: Milligan, Wright, Langerak, Holland, Galekovic, Vidosic, Luongo. Spain: Reina 6.5; Juanfran 7, Albiol 7, Ramos 6.5, Alba 7: Alonso 7 (Silva 82), Koke 7: Cazorla 6 (Fabregas 67), Iniesta 8.5, Villa 8: Torres 7.5. Subs: Casillas, De Gea, Azpilicueta, Javi Martinez, Busquets, Xavi, Pedro, Diego Costa. Goals: Villa 36, Torres 69, Mata 82. Man of the match: Andres Iniesta. For Villa, . who set the ball rolling with a cute 36th minute back-heel, . international retirement looms, as it does for Xabi Alonso. Xavi and . Casillas may well follow, while Del Bosque has offered to fall on his . sword after overseeing such a dismal defence of the trophy they won in . 2010. Changes, . clearly, are afoot yet if the last two weeks have been a catastrophe for . Spain, there can be no disputing that much of the previous six years . have been breathtakingly glorious, a period in which our views on how . football should be played were redefined. It is why . Spain’s exit from this carnival should be lamented. Holland and Chile, . clearly, deserved to progress at their expense from Group B but you . cannot help but feel the tournament will lack something when magicians . like Andres Iniesta are no longer involved. Joy: Goalscorers Mata and Torres celebrate . Rough and tumble: Australia's Mile Jedinak challenges Andres Iniesta . Spanish sandwich: Ben Halloran is crowded out by Mata and Jordi Alba . Iniesta, . as has so often been the case, was the star of the show, his repertoire . of passing too much for a limited Australia side to handle. This was his . 100th appearance for Spain and, typically, he used the ball with . metronomic precision; long or short, quick or slow, he always picked the . right option. Del Bosque . made seven changes to the team that was humbled by Chile in Rio de . Janeiro last Wednesday but Iniesta’s place was sacrosanct and his . presence helped Spain negotiate a tricky opening period to get on top in . the 23rd minute. He ushered . in Juanfran with a ball that was both immaculately timed and . beautifully weighted, taking advantage of the time and space Australia . had given him; Juanfran, who had surged into Australia’s penalty area, . picked out Villa, who nonchalantly did the rest. Floored: Torres goes to ground under the challenge of Matthew Spiranovic . Basement boys: Ryan McGowan reacts after Torres scored Spain's second . This was . what we have come to expect from Spain: the change of pace, the runs . that pull defences apart, the artistic passing and the killer instinct. It may have come two games too late but it was proof their gifts had not . deserted them. It was . also a reminder of Villa’s talent. A new adventure beckons in Melbourne, . then New York, but it has to be lamented he is departing both the . European and international scene. He is a wonderful striker, one who has . the talents to thrive in the Champions League. Missed opportunity: Villa sees a chance go begging . Taking a tumble: Tommy Oar is sent sprawling after a challenge by Juanfran . Getting shirty: Torres changes his top during the game . Once Villa . had put Spain in front, the outcome was never in doubt. The surface in . Curibita may not have been smooth but they still passed Australia to . death, Iniesta picking out Fernando Torres for the second in the 69th . minute before Juan Mata converted a pinpoint Cesc Fabregas ball late on. That gave . the score a realistic look but there were no smiles or warm embraces at . the final whistle, no mood for celebration. Then again, we should not be . surprised. This era, after all, was supposed to end in a blaze of . glory, not with ignominious failure. No way through: Australia's Mathew Leckie is challenged by Jordi Alba . Midfield maestro: Xabi Alonson passes the ball off . Fancy footwork: Matt McKay tries to evade the challenge of Jordi Alba . Man marking: Santi Cazorla keeps an eye on Tommy Oar . Hefty tackle: Oliver Bozanic challenges Juanfran from behind . | Spain end poor World Cup showing with easy win against Aussies . Victory not enough to stop Spain being eliminated . Del Bosque's side finish third in Group B behind Holland and Chile . | dc8a2d3202f48944d7837cd82fa4ece614516c24 |
By . Lucy Crossley . PUBLISHED: . 11:47 EST, 25 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:53 EST, 25 December 2013 . Some of the younger members of the Royal Family appeared to be enjoying the Christmas festivities as they larked around outside the annual church service at Sandringham. Among those having a right Royal laugh was prankster Peter Phillips who took advantage of Prince William chatting with younger brother Harry to play a 'bunny ears' trick on his cousin. Princess Anne's son Peter, 36, had a cheeky grin across his face as he crouched down behind the Prince, ready to pounce. Joking around: Peter Phillips tricks Prince William by making a 'bunny ears' gesture behind the Royal's head . Ready to pounce: Smiling Peter prepareds to play his prank on his cousin . Chuckles: Prince Harry grins as Peter Phillips pranks his older brother . The young royals were clearly enjoying their time together, with Prince Harry also appearing to be the butt of jokes over his new facial hair. As he joked with Harry and Peter, William appeared to be mocking his brother's bushy beard by stroking his chin while the trio stood outside St Mary Magdalene Church. Harry . returned from his trek across the South Pole with charity Walking With . The Wounded sporting the thick ginger facial hair and today told crowd's . outside Sandringham he was planning on keeping it as it was a 'Royal . tradition'. Laughter: Stood alongside his younger brother, William looked to be stroking his chin, as if he was mimicking Prince Harry's bushy new beard . Humour: Prince William appeared to be mocking his brother's new facial hair as he joked with cousin Peter Phillips outside church . Challenge: Harry returned from his trek across the South Pole with charity Walking With The Wounded sporting the thick ginger facial hair . Christmas spirit: Cousin Peter Phillips shared a joke with the two Princes . Harry debuted his beard on his return . from the Arctic, where he joined injured soldiers for a race to the . South Pole, although the race element of the challenge had to be . abandoned due to poor weather. He still had the beard for a trip to Cape Town last week, and seemed determined to keep it when he arrived at church today. However, some suggested that the beard had been trimmed for Harry's festive outing. All smiles: William and Harry seemed in good spirits as they left the Christmas Day service . | Princess Anne's son had a cheeky grin as he played the trick on William . Peter, 36, shared a joke with William and Harry outside Royal service . Prince William appeared to be mocking his brother's new beard . Royals were attending annual service at church in Sandringham . | 1a3130a0b3ed2cd02838e41a2f42cf97d8c4eebb |
By . Simon Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 19:14 EST, 5 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:15 EST, 5 October 2013 . Madonna has revealed she was raped at knifepoint after arriving in New York as a 19-year-old dreaming of stardom. The attack took place on a Manhattan rooftop, the 55-year-old star told Harper’s Bazaar magazine. She said: ‘New York wasn’t everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms. Rooftop attack: Madonna has revealed she was raped at knifepoint after arriving in New York as a 19-year-old dreaming of stardom. Above, a young Madonna poses for the camera . ‘The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back. And had my apartment broken into three times.’ The music icon recalls how she coped after leaving her family home in Michigan in 1977 thanks to her dogged determination to succeed. ‘I was defiant,’ she said. ‘Hellbent on surviving. On making it. But it was hard and it was lonely, and I had to dare myself every day to keep going. The music icon, who graces the cover of Harper's Bazaar's November issue, opens up about her 30 years of ruling pop in a personal essay that chronicles her childhood, moving to New York and her rise to fame . 'I was defiant. Hell-bent on surviving. On making it. But it was hard and it was lonely, and I had to dare myself every day to keep going,' the Rochester, Michigan-born singer writes of her first years in Manhattan . 'I might not have had any friends. But it all turned out good in the end because when you aren’t popular and you don’t have a social life, it gives you more time to focus on your future.’ Madonna did not taste any success until the early 1980s. Worldwide fame arrived in 1984 with the hit single Like A Virgin. She has since sold more than 300 million records. In the interview she recalls her days struggling to make ends meet ‘trying to be a professional dancer, paying my rent by posing nude for art classes, staring at people staring at me naked’. ¿I have been blessed with four amazing children. I try to teach them to think outside the box. To be daring,' explains the singer . The star, who has four children – two of whom are adopted – also reflects on her life after her divorce from British film director Guy Ritchie in 2008. ‘Here I am, divorced and living in New York,’ she said. ‘I have been blessed with four amazing children. 'I try to teach them to think outside the box. To be daring.’ | The music icon reveals she was raped at knifepoint on a Manhatten rooftop . 'New York wasn't everything I thought it would be', says the 55-year-old . | 925a83cfdc7de32059c2c8352a6247198ee80268 |
(CNN) -- Swimmer Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian of all time, tweeted Sunday that he is taking a break from the sport "to attend a program that will provide the help I need to better understand myself." According to his official Twitter account, "Swimming is a major part of my life, but right now I need to focus my attention on me as an individual." The decision comes after he was charged last week with driving under the influence of alcohol, excessive speed and crossing double lines on Interstate 95 in Baltimore. The 22-time Olympic medalist, 29, was arrested Tuesday about 1:40 a.m. and later released, police said. According to media reports, police said his blood-alcohol content was .14. Last week's arrest is not Phelps' first run-in with the law . In 2004, he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation. He also issued an apology after that incident. Five years later, a photograph of him smoking marijuana at a party surfaced. "I'll make a million mistakes in my life, but as long as I never make the same mistake again, then I've been able to learn and grow," Phelps said in 2012. He also said that the incident made him realize who his real friends were. Of Phelps' record-smashing 22 Olympic medals, 18 are gold, including the eight he won in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics. Phelps returned to competitive swimming in April and raced for the United States in August at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, his first international meet since the Olympics (and two years before the next Games in Brazil). | Phelps tweets that he will get "the help I need to better understand myself" He was arrested early Tuesday, accused of driving with a blood-alcohol level of .14 . Olympic medalist returned to competitive swimming in April . | 0c1f79d6c05ad45f689da04341748821f028d349 |
Jesse Matthew, the man charged with the abduction of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, dropped out of a second university a decade ago after another rape allegation, it has emerged. After leaving Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in October 2002, Matthew attended Christopher Newport University - but quit following another accusation in September 2003, records have shown. Now more than a decade after the allegations - for which he never faced any charges - he has been linked to the disappearance of Graham, 18, who vanished from Charlottesville on September 13. Investigators are now looking into his movements over the last 12 years, focusing on the six months he attended CNU when two other young women disappeared without a trace. Serial offender? Jesse Matthew, left, has been charged in the disappearance of University of Virginia college student Hannah Graham (right). Authorities are now tracing his whereabouts for the last 12 years . He first came to police attention when the first sexual assault allegation was made against him at Liberty University on October 17, 2002, when a woman accused him of raping her on campus. The allegation was investigated by Lynchburg Police and turned over to the prosecutor's office - but the woman declined to press charges and no witnesses could be found, so the case was dropped. His last day at the school was the day the accusation was made, the Washington Post reported. On Wednesday, CNU also released a 'criminal incident information' report, which said an alleged incident involving Matthew took place on September 7, 2003, CNN reported. Five days after the alleged incident, Matthew quit the school's football team and a month after, he left the school. Arrested: Jesse Matthew was arrested in Texas last week after fleeing Virginia when police asked to question him about Graham. He is seen exiting a private plane under federal guard . Break? Police say there is a DNA link between the murder of Morgan Harrington, 20 (left), in 2009 and Graham's disappearance. Cassandra Morton, 23, (right) also went missing around the same time as Harrington . It is not yet clear how this second incident was resolved or whether Matthew quit due to an investigation. 'The University is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies,' a statement from CNU said. 'The success of the criminal investigation is paramount at this time.' Matthew was arrested in Texas last week after fleeing Virginia when police tried to question him in the Graham's disappearance. The UVA nurses's assistant was the last person seen with her. He is now being held in isolation in a Virginia jail cell. After new forensic evidence also allegedly connects him to the high-profile abduction, rape and murder of 20-year-old Morgan Harrington in 2009, police are now looking at whether he was involved in any other disappearances over the past decade. Two more victims? Sophie May Rivera (left) and Autumn Wind Day (right) both went missing from Newport News, Virginia when Matthew was attending local college Christopher Newport University in 2003 . Missing on Route 29: Five women have gone missing in and around Charlottesville, Virginia, just a few minutes' drive from the same highway in the last five years. Morgan Harrington's body was the only one every found . First school: Matthew dropped out of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in October 2002 . Second: Eleven months later, he dropped out of his new school, Christopher Newport University, pictured, following another allegation of rape. He was not charged in either incident . While he studied at CNU, from January to October 2003, two local women went missing and were never found again. Autumn Wind Day, 24, was last seen shopping at the Food Lion grocery store two miles from campus when she disappeared on July 24, 2003. Less than two months later, 31-year-old Sophie May Rivera went missing after leaving her home located seven miles from CNU. Matthew dropped out of school a month later. Local police are now reopening the two cold cases to see if Matthew may have been involved. 'While there are no indications that Jesse Matthew is connected to these two cases, both will be reviewed,' Newport News police spokesman Lou Thurston told WAVY. It's uncertain what Matthew did for the next several years but police say they have linked him to Harrington's disappearance and murder in October 2009. Filling in the blanks: Matthew worked as a taxi driver and a source told MailOnline that he gave girls free rides. It's uncertain what he did between leaving CNU in 2003 and picking up his career as a cabbie in 2010 . Her body was found three months later, hidden at a remote farm. DNA evidence of her killer, found on her remains, has since been linked to a 2005 rape case of a Fairfax woman who survived the attack. Eight years after dropping out of CNU, Matthew reappears in 2010 working as a taxi driver in Charlottesville. Two years later he got a position as a nurse's assistant at UVA Medical Cenewhere he was just recently fired following Graham's disappearance. In that time, he may have played a role in the death of Morgan, and also another local woman who went missing around the same time - 23-year-old Lynchburg resident Cassandra Morton. Morton's decomposing body was found in November 2009 and the homicide remains unsolved. Authorities in Montgomery County Virginia are also reopening the double homicide of couple Heidi Childs and David Metzler, who were found shot dead in a campground near the Virginia Tech campus in August 2009. Double murder: Police in Montgomery County, Virginia are looking into whether Matthew could have played a role in the murders of couple Heidi Childs and David Metzler, who were found shot dead in a campground near Virginia Tech in August 2009 . 'Our investigators will certainly follow up and look at the facts surrounding the Hannah Graham case to see if there is a connection. However, at this time we have nothing to lead us to believe that there is a connection,' Capt. Brian Wright told ABC News. And three additional women went missing from Charlottesville around the same time Matthew moved there. Samantha Ann Clarke, 19, disappeared from Orange county in September 2010 and 19-year-old DaShad Laquinn Smith disappeared near there in November 2012, WUSA-TV reported. Alexis Murphy, 17, disappeared after leaving her home in Shipman, Virginia, in August 2013. This May, Randolph Taylor, 48, was convicted of her abduction and murder in January although her body has never been found. Another two young women, Alicia Showalter Reynolds, 25, and Anne Carolyn McDaniel, 20, were abducted and murdered in 1996 along the same Virginia corridor. Gone: Alexis Murphy, 17, is one of three women who went missing around the time Matthew returned to Charlottesville. She disappeared after leaving her home in Shipman, Virginia, in August 2013 . Mystery: DaShad Laquinn Smith, 19 (left), has not been seen since November 2012. Samantha Ann Clarke, 19 (right) vanished after leaving her home in Orange in September 2010 . | Jesse Matthew, 32, has been charged with abducting University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, who vanished on September 13 . It has now emerged that he quit two universities after rape accusations . In October 2002, he dropped out of Liberty University on the day a woman said he raped her on campus; she did not pursue charges . Then in September 2003, he was accused of attacking a woman at Christopher Newport University and dropped out a few weeks later . Forensic evidence has also allegedly connected him to the kidnapping, rape and murder of 20-year-old Morgan Harrington in 2009 . Authorities across Virginia are now investigating him in up to 10 unsolved crimes against women in the state . | 30d3014fe87e304467413fa546810885550bab11 |
By . Steven Doughty . PUBLISHED: . 13:09 EST, 11 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:24 EST, 11 March 2014 . A City fund manager who fathered a child during an affair and lied to the courts about his wealth to reduce his paternity payments cannot be named, a judge ruled yesterday. The financial chief executive sold a company abroad for £111,000 and hid the profit from the family courts for more than three years. The attempt to cover up his wealth was exposed after the mother of his son found evidence of the lie and wanted his dishonesty made public, the High Court heard yesterday. A High Court judge has ruled that the details of a man who lied about his wealth to the courts should not be given to the police, Crown Prosecution Service or to the City regulator . But a judge ruled that the man’s name . and details of his cheating should not be given to the police or the . City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority. His identity and that of his former girlfriend and child should be kept secret from the public, Mr Justice Bodey ordered. Although . the City case ‘came close to the line’, it would not be in the public . interest for the cheating fund manager – who is such a leading figure in . his field that he has assisted Prime Minister David Cameron in . furthering British business interests abroad – to be threatened with the . ruin of his career, or prosecuted for perjury, the judge said. The . City chief had ‘lied about his resources’ because ‘he did not wish to . have to pay the mother for the benefit of his child any more than he . could possibly avoid’, Mr Justice Bodey said. The . judge added: ‘This is in no way at all to excuse his conduct, which was . inexcusable, greedy, and unfair; but it is to put what he did in its . context.’ The City boss, . who is now 42, had a ‘relatively brief’ relationship with a ‘successful . professional’, now aged 40, which ended in 2007. While . the woman thought the affair was ‘an intense relationship’, the fund . manager thought it was ‘not quite a one-night stand, but very close to . it’. When the woman . became pregnant, the man told her to have an abortion. When she asked . for support, he denied he was the father and called for DNA testing. He has shown no interest in having regular contact with his son, who was called John in the courts. John . was awarded a settlement of £250,000, and his mother £40,000 for his . care. She then had to pay costs for a series of failed appeals. The . fund manager – who has since married – said that if his lies were . disclosed, ‘there is a grave risk it would spell his financial ruin’. After . the man’s real income was revealed, the courts awarded the mother a . further £80,000 and ordered him to pay £29,500 of her legal costs. Mr . Justice Bodey said it was not the role of the family court to . ‘proactively disclose information which might be of interest to outside . agencies, such as the police, the Revenue, regulatory bodies or . employers’. Mr Justice Bodey (pictured) said it would not be in the public interest for the cheating fund manager to be exposed to the ruin of his career . However, the mother persuaded a journalist abroad to make inquiries into the father's dealings. Evidence was turned up that a business had been sold, in a country called by the court 'Anonland', in 2009. In 2012 the father assured the courts he knew nothing about the sale and had made no money from it. Mr Justice Bodey said that in a hearing in December 2012, confronted by email evidence of his involvement, 'it was at this point only that he put his hands up and admitted that his case up until then had been false.' The mother, who is now training to be a barrister, told the High Court that the father's identity should be made known to police, regulators and the public because there is a public interest in the prosecution of crime, including perjury and perverting the course of justice. She said that it was in the public interest that regulators should be told, because the father was 'in a position of responsibility holding investors' funds and it is only right that the Financial Conduct Authority should investigate,' and that the disclosure of his behaviour 'would deter would-be liars from lying' in the courts. The mother said there would be no effect on John if the father was prosecuted, because he had no contact with his father. Children, she said, do not shield people from the consequences of their criminality. The father - who has since married and has two young children with his wife - said that if his lies were disclosed 'there is a grave risk it would spell his financial ruin'. He said this would harm John because it would mean the loss of support from his father. He said he had 'put his hands up', apologised and given evidence about the £111,000 undisclosed profit. The father said the mother had a single-minded determination to bring him down, and 'the family courts deal routinely with cases of high emotion, bitterness and recrimination which is particular to the relationship between the parties, and which leads people to do discreditable things like lying, which they would not do in other spheres of their life'. Since the father's real income has been revealed, the courts have awarded the mother a further £80,000 and ordered the father to pay £29,500 of her legal costs. Mr Justice Bodey said it was not the role of the family court 'proactively to disclose information which might be of interest to outside agencies, such as the police, the Revenue, regulatory bodies or employers. 'Given the number of skeletons which come out of cupboards in family proceedings, where would it end?', the judge asked. | Financial chief executive quietly sold a company abroad for £111,000 and then hid the profit from the family courts for more than three years . He lied to avoid having to pay more to support his son by an ex-girlfriend . But a High Court judge has ruled that his name and details of his cheating should not be given to the police, CPS or the City regulator . | 2075361e80a4e60b6bf236259bd34f84f273822c |
By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 05:47 EST, 9 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:56 EST, 9 February 2013 . The principal dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet claims he is being framed for an horrifying acid attack on the firm's artistic director. Sergei Filin, 42, nearly lost his sight after suffering third-degree burns to his face and neck in the attack three weeks ago after a masked man threw acid in his face outside his home in central Moscow. Now in an extraordinary twist, the ballet's biggest star Nickolai Tsiskaridze claims managers have been dropping hints he was involved as part of a sinister campaign to oust him from the world-famous dance group. Real target? Nikolai Tsiskaridze claims that as the Bolshoi's 'most famous' dancer he is at the centre of a Stalin-style witch hunt . Mr Tsiskaridze, 39, believes that as the Boshoi's 'most famous dancer', it is he not Filin who is the real target of a Stalin-style witch hunt. And despite having a 'cast-iron and concrete alibi', he believes he is the victim of a conspiracy to link him with the attack. Acid attack: Sergei Filin, 42, nearly lost his sight after the attack outside his home in central Moscow . He told the BBC: 'It's like being back in . the days of Joseph Stalin. 'They're organising meetings against me, . they're trying to force staff to sign letters condemning me - they tried . that last week. 'But all the ballet teachers in the Bolshoi refused to sign it. 'They have decided to use this as an excuse for a witch hunt, to get rid of all the people they don't like. This isn't against Sergei Filin, It's directed against me.' Mr Tsiskaridze went on to accuse the ballet's general director Anatoly Iksanov of trying to 'settle scores' with him. He added: He wants to damage my reputation. But my reputation can't be damaged. I was, and, I still am the most famous dancer in the Bolshoi.' Filin, who is being treated for his injuries at a German Clinic, said he believes the attack was linked to his job as he has received repeated threats. A Moscow native, he joined the Bolshoi in 1988 and was named its artistic leader in March 2011, after three years in a similar position at another Moscow theatre. Such is the power and prestige of the post in Russian life that Anatoly Iksanov, director of the Bolshoi, said he believed the attack was a product of envy or rivalry. Premier danseur: Tsiskaridze struts his stuff with the world famous Russian dance group . Treatment: The artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet Sergei Filin was interviewed at the hospital in Moscow where he was being treated after the attack . Filin had already reported having his car . tyres slashed and his emails hacked, as well as receiving repeated . nuisance calls from someone who stayed silent when he answered. The . Bolshoi, which has both ballet and opera troupes, reopened last . February after a six-year renovation to its landmark colonnaded . building, close to Red Square in the very centre of Moscow. As a symbol of Russian . culture for more than 200 years, it is a big draw for both locals and . foreign tourists, and has seen power struggles among both dancers and . directors throughout its history. Since . the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many of those conflicts, . whether driven by egos or artistic convictions, have been played out in . public. After the . tightly controlled three-decade tenure of Yuri Grigorovich ended in . 1995, the Bolshoi Ballet went through five artistic directors before . Filin's appointment. He said: 'Someone really doesn't like what I've been doing there. Perhaps they don't like the fact I've been successful.' Dancers and staff at the Bolshoi, which has become a hotbed of infighting, backstabbing and overinflated egos, have claimed Filin may have even staged the attack himself. After Filin appeared on Russain Television without a bandage, Tsiskaridze, even went so far as to suggest he might not have been injured at all saying: 'If that really was acid you wouldn't be able to show your face for months.' The Bolshoi, which has both ballet and opera troupes, reopened last February after a six-year renovation to its landmark colonnaded building, close to Red Square in the very centre of Moscow. As a symbol of Russian culture for more than 200 years, it is a big draw for both locals and foreign tourists, and has seen power struggles among both dancers and directors throughout its history. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many of those conflicts, whether driven by egos or artistic convictions, have been played out in public. After the tightly controlled three-decade tenure of Yuri Grigorovich ended in 1995, the Bolshoi Ballet went through five artistic directors before Filin's appointment. In 2003 Anatoly Iksanov, director of the Bolshoi, dismissed ballerina Anastasia Volochkova after reportedly saying she was too heavy for male dancers to lift. And in 2011, a senior ballet manager resigned after a scandal over sexually explicit photographs. Prestigious career: Sergei Filin in 2011 with the then president Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana attending a gala opening of the Bolshoi in Moscow . | Nickolai Tsiskaridze claims he is at the centre of a Stalin-style witch hunt . Artistic director Sergei Filin attacked outside his Moscow home . Tsiskaridze claims managers have been dropping hints he was involved . | e3d6f9574d1b2f03948d9292ea4aae675d4f9184 |
Milos Raonic has pulled out of the ATP World Tour Finals in London because of a thigh injury and will be replaced by David Ferrer. Ferrer, who has been practising at the O2 Arena all week as the first alternate, will take on Kei Nishikori on Thursday afternoon in the final round of matches in Group B. The Spaniard only missed out on a place in the top eight at the very last minute after Raonic defeated Roger Federer on his way to the final at the Paris Masters a fortnight ago. Milos Raonic announced his withdrawal from the ATP World Tour Finals at a press conference on Thursday . Raonic lost both of his matches on his debut at the tournament and revealed he suffered the injury in Tuesday's defeat by Andy Murray. 'I have a slight tear in my quad and a large area of swelling,' he said. 'It would be unfair to fans if I was to go out and play a mediocre match. If I was to step out on court I could lose up to six to eight weeks. That was a significant factor in my decision.' Raonic's decision potentially has a significant impact on the qualification hopes of both Nishikori and Murray, who meets Federer later on Thursday. Raonic, pictured in action against Andy Murray, suffered a thigh injury during defeat by the Scot . There had been a scenario whereby Murray could lose to Federer and still make the semi-finals if Nishikori had also lost to Raonic. But, instead of a three-way tie being decided by sets or games percentage, as would have been the case, a player playing fewer matches is automatically eliminated from the race leaving the remaining two players to be split by head-to-head. Because Murray lost his opening match to Nishikori, he must now beat Federer to stand a chance of going through. Should Nishikori lose, any win for Murray would be enough, but victory for the Japanese player would mean the Scot must win in straight sets and hope his games percentage is better than either Nishikori or Federer. Raonic's replacement David Ferrer plays a forehand during his match against Kei Nishikori at the O2 Arena . There is no way Ferrer can progress but the Spaniard is a player no one likes facing because of his resemblance to a human wall, and Nishikori will certainly not be expecting anything less than a stern test. Ferrer may also have extra motivation from the fact it was his loss to Nishikori in Paris that secured Raonic's place in London ahead of him. The Japanese player, who has his own injury worries after receiving treatment to his right wrist against Federer, has won five of their previous eight meetings, including all three this season, but every one has been extremely close. VIDEO Djokovic expects no more 'easy' matches . | Milos Raonic lost to Andy Murray and Roger Rederer at the O2 Arena . David Ferrer will play Raonic's final group game against Kei Nishikori . Raonic suffered a thigh injury against Murray on Tuesday evening . | 8ff7a874247fdf1154c541d37eb7a02dbd2ed899 |
(CNN) -- He is Formula One's undisputed No. 1, and next season Sebastian Vettel will have proof of that fact emblazoned on his Red Bull but choosing a number was not so simple for the rest of his rivals on the grid. Ahead of the 2014 campaign getting under way in March, each racer was invited to select the number they wanted to display on their car for the rest of their careers. Four-time champion Vettel chose the No. 5 -- fitting as he chases a fifth successive drivers' championship -- to brand his car with but, as the reigning title holder, he will automatically run with the No. 1 on his Red Bull chassis. The new regulation has been introduced by the sport's rulemakers to allow drivers to market themselves more effectively. Vettel's Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo will sport the No. 3 during his first season with the all-conquering marque, while 2013 runner up Fernando Alonso will race with the No. 14 on his Ferrari as a throwback to his karting days. Kimi Raikkonen will mark his first season back at Ferrari with the No. 7 on his "Prancing Horse." The Finn displayed his usual laidback attitude when it came to choosing his number, explaining on Ferrari's website:"It's the number I already had last year and I saw no reason to change it. I like it which is good enough isn't it? McLaren's Jenson Button requested 22 as it was the number he had on his Brawn GP car when he was crowned world champion in 2009. Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton has opted for 44; his teammate Nico Rosberg has taken the number six. The 2014 season will begin with the curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix on March 16. | Formula One introduces driver numbers for 2014 season . Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel takes the number one as defending champion . The German had chosen five as champion will race with No. 1 for a season . Fernando Alonso takes 14, with Lewis Hamilton opting for 44 . | f2c943b3c66ea02d0dc6b346132c84dd6bc53ed4 |
Constantly worrying won’t just give you sleepless nights – it could also raise your risk of Alzheimer’s. Women who are anxious, jealous and moody in middle-age were twice as likely to suffer from the brain disease in old age as their more calm and level-headed counterparts. They found that as the number of people with dementia is expected to increase ‘dramatically’ as the population ages, it is important to have ways of identifying those most at risk. Scroll down for video . Neurotic women who display personality traits such as jealousy and anxiety may be twice as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's than their more calm and level-headed counterparts . Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia affect more than 800,000 Britons and, worldwide, the number of sufferers is predicted to treble to 44million by 2050. The Prime Minister David Cameron has described dementia as ‘the key health challenge of this generation’. Some 800 women in their late 30s, 40s and early 50s underwent a battery of personality tests. This included questions on neuroticism – characterised by being anxious, jealous, moody and easily upset and plagued by feelings of guilt. They were also asked if they had been under stress at work, at home or due to their health – and this question was repeated every five years. When the study ended after 38 years, some 153 women had developed dementia. Those who scored highest on tests for neuroticism in middle-age – were particularly prone to the disease – but only if they had been under long-term stress. Neurotics who were also shy and introverted were at the highest risk, the journal Neurology reports. The researchers said those who are neurotic may feel stress more keenly and this could take its toll on the brain. It is also possible that they have a less healthy lifestyle. Neurotics who were also shy and introverted were at the highest risk of dementia, researchers found . Study author Lena Johannsson said: ‘Most Alzheimer’s research has been devoted to factors such as education, heart and blood risk factors, head trauma, family history and genetics. ‘Personality may influence the individual’s risk for dementia through its effect on behaviour, lifestyle or reactions to stress. ‘The number of people with dementia is expected to rise dramatically. It is therefore important to identify risk and protective factors.’ Dr Clare Walton, of the Alzheimer’s Society said: ‘We all have moments when we feel stressed or worried, but stressed women reading this shouldn’t take this research to mean they’re necessarily at higher risk of dementia. ‘This research doesn’t show that neuroticism in women alone could increase risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, but what it does suggest is that personality traits like neuroticism are linked to the experience of long term stress. ‘While we can’t control all the sources of everyday stress, we can develop coping strategies to deal with them and we’re funding research to help explore how this could help with reducing risk of dementia.’ Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘Understanding the factors that affect our risk of Alzheimer’s could provide new clues for preventing the disease, which is why investment in research is crucial.’ Previous research has found that conscientious men and women, who ‘always get the job done’ are half as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as their less dependable friends and colleagues. | This was compared to their more calm and level-headed counterparts . Neurotics who were also shy and introverted were at the highest risk . May be because they feel stress more keenly - which takes its toll on brain . Number of number of sufferers worldwide predicted to be 44 million by 2050 . | 438aeddd393caf7b9fcb3512a9fa81adbaff2531 |
The horrendous ambush assassination of two Las Vegas police officers at a pizzeria and the killing of a good Samaritan by a violent young married couple with anti-government hatred again show that domestic extremists on the fringes remain a continuing threat in America. In fact, in recent weeks the Department of Justice reconstituted a law enforcement working group devoted to addressing right-wing extremism. One of Sunday's killers, who was reportedly removed by other militia protesters from the Bundy ranch standoff earlier this spring, draped an officer's body with a yellow Gadsden "Don't Tread on Me Flag," a swastika and a note about "revolution." In the 1970s, a significant violent threat came from small, tight-knit groups of the "revolutionary left" such as the Weather Underground and Symbionese Liberation Army as well as the anti-police Black Liberation Army whose assassination sprees left 13 officers dead across the nation. Since the early 1980s, however, the domestic extremism threat pendulum has swung right, not only to white supremacists, but to anti-government "Patriot" adherents who sometimes, but not always, embrace hard-core racial prejudice and violence. Today, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, these groups number more than 1,000. The left-wing extremist groups of the 1970s operated as small, yet highly structured, segregated offshoots of the nonviolent civil rights and anti-war community. Unlike the more consistently planned bombings and premeditated assassinations of the 1970s left, right-wing violence today runs the gamut from Sunday's ambush to more spontaneous killings that follow car stops or police calls about relatively mundane disputes. In 2010, two West Memphis, Arkansas, police officers were killed by anti-government extremists during a routine car stop, and in 2009 three Pittsburgh officers died during a domestic disturbance call at the home of a gun-obsessed neo-Nazi. Today's violent right-wing extremists often operate on the fringes of existing groups or social networks, where they gain inspiration and a belief system in lieu of directives or an actual rank or "membership" card. While many of these favored groups are extremist, some are not. Jerad Milller, who police said carried out the Las Vegas attack with his wife, Amanda, reportedly went to the Bundy ranch militia protests and even posted a picture of a meeting he had with an extremist conspiracist on his Web page. He also used a flag popular with the right at the crime scene and "liked" various mainstream political groups such as the National Rifle Association, whose executive vice president called federal agents "jack-booted thugs" during the heyday of the 1990s militia movement, on his Facebook page. His posted manifesto contains overheated versions of themes that could fit into a mainstream political speech, with its vow to fight tyranny. To be sure, mainstream groups in politics countenance reform, not murder, but the often-shrill rhetoric, conspiracy theories and innuendo they sometimes promote may have consequences. Alex Jones, a popular radio personality of the far right, went so far as to accuse the federal government of staging the Las Vegas incident for political gain. Members of law enforcement are among the most visible and active civic officials to interact directly with the public, so their symbolism and proximity make them targets for those who hate and loathe the government. Moreover, many police interactions involve emotionally tense situations, making law enforcement susceptible not only to premeditated violence but spontaneous attacks as well. Extremists, unlike political players, have opted out of accepting the peaceful processes and institutions of our pluralistic democracy. The Las Vegas killers had not only targeted officers as a tyrannical enemy but may have planned an attack on a courthouse as well. When we engage in political debate, we have to be mindful that the embers of dissatisfaction with government can fly and land on violent and sometimes unstable people who rely on conspiracy theories as an anesthetic for either personal failures or emotional frustrations. | Brian Levin: Las Vegas killings show anti-government extremists remain a threat . He says pendulum has swung from violent left-wing to right-wing militants . Levin: Police are often the target because of their visibility as a symbol of government . He says commentators need to be careful that their rhetoric doesn't inspire fanatics . | 6027f7ac5e2ad63cd60c84b61022061636de9807 |
By . Ruth Whitehead . PUBLISHED: . 10:30 EST, 23 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:30 EST, 23 June 2012 . Proud father Anthony O'Grady never got to walk his daughter down the aisle after he drank so much at her engagement party that he died, an inquest heard. The 53-year-old warehouse manager was not a heavy drinker but on the night of his daughter Siobhan's bash he had at least six pints of Stella Artois. He managed to get a taxi home from the celebrations in the early hours of the morning, but he fell off a small wall close to his house. Tragedy: A taxi driver dropped Mr O'Grady to his house in Herbert Road, High Wycombe, but rather than going straight indoors he sat on a low wall, from which he fell and later died . His body was found in a bush in a front garden by a horrified neighbour the next evening. Home Office pathologist Dr Nicholas Hunt said Mr O'Grady died of acute alcohol intoxication. The level of alcohol in his blood was recorded at 368mg alcohol per 100ml. Dr Hunt said anything above 350mg could lead to death. He added that Mr O'Grady may have fallen into an unnatural position, causing 'postural asphyxia'. The inquest heard that Mr O'Grady had attended the party at the Glass House pub, in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, with other family members and friends. Mr O’Grady, who was married but separated from his wife Penny, arrived at 9pm on Saturday 8 October and left in the early hours of the following morning. Party: Mr O'Grady, who the coroner heard rarely drank to excess, apparently drank at least six pints of Stella during the party at the Glass House, which has since been renamed . Coroner Richard Hulett was told that Mr O'Grady managed to get a taxi to his home address in nearby Herbert Road but had sat down on a small wall after paying the driver. Mr Hulett said he appeared to have 'toppled' off the wall backwards into a bush in a communal garden, and lay there unconscious until he died. Mr O'Grady's body was found the following evening by a neighbour, who initially thought it was a sack of dumped rubbish and was horrified to discover what it was. Police launched an investigation and a post mortem was carried out by the Home Office, which is called in to investigate suspicious cases. Detective Constable Holly Cannon, who investigated the death, told the inquest in High Wycombe: 'Mr O'Grady had been at his daughter's engagement party and his family reveal that he was there by 9pm and left at 1.20am. 'From CCTV images and what family members have told us he had drunk around six pints of Stella Artois. 'It is unknown what, if anything, he had drunk before leaving for the public house. 'He walked out of the public house onto the High Street and a taxi took Mr O'Grady home to Herbert Road and dropped him off,' she said. 'He had sat on a wall and dropped over backwards. The wall was not particularly high. He fell backwards and came into contact with sharp ends of twigs. 'That's why he wasn't found for some time - it was overgrown shrubbery in the front garden,' said the detective. The inquest was told that Mr O'Grady would have a drink 'from time to time, but not to high levels except on social occasions.' Dr Hunt discovered a puncture wound to Mr O’Grady’s neck which he said was consistent with falling on to sharp twigs, but he found no further injuries which suggested he had been attacked. Mr Hulett, in recording a verdict of death by misadventure, said: 'It looks to me that on this occasion he had consumed a considerable amount of drink at the social occasion. 'He got home, almost home, by taxi and seems to have sat down on this wall. Due to the fact it was very late and he had had a lot to drink, he toppled over backwards. 'Dr Hunt, in his conclusion, refers to postural asphyxia, which means that when he fell down he was so intoxicated he became comatosed and stayed in that position and may not have breathed properly, which led to him dying there and then.' He said Mr O'Grady had been 'unlucky'. Mr O'Grady's sister, Anne-Marie, said after the inquest: 'He was a lovely man, salt of the earth. He was well liked by everybody. His family was very close to him. 'It was such a happy occasion but ended in such tragedy.' | Anthony O'Grady, 53, hailed cab home after attending bash in High Wycombe . After paying the driver he sat on a low wall, fell into a bush and injured himself . Coroner recording misadventure verdict said O'Grady was 'unlucky' | 539d90651135a102319e81b0295ddf0dd5ee2493 |
By . Peter Rugg . A professional photographer paddleboarding off Manhattan Beach captured stunning footage of what appears to be a great white shark on Monday. Photographer Bo Bridges, a resident of the area for 14 years, was paddleboarding with friends when he spotted the juvenile shark about 100 feet from the coastline. 'Once you see it, your knees kind of go weak if you’re on a paddle . board…the fear hits first, and the excitement kind of gets to you too, . and then the curiosity as well, so you just start to follow them a . little bit,' he told KTLA. Photographer Bo Bridges (not pictured) captured these images of what appears to be a juvenile Great White Shark using a camera attached to a drone . Bridges said he'd seen sharks in the water off Manhattan Beach before but had never been able to photograph one . And it's not the first time he's seen sharks in those waters. 'They were here quite often last summer and fall, then they seemed to . disappear for a bit,' he said. 'And then I heard they were kind of back the other . day.' He decided to take the opportunity to get a better look at the great white. Bridges was paddleboarding with friends when he saw the young shark circling . 'I paddled out on Sunday morning, and it was the first thing I saw. And then Monday morning…I paddled out…and we ended up running into them . again, and I was like, ‘I have to go back and get my camera.' Using an automated drone flying above the water, he managed to capture about 4 minutes of video. Bridges managed to capture four minutes of video using his automated drone camera . This was the first time Bridges had ever been able to film one of the areas sharks after 14 years living there . In the footage, you can clearly see the shark swimming alongside a pair of paddleboarders. It was the first time Bridges captured a shark on camera. 'I always wanted to do that,' Bridges said. 'I’ve thought about it, but I didn’t think I’d be able to capture it.' | Photographer Bo Bridges capture four minutes of footage using an automated drone flying above water . Young shark was spotted 10 feet from the coast . Shark can clearly be seen swimming alongside paddleboarders . | 3a454319a55f28da7bfbe6152135582e0153cca9 |
By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 06:28 EST, 12 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:08 EST, 12 April 2013 . The next time the owner of this fake ID decides to travel under an assumed identity, he might choose a less high-profile alter ego. German Lucas Baier, 27, flashed this driving licence - bearing the name and photograph of Russian president Vladimir Putin - at shocked ticket inspectors during a routine check on a train in southern Bavaria. Inspectors immediately confiscated . the fake licence from Russian-speaking Mr Baier, who said he bought it . in a Russian market as a joke after his friends teased him about his . resemblance to Putin. 'Realistic': Train passenger Lucas Baier said he bought the fake driving licence as a joke after being teased about his resemblance to Russian president Vladimir Putin . The licence purported to have been . issued in Latvia, and was passed to authorities in the country who . confirmed it was a 'realistic forgery', a report in the Telegraph said. Any suggestion the licence had ever . been owned by Putin himself was dismissed by transport authorities in . Latvia, who said 'no driving licence was ever issued to the Russian . president'. Mr Baier . was travelling by train from Salzburg to Munich when he was asked to . produce ID. He explained that he bought the fake licence after being . constantly compared to the Russian leader. 'I was always being ribbed about it,' he said. 'On holiday I saw a realistic looking driving licence in his name, so I snapped it up.' Routine check: Mr Baier showed the fake ID to ticket inspectors on a train journey from Salzburg to Munich (pictured) | Lucas Baier bought the fake ID after being teased about looking like Putin . Flashed the driving licence at ticket inspectors on a train in Germany . Document was confirmed as a 'realistic forgery' after being confiscated . | a8094f18999bed60184e7cc8ee477b33fdd08d2d |
(CNN) -- The man suspected of killing one person at the World Changers Church International in suburban Atlanta was arrested Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Marshals said. Earlier, police named the suspect as Floyd Palmer, 52, and described him as armed and dangerous. Authorities said marshals and Fulton County police arrested the suspect at Lenox Mall in the Buckhead community of Atlanta, about 25 miles from the church. There were about 25 people in the massive church when the shooting happened, police spokeswoman Cpl. Kay Lester said. The golden-domed megachurch, which claims about 30,000 members, is led by well-known prosperity minister Creflo Dollar. The victim, whose name was not immediately released, died at a hospital. He was leading a prayer when he was shot, police said. Palmer is a former volunteer at the church who resigned in August, Lester said. She said police don't know whether the victim was targeted specifically. Dollar has built an international religious empire, with broadcasts of his sermons beamed worldwide and speaking engagements in Europe. Since he started his ministry in an elementary school cafeteria in 1986, Dollar has earned praise and criticism. Supporters say he has preached a message that's financially empowered his parishioners and challenged the idea that Christians should be ashamed to be rich. Critics call him "Cash-Flow Dollar" and say his message perverts the Gospel. The shooting as it happened . CNN's Nick Valencia and Melanie Whitley contributed to this report. | NEW: U.S. Marshals, police arrest suspect at mall in Atlanta . Police identify suspect as Floyd Palmer, 52 . One person is dead after the incident at World Changers Church International . The church is led by prosperity minister Creflo Dollar . | e86ba58a7b65395ffab2066152e22ceabdd899d7 |
By . Charlie Scott . Follow @@charliefscott . With three former World Cup winners that had lifted the trophy seven times between them Group D was supposed to be the Group of Death. For England – and one of Italy or Uruguay – that has proved the case. But not for the fourth nation in the group, Costa Rica. Jorge Luis Pinto’s team are the first side to seal their place in the last 16 after brilliant wins against top-10 ranked sides Uruguay and Italy. Upset: Costa Rica's players defied the odds to reach the last 16 in Brazil . We've done it! Costa Rica players celebrate their win over Italy . Ecstacy: Costa Rican players celebrate on the pitch at full-time . Tears of joy: Costa Rica players embrace eachother at the final whistle . Surprise package: Costa Rica's players can't quite believe it after reaching the knock-out stages . Fancy footwork: the Costa Ricans show off their dance moves . Following the 1-0 win over Italy in Recife that catapulted them into the next round, Sportsmail has taken a look at this World Cup’s surprise team. The coachJorge Luis Pinto is coaching Costa Rica for the second time after an unsuccessful stint before the 2006 finals. The 52-year-old Colombian, who has won league titles in Costa Rica, Peru, Venezuela and Colombia, sets his side up in an attacking 5-4-1 formation, with full-backs Cristian Gamboa and Junior Diaz providing width and energy down the flanks. Genius: Jorge Luis Pinto has masterminded Costa Rica's success . His side got thumped by Chile, lost to South Korea and Japan, and drew with Republic of Ireland in the months leading up to the World Cup, though they did coast through their qualification campaign, finishing second behind United States, ahead of Mexico and Honduras. Ranked 28th in the world, Costa Rica’s record in World Cup matches before the Brazil tournament was not pretty. They had won just three of their 10 games, drawing one and losing the other six. Costa Rica legend Paulo Wanchope, known to English fans following spells at Manchester City, Derby and West Ham, is Pinto’s assistant manager. The stars . Joel Campbell – 35 caps, 10 goals . One of many Costa Rica players to come through the youth system of the country’s top club, Saprissa, Campbell moved to Arsenal in the summer of 2011, though work permit issues have seen him sent out on loan to Lorient, Betis and Olympiakos. Young Gunner: Joel Campbell is expected to be part of Arsene Wenger's first-team squad next season . The 21-year-old striker has recently burst on to the radar of Europe’s top clubs having followed up a fine season on loan at Olympiakos with two brilliant performances alone upfront against Uruguay and Italy. Arsene Wenger has already moved to ward off potential suitors by saying he expects the talented forward to return to Arsenal for pre-season training ahead of next season. Christian Bolanos – 57 caps, 2 goals . A regular in the Costa Rica midfield since making his debut in 2005 against Norway, Bolanos, now 30, plies his trade in Denmark with Copenhagen having moved to the club four years ago. One of the standout performers for his first club Saprissa at the 2005 Club World Cup, he was invited for a trial at Liverpool after being named third best player at the competition. Though he did not do enough to persuade the Merseyside club to sign him on a permanent deal, Charlton offered the pacey winger a one-year loan deal, only for his work permit application to be turned down. Red Sea: Jubilant fans celebrate during the win against Italy . Pitch invasion: Costa rica's subs run onto the pitch at full time . Bryan Ruiz – 65 caps, 14 goals . The skilful 28-year-old was allowed to leave Fulham to join PSV on loan last season, after dipping in and out of the team during three seasons at Craven Cottage. A broken foot in 2012 stalled his progress at Fulham, though he has shown signs of his best form in the Eredivisie this season. His clever passing is vital to Costa Rica’s play, as they look to move the ball to Campbell as quickly as possible. Ruiz netted his 14th international goal in the 1-0 win over Italy, thumping a header past Gianluigi Buffon and in off the crossbar. Cottage industry: Fulham's Ruiz watches his header creep over the line . Hero: Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz celebrates his winner against Italy . Keylor Navas – 55 caps . Linked with Barcelona following an impressive season at Levante, Navas has pulled off some vital saves in Costa Rica’s first two group games, conceding just once during that time. Navas, 27, has 55 international caps to his name, having asserted himself as first-choice for his country after making his debut against Suriname in October 2008. In 2009 he was named the CONCACAF Gold Cup’s best goalkeeper, as Costa Rica reached the semi-finals before being beaten on penalties by Mexico. Top of the stops: Keeper Keylor Navas denies Italy's Mario Balotelli . Junior Diaz – 64 caps, 1 goal . Costa Rica were dealt a blow before the tournament when Everton defender Bryan Oviedo was ruled out through injury, but Diaz has filled in on the left brilliantly in his absence. The 30-year-old, who currently plays for Bundesliga side Mainz 05, offers Costa Rica searing pace down the wing, while his crossing ability was also on show against Italy as he provided the assist for Ruiz’s goal. History . Their previous best performance in a World Cup came on their debut back in 1990, when they advanced to the last 16 having beaten Sweden and Scotland, before they were knocked out by Czechoslovakia. Man hug: Costa Rica players hug it out after the game . They did not qualify for another tournament until 2002, where they were knocked out in the group stages. Their third appearance was one to forget too, as they lost all three of their group games, including a 4-2 thriller on the opening day against Germany. In 2010 they lost a World Cup qualification play-off against Uruguay but they got revenge in their first group game this time round, winning 3-1 and ending a four-match losing run at World Cups in the process. | Costa Rica clinch place in knock-out stages after beating Italy . Fulham's Bryan Ruiz bagged the only goal to sink Azzurri . Costa Rica's win confirmed England's early exit from the competition . | cd95160cc831df3e5c8162e24c35b944736b394b |
Following Bayern Munich's 7-1 thrashing of Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday night, one would think they would be less than welcome around the Italian capital. However, the Bundesliga champions were greeted with open arms in the Vatican City, where they were granted an audience with Pope Francis, a self-confessed football fanatic. On Wednesday morning, following their impressive showing at the Stadio Olimpico the night before, Bayern gathered at the Pope's famous residence where they handed over a signed shirt. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Bayern Munich meet the Pope after crushing Roma 7-1 . The Bayern Munich team shared an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Wednesday morning . Phiipp Lahm (far left) and Manuel Neuer (second left) present the Pope with a signed Bayern Munich shirt . His Holiness cracks a joke with the Bundesliga champions whilst sharing some words of wisdom . Their defender David Alaba was 'overwhelmed by one of the greatest experiences of my life' after meeting the Pope. Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hinted before the meeting that he would also be handing over a surprise gift to the Argentine, a boyhood San Lorenzo supporter. And Rummenigge delivered his present - a ball symbolising a promise of a Bayern Munich friendly match. The German side reported on their official Twitter page that the friendly would be used to donate €1million to a charity of His Holiness' choice. The Pope praised Bayern's performance, telling the delegation they had played 'a wonderful game' and admitted his 'surprise' at the margin of victory over Roma. Rummenigge offers Pope Francis a signed ball signifying the promise of a friendly charity match . Bayern's official Twitter page stated the friendly would be used to donate €1million to charity . Bayern star David Alaba was said to be 'overwhelmed' after his meeting with the Pope in the Vatican . VIDEO It won't be as easy next time - Guardiola . | Bayern Munich were granted an audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday . Bundesliga champions thrashed Roma 7-1 the night before . Along with a signed shirt Bayern also gave the Pope a ball to symbolise the promise of a charity friendly match . | 479ef94e48ec1aa5f64eeb71152a82facf63c102 |
By . Andy Dolan . PUBLISHED: . 07:13 EST, 12 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:30 EST, 12 August 2013 . Malcolm Myatt always looked on the . bright side of life. But the grandfather is now in a permanent state of . happiness – after a stroke left him unable to feel sadness. The . stroke interfered with the part of Mr Myatt’s brain that regulates . emotional responses, leaving him liable to erupt in a fit of giggles at . the most inappropriate of times. He . has sat through funerals smiling broadly or cracking jokes, and during . meals out with wife his Kath, 63, he regularly attracts puzzled looks . from fellow diners. Malcolm Myatt (pictured with his wife, Kath), 68, was left with little feeling in his left side after he suffered a major stroke in 2004. Until he had the stroke he was fit and healthy . But while the condition could be devastating for some, Mr Myatt said yesterday he sees his joyous disposition as a blessing. The 68-year-old said: ‘I’ve always been a happy person and loved telling jokes, but now I don’t ever feel sad. ‘I remember that I used to be able to feel sad, if something bad happened – but it just doesn’t happen any more. He added: ‘I would definitely rather be happy all the time than the other way round.’ Mr . Myatt was healthy and working as a lorry driver when he was struck down . with the stroke in January 2004 as he made breakfast. Doctors told Mr Myatt, and his wife, that the stroke had hit the frontal lobe of his brain that controls emotions, and the couple realised it meant he could no longer feel sadness . Mr Myatt said: 'I am never depressed. Being sad wouldn't help anything anyway. I would definitely rather be happy all the time than the other way round. It's an advantage really' Mr Myatt spent 19 weeks in hospital after his stroke and his wife was told to prepare for the worst. He realised he was unwell when he tried to carry a cup of coffee upstairs and spilled it . It affected the right frontal lobe – . the part of the brain that controls emotions and motor function on his . left side – and doctors initially feared the grandfather-of-two would . not pull through. Mr . Myatt, from Cannock, Staffordshire, spent 19 weeks in hospital and has . no function in his left arm and can only walk short distances with the . aid of a stick. The pensioner is now in the early . stages of vascular dementia, triggered by a reduced blood flow to the . brain following the stroke. Mrs . Myatt and the couple’s daughter, Beverley Lloyd, 31, yesterday said Mr . Myatt’s condition meant he was unable to curb his happy persona, and . sometimes left them feeling like they were living with a child. Mr Myatt's short term memory has also been affected by the stroke and he has lost his ability to judge what is, and what is not, an appropriate thing to say. (Pictured with wife Kath on their wedding day.) But . while the condition can be trying at times for the family, they said . the couple’s grandchildren, Aaron and Dominic, can’t wait to visit their . ‘hilarious’ granddad. Mrs Myatt added: ‘Malcolm doesn’t cry, he just doesn’t know how to be sad anymore. ‘But he’s infectious. When he starts laughing everyone in the room does. ‘We have been to funerals and I’ve been on tenterhooks wondering what he might come out with.’ Dr . Clare Walton, research communications officer at the Stroke . Association, said: ‘While we haven’t heard before of stroke survivors . completely losing the ability to feel a particular emotion, many find it . very difficult to control their emotions and may cry or laugh at . inappropriate times.’ Mr Myatt (pictured with his grandson, Dominic) loves to tell jokes. His daughter says that his grandchildren love his jokes and that they think he is very funny . | Malcolm Myatt, 68, had a stroke which affected his brain's frontal lobe . He spent 19 weeks in hospital and lost the feeling in his left side . Says that since the stroke, he can't feel sadness and is always happy . Has also lost the ability to judge what it is, and isn't, appropriate to say . | d95d9b5ff23003c827e5d7d75d77f68448120ab7 |
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Africa is not a country, and Africans generally do not live in trees or hunt game with spears. Nor do they all walk around in the nude among lions and zebras. Chinedu Ezeamuzie shows some of his company's Web designs after an interview last week. African immigrants to the United States say cartoonish caricatures and a Western media penchant for reporting on Africa's disease, hunger and war -- rather than the continent's successes -- trivialize their cultures. They complain they have trouble dispelling the stereotypes once they arrive in the States. They concede, though, the myths run both ways and some say they were surprised to find their values more often aligned with those of white Americans than African-Americans. "I have been laughed at because of my accent and asked all the ignorant questions," said iReporter Ajah-Aminata N'daw, 25, of Fall River, Massachusetts. "Questions like: Did I live on a tree? Roam the jungles naked? Have wild animals at home?" N'daw emigrated from Dakar, Senegal, in 2001. She works in a hair-braiding salon and has met African-Americans who share her values of hard work and family, but in most cases, "we are raised differently, taught different values and held up to a different moral code." iReport: Read why N'daw is not African-American . Gaddafi Nkosi, 18, recently graduated from The Piney Woods School, a historically African-American boarding school about 22 miles southeast of Jackson, Mississippi. He has since returned to Pretoria, South Africa, but recalled well the misnomers he faced in the U.S. "I came down from South Africa and so many people thought that maybe that's a jungle or maybe I'd go out chasing lions or something like that," he said. African, black students find common ground at Mississippi school » . Nkosi's American classmates acknowledge their misconceptions. Cydney Smith, 17, of Nashville, Tennessee, said she once believed Africa was populated with "uncivilized tribes." Raphael Craig, 17, of Hyattsville, Maryland, said the television misinformed him as well. Before Craig visited the continent in 2005 and 2006, he thought of Africans as "half-naked, running around with tigers in the jungle," Craig said, confessing he was unaware tigers roam only Asia. But in Ghana and Nigeria, Craig saw children playing the same games he and his siblings played. He saw many signs of modernity, including Mercedes and other brands of cars found in the United States. "OK, this country is running how we're running, just two different schools," Craig recalled thinking. "It really opened my eyes to the point that everything you see on TV is not always the actual thing." If the Western media are doing Africans no favors, then the African media are also a disservice to African-Americans because it portrays them as criminals, some immigrants say. Sandi Litia, 19, a Piney Woods graduate from Limulunga, Zambia, said she was initially scared of African-Americans because the African media show them "wearing clothes like gangsters and killing each other." Nkosi concurred that African media "made it seem as if they were these aggressive people that did nothing constructive with their lives except occupy prison space." Trying to fit in . Chinedu Ezeamuzie, 21, of Athens, Georgia, arrived in 2003. He had spent the majority of his life in Jabriya, Kuwait, and came to the U.S. to pursue his education. The recent Georgia Tech graduate said he considers himself Nigerian because his parents -- both from the village of Uga -- instilled in their four children strong Nigerian values of family, community, spirituality and self-betterment. Test your Africa knowledge with a quiz » . In Athens, Ezeamuzie found his ideals at odds with those who shared his skin color at Clarke Central High School, his first stint in a public school. On his first day, he donned khakis, a button-down dress shirt and nice leather shoes. He caught the African-Americans' attention upon stepping into the cafeteria, he said. "They give me the look," he said. "Why is this guy dressed like the white folks, like the preppy guys?" Ezeamuzie didn't understand why so few black students were in his advanced-placement classes. He didn't understand the de facto lunchroom segregation or the accusing glances he got for eating with white classmates. One classmate called him a traitor and asked, "Do you not like black people?" "My whole life I had reaped benefits from being in different circles and bridging them," so he wanted to fit in, he said. iReport: What are the unique struggles of being African in America? He found clothes akin to what he saw many African-Americans wearing --- baggy pants and an oversized T-shirt. He relaxed his British-trained tongue and tried out for the basketball team, the 6-foot-5 Ezeamuzie said. Ezeamuzie recalled finding himself more confused by his experience with some African-Americans: Why were they so cliquish? Why did they mock students for being intelligent? Why were they homophobic and bent on using the n-word? Why did every conversation seem to involve drugs, girls or materialism? "They kind of accepted me. They saw me a little differently, but I was thinking this is a very narrow mindset," Ezeamuzie said. Ezeamuzie and other Africans say they feel African-Americans too often dwell on slavery and the racism that has persisted for more than a century since the Emancipation Proclamation. "We have all been tortured," said iReporter Vera Ezimora, 24, a Nigerian student living in Baltimore, Maryland. "Now that we are free, holding on to the sins of white men who have long died and gone to meet their maker is more torture than anything we have suffered." iReport: Read about questions Ezimora faced when she came to the U.S. Values at core of misunderstanding? Martin Mohammed, president of the U.S. African Chamber of Commerce, estimates there are 3 million African immigrants in the U.S. -- about twice the U.S. Census Bureau estimate. He has heard from numerous immigrants struggling to find commonalities with Americans who share their skin color. Mohammed emigrated from Somalia in 1998 and is now naturalized. He considers himself African-American, but "it does not mean that I have already assimilated into the culture." Values and upbringings may lie at the center of the cultures' misunderstanding of each other, he said. Many Africans come to the U.S. to escape dire conditions such as poverty or civil war. Their objectives are often advancing their education or finding good jobs, Mohammed said. They also strive to reunite their families, or at least support them back home. Remittances from the U.S. to Africa total about $20 billion annually, according to the World Bank. However, African immigrants find that education and good jobs elude their African-American brethren, and there is a perception that many African-American men aren't committed to supporting their families, Mohammed said. The two cultures have much to teach each other -- especially politically and economically -- but they must accept they have something to learn. "Honestly, what we need to do is realize both cultures are important," Mohammed said. Myths thrive on ignorance . iReporter Emeka Aniukwu, 35, hails from Ebenebe, Nigeria, and said he has heard all the American misperceptions about Africa, but the cure to ignorance is communication. He began dating Sonya Roberts, 25, of Austin, Texas, shortly after he arrived in the U.S. in March 2005. She taught him about African-American culture, and he taught her about Nigeria. The couple married two years ago. "Talk to people, stop showing ugly face and don't be shy about your accent," he advised African immigrants. "Most of the media coverage about Africa is all about hunger, diseases and war, so what do you expect? People are curious and just want to know, so calm down and educate them as much as you can." iReport: Read why Aniukwu loves Africa-Americans . At Piney Woods, where about 35 of the 200 students emigrate from Africa, the school's president, Reginald Nichols, concurs that education is integral to understanding. He's heard Africans say the African-Americans are aggressive, while the African-Americans accuse Africans of being reserved -- but the more they mingle the more they mesh, he said. "You have the African students tell me that they have learned so much about standing up from the African-American students, and the African-American students said they've learned how to simmer down, so it's a wonderful thing," Nichols said. Mohammed, too, said he'd like to see more African-Americans dispelling myths about Africa, which is increasingly important as Africans in the U.S. begin wielding more economic influence. The chamber estimates African immigrants have about $50 billion in annual purchasing power. Numbers from the University of Georgia's Selig Center of Economic Growth indicate the number is just behind the nation's Native American community, which had $61.8 billion in buying power last year. The entire African-American market was estimated at $913 billion and the Hispanic market at $951 billion. History dictates that economic power precedes political power. Mohammed said Africans can learn much about politics from African-Americans because of their "level of influence in Washington." "I'm also interested to the extent that the black population can play a role in solving global conflict. We can help these discussions around the globe, but we must begin here in the U.S.A.," he said. iReporter Faraji Goredenna, 53, of Layton, Utah, said he encourages African-Americans to learn more about Africa and lend a hand to Africans so they know "America's institutions and opportunities are open to them, too." iReport: Read how Goredenna embraces both cultures . But he'd like a symbiotic relationship, he said, explaining, "We African-Americans want to learn more about our history and culture as it exists in Africa, but we have also created a culture for ourselves here that we ask our brothers and sisters from Africa to respect." CNN's Jackie Adams contributed to this report. | Senegalese woman says of two cultures: We are "taught different values" African, African-American teenagers had myriad misconceptions of each other . Nigerian says he tried to act like African-Americans to fit in, was still confused . Key to dispelling myths about both cultures is education, dialogue, immigrants say . | 18906845070eb2b151ff2f32af793923d0f1ebdc |
Thousands of exhausted but happy young Queenslanders head home after a week-long party in Surfers Paradise as interstate school leavers arrive on the Gold Coast to begin their schoolies celebrations. One partier Alex Cahill summed it up on Instagram by posting all of the empty alcohol bottles from the week with a complete inventory on what was consumed. '7 days, 241 beer bottles, 4 bottles of bourbon and 4 bottles of vodka. QLD you have been good to us, cheers for the ride. #schoolies #schoolies2014,' he posted on Sunday morning after seven days of non-stop party action. Scroll down for video . A young woman gets handcuffed by two police officers on the final night of the official schoolie celebrations . One helluva week for Alex Cahill at schoolies week in Surfers Paradise - one can only hope that he was helped out by his mates . Alex Cahill summed it up in one post on Instagram - thanking Queensland for being such a great host for the schoolies celebrations . Police arrested 29 schoolies on 32 offences throughout the Saturday night . Double trouble: Hot blonde babes Rachael Mathias and Morgan Quinliven get into the schoolies spirit . The final night of the official celebrations saw police arrest 29 schoolies on 32 offences with the majority of charges for public nuisance, being drunk in a public place and street offences. While there was a total of 35 non-schoolies arrested on 45 offences including public nuisance, and drug offences. Since the schoolies celebrations began on Friday November 21, 131 schoolies have been arrested on a total of 152 charges. A total of 131 schoolies were arrested on a total of 152 charges since schoolies week began on November 21 . A young man is escorted by the police on the Gold Coast during the schoolies festivities . One of the many young people questioned by police during the late night celebrations . During the same period, there were 186 non-schoolies arrested on 226 charges. Despite more revellers attending schoolies than last year, they were better behaved than in 2013. Gold Coast acting Chief Superintendent Des Lacy said he was pleased with the behaviour of the majority of this year's schoolies. 'While the number of schoolies attending the hub this year was up on last year the number of arrests were down,' Acting Chief Superintendent Lacy said. 'This is a clear result of effective policing strategies and a continued strong collaboration between police and a range of organisations including the event organisers, government departments, the local council, and volunteer agencies such as the Red Frogs.' A police officer (left) has a firm grip on the young man's arm as he escorted through a Gold Coast shopping mall . Police search the bag fo a reveller who looks to have gone through half a bottle of vodka and a six pack of Smirnoff Ice cans . But there will be no rest for all involved parties in the event as a large number of interstate schoolies have begun arriving on the Gold Coast - the strong police presence will continue throughout the next two weeks. 'The majority of interstate schoolies are over 18, and this will mean our focus will shift towards the policing of licensed venues,' Acting Chief Superintendent Lacy said. 'We want to remind our interstate visitors to do the right thing as we will be out there with a strong presence ensuring that anti-social behaviour and criminal activity will not be tolerated. 'We will be proactively targeting offences such as consuming alcohol in a public place.' It's raining schoolies: not even the wet weather could dampen the reveller's spirits . Even the fierce storms that hit the state on Friday night did not stop the revellers partying the following night . Just four of hundreds of volunteers who help make schoolies a safe environment . Strumming a happy tune: A lifetime of fun memories for the young school leavers . Since the celebrations began on Friday November 21, 131 schoolies have been arrested on 152 charges . There were 186 non-schoolies arrested on 226 charges during the week-long party . The majority schoolie charges were for public nuisance, being drunk in a public place and street offences . As the Queensland schoolies head home - the intersate school leavers are arriving in Surfers Paradise . Police presence will remain strong on the Gold Coast throughout the following two weeks . Despite more revellers attending schoolies than last year, they were better behaved than in 2013 . Police put the decrease in incidents down to the collaboration with many other organisations . | The week-long partying for Queensland schoolies ended on Saturday night as hordes of interstate schoolies arrived in the Gold Coast ready to party . Despite numbers up on last year - there were less arrests among revellers - s total of 131 schoolies were arrested on a total of 152 charges . While 186 non-schoolies were arrested on 226 charges since the schoolies celebrations started on November 21 . | 3a7ae1701cdd0093d802dee5e5687ad5c7675c77 |
By . Hayley Peterson . PUBLISHED: . 21:05 EST, 11 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:12 EST, 12 September 2013 . A woman says the drunk driver responsible for her father's death has magnified the trauma of her family's loss by confessing to the crime online in a widely publicized YouTube video. 'Every time that anything comes up, this whole thing has made the death of my father fresh,' Angela Canzani told WCMH-TV in Columbus. 'I feel like he died all over again. And all I keep hearing about is the message, and what people seem to forget is that a person is dead.' Matthew Cordle, 22, admitted to killing Vicent Canzani in a 3 1/2-minute video posted to Youtube last week, which has since been viewed 2 million times. Scroll down for video . Angela Canzani says the drunk driver responsible for her father's death has magnified the trauma of her family's loss by confessing to the crime online in a widely publicized YouTube video . In court: Matthew Cordle, pictured in court on Tuesday, has entered a surprising not guilty plea in his case. Just last week he confessed to a killing in a YouTube video - but a judge said the plea is a courtroom tactic . Defense strategy: Cordle's attorney, Martin Midian (right), said his client would likely plead not guilty at his arraignment, but he still intends to plead guilty at a later date . 'My name is Matthew Cordle, and on . June 22, 2013, I hit and killed Vincent Canzani,' he says. 'This video . will act as my confession.' Cordle has been praised for coming forward and using YouTube to send a message to others who might consider driving drunk. Dramatic: Franklin County . Judge Julie Lynch said she thinks his lawyers are hoping for a new judge . Cordle . will plead guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide on Sept. 18, . according to his attorneys. He entered a preliminary plea of not guilty . Wednesday in a procedural move that would allow a judge to be appointed . that would accept a guilty plea. Cordle is also charged with a misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. If convicted, he faces up to 8 1/2 years in prison. Angela Canzani has previously spoken out against Cordle, saying the only reason he posted the video is so he could try to get a lighter prison sentence. She said he was ‘totally misleading’ with his confession . because he was already a suspect in the crime. ‘There was a traffic cam. There was a . third car involved,’ Canzani told NBC News. ‘So people are kind of . looking at this like he’s just coming out of nowhere…Like he’s some hero . or something.’ But on Friday, the . ex-wife of Mr Canzani told MailOnline she 'applauded' the decision of . Cordle - who now faces criminal charges brought by the county prosecutor. In the YouTube video, Cordle pleads with viewers not to drink and . drive. 'I can't bring Mr. Canzani back, and I can't erase what I've . done, but you can still be saved. Your victims can still be saved,' he says. Video confession: The 3.5 minute video starts out with his face blurred and voice altered as he explains how he was driving drunk when he killed someone . Moment of truth: Matthew Cordle identifies himself when the effects are taken away and says that he will plead guilty to any charges that he faces stemming from the June 22 accident . His pledge: Cordle, 22, said that he was fully aware of the legal implications of making the video . Victim: Vincent Canzani was 61 at the time of his death (pictured recently at right) and previously served in the Navy (seen in his uniform in an undated photo at left) Cordle . says in the video he 'made a mistake' when he decided to drive his . truck home after 'drinking heavily' and hit the other car, killing Mr . Canzani, of suburban Columbus. An obituary for Mr Canzani says that he served as a missile technician for a submarine from 1980 to 1986. Since leaving the Navy, he flourished . as 'a gifted photographer' and was survived by two daughters and three . great grandchildren. The video was released in conjunction with a not-for-profit start up called Because I Said I Would, which is focused around having individuals make commitments to themselves and their goals using index cards. A fan: Cleveland kidnap victim Gina DeJesus posed for a picture with the group's shirt after the founder met with her mother . Its website says that it aims to become a 'a social movement dedicated to bettering humanity through the power of a promise'. The organization was founded by Alex Sheen who was inspired by his father, who died of lung cancer last September. At his father's funeral, they handed out promise cards in tribute to how his father always kept his promises. In a message that was posted on the group's website when the confession video was published, Mr Sheen says that Mr Cordle was the one to reach out to him via Facebook message about the hit-and-run. 'After getting to know Matt, I can say with confidence that he truly regrets his decision that night. He describes the guilt he has as “insurmountable,”' Mr Sheen wrote in the post. 'Against all legal advice, Matthew decided to make this video and release it prior to any charges being filed against him. His goal is to raise awareness about the terrible consequences that drunk driving can have on innocent people.' Cordle's confession is not the only high-profile action the group has been involved with. After the three young women were . discovered in Ariel Castro's Cleveland home, Mr Sheen was moved to . launch a ten-day walking campaign across the state in their honor. Movement: The group's founder, Alex Sheen (seen closest to the camera) was inspired to go on a 10-day state-wide walk to raise awareness for sexual abuse victims after DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight were found . Big finish: He ended the walk by being greeted by Gina DeJesus' mother at the site of the 'House of Horrors', which is just six miles away from where Sheen lives . He said that he lives six miles away from the now-razed 'House of Horrors' and was moved by the girls' perseverance. He used the walk as a way to raise awareness about sexual assault, and at the end, he was greeted by Gina DeJesus' mother. Mr Sheen gave her a number of t-shirts with the organization's name printed on them, and in return, she later sent him a picture of Gina wearing the shirt. | Matthew Cordle, 22, admitted to killing Vincent Canzani, 61, during a June drunken hit-and-run accident in Ohio in a video shared last week . Canzani's daughter says the video - and the publicity surrounding it - has forced her family to relive the pain the of their loss . Cordle . will plead guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide on Sept. 18 . He entered a preliminary plea of not guilty . Wednesday in a procedural move that would allow a judge to be appointed . that would accept a guilty plea . | d607ae54e26009ade4ec7ec5fb1c85e085de11a5 |
(CNN) -- Oscar Pistorius faced another day of relentless cross-examination Friday as the prosecution challenged his account of the killing of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel has accused the athlete of hiding the truth about the death of Steenkamp, whom he shot last year through a closed toilet door in his home in Pretoria, South Africa. His questions again sought to undermine Pistorius' reliability and credibility and to portray the Olympic athlete as someone who was inventing his version of events and "tailoring" evidence to suit his story. As Nel turned once again to the early hours of Valentine's Day 2013, he repeatedly challenged Pistorius over his actions in the moments leading up to Steenkamp's death. The prosecution's argument is that Pistorius shot Steenkamp intentionally after a heated argument. Pistorius does not deny shooting her but insists that he mistook her for an intruder. Pistorius said he thought he heard the toilet door opening before he fired. "I didn't intend to shoot. My firearm was pointed at the door because that's where I believed that somebody was," he said. "When I heard a noise, I didn't have to think, and I fired -- I fired my weapon. It was an accident." Nel, known in South African legal circles for his bulldog-like approach to cross-examination, responded to Pistorius' testimony almost with scorn. "Your version is so improbable that nobody would ever think that it was reasonably, possibly true," he said. Nel then hammered Pistorius on whether he had known Steenkamp was in the toilet when he fired. "You knew Reeva was behind the door, and you shot at her," Nel said more than once. "That's not true," Pistorius replied in a low tone. That dramatic moment was when Nel asked for the trial to be adjourned until Monday morning. Prosecutor: You wanted to shoot . Pistorius earlier denied being "ready to shoot" as he made his way to the bathroom where he says he heard what he thought was an intruder. But he agreed that he had taken off the safety catch so he could fire if needed. "I didn't want to take anybody's life. I screamed for the intruders to get out of my home," he said. "You wanted to shoot," contended Nel, who on Thursday sought to build a picture of Pistorius as an arrogant hothead who is reckless with guns. Pistorius replied that there is a "massive difference" between being ready for something and wanting to do it. Asked by the prosecutor why he approached the apparent threat rather than seeking to move out of harm's way, the athlete said it was his in his nature to respond that way. "I wanted to put myself between the perceived danger and Reeva," he said. "I wish I did all these other things put to me." Nel also argued that it was "not possible" that Steenkamp would not have responded when Pistorius screamed to her about what he thought was an intruder in the house, as he has said happened. Steenkamp was only 3 meters from Pistorius at the time, behind the toilet door, the prosecutor said. "She would've been terrified, but I don't think that would've led her to call out," Pistorius said, arguing that Steenkamp would have assumed the danger was getting closer. "She wasn't scared of anything except you. She wasn't scared of an intruder. She was scared of you," replied Nel. The prosecutor also pressed Pistorius over whether he heard a woman screaming during the shots he fired, as some witnesses have said they heard. Pistorius said he did not. Pistorius: I was fixated on the threat . As Nel went through the events leading up to the point of the shooting, Pistorius said that after getting up to close a balcony door and move fans inside, he heard the bathroom window sliding open and slamming into the frame. Nel repeatedly asked him why he hadn't at that point asked Steenkamp whether she too had heard the noise. Pistorius replied that he didn't because he was sure about what he had heard. He said he whispered to Steenkamp to get down and call police. Nel asked whether he had waited for a response, as he said would have been reasonable, pointing out that his ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor had testified he had done that on a previous occasion when he'd heard a noise. "I never waited for a response. ... My whole body was fixated on the threat," Pistorius answered. Nel's questions then focused on the position of certain items in the bedroom, including a duvet, the fans and a pair of jeans, all of which Pistorius says were moved by police. Nel sought to argue that they do not support Pistorius' version of events. At one point, the judge reprimanded Nel for calling Pistorius a liar and told him to mind his language. More than once, Nel suggested that Pistorius had difficulty remembering what happened because he had made things up. Pistorius became emotional as the cross-examination continued, prompting Nel to ask him why. "This is the night I lost the person that I cared about. I don't know why people don't understand that," Pistorius responded. As he broke down in tears, the judge ordered a short break to allow him time to gather himself. Nel has previously accused Pistorius of becoming emotional when the questions get difficult. Pistorius quizzed about mistakes . During cross-examination earlier Friday, Pistorius made mistakes in answering questions about repair work and his alarm system. He attributed the mistakes to fatigue, prompting Nel to ask whether he was too tired to continue in the stand. Pistorius, becoming emotional, replied, "I don't need time. I am tired; that's not going to change." "With respect, Mr. Pistorius, I'm not convinced. ... I think you're trying to cover up for lies," Nel said. After Judge Thokozile Masipa pressed Pistorius on the question, the athlete said he wasn't making mistakes because he was tired -- prompting Nel to ask why, in that case, he was making mistakes. A little later, Nel made a mistake while questioning Pistorius, who pointed it out. The prosecutor said Pistorius wasn't too tired to highlight the mistakes the prosecutor himself was making in his questioning. Nel also focused on security on the gated Silverwoods estate where Pistorius lived, pointing out that despite his claimed fear of burglary, the athlete left his cars outside and had not immediately fixed a broken window in his house. Pistorius' message exchanges with Steenkamp . A day earlier, the athlete denied that he acted selfishly toward Steenkamp. In a bid to paint their relationship as rocky, he ripped apart message exchanges between the couple Thursday. Nel also sought to paint him as selfish and demanded to know why the athlete did not respond to his girlfriend's declaration of love. But Pistorius said he preferred to talk to his girlfriend over the phone rather than messaging. He acknowledged he never got a chance to tell her that he loved her. "Because it was all about Mr. Pistorius," Nel said. The runner has admitted to the killing but said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder in the bathroom when he fired through the toilet door and killed her. The prosecution alleges that Pistorius killed his girlfriend after they argued. Several witnesses have testified to hearing a man's shouts coming from the house, although they have also spoken of the terrified screams of a woman leading up to and during a volley of shots. The trial has gripped South Africa, where Pistorius is considered a symbol of triumph over physical adversity. His disabled lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, but he went on to achieve global fame as the "Blade Runner," winning numerous Paralympic gold medals on the steel blades fitted to his prostheses. Only those in the courtroom can see Pistorius because he has chosen not to testify on camera. His testimony can be heard on an audio feed. The trial is scheduled to continue until the middle of May. Masipa will decide the verdict in collaboration with two experts called assessors. South Africa does not have jury trials. CNN's Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Emily Smith contributed to this report. | Oscar Pistorius denies knowing that Reeva Steenkamp was behind door when he fired . The court is adjourned until Monday at the prosecutor's request . Prosecutor Gerrie Nel questions why Pistorius didn't ask his girlfriend about noise . The prosecution is trying to prove beyond reasonable doubt Pistorius killed her intentionally . | 1b204d0c476de17f3f9d1f825f2e2ded94c3f3d8 |
These are the faces of six of the thousands of innocent Yazidi children who have suffered harrowing ordeals in Iraq this month. Up to 3,000 women and girls have been kidnapped by Islamic State jihadis in the north of the country in just a fortnight - and hundreds of men who refuse to convert have been shot dead. The kidnappings appear to have happened in villages where residents took up arms against IS - and the women are being held separately from the men in IS-controlled Tal Afar, east of Mount Sinjar. Scroll down for video . Innocent: A displaced Iraqi child from the Yazidi community (left) holds a juice carton after crossing the Syrian-Iraqi border at the Fishkhabur crossing, Iraq. Another Yazidi refugee child is seen (right) in Zakho, Iraq . A Yazidi child receives a polio vaccine at Khanke, outside Dahuk, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad . A Yazidi child receives a polio vaccine. The Yazidis are a centuries-old religious minority viewed as apostates by the Islamic State group, which has claimed mass killings of its opponents in Syria and Iraq . Iraqi clerics from the Yazidi Yazidis found refuge after Islamic State (IS) militants attacked the town of Sinjar . An Iraqi Yazidi girl holds a baby under a bridge on the outskirts of the Kurdish city of Dohuk . Yazidi community gather under a bridge where they sought refuge after Islamic State militants attacked the town of Sinjar . Yazidi community settle at the Qandil mountains near the Turkish border outside Zakho, 300 miles northwest of Baghdad, Iraq . Young faces: An Iraqi Yazidi girl poses for a photo on the outskirts of the Kurdish city of Dohuk (left), while another is seen standing among clothing at Silopi refugee camp near Sirnak, at the Turkish-Iraqi border (right) Caught up in conflict: An Iraqi Yazidi girl on the outskirts of the Kurdish city of Dohuk (left), and another is seen (right) after crossing the Iraqi-Syrian border at the Fishkhabur crossing . Some 200,000 people escaped to safety in Iraq's Kurdish region, but others remain on the mountain. Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International's senior crisis response adviser, told the Agence France-Presse news agency: ‘The victims are of all ages, from babies to elderly men and women.’ ‘It seems they took away entire families, all those who did not manage to flee. We fear the men may have been executed.’ Two women - Leila Khalaf and Wadhan Khalaf - were among those kidnapped from Mujamma Jazira village, said their relative Dakhil Atto Solo. He added that the abductions happened after residents tried to resist the IS attack, telling AFP: ‘Of course we tried to defend our villages, but they had much bigger weapons. ‘All we had were our Kalashnikovs. They executed 300 men, and took the women to their prisons. Only God can save them now.’ Their children, said Mr Solo, were rescued by the family. Displaced Iraqis from the Yazidi community settle yesterday at the Qandil mountains near the Turkish border . Some 200,000 people escaped to safety in Iraq's Kurdish region, but others remain on the mountain . ‘But the women were in a house surrounded by IS. We had to escape. Now, the children cry for their mothers all the time. "Mama, mama," they wail. But there is no mama, we tell them.’ His comments on the dire situation came as Islamic extremists shot dead scores of Yazidi men, lining them up in small groups and opening fire with assault rifles before seizing their wives and children. 'The victims are of all ages, from babies to elderly men and women. It seems they took away entire families, all those who did not manage to flee. We fear the men may have been executed' Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International . A Yazidi politician cited the mass killing in Kocho as evidence that his people were still at risk after a week of US and Iraqi air strikes on the militants. Meanwhile, warplanes targeted insurgents around a large dam that was captured by the IS extremist group earlier this month. US Central Command said the strikes were launched under the authority to support humanitarian efforts in Iraq, as well as to protect US staff and facilities. Central Command says the nine air strikes conducted so far had destroyed or damaged four armoured personnel carriers, seven armed vehicles, two Humvees and an armoured vehicle. The US began strikes against IS a week ago, in part to prevent the massacre of tens of thousands of Yazidis in northern Iraq. Yazidis fled the militants by scrambling up a barren mountain, where they became stranded . Displaced Iraqi Christians and Yazidis settle at the Diocese of Zakho, 300 miles north-west of Baghdad, Iraq . They fled the militants by scrambling up a barren mountain, where they became stranded. Most were eventually able to escape with help from Kurdish fighters. IS fighters surrounded the nearby village 12 days ago and demanded that its Yazidi residents convert or die. On Friday afternoon, they moved in. 'All we had were our Kalashnikovs. They executed 300 men, and took the women to their prisons. Only God can save them now' Dakhil Atto Solo, relative of kidnapped women . The militants told people to gather in a school, promising they would be allowed to leave Kocho after their details were recorded, said an eyewitness and the brother of the Kocho mayor, Nayef Jassem. The militants separated the men from the women and children under 12. They took men and male teens away in groups of a few dozen each and shot them on the edge of the village, according to a wounded man who escaped by feigning death. The fighters then walked among the bodies, using pistols to finish off anyone who appeared to still be alive, the 42-year-old man said from an area where he was hiding. ‘They thought we were dead, and when they went away, we ran away. We hid in a valley until sundown, and then we fled to the mountains,’ he said. Displaced Yazidis who fled the violence in the Iraqi town of Sinjar march in a demonstration at the Iraqi-Turkish border crossing in Zakho district of the Dohuk Governorate of the Iraqi Kurdistan province . Demonstrators demanded protection and evacuation from Iraq to safer areas such as Europe and the US . A Yazidi politician, a Kurdish security official and an Iraqi official from the nearby city of Sinjar gave similar accounts, saying Islamic State fighters had massacred many Yazidi men on Friday after seizing Kocho. 'They thought we were dead, and when they went away, we ran away. We hid in a valley until sundown, and then we fled to the mountains' Man who escaped from militants . All said they based their information on the accounts of survivors. Their accounts matched those of two other Yazidi men, Qassim Hussein and Nayef Jassem, who said they spoke to other survivors. It was not clear precisely how many men were killed. Iraqi and Kurdish officials said at least 80 men were shot. Yazidi residents said they believed the number was higher, because there were at least 175 families in Kocho, and few were able to escape before the militants surrounded their hamlet. Yesterday Britain deployed a US-made spy plane over northern Iraq to monitor the humanitarian crisis and movements of the militants. The converted Boeing KC-135 tanker, called a Rivet Joint, was monitoring mobile phone calls and other communication. | Innocent Yazidi children have suffered harrowing ordeals in northern Iraq . Kidnappings 'happened in areas where residents took up arms against IS' Women are being held separately from the men in IS-controlled Tal Afar . 200,000 people escaped to safety but others remain on Mount Sinjar . | 7668234b8fd5cee120f86a51a3a173c0544e99cf |
By . Matt Blake . PUBLISHED: . 07:50 EST, 13 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:19 EST, 13 May 2013 . Chancellor Angela Merkel has shrugged aside a book that suggests she may have been closer to East Germany's communist system than previously thought, saying she's never hidden anything. The 58-year-old Merkel grew up in East Germany and entered politics as communism crumbled in 1989. It's long been known that, like many, she joined the communist youth organization. She has said she 'politically lived an assimilated life' A book appearing this week revives questions about whether Merkel was a propaganda secretary for the youth organization, which she denies, and says she was an active labor union official. Comrade Angela: Angela Merkel, 58, grew up in East Germany and entered politics as communism crumbled in 1989 and it's long been known that, like many, she joined the communist youth organization . Merkel said at an event late on Sunday that she had never hidden anything about her life in East Germany, though acknowledged some things may emerge 'because no one has ever asked me about them.' Indeed, in 2010, she admitted to a German magazine that she still does her laundry with an East German liquid detergent, prepares East German Soljanka soup - made with sausages and pickle juice - and can't fight the urge to stockpile at the supermarket. With David Cameron and Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny: Merkel said at an event late on Sunday that she had never hidden anything about her life in East Germany, though acknowledged some things may emerge 'because no one has ever asked me about them' Old habits: In 2010, Merkel admitted that she still does her laundry with an East German liquid . detergent, prepares East German Soljanka soup and can't fight the urge to stockpile at the supermarket . 'Sometimes I can't stop myself from buying things just because I see them - even when I don't really need them,' Merkel told SuperIllu ahead of celebrations for the 20th anniversary of unification. 'This inclination to hoard is deeply ingrained in me, because in the past, in times of scarcity, you took what you could get,' Merkel said, referring to life under communism. Germany was divided into communist East Germany and capitalist West Germany following the defeat of the Nazis in World War II. The eastern German Democratic Republic formally joined the western Federal Republic of Germany on Oct. 3, 1990, after months of peaceful protests brought down the East German system. A night to remember: Berliners from the east and west celebrate on November 11 1989 - the day the Berlin Wall was knocked down, bringing an end to Communism in Germany . Great divide: Youngsters take a peek over the wall into east Germany in 1989, left, and East German guards watch as West Germans bring down parts of the wall in the same year . Fall of the wall: But while boundaries have blurred over time, many 'Ossis' and 'Wessis' - the nicknames for those born and raised in the east and west - still seem to stick to old mindsets and keep to themselves . But while boundaries have blurred over time, many 'Ossis' and 'Wessis' - the nicknames for those born and raised in the east and west - still seem to stick to old mindsets and keep to themselves. Ossis are considered more insular, cherishing the few East German products that have survived the unification - like Rotkaeppchen sparkling wine or Spreewald pickles - and taking holidays at their Russian-style dachas in the countryside. West Germans, on the other hand, are seen as more outward-looking, gravitating toward new trends in music, art or literature. Despite all the efforts to adjust the standard of living, East Germans are still underrepresented in many parts of society. | New book revives questions over Merkel's links to Communism in her youth . Claims nothing to hide but says she's never been asked about certain things . In 2010 she admitted she still uses East German detergent and hoards food . | 95c0db3db710627ba7bb03ad64f089ef3e54a643 |
Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Thirty-eight al Qaeda militants were killed in clashes with Yemen's military, local security officials said Friday. At least 15 troops also died in the violence Thursday morning in the southern provinces of Abyan and Lahjj, the officials said. Dozens were also wounded in a fierce battle involving several army brigades and the air force, state-run news agency SABA said. Militant leaders and foreign elements were among those killed, the news agency said. The Yemeni government this week blamed an affiliate of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula for a massive suicide bombing Monday that killed more than 100 soldiers. Jihadist websites posted a statement purportedly from the group, Ansaar al-Sharia, claiming responsibility for the attack. But CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the statement. The partially lawless Middle Eastern country has become a central battleground in the fight against al Qaeda. The terror network's leader recently called for an uprising against the nation's new president. The Yemeni branch of the group calls itself al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula; Ansaar al-Sharia is an affiliate of AQAP. | Dozens of al Qaeda militants died in clashes with Yemeni forces, security officials say . At least 15 soldiers also lost their lives in the violence in southern Yemen, officials say . The violence comes only days after a massive suicide bombing killed more than 100 soldiers . | 9d4156badb73f09e525550e715518610428bc6da |
By . Fiona Macrae . Forget life on Mars. The search for aliens is underway…in Yorkshire. Scientists are scouring Britain’s deepest mine for bugs able to survive in the extreme conditions of the red planet. The four-year probe could tell us what to look for on Mars – and where to find it. Scientists are looking for life on Mars by determining whether deep subsurface microbes found at Boulby might one day be found on the red planet. This picture shows Charles Cockell, Professor of Astrobiology at Edinburgh University, (right) and PhD student Sam Payler collecting samples a mile underground . It could also provide insight into . whether life on Earth could have actually started on Mars – meaning we . are all actually Martians. Boulby, a working salt and potash mine near Whitby, is perfect for the project because the salty conditions mimic those on Mars which is covered in a layer of table salt. The darkness that comes with being more than half a mile down is also key because many scientists believe that any life ‘on’ Mars is actually lurking deep beneath the surface. Professor Charles Cockell, scientific co-ordinator of the £2 million ($3.3 million) MASE programme, said: ‘If we want to successfully explore Mars, we need to go to Mars-like places on Earth. Daily Mail reporter Fiona Macrae with Charles Cockell, Professor of Astrobiology at Edinburgh University, (right) and PhD student Sam Payler examining samples a mile underground . Boulby, a working salt and potash mine near Whitby (left), is perfect for the project because the salty conditions mimic those on Mars (right) which is covered in a layer of table salt . Boulby, a working salt and potash mine . near Whitby, is perfect for the for finding resilient bugs because the salty conditions . mimic those on Mars which is covered in a layer of table salt. The . darkness that comes with being more than half a mile down is also key . because many scientists believe that any life ‘on’ Mars is actually . lurking deep beneath the surface. The four-year probe could tell us what to look for on Mars – and where to find it. It could also provide insight into whether life on Earth could have actually started on Mars – meaning we are all actually Martians. ‘By looking underground at Boulby, we get an idea about the habitability and possibility of life on Mars. ‘There is nowhere else in the world with a permanent lab in a salty environment where you can do this kind of science. ‘So we have come to Yorkshire to understand Mars.’ The EU-funded scientists are sampling pools of brine in the mine for microbes, growing them in the lab and sequencing their DNA. They also want to know how the sunlight-starved microbes get enough energy to survive and if they can cope with the high level of radiation found on Mars. Answers to these questions will shed light on whether bacteria could live on our neighbouring planet – and where to find it. For instance, if the sun and oxygen-starved bugs in the mine get their energy from iron and sulphur, the hunt could focus on places with these elements. If there is life on Mars, scientists will want to know its origins. One possibility is that life on Earth started on Mars and was carried here by microbes buried deep inside a meteorite. Pictured is Sean Paling (right), the senior scientist at Boulby underground lab, on the journey to the lab . The EU-funded scientists are sampling pools of brine in the mine for microbes, growing them in the lab and sequencing their DNA. Pictured is technician Chris Toth in the underground Dark Matter lab . Boulby Mine is located just south-east of the village of Boulby, on the north-east coast of the North York Moors in Redcar . Professor Cockell said: ‘There is absolutely no evidence for it but as a highly exploratory thought, you could go to Mars and look for Martian life and find that we have been Martians all along.’ If the bacteria at Boulby can survive the levels of radiation bugs would be exposed to travelling through space, the theory would seem more credible. The mine, which has over 500 miles of tunnels under Yorkshire and Cleveland and extends seven miles under the sea, is also being used to test scientific instruments which are bound for Mars. The technology could be adapted to improve detection and safety in mines. Other projects at the Boulby Underground Laboratory include the search for dark matter, the invisible ‘glue’ that holds the universe together. The scientists say the study of other planets helps us better understand life on Earth. The darkness that comes with being more than half a mile down is also key because many scientists believe that any life 'on' Mars is actually lurking deep beneath the surface. Technician Chris Toth is pictured in the underground Dark Matter lab . The mine, which has over 500 miles of tunnels under Yorkshire and Cleveland and extends seven miles under the sea, is also being used to test scientific instruments which are bound for Mars . And it is essential if we are to understand our place in the universe. Professor Cockell, of director of the UK Centre for Astrobiology at Edinburgh University, said: ‘There is a philosophical aspect to this. Whether we are alone in the universe is a really basic science question. ‘You very rarely hear a seven year old ask its parents if they can explain the nitrogen cycle in the forest or the fundamental atomic structure of an atom. ‘But seven year olds do go to their parents and ask: “Is there anyone out there?”. ‘It is a rarity in human nature not to think about whether we are alone. That is a very human question.’ Daily Mail reporter Fiona Macrae with Charles Cockell, Professor of Astrobiology at Edinburgh University examining samples in the lab a mile underground . This picture shows the team making their way to the underground lab. The scientists say the study of other planets helps us better understand life on Earth . | Scientists are looking for signs of life deep in Boulby, a mine near Whitby . Claim the salty conditions mimic the harsh environment found on Mars . They hope it will give them an idea of the possibility of life on red planet . It could also provide an insight into whether life on Earth could have actually started on Mars – meaning we are all actually Martians . Back to Mail Online home . Back to the page you came from . | 64746b7fb35f07e32dc374957839c265af6cbf6c |
Jake Baynes resigned amid claims that the party had been 'infiltrated by the Glastonbury occult' A UKIP parliamentary candidate has resigned amid claims the party has been infiltrated by ‘occultists’. Teacher Jake Baynes was due to stand in next year’s general election, but has stood down amid a row over a ‘continuous campaign’ to oust him as the candidate. And his allies have pointed the finger at two ‘oddball’ party members who run an ‘angelic healing group’ in the Somerset town of Glastonbury. They say the pair are responsible for stirring up trouble at the local party branch in Wells. The members in question, Glen and Colleen Tucker, practise ‘alternative healing’ and work, according to their website, ‘hand in hand with the Angelic Realms…and Galactic Beings’. They have been described as ‘oddballs’ belonging to ‘the Glastonbury occult crowd’ by one of Mr Baynes’s allies. Graham Livings, who has also resigned from his post as branch manager, said of the Tuckers: ‘They put on these weekend retreats where they guarantee the angels will be present. They are oddballs. The public can be very wary of that sort of thing. UKIP has a prescribed list which states that no one who has been a member of the BNP or the English Defence League should be a member. ‘But when they sat down and wrote out the prescribed list, they wouldn't have thought to put occultists down. ‘I'm nervous about the occult and many people I know who’ve seen that these people are involved in UKIP have said, “well, I'm not voting UKIP with them in position”. These people say that they take angelic guidance and defer in all things to St Michael the Archangel – and at the same time we’re experiencing such vitriol and bile from them.’ Mr Baynes, 40, won 1,711 votes in 2010 and may have helped Liberal Democrat Tessa Munt win the Wells seat, which she took with a majority of just 800 over Tory David Heathcoat-Amory. He was re-selected as UKIP’s Wells candidate in April. But soon afterwards he claims he became the victim of a vendetta by the Tuckers. They say Mr Baynes is simply ‘not up to the job’ and deny having any vendetta. Nigel Farage, UKIP's leader with Jake Baynes who was due to stand in next year’s general election . In return, his supporters say the Tuckers are just the kind of ‘fruitcakes and loonies’ which have dogged Ukip’s attempts to be seen as a serious party. Resigning on Tuesday evening, Mr Baynes explained: ‘There has been a continuous campaign by people who, for some reason didn't want me selected, to work their very hardest to oust me. ‘It’s got so bad that I really want to get out of it – I don’t want to get involved in politics again. ‘I've realised politics is a very ugly, dirty business, and I want nothing more to do with it.’ Referring to the owners of the Angelic Guidance and Healing Centre in Glastonbury, a town said to have ‘mystic’ properties, he said: ‘Glastonbury has many different quirky things about it, and that’s what makes it unique I love that. ‘But I don’t think it has a place in politics, especially when you are in conversation with the Archangel. I don’t think I have experienced any of their [the Tucker’s] angelic healing in my career and the campaign they have against me.’ Mr Tucker stood unsuccessfully as a UKIP candidate in the county council elections a couple of years ago, while Mrs Tucker is the UKIP Somerset treasurer. He said of Mr Livings: ‘He accused us of being part of the occult, which is ridiculous. ‘What we do here has nothing to do with our involvement in UKIP. We’re stalwarts of the community in Glastonbury.’ ‘He is confused, if he thinks it is an occult he really doesn't understand what we do. We are spiritual people.’ | Teacher Jake Baynes, 40, was due to stand in next year’s general election . Mr Baynes, 40, won 1,711 votes at the 2010 General Election at Wells . 'Forced out' by Glen and Colleen Tucker who work ‘hand in hand with the Angelic Realms…and Galactic Beings’ in Glastonbury, Somerset . | c7cee8c787b3cfc0e5669e9d1c39a9a9fc27ca52 |
NSW Police confirm the murder victims of the Moama double shooting were local residents Jamie Edwards and Joelene 'Peggy' Joyce. Ms Joyce was a 36-year-old mother-of-four from neighbouring town Mathoura. Mr Edwards, also 36, is a father and lived in Moama. It's alleged they were a couple and were engaged to be married. Police continue to hunt for the gunman who shot the pair dead, after their bodies were discovered at 9am on Wednesday on the side of a road in the NSW border town Moama. A local found the bodies while travelling with his six-year-old granddaughter. NSW police have established Strike Force Kennedia to investigate their death. The murder weapon is also yet to be found. Joelene 'Peggy' Joyce was killed in a shooting in Moama on Wednesday. Here she is pictured (far right) with three of her four children . Jamie Edwards was shot dead in his car in the NSW town of Moama. His killer is still on the run . Grieving loved ones, including Ms Joyce's children, have taken to social media to pay tribute to the victims, shocked by the brutal murders. Ms Joyce has been remembered as a woman who was dedicated to her children and brought happiness to others. She leaves behind four children aged 21, 16, 15 and nine. 'R.I.P Mum, love you forever and always,' wrote one of Ms Joyce's sons. 'R.I.P Aunty Jolene, I will always remeber your beautiful face... You were such a strong women (sic),' posted one of Ms Joyce's young relatives. Ms Joyce with her two sons. The Mathoura resident was killed on Wednesday when she was shot dead in a white sedan on Old Deniliquin Road in Moama . Joelene Joyce, known as 'Peggy', was shot dead on Wednesday. She is pictured with her youngest child . Jamie Edwards' devastated family have paid tribute to the Moama father . 'A smile that always make others smile. The love for her kids and family was like no other,' wrote a friend. 'Her laugh would make anyone laugh, one of a kind.' 'My heart goes out to the kids.' 'Still so lost for words and in disbelief. A beautiful ruff diamond was taken. Gone too soon.' Ms Joyce, who was known was 'Peggy', frequently posted about her adored children on her Facebook page. 'My oldest is 21 now. A beautiful women and so so proud of her 4 her achievements and her strength and her morals,' Ms Joyce wrote. 'I'm so lucky to be all there mum. Xxxx Godbless them all (sic).' The person/people that killed Joelene 'Peggy' Joyce and her alleged fiance Jamie Edwards is yet to be found. An investigation is under way as part of Strike Force Kennedia . The 36-year-old mother is pictured with her three youngest children, now aged 16, 15 and nine . Mr Edwards was remembered as 'a good man and deadly father'. 'U was like my big brother, U was a good man n deadly father,' his cousin wrote on Facebook. 'U will b missed by so many brus, Rest in the dream time. Love n miss u xo' Mr Edwards was found dead inside of a white sedan, whilst Ms Joyce was positioned halfway out of the vehicle. Each had been shot multiple times. The bodies were discovered by a local resident on a bush track four kilometres outside of the Moama township. Scroll down for video . The bodies of a man and a woman were found in a white sedan on the side of the road (pictured). The man was inside the vehicle and the woman was in the process of exiting the vehicle . NSW Police media confirmed that the deaths are being treated as suspicious and urged members of the public to come forward with any information. 'This crime has occurred in your community and we are sure that people have knowledge of what happened and why,' said Superintendent Paul Condon of Deniliquin Local Area Command. The Mayor of the town, Thomas Weyrich told Daily Mail Australia that he is greatly concerned about the safety of the residents in Moama. He also confirmed that rumours are rampant that the deaths were drug-related. 'My greatest concern is that we have somebody walking around who is armed and is capable of multiple homicides,' said Mr Weyrich. 'I am extremely concerned, the people of Moama need to be very, very careful who they talk to and communicate with. Mr Weyrich told Daily Mail Australia that rumours are flying around town speculating as to why the shootings took place, as people desperately search for answers. 'There is speculation that the killings might be drug-related. But the town is awash with rumours,' said Mr Weyrich. 'I don't think anybody knows. I don't know anything more than the public.' Police have cordoned the street off after the double murder of a man and woman on the side of the road in NSW border town Moama . 'Police are heavily involved and treating the case with the greatest urgency. The sooner the perpetrator or perpetrators are brought into custody the better.' Councillor Weyrich said that he and the community are shocked, as nothing like this has ever happened before. 'We are a quiet little New South Wales town. This is a very safe place and we don't by and large have any criminal activity. 'This has come out of left field.' The mayor did confirm that there is a bikie presence in the town. 'We do have a Bandidos clubhouse across the river and a member that lives close by, but I am not saying that they are involved.' A man and a woman have been found dead in the NSW town of Moama . Resident Kylie Spencer said she was driving into town about 9.20am on Wednesday and noticed a white car pulled off the road. 'I didn't know there were bodies,' Ms Spencer, who lives on the road, told AAP. 'I drove past thinking they had a punctured tyre. You do 100km/h down that road. 'It was just pulled over on the road, nothing suspicious at all.' Ms Spencer said there was another car pulled over next to the white vehicle. She assumed the motorist was helping out. Emergency services, including police and paramedics, were called to the scene at Old Deniliquin Road on Tuesday morning. 'At 9.26am paramedics were initially called out to what we were told was a car accident,' a Victoria Rural Ambulance Service spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. 'When the paramedics arrived they confirmed two people were deceased. 'Police have now established a crime scene.' Shots were reportedly heard before the bodies were found. Residents of Old Deniliquin Road are not able to return to their homes after police cordoned off the street to establish a crime scene. The Riverine Herald also reports that an abandoned car was seen by residents. Police from Deniliquin Local Area Command, with the assistance of detectives from State Crime Commands Homicide Squad are investigating the deaths. The town is in the Riverina region, 220 kilometres north of Melbourne and west of Albury. The bodies were found on the side of the road next to a vehicle on Old Deniliquin Road (pictured) | A man and a woman have been found dead on a roadside in NSW . Police confirm it was Jamie Edwards and Joelene 'Peggy' Joyce . A police strike force has been established to investigate the death . The bodies were found beside a vehicle in the NSW border town Moama . Mayor Thomas Weyrich is seriously concerned for residents' safety . Police are treating both deaths as suspicious . Initial reports suggest the deaths were after a shooting after two gunshots were heard . Emergency services were called to the scene at 9.20am on Tuesday . | 1ee1eb475f4e47093c0e358ecb230d8b3a2b5c66 |
The former Navy SEAL who wrote an inside account about the mission that killed Osama bin Laden is facing a criminal investigation for revealing classified information, reports claim. Matthew Bissonnette controversially released No Easy Day in 2012 without approval from the Department of Defense, selling thousands of copies worldwide before it was even published. Now, as he prepares to publish a sequel, his lawyer has revealed a vast proportion of the profits could be soaked up by extensive fines leveled by the Pentagon. Scroll down for video . Probe: Former Navy SEAL Matthew Bissonnette, pictured in 2012, is being investigated by the Department of Defense as he prepares to release another tell-all book. The probe centers on speeches he has made . The latest probe centers on the speeches Bissonnette has made since publishing his tell-all book under the pseudonym Mark Owen, The New York Times revealed. It comes after Bissonnette submitted a draft of his second book - No Hero: The Evolution Of A Navy SEAL - for approval from the Department of Defense, including slides and notes from his speeches. He has already apologized for failing to seek approval for his revelations in No Easy Day, and allegedly agreed to forfeit a portion of his royalties in a dispute settlement. However, another probe has been launched to investigate details disclosed at speeches across the U.S. Last year, he spoke at a golf club in Atlanta where visitors were instructed to deposit their phones at the door and were barred from taking notes. His lawyer Robert D Luskin insists the speeches were not controversial and says he expects the investigation to be resolved 'favorably'. Bissonnette was disciplined in November 2012 for sharing classified information with the makers of the popular video game Medal of Honor: Warfighter. According to senior Navy officials, Bissonnette recruited his fellow SEALs to spend two days as paid consultants for Electronic Arts. Controversial: He was forced to apologize after publishing No Easy Day without Pentagon approval. The book, written under the pseudonym Mark Owen, was an inside account of the mission that killed Osama bin Laden . It was the investigation the military launched into Bissonnette's book that led the authorities to discover that he had allegedly 'recruited' the 11 Navy SEALS into the video game deal. His second piece of work is a reaction to the Oscar-nominated film Zero Dark Thirty, which consulted former CIA director Leon E Panetta. The narrative conflicted with many elements of Bissonnette's telling, and in his opinion it is the SEALs' story to tell. The news comes as the SEAL Team 6 member called 'The Shooter' - who fired the kill shot at Bin Laden - prepares to reveal his identity. He fiercely guarded in the aftermath of the May 2011 raid on Bin Laden's Abbottabad, Pakisatan compound, fearing the SEAL could be targeted by al-Qaeda as retribution. But he has since retired and is apparently ready to take off his mask of anonymity to detail the events leading up to and during Operation Neptune's Spear. Fears: Officials feared the account of the mission, which the White House watched live (pictured), could reveal key details of U.S. military strategy. Bissonnette was already disciplined for liaising with a video game on it . According to a Fox News press release, the two-part special The Man Who Killed Usama Bin Laden will air Tuesday November 11 and Wednesday November 12 from 10-11pm ET. The interview will be conducted by Washington Correspondent Peter Doocy. 'Revealing his identity and speaking out publicly for the first time, the Navy SEAL, also known as “The Shooter,” will share his story of training to be a member of America’s elite fighting force and explain his involvement in Operation Neptune Spear, the mission that killed Bin Laden,' the press release states. 'The documentary will provide an extensive, first-hand account of the mission, including the unexpected crash of one of the helicopters that night and why SEAL Team 6 feared for their lives. It will also touch upon what was taking place inside the terrorist compound while President Obama and his cabinet watched from the White House.' It's unclear whether the Shooter's identity will be protected in anyway, or if he will both appear on the camera and reveal his real name. | Matthew Bissonnette published No Easy Day unapproved in 2012 . He apologized at the time, agreed to dispute settlement, his lawyer said . Now Defense Department is probing revelations made during speeches . | f78f39a1f9c85043d4a28fc731eb14d79e61e676 |
(CNN) -- Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin joined the national battle over Arizona's controversial new immigration law Saturday, appearing with Gov. Jan Brewer in Phoenix to denounce the Obama administration's criticism of the law. "It's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and say 'We're all Arizonans now and, in clear unity, we say Mr. President, do your job, secure our border,'" Palin said, standing beside Brewer at a Saturday afternoon press conference. Brewer used the event to announce her first appointment to the state's new Joint Border Security Advisory Committee and the launch of a Website to combat what she said was a national misinformation campaign about the state's new law. Palin and Brewer, both Republicans, decried plans by opponents of the new law to boycott the state in protest. Passed in April, the law requires immigrants in Arizona to carry their registration documents at all times and allows police to question individuals' immigration status in the process of enforcing any other law or ordinance. Critics say it will lead to racial profiling, while supporters deny that and say it is needed to crack down on increasing crime involving illegal immigrants. President Obama has criticized the Arizona law, saying that in dealing with the immigration issue, "the answer isn't to undermine fundamental principles that define us as a nation." "You can imagine if you are an Hispanic American in Arizona, your great grandparents may have been there before Arizona was even a state, but now suddenly if you don't have your papers, and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you're gonna be harassed," Obama said, referring to the statute at a April rally in Iowa. "That's something that could potentially happen," he said. "That's not the right way to go." Brewer signed a package of changes to the law shortly after it passed that she said addressed concerns about profiling, though critics said the changes made little difference. Palin joined Brewer on Saturday in denying the statute would lead to racial profiling. "I think for most American people the reaction to that would be, 'Why aren't (police) already doing that?'" the former Alaska governor said. "And while Mexico's president has begun to crack down on the violent drug cartels and corruption in his own country," she continued, "It's time for the United States government to enforce the rule of law as well." Brewer also took jabs at Obama and the federal government. "Our border is being erased and our president apparently considers it a wonderful opportunity to divide people along racial lines for his personal political convenience," she said. | Sarah Palin joined Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to defend new immigration law . Brewer unveiled new Website to educate the country about law . Critics say new law will lead to racial profiling, while supporters reject notion . | 58b665db5c139af51f6c3a7eb81e71afa1dc49f1 |
Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was admitted to a hospital in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday with a stomach virus, a doctor told CNN. "He is getting hydration and holding his food down," Dr. John Linton of Yonsei Severance Hospital said. "All his signs are normal. We hope to send him on his way tomorrow, but he is an elderly gentleman, so we are watching him like a hawk." The state-run Yonhap news agency reported that Kissinger, 86, arrived in the South Korean capital Wednesday for a security forum and met with President Lee Myung-bak on Friday. A special medical team did a check-up and MRI scan and took X-rays, but found nothing serious, staff sources at the hospital said. Kissinger will likely remain at the hospital overnight and will probably be released Sunday, they said. Kissinger, who now chairs a consulting firm, served in the 1970s under Presidents Nixon and Ford. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 with Le Duc Tho for negotiating a treaty to end the Vietnam War. Kissinger had triple coronary bypass surgery in 1982 and an angioplasty in New York five years ago. Journalist Andrew Salmon contributed to this report. | NEW: Henry Kissinger likely to be released Sunday, doctors say . Former secretary of state complained of stomach pain . Kissinger served under Nixon, Ford; shared 1973 Nobel Prize . | ec41a340fd74458605d9426fd7efd5a17a4b7b4e |
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