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1736af8709a89d8cc8992693949b4b98d2f46763 | By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 13:33 EST, 8 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:43 EST, 8 June 2013 . A fire has broken out a new £125million entertainment venue in Glasgow. It is thought the blaze started in the roof space of The Hydro, which is still under construction and due to open in September. Around 40 firefighters attended the scene after the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service started receiving calls from the public around 3.20pm about thick plumes of black smoke billowing from the site. Blaze: Firefighters tackle flames in the roof of the still-unfinished Hydro arena in Glasgow . 999 calls: Members of the public alerted the fire service after seeing black smoke billowing from the roof . Firefighters used two high reach platforms to spray two separate areas which were alight. A fire service spokesman said: . 'Firefighters were met with a developing fire within the roof space of . the building which is currently under construction and, in recognising . the complexity of the structure in relation to where the fire was . located, the incident commander immediately requested additional special . high reach appliances to attack the fire.' There are no reported casualties and the fire service has yet to establish a cause for the fire. It was recently announced that Rod Stewart will play the opening concert at the 12,000-seat venue on September 30. Operators want it to become part of the top five busiest indoor music arenas in the world alongside the likes of London's O2. Located next to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) on the banks of the Clyde, The Hydro is also scheduled to host some Commonwealth Games events next year. Unfinished: An artist's impression of how The Hydro will look when it is completed in September this year . | Flames broke out in the roof space of The Hydro building this afternoon .
Around 40 firefighters attended and are investigating what caused the blaze .
The arena is still under construction and was due to open in September . |
1736ba231daa85bc39ce9ff3b1963fdbb018e828 | By . Michael Blackley . PUBLISHED: . 20:32 EST, 30 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:32 EST, 30 November 2013 . One of the first to help the rescue . attempt at The Clutha was senior Labour MP Jim Murphy, who joined the . ‘human chain’ plucking people from the wreckage and carrying them to . safety. The . Shadow spokesman for International Development had been in a nearby pub . when he was told that a helicopter appeared to be in trouble, and . rushed to help. He . said: ‘When I arrived dust seemed to be coming up from nowhere – out . the roof, out the door, out the ground almost. But there was no panic . and it was very quiet. Brave: Labour MP Jim Murphy was at a nearby pub when he heard the helicopter was coming down . ‘The . emergency services had not yet got there and there was just an . instinctive response of everyone who was here to just get stuck in.’ Mr . Murphy, whose shirt showed signs of blood, said: ‘I only did a little . bit – other people were doing things a lot braver than me. ‘There was debris everywhere. We were just trying to get people out.’ Chaos: He said dust was billowing from the pub when he arrived and debris was strewn everywhere . | Jim Murphy was nearby when he was told the helicopter was in trouble .
Described dust coming from all angles when he approached the pub .
Claimed other people 'were doing things a lot braver than me'
His shirt showed signs of blood from the injured when he was interviewed . |
1736c4ffcfae3039f01f36d342272d7647072042 | (CNN) -- Leading jockey Frankie Dettori may have spent most of his life on a diet, but when it comes to his favorite pastimes food is right up there with racing. Around five years ago Dettori met Michelin-starred chef Marco Pierre White and asked him where he could go out with his young family to eat. "I couldn't answer the question," Marco Pierre White told CNN, "and that's how Frankie's was born. That simple." They opened their first restaurant in London in 2004. Now there are four in London, one in Shanghai and one in Dubai. This March, a cookbook followed: "Frankie Dettori's Italian Family Cookbook." This is his favorite recipe. Enjoy! Frankie: "My father loved this particular dish as, although it's vegetarian, it has the meaty and slightly smoky texture of a good steak. To this day it makes me think of childhood Sunday lunches." Parmigiana di Melanzane / Aubergine Parmigiana . INGREDIENTS . 1 kg aubergines . extra virgin olive oil . Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper . 2 garlic cloves, chopped . 3 x 400g cans of good quality tinned tomatoes, sieved and chopped . a small handful of fresh basil leaves . a large handful of finely grated Parmesan . 1½ kg fresh Mozzarella, cubed . Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4. Cut the aubergines in ½cm strips, lengthwise. Sprinkle each slice with salt and layer on a plate. Cover with a plate of the same size and add a heavy weight on top (such as a large bottle of water) so that water can be squeezed out of the aubergines. Set aside for 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic and fry until slightly golden. Add the tomatoes and basil, and cook over a medium heat for 25 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season to taste. Remove the weight from the aubergine, thoroughly rinse the slices and pat dry. Generously cover the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil and place over a high heat. In batches, brown the aubergine slices on both sides, lowering the heat and adding oil as required. Drain the slices on kitchen roll as you go along. Cover the bottom of a 23cm x 30cm ovenproof dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce; add a layer of aubergine slices, then top with a handful of the cheeses. Ladle some tomato sauce over this and continue layering, finishing with one of tomato sauce and a sprinkling of cheeses. Bake for 15-20 minutes to heat through and melt the Mozzarella, then set aside for a few minutes to cool. Cut into squares and serve warm. Serves 8 . Preparation time: 3 hours . Cooking time: 50 minutes . Courtesy: Harpercollins Publishers E-mail to a friend . | Frankie Dettori's favorite recipe from his new cookbook: Aubergine Parmigiana .
Leading jockey spends many months dieting but when "off-duty" loves food .
Opened first of "Frankie's" restaurants in 2004, now chain of six worldwide .
Released Italian family cookbook with chef Marco Pierre White in March, 2008 . |
17373e98c9009ef01e97c721e674d866402edd02 | It sounds like a dessert, is as small as a credit card, and could inspire the next Mark Zuckerberg. The creators of the £22 Raspberry Pi computer, which launched yesterday, hope it will encourage children to design their own apps. But the first task for the next generation of Zuckerbergs and Bill Gateses could be to build a new website for the product, after the current page crashed under the weight of demand. The tiny £22 Raspberry Pi computer includes a wi-fi connection to access the internet, can connect to other gadgets such as cameras, and is even capable of running basic 3D games . Technology teach in.jpg . The gadget looks rather odd next to . sleek modern offerings such as the iPad, and appears to have more in . common with the crystal radio sets of the 1950s. Pugh.jpg . However, the machine is a . fully-fledged computer and can be connected to a monitor, keyboard and . mouse, as well as speakers and printers. Robert Mullins, co-founder of the . Cambridge-based Raspberry Pi Foundation, said: ‘The primary goal was to . build a low-cost computer that every child could own, and one where . programming was the natural thing to do with it.’ The launch follows criticism of technology teaching in the UK. Typically, this has focused on how to use a computer, rather than how to create hardware or software. Last August the chairman of Google, . Eric Schmidt, said the lack of proper computer science lessons in . schools was hindering Britain’s chances of success in the ‘digital media . economy’. His call for the UK to reignite . children’s passion for science, engineering and maths was seized upon by . Education Secretary Michael Gove, who wants computer teaching to place . greater emphasis on skills such as programming. In a recent speech, Mr . Gove said ‘initiatives like the Raspberry Pi scheme will give children . the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of programming’. He added that the gadget was ‘a great example of the cutting edge of education technology happening right here in the UK’. Another of the Pi’s creators, Eben . Upton, said academics and technology experts decided to pursue the . project after seeing the number of computer science students fall. ‘It has been six years in the making,’ he said. ‘The number of things that had to go right for this to happen . is enormous. I couldn’t be more pleased.’ In the long term, Dr Upton hopes the device will help create an additional 1,000 computer engineers in the UK each year. The foundation had intended to build . the device in Britain. However, after finding that it would not be able . to do this and keep the price at £22, it opted to use factories in . China. The organisation has formed a . partnership with two UK distributors, Premier Farnell and RS Components, . which should be able to increase production quickly to meet demand. Dr Upton said the popularity of the Pi . – and the resulting pressure on its website – were positive signs. ‘We . didn’t realise how successful this was going to be,’ he said. ‘Now we . can concentrate on teaching people to program.’ | Credit-card sized wi-fi gizmo designed to teach programming skills .
Made by British charity to help in schools .
Can do word processing and even games . |
17379b6d32244893fa2db17fe2fcb3314f002bc6 | (CNN) -- Top executives of the company that owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig announced Tuesday they will donate their safety bonuses to the families of the 11 workers killed in the April 2010 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The announcement follows criticism of a Transocean Ltd. financial filing that claimed 2010 was its "best year" in safety. "The executive team made this decision because we believe it is the right thing to do," Chief Executive Officer Steven Newman said in a statement Tuesday. "Nothing is more important to Transocean than our people, and it was never our intent to diminish the effect the Macondo tragedy has had on those who lost loved ones," he said. "We offer our most sincere apologies and we regret the impact this matter has had on the entire Transocean family." The five executives will donate more than $250,000 to the Deepwater Horizon Memorial Fund, which Transocean established. The fund has distributed more than $1.6 million to the 11 families. The executives were identified as Newman; Ricardo H. Rosa, senior vice president and chief financial officer; Arnaud A.Y. Bobillier, executive vice president, asset and performance; Eric Brown, executive vice president, legal & administration; and Ihab M. Toma, executive vice president, global business. Transocean Ltd., in a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, said hefty bonuses and raises to top executives were based in part on the company's "performance under safety" last year. "Notwithstanding the tragic loss of life in the Gulf of Mexico, we achieved an exemplary statistical safety record as measured by our total recordable incident rate and total potential severity rate," the SEC statement reads. "As measured by these standards, we recorded the best year in safety performance in our company's history." Safety accounted for 25% of the performance measures that determined the 2010 bonus plan, the proxy form stated. Transocean tried to clear the water first with an apology Monday. "We acknowledge that some of the wording in our 2010 proxy statement may have been insensitive in light of the incident that claimed the lives of eleven exceptional men last year and we deeply regret any pain that it may have caused," Transocean said in a statement to CNN. "Nothing in the proxy was intended to minimize this tragedy or diminish the impact it has had on those who lost loved ones. Everyone at Transocean continues to mourn the loss of these friends and colleagues." The April 20, 2010, explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig, which was leased to BP, injured 17 workers and killed 11 others, including nine Transocean employees, according to the SEC filing. It has been called the worst spill in U.S. history. The well was capped three months later, but not before millions of barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf. | Transocean Ltd. senior executives will donate safety bonuses .
Executives get pay raises in part for the safety record, earlier SEC filing says .
Cash awards based in part on company safety record .
Despite Gulf explosion oil spill, company called 2010 "best year in safety" |
1737befaf3bb1deecb8ce400c310a51bc6f15652 | (CNN) -- Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off after inspiring Real Madrid to an incident-packed 4-2 victory at home to Almeria on Saturday night, in which he created a goal, scored one and also missed a penalty. The world's most expensive player helped Real bounce back from last weekend's 1-0 "El Clasico" defeat to Barcelona as the big-spending capital outfit came back from 2-1 down in an explosive final 20 minutes. However, unbeaten Barca stayed five points clear at the top -- having played one more match -- with a 2-1 victory at Deportivo La Coruna as Lionel Messi scored twice. Ronaldo, making his first appearance at the Bernabeu in two months following ankle problems, crossed for Sergio Ramos to head the opening goal in the 31st minute. However, Fernando Soriano leveled with a deflected shot in the 58th minute and Kalu Uche put lowly Almeria head just three minutes later as Real failed to clear a corner. The hosts equalized with 17 minutes left as Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain kept up his hot scoring run with a predatory finish after the Almeria defense did not deal with a cross from the left. With eight minutes remaining, Ronaldo went down under the challenge of the onrushing Diego Alves, but the goalkeeper saved his resulting penalty -- however, Karim Benzema followed up to smash in the rebound to put Real ahead. Ronaldo wrapped it up a minute later from Higuain's low cross, and was booked for tearing off his shirt to pose in front of his adoring fans. The Portugal captain received his second yellow card five minutes later for kicking out at Michel, but it was not costly as Real completed a morale-boosting win ahead of Tuesday's Champions League trip to Marseille. Barcelona, whose European title defense is still in the balance ahead of Wednesday's trip to Dynamo Kiev, took the lead against Deportivo in the 27th minute when Messi scored with a trademark neat finish. However, Adrian leveled in the 39th minute with a header after an error by Sergi Busquets, who returned from suspension. But Messi, named Europe's top player for 2009 during the week, put Barca ahead again with 10 minutes left from Pedro's cross and Zlatan Ibrahimovic followed up his winner against Real by wrapping up the victory on 88. Third-placed Sevilla again failed to keep pace with the leaders after being held 1-1 at home by mid-table Valladolid, who had a player sent off. Angola striker Manucho put the visitors ahead in the 33rd minute with a glancing header from Diego Costa's cross but five minutes later Borja Fernandez was red-carded for a lunge on Diego Perotti. Sevilla, who were held at home by Malaga last weekend, leveled with a penalty from Luis Fabiano just before halftime after Marcos brought down Jesus Navas. Brazil striker Fabiano squandered two golden second-half opportunities as Valladolid held on, meaning Valencia can move above Sevilla with victory away to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Atletico Madrid moved further away from relegation trouble with a 2-0 victory at promoted strugglers Xerez, with star strikers Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero scoring in each half. Uruguay international Forlan put Atletico ahead in the 29th minute from a cross by Jose Antonio Reyes, while Argentina's Aguero doubled the lead on 65 with a low shot from 12 yards. | Cristiano Ronaldo sent off after inspiring Real Madrid to 4-2 victory at home to Almeria .
World's most expensive player scores goal, sets one up and misses a penalty .
Real trail Spanish leaders Barcelona by five points after the Catalans beat Deportivo 3-1 .
Ball d'Or winner Lionel Messi scores twice and Zlatan Ibrahimovic nets the third goal . |
1738d7d0d9f1cf6caba9b10d342d7c14a33db081 | (CNN) -- A proposal to house federal prisoners, including some detainees from Guantanamo Bay, in a largely vacant maximum-security prison would be an economic boost to struggling northern Illinois, state officials said Sunday. "This is something that is very good for our state, it's good for our economy, it's good for public safety," Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn told reporters. Officials from the departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security and the federal Bureau of Prisons will visit the Thomson Correctional Center on Monday, the officials said. Quinn's office on Saturday said the officials would see whether the "virtually vacant, state-of-the-art facility" in Thomson, about 150 miles west of Chicago, could be of use to the Bureau of Prisons. If it is, the governor and other officials said Sunday, it could provide up to 2,000 jobs and up to $1 billion in federal money to the area. And Dick Durbin, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat, said he believes the proposal provides a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for his state's residents. "There are other states that want to take these jobs," Sen. Durbin said. "We've got to win this competition." Under the proposal, he said, federal officials have said fewer than 100 detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba would be housed in the 1,600-bed facility. They would be in a wing under the control of the Department of Defense, while the Bureau of Prisons would assume responsibility for the rest of the facility. The United States is asking other countries to house some of the Guantanamo detainees when the prison is closed, said Durbin, the Senate majority whip. But those countries are asking why America is not housing some of the inmates itself, he said, and use of the Thomson facility would demonstrate to them that the United States is willing to shoulder some of the responsibility. An Obama administration official said Saturday that as part of the conversion at Thomson, the Bureau of Prisons and Defense Department would enhance security to exceed those of the nation's only supermax prison -- the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado. No person has ever escaped from the prison. The Thomson proposal, first reported Saturday by the Chicago Tribune, triggered immediate concern from critics. U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, whose district covers suburban Chicago, circulated a letter addressed to President Obama to Illinois leaders Saturday, opposing the possible transfer of detainees and saying that housing them in Thomson would turn metropolitan Chicago into "ground zero for Jihadist terrorist plots, recruitment and radicalization." As home to Chicago's Willis (formerly Sears) Tower -- the nation's tallest building -- "we should not invite al Qaeda to make Illinois its number one target," says Kirk, who is running for the same Senate seat once held by Obama. Durbin on Sunday pointed to the federal maximum-security prison in Marion, Illinois, which he said already houses 35 people convicted of terrorism, along with members of Colombian drug gangs and Mexican drug cartels -- "some of the most dangerous people in America." "They're all in our prisons, and they're all held safely," he said. And "things haven't changed in Marion, Illinois." Those housed in the Marion penitentiary include Ali al-Marri, who is serving a sentence of eight years and four months after pleading guilty in federal court to conspiring to provide material support to al Qaeda. The Thomson prison was built in 2001 and sat empty for five years because the state lacked the resources to open it. Despite being built as a maximum-security facility, it houses 144 minimum-security male inmates, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections Web site. "After living in limbo for eight years, we're open to any and all alternatives for Thomson," said Jerry "Duke" Hebeler, Thomson village mayor. He estimated that the move would cut the county's unemployment in half. "I'd never chase jobs if I thought it would jeopardize the security and safety of my neighbors and friends," Hebeler said. Quinn said that during the inspection Monday, "We want to answer any and all questions that the federal authorities have." The Obama administration has vowed to close the Guantanamo facility, but acknowledges it is unlikely to happen by its self-imposed January 22, 2010, deadline. About 215 men are held there. They include alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who officials said Friday will be transferred to New York to go on trial in civilian court. The federal prison system houses approximately 340 inmates linked to international terrorism, including more than 200 tied to international incidents, another Obama official said. CNN's Jessica Yellin contributed to this report. | Proposal calls for using maximum-security prison in struggling northern Illinois .
On Monday, federal officials to visit facility in Thomson, about 150 miles west of Chicago .
"It's good for our economy, it's good for public safety," Illinois governor says .
But Rep. Mark Kirk says plan could make Chicago "ground zero" for terror plots, recruitment . |
1739d57c10680a55d22fb0381e6124905fc99278 | Los Angeles (CNN) -- A "smoking gun" e-mail allegedly connecting a concert promoter to Michael Jackson's death was revealed this week as a judge unsealed documents in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother and children. The trial next month in Los Angeles could shed new light on the pop icon's last days as Dr. Conrad Murray, who did not testify at his own involuntary manslaughter trial, and Jackson's oldest son Prince, 16, are on the witness list. Jackson died two weeks before his "This Is It" comeback concerts, organized by AEG Live, were to have debuted in London in the summer of 2009. E-mails suggested that the promoter was worried about Jackson's missed rehearsals and they sought Murray's help in getting him ready. Prince, Paris and Blanket Jackson and their grandmother, Katherine Jackson, contend that AEG Live's pressure on Murray to have Michael Jackson ready for daily rehearsals despite his fragile health led to his death from an overdose of surgical anesthetic. The judge ruled Wednesday that Jackson lawyers have shown enough evidence that AEG Live hired and supervised Murray to warrant a jury trial. She also ruled there was evidence to support the Jacksons' claim that AEG Live executives could have foreseen that Murray would use dangerous drugs in treating the pop icon. "Now that the court has ruled that there is evidence that it was foreseeable that AEG's actions resulted in Michael Jackson's death, the Jackson family feels vindicated from the public smear campaign that AEG has waged against them," Jackson lawyer Kevin Boyle said Sunday. "The truth about what happened to Michael, which AEG has tried to keep hidden from the public since the day Michael died, is finally emerging. We look forward to the trial where the rest of the story will come to light." A cornerstone of the Jacksons' case is an e-mail AEG Live Co-CEO Paul Gongaware wrote 11 days before Jackson's June 25, 2009, death. The e-mail to show director Kenny Ortega addressed concerns that Murray had kept Jackson from a rehearsal the day before: "We want to remind (Murray) that it is AEG, not MJ, who is paying his salary. We want to remind him what is expected of him." Jackson lawyers, calling it a "smoking gun," argue the e-mail is evidence that AEG Live used Murray's fear of losing his $150,000-a-month job as Jackson's personal physician to pressure him to have Jackson ready for rehearsals despite his fragile health. Ortega, who had worked closely with Jackson on previous tours, sounded a loud warning about his health after Jackson showed up for a rehearsal shivering just over a week before his death. He wrote in an e-mail to AEG Live President Randy Phillips: "It is like there are two people there. One (deep inside) trying to hold on to what he was and still can be and not wanting us to quit him, the other in this weakened and troubled state. I believe we need professional guidance in this matter." Phillips responded with a glowing endorsement of Murray: "This doctor is extremely successful (we check everyone out) and does not need this gig so he is totally unbiased and ethical." Jackson lawyers point to another e-mail exchange as evidence that Phillips was directly involved with pressuring Murray to have Jackson at rehearsals. The e-mail was sent by AEG Live tour accountant Timm Woolley to an insurance broker two days before Jackson died: "Randy Phillips and Dr. Murray are responsible for MJ rehearsal and attendance schedule." Murray told investigators two days after Jackson's death that he used the surgical anesthetic propofol every night for two months to help him rest for rehearsals. It was a procedure Jackson demanded, he said. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled that Jackson had died from an overdose of propofol in combination with sedatives. Murray is serving a prison sentence for his involuntary manslaughter conviction. AEG Live argues it has no liability in Jackson's death because Murray was not its employee. AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam did not respond Sunday to CNN calls for comment, but he did give a short statement last year: "Defendants did not hire Dr. Murray nor were they responsible for the death of Michael Jackson." The lawsuit seeks a judgment against AEG Live equal to the money Jackson would have earned over the course of his remaining lifetime if he had not died in 2009. If AEG Live is found liable, it could cost the company several billion dollars, according to estimates of Jackson's income potential. AEG Live is a subsidiary of AEG, a global entertainment company that is now for sale with an $8 billion asking price. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos, in her ruling rejecting AEG Live's request to have the case thrown out, said she agreed that the Jackson lawyers provided evidence that AEG Live didn't do "a sufficient background check of Dr. Murray, which would have established that Murray was deeply in debt." Jackson's previous relationship with Murray, who treated him and his children for minor illnesses in Las Vegas, did not relieve AEG Live of liability, "although the fact may be relevant in determining proportional liability and damages," she said. While the AEG Live lawyers argued the company could not have foreseen that Murray might use dangerous drugs on Jackson in preparation for the tour, Palazuelos said there was evidence that Gongaware had "previous tour experiences" with Jackson in which "tour doctors" gave "large amounts of drugs/controlled substances to him." Gongaware testified in Murray's trial that he worked as tour manager for Jackson's "Dangerous" and "History" tours before joining AEG Live. The judge cited "Gongaware's general knowledge of the ethical issues surrounding 'tour doctors' and the practice of administering drugs to performing artists." "There is a triable issue of fact as to whether it was foreseeable that such a physician under strong financial pressure may compromise his Hippocratic Oath and do what was known by AEG Live's executives to be an unfortunate practice in the entertainment industry for financial gain," the judge wrote. Check out the latest news from CNN.com . | Michael Jackson's mom and kids accuse AEG Live of pressuring Dr. Conrad Murray .
A "smoking gun" e-mail ties AEG Live to Murray, Jackson attorney says .
Concert promoter AEG Live argues it did not hire or supervise Murray .
Murray is serving a prison sentence for Jackson's 2009 death . |
173b0ca5d4d46e3dd9c431e04907dffe0cb346db | By . Matt Blake and Shari Miller . PUBLISHED: . 09:32 EST, 18 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:44 EST, 19 September 2012 . The mystery surrounding the death of an American backpacker in Vietnam deepened today after police said she did not die from poisoning. American Karin Joy Bowerman, 27, from Illinois, was sharing a room with her friend, Canadian-born Cathy Huynh, 26, at a guesthouse in the coastal city of Nha Trang, when she fell ill and later died. While she was suffering from serious respiratory failure and her blood pressure had dropped to zero, she had no apparent injuries. Sudden death: Teacher Karin Joy Bowerman (left), 27, from the United States, quickly deteriorated after being admitted to hospital and died. Two days later, her friend Canadian-born Cathy Huynh, 26, (right) died. Two days later, Miss Huynh, who is of Vietnamese origin, was treated in the same hospital for . symptoms of shock and while under intensive care, reportedly suffered . several cardiac arrests and died. Initially it was suspected the women died of some kind of poisoning, possibly alcohol. But today, . a Nha Trang city police leader told Tuoi Tre newspaper: '(Miss . Bowerman) died from breathing failure, circulatory collapse due to brain . edema . (swelling caused by fluid). 'No toxic traces have been found in her blood and gastric fluids.' He said because no poison was found in her system, there was no grounds to open a criminal investigation. Guestroom: The friends were sharing a guestroom at the Sons and Daughters hostel, pictured . Before their trip to Vietnam, the two women had both taught English at a university in South Korea. Following Miss Bowerman and Miss Huynh's deaths on July 30 and August 2 respectively, forensic official Pham Xuan Thong said it was likely they had been poisoned. According to Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre News, Miss Bowerman's family requested their daughter be cremated in Ho Chi Minh City and her ashes sent to their Illinois home. Miss Huynh’s family had refused to have an autopsy done on her as they say the two friends died in the same way so Miss Bowerman's autopsy would be enough. 'I’m deeply saddened and mournful,' Miss Huynh's mother, Huynh Thi Huong, said at the time. Having flown to Vietnam to complete the paperwork to bring her daughter’s . body home, she added: 'We would like to bring her body to . Canada for funeral because all my family members in Canada want to see . her for the last time.' The 57-year-old mother has blamed doctors and nurses for her daughter’s death. Family in mourning: Cathy's mother, Thi Huynh, (second from left) and brother Michael Huynh, (second from right) pictured at a relative's house . The guesthouse where the friends stayed in Nha Trang before falling ill. Picture: Tuoi Tre News . 'I’m really angry at the irresponsibility of the hospital staff. She died because she did not receive proper medical care despite the fact that she had been admitted to the hospital 12 hours before her death,' Mrs Huong told the newspaper. Cathy's brother, Michael, who came to . support his mother said the family was struggling to come to terms with . the devastating news. 'All my family members are extremely saddened by her death,' he said. The family set up a website to raise . the $40,000 needed to fly Miss Huynh's body back to Canada. Tuoi Tre News reported that police investigating the mysterious deaths suggested the pair had died from drinking too much alcohol. The . unnamed forensic investigator from Khanh Hoa province's police . department told the newspaper he believed 'drinking too much wine' might . have led to the women's deaths. But Mrs Huong attacked the claims, insisting her daughter was not a big drinker. Beach destination: Nha Trang is well known for its pristine beaches and scuba diving and is fast becoming a popular destination for international tourists. Picturesque: Holidaymakers are attracted to the area for its natural beauty. 'She often drank a little at parties but she never consumed beer or wine during vacations,' she said. Dr Mai Dinh Trung, former head of . the Khanh Hoa Province General Hospital’s emergency service and . intensive care unit, also ruled out alcohol poisoning as the cause. An employee at the morgue . of the Khanh Hoa General Hospital told Tuoi Tre News that Cathy Huynh's . body had been sent in without any clothes on, just a piece of fabric pulled over her. When he was told that the victim’s . family want her to have clothes on, the staff member said that the . morgue would not supply clothes. But he said he would ask the hospital to provide her with something to wear or would buy something himself because 'this is humane'. Poisoned: Two Canadian sisters, Noemi and Audrey Belanger, pictured, were found dead in their hotel room in Thailand . The incident follows the recent deaths of two Canadian sisters in Thailand. The bodies of Audrey and Noemi Belanger, . aged 20 and 26, were found on June 15 by hotel staff on Phi Phi island . in the Andaman Sea, 800 km south of Bangkok. Forensic officials found vomit in the . room, blood on their lips and gums and their fingernails and toenails . were blue. Lieutenant colonel Rat Somboon of Krabi Provincial Police added there were 'signs of serious food poisoning.' | American Karin Joy Bowerman, 27, fell ill and died from respiratory failure .
Her Canadian friend Cathy Huynh, 26, collapsed and died just two days later .
Police say 'No toxic traces found in Bowerman', despite initial claims .
Pair shared a room at guesthouse in resort city of Nha Trang .
Case similar to Canadian sisters who mysteriously died in Thai hotel room . |
173c4ee1bff26415e503dcb4908778708c48d930 | Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A court in Pakistan reissued an arrest warrant Saturday for former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in connection with the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a public prosecutor told CNN. Prosecutors claim that an investigation shows Musharraf was responsible for not providing adequate protection for Bhutto and has not responded to a prosecutor's request to answer questions, prompting the court-ordered arrest warrant. Authorities were unable to serve an arrest warrant issued last week because Musharraf is not in Pakistan, prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali told CNN. Ali said the court ordered authorities to serve the new warrant at all of Musharraf's residences, including those abroad. Musharraf is currently living in self-imposed exile in London. Ali said the court was adjourned until March 5. Bhutto, who spent many years in exile, was assassinated in 2007 as she campaigned against Musharraf for the presidency. Some have accused Musharraf of being involved in the assassination, but Musharraf denies any involvement. Late last year, Pakistani authorities arrested two police officials in the case. A United Nations panel looking into Bhutto's assassination concluded that Pakistan's former military-led government failed to adequately protect her and that intelligence agencies hindered the subsequent investigation. The panel's scathing report in April 2010 said the suicide bombing that killed Bhutto "could have been prevented" and that police deliberately failed to pursue an effective investigation into the killings. But Musharraf's government has said Bhutto had been afforded adequate protection. Musharraf's legal adviser told CNN that Musharraf has not appeared before the court because the accusations against him are baseless and politically motivated. "This is political victimization against Musharraf," Muhammad Ali Saif said. "Musharraf was never contacted by investigators to get his version of the assassination." Musharraf went to London after resigning in 2008. He decided to start a political party last year and make a comeback. He has said he wants to return for a presidential run in 2013 because he sees suffering in Pakistan and doesn't see a political party offering a solution. Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report. | Prosecutors say Pervez Musharraf didn't adequately protect Benazir Bhutto, assassinated in 2007 .
Musharraf's legal adviser says the accusations are politically motivated .
Musharraf has said he wants to make a presidential run in 2013 .
He is in self-imposed exile in London . |
173d5c76a551f61dc3790fdd80009006653b1d8a | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 14:43 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:30 EST, 7 December 2012 . The moon took quite a beating in its early days, more than previously believed, scientists reported Wednesday. This surprising new view of the moon comes from detailed gravity mapping by twin NASA spacecraft, which slipped into orbit around the celestial body earlier this year to peer into the interior. Researchers have long known that the moon and rocky planets - including the Earth - suffered heavy bombardment from asteroids and comets during their formative years billions of years ago. Scroll down for video . The variations in the lunar gravity field as measured by NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) during its primary mapping mission from March to May 2012 . These maps of the moon show the 'Bouguer' gravity anomalies on the lunar surface caused by collisions . The map was created by the dual GRAIL spacecraft transmitting radio signals to define precisely the distance between them as they orbit the Moon in formation. As they fly over areas of greater and lesser gravity caused by visible features, such as mountains and craters, and masses hidden beneath the lunar surface, the distance between the two spacecraft will change slightly. Now they are just starting to realize the extent. The moon is 'far more broken up and shattered than we've seen before,' said mission chief scientist Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Measurements by the NASA spacecraft called Ebb and Flow also found that the moon's crust, or outermost layer, is much thinner than scientists thought - only about 25 miles thick. Results were presented Wednesday at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco and published online in the journal Science. Though past missions have measured lunar gravity - about one-sixth Earth's pull - Ebb and Flow are the first spacecraft dedicated to this pursuit. To collect data, the washing machine-size spacecraft flew in formation, orbiting about 35 miles above the moon's surface. Their positions allowed them to look deep inside. Underground lunar dykes identified by GRAIL are 50 times longer and 1,000 times wider than the dyke on Earth seen here on the left . The resulting gravity maps revealed an exceptionally smooth lunar interior - consistent with it being pulverized by impacts. Fracturing extended deep into the crust and may have penetrated the mantle, scientists said. The maps also exposed numerous lunar features in greater detail than before including volcanoes, basins and craters. A provocative paper published last year hypothesized that Earth once had two moons that collided early on in the solar system's history to create the orb that graces the sky today. But Zuber said high-resolution mapping by the spacecraft did not find evidence for that. The mission is scheduled to end later this month when Ebb and Flow crash into the moon. A 300-mile-long (500 kilometer-long) linear gravity anomaly on the far side of the moon revealed by gravity gradients measured by NASA's GRAIL mission . A linear gravity anomaly intersecting the Crisium basin on the nearside of the moon has revealed by the GRAIL mission . | Nasa says images show lunar surface is 'far more broken up' than previously thought .
Gravity maps were produced by twin Nasa spacecraft . |
173dfc6d5abcf47b104b536754128e88f185928f | Lightning strikes in the United States could increase by nearly 50 percent by the end of the century as the world gets warmer and wetter, a new study says. While those conditions were already known to promote thunderstorms in general, the new work focused on lightning strikes themselves. Researchers calculated just how much lightning flashes increase as air warms, clouds fill with more energy from water vapor and rainfall intensifies. A monsoon lightning storm strikes over Las Vegas, Nevada. Rising global temperatures may cause a big jolt in the number of lightning strikes in the United States over the rest of the 21st century in the latest example of extreme weather spawned by climate change, scientists say. The researchers based their calculation on 2011 weather data from across the U.S. The key is that warmer air holds more water vapor. Water vapor is fuel for thunderstorms, sparking more lightning. The energy that storms get from vapor is the biggest driver in increasing lightning strikes in the future, the researchers said. They concluded that for every degree Fahrenheit the world warms in the future, lightning strikes will go up nearly 7 percent. That's 12 percent for every degree Celsius. Because scientists forecast that the world may get about 7 degrees warmer (4 degrees Celsius) by the end of the century, based on current carbon dioxide emission trends, that comes to a 50 percent increase in lightning strikes, said David Romps. He's the atmospheric scientist at the University of California Berkeley who led the study. 'When you used to have two lightning strikes, now you'll have three,' Romps said. 'It's a substantial increase.' The researchers based their calculation on 2011 weather data from across the U.S. They presented their results in a paper released Thursday by the journal Science. Romps said the key is that warmer air holds more water vapor. Water vapor is fuel for thunderstorms, sparking more lightning. The energy that storms get from vapor is the biggest driver in increasing lightning strikes in the future, Romps said. The new study shows that at any given level of rainfall intensity, there will be more lightning in the future. Harold Brooks, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration severe storm meteorologist, said the study makes sense and marks an advance over previous work. The result is important mostly because it means more natural sparks for dangerous wildfires, which are already forecast to worsen with man-made warming, Romps, Brooks and other meteorologists said. This graphic shows the intensity of lightning flashes averaged over the year in the lower 48 states during 2011. Lightning strikes north of Macworth Island in Portland, Maine. A new study says flashes of lightning in the US will likely increase by nearly 50 percent by the end of the century because of global warming. Lightning deaths have been falling from about 100 per year in the 1960s and 1970s to 33 per year in the last decade. So far this year 25 people have been killed, NOAA data shows. Brooks said the drop is because of people changing their behavior to be safer in storms and better medical treatment of lightning victims. The top states for lightning deaths in the past decade are Florida, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina and New Jersey. About 80 percent of lightning victims are male. Michael Mann, a Pennsylvania State University climate scientist, said this study 'is yet another reminder that there are likely some unwelcome surprises in store ... when it comes to the impacts of climate change.' | Researchers calculated just how much flashes increase as air warms .
Clouds fill with more energy from water vapor and rainfall intensifies .
For every degree Fahrenheit the world warms in the future, lightning strikes will go up nearly 7 percent, researchers say . |
173efc4c9cad0448453ce84b1396a02794a7cbc5 | (CNN) -- Tributes have been flooding in following the sudden death of Spanish Primera Liga side Espanyol's captain Daniel Jarque at the age of 26 on Saturday night. Espanyol fans have begun a memorial for captain Daniel Jarque following his sudden death on Saturday. Jarque passed away around 8pm local time when his heart stopped following a training session in Coverciano, Italy, where the squad are on a pre-season camp. Reports suggest Jarque was on the phone to his fiancee -- who is eight months pregnant -- at the time and she alerted two of his team-mates, who raced to his hotel room. Club doctors and Italian paramedics tried to revive Jarque, a product of the Espanyol youth system, but without success. Most Spanish clubs immediately expressed their condolences and leading footballing personalities have now done the same. Speaking on the official Real Madrid Web site, club captain Raul said: "As captain, and on behalf of the whole Real Madrid team, I want to express our sincere condolences. "We will support the player's family and the Espanyol family in any way possible during this very difficult time for everybody. "He was a great professional and sportsman and this has left us all very hurt. We offer our most sincere sympathies," added Raul. Jarque's death comes two years after that of Sevilla and Spain defender Antonio Puerta, who suffered multiple organ failure in hospital, three days after a cardiac arrest during a league match against Getafe. Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini added: "It is news that you wish wasn't true. It's terrible, it already happened a couple of years ago to Sevilla and the truth is these things have an impact." Joan Laporta, president of European champions Barcelona -- Espanyol's city rivals -- said on their official Web site: ""We are very shocked by this tragic event. "We are all in mourning and I wish to express in the name of FC Barcelona our heartfelt condolences to Espanyol on the painful loss of their captain Dani Jarque, and also to his family". Jarque joined Espanyol at the age of 12, making his debut in 2002, and was handed the captaincy this summer. Fans have been flocking to Espanyol's stadium since the news broke and have been in mourning outside gate 21 -- Jarque's squad number. Former Espanyol coach Ramon Moya, who handed Jarque his debut against Rayo Vallecano, was deeply shocked. "I feel like I have lost a son," he told reporters. "Jarque was a footballer, but he was also my friend. This situation is very difficult for a person. It was as if he was family. I knew him for many years. I gave him his debut and I shared many moments with him. It's very difficult to explain how I feel at the moment." Another former coach, Ernesto Valverde, insisted Jarque had never had any medical problems previously. "After hearing the news I still haven't taken it in," said the current Villarreal coach. "He was a player who was super strong, super healthy and very important in the dressing room. We got goosebumps when we heard the news. He was a very strong person but life is like that and it gives you terrible surprises. " Espanyol, who had been due to play Bologna in a friendly match on Sunday, suspended their pre-season tour of Italy and have flown back to Barcelona. | Tributes are flooding in following the sudden death of Espanyol's Daniel Jarque .
Jarque suffered a heart attack while in his hotel room during a club tour of Italy .
26-year-old made his debut in 2002 and was given the captaincy this summer . |
173f103d84657d9abbaab3682d21f2f17b98e0d3 | Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- Kathleen Parker, the Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist who co-hosted CNN's 8 p.m. show, is leaving just five months after the show debuted, the company announced Friday. "I have decided to return to a schedule that will allow me to focus more on my syndicated newspaper column and other writings," Parker said in a statement. She said she enjoyed her time on the show "Parker Spitzer" with former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, but she had missed focusing full-time on her column in the months she had been working on the show. "With the show going in a new direction, it is a good time to move on," Parker said. "I want to thank the viewers who have been so kind with their comments and support." Ken Jautz, CNN executive vice president, said a new program, called "In the Arena," will begin Monday. Spitzer will remain on that show, which will adopt "an ensemble format with several newsmakers, guests and contributors joining Eliot Spitzer each night." "E.D. Hill and Will Cain join the program as well as others within and outside the CNN family," Jautz said. Parker will occasionally appear on CNN to "provide her insights and commentary," Jautz said. "We thank Kathleen for her hard work and all that she has done to help us launch our new 8 p.m. program," Jautz said in a note to staff. "We respect her as a colleague and appreciate her perspective and contributions." Added Spitzer, "It has been a joy working with her as a teammate, and I continue to be a huge fan of the wisdom that jumps from her written work and the wit, charm and insight she brings to all that she does." "Parker Spitzer" launched last September in the 8 p.m. hour. Parker is one of the nation's most prolific and popular opinion columnists, appearing twice weekly in more than 400 newspapers. In May, she was awarded the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her political opinion columns. | Kathleen Parker, co-host of CNN's 8 p.m. show, decides to leave .
Parker says she wants to focus on newspaper column .
Show "Parker Spitzer" launched last September . |
173ff70b759680740e77cb4b71d69d1df460dcc0 | By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 08:25 EST, 16 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:25 EST, 16 October 2012 . If you consider Matt Groening responsible for the wackiest hairstyles this side of Pluto, think again. Models presented some exceedingly unusual hairdos at the 30th Alternative Hair Show, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London over the weekend. But it seems with their their gravity-defying dos, hair stylist were indeed paying homage to characters from Groening's The Simpsons - as well as to industrial amounts of hairspray. Homage? A model sports a gravity-defying hairdo at the Alternative Hair Show, left, resonant of that worn by Marge Simpson, right . Some of the models' crops bore resemblances to those worn by Marge Simpson, Lisa Simpson, and Marge's sisters, Patty and Selma Bouvier. Stylists exhibiting these larger-than-life creations at the show included Dmitri Vinokurov, Saco, Mario Krankl, TIGI, Mahogany, Pino, Dmitry Vinokurov, David Murray and Helen Reavey. The . Alternative Hair Show, first held in London's Camden Palace . in 1983, is a charity fund-raising event in aid of those suffering from leukaemia. The first show drew £7,500, donated . to Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, and since then the event has . raised over £8.5m for leukemia charities in the UK, Austria, . Italy, Japan, Russia and USA. Spiky sisters: A model wearing her hair in large sectioned spikes, left, harks back to the yellow starfish style worn by young Lisa Simpson . Founders Tony and Maggie Rizzo, who lost their firstborn child to leukaemia when he was two in 1983, said: 'Fighting leukaemia is our mission. We will do everything we can to hasten the day when all children . survive. The . 2012 Alternative Hair Show - entitled Legends - also paid a tribute to . one of the legendary hairdressers, Vidal Sassoon, who was global patron of the show. To mark the 30th . year of the charity event, Tony Rizzo, also a hairdresser, set up The . Alternative Hair Charitable Foundation in January.He said: 'The . foundation wants to build upon the success the Alternative Hair Shows . have achieved over the last 30 years by establishing a focal point for . hairdressing, a profession renowned for its qualities of caring and . generosity, to achieve yet more in fighting leukaemia.' Puffy and proud: Two models present voluminous creations by hair stylist Saco at the show . Swapped at birth: Patty, left, and Selma Bouvier, right, sisters of Marge Simpson, have hair that looks as though it was styled by Saco . Going up? A model waits backstage at the 30th anniversary of the Alternative Hair Show at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 14 October . Knitted and nutty: A model presents an elaborate creation by hair stylist Mario Krankl . Comparing notes: Two of Mario Krankl's models work on maintaining the balance of their their futuristic crops backstage . Poor deer: The TIGI creative team work backstage to mount antlers onto a model's head in the TIGI dressing room . Ready for Halloween: Five models present weird and wonderful (and often ghoulish) creations by hair stylist TIGI . Fairyland: The hairstyles sported by the models are, in most cases, not exactly ready-to-wear . Performance art: Models dressed in black bodysuits present smart, colourful bobs by hair stylist Mahogany . Red hair will give you wings: A model presents a creation by high-flying hair stylist TIGI . Glory time: Hair stylist Mario Krankl, left, stands with two of his models at the 30th anniversary of the Alternative Hair Show at the Royal Albert Hall . Take a break: A model for the hair stylist Pino waits backstage . Fabulous colours: A model presents a number of extravagant and colourful creations by hair stylist Dmitry Vinokurov . Gaga lookalike: A model with dramatic zebra-stripe hair and dark face make-up poses for cameras backstage at the show . Need a hairbrush? A model presents an elaborate creation by hair stylist David Murray . Golden girl: Stylist Helen Reavey used actual gold leaf top paint the hair and scalps of some of her models at the show . A heavy burden: A model with an enormous and angular Mario Krankl hairstyle sits among the Amy Winehouse-style blonde beehive wigs backstage . | The 30th anniversary show was held at London's Royal Albert Hall .
Hair stylists included Dmitri Vinokurov, Saco, Mario Krankl, TIGI, Mahogany, Pino, Dmitry Vinokurov, David Murray and Helen Reavey . |
17402ced52b97dbdee44087dc26ea9efa34a5291 | (CNN) -- The key to understanding the tragedy that was Jonestown lies in the oratory skills of the Peoples Temple founder, Jim Jones. "He was very charismatic," Leslie Wagner-Wilson, a Jonestown survivor, says of the Rev. Jim Jones. With the cadence and fervor of a Baptist preacher, the charm and folksiness of a country storyteller and the zeal and fury of a maniacal dictator, Jones exhorted his followers to a fever pitch, audiotapes recovered from Jonestown reveal. As he spoke, they applauded, shouted, cheered. One follower who survived the "revolutionary suicide" at Jonestown on November 18, 1978, said that Jones was the most dynamic speaker he had ever heard. Like all powerful speakers, Jones' greatest asset was his ability to determine what listeners wanted to hear and give it to them in simple language that appealed to them on an almost instinctual level. "He was very charismatic, very charismatic," said Leslie Wilson, who survived that fateful day in Jonestown by walking away from the settlement before the cyanide that killed more than 900 Peoples Temple members was distributed. She was one of 33 people who began the day in Jonestown and lived to tell the tale. "He could quote scripture and turn around and preach socialism," she said. "He appealed to anyone on any level at any time." Hear Jones declare "I am God" » . Many of his followers were elderly African-Americans drawn to his cause by his soulful delivery and Pentecostal preaching style, including at times speaking in tongues. That hair-raising fervor was perhaps only overshadowed by what he said. "When I say, I am God, then I feel [faith] well up within my soul. And I see it well up in you, and I see the sick healed, and the blind see, and the dead raised. ... You wanna know how I feel, I never feel so good as when I say I am God," he shouted in a full-throated roar in a 1972 sermon. Jones further enraptured crowds with faith healings -- laying hands on disabled or sick people who would miraculously be cured of any ailments. Though insiders later revealed that these healings were staged, Jones' mastery of word and presentation left few in attendance with any doubts about his abilities. He also indoctrinated many young, idealistic liberal white people in progressive 1970s California with the themes of socialism, equality and political activism. And he justified his brand of socialism with the Bible for those recruited from more conservative religious factions, who might have found such left-wing ideas tough to swallow. "The only ethic by which we can lift mankind today is some form of socialism," he said in another 1972 sermon. "There's a smattering of it in the, in the New Testament. It's very evidently clear on the day of Pentecost that they that believed were together and had all things common." Socialism, he said, is "older than the Bible by far." But by the time Jones and many of his followers completed a lengthy relocation from California to Jonestown in Guyana in 1977, he had begun to change as a speaker. His trademark passionate delivery gave way to blind fury and incredible rage. Listen to the rage of Jim Jones » . "I been tired for 25 years," the 47-year-old Jones preached in 1978, his voice rising steadily in pitched anger. "I'm tired of looking at people's faces that don't give a f--- for 25 years, I watch and they don't give a g------. You can lay it out in front of them, and they will not listen. They will not read. They will not do anything, and that's why I have to suffer every day and all night and all through the hours, because I will have nobody but a few that will carry the burden with me. Because you hide yourself away in ignorance." His rages created a fear that cemented the hold he had on his followers. He also used a "divide and conquer" method among his followers. "What Jones did was try to break all ties that were not to him," said former believer Vernon Gosney. "Transfer all that loyalty, all that bonding to him. And so families were broken apart. Relationships were divided." Such divisions caused family members to spy and report on one another, or friends to turn in friends for various transgressions. Jones furthered the poisonous atmosphere among his followers by encouraging physical fighting to either solve problems or administer punishment. Audiotapes of such sessions reveal Jones laughing, apparently entertained. Jones' mastery of the spoken word also enabled his many sexual exploits with both female and male followers. Jones deftly justified his actions to his followers by saying that what he did to them was actually for their own benefit, or the benefit of making the church a stronger, tighter-knit organization. He preached that many of his male followers were in denial about their homosexuality, conditioning those followers to accept him if he approached with a sexual advance. And he defused any accusations of sexual perversion on his part by claiming that he gained no personal pleasure from his acts, which he called a "great sacrifice." "And if the leader is attracted to you, then somehow that cultivates," Jones said during a temple meeting in 1978. "Well, you ought to know I'm attracted to you, I'm ready to die for every one of you, so that means I'm attracted to you. You follow what I'm saying? I'm attracted to all of you. How much more attraction can you have than to be ready to have your eyes plucked out?" By the end at Jonestown, Jones was more rock star than preacher. His sermons and remarks at meetings were littered with obscenities. He regularly had sex with his followers and he abused drugs. By the last month of Jonestown's existence, Jones was so intoxicated at times that he had great difficulty even reading the news aloud to his followers. As the end drew near, Jones' tone as a speaker took darker turns. He constantly fed his followers in Guyana a steady diet of fatalism. "I said, life is a f------ disease," he said. "It's worse than cancer. It's a disease. And there's only one cure for the sonofabitchin' disease. That's death. And socialists can only take one form of death. What is it? Fight a goddamn war, or revolutionary suicide. If you don't believe life's a disease, then you're dumb. Very dumb." Spurred on by their leader's talk, Peoples Temple members were ready to follow Jones even into death. At his request, they even wrote personal notes to him expressing their willingness to die for their cause. Some followers willing to die » . This was the ultimate test of loyalty, and the absolute testimony to the power of his words. As history shows, Jim Jones the orator was chillingly effective. Listen to final 45 minutes at Jonestown » . | Rev. Jim Jones was charismatic founder of the Peoples Temple .
He enraptured followers with dynamic preaching style, staged faith healings .
Jones had sex with followers, abused drugs and cursed at church members .
In 1978, he persuaded followers to kill children first; then drink cyanide-laced punch . |
17409de80938883128190907e2e8f7960152bc30 | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 02:47 EST, 27 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:22 EST, 27 June 2012 . The young woman whose body was attacked by a flesh-eating bacteria is finally making preparations to leave hospital, nearly two months after she arrived. Aimee Copeland, from Georgia, is finally moving into a rehabilitation centre after the aggressive disease forced doctors to amputate her left leg, right foot and both hands. Her delighted family say the 24-year-old will be transferred on Monday and will spend several weeks learning to move, before gradually returning to normal life. Scroll down for video . New life: Aimee (right, with her sister) is finally leaving hospital for a rehabilitation centre . Her father Andy said he was 'real excited about leaving' the hospital and 'just wants a change of venue.' The University of West Georgia graduate . will be transferred from Doctors Hospital in Augusta to the in-patient . rehab centre on Monday, but her father declined to say where the therapy centre was. The 24-year-old developed necrotizing fasciitis in a small cut she suffered after falling from a homemade zip line over a west Georgia river. She is staying in close touch with her friends and makes regular hour-long phone calls, according to Gary Duke, owner of Sunnyside Cafe, where she used to work. 'She sounds strong and in reasonably good spirits,' Mr Duke told Times Georgian yesterday. Mr Copeland, who has been keeping a blog about his daughter's condition, posted online to describe the moment she ventured outside yesterday, for . the first time since she was admitted to hospital 49 days earlier. Smiles all around: Aimee Copeland has been pictured for the first time since she lost her limbs to flesh-eating bacteria. The image shows her grinning outside the hospital with her parents . 'The look on Aimee's face was just . incredible,' her father, Andy Copeland, told Good Morning America. 'She could smell the pine trees and feel the . breeze through her hair and just the sun on her skin. That was a . remarkable change for her just to see how she glowed when we took her . outside.' While there, they took a photograph of Aimee grinning with her hair pulled into a side ponytail, with her parents smiling either side of her. Bandages cover the ends of her arms. 'Aimee has a beauty in this photograph that I think goes beyond words,' Andy Copeland said. 'It's a beauty of survival, of resilience.' Proud: Her father, Andy Copeland, holds up the photo during an interview with Good Morning America . Her remarkable achievement came just a . day after doctors upgraded her condition from serious to good. Mr Copeland wrote that, once the family was outside, they reflected on the life-changing events - and Aimee showed breathtaking courage. 'I don’t have any regrets about what has happened,' Aimee told her father. 'I don’t focus on what I’ve lost, I would rather focus on what I’ve gained. I feel like I’ve been blessed.' She went on: 'I am blessed to have the opportunity to experience something that not many other people have the chance to experience. Upbeat: On a blog, Aimee's father has said he is amazed by her courage and determination to walk . 'I am blessed to have the capacity to . share my experience with others and have a chance to improve the quality . of someone else's life. I’m blessed to be different.' Speaking to GMA, her father spoke of her determination to walk at her Master's graduation ceremony this December. 'You heard the word right,' he said. 'Walk. That's what she intends to do.' Earlier this month, Mr Copeland said his daughter had been enduring the worst pain of the ordeal. Her agony was so overwhelming that she began taking morphine after initially refusing medication. The . student had originally indicated that she felt a 'traitor to her . convictions' by using drugs to manage her pain, because she believed in . holistic medicine. Injuries: Aimee had her left leg, right foot and both hands amputated. She also lost part of her torso . Much-loved: Aimee's friends and family are praying for her survival and eventual recovery (from left - Aimee, mother Donna, father Andy and sister Paige) She also suffered phantom pains. Mr Copeland wrote: 'Although she has no hands, her brain . is apparently still telling her body that the hands are there. 'I asked . her if she could describe the pain and she told me, "It feels like I . have been carrying bags of rocks".' The . University of West Georgia student had to have multiple amputations to save her life . after the small cut to her leg became infected. The bacteria that attacked her wound released a toxin that destroys skin, muscle and a layer . of tissue below the skin known as fascia, her father said. Distraught: Paige Copeland, centre, cried as her parents Donna and Andy spoke about Aimee after she had her leg amputated . Aimee has . improved incredibly rapidly with the support of her family and . well-wishers who have made donations on the website Mr Copeland set up . for his brave daughter. Mr . Copeland wrote that support Aimee has come from all over the US, including from celebrities like Sophia Vergara, Katie Couric and . Ann Curry. Less than a month ago, doctors gave her . little chance of survival, but she became increasingly alert, despite . several major operations, but she is likely to remain hospitalised for several more months. 'This . doctor can't fathom a reason for why she's improved the way she has,' Mr Copeland said. 'Her spirits are extraordinarily high. I am absolutely . amazed.' Necrotizing . fasciitis, more commonly known as 'flesh-eating disease', is a rare but . extremely vicious bacterial infection. 'Necrotizing' refers to . something that causes body tissue to die, and the infection can destroy . skin, muscles and fat. The . disease develops when the bacteria enters the body, often through a . minor cut or scrape. As the bacteria multiply, they release toxins that . kill tissue and cut off blood flow to the area. Because it is so virulent, the bacteria spreads rapidly throughout the body. Symptoms . include small, red lumps or bumps on the skin, rapidly-spreading . bruising, sweating, chills, fever and nausea. Organ failure and shock . are also common complications. Sufferers . must be treated immediately to prevent death, and are usually given . powerful antibiotics and surgery to remove dead tissue. Amputation can . become necessary if the disease spreads through an arm or leg. Patients may undergo skin grafts after the infection has cleared up, to help the healing process or for aesthetic reasons. There are 500 to 1,500 cases reported a year, but 20 to 25 percent of victims die. See below for video . video platform . video management . video solutions . video player . | Aimee Copeland, 24, was yesterday pictured for first time since having left leg, right foot and both hands amputated .
Parents took her outdoors for the first time in 49 days .
Contracted deadly bacteria after cutting her leg in a fall from a zip line .
Her father now says she hopes to walk at her graduation in December . |
1741647cd59e0284753df5016d613a9b00dddfb1 | A teenager has been charged with first-degree murder in the case of a missing University of Florida student. Pedro Bravo was charged with murder because he previously said he beat 18-year-old Christian Aguilar until he was bloody, swollen and barely breathing. Bravo stared straight-faced into the jail camera during the proceedings. He was denied bond. Scroll down for video . Prison: Pedro Bravo (left) was charged with murder because he previously said he beat 18-year-old Christian Aguilar (right) until he was bloody, swollen and barely breathing . A family friend also read a statement from Aguilar's father during the hearing. Police say Aguilar was last seen on September 20 at a Gainesville Best Buy store with Bravo. Police believe they may have been fighting over a girl. Aguilar’s backpack was found stashed inside a closet at Bravo's home and his car tested positive for blood. Meanwhile Governor Rick Scott joined the massive search for the victim which also involved helicopters and K-9s. Scott helped search for the missing University of Florida student a day after authorities charged the victim's friend with murder. Support: Gainesville Police spokesman Ben Tobias appealed for the public's help in finding Christian Aguilar . The massive search for Aguilar on Saturday, combed through wooded fields and parking lots. Authorities indicated Aguilar may have been buried near a lime rock roadway. Meanwhile, volunteers at Sweetwater City Hall are collecting water, machetes and rubber boots to help with the search. Police encouraged Florida citizens who have lime roads near their property to search them and look to see if the ground looks to be disturbed. Bravo purchased duct tape and shovel 'several days' before Aguilar went missing, Gainesville police said during an earlier briefing, adding that investigators have not yet recovered the items. Police also said Bravo gave conflicting stories about a fight the two had and was no longer speaking to investigators. 'It is his right, but we believe he is the only person who knows the whereabouts of Christian,' said Gainesville Police spokesman Ben Tobias. 'It's frustrating because he knows where he is.' Police planned to continue their search for the missing student 'until we run out of fresh information'. 'With every day that goes forward, the odds and likelihood are less and less,' Tobias said of finding Aguilar. Watch the video . | Pedro Bravo previously said he beat Christian Aguilar until .
he was bloody .
Bravo denied bond by Florida court . |
1741aa3c2a950c69780363f396321c380a3835cf | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . Ever heard your doorbell go, dropped what you're doing rushed downstairs to open the door, only to find it’s an unwanted visitor? That’s a scenario one London-based company hopes will be a thing of the past with their i-Bell technology, a Wi-Fi video doorbell that can connect with your smartphone or tablet. By using a camera and connecting to the internet, the device will let you know who is at your door even if you’re out and about at work, the shops or elsewhere. Scroll down for video . The Wi-Fi enabled i-Bell device lets people see who is at their door through the use of a 1080P camera. This can be synced to a smartphone, tablet or PC across multiple platforms and, when the bell is rung, the homeowner can see who is at their door and speak to them through their phone . To use the i-Bell, which is currently part of a Kickstarter campaign to raise £30,000 ($50,000), it is installed on your door like a normal bell and sits at face level. Size: 110 x 60 x 22mm (3.9 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches) Weight: 320 grams (0.7 pounds) Camera Quality: 1080p HD . Camera field of view: 180° . Wi-Fi enabled: Yes . Battery: Internal rechargeable lithium . Audio: 2 Way audio speaker and microphone . Video: One-way (homeowner to visitor) Other features: Cloud Storage, Voicemail . On the front is a button for visitors to activate the bell, and also a camera at the top. When a visitor presses the button the camera springs to life and calls the device it is synced with, which can be any Android, Apple, Windows and Blackberry smartphone or tablet, and also any PC. You can then choose to 'answer' the call with your chosen device and then speak to the person on their doorstep. If it's a delivery, for example, the visitor could be asked to go drop it with a neighbour. Or if it's a guest but you're out of the house they could be asked to come and meet you somewhere. The camera isn't two-way though, so the visitor won't be able to see you. When it is released later this year, possibly November, the product will retail for £179.50 ($307). The i-Bell uses a 1080p HD camera and communicates with the guest via a built-in speaker and microphone. i-Bell also allows users to screen their visitors, so they can choose whether or not to answer the door to a cold-calling salesman or an unwanted guest on the doorstep. When someone is at the door you can chose to 'answer' the call with your chosen device (shown) and then speak to the person on their doorstep. If it's a delivery, for example, the visitor could be asked to go drop it with a neighbour. Or if it's a guest but you're out of the house they could be asked to come and meet you . High-security brackets help to keep the gadget safe and secured to the front door, and the i-Bell can be connected to from any synced device anywhere in the world. If you miss a call, the digital doorbell will also be able to take a picture, using the cloud to store images of people calling at your door to be checked later, while it can also record audio in the form of a voicemail. 'There’s nothing quite like i-Bell on the market right now,' said Graham Kershberg, Co-Founder of the company. 'It’s going to revolutionise daily life for a lot of individuals and businesses. 'Arranging deliveries around working hours or getting an unexpected visit from a relative who gets no answer at the door can really disrupt an individual’s plans. 'But now it’s possible to communicate directly with the person ringing the doorbell, let the postman know where to leave a package, or tell Aunt Mabel that you’ll be home as soon as possible without even being on the premises. 'Fun to use and practical, i-Bell makes it possible to answer the door from any corner of the world, whether that’s five minutes down the road on the school run or from a sun lounger overseas on a long awaited holiday.' | London-based company i-Bell has designed a video Wi-Fi doorbell .
The £179.50 product lets homeowners see who is at their door .
When a visitor presses a button any synced device is called by the bell .
This can then be answered to talk to the person at the door .
Can be used to get rid of unwanted guests or give deliveries instructions . |
1742428a48b5c7786ceba7b8fe82ef3ea54bcc75 | Dr Wright has written a handbook for parents to help them raise teenage daughters . Eating disorders, low self-esteem, body image and bullying have become a minefield for teenage girls. While parents try to decipher their behaviour and recover from hateful insults, a headmistress has tried to provide help at hand with a guidebook on how to navigate these tricky waters. Filled with basic advice such as 'don't try to be her friend', Dr Helen Wright, former president of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA), tells parents the importance of giving teenage girls the space to grow - but says too much wriggle room is destructive. 'They need time and space to do nothing - to just think and grow,' she says in an interview with the Times. But, she adds, they need boundaries to feel secure, to enable them to take small risks with the knowledge they have some structure in place to protect them. Dr Wright, who spent 20 years teaching . in the UK before becoming a headteacher at an independent girls' school . in Sydney, Australia, has published a book called Decoding Your 21st . Century Daughter: The Anxious Parent's Guide to Raising A Teenage Girl. The mother of two daughters and a son told The Times: 'If you hide your body from [your daughter], you are in effect telling her she should be ashamed of her own. 'Similarly, if you judge people on their appearance in her hearing, you will be showing her that you are judging her critically on her appearance.' This month a study found children as young as 10 are unhappy with their weight and want to shed pounds. Dr Helen Wright says daughters feel pressured into losing weight if their parents worry about how they look . Nearly two-thirds of 14 and 15-year-old . girls (those in Year 10) saying they would like to be slimmer, according . to a report by the Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU). More than a third (37 per cent) of 10 and 11-year-old girls - those in the final year of primary school (Year 6) - say they would like to be slimmer, the survey found. Dr Wright's book is billed as a collection of 'checklists' for what parents needs to know and do to help daughters through issues surrounding friendships, self-image, sexuality, drink and drugs and external pressures. The outspoken teacher has previously accused parents who allow young girls to wear make-up or dress provocatively of now knowing right from wrong. During her time as GSA president she said: 'If parents can't see anything wrong in dressing up their children in "Future WAG" T-shirts and letting them wear make-up, high heels and "mini-me" sexy clothing, then something is intensely wrong with our society.' She has also previously called for GCSEs to be scrapped and said social networking causes a generation of mean girls. In her book she says sexualised imagery in the media is 'dangerous' for growing girls. She said parents should speak to their daughters about negative portrayals of women. Give your daughter space - but not too much. Children need time and space to do nothing - to think and grow, she says - but adds that while they should be allowed to takes small risks to foster independence, they need boundaries to feel secure. Be a good role model. Don't be judgemental about the appearance of others - she will assume you are doing the same about her. Work on your own self-image if necessary. Encourage a healthy body image. Eating disorders are one of the most common problems to hit teenage girls. Don't fad diet - it will put pressure on your daughter to do the same. Accept your teenager will have mood swings. Their minds are developing and they don't have as much control over their emotions as an adult might. That comes later. Their brains are wired to react quickly and intensively, making for some highly charged emotions. Dr Helen Wright's book Decoding Your 21st Century Daughter: The Anxious Parent's Guide To Raising A Teenage Girl is published by emBooks at £3.99. | Dr Helen Wright has written a guidebook for parents on how to bring up teenage girls .
Says the teen years are turbulent for girls - and parents .
Says be a good role model, help her deal with peer pressure, accept she will have mood swings .
Advises mothers to avoid fad diets and don't pressure girls to lose weight .
Says parents who 'hide' their body tell daughters they should be 'ashamed' of their own . |
1743b00c2bd9dba6ec70c1a86425a51d07df3cbe | By . Sam Adams . PUBLISHED: . 05:05 EST, 25 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:42 EST, 25 January 2013 . Taken towards the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th, these shocking black and white photographs tell a tragic story. Millions of American bison, also known as American buffalo, were reduced to mountainous piles of bleached white bones and drying hides following a slaughter on an unprecedented scale carried out by European settlers. At the time, of course, the perpetrators of the hunts that led to the buffalo's near extinction held a very different point of view to that of most people today. Decimated: Buffalo were nearly wiped out by white hunters as they moved into the American west. Pictured, the carcasses of dead buffalo lying in the snow following a hunt . Macabre: A pile of bison and antlered deer skulls sit bleaching in the sun in Albany County, Wyoming, 1870. Skulls were often kept as trophies or for decoration by hunters . Slaughtered: Men in the mid-1870s pose with a mountain of buffalo skulls soon to be ground into fertilizer, the sad remains of an animal that once ruled the American plains . At their peak the bison are believed to have been the biggest . population of large wild mammals anywhere on Earth, numbering an . estimated 50 million before the European settlers arrived. Yet within . the space of a few decades, their number would be reduced to a mere . 2,000, bringing to an end an era in American history. Far from inciting feelings of disgust or . horror, the slaughter of bison was seen by European settlers as a means . to wealth, a healthy pastime, and most chilling of all, as a way to end . the primary source of sustenance for the Plains Indians and so drive . them from their land. Perhaps the most shocking fact about the near extinction of the American bison is that it appears to have been wholly intentional, part of a high-level strategy. Many scholars believe the government and military actively promoted the slaughter of bison herds to remove the primary food source of the Native Americans. Proud: Two hunters inspect their kill, around 1903. Men on horseback like these had an easy time shooting bison, which could be slow to react to their approach . Wall of bones: A long pile of buffalo bones stretches into the distance while a boy poses in front - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1890 . There is heated debate about the . existence of an actual government policy that enforced this aim. Without the buffalo, the American . Indians could not survive, and without the Indians, European settlers . were free to claim their lands for themselves. Witnesses . reported seeing a sea of black during their annual migrations and . feeling the ground trembling with the beat of millions of hooves. For the Plains Indians such as the . Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Sioux, Comanche and others, the American buffalo . played an important role not only in their culture and religion but also . in their very survival. To them, the bison provided an endless supply . of necessities, and every part of the animal served a purpose. The . blood, milk, meat, marrow, organs, testicles, nipples and everything . down to the nose gristle were eaten, and buffalo tongues and fetuses . were considered particular delicacies. Some tribes are described as being part of the 'Buffalo Culture' as the animals were their main source of flesh, hide and bones, and were used to make other items such as food, cups, decorations, crafting tools, knives, and clothing. The tribes followed the seasonal grazing and migration of buffalo. To many Native Americans, the bison was also a symbol of sacred life and abundance. Skulls were often kept as trophies or . for decoration. In 1842, an observer of the bison migration, Philip . St. George Cooke, wrote: 'Suddenly a cloud of dust rose over its crest, . and I heard a rushing noise as of a mighty whirlwind, or the charging . tramp of ten thousand horses. 'I had not time to divine its cause, when a . herd of buffalo arose over the summit, and a dense mass, thousand upon . thousand, galloped, with headlong speed, directly upon the pot where I . stood. 'Still onward they came. Heaven protect me! It was a fearful . sight.' A fearful sight that was soon never to be seen again. How the modern bison came to dominate . the North American landscape is still being debated. There is some . evidence that prior to European colonisation, herds were small and . regulated by Native American hunters. It was humans, not bison, who . dominated the plains landscape, some sources say. Then the Europeans . arrived, bringing with them the disease epidemics that wiped out so many . Native Americans and left so much of their vast grasslands empty and . ready for bison to take over - which they did in huge numbers. The animals once roamed the . North American plains from Canada down to Mexico, and as far east as the . western boundary of the Appalachian Mountains. A major contributor to the . bison's decimation was the expanding railroad system. Not only did the . industry's leaders actively encourage the slaughter of bison, which were a . nuisance on their tracks, but thanks to them, buffalo products could now . be collected and distributed in larger numbers than ever before. As the railroads were laid down, they effectively split . the herds. This new transportation network also made it easy for . commercial hunters to reach herds further and further out in the plains. Market hunters like these could kill hundreds of bison in a . single encounter. In fact some, such as 'Buffalo Bill' Cody, became famous . for slaying thousands during their lifetime. Killing: A pile of buffalo bones waiting to be loaded onto a train in Canada. The expansion of the railway system across North America was another factor in the decimation of the animal's population . Sad: Wright's buffalo hide yard in Dodge City, Kansas, 1878, with some 40,000 buffalo hides apparently in shot . Hides: Skins hung up to dry in 1926, The Hides were the most prized body parts of the hunted bison and quite often the only parts commercial hunters took . Hundreds of thousands of tons of . bison bones were used in various industries, including the refining of . sugar and for making bone china and fertilizer. The buffalo has become a key symbol in North American culture, and is used in official seals, flags, and logos in both the US and in Canada. There are currently around 500,000 bison in captive commercial populations on about 4,000 privately owned ranches. However, only 15,000 total individuals are considered wild bison in the natural range within North America. | Buffalo population fell from 50 million to just 2,000 following hunting .
Critics claim animals were targeted in bid to starve out Native Americans .
One hunter, 'Buffalo Bill' Cody, killed thousands of the animals alone . |
1743dfd8da5f5db4ebdffbbbf8063fb38853331d | (CNN) -- The next wave of smartphones and tablets might have super-sturdy screens fashioned from the human-made version of a gemstone. Manufactured sapphire, a substance already used to armor some military vehicles, would be an almost unbreakable alternative to the glass now used on the displays of mobile devices, according to a report in the MIT Technology Review. Sapphire is the second-hardest material on the planet, behind only diamond. According to the MIT report, a sapphire smartphone screen wouldn't break when you dropped it and couldn't be scratched with a car key or by a sidewalk. "I'm convinced that some (manufacturers) will start testing the water and release some high-end smartphones using sapphire in 2013," Eric Virey, an analyst for the market research firm Yole Développement, said in the report. Currently, Apple uses manufactured sapphire to protect the camera lens on its iPhone 5. Manufactured sapphire is made by melting down aluminum oxide, the compound that crystallizes into sapphire in nature, allowing it to cool and then cutting it with a diamond-coated wire saw. One stumbling block could be price. Currently, a sapphire display for a smartphone would cost about $30, compared with $3 for the screens made by Corning's Gorilla Glass, the protective cover that's on more than 1 billion devices. The MIT report estimates that sapphire would be about three times stronger than Gorilla Glass. But Corning spokesman Daniel Collins said the company isn't too worried. "It is unclear to us if this could provide better overall performance than actual glass," he wrote in an e-mail. "There also are the questions about cost and product weight that must be addressed before sapphire would be a serious consideration for mass market applications." Collins noted that Gorilla Glass can be molded into curved designs and multiple shapes without losing its strength, and he questioned whether the same could be said for manufactured sapphire. The company says its most recent product, Gorilla Glass 3, will be in phones this year and is twice as strong as previous versions. Virey said the cost for a sapphire screen could fall to $20 in the next few years, which might be affordable enough to make consumers give it a shot. Another alternative would be ultrathin (and less costly) sapphire covers that would fit over glass screens for added durability. GT Advanced Technologies, a New Hampshire company, is developing a method to make synthetic sapphire sheets that are the width of a human hair. Other companies in the United States, South Korea and Russia are working on similar technologies. "If costs can get low enough, these manufacturers may have a large market waiting for them," Kevin Bullis, senior editor of the MIT Technology Review, wrote in the report. "But they'll have to continue to contend with the incumbent technologies -- Gorilla Glass and similar materials offered by other manufacturers." | Manufactured sapphire could be on screens for smartphones and tablets .
MIT says the screens would be three times stronger than current displays .
Currently, a sapphire screen costs $30 to make, while Gorilla Glass costs $3 .
Gorilla Glass maker Corning says its product is moldable and getting stronger . |
1744093a3fea8b8de0777b1a228c3ba3e515d48e | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A former porn actress who says she had a three-year intimate relationship with Tiger Woods posted text messages online Thursday that she says the golfer sent her last year. "I just wanted to let the public know what the relationship was and that he has not taken responsibility for his behavior," said Veronica Siwik-Daniels, who goes by the screen name Joslyn James. "Everyone else can draw their own conclusions from that," she said. The Web site displayed 120 text messages purported to have been sent to her by Woods between July and October of last year. The messages document "just a brief part of the time we had together," Siwik-Daniels said. Woods publicly apologized for his extramarital affairs last month, but he has never disclosed the names of any of his lovers. The golfer's management company did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment on the text messages. Many of the texts provide information on hotel room numbers and times for meetings, including instructions to be discreet. A number of messages are explicitly sexual. The final series of texts suggest that the person communicating with Siwik-Daniels was upset with her because she was almost seen by the sender's agent during an encounter in early October. Siwik-Daniels told CNN she considered the messages to be "typical of those between someone you are in a relationship with." She said she gave up her career in pornographic films because Woods was jealous of the idea of her with another man. Her Web site said she "is now receiving many requests for personal appearances, television shows, film opportunities as well as product endorsements." But she is not ready to announce her next career move, she said. "Stayed tuned to find out," she said. At a news conference last month, which immediately followed Woods' televised apology, she called on the golfer to publicly acknowledge their relationship. "I would be open to a telephoned apology from Tiger, but I really feel that I deserve to look at him in person, face-to-face, in his eyes, because I did not deserve this," Siwik-Daniels said. She told CNN Thursday that she has still not heard from him, not even a text message. | NEW: Woods' management company has no immediate comment on the texts .
NEW: The messages include plans for meetings; some are sexually explicit .
Veronica Siwik-Daniels posts 120 text messages she says Tiger Woods sent her .
"He has not taken responsibility for his behavior," Siwik-Daniels says . |
174746826c19dbc4b4eeca879964704b7768d0cb | (CNN) -- Two hours before his scheduled execution Thursday, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles commuted the death sentence of Samuel David Crowe, his lawyer said. Samuel David Crowe's death sentence was changed to life in prison by Georgia authorities, his attorney says. Crowe was convicted in 1988 of murdering Joseph V. Pala, the retail manager at Wicks Lumber Company in Douglas County. Crowe admitted to the crime. The board's ruling means Crowe's sentence will be changed to life without the possibility of parole. The board did not give a reason for its decision. When attorney Ann Fort called Crowe with the news, he was quiet. "He was really shocked and relieved but very somber about it. He takes very seriously the deep harm that he caused when he committed this crime," she said. Crowe had a cocaine habit that his attorney says he kicked in prison. He spent his time behind bars counseling other inmates, teaching some of them to read and writing to people outside of prison who had drug habits. "He didn't want them to go down the path he did," Fort said. As for the Pala family, they are devastated. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Pala's widow, Fran Pala, and his daughter, Lisa Pala-Hansen, were too upset to address the parole board. A representative spoke to the board on their behalf, the newspaper said. Crowe had been scheduled to be executed by injection at 7 p.m. ET Thursday at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, 45 minutes south of Atlanta. He would have been the 19th inmate in Georgia executed by injection. William Earl Lynd was executed by injection the first week in May. He was the first inmate to die in the state since September, when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the three-drug combination represented cruel and unusual punishment. Lynd was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court had effectively halted all executions in the country last September, when it agreed to consider whether the three-drug combination used by most states violated the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Death penalty opponents have argued that if inmates are not given enough anesthetic, they could be conscious enough to suffer excruciating pain without being able to express it because of the paralyzer. Their claims are supported by medical studies. Of the 24 death sentences the Georgia board has considered, Crowe's is the third it has commuted. Also this week, Mississippi executed murderer Earl Wesley Berry by lethal injection. Berry confessed to abducting Mary Bounds in 1987, beating her to death and then dumping her body in a rural road. The courts rejected Berry's attorneys' arguments that he should be spared because he was mentally retarded. CNN's Ashley Fantz contributed to this report. | NEW: Attorney says inmate was shocked, relieved, somber .
NEW: Victim's family too devastated to address parole board .
Samuel David Crowe's death sentence was changed to life in prison Thursday .
Crowe admitted killing a store clerk in 1988 in Georgia . |
1748008f2765da84b76066f5e3fde8dee020c7ae | The bubble might not have burst but it's shrunk slightly. Home prices across the five major Australian capital cities dropped nearly two per cent in May, the biggest decline in five years. The softening will come as a welcome relief to home buyers, with a bullish market swelling property prices by 10.87 per cent over the last year. In another good sign for home buyers, the RBA announced on Tuesday that the interest rate would remain at a record low 2.5 per cent. Downhill: The Australian property market has begun a 'gradual easing' with a 1.9 per cent drop recorded in May, the first decline of the year . Figures released by property market research firm RP Data show the average home price across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth dipped 1.9 per cent last month, the first drop in the market all year. Melbourne experienced the biggest declines, dropping 3.59 per cent. Perth boasted the healthiest market of the major capitals - dropping just 0.83 per cent. Around Australia, only the Darwin and Canberra markets managed to grow - swelling 1.05 and 0.08 per cent respectively. CommSec chief economist Craig James told MailOnline the dip was a correction in the market following 'unrealistic' and 'unsustainable' price rises over the past 12 months. 'The housing market isn't booming and neither is it slumping,' he said. 'What we've had is super strong demand and not enough supply and we're seeing a gradual softening of prices as more houses are built and there is more choice' James said trepidation about the federal budget, an unusual smattering of public holidays in April and natural seasonal market forces were to blame for the decline in property prices. 'All the lead up to the budget was negative rather than positive and if you weren't in a particular rush, especially if you were an investor, you'd hold off,' James said. 'The fact this was a new government, their first budget and a possibly harsh budget made people sit back and wait.' Bubble swelling: This graph shows the quarterly percentage change in residential property prices across the Australian capitals. It represents sustained growth for well over a year . Good news for some: The property figures will please home buyers but owners would prefer the rises to continue . He said the fact that the Easter and Anzac Day long weekends were next to each other in April likely encouraged a number of transactions to be brought forward to March, which led to a 2.3 per cent growth nationally. The news isn't all bad for people looking to sell, with a new luxury apartment complex in Sydney's Bondi Junction offloading 129 units in the space of four hours on Saturday. | May recorded the first dip in home prices of 2014 .
The market eased by 1.9 per cent around the country .
Figures come as RBA decides to keep interest rates on hold at 2.5 per cent .
Biggest fall was in Melbourne, while Canberra and Darwin bucked the trend .
Experts say dip is a market correction with climbing prices 'unsustainable' |
174815ed7e856255517afa362e9834a4e7b5f842 | By . Sam Webb . Han Bingbing, an 11-year-old girl from China, has successfully had a 33 pound tumour removed from her abdomen. The girl, from Heilongjiang in the north-east of the country, underwent eight hours of surgery to remove an intraperitoneal tumor. After four years, the tumor had grown to the size of two footballs. As of June 18th, the tumor filled five-sixths of Bingbing's abdomen and was causing her internal organs to gradually collapse. Growth: Han Bingbing rests before surgery as doctors prepare to cut open the huge ovarian teratoma from her stomach . Transformation: The 11-year-old after the successful operation, which was undertaken in Guangzhou, China . Care: Her family have run up considerable debts trying to fund their daughter's medical bills . The 33 pound tumour grew very quickly last year, putting the girl's life in danger . Steady hands: Doctors cut away at the huge ovarian teratoma in her stomach . The Xukecheng Health Care Corporation raised £11,000 that went towards Bingbing's surgery. The brave schoolgirl was first diagnosed with ovarian teratoma in 2009. Since then, her family have run up considerable debts trying to fund their daughter's medical bills for her ongoing treatment. The youngster has suffered with the condition for the past five years, defying the expectations of many doctors. Several clinics refused to treat Ms Bingbing until her family found a hospital, 2,500 miles away in Guangzhou, southern China. The surgery took eight hours. Many hospitals refused to perform the procedure . Han Bingbing is stitched back up. The youngster has suffered with the condition for the past five years . Mass: Two parts of the huge ovarian teratoma taken from the girl's stomach . | WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT: Han Bingbing, 11, has had the massive tumour for four years .
Her family has put themselves in massive debt to fund the operation .
It was a success and the brave schoolgirl is now recovering . |
174941892ad913a61416dbe1456ec675571308c9 | (CNN) -- It might look like science fiction but the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) hopes to turn this humanoid robot into a seafaring fact in an effort to improve firefighting capabilities on board military vessels. Currently at the development stage, the Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (or SAFFiR for short) is intended to combat fires in the cramped conditions of a ship, saving lives and costly equipment. Armed with cameras and a gas sensor, the battery-powered SAFFiR will be "capable of activating fire suppressors" and throwing "propelled extinguishing agent technology (PEAT) grenades," says the NRL. Read more: Gorilla gene map gives evolution clues . Despite its decidedly flat-looking feet, the NRL says the robot will be a "sure-footed sailor" capable of "walking, balancing and traversing obstacles" autonomously. Furthermore, it will be able to interact with humans as part of a wider firefighting team. It is being developed in conjunction with researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Pennsylvania, as a next step from Virginia Tech's CHARLI-L1 (Cognitive Humanoid Autonomous Robot with Learning Intelligence) robot. CHARLI-L1 is a five-foot tall humanoid robot built by students from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory. The NRL says SAFFiR will be tested on board the ex-USS Shadwell -- a decommissioned landing ship dock used for fire fighting experiments -- towards the end of 2013. | Robot being developed by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory will tackle fires on military vessels .
Autonomous robot will launch firefighting grenades and interact with human firefighters .
Virginia Tech and the University of Pennsylvania to work on project . |
174a7d3271f7e3916d18d28cb54a2496a09778fa | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 02:38 EST, 4 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:40 EST, 4 March 2013 . Apology: Abdel Hakim Belhadj has offered to settle his damages claim for an apology and the sum of £3 . A Libyan politician suing the Government for damages amid claims a tip-off led to him being kidnapped and tortured in a Gaddafi jail will drop his case for £3, an apology, and an admission of liability, his legal supporters said. Abdel Hakim Belhadj, a leading figure in the rebel forces before the dictator was killed, is taking legal action against the Government, former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Sir Mark Allen, former head of counter-terrorism at MI6. In 2004 Mr Belhadj was leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, opposing the Libyan dictator, when he and his wife were detained by American intelligence officers at Bangkok airport in Thailand. He was allegedly tortured for . several days while his wife, Fatima Boudchar, who was five months' pregnant, was chained to a wall at a secret prison at the airport. The couple were then flown to Tripoli, where Mr Belhadj spent the next six years in jail. It is claimed British intelligence was responsible for a tip-off that led to their capture. He was allegedly tortured for several . days while his wife, Fatima Boudchar, who was five months pregnant, was . chained to a wall at a secret prison at the airport. The couple were then flown to Tripoli, where Mr Belhadj spent the next six years in jail. It is claimed British intelligence was responsible for a tip-off that led to their capture. Last . night, Mr Belhadj's supporters at Reprieve, the human rights group, . said he would drop the legal case in exchange for a £1 payment from each . respondent as well as an apology and admission of liability. In a letter sent to Prime Minister . David Cameron, Mr Straw, and Sir Mark, Mr Belhadj said: 'I am making an . open offer to settle our litigation. Legal action: Libyan politician Abdel Hakim Belhadj is suing the Government and former foreign secretary Jack Straw for damages amid claims a tip-off led to him being kidnapped and tortured . 'My wife and I are willing to end our case against the UK Government and Messrs Straw and Allen in exchange for a token compensation of a British pound from each defendant, an apology and an admission of liability for what was done to us.' He added: 'Various media reports I have seen suggest that our motive for bringing this case is to enrich ourselves. 'I wish to lay this misconception to rest. 'It is certainly true that my wife and I suffered deeply during our kidnap and in Libya. 'But we have come to court in Britain because we believe your courts can deliver justice.' Reprieve legal director Cori Crider said: 'What our clients want from the Government is an admission, an apology and an explanation of how this was allowed to happen. 'It is time to put the ghosts of Tony Blair's toxic "deal in the desert" with Gaddafi to rest, and this is the perfect opportunity for David Cameron to do so. 'Fatima Boudchar and Abdel Hakim Belhadj are asking for justice - and the token 'payment' will cost the PM the price of his latte. "The next time the Government repeats its mantra that secret courts will save the public purse, remember: this family was willing to walk away for £3." | Abdel Hakim Belhadj detained in Bangkok by U.S. officials in 2004 .
Allegedly tortured for several days before being flown to Libya to jail .
Claims British intelligence behind tip-off that led to capture .
'Open offer' to drop case against Government in return for apology and £3 .
Token payment will 'cost PM price of his latte', say legal supporters . |
174a8a5ff217985d3ab4ed5bcfa270720eed2f39 | By . Afp . and Ap . The US is to speed up deliveries of missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq as the Baghdad government battles a resurgence of Al Qaeda linked militants. Joe Biden, the US vice president, spoke by phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki yesterday and 'expressed concern for those Iraqis who are suffering at the hands of terrorists,' a statement said. The Pentagon said Washington would accelerate the delivery of 100 more Hellfire missiles - which were due to be sent to Iraq in the next few months. Resurgence: A vehicle set on fire by tribesmen in Anbar, Iraq earlier this week. The US will accelerate a delivery of missiles and drones following renewed violence in the area . Colonel Steven Warren said an additional 10 ScanEagle surveillance drones would also be delivered. Hellfire missiles, originally designed as an anti-tank weapon, can be fired from helicopters and warplanes. ScanEagle drones are a low-cost three-meter aircraft capable of flying 24 hours. Officials reiterated today that American forces will not be sent in to assist military operations. Col Warren said Washington was working with Iraq to develop a 'holistic strategy to isolate al Qaeda-affiliated groups so the tribes working with the security forces can drive them out of the populated areas.' Instead, the United States will continue to provide intelligence to assist and advise the Iraqis at a 'ministerial level' through some 100 military personnel still based at the US Embassy in Baghdad. Violence: A road block in Anbar. US officials reiterated that American troops will not be sent in to assist the Baghdad government following the violence . The deliveries correspond to contracts already signed with Iraq. Some 75 Hellfire missiles were delivered to Baghdad in mid-December, US officials said. Since then, Iraq has seen a resurgence of fighting in the province of Anbar, which was a key insurgent stronghold for years following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Mr al-Maliki has been urging residents of the city of Fallujah to expel Al Qaeda fighters or face all-out battle. Mr Biden lent his support to Iraq's fight against the local al-Qaida branch, adding he was concerned about those suffering from terrorism. Outbreak: A man stands by scores of empty shells. VP Joe Biden and Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki discussed the importance of working with Sunni leaders to isolate extremists . He spoke positively about recent co-operation between Iraq's military and tribal forces in Anbar, on the Syrian border, where Al Qaeda are among the most formidable trying to topple President Bashar Assad. 'Prime Minister Maliki affirmed the importance of working closely with Iraq's Sunni leaders and communities to isolate extremists,' the White House said. With the US worried about the sectarian nature of the growing violence, Mr Biden also spoke to Iraqi parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi - a Sunni leader and frequent critic of Mr al-Maliki's Shiite-led government. The two discussed ways to continue co-operation between Sunni communities and the Shiite-led government and Mr al-Nujaifi said he was committed to fighting terrorism, the White House said. Devastation: Damaged buildings in Fallujah. The US government denied violence in the country was down to a withdrawal of American forces . US officials denied suggestions renewed violence was down to the withdrawal of American forces. Yesterday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said such violence in Iraq took place even when there were 150,000 US troops there. He said the US can assist, and will deliver more missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq this year, but insisted Iraq must take the lead. 'If members (of Congress) were suggesting that there should be American troops fighting and dying in Fallujah today, they should say so,' Mr Carney said. 'The president doesn't believe that.' | Deliveries of missiles and drones sped up following Al Qaeda resurgence .
10 ScanEagle surveillance drones and 100 Hellfire missiles to be delivered .
Items were due to be delivered to Iraq over the next few months .
White House 'concerned for Iraqis suffering at the hands of terrorists' |
174abe13166361c268de2125b09b37bc08d58f11 | They are the undisputed predators of the ocean, armed with razor-sharp teeth, capable of reaching speeds of 35mph - and now a great white shark could be headed towards Britain. A ferocious predator - called Lydia - is currently just 1,000 miles of the coast of Cornwall and Ireland in the Atlantic. And if she continues on her path, the 14.5ft, 2,000lb beast could arrive in British waters by Monday, which would make her the first great white to cross the Atlantic. She was tagged as part of the Ocearch . project, which aims to monitor sharks to learn more about their . movements and Lydia’s progress can be followed on the project’s website. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Deadly cargo: Tagging the shark (pictured) was a feat in itself, with heavy machinery used to hoist Lydia from the water in order to fit the tracking device . Lydia was tagged by the Ocearch project, which aims to monitor sharks to learn more about their movements . She has swum more than 19,000 miles since a tracking device was fitted to her near Florida as part of the Ocearch scientific project. She is currently near the mid-Atlantic ridge and researchers tracking her progress said she has travelled 380miles in just 72 hours. 'She technically does not cross the . Atlantic until she crosses the mid-Atlantic ridge, which she has yet to . do,’ said Dr Gregory Skomal, senior fisheries biologist with . Massachusetts Marine Fisheries. He believes she is closer to Europe than North America. Lydia has swum 380-miles in just 72 hours and is currently near the mid-Atlantic ridge (marked). If she swims over the mid-Atlantic range then she will be the first recorded great white to cross the Atlantic Ocean . The shark has travelled more than 19,000 miles since a tracking device was fitted to her near Florida as part of the Ocearch scientific project . In transit: Lydia is currently near the mid-Atlantic ridge - Dr Gregory Skomal says she technically does not cross the Atlantic until she crosses the ridge . 'We have no idea how far she will go, but Europe, the Med, and the coast of Africa are all feasible,' Dr Skomal said. The act of tagging the shark, let alone predicting where it will travel, was a feat in itself. A 75,000lb hydraulic platform was used to hoist Lydia from the water in order to fit the tracking device. Though Lydia's journey is impressive, great whites are known for their marathon migrations. In 2003 a great white nicknamed Nicole travelled from South Africa to Australia and back - a some 12,400 miles. In recent years there have been several sightings of Great whites off the coast of Britain. In September last year, fisherman David Bond said he had spotted a 14ft beast swimming close to his boat off the coast of Looe in southern Cornwall. The suspected sighting came just a day after a fisherman on board a lobster boat said he spotted a 'giant shark' get close to his vessel. All those who witnessed the shark dismissed the idea it could be a basking shark, saying the creature was much larger, prompting experts to consider the possibility it was a Great white. Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish in the world, reaching up to 20ft in length and more than 4,400lb in weight. Satelitte tracking of the giant species has afforded researchers and scientists more accurate information about their habits and long-distance journeys. The OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker Project has tagged around 100 sharks since 2009. The study has shown that Great whites can travel up to 3,000 miles in three months. They . are traditionally tracked off the coasts of South Africa, Australia, . New Zealand, the west coast of America from California up to Alaska, the . Gulf coast and Hawaii. The . creatures have a ferocious reputation but are respsonsible for between a . third and a half of the average 100 shark attacks across the world each . year. They are highly adapted predators, detecting a single drop of blood in 100 litres of water up to three miles away. Their mouths are lined with around 300 serrated teeth, arranged across several rows. Gathering . speed and approaching their prey from beneath, Great whites can leap . clear of the water, breaching like whales to attack. They commonly feed on sea lions, seals, small toothed whales, and sea turtles. The predators live for up to 25 years and eat around 11 tonnes of food each year. If food is scarce, the sharks will try to avoid fighting, instead engaging in a tail-slapping contest along the surface of the water. The winner delivers the most slaps. Scientists . do not have a reliable idea of the species' population across the . world, but agree their number are decreasing due to overfishing and . sharks being caught accidentally in nets. They are listed as an endangered species. | Lydia, a satellite-tagged 15ft, 2,000lb great white, is currently 1,000 miles from the coast of Cornwall and Ireland .
She has swam 380 miles in 72 hours and is near the mid-Atlantic ridge .
If she swims over the mid-Atlantic range she will be the first recorded great white to cross the Atlantic . |
174c08bac6baf8659e92cdadd8d08aaed1f2dc6f | Talk about playing hard to get! A combative female hare boxes away a would-be suitor in the snow-dusted Scottish Highlands as the mating season gets under way. Professional wildlife photographer Andy Rouse, who captured this aggressive ritual in the Cairngorms, said: ‘The two mountain hares were sitting down and chilling out about 20 yards apart when all of a sudden one got up, ran over and punched the other.’ A combative female hare boxes away a would-be suitor in Scotland as the mating season gets under way . The annual ritual was once thought to be a contest for dominance between males. But it is, in fact, a battle of the sexes in which females – who tend to be heftier than the males – weed out unsuitable partners . The hares boxed backwards and forwards for ten minutes before one gave up and was chased away. ‘They were dancing,’ Mr Rouse said. ‘Their arms were moving so fast, you couldn’t see the punch clearly. ‘But their claws were out and they really meant it.’ The annual ritual, which gave rise to the saying ‘mad as a March hare’, was once thought to be a contest for dominance between males. But it is, in fact, a battle of the sexes in which females – who tend to be heftier than the males – weed out unsuitable partners. Only those bucks strong enough to last the bruising round will be considered a worthy mate. As they square up to each other and attempt to stare each other out these two competitors demonstrate one of the animal world's more hare-raising mating rituals . | Combative female hare pictured boxing away a would-be suitor in Scotland .
Pictures were taken by professional wildlife photographer Andy Rouse .
Annual mountain hare ritual captured on camera in a snowy Cairngorms .
Ritual gave rise to the saying ‘mad as a March hare’ and was once thought to be a contest for male dominance - but is actually a battle of the sexes . |
174cf1e044a2493cc998cbed0c8ea063f560560f | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Jeff Walker says from as far back as he can remember, he always wanted to be a father. Jeff Walker, with his two daughters, tried to adopt, but ultimately turned to surogacy to build a family. "It was always something I knew, from the time I was a child." Just like his 3-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who says she wants to be a mommy someday, Jeff says, "I knew I wanted to be a daddy." Walker, a Manhattan music executive, says he and his partner had talked about adopting a baby years ago. But after three emotionally draining, failed attempts at adoption, they decided to turn to surrogacy. They contacted Circle Surrogacy, a Boston agency that specializes in gay clients. Their child was conceived with a donor egg, and then the embryo implanted in the surrogate, or carrier. After Elizabeth was born, Walker and his partner separated. He then made a critical decision -- to become a dad again, single, and by choice. "I realized my family, my two-dad family was going to look different than I thought it was going to look," he said. Without a partner, he would face even steeper challenges raising Elizabeth and a sibling alone. Walker says he gave the decision a lot of thought. "That was the only part that was really controversial, because I do think there are a lot of challenges that single parents face, but at the same time I felt I was capable of handling those challenges," he said. His second daughter, Alexandra, was born two years ago to the same surrogate, implanted with an egg from a different donor. Walker, 45, is one of a growing number of single men -- both gay and straight -- who are opting to become fathers alone, with the help of gestational surrogacy. Surrogacy experts say because the practice is not regulated, many surrogacy arrangements are handled privately by individuals. Precise figures are hard to come by, but experts say there's no doubt the United States is experiencing a surrogacy baby boom. Celebrities like Ricky Martin and Clay Aiken announced this year they had had babies with the help of surrogates and the the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, representing scores of reproductive clinics, reports that the number of gestational surrogate births in the country quadrupled between 1996 and 2006. Watch more on the surrogacy boom » . Surrogacy experts say gestational surrogacy has increased steadily since the advent of in vitro fertilization in the early 1980s, because it provides an extra layer of emotional and legal protection for the client. The egg donor usually does not even know the client, and unlike the legally contentious "Baby M" case from the 1980s, the surrogate is not giving birth to her genetic child. "It rises as an issue far less frequently with gestational surrogacy, because women never see it as their child to begin with," said John Weltman, president of Circle Surrogacy. His agency, which expects more than 70 babies to be born in 2009, has seen a 50 percent growth in the number of single male clients over the past year. Walker and other men are willing to pay well over $100,000 to have a baby through surrogacy -- the final cost depending on the number of IVF treatments necessary and how much is paid by insurance. Circle is not the only major surrogacy provider experiencing a single-dad surge. At Growing Generations, a Los Angeles, California, agency that facilitates about 100 births a year, the number of single men seeking surrogates has doubled in the past three years, spokeswoman Erica Bowers said. Although most of their single male clients are gay, surrogacy providers say a smaller but growing number are straight. Steven Harris, a New York malpractice and personal-injury attorney, says he gave up trying to get married when he realized his primary motive was to start a family. Harris, 54, says he knew he made the right decision after 21-month old Ben was born. "I thought getting married was the only way to go, because I did want a family. But having Ben, I feel complete now," Harris says. | Single men who want children find surrogate births better option than adoption .
Most such fathers are gay, but straight men use surrogacy as well .
Clay Aiken, Ricky Martin are high-profile single dads who used surrogates .
Surrogate doesn't provide egg, making it less likely she'll see child as hers . |
174e51e4c53b2a28d8a988639e0f8603a94d441e | Ian Bell hit an imperious century to become England's highest one-day international run-scorer and leave Australia with a chase of 304 at the Bellerive Oval. Bell made 141 in 125 balls at the head of the innings, making another eloquent case for the role of authentic batsmanship in the 50-over format. His was a typically classy effort, peppered with crisp drives and exquisite placement, and took him past Paul Collingwood's previous English record of 5,092 runs. Ian Bell hit a century against Australia to move past Paul Collingwood's previous record of 5,092 runs . Warwickshire-born Bell is only the second Englishman to surpass 5,000 ODI runs for his country . But although England's 303 for eight was a good riposte having been asked to bat first, a return of 59 for five in the last 10 overs was an underwhelming end to proceedings. While Bell and Joe Root (69) can reflect on a job well done, captain Eoin Morgan is having a tougher time. Less then 24 hours after the revelation of a lurid blackmail plot against him, England's new captain was snared for a golden duck. Bell's form on tour has been largely excellent, with 187 in a warm-up match against the Prime Minister's XI and an effortless 88 not out in victory over India. New captain Eoin Morgan is bowled out after just one ball against Australia, 24 hours after being blackmailed . Bell (right) celebrates with England team-mate Joe Root (left) as he scores his century against Australia . Player, Matches, Inns, Runs . Ian Bell, 153, 149, 5136 . Paul Collingwood, 197, 181, 5092 . Alec Stewart, 170, 162, 4677 . Kevin Pietersen, 134, 123, 4422 . Marcus Trescothick, 123, 122, 4335 . Graham Gooch, 125, 122, 4290 . Andrew Strauss, 127, 126, 4205 . Allan Lamb, 122, 118, 4010 . Graeme Hick, 120, 118, 3846 . Nick Knight, 100, 100, 3637 . The only black mark was falling first ball of the match in the first game against Australia. And history almost repeated itself as he failed to control Mitchell Starc's opening delivery and was fortunate his mis-hit did not go to hands. After that he unloaded a series of early boundaries, including three in Starc's second over as he became just the second Englishman to reach 5,000 ODI runs. The Warwickshire man even managed to draw some reluctant applause from the locals with an effortless back-foot drive for four. Moeen Ali was a virtual passenger in the opening exchanges but exploded to life in the ninth over with three consecutive sixes off Pat Cummins. The first crept over the mid-wicket rope, the second cleared it comfortably and the third was carried over the line by long-leg fielder Shaun Marsh as he attempted to hang on to a near-impossible catch. Having been 39 for four at the 10-over mark in Sydney, England were now 69 without loss. The end of fielding restrictions stemmed the flow of boundaries but Bell's intuitive ability to locate gaps ensured the hundred stand came at better than a run per ball. Ali fell for a hit-and-miss 46, deceived by James Faulkner after stepping down the track, while James Taylor lasted 14 awkward balls before lofting Moises Henriques to mid-off. Bell's century helped England to leave Australia with a chase of 304 after batting first . Bell's only life came on 80, Brad Haddin grassing a thick edge off Faulkner, and he quickly reeled in Collingwood's record and his own hundred. His latest partner, Root, was scoring busily at the other end and the pair went on to add 121 for the third wicket. Bell managed a first six with nine overs to go, Cummins again going all the way, but had run out of steam by the time he lofted Gurinder Sandhu to Starc at mid-off. Morgan was next in and failed to banish his recent troubles by nicking his first ball from Sandhu. England never regained their momentum, Root unable to last the course and Ravi Bopara bowled round his legs, while Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes were run out from the last two balls of the innings. England's Ravi Bopara bats for England against Australia . | Ian Bell broke Paul Collingwood's record of 5,092 runs for England .
England left Australia with a chase of 304 after batting first .
Eoin Morgan was targeted by an alleged blackmailer before the match .
The new England captain was snared for a golden duck . |
174f981c82c5b075e55fc59eb15326dca9521303 | Cesc Fabregas admits he will always feel like a Gunner - despite a £30million move to Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea this summer. The Spain playmaker has hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge, laying on four assists for his new team-mates already this season. And - after leaving boyhood club Barcelona - Fabregas is looking forward to returning to his former north London stomping ground, albeit in the blue of Chelsea. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Fabregas and Costa have been the signings of the summer . Change of scenery: Midfielder Cesc Fabregas moved to Chelsea for £30million from Barcelona this summer . Fond: But Fabregas, who played for Arsenal for eight seasons, says he will 'always feel like a Gunner' Poignant: Fabregas (pictured) is looking forward to returning to the Emirates and says it will be 'special' Joy: Spanish midfielder Fabregas (left) celebrates a Chelsea goal against Everton earlier this season . 'I will always feel a Gunner and I know that I am going to return to [the Emirates Stadium] and I feel that it will be a special moment but I am committed,' Fabregas told El Pais. 'Remember that I played a Champions League final against Barcelona. I swear to you that I would have done anything to win that game even though I’d been Barcelona since I was a kid. 'So you know that when I play against Arsenal I will know who I am playing with, who my teammates are and who I will defend and I know that the Arsenal fans will understand; I have no doubt.' The midfielder had a number of run-ins with Chelsea during his previous spell in England, and was more surprised than anyone to end up in blue. He said: 'If you’d told me five years ago that I would play for Chelsea and Mourinho I would not have believed you, but life changes. 'I spoke with my agent and told him to find me a team. Chelsea’s offer arrived and for me it was about returning to London, the place where I did best. 'There was no better exit. I spoke with Mourinho and he told me things that I needed to hear. I felt valued, felt that I was going to be part of something important.' Wanted: Fabregas says he moved to Chelsea because they showed an interest and made him feel wanted . Rivals: Former Arsenal midfielder Fabregas moved to the gunners' London rivals Chelsea this summer . VIDEO Costa and Fabregas have been the signings of the summer - Beasant . | Cesc Fabregas has claimed that he will 'always feel like a Gunner'
Spaniard moved to Chelsea from Barcelona for £30m this summer .
The 27-year-old played for Arsenal for eight seasons from 2003-2011 .
Midfielder says he did not see himself playing for Chelsea five years ago .
Fabregas also claims he did not see himself playing under Jose Mourinho .
But Fabregas insists he 'felt valued' by Chelsea so chose to move there .
He also revealed that he is looking forward to returning to the Emirates . |
174fa4808e55bea4e1722ad5922df7b10abc43a5 | By . Rebecca Evans . and Nick Pisa . PUBLISHED: . 04:28 EST, 20 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:02 EST, 20 May 2012 . Torn in half, this is the precarious remnant of a medieval bell tower that stood for 700 years in testimony to Italy’s historic and cultural heritage. The 13th century Torre dei Modenesi was ripped apart by an earthquake which struck in the early hours yesterday, killing at least six and injuring 50. It later collapsed completely after a strong aftershock. In the town of Finale Emilia, as well as the bell tower, the 11th century Castello delle Rocche was damaged and the 14th century Palazzo dei Veneziani partially collapsed. Scroll down for video . Crumbling down: An old tower collapsed after the earthquake in Finale Emilia . Destroyed: A fireman hoses down a fire next to a crashed building in Finale Emilia, Modena . Destruction: Firemen recover a painting from a destroyed church in the village of San Carlo after the earthquake today in the densely populated Modena province . Torn up: A woman holds her child in front Sant'Agostino town hall which was ripped down the middle by the earthquake sending bricks flying and opening rooms to the elements . Mayor Fernando Ferioli was in tears as he said: ‘It’s terrible – a thousand years of history gone in just a few seconds.’ The tremor, which measured 6.0 on the Richter scale, was the worst to hit north-east Italy since the 1300s. Among the dead was a woman of 103, killed in her bed by a falling roof beam, and four factory workers who were on nightshifts. The quake has caused significant damage to the country’s historic buildings, the government said. Churches, castles, palaces and frescos have been destroyed. Buildings of architectural importance severely damaged include a 15th-century castle in the Roman citadel of San Felice sul Panaro and Sant’ Agostino’s Renaissance town hall. Fatal: Carabinieri paramilitary police officers stand beside the body of a woman after the earthquake in Sant' Agostino near Ferrara . Salvage: A firefighter helps guide a crane during the recovery of a painting from a destroyed church in the village of San Carlo (left) and another checks a crucifix that fell from a church roof in Crevalcore near Bologna after the strong earthquake rocked a large swathe of northern Italy . Reactions: Civil protection chief Franco Gabrielli (centre left) answers question in badly damaged Finale Emilia following a powerful earthquake that shook Italy's industrial and densely populated north east early today killing at least six people - and a woman in Sant'Agostino with her partner cries following the quake which was one of the worst to hit north east Italy in hundreds of years . Destroyed: Huge piles of bricks fell from buildings during the quake in the town of Finale Emilia, Modena as homes and property were wrecked . Gaping: The quake caused a giant hole in town hall building . Traumatic: People had to wait outside their homes when aftershocks hit Finale Emila village in Italy's Modena province today after an earthquake that claimed six lives . Infirm: Patients at a hospital for the elderly lie on the ground to receive first aid following the earthquake . Alberto Silvestri, mayor of San Felice sul Panaro, said: ‘We have lost practically all our artistic patrimony. Churches and towers have collapsed.’ The 20-second earthquake struck at 4.04am around 20 miles north of Bologna, centred on the historic town of Modena, home to the Ferrari car firm and the late opera star Luciano Pavarotti. The area is noted for its culinary specialities, which include Parmesan cheese and Parma ham. Hundreds of terrified residents fled their homes and hospitals were evacuated. Refuge: Elderly people take shelter after being evacuated to a sports centre in Finale Emilia . Emergency: Rescuers worked as fast as possible to evacuate the injured and transport them to hospitals . Response: Firemen assess the scene as an ambulance waits to take casualties to hospital . Hellp: Rescuers put a victim on an ambulance car's stretcher . Out of harm's way: Rescue workers carry a woman on a stretcher to safety . Preparing for casualties: Rescue workers set up a field hospital near the heavily-damaged Castello delle Rocche . The first quake was followed by an aftershock of 5.1 around 12 hours later. Tremors were felt in Milan and Venice, and as far away as the regions bordering France in the west and Slovenia to the east.Officials from the Consorzio Grana Padana and Parmigiano, which supervises the production of Parmesan, said that at least 300,000 wheels of cheese had been destroyed at a cost of more than £200million. British journalist Frankie Thompson, who was in Bologna, said: ‘I was woken at around 4am by the quake. Church bells were set off spontaneously, followed by an eerie silence.’ Pope Benedict XVI, in his traditional Sunday appearance from St Peter’s Square at the Vatican in Rome, prayed for mercy for the dead and relief for the injured. Devastation: Rubble from a crashed building is cordoned off in a street in Finale Emilia . Destruction: The 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck northern Italy, near Bologna . Crash site: A rescue worker patrols in front of a collapsed ceramics factory building . Mangled metal: A toppled silo at a factory struck by the devastating earthquake . Fallen masonry: Debris lies on the ground in front of a church in Burana . | 6.0-magnitude quake is one of the strongest to shake northern Italy .
Epicentre was about 22 miles north of Bologna .
Four of the dead were factory workers on overnight shifts when their buildings collapsed .
Two women died of heart attacks sparked by fear of the tremor .
Nearly 12 hours after the quake a sharp aftershock caused more damage . |
1751f693c4e3f2d8e2174406bbfe9f93447765b9 | MAMONI VALLEY PRESERVE, Panama (CNN) -- A famed primatologist says the plight of chimpanzees helped inspire Michael Jackson to write the song "Heal the World." Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees, said Jane Goodall: "They made him smile." But the theme and the lyrics of the song turned out to be about a better world for humanity. "He wrote what he told me he thought was his most powerful song ever, but it didn't end up for animals," Jane Goodall said in a CNN interview Thursday night. Goodall spoke exclusively to CNN in a Panamanian rain forest where she is exploring a partnership on behalf of Roots & Shoots, her global youth education program. The interview comes as a new version of the song, first released on Jackson's 1991 "Dangerous" album, is being recorded by a collection of artists for release in late October. Goodall became friends with Jackson about 20 years ago when he invited her to his Neverland Ranch, where "he talked about his dreams for the place to have animals running, looking free like they would in the wild. ... It was just a very charming day, very low key, nobody else was there," she said. Goodall, famous for her 50 years of groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Africa, said Jackson invited her because "he loved what I did." "He loved chimpanzees," she said. "He loved to watch them feeding. He liked their faces. They made him smile." Years later, she met Jackson's chimp, Bubbles, and has visited him at his retirement refuge in Florida, she said. "He's extremely handsome," she said. "He's a beautiful, beautiful chimp. So, he was rescued in time from this life of being inappropriately dressed up and carted around like a little symbol." Goodall, whose life has been spent understanding chimpanzees, said she found Jackson to be "a sad person." "In some ways, he was like a child, and a very sweet and gentle child, and he wanted me to tell him many, many stories," she said. "Stories about the chimpanzees, the forests, animals, anything. He told me he liked the way I told stories." Goodall, who travels the world to promote protection of endangered chimps, said she had hoped Jackson would help get her message out. "I said to him, 'You know, Michael, if you want to help, you could do a concert and give us a percentage. Or much better, write a song,' " she said. Jackson asked her for tapes of animals in distress because "he wanted to be angry and cry" as he wrote the song, which became "Heal the World," she said. The original CD cover notes credited Goodall for inspiring the song, she said. But, she added, the Jane Goodall Institute never saw any money from the song. Jackson later created the "Heal the World Foundation," which he funded with a series of concerts. The group delivered millions of dollars of relief to children around the world. | Jane Goodall says Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees .
Jackson wrote "Heal the World" to call attention to chimpanzees' problems .
Song became a call to peace for humanity .
Goodall said she found Jackson to be a "sad person" |
175276650b930654c248d8bedc71fa5164db7222 | Britain’s spending on legal aid dwarfs that of every other country in Europe, a report revealed yesterday. At £2billion a year, it is 20 times the European average and more than seven times the amount spent by France or Germany. The Government is pushing through controversial reforms to cut the bloated legal aid budget but the report, by the Council of Europe, warns that this could breach criminals’ human rights. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling is forcing defence barristers in the most expensive criminal trials to accept cuts of nearly a third in publicly-funded fees . The Council, which covers human rights in 47 countries and oversees the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, found that the average spending per nation on legal aid in 2012 was £96million. But for England and Wales the amount spent on providing free legal help was £2billion, way above the next highest, the Netherlands at £378million, France on £288million and Germany on £270million. The figure for England and Wales works out at £32.55 per head of population – only Norway and Northern Ireland spend more. It was five times the European average of £6.76. France spent £4.39, Germany £3.36 and Spain just 62p. The Council of Europe’s 545-page study commented: ‘Decisions have been taken to reduce the budget of legal aid in England and Wales as a consequence of the economic and financial crisis, though such legal aid systems continue to be among the most generous in Europe.’ But it warned that cuts may not be ‘consistent with the requirement and spirit of the European Convention on Human Rights.’ Last year the Coalition slashed annual legal aid spending on civil and family cases by £350million. Ministers have faced a wave of opposition from the legal profession over plans to strip a further £215million a year from criminal cases by 2018-19. People with more than £37,500 of disposable income a year will no longer qualify for legal aid and Justice Secretary Chris Grayling is forcing defence barristers in the most expensive criminal trials to accept cuts of nearly a third in publicly-funded fees. Lawyers have staged a series of strikes and protests at the reforms, claiming justice could be undermined. Campaigners argue they will lead to a shortage of qualified defence lawyers. Earlier this year, a £5million fraud trial was halted when the Prime Minister’s brother, Alex Cameron QC, claimed the defendants could not get a fair trial as barristers were not willing to take on their defence for lowered fees. In May, however, the Appeal Court ruled it must go ahead. The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, said the total spending on the judicial system in 2012 – around £4.3billion – worked out at less than £1.57 per person per week. But Conservative MP Dominic Raab said: ‘With British taxpayers shelling out the highest amount of money on legal aid in Europe, the latest whinge from Strasbourg makes no sense. A cynic might say they are more worried about the gravy train of cases they feed off, than offering an accurate picture of our justice system.’ A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘We have always said that we had one of the most expensive legal aid systems. ‘In the challenging financial climate, we had to find ways of reducing the burden on hardworking taxpayers whilst still ensuring those most in need of a legally aided lawyer have access to one. ‘Our plans achieve that, and even after reform we will still have a very generous system at around £1.5billion a year.’ Figures released by the Ministry of Justice showed more than 1,000 lawyers are paid over £100,000 a year by taxpayers to appear in criminal courts. The Council of Europe report found that the UK had one of the highest numbers of lawyers and questioned why our Supreme Court judges are among the highest paid. In 2012 they earned £201,000 a year, nearly eight times the average UK salary. The Council also pointed out a severe lack of women judges in the UK – in 2012 only Armenia and Azerbaijan had fewer. In Slovenia, women make up 78 per cent of the judiciary, in Latvia 77 per cent and France 64 per cent. In Britain is it less than 25 per cent. | Britain’s spending on legal aid dwarfs that of every other country in Europe .
It is 20 times European average and more than seven times that of Germany .
Average spending per nation on legal aid in 2012 was £96million .
Government pushing through controversial reforms to cut legal aid budget .
Council of Europe warns that this could breach criminals’ human rights . |
1752cb95e2a8dae7326df69de003ce11cc104ee7 | Obamacare is expected to increase patient demand for medical services. Combine that with a worsening shortage of doctors, and next year you may have to wait a little longer to get a doctor's appointment. And the crowded emergency room may become even more so. There are approximately 48 million uninsured people in the United States. When the mandatory insurance rules of Obamacare kick in next year, and a couple dozen states expand who is eligible for Medicaid, you can bet more people are going to want to use their health benefits. In fact, so many people were anxious to get access to health insurance -- many for the first time -- when the insurance marketplaces opened Tuesday, more than a dozen of the websites experienced technical glitches. Obamacare open enrollment: Everything you need to know . Dr. Ryan A. Stanton is worried that this coming flood of newly insured patients may crash the U.S. health care system as well. Stanton works at the emergency room at the busy Georgetown Community Hospital right outside of Lexington, Kentucky. While he sees trauma cases often, a good number of the patients he sees don't involve trauma. They're the uninsured who can't afford to pay for a regular doctor's visit -- so they use the emergency room instead. "People turn to the ER because they have no other place to go after hours or they don't have access to a level of appropriate primary care," Stanton said. "The ER has become the safety net of our health care system. We can't turn anyone away like a doctor's office could. ... I worry though with (Obamacare) this will significantly increase patient volume." There is already a national shortage of doctors, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. We're down about 20,000 now, and the number is expected to get worse as nearly half the nation's physicians are over age 50 -- meaning many are at or near retirement age. And it's not just doctors who are in short supply; we also need more nurses, according to the American Medical Association. "Keep in mind the Affordable Care Act didn't create this crisis," said Dr. Reid Blackwelder, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. "We've got an aging population that needs more care and a growing population." Government shutdown forces clinical trial patients to wait . A study in the Annals of Family Medicine journal projected the country will need 52,000 more primary care physicians by 2025. Most of those extra doctors are needed because of projected population growth. But the problem also begins in training; only one in five graduating medical residents plan to go into primary care, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. Stanton said he might have been interested in primary care rather than emergency care, but the lower pay kept him away. Doctors on average graduate with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt. Specialists make more money. "Primary care is the backbone of our medical system, but most people I know in medical school can't afford to go that route," Stanton said. If the popularity of the insurance marketplaces on the first day they opened is any sign, there will be a lot more people in Kentucky fighting to get a doctor's attention. Problems plagued the Kentucky exchange site until midafternoon, but still more than 1,200 people had purchased policies or enrolled in Medicaid by the end of the day, according to a spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. "I think of (Obamacare) as giving everyone an ATM card in a town where there are no ATM machines," Stanton said. "The coming storm of patients means when they can't get in to see a primary care physician, even more people will end up with me in the emergency room." What happened in Massachusetts in 2006 when the state's mandated health insurance rules went into effect illustrates the impending national problem. When the Massachusetts law kicked in, wait times to get an appointment at primary care physicians' offices increased significantly, and they've remained high ever since, according to an annual survey from the Massachusetts Medical Society. And Massachusetts has the second highest physician-to-population ratio of any state. When patients couldn't get doctor's appointments they once again turned to emergency rooms. A Harvard study found all 11 of the emergency rooms that researchers studied in Massachusetts became busier after the law went into effect. The Affordable Care Act does try to address some of the problems. There's an additional $1.5 billion in funding allotted for the National Health Services Corps, which provides support to health care professionals in exchange for their service in areas with a shortage (physician numbers are particularly stretched thin in rural areas). The law also puts more money toward training in hopes of increasing the primary care workforce. It offers more graduate positions for primary care doctors and more scholarships. It even offers a 10% bonus to primary care doctors who agree to see Medicare patients through 2015. The law's emphasis on coverage for preventive care may also mean fewer people will need to visit doctors for more serious issues down the road. Blackwelder is optimistic that this problem will be the prompt the system needs to address these long-standing issues with our medical system. He admits, though, that he's a "glass-half-full kind of guy." He suggests existing technology could help. Not all patients actually need to see him personally; if there is a way to set up an online system so patients could access records, e-mail simple questions or request prescription refills, that would cut down on the amount of time they'd have to spend in his office. Blackwelder also thinks a team approach would be more productive in health care practices -- something many hospitals are already trying to adopt. "In Kingsport, Tennessee, where I work, I'm happy to see patients, but we also have a health department or retail clinics that people could go to for their flu shots or other treatments," Blackwelder said. "And if we maintained good communication with those other providers we could also avoid duplication of services and increase our overall effectiveness." Qualified nurse practitioners might also be able to lighten some of the primary care physicians' load, as would physician assistants if such practices are allowed. But in some states that are already desperate for doctors, such as Mississippi, nurse practitioners must legally practice under the guidance of a physician. Why your waiter has an MD . Other solutions could include opening more residency slots for doctors. Blackwelder said he'd also love to see universities discount tuition for students who studied primary care. "I'd love for them to say to a student, 'I hear you are interested in primary care,' and present them with a bill with only zeros on it," he said. "And then say to people who were going into a specialty, 'Here's your tuition bill,' with a number in front of all those zeros." People were worried the health care system would be overwhelmed when Medicare and Medicaid started in the 1960s too, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear told CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, but the system adapted. "I understand there is a sense of worry, and change can be scary, but our present system is broken," Blackwelder said. "We pay twice as much for our health in this country and have worse outcomes than other countries. "We will have to start coming up with creative solutions to this problem -- ones that won't have to wait for an act from Congress." | Approximately 48 million people are currently uninsured in the United States .
There is a physician shortage, and experts say more primary care doctors are needed .
When Massachusetts mandated health insurance for residents, wait times increased .
Technology, team care may help in handling the influx of patients, doctor says . |
1753184246ad4e5ddc9d57a34b61731d38ecae3e | Beijing (CNN) -- A van carrying flammable liquid rammed into a bus in China early Saturday, sparking an explosion that left 43 people dead, state media reported. Both drivers were among the fatalities in the accident in Hunan Province, according to Xinhua news agency. Another person in the van was also killed. Six people were injured, four seriously, according to state-run CCTV. The fate of the other passengers is unclear. The bus had a capacity of 53 people, Xinhua said. The accident destroyed five cars. Authorities extinguished the fire, but a rescue effort is under way. CCTV also reported that the bus operator was blacklisted by local authorities for violating safety rules. | NEW: Six people are injured .
The accident occurred in Hunan Province .
A rescue effort is ongoing . |
17531b5e8468d5b4755d9b57e6e8b2c1e79e4c74 | New York (CNN) -- Evelyn Lauder, a member of the Estee Lauder cosmetic company who helped create the pink ribbon symbol for breast cancer awareness, died Saturday in New York City. She was 75. Lauder died from complications of ovarian cancer at her home with her family by her side, the company said. The Vienna, Austria, native fled Nazi-occupied Europe with her parents, eventually settling in New York City. As a college freshman, she was introduced to the man she would marry, Leonard A. Lauder, the son of Estee and Joseph Lauder, who co-founded the cosmetics company. Lauder joined the family business and rose to be senior corporate vice president and head of fragrance development worldwide. Perhaps best known as an advocate for women's health, Lauder helped to create the pink ribbon, the now ubiquitous symbol for breast cancer awareness. She is survived by her husband, two sons and five grandchildren. "My mother carried the torch of our company heritage and the values that were passed to her by my grandmother, Mrs. Estee Lauder," her son, William Lauder, said in a statement. "My mother and father were life partners as well as business partners. They nurtured the culture and growth of the Estee Lauder companies, and as we grew, my mother was our creative compass and pillar of strength. Together my family and the company celebrate the beautiful person she was." | Evelyn Lauder dies from complications of ovarian cancer .
Lauder helped create the pink ribbon as a symbol of breast cancer awareness .
She is survived by her husband, two sons and five grandchildren . |
17533c673e258f7aad3abf6e0685d63ad4c13193 | Washington (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain, who has held onto his Senate seat for 30 years, seems hesitant to let it go in the next 2016 election. The Arizona senator, who will be 80 years old that year, told reporters on Thursday that he is "strongly considering" and "leaning towards" another reelection bid. "We were talking to our longtime supporters -- many of whom have been with us for many years and we're grateful for their support -- about the options, and what we see as the future of the party in Washington and here in Arizona," McCain said after an event at the Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix, according to the Arizona Republic. "We're getting a lot of their input as to whether I should run for re-election or not. They know that I am seriously considering it, and leaning towards it." While his supporters think he has enough steam for another term, McCain said it would be "a very, very tough campaign." He has been heavily criticized by conservatives for sticking closer to the center than with them. The Arizona Republic reports that the state's Republican Party targeted McCain earlier this year for "being too liberal," especially with immigration reform. If he decides to throw his hat in the ring, McCain knows the campaign trail will be bumpy. "Oh, I think you can certainly anticipate it," McCain said. "If you're going to win a campaign, you have to plan for all scenarios, including significant primary opposition. I wouldn't like to see it, obviously. Unfortunately, we don't conduct campaigns by unanimous consent." With a tough primary potentially ahead of him, McCain said he will announce his decision in early 2015. "We've got to get going early next year," he said. "We have to prepare, as we always do. Every campaign I've been in, I've said, 'Look, this is going to be the toughest.' You have to assume that. We've seen, historically, that people who take anything for granted, then they put that election in jeopardy. I've never done that." | Sen. John McCain says he's 'seriously considering' running for re-election .
Warns that the campaign will be "very, very, tough," starting with the GOP primary .
McCain will announce his decision in early 2015 . |
17533dead1ca9f58cc10527e306179efea36edd6 | A six-year-old transgender girl has won the right to use the girls restroom at her school in Colorado. The decision was made by the Colorado Civil Rights Division on Sunday that the Fountain-Fort Carson School District created an unnecessarily hostile situation for Coy Mathis by not allowing her to use the female bathroom. Transgender advocates are hailing the decision as a major step forward for transgender rights. By not allowing Coy to use the girls' restroom, the Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain 'creates an environment rife with harassment,' Steven Chavez, the division director, wrote in the decision. Winner: The Colorado Civil Rights Division has ruled in favor of six-year-old Coy Mathis, whose school had barred her from using the girls bathroom at her elementary school because she is transgender . Push: A psychologist confirmed that Coy was transgender and her passport lists her as female . The Denver Post reported that the New York-based Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund will be holding a news conference Monday to explain the decision affecting Coy Mathis. Coy Mathis, who was born male but has identified as female since the age of four, was barred from using the girls' restroom at Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain, Colorado in December. Mathis' parents, Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis, filed a complaint through the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund in February. Prior to the complaint, the . first-grader, who dresses as a girl and is recognized as female on her . passport and state-issued ID, had experienced no issue using the girls . bathrooms. Back to school: Coy Mathis, 6, pictured with her brother, will be returning to school now that the civil rights case has been ruled in her favor . 'She would use the girls restrooms, . she would be called a girl, she would go in the girls lines,' Mrs . Mathis told Katie Couric in an episode of Katie dedicated to the issue. But a year after making the transition at school, the . Fountain-Fort Carson School District informed Coy's parents that she . would be barred from using the girl's restrooms after the winter break. Explaining the chain of events, Mr Mathis said: 'We got a call one evening, it was the principal and . he said he wanted to set up a meeting with us to discuss options for . Coy's future use of the restroom. Trapped inside the wrong body: Coy Mathis made the transition from boy to girl aged four . Uncomfortable: Coy's parents said before she made the transition from boy to girl she refused to go outside and play with her friends because she didn't want to wear boys' clothing . 'It came out that Coy was no longer . going to be able to use the girl's restroom and they were going to . require her to be using the boy's room or the staff bathroom or the . bathroom for the sick children. 'We didn't know why... we had no idea where this was coming from.' After receiving the news, the couple, who have five children under eight, took all of their children out of Eagleside Elementary School and filed a complaint with the state's civil rights division. But W Kelly Dude, the lawyer for Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, told CNN that the school 'took into account not only Coy but . other students in the building, their parents, and the future impact a . boy with male genitals using a girls' bathroom would have as Coy grew . older... Fighting for her rights: Coy, left, plays with her sister Auri, two, at home in Fountain, Colorado . Early signs: Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis started to realize that their son was drawn towards 'everything girl' when he was just 18-months old . 'I'm certain you can appreciate that as Coy grows older and his . male genitals develop along with the rest of his body, at least some . parents and students are likely to become uncomfortable with his . continued use of the girls' restroom,' he added. The Mathis' case was the first to . challenge restrictions on a transgender person’s bathroom use under . Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws. Mrs Mathis said that Coy was just 18-months-old when she started being drawn towards 'everything girl'. Herself: Coy's parents said she seemed 'uncomfortable being a boy' Some of her favorite items included a fairy flower dress with a matching tutu and a Dora the Explorer bathing suit. 'It was starting to be obvious to us that Coy was really uncomfortable being a boy,' Mrs Mathis recalled. 'He wanted to know when we were going . to take him to the doctor so that they would give him girl parts so . that his body would be a girl.' It reached breaking-point when Coy refused to leave the house because she didn't want to change into boys' clothes. Happy family: Coy Mathis (right, with pink hair), her parents Kathryn and Jeremy, and her siblings, are celebrating their win in the Colorado Civil Rights Division court . All smiles: When Coy, middle, was just 18-months-old, some of her favorite items were more feminine, including a fairy flower dress with a matching tutu and a Dora the Explorer bathing suit . A psychologist confirmed that Coy was . transgender and when she was four years old her parents let her 'be who . she was' and she made the transition from boy to girl. 'This ruling sends a loud and clear message that transgender students may not be targeted for discrimination and that they must be treated equally in school,' said the Fund's executive director Michael Silverman. 'It is a victory for Coy and a triumph for fairness.' Coy was being home-school pending the legal decision. 'Schools should not discriminate against their students, and we are thrilled that Coy can return to school and put this behind her,' Kathryn Mathis, Coy's mother, said in a statement. 'All we ever wanted was for Coy's school to treat her the same as other little girls. We are extremely happy that she now will be treated equally.' | A Colorado transgender girl, Coy Mathis, 6, has won the right to use the female restrooms at her elementary school in a civil rights case .
Transgender advocates are hailing the win as a 'victory for fairness'
Coy Mathis was being home-schooled pending the decision and will now return to school at Eagleside Elementary in Fountain . |
1753b098a76600dbeda3022254a58a8464e48f91 | (CNN) -- Typhoon Sanba was aiming squarely at South Korea early Sunday after passing over the Japanese island of Okinawa, according to regional forecasters. It made landfall in northeastern Okinawa around 6:30 a.m. Sunday (5:30 p.m. ET Saturday) with an eye that was nearly half the island's length. There were no immediate reports of damage. As of 9:50 p.m. ET, Samba was moving to the north at 30 kph (18 mph), the Japan Meteorological Association said. The storm has maximum sustained winds of estimated winds of 194 kph (120 mph) and gusts nearing 241 kph (149 mph), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the U.S. military agency responsible for issuing tropical storm warnings in the Pacific Ocean. Sanba is on track to make a direct hit on South Korea in a couple of days, the Korean Meteorological Association predicted, before moving up the Chinese coast. People in Okinawa and along the rest of the Ryukyu Island chain took serious precautions ahead of the storm. The infrastructure on the island is designed to withstand powerful storms, since the island is in an area of the western Pacific Ocean where typhoons are frequent. But storm surge could prove to be a problem for residents. "It's a large storm, and it's going to have a fairly wide-reaching effect," CNN International weather anchor Jenny Harrison said. In the city of Ginowan in southern Okinawa on Saturday afternoon, skies were gray with dark clouds in the distance, according to video from CNN iReporter Kathryn Spoor. Even though it had weakened since Friday when it was briefly classified as a super typhoon, Sanba now has the same intensity as a Category 3 hurricane, meteorologists say. A Category 3, on a scale of 1 to 5, is a major hurricane with winds ranging from 111 to 129 mph. The storm is expected to have a far-reaching effect. It could cause serious flooding in the Philippine capital of Manila, for instance. Sanba is forecast to make a second landfall in mainland South Korea around noon local time Monday. It could also strike southern mainland Japan. Last month, Typhoon Bolaven killed more than 60 people on the Korean peninsula. Bolaven had also swept over Okinawa, which escaped relatively unscathed. | NEW: Typhoon Sanba is on track to hit South Korea .
It made landfall in Okinawa earlier SundayThe eye of the storm is nearly half the island's length .
The eye of the storm was nearly half the island's length .
Sanba has the same intensity as a Category 3 hurricane . |
1754b8a4012e501b6265e43b3fdae249a040878f | (CNN)Some recent visitors to Disneyland left the fabled theme park with a souvenir they won't soon forget: measles. Public health officials in California and Utah confirmed nine cases Wednesday, all of them visitors of either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim between December 15 and December 20. The California Department of Public Health said it suspects an additional three cases but had not yet confirmed those diagnoses. According to the CDC, measles is respiratory disease caused by a virus and spread through the air. It was considered eradicated in the United States in 2000, though 2014 saw a record-breaking number of confirmed cases: 610 according to the Centers for Disease Control, "the highest number of cases since measles elimination was documented in the U.S. in 2000," the CDC says on its website. Nevertheless, California health officials speculate that since Disneyland attracts visitors from around the world -- including places where the highly contagious disease is prevalent -- that was likely the case here. "Travelers to areas where measles is endemic can bring measles back to the U.S., resulting in limited domestic transmission of measles," read a statement from California Department of Public Health. "Disney and other theme parks in California are international attractions and visitors come from many parts of the world, including those where measles is endemic." Dr. Pamela Hymel, Disney's chief medical officer, issued a brief statement: "We are working with the health department to provide any information and assistance we can." As for symptoms, "measles starts with a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and sore throat," according to the CDC. Those showing such symptoms shouldn't be bashful about seeing their doctor, because a full body rash is likely to break out next. "If you have symptoms, and believe you may have been exposed, please contact your health care provider," said Dr. Ron Chapman, California's state health office. Chapman says prevention is the key: "The best way to prevent measles and its spread is to get vaccinated." 5 things to know about measles . | Nine visitors to Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park have been infected with measles .
The people with measles hail from California and Utah .
They visited the theme park between December 15 and December 20 . |
17568db07eff3644d5b28d19429acb78a086bcb2 | Roy Keane was on the touchline for Aston Villa's clash with Stoke as he made his first competitive outing in his new role as Paul Lambert's assistant manager. And it looks as if the former Manchester United midfielder has lost none of that competitive spirit on his return to the Premier League. Keane was on his feet at The Britannia Stadium making his feelings known - something fans will be very familiar with from his playing days. Getting vocal: Roy Keane reacts to a piece of play at The Britannia in his first competitive outing with Villa . Partners in crime: The Villa boss and his right hand man take on the linesman over a decision he made . Familiar: Keane was less than impressed with one of the decisions made by the linesman . Assistant: Keane sat alongside Paul Lambert as he gets used to being the Villa boss' No 2 this season . Keane sat alongside Paul Lambert in the visitors' dugout and was more than willing to help out his new leading man. And Lambert seems to be enjoying the Irishman's company - describing him as less serious than most people think ahead of the game. 'He loves a laugh, he's not just serious,' Lambert told the Daily Star. 'It's been great for me and everyone else at the club. It's been good. 'I think he's given everybody a boost, he's given the whole club a good lift. Let me show you the ropes: Lambert has a word in Keane's ear ahead of the game at the Britannia . | Irishman was making his first appearance as Paul Lambert's assistant .
He was on his feet making his feelings known at the Britannia Stadium .
Keane is combining No 2 roles at Villa and with Ireland's national team . |
1756cda388c45f5c2a40959d21ca77e9991a419c | (CNN) -- If you were flipping around your television dial on Election Night, you saw a lot of news coverage dominated by anchors and pundits sitting in TV studios spouting opinion and analysis. But not on CNN. On our air, you saw dozens of reporters at polling places around the country, watching for irregularities but also capturing the messy yet miraculous spectacle of democracy in action. You saw Candy Crowley, Jessica Yellin, Jim Acosta and Brianna Keilar at election night headquarters, offering behind the scenes details about the candidates and campaigns as they anxiously awaited the verdict of the people. You saw Dana Bash dissecting the Senate and House outcomes as only someone can who has covered Congress for two decades. And you saw the maestro of the Magic Wall, John King, interpreting the tallies from decisive counties within the swing states minute by minute as they came in, telling you what they meant and how they would shape the electoral map. A lot has been written about how cable news has become increasingly dominated by talk and opinion, because that's what drives TV ratings. But as we began our planning for Election Night more than a year ago, CNN decided to go in the opposite direction and double down on our strength: reporting. We pared back on the number of analysts in our studio and sent more reporters into the field. We invested in new state-of-the-art sets in our Washington bureau that allowed us to display electoral data more clearly and vividly than we ever had before. We relied on two anchors, Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper, who have always been more interested in conducting great correspondents than being soloists themselves. We asked our incomparable international reporters to keep track of what the rest of the world was saying about America's vote—and we actually put them on our U.S. airwaves to talk about it. We did it because we value facts more than opinions, but also because these days that's what sets CNN apart. And we were glad to see that, for this historical night at least, it was what the public appeared to crave as well. An average of more than 8.8 million viewers watched the evening's coverage on our U.S. network, more than any other cable news network, and others followed it on CNN's international networks around the world. The reviews are also in, and they tell us that our investment in covering the election as journalists was welcomed. "CNN Destroys Cable Competition on Election Night," was only one gratifying headline, on a post by Erik Wemple, the media critic for The Washington Post. At CNN.com, we had more than 203 million page views, the highest in four years. Our social media traffic on Twitter, Facebook and other sharing platforms set new records. But at CNN we're not ones to dwell over press clippings, good or bad, and so we are already hard at work following up on all the angles that emerged from last night's result. Can the parties now come together to address jobs, the deficit, immigration, the environment, relations with Iran and China and all the other pressing problems clouding our future? Or is a $6 billion election that left us with the same division of executive and legislative power we had before a recipe for more gridlock? And what will the demographic winds that carried Barack Obama to reelection, despite a sour economy, mean for tomorrow? How will our future be shaped by a Hispanic population that now accounts for more than 1 in 10 voters, by the empowerment of a generation of young voters who have now turned out in record numbers for two presidential cycles in a row (and who are driving a slow but steady sea change in acceptance of gay rights), by a white electorate that favored Mitt Romney, but is smaller than it has ever been, by the growing political gap between women, who favored Obama by 11 points, and men, who went for Romney by 7 points? And what are we to make of not only the persistent red/blue divide between states, but the growing urban/suburban/rural divisions within states? All fascinating questions, for our politics and for our society, and ones that will keep us at CNN busy and happy providing you with the kind of reporting and story telling we love to do. | Mark Whitaker: CNN made the choice to focus on reporting for election night coverage .
He says the public wanted to know the facts, rather than dwell on opinion .
Whitaker: Election raises key questions, worthy of more reporting, about politics, demographics .
He asks: Can the parties work together on jobs, the deficit, immigration, the environment? |
175758d94847dabd0cae173caf0e634fb9aecb29 | Washington (CNN) -- President Obama will welcome Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an official state visit Tuesday. The two leaders will discuss a range of global, regional and bilateral issues, the White House said. Those discussions are likely to center on Afghanistan, climate change and nuclear energy cooperation. Singh has been quoted as saying that a Taliban victory in Afghanistan would be disastrous for Central and South Asia. Singh's visit will be the first state visit hosted by the administration, the highest honor extended to a foreign dignitary. It will be Singh's second visit to Washington; he has also met with former President George W. Bush. Grammy- and Oscar-award-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson will entertain the black-tie crowd, several sources involved in the planning outside the administration said. Hudson, raised in Chicago like first lady Michelle Obama, sang the National Anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August 2008 at the request of the Obama campaign, when Obama became the Democratic presidential nominee. Singh arrived Sunday for his five-day visit. On Monday, he attended a luncheon hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He addressed the Council on Foreign Relations later in the day. Obama will receive the prime minister at the White House on Tuesday, and Singh and his wife will be the guests at an official state dinner Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Singh will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates and will later attend a reception for the Indian community hosted by Indian Ambassador to the United States Meera Shankar. Singh will leave Washington Thursday morning and fly to Port of Spain, Trinidad, to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit. Singh, 77, is a Cambridge- and Oxford-educated economist who was governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985 and the nation's finance minister from 1991 to 1996. A member of the Congress Party, he is serving a second five-year term as prime minister. He was sworn in as prime minister in May 2004 and again this past May. He and his wife of 51 years, Gursharan Kaur, have three daughters. | Visit by Indian PM Manmohan Singh is first state visit for Obama administration .
Singh to visit White House on Tuesday, attend state dinner Tuesday night .
Wednesday he'll meet with secretaries of state and defense . |
1758d631b10c63714e211511fe68eff9008d69ed | (CNN) -- A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit Puerto Rico on Friday, rattling residents but causing no immediate reports of damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake, which occurred at 7:43 p.m. (6:43 p.m. ET), stuck about 15 miles (25 kilometers) south of San Juan. It was some 64 miles deep, the USGS said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. A Federal Aviation Administration official said the international airport in San Juan was open and operating normally. "It lasted about 30 seconds and felt hard. Some guests did get a little scared," said Venus Nevarez, an employee at the El San Juan Hotel and Casino. She said nothing broke and that all the guests were fine. | The quake hit about 15 miles south of San Juan .
The island's airport is fine, an official says .
There are no immediate reports of damage . |
175920302bf5e987d09c8c3152f25f2614fd1bed | A woman is being hunted by police after she was caught on surveillance video poking strangers with a mysterious 'sharp object' in a New Orleans street. The brown-haired suspect, who has not been identified, was captured jabbing two men, aged 28 and 62, and possibly others with the long, black item in the city's French Quarter on Sunday night. Donning an oversized camouflage jacket, she was first spotted walking along the pavement at 8.45pm, before suddenly lunging forward and stabbing the older man as he rode past on a bike. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Attack: Police have launched a search for a woman who was caught on surveillance video poking strangers with a mysterious 'sharp object' in New Orleans. Above, the woman's pokes a 62-year-old man on his bike . Leaving the scene: The brown-haired suspect, who has not been identified, was captured jabbing two men, aged 28 and 62, and possibly others with the long, black item in the city's French Quarter on Sunday night . Bizarre: Donning a camoflauge jacket, the woman is pictured carrying the mysterious object in her right hand . Seconds later, she was filmed poking the younger man with the object as he walked by with a woman. She was mumbling to herself as she carried out both attacks, police told Fox 8. The victims suffered minor cuts in the assaults in the 900 block of Decatur Street. Neither are believed to have gone to hospital. 'She was poking random pedestrians with an unknown sharp object,' New Orleans Police Department said in a news release. Following the assaults, the force also uploaded the surveillance video to YouTube, alongside the caption: 'Eighth District Detectives are investigating an aggravated battery by cutting.' Caught on camera: The woman was first spotted walking along the pavement at 8.45pm, before suddenly lunging forward and stabbing the older man. She then continued to walk down the street (pictured) Second attack: Seconds later, she was filmed poking the younger man (pictured) with the object as he walked by with a woman. She was mumbling to herself as she carried out both attacks, according to police . It is not known why the woman carried out the attacks, nor why she was in the street at the time. The suspect is described as being 5ft 6ins tall, in her thirties, of a thin build and with brunette hair. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 822-1111 or toll-free, 1-877-903-STOP. Scene: The incidents occured in the 900 block of Decatur Street (pictured) in New Orleans's French Quarter . | Woman filmed walking in New Orleans while holding a 'sharp object'
Suddenly lunged forward and poked man, 62, as he rode past on bike .
Then stabbed 28-year-old with item; may have poked more strangers .
Woman was mumbling to herself at time of both attacks, police said .
Victims suffered minor injuries; officers are appealing for information . |
175aa7025ce6aadd052e6bf1d2b9ae9724d9ac31 | (CNN) -- Fans around the world have gathered at arenas and record stores, big screens, parks and makeshift shrines, to watch the memorial service of Michael Jackson and pay homage to their idol. A Michael Jackson fan in Berlin watches footage of the memorial concert. As thousands of fans joined Jackson's family and closest friends at Los Angeles Staples Center arena, millions more followed proceedings on television and online. In Germany, at least 8,000 Jackson fans watched events in Los Angeles unfold at a Trauerfeier," (translated as Sadness Party) at Berlin's O2 World arena, reported CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. Fans began arriving at least three hours before the event was due to begin, Pleitgen said. "He [Jackson] connects races, religions and ages," said one fan, "his music connects the world." Many fans were moved to tears when Jackson's daughter Paris Katherine wept as she called the singer "the best father you could ever imagine." Pleitgen added: "A lot of people got very wet eyes." Watch fans gather in Berlin » . South African former president Nelson Mandela paid his respects to Jackson in a statement read to the audience at the Los Angeles memorial by singer Smokey Robinson. Watch Smokey Robinson deliver Mandela's message. » . "Michael became close to us after he started visiting and performing in South Africa regularly. We grew fond of him and he became a close member of our family. We had great admiration for his talent and that he was able to triumph over tragedy on so many occasions in his life," Mandela said. "We mourn with the millions of families worldwide." In the southern Chinese enclave of Hong Kong, fans carried flowers and Jackson paraphernalia, such as a doll and record, at a memorial. Watch Jackson tributes pour in from around the world » . "I cannot accept MJ has already left us, and I think we should come here and do something for him and express our feeling to show that we really miss him," said one man. Hundreds of British fans in London braved torrential rain to watch a giant screen outside the city's O2 Arena, where Jackson was scheduled to play a series of 50 concerts from July 13. Many more fans are expected to converge on the venue next Monday to mark what would have been the first of his concert dates. See images of Jackson fans from around the globe » . "I am still in denial," said Jenny Keme, 21. "We're going to stay here to the end of the ceremony even though it's pouring. He had such a gentle soul, that's what I love most about him." Celeste Dixon, 28, added: "He is the King of Pop, not was. No one will ever be worthy of him, he is bigger than life. Without Michael Jackson breaking barriers, Barack Obama would never have made it." Elsewhere in London the cast of musical "Thriller- Live" paid their own tribute during the evening performance at the Lyric Theatre, with cast, crew and audience observing a minute's silence. "Many of them were in tears during it," reported CNN's Phil Black. The theater has become a shrine to Jackson, with devoted followers holding vigils and leaving cards and messages at the building's entrance. In Japan, meanwhile, hundreds of fans gathered at a Tower Records store -- where Jackson twice visited -- in Tokyo to watch his videos on a big screen. Followers were even offered the chance to take a photograph next to a cast of a footprint left by Jackson when he last visited. Watch fans gather in Tokyo » . In a bar in New Delhi, the Jackson memorial gathering was small -- only a dozen or so people. On the wall of the bar that usually only plays hard rock, Jackson's music was blasting, candles were lit underneath two framed pictures of Jackson and customers had written messages saying goodbye. The bar manager said: "We all grew up with Michael Jackson. Other generations had The Beatles, or Elvis Presley. Michael is our generation." And on the streets of Beijing, people were greeted by a Jackson look-alike, 28-year-old Wang Jie, who performed ahead of the memorial. Though Jackson never himself performed in China, he is loved in the country. Members of the official Michael Jackson Fan Club rented a hotel room so they could watch his funeral broadcast live. Thousands of other fans worldwide following the coverage online via CNN and Facebook, with many again moved by the comments of Jackson's daughter about her father. "Never cried so much ever since my dad passed away," said Facebook user Rinoa S Koh from Singapore, while user Nomar Levey in Jamaica added: "OMG Tears are really pouring." Facebook user Manu Tyagi from India said: "The first English songs I ever heard in India were MJ songs... grew up with his music... and never though we would see him die so soon. He achieved his destiny before he passed to the kingdom of god! Really hope he rests in peace. He was the best." As Jackson's coffin casket was carried out of the Staples Center, Facebook user Marika Papazoglou in Greece said: "RIP Michael. We love you more." Anouk Lorie contributed to this story . | "Sadness Party" held in Berlin, where fans follow service live from Los Angeles .
In London, Jackson fans brave torrential downpours and hail to pay tribute .
In Japan fans gathered at record store, have photo taken next to cast of footprint .
Online fans pay tribute to King of Pop, comment as service progresses . |
175b5d732627ed88de3d272a02361c83cea21a32 | Tim Sherwood threw aside any reservations like a club-crested gilet as Aston Villa scored the goal that clinched their progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals. Having allowed himself a smile when Leandro Bacuna’s wonderful strike flew in, he punched the air with all the glee of a lifelong Villa fan after Scott Sinclair’s tame effort somehow outfoxed Mark Schwarzer one minute from time. Sherwood watched this tie from the stands as first team coach Scott Marshall took control in the dugout. But after a goalless opening period, Villa’s 11th consecutive first half without scoring, the new manager was in the dressing room at the interval to address certain issues. From the outside, his words seemed to have had an immediate impact. Scott Sinclair celebrates after he clinched the win for Aston Villa with his 89th-minute strike at Villa Park . Tim Sherwood was delighted with Sinclair's goal, and can be seen here clenching his fists in celebration . Sherwood was a reserved figure for much of the game but he could not hide his enjoyment at Villa's second goal, punching the air . Leandro Bacuna opened the scoring in the second half with a powerful strike from long range at Villa Park . Sinclair knocks in Villa's second goal, although it had a hint of good fortune with Schwarzer at fault . Aston Villa (4-3-3): Given 7; Hutton 7, Vlaar 7, Clark 7, Cissokho 6.5; Cleverley 6.5, Westwood 6, Delph 6.5; Bacuna 7.5 (Sinclair 77 mins), Benteke 6, Weimann 6 (Grealish 82) Subs not used: Cole, Guzan, Lowton, Okore, Sanchez. Goal: Bacuna 68, Sinclair 89. Manager: Scott Marshall 6.5. Leicester City (5-4-1): Schwarzer 5; Simpson 5.5, Wasilewski 5 (Ulloa 65’ 5), Morgan 6, Upson 6, Konchesky 5; Mahrez 5.5, James 6, Cambiasso 5.5, Schlupp 6; Kramaric 6.5. Subs not used: Albrighton, Hamer, Hammond, King, Moore, Vardy. Booked: Konchesky, Simpson. Manager: Nigel Pearson 5. Referee: Mark Clattenburg 7. Man of the match: Leandro Bacuna . Attendance: 28,098. Villa beat Leicester by raising their attacking fluency in the second half and despite Andrej Kramaric’s consolation in stoppage time, a loud roar greeted the final whistle. Heaven knows these supporters, long-starved of much to shout about, would embrace a trip to Wembley, now just one win away. Premier League survival is the prime concern, of course, but there were signs of encouragement here, too. Paul Lambert was sacked and Sherwood installed because Villa desperately required a change to shake this underperforming squad into life and out of the relegation zone. The bounce hoped for by Sherwood’s arrival has got off to a springy start. ‘Tim came in the dressing room before the game briefly, introduced himself and wished the boys the best,’ said Marshall. ‘He came in at half time and made a couple of points to everyone about things he had spotted. There was a lot of individual detail there, it was not one big sweeping statement. ‘I put across my points about the game, what I thought and what I saw, and he had an input after that. He brought some good info to the group, good football knowledge that comes with experience and a lifetime in the game.’ Sherwood, who watched this match sitting between chief executive Tom Fox and head of recruitment Paddy Reilly, will convey those ideas at his first press conference as Villa boss on Monday before turning his attention to the visit of Stoke City on Saturday. For his opposite number, this was another bad Sunday. Seven days ago Nigel Pearson was sacked then reinstated as Leicester manager. Here, the club’s fans requested he ‘sort it out’ and also decried the performance as a ‘load of rubbish’ during the closing stages. Pearson explained the decision to stick with five at the back against English football’s worst attack because Villa play narrow and the system might come in useful as Leicester fight to stay in the top flight. Trialled first in the defeat at Arsenal, it seemed unnecessary against a Villa side that had scored 15 goals in all competitions this season prior to kick-off. But three minutes after Pearson replaced Marcin Wasilewski with Leo Ulloa to go to 4-4-2, Villa took the lead. There were plenty of empty seats on show at Villa Park with the teams recent troubles seeming to keep fans away . Leicester's Paul Konchesky puts in a challenge on Bacuna as the Aston Villa man attempts to attack down the right wing . Kramaric, fresh from scoring his first Leicester goal against Arsenal in midweek, runs at Andreas Weimann . Riyad Mahrez rides the tackle of Aston Villa captain Ron Vlaar as both sides battled it out for an FA Cup quarter-final place . Shay Given leaps across his goal to brilliantly tip away a shot from Leicester's Matty James at Villa Park . In the 68th minute Ron Vlaar, recalled for his first match since injuring his knee at Crystal Palace on New Year’s Day, found Bacuna on the left flank. The Dutch winger cut inside Danny Simpson and unleashed a shot that flew into the far corner. Christian Benteke was also recalled by Marshall but he wasted his one big chance by blazing over the bar in the 72nd minute when put clean through. Villa’s second goal did come with a minute left on the clock. Benteke lofted a ball to Sinclair, who wriggled around Simpson and just about hit a shot on target. But Schwarzer should have done much better than blocking with one hand before fumbling the ball in with the other. Kramaric runs with the ball ahead of Aly Cissokho during the fifth round tie at Villa Park on Sunday . Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke wins a tussle for the ball with Leicester centre back Matthew Upson . Sherwood was in attendance to watch his new charges for the first time from the stands and gave the thumbs up to supporters . Bacuna strikes what proved to be the winner with his right boot as a Leicester's Danny Simpson dives in to attempt a block . Simpson and Bacuna can only watch as the ball flies towards the top corner of Mark Schwarzer's net . Neither Schwarzer not Wes Morgan could do anything to stop the excellent strike in its path as it headed for the net . Bacuna wheels away to celebrate his brilliantly-struck goal that sent Aston Villa into the last eight of the FA Cup . Bacuna is mobbed by his team-mates as Villa grabbed their second home goal in their last two games at Villa Park . Leicester had shaded the first-half chances but only beat the excellent Shay Given in stoppage time — Kramaric scoring past the Irish keeper with a firm header. It was all too late for Leicester fans who had voiced their concern. ‘People are entitled to their opinion,’ said Pearson, whose side go to Everton on Sunday. ‘What we have to do is find a way of being consistent during a game and then game-to-game. We need mental resilience, absolutely.’ Just the kind of thing Villa have recruited Sherwood to provide. Sinclair shoots past Danny Simpson to double Villa's lead in the second half at Villa Park . Schwarzer's error saw him almost knock the ball into his own net after initially stopping Sinclair's strike . Sinclair celebrates his strike with fellow substitute Jack Grealish - and it proved to be the winner with Kramaric's consolation . Sinclair delighted the Villa fans, albeit in a depleted crowd, with his impact and first goal since he moved on loan from Manchester City . Schwarzer cannot bear to look after his fumble saw Sinclair's shot end up in the back of the Leicester net . Sherwood must not have been impressed with what he saw as he went downstairs to deliver the team talk at half-time . Leicester supporters, showing off their fancy dress efforts, display a cardboard and foil replica of the FA Cup in the stands at Villa Park . | Leandro Bacuna strikes from outside the box to give watching Tim Sherwood a perfect start .
Scott Sinclair added a second with his first goal for Villa after Mark Schwarzer's mistake .
Andrej Kramaric scored his second goal in two games with an excellent header - but it proved a consolation .
Shay Given got a chance to play for Aston Villa - his combined age with Leicester keeper Schwarzer was 80 .
Villa also had two goals ruled out either side of half-time for offside, although both calls were correct .
The Midlands side join West Brom, Blackburn, Reading and Liverpool in the FA Cup last eight . |
175c5f597b0936ab3edd159e724f89571abb4d81 | (CNN) -- Lion, the latest version of Apple's operating software for its Mac computers, was released to the public on Wednesday. It's an update that continues to blur the line between software on mobile devices and desktop computers. Marking the eighth major release of new software for Apple computers, Mac OS X Lion offers 250 new features, according to the company. With multi-touch gesturing, full-screen app display and access to the Mac App Store built directly into the software, the system was clearly designed to make working on a Mac more similar to working on an iPad. "Lion is the best version of OS X yet, and we're thrilled that users around the world can download it starting today," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, said in a written statement. "Lion makes upgrading a Mac easier than ever before; just launch the Mac App Store, buy Lion with your iTunes account, and the download and install process will begin automatically." Walt Mossberg of All Things Digital called Lion Apple's "most radical new MacIntosh operating system in years," calling it a "giant step in the merger of the personal computer and post-PC devices like tablets and smartphones." The new system, however, does not run iPhone or iPad apps (at least, not yet) and it does run Adobe Flash -- something Steve Jobs and company have summarily banished from their mobile devices. Its touch features use a touchpad, making them similar, but not exactly the same, as what iPhone and iPad users may be used to on their touchscreens. Mossberg said he likes the system, but warned that new users may suffer during their transition. "Switching to Lion will require a major adjustment even for veteran Mac users, though it will be easier for those who use iPhones or iPads," he wrote. "Lion will significantly increase the learning curve for Windows users switching to the Mac." Brian X. Chen of Wired wrote that "some of Lion's iOS-like features scale up very well, while others behave very poorly in a desktop environment." He found the software's iPad-like scrolling feature distracting and dizzying (he eventually disabled it) but said he enjoyed the system's app-opening full-screen mode and praised new sharing and auto-save functions. Mac OS X Lion is available as a $29.99 upgrade for people with the latest version of the Snow Leopard operating system. It will be available at Apple Stores in August for $69.99. Lion is the latest in a long line of cat-named operating systems rolled out by Apple for its computers. Past versions have included Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Whether the king of the jungle marks the last version of feline-named software remains to be seen -- but we're still holding out hope for Jaguarundi. | Apple's Mac OS X Lion released on Wednesday .
The new operating system for Macs adopts features from mobile devices .
New system has 250 new features, Apple says . |
175cb59198a3a2d12479fbe4e53b24a8c7ac5d09 | By . Emily Crane . and Aap . A hotel in a wild west gold mining town in West Australia will now allow travelers to settle bills for accommodation with gold. The Rydges Resort and Spa in Kalgoorlie, 600km east of Perth, will start accepting nuggets, bars and 'anything as long as it's gold'. Resort manager Nicholas Parkinson-Bates said it made sense to accept gold transactions in the goldfields. A hotel in a wild west gold mining town in West Australia will now allow travelers to settle bills for accommodation with gold . 'Everyone here knows the value of gold - it's sort of a way of life in Kalgoorlie,' Mr Parkinson-Bates told AAP. 'There are a number of corporates who do use gold or get paid in gold. People buy cars in gold here. 'I've also heard of some other types of businesses even doctors and stuff who have been accepting gold.' The idea to allow people to pay for a room with the precious metal was inspired by the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum to be held in August. The Rydges Resort and Spa in Kalgoorlie, 600km east of Perth, will start accepting nuggets, bars and 'anything as long as it's gold' But Mr Parkinson-Bates said he was keen to extend the payment method for life. He said the gold transactions would be carried out through a local buyer with connections to Perth Mint, the ABC reports. 'Guests who do want to use their gold will come to us and we will weigh it and I then contact the buyer and they give us an 80-85 per cent value on that gold and then I will tell the customer "your gold is worth X amount",' he said. The idea to allow people to pay for a room with the precious metal was inspired by the Diggers and Dealers Mining Forum to be held in August . 'I will still take a credit card to hold for any extras the guests may spend and I will get cash from the gold trader in town.' Mr Parkinson-Bates said no-one had paid the hotel in gold yet and he wasn't expecting a sudden influx of people wanting to pay with that method. 'I'm not expecting it's going to be today or tomorrow but we want to provide that service, we are in Kalgoorlie, we're in the gold capital of Australia, we should be doing this,' he said. Mr Parkinson-Bates said it was about time Kalgoorlie, the gold capital of Australia, started making gold payments available . | Rydges Resort and Spa in Kalgoorlie, 600km east of Perth, is accepting gold transactions to pay for accommodation .
Hotel manager said it made sense to pay with 'gold in the goldfields'
Guests can choose to pay with gold nuggets, bars or even rings .
The gold transactions would be carried out through a local buyer . |
175cbaaa72ba60502b36e49b614cd2580af4ca6e | By . Mark Duell . and Stephanie Linning for MailOnline . Alice Gross was last seen when she left her home in Hanwell, west London at lunchtime on Thursday . A 14-year-old girl suffering from an ongoing health problem has been missing for three days, prompting her mother to issue a desperate appeal. Alice Gross was last seen when she left her home in Hanwell, west London, on Thursday at about 1pm. The schoolgirl told her parents that she would be home at 6pm that night - but has not been seen since. On the Find Alice Gross Facebook page, her mother Rosalind Hodgkiss, 50, said: 'Alice, if you can see . this, please know sweetheart that all of us love you and miss you desperately. ‘You may be sad, you may be angry, you may be hurt, you may . be scared too. I just want to hug and hold you. Know that we love you and are . there for you whatever you are going through. My love, please get in touch and let someone know you are . safe. Alice, please come home.’ Alice is described as being 5ft 2in . tall, of slim build with shoulder length, light brown hair. Alice was . last seen wearing dark blue jeans, a dark green lacy cardigan and denim . blue Vans shoes. She may have tartan-framed spectacles with her. It . is understood that she was last heard from at 3pm on Thursday - two . hours after she left her home. Alice, who is a student at Brentside High . School in Ealing, left the family home without her money, bank cards . and Oyster travel card. The girl's father Jose, 60, who teaches sound engineering and music production at The Recording Workshop in North Kensington, west London, praised the public's support in finding her, saying the family 'definitely don't feel alone'. He added: ‘Unfortunately Alice is still missing. The police are still searching and following some leads. We've had helicopters searching last night and the night before. Sniffer dogs also. 'An amazing number of local people have been printing and putting up posters including printers and estate agents. There are over 2,000 members of the Find Alice Gross group.’ Alice's sister Nina Gross posted these two photographs of the missing schoolgirl on Facebook yesterday . Her sister Nina Gross, who is believed . to be starting at Cambridge University this year, said on Facebook that . Alice's phone appeared to be off and that her friends had not heard . from her. She added: ‘Thank . you everyone for all your support and sharing, please keep it up. It's . very important to spread the word... Thank you again, hopefully she will . be found soon.’ The Metropolitan Police described her disappearance as . 'very out of character' and said she had not done this before. A spokesman appealed for anyone who recognised Alice to contact them urgently. Last night police were probing an unconfirmed sighting of a girl who could have been Alice, but said . that they were still looking for her. Dog handlers and specialist officers searched parks and cemeteries near Alice's home yesterday. And local residents reported seeing a police helicopter over the Hanwell area today. Alice, who her sister described as 'vulnerable', attends Brentside High School (pictured), a specialist arts college in Ealing, west London. She left home without her wallet, keys or Oyster travel card . The police spokesman said: 'We are especially . concerned about Alice who has not been in good health recently.' She . added: 'We still want her to come home'. 'Alice, if you can see this, please know sweetheart that all of us love you and miss you desperately' Rosalind Hodgkiss, mother . Officers are conducting extensive inquires, including searches and house-to-house inquiries in the Hanwell area. On the Find Alice Gross Facebook page, . Nina Gross wrote that police had asked people to 'hold off any . non-police searches, as they are actively searching certain areas this . morning, until further notice.' She encouraged people to raise awareness by sharing Alice's details online and putting up posters. Presenters Jake Humphrey and Graham Norton and entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne are among thousands of people to have retweeted or otherwise supported appeals for Alice's safe return. Anyone who has seen Alice or has . information that may help should call officers from . Ealing Missing Persons Unit on 020 8246 1018 or 101. Alternatively call . the charity Missing People on 116000. | Alice Gross left her home in Hanwell, west London at 1pm on Thursday .
Told her parents she would be home at 6pm but has not been seen since .
She is described as being 5ft 2in tall, slim, with shoulder-length brown hair . |
175de533dc1ce970b16d073413cee8247678bef3 | Principal Mark Bensley refused two Muslim women from completing their work placement at Redlands College in Queensland . A Christian school principal has come under fire from parents and members of the public after he turned away two Muslim women who wore hijabs on their first day as student teachers. People took to social media to express their disappointment at Principal Mark Bensley's decision. Redlands College parent Jennie Duke wrote she was 'so very sad' her daughter attended the school and her university sent student teachers there, The Courier Mail reported. Others re-branded Redlands College as 'Redneck College' and questioned Mr Bentley's Christian faith. 'It’s not very "Christian like" for a Christian school to tell student teachers that they are not welcome to teach and learn because they wear a hijab,' a reader wrote on the newspaper's website. 'Shame on you Redlands College. This could have been a very good way to show Christian love and acceptance.' The two Muslim women were allocated positions to start their work placement at Redlands College, as they are in their final year of studying teaching at university. But Mr Bensley didn't allow the women to go ahead with their placement, and justified his decision in the college newsletter on Tuesday, claiming he acted inside his duty of care, according to the paper. 'I have a duty of care to ensure that those teaching at the College are actively supporting the Christian principles, practices and beliefs of the College,' he wrote. He continued by writing that he viewed the wearing of the hijab to be in direct opposition to the principles which the college upholds. Mr Bensley said he respected the two women's right to wear the hijab but felt it was inappropriate at his school, and had them transferred to another school to complete their placement. In a statement to the publication, Redlands College said that they were accepting and loving of all people from all cultures and religions. A statement from the Christian College denied any wrongdoing and said they are not aware the student teachers had any opposition to being transferred . 'We are not aware that they [student teachers] had any concerns, and it is our understanding that all parties came to a mutual agreement for the benefit of all,' the school said. Redlands also claimed that they would not hide their Christian values and were there to provide for the families seeking a Christian education. A spokesperson for the school said that the decision had nothing to do with intolerance and they condemn any form of that behavior. The Islamic community are disappointed with the decision while a Reverend said it goes against fundamental Christian beliefs . According to Section 25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, employers are allowed to enforce a 'genuine occupational requirement that workers act in a way that is consistent with the religious beliefs of the school'. However, the move has upset many, including the Muslim community with the Islamic College of Brisbane principal saying the decision was a matter of great concern. Reverend Anneli Sinnko told the Courier Mail that he also disagreed with it, and that the actions are a direct contradiction of the foundations of Christianity. | Redlands College in Brisbane had two women transferred for wearing traditional Muslim headwear to placement .
Principal Mark Bensley claimed that it was within his duty of care to do so .
Reverend Anneli Sinnko says the decision is in direct conflict with fundamental Christian beliefs of tolerance . |
175e58b18b7cf1cbdbf17b94d39a2ffcd8ecd07e | (CNN) -- Critics lashed out Wednesday against the Federal Aviation Administration, which extended its ban on U.S. airlines' flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel. Calling the decision a "mistake," Michael Bloomberg -- who arrived in Israel on El Al, Israel's national airline -- praised Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport as most secure airport on Earth. "The real world is that there are things going on near airports all over the world. Ben Gurion airport, because Israel has been threatened since it was formed in 1948, is the most secure airport," the former New York mayor told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "You have to take reasonable precautions but you cannot shut down everything just because one terrorist someplace on the other side of the world says I'm going to be a threat," he said. The ban now runs through 12:15 p.m. ET Thursday. The FAA said it is "working closely with the government of Israel to review the significant new information they have provided and determine whether potential risks to U.S. civil aviation are mitigated so the agency can resolve concerns as quickly as possible." The agency did not detail what the "significant new information" is. But the Israeli government told CNN that Ben Gurion is safe from any rocket attack by militants in Gaza. "The security in Ben Gurion and in Israel is as good as it gets," said Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. "The reality is that the risk coming to Israel is minimal, and if it would be larger we would take the initiative and tell everyone not to come here." Hamas: 'Great victory for the resistance' The ban was enacted Tuesday after a rocket struck about a mile from the airport. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told CNN the military had tracked the rocket, as it does in general with those fired by militants from Gaza. Israel chose not to shoot the rocket down, knowing the airport would not be hit. "Any incoming rocket that would hit the airport ... would immediately be taken out by our system," Regev said. Ben Gurion was still expecting 206 flights Wednesday despite cancellations from U.S. and some European airlines, Israel's Transport Ministry said. American Airlines, which owns US Airways, said it will consider resuming service to the Israeli airport once the FAA approves. Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it was suspending flights until further notice. German airline Lufthansa said that "based on an analysis of presently available information," it will continue to suspend flights Thursday. The European Aviation Safety Agency recommended avoiding Ben Gurion on Tuesday. Air Canada canceled Wednesday night's flight to Tel Aviv, as well as its return on Thursday. The airline typically flies one flight a day from Toronto to Tel Aviv. But British Airways continued flying into Israel even after other airlines canceled. Hamas hailed the slowdown as a clear victory. "The resistance success in stopping the air traffic and isolating Israel from the world is a great victory for the resistance," said spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. Bloomberg: Banning flights rewards Hamas . Bloomberg landed safely Wednesday and tweeted a photograph of himself sitting down with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu. "I just wanted to do something personally to show my support for standing up for what's right. I think Israel is doing that. Hamas is trying to kill the Palestinians and kill the Israelis and somebody's got to say that they've got to stop this," he told CNN's Blitzer. The exchange grew heated when Blitzer asked about the State Department's travel advisory for Israel and the West Bank. "I think the State Department is just overreacting in typical bureaucratic fashion," Bloomberg said. When asked whether he thought there were political reasons behind the advisory, Bloomberg replied: "By asking the question you're implying that our government does things for political reasons. ... Just the allegation against our government I personally take as an offense." He praised Ben Gurion Airport as the best-protected such facility in the world. "The flight restrictions are a mistake that hand Hamas an undeserved victory and should be lifted immediately," Bloomberg said late Tuesday. In an opinion column for Bloomberg View, part of the media company he owns, the former New York mayor compared his trip to Israel to the way he responded to terror threats in the city. Sometimes it's prudent to act out an abundance of caution during a crisis, he wrote. "But closing down access to major infrastructure networks in the face of terrorist threats can be self-defeating," he said. The FAA said its decision was necessary due to the "potentially hazardous situation." And after the shooting down last week of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine, some jittery travelers understand the FAA decision. "You have a rocket and you bring down 300 people at one shot," one said. But it didn't stop her from boarding her El Al flight. The airport is a key economic artery for Israel. While more than 2,000 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza, 6,000 flights have landed and departed at Ben Gurion, the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel said. "It is not a miracle and not a trick," the authority's director, Giora Romm, told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "We know how to defend Ben Gurion, period." CNN analyst: Incident could bring diplomatic consequences . It's unusual for the FAA to prohibit U.S. carriers from flying to a particular airport, said Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general. "In the past when the FAA has done it, there have been diplomatic consequences," she said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry landed Wednesday at Ben Gurion on a mission to try to stop all hostilities. The airline suspensions didn't affect his flight because he traveled on a military plane. The flight suspensions have stranded some travelers in Tel Aviv. And others, who flew out on Israeli carriers, had to run for cover before takeoff when sirens went off at the airport. "You had to run for about a minute to get to shelter and just wait there for about 10 minutes," a passenger arriving in New York from Tel Aviv told CNN affiliate NY1, describing what happened before the all-clear sounded. "It was nerve-racking, actually." Rabbi Shalom Lewis, whose synagogue is in an Atlanta suburb, was stuck at Ben Gurion with a group of American travelers all looking for a way to get home to the United States. But none was running scared over missiles. "Every one of them was just aggravated by the inability to get home easily, but nobody was afraid," Lewis told NY1. On Wednesday, the Transport Ministry ordered the opening of the small Uvda airport in the far southeast of Israel. Canceling flights to Israel is a serious blow to the country's economy, said Romm of the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel. Tourism is a major source of income. Last year, Israel received a record 3.5 million visitors, according to its Central Bureau of Statistics. Before the recent violence, the bureau reported a record 1.4 million visitors for the first half of 2014. The violence will likely put a damper on tourism. Travelers reassess plans amid Mideast conflict . CNN's Chelsea J. Carter, Amir Tal, Umaro Djau, Aaron Cooper, Marlena Baldacci, Justin Lear, Marnie Hunter, Caitlin Schmidt, Katia Hetter, Rene Marsh and Karen Smith contributed to this report. | Security in Israel is "as good as it gets" says Jerusalem mayor .
Bloomberg says you have to take reasonable precautions, but not go overboard .
Hamas spokesman: "Isolating Israel from the world is a great victory"
The U.S. ban on flights now runs through midday Thursday . |
175edfab92ac7ed00f51e3fbcb82c885060ec9ba | By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 19:33 EST, 1 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:33 EST, 1 December 2013 . A French corporal who served with British soldiers in Afghanistan and admitted to eating the tongue and heart of a 90-year-old man had post-traumatic stress disorder, it has been claimed. Jérémy Rimbaud, 26, is said to have admitted breaking into the home of Lépold Pédébidau and using an iron rod to beat him over the head before cutting out parts of his body with a penknife. Cooked meat found on a plate with white beans was confirmed by forensic experts to be human, following the incident in Nouilhan, south-west France, on November 15 in the hamlet of 200 people. Corporal: French soldier Jérémy Rimbaud had been serving in Afghanistan in a tank regiment (file picture) The attack has drawn comparisons to Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 film Silence Of The Lambs. The character, played by Anthony Hopkins, ate human organs ‘with some fava beans and a nice Chianti’. The son of Mr Pédébidau was alerted to what had happened by the flames coming from his father’s house nearby - which was set alight by Rimbaud following the attack, according to investigators. Rimbaud - who had been serving abroad in a tank regiment with British and US soldiers - is accused of attacking another man in France by hitting him against a tractor, reported The Daily Telegraph. The soldier allegedly told police he was 'acting on messages in his head' - and is set to face trial next year over charges of murder, violating the integrity of a corpse and attempted murder. Soldier: Rimbaud was said by a regimental source to have 'posed no problems during his stint' in Afghanistan from December 2010 to June 2011 (file picture) Rimbaud was said by a regimental source to have ‘posed no problems during his stint’ in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2011 - but has now been moved to a high-security unit for dangerous psychopaths. He left the army just nine days before allegedly committing the attack - and France Bleu Béarn cited a prosecutor as confirming that military doctors had diagnosed him as suffering from PTSD. PTSD is a reaction to a traumatic event where people can see they are in danger, or where they see other people dying or being injured in circumstances out of their control. Many victims of serious accidents, military combat, terrorist attacks, disasters and life-threatening illnesses have been diagnosed with suffering from the condition. | Jérémy Rimbaud 'cut out parts of 90-year-old man's body with penknife'
Cooked meat found on plate with white beans is confirmed to be human .
Soldier allegedly tells police he was 'acting on messages in his head'
Case is compared to Hannibal Lecter in 1991 film Silence Of The Lambs . |
175ee067fdb21d5f37246bb4df0c2ec23dc4abe0 | (CNN) -- Odin Lloyd texted his sister in the wee hours of June 17. "NFL. Just so you know." At the time, according to prosecutors, Lloyd was in a silver Nissan Altima with Aaron Hernandez, a star tight end with the NFL's New England Patriots, and two other people. About 3:25 a.m. -- two minutes after the message went out -- gunshots shattered the quiet night in a southeastern Massachusetts industrial park, according to witnesses. Not five minutes passed before a surveillance camera at his North Attleborough home captured video of Hernandez carrying what appears to be a gun, prosecutors said. Lloyd lay dead about a mile away. The video is among the evidence prosecutors are gathering in their case against Hernandez, 23, who is set to be arraigned Friday. Let go by the Patriots, Hernandez will step into a courtroom for the sixth time since his June 26 arrest. He's expected to formally plead not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Lloyd, a 27-year-old semipro football player. "He's bearing up under the pressure," defense attorney Michael Fee said when Hernandez was indicted last month. "He understands what's in front of him, and he's committed to clearing his name." Fee has told reporters that the case against his client, who is being held without bond, is circumstantial. "There's an incredible rush to judgment in this case," according to the attorney. For his part, according to a TMZ report last month, Hernandez declared his innocence as he responded to a fan letter, saying that "all the people who turned on me will feel like crap." Investigation continues in another case . Friday's arraignment comes as authorities continue to investigate Hernandez in connection with an unsolved 2012 double homicide case in Boston. Investigators have obtained July 2012 video surveillance allegedly showing Hernandez at a nightclub at the same time as two men who were fatally shot that night, according to a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation. The video apparently does not show Hernandez interacting with Daniel Abreu, 29, and Safiro Furtado, 28, according to a law enforcement source. The development was first reported Wednesday by the Hartford Courant. Boston police have said the men were inside a BMW sprayed with gunfire after they left the nightclub. Law enforcement sources said they believe Hernandez rented a silver SUV with Rhode Island registration that was linked to the scene of the double homicide. After Lloyd's murder, Bristol, Connecticut police discovered the vehicle by accident while searching the garage of Hernandez's uncle, a law enforcement source told CNN. Boston police had been looking for the vehicle for almost a year, law enforcement sources added. Hernandez has not been charged in the unsolved double shooting. His attorneys have previously declined to comment to CNN when asked about the ongoing Boston investigation. Defense: Jury will find him 'innocent' A Bristol County, Massachusetts, grand jury last month indicted Hernandez on a first-degree murder and five weapons charges. Prosecutors say Hernandez orchestrated the shooting of his friend Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Fee said he was pleased with the indictment because it gave his client "a path to trial," and that a jury will find Hernandez "innocent." Police have not located the gun believed to have been used in the Lloyd killing. But prosecutors say Hernandez returned a rental car with a bullet casing that allegedly matched bullets found at the scene. Surveillance cameras showed the car believed to be carrying Hernandez and the others at the industrial park, according to authorities. Hernandez has been sitting in a jail cell as his former team, known for its stellar offense, contends for another Super Bowl title. The Patriots open their regular season Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. In his letter to the fan, as reported by TMZ, the fallen NFL star said the world makes things "out of false accusations" and that he will be exonerated. "I know there is a reason I'm going thru this and I will figure it out through my relationship with the Lord," Hernandez wrote. CNN's Laura Dolan, Lorenzo Ferrigno, Greg Botelho and Laura Ly and HLN's Amanda Sloane contributed to this report. | Aaron Hernandez is slated for arraignment Friday .
He's expected to plead not guilty to slaying of friend .
Video among evidence gathered by prosecutors .
Former NFL star also investigated in 2012 slayings . |
175fd887ad46aed6dfe65238a06b2e9194b1ad76 | Kirk charged with a felony after he allegedly attempted to intimidate the woman out of testifying against him . By . Daily Mail Reporter . Frank Kirk, 70, was arrested last month after he allegedly brought sex toys to a woman at the county jail . An attorney has been charged after he allegedly tried to prevent a female inmate from testifying against him over sex acts he engaged in with her in prison. Frank Kirk, 70, from Oklahoma, was arrested last month after he allegedly engaged in lewd acts with the woman at the county jail. Kirk brought sex toys, lubricant, baby wipes and a cell phone into the jail in a hidden compartment of his laptop bag, court documents revealed. The female alleged that Kirk gave her the items so that he could watch her masturbate, according to a probable cause affidavit seen by newsok.com. The prisoner also alleges that he told her to expose her breasts and forced her to touch his penis. Kirk allegedly duped the woman into performing the acts over a three-month period in exchange for her legal fees - despite the fact that he was never actually her lawyer. The woman, who is jailed on drug charges, is represented by the public defender's office so it is unclear why she believed Kirk to be her lawyer. Her identity has been withheld. Kirk was arrested on March 3 after the sex acts allegedly took place four of the six times that Kirk visited the inmate in jail. On March 21, Kirk allegedly contacted the woman to try to intimidate her out of testifying against him. 'The victim was fearful of testifying against Kirk', the affidavit reads, according to newsok.com. He was charged on Monday with one felony count of attempting to prevent a witness from testifying. He was also charged with five misdemeanor counts of lewdness. Kirk is out on $10,000 bail. Kirk has been charged with a felony count of attempting to prevent a witness from testifying after he allegedly engaged her in lewd acts at Oklahoma County Jail (pictured) | Frank Kirk, 70, from Oklahoma, was arrested last month after he allegedly brought sex toys into the county jail .
It is unclear how the inmate, who is jailed on drug charges, came to believe that Kirk was her attorney as she is represented by a public defender .
Kirk charged with a felony after he allegedly attempted to intimidate the woman out of testifying against him . |
17606f9fd4532bff14ba9059aece0efe9ea5ce25 | (CNN) -- In the new trailer for "Mad Max: Fury Road," the world is almost out of water, everyone's gone out of their mind -- and it all looks amazing. The fourth installment in George Miller's post-apocalyptic series, "Mad Max: Fury Road" stars Tom Hardy in Mel Gibson's old role of Max Rockatansky, a man living in a world that is nothing but "fire and blood." Hoping to find a way to exist in the midst of insanity, he finds a partner in Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa, who has no time for coddling. "Out here, everything hurts," Theron's fierce character says in the clip. "You want to get through this? Do as I say. Now pick up what you can and run." Between those bits of well-chosen dialogue, clever editing and a soaring score, even those who've missed out on Miller's prior "Mad Max" movies will be curious to see what "Fury Road's" all about come May 15, 2015. If apocalypse and mayhem just isn't your flavor, there's another, gentler movie arriving around the same time: Disney-Pixar's "Inside Out." The animated movie takes us inside the emotional center of an adolescent girl named Riley in the middle of a major transition as her family relocates from the Midwest to San Francisco. Stars like Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader and Lewis Black provide the voices of Riley's turbulent emotions, bringing life to feelings like Joy (Poehler), Fear (Hader), Anger (Black) and Disgust (Kaling.) But as the latest trailer for "Inside Out" shows, it's not just young Riley whose emotions will be the center of attention -- we'll get to see inside her parents' heads, too. "Inside Out" opens on June 19, 2015. Long before either "Fury Road" or "Inside Out" make their appearances, though, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke and Craig Robinson will be back with the sequel to 2010's comedy "Hot Tub Time Machine." This time around, the trio find themselves shuttling off into the future -- 2025, to be exact -- where they learn that their lives take a downward turn. But in an attempt to fix the problems before they start the trio accidentally cause another crisis, as seen in the movie's new trailer. (Warning: There's some crude and potentially offensive humor in this clip.) "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" opens February 20, 2015. | A new trailer for "Mad Max: Fury Road" premiered this week .
It was followed by clips for "Inside Out" and "Hot Tub Time Machine 2"
All three films will open in theaters in 2015 . |
17613c18755c339d8fa48dd1525c19c5fa6bd429 | A massive ancient subglacial trough deeper than the Grand Canyon has been discovered under Antarctica. Part of a massive ancient mountain range, it was found buried under several km of ice using specially developed penetrating radars. The massive subglacial valley is up to 3 kilometres deep, more than 300 kilometres long and up to 25 kilometres across, and in places, the valley floor is more than 2000 metres below sea level. All calm - the area above the giant mountain range, which is covered in upto 7km of ice . The massive subglacial valley is up to 3 kilometres deep, more than 300 kilometres long and up to 25 kilometres across, and in places, the valley floor is more than 2000 metres below sea level. The mountain range and deep valley were carved millions of years ago by a small icefield similar to those of the present-day Antarctic Peninsula, or those of Arctic Canada and Alaska. Researcher were able to chart it for the first time by combining data from satellites and ice-penetrating radars towed behind skidoos and on-board small aircraft. In fact, it is so large researchers say it can be seen from space - despite being several kilometres underground. The research involved scientists from Newcastle University, the University of Bristol’s Glaciology Centre, the British Antarctic Survey and the universities of Edinburgh, Exeter, and York. They charted the Ellsworth Subglacial Highlands – an ancient mountain range buried beneath several kilometres of Antarctic ice - by combining data from satellites and ice-penetrating radars towed behind skidoos and on-board small aircraft. The researchers spent three seasons investigating and mapping the region in West Antarctica. The mountain range and deep valley were carved millions of years ago by a small icefield similar to those of the present-day Antarctic Peninsula, or those of Arctic Canada and Alaska. Professor Martin Siegert, Professor of Geosciences at the University of Bristol, said: 'While the idea of West Antarctic Ice Sheet growth and decay over the past few million years has been discussed for decades, the precise location where the ice sheet may originate from in growth phases, and decay back to in periods of decay, has not been known. Of of the sub-ice radar images which helped researchers pinpoint the vast valley, showing the giant mountains ans passes between them . 'By looking at the topography beneath the ice sheet using a combination of ice-penetrating radio-echo sounding and satellite imagery, we have revealed a region which possesses classic glacial geomorphic landforms, such as u-shaped valleys and cirques, that could only have been formed by a small ice cap, similar to those seen at present in the Canadian and Russian High Arctic. 'The region uncovered is, therefore, the site of ice sheet genesis in West Antarctica.' The team’s analysis has provided an unprecedented insight into the extent, thickness and behaviour of this ancient icefield, and the configuration and behaviour of the early West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The subglacial landscape shows where and how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet originated and grew. It also provides important clues about the size and shape of the ice sheet in West Antarctica in a warmer global climate. The findings are published in the latest edition of the Geological Society of America Bulletin. Another image showing the vast valley, outlined in black here . The paper’s lead author Dr Neil Ross, from Newcastle University, said: 'The discovery of this huge trough, and the characterisation of the surrounding mountainous landscape, was incredibly serendipitous. 'We had acquired ice penetrating radar data from both ends of this huge hidden valley, but we had no information to tell us what was in between. 'Satellite data was used to fill the gap, because despite being covered beneath several kilometres of ice, the valley is so vast that it can be seen from space. 'To me, this just goes to demonstrate how little we still know about the surface of our own planet. The discovery and exploration of hidden, previously-unknown landscapes is still possible and incredibly exciting, even now.'The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The U-shaped hanging tributary valleys of the Ellsworth Trough seen on radar. The radargram depicts two obvious tributary valleys, the largest of which is 1 km deep by 3 km wide. | Ancient mountain range found buried beneath kilometres of Antarctic ice .
It is 3 kilometres deep, more than 300 kilometres long and up to 25 kilometres across .
Valley is so vast that scientists say it can be seen from space .
Discovery sheds light on how the West Antarctic Ice Sheet originated and grew . |
1761fc8c2518e3cd880f00c149f4027f482f07b6 | By . Will Payne In Stratford, Canada . PUBLISHED: . 13:08 EST, 27 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:24 EST, 27 February 2014 . Justin Bieber’s bad boy father has split from the mother of his two young children and has apparently chosen a life of partying with his superstar son instead. Jeremy Bieber, 39, who was with Justin when he was arrested for drag racing last month, ended his seven-year romance with Erin Wagner and the pair are living apart, sharing custody of Jaxon, 4, and Jazmyn, 5. It is unclear when the couple split, but friends have said their relationship has been struggling for some time and rumors of a break up have circulated before. Scroll down for video . Split: Justin enjoys a sushi lunch with his father and Erin and their two children in happier times. Jeremy is living apart from Erin but they are sharing custody of the children, who Justin adores . Part of the family: A source told MailOnline that Erin and Justin are still great friends and that she is still on good terms with Jeremy despite the split . But the couple were regularly pictured together until late last year and spent Thanksgiving with each other. Sources say Erin – who is incredibly close to Justin – couldn’t handle Jeremy constantly going away with the pop star and living the high-life. The situation seemed to really start getting to the 27-year-old in the days leading up to Justin’s Miami arrest as she made a series of emotional tweets saying how unhappy she was. On January 16 she wrote ‘this is all I need’ and posted a longing quotation: ‘I don’t need a perfect one.. I just need someone who can make me feel like I’m the only one’. A week later Justin, 19, was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, on suspicion of driving under the influence, driving with an expired license and resisting arrest without violence. Jeremy had accompanied his son on the controversial break. Tattooed Jeremy – who has been jailed at least twice in the past – was heavily criticised in the wake of the incident with Justin’s millions of fans accusing him of being a terrible influence. It was even suggested he was in an SUV blocking the street to allow the drag race. The day after Justin was released from custody on a $2,500 bond, the father and son pair were pictured out partying. Trouble: Justin with his father on the beach in Miami hours before his high profile arrest for drag racing . Under the influence: A source told MailOnline: 'If you look at a lot of Justin’s . controversial incidents over the past few months, Jeremy has been in the . background. That is very worrying'. Police yesterday released footage of Bieber walking the line after his arrest . And then on January 31, Jeremy was present again when his son was accused of smoking marijuana on a private flight and verbally abusing a flight attendant. It seems everything got too much for Erin during that turbulent period and four days after the DUI arrest she wrote: ‘Hard to believe sometimes that things can get better! Trying to keep going!’ She followed that up with: ‘Ready for the next chapter.....wonder what it's about....#unknown’. This is not the first time Jeremy’s wild behavior has affected his family life for the worse. He split from Justin’s mother, Pattie Mallette, just 10 months after she had given birth to the future global superstar following a troubled on off relationship. According to Pattie’s autobiography, The Only Way Is Up, the teenagers were actually engaged, but called off the wedding when Jeremy cheated on her with a mutual acquaintance. She also claims Jeremy was in the county jail for fighting the day Justin was born and that he often let his son down, regularly failing to turn up when he was due to take him out for the day. A source told MailOnline: ‘Jeremy has always been a bad boy. When he first got together with Pattie he was a big drinker and loved to party. Close: While Jeremy was not always around during his childhood, they seem to be inseparable recently . Blood: Justin and Jeremy got matching tattoos. Those close to them say he's more of a friend than a father . ‘He has always adored his son, but he wasn’t mature enough to be a responsible parent and his lifestyle meant he couldn’t be there for him like a father should be. ‘He got in trouble with the police and would often leave town, sometimes for months at a time. ‘And if the truth be told his attitude towards partying and living the high-life has never changed. Again, he adores Jaxon and Jazmyne, in fact they are incredibly important to him, but that hasn’t altered his personality. ‘Justin hitting the big time in the way he has is an absolute dream come true for Jeremy and the temptation of being able to travel the globe, living like a superstar was too much to turn down. ‘Erin was always going to take second place to that. They are still on good terms for the sake of the children and she still has a great friendship with Justin, but their relationship has broken down. ‘Jeremy has the opportunity to party with beautiful girls in every city in the world. He was never going to let anything get in the way of that.’ The source added: ‘The fact Jeremy cannot seem to maintain a relationship is just another sign of how flaky he can be. He really isn’t the kind if role model Justin needs around him during this difficult time. Party! While Jeremy adores his children a source told MailOnline he has always been a wild child . Lonely: Erin and Jeremy have had an up and down relationship. They spent Thankgiving last year together, but then around the time of Justin's arrest in Miami she began posting some emotional tweets . Looking for love: Her postings made it very clear that she was no longer in a relationship . ‘Jeremy is more of a friend than a father. Far from trying to keep Justin on the straight and narrow he is often the one encouraging him.’ Throughout their relationship Erin has been referred to as Jeremy’s wife, although it is unclear if they ever actually got married. They met around seven years ago in the Mitchell, Ontario area, before Justin hit the big time. Soon after first getting together they moved West to Winnipeg and started a family. But when Justin’s career really started to take off in around 2010, Jeremy decided to move back to Stratford, bringing Erin with him. Initially they had their own place, but last year Justin bought his dad an $850,000 farm house on the outskirts of Stratford, just a few plots away from another property he bought for his maternal grandparents Diane and Bruce Dale. Sources close to Jeremy have told MailOnline he regularly boasts about receiving a massive $50,000 allowance from his son to help him pay for the upkeep of the mansion, which Justin also uses as a base when he is back in his home country of Canada. Jeremy – who uses some of the money to pay for a private butler - is known for having wild parties at the property, which he and his friends call, ‘the ranch’. Erin is still a regular visitor to the luxury pad, but she now has her own place and works for technology company Fibernetics in nearby Kitchener. Her family all live in Cypress Texas, having relocated there from Burlington, Ontario. She has been a regular fixture in Justin’s life, often going with the family to glitzy awards ceremonies, and many saw her as a positive influence. Butler: Sources said that Jeremy boasts that he has a $50,000 allowance from his son, which he uses to pay for a butler, at the $850,000 Canadian mansion his son also bought for him to live in . Justin is also incredibly close to his two younger siblings. His father on the other hand is generally seen as a bad role model. There is no official recording of his time in jail at the time of Justin’s birth – although records are expunged after a certain period of time in Canada. But he has got other offenses on his rap sheet. In 1997 he was convicted of assault and sentenced to 90 days in prison. Two years later he spent another 21 days in jail after violating his probation. He was also convicted of a second probation violation at the same time. Then in January 2004 he was charged with assault again, but the case was dismissed. Despite his criminal past Justin still seems to look up to his wayward father. Even though they were out of contact for extended periods during his childhood, Justin gave an interview saying: ‘I have a great relationship with my dad. ‘When I was younger, he taught me how to play some songs on the guitar, like ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ by Bob Dylan. He taught me how to drive too.’ Days after his Miami arrest he tweeted: ‘I have the greatest Dad in the world. He’s taught me how to love, learn, and stay true to myself. I will forever be grateful because he was my superhero #batman.’ But far from keep his son out of trouble, often, when Justin hits the headlines for the wrong reason Jeremy isn’t too far away. The two were photographed together at a Maple Leafs hockey game in Toronto Dec. 29, just hours before a limo driver called cops to report he was assaulted in a car carrying Bieber. The driver said he was driving Justin and his entourage away from the Air Canada Centre after the game when an unidentified member of the group attacked him. Justin was charged with assault late last month. Mom: Pattie Mallette, Justin's mother, split with Jeremy soon after his birth - during which Jeremy was allegedly in county jail . Jeremy also was with Justin and his son’s pal Lil Za in San Francisco on January 6, three days before the singer allegedly threw more than a dozen raw eggs at his neighbor’s house in Calabasas, Calif. The day of the alleged egging, Jeremy posted a Twitter photo of himself and Justin smirking for a camera with the caption: “Father like son. Son like father.” A source said: ‘If you look at a lot of Justin’s controversial incidents over the past few months, Jeremy has been in the background. That is very worrying.’ | Jeremy Bieber, 39, has ended his 7-year .
romance with Erin Wagner and the pair are sharing custody of Jaxon, 4, and Jazmyn, 5 .
Ex-jailbird Jeremy has been branded a bad influence on Justin and was with him in Miami when the singer was arrested for DUI .
Erin emotionally tweeted at the time: 'I don’t need a perfect one.. I just need someone who can make me feel like I’m the only one'
His constant trips with his son were behind the breakdown of the relationship, according to sources .
Seems to be with son whenever singer is in trouble and is 'more of a friend than a father'
Justin bought Jeremy an $850k mansion in Canada and gives his father a $50k allowance . |
1762311cb4de52429c25614481e3a6fe55e515d8 | A Pennsylvania felon who fired a handgun into his neighbor's house told the judge at his arraignment it was because he didn't know how to unload a handgun. George Byrd IV, 31, was hauled in front of a judge Friday after police found a handgun and a few rounds of ammunition in Byrd's home following a call that shots were fired into a neighbor's house. The Bucks County Courier Times reports that a Middletown resident called police around 12:30 p.m. Friday after hearing gunshots. Pleading ignorance: George Byrd IV, 31, was found shirtless at his home after a neighbor charged he fired a gun into her home . According to the police affidavit, the woman reported that she found a window had been shattered on the porch to the rear of her home. A half hour later, as she was inspecting the damage, she saw a shirtless man come out of a home whose backyard faces hers and, raising a handgun, apparently fire in the direction of her house. A search by police found two bullet holes in the fence between the two residents. Middletown Police Detective Patrick Nicastro inspected the damage to the resident's porch and pulling back the siding, found a medium caliber bullet. Officers then visited Byrd, finding him shirtless, and detained him while the home was searched, though Byrd denied firing shots. According to the probable cause affidavit, the search turned up several rounds of handgun ammunition in the basement of Byrd's home. With a search warrant that was obtained, police eventually found a .357 revolver, 12-gauge double barrel shotgun and an M77 rifle. Byrd has a felony conviction stemming from a burglary committed when was 17, which would prevent him from legally possessing a firearm. In front of a judge, Byrd stated his case that he had fired his gun into the ground to clear the chamber because,in spite of the three firearms in his home, he was unfamiliar with guns and didn't know how to unload one. He is currently in custody at Bucks County prison facing charges of persons not to possess firearms and discharging a firearm into an occupied structure. | George Byrd IV, 31, has a felony conviction from a burglary committed when he was 17, barring him from owning firearms .
He claims he shot into the ground to clear the chamber, though police found a shattered window and damage to the fence and siding at his neighbor's home . |
1763631ee8b278c82b1487a6d9652aad7549ac54 | An American couple convicted in Qatar of child endangerment has spoken out about their situation. Parents Matthew and Grace Huang of Los Angeles will receive a final verdict on their appeal on November 30, a Qatari judge announced October 20. The Huangs, of Los Angeles, were originally jailed on murder charges following the January 2013 death of their adopted daughter Gloria. The Huangs recently spoke to Katie Couric in an interview for Yahoo! News. 'I believe that the authorities in Qatar suspected foul play because we are Asians and we adopted three children from Africa, who are black, and this country does not understand adoptions,' Matthew Huang said during the interview. Scroll down for video . Parents: Grace and Matthew Huang are appealing their child endangerment conviction with the Qatari government - and the prosecution has also appealed, asking for the death penalty . Murder? The prosecution alleged that the couple had denied food to Gloria and said the child was locked in her room at night . Grace Huang further explained, 'It's just not done here. They don't even have a word for adoption. I was asked over and over whether I was the "real mom."' Yahoo News! reported that 'authorities arrested the couple and accused them of killing their daughter in order to sell her body parts on the black market.' The Huangs were released from prison last November, but banned from leaving during the trial. In March, the court sentenced them to three years in prison for child endangerment. Speaking about their imprisonment, Grace Huang said in the Yahoo! News interview 'It was incomprehensible to us. We were put in prison and taken back and forth to court every two weeks and we did not understand what was happening. Things were not translated. I was not allowed to see Matt or the kids.' The Huangs have remained out of prison during their appeal. They have insisted that their daughter, who was born in Ghana, died of medical problems complicated by unusual eating habits. However, Matthew Huang said in the Yahoo News! interview 'A lot of her struggles were from malnourishment from when she was younger.' At one point, Matthew Huang said in interview 'We appealed our three-year sentence, and so we are in an appeals court. The government prosecution appealed our three-year sentence and is requesting a death penalty, so we have been tried again on the same charges as we were before.' Appeal: Matthew and Grace Huang of Los Angeles will receive a final verdict on their appeal on November 30 . The case has raised concerns about possible cultural misunderstandings in Qatar, where Western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are relatively rare . Grace Huang then said to Couric 'I can relate to you not understanding the purposes of these hearings, because a lot of times I don't, we don't, understand why it just keeps going, and going, and going and going and they keep bringing the same things up over and over again, the same things happen over and over again. It just has no end.' Matthew Huang earlier told reporters outside the courtroom on October 20 'It feels like there is no end to this. The Qatar government is ignoring the calls of the U.S. government for our release.' Matthew Huang also spoke of a fear of being outside during his interview with Couric. 'I'm fearful of this country, I'm fearful of the government. I feel trapped and I don't trust that this government is able to do the right thing.' He also spoke of a fear of reprisal for giving the interview. 'I'm very fearful,' he told Couric. 'I'm scared of this court. I'm fearful of many things and I'm scared. I'm scared of this court. I'm scared of what the authorities might do to us.' Family: The couple has two other African-born adopted children who left Qatar during the trial to live with relatives in the United States . The couple has two other African-born adopted children who left Qatar during the trial to live with relatives in the United States. Washington has urged its Gulf ally to lift their travel ban. The couple met with U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith on October 19. The prosecution alleged that the couple had denied food to Gloria and said the child was locked in her room at night. The girl was pronounced dead when the Huangs took her to the hospital in January 2013. The case has raised concerns about possible cultural misunderstandings in Qatar, where Western-style adoptions and cross-cultural families are relatively rare. An investigative report by the Qatari police had focused partially on why the Huangs would adopt children who did not share their 'hereditary traits', according to the family's website. The Huangs will be able to take their case to a higher court after the appeals verdict, though Qatar's highest judicial body traditionally rules in favor of the lower court's rulings. | Americans Matthew and Grace Huang of Los Angeles were convicted in Qatar of child endangerment .
The Huangs were originally jailed on murder charges following the January 2013 death of their adopted daughter Gloria .
It was alleged by the prosecution the couple had denied food to Gloria and locked her in her room at night .
However, Matthew Huang has said she already had health issues prior to the adoption .
The case has raised concerns about possible cultural misunderstandings in Qatar, where Western-style adoptions are relatively rare . |
1764344415dfb5791a7bde67eeedfa9eb72373bf | Doctors at Bellevue Hospital are so busy caring for Ebola patient Dr Craig Spencer that they have begun transferring patients out of the intensive care unit to nearby NYU Langone Medical Center. Bellevue, one of the the most respected hospitals in the nation, is treating its first ever case of Ebola after Dr Craig Spencer arrived at the hospital last week with symptoms of the disease. Until Monday night, doctors were also concerned that Bronx boy who has recently been to Africa also had Ebola. He was isolated and treated with the same level of protection as if the disease was confirmed. Overwhelmed: Bellevue Hospital until Monday night was treating two patients that doctors suspected of having Ebola. One of the patient, a 5-year-old, has since tested negative . NYU Langone medical center is taking four ICU patients from Bellevue so that doctors at the public hospital can focus on Ebola patient Dr Craig Spencer . Ebola tests came back negative and doctors are now saying that he is likely suffering from a respiratory infection. The hospital sent two adult ICU patients to NYU Langone over the weekend and staff are preparing to send two children in the ICU to the hospital, as well, WCBS-TV reports. A spokesman said the transfers are meant to free up staff so that they can concentrate on caring for Dr Spencer, who is listed in serious conditions as he fights the deadly disease. Dr Spencer contracted Ebola while working for Doctors Without Borders in Guinea and did not begin experiencing symptoms until after he had returned home to New York. Public health officials have stressed that Bellevue, America's oldest public hospital, is fully equipped to handle Ebola cases. Dr Craig Spencer contracted Ebola while working for Doctors Without Borders in Guinea . The hospital has 1,200 beds and boasts 1,800 doctors and a staff of 5,500 workers. Dr Spencer is the first American who is not being treated at one of three hospitals with special infectious disease isolation units. Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in America, was treated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital and later died. The two nurses he infected were transferred to specialized hospitals for treatment and both have since recovered. Seven Americans have been treated for Ebola so far and all have now recovered from the disease. Five were treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Two were treated at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Lincoln and nurse Nina Pham was treated at National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. | Four intensive care patients are being transferred from Bellevue to NYU Langone Medical Center .
A 5-year-old Bronx boy at Bellevue has tested negative for Ebola and could have a respiratory infection . |
176531b4e8c045130e8cb6bda2dfc5e011be097f | Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani will be put to death for several charges of rape and extortion, charges that differ greatly from his original sentence of apostasy, Iran's semi-official Fars News agency reported Friday. Gholomali Rezvani, the deputy governor of Gilan province, where Nadarkhani was tried and convicted, accused Western media of twisting the real story, referring to him as a "rapist." A previous report from the news agency claimed he had committed several violent crimes, including repeated rape and extortion. "His crime is not, as some claim, converting others to Christianity," Rezvani told Fars. "He is guilty of security-related crimes." In a translated Iranian Supreme Court brief from 2010, however, the charge of apostasy is the only charge leveled against Nadarkhani. "Mr. Youcef Nadarkhani, son of Byrom, 32-years old, married, born in Rasht in the state of Gilan is convicted of turning his back on Islam, the greatest religion the prophesy of Mohammad at the age of 19," reads the brief. The brief was obtained by CNN from the American Center for Law and Justice and was translated from its original Farsi by the Confederation of Iranian Students in Washington. It goes on to say that during the court proceeding, Nadarkhani denied the prophecy of Mohammad and the authority of Islam. "He (Nadarkhani) has stated that he is a Christian and no longer Muslim," states the brief. "During many sessions in court with the presence of his attorney and a judge, he has been sentenced to execution by hanging according to article 8 of Tahrir -- olvasileh." Rezvani, the official from Gilan province, confirmed that his execution is "not imminent" nor is it final. Mohammadali Dadkhah, the pastor's lawyer, said through a translator that even in light of the Fars News report, he does not believe Nadarkhani will be put to death. "The case is still in progress," Dadkhah said. "There's a 95% that he won't get the death penalty. Yes, I still believe that." Dadkhah spoke briefly of the trial proceedings, stating that he presented documents to the court that should be convincing, including documents from Shi'ite leaders that state the crime does not warrant the possible punishment. "This is a legal process that should take its course, and it should stand, on its own merits. It should succeed," Dadkhah said. Nadarkhani, the leader of a network of house churches in Iran, was first convicted of apostasy in November 2010, a charge he subsequently appealed all the way to the Iranian Supreme Court. After four days of an appeals trial that started Sunday at a lower court in Gilan Province, Nadarkhani refused to recant his beliefs. That said, Rezvani -- echoing an earlier report from Fars -- insisted that "Nadarkhani's crime and his death sentence have nothing to do with his beliefs. "No one is executed in Iran for their choice of religion," he added. "He is a Zionist and has committed security-related crimes." The possible execution of Nadarkhani, based on an assumption it is tied to his Christian belief, has elicited responses from the highest levels of the United States government, too. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement Friday that said the United States stands with "all Iranians against the Iranian government's hypocritical statements and actions." The White House released a statement on Thursday, stating that Nadarkhani "has done nothing more than maintain his devout faith, which is a universal right for people." "That the Iranian authorities would try to force him to renounce that faith violates the religious values they claim to defend, crosses all bounds of decency and breaches Iran's own international obligations," reads the statement. Leonard Leo, chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, says a trial for apostasy in Iran is rare. According to him, this is the first apostasy trial since 1990. Nadarkhani's trial and his possible execution have engaged American Christians, as well. Todd Nettleton, spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs, a Christian organization that attempts to assist with persecuted and minority churches around the world, called the news of the new charges proof that international attention on the issue is working. "They are feeling the attention, they are feeling the weight of the eyes of the world watching how they are treating this man," Nettleton said. "I am dumbfounded, though, that at this stage in the game, this is what they would trot out." Voice of the Martyrs manages a Facebook page that has brought a lot of attention to Nadarkhani's trial. With comments updated by the minute, thousand of people have taken to Facebook to spread the word about the pastor. In light of this news, Nettleton said the Facebook page would continue to be active. "I think our first response will be prayer for pastor Youcef," Nettleton said. "Prayer that justice will be done and that he will remain faithful no matter that the days ahead may bring for him." | NEW: Iranian official calls Nadarkhani "rapist ... guilty of security-related crimes"
NEW: Official says Iran doesn't execute people because of their religion .
Nadarkhani got death sentence for rape and extortion .
He is the leader of a network of house churches in Iran . |
176534280d4c778987dd8422f894ec36e4af3506 | A stunning video of professional skiers wearing custom-made LED suits as they glide down mountain slopes looks set to show the sport in a completely new light. The film, shot in Alaska, shows world class skiers wearing incredible LED suits as they perform spectacular stunts down pristine snowy slopes at night. The 12 minute film called Afterglow was shot by a team from Sweetgrass Productions and released on the website Vimeo, according to Wired. Scroll down for video . Stunning: The feature length film was filmed in Alaska and shows world class skiers wearing incredible custom-made LED suits as they glide down pristine snowy slopes at night . Skiers: Pep Fujas and Eric Hjorleifson, two of the best skiers in the world took on the daunting task . It was created by a team led by co-director Nick Waggoner who said that they all wanted to shake up the genre of skiing films as it had become stale. The team used the dazzling effects of the colored lights which reflected off the snow, lighting up the darkness to create stunning scenes. Skiers Pep Fujas and Eric Hjorleifson, two of the best skiers in the world took on the daunting task of skiing down the rugged Alaskan terrain and found it difficult during the night shoot. They filmed during the day and worked mostly at night, draping the skiers in giant light suits and hauled gigantic, high-powered lights into the backcountry and lit up entire mountains as a backdrop. ‘Deep pillows and Alaskan spines, all filmed at night, with massive lights, custom made LED suits, and a national governments worth of logistics, planning, and civil engineering,’ said the filmmakers. And it is unlike anything seen before. The creative team had to take care of the LED suits, which had 7,000 LEDs sewn onto each skiers’ gear. Dazzling: The effects of the coloured light reflecting off the snow is simply stunning in the footage . Vivid: They filmed during the day and worked mostly at night and lit up entire mountains as a backdrop . Lights: The creative team had to take care of the LED suits, which had 7,000 LEDs sewn onto each skiers’ gear . Slope: The team used eight 4,000-watt lights, accented with smaller lights and gels to add contrast and fill . Often, some of the lights would burn out bringing filming to a halt while repairs were made. And the team faced other challenges whilst navigating the snow covered mountains. It proved to be a difficult task as the snow occasionally blew and billowed up around them creating conditions which are similar to driving with your bright lights on in a snowstorm. ‘A couple times the skiers were like, ‘Holy shit, that was scary,’ Waggoner said. However, unperturbed, the team lit up entire mountains and used eight 4,000-watt lights, accented with smaller lights and gels to add contrast and fill. The lighting and filming gear—which included several RED EPIC cameras and an octocopter—weighed 9,000 pounds. The ambitious crew got the equipment up the mountain in a helicopter, but there were also times when it was loaded into sleds and hauled up by hand. They needed five airplanes to haul everything in. ‘We wanted to do whatever we could to push the visual envelope,’ Waggoner said. i . They split filming into different segments, capturing the tree segments in British Columbia in late March, and steep skiing, in mountains of the Alaskan Range in April. Most of the filming took place at the Golden Alpine Holidays Sentry Lodge, Alyeska Resort, and the Alaskan Wilderness. Now, Waggoner hopes Afterglow will change the way that ski films are seen. ‘We had a pretty crazy dream and I’m just glad we had the means to realize it,’ he said. | The stunning footage was shot in Alaska and British Columbia .
The professional skiers are wearing incredible custom-made LED suits .
The footage was shot by filmmakers from Sweetgrass Productions .
They wanted to shake up the world of ski films with this gorgeous clip . |
17654d5ad134ae9ea7f95b731de9900d0ff7f930 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- On an island off the coast of the Chinese city of Shanghai, architects, engineers and contractors are preparing to build a new city later this year. In itself, this is nothing special one would think. Dongtan, the eco-city being built off the coast of Shanghai on the Yangtze River. With 20 percent of the world population living in China and national population figures set to hit 1.47 billion by 2020, there is always demand for new housing. But the city that is to be built on Chongming Island at the mouth of the Yangtze River is like no other in the world: Dongtan eco-city is planned to be first truly environmentally and economically sustainable city. Situated on a plot of land that is around two-thirds the size of Manhattan, Dongtan is surrounded by wetlands and lies beside a bird sanctuary where hundreds of rare migratory birds seek refuge. It was these unusual natural conditions that sparked the ambitious idea of creating a new urban concept for an entirely sustainable city that would minimally impact the surrounding environment. Planning started in 2005, after the London-based engineering and design firm Arup signed a contract with the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation (SIIC). "We were asked to create an 'eco-demonstrator'," explains Roger Wood, Arup's project coordinator for the Dongtan project since 2004, "a project that incorporated a number of ideas and design concepts that would increase the Chinese understanding of sustainability. "China has known about sustainability for 20 years, but -- like everyone else -- it has just not been able to apply it as a concept." The project is to be implemented in several phases, starting with a one square-kilometer plot that is expected to be ready in time for Shanghai's 2010 World Expo and that will house around 5,000 people. The 6.5 square kilometer start-up area will be developed to accommodate 80,000 people by 2020 and by 2050, the city is projected to cover an area of 30 square kilometers and have a population of half a million. Building a community spirit . Today the site is still isolated from the mainland, but the opening of a bridge and tunnel link in 2008 will reduce travel times to and from the island from over three hours to just one hour. Dongtan is however not to be just another dormitory town from which people commute to Shanghai: the new city will provide jobs to its inhabitants. "It is what we call integrated urbanism: we look not just at the environment, but also at social and economic aspects: employment opportunities, the way people work, the way people play, the way they move around the city," says Wood. At the same time, the project also deals with technical aspects like how to provide a sustainable water supply, how to treat wastewater, how to recycle and process waste and how to reduce the use of cars, by concentrating activities around three "village entrees" and encouraging people to walk, use bikes or public transport. "The important thing is that we are not restricting people; we are trying to encourage them to think about the way they live. Questions like: how much electricity do you use and what type of electricity?" says Wood, adding that cars in Dongtan will run on hydro-fuel or electricity, thus reducing noise and improving air quality. But what will daily life in Dongtan be like? Wood describes a typical day, in which people can walk their children to school, head on to work, easily meet their partners and friends for lunch and enjoy the many green spaces. At the same time people will also be more aware of their impact on the environment. They will get electricity from wind turbines and they will be able to monitor their energy and water use in the home. "The project is very much about creating a community," says Wood. "Community is very important and it is something the Chinese are very good at now, but which may disappear with the current explosive growth of cities." Visionary concept . Despite all the new technologies and sustainable concepts, Dongtan will remain a recognizably Chinese city. After studying the site and its history and looking at the elements that make up the traditional Chinese city, designers came up with ways to give Dongtan a Chinese feel. "There are lots of water spaces and bridges with what the Chinese call 'dreamy pools'. It is a city that is close to nature and that helps people understand nature," says Wood. Using ideas from Dongtan, Arup is today working on the development of master plans for three other eco-cities in China and also master plans for cities in Russia, Britain and Saudi Arabia. "The key of the Dongtan concept is that all elements are considered. And in principle this can be applied anywhere else in the world. But it does take a visionary to make the project viable; a project like that is not just business as usual. "It is more complex, because the economic viability is just as important as sustainability. A city can't be sustainable if it is not economically viable," says Wood. Thus, starting on a modest one-square kilometer plot at the mouth of Yangtze River, a group of visionaries is perhaps revolutionizing the way we will live in and think about cities around the world. ............................................. Are new environmentally friendly cities the answer to preventing global warming? Share your views and read others' thoughts in the Just Imagine forum. E-mail to a friend . | Chinese island is first truly environmentally sustainable city .
Dongtan is being planned with a community spirit in mind .
City will retain a traditional Chinese feel . |
176592e0c2ae1a625fea9bf78e7c5300f2ed2fe5 | By . Ted Thornhill for MailOnline . and Reuters . An 83-year-old man has admitted that he hid at least $1.1million from tax inspectors over a period of 25 years in Swiss and Israeli bank accounts, using the code phrase 'hot lips' to communicate with bankers. Bernard Kramer, from Delray Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy at a Manhattan federal court and could face five years in jail. He has been ordered to pay a $588,042 penalty and is now aiding a government inquiry into his affairs. Secret accounts: Bernard Kramer, from Delray Beach, Florida, admitted that he hid at least $1.1million from tax inspectors over a period of 25 years in Swiss and Israeli bank accounts . According to court papers made public on Tuesday, Kramer, who has also lived in New Jersey, began evading taxes around 1987 when he opened the undeclared account at an unnamed Swiss bank. Upon learning in 2008 that U.S. authorities were probing UBS AG for helping U.S. taxpayers conceal accounts, Kramer remained determined to keep hiding his money. In around March 2010 he arranged to move it to a new, undeclared account at an Israeli bank that was also not named, the papers show. Kramer failed to report interest and income from these accounts to the Internal Revenue Service from 1987 to 2012 and failed to file a U.S. Treasury form known as the Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, or FBAR, detailing his holdings, the papers show. Code: Kramer used the phrase 'hot lips' to communicate with bankers in Switzerland . During Tuesday's court hearing, Kramer said he met regularly in New York with a representative of the Swiss bank to discuss his account and that 'it was understood' the account's existence would remain a secret from tax authorities. He and bank staff used the code name 'Hot Lips' to refer to the account, prosecutors said. His defense lawyer, Brian Ketcham, declined to identify the banks after the hearing. Dozens of U.S. taxpayers have been charged in the United States since the crackdown on using Swiss bank accounts to evade U.S. taxes became public. More than 45,000 Americans have paid about $6.5 billion in back taxes, interest and penalties under voluntary IRS amnesty programs, the agency said in June. In May, Credit Suisse Group AG agreed to pay roughly $2.6 billion in penalties and pleaded guilty to helping Americans avoid taxes, in settlements with various regulators. UBS agreed in 2009 to a $780 million penalty. Kramer faces up to five years in prison on the top count against him and more than $600,000 in restitution and penalties, prosecutors said. | Bernard Kramer, from Florida, hid $1.1m from the IRS for around 25 years .
He squirreled the money away in secret Swiss and Israeli accounts .
He has been ordered to pay a $588,042 penalty and could face years in jail . |
17662736c0b0056d18a33c078f04b64bc369ab0b | (CNN)Duke University officials on Friday cited security concerns as part of the reason for the school's reversal of its decision to allow a Muslim call to prayer to sound from a campus chapel bell tower. Neither the Durham, North Carolina, school nor the local FBI office, which was made aware of the situation at Duke, would specify details of these concerns, but Michael J. Schoenfeld, the university's vice president of public affairs, said the number and tone of the calls were "pretty loud and nasty." "We have heard from a lot of people who have a lot of interesting and important opinions and perspectives on this," Schoenfeld said. In a statement Thursday, the school said plans changed because its effort to "unify was not having the intended effect." The Duke Muslim Students Association had planned to chant the call, or adhan, from the Duke Chapel bell tower. The adhan signals the beginning of the weekly prayer service. Jummah prayers have taken place in the basement of Duke Chapel for many years. "Duke remains committed to fostering an inclusive, tolerant and welcoming campus for all of its students," Schoenfeld said. "I think when you do these kind of things you like to think and you hope that it will be seen by others as you see them as enlightened ways to introduce diversity and the celebration of faith tradition, but unfortunately it doesn't happen the way you would like it." Plans for the audible call to prayer have been in the works since fall semester and are not in response to recent criticism of Muslims after the latest terror attacks and arrests, a source with close knowledge of the situation told CNN. The source also said the request did not come from the Muslim community on campus, but rather the university administration. The university's Imam Abdullah Antepli said his community was disappointed in the school's reversal. But he had praise for Duke, calling its offerings to the Muslim community "far more comprehensive than many other universities in the entire U.S." Schoenfeld said there will continue to be a call to prayer and service as usual. "The only thing that has changed," he said, "is that it will not come from the bell tower of the Duke Chapel as previously announced." There were no shortage of opinions on both sides after the reversal. Franklin Graham, son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, applauded the school. Graham had called on donors to withhold support over the plan to allow the adnan, questioning whether evangelical Christians at Duke would be allowed to broadcast their "message across campus." Others expressed their disappointment in Duke for the reversal. Omid Safi, head of Islamic studies at Duke University, directed a criticism at Graham. "Spare me," Safi's Facebook post says, "Spare me the paranoia of a wealthy white male Christian who talks about being marginalized in America." The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights group, called the decision unfortunate, saying the university bowed to intimidation. Members of the Muslim community will now gather on the quadrangle outside the chapel, a site of frequent interfaith programs and activities, before moving to their regular location for prayers. More than 700 of Duke's 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students identify as Muslim. "Our Muslim community enriches the university in countless ways," Schoenfeld said. Antepli added, "I see as opportunity, opportunity for people of all faiths, backgrounds and customs to come together and to learn from one another and to love each other." CNN's Emma Lacey-Bordeaux contributed to this report. | Source tells CNN that the request for the call from the tower had come from Duke's administration .
Evangelist Franklin Graham called on donors to withhold support .
Head of Islamic studies at Duke says he's disappointed in school's decision . |
176629ed4c347856f63d69c51b02b157b1312c8b | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 20:12 EST, 29 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:57 EST, 30 October 2013 . A second mystery barge has been discovered - this one docked in Maine, thousands of miles away from the ship spotted in San Fransisco Bay that has set the tech world abuzz. The vessel in Portland Harbor looks nearly identical to its cousin 2,700 miles away in California - four stories of shipping containers welded together atop a large flat barge. They are also both registered to the same mysterious Delaware-based corporation. The ships are widely believed to be owned by Google - built as prototype floating data centers that use ocean water to regulate the intense heat put out by the mass of servers. Mystery: This is the Maine barge that is thought to be part of a floating data center project by Google . This is the San Fransisco barge - which looks strikingly similar to the mysterious ship docked in Portland Harbor . Google has refused to comment on the vessels, though a 2009 patent filed by the company describes an environmentally-friendly sea-powered telecommunications and storage system that looks much like the vessels that have appears on both side of the continent. The Portland Press-Herald reports the Maine barge is docked at the city's Ricker's Warf. Contractors from local engineering firm Cianbro Corp. are installing high-tech equipment in the vessel, though workers said even they didn't know what the purpose of the ship was or who they were working for. Little is known about them, but they appear to have been registered by someone familiar with geek speak - and with a sense of humor. The structures are registered with a Delaware corporation as BAL0001, BAL0010, BAL0011 and BAL0100. In binary code used in computing, the numbers spell out "one," "two," "three" and "four." Currently, Nos. 1 and 2 are on the water in San Francisco and No. 3 is in Portland Harbor. Also, the Delaware company to which they're registered is called Buy and Large, a likely joking reference to "Buy N Large," the fictional mega-corporation in the 2008 Pixar film 'WALL-E.' The San Francisco barge is docked at Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay . Is this is? A 2009 patent filed by Google shows a water-borne data center . Possible: This large structure on a barge just off Treasure Island, between San Francisco and Oakland, could be a floating data center being made by Google . Google's patent describes 'a system includes a floating platform-mounted computer data center comprising a plurality of computing units, a sea-based electrical generator in electrical connection with the plurality of computing units, and one or more sea-water cooling units for providing cooling to the plurality of computing units.' 'The cutouts in the long walls of the containers, when they line up, they make hallways,' said Joel Egan, who designs similar structures. 'You could put all sorts of mainframes into the containers...It doesn't have enough windows for an office building' Now, CNET investigative reporter Daniel Terdiman claims the mystery construction site floating in San Francisco Bay could belong to Google, drawing on evidence from lease agreements, expert consultations and interviews with locals. He said putting data centers inside shipping containers, as he claims Google is doing, is already a well-established practice. While some commentators have criticized the reporter's evidence as circumstantial, experts say it's plausible that Google would build water-based data facility. Joel Egan, the principal at Cargotecture, which designs custom cargo container buildings, said the structure looks like a data center. 'The cutouts in the long walls of the containers, when they line up, they make hallways,' Egan told CNET. 'You could put all sorts of mainframes into the containers...It doesn't have enough windows for an office building.' Egan said that putting a data center on a barge would provide access to abundant water to help cool a large number of servers. Jonathan . Koomey, a Stanford research fellow and expert on data centers, said . companies such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, and Microsoft . have been installing specially built data centers in shipping . containers for some time because they're easy to deploy. This is an aerial view of the 'secret project' in San Francisco Bay . This is Hangar 3 on Treasure Island, alongside Pier 1, as seen in Apple Maps, before construction began . Plans? Sources say Google hopes to tow the completed structure from Treasure Island across the Bay to San Francisco¿s Fort Mason, where it would be anchored and open to the public . Meanwhile, KPIX 5 reports that Google is . actually building a floating marketing center at Hangar 3 for Google Glass, the cutting-edge wearable . computer the company has under development. KPIX 5 claims sources say Google hopes to tow the completed . structure from Treasure Island across the Bay to San Francisco’s Fort . Mason, where it would be anchored and open to the public. The media outlet also reported that construction on the site, near the San Francisco Bay Bridge, stopped several weeks ago because Google does not have a permit to park the barge on the waterfront. Construction on the site commenced last year, and the work is being shielded by a high security fence. Another theory is that Google is building a floating marketing center at for Google Glass, the cutting-edge wearable computer the company has under . | Experts speculate that Google is building a floating data center on a barge in San Francisco Bay .
Google patented the idea in 2009, but hasn't commented on the development .
Others theorize the Internet company is building a floating marketing center for Google Glass . |
1766b7863b2634a436d2b855e0c72ee0b7dbe666 | By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 12:58 EST, 13 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:16 EST, 13 December 2013 . The Duchess of Cambridge has become a famous fan of the British High Street and now it seems the Kate effect is brushing off on the other royals. While Kate chose to wear maternity clothes from Topshop while pregnant, Zara Phillips has opted for a similarly budget style by shopping at New Look. The Queen's granddaughter wrapped up in a £49.99 coat to attend the races at Cheltenham. Not long to go: Zara wrapped up her blossoming baby bump in a maternity coat from New Look . Proud parents-to-be: The couple were delighted the horse Mike Tindall part owns, Monbeg Dude, won the Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Steeple Chase . Sealed with a kiss: The couple celebrated the win with a smooch . Unable to compete in equestrian . events now she's eight months pregnant, Zara has instead been . channelling her energy into helping a race horse part owned by her . husband become a champion. She and her husband Mike Tindall celebrated with a kiss at . Cheltenham Racecourse as the horse he part owns, Monbeg Dude, won the . Majordomo Hospitality Handicap Steeple Chase. Zara, a the . world three-day event champion in 2006 and team silver medallist at . last year's London Olympics, has been helping to brush up the jumping of . the gelding. She reportedly branded her former England rugby captain husband an 'idiot' when he invested in the horse. But she revealed at Cheltenham races today that the steed has been improving under her expert eye. Zara, who is due to give birth to her first child next month, said: 'We have just been getting him to move his feet a bit quicker and think about it a bit more because he is a good jumper. 'You can see now that he is so much more efficient over his fences. It makes the whole race easier for him. We just did exercise poles. He has come down to me about five times. We schooled him this week and he loved it. He was bouncing out of his skin. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a Topshop dress when she was pregnant . Winning combination: The couple pose with the team who have worked with the victorious horse . Expert advice: Zara said she has been working with jockey Tom David to help the gedling improve . Used to being active: The Olympian said she has been a bit bored during her pregnancy . No riding: With her baby due next month, Zara has to be content watching the races at the moment . 'My jockey (Tom David), who rides point-to-points, was riding him because obviously I couldn't. But Scu has done all the hard work, I've have just helped a bit.' Zara, 32, wrapped up her blossoming baby bump at the races in a woolly coatigan with a knitted cowl neck. She teamed her cosy outfit with jeans and brown boats and carried a black handbag. She also wore sunglasses which were on the top of her head more often than over her eyes thanks to the wintry weather. As well as helping to get Monbeg Dude into shape during her pregnancy, Zara previously revealed she has taken up another hobby - baking. Watch out Mary Berry: The royal has said she's taken up baking during her pregnancy . Surprise: The couple have not found out if they're having a boy or a girl . The Olympian admitted: 'I have been a bit bored. I'm used to being on the go and active the whole time, and now it's quite different. So, yes, I'm baking. I love cooking and will definitely cook for the baby.' And Mike added of her culinary skills: 'She’s a very good cook and cooks me everything. I cook too, but I’m the pudding guy – sticky toffee puddings, chocolate fondants and brownies. 'I'm very good at following a recipe whereas Zara’s good at putting her own twist on things.' Mike, 35, also revealed that he and Zara have no intention of finding out the sex of their baby before its birth - preferring to keep it a surprise. | Horse Mike Tindall part owns won steeple chase at Cheltenham .
Parents-to-be celebrated with a kiss .
Queen's granddaughter has been helping gedling improve .
Couple expecting their first baby in January .
Zara wrapped up in £49.99 maternity coat . |
1768b699bec95dd1d8da3f614a493c840cb2fd5e | By . Anna Edwards . Imomotimi Wilson treated his alleged victim 'like a piece of meat' A man on trial for rape for allegedly refusing to wear a condom on the third time he had sex with a woman in a one-night stand has told the jury it was 100 per cent consensual. Imomotimi Wilson, 30, met his alleged victim in a pub and she agreed to go back to his house but told him she would only have sex if he used protection. They had consensual sex twice but on the third occasion claims that Wilson failed to use a condom. The woman, a 40-year-old, said Wilson treated her 'like a piece of meat' as the alleged attack took place. She said he held her hands over her head and told her 'if you love me you'll do it' before raping her for 15-20 seconds. But giving evidence at his trial at Cambridge Crown Court Wilson said 'she said stop and that's when I stopped'. He said: 'She said I feel like having sex again and I said "Yes, I feel like having sex with you as well again but there is no condom". 'She was romancing me, touching and kissing, and I said no, I do not want to do that because there is no condom. 'She started kissing me again and then I penetrated her. I believed 100 per cent it was consensual. 'Then she said stop and that's when I stopped. There were three seconds of penetration.' The court heard how the pair met at The Regal pub in Cambridge on June 9 last year . The court heard how she phoned police later that afternoon and Wilson was arrested . The court heard how the pair met at The Regal pub in Cambridge on June 9 last year and took a taxi back to Wilson's shared house in the city at 2am. She then spent most of the evening in bed with the defendant before leaving the property at around 6am. The court heard how she phoned police later that afternoon and Wilson was arrested. Caroline Allison, prosecuting, said: 'The prosecution say that she had made it perfectly clear in plain straight-forward language that the situation was no condom, no sex and that nothing had happened in the intervening period that would invite a reasonable belief that she was indeed consenting to unprotected sex.' Wilson, of Cambridge, has pleaded not guilty to rape after claiming he stopped on the third time the woman said no. The trial continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Imomotimi Wilson, 30, met his alleged victim in a pub in Cambridge .
She agreed to go back to his but would only have sex if he used protection .
Had consensual sex twice but on third time 'Wilson did not use condom'
The 40-year-old claimed Wilson treated her 'like a piece of meat'
Wilson, of Cambridge, has pleaded not guilty to rape . |
176a0a017afdf4d8ff1d0a49ee4578eda50761ae | Passengers screamed in horror, held onto strangers’ hands and prayed out loud after an Air France flight was rocked by severe turbulence in the skies over England. Four cabin crew members were injured when the New York-bound plane suddenly lost altitude less than an hour into its flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Aarti Virani, one of 484 passengers on board, said the turbulence struck without warning as flight attendants were serving beverages and it lasted about a minute. An Air France plane was met by firefighters at Charles de Gaulle Airport after it was rocked by turbulence . Passenger Bogdan Epure snapped this photo as the plane returned to Paris . This image from FlightRadar24 shows the path of an Air France flight that was forced to return to Paris . Even though she said it was brief, she described it as a terrifying ordeal that drove some fearful passengers to pray for their safety before the pilot announced that the Airbus A380 superjumbo jet was returning to Paris. Mrs Virani, from Jersey City, New Jersey, said: ‘I’ve been flying my whole life so I’m used to turbulence here and there but it was unlike anything I have experienced. ‘We felt weightless for a second and then it felt very long and it felt like we were being tossed.’ The 30-year-old added: ‘People were praying loudly. There was a gentleman next to me who was reciting Muslim prayers loudly, there was screaming – it was pretty rough. ‘There was one baby that was crying really loudly, which added to the sense of panic.’ When flight AF006 suddenly dropped in altitude Mrs Virani and a young woman seated next to her grabbed each other’s hands and held on until the turbulence ended. ‘We just kind of instinctively reached for each other’s hands. It just seemed like the thing to do.’ Paramedics and firefighters greeted the plane when it touched down at Charles de Gaulle Airport . This photo of the plane's flight path was taken by passenger Bogdan Epure on board the Airbus A380 . Her 37-year-old husband, Raj, who was seated ten rows behind her due to a booking glitch, saw pillows and other objects go flying. She said: ‘I imagine food would have been all over the place had we had trays of food on our tables. The drop felt pretty significant.’ Mrs Virani, who survived a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that killed thousands of people in Japan in 1995, said she had a flashback to that experience because she was so petrified and her adrenaline kicked in. She said there was no indication that passengers and crew were in for a bumpy ride. She said: ‘When the strongest gusts hit us they came without warning because when we were ascending the pilot made a short announcement saying it was going to be a smooth ride and there were a few clouds, but when we get above them that it should be a smooth ride to New York. Four Air France cabin crew members were injured when an Airbus A380 hit severe turbulence . Air France says the crew members were injured as the plane entered the beginning of its cruise phase . ‘After the turbulence everybody calmed down a little bit and maybe 10 to 15 minutes later the captain made an announcement saying there were flight attendants who had been injured and we had to turn around so they could receive medical attention,’ She said there was a suggestion that the turbulence was caused by the ‘leftovers’ of a jet stream from a flight ahead of them. ‘That made us think, “How close are we to another flight?”’ But Air France spokeswoman Ulli Gendrot described it as ‘clear skies turbulence’. After the incident the captain chose to abort the eight-hour transatlantic journey and turn back to Paris so the injured workers could be assessed by paramedics. The Airbus A380 landed safely at Charles de Gaulle Airport after the captain decided to return to Paris . Air France also confirmed that none of its 484 passengers was injured . Data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24.com showed that the plane turned around as it flew in airspace near Leeds. The Air France employees were initially reported to have suffered concussion, but Ms Gendrot said their injuries were not as serious as initially feared. She said the cabin crew members ‘suffered various but uncomplicated bruises’ and all went home after they were given medical assistance at the aircraft’s parking stand at Charles de Gaulle, where the plane was met by firefighters and paramedics. None of the passengers was injured and they were rebooked on flights that departed later Tuesday or Wednesday. Mrs Virani was returning to the US, where she works as a freelance arts and culture writer, after a one-week holiday in Europe with her husband. They were put on a flight that arrived at New York’s JFK International Airport early Wednesday morning while others had to spend the night in Paris. | Four cabin crew members were injured when the plane lost altitude .
Passenger Aarti Virani said she held hands with a stranger next to her .
Turbulence struck without warning as flight attendants served drinks .
Plane returned to Paris so injured workers could receive medical care .
None of the aircraft's 484 passengers was injured . |
176a6b149f5d8927143b94e730b7a818ce09337f | London, England (CNN) -- I didn't need to read the findings of a recent Australian research study to know that most women who live with their mates have more body fat than those who don't. For 10 years, researchers studied nearly 6,500 women, age 18 to 23, and found, according to one of the study's authors, Dr. Wendy J. Brown, that "Women with no partner and no baby averaged 11 pounds over 10 years. With a partner and no baby they gained about 15 pounds, and if they had a partner and a baby they gained 20 pounds." (The findings appear in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.) Researchers can speculate on the reasons for this, but it's not news to me. Of the thousands of women I've met who are desperately seeking to reshape their bodies, almost all are living with -- or just moved away from -- a partner. While I have heard many voices, their story is the same: They lust, then love. With lust comes starvation; with love, over-consumption and under-exercise. Their love transforms from the physical to the emotional, and this usually happens after they decide to live together. But once they lift their heads above the fog of love, they look down to find that their butts are sagging, bellies are bulging and thighs have taken on interesting new shapes! Come to think of it, many of the men who knock on my door looking for their abdominal muscles also deteriorated soon after moving in with their mates. Think about your man. Does he have the same waistline measurement as when you first signed the lease or mortgage papers? Probably not. In fact, it probably got even worse for both of you after your first child, didn't it? (The new Australian research references an earlier study that showed an increase in obesity in men once they'd had children.) Like the smokers I know, the overwhelming majority of whom hate to smoke, many women develop unhealthy patterns (like snacking on junk food at home) that lead to unhealthy bodies, which lead to a seriously unhealthy lack of self-esteem. We become "less desirable," a phrase I hear far too often. Once we arrive at this place, the frantic search begins. Many of us will do anything to recover what was once our youthful body. Sadly, many waste time and money on fad diets, pills and potions. They end up doing the yo-yo thing, torturing their bodies through obsessive experimentation with an endless list of exercise programs, almost all of which fail them, because the will to really change behavior is not yet there. So, what can we do? First, we must think about the quality and standards of our everyday behavior more than the end result. If we can just focus on gradual improvement of our diet and our exercise programs, we will likely regain our healthier, slimmer form. But more important, we will also build our self-respect. So, taking intelligent steps (i.e., coming up with a rational workout plan or shopping for fresher and healthier foods and eating them, not impulse snacks), carrying the steps out consistently -- more frequently and for a longer duration -- will have a huge net benefit on our bottoms and our bottom line: love. Next, we should include our mates in our process. In my experience, for example, couples who work out together have greater success in achieving their health and weight loss goals. They also seem to get along much better and stay together longer. Transform your personal physical development time into "date time," doing something as simple as taking regular after-dinner walks together. Finally, cut back, but don't cut out the fun stuff. When we are consistent with our diet and exercise programs, there is no need for maniacal starvation. We don't need to sit at the dinner table with a radish on our plate, while our children and mates enjoy full meals. A healthy diet should not be some kind of intruder in our relationships, it should be a natural part of our lives. Besides, fun foods are what make our love lives more interesting and memorable. So eat! But only if you do the work on the other side of those calories. Having a healthy, fit and feminine physique and a deeply loving emotional relationship are not mutually exclusive. You can have both; and it can be done in a fun and positive way. For those of you about to move in, heed this advice: Start your program now, before your belly and your mate's interest start to sag! I promise: if you don't quit, you'll have a body that won't quit! The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tracy Anderson. | Trainer Tracy Anderson not surprised study says women with partners gain weight .
When people partner, she says, they get lax in eating, fitness habits .
Sticking to rational diet, exercise plan and including mate key to staying slim, she says .
Anderson: Moving in together? Start fitness program now . |
176aa9f0997687a9323f4123dd50eaedb2c93812 | London (CNN) -- Prince Philip was hospitalized in Britain on Monday with a bladder infection, forcing him to miss part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebration, Buckingham Palace said. The Duke of Edinburgh, who will be 91 on Sunday, was taken to King Edward VII Hospital in London from Windsor Castle "as a precautionary measure after developing a bladder infection, which is being assessed and treated," the palace said in a statement. The queen's husband will remain hospitalized and under observation "for a few days," the statement said. Prince Charles noted his father's illness while addressing thousands who packed the Buckingham Palace grounds for a concert Monday night featuring music legends including Elton John and Stevie Wonder. "The only sad thing about this evening is that my father couldn't be here with us," the prince said. "Because unfortunately, he has taken unwell." Charles then asked the concertgoers to send his father a message, saying, "If we shout loud enough, he might just hear us in (the) hospital." The crowd responded with a roar, which segued into chants of "Philip! Philip!" In addition to the concert, Philip will miss Tuesday's service of thanksgiving, luncheon and carriage procession marking the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth's coronation. "He is, understandably, disappointed," the palace said. Paul McCartney, one of the performers Monday night, addressed fans outside Buckingham Palace after news of Philip's hospitalization broke, wishing the prince a speedy recovery. In December, Philip spent four nights, including Christmas Eve and Christmas, in Papworth Hospital being treated for a blocked coronary artery. When Philip turned 90 last year, he said he would gradually "wind down" his workload. "I reckon I've done my bit. I want to enjoy myself now ... have less responsibility, less frantic rushing about, less preparation, less trying to think of something to say," he told the BBC in an interview. The longest-serving consort in British history, Philip married then-Princess Elizabeth in November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. They had two children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, before she acceded to the throne, and two afterward -- Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. They have eight grandchildren. Born the prince of Greece and Denmark on the Greek island of Corfu in 1921, Philip left Greece with his family when he was 18 months old after King Constantine was forced to abdicate the throne following a revolution. The family moved to Paris and then England in 1928, and Philip also went to school in Germany. Philip renounced his Greek title when he became a naturalized British subject in 1947. He joined the Royal Navy in 1939, and met Elizabeth in July that year when she visited the Royal Navy College in Dartmouth with her father, King George VI. After Princess Elizabeth became queen, Philip gave up his naval career to support her and embarked on a long career of charity work, notable for its initiatives for young people. Both he and the queen are great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria, and are also related through his father's side -- his paternal grandfather, King George I of Greece, was Queen Alexandra's brother. Philip has made more than 5,000 public speeches during his working life, according to Buckingham Palace. | Prince Charles urges concertgoers to shout so his ill father could hear them .
The queen's husband will remain hospitalized for a few days, Buckingham Palace says .
He is being treated for a bladder infection .
The palace says he is "disappointed" about missing Diamond Jubilee events . |
176ab43ba94618940043662a73401356f8f8df6f | A diamond worth £12,000 was shot into space this morning - and whoever finds it when it lands back on earth gets to keep it. The sparkler was mounted to a steel frame and attached to a helium balloon. It will rise above the earth until the atmospheric pressure at the edge of space causes the balloon to pop. The diamond will then parachute back down to earth in a giant orange parachute - and whoever finds it will be a cool £12,000 richer. This diamond worth £12,000 has today been shot into space, and whoever finds it gets to keep it . It will rise above the earth until the atmospheric pressure at the edge of space causes the balloon to pop . The diamond was launched just before 9am today from a field in Derbyshire and is expected to land back on earth around noon. A tracking device has been fitted to the diamond and the firm will be tweeting clues using #diamondinthesky for gem hunters to join in the race in the search for the gem when it lands. The potential 'drop zone', however, is estimated to cover a range of more than 60 miles - meaning it could be days before it is found unless it lands in the middle of a village, town or city. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and online retailer 77 Diamonds worked together to launch the jewel into space and are tracking its path. Chiefs at the website with the 'largest selection of natural diamonds in the world' hand-picked the diamond was for its 'brilliance and sparkle'. The gem is a 'modified cushion brilliant cut', similar to the engagement rings of Kim Kardashian and Jessica Biel. It was launched just before 9am from a field in Derbyshire and is expected to land around noon . Jessica Biel shows off her 'modified cushion brilliant cut' engagement ring at the MET gala in May 2012 . Bosses at 77 Diamonds, which takes its name from the first ever diamond engagement ring given by Archduke Maximilian I of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477, say the stunt is to raise awareness of the firm's access to 80 per cent of the world's finest polished diamonds. It is also aimed at promoting its so-called interactive universe, called Diamonds in the Sky, which allows users to fill a virtual night sky with thousands of stars - each one unique and named after someone special. Tobias Kormind, co-founder of 77 Diamonds, says: 'We are very excited about the launch. 'What better way to raise awareness of our virtual universe than by actually making it a reality and putting a diamond in the sky for the first time ever. 'With Diamonds in the Sky, we wanted to explore the parallels between diamonds and stars in an imaginative and engaging way.' The gem is a 'modified cushion brilliant cut', similar to the engagement rings of Kim Kardashian and Jessica . The UK Civil Aviation Authority and online retailer 77 Diamonds worked together to launch the jewel . | The diamond was launched into space at 9am from a Derbyshire field .
Was attached to helium balloon which will pop due to pressure .
Gem will float back down to earth in orange parachute around midday .
Arranged by UK Civil Aviation Authority and online retailer 77 Diamonds . |
176b8da8082646baf69440877b91b3f084d77dfa | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 12:17 AM on 24th June 2011 . Residents of Minot, North Dakota, fled their homes in panic today as devastating floods from the overflowing Souris River left entire neighbourhoods under water. More than 11,000 residents, almost a quarter of the population, have already been forced to flee as waters continue to rise towards historic levels - the biggest floods in the region in four decades. And there were fresh fears today as Minot is also home to Minuteman III nuclear missile silos - which are situated directly in the flood's . path. Soldiers and emergency workers piled sandbags and pumps at the sites today in a bid to protect the silos from flooding. Last night Curt Zimbelman, mayor of the town of 41,000, said: 'We could have a really catastrophic type of event here. We will - there is no doubt about it anymore. I think people have to understand if you were on the edge before you may not be on the edge now.' Scroll down for video . Devastating: North Dakota is experiencing the worst flooding in four decades as thousands flee in terror . Flooding: Water flows from Lake Darling into the Souris River about fifteen miles north of Minot, North Dakota, today . Resistance: Crews reinforce an earthen levee along the Souris River today in Minot. The river is expected to rise significantly, creating more havoc for the town . The warning was followed by an . announcement saying: 'All residents must evacuate, Zones 1 through 9,' prompting the last of nearly 11,000 Minot residents to leave their homes . for a second time in a month. Robyn Whitlow, 27, who was helping . some residents move the last of their belongings, burst into tears when . the sirens sounded just before 1pm. 'I feel so bad for everybody,' said Mrs Whitlow, a Minot resident who lives outside the evacuation zone. The Souris River, which loops down from Canada through north central North Dakota, has been bloated by heavy spring snowmelt and rain on both sides of the border. The resulting deluge is expected to dwarf a historic flood of 1969, when the Souris reached 1,555.4ft above sea level, the Associated Press reports. The river is expected to hit nearly 1,563ft this weekend - eventually topping the historical record of 1,558 feet set in 1881. Mr Zimbelman warned on Wednesday morning that the river would top the levees earlier than expected and said residents still moving their belongings from the evacuation zone should 'do their last-minute thing and be prepared to move quickly.' Safety: Residents use a boat to check on their homes in Big Lake, Missouri as thousands flee the area . Sandbags: Soldiers with the National Guard work on a temporary levee in Minot, North Dakota, on Wednesday . The National Weather Service in Bismarck also issued a flash-flood warning along the Souris River from Burlington through Minot and Logan to Sawyer. Before the sirens sounded, Laura Nessler, a 50-year-old nurse, watched the water lap against a bridge on Broadway, the main north-south thoroughfare through Minot. The road was bumper-to-bumper with furniture-loaded pickup trucks and cars pulling U-Hauls trying to get out of town. Nessler pointed to a side street that had become inundated in the hour since she arrived. 'That didn't have any water when I got here, and now it's filling up,' Nessler said. Ashley Getchell, 25, was snapping some photos at Broadway Bridge to document the flood for her children aged three and one-and-a-half because she 'has no place else to go.' Sinking: A home breaks apart as it is engulfed by Missouri River flood waters on Wednesday in North Dakota . Moving fast: The surging Souris River passes near a home in Minot, North Dakota, as 11,000 residents are evacuated . The stay-at-home mom had moved most . of her belongings from her home at Holiday Village Trailer Park to a . friend's house, but she didn't have enough time rescue anything else. 'I'm going to be losing my house,' she said calmly. 'I guess if anybody needed a reason to start over, this is it.' The mayor said the city has just been buying time, and he urged people to be safe as they leave. 'Be cautious and be courteous, I guess,' he told KXMC. 'Everybody's trying to do the same thing. If we work together, the result's probably going to be the best.' Get outta here: MacKenzie Mack moves some of her belongings out of her apartment near Minot State University because of rising water levels of the Souris River . Further north near the U.S.-Canada border, a rapid rise of nearly four feet was observed on the Souris River in the Sherwood area, the National Weather Service said late Wednesday morning. The area is the first point in North Dakota where water released from Canadian dams is observed. The weather service said flash flooding was expected in mainly rural areas of northwest Renville County, along with the hamlet of Greene. Renville County Emergency Manager Kristy Titus ordered a mandatory evacuation of Mouse River Park. About 10,000 Minot residents were evacuated earlier this month before the river hit 1,554.1 feet. Resigned to leave: Tina Collom, 82, stands outside her Minot home. 'We won't have nothing to come back to this time,' she said . They were later allowed to return to their homes, but told to be ready to leave again quickly. Nearly 500 North Dakota National Guard soldiers were in Minot to provide traffic control, and to help in the evacuation. Guard commander Dave Sprynczynatyk said he expected the impact of the impending flood among the worst he has seen in his 40-year career. 'What I see right now is probably the most devastating in terms of the number of people directly impacted and what will likely be the damage to homes as the water begins to overtop the levees and fill in behind,' he said. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy . | Sandbags surround missile silos in an attempt to protect sites from flooding .
Nearly 11,000 Minot residents leave homes for second time in a month .
Souris River expected to hit nearly 1,563ft this weekend and break a record .
Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman warns residents to 'do their last-minute thing' |
176c2004d5f7513c9d88dafc39523e1ddc921cba | Trader Luis Nobre is accused of a 100million euro fraud against an off-shore oil firm . A bank trader has appeared in court accused of a 100million euro fraud against an off-shore oil firm. Luis Nobre, 48, is alleged to have duped major pipe lay company Allseas Group Ltd into handing him the vast sum of money in November 2011. He is accused of conning the firm using bogus bank guarantees worth more than $5billion and laundering some of the proceeds through a bank account in Singapore. Nobre, the sole director of Larn Ltd, registered to exclusive addresses in Harley Street and Marylebone, central London, appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court this morning. Wearing a blue pinstriped suit and a dark fedora hat, he pleaded not guilty to nine money laundering and fraud charges. He was joined in the dock by Nadeem Khan, 54, and Buddika Kadurugamuwa, 45, who are both accused of helping Nobre launder money made from the alleged scam. Nobre is said to have fraudulently got 100million euros transferred to Larn Ltd on November 1, 2011, from Allseas Group. It is then claimed that he made a series of transactions totalling 16million euros during the rest of the month. Nobre is accused of laundering 269,141 Swiss Francs on January 4, 2012, and transferring another 651,691 Swiss Francs to an HSBC account in Singapore belonging to Kadurugamuwa in January and February the same year. Nobre is also said to have obtained bank cards preloaded with funds from the Allseas Group between December 2011 and November 2012, and used a bank card belonging to the Federal Bank of the Middle East. He is accused of having bogus papers showing he had a one billion euro guarantee and two further guarantees worth $2.37billion and $2.03billion. High-flyer: Nobre's Larn Ltd was registered at this address on Harley Street, in central London . Luis Nobre, 48, is alleged to have duped major pipe lay company Allseas Group Ltd (heaquarters in Switzerland pictured) into handing him the vast sum of money . Prosecutor Dominic Lewis said: 'There is potential evidence from Malta where the fraud was allegedly committed.' Judge Martin Beddoe freed all three defendants on bail until their trial, which is due to begin on September 7. They will all return to court for a pre-trial hearing on July 24. Nobre, from Wembley, denies two counts of acquiring criminal property, four counts of transferring criminal property, and three counts of possessing an article for use in fraud. Khan, whose address was listed as Harley Street, and Kadurugamuwa, of Shepherds Bush, west London, denies one count of entering into a money laundering agreement. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Trader Luis Nobre accused of duping off-shore oil firm out of 100m euros .
He allegedly conned Allseas Ltd using bogus bank guarantees worth $5bn .
Nobre said to have made a series of transactions totalling 16million euros .
Also alleged to have laundered some proceeds through bank in Singapore .
Nobre, 48, pleaded not guilty to nine money laundering and fraud charges . |
176d5e4a5261c4f26284ba94f48d0f45da7959bb | MANCHESTER, England -- Owen Hargreaves curled in a superb free-kick, 18 minutes from time, to give Manchester United a 2-1 Premier League victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford. Hargreaves curls his match-winning free-kick over the Arsenal wall and past Lehmann. The win lifted United six points clear of Chelsea, who meet Wigan on Monday, and effectively ended Arsenal's fading title bid. The Gunners trail United by nine points with four matches left to play. Emmanuel Adebayor gave Arsenal a 48th minute lead but Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot minutes later with his 38th goal of the season. The loss dooms Arsene Wenger's side to their third season without a trophy and ends a black week which also included a Champions League quarterfinal defeat to English rivals Liverpool. England midfielder Hargreaves, best known for his determined defending, Scored United's 100th goal in 50 games this campaign when his curled free-kick from the edge of the box over the wall left goalkeeper Jens Lehmann standing. Adebayor headed Arsenal in front three minutes into the second period when he met Robin van Persie's cross and profited from confusion between United keeper Edwin van der Sar and center-back Rio Ferdinand. There were no complaints from United about the goal but tv replays suggested Adebayor may have handled the ball rather than knocked it in with his head, even though he was just a few yards away from goal. Six minutes later Arsenal defender William Gallas clearly handled inside his own area and referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot. Ronaldo netted but Webb ordered the penalty to be re-taken because of encroachment by other players. Lehmann, only playing because of a wrist injury to first-choice keeper Manuel Almunia, was then booked for delaying the second kick. Ronaldo, making light of the pressure of the situation, stuck with his stuttering run-up and struck the ball low and hard past the German international's right-hand. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard scored and created a goal for Fernando Torres in a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers at Anfield. Spain striker Torres now has 30 goals this season and midfielder Gerrard 21 .Substitute Andriy Voronin added a third in the 90th minute. This win left Liverpool five points clear of city rivals Everton in the race for the final Champions League qualifying spot. Sunday's match, played out against a backdrop of ongoing boardroom rows at Anfield, was all square for an hour until England midfielder Gerrard beat several Rovers players on the edge of the box before sliding the ball past goalkeeper Brad Friedel. Torres then became the first Liverpool player to score in seven consecutive top-flight games at Anfield when he headed in Gerrard's cross eight minutes from time. Voronin then got on the end of a John Arne Riise cross to make it 3-0 before Roque Santa Cruz pulled a goal back for Rovers in stoppage time. E-mail to a friend . | Manchester Utd beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Premier League game at Old Trafford .
United go six points clear of Chelsea, who play Wigan on Monday .
Arsenal are nine points adrift of the leaders with four games to play . |
176dcfaf363d776b677dec680a375c6973bf8a53 | (CNN) -- A 27-year-old man with a history of mental illness was detained after he jumped a fence at Tampa International Airport Monday evening and ran onto an active runway. The man, who was not hurt, was given a trespass warning and taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation, airport spokeswoman Janet Zink told CNN. The man was apprehended within three minutes after he crossed the fence, Zink said. Zink said the man jumped a fence shortly after 5 p.m. and ran toward Runway 1 Right. He was observed by an employee of an airplane maintenance company, who called 911, she said. Air traffic controllers, pilots and airport police were recorded talking about the event on LiveATC.net tapes. "How about the guy over here walking on the runway," one pilot said. "I have no knowledge of that, but I think I see something now," the controller responds, before instructing a Southwest flight taxiing to the runway to stop. "He's got his arms up ... he's walking northbound on the runway." A police officer then asks for clearance to enter the runway to apprehend the man. "That's something you don't see every day, tower," another pilot radioed. "No you don't," the controller responded. The incident briefly delayed a Southwest flight from Tampa to Houston, and a United flight from Tampa to Chicago. CNN Producer Brian Rokus contributed to this report. | NEW: The man is taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation .
A man jumped an airport fence and ran toward one of the runways .
He was observed by a worker, who called 911 .
Two flights from the Tampa airport were delayed briefly . |
176e18fb6091c162b0b28dec636f73fbb9a9590f | Wave goodbye: Abdullah Al-Shammari, who spent 30 years on death row, bids farewell to fellow prisoners before his execution . A Saudi Arabian prisoner who spent 30 years on death row for killing a man in a fight was finally executed yesterday after the victim's family refused to grant him a pardon. Abdullah bin Fandi Al Shammari, described by prison management as the 'ideal inmate', was beheaded in the northern town of Ha'il. Shammari was just 23 when he was arrested and jailed for killing fellow Saudi Moojab bin Mohammed Al Rashidi by hitting him on the head with a stick following a row. His trial dragged on for five years until the court ruled Rashidi's death was involuntary homicide. Shammari was then set free and ordered to pay the victim's family diya or blood money. After being released form prison Shammari was married in a lavish wedding. But al-Rashidi's relatives objected to his release and demanded a retrial. Shammari was subsequently rearrested and found guilty of murder and sentenced to death on murder charges in 1983. Under Saudi law, al-Rashidi's sons had to come of age and decide whether or not to accept diya. Shammari was kept from the gallows for 30 years as the court wanted allow his relatives and friends a chance to persuade the victim’s relatives to accept diya again and pardon him, but time and again they refused. As a prisoner Shammari was praised for . his exemplary conduct, he not only memorised the Quran but persuaded . other inmates to do likewise. Shammari, who was described by prison management as the 'ideal inmate', was beheaded in the northern town of Ha'il (pictured) Shammari was just 23 when he was arrested and jailed for killing fellow . Saudi Moojab bin Mohammed Al Rashidi by hitting him on the head with a . stick following a row in thr town of Ha'il . He also gave up smoking and was said to have contributed to improved behaviour in hundreds of other inmates. His case was taken up by the then Crown Prince, Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, but even he couldn not persuade the victim's relatives to grant a pardon. Shammari's beheading brings the number of executions in Saudi to 10 for this year. In 2012, the kingdom beheaded an estimated 76 people. Under Saudi Arabian law, rape, murder, apostasy (remouncing Islam), armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death. | Abdullah bin Fandi Al Shammari was sentenced to death in 1983 .
He killed a man by hitting him on the head with a stick following a row .
Kept from the gallows while .
victim's relatives were asked to grant a pardon .
Victim's sons had to come of age to decide whether to accept blood money .
While in jail he learned the Quran and was described as the 'ideal inmate'
His beheading brings the number of executions in Saudi to 10 for this year . |
176e5cfc1642f0b3ec80cf1d89253d9374df1509 | (CNN) -- It's hard not to become distressed, when I'm carefully following the situation in Yemen since violence got worse. It's even more troublesome not to become distressed thinking that there is a bleak future waiting for Yemen. The fight by the security forces against unarmed protesters is indeed inhuman. More than 2,000 protesters have been murdered and more than 8,000 wounded by security forces across Yemen. Admittedly, the uprising has a long way to go but one of its great merits so far is the exceptional participation of women. I have been astonished by the growing numbers of female protesters as the uprising has proceeded. It started with just a few women; then day after day the number multiplied. Thousands of female protesters have been actively participating in demonstrations across the country since February 2011. Female doctors have been playing an important role treating wounded protesters and female activists have been running seminars on political issues. Mr Saleh's (Yemen's current president) security forces arrested four female doctors on 19 April 2011, while the doctors were marching along with a peaceful demonstration to provide medical help if needed. The female doctors were released after a huge condemnation and pressure from protesters. Even female protesters were not immune from the savage killing by pro-government thugs. On the 16 October 2011, I was saddened to see a female protester being shot dead by a thug's bullets. Aziza Othman was murdered in Taiz during an attack at a peaceful and unarmed protest by women. A very important recognition of women's participation in Yemen's uprising is the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Tawakkol Karman, one of the leading pro-democracy figures in Yemen. I believe that there are several motives behind this amazing participation by women -- I myself joined the protests and rallies because I want to build and improve my country. I wanted it to be a double revolution; a political one to topple President Saleh and a feminist one to ensure that women have equal rights in what Yemenis hope will be a new Yemen. It was a double political statement: First, that women have as much right to call for democracy as men, and an indirect message to lift gender apartheid. Indeed, it's been hard to be a woman in Yemen. A woman's gender, by default, deprives her of rights enjoyed by men. Women in Yemen have been always marginalized in law. As in many developing countries, women in Yemen suffer from limited access to healthcare, economic opportunities and education. I remember vividly attending a seminar in Sana'a by Amal al-Basha, one of the leading feminist and human rights activists in Yemen and founder of The Arab Sisters Forum for Human Rights in in March this year. I asked her, "Do you think that the uprising will serve women's rights?" "We have been dealing with a state system that marginalised women for over three decades; unfairly snatching their rights," she said. "Women in Yemen have only a restrained degree of legal protection in regard to family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance. "Many women in Yemen are forced to get married when they are still children. This corrupt system means women in Yemen have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Seven women are raped every month in Yemen, with no concrete punishment from the state for rapists. "Women in Yemen also suffer from illiteracy. The current system provides a relatively low degree of protection for women's physical integrity. "There are no laws against domestic violence and the law does not recognize the concept of spousal rape. There is zero observation and accountability by the government to ban the practice of female genital mutilation. How can women not call for change! Of course the uprising will serve women's rights," she told me. In a nutshell, the participation of women in the uprising has huge merit. What women have done so far embodies their civil and political liberty. Bearing in mind that freedom for women in Yemen is usually subject to numerous limitations; their participation in the uprising is extraordinary. What they are doing is really a protest against socio-political norms that have always limited their freedoms. | Afrah Nasser is a Yemeni journalist and blogger currently living in Sweden .
She says she is astonished by the role of women in Yemen's anti-government protests .
Nasser hopes the uprising will lead to greater gender equality . |
176e7fdc25df794b4760ee0e8f93f3bcad376309 | By . John Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 19:06 EST, 15 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:26 EST, 15 November 2013 . The mother of a deputy head girl who went missing for three days said she never wanted to let her daughter go once they were reunited. Ella Hysom, 15, who disappeared during treatment for depression, was brought back safe and well to her family after a member of the public recognised her from an appeal in the Daily Mail. Yesterday her mother Alison, 43, said the family was beginning the long journey of convincing Ella she is beautiful. Hopefu: Alison Hysom, 43 (left) the mother of 15-year-old Ella Hysom (right) who disappeared last week, said her family is now beginning the long journey to make the schoolgirl believe she is beautiful . Mrs Hysom said: ‘I have gone from being really, really worried to being delighted and relieved that she was found, and found safe. ‘When we saw her I wanted to hold her, hug her and never let her go. I have been through every emotion in the last 24 hours. I still cannot sleep, I still cannot register that we have got her back safely.’ Mrs Hysom, who runs a training company, said she now wants her ‘beautiful’ and ‘intelligent’ daughter to realise her potential. ‘What is important to understand is that she does have a mental illness and she is very depressed and she still needs to receive treatment for that to get better,’ she said. ‘The thing with depression is that it is not an illness that heals in the same way that a wound does. We have got a long way to go to ensure Ella is mentally fit and healthy. ‘We are going to spend a lot of time with her and the next step is to focus on her treatment so she can have a positive future as every 15-year-old deserves.’ Ella was deputy head girl at her school in Colchester, Essex, and a keen rower. ‘Before she became ill she was incredibly driven, she has a phenomenal amount of potential,’ Mrs Hysom said. ‘She was predicted As for her GCSEs and had won all these cups for rowing. ‘She has so much potential and we now need to help her to see that, but it will take a while I think. Returned: The 15-year-old was brought back home safe and well to her family after a member of the public recognised her from the appeal in the Daily Mail . ‘As part of her depressive illness she had very low self-esteem, so whilst we on the outside can see she is stunningly beautiful, 5ft 10in, slim and gorgeous, she is not able to see that herself.’ Ella went missing around 1pm on Monday close to a residential clinic in Ilford, East London, where she had been treated for six weeks. She had written a number of emotional messages on Twitter and Facebook that suggested she had split from a boyfriend who had found a new love. ‘The higher I get, the lower I sink. I can’t drown my demons, they know how to swim,’ she wrote. ‘I long for that feeling to not feel at all.’ Hours before she vanished she wrote online: ‘I just want to die and hopefully that will happen so I don’t have to wake up tomorrow morning.’ Ella was found at lunchtime on Thursday when a shopper, who had seen her face on the front page of the Daily Mail recognised her as she walked around Ilford town centre. Her mother and father Tim, 43, found out their daughter was safe and well in a phone call from police. Mrs Hysom said: ‘We received a phone from our family liaison officer and I had to ask her to say it three times before it sank in because it was really, really emotional. I don’t know, it took a while to register.’ Ella was reunited with her parents at a police station in east London. Relieved: Mrs Hysom, pictured with her husband Ian, says she cannot sleep and still cannot register properly that they have got her back . ‘It was emotional,’ said Mrs Hysom. ‘Until then I had been holding it together and been focused on finding her. But then we had her, we could see her and touch her. All of our emotions came out. I’ve cried a lot. ‘I told her, “I am so glad that we found you and that you are safe”. I was so pleased to see her I just kept telling her that. ‘We just wanted to spend time with her, be with her, and make sure she felt secure and safe by the time the evening came. We were able to say good night to her and hold her.’ Ella has now returned to the clinic where she was receiving treatment and was yesterday spending time with her parents, 11-year-old sister and nine-year-old brother. During her three days away, Ella, who only had a small amount of money with her, had managed to find somewhere to sleep and enough food to survive. Mrs Hysom said she thought she may never see her daughter again, adding: ‘I’ve been sick with worry, I haven’t been able to sleep or eat. I have been living on coffee and the odd bit of chocolate since Monday. ‘It is the most distressing experience I have ever been through … I tried to stay hopeful the whole time and not think about all the worst possibilities. They were always in the back of my mind, but I wanted to keep my energy focused on finding her.’ | Alison Hysom, 43, says she wants her daughter to realise her potential .
Mother said she has still not properly registered she is back safely .
The 15-year-old disappeared last week while being treated for depression . |
176fe84bf4ce7f771f027a0cd19ee90779ba1114 | MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish police Tuesday arrested a Spanish soldier and his Russian girlfriend for allegedly posting videos on the Internet promoting Islamic extremist views and calling for attacks in Spain, a Ministry of Interior statement said. Spanish police released these images of Christian Peso Ruiz Coello, left, and Maria Choubina. The suspects, both 23 years old and practicing Muslims, were arrested in the southern Spanish city of Granada. They were identified as Christian Peso Ruiz Coello, born in Granada, and Maria Choubina, born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in 1985. The investigation began last June when police detected videos on the Internet that called for Islamic attacks in Spain, and specifically in Granada, the last outpost of the Muslim Moors in medieval Spain, with its fabled Alhambra palace that still stands. The suspects posted 11 radical videos seen 2,007 times on the Internet and had online contact with 200 people in Europe and the Middle East who were favorable to a so-called "international jihad," the ministry said. Their videos allegedly aimed to inspire Islamic extremists to carry out attacks, using messages such as a call to liberate "Al Andalus," the vast portion of Spain under Muslim rule for centuries during the Middle Ages until the Catholic monarchs conquered the last bastion of Granada, in 1492. The videos also allegedly portrayed offenses against Muslims who live in modern Spain, including many in Granada. "This activity aimed to increase the threat in our country by terrorist groups and elements linked to the 'global jihad,'" the ministry statement said. Police searched the homes of the suspects, in the operation supervised by Spain's anti-terrorism National Court in Madrid. | Spanish soldier, Russian girlfriend held for allegedly promoting Islamic extremism .
Suspects, 23, were arrested in southern Spanish city of Granada .
Videos posted on Web allegedly aimed to inspire extremist attacks . |
17701b9f238db96a3488d6d71a8a92cac4649d5e | The European High Court ruled that a person has a "right to be forgotten." In response, some think that the sky is falling. I say the opposite. Mario Gonzalez, a Spanish citizen, was displeased that any Google search for his name turned up a 16-year-old report on a real estate auction connected with some old debts. Gonzalez believed that this was out-of-date and irrelevant information with respect to him today. The European High Court agreed and ruled that the EU's right to privacy guarantees include a "right to be forgotten." The court ordered Google to remove links to archived newspaper pages that contained the old information after Gonzalez sued Google and the newspaper in 2010. The European Court ruled that a European's right to privacy includes the right to say, "This is really old information, and it no longer reflects who I am." The court held that someone's right to privacy overrides Google's economic interest and even the public's right to old and irrelevant information. We should be jealous of our friends in Europe. As Europe protects individual rights, America persists in its belief that rights are for big corporations, people be damned. Until recently, humans had comfort in knowing that mistakes were rarely forever. But the Internet has brought us a "mistakes are forever" society. Now, even a financial hiccup 16 years ago remained as prominent for Gonzalez, as if it happened yesterday. Now, a revenge porn picture will remain on a victim's Google results forever, victimizing the subject every day. Even deserved criticism, like an old criminal record, will remain forever -- as if it happened yesterday. Time is no longer linear for us. Is this how we want to live? Should we not have a right to be forgotten? During the Cold War, we despised totalitarian regimes that kept a dossier on every citizen, holding compromising information in store for the day that it served to discredit him or her. I remember learning that the FBI kept files on dissidents in the '60s and '70s. I remember learning a few months ago, thanks to Edward Snowden, that the NSA is spying on us. Nobody thinks that is a good thing. Big Data's reaction, like anything that reins in companies' rights to abuse us, was a shriek of little substance. Google doesn't like being told what to do, and critics raised an outcry about First Amendment rights. Google could have instituted a responsible policy like this on its own. But Google's position is like that of a petulant child: "You're not the boss of me!" And that is why we can't have nice things. Well, isn't there a little bad in this ruling? Theoretically, yes. This could be abused to get rid of important truthful information. That is a bad thing, and I would find that intolerable if someone tried to abuse it to suppress legitimate criticism or information that the public has a right to know. But the ruling does not say that old information must be deleted. It doesn't even say that Google has to comply with requests. It just says that if a European requests that information come down, Google must respect the request but can refuse if it has good cause. And that good cause is where free expression and freedom of information remains intact. One critic asked whether ex-Nazis could use this ruling to hide their participation in the Holocaust. The answer to that is a resounding no. The ruling ends with an admonishment. The "right to be forgotten" does not apply if it appears for "particular reasons": if there is good cause to interfere with the citizen's right to privacy, including "the role played by the data subject in public life," and if a majority of the evidence shows that the general public has a right to that information. Sorry, old Nazis, you can't use this to hide your involvement in the Holocaust. In fact, public figures and public events will never be erased. This ruling is for you, the average Jose who just wants to live an obscure and private life. If you lived in Europe, you would have regained that right today. | European court ruled that you have a "right to be forgotten," Google links taken down .
Marc Randazza: This means a person can say information "no longer reflects who I am"
Now, Google forever reveals old problems: debt, criminal record, "revenge porn" photos .
Randazza: This right doesn't apply if the general public has a right to that information . |
17703e53f5a80b6f83cdf0dbbba4c6c021322330 | By . Lizzie Parry . PUBLISHED: . 18:16 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:16 EST, 3 December 2013 . The day was probably going swimmingly for this fish – then he got the fright of his life. As the blue humphead wrasse was distracted by a diver taking photos, another sneaked up behind him, resulting in this snap in which the fish looks as though it’s jumped out of its skin. Hendric Carlstrvm, who is doing the eyeballing, was on his first scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. This blue humphead wrasse fish got the fright of its life when diver Hendric Carlstrvm appeared from the depths . The Swedish-born diver captured the amazing set of photographs on his first ever dive . But luckily, curiosity got the better of the blue Humphead Maori Wrasse and the frightened fish soon returned to investigate Swedish born Henric and his strange device once again, making for some great photo opportunities. Henric said: 'Myself and my girlfriend had no idea we would get such a brilliant photo when we went diving that day. 'It was my first ever scuba dive and I couldn’t wait to see the amazing sea life, I was fascinated as soon as I saw the fish so headed towards it. 'But it didn’t seem to notice me as it was very interested in the camera so I swam over slowly expecting it to notice me, these type of fish are very friendly with divers so I wasn’t nervous about approaching it. 'As I got really close, I thought I would swim alongside it, which was when the picture was taken.' After appearing to be frightened off, the fish turned back to investigate Mr Carlstrvm and his diving gear . Mr Carlstrvm said the fish was very interested in his camera, which meant he was able to capture the images . | Swedish-born Hendric Carlstrvm captured the image on his first ever dive .
The blue humphead wrasse appeared startled as it came face-to-face with the 35-year-old .
The creature took a keen interest in the camera allowing Mr Carlstrvm to capture a series of close-up shots . |
1770d6e2e17d973f9502fc3e87ee181585c28f15 | By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 18:29 EST, 27 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:37 EST, 27 November 2013 . Lawyers for a Mexican drug cartel enforcer currently facing trial in the U.S. for the murder of two American citizens are attempting to get their man freed on the grounds that police south of the border used torture to get a confession from him. Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, 32, is accused of killing two Americans, an employee at the consulate in Juarez and her husband, during a March 2010 drive-by shooting. Attorneys for Castellon, who is also suspected of killing thousands of people in Juarez, claim he only admitted his guilt after he was tortured for three days by Mexican police who shocked his testicles and raped his wife. Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, 32, is accused of killing two Americans, an employee at the consulate in Juarez and her husband, during a March 2010 drive-by shooting . A federal judge ruled last month that Castrellon’s confession can’t be suppressed, but his attorneys are now planning to challenge that ruling before a jury. ‘Americans are aware that suspects are tortured in Mexico, but I don't think they really know to what extent,’ defense attorney Randolph Ortega told Fox News. Consulate employee Lesley Enriquez, 35, and her husband, El Paso County Sheriff's Detention officer Arthur Haycock Redelfs, were gunned down after they left a children’s party. Their one-year-old baby was found unharmed in the back seat of their car. Authorities believe the victims were mistaken for rival gang members. They claim that Castrellon heads the Barrio Azteca gang, who act as enforcers for drug cartels. Consulate employee Lesley Enriquez, 35, and her husband, El Paso County Sheriff's Detention officer Arthur Haycock Redelfs, were gunned down after they left a children's party in March 2010 . Castrellon, 32, was arrested and interrogated by Mexican police on November 26, 2010. He alleges his testicles were shocked with an electric device, he was hanged by his arms and beaten and his wife was tortured and raped by Mexican agents before he was handed over to FBI agents in Mexico City. There is no indication the FBI took part in the alleged torture, but Ortega claims the confession his client made to FBI Special Agent Lorenzo Perez was ‘the product of torture at the hands of Mexican officials and improper psychological pressure by the FBI agents.’ U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Cardone denied the suppression of Gallegos Castrellon’s confession last month, but Ortega hopes an American jury will refuse to convict a suspect if it believes a confession was coerced via torture. The couple's one-year-old daughter, now orphaned, is cradled by a policewoman in the wake of the 2010 shootings which killed her parents . Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Cooley said even if a jury discounts the confession, there’s plenty of evidence to convict Castrellon. ‘We are not simply relying on a confession in this case,' Cooley told Fox. The arrest of Castrellon and others allegedly involved in the shootings has coincided with a dramatic decline in Juarez’s murder rate. Since the arrest of Castrellon, also known as 'El Farmero' and 'El Benny,' the murder rate in the violent city plummeted from 3,622 in 2010 to 2,086 in 2011, then 751 in 2012. Castrellon's trial is scheduled to begin on February 3 in El Paso Federal Court. Hit squad: A soldier patrols near the car in Juarez in which the U.S. consulate worker and her husband were shot dead in 2010 . | Arturo Gallegos Castrellon, 32, is .
accused of killing two Americans during a March 2010 drive-by shooting .
He claims he only confessed after he was tortured for three days by Mexican police who shocked his testicles and raped his wife .
A federal judge ruled last month that his confession can’t be suppressed, but his attorneys want a U.S. jury to decide .
Since Castrellon was arrested the murder rate in Juarez has fallen dramatically . |
177157c56fbf11627d116094e7f88b1c88bf37e3 | (CNN) -- You have shot more than enough photos, captured tons of video and have written a rough draft of your story, so what's next? You always want to double- and triple-check your story elements before sending them in. Here are a few tips to help you determine the best elements to pick when putting together your story. Don't over edit, but give it a few reads . When writing, think first about the overall purpose of the piece. What is your intention? It could be to shine light on something that no one else has covered. In all instances, consider both sides of the equation. If you are simply telling the personal tale of one person, consider what about this person's story is interesting to you. What are the things you would need to know that would make your story stand out to a reader? Find a way to relate the story to your audience. Write all that out and then give it a couple of reads. It's always easiest to put everything down on paper and then go back and edit as necessary. Editing out what slows down the text is best. But if you have a good quote, center the piece on it. For example, if you're covering a protest, include some of the best quotes from the protesters you interviewed. Was there a recurring theme among them? Did folks have a personal stake in being at the protest? Review the strongest interviews and quotes, then write your supporting text to give the user context and explain why they should care. Choose the most compelling photos . You can have a maximum of 10 photos for your story, so you want to make sure they complement the story in the best way possible. If you are writing a story about protests, include images that reflect the angst, frustration and emotion in protesters' faces. Pick the photos that provide a snapshot of that particular moment. You want to take your audience inside your story. Video and text should complement each other . What is the value of the video? Usually, when we have text and video, we want each element to be able to stand on its own. If they are published separately, the reader should be able to follow the story. However, when video is combined with text, the video should be added value to the overall vision or message of the piece. Video and text should complement each other. The text should not just be a transcription of the video. In keeping with the same theme, if you're covering a protest, then the video should put the user in that moment. The video could include great natural sound of protesters, chanting and speaking. It could provide one person's point of view as opposed to putting every single protester in the video. This will also help keep your video within the two- to three-minute time frame. For more tips on storytelling, visit the boot camp page, where you can find all the tips from the past six weeks. Remember, your stories are due Monday, September 26, at noon ET. Good luck! | CNN's iReport Boot Camp challenges iReporters to improve storytelling chops .
CNN.com Editor Audrey Irvine shares her tips on packaging your final story .
Turn in your final story by Monday, September 26 . |
1772fcfc8622ccebc0e1049313de30c9e3dcfa77 | By . Daniel Mills . Lance Corporal Todd John Chidgey died in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan . Lance Corporal Todd Chidgey, the Australian who died in Afghanistan from a 'non-combat related incident,' was a consummate gentleman who always remembered birthdays and loved Manchester United - but never spoke of wanting to join the army. The family of the soldier, who was found by friends with a gunshot wound about 2pm on Tuesday, said they were bewildered at Todd's decision to join the special forces in 2006 in a statement they released after the soldier's death on Tuesday. Parents Kerrie Baker and Adam Chidgey said although he became accustomed to the discipline, structure and camaraderie of military life, they were mystified when he told them of his plans to pursue a military career back in 2006. 'The reason is still a mystery to us,' Ms Baker and Mr Chidgey said. 'But Todd had his heart set on joining Special Forces, so he put his heart and soul into the selection process.' As well as a fighter, they said Todd was a man who put his family first and would often be found playing in the park with brothers Adam and Paul or cheering on his favourite NRL side the Canterbury Bulldogs with cousin Gareth. 'If you were his friend, he'd stick by you and he was a champion of the underdog ... he was just so loyal and seemed to have been born mature,' they said. Lance Corporal Chidgey was on his sixth tour of Afghanistan when he was found dead in the Australian headquarters at the main coalition base in Kabul on Tuesday. He was farewelled during a special memorial in Kabul and a ramp ceremony will be held when his body is returned to Australia. A special memorial service was held for Lance Corporal Todd Chidgey this week at Kabul . Todd Chidgey was found by his military friends on Tuesday with a 'non-combat' gun shot wound . Defence has refused to go into the details surrounding the 29-year-old's death while an investigation is pending, but in the meantime Todd's parents have sent their heartfelt appreciation to his 2nd Commando Regiment who found him injured inside the Kabul administration building. 'We would like to take this opportunity to praise the 2nd Commando Regiment for the support they've given us during this sad time,' the statement said. 'They have become extended members of our family, and our hearts are with them as we all deal with the loss of Todd.' More... Bomb disposal team shut Brisbane streets after police found taser, fireworks and wires in paper bag in hotel room . Moving images depicting prisoners of war, walking wounded and acts of kindness from the First World War go on display to mark its centenary . Defence said he was a 'consummate professional' who earned the respect of his comrades through dedication and hard work. 'Lance Corporal Chidgey's colleagues in the 2nd Commando Regiment have described him as a brilliant bloke to know and work with, who was loyal to the core and would do anything for his mates,' Defence said in a statement. The decorated soldier was born in Gosford, NSW and joined the Australian Defence Force in 2006. He was posted to what is now the 2nd Commando Regiment, serving in Afghanistan on tours ranging from two weeks to six months. At the time of his death, Lance Corporal Chidgey was part of the protective security detachment providing protection for a senior Australian officer. The lance corporal was found by colleagues in an administration building at the Kabul base with the gunshot wound about 2pm on Tuesday (file photo) He is the 41st Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan. Australia has now ended involvement in combat operations in Afghanistan but about 400 personnel remain in a variety of jobs, including headquarters staff and Afghan National Army mentors. Lance Corporal Chidgey is survived by his mother, father, brothers and partner. Defence Force chief Mark Binskin on Wednesday said after the incident he soldier was taken to a nearby medical facility for emergency treatment. 'Sadly, the soldier's injuries were too severe and he later died surrounded by his mates,' he said. Defence Force chief Mark Binskin would not reveal what happened to the solider but he is Australia's 41st soldier to die in Afghanistan . The base was in lock down last night so evidence could be collected and the Defence Force has since launched an investigation. 'It is critical that we let this investigation take its course, to examine the evidence and establish the facts rather than to speculate about the details or circumstances surrounding the incident,' Air Chief Marshal Binskin said. Defence offered its condolences to the soldier's family and friends. So did Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss who described the incident as tragic considering Australia's engagement in Afghanistan had largely ended. 'We don't know a great deal about the details as yet but I certainly extend sympathy to the family and friends of the soldier whose life has been lost. Our feelings are with the family,' he said. Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss described the incident as tragic considering Australia's engagement in Afghanistan had largely ended . Australia has now ended involvement in combat operations in Afghanistan but some 400 personnel remain in a variety of jobs, including headquarters staff and Afghan National Army mentors. There's also a significant security presence to guard against both Taliban or insider attacks. The last Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan was another Commando, Corporal Cameron Baird, killed on June 22, 2013 and subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross. When asked about post-traumatic stress disorder in the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Binskin said: 'I am confident in what Defence does in the mental health space'. In 2013, former Middle East commander, retired major General John Cantwell, warned of a looming tsunami of PTSD among those who have served in recent operations. Australia has now ended involvement in combat operations in Afghanistan but some 400 personnel remain in a variety of jobs, including headquarters staff and Afghan National Army mentors . | Parents Adam Chidgey and Kerrie Baker said Todd's decision to join army was a 'mystery' to the family .
A family statement said he loved Canterbury Bulldogs and spending time with family .
Lance Corporal Todd John Chidgey was found by colleagues with a gunshot wound at Kabul base at 2pm on Tuesday .
Defence Force hasn't revealed details about the incident .
Soldier was taken to a nearby medical facility but later died from injuries . |
1774a3795d4abe344d69e2e53871a11aaf56aeb5 | By . Nick Pisa . PUBLISHED: . 14:52 EST, 28 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:56 EST, 28 January 2013 . A British rugby player has been killed following a hit and run accident, Italian police have confirmed. Brendan Lynch, 26, who played for Gloucester and Rotherham Titans suffered fatal injuries after he was knocked form his Honda SH300 scooter in the early hours of the morning. Mr Lynch had moved to Rome recently and played for Capitolina, the city's main rugby club and he also worked for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation which is based in the Italian capital. Fatal injuries: Talented rugby player Brendan Lynch, 26, pictured centre with the ball, was knocked from his scooter by a vehicle which then fled the scene, police said . He was considered to be one of the best tighthead props in Italian rugby and was a regular first team player for Capitolina - whose facilities have been used by England for practice ahead of the Six Nations match against Italy. Police said that Mr Lynch's scooter was hit by another car as he travelled on the Rome ring road near Settebagni just to the north of the capital and the vehicle had then sped off leaving him fatally injured by the side of the road. Passing motorists alerted emergency services but he was declared dead at the scene. Traffic police spokesman Roberto Ferilli said: 'We are investigating the circumstances of the accident and are appealing for any witnesses to contact us. 'We are also using cctv footage from the motorway to identify the vehicle. It appears the scooter he was travelling on was hit by another vehicle which failed to stop.' On its website Capitolina paid tribute to Mr Lynch adding that as a mark of respect it was cancelling all training sessions and club activities for 24 hours. Despite being born in Rotherham and having British citizenship Mr Lynch had also played for Ireland's Under 19 thanks to his Irish ancestors. A spokesman for the British Embassy in Rome said: 'I can confirm the death of a British national in a road traffic accident - other than that there is nothing else we can say.' A friend of Mr Lynch's, who asked not to be named, paid tribute to him and said: 'He was a really nice guy, really friendly and always had a smile. 'He enjoyed playing rugby and was a popular member of the club. He will be sadly missed.' | Brendan Lynch, 26, played for .
Gloucester and Rotherham Titans .
Police are hunting a vehicle which sped off from the scene . |
1774a39ff69457e6b318d2379393166f4a69d10d | (CNN) -- The second season of the Showtime hit "Homeland" ended with an explosive finale that left the CIA headquarters in shambles and a former war hero on the run, suspected of setting a bomb that killed 219 innocent people. The third season, which premieres Sunday, begins 58 days where season two left off. At the Washington premiere of the new season, the cast told CNN what to expect when "Homeland" returns. With that in mind, here are 10 things you need to know about what's coming up on the Emmy-winning drama: . 1. Brody is missing. In the two episodes provided to critics, former military hero Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) is nowhere to be found. Now that he's a wanted terrorist -- whose videotaped confession from season one is public -- nobody knows where he is. The show's trailers reveal he's in hiding overseas, but how soon he shows up is anyone's guess. 2. The bomber of the CIA is revealed. The last season left viewers wondering if Brody was responsible for the bombing, but the true culprit (or culprits) will be revealed sooner rather than later. Jackson Pace, who portrays Brody's son, Chris, said we find out who set up the bombing and if Brody is culpable "relatively early in the season." 3. The CIA is in a mess of trouble. After missing all the signs of Brody's continued ties to terrorism and the plot to bomb the memorial service of the vice president, the CIA faces the consequences of another massive intelligence failure. Claire Danes, who plays intelligence expert Carrie Mathison, put it this way: "The CIA is in a very precarious position, is being held on trial and may not survive." 4. Brody's family is left to deal with the consequences. With her husband a wanted terrorist, Jessica (Morena Baccarin) is struggling to raise her two children under intense media scrutiny with the assistance of her mother after the military has turned its back on the family. 5. Dana is in a very dark place. Brody's daughter, Dana (Morgan Saylor), starts out the season in a really bad psychological place. "Her father was one of her closest allies and his bombing, as it's known ... has really put her in a bad place," Saylor said. In fact, we learn early on that Dana recently attempted to kill herself. 6. Saul's loyalties are put to the test. In the aftermath of the bombing, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) is in charge of the CIA. His loyalty to long-term protégé Carrie will again be put to the test as he tries to clean up the department's mistakes while seeking to protect the woman he's often clashed with in the past. 7. Carrie and Mrs. Brody will interact more. "We have a lot of really great scenes together this season," Baccarin said about her work with Danes. In the earlier seasons, the two -- who have fought over the heart and loyalty of Nicholas Brody -- have only appeared together onscreen a few times, but expect more fireworks when they reunite. 8. The investigation into the bombing will play a major role. A Senate investigation is under way into the terrorist bombing. Both Saul and Carrie are asked to testify at heated hearings, where questions about Brody and his alliances with the CIA take center stage. 9. Everyone is at risk. In the season two finale, several main characters were killed off, showing that anyone could die at any moment. In fact, there were plans to kill off Brody, both in the first and second seasons. When asked how he makes the writers keep him alive, Lewis laughingly responded, "I have something on each of them." But no one knows how long those secrets can keep him -- or any of the other characters on the show -- alive. 10. Despite it all, the cast is hopeful about the future. Members of the cast sounded optimistic when asked what they would like to see happen to their characters. "It would be amazing if the Brody family found a way to reconcile," Baccarin said. Danes said that if she could decide, her character "would live happily ever after." But as the show's fans know, that seldom happens on "Homeland." | Showtime's "Homeland" returns for third season on Sunday .
Brody has disappeared and the CIA is in trouble after last season's bombing .
Previous seasons show that no character is safe from getting killed off . |
1776daee1da76231267235b19383dc3b115b9457 | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . Parts of the primordial soup in which life arose have been maintained in our cells today according to scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA). Research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry reveals how cells in plants, yeast and very likely also in animals still perform ancient reactions. These were thought to have been responsible for the origin of life some 4 billion years ago. Scientists at the University of East Anglia say our cells have an ancient ability to perform reactions similar to the origin of life 4 billion years ago (illustrated). The primordial soup theory suggests life began in a pond or ocean. Mitochondria (illustrated) continue to perform similar actions today . Every living thing on Earth depends on a mysterious tangle of molecules called ribosomes. These are the cell’s protein factories, translating the genetic information in DNA into an amino acid sequence to create proteins. Scientists believe that the ribosome - whose history is difficult to track - holds clues to how the first molecules of life came together around four billion years ago. Now researchers are a step closer to uncovering these clues after modelling the evolution of these biological factories in unprecedented detail. The core of the ribosome is essentially the same in all living systems, while the outer regions expand and become complicated as species gain complexity. By digitally peeling back the layers of modern ribosomes, scientists at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta were able to model the structures of the very first of these biological factories. 'The history of the ribosome tells us about the origin of life,' said Loren Williams, a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The study compared three-dimensional structures of ribosomes from a variety of species of varying biological complexity, including humans, yeast, bacteria and archaea. The researchers found distinct fingerprints in the ribosomes where new structures were added to the ribosomal surface without altering the core. The research team then worked the process backwards in time to generate models of simple, primordial ribosomes. The primordial soup theory suggests that life began in a pond or ocean as a result of the combination of metals, gases from the atmosphere and some form of energy, such as a lightning strike, to make the building blocks of proteins which would then evolve into all species. The new research shows how small pockets of a cell - known as mitochondria - continue to perform similar reactions in our bodies today. These reactions involve iron, sulfur and electro-chemistry and are still important for functions such as respiration in animals and photosynthesis in plants. 'Cells confine certain bits of dangerous chemistry to specific compartments of the cell,' said Lead researcher Dr Janneke Balk, from the UEA’s school of Biological Sciences and the John Innes Centre (JIC). 'For example small pockets of a cell called mitochondria deal with electrochemistry and also with toxic sulfur metabolism. 'These are very ancient reactions thought to have been important for the origin of life. 'Our research has shown that a toxic sulfur compound is being exported by a mitochondrial transport protein to other parts of the cell. 'We need sulfur for making iron-sulfur catalysts, again a very ancient chemical process. 'The work shows that parts of the primordial soup in which life arose has been maintained in our cells today, and is in fact harnessed to maintain important biological reactions.' The research was carried out at UEA and JIC in collaboration with Dr Hendrik van Veen at the University of Cambridge. It was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. This image from the researchers shows a normal plant (left) and a plant that cannot export sulfur from the mitochondria anymore (right, looking very small and yellow), while at the same time an ancient enzyme required . to detoxify sulfur inside mitochondria is also inactivated, suggesting the cells retain an ancient ability . | Scientists at the University of East Anglia say our cells have ancient ability .
Cells perform reactions from the origin of life 4 billion years ago .
Primordial soup theory suggests life began in a pond or ocean .
Energy such as lightning made the buildings blocks evolve into species .
Research shows mitochondria continue to perform similar actions today . |
17772ac1c2cc77039681b7029a0ec961fbfd14ff | By . Sean Poulter . and Laura Clark . The Student Loans Company is a subsidiary of the Government and reports to Vince Cable's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills . The Student Loans Company yesterday admitted sending more than 300,000 graduates fake ‘Wonga-style’ legal letters over the past decade – as it suspended all use of the tactic. The disclosure came as Business Secretary Vince Cable blasted the Government-owned company for using ‘scare tactics’ to harass graduates who are behind on repayments. The Daily Mail detailed yesterday how the Student Loans Company had been using a trick deployed by controversial payday loan giant Wonga to harass people into paying up. Last week, City watchdogs announced that Wonga would have to pay £2.6million in compensation to 45,000 people after it sent out letters from two debt recovery firms it invented for the purpose of frightening them into paying up. It subsequently emerged that the SLC has been using a similar tactic for many years and invented the firm Smith Lawson & Company Recovery Services to chase payments. Letters sent by Smith Lawson to graduates carried a banner in red stating ‘Do Not Ignore This Letter’ backed up with a demand for payment within seven days and a warning of legal action. The letters gave the impression that Smith Lawson was a separate company and opened with the line: ‘We are instructed by our client, in connection with the sum outstanding shown above.’ Last night the SLC admitted that about 309,000 customers had been sent letters with Smith Lawson branding over the past nine years. It also emerged that the Office for Fair Trading had ordered changes to the letters earlier this year, including increasing the size of small print pointing out that Smith Lawson was part of the SLC. But the SLC said last night it had now ‘suspended all use of Smith Lawson branded correspondence’. Mr Cable blamed the last Labour government for allowing the SLC to use the suspect tactics. Last week City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority revealed Wonga would have to pay £2.6million compensation to 45,000 people sent letters from two invented debt recovery firms (file picture) ‘The Student Loans Company has now stopped sending these misleading letters to borrowers, which were approved under the previous administration,’ he said. ‘We will also keep an eye on any others who may be tempted to use misleading communications of this kind.’ The City of London Police are looking at Wonga to see whether the company and its bosses have been guilty of any criminal acts, including fraud and demanding money with menaces. Labour MP John Mann, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, said: ‘These revelations are very troubling and the police must fully investigate this matter as they are doing with Wonga. Parliament will also need to investigate.’ | Business Secretary Vince Cable blasted the Government-owned company .
Wonga will have to pay £2.6million in compensation for doing the same thing .
The SLC has been using a similar tactic for many years .
Letters sent by Smith Lawson to graduates carried a banner in red stating ‘Do Not Ignore This Letter’ |
1777413782c1812e598bff861b6c0fe8944836f0 | (CNN)With crews from around the world aiding in the search, 30 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of AirAsia Flight QZ8501, Indonesian officials said Friday. What appears to be a piece of the fuselage was found, Singapore's Defense Ministry said. It resembles a window panel. Finding the fuselage and the plane's "black boxes" are a priority, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said Friday. There are 59 teams of divers involved, the agency's chief Bambang Sulistyo said, according to the state-run Antara news agency. The USS Sampson, the U.S. Navy ship that is helping with the search, recovered some of the bodies, the U.S. Seventh Fleet said Friday. Indonesian authorities have identified four of the recovered bodies so far. The first victim they identified, an Indonesian woman named Hayati Lutfiah Hamid, was buried Thursday. Many family members are waiting in Surabaya for news about their loved ones. But with 162 people on the plane when it took off from Surabaya, Indonesia, crews have a long way to go. Who was on the plane . AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said he was traveling Friday to Surabaya to bring the body of flight attendant Khairunisa Haidar Fauzi home. "I cannot describe how I feel. There are no words," he said on Twitter. The other two people identified are Grayson Herbert Linaksita and Kevin Alexander Soetjipto, Indonesian authorities said. Search efforts are concentrated in a zone covering 1,575 square nautical miles (5,400 square kilometers) that officials believe is the "most probable area" to find the remains of the aircraft. But on Friday, waves in the Java Sea as high as four meters (13 feet) were making it hard for divers search underwater. The weather is "the biggest obstacle," said Bambang Hermanu, chief of police in Indonesia's Central Kalimantan province, where much of the search operation is based. Anguish revisited: Relatives of MH370 victims speak . Here's more key information about where things stand on Flight QZ8501: . The flight . What we know: The aircraft took off early Sunday from Surabaya, bound for Singapore. Roughly 35 minutes into the flight, the pilot asked air traffic control for permission to turn left and climb to avoid bad weather. Minutes later, the plane disappeared from air traffic control's radar. What we don't know: What happened on board after contact with the plane was lost. No distress call was received. Indonesian aviation authorities have suggested that the plane ascended despite permission being denied because of traffic. Some experts have speculated that the aircraft might have experienced an aerodynamic stall because of a lack of speed or from flying at too sharp an angle to get enough lift. Analysts have also suggested that the pilots might not have been getting information from onboard systems about the plane's position, or that rain or hail from thunderstorms in the area could have damaged the engines. Until the main wreckage of the plane is found, along with the flight recorders, experts have little evidence to support their theories. How can a modern airliner vanish? The search . What we know: Search teams found debris and some bodies 100 to 200 kilometers (about 60 to 120 miles) from the aircraft's last known location over the Java Sea, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said. What we don't know: The exact location of the body of the aircraft. An Indonesian search official told CNN on Wednesday that he thought sonar equipment had detected wreckage from Flight 8501 at the bottom of the Java Sea. But the country's search and rescue chief said the plane hadn't been found yet. Bad weather has hindered the search operation. The ones who missed the flight . The investigation . What we know: The key to understanding what happened may be in the aircraft's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, commonly known as black boxes. The black boxes, which are actually orange, are in the tail of Airbus 320-200s. If recovered, they will be taken to a lab in Jakarta, Indonesia, to be analyzed, said Tatang Kurniadi, head of Indonesia's National Committee for Transportation Safety. The batteries powering the "pingers" that send acoustic signals have only about 24 days of power left, officials said. What we don't know: Where the plane's remains might have been taken by the elements. Investigators will need to use information gleaned from the flight recorders and clues from the wreckage. "The more bits I can put into my mosaic, the better my picture will be," aviation safety expert Michael Barr said. "The better the picture, the better I can come up with an understanding of what happened." But the conditions at sea make that work much more difficult than on land. "In the water, you are working with currents and winds, and so the pieces won't be where they had the initial impact," he said. What happens next? The plane and the pilots . What we know: The 6-year-old Airbus A320-200, operated by AirAsia's Indonesian affiliate, had accumulated around 23,000 flight hours in about 13,600 flights, according to Airbus. The plane's last scheduled maintenance was on November 16. Flight 8501's veteran captain, Iriyanto, 53, had 20,537 flying hours, 6,100 of them with AirAsia on the Airbus A320, the airline said. The first officer, Remi Emmanuel Plesel, 46, had 2,275 flying hours, a reasonable amount for his position. What we don't know: Whether technical problems, human error or other issues were involved in the crash. According to information from the Aviation Safety Network accident database, there have been 54 incidents involving the A320. "In the A320 family, accidents and incidents range from fan-cowl detachment, landing gear collapse, bird strikes, right through to hull losses through pilot error," said Kane Ray, an analyst with the International Bureau of Aviation, a global aviation consulting group. "Most aircraft have teething problems, and in most cases, these are eradicated. Very rarely, these issues cause disasters -- largely because of a culmination of factors that lead to the event," Ray said. CNN's Elizabeth Joseph, Tim Schwarz, Paula Hancocks and David Molko contributed to this report. Journalist Yosef Riadi and translator Edi Pangerapan also contributed. | Thirty bodies have been recovered, 4 identified .
The CEO of AirAsia will accompany the body of a flight attendant home .
What may be a Flight 8501 window panel has been found, a Singapore ministry says . |
1777a24a2c5c4850e9ae8c46f5b33df0f3c8a2a5 | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 17:45 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:55 EST, 19 September 2013 . A collection of stamps featuring historic trading ships has gone on sale to commemorate the Merchant Navy. The Royal Mail has created the series of Mint stamps to pay tribute to the contribution of Merchant Navy sailors to the country over the last two centuries. The collection was launched today aboard one of its featured vessels, the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London, with a handful of Merchant Navy veterans there to see their efforts recognized. Scroll down for video . The historic tea clipper Cutty Sark is among the collection of paintings which honour Merchant Navy servicemen . The Clan Matheson is among the ships featured in the collection. It was bought and sold several times before being purchased by the Ministry of Transport in 1955 under the name Empire Claire . The RMS Britannia was among the first ships to be built by Robert Duncan & Company in 1840, and famously carried Charles Dickens across to the US in 1842 . Among the ships are two Royal Mail ships, the Britannia and the Queen Elizabeth, which were used to shuttle mail in and out of British ports in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection is accompanied by a miniature sheet of four additional black and white photographs which depict the service personnel who sailed in Atlantic and Arctic convoys during the Second World War. The famous ships each hold a special history which is celebrated in the collection which costs £5.20. RMS Britannia was a large vessel for its time, measuring 207 feet long and 34 feet across the beam, with three masts. East Indiaman Atlas made its maiden voyage in 1813 to India and made at least nine more journeys thereafter until 1830 . The Bulk Carrier Lord Hinton was launched in 1986, measuring 508ft in length and 79ft in breadth . Contracted to carry Royal Mail post for over two years the RMS Queen Elizabeth became a luxury mode of transport, taking those aboard from Southampton to New York . Boasting paddle wheels and a . two-cylinder side-lever engine the ship was relatively fast with an . average speed of around 8.5 knots. While . the Britannia had room for only 115 passengers, RMS Queen Elizabeth . held a crew of 400 on her maiden voyage from Clydebank to Southampton. The gearless Lord Hinton bulk carrier was last active in 2004 and measured 508ft by 79 ft. War veterans Sid Hunt, 89, Leslie Taylor, 89, Don Staddon, 88, Captain Gwilym Williams, 98, Derek Ings, 88, and Stanley Mayes, 88 celebrate the stamps' launch in Greenwich today . Captain Gwilym Williams, 98 took part in Atlantic Convoys during WWII. He was honoured today alongside other veterans abord the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, where the paintings have been turned into flags and raised on the ship's mast . The East Indiaman Atlas took its . maiden voyage in 1813 to India with a crew of 130 men. The ship was sold . in 1931 for breaking after changing hands numerous times. Aboard the Cutty Sark, the last known tea clipper which now serves as a monument to war time Navy personnel,the paintings have been turned into flags and are flown on the ship's mast. A spokesman for the Royal Mail said: 'This collection salutes the heritage of Britain's trading fleet of . ships, which exported and imported goods from around the world, as well . as transported passengers - and continues to do so to this day.' Costing £1.28 each, the stamps are available on the Royal Mail's website. The collection salutes the work of maritime servicemen in WWII who sailed in the Atlantic and Arctic convoys of WWII . One of the four black and white photographs depicts a Merchant Navy North Sea Convoy during the Second World War . Merchant Navy HMS Vanoc takes part in an Atlantic convoy during the war in which many lost their lives at sea . Servicemen shovel snow from the deck of HMS King George during an Arctic convoy . | Collection of six stamps celebrates the work of Merchant Navy servicemen over past two centuries .
Veterans invited to launch the series aboard Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London today .
A miniature collection of black and white photographs also released to honour war time Merchant Navy ships . |
1778072448eddb6e75b97344e5d2ae67393db970 | By . Hilary Freeman . When I introduced my boyfriend Mickael to my father, I desperately hoped they’d get on. I feared my dad might take umbrage at his modest job as a hotel receptionist, or his thick French accent — but I could never have predicted what actually set him off: Mickael’s looks. ‘He’s very handsome,’ said Dad. ‘Are you sure he’s faithful to you?’ This was three years ago and Mickael and I were in a long-distance relationship at the time. I lived in London, he was 650 miles away in Nice, and my father simply couldn’t accept that ‘someone as good-looking as Mickael’ wouldn’t be cheating on me at every opportunity. Hot topic: Hilary and 'Le Hunk' Mickael . I was devastated that he could say something so insensitive, and offended because I was very aware he wouldn’t have said it had my boyfriend looked like John Major. A wave of insecurity flooded over me. What did Mickael, now 38 see in a diminutive, curly-haired specimen like me? At 6ft 2in tall, with broad shoulders, black hair, a Roman nose and incredible blue eyes, Mickael is the living embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. He isn’t just good-looking, he’s movie-star handsome. At college, he was picked to play Rhett Butler in a Gone With The Wind adaptation and he’s been approached by model scouts wanting to sign him up. I know I sound smug, but bear with me. Because having a handsome boyfriend isn’t all it is cracked up to be. As I’ve learned to my cost, people make assumptions about good-looking men. Most of them, in my experience, are false and offensive. Just as blonde women are pigeon-holed as being stupid, handsome men are written off as lacking moral fibre. Most people assume they can’t be trusted around the opposite sex. They are also assumed to be shallow, vain and sex-obsessed. As a drop-dead gorgeous man’s girlfriend you have to be tough. You need a thick skin, high self-esteem and the ability not to care what other people think. Unfortunately for me, I possess none of these qualities. To paraphrase the 18th-century novelist, Samuel Richardson: ‘Handsome boyfriends often make a girlfriend’s heart ache.’ Mickael constantly tells Hilary shes pretty and says all his friends and family think so, too. He even loves her 'gappy teeth and big nose' Especially if said girlfriend is 42, 5ft 3in, with a big nose, hair that’s prone to frizz and gappy teeth. I’ve never had a problem attracting men, but I’m not conventionally beautiful and certainly not leading-lady material — unless that leading lady is Barbra Streisand. In a romcom, I’d be the kooky best friend, not the girl who gets the guy. If I were to award myself marks out of ten, I’d be a six — six-and-a-half on a good-hair day. Mickael would be a nine. In other words, he’s ‘out of my league’. But he doesn’t seem to care. More important to us is the silly sense of humour we share that can have us both in fits for hours. He constantly tells me I’m pretty and says all his friends and family think so, too. He even loves my gappy teeth and big nose. Now, that should be enough shouldn’t it? And, most of the time, it is. I know, without a doubt, that Mickael loves me. We’ve been through a lot together, including the stillbirth of our daughter 18 months ago. He’s given up his job at a hotel in Nice, his friends and his home country, and moved to London to live with me in Camden Town. So I know I shouldn’t feel insecure. Yet I often do. Men who feel they've 'lucked out' by marrying attractive women are more likely to care about their wives' needs, says a US study . We live in a shallow, looks-obsessed society, in which being beautiful is the most valuable currency. People stare at us in the street and — call me paranoid — I can tell that some of them are wondering what someone so handsome is doing with ordinary little me. Through the grapevine, I’ve heard reports of acquaintances making nasty, jealous comments about us, such as: ‘She’s punching above her weight.’ Although all of my previous partners have been attractive in my eyes, until Mickael I’d never had a partner universally considered handsome. Everyone, from friends — both straight and gay — to my 95-year-old grandma, has commented on his good looks. Friends have even nicknamed him ‘Le Hunk’. Several have even sent me emails — usually drunken — which begin: ‘I know this is probably really inappropriate, but can I just say that your boyfriend is really hot.’ Sometimes this makes me feel like I’m the owner of a prize bull at the county fair. People have actually congratulated me on my ‘achievement’, as though snaring a good-looking man is like winning an award, or gaining a promotion. Pleasing as it is that other people appreciate my good taste and good fortune, all this hyperbole means I’m only too aware that if our relationship were ever to go wrong, there would be a long queue of women ready to take my place. I’m not naturally jealous, but it’s hard not to look over my shoulder.And then there are Mickael’s beautiful exes who, through no fault of their own, make me feel inferior. At least two of his ex-girlfriends have modelled. He’s still good friends with one of them: a tall, sexy, willowy girl, ten years my junior, with thighs the size of my arms and men trailing in her wake wherever she goes. ‘I’m with you, not her,’ Mickael pointed out, when in a moment of weakness I confessed my sense of inadequacy. And that is true. But sometimes — usually when I’m contemplating my cellulite or finding a new grey hair — I can’t help wondering why a man who could have someone like her would want someone like me. Hilary says: 'Several have even sent me emails - usually drunken - which begin: 'I know this is probably really inappropriate, but can I just say that your boyfriend is really hot' I also worry more than I should — or ever have before — about getting fat, developing wrinkles and becoming middle-aged. Mickael reassures me by saying how much he loves my eyes and my smile, and reminding me that he can’t keep his hands off me. He talks of growing old with me and I know that, being French, he thinks older women can be just as attractive as younger ones. Supermodels aren’t even to his taste — he finds the majority superficial and lacking in character. To state the obvious, a good-looking man is no different from any other man, and a handsome face and a good character aren’t mutually exclusive. As I pointed out to my dad, just because good looks afford you more opportunities to cheat, it doesn’t mean that you’ll take them. If anything, I think the opposite is true. When you are attractive, and you can have pretty much anyone you want, there’s less motivation to do so. In my experience, it’s the insecure men, the ones who aren’t confident in themselves or their looks, who need to chat up women in order to prove their own self-worth. That’s why so many balding, paunchy men have mid-life crises and go after younger women. Mickael knows he’s handsome, but he isn’t arrogant, or vain. He cares about his appearance, but isn’t obsessed with it. He has the confidence and self-assurance of someone who has never had to try too hard. Believe it or not, he tells me he’s never actively chatted anyone up and can only remember one occasion when he was rejected by a woman. If he likes someone, and they’re single, it usually goes without saying they will like him back. The downside is that he’s been sexually harassed by strange women in bars (one thought it was fine to stroke him, without even saying hello first), and he often has to fend off the attentions of men, too. Being handsome can be dangerous. Mickael spent a week in hospital, and still has a pin in his jaw, after being punched — from behind — by a man who took offence when he made polite smalltalk with the man’s girlfriend. In some workplaces, he has been met with cold, aggressive behaviour from other guys. One colleague told him: ‘If I had a face like yours, I’d keep my mouth shut.’ A former friend admitted he liked going out with Mickael, not so much because he enjoyed his company, but because it helped him to pull women. As a friendly, loyal and sociable person, Mickael finds these attitudes hard to deal with — and so do I. But it might not be a problem for too much longer. Even movie star looks fade. As he nears the end of his 30s, he has started to sprout random hairs from his ears, is growing wayward, Denis Healey eyebrows, and he is battling against the development of the family double chin. He is near-sighted, suffers from a bad back and his love for French food and wine means that he doesn’t have anything resembling a six pack. And for these flaws, I am truly thankful. The fact is I don’t love Mickael because he’s handsome, although it doesn’t hurt. I love him because he’s funny, kind and thoughtful. It’s when I’m lying in his arms, in the dark — when I can’t see him — that I am at my most content. As the old proverb goes: ‘Handsome is as handsome does.’ I am absolutely certain that if he lost his looks tomorrow, I’d love him as much as ever. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Hilary Freeman, 42, says a handsome boyfriend comes with problems .
Says their relationship is constantly judged by others .
Many ask question if he is a cheater or vain .
To go out with a good-looking man, Hilary says you need thick skin . |
1778c0c4afc3e87f6dbcf78541c206dc64a3eabc | Duggy the parrot has got herself in a flap - because she thinks she is a chicken. The confused parrot started impersonating the farmyard animal after hearing the noise on a children's cartoon shown on TV. But the two-year-old African grey soon became so obsessed with clucking that she ditched her cawing entirely. Now Duggy spends all day long pretending to be a chicken - much to the delight of her owners. Scroll down for video . Who's a clever boy: Duggy the parrot began impersonating chickens from a children's TV show - and not cannot stop clucking . Michelle Lamond, 47, from Seafield, West Lothian, said: 'She does it all the time now. She's a chicken now from morning until night. 'I think she's hilarious. My family think the same. They just laugh at her.' The strange noises began after Ms Lamond left on the TV o keep Duggy amused while she was out. Hours later, she came home to find the bird clucking away. She said: 'I just came down the other day and she was going on like a chicken, I was like "Oh my God where did that come from?" 'Then I realised it came from the telly. If I go out during the day, I either put the radio or the TV on so there is always some background noise. 'I put on Baby TV and it's obviously came from that. I don't know what programme it was but I know it came from Baby TV.' Not so bird-brained: The two-year old African grey, from West Lothian, also tries to bark like a dog and likes to sing along to Colonel Bogey . The multi-talented parrot also whistles Colonel Bogey and even tries her hand at being a barking dog, according to her owners. Ms Lamond, who has owned Duggy since she was a chick, said: 'Her first couple of outbursts in the morning are loud. She likes to let you know she's awake. 'She also whistles away to the Colonel Bogey song. She really keeps us amused. She can also whine like our Dalmatian Cal and I'm sure the bark will come. 'The dog is five months and its quite fun to watch the two of them together. It's a madhouse. 'I actually came down the other day and wondered whether it was the dog or her whining, and it was her. 'She makes various noises. She'll say "I love you" and "Hello Duggy" and she sings songs here and there. She's quite a tame parrot. She'll take food out your hand. 'If you have something and she wants it, she'll fly on to the plate and try get a bit. She can fly onto you and try steal your food.' Huband Kenneth, 50, added: 'The only thing we can think of is that she picked it up from the cartoons in the morning on the television.' | Duggy, from West Lothian, began mimicking a chicken on a cartoon show .
Now the two-year-old has stopped cawing and spends all day long clucking .
She also whistles along to Colonel Bogey and likes to whine like a Dalmation .
Her owner Michelle, 47, said: 'She's a chicken now from morning until night' |
17790eb7e54b3f464ef2304ee55f2b98e7808e17 | By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 16:46 EST, 26 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:51 EST, 26 May 2012 . No one knows exactly why this magnificent 1920s racing car was carefully dismantled, piece by piece, and buried under a shed. But the amount of time and effort put into the job is likely to pale in comparison to the painstaking task of rebuilding it to its former glory. After having been laid to rest for potentially more than half a century, the 1928 MG MK IV has not only been restored to its former grandeur but has also scooped the Best Vintage Car award at the British Classic Car Show. The resurrected MG, similar to this 1924-27 MG, is the only survivor in the country that displays the correct coachwork . It took Fred Body, from Cheddar in Somerset, more than a year to piece together all the parts of the two-seater car. But almost everything he needed was there. 'When it was found it was completely taken apart, laid out flat and covered in gravel and one or two inches of concrete,' said car enthusiast Body who bought the parts of the car when they were put up for sale. Speculating on why it was buried in such as way, he told the BBC: 'I think what must have happened was the war was coming and someone thought 'they're not taking my car for scrap'. 'They carefully took it apart and buried it thinking they would come back and put it together again.' The vehicle was discovered in 1999 under a cowshed on a farm in Gloucestershire. Prior to this date, nobody knows anything about the car's history, or its previous owner. The two-seater car, similar to this 1927-1929 MG, was found in pieces under a cowshed in Gloucestershire . Only 135 examples of this model of MG were made in 1928, according to the Early MG Society, and Body's restored model is the only survivor in the country that displays the correct coachwork. Despite spending most of its days underground, most of the parts were in good order. It even had all its identification including Guarantee plate and original number plates. Surprisingly, some of the original leather from the seats and paintwork was also preserved, meaning Body could restore it as close as possible to its original colours. The only parts that did not survive were those made from aluminium, which had corroded. The instruments were also missing - the most difficult parts to find - which Body speculated may be adorning someone's fireplace. The MG was completed early this year and won the vintage car award at the end of April. Commenting on the MG's resurrection, a spokesman for the Early MG Society said it was one of only a few genuine MGs that have come to light in the last 25 years. | Car enthusiast Fred Body spent more than a year piecing together the parts . |
177912e0e7b096978c667ce6b45ef796611d1339 | (CNN) -- For nearly two months, George Zimmerman has been largely a cipher, a riddle whose voice has been heard only in 911 calls reporting a young man acting "real suspicious." On Friday, the world learned more about Zimmerman as he, his wife and parents testified during a hearing in Sanford, Florida, to decide whether he would be released on bond while awaiting trial on a second-degree murder charge in the February 26 death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman's wife depicted him as a man she has never seen angry. His father said he was a truthful man who had long been concerned with helping others. And his mother said he had organized a campaign to "get justice" for a homeless man who had been beaten in Sanford, as well as mentoring a 14-year-old African-American boy from a dangerous Orlando neighborhood. Zimmerman has acknowledged killing Martin during an encounter in his Sanford neighborhood, saying he shot in self-defense. Critics have depicted the Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer as a racist who profiled Martin because he was African-American. His family said nothing could be further from the truth. "I know that he is very protective of people, very protective of homeless people and also of children" -- regardless of their race, Gladys Zimmerman said in testimony meant to prove to Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. that Zimmerman would not be a threat to the community if allowed to leave jail while awaiting trial. She said he has been a mentoring the 14-year-old for three years even though the program he had joined shut down after only nine months because of the economy. She said she begged him not to go because of the danger. "He said, 'Mom, if I don't go, they don't have nobody,'" Gladys Zimmerman said. She said her son also participated in a 2010 campaign to "get justice" for an African-American homeless man who was seen in a videotape taken by an onlooker being struck by a man who later turned out to be the son of a Sanford police lieutenant. "He went to churches. He put fliers on cars" and organized a meeting seeking help for the man, his mother testified. He was recognized by the city for his efforts, his mother said. CNN has not been able to confirm Zimmerman's participation in the campaign. Zimmerman was studying criminal justice and wanted someday to be a judge or a magistrate, said his father, Robert Zimmerman Sr. -- who had also been a magistrate. "He's always been concerned about people in society, so he wanted to be able to help somehow," the elder Zimmerman said. Prosecutors sought to paint a darker picture of Zimmerman as a man with a violent past who could not be trusted to go free pending his trial. Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda cited two incidents -- a 2005 case in which a police officer accused Zimmerman of battery and another incident in which a woman filed a domestic violence injunction against Zimmerman after a scuffle. Zimmerman apologizes as judge sets $150,000 bond . In the 2005 case, Zimmerman was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and obstruction of justice after tussling with an alcoholic beverage control officer. The charges were later reduced to a misdemeanor after Zimmerman agreed to enter a diversion program and take an anger management class, according to testimony in Friday's hearing. According to a police report of the incident, which de la Rionda read in court, Zimmerman refused a law enforcement officer's orders to back off, saying, "I don't care who you are" after the officer identified himself. After a brief scuffle, the officer arrested Zimmerman. But Zimmerman's family said Zimmerman told them that the officer never identified himself, and he was only trying to come to the aid of a friend who he had seen being shoved against the wall by a man in plainclothes. "He felt his friend was in danger and he was just trying to protect his friend," said Zimmerman's wife, Shellie Nicole Zimmerman. In the other case, de la Rionda said a woman filed papers in which she said Zimmerman smacked her in the mouth and "asked her how it felt," as well as grabbed her and threw her on a bed. Timeline of events in Trayvon Martin case . Shellie Zimmerman said her understanding was that Zimmerman was only acting to protect himself after the woman scratched him and drew blood. "Absolutely he is not a violent person nor a threat to the community," she said. Zimmerman also took the stand, an unusual move in a bond hearing and a risky decision for any defendant in any criminal case, much less a one involving a murder charge, said his attorney Mark O'Mara. It was his first public statement since the shooting. "I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son," Zimmerman told Martin's parents Friday in what his attorney said was a risky and heartfelt apology from the witness stand. "I did not know how old he was. I thought he was a little bit younger than I was, and I did not know if he was armed or not." | More details emerge about George Zimmerman at bond hearing .
His mother says he is "very protective of people"
But a prosecutor says he's a violent danger to the community . |
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