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12baf66d61d46b650cc2ac46ddf57a3368d38e62 | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 04:39 EST, 18 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:47 EST, 18 July 2013 . The Queen wants it to hurry up and arrive already; her cousin Margaret isn't much fussed; the photographers outside the Lindo Wing are going stir crazy; some of us are wondering if she's planning to fox the media and give birth in Reading, and we bet poor Kate's ready to murder someone in this equatorial heat. From wherever you're standing, Royal Baby mania has reached fever pitch, and it's becoming difficult to keep abreast of what's really going on. But if you're that desperate to be the first to know the minute-by-minute minutiae surrounding the future monarch... there's an app for that. Scroll down for videos . Kate's baby is due any day now, so if you want to keep abreast of what's happening download the new Royal Baby app for iPhone . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's first child, who will be the third in line to the throne, has caused a frenzy of excitement all over the world . Future, in association with international news wire Press Association, have released a free, commemorative mobile app to celebrate the birth of the first baby of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to be titled HRH Prince or Princess [name] of Cambridge, due any day now. The app - which is suitable for iOS 5.0 or later on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches - will provide updates about the birth, the baby, the parents and any other newsworthy developments. It will sync news stories related to the Royal family's new arrival and any relevant Twitter developments, plus provide histories into previous royal births and the Middleton family. Developers at Future who have released the app for free with special 60p add-ons, say: 'Welcome to the Royal Baby App, a celebration of Kate and Wills' happy day' There are also a selection of 69p paid-for add-ons which delve more deeply into the families' histories, including one which explores the relationship Prince William's mother Diana had with her sons, and one about Prince William's relationship with Kate. The app allows you to browse through the history of the new addition's family . Other sections catalogue photos of the former Kate Middleton in her new royal role, and photos of Prince William throughout his life. Developers say: 'Welcome to the Royal Baby App, a celebration of Kate and Wills' happy day. 'Inside you'll be able to download our free special, packed with the first pictures of the new arrival as well as the happy parents. You'll also receive the latest news, Twitter rumours and more - all free. 'You can also download mini-apps packed with in-depth features, archive photography and the latest galleries of Wills, Kate, royal births through the ages, the happy great-grandparents, Uncle Harry and loads more. 'As time goes on, we'll keep both our free app and these specials updated with all the latest pictures and video of the new arrival and his/her proud parents. 'First steps, public appearances, royal visits - you'll get it all!' Royal Baby mania has swept the city, the country, the world.... and now the iTunes store. You can't move without tripping over a Guess The Name Of The Royal Baby app or an app that helps you 'royalify' your own infant. Here are some of the weirdest: . Play the Royal Baby Slots gaming app, left, or give your own baby a royal makeover with the Baby Royals photo fun app . Royal Baby Run allows you to be Prince William and take the baby for a walk on the velvet pillow . The Royal Baby booth allows you to 'royalify' your own infant, left, or you could help name the baby with this app, right . | Future releasing free app to provide live updates and photographs .
Royal Baby is released in association with news wire Press Association .
Available on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, with paid add-ons .
Further themed apps, including Royal Baby Booth, also available .
'Royalify' your baby; guess Royal baby name; make Royal baby bunting . |
12bb83684ebd972c6f8f14f14d4fa0754855b141 | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 04:46 EST, 17 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:46 EST, 17 January 2013 . For thirty years it has proudly rested beside the entrance of Leeds Art Gallery, giving visitors a glimpse of the stunning works to be viewed inside. But Henry Moore's Reclining Woman: Elbow sculpture was yesterday moved for the first time since it was erected outside the gallery's new extension in 1982. The famous bronze figure - completed in 1981 - has been taken off its plinth to be loaned to the Rijksmuseum gallery in Amsterdam for a major exhibition of the artist's work. Scroll down for video . Landmark: Workers prepare to move the Reclining Woman: Elbow from outside Leeds Art Gallery for the first time in 30 years after it was installed there in 1982 . Steady now: Staff check underneath the Reclining Woman: Elbow yesterday to make sure there are no structural problems with the sculpture . It will join other sculptures and works by Moore as part of a unique exhibition to celebrate the reopening of the Rijksmuseum, which has undergone a 10-year refurbishment. Castleford-born sculptor, who died in 1986, had close connections with the city after studying at the Leeds School of Art in the early 1920s. Leeds City Council executive member for leisure, councillor Adam Ogilvie, told the BBC that Rijksmuseum's request to temporarily host the sculpture showed the international significance of the sculpture. He added: 'It's going to be a little strange walking past the art gallery and not seeing the Henry Moore sculpture there as it has been a permanent fixture for the last 30 years, but it is long overdue a holiday after all that time.' Lift off: Residents watch the Reclining Woman: Elbow, which has become a local landmark, being moved for the first time in 30 years . Temporary new home: The famous bronze figure is being loaned until September to the Rijksmuseum gallery in Amsterdam for a major exhibition of the artist's work . Renowned: Sculptor Henry Moore, who was born the son of a coal miner in Castleford - is still considered one of Britain's greatest artist of all time . The 7ft 3in long figure, which has become a well-known fixture of the Moore Sculpture Gallery extension, will be cleaned and renovated when the exhibition ends in September before being returned. The artist - who was the son of a coal miner - was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are now located in public spaces in cities around the world. His forms are usually abstractions of the human figure, typically depicting mother-and-child or reclining figures. Moore's works are usually suggestive of the female body, apart from a phase in the 1950s when he sculpted family groups. His forms are generally pierced or contain hollow spaces. Many interpreters liken the undulating form of his reclining figures to the landscape and hills of his birthplace in Yorkshire. Iconic: The Reclining Woman has become a well-known local fixture in Leeds . Other work: Henry Moore's Large Reclining Figure on display at Kew Gardens in 2007 . Tower Hamlets Council caused controversy last year when they proposed to sell Moore's Draped Seated Woman - nicknamed Old Flo - for up to £20million. Moore sold the sculpture to the then London County Council in 1962 at a reduced price of £7,000 as part of a regeneration scheme of the city after World War II. The decision to sell was delayed in December while art heritage groups - including the Henry Moore Foundation - and campaigners - such as the director of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Danny Boyle - challenged Tower Hamlets Council's right to sell the sculpture and demanded proof of ownership before it can be sold. Art around the world: The renowned sculptor Henry Moore beside his sculpture The Goslar Warrior in a garden in Goslar, Germany, in 1975 . Still popular: Gallery visitor Phoebe Moore looks at artist Henry Moore's Large at the Late Large Forms exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in London last year . But the council decided to push ahead with the sale and Old Flo is now destined for a Christie’s sale in February. It is believed the sculpture could fetch up to £20million after Henry Moore's Reclining Figure: Festival, built in 1951, sold for £19.1million in February despite being estimated as being worth £3.5 million to £4.5 million. But a similar sculpture of a Draped Reclining Woman sold for significantly less in 2008 for £4.3million. Moore is still considered one of Britain's best sculptures and was a trustee of both the National Gallery and Tate Gallery. The sculpture Draped Reclining Woman by Henry Moore is seen at Kew Gardens in west London in 2007 . Sculpture of Draped seated woman by Henry Moore at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield, England . | Henry Moore's bronze sculpture, the Reclining Woman: Elbow, was installed outside Leeds Gallery in 1982 .
It is on loan to the Rijksmuseum art gallery in Amsterdam until September .
Moore, who died in 1986, studied at Leeds School of Art in the early 1920s . |
12bc5f3ed2b37637ee41c3372cb30c17e05c3980 | Could Anne Hathaway be the next victim of the 'Oscar's Curse?' The Les Miserables star will be crossing her fingers tonight in hope that she is named the Best Actress in a Supporting Role. But if her name is called then the odds of her having a happy marriage will be slashed dramatically. Loved up: Newlyweds Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman will hope their marriage can survive if she takes home the Best Supporting Actress award tonight . Female winners of the coveted prize are 63 per cent more likely to have a shorter marriage than those who do not win the famous award. The last casualty of the winner's curse was Sandra Bullock. Weeks after posing happily on whose marriage to Jesse James dissolved within days of her claiming the prize for her role in The Blind Side, amid accusations he had been unfaithful. The actress is far from alone in seeing their relationship disintegrate after winning acting's ultimate prize. The year before Bullock, Kate Winslet won the Academy Award for her performance in The Reader. Despite appearing to be as close as ever, the couple ended their marriage a year after her win. Of the 266 married women who have been nominated for the Best Actress award from the beginning of the modern Oscars in 1936 to the present, 159 of them got divorced, or 60 per cent. Winners of the gong are 1.68 times more likely to head to the divorce court than losers. Curse of the Oscars? Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes announced their divorce a year after she won the Best Actress Oscar for The Reader in 2009 and Reese Witherspoon split from her husband Ryan Phillippe in 2007 - one year after she took home the Best Actress award for Walk The Line . Shockingly, studies have shown that there is virtually no change in the status of married men. Among the other 'victims' of the curse are Julia Roberts, who thanks boyfriend Benjamin Bratt in her victory speech for Erin Brockovich. Three months later the pair had split up. Halle Berry became the first black woman to win an Oscar for Monster's Ball and posed ecstatically with husband Eric Benet. However, they separated the following year. Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank ducked the curse when she won her award for Boys Don't Cry in 1999. But her marriage to Chad Lowe did not survive her second award and the pair ended their nine year marriage in 2006. Cursed: Actress Hilary Swank and husband of nine years Chad Lowe announced their separation a year after she won the Best Actress Oscar for Million Dollar Baby, while Halle Berry and husband Eric Benet lasted longer than most of contemporaries. They split three years after she won the Oscar for Monsters Ball in 2002 . Sandra Bullock's marriage to Jesse James ended within days of her winning the Oscar for The Blind Side amid accusations he had been unfaithful. Julia Roberts and her boyfriend Benjamin Bratt announced the end of their relationship with months of her 2001 Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich . Researcher Tiziana Casciaro from the . University of Toronto said the sudden elevation in fame could play a . part in the increased divorce rate. 'Winning an Oscar can be construed as a big jump in professional status . that an actor or actress has in their world and in the eyes of the . broader audience,' said Casciaro. “The general social norm kind of requires a man to have higher professional and economic status over the wife. 'So whenever that social norm is violated, both husband and wife may feel discomfort—could be either one of them.' It is not only modern stars that have succumbed to the curse. Among the first was Joan Crawford who divorced her third husband in 1946 a year after winning an Oscar for Mildred Pierce. | Newlyweds Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman will hope their marriage can survive if she wins the Best Actress in a Supporting Role Academy Award . |
12bc8296af35566353958ae72d8e8c7f13f8c882 | New Orleans (CNN) -- A titanic courtroom showdown with billions of dollars in the balance opened in New Orleans on Monday, with oil giant BP arguing it shouldn't face the government's steepest penalties for the 2010 Gulf oil spill. BP already pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to a record-setting $4 billion fine for the spill. But it could face more than $20 billion in additional environmental penalties if found to have committed gross negligence in the disaster. In a packed federal courtroom Monday afternoon, BP attorney Mike Brock said blame for the disaster wasn't the oil company's alone. A string of bad decisions by Transocean, the company that owned the doomed drill rig Deepwater Horizon; well cement contractor Halliburton; and BP all led to the blowout, he said. "We do not believe that men and women of BP behaved in willful misconduct," Brock said. "It was a multiparty event." But Halliburton attorney Don Godwin said BP ignored the contractor's recommendations about the cement job and that Transocean didn't move fast enough to contain the blowout. Transocean settled with the government last week for $1 billion in Clean Water Act penalties but could face additional additional liability in the case that started Monday. Transocean lawyer Brad Brian said that last week's settlement was not an admission of gross negligence and that last-minute changes to the well design by BP had the rig's crew "at wits' end" before the disaster. All three companies have been pointing fingers at each other since the April 20, 2010, blowout that sank the Deepwater Horizon, killed 11 men aboard and uncapped an undersea gusher that spewed for nearly three months. The spill's effects on the environment are still being cataloged. The plaintiffs in the civil case that opened Monday include five Gulf states, individuals, businesses and the federal government. "Evidence will show BP placed huge financial pressure to cut costs, cut corners, and rush the job," attorney James P. Roy, who represents the coalition of plaintiffs, said during opening arguments on Monday. And Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said the oil giant "was blinded by their bottom line." "The spill was tragically inevitable due to BP's corporate culture," Strange said. "The evidence will show that, at BP, money mattered most." If it is found to have been "grossly negligent" under the Clean Water Act, it could be fined as much as $4,300 per barrel of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. If it's found "negligent," the company could be fined about $1,100 per barrel. Attorneys will also likely square off over how much oil gushed into the gulf, another key figure that will be used to calculate how much money BP might owe. Officials have said 4.9 million barrels -- about 205 million gallons -- of oil spilled, while BP says that number is overblown and that authorities should use a maximum figure of 3.1 million barrels of oil when calculating the fine. The trial will also determine what fines the company faces under National Resource Damage Assessment, which aims to restore environmental damage caused by the spill. Environmental groups want to see those fines -- which will put a specific price tag on damage to plants and wildlife -- total around $25 billion. With so much money at stake, each side has brought an army of lawyers to the fight. With almost 60 lawyers filling the courtroom, the judge created a seating chart for all the attorneys. Lawyers representing the federal government and other plaintiffs sat on one side, while the BP lawyers and other companies' lawyers sat across the room. Three overflow courtrooms were also packed on Monday. BP says it has already paid billions in spill-related cleanup and compensation costs and has been barred from new federal contracts. Though Halliburton and Transocean could also face penalties, much of the criticism from environmentalists before the high-profile trial has focused on BP, the undersea well's owner. "The damage done here is real, both to the environment and to the people," said Brian Moore, of the National Audubon Society. "And BP should not have the chance to get off cheaply on this." In his statement before the trial began, BP General Counsel Rupert Bondy said the company would push for the court to consider lower penalties, arguing that BP made efforts to do the right thing and "immediately stepped up" and acknowledged its role in the spill. "To date we've spent more than $23 billion in response, cleanup, and payments on claims by individuals, businesses and governments," he said. "No company has done more, faster, to meet its commitment to economic and environmental restoration efforts in the wake of an industrial accident." CNN's Vivian Kuo and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report. | NEW: The Gulf oil spill was "a multiparty event," BP lawyer argues .
Billions of dollars are at stake as a judge weighs negligence and financial penalties .
BP is fighting to limit fines, while the company's critics hope to see a landmark punishment .
A judge will weigh whether BP was grossly negligent and determine how much it owes . |
12bd7c2d98a6c1bf1fc48bc720861b64eef2c104 | George Zimmerman, set to stand trial in the 2012 shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin, on Tuesday waived his right to a "stand your ground" pretrial immunity hearing. Zimmerman's attorneys have decided they will try this as a self-defense case. Florida's deadly force law, also called "stand your ground", was passed in 2005. It allows people to meet "force with force" if they believe they or someone else is in danger of being seriously harmed by an assailant. Under the law, a person can use deadly force anywhere as long as he is not engaged in an unlawful activity, is being attacked in a place he has a right to be, and reasonably believes that his life and safety are in danger as a result of an overt act or perceived threat committed by someone else. In a pretrial immunity hearing, a judge would have ruled whether Zimmerman's actions were protected under the "stand your ground" law; a ruling in favor of the defendant would have meant that no criminal or civil trial could proceed. Martin was shot and killed on February 26, 2012, while returning from a nearby convenience store to his father's fiancée's house in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, acknowledged that he shot the unarmed 17-year-old, but said Martin physically attacked him and he fired in self-defense. Initially, no charges were pursued, and the case soon became the center of a national controversy. Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder on April 11, 2012. During Tuesday's motions hearing, Zimmerman defense attorney Mark O'Mara told Judge Debra Nelson there was nothing in the law that required the immunity hearing to take place before Zimmerman's trial. O'Mara said the hearing could be requested after the defense has presented its case, but "we'd much rather have the jury address the issue of criminal liability or lack thereof." Benjamin Crump, attorney for the Martin family, said Zimmerman's decision to "merge" the hearing and the trial "is very telling of his defense, or lack thereof." "We believe the defense's decision to waive a pretrial hearing and to merge the 'stand your ground' hearing into the trial is to prevent putting George Zimmerman on the stand," Crump said in a press release, "and to preclude the public and the potential jury pool from previewing the many inconsistencies in George Zimmerman's story." Crump said a pretrial hearing was clearly the intent of state law because the statute "grants immunity from civil lawsuits, arrests and trials, if a defendant prevails." Crump continued: "... the decision made by the defense to waive a pretrial hearing and to solely continue on to trial vindicates the many thousands of protesters who demanded George Zimmerman be arrested for the killing of Trayvon Martin. After all, to have a felony criminal trial an arrest must first be made." After the motions hearing ended, prosecutors and defense attorneys were to meet in private with the judge to discuss jury issues for the June 10 trial. | George Zimmerman waives his right to a "stand your ground" pretrial immunity hearing .
Zimmerman's attorneys have instead decided to argue self-defense .
Zimmerman is set to stand trial for the February 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin . |
12bd82f89bffb51891026497a837969ee5553b6c | A construction worker's plans to take his wife out for her 35th birthday were foiled last month, when an NYPD officer allegedly stopped the man in the street to perform a search and stole the $1,300 he took out of his bank account for the special occasion. Cellphone camera footage captures the moment the unidentified officer pushes Lamard Joye against a basketball court fence in the Coney Island Surfisde housing project in the early hours of September 16. Moments before the video was taken, Joye's friend Terrell Haskins was stopped by police and reportedly roughed up, which led Joye to shout 'is that necessary?' Scroll down for video . Cop robber: An unidentified NYPD officer is being accused of stealing $1,300 from a man who he stopped and frisked in Coney Island last month. Grabs from the explosive video seen above . An officer responded by coming over to search Joye as well, who was out walking with his sister Lateefah Joye, a professional basketball player in Europe. That's when a friend starting taking the video which shows the officer push Lamard against the fence. Larmard then references Eric Garner, the man who recently died after being put in a choke-hold by NYPD officers. 'Are you going to do to me what you did to the guy in Staten Island?' Lamard asks. The officer is seen reaching into the man's pocket and then pushing him away. 'Gimme my money!' Joye shouts, as the cop sprays him in the face with pepper spray. Lateefah then interjects saying: 'How ya gonna take his money?' and 'That's robbery'. Sting: After her brother felt a wad of cash leaving his pocket, Lateefah Joye interjects and asks for the officer's badge number. Instead she gets a shot of pepper spray to the face . When she asks for his badge number, Lateefah too gets a painful shot of pepper spray. 'I'm outraged,' the former West Virginia University player told the New York Daily News. 'It's very outrageous. I've witnessed a lot of things cops have done. But what can you do? I'm not a violent person. I'm an athlete.'New York Daily News. Athlete: Lateefah plays professional basketball in Europe. Pictured above during her days playing for West Virginia University . Lamard called attorney Robert Marinelli the next day, and they decided to turn the footage over to prosecutors and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau. 'I believe that this officer made an assumption that any money Mr Joye possessed was obtained illegally and therefore he would not report the theft. This assumption was wrong. Mr Joye is a hardworking taxpayer deserving respect,' said Marinelli. Marinelli provided prosecutors with evidence Joye cashed his paycheck a week earlier. Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson confirmed his department is investigating the incident in a statement. A police spokesman said the officers were responding to reports of a man with a fun in the area. However, the president for the Patrolmen's Beenvolent Association says there's not enough information . Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said there's not enough information yet to decide what happened last month. 'A 35-second-long video does not provide enough information about a police encounter to come to any conclusion about what transpired, he said. 'The rush to judgment will leave this city with an impotent police department where police officers will be afraid to act and neighborhoods will be left to the mercy of the criminals.' | Lamard Joye was stopped by a NYPD officer in Coney Island last month, and claims the unidentified cop stole $1,300 from him .
He claims the money came from a check he cashed a week prior to treat his wife on her 35th birthday .
Joye has turned video of the stop-and-frisk over to prosecutors and the NYPD's Interal Affairs Bureau . |
12bed30227ea7553c72629c61130a03f782523e5 | It has baffled astronomers for years - just what causes the 'red spot' on the surface of Jupiter? Now they have an unlikely answer - sunburn. Nasa experts believe it is likely a product of simple chemicals being broken apart by sunlight in the planet's upper atmosphere. Experts believe the 'spot' is a product of simple chemicals being broken apart by sunlight in the planet's upper atmosphere. In the lab, the researchers blasted ammonia and acetylene gases - chemicals known to exist on Jupiter - with ultraviolet light, to simulate the sun's effects on these materials at the extreme heights of clouds in the Great Red Spot. This produced a reddish material, which the team compared to the Great Red Spot as observed by Cassini's Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS). The results contradict the other leading theory for the origin of the spot's striking color - that the reddish chemicals come from beneath Jupiter's clouds. 'Our models suggest most of the Great Red Spot is actually pretty bland in color, beneath the upper cloud layer of reddish material,' said Kevin Baines, a Cassini team scientist based at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. 'Under the reddish 'sunburn' the clouds are probably whitish or grayish.' Baines and JPL colleagues Bob Carlson and Tom Momary arrived at their conclusions using a combination of data from Cassini's December 2000 Jupiter flyby and laboratory experiments. In the lab, the researchers blasted ammonia and acetylene gases - chemicals known to exist on Jupiter - with ultraviolet light, to simulate the sun's effects on these materials at the extreme heights of clouds in the Great Red Spot. This produced a reddish material, which the team compared to the Great Red Spot as observed by Cassini's Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS). They found that the light-scattering properties of their red concoction nicely matched a model of the Great Red Spot in which the red-colored material is confined to the uppermost reaches of the giant cyclone-like feature. A coloring agent confined to the top of the clouds would be inconsistent with the competing theory, which posits that the spot's red color is due to upwelling chemicals formed deep beneath the visible cloud layers, he said. North america superimposed onto the spot, which is as wide as two Earths. The spot is actually a violent storm. The biggest in the solar system, it appears as a deep red orb surrounded by layers of pale yellow, orange and white. Winds inside the storm have been measured at several hundreds of miles per hour, Nasa astronomers said. If red material were being transported from below, it should be present at other altitudes as well, which would make the red spot redder still. Jupiter is composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, with just a sprinkling of other elements. Scientists are interested in understanding what combinations of elements are responsible for the hues seen in Jupiter's clouds, as this would provide insights into the giant planet's make-up. Jupiter possesses three main cloud layers, which occupy specific altitudes in its skies; from highest to lowest they are: ammonia, ammonium hydrosulfide and water clouds. As for why the intense red color is seen only in the Great Red Spot and a few much smaller spots on the planet, the researchers think altitude plays a key role. 'The Great Red Spot is extremely tall,' Baines said. 'It reaches much higher altitudes than clouds elsewhere on Jupiter.' The team thinks the spot's great heights both enable and enhance the reddening. Its winds transport ammonia ice particles higher into the atmosphere than usual, where they are exposed to much more of the sun's ultraviolet light. In addition, the vortex nature of the spot confines particles, preventing them from escaping. This causes the redness of the spot's cloud tops to increase beyond what might otherwise be expected. Other areas of Jupiter display a mixed palette of oranges, browns and even shades of red. Baines says these are places where high, bright clouds are known to be much thinner, allowing views to depths in the atmosphere where more colorful substances exist. | Colour product of simple chemicals being broken apart by sunlight .
Researchers previously though odd phenomenon came from under clouds .
The Great Red Spot is as wide as two Earths . |
12befd17b6cc98917aa9fb740b374086e2268d3c | The pop star girlfriend of Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has moved out of their home amid claims he flirted with a teammate's lover, according to reports. Singer Mandy Capristo had been living with the £42million player in west London and is a judge on the X Factor-style reality show 'Germany's Search for a Superstar'. However, last week, the World Cup winner was accused of 'muscling in' on the relationship of German teammate Christian Lell and his former girlfriend Melanie Rickinger. Pictures emerged today showing workers hauling boxes into a German moving van outside Ozil's London home. Scroll down for video . Moving out: Workers were seen filling a removals van with possessions outside Mesut Ozil's home . Mesul Ozil pictured with his girlfriend Mandy Capristo leaving a London restaurant last year. It has been reported she has moved out of their home after claims he sent flirty messages to a teammate's then girlfriend . The Kreativ Design removals van, from the German city of Cologne, had German number plates . The four men, wearing white shirts, carried boxes out of the house and placed them in the large van . The four men worked together to lift some of the heavier items, believed to be owned by Mandy Capristo . The haulage workers appeared to be moving a white piano, likely to be owned by singer Miss Capristo . Miss Capristo is moving out because of claims that Ozil flirted with a team mate's lover, reports suggested . It has been reported that Ozil exchanged intimate messages with the model on the messaging service WhatsApp. Both Ozil and Miss Capristo have refused to comment on the allegations. However, according to The Sun, the singer's belongings were seen being taken into a removal van and she has reportedly told friends her relationship with the 26-year-old is over after being left devastated. The newspaper quotes a friend as saying: 'Mandy had a break from filming so came back to London to get her stuff.' The allegations first came to light last week when Lell, who plays for Levante in Spain, gave an interview with German newspaper Bild and explained his ex Miss Rickinger had exchanged messages with Ozil and described her as a 'snake'. The newspaper quotes Mr Lell as saying: 'Mesut exploited his fame, and muscled in on our relationship. That isn't OK'. Miss Capristo had been living with the player in west London and is a judge on the X Factor-style reality show 'Germany's Search for a Superstar' Relationship over? Ozil was accused of 'muscling in' on the relationship of German teammate Christian Lell with his former girlfriend Melanie Rickinger . The singer's belongings were seen being taken into a removal van on Wednesday and she has reportedly told friends her relationship with the 26-year-old is over . The Sun reported that Miss Capristo had a break from filming so came back to the house to collect her things . Heading to Germany? It is not known where Miss Capristo was moving her belongings to, but the van appeared to have travelled to London from Germany . World Cup winner Ozil was called 'a snake' by Lell after he made the claims in an interview with a football magazine . Miss Capristo has told friends she is devastated by the claims, according to reports . Ozil himself has refused to comment on the situation but his agent Rolan Eitel said: 'We are not commenting on this. We will keep an eye on the situation and take legal action if necessary.' Mr Lell's ex-girlfriend Rickinger has said her former boyfriend is 'crazy'. She has not denied the accusations, but did insist that Lell had accessed her messages without her permission. 'I deleted everything on my phone. He must have gone on himself and backed everything up,' she said. 'He's completely crazy. Miss Capristo had been living with the Arsenal star, £42million in west London. However, the singer's belongings were seen been taken into a removal van . Christian Lell, pictured with Melanie Rickinger last month, accused Ozil of sending his girlfriend intimate WhatsApp messages . Miss Capristo is a German pop star and is currently a judge on X Factor style show 'Germany's Search for a Superstar' Meanwhile, Miss Capristo is about to release a new album, and has previously insisted that she does not accept the idea of being merely a WAG. She said: 'You'd never say to the partner of a tennis player that they're only this or that, that's a lack of respect. 'So when people say I'm just a WAG, I don't care. I have too much respect for myself and my own work to even bother thinking about these people.' MailOnline has contacted Ozil's publicist for comment. Mesut Ozil, in action for Arsenal, has refused to comment on the situation as has his agent Rolan Eitel . | Singer Mandy Capristo is said to have moved out of home of the Arsenal star .
Pictures show removals workers hauling a white piano into a van .
£42million striker accused of sending flirty messages to teammate's lover .
German newspaper says Christian Lell alleged Ozil 'muscled in' on his relationship with ex Melanie Rickinger .
Another report says Miss Capristo has told friends she is devastated by the claims .
The pop star is currently a judge on 'Germany's Search for a Superstar' |
12bfa9694d5b6b504dd4d6be4e966a05de934994 | Everton’s South African midfielder Steven Pienaar has admitted the death of his team-mate Senzo Meyiwa is ‘difficult to understand’. Meyiwa, 27, was gunned down as he tried to protect his pop-star girlfriend Kelly Khumalo after masked raiders broke into her house late on Sunday night. Pienaar said on Everton’s website: ‘I want to express my sincere sympathy to Senzo’s family and friends at this very sad time. To lose your life at a young age when you have so much ahead of you is tragic and very difficult to understand. Everton's Steven Pienaar said the death of Senzo Meyiwa was both tragic and difficult to understand . The goalkeeper last played for his club on the Saturday evening and had recently captained his country . 'Senzo was a very talented goalkeeper who was well-liked by team-mates and opponents alike. Our nation has lost a popular sportsman and he will be missed.’ South Africa will decide later this week whether to call off next month’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan. South African president Jacob Zuma led the grieving yesterday saying: ‘Words cannot express the nation’s shock at this loss.’ He added that the police would ‘leave no stone unturned in finding his killers’. This weekend’s derby between Meyiwa’s club side Orlando Pirates and their Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs has already been called off as a mark of respect. Meyiwa (right, playing for South Africa) was shot dead on Sunday while at home with his girlfriend . Meyiwa's girlfriend Kelly Khumalo, posted this picture with him on Sunday, hours before he was shot . | Senzo Meyiwa was shot dead on Sunday night .
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar said the death was 'tragic'
Pienaar said his South Africa team-mate was very talented . |
12c03f0926e71ae6895dce77a0cf58086cc2d7c5 | By . Scarlett Russell . An archive of images showing the fascinating history of the traditional Easter egg has emerged. To celebrate 100 years since the first . Nestle Easter eggs, the confectionary giant released these vintage . images of how the chocolate delicacy used to be. In the early 1900s the only chocolate spring-time treat that could be bought were in the shape of shoes, chicken, and fish. Chocolate delight: Vintage pictures from 1900s have been released by Nestle to celebrate 100 years since their first Easter eggs were put on sale to the general public . If the shoe fits! The traditional Easter egg was not egg-shaped at all, but in a shoe, chicken or fish shape tied with ribbon, pictured here . They were seen as religious symbols that embodied important aspects of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. 'When we started making novelty chocolates in the shape of Easter things we had shoes, chickens, and fish, and no eggs at all,' explains Alex Hutchinson, an archivist at Nestle. 'This . is because in the story Jesus tells one of his disciples that a . cockerel would crow after he betrayed him, which it does after he denies . knowing Jesus to soldiers. 'And after his crucifixion and resurrection Jesus ate a meal consisting of fish with his disciples.' Chocolate delights: Confectionary company Rowntrees made the oval shaped chocolates, left, but it's very different from the modern creations we enjoy today, such as this Chococo egg, right . An assortment of eggs: Rowntress began making oval shaped chocolate when Christian and Pagan traditions merged and signified new beginnings. The first Easter egg was launched in 1914 . Eventually the treats were made from chocolate moulds and they soared in popularity throughout the 1920s and 1930s. There were no eggs made throughout the 1940s because of the Second World War and shortages on ingredients like sugar went on into the 1950s. In 1954 Rowntrees were able to release one single type of Easter treat, a Dairy Box egg, and the novelty chocolates soared in popularity throughout the 1960s to present day. Hutchinson said: 'Easter itself is a pagan festival which is all about celebrating spring and why a lot of the symbols are of hares and nature. Something fishy: The first Easter egg was actually made out of cardboard but contained chocolates inside. Then the design progressed to all chocolate, but in the shape of fish, chicken and shoes to symbolise the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus . Over hare: Easter eggs soared in popularity throughout the 1920s and 1930s. There were no eggs made throughout the 1940s because of the Second World War . Pieces of history: Alex Hutchinson, an archivist at Nestle, said: 'The early church fathers mixed the Christian celebrations with the pagan traditions and these symbols were carried over' The . Christian festival gradually merged with Pagan traditions also held at . the same time of the year that celebrated new beginnings. Hatching eggs became a way of symbolising this and confectionary company Rowntrees began making the oval shaped chocolates. One . of the first Easter eggs was launched in 1914 and was actually made of . cardboard, but contained a selection of chocolates inside. Traditional eggs: These shapes were seen as religious symbols that embodied the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus . 'The early church fathers mixed the Christian celebrations with the pagan traditions and these symbols were carried over. 'Eggs began to make an appearance because they symbolised spring, hope, and new beginnings. 'As time went on England was becoming a secular country and chocolate eggs were more popular than the traditional gifts and they were also a lot easier to make. 'They would have been very expensive and not something that every day people could afford, especially in some of the ornate boxes they came in. 'They were not branded until the '960s when we started bringing out specific varieties like Aero and Smarties themed Easter eggs.' | Nestle have released vintage images of their first ever chocolate eggs .
They were seen as religious symbols, embodying the resurrection of Jesus .
The first Easter egg was made of cardboard with chocolates inside .
Eggs symbolise new beginnings in reference to the hatching of a chick .
Branded eggs such as Smarties and Aero were not seen until the 1960s . |
12c05f44df8d124d372ae7f3a1ca14e55fdcfb72 | A Chinese woman has undergone drastic surgery to remove just under one stone of tissue from her breasts. The woman, known only as Mrs Lin, from Xiamen in China's Fujian Province, noticed her chest began to grow rapidly in her 30s. The now 50-year-old finally visited doctors when the size became unbearable. Scroll down for video . Mrs Lin, 50, underwent surgery to reduce the size of her enormous breasts (pictured left before the surgery). The doctor who performed the operation said they were the biggest he had seen in his career. He removed 6kg of fat leaving her with a manageable C-cup bust (pictured right after the procedure) She said: 'My breasts were normal sized even after I gave birth at 20, but they grew up crazily when I was 30.' Dr Ouyang Zhong, from Xiamen University's 1st Hospital, said despite working as a doctor for more than a decade, he had never seen breasts as large as Mrs Lin's. 'Her breasts hung even under the bellybutton,' he said. He removed 6kg – just under one stone – of fat to shrink her breasts to a manageable C cup. The amount of fat removed weighs almost twice as much as an average newborn baby, he said. The medical term for giant breasts is gigantomastia, a form of a condition known as hypertrophy of the breast tissue. It is a rare medical condition and is diagnosed where the breasts weigh more than three per cent of the total body weight. The consequences of having large breasts can be devastating, ranging from crippling back pain, neck and arm pain to headaches, friction rash and a curvature of the spine. It can cause stretching of the skin, which can sometimes lead to sores appearing. Over time, the physical strain of the breasts can cause breathing problems. Mrs Lin's breasts had been growing 'crazily' every since she was 30, so she eventually decided to go to hospital to see if doctors could do anything to help . Many women who have the condition suffer depression, lack of self-esteem and wellbeing. Gigantomastia is diagnosed when breast weight exceeds three per cent of a person's body weight. The enlargement can cause muscle pain, and over-stretching of the skin, which can lead to ulceration. The condition usually affects one breast more than the other, causing asymmetry. It is thought the underlying cause of the condition is a heightened sensitivity to female hormones prolactin, oestrogen and progesterone. Embarrassment can deter women from exercising, leaving them prone to health problems linked to obesity, including diabetes and heart disease. A study published in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2012 found that a woman with very large breasts can lose five years off her expected lifespan if she does not have a reduction. The condition can affect both breasts equally, but usually affects one breast more than the other, causing different-sized breasts. In Mrs Lin's case, her right breast was larger than her left. Gigantomastia is thought to be caused by sensitivity to the female hormones prolactin, estrogen and progesterone, or an abnormally elevated level of these hormones in the blood, or both. Sometimes it occurs naturally in pregnancy, but usually the breasts shrink again a few months after the baby is born. It is usually treated with breast-reducing drugs, or testosterone. If at least 1.8kg of breasts tissue needs to be removed then surgery is sometimes offered. Procedures include a reduction mammoplasty, an operation to reduce the size of the breasts, or a mastectomy, which removes all of the breast tissue altogether. | Mrs Lin, 50, noticed her breasts began to grow 'crazily' in her 30's .
By the time she was 50 she decided to go to the hospital for help .
Doctors were shocked and said these were the biggest breasts they'd seen .
She underwent surgery to remove one stone of fat from her enormous bust .
The 50-year-old now has breasts that are a manageable C cup .
Enlarged breasts are normally caused by a hormonal condition . |
12c0f9520ae24b525740453ca5804052cbdc438b | A woman is fighting to get the Facebook page of her sister's killer taken down after discovering he had uploaded a new profile picture while in jail. Doris Reeves logged into Facebook last month to see pictures of her grandchildren, but was shocked to find that Joseph Kennedy had posted a new photograph in his prison uniform. Kennedy is serving a life sentence plus 40 years for the kidnap and murder of her younger sister, Karen Yarbrough, in 2001, after stabbing her 14 times. Mrs Reeves said: 'It just makes me so angry something needs to be done. It would mean everything to me just to get it down.' Investigation: Convicted murderer Joseph Kennedy has provoked outrage after posting this profile picture on his Facebook page showing him in his prison uniform while serving a life sentence . Furious: Doris Reeves logged into Facebook last month to see pictures of her grandchildren, but was shocked to find that Joseph Kennedy had posted a new photograph in his prison uniform . She has been trying to get the page removed for the last four weeks, but officials at the Arizona Department of Corrections (ADC) say they can't take action without his user and password. An investigation has been launched to establish how Kennedy was able to access Facebook in side the unit in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, as inmates are banned from using mobile phones. Shea Wilson told KARK: 'We are still investigating what happened in this case, it is obvious the inmate was able to get an electronic device and get on Facebook.' Facebook said the ADC had not yet requested that Kennedy's page be taken down. Victim: Kennedy is serving a life sentence plus 40 years for the kidnap and murder of Mrs Reeves's younger sister, Karen Yarbrough (pictured left), in 2001, after stabbing her 14 times . A spokesman said: 'If we receive a report from the department of corrections that an inmate is using Facebook in violation of local laws or the regulations of the prison facility, the page would be deactivated.' Officers at the ADC confiscate around 300 mobile phones from prisoners each year. If found guilty of having a mobile behind bars, Kennedy could lose good time and one year of phone use. High . times: Michael Simoneau-Meunier published these photos of himself . apparently smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol while behind bars . It comes just days after a Canadian prisoner was photographed apparently smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol while in prison. QMI . Agency reported Michael Simoneau-Meunier, who is spending time inside . the Bordeaux prison in Montreal, was snapped in the photos and uploaded . them to Facebook. Simoneau-Meunier . captioned the photos 'Xo and blunt living da jail life.'Between 2007 . and 2013, prison personnel recovered 567 cell phones at Bordeaux. Look at me! Simoneau-Meunier has also published a number of shirtless selfies to his Facebook page . | Doris Reeves shocked to find image of Joseph Kennedy in prison uniform .
Kennedy serving life plus 40 years for murdering her sister Karen Yarbrough .
Mrs Reeves: 'I'm so angry. It would mean everything just to get it down' |
12c1e99842896905f88f471c478bb8ba2d4565ec | By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 11:19 EST, 19 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:27 EST, 19 December 2012 . The death is the third in Britain linked to an outbreak of anthrax among drug users believed to have used contaminated heroin . A woman has died after injecting herself with heroin contaminated with anthrax. An inquest has been opened after Claire Skelton, 42, from Rochester, Kent, died at King's College Hospital in London on December 9. The cause of death was given as anthrax and intravenous drug abuse. Her death is the third in Britain linked to an outbreak of anthrax among drug users believed to have used contaminated heroin. The Health Protection Agency said 13 cases of anthrax among people who inject drugs have been reported in several European countries since June. Six of the cases have occurred in the UK, including four in England, one in Scotland and one in Wales. Earlier this year, two drug users died in Blackpool after contracting the bacterial infection. The HPA said the source of the infection is presumed to be contaminated heroin. Anthrax is an acute bacterial infection that normally infects humans when they inhale or ingest anthrax spores. Dr Fortune Ncube, an expert in infections among people who inject drugs at the Health Protection Agency, said: 'Anthrax can be cured with antibiotics, if treatment is started early. 'It is therefore important for medical . professionals to be alert to the possibly of anthrax infection in heroin . users presenting with signs and symptoms - which include severe soft . tissue infections or blood poisoning - to prevent any delays in . providing treatment. Anthrax (pictured) is an acute bacterial infection that normally infects humans when they inhale or ingest anthrax spores . 'It is possible that further cases may be seen in people who inject heroin. 'People who use drugs may become infected with anthrax when the heroin they use is contaminated with anthrax spores. 'This could be a source of infection if injected, smoked or snorted - there is no safe route for consuming heroin or other drugs that may be contaminated with anthrax spores.' Dr James Sedgwick, interim director of the HPA’s Kent Health Protection Unit, said: 'In light of this recent case in Medway, we have advised local agencies to talk to their service users who inject drugs about the risk of anthrax infection. 'People who inject drugs often experience skin infection but we strongly advise them not to ignore signs such as redness or excessive swelling around injection sites, or other symptoms of general illness such a high temperature, chills, severe headaches or breathing difficulties. 'They should seek medical advice quickly in such circumstances generally but particularly now because we have concerns that some batches of heroin in circulation may be contaminated with anthrax. Early treatment with antibiotics is essential for a successful recovery.' | Death is the third in Britain linked to an outbreak of anthrax amongst people using heroin . |
12c2a43f7206ccd1ce055a76d1866cc7f092e77a | By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:10 EST, 6 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:54 EST, 7 July 2012 . George Zimmerman was escorted from jail Friday afternoon after posting the new $1million bond set by the circuit judge and was whisked away, most likely to the safe house secured to him by his defence attorney. The former Neighbourhood Watch captain raised more than $20,000 in donations since Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. set his bond earlier this week. He left the Seminole County jail on Friday wearing a white dress shirt and a jacket. Scroll down for video . Freed: George Zimmerman, centre, leaves Seminole County Jail after posting a million dollar bond . Out: The bond had been set less than 24 hours earlier. His previous bond of $150,000 was revoked for misleading the courts about his finances . Zimmerman's . lawyers were able to post the bond with help from an influx of $20,000 . in donations to their client's defense fund after a desperate plea on . its website, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The $20,000 added . to the balance of $211,000 in the defense fund, which was more than . enough to cover the 10 per cent non-refundable portion charged by . bonding companies. 'He is very happy . to be out. It's been a very sobering experience spending the last month . in jail,' Zimmerman's attorney Don West told reporters on Friday . afternoon. Another attorney for Zimmerman, Mark O'Mara, said that the team had secured a temporary safe house for his client. He . is required to stay in the county and must be electronically monitored, . can't open a bank account, obtain a passport or set foot on the grounds . of the local airport. He has a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. He will be required to pay $9.50 a day to the sheriff’s office for the cost of the monitoring. The terms of Zimmerman’s release include tighter restrictions than before, including a requirement that he remain within Seminole County, though his attorney said they were going to petition the judge to be more flexible on where he can stay due to safety aspects. West told Dave D'Marko of Central Florida News 13 that the defense team had taken steps to protect Zimmerman but that off-duty officers are not being paid to shield him. A . judge set Zimmerman's bond at $1 million on Thursday. His previous . $150,000 bond was revoked after prosecutors presented evidence to that . he had misled the court about his finances. The . statement pleading for funds on Zimmerman's legal defense fund website . had contained some of the most urgent language yet from the legal team. In cuffs: Zimmerman is pictured returning to jail on June 3 after his bond was revoked . Accused: Zimmerman, a neighbourhood watch volunteer, is accused of murdering Trayvon Martin . 'We . steadfastly maintain that George Zimmerman acted in self-defense and . that he is not guilty of second degree murder,' the statement read. 'For those that . think Mr. Zimmerman has been treated unfairly by the media, for those . who feel Mr. Zimmerman has been falsely accused as a racist, for those . who feel this case is an affront to their constitutional rights – now is . the time to show your support.' The . statement added Zimmerman had to pay a bail bond company $100,000 . dollars – 10 per cent of the $1 million dollar bail – and be able to show he . had collateral worth $1 million. The bond was . raised to $1 million dollars after it emerged Zimmerman . had allowed his wife Shellie to mislead the court about how much money they . had during an April 20 bond hearing. The couple failed to disclose at least $130,000 in donations, made through a PayPal account. Uproar: The killing of Trayvon Martin, who was unarmed when he was shot dead in February, has sparked a national debate about race, guns and self-defense laws . Reenactment: In a video taken a day after the attack, Zimmerman claimed Martin had pushed him to the ground and went for his gun. Zimmerman said he fired the weapon in self defense . Prosecutors argued . Zimmerman and his wife talked in code during recorded jailhouse . conversations about how to transfer the donations to different bank . accounts. Zimmerman at one point asked how much . money they had. She replied '$155' but prosecutors allege that was code for . $155,000. Shellie Zimmerman faces arraignment at the end of the month on a perjury charge; she was freed on bond. During Zimmerman's second bond hearing, his . attorney, Mark O'Mara, said that his client was confused, fearful and . experienced a moment of weakness when he and his wife misled the court. But the judge didn't buy it and accused . Zimmerman of making plans to flee to avoid prosecution, misleading . O'Mara by not disclosing his money and trying to manipulate the judicial . system. 'The evidence is . clear that the Defendant and his wife acted in concert, but primarily at . the Defendant’s direction, to conceal their cash holdings,' Judge Kenneth Lester wrote in his statement on Thursday. Second chance: On Thursday, Judge Kenneth Lester gave Zimmerman a second opportunity to be released while he await trial by setting the bond. The judge had revoked his bond last month . Zimmerman is charged with . second-degree murder in Martin's death. He shot the unarmed youth dead on February . 26 in a gated community but has claimed he acted in self-defense when . Martin knocked him over and began smashing his head against the ground. Zimmerman's release comes after Martin's mother said she was disappointed by the judge's . decision to give Zimmerman another chance at posting bond and . leaving prison before trial. Martin's . mother, Sybrina Fulton, spoke at a news conference on Friday with the Rev. Al Sharpton. She said that knowing her son's killer 'may walk free . sometime, one day, it really hurts'. Martin's . family is in New Orleans to attend the Essence Music Festival, an annual . musical extravaganza that also tackles themes of importance to . African-Americans, such as education and the criminal justice system. | Judge set bond to $1 million on Thursday after previous bond of $150,000 was revoked for lying to the court about his finances .
Zimmerman's legal defense fund raised $20,000 in one day .
Has electronic tag, cannot go to the airport and must obey curfew .
Accused of second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin on February 26 . |
12c2dddf4f8818a9cf12b67521fa0338d0bce525 | Congresswoman Gwen Moore is bringing 400 yellow pencils – unsharpened 0 to Tuesday night's State of the Union address, hoping to spark a bipartisan show of support for free speech in the wake of the the January 7 Islamist massacre of journalists in Paris. The shooting attack by jihadis – angered by cartoon depictions of the Muslim prophet Muhammad – killed 11 and left 11 more injured. Moore 's spokesman said Tuesday that Congress has an opportunity to condemn it with one voice and defend the concept of free speech. The Wisconsin Democrat 'will hold up a yellow pencil' at selected points during Presdient Barack Obama's annual speech 'to honor those who lost their lives in the pursuit of open ideas and free expression,' Eric Harris told DailyMail.com. And she wants everyone gathered in the House chamber to join her. Scroll down for video . Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore (center) hopes to spark a statement in defense of Charlie Hebdo on Tuesday night during President Barack Obama's State of the union Address . YELLOW PENCIL: The writing implement has become a symbol of free expression across Europe, and Moore will bring 400 of them to the House cahmber on Tuesday . 'I hope it's hundreds. We've invited all our Republican colleagues,' Harris added in a phone interview. 'The congresswoman will have pencils with her on the floor. We're bringing 400.' There are 534 members of Congress, including the 100 senators who will shoehorn themselves into the crowded hall. (One House seat remains vacant after former New York Rep. Michael Grimm's resignation.) Members of the Supreme Court and most of the president's Cabinet secretaries will also attend, along with Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama and selected guests. The Moore aide said at 4:00 that nearly three dozen members of Congress had confirmed they would be participating. Harris explained that French citizens have turned ordinary pencils into protest implements in the weeks since the writers of the Charlie Hebdo satire magazine lost their lives. Holding a pencil above ones head is now an internationally recognized disapproval of censorship. From Paris to Barcelona to London, pencils lifted skyward have carried a message of support for what Charlie Hebdo stands for – an irreverent and unapologetic mocking tone toward anyone and anything of importance. 'We'd like to do it every time the president refers to the victims, and every time he refers to freedom of speech or expression,' he said. Obama is expected to mention the Paris attacks at least once Tuesday night. Separately, the House of Representatives passed a resolution on Tuesday officially condemning the Charlie Hebdo attack and a separate deadly act of terror at a Paris kosher supermarket. 'Seventeen innocents lost their lives, and this resolution carries our condolences to their loved ones,' House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement. 'With this condemnation also comes a commitment to stand with France and our allies in confronting the grave threat radical Islam poses to our security and way of life,' he said. WHERE WAS POTUS? A January 11 rally of millions in Paris went off without President Barack Obama, who was reportedly watching football; he will likely try to express his solidarity in his State of the Union address . ERASERS: Muslims in Pakistan and elsewhere have rallied to condemn the Paris magazine for showing cartoons oMuhammad . EUROPEAN UNION: As far away as the UK and Turkey – this woman demonstrated in Ankara – people have held pencils aloft to signify the defense of free expression in the face of religious extremism . Moore's spokesman was more circumspect about seeing her pencil protest as a statement about religion. 'The gesture is not meant to insult Muslims nor is it an attack on Islam,' Harris insisted in a followup email. He framed his boss's concerns in the same language Obama uses – condemning 'the threat of violent extremism' – without touching the liberal third-rail of casting suspicion on Islam itself. The idea for a pencil protest began as a Democrats-only stunt, passed in secret from press secretary to press secretary. Then an email from Harris to his colleagues was leaked to National Journal. Suddenly it was a bipartisan idea, open to both sides of the aisle. 'This is something we just planned to do privately, and then it would just be a surprise during the State of the Union,' Harris told DailyMail.com. 'But because my email was leaked – that's just how it goes.' 'I should have just put "confidential" on top of it,' he joked, 'and made sure it leaked in about ten seconds.' | Rep. Gwen Moore's spokesman says she wants to generate a show of solidarity across party lines in the wake of Islamist massacre in Paris .
The spokesman asked fellow Democrats in a private email what would happen if 'every Dem stands up and holds a yellow #2 pencil in the air during the applause line'
Since the email was leaked, Moore has expanded her reach to Republicans as well .
Pencils won't be sharpened, out of security concerns, as President Barack Obama addresses a joint session of Congress .
Pencils lifted skyward have carried a message of support for what the satire magazine Charlie Hebdo stands for, and against religious extremism . |
12c3fde6fa4ea1a3a5d532665464d89a33859369 | This is the chilling moment a gunman was caught on security camera just seconds before shooting a taxi driver three times. The bearded man jumped into the back of a cab in the Bronx area of New York in the early hours of Sunday, police said. He then pulled out a gun and threatened driver Raphael Martinez, 54, in his cab around 5.10am when the driver did not understand his demands. A goateed gunman was caught on CCTV tape moments before shooting a livery-cab driver in The Bronx early on Sunday morning . The unknown assailant threatened driver Raphael Martinez, 54, in his cab around 5.10am . The attack was captured on the in-car security cameras. According to the New York Post, police said he shot at the cab driver five times, hitting him twice, before waiting until the wounded, married father of three stumbled outside the vehicle — and shot him again. Police said the incident happened at White Plains Road and Lafayette Avenue in the Soundview section. The victim was hospitalised but is now in a stable condition, at Jacobi Medical Center. His brother Julian Martinez said: 'My brother was saying, ‘Wait! I don’t understand you!’ and [the perp] just started shooting. '[The gunman] didn’t give him time,' Julian said. 'He just shot him. All he had was $8.' Manny Lopez, a dispatcher at DAT, the livery service where the victim works, said that after the shooting, the driver had called for help via his radio. Raphael Martinez was in stable condition last night. The suspect, described as a man in his 20s, was last seen wearing a tan bubble jacket and a hooded sweatshirt with 'Abercrombie Fitch' written on the front as seen in the images here. He shot Martinez five times - including twice in face. Fortunately he is in stable condition at a local hospital . Police said the incident happened at White Plains Road and Lafayette Avenue in the Soundview section . | Bearded man jumped into the back of a cab in the Bronx area of New York in the early hours of Sunday .
It is believed he shot driver Raphael Martinez when he did not understand his demands .
The attack was captured on the in-car security cameras . |
12c41f38600cb918429fde3b00096688793f2f40 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:02 EST, 30 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:29 EST, 30 October 2013 . A long-lost Orson Welles film has finally had its U.S. premiere some 75 years after the unfinished silent movie was produced by the cinema genius. Too Much Johnson, which pre-dates his masterpiece debut Orson Welles, was recently discovered in an Italian warehouse and had its first ever American screening in Rochester, New York on October 16. The . film was supposed to accompany a stage production of a William Gillette . play and stars Joseph Cotten - who was to collaborate with Welles again . in the 1941 Citizen Kane and again in 1949's The Third Man. The play opened without the film in August 1938 and flopped. Scroll down for video . Welles made the silent slapstick comedy in New York City shortly before heading to Hollywood to film Citizen Kane, considered by many critics to be the best movie ever made . Welles died in 1985 and believed that the only remaining copy of the film had burned up in a 1970 fire that had destroyed his home in Spain . The U.S. screening took place at the Dryden Theater at the George Eastman House, where experts restored the 35 mm nitrate work print of the film . The U.S. screening took place at the Dryden Theater at the George Eastman House, where experts restored the 35 mm nitrate work print of the film. Italian film archivists announced in August that a copy of 'Too Much Johnson originally believed destroyed in a fire had been found in a box by a shipping company in Pordenone, a northeastern Italian city that's home to the Le Giornate del Cinema Muto silent film festival where the film had it global premier earlier this month. The film was turned over to a local film society, but the find seemed of no particular value and was left unopened for many years. Circo Giorgini, an Italian expert on Welles, identified the film about three years ago. The only remaining copy was believed to have been burned up in a 1970 fire that destroyed Welles' home in Madrid, Spain. Welles died in 1985. How the film arrived in Pordenone remains a mystery. The film was supposed to accompany a stage production of a William Gillette play, but the play opened without the film in August 1938 and flopped . Film accompaniment: Orson Welles wanted his 40-minute, three-act film to be prologues for the three acts of a William Gillette play he was putting on at the Mercury Theater . 'This is by far the most important film restoration by George Eastman House in a very long time,' said Paolo Cherchi Usai, senior curator of film, who supervised the project. 'Holding in one's hands the very same print that had been personally edited by Orson Welles 75 years ago provokes an emotion that's just impossible to describe.' Welles made the silent slapstick comedy in New York City shortly before heading to Hollywood to film Citizen Kane, considered by many critics to be the best movie ever made. Too Much Johnson, filmed in 1938, has nowhere near the complexity of Kane or the tense thrills of The Third Man but offers a never-before-seen glimpse at the skills of one of cinema's greats. It had never been shown in public and . was at one time lost to Welles himself, who expressed his shock at . finding a copy in storage at his home near Madrid, Spain. It . was this copy of the film, which most experts agreed was the only copy, . that was destroyed in a fire at Welles's home in the 1970s. The film was designed to run for 40 minutes, with 20 minutes devoted to the play's prologue and two 10-minute introductions for the second and third act . But a virtually pristine print was recently discovered in an Italian warehouse, and has now been restored by George Eastman House. The film was not intended to stand by . itself, but was designed as the cinematic aspect of Welles's Mercury . Theater stage presentation of William Gillette's 1894 comedy. The play follows the fortunes of a New . York playboy who flees from the violent husband of his mistress and . borrows the identity of a plantation owner in Cuba - who is expecting the . arrival of a mail-order bride. The film was designed to run for 40 minutes, with . 20 minutes devoted to the play's prologue and two 10-minute . introductions for the second and third act. Welles wanted it to be a . silent film in the tradition of the Mack Sennett slapstick comedies, in . order to enhance the various chases, duels and comic conflicts of the . Gillette play. In addition - and typical of Welles's innovation - live music and live sound effects would be synchronized with the footage to provide a 'surround sound' effect for the audience. But the film was never fully . finished. It was anticipated that the play would be a flop and Welles . let the film project die a natural death, putting the footage in . storage. He recalled in a . later interview that he was surprised to find a copy at his home, . saying: 'I can't remember whether I had it all along and dug it out of . the bottom of a trunk, or whether someone brought it to me, but there it . was. Long-time collaboration: The unseen film stars Joseph Cotten - seen here with Welles in 1949's The Third Man. Welles himself said Cotten's performance was amazing, but nonetheless did not want the film shown publicly . Masterpiece: Citizen Kane - the 1941 film written, directed by and starring Orson Welles - is widely regarded as the best film ever made . 'I screened it, and it was in perfect . condition, with not a scratch on it, as though it had only been through . a projector once or twice before. It had a fine quality. 'Cotten was magnificent, and I immediately made plans to edit it and send it to Joe as a birthday present.'. But Welles never allowed the footage to be seen publicly, stating the film would not make sense outside of the full context of the Gillette play . The recent copy was found in a warehouse by the staff of Pordenone arthouse Cinemazero. Other Mercury Theater actors that appear in the film include Eustace Wyatt, Edgar Barrier, Ruth Ford, Arlene Francis, Mary Wickes, Welles himself and his wife Virginia Nicholson. The play opened without the film on August 16, 1938 - and flopped. The unfinished nitrate work print was given by Cinemazero to Italian film archive Cineteca del Friuli, which transferred it to George Eastman House to be preserved with a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation. Paolo Cherchi Usai, senior curator of film, who supervised the project for George Eastman House, said: 'This is by far the most important film restoration by George Eastman House in a very long time. Holding in one’s hands the very same print that had been personally edited by Orson Welles 75 years ago provokes an emotion that’s just impossible to describe.' Despite the fact that it pre-dates Citizen Kane, even Too Much Johnson is not Welles's directorial debut. In 1934, while still attending The Todd School for . Boys, he co-directed (with friend William Vance) a short avant garde . film called The Hearts Of Age. | Too Much Johnson was made by the famous director prior to his 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane .
It was intended to accompany a play, but the idea was scrapped and the film never completed .
The extremely rare print was discovered several years ago in Italy .
75 years after it was made it had its U.S. premiere in Rochester, New York, on Oct 16 . |
12c5020d15e67117581d87cf7a6fee15a0621ea6 | Three weeks from now they are supposed to be the dream team that will lead America to victory at the Ryder Cup. But Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley didn’t cover themselves in glory yesterday when they withdrew before the start of the third round of the BMW Championship. Twenty-four hours after declaring the Cherry Hills course an ‘extremely fun place to play’, Mickelson evidently decided he wasn’t having any fun at all after a second-round 76 left him well off the pace. Players are not supposed to withdraw without good reason and the 44-year-old star attraction will surely be fined. ‘My primary goal is to rest and prepare for the Ryder Cup,’ he said in a prepared statement. VIDEO Scroll down to see Mickelson talk about his fitness . Swanning off: Phil Mickelson watches his shot at the BMW Championship but it was a disappointing day for Lefty . Signing off: Mickelson signs autographs for excited fans after his round in Denver . It brought an abrupt end to comfortably the worst season of Mickelson’s career, where the only top 10 was running Rory McIlroy close at the USPGA Championship. After all those years of Tiger and Phil, this was the season their era came to an end, with neither winning on tour for the first time since 1992. For those who remained, revitalised Spaniard Sergio Garcia headed into the third round with a one-stroke lead over American Ryan Palmer, with Rory McIlroy, his nemesis this summer, a further shot adrift. Decisions: Mickelson discusses his next course of action with caddie Jim Mackay . Meanwhile, Graeme Storm will drive away from Switzerland tonight in a new BMW after a hole in one at the European Masters. The Englishman, who is having such a dreadful year that he cannot afford to run a car, holed out with a six iron on the 11th at Crans-sur-Sierre on his way to a third-round 64 and a one-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood. | Mickelson will miss the FedEx Cup play-offs finale for the first time in his career .
A six-over-par 76 left Mickelson seventh last in the 68-man field .
He said: 'My primary goal is to rest and prepare for the Ryder Cup'
2014 edition takes place at Gleneagles from September 26-28 .
Mickelson will be appearing in his eighth Ryder Cup . |
12c5c91f4a3e0864ef7fb9f3074e5e72b7077f3e | (CNN) -- Alabama lawmakers passed a new bill Wednesday aimed at improving the state's controversial immigration law, but critics said the new measure might make things worse. Demonstrators protested outside the chambers of the Alabama state House and Senate. Seven of them were arrested, said Justin Cox, staff attorney with the ACLU Immigrants Rights Project. The Southern Poverty Law Center's legal director was among those arrested, said Marion Steinfels, a representative of the organization. Police could not be immediately reached for comment. The center is one of the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against Alabama's immigration law. The new immigration bill, known as HB 658, was approved by the state House and Senate Wednesday. The state's governor will have the final say, with the power to sign the bill into law or veto it. "We will conduct a final review of the legislation as passed and make a final decision from there," said Jeremy King, a spokesman for Gov. Robert Bentley. "Governor Bentley's goal is to emerge with an immigration bill that is simplified, clarified, more effective, and more enforceable." Alabama Sen. Dick Brewbaker told CNN that the new bill addresses unintended consequences of the state's immigration law, including clarifying the types of documents that can serve as a form of official identification. It does not address parts of the law that are at issue in federal courts, he said. Critics say parts of the new measure would be even harsher than last year's immigration law, which is known as the toughest in the nation. "The new bill preserves most of the law while adding several positions that make it even more dangerous," the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice said in a statement. Cox, of the ACLU, said the biggest problem of the new bill was the requirement that the Alabama Department of Homeland Security post online the names of illegal immigrants that appear in state courts. The coalition said that provision "amounts to a 'scarlet letter' provision likely to lead to harassment and vigilantism." The new measure also includes a provision that allows someone to be detained for up to 48 hours while authorities determine their immigration status. "Alabama took a step backward in approving this ill-conceived measure," said Olivia Turner, executive director of the ACLU of Alabama. "Lawmakers were deaf to the concerns of many residents, business owners and police who realize this law is a bad idea. Alabama will continue to pay a severe price for a law that is almost impossible to enforce properly and blatantly unconstitutional." House lawmakers voted 68-37 in favor of the Senate's version of the bill Wednesday night. Before the vote, several representatives appeared skeptical about the Senate version of the bill. House lawmakers approved a different version of the bill last month. Rep. Napoleon Bracy Jr. criticized senators for the proposal, calling it "a totally different bill that no one has had a chance to read that's full of unintended consequences." Other lawmakers worried that the measure would negatively affect the state's economy, and expressed concerns about racial profiling. But lawmakers backing the bill said it protects the state's residents and helps its economy. Alabama's existing law, known as HB 56, has several provisions, including one requiring police who make lawful traffic stops or arrests to try to determine the immigration status of anyone they suspect might be in the country illegally. A federal appeals court has blocked some components, however, including one requiring Alabama officials to check the immigration status of children in public schools. The Alabama law is one of a number of several state laws aiming to crack down on illegal immigration, and has become part of a nationwide skirmish between state federal officials over who controls immigration enforcement. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments over Arizona's similar immigration measure. A ruling could come in late June, just before the justices recess for the summer. CNN's Dave Alsup contributed to this report. | NEW: A spokesman for Alabama's governor says he is reviewing the legislation .
7 protesters against the new measure are arrested, an ACLU attorney says .
Supporters say the bill fixes unintended consequences of the controversial law .
Critics say it will make things worse . |
12c60131665dac70229a14de22392dee1a23b773 | By . Daniel Miller and Victoria Wellman . PUBLISHED: . 14:51 EST, 15 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:58 EST, 15 October 2012 . The family of an Illinois woman reported missing with her two young children seven days ago are breathing a huge sigh of relief after police found all three alive and safe 150 miles away in Wisconsin yesterday. Aneta Marsek and her daughters were reported missing by her estranged husband after family members had been unable to reach her since the previous Saturday evening. Police located Ms Marsek, 33 and her two daughters, Chevelle, 2, and Macenzie, four months, after the mother asked a garage attendant in Wisconsin Dells to call the police and let them know they were alive and living in her SUV. Found: Aneta Marsek and her daughters Macenzie, four months, and Chevelle, 2, had been missing for seven days before police found them parked in Wisconsin Dells where they had been living in the car . The Volo mother told Lake County . Sheriff's department that she 'needed to get away' and that she many . 'childhood memories' of the Wisconsin Dells area. Missing mom: Aneta Marsek, 33, told police that she had needed to get away and that the area reminded her of her childhood . The trio were found living in Ms . Marsek's Chevrolet Trailblazer in a 'secluded wooded area' near County . Road H and Fitzgerald Road. Karen Kates of the Lake County . Sheriff's office told MailOnline that despite the long period of time . away from home with an infant, Ms Marsek ' had supplies to care for the . baby.' Before their return home, the mother and her two children had last seen leaving her parents' Wauconda home at around 7pm Saturday night though police now say she didn't leave for Wisconsin until Monday. Police cordoned off the family home . in the nearby village of Volo. A CSI van was parked in the driveway and . investigators were seen moving in and out of the house with equipment. Days ago, family friend Kelly Lizzo told Chicago's WGNTV: 'We're worried about her. We're worried about the kids. 'We . don't know what happened. We don't know where she is, and of course, . not knowing, anything and everything is going through your head.' Police issued an 'endangered missing person' notice and distributed 9,000 posters appealing to the public for help. Memories: Ms Marsek and her daughters were living in her car in a secluded area of Wisconsin Dells near County Road H and Fitzgerald Road . Home: The trio had been living in a similar Chevrolet Trailblazer in which Lake County Sheriff's office says the mother packed enough supplies to care for the baby . On Saturday night, losing hope for the . safe return of Ms Marsek and her daughters, nearly 100 people turned out . to a vigil held by the family. Found safe and sound, all three were taken to St. Clair Hospital in Baraboo, Wisconsin to be examined. Investigation: A CSI van is seen parked in the family home in the village of Volo, Lake County, Illinois . Search: . A CSI team carrying equipment out of the family hom. Mrs Marsek and her . daughters were reported missing by her estranged husband Dan . Described by police as being in 'good health' the two little girls were released into the custody of their father, Dan Marsek, while Aneta Marsek was transported to the Winnebago Mental Health Facility in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for further examination. Karen Kates confirmed that the case had now been turned over to Lake County state's attorney's office to review. Praying: Around 100 people attended a vigil for the missing mother and her two babies when she showed no signs of turning up last week . | Aneta Marsek found living in Chevrolet Trailblazer in Wisconsin Dells, 150 miles from her home .
Both children in 'good health' have been released into custody of their father .
Trio last seen leaving parents' home in Wauconda, Illinois on Saturday night .
Police and CSI team searched family home in the nearby village of Volo .
Family held vigil on Saturday night before she called police on Sunday with news of her whereabouts . |
12c63307fc474b28f04bcbf9827d66f24be2d53c | By . Rob Cooper and Sarah Bull . PUBLISHED: . 07:02 EST, 27 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:55 EST, 27 November 2013 . Nigella Lawson’s chances of conquering the lucrative U.S. market are now in danger of collapsing like a bad soufflé, experts said yesterday. Drugs claims surrounding the TV cook swept quickly across the Atlantic, where she had become a rising star as a judge on hit cookery competition The Taste. TV network ABC said a second series featuring Miss Lawson would be screened as planned in January, but sources said bosses were ‘debating’ whether to invite her back for a third. Advert: Nigella Lawson, 53, is seen (second from the left) in the promo for the new series of The Taste which was screened on ABC in the US last night. The talent show judges are (left to right) Ludo Lefebvre, Nigella, Marcus Samuelsson and Anthony Bourdain . Taste test: Nigella Lawson tries one of the contestant's dishes in the advert for The Taste which was screened on ABC last night . Tweet: A message posted on Twitter this morning by Nigella Lawson for a 'holiday hotcake' as she gets on with life as normal . Restaurant 'choking': Charles Saatchi puts his hand round Nigella Lawson's throat in a Mayfair, central London, earlier this year before their marriage collapsed . ‘We will wait to see the fallout from the court case and if there are further allegations of drug use,’ said the source. ‘If . these allegations are proven and substantiated, then her career on . American TV is over.’ The source added that the channel had ‘zero . tolerance’ towards drugs and claimed bad publicity would mean no . production company ‘will want to touch her’. ABC’s . flagship show Good Morning America featured a two-minute news report on . the trial of the Grillo sisters yesterday – but within hours the . network also broadcast a promotional clip for The Taste. The ABC source said Miss Lawson would have been paid more than £200,000 per episode. The . show has also been commissioned by Channel 4, which yesterday said . filming for the ten-episode series had finished and will be screened in . Britain early next year. It was alleged yesterday that Nigella abused cocaine, cannabis and prescription drugs. Accused: Italian sisters Elisabetta Grillo (centre) and Francesca (right) arrive at Isleworth Crown Court today where they are due to stand trial charged with defrauding Charles Saatchi's company out of £300,000 . Drug claims: Nigella Lawson's daughter Cosima, 19, (right) also took drugs with her, it was alleged in court yesterday . The claims emerged from court as her two former PAs, Italian sisters Francesca Grillo, 41, and Elisabetta . Grillo, 35, prepared to stand trial accused of spending £300,000 on Charles Saatchi's company credit cards. The British cook is a panel judge alongside Ludo Lefebvre, Marcus Samuelsson and Anthony Bourdain. A statement from ABC said: 'We have . already wrapped production on ‘The Taste’ and it will air as planned . beginning January 2nd.' However, . while the second series will go ahead, ABC are still 'debating' whether . or not to invite Nigella back to judge a third season of the show, . sources told the New York Daily News. Meanwhile, . Channel 4 confirmed to MailOnline that they will be going ahead with their plans to . air a 10-part UK version of The Taste in early 2014 regardless of the . allegations of drug use. Dominic . Bird, Channel 4's head of formats, said in July when it was confirmed . the channel had picked up the series: 'I'm thrilled that Nigella is . returning to Channel 4 alongside Anthony and Ludo. 'The . Taste promises to be a hugely exciting and compelling competition with . stellar talent and exceptional cooking at its heart.' A spokesman for Nigella Lawson referred questions about The Taste to ABC in the U.S. Drugs claims: The second series of The Taste, which Nigella Lawson is a judge on, will be screened in the U.S. from January . Taking centre stage: Nigella (left) appears on the judging panel on The Taste alongside Ludo Lefebvre . Judging panel: The new series of The Taste will be screened despite claims that Nigella took drugs. She can be seen here sat next to co-judge Marcus Samuelsson . Panel: Nigella is joined on the panel by fellow judges Ludo Lefebvre, Marcus Samuelsson and Anthony Bourdain . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Court heard Nigella 'took cocaine, cannabis and prescription drugs'
Advert for the TV chef's new series airs in the U.S. despite the claims .
ABC said they have no plans to axe show which screens from January 2 .
She Tweeted link to recipe for 'holiday hotcake' this morning .
Two PAs due to stand trial for 'spending £300,000 on company credit cards' |
12c6c5104bf9c6b31eae59fd67d3e714c06de56e | Another tense standoff developed Monday night in Ferguson, Missouri, which has seen nightly protests since unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot to death by a white police officer. The renewed tensions came after the preliminary results of an autopsy that Brown's family requested were released, as was a new account of what allegedly happened in the moments immediately before the teenager was killed by a local police officer. Evidence in the shooting death could be presented to a grand jury as early as Wednesday. And as the situation in the St. Louis suburb was being watched and talked about across the country, it continued to draw comments from numerous quarters -- including the White House. "We have all seen images of protesters and law enforcement in the streets. It's clear that the vast majority of people are peacefully protesting. What's also clear is that a small minority of individuals are not," said President Barack Obama. "While I understand the passions and the anger that arise over the death of Michael Brown, giving into that anger by looting, or carrying guns, and even attacking the police only serves to raise tensions and stir chaos," he said, in a call for calm. "Let's see some understanding" rather than confrontation, and "let's seek to heal," the President said. The protests in Ferguson also prompted Gov. Jay Nixon to call out the National Guard. Officials temporarily detained several people, including news photographer Scott Olson and longtime activist and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein. Dueling narratives . The officer who killed Brown says the teenager rushed at him full speed in the moments before the shooting, according to an account phoned in to a St. Louis radio station and confirmed by a source with detailed knowledge of the investigation. According to the version on KFTK, phoned in by a woman who identified herself as "Josie," the altercation on August 9 began after Officer Darren Wilson rolled down his window to tell Brown and a friend to stop walking in the street. When Wilson tried to get out of his cruiser, Brown first tried to push the officer back into the car, then punched him in the face and grabbed for his gun before breaking free after the gun went off once, the caller said. Wilson pursued Brown and his friend, ordering them to freeze, according to the account. When they turned around, Brown began taunting Wilson, saying he would not arrest them, then ran at the officer at full speed, the caller said. Wilson then began shooting. The final shot was to Brown's forehead, and the teenager fell two or three feet in front of Wilson, said the caller, who identified herself as the officer's friend. A source with detailed knowledge of the investigation later told CNN the caller's account is "accurate," in that it matches what Wilson has told investigators. But accounts of exactly what happened when Wilson stopped Brown vary widely. Witnesses said they saw a scuffle between the officer and Brown at the police car before the young man was shot. Several witnesses said Brown raised his hands and was not attacking the officer. Piaget Crenshaw said she was sitting in her home when she witnessed the shooting. She captured video of the aftermath, including images of Brown's body lying in the middle of the street. Crenshaw said Brown was running away from police and then turned around. She said that was when Brown was shot. Police provided a different narrative, saying Brown struggled with the officer and reached for his weapon. Parallel investigations . A grand jury will hear testimony from witnesses and decide on whether to return an indictment in the case, Ed McGee, spokesman for the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, said Monday, stressing there is "no time line on this case." In addition to that proceeding, the Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into Brown's death. Attorney General Eric Holder will travel to Ferguson this week, to meet with investigators there. "I realize there is tremendous interest in the facts of the incident that led to Michael Brown's death, but I ask for the public's patience as we conduct this investigation," the attorney general said in a statement. "The selective release of sensitive information that we have seen in this case so far is troubling to me. No matter how others pursue their own separate inquiries, the Justice Department is resolved to preserve the integrity of its investigation." Autopsy findings . An autopsy conducted for the family of Brown found no evidence that he struggled with Wilson before his death, according to the pathologist in charge of the examination. Dr. Michael Baden conducted the autopsy after an official examination by the St. Louis County medical examiner's office. Forensics consultant Shawn Parcells, who assisted Baden, said the findings are consistent with witness reports that Brown may have been shot as he walked away and that he was shot again with his hands up. The family autopsy found that Brown was shot at least six times, including two shots to his head. Three of the bullets may have re-entered his body, causing additional damage, Baden said. One of the bullets entered his head and came out through his eye; another -- likely the fatal wound, Baden said -- struck Brown on the top of his head and caused irreparable damage to his brain. Family attorney Benjamin Crump said Brown probably would have been either kneeling or bending forward when he was struck with those bullets. Brown had abrasions on his face consistent with falling onto the ground, Baden said. He cautioned that he needs access to autopsy results, including tests on Brown's clothes and X-rays, before making some conclusions. But Crump said the autopsy already offered more than "ample" evidence to support Wilson's arrest. "What does this autopsy say? That the witness accounts were true, that he was shot multiple times," Crump told reporters. Attorney General Holder said a third autopsy was being conducted Monday by medical examiners from the U.S. military. Michael Brown death: Autopsy unlikely to settle dueling narratives . Devolution of protests . Another family attorney, Anthony Gray, implored protesters to remain peaceful. "I can see that there is a very disturbing divide that is developing in our community," he said Monday. "This is not what we initially came to the community and called for." The situation remains so unstable that the Ferguson-Florissant School District has canceled classes for the rest of the week. The Missouri National Guard was in Ferguson under orders from the governor to restore peace. Nixon issued the order early Monday after what began as peaceful protests spiraled into disarray after two civilians were shot and injured, Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said. He said those civilians were not shot by police. Some protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at police, and several businesses were vandalized or looted despite the Brown family's call for calm. "Based on these conditions, I had no alternative but to elevate the level of our response," Johnson said. Officers fired tear gas into hundreds of protesters, including children, who were marching toward a police command post despite an impending midnight curfew. Two children were treated and released for exposure to tear gas overnight at St. Louis Children's Hospital, according to a spokeswoman there. Protester Lisha Williams challenged the notion that protesters provoked officers. "That is a lie. It was no fight, it was no shots fired," she told CNN late Sunday. "All we did was march to the command center to fall to our knees and say, 'Don't shoot.' And they started shooting." 5 things to know about Michael Brown's shooting . Complete coverage of the Ferguson shooting . | Brown rushed full speed at officer, an account called in to St. Louis radio station claims .
A source with detailed knowledge of the investigation says the account is accurate .
Autopsy suggests Brown kneeling or bending forward when shot in head, lawyer says . |
12c7ae9e202eeeb87153ec5d6e1a7a850a9c4384 | By . David Baker . Last updated at 2:02 PM on 28th January 2012 . Anton Ferdinand was today spared having to shake John Terry's hand before QPR's FA Cup clash with Chelsea. The Football Association gave the clubs permission not to take part in the traditional pre-match handshake, amid uncertainty as to whether Rangers defender Ferdinand would snub Terry. Today is the first time the two sides have met since Terry was charged with racially abusing Ferdinand during October`s Premier League game between the two. Handshake: Chelsea captain John Terry and Queens Park Rangers' captain Joey Barton are the only players to shake hands ahead of the FA Cup Fourth Round match at Loftus Road . Terry has denied the offence and Ferdinand was reportedly agonising over whether or not to accept his hand. The FA released a statement, which read: 'Following discussions on Friday evening and Saturday morning involving senior officials from QPR, Chelsea and the FA, it has been agreed there will not be the usual team handshake before today's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Loftus Road. 'The FA agreed to the request by both clubs in an attempt to further defuse tensions before the match.' Tensions: John Terry and Anton Ferdinand were on opposite sides at Loftus Road . Challenge: Chelsea's John Terry goes up for a challenge with Anton Ferdinand after the pair were spared a contentious hand-shake after the routine was cancelled by the FA . During today's game Ferdinand's first touch was greeted with huge cheers from the home support but shortly after half time fans were reported to be throwing objects at each other. Chelsea went ahead in the cup clash around the hour mark as QPR goalkeeper Paddy Kenny was sent the wrong way by a Juan Mata penalty. The decision to award the spot kick came after Daniel Sturridge went down in the box, following a tackle from Clint Hill. Going down: Daniel Sturridge earns Chelsea a penalty in their 1-0 win over QPR . That spot kick settled the cup tie and Chelsea sailed through to the next round but the cancelled handshake was the real talking point. It is not the first time John Terry has been at the centre of a handshake row. Two years ago Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge snubbed Terry's hand as the pair met for the first time since revelations about Terry's alleged affair with Bridge’s ex-partner Vanessa Perroncel. Yesterday Ferdinand had been the target of a death threat on the eve of his reunion with race-row rival John Terry. Juan nil: Mata scored from the spot after Sturridge was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area . He was sent a bullet in the post just 24 hours before QPR met Chelsea in the FA Cup, according to Sky News. A . Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘I can confirm we are investigating . an allegation of malicious communication received today at Queens Park . Rangers football club. ‘Officers from Hammersmith and Fulham are investigating.’ Cup: John Terry arrives at Loftus Road for Chelsea's FA Cup clash with QPR . The report is a chilling echo of when . Celtic manager Neil Lennon was mailed a bullet, death threats and . parcel bombs earlier this year. The revelation was thought to put . Ferdinand's planned appearance in the game in jeopardy but the defender . made the starting line-up. The QPR defender was allegedly the victim of a racist slur from the England captain during . October's Barclays Premier League game between the sides. It is the first time since that game, which QPR won 1-0, and just four days . before the court case begins in which Terry stands accused of abusing . Ferdinand, that the pair have come up against each other. Precaution: Police await the arrival of John Terry and other Chelsea stars in the lead up to their game against Anton Ferdinand's QPR . Derby: Security for QPR's clash with Chelsea has been stepped up after Anton Ferdinand recieved a package containing a bullet in the post . The match was brought forward to 12pm today amid concerns from both clubs and the authorities that there could be an incend.'iary atmosphere. Playing on: Terry looks certain to appear in tomorrow's game . Chelsea fans have previously been heard chanting: 'Anton Ferdinand, you know what you are . QPR manager Mark Hughes said: 'I think we understand what is meant by that. 'If there is inappropriate chanting or behaviour then you get ejected from the ground.' Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said yesterday he hoped Ferdinand would not snub Terry. Ferdinand was said to be agonising over . whether or not to shake Terry's hand before the match but the decision was taken out of his hands. Asked yesterday if it was important they shook hands, Villas-Boas said: 'Extremely important, extremely important. 'This game is based on good values more than anything else. 'These players should continue to promote these good values.' Villas-Boas confirmed the matter had been discussed with Terry, who denies having racially abused Ferdinand. The Chelsea boss said: 'Everybody has been having conversations, from the top, to the players, to the manager.' Hughes, said: 'If he feels it is not appropriate, that has to . be his own decision. It won't be influenced by myself or the club.' Villas-Boas . reiterated he would not consider leaving out Terry and said he had not . felt the need to check on his frame of mind this week. 'No, not at all,' he said. 'I have to count on the player, and the player is fit and available for the game. He also revealed he had no plans to . issue special instructions to his players reminding them to stay calm . amid what is likely to be a hostile atmosphere. Admitting there were 'extra . responsibilities' to consider, he added: 'I won't speak to the players . specifically about that before the game, not at all.' 'Supporters . from both sides were this week warned about their conduct and . Villas-Boas predicted there would not be any problems at QPR's Loftus Road ground. He said: 'The environment was outstanding the last time we played there at Loftus Road, so I expect it to be the same.' Hughes says QPR are ready to eject anyone making trouble. 'We as a club obviously have spoken quite closely with Chelsea and the police. I just hope everybody is sensible and enjoys the game for what it is, a fantastic cup tie that we're all looking forward to. 'We basically want to be talking about the football and what happens on the pitch.' | Only captains forced to shake hands before cup clash .
Two stars square up for first time since Terry charged with racial abuse .
Juan Mata penalty puts Chelsea through to next round . |
12c8a29337f8b001714f13e771ae1f969f671289 | PUBLISHED: . 06:47 EST, 6 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 06:29 EST, 9 January 2014 . David Moyes' misery at Manchester United was compounded further at the weekend as he watched his side crash out of the FA Cup in the third round at home to Swansea. Some bookmakers even have the champions priced at 25/1 to retain the title this season, so where is it all going wrong for the Scot? Is former boss Sir Alex Ferguson - now a director watching matches from the stands - an unwanted distraction too? And will Swansea upset them again when they meet in the league on Saturday? What about Sam Allardyce - will he be the next Premier League manager to go? The beleaguered West Ham boss faces yet another testing week following Sunday's 5-0 FA Cup humiliation at Nottingham Forest. Tough at the top: David Moyes saw his Manchester United side crash out of the FA Cup at home to Swansea . Man in the stands: Sir Alex Ferguson remains a big presence at Manchester United despite his retirement last year . The Hammers visit Manchester City on . Wednesday for the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final and then . travel to Cardiff on Saturday in a crunch clash at the bottom of the . Premier League. Theo . Walcott is set to be sidelined for four weeks due to injury. Do Arsenal . need to spend big in the transfer window in their bid to end eight . trophyless years this season? Ask all these questions and more as Sportsmail's columnist Martin Keown takes over at 12.30pm on Thursday for a LIVE Q&A session on the site. You can email direct to Martin at tacklekeown@mailonline.co.uk. You can also use the comments section below and log in on Thursday to post your questions for Martin to answer live. Hammered: Sam Allardyce saw his inexperienced West Ham side humiliated 5-0 in the FA Cup at Nottingham Forest . Alternatively, log on to Twitter and send your question to @MailOnlineSport using the hashtag #TackleKeown . So, what are you waiting for? Tackle Keown! Tackle Keown: The Sportsmail columnist is waiting to answer your questions . Arsenal legend: Keown enjoyed a successful spell with the Gunners, winning three Premier League titles . | Sam Allardyce faces further pressure - should West Ham sack him?
Who will win the FA Cup?
Will Swansea stun Manchester United when they meet again on Saturday? |
12c9aef404f491116f046fb3e175cde15d84ac3a | A homeless man whose one wish this holiday season was to find a family to spend Thanksgiving with so he would not be alone got just what he wished for on Thursday - and more. Neal Shytles, who lives in a shelter in Norfolk, Virginia, had the chance to break bread and gobble up some turkey with Ashley McLemore and her husband Cory, a military couple from nearby Newport News who said they understood what it was like to be away from family during the holidays. And it wasn't just a meal Neil got, with the amazing couple also handing him something else after the meal. Scroll down for video . Breaking bread: Neal Shytles (left) got a chance to spend Thanksgiving with Ashley McLemore and her husband Cory (center in black and red) More than words: An emotional Neal broke down thanks to the military couple's generosity . Amazing folks: After the meal, Cory gave Neal a $400 gift card for staples that he purchased with money he and his coworkers raised . Thanks to some generous donations from his coworkers, Cory gave Neil a gift card for $400 to buy himself some necessities like new clothes. The two men hit it off the second Cory picked him up at the shelter, with Neil enveloping him in a bear hug. And now it seems like Neil is a part of the McLemore family, even carving the turkey on Thursday. 'He is a wonderful person who is selfless and I’m so blessed that he’s going to be part of our family,' said Ashley. As for the gift card, that was just too much for Neil, who broke down in tears and hugged Ashley as he said, 'You didn’t have to do this. I just wanted a meal.' Miss the cook: Ashley made a traditional Thanksgiving feast for their guest . New family: Neal broke down in tears again as he hugged and thanks Ashley . First meeting: Neal enveloped Cory in a bear hug as soon as he met him at the Union Mission, where he stays . Even better, because of Neil's plea and the altruism of the McLemores, the donations have been pouring in for the Union Mission, where Neil stays. 'I hope people learn that the homeless are not what sometimes you picture the homeless to be,' Neal told WTKR. 'I could sit there and just cry because people are doing so much for the homeless now.' BHlessed: 'I have had one of the best days in many years,' said Neal of the holiday . Model male: Cory and Ashley say they understand what it is like being alone on the holidays as they are away from their families . Welcome home: Ashley said after Thursday she considers Neal part of the family . As for his thoughts on Thanksgiving with his new family, Neil wrote on Facebook Thursday evening, 'I have had one of the best days in many years. I celebrated an awesome holiday with awesome people.' And isn't that what the holidays are supposed to be all about? | Neal Shytles got to spend Thanksgiving with Ashley McLemore and her husband Cory after making a plea for a family to take him in for the day .
Neal said he did not want to spend the holiday along .
Ashley and Cory, a military couple, cooked him a fest and say Neal is now like family to them .
Neal also got a $400 gift thanks to Cory and his coworkers, who raised the funds .
'I have had one of the best days in many years,' said Neal . |
12ca0df91db3bd4bc20b9a89a7fd8c486648077c | Three in four British women would choose a man with love handles over one sporting a six-pack. That's 23 million of us who find muscular men a turn off; 96% predict a date with an abs-obsessed bloke to be positively dreary. These stats are the result of a study commissioned to mark the DVD release of Bad Neighbours, a film featuring numerous shirtless scenes of actors Seth Rogen (in the flab corner) and Zac Effron (in the abs). Scroll down for video . A recent study revealed that when it comes to body types, women prefer their man to have a little more to love . Let's be clear here: these results don't mean women won't be eyeing off Zac's 'V' line: the muscular line running from the hip bone to the groin. Did they audition chubby men for the highly anticipated film of Fifty Shades of Grey? I don't think so. We will ogle, we will fantasise. But when it comes to real life, we don't want chiselled perfection in our bed. The question is: why on earth not? Why don't women want some hot, buff, perfect-bodied man lying beside us? The sad answer is this: we're worried we won't shape up. Seventy-four percent of women in the survey said they'd feel self-conscious taking their clothes off in front of a perfectly toned man. A he-man's discipline highlights our lack of it, making us feel even more acutely self-conscious of our own body flaws than usual. Tracey says we avoid relationships with fitter men because we don't believe we can live up to their standards . We feel far more comfortable with flab because it's less threatening. Women are already under extreme pressure to look a certain way and be a certain weight. Anyone who ever doubted that women are judged by their physical appearance far more than men, need only have witnessed the media coverage of the unveiling of Cameron's female MP's: nearly all of it focused on what they wore and what they look like. It takes robust self-esteem and an unshakeable body image to stay objective about our weight in a society where the body ideal is so unachievable, even models struggle to maintain it. Is it any wonder women figure - usually quite rightly - that a man who is less critical of his own appearance and less looks-obsessed will be less critical of ours? Mr Non-Perfect is a relief to any woman who steps on the scales, every day of her life, and finds her mood is affected, every day of her life, by what they say. Especially when it comes to sex. I'd love to meet a female whose sex life isn't affected by a 'fat day'. I've yet to meet one man who has let feeling fat stop them having sex. Tracey says that when it comes to sex, women are far more concerned about weight than men . Michael Alvear, the author of 'Not tonight dear, I feel fat', says fifty percent of women admit they've put off sex - even when they're in the mood - because they felt too fat. 'Women put conditions on sex because of weight. You won't do it without cover-up clothing. You only have sex with the lights out. You'll only do positions that prevent your partner from looking at or touching certain parts of your body,' he says. 'Pretty soon your desire for any sex, conditional or not, goes away.' We don't just think our partners won't desire us unless we are thin. We don't feel desirable unless we are thin. There are many (many) things men can learn from women, but this is one area where women can learn from men. When men look in the mirror, they look at the parts of themselves that they like. I showed four male friends the publicity stills of the ab-tastic Zac Efron and they all shrugged and said, 'He looks good. But he's paid to look like that. That's his job.' They made no comparison to themselves. There was no subconscious sucking in of their beer belly. No wistful glance at their not-so-bulging biceps. When women look in the mirror, they hone in on the bits they don't like. Show us a picture of Cameron Diaz in a bikini and we think 'Why don't I look like that? I better not eat anything else for the rest of the day and hit the gym after work'. It's a continuing double standard that's not working for anyone - men or women. We should all be more Seth-like: learn to love our bellies and accept that wobbly bits are all part of being mere mortals. Find out more about sex and relationships at traceycox.com . | Sexpert Tracey Cox reveals why so many women are choosing flab over abs .
She says sadly it is because we are insecure about our weight .
Women worry that they can't live up to the expectations of a fitter man .
Tracey adds that men tend to not let weight affect their desire for sex . |
12cbe2c9597febaf14e4db1e3065d7500082883e | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:06 EST, 19 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:57 EST, 19 July 2013 . WNBA star Brittney Griner has opened up more than ever about the intense bullying she suffered at school, revealing it was so bad at times she thought 'I don't even want to be alive.' Griner, who on Wednesday night was named 'Best Female College Athlete' for her 2012-13 season at Baylor at the ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, said she was still haunted by the memories of her peers refusing to believe she was a girl, questioning her sexual orientation and even groping her physically. 'I was always taller, my feet were always bigger and my voice was deeper,' said Griner, who is 6 feet 8 with a wingspan of 88 inches. She publicly came out as a lesbian in April, ahead of the WNBA draft. Winner: WNBA player Brittney Griner, pictured, attends The 2013 ESPY Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. where she won an award . In an honest interview with the Los Angeles Times, the Phoenix Mercury powerhouse described one day in seventh grade when class had just let out and the hallway was flooded with students. As Griner made her way through the crowd, a male student stopped her. 'You're a dude,' he said. 'I just stood there and took it. I was humiliated. The whole school was laughing at me,' Griner recalled to The Times. 'When I was younger, it really bothered . me to the point where I was like "I don't even want to be alive; why am I . getting treated like that?"' Griner said. 'But as I got older, I . started caring less.' She said she told her mother she liked girls after her first day of high school. 'I felt a release, I felt better,' Griner said. 'She was so cool about it. She was like "I kinda already know, and I love you."' Her father, a former Marine, didn't take it so well and tension between the two saw Griner move out in her senior year. Despite her tumultuous home life, on court she shone, leading her team from Houston's Nimitz High to the Texas Division 5A girls' basketball state championship game and becoming America's most sought after recruit. Bullying: The Phoenix Mercury star, pictured in June, has opened up more than ever about the intense bullying she suffered in school, with some peers even calling her 'a dude' Tall: 'I was always taller, my feet were always bigger and my voice was deeper,' said Griner, who is 6 feet 8 and has a wingspan of 88 inches . But she was still subject to nasty taunts from opposing sides, which left her regularly crying alone in her room after games, she told The Times. She went off to college at Baylor with a resolution to block out the negativity and not let bullying affect her. And by the end of sophomore year she succeeded. But she said she chose to publicly come out in April, regardless of the fallout, to give young girls experiencing the same nightmare someone to look up to. 'I didn't have a real role model that I could look up to that was out openly,' she told The Times. 'I knew there were a lot of younger girls that needed someone.' In May, Griner revealed how her former coach at Baylor told players to keep details of their sexuality under wraps for fear of damaging recruitment possibilities. The top pick of the WNBA draft recalled being told by Kim Mulkey that talking openly about her homosexuality could damage the reputation of the basketball program. Though Griner said she never hid the fact that she was gay from friends and family, she found at Baylor there was 'an unwritten law' that players shouldn't discuss their sexual preferences. Secret's out: Former Baylor women's basketball star Brittney Griner says that head coach, Kim Mulkey, told players not to be open publicly about their sexuality . Speaking to ESPN in May, she recalled: '... it was just kind of, like, one of those things, you know, just don't do . it. They kind of tried to make it, like, 'Why put your business out on . the street like that?'" The 6-foot-8 basketball champion . acknowledged that she is gay in the media in April and talked about . being bullied while growing up. 'It was hard. Just being picked on for . being different. Just being bigger, my sexuality, everything,' Griner told Sports Illustrated. 'I overcame it and got over it. Definitely something that I am . very passionate about. In the ESPN interview she explained that when Kim Mulkey recruited her, she was honest about who she was. Still friends: Griner explained in an interview that Kim Mulkey (right) and staff at Baylor thought being open about sexual preferences could potentially damage the programme's recruitment success and reputation . History: Griner (pictured hugging Mulkey) will start with the Phoenix Mercury this season . 'I told Coach [Mulkey] when she was . recruiting me. I was like, "I'm gay. I hope that's not a problem," and . she told me that it wasn't,' Griner said. 'I mean, my teammates knew, . obviously they all knew. Everybody knew about it.' But when one of Griner's tweets to an . ex-girlfriend was noticed by an staffer at Baylor, she was told to take . the post down by 'someone in the office.' 'It was a recruiting thing,' Griner . added. 'The coaches thought that if it seemed like they condoned it, . people wouldn't let their kids come play for Baylor.' Baylor University is a rigidly . Baptist university in Texas that discourages students from participating . in 'advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are . contrary to biblical teaching.' Star: Griner dominated NCAA and was number one in last month's WNBA draft . Mulkey did not comment directly in . response to Griner's remarks but said in a statement earlier in May: . 'Brittney Griner represented Baylor University proudly on and off the . basketball court, and she leaves behind an incredible legacy. 'I cannot comment on personal matters . surrounding any of our student-athletes, but I can tell you Brittney . will always be a celebrated member of the Baylor family.' In an interview in April, when asked about why more female athletes were out as opposed to men, Griner replied: 'I really couldn't give an answer on why that's so different. Being one that's out, it's just being who you are.' 'Don't worry about what other people are going to say because they're . always going to say something. 'But if you're just true to yourself, let . that shine through. Don't hide who you really are,' she continued. Top: Brittney Griner, left, shakes hands with WNBA President Laurel J. Richie after the Phoenix Mercury selected Griner as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on Monday . The star then told Sports Illustrated that she doesn't think her fame made it harder to come out. 'It really wasn't too difficult. I wouldn't say I was hiding or . anything like that,' Griner said. 'I've always been open about who I am . and my sexuality, so it wasn't hard at all. 'If I can show that I'm out . and I'm fine and everything's OK, then hopefully the younger generation . will definitely feel the same way.' | The Phoenix Mercury star came out as a lesbian before the WNBA draft in April .
She has opened up about the intense bullying she experienced at high school, including being called 'a dude'
Griner is 6 feet 8 and has a wingspan of 88 inches .
On Wednesday, she was named 'Best Female College Athlete' for her 2012-13 season at Baylor at the ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles .
Bullying got so bad at times she thought she didn't 'even want to be alive' |
12ccb2c7d90e35fa557435f40758192d6d9e6467 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:18 EST, 15 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:23 EST, 16 October 2013 . Every politician loves a photo opportunity. But Cabinet minister Eric Pickles has been snapped with Las Vegas showgirls, on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and admiring the Golden Gate Bridge - without leaving his Whitehall office. Students James Johnson and Daniel Falvey took a cardboard cut out of the larger-than-life Communities Secretary on a road trip from Florida to Nevada and posted their holiday snaps online. Scroll down for video . Showstopper: The cardboard cut our of Eric Pickles attracted attention in Las Vegas, after crossing the US with two students . High flier: The safety conscious minister was seen wearing a life jacket and headphones on a Virgin America flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas . Cooling off: 'Eric' poses in a shower at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas and was later snapped 'checking on the LA traffic' Clutching a large brown leather bag and wearing a poppy, 'Eric' has become an internet hit on PicklesRoadTrip.com. Starting on Miami Beach on August 24, the James and Daniel flew and drove their way across the United States, taking pictures of their carboard companion. Mr Pickles was so delighted with the results he posed with the cutout when the pair visited the House of Commons. Where it all began: The first picture posted by PicklesRoadTrip was this snap from Miami Beach . Sightseeing: A fan of major infrastructure projects, 'Eric' admires the Golden Gate Bridge . The trip began in Florida, before taking in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California before finishing up in Las Vegas, Nevada earlier this month. Along the way 'Eric' is seen lying on a sunbed, sitting on a swing, posing with a cop and a horse, behind the wheel of a campervan and proving that 'bicep curls get the girls' on Muscle Beach, California. No chips: The cut out made a visit to the casino at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas . Star power: Posing on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, having found a star dedicated to 'Eric' Power lift: The blog notes how 'bicep curls get the girls' as 'Eric' visits Muscle Beach in California . James and Daniel insist they are huge fans of Mr Pickles. Writing on their blog, they said: 'We are two British undergraduates, . currently both at university in the UK. 'This summer, we are taking a . coast-to-coast road trip across the American South and felt that there . was no one better to accompany us than the Secretary of State for Local . Communities and Government, the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP. 'As Conservatives and huge fans of Mr. Pickles, his outlook and his work to modernise and maximise value in our . public services, we hope this blog goes some way to document the great . man’s adventures across the land of our great Atlantic neighbour.' Sunseeker: Wearing shades but still clutching his bag, 'Eric' soaks up some sun in Imperial Dunes, California . Horseplay: 'Eric' finds a friend as he visits Phoenix, Arizona and grabs a sunlounger in Crawford, Florida . Swing vote: Taking it easy in Tucson, Arizona as the road trip makes its way across the USA . Centre ground: No need for the local government minister to impose traffic controls in Deming, New Mexico . The pictures were cloesley followed by Mr Pickles, who agreed to meet the students in Westminster when the Commons returned from the conference season. While the pair and carboard 'Eric' had been enjoying the sun of the southern states, the real Mr Pickles had been holed up in a conference centre in Manchester. Clearly delighted with his new found fame, Mr Pickles tweeted a picture of himself with the cut out with the message: 'United in Westminster.' Call the cops: Feeling the long arm of the law in El Paso, Texas . Let's roll: 'Eric' behind the wheel of the camper van in Houston, Texas . Uncle Sam: Meeting big political figures in Tallahassee, Florida . Crowdpleaser: Every British politician wants to be big in America. Here 'Eric' addresses a hall in Vero Beach, Florida . Reunited: Mr Pickles was so pleased with his online fame, he met up with his cardboard likeness and students James Johnson and Daniel Falvey . Read more: PicklesRoadTrip . | Students James Johnson and Daniel Falvey say they're fans of the minister .
They took cardboard cut-out on trip from Florida to Nevada this summer .
Snaps include Las Vegas, Hollywood, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico . |
12ce78eb3fde9cbba0e744387b8386447c45f0e0 | American Jason Millard has been disqualified from next week's US Open after belatedly calling a penalty on himself in qualifying. Millard, who qualified in Memphis, Tennessee on June 2, was playing his third shot on the 18th hole of Colonial Country Club's North Course - his 27th hole of the day - when the penalty occurred. Out: Millard's mistake in Memphis was a costly one . 'I'm pretty sure I grounded my club in the bunker,' said Millard, who was not disqualified until June 7. 'I didn't see anything for sure but I felt something and I saw a small indentation. 'It happened so fast I really don't know 100 per cent, but deep down I believe I did. I couldn't find peace about it. For five days I practised and I couldn't get it off my mind. 'It's heart-breaking but what I was feeling in my heart didn't feel right. It's the right decision and I am sticking with it.' Daniel B Burton, USGA vice president and chairman of the championship committee, said: 'We commend Jason for bringing this matter to our attention. At this time we have no recourse but to disqualify him under the Rules of Golf and specifically Rule 34-1b.' Rule 34-1b effectively states that a competitor must be disqualified after the competition has closed if he has returned a score which failed to include a penalty which, before the competition closed, he knew he had incurred. Millard is replaced in the field at Pinehurst by American amateur Sam Love, the second alternate from the same qualifying site. Heart-broken: Millard has been forced out of a Pinehurst appearance . Huge prize: The second major of the year is played on Pinehurst's hallowed turf this week . | Millard call penalty on himself five days later .
The 25-year-old says 'heart-breaking' decision was the right one .
He will be replaced at Pinehurst by US amateur Sam Love .
US Open starts on Thursday . |
12ce9072610bbba5625fd367b06ca295c40a1048 | When Lisa Whaymand's life was saved by a bone marrow transplant, there was only one way she could thank her anonymous donor. Not allowed to know anything about him other than his sex and age, she was limited to forwarding a simple card. Until last year, that is. Remembering the selfless person who gave her the chance to see her children grow up, the 46-year-old mother of three answered an advert by cancer charity Anthony Nolan seeking to put survivors in touch with donors. Kindness of strangers: Mother-of-three Lisa Whaymand with bone marrow donor Neil Munro . 'There was no way I could have gone through life without finding him,' she said. 'It was always in the back of my mind. He saved my life.' The single mother was diagnosed in 2010, after suffering sore knees and chronic fatigue for several months. Blood tests revealed she had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia – which attacks white blood cells – and she was admitted to hospital. Just days from death, Miss Whaymand began chemotherapy straight away. Then in November that year, her consultant suggested she have a bone marrow transplant. The procedure had a 60 per cent chance of success – compared to just 40 per cent if she continued with chemotherapy. She went ahead with the operation and quickly began to improve. After just a few months, Miss Whaymand was allowed back home to be with her children Jack, 12, Harry, 11, and Olivia, eight. But she never forgot that she owed her life to the generosity of a stranger. The single mother was diagnosed in 2010, after suffering sore knees and chronic fatigue for several months . The Whaymands now keep in regular contact with Mr Munro, his wife Louise and their children Tara, 14, Connor, 13, and Kirsten, 11 . And last summer, four years after the transplant, she and her family found themselves on donor Neil Munro's doorstep. They had travelled from their home in Reading to find the 46-year-old in Aberdeen – with their meeting filmed for BBC series The Gift, which starts on Tuesday, February 10. 'It was a bit surreal,' Miss Whaymand said. 'I just grabbed him and gave him a massive bear hug. 'I said, 'You're amazing for what you've done, not just for me but for my family, my kids'.' She added that her son Jack waited until the cameras stopped rolling before shaking Mr Munro's hand. 'He said thank you for saving my mum. I was incredibly proud.' Last night Mr Munro said the meeting was 'very poignant'. He added: 'The actual marrow harvesting didn't look very nice, but I thought it was a small price to pay if it gave someone the chance to recover from leukaemia.' The Whaymands now keep in regular contact with Mr Munro, his wife Louise and their children Tara, 14, Connor, 13, and Kirsten, 11. 'It's so lovely that something good has come out of this trauma,' Miss Whaymand said. 'We're in touch all the time. We couldn't be happier.' | Mother-of-three Lisa Whaymand, 46, was saved by bone marrow transplant .
Blood tests in 2010 revealed she had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia .
She has now been reunited with Neil Munro, after replying to advert .
The Whaymands now in regular contact with Mr Munro and his family . |
12ced59a97b14366bb1771c108a3fa454a9fc55b | Mohamed Amin has been charged with four counts of preparing to enter a foreign state to engage in hostile activities . A New Zealand man accused of preparing to fight in Syria's civil war told authorities he was travelling to meet his fiancee, whose name he didn't know. Mohamed Amin, 24, obtained a new passport and also got a phone in the 'unbeliever' name of Chris Wright as part of attempting to join the effort to remove president Bashar al-Assad, the Melbourne Magistrates Court was told on Thursday. Amin booked a flight to Turkey and made plans to travel from there to Syria in September 2013, prosecutor Mark Gibson told the contested committal hearing. But Amin was unable to leave Australia after authorities cancelled his passport. In a text message Amin sent to someone after he was intercepted by federal police at Brisbane Airport, he wrote: 'She's not happy. She reckons I'm going to end up blowing myself up.' Amin, who is being detained at Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre, is charged with four counts of preparing to enter a foreign state to engage in hostile activities. Police monitored calls between Amin and Sydney man Hamdi Alqudsi, who allegedly sent Australians to Syria to fight in the civil war. He is charged but yet to face committal hearing. Alqudsi told Amin there was a big operation coming up involving '1500 brothers', Mr Gibson said. Police allege the 24-year-old, who appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday, was on his way to Syria via Turkey . Alqudsi also told Amin of the urgent need to get to the front line and spoke of obtaining martyrdom, Mr Gibson said. Amin said he and other 'doctors' were 'definitely' mentally ready for 'surgery', which prosecutors allege is code for individuals preparing to go to Syria. Alqudsi also speaks of the 'boys' who've gone to fight in the battlefield. 'They will never come back until victory or martyrdom,' he said. During the monitored conversations, Alqudsi tells Amin the most important thing is secrecy and no one was allowed to know anything. Amin's passport has been cancelled and he is being detained at Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre (pictured) until his next hearing on December 18 . On September 13, 2013, Amin tells Alqudsi everything is ready before he flew to Sydney, then Brisbane where he was bound for Turkey via Singapore. But he was refused processing at customs in Brisbane as his New Zealand passport was cancelled. He told the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service he recently got engaged to a girl in Denmark and was flying overseas to meet her, via Turkey, but he was unsure of her name. Amin, a courier company worker formerly of Villawood, was living in Australia on a temporary visa. The hearing resumes on December 18. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Mohamed Amin has been charged with four counts of preparing to enter a foreign state to engage in hostile activities .
The 24-year-old was intercepted by federal police at Brisbane Airport en route to Turkey .
The court heard he had been exchanging texts with Sydney man Hamdi Alqudsi, who allegedly sent Australians to Syria to fight in the civil war .
In one of the texts, which police claim is written in code, Amin said he and other 'doctors' were 'definitely' mentally ready for 'surgery'
His passport has been cancelled and he is being detained at Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre until his next hearing on December 18 . |
12cf5941e127a28e7fab94f26ebcd281749b569a | Uruguay striker Luis Suarez scored two goals during a friendly match against Oman on Monday. The Barcelona ace, who could make his La Liga debut against Real Madrid on October 25, netted a brace in the second half to help his side claim a win. His first came in the 57th minute when he was allowed the space and time to score past Oman goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi from inside the penalty area. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Luis Suarez's second half brace against Oman . Luis Suarez lobs Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi to score Uruguay's second goal of the match . Oman shot stopper Al Habsi was unable to get his hand onto Suarez's chipped effort . Suarez was replaced by international team-mate Christian Stuani in the 78th minute of the friendly encounter . Real Madrid v Barcelona - October 25 . Barcelona v Celta Vigo - November 1 . Ajax v Barcelona - November 5 . Almeria v Barcelona - November 8 . Barcelona v Sevilla - November 22 . The Wigan Athletic goalkeeper was forced into picking the ball out of his net just 10 minutes later when Suarez chipped Al Habsi. Suarez's deft lob over the onrushing custodian was further proof as to why Barcelona decided to fork out £75million on the former Liverpool ace. Jonathan Rodriguez added a late third in the closing stages of the friendly encounter. Suarez tweeted after the match that he was glad to get some 'important minutes' under his belt. Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Al Habsi was unable to keep Suarez at bay during the international friendly match . Suarez (centre) sealed a £75million move to Barcelona after impressing for Liverpool last season . VIDEO Suarez scores a brace for Barca B . Uruguay striker Suarez received a four-month ban for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup . | Uruguay ace Luis Suarez netted twice in the second half .
The former Liverpool forward played 78 minutes of Uruguay's 3-0 win .
Suarez could make his Barcelona debut against Real Madrid on October 25 .
The 27-year-old made a £75million move to the Nou Camp in July .
He is currently serving a four-month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini . |
12cfa3a55e04c285d29962638da841173aea9dfb | Rome (CNN) -- A boat carrying as many as 500 people capsized and caught fire off the Italian island of Lampedusa, the nation's coast guard told CNN on Thursday. At least 110 people died, a doctor with the local health department said. Antonio Candela said that 154 people had been rescued in the ongoing operation. Lampedusa's boat people: One man's story . Lampedusa, not far from Sicily and the closest Italian island to Africa, has become a destination for tens of thousands of refugees seeking to enter European Union countries -- and such deadly shipwrecks are all too common. The latest boat to sink is thought to have been carrying up to 500 people. Those aboard include Eritreans, Somalis and Ghanaians, the coast guard said, and the boat is believed to have launched from Libya's coast. CNN forecasters said there were some gusting winds and showers Thursday morning in the region but no weather conditions significant enough to be likely to sink a boat. According to Italian media reports, the vessel sank near Rabbit Beach, also known as Rabbit Island, which was recently voted one of the best beaches in the world by Trip Advisor. The survivors are being taken to Lampedusa's main port, where authorities have the facilities to help them. The bodies of those who didn't make it are also being moved there. Images from the scene showed some lined up in body bags on a quayside. The head of the U.N. refugee agency, Antonio Guterres, praised the efforts of the Italian coast guard but said he was "dismayed at the rising global phenomenon of migrants and people fleeing conflict or persecution and perishing at sea." Another 13 men drowned off Italy's southern coast Monday when they attempted to swim ashore, the U.N agency said in a statement. It is working with countries in the region to find "effective alternatives" so people don't risk their lives trying to make perilous journeys by sea, it said. Migrant ship sinks in Mediterranean killing 10 . Dehydrated, burned . Last week, the Italian coast guard rescued a ship bound for Lampedusa from Tunisia that had 398 Syrian refugees on board. There is generally a spike in migrants coming to the island -- which has 6,000 full-time residents -- in the summer because the seas are calmer. Migrants who spoke to CNN's Eric Marrapodi last week in Lampedusa said they typically spent a day or two at sea in boats that are barely seaworthy. Those who arrive generally have no papers and seek asylum in Italy. They spend anywhere from a day to a week on Lampedusa before moving to another city on the mainland. At the detention center where they first take the migrants, the coast guard said, they had 1,250 migrants in a space designed for 250. A Navy doctor said that typically those who arrive are treated for dehydration, sun exposure, and gasoline burns, because they're so packed into the boats the fuel splashes and burns the skin. A Navy commander said the service has been working with Thuraya, a satellite phone company, to try to make sure that it gets the coordinates of migrants sent out on boats by traffickers before they come to harm. 12 Chinese fishermen rescued, 58 still missing after typhoon sinks boat . Overcrowded boats . Just under 115 kilometers (70 miles) from Tunisia, the island has been the first point of entry to Europe for more than 200,000 refugees and irregular migrants who have passed through the island since 1999. But boats carrying migrants often are in peril at sea. In recent years, the Italian Coast Guard says it has been involved in the rescue of more than 30,000 refugees around the island. Izabella Cooper, a spokeswoman for the European Union's border control agency, Frontex, told CNN that migrants are often sent to sea in overcrowded vessels without the engine power to make such a long and dangerous journey. Since the start of the year, Frontex -- which supports the efforts of individual EU member states -- has helped save more than 16,000 lives in search-and-rescue operations, she said. While Italy is the current focus of efforts by migrants and asylum-seekers hoping to enter the European Union, Cooper said, that has not always been the case. "Seven years ago it was the Canary Islands, then the pressure moved to the central Mediterranean, then it moved to Greece -- then with the Arab Spring, it moved back to Italy," she said. "There are definitely too many lives lost and definitely too many tragedies in the Mediterranean." Rights group Amnesty International called for both Italy and the European Union to do more to safeguard the thousands who risk their lives each year in the hope of protection or a better life. "It is high time the Italian authorities and the EU increase their search-and-rescue capacity and co-operation in the Mediterranean Sea, rather than concentrating resources on closing off the borders," said Jezerca Tigani, deputy director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia Program. "More must be done to prevent further loss of life in the future." Risk for a better life ends in death for 22 people near Indonesia . Pope's prayers . Pope Francis, who visited the tiny island near Sicily this summer to pray for refugees and migrants lost at sea, echoed that call. During his visit to Lampedusa in July, Pope Francis criticized what he called "global indifference" to the island's refugee crisis. And in a statement issued by the Vatican Thursday, Francis called for concerted action to prevent more tragedies like the Lampedusa shipwreck. "It is a disgrace!" he said. "Let's pray together with God for those who have lost their lives: men, women, children and for the families of all the refugees. Let's bring our forces together so tragedies like these ones don't happen again." A risky journey . According to a briefing published by the U.N. refugee agency in July, the peak crossing period for migrants and asylum-seekers runs from May to September. The agency estimates that 8,400 migrants and asylum-seekers landed on the coasts of Italy and Malta in the first six months of this year, all but 600 of them in Italy. Most departed from North Africa, principally Libya, for the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, one of the busiest seaways in the world. The migrants and asylum seekers chiefly come from countries in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Somalia and Eritrea, it said. Others originate from Syria, Egypt or Pakistan, and smaller numbers from Gambia, Mali and Afghanistan. The U.N. refugee agency recorded some 40 deaths in the first six months of 2013, a figure based on interviews with survivors of the crossing. For 2012 as a whole, some 15,000 migrants and asylum-seekers reached Italy and Malta -- and almost 500 people were reported dead or missing at sea, it said. The U.N. agency credits the efforts of the Italian coast guard and Maltese armed forces for a reduction in migrant deaths in the first half of 2013 compared with the previous year. More than 100 missing after illegal migrant boat sinks off Bangladesh . CNN's Hada Messia and Ben Wedeman reported in Rome and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. CNN's Eric Marrapodi contributed reporting from Lampedusa. CNN's Nina Dos Santos, Kirsten Dewar and Saskya Vandoorne also contributed to this report. | NEW: 154 people have been rescued after boat capsizes and burns, a doctor says .
Pope Francis calls for concerted action to prevent future tragedies like this .
Lampedusa is a major destination for refugees seeking to enter the EU from Africa . |
12d0816cd35e654752cf27892217ed9af425e6f5 | A local council has created controversy by asking non-Islamic women to wear hijabs in a 'social experiment' to increase awareness and education. The City of Greater Dandenong Council in Victoria to wear the religious headdress for three hours today, as part of its plans to celebrate 'National Youth Week.' The event, which will also be filmed, has been designed to 'provide awareness, insight and education' for the community. Scroll down for video . A local council has created controversy by asking non-Islamic women to wear hijabs in a 'social experiment' to increase awareness and education . However, critics of the plan said it will create further division in the community, according to the Herald Sun. 'If we're going to have people dressing up as Muslims for three hours, why doesn't the council encourage people to dress up as Christians,' Institute of Public Affairs executive director John Roskam said. Mr Roskam also said recent events prove that Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world, not Muslims. 'This doesn't encourage integration, this encourages separateness. This is not what multicultural Australia is all about,' he said. 'What the council should be encouraging is allowing people from any walk of life and any religion to integrate.' Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad said the project would be attacked, but it was a way for people to positively engage with the Muslim community and gain a different perspective. Institute of Public Affairs executive director John Roskam said 'This doesn't encourage integration, this encourages separateness. This is not what multicultural Australia is all about' Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad said the project would be attacked, but it was a way for people to positively engage with the Muslim community and gain a different perspective . The Greater Dandenong council has previously held public pool sessions for Muslim women. The event follows ugly incidents last week that saw anti-Islamic protesters clash with anti-racism activists. Police were forced separate Reclaim Australia supporters and opposing protesters by forming a wall at separate rallies in Melbourne. A Federation Square spokesman estimated 3000 people went at it noisily for more than three hours. Two men and a woman were arrested during the protests. A small group of protesters burnt an Australian flag during the rally. About 3000 people clashed at opposing protests in Melbourne between an anti-Islamic group and 'anti-racism' activists . An Australian flag was burnt by anti-racism protesters in Melbourne . Police were forced to form a wall between the opposing groups at the Melbourne rally . About 200 people turned up at the rally in Sydney, which was held in the pouring rain in Martin Place. A rally in Brisbane was attended by controversial One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who declared she was not a racist and that 'criticism is not racism'. She told the crowd she is a proud Australian fighting for the country's democracy and way of life. Reclaim Australia organised a number of protests in cities across the country opposing 'sharia law, halal tax and Islamisation'. | Council asks non-Muslim women to wear hijab to promote understanding .
'Social experiment' planned by Greater Dandenong council in Victoria .
Critics say it will only create further division and 'encourage separateness'
Controversy comes after ugly protests at anti-Islamic protests last week . |
12d0b73088504d5f85b4b3b0820c1aa6d0baa414 | The number of people being poisoned by e-cigarettes has soared in the last few years, according to an official report. The number of calls to poison centres in the U.S. relating to the liquids in e-cigarettes has risen from one per month in September 2010, to 215 per month in February 2014. The figures, from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, also show that the number of calls per month relating to conventional cigarettes did not increase in the same way. Scroll down for video . The number of people being poisoned by e-cigarettes has rocketed in the last four years, figures show . The CDC statistics show that more than half of the calls relate to children under the age of five. However, some 42 per cent are related to adults over the age of 20. As e-cigarettes become more popular, they are linked to more poisoning cases. The analysis compared total monthly poison centre calls involving e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes, and found the proportion of e-cigarette calls jumped from 0.3 per cent in September 2010 to 41.7 per cent in February 2014. Poisoning from conventional cigarettes is generally due to young children eating them. Poisoning related to e-cigarettes involves the liquid containing nicotine used in the devices. It can occur in three ways - by ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin or eyes. ‘This report raises another red flag about e-cigarettes – the liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes can be hazardous,’ said CDC Director Tom Frieden. E-cigarettes are now responsible for 42 per cent of all poisoning cases related to cigarettes . ‘Use of these products is skyrocketing and these poisonings will continue. ‘E-cigarette liquids as currently sold are a threat to small children because they are not required to be childproof, and they come in candy and fruit flavours that are appealing to children.’ E-cigarette calls were more likely than cigarette calls to include a report of an adverse health effect following exposure. The most common adverse health effects mentioned in e-cigarette calls were vomiting, nausea and eye irritation. The data for the study came from the poison centres that serve the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. Poison centres reported 2,405 e-cigarette and 16,248 cigarette exposure calls from September 2010 to February 2014. The total number of poisoning cases is likely higher than reflected in this study, because not all exposures might have been reported to poison centres. ‘The most recent National Youth Tobacco Survey showed e-cigarette use is growing fast, and now this report shows e-cigarette related poisonings are also increasing rapidly,’ said Tim McAfee, Director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health. ‘Health care providers, e-cigarette companies and distributors, and the general public need to be aware of this potential health risk from e-cigarettes.’ The news comes just days after it was announced that the Welsh government will consider including e-cigarettes under the smoking ban. Ministers say they might ban smoking the electronic devices inside because they could glamourize smoking and act as a gateway to normal cigarettes. Currently, there are no plans to ban them in England, but the chief medical officer has raised concerns about their safety. Earlier this week it was announced that the Welsh government is considering extending the smoking ban to include e-cigarettes. This would mean people were not allowed to smoke the electronic devices inside. Ministers say they have made the proposal because they fear e-cigarettes could glamourize smoking and act as a gateway to normal cigarettes. Mark Drakeford, health minister in the Labour-run Welsh government, said people have spent 30 years creating a climate in which people understand smoking is not glamorous but he is concerned e-cigarettes could undo that good work. There are currently no plans to ban them in England but the chief medical officer has raised concerns about their safety. Dame Sally Davies said: 'We are normalising e-cigarettes. If they were regulated as a medicine and we knew what was in them and the dose of nicotine, then they might play a useful role in stopping smoking. But they aren't, so at the moment we don't know their safety or the dose they deliver. 'Flavourings are often attractive to children – cookies and cream and bubblegum. 'They are sold rather cheaply and many are made in China, so I worry about what's in them. 'I am also worried about once again making smoking seem like a normal activity.' | More than half of poisoning cases were in children under five .
In 2010 e-cigarettes responsible for 0.3% of cigarette-related poisonings .
By early 2014, the figure had risen to 42% of cigarette-related poisonings .
E-cigarette liquids are not required to be .
childproof, and they come in candy and fruit flavours that are appealing .
to children, experts warn .
Wales is currently considering banning smoking e-cigarettes inside . |
12d11bd91ab0acdecea530e3e1c5efd7c4312358 | Two Aussie housewives who began writing Mills & Boon novels after dropping off their kids at school have turned their love of raunchy romance books into successful and lucrative careers. Despite always being fans of the most popular genre of fiction in the world, Melanie Milburne and Ally Blake fell into their sexy writing style and have now penned almost 100 romantic pieces between them. Hopeless romantics at heart, the women love their fun jobs and say their husbands try to cheekily take credit as their ongoing inspiration for the kinky bedroom chapters. Ally Blake drops her three children at school then goes to cafe and writes her raunchy novels . Hopeless romantics - Ally and Mark got married in Las Vegas in 2000 and honeymooned throughout the U.S. Mark claims that he is Ally's ongoing inspiration for her risque Mills & Boon novels . Melanie, who lives in Hobart, has always wanted to be a writer but with a husband doing crazy hours as a surgeon she needed to hold down the fort at home and care for their two sons. It wasn't until her boys were in their teens that she found the time to give writing a go and has now written 64 Mills & Boon books in the past 12 years. 'I couldn't stop writing and the rest is history,' she said. 'I had all of these ideas backed up inside my head because I had wanted to write my whole life.' Her sons were 'quietly embarrassed' about their mother's new raunchy writing career but now adults themselves - they have an appreciation Melanie's books. 'My husband is also very proud of my career and is always offering himself up for "research", she said. 'Actually, he's fantastic at helping me when I write the occasional medical romance as he is a general/ trauma surgeon.' Melanie Milburne's husband Steve (right) always offering himself up for 'research' for her books . Melanie's sons were 'quietly embarrassed' about their mother's new raunchy writing career but now adults themselves they have an appreciation for her books . Ally's husband likes to claim the credit as being the inspiration for his wife's books. 'He tries to help me write my books - I let him name the dogs and that's about it,' she laughed. 'His idea is to add an alien ship which is not terribly helpful in the genre.' Ally also sold the first book that she submitted to Mills & Boon 12 years - and 30 books - ago. The 40-year-old now drops off her two girls, 7 and 5, and her son, 4, to school before getting stuck into her script. 'I was hoping to get a nice rejection letter where the editor gives me helpful feedback so it was wild when it sold - it still feels magical,' she said. It wasn't until Menalie's boys were in their teens that she found the time to give writing a go and has now written 64 Mills & Boon books in the past 12 years . Melanie knew she was going to marry her husband of 32 years after their second date and Steve proposed six weeks later . The Queenslander makes sure she keeps away from the obvious distractions of home and heads to a local cafe or library to set up office for the day before collecting the kids after school. 'If I'm at home the fridge calls to me too much so I go to work I get dressed, put on lipstick and "go to work",' she said. 'I could work at a Bon Jovi concert, I can work with that much cafe noise around me - I'm very lucky that my job is portable and flexible.' Ally says she is not a 'plotter' and describes the novels that don't come naturally to her as 'giving birth to a pineapple.' 'I take a deep breath and say "ready, set, go" so when the readers are surprised about how a book turns out sometimes I'm surprised as well,' she says. However, Melanie says she never has a shortage of ideas for risque story lines. 'I read trashy mags and listen to the news - it can be a combination of ideas that I just start playing with,' she explains. 'I always go through the bedroom doors but it's not erotic or illicit.' As with all great romance novels - every story always has a happy ending. 'People think it's all bout sex but that's not a huge part - it's all about the growth of the characters,' she said. A hopeless romantic, Melanie knew she was going to marry her husband of 32 years after their second date and he proposed six weeks later. 'We were looking at a painting at the Opera House and I just had this feeling - I can't explain it.' Ally, who confesses to having a different crush everyday at school, married Mark in Las Vegas in 2000 . While Ally, who confesses to having a different crush everyday of the week when she was at school, married Mark in Las Vegas in 2000. 'I always relished that tummy flutter sensation,' she admits. Melanie, who has Billionaire's Ultimate Acquisition coming out in April, says she is never short of story ideas and has not changed her writing style over the years. 'As to readers expectations due to 50 Shades, I haven't changed the level of sensuality,' she said. 'I've always written on the passionate side - it's not erotica, however.' While Ally, who has a new book Billionaire on her Doorstep set to be released in March, describes her style as 'fun, fresh and flirty'. Despite Mills & Boon books being perceived by some as corny and cliche, the women usually only experience positive reactions when they reveal their occupation. 'It's such a unique and unusual kind of job that if you are at a party and people find out you're a romance author suddenly their eyes light up and they have a million questions, so it's quite a cool conversation starter,' Ally said. Mills & Boon has been in Australia for 41 years and in that time: . | Melanie Milburne and Ally Blake are Australian Mills & Boon authors .
Busy housewives juggle motherhood and writing sexy books on daily basis .
Both hopeless romantics - their husbands claim to be their inspiration .
Melanie started writing raunchy novels when her sons were teenagers .
Ally drops off her three kids at school and writes from cafes and libraries . |
12d12765880728a5475840e64607ef61201be029 | Interstates and highways were shut down Monday night as a large winter weather system brought heavy snow, fierce winds and ice to at least five states in the West and Midwest. There were blizzard conditions in parts of western Kansas and southeast Colorado, with visibility of less than a quarter-mile, said Ariel Cohen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. A blizzard warning was in effect for those areas along with northeastern New Mexico, the northwest Texas panhandle and the Oklahoma panhandle, he said. The severe weather was starting to affect Missouri late Monday, with a winter weather advisory in effect for the northwest corner of the state. The New Mexico State Police shut down Interstate 40, a major east-west artery, from Albuquerque to the Texas state line, saying there was zero visibility due to blowing snow. Interstate 25 was shut down from just north of Albuquerque to the Colorado state line because of the blizzard conditions, which included snow-packed and icy roads. Are you there? Tell us about it. The state police also shut down U.S. and state highways in the northeast corner of the state. Texas authorities closed I-40 westbound in the Texas panhandle at New Mexico's request. The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Department of Transportation said motel rooms had already filled in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the first major town on I-40 across the state line, because drivers weren't allowed to travel any farther on the highway. Cohen called it a strong storm system that is producing "very hazardous" conditions. While such storms typically occur during the winter months, he said, the large area of strong winds combined with the snow is unusual. Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated the Texas Military Forces as a precautionary measure to provide any needed assistance on the roads, his office said. Snow accumulations of up to 6 inches were likely, with higher accumulations expected across the northwest Texas Panhandle, Perry's office said. Vehicle crashes were being reported around Amarillo, which lies along I-40 on the Panhandle, said Trooper Gabe Medrano of the Texas Department of Public Safety. He said it was already snowing heavily Monday evening and was getting worse. "We have whiteout conditions for the north of Amarillo at this point," he said, adding the roads will probably freeze over once the snow stops. "It's going to make for pretty bad conditions." Flights were canceled by mid-afternoon at the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, which meant morning departures were scrubbed, spokesman Patrick Rhodes said. But "nothing much" has happened at the airport, he said, and he expected operations to be back to normal by mid-morning Tuesday. To the north, in the Oklahoma Panhandle, U.S. highways were closed and transportation workers were salting the roads, according to Michaelann Ootean of the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Roads and highways were "completely snow-packed" or covered with ice in much of western Kansas, according to the state's Department of Transportation. They included I-70, which crosses the state from west to east, and I-135 through Salina. Two U.S. highways, 50 and 54, were shut in southwest Kansas. The DOT said U.S. 50 was closed because of blizzard conditions and "multiple accidents" in Colorado. The Colorado Department of Transportation shut down highways across the southeastern part of the state because of snow and icy conditions. I-25 was shut southbound from Pueblo to the New Mexico state line, and the DOT said lodging was unavailable south of Colorado City. Northbound I-25 remained open. | Roads are closed in Oklahoma and Kansas .
A blizzard warning is in effect for five states .
New Mexico State Police shut down two interstates .
Zero visibility is reported along some roads . |
12d17e00ba6c4bcd18250c85f0b6bc3e02f5be0e | Mexico City (CNN) -- An explosion rocked the offices of Mexico's state oil company Thursday, killing at least 25 people and injuring 101, Mexico's interior minister said. Dozens of people were trapped in the building after the explosion, Foro TV reported. It was unclear how many of them had been pulled to safety, or whether anyone remained stuck inside late Thursday, Interior Minister Miguel Angel Osorio Chong told reporters. More than five hours after the blast, rescuers had pulled at least one survivor from the rubble, Mexico's president said in a Twitter post. Crews were still searching Thursday night for people who could be trapped in the Pemex office complex, which includes one of the city's tallest skyscrapers. Watch: Office explosion rocks Mexico City . The explosion occurred in a basement and collapsed two floors of a building adjacent to the well-known tower, said Carlos Javier Rodriguez Jurado, one of the first paramedics to arrive at the scene. The explosion tore through the building "from the inside out," he said, and rescuers found many people trapped. Six hours after the explosion, Rodriguez said people were likely still stuck in the rubble. It was unclear what caused the blast, and Mexico's attorney general's office is investigating, Pemex said in a statement. A large plume of smoke rose near the building after the explosion around 4 p.m. Thursday, and emergency crews swarmed the scene. "People were screaming. ... You could see pieces of the wall falling to the ground," said Joaquin Borrell Valenzuela, an attorney for the Pemex comptroller's office, who was in a courtyard outside the building at the time of the blast. Paramedics quickly arrived and started pulling bodies from the rubble. Are you there? Send us your photos, videos. "Entering the building, we smelled a strong odor of gas," said Christopher Rangel, a paramedic and firefighter. Outside the building, frantic family members searched for loved ones, and shaken witnesses described the explosion. Mario Guzman said he was on the 10th floor of the tower when he felt "a very strong blow." "We felt like the whole building was going to collapse," he told CNNMexico. Images from the scene showed emergency rescue teams carrying people on stretchers. Authorities said helicopters carried some of the wounded to hospitals. At least 14 people were hospitalized with injuries, and two of them were in serious condition, the state-run Notimex news agency reported. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto surveyed the damage Thursday night, along with Osorio Chong and Mexico City's mayor. Pena Nieto cautioned against speculating over what caused the blast, and said authorities would be closely investigating. Thousands of people work at the Pemex headquarters, which includes a 54-story building that is nearly 700 feet tall. The explosion occurred in an annex building just to the east of the tower, Foreign Minister Jose Antonio Meade said. Officials evacuated the complex and operations will cease there until further notice, the company said. The state oil company's director, who was on a business trip in South Korea this week, said in a Twitter post that he would return to Mexico immediately. "We will get to the bottom of the causes in close coordination with the authorities," Pemex Director General Emilio Lozoya Austin said. "At this time, attending to the injured is the priority." Federal troops and rescue dogs were aiding in search efforts late Thursday night. As they combed through the rubble, a Pemex executive's cell phone rang, Rangel said. A man on the other end of the line said he was still trapped, and started to describe his location to rescuers. "Unfortunately, we lost communication with him," Rangel said. When they called back, his phone didn't ring. CNN en Español's Krupskaia Alis reported from Mexico City. CNN's Catherine E. Shoichet reported from Atlanta. CNN's Rafael Romo, Edwin Mesa, Christine Theodorou, Rey Rodriguez, Rene Hernandez and CNNMexico's Arturo Ascencion and Javier Rodriguez contributed to this report. | NEW: 25 people were killed and more than 100 are injured, interior minister says .
The explosion collapsed two floors of an office building, paramedics say .
Rescuers have pulled a survivor from the rubble, Mexico's president says .
Crews are searching for people trapped in the building . |
12d1bf879d3f1dc70b1a03e9ea38dff8966fd070 | Incident occurred Saturday, shortly after midnight on County Rd. 107 . Six die after SUV plunges into rain-swollen creek . Mom and dad survive accident, only to face heartbreak of losing five kids . Father, who drove Dodge Durango, remains hospitalized . Alcohol testing results to be released same day as funeral . 'This accident is not weather-related at all,' says sheriff . Vehicle's nine occupants are Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians . By . Mike Jaccarino . PUBLISHED: . 18:34 EST, 30 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:34 EST, 30 December 2012 . Unthinkable tragedy: Among the dead was Dianne Chickaway, 37, whose husband, Dale, survived the horrific crash that, in all, killed six people . The heartbroken mother and father of the five Native Americans - all under 10 years old - killed in a Mississippi car accident Saturday will bury their brood during a single, tragic funeral this week. Misty Dreifuss, a Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians spokeswoman - all six dead belong to the tribe - said the children's funeral will be held Wednesday at a tribal building in Choctaw. A wake for the siblings was planned for Monday, she said. 'It has hit the community very hard,' Dreifuss told the AP of the 10,000-member tribe, one of three federally-recognized groups of Choctaw Indians in the U.S. A funeral for Dianne Chickaway, a 37-year-old friend of the children's family, meanwhile, is scheduled for Thursday at Hopewell Baptist Church in Leake County, according to Dreifuss. The crash's cause remains under investigation, and no charges have been filed. A Mississippi Highway Patrol crash reconstruction team was reportedly going to visit the scene Sunday. Neshoba County Sheriff Tommy Waddell said the victims apparently drowned after their Dodge Durango swerved off County Rd. 107 shortly after midnight Saturday, plunged down an embankment and into a fast-moving, rain-swollen creek, located 20 miles southeast of the Mississippi city of Philadelphia. A tribe in mourning: A member of the North American Choctaw tribe - to which the six dead belong - dances during a three-day visit to Peru in 2003 . Duane John, the siblings' father who was driving the Dodge Durango, remained hospitalized for hypothermia and water inhalation. Mother, Deanna Jim, and . Chickaway's husband, Dale Chickaway, also survived. Authorities said they performed . alcohol testing on Duane John, but that results would not be . publicly revealed until at least Wednesday, the same day as the children's funeral. Despite the recent rainfall . and the winter storms sweeping the country, officials said they are confident inclement conditions did not cause the wreck. The Dodge Durango swerved off County Road 107, near the Neshoba-Newton county line, down an embankment and into a rain-swollen river . 'This accident is not weather-related at all,' Waddell told The AP. 'It looked like he has just run off . the road and went into the water,' Deputy County Coroner Marshall Prince . added to the AP. 'It was deep and swift. The vehicle was completely . submerged.' Authorities . identified the deceased children as Daisyanna John, 9; Duane John, 8; . Bobby John, 7; Quinton John, 4; and Kekambas John, 18 months . old. In all, the doomed Durango counted nine occupants, none of whom were apparently wearing seat belts or child . restraints at the time of the accident, officials said. Four of the five children attended Pearl River Elementary School, Dreifuss told The AP. Phyliss J. Anderson, tribal chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is sworn in 2011. The tribe resides in the Pearl River community east of the Mississippi city of Philadelphia . One of three federally-recognized Choctaw tribes, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians operates a large casino complex on its tribal grounds . 'It's always sad to hear of the death . of a tribal member,' Tribal Chief Phyliss J. Anderson wrote in a . statement obtained by the AP. 'But today our tribe experienced ...the loss of six beautiful . Choctaw souls. 'I cannot begin to imagine what the . friends, relatives and loved ones are feeling. There are no words that . can express our sincere condolences to such a horrific accident. 'I join . many of you in the outpouring display of love and support shown to the . families during this difficult time,' Anderson added. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with . them.' The Mississippi Band of Choctaw . Indians resides in the Pearl River community east of the Mississippi . city of Philadelphia, where it operates a large casino complex. | Incident occurred Saturday, shortly after midnight on County Rd. 107 .
Six die after SUV plunges into rain-swollen creek .
Mom and dad survive accident, only to face heartbreak of losing five kids .
Father, who drove Dodge Durango, remains hospitalized .
Alcohol testing results to be released same day as funeral .
'This accident is not weather-related at all,' says sheriff .
Vehicle's nine occupants are Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians . |
12d333d8c45a5429c88eec3078291c5d677c10e6 | (CNN) -- Last week, federal immigration authorities seized more than a dozen 7-Eleven stores in New York and Virginia. Authorities charged that the stores' franchisees "brutally exploited" more than 50 undocumented immigrant workers. The workers allegedly worked up to 100 hours a week, for as little as $3 an hour. They were forced to live in housing the employers owned and controlled, authorities said. For many, it was a shock. An iconic American corporation was allegedly profiting from what the U.S. attorney's office called a "modern-day plantation system." Prosecutors are seeking $30 million in forfeiture, not only from the franchisees but also from the 7-Eleven parent corporation. The real shock should be how common cases such as this have become. Millions of immigrant workers are uniquely vulnerable to abuse, because employers can threaten them with retaliatory firing and deportation to silence complaints. In this context, the allegations that 7-Eleven ran a "plantation system" for 13 years sounds more plausible. Consider: In March, workers from several nations filed federal complaints describing similar exploitation at McDonald's restaurants in central Pennsylvania. The workers, students who had come to the United States with J-1 visas to work under the Summer Work Travel Program, reported brutal conditions, wage theft and shifts of up to 25 hours straight with no overtime pay. They said they were made to live in substandard housing owned by the employer, and faced threats of deportation when they raised concerns. In June 2012, another group of immigrant workers alleged forced labor at a Louisiana Walmart supplier called C.J.'s Seafood. Supervisors threatened to beat them with a shovel, they said, to make them work faster, and when they spoke up, the boss allegedly threatened violence against their families. Recent debate on the Senate floor also recalled an emblematic 2011 case of exploitation at a Hershey's Chocolate packing plant in Pennsylvania. There, immigrant guest workers said in a federal complaint that they earned subminimum wage take-home pay and faced constant threats of firing and deportation. Among the many similarities in these cases, most striking is that all four came to light because immigrant workers defied threats and blew the whistle. When they did, they stood up not just for themselves, but for U.S. workers as well. In a recent national survey of 1,000 registered voters by CAMBIO (a coalition of pro-reform groups of which the National Guestworker Alliance is a member), 75% agreed that "if employers are allowed to get away with mistreating immigrant workers, it ends up lowering wages and hurting conditions for American workers as well." Eighty percent agreed that "immigrant workers who blow the whistle on abusive employers are helping defend workplace standards, and should have the opportunity to stay in the U.S. to work toward citizenship." Right now, protections for immigrant whistle-blowers are weak. Immigration and Customs Enforcement routinely ignores a memorandum from its director, John Morton, allowing it not to pursue deportation against whistle-blowers. In New Orleans, 26 workers who helped expose exploitation in the Louisiana home elevation industry were arrested in an immigration raid in August 2011, and most are still fighting their deportations today. Across the country, workers who have been the victims of exploitation -- and have come forward to stop it -- are treated as disposable. Immigration reform needs to change that. First, as the bill moves through the Senate and on to the House of Representatives, it needs to include provisions that deliver dignity at work to the more than 7 million immigrant workers in the United States -- and that keep the floor from falling for the 150 million U.S.-born workers who work alongside them. A bill called the POWER Act would provide the key protections to both. It needs to be included in the immigration reform bill. Second, immigration reform must deliver equal rights to all immigrant workers, so that unscrupulous employers can't pick and choose the most exploitable workers to undercut the competition. All immigrant workers who come to the United States through future guest-worker programs must have strong whistle-blower protections and the right to change employers as freely as any worker on American shores. Raising the floor for the immigrant workers at the bottom of the U.S. economy means building a stronger, more secure economy for all workers. That's why protecting immigrant workers doesn't just matter for immigrants. It matters for every worker in America. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Saket Soni. | Saket Soni: Authorities seized some 7-Eleven stores, saying immigrants exploited .
He says immigrants vulnerable to abuse from employers and whistle-blowers risk punishment .
He says any immigration reform should provide protections for guest-worker whistle-blowers .
Soni: Equal rights for immigrant workers means strong economy for all workers . |
12d361b5df34e98d69ecc98d82f6a6e46f59d707 | By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 18:15 EST, 31 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:53 EST, 31 January 2013 . Belief: Conservative MP Helen Grant said she was a 'God-fearing woman' and that gay marriage plans were consistent with her beliefs . Gay marriage is consistent with Christian values of ‘justice’ and ‘fairness’, the equalities minister has told religious critics. Helen Grant said she was a ‘God-fearing woman’ and suggested those of faith should support Government plans to legalise gay unions. Speaking ahead of a key vote on the issue next week, in which 100 Conservative MPs are expected to refuse to back the reform, Mrs Grant dismissed the idea that there was no mandate for it since it was not included in the party’s general election manifesto. She said the proposal was in a ‘contract for equalities’ published at the same time as the manifesto in 2010 and it was ‘quite clear what our intentions may well be’. ‘I am a God-fearing woman. My faith is very fundamental to everything I do and think. 'I am a member of the Church of England, a Christian, and my faith is very, very important to me,’ the Tory minister said in an interview with political magazine The House. ‘I think it’s [same-sex marriage] absolutely consistent with my beliefs. 'For me, as a Christian, I see it as about justice, equality, fairness, ending discrimination and opening up marriage to more people on the basis that marriage is a very special institution.’ Mrs Grant said the Government would make sure there was ‘proper protection’ in place for religious organisations and ministers who do not want to perform same-sex marriages. And she insisted that Tories who voted against gay marriage next week would not be damaging the party’s image. Protection: Mrs Grant said the Government would make sure there was 'proper protection' in place for religious organisations and ministers who do not want to perform same-sex marriages . It is expected that around 40 per cent . of the party will decline to back the legislation, though it will not . be a rebellion since David Cameron has granted a free vote on the issue . as one of conscience. Senior . Tories on the socially conservative wing of the party, including . Justice Secretary Chris Grayling and minister for faith Baroness Warsi, . are now expected to back the change. However, . Labour leader Ed Miliband suggested the gay marriage vote would help to . demonstrate that ‘the nasty party is back’, since some Tories will fail . to back it. Though he has . also been forced to offer a free vote after at least one staunchly . religious member of his front bench threatened to resign rather than . vote in favour, Mr Miliband has urged Labour MPs to support the reform. Manifesto: Mrs Grant said the proposal was in a 'contract for equalities' published at the same time as the manifesto in 2010 and it was 'quite clear what our intentions may well be' | Conservative MP Helen Grant said those of faith should support plans .
Said the proposal was in 'contract for equalities' in 2010 manifesto .
Described herself as 'God-fearing' and said plans consistent with her beliefs .
100 Conservatives expected to refuse backing in key vote on gay marriage . |
12d3a191c0c985a66babf9f0698d291657cc4469 | By . Jill Reilly and Allan Hall . PUBLISHED: . 04:34 EST, 3 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:58 EST, 6 May 2013 . On trial: Beate Zschaepe, 38, has been charged killing nine immigrant businessmen and a policewoman over a 13 year period . A woman dubbed the 'Nazi moll' is standing trial accused of killing ten people after a 13 year reign of terror. Beate Zschaepe, 38, has been charged killing nine immigrant businessmen and a policewoman in Germany. She gave herself to police last year and is said to have told them 'I'm the one you have been looking for,' but has remained tightlipped ever since. Prosecutors say she helped found the National Socialist Underground (NSU) and faces life imprisonment if convicted. She is believed to have been locked in a macabre love triangle with two of her alleged accomplices who were found dead last November. 'Everyone in Germany knows her name but no one knows who she is,' wrote the German daily Die Welt. German police and intelligence . agencies are braced for public fury when their collective failings are . exposed at the country's most scandalous neo-Nazi trial which starts on . Wednesday in Munich. Revelations that a string of unsolved . killings may have been a cold-blooded neo-Nazi campaign against ethnic . Turks have shaken the nation, forcing Germans to confront painful truths . about racism and the broader treatment of immigrants in society. The NSU had allegedly been undetected until Zschaepe blew up her rented flat in eastern Germany a year ago and gave herself up to police. The bodies of her alleged accomplices, Uwe Mundlos, 38, and Uwe Boenhardt, 34, were discovered in a caravan in an apparent double suicide. The case is shaping up as an indictment against the entire German law enforcement establishment, its attitudes to dangerous neo-Nazism and the failings which led authorities to believe that a single racist maniac - dubbed 'The Doner Kebab Killer' because so many victims ran fast-food outlets - was responsible for the assassinations. Her trial will be held in the most heavily guarded courtroom since the cases against the Baader-Meinhof terrorists of the 1970's were heard. Gang: The bodies of her alleged accomplices, Uwe Mundlos, 38, and Uwe Boenhardt, 34, were discovered in a caravan in an apparent double suicide last year . Love triangle: From left Uwe Mundlos, Beate Zschaepe and Uwe Boehnhardt who were all believed to be a macabre love triangle . Charged with participation in all 10 executions, 15 robberies, setting up a terrorist organisation and numerous arsons, Zschaepe could expect, under normal German law, to be out after 15 years if convicted. But prosecutors are seeking to implement the special clause in the national law called 'particularly grievous guilt' which allows the state to incarcerate particularly heinous criminals forever. She is in the dock along with four supporters. It is the biggest terrorism trials ever held in Germany of extreme right-wingers since the post-WW2 republic was formed and security in Munich will be unparalleled. Blown up: The NSU had been undetected until Zschaepe blew up her rented flat in eastern Germany a year ago and gave herself up to police . Sewers have been sealed to prevent bombs being placed near the court, snipers will be on rooftops and police leave throughout Bavaria has been cancelled. Zschaepe, idolised by Norwegian mass-killer Anders Breivik who wrote to her advising her to use her trial to spread 'right-wing propagnada,' is branded by Germany's federal prosecutor Harald Range as being at the heart of planning and carrying out the murders. But the trial is about so much more than her - it is about the deep national sense of shame in police failings to stop the NSU, which was composed of Zschaepe and two male sidekicks who were also her lovers. No link was ever made between the group and the killings, despite a vast covert intelligence network. Victims: Enver Simsek, Abdurrahim Ozudogru, Suleyman Taskopru, Habil Kilic and police woman Michele Kiesewetter and bottom from left : Mehmet Turgut, Ismail Yasar, Theodorus Boulgarides, Mehmet Kubasik und Halit Yozgat . It has led to charges that certain police and intelligence chiefs wanted to protect the NSU because they admired them, although claims of a conspiracy have been fiercely rejected. The group was supported by a loose network of crazed neo-Nazis who dreamed of a Fourth Reich. During the killings no claim of responsibility was ever made; the group hoped that the randomness of the murders would strike fear into Germany's immigrant population who would begin leaving en-masse. They went underground in 1998 and lived from the proceeds of bank robberies across the country. The cell imploded on November 4 2011 when her male accomplices Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Boehnhardt botched a bank raid. Grief: Ismail Yozgat , right, and Ayse Yozgat left, pray at a memorial event on the seventh anniversary of the murder of their son Halit, who was killed by the NSU terror group, in Kassel, Germany (file photo) Remembrance: A monument to commemorate the victims of the NSU terror group is pictured in Nuremberg . In a pre-arranged plan to avoid capture, Mundlos shot his accomplice before turning the gun on himself. Zschaepe, as instructed, blew up their hideout in the east German city of Zwickau. But the blast and subsequent fire failed to destroy a mountain of evidence, including videotapes in which the trio allegedly boasted of their crimes. Days later, as a massive manhunt stretched across the country, she turned herself in. Prosecutor Range, 64, said collating the evidence against her was a 'Herculean task. We collected 6,800 pieces of evidence, mostly from the wreckage of the burned-out house in Zwickau, and questioned about 1,200 witnesses. On our side, 10 public prosecutors ran the investigations, and the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation. 'Their central motive was to unsettle our fellow citizens of foreign origin -- the goal being that they would leave Germany, out of fear for their own safety.' Idolised: Zschaepe, pictured right after her arrest, is idolised by Norwegian mass-killer Anders Breivik who wrote to her advising her to use her trial to spread 'right-wing propagnada' He said it was likely that the murderers were looking to create a 'monument' for themselves with the killings. He said that Zschaepe was involved deeply in the murders. He went on; 'To visualize it, one could say that two people did the killing while the third person stood guard. Not directly at the scene of the crime, but by handling the cover and the logistics. 'By securing the apartment as an indispensable headquarters for the NSU, by cultivating the stories and by handling the group's financial affairs. This is why we see Beate Zschäpe as a full co-perpetrator. She collaborated in all the murders and attacks. 'There are a few clues that are already known. They include her fingerprints on newspaper articles about NSU attacks that were found in the wreckage at the site of the fire in Zwickau. Besides, the police also found many surveillance notes there. To me, this means that she knew what was going on. And there is also witness testimony that places Zschaepe very close to the scene of a crime in Nuremberg. 'She was an active participant in the discussions related to the group's armed conflict, and she was involved in illegal activities with her accomplices for almost 14 years. For that reason, I am convinced that she wasn't just an accessory or merely a companion, but was in fact acting on the same level as the others.' Other controversies than the police bungling are swirling around the trial before the first opening statements. Munich authorities have failed to reserve a single seat for a member of the Turkish media, despite the nationality of most of the victims. This has led to renewed charges of German racism at worst, and indifference at best, to foreigners in the country. The trial will open just days after police discovered a neo-Nazi information service operating in the country's jails seeking to contact NSU members. The network sent coded messages between prisons hidden in letters and the classified ads sections of magazines. Again, the news seems to have failed to reach any outrage gene among Germans, who still break out in a cold sweat about left-wing violence. | Beate Zschaepe, 38, has been charged killing nine people over 13 years .
She is the sole survivor of neo-Nazi terrorist cell .
Two of her alleged accomplices were found dead last November .
Prosecutors say she helped found the National Socialist Underground .
NSU undetected until Zschaepe blew up her flat in eastern Germany .
Police previously blamed murders on foreign gangs with gambling links . |
12d561c32bcbad1e7567e4e933f53406295c13fa | By . Anna Edwards . and Sean O'hare . and Anthony Bond . Wanted: Whistleblower Edward Snowden has not accepted an offer of asylum from Venezuela, Wikileaks said tonight . Whistleblower Edward Snowden has not yet formally accepted asylum in Venezuela, WikiLeaks said today. The anti-secrecy group made the announcement on Twitter this evening after a Russian politician tweeted earlier today that the former U.S. spy agency contractor had accepted political asylum from the South American country. 'Edward Snowden has not yet formally . accepted asylum in Venezuela,' Wikileaks, whose British legal researcher . Sarah Harrison is assisting Snowden and travelled to Moscow with him, . later said on Twitter. It added: 'The states concerned will make the announcement if and when the . appropriate time comes. The announcement will then be confirmed by us.' Unofficial spokesman for the Kremlin Alexei Pushkov had prompted the speculation today when he tweeted that the fugitive, believed to be in Russia and wanted by the US . authorities for leaking security secrets, had accepted the offer from Venezuela. The tweet was removed a few minutes after it was posted. Soon after the tweet's disappearance he sent another message saying his claim was based on a report from the state all-news television channel Vesti. However, no such information could be found on Vesti's website and no Russian news agency reported that Vesti had ever said it. The TV channel could not immediately be reached for comment and the Kremlin declined comment on today's developments. Mr Snowden, who revealed details of a US intelligence program to monitor internet activity, went to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on June 23 and was believed to be headed for Cuba. But he did not board that flight is believed to have been stranded in the airport's transit lounge ever since. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had already offered asylum to Mr Snowden while Bolivia and Nicaragua said they too would grant asylum to the American fugitive. Scroll down for video . Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro has offered the fugitive a safe haven and 'humanitarian asylum' Ecuador said it will consider any asylum request. Mr Maduro said it is perhaps the world's 'first collective humanitarian asylum' with various countries saying 'Come here!' But . the United States has cancelled Mr Snowden's passport and it is unclear . if he has travel documents he would need to leave Moscow. Mr Maduro said Mr Snowden 'will have to decide when he flies here, if he finally wants to travel here.' On Friday he said: 'As head of state, . the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela decided to offer . humanitarian asylum to the young American Edward Snowden so that he can . live (without) ... persecution from the empire,' Maduro said, referring . to the United States. He made the offer during a speech . marking the anniversary of Venezuela's independence. It was not . immediately clear if there were any conditions to Venezuela's offer. 'In the name of America's dignity ... I have decided to offer humanitarian asylum to Edward Snowden,' Maduro . proclaimed during a military parade marking the country's Independence . Day. The escape route is fraught with problems for Snowden, and would mean him having to gain access to Russia and then taking a huge detour . 'He is a young man who has told the . truth, in the spirit of rebellion, about the United States spying on the . whole world,' Maduro said. But the Obama administration said yesterday . that U.S. diplomats are working behind the scenes to make it difficult . for Snowden to find safe harbor in any of the nations that have offered . him asylum. Snowden has received a temporary travel . document to fly to Caracas, Venezuela, and both Bolivia and Nicaragua . have also offered him political asylum, but White House Press Secretary . Jay Carney told reporters during his regular briefing that the United . States will do what it can to stop him. 'The United States has been in touch via . diplomatic and law enforcement channels with countries through which . Mr. Snowden might transit or which might serve as final destinations for . Mr. Snowden,' Carney said. U.S. diplomats, he added, have 'made very clear that he has been charged with a felony, or with felonies, and, as such, he should not be allowed to proceed in any further international travel other than travel that would result in him returning to the United States.' An air plane, a supposed Aeroflot flight to Havana, rolls out in preparation for a take-off seen through a window of Sheremetyevo airport outside Moscow, Russia . It's not clear whether the Obama . administration is hoping a Latin American nation will double-cross . Snowden and offer him up to Washington after he arrives from Russia. But the U.S., Carney said, is still working to persuade Moscow to short-circuit the process and turn the fugitive over before he can leave Moscow's Sheremetyevo-2 airport. Sources say Snowden will not be allowed to board the only Aeroflot plane that offers direct connections to Caracas, a regular service to Cuban capital Havana. The routing overflies both the EU and the US and there are fears the plane will be denied rights to Western airspace, and forced to land, leading to Snowden's arrest. The direct distance from Moscow to Caracas is 6,175 miles but it appeared too far for Snowden. The escape route for Snowden is fraught with problems. In order for Snowden to get from Moscow to the Venezuelan capital of Caracas without facing threat of U.S. extradition he would need to take an indirect, 7,000 mile route to avoid U.S. airspace. Cuba is the only country in which Snowden could land safely in a commercial plane without facing extradition but would have to pass through U.S. airspace or that of a U.S. ally whereby it could be forced to land prematurely. A private jet is considered the best bet for Snowden but it is likely to cost in the region of $200,000 to charter and would need to be of a certain size in order to reach Caracas the long way round without refuelling. So far, Venezuela has yet to offer to cover the cost of Snowden’s journey, meaning he will have to rely on either a private donor or Wikileaks to stump up the money. A Gulfstream V jet would be up to the job but it then becomes a question of how many are available in Russia and who would be prepared to face the wrath of America by loaning one to its most wanted man. With Russia getting publicly impatient with the US whistleblower's presence in its transit zone, his escape route is a logistical nightmare. 'Instead of going west to Venezuela, his obvious option is east to Vladivostok and then across the Pacific to Caracas,' said one source. It would mean Russia allowing him to formally enter its territory, which so far it has refused to do, unwilling to upset the US. This would also involve a 14,200 mile detour and a routing that would bring him close to the US state of Hawaii posing a risk to any private plane willing to take him on a route where there are no scheduled services. One option for the fugitive is to charter a private plane. Former CIA analyst Allen Thomson said: 'A private plane certainly looks like the best bet to me.'It has the advantage of simplicity and minimum involvement by the Russian government,' Mother Jones reported. As Thomson told Foreign Policy, Snowden could avoid US-influenced airspace by flying north to the Barents Sea, through the Denmark Strait, head soutwhile avoiding Canaa's Newfoundland, until getting to the east of the Windward Islands, then squeezing through between islands. | Anti-secrecy group made announcement after Russia politician said Snowden had accepted political asylum from the South American country .
Alexei Pushkov, who has acted as an unofficial spokesman for the Kremlin on the Snowden affair, tweeted the remarks earlier today .
Snowden, who revealed details of a US intelligence program to monitor internet activity, went to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on June 23 .
Venezuela has confirmed it received an asylum request from secrets whistleblower Edward Snowden - and offered him a safe haven there .
U.S. diplomats are working to make it difficult for Snowden to find safe harbor in any of the nations that have offered him asylum .
Tweet subsequently disappeared a few minutes after it was posted . |
12d6baad1d2b23df3d3ca025ab8547c68599c30d | Voters who plan to say No in Thursday’s referendum have been urged not to be intimidated by independence ‘bullies’. As Alex Salmond was accused of failing to take a stand against a ‘mob’ outside BBC headquarters in Glasgow on Sunday, Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael told voters: ‘Don’t let the bullies shout you down.’ Up to 1,000 independence supporters gathered outside the broadcaster’s building, accusing it of bias towards the No campaign. Scroll down for video . Alex Salmond, pictured, was accused of failing to take a stand against a ‘mob’ outside BBC headquarters in Glasgow . Up to 1,000 independence supporters gathered outside the BBC headquarters in Glasgow in Sunday, accusing it of bias towards the No campaign . On Monday, the National Union of Journalists warned against abuse of reporters holding the powerful to account. No campaign sources accused Yes supporters of intimidation tactics, including claims that: . Former Defence Secretary John Reid accused the Yes side of using the ‘language of abuse’ towards women who speak up for union, and he alleged that Alex Salmond’s supporters had organised ‘street mobs’ to intimidate No campaigners. Harry Potter author JK Rowling, pictured, and lingerie boss Michelle Mone were subjected to abuse after expressing support for the No campaign, it has been reported . Harry Potter author JK Rowling and lingerie boss Michelle Mone were subjected to abuse after expressing support for the No campaign. Lord Reid said: ‘The language I worry about is the language of abuse towards....women in particular...the opponents of separatism.’ On Monday, Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, spoke at a No campaign meeting in Glasgow, disrupted by pro-independence hecklers. How the protests outside the BBC headquarters was reported in Monday's Daily Mail . Activists said they felt intimidated by Yes demonstrators gathered outside. Pro-union Respect MP George Galloway said hundreds of No supporters had faced an ‘ordeal’ as they entered, adding: ‘We are not less Scottish than those saying yes.’ Several Yes campaigners were ejected after attempting to break up the meeting. Mr Carmichael said: ‘My message to those who … reject the idea we should walk away from the things we have built together as part of the UK is clear: don’t let the bullies shout you down … You’ve got a mob outside … the BBC headquarters in Glasgow, trying to influence their reporting of this referendum. Danny Alexander (pictured), Chief Secretary to the Treasury, spoke at a No campaign meeting in Glasgow, disrupted by pro-independence hecklers . ‘These are serious, serious tactics to be adopted and really, the person who could stop it all and pull the heat out of this is Alex Salmond.’ Speaking at Edinburgh Airport yesterday, the First Minister backed the demonstrators, saying: ‘You must allow people to express a view in a peaceful and joyous fashion – that is part of the democratic aspect of politics.’ But Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone said: ‘These marches revealed the desperate depths the Yes campaign is willing to stoop to … to describe these as joyous is a disgrace.’ | Voters planing to say No urged not to be intimidated by independence 'bullies'
Alex Salmond accused of failing to take a stand against 'mob' outside BBC headquarters in Glasgow on Sunday .
Up to 1,000 independence supporters gathered outside broadcaster's building, accusing it of bias towards No campaign .
National Union of Journalists warns against abuse of reporters holding powerful to account .
No campaign sources accused Yes supporters of intimidation tactics .
A Better Together activist in Aberdeen was warned he would feel ‘like a Christian missionary in Syria’ after a Yes vote .
Scots Labour Deputy Leader Anas Sarwar was served an ‘eviction notice’ dated September 19 by hardline nationalist group Am Buidheann Dubh (The Black Gang).
A man turned to his child in front of activists in Glasgow’s East End and said: ‘One day, remind me to tell you what Mussolini did to collaborators.’
An English activist in Glasgow was told to ‘get out of my country’, while a Spanish woman, who has lived in Scotland for 20 years, was spat on while leaving a No rally and told to go back home. |
12d7f70c25540834409e51edaf6740e87fd60cc7 | By . David Mccormack . and Associated Press Reporter . Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis will forever have a presence at Grand Central Terminal in New York City following the opening of an entrance named in her honor on Monday. The entrance at Park Avenue and East 42nd Street is a tribute to Kennedy’s important role in fighting to save the station in the 1970s when plans were at an advanced stage to build a 53-story tower built atop the iconic structure. The newly renovated entrance has being named the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer and features a large plaque bronze relief of Onassis and a description of her role in saving the terminal. Jackie Onassis, pictured in 1977, stands beside a huge photo of Grand Central Station during a news conference by the Committee To Save Grand Central, to plead that the terminal be spared demolition . People walk past a plaque of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis after a ceremony on Monday to dedicate Grand Central Terminal's renovated main entry vestibule in memory of the former first lady . Her efforts led to the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the city's Landmark Law in 1978 and saving the station from having its facade and Man Waiting Room destroyed. The Beaux-Arts train terminal first opened in 1913 and by 1947, over 65 million people - the equivalent of 40 percent of the population of the United States - were traveling through it each year. Soon after the railroads fell into a major decline with competition from government subsidized highways and intercity airline traffic. In 1954, a plan was floated - then quickly abandoned - to replace the station with an 80-story structure taller than the Empire State Building. Kennedy's efforts led to the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the city's Landmark Law in 1978 and saving the station from having its facade and Man Waiting Room destroyed . 'Is it not cruel to let our city die by . degrees, stripped of all her proud monuments, until there will be . nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children?'- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, 1975 . The New York Central Railroad continued to dramatically decline and in 1968, plans were unveiled for a Marcel Breuer-designed tower to be built over Grand Central. The terminal had originally been designed to support a tower above it and Breuer’s design would have utilized the existing tower support structure but wouldn’t have preserved the facade or the Main Waiting Room. The plans drew huge opposition, particularly as the orate Pennsylvania Station had been demolished in 1964 despite pleas to preserve it. One of the most prominent supporters of the campaign to save Grand Central was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Her efforts included a handwritten letter in 1975 urging then Mayor Abe Beame not to give up in a court battle to defeat the development plan. The newly renovated entrance has being named the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer and features a large plaque bronze relief of Onassis and a description of her role in saving the terminal . The Beaux-Arts train terminal first opened in 1913 and by 1947, over 65 million people - the equivalent of 40 percent of the population of the United States - were traveling through it each year . ‘Is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees, stripped of all her proud monuments, until there will be nothing left of all her history and beauty to inspire our children? If they are not inspired by the past of our city, where will they find the strength to fight for her future?,’ she wrote. ‘Americans care about their past, but for short term gain they ignore it and tear down everything that matters. Maybe… this is the time to take a stand, to reverse the tide, so that we won't all end up in a uniform world of steel and glass boxes.’ Beame announced that the city would fight to save Grand Central and six months prior to the unveiling of the . Breuer plans, the New York City Landmarks Preservation . Commission designated the station a 'landmark.' In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the city Landmarks Law, which had been challenged by developers. Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis will forever have a presence at Grand Central Terminal in New York City following the opening of an entrance named in her honor on Monday . In 2011, travel magazine Travel + Leisure rated Grand Central the sixth-most-visited tourist attraction for its roughly 21.6 million annual visitors . The landmark case was the first time that the Supreme Court ruled on a matter of historic preservation. 'Mrs. Onassis is one of America's most cherished historical figures and she is considered by many a renowned savior of Grand Central,' Metro-North Railroad President Joseph Giulietti said. 'This landmark building, universally acclaimed as one of the world's great public spaces, is still here today because of her leadership.' In 2011, travel magazine Travel + Leisure rated Grand Central the sixth-most-visited tourist attraction for its roughly 21.6 million annual visitors. Jackie's efforts included a handwritten letter in 1975 urging then Mayor Abe Beame not to give up in a court battle to defeat the development plan . Jackie Onassis & Caroline Kennedy photographed in 1978 during Party for Save Grand Central Station at The Oyster Bar in New York City . | The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Foyer at the Park Avenue and East 42nd Street entrance of the station opened on Monday .
It features a large plaque bronze relief of Onassis and a description of her role in saving the terminal .
In the 1970s Grand Central was due to have a 53-story tower built atop the iconic structure .
The former First Lady was the public face of a campaign to save the historic building .
'Is it not cruel to let our city die by degrees,' she wrote to the mayor of New York City in 1975 .
In 1978 the Supreme Court make a landmark ruling that prevented developers from going ahead with their plans . |
12d83d326694e1232e5265d119b439e46885019b | (CNN) -- The mayor of Piedras Negras, Mexico, and the secretary of public works and transportation in the state of Coahuila were killed in a plane crash Wednesday, the government-run Notimex news agency reported. There was an explosion on the airplane while flying over the Escondido River, Notimex said. The news agency identified the men as Mayor Jose Manuel Maldonado and Coahuila official Horacio del Bosque Davila. The pilot, who was not identified, also was presumed dead. Coahuila Gov. Humberto Moreira Valdes confirmed the deaths, Notimex said. The aircraft, which took off from Piedras Negras, plunged into the Fragua Dam, the news agency said. Notimex said the aircraft was a Piper Cheyenne, a twin-engine turboprop plane. Patricia Rivero of the Coahuila's prosecutors office told CNN officials were still at the scene and she did not have further information. | Explosion occurred aboard plane before crash, government-run news agency reports .
Piedras Negras mayor and Coahuila secretary of public works and transportation were killed .
The pilot, who was unidentified, also was presumed dead .
Crash is still under investigation, official said Wednesday . |
12d878c19c152ec670eca575b69c1240a00fa681 | Chris Hughton has emerged as favourite to take over at Fulham. The former Norwich and Newcastle manager features on a three-man shortlist drawn up by Fulham’s committee as the Championship club seek to replace Felix Magath, who was sacked last month. Fulham owner, Shahid Khan, appointed a five-man panel, consisting of Danny Murphy, Brian McBride, Niall Quinn, Huw Jennings and David Daly, to advise on potential candidates for the role. Chris Hughton has emerged as favourite for vacant Fulham hotseat following Felix Magath's departure . Hughton has been out of work since leaving Norwich City in April, before the club were relegated . It is understood they have now forwarded their three recommendations for interview. The caretaker manager, Kit Symons, who will oversee Saturday’s game against Norwich, Steve Clarke and Gianfranco Zola have also been discussed. Bookmakers suspended betting on Hughton getting the job on Thursday. Caretaker boss Kit Symons (left) is among the names that have been discussed for the job . | Hughton is among three-man shortlist drawn up by Fulham's committee .
Former Norwich boss has been out of work since leaving Canaries in April .
Kit Symons, Steve Clarke and Gianfranco Zola have also been discussed .
Felix Magath was sacked last month after a torrid star to the season . |
12d8baeae9b7192dd897b5b1c0e102e6ada6905f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:21 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:29 EST, 26 November 2013 . A devastated family fear false widow spiders killed three of their beloved pet guinea pigs. Jordan Richards, nine, made the discovery after going to feed Rosy, Roxy, and Emmy at his home in Hedge End, Hants. Mother Michelle said her son asked her if she had ever seen a guinea pig asleep before realising something was wrong. A devastated family fear false widow spiders killed three of their beloved pet guinea pigs . Mrs Richards, a childminder, said she found three of their five pet guinea pigs dead, with six false widow spiders and cobwebs around the hutch. The false widow is the most dangerous of the 12 species of biting spider known to be in Britain. Mrs Richards said: 'Jordan told me they were asleep. He saw mummy upset and I told him what had happened. 'I am a childminder and we had children over - a lot of kids saw what happened. 'We don't want this happening to anyone else. We want to make as many people aware of this as possible. 'I am not scared of spiders and I've never been bothered about them until these ones. Discovery: Rosy, Roxy, and Emmy which were found dead surrounded by false widow spiders and cobwebs . 'It's a rarity to be bitten and react badly but I have seen some horrific things happening to people recently. 'My husband Ray had to go out and get them. They had a look of agony on their faces. He's a tough guy but it was not good for him.' Mrs Richards said her home backs onto a primary school and fears the spiders may have made their way onto its playing field. Insect expert Ian Burgess from the Medical Entomology Centre said it is unlikely the spiders killed the guinea pigs. He said: 'It could only have happened if the guinea pigs attacked the spiders and I cannot imagine a guinea pig attacking anything.' The spiders are distinctive for their shiny, black flesh, bulbous bodies, thick legs and skull-like patterns. Millions of false widows, Britain's most poisonous spider, are found across the UK and the population is growing. Also known as steatoda nobilis, it is frequently confused for the black widow, which has deadly venom. The false widow was first spotted in the UK in Torquay, Devon, in 1879. It is understood that it may have made its way to these shores from Madeira or the Canary Islands in a shipment of bananas. The species has a brown bulbous abdomen with cream markings that look like a skull. They have long legs and can reach about 15mm in size. The Natural History Museum says that warmer summers mean the spider is spreading northwards through the UK, having been found mainly in southern England. This theory is backed by its wildlife surveys where people report sightings to them.HOW TO AVOID BITES AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET ONEThe key message is that you shouldn't disturb spiders if you can help it because they will usually only bite you if they feel threatened. To avoid it while asleep, remove everything from under the bed so that the only way the spiders can get up on the bed is to crawl up one of the four legs. Do not leave clothes around in piles for long periods as spiders like to hide in them and shake shoes in case a spider has crawled in overnight. If you have a garage store things in plastic bags if you use them with your hands and feet and cannot see inside. Also seal cardboard boxes if you are storing things. If you are unfortunate enough to be bitten and have a reaction, pack the wound in ice and seek medical attention. | Jordan Richards went to feed Rosy, Roxy and Emmy but found them dead .
Mother Michelle said the pets were surrounded by false widow spiders .
False widow is most dangerous biting spider known to be in Britain . |
12d907489bcd84a76757969e04dfad530c157caa | New Delhi, India (CNN) -- A bomb exploded Saturday at a private hospital in the tourist city of Agra, India, injuring three people. The bomb went off at Jai Hospital's reception area, said Brij Lal, spokesman for Uttar Pradesh police. The hospital is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the famed Taj Mahal, India's most popular tourist destination. The blast blew out window panes and damaged the hospital's waiting room, where the three injured people were, said P.K. Tiwari, the inspector general of police in Agra. One of them sustain burn injuries. "It is difficult to say what the cause and motive of the blast were. But we know that this was not a sophisticated device and seems to have not created too much impact," Tiwari said. "My guess is this is a crude bomb." Police at the scene said they spotted several unclaimed lunch boxes and bicycles near the blast site. India's Home Ministry said it had dispatched commandos to Agra and was in the process of collecting evidence from the scene. The Agra blast occurred a day after Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned the nation's senior police officers about India's vulnerability. "The security environment in the country continues to be uncertain," Singh said in remarks at a police conference Friday. "The recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Delhi are grim reminders of the grave challenges posed by terrorism to our national security." India has suffered a spate of attacks in recent years, including the November 2008 siege of Mumbai that killed 163 people. This month, a bomb inside a briefcase at the high court in the capital, New Delhi, killed 11 people and injured 74 others. The Islamic extremist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami claimed responsibility for that attack in an e-mail to several TV news channels. Authorities have detained three suspects from the Kashmir region. In July, 19 people were killed in three deadly blasts in Mumbai, India's largest city and financial hub. No one has been arrested yet. CNN's Aliza Kassim contributed to this report. | NEW: Police say it was a crude device .
NEW: The three injured were in the hospital's reception area .
Agra is home to the famed Taj Mahal, India's most popular tourist spot .
No motive has been determined yet . |
12db871d9be3ee81b4c7010166f1ab43f72ded9c | By . Tom Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 09:59 EST, 13 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:51 EST, 13 March 2012 . It has no running water, mains electricity or loo, but this beach hut is on the market for £126,000 – enough to buy you a house in some parts of the country. The one-room hut measures 13ft by 12ft and is on a sandy spit of land accessed only by a small ferry, a long walk or a novelty ‘Noddy’ train (though the train and ferry don’t run on week days in winter). Estate agents say it is its remoteness and inaccessibility that make the location, Mudeford Spit near Christchurch, Dorset, so desirable. Sea views: The beach hut on the Mudeford Spit has an uninterrupted view across the water . The one-room hut on Mudeford Spit near Christchurch in Dorset measures 13ft by 12ft and is accessed only by boat or a novelty "Noddy" train . It boasts some of the best vistas across . Britain's most picturesque beaches and further out to sea including the . Needles on the Isle of Wight. The shack does have solar panels that provide electricity for lighting and it includes a gas powered cooker and fridge. It has a shared shower block on the sandy spit that is so desirable because of its remoteness and inaccessibility. Four . people can sleep in the hut during the summer months and it has . stunning views out across Christchurch harbour and also to the Isle of . Wight. From the spit you can see Christchurch priory, the longest parish church in Britain. The asking price is the same cost as a house in some northern towns and is as much as a top-of-the-range Bentley Continental car. But estate agents doubt the price tag, or the fact it can only be accessed by boat, a long walk or a novelty ‘Noddy’ train, will put off potential buyers. Room with a view: The stunning views from the back doors stretch out to the Needles on the Isle of Wight . Location, location, location: The cabin is on Mudeford Sandbank, near Christchurch Harbour, Dorset, which has stunning views to the Isle of Wight . Basic: The kitchen area in the small hut has no running water or mains electricity . Chalet number 4, on Beach Road, in . West Bexington, Dorset, became one of the world's most expensive beach . huts when it sold for £235,000 in 2006 . The felt-roof hut had a sitting . room measuring 2.85m by 2.59m, a kitchen which was 1.3m by 4.11m, a . toilet and one bedroom measuring 2.87m x 2.62m. It had running water, drainage and . mains electricity, a garden, the potential for off-site parking and can . be lived in all year round. The new owner won a heated five-way auction held in Sherborne, Dorset, to snap up the hut. Andrew Denison, of Denisons Estate . Agents in Christchurch, who is selling the leasehold for hut number 219, . said there has already been a lot of interest. He is currently getting on his bicycle for viewings because the small ferry and train don’t run during week days in the winter. He said: ‘We’ve had quite a few enquiries already. ‘It’s . quite a rare opportunity because beach huts like this don’t come on to . the market very often - they tend to get handed on to friends and . family. ‘The prices haven’t really gone down and because they rarely come up for sale they remain in demand. ‘This is made from wood and is little more than a shed, but it is well constructed and has an asphalt roof. ‘Access . is by boat or the Noddy train, but they don’t always run during the . week in the winter so we are getting there by bicycle to give viewings. ‘There . is no mains electricity or running water, but there are Calor gas . bottles that provide for the heating and cooking and power the fridge. ‘Solar . panels on the roof add extra power for the lighting and top up the . battery. There is no toilet, but there is a shower block. Water is from a stand pipe and on about four occasions a year it is opened up to vehicles so owners can move things in and out. ‘It sleeps four and there are people on the spit who sleep there all summer and commute to work. ‘You . can sleep there between March and October, but you can visit during the . rest of the year and a lot of owners meet up on New Year’s Day. ‘There are great views both towards the harbour and out to sea and it is a desirable place because it is not easily accessed.’ Whoever buys the yellow painted hut . will also have to fork out an annual ground rent of about £2,500 a . year that is payable to the local council. Cosy: The main living area in the hut on Mudeford Spit near Christchurch measures 13ft by 12ft and has room for a small bed. There is also a small 'bunk bed' for two . | Buyers expected to fight over hut with no toilet, measuring 13ft by 12ft .
Isolated cabin accessed only via boat, a long walk or a novelty ‘Noddy’ train . |
12ddd96efaaf69698c9088abc182f741dc711164 | Sanford, Florida, Police Chief Bill Lee, who drew criticism for his department's actions in the Trayvon Martin case, was fired Wednesday. "After much thoughtful discussion and deep consideration for the issues facing the city of Sanford, I have determined the police chief needs to have the trust and respect of the elected officials and the confidence of the entire community," City Manager Norton Bonaparte said in a news release. "We need to move forward with a police chief that all the citizens of Sanford can support. I have come to this decision in light of the escalating divisiveness that has taken hold of the city." Lee will receive a three-month severance and a week's salary in addition to any earned time off. As a search for Lee's replacement is carried out, interim Chief Richard W. Myers will remain on the job. Late Wednesday night, representatives of the Martin family said they "respected" the city manager's decision. "It's important that we really believe that, as all of this has unfolded, we've continued to move closer to justice," said family attorney Daryl Parks. Timeline of events in Trayvon Martin case . Lee had submitted a resignation letter in April that said he was stepping down, but city commissioners voted not to accept it. In March, he had said he was stepping down temporarily in the wake of the public furor over the failure of the police to arrest George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who has said his shooting of Martin on February 26 was an act of self-defense. Also Wednesday, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office released 911 tapes of calls placed the morning after the shooting, when police had still not identified the 17-year--old victim. He was unarmed and carrying no identification when he was shot while walking to his father's girlfriend's house after picking up some snacks at a nearby store. In the first call, Trayvon Martin's father, Tracy Martin, calls police at 8:39 a.m. asking to file a missing persons report, which typically would not be accepted until 24 hours after a person has been discovered missing. "It hasn't really been 24 hours," he tells the police dispatcher. "But I'm from Miami and my son's up here with me ... he don't know anybody up here." Documents shed light of Trayvon Martin killing . In the return call, placed nine minutes later, the dispatcher tells the victim's father that an officer is en route to where he was staying. Lee had said Zimmerman was not charged in the shooting because there were no grounds to disprove his account of the events -- that Martin had attacked him. Since then, Zimmerman has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The incident sparked a national debate as to whether the shooting was an act of racial profiling by Zimmerman and about the state's "stand-your-ground" law. Jailhouse calls show Zimmerman, wife talking in code . During an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in New Orleans, Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, said the family has been heartened by the response from the community. "It's just nice to see so many people that support us, so many people that walk up to us just to give us a hug. Just to tell us that they support us," she said. "It does the heart good. Yes, we still are hurting. We just had to go through a Mother's Day and a Father's Day and it hurts. It just hurts." | Martin family lawyer: "We've continued to move closer to justice"
City manager cites "escalating divisiveness" in Sanford .
The former police chief drew criticism for not charging George Zimmerman .
911 tapes show Trayvon Martin's father did not know of his son's fate the next day . |
12de52b5c60bd4b3c1c72386ca8d608d5113ea99 | By . Hannah Roberts . Pope Francis has confessed that he fell in love with a girl that he met when he was training to be a priest. After a week-long fixation, the Latin pontiff then aged 22 or 23 had to seek redemption in the confession booth, he revealed. In an extraordinary interview to celebrate his first year in the Catholic church’s top job, Francis revealed that ‘there was a girl that turned my head for a week when I was at the seminary.’ Holy secret: Pope Francis, pictured in the Vatican today, has revealed that he had to seek redemption in the confession booth, after falling in love with a woman when he was at the seminary in his early 20s . He said: ‘But we were young.’ He added mischievously: ‘I tell my confessor about these things.’ The Argentinian pontiff seems to have had no problem attracting the ladies in his youth. Pope Francis has said he is finding the growing ‘Superpope’ hype that surrounds him offensive. In an interview published to mark his first anniversary as pontiff, he said that he dislikes the media painting a picture of him as a celebrity and a star. However, in stark contrast, the Vatican is marking the anniversary of his election with commemorative stamps and coins and a DVD with never-before-seen footage of the pope. Francis told Italian daily Corriere della: ‘Depicting the pope as a sort of Superman, a star, is offensive to me. ‘The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps calmly and has friends like everyone else. A normal person.’ He has previously revealed that he had a girlfriend when he was 17, that he used to go dancing with in salsa clubs. However his vocation to the priesthood was too strong. On a night out with friends in Buenos Aires, the youngster stopped to go to confession when his decision to join the priesthood came upon him. And after he became pope, a long lost childhood love came forward. Former neighbour Amalia Damonte told how their families had divided them after the then Jorge Maria Bergoglio had sworn to marry her, aged 12. In the anniversary interview, Francis also revealed that former Pope Benedict XVI was to come out of retirement. Loved: Pope Francis waves at the crowd upon his arrival at St.Peter's square for the weekly general audience on Wednesday . The papa: Pope Francis joked with the crowd and even put on a military Alpine hat as the interview about his week-long love story was published . Big wave: The interview, done in the anniversary of his ascent to Pope, also saw him reveal that his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI will come out of retirement . After becoming the first Pope in 600 . years to resign a year ago, Benedict was forced to commit to a . cloistered life, remaining ‘hidden from the world’. In the interview, Pope Francis defended the Catholic Church’s record on child abuse saying that it had done much since the scandal first broke some 15 years ago and was being singled out for attack. He defended the Church and his predecessor former Pope Benedict, whom Francis credited with having the courage to start reforms. ‘On this path, the Church has done much, perhaps more than all others,’ he said. ‘The Catholic Church is perhaps the only public institution that has moved with transparency and responsibility. 'No-one has done more, and yet the Church is the only one that is being attacked,’ he said. He appeared to be referring to a report by a United Nations committee last month which accused the Vatican of systematically turning a blind eye to decades of sexual abuse of children by priests, and demanded it turn over known or suspected offenders to civil justice. A ‘shadow Pope’ lurking would become a rallying point for opposition to Francis and risk splitting the Catholic Church, many in the Curia or Vatican civil service feared. But Francis said that his predecessor still had a lot to offer, and was like ‘a granddad who didn’t deserve to be put in an old people’s home.’ ‘We discussed it and decided together that it’s best that he sees people and goes out and rejoins church life’, he told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. ‘Some wanted him to retire to a Benedictine monastery far from the Vatican. 'But it made me think of granddads who strengthen the family with their knowledge and advice and don’t deserve to be put in an old people’s home.’ Francis appeared to pave the way for his own eventual retirement saying that although Benedict was the first, Pope Emeritus, or retired Pope, the position would become routine. ‘It should be an institution, he said. ‘He [Benedict] is the first and perhaps there will be others’, he hinted. | Pope had a one-week obsession with a woman in his early 20s .
He was training to be a priest at the time and had to seek redemption .
Revealed romantic past on his anniversary of becoming Pope Francis . |
12de703bbb529392d7de86046a6b448028201f09 | By . Brendan Carlin . Last updated at 10:52 PM on 30th July 2011 . HM Revenue chiefs were yesterday ordered by MPs to stop sending threatening letters to people who owed them money, warning that cars and televisions would be seized and sold off for a pittance. In a scathing rebuke, tax bosses were told by the Commons' Treasury committee that the 'widely used' practice of mailing out threats to auction off people's property was 'completely inappropriate'. Labour MP George Mudie, deputy chairman of the committee, even suggested that HM Revenue and Customs had been breaking the law by sending out the 'horrifying' letters. 'Horrifying threats': HM Revenue has been sending out letters to people threatening to auction off their property . And he accused Chancellor George Osborne of turning a blind eye to the abuse after one of his Treasury Ministers appeared to condone it. Earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday exposed how the tax office was targeting thousands of people among Britain's ten million self-assessment taxpayers who had failed to respond to tax demands. In a damning report this weekend on HMRC's performance, the Treasury committee said: 'These letters appear to have been widely used without sufficient thought to whom they were sent to, even being sent to people who did not actually owe money. 'Such language is appropriate only where there is strong evidence of persistent and deliberate non-payment.' Mr Mudie, who led the inquiry, praised The Mail on Sunday for exposing the HMRC tactics. He said: 'This was one of the most disturbing things uncovered in our inquiry. They were sending these out to taxpayers, seemingly on a random basis, and telling them to pay up within weeks. 'There was no question of saying we would like to discuss this with you, or you can phone this number, and you have a right of appeal. 'It was just: pay up this money – and it was often a four-figure number – within weeks or we will seize your goods. 'Imagine the effect on someone elderly and vulnerable living on their own if they got a letter like that.' 'Disappointing': Treasury Minister David Gauke was on the receiving end of stern criticism from the committee . The Leeds MP also warned that unless the letters were being sent to people who had repeatedly and deliberately refused to pay up, they were illegal. He also voiced his anger that Treasury Minister David Gauke, who oversees HMRC, appeared to condone the practice. Mr Mudie said: 'The Minister came before us and I was disappointed because he took the line that they owed money and they had to get it. 'He seemed to think it was acceptable but the committee didn't.' Earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday exposed how HMRC was targeting thousands of people among Britain's ten million self-assessment taxpayers who had failed to respond to tax demands. In a provocative twin-track tactic, tax chiefs set out to humiliate people into paying up by threatening to seize their possessions and auction them off publicly for a fraction of their real value, and warning them that if they refused the Government would run out of money to treat the sick and educate the nation's children. One letter sent from the HMRC office in Croydon described in graphic terms how 'embarrassing' and costly it would be for the taxpayer if a debt of more than £2,000 was not settled. 'We must collect this tax from you to pay for the hospitals and schools we all rely on. We will do that by taking your possessions and auctioning them publicly. 'We don't like doing this because people have told us it is embarrassing for them and it will cost you so much more to pay this way. 'For instance, if your car is worth several thousand pounds, it might sell for only a few hundred pounds at auction, a flat-screen TV costing £2,000 would typically sell for about £200-£300, and an £800 laptop would sell for about £100.' Praised: The Mail on Sunday story from earlier this year that exposed how HMRC was sending menacing letters to late payers . In their report, MPs painted a dismal picture of HMRC as an organisation in deep crisis, with 'endemic delays'. Staff were so over-stretched that more than half of calls from the public went unanswered and letters were ignored for months. The report comes after HMRC admitted last year that six million people had paid the wrong amount of tax in previous years. Last night HMRC remained defiant about the letters, saying most of the them were sent to people who either repeatedly failed to respond or refused to pay up. The Treasury declined to make a statement last night. | HMRC warned letters could be breaking the law .
MPs tell of crisis at HM Revenue, with 'endemic delays' |
12dece9f7859da872a18e87c7d0623658555c912 | By . Daily Mail Reporter and James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 17:45 EST, 26 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:11 EST, 26 May 2013 . New details emerged this week during a preliminary hearing for a Tennessee man accused of shooting dead his 34-year-old wife in the family home while his two-year-old child was left alone upstairs in a crib. The court heard that Randolph Maidens, 42, fled his Brentwood home on April 21st, leaving behind his dead wife Dr. Rachael Maidens, a confessional note on the kitchen counter, a shotgun on the couch, a car trunk stuffed with $87,200 and his young daughter who told responding officers, 'Daddy gone!' A coroner's report indicates that the orthodontist was found on the ground floor of the couple's home and died from multiple gunshot wounds said Lt. John Wood of the Brentwood Police Department. Court Hearing: Randolph Maidens appears in court on Thursday during a preliminary hearing in his trial for murdering his wife, Dr. Rachael Maidens . Police rushed to the plush home after a request by Dr. Maidens mother to check on her daughter after she suspected that Maidens might cause harm to his wife and daughter. The court heard how police could not raise anyone by knocking the door, so entered the property through an unlocked garage door and after announcing they were in the home heard a young child announce, 'I'm here.' The young child told officers that her father was gone and then were presented with the shocking sight of Dr. Maidens body wrapped in a blanket in a hallway close to the living room. A shotgun was rested up against the couch and a note nearby 'expressing regret for what happened' and asking for custody of the child to go to Dr. Maiden's mother. Court Date: Randolph Maidens is charged with shooting his orthodontist wife dead on April 21st with a shotgun in their Tennessee home . Officers also discovered $87,200 in his 2013 Infinit parked inside the home garage, including two Fed Ex envelopes filled with cash in a fireproof safe. While an extensive manhunt could not locate Maidens, he walked back into his home with his hands above his head at around 6 a.m. on April 22nd. Bail was set at $750,000, lowered from its original $2.5 million but District Attorney General Kim Helper argued at the time for the amount to be higher. This was because Maidens got into an altercation with three men during a conference he attended in Orlando, Florida earlier in the year - before he became unemployed. Witnesses who heard the argument allege that Maidens made statements in which he admitted wanting to kill his wife. However, Maidens' attorney, David Raybin, said that his client showed no intention of fleeing as his passport was in his desk drawer and pointed to the fact he surrendered himself freely. Murdered: Randolph Maidens allegedly killed his wife Rachael Maidens in their gated community home . On the evening of the murder, Brentwood police, helped by a SWAT . Team, a K-9 unit and . helicopters, launched an overnight manhunt for Maidens and put the gated community on lockdown as they searched the area. Maidens eventually walked out of the woods behind the back of his house and was taken into custody without incident at 6 am on Monday, ABC News reported. At the time one neighbor described how she witnessed Maidens acting bizarrely three weeks before the shooting. 'I saw him running through the woods behind our house, and he a had on a black ski . mask and a backpack that looked like a quiver,' the neighbor told WKRN-TV. Arrest: Maidens fled the home after allegedly killing his wife and leaving their daughter, 2, with her body . Scene: He later emerged from trees at the back of their plush home in Brentwood, Tennessee . Together: Police have not revealed a motive and friends and neighbors said the family had seemed happy . 'It was daytime . and he was running through the woods... and down to the ravine, right past our house, and I followed him . and he laid down in the ravine and pulled off the ski mask.' When she asked him what he was doing, 'he made some . kind of statement that made no sense' before adding, 'Well, I was walking my dogs, I got lost', she said. Maidens appeared before a Williamson . County magistrate judge In April and was charged with homicide in the . death of his wife, the Williamson County Sheriff's Department told ABC . News. He has no criminal record but on February 23, he was arrested for driving under the influence and refusing to take a Breathalyzer test, records show. Hunt: Police deployed helicopters and K-9 units to search for Maidens after the body of his wife was found . Ripped apart: Maidens is in jail on $750,000 bond while the couple's daughter is now with relatives . He was released on $1,500 cash bond and will appear in court on May 29 at 9 a.m. for the charge. Rachael Maidens owned an orthodontist practice, RM Orthodontics, in Maryland Farms. 'I think to say just how sorry I am and I'm going to miss coming to the office and seeing her,' former patient Cindy Bayer told News Channel 5. 'She always had a smile and was always friendly. She obviously enjoyed what she did, so it's a shame that her life's work is gone.' Mrs Maidens, who grew up in Brentwood, met her husband while practicing in Atlanta for three years. The couple's daughter has been placed with relatives. | Randolph Maidens 'left his toddler daughter alone with wife's body and eluded authorities for 12 hours'
Police launched massive manhunt and Maidens was caught the next day .
The little girl was unharmed and is now with relatives .
Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the alleged murder . |
12df476bbee6db7f0bc2156550042b24d42debaf | (EW.com) -- Bravo will air a special that addresses the suicide of Russell Armstrong, sources tell EW. The network has shot a special that included several cast members of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" -- Lisa Vanderpump, Camille Grammer, Kyle and Kim Richards, and Adrienne Maloof. Taylor Armstrong apparently was not included in the filming. The special has yet to be formally announced by the network, and its unclear when the special will air. The second season premiere of "Beverly Hills" is still on track for September 5, with the show re-edited in wake of Armstrong's death. See full article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Sources say Bravo will air a special that addresses the suicide of Russell Armstrong .
The special includes Vanderpump, Grammer, Maloof and Kyle and Kim Richards .
The second season premiere of "Beverly Hills" is still on track for September 5 . |
12df68934ef9d992b8186e699aeaadb253bd3676 | Steven Taylor’s contribution to Newcastle’s winless start to the Premier League season amounted to little more than 60 seconds. Seven games without victory, United were adrift in the relegation places with their long-serving defender having warmed the bench for the majority. Now, on the back of maximum returns against Leicester and Spurs, the Magpies are up to 14th and manager Alan Pardew’s job is safe. Steven Taylor has played for Newcastle United for the last eleven years - since he was 16 years old . The former England Under 21 captain has found first team appearances hard to come by of late . Taylor has played every minute of those victories but was only recalled in the wake of an injury to Mike Williamson. The starting XI, however, is where the 28-year-old intends to stay and, when asked if he now deserved his place in the side, Taylor shot back: ‘Absolutely. The one thing I’ve done is waited for my chance and kept myself in good shape. ‘I’ve taken my chance and that’s what I had to do – we’ve got three points in both games. ‘One hundred per cent (I intend to stay in the side). I love my football and there’s nothing better than playing in front of 52,000 fans, that’s where I want to be.’ Since an injury to Mike Williamson though, Taylor has rejoined the Newcastle back-line for two wins in a row . Taylor (left) insists that he wants to make the position his own, as Newcastle moved up to 16th on Sunday . Taylor, the former England Under-21 captain, was sent off on the opening day of last season following a reckless elbow on Sergio Aguero during a 4-0 defeat at Manchester City. Pardew lost faith in the centre-back following that dismissal and he appeared just nine times in the league during the remainder of the campaign. And, ahead of tomorrow’s return to the Etihad Stadium, Taylor reflected: ‘It’s horrible (being out of the team). You’ve just got to knuckle down and work hard and make sure you take that chance when it comes. Now, I’m feeling full of confidence. ‘But the rest of the lads have been fantastic and it’s been a real team effort these past two games.’ Taylor is not one to shirk from danger - pictured here (second left) putting his body on the line against Leicester . Taylor (second left) celebrates with team-mates Paul Dummett and Tim Krul after Sunday's win against Spurs . Taylor prefers not to talk about his red card but believes United travel to City for their Capital One Cup fourth-round tie in good spirits. ‘If you win games you are confident,’ he said, Sammy Ameobi and Ayoze Perez having got the second-half goals during Sunday’s 2-1 win at Spurs. ‘We have that belief to stay in a game even when we are not playing well. ‘We did not play that well in the first half (at Spurs) even though we created a few chances. ‘But we had no fear - you cannot playing with fear when you go to White Hart Lane. Taylor (centre) looked delighted at the full-time whistle against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday . Taylor's first game back after Mike Williamson's injury coincided with Newcastle's first win of the season . ‘I thought we were fantastic in the second half. We really stuck at it. They had one shot maybe. When you come to Tottenham that doesn’t ever happen. ‘In the second half only one team was in it. We have creativity in the side and Sammy Ameobi was a breath of fresh air for us. He showed that. ‘And it was great for Ayoze Perez to get his goal. He is a goalscorer, put the ball in front of him and he has that ability. ‘We are now looking forward to City. It will be tough game, we know that, but we will cause them problems.’ | Steven Taylor has not been a fixture in Newcastle's back-line this season .
After an injury to Mike Williamson, he has found himself in the team again .
Taylor says he has waited a long time for his chance and will now take it .
Newcastle have won their last two matches and are up to 14th in the league . |
12df8390b46136cb45c97e6eefe0b156332e0111 | A video that appeared to show a young Syrian boy running through sniper fire to rescue a young girl is a fake, it has emerged. The boy was hailed a hero after the one-minute clip, thought to be filmed in Yabroud, a countryside town 50 miles from Damascus, was posted online earlier this week. But a group of Norwegian filmmakers have today revealed that the footage was in fact shot on location in Malta using professional actors. Scroll down for videos . Faked: This picture shows the Norwegian filmmakers on the set of the video, which was watched by millions . Heroic: The original video, uploaded earlier this week, appeared to show a boy running through sniper fire . Behind the camera: The one-minute clip was shot on location in Malta, on a set used for films such as Troy . Lars Klevberg, a director based in Oslo, said that he wrote the dramatic script after watching news coverage of the ongoing conflict in Syria. The 34-year-old said that he wanted to present the film as authentic in order to 'spur debate' and 'spark action' on behalf of 'innocent children all over the world who are affected by war'. He told the BBC that he was not uncomfortable about potentially deceiving viewers with the video - which has been watched more than 3.6million times on YouTube. He added that his hope was that people would react 'with hope' when they saw the video, which was filmed on a set used for blockbusters such as Gladiator and Troy. The clip shows the boy coming under fire as he dashes towards a car-wreck ahead. As he runs shots are fired at him and he appears to fake being shot in the chest and falling over. Professionals: The boy who pretended to be shot in the clip, above, is actually an actor from Malta . Duped: The filmmakers said that they wanted to spark a debate about children living in war zones . A second later he gets up and disappears behind the car before emerging hand in hand with the terrified girl who has been hiding from fire. He appears to struggle to convince her to run to safety, but the girl, dressed in pink, eventually runs with him as more shots are fired. Mr Klevberg said that, while the film aimed to appear authentic, the children surviving gunshots was supposed to send small clues that it was not real. 'Bravery': The video appeared to show the boy rescuing a girl hiding behind a car - but she was safely on set . Dramatic: The footage, which received thousands of pounds in government funding, was posted this week . No regrets: Director Lars Klevberg said he did not feel uncomfortable about potentially deceiving millions . Blockbuster: The set where the Norwegian film was filmed was used for movies including Gladiator, above . He said that their financial backers, including the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) and Arts Council Norway, supported their intentions. Ase Meyer, short film commissioner for the NFI, told the BBC: 'It was not a cynical way to get attention. They had honest motivations . 'I was surprised people thought it was real. When I see the film, the little boy is shot but he keeps on running. There is no blood on the child.' But she admitted that once she discovered the film was online, she encouraged the filmmakers to tell viewers that it was fake. | Video appeared to show boy dodging bullets in streets of countryside town .
One-minute clip was viewed more than 3.6 million times in just five days .
But Norwegian director has revealed that it was shot in Malta this summer .
Explained he wanted to spark a debate about children living in war zones .
Lars Klevberg said he did not feel uncomfortable about deceiving viewers . |
12dfd6d991dfd52c371d678bddf8bb1d08d055d7 | (CNN) -- One of two gay men jailed in Malawi after they got engaged has been transferred to another prison, a human rights campaigner and gay rights activist said Wednesday. It was not clear why Steven Mojenza was moved from Chichiri prison, where he had been serving time with his partner, Tiwonge Chimbalanga. The pair was sentenced last week to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of gross indecency and unnatural acts. Though in separate cells at Chichiri, the men were able to see each other briefly "from time to time," said Peter Tatchell, a London-based gay rights activist who has been advocating for the men. Gift Trapence, executive director of the Malawi-based human rights group Center for the Development of People, visited Chimbalanga in prison Wednesday and said Mojenza was not the only prisoner who was moved to another facility. Trapence said he planned to visit Mojenza at the new prison Thursday and would learn more then. Tatchell expressed fears for Mojenza's mental and physical health. No appeal has been scheduled, Trapence said. "The lawyers are going to submit the papers either this week or next week," he told CNN from Malawi. "The court is going to give the dates for the appeal, so we can't speculate right now because the court has not given the date." Lawyers for the men are hopeful the 14-year sentence will either be reduced or thrown out on appeal, Trapence said. The two men, both in their 20s, were arrested in December at their home in Blantyre, Malawi, for professing their love in a traditional engagement ceremony. They were rounded up after news reports surfaced, charged under colonial-era sodomy laws and detained at Chichiri prison without bail. The arrests received some popular support in the conservative southern African nation, but sparked condemnation by gay-rights activists. Human-rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for the couple's release. Homosexuality is illegal in Malawi, as it is in most African nations, and government officials have said they are simply upholding the law. Activists in Malawi, however, say they are violating the country's constitution, which outlaws discrimination. The Malawi Law Society said the prosecution of the two men was driven by prejudice, not jurisprudence. Anthony Kamanga, Malawi's solicitor general and secretary for justice and constitutional affairs, said the law does not conflict with the constitution and has denied the charge of prejudice. | Malawi authorities split up gay couple jailed last week, activists say .
Unclear why Steven Mojenza was moved to different facility .
Couple was sentenced last week after getting engaged . |
12e3a2761a9c60577bb88cef3e9e9ffc5387a4ad | Have you ever wondered what you would look like if you were a little skinnier or your nose were a little straighter? For one photographer, wondering wasn't enough. Scott Chasserot has created images that explore what ordinary people would look like as their 'ideal self.' The photographer wanted to investigate our subconscious beauty ideals in order to display the gap between how we look and how we long to look. Scott Chasserot has created his model's 'ideal appearance' (right) by manipulating their original portrait (left) The project, Original Ideal combines portrait photography with neuroscience combining psychology, brain scans and photo shop. Scott begins by taking a portrait image of each subject. He told Buzzfeed that he looks for models who are 'facially very interesting. Or that have interesting stories. A few people on are transgender.' The alterations vary from a change in eye size to skin tone . The subjects are presented their alternative images while attached to a brain scanner . After taking the original image, Scott creates 50 more portraits by making small adjustments using Photoshop, altering anything from the size of their eyes to the tone of their skin. . The subject is presented with the various versions while attached to a brain scanner which records their reactions in order to determine the version they prefer. Some of the changes to the images were barely noticeable but in other cases the subject's ideal appearance was unrecognisable to their first image . Scott combined photography with neuroscience to complete his project . When selecting his models Scott opted for those that he described as 'visually interesting' Once Scott has uncovered which of the images the subject has the most positive reaction to he displays it next to the original image, showcasing the contrast between the original image and the model's ideal. In some of the photographs the change is barely discernible, with the smallest of tweaks - such as a slight re-positioning of the eyes - needed to make the subject satisfied with their appearance. However, in some cases the second portrait is completely different to the first, with a change in eye colour and size seeming to make the most noticeable change in overall appearance. Several of Scott's subjects were transgender, however their identities have been kept secret . The most stark contrasts appeared when the second image saw a change in eye colour and size . Scott believes that even from a young age we still have an idea of what we would prefer to look like . For this subject a change as subtle as an extended forehead was all that he sees as an improvement to himself . The photographer alters the original image 50 times on Photoshop and then uses a brain-scanner to measure which image the subject reacts most positively to . In this case the woman would prefer larger eyes and fuller lips . | Scott Chasserot has combined photography with neuroscience .
He reproduces an original portrait of a subject 50 times on Photoshop .
The subject is shown the images while they are attached to a brain scanner .
This measures which portrait the model finds most visually pleasing . |
12e3d349b7c8c7beb949c1460924d631cdd24e5e | By . Fiona Macrae Science Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 18:01 EST, 13 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:54 EST, 13 May 2013 . At last, here’s something for women with bigger bottoms to smile about. Research shows they live longer. A study has found that pear-shaped women, typified by the small waists and shapely bottom of the likes of Kate Winslet and Christina Hendricks, have a longer life expectancy than the apple shapes who store fat around their middle. What is more, the figures are far from trivial. A 30-year-old woman who is a perfect pear is expected to live up to nine-and-a-half years longer than one whose waistline wobbles. Pear shaped women such as Christina Hendricks, left, and Kate Winslet, right, have a higher life expectancy than people who store fat around their middle . The projections for men are even more stark, with a 30-year-old with a huge beer belly forecast to die almost 17 years before a chap with a washboard stomach, the European Congress on Obesity in Liverpool heard. Margaret Ashwell, the former government adviser who carried out the analysis, said the real killer is not just fat but the flab found around the middle. Although a lot of it is hidden from sight, it is wrapped around the organs and produces hormones and other substances that tamper with blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. As a result it raises the risk of a host of health problems including heart disease, diabetes and strokes. For this reason, Dr Ashwell, who worked with mathematicians from London’s City University, says it is crucial it is factored in when working out how bad a person’s weight is for their health. Doctors generally use body mass index, . or BMI, a mathematical formula based on a person’s weight and height to . work out whether they are in good shape. However, BMI doesn’t distinguish between muscle and fat, meaning some athletes are classified as obese. Dr Ashwell advocates looking at waist measurement in comparison to height. As a rule of thumb, she says, we should aim to keep our waist circumference measurement to under half that of our height – or have a waist to height ratio of 0.5 or less. So, a woman who is 5ft 4in should try to keep her waist at 32in or smaller and a man who is 5ft 10in shouldn’t let his waistband exceed 35in. Any bigger than this and their shape starts to turn from pear-like to apple-like. By analysing 20 years of data on around 3,000 men and women from across the UK, Dr Ashwell has shown that waist-to-height ratio is a better predictor of life expectancy than BMI. She said: ‘By using waist-to-height . ratio, you are measuring the central fat and that’s the bad fat, so . therefore you are getting a handle on how bad things are.’ And, . by mapping age of death alongside waist and height measurements, she . has been able to work out how many years a bulging belly takes off a . person’s life. A pear-shape is typified by the small waists and shapely bottom of the likes of Beyonce, pictured . Dr Ashwell, who runs an independent scientific consultancy, said: ‘This study supports the simple message “Keep your waist circumference to less than half your height”. 'The use of weight-to-height ratio in public health screening, with appropriate action, could help add years to life. ‘If health professionals included this simple measurement in screening procedures, many years of productive life could be saved.’ She added that apple-shaped men and women should not despair, however, because fat around the waist is usually the first to melt away when we diet. Professor Jason Halford, of the UK Association for the Study of Obesity, said: ‘I think we are beginning to realise BMI is not the only measure we should be concentrating on.’ However, he warned it takes time to prove the worth of new weight measurement techniques. | People who store fat around their middle have a shorter life expectancy .
Men with beer belly forecast to die 17 years before those with thin stomach .
Analysis carried out by former government advisor Margaret Ashwell .
Fat around the middle wraps around organs and increases blood pressure .
Raises the risk of health problems including heart disease and diabetes . |
12e4721c94f5fe5294803d8db4c0116ecb483e80 | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 05:49 EST, 25 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:16 EST, 25 February 2013 . Jewish communities put on a colourful display in north London over the weekend to celebrate the festival of Purim. The carnival-like holiday is marked by parades and costume parties with participants dressing up in masks and fancy dress outfits. The holy day commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia during the 5th century BC when Royal adviser Haman plotted 'to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day'. Scroll down for video . Party bus: A double decker bus full of young men dressed up for the festival of Purim drives through north London on Sunday . Ready to celebrate: Two young orthodox Jewish children are pictured in Stamford Hill, north London, wearing spotted clown costumes for the Purim festival . In full fancy dress: Orthodox Jewish children celebrate the festival of Purim in the streets of Stamford Hill in north London on Sunday . Going all out: An Orthodox Jewish child dressed up in a miniature policeman's outfit, complete with hat, for the annual festival . The ancient story is recorded in the book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible. It tells how a royal adviser to King Ahasuerus - presumed to be Xerxes I of Persia - called Haman planned to kill all the Jews in the empire. But his plans were foiled by Mordecai and his adopted daughter Queen Esther. While huge celebrations were held in . Israel and around the world, Orthodox children in London donned fancy dress outfits to take part in a . parade on a double decker bus. Be merry: A Orthodox Jewish man wears an orange wig and smokes a cigarette in Stamford Hill during the celebrations of Purim . Many young Orthodox Jewish girls dressed up like princesses in ballgowns and fairytale dresses for the festival . Holy day: The holiday commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire in the wake of a plot by Haman to exterminate their race . Feast day: A child wears a clown fancy dress costume for the festival of Purim when Jewish people take gifts of food and drink to neighbouring friends and family . These young police officers are equipped with handcuffs and walkie talkies as they escort a young lady to the Purim celebrations . The Jewish community celebrated the festival by dancing and singing in the streets of north London to loud Yiddish music . Children wore an array of costumes - from bear outfits, police uniforms to clown make-up and even ballgowns. Purim is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar - the day following the victory over the plot. It is the one day of the year where Jewish people are encouraged to get 'shikker' - a Yiddish term for extremely drunk - and to eat, drink and be merry. Teachings: The story of Haman's plot is recorded in the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible . Not something you see everyday: A man of the Stamford Hill Orthodox Jewish community stops to refuel his parade truck during the celebrations of Purim . Matching: Two young Orthodox Jewish boys dress up as bears for the celebration of Purim . A group of young boys from the Stamford Hill Orthodox Jewish community join the Purim celebrations on a double decker bus . Street party: Orthodox Jews in north London get ready to begin the Purim festivities on Sunday . Drunkenness is usually discouraged by Jewish law but it is considered a mitzvah - religious duty - to drink alcohol on Purim although followers are still expected to perform all other duties of the festival. As well as parades and fancy dress, Purim is celebrated by the giving of food and drink to other Jews and through charity to the poor. Traditionally, there is also a celebratory meal and a public recitation of the Scroll of Esther which every Jew must hear once during the day and once at night. Traditional sing-a-long: Orthodox Jews sing and dance as they celebrate Purim in their community center in Bnei Brak, Israel . Celebrations around the world: Israelis parade through the streets in fancy dress to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim . Check mate: Israeli children dressed as a chess board join the parade to celebrate Purim in Israel . Having a ball: Jews attend the Purim festival at the main synagogue in Bucharest, Romania, on Saturday . | Orthodox children in London donned fancy dress to take part in a parade .
Celebrations held around the world over the weekend for annual festival .
Purim commemorates the foiling of a 5th century plot to annihilate all Jews .
It is the one day a year Jewish people are encouraged to drink alcohol . |
12e6169a23fef8ca6b57b43ff4faf37973ffb23e | Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Israel's foreign minister Tuesday denied that an American-Israeli law student being held as a spy in Egypt worked for Israeli intelligence. Avigdor Lieberman has no idea why Ilan Grapel, 27, should be detained, he told Israel Radio. Grapel was apprehended Sunday and ordered held for 15 days on suspicion of spying for Israel, said Adel Saeed, a spokesman for Egypt's general prosecutor. Grapel was taken into custody in a five-star hotel in downtown Cairo, Saeed said Sunday. Grapel's mother said he had been staying at a $9-a-night youth hostel. Israeli diplomats visited Grapel on Tuesday, according to Egypt's Israeli embassy, and found him to be in good health. Israel continues working for Grapel's release, the embassy said. Grapel's mother denied Monday that her son was involved in espionage, saying: "Law students don't have time to be spies." "There is no chance he's a spy," Irene Grapel said from her home in New York. Her son, a former paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, holds dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship. He worked briefly for St. Andrew's Refugee Services in Cairo, said its assistant director Fiona Cameron. "Ilan Grapel worked for us for four days last week. We were unaware of his dual citizenship or of his military record," she told CNN Tuesday, saying he had been "thoroughly vetted before he came, though obviously not thoroughly enough." The organization had "no reason to be suspicious of his activities" for the four days he'd been with them, she said. She learned of Grapel's detention from his friends when she called them to ask why he hadn't shown up for work, she said. Cameron said St. Andrew's had been "pro-actively in touch with the Egyptian authorities" about his case. St. Andrew's Refugee Services seeks to help "the isolated and vulnerable refugee communities in Egypt to come together for empowerment, education, community development and social services," according to its website. Grapel is a rising third-year student at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, school officials said Monday in a statement. "We are in touch with his family and are working with them to provide support and assistance," it said. He is involved in the Emory Public Interest Committee as well as Emory Law's Pro Bono program, working with Student Legal Services, it said. He traveled May 10 to Cairo to volunteer at St. Andrews, his mother said. Though Grapel was working without pay, he received a public-service grant from Emory, which has no link to the organization, his mother said. Grapel's IDF work could have been what led Egyptian authorities to focus on him, his mother said. "He loves the Arab culture. He loves the Arab religion," she said. Grapel speaks Arabic, which he studied at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and he spent his junior year at Ben Gurion University in Israel. "He gravitates toward Arabic-speaking students on campus so he can speak with them, simply to use the language," Irene Grapel said. She said she spoke Monday morning with her son, who told her he was being held at a security center in Cairo. Saeed, the general prosecutor spokesman, said Grapel had participated in the Lebanon war of 2006 and was relieved of field combat duties after being injured. Investigators had been following his activities for months, Saeed said. The Israeli government allegedly sent Grapel to Egypt after the January 25 revolution to take advantage of the security vacuum that then existed by recruiting others to provide the Israelis with military and political information, Saeed said. The revolution forced former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak from power; he stepped down February 11. The suspect, who was present at most of the protests, tried to incite sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians and encouraged demonstrators to engage in violence against the military, Saeed said. His goal was to foment chaos between the Egyptian people and the military, Saeed said. The supreme state security prosecutor has questioned Grapel, and the general prosecutor will announce the results of the investigation when it is complete, Saeed said. Egyptian newspapers carried the story on their front pages Monday alongside photos of Grapel republished from his Facebook account. "Egypt arrests Israeli Intelligence Officer, a big blow to the Israeli Mossad Intelligence Agency," one headline said. Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979. The United States has been granted consular access to Grapel and is following the investigation to determine the exact charges, the State Department said Monday. "We've confirmed that he was in good health, Mr. Grapel's family is aware of his arrest, and refer you to the government of Egypt for details on the charges against him," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Monday. The Egyptian authorities provided the United States with "almost immediate consular access" to Grapel, Toner said. "Our function, as they would in that case of any American citizen held overseas, is to provide them with consular services, work with local authorities to make sure he's being treated fairly under local law, provide information about the local legal system and facilitate communication with his family and friends." CNN's Diana Magnay, Paul Colsey, Kevin Flower, Jamie Crawford and Tom Watkins and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report. | NEW: Israeli diplomats visited Ilan Grapel on Tuesday .
The aid agency Ilan Grapel was working for says it had no reason to be suspicious .
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says he has no idea why Grapel was detained .
The law student and former Israeli paratrooper was apprehended and questioned Sunday . |
12e6c95b6f47092e953523ae556cb6391a7021f6 | Curiosity, humanity's most powerful rover to land on Mars, has made a startling discovery: Conditions that could have supported life once existed there. "We have found a habitable environment that is so benign, and supportive of life, that probably if this water was around and you had been on the planet, you would have been able to drink it," John Grotzinger, Curiosity project scientist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, said in a Tuesday news conference. This discovery is based on the chemical analysis of powder that the rover recovered by drilling a hole in a rock. This was the first time a robot sent from Earth had drilled on another planet. The powder from the drilling turned out to have a wealth of chemicals in it, including sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon. These are ingredients for life, scientists said. "What do we mean by habitability? The key thing here is an environment that a microbe could have lived in and maybe even prospered in," Grotzinger said. Powder from the drill was a gray-green color, meaning it was not highly oxidized, said David Blake, principal investigator for Curiosity's Chemistry and Mineralogy investigation at NASA's Ames Research Center. That means if there were organic material present there, it could have been preserved. Mars rover drills, sees planet's true colors . The sample had between 20% to 30% of a type of clay called smectite, which forms in the presence of water, Blake said. In Yellowknife Bay, the area where the rover is located, it appears "slightly salty liquid water" was once there, said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for the Mars Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington. These observations contrast sharply with the findings of Mars rover Opportunity, which landed on a different part of Mars in 2004 and is still chugging along. A rock that Opportunity found called Wopmay appeared to be made of hematite with iron-bearing sulfates, indicative of acidic water. That would not have been a habitable environment. The rock that Curiosity found, on the other hand, has calcium sulfate and seems to have been in water with a neutral pH. "This rock quite frankly looks like a typical thing that we would get on Earth," Grotzinger said. What we've done on Mars, and what's next . Here's something else exciting: Grotzinger also described what he termed "batteries." Some of the minerals found have various charges and oxidation states. Modern microbiology has determined that tiny organisms can derive energy by feeding on rocks. Life on Mars could have taken the form of a microorganism that used the minerals as an energy source. He compares this to a battery-powered light, in which you hook up the wires and electrons flow to make a light bulb turn on. Scientists don't have any other examples of extraterrestrial environments with this distinction of having been able to support life. "This is probably the only definitely habitable environment that we've described and recorded," said Paul Mahaffy, principal investigator for Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars investigation at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. With the habitability issue out of the way, Curiosity has yet to explore the question of organic molecules, which could indicate life but could also come from other sources. Grotzinger identified several challenges with this. For example, although the findings concerning water are exciting, the presence of water may mean that organic molecules indicative of life were not well-preserved, Grotzinger said. A lot of organic compounds also are degraded in the presence of heat, he said. Mars appears to have cooled with time, so radiation may be the problem instead. "Our trick is to find a place where all ... of those things went right, and that could take the entire length of this mission, but we're going to give it our best," he said. But organic molecules could be manufactured on Mars from nonlife sources, or they could come from meteorites and comets. Mars rover spots shiny objects . It's also important to note that Curiosity is not a life-detection mission. "If there was microbial metabolism going on, we wouldn't have the ability to measure that," Grotzinger said. And if there were microbial fossils in the rock, the rover would not be able to resolve individual fossil microbes even with the many cameras on board Curiosity, including the high-powered MAHLI, Grotzinger said. Curiosity won't make its second drill hole until May. Scientists are excited about that because the first sample could have been tainted by material analyzed at a different site on Mars. The 2-ton rover landed on Mars on August 6 in a series of acrobatic maneuvers dubbed the "seven minutes of terror." The mission comes with a price tag of $2.5 billion. Scientists have now confirmed that each of the many intricate instruments on board the rover are working. "The rover is now fully commissioned for science," Meyer said. He added, "The keys to rover have been turned over to science team - Woohoo!" Curiosity landed in Gale Crater, which hosts a mound called Mount Sharp. The bedrock in the crater where the rover drilled appears to be located in an ancient network of stream channels, which came down from the crater's rim, NASA said. Curiosity still has plans to travel to Mount Sharp, where it will slowly climb a mountain analyzing the sedimentary rock to explore its geological history. "The question is: How many of these different kinds of 'batteries' can we find at Gale Crater? I think that really becomes our mission along with the search for organic compounds," Grotzinger said. More space and science news from CNN Light Years . | Chemical analysis of powder from Mars rock suggests area was habitable .
This is the first environment apart from Earth to be declared habitable at some point in time .
The 2-ton rover landed on Mars on August 6 . |
12e81cb674c46bc366d3c7d3373cd029a36f2a66 | Las Vegas (CNN) -- Some people think wearable gadgets look cool. Perhaps they rock their Google Glass while out at happy hour, or flash the latest crowd-funded smart watch at the office. While the devices are undoubtedly conversation starters, and the look may be coveted in some circles, for the most part wearable technology has a fashion problem. At the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, wearable devices are everywhere, and some are finally trying to break out of the gadget world and into the fashion world. Wearables is a broad and fast-growing category that, as the name implies, includes any small piece of technology that can be worn. Research firm ABI estimates the wearables market will hit $6 billion by 2018. Here at CES there are "smart" glasses, watches, bracelets, brooches, visors, necklaces and even bras. Straps secure small sensors against arms, chest, head or legs. There are even wearables for dogs, cats and children. The tasks wearables accomplish are as varied as the body parts they adorn. The technology inside these devices is moving ahead while the design side stagnates. Sensors are getting smaller, cheaper and more advanced. It's possible that the technology will become so advanced that trackers could bypass the design problem altogether by shrinking down electronic elements enough that they can be invisibly embedded in regular clothing, hats, shoes and belts. But not every company sees that on the horizon. "We don't think the trackers we see today are going to go away in favor of a sensor-laden shirt or bra," said Woody Scal, the chief revenue officer at fitness tracker company Fitbit. Fitness trackers embrace the fun . The most popular wearables are fitness trackers, which use sensors to detect movement, heart rate, body temperature, breathing, sleep patterns, location and speed. In the fitness area at CES, low-profile and colorful bracelets inspired by the Nike FuelBand and Fitbit Flex and Force are the most common. There are the Garmin Vivofit and Jaybird Reign trackers, and the LG Lifeband Touch and Razer Nabu, which add in notifications from smartphones. The new Sony Core, a small stick that will fit in wrist-wear like the Sony SmartBand, acts as a fitness tracker but also branches out into life logging. It will be able to track mundane daily activities, weather, what movies you watch and what music you listen to, and notable events. It can also receive notifications from a paired smartphone, will likely cost around $135, and pops in and out of various brightly colored wrist bands. The traditional wearable look is passable for fitness gear, which is expected to be bold and sporty. Unfortunately the esthetic doesn't always translate into everyday wear. Most adults have moved beyond rocking brightly colored plastic baubles. They want sleekly designed accessories and brand names. Early stabs at jewelry . Some companies have smartly started to outsource the design process to people who know about fashion. Intel announced that it was teaming up with hipster design label Opening Ceremony on a bracelet that will be sold at Barneys, though specific design and pricing details are still unknown. Chip-maker CSR worked with jeweler Cellini to create a surprisingly nice Bluetooth pendant that has a single, customizable light for receiving notifications. On the odd side, the necklace can also be programmed to release perfume throughout the day. Fitbit announced it was dabbling in jewelry and partnering with Tory Burch on a Fitbit necklace and a bracelet. The products are still in the design stage, but drawings show decent gold jewelry that would look good even if it didn't contain a tracker. Not every company is getting outside help. Ezio makes gaudy $129 necklaces that pair with a smartphone and have stones that light up when someone calls or texts. "The whole idea here is that people -- not everyone, but lots of people, we believe -- want their fitness trackers to be even more fashionable," said Fitbit's Scal. "In the male-focused technology industry, we didn't think people were paying enough attention to women, to be honest." Everyone's making a smart watch . Appealing to women is an issue with one of the most hyped wearable categories: smart watches. Gadgets calling themselves smart watches range from regular watch faces with light-up notifications to full featured Android phones worn on the wrist. The most appealing are designed to look like everyday analog watches, while others look like touch screens with a strap tossed on. When well done, a watch with a face big enough to accommodate smart features can pass as a nice men's accessory, but the majority are still far too bulky and awkward for women. The focus on the watch form factor has been oddly intense, with rumors of an Apple smart watch swirling for the past year and major companies like Samsung pushing out glitchy, undercooked technology like the Galaxy Gear. At CES, Intel, Qualcomm and indie darling Pebble all announced new smart watches, and there was a dedicated area for the wrist wear. The Burg ($149 to $399) takes a SIM card and can make calls. The $130 Cogito Pop looks like a classic watch but adds notifications from a paired smartphone. Qualcomm's $349 Toq is similar to the Pebble but with a full color screen and fewer apps. The new Pebble Steel is a proper stainless steel smart watch for $250. The most egregiously oversized smart watch on the CES floor is the Neptune Pine, a 2.4-inch touchscreen rectangle running Android Jelly Bean that will cost between $335 and $395 when released in March. Technically, it has all the features of a fully functioning Android phone, but the cramped screen means it works better as a secondary screen for viewing notifications, paired with a regular Android smartphone stashed in your bag or large pocket. One of the more clever smart watches at CES is the Filip, a simple and sturdy phone and location tracker for kids five to 11 years old. Parents can program in five phone numbers and the child can make and receive calls from those contacts, and receive but not send texts. An accompanying iOS or Android app can be used to pinpoint the kid's location on a map. The $199 device will be sold through AT&T stores and service will cost just $10 a month without a contract. On your face but out of the way . For the most part, wearables offer a limited selection of the features already available on smartphones. The idea is to save people from the distracting task of pulling out a phone, looking at it, tapping on it and returning it safely to a pocket. At the Cogito booth, Andres Muguira said a smart watch would help wearers filter incoming notifications so they would "get to spend more time with loved ones." That's the idea behind wearable glasses, either the most or least distracting wearable depending on your point of view. There were a number of Google Glass-like products at CES. GlassUp shows e-mails, texts, tweets and other messages on a display directly in front of the eye. The GlassUp design currently resembles safety glasses, but a mockup of the final version could almost pass for a regular pair of black thick-framed specs. Epson's Moverio BT-100 glasses look like the disposable sunglasses you get after a trip to the eye doctor. The industrial Vuzix glasses don't even attempt to pass as normal glasses, looking more like a futuristic monocle, but that could change if the company decides to make a commercial product. The best outcome for smart glasses, and all other wearable tech, is blending in by looking like products people already want to wear. They could follow Google's lead. The company was reportedly talking to hip glasses company Warby Parker about possible design partnerships for future versions of Google Glass. | Smart watches, fitness trackers and jewelry that flashes notifications are plentiful at CES .
The fast-growing wearables market is just starting to focus on more fashionable designs .
Some companies are teaming up with fashion designers like Tory Burch . |
12e8bf769389c8f34d35b65cceba7a92972425d6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:20 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:23 EST, 17 December 2012 . The family of music star Jenni Rivera are said to be disgusted over the gruesome video leaked on the internet which shows parts of her bloodied dismembered body strewn amongst the wreckage. The Mexican singer's family want the people responsible to be brought to justice after the leaked footage - which shows a severed foot with painted toenails - spread like wildfire across the internet. Two Mexican police officers were arrested yesterday for looting from the wreckage site. One of these officers is thought to have sold the images to the media. Though the video was not confirmed as being authentic, the Rivera family said they believe it is due to the items in the video and images of the mangled body parts. Scroll down for video . Corrupt cops? Two police officers guarding the site where Jenni Rivera's plane crashed on Sunday have been accused of stealing personal items belonging to those aboard the doomed flight . Large personality: Rivera, 43, seen here in Los Angeles in March, was very popular among Latin music fans . Loved ones: Rivera's family gathered outside of her parents' home near Long Beach, California, on Wednesday night for a press conference . It also emerged the company that owns . the luxury jet she was traveling in is under investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the agency seized two of its planes . earlier this year as part of the ongoing probe. DEA spokeswoman Lisa Webb Johnson . confirmed on Thursday the planes owned by Las Vegas-based Starwood . Management were seized in Texas and Arizona. The agency also has subpoenaed all . the company's records, including any correspondence it has had with a . former Tijuana mayor who U.S. law enforcement officials have long . suspected has ties to organized crime. Sources close to the Riveras told TMZ . the family is appalled that anyone would even think about leaking . something like that, especially if it was a first responder. 'We're told the severed foot was the . most painful part to watch because Jenni was very particular about her . feet and toes,' the source said. The officers were caught after images of the crash site were found on one of the arrested officers' cell phones. The extremely graphic photos depicted . body parts and personal documents belonging to those aboard the doomed . flight, including Rivera, 43, a singer and reality star known as the . 'Queen of Banda.' The Spanish news agency EFE identified the arrested officers as Luis Antonio Ávila Moreno, 23 and Mario Alberto García Pacheco, 24. The items that the duo allegedly stole from the plane were not identified by investigators. As the issue of police corruption rears its ugly head, Mexican authorities hope to continue with the investigation of the tragic crash on Sunday. A person speaking on behalf of the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles told TMZ: 'We have over 2,000,000 police officers [in Mexico], and unfortunately some of these officers have been corrupt in the past, but we cannot generalize that the whole force is corrupt.' The rep added: 'Mexico has been working very hard to make their citizens and tourists safe, however it is not fair to judge the whole tree based upon a few bad apples.' Scatttered: One of the officers was additionally accused of taking graphic photos of the crash site, including body parts, and leaking them to the media . The body of the singer and reality star from California was found in the wreckage along with the bodies of six others, including her publicist, lawyer, make-up artist and two pilots. News of the arrests came as Rivera's family identified her remains. Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene said DNA tests are still pending. The singer's remains will be given to the family once the tests are completed in coming days. It was also revealed this week that Rivera was in the final states of buying the Learjet plane from business executive Christian E. Esquino Nunez, 50, who has a . long and checkered legal past. Corporate records list his sister-in-law . as the company's only officer, but insurance companies that cover some . of the firm's planes say in court documents that the woman is merely a . front and that Esquino is the one in charge. Esquino's legal woes date back decades. He pleaded guilty to a fraud . charge that stemmed from a major drug investigation in Florida in the . early 1990s and most recently was sentenced to two years in federal . prison in a California aviation fraud case. Esquino, a Mexican citizen, . was deported upon his release. Disastrous: Rivera's body was found in the wreckage along with the bodies of six others, including her publicist, lawyer, make-up artist and two pilots . Search continues: Rescue workers are still looking for remains of Rivera and the six reported passengers . ABC News exclusively reported that . Nunez could be wanted for questioning with Mexican authorities, as well . as investigators with the National Transportation and Safety Board . (NTSB) regarding the fatal crash. According to ABC News, Nunez and his . partner were convicted of creating false logbooks for . six aircrafts they bought from the Mexican government and sold in the . U.S. RadarOnline.com reports that Nunez . also has ties to a Tijuana drug cartel, and has also been accused of . trying to sneak the son of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi into . Mexico. Wanted? Christian E. Esquino Nunez, who runs the company that owned the crashed plane, could have links to a drug cartel and was convicted of falsifying records in 2006 . Court records show that Nunez . obtained details from aircrafts and forged details so as to mark up . aircraft prices, thinking the models had fewer miles on them or had more . maintenance work than they actually had. Nunez’s current whereabouts are unknown. The plane carrying the superstar . plunged from more than 28,000 feet and hit the ground in a nose-dive at . more than 600 miles an hour, Mexico's top transportation official says. Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Mexico's . secretary of communications and transportation, said: 'The plane practically nose-dived,' he said. 'The impact must have been terrible.' Ruiz Esparza did not offer any explanation of what may have caused the plane to plummet, saying only that 'The plane fell from an altitude of 28,000 feet ... It may have hit a speed higher than 1,000 kph (621 mph).' Widespread: Searchers used helicopters as they looked for pieces of the wreckage and attempted to recover bodies from the mountainous area where the plane went down . Discovery: It appears that one of the pilots was inexperienced, based on the temporary airman's certificate found at the crash site . Still grieving: Jenni Rivera fans marched in the streets of Monterrey, Mexico on Tuesday night, two nights after news broke that the singer likely died in a plane crash on Sunday . Holding a light: The hundreds of fans gathered in a pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe . Crash: The plane carrying Mexican-American pop superstar Jenni Rivera plunged from more than 28,000 feet and hit the ground in a nose-dive at more than 600 miles an hour, Mexico's top transportation official says . Shocking: Jenni Rivera's mangled driving license was found near the wreckage of the plane crash that killed the singer and reality star on Sunday . Fears: This photo of Jenni Rivera, right, taken aboard her private jet, may be the last photo taken of the singer . Tearful: Fans have kept a constant vigil in front of the Basilica of Guadalupe in Monterrey . Missing mother: Jacqueline Rivera, the daughter of the late singer, is escorted into her grandmother's home . Family: Rivera was not traveling with any relatives at the time of her death . Disaster: Rivera was headed for a suburb of Mexico City when her plane crashed . Onstage: Rivera performs at the 2009 Billboard Latin Music Awards in Miami in this April 23, 2009 file photo . Wreckage: Officials say almost nothing remains of the Learjet that crashed in El Tejote locality, Nuevo Leon State, Mexico . Better times: Rivera is pictured with her third husband, former baseball pitcher Esteban Loaiza. The couple divorced in October . Rescue crew: The plane crashed at such high speed that it was torn toe pieces, leaving nothing recognizable in the wreckage . | Company that owns the jet under investigation by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration .
Aircraft is linked to Mexican businessman Christian Esqino Nunez, who was convicted in 2006 of falsifying plane records .
Two planes seized this year .
According to a report, Nunez also has ties with a drug cartel in Tijuana . |
12e8cf3759f8cd1425f37259423743f0d1b4e799 | Can you really fall in love with someone after 36 questions? How about anyone? A 20-year-old study says you can - and so does the New York Times journalist who took psychologist Arthur Aron's 1997 test to see if closeness could be created in an experimental environment. The quiz progresses from relaxed questions like, 'Would you like to be famous? In what way?' to more intimate ones such as, 'What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?'. Scroll down for video . Can you really fall in love with someone after 36 questions? In 1997, a New York Arthur Aron made strangers fall in love using a simple experiment deigned to create closeness between two strangers . For his study, Aron paired up a couple of strangers - a heterosexual man and woman - and gave them 45 minutes to answer the list of 36 questions, which gradually grew more intimate. Then, the couple had to stare into each other’s eyes for four minutes in total silence. In the end, the two participants who had walked into his laboratory through separate doors as total strangers fell in love. Six months later they got married - and invited the entire lab to the ceremony. And 20 years on, Mandy Len Catron, author of the popular Modern Love column in The New York Times, tried out the experiment and is now in a relationship with the man who took the test with her. Here, FEMAIL reveal the 36 questions said to make anyone fall in love with you. They are broken into the three sets, or 'rounds', as they were originally presented. Each set is intended to be more intimate than the one that came before. FEMAIL reveals the 36 questions by psychologist Arthur Aron said to make anyone fall in love with you . Set I . 1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? 2. Would you like to be famous? In what way? 3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why? 4. What would constitute a 'perfect' day for you? 5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else? 6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want? 7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die? 8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common. 9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful? 10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be? 11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible. 12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be? Each set is intended to be more intimate than the one that came before - and is said to bring you closer . Set II . 13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know? 14. Is there something that you've dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven't you done it? 15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? 16. What do you value most in a friendship? 17. What is your most treasured memory? 18. What is your most terrible memory? 19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why? 20. What does friendship mean to you? 21. What roles do love and affection play in your life? 22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items. 23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people's? 24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother? A psychologist said his experiment makes people fall in love - and it still worked for one person 20 years later . Set III . 25. Make three true 'we' statements each. For instance, 'We are both in this room feeling ... ' 26. Complete this sentence: 'I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... ' 27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know. 28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you've just met. 29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life. 30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself? 31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already. 32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about? 33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven't you told them yet? 34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why? 35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why? 36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner's advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen. | In 1997 New York psychologist Arthur Aron made strangers fall in love .
New York Times columnist recently tried the experiment - and says it works .
Here FEMAIL reveals the 36 questions proven to make love happen . |
12eccd2fe0d0c552448e97b25c53d2b9282509af | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:36 EST, 23 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:32 EST, 23 May 2013 . For a group of first responders who saved the life of a 2-year-old horrifically maimed in a lawn mower accident last month, their recent reunion proved as much needed closure for them as well as her family. 'I'm not an emotional guy, but it's awesome to see her doing so well,' Florida Sunstar paramedic Christopher Jennings told TampaBay.com after seeing Ireland Nugent in Largo on Wednesday. 'It's good closure for us,' the 33-year-old said, like so many of the other paramedics celebrating her miraculous recovery around him. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Many heroes: Nicole Nugent holds her 2-year-old daughter Ireland as BayFlite Flight Paramedic Chris Williams, one of her many heroes last month, signs her pink arm cast during a special reunion on Wednesday . Terrifying accident: Ireland lost both of her feet last month after her dad mistakenly backed his lawn mower over her . For the last month Jennings says he's been an emotional wreck after first meeting the blonde, blue-eyed girl after she was mistakenly run over by a lawn mower at her home in Palm Harbor. Jennings said he sat with co-workers sobbing in a church parking lot immediately after moving her into a Bayflite helicopter that fateful day. He says he's usually not prone to tears but Ireland's terrifying injuries and near death really got the best of him. On Wednesday Ireland smiled and giggled in the arms of her mother and father during a special visit to the Sunstar Paramedic headquarters in Largo to meet with her heroes after her hospital discharge earlier this month. It was on April 11th her mother, Nicole Nugent, watched in terror as her daughter ran after her father, Jerry Nugent, as he unsuspectingly rode a lawn mower up their driveway. Recovery: Ireland lost both her feet below the knees and also cut up her left hand and broke her thumb during the horrific accident in her front yard last month . New friends: One of the many first responders cheerfully holds Ireland in her arms as they lined up to eat together . Closure: The Nugent family's visit to the Sunstar Paramedic headquarters in Largo on Wednesday provided equal chance for the family to say thank you and for everyone who helped to receive some long-needed closure . The mother, Nicole Nugent, gestured for him to stop but he misunderstood her and instead put the vehicle in reverse - backing over his little girl. If it wasn’t for people like her nextdoor neighbor, Aly Smith, who’s a nurse and was able to slow Ireland’s blood loss until paramedics arrived, her daughter - seen on Wednesday wearing a red ribbon in her hair above an American flag dress – wouldn’t have survived. 'I mean, I don't think she understands any of this because she's two and I think she's happy to meet new friends,' Mrs Nugent told TampaBay.com on Wednesday. 'But for me, it kind of brings a little closure to that night.' Many thanks: Ireland sits in the arms of her mother as her father talks with the first responders around him, men and women he owes his daughter's life to . 'We lose contact with patients once they are admitted into the hospital so it gives us a kind of chance to touch base with family and see that our work wasn't in vain,' June Poxon, a Bayflite nurse also told the website. Ireland underwent seven surgeries after her legs were severed below the knees and she sustained cuts to her left hand. She also broke her thumb. Mrs Nugents credits everyone who helped saved her daughter as her personal heroes, as much as her daughter’s. ‘They helped save my daughter,’ she said. ‘They are a part of my family now.’ WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: . | Ireland Nugent, 2, lost both of her legs below the knees after her father mistakenly ran over her . |
12ed0a34a02255c17be7d7a65ace05b817fef621 | (CNN) -- Outdoor sporting goods retailer Bass Pro Shops is being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly engaging in a pattern of hiring discrimination against African-American and Hispanic job applicants, the EEOC said in a statement Wednesday. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The EEOC alleges the discrimination has been ongoing since November 2005. EEOC Chairperson Jacqueline A. Berrien said the federal agency will protect the rights of job applicants, and that "excluding qualified individuals from employment because of their race or ethnicity or in retaliation for exercising protected rights are fundamental violations." The lawsuit alleges qualified applicants were denied positions such as cashiers, as well as for various management positions. It goes on to claim that managers in Louisiana and in the Houston area believed that "hiring black candidates did not fit the corporate profile." The EEOC also believes that managers at some stores retaliated against employees who were in opposition to the discriminatory practices and in some scenarios fired or forced employees to resign. Bass Pro Shops issued a statement denying the allegations and maintaining that the company had cooperated fully with an EEOC investigation. "The EEOC's allegations are contrary to our profound respect for and commitment to our team of experienced and knowledgeable associates, and we are determined to prove them wrong," Mike Rowland, vice president for human resources, was quoted as saying in the statement. "Fundamental fairness and good faith should require that the EEOC reveal the evidence on which its claims are based before filing a lawsuit that will be long, expensive and disruptive," Rowland said in the statement. | EEOC claims outdoors retailer discriminated against black, Hispanic job applicants .
Lawsuit also claims managers retaliated against people opposed to practices .
Bass Pro Shops denies allegations and says it is "determined to prove them wrong" |
12eee07a208f2389f2cd10b9437ab76209ebac4f | (CNN) -- The man suspected to be at the center of the plot to send bombs from Yemen to the United States is a Saudi national who authorities believe has been living in Yemen for the past three years. Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri is one of Saudi Arabia's most wanted men, according to a list published by the government last year. The Saudi government described al-Asiri as an explosives and poison expert. On Friday, authorities in the United Arab Emirates and Britain found two packages with explosives that were destined for synagogues in Chicago, Illinois. U.S. investigators believe al Qaeda bomb maker al-Asiri, 28, is linked to the packages. The explosive found in the packages, PETN, is the same as the material found in the December 2009 foiled underwear bomb attack in the United States. It's a highly explosive organic compound that belongs to the same chemical family as nitroglycerin. Six grams of PETN are enough to blow a hole in the fuselage of an aircraft. Al-Asiri was also suspected in the earlier attempted bombing case, where a Nigerian man, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, is accused of trying to set off a bomb hidden in his underwear on a flight. Al-Asiri's brother, Abdullah, also appeared on the Saudi Arabia's most wanted list. According to press accounts, it was Ibrahim al-Asiri who lured his brother to the jihadist movement. In 2009, Abdullah al-Asiri died when he detonated a bomb on his body with the intent of assassinating Saudi Prince Muhammed Bin Naif, a top security official. The suicide bombing attempt failed to kill its target. A few days after that attempt, the Watan newspaper in Saudi Arabia interviewed al-Asiri's mother and sisters. Their mother described Ibrahim and Abdullah as regular teenagers growing up. "They were not religious boys at the time. They used to listen to music and had a wide variety of friends, friends not like the ones they had later when they became more religious," she told Watan. One of their sisters told the newspaper that the death of their brother Ali in a car accident in 2000 was a turning point in Ibrahim and Abdullah's attitude. "It was after that that they started swapping video tapes and cassettes on the Mujahedeen in Chechnya and Afghanistan, and they became at times distant," the sister said. "Abdullah started to go out a lot with his new friends to camps known as 'preaching camps.'" Ibrahim at one point was arrested in 2003 while trying with others to enter Iraq to wage jihad, his family told Watan. He was held in prison for nine months. Also shortly after the attempt against the Saudi prince's life, the Saudi Gazette newspaper spoke with Ibrahim and Abdullah's father, who shed some more light on the young men's upbringing. The family grew up in the Al-Jazira district of east Riyadh, he said, describing theirs as a pious family. "We were living in Makkah two years ago and were planning to move back to Riyadh, but Abdullah and Ibrahim said they wanted to go to Medina before coming back with us," the father, Hassan, told the newspaper last year. "Abdullah later contacted us to say he was out of the country, but didn't say where, and from that day on we had no more news of him until we saw his and his brother's pictures a few months ago in the media as on the list of wanted people." CNN's Tim Lister contributed to this report. | Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri is believed to be in Yemen .
He grew up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia .
He recruited his brother into a terrorist movement . |
12f06b22d9997bf30fe1422f35e351430cb27a8c | Washington (CNN) -- U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan could someday be awarded medals for restraint that prevents civilian casualties in combat. The possibility is under consideration by the staff of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander in Afghanistan, according to Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis, McChrystal's spokesman. The idea of rewarding battlefield restraint was proposed by British Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, who is in charge of the international forces in southern Afghanistan. Sholtis said the idea is still in its "conceptual stage." "Although no decisions have been made on the award itself, the idea is consistent with our strategic approach," Sholtis said. "Our young men and women display remarkable courage every day, including situations where they refrain from using lethal force, even at risk to themselves, in order to prevent possible harm to civilians. In some situations our forces face in Afghanistan, that restraint is an act of discipline and courage not much different than those combat actions that merit awards for valor." Sholtis said troops would still have the right of self defense. "Let me be clear. We absolutely support the right of our forces to defend themselves. Valuing restraint in a potentially dangerous situation is not the same thing as denying troops the right to employ lethal force when they determine that it is necessary." McChrystal has placed a priority on reducing civilian casualties as a means of gaining support of the Afghan people. A number of recent high-profile incidents in which civilians have been killed have given the Taliban a propaganda tool against the coalition, U.S. officials said. McChrystal has instituted other rules to help minimize civilian deaths, including restricting the use of airstrikes in areas where there may be civilians, and limiting nighttime raids by U.S. forces. | Medal would honor troops for restraint that prevents civilian casualties in combat .
Medal under consideration by the commander in Afghanistan .
United States has been criticized for airstrikes that killed Afghan civilians . |
12f0d31de323a36138655244b83a41d0b0670364 | Joelle Amery is the face of a new Alopecia UK campaign, after losing all her hair when she was eight years old . As a child she endured the cruel taunts of her peers labelling her 'cancer girl' and making light of the fact she had no hair. But Joelle Amery has never been diagnosed with cancer and she's never had to undergo chemotherapy. When she was eight she started to notice her hair was falling out in the shower. Within a few months she was completely bald. Like more and more women across the UK, the teenager, who is now 15, lives with alopecia - the medical term for hair loss. And today she is fronting a new campaign with Alopecia UK to raise awareness as experts say an increasing number of people are being diagnosed with the condition. She said: ‘I am thrilled and honoured to be part of this charity which is close to my heart, as I feel the work of the charity is so valuable.’ Joelle developed alopecia universalis - the most extreme form of the condition which results in complete hair loss from the whole body - at the age of eight. She was bullied as a result and it was not until last summer, six years after developing the condition, that she revealed herself without a wig for the first time. She became an internet sensation when a video she released of her music video went viral and received 200,000 hits on YouTube. However, she told her story to MailOnline, explaining that her flowing brown locks in the video were actually a wig. She also spoke about the condition and the bullying she experienced as a result. Her story was shared across the world and she features on news channels in the UK, China, Brazil the U.S. and Vietnam. Since speaking so openly about her condition, Joelle said she is now finally comfortable in her own skin. She said: 'I have accepted that alopecia is a big part of my life, but it doesn't define me.' Scroll down for video . The 15-year-old endured the cruel taunts of bullies, being labeled 'cancer girl', by youngsters who did not understand the hair loss disease . Joelle said: 'I have accepted that alopecia is a big part of my life, but it doesn't define me' The teenager became an internet sensation after releasing a music video on YouTube last year. She revealed the long brunette locks in the video were in fact her wig when she spoke about her condition for the first time to MailOnline . Alopecia is a hair-loss disease that affects, men, women and children. The onset is often sudden, random and frequently recurrent. Although the disease does not damage a person's physical health, it can have severe effects on quality of life and emotional health through its impact on confidence and self-esteem. Alopecia affects around 1.7 per cent of the population, with men and women equally affected. About 25 per cent of people affected have a family history of the condition. The exact cause of alopecia is not known, although experts generally agree it is a disease of the immune system. There is believed to be a genetic component and in some cases it is linked to stress. In alopecia, the immune system attacks the affected hair follicles by mistake. That halts hair growth and causes hairs to abruptly shed. There are several different types of alopecia, ranging in severity. Alopecia Universalis is the total loss of hair across the body, while Alopecia Totalis is loss of hair on the head alone. The vast degree of sufferers will experience some re-growth, some complete re-growth. To find out more about the condition visit Alopecia UK here. As a result of her experiences she now wants to help normalise hair loss and increase awareness of alopecia. She says it would have been easier if she had had role models to look up to but that she did not know anyone else with the condition. This is something she wants to change in her new role as an Alopecia UK ambassador. She also wants to increase understanding of hair loss in women so it is no longer always associated with cancer. She says some of her biggest challenges as an alopecia patient have come from not wanting to be pitied by people who have mistakenly thought she is seriously ill. She added: ‘People living with alopecia can feel helpless - losing the hair that has made them feel beautiful can lead to serious depression, anxiety and trauma, to self-esteem issues and lack of confidence as well as bullying both at school and in the workplace.’ Experts say that hair loss in women is becoming increasingly common. Dr David Fenton said: ‘Public awareness of hair loss in women has increased, but there is still not enough medical funding and research.’ Joelle added: ‘Hair loss in women has been “covered up” by society, forcing women to hide it more, while it is acceptable for a grown man to be bald. ‘The ultimate goal with all this publicity is to glean as much information about facts and figures, in the hope that more money will be spent on research and ultimately one day, a possible cure.’ | Joelle Amery realised clumps of hair were falling out when she was eight .
The 15-year-old suffered cruel taunts from bullies who called her 'cancer girl'
She was diagnosed with alopecia universalis and lost hair all over her body .
Today the teen is fronting a new campaign with the charity Alopecia UK in a bid to raise awareness and urge the government to research the condition . |
12f1b29665c9db24356fa2fdc579f6ad89988cee | (CNN) -- Actress Marilyn Burns, a "scream queen" in the original "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," died Tuesday, her manager said. She was 64. "She was found unresponsive by a family member" in her Houston-area home, manager Chris Roe said. Burns' acting career began with a small role in Robert Altman's "Brewster McCloud," which was filmed in her hometown of Houston in 1970, according to her biography published in 2009 when she was inducted into the International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival Hall of Fame. She was a University of Texas student when she landed the role of Sally Hardesty, the sole survivor in the first "Chainsaw" film in 1974. "Chainsaw" director Tobe Hooper also cast Burns in "Eaten Alive" in 1977. She played "a vacationer who unwittingly stumbles upon a hotel run by a madman who feeds his guests to his pet alligator," the biography said. Her other horror movie roles include "Brutes and Savages" (1977), "Caution: Children at Play" (1981), "Kiss Daddy Goodbye" (1981) and "Future-Kill" (1985). Burns played a real-life character in the 1976 television miniseries "Helter Skelter." She portrayed Charles Manson follower Linda Kasabian, who testified against the cult leader and other members at their murder trial. She was given a cameo role in the 1994 "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" remake, but her later career focused on stage productions in Texas. Moviefone named Burns one of the "10 Sexiest Scream Queens" in a list published in 2009, citing her "vulnerability (and hotness, natch) feels as real as can be." Top 10 horrific movie moments . People we've lost in 2014 . CNN's Carolyn Sung contributed to this report. | Marilyn Burns was a college student when she landed her "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" role .
Burns portrayed Charles Manson follower Linda Kasabian in TV's "Helter Skelter" mini-series .
Her later career focused on stage productions in Texas .
Moviefone named Burns one of the "10 Sexiest Scream Queens" in 2009 . |
12f291b2abe8433a61cddd71e805c6741afd6cbb | The mother of Eric Garner, the Staten island resident who was killed by an officer who put the man in a chokehold after he grew agitated over being stopped for allegedly selling cigarettes on the street, has praised the protesters gathering across the city in her son's honor after a grand jury decided not to indict the officer responsible for his death. 'It is just so awesome to see how the crowds are out there,' said Garner's mother, Gwen Carr, who added that she herself even ended up stuck in her car after protests shut down traffic. 'I was just so proud of that crowd. It just warmed my heart.' Scroll down for videos . Hope from tragedy: The mother of Eric Garner, Gwen Carr (left), and his widow, Esaw Garner (right), have both revealed how 'proud' they are of those protesting the death of Garner . Celeb support: At a march in Los Angeles on Sunday, Tyrese Gibson (above) came out to lead the protesters . Garner's widow, Esaw Garner, echoed that sentiment, saying she told her son when she saw protesters from their window, 'Look at all the love that your father's getting.' And these protests show no signs of dying down, this as model and actor Tyrese Gibson led a march in Los Angeles on Saturday in memory of both Garner and Michael Brown. Demonstrators around the country have staged die-ins and other protests since the Garner grand jury's decision Wednesday, which closely followed the Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict a white officer in the fatal shooting of Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old. Garner's family members joined the Rev. Al Sharpton later Saturday as Sharpton laid a wreath at the site on Staten Island where Garner died July 17 in a confrontation that started when police tried to arrest him for selling loose, untaxed cigarettes. An amateur video seen by millions showed Garner gasping, 'I can't breathe' during the fatal encounter. Difficult decision: These protests began on Wednesday across the country after a grand jury decided not to indict the police officer whose chokehold killed Garner . Keeps going: It has been four days since the grand jury decision, and the protests show no signs of slowing down . 'All we're concerned about is justice from the police,' said Garner's stepfather, Benjamin Carr, who wore a T-shirt with the words, 'Enough is enough.' Protests continued in New York City for a fourth day with several dozen people lying down on the floor of Grand Central Terminal. There were no reports of arrests. On Friday night, 20 protesters were arrested on disorderly conduct charges in New York, police said. Hundreds of demonstrators marched and many briefly laid down in Macy's flagship store, Grand Central and an Apple store. They streamed along Fifth Avenue sidewalks and other parts of Manhattan, with signs and chants of 'Black lives matter' and 'I can't breathe.' Big name support: Al Sharpton and Spike Lee were at a news conference days after a Grand Jury decided not to indict the officer involved in Garner's death . In Oakland, California, hundreds of protesters briefly blocked Interstate 880, a major freeway, on Friday night. There were no immediate reports of any arrests or injuries. Protests have also been held in Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami and a number of other cities. Sharpton announced plans this week for a march in Washington, D.C., next Saturday to protest the killings of Garner, Brown and others and to press for change at the federal level. | Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, has said she is 'proud' of the people protesting in her son's honor around the country .
Esaw Garner, his widow, echoed this sentiment, saying she has told her son how happy she is with 'all the love his father is getting'
This as actor Tyrese Gibson led a march in Los Angeles on Saturday . |
12f30397809aeaace83f7d9875a58097e0adc9d8 | The grandmother of a five-year-old girl who was allegedly thrown to her death from a 60ft bridge by her father has said he should have killed himself instead. John Jonchuck Jr, 25, was arrested half an hour after a man was seen speeding towards a bridge and throwing a child 60ft into the water on Wednesday night. Rescuers found Phoebe Jonchuk 40 minutes later but she could not be resuscitated. Jonchuck's mother and the girl's grandmother, Michelle Lynn Jonchuck, 51, told My Fox Tampa she never wants to see her son again and claims she wishes it was him who had died on the bridge. Scroll down for video . In custody: John Jonchuk Jr, 25, (left) has been charged with murder after his five-year-old daughter Phoebe (right) was thrown to her death off a 60ft bridge in Tampa Bay . Devastated: Jonchuck's mother and the girl's grandmother Michelle Lynn Jonchuck, has said she never wants to see her son again and claims she wishes it was him who had died on the bridge . Angelic: Tributes have been paid to Phoebe and a memorial set up for her near the bridge where she fell . Speaking to Click Orlando, she also paid tribute to the youngster, saying: 'She always had a smile on her face, she loved to dance and she sung. 'I don't forgive him. There is no sense in this. He didn't have to do this to her. I just wish there was one thing God could do was to bring her back.' She added that she was supposed to pick Phoebe up from school on Thursday. The last time she saw her son and daughter together, she said everything was normal. Michelle Kerr, Phoebe's mother who last saw her on Christmas Eve, told the station that Jonchuck gave her restricted access to her daughter. 'She was my angel, I always called her my angel baby. She loved to learn new things. She loved to make you smile. She was so animated,' she said. First hearing: Jonchuk said he wanted to leave himself 'in the hands of God' when asked about representation . Troubled relationship: Michelle Kerr, Phoebe's mother who last saw her on Christmas Eve, said Jonchuck gave her restricted access to her daughter. She added that he had been diagnosed with bipolar . 'My angel': Paying tribute to Phoebe, Miss Kerr said: 'She loved to learn new things. She loved to make you smile. She was so animated.' 'He would only let me talk to her on the phone. He wouldn't disclose his location, so I didn't know where to go.' 'He was very, very bipolar,' she told Tampa Bay News. 'He was Jekyll and Hyde all the way.' Among other medication, Miss Kerr says Mr Jonchuk took regular doses of bipolar pills Seroquel and anti-depressives Zoloft. When they met, she added, Mr Jonchuk was her 'gay friend', until he told her he 'liked women too'. Soon after, Phoebe was born. Mr Jonchuk separated from Miss Kerr, who has MS, following six tumultuous years together - during which police were called numerous times for domestic violence issues. Both had arrest records. On the last night she saw Phoebe, Miss Kerr said she and Jonchuck had a nice evening together, but later on he called child protective services and made a false abuse allegations. She added that he had been diagnosed as bipolar and had been admitted to a mental hospital on several occasions. 'He does the Jekyll and Hyde. It's just something that goes on in his head, he just wasn't wired right. 'He's not mentally stable, but he was mentally stable enough to take care of a child for five years, so he knew what he did. He cried, the detective said.' It has since emerged Mr Jonchuk was interviewed by police earlier that day after 'acting strangely' in a meeting with his attorney to discuss Phoebe's custody - calling the lawyer 'God' then asking her to read the Bible in Swedish. With no fixed abode, the father and daughter have been living with John Jonchuk Sr for two months. But at midnight last night Jonchuk was allegedly seen speeding at 100mph in a PT Cruiser toward the Sunshine Skyway bridge, according to a police report. The officer who spotted the Cruiser gave chase and saw the driver reach the top of Dick Misener Bridge then enter the approach to the Skyway. The car was then seen to stop and a figure emerged, throwing a child over the side of the rail into the water off Boca Ciega Bay. The officer said he heard the girl scream as she fell. Issues: Mr Jonchuk separated from Miss Kerr, who has MS, following six tumultuous years together - during which police were called numerous times for domestic violence issues. Both had arrest records . Scene: Jonchuk was allegedly seen speeding at 100mph in a PT Cruiser toward the Sunshine Skyway bridge, according to a police report . Jonchuk returned to the car and drove south but was stopped by Manatee County authorities about 30 minutes later. He was arrested and has been charged with first-degree murder. Jonchuk also faces charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle on a law enforcement officer and aggravated fleeing and eluding police. The girl was found 40 minutes later by divers from Eckerd College and attempts were made to resuscitate her. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead and her mother was informed. At Jonchuk's first hearing on Thursday, Pinellas County Judge Michael Andrews asked him if he wanted an attorney. 'I want to leave it in the hands of God,' Jonchuck said. Arrested: An officer who claims to have witnessed the incident chased Jonchuk and detained him . Behavior: Mr Jonchuk was interviewed by police earlier that day after 'acting strangely' in a meeting with his attorney to discuss Phoebe's custody - calling the lawyer 'God' then asking her to read the Bible in Swedish . Tragic: This is the car seat, recovered from Boca Ciega Bay, in which investigators found the dead child . The judge responded: 'I'm pretty sure God's not going to be representing you in this case. You're going to be standing trial.' Details have since emerged of Jonchuk's 'strange' behavior on Wednesday that prompted his attorney Genevieve Torres to contact police. Torres said she met with John Jonchuck on Wednesday to discuss the custody case for his five-year-old daughter, Phoebe. After their meeting, she was so worried about the father and daughter that she reported the odd statements to police. Officers interviewed Jonchuck and his daughter as he was picking her up from a church day care and both appeared to be in good health. Jonchuck said he didn't want to harm himself or anyone else, the documents said. 'She was smiling and appeared healthy, properly clothed and happy,' according to the documents. A little more than twelve hours later, police said Jonchuck threw his daughter over a bridge. | Phoebe Jonchuk was thrown screaming from a bridge in Tampa Bay .
Rescuers found the girl but she could not be saved and died in hospital .
The girl's father, John Jonchuk Jr, 25, was arrested 30 minutes later .
He has been charged with first-degree murder and assaulting police officer .
His mother, Michelle Jonchuck, says she never wants to see him again .
Michelle Kerr, the girl's mother, said he had made false abuse allegations .
Described how he had been diagnosed with bipolar and was 'unstable' |
12f3fe23c28fbe3e38bec4a507449aeb197298ff | A storm system that buried parts of Wyoming and South Dakota in heavy, wet snow on Friday also brought powerful thunderstorms packing tornadoes to the Great Plains. A storm dumped at least 33 inches of snow in a part of South Dakota's scenic Black Hills, National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Helgeson said Friday afternoon. Later in the day, thunderstorms rolled across the Plains, and witnesses reported seeing tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. There were no reports of deaths from any of the tornadoes. Earlier in the day, snow was blamed for the deaths of three people who were killed in a traffic accident on snow-slicked U.S. 20 in northeast Nebraska. Scroll down for video . Widespread: An aerial view of the damage from one of nine tornadoes to touch down over Iowa and Nebraska . Leveled: Many buildings in Nebraska were flattened by the tornadoes . October blizzard: A woman in Rapid City, South Dakota pushes her grocery cart through the built up snow in the parking lot yesterday. A storm dumped 33 inches of snow in South Dakota's Black Hills area Friday afternoon . Grounded: The hangar around this plane collapsed, likely keeping it out of the air for the foreseeable future . White out: Downed trees litter the front yard of a home in Rapid City, South Dakota yesterday (left) while a snow covers a local motel sign (right) Working through the storm: Tanner Hoffman struggles to keep a parking lot clear in Rapid City, South Dakota yesterday . Snow surprise: A snow-covered state of Bill Clinton is one of the only things on a deserted downtown street in Rapid City, South Dakota (left). On the right, drivers navigate carefully through the icy streets in Bismark, North Dakota . Falling down: A tent outside the Fischer Clearance Center in Rapid City collapsed on Friday from the weight of the unexpected snow . Efficient: Joshua Munyan clears snow on his four-wheeler from the parking lot of a Best Western hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota . Roughing it: Residents in Rapid City battle the elements just to walk outside on Friday . Keeping up: An employee at the Family Thrift Center in Rapid City, South Dakota shovels the quickly accumulating snow outside the store entrance yesterday . Road block: 20-year-old Zack Ruhl attempts to move a crab apple tree off of his car in Rapid City, South Dakota . Forecasters said the cold front would eventually combine with other storms to make for a wild, and probably very wet, weekend for much of the central U.S. and Southeast. Some of the greatest damage from tornadoes seemed to be in Wayne, Neb., a town of 9,600 where witnesses said as many as 12 homes were destroyed. Mayor Ken Chamberlain said all of the residents in town were accounted for, but the storm caused millions of dollars in damage to an area that includes businesses and the city's softball complex. At least 15 people were hurt in Wayne, but Chamberlain said none of the injuries was considered life-threatening, Chamberlain said. Seven of the injuries stemmed from two separate automobile accidents. Damage: Travis Randall stands among the ruins of his parent's home after a tornado ripped through his town of Hickman, Nebraska on Friday . Misplaced: Residents try to free a house panel that became lodged in a tree after a tornado ripped through Bennet, Nebraska . Torn-up: The town of Wayne, Nebraska (above, pictured today) saw the most damage, where tornadoes destroyed at least four homes in a town of 9,600 . In it's path: A house in Wayne, Nebraska damage by a tornado (pictured yesterday). So far three deaths have been tied to the tornadoes in Nebraska . In Iowa, the state's Iowa Department of Homeland Security said a mile-wide tornado touched down near the town of Cherokee, cutting a 2- to 3-mile path through farmland but missing any population centers. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service said they were still trying to figure out exactly how many twisters touched down Friday evening from storms that also brought large hail and heavy rain. The snow in South Dakota prompted officials in Deadwood to postpone their annual Octoberfest, including Friday night's dancing-and-singing pub crawl and Saturday's Wiener Dog Races and Beer Barrel Games. Julie Lee said she and fellow members of her White Rose Band were accustomed to snow, just "not for the fourth of October." They had barely unloaded their instruments in the Old West casino town of Deadwood before the wet, heavy snow started falling and closed part of Interstate 90, the area's only interstate. No roof over their head: The home of Vicki Kempkes in Bennet, Nebraska, had the roof ripped off yesterday by a tornado. Outside, neighbors comfort the homeowner . Force of nature: Vicki Kempkes looks at the destruction a tornado caused to her home's recreation room yesterday in Bennet, Nebraska . Getting to work: Contractors assess the damage of Kempkes' house yesterday . Wrecked: Jim Stoddard, left, and his brother-in-law Todd Harlan, right, examine the damage to Stoddard's car yesterday in Hickman, Nebraska . Up in the air: Everyday items became stuck in a tree after tornadoes blew debris around Hickman, Nebraska Friday. The tornadoes injured about 15 in the state . Downed trees: Jim Stoddard had to pull his travel trailer out of a ditch after the tornadoes on Friday. Some of the tornadoes that touched down in Nebraska were a mile-wide . 'Our car is like an igloo,' said Lee, who sings and plays the clarinet and saxophone for her North Dakota-based polka band. 'I'm glad we got everything out.' Officials were warning drivers to stay off the roads in the Black Hills and in eastern Wyoming, where reports of 5 to 10 inches of snow were common. Forecasters urged travelers to carry survival kits and to stay in their vehicles if stranded. 'I've lived in Wyoming my whole life and I've never seen it like this this early,' Patricia Whitman, shift manager at the Flying J truck stop in Gillette, said in a telephone interview. She said her truck stop's parking lot was full of travelers waiting out the storm. 'I know several of the businesses nearby are completely closed because they can't even get workers into work — it's pretty nasty,' she said. Early winter: The snow storm also hit parts of eastern Wyoming - with 5 to 10 inches of snow in places. Above, fallen tree branches piled up outside a house in Casper, Wyoming . Cleaning up: Thomas Leighton clears downed tree limbs on the street outside his house in Casper, Wyoming yesterday . Shaking the snow off: Betty Adams knocks off a dusting of snow on the trees in her front yard in Casper, Wyoming . The snow also snapped tree limbs that knocked out power lines in parts of the state, causing thousands of people to lose power. By Friday night, South Dakota officials had closed I-90 from the Wyoming border to Murdo. And no travel was advised in Rapid City, where first responders were overwhelmed with calls for stuck vehicles and downed trees and power lines making some roads impassable. Police spokeswoman Tarah Heupel said snow and ice was accumulating on traffic signals, making the lights difficult to see. 'I couldn't say when the last time we've had one like this. It's been quite a while,' Trimarchi said. Fall wonderland: The accumulation in Colorado was more beautiful than destructive. Above, snow piles on Aspen trees in Frisco, Colorado . Fresh dusting: It looks like skiing season will start soon in Colorado with the recent piling of snow . The cold front is moving slowly east and expanding south and will meet up with the remnants of Tropical Storm Karen on Sunday, after that storm makes landfall along the Gulf Coast. Though much of the Midwest and Southeast may get soaked, it won't be as devastating as past combination storms, such as Superstorm Sandy, said William Bunting, operations chief at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. Sandy resulted from the merging of cold fronts and a tropical storm. The Midwest, especially Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, are at most risk for large thunderstorms, tornadoes and hail, 'perhaps baseball-sized hail,'x Bunting said. On Thursday night, a tornado that touched down damaged homes and businesses in several communities, knocked out power and toppled trees. No injuries were reported. The storm system also blanketed Colorado's northern mountains with snow. | Storms across the Great Plains yesterday caused snow, thunderstorms and tornadoes to touch down across the region .
Parts of South Dakota got 33 inches of snow, killing three, while parts of Wyoming and Colorado experienced lesser accumulations .
Tornadoes touched down in Nebraska, causing 15 injuries. Officials says the tornadoes caused millions of dollars in damage .
The storm system is due to merge with the remnants of Tropical Storm Karen Sunday, impacting the Midwest states of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa . |
12f510e9cec52a7cde1ee80d03d38cbf575b278f | (CNN) -- A line of law enforcement vehicles stretched for a mile along a rural Pennsylvania road Tuesday as the hunt for suspected cop-killer Eric Matthew Frein entered its 11th day. Area schools opened for the first time since the middle of last week, although school buses were kept off roads because of the heavy police activity. There was increased security throughout the Pocono Mountain School District, and students would remain indoors, according to the district website. "This is an extremely difficult situation for our community," the school district website said in announcing schools reopened Tuesday. "Schools will be in session but, ultimately it is your decision as parents whether to send your children to school. The District will respect your decision and all absences will be excused and will not impact a student's perfect attendance." For the moment, the reopening of schools and roads Tuesday provided a sense of relief to a community under virtual lock-down since Frein -- a 31-year-old self-styled survivalist and war buff -- allegedly killed a state police officer and shot another officer September 12 during an ambush outside the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Blooming Grove, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, attendance in the 9,800-student district was down about 30%, a school official said. After-school athletic practices were moved indoors, and home athletic competitions canceled. "It's a difficult time for our parents," district spokeswoman Wendy Frable told CNN. "A lot of parents are still a little nervous." The shooting unleashed a massive manhunt involving hundreds of local, state and federal law enforcement agents. Life in the otherwise quiet community in the Pocono Mountains was disrupted as thousands of residents were under lock-down, and schools and some roads closed near the densely wooded search area. On Tuesday, two days after authorities discovered an AK-47 rifle, some magazines and a small bag of ammo in the northeastern Pennsylvania woods where they believe Frein is hiding, the search moved slightly north, police said. "He's out in those woods right now," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett told reporters a day earlier. State Police Lt. Col George Bivens, who joined the governor, said, "I do believe that we are close to him at this point." Tracking dogs had indicated "we're on the right trail," Bivens said a day earlier, adding that thermal imaging technology was being used to find Frein, who authorities believe had been planning the ambush for months or possibly years. Investigators said the items they found were either abandoned or hidden by Frein, who is a skilled marksman and trained survivalist. Slaying planned for months? Authorities have said that Frein hated law enforcement and that they believe that he's solely focused on hurting more officers, but not civilians. When asked why investigators concluded that, Corbett answered that the night of the barracks shooting, Frein had the opportunity to shoot civilians and didn't take it. As to the rifle that was found over the weekend, it was positioned in such a way that it could be seen, though the items were partially concealed, Bivens said. "Frein obviously knows we're there" searching, he said. Up to 400 law enforcement officers are searching for Frein, including members of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They are combing about 200 to 250 square miles of wooded area not far from Frein's family home in Canadensis, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles from where Frein allegedly shot the police officers. CNN's Ashley Fantz contributed to this report. | Opening of roads and school brings relief to those near Pennsylvania manhunt .
Eric Matthew Frein, a self-styled survivalist is believed to be hiding in the woods .
Investigators Monday discovered AK-47 and ammo they say belong to Frein .
Frein is wanted for killing one Pennsylvania state police officer and shooting another . |
12f53444206de85df653d0be468f25efc152947c | By . Ian Ladyman . PUBLISHED: . 04:50 EST, 23 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 04:20 EST, 24 January 2014 . NEIL ASHTON: Bye bye, Jose! United agree record £37m fee for Chelsea star Mata . Juan Mata is expected to complete his move to Manchester United on Friday. The £37million man from Chelsea is set to fly from Battersea in south London straight to United's training ground. Sources close to the player have revealed that Mata has been told things are being put in place for his arrival at Carrington. Window of opportunity: Robin van Persie arrives for training and United will hope to have him back soon . Not looking clever: Tom Cleverley arrives the day after the semi-final penalties defeat by Sunderland . Arrival: Nemanja Vidic, suspended for the Sunderland debacle, drives into the training ground . A tough gig: Ryan Giggs looks lees-than impressed as he arrives at Carrington . In the shadows: Marquee summer signing Marouane Fellaini is recovering from injury . Coach in the car: Phil Neville arrives for what surely will be a chastening day at training . Flops: Shinji Kagawa (left) and Alexander Buttner both played in the semi-final loss . Flying visit: Juan Mata arrived in Manchester via helicopter as he closes in on his £37million switch to United . He has been told to be ready to leave his apartment in Chelsea at short notice and travel to a helicopter flight base in nearby Battersea. Once in Manchester, the Spanish playmaker is due to have a look round United's impressive training base, meet manager David Moyes and then head to the Bridgewater Hospital near the city centre for a medical. Back at Chelsea's training ground, Jose Mourinho was all smiles as he watched his players train ahead of the weekend FA Cup clash with Stoke. United do not have a game as they are already out of the FA Cup but it is hoped that Mata will train with his new team-mates on Friday and be ready for next Tuesday's home game against Cardiff in the Barclays Premier League. Tackle: Ramires flies in on Cesar Azpilicueta as Chelsea are put through their paces by Mourinho on Thursday . Big decision: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is happy to let Spanish playmaker Juan Mata join Manchester United . Out of sorts: Manchester United were knocked out of the League Cup after losing to Sunderland on penalties . Mata will arrive to find United at a new low after their numbing Capital One Cup shambles at home to Sunderland on Wednesday night. Moyes and his players are due at Carrington at 11am to warm down and go through the detritus of a night that ended in penalty shootout failure. United agreed the club record fee for Mata to ease the pain of their Capital One Cup exit. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho signed off on the deal following talks with club executives. United chief Ed Woodward agreed to break the club's transfer record for Mata as they attempt to salvage their season. No Juan there: Mata trained alone in Chelsea's fitness centre and away from the first team on Wednesday . On the move: Mata has spent most of this season on the bench after falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho . Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa's future has been thrown into doubt because of the proposed transfer. The midfielder is attracting the interest of Spanish side Atletico Madrid this January. | Man United and Chelsea have agreed a £37million deal for Juan Mata .
Mata is likely to have medical on Friday and train with new team-mates .
United players arrive at Carrington at 11am after semi-final loss .
Moyes refused to talk about the deal following United's League Cup defeat . |
12f6edd9d86da810e5fcfb14aac6b78b9d1b8254 | (CNN) -- It was a moment vividly depicted in the movie about her life: 7-year-old Helen Keller, holding one hand under a water pump as her teacher spelled "W-A-T-E-R" into her other hand. The statue of Helen Keller will be "a wonderful addition" to the National Statuary Hall, one expert said. In that moment, Keller, an Alabama native who lost her sight and hearing to illness as a toddler, understood that meanings were hidden in the manual alphabet shapes her teacher, Anne Sullivan, had taught her to make with her hands. The moment was shown in the play -- later made into a movie -- "The Miracle Worker." On Wednesday, a statue commemorating her 1887 breakthrough will be unveiled in the U.S. Capitol's National Statuary Hall, the first statue in the Capitol of a person with a disability, as well as the first of a child, according to the Alabama governor's office. "It's always good to realize how much of an impact people with disabilities have made on the history and landscape of our country," said Nancy Starnes, director of external affairs for the Washington-based National Organization on Disability. "I'm excited that they're going to be doing this. I think it's going to be a wonderful addition." In 1997, a Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial that opened near the National Mall drew complaints from disability advocates because its statue of the former president, who had polio, did not show Roosevelt in a wheelchair. In 2001, former President Clinton unveiled an addition to the memorial including a new statue of the four-term president sitting in a wheelchair. Keller, born in Tuscumbia in northwest Alabama, learned to speak at the age of 10 by putting her hands on Sullivan's mouth when she talked. She eventually graduated from Radcliffe College, then the women's branch of Harvard University, and became a prolific author and speaker who was endowed with numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She died in 1968. Since 1864, each state has been allowed to place two statues in the Capitol. In 2002, Congress changed the law to allow states to change their statues. Then-U.S. Rep. Bob Riley, now Alabama's governor, suggested that the state place a statue of Keller, and the state Legislature passed a resolution asking Congress to accept a statue of Keller as a gift. "Helen Keller was an extraordinary Alabamian who showed us the power of a determined human spirit can overcome any obstacle," Riley said in a statement issued by his office Monday. "The remarkable moment at the water pump, so vividly captured by this statue, will inspire countless others and remind them there truly are no limits to what people can accomplish." A committee, with Alabama first lady Patsy Riley as honorary chairman, raised private donations for the statue and selected Utah bronze sculpture artist Edward Hlavka to create the piece. The 600-pound statue is made of bronze with a base of Alabama marble, Riley's office said. "I hope we will continue to acknowledge that disability doesn't equate with inability in this country," Starnes said. She said there are many opportunities each year, such as Women's History Month, to recognize those with disabilities. "Disability really is an overlay over any discussion about people in this country," she said. "It's just time to take it off the shelf that's labeled 'special.' " Andy Imparato, president and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities, noted that the statue will be seen by schoolchildren visiting the Capitol. "She was a real pioneer, as a woman, as a person with a disability, as an educator," he said of Keller. "We see it as helping to raise awareness that people with disabilities can do anything, and our history as a movement is a lot longer than some people assume." Keller's statue will replace one depicting Jabez Curry in the Capitol Gallery. Curry was a Georgia native who served as president of Howard College, which later became Samford University in Birmingham. The Curry statue, which has represented Alabama in the Capitol since 1908, is being sent back to Alabama for display at the university. The other statue representing Alabama in the Capitol is of Joseph "Fightin' Joe" Wheeler, a Confederate general during the Civil War who, three decades later, volunteered to serve in the Spanish-American War at age 62 and attained the same rank in the U.S. Army. He was the only one of 425 Confederate generals to do so, according to a biography posted on the Fort Sam Houston Museum's Web site. His statue was donated by the state in 1925, Riley's office said. | Statue will be first in Capitol of a child, as well as a person with a disability .
Helen Keller statue depicts moment she began to learn language .
Governor: Statue will show there are "no limits to what people can accomplish"
Since 1864, each state has been allowed to place two statues in the Capitol . |
12f786347ad6459d51813d6c8cca22d4bb678a5f | (Rolling Stone) -- Sinead O'Connor has gotten back together with husband Barry Herridge, only days after announcing plans to end their marriage of less than a month. O'Connor said they had split last week due to a conflict with Herridge's family. "Spent a beautiful evening of love making with none other than my husband," the Irish rocker wrote on her website. "We decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend again and stay married, but we did rush [into marriage]." O'Connor predicts they will be "sickeningly happy" together and says she plans to meet with a marriage counselor. She also hopes to move in with her husband "in like a year, like regular people." O'Connor married Herridge, her fourth husband, after a whirlwind romance. They wed on her 45th birthday at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Earlier this year, the singer went about a public search for a new man on her website, wrote a series of suicidal tweets that alarmed her fans and revealed plans to release a new album next year. See the full article at RollingStone.com. Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone. | Sinead O'Connor said they had split last week due to a conflict with Barry Herridge's family .
"Spent a beautiful evening of love making with none other than my husband," the rocker wrote .
"We decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend again and stay married," she said . |
12f7d8edc320e3f2875cdba529e98e00e41675d0 | With a career founded on making Star Wars characters from papier-mâché, it was never going to be long before she came to the attention of Turner Prize judges. Being a nudist called Spartacus probably helped. The art prize that has baffled the nation since its inception is back – and its nominees are as unconventional as ever. The favourite is Spartacus Chetwynd, who changed her name from Lali five years ago to show that ‘people have a choice in life’. Spartacus Chetwynd: Odd Man Out . Odd Man Out by female performance artist Spartacus Chetwynd, which has been nominated for this year's Turner Prize. The show, which addressed issues of democracy, saw participants catapulted down an inflatable slide to a space littered with charred limbs . Chetwynd, 38, who 'lives and works in a nudist colony in south London', changed her name from Lali on her 33rd birthday 'to remind people they have a choice in life' Her other work includes An Evening With Jabba The Hutt 2003, in which she recast the villain from Return Of The Jedi as a 'Stevie Wonder-type smooth operator' The 38-year-old lives in a nudist colony in South London and specialises in performance art involving her friends and family. She is known for her 2003 play An . Evening With Jabba The Hutt, featuring bikini-clad women and a giant . papier-mâché model of the villain from Return Of The Jedi as a 'Stevie Wonder-type smooth operator'. She has drawn on everything from the . Incredible Hulk to Conan The Barbarian and re-enacted Michael Jackson's . pop video Thriller and the wildlife drama Born Free. The artist, whose mother is a set . designer who won an Oscar for Howards End, is always a participant in . her productions, wearing just a bikini for An Evening With Jabba The . Hutt. Paul Noble: Public Toilet . The nominated piece of work by Paul Noble - entitled Public Toilet - which forms part of the fictional metropolis he has been creating over the past 15 years . Paul Noble, 48, from London, has called his city project Nobson Newtown . Her other work includes a week-long . performance The Walk To Dover, in which she and her troupe dressed as . Victorian street urchins to retrace the steps of Charles Dickens' character David Copperfield. For the Turner, she is shortlisted for . her five-hour play Odd Man Out, in which puppets re-enact Bible scenes . and actors dance in home-made costumes. Audience members are asked to . determine the play’s outcome via secret ballot. Judge Andy Hunt called Chetwynd an . ‘interesting character’, adding that the name change had ‘liberated . her’. The artist has previously said: ‘Like my art, my name change . annoys people. The moment it stops annoying people, I will rename myself . again.’ Chetwynd is among four artists . shortlisted for the £25,000 prize. Hot on her heels is Paul Noble, 48, . who has spent 15 years drawing a fictional city populated by human . faeces who engage in sex acts. His nominated work is called Public Toilet - which forms part of his imaginary metropolis. The inhabitants of the partially ruined city are living excrement, who, in some scenes, engage in orgies. His work, which was on show at the city's Gagosian gallery last year, has been described as a parody of an ideal city. Noble, whose work includes a hellish . Heaven and a utopian Hell, has said that he will only make one more work . in his Nobson Newtown series. Judges praised his visions of a ‘dysfunctional and dystopian world’ in which ‘people become turds and turds become people’. The inhabitants of Nobson Newtown are living excrement, who, in some scenes, engage in orgies . He was nominated for an exhibition which featured a faeces-shaped sculpture compared by critics to a Madonna and child. Also shortlisted is abstract film-maker Luke Fowler, 34, from Glasgow, for his film exploring the life and work of Scottish psychiatrist RD Laing. The artist is nominated for his solo exhibition at Inverleith House in Edinburgh, which includes the project All Divided Selves. He has also made a film about avant-garde Scottish composer Cornelius Cardew. Luke Fowler: Film on life of RD Laing . Luke Fowler, 34, from Glasgow, is shortlisted for his film exploring the life and work of Scottish psychiatrist RD Laing. Above, his nominated work, All Divided Selves . Fowler (above) has also made a film about avant-garde Scottish composer Cornelius Cardew . Then there is Elizabeth Price, 45, from London, who is in the running for the contemporary art prize for a trilogy of video installations - including the work, User Group Disco. Her other creations include West Hinder, . inspired by the sinking of a ship in 2002 with a cargo of luxury cars, . and The Woolworths Choir, which featured degraded footage of girl . groups. The £40,000 Turner Prize sees £25,000 go to the winner and £5,000 each for the other shortlisted artists. The prize, established in 1984, is given to a British artist under 50 for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work in the 12 months before April 24 this year. Elizabeth Price: Video installations including User Group Disco . Elizabeth Price, 45, from London, is in the running for the contemporary art prize for a trilogy of video installations, including User Group Disco (above) Price's work work includes West Hinder, inspired by the sinking of a ship in 2002 with a cargo of luxury cars, and The Woolworths Choir, which featured degraded footage of girl groups . Tate Britain director Penelope . Curtis, who is chair of the jury, said of the shortlist: 'They are . artists that have brought a kind of slowness of looking, it's not a . quick fix. 'None of . these works are something that you can get in a few minutes. You have to . spend an hour or two to get it, whether it's film, drawing or . performance.' The judges said there was a 'humanity' running through all the artists' work. They hailed Noble's art as 'a compelling life project' of 'incredible, monumental graphite drawings'. His work is an 'utterly compelling ongoing narrative' and a 'limitless journey of discovery', they said. The artist takes almost 'an omnipresent view' of a 'dysfunctional world' in which 'people become turds and turds become people'. The Turner judges described Chetwynd, whose recent . exhibition Odd Man Out 2011 took the form of a five-hour play . addressing issues of 'democracy, the right to vote and the consequences . of decision-making', as a 'very interesting character' who involves the . audience in her work. 'She changed her name in 2007. That seems on the face of it... a small point. 'But the idea of changing her name to . Spartacus... seems to have liberated her to make this ongoing . increasingly diverse form of practice that includes as many people as . possible,' the judges said. A Tax Haven Run By Women was inspired . by 'financially independent women' such as Dolly Parton and took the form . of a game show with two teams competing for a ride to a tax haven. Fowler, best known for his film portraits of public figures, is said to have an 'autobiographical and biographical thread to his work'. Price started to make films four years ago and has a musical background - she co-founded the indie-pop outfit Talulah Gosh. Judges praised her 'powerful body of work over the last three years'. Work by the shortlisted artists will go on show at Tate Britain in October and the winner will be announced in December. | Lali Chetwynd changed name to Spartacus five years ago .
Paul Noble has worked on excremental fictional metropolis Nobson Newtown for 15 years .
Other nominations for £25,000 prize include Luke Fowler for his film on Scottish psychiatrist RD Laing; and Elizabeth Price for video installations . |
12f8d8e4b0bc1352f542b8cc71fb7d7b99ddd940 | By . Andrew Levy . Two teenagers’ bodies were recovered yesterday after they drowned in separate incidents while cooling off in dangerous waters during the heatwave. The tragedies followed another death on Tuesday, when a 13-year-old boy went into a fast-flowing section of the Thames in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, to retrieve a football. A high of 28.6C (83.5F) was recorded in the Solent in Hampshire yesterday, with other parts of the country seeing similar temperatures and occasional heavy showers. [caption . The sweltering heat, which is due to continue today, coincided with the start of the school holidays – prompting the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to issue a warning to young people. Leisure safety manager Dave Walker said: ‘Even on a hot day, the water might be a lot colder or deeper than you were expecting, and there may be underwater debris that you cannot see.’ Rony John, 15, was found dead at 2am yesterday, ten hours after he got into trouble while swimming in the Great Ouse river near Hartford in Cambridgeshire. Search teams then discovered the body of Conor McColl, 16, from Luton, just after 1pm. Conor also disappeared on Thursday, at around 6pm, after swimming in a disused quarry in Clophill, Bedfordshire. Two other teenagers were rescued from the water. Weak swimmer Rony had jumped into the river with fellow pupils from St Peter’s School, Huntingdon. Rony John, 15, went missing in the River Great Ouse near Church Lane in Hartford, Cambridgeshire . One girl at the scene said: ‘Apparently he couldn’t swim and he went in with a group of boys. ‘They all held on to him so that he wouldn’t go under and then he said that he could swim.’ The two tragedies today come just . days after Arran Cooper, ten and Kyrece Francis, 13, died in separate . tragedies earlier this week. Schoolboy . Arran, from Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, died in hospital in the . early hours of Wednesday after he fell into the River Orchy, in the . Caledonian forest reserve in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. His . death came less than 24 hours after 13-year-old Kyrece Francis drowned . in the River Thames in Marlow, Buckinghamshire after apparently jumping . in the fast-flowing water to retrieve a football. Arran Cooper (left), tem, from Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, died after he fell into the River Orchy, in the Caledonian forest reserve in Argyll and Bute. Kyrece Francis (right) was remembered by friends as a promising footballer and a 'genuine' and 'great' guy . The Royal National Lifeboat Institution also urged the public to take care in the sea, after a 12-year-old girl and her 21-year-old brother had to be rescued on Wednesday. The pair were nearly swept into the path of a shipping lane by currents in Ramsgate, Kent. Thousands are being tempted to the coast as ocean temperatures have hit a seven-year high in some places. The water has reached 20.4C (68.7F) off Start Bay in Devon – a full degree warmer than Santa Monica in Los Angeles. Elsewhere, a mother who abandoned her baby in a boiling car to go shopping was cautioned by police. Passers-by called the emergency services after noticing the child had been left alone in the Surrey supermarket car park on Tuesday, when temperatures hit 20C (68F) in the shade, The Sun reported. Police gave the mother a caution for ‘wilful abandonment’. The baby did not require medical treatment. Forecasters said the high temperatures would continue today – making Britain hotter than Crete – before falling by up to four degrees on Sunday. Sun-worshippers who end up looking more like a lobster than a bronzed beauty can now get relief – using the first burn lotion containing ibuprofen. The cream, called Soleve, delivers the painkiller directly to burnt skin. In trials it was found to remove the stinging sensation for eight out of ten users. The lotion, which costs £9.95 for 100ml, also contains the emollient isopropyl myristate, which soothes and moisturises the skin and traps in water, helping the body’s healing process. Surveys show three out of five Britons have suffered from sunburn in the past five years, and say it has blighted their holidays. Other after-sun lotions currently available are simply forms of moisturisers and can do nothing to relieve the pain of mild to moderate sunburn. Dr Phil Rosher of Diomed Developments, which created Soleve, said trials showed it helped to relieve pain, swelling, inflammation and tenderness. | Body of Rony John, 15, was found in River Great Ouse, Cambridgeshire .
Police discovered body of a 16-year-old, named as Conor McColl, in a quarry in Bedfordshire .
It came as temperatures in parts of Britain hit 28.6C amid a heatwave .
Two deaths come days after Arran Cooper, ten, and Kyrece Francis, 13, drowned in separate tragedies .
Deaths all occurred during the recent spell of blazing hot weather .
Heartbreaking tributes have been paid to all four of the youngsters . |
12f986e47ef5406c680ded0b0bb201e4e89265cf | Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israel's former security chief is slamming the country's prime minister and defense minister for their handling of Iran, saying neither one inspires confidence. "I don't trust a leadership that relies on messianic leadership," said Yuval Diskin, the former head of the Shin Bet, the country's internal security service, at a public conference Friday night in Israel. "Our two messiahs from Caesaria and from the Akiorv Towers are not fit to stand at the helm of the government," Diskin said, referring to the respective residences of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. His comments were widely reported in the Israeli media Saturday. Barak said while he welcomed Diskin's entry into politics, the comments are irresponsible. "It is both embarrassing and saddening to see the weakening of judgment and responsibility and the low language a man who served the public for years was dragged into," said a statement from Barak's office. "Diskin is acting in a petty, irresponsible manner motivated by personal frustration. He is harming the heritage of generations of Shin Bet heads and the operational norms of the organization." A senior Israeli government official said that the comments lacked credibility because the domestic security focus of the Shin Bet made the organization a "peripheral player" when it comes to Iran. The same official, who declined to be named publicly due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Diskin's comments were "both surprising and strange" because he had worked under both Netanyahu and Barak, and sought to become Mossad director under their leadership. "Are you saying these things because you didn't get the position?" the official asked rhetorically, adding that Diskin's attack seemed more "personal than policy." Diskin, a widely respected former security official, also took the two Israeli leaders to task for mis-characterizing the possible effectiveness of a military strike against Iran and its nuclear program. He said the Israeli government presented "a false view to the public on the Iranian bomb, as though acting against Iran would prevent a nuclear bomb. But attacking Iran will encourage them to develop a bomb all the faster." It is not the first time a high-profile figure has criticized the Israeli government's handling of Iran. Meir Dagan, the former chief of Israel's spy agency, the Mossad, has been a frequent and vocal critic of talk about an Israel strike on Iran, famously calling it a "stupid idea." Israeli vice-premier and Likud party member Silvan Shalom told the Jerusalem Post that Diskin should not have spoken in public. "I think that Diskin was wrong to say what he did, and that when he considers what he said he will realize that he was wrong," Shalom said. Diskin's blunt commentary follows controversial remarks by Israel's top general, who said Iran is led by "very rational people" and doesn't appear poised to build a nuclear bomb that would threaten his nation. Iran "is going step by step to the place where it will be able to decide whether to manufacture a nuclear bomb," Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz told Israel's Haaretz newspaper in Wednesday editions. "It hasn't yet decided whether to go the extra mile." Those comments were in stark contrast to those of Netanyahu, who suggested to CNN that time is running out for Western sanctions on Iran to have a meaningful effect on Tehran's nuclear program. The sanctions "are certainly taking a bite out of the Iranian economy," Netanyahu said in an interview broadcast Tuesday on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront." But, he said, "They haven't rolled back the Iranian program -- or even stopped it -- by one iota." | NEW: Ehud Barak describes Yuval Diskin's comments as 'irresponsible'
Diskin is the former head of the Shin Bet, the country's internal security service .
He accuses Netanyahu and Barak of mischaracterizing the possible effectiveness of attacking Iran .
Netanyahu says sanctions are not having a meaningful effect on Tehran's nuclear program . |
12fa40d72ab869f14ca997fabf59a7795e4ef8fd | The former model who was allegedly shot by her boyfriend in a failed murder-suicide after he killed a Utah cop was arrested over the weekend, accused of giving police false stories. Traci Vaillancourt, 34, was arrested on two counts of suspicion of obstruction of justice late on Saturday and spoke to an attorney for the first time since the September 1 incident on Sunday. Vaillancourt - who was disfigured and was left hooked on painkillers after getting a rare blood disease - was allegedly shot in the back by her boyfriend Timothy 'Troy' Walker, 35, while sitting in their Volvo in Draper, Utah. This was just moments after Walker is accused of shooting dead Sgt Derek Johnson, 32. Walker then turned the weapon on himself and was hospitalized. He remains in serious condition. On Saturday Salt Lake County Jail released a probable cause statement saying that investigators spoke with Vaillancourt on Sept. 1, 4 and 7, but all three statements were found to be inconsistent with evidence from the scene. Wheelchair: Vaillancourt was wheeled into court and was breathing with the help of an oxygen tank . Accused: Timothy Walker (left) allegedly shot Sgt. Derek Johnson dead before turning the gun on his girlfriend Vaillancourt (right in an earlier mugshot) and himself . Killed: Father-of-one Sgt Derek Johnson was fatally shot when he stopped alongside Walker's Volvo . Officers suspect the pair were on drugs when Sgt Johnson spotted their car parked awkwardly. Police believe that Walker ambushed Johnson while he was sat in his patrol car. Sgt Johnson was married to his high school sweetheart Shante Sidwell with whom he had a 6-year-old son Bensen. His funeral was held on Friday where the community paid tribute to man described as a dedicated public servant. According to the Deseret News, his sister Desirae Johnson said: 'I love you and I am so proud of you for giving your life to what you loved and believe in. I promise I will never forget you and look for signs of you wherever I go.' On Sunday night Vaillancourt met attorney Matthew Kober at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail, also reported by the Deseret News. Kober said the woman being held in the medical unit, in a wheelchair and wearing a sling. According to the lawyer, Vaillancourt is in a lot of pain and on medication. 'I asked a lot of questions. She answered to the best of her recollection,' Kober said. 'This is the first time I've been able to meet with her to understand her side of the story and find out her version of events. We're finding out everything about as quickly as the media is,' he continued. The attorney said that he still needed to talk to police about which of his client's statements they thought were inconsistent. 'There are still some facts I want to follow up and understand better,' Kober said. 'She is aware multiple shots were fired. She expressed her concern for the fallen officer and is in a very emotional state. 'All along we thought she was a victim in this matter,' he added. Tributes: Family and friends paid their respects to Sgt Johnson at his funeral on Friday . Community: Johnson was described as a dedicated public servant in the town of Draper, Utah . Speaking in response to the crime, Vaillancourt's sister Victoria King has revealed her sister's tragic demise from aspiring model and TV star to drug-addled homeless woman reliant on her violent boyfriend. After having her first child, Vaillancourt was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Hereditary Angioedema which made her face, throat and limbs swell, her sister told KSL.com. She says her sister quickly became addicted to her pain medication after suffering four strokes before the age of 30. 'It just went downhill from there,' King told the broadcaster. 'I tried to get him away from her. She chose a different path. … He was bad news from the get-go, I knew it, and the two of them combined, and a loaded gun nonetheless, and strung out on drugs.' 'We tried and tried and tried to help her but you can't help someone who won't help themself,' she added. Proud dad: Derek Johnson is pictured with his son Bensen . Happily married: Derek Johnson grew up in Draper and married his high school sweetheart. He was described as a dedicated police officer . King last saw her sister and Walker, 35, the day before the shootings and was left startled by his behavior. 'He got out of the car and he was hyper, showing me a gun that has a laser and a machete and knives,' she said. The couple were trying to talk King into giving them cash - an event which wasn't unusual according to Vaillancourt's older sister. They have a daughter together who lives in full custody of her paternal grandmother. Ms King told Salt Lake Tribune that her sister was not without remorse at what had become of her life but couldn't work her way out of the cycle of addiction. 'She would cry, ‘I never pictured my life turning out like this,’' King told the newspaper. According to King, Walker gave Vaillancourt attention and Vaillancourt 'was attached to him at the hip'. Online: In this photograph posted by friends on Facebook they expressed dismay at what had become of the girl they loved, right . She says the pair have been living in and out of motels and were most recently living out of their car. She says the couple told her they needed protection and that's why they had purchased a cache of weapons. 'I know she was a victim, but I felt like I already lost her a long time ago. My heart is absolutely bleeding for Derek Johnson’s family,' King added in the interview. 'I just want them to know I’m sorry'. Walker has a history of petty crime but nothing that would indicate the murder he is accused of carrying out on Sunday. Vaillancourt too has a record of theft and shoplifting but nothing violent. Crashed: Sgt Johnson drove his car a short distance after being shot, crashing it into a field . Shot dead: A tribute site has been set up to Derek Johnson . 'The streets of Draper City were made safer by Sgt. Derek Johnson who loved his job as a police officer for the Draper City Police Department,' Johnson's family wrote in his obituary. 'Understanding the risk, but wanting to protect he gave his life while on duty Sept. 1, 2013, at the age of 32. 'He was the recipient of many awards, including Life Saving Award, Distinguished Service Award, and was the 2012 Community Policing Officer of the Year. With a good nature, a sense of humor that could light up any room, attention to detail and the ability to make anyone his friend. 'He made a difference. He loved his family, hunting, running, hiking and giving service. He was always up for a good challenge,' it reads. The police officer, promoted last year, tried to drive away after the shooting and crashed his patrol car into a field. The owner, Dan Smith, hung ribbons in his memory. 'There's no words that can explain it and make it ok,' Smith said. 'It obviously tugs at your heartstrings and you want to do something to show that it wasn't in vain.' The local sheriff Jim Winder says Walker had a desire to shoot a uniformed officer. | Traci Vaillancourt was allegedly shot in the back by her boyfriend after he shot dead a police officer .
Timothy Walker is accused of killing Sgt Derek Johnson in cold blood when the officer pulled up alongside the couple's Volvo .
Vaillancourt's sister has described how she went from being a popular high school model to a homeless drug addict .
She has now been arrested, accused of giving police false stories . |
12fb9811deeb9646e82dbfe25fcb3832d717154e | By . Ben Spencer . PUBLISHED: . 20:55 EST, 12 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:18 EST, 13 February 2013 . Reg Turnill, the man who brought the space race to a generation of Britons, has died at the age of 97. As the BBC’s space correspondent from Sputnik through to the shuttle era, Mr Turnill was the voice of extra-planetary exploration for more than 40 years. Described by friends as an ‘astronaut who never made it to the Moon’, he reported on every Nasa Apollo mission, including breaking the story to the world that Apollo 13 was in trouble in 1970. Star: Reg Turnhill, who reported on space exploration from the 1950s until the 1990s, died at the age of 97 . He saw the development of modern aviation at first hand, reporting on radio and television from the 1950s until the 1990s – a period which saw a dramatic transformation in the possibilities of space exploration. Later, in semi-retirement, he brought the drama of space to life for schoolchildren on the BBC Newsround programme. Last summer, well into his 90s, he contributed to coverage of death of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon. Mr Turnill’s eldest son confirmed the news of his father’s death yesterday. Michael Turnill, 72, said his father retained a ‘remarkable’ mind until his death. He had carried on an active role in aerospace journalism was still writing stories just eight weeks ago, he said. Mr Turnill’s career began at the age of 15 as a telephonist for the Press Association in Fleet Street, typing up stories phoned in by reporters. He was promoted to become staff reporter at the news agency and in 1956 was recruited by the BBC as assistant industrial correspondent. Michael Turnill, 72, said his father retained a ¿remarkable¿ mind until his death . In 1958, he was made the BBC’s air and space correspondent, with a brief to cover defence. It was the start of the jet age and he reported on the introduction of passenger flights, including taking a seat on Concorde’s maiden flight in March 1969. But it was his coverage of space exploration which really captured the imagination of his viewers and listeners. He was friends with Wernher von Braun, the architect of Nasa’s moon programme, enabling him to secure interviews with many Apollo astronauts during his career. Mr Turnill later recalled how he became the first to report that the Apollo 13 mission was in trouble. ‘It was 10 o’clock Houston time, 4am London time, and I just looked in to a deserted mission control,’ he said in 2007. ‘All was going well, most journalists had gone to bed. I was just turning to leave the deserted press centre when I heard the famous words: “Houston, we’ve had a problem”. ‘By 5am I’d broken the story. The astronauts were in deadly danger.’ Nick Spall, fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, described Mr Turnill as ‘one of a kind’. He said he had spoken to the correspondent recently and said he was ‘full of his old enthusiasm’. ‘My key memory was of this father figure on TV in the 1960s, explaining it all in a very British way,’ said Mr Spall. He was the astronaut who never made it to the Moon.’ In his later years, he lived in Sandgate, Kent. Mr Turnill passed away peacefully in the early hours yesterday (12th) at the Pilgrim’s Hospice in Ashford, where he had been for the past month. He is survived by his wife Margaret and their two sons. | Reported from the 1950s until the 1990s, covering every NASA mission .
Son Michael said his father maintained a 'remarkable' mind until his death . |
12fd158189558a9ea051ec2b502697dec5d40b8f | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Google co-founder Larry Page has said people shouldn't work as much as they do - because there really is no need. The tech mogul, who spoke alongside fellow Google founder Sergey Brin in an interview with venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, didn't expand on how people could afford to live if they worked less. 'If you really think about the things . you need to make yourself happy - housing, security, opportunity for . your kids - it's not that hard for us to provide those things,' he said in the interview last week. He said the resources we need do not require as much effort to achieve as we think they do, and instead said that we only work to make ourselves feel needed. Scroll down for video . Speaking out: Larry Page, center alongside fellow Google founder Sergey Brin (right) and Vinod Khosla (left), said at an event last week that there is no need for people to work as much as they do . 'I think there's a problem that we don't recognize,' he went on. 'There's a social problem. 'A lot of people aren't happy if they . don't have anythings to do, so we need to give people things to do. You . need to feel like you're needed and wanted.' Instead, he suggested that we should work much less - or split jobs between more people - citing an example set by Virgin's founder, Richard Branson to battle unemployment in the U.K. 'He's been trying to get people to hire two part-time people instead of one full-time, so at least the young people can have a half-time job rather than no job,' he said. Questions: Page, left, said people should work less - without explaining how they could afford to live . 'If you have global unemployment, you just reduce work time.' While explaining his view, Page, who is worth nearly $32 billion, according to Forbes, failed to outline exactly how people would afford to live on fewer hours, and presumably a lesser wage. He added that he had asked many people if they would like to have an extra week of vacation or work fewer days in the week - and most said they would. 'Most people like working, but they'd also like to have more time with their family or to pursue their own interests,' he said. Co-founder Brin said he had to 'quibble' with Page's view. Comfortable: Page, pictured with his wife Lucy Southworth last year, is worth an estimated $32 billion . 'I don't think that in the near term, the need for labor is going away,' he said. 'It gets shifted from one place to another, but people always want more stuff or more entertainment or more creativity or more something.' Page, 41, launched Google in 1996 with Brin after they met while studying for PhDs at Stanford University before starting Google Inc. two years later. He is married to Lucinda Southworth, a former model and research scientist, and together they have two children and live in a mansion in Palo Alto, California. | Larry Page said that because it doesn't take much to achieve the jobs that we need complete, roles should be split or hours should be reduced .
He failed to suggest how workers could afford to live on fewer hours .
He spoke alongside fellow Google co-founder Sergey Brin in an interview with venture capitalist and billionaire Vinod Khosla last week . |
12fe3a7f1b9e4571e20971ccc4ebf35a9a7e1dd6 | A millionaire couple claim their parties in the celebrity-filled suburb of Primrose Hill - which have caused six council noise complaints - are simply a case of 'middle-aged ravers getting out of control'. Irate neighbours have lodged noise complaints with Camden Council after Erin and Jeremy Morris, who run the upmarket jewellers David Morris, hosted a series of loud parties over the past 12 months at their £5.2million home. Primrose Hill, where houses regularly sell for tens of million of pounds, is an area which has long been popular with the rich and famous. Those who live or own homes in the area include Labour leader Ed Miliband, media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s daughter Elisabeth, singer Gwen Stefani and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. And the house belonging to the Morrises was the childhood home of London Mayor Boris Johnson before it was sold by his parents. Scroll down for video . Erin and Jeremy Morris, whose parties have generated six complaints to Camden Council . Primrose Hill (pictured), where the couple live, is a picturesque area favoured by London's rich and famous . However, some say the area is being spoiled by the late night parties of some residents. Stock image used . The stunning view overlooking London from Primrose Hill, in Camden . Courtesy of Monumental Adventure . The Morris' recent parties have been so loud Channel 5 presenter and neighbour Matthew Wright has claimed he is forced to wear ear plugs when going to sleep. Despite this, Mrs Morris has defended their actions. She said the couple were middle-aged so it was nice to have friends visit them at home, rather than going to a club, the Evening Standard reported. She said: 'We have a really big family and we have lots of friends and maybe had too many glasses of wine and didn't realise the level of the bass. 'I think it was a case of middle-aged ravers getting out of control.' When contacted by MailOnline, a spokesperson for Mr and Mrs Morris said they had no further comment to make. Last month Mr Wright publicly stated his disappointment with a new wave of residents in Primrose Hill who he claimed showed less regard for their neighbours. Matthew Wright (pictured right) said he could not get to sleep during the parties despite wearing ear plugs. Pictured left is Jeremy Morris, who lives at the home with his wife Erin . Chef Jamie Oliver (who has not complained about the parties) is also believed to own a home in the area . He told the Daily Express: 'I'm three gardens down with double glazing and I can't sleep with earplugs in.' 'I don't remember anyone holding parties mid-week with bouncers when I first moved here. 'Now there's one every other week and it seems owners of bigger houses are the worst offenders.' The issue of noisy parties in the celebrity-filled suburb appears to be becoming a long-term problem. In December, Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth and her husband Matthew Freud were told to keep the noise down after a noisy bash at their £24million home - which was reportedly attended by celebrities such as Russell Brand, Jemima Khan, Justin Timberlake and Samuel L. Jackson. At the time, a neighbour said: ‘It used to be a quiet area but it’s become like little Beverly Hills. They should at the very least let the neighbours know when the parties are going to be held and agree a finishing time.’ Mr Freud later apologised to anyone disturbed by the parties. He said: ‘We are genuinely sorry to hear that some of our neighbours were disturbed by guests leaving our family home on a couple of occasions earlier this year. We love Primrose Hill and would never wish to inconvenience any of our fellow residents. ‘We have a young family ourselves and these were irregular events. Our apologies go to anyone who was disturbed on those evenings.' | Erin and Jeremy Morris's noisy late night parties prompt council complaints .
Couple claim their parties were 'middle-aged ravers getting out of control'
Presenter and neighbour Matthew Wright wears ear plugs to block noise .
The Camden suburb has been a popular celebrity hangout for decades .
Primrose Hill is also home to singer Gwen Stefani and chef Jamie Oliver .
House at the centre of the row was Boris Johnson's childhood home . |
12fe55e837ea8753dd4a194ccfb4b4cd08603a9c | By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 10:55 PM on 7th December 2011 . A hacker who reportedly posed as a billionaire heiress after breaking into her personal email account managed to steal more than $500,000. Candia Fisher, 64, of Manhattan, New York, is part of the Fisher Brothers real estate family and most of her business is conducted online. But a hacker managed to get so much personal information from her email account that he stole a total of $548,725, reported the New York Post. Hacked: Candia Fisher, 64, of Manhattan, New York, is part of the Fisher Brothers real estate family and most of her business is conducted online . The thief posed as Ms Fisher and reportedly ordered her secretary to wire huge amounts of cash overseas to Australian banks at least six times. A financial secretary at the firm eventually questioned Ms Fisher about the transfers on Monday - but the billionaire was unaware of any of them. A company security investigator then called police. A source said Ms Fisher is always relying on emails for her business communications. 'It’s easy for someone to learn lots of things about her if they get access to them,' the source told the New York Post. Wealthy family: Candia Fisher, right, is pictured with her mother Emily Fisher Landau, left, who has also been a victim of theft in the past . Now authorities are desperately trying to stop the last wire transfer that was made - which was for an eye-watering $176,000. 'Ms Fisher relies on e-mails all the time. So it's easy for someone to learn lots of things about her if they get access to them' New York Post source . But they don’t yet know if they will be able to get any of the money back. A family spokesman would not comment to the New York Post. Ms Fisher owns two homes in Connecticut and helped produce the Broadway show ‘Equus’, which starred Daniel Radcliffe. Her mother Emily Fisher Landau was a victim of theft in Manhattan in the 1960s - losing diamonds, rubies and other gems worth millions of dollars. Fisher Brothers was founded in 1915 as a New York residential building company and expanded to commercial construction in the 1950s. | Candia Fisher is part of wealthy NYC real estate family .
Hacker 'wired cash to Australia, stealing $548,725'
Authorities not sure if they can get any of money back . |
12ff682a730f3f8085f3ee13d9d38c4ed5392d2c | PUBLISHED: . 19:52 EST, 27 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:52 EST, 27 February 2014 . Lawyers have pledged to stage a second strike to undermine the Government’s legal aid shake-up after Justice Secretary Chris Grayling published a final raft of reforms. Members of the Criminal Bar Association will bring the court system to a halt when they take part in a nationwide walkout next Friday in protest at the cuts. They insist the reductions in fees paid by the taxpayer will stop bright legal brains becoming criminal lawyers. Some junior barristers earn as little as £13,000 a year, their leaders said. Lawyers have pledged to stage a second strike to undermine the Government¿s legal aid shake-up after Justice Secretary Chris Grayling published a final raft of reforms . Lawyers on strike outside the Old Bailey last month were branded the most elite picket line in the history of British industrial relations. Their cause was undermined after one young barrister was pictured clutching a £1,100 Mulberry handbag, though she later claimed it had been a gift from her mother. Legal hackles are up because the Ministry of Justice is slashing £215million from the annual £2.1billion legal aid bill. The cuts target the fees paid to barristers defending criminals. Among the most contentious proposals is a 17 per cent cut in litigators’ fees to be phased in from next month. Yesterday barristers lashed out at the Government for pressing ahead with ‘significant’ legal aid cuts. Nicholas Lavender, chairman of the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, said: ‘We are bitterly disappointed that, despite a sustained campaign emphasising that these proposals are contrary to the public interest, the Government is pressing ahead with significant cuts to legal aid for advocacy in the Crown Court. ‘These cuts are financially unnecessary, will cause significant damage to the justice system and to our international reputation for upholding the rule of law, and will drive skilled and experienced advocates away from publicly-funded criminal work.’ Privileged: Barrister Charlotte Hole (front row, second left) clutches a £1,100 Mulberry bag during January's action. She was among thousands of barristers across the UK to stage a protest against legal aid cuts . Alongside plans to cut legal aid fees, Mr Grayling announced measures aimed at supporting lawyers through the period of transition. They include plans to overhaul fees paid to defence lawyers so they no longer lose out when a case heard in the Crown Court, which could have been heard in the magistrates’ court, is dropped by the prosecution. Mr Grayling also announced plans to bring in interim payments to help with lawyers’ cash flow in long trials. He said: ‘This Government is dealing with an unprecedented financial challenge and I have no choice but to look for the savings I have to make across the full range of the Ministry of Justice’s work. ‘I cannot exempt legal aid from this but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand how challenging these reductions will be.’ Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said: ‘Legal aid is a lifeline to many of the most vulnerable in our society. A civilised society needs a system of legal aid to ensure access to justice for everyone.’ | Members of the Criminal Bar Association will bring court system to halt .
Say fees reduction will stop bright legal brains becoming criminal lawyers .
Ministry of Justice slashing £215mn from annual £2.1bn legal aid bill . |
12ffb33bba8ed9fa1c5ab96150f04058b7739401 | By . Sara Nathan . and Chris White In Los Angeles . Brittany Murphy’s father is demanding that his daughter's body is EXHUMED after he ordered a toxicology report that left him fearing she and her husband had been poisoned to death. Angelo Bertolotti has said he is 'pushing and pushing and pushing' the Los Angeles Coroners office to exhume the bodies of the tragic Clueless actress, who died aged 32 in December 2009, and her husband Simon Monjack, who died just five months later aged 40. A family source told MailOnline today: 'Angelo says that he sent letters to the Coroners office, he says he's sent them the report, but he's heard nothing back'. According to LA law, the next of kin of the deceased can order an exhumation to be carried out privately at their own cost, but the source said: 'Angelo has spent a fortune on the case so far and is waiting for the Coroners office to get involved, but he knows this may have to be done privately if the coroner doesn't give him any satisfactory answers. He's working on getting it done.' Today, Simon Monjack's mother Linda Monjack, who continues to be haunted by her son's death, told MailOnline: 'I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they exhumed Brittany, I've been hearing talk of this for months. Scroll down for video . Exhumed: Angelo Bertolotti,the father of Clueless star Brittany Murphy, is attempting to get the bodies of his daughter and her husband Simon Monjack exhumed . Mrs Monjack would have to give her permission for her son to be exhumed as his next of kin - but makes it clear she is not yet in agreement - as speaking from her UK home she said: 'It's incredibly upsetting. 'It's very difficult to know how you deal with it anymore. Will we ever get any answers about Simon and Brittany? No-one will help me and I just want to find out what happened. 'The toxicology test Angelo did - and it's awful result - has spurred him on to want to do more and I'm not surprised at all that he wants to exhume Brittany.' Mr Bertolotti has teamed up with filmmaker Julia Davis, the wife of his business partner - and both believe that Brittany and Simon were poisoned. They fear Brittany was targeted by . shadowy government agents for offering her support to Miss Davis, a Department of . Homeland Security 'whistleblower'. Last November, a startling report claimed that Brittany did NOT die from natural causes - despite the fact by the Los Angeles Coroner originally attributed her death to pneumonia and anemia. Her husband died in May 2010 at their Hollywood home reputedly from the same causes. The star's father Mr Bertolotti, 87, finally secured the . release of his daughter's hair, blood and tissue samples for testing . after years of litigation and submitted them for independent testing. Investigation: Simon Monjack, the husband of Brittany Murphy, died in eerily similar circumstances to the star, just five months after her death in December 2009. Now, pathologist Dr Cyril Wecht has been brought on board by Brittany's father Angelo Bertolotti . The . Carlson Company then found ten heavy metals in Brittany's system which were . several times higher than World Health Organization high levels at the . time of her death. 'If we were to eliminate the . possibility of a simultaneous accidental heavy metals exposure to the . sample donor then the only logical explanation would be an exposure to . these metals (toxins) administered by a third party perpetrator with . likely criminal intent,' the report stated. Heavy . metals are found in most rodenticides and insecticides meaning the . actress could have been slipped rat poisoning or bug killer. At . the time of her death, Brittany displayed all the symptoms of heavy . metal poisoning including: headaches, dizziness, abdominal cramps, . coughing, sweating, disorientation, wheezing, congestion and pneumonia. Mr Bertolotti told the family source that Julia Davis is 'the one who is following things up for us.' 'We don’t have any concrete information on Brittany and Simon being exhumed, but she’s trying. We have no co-operation at this point from the Coroner’s Office. They say the case is closed, but it’s not closed. They’re liars, they’ve had every report we’ve given them. There’s a cover up somewhere. ‘The Coroners Office refuse to co-operate, why should we go privately? We’re working on getting it done. They have to co-operate with us, period. That’s going to happen. We want to force them to do it, they should do it. There’s a cover up somewhere. Why should I let them get away with this? They’re going to have admit they’re wrong. I’m taking a stand on this and all the things they’re saying are false. 'We’re on top of it, we’ll see where it goes, it’s in their ballpark, but we’re trying, just watch this space,' he claimed. Mr Bertolotti's investigation comes as a final, haunting glimpse of Brittany came in the final film she would ever film was released last month. Haunting: The final glimpse of Brittany Murphy in her last film, Something Wicked, which had limited release last month . Breakdown: Brittany Murphy gets emotional in the trailer for her last ever film Something Wicked . The actress's final performance in Something Wicked had been held back from release since her death. But the movie premiered in Eugene, Oregon, as a tribute to where it was filmed in 2009 and was set to be screened in Porland and Seattle. The star has a major role in the psychological thriller, which tells the story of a young couple trying to get married, but are hampered by gruesome secrets from their past collide and sinister forces in the present. Brittany's mother, Sharon Murphy, has denied her daughter and her husband were poisoned. Having brought up Brittany . single-handedly following her divorce from Mr Bertolotti when their . daughter was just one, she wrote in the Hollywood Reporter last November: . 'I have no choice now but to come forward in the face of inexcusable . efforts to smear my daughter's memory by a man who may be her biological . father but was never a real father to her in her lifetime. 'Angelo . Bertolotti has relocated to California in his old age to claim he is . here for Brittany, as he never was in life. He has made outrageous . statements over the past few years, culminating in this latest madness: . that my darling daughter was murdered.' Sharon . - who now lives in seclusion in Los Angeles - said: 'His claims are . based on the most flimsy of evidence and are more of an insult than an . insight into what really happened.' Linda Monjack (left) said nobody has answered any of her questions about her son's death, and the coroner's officer only did the most basic of tests . Suspicions: . Linda Monjack (right) talked about her suspicions regarding her son's . death after Brittany's father, Angelo Bertolotti (left), publicly said . that he believed the actress' support of Julia Davis, left, in her . border guard whistleblowing case was behind the mysterious and tragic . deaths . Today, a . spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroners Office said: ‘There are . private companies and pathologists out there who do perform the . exhumation. T . 'This can be . close to the death itself or years after the the death. One of the more . popular companies is 1 800 AUTOPSY, a lot of people go to them looking . for a second opinion, if they're looking at medical malpractice or just . want another opinion. 'The . companies have got business contracts to do this - it’s a matter . entirely between them and the family. Once the body leaves this office, . we have no jurisdiction or control over it. It can be cremated, buried, . moved abroad, or they can have a second autopsy.’ When asked about speculation that foul play could have been involved in her son and daughter-in-law's deaths, Mrs Monjack told MailOnline in November: 'It never crossed my mind before, but now it has.' Madness and lies: Sharon Murphy (left) hit . out at ex-husband Angelo Bertolotti for claiming their daughter Brittany . Murphy was poisoned to death last November. She now lives in seclusion in Los Angeles . Campaign: . Mr Bertolotti has told family sources he is 'pushing and pushing and pushing' for his daughter and her husband's bodies to be exhumed. Under law, he can pay for this to be privately done . Following Mr Bertolotti's private tests, Mrs Monjack told MailOnline the couple were 'very, very fearful of so many things.' Speaking in November, she said: 'Simon . did say he was under surveillance. He was detained by the American . government because his passport had run out. He said he was followed and . beaten up and he was detained for nine days,' she said. 'Brittany . got him out eventually, but from then on they felt there was a deep . conspiracy. There is definitely something here that's not right - but . what it is I don't know. 'At . the funeral in Los Angeles, Brittany's mother, Sharon, insisted on . going to the service in an armored car and there were security guards . with guns.' Brittany's mother went to her funeral in an armored car accompanied by security guards with guns, according to Linda Monjack . 'Poison': Filmmaker Julia Davis revealed independent toxicology tests had found that Brittany . had ten times the safe WHO levels of some heavy metals in her body - . chemicals commonly found in rat poison or bug killer . Scene of the crime? Brittany Murphy died at her home in the Hollywood Hills on December 20, 2009. Her husband followed her in death five months later . | Actress' father Angelo Bertolotti, 87, is attempting to get the bodies of his daughter and her husband Simon Monjack exhumed .
Bertolotti is 'pushing, pushing and pushing' the LA Coroners office .
He has claimed Brittany and Simon were killed for supporting Department of Homeland Security whistleblower Julia Davis .
Linda Monjack, Simon's mom, says: 'I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they exhumed Brittany, I've been hearing talk of this for months'
Mrs Monjack admits: 'Will we ever get any answers about Brittany and Simon?
The Clueless actress died on December 20, 2009 and the Los Angeles County Coroner said at the time it was due to pneumonia .
Husband Simon Monjack died five months later in the same house .
A toxicology report ordered by her father found ten heavy metals in the actress' system, meaning she might have ingested rat poison . |
12ffc35e07673bca6785fd09b9bbfb3196a8f31a | Liverpool are ready to revive interest in Swansea pair Ben Davies and Wilfried Bony as their proposed moves to Tottenham stall. Swansea are seemingly preparing for Bony's departure after they made an offer of around £6million for Watford striker Troy Deeney on Wednesday. Tottenham's offer of Gylfi Sigurdsson for Davies and Michel Vorm was rejected but they have considered £20m-rated Bony, as well as Lille's Divock Origi. VIDEO Scroll down to see other Liverpool targets Divock Origi and Lazar Markovic in action . Tussle: Liverpool and Tottenham both want to sign Swansea duo Ben Davies (left) and Wilfried Bony (right) Finisher: Bony is rated at £20million and Spurs or Liverpool will have to stump up the cash for him . Slide: Davies (right) has impressed during his time in South Wales and is now a wanted man . Swapping sides? Tottenham offered Gylfi Sigurdsson (left) for goalkeeper Michel Vorm (right) and Davies . Replacement: Watford's Troy Deeney, who is valued at £6million, has been lined up should Bony leave Swansea . Belgium striker Origi was at Liverpool's Melwood training ground though on Wednesday to hold initial talks over a £10m move. He was pictured arriving at Melwood ahead of talks with the Liverpool hierarchy and manager Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool also expect Benfica's Lazar Markovic to have a medical on Thursday ahead of finalising his £19.8m transfer. Anfield bound? Origi (right) has flew into Liverpool earlier this month to discuss a possible move to the club . Arriving: Origi (pictured with orange sleeves) was taken into Liverpool's Melwood training ground . Not done yet: Although Origi arrived on Merseyside a deal has not yet been finalised . Wanted man: Tottenham are also interested in the striker and could look to scupper the deal . Target: Atletico Madrid have joined the race to sign Liverpool target, Belgium striker Divock Origi . Done deal: Liverpool met the £20million release clause in Lazar Markovic's Benfica contract . Target: Markovic will undergo his medical at Anfield on Thursday ahead of his move . | Bony and Davies have been in talks with Tottenham but deals have stalled .
Swansea are lining up £6million Troy Deeney as Bony's replacement .
Spurs offer of Gylfi Sigurdsson for Davies and Michel Vorm was rejected .
Tottenham retain interested in Bony and Lille's Divock Origi .
Origi was at Liverpool's Melwood training ground on Wednesday .
Benfica's Lazar Markovic expected to have medical at Anfield on Thursday . |
1300b31c1188b6b1f7c686e59e582ad4512107ac | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- People in big cities walk past them every day -- street performers, or buskers. Some are talented, some are not, and most aren't performing for a cause greater than themselves. But on Monday, 12-year-old Abby Miller was. Abby Miller sings for her friend Taylor Love outside Washington's Union Station on Monday. She was performing outside Washington's Union Station to help her 4-year-old friend, Taylor Love, who is suffering from cancer. Abby sat in front of the station with a couple of her friends, singing songs and strumming a guitar. Passers-by seemed to notice the girl's singing talent, stopping to listen in the chilly weather, with a few putting money in a bucket at Abby's feet. Abby said the money will help support Taylor's family. A few more stopped to write messages on "Love Notes," little cards designed to encourage Taylor Love through the tough time. "Her mom reads them to her before she goes to bed at night," Abby said. "Taylor gets excited for them and she loves getting them read to her because she likes knowing that people are supporting her and people are actually thinking of her." Taylor has neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system. According to her Web site, she is in remission, but this type of cancer has a high risk of recurrence. There has been little research on the illness, of which there are about 650 new cases in the United States each year. Mike Gillette, a family friend of both Taylor and Abby, brought the two girls together. While raising money and support for Taylor is important, he said, he thinks Abby's outreach can help bring more critical awareness for the devastating disease. "She really wanted to reach people all over the country," he said. Gillette said he has taken Abby to do similar performances in the District of Columbia, New Jersey and Virginia, and estimates they've raised thousands of dollars and have gotten people to write several hundred "Love Notes." Abby does more than just raise money and awareness for her friend. Taylor's mother, Aimee, said that although Abby is eight years older than Taylor, the two see each other often and have a special connection that helps her get through her daughter's illness. "I think it's amazing for a 12-year-old Abby to be drawn to my daughter, who is 4 and wants to inspire other children," Aimee Love said. "The joy I see in Taylor when she sees Abby brings a light into my life." Taylor's family said her treatments are terribly painful. But Abby said Taylor has enormous character. "She's the most happy girl in the world, which I think is just incredible," Abby said. "She's so much fun to be around. She's a little 4-year-old girl but she's got a heart of like a thousand grown adults." Aimee Love said her daughter feels the same way about Abby. "It gives her someone to aspire to, someone to be inspired by," she said. | Abby Miller sings, plays guitar to help 4-year-old friend with cancer .
Abby collects donations, has people write notes of support for Taylor Love .
Taylor has neuroblastoma, a cancer that affects the nervous system . |
13012604e3203c18df09289dfedd14cde67cf40b | Martin Samuel's attack on the Champions League seeding system . The seeding system for the group stages of the Champions League is set to be changed by UEFA. The top eight seeds in the competition would be the holders, plus the champions of the top-seven ranked UEFA nations. Sportsmail's Chief Sports Writer Martin Samuel attacked the current seeding system, highlighting the absurdity of Arsenal, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, being in Pot 1 while title winners Manchester City are in Pot 2. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Pellegrini talk about the seeding for Champions League . Seeds of doubt: Fernando Hierro draws Manchester City's name from Pot 2 . Skewed: Arsenal, shown by Iker Casillas, were among the Champions League top seeds . Were the new rules in play this season, here's how Pot 1 would have looked: . 1 Spain - Atletico . 2 England - Manchester City . 3 Germany - Bayern Munich . 4 Portugal -Benfica . 5 Italy - Juventus . 6 Russia - CSKA Moscow . 7 France - PSG . 8 Holders - Real Madrid . But Sky Sports News has revealed that talks took place earlier this year and the plans over seeding - which are the same as Samuel outlined in Sportsmail on Friday - were approved by the club competition committee in May. UEFA president Michel Platini hopes the rules would stop domestic champions in the major European leagues being ranked lower than other clubs from their nations. It would also prevent situations like in this season's Group A where the champions of Italy (Juventus), Spain (Atletico Madrid), Holland (Ajax) and Sweden (Malmo) are all in together. The plan needs approval from the UEFA executive committee - whose next meeting is on September 18 - before it can be introduced but it is hoped it would take effect from next season. The system currently works on the co-efficient system, where clubs' previous Champions League performances and the ranking of their domestic league is taken into account. | UEFA set to change the Champions League seeding system .
Top seeds would be holders and winners of Europe's top seven leagues .
It means Manchester City would be in Pot 1 but Arsenal wouldn't .
UEFA executive committee set to approve changes in September . |
1301b3349f124bc5c8a870ccbc0ee538333342e4 | By . Kieran Corcoran . Treatment: Savannah Snodgrass, who is less than a year old, has a deadly tumour in the left temporal lobe of her brain . An insurance company pulled its funding for an eight-month old baby with cancer at the last minute, denying her treatment at a specialist hospital. Savannah Snodgrass, the daughter of an Army major who served in Iraq, was born with a deadly brain tumour, which was discovered by doctors in May. Since her condition was found, Savannah has been treated at the Texas Children's Hospital, and was scheduled for a complicated brain procedure. But Superior HealthPlan, which provides cover to mother Tessa Snodgrass and her family, then decided not to cover the surgery because the hospital was outside of its 'network'. They instead referred her to another facility in Austin, Texas. While Texas Children's hospital has a 90 per cent survival rate for the operation Savannah will undergo, her mother claims that the new facility's rate is just 47 per cent. Ms Snodgrass, a 38-year-old retired soldier, said she was 'shocked' at the change. She told FoxNews.com: 'I was absolutely stunned because they had been sending us to Texas Children's all this time.' 'It's rare for a tumor to be found in a child this young, it so clearly called for a neurosurgeon specialized in operating on babies - not just any surgeon. 'Would you accept less than a 50-50 survival rate when you can have almost 100 per cent?' Savannah's struggle started in March, when she started suffering seizures, at one point being hit by 15 in the space of a single day. The baby, then just four months old, was taken to specialists who identified the tumour in the left temporal lobe of her brain, which is responsible for speech, vision and other types of perception. Specialists at Texas Children's hospital then produced a plan for beating the cancer, scheduling several procedures for which, Ms Snodgrass claims, her insurers happily paid. The switch came last month when Ms Snodgrass was sent a letter which said Texas Children's was not part of her plan, and suggested a new provider. Dispute: She has been treated in a specialist hospital for months, but insurers Superior HealthPlan suddenly withdrew their support and tired to send her somewhere with a worse track record . Now Superior HealthPlan has insisted that the new provider will be just as good - despite the concerns of Ms Snodgrass. A statement from the company said: 'Paramount to Superior HealthPlan is helping our members achieve positive health outcomes. 'We are sensitive to the complex and timely concerns of this family and are actively working with them to ensure their daughter receives the highest quality of care... we are confident that our in-network providers have the expertise and resources to give each member the individual care they need.' | Savannah Snodgrass was diagnosed with cancer aged four months .
Had been given treatment at specialist Texas Children's Hospital .
Mother Tessa, 38, Army major who served in Iraq, is covered by health plan .
Surgery to remove part of the affected area was planned - then pulled .
Superior HealthPlan switched operation to new location within its 'network'
But Ms Snodgrass claims survival rate at new hospital is much lower .
Said she was 'stunned' at decision to move daughter away from experts . |
1301b38f1274b7dca3d9bf2a2232aa4f405f2be8 | By . Tom Mctague, Mail Online Deputy Political Editor . Axing thousands of soldiers may have put the country at 'significant risk', the Government's spending watchdog has revealed in a blistering report published today. The National Audit Office said the decision to cut the army's regular forces from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2018, while ramping up the number of reservists, was taken without testing whether it could work. It also revealed the plan was running up to six years behind schedule - leaving the army dangerously short of soldiers. The report said the cuts may 'significantly affect the Army's ability to achieve its objectives'. David Cameron defended the Government's army cuts at Prime Minister's Questions today. The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond (second right) said the strength of the army reserve was growing for the first time in nearly 20 years . The former head of the Army Lord Dannatt said even if the goal of increasing reservist numbers is met by 2018, there will be at least three years before then when the Army is under strength. He warned that this could leave the country at risk. He said: 'If it stays relatively quiet and we are not committed anywhere then the risk will not materialise, but if something happens, the strategic shocks happen, and we are terribly bad about spotting them, then we could be embarrassed and we could be in some difficulty.' Audit office chief Amyas Morse added: 'Army 2020 requires an overall reduction in the size of the Army and a fundamental change to its composition, with a significant reduction in the number of regulars and a substantial increase in the number of trained reserves. 'Military judgment played an important role in decisions but committing to moving towards an Army structure with fewer regular soldiers and an increased number of reserves within the planned timescale should have been subject to more rigorous testing of feasibility. 'The Department and Army must get a better understanding of significant risks to Army 2020.' Ministers said the overhaul of the army was needed to save cash - helping the Ministry of Defence save £10.6billion over 10 years. But the National Audit Office said it could actually end up costing taxpayers more. Audit office chief Amyas Morse said: 'The planned timescale should have been subject to more rigorous testing of feasibility.' He added that the risk of a shortfall in the recruitment of new reserves could 'up the pressure on regular units'. Labour's Public Accounts Committee chair Margaret Hodge said she was 'astounded' that despite the military cuts the cost of army to the taxpayer may actually go up . Margaret Hodge, chairwoman of the Commons public accounts committee, added: 'The Ministry of Defence focused heavily on cutting costs rather than on recruiting, training and integrating a substantially increased number of reserves, something the Army is already failing to do.' She added: 'Even after all this, I am astounded to find that reducing the size of the Army will not alone deliver the financial savings required for the MoD budget. 'Unbelievably, it may even mean increased costs to the Treasury if the reservists are deployed.' The Army 2020 re-structuring programme forms part of the package of defence cuts originally set out in the Coalition's 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. It will see the regular Army reduced to its lowest level since the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker said the restructuring plans were 'in danger of collapse'. He said: 'This devastating report points to a litany of errors and serious failings at the Ministry of Defence under David Cameron. 'Defence ministers were warned that these plans would not work unless they were properly tested and monitored. 'They were told that front-loading cuts to the Army and back-ending recruitment to the reserves would leave the Armed Forces under strength. They didn't listen and now they're in a complete mess.' Chief of the General Staff General Sir Peter Wall (left) defended the 'Army 2020' plan to overhaul the service. He said the plan 'will endure' the test of time . General Sir Peter Wall, Chief of the General Staff, said: 'The NAO report fails to capture the nature of the austerity we faced at the time these decisions were made. 'The Army has designed a novel and imaginative structure which best meets the challenges we are likely to face within the resources made available. 'Thankfully, most of the structural change for our new model, which we call Army 2020, is now behind us. 'We are recruiting regular and reserve soldiers for this new Army avidly. I am confident that, having made such significant changes, the Army 2020 model will endure.' Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said: 'The MoD has always been clear that the numbers in the Reserves would fall before they increased, but we have now seen the trained strength of the Reserves climb for the first time in nearly 20 years.' Asked about the issue at Prime Minister's Questions, David Cameron said the Government inherited a reserve that had been 'under-resourced and undervalued for years'. 'We now have a five-year programme for building them up. 'That programme is under way, it is gathering pace. What we are going to see is the strongest possible professional Army with all of the best equipment they could have, and a very strong reserve force backing up, making sure we can meet all of the obligations we set out in the Strategic Defence Review.' | Spending watchdog says army cuts pushed through without proper checks .
Former Army chief Lord Dannatt warns UK 'could be embarrassed' in crisis .
Government wants to slash size of Army by 20,000 by 2018 . |
1302ae6543d43138afa9128bb19f354980b79380 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:58 EST, 20 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:25 EST, 21 April 2013 . An illegal gypsy camp has finally been removed after an epic three-year battle with villagers. But in a final show of defiance, the travellers started fires and torched a caravan before they left. It comes after a High Court judge threw out an application for the infamous 'Meriden Gypsies' to stay on the site on Eaves Green Lane in Meriden, Warwickshire, last month. The field on Eaves Green Lane is cleared by a gypsy following a High Court judge order last month . Local residents have staged a three-year campaign to remove the illegal gypsy camp from the site, pictured . The gypsies set a caravan on fire, pictured, in a final show of defiance as they prepared to leave the site . Up to 200 local residents, many in their 70s, have kept a round-the-clock human barricade on the green belt land since the travellers arrived in May 2010 to the camp. The campaign group, known as Residents Against Inappropriate Development, maintained the vigil in all weather conditions to prevent more travellers from gaining access. The protest lasted a whopping 1,086 days. Head of RAID David McGrath said that they were 'relieved' the gypsies had finally left - but that the battle was still far from over. He explained: 'I think there is a great sense of relief that they are leaving. But that is just the end of this part of the campaign. Up to 200 local residents have kept a human barricade at the site since the travellers, pictured, arrived . A traveller sits at the door of the last caravan left at the camp; the protest with villagers lasted 1,086 days . 'They still need to return the camp to the way it was the day before they moved in, exactly the way it was. 'That means not just leaving but removing all the sewerage and water pipes under the ground that they installed and reseeding the ground. 'We will keep up with targeted protests until that is done. There has already been a for sale sign put up on the land. 'We won't pay a kings ransom for the land. The long legal battle has proven it is not for residential purposes, it is an agricultural field. 'There was only one caravan actually left habitable, we saw them burning another one only a couple of nights ago. 'But now we need to make sure they don't just bulldoze everything, they must return it to exactly how it was before they came. 'We have stayed until they have, but we know that the council have taken legal action against both sides - so we won't be off the site until Monday. 'We will be holding a minute's silence to remember all those campaigners who have sat by the brazier, who have attended the protest meetings and gave evidence at the public inquiry but who have passed away and never saw the fruits of their labours and inspirational contribution. 'Their legacy goes beyond the battle of Eaves Green Lane.' The fire brigade and police were called to the camp, pictured, after the gypsies caused disruption . The field on Eaves Green Lane, pictured, is almost empty except for one occupied caravan as the gypsies leave . The local campaign group, known as Residents Against Inappropriate Development, kept a vigil in all weather conditions to prevent more travellers from gaining access to the field . The judge has given the travellers a further month to restore the site, pictured, to its former green belt state . The camp was set up after the travellers bought the land from a local businessman for £100,000 and moved in over a bank holiday weekend. But angry residents wanted to preserve the green belt which separates the village from Coventry and Solihull. They formed a human barricade to prevent a convoy of lorries from delivering 1,800 tons of rubble to the site later that evening fearing it would ruin their tranquility. Ever since then, local residents have worked on a rota basis, with shifts lasting anything from an hour to overnight. The judge gave the gypsies until April 21 to move and a further month to restore the site to its former green belt state. The departure of the gypsies is a victory for local residents, pictured, who campaigned tirelessly . Landowner Noah Burton, 48, a spokesman for the travellers said that there were 'no winners'. He said: 'We have been left homeless and the residents have been left with the stigma of the gypsy site having been there. 'The head of RAID's house is still barely worth £5,000 even when we have gone, the history of us being there is all over the place. 'This was never about green belt land, it was only about not wanting gypsies on their doorsteps, they told me that many times. 'Now the people who lived on the site have had to leave their jobs, the only reason there is still a family there is because she had to work her notice. 'She has made herself redundant from her job because we have to leave and she won't be able to go. 'I can't tell you where the families have gone because many of them are forced to stop at the roadside now and the police have moved them on a few times already. 'We will still be around, you just won't be able to see us any more on the land. 'The council could have helped us, found a new site and moved us in straight away. Then everyone would have been happy. 'Once the last families have moved out, the work will begin to return the land to its former state.' Spring 2009: Noah Burton buys land off Eaves Green Lane, Meriden. April 2010: Gipsies move on to the land and apply for planning permission. May 2010: Solihull Council applies for, and wins, injunction to prevent travellers building until planning application has been considered. July 2010: Solihull Council planning committee vote unanimously to refuse planning permission. August 2010: Gipsies lodge an appeal against planning permission refusal. March 2011: Public inquiry starts. June 2011 - Planning permission for residents' camp refused. 28 days granted for appeal. July 2011 - Public enquiry concludes. October 2011 - Secretary of State dismisses appeal - gypsy planning application refused. November 2011 - Appeal by RAID against refusal of planning permission for protest camp dismissed by planning Inspector. Feb 2012 - Planning Committee authorise council chief executive to issue enforcement notice against protest camp. March 2013 - Gypsies lose appeal to Birmingham High Court but are given an extra four weeks to move due to inclement weather and told they must vacate plot by April 21. April 2013 - Last gypsy caravan leaves the site. | Travellers have left the site at Meriden, Warwickshire, following judge's order .
They have another month to restore the field to its former green belt state .
Villagers have maintained a protest on Eaves Green Lane since May 2010 . |
13039db462e26def02164fbc590ab59524966316 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:57 EST, 7 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:58 EST, 7 October 2012 . Home Secretary Theresa May revealed free movement between EU member states is under review . Border controls could be introduced to block European immigrants flocking to Britain, Theresa May revealed today. The Home Secretary unveiled the dramatic proposal which will be seen as a direct challenge to one of the central principles of the European Union. The freedom of movement directive, which allows 500million people to move freely between member states, is under now review as part of a study into Britain’s relationship with Brussels. Europe is likely to dominate much of the Tory party conference in Birmingham this week, with David Cameron vowing to block any ‘outrageous’ increases in the EU budget from 2014. Ms May expressed concern at an expanding EU and work restrictions on migrants from Romania and Bulgaria being lifted from next year. William Hague, the foreign secretary, is carrying out a strategic review of the UK’s relationship with the EU which Eurosceptics hope will lead to the renegotiation and repatriation of significant powers. Ms May revealed it would look at immigration controls. ‘We are looking at this whole area of the abuse of the freedom of movement. But we will go further on this, and the issue of free movement will be part of the review,’ she told the Sunday Times. ‘It will be looking at where the decision-making powers are between the EU and the UK, how they are operating and what the impact of those are. ‘That will then enable us to have a good evidence base on which to look at these issues. ‘I was very clear that we wanted to make sure the free movement of persons was in that because I think it is an important issue that we need to look at.’ Visas could be introduced for migrants from some countries while others will be able to come to Britain freely. However, it would mark a major challenge to the free movement of people which is one of the four ‘fundamental freedoms’ enshrined in the EU’s founding treaty in 1957. | Home Secretary Theresa May says a review of Britain's relationship with Europe will examine free movement between member states .
Europe could dominate Conservative conference, with David Cameron promising to block EU budget rises . |
1303b743cd57f6da6ddc91744439916a31129065 | By . Freya Noble for Daily Mail Australia . Arie Eddy, 18, has been struggling to find a job for almost three years and only managed to secure one job interview during that time . As youth unemployment continues to rise across Australia, more and more young people are struggling to find work. In Victoria the number of individuals under the age of 24 without work has hit a 15-year high, while in Queensland unemployment is also on the rise according to the ABS. Arie Eddy, from Warrnambool on the south-west coast of Victoria - about 260 kilometres from Melbourne, has been searching unsuccessfully for work for almost three years. 'It constantly makes me feel worthless. It makes me feel like I don't have any purpose and every day is hard to get through. I feel like I have no need to be around if I haven't got a job,' Arie told The Age. After leaving school in Hamilton at 16 to move south in search of a new life, the 18-year-old joined the military. However four months in he was forced out because he suffers from severe asthma. Victorian Council of Social Service chief executive Emma King told the publication the situation is also dire for graduates. 'They are continually told they don't have enough experience. We have a very competitive job market, they have done all the right things in terms of education,' she said. Over the past few years Arie estimated he'd applied for more than 780 jobs, but only secured one interview and remains unemployed. Youth unemployment rates are on the rise in many states, with the worst hit being Tasmania, followed by QLD . As a requirement of his youth allowance from Centrelink Arie must apply for 20 jobs each fornight, but so far it has been to no avail for the young Victorian. The Age report he receives $545 per fortnight from the government, but that is barely enough to survive once rent, bills, food, petrol amd asthma and depression medication are all taken care of. Arie said at least 30 of his friends are also struggling to find work, and his family in Hamilton are suffering financially too. While on youth allowance the government requires its recipients to apply for at least 20 jobs each fortnight . Now, after the hospitality course he was taking part in at TAFE was scrapped when funding was cut, he is considering following in his family's footsteps and getting into security. Arie's grandmother and aunts work in the industry and in six months time he will begin studying a Certificate II in security thanks to a course his employment agency has organised. With 95 percent of the cost taken care of, Arie is positive about the experience and hopes it will help turn his luck around and finally secure him a job. Despite Victoria's youth unemployment rates being at their highest in more than a decade, Tasmania is classified as the worst state for young people to find jobs. Queensland follows not too far behind. | Arie Eddy, from Victoria, has been unemployed since he was 16 .
He has applied for more than 780 jobs but only secured one interview .
The 18-year-old struggles to get by on Centrelink's youth allowance . |
13045d5d2b4a8f2c595977657f0a6edc20a7fb83 | Defensive lineman Montori Hughes has taken extended leave from the Indianapolis Colts after the sudden death of his three-month-old daughter. Coach Chuck Pagano revealed at a media conference on Thursday that Maveah Alice Hughes, Hughes' daughter with girlfriend Leigh Burton, died suddenly last week following an illness. He explained that Hughes had brought Maveah to training camp at Anderson University earlier this month and the infant 'was perfectly fine'. Tragic: Montori Hughes, a defensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts (pictured in May), has taken extended leave following the sudden death of his three-month-old daughter last week, his coach revealed . But she became ill and passed away last week, he explained, Fox59 reported. 'I can't imagine,' he said. 'No parent should have to bury a child. We all go through circumstances. This is an extremely, extremely difficult time for Montori and his family.' Just weeks ago, proud dad Montori was pictured carrying Maveah as he introduced her to Colts owner Jim Irsay and quarterback Andrew Luck during training practice. The team released no further details about the cause of the little girl's death. Heartbreaking: Three-month-old Maveah passed away last week after suffering from a short illness . Loved: Relatives paid tribute to her on Facebook just weeks after she appeared healthy at a Colts' practice . On Facebook, Montori's relatives from back home in Tennessee shared beautiful pictures of the little girl, while friends passed on their prayers to Hughes. Pagano added: 'We've got his back and wevll get through this thing as a family like we get through anything. I just ask you guys, like along with us, just to keep Montori and his family in your thoughts and prayers.' The football player, a 2013 fifth-round draft pick, appeared in four games as a rookie and finished with seven tackles. | Maveah Alice Hughes, the daughter of the football player and his girlfriend Leigh Burton, passed away last week after an illness .
Hughes, 23, has taken extended leave following the tragedy .
Just weeks ago, he brought the little girl to meet players at practice and she was 'perfectly fine', Coach Chuck Pagano said . |
1305048095fc338061e24c0fe1de38078b657421 | Business magnate Donald Trump has suggested he may be about to throw a lifeline to the bankrupt Atlantic City casino that shut its doors early this morning. Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino became the fourth casino to go belly-up in the city this year when its last few gamblers left the blackjack table at 6am. But Mr Trump hinted that this may not be the end of the line for the resort. The real estate mogul took to social media to say he is considering buying back into both Trump Plaza and the beleaguered Trump Taj Mahal. Scroll down for video . Mr Trump hinted that this may not be the end of the line for Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino . Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino became the fourth casino to go belly-up in the city this year when its last few gamblers left the blackjack table at 6am this morning . He tweeted: 'I left Atlantic City years ago, good timing. Now I may buy back in, at much lower price, to save Plaza & Taj. They were run badly by funds!' The businessman opened Trump Plaza in 1984, when he described it as the finest building in Atlantic City - and possibly the nation. But he cut ties several years ago, and last month filed a lawsuit to get his name taken off of it. Despite its prime location at the heart of the Boardwalk, gamblers have been abandoning Trump Plaza - which has seen better days - for newer, ritzier casinos for years. Its owners, Trump Entertainment Resorts, allowed the casino to deteriorate, particularly after a sale for the bargain-basement price of $20 million to a California firm fell through last year. Business magnate Donald Trump has hinted that he might be planning to save Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino . Mr Trump cut ties with the casino several years ago and last month filed a lawsuit to get his name taken off of it . A lightly populated gambling floor of the Trump Plaza before it became the fourth casino to close in Atlantic City . The parent company has threatened to shutter the Trump Taj Mahal Casino resort in November, which has also been on a steady decline in recent years. Showing some nostalgia for the old days, Mr Trump tweeted: 'It is so sad to see what has happened to Atlantic City. So many bad decisions by the pols over the years - airport, convention center, etc.' He added: 'Does anybody notice that Atlantic City lost its magic after I left years ago. I had the big boxing, introduced UFC (ask Dana),the best shows.' Jim Redmond, 60, from Montreal adores Atlantic City and regularly stayed at Trump Plaza. He noted that the hotel and casino's decline was steady over the last seven years. 'It did slip every year,' he said. 'This year they had no bedspreads and they totally gave up on the ice machines. Burned-out: What remains of the lights in the illuminated facade of Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino . 'This year the Plaza bar was closed and the 24 hour cafe closed at 2 p.m. The higher-end restaurants were closed. 'It was so sad to see it get a little worse every year. They really seemed to give up about five years ago.' Atlantic City began the year with 12 casinos. It now has eight. Dealer Ruth Hardrick worked at Trump Plaza for 26 of its 30 years, but is now without a job. She is one of the roughly 8,000 Atlantic City casino workers have lost their jobs this year, and another 3,000 could join them if Trump Taj Mahal also goes under. 'What's the next step? Where do we go from here?' she asked. 'It's happening all over. A lot of us are in the same boat. You think something will come along (to save the casino). And it didn't.' Illuminated letters of the casino's name on the building's front and back facades burned out and were never replaced. Visitors to the Miss America pageant last week at Boardwalk Hall next door saw a neon sign proclaiming 'Trump Plaz Hotel & Cas.' On the Boardwalk side, the sign read, 'U Laza.' Many restaurants on the first and third floors have been shut down for months. Along an escalator leading to them, fake plastic plants were either missing or stolen from row after row of trays. A self-serve kiosk to redeem player's club points near the parking garage was disconnected and covered in dust. So far this year, Trump Plaza has taken in just $36.8 million from gamblers. The figure is down 31.5 per cent from the same period last year, and about the same amount as the Borgata casino wins during an average two-week period. Trump Plaza is a mere shadow of the casino Mr Trump remembers from Atlantic city's heyday . Trump Entertainment Resorts, allowed the casino to deteriorate, particularly after a sale for the bargain-basement price of $20 million to a California firm fell through last year . Things have changed since Mr Trump opened the casino in the summer of 1984. At the time he described it as the finest building in Atlantic City - and possibly the nation . Despite its prime location at the heart of the Boardwalk, gamblers have been abandoning Trump Plaza - which has seen many better days - for newer, ritzier casinos for years . | Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino is fourth casino to shut in the city this year .
Businessman tweeted that he might buy back in - at a much lower price .
Claimed casino was a victim of bad decisions since he cut ties . |
130570572fdd9a324eb065ec804c3d2ef24a9eda | By . Jessica Jerreat . PUBLISHED: . 09:30 EST, 22 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:08 EST, 22 June 2013 . From visiting the Oklahoma towns devastated by tornadoes to a Mother's Day tea with Prince Harry, the President and First Lady have had another busy month. Photos of the White House engagements for May have just been released, showing Barack and Michelle Obama as they work on campaigns close to their heart. Towards the end of May, the First Lady was joined by students as she worked in her kitchen garden. Dig in: First Lady Michelle Obama and children who helped plant her kitchen garden, return to harvest the food . On the boardwalk: President Obama joins New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his family at Point Pleasant boardwalk as the attraction opens after Super Storm Sandy . New Jersey children who had helped plant the garden in April returned to the White House to pick the fresh vegetables, which were then served as topping on a healthy pizza. The President also spent time with the communities in New Jersey who were affected by Super Storm Sandy in November. After months of hard work, the boardwalks, beaches and businesses ruined by the storm are ready to start welcoming summer visitors. 'You are stronger than the storm. After . all you’ve dealt with, after all you’ve been through, the Jersey Shore . is back and it is open for business,' the President said. Aerial view: From Air Force One the President looks over the trail of destruction caused by tornadoes in Oklahoma . Words of comfort: President Obama hugs Amy Simpson, the principal of Plaza Towers Elementary School reduced to rubble in Moore . Fist bump: As the President arrives in Atlanta, Georgia for the Morehouse College commencement ceremony he greets children at the airport . 'If anybody wondered whether the Shore could ever be all right again, you got your answer this weekend.' The President also visited families struggling to cope after a series of devastating tornandoes hit the Oklahoma town of Moore, killing 24 people, including several children. He visited the site of the Plaza Towers Elementary School, where students trying to shelter from the storm died, and comforted residents. As schools across the nation started to hold their graduations, the President and his wife visited schools to speak to students about the importance of education. Lesson plan: President Obama visits kindergarten children at their school in Baltimore, Maryland . Class act: Michelle Obama with students from Savoy Elementary School in Washington DC, which is one of eight schools in the president's art initiative . Celebration: The First Lady and Dr Jill Biden, right, are joined by Prince Harry for a Mother's Day tea at the White House . Honor: President Obama with Thelma Maxine Pippen McNair, the mother of one of four girls killed in the 1963 Alabama bombing . The First Lady was also joined by Dr Jill Biden and Prince Harry at the White Hose for a Mother's Day tea to honor military mothers and the sacrifices their families make. As children attending the event made gifts for their mothers in the State Dining Room, they were joined by Prince Harry, who has served in Afghanistan in the British Army. | President at opening of New Jersey boardwalk after Super Storm Sandy .
First Couple visit schools and colleges for education campaign . |
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