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13d426ec6ff22441595bdf4c8f5a72607d76d1b4 | Detectives working to find missing Madeleine McCann have given their counterparts in Portugal a new list of potential suspects and have urged them to investigate them . More than 20 new suspects in the Madeleine McCann investigation have been identified by British police. A Scotland Yard review of the bungled Portuguese inquiry into the three-year-old’s disappearance in 2007 has uncovered dozens of fresh leads, it emerged yesterday. They include ‘forensic opportunities’ and several ‘people of interest’, including Britons, who have not been eliminated from the case. Madeleine’s parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, are said to be ‘greatly encouraged’ by the developments. But the Mail has learned that behind the scenes, a major diplomatic row is brewing because the Portuguese authorities are adamant they will not reopen the inquiry. Officials in Lisbon have told their British counterparts that under Portuguese laws, they can reopen the case only if there is new evidence. But Yard chiefs – who want the Portuguese to agree to a joint investigation – say their new leads could, if properly explored, result in new evidence and possibly the Maddie mystery being solved. One well-placed source described the deadlock as ‘a Mexican stand-off’. ‘It’s a chicken-and-egg situation. Significant new evidence can be found if the leads uncovered by the Yard are investigated. There are two major obstacles to a joint investigation: the money to fund it in Portugal and the loss of face they would suffer from having to agree to such an inquiry.’ It is understood high-level discussions have taken place in the UK about the possibility of Scotland Yard launching its own investigation. British police do not have jurisdiction in Portugal, but they have the right to investigate and prosecute any British suspects linked to Madeleine’s disappearance. Still hopeful: Mrs McCann returned to Portugal this month with her mother, Susan Healy, six years on . This picture shows Kate and Gerry McCann marking the fifth anniversary of their daughter's disappearance with an 'aged' photo of how she might look - on the sixth anniversary this year they said they'd not given up . Should the Met decide to launch its own investigation, it is likely to send a formal letter of request to the Portuguese authorities – seeking its assistance in its inquiries. Last night a Yard spokesman confirmed a high-level delegation of officers travelled to Portugal in March, but he refused to comment on what discussions took place. The senior detective who has overseen the Met’s two-year review of the case yesterday confirmed his officers had drawn up a list of people who they say are ‘of interest’. Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell, the head of Scotland Yard’s Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said there were a ‘good number’ of individuals who should be questioned. He would not disclose the precise number but sources told the Mail that at least 20 potential suspects – including a number of Britons who were in the Algarve at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance six years ago – had not been properly eliminated. Mr Campbell urged the Portuguese authorities to investigate the new leads. He said: ‘There are a lot of people of interest. There are people who could be properly explored further, if only to be eliminated.’ Madeleine went missing from her family’s holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in 2007 as her parents dined with friends nearby. The shambolic Portuguese inquiry was shelved in 2008 but Scotland Yard launched a Home Office-funded review of the case in 2011 following the intervention of David Cameron. Last year the officer in day-to-day charge of the review, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, said his team had identified 195 potential leads after examining a huge bundle of material. Mr Campbell said it was ‘perfectly probable’ that information which could identify the suspect responsible for Madeleine’s disappearance was already in the Portuguese files. He reiterated a claim that Madeleine could still be alive. He said: ‘You only have to look at the case in Cleveland, Ohio, and the European cases. Of course there is a possibility she is alive. ‘But the key is to investigate the case and, alive or dead, we should be able to try and discern what happened.’ The McCanns, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have been kept closely informed of Scotland Yard’s review – codenamed Operation Grange – over the past two years. A spokesman for the couple said: ‘They have been encouraged from the moment the review started and are now greatly encouraged that police have drawn up a short list of people who they believe are of interest to the inquiry.’ A source close to the couple said: ‘While they don’t want to raise their hopes too much, they are buoyed up by these revelations.’ A Home Office source said: ‘Clearly not all the 20 potential suspects identified by the Met could be responsible for Madeleine’s disappearance. But the Yard are adamant that if they were running the inquiry here, these people would have been properly eliminated.’ The Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz in the Algarve from where Madeleine McCann was abducted in May 2007 . Madeleine McCann as she looked when she went missing, left, and how she would look now, right . DCS Campbell, who retired today as head of the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command, urged Portuguese police to act on the new list of potential suspects in the Madeleine McCann case . | Met police have named 'a good number' of potential suspects to speak to .
DCS Hamish Campbell says his officers have done 'fantastic' case review .
He urged his Portuguese counterparts to investigate their fresh leads .
Kate and Gerry McCann are 'very, very pleased' about the new list of names .
Madeleine went missing in May 2007 during a family holiday in Praia da Luz . |
13d49930f334e45637a501b42df9becb3ab553c7 | Leading liberal Senator Bernie Sanders has admitted he is considering running for U.S. president in 2016 in a move that could complicate Hilary Clinton's long-expected run at the White House. Mr Sanders, an independent from Vermont, could pose a challenge from the left to Clinton - widely seen as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, despite not yet declaring her candidacy. Speaking to NBC's 'Meet the Press' show on Sunday, Mr Sanders said he will be using the key battleground state of Iowa to help him test whether there is an appetite for a liberal but independent candidate. If running as a Democrat gave him a better chance of success however, he would challenge Mrs Clinton. Scroll down for video . Liberal Senator Bernie Sanders (right) has confirmed he is considering running for U.S. president in 2016 in a move that could complicate Hilary Clinton's (left) long-expected run at the White House. Mr Sanders, 73, is currently serving his second six-year term in the Senate. He has cultivated a following among some American liberals, . especially on economic issues like the growing income disparity . between rich and poor and corporate greed. He is a . self-described socialist who caucuses with Democrats in the . Senate. 'I am thinking about running for president,' Mr Sanders said. 'I think anybody who speaks to the needs of the working class and the middle class of this country and shows the courage to take on the billionaire class, I think that candidate will do pretty well,' he added. Socialist: Bernie Sanders has cultivated a following among some American liberals - especially on economic issues like the growing income disparity between rich and poor and corporate greed . Mr Sanders denied he was considering standing in order to hamper Mrs Clinton's campaign, saying he has 'a lot of respect' for her, adding 'the issue is not Hillary.' Mr Sanders is testing the waters in Iowa, a state that holds an . important early contest in the nomination process. 'One of the reasons I'm going to Iowa is to get a sense of . how people feel about it,' he said of his candidacy. 'Look, the . truth is [there is] profound anger at both political parties, . more and more people are becoming independent. The negative is: . how do you set up a 50-state infrastructure as an independent?' Relaxed: Hillary Clinton (pictured alongside her husband former U.S. President Bill Clinton) is widely seen as the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, despite not yet formally declaring her candidacy . With Mrs Clinton mindful of the need to appeal to moderates in . any general election battle against a Republican in 2016, a . Sanders candidacy could force her to the left in the Democratic . primaries to head off his challenge. Conversely, if he runs in the general election as an . independent, he could siphon away from her votes from liberals . that she could need to beat any Republican nominee. American liberals have expressed disappointment with . President Barack Obama on a range of issues, most recently on . his decision to postpone any executive action on immigration. This comes even as Republican leaders in the House of Representatives block . action on a bipartisan Senate-passed plan. Mr Sanders said that he has 'a lot of disagreements' with . Obama, adding: 'I think he has not tapped the anger and the . frustration that the American people feel on many, many issues.' Bernie Sanders, 73, is the longest serving independent in U.S. Congressional history, having been elected to Vermont's at-large congressional district in 1990. Born into a family of Polish Jewish immigrants in New York in 1941, he was involved in student activism before entering politics with the anti-Vietnam War Liberty Union Party in Vermont. In 1981, at the suggestion of his friend Richard Sugarman, a professor of religion at the University of Vermont, Sanders ran for Mayor of Burlington and defeated six-term Democratic incumbent Gordon Paquette by 14 votes in a four-way contest. Sanders won three more terms, defeating both Democratic and Republican candidates. In his final run for Mayor in 1987, Sanders defeated a candidate endorsed by both major parties. Veteran: 73-year-old Bernie Sanders is the longest serving independent in U.S. Congressional history, having been elected to Vermont's at-large congressional district in 1990 . He temporarily retired from politics in 1989, teaching political science at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government in 1989 while making an unsuccessful run at Vermont's at-large congressional district. Sanders was elected at his second attempt, defeating Republican incumbent Lieutenant Governor Peter Smith to become the first independent in Congress for 40 years. In 1991, Sanders co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and chaired the grouping of mostly liberal Democrats. He continues to caucus with the Democratic Party and is counted as a Democrat for purposes of committee assignments. During his time in Congress, Sanders built a reputation for progressive Liberalism proposing a number of radical socialist policies, voting against the use of force in both Iraq wars, and becoming an outspoken critic of the administration of George W Bush in the 2000s. Republicans have attacked Sanders as 'an ineffective extremist' for successfully sponsoring only one law and 15 amendments in his eight terms in the House. Sanders responded by saying that he had passed 'the most floor amendments of any member of the House since 1996'. In 2006 Sanders was elected to the U.S. Senate in the most expensive political campaign in Vermont's history. He was reelected in 2012 with 71 per cent of the vote. Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist, and has repeatedly praised Scandinavian-style social democracy. | Sanders could pose a challenge from the left to Clinton's White House run .
Liberal Senator currently stands as an independent in the state of Vermont .
But says he is considering whether to compete for Democratic nomination .
Sanders plans to travel to key battleground state of Iowa in the coming weeks to test appetite for a liberal but independent presidential candidate .
Says plan to run is not attack on Clinton, for whom he 'has a lot of respect' |
13d4a6af802e1a34d6cc68de16306f681c69799d | By . Leon Watson . It's the news they've been waiting for... Next time you hear a child complaining that their science and maths homework is a waste of time, they might have a point. That's the conclusion of research carried on schoolchildren to find out what difference extra study at home makes. Waste of time? A study by the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, found more homework assignments didn't translate into better grades . It found homework doesn't necessarily help children to get better grades, but may help them get better standardised test scores. Researchers from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, U.S., looked at transcripts and data for more than 18,000 tenth grade students nationwide. Their findings show more homework assignments didn't translate into better grades. Co-author Robert Tai, associate professor of science education at the university's Curry School of Education, said: 'The more time students spend on homework, it's not clear that they are getting better grades or better test scores. 'What we are concerned with is that homework is just being assigned rather than being used to integrate what's going on in the classroom.' The study isn't suggesting all homework is bad, especially when it comes to maths. The study looked at transcripts and data for more than 18,000 tenth grade students nationwide . 'When it comes to math, what we found is that there is a bit of a sweet spot,' Prof Tai said. 'Students that were spending about a half an hour on math homework were reporting that their grades and test scores were actually better.' Prof Tai says the study is a wake up call for educators. 'Teachers need to be much more clear about why they are assigning homework and what the homework is for,' he said. 'If teachers aren't really incorporating homework into their teaching, it's unclear there is any type of benefit at all and it actually may end up hurting students.' The study points to factors like class participation and attendance as better indicators of students performance. In conclusion, the authors suggest more research be done on the form and function of homework assignments. 'In today's current educational environment, with all the activities taking up children's time both in school and out of school, the purpose of each homework assignment must be clear and targeted,' Prof Tai said. 'With homework, more is not better.' | University of .
Virginia looked at data for tenth grade students across U.S.
Findings show homework assignments didn't translate into better grades .
Authors suggest more research on form and function of assignments . |
13d4f8beab379a5de3c7f4371fc6097a6a90738c | The rivalry between TV channels Sky Sports and BT Sport looks set to hot up after details of the £5bn split of Premier League rights were revealed. Sky seemed to get the better of the deal, securing five out of seven packages, including a new Friday night slot. But with BT Sport securing rights for the Champions League and the Europa League from next season, Sky Sports, who have dominated football coverage for almost 25 years, seem to have a genuine rival for the first time. Sky Sports pundits (left to right) Graeme Souness, Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry, Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville will have more matches to analyse than ever before . Setanta Sports acquired 42 out of 138 Premier League games between 2007 and 2009 . 168 games will be shown live between 2016 and 2019 as Richard Scudamore announced the £5.136bn deal, 14 more than which is currently available. Setanta Sport were first to challenge Sky Sports for rights, acquiring 42 out of 138 between 2007 and 2009, while ESPN ammassed just 23 from 138 from 2009-13. Here, Sportsmail looks at the tale of the tape between Sky Sports and BT Sport. STAR FOOTBALL PUNDITS . Gary Neville . Graeme Souness . Jamie Carragher . Jamie Redknapp . Thierry Henry . Glenn Hoddle . Dwight Yorke . Paul Scholes . Rio Ferdinand . Steve McManaman . David James . David Ginola . Owen Hargreaves . Ian Wright . Sky Sports pundits Souness (left) and Henry analyse a recent televised game . BT Sport presenter Jake Humphreys with pundits Michael Owen, Steve McManaman and David James . WHAT THEY'VE GOT NOW . Premier League (116 games) Package B 26 games at tea-time on Saturdays (5.30pm) Package C 26 games kicking off between 1.30pm and 2.05pm on Sundays . Package D 4pm bundle of 26 games, with 20 'first picks' Package E is the 'Monday night football' (8pm) bundle, with others on Sunday at 4pm . Package F has 12 games at tea-time on Saturdays (5.30pm) Euro 2016 qualfiiers . Football League games . SFA and SPFL Scottish football . Eredivisie . UEFA Champions League . La Liga . Capital One Cup . Premier League (38 games) Package A 26 Saturday lunchtime games . Package G 12 matches on bank holidays/midweek evenings . Europa League . Bundesliga . Serie A . Ligue 1 . FA Cup . SPL . MLS . Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany celebrates with his team-mates after claiming the Premier League . WHAT THEY'LL HAVE IN 2016/17 (confirmed) Premier League (126 games) Package A Saturday lunchtimes (12.30pm). Package C 28 games kicking off between 1.30pm and 2.15pm on Sundays. Pack A has 6 'first pick' games from 38 rounds and B has 9 first picks. Package D is the 4pm Sunday bundle of 28 games - crucially with 18 'first pick' games. Package E is the 'Monday night football' (8pm) bundle, with 18 games on Mondays plus 10 on Fridays; this is the first time Premier League games will be shown live on Friday evenings. There are no first picks in this package. Package G is a bundle of 14 games on Bank Holidays and other Sunday matches with two first picks. FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers . Football League games . SFA and SPFL Scottish football . Eredivisie . Premier League (42 games) Package B has 28 games at tea-time on Saturdays (5.30pm) Packages F has 14 games, a mix of midweek and Saturday games including three first picks. UEFA Champions League . Bundesliga . Serie A . Ligue 1 . FA Cup . Harry Kane scored the winner against Arsenal for Tottenham - a game showed live on BT Sport . PRICE . £24.50 extra a month with any Sky TV bundle, or £27.25 on Virgin Media (£7 increase on HD - Sky Sports 1 and 2 are £17 each.) £30 a month on TalkTalk, £22 on BT TV (just SS1 or SS - or £16.50 for each) *all deals dependent on broadband/line rental packages . Currently free with BT Broadband or £13.50 a month on Sky (+ £3 on HD from month 4). £15 a month with Virgin Media or free with TV XL (both total £26) FOOTBALL COMMENTARY . Martin Tyler . Alan Parry . Gary Neville . Alan Smith . Niall Quinn . Ian Darke . Michael Owen . BT Sport co-commentators Ian Darke and Michael Owen chat ahead of Tottenham vs Manchester United . FOOTBALL HOSTS . Ed Chamberlin . Jeff Stelling . David Jones . Jake Humphrey . Ray Stubbs . Former BBC presenter Jake Humphrey is BT Sport's lead football host . FOOTBALL DISCUSSION . Paul Merson . Matt Le Tissier . Charlie Nicholas . Chris Kamara . Phil Thompson . Darren Fletcher . Robbie Savage . Danny Baker . Danny Kelly . (from left to right) Jeff Stelling, Robbie Fowler, Paul Merson, Phil Thompson and Charlie Nicholas . LONGEVITY . 24 years (July 1991 launch) 2 years (August 2013 launch) | Sky Sports will acquire 126 Premier League games from 2016 .
BT Sport's Champions League and Europa League deal starts next season .
£5.136bn Premier League deal means each game will cost £10.2m .
Total figure is a rise of more than 70 per cent on the 2013-16 price .
Sky Sports' leading pundits include Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville .
BT Sport have Paul Scholes and Steve McManaman . |
13d71480b559289b476528f1cdd2a75b9f787f04 | For the third time in less than 24 hours, F-16 fighter jets were scrambled Thursday to escort a hapless pilot out of a restricted area in place for President Obama's visit to Los Angeles. Fighter jets intercepted a single-engine Cherokee Piper around 9:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) minutes after intercepting a Cessna for the same violation. Hours earlier, fighter jets intercepted a single-engine airplane northwest of Los Angeles for breaching a temporary airspace restriction, according to a military news release. The Federal Aviation Administration investigates all violations of restricted airspace, and FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer told CNN the agency is investigating the three cases over Los Angeles. Pilots refer to the area off limits to general aviation as a "temporary flight restriction" or TFR. The FAA keeps an up-to-date list of restricted airspace on its website, something pilots are supposed to check prior to departure. The penalties for violating restricted airspace can be severe according to the FAA. Pilots face possible suspension or loss of their pilot's license. Not all aircraft are equal when it comes to restricted air space. Commercial flights are in contact with the FAA during their flights and have a flight plan, so they're allowed to fly into and out of the cordoned-off area, according to the FAA. Police helicopters and air ambulance aircraft are also permitted in the no-fly zone. Flight restriction orders are usually put in place surrounding stadiums during large sporting events, scenes of natural disasters and areas around the president's movements. Currently there are 49 TFRs over airspace in the U.S. according to the FAA's website, including one restriction that's been in place since 2008 over Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii, an active volcano. | The area off limits to general aviation is called a "temporary flight restriction" or TFR .
Pilots violating TFRs face possible suspension or loss of their pilot's license .
The FAA keeps a list of restricted airspace on its website . |
13d86a08e734f6306ad43a83f040811aeff7b493 | A Florida waitress who went the extra mile after a customer left behind $1,000 in cash has been rewarded for her honesty, even though she returned the money to the wrong guy. Pregnant Samantha Knight, of Punta Gorda, found the stash of $100 dollar bills on the seat at one of her tables during her Tuesday night shift at Laishley Crab House. An unusual series of events, including giving the money to the wrong person, ended with her being given the full $1,000 plus an extra $100 tip. Ms Knight initially raced to the front of the restaurant to return the money roll to the customer she thought had left it behind - but she handed it to the wrong guy, and he left with the $1,000. Take the money and run: Surveillance footage at Laishley Crab House shows a waitress handing over $1,000 in lost cash she believed belonged to the man leaving on the right . Mix-up: Waitress Samantha Knight says she thought she was returning it to the right customer, and he acted like the lost money was his . The mix-up happened last Tuesday at Laishley Crab House in Punta Gorda, Florida . 'I was like "you left this in the booth." He said "thanks," patted his pocket, took it and walked away,' Ms Knight told WBBH. It was only after the man left with the small fortune that the waitress realized she mixed up tables and handed the money to the wrong customer. The man who actually dropped the money, Chuck Behm, was filmed leaving the restaurant just one minute prior - he soon came back looking for his cash. When told what happened, he was upset and said he'd have let her keep it. He didn't blame her for the confusion, instead blaming the guy who initially took money that wasn't his. 'I felt awful. I still feel madder than anything at that guy,' he told WBBH from back home in Chicago. There's that money I forgot: The man is filmed taking a mint from the restaurant's front desk on his way out when Ms Knight stops him and hands him the money. He easily accepts the wad of $100 dollar bills . Taking the cash: The man even pats his pocket as if the wad of bills fell out . Left too soon: The man the money actually belonged to, Charles Behm, was filmed leaving the restaurant just one minute before Ms Knight ran to catch the customer . Mr Behm then said that if the money was returned he would give it to the pregnant Ms Knight. After . contacting local television stations, and even having the young . waitress give an on-air interview, the man who took the money realized . it wasn't his and returned it. He said, in an interesting coincidence, . that he also had $1,000 cash in $100 bills on him at the restaurant. After he returned the money, the man, who asked not to be identified, gave the soon-to-be-mother an extra $100 tip 'for her troubles.' When contacted by Ms Knight to say the money was returned, Mr Behm stayed true to his word and told the hard working woman to keep it. 'I called him this morning and let him know,' she told the New York Daily News. 'He said, "It's yours to keep."' Honesty does pay off, and Ms Knight's proof is in her purse being $1,100 richer. What a tip! If the money is returned, Mr Behm plans to give it all to Ms Knight, who is currently expecting a baby . | Pregnant waitress Samantha Knight found a wad of $100 dollars bills left behind at a table Tuesday night .
She ran to the front of the restaurant to return the money to the customer she thought had left it but handed it to the wrong man .
The mystery man took the money but later returned it and gave her another $100 tip .
The original owner then told her to keep the $1,000 for her honesty . |
13d96e83a211243b94a69675ec8c632cdc8f5692 | (CNN Student News) -- April 16, 2014 . A city pays tribute to the men and women who embody the phrase "Boston Strong" on the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon terrorist bombings. Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows us how scientists testing for Ebola have to protect themselves against the deadly virus. And a week-long event celebrates the value and contributions of America's libraries. On this page you will find today's show Transcript, the Daily Curriculum, and a place for you to leave feedback. TRANSCRIPT . Click here to access the transcript of today's CNN Student News program. Please note that there may be a delay between the time when the video is available and when the transcript is published. DAILY CURRICULUM . Click here for a printable version of the Daily Curriculum (PDF). Media Literacy Question of the Day: . How might news coverage of the anniversary of a tragedy impact viewers? Key Concepts: Identify or explain these subjects you heard about in today's show: . 1. vaccine . 2. FAFSA . 3. National Library Week . Fast Facts: How well were you listening to today's program? 1. What city's marathon was struck by terrorist bombings one year ago? How did some there observe the one-year anniversary of this tragedy? 2. What are some precautions that scientists take when handling blood samples that could contain the Ebola virus? Why do they have to go to these lengths to protect themselves? Where would the samples have to be tested a few years ago? What were some of the problems associated with transporting the samples so far away? 3. What is a FAFSA? What institutions use this information, and for what purpose? 4. What is an AUV? How is the AUV "Bluefin-21" helping investigators who are searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370? How are oceanographers benefitting from this search? Why haven't they been able to do this kind of research on their own? According to the video: What is one potential obstacle to those looking for the plane? How does this obstacle present an opportunity for scientists? Discussion Questions: . 1. In your opinion, what are some ways to honor the memory of victims of a terrorist attack? 2. What kinds of information do you think that oceanographers may be able to learn as a result of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370? If you were a scientist, what questions would you like to see answered? How might scientists use the search to make a case for greater ocean exploration? 3. In the video, we hear that a recent survey indicated that 94 percent of respondents said that having a library in their community improves their lives, yet just over half of those polled said people don't need libraries as much as they used to. Is there a public library in your community? If so, how often do you go there? Do you think having a public library improves your community's quality of life? State your rationale. CNN Student News is created by a team of journalists and educators who consider the Common Core State Standards, national standards in different subject areas, and state standards when producing the show and curriculum. We hope you use our free daily materials along with the program, and we welcome your feedback on them. FEEDBACK . We're looking for your feedback about CNN Student News. Please use this page to leave us comments about today's program, including what you think about our stories and our resources. Also, feel free to tell us how you use them in your classroom. The educators on our staff will monitor this page and may respond to your comments as well. Thank you for using CNN Student News! Click here to submit your Roll Call request. | This page includes the show Transcript and the Daily Curriculum .
Use the Transcript to help students with reading comprehension and vocabulary .
The Daily Curriculum offers the Media Literacy Question of the Day, Key Concepts, Fast Facts and Discussion Questions .
At the bottom of the page, please share your feedback about our show and curriculum . |
13d9f680692bbc93eb2e062011ef165f98ae484c | By . Mark Duell . This sprawling mansion with 19 bedrooms has become the latest 'mega mansion' to hit the London property market - for a staggering £45million. Number 7 Balfour Place was built in 1891 as an Arts & Craft-style mansion but just over 20 years ago it was converted into six apartments. But the building, in exclusive Mayfair, is now being sold and it is thought that potential billionaire buyers will want to convert it into a family home. 'Mega mansion': Number 7 Balfour Place was built in 1891 as an Arts & Craft style mansion but just over 20 years ago it was converted into six apartments . On the market: The building, in exclusive Mayfair, is now being sold and it is thought that potential billionaire buyers will want to convert it into a family home . Balcony: Whoever ends up buying the 13,000 sq ft Mayfair home could be making a shrewd purchase as property prices soar . Huge: It was designed by Eustace Balfour and has a five storey brick façade, featuring large entertaining rooms and eight family bedrooms . Prime location: 7 Balfour Place is located a short walk from Hyde Park and Grosvenor Square Garden . It is on the market for £45million and whoever ends up buying the 13,000 sq ft home could be making a shrewd purchase as property prices soar. The building was designed by Eustace Balfour and has a five-storey brick façade, featuring large entertaining rooms and eight family bedrooms. As six apartments, the building currently has 19 bedrooms, seven reception rooms, six kitchens, 17 bathrooms and a roof terrace. Over the years it has had a number owners including several industrialists, a Dowager Countess and a City of London metal-trader magnate. However the most famous person to covet the property never actually owned or lived in it. On August 11, 1978, shipping heiress Christina Onassis flew into London on her private jet for a one-day tour of houses in Mayfair and Belgravia. Coveted the property: Christina Onassis (left and right) flew into London on her private jet for a one-day tour of houses in Mayfair, including Number 7 Balfour Place . Refurbishment possibilities: Computer-generated imagery of how the bedroom suite could look at 7 Balfour Place . Reception CGI: Over the years it has had a number owners including several industrialists, a Dowager Countess and a City of London metal-trader magnate . Library CGI: In 1991, the property was converted into six apartments and it is this internal configuration that is currently being offered for sale . Living area CGI: It has been put on the market with Wetherell Estates for £45million - making it one of the most expensive properties on the market in the UK . But she backed out of buying Number 7 because a neighbouring property was being rented by the DeGrimston family - whom gossips claimed were cult worshipers. Their house was dubbed 'Satan's Cave' and it is thought this lead to the socialite getting cold feet on the purchase. In 1991, the property was converted into six apartments and it is this internal configuration that is currently being offered for sale. The flats range from 1,255 sqft up to 2,583 sqft in size, offering two to four bedrooms. It has been put on the market with Wetherell Estates for £45million - making it one of the most expensive properties on the market in the UK. The home is likely to get the attention of a property developer looking to make a tidy profit. Bedroom CGI: The home is likely to get the attention of a property developer looking to make a tidy profit . Guest bathroom CGI: Property prices are on the rise in Mayfair with homes changing hands for £4,000 and £5,000 per sq ft . Kitchen CGI: Some industry experts estimate values could hit £10,000 per sq ft in a decade in Mayfair - making this a £130million home . Dressing room: Wetherell estate agents said Number 7 Balfour Place is 'one of the most magnificent Arts & Craft mansions in London' Property prices are on the rise in Mayfair with homes changing hands for £4,000 and £5,000 per sq ft. This could give 7 Balfour Place a potential value of between £52 and £65 million. Some industry experts estimate values could hit £10,000 per sq ft in a decade - making it a £130million home. Peter Wetherell, chief executive of Wetherell, said: ‘Number 7 Balfour Place is one of the most magnificent Arts & Craft mansions in London. 'Built as a trophy property within the historic Grosvenor Estate it benefits from a prestigious Mayfair address, elegant architecture and rooms with princely proportions. ‘As apartments it could be used as an investment to generate rental income. 'Reinstated into a single residence, it could create one of London's finest mega-mansions, an outstanding home of world class quality and refined provenance.’ | Number 7 Balfour Place was built in 1891 as an Arts & Craft-style mansion but converted into six apartments in 1991 .
13,000 sq ft home was designed by Eustace Balfour and has five-storey brick façade with large entertaining rooms .
As six apartments, building has 19 bedrooms, seven reception rooms, six kitchens, 17 bathrooms and roof terrace .
Shipping heiress Christina Onassis visited property while viewing Mayfair houses after flying in on private jet in 1978 .
But she got cold feet because family whom gossips claimed were cult worshipers lived in neighbouring property . |
13da8fb09390ac611493f43d6494acee0a5f31f3 | A cancer patient has been told the 'wonder drug' that doctors claim extended his life is too expensive for the NHS to fund. Kevin Hughes, of Canvey, Essex, took part in clinical trials of Abiraterone to treat his prostate cancer. But the 58-year-old has been left devastated by a decision this week by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) not to fund the drug for patients who, like him, have not undergone chemotherapy. Mr Hughes was given three years to live after being diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer last April. Scroll down for video . Kevin Hughes, pictured, has been left 'devastated' after being told the 'wonder drug' that has extended his life is too expensive for the NHS to fund . After taking part in a clinical trial for the drug Abiraterone before having chemotherapy, doctors now believe he will go on to live longer than expected. The drug is currently available on the NHS to men who have already gone through chemotherapy. But Nice has ruled that the 'wonder' medication is too expensive to give to men before they have undergone the much more gruelling cancer treatment. Mr Hughes, of Canvey, Essex, said: 'Under normal circumstances they give people Abiraterone when they are in the very advanced stages and everything else has failed. Abiraterone, pictured, is currently available on the NHS to men who have already gone through chemotherapy . 'Nice's decision is a very bad one. I can empirically show what the drug has done for me. 'It's just wonderful. Before I got on it, people were calling it the wonder drug and I have to say it's pretty special.' Mr Hughes was being treated with Zolodex hormone injections, which resulted in hot sweats and fatigue, and had radiotherapy before the start of the clinical trial. He said: 'I had no symptoms, so when I was diagnosed, let's say it wasn't my best day. 'I walked around in a fog for a week and so did my wife. But you get over it, readjust and get on with it. 'I was on the hormone therapy injections and the side effects were not great, but take it on the chin and get on with it.' Before being chosen for the trial, a blood test to measure the prostate-specific antigen found Mr Hughes' count had rocketed to 500. The normal range is between five and six. He said: 'It was coming down nicely on the Zolodex, but since being on Abiraterone, it dropped completely. One year on my count is so low it is undetectable. 'I would say my three-year prognosis has gone flying out of the window. 'My doctors are more cautious, but agree I will probably go past the dates they first thought. 'It's a no-brainer, it just works and personally I have had no side effects from it. 'It should be given to men before they even have to go through chemotherapy.' From April 2013 to March 2014, Abiraterone pre-chemotherapy was the second most requested drug on England's Cancer Drugs Fund. On Sunday, June 29, former Health Minister Paul Burstow urged the Department of Health to intervene in the Nice process and call off the proposed restriction on use of Abiraterone before chemotherapy. Abiraterone, also known as Zytiga, was used pre-chemotherapy by thousands of men last year through the Cancer Drugs Fund, which picks up the bill for patients in England. Above, prostate cancer cells . Owen Sharp, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, has criticised the Nice decision. He said: 'It's a fiasco. This decision is a kick in the teeth for men with advanced prostate cancer. 'For many, this presented a vital opportunity for extra time with loved ones and a chance to delay chemotherapy and the debilitating side effects which come with it.' In the case of Abiraterone, Nice said the drug was too costly to use at an earlier stage in the disease. When the drug is used after chemotherapy, different rules apply that take into account the end-of-life plight of patients which make the drug cost-effective. Although the drug is sold to the NHS at the same price at whatever stage in the disease it is used, the cost effectiveness formula becomes more expensive before chemotherapy. The official price of a month’s treatment is £3,000 but the NHS pays less through a discount scheme from the manufacturer. Nice chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon said: 'We know how important it is for patients to have the option to delay chemotherapy and its associated side effects, so we are disappointed not to be able to recommend abiraterone for use in this way. 'However, the manufacturer's own economic model demonstrated that the drug does not offer enough benefit to justify its price.' | Kevin Hughes told Aberiterone prostate drug is too costly for NHS to fund .
58-year-old says the treatment, taken in pre-chemo trial, extended his life .
Drug is given to men after chemo when they are running out of options .
Thousands of people could benefit from taking pill earlier, doctors claim .
But rationing watchdog Nice says it will not approve such use on NHS . |
13dc088e82d3b89abae216578caf263d1cf2f83a | A luxury hotel with spectacular water and mountain views has been named the best boutique hotel in the world. The Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania was established in 2010 and has already won an accolade of design and architecture awards because of its location within the Freycinet National Park. The family run hotel, which overlooks Great Oyster Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula. was given the prestigious international prize at the World Boutique Hotel Awards ceremony in London. Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet has been named the best boutique hotel in the world at a recent awards ceremony . Guests can relax on the sandy beaches or take bush walks through the lush forest which surrounds the resort . Justin King, the hotel's general manager, said: 'We are very humbled, it's something we did not go into with any preconceptions with and to have won is lovely. 'We offer what we call ultra-luxury and we offer the guests the complete package. We don't want people wanting for anything and we want everyone to be comfortable. 'We have won a few national awards but this is the first international recognition we have had. 'We have been blessed with a beautiful building and surroundings but this award demonstrates how important the team is. Piece of paradise: The hotel was established in 2010 and is situated on Tasmania's east coast . What a view: Tasmania’s Saffire Freycinet overlooks the The Hazards mountains, Freycinet National Park . 'We have got 90 people at the hotel who are just on cloud nine, the service element is the real distinction to be able to be recognised for.' The hotel has 20 suites and prices are between $1800 and $2800 a night. Alongside being in a breathtaking location the hotel has a $1million ship to take guests out as well as offering bush walking trails and quad bikes. Justin King, the hotel's general manager, said: 'We are very humbled...we don't want people wanting for anything' The floor to ceiling glass windows give the best views out to sea and over The Hazards . The suites which cost between $1800 and $2800 have been designed with luxury in mind . | This family run hotel was established in 2010 in Freycinet National Park and it overlooks Great Oyster Bay .
Guests can go out onto the water in the hotel's very own private vessel onto the Freycinet Peninsula .
Other activities for guests staying at the Tasmanian getaway resort include bush walking trails and quad biking .
There are 20 suites and prices range between $1800 and $2800 a night .
The hotel won the award at World Boutique Hotel Awards in London this week .
Justin King, the hotel's general manager, said: 'We are very humbled...we don't want people wanting for anything' |
13dc636cffbb013dcb1074d43908af08900bc8f0 | By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 15:57 EST, 28 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:24 EST, 29 July 2013 . The Wolverine slashed monsters and minions to debut on top of the weekend box office. The Fox film featuring Hugh Jackman's sixth turn as the claw-wielding superhero opened with $55 million in North America, according to today's studio estimates. Last weekend's top movie, Warner Bros' low-budget horror The Conjuring, slipped to second place, adding another $22.1 million to its take. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Slash and burn: The Wolverine, featuring Hugh Jackman's sixth turn as the claw-wielding superhero, opened with $55 million in North America . The Wolverine, which is set in Japan and features an international cast, earned another $86.1 million overseas . 1. The Wolverine - $55m2. The Conjuring - $22.1m 3. Despicable Me 2 - $16m4. Turbo - $13.3 million 5. Grown Ups 2 - $11.5m6. Red 2 - $9.4m7. Pacific Rim - $7.5m8. The Heat - $6.85m9. R.I.P.D. - $5.85 m10. Fruitvale Station - $4.65m . Despicable Me 2 was in third with $16 million. The Universal . animated sequel, with its cast of cute, yellow minions, has made more . than $600 million worldwide since it came out four weeks ago. The Wolverine, which is set in Japan and features an international cast, earned another $86.1 million overseas. The . film's opening-week take surpassed the $120 million it cost to make, . said Chris Aronson, Fox's head of domestic distribution. 'It's a huge opening for the clawed one,' he said. 'It played equally well from Maine to Maui.' Another . Fox film, the animated snail-racing tale Turbo, was in fourth place . with $13.3 million. Adam Sandler's Grown Ups 2 followed with $11.5 . million. Woody Allen's latest, Blue Jasmine, enjoyed a stellar opening of its own, though on a much smaller scale. Starring Cate Blanchett, the film opened in just six theaters but still collected $612,767. 'It's one of the biggest opening . per-theater averages ever for a non-animated film,' said Paul . Dergarabedian of box-office tracker Hollywood.com. Ticket sales this weekend were up almost 30 percent over the same weekend last summer, he said. Freaky: Low-budget horror flick 'The Conjuring' slipped to second place, adding another $22.1 million to its take this weekend . 'It was a good weekend to be a . moviegoer because the choices just got a lot more interesting,' Dergarabedian said, noting a mix that includes animated, independent and . big-budget action offerings. Fruitvale . Station, the Sundance winner already generating Oscar buzz, expanded . to theaters across the country and edged its way into the top 10, . contributing to a summer box office that is up more than 10 percent over . last year. Grim: Woody Allen's latest dark flick 'Blue Jasmine' only opened in six theaters but collected $612,767 . | The Wolverine topped the weekend box office with a $55 million haul .
The Conjuring was pushed into second place, pulling in $22.1 million .
Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine didn't make it into the top 10, but surprisingly earned more than $600,000 . |
13dcb73b4123d0c0e79f760e5ca7cb5d796df57d | (CNN) -- Syrian security forces flooded the restive cities of Daraa and Latakia on Monday, patrolling the streets, protecting government buildings and in at least one case clashing with protesters, according to witnesses. Both cities have been the scene of violent clashes between protesters and security forces in recent days, with at least 37 deaths since last week, according to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In Daraa on Monday, forces filed into the city's main square before dawn, tearing down the tents and anti-government signs of about 100 protesters who were staying there overnight, according to one eyewitness. The forces fired shots into the air and turned water cannons on the protesters, the witness said, leading to a clash with hundreds of nearby residents who rushed to the square to defend the demonstrators. The resulting confrontation lasted about 30 minutes, reportedly without injuries or arrests, according to the witness. Another witness said the army was blocking the city on three sides and that security forces, surrounding government buildings and the Al-Omari mosque where some protesters remained, had opened fire. The witness was not aware of any injuries. Syria's state-run news agency said the government denied firing on protesters, calling the allegations "completely false." Political dissident Aman Aswad, who is in Daraa, said the city is extremely tense. "People are sitting at home scared, watching the updates on TV," he said. In Latakia, another eyewitness said mysterious men in black shirts carrying sophisticated weapons terrorized residents overnight, firing into the air and banging on the doors of homes. "We do not understand who these men are but government officials say they are members of a 'foreign group,'" the witness said. "We all think they are lying about this because every time one of them is captured and handed over to the police he is released." Hundreds of government troops have also filtered into the Latakia and are guarding public buildings and other important sites, the witness said. CNN could not independently confirm the accounts because the Syrian government has yet to grant access to the network. Syria is the latest in a string of Arabic-speaking nations beset with discontent over economic and human rights issues. Syria's discontent is centered Daraa, a southern city in the impoverished country's agricultural region, where security forces and anti-government protesters have sporadically clashed for nearly two weeks. Thousands of protesters marched Friday to the governor's building in Daraa, where they burned pictures of President Bashar al-Assad and toppled a statue of his father, the late President Hafez al-Assad, according to a witness who identified himself only as Adbullah. Aswad, a political dissident, said dozens of people appeared to have been killed or wounded in clashes with security forces during those protests. In Latakia, government blamed "armed gangs" who seized police weapons on the violence last week that led to the deaths there of 10 security force members and civilians and two gunmen, according to the Syrian state-run news agency, SANA. The agency reported that 200 people, most of them security forces, were wounded by the gangs. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized Syria's government over the violence on the CBS Sunday morning news show "Face the Nation." "Certainly we deplore the violence in Syria," she said. "We call as we have on all of these governments during this period of the Arab awakening, as some have called it, to be responding to their people's needs, not to engage in violence, permit peaceful protests and begin a process of economic and political reform." CNN's Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report. | NEW: Witness: Syrian security forces move to disperse protesters in Daraa .
NEW: Mysterious black-shirted men terrorize residents in Latakia, witness says .
Daraa is extremely tense, according to a witness .
U.N.: At least 37 people have died in clashes between protesters and security forces . |
13dcef2528dc3f403703e43037592c8a79be1fae | BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona's Argentina striker Lionel Messi will be out of action for six weeks after tearing a muscle in his left leg during Tuesday night's 1-0 Champions League victory over Celtic. Messi is helped off the pitch after injuring his left thigh during Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Celtic. The Catalan club confirmed on Wednesday that Messi will miss both legs of Barcelona's Champions League quarterfinal encounter. It will also be a race against time for the 2007 World Player of the Year runner-up to be fit for the semifinals if Barcelona get past an opponent who will be named after the draw on March 14. Messi picked up the injury after 34 minutes during Barcelona's victory over the Scottish side, which booked their spot in the last eight by easing through 4-2 on aggregate. It is third time in the last three years that Messi has had the same injury, the last occasion being on December 15 against Valencia, which ruled him out of the 'El Clasico' derby the following week against Real Madrid. In addition to his chronic problems with his left thigh, Messi has had four other significant injuries in the last two years which have caused him to miss a month or more. Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has been forced to defend the club's medical services in the wake of Messi's latest injury. "To doubt that they are doing their best is an insult. The medical staff and the club in general are working to prevent these sort of problems. They are working hard but there is always a player that can be injured," said Dutchman Rijkaard. Messi's injury reopens the door for Thierry Henry to claim his place in the starting lineup. The Frenchman has rarely impressed since his big-money move from Arsenal to the Spanish giants last summer. Rijkaard also has other options to replace Messi on the right flank in the shape of Portuguese international Deco or teenage Mexican winger Giovanni Dos Santos. E-mail to a friend . | Barcelona striker Lionel Messi is ruled out for six weeks with a thigh injury .
The Argentine sustained the injury in Tuesday night's 1-0 victory over Celtic .
It is third time in the last three years that Messi has suffered the same injury . |
13dd8a57e8ba0d5d419b0d2d6f0ec1e987807442 | (EW.com) -- "The Artist" and "Hugo" continued their domination of the early awards season, each racking up 11 Critics' Choice nominations from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, perhaps the only critics group that presages the Academy Award nominations with any accuracy. "Drive" and "The Help" each scored eight nods, while "The Descendants" and "War Horse" received seven. Also in the BFCA's Best Picture top 10: "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball," and "The Tree of Life." (Not included, meanwhile: "Bridesmaids," "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," "The Ides of March," and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.") Amongst the surprises in the acting categories: "Drive's" Ryan Gosling over "Tinker Tailor's" Gary Oldman, "Martha Marcy May Marlene's" Elizabeth Olsen over "Albert Nobbs'" Glenn Close, and three previously dark-horse Best Supporting Actor candidates: "Young Adult's" Patton Oswalt, "Warrior's" Nick Nolte, and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes'" Andy Serkis. And interestingly, although the BFCA did nominate Noomi Rapace last year for Best Actress for the Swedish version of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," Rooney Mara was overlooked for her performance in David Fincher's remake. Here's the entire list of nominees: . Best Picture . The Artist . The Descendants . Drive . Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close . The Help . Hugo . Midnight in Paris . Moneyball . The Tree of Life . War Horse . Best Actor . George Clooney -- "The Descendants" Leonardo DiCaprio -- "J. Edgar" Jean Dujardin -- "The Artist" Michael Fassbender -- "Shame" Ryan Gosling -- "Drive" Brad Pitt -- "Moneyball" Best Actress . Viola Davis -- "The Help" Elizabeth Olsen -- "Martha Marcy May Marlene" Meryl Streep -- "The Iron Lady" Tilda Swinton -- "We Need to Talk About Kevin" Charlize Theron -- "Young Adult" Michelle Williams -- "My Week With Marilyn" Best Supporting Actor . Kenneth Branagh -- "My Week With Marilyn" Albert Brooks -- "Drive" Nick Nolte -- "Warrior" Patton Oswalt -- "Young Adult" Christopher Plummer -- "Beginners" Andy Serkis -- "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Best Supporting Actress . Bérénice Bejo -- "The Artist" Jessica Chastain -- "The Help" Melissa McCarthy -- "Bridesmaids" Carey Mulligan -- "Shame" Octavia Spencer -- "The Help" Shailene Woodley -- "The Descendants" Best Young Actor/ Actress . Asa Butterfield -- "Hugo" Elle Fanning -- "Super 8" Thomas Horn -- "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Ezra Miller -- "We Need to Talk About Kevin" Saoirse Ronan -- "Hanna" Shailene Woodley -- "The Descendants" Best Acting Ensemble . The Artist . Bridesmaids . The Descendants . The Help . The Ides of March . Best Director . Stephen Daldry -- "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Michel Hazanavicius -- "The Artist" Alexander Payne -- "The Descendants" Nicolas Winding Refn -- "Drive" Martin Scorsese -- "Hugo" Steven Spielberg -- "War Horse" Best Original Screenplay . "The Artist" -- Michel Hazanavicius . "50/50" -- Will Reiser . "Midnight in Paris" -- Woody Allen . "Win Win" -- Screenplay by Tom McCarthy, Story by Tom McCarthy & Joe Tiboni . "Young Adult" -- Diablo Cody . Best Adapted Screenplay . "The Descendants" -- Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash . "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" -- Eric Roth . "The Help" -- Tate Taylor . "Hugo" -- John Logan . "Moneyball" -- Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin . Best Cinematography . "The Artist" -- Guillaume Schiffman . "Drive" -- Newton Thomas Sigel . "Hugo" -- Robert Richardson . "The Tree of Life" -- Emmanuel Lubezki . "War Horse" -- Janusz Kaminski . Best Art Direction . "The Artist" -- Production Designer: Laurence Bennett, Art Director: Gregory S. Hooper . "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" -- Production Designer: Stuart Craig, Set Decorator: Stephenie McMillan . "Hugo" -- Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo . "The Tree of Life" -- Production Designer: Jack Fisk, Art Director: David Crank . "War Horse" -- Production Designer: Rick Carter, Set Decorator: Lee Sandales . Best Editing . "The Artist" -- Michel Hazanavicius and Anne-Sophie Bion . "Drive" -- Matthew Newman . "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" -- Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall . "Hugo" -- Thelma Schoonmaker . "War Horse" -- Michael Kahn . Best Costume Design . "The Artist" -- Mark Bridges . "The Help" -- Sharen Davis . "Hugo" -- Sandy Powell . "Jane Eyre" -- Michael O'Connor . "My Week With Marilyn" -- Jill Taylor . Best Makeup . Albert Nobbs . Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 . The Iron Lady . J. Edgar . My Week With Marilyn . BEST VISUAL EFFECTS . Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 . Hugo . Rise of the Planet of the Apes . Super 8 . The Tree of Life . Best Sound . Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 . Hugo . Super 8 . The Tree of Life . War Horse . Best Animated Feature . The Adventures of Tintin . Arthur Christmas . Kung Fu Panda 2 . Puss in Boots . Rango . Best Action Movie . Drive . Fast Five . Hanna . Rise of the Planet of the Apes . Super 8 . Best Comedy . Bridesmaids . Crazy, Stupid, Love . Horrible Bosses . Midnight in Paris . The Muppets . Best Foreign Language FiIm . Darkness . Le Havre . A Separation . The Skin I Live In . Where Do We Go Now? Best Documentary Feature . Buck . Cave of Forgotten Dreams . George Harrison: Living in the Material World . Page One: Inside the New York Times . Project Nim . Undefeated . Best Song . "Hello Hello" -- performed by Elton John and Lady Gaga/written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin -- Gnomeo & Juliet . "Life's a Happy Song" -- performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie -- The Muppets . "The Living Proof" -- performed by Mary J. Blige/written by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman and Harvey Mason, Jr. -- The Help . "Man or Muppet" -- performed by Jason Segel and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie -- The Muppets . "Pictures in My Head" -- performed by Kermit and the Muppets/written by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman -- The Muppets . Best Score . "The Artist" -- Ludovic Bource . "Drive" -- Cliff Martinez . "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" -- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross . "Hugo" -- Howard Shore . "War Horse" -- John Williams . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | Amongst the surprises in the acting categories: "Drive's" Ryan Gosling over "Tinker Tailor's" Gary Oldman .
"Drive" and "The Help" each scored eight nods .
"The Descendants" and "War Horse" received seven . |
13df0950ae828be40b1cb0192479dd2199ea96ad | By . Darren Boyle . A Commonwealth Games weightlifter is due to go on trial this week accused of sexual assault. Papua New Guinea competitor Toua Udia was arrested following a report of an incident at a Tesco supermarket near the Athletes’ Village in Glasgow. Udia, 22, competed at the Clyde Auditorium at the weekend following the alleged assault last Monday. Udia was arrested after the alleged assault at the Tesco supermarket in Rutherglen, Glasgow, pictured . He was charged under the Sexual Offences Act at Glasgow Sheriff Court and is scheduled to go to trial on Friday after pleading not guilty. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: 'At around 5.10pm on Monday July 21 police received a report of an incident at Tesco’s supermarket on Dalmarnock Road, Rutherglen. 'A 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault.' The Commonwealth Games Federation said it was aware of the allegation. A Police Scotland spokeswoman said a 22-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an alleged assault . Speaking at a daily Games briefing, chief executive Mike Hooper said: 'A male athlete has been charged with an offence, he is due to appear this week in the court.' He added: 'Clearly there is a presumption of innocence which we all enjoy, and so really there is nothing more I can add to that. 'It certainly didn’t impact on his ability to compete because there was no condition placed upon him. 'The reality is it’s an allegation that has been made, it is being investigated by the police, it is their role to follow through, and we do not interfere in their process.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Toua Udia is accused of sexual assault following an incident in Tesco .
He will face trial in Glasgow on Friday after pleading not guilty to the charge .
The weightlifter continued to participate in the games despite the claim . |
13df19c967605c55c9be401e33968586b89e35bb | Pierce Brosnan and wife Keely Shaye Smith have been married for 14 years. However, they haven't lost any of their passion for each other, as they were spotted on Thursday sharing a warm embrace on the beach in Hawaii. The duo own a property there, and frequently hop between the island and their home in Malibu, which caught on fire over a week ago. Scroll down for video... Still so in love: Pierce Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Smith looked smitten even after 14 years of marriage as they shared an embrace in Hawaii on Thursday . Couple's retreat: Pierce and wife Keely were spotted without teenage sons Dylan or Paris as they took a trip to the beach on Thursday . Pierce was on the scene in Malibu when the blaze was happening. The LA Times reported the fire, which is believed to have started in the garage, took only 30 minutes to put out. Damage to the property will cost $1m to repair. Smoke: The actor's Malibu mansion suffered from a fire on February 12 and reportedly suffered $1m in damage . A scene: The LA Times reported the fire, which is believed to have started in the garage, took only 30 minutes to put out . The fire at his Malibu house was not minor. Brosnan, who was home with Smith and two of his sons at the time, Dylan and Paris, could be seen distraught as he spoke on his phone while firefighters put out the blaze. TMZ report that Brosnan said in his 911 call 'I've got to go now in case I get blown up.' Investigators stayed on the scene at the 13,000 square-foot residence for hours after the blaze was put out as they tried to determine what the cause was. One neighbor, Andy Stern, claimed; 'Their last house totally burned down several years ago, then it took them several years to build this house.' Romantic: Pierce recently gushed about his wife in an interview with The Independent, sharing: 'When Keely looks at me, I go weak' In Hawaii the couple were both dressed for a day on the beach as they stepped out in Kauai, Hawaii, where they own a home together. Pierce sported a loose-fitting light blue T-shirt, which he coupled with a pair of patterned green shorts. The 61-year-old GoldenEye star also donned a wide-brimmed beige hat, and had a pair of black sunglasses clipped to his shirt. Keely wore a low-cut black tank top, which she coupled with a coordinating, fitted black skirt and a large straw hat. True bond: Pierce married Keely in 2001, 10 years after his first wife, Cassandra Harris, passed away at age 43 following a battle with ovarian cancer . She sported a pair of black sunglasses, and was seen carrying a pair of bright pink flip flops as the two walked along the beach. Pierce married Keely in 2001, 10 years after his first wife, Cassandra Harris, passed away at age 43 following a battle with ovarian cancer. Years later and the star is still in awe of his wife's strength and support for him, gushing about her in a March interview with the Independent. He puts love first: Brosnan, pictured in November, has said, 'I love her vitality, her passion. She has this strength that I wouldn't be able to live without. When Keely looks at me, I go weak' 'I love her vitality, her passion,' he said. 'She has this strength that I wouldn't be able to live without. When Keely looks at me, I go weak.' The couple have two children together, sons 13-year-old Paris and 18-year-old Dylan, the latter of whom recently made his debut as a model for Saint Laurent. Recently Pierce filmed the upcoming thriller Urge, which co-stars Alexis Knapp, Ashley Greene, and Justin Chatwin. It follows a group of friends on holiday who experiment with a drug that causes them to lose their inhibitions. It is expected to be released this year. | The garage of Pierce's Malibu home caught fire on February 11 .
The blaze was put out in 30 minutes as the actor stood on the sidelines . |
13df1c9390636f2cf0bc8b12e3a158637aed471b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:14 EST, 21 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:28 EST, 21 August 2013 . Former Pope Benedict has said he resigned after 'God told me to' during what he called a 'mystical experience', a Catholic news agency reported. Benedict, whose formal title is now Pope Emeritus, announced his shock resignation in February and became the first pontiff to step down in 600 years. 'God told me to do it,' the Zenith agency quoted Benedict as saying to a visitor to the convent in the Vatican gardens where he is living out his retirement in near isolation. 'God told me to do it': Benedict, whose formal title is now Pope Emeritus, announced his shock resignation in February and became the first pontiff to step down in 600 years . 'Mystical experience': According to the Rome-based Zenith, Benedict (right) said the more he observes the way Pope Francis (left) carries out his papal duties, the more he realised the choice was 'wanted by God' According to the agency, Benedict told his visitor, who asked to remain anonymous, that God did not speak to him in a vision but in what the former pope called 'a mystical experience'. According to Italian media, Benedict’s decision to step down was influenced by the various scandals that blighted his eight-year papacy, including the arrest of his personal butler for leaking private documents alleging corruption in the Vatican. Cause of retirement? According to Italian media, Benedict’s decision to step down was influenced by the various scandals, including the arrest of his personal butler, Paolo Gabiele (left) for leaking private documents alleging corruption in the Vatican (right: St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican) He was succeeded by Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who was elected as the first non-European pontiff in 1,300 years. According to the Rome-based Zenith, Benedict told his visitor that the more he observes the way Francis carries out his papal duties, the more he realised the choice was 'wanted by God'. Last Sunday, Benedict spent a day at the papal summer retreat at Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, to escape the heat of the capital. The visit indicated that the 86-year-old ex pope’s health was good enough for him to travel. There had been media reports that since his resignation, Benedict’s health had deteriorated dramatically. | Benedict shocked world when he became first Pope to resign in 600 years .
He now lives in near total isolation in a convent in the Vatican gardens .
He is quoted as telling unnamed visitor: 'God told me to do it' |
13df49a1923dd79a1517b345bb18cc3af6ef7e95 | An Australian man has shocked onlookers by jumping off a boat and climbing on top of a dead whale carcass in open waters, despite sharks circling the body. On Saturday afternoon at approximately 1.30pm, Harrison Williams, from Mindarie, near Perth in Western Australia, swam to the body of the deceased humpback whale and sitting on it. Despite several tiger sharks and at least one white shark circling the whale's bloated carcass, Mr Williams, an extreme sport lover, made the perilous swim over. Mr Williams confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he was the man on top of the whale, and said 'Basically the whale looked in distress and I tried to help it. But clearly I was too late [sic].' Scroll down for video . Harrison Williams shocked onlookers by jumping off a boat and climbing on top of a dead whale carcass in open waters, despite sharks circling the body . Despite several tiger sharks and at least one white shark circling the whale's bloated carcass, Mr Williams, an extreme sport lover, made the perilous swim over . Mr Williams confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that he was the man on top of the whale . Mr Williams said 'Basicly [sic] the whale looked In distress and I tryed [sic] to help it. But clearly I was to [sic] late.' Twitter uses quickly saw the funny side of the situation . The whale has reportedly been in the ocean for several weeks, floating between Rottnest and Fremantle off the Western Australia coast. Western Australia's Surf Life Saving warned that several tiger sharks and at least one white shark were in the water surrounding the 12 meter long whale. Twitter uses quickly saw the funny side of the situation, with one commenting 'Only in Australia would a guy be sitting on a carcass in the ocean whilst sharks are feeding on it...' Another said, 'If I came across a floating whale I'd probably have a sit on it too. There's a box to tick.' Mr Williams climbed on top of the dead whale carcass at approximately 1.30pm on Saturday . Twitter uses quickly saw the funny side of the situation, with one commenting 'Only in Australia would a guy be sitting on a carcass in the ocean whilst sharks are feeding on it...' 'If sharks were feeding on that whale carcass when he swam over then that type of behaviour is highly risky,' Regional manager Tony Cappelluti told The West Australian . The whale is reportedly the responsibility of the Fremantle Port Authority, reported The West Australian. The animals carcass is not anticipated to come ashore for some time, said a spokeswoman from the Department of Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman. 'The way the winds are blowing it will probably stay in that ocean space for some time,' she said. Other users questioned the legality of the man's actions, and with a spokesman from the Department of Fisheries labeling his behaviour as irresponsible. 'If sharks were feeding on that whale carcass when he swam over then that type of behaviour is highly risky,' Regional manager Tony Cappelluti told The West Australian. 'It potentially could have had some critical consequences, not only for the person but also for the witnesses and other people that would have had to assist.' 'Ninety-nine per cent of the population would see that behaviour as irresponsible.' Mr Cappelluti said it was extremely risky for the man to enter the water when he could see sharks circling the body, as the had likely been attracted to the whale carcass from a long way away. “It is very risky to enter the water around that type of large food source because even if you can’t . 'Irrespective of some type of adrenaline rush or whatever you’re trying to get out of performing that type of act, it’s highly risky,' he said. Mr Cappelluti said it was extremely risky for the man to enter the water when he could see sharks circling the body, as the had likely been attracted to the whale carcass from a long way away. The whale has reportedly been in the ocean for several weeks, floating between Rottnest and Fremantle off the Western Australia coast . It is not known whether the man is still sitting on top of the whale . A Reddit user commented, 'Some of you West Australians are crazy ba****ds.' This comes just a day after photos were released showing a man being trailed by a three-metre Great White shark while surfing. Andy Johnston was out with a small group of surfers at West Beach near Esperance, south-east of Perth, on September 21 when people ashore spotted the dark shadow looming. 'It seemed just curious and I didn't want to give it a reason to chase me so I tried to behave casually and keep an eye on it,' Andy Johnston said. 'But I didn't know it came up quite so close as I was paddling into the wave to come into the beach with the other lads.' Andy Johnston was out with a small group of surfers at West Beach near Esperance, south-east of Perth, on September 21 when people ashore spotted the dark shadow looming . 'It seemed just curious and I didn't want to give it a reason to chase me so I tried to behave casually and keep an eye on it,' Andy Johnston said . | The whale's carcass has been floating in the ocean off the coast of West Australia for several weeks .
Harrison Williams jumped off a boat and swam to the dead whale and climbed on top .
There were several tiger sharks and one white shark circling the carcass .
The Department of Fisheries have labelled the man's actions as 'irresponsible' and 'risky' |
13e074165b731151e2388b15d0fd2adf397cd3c2 | Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court ruled for a Pennsylvania woman accused of violating laws tied to a chemical-weapons treaty when she attacked the other woman in a love triangle. The justices by a unanimous vote on Monday concluded the government overstepped its authority when prosecuting Carol Anne Bond, as part of the country's obligations enforcing a chemical weapons agreement. At issue was whether Congress may criminalize conduct -- under its treaty ratification power -- that is otherwise the domain of the states. Bond was given a long prison sentence in the federal system after being convicted of using potentially lethal chemicals against a romantic rival. She would have likely gotten a much shorter sentence under state law. The decision sends the case back to lower courts, which could vacate the conviction. The case of toxic love has soap-opera elements, but Bond's lawyers argued she was being treated like a foreign terrorist instead of someone caught up in an act of personal revenge against a friend. "The global need to prevent chemical warfare does not require the federal government to reach into the kitchen cupboard," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his narrowly framed opinion, "or to treat a local assault with a chemical irritant as the deployment of a chemical weapon." Beyond this fact-specific dispute, the case touched on larger concerns about the strength and purpose of the Constitution's 10th Amendment, designed to preserve state power. It is also a question roiling the current political debate, especially among tea party conservatives in this post-9/11, security-conscious environment. The court majority largely avoided those questions in its ruling. Roberts said the facts of the case limited their scope. "This exceptional convergence of factors gives us serious reason to doubt the government's expansive reading of the [law], and calls for us to interpret the statute more narrowly." Bond, a native of Barbados, lived outside Philadelphia and worked as a microbiologist. As a federal appeals court succinctly summarized the relevant facts in the case: "Bond was excited when her closest friend, Myrlinda Haynes, announced she was pregnant. Bond's excitement turned to rage when she learned that her husband, Clifford Bond, was the child's father. She vowed revenge." The woman, known to her family as Betty, struck back by stealing dangerous a chemical -- arsenic-based 10-chloro-10H-phenoxarsine -- from her company. She also obtained potassium dichromate over the Internet. Both substances in heavy doses can cause toxic, even lethal harm with very little physical contact. The 42-year-old then tried to poison Haynes some two dozen times over several months, secretly sprinkling small amounts of the chemicals on an apartment doorknob, car door handles, and a mailbox. While suffering no more than a chemical burn on her thumb, Haynes grew suspicious -- one of the chemicals was a bright orange powder. After getting little help from local police, in 2007 she called postal inspectors, who set up surveillance cameras. Bond was videotaped stealing mail and placing chemicals inside the mailbox and a car muffler, court records show. She was soon arrested. Bond admitted her guilt early on and claimed she never meant to kill Haynes, but only wanted to cause her "an uncomfortable rash." The defendant also said her friend's betrayal caused an "emotional breakdown" that made her respond in such a shocking fashion. Instead of being charged with simple assault, which may have gotten her six months to a year or two in state prison, Bond was indicted in federal court on two counts of mail fraud and -- the bombshell -- two counts of violating a federal law and international treaty on the possession and use of "chemical weapons." When a judge denied her motions to transfer the case to state court, Bond pleaded guilty and immediately appealed. She received a sentence of six years behind bars and nearly $12,000 in fines and restitution. She was released in August 2012. There are about 1,000 treaties signed by the United States currently on the books. Many academics and lawmakers had hoped the majority right-leaning bench will use this opportunity to delve further into the scope of the 10th Amendment, which states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." In the broader political context, a bipartisan sphere of Americans worry the federal government and Congress have been overly aggressive in staking claims to disputes they believe are best left to states, especially in the criminal arena. And it is not just felonies. Areas like gun ownership, zoning laws, environmental regulations, taxation, health care, and education standards all could be re-examined in the wake of this high court decision. While agreeing the prosecution of Bond was improper, three other members of the court-- Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito -- would have gone farther and said the court should decide whether the law was a proper exercise of federal power. "We have here a supposedly 'narrow' opinion which, in order to be 'narrow,' sets forth interpretive principles never before imagined that will bedevil our jurisprudence (and proliferate litigation) for years to come. The immediate product of these interpretive novelties is a statute that should be the envy of every lawmaker bent on trapping the unwary with vague and uncertain criminal prohibitions," said Scalia. He added that the majority "enables the fundamental constitutional principle of limited federal powers to be set aside by the President and Senate's exercise of the treaty power. We should not have shirked our duty and distorted the law to preserve that assertion; we should have welcomed and eagerly grasped the opportunity-- nay, the obligation-- to consider and repudiate it." Some of Bond's supporters argue that some federal prosecutions are novel and the penalties are often more harsh, creating conflict and confusion with local efforts to ensure public safety. They see Bond as an unexpected hero in the fight to return "the power back to the people." "The proposition that the Treaty Clause is a trump card that defeats all of the remaining structural limitations on the federal government is not a proposition that is logically defensible," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said when the case was argued in December. Bond had won an earlier Supreme Court appeal, with a unanimous ruling she had "standing," or legal authority, to pursue her claims in the courts. That allowed her to continue trying to have her federal conviction tossed out, which was the current issue before the justices. Her lawyers say she had been trying in recent years to repair her shaken marriage, and has come to terms with her husband's betrayal. The case is Bond v. U.S. (12-158). | Carol Anne Bond challenged her conviction on a federal chemical weapon charge .
She used poisons to try to get back at a woman who had an affair with her husband .
The case touches on the conflict between federal and state powers . |
13e0c7a486863c55d5a0b93c06c2667200766949 | Even by MIT standards, says Tom Leighton, Danny Lewin was special. "He was really exceptionally smart. MIT has a lot of really smart people, and Danny stood out even among that rarified environment," says Leighton, who was then one of Lewin's professors at the Massachusetts school's computer science laboratory. "He liked working on the hardest problems, as opposed to the easier ones, because they would make more of a difference." That kind of determination drove Lewin throughout his short life. He was an American who joined the Israeli army and served in an elite unit, though he could have avoided the military altogether. He was a mathematician who could have had a stellar academic career but decided to jump into business. Most importantly, in the late '90s he saw a solution to what was then called the "World Wide Wait" and, with his company Akamai Technologies -- co-founded with Leighton -- made the Web faster and more efficient. (Disclosure: CNN was an early Akamai client and remains one to this day.) Lewin died on September 11, 2001, at age 31. He was on American Airlines Flight 11, the first plane to hit the World Trade Center, and was almost certainly the first person killed in the attacks on that horrible day. His life is now the subject of a new biography, "No Better Time: The Brief, Remarkable Life of Danny Lewin, the Genius Who Transformed the Internet." If you've never heard of Lewin, you're not alone, says the book's author, Molly Knight Raskin. That was partly due to his low-profile life and business -- Akamai is an infrastructure company, and Lewin wasn't flashy with his instant dot-com millions -- and partly because his friends and family shied away from publicity. But she believes it's a life that deserves to be celebrated. Even at 31, she says, he'd already accomplished so much. There were so many different elements, she says -- his military service, his business leadership, his intellect, his savvy -- and she wanted to convey some of that energy to others. "It was about the way he lived," she says. "I felt like if he was motivating me as much, I felt like I could do the same for readers." 'Like lighting a fire' From the beginning, Lewin seemed destined for big things. Even as a child he was an accomplished violinist, performer and athlete. He loved computers, too, learning to program an Apple II his father brought home in 1979. He was 9. In 1984, his family decided to move to Israel, and Lewin grew up near Jerusalem. He often spent as much time weightlifting as on his schoolwork, the book notes; nevertheless he aced his classes while developing an enviable physique. The latter would serve him well when he joined the Israel Defense Forces and tried out for the Sayeret Matkal, the secretive unit known for the famed 1976 rescue raid on Uganda's Entebbe Airport. Israel was key to shaping Lewin's temperament, says Raskin. "Moving to Israel was like lighting a fire under (his) drive," she says. "He wanted to squeeze every last drop out of every minute out of every hour out of every day." The imprint of the country's intensity and its people's blunt manner were obvious to anyone who met him years later. Some Akamai colleagues found him abrasive, and Lewin -- who had a fondness for words -- joked about being "obstreperous." But he was also terrifically loyal, supportive of staff and worked as hard as anybody. "He was motivating, so if he did kick you in the butt and tell you to work harder, generally people responded very well to that," Leighton recalls. "People wanted to 'take the hill' if he was saying that's what we've got to do." It was enough to impress Leighton, the academic who says in the book that he would have been perfectly happy to spend the rest of his life solving proofs. What attracted him to enter the private sector was "a chance for us to make a difference in the real world," he says in a phone interview. "In the area where we worked, in algorithms and the theoretical side of computer science, often that work is good, deep work, but it doesn't change the world. It doesn't impact people directly," adds Leighton, now the CEO of Akamai. "With this work, we thought it would have relevance in the real world, and make the Internet be faster, more reliable, more secure. It was a chance that was pretty rare for us." 'His potential was limitless' You have to remember that the Web we use today -- with practically instantaneous results, broadband-fueled streaming video and at-your-fingertips devices -- was practically unimaginable when Akamai was founded in 1998. Back then, with dial-up access and overworked servers, a page load could be as interminable as the drip of molasses. And so Akamai -- the name comes from the Hawaiian for "smart" or "clever" -- was born. But even with its killer app, which lowered the possibility of crashing servers, there was no guarantee of success, even in the late-'90s dot-com era. Indeed, Akamai's first attempt at impressing the venture capitalists who fund such dreams, the MIT $50K Entrepreneurship Competition, fell short. That only pushed Lewin to work harder. The company struck pay dirt on an unlikely day, March 11, 1999. That Thursday two events shook the Web: The opening of the NCAA men's basketball tournament and the first streaming of the trailer for "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace." While servers crashed all over the country, Akamai-supported machines handled the surge, and the company started taking off. The next two years were boom and bust -- for the Internet and for Akamai. In the aftermath of the company's October 1999 IPO, Lewin and Leighton were briefly paper billionaires. The stock scaled $300 a share. Then came the crash of 2000. Dozens of dot-com companies folded. By 2001, Akamai stock was selling for less than $5. Leighton says Lewin never lost his concentration. "We were both pretty focused on getting the job done, and that was true whether the stock was at 350 bucks or 50 cents," he says "It was positive reinforcement. If one of us got worried about a problem, the other would step in and say, here's how we're going to get past this one and here's why it's going to work out." 9/11 . Nevertheless, things were particularly grim on September 10, 2001. Leighton remembers a session stretching late into the evening in which the executives had to decide whom to lay off, including some friends and colleagues who had been with them almost since the beginning. The next morning Lewin had to fly from Boston to Los Angeles. "He probably barely got an hour of sleep before getting on board the next morning," Leighton remembers. Lewin was sitting in seat 9B. With his Israeli military training and understanding of Arabic, he may have figured out what was going on, perhaps even tried to stop it. According to flight attendants' calls relayed to authorities on the ground, the first passenger to be killed was seated in 9B. He was stabbed to death. Friends have always pondered the what-ifs. Lewin may have finished his Ph.D., something that always nagged at him. Friends thought he could have entered Israeli politics. Or he could have become a high-tech household name, like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. "Those who knew him feel like the world was robbed," says Raskin. "He was always searching for something greater." Leighton, who helped keep Akamai going in the dark days after Lewin's death, wonders as well. Akamai has since become a multibillion-dollar company active in cybersecurity. Perhaps Lewin would have gone that direction, using both his mathematical mind and his military training to fight terrorism. We'll never know. "I think he could have done whatever he decided he wanted to do," says Leighton. "I think his potential was limitless." | Danny Lewin was a math genius who co-founded Akamai Technologies .
Lewin's innovative algorithms allowed the Web to run faster, more efficiently .
Lewin may have been first person to die in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks .
He was likely stabbed to death on the first plane that struck the World Trade Center . |
13e139db5477a197e1ea0aca073aece138855678 | It started as a corner shop herbalist in Nottingham in 1849, and grew to become one of the most recognisable names on the British high street. Now Boots the chemist is the latest home-grown brand to be sold off to an American firm – in a deal worth nearly £6billion. US giant Walgreens already owns a 45 per cent stake in the British chain, which it acquired for £4billion in 2012. It is now set to buy the remaining 55 per cent to become the sole owner. End of an era: Boots is the latest British brand to be sold off to a U.S. firm – in a deal worth nearly £6billion . Boots is the latest in a long line of well-known British brands to be sold off to foreign companies. US supermarket chain Walmart took over Asda in 1999, while Cadbury has been owned by American firm Kraft since 2010. Italian tycoon Stefano Pessina, the chairman of Boots, is set to make around £1.5billion from the deal. He and private equity firm KKR have owned the business since 2007. Walgreens and Boots have developed several joint initiatives over the past two years – for example, Boots’ popular No7 anti-ageing serums have been sold in the US by Walgreens stores. It is now possible the British outlets will stock more American brands, and may introduce US-style health screening clinics to allow customers to test their blood glucose or cholesterol levels. Walgreens bosses are planning a major cost-cutting exercise designed to save £594million by 2017, however it is unclear how this will affect the British firm’s 70,000 staff and 2,500 stores. Mr Pessina, 73, will be appointed executive vice chairman of the new business, called Walgreens Boots Alliance. He has described the deal as more of a ‘merger’ than an American takeover, adding that several British executives from Boots have already been given high-profile jobs by Walgreens. He said: ‘I strongly believe that the merger will bring significant growth opportunities for both mature and emerging markets. ‘Today’s announcement reflects the great track record and accomplishments of our people to date and I am convinced that their skills, expertise and commitment will continue to make a positive contribution.’ The sale will mean the US retailer owns more than 11,000 shops in 12 countries, as well as the largest pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution network in the world. Walgreens’ American boss, Greg Wasson, will run the new company as president and chief executive. Like Boots, Walgreens began as a single pharmacy. It was opened in 1901 by Charles R Walgreen Snr, and by 1919 had expanded to 20 stores selling food and drink as well as medicines. Much of its early success stemmed from selling whiskey on prescription during the prohibition era. Walgreens has come under fire for continuing to stock tobacco products alongside medicines, but the company claims this means it is more readily able to offer customers advice and products to help them quit smoking. When the deal was in its early stages, some suggested that Walgreens planned to move its headquarters from the US to Britain in order to save on corporation tax. But the firm has said this is not the case, and it will remain based at its current site in Chicago. Boots’ head office will stay in Nottingham, where the business was founded in 1849 by farm worker John Boot, a Methodist who felt strongly about the need to make medicines available to the poor. When he died in 1860 aged 45, his wife Mary and son Jesse took over the chain. By 1890, it had grown to more than 200 stores. ... but it could mean less queueing and cheaper medicines . By RUTH SUNDERLAND, Associate City Editor . Long queues to pick up a prescription at Boots could be a thing of the past after the chemist’s merger with Walgreens. The American giant, which has more than 8,000 outlets across the US, is more advanced when it comes to the technology it uses to run its pharmacy counters. Thanks to the superior systems, waiting times are usually shorter and pharmacists do not need to spend as much time rummaging around on the shelves behind the counter to find medicines. End of this headache? Customers wait to be served in a boots branch at Heathrow Airport, London . Boots in the UK could also copy Walgreens’ pharmacy apps. One allows customers to get a repeat prescription by scanning their medicine’s barcode on a smartphone. They can then pick up their order in just 30 minutes. At flagship Walgreens shops, there is also a no-appointment-needed doctor service, which could be replicated here. The US pharmacies offer many more vaccinations, including those for travellers going to exotic locations. If Boots began offering these services, it would save British customers the inconvenience of a trip to the doctor’s surgery for a jab. In the longer term, Boots’ American deal could lead to cheaper drugs, thanks to a separate partnership it has forged with a US wholesaler called AmerisourceBergen. After the Boots-Walgreens merger they will be able to hand in medicine orders together, putting them in a very strong position to achieve the lowest prices. Combined, the pair will be the biggest purchaser of non-patent drugs on the planet. And the traffic is not all one way. While Boots is a mid-market staple of the British shopping scene, pharmacies in the US are an entirely different matter. ‘Drugstores’ are typically cheap and cheerful bazaars where toiletries and vitamin pills nestle next to cheap electronic goods, lurid cuddly toys and even fridges full of beer. When it comes to cosmetics, drugstores offer budget brands, usually with no testers or ladies in white coats to advise. Women wanting a more upmarket experience have to head for the glitzy department stores and pay top dollar for designer lotions and potions. But Boots is set to bring a slice of the British high street to Walgreens, launching wider ranges of its well-known brands including No7 and Botanics in US stores, and recruiting in-house beauty advisers. It will sell well-loved products such as No7 lipsticks to US women, and remodel Walgreens stores along British lines. Finally, UK customers will be relieved to learn that the Advantage loyalty card will not be affected by the merger, and that the familiar ‘three for two’ offers on Boots products will continue as normal. | US chain Walgreens is set to buy the 55 per cent of Boots is doesn't yet own .
Italian tycoon Stefano Pessina, Boots chairman, set to make abound £1.5bn .
Boots’ HQ will stay in Nottingham, where business was founded in 1849 . |
13e2b1e257aca7d325aa9f33cbadb62cf01607fe | Taylor Lianne Chandler has revealed that swimmer Michael Phelps pursued her on Tinder – but that they are no longer an item. Chandler, 41, claims to have had a romance with the US athlete, 12 years her junior, before he went into rehab in September and that they became involved after he approached her on the dating app. However, such is Phelps’ fame, that she wasn’t sure if the messages were coming from a made-up account. Scroll down for video . Taylor Lianne Chandler has revealed that swimmer Michael Phelps pursued her on Tinder . The real thing: Chandler explained that once she'd met up with Phelps, their relationship seemed quite serious . I'm yelling Tinder: A look at Phelps' alleged Tinder profile, which is how he and Chandler first met . She told The Daily Beast’s Aurora Snow: ‘He pursued me [on Tinder]. He was actually outside the age range for what my account was setup for. But what I’ve learned is when someone looks at whatever and likes you, even if they’re younger it shows up in your feed. ‘But at the time I just didn’t think it was real. You just figure it’s fake.’ Chandler explained that once they’d met up, their relationship seemed quite serious. She said: ‘We talked about the fact that I wasn’t looking to get involved with someone unless it was serious. I’m not ugly, so its not like men don’t approach me, but I wanted something real. And it felt real with him. I’ve been to his house four times, we talk everyday, and I’ve slept with him more than once.’ Chandler recently admitted on a Facebook post that she’d been born an ‘intersex’ - someone who had male genitalia, but no testicles, while also having a uterus and no ovaries . Party girl: An invite to Chandler's birthday celebrations in New York . The blonde says that she had a fulfilling sex life with Phelps, who made her feel ‘like the most beautiful woman in the world’. The pair are no longer together, but for reasons that Chandler won’t disclose. She insists that the split is not because she was forced to admit her past, and says that the reason is for Phelps to disclose. Chandler recently admitted on a Facebook post that she’d been born an ‘intersex’ – someone who had male genitalia, but no testicles, while also having a uterus and no ovaries - with the name David Roy Fitch. She wrote: ‘I was never a man, never lived as a man. No one can say they knew me as a man or produce a photo of me as a man. 'There are people that remember me as an androgynous child at times because of what was forced upon me.' She had previously detailed their first date, to a Baltimore Ravens games, to the National Enquirer. Chandler claims she was with Phelps when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI on September 30 in Baltimore . Mystery: Chandler says that she's no longer with Phelps, but for reasons that he should explain . Feet in the sand: Chandler has been a champion for gender rights . In costume: Chandler dressed as Wonder Woman for Halloween with a pal . 'One thing led to the next, and we made love during halftime,' she claims in the interview. 'Later, we had sex again. The intimacy with him was amazing! It was the first time in my life that someone has made me feel like a true woman.' She also told the magazine that she never lied to the swimmer about her past, saying it just never came up. Chandler claims she was with Phelps when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI on September 30 in Baltimore, Maryland. The swimmer entered rehab just a few days after the incident and completed his program on Wednesday according to Chandler. Her choice: Chandler began taking testosterone blockers in her teens, and had corrective surgery in her early twenties to get rid of her male genitalia . Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals, is currently serving a six month suspension from swimming as a result of his DUI. In her post, Chandler also takes some time to discuss the difficulties she has faced in her life. 'In my early teens I was medically diagnosed and went on testosterone blockers, at 15 estrogen enhancers. My birth certificate was modified along with my name while I was a teenager, prior to any corrective surgery,' she explains. 'I originally changed my name to Paige Victoria Whitney. At 16 I legally emancipated from my family. I had already left home at 15. At 18 I got in trouble twice, once for a bad check and then a DUI.' 'At 19 I thought it would be smart to blackmail someone into giving me the money for my surgery. As soon as I received the money I was arrested and charged with extortion.' 'I spent 30 days in jail because I was too ashamed to tell my family what happened thinking no one knew. Even though my birth certificate and drivers license said female they put me in a cell with 3 men and I was raped.' She has since spent much of her life crusading for gender rights. | Taylor Lianne Chandler claims to have dated US swimmer Michael Phelps .
She was born an 'intersex' - with male genitalia but no testicles, and a uterus but no ovaries .
She began taking testosterone blockers as a teenager and had corrective surgery in her early twenties to get rid of her male genitalia .
Chandler claims that Phelps approached her on dating app Tinder .
They began a romance during which they had sex several times, she says . |
13e3253e02b1868fb720dc41ce0e8a28f1cad413 | A banned nerve gas has been used to wipe out masses of people 'several times' during the Syrian civil war, the French government confirmed today. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the presence of Sarin was detected by researchers in Paris. France, which is pushing to arm rebels fighting President Bashar Al-Assad's army, said the use of the gas was in breach of all international protocols. Photographs have already been produced of victims including young children dying from the chemicals. Worrying: The aftermath of an air strike in Qusair after the announcement about chemical weapons . Sarin is odourless, and so hard to detect, of ten leaving people with no idea that they were have been exposed to the gas. Within a few minutes, victims experience runny nose, tightness in the chest, and pupil constriction. Then they have difficulty breathing, . get sick, and start to drool before they lose control of all their . bodily functions, begin twitching and ultimately suffocate in a series . of convulsive spasms. 'It is a horrendous death, and one . that the international community cannot allow,' said a foreign ministry . source in the French capital. Both Assad and the Syrian rebels have . accused each other of using chemical weapons, but this is the first . solid evidence of 'localised use' said Mr Fabius. March as the bloodiest month of the . conflict so far, with more than 6,000 people killed, including more than . 500 women and children. Some 70,000 people are thought to have . died since the uprising began in March 2011 as part of the Arab Spring . revolution across the Middle East and North Africa. Hundreds of . thousands more have been wounded, imprisoned and made homeless. Sarin was first developed in Nazi Germany in 1938 by two scientists who were trying to create a stronger pesticide. Allegations: This image shows forces loyal to Assad during an operation; they are accused of using sarin . When its potential for chemical . warfare was realised during the Second World War, the Germans started . mass-producing it, but it was never used. NATO listed Sarin as a standard . chemical weapon in the 1950s, but it was not used properly until 1988 . when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein used it to wipe out some 5000 people . in the Kurdish city of Haljaba, in northern Iraq. They all died over the course of two days when some 20 aircraft dropped the chemicals on the town. Sarin gas was also said to have been . used during the Gulf War in 2004, with the west using it as evidence of . the banned weapons of mass destruction the American and British . governments claimed Iraq possessed. Mr Fabius said: 'These tests show the . presence of sarin in various samples in our possession. France is . certain that sarin gas was used several times in Syria in limited . areas.' Mr Fabius said that the test results . had been handed to the United Nations because chemical weapons are . banned by international law. Concerns: The report to the Human Rights Council on violations in Syria's conflict accused both sides of committing war crimes during the conflict . It came as a UN report stated that . there were 'reasonable grounds' to suggest that chemical weapons were . being used in Syria. Mr Fabius would not state whether the Sarin had . been used by the Syrian Army, or by the rebels. The disclose comes after a U.N. report said today that there . are 'reasonable grounds' to believe that toxic chemicals have been used . as weapons in at least four attacks in Syria's civil war. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry said more evidence is needed to determine the precise chemical agents used or who used them and called on Damascus to allow a team of experts into the country. The report said there are allegations of . government forces using chemical weapons in four instances, but also . did not rule out rebels using them. The commission's report to the Human . Rights Council on violations in Syria's conflict also accused both sides of . committing war crimes. In an apparent message to European . countries considering arming Syrian rebels, the report warned that the . transfer of arms would heighten the risk of violations, leading to more . civilian deaths and injuries. 'War crimes and crimes against . humanity have become a daily reality in Syria where the harrowing . accounts of victims have seared themselves on our conscience,' the . report said. 'There is a human cost to the increased availability of . weapons,' it added. U.N.-Secretary . General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a U.N. team to investigate alleged . chemical weapons attacks in Syria after the Syrian government asked him . to investigate a purported attack by rebels on March 19 on Khan al-Assal . village in the northern city of Aleppo. But the Syrian government . insists that a probe be limited to that incident. Syrian soldiers were reportedly killed . and injured in the incident, which the rebels blame on Syrian forces. Opposition activists have claimed more than six instances when regime . forces used chemical weapons. Ban is insisting on a broader . investigation, including a December incident in Homs. He appointed . Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake Sellstrom to lead a U.N. investigation. Syria has refused to allow his team into the country. The confirmed use of chemical weapons . could escalate the international response to the more than two-year-old . conflict, which has killed more than 70,000 people, according to the . United Nations. President Barack Obama has said their use would be a . 'red line,' but the administration says it still looking for solid . evidence. 'There are . reasonable grounds to believe that chemical agents have been used as . weapons,' the report said. 'It has not been possible, on the evidence . available, to determine the precise chemical agents used, their delivery . systems or the perpetrator.' 'It is possible that anti-government armed groups may access and use chemical weapons.... though there is no compelling evidence that these groups possess such weapons or their requisite delivery systems,' the report said. 'Conclusive findings - particularly in the absence of a large-scale attack - may be reached only after testing samples taken directly from victims or the site of the alleged attack,' it said. The report, covering the period from mid-January to mid-May, accused both sides of committing war crimes. On the government side, the report accused government forces and affiliated militia of committing torture, rape, forcible displacement and enforced disappearance. On the rebel side, the report accused armed groups of carrying out sentencing and execution without due process, as well as committing torture, taking hostages and pillaging. But it said violations and abuses by the rebels 'did not, however, reach the intensity and scale of those committed by government forces and affiliated militia.' 'A dangerous state of fragmentation and disintegration of authority prevails in areas under anti-government armed groups control, despite attempts to fill the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the state through creating local councils,' it said. | Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the presence of Sarin was detected .
Photographs have already been produced of victims, including children .
France is pushing to arm rebels fighting President Al-Assad's army .
Comes after UN report said there are 'reasonable grounds' to believe toxic chemicals have been used . |
13e34bb4d7ee6cbc6b23b822b7e4151aafef7eb1 | After a week of misery, the end is finally in sight for passengers aboard the nightmare Carnival cruise ship as the vessel makes the last leg of its journey in to port today. The ship's 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members have been stuck on the Carnival Cruise Lines’ 'Triumph' in the Gulf of Mexico since Sunday after a fire in the engine room crippled the power system. Passengers reported how the four day luxury cruise then turned into a nightmare as carpets became soaked in urine and scare food supplies left them with nothing to eat but cold sandwiches. Their horrendous journey will finally end today with the ship expected to arrive at Mobile in Alabama around 4pm. But the cruise company is still offering passengers a 15 per cent discount just in case they want to do it all again. Scroll down for video . Cry for help: The stranded passengers on the Carnival Triumph line the top deck in the Gulf of Mexico. The picture was taken by a guest on the Triumph Legend when the sister ship pulled up alongside to drop off supplies . Stranded at sea: The Carnival cruise ship has been stuck in the Gulf of Mexico since Sunday. The first tugboat arrived on Monday night and a sister boat brought extra food (pictured) Assistance: The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous closes in on the Carnival Triumph cruise ship . The Miami-base cruise line has said passengers aboard the ship will . receive a full refund for the cost of the cruise as well as transportation costs, pre-paid shore . excursions, gratuities, and government fees and taxes. But the company is also offering the passengers 25 per cent discounts on future three to five day Carnival . cruises or a 15 per cent discount on a six or seven day cruise. The ship left Galveston, Texas, for a four-day cruise last Thursday and was about 150 . miles off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula when an engine room fire knocked out its primary power source on Sunday. The blow-out crippled the ships water and plumbing . systems - leaving it adrift on only a backup power. 'Toilets are overflowing in the cabins, we are having to sleep in the hallways. Onion and cucumber sandwiches last night. 'Cabin carpets are wet with urine.' Debra Rightmire, passenger . 'No power, no water, having to use the bathroom in bags.' Gary Keyes, whose wife is on board . 'People are fighting over food and stuff - that's a bunch of savages.' Brent Nutt, whose wife Bethany is on board . 'We have no power AT ALL, which means we can't use the toilets, wash our hands, or take a shower' A blogger Clinty76 reporting what his wife told him on board the Triumph . 'There's no lights, no water, we can't flush. Some people were able to shower.' Donna Gutzman, on board . Passengers have reported that cabin carpets are soaked in urine leaving many forced to sleep in tents on deck. The . first tug boat reached the Carnival Triumph on Monday night and began . towing the vessel to Mobile, Alabama, at the rate of a few miles per . hour. Reports say that there are only five working bathrooms for the more than 3,000 passengers on board. The rest are being asked by the crew aboard the vessel to urinate in cabin showers and defecate in bags. Ann Barlow told CNN: 'It's disgusting. It's the worst thing ever.' She . told the network that the staff have been helpful, but that is doing . little for the putrid conditions, including the unbearable heat and long . lines for food and bathrooms. Another passenger, Debra Rightmire, texted ABC: 'Conditions are getting worse by the hour. Cabin carpets are wet with urine and water. 'Toilets are overflowing in the cabins, we are having to sleep in the hallways. Onion and cucumber sandwiches last night.' Another Donna Gutzman wrote: 'There's no lights, no water, we can't flush. Some people were able to shower.' Those on board were only able to make contact with land via their phones when sister ship, the Carnival Legend pulled up alongside to drop off limited supplies on life rafts. Holidaymakers have . been forced to sleep outside as there is no air conditioning in . their sweltering cabins. Some passengers have no . options other than bags or buckets for toilets with reports of 'raw sewage running down . the walls'. Slow crawl to shore: The tugs Resolve Pioneer and Dabhol tow and steer the Carnival Triumph cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday as the boat heads for Alabama . Coming to the rescue: Another Carnival cruise liner called the Legend went off course to help the other boat but dropping off supplies proved difficult in high seas, according to one passenger . Nightmare vacation: Bethany Nutt (center) pictured with two friends who had joined her in a group trip on the Carnival cruise. She called her husband hysterical about the conditions on board the boat . The news came . amid claims that those on the ship have turned into 'savages' and are . fighting over food, relatives said. Passengers reportedly have been queuing up . to four hours to get a hamburger. David . Raynes, from New Hampshire, is on sister ship the Carnival Legend. He . took a picture of passengers on the Triumph on Monday, lined along the . top deck, staring out to sea. He . wrote on Facebook: 'Our ship shuttled supplies to them, which was not . an easy task due to the wind and high waves – it was hard for the boat . they were using to get up close to the other cruise ship and then back . to ours. They made at least two trips. 'Another ship, the Conquest, came along . to bring more food to them. We could hear announcements from the . Triumph, and their guests cheered when they heard the news that a . tugboat was just 17 miles away. It arrived before we left. We were there . about five hours. The Triumph made a pass by us and the guests cheered and waved to us.' Diabolical: Passengers reported that cabin carpets are soaked in urine because toilets are overflowing on board the stranded ship (this is a stock image which has been posed by models) Party's over: The Carnival Triumph normally offers abundant buffets for guests - who are now being forced to eat onion sandwiches and queue four hours for a hamburger (stock image) Filthy: Passengers on board the Triumph (stock picture) will finally arrive in Mobile, Alabama, today . CBS Houston reported that . 500 passengers are McDonald's workers from the Houston area, mostly . local franchise owners and executives of the restaurant chain. The ship is listing to 4.5 degrees and although not dangerous, the angle of the boat is 'not normal and would definitely be felt by passengers walking around', an expert told MailOnline. A 25-mph south-southeasterly wind has made it too difficult to tow the ship to its original destination of Progreso, Mexico, so the vessel has changed course and is heading north to Alabama. Carnival Cruise Lines president and CEO, . Gerry Cahill, said: 'All guests on the . current Carnival Triumph voyage will receive a full refund for the . cruise, along with transportation expenses. 'In addition, they will receive a . future cruise credit equal to the amount paid for this voyage, as well . as reimbursement of all shipboard purchases during the voyage, with the . exception of gift shop and casino charges. He added: 'We're terribly sorry for the . inconvenience, discomfort, and frustration our guests are feeling. Saving the day: Another ship called the Conquest also turned up with food for stranded guests on the Triumph . Getting a tow: The ship is now being taken to Mobile, Alabama, where it is expected to arrive later today . 'We . know they expected a fantastic vacation, and clearly that is not what . they received. Our shipboard and shoreside teams are working around the clock to care for our guests and get them home safely.' Carnival Cruise Lines has since canceled a dozen more planned voyages aboard the Triumph and acknowledged that the crippled ship had been plagued by other mechanical problems in the weeks before an engine-room fire left it powerless in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship is expected to finally dock in Alabama around 4pm today. Passengers' stay in Alabama will be limited, Carnival said in a statement late Wednesday. The company said passengers were being given the option of boarding buses directly to Galveston, Texas, or Houston, or spending the night in a hotel in New Orleans, where the company said it booked 1,500 rooms. Those staying in New Orleans will be flown Friday to Houston. Carnival said it will cover all the transportation costs. No shock: Previous passengers of the Carnival Triumph said the were not surprised, citing engine trouble on past journeys. The ship's troubles on this trip has left passengers fighting over food and toilets and sleeping in tents on the decks to get out of their sweltering, air conditioner-less cabins . Lights out: Passengers are being forced to sleep in tents on the decks because the AC on board has stopped working during heatwave conditions (stock image of the Triumph) Journey: The ship left Galveston, Texas, for a four-day cruise to Progreso, Mexico, last Thursday but broke down about 150 . miles off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after an engine room fire on Sunday . | Some 4,200 people have been stranded on a Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine fire broke out on Sunday .
Passengers left sleeping on the decks because of no air conditioning .
The toilets wouldn't flush and passengers faced four-hour queues for food .
Vessel is being towed and is expected to dock in Mobile, Alabama, at 4pm .
Carnival is offering Triumph passengers discounts on future cruise trips . |
13e5305cc2f2e2c6033a42e3c29f4a82b3acf60a | Police are using a database of up to 18million mugshots to identify suspects despite no proper legal framework being in place. Forces across England and Wales have begun setting up the huge library of images without telling the Home Office or watchdogs. Many on the database would have been pictured on arrest but then not charged with any crime. However, their pictures remain on file indefinitely. Forces have begun setting up the huge library of images without telling the Home Office or watchdogs . Police can search the photo library for suspects using facial recognition technology. But biometrics commissioner Alastair MacGregor said last night that he was concerned about the implications of 'hundreds of thousands' of innocent people being in the system. He told BBC Newsnight that he was also worried about the risk of 'dangerous' false matches as there had not been enough rigorous testing of facial recognition systems. Mr MacGregor was appointed as the Government's first biometrics commissioner in March 2013 with the task of scrutinising official use of DNA and fingerprint profiles. He said: 'My concern is not simply that important privacy and civil liberties issues have not been addressed.' Although the technology could be 'tremendously useful' in fighting crime, he was concerned at the public's attitude. 'Its value will be very significantly undermined if the public cannot have confidence in it and cannot feel there are proper controls,' he warned. Mr MacGregor said the High Court had told police in 2012 to put rules in place about the proper use of mugshots but they had not done so. 'There is always a danger that if you can do something then you will do it, the technology takes over... without giving the attention to the other issues that arise,' he said. Mr MacGregor was also concerned about the reliability of the technology as a false match could 'easily send an investigation off into the completely wrong direction'. David Davis said: 'You cannot treat innocent people the same way you treat guilty people. You should not misuse the data in this way. No facial recognition software is 100 per cent reliable' Chief Constable Mike Barton, the national police lead on facial recognition, said the database was playing a valuable role but admitted it had 'no legislative framework'. Leicestershire Police said the facial recognition system it began using last year had proved invaluable. A spokesman said the force has 100,000 photos and the software was 100 per cent reliable if there were clear images. But David Davis, former Tory shadow home secretary, said: 'You cannot treat innocent people the same way you treat guilty people. You should not misuse the data in this way. No facial recognition software is 100 per cent reliable.' Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office minister David Laws has demanded urgent action to regulate the use of the database, Newsnight reported. The Home Office said it was reviewing the legal framework for the use of these images. | Forces in England and Wales have begun setting up huge library of images .
Many on database pictured on arrest but then not charged with any crime .
However pictures remain on file indefinitely which has concerned experts .
Police can search library for suspects using facial recognition technology . |
13e78015511049f3aeefe368fcd17660e9287ea9 | By . Emma Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 16:42 EST, 21 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:50 EST, 21 October 2013 . Police are searching for two teenage girls who went missing . from the same area on the same day in apparently unlinked disappearances. Concern is rising for the welfare of Shannon Bladen and . Jessica Brant, who have both been missing from the Alway area of Newport, South . Wales, since last Wednesday. Gwent Police acknowledge that officers have no evidence to . suggest the disappearances are linked, but the possibility has not been ruled . out. Missing: Jessica Brant, 13, of Alway, Newport, south Wales, (left) was last seen on Wednesday afternoon and Shannon Bladen, 14, of Alway, Newport, south Wales, (right) was last seen on Wednesday morning . 'We have no information to suggest they are linked in . any way but it has not been ruled out as a possibility,' a spokeswoman . said. 'Obviously they have been missing for some days now and . concern is rising for their welfare.' Shannon, 14, was last seen at 7.55am on Wednesday when she . left home to catch a bus to school. She is described as 5ft 1in and of slim . build with dyed black shoulder-length hair. She was wearing the Newport High School uniform of black . trousers and black polo top with yellow shoulders, and a grey hooded jumper . with a denim jacket over it. She was carrying a red and white Betty Boo bag . containing a blue hooded jumper. Jessica, 13, went missing at around 3.30pm the same day. She . is 5ft 3in and of medium build, with dyed black shoulder-length hair which, when . she was last seen, was tied in a ponytail. When she disappeared she was wearing leggings and a khaki . green jacket with what has been described as a lumberjack pattern on the arms. Officers want anyone with any information about the . whereabouts of either girl to call Gwent Police on 101. | Shannon Bladen and Jessica Brant went missing from Alway, South Wales .
Gwent Police not ruling out a link between the disappearances .
Both teenagers have not been seen since last Wednesday . |
13e89be392de3439f36f22db24778d197b2197d4 | By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 04:08 EST, 12 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:28 EST, 12 November 2013 . Meeting someone new isn't always the easiest of tasks, so spare a thought for China's young women who face intense parental pressure to find the right man. As a result, women terrified of returning home without a handsome other half resort to hiring 'boyfriends' for the duration of their visit. Now a shopping website, Taobao, has launched a new rent-a-boyfriend service which allows would-be fake other halves to advertise their services - complete with price lists. False romance: Women under pressure are resorting to fake boyfriends in a bid to impress their families . According to Chinese newspaper, the People's Daily, rent-a-boyfriends must be hired for a minimum of three days and offer a range of services including dinner (50 yuan, approximately £5) and shopping trips (30 yuan, approximately £3), on top of their 30 yuan hourly fee. Other services include seeing a film, although you will have to pay double if the movie is a thriller, and a 50 yuan peck on the lips, although hand-holding and a goodbye kiss on the cheek or forehead are free. 'I wanted to earn some pocket money when I had just graduated from university and started to work,' explains one advertiser, 27-year-old Matthew Fang from Chongqing. 'This rental business isn’t bad, especially during the Chinese Lunar New Year when there are family reunions.' End game: The women are searching for someone to marry but make do with a stand in while the hunt goes on . And business is booming for a reason. Chinese women in particular still face enormous parental pressure to meet a suitable man and rather than face a barrage of questions from nosy relatives, hire their men instead. According to Fang, the recruitment process begins with a preliminary meeting to discuss the client's requirements and to get their back story straight. Typically, the pair will exchange photos and will have a rehearsal before going ahead with the rental. Despite the detailed list of services and attempts - on both sides - to keep relations professional, some of the rent-a-boyfriends admit that it can, at times, be difficult. 'It all depends on how you look at it,' says another fake boyfriend, 26-year-old Xu Li from Yancheng City. 'If you look at it as a business, then it’s much easier.' The New York Observer has pinpointed a new phenomenon which sees wealthy Americans reject real friends in favour of a paid entourage. A fashion designer, who was anonymously quoted in The Observer’s piece much like rest of the article’s sources, told the paper: ‘There is a market, a currency for paid friends in New York. Some people need the money, and some people need the friends.’ But while being a paid friend might sound like an easy way to make a living, it's not always champagne bars and lavish dinners. ‘You’re always on someone else’s schedule — sort of like being a pet monkey,’ said one paid friend who lives between New York and LA. 'Being a paid friend is complicated,' he continued. 'When you’re in the presidential suite, it’s amazing, sometimes it can be emasculating, but I put my ego away a long time ago.’ | Rent-a-boyfriends can advertise their wares on Taobao.com .
Increasingly popular with women under parental pressure to marry .
Services include dinners and cinema visits. Hand-holding is free . |
13e8c06c1e2fd5dcfe93ff9fb084f7d2ae402cf2 | The kissing congressman has been dumped. Voters comprehensively rejected Republican candidate Vance McAllister's bid for re-election to the U.S. House of Represenatives on Tuesday - going against a tide of conservative wins across the country. The married father of five came to national prominence in April when he was caught on video sharing and kiss and a cuddle with a staff member who was also married - to one of his best and oldest friends. Scroll down for video . CCTV footage showed Mr McAllister stealing a kiss from a staffer at his office in Monroe, Louisiana on 23 December 2013. She worked as his district scheduler - and was the wife of a childhood friend . Mr McAllister, a staunch conservative who had campaigned on Christian values, publicly apologised for his indiscretion and asked for forgiveness. As the mid-term elections approached, Republican leaders called on Mr McAllister to resign. He initially said he would not stand for re-election but then changed his mind, saying in June 'the people should decide whether or not I continue to represent them.' The people's decision on that question a resounding 'no' on Tuesday. Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, 33, was named as the woman caught in a clinch with Mr McAllister, a Republican Congressman for Louisiana . McAllister failed to win enough votes to reach a run-off ballot between a Republican and Democratic candidate on December 6,The Hill reported. Mr McAllister's campaign for re-election included a bizarre ad in which he appeared with his wife, Kelly, and they both studiously avoid mentioning his indiscretion while praising a man who 'owns up to his mistakes.' Mr McAllister was captured on video in a passionate embrace with a woman later identified as Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, 33, who worked in his office as a scheduler. Mrs Peacock's husband, Heath, was a longtime friend of Mr McAllister and the two couples had spent many hours together. The two man grew up a few miles from each other and graduated from the same high school in 1990. The two men later worked together at an oil and gas company in Houston, Texas. The Peacock's donated $10,000 to Mr McAllister's first campaign. Mr Peacock was devastated by the revelation of his friend and wife's affair, and said at the time his life was ruined and he and his wife were 'headed for divorce.' Mr McAllister initially said he would not stand for re-election but changed his mind saying 'voters should decide'. They resoundingly decided against returning him to Congress in Tuesday's mid-term elections . Mr McAllister lost the support of the Republican party over his indiscretion, and then the support of voters in his Louisiana constituency in the mid-term elections on Tuesday . Mr McAllister's rejection went against the tide of support for Republican candidates at the mid-terms. The Republicans delivered a humiliating defeat to President Barack Obama's Democrats across the country, securing a majority in the Senate and numerous state governor's positions in the landslide win. | Vance McAllister's loss went against tide of Republican mid-term victories .
Known as 'kissing congressman' after amorous embrace caught on video .
Partner in the affair was wife of a friend of McAllister's since high school .
McAllister, married at the time, admitted 'personal mistakes' and ran again .
Failed to win enough votes to join other candidates in run-off ballot . |
13e8fdc3e3a613d102a90a89589060d9222a50ec | A French physician who treated Michael Schumacher for nearly six months after the Formula One champion struck his head in a ski accident says he is no longer in a coma and predicted a possible recovery within three years. Jean-Francois Payen, a doctor at the Grenoble hospital that treated Schumacher after his injury in December 2013, said he has visited the Schumacher family at home in Switzerland to track his patient's progress. 'Life after a head injury is punctuated by stages,' Payen said. He predicted a convalescence of one to three years. 'We hope, but we have to give him time.' Michael Schumacher with his wife Corinna Schumacher in Madonna di Campiglio in January 2005 . Schumacher gives the thumb up at the end of the Brazil's F1 GP in November 2012 . Schumacher was with his 14-year-old son in the French Alps when he fell, hitting the side of his head on a rock, cracking his helmet. | Michael Schumacher is no longer in a coma, says French physician who treated him for nearly six months .
Schumacher was with his 14-year-old son in the French Alps when he fell, hitting the side of his head on a rock, cracking his helmet .
Schmacher could make recovery within three years .
'We hope, but we have to give him time,' says Dr Jean-Francois Payen . |
13e91c623854c2077374ab52f5e98684053a5c83 | By . Charlotte Griffiths . A poster advertising a satirical play about the Monarchy and, showing Prince Charles gagged, has been censored by London Underground because it fears it could cause offence. The advert for the critically acclaimed production of King Charles III features a punk-style portrait of the Prince with his mouth covered by white duct tape. But despite the fact that the poster has been displayed across London since the play opened nearly three weeks ago, a nervous Transport for London has decided to pixelate Charles’s face. Posters advertising the play King Charles III at The Almeida Theatre Islington were pixelated by TfL over concerns the punk-style image may cause offence . The original image used for the poster. TfL blamed the company that deals with adverts on the Tube last night for the pixelled image . Last night there appeared to be confusion over exactly why the poster had been censored. TfL laid the blame on the company that deals with adverts on the Tube, saying the ban was made amid fears that the image might cause offence, but it could not say who it was afraid of offending. A TfL spokesman said: ‘We work with a company called Exterion Media, which handles our adverts on the Tube network and offers advice. ‘They may say this or that could cause offence. Exterion may have said the poster doesn’t fit with part of their policy. 'The decision was made without reference . to us and does look to have been a little over-enthusiastic. We will . speak to them about it.’ A Clarence House aide said no attempt had been made to contact Charles, pictured during a visit to south west London last month, about his image being used . Tom Moloney, of the NB Studio which designed the poster, said the news had come as a shock. He added: ‘We weren’t aware until we sent the artwork. We sent it off and it was sent back. All we know is we had to change it in line with their feedback. It was to do with TfL’s rules and regulations about what you are allowed to put up on their sites.’ The Almeida Theatre, in Islington, North London, where the sold-out play by Mike Bartlett opened on April 3, still displays a large uncensored version of the poster. A theatre spokesman said: ‘I believe the artwork designers had to pixelate Charles’s face in order for TfL to let us put the posters up.’ Last night, a Clarence House aide said that no attempt had been made to contact Charles about his image being used, nor had the Prince instructed anyone to censor the advert. The play takes place after the Queen’s death and focuses on the Prince of Wales as he is about to ascend to the throne after ‘a lifetime of waiting’. Meanwhile, Prince Charles could be crowned as King of an independent Scotland under radical plans backed by SNP leader Alex Salmond. A separate ceremony would effectively mean Scotland becoming a kingdom in its own right. Additional reporting: William Jaffrey . | Play poster featuring punk-style portrait of the Prince pixelated by TfL .
Advert for King Charles III blurred by company over fears it may offend .
Poster has already been displayed around London for three weeks . |
13e93ee4259fbaba2f88c8ece684f8935b169b56 | Adolf Hitler's grand plans for the 'supercapital' of the Third Reich, which he intended to rename Germania, are detailed in a new exhibition. Staged in a vast Nazi bunker, 'The Myth of Germania: Vision and Crimes' features the 'Hall of the People' which was to be twice the size of St Peter's Basilica in Rome with room for 180,000 people. A giant map shows plans for a five-mile-long boulevard designed to be flanked by towering buildings celebrating Nazi prestige. Scroll down for video . Hitler designed the ‘Hall of the People’ (pictured) which was to be twice the size of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome with a dome 16 times the size and room inside for 180,000 people . The new city was to be the biggest in the world with a stadium (pictured), avenues and statues which Hitler proclaimed would last for 1,000 years . The new city was to be the biggest in the world with grand buildings, avenues and statues which Hitler proclaimed would last for 1,000 years. But due to the war, all that was realised of Hitler's plans for Berlin are huge street lights on an avenue leading up to the Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin exhibition reveals architect Albert Speer – who escaped the death penalty at the Nuremberg Trials after claiming not to know about the extermination of the Jews – was told to use Jewish slave labourers. He ordered evictions in the demolition zones so building could be completed quickly once Germany had won the war. 'Germania' Architect Albert Speer (left) was told to use Jewish slave labourers by Hitler (right) Hitler's utopian plans to rebuild Berlin on a monumental scale were never realised, but the preparations involved demolitions and the use of slave labour . Curator Gernot Schaulinski said: 'This is not about 'Germania' as the hobby of a dictator It's about the intentions of such a project, the ideology behind it, and those who suffered because of it' 'Aryan' residents forced out were to move into 24,000 apartments formerly occupied by Berlin's Jews. Curator Gernot Schaulinski said: 'This is not about 'Germania' as the hobby of a dictator It's about the intentions of such a project, the ideology behind it, and those who suffered because of it.' The exhibition has been organised by the Berlin Underground association which explores and opens up Nazi-era bunkers and buildings for public show. It is being staged in a vast bunker built by the Nazis in the Wedding district of Berlin which has become a tourist attraction in its own right. To meet demand for construction materials for 'Germania', Hitler, Speer and SS military commander Heinrich Himmler agreed to use concentration camp inmates as manpower. The SS built the world's largest brickworks in Oranienburg, a camp near Berlin where many inmates were murdered or died from the work. | Myth of Germania: Vision and Crimes exhibition is held in a Berlin bunker .
It reveals Hitler's plans for Germania - the 'supercapital' of the Third Reich .
Hall of the People was set to be twice the size of St Peter's Basilica in Rome .
Hitler said city would be the biggest in the world and last for 1,000 years .
Architect Albert Speer was ordered to use Jewish slave labourers . |
13e9d458b0e2c29661f8dadc342cab9266e5add3 | If you were feeling lucky pre-season, then you may have waltzed into your local bookmakers, seen Southampton priced at 6/1 to be relegated, and thought: 'Why not?' They'd just been stripped of Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Calum Chambers and Rickie Lambert. Nicola Cortese, their chairman, had resigned. Their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, had abandoned St Mary's in favour of a more likely European candidate in north London. Yet your ill-wagered stake has been lost. For Southampton have passed the 40-point mark – the yardstick for Barclays Premier League survival – with 16 games to spare. Eljero Elia celebrates with his manager Ronald Koeman during Southampton's win at Newcastle . Elia (left) ran straight to Southampton manager Koeman to share in the moment of his first goal for the club . Southampton have defied the odds this season to remain in contention for a top-four finish . Jose Fonte (left) faced Tranmere four years ago . Four years ago, Southampton lost 2-0 against Tranmere Rovers in League One at Prenton Park... with Rickie Lambert, Jose Fonte (pictured), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Morgan Schneiderlin involved . The Champions League beckons, and it is hardly a case of your awkward cousin crashing the party. They’ve earned their invite to be among the pack chasing European football. Queens Park Rangers, from 2007, were the focal point of a documentary by Mat Hodgson called The Four Year Plan. The plot was to chronicle the debt-ridden club’s leap from the Championship to the Premier League, from Bovril to Champagne. The west Londoners did it, under the tutelage of Formula One magnates Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, and fellow tycoons Alejandro Agag, Lakshmi Mittal and Amit Bhatia. Southampton may not have had a fly on the wall but they’ve done it, too. This weekend marks four years since Southampton, scrapping in League One, lost 2-0 against Tranmere Rovers, the Merseyside club now loitering some 88 positions below in the basement division. A certain Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rickie Lambert, Jose Fonte and Morgan Schneiderlin played that day on January 22 to the tune of a 5,504 attendance. Fonte is used to marking those such as Arsenal's Olivier Giroud these days in the Premier League . Morgan Schneiderlin (top) has gone from facing Tranmere in 2011 to Manchester United and Co in 2015 . Southampton, Ronald Koeman . Manchester United, Louis van Gaal . Arsenal, Arsene Wenger . Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino . West Ham, Sam Allardyce . Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers . The latter two remain at Southampton, while Tranmere face dropping out of the Football League altogether this year. There's something sentimental about going from Tranmere’s Prenton Park and the like to knocking on the door of Real Madrid’s Bernabeu, Barcelona’s Nou Camp, and Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, among others. What football supporter hasn’t dreamed of that? Liverpool, following a five-year absence from the Champions League, were cordially invited to the Bernabeu in Group B on November 4, yet fielded a weakened team. Were Southampton given the chance... you know the rest. Yet 16 games are to be played between now and May 24, when they travel to the Etihad to play reigning champions Manchester City. That finale perhaps the ultimate test of their Champions League credentials. Liverpool fielded a weakened side against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu this season... would Southampton? Brendan Rodgers' men got back into the Champions League after a five-year absence but fielded a B team . It is 10 years since Everton reached the Champions League only to lose in the qualifying rounds . The Premier League, you see, is a tight-knit group. Its status quo is rarely interrupted, as shown above. In the past five years just six different teams have broken into the top four – those being Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs. Everton are the seventh club, if you stretch back a decade, though they lost in the qualifying rounds. Compare that to Europe’s top divisions since 2009 – Spain’s La Liga (9), Germany’s Bundesliga (7), France’s Ligue 1 (9) and Italy’s Serie A (9) – and the Premier League (6) proves the most difficult to crack. All this, shown below. Atletico Madrid stunned Europe by reaching the Champions League final in Lisbon last season . Atletico also beat giants Barcelona and Real Madrid to the La Liga crown in an extraordinary season . Southampton, it is well documented, traded their prized possessions for £94.5million during the summer’s transfer window. They made a mockery of the suggestion they would not cope without Shaw, Lallana, Lovren, Chambers, Lambert (and Cortese and Pochettino). To think it was on December 20, 2014, when Southampton had Everton, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle ahead. It was the run that should unmask the pretenders, that would surely end all this silly nonsense. Southampton took no notice. They have taken 16 points since beating Everton 3-0, the finest form in the Premier League. Liverpool – the club that exchanged £49m for Lovren, Lallana and Lambert – are behind with 14 points from their previous six. Then, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham (13). Southampton – WWDWWW (16 points) Liverpool – DWWDWW (14) Arsenal – DWWLWW (13) Chelsea – WWDLWW (13) Tottenham Hotspur – WWDWLW (13) Manchester City – WWDWDL (11) Stoke City – LWWDLW (10) Manchester United – DWDDLW (9) Nathaniel Clyne has been an integral part of Southampton's watertight defence this season . Elia (left) gave Southampton the lead against Newcastle as they continue their quest for European football . Dec 20, Southampton 3-0 Everton . Dec 26, Crystal Palace 1-3 Southampton . Dec 28, Southampton 1-1 Chelsea . Jan 1, Southampton 2-0 Arsenal . Jan 11, Man Utd 0-1 Southampton . Jan 17, Newcastle 1-2 Southampton . Feb 1, Southampton vs Swansea City . Feb 7, QPR vs Southampton . Feb 11, Southampton vs West Ham . Feb 22, Southampton vs Liverpool . Feb 28, West Brom vs Southampton . Mar 3, Southampton vs Crystal Palace . Given their fixtures since before Christmas, you can only ask a) how many points did Southampton expect to get from those six matches? And b) how many points do they expect to get from their next six? Swansea City, QPR, West Ham, Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace to come. Maximum 18? Settle for another 16? Fifteen perhaps? Southampton's defence will have a say in that. In the Premier League, they’ve conceded the least goals (16), giving them the best average (0.73), and have made more tackles (512) than any other club. At the other end, they’ve scored the fourth most goals (37), and have had the fifth most shots (220), not including those blocked. Their percentage of goals to shots (16.82) is the third best in the Premier League. Southampton pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory at Old Trafford earlier this month to shock Manchester United . United have struggled under Dutchman Louis van Gaal, unlike Southampton under countryman Koeman . Van Gaal (left) and Koeman (right) went head to head but the Southampton manager won in the away fixture . Did you hear the one about the Dutchmen? No, not a joke. It is Ronald Koeman and Louis van Gaal, the Southampton and Manchester United managers respectively, that occupy the coveted third and fourth positions. They are far from friends, despite being compatriots, yet made headlines for differing reasons during their first month in charge, namely because one brought in £94.5m while the other spent £153m. Van Gaal has been questioned about his formations, tactics, substitutions, and the like. Why, for example, was Phil Jones taking corners? Why was Angel di Maria being used as a striker? Why will you not give up on 3-5-2? He’s playing all the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order – as the late, great Eric Morecambe might say. Southampton are aiming to qualify for the Champions League this year in the Premier League . Koeman replaced Mauricio Pochettino last summer and has taken the club to new heights . Koeman, on the other hand, has cracked it. He orchestrated a win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Then, another over Newcastle at St James’ Park, and had the gall to suggest the three points in the North East felt even sweeter. There are no delusions of grandeur. While we’d all love to see Sam Allardyce, trench coat et al, command West Ham at the Bernabeu, it would be stirring to see a team that just four years ago were in League One earn their right to be in Europe next year. The Four Year Plan, indeed. It would prove Champions League qualification in England is not reserved for those prepared to break the bank. Not just a rich boys club, after all. We’ll know for certain come May 24. If Southampton can continue their unprecedented rise, then they could be coming to a Champions League evening near you. Here’s hoping. Rickie Lambert (left), Adam Lallana (centre) and Dejan Lovren (right) left for Liverpool during the summer . Luke Shaw (left) joined Manchester United while Calum Chambers (right) moved to Arsenal in the summer . | QPR starred in The Four Year Plan documentary which recorded their rise in 2007 from the Championship to the Premier League .
This weekend marks four years since Southampton lost 2-0 against Tranmere Rovers in League One at Prenton Park .
Southampton are now knocking on the door of European trips to the Bernabeu, Nou Camp, San Siro, Allianz Arena and more .
Ronald Koeman’s team have the best defence in the Premier League, having conceded the least (16) and made the most tackles (512)
Just seven clubs have made the Premier League's top four in last 10 years .
Southampton currently have the best form in the Premier League in the last six matches (WWDWWW) with 16 points, ahead of Liverpool on 14 points . |
13eac811c726ff1a23310a44fe40c43b3beae787 | There's now a confidential number to call if you're questioning your faith in a higher power. But instead of steering you back towards the flock, the volunteers behind the hotline hope to provide a sympathetic ear for your skepticism. CNN reports that Recovering from Religion, a secular group for those who have left or are leaving their faith, launched a hotline Friday for those questioning their religion. Nearly 100 volunteers will take confidential, anonymous calls at 1-84-I-DOUBT-IT on weekends and on weekday nights. Questioning?: Instead of pushing callers back towards the flock or into the arms of atheists, Recovering from Religion says its hotline will try to provide options and tips for those questioning their faith . Sarah Morehead, the organization's executive director, said the aim is not to make callers atheists or even provide counseling. Instead, the operators are there to listen and guide callers to other resources, whether that is finding another organization better suited to the caller's beliefs or referring those struggling with emotional anguish to counselors or a suicide hotline. It was the hundreds of emails and calls that led Recovering from Religion to start the hotline, according to Morehead. Doubts about God and their faith troubled those who contacted the organization, but without anyone to confide in, they experience depression and emotional turmoil. 'Many people feel isolated or rejected when they begin to ask questions,' Morehead said. 'If churches suddenly started welcoming doubters to their potlucks, the hot line project wouldn't be necessary.' The hotline does not use a centralized call center, and instead sends calls to volunteers through a virtual network. Doubters: Sarah Morehead, executive director of Recovering from Religion, said individuals reach out to her organization because skeptics feel excluded at their own churches . International Association of Peer Specialists executive director Steve Harrington says there are more and more groups like Recovering from Religion that provide counseling one on one. Unlike traditional treatment options, peer counseling works to connect individuals with others who have had similar experiences and can offer their own background as instruction. 'Peer supporters ask questions but don't provide answers,' Harrington said. 'They help people find their own answers.' | Recovering from Religion, a secular group for those who have left or are leaving their faith, launched a hotline Friday .
100 volunteers will take confidential, anonymous calls at 1-84-I-DOUBT-IT . |
13ebcc6e99bb9716f1be8f7391e368b94f806c59 | (CNN) -- Police on Friday arrested a second contractor employee in recent dry ice explosions at Los Angeles International Airport. Miguel Angel Iniguez, 41, was a supervisor for 28-year-old baggage handler Dicarlo Bennett, who pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of possession of a destructive device in a public place, a Los Angeles Police Department statement said. The statement said Iniguez, of Inglewood, was booked on suspicion of possession of a destructive device near an aircraft. He was being held on $500,000 bail. On Sunday, dry ice in a plastic bottle exploded in an employee restroom, causing a brief shutdown of Terminal 2, the FBI said. No injuries were reported, and the terminal resumed operations after a brief evacuation. The other incident occurred about 8:30 p.m. Monday at the Tom Bradley International Terminal, airport police said. Three plastic bottles containing dry ice were found, but only one had exploded, police said. The explosions didn't cause any injuries. Both Iniguez and Bennett worked for Servisair, a leading global provider of aviation ground services. Bennett continues to be held on $1 million bail, but a bail review hearing will be held October 23. The court entered the not guilty pleas on his behalf. Bennett's defense attorney Ben Wasserman told reporters after the arraignment that Bennett was removing dry ice from a plane's holding area because he was told the vapors were dangerous to an animal being transported in the cargo hold. "His intent in taking the dry ice from the hold was not the intent to make a destructive device," Wasserman said. "One of the other crew members said take the dry ice out or do something with the dry ice because the carbon dioxide is harmful to the animal, so he took the dry ice out." Bennett allegedly thought the explosive devices were "a game" and "a funny kind of joke," and he had no intent to attack people, police said. Dry ice, which is carbon dioxide in solid form, is used as a refrigerant for meats and ice cream, especially when shipped in a box. When dry ice becomes warm, it transforms into vapor. CNN's Michael Martinez and Traci Tamura contributed to this report. | A second LAX contract workers is arrested in connection with recent blasts .
The first suspect pleaded not guilty to two counts of possession of a destructive device in a public place .
41-year-old Miguel Angel Iniguez, was the first suspect's supervisor .
No injuries were reported from the blasts . |
13ec6d03aac3f52359bf288296efff2eff1f4056 | By . Ashley Collman . You can only go so far on an American freeway before signs start popping up, advertising the nearest McDonald's, Taco Bell or KFC restaurant. But according to a new survey, Americans find the fare at the huge chains disgusting. The new study by Consumer Reports finds that Americans are eating more fast-food than ever, spending $680billion a year, but have lately developed a taste for restaurants with higher-quality ingredients. More than 96,000 of the magazine's . readers were queried about which fast-food chains they liked the most, . and they found 21 other burgers more palatable than McDonald's Big Mac. Not loving it: In a new survey conducted by Consumer Reports, Americans ranked McDonald's Taco Bell and Subway as some of the worst fast-food restaurants . Americans appear to be shifting their fast-food . preferences toward fast-casual restaurants that serve higher quality . ingredients. Chipotle was rated the top place for burritos, over the . likes of Taco Bell . The participants reported eating at a combined 65 different chains, and ranked each restaurant they tried on a scale of 1 (least delicious) to 10 (most delicious you've ever eaten). The results are then broken down by food category, ranking the best burger joints, taco shops, chicken restaurants and sandwich makers. The 2014 results show a shift in American fast-food preference, with diners placing a new importance on quality over convenience compared to the 2011 report. 'Fast-casual dining in places like Chipotle and Panda Express lets the consumer guide the staff to prepare their meal just the way they like it, Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, a food-service research and consulting firm, told the magazine. Chains like Noodles & Company and Panera, which serve meat produced without antibiotics, also ranked higher on the lists. This change in eating habits may be influenced by the millennial generation, the magazine says, who are eating at cheap fast-casual restaurants in order to dine out more often. | Consumer Reports surveyed more than 96,000 readers for the new study .
Readers asked to rank fast-food restaurants on a scale of 1 (least delicious) to 10 (most delicious thing I ever ate)
Results show that McDonald's, KFC and Taco Bell are some of the least popular restaurants in their respective categories . |
13ed274815b0b2372bc00176f974f24c9d713a1e | Comedian Bill Cosby, who has been dogged by accusations that he sexually assaulted more than a dozen women years ago, has canceled a Sunday evening performance in Boston, saying the heavy snow forecast for the area could make travel dangerous. Activists had planned to picket the evening performance at the Wilbur Theater, angry that Cosby continues to make appearances despite the allegations against him. Protest: Activists had planned to picket the evening performance at the Wilbur Theater, angry that Cosby continues to make appearances despite the sexual assault allegations against him . Cosby, best known for the lovable father figure he played on 'The Cosby Show,' denies the allegations of sexual assault, many of which are decades old and fall outside the statute of limitations for criminal or civil cases. His lawyer has called the claims 'discredited' and 'defamatory.' Cosby has never been charged over any of the allegations. He settled a 2005 civil suit alleging sexual misconduct. About a foot (30 cm) of fresh snow could accumulate in Boston on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, blanketing a region that is still grappling with the aftermath of two major snowstorms since the end of January. 'Mr. Cosby just wanted all people coming to his shows to be safe,' said spokesman Andrew Miles. 'It had nothing to do with any protests.' Despite the Boston cancellation, protesters said they still planned to demonstrate. 'We are holding a solidarity action instead of a protest, same time and place,' Brandie Skorker, 28, one of the protest organizers, said in an email. Before the cancellation, organizers had expected more than 100 people to gather outside the theater, where the 77-year-old comedian was set to give back-to-back shows. Planned turnout: Before Cosby's cancellation, organizers had expected more than 100 people to gather outside the theater, where the 77-year-old comedian was set to give back-to-back shows . 'There is strong community here in Boston who is passionate, concerned for survivors and dedicated to fighting against rape culture - even if that means protesting in the snow,' Skorker said in an email last week. The allegations against Cosby have led some venues to cancel some of his performances, including one that had been planned on Feb. 6 in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (65 km) west of Boston. Both Netflix and NBC have axed planned projects with the actor. Cosby owns a home in Shelburne Falls, about 100 miles (160 km) west of Boston, and he received his graduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In November, the university asked him to resign as the face of a fundraising campaign. Cosby's statement indicated that he was considering rescheduling the Boston show but gave no specifics. 'We are looking at some dates,' Miles told Reuters. | Bill Cosby canceled a Sunday evening performance in Boston, saying the heavy snow forecast for the area could make travel dangerous .
Cosby has been dogged by accusations that he sexually assaulted more than a dozen women years ago .
Activists had planned to picket the evening performance at the Wilbur Theater, angry that Cosby continues to make appearances despite the allegations against him .
Cosby denies the allegations of sexual assault, many of which are decades old and fall outside the statute of limitations for criminal or civil cases .
His lawyer has called the claims 'discredited' and 'defamatory' |
13eda2db5a5579cb60ae22065d174ae930f05b7f | (CNN) -- James Patterson may be the top-selling writer in the world; he might very well be the busiest, too. Patterson has three books near the top of the bestseller lists right now. His latest, "Guilty Wives," arrives in stores next week. With the help of his co-writers, Patterson is turning out about 10 books a year. Patterson holds the world record for the most No. 1 bestsellers of any author. He's also the first author to reach 5 million e-books sold. All together, he's sold an astounding 220 million books worldwide. Adult fans love Patterson for novels such as "The Women's Murder Club" or his Alex Cross series. A new movie starring Tyler Perry as the detective is coming this year. Younger readers love Patterson for titles like "Maximum Ride" and "Witch & Wizard" or his Middle School series. When he's not writing books, Patterson is working to get more kids to read through his website, ReadKiddoRead.com. He's also sent thousands of books to U.S. troops overseas. This month. Patterson donated 200,000 books that are now on their way to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with the help of organizations like Operation Gratitude and Books for Heroes. CNN recently caught up with the bestselling writer to talk to him about his latest novel and his philanthropic efforts. The following is an edited transcript. CNN: Let's start by talking about Operation Gratitude and how you recently donated thousands of books to U.S. troops. Patterson: Books are on the way overseas this week, which is the big subject for me. It started in part because a friend of mine, a partner in my entertainment company, was a captain in Vietnam, and his son did a couple of tours in Iraq. He's a bright guy; he used to send letters home every week and also letters from his friends. I read a lot of them, and they were really kind of mind-blowing in terms of just putting you in touch with what it's like to be a soldier overseas right now. It really got me interested. If I could, I would like to shake the hands of everybody over there, because I don't think they get the attention that they should. I can't do that, so we're going to put 200,000 books in the hands of thousands of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan instead, which I think is a big deal. CNN: What kind of feedback have you received from U.S. servicemen and -women for your efforts? Patterson: We've been doing this on a smaller scale for five or six years now, 20 or 30,000 books, so I've had hundreds and hundreds of letters and ... lots of pictures, with troops saying, 'here I am reading your book in some sort of foxhole or in my truck or jeep or whatever.' I also hear from families, people from home saying, 'I got a note from our son, and he talked about getting a couple of your books,' and that's very cool. It's very rewarding. CNN: You're also a big believer in getting kids to read. Patterson: It's a huge thing with me. Getting the books out, going to schools, talking to kids about how important it is for them to read so that they really become better human beings. I think at this stage in our civilization, I think books are probably the best place to get varying points of view on things, understand how other people think and live their lives and have more understanding and compassion for people. Obviously, if a kid can't read well by the time they get out of middle school, most likely they're going to have problems. It's just so much harder to go through school and get a decent job. The implications are huge. There are a lot of things we as individuals can't do much about. We can't solve global warming as individuals or health care problems, but as individuals, most of us can get our kids reading. We can do that. Patterson's recent CNN.com essay on getting your kid to read . CNN: You have several books on the bestseller list right now, a new novel coming out and a handful of others in the works, plus your other projects. So how do you keep up with everything? Patterson: Oh, yeah, the books, too. I don't know. I don't feel stressed out. It's just a pattern I am comfortable with. I get up every morning and chop wood, and I pretty much do it seven days a week, and I like to do it. I still have time for my wife and my son, who's 14, and at this point, my head is still above water. I think part of it is, you can take on more, and you do, but at a certain point I may say, that's it. I can't do anymore. I read a fair amount, but I don't read as much as I used to, so that's suffered a little. CNN: You work with a number of co-authors on some of your books. How do you divide the workload? Patterson: We alternate words. Just kidding. Actually, I write an outline of about 50 to 60 pages that will lay out every chapter. I then ask the co-writer to contribute to the outline. I want their opinions, and I want them to feel they're part of the process right from the get-go. Then they will write a draft. I like to look at things every two weeks. That way you can say 'that part's great' or 'hold it, let's talk about this.' I was just talking to Mike Ledwidge a little while ago; he and I do the Michael Bennett books. When I have a first draft, then I will do another, and in some cases I've done, seven, eight, nine drafts. And that's the process. I do the outline, the co-writer does the first draft, and I'll do subsequent drafts. Although my co-writers might call it 'Jim screwing up the book,' but so far, it's working well. CNN: "Guilty Wives" comes out next week. What was the spark behind this book? Patterson: I had this idea of four women going off on a cool vacation and getting in big trouble, really big trouble. They're accused of murder in France, and it's a huge, huge trial, and I don't want to give too much away, but I really liked that idea. CNN: What are you working on next? Patterson: There's the next Alex Cross and then a couple of kids books, a follow-up to "Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life." I'm trying to write books that are really funny but also have things for kids to sink their teeth into and think about. I'm writing one now about middle school and summer camp, and then right around Christmas, I'll have a book about a middle school kid who desperately wants to be a stand-up comedian, and he knows every joke in the history of mankind, so that's kind of a fun one. CNN: How is the Alex Cross movie coming together? Patterson: I've been to two test screenings, and I visited the set, and it's looking really, really good. Tyler Perry is going to blow everybody's mind. He's very, very good. Not that you wouldn't expect that, but he hasn't done this kind of a movie before. You'll see him as a very dramatic, very physical actor. Also, Matthew Fox is going to blow people's minds as the bad guy. It's unusual for a thriller, because it's both exciting and very emotional. I think it's going to do extremely well. CNN: How do you come up with all of your story ideas? Patterson: Sometimes it can just be a title, or I just have a sense that I can build a story around something and I'm going to like the story. I have to feel emotional about it to do it. I used to, like a lot of writers, get up at 2:30 in the morning and start scribbling stuff down. I've kind of stopped doing that, because the good ideas I tend to remember. I have more than enough ideas right now. I have a folder in my office with about 400 ideas in it. So it will take me another 40 years to get through those. Read an excerpt from "Guilty Wives" | James Patterson currently has three books on the best-seller lists .
Patterson turns out 10 books a year, with help from co-writers .
His latest, "Guilty Wives," arrives in stores next week . |
13edbd95256d2fa626b23d59a2d01bcd3ffebd63 | A couple who murdered a transvestite in order to claim his benefit money and left him to rot in a suitcase in their bathroom have been jailed for life for murder. Big Issue sellers Tracey Hurrell, 32, and David Hardman, 51, were told at Preston Crown Court they must serve a minimum of 23 years. Their victim Lionel Morl, 49, who was known locally as 'Susie' and wore women's clothes, false breasts and wigs was stabbed and beaten to death before being stuffed into the suitcase. Big Issue sellers Tracey Hurrell, left, and David Hardman, right, were today jailed for life for the brutal murder of Lionel Morl. The couple left the body of their victim in a suitcase for weeks after he was killed. But when police officers visited the flat on an unrelated matter they failed to inspect the case despite spotting it covered in a sleeping bag, saying it did 'not look out of place' in a house so strewn with rubbish. And despite the fact they noticed that Hurrell was said to be 'tetchy and agitated' and Hardman had glazed eyes during their visit, they failed to raise the alarm. The corpse was not discovered until ten days later in August last year when police officers went to a neighbouring address and noticed a 'terrible smell' coming from the property in Openshaw, Manchester. Hardman, who was a tenant at the address, then tried to pass off the smell as coming from an abscess on his foot. Victim Lionel Morl, 49, was stabbed and beaten to death before his body was stuffed in a suitcase and left to rot in the bathroom . The couple lived in squalid conditions in the house in Manchester, before a foul stench eventually alerted officers to Morl's body . The couple were both known addicts - with Hurrell a heroin and crack cocaine user, and Hardman drinking up to seven litres of cider a day. Gut wrenching photos of the flat show kitchen tops strewn with empty bottles of cider and spirits and piles of washing up and the lounge and bedrooms festooned with dumped clothing, bedding, books and paint pots. Hurrell initially lived with Hardman but then befriended Morl who lived in a neighbouring street before moving into his house after claiming she was homeless. Shortly afterwards she began bullying Morl, and on one occasion threatened him with a knife before he asked her to leave. hBot Hurrell and Hardman were known addicts, with Hardman drinking up to seven litres of cider a day . She and Hardman then began preying on Morl for his benefit money and the victim's post office card - which Morl had used to withdraw his fortnightly invalidity benefit of £200 - went missing. The card was used by the couple to withdraw £190 from Morl's account. It is believed Morl was attacked when he returned from a friend's house to his flat to collect his glasses. The killers were later seen pulling a wheeled suitcase near to the house. Andrew Thomas QC, prosecuting, said WPCs Maria Campbell and Louse Macfarlane initially visited Hardman's flat but did not believe there was anything suspicious. Despite a visit from officers, police failed to notice the body stuffed into a suitcase in the couple's bathroom . The couple used victim Lionel Morl's post office card to withdraw funds from his account . Mr Thomas said: 'The flat was cluttered with junk. The officers saw the suitcase and by that stage it was in the flat in the bathroom under a sleeping bag. But there was no significant smell. 'The officers did not check the contents of the suitcase and eventually they left.' WPC Campbell told the jury she and her colleague often visited properties that smelt bad and were untidy. She told the court: 'Because the flat was in such a terrible state it didn't appear out of place to have a sleeping bag and suitcase in the bathroom.' After returning days later to the property, however, PC John Sutcliffe told the hearing the stench of the body was undeniable: 'The smell became increasingly worse. Both Hardman and Hurrell denied murder and blamed each other for the killing . The couple, who were both Big Issue sellers, lived in squalid conditions in their house in Manchester . 'It's a smell I recognise and it was very, very strong now. 'I cut the corner of the suitcase with my pocket knife and it revealed what I could see to be a human foot and what I thought was the side of a head.' Hurrell and Hardman were both subsequently arrested. A post-mortem examination showed that Lionel had died following a violent attack in which he had been stabbed and beaten. It is estimated he had been dead for about two weeks. The couple were jailed for life at Preston Crown Court, pictured, and told they must serve a minimum of 23 years . Hardman and Hurrell both denied murder - blaming each other for the killing. The couple were also both convicted of perverting the course of justice . Senior Investigating Officer, Andy Tattersall of Greater Manchester Police said after the case: 'Hurrell and Hardman were both dependent on alcohol and drugs and went to desperate lengths to obtain cash to fund their habits. 'This is reflected in the theft of Lionel's benefits before and after they killed him. Each blames the other for what happened and both have fabricated different stories so we might never know exactly what happened and why. 'What we do know is that from start to finish, they worked together: in stealing Lionel's benefits, in his violent murder and in trying to hide his body.' | Drug addicts Tracy Hurrell, 32, and David Hardman, 51, kept Lionel Morl's decomposing body for several weeks .
Mr Morl's remains were only discovered after police noticed foul smells coming from Hardman's flat in Openshaw, Manchester .
The Big Issue seller initially tried to pass off the stench as coming from an abscess on his foot . |
13ef2f0eb6ade1a7bc431340747c6e160dcf10d3 | Dan Davidson was nicknamed the 'fat one' during his party years when he would knock back a bottle of vodka in a weekend. The 26-year-old joiner would easily consume 6,000 calories in a day, while eating nothing but fast food and his weight shot up to 17st. He knew things had to change when he went on holiday to Majorca and was too embarrassed to take off his top when he went swimming. Scroll down for video . Dan Davidson from Grimsby went on a drastic fitness programme after being labelled The Fat One. He lost 24 per cent of his body fat in just a year and celebrated with a David-Beckham style underwear photoshoot . To make matters worse, his girlfriend Rachel Brown, 30, was a gym instructor with a toned physique. Dan, from Grimsby, knew that the only way to match Rachel's figure was by completely transforming his life. He gave up his alcohol binges and went from being overweight to a body builder in just over a year. The father-of-two said: 'I still cannot believe how I have changed. 'The key for me was giving up the booze, if I was on the lash, I would be eating all of the wrong things and bingeing on fast food. 'I could easily get through 6,000 calories in a day and would drink a bottle of vodka over a weekend. Dan Davidson went from 17st to 14st with a vigorous gym routine and strict diet . 'I was still going to the gym during this time but it was making no difference to my body shape. 'I had man boobs and hated the way I looked. 'The low point for me was when a lass pointed at me and said I was, 'the fat one.'' That was the trigger which prompted Dan to get serious about fitness. He changed his diet - swapping his favourite Coco Pops and takeaways for a high protein diet of grilled chicken and fish. Dave combined his new diet and exercise with protein shakes to help bulk up muscle . He also started taking Forza T5s - the supplements which helped Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews lose two stone to get in shape for his Men's Health magazine cover. Over the next year, Dan lost four stone - going from 17st to 13st. His 'vodka belly' disappeared quickly as he lost six inches from his waist - down from 36in to 30in. But the biggest change was in his body fat ratio - which went down from 30 per cent to 6 per cent. After finally felt confident about his body, Dan bought a studio photoshoot where he posed in his underwear like David Beckham. Dan's body transformation means that he finally feels comfortable alongside his gym instructor girlfriend Rachel Brown . He said: 'I loved posing for the pictures. A few people have joked that I look like Becks in his kecks. 'I have worked so hard to get the body of my dreams and I don't see why I shouldn't celebrate that success.' Dan said taking the supplements had really helped him to lose weight. He explained: 'They were the key to losing a lot of that fat including my man boobs. They really help you to burn calories more effectively by speeding up your metabolism.' 7am breakfast: Bowl of Coco pops with full fat milk . 12.30pm lunch: Cheese panini with chips . 3pm afternoon snack: Tea and biscuits . 5.30pm evening meal: Pasta bake with a chocolate mousse. 8pm further snacks: sweets . 7am breakfast: Scrambled eggs with six egg whites, plus 40g porridge with wholegrain oats . 10am: 150g turkey breast with spinach. 12.30pm lunch: chicken and sweet potato . 3pm snack: 150g of skinless haddock . 5.30pm evening meal - chicken breast and brown rice . 7pm – Forza Lipowhey protein shake . Now Dan is knowledgeable enough to swap diet and exercise tips with girlfriend Rachel - mother of his children Noah, four, and 18-month-old Freya. He said: 'I have learned so much from her about diet and fitness and now we are both in great shape. I couldn't have done this without her.' Forza managing director Lee Smith: 'It is great way to get a really buff body fast. Dan's amazing body transformation shows just how Forza works.' Have YOU had a similar experience? Email us YOUR story femail@mailonline.co.uk . | Dan Davidson was party boy who would drink bottle of vodka in a weekend .
The 26-year-old from Grimsby regularly consumed 6000 calories a day .
He felt pressured to lose the weight after being labelled 'The Fat One'
The joiner now has a body to rival that of David Beckham . |
13ef808681fcc073cf910ffdecf6886669f62bdc | By 2020, our day-to-day lives, relationships and even what to have for dinner could be controlled and run by digital versions of ourselves. According to futurist John Smart, within the next six years many of us could have so-called ‘digital twins’ that schedule our appointments and even have conversations with others on our behalf. And they could one day console loved ones after we die by mimicking our voice, emotions, mannerisms and thoughts. Scroll down for video . According to futurist John Smart, within the next five years many of us could have so-called ‘digital twins’ (illustrated) that schedule appointments, make decisions and have conversations with others on our behalf. They could even console loved ones after we die by mimicking our voice, emotions, mannerisms and thoughts . Mr Smart, founder of the Acceleration Studies Foundation, made the comments during an interview with Business Insider. ‘[Digital twins] will become increasingly like us and extensions of us,’ Smart said. Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, believes that in just over 30 years, humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal - an event called singularity. Mr Kurzweil also claims that the biological parts of our body will be replaced with mechanical parts and this could happen as early as 2100. The claims made by John Smart regarding 'digital twins' are a step towards this futurist theory of singularity becoming a reality. Technological singularity is the development of 'superintelligence' brought about through the use of technology. The first use of 'singularity' in terms of technological minds was by mathematician John von Neumann in the mid-1950s. He said: 'ever accelerating progress of technology and changes in the mode of human life, which gives the appearance of approaching some essential singularity in the history of the race beyond which human affairs, as we know them, could not continue.' The term was then used by science fiction writer Vernor Vinge who believes brain-computer interfaces are causes of the singularity. Ray Kurzweil cited von Neumann's use of the term in a foreword to von Neumann's classic The Computer and the Brain. Kurzweil predicts the singularity to occur around 2045 while Vinge predicts it will happen before 2030. ‘When you and I die, our kids aren’t going to go to our tombstones, they’re going to fire up our digital twins and talk to them.’ He continued there are prediction apps and software that already carry out similar tasks – such as Siri and Google Now – and these services are only going to get smarter as algorithms, interfaces and processing power increases. The software in prediction apps is based on an algorithm that combines various snippets of information to form a prediction. In the case of personal-assistant apps, the software scans calendar entries to work out where a user is, or should be. It combines this with location data, taken from the phone or tablet’s GPS unit, as well as posts on social networks, email information and more. It then presents the user with the help it thinks they need. For example, if a calendar on an Android phone contains a diary invite, Google Now will create a reminder. It will then check to see whether the user is en route to the meeting and add directions to this reminder, or work out how long it will take them to get there based on current traffic. Elsewhere, as users pass bus stops, prediction apps can show bus timetables, show the latest deals as they enter a supermarket, or open a digital boarding pass as they approach an airport. Mr Smart believes that digital twins could additionally learn our likes and dislikes from emails, messages and verbal feedback, in the way that machine learning currently does. IBM’s Watson supercomputer uses machine learning, as does ‘Eugene Goostman’ - a computer program that was able to trick users it was a teenage boy, leading to claims it had passed the Turing test. Watson won the TV game show Jeopardy, in 2011, by answering general knowledge questions posed in natural language. More recently it has been used as a customer call centre agent and can learn a customer's needs. Mr Smart continued there are prediction apps and personal assistant software that already carry out similar tasks – such as Siri and Google Now (pictured) – and these services are only going to get smarter as algorithms, interfaces and processing power increases . The Turing Test was introduced by Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing in 1950 as part of his paper Computing Machinery And Intelligence in which he predicted that computers would one day be programmed to acquire abilities rivalling human intelligence. Apple's Siri (pictured) already uses context to answer questions, and digital twins could take this a step further to learn about how a person thinks . He proposed a test called The Imitation Game, which would identify whether a computer is capable of thought. A person, called the interrogator, engages in a text based conversation with another person and a computer - and must determine which is which. If they are unable to do so the computer is deemed to have passed - as was the case with Eugene. And as firms such as Google buy artificial intelligence firms, such as Deep Mind, it makes the technology more mainstream. Google’s acquisition of DeepMind in June wasn’t the tech giant’s first foray into artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its Hummingbird search update was created to make Google 'more human', and searches can now understand context, like a human brain. Google also hired futurist Ray Kurzweil as Engineering Director in 2012. Kurzweil has famously claimed that in just over 30 years, humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal - an event called singularity. He also believes the biological parts of our body will be replaced with mechanical parts and this could happen as early as 2100. The claims made by John Smart are a step towards this futurist theory of singularity becoming a reality. Andrew Sheehy from Generator Research told MailOnline: 'We can already see evidence of machine learning and machine intelligence in existing Google products like Google Now, the search function that forms part of Google+ Photos and Google’s self-driving car project. 'A string of recent acquisitions in the field of robotics and machine intelligence, along with the recent hiring of Ray Kurzweil as a director of engineering shows that Google is by no means done with machine learning: it is clear that the company is just getting started. Mr Smart believes digital twins could learn our likes and dislikes from emails, messages and verbal feedback, in the way that machine learning currently does, such as ‘Eugene Goostman’ - a computer program that was able to trick users it was a teenage boy, leading to claims it had passed the Turing test (pictured) Futurists believes that in just over 30 years, humans will be able to upload their entire minds to computers and become digitally immortal - an event called singularity. This chart plots the exponential growth of computing. Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, claims singularity will become reality as soon as 2045 . Mr Smart (picutred) is a futurist and founder of the Acceleration Studies Foundation . ‘Taking into account the present scale of Google’s computer network, the size of its user base and its capital reserves, Google is well placed to take on something as ambitious as machine consciousness.’ Machine consciousness differs from machine intelligence. There are already intelligent machines that can learn from their mistakes and fix errors, but many of these are programmed to do so. For example, world chess Grandmaster, Gary Kasparov, was defeated by IBM’s ‘Deep Blue’ supercomputer in 1997. ‘To make wise decisions in the present, we must strive to deeply understand where we are in relation to both the known past and our probable futures,’ explained Mr Smart. ‘This will require the support of global communities, which make the disciplined development of the field of foresight their top priority. ‘In particular, one of my long-term professional goals is to find passionate financial sponsors interested in the development of more world-leading academic programs in technology foresight, acceleration studies, and evolutionary development studies.’ | The claims were made by futurist and system theorist John Smart .
He believes we will have ‘digital twins’ within the next five years .
These twins could act like digital personal secretaries or agents .
They could also, one day, have human faces and hold conversations .
In addition, when people die, loved ones could converse with digital versions of ourselves long after our death .
Apps already exist that offer similar tools including Siri and Google Now .
The claims signal a step towards the futurist theory of singularity . |
13efaf627f3467c45d4aef3ed04c26ea7b099dff | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 27 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:25 EST, 27 January 2014 . A gym-obsessed father-of-two was found dead in his home just hours after he returned from a workout at the gym. Fitness fanatic Andy Hultum, 36 from Hull, complained of feeling exhausted in the weeks before his death, and just hours after returning from Dales Fitness Centre in Hull, he suffered a fatal heart attack. Father-of-two Andy, who was affectionately known as the Honey Monster on the Hull estate where he lived, was found dead in bed by his partner Marie, who rolled over in the morning to find he was lifeless. Tragic Fitness fanatic Andy Hultum complained of feeling exhausted in the weeks before his death, and just hours after returning from a workout in the gym, he suffered a fatal heart attack . Andy had suffered a fatal heart attack in the night and unbeknown to his family, had been suffering with heart disease. Andy’s father Michael, 64, said: 'Don’t leave anything to chance. No family should have to go through what we are going through. 'The last thing you should do is shrug your shoulders at something. Life is far too short if you take chances. 'Since Andy’s death, we’ve been told his arteries had flared up and he had a massive heart attack. We are absolutely devastated. It has ripped us apart. Father figure: Andy leaves his nine-year-old son Morgan (pictured as a baby) and stepdaughter Georgia . 'How do you drag a 20st muscular man kicking and screaming to the doctors? We wish we had now.' Andy, who leaves his nine-year-old son Morgan and stepdaughter Georgia and his mother Sue, 59, said his children and the gym were his life. Mother Sue, 59, said: 'You will have to go a long way to find someone who disliked Andy. 'He was a giant of a man in every single way. He has left a legacy in Bransholme because he was a role model - many have described him as a legend. 'Andy was the most beautiful son, inside and out. The gym and his beloved son Morgan were his life. 'He helped everyone he could and children on the estate looked up to him. I would urge all parents to never take time with their sons and daughters for granted because you never know when it will be cut short. Fatality: Andy had suffered a fatal heart attack in the night and unbeknown to his family, had been suffering with heart disease, right, Andy meeting the Queen . 'We can’t believe we have outlived our little boy. He never went to the pub and was such a good honest lad. I couldn’t be prouder of him.' A much-loved uncle, his young niece Amelia also wrote a moving tribute to Andy, starting with the words: ‘I wish you didn’t die’. Councillor Anita Harrison, said: 'Everyone said Andy was one of the loveliest men anyone could meet. He would go out of his way to help and he will be greatly missed.' | Andy Hultum complained of feeling exhausted in weeks before death .
Died in his sleep, had been suffering with heart disease .
Andy, from Hull, said his two children and the gym were his life . |
13f086eb034064a74afd3600576b2f6f502c7e94 | By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:22 EST, 5 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:10 EST, 6 August 2013 . Civil War photographer Mathew Brady largely taught himself the finer points of the two pursuits that have linked his name to history: taking pictures and self-promotion. The son of Irish immigrant farmers had a talent for cajoling presidents, generals and business leaders to sit before his camera. Other than his birth around 1823 in Warren County, N.Y., little is recorded about Brady's early life, a challenge for biographer Robert Wilson. Yet readers of 'Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation' probably benefit from this dearth of personal information. Wilson moves quickly to what matters most - Brady's role in how we see America in the mid- to late 19th century. War photographer Matthew Brady, the son of Irish immigrant farmers had a talent for cajoling presidents, generals and business leaders to sit before his camera . Time warp: A portrait of Captain A.B. Weeden, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery, and his servant Tommy Hickey in camp at Miner's Hill, Virginia, in the winter of 1861-1862 . Timing was on Brady's side when, as a . teenager, he left the countryside for the big city around 1840. The . early photographic process called daguerreotype, invented in Paris, . arrived in New York just ahead of him. He may have taken lessons in the . technique while supporting himself as a clerk at a fabric store. In 1844, Brady opened a photographic studio that produced portraits, and after five years of success, he started a studio in Washington. Wilson makes a compelling case that Brady eventually rose above a sea of artistic entrepreneurs offering photographic portraits because he learned, and often advanced, the latest techniques. As important, he had a pleasing manner that put subjects at ease during the time-consuming process of getting a picture taken. Heroic: Mathew Brady studio portrait of Colonel Oliver O. Howard, a Federal officer who won the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of Seven Pines in 1862 . Vengeful: portrait of Sergeant Francis Edwin Brownell, an enlisted man in Elmer Ellsworth's New York Fire Zouaves - who witnessed Ellsworth's death and immediately killed the assailant . Future president: James A. Garfield, who would be the 20th president of the United States, and was assassinated after only six months in office in 1881, as a Union Army general, ca. 1855-1865 . Brady also understood how publicity . worked back then. The Hall of Fame in his Broadway studio featured a . gallery of celebrities - a subtle pitch for others to pay a few dollars . for portraits of their own. Few would not want to sit for the . studio that photographed war heroes like Gen. Winfield Scott, naturalist . and painter John James Audubon and the elderly former first lady Dolley . Madison. General Hugh Judson "Kill Cavalry" Kilpatrick (1836-1881), a Union officer noted for his ill-conceived cavalry raids into Confederate held territory during the American Civil War . Top o' the mornin' to ya: A portrait of Brigadier General Thomas Francis Meagher (1823-1867), commander of Meagher's Irish Brigade (Second Brigade, First Division, Second Army Corps, Army of the Potomac) during the American Civil War . In 1849, President James K. Polk . allowed Brady to take his photograph in the White House, as did his . successor, Zachary Taylor, a sign of Brady's growing reputation. A decade later, when the nation . seemed destined to fracture over slavery, Brady was, as Wilson puts it, . at the 'height of his fame as a photographer of celebrities'. War photographer Brady, pictured left in early June, 1864, in Virginia, with Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside (left) at 9th Army Corps headquarters at Cold Harbor, Virginia . On the front line: Abraham Lincoln, left, sits in his tent with one of his generals during the Civil War . Military base: A federal encampment at Cumberland Landing on the Virginia Peninsula, in May 1862, photographed by James F. Gibson . His 1860 photograph of a beardless . Abraham Lincoln - Brady pulled up the collars on Lincoln's shirt and . coat, probably to hide his long neck - helped to make the presidential . aspirant known around the country. The Civil War created a strong demand for photographs of soldiers in studio settings and in encampments. The custom of the time was for the studio's owner to take the credit, not those working in the studio or in the field. While Brady shared credit with his photographers some of the time and traveled to battlefields such as Gettysburg, his name is associated with many photographs he didn't take. A Matthew Brady portrait of of General Robert E. Lee (center) and his aides-de-camp, Major General George Washington Custis Lee (left) and Col. Walter Taylor (right), taken in Richmond, Virginia, on April 16, 1865 . Brady's experience at Bull Run - he lost his equipment in the chaotic retreat that marked the North's first major battle - may have cooled his eagerness to ask those working for him to photograph close to actual fighting. As the war continued, photographic images of dead soldiers, slain horses and other post-battle carnage brought to the public a face of war most had never seen. A 1862 photograph of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln by Mathew Brady . Tragic: James A. Garfield, who would be the 20th president of the United States, and was assassinated after only six months in office in 1881, with his daughter, ca. 1865, photographed by Mathew Brady . Leader: Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry (1794-1858), the man was known to have 'opened Japan' pictured by Matthew Brady in the late 1850s . Portrait of Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Von Helmholtz (1821-1894), German physicist, anatomist, and physiologist. One of the founders of the principle of conservation of energy; inventor of the opthhalmoscope. Engraving by T. Johnson, from an 1893 photograph by Mathew Brady . Studio portrait of Major General William Tecumseh Sherman (182-1891) in Washington, 1865, by Matthew Brady. Sherman is considered one of the ablest Union Generals of the American Civil War . The snapper: War Photographer Mathew Brady became a successful and sought after photographer for the country's presidents and colonels . Wilson argues that Brady's role in promoting wartime images through his studios and the print media was crucial to their impact even if he wasn't the man behind the camera. With Wilson's keen analysis of Brady's life and times and the images that defined them, 'Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation' brings into sharp focus a fascinating footnote to American history. The book is available in the U.S. here and in the UK, here. A delegation of visiting Sioux and Arapaho, including Red Cloud, seated at left, and Little Big Man, standing at Red Cloud's left, pictured in September 1877 . Melancholy: Mathew Brady at Gettysburg in a photograph erroneously titled 'The Wheat-Field in Which General Reynolds Was Shot', in July 1863 . Revisiting the scene: Mathew Brady (right) at Gettysburg in a photograph accurately titled 'Woods in Which General John F. Reynolds Was Killed', in July 1863 . Mathew Brady returned from the First Battle of Bull Run, in July 1861 . Left: Henry James Sr. and Henry James Jr. photographed in August 1854, and right: The book 'Matthew Brady: Portraits of a Nation' by Robert Wilson explore the fascinating life of one of the U.S.'s first war photographers through his monochrome images . | Matthew Brady was a self-taught photographer .
Through luck, and good timing, he carved a career out of Civil War picture taking .
A book featuring his work has recently been published . |
13f1e9a6475de60c5d5b321fc91f2f9a1bc6a657 | The massive wildfire still raging in the California wilderness may have been sparked by a illegal marijuana farm. During a press conference Friday, Todd McNeal, chief of Northern California's Twain Harte Fire Department, said that they now know that the fire was 'human caused' as there wasn't any lightening in the area when the fire started August 17. While they don't know what for sure started the fire, McNeal said that they 'highly suspect that it might have been some sort of illicit grove, marijuana-grow type of thing.' Scroll down for video . Origins: Experts say that the Rim Fire in Northern California may have been started at an illegal marijuana farm . The place where the fire started was practically unreachable by foot. The only way to access the area was by plane or a challenging hike. The fire is still under investigation by the U.S. Forest Service. A spokesman said there has been progress in the case, but is not sharing further details at this time. As of Friday, firefighters announced that they had contained 35 per cent of the blaze, and plan to have it fully under control by September 20. The fire started in a remote area of the Stanislaus National Forest near Jawbone Ridge on August 17. Toxic: The smoke from the blaze has spread east across the U.S. and traces have been found as far away as Europe . Battle: As of Friday the fire is still only 35 per cent contained. Firefighters hope to get it fully contained by September 20 . At one point the fire grew to the size of Chicago, and smoke from the flames have spread thousands of miles away to Canada and the Great Lakes with traces of the smoke showing up in Europe as well. The fire has destroyed an estimated 213,414 acres which makes it the fifth larges wildfire in California history. It has destroyed hundreds of buildings as well as threatened giant sequoias and San Francisco's power and drinking water. Remote: The fire started in an out-of-the-way area of Stanislaus National Forest, reachable only by plane or a long hike . Historic proportions: So far the blaze has destroyed more than 200 thousand acres, making it the fifth largest wildfire in California history . Ongoing investigation: The fire is still under investigation by the U.S. Forest Service . This wouldn't be the first wildfire started by an illegal grow operation. In 2009, a campfire at an illegal farm run by a Mexican drug cartel near Santa Barbara started a fire that burned 90,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest. After the blaze, authorities found 30,000 marijuana plants and an AK-47 near the area where the wildfire started. The Santa Barbara County sheriff announced after that wildfire that many Mexican drug cartels were moving their grow operations across the border into California since the tightening of security at the U.S.-Mexico border. 'It's made it much more difficult for the cartels to smuggle into the country, particularly marijuana around the U.S.- Mexico border, which is large and bulky,' Sheriff Bill Brown said. 'It's easier to grow it here.' Growing problem: A photo released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's department shows the remains of an encampment where the 2009 La Brea wildfire originated . According to a political leader in the are where the current wildfire is raging, drug cartels have been a problem in the Stanislaus National Forest. 'We know that these illegal pot growers are in out forests and I think this fire just wiped out a whole bunch of them,' Randy Hanvelt, chairman of the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors told the San Jose Mercury News. 'It's a problem in all the Sierra forests. When we find them, we pull out like 20,000 plants at a time,' he said. He describes the place where the fire started as 'tough' to get to. 'You don't get there by accident,' Mr Hanvelt said. | Firefighter chief Todd McNeal said Friday that they 'highly suspect' the fire originated from an illicit marijuana grove .
The Rim Fire started August 17 in a remote area of Stanislaus National Forest, reachable only by air or a tough hike .
So far the fire has destroyed over 200 thousand acres of land and traces of smoke have been found as far away as Europe .
The blaze is 35 per cent contained and firefighters estimate it will be fully contained by September 20 . |
13f3b8280226b3827413da1d65a9f158155c2f18 | (CNN) -- Kenyan legislators voted to give themselves send-off bonuses of $110,000 each, despite the president's veto of their earlier attempt at another hefty payoff. Members of parliament approved the retirement package in a late-night vote this week, this time adding extra perks such as diplomatic passports, a state funeral and VIP access to the nation's airports. In addition to their perks, they included a bonus for President Mwai Kibaki, who is not running for re-election in March. Read more: Kenyan DJs go six days without food to promote peaceful elections . Kibaki blocked their earlier attempt to award themselves bonuses in October, calling it unconstitutional and unaffordable. The nation's parliament members are among the highest paid on the continent. An average Kenyan makes about $1,800 annually, and would have to work for more than 60 years to earn the bonus amount. The proposal has sparked an outcry among citizens, who demanded that the president block the bill's passage. "I'm disgusted," said Warothe Kiru, a blogger who lives in the capital of Nairobi. "They really don't care. The thing that's making it worse is what's happening in Tana," he said. In the same news reports about women being attacked with machetes, "you're seeing ... MPs getting bonuses." In recent months, retaliatory attacks between rival tribes have raged in Tana River District, leaving more than 100 people dead. Read more: Renewed violence kills 19 in southeast Kenya . Protesters plan to take to the streets Wednesday to demand that the president veto the bonus bill -- again. In October, when the first bill passed in another late-night vote, throngs gathered outside parliament offices and hollered "thieves" as lawmakers dashed into their offices. The president vetoed that bill hours after the protests. Read more: Kenyan lawmakers vote for bonus of $120,000 each at taxpayer expense . Last year, parliament shot down wage demands of teachers and doctors, arguing that the government did not have the funds. "You can see we are dealing with selfish people," said Edward Mburu, 38. "People are angry. ... I hope it translates into conscious voting." Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a presidential contender in the upcoming election, said he is against the latest bonus, which was approved Wednesday night. Read more: Complete coverage on Raila Odinga . "In a nation struggling with hunger, insecurity, unemployment, wanting health services, rising cost of education and numerous other shortcomings, I find no words to explain and justify the proposed packages," he said in a statement Friday. The March vote will be the first general poll since violence left hundreds dead after a disputed election in 2008. Citizens have accused the government of not doing enough to bolster security leading up to the election. | They vote for a bonus of $110,000 each despite president's earlier veto .
Kenyan parliamentarians are among the highest paid on the continent .
An average Kenyan would have to work for 61 years to earn the bonus amount .
Protesters plan to take to the streets Wednesday to demand another presidential veto . |
13f401224bfda7adf2d09e098f4d1edc12a1e94c | (CNN) -- Undercover officers rescued a baby gorilla from suspected animal traffickers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a national park in the country announced Tuesday. This baby gorilla was rescued from a suspected trafficker in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The gorilla, thought to be about two years old, was hidden at the bottom of a bag and covered with clothes when Congolese Wildlife Authority officers arrested the suspected trafficker on Sunday, Virunga National Park said. The gorilla, a female, was overheated and dehydrated after six hours in transit. She also had a puncture wound on her right leg, among other injuries, and is malnourished, but is responding to treatment, the park said in a statement. It is not clear if the young gorilla's mother is alive or dead, park spokeswoman Samantha Newport said. "You can assume that a gorilla family was attacked in order for the traffickers to obtain a baby -- but it is impossible to know if a whole family was wiped out, just a few individuals, or none at all," she said. "In most cases gorillas have to die to get a baby -- but we cannot know specifically for this case." The animal is now being looked after by specially trained carers, Newport said. "This is of course not an ideal replacement for a mother -- but the best option we have," she told CNN via e-mail. Carers often have some veterinary training, but are not fully fledged vets, she added. But gorillas do not do well in situations like this, she warned. "Gorillas, it is worth noting, are notoriously difficult to keep alive," she said. "Chimps are fighters, as are bonobos. But gorillas -- when the going gets tough -- tend to just shut down. So it really is a critical time right now to ensure she gets the veterinary attention and human warmth that she needs to get through this." The suspect was getting off a plane from the interior of the country, near the gorillas' habitat, the park said. One person has been charged under the country's law forbidding the destruction of flora and fauna, Newport told CNN. The park did not name the suspect. Gorillas can fetch up to $20,000 on the black market, the head of Virunga National Park said. "Investigations have yet to reveal where these animals are being sent and who is buying them, but on the ground sources tell us that a baby gorilla can fetch up to $20,000," said Emmanuel de Merode, the director. "We must remember that for each trafficked baby gorilla, several gorillas have probably been killed in the wild." He led the three-month undercover operation that netted the suspect and the gorilla, the park said. The gorilla is a lowland eastern gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri), also known as the Grauer's Gorilla, a subspecies of Eastern Gorilla only found in the forests of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the park. Virunga National Park calls itself the oldest national park in Africa, established in 1925. It lies in a region that has been badly affected by the long-running war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The gorilla section is in a strategically important area near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda. A ranger was killed earlier this year, and rangers lost control of a large part of the park to rebels for over a year. But a census earlier this year suggests mountain gorillas are surviving despite poaching and war. Officials have long said that the 250-square kilometer gorilla reserve in the southern part of Virunga National Park is where around 200 of the world's 700 mountain gorillas live. | Undercover officers rescue a baby gorilla from suspected animal traffickers .
Congolese Wildlife Authority officers find gorilla hidden in bag .
Female gorilla was overheated and dehydrated after six hours in transit . |
13f41c74edb45d20106786407939fccf15996ea8 | By . Tamara Cohen . PUBLISHED: . 19:59 EST, 25 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:59 EST, 25 August 2013 . Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud said 'We are determined to catch anyone who commits benefit fraud' Fraud investigators have been deployed to clamp down on the £60million a year lost to benefit crimes committed abroad. Ministers promised that fraud would be investigated ‘even if it is thousands of miles away’. They said investigators would act on tip-offs from the public as well as intelligence sharing with other countries. Last year more than 2,000 cases of benefit fraud committed abroad were investigated resulting in a prosecution, caution or getting the money back. They included: . Minister for Welfare Reform Lord Freud said: ‘We are determined to catch anyone who commits benefit fraud - where ever they are in the world when they lie about a claim is irrelevant. ‘We work closely with authorities across the globe to bring cheats stealing from British taxpayers to justice and I urge everyone who suspects someone of fraud, even if they are living thousands of miles away, to report it to our benefit fraud hotline or online.’ Since 2008 Spain has informed the Department for Work and Pensions when a UK national dies, which is matched to the UK database to avoid fraud and avoid large overpayments which then have to be paid back. Last year more than 2,000 cases of benefit fraud committed abroad were investigated resulting in a prosecution, caution or getting the money back . Similar arrangements are also in place with Australia, the Netherlands, Ireland Irish Republic, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and New Zealand.Talks are on-going with other countries, including Belgium, Germany, Malta, Norway, Poland and Sweden, to set up data-sharing arrangements, and the DWP is also working with the Crown Prosecution Service on whether fraudsters can be extradited back to the UK. An estimated £61million was lost to benefit fraud abroad last year - a tiny fraction of the total benefit fraud in the UK which the Citizens Advice Bureau put at £1.6billion a year and may be far higher. But nearly one in five cases of pension credit fraud was committed abroad last year. | Investigators have been deployed to clamp down on £60million a year lost .
Last year more than 2,000 cases of fraud committed abroad investigated .
Investigators will act on tip-offs from the public as well as intelligence .
Michael Higgs and Nancy Rutter, living in the Spanish seaside town of Malaga, who stole £39,000 by failing to notify the UK authorities that Higgs’ father, who also lived in Spain, died in 2005. They claimed his war pension for the next seven years, and were both jailed for 18 and 30 months respectively.
Peter Farquhar, previously of Cumbria, continued to claim benefits when he moved to Thailand and was overpaid by £13,169. He was jailed in 2011 for benefit fraud and money laundering for three years and nine months. |
13f650d09bd228e0ba5b9ba4e0cf79de6d6b1c43 | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- On the surface, Seoul, the capital of economic powerhouse South Korea, is one of the most impressive cities in East Asia: Sprawling and prosperous, hi-tech and self confident. But eight times a year, the traffic comes to a halt and crowds disappear from the streets as an eerie wail resounds across the city: The sound is a siren, and this is the minbangui, or civil defense exercise, designed to drill the population against a possible strike. Seoul is a metropolis that lives in the gun sights of North Korea, one of the most dangerous states on the planet and just 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of downtown, yet Seoul residents have learned to live with the threat. In recent years, North Korean provocations -- nuclear tests, missile firings, naval clashes -- have been more a subject for conversation in barbeque restaurants and late night pubs than lifestyle changers. Financial markets are barely moved by the latest threats; nobody is digging bunkers among their backyard kimchi pots. A blasé attitude has infiltrated the public consciousness after six decades of living with the North. On Tuesday that attitude was rudely shaken after North Korean shells slammed into the South Korean island of Yeonpyong in the Yellow Sea. The sight of columns of smoke rising from an artillery strike sent a frisson of real fear through this city of 12 million. It was the first such attack since the Korean War ended at midnight, July 27, 1953, and Seoul itself lies in range of massed, long-range North Korean artillery dug into the Demilitarized Zone. Streets were jammed with traffic, as the news broke and people headed home to join families. Companies sent emails urging staff to remain calm. A European diplomatic dinner was half empty, as invited government officials on stage two alert -- one being the lowest level, four being war footing -- were obliged to remain at their stations. "When I got home, the family discussed what we would do if war breaks out," said Kim Joon-hee, a Seoul-based accountant and mother of two. "This was especially shocking as it came after the Cheonan incident." In March, the Cheonan, a South Korea warship, was sunk in the Yellow Sea with the loss of 46 lives, indicating a dangerous new level of aggression by North Korea. The isolated state is currently in the midst of a leadership succession process. In the words of North Korean expert Dr Andrei Lankov, incoming leader Kim Jong Un has to prove to his generals that, "...he is not a spoiled brat who spent his childhood eating Swiss pastries, but a tough leader -- a warlord in the making." That was certainly the impression Seoul residents got on Tuesday. "I had never seen South Korean buildings burning like that -- this was Iraq on Yeonpyong," said Sue Kim, a reporter at a leading daily. "It was kind of incredible, but then my reaction was this has been going on for half a century. I had forgotten that we live in a country at war." The Korean War, which ended with a truce rather than a peace treaty, is a distant memory for most Seoulites: few know the details of the savage street combat that racked their city, or the fact that the capital changed hands four times. The only remaining signs of combat are the bullet and shrapnel damage in the masonry of ancient palaces, for most of the city has been built and rebuilt. It is easy for the younger generation to overlook these scars, and the prominent U.S. military garrison -- headquarters of the 27,500 U.S. troops still stationed here as insurance against another invasion -- at Yongsan in the very heart of Seoul, is now an established part of the cityscape. And whether the Cheonan and Yeonpyongdo incidents will permanently change attitudes is uncertain. "Normally when the North Koreans misbehave, people don't care, but yesterday, people got nervous," said Robert Koehler, a 13-year expatriate and author of a Seoul guidebook. "People tend to get very angry, but then they settle down -- it is easy to get jaded." But with the memories of one of the century's most devastating wars seared into their memories, the old generation cannot forget. "For me this is nothing new," said Kim Song-hwan, a retired artist who lived through -- and painted -- the North Korean occupation of Seoul in 1950. "But it is kind of problematic that young people today are unconcerned about the danger of war." The 20th century Korean War lasted three years and killed -- estimates vary -- between two and four million. A 21st century Korean War is likely to be shorter but, with Pyongyang possessing nuclear weapons, even deadlier. And while Seoul in 1950 was a city that few people in the wider world had heard of, modern Seoul has tremendous international relevance as the capital of the world's 13th largest economy. Were it to come under artillery or nuclear attack, the tsunami that would sweep through global financial markets could be devastating. | Although no strangers to North Korean hostility, Seoul residents see this attack as different .
The sight of columns of smoke rising from an artillery strike sent a frisson of real fear .
It was the first such attack since the Korean War ended at midnight July 27, 1953 .
Seoul itself lies in range of massed, long-range North Korean artillery . |
13f6ca4dff86ba384b77a98562ef2b4ac8011211 | Didier Drogba looked particularly surprised to see Chelsea striker Diego Costa back in training after the £32million signing's injury lay-off. The 36-year-old has been deputising for Costa, who spent one night in hospital after a virus hampered his recovery from hamstring and groin injuries, with Loic Remy also sidelined. Costa has been absent from Chelsea's squad since representing Spain against Slovakia and Luxembourg earlier this month, which led Jose Mourinho to blame manager Vicente del Bosque. But the Chelsea squad looked giddy enough to have their main striker back ahead of the visit of Queens Park Rangers to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and even tried their hand at basketball. Didier Drogba (left) wide-eyed during Chelsea's training session as Diego Costa (right) returned from injury . Costa runs drills during Chelsea's training session on Thursday ahead of their Queens Park Rangers match . Costa gets on the ball during training after making his return from a hamstring and slight groin injury . Costa (left) and Chelsea defender John Terry (right) train ahead of the visit of QPR to Stamford Bridge . The Chelsea team had a go at playing basketball for a bit of fun during a relaxed training session on Thursday . The Chelsea players took out time to shoot some hoops during their training session on Thursday . Chelsea sit top of the Premier League after an unbeaten start to the season, and have a six-point advantage over reigning champions Manchester City. Costa's last Chelsea game saw the 26-year-old seal a 2-0 win against London rivals Arsenal, and the former Atletico Madrid striker will be hungry to add to his nine-goal tally so far. Mourinho's day may only be spoiled by the news that Spain manager Del Bosque insisted he will remain 'stubborn' over the selection of Costa. Mourinho blamed Costa's inclusion in Spain's Euro 2016 qualifiers earlier in October for his lay-off, but Del Bosque says he will not leave the striker out just to satisfy the Chelsea boss. 'In some things we are very flexible and in others stubborn, and in this we are stubborn,' says Del Bosque. 'I don't know if we are right or wrong, but if we hadn't called up Costa for the national team we'd definitely have been criticised for not having done so.' Drogba walks with manager Jose Mourinho (right) during the training session on Thursday . Chelsea goalkeeper Thibout Courtois during a training session at Cobham training ground on Thursday . Chelsea coach Silvino Louro gets Eden Hazard (right) in a head-lock during the training session on Thursday . Cesc Fabregas arrives for the training session on Thursday ahead of Chelsea's match against QPR . VIDEO Redknapp hopeful of Stamford Bridge repeat . | Diego Costa returns to Chelsea training after hamstring and groin injuries .
The striker spent a night in hospital after a virus hampered his recovery .
Chelsea welcome Queens Park Rangers to Stamford Bridge on Saturday .
Eden Hazard has said that his connection with Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa took no longer than a week . |
13f86b382bd27287c2ed03c823d929a3155e9f18 | (CNN) -- In 1917, at age 24, Leo Foster went from being a musician to an instrument of war. The La Crosse, Wisconsin, native isn't in any textbook. His name didn't go down in history like MacArthur or Patton. But on Veterans Day, and every day, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Gary Foster remembers his grandfather. There are no more surviving World War I veterans. They were largely remembered in the 1920s and 1930s, but after World War II, the forgetting began, said Jennifer Keene, author and Chapman University professor. As time passes, their stories become lost, except for the families that preserve their words, photographs and memories. Some relatives reach out to the American Legion, which was created by World War I veterans, to share stories in its publication, Legiontown. It was an avenue that allowed Gary Foster to first share his grandfather's story. "The American Legion constitution includes 'to preserve the memories and incidents of our associations in the great wars,' " said Henry Howard, editor of Legiontown. "If we don't share these stories, they'll be gone." Through Gary Foster and historians, a picture of his grandfather's war experience emerges, and how the lessons from the first world war still reverberate a century after it began. A world on fire . A love of music set the tone for Leo Foster's life. Along with his two sisters, Mary and Cunigunda, Leo enjoyed performing in a musical trio. And had not America joined World War I, Gary suspects that his grandfather might have continued hosting community performances. But Leo saw the writing on the wall and registered. It wouldn't be an easy decision for him. Tragedy had surrounded the Foster family early. His father, John, had died in 1895. His mother, Barbara, had lost an infant son a year earlier. And now, the man of the house would leave his family. But protecting his family was also a big motivation for Leo. "The war in some ways was really a war for family," said Andrew Huebner, a University of Alabama associate professor and author. "The public culture around the war was draped in familial metaphors, a war to defend women and children from deprivation." The doughboys, as American troops were called, became youthful, iconic symbols for the nation. Because of exemptions from the draft, many of the men were sons, rather than fathers or husbands, Huebner said. Leo left his community for the first time to attend training camp. Camps were dangerous themselves, with the threat of disease such as the influenza epidemic, according to Keene, the Chapman University professor. After camp, shipping overseas was also hazardous, with waters infested with German U-boats keen to sink ships full of troops. Leo landed in the strange new setting of France in May 1918. He was surrounded by African, Vietnamese and Chinese troops, which would shift his view of the world. It was a hybrid army of less experienced American volunteers and conscripts melded with war-weary troops who had already endured three years of trench warfare. It was also a war of hybrid technology, Keene said. There were modern machine guns, poison gas, tanks, aircraft and submarines, but many artillery pieces were pulled into positions by horses, Keene said. Communication was key, so armies relied on sounds. A series of counteroffenses had pushed troops back toward Germany, and trenches were abandoned, rendering telephone and telegraph wires useless. Bugle calls were an old form of communication, but the archaic became necessary, Keene said. Leo's musical talent enabled him to become a bugler with the 32nd Division. Removing his gas mask, he used bugle calls for signaling advance, attack, charge and retreat as well as for mustering the troops. Leo was a main target for enemy troops. Knocking out communication in the heat of battle could further disrupt troops already shaken by the confusing fog of war. Leo's division saw heavy fighting and some of the worst battles at the end of the war. On August 1, 1918, Leo was wounded during the Aisne-Marne Offensive by shrapnel in his arms, chest and legs. Officials sent a notice to his family that Leo had been killed in action, and his grandmother raised a flag over their home, honoring his life and service. Three days later, the Red Cross arrived to say that the message had been delivered in error, and that Leo was alive. But given the severity of his injuries, his family worried that he might not survive. Leo wrote home often, brushing off the injuries and letting everyone know that he was improving. Read one of his letters (PDF) Near the end of September, Leo rejoined the fighting in time for one of the most well-remembered battles of World War I -- the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The fighting broke through the German line and pushed back through five miles of territory. It wasn't long afterward that an armistice was declared. Leo received the Wound Chevron, gold stripes that were worn on the cuff . | As time passes, the stories of many World War I veterans have become lost .
Gary Foster shares the experience of his grandfather, a World War I bugler .
The American Legion and the War Letters Project allow these stories to be shared . |
13f9c361802369d5bfd985f4c99e216543433698 | (CNN) -- The simmering warfare and political instability in Iraq are probably far from over, and U.S. military involvement there could very well last years beyond the end of 2011 -- when all U.S. troops are scheduled to depart the war-torn nation, analysts who study Iraq say. Think-tank analysts who've written about what's next in Iraq after the U.S. combat mission formally ends Tuesday say economic and infrastructure conditions need to be improved. And, they envision a persistent American presence in an Iraq that remains unstable -- despite many improvements in the country's security forces and political culture. While U.S. and Iraqi officials point out that violence there has dropped, the attacks, like the wave of coordinated strikes across Iraq last week, will continue, they say. "The Iraq War is not over and it is not 'won,' " wrote Anthony Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Iraq still faces a serious insurgency, and deep ethnic and sectarian tensions." Analysts say a unified government is key to stability in Iraq and the failure of lawmakers to form a new government after the March 7 national elections could exacerbate violence. Manal Omar, director of Iraq programs of the U.S. Institute of Peace, said the "primary fear" people have with the U.S. combat mission ending is that "political parties will resort to violence to force alliances in power sharing" and "the Iraqi citizens will pay the price." U.S. and Iraqi officials point out that troops could remain past the end of 2011 if the Iraqi government requests a new deployment and both countries agree. Michael O'Hanlon, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who spearheads the organization's Iraq Index, says a full removal of Americans troops by the end of next year would be a tall order. He said "too many sectarian wounds" are "unhealed" and there are "unresolved" disputes -- like the territorial fight between Arabs, Kurds, and Turkomens around Kirkuk. "Pulling all of our remaining troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011, as presently required under a U.S.-Iraqi understanding negotiated by President (George W.) Bush and Prime Minister (Nuri al-) Maliki in late 2008, seems too risky," O'Hanlon wrote in an article in The National Interest. "Our calming presence is useful, as Iraqis themselves agreed in a recent poll by a considerable margin, and there is no military or strategic need to rush for the exits." O'Hanlon also said that any "renegotiation" of the December 31, 2011 date " requires a new Iraqi government -- and there is no sign of one emerging." Noah Feldman, an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former senior adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, wrote a column for the Wall Journal that said "Iraq faces a raft of difficulties if it is to become an effective, self-governing nation, and all of them point to the need for a continuing U.S. role in security and beyond." He noted that the U.S. troop surge blocked setbacks, such as civil war, and that only the United States "can offer a credible guarantee" that the government "is not about to collapse." "This is the reason that many observers, including Ryan Crocker, former U.S. ambassador to Iraq, expect Iraq's elected leaders to ask for troops past the planned pull-out target," Feldman wrote. He said Iraq's politicians have the most to lose from the pullout. "The cost to Iraqi politicians of asking the former occupier to stick around is likely to be offset by the tremendous gains in public confidence associated with a prolonged American commitment -- especially if they ask early in their own election cycle," Feldman said. Feldman said the situation in Iraq is similar to South Korea, where the United States left troops after the 1953 armistice for stability and security. There are nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea almost 60 years after the end of the Korean War, he said. He said the United States was in South Korea when it "was governed by a succession of military dictators" and into the 1980s as South Korea "blossomed into a free and functioning democracy." "In the coming year, the Iraqi government (once it is formed) is likely to ask the U.S. to keep some significant number of troops in the country after the pullout date of summer 2011. If so, President Obama may well agree, because it is just about the only way to avoid a resurgence of civil war and continue Iraq's tenuous progress toward consolidating democracy," Feldman said. Iraq is known for its oil wealth and the U.S. Department of Energy projects oil production will expand into 2035. But Cordesman said that despite the oil industry, Iraq's "economy is one of the poorest in the world in terms of real per capita income." "It is the second year of a budget crisis that has force it to devote most state funds to paying salaries and maintaining employment at the cost of both development and creating effective security forces," Cordesman said. The 30 years or so of conflict in Iraq has taken its toll, Cordesman said, and "it will be years before Iraq can overcome" their effect. "Moreover, the bulk of a massive international aid effort has either been wasted or consumed in dealing with the insurgency, and aid is phasing down to critically low levels at a time Iraq lacks both the funds and capability to replace aid or even take transfer of many aid projects." Rachel Schneller, a U.S. Foreign Service officer who is now a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, in an essay for Chatham House, cautions any United States withdrawal from Iraq must be responsible and added that "getting the country electrified" would be a key stride. "Nothing would stabilize Iraq more than reliable electricity, which would allow business growth and employment of those who might otherwise join militias to support their families," she wrote. Cordesman said Iraq in the future can be an asset in the region. It can help limit Iran's influence, divide Iran and Syria, give Turkey a "key alternative to economic involvement with Iran, and "play a key role in securing the entire Gulf." "The fact remains, however, that Iraq is a truly vital national security interest of the United States, and of all its friends and allies," he said. | Political stability is important for Iraq, analysts agree .
There are similarities between Iraq and South Korea .
U.S. troops could stay beyond end of 2011 . |
13fa36c7982b7f85b729c7493b786293c0c4c14f | A mourner got so drunk after a friend's funeral he woke up hundreds of miles away in Amsterdam and 'had no idea' how he got there. Inebriated Sainsbury's worker James O'Kane, from Orpington, south-east London, booked a 4am taxi to Gatwick Airport and bought a £232 ticket to the Dutch capital after a wake the night before. The 22-year-old first realised he was not at home when he was woken up on a British Airways flight as it landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. 'I cannot believe what happened. I remember waking up on the flight when the stewardess announced we had landed in Amsterdam. I had no idea how I got there,' he told MailOnline. 322 miles from home: The moment James O'Kane arrived in Amsterdam - before it dawned on him he had no clothes, no money and nowhere to stay . Making the best of it: The 22-year-old Sainsbury's worker outside the central station and sex museum in Amsterdam, where he wandered around for three days in his funeral suit and flip flops . Winter break: The 22-year-old said he had no idea how he managed to get to the city, only that he must have bought his ticket online . 'I took a picture at the airport, I think I was still a bit drunk, and I was pleased to be there. But then I realised I had no money, nowhere to stay, no luggage, no underwear, not even tooothpaste. I had also left my glasses at home so was struggling to see. 'I also had never been abroad on my own before. 'For the next three days I wandered around in my three-piece suit and had to buy some flip-flops because shoes were hurting. I couldn't afford trainers. 'The worst thing was that Amsterdam was below freezing. 'I have never done anything like this before, it's completely out of character'. Dazed and confused: James O'Kane got drunk after a funeral and woke up in Amsterdam the next morning after booking a taxi and taking a BA flight . Holiday snaps: James entertained friends back home on Facebook by posting selfies, including one with the Grim Reaper in the city's main square and another outside a famous coffee shop . James said after the funeral of his friend Paula, 20, there was a wake and he later attended a birthday party in Croydon after what had been a 'sad day'. When in Holland the Sainsbury's worker admitted he panicked because he had never been abroad on his own before. He had used the passport he had taken to the pub as ID to leave Britain. After a conversation with airline staff in Amsterdam he learned his return flight home was in three days, but he had no accommodation booked in the city and only £50 in his pocket. But any hopes that he would be rescued . by his mother Janice, 58, evaporated because she agreed to pay for a . hotel room but no earlier flight because he 'had made his bed and had to . lie in it'. On Facebook he checked in at his Amsterdam hotel and told friends: 'Having . a fantastic time on my own abroad wearing the same clothes, and the . same breath as a deceased homeless person not to forget waking up 322 . miles away from where I originally began'. Home: Supermarket worker James thought he was in bed in Orpington, Kent, pictured, but was actually at Schiphol Airport in the Dutch capital . Dream destination: Amsterdam is one of the world's most vibrant cities, but Mr O'Kane struggled because he had booked three days there but had no money . His father Nick, 57, said today: 'It is unbelievable. He rang his mum and said "I cannot believe it mum, I'm in Amsterdam". 'We were tearing our hair out - completely gobsmacked'. So for three days James wandered Amsterdam's streets in his funeral suit and flip flops bought because his formal shoes rubbed his feet. A lack of money to enjoy the historic city of Amsterdam was made worse because he had left his glasses in Orpington. But he did take a series of selfies to remember his holiday. He said: 'It's funny now, but I wasn't laughing then. I'm not planning any more adventures.' In November a teenager who went out . clubbing in Manchester with his mates woke up in Paris the following . morning after booking a flight in the early hours. Luke . Harding was getting a cab home from the Tokyo Project nightclub, . nicknamed Tokes, in Oldham when he found his passport in his pocket and . drunkenly decided to visit the Eiffel Tower. Good night out? Luke Harding took a picture of himself in front of the Arc de Triomphe after he ended up in Paris following a night out in Oldham, Manchester . Mr . Harding, a sheet metal worker, asked the shocked taxi driver to head . immediately for Manchester Airport then booked a last minute 6am flight . for £100 through Flybe to the French capital using his mobile phone. The 19-year-old eventually woke up in a . toilet cubicle at Charles De Gaulle Airport - 500 miles from where he . started his night to remember. | James O'Kane, 22, thought he was in Orpington until he woke at Schiphol .
'I remember waking up on the flight when .
the stewardess announced we had landed in Amsterdam. I had no idea how I .
got there,' he told MailOnline .
Sainsbury's worker's mother refused to pay for flight home because he 'had made his bed and had to lie in it'
Spent three days in city wandering around in his funeral suit and flip-flops . |
13fb8c03e475f81728e8377886c426a8ad06349a | LONDON, England (CNN) -- In 1981, Dr Mohga Kamal-Yanni was preparing to leave Egypt for a clinical attachment in England when her father had a heart attack. He fell in the street, and was taken to a public hospital, where Dr Kamal-Yanni kept vigil at his bedside until he regained his strength. A doctor at a hospital in India where health indicators have showed no significant improvement in seven years. During his stay in the hospital, she was appalled at the low level of healthcare available to him. "It was awful. There was no medicine," she told CNN. As a doctor, Kamal-Yanni was able to watch over her father's progress. Her professional opinion on his recovery was striking. "My father survived that heart attack for two reasons," she said. "One, because of God's will, and two, because he had a strong will. It was nothing to do with the health service." The following year, Kamal-Yanni came to England to do a clinical attachment. She found herself deeply affected by the stark contrast between the healthcare available in Britain, on the publicly funded National Health Service, and the healthcare available at home in Egypt. She found herself slipping into depression. "I couldn't talk to the patients; I couldn't talk to the doctors. I just couldn't cope with it," she revealed to CNN. "I couldn't understand why every time I saw a monitor next to a patient I was so upset." It dawned on her that the gulf in care was troubling her. "I kept thinking why on earth my dad didn't have that. The only reason was that he happened to be born in Egypt and these people had the luck to be born [in England]." Kamal-Yanni is now a senior health & HIV policy advisor at third-world charity Oxfam. Her first-hand experience of the divide between the healthcare available in richer countries, and that on offer in poorer ones, has given her the impetus to try and narrow the gap. While Western countries are pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge, discovering the potential of nanotechnology and other high-tech solutions to the developed world's diseases, like diabetes, cancer and obesity, poor countries are struggling to combat health problems such as HIV, malaria and TB. Lack of infrastructure . And it's not as simple as shipping medicines and supplies in bulk quantities. Oxfam's "Paying for People" report, published in February this year, said that poor countries are suffering because they lack the infrastructure of a health service. The WHO's 2006 "World Health Report" also indicates that 4.25 million doctors, nurses and health workers are needed across 57 countries. Sub-Saharan Africa, for example, has 600,000 health workers: one million more are required. Without these key workers, it is questionable whether healthcare in poor countries can be improved. Nicky Wimble, a spokesperson for Oxfam, told CNN, "There is money coming in for drugs now, but there's no commitment to long-term aid." Governments are unable to give healthcare workers with job security and doctors and nurses, where they do exist, are largely poorly paid: so people choose other careers. "They're either becoming taxi drivers, or working for private businesses," Wimble says. This double brain-drain (one internal, one external as those who do train are tempted away by higher salaries and brighter futures in developed countries) means that even if drugs make it to poorer areas, there can be no one to administer them. "Drugs are sitting in cupboards," Wimble told CNN. "Or they're available in cities but people in rural areas don't have the bus fares to get to them." Vulnerable to disease . Dr Kamal-Yanni backs this up. She told CNN, "There is no public investment in health systems so people have to pay for it. If you're poor you can't buy your healthcare and if you're a woman who happens to be poor you might as well forget it." And in countries where no healthcare system exists, people are extremely vulnerable to diseases, which can spread rampantly and unchecked through communities. Dr Kamal-Yanni paints a worrying picture. "Particularly in Africa, they're not equipped to face anything -- not HIV, let alone avian flu. If something like avian flu hit Africa with no health system, no health workers and no money, it would spread. We can't contain it in Africa. The world would wake up and realize that, but in the meantime, it would have wiped out goodness knows how many millions of people." It's not just in Africa. HIV is a known crisis there, but it is anticipated that more people will be infected in India than anywhere else, as the disease spreads quickly through its billion-strong population. Increasingly, countries like these are having to deal with a boom in incommunicable diseases, like diabetes and cancer. Chronic diseases like diabetes have the additional problem that they require long-term care, and therefore long-term funding. Dr Kamal-Yanni explained the difficulties of that situation. "You buy the pills today, but maybe tomorrow you don't have enough money so you're never cured and develop complications." What lies ahead? Dr Kamal-Yanni sees three possible outcomes for health in poor countries. The first, as she explained, is bleak. She told CNN, "If things continue as they are, with rising infection, increasing resistance to drugs, HIV and malaria run unchecked, chronic and non-communicable diseases are ignored and no money is spent on a health system, then the gap will just increase and the situation will get worse and worse." Dr Kamal-Yanni is hopeful, however, that the situation will improve somewhat. She explained a second scenario, the one she feels is most likely to happen. "If the international community invests a little bit, things will be slightly better," she told CNN. "More people with HIV will get treatment, as will people with TB and malaria. But non-communicable chronic diseases [like diabetes] will be ignored." But large-scale epidemics like avian flu or SARS would still remain a huge threat in this scenario, as would diseases like cancer. "Who's going to pay for medicine for cancer, which is increasing like anything in developing countries?" asks Dr Kamal-Yanni. "Nobody." Hope for the future . But there is a third scenario, which holds out more hope for people in developing countries. Dr Kamal-Yanni says, "If public pressure is high, southern governments, donors and the international community will decide that health is really a priority. We'll put our money where our mouth is and we'll fulfil the commitments that we've made before." She says that in the first instance, African countries need to be encouraged to divert 16 percent of their budget to health. (Currently, nearly a third allocate less than five percent.) "Then they will realize that this is not enough, so they'll put in more," she continues. If this money were to be added to the $50 billion promised by G8, the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations, in Gleneagles in 2005, it would have a huge impact on health and education, particularly in Africa. And education is the key, Dr Kamal-Yanni believes. She explained, "You can't separate health and education because unless you educate doctors and nurses, and midwives and pharmacists, you can't run a health service." Working together . It's also important for donors and governments to work together to provide a cohesive service, she says. "They really need to start coordinating their work so it's not a series of vertical programs that don't relate to each other and waste resources." Oxfam's Nicky Wimble agrees. She told CNN, "Over the last 100 years, countries like France, Britain and America have developed by giving their people free education and healthcare. It's a major way to bring people out of poverty." Wimble cites the example of education, where the number of children not in school worldwide has fallen from around 120 million to around 80 million. "The key is getting governments to commit to it as a part of their aid package, and monitoring the aid package so that the money is tracked to ensure that it gets to where it's intended," she said. "It's working for education, and they think it'll work for healthcare too, but it needs committed investment." And in the meantime, people like Mohga Kamal-Yanni will continue their work to pressure governments to encourage positive change. She says, "That's my motivation to do this work. It's not for me; it's a life thing. My dream in life is for everybody in Africa to have access to a publicly financed, publicly run healthcare service with strong regulation, quality, care and equity." E-mail to a friend . | Oxfam: Lack of infrastructure is the greatest danger to health in poor countries .
WHO: 4.25 million more doctors and nurses needed worldwide .
Poor countries won't cope with SARS, avian flu .
Positive policy changes have seen number of children not in school fall by a third . |
13fbc908a2c9386b632339ff6c04557541899964 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:17 EST, 18 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:44 EST, 18 February 2013 . WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange believes election to the senate in his home country Australia will secure his escape from extradition to the United States. Assange, who has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the past eight months, is planning to run as a candidate in Victoria for the September election. Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa today called on Europe to settle Assange's fate, after being re-elected. Wanted: Julian Assange hopes election to the Australian senate with force the U.S. to back down . The controversial figure is wanted in . Sweden over sex assault allegations but believes it is part of a plot . to put him on trial in the U.S. over the leaking of classified documents . on his website. He said if he is elected to the senate then America and Britain - where he skipped bail in relation to the accusations before seeking political refuge - would back down, fearing an international showdown. In Australia, senators must take up their seats within two months of being elected and Assange is confident this is enough to secure a safe passage out of the UK. He told Australian website The Conversation: 'The Senate could vote to evict me, but that would trigger a big political row. 'Australians probably wouldn't swallow it. They've learned a lesson from the controversial dismissal of Gough Whitlam.' He said Britain would allow him to leave otherwise 'the political costs of the current standoff will be higher still'. Escape: Assange believes election will secure his safe passage out of the UK . Fugitive: The WikiLeaks founder before skipping bail and seeking refuge . Assange's supporters have applied for him to be placed on the electoral roll in Victoria, which is necessary for all senate candidates. He said he will start the WikiLeaks political party, with several candidates running in the election, and added he is 'sure' it would attract the required 500 fee-paying members. Assange also claimed the allegations against him are 'falling apart'. He revealed his plans as the President Correa declared victory in the presidential elections. The president said: 'It's a diplomatic situation for which a solution must be found... as quickly as possible...his fate' is in Europe's hands.' Assange, whose anti-secrecy website is responsible for the biggest security breach in U.S. history, fled to the embassy in June. Victorious: Rafael Correra declared victory in Ecuador's presidential elections and said Europe must solve the 'Julian Assange' problem . Re-election: Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa celebrates his victory today . Celebrations: Supporters of Rafael Correa parade in the streets of Quito . The country granted him asylum in August but Britain has refused to allow him safe passage out of the country. By helping him, Ecuador 'did what it had to do in the framework of its sovereignty,' Correa said. 'There can't be a problem due to asylum, it's neocolonialism,' he said. Correa claimed victory shortly after polling stations closed in an election he had been widely expected to win. The first official results polls gave him 56.7 percent of the vote -- and a roughly 30-point lead over his nearest rival, banker Guillermo Lasso -- with just over a third of ballots counted. It has also emerged that the bill for policing outside the embassy in London has reached nearly £3 million. | He believes election will secure safe passage from UK .
'UK and U.S. will want to avoid an international row'
Ecuador's president calls on Europe to settle his fate . |
13fc54287b0cb96a6485bbf94e0018a80a886a2c | By . Paul Revoir . PUBLISHED: . 12:50 EST, 2 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:33 EST, 2 May 2013 . A long-awaited report into bullying and harassment at the BBC, which was commissioned in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, has revealed there were 37 formal complaints of sexual harassment over the past six years. No disciplinary measures were taken and in some cases perpetrators were promoted even after complaints had been upheld against them. The review found there was a perception within the organisation that BBC stars did not have to adhere to the same rules as normal staff because they could ‘wield power’. Barrister Dinah Rose (left) compiled the report which director general of the BBC Tony Hall (right) said made for 'uncomfortable reading' It also said some on-air talent’s behaviour was ‘often inappropriate’ and in certain cases should be categorised as ‘renowned’. Barrister Dinah Rose’s findings are particularly embarrassing for the corporation which came out on the same day its former presenter Stuart Hall pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting 13 girls aged as young as nine. While the 80-page Respect At Work linked the ‘untouchable’ treatment of stars directly to bullying and inappropriate behaviour, rather than sexual harassment, it none the less added to the impression of a celebrity obsessed culture at the broadcaster. Yesterday director general Tony Hall admitted the report made ‘uncomfortable reading’ and said there would now be ‘zero-tolerance’ of bullying and harassment. As part of the report being published the corporation also revealed that it will now drop gagging orders from all BBC contracts in the future. Guilty: Stuart Hall arrives at Preston Crown Court today, with solicitor Maurice Watkins, where he has admitted historic sex allegations . There has been deep concern in the past that the BBC has been able prevent people speaking out about their treatment at the corporation as a result of these clauses in their contracts. While the report said sexual harassment was much less common than bullying, it did admit there was evidence that some individuals working at the BBC had made ‘unwanted and inappropriate sexual advances’ to their colleagues or staff. In some cases people had been given warnings about their behaviour but then gone on to repeat their harassment of the person. Between April 2005 and December 2012 there had also been six employment tribunal claims which included allegations of sexual harassment. The long-awaited report into bullying and harassment at the BBC which was commissioned in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal . The report added that in sexual harassment cases there was a tendency for the victim to be ‘young and in the early stages of their career’ and ‘almost exclusively female’ while the perpetrators tended to be men and in ‘positions of influence’. Victims had complained that they had ‘nowhere safe and confidential to go’ to report the problem and to ‘see it acted upon’. Miss Rose’s research found concerns about bullying and other forms of inappropriate behaviour were ‘much more prominent’ than sexual harassment. In this types of cases it was said that some bosses and stars were seen as ‘untouchable’ because of their ‘perceived value to the BBC’. The report once again created the impression of an organisation that was submissive to the talent it often pays large amounts of money to. It said: ‘There is a perception that “talent” are treated differently and don’t have to adhere to the same rules because they wield power over the organisation and anyone who tries to manage them. ‘In many cases, the BBC does not directly employ them and so people are quite unsure about what interventions are possible.’ The review said it had heard of examples of talent whose behaviour was ‘often inappropriate’ and their actions were what it would class as ‘visible’ and in some cases ‘renowned’. People who gave evidence to the review were said to have been ‘fearful of raising complaints’ about bullying and harassment, because they feared it would impact on their career. The report, which spoke of ‘known bullies’ at the corporation, noted: ‘Throughout our conversations we heard a strong undercurrent of fear; fear of speaking out, fear of reprisal, fear of losing your job, being made redundant, fear of becoming a victim, fear of getting a reputation as a troublemaker and not getting promoted if an employee, or further work if a freelancer, supplier or contractor.’ One contributor told the review: ‘People are afraid to complain, there is a huge fear of reputational loss and shame. These are the invisible silencing mechanisms.’ Of the 37 cases of sexual harassment only 25 resulted in a formal disciplinary process. The report said the BBC had not been clear enough about the standard of behaviour that was expected from all staff including on-air ‘talent’. The BBC will now launch a range of new measures to tackle the problem including a confidential helpline for support with bullying and harassment and making it explicitly clear to employees that must not behave in this way. The report, which did not name any individuals, heard from 930 people ranging from presenters, senior bosses through to technicians and engineers. The BBC’s management admitted some managers at the BBC were ‘concerned’ they would become part of a ‘witch-hunt’ by disgruntled staff as part of the process. While the corporation announced an end to gagging clauses it did admit it would continue to use confidentiality agreements where appropriate. Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, welcomed action to tackle bullying, and said: ‘It is quite clear that bullying has become an institutionalised problem at the BBC, one that has taken hold over many years.’ BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said: ‘Sexual harassment and bullying have no place at the BBC and should be acted on and stamped out.’ | Report was commissioned in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal .
No disciplinary measures were taken and in some cases perpetrators were promoted .
Stars thought they did not have to adhere to the same rules as normal staff . |
13fca811eb70e3e7b95ce059a2137cfa688a73f4 | By . Jessica Jerreat . Binge drinking is becoming a deadly problem in the U.S. with New Mexico and Alaska topping the chart for the most alcohol-related deaths. A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that several mountain-region states have a higher than average number of deaths. Figures showed that about 88,000 Americans died from drink-related causes each year, and that about 70 percent of those deaths were of working age adults. Maps of the U.S. above and below show the extent of binge drinking in individual states in 2010 . Health researchers compiled information on alcohol-related deaths - from violence and car crashes to heart disease - that took place between 2006 and 2010. New Mexico 16.4 percent . Alaska 15.9 percent . Colorado 14.2 percent . Wyoming 13.4 percent . Arizona 13.4 percent . Montana 13.2 percent . California 12.3 percent . Nevada 11.6 percent . Oregon 11.6 percent . Idaho 11.3 percent . Figures from CDC . What they found was that while the national average was one in 10 deaths that could be attributed to alcohol, states including New Mexico had far higher figures. They found that excessive drinking was the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., and that young men were the group most likely to meet an untimely death because of drinking. 'Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death that kills many Americans in the prime of their lives,' Ursula Bauer, of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, said. 'We need to redouble our efforts to implement scientifically proven public health approaches to reduce this tragic loss of life and the huge economic costs that result.' The study looked at how binge drinking could be attributed to deaths caused by everything from liver disease and cancer to car crashes . The study counted binge drinking as more than four drinks a day for women and five for men . After New Mexico, with 16.4 percent rate, states with the highest alcohol-related deaths in the 20-64 age group were Alaska, with 15.9 percent, Colorado with 14.2 percent, and Wyoming with 13.4 percent. Alcoholic liver disease 14,364 . Liver cirrhosis 7,847 . Homicide 7,756 . Vehicle crashes 12,460 . Poison (non alcholol) 8,404 . Suicide 8,179 . Fall injuries 7,541 . Alcohol dependence syndrome 3,728 . Alcohol abuse 2,022 . Alcohol poisoning 1,647 . Figures from CDC . The highest causes of deaths among all age groups including liver disease - attributed to 14,364 deaths, as well as car crashes, which accounted for 12,460 deaths, and murders, at 7,756. Authors of the study, which was published in Preventing Chronic Disease, also accounted for fetal alcohol syndrome and child abuse. 'Excessive alcohol use is a huge public . health problem. It's killing people in the prime of their lives,' Dr Robert Brewer, of the CDC Alcohol Program, told the Huffington Post. The study suggested that those who had died from alcohol-related reasons had on average lost 30 years of life. The largest age group affected was aged from 20 to 64. A map of the U.S. that illustrates the findings showed that a line of states stretching from Montana to Arizona had above average deaths. Health researchers say consumers need to be more aware of what constitutes 'one drink' On the other end of the scale, Maryland residents appeared to have the healthiest attitude to drinking, with only 7.5 percent of deaths attributable to alcohol. The study looked at 54 causes of death that could be attributed to drinking, including alcohol poisoning, liver disease, accidents, and breast cancer. Researchers also looked at the impact of excessive drinking - more than eight drinks a week for a woman and 15 for a man - and how that affected chronic disease. An estimated 38 million Americans drink more than the recommended weekly limit, leading other health researchers to believe that the CDC findings could be lower than the reality. Dr David Crabb, of the Indiana Alcohol . Research Center, told the Huffington Post: 'A lot of the injury isn't just the people you consider alcohol abusers, but a much a larger group that binge drink or consume higher levels than recommended.' | 88,000 Americans a year die from drink-related causes, health study finds .
Liver disease and car crashes top list of deaths linked to excessive alcohol . |
13fcf0bc4c345b13f73d590ffb0457b6cab5aa2d | By . Hugo Duncan . PUBLISHED: . 08:10 EST, 2 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:13 EST, 2 July 2012 . Worrying: A review of France's state finances - requested by President Francois Hollande - has revealed a massive £27billion shortfall in its economy, threatening the country's deficit goals . New French President Francois Hollande – elected on an anti-austerity platform – was yesterday told 'unprecedented' cuts were needed to plug a gaping hole in the country's budget. France's accounting watchdog warned the government needs to find £35billion in savings over the next two years to drag it out of the 'danger zone'. Didier Migaud, head of the country's Cour des Comptes audit body, said repairing the battered public finances was 'crucial' and must not be delayed. 'It will require an unprecedented brake on spending and higher taxes,' he said. The tough message was a blow to socialist Mr Hollande, who declared that 'austerity can no longer be inevitable' after he defeated Nicolas Sarkozy in May and has repeatedly called for Europe to focus on growth. France, which has lost its AAA credit rating, ran up a deficit of £83billion last year – or more than five per cent of GDP – and its £1.4trillion debt amounts to £50,000 per household, or 86 per cent of GDP. The auditor said savings of up to £8billion were needed this year and a further £27billion next year to get the deficit under control and meet Mr Hollande's budget target of cutting it to three per cent of GDP next year and eliminating it in 2017. Mr Migaud warned action must be taken now to prevent a backlash on the financial markets and a possible bailout. French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will outline the socialist's economic plan today and finance minister Pierre Moscovici will publish details of a revised budget tomorrow. 'There will be tax increases, there will be spending cuts,' Mr Moscovici admitted last week. 'But we must avoid a budget that hurts economic activity.' Mr Hollande's task will be made even more difficult by weak economic growth. The auditor forecast expansion of 0.4 per cent this year and one per cent in 2013. Hollande's approval rating has already slid by seven points to around 51 per cent as the public fears more economic gloom. The government will revise down official growth forecasts as it uses the audit to rework the 2012 budget, Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said in a newspaper interview. The Court of Auditors-- a quasi-judicial body responsible for overseeing public accounts - said it had not uncovered any new skeletons left by the outgoing government of conservative former President Nicolas Sarkozy. It pointed to 1.2 to 2.0 billion euros of likely overspending this year in areas like defence, agriculture and housing, but said this was normal. Bad news: The government plans tax rises on the wealthy and on companies to adjust the 2012 budget, but unpopular welfare and civil service job cuts are likely next year. The Eiffel Tower is pictured in Paris . Grim: The president of the French Court of Auditors, Didier Migaud, poses with the court's report on the country's finances . The main obstacle to Hollande's . pledge to honour France's European Union deficit targets of 4.5 per cent . of GDP this year and 3.0 per cent in 2013, the court said, was a . revenue shortfall due to over optimistic assumptions on economic growth. The . crunch year for public finances would come in 2013, the auditors said, . when the government must make the biggest step in deficit reduction in . the face of weak growth, a persistent euro zone crisis and rising . domestic anger over high unemployment. 'Respecting . the 2013 public finance target is particularly important for France's . credibility with the euro zone gravely affected by a debt crisis,' the . report said. Even if Paris . meets this year's target, public debt is on course to top the 90 per . cent of GDP level at which economists see a negative impact on growth, . making it vital that the government act quickly. 'If the dynamic of public debt does . not slow, the risk premium demanded by investors will raise debt . servicing costs and limit still further the room for manoeuvre,' it . said. Government . sources have already said that a revised 2012 budget, due before the . cabinet on Wednesday, will include some 7.5 billion euros in new taxes, . including increases in wealth tax and a financial transactions tax. But . the auditor's report will strengthen the case for tough spending and . tax measures in the 2013 budget, due in the autumn, potentially helping . the government face down opposition from powerful trade unions and its . own far-left political allies. The . Court of Auditors said growth this year would be around 0.4 per cent, . less than the 0.7 per cent assumption in the old budget. For 2013, the auditors assumed growth of 1 per cent, well shy of the previous government's 1.75 per cent forecast. The new government appeared to agree. Moscovici told Le Figaro he would base a 2012 corrective budget on a . growth forecast of 0.4 per cent or less, and the 2013 plan on output . expansion of 1.0 to 1.3 per cent. While neighbouring Germany was starting to reduce its debt, France's was still climbing, draining the competitiveness of its economy, the court said. France urgently needed to rein in one of the highest state spending levels in Europe, at 56 per cent of GDP. 'Budgetary adjustments should be aimed mainly at spending,' the report said, noting that efficiency gains would allow this to be done without affecting the quality of services. It said job cuts were indispensable to curb mounting payroll costs. The . Court of Auditors is headed by Didier Migaud, a former Socialist . politician appointed by Sarkozy, giving its recommendations bipartisan . authority. In the short . term, the auditors accepted that tax rises were needed to avoid drastic . spending cuts which would choke off a recovery. They recommended reductions to tax exemptions and a short-term increase in Value-Added Tax and the CSG welfare charge. The court report did not take into . account measures approved by the government since it took office in May, . including a two percent rise in the minimum wage. Change: The state auditors said it had not uncovered any new skeletons left by the outgoing government of conservative former President Nicolas Sarkozy. He is pictured with his wife Carla Bruni leaving the Elysee Palace after Francois Hollande was sworn in as President . Its figures also did not include a recent EU decision on taxation of foreign investment funds, which could cost France up to 9 billion euros, nor the extra cost of France's share in a 100 billion euro zone bailout for Spanish banks, agreed last month. If the 33 billion euros next year were split evenly between spending reductions and new taxes, the government could find the 16.5 billion euros of expenditure savings by slowing state spending increases to the pace of inflation, the auditors said. Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, due to set out his legislative agenda to parliament on Tuesday, has said the central government - which accounts for four-fifths of the deficit - would hold spending flat between 2013 and 2015. | President Francois Hollande now has task of explaining to voters that sweeping costs cuts will be .
inevitable - despite promising an end to austerity .
Government plans tax rises on the .
wealthy and on companies but unpopular .
welfare and civil service job cuts are likely next year .
Hollande's approval rating has slid by seven points to 51 per cent as the public fears more economic gloom . |
13fe3d7410a407735b59a6a7c22c89f78bb55dfb | Iowa Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst canceled a meeting with the Des Moines Register editorial board Thursday, a move that the newspaper's publisher and president described as "rare." Ernst was scheduled to meet with the editorial board Thursday morning and skipped out in a "last minute" move Wednesday afternoon, Des Moines Register publisher Rick Green confirmed to CNN. "I think that Iowa voters were cheated because of the fact that she didn't appear and have more of a chance to articulate details on her strategy, vision and long term priorities," Green said. He said that her absence will "not be the deciding factor" in which candidate the editorial board chooses to endorse in the race. The Braley campaign pounced on Ernst's cancellation of the Register in a conference call Thursday afternoon, calling her move a "major change in strategy for the Ernst campaign." "I know she made mistakes recently where she accidentally revealed her extreme positions...but those are not good reasons to hide from an open conversation to help voters make decisions," said Sarah Benzing, Braley's campaign manager. "It's one thing to stick with talking points at events. It's another to sit down with editorial board members and answer tough questions." The Register endorsed Ernst in her primary election in May. The paper also picked Mitt Romney over Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential contest. A representative from the Ernst campaign did not return CNN's request for comment on why Ernst didn't attend her meeting, but a campaign spokeswoman mentioned the Register's editorials, many of which are critical of Ernst, in a statement to POLITICO. "Recent editorials in the Des Moines Register make their position in this race perfectly clear," spokeswoman Gretchen Hamel said. "And it's one that many voters across our state seem to disagree with." Ernst, currently an Iowa state senator, is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley. The pair is locked in a tight race with a Quinnipiac University poll from Thursday morning showing Ernst leading Braley at 48 percent and 46 percent respectively. Ernst's two point lead is within the poll's margin error. Green said the Ernst's last-minute decision to eschew the editorial board meeting was not unprecedented, but it was rare. "Candidates do what candidates do," he said. | Iowa Senate candidate Jodi Ernst skips out on meeting with Des Moines Register .
The paper's publisher called the move "rare," but said it won't affect the paper's endorsement.
Ernst is in a neck-and-neck race with her opponent, Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley.
The Braley campaign pounced on Ernst's cancellation in a conference call Thursday afternoon . |
13fe7021d740cf5630183c1487c12759fc5dbdd2 | Plano, Texas (CNN) -- Texas police are hunting for a man they believe broke into the homes of four former members of the same sorority, then sexually assaulted them. The alleged attacks took place over a span of months, and occurred in the Texas cities of Plano, Coppell and Corinth, according to police. No one has been named yet as a suspect, though Plano police last week released a video -- dated in April -- showing a man they believe is responsible for all four assaults. The alleged victims -- all black females in their mid-50s to mid-60s -- offered similar descriptions of their assailant as a stout, black male in his late 30s to mid-40s. And all were alumnae of the same sorority: Delta Sigma Theta. "He made it obvious to our victims that he knew information ... about them personally," said Plano police spokesman Andre Smith, adding that none of the women believe they knew their attacker in advance. While ceding the sorority membership is a "common denominator" of all four cases, Smith cautioned against assuming that the accused attacker had only targeted this sorority's alumnae. "We don't want to give a false sense of security to any other group that's out there," he said. According to Corinth Police Capt. Greg Wilkerson, all the assaults occurred in "residential settings" between 9:15 p.m. and 4 a.m. when the victims were alone. The alleged attack in his city, 35 miles northwest of Dallas, took place on October 14. The late-night setting, the fact the victims were often asleep and the alleged assailant's "attempts to conceal his identity" make it challenging to definitively identify the attacker, said Wilkerson. He noted that the Corinth police department is currently processing DNA evidence, as are other police departments. Still, Wilkerson said that the suspect's physical traits -- weighing from 275 to 300 pounds and between 5-foot-7 and 5-foot-9 tall, in his department's estimation, and balding or with a close-shaven head -- were common, as were other characteristics like what he called the man's distinctive "swagger" as shown in the video. Police described the video as coming from a surveillance camera, but they did not describe the specific source or location. "There are some things ... that stick out -- his size, the glasses, the mannerism with which he walks," added Smith. "We know somebody knows (him) ... We just hope that they give us a call, so we can put a stop to this." Wilkerson said that the nature of the assaults suggests the assailant was "possibly suspecting surveillance, spending some time around the areas ... prior to the attacks." The police captain added authorities do not know how the suspect learned details of the victims, speculating it may have been over the internet, by accessing an old directory or noticing would-be victims with Delta Sigma Theta jewelry, placards or other paraphernalia out in public. "We want them to understand that their group is being targeted," Wilkerson said of the sorority's alumnae, urging them "not to advertise" their affiliation with Delta Sigma Theta and advising those who live alone to stay with a relative or friend until the case is resolved. "(But) we don't want to create any pandemonium." The sorority's Washington-based headquarters, in a statement Monday, urged all its members in the Dallas area to take precautions. "To think that our members are being targeted is disturbing and extremely disheartening," said Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre, Delta Sigma Theta's president. "Until the individual responsible for these crimes is brought to justice, we will continue to remain in close communication with one another and law enforcement officials." | 4 black women in their 50s and 60s were allegedly attacked while at home alone, police say .
They were all alumnae of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority .
The alleged attacker -- black and in his 30s or 40s -- knew personal info about his victims .
Authorities have not named anyone, though they've released a video of a possible suspect . |
13ff27150e9295f5e772b1da609b7bc6adfac2d0 | Not so long ago the very presence of a father in the delivery room was virtually unheard of, with dads-to-be pacing maternity unit corridors while midwives patiently guided a woman through the most gruelling — and joyous — moment of her life. Times have moved on. Now fathers are expected to play an integral role. But surely times haven’t moved on so far that the father — even a multi-millionaire pop star father — expects to be centre of attention on a global scale while his wife endures the agonies of labour? Scroll down for video . Williams sports his best boy-band grin to soothe wife Ayda as she lies in discomfort . No wonder, then, that Robbie Williams’ tasteless video diary (viewed by more than 17 million people on Facebook alone) and inane Twitter commentary from his wife’s bedside as she gave birth to their second child has triggered such a negative reaction. There cannot be a woman in the world whose deepest sympathies did not go out to Mrs Williams, aka Ayda Field, as the singer filmed her during her most private moments. We even saw her in red spangly Louboutin stilettos while her legs were in stirrups. Most husbands would be happy to let their labouring partners relax in a pair of comfy old slippers and a flannel night-gown. Not so Robbie, who seemed to be telling the world that Ayda was a sex object for his delectation, even while giving birth. Then we were forced to watch the pain of her contractions. Hard to stomach? Yes. But perhaps most bewildering was the way in which Williams turned the birth of his own baby into a series of clips — one showed the 40-year-old former Take That star doing a lengthy dance routine at his wife’s bedside — in which there was, very clearly, only one star. And that certainly wasn’t Ayda. Ayda plays along by twerking in the birthing suite but it's not long before she looks like she's in agony . Let’s be clear. I’ve no doubt at all that Robbie loves his wife to bits. As Sarah Vine wrote in the Mail yesterday, he is ‘clearly, deliriously in love’. But while his videos are no doubt intended to be affectionate, fun and tongue in cheek, there was no escaping the person they were intended to promote. While it might be comedy, it was also vanity. In an age when it seems a week does not go by without celebrities revealing their most private moments on social media, Robbie Williams appears to have trumped them all. ‘Will it get on my gown?’ Robbie quips as his long-suffering wife begins to give birth to their second child . After all, if the entry of a new life into the world is not sancrosanct, what is? Even those celebrities who have sold media rights to their weddings, or shared the most intimate confessions about their sex lives, must have cringed watching these videos — and hopefully seen how out of control self-revelation has become. To start with, Ayda’s contractions are mild enough for the 35-year-old actress to play along with his weak jokes. In the first clip, he sits uninterestedly staring at his laptop while she sets an inappropriately sexy tone with a half-hearted lap dance. She attempts to catch his attention by leaning over at 45 degrees to do a Miley Cyrus-style ‘twerk’ — not easy with a substantial baby bump. He dances, she suffers in agony as she goes into labour . ‘He is loving it. That computer is just hiding his erection,’ Ayda says, managing in one sentence to go along with her husband’s reduction of the birthing experience to ‘entertainment’ at its most lewd and crass. Another clip shows the singer limping along a hospital corridor with a drip as his wife follows. After that, we see him chirpily inform viewers who are ‘really concerned and worried and thinking about what’s going on’ that he, Robbie, is doing great. The bizarre videos, shot in a Los Angeles hospital, were interspersed with Williams’ witterings on Twitter, such as, ‘It’s ok, I’ve totally got this’ alongside a picture of him at his wife’s bedside, pulling his best boy-band grin, even while Ayda was clearly in pain and distress. But worse was to come. The next clip showed Ayda grimacing and puffing before her face disappears and all we can see is a pair of legs in the air as a doctor ducks down to check on the delivery then tells her to ‘push’. Is Robbie holding his wife’s hand? No. He is singing the hit Frozen theme tune Let It Go. Even long- suffering Ayda tells him to shut up. The only thing we did not witness in the creation of this new life, it seems, was the moment of conception itself. And perhaps the most bewildering thing of all? The uber-showman didn’t give his fans their obvious finale; we never get to see even a picture of his 8lb 2oz son. Of course, discretion about even the most private sexual matters seems impossible for many celebs these days. Kate Winslet has told us she has waxed her nether regions so much she now needs a pubic wig for some film scenes. Michael Douglas revealed he uses Viagra, and in her album released this summer, Lily Allen sang about her husband Sam’s unparalleled ability to delay sexual climax. Williams rather too candidly revealed that he and Ayda were ‘practising’ for a second child following the birth of their first, Theodora, in 2012. The list goes on. Conversations better kept private are now also broadcast over Twitter. The pair joke as Ayda shows off her Louboutins in the hospital . TV presenter Melanie Sykes could have sent Jack Cockings private texts at the start of their relationship. Instead she announced over Twitter to him — and around 140,000 followers — ‘I’ve got the raging horn, please take me.’ In a society where celebrities are now partly judged on the size of their Twitter following, they seem to feel the need to shout louder and break new boundaries. How depressing that the famous — and those who imitate them — are increasingly stuck in the developmental fishbowl of a four-year-old, with that ‘Look at me Mummy!’ desire to be centre of attention at all times. The irony of Robbie’s pregnancy video is that in August he took to Twitter to complain that pictures had appeared in a German Magazine of him playing at the seaside with his older child, Theodora. Robbie said he felt ‘sick and violated’. He still re-tweeted the magazine page to his 2.35 million followers. It doesn’t appear to occur to Robbie that he is personally invading his wife’s privacy by filming her. While no doubt at the start she’s capable of giving her permission, by the end she appears helpless and drugged up. Labour is the moment at which a woman is at the most vulnerable she will ever be. Yet instead of reassuring his wife, the former Take That singer simply tunes out her moans by turning up the volume on a succession of cheesy ballads. At one point, Ayda throws her head back in distress, with a look that says the only show she wants her husband to put on is a disappearing act. But Robbie is too busy miming and dancing to one of his hits to notice. Dismayed she is concentrating on her contractions rather than him, he taps her on the arm. Finding himself ignored again, he tells whoever is filming the scene to stop, before flouncing off. Is he joking around? Well. Not even the two people on the chairs behind him, presumably relatives, look vaguely amused. Never mind the little life waiting to emerge — it’s clear the biggest baby in this room is Robbie himself. The pair looking slightly more demure . As the birth draws closer, we see Robbie making a show of helping his wife, by holding a gas-and-air mask over her face to help her control the pain. The only surprise here is that the star doesn’t take a sniff of the gas himself. It might have been helpful to calm him down. The grisly denouement comes when a genuinely scared-looking Ayda, by now naked below the waist, covers her eyes with her hands as a doctor tells her he is going to have to break her waters with the gynaecological equivalent to a crochet hook — and announces it will be messy. Robbie exits stage right with the quip: ‘Will any of it go over my gown?’ It seems the star has not grown up at all since describing the birth of his daughter Theodora in 2012 as like ‘the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan’. It might be easy to dismiss Williams’ antics as the efforts of a limelight-hogging star to garner some publicity. While he remains a much-loved entertainer around the world, Robbie is not quite the mega-star he once was, in the UK anyway. But his social media posts are an extreme example of a disturbing trend to reduce life’s most intimate moments to nothing more than a cheap reality show. We’re turning into a nation of narcissists and voyeurs. This year we have already seen marketing executive Lyndsey Thomas, 34, from North London, commentating on the birth of her child live on Twitter. Then Josie Cunningham, who sparked huge condemnation for getting a breast operation on the NHS, sold tickets to the birth of her baby for over £10,000 each. So far the reaction to Robbie’s video has been decidedly mixed, with some fans saying they love the singer’s openness — while others argued he had only cemented his reputation as an attention-obsessed narcissist. But that won’t worry Robbie, who announces in the final clip after the birth: ‘No Moms were harmed during the making of any of these videos.’ Ayda sits blithely next to him, smiling again and looking understandably relieved it’s all over, adding she is still under the influence of the pain-relieving drugs. Once she has time to reflect on the experience of bringing her second child into the world, it remains to be seen whether she will continue to agree with him. | Williams sported his boy-band grin to soothe wife Ayda as she lay in agony .
Ayda played along earlier by twerking in the birthing suite .
The pair joked as Ayda showed off her Louboutins in the hospital .
‘Will it get on my gown?’ he quipped as she gave birth to their second child .
He danced obliviously as she went into labour .
Kate Winslet divulged she waxed so much she has to wear a pubic wig .
Michael Douglas revealed he uses Viagra .
Lily Allen sang about her husband's ability to delay sexual climax . |
1400bbe52c64d28f119f74c872516a29b42fa650 | By . Neil Sears and Chris Greenwood . PUBLISHED: . 12:26 EST, 8 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:53 EST, 15 March 2013 . Michael Buckley died in hospital after breaking a hip when he was struck with a shopping trolley . The victim of a ‘trolley rage attack’ in a Marks & Spencer store has died – meaning the suspect could face murder charges. Michael Buckley, 60, suffered a broken hip and wrist when he was knocked to the ground in a busy branch three days before Christmas. A 30-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. But the injured man’s condition deteriorated, he suffered a heart attack and on Tuesday he died at Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough. Mr Buckley was a frail man who stood around 5ft 4in and weighed just 8st. Suffering from severe ear problems, he wore two hearing aids and had retired from his long-term gardening job at a cemetery due to ill health. Following the death of his wife, Irene Christie, a model and actress, two years ago, Mr Buckley lived alone, grieving for her and caring for her macaw, Max, which had appeared in For Your Eyes Only alongside Roger Moore. A neighbour said: ‘Michael wouldn’t say boo to a goose – he was very frail. And I heard that in the Marks & Spencer when this woman asked to go past he said, “OK, just a minute” – but she then barged into him. ‘I heard it wasn’t just once, but she came back for another go. Then he fell to the ground. And after he went to hospital he never came back.’ Michael Buckley and his wife Irene kept exotic birds and trained them for films including James Bond. The incident took place in the last few days before Christmas, when stores were crammed with customers. Mr Buckley was shopping at a large . Marks & Spencer food hall at around 1pm, in the Glades shopping . centre in Bromley, south-east London. Witnesses told police the woman at the centre of the inquiry shoved him with her trolley, knocking him to the ground. A member of staff said at the time that Mr Buckley was left sprawled on the floor in agony after the ‘moment of madness’. The employee said: ‘She just seems to have got enraged that he did not move out of her way quickly enough and rammed into him. ‘It is everyone’s nightmare. We have seen it so many times in the food hall, people are just so impatient these days.’ Another neighbour said Mr Buckley had looked ‘like a strong breeze would blow him away’. Death: Michael Buckley, 60, has died after being knocked to the ground at The Glade shopping centre in Kent . A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: . 'A 60-year-old man who was struck with a shopping trolley and knocked . to the ground on 22 December in Bromley, Kent has died.' They added: 'Police were called to a . store in The Glades shopping centre, in Bromley, at 1pm on December 22, . following reports of a man injured during an altercation. 'It is understood that the man, aged . 60, was struck with a trolley being pushed by a woman. 'He fell to the . ground and sustained injuries including a broken hip and wrist, and was . taken to a Kent hospital for treatment. 'On Wednesday, December 26, officers . were informed that the man had suffered further health complications and . that he was now in a critical condition.' A . neighbour, who did not want to be named, said she had known Mr Buckley . for 15 years, and told News Shopper: 'He loved wildlife and he was a . very generous man and very well liked man.' She . said he was married to Irene, who died two years ago, and that the . couple would go to Arizona every year on holiday because they enjoyed . filming hummingbirds. Shopping shock: The row allegedly broke out while the man was shopping in a Marks and Spencer . The neighbour added: 'He loved Elvis Presley and was a consummate fan. He was just a nice quiet pleasant man.' But she also described him as frail . and said he had taken early retirement from the office of Camberwell New . Green Cemetery some years ago because of a knee injury. She said: 'He wore a hearing aid and . even though he was 60 he looked much older and looked like a strong . breeze would blow him away.' Staff at M & S had said the woman . appeared to have launched the attack because the man had failed to get . out of her way fast enough. The clash appears to be the latest in a growing number of so-called ‘trolley rage’ incidents in our supermarkets. In November 2011, Hayley Cook, then . a 24-year-old pregnant mother, was jailed for a year after breaking a . woman’s pelvis outside a branch of Tesco in Ramsgate . The court heard she swore violently at Lynne White and crashing her trolley into her, also trapping her own son’s hand. In March that year police were called to Morrisons in Weymouth, Dorset, to break up a fight between shoppers. An elderly man was left with a head . wound after two shoppers bumped their trolleys into each other and a . brawl broke out. | Michael Buckley, 60, was struck by a trolley before Christmas .
He was taken to hospital but police revealed today he has died .
Met homicide and serious crime officers are investigating . |
1401f556e033d9f10dbdf83e9b5bfcf6a84823d1 | Sergio Aguero has revealed that the first time he met three-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi he had no idea who he was. The Barcelona forward, who is considered by some to be the greatest player of all time, is now good friends with Aguero, and wasn't at all offended by the Manchester City star's ignorance. 'Yes that's true (that I didn't know who Messi was),' Aguero told City TV. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Argentina 2-1 Croatia: Lionel Messi penalty . Sergio Aguero (right) reveled the first time he met Lionel Messi (left) he had no idea who he was . 'I was about to turn 17. We were both called up for some friendlies. We were at the AFA (Argentine Football Association) training complex. We were sitting at the table with him, (Ezequiel) Garay and (Mauro) Formica. 'He sat beside me. I looked at him but I didn't know him. They were talking about Nike football boots and Garay was saying that they were really good. 'Then Leo said: "They've brought them from the USA" so I started thinking: "Where is this guy from?" 'I couldn't resist and I asked him: "What's your name?" 'He said: "Leo" and I asked: "and what's your last name?" 'He said: "Messi" and I didn't know him. I asked him again to see if his name sounded familiar. He laughed then we all laughed. They made fun of me.' Aguero, who played an hour for Argentina against Croatia before being subbed, was talking to City TV . The two Argentine forwards are now good friends, despite their bizarre first meeting . Aguero said he even asked Messi to repeat his name in case it sounded familiar, but it didn't . | Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi are good friends .
But Aguero revealed the first time they met he didn't know who Messi was .
Both featured in Argentina's 2-1 win against Croatia .
The Barcelona star scored a penalty in the clash . |
140325dc13434dff44e9aa663b46ba9fb7ca38bc | By . Jennifer Newton . Ukraine has refused to call a truce with pro-Russian rebels vowing to end their bloody insurgency with force unless they lay down their arms. Ukrainian forces have scored a string of surprise military successes since the weekend that forced most of the militias to retreat to the sprawling eastern industrial hubs of Donetsk and Lugansk. The Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has now ordered his troops to blockade the insurgents inside the cities and cut them off from any further arms supplies. A local resident in the eastern Ukraine city of Slavyansk speaks to Ukrainian servicemen sitting on top of their tank . Tanks and armoured personnel carriers have been patrolling the streets of Slavyansk today after the city was recaptured from pro-Russian rebels . Troops also stood guard outside the front of Slavyansk city hall today after the defence minister said Ukraine would not negotiate with pro-Russian rebels . The unconditional stance reflects a new confidence in Kiev and comes as they are on the verge of quashing the uprising. This is despite EU leaders pushing for a diplomatic solution to the conflict as well as Russia own efforts to force Ukraine to make compromises to preserve the east of the country's links to Moscow. Defence minister Valeriy Geletey said in a statement: 'Now, any negotiations are possibly only after the rebels completely lay down their arms.' The president made an unannounced visit to Slavyansk, a former rebel-held city reclaimed by Kiev on Saturday and said that talks with the uprising's commanders were impossible because most were now hiding in Moscow. Mr Poroshenko told reporters that he would only speak to 'the real masters of Donbass - the steel workers and miners' in the conflict zone. A woman looks through a broken window in her house after shelling in Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Local residents said the shelling came from the Ukrainian army . A car travels past a building in Luhansk, that has been damaged after shelling. It is thought that most of the militias have retreated to the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk . The Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has now ordered his troops, pictured, to blockade the insurgents inside the cities . Meanwhile separatist leader Valeriy Bolotov claimed that his men had managed to actually push back Ukrainian troops from parts of Lugansk and had received fresh supplies of anti-aircraft and artillery guns. The Ukraine's message to the rebels will now mean Russian president Vladimir Putin faces a tough choice between dealing a blow to Russia's economy by further boosting support for the rebels or seeing his own popularity suffer by taking no action at all. Germany's Berenberg Bank economist Holger Schmieding said: 'He may either have to step up his support for the pro-Russian insurgents who are now on the defensive or he may be seen as letting Ukraine advance on the ground in Donbass. 'The former could trigger more serious sanctions and further capital flight from Russia. The latter could hurt his popularity and his 'strongman' image in Russia where (he) had whipped up nationalist sentiment in the last five months.' A pro-Russian militant looks through the scope of this rifle as he guards a checkpoint in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine . Pedestrians cross the street as an armed militant guards a checkpoint. Separatist leader Valeriy Bolotov claimed that his men had managed to actually push back Ukrainian troops . It has been claimed that the rebels, such as those pictured, have received fresh supplies of anti-aircraft missiles and artillery guns . The Ukraine's message to the rebels will now mean Russian president Vladimir Putin faces a tough choice . EU leaders had hoped that a new truce and a promise from the Kremlin not to meddle could have been agreed. French president Francois Hollande said he intended to press Mr Poroshenko on a truce tomorrow during a joint call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Meanwhile the U.S. has consistently backed the campaign waged by Ukrainian troops since the Ukrainian president promised to quickly quash the uprising after his election in May. The United States views Ukraine's territorial integrity as vital to European security and important to halting Russian President Vladimir Putin's seeming ambition to resurrect a tsarist or post-Soviet empire. US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki reiterated on Monday that 'the government of Ukraine is defending the country of Ukraine, and I think they have every right to do that.' | Ukraine government refuses to call a truce with pro-Russian rebels .
Says it will only be possible if separatists 'completely lay down their arms'
Government forces have recaptured rebel-held city of Slavyansk .
Petro Poroshenko has ordered troops to blockade insurgents inside cities .
EU leaders have been pushing for diplomatic solution to the conflict . |
14033d900fa90b4284557d78ebfa3feaf19e0a58 | Former New Zealand captain Chris Cairns appeared in court on Thursday charged with perjury linked to a libel action he brought in the UK in 2012. Cairns won £90,000 in damages after he sued Lalit Modi, founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), over an accusation of match-fixing made on Twitter in January 2010. But the 44-year-old was accused of perjury and faced London's Southwark Crown Court on Thursday. Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns arrives at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday . Cairns, of Herne Bay, Auckland, appeared in the glass-fronted dock alongside barrister Andrew Fitch-Holland, who faces one count of perverting the course of justice. Fitch-Holland, 49, of Saffron Walden, Essex, is described on his chambers' website as "lead adviser to former NZ captain Chris Cairns in his libel action against former IPL head Lalit Modi". The pair, both dressed in smart navy blue suits and blue ties, spoke only to confirm their names. Judge Alistair McCreath gave the pair unconditional bail to appear for a plea and case management hearing at the same court on January 16 next year. Both men have indicated they will contest the allegations. Cairns celebrates as New Zealand clinch a 2-1 Test series victory at the Oval in 1999 . The trial is expected to last around four weeks and is expected to begin on October 5 next year - during the "cricket desert" when there are few fixtures in the sport's calendar. Cricketers from around the world are expected to give evidence in the case. After learning he would be charged, Cairns said in a statement that he had "nothing to hide" and he would do "whatever it takes" to prove his innocence. He said: 'I'm obviously extremely disappointed. However, at least there will now be an opportunity to face my accusers in an open forum, with some rigour and proper process around that, so that I can clear my name once and for all.' Cairns - who played his last international in 2006 - fields off his own bowling in an ODI against India in 2000 . A statement from the Crown Prosecution Service released on September 25 said: 'We can confirm that we have authorised police to charge Chris Cairns with one count of perjury, which arises from a libel trial held in the UK in March 2012. 'We have also authorised police to charge Andrew Fitch-Holland with one count of perverting the course of justice, which arises from actions taken relating to the same trial.' In 2007 and 2008, Cairns captained the Chandigarh Lions in three competitions in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which flourished briefly before the ascendancy of the IPL. The allegation made by Mr Modi related to the second and third of these competitions, between March and April 2008 and October and November that year. Cairns is charged with making a false statement in judicial proceedings. Cairns walks in to court on Thursday on the first day of his case . Specifically, it is alleged that between October 1, 2010 and March 31, 2012, having been sworn as a witness in judicial proceedings, he made a statement which he knew to be false or did not believe to be true, namely that he had never cheated at cricket and nor would he contemplate doing such a thing. Fitch-Holland is charged with committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice; namely, asking former New Zealand player Lou Vincent to provide a false witness statement in connection with proceedings relating to the libel action between Cairns and Mr Modi in the High Court, which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Chris Cairns appeared in court on Thursday charged with perjury .
Cairns won £90,000 in damages after he sued Lalit Modi over an accusation of match-fixing made on Twitter in January 2010 .
Cricketers from around the world are expected to give evidence in the case . |
14041d42fc0f003bddbc870446a724badd7c0582 | Women are now getting plastic surgery to look like their perfectly angled and flawlessly filtered Instagram selfies - in real life. While it's not uncommon for those seeking cosmetic procedures to request certain celebrities' features, the latest plastic surgery trend sees women using their own edited snapshots from the social media app as a guideline for the operations they want done. 'This is a huge trend,' New York City-based plastic surgeon Dr Elie Levine told the New York Daily News. 'People are bringing in pictures of themselves taken at a favorite angle or filtered, and saying they want to look like that.' Scroll down for video . Flawless image: Kim Kardashian, who is known for her selfies, shared this photo of herself last Sunday . Geri Hubner, a mom from Central Jersey, started using Instagram filters to disguise her sagging jowl, but realized that she wanted to look like she did in her edited photos all of the time. After showing New Jersey plastic surgeon Dr Andrew Miller her Instagram pics, she opted to have a neck lift. 'He’s an artist. I should have done this years ago,' Ms Hubner told the outlet of her surgery. But a desire to look like your favorite filtered selfie, doesn't always result in going under the knife. Janet Ross, 47, from San Francisco used to rely on the app's Amaro filter to improve her photos before she sought out plastic surgeon Dr Jonathan Kaplan. All natural: This before photo shows how Dr Jonathan Kaplan's patient Janet Ross looked without an Instagram filter or any cosmetic fillers . Instant transformation: The 47-year-old's before photo was then altered with Instagram's Sierra filter (left) and Inkwell filter (right) New woman: This after photo shows how Ms Ross's skin looked after Dr Kaplan administered fillers and Botox . Ms Ross's desired look was achieved through strategically placed fillers and Botox injections. 'I feel way more confident,' she told ABC News. 'I don’t need the filters anymore.' Dr Kaplan explained: 'The patients coming in with the filters for Instagram are mostly concerned with wrinkles around their mouth, complexion and different blemishes, dark spots or red spots, and that’s great for them because you don’t really need any surgical procedure.' Magic men: Both Dr Elie Levine (left) from New York City and Dr Jonathan Kaplan (right) from San Francisco have had patients ask for cosmetic procedures to make them look like their edited photos . According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, there was an increase in requests for cosmetic procedures in 2013 that were 'sired by seflies' - especially among those under 30. The AAFPRS also said this trend 'shows no sign of declining', noting that selfie sticks were 'must-have gifts of this past holiday season.' While this trend may be here to stay, some medical professionals see a danger in people trying to achieve a warped idea of perfection. Stacy Kaiser, a a psychotherapist from Calabasas, California told ABC News: 'Filters are something special that are designed for a camera, not a plastic surgeon’s fingers.' Slight tweek: This patient showed Dr Levine Instagram photos of herself as a baseline for the procedures she wanted to have done . No filter needed: This after photo highlights the patient's smoother skin and drastically reduced appearance of dark spots . But this isn't the only bizarre plastic surgery trend fueled by Instagram. The rise of engagement selfies has prompted women to seek out cosmetic hand-lifts so they can be camera-ready after their proposal. Doctor have been reducing the appearance of patients' visible tendons and veins by injecting anti-aging treatment Juvederm into their hands. The treatment, which costs upwards of $1,200, lasts for nine months - although a diamond lasts forever. | The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery said this new selfie driven trend 'shows no sign of declining'
New York City-based plastic surgeon Dr Elie Levine said clients are bringing in filtered pictures of themselves and 'saying they want to look like that' |
1404e327ccbff9b506d0ddccbacc3cfe5ba29cef | By . Steph Cockroft for MailOnline . A mother has released harrowing footage which shows the moment her motorcyclist son was killed instantly in a 97mph crash. David Holmes, 38, was killed in June last year when a car turned into his path on the A47 in Honingham, Norfolk, where the speed limit is 60mph. The devastating moment was captured on the camera which he wore on his crash helmet. Mr Holmes's last word, uttered seconds before impact, was 'whoa'. Now his mother Brenda, 62, has decided to release the footage in a bid to stop others going through the same agony of losing a family member. Scroll down for video . A mother has released harrowing footage showing the moment her motorcyclist son was killed in 97mph crash on the A47 in Honingham, Norfolk . The devastating moment was captured by the camera which he wore on his crash helmet. The car is seen turning into his path as Mr Holmes drives along the road . The last word that he utters seconds before the impact - 'whoa' - can be heard on camera . The retired nurse wants both motorcyclists and drivers to be more aware of each other on the roads, to stop more crashes like this taking place. She said that the driver - who has since admitted causing death by careless driving - did not see the motorcyclist, but that Mr Holmes, who was driving nearly 40mph over the speed limit, also did not have time to take 'evasive action'. She said: 'I want to be involved in this campaign because I feel something positive can come out of his loss. 'If we can prevent one accident; one family going through what we have been through then David would not have died in vain. It is not easy to do but I hope somebody benefits from seeing it.' Mr Holmes was travelling back from King's Lynn, Norfolk, where he had been with colleagues. He overtook several cars on his powerful bike in the minutes leading up to the fatal crash. He was thrown from his Yamaha FJR1300 into the trees and pronounced dead at the scene. The car then drives into Mr Holmes's path, killing him instantly on impact . Mr Holmes was thrown from his Yamaha FJR1300 into the trees and pronounced dead at the scene . Speaking about the crash, his mother said: 'I know he rode fast that day. He loved speed and motorbikes. 'The driver did not see him and turned right across his path. David did not have time to take evasive action.' In the video, Mrs Holmes tells how her son, who worked at the British Antarctic Survey and had recently returned from The Antarctic, was first bought a motorbike for his 16th birthday. She said: 'We brought it back home in the back of his Dad's truck, He was jumping up and down with excitement. It was fabulous. A lovely, lovely memory. Mr Holmes, who worked at the British Antarctic Survey, was first bought a motorbike for his 16th birthday . His mother Brenda, 62, has agreed for the footage to be released as part of a police road safety campaign . 'Although his father said he wishes he had never bought him that first bike, I would not have deprived David his 22 years of riding.' She said he was 'the most wonderful son' and was described by his friends as a 'gentleman and a legend'. Chief Inspector Chris Spinks, head of the Norfolk and Suffolk Roads Policing Unit, said he was 'confident' that the clip would save a life. In just three days, the video, recorded on the motocyclist's camera, has been watched by almost 4.5million people. He said: 'David's family have always been of the belief that if this video could save just one life then it would be worth it. 'Unfortunately, we'll never know if we have achieved this but I'm confident, with the level of interest that we will.' Benjamin Austin, the driver of the Renault car that struck Mr Holmes, pictured, pleaded guilty to causing a death by careless driving . In April this year, Benjamin Austin, the driver of the Renault car that struck Mr Holmes, pleaded guilty to causing a death by careless driving. He was subsequently ordered to perform 130 hours of unpaid work. His driving licence was also suspended for 18 months. The court heard Austin admitted he had not seen Mr Holmes before making the turn. In passing sentence, Judge Veits said no one had suggested Austin had been driving dangerously, but he had made a mistake that 'sadly' too many other drivers also make, of 'simply' not seeing the motorcycle. Headded: 'Nothing I can impose can turn the clock back and undo the tragic consequences of the accident that sadly took away the life of Mr Holmes. I only hope the family of Mr Holmes can now move on as this case is concluded and attempt to rebuild their lives.' | WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT .
David Holmes, 38, died in the collision on the A47 in Honingham, Norfolk .
A camera attached to his helmet recorded moment he was hit by turning car .
Footage shows David shouting 'whoa' before being thrown to the ground .
His mother Brenda, 62, has released video as part of road safety campaign .
She wants motorcyclists and drivers to be more aware of each other .
She said: 'It's not easy to do, but I hope somebody benefits from seeing it'
Benjamin Austin pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving . |
140542ad149336b11a24a53764df12cd42e030b5 | Santiago de Compostela, Spain (CNN) -- The driver of the train that derailed in northwestern Spain was charged Sunday with 79 counts of homicide by professional recklessness and an undetermined number of counts of causing injury by professional recklessness. At least 79 people died as a result of last week's crash. A court granted the driver, Francisco Jose Garzon, conditional release. His train driver's license was suspended for six months. He must report to court weekly, and his passport was surrendered. Earlier Sunday, the driver, who was hospitalized for two days while under police guard, was transferred to court, officials said. He was in court for more than five hours. The data recorders from the train are still with police. Questions have focused on the speed at which the train was traveling as it entered a curve in the track near Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday evening. The crash on the outskirts of the city, which is popular with tourists and Christian pilgrims, shocked the Galician region and the rest of the nation. Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz told reporters Saturday there are "rational indications" that the accident was the fault of the driver. Pressed on what those are, he declined to provide details. 5 questions on high-speed rail . Identifying the bodies . The crumpled wreckage of the eight cars sent careering onto their sides when the train derailed has been removed from the tracks, but the grim task of identifying the dead continues. Maria Pardo Rios, a spokeswoman for the Galicia regional supreme court, told CNN late Friday that 75 victims had been identified. At least 63 of the dead are Spanish, she said. Also among the fatalities are two U.S. citizens -- Ana-Maria Cordoba of Arlington, Virginia, and Myrta Fariza of Houston -- and some Europeans and Latin Americans. Fariza and her husband were on their way to celebrate a Catholic festival. He was injured and later released from the hospital. "Myrta was our loving wife, mother, sister, mother-in-law, aunt and friend, and words cannot express our sense of loss," her family said in a statement. "To all who knew her, Myrta provided irreplaceable love, compassion, courage, friendship and support. We will miss her dearly." As they are identified, most of the bodies are being returned to their families, the regional justice department said. DNA testing will be conducted on some remains to establish their identity, it said. Police forensic experts said at a news conference Saturday there are 37 body parts that must still be tested to see whether they belong to bodies that have already been identified, or to others not yet known. The death toll rose to at least 79 on Sunday morning when another person died, a representative for the regional health department said. About 70 people who were injured in the crash remained in the hospital Sunday, about 22 of them listed in serious condition, the official said. At least five U.S. citizens were injured, said State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf. Local newspaper La Voz de Galicia said that a funeral service for the victims will take place Monday evening in the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. Spain train crash victim: 'It felt like a roller coaster' Going too fast? Spanish news agency Efe and the national daily El Pais cited sources within the investigation as saying that the driver had said the train was traveling about 190 kilometers per hour (about 120 mph). Elena Garcia, a spokeswoman for national railway Renfe, did not disclose Friday the speed the train was traveling on an express track, where cars can move as fast as 250 kph. But she said the speed limit for the bend of track where the crash occurred is 80 kph. Rafael Catala, secretary of state for transport and housing, told Spanish radio network Cadena SER that the "tragedy appears to be linked to the train going too fast," but that the reasons it was going so fast are not yet known. The express passenger service was nearing the end of a six-hour trip from Madrid to the town of Ferrol in northwest Spain when the crash occurred, the state railway said. Security footage revealed how, as the train hurtled around a bend, its cars derailed and slammed on their sides into a concrete support structure for a bridge. Opinion: Why high-speed rail is safe, smart . Flames burst out of one train car as another car was snapped in half. Rescue crews and fellow passengers pulled bodies through broken windows and pried open doors as stunned survivors looked on. Maria Vigo, whose home is on the bank above the rail tracks, told CNN how she heard a crash, then the deafening squeal of metal on concrete. "When I saw the rail car flip into the air, I imagined something just horrible had happened," she said. She and husband Suso tried to help the injured, taking bed sheets to wrap around the injured and ropes to haul the survivors off the tracks. Firefighter Miguel Angel Bello said the first four minutes after he arrived on the scene were a desperate race against time. He and fellow firefighters smashed windows and kicked in doors to pull out the passengers trapped inside as rail cars went up in flames. A young girl in the wreckage called out to him. "She was under wreckage she said she wanted to get out and go home," he said. "But she died." Survivor: We looked like the walking dead . Stephen Ward of Bountiful, Utah, who is in Spain serving on a Mormon religious mission, was one of the lucky ones. Still patched up and wearing a neck brace, he told CNN's New Day show of his ordeal -- and his relief that he made it out alive and without permanent injury. Ward, 18, blacked out when his car slammed on to its side, regaining consciousness only as he was being helped out of the train. It took him a couple of minutes to grasp that what he was seeing outside was not a dream -- and that people were dead. "They were helping out other people -- there were bodies, there was screaming, there was smoke." The survivors looked like the walking dead, he said. "I've got staples all over my scalp, I was covered in blood. They've scrubbed most of it off me now, but everyone was just covered in their own blood and occasionally the blood of others. It was gruesome to say the least." Another victim, speaking from a hospital bed with his arm in a sling, told CNN affiliate Atlas that it seemed like the train was going fast. "But we didn't know what was the maximum speed, so I thought it was normal," he said, "And suddenly there was a curve, the suitcases fell, and everything went dark. And I hit my head a ton of times, and 10 seconds later I was wedged between seats, and I had people's legs on top of me." The derailment came on the eve of a public holiday to celebrate a saint's day, when more people than usual may have been traveling in the region. Planned festivities in Santiago de Compostela and across Galicia were canceled after the crash. CNN's Karl Penhaul reported from Santiago de Compostela and Laura Perez Maestro from Galicia. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. CNN's Al Goodman, Lindsay Isaac, Jonathan Helman, Catherine E. Shoichet, Elwyn Lopez, Patrick Sung, Jill Dougherty and Mariano Castillo contributed to this report. | The train driver is charged with 79 counts of homicide by professional recklessness .
He faces an undetermined number of counts of causing injury .
A court grants him conditional release; the driver must report weekly .
At least 79 people died in the train crash near Santiago de Compostela in Galicia . |
1405a31fa3ddc589e72cbf2a9fbbd507c6d7c241 | By . Tom Kelly . Last updated at 11:39 AM on 5th October 2011 . Roman Abramovich believed it was his ‘moral obligation’ to hand fellow Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky £1.3billion to fund his lavish lifestyle, a court heard today. The Chelsea owner gave his former friend the cash because he felt it was part of the ‘code of honour’ that had replaced the rule of law in Russia after the collapse of communism, it was alleged. Mr Abramovich had used the well-connected Mr Berezovsky as his ‘political godfather’ to help him conduct business deals in a country where police were ‘corrupt’ and courts ‘open to manipulation, the High Court was told. Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, left, arrives at the High Court in London followed by Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky, right . The money he paid Mr Berezovsky . funded the 65-year-old’s exuberant expenses which included ‘palaces in . France, private aircraft, jewels for his girlfriends, valuable painting . at Sotheby's,’ it was claimed. The allegations were made at the . second day of the extraordinary legal battle between the two Russian . oligarchs which is costing an estimated £50 per second. Mr Berezovsky is suing his former . friend Mr Abramovich for £3.2billion claiming he ‘betrayed and . blackmailed’ him over the sale of shares in Russian oil giant Sibneft . and intimidated him into getting rid of them at a fraction of their . value. Jonathan Sumption QC for Mr . Abramovich today told the court that the claims of bullying were ‘wholly . unfounded’ and that Mr Berezovsky had never been had never been the . registered owner of shares in Sibneft. Abramovich, center, arrives at court with his legal team and entourage ahead of day two of the hearing . Reporters crowd round Boris Berezovsky who is claiming Mr Abramovich 'intimidated' him into selling shares in Russian oil company Sibneft at a fraction of their value . But he said that Mr Abramovich . accepted he owed Mr Berezovsky ‘a debt of honour’ for using his . political influence to allow him to get control of the oil company, . which is why he gave him the money. Mr Abramovich required a ‘political . godfather’ because of the ‘quite extraordinary conditions’ in Russia . following the fall of the communist regime in 1992, the QC said. He chose Mr Berezovsky because he had . a ‘close relationship’ with people in the ‘immediate circle’ of then . Russian president Boris Yeltsin. ‘Mr Berezovsky was a power broker, he . turned from business to political purely because of the difficulties of . running a business without power,’ Mr Sumption said. ‘For substantial cash payments, Mr Abramovich and Sibneft would enjoy Mr Berezovsky's political patronage.’ He said Mr Yeltsin agreed to the ‘corrupt deal’ in return for the backing of Mr Berezovksy's powerful media empire. Turning point: It is alleged Mr Abramovich betrayed Mr Berezovsky after the latter fell out of favour with political leaders at the Kremlin, then led by President Vladimir Putin (above) Mr Sumption said that, without Mr Berezovsky's ‘considerable influence’, Mr Abramovich ’would have got nowhere’. But the QC said that Mr Berezovsky . kept demanding more after brokering the deal and by the end of the 1990s . expected all his personal expenses to be met by Mr Abramovich's . companies. ‘He sought what he could get . As Sibneft prospered Mr Berezovsky demanded more.’ Laurence Rabinowitz QC, for Mr . Berezovsky, earlier told the court that his client had been ‘betrayed’ by Mr Abramovich after falling out with Russian political leaders and . leaving Russia in 2000 when Vladimir Putin became president. Accused: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich arrives at the High Court with his entourage for the start of the case against Boris Berezovsky yesterday . But Mr Sumption said Mr Berezovsky . had made ‘scurrilous... and unjustified allegations of criminal and . improper conduct on the part of Mr Abramovich’. Mr Abramovich, who is currently said . to be worth £10.3billion, sold Sibneft to Russia’s state-owned gas . monopoly six years ago in a multi-billion pound deal. His lawyer denied he was ever a close friend of Mr Berezovsky but said there had been an ‘emotional bond’ between the pair. The hearing continues.. Mr Abramovich, pictured with girlfriend Daria Zhukova in 2009 and watching Chelsea in action (right), bought the football club in 2003 . | Abramovich is being sued for more than £3billion by fellow Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky . |
14070c2ab2740c07d60c8418bb5dcd613bd626bf | By . Stephen Wright . PUBLISHED: . 17:01 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:08 EST, 16 October 2013 . Twitter trolls posted vile messages about the parents of Madeleine McCann yesterday in the run up to the Crimewatch appeal on their missing daughter. Kate and Gerry McCann were subjected to appalling taunts as they prepared to go on TV to discuss the case. One troll tweeted a mocked-up picture of the McCanns as Moors murderers Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. Sick: The McCanns were the target of cruel taunts from internet trolls in the run-up to their appearance on Crimewatch . Others cruelly claimed Mr McCann, who has been ruled out of the Scotland Yard investigation, looked like the e-fit images of the force’s new prime suspect. There were also ‘deeply upsetting’ suggestions from other trolls that the McCanns should be prosecuted for leaving Maddie alone in the family’s holiday apartment. Internet forums on the McCann case were also awash with disgusting remarks about the Leicestershire couple. It was the mocked up picture of the McCanns as Hindley and Brady which particularly disgusted friends of the couple. One described the image, which was retweeted by other trolls, as ‘completely beyond the pale’ and there was mounting speculation last night that it could trigger police action. Detectives are now monitoring the Internet for vile messages about the McCanns. Investigation: The McCanns were interviewed as part of a Crimewatch programme with fresh information on the disappearance of Madeleine . A spokesman for the McCanns said: ‘Kate and Gerry do not dignify this sort of abusive material with any comment. ‘But if necessary offensive tweets are brought to the attention of the police.’ In July this year, police arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of harassment after Twitter abuse was aimed at a feminist campaigner and a female MP. Caroline Criado Perez and Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy both complained about being sent vicious tweets on the site. Labour MP Stella Creasy was told on Twitter she would be tracked down and raped while Tory MP Claire Perry received death threats relating to her fight against pornography on the internet. Feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez suffered similarly vile online messages - leading one alleged abuser to be arrested and bailed. In September 2012 the country’s chief prosecutor said internet trolls who post one-off offensive messages may escape criminal charges. Keir Starmer QC said court action would be taken only where there was a ‘sustained campaign of harassment’ or a direct threat. This, he said, was necessary, to protect free speech. The Director of Public Prosecutions made his comments as he announced that a semi-professional footballer who posted a homophobic tweet about Olympic diver Tom Daley would not face criminal charges. He said the comments were not so ‘grossly offensive’ that they should lead to a prosecution.Daniel Thomas sent the message about Daley, 18, and diving partner Peter Waterfield, 31, after the pair missed out on a medal at the London Olympics.Thomas was arrested after the tweet spread around the internet.It falsely suggested that Daley and Waterfield were in a gay relationship and drew a link between homosexuality and HIV. Under the 2003 Communications Act, it is an offence to send messages online that are grossly offensive. | The parents received a torrent of abuse on Twitter and on internet forums .
One troll tweeted a picture of the McCanns as the Moors murderers .
Police say they are monitoring internet for abusive messages . |
140827f1ecef96f90ab68ff79593bd0fc1c1cd1f | By . Daniel Bates . Selfies are fuelling a rise in plastic surgery because people are putting their faces under a ‘microscope’ every time they take a picture on their smart phones. The trend of taking your own portrait means that we are becoming increasingly narcissistic and want to go under the knife to improve our looks, said US surgeons. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery revealed that one third of its 2,700 members reported an increase in procedures last year due to pictures taken on social media. The selfie taken at the Oscars earlier this month by actor Bradley Cooper featuring celebrities including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey became the most re-tweeted photo of all time . As a result the organisation’s members saw a 10 per cent rise in nose jobs and a seven per cent increase in hair transplants. There was also a six per cent increase in eyelid surgery. Dr Edward Farrior, President of the AAFPRS, said that if you wanted to avoid feeling bad about yourself, it might be time to put your phone down. He said: ‘Social platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and the iPhone app Selfie.im, which are solely image based, force patients to hold a microscope up to their own image and often look at it with a more self-critical eye than ever before. Many surgeons report an increase in procedures as social media causes us to over analyse our flaws . ‘These images are often the first impressions young people put out there to prospective friends, romantic interests and employers and our patients want to put their best face forward.’ Dr Farrior said that the most popular selfie-inspired operations for women were face lifts, nose jobs and Botox. Men went for Botox and hair transplants, he added. The trend was particularly strong among you people and in a worrying twist, last year 58 per cent of plastic surgeons saw a rise in cosmetic surgery among the under-30s. Selfies hugely popular in the UK and are so ingrained in our culture that the word has been incorporated into the Oxford English Dictionary. Britons now take 35m selfies a month and more than half of adults have taken one, including 29 per cent of the over 65s. A selfie taken at the Oscars earlier this month by actor Bradley Cooper featuring celebrities including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey became the most forwarded message of all time on Twitter. It was forwarded on more than two million times, causing the social media site to briefly crash. At the Prince’s Trust Awards Joan Collins tried to imitate the picture with 14 stars including Jeremy Irons and Sir Ben Kingsley but got it out of focus and cropped out some celebrities. Joan Collins, Vernon Kay, Sir Ben Kingsley, Pixie Lott and Jeremy Irons try to imitate that Oscars selfie . Demi Lovato . Model Miranda Kerr . Lauren Goodger . | A third of members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery report increase in procedures due to social media .
Saw a 10% rise in nose jobs and a 7% rise in hair transplants .
Trend particularly strong in young people with 58% rise last year .
Britons now take 35 million selfies every month . |
140893172db865ff1bfd8d688e699f55a7b09598 | (EW.com) -- E.L. James' ought to revise the title of her publishing juggernaut, 50 Shades of Grey, to 50 Shades of cold hard cash. After all, the author raked in an estimated $95 million this year, making her the world's top-earning author, according to Forbes. Rounding out the top five on Forbes' list are familiar names of the crime, fantasy, conservative pundit, and romance genres. In a close second place is James Patterson, earning $91 million, followed by Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins with $55 million, Bill O'Reilly with $28 million, and No. 5 is prolific romance author Danielle Steel with $26 million. Forbes culled these estimated numbers from sales data available from June 2012 to June 2013. Much lower on Forbes' list were No. 15 J.K. Rowling with earnings estimates of $13 million for her adult fiction releases The Casual Vacancy and The Cuckoo's Calling, and No. 16 George R.R. Martin with $12 million, though he was the best-selling paperback author of 2012. Let's see if these publishing and e-book sales for James translate to box-office green with next summer's 50 Shades movie. See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | "50 Shades of Grey" has been good to its author .
E.L. James raked in an estimated $95 million this year .
J.K. Rowling was much lower on the Forbes list . |
1409521d7378511d5c149bd5694d86bf4b01bc71 | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 05:41 EST, 4 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:52 EST, 4 November 2013 . She has won four British Style Awards, inspired Mulberry's best-selling bag and was even dubbed 'beautiful' by 'king of mean', Karl Lagerfeld. And now, as one of fashion's most famous muses, Alexa Chung has given fans the chance to emulate her look with her own make-up range. The 29-year-old model, TV presenter and fashionista has teamed up with indie brand Eyeko to launch a range of cosmetics - and FEMAIL can bring you an exclusive first look. Get the look: Alexa Chung has unveiled her debut make-up range with Eyeko so that fans can achieve her signature smokey eye look . In her new role as Creative Consultant at Eyeko, Alexa has used her beauty know-how, as well as her illustrative and photographic talents to custom design the first in a line of limited edition sets. To launch the range the star has created a thick nib eyeliner and a mascara so that beauty aficionados can re-create her signature cat flick eyes. The products, which have quirky names such as 'eye do' liquid eyeliner, come in a specially designed poster tubes featuring a limited edition poster with scribbles by the star herself, as well as a kooky guitar pick. Speaking about her eyeliner, she said: 'The nib is the perfect shape and size to give you control. It gives you the precision to draw on the perfect cat eye. Quirky: Alexa has created the eye make-up and the packaging herself and it comes complete with kooky sketches . 'It’s pitch black and waterproof so it doesn’t move even on the waterline. I love that it enhances my lashes each time I use it.' Speaking about her mascara, which is packed with Vitamins A & E, Keratin, Ginkgo Biloba and botanical proteins that claim to promote lash growth, she said: 'I love a sixties doe-eyed look and this gives me longer, thicker, blacker lashes without the hassle of falsies. 'It stays on forever but feels amazing thanks to all the lash enhancing magic in the mix.' 'I'm really excited to be working with Eyeko. It is probably no secret I'm a big fan of the cat-eye eyeliner flick and after trying many different brands Eyeko definitely is the best in creating my favourite 60s look.' Established in 1999, Eyeko was . devised by make-up veterans and partners Max and Nina Leykind and is . loved by stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Salma Hayek and Gemma . Arterton. 'I love that I won't be just a face of the brand, but I'll also get to work with Max and Nina on the whole creative process, . Brains behind the brand: Established in 1999, Eyeko was devised by make-up veterans and partners Max and Nina Leykind (pictured here with newest recruit, Alexa) Famous feline flick: Speaking about her eyeliner, she said: 'The nib is the perfect shape and size to give you control. It gives you the precision to draw on the perfect cat eye' 'It’s a creative relationship,' she said of the company, 'I send images and different inspirations to Max and Nina and we go from there. It’s quite free form at the moment.' 'She’ll e-mail us in the middle of the night and say, "Hey, what about this, such a cool name for a product,"' said Nina Leykind. 'I don’t think it would work if we weren’t on the same wavelength.' For the Leykinds, no other spokesperson would have been acceptable. 'We’ve been fans of Alexa’s for a long time, and we were like, "She’s an eye freak like us,"' said Max Leykind. 'She’s as obsessed as we are.' Speaking about the new range, fashion and beauty blogger Tanya Burr said: 'I am really excited to try Alexa's collaboration with Eyeko. 'I have always admired her classic, sultry eye make-up and I've actually been wearing winged liner a lot at the moment.' Alexa, who counts herself as a Contributing Editor to British Vogue and Style Ambassador for the British Fashion Council, seems set on building an empire. She recently turned author and penned a book - titled It - which invites fashion fans into her stylish world. The fashion favourite shares . tips for dressing for certain occasions along with whimsical musings and . wry observations she says she penned to her editor in a series of . emails. Published by Penguin Books, the tome features the fashion . muse's own sketches and hand-picked photographs of friends and style icons, like Jane Birkin, who have inspired her. Alexa the author: Alexa Chung's debut book, It, featuring her witty musings on life and style was unveiled in September . Alexa describes her . offering as an 'image-heavy autobiography' that provides an honest insight . into heartbreak, boys and, of course, style. She provides advice on how to . party at music festivals, get dressed for the gym, and what music to . listen to after a break-up. And now with a book under her belt, Alexa says she is keen to develop her career further, with forays into music and acting. Alexa Chung for Eyeko will cost £35 per set and be exclusively pre-launched at . Selfridges, Oxford Street London on November 14 where she will be meeting and greeting fans. FROW: As a front row regular, Alexa possesses all the best insider knowledge . Desperate to emulate Alexa's signature cat flick eyeliner and smokey eyed look, FEMAIL writer Bianca London put her new range to the test... 'A lot of girls want to look like Alexa, she has that "just rolled out of bed" indie girl style so when she unveiled her debut make-up range, we were keen to give it a spin. The mascara is good, very thick and lasts all day and it's good to know that it's helping to condition your lashes whilst you wear it. It's pretty tough to get off though, we recommend using a gentle eye make-up remover like The Body Shop's Camomile Kind Eye remover as it can be quite stubborn. As for the eyeliner, if you have the knack for applying it, it looks great. However, it is very, very black so may be too heavy on some fair-haired ladies. The packaging is what wins us over and would be great as a Christmas stocking filler.' Source: FeelUnique.com . | Model, 29, has released £35 capsule make-up line for Eyeko .
Was hand-picked by brand because she is 'obsessed with eyes' |
1409cdd5f59083f40e8d62957a989216939275fd | (The Hollywood Reporter)For those who would give almost anything for a chance at superstardom, "American Idol" might be the entertainment industry's version of a Faustian bargain: Through 14 seasons, the very successful Fox show has exploited the fact that there are millions of singers who are willing to sign onerous deals for the chance to compete. But season 11 winner Phillip Phillips isn't going to let the deals he made as a precursor to his fame go unchallenged. On January 22, Phillips lodged a bombshell petition with the California Labor Commissioner that asserts that Idol producer 19 Entertainment and its affiliated companies have "manipulated" him into accepting jobs since he hit it big. In a filing that reveals some of Phillips' post-show tribulations, including being forced to perform for free for one of "Idol's" sponsors and not even knowing the title of his last album before it was announced publicly, the singer is seeking to void his various agreements with 19, said by the star's lawyer to be "oppressive, fatally conflicted." Read more: Van Halen Settles Lawsuit With Drummer's Ex-Wife . "I am very grateful for the opportunities provided to me through appearing on 'American Idol,' " says Phillips. "The value that the fans and the show have given to my career is not lost on me. However, I have not felt that I have been free to conduct my career in a way that I am comfortable with. I look forward to being able to make my own choices about my career and to being able to make great music and play it for my fans." The petition to determine controversy is grounded on the Talent Agencies Act, the California law that says only licensed talent agents can procure employment for clients. In the past, the law has been used as a cudgel by Hollywood artists from Arsenio Hall to Kesha who wished to escape paying commissions to their managers. Phillips now hopes to have the TAA applied to an entertainment company. Read more: Fox's First 'Fantastic Four' Trailer Released . Before "Idol" viewers voted him the winner that year, Phillips signed a series of contracts governing his management, merchandising, recording and publishing. The deals are quite favorable to 19 Entertainment, a company founded by Simon Fuller that also produces other shows such as "So You Think You Can Dance." For example, according to the complaint, when Phillips does endorsements, 19 gets as much as a 40% cut. Nevertheless, Phillips tells the California Labor Commissioner that 19 has a fiduciary duty to him, and that the company has breached such duty by compelling him to take jobs that are of benefit to the company and its affiliates rather than to him. In the time since he's been on the show, his managers at 19 have lined up gigs like performing at the NBA All-Star Game, singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a World Series game, and appearing on such shows as Letterman, the "Today Show," "Ellen" and "The View." The appearances are said to have been "procured" by 19 despite not being licensed as an agent. This, the petition argues, amounts to a "pattern and practice of flagrant violations of the (TAA)." While some of these gigs boosted Phillips' profile and are arguably in his interest, some other appearances by the singer may have done little to boost his career. For example, the petition says he did a live show without compensation promoting JetBlue in 2013. "In response to Petitioner's questions about why this deal would make sense, 19 admitted the deal was being entered into in exchange for JetBlue's support for the 2013 American Idol Live Appearance Tour," says the petition. "Since Petitioner was not performing on the 2013 Idol Tour, the only conceivable purpose for Respondent booking the performance was to help the struggling finances of Respondent's Idol Tour." Similarly, Phillips says he performed at a corporate event for an insurance company — only it was labeled an endorsement deal. Raising a problem with this gig, he says 19 took the position that it was subject to the Merchandise Agreement, with a 40% commission. Phillips argues, "If Respondent was truly putting Petitioner's best interest above their interests, Respondent should have taken the position that the performances should be commissioned at the 20% commission rate provided for in the Management Agreement." The petition also chronicles other indignities that Phillips has faced in the past couple of years. He says that 19 lined up a producer for his first two albums that compromised his interests. He says 19 lied to him, saying that the producer wouldn't receive greater mechanical royalty rates than he would. He adds that 19 has repeatedly withheld information regarding his career, including the title of his "Behind the Light" album released last year. It's not unusual for those successful on reality TV shows to renegotiate deals at some point in their career. Phillips says that he "frequently requested" this, but suggests that the relationship between his management company and recording company frustrated any hope of doing so. According to the petition, "Because 19 Recordings, Inc. is also Petitioner's record company, 19, as Petitioner's management company, failed to secure even a single improvement to the terms of the Recording Agreement, in breach of Respondent's fiduciary obligations to Petitioner." Represented by attorney Howard King at King Holmes Paterno & Berliner, Phillips is making a bold and ambitious attempt to bring entertainment companies like 19 within the scope of the TAA, a law that has been controversial since it was added to the books in 1978. Phillips' attempt to challenge his "Idol" deals figures to spark jurisdictional challenges and raise issues about the corporate structure of 19, which is owned by CORE Media Group. Phillips will likely also have to get around a notable exemption in the TAA for the procurement of recording contracts. Read more: Fox Beats 'American Idol' Racism Lawsuit . But if Phillips is successful in voiding his deals as a violation of the TAA, the ramifications would be huge — potentially impacting other successful competitors on "Idol" as well as perhaps other reality TV competition shows. The adjudication of TAA disputes also tends to be a very, very slow process, with rulings often happening many years after the initial filing of a petition. The result of the creeping pace could put a number of deals in legal limbo, undoubtedly a concern as "Idol" and other shows move forward. A spokesperson for 19 Entertainment tells The Hollywood Reporter, "We're very proud of everything we've accomplished together with Phillip, working closely to help nurture his extraordinary talent and advance his career. We have always acted in the best interest of Phillip. We will vigorously defend ourselves from any baseless claims to the contrary and from any attempt to interfere with our rights and relationships." | "Idol" winner Phillip Phillips unhappy with his deals .
Phillips claims deals are "oppressive" |
140b3ee80c1c97a831394be0b8f4376c47acdfda | Jordan Henderson insists Liverpool will go into their clash with Chelsea full of confidence. The England midfielder cited the need for Liverpool to be brave as they seek a positive result at Anfield. The 24-year-old acknowledged that Chelsea are in fine form, but the task of beating them is not insurmountable if they work as a team. Jordan Henderson practices his set piece technique in training as he prepares to take on Chelsea . 'We know it will be a difficult game because Chelsea are a top side, but I think we can still go into it with plenty of confidence.' 'It will be a big game for both teams and one that we're really looking forward to. It's a big opportunity for us to go out there and show how good we can be, especially against top opposition. Henderson knows that Rodgers' side need to play to their maximum on Sunday. Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield last season which ended an 11 game winning streak for the Reds. Balotelli and Henderson show their competitive side as they look to be on top form against Chelsea . Steven Gerrard will be hoping to make amends for his slip which arguably cost Liverpool the title . 'You've got to make sure every single person is working as hard as possible, collectively as a team, and that we're defending very well. Also, creating opportunities in the final third, being brave to take someone on or get a shot off. If we do those things, we can get a good result. 'The crowd always play their part, it doesn't matter what game it is - they are always up for it and always cheering us on. With Chelsea coming to town, they'll be buzzing for the game and another big game for everyone. I'm sure the crowd can help us in that sense.' | Jordan Henderson says Liverpool can thrive off the atmosphere on Sunday .
Liverpool face Chelsea at Anfield and lost this clash 2-0 last term .
Henderson insists Liverpool need to put in a team effort . |
140e3f323895a7923531524481e3d4f1c7a6c4a9 | By . David Martosko . PUBLISHED: . 15:15 EST, 13 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:05 EST, 13 September 2013 . Former presidental adviser David Axelrod was the victim of a putsch within Obama's re-election campaign inner circle, according to a new book . The man most responsible for getting Barack Obama to the White House – the man who had 'crafted his ads since 2004' and 'had cowritten his narrative' – was forced out of the president's inner circle during the 2012 re-election campaign, a new book reveals. Obama's two main campaign generals marginalized David Axelrod, the campaign strategist behind Obama's 1990s rise to power from local organizer to president. White House communications director David Plouffe and re-election campaign manager Jim Messina were in open conflict with 'Axe' throughout much of the re-election push. Axelrod, insiders said, referred to them as 'two strongmen running the Kremlin.' He believed Plouffe, busy in the White House, wasn't plugged into the campaign enough. And he thought Messina, whom Obama had trusted to 'run a business' in getting him re-elected, was insecure and lacked strong leadership skills. MSNBC online editor Richard Wolffe interviewed political insiders about the campaigns for his book, 'The Message.' The Daily Beast published an excerpt on Thursday. He details how Axelrod tried to muscle Messina out of his job entirely, but ended up as the odd man out himself. Obama For America director Jim Messina (L) got tired of Axelrod agitating to get him fired, writes Richard Wolffe. Ultimately it was Axelrod who was ousted. Messina has stayed on, and now runs the campaign's successor organization, Organizing for Action . David Plouffe, who ran Obama's first presidential campaign, inherited Axelrod's White House job hear the Oval Office. There was no love lost between the two . Richard Wolffe, formerly of Newsweek magazine but now in charge of MSNBC.com, got access to many of the major players behind Obama's political successes . 'Axelrod repeatedly tried to convince other senior aides to bypass Messina,' Wolffe writes, 'and they believed he was trying to oust Messina altogether. Axelrod had never wanted him to get the job in the first place. Now he was complaining to others inside Obama’s inner circle about Messina’s shortcomings, but there was no support for a change of campaign manager.' 'Axelrod knew that Plouffe had confidence in Messina, and nobody could come up with a good candidate to replace him. "For a good six months of that campaign, they were trying to wedge him out, which created all of the divisions," said one senior Obama campaign official. "But there was no one else, and Messina had positioned himself with Plouffe. Axe had tried a long time to prevent him from getting that job." The affable Axelrod ultimately left the operation after he left his job managing messaging from a perch near the Oval Office, along with White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. 'There never was another serious candidate for the position' of campaign manager, other than Messina, Wolffe relates. 'Plouffe had handed him operational control of the 2008 campaign. And the following year, in the White House, Plouffe had once again told Messina to run Chicago.' 'Implicit in that offer was the notion that the two operatives could maintain their working alliance: Plouffe would set the course and steer the strategy, while Messina would run the machine. Plouffe could stay inside the White House, close to POTUS, while still controlling a headquarters 700 miles away. Hands-off: Barack Obama stayed away from the palace intrigue and stayed focused on retail campaigning, leaving his inner circle to fight among themselves . Plouffe (L) remains an integral part of the Obama White House, determining the course of the administration's external communications -- a job Axelrod held until 2011 . The campaign itself never really . stopped, as political observers noted during Obama's first term. Obama . For America, his campaign committee, continued to operate hundreds of . field offices in key swing states while the president was busy . governing. And the ad buys continued long before Obama was renominated as the Democrats' 2012 candidate. 'The Message: The Reselling of President Obama' by Richard Wolffe is due in stores on Sept. 19 . All that continuous campaign muscle needed leadership. And all the jockeying for position brought tension on a grand scale. When 'Axe' left the White House late in the re-election season, he soon after left the campaign operation. That, Wolffe writes, was just the way Messina and Plouffe wanted it. Plouffe, for one thing, had already inherited Axelrod's White House job, and his office near Obama's. Axelrod brought some of the resentments upon himself by hiring an attorney to negotiate a sweetheart deal that made him rich by taking what he called 'a very, very small percentage' of the cost of every TV ad the campaign ran -- in addition to his monthly fees. 'Messina told friends that he was acting under the president’s direction,' Wolffe writes, 'which he characterized like this: "I want everybody treated fairly, but I don’t want anybody to get rich on this. They’re gonna get rich on the books they write afterwards."' 'Many of those who worked with Messina doubted his accounts of conversations with Obama or Plouffe. But he acted as if he was empowered by them, and he was. Messina and Axelrod negotiated hard, as Messina hacked away at Axelrod's demands.' Meanwhile, Obama himself stayed above the fray. Axelrod, now without his trademark moustache, has retained a silent consultant's role with Obama, but no longer wields serious power inside his political organization . It's a 'business': Obama offered Messina the top campaign job, telling him he could run what amounted to a giant business venture from the headquarters in Chicago . No love lost: Axelrod and Plouffe reportedly worked together but tussled in a power struggle that left Axelrod without a formal campaign role . 'Obama kept a close team of younger male staffers to manage his immediate needs,' Wolff writes, 'and that was all he needed. "He needs the guys to play cards and golf, and tell him where he’s going next and why," said a former aide.' '"But beyond that, it’s what function you have. And if you can’t fulfill that function anymore, or someone can do it better, you’re gone. That’s hard for those of us who really believe in him. He expects full loyalty. But you need to have your eyes open."' A hands-off manager, the president didn't like mixing it up between disagreeing staffers, according to the book. '[A]dvisers suspected he knew about the conflicts but pretended they didn’t exist because he had no desire to resolve them, and because he hoped they might peter out. Obama wanted consensus on communications and strategy, not personal conflict.' That left the big guns to fight it out among themselves. Behind Plouffe's and Messina's 'intensely competitive exteriors, they nurtured intensely competitive interiors' as well, the book recounts. But unlike Axelrod and Gibbs, they 'were still on the inside ring of Obama’s circle of confidants' and survived. | Axelrod wanted campaign manager Jim Messina fired, but he wound up the odd man out himself .
Palace intrigue led 'Axe' to refer to Messina and White House messaging chief David Plouffe as 'two strongmen running the Kremlin'
The two men resented Axelrod for getting rich by taking a percentage of the hundreds of millions spent on campaign ads .
An aloof Obama stayed out of the way as his inner circle fought a political gladiator game that pushed out Axelrod and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs . |
140f946e56f0cce87a57711acb89f7ea8a508fd1 | These chilling images taken inside the home of one of America's most prolific child porn collectors reveal his sickening hoard of pacifiers and girl's underwear. The 52-year-old pedophile, who stored one million indecent images of children on discs and hard drives, was arrested in 2013 when police stormed his Orlando apartment. It was there they discovered framed photographs of naked children among piles of garbage and sippy cups. The haul is the largest in Florida's history, with law enforcement describing the contents of the sex offender's home as 'mind-boggling'. Framed photographs of naked children downloaded from the internet were among the sickening indicators of pedophilia found by law enforcement when they swooped on the home of one of America's most prolific child pornography collectors . And despite fearing for his life inside the walls of the Alabama prison where he will spend 20 years, the criminal, a former Navy information systems technician, said 'it would be nice' to be able to access the images again. 'What I did is not worth the hassle … the penalty,' he told USA Today under the promise of anonymity to protect himself from inmates. He claimed to have already been moved from one facility after being threatened by fellow prisoners. Despite possessing one of the largest collections of child pornography on record, the man insists he never acted on his sadistic impulses, confining his pedophilia to his ocean-side home. 'I never touched anybody. There was no direct contact with a victim,' he protested. Prosecutors have not been able to confirm his claim. It started, he said, in 2001, 12 years before being prosecuted, when a single image of a 'very young girl' flashed across his computer screen. 'It piqued my curiosity more than anything,' he remarked, fidgeting in a desk chair. Sippy cups and pacifiers were also discovered at the property in Orlando where the 52-year-old spent 40 uninterrupted days downloading indecent images of children . During a visit to Japan in the 1990s, the man admitted to buying and wearing children's clothes. Girls' underwear and a dress were found by police when they stormed his apartment . Law enforcement described the haul as 'mind boggling' and the largest police had ever seen in Florida's history . From there, his taste graduated from girls between the ages of three and six to those aged eight to 15. Records held by Florida's Department of Law Enforcement reveal the youngest child to appear in his collection was just one. Among the most horrifying of images was one of a two-year-old being sexually abused by an adult female. Another, of a girl around 10, showed her to be tied up with rope. While he claims not to have begun downloading the indecent images until 2001, the former serviceman admitted to 'encounters' with child prostitutes during a 1987 tour of the Philippines. Seven years later in Japan he began wearing children's underwear and buying sippy cups, pacifiers and diapers. Such behavior has 'nothing to do' with the collection of pornography discovered by police some years later, he claimed, adding his only allies in prison were fellow pedophiles. When arrested, the 52-year-old had spent 40 uninterrupted days downloading and looking at child pornography. The end of the binge came when police arrived on his doorstep with a search warrant. | Naval officer is one of America's most prolific child pornography collectors .
He spent years downloading hoard of images to his Orlando apartment .
Bought children's underwear, diapers and pacifiers as part of 'fetish'
The 52-year-old was arrested in 2013 in a 'mind-boggling' swoop .
He is now serving a 20-year sentence at an Alabama prison . |
140fd00d443e04e5c54c24217db592a61d6765c7 | Welcome to a real-life Temple of Doom where you can re-enact Indiana Jones' wildest adventures by sliding down a Mayan temple into shark infested waters. The water slide styled as a Mayan temple sends thrillseekers hurtling up to 35-miles-per-hour down a 60-foot-long chute. The ride finishes underwater by going through a tunnel surrounded by 14-foot-long nurse sharks and Caribbean Reef sharks. The Mayan Temple water slide in the Bahamas, a detailed replica of the Temple of Doom, is the ultimate ride for Indiana Jones-style thrillseekers . Thanks to an ingenious underwater passage, intrepid visitors can zoom through shark-infested waters . The terrifying ride takes visitors down a steep chute before hurtling them through a tube surrounded by 14-foot-long nurse sharks and Caribbean Reef sharks . Aptly called The Leap of Faith, the terrifying ride is part of the Aquaventure, Paradise Island resort of the Bahamas. Vice President of Marine Operations, Mark Gsellman explained why the slide is so popular with the visitors to his resort. 'The Leap of Faith was built to provide guests with the ultimate experience. 'No other slide compares to the exhilarating sensation and rush of adrenaline you're left with after going down the Leap of Faith. Shooting through the air, the ride can send visitors plummeting at 35 mph . As tourists reach the bottom of the slide, they enter a misty tunnel before going underwater, hence the name Leap of Faith . Tourists get a rare view up through the water from the imitation sea bed . 'The feeling of being dropped at a near perpendicular angle and flying past sharks is something you can't find anywhere else. 'The slide is called the Leap of Faith because the bottom of the slide is covered with a mist and cannot be seen, hence to drop down, it requires a true leap of faith.' Aquaventure is a vast 141-acre water park containing 7 million gallons of water, a mile-long river ride, and a choice of 12 pools. Alongside the life-size replica of a Mayan Temple, there is a 131-foot tall Power Tower, a 7-acre snorkeling lagoon, miles of white sand beaches and more. The Mayan Temple replica is full-size, so that it dominates the skyline on Paradise Island . The seaside paradise Aquaventure, which is one of the largest water parks in the world, also has a 131-foot tall Power Tower and a 7-acre snorkeling lagoon . 'People love the Leap of Faith and certainly go through a range of emotions,' said Mark. 'Guests are first and foremost very excited, but typically grow anxious as they wait for their turn. 'Nerves tend to kick in once guests realize they are up next, and after a few minutes of fear and giddy nervousness. 'Then they finally launch themselves down the slide and experience some of the most fun you can imagine. 'It's truly an exhilarating experience.' | One of the world's largest water parks has created life-sized Mayan temple .
Indiana Jones-style ride sends visitors plummeting at 35mph . |
1410227a01322fd4ad6b7386615d2d4dae669bc8 | Fort Meade, Maryland (CNN) -- A military prosecutor said Bradley Manning acted as a "determined insider" in leaking classified information about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and should be locked up for 60 years at least, but the Army private's lawyer contended he can be rehabilitated and should not "rot in jail." The two sides delivered their final sentencing arguments to Col. Denise Lind, the judge who convicted Manning at trial and will now determine his punishment. He faces up to 90 years behind bars for the largest leak of classified information in U.S. history. "There may not be a soldier in the history of the Army who displayed such an extreme disregard" for his mission as a soldier, Capt. Joe Morrow, the prosecutor, said. His arrogance, according Morrow, meant he "felt he alone was knowledgeable and intelligent enough to determine what information was to be classified." Morrow asked that Manning, 25, serve a minimum sentence of six decades behind bars, saying his actions created grave risk, disrupted diplomatic missions and endangered lives. Defense attorney David Coombs did not ask for a specific sentence, but said his client was an excellent candidate for rehabilitation, and that he should not be left to "rot in jail." "Perhaps his biggest crime was that he cared about the loss of life that he was seeing and couldn't ignore it." Coombs said of Manning's decision to turn over the explosive information to WikiLeaks. "This is a young man capable of being redeemed," Coombs said in final remarks. "The defense requests, after the court considers all the facts, a sentence that allows him to have a life." Lind recessed the proceedings until Tuesday morning but it is not clear when she will render a decision. Manning was convicted of numerous counts in July, including espionage-related charges. He avoided a potential life sentence when Lind rejected charges that his actions aided the enemy. In addition to prison, prosecutors also want Manning to forfeit pay and benefits and pay a $100,000 fine. Officials indicated a single sentence would cover all of the guilty counts. | Prosecution calls Manning a "determined insider" in largest leak of classified information .
Asks judge to send a message to other would-be leakers with prolonged prison sentence .
Defense says Manning is an excellent case for rehabilitation; He faces up to 90 years behind bars . |
141207c356044009e0b1709b2e6f4ad75bbc743f | Orlando, Florida (CNN) -- "These people saved my family from an almost certain fiery death." Doug White speaks highly of the air traffic controllers and flight instructor who helped talk him through landing a plane last year after the pilot died. He and his family finally met the team last week, after they received the highest honor from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association at a ceremony in Orlando, Florida. In April 2009, White, 56, and his wife and their two daughters were returning to Louisiana after attending a funeral for White's brother. Less than 10 minutes after their private chartered plane took off from Marco Island, Florida, the unexpected happened. "I've got to declare an emergency. My pilot's deceased. I need help," White told the control tower. He had seized the radio after the pilot had fallen unconscious. "I need to get this on the ground. I'm flyin' a King Air." Luckily, White had three months of flight lessons, but he had flown only a small, less-sophisticated single-engine plane. That's like going from a Volkswagen to a race car, he said. In the background of their conversation, dozens of controllers were scrambling to reroute flights while Fort Myers International Airport prepared to accept the plane. "Disengage the autopilot. We're gonna have you hand-fly the plane," instructed controller and experienced pilot Lisa Grimm said. "You find me the longest, widest runway you can, ma'am," White responded in a deadpan Louisiana twang. Controllers in Fort Myers reached out to flight instructor and pilot Kari Sorenson, who was familiar with the King Air plane. At last week's reunion, Sorenson said he relayed through the controllers only the most critical information needed to get the plane safely on the ground. White jokingly accused Sorenson of withholding some information. "Would you want to have heard it?" Sorensen joked back. Sorensen had high praise for White's maneuvering of the twin-engine plane. "Doug learned to fly that plane in 20 minutes," Sorensen said. "I don't think you could have made the plane more complex or the pilot less experienced and have had a successful landing." Grimm said she remembered White's steady demeanor through the whole incident. "He was like the coolest cucumber," she said. Shortly after the pilot slumped over in his seat, White yelled for his wife to come up to the cockpit. Terry White recalled that she was initially annoyed with her husband's tone, thinking he wanted her to bring him a soda. Once she realized the gravity of the situation, "my first thought was my girls," she said. At one point, Doug White held out his hand, and Terry said, "You're not even shaking ... and [he] said, 'I am on the inside.' "That's just the way he is," she said. There were times, White admitted, when he got nervous. "I thought they were leaving me out there stranded," White said. "And it's real quiet in that airplane when nobody's talking to you." His teenage daughter Maggie White said she felt helpless. "I mean, what could I do? Nothing, just sit there and pray and, you know, throw up," she said. White said he felt a bond with the team of air traffic controllers, as if they had been in combat together. The White family was shocked to learn during the reunion that they were given only a 5 percent chance of surviving. The Louisiana pharmacist has gone on to receive his pilot's license, saying he never wants to be in the same situation again. "If you're gonna die, at least die trying not to," Doug White said. | Last year, Doug White took control of twin-engine plane after pilot died .
White and his family were returning home from a funeral .
A year later, they met flight experts who helped them land . |
1412850e1f518d7ab1a84d0295c4fc7ccfa3e27b | San Cristobal, Venezuela (CNN) -- The wives of two jailed Venezuelan opposition politicians have won landslide election victories while their husbands remain behind bars. The votes Sunday in the cities of San Cristobal and San Diego were symbolic triumphs for the South American country's opposition, which has argued that the cities' former mayors were politically persecuted when authorities arrested them in March. Daniel Ceballos was accused of civil rebellion and conspiracy after the government said he failed to stop violent protests in San Cristobal. He was given a 12-month sentence. San Cristobal is in the southwestern part of the country, near the border with Colombia. Enzo Scarano was jailed for 10 months after the government accused him of ignoring an order given by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice to stop protests in San Diego, a city near the coast and west of the capital of Caracas. After winning more than 73% of votes in the mayoral election Sunday, Patricia Gutierrez de Ceballos said that each ballot cast in her favor represented a sentence of justice and freedom and a blow against what she called the country's dictatorship. "They have converted me into mayor and ratified Daniel Ceballos as mayor. And today, San Cristobal has the privilege of having two mayors governing its city," the 30-year-old engineer said. When protests erupted against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government earlier this year, San Cristobal, capital of the border state of Tachira, quickly became a flashpoint, and Daniel Ceballos was an outspoken critic of Maduro. Clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces have left more than 40 people dead and around 800 injured across the country since February, according to officials. Maduro has said protesters are "fascists and extreme-right thugs" who are trying to destabilize the government to promote a coup. Protesters call Maduro a dictator who has ruined the Venezuelan economy with failed socialist policies. Rosa Brandonisio de Scarano, formerly a City Council member in San Diego, won nearly 88% of votes in the mayoral election there Sunday, officials said. After casting her ballot, she said her vote was a protest against the government's sentence of her husband. "The people will remain peacefully in the streets, making people listen, so that it echoes throughout the world that Venezuela right now is going through a very difficult time, economically, socially, morally and politically," she told reporters. One official from the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela praised the San Diego election results. Carabobo state Gov. Francisco Ameliach said the results signal that the government's election authority is impartial, the state-run AVN news agency reported. Earlier this month, a State Department official pointed to the arrests of Ceballos and Scarano as signs that Maduro's government "continues to persecute political opponents." "While dismantling the independent media and jailing local officials who dare to dissent, the Maduro government is simultaneously empowering armed civilian thugs, or 'colectivos' to intimidate and kill those Venezuelans who continue to march," Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, said in a statement prepared for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. CNN team denied permission to cover Venezuelan local elections . Opinion: The Venezuelan nightmare . Journalist Osmary Hernandez reported from San Cristobal, Venezuela. CNN's Elwyn Lopez and Catherine E. Shoichet reported from Atlanta. CNN's Claudia Dominguez also contributed to this report. | The local election victories are significant symbolic triumphs for Venezuela's opposition .
Patricia Gutierrez de Ceballos says the votes were sentences of justice and freedom .
Her husband was arrested after authorities said he failed to stop anti-government protests .
"The people will remain peacefully in the streets," Rosa Brandonisio de Scarano says . |
1412a6d59ec16a07dcab86b3f3f2b4fe7b861fa6 | (CNN) -- Now that the campaign is over and Barack Obama has won a second term, the hard business of governing begins again. There's a presidential inbox waiting and it's not too hard to figure out what's in it. Problems don't have Democrat or Republican stamped on them: they just are. So here are my top five issues facing the president. Finding our footing in the new Arab world . Obviously this election was about the economy first, second and third. But the world intrudes. Our election campaign did not keep terrorists from killing American diplomats in Benghazi, nor did it stop the violence in Syria. When all the ballots are counted and the parks swept clean of the debris from election night rallies, President Obama will have to figure out what is happening in this very volatile part of the world and what, if anything, we do about it. We intervened in Libya to get rid of an awful dictator, but so far we have not intervened to get rid of the awful dictator in Syria. As the violence escalates and the Syrian president wreaks ever more death and destruction on his people, will we be drawn into an intervention there too? After 9/11 we went to war with Iraq over a mistaken fear of nuclear weapons. Is Iran developing nuclear weapons or are we wrong to be concerned? Will we go to war with Iran too? Opinion: Obama will get little time to celebrate . Preventing the fiscal cliff . While President Obama has been crisscrossing the country looking for votes, the people left behind in Washington have been wringing their hands over the dangers posed to the fragile economic recovery by the severe combination of spending cuts and tax increases that are due to kick in on New Year's Eve. This so-called "fiscal cliff" was the result of politicians kicking the can down the road a few years ago. Will they do it again? Or will there be a grand bargain that actually puts the country on the path to smaller deficits? World worries as U.S. fiscal cliff looms . There are plenty of plans on the shelf waiting, including those put together by the big deficit reduction commissions such as Simpson/Bowles and Rivlin/Domenici. And there's the plan almost put together by President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner. The problem isn't the lack of plans; it's the lack of courage. The outlines of any deal have been clear for some time now: Democrats have to give up some spending, especially on entitlements like Social Security and Medicare, and Republicans have to allow for some new taxes. Each side has to hold it's nose if a deal is to be done. Which brings me to the next issue facing President Obama: . Opinion: Obama's victory won't transform America . Dealing with the Republicans . Obama must figure out how to deal with a Republican Party in Congress that has become dysfunctional. In 2010 a relatively small group of voters calling themselves the Tea Party launched a surprise attack on the leadership of the Republican Party. Under President Bush, the Republican Party had gotten a little too fond of world domination and a little too dismissive of the party's traditional concern for fiscal discipline. Frankly, they deserved a trip to the woodshed. But once their new majority in the House of Representatives was won, the leadership overreacted, and rather than forge a majority that could perhaps make some progress, they cowered before their new members like frightened children. The result? No progress. If the Republican leadership continues to tremble before their most radical members, the entire party risks a rightward slide off the face of the earth. And President Obama will have to figure out how to work around them. Analysis: Obama won with a better ground game . Cutting a deal on tax reform . It's been 25 years since a Democratic Congress and President Reagan cleaned out the tax code and achieved lower rates and fewer loopholes. But tax loopholes grow back like dandelions in the garden. The current tax code is a mess. It rewards some sectors of the economy and not others. It distorts business decision-making and it makes sure that those who don't need it have plenty of tax deductions. It's time to weed that garden once again. Amazingly enough in this era of extreme polarization, both presidential candidates have expressed support for lowering the corporate tax rate to 25% and simplifying the corporate side of the code. It's possible that they could agree on the easy stuff on the corporate side and move to the harder stuff on the individual side. Tax reform will be part and parcel of a long-term deficit deal. Tax cuts for the oil and gas industry are a favorite target of President Obama, and they are just one example of many industry-specific tax breaks that might get swept up in a big tax deal. Share your reaction to the election outcome . Climate change . And finally I come to the issue that was not mentioned in the presidential campaign: climate change. The Democrats' one attempt at climate change legislation died in 2010, a victim of the recession and also of the fear that confronting it would increase energy costs on a public still reeling from the meltdown. The failure of the climate bill began, however, the issue's long, slow slide into oblivion; a slide so complete that both candidates spent their debates falling all over themselves to prove they were friends of coal. But coal is the big culprit in climate change, a fact conveniently ignored when the votes of Ohio are at stake. How fitting then, that in the very last week of the campaign, a gigantic hurricane would destroy the Jersey shore and close down lower Manhattan. The seas are rising after all; there is something happening after all. What, President Obama, are you going to do about it? The options are plentiful, from taxing carbon to pouring more money into green energy. They just haven't been very palatable. Maybe hurricane Sandy can change that. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Elaine Kamarck . | Elaine Kamarck: In his second term, there are five immediate challenges for Obama .
She says he must find United States' footing in fragile Arab world .
Kamarck: He must reach a grand bargain with GOP to avoid fiscal cliff .
Kamarck: He must find way to deal with fractious Republican party; confront climate change . |
141338f8a185efa4d543d812faec8e7ad083040a | By . Tara Brady . Guilty: Sir George Castledine started a relationship with an 83-year-old widow out of sexual desire and financial greed, a panel has ruled . A knighted nurse who had an affair with an 83-year-old widow he was counselling following the death of her husband was struck off today. Sir George Castledine, 67, declared his love for the recently bereaved woman, known during regular visits to her home and called her ‘my little tinkerbell.’ Sir George, who shook his head as the decision was announced, has been thrown out of the profession and cannot apply to be restored to the register for five years. Susan Hurds, NMC panel chairman said: ‘Your actions represent a serious departure from the standards expected from a registered nurse. ‘You have been dishonest during the course of this investigation and were deliberately evasive and inconsistent while giving evidence. ‘You have shown no remorse for your actions and the effect they have had on Patient A and her family. ‘You have a distinguished career of over 40 years as an author, clinician, educator and mentor and have made a substantial contribution to the nursing profession, including care for older people. ‘The misconduct was wide-ranging and continued beyond the limits outlined in the charges, you continued to see Patient A after receiving written instructions not to. ‘You sought to mislead the panel and you lied to the panel during these proceedings. ‘During your evidence to the panel you tried to blame Patient A for pestering you. ‘You have failed to satisfy the panel that you are remorseful and that there will be no repetition of the misconduct. ‘Your actions are so serious as to be fundamentally incompatible with your remaining on the register. ‘A striking off order is the only proportionate sanction.’ Sir George Castledine declared his love for the recently bereaved woman and told her he needed to work out at the gym so he could 'make love' to her. Treatment: Sir George first started working with the widow at Onneley House in Birmingham in November 2008 . He denied that his behaviour was motivated by financial gain or sexual desire - but a committee sitting at the Old Bailey in London has now ruled that this was in fact false. Sir George regularly visited the elderly patient and showered her with gifts and flowers, accepting thousands of pounds in return. The woman's family became so concerned about his behaviour that they bugged her phone - and heard him calling her 'Tinkerbell' and saying he had to go to the gym or he 'wouldn't be able to make love' to her. NMC panel chairman Susan Hurds said today that he had 'manipulated a vulnerable patient' while motivated by sexual gratification and greed. She added that the woman, known as 'Patient A', was 'clearly grief-stricken' following the death of her husband, and needed bereavement counselling which Sir George was not qualified to give. 'You gave evidence which the panel often found difficult to believe,' Mrs Hurds told Sir George. 'You lacked consistency in your response, added evidence and altered your story as it suited you. 'We concluded that you lied at the outset of the investigation and as the hearing continued. As evidence was put before you you modified your account. 'The panel finds it incredible that the endearments and erotic language you used at no other time than on the occasions on the tape. 'You were deliberately evasive and not consistent but intentionally changed your story.' She added: 'The persistent nature of the telephone calls, late at night and early in the morning and the giving of gifts and eating together in an intimate setting were sexually motivated.' Sir George - who was knighted in 2007 . - first treated the woman in November 2008 at Onneley House in . Birmingham, part of the Institute of Ageing and Health. After . the patient told her two daughters that she had begun an affair with . the married father of three, they bugged her phone and were horrified to . hear his repeated professions of love. Distinguished: Sir George was knighted by the Queen in a 2007 ceremony at Buckingham Palace . Mrs Hurds said that the sisters acted solely out of concern for their mother, and were not motivated by financial gain. Sir George, currently a visiting professor at Glyndwr University in Wrexham, insisted that his chats with Patient A were nothing more than 'banter'. He told the hearing: 'Some of the phone calls later were sexual in some respects but it wasn't an offer of having sex with somebody or anything like that. 'One of the times I spoke to her she was having some trouble so I called her and on the telephone we would have banter. It was a befriending role that I had and I was befriending her.' The nurse had previously admitted the contents of his conversations with the woman, and confessed that he had continued to see her even after he was told not to by an official. Sir George formerly sat on the Welsh board of a predecessor to the NMC, and helped draw up the code of conduct for nursing which he has now breached. He is a former assistant dean of the nursing faculty at Birmingham City University, and an ex-consultant at Dudley Group of Hospitals. | Sir George Castledine, 67, counselled the woman after her husband died .
Her daughters became suspicious and monitored their phone calls .
Professor was heard telling the woman he needed to work out at the gym 'or I won't be able to make love to you' |
14139ac92003bf148cc2803c774ac5376d28784b | Michael Gove's education reforms have suffered a fresh blow after his flagship policy of giving universities a say over the content of A-levels was discontinued. He wanted universities to take 'ownership' of the exams by dictating their syllabus and reviewing them annually. The reforms were designed to address concerns from academics that A-levels were not rigorous enough to prepare students for university. The failure to commit to a continuing academic-led review might be viewed as the latest weakening of Mr Gove’s reforms since he was sacked as education secretary in July last year . It is understood the board, formed of academics at Russell Group universities, will soon be registered as a dormant company after a decision by Nick Gibb (pictured), minister of state for education . But the A-Level Content Advisory Board formed 18 months ago to oversee this process has been mothballed, it has emerged. The decision by Education Minister Nick Gibb will be seen by some as the latest weakening of Mr Gove's reforms since he was sacked as Education Secretary last July. Since then, his replacement Nicky Morgan has been dubbed 'Ms U-turn' because of her differing views on key issues including grammar schools and pupil punishment. The Department for Education said the advisory board could be recalled, but its suspension is likely to disappoint many academics keen for the sector to retain a role in ensuring the exam's rigour. Although Mr Gove had suggested all A-levels would be scrutinised, only three subjects underwent major reviews. Some of the board's recommendations were shelved after proving unpopular with teachers. | Under Michael Gove, universities were to take 'ownership' of A-levels .
Aimed to address concerns from academics they were not rigorous enough .
But now advisory body of professors to oversee this has been mothballed . |
14148632f0b7c1ebc50894a18287672caad1d790 | By . Martin Domin . Follow @@martin_domin . David Haye has confirmed he is planning a return to the ring in the autumn. The former heavyweight world champion has not fought since he knocked out Dereck Chisora at Upton Park almost two years ago. Haye twice pulled out of a fight with Tyson Fury through injury and had surgery on his shoulder last November which looked to have forced him into retirement. Comeback: David Haye (right) has confirmed he plans to return to the ring in the autumn . But the 33-year-old's trainer Adam Booth admitted last week that his charge was eyeing a comeback. And Haye told iFL TV: 'I'll have nights in the future to talk about. 'If I was a betting man, I'd bet that I'll fight in September or October.' Haye was at Wembley on Saturday night as Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their Battle of Britain rematch. Aborted: Haye twice pulled out a fight with Tyson Fury through injury and had been expected to retire . Froch send the Londoner crashing to the canvas in the eighth round to retain his IBF and WBA super-middleweight world titles. Haye initially retired from the sport in 2011 after losing to Wladimir Klitschko in Germany but after a brawl with Chisora in Munich in February 2012, he settled the score with his British rival in east London. Last time out: Haye has not fought since knocking out Dereck Chisora at Upton Park two years ago . | David Haye confirms he expects to return in the autumn .
The former heavyweight world champion has not fought for two years .
He twice pulled out a fight with Tyson Fury through injury . |
1414a4a366b80ce5705a61e90557b9a86335ffda | Former NFL superstar Chad Johnson left a $300 tip for a waitress at a restaurant in Montreal on Sunday and wanted the world to know about it. Leaving modesty aside, the footballer tweeted the check for his meal adding a reason for his generosity: 'Sundays are slow, this should help,' he wrote. Giving himself a huge pat on the back, the footballer formerly known as Ochocinco attempted to dish out some wise words along with the cash, 'The tip is in the message not the money...' he posted to Twitter. Tipped off: Former NFL superstar wide receiver Chad Johnson left a $300 tip for a waitress on Sunday . Wise words: According to Johnson, who still uses 'ochocinco' for his Twitter handle, 'The tip is in the message not the money …' While he may be renowned for his skills on the field, it's when it comes to math where Johnson appears to be lacking. He racked up a bill for $351.92 and left a tip of another $300.92 making the bill total $652.84. Owning up: Many on Twitter laid into Johnson over his math skills after incorrectly adding up the total . However, perhaps distracted by his own good deed, Johnson incorrectly added the total up as $651.92. Bizarrely, he also wrote 'I LOVE YOU!!!' at the bottom of the check. His generous gift was well received on Twitter although a number were mocking him for his poor math skills. It's believed Johnson is desperate to make a return to the NFL and is doing whatever he can to draw attention, however he appears to no longer in demand. He didn't have a bad season in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes but there do not appear to be any options for him to move south of the border any time soon. Johnson was a six-time Pro Bowl selection in his 11-year NFL career, spent primarily with the Bengals. His last NFL action came in 2011 as a member of the Patriots. He was invited to training camp with the Dolphins in 2012 but was released after he was arrested for domestic battery. Johnson reached a plea deal which allowed him to avoid jail time and was instead sentenced to probation. During a court appearance for violating his probation in June 2013, Johnson reached a deal to avoid jail time but the judge rejected the deal after Johnson playfully smacked his attorney's behind. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail. | Former Bengals star and current Montreal Alouette Chad Johnson racked up a bill for $351.92 and another $300 as a tip .
Johnson made an error in his math incorrectly calculating the final total . |
1414c3060a8ec4f8fdba2e3ee7560be9b1ee90d8 | By . Kieran Corcoran . Parts of Chile were evacuated today after the nation was struck by a strong earthquake. Amid fears a tsunami could follow the tremor, thousands in the South American country were warned to leave their homes and seek higher ground. The earthquake struck 37 miles from the port city of Iquique, at a depth of 12.4 miles below ground. It was initially measured at 7.0 on the Richter scale, which was later revised to 6.7. Worse in Chile: 100,000 people were ordered to higher ground in the wake of the first Chile tremor on Sunday evening . Meanwhile, in Chile: This map, released by the U.S. Geological Survey, shows the point off the Chilean coast where their 6.7 mag earthquake happened Sunday evening . It caused the Chilean Navy to issue an evacuation order in case of a tsunami, though the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said they were not expecting one. The ONEMI emergency office said that preliminarily no damage or injuries had been reported. Nobody seems to have been injured by the quake. Chile's massive copper mines mines, clustered in the mineral-rich North, appeared unscathed. Collahuasi, a partnership between Glencore Xstrata and Anglo American, located in the area, said operations were normal. People could be seen today gathered on high ground outside the northern towns of Arica and Tocopilla, which the Navy had warned were at risk. Warning: The Navy warned that there could be a small tsunami, though other experts did not agree . Safe: No significant damage was reported as a result of the earthquake . | Powerful tremor struck 37 miles from port city of Iquique today .
Chilean Navy feared tsunami could follow and said to seek higher ground .
But other geological experts disagreed that a tsunami was likely . |
1414d5a1f2305af120a2dc64afe35558e28bf565 | A man who is paralysed from the neck down has become the first such patient to move his hand by the power of thought alone. Thanks to a chip implanted in his brain, Ian Burkhart ushered in what doctors are calling a ‘bionic age’ which could revolutionise treatment for the disabled. All he had to do was think intensely about moving his hand and the rest was done by the chip in less than a tenth of a second. Scroll down for video . Thinking hard: Thanks to a chip implanted in his brain, Ian Burkhart ushered in what doctors are calling a 'bionic age' which could revolutionise treatment for the disabled . Impressive technology: All he had to do was think intensely about moving his hand and the rest was done by the chip in less than a tenth of a second . Mr Burkhart, 23, carried out a successful test of the ‘Neurobridge’ which doctors say could offer hope to stroke victims and those with muscular disorders. A team from Ohio State University and research firm Battelle opened up the US patient’s skull and inserted the 0.15-inch chip into his brain to ‘read’ his thoughts. The information is transmitted via cable to a computer which decodes it and adds commands that would normally come from the spinal column. The computer is connected to a sleeve of electrodes on his arm which stimulates the muscle fibres to move. Information: The computer is connected to a sleeve of electrodes on his arm which stimulates the muscle fibres to move . Recovery: Mr Burkhart broke his spine in 2010 after diving into the sea off the coast of North Carolina . Battelle’s Chad Bouton said: ‘It’s like a heart bypass, but we’re bypassing electrical signals instead of blood. We take signals from the brain, go around the injury and go directly to the muscles.’ 'It’s like a heart bypass, but we’re bypassing electrical signals instead of blood. We take signals from the brain, go around the injury and go directly to the muscles' Chad Bouton, researcher . In a test, Mr Burkhart was able to curl his hand into a fist, open it fully and grab a spoon. He told reporters that the thing he misses most is ‘just being independent’. He said: ‘You have to rely on other people so much. It would really be nice to just do something as simple as open up a water bottle myself.’ Mr Burkhart, from Dublin, Ohio, broke his spine in 2010 after diving into the sea off the coast of North Carolina and hitting a sandbar. The water was more shallow than he realised and the next thing he knew he could not feel his body. His friends pulled him out of the water and he was airlifted to hospital where he began his recovery. | Ian Burkhart, 23, has ushered in what doctors are calling a 'bionic age'
Team from Ohio State University and research firm put chip in his brain .
All the US patient had to do was think intensely about moving his hand .
Medical experts claim 'Neurobridge' could offer hope to stroke victims .
He broke his spine in 2010 diving into shallow water off North Carolina . |
14150ad9cbb46d53626fcf11aa07ffcf07c43019 | (CNN) -- Actress Dixie Carter, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker on the TV show "Designing Women," has died, her agent said Saturday. She was 70. She was 70. Carter died from complications arising from cancer, her publicist, Steve Rohr, said Sunday. Carter was drawn to roles portraying steely Southern women. One of her more recent roles included a guest appearance on the show "Desperate Housewives," for which she was nominated for an Emmy in 2007. "This has been a terrible blow to our family," her husband, the actor Hal Holbrook, told "Entertainment Tonight." "We would appreciate everyone understanding that this is a private family tragedy." Carter and Holbrook met while filming the CBS-TV movie, "The Killing of Randy Webster." Carter was born in 1939 in McLemoresville, Tennessee. In addition to her role as feisty Julia Sugarbaker, she's been on other television series including "Family Law" and "Diff'rent Strokes." She also had a long career on Broadway and appeared on stage in "Southern Comforts" with her husband in 2006. In addition to Holbrook, to whom she has been married since 1984, Carter is survived by two daughters, Mary Dixie and Ginna. According to Rohr, Carter suffered from endometrial cancer, which forms in the the tissue lining the uterus. | Actress Dixie Carter dead at 70, agent tells CNN .
Carter was best known for role as Julia Sugarbaker on "Designing Women"
Carter was married to fellow actor Hal Holbrook . |
1415d8ade0821ecd3f1aea497388cad3498e3c16 | By . John Stevens . Speaking out: Dr Charles Alessi said doctors treat patients as 'conditions rather than people' Many older patients’ lives are becoming a misery because they are being prescribed up to 18 tablets a day for different illnesses, a senior government health adviser has warned. Dr Charles Alessi said modern medicine treats patients as ‘conditions rather than people’ and urged doctors to stop practising ‘medicine by body part’ which leads to the over-prescribing of many drugs. But he also said that older patients needed to be more resilient and take control of their illnesses by leading more pro-active lives. Speaking at charity Age UK’s For Later . Life conference, Dr Alessi, who is lead adviser for preventable . dementia in Public Health England, said: ‘Lots of medicine is starting . to lose its way. It’s become far more reductionist – we practise . medicine by body part. ‘We . end up treating conditions on their own. 'So somebody with diabetes and . dementia, who has had a stroke, has a mixture of 12, 15 or 18 drugs to . take in a day and it is very difficult to do that.’ And he said many give up on the pills anyway because they are so fed up with it dominating their lives. He . said: ‘Most people who are put on medication for long-term conditions . are very rarely on the same medication a year later because they have . stopped taking them, because every normal person would if they’re on 18 . drugs a day, because there is very little time to do anything else.’ Almost . half of over-65s have three chronic health problems, such as high blood . pressure, diabetes, and arthritis, leading to many taking an array of . drugs every day and having to cope with the side-effects. Dr . Alessi, who is also chairman of the National Association of Primary . Care, said there was a need for a ‘personalisation of medicine’ in which . doctors would discuss a patient’s priorities with them. But . he also said that older patients must act too and take charge of their . illnesses by finding support from someone who ‘loves you’. High numbers: Dr Alessi said some elderly people are on 'a mixture of 12, 15 or 18 drugs a day' He said: ‘We need to give control back to people and we give control back to people by increasing their resilience. ‘The steps to do that are remarkably simple: be active, connect with people. 'Somebody loves you somewhere, you must belong somewhere, look around you, connect with people around you. ‘Try to learn something every day; try to help somebody else around you and be aware of your surroundings. That’s all you need to do. That activates you.’ Earlier this year Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for NHS patients to be ‘treated as people’. Since April, doctors’ practices have had to assign every patient aged 75 or over a named, accountable GP. | Health adviser say elderly are fed up with pills dominating their lives .
Dr Alessi said patients are treated as ‘conditions rather than people' |
1415ddb7870661a9dc4ca3d070517c85b49667fa | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:07 EST, 18 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:17 EST, 19 June 2013 . A former Boston mob hitman has revealed even more chilling details in his second day of testimony at the trail of his long-time boss, James 'Whitey' Bulger. John 'The Executioner' Martorano, who has admitted to killing 20 people, implicated Bulger in nine murders in less than two days on the witness stand. He is expected to tie the former organized crime kingpin to 11 killings from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Martorano, a 72-year-old who lives a quiet life on a golf course, calmly described brutal executions of associates, cold-blooded betrayals of friends and mistaken hits on victims who weren't mixed up in organized crime at all - just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Turning: John Martorano, who has admitted to killing 20 people, claimed he was 'heartbroken' when he learned that his former boss has been supplying information to the government . He admitted to gunning down six people who . he hadn't meant to kill - including a bartender Michael Milano who had . the misfortune of driving the same kind of car as one of Martorano's . targets. The Boston Globe reports Martorano . portrayed himself as a 'man of honor' and claimed Monday he 'wasn't a . hitman' because he never accepted money for the murders he committed. He . said he only killed people to help friends or family members. On . Tuesday, though, he admitted that he had been paid $50,000 to murder an . Oklahoma businessman in 1981. Facing justice: James 'Whitey' Bulger is accused of murder, extortion and running a criminal enterprise . The money was given to him by, John Callahan, who had been skimming profits off the businessman's Florida company. Martoano said he considered Callahan a good friend. But in 1982, Bulger an the other leaders of Bulger's Winter Hill gang decided that Callahan had to go, too. 'I felt lousy. But these were my partners,' Martorano testified. 'We were up to our necks in murders already. If it had to be done, it had to be done.' He subsequently went to Miami with an associate, Joe MacDonald, . and set up a meeting with the unsuspecting Callahan. When Callahan met . Martorano at a van he had rented, Martorano shot Callahan in the back of . the head with a handgun wrapped in a towel. Callahan's body was later found in the trunk of an abandoned car at Miami International Airport. Another slaying he described seemed to come right out of a scene from a Martin Scorsese film. Thomas King was a mobster with a rival gang that Bulger and his crew had been forced to work with. Bulger hated King, Martorano testified. 'Him and Tommy couldn’t get along, He wanted to get rid of Tommy,' he said. Bulger decided to kill the dangerous King, but knew he would be wary of being lured into a trap. So, he had Martorano and his allies contact King and tell him they needed his help murdering another mobster. Godfather: James 'Whitey' Bulger holds John Martorano's youngest son, John Jr., during his Christening ceremony in this undated handout photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts . Winter Hill Gang: A diagram showing the 'Winter Hill Gang' organization in the late 1970s was passed around jurors as John Martorano took the stand in the trial of accused mob boss Whitey Bulger . They gave king a bulletproof vest and then a gun. The gun had only blanks in it. King got into the front passenger seat of a car he believed would take him to the bar where his target was. Martorano got in the back seat behind him. 'I shot Tommy,' Martorano told the court. 'Where did I shoot him? In the head.' Martorano also said he witnessed Bulger kill mobster Edward Connors in 1975 because he had bragged about helping Bulger's gang murder a rival. Bulger and his partner Stephen 'The Rifle' Flemmi lured Connors into a phone booth in Dorchester. 'They walked to the phone booth and shot Eddie,' Martorano testified. Martorano, is a star witness in the Bulger trial. He has said he had a . detailed knowledge of many of the 19 murders Bulger is accused of . committing. He described shooting dead rival mob member Alfred 'Indian Al' Notorangeli from a car in 1974 while Bulger rode behind him another car that was ready to block out anyone to tried to get in the way of the hit. Before Martorano killed Notorangeli, he gunned down bartender Michael Milano, who had the misfortune of driving the same car as Notorangeli. Martorano called that murder 'a mistake,' because Milano wasn't the intended target. Deaths: The body of Roger Wheeler, the former owner of World Jai Alai, is shown in this undated handout photo. John Martorano said he killed Wheeler in 1981 under orders from Winter Hill Gang leaders Bulger and Stephen 'The Rifleman' Flemmi . Innocent bystander: This photo presented to jurors shows the bullet-riddled car of bartender Michael Milano. He was killed after being mistaken for a member of Bulger's rival gang . Gruesome: The Buick was riddled with bullets in a hit on Albert Plummer, who worked for a rival mob boss . A crime scene photo from the time reveals Milano's car riddled with bullet holes. Martorano also said he killed one of Notorangeli's henchmen, Albert Plummer, in a hail of bullets. He served just 12 years in prison after admitting to the killings under a plea deal. He now lives in a quiet suburb of Boston on a golf course. He testified that he collects Social Security. However, he was also paid $250,000 for the film rights to his story and has made $80,000 off a 2012 book about his life titled 'Hitman.' He has also been paid thousands by the U.S. government, including a check for $20,000 from the Drug Enforcement Agency gave him when he was released from prison. Martorano worked closely with Bulger and Flemmi from the 1960s until the 1990s. On the witness stand on Monday, he called the men 'my partners in crime, my best friends, my children’s godfathers,' according to the Boston Globe. 'After I found out they were informants, it sort of broke my heart,' Martorano said on the witness stand. 'They broke all trust that we had, all loyalty.' Martorano is, by his own admission, a brutal killer. He worked as the lead enforcer and hit man for Bulger's Winter Hill Gang, for whom he gunned down at least 20 people. FBI surveillance photograph shows a meeting between Bulger (right) and his business partner Stephen Flemmi . His victims include two businessmen . who Bulger allegedly ordered killed because they had discovered that . Bulger was skimming profits of a Connecticut company. Martorano . shot millionaire Roger Wheeler between the eyes in the parking lot of . his Tulsa, Oklahoma, country club in 1981. The following year Wheeler's . business partner, John Callahan, was found shot dead in the trunk of his . car at Miami International Airport. In . 1968, he tracked down a black man who had beaten up Flemmi and found . him in his car with a 19-year-old woman and a 17-year-old teen. He . killed all three with close-range gunshots. Bulger, 83, face 32 counts of a federal indictment alleging he committed murders, ordered others, extorted bookies, drug dealers and legitimate businessmen, laundered his profits and amassed an arsenal of weapons. During much of his criminal career he was protected by a corrupt FBI agent, who designated him as a high-level informant. When he was indicted in 1995, he skipped town and evaded police for 16 years. For much of the time, he lived a quiet life in Santa Monica, California. He has denied all charges. | John 'The Executioner' Martorano has admitted to 20 murders .
He worked for James 'Whitey' Bulger in for decades and is expected to reveal many details of Bulger's alleged crimes .
Martorano, 72, served just 12 years in prison after striking a deal with the federal government .
He currently lives on social security on a golf course outside Boston .
Martorano was paid $250,000 for the movie rights to his life story, $80,000 more for a book and thousands by the federal government . |
14160ef182d08523040eeec07aaaa417ebc38287 | Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- The Kenyan Supreme Court on Saturday upheld Uhuru Kenyatta's victory in the presidential election, dismissing a challenge by his chief rival and ending a drawn-out case that has riveted the nation. The nation's highest court declared the election "free and fair," ending weeks of uncertainty after the disputed March 4 poll. Kenyatta, the 51-year-old son of Kenya's founding leader, won the election with 50.07% of the vote. Raila Odinga, who got 43.31%, had challenged the outcome in court on the grounds that it was flawed and marred by technical problems. After the court issued its ruling, he said he accepted its judgment and would abide by it. "The court has now spoken," Odinga said, "I wish the president-elect and his team well." Odinga said his petition focused on valid failures in the election process. "My decision to file a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the validity of the election was a testament of my faith in the independence of our judiciary," he said. "I did so for the sake of our democracy and for the sake of all Kenyans." Kenyatta will be sworn in April 9, making him the nation's fourth and youngest president. Political dynasty . Kenyatta and Odinga are the sons of the nation's first president and vice president, respectively, bringing back memories of a political dynasty that dates to the 1960s. Their fathers started out as allies in the quest for Kenyan independence from Britain. But the elder politicians' relationship ended in bad blood when founding President Jomo Kenyatta forced out his vice president, Jaramogi Odinga, following a series of disputes. Some five decades later, it is the sons' turn in the spotlight. 'Accept the ruling' Last week, both leaders pledged to accept the court's decision, assuring citizens that the ruling would end the uncertainty in the nation. A peaceful response will go a long way toward restoring the nation's image as a bastion of stability in the region after disputed election results led to bloody chaos in 2007. In that election, more than 1,200 were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced after Odinga disputed the results, which showed incumbent President Mwai Kibaki as the winner. At the time, supporters of both candidates battled on the streets with crude weapons, not in court. The outgoing president urged citizens to honor the court ruling and shun violence. "As the country awaits the Supreme Court ruling, I call upon all of us to accept the ruling and maintain peace," Kibaki said Thursday. "Kenyans should resume their routine economic activities as soon as possible to return normalcy in the country." Beyond borders . The March 4 election was the first general poll since the disputed election. It was conducted under a reformed judicial system and a more inclusive electoral commission. The significance of Kenya's democratic process extends beyond the country's borders. Kenya is East Africa's biggest economy and a crucial trade route into the rest of the continent. It provides an important buffer of stability in a region that includes the fledgling Somali government and the politically tense Sudan and South Sudan. Kenya is also a major U.S. ally in the war against Islamist militants in the region and has remained relatively peaceful amid civil wars in neighboring nations. Complicated relations . The upholding of Kenyatta's victory raises the prospect of complicated diplomatic ties with the West. The International Criminal Court has indicted him for allegedly funding a local militia that conducted reprisal attacks in the last election in 2007. His running mate, William Ruto, also faces ICC charges at The Hague, in the Netherlands. Both have denied the charges and have said they will cooperate with the court to clear their names. Defiance of the West . Analysts say the ICC indictment may have rallied citizens to Kenyatta's side in defiance of the West. "Many Africans have lost faith in ICC and view it as targeting African leaders and failing to discharge its justice among non-African leaders," said Ayo Johnson, director of ViewPoint Africa. "Kenya sent a loud message to the ICC ... don't interfere. And it does not matter if you brand our leaders as criminals." But rights group say the courts are vital to providing justice in cases largely overlooked by governments. Kenyatta has said the indictment will not affect his ability to do his job, and has urged the international community to respect the will of Kenyans. The United States and Britain sent accolades to Kenyatta following the ruling. Before elections, officials from both nations had expressed concerns over ICC charges against the president-elect. British Prime Minister David Cameron wrote to Kenyatta to congratulate him, a Downing Street spokesman said Saturday. Cameron "urged the Kenyan people to be proud of the strong signal they have sent to the world about their determination to exercise their democratic right peacefully," the spokesman said. In a statement, the White House also congratulated Kenyatta and urged Kenyans "to peacefully accept the results" of the election. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also talked to Kenyatta and Odinga and pledged the United Nations' support for the country. CNN's Nima Elbagir reported from Nairobi. Faith Karimi wrote and reported in Atlanta, while Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London. Zarifmo Aslamshoyeva and Lillian Leposo contributed to this report. | Highly-anticipated ruling means Kenyatta will be sworn in April 9 .
Prime Minister Raila Odinga says he accepts the court decision .
Kenyan Supreme Court says presidential election was "free and fair"
The ruling ends a drawn-out case that has riveted the nation . |
14174ca71611a52be10f3acc49626794ae6d9ef3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 5:40 AM on 28th June 2011 . The son of a sheriff's deputy has today pleaded not guilty to the brutal killing of a 16-year-old girl, despite earlier admitting to police he carried out the crime. Robert Schwander, 17, of Traverse City, Michigan told police he did kill Carly Lewis but claimed her death had been an accident. Miss Lewis was stabbed 10 times, the fatal blow being a near five-inch deep slash to her neck, according to a forensic pathologist. Scroll down for video . Tragic: Carly Lewis, 16, was stabbed 10 times, the fatal blow being a near five-inch deep slash to her neck, according to a forensic pathologist . On June 14 Schwander led police to the shallow grave site where Miss Lewis' bloodied body had been buried in sand at a public works yard. That was after he confessed to killing the school girl following a lie detector test, police said. Miss Lewis disappeared on June 2. She had been due to meet up with Schwander at around 6pm that day. Police believe she was killed in a shack off the city's Beitner Street that same evening. Schwander then moved her body to the public works yard two days later, they added. Charged: Robert Schwander, 17, pleaded not guilty to the killing but earlier admitted the crime to police saying it had been an accident . June 15 would have been the popular blonde teen's 17th birthday. Instead, an autopsy was being carried out on her body. Miss Lewis' devastated mother Susie told the Record-Eagle that her family had known Schwander well and that he had been in the same class as her son, Mitchell. Earlier this year she even welcomed Schwander into the family home to stay for a couple of months after he left his own. 'I brought him into my home, and that’s why it hurts so much,' Miss Lewis told the paper. 'It’s hard to fathom that somebody you know could do that. This isn’t easy.' Scene: Police tape stretches around a vacant building off Beitner Street where police believe Miss Lewis was killed . A 'Justice for Carly Lewis' Facebook group, that has so far attracted 2,835 people, turned from one of calls to find the teen to one of tributes today. A friend of the girl put together a picture slideshow on YouTube while others took time to write heartfelt messages on the group's wall. Lissa Velveeta Hromada wrote: 'Carly you were amazing so bright and full of life your smile would and could just brighten up a room.' While Jaered Elwell wrote: 'Jail is meant specifically for these types of disgusting people, and honestly, he shouldn't be given the privilege to live.' As a sheriff's deputy Schwander's father Scott, is reportedly a pillar of the community and is currently on paid leave following his son's arrest. Schwander made his plea today via a video link from the Grand Traverse County Jail. His attorney Clarence Gomery said despite the teen calling Ms Lewis' death an accident, he recognises the 'seriousness and potential consequences' of it. 'You’re not talking about a hardened criminal here,' he said before Schwander's arraignment last week. 'You’re talking about confused kid who might have made a horrible mistake and is about to realise his whole life is going to be changed because of that horrible mistake.' Schwander was denied bail and is due back in court on June 27. Watch friend's moving tribute to Ms Lewis . Now watch news report on today's hearing . | Carly Lewis had been missing since June 2 .
Five-inch deep slash to neck was fatal blow .
Suspect Robert Schwander admitted killing teen but said it was an accident .
Schwander stayed with family for two months earlier this year .
He was Carly's brother's classmate . |
14178c325228ff25afcd325500a6f1f01313f5d8 | The rift between teachers and Michael Gove widened yesterday when a moderate teachers’ union passed a motion of no confidence in the Education Secretary for the first time in its history. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers voted overwhelmingly that Mr Gove and Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw showed an ‘abject failure to improve education or treat teachers, parents and pupils with respect’. More militant unions regularly show dissatisfaction with Government policies in similar debates. But the ATL’s support for the first such motion in its 129 years indicates a hardening of opinion among teachers and other school staff. Teachers from the ATL union passed a vote of no confidence in Education Secretary Michael Gove (left) and Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw . The two biggest unions – the National . Union of Teachers and the NASUWT – have already announced strike action . over pay, conditions and pensions. There is also anger at Mr Gove’s attempts to toughen exams and get rid of ‘trendy’ methods he believes have lowered standards. ATL member Jean Roberts said teachers . were overstretched and ‘bullying by the two Michaels’ was affecting head . teachers, ‘who seem to feel they have to hand that down to staff’. She . added: ‘We are saying enough is enough.’ Teacher Chrissie Jolinon, from Brent, . north-west London, said teachers were not consulted about changes. She . accused Sir Michael of ‘tinkering’ to ‘drive forward Government policy . for academies’. Earlier, general secretary Dr Mary . Bousted told the conference in Liverpool that Mr Gove was ‘shamefully . neglecting’ children, and his reforms would damage education, leaving . morale at ‘rock bottom’. She added: ‘In 2013, every aspect of the . curriculum you teach, the qualifications you prepare children to take, . is under attack and review.’ ‘Michael Gove and Sir Michael Wilshaw are like Blood Brothers, with a . pact to suck the life and hope out of our education system and the . teachers who work within it.’ The union’s survey of 996 members on Mr Gove’s performance found 91 per cent rated him a ‘fail’. Three-quarters criticised his . curriculum revisions, which focus on basic maths and English and a . chronological approach to history. ATL general secretary Mary Bousted said Michael Gove and Sir Michael Wilshaw pact to suck the life and hope out of our education system . Changes to GCSEs and A-levels, such as . ditching modules in favour of final exams, are also unpopular. Meanwhile, 60 per cent thought chief schools inspector Sir Michael . should be on ‘special measures’. The NUT and NASUWT last week announced strikes beginning on June 27 and culminating in a national strike before Christmas. They have said they will postpone them if Mr Gove attends constructive talks and delays introducing performance-related pay. Days later, 100 Left-wing academics . wrote to two national papers claiming pupils were doomed to ‘failure and . demoralisation’ under the proposed curriculum, which is out for . consultation until next month. An Ofsted spokesman said: ‘Sir Michael . has said from the outset any provision that is less than good is not . acceptable. That’s a tough message, especially for those schools and . colleges that have been coasting.’ A Department for Education spokesman . said: ‘We need to make sure we have an education system that is robust . and rigorous . This ambition is surely something the ATL should be . supporting.’ | Association of Teachers and Lecturers condemns Education Secretary and chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw .
Accuse pair of being like 'Blood Brothers' in attacking teachers' work . |
1419116815f94109ec064cbef8354f33c42e1a53 | By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 08:32 EST, 5 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:05 EST, 5 June 2013 . Whatever the outcome was going to be, they were sure to lose their son. So the Lammars decided to do what was for the greater good - they turned him over to police. Last year, Tricia Lammers found a receipt for an $865 shotgun in her mentally-ill son's pocket. Blaec Lammars was able to buy the shotgun from the same Missouri Walmart where he was picked up by police a year earlier holding a butcher knife and a Halloween mask. He later told his parents he had picked out an employee who he was going to follow into the back of the store and kill after watching Halloween, because the character Michael Myers 'got him to thinking'. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Arrested: Blaec Lammers, 20, is accused of planning to launch shooting sprees in Bolivar, Missouri . Parents: Whatever the outcome was going to be, the Lammars were sure to lose their son, so they decided to do what was for the greater good - they turned him over to police . His father Bill said: 'What he told us was he had picked out someone. He was going to watch them go into the back room, follow them back there, and hopefully the police would get him and shoot him first before he did anything.' Yet Blaec was able to buy the assault rifle despite being in and out of mental hospitals throughout his life - one time for threatening to put a pipe bomb under his teacher's car. On turning her own son in to the . police, Tricia said: 'My first thought was, "What have I done? I just . destroyed my son's life." And people would come up to me and say, "No, . you saved our lives". 'This is my hell. This is my hell. If I make it through this, I go to heaven.' When his parents checked him into mental institutions, he could only stay for four days at a time, which is the legal limit without a court order. The Lammars told CBS they didn't realize how serious his condition was despite spending $50,000 on medical bills. Troubled: Throughout his life Blaec Lammars was in and out of mental hospitals and was diagnosed with various different conditions including Asperger's and bipolar . Scared: Blaec's violent outbursts and manic behavior, forced the family to lock up their belongings. One time, he came up behind his sister, center, holding a knife . 'Mentally ill': The 20-year-old is said to have suffered from depression and been off his medication . His doctors would give him new meds and a new diagnosis each time - everything from Asperger's to bipolar to schizophrenia. Bill said: 'Maybe it's just teenage hormones. You try and figure out anything but a mental condition.' By the time he bought the shotgun, he had been committed seven times, but this did not show up in his background check because he had never been committed involuntarily by the courts. A day after discovering the receipt, Tricia contacted police, who arrested Blaec. Investigators later determined he had recently purchased two assault rifles and 400 rounds of ammunition. He allegedly admitted that he was planning to launch a murderous shooting spree in a movie theater during the opening weekend of the new Twilight film and had already bought a ticket to a screening of Breaking Dawn Part 2. He admitted to police that he was inspired by a number of well-publicized mass shootings, such as James Holmes' attack on a theater showing The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, last year. On turning her own son in to the police, Tricia said: 'My first thought was, "What have I done? I just destroyed my son's life." And people would come up to me and say, "No, you saved our lives" They spent $50,000 on medical bills to figure out what was wrong with him. Father Bill said: 'Maybe it's just teenage hormones. You try and figure out anything but a mental condition' Locked up: Lammars, now 21, is currently languishing in Polk County jail charged with making a terrorist threat, first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He faces life in prison . Lammers also said he planned to ‘just . start shooting people at random’ at the Walmart store less than a mile . away, so if he ran out of bullets, he could ‘just break the glass where . the ammunition is being stored and get some more and keep shooting until . police arrived,’ investigators wrote. Her son, now 21, is currently languishing in Polk County jail charged with making a terrorist threat, first-degree assault and . armed criminal action. He faces life in prison. After he was arrested he spoke to authorities about the day he planned to murder a Walmart employee. He said he watched the clerk for more than two hours and was planning to follow him into a storage room and kill him when he heard his name over the public address system and his father calling his name. No charges were filed in that case. Instead, Lammers, who was 17 at the time, was committed for 96 hours for . a mental health examination. 'Quiet': The suspect described himself as a 'loner' and admitted he had had 'homicidal thoughts' Death: Lammers had bought a ticket to the new Twilight film where he planned to launch his massacre . Inspiration: Lammers planned to imitate James Holmes, who killed 12 movie-goers in Aurora, Colorado . 'Thankfully we had a responsible family member or we might have had a different outcome,' Bolivar police chief Steve Hamilton said. He said Lammers is under a doctor's care for mental illness, and court documents said he was 'off of his medication'. Mr Hamilton said it appeared that Lammers obtained the firearms legally but that police were continuing to investigate 'to determine how in fact he was able to obtain a permit'. | Blaec Lammers followed a male clerk for more than two hours with a knife in his hand when he was 18 .
Hearing his name called over the PA system and seeing his father at the store made Lammers stand down .
Lammers said he was inspired by recent reports of mass shootings .
'Loner' arrested when his mother reported his strange behavior to police .
Charged with assault and terrorist plot after confessing to deadly plan .
Mother Tricia describes turning him over as her 'hell' |
141a5beeffb24aefa86bdcaac7158e37f65aac29 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 8:05 PM on 1st March 2012 . A woman has gone missing from a cruise ship after she disappeared while it sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. The 47-year-old, who has not been identified, was reported missing from the Celebration Cruise Line ship by her boyfriend when it docked at Port of Palm Beach in Florida yesterday. The ship left Grand Bahama Island at 8pm on Tuesday. The man had last seen his partner, from Canada, at 1am on Wednesday when he left her at a gift shop on board while he went to the casino before returning to their cabin. Disappearance: A 47-year-old Canadian woman, who has not been identified, went missing from a Celebration cruise ship as it sailed from Grand Bahama to Florida . When the man woke up and realized she had not returned, he notified the ship's crew at 8am. Federal and local authorities along with the U.S. Coast Guard were searching for the missing passenger over an area of 900 miles. Charles Kinnear, president of Celebration Cruise Line, told ABC: 'We've given [investigators] our complete track from when we left Grand . Bahama last night, every position that we took during the evening. 'We're still hoping for the best - that somehow she sneaked off the vessel or she is still hiding somewhere.' Back on dry land: The ship docked at Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, Florida yesterday morning . The woman was known to have boarded the ship in Grand Bahama as all passengers must use a swipe card when getting on and off the vessel. Two searches of the boat, which holds 2,000 people, have now taken place. It is scheduled to leave on its regular route to Grand Bahama at 6pm this evening. Celebration Cruise Line is the only company to run a two-night trip to the Bahamas. | Canadian last seen by boyfriend on board . |
141aa33615c4e79a4fd93016b915aca8f6a3a61a | A sacred tunnel discovered . in the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan is filled with 50,000 ritual objects and may lead to royal tombs. The entrance to the 1,800-year-old tunnel was first . discovered in 2003, and its contents came to light thanks to . excavations by remote-control robots and then human researchers, . archeologist Sergio Gomez told reporters. The site is located about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of . Mexico City. Two of the sculptures unearthed by investigators at the Teotihuacan archeological site in Mexico. Mexican archaeologists have concluded a yearslong exploration of a tunnel sealed nearly 2,000 years ago at the ancient city of Teotihuacan and found 50,000 relics. A sculpture unearthed at the Teotihuacan archeological site in Mexico. The city reached its peak between 100 B.C. and 650 B.C. witha population as large as 200,000, growing rich from awide-ranging trade in obsidian that in pre-Colombian times wasused to make knives and other weapons. Deep: This picture released by the National Institute of Anthropology and History shows part of the tunnel and offerings found inside the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Serpiente Emplumada) at the Teotihuacan complex in Mexico City . The ruins have long been shrouded in mystery . because its inhabitants did not leave behind written records. The artifacts found inside the tunnel, located below the . Temple of the Plumed Serpent, include finely carved stone . sculptures, jewelry and shells. An estimated 50,000 objects, 4,000 made of wood as well as . scores of obsidian blades and arrow heads, provide clues into . how the city's priests and rulers conceived the underworld. 'Due to the magnitude of the offerings that we've found, it . can't be in any other place,' said Gomez, who works for Mexico's . national anthropology and history institute, referring to the . possibility of finding royal tombs. The artifacts found inside the tunnel, located below the Temple of the Plumed Serpent, include finely carved stonesculptures, jewelry and shells. A stone sculpture (left) and a jar representing the god Tlaloc (God of the Rain), found at the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Serpiente Emplumada) at the Teotihuacan complex in Mexico City. The items were discovered 103 metres from the entrance of the temple. 'We've been able to confirm all of the hypotheses we've made . from the beginning,' he added, saying ongoing excavations could . yield more major discoveries next year. One of Mexico's most-visited ancient sites, Teotihuacan is . home to massive pyramids, temples and elite residences including . many adorned with colorful murals. A zoomorphic vessel found at the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Serpiente Emplumada) at the Teotihuacan complex in Mexico City . Shells unearthed by investigators at the Teotihuacan archeological site in Mexico. The city reached its peak between 100 B.C. and 650 B.C. with . a population as large as 200,000, growing rich from a . wide-ranging trade in obsidian that in pre-Colombian times was . used to make knives and other weapons. The city had long been abandoned by the time the Aztecs came . to power in the Valley of Mexico in the 14th century, yet it . continued to play an important role as a destination for . religious pilgrimages. In Nahuatl, the Aztec language still spoken in many parts of . Mexico, Teotihuacan means 'abode of the gods.' One of Mexico's most-visited ancient sites, Teotihuacan is . home to massive pyramids, temples and elite residences including . many adorned with colorful murals. Famous: The social structure of Teotihuacan remains a mystery after nearly 100 years of archaeological exploration at the site . Mysterious: The ruins of Teotihuacan have long been shrouded in mystery because its inhabitants did not leave behind written records . The city reached its peak between 100 B.C. and 650 B.C. with . a population as large as 200,000, growing rich from a . wide-ranging trade in obsidian that in pre-Colombian times was . used to make knives and other weapons. The temple is best known for the towering Pyramids of the Moon and the Sun. The complex of pyramids, plazas, temples and avenues was once the center of a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants and may have been the largest and most influential city in pre-Hispanic North America at the time. But nearly 2,500 years after the city was founded - and about 2,100 years after the Teotihuacan culture began to flourish there - very little is known about the identity of its rulers. The Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Serpiente Emplumada) in the Teotihuacan complex in Mexico City . National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) archaeologists work at a tunnel that may lead to a royal tombs discovered at the ancient city of Teotihuacan . Sculptures unearthed at the Teotihuacan archeological site in Mexico. Mexican archaeologists have concluded a years long exploration of a tunnel sealed nearly 2,000 years ago. No depiction of a ruler, or the tomb of a monarch, has ever been found, setting the metropolis apart from other pre-Hispanic cultures that deified their rulers. Vertical excavations begun in 2009 to reach the mouth of the tunnel suggest it was a ruler's tomb, archaeologist Sergio Gomez said in 2010. Rich offerings were tossed into the tunnel at the moment it was closed up, including almost 50,000 objects of jade, stone, shell and pottery, including ceramic beakers of a kind never found before at the site. The city was abandoned by the time the Aztecs arrived in the area in the 1300s and gave it the name 'Teotihuacan,' which means 'the place where men become gods.' 'I think the tunnel was the central element, the main element around which the rest of the ceremonial center was built,' Gomez said. Explorer: This robot may have made a momentous discovery in a 2,000-year-old tunnel in Mexico . The remote control vehicle is equipped with a video cameras and a mechanical arm to clear obstacles out of its way as it maneuvers through the tight passageway . 'This was the most sacred place.' 'There is a high possibility that in this place, in the central chamber, we can find the remains of those who ruled Teotihuacan,' he added. | Sacred tunnel was discovered in the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan .
Entrance to the 1,800-year-old tunnel was first discovered in 2003 .
Artifacts include finely carved stone sculptures, jewelry and shells . |
141af2d8db7aa325c7b453ddcbb6e262cda15522 | The average parent will spend £51,000 on their child before their 18th birthday but one mother has decided to spend almost half of that elsewhere. Kerrie Williams,33, has spent over £20,000 on just seven lifelike dolls, while refusing to spend anything but the necessary on her two daughters. Kerrie a mother-of-two from Darlington, Country Durham has spent thousands on clothes, toys and accessories including a £1,000 pram for her collection of 'reborn' dolls. Kerrie Williams has spend £20,000 on her collection of re-born babies . The hyper-realistic toys are made from vinyl and designed to resemble human babies. And they don't come cheap with each doll costing between £150 and £400. Kerrie now owns seven of the dolls, who each have an enviable collection of accessories, and her expensive habit has left her with little spare cash for her two real daughters Karina, 13 and Jade, 12. Kerrie admits that she has to scrimp on what she buys for her daughters in order to spoil her fake babies and that Karina and Jade are becoming increasingly jealous of the attention their mother lavishes on her toys. Kerrie's two daughters Jade (left) and Karina (right) have had to go without new clothes in order to fund their mum's habit . 'My daughters are always asking me for new clothes. I tell them it's a waste of money because they will grow out of them' says Kerrie. The part-time carer's collection of doll's clothes and accessories includes designer labels such as Ralph Lauren and converse. 'Karina wanted a pair of Vans trainers and was furious when I told her I couldn't afford them. 'She gets jealous because I bought the reborns the same pair - but they can wear them forever.' Kerrie began collecting reborn dolls to cope with a miscarriage she suffered in January 2012. She says that her fake babies helped to comfort her when no one else would. 'I was 12 weeks pregnant when I miscarried and I hit rock bottom afterwards. I just desperately wanted another child. As well as the dolls Kerrie has spent thousands of pounds on accessories including clothes, shoes and prams . Kerrie's clothing collection includes designer labels such as Ralph Lauren, Converse and Doctor Martins . 'My daughters were too old for my hugs and attention. They preferred to go out with their friends instead. 'I love my daughters so much, but babies are completely dependent on their mums, and all I wanted was another little one to hold.' The doting mum saw a picture of a reborn on Facebook and instantly fell in love with the child's angelic plastic features and mistook it for an actual baby. 'He had perfect blonde hair and looked so peaceful. All I wanted was to scoop him up in my arms. I was so shocked when I discovered the baby, named Owen, was a reborn. 'He looked so realistic, so I called the manufacturer straight away to place an order.' The first fake addition to Kerrie's family arrived in May 2012, but her daughters and now ex-partner Paul, 35, were unimpressed. Kerrie says that their mother's new interest left the family a little confused. 'I hoped the baby could replace the child we had lost - but instead my family said Owen was weird.' Undeterred, she handpicked another six dolls over the course of the next year - splashing out on Serenity, Wynter, twins Corey and Cody, and vampire babies Lillith and Lilliana. The mum also sold her first reborn, Owen, after deciding he no longer looked realistic when compared to her other dolls. Last December she added a reborn named Till, who was designed to look like the child she lost. Kerrie began collecting the dolls after a miscarriage left her at rock bottom . Kerrie mistook her first doll Owen (pictured) for a real child when she saw a photo on Facebook . Kerrie now has seven of the re-born dolls . Following her purchase of Owen Kerrie picked out a further six dolls over that year including the twins (left), Corey (right) Cody . Kerrie has baby Till designed to look like the child she lost . Kerrie has also purchased two 'vampire babies' complete with fangs Lillian (left) and Lillith (right) 'I provided the designer with my features and Paul's too' says Kerrie who adds that rather than solving her marital issues Till drove her and her partner further apart. 'I hoped Till would bring us closer together, but instead Paul became very uncomfortable with the dolls and banned them from sleeping in our bedroom. 'We split up soon after Till arrived.' Single Kerrie often takes her babies out in one of their four pushchairs, visiting the local park, or ASDA superstore to try on baby clothes. Despite the babies being entirely fake Kerrie says that the public like to interact with them. 'I love getting the babies dressed up and taking them shopping around town with me. 'Most of the time people are lovely to them - they like to ask me how they're getting on.' Occasionally Kerrie is met with harsh criticism from people who find her obsession odd. 'Usually people believe they're real babies unless I tell them otherwise but sometimes I hear strangers laughing at me. 'They taunt the babies and say they look like dead children, but I think my babies are beautiful.' One set of Kerrie's dolls have even began to frighten her daughters as they take the form of a Halloween character . 'I have two vampire babies, named Lillith and Lilliana. The moment I saw them I knew they had to live with me. Kerrie often takes her dolls to the supermarket in their prams and says that many people mistake them for real babies . Kerrie had a doll designed to look just like her eldest daughter Karina (right) but Karina says she thinks it looks scary . Serenity has been designed to look as though she is laughing . 'My daughters find them scary but they're as special to me as real children.' With four moses baskets, four prams and more than 50 pairs of shoes, Kerrie's daughters have had to get used to sharing their home. 'I know the girls are jealous because I've spent twice as much on the babies.' But the reborn addict's plan to help her daughter Karina fall in love with her plastic brothers and sisters failed. Kerrie purchased a new baby, named Saffron, in July designed to look exactly like her eldest daughter, which she hoped would bring the family closer, however Karina was unimpressed. 'I designed a special doll to look just like Karina did as a baby and I hoped she'd bring us closer together as a family. 'But Karina doesn't like her and thinks she's ugly.' However this has not deterred Kerrie who is now in the process of designing her latest doll to look like her younger daughter Jade. Kerrie says that although she spends more on her fake babies they will never be more loved than her actual daughters, however this is not going to stop her spoiling them. 'Reborn babies can never replace how special my real children are, but I still love my dolls - no matter what anyone thinks. 'They're always worth spoiling - babies this perfect are worth every penny.' Although the dolls already take up all the spare room in her house, Kerrie has plans to expand her plastic brood and in December, doll Megan will join the clan. It was her interest in dolls that eventually led to the break down of her marriage with her husband leaving shortly after she bought home Ti . Although Kerrie says that her dolls will never make up for what she lost they have provided her with some comfort when no one else could . | Kerrie Williams has spent thousands of pounds on lifelike 'reborn' dolls .
The mother-of-two began started her collection following a miscarriage .
Her addiction to the dolls led to the break-down of her marriage . |
141b2606824411921bed78acb99d77cf11d33014 | By . Julian Robinson . A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of 53-year-old grandmother Jean Campbell, pictured . A man has been arrested in connection with the death of a grandmother - almost seven months after her body was found in a park. Jean Campbell, 53, was last seen heading towards Cranhill Park while walking her dog within sight of her home in the east end of Glasgow on Friday December 13. Her body was discovered the next morning by her husband who, on returning from his night shift, realised she was not home and went to look for her. The family's German Shepherd Kai was found in the park. Police said the 53-year-old had suffered a particularly violent attack and a reconstruction of the case featured on the BBC's Crimewatch programme. A 21-year-old man has now been arrested in connection with her death, police said today. A second man, aged 22, has also been arrested in connection with allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the investigation. A Police Scotland spokesman said: 'Following a police operation in Glasgow, Friday July 11, a 21-year-old man has been detained and subsequently arrested in connection with her death. 'He is presently detained in police custody. 'A second man, aged 22 years, also from Glasgow, was detained and has been arrested in connection with allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to this investigation. 'He too is presently detained in police custody.' A report is to be sent to the procurator fiscal. More than 1,500 DNA samples have been taken during the investigation into Mrs Campbell's death. In the days following her death police released CCTV images showing the final minutes of her life. CCTV images show the final minutes of a 53-year-old mother's life before she was brutally murdered while walking her dog. Jean Campbell was last seen walking towards Cranhill Park, pictured, in Glasgow on December 13 last year . The footage was captured at 2230 hours on Friday 13 December as she was walking along Bellrock Street in the direction of Cranhill Park with her German shepherd Kai. Mrs Campbell was wearing pyjama bottoms and a black, three-quarter-length jacket with a hood. Crimestoppers offered a reward of up to £5,000. During an appeal last month Detective Chief Inspector Colin Carey, the officer in charge of the investigation for Police Scotland, said: 'Jean's family are devastated by the loss of their wife, mother and grandmother and they deserve answers.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Jean Campbell last seen walking her dog towards Cranhill Park in Glasgow .
Her 53-year-old's body was found the next morning in December last year .
At the time, police said she had suffered a 'particularly violent attack'
A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with her death .
Another man, 22, arrested in connection with allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice . |
141c28ddbb2e82a4e33fa565a10c29168687a42e | A rabbi at one of Washington D.C.'s most prominent synagogues has announced that he is gay and divorcing his wife of 20 years. Rabbi Gil Steinlauf, who has three teenage children with wife Batya, herself a rabbi, sent the email to members of Adas Israel Congregation on Monday. He said that Batya has long known about the feelings he has battled since he was young. 'I am writing to share with you that after twenty years of marriage, my wife Batya and I have decided to divorce,' he announced in the email, shared by the Washington Post. 'We have arrived at this heartbreaking decision because I have come to understand that I am gay.' Revelation: Rabbi Gil Steinlauf, left, has announced that he is gay and is divorcing his wife, Batya, right . Steinlauf, 45, explained that he has realized that he can continue 'with the greatest strength, with the greatest peace in my heart' by finally acknowledging his sexuality. 'Sadly, for us this means that Batya and I can no longer remain married, despite our fidelity throughout our marriage and our abiding friendship and love,' he wrote. He said that he had hoped to marry a woman when he was younger because he believed it was the right thing for him, and that he fell madly in love with Batya after they met at rabbinical school. 'We have shared a love so deep and real, and together we have built a loving home with our children--founded principally on the values and joys of Jewish life and tradition,' he wrote. Side-by-side: The couple, who are both rabbis, have been together for 20 years and have three children . Support: In an email to the congregation, Steinlauf praised his wife for her support through his struggle . 'But my inner struggle never did go away. Indeed, Batya herself has supported me through this very personal inner struggle that she knew to be the source of great pain and confusion in my life over decades.' He added to the Washington Post that he and his wife had worked for the past three years to try to figure out how they could stay together. 'What we've had for 20 years is very real, and the last thing I'd want is for us to live a lie,' he said. He said that they would continue to live together for now. His email to 1,420 households was accompanied with a letter of support from the congregation’s president, Arnie Podgorsky, JTA reported. Leader: Steinlauf, pictured right with the Dalai Lama, has been praised with bringing traditional and progressive Jews together. In 2012, he officiated his synagogue's first same-sex marriage . Prominent: He emailed 1,400 households in the Adas Israel Congregation, in Northwest Washington . 'Together with the other officers of Adas Israel, I stand with Rabbi Steinlauf,' it read. 'Our synagogue is strong, large, and inclusive–a big tent with room and respect for all. 'We understand that Rabbi Steinlauf will be undergoing a challenging personal transition in the coming months, and we extend to him patience and a generous spirit.' The letter added that Rabbi Steinlauf had shared his news with the officers of Adas Israel earlier this fall and they decided how he would share it with the congregation. Steinlauf joined Adas six years ago and has since worked to bring more traditional and progressive Jews together. In 2012, he officiated at the first same-sex wedding at Adas Israel. | Gil Steinlauf, 45, sent a letter to his Washington congregation on Monday .
He explained that he had long fought his sexuality but realized he would be a better leader if he was honest with himself and others .
He said that his wife, Batya, herself a rabbi, has known he is gay and has supported him .
The congregation president issued a letter of support with the email . |
141c4098e3da16a853c0554afbbce90415f995a1 | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 07:00 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:01 EST, 28 January 2014 . 2013 may well have been the year of Cara Delevingne, but 2014 looks set to be her best friend Suki Waterhouse's time to shine. The 22-year-old model - and gorgeous girlfriend of Bradley Cooper - has been unveiled as the new face of Burberry's fragrance, Brit Rhythm for women. The British model and actress is the ultimate rock chick in studded leathers and heavy eyeliner as she stars alongside British musician George Barnett of These New Puritans in the sultry black and white shoot. New face: Suki Waterhouse has been unveiled as the star of Burberry's new fragrance, Brit Rhythm for women . The new fragrance aims to combine powerful femininity with a rock and roll edge, bringing together classic and unexpected notes in a new powdery floral fragrance. Music is at the heart of Burberry activity globally, from shows, events and soundtracks to the brand's music platform devoted to emerging talent, Burberry Acoustic - they brand were famous for helping Jake Bugg and Tom Odell hit the mainstream - and the fragrance aims to reflect that. Rock n kohl: Suki plays the ultimate rock chick in the new campaign, complete with messy hair, lashings of eyeliner and a classic biker jacket . Behind the scenes with Suki: Burberry say it's fragrance aims to combine powerful femininity with a rock and roll edge . 'The Brit Rhythm fragrances build on the anticipation, energy and adrenaline of live music performances and connect physical and digital audiences globally,' said a spokesperson for the brand. A capsule of Brit ready-to-wear and accessories, centered around the iconic leather jacket worn by Suki in the campaign, celebrates the fragrance launch. Suki is no stranger to high-end fashion campaigns and began her modelling career after being discovered in a pub in London at the tender age of 16. Getting in the role: Suki, who was scouted in a pub when she was 16, has been a friend of the brand for years and regularly occupies the front row at their shows . Touch up: Burberry has also released a signature make-up look in collaboration with the launch, which Suki masters . Her first major campaign was for M&S lingerie aged 19 and she has since modelled for the likes of alice + olivia, H&M, Pepe Jeans and Coast. As well as a successful career, Suki is also having some luck in her love life. She has been dating Hollywood heartthrob Bradley Cooper for a year now - and it seems they are closer than ever. After . snuggling at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and strolling . hand-in-hand around Sundance this month, the pair piled on the PDA once . again last week. The couple were seen sharing a kiss after watching the Justin Timberlake concert in Inglewood, California. It's love: She has been dating Hollywood heartthrob Bradley Cooper for a year now . Front row: Suki was squished between George Barnett and James Righton, who is married to Keira Knightley, at Burberry's AW14 show at Men's Fashion Week . | Model, 22, new face of Brit Rhythm .
Best friend Cara last year modelled for Burberry Body fragrance .
Suki dons leathers and heavy eyeliner in sultry campaign .
Been dating Bradley Cooper for a year and they seem closer than ever . |
141cf90a96ba516dad09628368a8853385a33ee5 | A couple who had been married for 60 years died within 72 hours of each other after the husband was mugged by two drug addicts as he sat on his mobility scooter. Kenneth Duxbury, an Army veteran, was attacked and robbed while on his way to pay a bill last August. The following day, after hearing of Mr Duxbury's ordeal, his wife Iris, 79, suffered a stroke and later died in hospital. The day after his beloved wife's death, the great-grandfather, 82, fell ill. He died 48 hours later. Devoted: Kenneth and Iris Duxbury, pictured on holiday in the 1990s, had been married for 60 years. They died just 48 hours apart from each other last September - days after army veteran Mr Duxbury was mugged . Lifelong love: Mr and Mrs Duxbury, pictured on their wedding day. Mrs Duxbury suffered a stroke just hours after hearing of her husband's ordeal and later died in hospital. Mr Duxbury died 48 hours later . Career criminals Stephen McLeish, 33, and John Carroll, 36, both of Blackburn, Lancashire, were jailed for three years for the attack at Preston Crown Court yesterday. They were branded the 'scum of the earth' by Mr and Mrs Duxbury's family. Preston Crown Court was told Mr Duxbury had been diagnosed with cancer and was confined to a wheelchair but was able to live an 'independent' life with his wife in an assisted living property. Mr Duxbury was cornered on August 29 last year, just moments after kissing his wife goodbye. He was targeted by McLeish and Carrol after they spotted him while picking up methadone from a chemist. They approached him as he passed under a railway bridge on his 5mph mobility scooter. Prosecutor Miss Emma Keogh said: 'Although it was the middle of the morning, the railway bridge was much darker than the main street and there is no CCTV. Jailed: Career criminals Stephen McLeish, 33, (right) and John Carroll, 36, (left) both of Blackburn, Lancashire, were jailed for three years at Preston Crown Court yesterday for mugging Mr Duxbury . Secluded: Mr Duxbury was targeted by McLeish and Carrol after they spotted him while picking up methadone. They approached him as he passed under a railway bridge, pictured, on his mobility scooter . 'Mr Duxbury became aware of a man stood in front of him, blocking his path. He stopped Mr Duxbury and said, "have you got the time?". 'Mr Duxbury said, "no sorry I don't have the time". He tried to get past the man and tried to put the scooter between the man and the lamppost. 'But the man said, "where's your money?" and his arm was grabbed and pulled up by the side of him. He was aware there were two men and they were searching his pockets. He said: "You are not getting it" as realised they were after his wallet. Not content with taking his wallet, they also went in his pocket trying to look for change. One said, 'come on let's go' and they ran off.' Mr Duxbury made his way home to his wife and called the police with a description of his attackers. But the following morning Iris, a former cotton mill worker, was taken to hospital after suffering a stroke. She died on 12 September. Mr Duxbury gave a statement to police in which he said: '£250 is a lot of money to somebody like me. This is a cowardly and despicable crime to rob a pensioner in a mobility scooter.' On September 13 he was rushed into hospital when a viral infection which had collected around his tumour worsened and he died two days later. Police tracked down the two men after Mr Duxbury identified them from CCTV images taken at the chemist in the run up to his death. Miss Keogh added: 'Whilst in the chemist taking methadone, they come out and become aware of Mr Duxbury in his wheelchair. Tragic: Mr Duxbury, pictured with Mrs Duxbury, was cornered on August 29 last year, just moments after kissing his wife goodbye. He was targeted by two drug addicts as they saw him on his mobility scooter . 'At that point there must have been a discussion about what they were going to do. There must be an element of pre-planning. 'He was clearly vulnerable by his disability. This offence is tragic in that the day after the offence Mr Duxbury's wife had a stroke and was taken into hospital and died. 'But even more tragic is that days after the offence Mr Duxbury died too.' Carroll had a number of theft and drug offences and a robbery conviction in 1999 for which he spent 18 months behind bars whilst McLeish had a record for dishonesty matters, burglary and shoplifting as well as GBH in 2002 for which he went to jail for four years. In mitigation for Carroll, defence counsel Anthony Parkinson said: 'He makes comment to the fact that this incident will not leave him on being released from prison. Brave: Mr Duxbury, pictured, was stopped by the muggers while he was on his way to pay a bill . 'It is something he will have to live with for the remainder of his life. He also describes how it not only affects him but his immediate family. 'Everyone knows about the offence. He has suffered from a long standing drug addiction. He has misused heroin and diazepam.' Mr Adrian Williams, for McLeish, said: 'They were in a cycle at the time. A downward spiral and my submission is that they took the opportunity that presented to them and in Mr McLeish's own words, 'a desperate, disgusting, impulsive act'. Passing sentence the judge Mr Recorder Terence Rigby said: 'You are two very wretched men who lived a very wretched life with drink and drugs. 'There is no point me lecturing you and I can't do better than the description of Mr Duxbury of the crime, it was cowardly and despicable. 'You did not know he was dying from cancer but you did know he was disabled, only getting around in a disability scooter, no one to help him, no one to protect him and you robbed him. 'The normal guidance is up to three years but it's clear to me that this is not long enough.' After the case Mr and Mrs Duxbury's son Stephen Duxbury, 57, a security officer said: 'These two are nothing but the scum of earth and I feel angry towards them. 'I hope they are remorseful and they don't do it again but that's about as much as I can hope for. You hope it will make them think twice about doing it again but it probably won't. 'Losing one parent is bad enough but two in the space of three days is heartbreaking. There is no way of knowing if what these lads did had an effect on them - but it can't have helped. 'Dad was effectively dying anyway but that does not lessen the disgusting way these two men treated him. 'He had got the scooter so he could keep up his independence and had bought this chair so it could help him stand up. All he was doing was paying a bill and it happened literally around the corner from home. 'Dad was used to taking care of himself but must have felt very intimidated. He said if it wasn't for his muscle wastage he would have clocked them. 'No one should suffer something like that, whether an old age pensioner or not. Mum and Dad were very close and they did everything together. 'It must have knocked mum for six when she heard about the mugging and I think when she passed away a little part of my dad gave up. ' | Kenneth Duxbury, 82, was mugged on his way to pay bill last August .
Addicts Stephen McLeish and John Carroll stole £250 from army veteran .
Day after Mr Duxbury told wife Iris, 79, of ordeal she suffered stroke .
Great-grandmother was taken to hospital where she died on 12 September .
Mr Duxbury fell ill the following day and died just 48 hours later .
Career criminals McLeish and Carroll were jailed for three years yesterday . |
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